..............The JAMPAC Clan.............. Jose, Amanda, Mercedes, Philip, Adrianna, Carter

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2008-11-28T19:08:00.000-08:00

It's my favorite time of the year. I can't believe it's here already, but I won't complain. I love Christmas, everything about it. I love big, beautiful, bursting with the fresh scent of evergreen, Christmas trees, but our rental agreement for this house says no live Christmas trees. So we have to do the artificial thing, but we make the most of it. My very dear friend purchased an adorable little tree for us during the first Christmas season we lived here. That was several years ago and the tree has had a bit of a beating since then with lots of little helping hands placing ornaments on it. We have so many ornaments that I'm not sure we will fit them all on this year. We will probably spend several days getting the finishing touches on the tree because the kids love moving the ornaments around. The last ornaments to go on will be on December 6th after St Nicholas delivers their new ornaments for this year in their shoe. Then we will string the garland and tie on the bows and it will be hands off the tree.

I actually got the kids to all stand still for half a second so I could get them all in one picture. Of course we had only just started decorating, but you can already see that majority of the ornaments will end up on the bottom third of the tree. In years past I would have moved them all around, but this year I'm enjoying seeing things from the kids point of view.

Fabulous Fall

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

Getting my kids into a picture together is not easy, at least not with everyone smiling and loooking at the camera. But maybe I could photoshop them into a semi smiley group?!? Looks like I won't be sending out any happy thanksgiving cards this year. Oh well, I'll remember what these days were really like. Fretting Philip, Addie-tuding, Clowning Carter, and Sensitive Sadie, my sweet and loving wouldn't change them for the world, kids enjoying a crisp cool autumn morning.

The Singing School Bus.

2008-09-14T22:26:00.000-07:00

No I'm not talking about the doodlebops, but if they ever need a new member I am quite sure Philip could fill in.
When he came home from school on the bus he exclaimed "Mom, I made a new friend"
"Wow that's cool Philip, what's their name?"
"Umm, I don't know"
"Is it a boy or a girl"
"A girl, we have lots in common"
"Cool, what do you have in common?"
"She became my friend on the bus we always sit next to each other on the way home. She is a really good singer like me. We both like to, umm you know, like make up songs and stuff."
"So cool, you'll have to sing them for me."
"Yeah we are really cool, but I'm not going to do that. We just have to practice and stuff first"

So apparently when they have gotten enough practice sessions in I'll be invited to their first gig.
Until then I'll have to be satisfied with his backseat serenades in the van.

Second Week Smooth Sailing

2008-09-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

At least thats what I am hoping for. It will be the the second full week of school for the kids, and last week it finally felt like we were getting into the swing of things. Good thing because it looks like I might be starting a new job this week if all goes well.

Philip has settled into school and now runs to the door each time I drop him off instead of clinging to my shirt. It didn't go so smoothly for him at our first Awana club of the year, but that he can take his time settling into. I won't push it too hard. I am glad to see that his confidence is growing and he is finding his way around in the big school. He goes through the lunch line on his own now, it may sound like a little thing, but believe me it's a big milestone. He rides the big, very full, bus home with Sadie, and doesn't even insist on sitting next to her. He has made some friends and seems very happy to be a big kindergarten boy.

Addie and Carter started their very busy schedule of all day school. They attend CTS in the morning with Teacher Kathy who they just love. In the afternoon they catch the bus and head to Sunnyland for the special needs preschool with Teacher Su who is amazing. There are 12 other kids in their morning class and 9 others in their afternoon class. That is 21 new kids for them to get know, and considering how long it takes both of them to warm up to other kids, I think they are doing great. However, it has become more apparent to me and the teachers as to why they are still enrolled in the special needs preschool. Sometimes it feels like they have caught up with other kids and outgrown all their quirks, symptoms and sensory issues, and other times they are so very visable. The past week would be the later. Addie has had no impulse control whatsoever. There have been messes, tantrums and dangerous decisions galore. Carter has been much more timid and fearful, as well as a little obsessive, compulsive and anxious.

Sadie is harder to read. I think she likes her teacher, I know she is glad to be back in class with her friends, but beyond that it's a toss up. She had an embarassing situation happen and that put her in a bit of a slump. Then she had somehow missed the homework papers for the week that the teacher handed out, so this weekend she got to pull a catch up session before going to play. She had a good attitude about it, but she seems a little down and I don't know if itis just start of school stress or something more serious. The teacher told me she has a focusing problem, that she frequently misses the directions and instructions and often looks like she is daydreaming. Nothing I didn't already know, but just confirms that it's time to talk to the doctors about it again.

Anyway all in all it is a great start to the year, but a little tiring adjusting to the new schedule. Transitions are not an easy process for any of my kids, but then again are they for anyone?

Ready or Not... Kindergarten Here We Come

2008-09-06T01:15:00.000-07:00

Yup... this was the last time I saw him smile before entering kindergarten. There is no other way of putting it, Philip had a hard time saying goodbye today. Ok, Mommy did too. He was so excited, and I thought he had gotten over all his nerves, but at the last second as the teacher was begining to lead the class into the room, he had a break down. As I said "have fun" he began to cry uncontrollably. He grasped the bottom of my shirt so tightly I had to pry his little fingers loose. He covered my shirt in big snot covered tears and clung to me like a baby koala. After he cried on the assesment day, the teacher had warned me that I would need to just say goodbye and go without lingering to see if he was ok. It was much easier said than done. I had no idea how awful it felt to leave your crying child in the hands of a teacher carrying them away. The teacher did have to actually carry him to class. I wondered as they walked away what he thought as he saw all the other parents follow along behind the teacher. Did he know I was not there because I knew he could be braver if I left? Did he know that my heart was breaking as I stepped away and that all I wanted to do was scoop him up in my arms and run back home. We had prepared for this day for so long because I knew he was nervous about kindergarten. We'd read tons of books about kidergarten, we'd drawn pictures and talked about what it would be like, we'd toured the class and met the teacher. but nothing had prepared him for the big day and saying goodbye to mom. He had no problem with me leaving last year, and I know soon he will be fine. The teacher reported to me after class that he had stopped crying before they even got to the room. We did sneak past the class several times and saw that he was doing great. But still, I never wanted to leave him in tears. I hope I never have to again.

Preschool Prepared

2008-09-04T00:55:00.000-07:00

Addie and Carter started one of their schools today. This year they will go to Catch the Son, a private school in the morning, and to the public special needs preschool in the afternoon. They attended the public school last year, but this is their first time at Catch the Son in a year and a half. They had attended at age 2 1/2 for playgroup, but just weren't quite ready for a typical school. They have progressed so nicely, that I am hoping it will be a good fit for them this year, but I know it will hold it's challenges. For one there are 14 kids in the class, 1 teacher and one parent helper each day. Quite a different ratio then they are used to. There will be less teacher input and ques to keep them on task and cooperating well with other children. I hope they will gain some good strategies in dealing with other children and solving problems on their own. Although it will be a lot of school in each day for them, I am hoping it will help prepare them for kindergarten next year.

Their first day was only a third of the class. I could see right off the bat that they would have to work a little harder at focusing and following instructions. At free choice time I wasn't a bit surprised to see Addie head straight for babies and the rocking chair. A little bit of self soothing to get herself through the morning, disguised perfectly as pretend playing house.

Carter was a little mischievous at the start of the day. He didn't really want to follow his teacher and tried his clowing around act. He played on his own at free choice, but I'm sure he will make friends when there are more kids in the class.

Back to So Cool

2008-09-03T00:27:00.000-07:00

Today my little baby girl entered the third grade. This year is sure to leave it's mark on her life. She will be in school only one extra hour, but the expectations increase far more than that. She loves school and I know she will do great, but part of the mom in me doesn't want to see my little Sadie-bug pass these milestones. She enters a new phase in school of tests and more homework, the pressure from teachers and peers increases and the responsibilities grow. It is an exciting time too... as she blossoms into a young lady, grows in spiritual depth and gains understanding. Still, I can't help but want to protect her even more so now. Maybe it is because she thinks she knows it all, and I know just how much she doesn't. Maybe it's because I still remember the 'tween years... caught right between childhood and the teen years. Maybe it's just because I feel like time has flown by so quickly. Whatever the reason, I want to hold her precious face in my hands and pause right here for just a moment. I want to surround her with all the people who love and adore her and want only the best for her, and I want to push the rest of the world away, if only for a day.

As for Sadie's first day of school, she did great. She was a little timid walking into school. She actually wanted to hold my hand the entire morning. I thought she might not want me to leave. But when she saw her best friend they ran to each other and embraced in a full body hug. Thankfully they are in the same class. Sadie felt much more at ease with her friends by her side. Her friends are such nice girls and the parents are great too. I can't wait to see what the year holds.

Good Clean Fun

2008-08-16T01:57:00.000-07:00

Who knew you could have so much fun with some shaving cream a tarp and a sprinkler. I'm just so thankful Susan let us make this mess during therapy instead of in our own yard! The kids were in a white fluffy cloud from heaven. It was like full body fingerpainting. Then as soon as they would get all slimy and slicked up they'd race through the sprinkler and clean off so they could do it all over again. Now thats some serious sensory input!

