Nathan and Christine's Visit

The long anticipated visit from Nathan's family (my 2nd oldest brother) came and went too quickily. I've been wanting to post these pictures for so long, but fear the tears that are already begining to form.....we miss them dearly and cherish their visit every couple years. Nathan's girls are at such a fun age. We connected so well with them and tried to get as much time as possible. My girls were so sad knowing their cousins were still in town for 3 days before leaving us for the last time....we all understood that there were other family members to see. So here are a few of our memories to share. We hope that as my brother Jason's family read this they will know how much we longed to have them with us on the trip. We thought of you often and look forward to future times we get to spend with you.

Day 1: Alpine Slides at Ski Bowl Adventure Park

We went on opening day, the kids were the perfect age to enjoy this adventure. It was a new experience for all of us and everyone found enjoyment! Ally and Ksenya went down the slides first....they were CRAZY into it. Ally NEVER read the signs and could care less about slowing down or getting on someone's tail. She and Skenya stuck like glue, going on the ski lifts and slides by themselves. We did not catch up to them until the 5th or 6th time...Christine and I finally waited at the top to catch them and explain to Ally that the signs for direction, caution and safety. It was pretty comical seeing her reaction....she shruged her shoulders and realized she had seen no signs what-so-ever. She also could care less about ever going down the slides with mom or dad. It was bitter-sweet realized our little girl is growing up.

Kaitlyn had a great time taking turns with each of the adults. She was a couple inches too short to ride the slide by herself. She had the most fun with aunt Christine, who let her be in charge of the breaks and aceleration. Christine said she had no fear....wish I would have saw it.

Kylie and Crystal enjoyed riding by themselves, but also enjoyed a few rides with the adults. It was so fun too have them warm up so quickily and want to go down the slides with me multiple times. I LOVED (understatment) every moment with the girls and miss them so much!

The adventure park had a lot of other fun thongs to do too; pony rides, rock climbing wall, kids play area (not that fantastic), go carts, kiddy canoe rides and other things that were not yet open since it was opening day.

Between adventures, we all went up to Government Camp to the top of the mountain. The girls loved playing around in the snow on a warm day.

Day 2: Fourth of July Rodeo

We've always heard such great reviews on the local rodeo here in town....it happens to be very close to mom and dads, so this year we were thrilled for the opportunity to go...another 1st for everyone.

Day 3: Family Dinner

This was the only night all of us could be together, since Heather and Jeremy had to on the week days, which is when we scheduled the day trips to avoid crowds. I can't believe we forgot to get a group photo! This was the night Nathan's family surprised mom and dad with a beautiful handmade quilt to commemorate mom and dad's 40th wedding anniversary. It included pictures of the each child's family and mom and dad's wedding pictures...wonderful work from both Nathan and Chrstine.


Day 4: Cannon Beach

The beach of choice was Cannon Beach. It is the beach that holds the most memories for our family. Walking through all the shops and enjoying the scenery of Haystack Rock was wonderful...the only regret was the wind, which of course we had no control over. The kids didn't seem to be bothered too much by it and had a good time no matter what...OF COURSE!


Day 5: GIRLS SLEEPOVER!!!

It was so much fun to have the girls all to myself ;-) They played outside for a while, then came in to play our nail polish game (idea from Ally's last birthday party). We painted rocks, watched movies and had lots of giggles. The morning brought a good breakfast, fun hairstyles and a movie with Papa (Cars 2). It was GREAT girl time!

The sad part to this is I knew that this was probably going to be the last time we saw them for a while. I didn't let the girls know it....for fear of breakdowns, which came later.

I'm thankful for Ksenya. She shared her wonderful talent of dance with us; DVD from some of her performances. She is so talented and is certainly exelled for her age. I'm thankful she is more than a cousin to my girls, she is a real friend. Ally looks up to her so much. Ksenya you are a beautiful young lady, we love you!

