Life As We Know It.

Hello 2012!

2012-01-02T00:57:00.000-08:00

Wait...what? How did that happen?!?

Well, it's 1:00 am, and I can't sleep. THIS is an unfortunate thing since I was planning on getting up early tomorrow (errr, today) and reading my bible, excersizing and doing all of the things that I normally would during the week so that I could ease my way back into a routine with the winding down of Christmas break. Alas, it seems that it is not meant to be. At least getting up @ 5:30 is not to be. You see, my mind is in an absolute frenzy right now! I blame it all on the fact that it is the first of the year and around this time of year people tend to make/ponder these little things called resolutions. Other people, that is. I don't tend to make them myself. But, for some reason this year I AM a ponderin'...or at least doing some serious self reflection over the past year and really all of my adult life. If that doesn't strike fear and regret I'm not sure what does!

So, anywho, I have been thinking about this year and what I would really like to accomplish and goals that I would like to set out for myself and my family (spiritually, financially, physically, etc) and I feel like my mind is completely over flowing with things that I want and NEED to change about my life and things that I want to accomplish. I thought maybe I would just write it out (or type it out as the case my be...for the world to see no less!) as I think about it and try and put it into practice. Hopefully my life will be changed and God will be glorified. So here you go, my first priority as I take intentional steps in becoming the wife and mother that I think God wants me to be. BTW, I am no fool to believe that I can make these changes on my own. I know full well how much I rely on God and His grace, wisdom and mercy through the work of the Holy Spirit to make these changes in my life. With out Him and His higher purpose in my life...I.Would.Fail. So, here is my first (of many, but we'll start with just one so as not to overwhelm you...) and most relevant goal, not just for 2012, but for life as I seek out and strive to live a life of SELF-CONTROL...DUN, DUN, DUN! Prayers appreciated =)

Here is the short story long. I'm kind of like the (not so)evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb. I always have a back story =)

My children (and husband!) have been home for 2 weeks. Let's just say that my nerves are a little freyed right now. Ok, Ok, if I'm honest it's more like I'm about to start popping the heads off of the little people in my life. There has been so much fighting, so much arguing, so much disobedience that I feel like the past almost 9 years of parenting has been completely ineffective. Let me tell you, that feels *awesome*. Plus I have just been so, so, SO frustrated with myself in the way that I have been handling all of this. Yelling, frustration, shortness, next to no patience, and zero self-controll in any of my emotions. Oh yes, I have not been hiding my feelings what so ever! So, I cleverly thought I would read Ginger Plowman's "Don't Make Me Count to Three" thinking that it would help me "fix" the kids. The only problem is while my kids are disobedient little sinners (more rarely then my little temper tantrums this week would lead you to believe) the real problem here is me. I think I have become much too lazy (I truly believe that yelling is about the most lazy form of communication there is) and am not addressing their issues as heart issues and am definitely NOT pointing them to scripture to resolve any issues in the way that I should. Convicting much? I think yes. Ughhh. Nice one, Heather. Soooooo, one of my goals is to really focus on changing my heart attitude in how I relate to my kids, being patient and kind, loving and nurturing. Being nurturing and affectionate is really, really hard for me. I don't know why! The awesome thing is that I know God is really working on my heart right now and that he will provide me with all I need to make these changes a reality. I'm so thankful for such a gracious and merciful God!

So, on that note, I really just accidentally happened upon this little challenge when I tried to go register for the Good Morning Girls winter bible study, which "coincidentally" looks like it will be a nice little tool to help me work through my above mentioned "issue". Check it out!

Until next time, Have a blessed day!

Heather

Yummy Chicken Taco Recipe

2011-05-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

With Josh and Myself jumping onto the "Insane Pain Train" (other wise known as the Insanity work out program) and having to deal with the constant dilema of what to eat during the 5 times a day we have to eat, I've kind of become a crazy person in search of yummy recipes that don't break the calorie bank, but that do fill us up and are well balanced in all of the areas we need. I have tried *many* recipes and not many have been very good, but last night I found a good one, YAY! So I thought I'd pass on the recipe!

CHICKEN TACOS

4-5 chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded
1 large tomato
1 medium onion
1 bunch of cilantro
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tbls chili powder
garlic salt to taste

blend in a blender or food processor all of the veggies and spices. Place shredded chicken in a skillet and pour the blended mixture over the chicken and simmer for about 20 minutes

Yum!

I did add a little cumin and think next time I'd use a little fresh squeezed lime juice before I roll up my taco. I served it on a whole wheat tortilla, fat free sour cream, shredded lettuce and a little bit of kraft fat free shredded cheese for a total of about 340 calories for a pretty decent sized taco. It was really good! Would also be great as a salad saving the 130 calories from the tortilla, but I need CARBS!

Oh to be 3 and take everything literally!

2011-02-10T12:46:00.001-08:00

Kara: Mom, what are you doing?
Me: I'm getting ready to jump in the shower really quick
Kara: (gasp!) don't do that, you broked the shower
Me: What?
Kara: If you do a really big jump (on her tip toes, hands stretched high) you will BROKED THE SHOWER!
Me: Ok, how about I just step in carefully then, would that be better?
Kara: Sure. (she turns around and walks away)

Oatmeal Pancakes

2010-09-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

When we decided to send Jase and Ella back to public school this year after contemplating homeschooling, I decided that I needed to have a more structured and intentional morning with my children before sending them off to school for the day. Last year I found myself continuously frazzled and rushed heading out the door and I wanted to make this year different. So this year I've made my mind up to have the kids clothes lined up the night before, ready to go in the morning. I also have been planning what to have for breakfast the night before. To be quite honest, last year my kid's breakfast consisted of cold cereal while watching cartoons. NOT THIS YEAR! Not that I condemn cold cereal, I'm sure we'll have it plenty, but I really wanted to make breakfast time a time of gathering, talking about the day ahead, reading and prayer, hoping to feed both their bodies and souls well before they head off into the real world. It's been great! I don't know if it's just me, but I think the kids look forward to this time a little more if there is something "special" waiting for them to eat as we sit together in the morning. So I've been on the hunt for things to make for breakfast that are easy, usually warm and generally nutritious. My friend Linda helped encourage me in a blog post from her blog to try making things from scratch, especially when it can be so easy, instead of using mixes with all of their artificial flavors and preservatives, making them much healthier...always a plus! This morning I tried out a real winner from allrecipes.com. It was so delicious, easy and fast that I'll be making them again tomorrow! I thought I'd throw it out here on the blog in case anyone else wanted to try it!

