JSTA BLOG

2012-01-01T03:31:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe 2011 has come and gone! We've had a very eventful year. It started with Jeremy flat on his back with shingles. We were all so thankful when he recovered. In the spring we trekked to Montana and met our wonderful new SIL Rachael. The boys played baseball all spring and both excelled in school. During the summer, we were gone as much as we were home. When we were close to home, we skiied and tubed on Lake Merwin. Ascha was the star on the tube. She loved it! We visited our Montana family, then our Canada family, then had a "planned-in-advance" family vacation. (Our first ever - it was great!) We visited friends and went to Silverwood Theme Park. We then went back to Montana for my precious Gramma's funeral. We returned home just in time to start school. The boys are now halfway into their basketball season and enjoying that. We were blessed with an unusual set of circumstances that allowed Jeremy to have a week off at Christmastime, so we headed to Montana once again to spend Christmas with our parents, grandparents, and extended family. Hopefully this small narrative makes some sense of the nearly "silent" 2011 blog posts.

Throughout this year, we have seen God's faithfulness and been so blessed by the love of family and friends. We're not the best at keeping in touch, but we are so glad to be connected to each of you! We hope your life, whether busy or relaxed, is filled with the joy of Christmas the whole year through!

With Love, The Nielsen Family

2012-01-01T03:28:00.000-08:00

December 2011

Taylor got to be "Scientist of the Week" on his birthday week. He researched and presented a report on Isaac Newton and had a great time.

We got our Christmas tree on a balmy December day...didn't seem much like Christmastime, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

We enjoyed playing with our new 22 magnum while up in the Gifford Pinchot

It was Ascha's turn to place the star on the tree

Taylor's 9th birthday was a blast - we went bowling as a family

He got a real bow

He requested a robot cake. I made his favorite peppermint ice cream cake, which resisted becoming a nice square-sided robot. It seemed more like a snowman, but he was enamored with his "cool robot snowman," so it was a win-win. (Phew!)

We surprised him with trick candles :-) This is my favorite "Taylor camera expression" of the year

For Christmas, we headed to Montana. What a blessing!

One highlight was the gift of Pepper, our new puppy. Aric wanted to name him "Skunk" because of his stripe, but it's changing from white to peppery gray, so Taylor suggested "Pepper." We don't know what color he will end up, but he's pretty cute no matter the color. Because he's so young, he's staying with his mama (Grandpa Lyn's dog, Whiff) for a few more weeks. The added bonus is that we'll get to have Grandma and Grandpa come visit our house in January for this special delivery!

Ascha was a bit trepidatious about this new creature.

Aric's totally head over heels, and Taylor loves him, too.

The boys got outfitted this year. Grandpa Lyn and Grandma Janet bought them both BB guns, they got rubberband guns from Santa, nerf blowguns from Aunt Lynn, an addtional nerf gun from Aunt Maria and Uncle David, and Aric got a longbow from Uncle Spencer and Aunt Katie (not to mention Taylor's new bow!), and Uncle Amos and Aunt Meredith got them two different hunting games!

This is just a small representation of the people present Christmas Eve. Grandma Jen's house was packed and it was a joyful and wondrous time!

The boys sang Joy to the World and Ascha sang Away in the Manger

Santa came! Ascha and her little cousins looked for him and she's pretty sure she saw Rudolph's red nose disappearing into the night sky.

Mom had specifically told everyone "No More Legos," but she forgot to write a letter to Santa. Aric was so surprised and thrilled!

Ascha is enamored with her new snowglobe from Grandma Janet and Grandpa Lyn

The boys are metal-detecting hounds! They are loving this toy and seeking new treasures almost daily!

Grammy and Grumpy gave us all a family ski day, which we enjoyed thoroughly, but I didn't bring my camera. It was a wonderful Montana Christmas, complete with glittering snow and brilliant blue skies. We were so thankful for the opportunity to spend the time with our families!

2012-01-01T02:17:00.000-08:00

Fall 2011

new school year - both boys are at HomeLink 2 days per week and loving it

Before pictures of our front door

After... Ahhh! Much better!We've been looking forward to this update for 3 years and finally got around to it.

Happy 7th Birthday, Aric!

Late September...gorgeous warm weather...we all loved our last lake day of the year

Look at this apple! (That's Aric's hand, not Ascha's!)

Ascha's introducing Jeremy's new dove blue double cab ('60s VW bus)

We had a blast making these viking costumes for a friend's party

Ascha visited a ballet class and loved it

Ascha also discovered she can draw our whole family

We went to the Cedar Creek Grist Mill for their annual apple pressing day and bought some fresh cider

Fun Fall Pumpking Carving

Beautiful Princess Aurora (with a "cheese crown" as requested)

Viking, Princess, and Army Man

Fun Fall Leaves

Watch out, Silver Star!

2012-01-01T01:32:00.000-08:00

In Loving Memory

Jo Ann Mills

Loving Grandma and Great Grandma

2012-01-01T01:22:00.000-08:00

Summer 2011

2012-01-01T00:08:00.000-08:00

Spring 2011

2011-12-31T23:12:00.001-08:00

Christmastime, 2010

2011-05-28T23:14:00.000-07:00

Taylor's 8th Birthday

Taylor turned 8 on December 9th. A few days before, while Grandma Janet was visiting, we celebrated his upcoming birthday with a german chocolate cake and he got a really neat gift from Grandma and Grandpa... a birding book, CD, and binoculars. These came in handy about a month later when we went birding at the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge with Grandma and Grandpa. (Sorry about the sideways pics!)

On the morning of Taylor's birthday, he had banana pancakes and received his gifts from his immediate family.

Mom and Dad got him an RC helicopter.

Then it was off to school where he enjoyed being celebrated in the classroom.

That evening, Grammy and Grumpy arrived, bearing gifts from Montana.

When the weekend rolled around, it was party time with friends. Taylor chose a lego theme and his signature peppermint ice cream birthday cake.

We didn't get too many great pics at the party because there was so much ACTION. The kids split into teams and had a tower building contest. Then they had a great time seeing which team was better at ball toss... into the rival team's tower, of course. It was suspenseful and exciting and perfect for a rainy winter day.

It was a great party. (Fellow moms, I'd highly recommend the lego theme... it's easy to come up with games that everyone enjoys and the mess is minimal! :-) It was wonderful to celebrate our Taylor James. The years are flying by and it's hard to believe he's already 8! We're so thankful for his passion for doing the right thing, his insatiable curiosity, his desire for excellence, and his fun-loving spirit. His grin lights up our days and his laughter is infectious. He is a bright light, indeed, and we are so pleased God saw fit to bless our family with him.

2011-05-28T22:40:00.001-07:00

Fall Accomplishments

2011-05-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

Silver Star and Her Boys

2010-12-31T21:18:00.000-08:00

Ready to Play in the Snow?

