Wood Posts

8 months old!

2012-02-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

Eight months was a big one for this little guy! He learned to clap, started eating some table foods, grew another tooth, experienced his first snow, and just in the past couple days has started to get up on his knees!

Here he is in the cutest little outfit. He was much happier this month.

Three sweet hearts.

Loving the bath

Actually, he LOVES the bath. It is his happy place.

In the snow for a quick picture. He wasn't too sure about it.

January was a beautiful month! We were even able to go to the park several times! Paxton seems to enjoy the outdoors, though he has already discovered a love for eating bark dust. Bummer!

He is saying "bububub" and "mamama" and "p-p-p". He sleeps on his tummy which is so adorable, plus it seems to help him fall asleep a lot quicker. He's sleeping pretty well and napping much better this month than last! Those 30 minute naps were not good! He seems to want to crawl REALLY bad and has begun to be a bit frustrated again so we will see what happens this month. He is growing up very, very VERY fast. As are the rest of the kids in this house!

7 months (a little late)

2012-01-30T20:07:00.000-08:00

I am a little late with this update, but I better get it down before I forget. So, in Paxton's 7th month, he has been a busy little guy! He started reaching out his arms for us! SOOO fun! He started to babble a little more. He had his first Christmas! He got to spend time with his Poppy and Mimi, and cousin Masyn.

It was also a rough month full of teething and colds. But he made it through (we all did) and he gained an upper fang in the process :)

Here are some pictures from the month of December...

BIG kisses from Masyn

Poppy with all his grands

Infatuated by the Christmas tree

Big boy! Sitting strong and looking old!

Three sweeties ready for Church on Christmas morning

Merry Christmas!

My parents with all their grands

Paxton loves to hold on to something while sucking his thumb.

Just 8 days until he is 8 months old! Yikes! I will post again soon. (As you may have noticed, this blog has taken a back seat to everything else in life right now. I use it just as my temporary baby book for Paxton for now. I wish I could blog more but oh well. Too much to do!!! I feel blessed.)

Six months old!

2011-12-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

Paxton is 6 months old! And here's what he's been up too...

His favorite toy is not a toy, it's paper. Newspaper, the church bulletin, a napkin. If he gets his hands on it he will quickly devour it. And if you take it away - OH MY - he will cry some seriously sad tears!

His happy place is in the bathtub. If he is having a rough night, a little bath will cheer the little guy right up.

He also enjoys the jonny-jumper-thingy. Oh, and he loves eating the seat belt in his feeding chair. That is what he plays with during dinner.

He's started on some more exciting foods lately. Peas were so-so. Carrots made his whole body tremble - yuck! But he LOOOOVES him some squash :)

December has been a cold but sunny month so far, allowing us to head to the park a few times lately! Here are some precious pictures I took of him at the park...

Personal fav...

Another thing he loves is grabbing faces and giving big sloppy smooches. It is endearing... and wet!

And here you can see how much these two look alike! Look at the eyes, the ears, the forehead...they are twins! Love it!

She is thankful...

2011-12-09T19:21:00.000-08:00

From Jenna's November school Journal...

"I am thankfull. becase evry thing I need my mom or dad gets it. allso becase I have a house and cloce to wear. and my mom cooks dinner. and my dad goes to work so that we have food and water. and mostly all the time they try to get me what I want. i am thankfull."

November

2011-12-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess I am doing once a month posts now :) Here's pictures from the month of November.

Elsie taking good care of Paxton

Jenna receiving two school awards, one for character and one for attendance

(she's in the purple, waving)

Cutie pie looking older and older

and sitting up!! (and falling)

Jumping in the leaves

October

2011-11-03T12:01:00.001-07:00

Wow, October came and went so fast! Anyways, here are some pictures from the activities we did surrounding Halloween...

I slyly talked both the kids out of the costumes they wanted to buy and talked them into these (their original ideas were a witch for Jenna and Jessie from Toy Story for Elsie, which is what she was last year). Anyways, they were SO excited to be a bee and a cowgirl once I showed them the outfits. I made Elsie's bee shirt out of a long sleeve halloween shirt that she won't be wearing anymore and an old yellow onsie. The onsie was too small for Paxton and not a favorite, so it was perfect! Everything else was from around the house and the costume bin!

The weekend before Halloween we headed to a Pumpkin patch that we haven't been to before. Eric was sick the day we were going to go, then it rained, and on this day he worked. So, my parents kindly met me there to help with the fun! And as we were unloading, the Schmidt's showed up! The kids were SO happy! Here are some pictures... Oh, by the way we LOVED this farm. We will definitely go here instead of Leipold because of the small farm feel (and for how empty it was!)

Jenna and Julia

Paxton chillin in the stroller

Chicken and baby chicks!

Paxton eating hay as I tried to get a picture of him

Grandpa and the Pax-man

Jenna and the pumpkins

Three silly kids

(it would have been 4 but I couldn't get Elsie to stand still for the pic)

The kids on the piggy ride - hilarious!

Eric had the kids draw pumpkin faces and then he carved their jack-o-lanterns. They were proud. I think they are adorable!

On Halloween night, my sister's family and my parents all came to our house for dinner and trick-or-treating. I think everyone had a great time! But it was craziness because of how excited the kids were!

Daddy and the teddy bear

Trick-or-treating at our neighbor's house (Jenna and Elsie's good friends)

It was a fun holiday! I am glad that it is still about costumes and candy, not scary spookiness.

Eating!

2011-10-28T12:36:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks, Paxton has been pretty cranky at dinner time. So, Eric and I take turns holding him through dinner and we just try to keep him happy until bedtime. Well, then he started opening his mouth every time he saw the spoon near him. And last week, he grabbed a handful of rice off my plate and almost shoved it in his mouth! I grabbed it before he could :) AND he stopped sleeping through the night...he is waking up at about 4am STARVING! So all that to say that we introduced rice cereal last night! Oh my goodness, he LOVED it. He figured the whole eating thing out immediately, and we couldn't get the spoon to him fast enough. It was hilarious. Anyways, here are a few pictures...

And working on rolling over...

(which he did that one night and hasn't done since)

Standing in his new toy (thanks Natalie!)

And showing off his teeth

Paxton and I have a very special bond. He just stares into my eyes when I sing to him, and he smiles when I come into a room. My heart just bursts. I love my kids so much.

Paxton 4 1/2 months

2011-10-22T18:57:00.001-07:00

I guess I am doing updates at the 1/2 months :) Anyways, Paxton rolled over this evening! It was so cute. He hadn't even been practicing or trying, but tonight he hoisted his upper body up with his arms, leaned his head over and rolled from his tummy onto his back! He did it another three times after that. Sheesh he is growing up fast!

Hmm, what else? He has two teeth now, and the amount that he is drooling would say that more are on their way. No pictures of the teeth, I need to get on that. Oh and he LOVES the bath. He just splashes and coos the whole time.

At his 4 month appointment he weighed about 18 pounds. And look, he is getting a little bit of hair! Can you see it?

He is still chatty and giggly and soooo ticklish! He loves to be held, sweet boy. It's too bad that this pictures is so dark because I love his smile here.

And you can kind of see his chubby fingers too. I love chubby fingers. Jenna's are gone, Elsie's are starting to fade a bit, but Bubba will have his for another couples years. Precious.

Bowling Birthday

2011-10-20T09:49:00.001-07:00

Elsie's Birthday celebration started off at Red Robin. She LOVED being sung to while standing on the chair. In fact, Jenna sang to her again and she got right back up on that chair for more birthday attention :)

Then we hit the bowling lanes! It was a GREAT way to party! The men bowled (Ryan won!) and the kids bowled (Weston won!) Here's the whole crowd...

Jackson loves Paxton :) Paxton seems to love him too!

Jenna bowling

Go Grandpa!

Weston, the bowling champ!

Davis and Jackson bowled without the ramp...impressive!

Then we headed to our house for cake and presents.

Elsie opened her present in about one minute. It was amazing. She tore through them faster than I have ever seen a kid open presents. In this picture, it had been about 4 seconds...

And then a minute later...

I think she had a happy birthday!

Happy 4th Birthday Elsie!

2011-10-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

To my sweet Elsie-roo...

This past year of parenting you has been so wonderful and challenging and rewarding and hilarious. You are so much fun. Your sense of humor is awesome, you have the whole family laughing all the time. You work so hard to be independent. You love friends, family, games, running really fast, wrestling, giggling, playing at the park, playing the computer/ipods, and reading books together. You are one fun kiddo!

Your love for your daddy is ginormous. You love to be with him, to help him, and wrestle with him. You can't wait for him to get home each day and you always greet him with an excited hug.

You are full of character and you say such funny things.

Oh you make us laugh!

You love to take care of kids that are younger than you. You crouch down and speak softly to them, asking if you can help with whatever they are doing. It is such a sweet quality in you.

You LOVE LOVE LOVE to have fun with your big sister!

You love playing games and drinking "coffee" just like mom and dad. You can't wait to be all grown up, but you also still want to be a baby :)

You have kept me on my toes and brought me to my knees...daily. I love you so much and I pray that we can raise you in the fear of the Lord. You are precious and so special.

Love,

Mom

Pax-man: So I don't forget...

2011-09-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

I finally got Paxton to his 2 month check up... um, he's 3 1/2 months old. Time flies and it is harder and harder to make those doctor appointments! Anyways, he is healthy and doing great. At nearly 4 months old he is 17 pounds 10 ounces, and is 26" long. He is healthy and happy and doing great. He did NOT like his shots, and had a rough day after his appointment, but he seems to be recovering well now.

He has been sleeping through the night for a while, and last night he went the whole 12 hours. He is also starting to take the longer naps which is great. He goes down easily only needing to be rocked to sleep every once in a while, and sucks his thumb to soothe himself to sleep. Melts my heart :) Anyways, I am thankful he is such a good sleeper. And I know, I know...I shouldn't put on here that he is sleeping well because it jinxes it...but I like to put stuff like this is baby books. So, I take the risk :)

He smiles when people look at him, and he is cooing and talking more and more. He isn't rolling, or even making any effort to...none of my kids roll early so I'm not surprised. He's cranky at night which makes dinner hectic but that's just life huh.

He loves his crib...he stares at those Mickeys and I just know he is dreaming about his first trip to Disneyland.

And he doesn't hate tummy time too much

His sisters both love him SOO much, especially now that he smiles and giggles

oh, and he is totally a Sooner fan...

That is one very happy daddy :)

Three months old!

