Lemme See You Smile

The Last 6 Weeks of Winter (Pearl of course)

2010-03-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

Go ahead, watch her grow before your eyes!

Winter loves to have pictures taken after church in her Sunday best, can't you tell?

Out for the count

Cuddling with big Brother

No really she loves having her picture taken after church

Sleepy kids and sleepy mom

And finally, a happy Sunday afternoon picture

Sisters

I think I have a picture of all my kids with their blankets all around their head/face. They have all loved to be smothered in their blankies

Spook eyes, as Aunt Sar calls them

One of my favorite Sunday outfits yet! Now only if her tiny feet would grow so she can start sporting all of her cute shoes.

What We Loved About 2009

2010-02-14T20:52:00.000-08:00

So for those of you who did not receive Christmas greetings from us (oh, wait, that's all of you:) here is our year end update in Valentine's Day form!

When asked what they loved about 2009...

Halle said:
*getting our baby out so that we are not just sitting around looking at baby names
*going to Hawaii
*starting second grade
*starting piano lessons and performing in two recitals
*going to Build-A-Bear
*craft time at our family reunion
*winning the family reunion talent trophy for "mind reading"
*reading Boxcar Children, Babysitters Club and the Friend Magazine
*learning how to play chess
*being an art helper at school

Haven said:
*Hawaii, namely cracking a coconut and visiting Pearl Harbor, but not getting a prickly in her bottom or saltwater in her nose
*going to Ensign Ranch two times in December
*starting kindergarten
*playing with stuffed animals and barbies
*learning to ride a two-wheeler without training wheels
*losing two teeth
*having a baby sister
*getting Nancy (a huge stuffed dog)
*going to the drive-in theater in the summertime

Asher said:
*Halle and Haven
*toys
*camping
*going to the beach in Hawaii
*riding on the airplane and seeing the beach from the sky
*feeding the animals at Grandma and Grandpa Lemme's "property"
*riding on Grandpa Soptich's tractor
*going to Aunt Sarah and Parker and Kaden's house
*his teachers at church
*going to Home Depot (he said he loved this one A LOT)

Mike said:
*having a sweet new baby girl
*jumping on our new trampoline with the kids
*going to Hawaii for a dental conference (next time he wants it to be a "real" vacation)
*going to LVI, another dental conference, this time in Las Vegas
*sleeping in a trailer (instead of our tent) at our family reunion
*getting a new car, that's right he's no longer driving my college car
*going on a road trip with the youth of our ward to Salt Lake, his mission stomping grounds, for General Conference
*being at home the week after Christmas without any plans
*watching Halle consume books like he does
*volunteering in Haven's kindergarten class
*wrestling with Asher

I said:
*welcoming baby Winter Pearl
*playing softball, I was 4 1/2 months pregnant at the end of the season
*experiencing General Conference with the youth of our ward
*beach hopping in Hawaii with my kids and my "personal assistant," Jenna
*working out at CrossFit
*living up life with three "big" kids before having a new baby
*reuniting with old Issaquah friends on the 4th of July
*finally joining the ranks of homeowners
*mastering an amazing bread recipe
*seeing White Christmas, live in Seattle, with Mike the girls and our parents
*being surrounded by so much family

Baby Girl is Growing and the Catch-up Post (just keep scrolling!)

2010-01-16T15:42:00.000-08:00

Above are the amazing pictures that my sister took of Miss Winter Pearl when she was 8 days old. I love them and am so grateful that she was able to take them. (Go ahead and checkout her other photography masterpieces here.) I have some serious anxiety this time around about how fast my baby is growing. I'm really trying to just soak it all up and hold her even if other things feel more pressing. The following are just a few of the pictures we've taken of our little weed over the past few weeks.

We ventured to church for the first time last week. Winter looked pretty darn cute in her new dress and accessories!

This is where she sleeps for 6-8 hours at a time every night. Mike thinks this swing looks like it will send her into orbit! I don't care, I like it anyway.

4 week old Winter

Now starts the back-blogging...

Mom and Dad got the kids a trampoline for Christmas and when they delivered it, my dad thought he was so funny making the kids think they were getting these really cool pvc pipes. Honestly, I'm sure they could have thought of some great uses for them.

This was when they saw their real gift.

After it was finally assembled, the kiddos and Mike tried it out in the dark.

We took our parents to see White Christmas for their Christmas gift this year. It was a super fun evening and the girls are still singing the tunes.

We picked out the perfect tree that was only crispy the second half of December :(

We celebrated my birthday at Ensign Ranch with all of my dad's family. My cake said happy birthday Princess Crystal, which my brothers really got a kick out of.

Aunt Becky provided hours of crafting. The little girls were on cloud nine.

Asher and Ryry kickin' back with a good book.

Halle and Gracie performed a little impromptu Christmas recital for the whole group. I used to love to do the same things with my cousins when I was their age. Except we gave out tickets to our shows!

It snowed our last night at the ranch. I think my kids were pretty excited.

I love this picture of Asher getting all of his great aunts to play ring around the rosie with him.

When we got home from the trip we all took a little nap. The girls opted for a quiet time instead. When we woke up, we couldn't find them anywhere. Mike was really starting to freak out when I discovered them sleeping tightly in soon to be baby's closet with the doors closed.

We attended the annual Fire Department Christmas party, which has been a tradition since I was 8 years old. Santa loves to tell my kids that I used to sit on his lap when I was little.

My niece, Kendal was in rare form that night, but was content hanging out on the concrete floor of the station.

Halle also played in her second piano recital. She played Up on the Housetop and Away in a Manger. She did awesome!

My crazy kids the Sunday before Christmas (posing next to our crispy, yet beautiful Christmas tree).

We ventured back to Ensign Ranch on Dec. 16th (yes, two days before Winter was born) for my family Christmas celebration. As tradition has it, we acted out the nativity and of course I got to be Mary.

The kids all got costumes and had a blast dressing-up the rest of the weekend. This picture of our army boys cracks me up. They look like the 3 stooges reporting for duty!

It wouldn't seem like Christmas without some fun in the snow. Does anyone else have grown brothers who still wrestle? This was Dustin and Jeremy seeking revenge on Mike.

My three "little" brothers.

My last preggo pictures, the day before we went to have Winter.

Mike had off the 23rd thru Jan. 4th which made for an awesome Christmas break. Honestly, between having a sweet newborn and having my hubby home for so long, I couldn't have asked for anything more. He took the kids to Christmas Village where they enjoyed a train ride.

We made snicker trains before Christmas. Halle hearts Bing Crosby ever since we saw White Christmas.

Asher ate most of his ingredients in the construction phase of this project.

We spent Christmas Eve with Mike's parents. Aren't they a good looking group of shepherds? (BTW, that's one of the sister missionaries sitting next to Mike, holding Winter.)

After opening Christmas jammies, Halle got everything set for Santa. Click on the picture to read her special signs/notes.

I think she wanted Santa to leave his dirty "dishes" as evidence that he actually came and enjoyed the treats. I love that girl.

Sisters

Christmas morning! Halle had asked if they could get up at 8 AM, which I told her was a great plan. She then said if she woke up early, she would just read a book until it was time. And they really did stay in bed until 8. Again, love her.

The aftermath. We didn't bother with still pictures while opening presents.

1 week old Winter
The whole day was simply exhausting for her.

Our friends, the Yeates, came to visit a couple weeks ago. They had a baby boy two weeks before Winter was born.

Freddy and Halle with matching smiles.

Ali and Haven

Asher and Henry

The whole gang which has doubled in size since we started hanging out in dental school! We love you, Yeates family!

Catherine and Aunt Marge (aka Ciera) made Winter a box full of beautiful flowers to wear on her sweet little head. We all love them, but the girls have been particularly fascinated by them.

One of Mike's projects over the break was to build a loft bed for Haven. For FHE last week, we all helped sand the wood. Don't worry, everyone was provided with eye protection. After pictures of our completed project to come.

I wore a mask when I spray painted the bed today, but some how I still ended up with paint on the sides of my nose and upper lip. Click to enlarge.

And now, I think I'm finally caught up. See, we really were alive in November and December!

Introducing...

2009-12-24T08:15:00.000-08:00

Winter Pearl

She joined us on the 18th at 2:03 PM, topping the scales at 6 lbs 15 oz (our smallest baby yet, even with that adorable double chin)! We can't get enough of her.

We spent Wednesday night at Ensign Ranch celebrating Christmas with my family then headed home on Thursday evening to get a good night sleep before our induction bright and early Friday morning.

Do I look excited to get the party started?

After 6 hours of pitocin, she made her entrance. Mike helped the Dr. catch her! This was a first for him.

She has awesome red hair

She was the talk of the Birth Center in her cool cocoon and hat I knitted her

The kids have been amazing and love to hold her. I can't believe how big they all seem now. They are the best helpers too! How crazy we are a family of 6 now.

Mike making fun of how much we (ok, I) packed for the hospital.

Stay tuned for a December update after I have a chance to go through a million pictures. We've had a lot of fun this holiday season.

October Fun in a Million Pictures

2009-11-03T13:07:00.000-08:00

October was a crazy month in our house. Here is a look at what we've been up to...

As mentioned in a previous post, we took our youth to General Conference. It was an awesome experience that I know left lasting impressions on all of us who attended. We drove all day Friday, saw all 4 (5 for the boys) sessions of general conference, and drove home all day Monday. One of my favorite talks was by Elder Bednar. I loved this analogy...

"In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokes—none of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. Many ordinary, individual brushstrokes work together to create a captivating and beautiful painting.

Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results."

During our trip, some of the kids may have not appreciated the hours in the car, or the fact that I confiscated all cell phones, Ipods, DS' upon arrival in Utah, or sitting through hours of conference, but I'm pretty positive they returned home with a few more "brushstrokes!"

All 29 of us! Notice how much energy the kids still seem to have on Sunday afternoon, and how exhausted the adults look :)

My girls, while the boys were off at the Priesthood Session

While the boys we getting all tucked in the first night, Mike came out of the bathroom and told them he didn't see any floss in the garbage can! He provided them each with a piece of floss and a little flossing lesson to boot. It was pretty hilarious. A few of the boys are patients at our office, and jokingly told Mike their dentist told them they didn't have to floss. They are funny boys!

We left early, early Monday before it started to SNOW! Mike is standing by his new wheels, the "big black truck" as Asher likes to call it. He's moved on up (literally) from our stylin' black tracer.

Insert a short hospital stay and a couple weeks of recovery from the flu here.

The kids enjoying the annual tradition of decorating pumpkin cookies with lots of candy and sprinkles.

Then fun with real pumpkins

Halle loved the pumpkin "guts" while the other two wanted to wash their hands every two seconds.

