Coming Soon...

New Years Day is my due date. Can't wait!

Christmas 2010

It was a great Christmas this year. The kids were sooooooooooo excited to open presents.

Kaylee showed us an ornament that she decorated at preschool:

They were very excited about thier new train pajamas and have practically lived in them since!

Christmas eve we spent alone as a family. Jeff got done with work early and we got everything ready for when the kids would wake up from their naps. We spent the evening eating, talking to family on phone and on skype, and of course, opening presents and playing with new toys.

Christmas day we went to church and Uncle Brian came over for the rest of the day. The kids just go wild over that guy!

I just LOVE this picture of my little man:

This is adorable as well:

Now that Christmas is over, we look forward to New Years and the arrival of baby #3.

Halloween 2010

NEMO
and a Unicorn!

We were fortunate to have Jeff parents visiting with us over Halloween. I don't think I could've been brave enough to take the kids out trick or treating without some help! This year we went to Sunset Square and visited all the shops. It was a little chaotic, but a lot of fun. Hudson seemed terribly confused by it all. I suppose he wondered why he never got free candy in these stores before, but since he dressed up as a fish suddenly people were practically throwing it at him. :)

Girls Day Out

Kaylee had her first salon experience in October. I wasn't sure how it would go, being that she screams anytime Jeff or I try to detangle her hair... a price you pay for such beautiful curls. But she seemed to have faith in my stylist. She is a professional, after all!

Combed out and getting some layers to help avoid future tangles (worked for a week)

Now for some relaxing time under the blower, catching up on her gossip.

and finding things to buy...

Next Kaylee and Mom went to the archery shop to get a little practice in. First you gotta say hi to "mustache". Rub his tummy for good luck.

This was the first time I presented Kaylee with her "new" genesis bow. She was excited and had fun during her first lesson. I think it's going to be a while til she's really ready for it. Her attention span wasn't so great. But I'm just glad she enjoyed it.
Future archer:

Seaside Long Ago

Last OCTOBER, yes, I said October, we took a family trip down to Seaside, OR once again. I'm a little behind on my updates, sorry!

We had great weather and a splendid time. I had fun wading in the water with the kids. We liked to walk way out to meet the waves. When one came in, we'd turn and outrun it. Of course it didn't take long for the kids to get sopping wet and sandy, but that's beach life, isn't it?
Jeff enjoyed building sand castles with the kids. Once again I forgot buckets and shovels, but we made do with jello cups and driftwood shovels.

There's never anything quite as fun as a big hole to jump and play in. Hudson is stylin in his shades...

Looking real cool until he accidentally falls into the hole! :)

Here is the first of Jeff's creations. Hudson had a good time smashing the towers as soon as they were built.

Incidentally he also found a love for the taste and texture of sand. We let him take a taste, thinking he'd freak out and not try it again. Much to our dismay, we had to start restraining him from digging into it again and again. The beach was one big buffet for Hudson. That was one messy, gritty diaper after that day! EWE!

Of course we had to make our trip down to the cheese factor at Tillamook, followed up with a bit of Tillamook icecream!

Can't wait to go again...

This morning the kids were enjoying their breakfast when Hudson exclaims "Go Gurt!" Kaylee corrects him and says "No, it's YOgurt", then with perfect comedic timing, she pauses and adds "I'm always right".

I about squirted juice out of my nose. Of course Kaylee had no idea what was so funny.

Pumpkins

Back to Stoney Ridge Farm! We got out twice this year. Once on a day I was feeling particularly crazy (to be explained later), and again on the day Kaylee's preschool went out there.
So far so good. We played in the playground, looked at some animals, and took a tractor ride out to the pumpkin patch.

Do I really have to choose only one pumpkin??

So we got our little pumpkins and then went to find some apples. Hudson thought they looked like fun balls to throw. Oh dear...

Kaylee was very sweet to find a baby apple for her baby sister...

Here's the crazy part. Eight month pregnant Mom decides she can not only carry the baby pumpkins and the apples, but also thinks some big pumpkins would be good too.