2011-09-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

Here's our big three month old! He is smiling and giggling. He sleeps pretty well, sometimes even 8 hour stretches (but sometimes not). He just started reaching for toys and holding onto things (especially our hair, ouch!). He is a happy and fun baby boy. He like to be rocked to sleep and just started humming/singing when he is being rocked. He sucks him thumb to go to sleep and is already drooling a ton :)

The Pax Man

Jenna at 3 months

Elsie at 3 months

Three very unique children. God is so creative.

1st Grade!

2011-09-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

What?! First grade?! No way. There is no way she is old enough to be at school all day! She is growing up so fast...too fast. But I must say that she is very ready for this transition and she is going to do great. Here she is on her first day of school!

Eric walked her to school, she said hi to some friends and bye to dad, and it was as easy as that. After school (which seemed SOOO long) she came home happy and ready to share about her day. She wasn't overly tired. She wasn't nervous about going back. She was happy and content. And Elsie and her had a grand time playing together for the evening after being apart all day. She is growing up, she is so independent. I am proud of the sweet grown up girl she is becoming. (I'm praying for you Jenna! You are not alone in this public school journey!)

And real quick, here is a picture of Jenna on her first day of Kindergarden!

Tillamook and Oceanside

2011-08-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took a spur of the moment trip to the beach and had a great day! Overall everything was so fun, but I want to give some of the real life details so that when I look back on this blog years from now I can remember what it was like to have three young ones...

First off, we did this trip spur of the moment so I had the girls pack their own bags full of extra clothes (important detail to keep in mind) and things to do in the car, and Eric and I bustled around packing all that we could think of. The kids got in the car and Eric started the movie... Meanwhile, Paxton spit up on himself and pooed so I had to change him and get him cleaned up. Then I remembered 10 more things we might need...and so the kids sat in the car in the garage watching that movie for a good 20 minutes before we hit the road.

Here we are at the Tillamook Cheese Factory! Eric took the kids in while I sat in the hot car feeding the sweet babe. Then we all toured the factory and were fascinated by how cheese is made. Then we enjoyed a pre-lunch ice cream cone. :)

It was a windy day at the beach which the kids didn't mind at all, but made it tough for Pax. But he was a trooper and we worked hard to keep him safe from the sand and sun.

There was a river flowing through the beach with warm water. We landed there because we couldn't carry all the stuff we brought any further. But it was a great place to land since the water was calm, pretty safe, and warmish.

Here's a family photo. Even I was impressed with my skills at taking this one. All five of us in the photo, AND the beach, AND the water, AND the rocks, AND no double chin!

Me and the kiddos

We ventured to the ocean to experience the COLD water and waves. Here are the girls running from the waves with their new friend

Jenna loved collecting sea shells

Elsie thoroughly enjoying the sand

Look at this kiddo, wet and sandy from head to toe. Then when I went to get her clothes that she packed, well, she only packed shorts. No undies, no shirt, just shorts. So, I put a 3-6 month onsie on her along with the shorts and called it good.

And here's the ride home, with another movie and a seriously exhausted Elsie.

Getting home we bathed the kids and put them all to bed. They were hot and a bit sunburned and struggled to fall asleep. Eric and I poured a little glass of wine and collapsed on the couch. It was a very fun day.

World's Apart Photography

2011-08-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

Photos by World's Apart Photography

Mimi, Aunt Keri and Masyn!

2011-08-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

Last month, Mimi, Aunt Keri, and Masyn came to visit for a week! We had such a great time. The cousins had a blast together and once again we left the week wishing we all lived much closer together. Sigh. Anyways, here are some pictures from the week!

Masyn kissing Pax

Attempting a group cousin shot

Date night! Eric, me and Pax went to Powell's, P.F. Changs, and then the new starbucks downtown.

We went to the zoo

And tried to take more cousin pictures.

Here's Mimi with her two youngest grands

Sweet Jenna and cutie Masyn

Part two - Blue lake

2011-08-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

One morning we headed to Blue Lake for some playground and splash park fun! They changed one of the playgrounds since last time I was there, check it out!

There is this cool walking log thingy

A gigantic xylophone! So cool!

And a huge sand pit! The kids loved the sand and played in it for quite some time. I caught this picture of Masyn just after she tasted some sand. Yuck! And look at her foot up in the air...she wouldn't put it down in the sand. It was so cute!

Part three - princess tea

2011-08-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

Mimi and Aunt Keri threw the little ladies a lovely tea party. It was Masyn's first...and I am sure there will be MANY more in her future because Mimi throws quite a lovely party! Here are the pictures...

mini photo shoot

2011-07-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

First of all, here is a picture of Eric as a baby. When I first saw this, I thought it was Paxton. They have the same nose, same eyes, same head shape, and even the same furrowed brow. I love it!

The other night I was waiting for Paxton to wake up for one more feeding before heading to bed. Ten rolled around and he was still out. At 10:30 I tried to wake him up but he was sleeping so deep that it was impossible. So I took the opportunity to take some pictures.

I am enjoying every moment (okay, almost every moment) of having a baby once again. It is a precious time that goes by super fast. And since this is our last baby, I find myself doing a lot more staring, kissing, and holding. I think that is okay :)

The tooth

2011-07-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

For several weeks Jenna had a very loose tooth. She was so ready to loose that tooth. I could tell we were getting close so Jenna and I took an old onsie and made it into a tooth fairy pillow. Jenna helped with each step and chose how to decorate it. I was glad to use that precious onsie for a new special thing. Anyways, here she is (with her beautiful lips), proud of her finished project.

So she waited and waited and wiggled and wiggled, and finally, this BEAUTIFUL grown-up girl...

LOST HER TOOTH!

Now she talks with a touch of a lisp, and constantly sticks her tongue through the hole. Two more teeth are loose now, so I think the tooth fairy will be stopping by our house a lot in the next months.

Here is a close up of the pillow, tiny note the tooth fairy left, and the gold dollar.

And I have to tell a quick story about Elsie. Well, when Jenna woke up and found the dollar and note, she and Elsie were thrilled. Immediately Elsie went into this elaborate story about how she saw the tooth fairy when she came! According to Elsie, the tooth fairy is about a foot tall (she showed us with her hands), she doesn't have wings, and her name is Kiersten. I guess that Kiersten was looking for a baby which is why she woke Elsie up to talk to her. Elsie's story got more and more elaborate all morning long, but we tried to keep the focus on Jenna since it was her special day (and Elsie has a tendency to steal the spotlight, which is rough on the big sis sometimes). It was a fun and special event for our growing girl.

Kissable, lovable, huggable...

2011-07-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

Paxton is FIVE weeks old! It's hard to believe it has been five weeks already, but it is also hard to remember life without the Pax-man! Paxton is starting to coo and smile. He is waking from his newborn slumber, so he is much more alert and has more awake time. He's been more fussy this past week, but hopefully that will pass as he grows a little more. He is a blessing and a love. Here are some pictures...

Just want to squeeeeeze those little cheeks!

So I did :)

Daddy's little Sooner fan!

There was about a week where Paxton wanted to sleep his naps on his tummy. I LOVE how cute babies look when the are all curled up on their bellies. Elsie was a tummy sleeper once her little neck was strong enough and sometimes she still sleeps with her bootie in the air.

Here's Paxton's first Friday Night Movie Night with dad and his sisters. He didn't last long time time, but he will love it when he's old enough. The girls cherish this time with dad.

A little comparison picture, Jenna-Elsie-Paxton. They are definitely siblings, but also unique.

I captured him smiling!!

Our favorite onsie :) Haha!

Life at home is getting better and better. Some days are a lot more exhausting than others, but we are getting into a groove. Jenna has been at VBS this week which has been so good for her. I think that the combination of Kindergarten ending and a new baby being born made for a rough time for her. She was used to schedule, interaction, brain stimulation, and time to grow and then all of a sudden her whole life was changed. We didn't realize how hard it was on her at first but when she starting acting out, we took notice and helped her through. Elsie has been Elsie. Wild and crazy, tired and hungry, happy and hilarious. Life didn't get rocked quite as much for her. Anyways, things are getting better and better with each passing day and I think our new normal is quite lovely.

smiles

2011-07-12T07:43:00.003-07:00

I haven't captured it yet but Paxton started smiling a few days ago! Such a cutie :)

The Garden

2011-07-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

Despite the weather and the fact that I planted while 9 months pregnant, the garden is doing very well!

Tomatoes

zucchini, green and yellow

cukes and basil and peppers

No pictures of the other stuff...but I also have peas, lettuce, onions, strawberries, cilantro, wild flowers, blueberries, apples, and artichokes. It's not looking good for the artichoke or apple (again) but everything else is doing well. Yum :)

Sheesh!

2011-07-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

She is growing up too fast! Chapter books?! Sheesh!

It is pretty amazing to watch a little girl grow up right in front of me.

More Pictures

2011-07-04T08:17:00.001-07:00

Things are a bit busy and blogging is a challenge right now. But I need to do it because it is where I keep my records and memories of the kids. I get the baby books done by looking back in my blog. Anyways, for now here are a few pictures...

First days...

2011-06-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

Paxton Alan Wood

The first time the girls saw their brother. I wish you could see THEIR face! They were in awe and so excited. It was a sweet moment.

Wowzers, 9 lbs 3 oz! I wasn't surprised, I knew he was going to be a big guy.

This is what he did for the first hour of his life...

he wanted back in the womb :)

Elsie was so thrilled, and did such a good job holding her brother.

Jenna is a pro

The cousins meeting their new cousin

Last day of Kindergarten!

2011-06-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

First day

Last day

First day

Last day

Kindergarden flew by. Jenna did such a great job, and grew up in ways I can hardly believe. She has been bringing home so many fun year long projects showing her progress which is amazing to see. I'm so proud to be the mama of a kindergarden graduate!

He's here!

2011-06-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

Paxton Alan Wood

born 6/8/11, 12:25pm

9 lbs, 3 oz. 22 in.

41 weeks

2011-06-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

Hmm, 41 weeks. Doctor appointment showed almost no changes. Paxton is still high and posterior. But, so that I am not pregnant with a toddler, we are going to induce tomorrow. My doctor isn't comfortable pushing me much further than 41 weeks, and so it's time. We head to the hospital tonight at 9pm to start a low dose of pitocin. Then in the morning around 5am they will up the dose and I will start walking and moving. The hope is that the contractions that the pitocin causes will bring Paxton down and turn him the right way.

I am not a fan of either of these pictures but here they are. You can really see in the second one how high this little guy is.