Mike, carefully planning his creation.

The last week of October was "Red Ribbon Week," an anti-drug campaign, at school. The girls loved the mixed up clothes day, which was a reminder to not get mixed up with drugs.

We ate some really tasty, and cute too, pumpkin patch pancakes for dinner one night.

Asher loves blueberry smoothies!

My brother Dustin, had a birthday on the 30th so his wife planned a totally awesome 80s birthday bash!

My other brother, Kyle, in his creepy wig with his cute wife, Amanda, who was going for the more sophisticated "Top Gun 80s look"

My mom, in the black wig, and her BFF, Lora, in the creepy mullet wig

Kaden, the rocker/transformer and Wanda, an adopted member of our crazy family

Kyle, playing DJ

Do you recognize this handsome devil?

Spider deviled eggs, for our Halloween after party

(thanks Jill for the idea)

My sioux chefs, Mike and his brother Steve

Mike's creative eggs

Bread bones

Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue and his cousin the witch

The whole gang

Mike and I with our poodle, spa girl and buzz

Happy Belated Halloween!

2009-10-20T22:40:00.001-07:00

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The Piggy Flu and Heavenly Helpers

2009-10-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

Today is my first day back on the job after almost 2 weeks of sick leave. Two weeks ago today, we were on our way home from UT with 21 youth from our ward at the conclusion of our General Conference Road Trip (more on that later). The next day, I started to cough and exhaustion set in. Wednesday, more coughing, more couch time, but add a headache and some nausea. Thursday morning, my mom drove me to see my awesome Dr. who booked me a suite at the hospital for the next 4 days.

Influenza A was the verdict, (most likely H1N1, but it takes state labs a ridiculous amount of time to make that determination) something they don't take lightly when you are 29 weeks preggo. Anyway, about 6 liters of fluid later, IV antibiotics, Tamiflu, a cocktail of Vicodin and Ambien, a chest x-ray, a handful of non-stress tests and an ultrasound, I was still weak, but baby girl was as active as ever and they let us go home. The worst part of being in the hospital was getting phone calls to let us know that one by one our kids, my parents, my siblings and their kids were dropping like flies with the flu. Talk about feeling a little responsible! In the end we are all on the mend, everyone has finished thier Tamiflu and we are slowly returning to life with the living! Last night, I put on real clothes, make-up and drove my car for the first time in 13 days.

I have to give a shout out to my amazing family for picking up all the pieces during my stint in the hospital and for the few days after I got home. They took care of my sick kids and then took care of me AND my sick kids, when they were sick themselves. Family and friends brought meals for a week, which was so nice not to worry about. Thanks to all for the phone calls, texts and emails letting us know you were thinking of us. We truly appreciate all the love!

And now a word to the wise...keep washing those hands, covering those coughs and sneezes, and get your seasonal flu shot. AMEN

Back to School 2009

2009-09-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

School started late here on Sept. 10th and now that it is the 21st, I figured it's about time I posted the traditional back to school pictures. We started the festivities the night before with a tasty dinner and back to school cupcakes with a friendly reminder from Pres. Hinckley to "Be Smart." Daddy gave blessings, the girls picked out one of their new outfits and then we tucked them into bed...where they goofed around for way too long because they were so excited!

Halle, the big 2nd grader!

I liked this picture of Halle in her class line. It's a good representation of just how tall she is. (She's the one with the black and white backpack.)

Haven started Kindergarten this year. It seems so crazy to have two kids in school. She did awesome on her first day, I was so proud of her!

Both the girls had their nails polished for the first day of school. They looked fabulous!

We've had some great weather this month. The girls celebrated the first day of school by running through the hose that afternoon.

This was the second day of school. We actually have a bus this year that picks up and drops off at the end of our drive way. What a blessing! (Come to find out the bus made the same stops last year, but I was totally unaware. Oh well.) This was Haven on the second day of school, looking so darn cute. She hopped on that bus like such a pro.

On a side note, this is where we usually find Asher when we go to bed. We tuck him in to his bed and then when it's our bedtime, we find him sleeping tightly in our bed. The other night we had put all the kids to bed and then were sitting our bed chatting when Asher rounded the corner with a wad of blankets, ready to tuck himself in. The look on his face when he saw us was priceless!

The Yeates Came to Play

2009-09-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, our good friends the Yeates came for a slumber party! There was good food, as always, backyard football, garage sale-ing and time spent in the wading pool. Its been so fun to see our kids grow up over the past few years and still have a blast together.

Haven, Halle, Freddy and Alastair (Aug. 09)

This is how everyone felt after our time together...exhausted!

Freddy and Halle helping Haven across, just two years ago!

Baby Haven and Alastair!

Catherine and I are both expecting babies in December! Here's to many more years of fun!

In Case You Haven't Heard...

2009-08-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

We're having a Girl!

It only took Asher (and perhaps Mike too) about 30 minutes to come to grips with the fact that it was not a boy. Which, in hindsight I think is pretty good because prior to finding out, Asher would not even consider the possibility of a girl baby. All of us girls are totally hyped to have another princess in the house even if it might spell trouble when they all become teens. Now on to important things like finding a name!

P.S. Since we have been out of the world of babies for a few years now, I'm dying to know your favorite baby products... specifically swings/bouncers, slings, infant car seats and umbrella strollers. So please do share!

Whoa!

2009-07-27T23:38:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone, I've hijacked the blog. Crystal's asleep and not blogging. Oh yeah, she hasn't been blogging for a while. She's pregnant and not blogging. Anyway, thing's have been pretty busy this summer. So I will just post some photos. Enjoy.

Building a cardboard train with Haven.

Fisherpeople at the reunion in Sweet Home Oregon.

Asher as "Adam."

4th of July at Lake Sammamish.

Halle in Yakima at Uncle Eric's Farm.

Happy birthday YaYa!

Halle really wanted me to take pictures of her jumping into the pool, sweet, huh?

I went to Las Vegas for a class in June.

Dakota got to a chicken on the counter (she isn't even supposed to be inside).

Asher knows somedog is in trouble.

Crystal's been playing softball every week, for the K9's (sponsored by yours truly).

Grandpa mowed our pasture... and our dog fence.

I'm beat, gonna go to bed.

Hawaii

2009-06-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

Someone finally chronicled our Hawaii vacay! Check out Jenna's post and I'll remind Mike that he needs to get around to doing our Hawaii post :) He tried to tell me tonight he wasn't aware of his responsibility.

photo tag, kind of

2009-05-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

I cheated and picked pictures from my 3rd folder (the sixth folder was boring!). These pictures make me laugh. Haven looks a little sneaky, which is so fitting.

Halle looks confident and was probably dreaming up an extensive party plan.

And finally, who'd have thought we would ever have a baby with bright blue eyes?

P.S. We are expecting another cute baby on Christmas Eve! We'll see about the blue eyes part.

P.S.S. For those of you who have been waiting to see proof that we really went to Hawaii, please forgive me. Unfortunately, I was pretty nauseous at the end of our trip and now whenever I think, talk about, or look at pictures of Hawaii I feel like I'm going to toss my cookies. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but it's the truth! So perhaps Mike will have to do the Hawaii post.

Trading Kids and Whistler Fun

2009-04-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law frequently watches my kids and yesterday and today she needed me to watch hers. So as of yesterday, I can add "goat-sitting" to my resumé. Jenny was somewhat of a runt when she was born so Margo (Mike's mom) has been nursing her back to health. My responsibilities include taking her out to run around in the backyard every so often and attempting to bottle feed her every 3 hours. My kids and Dakota think Jenny is all that, so watching Margo's kid has been a breeze!

After our super successful (and a little crazy) youth fundraiser dinner and dessert auction last Thursday, we tucked the kids in bed at Aunt Sar's house and Mike and I headed to Whistler (in BC, Canada) for a weekend of skiing. Mike has been skiing about 5 times in the last year, but it's been probably 15 years since I've hit the slopes. Needless to say I was a little nervous, but totally excited at the same time. I'm happy to report that in two full days of skiing, there were no major wipeouts! The weather was grand, the slopes were not too crowded, lunch at the top of Whistler and Blackcomb was fantastic, and we thoroughly enjoyed the company.

Resting my legs

Riding the Peak to Peak Gondola, what a sight! I kept thinking about how much my Aunt Lisa would be freaking out...she hates heights.

On our last run Friday, Mike and I had the mountain to ourselves. Do you see any other skiers?

A view of the Village from the top of Blackcomb.

Stay tuned for Hawaii posts! We fly out tomorrow for 9 days in paradise.

Grandma's Boots

2009-03-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

Grandma Barrett was selling these boots at our garage sale and as we were setting up the night before, Halle decided they were a must have. Since last August, my kids have thoroughly enjoyed the boots. Every time I see them wearing them I chuckle too myself. Secretly, I wish I had a pair my size! Thanks grandma for selling your boots that day.

I Love Brad Paisley!

2009-03-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

We bought Brad Paisley tickets for our staff and their spouses for Christmas way back in November and Saturday was finally the big night! My sister, Sarah, and her husband, Danny, joined us, and my youngest brother Jeremy had a ticket also, but wasn't feeling well so Halle was the lucky replacement! This was the third time I've seen Brad in concert and he just gets better every time. Dierks Bentley opened for Brad, which was a special treat in itself.

After the concert, Halle reported having a great time but admitted being a little tired (she stood on her chair for most of the evening)!

Brad's version of "Guitar Zero"

Halle was Aunt Amanda's permanent sidekick all night, and Amanda is always an awesome sport when it comes to her biggest fans.

The whole gang, minus Sarah who was our photographer, after the concert in front of one of Brad's 7 semis. (Click to enlarge. From L to R: Crystal B. our front desk and her hubby Joe, Amanda our assistant/front desk rover and her hubby/my brother Kyle, Tara another fabulous assistant and her hubby Ross, Mike, Halle, Me, Danny, Sarah's hubby, and Summer our hygienist and her hubby John...Thanks Sarah for taking the picture.)

Brad's Fleet of trucks and buses, they don't travel light

And now here are a few clips taken with our point and shoot camera for your listening enjoyment (we really had some great seats)! I have to say, one of my favorite parts of the concert was when Brad was getting ready to sing Letter to Me, one of my favorites, it's on my player and if you are not familiar with it be sure to pay attention to the words. Before he started the song he talked about how he thinks about high school every time he sings it, and how he used to worry about being cool, and whether or not he would ever get a date and if his parachute pants were cool enough. Then they proceeded to show senior pictures of him and his band...hilarious. He said that what he really needed to see was a glimpse of all of his fans, and how that would have changed everything. He finished by saying he is living proof that high school is not the best years of our lives. And all I can say to that is AMEN!

