Birthday Bash

I can't believe another year has gone by. A five year old, a three year old and a one year old. WOW. The girls have birthdays close together (Nov 20 & 29) so they shared a party. They had fun with bingo, music, balloons, cake and ice cream, and most of all...a pinata.


I made this cake myself. I had fun doing it. It is no prize winner, but the girls were happy so I was too.

We went pretty minimal this year. I think I will always go minimal from now on. The girls opened their two gifts each (both things that they needed) on their birthdays. Kaitlynn got clothes and she was dying for a battery toothbrush and her own toothpaste...she was extatic!

Aubrey got a comforter for her bed, some tights, and the toothbrush/toothpaste combo. She was so excited that her bedspread had Ariel I thought she might pass out. The had really great birthdays.

Fall

I want to start out by saying I LOVE FALL!! It is by far my favorite time of year as far as weather and scenery are concerned. I love the feel of the air, the colors in the trees, the smell of fires in the fireplace, the anticipation for the holidays, the pumpkin patch visits, Halloween. It is all so wonderful.

Well, I haven't posted for a very long time. Instead of trying to do individual posts of what we have been up to I am just going to say we have been having a lot of fun. We went camping a rafting down the Teiton River with one of Wyatt's brothers for a weekend (can I just say I love that family), we had Wyatt's grandma Sweeney for a couple of days(such a fun lady), Kaitlynn started preschool (she is growing so fast), Logan is Walking(crazy kid thinks he is so big), We are making a TON of progress in the yard and a LITTLE progress in the house, we went to two fun pumpkin pathes and painted some great pumpkins, and just a a lot of fun and craziness!!

I seem to lose things VERY quickly these days. My wedding ring is currently MIA, I am so heartbroken about it too. I don't even remember taking it off. ANd I just tried to find the cord to hook the computer to the camera and I can't find it either. SO I will put up a bunch of pictures as soon as it is located.

The boy is a year old!!

So Sunday was Logan's first birthday. We didn't have a big shindig. Jaron (older brother) and his family came to our house for dinner and cake. The boy (as we call him) got his own HUGE piece of cake. He was a bit timid at first, but after a few minutes he was all for it. He is so dang cute and we sure do love him.

A bit late, but Memorial Day Weekend

Over Memorial Day Weekend Brian and Melinda (Bro and Sis-in-law)and their family came over from Spokane to visit. We had a great and busy weekend. We drove all over Western Washington and Northwest Oregon seeing the sites. Little did I know that the weekend was going to be full of "Twilight" stuff. Bekah is it to the book and movie series and so is Melinda and Brianna (niece). I will hold most of my sarcasm in for this post, but I do not see what is cool about the whole thing. Bekah I am sorry I just had to get that in there. The movie was filmed right around home. So below you should easily be able to see that recurring theme in the pictures. We had a great weekend and are very glad the the some of our family come for a quick visit.

On the first day we just had to make a trip to see Forks, WA. The 8 hour drive seemed like a quick leisurely drive to get this picture. It took a while, but driving the Olympia Peninsula was cool. It is really a pretty area.




Okay fine, we didn't drive 8 hours to just get the picture of Forks. We went to the Sequim (skwim) Animal Preserve (aka zoo). This was by far the best zoo I have been too. You sit on your can in the car and the animals come to you. We had a few close encounters while there. The drivers side door of the truck still has Yak slobber all over it, and Logan about got eaten by a full size Buffalo. Other than the bears, tigers, lions and a few other animals there was nothing between you and the animals. As you can see in the photo below the bears will do all sorts of tricks to get food. I will say the Sequim is an awesome town. Absolutely beautiful. It also gets about half the rain the the rest of the Pacific Northwest gets because of where it is situated on the Olympic Peninsula. Nice town, highly recommend it.



On our way from the Zoo to Forks. We drove through Port Angeles. A portion of the Twilight movie/book is based there.