I'm thankful for Chrystal. Her smile lights up a room. She is very quiet in her ways, but is so sweet. Crystal sits back and watches, you can tell she wants to be involved in what's going on, but is reserved. Cystal you are radiant, let your light shine and know you are loved very much! Thank you for all your hugs and sweet gestures!

I'm thankful for Kylie. Those brown eyes will melt your heart! She is another quiet and sweet one, but will let you know what she wants in her own quiet ways. She is full of snuggles and wants to be loved. Kylie you are such a joy to be around. I loved seeing your thoughtfulness and creativity. Thank you for making me feel so special. You are loved very much!


I'm thankful for family, for my family. I thankful for loving parents who have strived to do whatever they can for our family. I'm thankful for three brothers who are unique in their own ways, I love each of them and appreciate the wonderful fathers they have become. They have married good women who I look up to in different ways. I cherish my time with children dearly, these moments with neices and nephews won't last long. I love spending time with them and have so much fun with them.

I'm so glad for every moment we got to spend with most of the my side of the family. The memories we create and the love that resides is cherished dearly.

Activity Day Recognition

Ally's first Activity Day recognition was last month. She was very happy to receive her 1st year certificate and flowers for her efforts (picture was taken morning after). The duck derby took place right after. She did an awesome job competing against the boys. She and 'One Eyed Duck' were a great team'. I love that she's found so much joy from going to Activity Days and working on her Faith in God requirements.

Family Fun Day

Last year we heard about a Rock Ranch in Oregon....some friends of our had gone "Rock Hounding" and dug for thunder eggs. We decided to pack the kids up and go...the girls LOVE rocks and have their own collections so we knew it would be a big hit if they were able to add to the collections.

Ally called Dad her "Digging Partner". She had a couple of other funny things she said on the trip. Here are a couple:

"OH WOW, LOOK, wild cows!" Jeremy gave her a lesson on free grazing cattle.
"Okay, I think I've turned into a lazy cow....with all this driving"
"I'm as HOT as a roasted piece of toast! It's SO HOT out here"

We praised Ally for her way with words...she loves using detail in the stories she writes AND has been really good with her analogies.
On the way home from the rock ranch, we stopped by our friend Rod's home and ranch. He's always so pleasant to visit and treats us so well, entertaining the kids and allowing us to roam on his beautiful property. In the girls journals they wrote about Rod's new horses "Star and Katy". They told about their experience with grooming Star and how Ally got to ride Star bare-back. This was a BIG DEAL for both of them. Ally couldn't believe how high she was and she didn't have a saddle. Kaitlyn was concerned for Ally's safety, especially after witnessing Star's nervousness, after being separated from her sister Katy.
A couple years ago Ally rode a different horse, that since has passed away. Actually two of Rod's horses have passed away, since our last visit. Ally was so sad for Rod. As soon as she returned home, she wrote a letter to Rod explaining that; if and when she ever gets a horse...she'll give it to him because she knows that he must REALLY miss the horses that died.
Both our girls have such kind hearts and are so sensitive. We love that you both are often thinking of others.

Dad's Day

Jeremy is an amazing man. Ally, Kaitlyn and I are so lucky to have him!
Kaitlyn caught the fun grin on Jeremy's face below....she did a fantastic job catching the face we see daily.
The outside picture (below) shows Jeremy and his dedication to our yard and home. He works so hard to keep everything looking nice and function properly. This particular picture shows him using a stump grinder, getting the 4 stumps that have been pestering us over the last few years. As you can see from Jeremy's stance....he doesn't mind ANY work that includes equipment.
Jeremy is a great BBQer! I love it when he takes over the cooking...he even cooked up our lunch and dinner on Fathers Day.....SO AWESOME!
I had to throw a picture of the dogs in this college....they are certainly a part of the family. We catch this view EVERY time we walk out our back door or return home...they can't wait to see if it's dad coming to let them out.
The picture of Jeremy and I marks the fact that we've been married 13 years....he's put up with alot and I'm ever grateful!
This barely covers all the many things we love about you babe! We loved celebrating a day about YOU....we don't know what we would do with out you.