Even Cleaner Fun

2008-08-16T01:39:00.000-07:00

After getting as much of the shaving cream off as we could the kids went in the pool. They practiced kicking, swimming and doing some other excersizes. It was a great way for the kids to cool off since it was hot and muggy and it wasn't even noon yet!

They were awfully sad when it was time to get out of the pool, but not for long because we were headed to Grandmas house to swim in he lake with our friends,

The Fair

2008-08-12T23:19:00.000-07:00

It's fair week again. For most of my kids the fair is like Disneyland. They love the rides, the music, the activities, the people, the food. My little Carter is another story. When I told him we were going to the Fair he said, "I'm not going- that place is scary." When I asked him what he didn't like about the fair he said, "there are too many people there, and animals. It smells bad, and it's loud and the rides are scary". So I let him stay with Grandma. One persons fun is another's torture.

In year's past my sister has spent the entire week at the fair with her kids doing 4H and we would normally join her a few times a during the week. This year my sister is in Africa so I drove the kids out to the fair on my own for an all-in-one day packed full of fun.

As soon as we arrived the kids started begging to go on rides, so I told them we would save the best for last and I made them look through the 4h building and the rabbit/ poultry barns. Philip loved the Lego trains and I wouldn't be surprised if soon he had a new obsession. The girls ran around checking out all the toy colletions comparing what they owned. It was funny I had to force them to go into the building and then force them to leave, doesn't it always seem to be that way with kids. In the Poultry barn Addie just loved all the chickens. She cracked up at their cock-a-doodle-doo's. I think she would have brought home a silly looking chicken with curly feathers if she could have hid it in her shirt. Actually I think if I was a chicken that's what I would look like with crazy curly out of control feathers flying around me. Sadie was not impressed by the birds at all. In fact she kept saying let's get out of here I can't breathe in this place. She is so 8 years old right now.

Next we checked out some vendor booths, and then into the barn to look at the cows. Later I found out we had just missed a baby calf being born. If only we had gone down the middle row in the cow barn instead of walking past- I could have let my kids be horrified by the miraculous sight of birth. Oh well maybe next year! We did go back into the barn later in the day and got to see the cute baby calf all cleaned up, and the proud mama still licking her baby. It was adorable.

We headed to the shade to relax and eat our lunch from home. We may have missed out on some tasty fair food, but we saved a good $50 on food for 5 people. After eating their bagels and fruit the kids checked out the farm friends exhibit where they got to milk a pretend cow, dig for potatoes and get a free coloring book. The kids found all this quite entertaining perhaps they are country kids at heart.

I finally decided two hours of the kids begging was enough torture for us all and we finally went to get the kids ride bracelets. The kids went on tons and tons of rides. Addie's favorite was the Carousel Horses, Philip liked the big slide and Tori and Sadie really like the Dragon Wagon roller coaster. It was quite a disappointment for Sadie to find out she was still too short for the Sizzler. She was sure she had grown enough in a year to be able to ride it but when she backed against the sign and saw she was still 2 inches two short tears began to well up in her eyes. I felt bad for her but was also a little relieved... I didn't want to have a dizzy daughter puking so early in the fair day.

When I saw the kids eyes spinning in circles I knew it was time for a break from the rides. The smell of all the fair food had the kiddos hungry again. Luckily I had plenty of snacks packed to keep them satisfied. Our next stop was even a productive one. The masons and state patrol had teamed up to put on a free "chip program" for kids. They took the kids finger prints, dna swab and teeth imprints to identify them incase the unthinkable ever happened and the kids went missing. They even do a little video interview with the kids and give you a dvd. And as a bonus we were given coupons for free ice cream from the dairy women.

As the kids ate their ice cream we wandered through the pony and draft horse barns. The girls were full of joyful giggles as they read off the names of each pony. We stopped outside the barn to pet what Addie referred to as the "giant horse". The horse to a liking to Sadie and when she turned her back to him he leaned over and took a big sniff of her hair. She must smell good because he kept coming back to her.

On our way back towards the rides we stopped and played some sfree little kid games at the north county CTK kids carnival. It was a pirate theme this year and Addie was quite excited about all the little prizes she won. The girls all got their faces painted and Philip had a cross tattoo put on his face. The games were kind of cute they got to dig for treasure and hit a ship with a cannon. Addie loved the fishing game as always. The big girls thought it was a bit babyish, but they were more than happy to search for candy and prizes in the haystacks.

It was time to head back to the rides and get our money's worth out of the bracelets. We met up with our friends again and it was back to spinning, whirling, speeding, soaring, sliding and zooming. Soon our friends had to leave but the kids were good for a few more ride. When at last they had had enough of the rides we decided to go catch a show before calling it a day.

We headed over to the small stage and watched the cute 16 year old magician who mesmerized Philip. He was quite the talented showman. Philip got a couple playing cards from him and spent the rest of the night doing "magic tricks" turning 1 card into two. It was begining to get dark and time to head home. But there is just one stop that you have to make when you go to the fair... the famous poffertjes pasteries. Our last treat of the fair. We then wandered through the last animal barns to see the sheep and the pigs. We were surprised to see some pigs that had gotten in a fight and were covered in scratches and cuts. Who knew pigs could be so violent. My kids had been so great all day long, but I could tell they were begining to get a bit fiesty too, so it was time to head home. It was a wonderful day. I was very proud and impressed at how great all the kids behaved today!

Philips First Tooth Fell Out!

2008-07-30T02:04:00.000-07:00

He has been a wiggling it for weeks now and finally it came out when I gave it a big old yank. his Big Boy tooth is already peeking up in the hole. We like to put our teeth in a little glass for the toothfairy to find so she can see how beautiful and shiny it is magnified by the water. Since it was his first tooth and it was so hard to get out the toothfairy gave him $3.00. Maybe he won't be so scared when I want to pull out his next loose tooth. The other bottom tooth is already got the wiggles.

Happy Birthday to Me

2008-07-29T01:58:00.000-07:00

Came home from the Gorge on my Birthday to a wonderful surprise. My Sweet and Amazing Man had not only cleaned the entire house including doing all the laundry, but he had also gotten me a birthday cake... acually two birthday cakes because Philip was with him and he can talk Jose into just about anything. The kids really wanted me to blow out candles but 31 candles wasn't going to happen so they settled for three. What a perfect birthday present. Thanks fam!

2008-07-29T01:42:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Creation Fest at the Gorge. It was 4 days of great music, from artists like the Newsboys, Jeremy Camp, Switchfoot, David Crowder Band, Skillet, Barlow Girls, Superchick, and many More. Sadie's highlight was meeting Pure NRG and getting her new shirt signed. She also loved the fact that we did lots of swimming because we opted to stay at a hotel rather than camp. I loved the beautiful scenes of the gorge and listening to the great speakers and talented musicians. Oh and the very cool candle lighting ceremony. The place was packed with thousands of people and to see the hillside glowing by candlight was awesome and inspiring. Last time I was here it was 10 years ago at a No Doubt concert. So much better to be listening to music that is glorifying and entertaining. God Rocks!

My Little Mermaid

2008-07-12T01:01:00.000-07:00

This summer Addie has become quite the little mermaid. She loves to play in the water. She could stay in there for hours on end. She has been determined to learns all kinds of new water tricks like blowing bubbles, dunking with and then without plugging her nose, going under water and kicking to the top and more. She gets an idea in her head and then even if she is a little afraid at first she just keeps trying until she has conquered it. That's the upside of determination. My cute little mermaid girl even fell in love with her friends little mermaid baby and spent all afternoon teaching her tricks in the little plastic pool and taking her down the slip-n-slide. So Cute!

Ready, Set, Dunk

2008-07-11T00:43:00.000-07:00

He Didn't want to do it. He was scared.

But, she is so cool, and so pretty.

How can he say no?

Got to be brave to win the girl.

So He Was!

Anything for Love!

Faces of Philip

2008-07-10T20:32:00.000-07:00

Philip can make the best pathetic faces in the entire world. I have often wondered if he secretly practices looking crushed and injured in the mirror. He actually wasn't upset about anything when I took these photos - he was just posing.

The looks are pretty easy to ignore most of the time, it's the constant groans and goat noises that are a little harder to let slide. This boy could be a professional grumbler. Like his dad he just seems to enjoy complaining. Kind of like an 85 year old man that doesn't have anything better to do than tell everyone his woes. If you could see inside his mind I'm sure he would have all of his complaints catalogued in alphebetical order to be easily accessessed at any given moment.