2010-12-31T21:05:00.000-08:00

November in Montana

2010-12-31T20:54:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2010

2010-12-31T20:50:00.001-08:00

Ascha's Big Girl Bed

2010-12-29T13:19:00.000-08:00

Aric's First Basketball League

Aric played basketball for the first time this fall. He played hard and learned a lot, and even had fun along the way. He was a great scorer and rebounder. We are very proud of him!

2010-12-29T01:32:00.000-08:00

SO BIG!

Ascha is now 2 1/4 years old, and cuter than any button I've ever seen!

2010-12-29T01:24:00.000-08:00

September Fun, Part 4 - Harvest Festival, Pearson Air Museum, and Fort Vancouver

(...yes, all in one day!)

We went to a harvest festival where we decorated three pumpkins and made a scarecrow. I got a lot of stares and smiles as I carried said items in the baby backpack and herded the three kiddos back to our car. (I was even informed our towering scarecrow had frightened an alpaca!)

Then, we went to Pearson Air Museum (hooray for free museum day!) and toured Fort Vancouver (hooray for free public lands day!). Of course, we couldn't let ourselves leave without walking over the land bridge and strolling along the Columbia River. My kids pretty much collapsed with exhaustion when we got home after about 8 hours away.

What a great day!

2010-12-29T01:11:00.000-08:00

Aric's 6th Birthday Party

Aric opted for a Transformers theme this year, and the boys helped decorate

We started the party off by bombing Megatron. His likeness was pasted to a box and each boy got to take a turn knocking it over. When that was done, we had enough ammo left for one massive frontal assault. Ready...aim...

...FIRE!!

Then we came inside for a maze. The goal was to rescue a transformer who'd been tied up and carried off to a secret lair. Each boy followed a string through the "obstacles" to find his car.

Then, of course, it was time for cake and presents

After that, we carried a cube of "energon" in a spoon relay

We wrapped up the party with a long game of tag

2010-12-29T00:56:00.000-08:00

Aric Turns 6

On September 17, Aric turned 6. It's hard to believe he's that old already. If you don't believe me, just go back in the blog archive and see what he looked like when I started this blog.

On Aric's special day, I made pancakes for him and sent him off to school (where he acquired a very stylish birthday hat). When he arrived home, we had a little family party.

Birthdays are always a good time to try for a family picture. The one with Mommy in it didn't turn out, but all of my most-favorite people look pretty great in this one!

Taylor knew about Ari's big gift from Mom and Dad, because he test-drove it for us. He was supposed to keep the secret, but he gave Aric suggestive hints along the way like, "Your birthday present has wheels." Then, to make matters worse, Aric came to me sheepishly a few days before his birthday and said, "I was playing hide and seek, and when I went to hide behind the boat, I saw wheels sticking out from under a tarp." I told him to forget about it and stay away from that part of the garage (somehow I even maintained a straight face). He said ok and walked off. On his birthday, he was somehow surprised that he got "a gear bike," as mountain bikes are known around this neighborhood. I couldn't believe he was surprised, so I said, "Didn't you know???" He told me he'd tried very hard to forget. :-)

"Look, Ma. I'm 9!"

Best Friends and Great Brothers... I've loved watching them purchase gifts for one another with their own money this year. They are both very generous young men.

2010-12-29T00:54:00.003-08:00

September Fun, Part 3 - The Zoo

As part of our field trip - happy September, we spent an afternoon at the zoo. The parking lot was full, so we were shuttled on a school bus, which was nearly as exciting as the zoo itself for Ascha.

She was only a little nervous about her first bus ride

Sweet Munchkins

Can you believe how grown up those three look?

2010-12-29T00:54:00.001-08:00

Aric's First Day of Kindergarten

Our "little buddy" is growing up! He loves school, although he does come home exhausted and even started taking naps again this fall.

First bus ride home with his two neighborhood buddies

Can you believe how grown up he is?

2010-12-29T00:08:00.000-08:00

September Fun, Part 2 - Tri-Cities Park Play Date

Just before school started, we had the opportunity to meet little cousin Sydney, who is 3 months older than Ascha, for the first time. Her mom (Jeremy's sister Maria) drove with Grandma Janet from Spokane and we drove from Vancouver to "meet in the middle." We met at the wonderful Columbia Park in Tri-Cities for a play date.

Grandma Janet with all her grandkids

Can you tell these two little girlies are related?

Fun on the tire swing

Two peas in a pod

Down in the "elevator"

Grandma Janet took the opportunity to celebrate Aric's birthday a touch early and brought along cupcakes, frosting, and gifts

MMMmmm...

I love this expression. Aric is such an all-out personality that when he's happy, everyone around him knows it (same when he's sad or mad, but those are different stories :-). This little white tiger has always lived at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and Aric has always loved it and wanted to take it home with him. It was such a wonderful surprise gift he could hardly believe it (if only present giving could remain that simple! :-)

It was a great play date. The little girls so enjoyed finally getting to play together, and the big boys loved the park, chasing the seagulls, and, of course, cupcakes. It was a very long day with 8 hours of drive time, but it was well worth it.

2010-12-27T09:26:00.000-08:00

September Fun, Part 1 - OMSI

The month of September was very fun and busy this year. Taylor's school and extracurricular activities don't begin until the end of the month, so we are free to do our homeschooling month however we so choose, so long as we hit the required hours for math and language arts. A few days before Aric started kindergarten, we decided we'd kick the school year off with a field trip to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).

Here's Samson the T-Rex

Isn't she the cutest chipmunk you've ever seen?

We loved the mirrors, and the water play, and the sand play...pretty much all of the children's room we loved!

Astronaut Taylor

Astronaut Aric

2010-12-27T00:32:00.000-08:00

August at Home

When we returned home after our long trip, we were so happy to be reunited with Daddy. Even though we truly enjoyed our summer vacation, it wasn't worth it to be away from Daddy for so long and I don't think we'll take such a long separate trip again. We all missed each other too much, which I think is a good thing.

We had a nice chunk of time together when Daddy returned home from work a few days after our arrival. Daddy and the boys went right to work on a bike ramp they'd been planning and got it done in no time.

After the trial runs, it got a few inches shaved off the bottom because it was a little too big and too steep, but it's been great fun ever since. It took a bit of practice to get the hang of it, but the boys both figured out how to get air.

(beware the punishment at our house if you lose your bike helmet...you have to wear the spare!)

Ascha put it to a different use. A Montana cousin loved to jump, which made Ascha want to become a better jumper, too. This seemed the perfect platform for improving her new skill.

We decided in late August that it was "now or never" for summer camping. We threw our stuff together and headed toward Mt. Adams. We'd camped there last year amongst the mosquitoes, but hoped we'd have a better time of it this year. No such luck. It is an incredibly beautiful place, but not one we'll be visiting again for a while. The mosquitoes are unbelievable. This hike was gorgeous, but when we stopped for lunch, we felt like we were being eaten alive.

We paused for one picture, then the boys and I ran away flapping our arms and smacking at our heads. It wasn't worth it to try to get another one, but the memory makes me smile.