The pictures below were taken for Jeremy's fathers day surprises. His desk at work had extremly outdated pictures. He requested new ones quite sometime ago. Our dear friend Paige took these in our back yard. I think she did better than a studio....we are so thankful for the time, money and energy she saved us. Thanks Paige!!!

Jeremy we hope you know how great you are! You mean the world to us!

Jeremy and I got to see our Dad's on Saturday and Sunday evenings. We love you guys very much! Glad we were able to get these takes of both of you. You are such GREAT Granddads....all of us are so lucky to have you :-)

PS....not sure what Kaitlyn's bug eyes are all about....they look kinda creepy. Too bad a little bit of her bug-eyes couldn't have been passed along to Dad's sleepy eyes...he had a long day, but was still up for a visit.

Brooklyn is 4

My friend Sara, from High School, invited us to her daughter Brooklyn's 4th birthday party. She is such a sweet little girl, just like her mom ;-) Sara and I had a great time catching up, the girls played like crazy at PDX Playdate and I got to meet her sweet little guy Zachery (foster child)...SO cute!. Thanks for inviting us....we had a GREAT afternoon!

Happy Fathers Day!

Happy Fathers Day to the amazing men in our life! You are great examples of courage, work, love, kindness, support and the ability to endure. Thank you for being the Father, Grandfathers and Great Grandfather you are!
WE LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH!

Last Days of School

The last days of school are always bitter-sweet.
I'm SO sad I will not have my afternoon buddy to hang out with, but am happy I won't have to make an extra trip to the bus stop each day.
I'm a little sad to not have my morning routine...and getting a few extra things taken care of, but SO happy I get to hang out with BOTH my girls all summer!
I'm sad we have to move onto new teachers, but am excited what the new school year will bring...what the girls will learn and what we'll get to work on together.

This is Ally with two of her closest friends (Nyssa and Lauren) in class. The last day of school was field day, where the kids got to spend a few hours playing games and having nothing but fun. Ally has done a great job getting through the school year. She had fantastic teachers (includes student teacher) who were great with helping her overcome some great challenges. We are so proud of you Ally!!! You are such a sweet girl who is turning into such a lovely and smart young lady. Keep up the goodwork Ally-Gator!


This is Kaitlyn with her teacher (receiving her Kindergarten Diploma) and her friends Talitha and Corbin. Story on Corbin....Kaitlyn ran into her classmate at the school roller-skating night several months ago. His mom stated how she had heard about Kaitlyn and how Corbin has admired her "pretty red hair"...this made Kaitlyn blush and made her head over heals for him ever since.
Kaitlyn's book deserves several posts!!! She's been working on it for months. It was exhausting to come up with ideas and the time to accomplish this GREAT idea she had...to make a book of 100 pages! We tried to encourage her to shorten the book, but anyone who knows Kaitlyn, knows that SHE KNOWS what she WANTS and is DETERMINED! The goal was to finish the book by the end of the school year so she could make a copy for her teacher. We had one month to go and I didn't know how it would be possible. We finally resorted to using the computer for the last 50 pages. It was awesome to get her on the computer; to choose some new pictues and learn to use the key board. We are so proud of Kaitlyn...she wanted to be done SO badly, but was NOT willing to give up. Way to go Kaitlyn! We are SO proud of you!!!
Here's a sneak-peak at some of her favorite pages (these are the ones she chose to give her teacher on the last day of school, along with a letter of appreciation), Kaitlyn had to try really hard to save the 'hearts' for last (she wanted to see what 100 hearts would look like on a piece of paper.....

Sprinkler FUN in the SUN!!!