All of the school scenes from the movie were filmed at Kalama High School. This is about 20 minutes from our house. I believe the picture below is one of the same shots as in the movie. Just think girls the dreamy Edward Cullen walked up those steps and so did I. OH MY GOSH THAT IS SO COOL.



We also went to the beach. It was too cold to play in the ocean, but that didn't stop Kaitlynn and Aubrey. The entire walk/run from the car to the water Aubrey yelled "BEACH". She was really happy to see the water. She wasn't as happy when she was cold, wet and had sand in her diaper. Serious discomfort!
So we went to an indoor Aquatics Center in Astoria, OR and had a great time there. On the way Kaitlynn took the skirt to her swimsuit and put it on her head. Trying to look like Mother Teresa. She needs a bit of work to act like her though. one day she will get there.



Last, but certainly not least we went to Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge. It apparently was also in the movie. It is an awesome waterfall. If you are up to it and not rollie, pollie, ollie like me you can hike to the top. I passed on that.



We had a fun time. We also went to the Ape Caves which are lava flow tubes underground from when Mt. St. Helen's erupted. You can go down inside and walk through them. Aubrey liked it for the most part, Kaitlynn cried and Logan slept. Sorry no pictures of that adventure though.
So when any of you are up for a good time we have all sorts of cool things to do around here.

Good Times, Good Times!!

Okay so Bek and the kids left me for a few weeks, so I am flying' solo for a while. Out of pretty much pure boredom I thought I would put up a new post because it has been a while. Pathetic, they have been gone for two days and I am already this bored. This is really going to SUCK! I can't believe I miss the chaos that is life. Anyway here are a few pictures of fun things that have happened over the last month.

So Logan is a big boy and is taking his bath in the big kid tub. YES, that is really the color of our tub. AWESOME.



For some reason over the last little while Aubrey has been sneaking out of her bed after Kaitlynn falls asleep and crawling into bed with her. Then sometime during the night she wakes up and goes back to her bed. We are pretty sure she sleep walks. She has scared the crap out of me a couple of time by coming right up to the side of our bed as we are sleeping and standing there. I fly out of bed because I sense there is something there or Bekah is beating me because she can hear something, and Aubrey will just be standing there. Yeah, it is a bit creepy, but I love her.



Kaitlynn just finished her school year at preschool. This picture is her with Teacher Tammy. She thinks Teacher Tammy walks on water. She was so bummed that school had to stop for a few months for summer. Tammy is a great teacher and we are lucky that she will be Kaitlynn's teacher for another year.



Logan is a speed demon these days. He motors all over the place on those poor bruised knees of his. It is funny to watch him follow the girls around the house. They leave the play room and a couple of seconds later here he comes behind them. Just as he makes it across the hard wood floor they pass him going the other direction. He doesn't miss a beat and turns around and heads on back. He is pulling himself up on everything and a couple of times we have caught him standing with no support. It won't take him long and he will be walking. OH CRAP!!




I will save a few other pictures for another post. Memorial Day weekend will be the next one.

An evening in the park

Last week we had a few beautiful days here in Longview. We took advantage of one sunny evening and had my dear friend Pam take pictures of our family. The pictures were taken at Lake Sacajawea. It is a man made lake in the middle of town and the whole town is built around it. One of the areas is a Japanese garden island. That is where we went on this beautiful evening. Pam did a great job and there were a lot of great pictures so bear with me here.

Another update

Just a little update...Logan had two eye doctor appointments at Casey eye intitute on Tuesday. This is what they said:

Dr. Stout, his vision doctor (a Pediatric Ophthalmologist) said that his vision doesn't seem to have deteriorated since she last checked him (about 1.5 months ago). Unfortunately his left eye is substancially worse than his right and seems to be getting more lazy. So, we now have to patch his right eye for an hour a day. I know that doesn't seem like too long, but he doesn't like it one bit and fights me for the whole time. I happened to coax a smile out of him for a picutre...what a good little boy. I just LOVE him. He usually ends up falling asleep then I have to leave it on longer or put it on again because it doesn't do anything to strengthen his left eye if he is sleeping and not using it. She also said that she wants to check his vision when he is under anesthesia because she can get a more accurate read on the actual vision. She will be out of town for the one on the 27th, but she will be here for the following one. At that time she will find a prescription for glasses...depending on the numbers she gets Logan may or may not be getting glasses within the next few months.

