Walker Clan

Super Bowl Sunday

2012-02-15T11:43:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl weekend was also my mother's birthday weekend. My sister Kathryn and her kids decided to drive up that Friday and surprise my mom. The plan was that they were all supposed to come over to my house after church on Sunday to watch the big game, but unfortunately my mom got sick and couldn't come. Everyone else did and we had a great time.

Avery, Tyson & Lilly

I love our kids!!!

Trying to get a decent picture of us and our children is a bit difficult.

Love her

Dad always has to sneak in too.

Love him

My little family.

Beautiful Lilly bug

2012-02-15T10:31:00.000-08:00

People almost everyday tell me that Lilly is my little twin. I don't think I was this cute as a little girl and I can't wait to see how beautiful she will be growing up. If only her hair would grow. She's had only two hair-cuts her entire 5yrs. It doesn't grow and she really really wants it to be long like Rapunzel. :)

Hello blue eyes!!

She has very interesting fashion choices for school. Most of the time, I let her get away with it, but other times, I have to put my foot down.

She & her cousin, Natalia. I can't believe how great this picture is. They're both looking at the camera and smiling. Such beautiful girls.

I'm so blessed!!

2012-02-15T09:06:00.000-08:00

I have such amazing beautiful children who I love so very much.

And then there's this handsome man. I'm truly the luckiest woman alive to have been blessed with this man in my life. He is my best friend & my husband...how can it get any better than that??

Happy Valentine's

2012-02-15T08:38:00.000-08:00

Levi & I got to hang out in Lilly's classroom for her little Valentine party. The kids all love Levi...he's kinda like their little mascot since he's been coming in there to help out at least once a month since he was born...right when school started.

Lilly & her good friend, Meadow. They do dance class together as well.

Levi got his own balloon and was mesmorized the entire time.

Beauty in where we live

2012-02-07T08:58:00.000-08:00

These are pictures that my neighbor, Ted's boss, took around where we live. So amazing!!

This is not exactly where we live, but nearby. Simply gorgeous!!

Iron gate reservoir

Finally, enough snow to sled

2012-02-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

About a week and a half ago, we took the kids sledding. They had been asking almost everyday since we finally got some snow. They absolutely loved it and it was seriously one of the smallest hills I'd ever seen. It doesn't take much to make these kids happy.

Levi didn' sled, but he sure did look cute in his little bear bunting.

Something new

2012-02-02T09:07:00.000-08:00

Tyson & Lilly like to help out cooking dinner. Tyson usually grounds the beef and Lilly was in charge of stirring the noodles. They were doing spaghetti that night and they did a fabulous job.

The little man is now rolling all over the place.

Something to smile about

2012-02-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

Flowers from my hubby, to brighten my day

A full rainbow on the way home from school.

Celebrity x's two

2012-02-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

At Evergreen Elementary, they choose a few students from each class every month and do a little feature on them. In Kindergarten and 1st grade, they do a little assembly for the parents to come and watch. In 2nd grade, they just do the picture & sheet and hang it in the hallway. I guess 2nd graders are too old for assemblies.
Tyson was featured for December and I took a picture of his thing in the hallway.

Lilly was in the assembly for January. When her sheet is finished, I'll talk a picture of it and post it.

Birthday getaway

2012-01-20T15:13:00.000-08:00

For my 32nd birthday last weekend, Ted & I went overnight to Callahans up in Oregon...about 30min away. My parents stayed the night at our house to watch all three kids and they did fabulous (both my parents & the kids) :). Levi slept 9hrs straight for them. Yeah!!

All the rooms have a fireplace and a big jacuzzi tub. We had a great time and it had been quite awhile since we've gone anywhere just the two of us. Thank you Mom & Dad.

My new watch that Ted bought for me the following day. We headed up to Medford and went watch shopping and then on to Costco. It was really nice to go shopping without kids...what a treat!

I bought these about a week before my birthday as an early present to myself. Kath had inspired me with hers, so I got some for myself. Hers are brown and have white fur (so, I didn't copy). lol!!

It was such a great night away and I truly appreciate my parents being able to help us out with that. Thank you so much, Mom!!

New toy for the New Year

2012-01-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

Little man is almost 5mo old. At his recent check-up, he weighed 15.3lbs and meaured at 26.5in long. Once again, I have a long & lean boy. The only issue I have with that is it hurts more when he gets his shots since his thighs aren't all that chubby. Poor baby boy!!

He's such a happy baby and for that I am truly truly grateful.

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Family

2012-01-06T09:17:00.001-08:00

We had lots of fun hanging out at the ranch with lots of goodies to eat, family dinner, a big bonfire and fireworks.