Top on his list is that he is hungry and that's because he is always hungry. But he doesn't just stop at stating he is hungry. No Philip takes it to the next level... Maybe to an entirely new level. For instance he might start by stating that he's hungry- then he goes on to say he needs food- he's starving- his tank is empty- he needs fuel- why don't I want to feed him- you know he could die if he didn't get fed - if his mother loved him she would make him food- ohhh--uhhh--ugghhh why won't I just get him some food- gosh it's not like he's asking for me to feed a whole army- man doesn't anybody care about him- okay he guesses he is just going to have to feed himself- oh finnnalllyyyy lunch is ready-- oh man yuck what is it?- oh man peanut butter and jelly, yeah thats his favorite but can't I even cut the crust off for him- gosh is he asking too much- well he's going to have to just pull it off then because he doesn't want to eat the crust today-

And then finally after eating and clearing his plate- thanks mom that was a good lunch!!-- (half an hour later)-- what are we going to have for dinner tonight?

Yep that's my boy!

Tween?

2008-07-10T00:53:00.000-07:00

This is the face that I have gotten to look at on Sadie for most of the summer. Does she not look a little pre-teenish here? She is only 8. Ok - 8 1/2. That still isn't pre-teen, but she keeps reminding me that she is almost a pre-teen. I'm not ready for a teen, or a tween. Nor a Tween 'tude. She is a really sweet girl though. I absolutely adore her. I just can't believe time has passed so quickly. now she is more into her ipod and computer games than she is toys. At least she still doens't seem to notice boys! But I'm sure it's next.

Carter's Photo Shoot

2008-07-10T00:37:00.000-07:00

Carter, my little ham, decided he wanted me to take his picture. Over and over and over again. I seriously took over 20 photos of him just pose after pose. All different, most pretty cute. I just thought it was really funny that he was asking me to keep taking his picture, then he'd look at it, and pose again. Thank goodness for digital cameras. It's pretty cheap entertianment.

Fun in the Sun!

2008-07-10T00:22:00.000-07:00

It has been so nice and sunny this week that we decided to spend not one but two days at Bloedel. I had a great time swimming with the kids, building sandcastles, having a picnic, and just plain enjoying being a mom. My kids were so great all day long. They played nicely with their friends, the didn't squabble (much) and there were no injuries. Just Fun, Fun, Fun, and lots of sun!

Who Needs a Hot Tub?

2008-07-07T23:12:00.000-07:00

Ok so maybe I wish we had a Hot Tub, but the kids obviously don't care. They can kick it in the kiddie pool just fine still. Actually my friend Sam, whose house we are hanging out at in these photos, has a mommy sized Hot Tub, it just isn't working and hasn't been for years. I keep picturing all us girlfriends lounging in it sipping some lemonade and soothing away the Mommy headaches and pains at the end of the day. But she keeps not getting it fixed-- so for now I guess we kick it in the kiddie pool too.

More Park Days

2008-07-07T22:58:00.000-07:00

Just another day at the park. My kids are pretty fortunate to not even know how privelged they are to live in such a beautiful town with beautiful parks and fresh running water spraying out of the ground for them to run and play in. With Mommies and aunties who bring tons of snacks for them to munch on and warm towels for them to dry off in. And never mind the many friends to play with. Yes I must say we are blessed. Blessed indeed.

Annual trip to Birch Bay

2008-07-03T23:19:00.000-07:00

We went to Birch Bay the other day and played at the beach. It was a super low tide and the sand seemed to stretch forever before you could get your toes in the water. Because the tide was so low, the sand wasn't too muddy. It had dried out a little except for where little rivers ran through. That didn't stop my kids sensory issues from kicking it into high gear. Carter does not love the beach. There are crabs,and seaweed, and sand, and water and all kinds of things he decides to be afraid of when he sees them. Addie just seems to get mad at everything, sand beween her toes, water in crocs, shoes off her feet, dirty feet back into her crocks. Its a challenge. but the beautiful beach is worth it. And every year I just have to remind myself it was a little easier than the year before.

Birch Bay

2008-07-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

I was surprised that Addie and Carter were not the only ones who didn't love the beach. Sadie had been allowed to bring Tori so she wouldn't be stuck hanging out with a bunch of "little kids". But still the girls spent quite a bit of time asking if they could go sit in the car. Can you believe it a beautiful beach on a bright sunny day and the girls wanted to go sit in the car. I swear they are skipping into their teen years. At least Philip had a blast running around with David and Evan. That is until his stomache reminded him it had been more than 15 minutes since he had eaten. Growing boy and his unsatiable appetite. You know even the dog seemed a little whiny at the beach. Of course that wasn't until she ended up swimming in the cold salty water. because she could touch when we passed over a little inlet. She kept trying to drink the water and then would get an awful look of disgust on her face until she got to the next pool of water where she would stupidly try it again.

After walking out to the water's edge we headed over to the state park to wash the sand off our feet and enjoy a picnic lunch. i could have spent the rest of the day out there exporing the rocky side of the beach, but Samantha and her kids were done so we decided to head back to town to go to a park.

Well at least by the time we left everyone agreed they had had a good time. Their tummies were full, their feet were covered in sand and their buckets were filled with shells and treasures. It was a good day.

Same Day Therapy

2008-07-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

This summer we were able to get the kids all to therapy at Susan's on the same day. Thanks to Tina, the new therapist there who works on Fridays.

Our therapists are so nice they decided to work the scedule out so we only have to drive to Lynden once a week. Yeah for saving on gas!

While Sadie is not in school they are allowing her to join in, which has been a huge blessing because she had felt a little left out. It's also really good for all of them because the dynamics change when you add an older sibling into the mix. I love the communication strategies the therapists come up with.

This first session of everyone in the same time slot was a little hectic... the kids were having a ball... so it was loud. Then we moved outside and it was a little more organized, and the kids didn't feel the need to be quite so loud.

I am just so incredibly thankful for the therapy they recieve and the talents the therapists have. I can't say enough good things about these sweet, caring, and patient woman. Especially having therapy on Fridays when it has already been a long week and everyone is tired. But these great ladies just never seem to run out of patience and always are full of great ideas and new insight to the workings of my children's minds. I don't know how I'd get along without them.

Artists at Work

2008-07-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

One of the kids favorite outside activities is to paint the house. Of course they just use water, but they have a great time doing it anyway. I thought Sadie would think it was too babyish, but perhaps her artisitic side just can't resist the chance to create. Mom loves it too, because it lets them be creative, keeps little hands busy, and it's good clean fun that mom doesn't have to worry about the mess.

It's Cool Dude!

2008-06-28T23:58:00.000-07:00

Another fun day at the splash park in Fairhaven yesterday. It was a pretty exciting day this time. A little girl snuggled against her mom sitting right behind us had seizure. A friend who was with them called the paramedics and her husband who was a doctor. I helped calm her down since I had seen seizures like hers before when Carter used to have them. At the same time a reporter just happened to show up from the herald. After the paramedics arrived he came and asked me what happened. I didn't know much and wanted to respect their privacy so I just said she had some kind of reaction and looked like she would be ok. He was more interested in getting pictures of kids playing in the water anyway. He took lots of pictures of the boys since many of the kids who were there were from a daycare and he didn't have parent permission. So they boys had a cute pic of them in the paper today with a quote from Philip saying It's Cool Dude! referring to the spash park.

2008-06-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

Daddy celebrated the begining of summer by getting the kids these giant super soakers. I think they must hold a gallon of water because the kids can get you quite wet before they have to stop to reload. Of course when you have a new squirt gun you have to have a big water fight to break them in. Since Daddy was the brilliant one with the idea to get them I let him be the one to get soaked by the kids. In the end I odn't know who had the most fun, and the water fight was a draw too.

Teddy Bear Picnic

2008-06-19T17:21:00.000-07:00

I won a new cute little kids picnic set in a raffle at Maddy's fundraising crop for her Africa mission trip. The cute little basket came with utensils, cups plates and a little blanket. Since it was a cloudy day the kids decided to have a picnic in the living room with all their furry friends. What do you serve at a teddy bear picnic? Teddy Grahms of course.

My Little VP

2008-06-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

Sadie worked so hard on the walk-a-thon for her school that even though she was not the grand prize winner, her Principal granted her a special award of Vice Principal for the day. She and a friend helped with the end of year awards assembly handing out programs and then displaying the posters and awards during the principals talk. In the picture they are showing all the students and parents what the new playground will look like that the walk-a-thon raised money for. Sadie was pretty comfortable in the limelight and really enjoyed her day as VP.

Sweet Rewards

2008-06-10T22:16:00.000-07:00

These are the happy faces you see before the consumption of the schools largest banana split ice cream sundae.

This is the face you see after an ice cream over indulgence.

Too much of a good thing!

Psalm 91

2008-06-09T16:02:00.000-07:00

When I saw these beautiful swans during my weekend retreat

one thought kept recurring in my mind... taking refuge in His Wings.

Psalm 91:4

4 He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

How our God longs to draw us near to comfort and protect us.

Why would I want to be anywhere but in the shelter of his loving wings?