OATMEAL PANCAKES

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. quick cooking oats

1 Tbls. white sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbls. vegetable oil

1 egg

Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

You could obviously change them a little to make them even more nutritious, which I'll try later and I'd also encourage you to double the recipe because this only made 6 pancakes, which is fine if you are only feeding three little munchkins, but if you want to partake also or you have more/older kiddos, you'll need more then 6!

Easy peasy lemon squeezy and super yummy, try them out!

Two Thumbs Up!

2010-08-12T00:20:00.000-07:00

I just made and tried these muffins that I got from allrecipes.com and they were very yummy! So, I'm passing the recipe on to you!

I used mini chocolate chips instead of regular ones and pecans instead of walnuts. Next time I will probably reduce the cinnamon and ditch the chocolate hips and replace them with crasins or something like that!

Seminary Muffins

Rated:

Submitted By: Christa Adams

Photo By: Jackshoe

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Ready In: 30 Minutes

Servings: 12

"Bananas and applesauce make these muffins very moist and tender."

INGREDIENTS:

1 egg

1 1/3 cups mashed ripe banana

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 12 cup muffin pan.
2.	In a large bowl, combine egg, banana, brown sugar, applesauce and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3.	Gently stir flour mixture and oatmeal into banana mixture. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.
4.	Bake in preheated oven or 15 to 20 minutes, or until light brown. Remove muffins from pan and place on a wire rack to let cool before serving.

Printed from Allrecipes.com 8/12/

Great Quote from EM Bounds

2010-07-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Since I consider prayer the most week point in my spiritual life, I thought this quote was very encouraging. It was posted on the Joshua Harris blog after his mother died.

"The [woman] who has done the most and the best praying is the most immortal, because prayers do not die. Perhaps the lips that uttered them closed in death, or the heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God, and God's heart is set on them. Prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them-outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world."

Interesting Post That I Found Via challies.com

2010-07-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

Too Much Church! 5 Dangers Facing Over-Churched Kids

by TONY KUMMER on TUESDAY 20 JULY 2010| Print

in CHILDREN'S MINISTRY LEADERSHIP

A top concern for most kids pastors is reaching the children in their communities who do not attend church. These unchurched kids simply don’t know much about the Bible. Often they have a mixed up version of Jesus gathered from TV shows. Before they can give their lives to Him, they need a basic introduction to the Good News.

On the other end of the spectrum are kids who are overexposed to church. These are the children who attend every service, and can’t remember anytime when they didn’t come to church. In my ministry, most of these kids also attend a Christian school. They can recite the books of the Bible, they’ve memorized countess Scripture verses, and they know details about Bible stories that I can’t even remember.

By over-churched kids, I mean children with too much religion and not enough actual interaction with Jesus. Attending church is important and should promote spiritual growth, but sometimes there are side effects. In this post, I will describe the spiritual dangers these kids face. You can also read our follow up post that offers 9 strategies for reaching these kids.

This is not an easy topic and I expect some push back from readers. But this is an issue we need to address now, before we raise the next crop of Pharisees.

1. Familiar Stories Lose Their Power: When kids hear the same Bible stories year-after-year they can become a little boring. Even worse – these stories are often told without imagination or any listener interaction. Most over-churched kids have heard the same 100+ Bible stories since they were in the Toddler Sunday School. They no longer connect with the characters or feel moved by the plot resolution. Once I was told by a seminary professor, “ It is a sin to make the Bible boring.” I’m starting to think he was right.

2. Knowledge Can Promote Pride: Something happens inside of us when we become the expert. Children feel that same sense of superiority when they have more religious knowledge than their peers. Too often over-churched kids build their identity around that achievement, even when it doesn’t involve a growing relationship with Christ.

3. They Have Learned to Pretend Pray: A real struggle for grown-ups is connecting with God through prayer. Too often it becomes routine and dry. Most younger children learn prayer as an act of imitation. Many don’t even realize that something cosmic is happening when we address our words to God. They don’t feel the presence of God or even expect that they should.

4. They Don’t Feel Their Lostness: Many over-churched kids don’t know what life is like without the comforts of faith. Their brain say ‘forgiveness’ before their heart feels ‘I’m sorry.’ Because they know about grace, they have never really struggled much with guilt.

5. The Ugly Side of Church: Kids who hang around Christians know the yucky side of the church. They hear the complaining. They know Jesus didn’t fix daddy’s temper yet. They know that church is not always the safest place in their lives. Beyond all this they notice when adults are being fake or doing religious role play

Apparently Kara is a Third Day fan...

2010-07-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

I never knew this about her, but as they played at the end of city fest, she was super excited and jumping around while they played. Third Day, btw was AWESOME! I would love to go to a concert sometime and hear more then 5 songs from them!

Kara

2010-07-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Kara from Sean and Jenny's wedding...just thought it was cute!

IT'S A DAD'S LIFE...

2010-07-07T13:29:00.000-07:00

This video has definitely gone viral now, but it happens to be hilarious!

CHECK IT OUT HERE!

What is in a Name?

2010-06-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

I was reading an article from Tim Dallies blog this afternoon while I was eating lunch. I thought it was very interesting, thought provoking, and a skosh convicting. So I thought I'd repost it for all of my friends who would call themselves reformed out there.

A Parody of Ourselves

Tim Challies
06/14/10
19

Every so often I’ve contemplated what a Saturday Night Live type of variety program might look like if the topic was “Christendom.” There’s definitely enough material. One of the recurring skits would involve some Christians from the 1400’s about to be burned at the stake. They would be visited by contemporary Christians who would thank them for their sacrifice and tell them how such a great sacrifice gained later Christians ________. You could fill in the blank with all sorts of things. “Your sacrifice has helped give us a world in which our children can learn theology from talking vegetables. Your suffering will all seem worth it when a handsome Texan with a great smile can renovate a sports stadium and broadcast feel-good, gospel-free theology to all the world. Thank you for your noble sacrifice, brother.” Tyndale might have been willing to face the stake for the sake of the Bible, but would he have faced it for a Bible-zine for girls that looks and reads like Cosmo?

I’m a writer, not a comedian, so perhaps it’s not that funny. But the point is that real people died real deaths to pass to us a heritage of the gospel. They were serious, dead serious, and weren’t in the business of printing silly bumper stickers. We evangelicals have long done a remarkable job of trivializing that heritage. Maybe this is what happens when the danger of persecution passes and we enjoy a time of safety, a time of freedom. Or maybe this is what happens when we lose sight of the seriousness of the gospel and the countless sacrifices that made it available to us, when we begin to replace theology with something else, something less.

A friend of mine became the Senior Pastor of his church in 2003, when everyone and their grandmother was writing and talking about how to make church relevant and more attractive to postmoderns. My friend had read Rick Warren and Bill Hybels but found them unsatisfying. Then in the spring of 2004 he had the opportunity to attend a 9Marks conference. He had not heard of Mark Dever and knew nothing of 9Marks but it was close to home and it seemed to him like such an event might be helpful to his ministry. It ended up being far more than that. It was life-changing.