Tonight we went to Red Robin for dinner as our last little outing as a family of four. Tomorrow we meet our little Paxton, and we are all ready and excited! Thanks for your prayers!

Update

2011-06-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

Just walking and waiting and praying and pacing. No baby yet, no contractions, nothing.

Still waiting

2011-06-03T16:31:00.001-07:00

Yesterday at my appointment we found that Paxton is still high, and he is posterior. I am not dilating or progressing at all. It was a little discouraging, but the news made it very clear that I need to wait and not induce yet. We did set an induction for Wednesday, June 8th, which will be 41 weeks. My doctor doesn't want to go much past that. Plus I am exhausted. So we are praying that he drops, turns, and best case scenario that I would go into labor naturally to help Pax turn on his own and come on down. Ugh, each day gets a little harder but I am hoping in God as I know He will be my strength when I feel so weak and tired. And I am thankful for the sunshine. And I am thankful for friends and family checking in and praying for us. There is always tons to be thankful for.

Some pictures

2011-06-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

Mimi needed some fresh pictures of the girls the other night, so Eric took these cute ones. These two girls bring such joy to my heart, and I know Paxton will just add to the joy and fill my heart all the more. It's hard to imagine that God loves me the way I love these kids. Not only that but he loves me MORE than I love my kids. Really puts his affections in perspective.

Friday night movie night. I was doing the dishes while the rest of the family started the movie. The Incredibles, I think. Anyways, this is what I came out to see. They love their daddy, and Linus loves to join the party, silly cat.

And just a quick pic of my garden. I did things simple this year. I didn't grow much from seed, and I put down an all natural weed blocker once everything was planted. Hopefully that will mean an easy veggie garden this summer, since I will be a little more busy than usual.

Come out little Paxton! You missed your due date, but that's okay. We are ready to meet you though!!

Nearing the end

2011-05-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I had a doctor's appointment on Friday and found out some frustrating news. First of all, my body is no more dilated than it was 10 days ago. And second, the head was HIGHER than it was last appointment. We couldn't even set an induction date and I am due next week! I tried not to be frustrated, but I won't lie...I cried when I left.

But encouragement from my family and friends reminded me of a few things...

1. Labor can happen quickly. The body can go from nothing to labor in an instant.

2. I could have been given false hope. Some people go in to find they are dilated to a 5, their doctor says something like, "you will go into labor any day now!" but stay pregnant for a couple more weeks.

3. I won't be pregnant forever. Paxton must need more time.

So, I will keep on keeping on. And I will embrace these last days/weeks of being pregnant. This is my last time to feel the kicking and movement inside, so I want to enjoy the miracle that is happening. Thanks Lord for the joys and blessings of motherhood.

to remember

2011-05-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

Elsie says "ask-a-dent" instead of accident. It sounds so cute, and she always says it was so much emphasis and heart.

Jenna needs lots of hugs and love right now. She also wants to hug Paxton (my belly) constantly. I know that soon enough she will not want as many hugs so I'm loving all the love.

At night when I sing to the girls, Elsie pulls up her shirt, grabs my hand, and puts my hand on her belly so that I will rub it. She loves a good belly or back rub. She is a physical kid in so many ways.

Jenna listens to lyrics in the songs she hears and always asks about them. A month or so ago I had to explain a Taylor Swift song to her (You Belong with Me). Makes for an interesting conversation. She is so observant and thoughtful.

Elsie's story tonight:

"Mom, I have a funny joke. Once upon a time there was a cow. And there was a frog in the cows mouth. And there was Tinkerbell in there. And the cow said 'humm humm humm' and then the cow opened his mouth and the frog came out and Tinkerbell too."

Me: that's a good story Elsie

Elsie: No, it's a FUNNY story mom!

Paxton's room

2011-05-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Faith came over the other day when both our husbands were working an evening shift and helped me decorate Paxton's room. We had dinner together and let the kids play and play and decorated all the while. It was a nice way to spend an evening without our husbands :) Anyways, here is the (nearly) finished product! I'm really happy with how simple and clean it looks, and I love how the gifts I have been given all work together to make the room so special.

The vintage Mickey sign from is Alison. Faith suggested we use a ribbon to hang it on the wall. It turned out so cute with the red polkadots. And the quilt on the chair is all Disney characters. My RD from college made it for me when she found out we were pregnant with Jenna! I haven't been able to properly display it all these years because the girl's rooms were pink and purple. It's a beautiful quilt and works perfect in Paxton's room!

This is a puzzle Eric and I did on our honeymoon 8+ years ago! Again, we never had the right place to hang it, but now we do :) And the bookshelf, well, I never would have thought to make it so cute. I would have filled it with books...boring! Faith is awesome.

And Faith made this adorable sign. I love it. It is hanging by the door. How cute is that!!

My friend Julia made this piece of art, isn't is perfect!? Love it!

A close up of the vintage Mickey

This kind of gives you an idea of how the room is set up. But pictures never do justice to room decor. The bookshelf is to the left, and the changing table to the right.

The little Mickey's on the chalk board were made Ang. As much as she denies it, she is quite talented in the craft department :)

And this is the map that Eric modge-podged. Looks awesome.

So, that's it. The only thing missing from the room is Paxton! I have an appointment tomorrow so we will see how things are coming and also set an induction date in case he never wants to come out. Apparently I provide a very warm and cozy environment :)

Faces of Elsie

2011-05-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

She's an expressive little kiddo. Here are a few of her faces...

I need to get more of her mannerisms on video. Three year olds are so funny with all their expressions, vocabulary, and hand gestures :)

One Thousand Gifts

2011-05-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

I started reading the book One Thousand Gifts and want to continue listing my blessings on here. Thinking through the simple blessings from God is such an amazing way to focus on the everyday beauty and love that God showers upon us. And amidst the hard times that my family is going through with the death of Eric's uncle and aunt this last week, it seems like today is a good day to list a few blessings.

116. Galan and Jan both are in the presence of God now. They are pain free and in His Glory.

117. Family who is able to be together, grieving their loss but celebrating the lives of their precious family members.

118. The sun shining into my window and birds chirping this morning.

119. Flowers planted in the front yard.

120. Dirt under my fingernails.

121. Sweet sisters enjoying time together before bed.

122. Enough time in each day to do exactly what God would have me do.

Zoo!

2011-05-18T15:42:00.002-07:00

We got to take a wonderful trip to the zoo with the whole family! Eric didn't have to work, Jenna didn't have kindergarden, and Elsie and I didn't have to work at GSCC! AND IT WAS SUNNY AND WARM! WOW! Anyways, we had a great morning looking at the animals. Here are some pictures from the day...

Helllooooooo 38 weeks!

2011-05-18T15:42:00.001-07:00

maybe...

2011-05-15T19:38:00.001-07:00

Maybe it's because I wore myself out from the garage sale this weekend (which went great by the way!) or maybe I have just turned the corner, but I AM TIRED! A little over two weeks until Paxton is due and life is just getting a little more challenging. Even just last week I had so much energy, but now the energy is fading, the sleep isn't coming as easily, and my body is wearing out a little. But it is a blessing to carry this little guy and I am doing my best to enjoy the little things, like the crazy way he moves all around, and the way the girls want to give Paxton (my big belly) a hug goodnight. It is a sweet time.

The Paxton...

2011-05-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

Well, here's where we are at with baby Paxton...

1. Tomorrow I will be 37 weeks pregnant! Is that full term or is 38 weeks? Anyways, we are getting really really close. It's hard to believe that we will be holding our first baby boy so soon!

2. I am feeling pretty good. Feeling big and awkward and all that stuff, but I also have a lot of energy for each day and am still able to physically take care of my little family. This is such a blessing. I didn't know what my arthritis was going to be like this pregnancy but I'm so thankful that it has been pretty smooth.

3. I am having occasional contractions but nothing too exciting.

4. I am not really all that emotional when pregnant, but I am a bit irrational and crazy. So I am looking forward to being back to my more rational self once Pax is born (not that it happens immediately, but soon). At least I am aware of my craziness, right? :)

5. Here's his little nursery, all Disney-ed up! We have it about 1/2 done. We are going to borrow a rocking chair and add some more decor. It's fun and bright and lovely.

6. Elsie and Jenna have been asking the question... How does the baby come out? Elsie is asking most of the questions, so I have been giving her answers appropriate for a 3-year old, "When it's time, mom goes to the hospital and God helps the baby come out." (That's the same type of answer I have her when she asked how the baby got in there). Now if Jenna starts seriously asking these questions I will need to be a little more prepared with an age appropriate answer. They are both very excited to meet their baby brother.

7. Next week I have another appointment to check on progress. I am assuming that there won't be much to report and that I will go past my due date, but who knows! I had to be induced with my girls (and my sister had to be induced with all her boys, and my mom never went into labor either!). So we shall see :)

We're about ready for you little Paxton! You are already so loved!

Enough sun to play at the park!

2011-04-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

The weather was back and forth, sunny then cloudy, then almost raining, then sunny...but these kids NEEDED some outdoor running and playing. So we headed to the park with some friends and ran off days and days of energy! It was so wonderful for the kids and fun for us moms too :) Here's two happy kids at the park...

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter at home and then at my parents house as well. And I even remembered the camera! A miracle. Anyways, we had a nice morning opening Easter baskets - Elsie got a few eggs filled with candy and some playdough and Jenna got a new Adventures in Odyssey cd and some candy eggs as well. We keep it pretty simple. Then off to church where the girls sang on stage with all the kids. There were SO MANY KIDS on stage! It's amazing to think back four years ago when we had the kids first perform for Easter or Christmas (I can't remember) where I think there were about 8 kids on the risers. As the church has grown, the children have multiplied. I would guess there were 60 kids on stage this year! So that was really fun. After church we headed to my parents house for a feast and tons of fun. My parents had a basket hunt set up for the kids, and then an amazing dinner, and then we had the (indoor) egg hunt. The kids had a blast and ate a ton of candy and sugar and treats. I am so thankful for my family and the relationships these kids have with one another. The giggles are priceless.

Elsie wanted to stop to look inside (and eat) each egg she found but eventually she caught on to the idea of racing around to get find more eggs. Here she is posing for the camera...

Davis found the "golden egg" which was filled with 5 gold dollars!

Elsie, showing me her loot...

Jenna, too focused on the hunt to look at me and smile :)

Sorting through her eggs...

All the kids discovering the candy and coins together. Davis found the most eggs and was careful to share his overflowing baskets with everyone so that all had equal amounts. What a superstar oldest cousin!