Aunt Karen with Levi

All the kiddos minus Levi (he was napping) l-r...Tyson, Lindsey, Molly, Avery, Lilly, Asher, Jacob & Kaiden

Lilly & Lindsey = inseperable

Love this!

Kathryn, Karen, Dad, Levi & myself (Asher trying to sneak in too)

Christmas

2012-01-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

We had sch a great Chrismas with so much family. My sister Kathryn & her two kids came up from LA and my other sister, Karen & her family came down from WA. We stayed at our own home, as we usually do, when they visited. Everyone came over Christmas afternoon and then the following day, we hung out at Mom & Dad's.
Santa visited our house Christmas morning and the kids were super excited.

Tyson's Santa loot....stocking filled with goodies (little toys, candy, toothbrush), a big Nerf Vortex gun, Hot Wheels alarm clok & RC car

Lilly's....stocking filled with goodies (little toys, candy, toothbrush), Littlest Pet Shop, RC car, pink Razor scooter & helmet

Levi's......stocking filled with baby food & a rattle, a little jungle playground toy for when he's older

Tyson & Lilly were so excited that Santa didn't forget about their little brother. So sweet!

Papa has the magic touch for the little guy

Earlier that day....hanging with Aunt Kathryn

Picture perfect

2012-01-02T13:37:00.000-08:00

Taken Christmas Eve I don't think I could ever get a better picture. All three are looking at me and looking super adorable.

Such a big boy

2012-01-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

Rolling over

He loves to grab his feet now. So cute!!

Kindergarten performance

2011-12-28T11:17:00.000-08:00

All dressed up and ready to go.

Lilly's class

Tyson walks on water

2011-12-21T08:45:00.000-08:00

Out at my parents house, the frog pond is always a huge hit with my kids. Now that it's frozen, Tyson even loves it more. Papa tested it by throwing a big rock at it & trying to crack it with a big stick and it's pretty solid.

We were out there yesterday, before Lilly's kindergarten performance, & Tyson just had to show me how he could walk on water.

3-legged deer

2011-12-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

I still can't believe this doe is hobbling around. A few months back, shegot her leg caught in the cattle guard. The guys saw her free herself and assumed she'd go off & die. Not so....she had the will to live with just the use of three legs. She's a bit slow, but she's doing alright.

Thank you Siskiyou Family YMCA

2011-12-16T14:02:00.000-08:00

I'm so grateful to the people from the YMCA who took these fabulous pictures of Lilly. Much better than I did. Thank you thank you thank you!!

Chloe, Rachel, Stella & Lilly -- saying their lines as the Doras

Don't you just love her little belly?? Reminds me of my sister, Kath's when she was little. :)

Good job, Lilly!!

Who doesn't love rice??

2011-12-16T12:18:00.000-08:00

The little guy is now 4mo old and has been checking out our food for about a week now. He's been trying to grab it and seriously watches us, so I decided to give him his first try at rice cereal today. I mixed it with a bit of formula and he did really well. Most of it stayed in his mouth and he probably swallowed about 4-5 little spoonfuls.

It's hard to open wide

I guess this means he likes it. What a happy baby I have! I am so lucky.

Marley & Me

2011-12-15T16:55:00.000-08:00

Our amazing pit bull (yes, I said pit bull) Marley. She's so awesome...we've had her 1.5years now and I couldn't ask for a better dog. So good with the kids!!

Another celebrity in the family

2011-12-11T16:58:00.001-08:00

In Fridays paper, in the Siskiyou Daily News. Yeah Lilly!!

She's in the top picture...bottom row, third from the right. Then again in the bottom left photo, with her hands way up high, as one of the Doras.

Diaper dilemma

2011-12-10T08:24:00.001-08:00

For the past 4 nights, Levi has woken up wet and leaking everywhere and he's even leaked during the day. I think it may be the just the brand of diaper I'm using, rather than the size. I still have tons of the Kirkland 1-2 size, so it looks like I'll need to find someone to pass them on to. I had bought one package of the Pampers #2s and those are the ones he's leaking out of after a good 6hr or more stretch. I was using those at night since I figured they'd hold more, being a bigger diaper. Now, do I put him into a Kirkland #3 (which are for babies 18lbs or more) size or try a new brand? If I try a new brand, what kind should I get?? I hate to spend $$ on a package of diapers that wouldn't work.
I think Levi is around 14lbs, but I'll find out for sure at his next appointment on the 19th. It seems weird to me that he'd already be in a #3 at 4mo old, especially since he's not all that big, but maybe not. I can't remember at what age my other two were in that size of diaper...it's been too long for me to remember. The only thing I do remember is that they were in a #3 for quite awhile as well as the #4. Any suggestions??

