Boria Family

Christmas Round 2

2012-01-09T11:57:00.001-08:00

We had several Christmas celebrations this year, starting off on Christmas Eve morning with our family Christmas, which I realized today I didn't take any pictures of. Oh well! We had a special time as a family blessing eachother, which was great! Then that afternoon and evening we had Christmas with my parents, sisters, and grandparents! We had a nice dinner and Christmas together. Then we woke up early and boarded a plane for New Hampshire! I'll post some pictures of our trip later, but we had a great time with everyone!

Pappy, Andrew, and Nanny

Sisters listening to the Christmas story...

Telling the Christmas Story with Nana

The gang...

Merry Christmas from our family!

A few more...

2011-12-23T08:48:00.000-08:00

A few more pictures from our Seaside trip...

Riding bikes on the walk...

Scary sharks...

My little stud…

We had gorgeous weather!

Finding shells...

Winter Beach Trip...

2011-12-21T10:05:00.000-08:00

We went to Seaside this past weekend…boy was it amazing weather. We were in long sleeves and warm! It's always nice to get away and enjoy family and being together!

Happy 6th Anniversary!

2011-12-19T21:58:00.000-08:00

6 years as of December 9th! We celebrated by going out downtown for El Gaucho…it was a delicious memory!

Best Toy Ever...

2011-12-16T08:37:00.000-08:00

My sister, Hannah, took the boys to OMSI a few weeks ago and they came home with a special toy each. It's no secret my boys are dinosaur obsessed, and know way too much about them. When we go to the library all want is dinosaur books, so I think right now I have over 20 different ones! Noah especially listens and remembers all these crazy facts! He can name way more dinosaurs then I can…he's crazy! So, what they picked out was dinosaur fossils "buried" in a rock. It took them hours to dig out their dinosaurs, but they were into it the whole time! Jakey had a Parasourolophus and Noah had T-Rex bones that then needed to be assembled, how fun it was for them!

Reading...

2011-12-12T22:01:00.000-08:00

I have been SO into reading lately…can reading be a hobby? The Glass Castle and Her Mother's Hope were the two books I've read in the last week, both were great. I really haven't come across any books that I haven't enjoyed, and I am SO thankful for the library! I'm also reading The Help and am super excited to get down to the library either tomorrow after work or Wednesday to pick up Her Daughter's Dream & Kisses From Katie. What are you reading? I love suggestions!

What a Nut!

2011-12-12T15:06:00.000-08:00

Just looking through pictures today and came across this nut--boy do I love him!

Arizona

2011-12-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

My mom and I flew down to Arizona two weeks ago to visit my grandparents down there and to buy their car they were done with. It was great to get to see my grandma as I haven't seen her since her fall this last summer. She is doing so much better then we thought she would be which is great! It was really nice to get away and visit them. But then we had a long drive ahead of us all the way back up to Oregon. We stopped in Cali for a quick Disneyland trip where we didn't bring our camera, but we did most of California Adventure & Disneyland from 6:30-midnight. It had been really stormy that day there, so there weren't many lines at all and we walked on to most of them! It was a fun memory to make with my mom. Plus we got a great new hybrid too!

Our old car...

Our new car...

Catching Up!

2011-11-28T14:29:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, I know. Here are some pictures from the few days after our Hawaii trip with Andrew's parents & Aunt here! What a blessing it was to have them come out and watch our boys, but it was even more fun to get to hang out with them ourselves too! We are really looking forward to getting to spend time with them all at Christmas in New Hampshire!

This is how my boys win in Twister…a little push!

Memory

Eating

Laughing

Grandpas

Grandmas

The four grandparents

Smiles

Playing

Reading

Maui!

2011-11-05T23:04:00.000-07:00

My favorite snack in the world: strawberry papaya with passion-fruit & lime juice. The Wailua wheat beer is amazing too!

The Grand Wailea

The four of us

Me and my baby!

Anne & I

Nate and Anne

Riding in our convertible...

The guys...

Lahina...

We had an amazing trip to Maui with our dear friends…it's hard to be back:) Here are a few pictures from out trip!

Carving

2011-10-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin carving with my boys:)

So much for that...

2011-10-24T08:21:00.001-07:00

I forgot my camera on the counter yesterday…we still took a few pictures, but they were just on our iphone & ipad, so they won't be fabulous.

My to-do list is growing long, and the time to do it in is running out! My mother-in-law & Aunt are flying out here soon, so I have a lot I want to do! Most of it is just organizing shelves & closets, but that's a big job! Today I'm going to try and get to every closet & shelf. I work tomorrow & have my last volleyball match of the season, so won't have any time, and then Wednesday I'm sure I'll be getting organized for our trip. Just a few more days!

Absent...

2011-10-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

I have NOT been blogging, and I think that's because I haven't been talking pictures…so that's changing today! We're doing the pumpkin patch, so we'll be taking pictures, then I'll leave the camera out for our adventures this week and I WILL post! Stay tuned...

Great Dad...

2011-09-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

These boys are loving their dad, they are so blessed to have a dad like him!

Love this kid...

2011-09-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

I went upstairs to do a load of laundry, and came back down to Jakey having a little "quiet time." He keeps telling me I need to read this Proverb about the king. :)

Hangin' with these guys...

2011-09-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

I'm hanging with these guys…I love these first few days back to school where we don't have much going on…their preschool doesn't start until October, so we have time to do things and have adventures still in the beautiful weather! We did some "homeschool" yesterday, and I really enjoyed it with BOTH boys. I knew Noah would be fun, but wasn't so sure about Jakey, but he did really well! This is at the airport a few weeks ago, they look like they are such big boys to me! Minus Jakey's pudgy arms still:)

Zoo Trip!

2011-09-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

Me & the boys at the zoo…we had mist as you can see it got to my hair:) But I like those days the best because the animals are so active!

We went to the zoo this last week with some friends…it was my favorite time at the zoo with my kids just because they were SO into it! It was weird being a mom there with no stroller & two boys who were old enough to walk and do almost the whole zoo in one day, such a different experience then we've had before! Jakey was my favorite to watch because he was thrilled to see every. single. animal. The boys did a great job of staying by me & we had a great time with their buddies! My boys are also obsessed with dinosaurs…so we did the dinosaur exhibit as well, and I'm so glad I did. My boys were so happy to see them (even though we just did a dinosaur exhibit in Utah). I have the weird boys who can identify the different dinosaurs they saw & know strange facts about them. I was cracking up because there was a dinosaur that I thought was a T-Rex, but Noah glanced at it and said it wasn't because it had 3 fingers instead of two, so it couldn't be a T-Rex. Sweet…my five year old knows more then me…All their little buddies…so cute! We got the boys some little Nike free's…tell me they aren't the cutest thing...