And here's everyone. I can hardly believe that we caught a picture of everyone smiling! Amazing!! I love how Drake is crossing his arms. He's really becoming one of the "big kids".

By the way, Drake and Elsie - two very strong personalities - have become best little buds lately! It is so very fun to see! My favorite two moments...

1. Elsie found a tissue and mothered Drake by wiping his nose. She had the tissue to his face and he was saying, "nose? nose?". It was so cute.

2. Elsie changed out of her dress and into play clothes and she said, "Drake, do I look pretty?" And he looked at her with a tilted head and said, "Ummm, yep!". And off they went to play together.

And now our house is FULL of leftovers, and overflowing with candy. And just for the record, the weeks leading up to Easter we spent a lot of time talking about what Easter means and focused on Jesus. The eggs and candy just make the celebration of Jesus that much better :)

Interview with Elsie

2011-04-24T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here is a cute little interview of Elsie...

Busy

2011-04-21T18:19:00.000-07:00

Well I haven't had the camera out much lately, but life has been good and busy. Last week Eric's parents here here for a visit. We had a great time, but I didn't take a single picture. This is one that Mae took of us at the zoo. It was a cold day, but the omly day without rain last week, so we seized the day by pulling Jenna out of school and heading to the animals. It was fun :) I'm looking forward to some sunny visits there this summer. My Christmas present was a zoo pass!

One thing I have taken pictures of lately is our cute kittens. They will all be gone in about a weeks time. All have good homes except one. Hopefully we will find little "Tigger" a home soon. Here are some kitty photos. This first one is "Izzy", the kitten that Sam, Maggie and Miles get to take home. She is SO cute!

I love how kittens all snuggle together. So loving. When we first got our cats, they would snuggle like this all the time. We LOVE having two cats (hint hint Leah) so that they can keep each other company and play together.
Here's "Tigger". She's the one that still needs a home. She is sweet really friendly. And that spot on her eye is very endearing. She was the first out of any of the kittens to warm up to me and sit on my lap. Yes, it made me want to keep her forever. But then I came to my senses and remembered that we already have two cats, which is enough.
And of course puff-ball. We just found a home for this furry dude :) I've never felt such a soft kitten. He's a cutie.
Currently they are roaming around the house, being crazy kittens. And we are ready for them to find good homes. Don't get me wrong, we have LOVED the experience. And we LOVE each kitten. But it is time to officially turn the kitten room (formerly play room) into the baby's room and prepare for our next adventure.

Speaking of our next adventure, he is growing strong and is a MOVER!!! Never have I watched my stomach move the way it does when this little guy is moving around. It's crazy. It was a family event last night just watching my belly roll. I thought that our second born added adventure to our family... At the rate this little guy moves now, he is going to be an exciting addition to the Wood household! Though I suppose you can't really assume anything while they are in the womb. But it's fun to imagine what is to come :)

Other than that... Eric has been working on some wall hangings for Buzz's room (Elsie still wants to name the baby Buzz, so that's what we have been calling him for now). And his work is going great. He finally started the training program so hopefully he will move up to have his own store sometime next year. I have been nesting like crazy during the day, and then falling into an exhausted heap each evening. We've been at the park a lot, and outside trying to get the garden and yard back into shape. I'm not sure what the garden will be like this year, but for the sake of my heart I have to plant something out there! It's one of my favorite parts of summer. My dad is rototilling for me sometime soon, and I am thinking that something like Preen (but a little gentler since we have cats and kids) is going in the ground this year so that I am not weeding so much. Not that I'll be busy or anything :)

I guess that is a fairly thorough update. I think I will try to take some pictures of the kids soon so that I can post that instead of writing a novel. Maybe I will remember my camera for Easter at my parents house!

A day

2011-03-24T13:59:00.001-07:00

Here was our day yesterday in pictures (and a few words)...

(We finally got to see the cousins for a little bit yesterday and they brought Jenna her birthday gift. Elsie took out the camera to document the event).

Things to remember

2011-03-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Elsie is very observant, and it shows up in such funny ways. Mix an observant eye with a funny three year old and you get some comedy!

Today she was telling me this long story about how she needed help in the middle of the night, and how she thought it was me who came in to take her potty but it was dad, blah blah...and then she asked, "and why does daddy's underwear have pockets?" I was cracking up.

Then today she leaned in for a kiss and said, "no mom, I want to kiss like a princess." She turned her head at an angle and gave me a big old 'princess smooch!' Wow kiddo!

Another Elsie story... today I made her a lunch that she didn't like too much. So while I was on the phone, she left the table, pushed the chair over to the counter, and started making herself a pb& j sandwich! She is so independent.

Jenna has been really clingy lately, needing a lot more mommy time than normal. Maybe it's because she's been sick, or maybe she's lonely since it's spring break and she isn't around her friends. Either way, she has needed a lot of attention. So, we've been playing games and doing puzzles and doing projects together. She is literally at my heels all day right now :) Anyways, I taught her to play Yahtzee a couple weeks ago and it's been a blast! She is getting to the age where we get to play fun games that we both really enjoy!. How great is that! She is my little buddy :)

Baby boy has been moving like crazy. It's amazing to feel him move and to wonder what this little kiddo is going to be like. No name yet, but we are getting closer. And we have made some progress in preparations! Last weekend we painted his room, and today Eric started setting up the crib! We'll be ready little guy. The girls can't wait!

Jenna's 6th Birthday!

2011-03-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Jenna turned 6 last week. Six. SIX! She is precious, and I love her so much! She loves reading (she amazes me, she learns like her daddy!), movies (again, just like her daddy), her new favorite game is yahtzee, she and our neighbor Haley could play together outside all day long (when the weather cooperates), she loves to laugh, and she is growing in the Lord daily.

We had a little friend party. All the little girls made her the sweetest cards. I am thankful that she has so many dear friends. We could have invited another 5 girls but I was a little overwhelmed with the idea of 8 girls by myself so I had to cut off the list. But I am so thankful for the lovely little ladies in her life.

The girls painted flower pots and did a great job. Even Elsie kept things clean and under control! These older kid bday parties are pretty fun! The girls also made their own ice cream sundaes. It was a fun day.

The following day we had a family party, but only my parents were able to come becuase my sister's family was down with all kinds of sicknesses. But it was really fun and special too.

slacking

2011-03-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

Sheesh, this blog is slacking lately, and not too interesting! A quick update...

1. Today is our 8th wedding anniversary! We were able to get away to the beach for the weekend and it was AMAZING! I love my husband.

2. This little baby boy is getting big and coming soon! I need to get a move on the preparations! We're 1/2 way through March, then comes April. Then it's May which is practically the month that baby boy will be born. Time is flying. Sometimes too fast, sometimes not fast enough.

3. Eric's job promotion is going great, he is doing a great job. It has been a little tricky adjusting to his new schedule but we are starting to figure it out a little, or at least we are realizing that we need to figure it out :)

4. I love easter candy.

5. Jenna's birthday was last Friday, and we partied and made it a fun celebration for her. Hard to believe she is 6. I will post pictures soon.

6. The kitten's eyes are open and they are starting to walk just a little. I think it will be fun for a while, and then get a little overwhelming with kittens running around everywhere, and then sad to give them away. But with good homes it won't be as sad (hint, hint!)

7. OH! And we bought a van! Now to sell the ever faithful Toyota camry...

I guess that's it. Time to go clean the kitchen, and fold the laundry. And dust. And then later vacuum. At least I already cleaned the bathrooms!

Kittens!

2011-03-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little Lucy had kittens a few days ago, and is is just about the cutest thing ever! We knew she was pregnant, and then all of a sudden she wasn't but we didn't know where the kittens were! It took a day to find them, but finally I found them all cozy in a down comforter under the girls bed. Lucy is being a great mom, and the girls are having incredible restraint not picking them up or bothering them too much. It will be fun when they start to run around and play! Here are a few pictures...one looks just like Lucy, and one just like Linus.

Pictures

2011-02-23T14:20:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the past couples weeks...

Elsie working diligently on the Valentine's day cupcakes

Such a sweetie

Warning #1: If you lay on the ground at our house, Elsie will attack and lay on top of you. Just a warning.

Warning #2: Jenna will attack back, she zerberts and tickles

Very cute picture of my loves

Pretty Jenna, growing up to be such a lovely young lady

Bikes, Beach, and Baby update

2011-02-07T13:07:00.000-08:00

Last week these three headed out to bike the neighborhood. It was so cute to watch Elsie keep up and have so much fun with the "big kids". She is doing great on her little bike.

Over the weekend, Eric and I escaped with some friends and headed to the beach! We had a short but very fun time laughing and enjoying the time away. We ate at Mo's, toured around Seaside, played games, and laughed a lot. It was nice to be away!

Whoa, sorry for the HUGE picture. I stole it from my hubby's facebook and it turned out ginormous! Oh well. I don't want to take precious nap time up to fix it.

Rainy Beach

Oh, this was a random bunny sitting outside of Mo's. We couldn't figure out if it was real or not, but then it twitched. He was just sitting there, probably late for some very important date.

And here is the baby bump. Pardon the small picture, but trust me you don't want to see it any bigger than this :) I am nearly 24 weeks along, and baby boy is kicking and having a jolly ol' time growing in my belly. I am finally past the "morning" sickness and feeling much better. That took a toll on me! We had a baby check up and things are looking great, measuring great, heartbeat is strong, etc etc. And a very exciting update for those who know me well... my doctor said it is safe to take Enbrel and breastfeed (three years ago they said there wasn't enough info)! This is a miracle. I am going to continue to research some more, and also try to just stick with my wheat free diet instead of medicating once the baby is here, but it sure it nice to know that the option is open!

One Thousand Gifts

2011-01-31T12:25:00.000-08:00

101. Elsie's speech. She has the cutest lisp right now!

102. A soft heart in Jenna, understanding the need for forgiveness.

103. Riding bikes, sidewalk chalk, and playing outside during these last few warm sunny days!

104. Laying nauseous in bed, but listening to the girls giggle together, and listening to their daddy take such good care of them.

105. A clean shower and bathroom.

106. 7 girls at church, spinning and dancing together while the men put the chairs away.

107. The hope of spring.

108. Both girls getting to feel the baby kick!

109. Healthy pregnancy weight gain (it's healthy...it's healthy...)

110. Homemade play dough.

111. HOT water showers!!!

112. Sunday dinner at Taco Del Mar for $6 thanks to free kids meals and a buy one get one certificate from the entertainment book!

