Wandurrings

Christmas Decorating

2011-12-08T14:10:00.001-08:00

Finding a Christmas Tree

2011-12-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

We will get back to chopping our own tree down, but this year it made sense to pick it up at a lot on our way home from Cannon Beach.

Thanksgiving at Cannon Beach

2011-12-08T13:41:00.001-08:00

Jeremy's parents rented a house right on the ocean in Cannon Beach for the Thanksgiving weekend. We had a fabulous trip. The weather cooperated perfectly - being very stormy when we wanted to be inside and clearing up right when we'd want to be outside. Thanksgiving dinner was, thanks to Lori, amazing. She brought everything to make all of the fixings. After the meal, the storm clouds rolled away and we were able to spend some time on the beach chasing the waves and flying kites. We had a nice morning where we were able to go into town to go through the shops, visit the candy store (a child's dream...well, mine too) and enjoy the delicious pizza in town. The rest of the weekend was filled with games, movies, hanging out and a trip to the Tillimook factory for cheese tasters, lunch and ice cream. IT was so fun to hunker down and just be together.

The Party for the One Year Old

2011-12-08T13:31:00.000-08:00

To celebrate our little man's first birthday, we invited the family over for our "Frogs, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails" party. It was a fun celebration, and as I looked around the room, I felt blessed that he is surrounded by such wonderful men who can influence him. We generally plant a tree at the first birthday, but the ground was frozen, so we are going to have to wait to do that until the spring.

Corban's Birthday Decor

2011-12-08T13:23:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Craft Day

2011-12-04T19:55:00.001-08:00

I hosted a Thanksgiving craft day where the kids were able to make a turkey craft and a THANKSgiving tree. We also had snacks and the kids watched Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. A bit of madness but a lot of fun.

Dock Walking

2011-12-04T19:52:00.001-08:00

We wanted a picture to blow up onto a canvas and hang in our dining room. This was the vision and final product chosen.

"Drive Thru Latte Shop"

2011-12-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

So much of the girls' play involves make believe. Playing doctor, giving each other "haircuts", hosting birthday parties are a few of their favorites. Recently, they developed their own drive thru coffee shop at their bunk bed latter. Very clever and definitely mimicking real life.

Sister Sister

2011-12-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

These two have such a great relationship.

Dad's 70th Birthday

2011-12-04T19:38:00.001-08:00

As a family, we celebrated the 70 years of my dad's life. There was a lot of laughter as we all told stories, shared memories and toasted this man who has been an amazing husband, dad, grandpa and man. We went to Pasta Fresca where they just bring you food and wine they think you'll enjoy. It was a fabulous way to celebrate.

Seattle Wind Symphony

2011-12-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

I'm so proud of my dad, who in his retirement has started the Seattle Wind Symphony. http://www.seattlewindsymphony.org/ We went to the first concert, and it was amazing. Way to follow your dreams.

Harvest Carnival

2011-12-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

Halloween Breakfast

2011-11-06T15:53:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin pancakes. I think it has to be a new Halloween tradition. Maybe next year I'll even attempt to make them taste like pumpkin.

Corban is 11 months

2011-11-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

Corban turned 11 months on November 20th. Almost one. It's crazy. He continues to light up my life. He has had bouts of fusiness, and I believe it's been over trying to break the next teeth through, which is going to happen any day now. He only has four teeth at the moment. He is all boy - loving to bang on things, hit things, play roughly, express himself in grunts while smiling right along with it all. He sleeps well, eats well and interacts well. He loves to watch how things work - always looking when he hears something interesting happening. He knows how to get around my makeshift ways of keeping kitchen cabinets locked, and he loves to try to "escape" up the stairs or out the front door if the doors are left open. He is walking everywhere, can go up stairs and is learning to go backward back down them. He is social and loves his sisters. They often greet him when he wakes, but if they are not there, he constantly looks around toward any move to find them. Abby, especially, loves to pick him up and carry him around the house or love tackle him to the ground. He's pretty laid back about it all, but he will let you know if it's annoying him with a sharp scream or cry. He's still got the spikey blonde hair, is short and has quite the baby gut and chunky thighs going on. He went through a small phase of not wanting to be left at the church nursery, but most of all, he will go to anyone. However, he seems to prefer to hang out with the guys, which shows me that he has a good dad. He has his own versions of "all done," "up," "Abby," "mama," "dada," and "uh oh." He seems to be verbal. He loves all electronics and tries to grab at everything - cell phones, remote controls, computers, etc. He loves to dance and has tried to sing along too. What a fun little guy to have aroun.