The 9Marks conference, as it has done with so many other pastors, drew him back to the heart of what the Bible says about church, ministry and the gospel. And as a new Senior Pastor (with 23 years already behind him as an associate in the same church), it gave him a clear and renewed sense of direction for the conduct of his ministry. It pulled him out of anything-works-pragmatism and steered him toward a gospel-centered, gospel-focused, gospel-infused ministry.

Through 9Marks he was introduced to the world of what has now come to be known as the Young, Restless and Reformed (or the New Calvinism depending on who you ask). He had been a Calvinist for most of his ministry, but he had found most Calvinists he met tended toward the grumpy, the provincial. This new movement joined people like him to a Presbyterian crowd and even a Charismatic crowd. It built something that was unique, at least in our day and something that was really and objectively delightful—a people united around theology, not methodology. The church rediscovered theology that in so many circles had long since lay dormant.

His story is not at all unusual; it’s representative, perhaps, of the stories of thousands of other pastors who have revolutionized their understanding of the church, of its function and message and importance. And for every older pastor who has joyfully adapted his ministry, many more young pastors have grown into just this kind of ministry through mentors or through seminaries. All indications are that the movement continues to grow, to gain strength, to gain a prominent voice in the church even if not far beyond. And I am genuinely thrilled to see theology supplanting pragmatism at the center of the church.

So maybe this is a good time to ask, what’s next? Will we remain faithful to the gospel and look for more ways to be faithful to it? Or will we get, well, goofy?

Back to the martyr’s skit. What will we bring these guys? What will we have to show Huss and Tyndale and Cranmer and so many others like them? No doubt there will be good things to bring to the places of their sacrifice—evidence that the gospel they worked for and in some cases died for was alive and well and being passed on to another generation. Much of the theology they mined from the Bible is alive today in the Young, Restless and Reformed. But I fear that along with the good, and maybe eventually overwhelming much of the good, we’d bring our clutter, our junk, our nonsense, our bobble-heads. And there is an increasingly large pile of it waiting to be sorted through.

A friend recently told me “Slap the word Reformed on anything and I’ll buy it.” He was joking, thankfully, but he makes a point. We baptize products, people, musical styles, ministries, stores with the word Reformed to initiate them into our camp, to say that they are now part of the in-crowd. Slap the label Reformed on it and we suddenly do develop a new interest in it.

We have our Reformed celebrities. When John MacArthur speaks there is an immediate dissection of his words to see if he is tacitly critiquing someone or something. Mark Dever calls paedobaptism a sin and the headlines blare. When John Piper sneezes, the blogosphere is abuzz. Taken in isolation these may not mean very much at all. Taken together they start to sound like a Reformed edition of People magazine. Are we about the gospel here? Or are we about the people, the leaders, the voices? Want to hear some gossip about why a famous pastor took a sabbatical? Check the back pages of Reformed People.

I’ve got nothing against Edwards t-shirts or Luther bobble-heads or Calvin rally towels. Put it all together, though, throw it all into a box or lay it all out in a bookstore table, and it starts to come into focus. We’re always in danger of becoming a parody of ourselves, a deformed version of the very movements we have come out of. We could so easily become as much about the stuff as the theology, as much about the swag as the doctrine. If it happened to them it could happen to us, right?

I love the word Reformed; it has a long and noble heritage. And yet somehow it seems that Reformed has transitioned from a kind of theological short-hand, a useful way of describing a lot of theology in just one word, and has instead become an identity, a flag which I run up a flagpole as a means of self-identification. Reformed used to be a terse and convenient short-hand to express “I believe in the doctrines of grace, I believe in God’s total sovereignty, I adhere to certain creeds and confessions, and so on.” In one word we could summarize an entire theological position. Today, though, I fear that it is associated far more with names and personalities than theology. Reformed means “I listen to this pastor, I read these books, I go to these conferences.” But my theology may be vastly different from the Reformed guy beside me. It is an identity, not a theology, a connection to a group, not a belief. It’s a pass card, credentials allowing admittance into a community, an experience. And as such it generates swag, it generates junk, it generates all of that stuff like talking vegetables, Bible superheroes and Bible-zines.

We will need to work hard to prevent Reformed from becoming a mere fad. Fads come and fads go and usually they go on for just a bit too long. By the time they disappear we are glad to see them go since they’ve long since outlived their usefulness or their enjoyment. Rickrolling was funny for three days but lasted for six months; WWJD made a few people think over the course of a few weeks but stuck around for years. But both were fads and both eventually died an inevitable death. No one shed a tear for either one. We need to be all about the gospel lest we become yet another passing fad, a puff of smoke in the wind.

Up the street a little way sits a small Baptist Church that must subscribe to a newsletter for the world’s worst church sign slogans—things like like “Become an Organ Donor—Give Your Heart to Jesus.” Quality stuff. I drive by there often and, while fighting to keep my car from running it down “by accident,” I wonder if anyone takes them seriously. How could they? It’s a sharp display of the way the Gospel can be trivialized. “Prayer—Wireless Access to God with No Roaming Fee.”

I know that kind of nonsense has been going on for decades. But are we next? Could this Reformed movement become a parody of itself? I hope and pray that it’s not but I can’t deny that it’s beginning to show some hints that it could become that way. Sure it’s fun and inspiring even, but am I the only one who is starting to feel that if we aren’t careful we will just become “a thousand people in the street, singing songs and carrying signs, mostly saying, Hooray for our side.” I think it’s time that we paused to consider whether we’re all about the gospel, all about what the Bible commands us to believe, or if we’re increasingly becoming about who we are. The difference between the two is immeasurable.

It certainly wouldn’t hurt us to stop, hey, what’s that sound, and everybody look what’s going down

Meet Rick.

2010-05-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

This is our new youth and family ministries director, Rick. He and his super awesome wife Jen came over for lunch today after church with the Carlson's and the Koethke's. This is how he spent most of his time here until the pizzas arrived. Something about this scene really blessed my heart, but I'm not quite sure how to put it into words. It was like feeling the peace and calmness of God's sovereignty after a time of feeling a little bit lost and a lot unsettled. We already love them dearly and are SO excited to see how God will use them at SVC!

2010-05-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

These pictures are all out of order...grrrrr, but this is Jase and Ella finishing up the race. It was so cute!