Loving Well

2008-06-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend at a private retreat with my Beloved Sisters small group. We did the Beth Moore, Loving Well retreat kit. Everything about the weekend was just what my soul was seeking: time with Godly women; deep and touching biblical teachings; transparent heartfelt sharing, laughter, games and childlike fun and some relaxed reflective moments. It was an amazing setting, the Cedar Springs Lodge which is full of beautiful gardens, ponds, trails and accomodations. We stayed in the ranch house where I had stayed before for MOPS retreats, but this time it was so much more intimate and relaxed with just my close friends. It was really an wonderful time of refreshing and connecting and learning to Love Well.

Splash Around

2008-05-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hurray the splash park is open! We love going to the spash parks at fairhaven and cornwall parks. The opening of the parks really starts the summer season for us, even though school isn't out yet.

Awana Luau

2008-05-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

Our End of Year Leader Appreciation for Awana this year was a Hawaiian Theme. Walking into the room you were trasported into the tropics where a luau awaited you on the beach. We had a great time doing the limbo, carving spam sculptures (I guess they love spam in hawaii?), and eating from a delicious buffet that included sweet and sour chicken with rice, and mac-n-cheese with spam. Notice my girls sipping on their favorite beat the heat treat, a starbucks frap!

2008-05-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

It's Official. Philip has graduated from Preschool. He's a big boy now. Philip loved his teacher and all his classmates. It was a nice friendly well behaved class and we know Philip will miss his friends. He is a little nervous about the next stage of life --KINDERGARTEN-- so we decided to focus on how cool it is to graduate from preschool. We got all the kids in his class these cute smiley face grad balloons. He remembered Elissa having a cool party for graduating from Highschool last year and he wanted to be cool like his big cuz. So we celebrated with some special chocolate cookies he picked out decorated with little graduation cap picks. He was happy.

Philip's Final Preschool Fieldtrip

2008-05-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

Philip's preschool teacher has a tradition of taking the kids to her in-laws house on the bay for their last field trip. Sadie went both years that she was in her class and this year it is Philip's turn. It is the perfect spot for a group of preschoolers to explore. They have a private little beach that the kids get to play on. A tall tree that grows leaning out towards the bay holds a large bouy on a rope that swings out over the water. The kids love to ride on it. There are also great rocks to climb around on and view the tide pools. Tons of little crabs hide under rocks on the beach waiting for the kids to find them and then collect them in buckets as pets for the day. It's a great way to end the year and create a lasting memory.

Addie-tude

2008-05-22T23:30:00.000-07:00

It's a nickname she earned early on because she was more than a little tempermental. I mean this girl knows how to "sport a 'tude"! She also knows how to melt your heart with a little smile and some sweet words. She is just constantly running at 200% and I love it-- when I'm not hating it. Luckily these days I'm loving it more often than it's driving me crazy. She's learning to tame her temper and settle things with her words and not shrill screams. At least she tries the word approach first and if that doesn't do the trick she works her way up to shrill screams... and if that still fails then watch out because her fists are flying and her teeth are chomping. But at least she's trying out some problem solving techniques. Maybe by the time she gets to kindergarten she will be an expert!

Getting Mom

2008-05-20T02:43:00.000-07:00

Philip didn't just throw the ball back and forth with Daddy. No he had to secretly plot and plan how he could end up "accidently" hitting Mommy in the head with the ball. How could I get mad when he looked so cute doing it?

Coocoo for Carter

2008-05-20T02:30:00.000-07:00

Carter is a goof. It's all I have to say. This boy cracks me up. He is giggly and goofy. He loves to be the clown. He is great at getting everyone wound up, breaking the tension with laughter, or distracting everyone with his silliness. Yeah, it can be frustrating, but most of the time he's just a silly little monkey that I can't help but laugh along with!

Swinging to and fro

2008-05-20T02:20:00.000-07:00

Addie has loved the swings since she was a little a baby. She just can't get enough of them. It's always the first thing she runs to when we get to any park, and she wouldn't mind staying on them the entire time. She loves to go super high and fast. She even loves to swing during her therapy sessions. Its just something she craves. Its calming and organizing for her. Which I love. What I don't love is standing by the swings all day pushing her. So imagine my delight when she learned to pump her legs all by herself. Now she can swing to hearts content and I'm free to enjoy playing with the other kids as well. No longer a slave to the swing!

Girl's Best Friend

2008-05-20T02:12:00.000-07:00

Sadie just loves Princess... ok we all just love her. She has a great personality. She's playful when you want to play chase, tug-o-war, or fetch (although she isn't so great at bringing the toy back to you she does retirieve it and then come wave it around about 5 feet in front og you). She is also soft and snuggly whe you just want someone to curl up and cuddle with. She still escapse from the yard once in awhile if you aren't paying attention, but she comes right away when you call her. We can take her to the park off leash and she loves to go for car rides. I was skeptical at first how a dog would fit into our busy family and into our tiny home, but she has been a great addition and a wonderful blessing to all of us. We just love her.

Writers Workshop

2008-05-12T02:01:00.000-07:00

Sadie was selected as one of four students in her school to go down to the young authors conference. Of course I wanted to join them, I hate to miss out on any of her activities. We were supposed to ride the school bus down with all the other kids in the city going, but when she got on the school bus she started to feel a little sick. She still wanted to go but I was afraid she would get car sick on the school packed with kids so I decided to drive her down. With a little more room and a little fresh air she was just fine. Driving our own car ended up being a blessing because the school bus broke down in Mt Vernon and the other kids all had to wait for a chartered bus to come pick them up and their weren't room for all the parents. Thank goodness i had my car. We even had time to stop and celebrate her wonderful story with ice cream from Big Scoop an old fashioned ice cream parlor just like the one in the story she wrote about a magical tornado.

Easter Eggs

2008-04-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

The entire family gathered around the kitchen table to decorate Easter eggs. The kids were super excited because it isn't very often that Daddy joins us in crafty endeavors. But I think Jose is still at kid at heart when it comes to holidays because they didn't really celebrate anything with his Mom when he was little. This year he especially like the Tie Died Eggs kit that came with a little egg spinner machine. Altoghet we colored 3 dozen eggs. I think Jose did at least one of those dozen all by himself. Of course with 4 kids over half of them were cracked before the fun was over, but atleast they were still edible... and we more than enough plastic eggs for the easter bunny to hide!

Tea Party

2008-04-20T01:49:00.000-07:00

Tori spent the night and the girls decided they wanted to have a little American Girl Tea Party. So I got out my little teapots and china cups and served them a proper little tea. The last time they did this was years ago and I had not trusted them with fine china but instead served their tea in a plastic fisher price toy tea set. It's just another sign of how quickly they are growing up.

The girls felt very grown up and they were even excited to get a little lesson in manners and propriety. We talked about the Samantha movie and how girls of that era had strict guidelines that they must follow and they would even take lessons. How easy our kids have it these days!

Invisible Skateboarding

2008-04-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

When you have a wonderful wild imagination who needs equipment and skill? Carter had a blast on his imaginary skateboard at the park. His skateboard was a special model which included jet plane and surfboard capabilities.

Future Worship Leader

2008-04-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

Philip has become my little Praise and Worship Music Leader. Whenever we go to the park next door he sits on the grassy hill and makes up songs for Jesus. They are so beautiful and heart felt it brings tears to my eyes. He even adds hand motions. What a sweet little boy. I know the angels join him in chorus as his praises ring in the ears of our heavenly father. Now if only he knew how to play the guitar.

Drowned Rat

2008-04-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

Jose took a little too much pleasure in torturing... oops I mean bathing Princess. She looks like a skinny little chihuahua when she gets bathed. It also makes her darn miserable. She really hates baths, but the girls and Jose thought it was hilarious to see her looking so pathetic. I heard their laughter from the kitchen and came running to see what had happened. Poor puppy they were just giggling over her sad little looks and attempts at shaking the water off her fur.

Girlfriend Getaway

2008-04-12T22:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just need a little girl time.

This was a great weekend for us to getaway and be girlie and giggly. We went out for a great lunch, did a little shopping, accessorized our furry friends, went to the hotel for some swimming, dinner and a movie. It was great girl bonding and we just can't wait for our next chance for a getaway!

Healing Kisses

2008-04-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I love best about being a mom is that I get to be the go to person. It is also one of the most frustrated things. Constantly being inundated with the he said /she said and the tattle tales, the messes and the boo-boos, can be tiring to say the least. But being the only one who can magically make my kids feel better by drying their tears and kissing their owies.... that is priceless!

Artists Work

2008-03-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

Sadie is an amazing little artist. She is also a perfectionist. The two qualities often clash. She frequently ends up in tears when working on an art project at school because it isn't turning out "right". She puts such high expectations on herself that she gets frustrated really easily. This little clay mama lion was a prime example when she burst into tears when she couldn't get it just right. I reminded her what a great quality persistance is and after taking a moment to calm herself down she was able to create quite a cute piece of art!