4 years ago

2011-12-09T08:23:00.001-08:00

Oh my gosh....I love this picture!!

Seems so long ago

2011-12-09T08:18:00.001-08:00

I can't believe how cute they are in this. Tyson was 3 and Lilly was 1....we always had so much fun hanging out at home together.

Will Levi walk on his knees too??

2011-12-09T08:12:00.001-08:00

Holiday parade

2011-12-07T17:59:00.001-08:00

Saturday tonight, after Thanksgiving, our small town always does a Holiday parade. Last year both of my kids were in it and again this year. This year was the first year they did it at night and it looked great with all the christmas lights. There as such a great turnout too.
Lilly was on the dance float and Tyson on the soccer float. Super super cute!!

I didn't get a picture of Tyson, but luckily the local newspaper did. He ended up on the front page. Gotta love small towns!! He's in the red "Santa" hat.

Dance dance dance

2011-12-07T17:51:00.001-08:00

Once again, Lilly wanted to be in dance. This time she chose two classes...tap & jazz. So, for the big performance, she was in four dances, rather than two. It was a very long weekend, but she did so so good.

At practice, in her tap chef costume

One of the performances

As Dora (far right)...she even had a speaking role in the play. So cute!!

Chloe, Rachel, Stella & Lilly

These were taken with my phone, so they're a bit blurry. We had the video camera out & Levi on our laps, so I was lucky to even get these ones.

A weekend in Bend

2011-12-07T17:38:00.001-08:00

The weekend after Tyson's ankle injury, we were heading out of town to Bend, OR....one of our most favorite spots. We had some things planned, but had to change since Tyson was injured....ie: the bounce house. :( We drove up a new way and had fun driving through lots & lots of snow.

Dinner at this awesome Flatbread Pizza restaurant. The kids really enjoyed it and Tyson even got to make his own pizza.

We found a yummy bakery to get homemade donuts. They love sprinkles!!

I took the older kiddos to see "Happy Feet Two" while Ted & Levi drove around and then rested back at the motel.

Happy boy heading home.

Our little elfkin

2011-12-02T08:51:00.001-08:00

He's seriously the cutest baby ever!!

1st major injury in 7years

2011-12-02T08:40:00.001-08:00

A couple weeks ago, I'm waiting outside the school with Lilly & Levi, ready to pick up Tyson and I see him hobbling out. A bit later, I see his teacher pick him up on her back and start to carry him out. I ran over and grabbed him up, so she wouldn't have to carry him. Apparently he was playing tag and jumped down from the rings and landed on one foot, which rolled his ankle. It didn't look swollen at the time until later, at Lilly's dance practice. He couldn't put any weight on it and so after dance, I took him to the walk-in clinic in town. They took x-rays, which he thought was the coolest thing, just to be safe and luckily, it was just a sprain.

He was given a brace and with that, he was able to put a bit of weight on it, instead of me carrying him around. Thank goodness!!

Biggest leaf pile ever!!

2011-12-01T08:20:00.001-08:00

Ted was using the big company leaf blower and made this HUGE pile of leaves for the kids to play it. They had an absolute blast.

Where's Tyson??

Lilly wanted in too

Meanwhile, in the house....the little guy was having fun on his playmat.

Lilly's 5!!

2011-11-25T10:28:00.001-08:00

For Lilly's birthday, we rented out the Holiday Inn Express's indoor pool & conference room. Such a great idea for a cold November birthday. Lilly had a blast and it was a great time.

Lilly & her friend, Dakota in their matching suits

Papa with Tyson & Jessie clinging on. He's such a good sport.

Lilly & Chloe

Jessie, Tristan & Lilly

Going crazy of her new "Cookie" dog. That's the main thing she wanted. :)

All the kids

My happy baby

2011-11-17T08:34:00.001-08:00

Halloween

2011-11-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

Only a couple photos because some of my others wouldn't download. Sorry

Ready for school - Raggedy Anne & Drago, a bakugan dragon

Lilly's Kindergarten class performing for the adults

Levi visiting in Tyson's 2nd grade class

Mommy group--halloween edition

2011-11-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

Once a month, a bunch of us moms with newer babies get together. Aubrey loves doing photography, so she likes to take pics of all of us. October was Halloween theme, so we dresed up the little ones. So cute!

All the moms & babes (Erin & Kai, me & Levi, Jessica & Ava, Sarah & McKenna, Courtney & Hayden, Chelsea & Bella & Aubrey & Blake (in utero)).