Dr. Edumnds, his glaucoma doctor (a Pediatric Glaucoma Specialist) said that he LOOKS okay (the looks of his eyes has fooled us before though). She doesn't even try to use the tono-pen (the instrument used to "tap" on his eye to test the pressure) anymore because he will have to see her the rest of his life and she doesn't want hime to associate her with pain and struggles. I agree, I hope that he will see her as a friend who will help him, not someone who tortures him. Anyway, she felt his eyes and got a tactile feeling that his left eye still has high pressures. She didn't say much at all about the right eye so lets hope it is still okay.

SO, we take him back in on the 27th for his next EUA (exam under anesthesia) and needling. We are postponing tubes for now and are hoping to avoid it all together. What a sweetie pie he is though...just a little trooper. I sure love him even though he has caused me lots of migranes the last six months.

The girls are doing great. Kaitlynn is at preschool right now and Aubrey is playing with the Little People farm and castle without having to fight for the best toys. It is a win-win...Kaitlynn loves being at school and Aubrey loves Kaitlynn being at school. Of course by the end of the three hours they miss eachother and can't wait to see eachother. It is really fun to have them so close (in age and to eachother). They really are best friends.



Wyatt's birthday is on Sunday and had a GREAT plan for the weekend, but it isn't going to go exactly how I had imagined. I will have to come up with some other brilliant ideas quickly!!

Anyway, that's all for now. Take care!!

SUN!!!

This weekend was beautiful!! The sun was shining, it was warm, my mom was here, everything was GREAT!! I think I really was needing the sun. Don't get me wrong, so far I haven't been minding the rain, but I think maybe somewhere deep down I was needing some sun and some time outside. We had a VERY productive weekend. We decided to make our garden bigger. So Wyatt tore out a few more Rhododendrons and added about 8 feet to the garden area. After pulling out about a couple hundred rocks and countless roots, we dug the furrows, then planted our broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, peas, carrots, and lettuce. I am really hoping I am not too early on some of them. I will have to watch the weather and make sure I get them covered if it frosts over.


We also got the trampoline up...finally. The girls had a blast and I have never seen so much static in two heads of hair in my life. WOW. It was like afro's of strait hair.


Other than that I got a wall painted and we got the big TV hung, we watched conference, we fed the missionaries, Wyatt got the lawn furniture put together, the girls played in the dirt and climbed trees. WHAT A GREAT WEEKEND. I am feeling much better about life now. I am sure that it is partially because of the sun, partially the productivity, and partially from watching conference.


I love spring. Everything feels new and uplifting. I was really needing that.

Conflictions

I don't know how to say how I am feeling right now. Is it possible to be inspired and depressed at the same time? I want to laugh and cry, sleep and play, smile and scowl all at once. I am conflicted to say the least.I know that my trials are small compared to many, but at times I feel overwhelmed, like at any moment I might crack and lose the ounce of control I am holding on to. I really do want to keep my ounce.

I can pinpoint at least part of the reason I am so emotional. I am feeling sleep deprived from taking care of an 8 month old who has NEVER slept through the night. Not only has he not slept through the night, it is not uncommon for him to be up 3-4 times a night. Probably 13 out of 14 nights he is up at least twice.

Kaitlynn and Aubrey are typical 4 and 2 year olds...fighting, getting hurt, yelling, crying, making messes. At least they do them all together and keep each other entertained. Aubrey is almost 2 and a half and has NO interest in keeping a diaper on, but also NO interest in using the toilet.