Growing by Leaps and Bounds

2008-03-20T01:22:00.000-07:00

It wasn't that long ago that Carter didn't even want to play on the playground equipment near our house. Everyone else would race towards the climbing rock or run up the stairs to the slide and Carter would sort of hang out at the bottom maybe yelling into the tubes, or playing around on the stairs. He'd avoid going up to the top deck at all costs. His Occupational Therapist thought that it was probably due to his motor planning skills and the challenges he faced when his center of gravity was off. He has been in several kinds of therapy since he was just a few months old. We don't know where he would be at if he hadn't gotten help. When your at therapy sessions every week it is sometimes hard to see the progress because it comes in small steps. But today as I watched Carter make his way to the top deck of the playground I knew that progress was being made and I was reminded yet again of the importance of early intervention. His courage and confidence are evident in his proud smile.

Ponder the thought

2008-03-20T00:52:00.000-07:00

Philip is like a little old man in a child's body. I just adore his unique sense of humor and point of view. He is constantly saying things that blow me away because I can't believe they are coming from such a young kiddo. It is more than just his interesting ideas, but it is also his way of articulating them. There is also his sarcasm and dry humor, coupled with his tendancy to moan, groan and complain that adds decades onto his age.

Philip would rather watch shows on the discovery channel than cartoons. His favorite is Man vs Wild, Surviorman, Dirty Jobs, and How It's Made. He pays close attention to all the details and then later recalls them and uses them in his imaginative play. He can spend a long amount of time talking about his detailed plans.
Sometimes he gets such an intense look on his face that I think I can actually see the gears turning in his head.

2008-03-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

Conquering the fireman's pole has been on Addie's to do list for a long time. At first she didn't even want to reach towards it, then she would do it with help, but there is nothing like learning to do something all by yourself! She was so proud she just kept sliding down the pole over and over again shouting "Watch me Mommy! Watch me!"

Happy Birthday Sweet Sadie

2008-02-15T01:11:00.000-08:00

Sadie is 8. I guess I'm in a little bit of denial. I mean it seems like just yesterday that she was in love with Barney the big purple dinosaur. Then it was Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Ponies. Now Sadie is all about High School Musical and Hannah Montana. Signs of childhood slowly slip into fond memories and a young lady emerges. She still has a wonderful imagination and loves to play, but I know these days are few as she turns into a 'tween. I'm not complaining, I'm excited by the adventures and opportunities that await her. I truely enjoy spending time with her and couldn't be more proud of the little lady she has become. I'm just amazed at how quickly the whole growing up thing happens.

Brotherly Love

2008-02-14T14:17:00.000-08:00

It's Valentine's Day and the Boys are showing their affection for eachother. I hope they get along this well their entire lives. They have similar interests- superheroes, cars, tools, but their bond is more than that. Their personalities mesh well together, and their creativity coincides. When they are in their own world of imagination, the rest of the world just fades away, and they can spend all day in pretend play.

Nunez Spy Agency

2007-12-18T14:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Philip!
Top Secret Agent Philip Nunez turned 5 years old this month. In celebration of this grand event all of the prospective agency members gathered at the NSA (Nunez Spy Agency) Headquarters for training and induction into the agency. After completing their training they were sent on their first mission, finding the stolen birthday presents. The found various clues left around the grounds some in riddles some in code. Code Cypher experts were on hand to help decipher these clues and the new agents soon found where the loot had been stashed. Unfortunately the thieves had gotten away, we suspect their may be a double agent at work here. More mission may be underway in the future. Top secret phots of this mission are included below . Warning this message will self destruct in 3.2.1....

Our Top Agent Defuses the Bomb and Saves the Day

Agents in Disguise Prepare for their Mission

Christmas Caroling

2007-12-17T01:18:00.000-08:00

This year we celebrated with an evening of Christmas Caroling at St. Francis a local home for the elderly. This is a tradition of the Hadfield family that we were enjoyed to join in on last year and again this year. I hope to do this every year we have so much fun. This year it was just me and the girls that attended. The boys stayed home with Daddy and got some guy time in. Sadie, Addie and I first met Weiss' and the Ryan's at Starbucks for cocoa and coffee. Then we headed to the retirement home where we sang Christmas carols and handed out some homemade crafts we had made for them. Ours were applesauce and cinnamon ornaments. There were maybe 10 families that joined in the singing, it was such a blessing. I loved to watch Addie go up to the elderly people and hand them an ornament and shyly say Merry Christmas. The first lady that Addie handed one to was a little confused and wanted her to take it back after a minute. Addie was close to being heart broken so I said to her Oh you wnat it hung on the back of your wheelchair as a decoration.... ok I'll do that for you and I stuck it back there even as she was saying no. Didn't want to see my little girl's spirit crushed when she was being so brave and thoughtful. As we moved to another room the people were more alert and more receptive to us. They enjoyed the young kids especially. Addie eagerly handed out ornaments as long as I stayed by her side. When they would smile at her she'd beam with pride. One lady in particular was taken by Addie and called her a pretty little girl. I think Addie gave her at least two crafts if not more. Sadie was a little shy this year about handing out ornaments. I think she was a little intimidateed by the various illnesses and ails they had, but she still sang and smiled from a distance.

After we were done caroling we joined the Hadfield's at their house for dinner and Games. Heather had made a delious potato soup, a hearty chili and homemade rolls. All so delicious! Scott had planned some really fun games, one challenged us to remember the lyrics to the carols we'd just sang, another tested our paper tearing tree skills... behind our backs. It was hilarious and we even won prizes. When it was the kids turn to participate Addie jumped right in like one of the big kids... she beamed with excitement again as Heather gave her a helping hand. Sooo cute. She won a prize and picked a cute little teddy bear ornament, but then lost it before the night was over and was quite sad, but Heather found her a suitable replacement. Sadie and Tori had quickly disappeared upstairs and even managed to weasel their way onto a computer. Little screen addict girls. But at least they had fun. So did I! Christmas at it's best: friends, family, fun, spreading joy and good cheer.

My Main Man

2007-12-08T16:09:00.000-08:00

It's not very often that I get a good picture of my husband. Most of the time he won't let me take his picture. But when he is in a particularly good mood I get a few shots in. These were some of my favorites from our first snow fall. He is quite the expressive guy and his eyes tell a story, that's for sure. He can send me into giggles with just one goofy grin, and his "if looks could kill" stare just might be considered a weapon by some agencies. No matter what his expression though he always looks handsome to me!

Happy St Nicks Day!

2007-12-07T00:13:00.000-08:00

As a Christian family we are constantly trying to find ways to celebrate this most special and holy time of year. It can be tricky with all the commercialism to find Christ at Christmas. But amidst all the hustle and bustle, partying and presents we have managed to create a few special traditions that our special to us, and today is one of them.
A few years ago inspired by a Mops speaker my sister decided to add some new Christmas traditions to our family that really bring the true meaning of Christmas to light. One of those is the celebration of St. Nicks Day. Having celebrated this for 4 years in my high school french class, this one was really inspiring to me, so I have added the tradition to my family too. We bake cookies or make some special treats to give as a special surprise to secret pals that each family member has picked. Then after dinner we drive around and secretly deliver them ringing the doorbell and running away. When we get home we leave our shoes outside the door and hope that St. Nick will come and deliver a goodie to us. Every year we have been fortunate enough to have a special St Nick treat or two delivered to us by secret pals as well.

St Nicholas was a real saint who lived long ago. He dedicated his life to serving God, and followed Jesus' teachings to sell what you own and give to the poor. Many legends surround him and he is known as one who preformed miracles and did kind deeds for children, the poor and the sick often bringing them money or treats. He is known as the saint of children, unmarried women and sailors for various miracles he preformed.

We celebrate St Nicks day as one way to show love and kindness to those we care about. We talk about being thoughtful and generous and glorifying Jesus in all we do. And we have a lot of fun doing it!

This year we celebrated just as in years past. We made several batches of cookie dough in the morning, in the afternoon we baked and packed cookies up. We packed in the car without eating dinner because we also had a Twins Club party to attend so we delivered some packages in early evening and some late after the party. We got caught twice, but didn't let it spoil our fun! When we came home, after putting our shoes out we settled into our jammies and went to bed. We awoke the next moning to find a special new christmas ornament for each of us in our shoe along with a candy cane... yum! Sadie got a bike ornament for learning to ride her bike and being persistant, Philip got candy cane made of bells because he learned the true meaning of the sweet treat, Addie got a star because she loves to be the kid of the day, and Carter got a wagon because he loves to ride and share the fun.

Twins Club Kids Christmas Party

2007-12-06T23:03:00.000-08:00

Tonight was the twins club Christmas party. It was fun to be able to go visit with some old friends and catch up on how our busy lives have been. We had a lot of fun making crafts and having a little snack. We were most excited to see Santa Clause. How fitting since it is also St Nicks Day (more about this in another post). Santa gave each child a present with cocoa, a little santa mug and some candy. Although the kids were all really excited about the idea of seeing santa they were less than thrilled with the actual encounter. They sort of half smiled as Addie and Carter sat on his lap and Sadie and Philip stood a bit behind. I was allowed to step away for the photo so I will be in it too. I'm not sure who had a camera to snap a shot for me, but if I get a copy of it I'll post it here. I'm sure it's comical.

Does Heaven Have A Gate?