Some of the beautiful mama's!

Jakey was so focused the whole day…

Beautiful Jessica & her two girls!

Jakey being a paleontologist
I love Noah's face at the bottom of the picture:)

My two boys!

Such Helpers!

2011-08-30T12:55:00.000-07:00

We watched a friend's baby last week and it was so fun to see my little boys be such big helpers! They had a BLAST and I love that they have such tender hearts for all the babies in our life…

Couldn't decide between these two pictures…I love both faces:)

Summer Adventures…part 1

2011-08-26T09:11:00.000-07:00

We've had a great summer with our little family! Here is a summery of the places we've been and things we've done…just trying to remember them all:

It all started with a trip to the farm...

Playdates at the park...

Picnics & hikes at Mt. Talbert with Auntie Hannah...

Honoring...

S'moring...

Celebrating Noah with the best Spiderman Dad ever!

Celebrating with our friends…we had more birthday parties this summer then ever, it was almost comical!

River time with friends...

Golfing with my man...

Cuties!

2011-08-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to have a day to hang out with these guys tomorrow in the sun! We had such a great day today jumping on the trampoline with the sprinkler beneath & their buddies…I looked back at them in the car and couldn't believe how big they are getting. I love this age so much more then any before, and I'm sure it's just going to keep getting better!

Lifegroup Campout 2011!

2011-08-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend we had with our lifegroup camping in Seaside! We stayed at a park that had a little grass island, it was perfect for us! We called it the party island. We feel so blessed to have such a great group of friends to have in our lives and to journey with us! I didn't take a ton of pictures, but here's a few from other people and a few of my own.

Part of "The Island" (we're all huge LOST fans)

The boys climbed & played and did it some more!

Riding the "long neck"

The boys and their little friend Maddy…they are so in love with her and all the new baby girls!

Relaxing, what camping is all about!

I think the guys quote for this picture was brats & campfire go together like peas & carrots

What would you rate this day Noah? A 10!

Chillin' on the beach…what a perfect day!

Push Maddy!

Baby Addison who's getting SO big!

Good morning!

Our island almost all packed up...

Our little set-up at the beach...

My beautiful friend Anne!

Me & my boy...

He wouldn't smile with me so he got tickled…

Talk about a little stress...

2011-08-17T22:10:00.001-07:00

Man…what a month it's been. Almost exactly a month ago, we left for an awesome two week vacation to South Carolina & Utah. It was a great trip, but of course it's stressful preparing for a trip (not to mention packing up most of my house to move). Traveling is stressful, and then moving the day after we returned home. Add to that managing/organizing my club coaches 8 hours a day at camp (the very same day we officially moved), and then getting ready for the camp I really run the whole weekend and now 13 hour days of working on/at camp. Man! I'm beat…and totally complaining on here. I finish at 9pm tomorrow night with camp, and then have to come home and pack up everything to go camping the next morning! I seriously have no idea how it all will work but it will be great.

So during this month, I have been really neglectful of myself. My health, my eating, my stress levels, and just making any time for me. I've been sleeping really bad, and am not happy with a lot of things in my life right now, I need a routine again, and as much as I love doing special things, I'm always ready for a little normal in my life. So here's to normal and getting back control of my life…after I let loose again one more time this weekend…

Thanks for listening to my rant! I'm sure this makes very little sense but I am hoping that getting all of this out will help me sleep now…

We're back!

2011-08-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

We made it back from our trip, moved, and are now full swing back into life! As you can see my kids didn't have any fun while we were gone. I now have two weeks of volleyball camps and then tryouts, so that means my summer is mostly over, and these two weeks are some of the hardest of the year for me as I work 12 hour days and have so much stress to handle. We always make it through, but add to it the stress of moving and trying to get organized, it's just not happening how I want it to. But it will and I will make sure and post pictures from our trip soon! We had a great time with both sides of the family in South Carolina and Utah. Thankful to have such great families!

Current Happenings...

2011-07-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

We have been busy packing up our house the last few weeks, we leave on a trip Sunday for two weeks, and then come back and move the next day, and I don't want the last day to be stressful. So a few boxes a day has been great! Our house looks like this: bare walls, empty closets, and the minimal stuff in our house.

We just got back from a trip to Great Wolf Lodge again, the boys had a blast! We went with an awesome friend & her son. Here they are doing the wolf howl in their wolf den in our room;)

I swear the next iPad will have a much better camera…this one stinks! But here they are in their pi's ready for our late night drive home. They had a blast, I however was exhausted! :) One can only take so many hours in a water-park…although it was great getting to take Noah on the water-slides finally that he was tall enough, they were actually pretty fun!

Summer TIme!

2011-07-11T11:03:00.001-07:00

I love summer. I only work 12-15 hours a week, we live up at the pool, and get to spend a lot of time together! My boys are at fabulous ages, and are such a joy to be around and do things with them. It's been a big week so far around our house, Noah learned how to read, Jakey can now float in the pool (and almost swim, give me another week), and he can ride a two-wheeler.

We've spent our days swimming, golfing, hanging out with friends, and enjoying the sun. Looking forward to the rest of the summer!

Stuff...

2011-07-08T08:22:00.001-07:00

We always think more stuff will make us happy, let me tell you I am much happier with LESS stuff right now! I hate packing, but having so much less around makes me happy! Our storage & closets are now officially done with what we don't really use, and that feels good! Less really is more…

Eagle Crest

2011-06-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a weekend in Eagle Crest last week. I've never been before and it was definitely a place I would go again. Beautiful views, nice weather, and family time made for a nice weekend. We went with Colby for his race, the Pacific Crest Triathalon. That is a crazy event…1.25 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and a 1/2 marathon. insane. Here are some pictures!

Colby finishing the race…

Me and my boy…

Enjoying the splash pad…

Brother's swimming…

One of the beautiful sunsets…

Riding down the bike path...

Fishing...

2011-06-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Noah really wanted to go fishing. So, Papa took the boys to a little lake by our house to fish. We knew by the time we drove somewhere else they would have lost interest, so we tried our luck there, and of course didn't catch anything. It would have been so fun to see how excited they would have been. We'll get more adventurous this summer and take them out to catch a fish! Thanks for taking the boys fishing, Papa!

Noah's Present...