We camped at tiny Horseshoe Lake, the campground where we'd stayed for free last summer. This year, it was still buggy, still dusty, still a rough ride on bad roads to get there, but now it's more expensive than many of the more accessible campgrounds we'd passed on our way to "remoteness." Oh, well. Now we know.

I had hoped to get at least one decent family picture while we were on this camping trip. I even had the rare opportunity to make multiple attempts, but didn't come away with any real keepers.

Jeremy and I were feeling rather down about the camping trip thus far, but we decided to explore some new roads and head across huckleberry country. We never did stop and pick any, but the huckleberry milkshake at a gas station along the way counts, right? We drove the most adventurous "road" the boys have ever been on (when the sign says "Not Maintained," they mean it! Or maybe, they mean there are logs across the road, kelly humps here and there, and 5-foot-high vegetation on said "road"). It was a lot of fun, once we knew it was over and we had made it through. We found a new campground on a little fishing lake that was NOT crawling with mosquitoes.

There were massive logs for the boys to explore on. Their favorite pastime was finding fishing lures stuck in or around the logs. Unfortunately, right after this picture was taken, Taylor found a wasp, so we didn't try for another family picture. We used the old toothpaste remedy, though, and Taylor's a believer. He was so excited that it actually helped his sting.

On our way back home, we stopped at the Washington side of Bonneville Dam. It's funny how similar the two sides are in some ways, but in terms of presentation, they seem about 30 years apart. The Washington side gets less visitors, so the 70s carpet hasn't worn out yet. I couldn't find any pictures online and I didn't grab my camera, so you'll have to visit both sides for yourself someday for a fun exercise in comparing and contrasting.

All in all, the end of August was a great time of reconnecting as a family and collecting ourselves before another busy school year was upon us.

2010-12-26T23:40:00.000-08:00

August in Idaho

Whenever we drive to Montana, we stop in to see our super friends in the Coeur d'Alene area. This summer, we played in the backyard, went to a movie in the park, and hiked to Hayden Lake for an afternoon of sand and sun.

Charlotte's Web on the big screen

What a great group of troopers...

...and splashers

splash!

getting fancy

Ascha never jumped, but she sure liked to wade

2010-12-24T15:40:00.003-08:00

Free picture collage personalized with Smilebox

2010-12-24T15:40:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas, Everyone!
I just wanted to post a quick note in case you're dropping by after a while because of our Christmas card. I have resolved to be caught up by New Years Day, so keep checking back for more 2010 updates. Hopefully, if I get all the way caught up, I'll be able to stay caught up even with the busyness of the school year. :-)

2010-12-24T08:52:00.000-08:00

August in Montana

The kids and I went to Montana for my cousin's wedding and stayed for a few weeks. As always, we had a blast. We spent some time at Grandpa Lyn and Grandma Janet's new house. This is a familiar "Ascha-look," but not one we often capture on camera.

Here's her "cheese":

Grandma and Grandpa have a beautiful grassy field just south of their house

They were readying their place for landscaping while we were there, which made for lots of fun playing in the dirt

Of course, we loved playing with Whiff, too!

We stayed with Grammy and Grumpy, who cheerfully put up with us. The kids had tons of fun playing in the yard, at the river, and at the lake.

Can you tell Grumpy is a big proponent of physical play? :-)

"Helping" in the garden

Playing in the sprinkler, just like Mommy did when she was little

"Brotherly love"

This is my parents' cat, after being treed by Jeremy's parents' dog. He chose a comfy perch, don't you think? (it's a bird's nest!)

We went down and played on the Bitterroot River one afternoon with an aunt, an uncle, and a cousin

...oh, yeah. AND lots of crawdads :-) Great company and a fun day!

Another playdate with a cousin...this time at Great Gramma and Great Papa's

We visited the carousel in Missoula...the boys are almost big enough to catch the rings

Of course, we had to go to the lake. Here's Ascha's first tubing experience. She loved it...she went 5 mph in a straight line with Mommy and Uncle Shane right there to keep her safe :-)

Isn't she brave?

Tay enjoyed tubing...

...and so did Aric.

As always, we had a wonderful stay in Montana and made many great memories with our beloved family and friends.

2010-12-23T14:12:00.000-08:00

Late July Update

The second half of July brought a visit from Grandma Janet, and Grandma brought treats for the kids.

One more birthday present for Ascha:

Art projects for the boys:

Late July also brought my 30th birthday. I chose to copy Jeremy and go up into the Gifford Pinchot for the day. Instead of the north fork, which is a LONG drive, we went to the east fork of the Lewis River and found an absolutely gorgeous spot to spend the afternoon.

Looking for "treasure"

I love these chubby little baby hands, and I know they won't last much longer

Grandma Janet and her crew

What a backdrop!

Me and my guys

Ascha was queen of the "mountain"

Who can hit the target?

We threw in a little hiking for good measure

The guys hiked up a hill and each claimed his own stump

Ascha stayed at the bottom of the hill and played in the daisies

Because it was my day, and I love to crowd my days with every activity possible, we also stopped at Lucia Falls to wander around on the big rocks

2010-12-23T13:51:00.000-08:00

Happy 4th of July and Beyond

We had a lot of fun doing our own fireworks in our front yard. Of course, pretending sparklers are guns is a favorite pasttime for 5- and 7-year-olds. They were a bit sobered when they attempted roman candles, though. The hot sparks weren't so fun for them. I hope it remains that way for a few more years! (History: Their daddy and their uncle used to have roman candle wars...on motorcycles! I'm hoping my boys will choose safer ways to celebrate the 4th.)

Ascha's first sparkler. She immediately shoved the lit end down into the grass. Thankfully it had been a wet spring and everything was very green. :-)

She decided fireworks were pretty fun this year. Hooray for fireworks!

A few other highlights from early July:

Daddy reading to Ascha and her horsies:

A visit from Ascha's great friend, Chloe (plus her Mommy and Daddy, also great friends!):

Our ski boat's sad first attempt in the water:

These were the jubilant first moments before we realized our skiing dreams were not going to be realized this summer:

Then, she started billowing black smoke and sputtering and Jeremy couldn't coax her back to the dock before she completely flooded.

It's good to have fun and swim when you can't do anything else because the boat has died in the middle of the lake, right? We're very thankful that after goofing off for half an hour, Jeremy was able to get her started and limp back to the dock. We had one other "on-the-water attempt" during the summer, but that was a bust, too. We're hoping that 2011 will hold more lake fun and less lake excitement. :-)

2010-12-23T13:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Jeremy!

A few days after Ascha's birthday, Jeremy turned "3 tens and 3." Since Ascha had finally figured out how to blow out a candle, she got to reinforce her new skill:

Jeremy got a new handgun for his birthday, but since his wish list kept changing, I decided I'd let him pick it out himself. For his gift to open, he got a tiny flintlock pistol, courtesy of the Playmobil Pirate set. :-)

To celebrate the day, we all went north toward Mt. St. Helens to a spot on the Lewis River to try our luck at panning for gold. No gold was acquired, but what a golden afternoon we had! What could be better on a sunny June day than throwing rocks and catching water skippers with the people whose company you most enjoy?