2007-12-05T23:04:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought that would be the most important question I would ever hear my sweet little boy ask. But that was the start of thee most important decisions in my childrens' life. The decision to accept the Lord Christ Jesus as their Personal Saviour.

It started like this... Sadie, my 7 year old daughter had been running around the church after Awana, and I got concerned because I couldn't find her. "I get worried when your out of my sight Sadie. I always want to know where you are," I said when I found her.

Fast forward 20 minutes when we are all buckled into the car to go home.
"What would you do if you couldn't find me Mom," she asked.
"I'd search for you until I found you," I said.
"What if you couldn't find me though?"
"I'd search for you all the days of my life and if I still couldn't find you when I died then I'd wait for you at heaven's gate because I know you will live with me there for eternity." I said, feeling a little teary over the thought.

"Mommy," Philip said, "Does heaven have a gate?"
"Yes, heaven has the biggest most beautiful and ornate gate you could imagine. When people talk about the pearly gates they are talking about the beautiful white gates at heaven's entrance. Only those who believe in Jesus as their personal saviour can enter through the gates and live in heaven. Do you know what heaven is?" I said, not knowing if they truly understood, but always hoping to plant a seed.
"Heaven is where God and Jesus lives," Addie piped up.
"Yeah and angels too," Carter added.
"But God made it all he made heaven and earth." Philip likes to show off his knowledge.
"God made everything!" Addie enthusiastically replied. And then a jabbering from all of them ensued about the many many things that God did make, trees, dogs, sky, stars, turtles, dinosaurs (but those ones all died), and of course the things God didn't make but made materials for and also made the people to build, like cars, houses, bandaids, etc.
Knowing this could go on forever I decided to redirect the conversation, "And who is Jesus?" I asked, testing their knowledge.
"God's son!" They all replied without hesitation.
"And why was Jesus born?" I asked, seeing if they were starting to understand the meaning of Christmas.
"God loves us and sent his son," Philip quoted his cubbies verse.
"Because he was a baby and he was God's son and he had a mom," Addie said.
"Yeah and God is his dad, Addie." Carter noted.
A groan came from the back seat, "Jesus was born becuase he had to die for our sins so we could go to heaven. because we all sin and do stupid stuff like lie, and be bad" Sadie said a little exasperated by her siblings, but finally inspired to join the conversation.
"I'm glad you know that Sadie because I know you already accepted Jesus as your saviour. Addie, Carter, Philip, I hope someday you will decide to accept Jesus as your saviour and know Jesus is the son of God, believe that he was born on earth and died on the cross to pay for your sins and that he rose again, and that you will trust him as your very own savior. Then you will live in Heaven with God, and me and Sadie. Forever."
"I do Mommy, I know Jesus is God's son, I want to live in heaven after I die. " Philip said.
"Me too," Addie said, "because I know God and Jesus."
"Jesus is my saybeyour," Carter said in his cute little voice, "I want to live in heaven."
"Yeah and Jesus died on the cross mommy," Philip added importantly.
"Wow! Okay,you reallu know your stuff kids good work," I said, "Then let's pray....."

And that was the begining of the conversation that prompted my three youngest children to accept Jesus as their Saviour. We prayed together and talked about what an important decision they had made. How this day heaven rejoiced for them and their book was now written in the book of life and they would some day enter the gates of heaven, and see God face to face. This is a day to celebrate!!!!

First Snowfall of the Season

2007-12-05T15:25:00.000-08:00

It's officially winter. It came quickly this year. But it's beautiful so I don't mind. The snow came quietly on the weekend and was gone for the most part by Monday so we didn't even have a snowday for school. The older kids were at Grandma and Grandpas house for the weekend so Jose and I got some time to enjoy the fluffy white flakes with the twins. It was very cold so we had a few short pay times outside, each time coming inside to warm up with a cup of cocoa.

It was also Princesses first snowfall. We weren't sure what she would think of the stuff and we worried she'd get too cold. We didn't have any snow boots for her little paws, but she didn't care. She loved the snow. She would run and chase through the snow and bark at delight each time someone threw a snowball. It made her crazy wild with excitement, and she took a nice long nap when we came inside.

Jose thought it was really fun to play with Princey in the snow. He really liked to throw snow at her and get her riled up. Then she'd chase after him barking up a storm. It was cute to see them both playing happily.

Addie thought the lawn needed to be mowed and wanted to make sure the birds were fed. She's always my little worker bee,

Carter prefered to try and eat the snow, but didn't like the fact that it was cold.

Jose couldn't keep a smile from crossing his lips as he watched the kids in the snow.

I have to admit I thought it was pretty fun too, nothing like a little snow to bring out some good old fashioned family fun on a white winter weekend.

Happy Birthday to Me

2007-07-29T23:24:00.000-07:00

I just turned 30.

At first I was excited. I have wanted to be thirty since I was a pre-teen. But as it came closer I got the blues. I wanted to celebrate in style, but felt lame throwing myself a party. Half my friends were going to be out of town anyway. Then I wanted to spend the day out of town shopping or refreshing, but some relatives and family friends were visiting from out of town so that wasn't going to work. Also I share my birthday now with one of my beautiful nieces (best birthday present I ever got by the way) and she happens to be Sadie's best friend, so it's usually all about her party on my birthday. Which is totally fine with me, I love to make birthdays special for kids. And she wanted a party at the water slides, so that was fun. But this was going to be my 30th. And for some crazy reason 30 has been more important to me than any other birthday. Better than 16, way cooler than 18, and more exciting than 21, 30 just hits the spot with me, it's weird I know. But I was a little let down that noone was offering to have a party for me. I had even straight out told my sister to throw me a surprise party. But she refused.

Oh my sweet sister never disappoints though. Ok that's a lie, there have been times when she has disappointed me and I'm sure there will be more, she maybe close to perfect, but she's still human. But this time she didn't disappoint me. She threw me not one but two surprise parties.

First, on Saturday, the day after my birthday party she and two friends were going to take me out for dinner. Our other friends were out of town like I said so she it was going to be a small group. So when we arrived at the restaurant I was surprised to see several of my friends waiting for me with balloons, big fake plastic earrings, matching sparkly plastic tiara and everything. There were friends there my sister didn't even know very well, and my best friend from out of town. What a fun surprise. Of course we ate too much, then went over to another restaurant for coffee and desesrt and which also turned into some appetizers and we again ate way way too much. But it was fun and memorable, and so very very sweet.

Next day a small intimate family bbq was planned. I invited Janet, my out of town friend to spend the night and join us for the bbq. Little did I know that was the plan the whole time. The next morning she suggested we go out to breakfast like old times. My mom offered to watch the kids and said take our time. So we ate a long relaxed breakfast, Then we stopped by the grocery store to see if another friend was working and the Janet wanted to go to the mall so we hung out there. I was rather embarrased because I had chosen to just wear my sweats out to our little breakfast jaunt, and now found myself cruising the mall but hey I'm 30 who do I need to impress. Then we finally got back to my parents house just in time for the bbq. I walk in and appologize for being almost late. Not a big deal I'm told relax and enjoy my birthday weekend. We head out to the deck to have some chips and dipand wait for lunch to be ready. And then....

Down the lake a bit I see a train of boats coming. Don't think much of it there is a boaters club on the lake and they get together a few times a year and parade around the lake. Didn't know what the occasion was but when i saw santa on the bow of the first boat I thought "cute christmas in July, maybe they are promoting their christmas morning parade". Then my mom points the sign out to me "what's that sign say?" she asks me. "I don't know mom looks like maybe a phone number to me, 3-0- something" it still isn't hitting me. Then I recognize some of the people. "Hey that kind of looks like the Hadfields. Oh and that is your boat and there's Dave and the sign says happy 30th ye olde farte. And I'm guessing it's Cheri in the Santa suit." And boy was my face bright red. I was surprised AGAIN! They all came to shore and we had a great big bbq and even more friends stopped by and the ones who were out of town had gotten back into town and we had a blast. Thanks to all my dear friends and family and especially my sister for showing me just how much I really am loved. I won't forget!

Slippin' into Summer

2007-07-06T05:40:00.001-07:00

My hunky hubby surprised the kids with a spiderman slip-n-slide during his lunch break. Sadie was the first to mater this new toy, and Addie was right behind her big sister. Philip was little leary of it and Carter liked the water squirting into the sky but was fond of the idea of sliding down it on his tummy. Of course when Jose got home from work he couldn't wait to try it out for himself. Actually it was so hot out that I even took a couple turns sliding down it. Once we turned the water off Carter felt more brave and slid down the slide on the water that had collected and pooled in the cener. After a couple of tries without the hose he was ready for a water blast, but Philip stayed on the sidelines. Maybe we will get him to try it out before summer is over.

Super Starting Summer

2007-07-06T05:15:00.000-07:00

Here they are my gorgeous family all enjoying a hot summer day. Just looking at them makes me smile. I hope our summer is filled with lots of moments like this one, just enjoying eachothers company.