2011-06-16T17:22:00.001-07:00

This is what we got for Noah this year…like father like son!

We had a blast at his party yesterday…a little loud and crazy, but he was in heaven.

Spiderman Comes to Visit...

2011-06-15T09:16:00.000-07:00

It's no secret Noah loves Spiderman. We decided to buy Andrew a costume and have Spidey come visit Noah on his birthday. He was thrilled, but was a little nervous as you can tell from the pictures. He REALLY thought that it was the real Spidey, where Jakey on the other hand knew it was just Dad. After Spidey came to visit, he came back to take Noah to Divine for some frozen yogurt, what a special time for Noah! And what a great dad to go out in public like that!

On our way home when Noah was telling Andrew about it, he said, "Dad, guess what? You have the same voice as Spiderman! That's so special!" He totally didn't connect that it WAS dad! Jakey told Andrew he wanted him to go put on his Spidey suit again and come play….maybe it's because Noah wants it so badly to be Spiderman he doesn't want to connect it? Whatever it was, Noah was thrilled and it was SUCH a special time for him. Happy Birthday Noah!

Here is the link to the video of him coming;)

Noah is Five!!!

2011-06-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

Happy 5th Birthday Noah! He's such a sweet part of our family, and always a joy to be around! He has a very sensitive personality & is so loving and kind to those around him. He has grown up so much in the last year, growing out of his quiet shell and growing into a more confident boy. Seeing him learning all the things we've been trying to instill in him has been so rewarding, I can only imagine how the next few years will be! I love watching this boy grow up every day, Happy Birthday Noah!

Big Shark...

2011-06-13T08:49:00.001-07:00

Each of my boys have a little stuffed animal that they love. Currently, they have to sleep with every single "buddy" as we call them. Jakey's favorite is big shark. (yes…we are very original with our names. We have big shark, little shark, big bear, buddy, etc…) The other day we were checking on Jakey and found big shark trying to eat his head...

I love this boy...

2011-06-10T08:22:00.001-07:00

I have LOVED spending more time with my boys the past few weeks. I have especially loved seeing Jakey really grow up right before my eyes. He has been SO fun to be around…and I honestly can't always say that! He wears his emotions right on his sleeve, and is so expressive. Here are a few of my favorite faces he made a few weeks ago at the park.

Here's a sad face…probably a sliver...

Here's Jakey without his clothes on…which is one of his favorite things to do…which he is as I type.

Here's the "I'm a stinker face since I know I'm not supposed to take someone else's food on the bench…"

Kissy face...

Here's the "I think I can do everything my brother does" face

This is one of my favorites because most of the time this is the face he runs around with…joy right on his sleeve. With this kid, most of the time like is great and he lets you see it.

Friends at the park!

Noah thinks he's the man because he has gotten really good at the monkey bars...

To Do...

2011-06-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

On my to do list for today?

-6 loads of laundry…give or take done

-towels & sheets

-kitchen

-dishwasher

-load dishwasher

-sink

-floors

-my special pile of junk where I throw over a months worth of papers, etc to go through…

-counters

-vacuum

-dust

-make beds with new sheets

-bathrooms

-toilets

-sinks

-tubs…I'm thinking about saving these for my hubby! I hate tubs!

-floors

-clean off dressers

-pick up floors…all but the playroom which I'm saving for the boys!

-Costco

So far all I've accomplished today is playing every game we own with the boys, breakfast, hair, make-up, real clothes on, and tidying-up the front room. I'll bold things as I get them done…that will be motivating! What's on your to-do list for today?

Yay! I'm basically done and I love the feeling! I love having a small place I can clean in a few hours and have it be clean for a while! I'm not the kind to do one thing every day, I would rather clean it all and then just keep things picked up as we go…wish that happened more, it does seem like we let things get too messy and then we get stressed out! Here's to being done for the day! Now off to cross-fit & Zumba...

Blocks...

2011-06-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite things to play with is blocks. We build lots of different towers & structures and play different games. Most of the time we add in either the knights or animals, but on this day we added in characters. I love seeing the boys learning how to build & be creative. Here are some pictures of a few months ago.

Blog Issues...

2011-05-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

I decided to re-do my blog…but then I totally messed it up…and I haven't changed it yet! But I will soon because I'm going to get back into posting and blogging! Stay tuned...

Happy Mama's Day!

2011-05-08T17:39:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures from our day! So many wonderful moms, so many wonderful memories. Here is a great post from a dear friend, enjoy the pictures!

Easter...

2011-05-04T22:50:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting my software to work! Here are a few more Easter pictures…Our family with the lamby cake...

At the Hollands looking for eggs…
Doing worship & a little message…
On a hay ride at the Hollands with Bode…
Smiles!

Brothers & hunting...

A Dream Come True...

2011-05-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I had a dream about making a quilt…and I've wanted to do it for a long time, so I did! I selected my fabrics and got started! I've never sewn before, much less sewn a quilt, so I used some blogs that I like to follow to get some ideas. I chose one that looked fairly simple and got to work! I had the wisdom of a family friend's grandma, several friends who sew and quilt, and my grandma showed me how to use a machine. It was actually surprisingly easy to do the two pieces, the top & bottom. From there, I had a very generous friend who offered to put them together for me, which is the hardest part! She also put the binding (is that right?) on the edge for me. I made some napkins as well since I wanted this quilt to be able to use for picnics & playing at the park this summer. I'm really proud to have this done, though I'm pretty sure this will be my only quilt I will do after seeing the final cost, I can go to Pottery Barn for less!

The back...

The front…

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Easter this year with a fun hunt yesterday, church last night and a fun celebration with our lifegroup friends. Today we went over to my parents house and celebrated with our family! Here are some pictures from our day!

The boys helped me read the Easter story...

Our family with the lamby cake...tradition!

Finding and opening Easter baskets!

Something to blog about...

2011-04-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

I need something to blog about! Not too much new and exciting going on around here…but I will try and take some pictures this next week and get some pictures up of our family and what's going on around here!

Nap Time...

2011-04-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

The other day we both got home from work and were playing with the boys...who were a little (ok, a lot) cranky. Andrew snuggled Jakey on the couch while I was getting ready to go do Zumba! I came back out after just a minute or two to these three boys all passed out. Noah on the floor wearing his towel which he thinks makes him a super-hero...

{Camp Outs}

2011-04-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

Just cleaned up the tent and sleeping bags from the boys camp out this weekend. Jakey wanted to sleep in it for his birthday (though he never actually slept in it because he wanted to go back in his bed…), and we left it up for the weekend since Noah had a slumber party last night with his friend. My boys are such good little buddies, love them!