Happy Belated Valentine's Day

2009-02-17T16:23:00.000-08:00

This year, my Valentine surprised me with a visit from the "O Chords!" I was in the kitchen, working with my Young Women and fellow leaders on our Valentine fundraiser (more on that below), when someone yelled that I was needed in the living room. I walked in to find the handsome gentlemen pictured above! They handed me a rose and then proceeded to serenade me. Everyone got a real kick out of my special visitors. My husband is so thoughtful AND sneaky! (P.S. The O Chord on the far right was my high school history teacher.)

The youth in our ward are doing a few fundraisers over the next couple months to earn money for camp. Our first attempt was a huge success! We presented the women and men at church with the opportunity to order homemade valentines that we would deliver. The gifts were different for each group and we kept everything a secret. We received 94 orders and made a good chunk of money to put in our camp fund!

The Loads of Love card and cherry pie was the gift for the men, and the rose, cookies and Love You Much card was the gift for the women. I think everything turned out really cute. I prepared a lot in advance so that Friday afternoon the YW could come and assemble the cards, pies, decorate cookies and package things up.

Halle and Haven received a Valentine from Mike, which made them feel pretty special! I'm pretty sure the rose was their favorite part.

I was helping someone at the door, only to turn around and find Asher had stolen my heart cookie! He did give me half later.

2009-02-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

just for you

this will be fun. thanks Meredith!

(adorable photo found on flickr)

okay so the first 5 people to respond to this

post will receive something made by me to you.

my choice.

made especially for you.

of course there are some restrictions and limitations:

1 i make no guarantees that you will like what i make!

2 what i create will be just for you.

3 it will be done sometime this year.

4 you have no clue what it will be... it may be a story. it may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. i may draw or paint something. i may bake something and mail it to you. who knows? not you, thats for sure.

5 i reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

the catch? oh the catch is that you must repost this on your blog

and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog.

the first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!!

oh and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!!

She's Got A Ticket To Ride

2009-02-01T22:39:00.000-08:00

Asher loves to push Rylin on his roller coaster, and we love to watch Rylin TRY to push him. We also love that Rylin doesn't even have to get off when she gets to the bottom, because Asher will push her all the way back up. She stays on until she's good & ready to get off. (Remember, Asher is only 2 1/2 months older than Ry. There is only a little bit of a size difference!)

Daughter of God

2009-01-28T00:32:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post a picture of some signs I made for my YW a couple weeks ago. I taught the "Daughter of God" lesson and wanted them to have something to help them remember who they are, something I think we all need to remember! Anyway, I think they turned out pretty good, considering I started the project at about 10:15 PM Saturday night. Thank goodness I have a great husband who helps my crazy ideas come to pass.

Hawaii Advice Please

2009-01-20T23:20:00.000-08:00

I need the advice of all you experienced Hawaiian travelers. There is a dental convention in Honolulu the end of April and Mike and I are considering making a family vacation out it. What I really want to know is where you recommend staying (hotel vs. condo/house) and would it be best to stay in Honolulu or somewhere else and rent a car? Keep in mind none of us have been to Hawaii and this would be a family vacation. I want to be able to hang out with the kids at the beach or pool while Mike is in classes, but see the sights when he is done in the evenings. Thanks in advance for all the great advice!

All By Himself

2009-01-18T13:24:00.000-08:00

These pictures were taken mid December. Asher has since become more proficient at putting his underwear on all by himself. If you are confused by the photos, his "underwears" are on backwards and he had stepped through one of the leg holes and out the waist. One day he will regret posing for these pictures.

Crystal's Christmas Top 10

2009-01-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

Here is my Christmas Top 10, not in any particular order.

1. The Nativity production put on by Halle.

2. Sharing the holidays with so much family.

3. Our go "big or go home" real Christmas tree. My brother was pretty sure I had picked the biggest "frickin" tree at the tree farm. 18 strings of lights, a couple hundred bows and one Angel Moroni tree topper later, I think it looked pretty cool.

It was a sad day when the tree was too crispy to keep up. I got a kick out of Mike and his brother squeezing it out the front door.

4. Snow, and lots of it. I loved that the kids had 3 extra days of winter break and that we had plenty of time to play in the snow! Dakota could not get enough of it either.

I love this picture of Halle with snow hanging out of her mouth. I have a ton of pictures of my kids just sitting around eating snow.

5. Taking a nap on Christmas day.

6. Hosting Christmas dinner in my red PJs.

7. Christmas morning gratitude. Asher opened each gift with the utmost excitement and then proceeded to hug and thank the gift giver. I heard Haven say, "I can't believe I have a rocking horse." Kids really do complete Christmas.

8. Watching Halle strategically stack her "stash" exactly like I used to. Notice the piles next to the green couch in the following picture. My family had watched old family Christmas videos the week before Christmas and my sister was totally making fun of me for stacking my gifts all neatly.

9. My rocking new running shoes designed especially for me by Halle and Mike. There will only be one other pair exactly like it in the world. Mike forgot to order a wide so Nike corrected the order and said they send all returns to a third world country. Can't you imagine an African woman running in her hot mama Nikes?

10. For Christmas the girls got tickets to see Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle. They LOVED it! This picture was taken right before we hit the road.

Bath Time

2008-11-26T10:18:00.001-08:00

Asher wanted to take his cabbage patch baby in the tub with him. I was trying to explain that he couldn't bring his baby, but he could bring a different toy. So he kept brining me things and asking if he could take them in the tub. His huge Elmo was my favorite proposal. (I think Elmo was trying to squish Asher's most delectable buns in the second picture!)

What have you learned?

2008-11-20T09:48:00.000-08:00

Today on the way to school, Halle was telling me that her teacher does a question of the day. Yesterday's question was, "What have you learned?" Halle said the answer could be anything you have ever learned. She said she told her teacher, "I'm trying to be like Jesus," and she had a warm feeling inside after that.

Mr. Caterpillar

2008-11-16T15:38:00.000-08:00

Haven met a new friend while we were working in the yard last week. She lovingly named her furry caterpillar "Caterpillar." Creative, I know. She let the little bugger crawl all over her for a good hour and giggled to herself every few seconds with pure delight.

Meet Caterpillar

Asher takes advantage of the photo-op with his view finder.

Asher Ant

(The limbs we trimmed off some of our bushes made great antennae and antlers!)

Diaper-less Squishy Buns

2008-11-09T22:45:00.000-08:00

It's official, I have no children in diapers! Asher decided this week to potty train. He is a rock star almost 2 1/2 year old in my eyes. I dare say he was the easiest of my three to train, weird I know. As demonstrated in the picture above, my family has a thing with buns. Aunt Sar just can get enough of Asher's squishy buns!

Please keep scrolling, I've done a little catching up!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-09T22:30:00.000-08:00

Our fabulous pink poodle

The too cute bubble bather

The "yeehaw-giyup-hrse" (translated: yeehaw giddy up horse) cowboy

Trick or treating with cousins is simply the best

Preschool Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

2008-11-09T22:15:00.000-08:00

Haven's preschool went on a pumpkin patch field trip so Asher and I joined the party. We went to a local farm and the kids enjoyed a hayride, picking a pumpkin, a trip through the corn maze and an ice cream cone to top it all off.

I love the way Asher sports his sunglasses... always upside down, such a trendsetter.

Silly Snapshots

2008-11-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

Caught in the act.

Asher sporting his sisters dress-ups. Mike loves this side of YaYa!

Halle's "routine." (click on the picture for an easier read)

Halle loves lists like her Mama. It's no wonder my house has so much paper junk laying around. How does someone throw away treasures like these?

Haven's pouch.

Haven would be an animal in her next life, if that were possible!

No, Mike is not a polygamist. Halle's insisted on getting a picture before our friends the Yeates left. The kids were being a little (ok a lot) crazy and Halle was taking her time getting everyone in just the right spot. I think us grown-ups did a pretty good job hiding our "get on with it" faces. Great picture Halle!

Just call me resourceful!

This picture demonstrates how to keep an ice pack on the noggin of a 2 year old. Asher sported his icy head-dress for about 30 minutes until I came to take it off.

When do little girls learn to match?

This is what my girls pick to wear AND the reason they don't get to pick when we're leaving the house.

Before I left on my 10-day girls trip, we had a family home evening where we taught Mike to curl hair. Before this FHE, one of my major concerns about my trip was that my children would go to school looking homeless. Mike was a great student, don't pay any attention to the look on his face.

Haven sporting a pair of my favorite new shoes. Haven has appreciated fashion since she was old enough to talk.

Get to Know Bishop Soptich

2008-11-09T21:45:00.000-08:00

In September our primary did a "Get to Know Bishop" activity. Since my dad is the fire chief, they had some of his firefighters come and do a demonstration in fire safety for the kids. The kids loved everything about this activity, and I could tell my dad did too!

Grandpa Soptich, aka Chief Soptich, helps a few of his grandkids man the hose.

The whole gang, on a beautiful September day if I do say so.

(Dad is in the middle of the bunch, holding Brin, Kaden and Haven)

After the fire safety demo, everyone gathered inside for a Q&A period. The kids asked Dad all kinds of questions. I about fell of my chair when after one of Dad's answers, one little boy said, "Now that's what I'm talking about!" Then everyone enjoyed one of Bishop's favorite treats, bear claws and milk.

20% off Stampin' Up!

2008-11-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Christmas, I'm offering a 20% discount on your entire Stampin' Up order! Stamps, designer paper, handy tools and card/scrapbook kits make awesome gifts for the crafty folks on your list. Simply call or email your order to me by this Thursday (the 6th) to enjoy the 20% discount! Click below to view the online catalog and current Stampin' Up promotions and new product lines. If you would prefer to have a hard copy of the beautiful and inspiring Idea Book and Catalog just let me know. Also, for your convenience, Stampin' Up is now accepting credit cards! Happy stamping!

Fall Winter Idea Book and Catalog

Holiday Mini Catalog

Country Living Holiday Collection Stampin' Kit

Decor Elements

For the Beauty of the Earth

2008-10-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

In an effort to be a better pet owner and give our dog what the great Dog Whisperer says must be top priority, exercise, we took Dakota on a couple of great walks last week! The first day I pulled the stroller out in preparation and Asher and Haven decided they preferred different modes of transportation, like her feet and his bike. What a concept! Sometimes I'm amazed at how fast my little ones are growing up right in front of my eyes. Anyway, on our walk I kept finding myself thinking about how grateful I am for the beautiful place I live and the simple pleasures I enjoy and often take for granted, like the fresh air, blue and sometimes cloudy skies, awesome trees, the view of puget sound, the horses that come to greet us as we walk by, my kids that like to be close to me.

Take off!