113. The entertainment that one of Eric's customers gave him for Christmas!

114. Eric's LOVE for his new position at Starbucks!

115. How easy it is to be thankful when I just take a moment to count my blessings.

Skiing 2011

2011-01-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

Vegetable Pad Thai

2011-01-18T08:01:00.000-08:00

I have been really enjoying trying new recipes this year. Here is on the newer side. I LOVE it, but the rest of my family doesn't really like Thai food. I make it sometimes for my lunch for a few days since my lunch options are limited and the rest of the family won't eat it :) Well, I take that back. If I am eating it for lunch it is all of a sudden Elsie's favorite meal. Anyways, it is so easy and I normally have all these ingredients on hand. So, here it is...

Vegetable Pad Thai

8 ounces dried, wide, and flat rice noodles

2 T dark brown sugar (or whatever kind)

2 T fresh lime juice plus wedges for serving

3 T soy sauce

2 t vegetable oil

3 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 large eggs (optional)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts.

1. Soak noodles according to package instructions. Drain.

2. In a small bowl whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, and soy sauce.

3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over med-high. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add eggs (if using) and cook, scraping skillet with a rubber spatula, until eggs are almost set, about 30 seconds. Transfer egg mixture to a plate.

4. Add noodles and soy-sauce mixture to skillet; cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are soft and coated with sauce, about 1 minute. Add egg mixture and toss to coat, breaking eggs up gently.

5. Serve noodles with lime wedges, topped with cilantro and peanuts.

About 300 calories per serving, this recipe serves 4.

One Thousand Gifts

2011-01-17T07:31:00.000-08:00

This week was an amazing week for our family. After years of faithful hard work, Eric was rewarded for his efforts. I am so proud of him. So, I am thankful for...

91. Eric's hard work and diligence through the years, even when no promotions or recognition.

92. An award! On Monday Eric recieved "Partner of the Quarter" for his entire district!

93. A promotion! On Wednesday, Eric was promoted to ASM! I know Eric will do fantastic at his new store and new position!

And around the house, things are falling apart a little bit. The water heater doesn't work very well, the garage door isn't opening, and Eric's truck broke down last night. But, I am thankful still for what is working well...

94. A home that stays dry. Our leaks from last year are fixed and we are dry.

95. A car that works. I'm thankful that one of our cars works so that we could take Eric to work and still run errands for the rest of the day.

96. A garage! I remember living in an apartment when Jenna was a baby, and having to run through the parking lot in the pouring rain with her cuddled in my arms. Though I have to get out and manually open the garage sometimes, we can still park in the garage to be out of the rain!

97. Warmish showers :) Many people around the world don't have running water, let alone hot showers, so I am thankful.

98. A trusted mechanic and parents who are willing to help me get the car to the mechanic while Eric is at work.

And last but not least, this weekend is Eric's birthday and his parents are coming into town! So I am thankful for...

99. Eric will be 31, and I won't be older than him anymore :) And we will get to celebrate him!

100. Poppy and Mimi!! Our whole family is SO EXCITED for their visit. I am so thankful that I have such great wonderful in-laws! I am very blessed.

Active!

2011-01-14T20:41:00.000-08:00

I imported my pictures and realized just how athletic and active the kids were this past week! On Saturday the kids started gymnastics (Christmas gift from my parents). They had such a fun time and I can't wait for their next class (and they're excited too)!! Sorry about the picture quality, the gym isn't the best place for photos. One of these weeks I'll venture out and be one of those photo moms, but I wasn't ready to stick out on my first week watching.

The sun came out and so the kids went out to ride bikes for a while. It was cold (notice the hat and gloves) but fun. Elsie got a bike for her birthday but hasn't had much opportunity to ride. But she really got the hang of it the other day!

And then today my dad and I taught the kids how to ski! It was rainy but so much fun. The kids went from struggling to walk in the stiff boots to skiing independently down the hill! It was amazing. Kids learn so fast. I'll probably do a whole post on the ski trip because I want to remember the details and post a video :)

This has been a very fun week.

Swagbucks

2011-01-13T07:08:00.000-08:00

Swagbucks. I love it. And if you haven't tried it, I must say that I think you should start!

It searches the internet just like google or whatever other search engine you use, but it rewards you for using their site. There are no tricks or weird things about it, I promise. I have been using it for about two years now and over that time have cashed in my rewards (or "swagbucks") for tons and tons of amazon gift cards! That's right, real gift cards! One Christmas I did most of my shopping using the money earned through the year on Swagbucks. Crazy. (Or, you could do Starbucks gift cards...or one of the many others they offer. Oh, and amazon sells diapers, wipes, cleaning stuff, along with all the fun things. Just sayin...)

Anyways, I advertise for them again because they have a new fun way to earn swagbucks. Playing games. I don't do a ton of online gaming, but I tried a few of their games and they are fun. And when you play games on their website, you can earn swagbucks! Great deal!

So, that's all. If you haven't signed up, it's time. Click HERE and sign up through me and to check out the games (I earn while you earn, thanks!) And if you are already doing the Swagbucks thing, you can check out their free games by clicking here.

If you do sign up, you get a signup bonus of 30 bucks. And then use the code SBGames to get an additional 30 swagbucks for signing up TODAY!

Okay, that's all :)

Fish Tacos

2011-01-11T07:11:00.000-08:00

I know that not everyone out there likes fish tacos, but we love them. And this is an EASY and DELISH recipe I found a while back that I thought I would share. It takes no time at all and is so fresh and flavorful. I hope you enjoy!

Fish Tacos with Cabbage and Lime

1 pound boneless, skinless tilapia filets, cut into 2 inch pieces

2 T olive oil

coarse salt and ground pepper

1/4 cup light sour cream

1 lime, half finely zested and juiced, half cut into wedges

hot sauce, such as tobasco

12 corn tortillas

1/2 small head of red or green cabbage thinly sliced

1 cup fresh cilantro

1 small white onion, finely chopped

1-2 small tomatoes, chopped

1. Heat broiler, with rack in highest position. Pat fish dry with paper towels and gently coate iwth oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Broil until fish is browned on top and flesh is opaque throughout, about 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream, lime zest and juice, and a few dashes hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Soften corn tortialls (toaster oven for a bit or microwave for a minute or so wrapped in a paper towel).

3. Divide fish evenly among among tortillas and top with cabbage, cilantro, tomato and onion. Serve with lime sour cream and lime wedges.

Serves 4. About 120 calories per taco.

(Gluten free, and can also be dairy free if you use a substitute sour cream!)

(I forgot to take a picture, so this from the Everyday Food website - Martha Stewart - which is where I got the recipe)

One Thousand Gifts

2011-01-10T07:20:00.000-08:00

81. Couch forts and indoor winter fun

82. Homemade applesauce, and this wonderful tool

83. Another indoor couch activity - Obstacle course! (I remember the day when I wouldn't let the kids jump on the couch...ha!)

84. Lizards, snails, and puppy dog tails...

85. Ultrasounds and cute little profiles

86. Being able to volunteer at Jenna's school

87. GOOD sleep (I slept from 9pm to nearly 7am this morning!)

88. New ideas that are helping to corral our determined 3-year old

89. FUN time out with friends

90. A new small group starting tonight!

Works for me

2011-01-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

There is a website out there that does a feature called Works for Me Wednesday, where people share ideas that have "worked for them" in their life. I love that idea because some things are a great idea but not for your house or your kids or your season of life. Anyways, I have a few things that I have done around the house lately that have worked miracles in my home, so I thought I would share. They aren't brilliant, but they have made a big difference in my everyday life.

1. Water access. We don't have a fridge with automatic water in the door so the kids could never get their own glass of filtered water. The Brita we had was too awkward and heavy for them to pour on their own. And they couldn't reach the cups because they were up in the cupboard. Well, they could climb on the counters but the neighbor kids also need water a lot so I came up with a solution.

--> I put the cups in a bottom drawer (along with their plates and bowls) and bought a huge brita with a spout that lives in the fridge (or on the counter) that they can reach. Now, they don't have to ask me for water. Freedom for them, and one less thing that they need me for! It has changed my life in a small yet big way :)

2. Cleaning. When I am cleaning with a spray bottle and rag, the kids always want to help me. I don't like for them to use strong cleaners so I often said no or wouldn't let them spray. But this is against everything I believe in! I want the kids to learn to clean and to help me and to find joy in daily chores!

--> So, I filled an empty spray bottle with water and a little dish soap. Now they can really help me, they can do it all themselves, and I don't have to worry about them spraying strong cleaners in their face or something! Soap and water works for the kitchen table, floor, windows, bathroom, and much more.

Hooray for simple solutions that make a mommy's life happier and a child's life more independent!

One Thousand Gifts

2011-01-03T12:47:00.001-08:00

I really slacked on the Monday blessings for a while. I need to do some catch up!

70. I am very thankful for a brand new year. I love fresh starts. I love making goals and realizing where I have been weak. I need it!

71. For Christmas break. It was so fun to have Jenna and Elsie home all day every day. Jenna is back to kindergarden tomorrow and though I know she is really looking forward to it, I will miss her for those couple hours each day!

72. COLD weather. I'm thankful we have seasons in Oregon. It makes me really appreciate spring and summer.

73. Good sermons that encourage and convict.

74. Gymnastics! Both the girls will be giving gymnastics a try for a couple months this year! Thanks mom and dad for this wonderful Christmas gift!!

75. A warm home. Sometimes I complain about how small it is, and how cold it can be, but the truth is that we have exactly what we need, and many things we want. And I am thankful.

76. Parenting books that help me think through what I want to instill in my children.

77. A husband who has become very heath conscience in this new year! It is exciting and I love it! He is appreciating the low fat meals that I make! And though his weight is going down while mine is RISING, I am still thankful that he wants to be healthy :)

78. Baby kicks! The real ones, not just the flutters. I love lying still, thinking and praying for our little one, and feeling him/her move inside!

79. That tomorrow we find out (if the baby cooperates!) if we are welcoming a girl or a boy!! Yikes! I am a little nervous but excited too!

80. Days free of pain and nausea. There haven't been very many of them lately, so when they come, I am VERY thankful.

Any blessings you want to share on this lovely Monday?

Healthy Recipe - Bean Burritos

2011-01-03T06:58:00.000-08:00

Cooking for my family is a bit of a challenge this year. Eric is trying to cut calories and lose some weight, and I am wheat free and dairy free. So, between the two of us, there aren't too many meals that work. But I'm finding some good healthy ones, and adapting my menu so that the rest of the family can still enjoy wheat, while I don't feel too deprived! So, here is a winner of a meal, low cal and adaptable!