A picnic lunch is always a treat.

Throw a little hiking in for good measure, and you've got a pretty perfect day!

2010-12-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

Ascha Lynn Turns 2!!

It's hard to believe how fast our "baby" is growing. She turned 2 on June 23rd.

Thanks for the great and easy cupcake idea, Miss Lanny! We loved them with pink marshmallows! :-)

The neighbor girls came over to help Ascha celebrate. She pulled the winning string off her pinata and then opened gifts (to much ooohing and aaahing from the other girls! :-)

The neighbor girls were somewhat appalled when Ascha received a baby doll without any clothes other than a diaper. I assured them she had special clothes coming in the mail the next day. One of them very seriously offered to let the doll (aka Big Dolly) borrow some clothes until then. :-) I obviously did not grasp the seriousness of the matter.

As promised, special dolly clothes arrived the next day from Grammy, who had lovingly made a matching set for both Ascha and her new dolly.

What a big 2-year-old she is! Where did my baby go?

We are so thankful for Ascha and the special sparkle she brings to our family. She's a vociferous advocate for all things pink, purple, and beautiful. She's tender and motherly, while at the same time being a spunky little fighter who'll get you first, then act innocent (where did she learn that one in a houseful of big brothers?). She's a great little sister to her brothers and she loves us all very demonstratively. She's got Daddy completely in her pocket, and she and Mommy have tons of fun doing girly things together. What a blessing she is!

2010-12-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

Taylor's End of the Year Accomplishments

First grade was a blast. Taylor was busy with many activities. In June, his class put on a series of plays. He was Johnny Appleseed. He also finished his first year of piano lessons with a concert. (Hopefully, videos will be forthcoming at a later date. Hours of frustration and they still aren't loaded, so I'm moving on for now. :-) We are very proud of our big boy!

2010-07-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

The Locks at Bonneville Dam

We've always wanted to catch Jeremy going through the locks, but between catching the viewing window (only 1 pm to 4 pm) and finding good weather and avoiding scheduled school and sporting activities, we had never managed to make it. On May 30, though, we finally managed that trifecta and saw Daddy and his tugboat go through the locks on their way home.

We're up in a viewing tower here watching the tug come around a bend into view.

It's hard to grasp the enormous scale involved. These are the fronts of two barges. They usually push four barges, as you'll see.

Here's another scale picture: Those front two barges that dwarfed the deckhand standing in front of them in the last picture now look tiny out at the very front of the load. I wasn't able to get a picture of all four barges and the tugboat while they were in the locks because it was just too massive.

Here are the boys seeing their dad and waving hello. They were very excited and thought it was very fun.

Here's Jeremy. He came down from the tower onto the main deck to be at eye level as the barges were being tied off. Thankfully he was on his off-watch, so he was free to come hang out by us.

The upper gates are closing behind the tugboat

Now the boat and tow are going down. Notice how much the water level has changed since the last picture. These locks drop about 60-80 feet. It's amazing how quickly it happens.

Now Jeremy's climbed back up to the tower to see us. In a few more moments, we'll only see the very top of the tower.

These are the lower gates opening up to let out the tow.

There they go! See you in a few hours, Daddy!

The boys loved watching this bridge (the road that parallels the tug and stops abruptly in the previous pic) swing back across this channel. Then we got in the van and drove across the bridge to get to the Bonneville visitors center, where we learned about electricity and saw some fish. What a great day!

The scale of this retired turbine is so impressive.

The kids participated in a hands-on demonstration of how electricity is made at Bonneville. Taylor was "The Mighty Columbia River."

Aric was an excited electron bouncing around.

No trip to Bonneville would be complete without a visit to Herman the Sturgeon.

2010-07-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

Silver Star

The kids found a litter of kittens in a bramble by our house. We think someone dumped them and their mama in our neighborhood. We weren't able to rescue any of the others, but we did manage to snag this little girl before the mama cat moved her babies on.

The boys are SO happy to finally have a pet of their own. They named her Silver Star and take very good care of her.

Ascha loves Silver Star a dangerous amount. She's still on the young side for responsible ownership, so we really have to watch her. We're learning all sorts of good lessons, though, like "Feet are not for kicking" and "Never pick up a cat by the tail." We're pretty sure they'll both survive their stormy relationship and turn out to be great friends someday.

Her favorite warm napping spot

2010-07-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day 2010

For Mother's Day, we spent a beautiful day on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. We took a long drive and a short hike.

I am so blessed!

What better sight?

Gorgeous day, gorgeous baby

I love this shot!

2010-07-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

Cowboy Day

In May, Taylor's class culminated their study of pioneers with cowboy day.

2010-07-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

Ascha's Antics

There's something hanging out the bottom of a kitchen cupboard...

Hey! You can't see me!

Oh, alright, I'll let you. See...here I am.

I'm just too cute to hide for very long.

When Mommy is working in the kitchen and can't hold me, I usually hang on her legs and cry. On occasion, however, I decide it's more fun to play in this cupboard instead. Sometimes I bring a book; other times, I just sit and peek in and out.

2010-07-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

Taylor's Red Sox

This spring, Taylor played coach-pitch baseball for the "Boston Red Sox." He had great coaches and really enjoyed his season.

(He's directly in front of the coach in the red shirt in this pic)

He got plenty of experience at many positions, including catcher.

He preferred playing pitcher, but catching afforded more photo ops. :-)

Here he is fielding...

...and running the bases. He made some outs and had many hits and RBIs. It was a good season.

Of course, Aric needed to find something to do to pass the time (other than watching the game, because what respectable younger sibling wants to do that?), so he honed his photography skills.

Self-portrait

Mommy

Ascha

2010-07-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

April Fun

When the rain let up a bit, we made it out to the park.

Ascha loves hanging out with Daddy...

She also loves to swing.

Aric loves to ride his bike and has had lots of time to practice during the last school year. He's really getting good.

Taylor enjoys the sunshine and the free time.

We all take a little hike and love soaking up some early spring sunshine.

Ascha is getting so big, and she seems to want to measure her progress by lying on the bottom step. In April, she could touch both ends.

She's such a girly-girl. Here, she's preparing to take her bear for a ride. First, though, she must get the straps just right. A perfectionistic princess...a girl after her mommy's heart. :-)

2010-07-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

Easter with Grammy and Grumpy

My parents came into town for Easter. We met them at Multnomah Falls on the drive over, and Ascha still asks where "Bumpy" is whenever we drive over the I-205 bridge.

(who's the one ruining this otherwise lovely shot? :-)

There. The zoomed out version is much more presentable for things like blogs. :-)

.................................

We took the kids to an Easter egg hunt the day before Easter. The boys loved it, but Ascha was not convinced. This is her "I don't think so" face.