HC Runners Fun Run/Walk

2010-05-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

With all of the races I have been doing, the kids have really taken notice and expressed interest in doing some races of their own. I was supposed to take them to Bloomsday with me this year so they could do the Marmot March which is a race for kids on the saturday before Bloomsday, but I failed misserably as a mother and didn't get them signed up in time (Jase was devistated because he had been looking forward to it since LAST year's bloomsday!) so I have been keeping my eyes peeled for other races they could do and this one came up on a list of free events for kids to participate in this summer. The kids were so excited and had so much fun. It was a 1.2 mile course through parts of the greenway. I was so proud of Jase and Ella who ran the whole way on their own. Ella actually really surprised me. I didn't know she had it in her...I see running in her future, might as well put those long legs to use!

Pre-race photos. Thankfully those ominous black clouds didn't dump on us for the 1/2 hour we were there!

This is how Kara spent the time while we ran!

Roasting Hot Dogs in the Fire Pit

2010-05-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day I took the kids over to my parents house to roast hot dogs and s'mores in the fire pit. The kids absolutely loved it and were completely filthy afterwards (of course!)

This Old House

2010-05-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of the old house when we went to go look at it before the knocked it down (which they still haven't done yet!) I bet that Natalie could have done wonders with it!

Holding Fast to the Word of Life

2010-04-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

I know this isn't a picture of some super fun thing that I am doing, or my family is doing, but it's more important. If you are like me and have trouble "making time" or even desiring to spend time in the word of God daily, I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to check out THIS LINK to a sermon from John Piper. The video is about 45 minutes long and it's best if you can watch it if only to see him quote the entire book of Philippians from memory (amazing) and to not only hear but see his passion. It is very encouraging and convicting, which I think are both important in developing spiritual growth. Please friends, take the time to watch it. I promise that it won't be time wasted =)

Bye Bye Kauai...

2010-04-05T00:25:00.000-07:00

I say that with a big frowny face. We had such a fabulous time, it's sad to say it's over.

For those of you who don't know, Josh's parents gifted us a week away at their time-share in Kauai for our ten year anniversary...yes, it's been 10 years and no I can't believe it. We were so blessed to get to meet up with Josh's brother Chad and his wife Bridgette and Josh's sister Heather and her husband Jay and their friends Matt and Megan. It was a SWEET time of adult only fellowship that rarely (I think this is the first!) happens. It was a great time of relaxation, adventure and LOTS of laughing and you know I love all three of those things! We saw the Waimea canyon, went on a zodiac tour of death (you can ask me about that in person if you want details, much to long of a story to type!), kayaked, zip-lined, hiked ( I use the term loosely ) saw dolphins, swam with tropical fish and sea turtles and soaked in all of the sun we could handle...not that you would be able to tell by looking at me, thank you SPF 70! I loved this trip, it was full of life long memories. Enjoy the pictures, sorry there are so few, but I was too busy DOING things (most of which involved water!) But you can check out Heather or Bridgette's blogs to see what else we were up to! Time for bed...Though it feels early to me it's actually almost 1 am and 7:00 is going to be a RUDE awakening in the morning!

Poipu Beach

2010-04-05T00:06:00.000-07:00

The Waiohai sits right on Poipu beach, a beautiful, perfect place for snorkeling and great boogie boarding right around that sandbar you see out there. GLORIOUS!

The Waiohai

2010-04-05T00:05:00.001-07:00

This is the Waiohai, the fantastic place we stayed, courtesy of Josh's parents as a 10 year anniversary gift to us. It was wonderful! If you click the link it'll show you what the rooms were like since I didn't get any pictures of the inside, but it was perfect. Chad and Bridge were in our "villa" and Heather and Jay and Matt and Megan were in the villa right next door to us, so we'd walk out our back door and walk right in their back door. SO FUN! I would highly recommend this place...right on the beach and PERFECT for families...if you have to take your's with you =)

For Trish...

2010-04-05T00:05:00.000-07:00

Guess where we are?

Costco did us very well this trip, we bought breakfast, lunch and many dinners here since our place had a kitchen and bbq's. Major $$ saver!

Waimea Canyon

2010-04-05T00:04:00.000-07:00

After we hit up costco in the morning, we drove up to Waimea Canyon to check it out. It was pretty beautiful...as usual, my camera isn't really doing it justice!

Josh and Jay checking things out

Dinner on our Lanai

2010-04-05T00:03:00.001-07:00

At the Luau

2010-04-05T00:03:00.000-07:00

The View Outside our Room

2010-04-05T00:02:00.000-07:00

This, my friends is what we woke up to every morning. Magnificent!

Let me tell you about this grass...it was the best thing my feet have set foot on! It was short and soft and green and squishy...I loved it!

Hitting the Beach

2010-04-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

This was our little perch. It was up off the beach, but still over-looking the ocean. It was terrible, I promise!

I'm a liar. It was breathtaking!

Driving around the island...

2010-04-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Our last night

2010-04-04T23:58:00.000-07:00

It was so sad to see our vacation come to an end. Let's face it...when you have 3 kids, it's not very often that you get to do these kinds of things! We had to leave Waiohai because our week there was over, but we couldn't get out until sunday. So I just hotwired a place and the Kauai Beach Resort is what we came up with. Not too shabby, but nothing compared to Waiohai!

Braids

2010-04-04T23:50:00.000-07:00

I am completely addicted to braids right now, so I sat Ella down and braided her entire head. What a trooper, it took a LONG time!

Yum, yum, YUM!!!

2010-03-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, Tyffany posted a recipe for a Layered Enchilada Bake and highly recommended it. With such a glowing recommendation (and the enormous dinner rut I am currently in) I decided to give it a try. I have to say, it did NOT disappoint. It was very, very good! So here's the recipe, you should all try it. Easy, economical and just plain yummy!

Layered Enchilada Bake

1 lb ground beef

1 large onion chopped

2 cups salsa

1 cup sour cream

1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 T taco seasoning

6 tortillas

1/4 cup italian dressing

8 oz shredded cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400*. Brown hamburger and chopped onion. Mix the salsa, black beans and taco seasoning into the meat/onion mixture. In a 9x13 backing dish, layer 3 of the tortillas, then layer 1/2 the meat mixture, 1/2 sour cream, 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Garnish with tomatoes, lettuce, and cilantro

Alterations I made to the recipe:

I didn't change a whole lot. I used only about 3/4 an onion instead of the whole thing and I would probably go with only 1/2 next time. Instead of layering the sour cream, I just mixed it right in with the meat mixture once it was done cooking and I of course used MORE CHEESE...I mean the more the merrier right? Of course, when you are trying to remove dairy from your 2 year old's diet, this is an epic failure...but it tasted great! I garnished with tomatoes and lettuce, but I think throwing some sour cream on top and adding some sliced olives and green onions would be a really great addition. I also served it with some corn chips to scoop it up with, the kids, of course, loved that idea!