Walk-A-Thon

2007-06-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

It's a great thing when we see our children get excited about something. It's even better when that thing happens to be a good cause. Sadie decided that she would make a difference for her school this year. Since I am the Co-President of her school's PTA she hears a lot about the needs and goals of her school. Lately we have been talking a lot about the playground because her school is in desperate need of some new equipment. They had to remove over half of the equipment when they put in a few new pieces because they couldn't get them insured. This means there isn't much for the little kids to play with, especially the pre-school age special needs kids. I hadn't talked about the Walk-a-thon plans much with Sadie, I didn't think she would be all that interested, but when she heard the details at the all school assembly she got excited. Of course the big prizes had something to do with it. She also wanted to see her sister and brother happy on the playground. She talked about seeing them out on the playground and noticing they didn't really play with anything because it was all too big for them. She set a goal to raise $500 and solicited the twins help. She had them draw pictures and she wrote a letter and asked me to mail it to everyone we know. She also made a few calls and some personal appearances, although that was a little nerve wrecking for her. To my amazement she met her goal, donating the last $12 from her own pocket. She had hoped she would be the top seller in the school and earn the chance to be principle for a day, but she was 2nd place and still got a pretty cool prize, a party at our sports plex with all her friends. I am so proud of her. To see her set a goal, and a high one at that, then take the steps needeed to meet that goal, stepping out of her comfort zone as needed, it really shows character. that girl will go places in this world.

Last Day of School

2007-06-23T05:51:00.000-07:00

It's the last day of school for Sadie and I can't help but reflect on the year. She has learned so much and come so far. She has learned to problem solve and stay focused, both of which were big challenges for her last year. She has become an excellent reader and greatly improved her comprehension skills. She has mastered addition and subtraction and is starting to understand the concept of multiplication. She has studied many areas of science and has a growing thirst for knowledge in this area. She met lots of goals this year and won awards including being the top reader in her grade this year for the the read-a-thon, and being the second over all collector for the school walk-a-thon. On top of this she excelled in Awana and was persistent in her piano lessons. That is one motivated girl. She truly amazes me and I feel so blessed to be her mother.

Piano Recital

2007-06-16T06:03:00.000-07:00

Grandma pins Sadie's corsage on her right before her piano recital. Sadie preformed beautifully at the recital. She was calm and confident. She didn't feel the least bit nervous, it was as if she was made to preform. The past few weeks she has been playing the piano non-stop in anticipation of the big event. It was hard to believe there was time during the winter that I had to make her practice and now I'm telling her to leave the piano to rest for minute. I hope her enthusiasm for piano lasts through the summer.

Goodbye Sweet Bunny

2007-05-16T01:08:00.000-07:00

Sorrow and tears

There is one thing about being a mom that I just can't handle, the complete devasting and heart wrenching feeling of seeing your children in any kind of pain or loss. I'll be the first to admit I'm an emotional person, but I've learned how to deal with my own emotions and sadness. When it comes to my children it's a different story.
Recently I had to tell Sadie that her bunny passed away. She had been staying at her grandparents house for a few days so I was able to put it off awhile, but when she came home I had to break the news. She was devasted. At first she just looked at me in disbelief or shock, slowly processing my words. Then I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed her back and the reality sunk in while tears streamed down her face. he cried out, "But I don't want Stormy to be dead, I love my bunny, I love him, I love him."
This was her introduction to death, and it hit hard, for both of us.
We had only had the bunny for 9 months, but she really loved Stormy, and I have to admit that I did too. He had a great personality. He had rescued this rabbit on a windy and rainy night from the middle of a busy road. he was abandoned and was ill when we got him so we knew his time with us would be short, but it was still hard to say goodbye.

A Friend to Lean On

2007-04-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

Carter had to go in for an out patient surgery this week. I was a nervous wreck. I couldn't stand the thought of my little boy having surgery. He was so brave I couldn't believe it. He has never been great with doctors or nurses, He has had to deal with them enough in his short life so far. But this time he was cool and calm, not bothered a bit by them, he even gave the doctor a bad time and bantered with him. He was nervous at first about each of the steps, like putting on his gown, so we had his monkey, Montey put one on first. Then Montey and Carter got ID bracelets and laid down in the wagon that would wheel them back to the OR. While they waited for the doctor they tested out the oxygen masks that would help them go to sleep. Before we knew it they were both waving goodbye to us as they were wheeled into the OR by the doctor and nurse. Several hours later the doctor came out and told us things went really well. He was in recovery and they would get us right back there because he was crying and upset. He settled down a little after he saw daddy and mommy. We showed him Montey and he wanted to hold him. He was quite upset about the iv needle in his hand and so the nurse was able to remove it after a short time. He was given a bright red popsicle that he ate about 1/4 of and an large assortment of bandaids for him and Montey to use as needed. After he woke up a little more he was excited to see that Montey had the same big bandage on his abdomen as Carter did. It was only a short while after that and we were allowed to go home. There Carter got nauseous and vomitted quite a bit. he settled by late evening though and slept snuggled in with his Mommy and Daddy while the other kids stayed at Grandma and Grandpa's. Grandma and Philip brought Carter a big whale balloon, a airplane fan/candy and some new crayon stix and paper to keep him entertained in a quiet activity while he recovered. Luckily his recovery was pretty quick and he is pretty much back to himself.

Imagine Museum

2007-04-16T03:02:00.000-07:00

With a name like that is has to be a great place right? I can't believe how much fun we had at the Everett children's museum. It was a great way to wrap up our Spring break. Jose had the day off work and he decided we should go take the kids to do something fun. We had originally planned on the zoo but lucky for us it was a rainy day. We decided to explore somewhere new and after looking up local hot spots for kids online I thought the children's museum would be a great destination and it was! Rarely does a place live up to all you hope it will be for your kids, but this museum was more than we had imagined it would be. There was so much to do, and it was all hands on and engaging. The kids could learn and explore. They could build and play.
They each had their own favorite. Carter of course loved the water area. He could have played with the those boats and squirters for hours. He wanted to know how each instrument worked and find out what happened when you pushed each button or turned a knob. He also had his own out of the box ideas for the water area, wanting to see what would happen if you stuck a boat here or there, under paddles or nozzles, wanting to stack all the funnels together and pour water through them rather than play with them individually. His mind works in mysterious ways and I am fascinated watching him at work.

Addie seemed to enjoy the craft area because she got to cut. The girl has talent with scissors when she choses to use them appropriately. She really likes to use her hands, she loves anything crafty, and you can see her beam with prie when she knows she has made a masterpiece. She has a long atention span when she is doing artwork, and she is usually in a state of calm, as long as she is given room to create as she wishes without rules or restrictions.

Sadie liked the farm area. She used her excellent math skills to weigh and add up plastic fruits and vegetables. She pretendeed she was milking a cow, which she was an expert at since her class had recently taken a field trip to the Lynden Milk Makers fest. It is especially rewarding to see Sadie in a place like this because it gives great insight into her way of thinking. She has advanced into a level of play that includes using real life skills and acquiring new knowledge. She actually took time to read the signs and answer the questions they asked.

Philip's favorite area was undoubtably the construction zone. He loved putting the nuts and bolts together and getting to make something real, an actually ride on toy car/robot mobile. That boy is a natural with tools. Notice the tongue hanging out of his mouth? That means there is some serious concentration going on. I noticed as I watched him that he stuck his tongue out farther and farther the harder he worked. It would start just peaking out the corner of his mouth while he planned his contraption, then it would show itself a bit more as he began to put his plan to work, and here it is fully exposed as he tries to solve a difficult problem involving a stuck bolt.

They also enjoyed the racetrack area, where Jose jumped at the chance to pose as the 1st place winner. Another favorite was the near life size plane, with a cockpit including steering device, levers, buttons and switches to play with. Addie got a little upset in this section when she thought she was permently stuck in the seatbelt of one of the passenger chairs. They were impressed with the glowing black light/ shadow creation area. And Jose and the kids took a turn with the green screen pretending to be famous actors on tv. We really had an amazing time and can't wait to go back. I even caught Jose having fun and that is rare treat.

On the way home we stopped at McD's and let them get some of their running energy out chasing eachother throught he tubes. When they each got a chocolate dipped cone they thought that topped it off as the best day ever. It was a nice family fun day, and I hope to have a summer full of them this year.

Eggsellent Times

2007-04-09T01:42:00.000-07:00

We hope everyone had a great Easter. This year I think my kids finally got it. They may each have got it on a different level, but this was the first year that I felt like they all shared some joy and understanding in this holiday. We celebrated the ressurection of our savior in several ways this year.

First in our celebration was getting crafty. We had lots of fun getting our hands busy making decorations for our home. We pulled out feathers,glue, sequins, pom-poms, pipe cleaners and construction paper to make our simple and adorable spring creations. We had chicks popping out of eggs, fuzzy bunny's, stained glass window eggs made from melted crayons, and decorative crosses. Each day was a new project and the kids really got into it.