{this moment}

2011-04-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

Jakey playing with his new bowling set from a friend;)

Spiderman...

2011-03-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

Noah has started to take an interest in super-heros. We really haven't encouraged any of that since it's pretty violent, but we're not against it, we just figured he had plenty of time to get around to it. Well he has now. So he wanted to watch the spiderman 3 blue-ray we've had forever and never watched. So, we watched about a 1/2 hour of it last night. They don't look super happy here because it was an intense part and they just happened to look over as I was taking it;) But they enjoyed themselves very much, though it was scary for them!

{this moment}

2011-03-25T08:09:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we had some of our friends over for the parents to relax after a long day and the kids to wear themselves out! They all came out giggling historically, and when we saw Jakey we started laughing too. He was wearing Riley's strong glasses! Andrew straigtened them on his head then we took that pictures. Our kids always keep us laughing, but especially Jakey lately. He's so funny!

Genius!

2011-03-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

I finished putting together my scrapbooks (for the most part) that have been sitting on my dresser for months. Literally months. They just needed to be put in time order and put back together. The boys lives are all complete and caught up, and mine is missing a few key events still (like Jakey's birth…) but document most of our journey from college to the present. And I figure I have the boys books which have everything in them that I can look at for the next 18 years while they are living with us…

So, the first and last page of the scrapbooks are single pages. I just don't really scrapbook that way! I do mostly/only two page spreads. So, one thing I do is blow up one of my favorite pictures in a 12x12, but that still leaves me with one empty page! So, since I have about an album a year for the boys, I thought I would have them draw a picture every year that I can slide in the last page of the book, and have it so we can see it when we look at their book for that year! Genius! Here is Noah hard at work on his page…he was VERY excited to use my special scrapbooking paper;)

All snuggled up for our morning project...

The finished project! Do you see my long, green hair? I think we need to flip that around… :)

A little journaling included from Mom & Dad...

Oh my...

2011-03-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've blogged! I'll play a little catch up, but mostly try and be better about taking pictures and documenting life! I am loving the ages of my boys and spending so much time with them.

We've been trying to teach Jakey how to help out a little more as Noah is doing a great job helping out and Jakey is still struggling. So Jakey's been learning to help out more and is taking on more responsibility. Here he is hard at work!

And here he resting after doing that hard work. I love my new ruffle pillows in the background!

Here is Noah…he kind of thinks he's the bomb. I see him here and I picture him as a teenager…oh my little boys!

A Good Morning...

2011-03-10T16:17:00.001-08:00

My Jakey is very busy. In fact, he's so busy, that I often dread/avoid taking him more then one place in a day. One store, one errand, you get the picture. I had a doctor's appointment this morning he had to go and sit quietly through while I had an ultrasound. (for a breast lump...nothing serious, everything looked good, and definitely NOT a pregnancy;) He did so well so I decided that in the 1.5 hours left before we had to get Noah we would just stay down by his school and the hospital and run errands. So we went to Target, and not to look at toys. Jakey was very pleasant the whole time and looking at things and talking with me. I may have gotten him a slurp that helped…

Since he did so well and we still had more time to kill, we went to Nordstrom Rack where he again did great while I looked around. That is a store I avoid like the plague with kids. I think I've taken my kids with me one other time. I need to focus while I'm there! :)

We still had a little more time, so where did we go? Costco! I had a return to make. And again Jakey was a perfect little angel. This is not his "normal," so this was a big deal. From 8:30-noon Jakey was running errands with me with no problems, perfect obedience, and told me he had a good morning out of the blue. Something got into that boy and I like it. Maybe it's because he's almost 3. Yes, my baby is almost 3.

An old lady...

2011-03-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

It's official…I'm not an old lady. I'm 25 today. I'm a little sad that I'm 25! That's 1/4 of a century! But I'm also excited for all this year will bring with it. But it's been a great year! When I look at all I've done in my life by age 25, I have a lot to be proud of! So this post will be bragging about some of the things I've accomplished in 25 years. ;)

-I found the love of my life

-graduated Salutatorian from high school (in that order;)

-married the love of my life

-graduated from George Fox with my Elementary Education Degree

-managed to do that while giving birth and raising two beautiful boys

-balanced working with raising a family

-have a successful career and positive reputation in the community

-subbing, being NCVBC's club director, running Clackamas Jr. Volleyball for 4 years, taking over Cavalier Volleyball Camp at age 20, and coaching at the club level for 5 years and the high school freshman for 3 years…and being undefeated:) I manage just over 700 players between them all and over 120 coaches. wow.

-influencing and changing lives with all the youth I've worked with over the last few years

-teaching my boys what's really important in this life

-financially stable

-having such a great support group of friends from church

SO many other things that I have to be thankful for, but it's been amazing to see how the Lord has really provided for us in every season and stage of our lives. We've been through so much in our life already, but have seen how God has provided for us with so many different opportunities because of things he's worked out. I am so thankful for this life that I have, and really excited for the next 25! Here's to growing old with the ones I love.

Too Much?

2011-03-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

We just woke up for the day, another fabulous morning of sleeping in. I think my boys are better, yesterday I didn't give them any medicine, and they are just coughing today, but all the other symptoms, including fevers, are gone now for 36 hours…yay! So today on the menu we have: the gym, a playdate at the barn with new baby animals that were born and lots of room to play and run, Costco, and a volleyball team dinner tonight. After hibernating for so long in our house doing nothing, I'm wondering if it's going to be too much for our first day of outings? But I'm tired of saying no and canceling things…should I just go for it? I'll let you know how it goes!

Bonding…

2011-03-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

I found these pictures on our camera…Andrew took them out for some father-son bonding and did two of his favorite things: golf and pizza! Here are some pictures of their day together:

Wow…they look so old to me here...

The boys are so lucky to have a dad that spends so much time with them!

New Hampshire

2011-03-01T10:37:00.000-08:00

Pops with the boys…

We had a fabulous week in New Hampshire enjoying all of Andrew's family. Two of his three brothers were there, Auntie Karen, Jillian, Titi Nellie, and Mom Mom all came down to see us! Since we missed Christmas this year it was great to get to spend time with everyone still. The boys were in heaven with lots of attention! Here are some pictures from our week there.

Jakey and Mom Mom

Building the snowman...

Fresh snow...

I love Jakey's face...

Me and Noah working on the head...