I WILL ABSOLUTELY MAKE IT AGAIN!

I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did!

I have some sad news...

2010-03-17T23:56:00.000-07:00

Perry Tech is tearing down the house. It's true, it's true. The house that Josh and I spent our early married lives in together, the house that we brought both Jase and Ella home from the hospital to, the house that we had small group in nearly every week for almost 4 years in, the house that hosted gazillions of baby showers and bridal showers and christmas parties, It's all being flattened with in the next month....

I remember desperately wanting to get out of that house when we lived there. It's so, sooooooo, old. It was falling apart at the seams. But the thought of them tearing it down is just eating away at me. We have so many memories of being in that house. New babies, first steps, birthday parties, people watching and cheering for soccer games and completely unreasonable times on saturday mornings. It's funny because it's like when someone dies, people can only remember the great things about them. I of course am only focusing on the good times in the house instead of thinking about the ridiculously terrible things like the basement filling up with sewage a couple times a year, or bees nesting in the walls and having to spend hours killing hundreds and hundreds of bees (not an exaggeration!) before they could get to my precious children. I still loved the house, with all of it's faults and I still miss it, life was more simple back then and I loved all of the grass and trees around the house. If I think about it hard enough I'm still glad that we DON'T live there anymore, but it was our home. Jase still talks about it frequently, wishing we could move back...because it had stairs. Josh got to go through the house today, I'm hoping that the kids and I will be able to get in there before it goes down. Just thinking about it is making me VERY emotional, and you all know me...I do NOT get weepy easily, but never the less I am sitting here typing this with a lump in my throat. I'll try and post some pictures if I get a chance to go through it before they demo it.

2010-03-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

Over the last several months, Josh has been dinking around with my computer...which means NOTHING IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE!!! Pretty frustrating. I spent the morning thinking about and looking through pictures to post, but have decided that instead of trying to go back through the last several months and update you all with pictures that I should just start fresh with today. Otherwise the task would have been much too daunting. So, the idea would be to just keep things current. Good luck to me!

Since things aren't going as planned...

2010-03-17T11:55:00.001-07:00

Today, things aren't going as planned. I have tried for the last 3 days to go to the gym, but due to Aliya and Kara having extreme runny noses, I haven't been able to. Feeling a little bit discrouaged that I wasn't going to be able to leave the house, I decided I would throw some undies on Kara and work on some potty training. We'll see how it goes.

When Dad is in charge...

2010-03-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

This picture is of Kara, but she sure looks a lot like Ella to me!

2010-03-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

Ella on valentines day.

2010-03-17T10:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, All Of You Haters...

2010-02-12T08:10:00.000-08:00

I have seen all of your comments and I just don't have any pictures to share! I left my camera in boise for a couple months and missed both Ella and Kara's birthdays AND christmas, so I just don't have many to post! The battery is also dead, so once I get it charged up I will see what's actually ON the camera and maybe there will be a gem on there that just has to be shared =)

I'm Bringing Blogging Back!

2010-02-09T17:02:00.001-08:00

That's right people...I'm bringing it back. I've decided that it's time to return to the land of the blogging "living". Alright, alright...I'll admit it, I've been paying Facebook way too much attention and ignoring this little gem. But from this point on I promise to do better, using my blog as a way of journaling my thoughts and laying them out there. So stay tuned!

Arboretum Photo Shoot #2...This time w/Jase and Josh too!

2009-05-25T21:34:00.001-07:00

Photo Shoot @ The Yakima Arboretum

2009-05-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...It's been 2 1/2 months since my last post and yes I've been getting nagged! But the story to follow is even worse...

Kara is going to be 18 months on the 5th of July and I have never (EVER!!) had pictures taken of her. I've taken plenty of the casual snap shots, but never anything professional. So I decided, at the risk of scarring her for life, that I had better do something special. I borrowed my sister's "nice" camera and got the girls all gussied up and went down to the arboretum thinking I might be able to get some decent pictures taken. Now, Kara hates getting her picture taken. I don't know why, but if you try to get her to look at the camera all you usually get is a "NO!" from her. Which, if you have been around her recently, it's about all she ever says, but she's getting better! Anyway, I didn't expect this to be any different. Infact, as I was leaving I was a little bit irritated thinking that I hadn't getten anything good of her. But I was surprised once I got home and downloaded them to my computer that I actually did get a couple! Definitely a frame worthy one or two which is what I was going for. YAY!!!! Ella, of course had no difficulties making this her own personal modeling session ;). Anyway, enjoy. Sorry for all of the duplicates that are in there. They are the same pics, just edited differently. I am going to be ordering some prints from costco, so if you'd like me to order one for you, just let me know which one and what size. I am going to try and brave all three kids tomorrow so I can get some group shots and some of Jase...hopefully. The numbers are below the pictures.

Kara Avery

2009-05-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

#10

#11

#12

#13

Ella Bella

2009-05-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
#14
#15

My Latest Midnight Project

2009-03-01T00:55:00.000-08:00

Ok...I have known that I needed to get this done for FOREVER, but of course (per my M.O.) I only started it at about 9:00 the night before I needed to have it done. Maybe someday I'll start doing things before the absolute last second, but for now the last second just gets here too stinkin fast! Anyway...here's my wall hanging #2 that I made as a silent auction item for Bryan and Kristin Pichura's fundraiser. The picture doesn't do the cute paper justice, but you also can't see all the blemishes! Anyway, it was fun. A good creative outlet!

Help!

2009-02-27T20:36:00.001-08:00

Can anyone tell me how you download more then 5 pictures at a time...it's driving me bonkers!

The Flu Hits the Phillips House

2009-02-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

A clue about how he was REALLY feeling that day!

Jase with grandma and the cake...and his forced smile

The sweet Autobot cake my mom slaved away on, which Jase had requested for his birthday, only to never even taste it. Good job on the cake mom!

Poor Ella...passed out. She threw up for nearly 2 1/2 days strait. Awesome

Me...feeling hot, looking awesome

Why all of this pictures are loading backwards, I have no idea. Anyway...this was the state of my family last weekend as the flu tore it's was through the entire household!

Jase's 6th Birthday Party

2009-02-27T20:20:00.000-08:00

All of the kids ready to eat some cupcakes!

Jase, blowing out his candle

All red faced and sweaty from running around like crazy with all of his friends.