Also, this is a shot of our house and I must put a plug in for Asher's awesome, wooden, peadal-less, park racer bike, as recommended by one of my most favorite friends, Alyssa. See what she had to say about these bikes here, look at #6.

The horses we at the little grey building when we approached the fence, and when they heard speaking to each other, they looked up and headed our way.

Kiddo and his sister, or so we're told, enjoying the carrots we brought to share

My little horse lover

My pack, because you know I am the Pack Leader!

Family Picture Special by Dustin and Ciera

2008-10-21T22:19:00.000-07:00

My brother Dustin and his wife, Ciera, take awesome pictures! In an effort to spread the word about their photography business they are offering a special in November. In a nutshell, if you would like to partake of this great deal, you'll pay $25 for a 15 minute session and receive the 3 best digital images via email or on CD for an additional $2, with permission to print as many as you like! Check out their photography blog here to find out all the details and how to make an appointment. Look here to see a sampling of their work, our family pictures taken last fall. When you make your appointment, tell them their favorite sister sent you!

Sweet Reunion with the Dunham Clan

2008-10-19T23:45:00.000-07:00

Meet Connor Dunham!

Connor was one of my most very favorite patients at Children's, and his family was no exception. The first time I cared for Connor was my first day back from maternity leave after I had Asher. He had recently been diagnosed with Leukemia, just after his second birthday. Fairly soon after the initial diagnosis, it was determined that Connor would require a bone marrow transplant. Cute Connor and his mom spent a year in Seattle (they are from Wasilla, AK) with frequent visits from family, while he underwent treatment. To make a long and difficult story short, Connor is now two years post transplant and doing awesome! Last week he had to undergo a bunch of tests at Children's to follow up on his progress so they made a family trip out of it. Alicia, Connor's mom, had emailed to see if we were available for a visit during their time in Seattle. I was so honored that they would remember me and want to spend an afternoon with us. Anyway, Thursday they drove up to our house to hang out for a few hours and eat dinner with us. The kids had a blast and the grown ups enjoyed catching up! Selfishly, it was a great payoff for me as a nurse to get to see Connor doing so great after taking care of him and his family when things were just plain crappy. Visiting with the Dunhams made me miss my job just a tiny bit. Taking care of families while they endure the unimaginable, is both a challenge and a huge blessing.

Halle, Connor, Haven, Carson and Asher

I love how all the kids look like besty friends, when this was the first time they met

The whole gang, including Connor's mom, Alicia, and dad, Steve and Dakota!

The pleasure was all mine Dunhams! Until next time.

Please California, Vote YES on Prop. 8

2008-10-14T18:11:00.001-07:00

Many of you have heard of Prop. 8 (Protect Marriage Amendment), but if you haven't it's important that you do. There is great concern that each state will be facing similar votes in the near future. Watch the videos below so you better understand how your family will be affected if Prop. 8 fails.

Interview with Massachusetts family

Segments from Church Broadcast to California Members

No Men or Kids Allowed on this Trip

2008-10-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, I embarked on a 10-day girls vacation. Preparing to leave was a huge task, but once I climbed in the car with my mom and sister at 4:45 AM a couple Thursdays ago, I was set. Many of you who know my mom, know that she has become quite the world traveler over the past 10 years. In summer of 2007 she had the crazy idea to plan a girls cruise, but she was hoping to do it that fall. I convinced her to give us all a year to save our pennies and so we got the word out and planned the trip for last month. Originally there were going to be about 14 of us, but as they always do, things came up and a few people had to change their plans. Anyway, the final group consisted of myself, my mom, my sister and her mother-in-law (Mary), Aunt Becky and Grandma Degraw (aka Soptich), and Aunt Robin and her mom Tinker. In planning the trip, our travel agent, Mom, thought it would be fun to spend a couple days in Disney World prior to hopping on the boat. On the recommendations of our hotel concierge, we went to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Which meant we saved $30 on our admission, there were no lines at any of the rides and there was trick or treating all over the park until midnight. Just imagine 5 grown women trick or treating until there was no room in our candy bags. Anyway, it was an awesome trip, and the best part was that I only had to worry about me. I recommend this type of trip for anyone who wants an opportunity to renew their appreciation for an amazing spouse, awesome children and a supportive extended family! Thanks Mike for taking great care of the kids and house while I was gone. Thanks Margo and Grandma Barrett for filling in all the gaps!

Mary, Becky, Sarah and Mom when we arrived at Magic Kingdom

Gotta love when the wait time is 0 minutes (which is what this sign said)

Mary was a good sport and went on all the roller coasters with us. Here she is on Thunder Mountain, repeating, "I hate you Sarah!"

Many people took this Halloween party very seriously. Here is Ursala showing us what is underneath the tentacles, she said everyone wants to know. Also notice Tinker Bell in the background. Too bad we all left our princess gowns at home.

Flat Stanley was the only male allowed to travel with us!

Me and Mom. One of the highlights of this trip for my mom was when everyone asked if we were sisters. Our cabin steward even asked if we were twins! Notice I said one of the highlights for my mom. I can only hope that when I'm 51 and Halle is 29 people will think that we are sisters.

The beautiful waters of Cozumel

This is what I spent a lot of time reading. I loved it, but I must say I'm sad to see the saga end.

The last night of our cruise it was pretty windy! All the decks were closed so we went out on our balcony to check things out. Mary was a little nervous so I let her borrow my life jacket.

Sarah, Mom and I that same windy night. The boat rocked pretty good until the wee hours of the morning.

For a more thorough account and more fun pictures, since I only took about 10, you can visit Sarah's blog.

No More Excuses...July to September, a photo safari

2008-09-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

So don't fall off your chair, but I finally devoted more than a few hours to updating my poor neglected blog! This has been the fastest summer I've ever experienced and it makes me fear summers to come when my children are involved in their own activities. The following is a "photo safari," (as Mike called it) of our summer in chronological order. Enjoy!

I think I left off right after our first family reunion. The annual Axtell family reunion was held at Mayfield Lake this year. I love that my children now look forward to these reunions just like I always have and still do.

Gracie and Halle coloring, a great camping past-time.

Ryan was playing hide and go seek with a handful of the little kids. I love that all the kids hid all together each time Ryan counted.

He'll never find all five of us behind this big tree!

Haven enjoying the frigid, yet refreshing, water.

Ryan took my little invalid tubing. We had two braces for Asher's bum collar bone: one to swim in and one for the rest of the time.

This is what Asher looked like for four weeks this summer. I think people thought he was just playing around most of the time. His brace was a band around his chest that his upper arm and wrist were attached to. It actually looked pretty comfortable and barely even slowed him down. (Asher and Brinlee during the reunion games.)

We got home from the reunion on Sunday evening and then left for a dental convention in Orlando Tuesday evening. The actual pictures of our time in Florida are on Mike's work camera, maybe sometime I'll get around to sharing those. It was a fun trip. We learned a lot at the convention and enjoyed our time, without children, at the parks as well!

One of the highlights of our little trip was running into Captain Phil Harris of the Cornelia Marie, and star of Deadliest Catch on the discovery channel. If you have no idea what I'm talking about you must check it out here. It's truly fascinating and Captain Phil is one of my favorites for some reason. Anyway, Phil and some tall blonde were getting on the airport shuttle we were getting off of. I was stunned to see him there and he seemed like he was in a hurry (without a smile on his mug) so I didn't have the guts to say anything. I wanted to tell him that I had just caught the latest episode while my kids were in "quiet time." I figure I look like and unlikely fan.

Our rental house had great cherry trees in the backyard. I thought my kids would love to pick the cherries. Boy was I wrong. This picture was taken right after I heard Haven say, "Halle, you just made a leaf touch me."

We got back from Florida on Sunday afternoon and the following Friday moved into our NEW HOUSE! Our new house was actually my parents home, which means we did a whole lot of moving that weekend. I think we are all still recovering. My mom vows that the next time she moves will be 6 feet underground. (This was not our actual moving truck, but ours was the same size and we loaded and unloaded that baby 3 times.)

One of my favorite college roommates, Alyssa Kalyssa and her family were our first house guests. They spent a night with us among our boxes. It was a welcomed break from the moving chaos. (Alyssa with Halle and Haven)

Alyssa's husband Jared was the mission companion of one of my college friends. I like to think I'm somewhat responsible for their happy marriage. J/K

(Jared and Sam)

Asher sporting Haven's red high heels. Mike loves it when he does this. Don't mind the very full morning diaper.

Me and Alyssa (on my new back porch, I don't have any pictures of the front of the house yet).

One of my kids favorite things to do in their new backyard is ride the tonka truck down the hill. I love this picture of Haven with her hands in the air.

Sam and his toy snake (around his neck) casually enjoying the ride.

The day after Alyssa and Jared had to leave us, Mike competed in his second triathlon. This time his brother (and now missionary) Rob, joined in the fun. Mike did even better this time, regardless of the crazy hills on our beautiful island! (Mike and Rob just before the race started.)

What a good looking team!

The following weekend was our second family reunion at Ocean City State Park. This is one of our favorite locations! We endured a little bit of rain this year, but we were resilient and had a blast anyway. A bunch of us spent some time on the miniature golf course. It was fun to watch the kids.

Haven loved helping me wash the camping dishes. Remind me why she isn't doing dishes at home.

Halle coloring with my Aunt Becky, my dad's sister.

It's tradition to go out and jump the wave in the once again frigid water of the Washington coast. This year I just didn't have the guts to do it. But I have fond memories of doing this on many occasions with my crazy family growing up. (from L to R: Dustin, Dad and Kaden, Kyle, Halle, Amanda, Haven, Mom, Aunt Carrie and Parker). Notice the change of expressions and placement of their arms in the second picture.

Dustin and Ciera decided to have Grandma Great read a couple bedtime stories one night. We found these huge books at Costco so Grandma read Skippy Jon Jones and my dad, Uncle Lee and Uncle Eric acted out the parts. Pretty entertaining.

Just a shot of the girls playing with barbies. I love this picture too because I remember similar moments I shared with my cousins, the moms of the other girls in this picture.

And what would a Smith reunion be without Uncle Don's parachute. The kids could not get enough of it. I managed to not get any shots of the kids when they were being tossed way up into the sky. Oh well.

Do anyone else's kids eat breakfast with their helmets on? Does anyone else use a Christmas table cloth when they are camping?

This is a picture of my nieces and nephews with my kids on our back deck. I don't even know who took this picture, but I love it! (from L to R: Rylin, Brin, Kaden, Asher, Parker, Halle and Haven.)

I found a great job for Asher, and I'm pretty sure he loved every minute of it.

