It's going to be a good day!

Just a little bit ago I went out to my garage to find some disinfecting wipes for my bathrooms. To my surprise I found an entire carton of Diet Coke with Lime sitting on the shelf. I thought we were out, so I couldn't help but jump with delight. It almost feels like Christmas :)

And So It Begins....

Austin; Everyday he comes home from school and immediately asks if he can go play at his friends house. After playing today he came home with a grip load of Pokemon cards, his friend just happened to give him. I thought that trading cards were outdated, but apparently not. He came home, layed them all over the table and proceeded to tell me which cards are his favorites and why. He even picked out all of the "feminine" cards and told me to pick which one I liked the best so that he could give it to me. I told him it wasn't necessary, but he insisted. Now I have my own Pokemon card ... how special!

Cameron; He is the definition of mischievous. Who needs snow when you can create your own sled indoors? Not too long ago he discovered that the drawer to his tool bench works great as a sled down the stairs. As soon as I discovered him doing this I gave him a good talkin' to and took the drawer away. Enough time went by and the drawer eventually returned to it's bench and of course Cameron didn't let the opportunity pass. I know taking pictures of him doing something I forbid is encouraging to his actions, but sometimes you just want to.

Andrew; Keeps getting taller and smarter. I often times forget how long his arms are and how determined he can be. He is just getting into everything. There is nothing that this boy of mine won't try and get. I am convinced that every time I open the dishwasher a certain bell goes off in Andrew's head and summons him on over.

Andrew Took His First Steps

Tonight while at a family birthday party Andrew took his first steps!! He is now 10 and a half months old and has been standing all by himself, and so I knew it would be just a short little while before he would start taking his first steps. Tonight was the night. Caylin and I each held on to a hand and walked him all around Marie's downstairs. He appeared to be pretty steady on his feet. Just for laughs and giggles, Spencer stood him up a couple of feet away from me and slowly let him go. I reached out for him and sure enough he took two steps towards me. We of course kept repeating it over and over again with him. The other cool part was he kept saying "mama, mama" I don't know if it was wishful thinking, but it really sounded like he knew what he was saying! What a big boy he is becoming.

5 Things That Make Us Happy

I love to interview those I love.

5 Things That Make Austin Happy:

1. When I have a friend to play with
2. When we go to a movie
3. When we have our Grandma & Grandpa's over
4. When we have fun playing a game as a family
5. When I play soccer

5 Things That Make Cameron Happy:

1. Mommy (ha, ha .. sorry honey, he said me first ;)
2. Building a big fort
3. Playing with my toys
4. Jumping on the trampoline
5. My Daddy

I guessed on this one;
5 Things That Make Andrew Happy:

1. Bottles of milk
2. Clean diapers
3. Toys
4. Cheerios/food
5. My goofy siblings

5 Things That Make Spencer Happy:

1. When the boys are being quiet
2. Food
3. Duck hunting
4. Side projects
5. Time alone with my wife

5 Things That Make Nicole Happy:

1. Time together as a family
2. Hearing "Thank You" & "I Love You" from my kids
3. Ice cream
4. Dates with my husband
5. Alone time

A Little Too Much Goo!

This afternoon I made Andrew a peanut butter sandwich. I cut the sandwich in half and placed one of the halves on his tray for him to eat. A little while later I heard him whining and so I glanced over at him and saw him slapping his face. I couldn't figure out what he was doing so I got closer to him and he just kept whining. Finally it dawned on me that he was really mad because a big chunk of the sandwich was glued onto the roof of his mouth. I started cracking up, which made him even madder, and then I did a little finger swipe to get the sandwich off. I thought all was well and let him go back about his business, until it happened again. I finally decided that I had put way too much gooey peanut butter on his bread and so I sorted through the remaining pieces and left only the mildly saturated parts.

An Apple a Day

We have discovered that Andrew LOVES apples! And he can really eat them well, peel and all. The other night we went shopping at Fred Meyer and Austin ate about a 1/3 of an apple he brought and said he was done. Knowing that Andrew likes them, I gave the rest of the apple to him. By the time we left Fred Meyer he had devoured everything on it and was getting ready to start on the core. I make sure to watch him closely as he eats it, and it has really been amazing that he hasn't choked yet. He's becoming such a big boy.

Back to School

September has been an exciting month with Austin starting first grade and Cameron entering preschool. The kids and I talked all summer long about how exciting it was for them to go back to school, and I don't know if that made a difference or not, but they both are truly excited about school! Saying goodbye to Austin on the first day was kind of a sad moment for me. Being away from him a good chunk of the day made me realize how empty nesters feel. You get so used to a certain routine and noise level and when it's gone, you almost (I say almost) want it back. Austin on the other hand is a brave little kid who adjusts well to change. He was lucky to get placed in a great class with other already established friendships and his teacher appears to be really good. I like the systems she has implemented in her class. At the end of his first day he came home in great spirits and said he likes it.

Cameron had to wait a whole week before his class officially started. His preschool class is held two days a week. Cameron was super excited all summer long each time we would drive by his new school or talk about his teacher, but me knowing Cameron, I still had this fear that he would not allow me to leave him. He proved me wrong. Since we were not able to make the open house appointment, I arranged for Cameron to meet his instructor, Teacher Shelly, on a different day. He showed some shyness but after we left he said, I like Teacher Shelly, she's nice. So on the first day of school, I walked him in, helped him find his name, snapped a picture and he was off. He didn't even think twice about me leaving. What a relief! I love so much picking him up from school and watching him walk up the stairs with a big smile on his face and a whole lot of confidence in him. I think he feels like a real big boy.