I had WANTED to get a picture of the whole crowd. I had wanted to get a picture of me and Jase. But... things just didn't go as planned. Jase's birthday was on Fri, the 20th so I decided to just throw his party on that day, after school. However, what I wasn't counting on was me getting the stomach flu the night before and being sick and miserable that day. But, I was determined to go to Jase's class and follow through with his birthday, knowing how disappointed he'd be otherwise. So I made it through the day and most of the party until the flu bug decided that Ella also seemed like a good target. She wound up throwing up all over me, the floor of Gymnastics Plus and a few of my darling friends who were trying to help me contain "the situation". Fun times! All in all I thought it was a great place to have the party...I just wish the flu hadn't made it's presence known in the middle of it!

Jase's Birthday at School

2009-02-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

Jase and THE BEST kindergarten teacher in the world, Mrs. Jetton. Just love, love, love her!

Enjoying some Transformer b-day cupcakes with Logan

Talking with the class about his Birthday

The birthday King on his throne =)

Randoms

2009-02-27T20:10:00.000-08:00

Ella during her gymnastics trial. I think we're going to go for it. She really enjoyed herself!
Kara's first fountain. Her hair is getting longer and more full, but it all grows strait forward. Which is consistent with Jase and Ella's hair growth paterns. So up in the fountain it goes.
The wall hanging I made for Mikki for one of her showers.
How Ella would prefer to spend the day while Jase is at school =) No...I don't let her play the wii all day!

The Frosty Four-Miler

2009-02-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

WE DID IT!

Finish Line

We're blurry because we are running SOOO fast and I'm sure it has nothing to do with the photographer...

Apparently this is my dad's "look, I'm pretending I'm running" face

The Frosty Four-Miler was my first "official race" since I started running back in October. I was lucky enough to have my dad as a running partner. I teased him that if it came down to him and me as the last two runners, I would take him down so I didn't finish last. It was actually very fun on a beautiful sunny warmish day in early Feb and we did NOT finish last thankfully...but we also weren't the least bit competitive. At least I wasn't. My dad stayed with me as I was crippled by a side cramp as I call it which drastically slowed our pace down...too bad. I don't know what caused it...except for maybe I was too hungry since I hadn't eaten and the race started at 12:15ish. Lesson learned and I'm more hopeful for the next 4-miler that will be on March 14th. Looking forward to it! These pictures all downloaded retardedly backwards so you see the last first.

5-5-5 Tagged by Bridge

2009-02-05T13:33:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by my sister-in-law Bridgette to post the 5th picture from the 5th folder in my pictures, which is kind of funny, because appropriately....

It's a picture of her!

Here she is holding little Huddy Hughes at only a week or so old.

Now, I am tagging:

1. Tyffany Fries
2. Michelle Davison
3. Jill Fry
4. Vallie Polk
5. Trish Koethke

NO CHEATING LADIES!!!

Great News for Tricia!

2008-11-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

Praise God, finally some good news for Tricia!

Check out NATE'S BLOG and read for yourself and give thanks God right along with me =)

Ella's 4th Birthday

2008-11-21T11:35:00.002-08:00

Ella's cake that grandma made for her.

Hat made by Grandma

Mamo, helping all the kiddos create jewelry masterpieces from the beads from Emme

2008-11-21T11:31:00.000-08:00

I caught Jase around the corner, away from everyone else licking the barbie cake topper free of the icing.
Jase and Kara, dancing

Future Fashionista

2008-11-21T11:27:00.000-08:00

Yup, she dressed herself and did her own hair, isn't she lovely?

Busted

2008-11-21T11:24:00.000-08:00

Where'd Kara go? Let me follow the trail of water and discarded towels and I will tell you! After her shower, she decided to toss all of the towels out of the cupboard and climb her wet self inside.

When Yellow Crayons Happen to Good People!

2008-11-21T11:12:00.000-08:00

I awoke in the early morning upon hearing Kara jabbering in her bed and jumped up to grab her a bottle, knowing that it would buy me 15ish more minutes of cozy warmness in my bed. I opened the dishwasher, in the dark, to grab a supposedly clean bottle, but the bottle felt all crusty...which was strange. So I thought maybe I hadn't run it the night before, grabbed a bottle out of the cupboard, and reran the dishwasher. I gave Kara her bottle jumped back into bed. Fast forward a couple hours or so and I'm trying to get cleaned up from breakfast and I go to unload the dishwasher, this time in the daylights, and find that all of my dishes are COVERED in this interesting yellowish substance. What on earth? Well after investigating I found a now empty yellow crayon wrapper in my utensil holder inside the dishwasher. I confidently blame this on Kara who loves to carry crayons around the house and coincidental loves to toss all my silverware on the floor while I empty the dishwasher. Mystery solved. I had to had scrub everything to get the yellow stuff off and most of my clear plastic stuff now has a yellow tint to it. Awesome. Consider this a public service announcement. Avoid the combination of crayons and dishwashers....

Gabaly-gook from the last month~

2008-11-03T22:19:00.001-08:00

2008-11-03T22:19:00.000-08:00

Ella asleep BEFORE the festivities. She was so excited that she woke up before 6 am on halloween!

It's super duper hard to wake up...

Daddy and his fairy princess

Phillips/Fries kids...Halloween # 6!

2008-11-03T22:18:00.001-08:00

We've been taking Jase and TJ's pictures on Halloween every year since their first Halloween. Couldn't miss it this year!

Halloween Costumes

2008-11-03T22:18:00.000-08:00

Fairy Princess Ella

Boise State football player Jase

2008-11-03T22:17:00.000-08:00

2008-11-03T22:16:00.000-08:00

2008-11-03T22:13:00.000-08:00

Cutie Pie Cameron!

Jase's missing front teeth!

The girls together at Dorothy's wedding

Adoption Is Greater Than The Universe - John Piper

2008-11-03T21:16:00.001-08:00

Please take a moment to view this video by John Piper, who so clearly expresses the greatness of adoption.

And another link...

2008-10-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

Gosh, I can't seem to get myself out of the blogging world today! Anyway, I came across Randy Alcorn's blog and his post from today (or maybe yesterday) really got my attention, being in full political season swing. It kind of amazed me because he was able to put EXACTLY what I've been feeling into WORDS! I guess that's why he's the author and I'm not! Anyway, to see Randy's assessment of the Barack situation click here. I just really appreciated his insight to the matter.

On another note, please continue to pray for Nate, Tricia, and baby Gwyneth (click here for Nate's blog) as there hasn't been an update today. I've been thinking of them and praying continually for them today, which to me is amazing that I would care so much for a family that I've never actually met.