These are my awesome friends from Issaquah, Denise and Debbie, who spent a day with me in Lynnwood finding great deals on everything I needed to decorate my new living room (pictures to come). They have great taste and I'm so glad they were willing to help me out. This picture was taken outside the furniture store where we borrowed the cushion of my new sofa to see if it matched the rug, window treatments and pillows we had picked out. Shopping with these ladies was an experience in itself!

August 16th was our softball league championship and our team rocked. We entered this championship third from the bottom and after 5 games, ended the day in 3rd place! Go K9s! It was so much fun playing this season, with such an amazing team. No other team in the league even compared. I'm already looking forward to next year!

(Back row from L to R: Joe, Jeff, Bob, Jim, Chris and Jimmy. Front row:Ray, Stacey, Kim, JB, Me, Maria and Amanda.)

Bob and I were elected All Stars by our teammates. Thanks guys!

Coach Joe thanking our hot sponsor :)

One of my teammates Jim, has been playing softball for probably 30 years and said that this was his favorite team. He made each one of us a personal baseball card that had our picture on one side and then on the back he put our position, a key moment of the season and then a statement of what we offered the team. I told you my team rocked. Notice my rally nails!

After four softball games (I didn't play in the fifth), I ran home to shower and get my family ready to go to my sister-in-law, Amber's, wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and a very fun reception followed. We are excited to have Justin join our family. He is perfect for Amber and an amazing daddy for Jade!

Jade (Amber's daughter) was the flower girl and Asher was the ring bearer. They were so darn cute. Justin, all of the groomsmen and Asher wore black and white checkered Vans. I thought it was a cool touch. (photography courtesy of Dustin and Ciera)

Now somewhere in here I should have pictures of a team BBQ and a staff BBQ we hosted, but those pictures are no where to be found. Regardless, a good time was had by all!

And now we are finally up to last week. School started on Thursday (here's to a welcomed new routine) and so Michael gave each of the kids a blessing. Right before he went to give Halle her blessing, after a short reminder lesson about the priesthood, Asher walked right up to Halle and put his hands on her head. So precious.

We found out the week before school started that Halle was put in a 1st/2nd combination class. She was a little nervous at first but seems to be adjusting just fine. It helps that her teacher taught kindergarten last year and was our neighbor when we lived in our rental house. So here she is on her first day of first grade. She was totally excited and only a little nauseous, but that's nothing new for Miss Halle!

Sporting a new Barbie backpack that Asher absolutely loves.

This was her second day and she looked so darn cute. It's also a little shot of my new living room decor.

The Tootsie Roll Patrol as my Aunt Carrie calls it! That's right, we are also new pet owners. A husky wandered on to Mike's parent's property and after weeks no one claimed her so she is ours now (there is a picture of Dakota at the bottom of this post.) After Halle's first experience cleaning up after Dakota, she was in the house washing her hands, and the door knob she touched, she said, "I'm not sure why I signed up for this job!" Oh the joys.

Last weekend Mike and I went to the BYU/Husky game in Seattle. It was a great game, a little too close for comfort, but BYU came out victorious much to the dismay of all of those Husky fans. I must admit I was a little weary wearing my BYU shirt amongst those Dawgs, but I am a Cougar through and through. Notice that Mike was sporting a Husky shirt and a BYU hat. We shared the day with a bunch of our friends from dental school. It's always fun to catch up with them.

Today was Haven's first day of preschool. She was excited (not about the pants she was wearing, hence the pose in the first picture).

And finally a picture of our new family member, Dakota. Isn't she pretty? (Also notice Haven's huge penguin slippers that she adopted from Jenna during the garage sale we had last weekend.)

The view from my back porch tonight. In my dad's words, "You'll never see another one like it!"

Goodnight.

Don't Count Me Out

2008-08-19T22:45:00.001-07:00

OK friends, I apologize for the lack of updates. I have so much to share and never enough time to do it right so I'm choosing to wait. A ton has happened since my last post, little and big things (and no I'm not preggo), so please don't write me off as one of your long lost blogging buddies. I promise to update as soon as life slows down a bit.

A Daily Scoop

2008-08-04T01:11:00.000-07:00

While checking in on a few friends this evening (love you Lori), I happened upon the blog of an amazing mother, named Stephanie. Stephanie's almost 14 month old daughter drowned in their hot tub seven weeks ago. I have spent the last two plus hours reading her accounts of the unimaginable journey through the grieving process. I am fascinated by people who can endure such horrific trials with a strengthened testimony of their Savior and His great plan of happiness. While reading Stephanie's posts, my heart aches for her loss and yet I'm so inspired to take a step back and focus on what really matters.

Sometimes I feel like my kids see me most with a furrowed brow or grumpy face and I often wonder what impact that can/will/does have on their spirit. I'm not sure how I manage to get so entangled in things that pull me away from what I claim is most important to me. It's really frustrating feeling like I'm not the mom I want to be. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm a good mom. I just want to be better at some things that I know are important and let some of the less important things slide. I guess that is the age old struggle with motherhood!

Anyway, one thing Stephanie encouraged people to do was write down the little things our kids do, and it doesn't have to be just the funny things, because we will always want to remember. So I'm going to do just that and I'd encourage you to do the same.

I'll start with Miss Halle...

I love the way Halle weaves her favorite blankies in-between her fingers as she is falling asleep. I can remember her doing this as a baby. Halle is always listening and formulating a plan. Currently she is designing the "Family Fun House," a sort of vacation resort complete with great activities for the kids and a place for parents to go and get a foot massage. Halle has learned how to read and I love the look of pride on her face as she reads aloud to just about anyone who will listen. She is a worrier and a great helper who can practically read my mind. She is such a mini-me, sometimes it feels like I'm taking a step back in time.

Haven is my cuddle bug. Every morning I wake to Haven asking is she can lay by me. She snuggles right up, so close that her hair tickles my nose. She is possibly my most observant child and is generous with her compliments often of things that most 3-4 year olds would never notice. A few that come to mind at the moment are, "I like that color on you" (in reference to a new hair color), and "I like your fishnets mom." She has the best squishy buns and is infatuated with red high heels. She can give a terrifying look of death and is capable of throwing awesome tantrums, but most of her meltdowns can be diffused if I just ask, "Can I hold you?" I just have to remind myself of that technique.

Oh Yaya. Asher is attempting to master the art of selective listening. However, the half smile and shifty eyes is a dead give away. It is impossible not to laugh when he does this. He frequently says, "I la lu mom," (love you) and, "Oh thorry mom," (sorry) when he drops or spills something. Last week, one of my favorite college roommates came to visit with her family, including her 4 month old baby. In the morning, I told Asher to be quiet and he said, "Oh, a baby thleeping?" My other favorite things he is saying now are, "The's puthin' me," (she's pushing me) and "a help me mom?"

So I go to bed tonight (actually this morning) inspired to try a little harder tomorrow to be the woman I want to be and the mom my kids need me to be, with a renewed awareness of the things that might get in the way.

If you have a few minutes or a few hours, check out Stephanie's blog, A Daily Scoop.

Are You Ready For a Good Laugh?

2008-07-23T21:49:00.000-07:00

Last night I got home from Young Women and I was doing the potty dance. Many of you know how after you have had a few babies when you have to go, you better go now! Anyway, I ran into the bathroom and noticed that someone (it's actually always Haven) had not flushed so there was some "yellow" and toilet paper in the toilet. With no time to flush, I pulled down my shorts as I spun around to sit on the pot and started to go (you know that move). At that very instant I realized that I had heard something fall out of my pocket and about a half a second later it clicked that it was my iPhone! I looked frantically around my feet hoping to find it on the bathroom floor, but with no avail. Sure enough, my phone was in the pot on top of Haven yellow, and now under MY yellow! I was freaking out as I grabbed the phone and gave it a quick rinse under running water. By this time all of my kids are in the bathroom with me asking why I had dropped my phone in the toilet, as if I had done it on purpose. Anyway, one lysol wipe later, thanks to a touch screen (very few buttons) and my cat-like reflexes, my phone is alive an kicking. It actually never even "lost consciousness." Consider this experience just one more reason why you should own and iPhone!

The "All About Mom" Tag by Halle

2008-07-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

1. What is something mom always says to you? "go to bed"

She's right. Bedtime = mom time!

2. What makes mom happy? "when we get her gifts"

3. What makes mom sad? "when I say bad words"
I had her clarify 'bad words,' and she said like "I don't want to be around you."

4. How does mom make you laugh? "she tickles me"

5. What was mom like as a child? "funny"

6. How old is your mom? "29"
Right on.

7. How tall is your mom? "5 feet?"
More like 5 feet 5 inches, but pretty close.

8. What is her favorite thing to do? "go on bike rides"
Maybe a couple times a year, but OK.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around? "sneak around the house finding prizes, or cleans up"
Too funny!

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? "cleaning up"
Can you tell what I must talk about a lot?

11. What is your mom really good at? "making beds"
Too bad my bed isn't a great example of my skills.

12. What is your mom not very good at? "that's a hard one, walking on a tight rope"
She's probably right, although I don't recall ever attempting.

13. What does your mom do for her job? "stay at home"

14. What is your mom's favorite food? "tomatoes"
When I asked her is she really thought my favorite food was tomatoes, she said, "at least you throw them in a lot of salads."

15. What makes you proud of your mom? "when she kills a fly"

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? "the mama-saurus"
I hope this answer is only because of the toy dinosaur that Asher is playing with.

17. What do you and your mom do together? "clean up the house"
It's funny that it doesn't show!

18. How are you and your mom the same? "haircuts"
We have the same hair fairy.

19. How are you and your mom different? "we talk different"

20. How do you know your mom loves you? "she gives me love with her hugs and kisses"

Halle tags Bailee, Joy, Gracie, Kara, Parker, Freddy and Faith!

Strawberries, the Drive-in and more Summertime Fun

2008-07-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

We are about to start our Summer travels, so I wanted to update my blog before everyone really thinks I've fallen off the face of the Earth. The following pictures are mere snippets from the fun we've been having since school got out.

We picked our strawberries before the rabbits got them all

Making strawberry jam to have on homemade rolls for Family Home Evening

A couple weeks ago we went to the classic Blue Fox Drive-In to see Kung Fu Panda with a couple of my siblings. Actually I think this was another FHE.

The whole gang before the show. Dad let us borrow his truck for the full effect! Next time we'll go all out and put a mattress in the back like Aunt Sar and Uncle Kyle did.

Sisterly LOVE

Uncle Danny keeping the kids busy until the sun finally disappeared.

One of the neighboring cars felt the need to provide pre-movie music (well mostly bass) so Sar and Asher decided to bust some moves!

This was Mike getting creative with duct tape to stabilize Asher's busted collarbone so he could go swimming. What would we do without duct tape?