What I must say is that I am grateful to be a mom. At times that is the exact thing that is making me crazy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I LOVE MY KIDS. It is so great to see them growing and becoming little grown-ups. It is interesting to see them making connections in the world on their own, without having to explaine every little detail. It makes me feel so happy to feel thier love when my girls ask for "one more kiss" before bed or when Logan cries out when I leave a room because he misses me. I just know my life wouldn't be whole without all of them. I am so blessed.

Also, I am SO in love with my husband. I never thought I would be blessed enough to have a loving, devoted husband. I love that he supports us without complaint...not only does he not complain about having to go to work, he takes pride in providing our family with the things we need. He looks forward to coming home to be with us at the end of the day and he loves spending time with us. I love that he loves me...that is something I hope I will never take for granted.

I know that this post is so drastically different from our others. Thanks for being patient with me while I try to work through some of the emotions that are bubbling to the surface. I have decided to try harder to be a great wife, a loving mother, a trustworthy friend, a true disciple of Christ, an organized RS Secretary, a diligent preparedness group coordinator, a friendlier neighbor, a busier person in general. Most of all, the wife, mother and disciple roles are the ones I WILL IMPROVE. The time has come for me to stop being a fence sitter and be more of an active member of my family and our Heavenly Father's family. I love you all.

Earrings

I have a great friend named Pamela. She is so talented. One of her MANY talents is that she hand makes jewlery. She recently gave me a gift and I have to show them off. She gave me this pair of REALLY cute earrings. I absolutely love them. They are called falling rain.



She has a shop on Etsy.com. The link to her shop is:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5311389

She also has a blog where she posts craft ideas, recipes, and fun activities to do with kids. The link is:
http://pamelasusan.typepad.com/pamela_susanup_close_pers/

You really should check out her sites.

Thanks for the earrings Pam. I love them.

So over the last few weeks Bekah and the girls have been getting started on a garden. If you look in our kitchen it looks like we are growin weed because we have these makeshift seedling lights setup with plant trays underneath. If the government is reading this I promise there is nothing illegal being grown in our home, unless Bek is making an attempt to pay of some medical bills. So here are a few pictures of them planting.

Have to thank Pam for taking the pics.





This is our weed garden.SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!




Kaitlynn loved getting in and getting her hands dirty. She will be great help with the garden (until it comes time to work).







Burz doesn't really have the patience to sit and plant. She is a cazy woman.




This is the boy just chillin!

Boring!!

Sorry, no pictures, I just wanted to get on here and give a little update. Everyone is doing well. No new stitches for Aubrey. I hope we are over that phase for a long time. We have all had colds though for about two weeks now. It is getting old. I am ready to be done with them. The girls got it first and are pretty much over it so hopefully we can see the end coming.

Logan was supposed to have a surgery on Monday but we had to cancel because of the cold. He got it pretty bad. He lost and his voice and everything. He is now on an antibiotic for an ear infection, motrin for the headaches, two different inhalers (one steroid and one anti-inflamatory), and his eye drops. Poor kid. His pediatrition said he will stay on the steroid inhaler indefinately because he gets intabated so much that his lungs are likely so become irritated and such.

Wyatt has gotten a lot of work done around here. He went to the cannery for us today and did some of our food storage. What a good man he is. He then came home and worked on our wood flooring some. Thanks mom and dad for coming to help us today...we REALLY appreciate you.

Wyatt is a little upset with me though. I figured out where I wanted my garden to go so he went out and removed the bushes and trees and such. Then he went and tilled it and all that jazz. Then as watched the spot over the next few days I decided that I wanted to move the spot to a different place. He was not a happy guy. He is such a great guy that he will move it for me. I am so lucky to have such an understanding husband. He is so handy and talented. I love you honey!!

Anyway, enough of that lovey dovey crap. We are good. Life is good. Logan is scheduled for surgery on the 23rd. We will let you know how it goes. Take care everyone!!

Big Boy

Logan is growing up so fast. We pulled out the high chair yesterday. He looks so tiny in it. He sure loves it though. Doesn't he just look adorable???