Stormy

Our Bunny

This is a picture of our pet bunny, Stormy Herman Bun-bun. My daughter Sadie named him. She liked Stormy because of his gray color, and because we found him on a windy, stormy night, Herman is after a brave mouse in a book she had just finished reading, and bun-bun is because that is what I called him until she had picked a name.

The story of how we found the little cutie is pretty funny considering Sadie had been begging me for a bunny for the longest time because her cousins have rabbits and she loves them. It was 10 o'clock at night in early fall and a friend was bringing me home from a nice relaxing evening at Starbucks. We were driving down a busy street when we saw what looked at first like a giant squirrel. After a moment of shock we realized it was a bunny, quite out of place in the middle of our downtown. This was no wild little bunny but rather a big, soft, adorable, cold and matted bunny. We pulled a u-turn and went back to wear it had just miraculously crossed the busy road. We jumped out of the car and found the rabbit in the bushes. It hopped out and came right to me as I leaned down to it. Obviously domestic, hungry and in need of a good home, we brought it back to my house, fed it some veggies, gave it a drink of water and helped it get dry. That same night I ran over to my nieces to pick up a spare cage she had, as well as some food, hay and a water bottle. When I got him home again and settled down, I couldn't help but wake up Sadie and show her our cuddly new friend. She was so excited she thought it had been a dream until she woke in the morning and saw him still snuggled in the cage next to her bed.

I have been very impressed with how responsible Sadie has been with our new pet. Sadie does a great job of taking care of Stormy. She feeds him, refills his water bottle, makes sure he has lots of hay and loves to give him healthy treats. Although she is great at those tasks, I still clean out the cage and I can't wait until she can take over that duty.

He is such a sweet little bunny. Everyone in the family just loves him, including my husband who will never admit it out loud. Stormy hops right to you when you open the cage and he loves to hop around the house looking for the perfect cozy place to make his nap nest. He loves cozy little places like under the boys tool bench or up in the doll bed. He is so good at finding these cozy spots that the kids have made a game out of playing hide and seek with the bunny when he is out of his cage. I'm not sure bun-bun finds it a fun game, but the kids sure do. I'm thankful for this sweet little surprise that joined or family on a stormy night.

Clowin' Carter

Cutie-Pie

Carter, my sweet little man, my miraculous baby boy. He is charming, funny, quirky and cute. He is an entertainer, he loves to make people laugh, he constantly clowns around and he enjoys being the center of attention.

He is my youngest, only by two minutes, but still my baby. Born five weeks pre-mature and much smaller than his twin sister, Carter was small and fragile when he was born. I remember rocking him and watching him in the special care nursery, amazed by his tiny fingers and feet. I would watch him sleep and pray that he would keep taking the next breath. He had apnea and would often hold his breath setting off his monitors. He was prescribed liquid caffeine to help with his apnea, I found it ironic since I had given up drinking my mochas while pregnant with the twins.

There were definately times when I wondered if Carter would make it, and although he has encountered several health problems in the past few years, he has grown into a smart, sweet, and active little boy. He still has some special needs, hates changes in routine and doesn't do well with transitions, but he still amazes me. Life is often challenging to him because he gets overwhelmed by his surroundings, but it doesn't stop him. He learns to adjust, to cope, to navigate through obstacles that others might not face. And he does it with a courage and bravery that make me so proud of him.

Carter is a typical little boy in many ways. He loves trucks, trains and tools just like his big brother. He has the ability to make those strage boy noises just like every other male I know. He eats more than he weighs, and he makes a bigger mess than you would think possible. He also has a soft and sweet side that will charm its way right into your heart. When his big brown eyes look at me and he declares his love followed by "I need you Mommy, can you hold me?" I jut can't say no, who could?

Carter has been such a blessing to me. He has taught me that lots of problems can be solved with laughter, he has shown me that there is more than one way to look at the world, and he has blessed me with much to laugh about. I pray that Carter will continue to bravely overcome obstacles that come his way, and that God will continue to challenge Carter to be the best that he can be. I pray God will equip me to help Carter when he needs it, and show me when to let Carter face challenges that will help him grow into the Godly man he was created to be.

Addie-tude

Pure Princess

Adrianna Grace, my youngest daughter, my sweetheart, my princess.

Addie is very girly. She loves to put on her princess dress and wear play jewelry. She loves lipgloss and makeup, painting her nails and wearing high heels. She also loves to play mommy and takes excellent care of all her baby dolls. She is sweet and caring and loves to give out hugs and kisses. She is also unique and spunky with a style all her own. She knows what she wants and what she likes and is very independent.