Classy

During one of their dress-up sessions Haven found our giraffe costume. She walked in with it on and said, "Still fits, except for the mittens!" If you look closely you'll notice the mittens are at her elbows. Who cares if the costume is for a 6-12 month old.

Mike's First Tri and Important Instructions from the Lady in Charge

2008-07-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my last post that Mike competed in his first triathlon on June 21st. He did awesome and I'm so proud of him. He has been training consistently for the past couple months. His dedication and determination is something I've always loved about Mike. When he decides to do something, he writes up his goals, sets up a schedule and gets to work. I wish I always did the same. Anyway, the race consisted of a 1/2 mile swim, 11.5 mile bike and 2.5 mile run. He's been training with my brother Dustin, and a few guys from church, Eric, Russ and Randy. They made a great team!

Mike crossing the finish line!

Team Oak Harbor

(from L to R: Mike, Eric, Jordan, Randy, Cory, Dustin and Russ)

Mike and his biggest fans

The second part of this post took place about two weeks ago. I was watching Sarah's kids while she went to a meeting and Halle took it upon herself to set some boundaries. I'm sure this was prompted by our marker incident last month (if you are not familiar with this 'incident' look back a couple posts). Anyway, Halle made signs and stuck them on all the doors that let the kids know which rooms they were aloud to go in. Pretty funny.

The kids receive their instructions from the boss lady.

This sign was found on my door, the craft room door, and the girl's door.

This is Asher's door. Too bad Halle is the only one who can read her signs :)

Halle also made the upstairs bathroom a girl's bathroom, my bathroom was the boy's bathroom and the downstairs bathroom was for both. I love the illustrations!

A First, but Probably Not the Last

2008-06-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Asher made his debut in the ER. We had spent the morning watching Mike compete in his first triathlon (post to come) and then we played at a park in the Seattle area with some friends we haven't seen in a year. Asher took a tumble from the top of one of the playground structures he was climbing, probably about a 5 foot fall. He was pretty upset, but consolable, unless positioned in certain ways which led to more tears. This was not our normal YaYa who usually bounces right back up when he falls. Anyway, we opted to head home and take him to a local hospital where the ER wait would be minimal if any, and close enough to home so that we could drop the girls off with Aunt Sar (thank goodness for family).

Asher was a superstar 2 year old patient, and I speak from experience. He drank up his pain med like a champ and afterward looked at the empty medicine cup and said, "wawa gone, blah!" (All liquids are wawa, including narcotics apparently.) He laid still for his arm x-rays which got him a really cool transformer sticker that was definitely a highlight. Falling from a distance of more than twice his height, also bought Asher a CT scan. Our second attempt at the CT was a success after a little attitude adjustment for the tech (you never tell a parent that you hate having to NUKE these kids over and over again because they can't lay perfectly still, especially when the kid's mom is a pediatric nurse and will be having a little chat with the Dr. ASAP). Asher was perfectly still without crying during the second try, while I held his head and sang Popcorn Popping, his personal favorite. Too bad he had to have the first experience. Anyway, the verdict was a broken clavicle, or collar bone, which the doctor said is probably the easiest bone to break and fix. So the good news is the CT showed no head or neck injury and there were no broken bones we had to cast. The bad news is that we are supposed to keep his right arm and shoulder immobilized for 4 weeks with just a sling. Are you kidding me? I'm pretty sure he might dictate otherwise, but we'll do our best.

I have to give a shout out to Island Hospital in Anacortes. They were phenomenal. We walked right up to the admitting desk and immediately after we signed a few papers, the triage nurse came to get us. After vitals and a few questions regarding Asher's medical history we were brought to a room and the amazing Dr. Cooks followed us in to do his exam. Within 20 minutes Asher had recieved his pain meds and was getting his X-ray. Our little unfortunate first encounter with the CT tech was handled immediately and professionally with sincere apology. We were discharged at 10:30 PM, just 3 hours after walking in the doors. So for those of you who live in the area, I highly recommend Island Hospital if you ever have the unfortunate need for an ER visit.

This was Asher after he woke up at 10 AM this morning (I think the tylenol with codeine might have had something to do with that), his arm all snug in his jammies, eating breakfast with his left hand. He just might have to stay in zip-up PJs for 4 weeks.

A moral to this story...never be afraid to demand better care for your children or any family member. Hospitals are businesses too and they don't want to see their "customers" chased away by bad employees. So speak up if something does not feel right and give them the opportunity to fix the situation. And just like any other business, if things are not handled appropriately, take your business elsewhere. Oh, and one more thing, don't forget to be kind and rational as you employ these guidelines as that is key to getting things done quickly!

Farewell Kindergarten

2008-06-19T00:08:00.000-07:00

Today was Halle's last day of Kindergarten, and I'm pretty sure it was just last week that I was blogging her FIRST day of Kindergarten. It's crazy to think of how much she has learned about getting around in the world in a matter of months. I'm so proud of her for being an awesome student and kind friend!

Here's Halle and one of her besty friends, Luke. We carpool with Luke and if ever he missed a day of school and Halle had to walk from the car onto the school grounds by herself, she was a very sad and emotional girl. I'm excited to see what great friends they'll be in the coming years. After all, Luke says he's going to marry Halle!

Today was also the Kindergarten music program. It was so fun to watch the kids perform all of their favorites with such pride! I've included a video of MY favorite that makes me cry every time I hear it. Grandma Soptich was able to come to the program too and it's no wonder why I get so emotional sometimes :) (Sorry the video is a little small. I was just proud of myself for figuring out how to put a video on using Mac!)

Halle giving Ms. Hanson-Walker just one more hug

(also pictured, Maddison A.)

Last week, the kindergarten classes were supposed to go on a field trip to a local park for their Field Day. However, when we arrived a school, ready for the adventure regardless of the crappy weather, the kids were very disappointed to find the trip had been cancelled (more than a few tears were shed). I'm pretty sure they were all most excited about the bus ride. Anyway, the teachers did their best to make the most of the day, including some field day events under the playground shelter. We started the outdoor events with a treat of course.

Halle rocked at the belly-ball relay! She put the boys to shame. Here she is with cute Luke again.

There's nothing to it!

The YaYa turns 2

2008-06-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

Last week was Asher's 2nd birthday so we invited LOTS of family and a few friends to help us celebrate. The weather had been really wet all week and the day of our party was to be the same. That morning I prayed for a little break from the rain during our celebration, but was prepared to have 35+ people in our house for the festivities. Around 3 PM, Mike said, "Is that the sun I see?" Sure enough the clouds parted and we were able to have our entire party in our backyard! At one point, I looked up in the sky and could not spot one single cloud, only blue as far as the eye could see. We enjoyed a BBQ, birthday cake and ice cream and awesome company! Then no joke, just as our last guest was leaving the blue sky began to disappear and there were some mean looking dark grey clouds on the horizon. Now who would dare say that Heavenly Father doesn't hear our prayers...even in the case of a 2 year-old's birthday party and his mother's sanity?

The kiddos right before Asher unveiled his birthday gift

Cousin Jo, the birthday boy and our friend Luke

The cousin table (Haven, Jake, Parker and Kaden)

Aunt Sar, Uncle Danny, Aunt Amanda, Uncle Kyle, Aunt Ciera, Grandpa Lemme, Uncle J, and cousin Brin in the highchair

The "plair plane" cake and cupcakes. What did people do before they could surf the internet for party ideas?

Focus

Asher checking out his new "cracks" (aka geotrax)! Notice the sunlight in this picture...I'm telling you it was amazing.

Asher loves the Hallmark musical cards. Can you tell by the look on his face?

Joanna, and crazy Aunt Tammie (my mom's youngest sister) and Aunt "Thar" as Asher calls her

The kids thoroughly enjoying Asher's birthday gift

Grandma Barrett taking Asher and Rylin for a wagon ride

This picture cracked me up. It was if Jeremy, Kyle and Rob were standing guard.

The following are just some funny pictures of Asher. I really can't believe his is two already. He is such a sweet and polite boy. After he opened each of his gifts, he repeatedly thanked the person who gave it to him. I love his mischievous smile, blue eyes and squishy legs.

Happy Birthday Asher

Asher at 6 days old

Farewell PC

2008-06-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

Our PC has acted up off and on ever since we bought it. Blogging has been a real pain lately with such a slow and unpredictable computer. Anyway, last night we bit the big one and purchased an iMac. I'm pretty excited, but feeling a little crippled as I can't seem to navigate around so well yet. So don't give up on me. I'm excited to do some back blogging once I learn how to find my pictures and work the mouse for that matter!

Rest Assured Everyone

2008-05-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

Before...

After...

We'd like to send a special shout out to our friend (and new home teacher) at Island ChemDry, Dan! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Also, to another friend, Mr. Clean and his magic eraser. I think with a coat of paint we'll be good as new.

Sun and Buns

2008-05-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we had amazing weather in western Washington last weekend, with temperatures in the high 70s! It was fabulous. After telling the kids "No, we're not going to fill up the pool," more than a few times, we decided the sprinkler was a good compromise. So they donned their suits and sunscreen and headed out back for some fun in the sun.

Our friend, Kara

I simply could not resist comparing bottoms in this picture. Kara was wearing Halle's new swimsuit, which she obviously has a little extra room in. Haven on the other hand, never has extra room when it comes to anything that will cover her buns!

I think Haven's buns are one of her best features! I dedicate this picture to my friend Debbie, who whenever she says Haven's name, she follows it with, "she has the best buns," while making squishing motions with her hands. I hope this picture brings a smile to her face!

Ingredients for fun... sun, friends, and water

P.S. When Haven first tried on her new suit she said the top, triangle part was like mine (I think she was referring to my bra) because it covers her "nibbles." Gotta make sure those nibbles are covered :)

Two Little Monkeys and Some Markers

2008-05-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

The following is what an Asher monkey and a Kaden monkey can do with some Mr. Sketch markers in what Mike claims was only 10 minutes. Note to self, Asher and Kaden are only allowed to play alone upstairs if they are locked in Asher's room!

One last thing, all of this happened while I was at a softball tournament. Mike actually took the time to take all the pictures. Thinking like a true blogger I tell ya!

Caught green handed!

The proud artist

Kaden's colorful feet

Notice the color of the bath water

The damage...

So every time I check my blog to see what all of you have to say, Asher gasps in horror when he sees the pictures, as if he didn't have anything to do with it. Then when I look at him and ask if he did it, he tilts his head down and says no, doing his best to contain his smile. I'm in big trouble!

With the boys away, the girls did play!