She refused to touch any eggs because they were lying in wet grass, so I snatched up this egg and wiped it off sneakily (if you've ever picked up an egg in the "3 and younger section, you know it feels a bit criminal) before shoving it into her hand and insisting she put it in her bag so it didn't get wet again.

The boys were pleased with their haul.

Of course, time around Grumpy wouldn't be complete without lots of horseplay.

Since we were all dressed up for Easter, I insisted that we try for a decent family photo. It didn't turn out too bad.

Grammy/Mimi and Grumpy/Bumpy with their grands

2010-05-22T01:12:00.000-07:00

Before and After

Let me just announce publicly yet again that my husband is an amazing, talented, incredible man! I am awed when I look at what he's done with our home.

(For orientation, look at the stairs going up and down over the next few pictures)

Dining Room and Stairways Before:

Formal Living Room During:

Dining Room After:

Formal Living Room After:

Reverse View of Formal Living Room After:

Kitchen Before:

Kitchen After:

Master Bath Before:

Master Bath After:

Ahhhhh! Looking at these pictures makes me very thankful...and relieved. :-) Now we're working on transforming the outside. In a few years, I'll try to remember to post pics of that transformation. :-)

2010-05-22T00:29:00.000-07:00

January, February, and March Update

Q.: What do you do when mealtimes frequently end like this?

...or how about when Mommy finds you with an empty lipstick tube, looking like this?

A.: You spend a lot of time like this.

All Clean! (That hair clip stayed in for about 15 seconds, but I managed to record it.)

During the winter months, we spent a lot of time indoors. However, we managed to go on several fun outings despite the rain.

We went bowling.

Aric's technique is called "the throwdown."

Can you tell from this picture that our firstborn is a perfectionist? Hmmm...which one of us does he take after?

Ascha loved bowling, too. Specifically, she loved the "hair dryer" effect.

We went to the Children's Museum with great friends.

When we had breaks from the rain and cold, we went outside every chance we got. We have really enjoyed biking with all the kids. On this adventure, we rode trails by Moulton Falls. Apparently the back of Mom's bike is as good a spot as any to take a nap, but it was a little scary for me to ride the bumpy trail with Ascha slumped forward, her head cradled in my hand behind my back. At the end of the day, she was none the worse for wear.

We also finally started letterboxing together, which is something I've had on my to-do list for a few years. We go out and find hidden stamps to put in our "passports" and leave our mark with our family stamp in the log book that's hidden with each box. It's great fun!

Taylor also played basketball with a bunch of his friends during the winter months. Surprisingly, his never-make-a-scene dad was one of the most vocal parents. I enjoyed watching both my guys during the season. :-)

Taylor earned some bragging rights when one of his (very loose) bottom teeth got knocked out during a game.

Taylor's class went on a field trip to a local restaurant, the post office, the fire station, a bank, and city hall when he finished up his classroom unit on communities. Aric and I accompanied him.

In addition to sitting in the driver's seat of a fire engine, both boys were selected for rolls on the mock city council. They grappled with the pros and cons of fireworks within city limits. It was a great hands-on exercise in government.

2010-05-21T23:50:00.000-07:00

Taylor's Teeth

In mid-November, Taylor lost his first top tooth.

We really thought the second would fall out before Christmas, and kept encouraging him to pull it so he could sing "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth." However, it hung on a few days too many. He did lose it while we were still in Montana, though, and somehow the Tooth Fairy made her way there. Maybe that was the dead giveaway that convinced him once and for all that Mom is behind the title. :-)

I loved that toothless grin! It didn't last long. As of this (extremely belated) post, his top teeth are both nearly grown in. All the vestiges of little-boyhood are fading away too quickly for this mama.

2010-04-26T23:41:00.000-07:00

Christmas in Montana

For the first time ever, our kids got to spend an idyllic Christmas in Montana with all their family and extended family. It was a fantastic time for all of us and I think it will be the Christmas that lives on in their memories forever.

On December 23, we spent the day celebrating an early Christmas Eve with Jeremy's family. It was a wonderful time. I didn't take any pictures. :-( Hopefully I can fill out this part of the post later with help from Grandma Janet.

On Christmas Eve, we got all dressed up.

Then we headed to Great-Grandma Jen's to celebrate with my huge extended family, just like we did every year as I was growing up.

This year was particularly special because all of my Grandma's great-grandchildren were there.

Four Generations: my Grandma Jen, my dad, me, and my kids

After dinner, all 40+ people gathered in Grandma's living room for a reading of the Christmas story and a time of caroling. It was such a special treat for me to be surrounded by so many family members and share in the familiar traditions of my childhood.

One of those traditions is the annual "appearance" by Santa and his reindeer on my Grandma's roof. No one actually SEES him, but as kids I'm pretty sure we all thought we just MIGHT have caught a glimpse of his sleigh heading out of sight. Every year, while we are singing "Jingle Bells," we hear stamping reindeer feet on the roof and a great ringing of sleigh bells. All the children race outside to see if anyone can spy Santa this time around. Each one finds a present waiting on the ground and brings it inside to kick off the opening of gifts.

Imagine the shock my kids felt, since they really don't believe in Santa. :-)

Does anybody see him?

Wow! A real, live, present from Santa Claus!

After the mass-opening of Santa presents, the kids all participate in a gift-exchange with their cousins and we all enjoy chatting and hanging out together.

As we left for the night, my brother's dog, Crockett, hopped in the van and plopped right down between the boys. They were thrilled.

We spent Christmas morning with both sets of grandparents at my folks' house. Taylor read the Christmas story.

Ascha had her first real experience with a stocking. She was pretty pleased to get an orange in the bottom of the stocking Grandma Janet and Grandpa Lyn brought her.

The hard part of our trip was when we had to send Jeremy back to Washington on Christmas Day. Although his trip was abbreviated, he had a wonderful time with family and friends, and even managed to fit some skiing in at Lost Trail.

On Christmas evening, we had my mom's side of the family over for another grand celebration. We played games and ate and chatted, and, of course, had more presents for these spoiled kids.

Taylor and Aric were the designated "present passer-outers" and spent much of the evening standing in the middle of the present pile.

Before we left for home, Taylor got a chance to try out the new whitefishing pole my parents had given him. My dad took both boys down to the river (Isn't it beautiful? I love MT!) where I grew up swimming and playing and fishing (or playing with the fish other people had caught...I've never had much patience when it comes to waiting for a bite).

Aric caught a fish fairly early-on, and I was hopeful Taylor wouldn't be far behind.

A few HOURS later, my dad told Taylor that he had 3 more casts until we absolutely had to go home, because it was nearing dusk and we were all cold and tired. On that third cast, Taylor caught his fish!

We had an amazing time enjoying our families and celebrating Jesus's birthday this year. We are so thankful we had the opportunity to share some of our favorite childhood memories with our children while they are still young enough to really enjoy them.