Jakey working on the snowman with Grammy...

They live in such a beautiful area...

We got to celebrate Luke's birthday with him!

Cindy & Luke...

Two goof balls...

Noah loved playing in all the old snow that they had still on the ground…that boy could have fun doing anything!

Not so sure about going in the deep snow...

Me and Titi…what a surprise to have her come visit from NYC!

Jillian and Jakey!

Sisters & Brothers...

I'm Back!

2011-02-28T07:52:00.000-08:00

We are back in town after a week visiting family in New Hampshire! It was so nice to see family and we all had a great, relaxing time. But now it's back to life and reality! I've been a slacker of a blogger this year so far…but I'm going to do better! I'll get back to posting more often…and I'll get better about taking more pictures! Look for things to come!

{this moment}

2011-02-25T09:23:00.001-08:00

{this moment}

2011-02-11T06:27:00.001-08:00

The River...

2011-02-10T15:50:00.001-08:00

After preschool today, we went down to the river by our house. To my boys, there is nothing better then throwing rocks! It felt good to get out into the cool, crisp air and enjoy being together!

Sword fighting...

Testing boundaries...

Running in the woods…

Writing letters in the sand...

Making funny faces...

Got our shoes muddy...

I have this same pictures from this other trip several years ago;)

Went fishing...

Found and threw the perfect rocks...

I love the time I get to spend with my boys!

So Proud...

2011-02-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

I'm so proud of my boys. They've adjusted so well to being gluten free at our house. I say at our house because I don't say anything when they go over to friends or family's house, because they don't need to worry about that now…they can still be kids;) Today after work I got home and sat down to lunch with them. Noah had asked for some sausage and broccoli. We're having sausage for dinner so I made them some meatballs with a sausage cream sauce that's left over in our fridge. They had that, strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers, and blue organic corn chips and lots of guacamole. And ate every bite. They were both so proud that they ate all their protein and showed me their muscles. Noah asked if he looked like he was getting bigger, and Jakey just kept showing me his empty mouth because he had eaten every single bite. I'm so proud that they have good eating habits growing in them now (not that they both wouldn't eat junk if we had it at our house…especially Jakey because he is a born snacker). But they are filling up on lots of yummy, fattening foods that will keep them full and growing! I'm so proud of the boys they are growing up to be. Not that they are perfect-- far from it actually! But they have sweet hearts that are learning how to treat others, and that are soaking up so much from who Andrew and I are. The good and the bad;) I love being their mom!

Fresh this Morning...

2011-02-09T09:21:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those mornings that was amazing. I woke up and had a yummy breakfast, and got ready just like normal. I woke the boys up who both woke up happy, snuggly, and excited to go play at their friends house, which happens most days, but some days getting out the door can be a challenge. On the way over to our friends one of my favorite songs was playing, so we blasted it on the radio, the boys were singing along, and happy to go inside. The weather was beautiful with the driving up over the fog, the frost on the ground and rooftops...it looked like the winter wonderland we didn't get this year. I couldn't help but be thankful for how blessed we are and how good this life is. We are blessed!

Refreshed!

2011-02-06T18:55:00.001-08:00

We had a fun weekend at Seaside with our lifegroup…well, 6 of the 9 couples. 4 new babies held several back…and with 3 more on the way our group is growing!

A weekend full of love…
full of bonding...
full of laughter…
full of friendships…
full of smiles…

and full of entertainment…
full of smiles...

full of memories...

Shut up...and pray...

2011-02-02T12:16:00.000-08:00

We went to a marraige conference last week where the speaker's wife was talking with the women for a session. She said something that struck a cord with me...not just in my marriage, but in life! "Shut up, and pray!" I always try and fix things. People. Myself. Problems in the world. I need to just shut up, and pray! I can not solve things on my own. I can not change people or the world on my own. It all has to come from Him! So for now...I'm working on being quiet and praying.

We are starting the book, "Power of a Praying Wife." It's an old, popular book with lots of different versions out, but our small group is going to go through it as girls and I think it's going to be really helpful as I'm trying to learn the valuable lesson of shutting up and praying;)

From This...

2011-02-01T06:50:00.000-08:00

To…a quilt! Hopefully;) I started last night…I have lots of wisdom from a wise generation…let's see if I can make it happen! When I started last night (making sure everything was straight and perfect…I realized some of the prints are slightly off…making it not exactly straight! Does that matter? Do I need to go back and cut 4 sides of the fabric to make it exactly straight…do I care enough to do that!?! I'm not sure…but I'll show my mentors today and see what they think;)

I had a dream...

2011-01-29T08:10:00.000-08:00

I just dreamt all night about quilts…I have no idea why! For the past few years, I've wanted to make a quilt. I'm kind of like that…I want to start something and have big ambitions and get my mind set on something…and then don't see it through. And realizing this, I have put it off. But I keep being inspired every time I see this blog, and look through all her quilting and scrapbooking projects…not to mention her photos! The link I put in is just pictures of her quilts, but her whole blog is pretty inspiring in the crafty area! Maybe someday I will do a quilt…I would love to have cute, adorable, bright, fun one for the summer picnics or days at the park...

Priceless...

2011-01-26T20:05:00.000-08:00

I haven't really had much to post…things are busy around here…I'm looking forward to some time to unwind… I haven't been taking any pictures, so I'm not motivated to post much…

I just finished reading the novel, Priceless by Tom Davis. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. I'm not quite ready to talk about it…it's really heavy stuff and I'm still processing…but here's a link to the website. I know you would enjoy it, but also be inspired by it.

I've been a little grumpy lately…and I think part of it has to do with how this has been weighing on my mind...

Miley???

2011-01-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

Jakey insists that that is me…it's a little blurry but it's Miley Cirus. No amount of talking to him will convince him it's not me. For now I guess I'll just take it as a compliment that he thinks I'm skinny, young, and have some fashion sense...

Restful Weekend...

2011-01-18T14:41:00.001-08:00

We had a very relaxing weekend at the coast this past weekend. It was so nice to get away from my computer, no e-mails to respond to, no house to clean, just being lazy with friends and our family! We stayed in a beautiful home that worked out great for two families. There was lots of space for the kids to run around indoors (since it rained…or rather poured all weekend long). We put all the kids in one room, but each of the closets was as big as another room, so we stuck a few in closets too;) One of them even have a king sized mattress in it that the boys used as their wrestling room! It was really nice to have such a big space with not a lot of "stuff" so the kids could go in any room and play and we didn't have to worry about them ruining anything. There was lots of room for hide-and-seek for all the kids in just our master bed/bath/closet…it kept them entertained for ever! I didn't really get any fabulous pictures…except of course for the beautiful shots of my friend, Sarah!