Addie and her twin brother, Carter, were born 5 weeks early. After they were born they stayed in the Special Care Nursery for a month before they could come home. Addie was definitely the stronger and more dominant twin from before birth. She weighed more, she kicked more, she grew faster, and she was even born first. As they have grown not much has changed. Addie is still the bigger one and the bossier one. We have nick-named her Addie-tude because she is 100% "tude". Whether this girl is happy or sad or just plain mad, she will let you know. Lucky for us she is happier more often than she is mad.

Being born early left Addie and her brother with some challenges to overcome. There have been a few health problems and developmental delays, but they are both fighters or survivors, they overcome any obstacle in their way. Addie is a spirited child with a strong independent streak. This leads her into quite a bit of mischief, and has taught me to have quite a bit of patience. But in the long run of life, I know she will be a strong, independent woman.

I'm so thankful for this little bundle of joy and even all the challenges she gives me. She is smart and strong-willed and I pray that God will use these gifts greatly in her life. I pray God will continue to teach her to make the right choices and help me to guide her in the right direction. I love my little princess.

Super Philip

This is my little super hero, Philip, who just turned four.

Philip is all boy. He loves super heros, trains, trucks and tools. He loves to take things apart and figure out how they work. Usually he can figure it out, and if not you would never know it by the detailed description he will give you of all the inner workings. Philip has been fascinated by tools since he could crawl. He loves to be his Grandpa's little helper whenever he has a project going on at his house. Lately Philip has been talking about his plans to make a clubhouse. He tells us all the things he will need to build it, plywood, some "regular" wood, nails and screws, two by fours and lots of tools. So daddy got him some real kid sized tools for his birthday, and he got nails in his Christmas stocking. They were as big a hit as the toys.

The many faces of Philip. I'm not sure I can acurately portray in words just how wonderful his many faces are. He has the most expressive eyes and can make the perfect pouty little mouth. When he smiles his eyes just light up and he has a big dimple on his cheek that just makes you want to kiss him. Even when he is mad he looks cute, he can wrinkle his forehead and purse his lips so tight he looks like a grumpy old man. Philip frequently has a very serious look on his face, like he is pondering the ways of the world. But whatever his mood Philip is so intense and yet still so adorable he can make me smile no matter how frustrated I might be.

Philip is a devoted brother who admires his big sister, and shows a good amount of patience towards his younger brother and sister. Whether they are all playing in the sandbox together, building with the train tracks or playing make believe, they all do a pretty good job of playing together cooperatively. Philip makes a great leader (when the others will listen) always coming up with the most creative ideas for super hero gadgets or forts to build and kinds of play food to make. I am constantly in awe of the way his mind works. He is so clever and completely unique.

Despite all of his seriousness, the boy has a great sense of humor. He has clever come backs, and can rattle off one liners from any of his favorite movies or cartoons. His knock knock jokes lack a punch line, but his delivery is so enthusiastic I end up laughing anyway. But it is his infectious giggle that gets me in stitches every time.

Philip is also one of the loviest boys in the world. He loves to snuggle and cuddle. He will smother you in kisses until you want to scream, but who can bear to push away a sweetheart with a dimple and love to share? He always remembers to say I love you mommy before he goes to bed, and when he wakes up in the morning, and whenever he says goodbye, or hello, or if he walks past you in the house, or if he sees you around the corner, or if..... yep he is my lovey little boy, and I wouldn't change him for the world.

I can't believe God has blessed me with such a wonderful son. He is smart and sweet, funny and caring all rolled up into the most adorable brown-eyed, dimple-faced little charmer.

Before I had this little man I wasn't sure how I would be as the mom of a boy. I didn't get the noises boys made and had no interest in mud pies or super heroes. But he has taught me so much, the love of locamotives and all machinery, the powers of each superhero and the importance of believing in them, and most importantly that it isn't our differences, but our similarities that matter.

I thank God for the gift of Philip, my son, my superhero, my boy. He is a treasure and a blessing. I pray God will continue to mold him and shape him into a man of integrity with a love for God and all that is good. I pray he will learn to use his talents and gifts to make the world a better place. I pray he will share his love with others and be a light of Christ's love to all that he meets. I pray God will continue to teach me how to be the best mom I can be, especially to my boys who constantly surprise me.

Sadie, Sadie Pretty Lady

My Girl

This is Sadie, my first born, my #1 baby, my doll. I can't believe she is 6 years old. I'm sure every parent is amazed at how quickly time goes by when you look at the life of your child. When I look at her I think "I remember every moment of your life, how could there be six years worth of memories already?"

Mercedes Jule is her full name. Mercedes means reward or gift, and I truly feel like Sadie is a gift from God. Jule is my Grandmother's middle name, and is also very fitting of my little "jewel". Sadie is a genuinely sweet girl. She is sensitive, thoughtful, generous, kind and caring. She hates to hurt anyone's feelings, and always tries to make the right choice. A lot of this comes from her faith. I'm amazed by the heart she has for God at such an early age. She loves Awana and is great at memorizing bible verses. She often takes her devotional bible to school with her and has even read from it to her entire first grade class, ad-libbing to make points she thought were important. I wouldn't be surprised if some day she were a missionary or a pastor. But nothing will surprise me that Sadie does, she is extremely talented and can be anything she dreams.