2008-05-19T16:43:00.001-07:00

Mike took Asher to visit Grandma Bauer in Arizona for her 81 st birthday a couple weeks ago. When I told the girls that Daddy was going to take Asher and that we were going to have a lot of fun while they were gone, Halle's response was, "you mean like a grownup girls weekend without kids?" After a good laugh the girls started to list all kinds of fun things we could do without kids (Asher). Our weekend included a trip to the Science Center, dinner at Red Robin and a movie night. Needless to say, it was a exciting AND exhausting weekend.

Mike and Asher had a ton of fun in AZ as well. They spent time in the pool (since it was in the 90s during their visit), fed the birds in grandmas backyard, made grandma a birthday cake and went out to dinner to celebrate. They also got to spend time with Mike's uncle, Tom and his son Justice. Asher loved to the airplanes at the airport, but didn't especially appreciate the ride.

Haven taking a little snooze during our 3D IMAX show

The girls playing a rousing game of 3D Tic Tac Toe

Having a little fun with the big mirror

Asher playing cards with Grandma Bauer

Mike learning the art of pizzelle making

Happy Birthday Grandma!

These trips are never long enough, we'll miss you Grandma

"Plaplanes"

Go M's

Haven doesn't appreciate having sticky fingers
(I wonder who she gets that from)

Asher did what all of us wanted to do after such a fun weekend

Perfect Pushup

2008-05-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

I purchased the Perfect Pushup thingys at Costco last weekend. I busted them out of the box today and thought I'd give them a try. Asher and Haven took a turn after me, and unfortunately I think we all have similar form. So although I'm not on the video, I'm pretty sure you can imagine what I look like after watching Asher and Haven.

Holland Happening

2008-04-28T09:58:00.001-07:00

Holland Happening is Oak Harbor's celebration of it's Dutch heritage. There's a parade, a sketchy carnival and craft booths etc. Our family has been attending the festivities for over 20 years! Anyway, when Mike and I were in the process of buying our business we thought it would be fun to walk in the parade as an alternative marketing strategy. So on Saturday we gathered a small gang to help us in our efforts. We passed out custom tattoos and pens that we had made just for the parade. Both the tattoos and pens were a hit with the crowd (remember it would be just wrong for the dentist to pass out candy)!

Danny and Sarah let us borrow their new truck for the parade.

The adults wore our softball team jerseys, which I thought looked pretty snazzy. We are sponsoring a coed city league softball team appropriately named the "K9s" that Sarah, Amanda and I are playing on.

Here's the buckets of our goods! Note to self, buy twice as many handouts for the 4th of July parade.

This was Asher's parade outfit. I just wanted to squish him because he looked so darn cute. His t-shirt says "My Dad is the Big Kahuna"

Later in the afternoon Asher was in the backyard playing. It always cracks me up when I find him sharing the bench with the statue of the little boy. I love how he has his hand on the boys knee.

Saturday is date night and we rotate babysitting with my siblings. I must have cuddled like this with the babies, who are not such babies anymore, for a good half hour. I can't get enough of how much they love each other. They are constantly exchanging hugs and kisses.
(From left to right, Brinlee, Rylin and Asher.)

Let's Make a Deal

2008-04-14T00:05:00.000-07:00

So my sweet, handsome, strong, intelligent and thoughtful husband struggles with getting home on time (I know this is nothing new for most husbands), and his lovely wife doesn't have a lot of tolerance for this problem. Everyday, I ask Mike what time I can expect him home, and I get a little crazy (OK a lot) when he is not home when he says he will be. He claims I don't understand how busy things get and that I'm insensitive to all he has to do. I remind him that all I ask is that he calls (or has one of his assistants call) before he's already late, to let me know he's running behind. My family all thinks I'm way to hard on the poor guy, and his mom thinks it's genetic and that I'm better off just letting it go. BUT I REFUSE! Keep in mind, I don't tell Mike when to be home, that's his job. So we, OK it was my idea, but he agreed, on a little wager to help with this issue. You might want to try it out yourself. Here's the deal: Mike tells me when I can expect him home, leaving himself a little wiggle room. If he is not home on time, and did not call at least 30 minutes before he was supposed to be home to let me know he's running late, he owes me $100. I know this might sound a little harsh, but the goal is to improve communication, and I'd really rather have him home than take his money. We made this deal on Wednesday, and what do you know, Thursday he was home when he said he would be. Friday, I made $100. We'll see what this week brings.

I should add that I promised I would have dinner ready when he said he'd be home, so there is some incentive, other than a happy wife which should be good enough!

I'll Fly Away, Spring Break 2008

2008-04-06T20:05:00.001-07:00

We just got back from a fabulous spring break vacation with our friends the Yeates! We rented a beach house/cottage in this new beach town called Seabrook which is about 15 miles north of Ocean Shores on the Washington coast. The house was awesome, the company was unbeatable and the scenery was majestic! We played in the sand, flew kites, spent time at the park, played invigorating games of whiffle ball and soccer (grown-ups vs. kids), watched conference and ate a lot of great food. Needless to say, the time flew by and we all shed a tear as our vacation came to a end today.

Our cottage, appropriately named "I'll Fly Away." Soon after we walked in for the first time, Halle shouted, "I love this place, when can I move in?"

After the kids went to bed...(the Wii was really fun on a big screen)

Haven, casually flying a kite

There was a fun park in the middle of the community with awesome fire pits. The wood was all set up (as shown in the picture) just waiting for a flame and some marshmallows!

Henry enjoying the ride! All of the walking paths were made of crushed oyster shells, such a cool touch for a beach town.

Friday was a little rainy, but this picture was taken in the afternoon when the heavens opened inviting us to the beach.

These kinds of scenes just melt your heart.

Justin happened upon a couple of stray puppies on the way home from the beach.

Family movie night at the beach house. We watched Enchanted, which even got two thumbs up from Freddy.

Catherine and I gave each other pedicures. I forgot my soaking tubs, but the sink worked out even better.

Don't forget the paraffin wax dip.

The finished product

Asher fully sustains our new prophet! (We managed to watch 3 sessions of general conference, and the boys even made it to a church building in Ocean Shores to watch the Priesthood session with 12 other men :)

It took a little convincing, but the boys were game for a little pampering too. Don't worry, they didn't give each other pedicures and there was no polish involved.

Next time you go to the dentist, see if his hands are nice and soft. He probably gets paraffin wax hand treatments (j/k).

So even though we've only been home for a few hours, I'm already searching my calendar for a time to go back!

Surprise Spring Break Activity

2008-04-06T19:57:00.001-07:00

We snatched our YW out of bed at 8:30 AM Tuesday morning of their spring break and brought them to my house for doughnuts and a rousing game of general authority trivia. They were so cute as they stumbled in wearing their pjs and worried about their hair. While I know they were looking forward to going back to bed, I think they had a pretty good time.

The fact that our kids were there made it all worth it for Cailey

Brie wasn't afraid to pose for a picture

The whole gang, aren't they stunning?

Asher was especially cuddly with Aunt Ciera

Sweet Bonnie having a good old time with Rylin and Asher

Happy Belated Easter and Haven's Church Giraffes

2008-03-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some snippets from our Easter weekend! You've got to love th semi-sunny day on Saturday and the pouring rain on Sunday. Regardless, I still love Western Washington!

The Fowler's 7th Annual Neighborhood Egg Hunt

Bishop/Grandpa giving cutie Dallin a hard time... hard to believe, I know

The chocolate monster

A little visit from the Easter Bunny

After church

I feel like this picture of Asher, with a mouth full of peeps and drool down his tie, is pretty telling of our Easter Sunday. We had a rough start, but made it to church and really enjoyed the spirit of Easter.

Bundle up for the egg hunt at Grandma and Grandpa Soptich's

Pardon me for "clumping" posts, but it's either now or not for another week at least. Anyway, Haven's favorite sacrament meeting pastime these days is drawing giraffes. I get a real kick out of these masterpieces. It takes her a good 10 minutes to draw all the spots. I also love the little tiny legs. It's really all I can do to get rid of any of the thousands of drawings my children do daily. It's impossible not to smile when admiring a little person's artistic abilities.

The Pioneer Woman

2008-03-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

I happened upon an awesome blog (thanks Jill) that I just have to share! It's The Pioneer Woman Cooks and her personal blog, Confessions of a Pioneer Woman. I have spent way too much time during the past couple days on these blogs, drooling over the recipes and secretly wishing I could runaway to her ranch and cook/bake in her amazing kitchen, eating everything I make without gaining a pound and watching the hunky cowboys in my spare time! Checkout the blog and picture me in the kitchen and Mike as my Marlboro Man (minus the Marlboros of course), with Haven and Asher out rustling cattle (Halle would be with me in the kitchen). I would totally bring all of you a pan of the cinnamon rolls!

So the second part of this post, is a question...Why in the heck do I waste time living vicariously through The Pioneer Woman, neglecting my own "duties" in the process? I swear, I'm looking at my house that needs a serious overhaul, and my children who need a bath and wondering what is wrong with me. It's like I can't make myself do what needs to be done. Mike is seriously considering hiring "help!" Does anyone else have this problem?

Anyway, checkout The Pioneer Woman and let me know what you think. If you knew about her and had not shared, I think you owe me an explanation (j/k). Enjoy!

P.S. I feel like I've been caught in the act...Mike just walked in the door (he doesn't usually come home for lunch on Thursdays), and I'm just finishing my post at 11 AM in my pj's. He promises he loves me anyway!

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

2008-03-16T22:39:00.000-07:00

So I stumbled on this recipe courtesy of Rachel Ray a couple weeks ago, and I think I've made them three times since! We love pancakes at our house for breakfast and dinner, or a snack on the run. So give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.

1 cup old fashioned oats (I blended them in the food processor)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ounces, 1/4 cup, chopped walnuts
3/4 cup sour cream (or applesauce)
3/4 cup whole milk (we use nonfat)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 really ripe bananas, mashed up
3/4 cup raisins (or chocolate chips or neither)
1/2 stick butter, 1/4 cup, melted, plus additional for buttering skillet

Maple syrup or honey, for drizzlingHere's a great tip: if you cannot find really ripe bananas, just nuke them in the microwave for about 15 seconds and they will become super soft for mashing.

Mix dry ingredients, the first 7, in a bowl. In a another bowl, mix the wet ingredients, the next 4. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined, then fold in the mashed up bananas and the raisins. Stir in the melted butter.

Heat a griddle over medium heat and brush with additional melted butter. Cook pancakes, each about 1/3 cup, until bubbles form on the top, then turn. Cakes will cook in about 2 minutes on each side. Keep pancakes tented with foil as they come off the griddle to keep them hot. Serve with drizzled honey or maple syrup over the top.

Just a little tidbit... In my quest to eat healthier, I visit a great website called nutritiondata.com. You can look up any food, and input recipes and this site will give you complete nutrition facts. According to nutritiondata.com three of these pancakes have 6 grams of fiber and 12 grams of protein. I think they make a filling, healthy AND most importantly, tasty, meal!