2010-02-13T22:45:00.000-08:00

Yummy Traditions

Of course, we had to make gingerbread men and gingerbread houses. :-)

Watch out, Snowman Peep! He's going to eat you!

2010-02-12T23:01:00.000-08:00

Trimming Our Tree

We didn't know where we'd be spending Christmas until a week and a half before it was upon us, so we decided to keep our tree "modest" this year. Jeremy ended up catching the necessary upriver trip which enabled us to get to Montana for the holidays (for the first time ever with kids!!!). Despite our best efforts, the timing of everything meant tweaking traditions this year. The kids and I swing into a tree lot just off the main road and picked up a little "Charlie Brown tree" for ourselves. No cutting was required and it easily fit behind the back seat. :-) We took the tree home and while Ascha was napping (are you noticing a theme to our timing for assembling things?), the boys decorated the tree with soft, non-breakable ornaments.

Aric placed the star.

Both boys were proud of their handiwork.

When Ascha woke up, she was again surprised and thrilled. She spent many hours removing and replacing ornaments on the tree and it was the perfect size. We didn't have to worry about it tipping over on her and she played with it to her heart's content.

Merry Washington Christmastime!

2010-02-12T22:06:00.000-08:00

Ascha Steals the Show

Taylor received a marble track for his birthday. All the "boys" had a lot of fun setting it up for the first time while Ascha napped.

When she awoke, she was in awe of the new contraption.

Her awe swiftly turned to excitement and she decided she really loved it, too.

(How can you NOT keep snapping pictures of that sweet face? :-)

2010-02-01T16:32:00.001-08:00

Taylor's 7th Birthday

Taylor wanted a pirate birthday. We had a pinata and party favors and treasure chest decorations...all we needed to complete the theme was a cake.

Unfortunately, the pirate ship SANK. The layers kept separating and I finally had to give up all hope after sinking two cake mixes and at least 3 full tubs of frosting into the ship. It walked the plank...right off the counter...as it collapsed one final time. I dashed to the store and picked up a sheet cake that looked like an island, hoping to salvage the theme. Then I rushed off to piano lessons with Taylor. Thanks to Jeremy and Aric's creative skills, the new cake was a big hit, and at the end of the day, isn't that what really matters? (NOT Mommy's culinary ego? :-)

Taylor invited friends from school and the neighborhood and all the boys had a great time. Jeremy took them outside for a treasure hunt. They followed clues and discovered treasure chests in which to deposit their pinata loot. Then, they came inside and decorated their treasure chests in pirate fashion.

We ate cake, Taylor opened his presents and played with his friends, and the party was a great success. We can still hardly believe that Taylor is SEVEN. Where is the time going?

Other highlights of the day:

He started out with a special pancake breakfast:

Between classes, he donned his pirate outfit and opened cards from the extended family.

At the end of the day, he got his big gift: a classic Schwinn Predator BMX bike

(thanks for saving it, Grandma and Grandpa! :-)

2009-11-15T14:33:00.001-08:00

Enjoying Our Last Few Sunny Days... And a Visit with the Grandparents

Winter is quickly descending upon us, but there are days when the sun pokes through for a few hours. We're trying to enjoy those days. We went to Lewisville Park last week, and then this week, we enjoyed hanging out with Grandma Janet and Grandpa Lyn (and Whiff, the kids' favorite dog!). We all enjoyed the great visit! Ascha took to calling Grandpa "Pum-pa" or "Bum-pa." She loved sitting and reading books with him. She (and Mom!) loved having Grandma feed her and dress her and play with her. The boys enjoyed the time playing games and assembling puzzles together. As usual, the week passed too quickly. Thanks for visiting, Grandma and Grandpa! We hope to see you again real soon!

2009-11-15T14:23:00.000-08:00

Ascha's First Baking Experience

Last week Aric and I made whole wheat pretzel dough while Taylor was at school. Aric pulled a chair over to the counter and a few moments later, Ascha was right behind him with a chair of her own which she'd pulled over. I guess she thinks she's big enough to bake. We put the chairs together and corralled Ascha on the inside. She loved being able to "help." She contributed by pouring the teaspoon of salt into the dough, then she happily sorted and stacked measuring cups and spoons to her heart's content while Aric and I mixed up the dough. Later, after the boys had finished shaping the pretzels and gone back to playing outside, she climbed up again and spent another half hour or so enjoying her newfound toys.

Ta-Da!

2009-10-31T23:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall

We love carving jack-o-lanterns and this year, we decided to toast the seeds. Of course, we started by taking out all the slimy pulp:

Then we rinsed the seeds:

Now they're soaking in salt water.

Here are our finished lanterns:

And here are our subjects (insert sound effects here: Ahoy! ARGGGHHH!! Nowwww! (Ascha's cat sound starts with an "n" and skips the "e.").

2009-10-31T23:16:00.001-07:00

Victoria

Jeremy and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary in July. My sweet hubby valiantly attempted to plan a secret re-creation of our honeymoon trip through Banff and Jasper National Parks in British Columbia, but I wasn't at all cooperative. He eventually spilled the beans on the "surprise trip" that just wasn't working out because of my continued insistence that I couldn't possibly leave Ascha overnight. We decided we'd postpone our trip until fall and I'd do my best to prepare both the baby and myself for a short separation. We also decided recreating our honeymoon trip would require too much time away, so we revised our plans. My mom came and stayed with the kids and we went on a three-night adventure to Victoria, B.C. We stayed at Marketa's B&B (which we highly recommend!), which is quite close to downtown. We enjoyed wandering and visiting shops (especially shops with breakables! We almost never frequent such shops now that we have 3 kids!), eating, going to the Maritime Museum, eating, driving around the Saanich Peninsula, eating, going on a zip line adventure, and eating some more. We've watched too many foodie travel shows, I think. Or maybe, we were inspired by the fact that we almost never consume a meal without interruptions (sweet, lovable, wonderful interruptions! Sheesh! Sounds like we despise parenthood. We certainly don't, but we did enjoy our brief reprieve).

My one request for our vacation was for it to include an "adventure component." We were (read: I was) thinking of renting a kayak, but even the most sunny October days seemed formidably cold for kayaking. We did manage to find adventure, though, in a zip line course which we thoroughly enjoyed.

We came home well rested and READY to be with our kids again. I am so thankful for the past 10 years and so thankful for the sweet and refreshing "just us" time we shared on this trip.

2009-10-31T23:07:00.000-07:00

The Pumpkin Patch

We really enjoyed visiting a pumpkin patch with some friends to kick off our fall. The kids traveled through a hay bale maze, saw all sorts of animals and even got to feed a few, and then they experienced their first hay ride...

... When they arrived at the correct field, they each got to pick out a pumpkin (that they were supposed to be able to carry all by themselves. Thankfully, babies were exempt from that policy :-)...

... We eventually concluded our time with a fun photo op. Just wish Daddy had been able to come along, too. (Then maybe we'd have a Christmas picture this year. I'm still scheming about how to get all 5 of us into one picture. That almost never happens. :-)

2009-10-26T00:03:00.000-07:00

Our Little Soldier Turns 5!