Confessions of a CF Husband

2008-10-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

So, I was doing my morning facebook/blog stalking as I worked on eating my mini-wheats for breakfast and noticed on Gretchen's facebook that Adam and Natalie (Bridgette's sister) welcomed kiddo #2 to the family yesterday, so I of course promptly headed right to Nat's blog to check out the latest details (Congrats you guys!) and I thought "hey, while I'm here, I'll check out their links, since I haven't in a while." I came across Confessions of a CF Husband (click here), which I had visited before but not for quite a while, and spent a good portion of my morning (the housework can wait!) reading about what's happening in their very inspiring life. I would encourage all of you to check it out. Read it, be thankful and encouraged, and take some time to pray for this special family who inspite of all of their difficulties and trials are able to show the world, through their faith, actions, and attitudes, the grace and merices of God. I believe that their story is truely honoring and glorifying to the Lord and I hope you'll take just a minute (disclaimer: you may take much more then a minute once you get there!) to read about their truely inspiring lives.

Blessings~

Batch #2 Is Up!

2008-09-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

Alrighty all you stalkers, Wedding Picture Batch #2 is ready. Check them out on:

CHAD'S SUPER DUPER PHOTO SITE!

Chad's 1st Batch of Pictures

2008-09-24T13:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, Chad is finished editting his first batch of pictures from Erin and Brandon's wedding and I must say that they do look fabulous! Please feel free to stop by Chad's site and check them out!

Click Here For Pictures!

The Wedding

2008-09-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

Well, Erin and Brandon finally had their wedding last weekend. It turned out pretty darn well for all of the improvising we had to do thanks to a freakish rain storm that plowed through the area all day/evening saturday. Below are a bunch of pictures in no particular order, I'm just happy to finally have them up!

2008-09-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

2008-09-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

Jase bustin' a move at the reception

getting ready

2008-09-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

Me and Bridge
Me and Ella
THE most handsome little boy in all the world!
No more pictures, please!

2008-09-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

Jase, Me and Ella
The Flower Girls
Zoolander
Brandon and Erin's first dance...In THE RAIN!
Bride & Bridesmaids

While Jase is Away at School

2008-09-23T10:27:00.001-07:00

Jase's 1st Day of School...a month later!

2008-09-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

Tagged by Bridge

2008-07-31T17:03:00.000-07:00

1. Where is your cell phone? charging
2. Your significant other? riding
3. Your hair? blondish
4. Your mother? transitioning
5. Your father? margaritaville
6. Your favorite thing? learning
7. Your dream last night? nonexistant
8 Your favorite drink? slurpee
9. Your dream/goal? humility
10. The room you’re in? office
11. Your hobby? nerdy
12. Your fear? illness
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? nursing
14. What you’re not? tall
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. One of your wish list items? minivan
17. Where you grew up? Yakivegas
18. The last thing you did? cleaned
19. What are you wearing? jeans
20. Favorite gadget? the bullet
21. Your pets? Daphne
22. Your computer? slow
23. Your mood? cranky
24. Missing someone? yep
25. Your car? disaster
26. Something you’re not wearing? shoes
27. Favorite store? Loft
28. Like someone? occasionally
29. Your favorite color? depends
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? yesterday

I tag Tyffany, Jill, and Michelle D., and Tricia

Oh, and speaking of babies...

2008-07-31T01:27:00.000-07:00

No...I'm not having another one! Hehe! But I thought I would post a picture of Josh's new one for all ya'll who haven't seen it. Let me tell you, my husband is one super duper happy, excited camper to have this little number in his possession. Doesn't he look like tuff ' stuff sitting on this big daddy?

Cameron is Here!

2008-07-31T01:00:00.001-07:00

Well, Cameron Brody Luke is finally here! Erin's water broke early in the morning on Wed, the 30th and she was admitted around 8ish. Once she had her epi *I think* things went very well and very smoothly. Cameron was born at 11:08 p.m. weighing in at 6 lbs 3 oz (that's right, I guessed it!) and 19 1/2 inches long. He's such a little peanut! I am so thankful that everything went well and that she had such an amazing epidural, and I really appreciate all of you who were praying for her. Gosh, I wish I could say more, but I am tuckered and am loving the thought of bed! But I just wanted to get these pics up for all of you who are chomping at the bit =)

The little guy all cleaned up

One proud and excited daddy!

The proud mama, what a trooper. Great job Erin!

This is Lisa, Erins friend and nurses assistant. We enjoyed her services as our constant updater!

Bath Time!

2008-07-31T00:58:00.000-07:00

The before Cameron is here pictures

2008-07-31T00:40:00.001-07:00

The 3 Spurgin Sisters
Thumbs up for someone besides us having a baby!

Cameron is on his way!

2008-07-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

I'm off to the hospital to hang out while we wait for Cameron to get here. Erin's water finally broke early this morning so it's officially a go! Check back here for your first exclusive look at the little munchkin =) Your prayers for Erin, Brandon, and Cameron are definitely coveted!

2008 Ride Pics Courtesy of Chad

2008-07-25T21:32:00.000-07:00

Chad took some pretty awesome pictures on their trip this year. Hit up www.philldog.com if you're interested on checking them out!

Murder Mystery Night @ The Jensens

2008-07-18T23:34:00.000-07:00

This months couples dinner was hosted by Jared and Christi Jensen and it was such a blast. They decided on doing a murder mystery dinner with a mobster wedding reception as the theme. I had never done something like this before and it really was a great time. It was so fun to see what the other couples came up with to wear and to see how some people (myself not included!) could completely morph themselves into their characters. Thanks so much Jensens for hosting and coming up with such a creative idea! The pressure for the next couple is on =) Here are some pictures from the evening with the couples all dressed up. Great job on your costumes guys!

Rick and Amy Lyon
Kevin and Michele Taylor
Josh and I, we were the bride and groom
Group photo fo the guys: Jared, KT, Jesse, Mark, Marcus, Rick, and the Josh's
Group photo of the girls: Heather, Amy, Me, Stacey, Michele, Christi, Arin and Jill

2008-07-18T23:29:00.000-07:00

Josh and Heather Carlson
Marcus and Jill Fry
Stacey and Jesse Benedetti
Christi and Jared Jensen
Mark and Arin Lee

Does this girl look like she belongs in the ER?