This is most of the house, I didn't want to scoot back any more since it was pouring out!

Kai Kai…just like Jakey when he was younger….love that boy!

Love my Jakey boy too:)

I had to put in this picture of Noah…he looks like he had a rough night!

Beautiful Sarah and Kadin

Sarah and Kai

Scott and Sarah

I love these boys!

Happy Birthday, Nicole!

2011-01-11T09:56:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday to my sister Nicole who is such a kind, giving, generous sister. She is such a good Auntie and always gives of her time to come and spend time with the boys...so we can have a break! No one builds train tracks like her, plays with the boys like her, or spends time with them like her. She always comes over to cook with me, and I'm thankful for all the time we've gotten to spend together! She's over-come a lot this past year, including open heart surgery, and I'm so glad that she is back to normal! I couldn't imagine life without her. Happy Birthday, Nicole!

{this moment}

2011-01-07T15:59:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday to this cool Papa!

I FEEL Good...

2011-01-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

I knew that I would....ok...I'll stop. I have never felt so cleaned and organized and on top of things! I spent some of my Christmas Money and had a house cleaner come today and help me with all the things that I have wanted to do for a while...but been putting off. My house is fairly presentable most of the time...but behind closed doors it's not always so pretty...

So she came and helped me clean out my whole fridge, scrubbed my bathrooms, organized drawers and cupboards, clean sheets and towels, all the laundry is done, the list goes on. I decided to stay and work with her...because I didn't just need my house cleaned...I needed it deep cleaned and organized. Basically, she motivated me to do things it's been way too long doing. I do still have a few more little spaces to do, but over-all it's amazing.

Dinner is simmering away on the stove, I got my workout in for the day, I'm showered and presentable, I'm ready for volleyball tonight, and my house is clean! My friend watched the boys so they've been loved on...I feel on top of things! So...feel free to pop over...look in my closets, under beds, behind couches....you'll be amazed at what you find...or don't find...I just wonder how long it will stay this way...well at least through Tuesday since we'll be leaving tomorrow;)

When you're bored...

2011-01-03T23:20:00.000-08:00

Jakey is a busy boy, as I'm sure most of you know. A daily goal I have is to wear the boys out of some of their energy so we can get to bed at night. Some days are better then others...and when we were on vacation, we sat around way too much with them. One thing we did do was have them run and ride up and down the long halls with eachother. Hannah and I got a little bored, so what better to do then grab out the camera that sat in my bag the whole trip. Wouldn't you rather see pictures of the hallway then the rest of our trip?

We played up and down the hallways with this hoodlum...

The other hoodlem drew this for me...it's me. Can't you tell by the hair?

insert my amazing Nanny who prays for me on her knees every. single. morning. How blessed are we...I don't know very many people who can say that. My grandparents are prayer warriors and such a great example of how to walk with the Lord every. single. day. I look up to them.

Back to messing around in the hall...I look a little bored...

We really had nothing better to do then to take pictures of my slippers...

Or make funny faces...

say cheese!

Here...let me take one of you!

And I'll leave you with these...Hannah dancing up and down the halls...and Jakey laying one on me...

At the Coast...

2011-01-01T17:35:00.001-08:00

The day after Christmas, we journeyed with 18 of us to the coast. We stay at my parents timeshare, which has a fun place right by the turn-around in

We spend our days relaxing and the boys of course love to swim as much as they can in the warm pools and we enjoy the adult hot tub time in the evening;) The weather was cold and windy, but you can still find ways to enjoy yourself. Our last day there was beautiful out, and these pictures are from that day. I'll post other ones from our trip tomorrow. There are several hundred pictures on my camera, but even more on my parents! I didn't get mine out but two times...and I'm definitely still learning how to use it, so bare with me.

Hannah being patient with me while I try some new things;)

I HATE feeding the birds...but the boys always get a kick out of it...so feed the birds we do...

Auntie Hannah feeding the birds with Jakey

Daddy with his two boys...

Exploring together...

"Another shell mom...really, do I have to keep smiling?"

{this moment}

2010-12-31T14:30:00.001-08:00

Conquering the World Together...

Christmas Morning!

2010-12-25T13:42:00.000-08:00

We had our first Christmas together with just our family of four. While it was a special time, we really miss spending time with all our family in Ohio. The boys still were spoiled like crazy...here's a few pictures with my new lense...that I'm still learning how to use, so some of them are out of focus...but we'll get better! I hope you had a great Christmas celebrating the Greatest Gift of all!

Noah said we needed to pray before we opened our presents, so pray we did! Here's his sweet prayer...

This was the big present this year, they opened them from Grammy and Auntie Karen!

Jakey opening his stocking!

Noah was really into it this year...Jakey was still interested in other things...

Christmas Morning 2010!

Santa had a little help from Cole Haan...

Stockings...

{this moment}

2010-12-24T08:31:00.000-08:00

All Together!

The Best of Friends...

2010-12-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

Oh my boys...I love them so much. We've entered into a new chapter with them. They've always gotten along fairly well, but they have really become the best of friends...and at times...the worst of friends, but hey, that's normal! Jakey is able to talk so much more, he's always been pretty verbal, but now he can really express his thoughts and carry on a full conversation. The other night I snuck some pictures of them playing "horsey" up and down the hall. It starts out all fun and games...

Even with a little "nay" in there...

and ends with more laughter...

I really love these boys and the ages and stages we are in! Enjoy your holiday, we have all our family flying in today!

PJ's

2010-12-20T17:23:00.000-08:00

It's been a pj's day around here today! We slept in...well, Daddy went to work out at Nike Golf, but we slept in. I worked all morning and during naps getting things ready for my jr. volleyball league, ordering last minute Christmas gifts, finishing up home-made chicken & veggie soup, playing with my boys, and getting our house ready for out of town company! We're so sad to miss all our family in New Hampshire and Ohio this year, but excited to spend our first Christmas at our house too. My mom's side of the family is all flying in so it will be fun to spend time with them as well.

I guess we should all get out of our pj's and ready for the gym!

Just the Beginning...

