Baby Shower For Elle Sophia

Baseball, baseball, and a little more baseball!

Baseball will be all finished up in the next 3 days, and although it’s been really fun I am looking forward to this season coming to an end.  This year Dylan gained a lot of self-confidence being one of the biggest and oldest boys on the team.  He played with some boys that he had played with before and then a handful of new boys too.  He got to play 3rd base all season and had some incredible plays there! His batting has improved throughout the season, he hit 3 homeruns.

          Summer Bucket List

~Movie Night Brave

~Swimming at Otter Beach & Ice cream

~Grants Pass Dinner& Jet Boat Ride

~Portland Zoo

~Picnic in the park

~Emeralds Baseball Game

~Go play at the beach

~Air and Space Museum

~Movies- Madagascar 3

~Hike Mt. Pisgah

~Disneyland, Sea World, and Universal Studios!

~OMSI

~Horse Party

~Talent Show and Smores

The newest addition to the family

We are excited to announce the arrival of our adorable niece Elle Sophia, On May 27, 2012.  She came a little earlier than expected (june 8th), but we were flexible and went with the flow.  We had planned to take a family trip to the zoo on Sunday, well let’s just say Elle didn't want to miss the trip.  She put Katie into labor in the early morning giving Ryan and Kate time to get to the hospital and a couple extra minutes for mom, Hannah, Teri, and I to get there.  Kate pushed through 3 contractions and delivered a very sweet, beautiful, quitet baby girl.  Kate did and amazing job!

Wonderful MOMmies!

So where do I start? It’s been a long time, in fact too long to catch up on all that has happened in-between. I guess I will start with mother’s day, mostly because that’s the last time I got out my camera and got a couple nice pictures. This year we had a beautiful mother’s day, Oregon surprises us every so often with great weather. It was absolutely delightful outside and we were happy to be able to entertain our family outside for the second time this year (Easter was beautiful too). Chris & I are lucky to have both of our moms living close to us. We invited all the siblings over for a dinner, and enjoyed the entertainment of all the little ones.

Our Amazing moms.  They have supported, taught, disciplined, encouraged, and loved us.  We wouldn't be who we are without them!

LOVE YOU BOTH!

I love that I have gotten to see both of my sisters become moms. I was the first mom of us girls, then Hannah and I became moms (me for the second time) together when she had Colton and I, Brooklyn. It was such a fun experience raising babies together.  I loved that we were and still do comparing experiences, sharing advice, ideas, and helping each other when needed. When my youngest sister became a mom my kids were a little older (8 and 6) we were beyond the baby stages, and toddler/preschool years. It was so exciting for our whole family (even though she wasn't our) to have a baby again. It has been so fun to see Kate grow into a wife and mother. She is extremely patient and nurturing, such a good momma. I especially love that my children appreciate her kids and love to love on them. These ladies are just not pretty on the outside they are genuine, smart, funny, flexible, sweet, caring and inspire me to be the best mom and woman I can be. I love you all to pieces, Happy Mother’s Day!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Grandma and Dylan working on another Lego set!  Kids had a great Christmas and were very busy playing with all their new toys!

Brooklyn and Daddy working on the doll house, this project took 3+ hours- no kidding.  I don't know if I felt worse for Chris working so hard on it, or for Brooklyn who was so patient and helping her daddy as much as she could.  They were pretty cute, but next year we are putting in a special request that Santa has the elf assemble all toys!

Admiring the new doll house!

Lego madness!

The finished product, it's taller than Brooklyn!

Hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season!  We were very blessed to spend time with all our very large extended family this Christmas, it was a very fun time.

THE NUTCRACKER

I have been to this ballet many times and last year thought that the kids would be old enough to watch it.  So I ordered tickets for the family to go, the kids really enjoyed the performance, and this year again got tickets to attend.  Once again it was a very entertaining performance and a fun evening.  We went to a little family favorite Italian restaurant for dinner, it was delicious!  The kids watched the ballet with enthusiasm.....Dylan did make a commit "the guys tights make my eyes hurt", we kept telling him that many professional athletes take ballet for balance and coordination.  LOL!  Brooklyn says she want to take dance classes again.   Maybe we could get them both to take ballet!?!?!

Family pictures

Brooklyn (6 1/2)



Dylan 8

Addelyn Grace has arrived!

Sweet baby Addelyn Grace arrived Monday, Dec. 13th at 12:55pm.  She is adorable, we are so happy she is finally here.  Mommy and Baby are both well.  What an adorable baby girl! Congratulations Hannah and Bill!  Holding her takes me back 6 years and 7 months to when Brooklyn was born.  She reminds me so much of Brooklyn. 

We went up to the hospital last night as a family to meet her for the first time.  Today Chris & I went up alone so we wouldn't have to share her! hehehe

elf yourself

Best Season Yet!

YOU THOUGHT I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE HOLIDAY SEASON!  RIGHT?  NOPE!  I am talking about Basketball season.  I love basketball, it is the only sport my kids play that is inside.  You never have to take a umbrella to basketball games.  You don't have to bring your chair to basketball games.  You don't need an extra blanket to keep warm at basketball games.  I love it!  One more thing, the laundry my children create from basketball season is so much cleaner than from soccer and football season!  I have it the best this year because......Get this, Chris is the coach, AND Dylan and Brooklyn are on the SAME team!  It doesn't get any better than this :)
F.Y.I.  I love the holidays, Football Season, Soccer Season, and Baseball Season....I'm  just super excited to be inside for a season! and I think I will like volleyball!

Visit From The Tooth Fairy

Brooklyn had a special visit from the tooth fairy last night! Finally she lost her two looses teeth yesterday, after many agonizing weeks (for me).  She is the type of child that can not handle pain or blood, not even the thought of them. Last week she was driving me nuts with these teeth, every time she opened her mouth you could see them swinging all over the place.  So yesterday she was at the kitchen bar eating an orange as I was making dinner, and she spits out something on the counter.  I could tell she was confused, and she asks me do these oranges have seeds.  I took a look at it and said "it's your tooth B"  She replied back "oh my goodness it didn't even bleed", all the while her mouth is full of blood, I say "that's awesome"  and she goes on eating her orange :)  Then later in the evening we are giving her a hard time about the other loose tooth and tell her tooth fairy pays extra if you lose two teeth on the same day.  Shes not buying it, but she lets my mom gets a tissue and pull on it, it comes right out, Brooklyn has no clue.  So we tell her the tooth is out.  She is super excited and clam until Dylan looks at her and tells her "there is blood all over your mouth"  of course at that point she can't swallow and all the drama starts.  She was able to hold it all together and let me tell you these teeth were practically jumping out of her mouth so really their was all that much blood, its just kinda gross.  Long story short, she looks officially 1st grade with the top tooth missing and she is $6.00 richer and we are all happy.

Thanksgiving!

We are very blessed and have lots to give thanks for!  Thanksgiving was a little quieter this year, but still full of excitement, laughter, and of course good food!  We have a tradition of decorating gingerbread houses after dinner.  It can get a little competitive, and I assume as they get older the houses will get prettier.  My kids go for the more candy the better, Hannah's kids make everything symmetrical, Emily's are the cute and creative....well Mason actually ate off all the candy that was put on his LOL!!!  Anyways it was fun watching them work on their creations and they all had fun too.

Hannah and Bill

All the kids gearing up to decorate the houses! 

Colton very proud of his house