If you know Aric, you know he LOVES camoflage and would wear it for every piece of clothing if allowed. He's been asking for a remote control tank that shoots real ammunition for I don't know how long, so it was no surprise that he asked for a "tank" party. We had everything planned, the special "tank cake" made, and then... the day before the party the stomach flu descended on our house. Thankfully, the birthday boy didn't get it, but we had to postpone his party for a week, which about killed him (and Taylor). We did still have a little family celebration on the day of his birth.

The following weekend, we were able to successfully complete mission HB5. I was relieved that instead of having me recreate the tank cake from the week before, he opted for a sheet cake with his new tank toy on top.

He thought it noteworthy that the tank looked like it was shooting fire.

After cake and presents, we headed out for an afternoon of fun and games. This is the year of the pinata at our house, so we kicked off the festivities with a sound beating.

Then, we had "rescue the injured soldier" races across the yard.

Finally, we played "grenade" (ala "hot potato"), followed by a general water balloon fight that went on as long as I kept filling balloons.

Aric's special day was memorable and worth the wait! We are so proud and thankful to have such a fun-loving, adventurous, helpful, and kind-hearted 5-year-old as a member of our family. We Love You, Ar!

2009-10-25T23:54:00.000-07:00

A Visit from Grrrrreat-Grama and Grrrrreat-Papa

My Grandparents made the trip to Washington in early September. It was such a blessing to see them and the kids loved showing off their "home turf," their special "tree forts," their favorite places to play and hide. Grama and Papa were able to attend Taylor's soccer game and wish Aric a happy birthday just a few days early. They also "imprinted" Ascha's knowledge of extended family members' names...every grandparent is now known as "Papa." It's the perfect easy-to-pronounce moniker and she's sticking to it.

2009-10-25T23:43:00.000-07:00

Bend it like Taylor

Taylor's last game is this Saturday. The "Reds" have had a good season. Taylor's made some friends and learned a lot about soccer. He's made a number of goals and is a great defender. Aric is excited for his turn to play next fall, and Ascha is looking forward to having all the chairs on the sideline to herself. :-) She likes to take whatever chair Aric is sitting in, even if she's already in a little chair of her own.

2009-10-25T23:14:00.000-07:00

Family Resemblance

I've been marveling at how much Ascha looks like each of her brothers lately. Here are a few pics of her next to her older likenesses at the same age (approx. 15 mos.) as evidence:

Taylor and Ascha don't share as obvious of a resemblance, but there are definite times when she favors him. She's always been what we call a "nose squincher," and when I was looking back through Taylor's younger pictures, I was struck at how similar their "happy squinching" expressions are.

Usually, I say from the nose down Aric and Ascha look the same. They definitely have the same James family mouth and chin. In this picture, though, even the eyes seem to match. It's wild to take a picture and immediately think, "I already have this picture, with this same expression, taken years before you were born!"

2009-09-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

Our Sweet Ascha Lynn

Ascha is 15 months old. She is so precious and full of personality. She's gotten very opinionated about what she wears and when she wears it. She can hold her own with her brothers and is adding new words every day. She saw the below picture of herself and said, "Nigh-nigh, nigh-nigh." She's saying "hi" and "bye" along with many animals, sounds, facial features, and each family member's name.

She wants to be in the middle of all the action, all the time. The boys can't wrestle with Jeremy anymore without her walking into the middle. Nobody minds too much and she's always so thrilled to be included.

2009-09-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

Ascha's First Trip to the Zoo

On the second Tuesday of September, we went to the zoo with some good friends. I was very surprised at how excited Ascha was. She loved every minute of her time there and loved seeing all the animals and trying to mimic their sounds. I think she was most thrilled to see the elephants. She kept doing the sign with her arm and saying "VROOOO!"

2009-09-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

August Update

We had a few highlights in August. The first was the Clark County Fair. The boys went with Jeremy and a buddy to the Monster Truck Madness on the last day of the fair. It was a bit loud, so we girls went through the animal barns instead. Ascha loved the goats and the chickens best.

The other main event was a last-minute trip to the coast. We decided to go to the Long Beach Peninsula and ended up happening to go the weekend of the World Kite Festival. We had fun watching kites for a while, and we had even more fun flying our own kite and playing on the beach.

We spent one day at the Maritime Museum in Astoria. The boys (including the biggest boy :-) had a great time. Ascha had her moments of enjoyment, but didn't want to go when we wanted to go and didn't want to stop when we wanted to stop, so it was an interesting day. Here she is on her little "seat." She found this perfectly-sized piece of concrete and didn't want to go anywhere else. She spent the rest of her time at the museum trying in vain to get back to this spot.

The hands-on room had a number of lifeboats the kids could climb into and out of.

Amazing! A picture of Jeremy and I! (Kudos to Taylor, photographer at large)

We made it to the Astoria column, which had opened just a few days before. The kids made it all the way up and flew a little airplane off the top.

On the way home, we stopped at Horseshoe Lake in Woodland.

2009-09-26T23:55:00.000-07:00

July Update - Part 2 - MONTANA

The kids and I had the opportunity to join my parents on their "lake vacation" this year. It was, as always, a wonderful time.

The "painted rocks" that give our favorite lake its name

Taylor heading out with Grammy on the tube

Taylor's first try at kneeboarding. He did great!

Aric had no desire to do water sports this year, but he was quite happy to drive the boat.

Swimming with Uncle Shane

Playing in the water on a hot day - what could be better?

Hanging with Grumpy

"Camp Apple Pie" - toast surrounding warm pie filling, cooked over an open fire

The big frog the boys caught one day...they also caught a few minnows

Jumping to Uncle Spencer

Another of the spectacular views we really miss...this one is Trapper Peak

All the family except Jeremy... It was sure a rare but special treat to see all my brothers at once

We attended my parents' church picnic... Spencer was the MC. Here, Taylor's participating in a food relay. Lots of the kids ended up with candy or fun things to eat...poor Tay had to eat jarred baby hot dogs (he doesn't even like regular hot dogs, so this was a real challenge!)

Playing with cousins

Seeing the baby calves

We spent a day at my Grandparents' place revisiting a lot of my childhood favorite things to do, like playing in the ditch...

...eating raspberries right off Grandma's plants...

(Ascha and her little cousin had a great time together. Here, he's feeding her raspberries. :-)

...having popsicles, then sending the sticks down the creek in a race to the bridge...

...swinging with Papa...

...or jumping out of the swing yourself...

...going as high as possible on the teeter-totter...

...playing in the "Tiger Tree."

All these things are sweet memories from my childhood and it is such a blessing to be able to see my kids enjoying the same experiences. I'm so thankful my Grandparents are so happy to share special moments like these with another generation of kids.

Of course, on our way through Idaho, we stopped and hung out with our friends. Here we are at Coeur d'Alene's "Art in the Park."