2010-12-17T20:51:00.000-08:00

We love and feel so blessed to be a part of such a fun lifegroup. We've been going to church for a few years, but really got plugged in 3 years ago with an AMAZING group of believers. We blindly signed up for a lifegroup of young marrieds...and got connected with other amazing couples in a similar phase of life. We were the only ones with kids at the beginning, but now there are ten! We went camping with our lifegroup this summer and I made some predictions as far as next summer camping...and so far it's all coming true! LOTS of other kids for our boys to grow up with! We are now up to nine couples, and with all the pregnancies and new babies, we end up with about six couples each week. We couldn't ask for a better collection of personalities, and it's been so amazing to see how God has worked in all our lives. What a blessing a community of believers is in our lives.

Last night was our White Trash Christmas Bash...everyone dressed up in their best white trash outfits, brought white trash food, and exchanged white trash elephant gifts. So funny to see what people came up with. It took our ugly sweater Christmas party up a notch from last year;)

Here is the food...complete with KFC, cheeze whiz, texas caviar, pigs in a blanket, and lots of other yummy...yet trashy foods.

This is Joy...who won best costume...isn't it amazing!?! Complete with beer, cigarette, belly shirt, baby, and perfect outfit. Every detail down to the hair and all is there. The best part...they are new to our group, and she still felt comfortable with us to bear it all! ha ha, I LOVE those types of people in our group!

{this moment}

2010-12-17T08:33:00.001-08:00

Noah and his two best friends from preschool at their Christmas party...

Five Year Celebration!

2010-12-12T22:54:00.000-08:00

We had a fun weekend away celebrating our anniversary! We stayed at the Benson downtown...and enjoyed our beautiful city! We don't often get down there anymore with our boys, so it was fun to rediscover different areas. We ate a lot and enjoyed having nothing else to do besides spend time with eachother. We ate at the hotel, El Gaucho, Jake's, and the London Grill. So basically...a LOT!!! But we both really enjoy that, so it was fun;) I only took this one picture...but Andrew got a few on his phone, so I'll post more after I get them from him!

this guy...

2010-12-09T12:02:00.000-08:00

Five years together today with this guy...

who gave me these guys...

Who loves these guys...

And who I can call my guy...

Our Christmas Cards...I think...

2010-12-08T16:47:00.000-08:00

I have NO time on my hands, but I still want to make our Christmas cards to send out. I like to make something handmade, and something that people can put right up on their fridge or whatever. So, I just slapped a picture on some cute Basic Grey paper...my favorite paper company.

Any suggestions? Atleast it will be a little easier then these cards that took me FOREVER IN years past!!!

Polar Express...

2010-12-04T22:33:00.000-08:00

My boys LOVE the Polar Express. We read that book atleast once a day...even when it's not winter time;) They both have it memorized, and they love the movie. We had a great trip last year, but decided we wouldn't do it again this year because of cost. Well our friend, Matt, very generously got us free tickets in the nicest car! We never would have spent the money on the nicer train, however, I would almost say it was worth it. Or maybe it's because my boys are older, but it was great. They didn't move from their seats (a miracle), and were calm and into it the whole time. I can honestly say it was a relaxing experience...is that crazy for those of you who know my boys? The train ride also seemed to be better then last year. Each song only played once, it was at much better volume and quality, and the service was better. There were more characters from the book too. And no Christmas carols. Not sure what was from the nicer seats and what was updated from year to year.

Reading the story...

Me with my boys...not the best picture of me;)

Noah cupping his hands just like in the story to yell, "Merry Christmas!"

Noah singing Josh Groban...gives you a little picture of how calm it was!

Jakey listening to his bell...

Santa giving the first gift of Christmas...it does look like he's had a few too many hot chocolates...

With the hobo...they weren't to interested;)

Noah ringing the bell and saying, "I believe!"

What a blessing those tickets were...so thankful to have such a fun experience with my boys again!

{this moment}

2010-12-03T06:52:00.000-08:00

Potty Training at it's finest...

Random...

2010-11-30T06:46:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures to keep up my poor little blog as I'm crazy busy this week...but I have to give you something to look at to keep you coming back;)

My parents just moved into their new house last week...this is from right after they got their furniture in...it's much more decorated now. It's so fun to be there and to know all the time they put into every detail. Lots of big open space like this to have lots of people together hanging out!

Jakey watching the duck game on their new projector. Just a little screen;)

Andrew and the boys sent me this picture when I was our of town one weekend...don't they look like they really miss me?

And just to see if you read this far...that's really not the tv at my parents house;) It's our friends, but just thought I'd see if you read the whole thing! Love you mom;)

Water Slide...

2010-11-28T14:09:00.000-08:00

I'm going back through some of our old pictures from Andrew's iphone, so I'll have to share some of those caught in the moment memories;) That is my favorite thing about having that phone, you can get those little moments captured!

Trimming the Tree...

2010-11-27T19:29:00.001-08:00

It was fun decorating the tree this year with the boys. Noah helped me with all the lights and Jakey was a pro at putting on the ornaments. It's fun when we get out the same stuff every year when Noah is remembering things and asking about things. Special ornaments, decorations, and memories. It's what it's all about!

Above is Jakey's handy-work...he liked the small balls. Below is Noah's work...all the big ones;) And you know what? I pretty much left what they did because they were so proud. My perfectionistic side that sometimes comes out took a deep breath...

Cutting Down the Tree...

2010-11-27T19:12:00.000-08:00

We went out to Redland today to cut down our tree as a family. It's always an adventure trying to get four people out the door and happy...especially when it's a full day. We did the gym in the morning, then out to lunch, then cutting down the tree. That means we have to have gym clothes, lunch clothes, and tree clothes. And shoes. But we did it, and although everyone wasn't smiling, once we got there, everyone was happy;) Tell me I'm not the only one who has mornings like this.

We found this farm from a flier up in New Seasons, and I'm so glad we went out there this year. It was the nicest couple who live on their tree farm out in the country. It's actually right by where we get our raw milk, so not too far! They had lots of beautiful trees to choose from, and any tree was $20, which is a fair price and much better then $5 a foot! They sold homemade jams and such, which were really tastey, and the farmer gave the boys rides on his 4 wheeler...they loved that!

Noah thinking he's a big man with the saw...

Watching Daddy...and helping!

Playing with Andrew's iphone 4 since our camera died after the first picture! Grrr....although I will say that it does take pretty good pictures in a pinch;)

We found our tree! Not too fat, not too tall...last year we had to cut off the top of the tree to get it in our house with the star on, and it took up so much space in our little place. So, short and skinny we went, and it's perfect. It's funny how trees always look so much smaller out in the field then they do when you bring them home!

Noah was really interested in helping again this year...Jakey was much more interested in the mud...I love that picture of him...especially for it being on the phone!