2008-07-18T23:10:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I don't think so either, but yet there we were. The kids and I went down to Boise to hang out with Heather & kids, Debbie and Bridgette & kids while the guys were off on their bike trip. Well, this all seems like a good idea until you throw a little girl with a severe case of the flu into the mix. While we were down there Kara threw up nearly everything she ate for 6 days strait. It was terrible, poor thing! The kicker was she would keep her tongue hanging out of her mouth for hours at a time completely unwilling to put it back in her mouth. It was the strangest thing! By the 6th day she had it out nearly constantly and being the thumb sucker she is was unable to sleep during nap time because it meant she would need to put her tongue into her mouth. I called her pediatricians office and they advised me to take her to the ER. Well, being the cheap skate that I am I didn't want to waste the super duper large ER copay that we have with our insurance so I took her to an urgent care clinic instead. After checking her out and taking x-rays of her throat and not being able to figure out why she continued to do this weird tongue/throw up thing, they also advised me to take her to the ER. So I thought "great, I am a fantastic mom for worrying about the copay while my little girl really DOES need to go to the ER!" So I get her to the ER and the Dr. is looking at her, checking her out not having any idea why she is continuing to do this so he sticks the tongue depressor in her mouth again and she gags on it really bad, then this miraculous thing happens. Her tongue went right back into her mouth! It was like he had pushed a button that sucked it right back in! I couldn't believe it. He laughed and said he had never seen anything like what she was doing. Anyway, once her tongue was back in the proper place she was talking and smiling at all the ER staff, having a good ol' time with the tongue depressor. So the doctor just gave it a shrug and and "I honestly don't know what's going on" and sent us on our merry way. It was quite bazaar, but the tongue hasn't been seen or heard from again since. Weird!

Get your motor runnin!

2008-07-18T22:49:00.001-07:00

Well, the men went on there yearly motorcycle trip last week and it sounds like they had a really great time. You'll have to get the scoop from one of them, because I really have no idea what happened. Just a whole lot of motorcycle riding I guess!

Josh and I before he headed out
Dad and Kara
Me and my daddio
All the guys (and Huddy!)ready to rock and roll. Josh, David, Dad, Rick and Jay
Out on the open roa...err, driveway

Get me to a pool!

2008-06-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well, actually I don't neccesarily need a pool as I don't care much to swim, but the kids (and Erin!) were sure excited to beat the 100+ degree weather in a friends pool (thanks Goddards!)

Kara's first time in a swimming pool, I'm not sure if she liked it...

2008-06-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend Jase learned to ride his bike sans training wheels, it took him all of about 25 minutes to pick it up, what a big kid I have on my hands!
He's so proud of himself and I'm proud of him too!
We spent all of saturday watching soccer games because there was a soccer tournament in town this weekend. We're such junkies that we've resorted to going and watching games my dad is reffing to get our fix! Ah, what the heck...it got the kids out of the house didn't it? Incase you're wondering Mo is on the left and Anya is on the right =)
My three kiddo, I sure do love them!

My Baby is 6 Months Old!

2008-06-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Kara that I took while we were having our play date this morning:

Well, Kara is officially 6 months old...like 2 weeks ago! It feels like it's so hard for me to keep up with stuff like this these days! Anyway, Kara celebrated her 1/2 year mark with a nasty little cough and ear infection so she hasn't been the happiest of babies, but after getting through her antibiotics, recovering from the side effects of the antibiotics, and eating and sleeping regularly she seems to be getting back to her old self...THANK GOODNESS! At her 6 month appointment Kara was 26 1/2 inches long (75%) and exactly 16 lbs (48%) so she's growing nicely. Infact, I think she's starting to balance herself out a bit. She started out so big, but with each appointment she keeps moving down the percentile scales. She loves to jabber, eat baby food, can now sit up completely on her own and she has decided that being on her tummy isn't all that bad. Jase crawled at exactly 6 months and Ella didn't crawl until almost 11 months so it will be interesting to see what Kara does. Anyway, that's just a brief little update, but I better get going. Nick and Mikki are here and I'm being completely rude sitting here on the computer!

Play Date

2008-06-17T17:44:00.001-07:00

We've started up a summer play date group, courtesy of Jill, and the first one was a major success! It was hosted by the Taylor's and the kids enjoyed bouncing on the trampoline, playing the Wii in the Kevin's shop, swimming in the kiddie pools and playing on the playset. The mom's of course just enjoyed the occasionaly peace we got and the chance to hang out and chat. Thanks Taylor's for hosting!

Just a day in the life

2008-05-18T22:33:00.001-07:00

Seriously...who do these poor homeless children belong to?

Goodbye Soccer...

2008-05-18T22:24:00.001-07:00

Jase's soccer season with Upward Soccer is officially over. This is the first time that Jase has participated in sports where I have actually been sad to see the season end. It was such a great program and Jase had so much fun. Can't wait until next year and hopefully they'll have basketball too!

Only a mother's love could think this picture is actually cute, but I love it and I can't exactly say why!
Karebear trying to stay cool in the 90 degree heat, thanks for the shade Papa!
Jase taking a break...being a soccer super star is really exhausting!

Photo Shoot with Auntie Erin

2008-05-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

I have finally gotten around to having Erin take pictures of the kids (now that she has her new camera!) Of course it was 90+ degrees and the kids were not too happy about it so it took quite a bit of wrestling to get 'er done. Below are some pictures that I took and editted with a lame-o free photo editting software that I downloaded (my new camera didn't come with anything) but it's just to give you a little taste of what is to come. I'm sure Erin's pictures will be much better but it was still fun to be a little artsy-fartsy for a little while =) I have also found that my kids have some very blue eyes! I somehow managed to get a lot more pictures of Ella then I did of the other kids, hopefully Erin had better luck!

2008-05-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

Evidence!

2008-05-17T08:09:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Michele, we now officially have evidence that we attended Bloomsday this year. We tried to take a picture with my camera, but it pooped out on us (hence the new one for mothers day). Bloomsday was so much fun that I think I'm making it a yearly tradition. Who else wants to go? In the pic is Heidi, Amy, Arin, Tyffany, Me and Kara. Kara was a trooper the whole weekend!

Big Fat Photo Dump!

2008-05-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from mother's day weekend which we spent in Spokane. All in all it was a good time. Josh and the kids got me a new camera as my mothersday gift (our other one we got before Ella was born and seemed ancient!) So some of the pictures are crooked so I'm still trying to figure out how to edit them...hopefully future pictures are a little better! Anyhoo, here you go!

Kara always wants to know what's going on behind her...

Jase licking his huckleberry coffee cake plate clean

River Front Park - Spokane, WA

2008-05-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Meet Nick...he's Mikki's boyfriend of a couple months now. He seems to be a very good guy who treats Mikki AND the girls very well.

2008-05-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

2008-05-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

Where oh where has my punky girl gone?

2008-04-26T22:48:00.000-07:00

Do you notice anything missing from the picture below?

That's right, "the hawk" has been removed. Josh apparently decided it didn't look good and buzzed it right off. I know it may have not been the best hair do in the world but I loved her little mohawk. It made her look like a cute little monkey! At first it was pretty shocking to see her with her hair short (I cried, I'm not gonna lie) and it is still taking me a while to get used to even though I know it will all now grow out evenly. Hopefully it will grow out quickly! While I was devistated with the crop Josh was quite pleased with himself. Bye-bye soft baby hair, hello fuzz ball =(