Okay so every parent gushes over their child (or at least they should) and thinks they are brilliant and wonderful, but in this case it is true. Sadie is brilliant, talented, artistic and beautiful. Yes, I'm a biased mother, but truely I think she has amazing talents for her age. She has been a motivated learner since she was little, choosing educational activities over anything else. She learned her alphabet easily, read early, and finds math fascinating. I don't pressure her in her education because I know she will choose to challenge herself, for now atleast. She loves to read books, everything from novels and non-fiction to the bible. Sadie is also a great artist and likes to take her time in drawing or painting. Actually she likes to take her time in everything she does, and tends to be a bit of a perfectionist, but hey, everyone has their challenges.

Sadie also has a fascinating sense of humor. She can entertain herself and her friends for hours with goofy comentary. She also keeps her dad and me laughing with her sophisticated sarcasm. Pair her sense of humor with her flair for the dramatic and she can be quite the clown. This drama queen began emerging at a young age. At under a year old she began pulling herself up to look in the mirror on the bathroom door where she would look at herself and practice crying and making sad faces or cracking herself up with different laughs and silly grins.

I love this girl and I am so glad I am her mom. She makes me proud every day, and I miss her every moment I am not with her. I pray God will bless her with a happy and fulfilling life. I pray she continues to follow and serve him with her whole heart like she does now. I pray she will always be blessed with friends as kind and thoughtful of her as I know she will be to them. And I pray that the Lord will help me to be the best mother to her that I can be, continuing to create a bond between us that lasts a lifetime.

Balto

This is my puppy dog, Baltimoore Rain, or Balto for short. Complicated name for a dog, with a complicated history. His breeder called him Puppy Moore, then sold him to his first owner who named him November Rain, she had him only a short time before she moved out of country and couldn't take him. She sold him to a different breeder, where he lived for a short while and was renamed Balto after the famous dog the movie was made about. Then I got him as a highschool graduation present. He was about 9 months old and so very sweet. He was a little name confused so i didn't want to change his name again but instead decided to incorporate all his names into one.

I couldn't have asked for a sweeter or smarter puppy dog. He already knew many cute tricks like prancing, shaking hands, sitting, snd laying down. He picked up singing and dancing pretty quickly too. He was my only baby for the first five years of his life. He is very protective of me and a good judge of character. Most loyal dog I know. If I was sick he would come lay his head at my feet and not budge until I felt better. When I got pregnant with my first child he knew something was up. He kept jumping up to sit on my lap... which was quickly disappearing with a big ol belly full of baby. When in my last month of pregnancy the lap was too short for him to sit on he jumped up on my shoulder and put his paws on my stomache. Quite the rediculous site considering he is no small dog. This husky weighs near 50 pounds.

Perhaps he knew that life was about to change for him with the birth of this baby. Everyone warned us about having a dog...especially a wild eyed husky that looked unpredictable. But he was really so mild tempered and easy going he made the perfect pet. I took a little test that was supposed to show if he would be safe with kids who would be pulling his tail and grabbing his fur... he didn't snap, bite or even bark, and passed the test with flying colors. The real test of course was bringing baby home. He passed that with flying colors too, protecting Sadie the same way he did me. As she grew and fell in love with him, they became good buddies. He especially loved the snacks that dropped from her high chair. As time passed and our family grew from 3 to 4 to 6 people,the time allotted for Balto's walks grew short and we all felt guilty we couldn't give as much attention as he needed. We thought about finding a new home for him but no one responded to our ad that met our requirements. The perfect fit couldn't be found, and we really couldn't bear to part with him. This sweet dog was still the puppy I loved and babied.
Even now at ten years old, he still thinks he is a little puppy and has the energy of one too. Thank goodness for his guardian angel. Over a year ago Balto got out of the yard and of course was on the run like any pack dog would be. When we came home and found him gone we were devasted, especially my daughter. But he had run all the way across town and was found by his guardian angel who fed him and groomed him and took care of him. Luckily we got ahold of her and were reunited with our sweet pup. He had touched her heart too though and to this day she still comes and takes him on walks or retreats to her house. She spoils him rotten and it is perfect for us because she has the energy to take him on the runs that I just can't with four kids.

I'm blessed to have such a great dog, and even more blessed to have someone who loves him as I do and can help give him the attention that he deserves.