Kaylee found this love 50 pounder!!!!

Thankfully they have wheelbarrows or I never would've made it!

Whistler 2010

We thought we should squeeze in another trip to Canada before baby #3 arrives and we can't stay in those 4 person condos anymore. Whistler is always lovely in the fall. Beautiful colors and not too many people.

It was a little on the rainy side but we managed to explore the village thoroughly and say hello to our old friends... like the cow:

Kaylee showing us where to milk the cow:

And the moose:

They have rebuilt the playground that was torn down for the Olympics, and making it better than ever. We spent a lot of time at the playground this time.
Unfortunately every pool, both at our condo and in Whistler (and along hwy 99 for that matter) was closed for maintenance. Instead we went to some nearby waterfalls we hadn't seen and did a little bit of hiking. It was another great time in Whistler!

Busy Bean Box

Why is it that finding something that keeps your kids completely entertained all day so that you don't need to makes you feel like you're an awesome mom?

I don't know, but that's how I feel today. Kaylee's favorite thing at preschool is the bean table and today after dropping her off, I decided to make something similar at home. My kids have been playing with these beans ALL day! I know that soon it will lose it's newness and I will get tired of cleaning up all those spilled beans, but for now, I just feel good that they're so happy and entertained.


We found lots of things to do with it already. Scooping and pouring. Measuring (I was showing Kaylee how many 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 cups fit into a whole cup). Burying and finding toys. Making ramps for toys to roll into the beans. Etc...

BTW - today I asked Kaylee why the leaves were falling from the trees. She says "because it's a holiday".

Potty Project and Other Things

Well Hudson started to use the potty chair on Jeff's birthday. He did really well for a few days but we have a ways to go! This is the poor little guy just waking up from a nap, using his potty chair while Kaylee is pestering him.

Hudson is always saying, "Can I help you?" (which actually means, can you help ME?) I don't know why, but everytime he says it I think he really wants to help me and then I find out he really wants MY help!

Another recent saying is "Did you see that?!" Its pretty cute.

Well Hudson was impressing Kaylee's preschool teacher the other day. Hud and I went to her class' Teddy Bear Picnic last Friday. Hudson noticed the carpet squares on the floor and started saying the numbers on them... he found 8 and 9. The teacher overheard him and asked how old he was. I told her he just turned 2 and she seemed impressed. I asked if that was good for his age and she said that many of the kids in the preschool wouldn't know those numbers by sight. When I told Jeff this story he says "Well that doesn't say much about their program there, does it". I laughed pretty hard, but it's a good thing he wasn't there at the time! :)

Hudson also impressed me the other day when we were writing on the chalkboard. I helped him draw a t and he starts making the t sound! But then when I tried other letters he kept making the same sound. Oh well.

I am impressed with how he continues to see pictures in other objects. He spilled some milk the other day and ran a finger through it. Then he points and says "airplane". Today when we were working in the garden he was finding other shapes in the dirt that spilled on the wood border. I can't remember right now what it was, but it's always neat for me to get a glimpse of the world through his eyes.

I forgot... he's also been into counting objects. The other day he looked up at the kitchen ceiling and said, "5...6". I looked up and saw he was counting the 6 can lights up there. He's been doing the same thing with his toy cars. He is just a sponge these days!

Where is God?

Tonight before bed, we watched a Veggie Tales video called "Where's God When I'm Scared". After the show I turned off the tv and shuffled the kids towards the bathroom to get ready for bed. Kaylee began complaining that it was dark. I asked her what we just learned on the video...that God is always with us and He's bigger than anything we might be afraid of.

"But I can't see God", she complained.

"Yep, God is invisible, and He's always with us to keep us safe" I replied.

"Where is He? Maybe He's in the walls" (knock, knock)

"Hmm...could be. I never thought of that."

:)

Bunk Beds

We are entering into a new phase of our lives. The kids will share a room as we make ready for baby #3.

Wish us luck, and please, pray for us!!

p.s. check out the amazing quilt my neices and Mom made for Hudson's bed!! They made it out of everyone's old jeans and denim shirts. Very special!