The best part of the two boys going back to school I was able to capture on film. After Cameron's first day at school we came home around the same time that Austin got off the bus in front of our house. I told Austin that Cameron just got out of school too and that he had a great day as well. Austin, with a big smile on his face said to Cameron, we'll give me a hug. Cameron flung himself at Austin, threw his arms around his neck and wrapped his legs around Austin's hips. They embraced like that for a long time. It was evident to me that the two boys missed each other and it showed how much they love each other. It was a priceless moment. I love my boys so much!! They can be challenging at times, they definitely test my patience, but they are truly wonderful kids. They both make me so proud and I love them so very much!

My Brother's Wedding

On Saturday I had the opportunity to attend my oldest brother's wedding. A few days before the wedding however, my Dad and Step Mom got a condo in Seaside so we could spend some time together while they were out this way. The condo was fantastic, the weather was incredible and you couldn't have beat the company! Spencer and I absolutely love hanging out with my parents and we are so grateful that they make a point to vacation close enough so that we can join them. We arrived in Seaside Wednesday evening and during our stay there we flew kites on the beach, swam in the swimming pool, searched the boardwalk for the best saltwater taffy store, and hit the Outlet mall. One of the most interesting events that happened while we were there was when Spencer took the kids to the pool while I was packing up our suitcases. As the boys were swimming around in the pool, Austin happened to find a quarter laying on the bottom. He was so excited. Then shortly thereafter, Cameron found one. Then all of the sudden quarters started appearing all over. Spencer said he heard a "ka-plunk" sound in the water and so he looked up and saw a man on the second level, standing on his deck, with a hand full of quarters throwing them in for the boys. The boys made out like bandits with fists full of quarters. I thought that was pretty cool! On Friday we checked out and drove up to Federal Way, WA arriving in time for the rehearsal ceremony and dinner. Saturday was the day of the wedding. It was held at a really beautiful church that my brother and his bride attend. This is my brothers second time around with marriage. Unfortunately his first wife didn't live up to the commitment she made to him when they were married and he ended up with a really broken heart. It took him a good amount of time to heal, and he prayed that when the Lord felt he was ready to meet someone again that it would happen. Well it did ... he met Lisa. Lisa is wonderful! She has accepted Derek the way he is and loves his little girls like her own. Our family has been overjoyed. The wedding and reception was very nicely done. I was asked to read some "Words of Wisdom" during the ceremony which I was happy to do. Although my family wasn't complete since my brother Cory and wonderful step sister Brittany couldn't make it, I was very happy to be re-united with my other brother, Thayne and his family. They had never met my two youngest boys and I had never met their youngest either. We all stayed at my Mom's house together, which made for late nights and early mornings. We had a great visit and I am grateful for events like these that bring my family together. Daily life, and living thousands of miles away from each other takes it's toll on staying close. I do vow to be better and make a stronger effort to be an active part of each of my siblings life and I hope they will do the same.

A Very Busy August

The whole month of August just flew by way too fast. It seems that everything we planned for the summer got booked during August, particularly at the end of the month, and I feel like I am still trying to catch up from moving around so fast.

Some of the highlights include:

Going to Seattle to see my brother Cory. Unfortunately due to his work schedule, Cory was not going to be able to fly out for my brothers wedding that was held this last Saturday and so he arranged to fly into Seattle early to spend a few days with the family. It had been 3 and a half years since I had last seen him because he lives in New York and so when I heard he was coming so close to home, I made sure to meet him up there. The kids and I spent a couple of days with him and had a great time.

Another highlight was a wedding that we attended. Shannon, the bride, is a good friend of Spencer's who he works with. Her wedding was held at a beautiful mansion in Woodland, WA., called, The Empress Palace. It was beautiful. Their reception was so much fun. We left the kids with a babysitter so that we could have a great time instead of being forced to watch the kids in such a large setting. I enjoyed getting to know all of the people that Spencer works with and who he talks about frequently. We danced all night long and it reminded me of when Spencer and I were dating. *The good old days*

Spending time with Spencer's cousin David and his family is always a lot of fun. David is a huge clown and when the two of them get together, David & Spencer, I just shake my head at them at laugh. David came to town for his brother's wedding and so we spent a lot of time together. We played card games, had a movie night, and the guys took the kids fishing. We wished that we could get together more frequent with them because we enjoy that time so much.

Another memorable moment, not so happy, was saying goodbye to some good friends, Venetia and Emily. I have really enjoyed their friendship and service they have given me. I wish them well!

The Greatest Show On Earth!

Last night we went to The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the Rose Garden. A few months back I got an email from Ticketmaster offering pre-sale tickets for this event and since I had never been to a circus before, I thought I'd check it out. I found seats smack dab in the center of the arena on the 100 level, just 16 rows back from the floor for only $10 a person, and so I just couldn't pass it up. For months I had really been looking forward to going with my family. We were lucky enough to arrive in time for the all access pre-show and got to walk around the floor to see the different acts going on. I don't know for sure if it was the clowns walking around or the very large elephant that they had out or what, but Cameron freaked out. He got spooked and started crying. He wanted to go home. When the Circus actually started he was very leery and it took him a while to warm up, but then he got really excited about being there. Austin enjoyed every minute, he was totally into it. Andrew was the best little baby. With all the loud screams, bright lights and the fact that it was way past his bedtime, he didn't have any problems at all.
I loved the Circus for all the acrobatic type acts, but I must admit my heart sunk every time they performed. As much as I enjoyed watching them, I almost had to turn my head away sometimes because I feared that this would be the one time where someone fell and I would have to witness it. It literally freaks me out. Good news, no one fell and we as a family had a great time together!