Bean burritos and white rice. This is Eric's plate. To save calories, I put chips on the plate (instead of putting the whole bag on the table) and only added a touch of cheese. Whole meal was about 700 calories. Maybe that sounds like a lot, but that is for two big burritos AND chips AND rice AND veggies!

Here's my plate. No tortillas but I put the taco fixings on top of the beans and rice, and of course no cheese. YUM! I ate it with my chips and it was delicious! It felt like quite a treat.

I cooked up the beans (16 oz) in the crock pot with some minced garlic (two cloves), a few shakes of cumin (maybe 1/2 t) and about a teaspoon of salt. Then I mashed them up once they were tender enough to mash.

Oh, and top it all with some cilantro and a squeeze of lime for a great flavor! Raw veggies with no dip saved us some calories too.

Healthy and delicious, and for me GF and DF!

New Year!

2011-01-01T08:29:00.000-08:00

2011

Goodbye 2010, and hello 2011! One of Eric's friends put as his status update yesterday, "Goodbye 2010, don't let the door hit you on the way out!" The year was full of precious memories and fun times, but overall Eric and I are happy to say "See ya Later 2010". Oh, and though the year wasn't our favorite, we both learned a TON by the grace of God, our marriage is stronger, and our kids are treasures. We praise God for keeping us strong through the ups and downs of life.

Resolutions for 2011:

1. Keep the house clean and organized.

2. Read through the Bible

3. And starting in June(ish) lose the baby weight :)

(4. Cook a new healthy recipe each week - I am going to do this for a while but probably not the whole year. But maybe! Who knows).

(5. Keep the blog more organized and updated! We'll see how this one goes as well! But at least for now, stay tuned for lots of posts!)

Eric and I have lots of hopes and prayers for the new year. We can't wait to see what this new year brings!

Blessings to all who are reading this. May your 2011 be wonderful and may all the glory be unto GOD!

Christmas Morn

2010-12-30T08:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas day was very low key. We woke a little earlier than normal and opened our gifts together. The girls were excited and thankful. Each got a new Bible, a few toys, and a game. Then we ate a yummy breakfast and relaxed together. After that we headed back to my parents house and spent a relaxing and fun day with them. My mom made crab for lunch and prime rib for dinner...um, yum. I did a sewing project, Eric watched some sports, and my parents played with the girls and relaxed a bit as well. It was a great Christmas.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T19:54:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrated Christmas at my parent's house. It was such a wonderful day. The kids were giddy with excitement and were all smiles from start to finish (well, until we said it was time to go!). My mom and dad always host a wonderful celebration, and this year was no exception. Great food, thoughtful gifts, fun activities, and relaxation.

My mom had the kids play some "Minute to Win It" (game show on TV right now) games and they were pretty funny. For this one you start with a gingerbread cookie on your forehead and you have to try to get it into your mouth without using your hands. There was a lot of eyebrow wiggling and nose twitching. The video is very funny :)

And for this one you had to fish for candy canes, but you had to hold the pole in your mouth. Davis was very good at this one!

Good cousins, good friends.

The six cousins. Next year it will be seven!

Me and my Christmas sweetheart.

Elsie loved her gifts!

And so did Jenna!

And this tradition has been going on for YEARS (it started long before any grandchild was in the picture). My mom always reads one or two Christmas books to us. Normally they make her cry :)

The highlights of the day for me were:

1. When Jenna opened a gift certificate to learn gymnastics. She was so excited that she immediately went to give grandma and grandpa a huge hug. She was very thankful for all that she received.

2. When Elsie came over to the grownups with her face COVERED in chocolate, and her shirt COVERED in chocolate to ask for a cookie. "Have you had one?" we asked. "No!" she replied with the most convincing look on her chocolate covered face. We all had to hide our laughter as we talked her through the fact that she had actually already eaten a cookie :)

Can't wait for another wonderful day tomorrow! Happy birthday Jesus! We are thankful for the greatest Christmas gift of all, Jesus Christ sent to save.

Christmas crafts

2010-12-23T14:48:00.000-08:00

Today we have been crafting and creating...here's the results :)

Paper plate ornaments that will be place settings for Christmas Eve dinner...

Chocolate reindeer...

(the girls did these by themselves! It was messy and they had fun)

We also finished wrapping presents for the cousins, so we are ready for Christmas Eve!

Thanksgiving...

2010-12-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a while since Thanksgiving, but I am finally posting some pictures. Sadly, I didn't take very many because I was super sick with a cold. So sick in fact that I didn't even hold my sweet new niece. It about killed me, but I didn't want her to get sick. So, here are a few pictures of the rest of the family with Masyn. She is SO lovely and I can't wait to see her again. The girls were great with her, and Eric glowed when holding his very first niece.

Big family picture, 9 1/2 of us now :)

Elsie always tried to help and be there for Masyn

Jenna mastered the "rock/put-in-bink/shhh" move. I was impressed. She got Masyn to sleep and held her while watching cartoons for a good 20 minutes.

We had a wonderful time. It is always a blessing to be with our California family. We ate the most amazing feasts, laughed, played cards, and hung out. It was great. We all wish we could go to California more often.

Fun little Christmas Craft

2010-12-10T09:59:00.001-08:00

Elsie and I worked on a little Christmas craft today and it was very fun and easy so I thought I would share. The reindeer is her handprint, and the tree is her footprint. The antlers are twigs I found outside and the snow is a napkin with glitter. She had a lot of fun with it, and the footprint tree was her idea :)

For the record...

2010-12-07T12:01:00.001-08:00

Conversation between Jenna and Elsie...

Jenna: Elsie, too much sugar is bad. You shouldn't have too much.

Elsie: Ya, because then you get sick bad.

Jenna: Yep, very sick.

Elsie: And you have to go to the doctor and get a "Bound-aid"

Jenna: Ya, because you have to get a shot.

Elsie: Ya.

Maybe I have over-emphasized eating healthy :)

Elsie currently disagrees with everything I say. It must be an age thing. We are working on it but it is a hard habit to break. And here's today's proof of this fact...

I sneezed. And I said, "excuse me, I sneezed."

Elsie said, "No you didn't."

Um, okay.

Jenna plays a version of Pool (billiards) over at her friends house. They all call it "Pole" and she won't believe me that the game is called Pool. "Pole" makes more sense anyways.

Elsie often breaks into dance. It's like she can't help herself, when music starts she must boogie. Her move is a slow hip shake and then slow arm moves through the air. It cracks me up.

Elsie also prays silly short prayers. My recent favorite is, "God, thanks about my bootie."

And then today when I went to tuck Elsie in for nap time, I found her in bed, completely naked, except for her cowboy boots. Such a silly.

One Thousand Gifts

2010-11-22T07:49:00.000-08:00

61. Two girls who wake up each morning cheerful and even singing!

62. A sweet husband who loves to do special things for his girls, like bring them home hot chocolate as a treat.

63. My sister who is babysitting my girls for a few hours today so that I can run a bunch of errands without the kids (and go to Jenna's parent-teacher conference!)

64. A lamp timer. It is set up in the girls room to come on at 7am and they have learned to stay in bed until the light turns on. It is brilliant.

65. The Poppy-Wagon!! We can't wait to take a trip in Mimi and Poppy's RV!

66. Thanksgiving. It is Eric's favorite holiday, and I'm thankful we get to be with his family this year to celebrate. And with that, I am thankful for pinochle tournaments! And dominoes! And cousins and laughter and fun!

67. The Jingle Bells Arthritis walk, which raises money and has helped make the disease treatable. I am thankful that I get to walk this year, along with many family members! And it's on my birthday!

68. Winter coming and the possibility of snowmen and hats and hot chocolate!

(Jenna and Eric made this one a few years ago)

69. For Jesus.

Baby #3

2010-11-13T15:11:00.000-08:00

I thought I should document a bit of this pregnancy on here every once in a while, and since I am nearing the end of my first trimester (praise the LORD!) it seems like a good time. I am feeling decent. I've had the 'normal' morning sickness that lasts all day and is at it's worst in the evening. My arthritis has been at bay except for a couple of flare ups. I hope and pray that it doesn't bare it's ugly face too many times during pregnancy. I think the food I am eating is helping, and the supplements too. I'm tired and about done at 7:30pm but I think that is very normal. I am pretty sure that no one else can tell I showing, but I can feel the little difference in my tummy. I have a lot of fears with a third baby, but I know that God is in control! And I am excited for the blessing of another baby. I can't wait until I feel a little better and can clean my house and cook without gagging. That will come soon right?! I hope so. I have had some pregnancy brain moments. Several in fact. For instance, the other day I put Jenna's art project IN the fridge. It looked strange in there. Looks better ON the fridge. Cravings? yes. Wine and sushi. Bummer huh. The kids continue to be excited and full of funny things to say. Elsie tries to stick her tummy out and 'get a baby' in her tummy. And Jenna is interested in what is going on with the baby, and also says very grown up things. The other day she saw another mom with a little baby and she said, "mom, pretty soon you're going to have one of those." True grown up daughter, true. Elsie asked how the baby "got in there" but since she is three I just changed the subject.

So that is what is going on in the land of baby number three. I have to give many many thanks to Eric for making MANY meals in the past weeks and for being patient with my sickness and woes. And my family has been so kind to help with meals and keeping me company to help the days go by :) I can't imagine being an island or superwoman trying to do it all on my own. It is just better to share the load.

Our baby is about the size of a large lime :) Cute huh.

Leaves!

2010-11-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

Eric was just about to mow away the leaves when I came out and begged his so nicely to instead rake them up for the kids to play in. Jenna had just mentioned that morning that she wanted to jump in the leaves. Anyways, he is awesome so he did it for us and the kids were so thankful! Haley and Austin (our neighbors) were over and joined in the fun.

One thousand Gifts

2010-11-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

53. Lots of distractions and busyness to help the nauseous months go by as quickly as possible

54. Jenna's growing faith

55. God's patience with me (I had to focus on this all morning because my patience with Elsie was running dry.)

56. Reuniting with some cousins that I haven't seen in 8 years!

57. A washing machine and dryer (have to remember how blessed we are to have these helpful appliances...imagine how much more

58. Leaves changing color and falling

59. Decaf soy vanilla latte, making me feel a little normal (I have some food restrictions to help my arthritis during pregnancy, since I can't be on my miracle medication).