Jessica & I

all the little ones

Kai & Levi

Ava & Levi (not too happy)

Fall is fun

2011-11-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Ted got a bit of time off of work, so we took advantage and went to the pumpkin patch.

Family shot

Tyson pulled Lilly & the pumpkins in the cart all by himself. So strong!!

Tie dye & a swing

2011-10-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

One of the gifts that Tyson received for his birthday was a tie dye kit. The family that gave him this also bought us all white shirts to use. We finally used it and the kids absolutely loved it and were so mad at me the following morning when they weren't ready to wear to school yet. I finished the last part of them and they were able to wear them the next day. It was tie dye day for all three of them. Super cute!

It is T week for Lilly's kindergarten class, so she wore a tutu that day to share in class. A tutu & tie dye...perfect for T week.

Levi got a new toy too & he loves it. He really likes constant motion and I really like being the one not doing the constant motion all the time. Yeah for toys!!

Loving Levi

2011-10-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

Kinda scary, but still cute

Hanging out at the YMCA, waiting for Lilly while she was in her dance class

Being silly with Lilly

The cutest picture of my two boys. I absolutely love this picture.

My oh my, Tyson's 7

2011-10-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

Tyson turned 7years old on Monday, Oct 3rd. Saturday, we had a little get-together to celebrate. He loved it and had such a great time.

The awesome cake that a friend of mine made.

Tyson & his best buddy, Owen

Jessie & Lilly, having a great time together

presents

These are his two favorite toys that he received. Dragonoid Collossus from Bakugan & a wall tracks set by Hot Wheels

He played with his new toys the whole day following his bday party

Bandon by the Sea

2011-10-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Me & my three kiddos...little Levi is under there somewhere :)

Later that night, I took this pic with my phone. I love it!

Game Park Safari

2011-10-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

The weekend before last we headed over to the Oregon coast for Ted's last days off til November. We stayed overnight in Bandon, OR. The first day we went to the Game Park Safari to see all the animals. The kids loved it!!

capybaras

Baby spotted leopard....Rocco

Max, the talking parrot. We had fun talking with him.

Tyson's new favorite animal, the ferret. Too bad they're illegal to have in California.

Lilly holding the little oppossum. It liked to be bundled up.

Cutest kids ever

2011-09-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

I know I'm biased, but I truly do think I have the cutest kids ever. I mean, look at how cute they can be.

Big smile Tyson

Mean face Lilly

Pretty girl

Sleepy boy

The perfect Sunday

2011-09-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

Ted finally had a weekend off, so on Sunday after church, we drove up to Butte Creek and had a great little family outing. The kids had fun splashing in the water and eating snacks. Afterwards we went to my parents house for dinner & dessert. It was a great day!

Lilly & Levi relaxing on the tailgate of Daddy's truck

Tyson building a dam of rocks in the creek. He's such a boy and I love it.

At Nana & Papa's, he ate some home-grown corn from Papa's field and it pulled out one of his teeth. That makes 5 that he's lost and he has two more that are loose. This kid is getting rich off the tooth fairy.

Finally....a picture of Papa & his 12th grandchild.

A post for Tyson

2011-09-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

Since I mostly just take pictures of Levi lately, here's one for Tyson.

grubbing on Baskin Robbins ice cream. :)

With such a long drive we make everyday, Tyson chooses to do his homework in the car. That way, he gets to play more when he gets home. We put a box of pencils & crayons in his backpack, so he's always prepared.

The loss of a friend

2011-09-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

On August 29, our great friend, Ben Foster, took his life. He was Ted's best friend and co-worker here at the hydro plant. This was a complete shock to everyone, including his family. We will miss him and remember him forever. Love to you & your family, Ben. <3

His amazing family and the ones he left behind (my bestie, Celeste, their 13yr old daughter Sam & 3 1/2yr old daughter Jessie)

A gift from Destiney

2011-09-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

A lady from our church who's also a photographer, gave us a great gift....her services. She did a great job and gave us a CD with all these great pics of little Levi. Thank you so much Destiney. Check out her website. http://www.destineysmemories.com/

More pics

2011-09-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

Fist time at church....I love this onesie

Levi's favorite place to crash

All three of our kiddos. Love them!

2 wks old

First day of School

2011-09-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, August 24th was the first day of school for our two older munchkins, which means no more sleeping in. Boo!!

posing infront of the infamous school sign.

Tyson in his 2nd grade class with Ms Elsea

Lilly in her Kindergarten class with Mrs Stone.

Updates

2011-09-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've updated, so here are some pics.

Jessicsa, little Ava (4wks), me & Levi (1 day)

After we were home, Celeste & Sam came to meet Levi.