Our last two Saturday's have been beautiful! Last Saturday was almost 90 degrees. All I have to say is...it's about time we dry out!
The girls finished up their chores SO FAST. They were outside by 8:45 making their river under the bridge....this was them digging in the rocks and pouring water under our decorative bridge in the front yard. We were on a bikeride with Ava and Mia by 10:00. The girls were playing in the sprinklers and laying in the sun right after our picnic in the yard....then out came the 4-wheeler for some rides with dad. It was a GREAT day....sure hope Mr. Sunshine shines for a while...we're hoping for a nice'n sunny summer.

Two more nights with the Twins....

One of the nights was at our house with our two little families. We LOVED the company! When eight o'clock rolled around it did get a little tricky....they didn't seem to care for the bathtub water...or our girls getting them ready for bed. We still had fun AND were able to get them to stay longer....thank goodness the babies are still in their carseats, aren't those the cutest pictures of them sleeping??!!! Look at Savannah's little arm propping her head ;-)
Thanks for the time together you guys....We look forward to the next time!

This was our Memorial Day fun...our last night with the munchkins :(
Tom cooked up some babyback ribs and the kids had fun playing 4-square (until mom stepped in), used sidewalk chalk and played jumprope...I love Ally's face when Rachel jumped in.

More than likily, we won't see the twins until Fall of 2012. I can't imagine what they'll be like on the next visit. Have fun in Florida you guys...We'll miss you!!!!

Skipped a day...

...of school for more time with the out-of-towners. We were so happy to spend more time with Becky and Leif's families. We went hiking on the most beautiful day of the week, then stopped in at the fish hatchery. The girls LOVED riding with Becky's kids....it was so nice to see them enjoying time together. I loved the opportunity to hold Sydney's hand up and down the rock...we switched hands at each switchback (over 200 times), this was keeping her far from the railing to help her feel safe. I loved that Leif and Rachel were able to be with my girls during the hike. They loved having the 'aunt' and 'uncle' time. I'm so glad we were invited AND for the encouragment from Jeremy, to have the girls 'skip a day' and have some fun.....It was a good day!

Parade

We had perfect parade weather for the local parade....we couldn't belive it lasted 3 hours! We were happy to be in great company with our friends Elissa and Megan. We gathered in a spot where many local friends from church and school meet up each year.

Our local school band was awesome. So many young kids we knew participated and created an inner desire for my kids to play, when its their time. I wonder who they'll take after. Daddy on the saxaphone, Grandpa and Leif on the Trumpet, Lairen on the Clarinet or Kierstin on the flute????

Micah and Savanna are 1

The party was lots of fun. Most of Jeremys's family was able to be here (we missed you Kierstin, Wes, Westin and Jade). Since the weather turned sour, we met at the church (was going to be at the park)....perfect place for the kids to run and get energy out! We all ate dinner and mingled. The guys played basketball and kids played lots of fun party games. We got to see the twins show not too much interest in their cake....still cute ;0) So happy we all could be together to celebrate such an exciting day.

Micah and Savannah

Here's the beginning of the visit...I was thankful to help Jeremy's mom take care of the twins one of the mornings. The twins parents are gone for a much needed vacation....Jeremy's brother is officially a Docter :)
Aren't they cute!!!! They turn one this week....celebration is tomorrow, can't wait!

The beginning of 'Faith in God' projects...

I have to say...I've been a mother playing a waiting game. Waiting for my daughter to show interest and desire to start her "Faith in God" projects. I thought for sure she'd be picking it up and asking me to help her OR I'd find her starting it on her own. My wake up call came when the activity day leader mentioned their was going to be a recognition in June. I realized my daughter had nothing passed-off, expect for what was done in class.

It's so nice to say, the waiting game is over. I knew better and needed to show her, teach her the importance of these projects. We sat down together and learned how valuable the book and requirements can be. We set a goal to accomplish one task in each category.