Thanks to all our family and friends for sharing such a special visit! Much love!

2009-09-03T23:43:00.000-07:00

July Update - Part 1

July 4th - cuddling on the hammock watching the fireworks

enjoying the sparklers

Hanging out at Lake Merwin on the weekend with good friends (so good they even watched Ascha while they sent us out on the lake in their sailboat! Thanks!)

Camping on the north side of Mt. Adams

It was beautiful but very buggy, and of course, I left all our bug repellant at home on the counter! We managed to survive the mosquitoes and have a good time anyway. We swam and even got to have a German Brown Trout for part of our dinner. We hiked around with Jeremy the next day while he scouted out potential elk hunting country. (Ah-ha! The real purpose of our family camping trip is revealed! :-)

"Good things come to those who wait"

The boys have wanted a ride-on ever since they saw one at the neighbor's house. We've always flatly refused, but they had sold some of their old toys at a garage sale a few days before we found this used yellow Corvette. The boys were able to buy it with their own money and they absolutely love it!

Our first parade! None of the kids had ever been to a "real parade" before. They are now big fans.

The same festival that brought the parade also brought a carnival to town. The boys rode a kiddie roller coaster. Taylor loved it, but Aric was upset because I wasn't riding it with him, so he pouted through the whole ride. It made for a pretty funny picture.

2009-09-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

June Update: Ascha's First Birthday

Ascha's the star of the show this month. Our beautiful baby isn't staying a baby long. She's been walking and running for a while, she's independent and feisty and fun...and on June 23, she turned ONE!

party preparations (this one's for you, Ann!)

not sure what to think of the giant butterfly Great Grama & Papa sent her

Do I have to touch it?

The big kids all loved it. I fear we may have started a tradition. :-)

Notice the foot up in the air - this is her customary position when sitting in grass

It's party time!

What, I can't touch that pretty light?

Yeah! I love frosting!

Cake (aka pumpkin bran muffin) sure is yummy! Mama may as well pull that trick this year, because she probably won't get away with it again. :-)

Ascha figured out unwrapping quickly and opened her presents with gusto!

This hug was so sweet and spontaneous. She loved her cuddle buddy (until it became associated with bedtime. She's no longer enamored with it. :-).

So fashion forward while taking baby for a stroll. She loved her stroller but couldn't navigate it well at first. When she'd get stuck in a corner, the boys would try to help her, but she'd just scream. She's not about to let her brothers take HER new toys!

This tea cart and tea set were much the same. She stayed up very late playing and didn't want to let Mommy take the pieces away from her before bed.

What a great first birthday! She even got to have both of her Grandmas celebrate with her!

Before the Grandmas headed home, we went to a fun park. This extremely crinkled nose is a trademark Ascha look.

The boys didn't get left out. Grammy gave them a special treat of a night of tent camping with her in our backyard. Grandma Janet gave each boy the special treat of cooking the breakfast of his choosing and allowing him to help as much as he wanted.

(special thanks to Daddy on the assist for camping night! The smores were a nice touch. :-)

June is also the month of Jeremy's birthday, so we celebrated him on the 28th. This is the first time since I've been married to Jeremy that he wasn't sad and feeling old on his birthday...he thought he was turning 33, but he only turned 32, so he gained a year. :-)

Lastly, here's a look at one of our many "pets." This time, it was a moth, but the boys have caught many caterpillars, butterflies, moths, and even a preying mantis this summer. We have much to be thankful for - we love where we live!

2009-08-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

May 2009 Trip to the Oregon Coast with Friends

We played on the beach:

(Ascha ate the sand, but didn't cry. She seemed to like it. Odd.)

We also had a lot of fun at the aquarium in Newport:

And at home, we enjoyed playing football and shooting at cans:

It was a great visit with great friends!

2009-05-31T16:59:00.000-07:00

Visitors from Idaho - Part 1 - Fun in SW Washington

Our very dear friends from Idaho came to visit us before heading to the Oregon Coast for Jack's eighth birthday. We enjoyed showing them our house and our yard and our slip-N-slide and our favorite parks and waterfalls.

There! I'm all caught up from backlogged posts so I can devote more time, hopefully, to more current events like Part 2 - our trip to the Oregon Coast. Be watching for more updates soon! :-)

2009-05-31T16:53:00.001-07:00

Swimming Lessons

The boys have been taking swimming lessons twice a week since the beginning of May. They are both doing great! Thankfully, we have a lesson slot all to ourselves, so the boys are learning a lot every time. Taylor can swim 15 feet all by himself with no problem and Aric is excelling at reaching down to the very bottom of the pool to retrieve things.

2009-05-31T16:40:00.001-07:00

A Day at the Lake

We spent an afternoon on Merwin Reservoir with the Hendersons and their sailboat, the Christina Marie. We all enjoyed the sun, the sand, and the fellowship of good friends. Everyone except Ascha enjoyed the sailboat. We didn't take pictures of her tears, but the lifejacket was a bit too restrictive for her liking.

Thanks, Henderson family, for a fun visit!

2009-05-31T16:34:00.000-07:00

Taylor's Special Day

At the beginning of May, Taylor was inducted into the "5 Book Report Club." In order to be a part, one needed to read 5 chapter books and then write corresponding book reports. He was the only kindergartener to join the ranks, along with selected first graders. He was the focus of a special "circle time" with his class and another kindergarten class and the principal came to present the award. He received a bright yellow button, an award certificate, a coupon for a free kids meal at Taco Bell, and a hug from the principal. :-) ("That part was silly!" he said.)

We are very proud of the hard work he put in! Good job, Taylor!

2009-05-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

Ascha at 10 months

As you can see, she's got a lot of teeth (five now) and a huge smile.

She's going everwhere she wants...she's an expert crawler and cruiser.

She's also getting into everything! What else would a 10-month-old want to do?

2009-04-23T23:39:00.000-07:00

A Visit With Uncle Shane

Shane was able to come down for a weekend and enjoy Saturday and Sunday with our family last weekend. We had a lot of fun with him and the weather was beautiful on Saturday, so we took him to a few of our favorite spots. Here he is with the boys at Lucia Falls.

Here they are hiking one of the trails near Moulton Falls.

Here is Ascha doing her new trick - making a kissing sound. Since this photo was taken, she's developed a great ability to suck in her cheeks until she looks like a fish while trying for the sound. The funniest part is when we ask her for kisses. She still goes in with the wide open mouth for baby kisses, but when she gets close, she ends up blowing raspberries as she tries to figure out how to put the closed-mouth sound with the open mouth she's associated with kisses. She also had her 9 month appointment the other day (although she's 10 months old as of today) and was in the 30th percentile for height and the 90th for weight. She's definitely our child...following in the footsteps of her long lean brothers.

And here's a rare picture of "the mommy." It's an odd thing for me to be on the receiving end of a picture, but since it happened, I figured I'd document it. :-)

2009-04-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

He is risen! He is risen indeed!