60. That my arthritis has been fairly calm this pregnancy (with my second pregnancy I was in a ton of pain for months and months)

New Faith

2010-11-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

To help Jenna grow in her faith, Eric and I bought her a "heart journal". It is meant to be a place where she can write and draw about God, and about the things God is teaching her. I gave it to her the other day and let her decorate it and start the first page. She is very excited about being a Christian and since confessing and believing she has initiated prayers at bedtime (she didn't pray much before) and wanted to give money to God this morning for church. This new faith seems to be growing, and we want to help her understand what it means to follow God.

A miracle

2010-11-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

It was a rough night, the kids were fighting about teeth brushing and blankets and who was going to give who a kiss first and pretty much everything they could think to fight about. And there was also lots of disobedience and then some frustration on my part all leading to a bed time miracle.

I can't remember the exact words I prayed for the girls after the rough evening, but it was something along the lines of "God help us to follow you, and to choose what is right, and to listen to our hearts..." Well after we said amen, Jenna asked what it means to listen to your heart. So I explained that when you believe in Jesus and ask Him to forgive you, he sends the Holy Spirit to live in you to help you and to guide you. And that if you listen close you can hear the help of the Holy Spirit. Then she said, "What if you never did that?" And so I told her that if you didn't ask Jesus to forgive you and come in your life that you didn't have the Holy Spirit. She then said, "mom, can I pray?"

So she prayed, "Jesus, please forgive me and come into my heart. Amen"

And the angels (and her mom and dad) rejoiced greatly at her new faith.

Trick-or-treating

2010-11-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time trick-or-treating last night. My sister's family and my parents all joined us for dinner (actually mom made delicious pork roast and soup and sister's family brought pizza!) and then for some Halloween fun in our neighborhood. The kids were all so cute in their costumes and they were so excited for the candy. There were two "scary" houses in our neighborhood, both of which we hit when it was still light out, so the kids all saw that the scary stuff is pretend. That was good. At one point Davis braved a scary house and walked up really close to a fake looking masked scare crow and as soon as he was close the guy said, "BOO!" and Davis screamed and all the kids were scared and laughing. But the people were nice to come and show that everything was pretend.

Anyways, here are the girls, Jessie the cowgirl and Tinkerbell

Our pumpkins

The kids, and my pirate mom!

Six cousins.

Look hard, Davis is the invisible man holding a pumpkin. He blends into the background a bit!

Trick-or-treat!

Time flies

2010-10-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

Jenna, 7 months old

Jenna, 5 1/2 years old

Elsie, just turned 1

Elsie, 3 years old

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-28T09:12:00.001-07:00

We went to the pumpkin patch last week on a beautiful day. It was a week day so the crowds were low, and it was possibly the last day before the rain began. The kids had a lot of fun...

There were some great animals to view, including a chicken with a crazy "hat" (as the girls called it) on, ponies, and crazy huge bunnies.

Climbing and playing in the kids area

Buried in the corn kernels by daddy

"Ta-da!"

Family photo

Elsie took this one... it's amazingly centered

Fun times!

One Thousand Gifts

2010-10-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

51. My sweet new niece born just a couple days ago, Masyn Dawn! Isn't she beautiful!

52. The new baby that will join our family around June 1st! Yes, we're pregnant!

Elsie's birthday party

2010-10-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

Elsie turns THREE on Tuesday so today we had a little family birthday party for her. Sadly she woke up sick this morning, but after a morning nap she was feeling well enough to party. The theme was Toy Story!!

Elsie loves Jessie, Buzz and the space aliens that she calls, "Seekies".

Here's the aliens in the movie, followed by the alien cupcakes...

The girls helped make the cupcakes and decorate them. They kept saying, "Ooooo" as they decorated the seekies.

Toy Story Pez party favors

Birthday girl!

Opening her gifts (thanks everyone!)

A bike!

Blowing (or spitting) out the candles!

It was a fun party. Elsie felt really good most of the time, but about the time everyone was leaving she started acting sick again. I hope no one catches whatever she has. Happy birthday Elsie, we love you!

One Thousand Gifts

2010-10-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

45. My HUSBAND. Ugh, I miss him. He's away for a week and I really like him home :) But I am glad that he is helping his parents and having a great time in the process.

(Here he is with his sister in High School...basketball star!)

46. Peppermint Icecream. Yum.

47. Fall crafts... collecting leaves, making stuff with them...it always turns out so fun and beautiful.

48. An old friend and his wife lost their baby this last summer. I am thankful for them because they are using their loss to start a foundation that will help so many others who experience the same loss by showing them the Gospel and hope and heaven.

49. My friend Jenn who is bringing over a movie and hanging out with my while Eric is gone.

Oh, she's here so I better go!

50. Wait, one more quick one, MY SISTER who is always there for me and a help and best friend.

One Thousand Gifts

2010-10-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

39. New chairs for our dining area! A crazy great deal at Salvation Army has allowed us to get some practically NEW chairs for a super bargain!! Now to find the right table... patience will pay off I think and hope!

40. A new believing friend trying to figure out how to follow God daily.

41. My husband, who is understanding, loving, patient, and very kind to me always.

42. Beautiful fall days and evenings.

43. Spending most every moment of sun at a different park! The kids have been loving it and me too!

44. Kids who are so happy in the morning. They rise early, are ready for school and the day without much of the "hurry up!!" talk, allowing for calm mornings. For YEARS I have struggled off and on with their early wake up times, but finally it has truly become a huge blessing in our family. (Remind me of this when they wake at 6:30am on Saturday...)

That's all for now... be thankful today!

One Thousand Gifts

2010-09-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

30. SUNSHINE!!!

31. Sunshine for my children!

32. Sunshine for my tomatoes!

33. Sunshine for my soul!

34. Mimi and Poppy's new "Poppy-wagon"!! They're heading out west!

35. Western medicine and Eastern medicine.

36. Jenna's new school friends

37. Rainy weather on the day my kids were sick and needing to rest and relax.

38. Daily provision. Jehovah Jireh.

Just want to remember...

2010-09-24T19:39:00.001-07:00

Some examples from today of Elsie's new "barely obeying" technique...

1. Today at the grocery store, I was really cracking down on how the kids should behave. I told them to hold the sides of the cart... Elsie put her fisted hand right on top, sort of holding.

2. Also at the grocery store I looked the kids in the eyes and said, "don't touch the candy in the check out lane." Elsie went over to the M&Ms, put her hands hovering right above them and said, "not touching... not touching."

3. At dinner I told her to finish her bite so that she could have dessert. After dinner and dessert was done, I found her bite all chewed up and in her water glass.

And here is the bedtime routine...

Elsie: Goodnight!

Meg/Eric: Goodnight.

Elsie: I love you too!

M/E: I love you.

Elsie: I love you in the morning!

M/E: I love you in the morning.

Elsie: I love you in the night!

M/E: I love you in the night.

Elsie: I love you in the noontime!

M/E: I love you in the noontime.

Elsie: Goodnight.

M/E: Goodnight.

And if we don't reply, she keeps yelling and repeating. It is sweet and endearing...mostly :)

(I just did a typo - I put enduring instead of endearing, which maybe deep down I know that that enduring is a good word for my sweet kid.)

One Thousand Gifts

2010-09-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

21. The cute "birthday party" that Elsie made for me while Jenna was at school

22. The rain making my yard green again

23. The quiet of nap/rest time

24. A great church

25. Bargains and deals... God's provision!

26. How peaceful the kids look when they are asleep

27. Our pets - Linus followed Elsie and I to school today to pick up Jenna!

28. AMAZING friends.

29. Sunday night football with friends, which is great fun for our whole family!

Be sure to count your blessings today!

Elsie Sings

2010-09-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

One Thousand Gifts

2010-09-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

I missed posting these on Monday, but I will give myself some grace since that was Jenna's first day of school. I have been thinking a lot this week about my neighborhood and how thankful I am to be part of a group of homes that aren't perfect but that open their doors to one another. It is ugly sometimes, but I think that God can do a miracle if we are open to loving those around us and sharing the Truth with our neighbors. So, here is a list of the things I am thankful for right here in my neighborhood...

13. Opportunities to share Jesus' love and Truth with kids that have never heard of God.

14. Being home and available to help and love my neighbors.

15. The teaching moments that come from neighborhood interactions.

16. Neighbors who will take care and keep an eye on our home when we are on vacation.

17. Neighbors who went from never speaking to us to chatting over the fence.

18. The opportunity to love a rough kid who needs love and encouragement more than I even

realize.

19. Lots of laughter and fun in my home when the neighbor kids are here.

20. The hope that God will use us in the lives of our neighbors, and that through the grace of God they will come to know the saving Truth that Jesus is what is missing in their lives.

I am thankful for these blessings and confess that sometimes I forget that they ARE blessings.

At home with Elsie

2010-09-14T14:18:00.000-07:00

The first day that Jenna went to school I did some home school with Elsie Mae. She really enjoyed it and needed lots of interaction and attention. She did a great job learning and had a lot of fun with the different stuff I planned. But staying at home with Elsie is an adventure. Our first adventure was when she was helping me make bread. I turned my head for a moment and looked back to see her dumping the whole box of baking soda into the bowl ("there we go" she said) on top of the flour. Oops. And when teaching her the letter "A" I showed her the letter and then taught her the sound and we said "A" together a bunch of times and then I pointed to the "A" and asked, "what letter is this?" and she said, "B". Several times. So we started over. It's fun though. It's nice to get to know her better, to focus on training her alone, and to teach her one on one. I love it, though I think it might drive me crazy some days :)

And since this post is focused on Elsie, here's a (one sided) conversation that I just overheard...

Elsie: "Dad, dad, dad, are you awake dad? Are you awake Dad? Dad, are you awake? Dad? Are you asleep? Dad are you sleeping? Eenie-meenie-miney-moe, catch a tiger by his toe. If he hollers let him pay, 50 dollars every day. My mom and dad said I was right so I am right, you're asleep!"

He may have been asleep, but by the end of eenie meenie I'm sure he was smiling :)

Jenna's first day of Kindergarden

2010-09-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

Jenna had a great first day of school. She was excited in the morning when she woke up and still just as excited during the walk to school, and still smiling and excited when we left her in the cafeteria. It was great to see her ready to face this challenge!

Here she is, looking beautiful and mature, and yet so young :)

Sister photo

The walk toward independence...

Love this picture

At the cafeteria ready to start her day!

She walked in the door with the same great smile that she left with. She loved her first day of kindergarden!