1. Learning and Living the Gospel: Prepare a pedigree chart with your name and your parents' and grandparents' names. Prepare a family group record for your family and share a family story. Discuss how performing temple work blesses families.

2. Serving Others: Plan, prepare and serve a nutritious meal.

3. Develop Talents: Make an item from wood, metal, fabric, or other material, or draw, paint, or sculpt a piece of art. Display your finished work for others to see.

The first project was such a joy to do with Ally. I didn't realized how valuable writing and recognizing family names would be for her. She recognized the fact that she and her sister were named after great grandmothers. Both her parents were named after grandparents. She also recognized that her maternal grandpa was named after his mom's maiden name. And her maternal great-grandpa is a "Jr."

When it came to telling a family story...I'm grateful for the one I chose to tell. Her dad's family name wasn't always spelled the way it is today. Her great-great grandfather, who came from Germany, chose to change the spelling to accomodate the American ways, I gave her the old spelling. It was a very simple story....one I felt she could remember the details. I didn't realize it had an impact until the two days later. I was cleaning papers off the counter and found a zip-lock bag with Ally's name, last name (current spelling) and then the original spelling with a smiley face...all in Ally's writing. This was such a tender mercy for me...the time spent with my child was valuable, she's learning who she is, where she comes from and how important it is to learn how living the gospel can re-unite families.

The following Monday, our family night revolved around Ally's completion of the first task and passing off the second task. Ally planned, prepared and served a nutritious meal. She chose Chinese Chicken Salad with Strawberry/Rhubarb Pie for dessert. Ally did a wonderful job following directions and sticking to task. It seemed to take forever, but she did a magnificent job putting it all together!

She was certainly proud of her pie....she LOVES Rhubarb and was so excited when she saw it in the stores the previous week. Ally loved the fact that she got to eat most of it....since Kaitlyn and Dad dispise Rhubarb. We felt she could use the extra calories anyway :-)


For our family night activity: We chose to teach our kids more about the temple and answer any questions they had. This helped Ally to learn how to discuss the ways temple work blesses families.

What we've learned as parents, so far in this journey: The home is certainly the best place to teach your family the principles of the gospel. It brings so much joy to see our family grasping the gospel and appreciating the effects it can have when we put forth the effort. We're thankful our girls are learning that it is possible for our family (including extended family members) to live together forever AND that when we develop our talents and serve others, we find joy.

Thanks for your hard work Ally. We enjoyed every moment of it....including the reward of eating it!

We'll be excited for you to share goal #3 (your wood project) at the recognition night in June.

Arica's graduation

One of my dearest and truest friends, graduated with her Bachelors Degree last weekend. Arica has worked so hard to accomplish this task for her family. It's been so neat to watch her be so dilligent in sticking to her studies, being a great support to her husband and raising her 4 children so well. Arica, other mothers can only imagine this huge task. You perservered with such hardwork and dedication.....I'm so happy for you...YOU DID IT GIRLFRIEND! All of us are so proud of you! Thanks for letting our family join in the celebration....we had a wonderful time; eating the delicious food, celebrating and getting to know your other family members better....you have such a great support system :-) Thanks for the fabulous friendship, dear friend!

The Joys of Mother Day 2011

On saturday night, I mentioned to the girls how wonderful it would be if they would let me sleep in until 7am (no meetings meant I could actually "sleep-in"). Instead, I found myself waking early and wishing I could hear the pitter-patter of their little feet running into snuggle, offer kisses and tell me Happy Mothers Day. I was so sad and had Jeremy go get the girls to come in, luckily they were already on their way....tip-toeing to offer their sweet surprises; flowers, cards and sweet poems. The poems got me good....bringing huge alligator tears (surprise, surprise, I know, to those of you who know me) My family is SO good me!!! I LOVE BEING A MOM!!!!