Girlfriends

I remember a few years ago a pastor at my church gave a sermon on friendships. He talked about the need to have friends, and not just one good friend or even one kind of friend but friends that reflect the many colors of our life. My girlfriends spread sunshine into my life making a rainbow out of a rainy day.

Here I am pictured with some of my very best friends including my sister Kim, Kathleen, Stacey, Me and Sam. We're enjoying a progressive dinner party for my 29th birthday last summer. Some things I will always remember about this night are: 1)The Table Umbrella that swooped straight up out of it's stand, turned in mid-air and attacked my sister putting her in danger of her life 2) the laughter we shared that night, although the specific reasons why we laughed so hard are gone, the sound of our laughter still rings in my ear, 3) The search for a nice place to get dessert and a cup of coffee in our town after 10pm .... search still on.

BFF
This is Samantha. One of the best friends a girl could ask for. She gets me. I don't have to explain what I am thinking, because she usually knows before I can tell her. We have similar tastes, and lots of inside jokes since we have been friends since our early teen years. We know how to have a good time together, no matter what we are doing. We both have an unique sense of humor, which leads us into some fun adventures... especially if they will make for good scrapbook pages! No she doesn't normally dress as an animal adventuress, the animal print and cowboy hat are part of our shopping game. Thank goodness for girlfriends who deliver lattes to keep you from going crazy on snowy days and when you come up with an insane way to entertain yourself in a store, they join your fun so you don't look crazy alone! I love my BFF and life wouldn't be as great an adventure without her!

TWINTIME

This is my girlfriend Stacey. We have only known each other a few years, but the bond was instantaneous. She has girl/boy twins just a year older then mine, so when I found out I was carrying twins, she was not only full of helpful advise but also the first one to offer to bring my family a meal when the babes were born. One of the most amazing things about Stacey is her amazing ability to give you just the perfect compliment at the perfect time. She always has just the right words of encouragement to share, or the perfect pick me up to get you smiling. She is also always a good sport in joining in on my zany idea of fun, doesn't she look mod in black and white?

SISTERHOOD

Kimi Kay, my first friend, my counselor, my boss, my hero, my big sister. I will always look up to her, even though I grew taller than her by age 13. She knows pretty much everything about me, and for some odd reason still seems to love me. Of course we fight and disagree like all siblings, but there is an underlying love and support that sustains our relationship through the best and worst of times. We share more than a common bloodline, like humor, sarcasm, a love of coffee, scrapbooking and chic flicks. She is hilarious (at least to me) and just plain fun to be around. She is loyal, generous and tenderhearted. She is incredibly talented and creative, a great mom and a fabulous friend. I'm blessed to have her as a sister, and even more blessed to be able to call her my friend.

Me and My hubby

My Love

This is me and the love of my life my handsome hubby Jose. In this photo we are at the mariners Red Sox game at Safeco Field in Seattle. You can tell the game isn't over yet because there is still a smile on my hubby's face. The Mariners beat the Red Sox that day and being an avid Red Sox Fan the smile had left his face by the time we left the game. Of course it didn't help that we had gone to the game with my sister and her family who gave Jose nothing but a bad time about the score the whole time!
My DH and I met back in 1999 through a good friend. He lived on the East Coast I lived on the West... How could we ever make things work? The wonderful devoted man that he is, he gave up his favorite pizza and sub shop, said goodbye to the Red Sox, Bruins and Patriots, and moved west where he would soon learn to order coffee in a whole new language, and see more rain than sunshine. But the casual laid back atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest has seduced him by now. He knows how I order my coffee at the corner drive-thru and even has his own individual order perfected. He cheers on the Seahawks and Mariners when they aren't playing a New England team. However signs of his East Coast origins still exist, he has taught our children to call pop soda, and the perfect pizza place has yet to be found.

JAMPAC

JAMPAC:

It stands for my family: Jose, Amanda, Mercedes, Philip, Adrianna, and Carter. I think it is kind of funny because with four kids we are kind of jam-packed in our little house.

This is the Christmas Picture of our kids. It took about an hour to get a picture that turned out alright. Getting my four little munchkins to stand together, look at the camera and smile was a challenge. I gave up trying to get a picture with everyone looking perfect and just went for looking towards the camera. It actually shows each of their personalities pretty accurately. Mercedes, (Sadie) in the back is 6 years old and the oldest. She is sweet and sensitive, a little dramatic, very artistic, and sometimes has a hard time staying focused. Philip on the left is 4 years old. He is a charmer, very interested in the ways things work and why, and loves to use tools. Adrianna (Addie)is on the right she is the 3 year old twin of Carter in the front. Addie is a sweet but spirited and high energy child. She tends to be a little mischevious, but always makes up for it with hugs and kisses. Carter is a character and a clown. He is always entertaining us and loves to make people laugh. He is also cute cuddly and caring. I just adore my cute little kiddos.