Kid Update -

Michael will be starting Pre-K this fall & he's VERY excited. He asks to go to school everyday. His latest quotes are, "Hey, get me some juice woman!" and "You saved us!" after I had killed an apparent man-eating spider. Funny boy.


Elizabeth maybe starting Preschool herself, but I'm waiting to hear back from the school district about whether there's an opening. She's talking much more and continues to surprise me with how smart she is. I'm trying to teach her colors & shapes right now. She's liking that. Hopefully her and Michael will have alternating school days so I can have more 1 on 1 with both of them.




Alaina is fast approaching 1 years old early September! Her surgery to repair her cleft palate was rescheduled for Sept 11th and we're anxious to be done & over w/ that. She took her first steps about a month ago & already seems to crave independence.

BABY #4 should be 7 weeks now and I'm sure is developing nicely. I'm anxious to have all my children around me.

Braden is doing good & just finished drivers ed! In SD kids get there license at 14 to "help on the farm". Scary if you ask me! 16 seems to young to me for kids to drive, let alone 14! He's really enjoying BMX racing this summer.
Zack just turned a teenager. Another scary! He did baseball this summer & is enjoying time with friends.
Rylee just got home about 2 wks ago & unfortunately her parents there are getting a divorce. She's had 2 mom's and 2 dad's for as long as she can remember. She's super sad of course, but hanging in there OK.

Another Angel...

...on their way! We just found out we're due April 8th and we couldn't be more excited. It's strange to realize this will be my 4th child. I mean, I just had my 1st not too long ago for Pete's sake! Michael will just turn 5, Lizzie 3.5, Alaina 1.5. My goodness - I'm going to be busy! I feel like I just adjusted to having 3! But I feel like our family will finally be complete with 4. Even after having Alaina I still felt like 1 was missing when I did a head count. So happy he/she is on their way! I have my selfish reasons for being excited I'm almost done as well, but what can you do. Happy times :)

Oregon Coast 2009

Awesome...



Lizzie & Daddy walking along the beach.

Tide pools always have cool finds. We even found a dead bird near one. Yum.

Cutest lil' sand baby I ever did see!

We got one windy day that made for a rough time at the beach, but here's Lizzie in good spirits anyway at our favorite spot - Beverly Beach.

This year we bagged tent camping & stayed in a cabin at a KOA in Walport (just South of Newport). HIGHLY recomment it!!! Great combination of camping & non-roughing it. They had 2 playgrounds and the BEST bathrooms w/ full showers in each one. Loved it!

Fairy Princess?

After the STP we stayed at my cousins house just south of Salem for a couple days, then we went over to the coast for several days. While at my cousins, Michael must have been feeling a little left out with all the girls playing dress up because he came down stairs shortly after his second cousin looking like this...

Seattle to Portland 2009

Brian did his second STP ride in one day, 204 miles in 12:01 hrs, which is just over 2 hrs better then he did last yr! Way to be! This is him crossing the finish line in Portland. You can't hear it, but the kids & I are screaming for him at this very moment.


The kids had a gay-ol'-time running through these fountains at the park where the STP finish was. Rylee's holding Lizzie cuz she was a little chicken.

This pic Michael actually took. A great shot we would never have had if he hadn't snag the camera. I'm telling him to put the camera back and poor Brian just got done telling me how he felt like he was going to throw up.

House Guests

I love the green belt in the back of our house because it invites all sorts of guests into our yard. Summer nights we fall asleep to croaking frogs & Springs we wake up to churping birds. I mean, MASSIVE croaking frogs & chirping birds!


I threw some walnuts out for this lil' guy. I figured if he was brave enough to come onto the deck he deserved a little something! The kids & I usually leave a little treat for him & his buddies on the fence line.

This is the first time I've seen a racoon back there, but he was sure fun to watch! I didn't give him anything cuz racoons can be quite pesky, but I think he scored some poptart from our neighbor who he appeared to be waiting for (and no, it wasn't my hippie animal rights neighbors believe it or not).

Growing Up TOO Fast

Alaina @ 9 months, standing up watching the big kids playing in the yard. She's not walking on her own yet, but she's working on it!!!


Putting herself to sleep w/ a ba-ba. She's moving on quickly to the toddler stage from the baby stage. This is usually when I start thinking about another baby. Somebody slap me! We'll actually wait another couple years before we try for #4. I need one more boy!