The tulips they gave me happened to match the sweater I chose to wear for the day. Over the weekend, I didn't have to cook once.....thanks to a family night out Friday, a pre-breakfast (for dinner) Saturday and left overs for breakfast Sunday morning.
It was a great weekend to spend my sweet family. Sunday evening was a special night to recognize the wonderful mothers we have. You can see how much they are loved below. These grandmothers have such special places in their granddaughters hearts.

Kid-At-Work Day

Disappointment set in for Jeremy and Ally when they realized a new rule went into effect at Jeremy's work-place....no, kids at work. They thought there might be a way to take Ally for at least a couple hours, but no such luck...a firm e-mail was sent the morning-of....no-exceptions to the rule.


We were thankful Grandma was willing to take Ally for the day. She was so happy for the opportunity to watch Grandma fulfill her new responsibility as a seamstress. One of the thrills of the day was the hands on lesson Grandma gave. Here's what she wrote (couldn't forget the spelling errors...so cute):

"Today at my Grandma's, I learned that soewing is a big siurios job! And she puts time into it too! To me it seemns confusing, the first time I started to soe I got the thread stuck! But the most icsiding part is that I learned how to soe, and actuly its pritty fun! espeshally at grandmas. I also learned that soeing is creative and its also like a activity! And once you've had a lot of practice you can go, go, go prity fast!"

KAITLYN....got to stay home with mom. Apparently, some teachers at the school seem to think staying home with mom shouldn't be allowed or considered a job. I certainly beg to differ....moms do alot and can offer very valuable lessons for the kiddos. Heres some of what Kaitlyn and Ava (one of Mia's older sisters) learned about being a mom and caring for children:


Getting the children ready for the day, preparing meals, changing diapers, mending boo-boos, showing compassion and love, teaching, reading, playing, cleaning (washing windows/mirrors, folding/ironing clothes, dishes) and safety/cleanliness in all of the above. I have to say it was an exhausting day...explaining every little detail of what we do and why. They were so attentative the whole day. It was such a neat opportunity to show them the importance of raising children and the joy we can have from doing it. All of us (Kaitlyn, Ava, Julia, Mia and I) had a GREAT day staying home.

Happy Mothers Day!!!

To ALL the women in our lives...YOU ARE AMAZING and LOVED SO MUCH!!! Thank you for the many things you do to make our lives brighter. Have a wonderful Mothers Day!

My Creative & Silly Girls

The girls having a good time:


Kaitlyn recently had a very time consuming project to work on for the open house her class had. They had several weeks of learning about caterpillers and butterflies....utilizing Eric Carls book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". These pictures show less than a quarter of hard work. The rest of the work included a large decorated envelope with items from the book: catperpillar (dyed sock made into a puppet), egg laying a leaf, the apples, oranges and fruits other food items colored on paper plates with a big hole in the middle, a cacoon and of course the beautiful butterfly. The greatest part was when each child could retell the story in their own words using their visual aids. GREAT JOB KAITLYN!!!


One of my Friday's was made a little brighter while volunteering at the school. I was filling each students Friday folder and came to my own daughters papers for sorting, here's what I found (apparently this was done during her spare "choice" time in class):


Here's a cute project idea from Ally's art class. She loves poetry and found this art piece quite thrilling to pull out of her backpack to share with us. Very cute!

Random Pics

Kaitlyn making her Caterpillar inch its way across the floor.


Jeremy...happy someone invented and supplied :-) him with candy.


Andrea...wondering when Mia's blow-outs will stop.


Thomas (Katie's youngest) turned 5! Cousins...happy to celebrate!


Ally....finding joy when she reads books on her own.


Mia is 6 months old and cute as ever...sitting up and wearing piggy tails!


Kaitlyn the day after her birthday. She's so happy her "bunny" has twinkle toes (from Aunt Katie) to match her own. She was also happy to find a way to fancy-up her bunny by wrapping the tutu (Aunt Rachel made her) around the rabbits waist twice. Doesn't she look pleased?