To Jenna

2010-09-12T19:16:00.000-07:00

Jenna,

Tomorrow you start Kindergarden. You are so excited - eager to go to bed, outfit picked out, backpack packed! This last summer you went from being terrified of the thought of going to school to totally excited and ready for the adventures kindergarden will hold. I am very proud of you and thrilled for all that will come as you slowly spread your wings.

You are not on your own on this journey. I am here, always here for you (daddy too!). I am going to pray for you through each challenge and new day. I am here to listen and to teach, and to help you figure out how to live life, love others, be compassionate, and live for Christ out in the world.

My prayer for you this year is that your faith in Christ will grow. I pray that you will grow in wisdom of the Lord as you seek to know what is right versus what is wrong. And that you will grow in love for Jesus and for others.

I pray that God will clothe you with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:12). I pray God will comfort you in all your troubles, so that you may comfort those in any trouble with the comfort you have received from our precious Lord. And I pray that you will follow the Lord and be compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love (Psalm 103:8).

I'm here for you kid, the whole family is. God is on your side, and if He is for you then who can be against you!? Be strong, love with your whole heart, and have a blast this year in Mrs. Cohen's class.

Love and hugs and kisses,

Mom

P.S. Don't grow up too fast. It's too hard on your mama!

One Thousand Gifts

2010-09-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

I am loving counting my blessings. Ever since starting this last Monday, I have been thinking all through the week about the gifts and blessings in my life. God offers such a calm and peace when I focus on how he has blessed us. It's life changing. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him, and here are a few more to add to my list...

5. Building forts with the neighbors

5. Having the neighbors knock on the door the next day asking if they can build forts again.

6. Zerberts and tickles and laughter with daddy
7. Picking this from the garden...
8. And turning it into this!
9. A husband who loves his cool nephews with his whole heart.
10. Amazing nephews who I love like my own kids.

11. A hardworking husband who wakes before the sun to bring home the bread

12. And who lets me sleep in occasionally even when he woke up at 4am several mornings in a row.

Happy Monday everyone!

Sharing a room!

2010-09-02T10:17:00.001-07:00

It was a crazy project, and super messy. The whole house was in chaos. Clothes everywhere in every room, toys everywhere, bags of too big clothes in the hall, piles of "garage sale" stuff in every room. It was crazy. Furniture out of place, drawers emptied and filled and emptied again. Anyways, all that to say that the girls are sharing a room and we have a guest/play room with an empty closet and dresser for guests.

Jenna's closet and dresser was totally full when I started. It had summer/winter/too big/too small/everything in between in it. Elsie's closet was the same. It was organized, but full. So, a bunch of stuff found a new home in the garage and the kids stuff all fits easily in one closet.

Elsie's side (bins up top are seasonal and too big)

Jenna's side (bins are the same.)

I still need to take out a few more toys.

And the play/guest room!

We would like to get a bigger bed or maybe a murphy bed.

But for now, the stuffed animals live a very comfy life.

And we ended with an empty dresser and 1/2 empty closet. Sometimes I love having such a small house. It allows me to do big projects like this in just a couple days, and it forces me to simplify and get rid of clutter.

Oh, and the girls are LOVING sharing a room. The first time we tried to get them in the same room was one frustrating day after another. This time, Elsie is much more obedient and actually stays in bed long enough to fall asleep. They are having a lot of fun sharing their space, and I hope this continues to strengthen their relationship.

One Thousand Gifts

2010-08-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

I am struck lately with how easy I fall into being discontent. I don't want to be like that. And it seems that I can either spend a lot of my time being in want, or I can spend a lot of time being thankful. I can't focus on both because there just isn't enough time. And once you focus on one, it's hard to focus on the other. So, I am going to join Ginger and all the others over at A Holy Experience and start counting my blessings and gifts. Each Monday I am going to add to my list, until after a while I get to 1000 blessings. I am looking forward to focusing on all the ways that God is taking care of me, teaching me, training me, and loving me. Join me if you like!

1. My family, who I grew up with and raised me. There has been so much love and support between these four people for decades and decades and I am so thankful for the family that God placed me in to grow up with.

2. My Mama-in-love and Dad-in-love. Both have treated me like a daughter since the day I married their son. They care deeply for Eric and I and are amazing grandparents to my kids. I am so blessed.
3. A messy faced kiddo enjoying strawberries from the garden.
4. Quiet moments during the day where one sleeps, another learns and discovers on her own, and I cross a few things off a never ending list.

Pre-Kindergarden Jenna

2010-08-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Looking for some design advice...

2010-08-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, first of all please pardon the mess. I am going to clean my house later today, but in an effort to stall I am going to first do this...

So I am wanting to do a little bit of freshening up of my house decor. I have wanted to do something in the kitchen ever since we moved in...but here we are over 4 years later, and, well, anyways...

I need some help. Here are my thoughts, please give me some feedback!

The kitchen. Notice the wood cupboards, wood laminate counters, more wood cupboards, and then wood floor. Hmm. A little too much wood color for my liking. So I was thinking that the most economical way to go in the kitchen is to paint the cupboards and the windowsills (etc.) white. Yes? Any suggestions from those of you who have done this before? My kitchen is very small so I thought white would brighten it and maybe even make it look bigger. (wishful thinking? Maybe.)

Okay, next. We sold our dining table this weekend becuase it wasn't working in our small space. So, before I buy another on on Craigslist I need some advice. What color? A darker wood? Same color wood as the floor? White table? Black table? Help!! And if I paint the kitchen white, I would also paint the baseboards in this room white, just so you know :)

Here is what we have to deal with. The people who lived here before us painted half of the baseboards and frames and doors white, and left the rest the dark wood. So at one point you have this lovely scene...

And here is the view down the hall...white and white and then dark wood in the kitchen.

So, now you have the facts. I am ready for your input and advice. Even if you are a secret reader please help me. I probably read your blog too so don't be shy :)

Thanks :)

Oklahoma, part 3 (the final chapter)

2010-08-18T11:59:00.001-07:00

Okay, okay, I just have to do one more post from Oklahoma! These pictures are from Bruce and Mae's camera, and they are great so I will share :)

The girls swimming some more with the boy 2nd cousins

We had dinner with a wonderful family that the Wood's have known and been close to for years. I think that all the girls in the family had a crush on Eric at one time or another so I was a little nervous that they wouldn't approve of me :) But I think I passed their test and we had a great time talking and laughing. They are gems, all three of them and their parents and it was great to get to know the Norrid's a little better!

Okay, back to what the girls did... sidewalk chalk

And they went to a pet store where Elsie apparently YELLED throughout the store, "MIMI, I CAN'T FIND THE NEMOS!!!" I can't imagine Elsie making a scene in public! ;) But they found some so the yelling stopped.

Checking out the kitties

Feeding the ducks at the park

Oh, and RIDING A CAMEL at the Tulsa zoo!

Merry-go-round

In this picture you can see that the girls are getting a little warm! Did I mention that it is HOT in Oklahoma?

Brushing the sheep and goats at the petting zoo

And that's it! Fun times, thanks so much Bruce and Mae for all the fun!

Oklahoma, part 2

2010-08-14T20:54:00.001-07:00

Every day was full of fun times, either going to a fun place or doing a fun project or swimming in the pool that Mimi and Poppy got just for this occasion! The girls are very loved :) Bruce and Mae have done and amazing job at keeping their relationship with the girls a very close one even though we live so far apart.

Here are the girls outside of the Tulsa Aquarium. That pose of Elsie's just cracks me up!

Petting the...um...I can't remember. But petting something in the water.

Eel. Yuck. But I have a funny video that I will post on another day of the eel and Elsie having a little run in.

Feeding the turtles. It was cool to watch them eat. Chomp chomp chomp.

This aquarium had one of those walk through shark tanks where they swim over you and all around you. It was pretty creepy to see a shark swim directly at you and then end up going over head. It was amazing. This one was napping, I guess, so we took a quick picture.

And some more swimming pictures. Oh they had a blast in the pool in the heat! I love this picture so much. In some pictures they just don't even look like sisters. Just like me and my sis never looked like each other. :)

Isn't this sweet!

Bubbles! Ready, inhale...

...and blow!

Shaving cream on the windows makes for tons of fun! And it cleans the windows too! I might have to bring this activity out again when we are needing some entertainment.

Okay, here are a few of Eric's buddies from high school. Luke on the left and Lloyd on the right. I loved hanging out with them (and their families who could make it) and hearing them laugh and hearing hilarious stories that made Eric laugh and laugh! It was such a great time.

The girls also got to go to the zoo with Mimi, and made a tea set and had a tea party, and played games and read books and cuddled the puppy and so much more! But I will end the post with a picture of the girls with their grandparents. Bruce works as a police officer at the airport which is why he's in uniform.

It was very sad to leave, and we can't wait for the next time we get to spend together. Jenna woke up in tears the morning after we flew home, "please can't we go back to Mimi and Poppy's house, please!?" Hopefully our next visit together will be soon, and on the West coast!

Oklahoma, part 1

2010-08-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

I have so many fun pictures from Oklahoma so I am going to break it up into a couple of posts. We had a great wonderful time with Eric's family, and we are so very thankful that we were able to visit Oklahoma this summer. Here's a glimpse of our journey!

Here's Eric and the girls checking out the airplane. We flew from Portland to Minneapolis to Tulsa, 3 1/2 hour flight, a quick layover where we had to walk about 2 miles from one side of the airport to the other (all of which Elsie pulled our rolling suitcase...she was determined!) and then another 2 hour flight and then a lost car seat and then a short drive to Bruce and Mae's house, lots of hugs and love, and then in bed by midnight Oklahoma time. Quite a day!

The next day was spent with family. Aunts, uncles, cousins, granny, and five 2nd cousins made for a very fun afternoon! The kids had a B-L-A-S-T playing together. The cousins (meaning Eric's cousins) had fun playing cards, and the aunts/uncles/granny/etc enjoyed watching the kids play. Here they are being little monkeys together.

We tried to get all the kids together for a picture, and this was my favorite of the 12 I took :)

And then there was the outdoor fun. Slip-n-sliding and swimming in the pool. The kids all slept well that night. They were worn out!

Here's cutie-pie Sam. He loved the slip-n-slide spray.

Here's Elsie and Aiden (oldest cousin). She followed him around all day, and then talked about her time playing with him for days later. It was pretty cute.

Garden

2010-08-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

The garden seems to be very happy this year. I thought it was going to be a rough year with the cold spring but everything is doing well. We are enjoying the fruits and veggies on a daily basis.