Of course a few days before Easter there was the traditional, and more commercialized Easter egg hunt with hundreds of plastic eggs filled with gobs of candy, stickers, bubbles, and other fun prizes. We had many of our friends over to share the fun with us and there were plenty of eggs for everyone to find, more than enough sugar to give them all a buzz, and tons of great photos ops. For anyone who didn't get in on it with us this year, we are sorry and didn't mean to exclude you, it was really a last minute idea, but we hope to have another fun gathering next year.

Then of course there was the actual dying of easter eggs. Knowing how much all of my kids enjoy making a mess, this is something I look forward to and dread at the same time. I have decided to take it all in a stride and see the inevitable mess as a great photo opportunity and just picture the cute scrapbook pages that will follow (some year when I get them actually made) and enjoy the moments of creativity just as much as my children do. This year we dyed just 3 dozen eggs. Not too overwhelming a number so it went by very quickly with 5 kids dying eggs (my niece Tori joined us for this activity). We had two basic dye kits, some crayons, five unusually patient, generous and kind spirited kids and loads of creativity that led to some beautiful easter art.

For the past few Easter's we have added another activity into our Easter eggs, they are called ressurection eggs. It is a kit we bought at our local Christian book store. They are a dozen plastic eggs each a different color and conatining a different momento of the Easter story to help bring the story to life. My kids love each of the miniture figures and replicas, and it helps hold their attention and brings details to light while we go through the story of the ultimate display of love.

We also spent lots of time reading Easter books and talking about the meaning of Easter. Remembering what a wise children's minister had shared with me about letting God use the gore for the purpose of getting their attention, I shared the story more vividly then I had in the past. To this day I can't mention the name of Jesus without one of my boys going into some kind of detail about how He was beaten, forced to wear a crown of thorns, then nailed to wood to die on the cross. But it wasn't until I asked Philip why Jesus did that, that I could see how the message sunk in. And in the words of my blunt four year old were wise words far deeper then I expected "So we can go to heaven mom, just so we can go to heaven, it doesn't make sense." And surely it doesn't, who are we to be worthy of such gift of grace?

Furry Friends

2007-04-05T01:30:00.000-07:00

Puppy meets Bunny

Princess and Stormy met today for the first time. They got along fabulously. At first i brought bunbun in the house to meet princess and see how they would get along. I thought Princess would bark or chase her, but she just sniffed her and then kept laying next to her. She was really fascinated by the bunny, but the bunny was less than excited but very tolerant, until we went to play in the yard. Outside Princess got a little too excited and kept wanting to chase Stormy and play. Stoemy hopped across the yard, then Princess hopped across the yard copying her. Princess can hop just like the bunny, it was pretty cute. We do have a few places where they can both fit under the fence though, so our play time had to have careful observation and was kept pretty short. I must say they look pretty cute together though.

Balto and Princess

Princess was infatuated with Balto from first sight, can't quite say the same for Balto but he was more than tolerant with her exuberantness. She loved to jump all over him and then would prance up his back and slide down his stomache like he was her personal playground. He kept giving me the look that said "oh brother how long do I have to put up with this" but soon she settled down and they just lay in a cuddle position for a nap.

Sock Hop

2007-03-29T03:26:00.000-07:00

The whole family went to the Sunnyland Sock Hop that I helped organize. The atlantics played so the kids all enjoyed the live music. and the decorations set a fun festive mood. Us girls wore poodle skirts that I made myself, and the boys wore jeans rolled up with white t-shirts. It was touching to watch Jose dance with Sadie. Carter was really into the music and loved dancing, but Philip took some convincing, he just wanted to go get ice cream. Addie loved her cool glasses and swishy skirt. She and Carter danced quite a bit together. 5t was one of the most fun dances I have ever been to, can't wait until next years dance.

Sibling Rivalry

2007-03-19T01:48:00.000-07:00

My bff Samantha got Princess' brother a few days after we got Princess. All it took was snuggling the fluffy little Princess and Sam knew she wanted one of her own, the trick was convincing her husband. So I brought Princess by her house to meet Erik. After seeing how sweet and cute princess was he couldn't resist. I rode out to no man's land again with Sam to pick up her puppy. That was quite the adventure that you can read about in my other daily doo dads blog.

Anyway Sam got the very last puppy left from the same litter. His name is Gizmo and he is adorable also. She brought him over to play one day and they had a lot of fun attacking each other and being quite rough. But there was a little love shown after they wore themselves out. Gizmo is a little fluffier and has the shih tzu face Princess has more petite features and longer legs.Aren't they sweet?

An Expanding Family

2007-03-15T00:40:00.000-07:00

Princess- Our New Puppy

We added a member to the family today. She is an adorable tiny little fluff ball. She is a Pomeranian/ Shih tzu mix also called a Shiranian. She has a very sweet temperament. Princess loves to give puppy kisses and nibble on ear lobes. She is very soft and cuddly and I just love that puppy breath. It was almost an hour drive to the place we had to pick her up from, out in the middle of nowhere. Quite an interesting place a home filled to the brim with birdcages, two litters of puppies and even a pet skunk. We took all the kids with us, but let Sadie pick which puppy we got. They were all so cute, I could have taken them all. But Sadie really wanted a girl puppy and the one she picked is adorable with more of the Pom face and petite features than shih tzu. It actually seemed more like the puppy picked Sadie, she kept running to Sadie and trying to lick and kiss her. When the mommy dog jumped into the little plastic pool all the puppies were kept in they all raced to nurse, except this one that was too gascinated by Sadie. Jose had been waiting outside the house witht he other kids while I had taken Sadie in to look at the puppies, then I went out and told Jose he could go pick which puppy we got. He went in and helped Sadie decide on puppy, with an unanimous vote to hers. So after she got her shots we were on our way with the sweet little baby girl. On the long drive home we talked about names, the boys didn't have any ideas, so we let Addie name her. Addie picked the name Princess... of course that is what she names just about everything these days, but the name is fitting of this little sweetpea. We had to stop at the pet store to buy the necessities, food, treats, a chew toy, a pink collar and leash, a fasionable pink doggie bag and matching cozy blanket were also a must. I resisted the little sweater for now, but I'm sure the cute outfits are in her future. Everyone in the family is just in love with her. I hope it will be a smooth transition, but I know puppies mean a lot of work, especially for mom.

for always

2007-03-07T03:19:00.000-08:00

He gives me a big hug for no particular reason, and then says, "Mom we sure do look cute don't we? Maybe you should take our picture so we can remember this for always" So I did. How could I resist? He cracks me up with the funny things he is always saying. I love this boy.

It's All About the Princess

2007-03-05T02:54:00.000-08:00

She might truly be royalty. At least she has us convinced. She is happy only when getting exactly what she wants when she wants it. She looks sweet and innocent standing here in her beautiful gown, but don't be fooled by the smile.
Actually she danced for nearly an hour in her sister's old princess dress, it had been sitting in her dress box for years but Addie just noticed it today and realized it was a "real"`princess dress.

"This is mine," she said.

I said "It can be now, it used to be Sadie's but it probably doesn't fit her anymore so you can have it."

"That's because Sadie isn't the Princess, Addie is. It's my pretty dress," said Addie.

Yep.... that's my Addie.

School is Cool

2007-02-20T02:03:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of Addie and Carter talking with the school Principal on after their first day of school. They were so excited to be there. Addie even gave Mrs Stuckart a hug.

They are so proud to be wearing their little back packs and walking like big kids down the school hallway. They are a little intimidated at first, but that settles and awe takes over as they look inside each class and see the kids working and all the artwork on the walls. You can see that they feel like they have entered a big kid world and are very proud of themselves. It makes me feel proud too.

I have been so amazed by how much Addie and Carter have liked school. It is really a blessing. They ask every day when they wake up if it is a school day and if they get to take the bus. They show me their art work as soon as they get off the bus and if they happened to be kid of the day that day, their faces are glowing. I'm so glad we have found a fit that really works for them, and helps then feel successful and nurtured while meeting all their special needs. I hope they continue to do this well in school as they get more comfortable with the routine and teachers.

The School Bus

Riding the school bus has been a big highlight for both Addie and Carter. They love getting on the bus in the morning and will stand by the window and watch for the bus for 10 minutes before it comes. The first time they got on the bus I teared up seeing them reach up for the handle bar and take that giant step onto the first stair. But they are so happy that it warms my heart and I know this has been the right decision.

My Baby turns 7 years old

2007-02-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my baby turned 7 years old today. Can it seriously have been 7 years ago that I first held her in my arms? First kissed those precious cheeks? First fell in love with being a mom? She has grown up so much. She is amazing, talented, smart, sweet, creative, sensitive and funny. But I can't believe that she is 7. Seven years of smiles that make my day, seven years of tears that break my heart, seven years of hugs that fit better than my favorite pair of jeans, seven years of giggles so contagious that make my toes tingle, seven years of sweet sweet memories and millions more to come. I love you baby girl, Happy Birthday!

Sadie eating her traditional birthday breakfast cake made with waffles, berries and whipcream.

Stormy

2007-01-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-14T21:16:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-13T13:59:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-12T23:48:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-11T16:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-11T13:09:00.000-08:00

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.