Jer's Birthday

2011-10-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband turned 33 on October 7th. The day before his birthday I found out he likes yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I was just going to do an ice cream cake since I know how much he loves ice cream. However, with this new discovery, I decided to make him a cake...the day of his birthday...with three kids at my heals. I have never done a cake so fast. This birthday was all about his new IPhone, so I had to do a cake to match. To celebrate we had Thai food and a Wii party with family here. I love this man so much, and I am happy the world was blessed with his presence as he entered the world 33 years ago.

More Cousin Time

2011-10-25T13:54:00.001-07:00

Our nieces are such sweet girls, and in many ways it's easier and more fun to have them here than to not. They are not only playmates for the girls but also huge helpers around the house. The cousins have such a great relationship, and I am excited to see how those relationships continue to develop.

Painting Pumpkins

2011-10-25T13:51:00.001-07:00

After the pumpkin patch, we had fun painting our little pumpkins.

Spooner Farm Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

We were able to watch my nieces while Stacie and Ross were in Germany. One of our activities was to go to Spooner Farms pumpkin patch and corn maze. Pumpkin sling shot is a favorite activity...especially for my husband. We also did the fun corn maze, had some food, and picked out a pumpkin for the kids to go home and paint. It was a fun filled morning.

Movies on the Ceiling

2011-10-18T21:37:00.001-07:00

One of the family activities I really enjoy is movies on the ceiling. Jeremy brings a projector home from work, and we push the couches together to make a bed for us all to lay on to watch the movie. This night it was "Tangled."

Building the Patio

2011-10-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

After

Before

We have wanted a patio ever since we moved in this place. The grass was fine, but to have just a bit extra flat space to have tables and chairs was a dream. Well, now it's a reality thanks to my husband's mad skills and the help of family and friends. We also got a L shaped couch set. It was built on the hottest days of the summer and completed just in time for fall to hit. Next summer? Time to relax.

Puyallup Fair

2011-10-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Our weekends were super busy, so then the question became, "Do I brave the Puyallup Fair all by myself with the three kids." I decided, "Yes." So, off we went one morning, and I am so glad I decided to go. We had so much fun. Wish the camera hadn't died in the middle, but you get the idea. We bought a all you can ride bracelet for the kids, and they took full advantage. Any ride they were allowed on, they went. Abby wanted to go on the rides she wasn't big enough for yet, and she had a smile plastered on her face the whole time. Kenzie was super daring for her age. She kept right up with her sister. Her only hesitancy were the roller coasters. She looked like she wanted off and was going to burst into tears at the end. However, she'd get off and reluctantly say, "That was fun," and she'd go on the next roller coaster that came along. I was with Corban, so I watched them bravely make their way, by themselves, to the top of the BIG yellow slide - dragging their mats behind. They had their first elephant ear (my favorite treat), and loved visiting all the animals. It was a really fun day filled with so many memories.

Swim Lessons

2011-10-17T10:01:00.001-07:00

In September, Abby and Kenzie started swim lessons at Clover Park Pool. They are doing super well. Kenzie has been a lot more hesitant around the water, so to watch her becoming more comfortable and not doing a death grip on whoever is holding her is super encouraging. She's really having fun with it, and that's what I wanted from her at this stage. Abby is having a lot of fun as well. She blew us away by sailing through her first session and graduating to the next level. She now knows how to float on her back and front for ten seconds. Comfortably put her head under water. Torpedo swim with her head under water sometimes unassisted and doing some other unassisted swimming. Once she moved on to the next level she had some hesitancy putting her head under water, saying water was going in her nose. Overall, I am impressed by her skills. It is fun to watch both the girls have fun and progress.

A Couple Cousin Pics

2011-10-17T08:35:00.001-07:00

Pouring Water

2011-10-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Kenzie had been getting into a little trouble lately - getting into lotions, make-up, markers, vaseline, etc. So, a way to combat that has been to provide a lot of tacticle experiences. One of those was to give the kids a bunch of containers to fill, dump and pour. Kept them entertained for quite a while and is a new favorite activity.

The Goofs

2011-10-17T08:25:00.000-07:00