Me and my boys!

{this moment}

2010-11-26T23:16:00.001-08:00

Laughter filling the new house...love it!

Thanksgiving...Souter Style...

2010-11-26T09:28:00.000-08:00

We had a fun Thanksgiving yesterday, being thankful for all the blessings in our lives! My parents just moved this past weekend into their new house! It was so fun to be there with all our friends and family and have it finished and to see their "dreams" come to be! It's such a cozy, warm, gathering house, that was filled with laughter last night. I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves...

Love Mindy's hair piece...that's a project on my list!

Lots of friends, lots of laughing!

True love..

Ok, these pictures are in the wrong order, I'll number them.

#3 and this...

#2 and it turned into this...

#1 It started with this...Andrew telling a story...

Love this table! We can all get around the table...I think it even goes one bigger then this?

Our family...we waited a little too late, I wish you could see the view from their outdoor living area, they are right up on the forest, it was so nice sitting out there by the fire listening for the owl.

My mom and sister, Nicole who got the turkey for us from work again!

My mom and me.

Having a drink with my handsome husband...

Hannah and Rachel

Nana and Papa with the boys...

Our traditional post-Thanksgiving meal game...Settlers...don't ask who won.

and Jakey eating some pumpkin pie!

Great Wolf Lodge

2010-11-22T14:58:00.000-08:00

We went up to Great Wolf Lodge this last weekend, it was so fun. I brought my camera but didn't take a single picture because I didn't want to leave it around the waterpark all day. If I would have, you would have seen lots of excitement, wonder, and joy on the faces of my little guys! They loved every second of it, which made it worth every penny! We spent over 10 hours in the water between the two days, but they would have spent more if we weren't ready to go;) It was a memory I'll carry with me for a while, it's getting easier and easier to do things with our boys the older they get. It makes me look forward to the future!

Crazy Week!!!

2010-11-18T22:14:00.000-08:00

What a crazy week it's been! I worked full time this week, with atleast 4 hours of volleyball in the evenings...that's way too long to be away from my babies! Good news is that I have ten days off of work, and that's going to feel good! Tomorrow is all about loving on my boys. We are going to the barn in the morning, and then leaving for Great Wolf Lodge for the night. Our only goal tomorrow is to fill their love tanks! Enjoy your weekend with your loved ones!

MIA

2010-11-16T22:05:00.000-08:00

So I know I have been a little MIA lately...life has been SO busy! I feel like after Sunday things will calm down (sort of), which will be nice. I haven't been home but for ten minutes the last two days before nine pm. That's 14 hour days people! I miss my kids! But for now...just thought I'd send you over here to go and vote for my scrapbook layout (even though I really think my competition's is better;), but I don't want to have to make her a dessert...which is on the line for the loser;)

{this moment}

2010-11-12T07:40:00.001-08:00

I don't have any new pictures from this week, but I was going through our pictures from the last year to print to take on my scrapbooking weekend, and I don't think I ever posted this picture! Two brothers, enjoying life!

Bikes in the Fall...

2010-11-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

Our boys really enjoy riding bikes and being outside. And I enjoy it too, especially during the fall. It's definitly starting to get cooler now, but there is something about the beauty of this season that I love. I really do love every season, and I'm always ready for the next one, but fall just might be one of my favorites! Especially when we don't have rain!

We've found lots of caterpillers during our different rides...and lots of other little creatures on our adventures...

Is there anything more exciting to a boy then throwing rocks in a drain?

Noah is awesome at riding his bike, he'll ride forever!

Maui...

2010-11-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

Oh how I miss being in Maui. We had a rough few days back. They actually were great for the night we got home and the first few hours of the next day. Then "it" started. Payback. I've heard lots of great stories recently...how when parents go away without their kids they get payback. Not our sweet boys...but oh yes. Our sweet boys, too. I finally feel like I'm done now re-potty-training, re-training behaviors, and back in to our normal routine. Wow...was it worth it, YES! But now I remember why we need that time alone more then ever...

We didn't take many pictures, and I really don't want to have to fix the order of these, but here are a few of our pictures!

Our view on our last night...

Sunset

Last night...

More sunset pictures...

Happy 25th Birthday Andrew!

Jeff and Christine, our small group friends who went with us for 1/2 the time!

At the Grande Wailea...

Shopping!

{this moment}

2010-11-04T14:09:00.001-07:00

So thankful to come home to two beautiful boys and such a beautiful place right out our front door!

5 years or Happy Birthday?

2010-10-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

We're getting ready for our trip tomorrow to Maui...it still doesn't seem real! We haven't packed or anything...but we're going to have a great time. We're trying to decide if this is our 5 year anniversary present, or Andrew's birthday present, or just a special trip that we've worked hard saving up for...but either way, we are excited for this chance to re-connect with eachother with no other distractions! Here's some of last year pictures;) Aloha!

Nerds:)

A finished project!

2010-10-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

Here is our new little photo wall complete! It feels great to have a project done that we've been planning for so long, and over-all I'm very pleased with the way it turned out!

Not quite as planned...

2010-10-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

We tried to go out to Sauvie's Island to do the big corn maze...we checked the weather, packed our rain gear and boots, and hoped for the best. As we were driving he had hope that the weather would hold off for us. A little blue sky, and light clouds. Then we pulled in. And it started pouring. So, we bundled up with good attitudes and headed out. It was wet, really muddy, and windy. We saw the animals, went to the farm store, and decided to skip the corn maze and quickly grab a pumpkin on our way out. Oh, and an elephant ear;) So, it wasn't quite the afternoon we had planned, but it was still fun, and full of different memories. I had visions of cute pictures in the corn maze, but we didn't even risk getting our camera out in the pouring rain! Noah was VERY in to carving the pumpkin and had a great time doing it with Dad!

Coolest. Place. Ever.

2010-10-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Once a month, there is a playgroup that meets up at the barn. It's the coolest. place. ever. There's anything you could want for your kids to do, especially on rainy days! Full basketball/volleyball court, indoor track, full play structure for kids, rock climbing with foam pit, and a nice outdoor area. We always have fun there and my kids ask all the time to go back!

Noah falling in the foam pit...

Play area

Isn't that beautiful?

Abby on the swing!

Bode and Jakey in the balls...

Bode wanted me to take his picture after he was a good ways up the wall;)

Jakey trying to figure it out;)

Posing;)

Figuring it out....

Jump!

Getting everyone organized for the big jump!

Jakey and Reece jumping in!