Alive and Kicking

2008-03-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

So don't have a heart attack, but I've finally gotten around to some back blogging. I'm not sure where the time goes. I think there is a correlation between when I started walking at 6 AM and going to bed around 11 PM (so that I could walk at 6) and my lack of posts. The exercise comes at the expense of my productive hours between 11 PM and 2 AM. Enough excuses, pretty please just don't give up on me.

A Build-A-Bear Birthday

2008-03-09T22:40:00.000-07:00

Halle's birthday wish was to go to Build-A-Bear with Bailee and Gracie! I thought this was a great alternative to a party with 15 kindergarteners. So we met up at the Alderwood store where the fun began. After about 30 minutes of deliberation over what items to choose to get the most with their Build-A-Bear allowance, the girls had picked their pet and accessories. Then it was time to stuff, make a wish for the birthday girl, give their pets a bath, and dress them up in their new duds. The girls had a blast and it was painless for the grownups!

Birthday wishes from the girls that were tucked away in Halle's bear, "Emilee"

Scrub a dub dub, a bear, a puppy, a poodle and a husky in the tub

Haven and "Sarah", Bailee and "Rose-spot", Halle and "Emilee", and Gracie and her fairy pup!

Getting all official

They walked around like they owned the place!

"Happy birthday to you, cha cha cha" at Cold Stone

Tanner, Braden, Asher, Gracie, Halle, Paige, Haven and Bailee

Thanks Jen and Em for making the trek to Lyndwood for our little gathering. Three cheers for Build-A-Bear!

Happy Birthday Mike and Halle

2008-03-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

We kicked off Mike and Halle's birthday week with a family party on Sunday. That meant 20 loved ones at our home for BBQ pork chops with the works. All I can say is, thank goodness for a backyard AND an evening without rain so the kids could go out and play! We celebrated Grandma Barrett's 75th birthday as well, since hers is just 2 days before Mike and Halle's. Grandma and Mike shared a cake this time and Mike blew out the candles before Grandma got a chance (I think she was hesitant, because she was worried she would spit out her teeth as she blew). We love you grandma Barrett!

Jenna (one of my rock star laurels) left Mike and Halle a special chalk message the morning of their birthday, and...

a special poster and gift!

I love this picture because it is a perfect representation of how the girls felt at each other's birthday. When will they be able to let the other have their special day without feeling gypped?

The aftermath of the time it takes to light 29 + 6 candles! Don't worry, Mike's key lime cheesecake was not affected by all the wax...yummy.

Halle and Her Beanstalk

2008-03-09T22:37:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of February, Halle came home with a few beans for her school's "Great Bean Growing Contest," which would commence at the science fair on March 6th. After a few days, worried that we would be behind, Mike helped her plant her beans and the experiment began. It seemed as if the bean plant was dealing with winter blues due to the lack of sunlight so Mike put the cup directly under our desk lamp. And in the words of Junie B. Jones, wowie wow wow, our bean plant grew inches before our eyes! Needless to say, it made for a great FHE, and brought life the the Jack and the Beanstalk story.

Last week, was the science fair and all of us were excited to see all the bean plants and how Halle's plant faired. We must have been given magical beans like Jack, because very few of the plants even compared. If it weren't for the fact that everyone is a winner in elementary school, I think Halle's plant would have placed in the top two!

The proud, and nervous, bean grower

Halle's plant is the one with the tag. I think the one on the white pole was our only real competition.

The Boy and His Boots

2008-03-09T22:11:00.001-07:00

Mike mentioned in his post that Asher loves his boots. It's the truth, he wears them all day, everyday, unless I insist otherwise. I got a kick out of this moment the other day when Asher was trying to get his boots on. He hasn't figured out how to put his boots on while sitting down. He always has to step into them. In this case, he had placed the boots a little too far from the couch and couldn't reach them without letting go of the couch.

Asher is growing so fast. He seems like such a big boy these days. His vocabulary is growing daily, consisting of "es please (yes please), ok, paci, blankly, outside, bampa (grandpa), ay plane (air plane), shoes and the latest, train." All "s" and "pl" words sound like you might be spit upon when he says it. Before last week, Asher always called Mike mama. For some reason, he has started calling him "Ga." I think Mike is just grateful to be called something other than mama. He is Mr. Destructo and the first to dump any bin or basket he can reach. If he wasn't so cute, he'd be in big trouble!

Missing In Action

2008-02-29T22:54:00.000-08:00

Crystal has been too busy doing other things to update her blog, so I am taking the controls for this flight. We went to deception pass on Monday for FHE. Crystal went to Issaquah on Thursday to see some of our old friends & do some stamping. Tonight was date night and we saw Vantage Point. It was pretty intense, I especially liked the chase scene because the cars were invincible, and amazingly enough, no pedestrians were injured. Well, I guess that's it. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Asher and Henry

Crystal and Catherine

Halle took this one, I think she was going impressionistic here

You'll never see another one like it...

Asher loves his boots, give the guy a break

Happy Belated President's Day

2008-02-20T13:46:00.001-08:00

I took the kids to the beach on Monday to enjoy the sun and sea (something we don't do often enough). We were equipped with a few rubbermaid containers, plastic spoons, coats, crocs and the camera and we were set! The kids had a ball digging in the sand, throwing rocks (we only had a couple close calls) and playing in, on and with the drift wood. I'm hoping this post will spark some jealously so all of you will plan a visit in the near future!

"That one's too big Asher!"

My little Halle monkey

A terrified Haven who had intended to climb "all the way to the top"

We concluded our President's Day at Dustin and Ciera's for a hot dog and marshmallow roast. Dustin had a rip-roaring fire going and had pulled his tractor up so we could put the food in the bucket, who needs a picnic table when you have a John Deer!

If you click on the picture to enlarge it you can tell just how hot the fire was.

One other highlight of our day was when Jenna (0ne of my laurels) brought me "Happy President's Day Treats," being that I am her Young Women President. I felt so loved. Thanks Jenna!

The Puppy Party

2008-02-14T15:12:00.000-08:00

Last week was Haven's 4th birthday so we invited some friends and family over for a puppy party. The kids decorated puppy ears and a collar and Mike painted their faces. Then we played a couple rousing rounds of Trainer Says (the dog version of Simon Says) and hunted for dog bones (sugar cookies). This was the perfect party for Haven and I loved how all of the kids really played up their puppy role!

The Birthday Puppy

Rylin didn't really appreciate her puppy ears

Joy is admiring her painted puppy face!

Such obedient puppies

We served puppy chow and brownie bones in dog bowls

All of the puppies were so excited about the presents!

Mike painted this cute dog house for our front door, so we had to take pictures of all of our puppy guests... first up, Asher and Brinlee

Dallin and Kara

Joy helping Paul keep his ears up

Kaden and Parker (who is howling)

and Frances

I have to give a shout out to Family Fun magazine for the brilliant idea of a puppy party!

The Woman's Trip (as Haven called it)

2008-02-04T22:20:00.001-08:00

For Christmas, my mom gave all of us girls a one night getaway. So on Friday, we left OH around 2 PM and headed north to Lynden. We stayed at a cozy condo on a beautiful golf course (I can't remember what it is called) and had a grand old time. We shopped, ate dinner at Red Robin, and then hung out in the hot tub for almost 2 hours. Then we retired to our "Sports Cabana" and started a movie, complete with all the necessary sweets. On Saturday we did a little more shopping, ate lunch at the Olive Garden, got a pedicure or manicure, saw 27 Dresses, did a little more shopping and then finished off the evening at Red Robin for Mile-High-Mudpie. It was fantastic!

Amanda sporting her swimsuit and winter parka as we headed out door for the hot tub.

Ciera, in her fabulous towel turban.

Ciera, Sarah and Amanda waiting in the cold for mom to checkout so we could take a picture.

The girls (a little blurry, but what can you expect when you hand your camera off to a stranger)

It's become a tradition to get our own piece of mud pie when we're on our girls trip. In years past, our waitress' have made some snide remarks, such as, "you all want your OWN piece...we're going to have to roll all of you out of here!" But this time, our waitress rocked and told us how awesome we were. She is a smart girl!

Thanks Mom, Sarah, Ciera and Amanda for a great weekend!

My Guitar Heros

2008-01-23T22:11:00.001-08:00

Asher got his hands on Uncle Rob's guitar today. If his arm wasn't in the way, you'd see that the strap is twisted a couple times around his neck, which could potentially be a very bad deal. However, I couldn't pass up this Kodak moment. You've got to love his very "special" picture smile. Asher YOU ROCK!

I got my dad to try out the guitar tonight, after much persuasion. He only made it a minute or so before being booted off the stage. I think it was the bishop in him that stifled his inner rocker.

Do you see any resemblance between Asher and my dad? We seem to be hearing a lot of, "He (Asher) is definitely a Soptich."

Haven's Hair Salon

2008-01-23T22:01:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure Haven learned all her hair tricks from her grandma! After I did Haven's hair, Asher really felt like he needed a turn, so I let the two of them have a good old time with a spray bottle and comb. Asher sat so still for Haven even though his shirt was drenched from her use of the spray bottle at point blank range! I think these pictures will definitely be placed in the blackmail file! Cousin Rylin's necklaces were a nice touch as well. Oh Asher...

The perfect part

Serious concentration

The satisfied customer!

Talented Toes

2008-01-23T21:54:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, I happened upon Haven under the dining room table with a fatty marker between her toes and her coloring book. She really is nuts! These pictures were taken after I relocated her off the carpet and onto the linoleum. I figured it was safer, until I had a better understanding of just how talented she was!

Uncle J Came Over to Play!

2008-01-23T21:48:00.001-08:00

My brother Jeremy came over tonight and brought the fixin's for french toast and sausage for dinner. The best part was that he played in the back yard, even in the freezing temperatures, with my children for a good 45 minutes! We love you Uncle J.

Personality

2008-01-13T20:14:00.001-08:00

You Are An ESFJ

The Caregiver

You are sympathetic and caring, putting friends and family first.
A creature of habit, you prefer routines and have trouble with change.
You love being in groups - whether you're helping people or working on a project.
You are good at listening, laughing, and bringing out the best in people.

In love, you value harmony and mutual understanding.
You will apologize or give someone the benefit of the doubt, if it means getting over a fight sooner.

At work, you are good at building relationships and connecting with people.
You would make a great nurse, social worker, or teacher.

How you see yourself: Organized, dependable, co-operative

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Opinionated, critical, and know-it-all

What's Your Personality Type?

I saw this on Kristi's blog and had to check it out. I think it is pretty right on! What do you think?