Big sister

The newest member of the family

2011-08-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

Introducing Levi Thomas Walker. Born Monday, August 15, 2011 at 3:52pm weighing in at 8lbs 3oz and 20in long (our smallest baby).

Less than an hour old....picture taken by Ted's cell phone. I love it!

Meeting their new brother for the first time...the first night

Too precious!!

Karen got to come visit. She left the following day back to WA. I was so happy that Levi came before she left.

First family photo

Ready to go home....less than 24hrs old.

Fair time

2011-08-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker and let them get their faces painted. They kept asking for 2-3 days straight, so I finally gave in.

Too many snakes

2011-08-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

Like I've said before, we get a lot of rattlesnakes, but this last week has just been ridiculous. I don't know if it's the full moon or the colder nights, but wow!! Thursday, Ted killed 5 in one day. Craziness!! The following day, his manager killed two (one was 41in long). Then yesterday, Ted killed another one that he had tried to get once before (43in). That's too many snakes!

After I had heard Ted had killed 5, the kids & I were on our way home and saw this one in the road. Someone had just ran him over because he was still moving all around. It's really freaky when they're still moving around while dead. Very freaky!

Little to tell

2011-08-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

All boys in utero, with Erin (due 1.5wks after me) and Sara (scheduled for c-section on 9/7) at Sara's baby shower. Remind me to never wear that shirt while I'm prego again. I look much bigger than usual. :(

Yesterday before my weekly check-up, I had lunch with Amy & Jessica. I tried the fish tacos for the first time and I think I might just have to get those from now on....so yummy!

At my check-up, my dr finally checked me, for my own piece of mind, and I was 2-3cm dilated. We're hoping to deliver sometime this week since he'll be on-call this weekend and it's a full moon on Saturday. This week would work so much better for our schedule rather than next, so I'm really counting on this baby boy to cooperate and listen to his parents.

38wks....then & now

2011-08-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

Check out the difference in sizes. I started out maybe 5lbs heavier and I've gained around the same weight, but there is definitely a difference.

38wks in 2006 with Lilly

38wks in July 2011 with baby boy

My shower

2011-08-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, July 31st was my baby shower. It was simple, quaint & just perfect. My bestie Celeste did a fabulous job, as she usually does and everyone had a great time. We had it at the Mt Shasta resort since they have Sunday brunch already available. We ate, laughed, talked about babies..ya know, the usual baby shower stuff.

The spread

Amy, me & Celeste....all in very similar dresses. Not even planned. Great minds think alike

Jessica already back to her skinny self after only 2wks.

Like I've mentioned before a lot of my old work friends & I all got prego around the same time. This picture shows it all. Two baby boys (in utero) surrounded by 4 precious baby girls.
L-R Jodie & Rylee (1mo), Joey & Eliza (2mo), me (due 8-17), Sara (due 9-7), Jessica & Ava (2wks) and Adrienne & Kaylan (3mo).

Who doesn't love Carhartts?? My favorite gift of all.

Natalie, Sam (with Ava) & Amy

Brenda & I with baby Ava

me & Sam (Celeste's daughter) and the tutu she made for baby boy.

Fun times with friends

2011-07-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

My friend Jessica that I keep mentioning in previous posts, had her baby girl on the 15th of July via c-section. Ava Ryan Workman was born at only 5lbs 14oz. We were camping at the time of her delivery and hospital stay, so I finally got to visit little miss Ava in Mt Shasta when I was down for my dr apt. She is now 5lbs 4oz and oh so cute. I couldn't believe how small she was...both my kids were over 8 1/2lbs at birth, so I couldn't even imagine a 5lb one. I already know this baby boy is bigger than Ava since my belly is so much bigger than Jessica's ever was.

Kinda funny how we're both in the same color shirt.

Yesterday, while I was getting my nails done, my kids went to my good friend Brenda's house to play with her boys. Brenda took them all, along with two other little boys in her neighborhood, to the city pool, up the street from her house and they had a blast! Thank you Brenda!!

Tristan, Tyson, Lilly & Isaac

37 weeks & counting

2011-07-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

This whole pregnancy, I've been dealing with iron level issues. I've been way too low and even with extra iron supplements, my levels don't change. My doctor has been having me go in for more and more bloodwork, to see if I have some other condition on why my iron levels won't go up. Nothing else was ever wrong, so he finally talked with a specialist and they came to the conclusion that my stomach doesn't absorb the iron like it should. He's still perplexed because this was never an issue with my other two pregnancies. Why now??

The baby is totally fine & healthy cuz he sucks out all he needs from my body, but I guess I need the extra iron. Worst case scenario is that if I loose too much blood during delivery, I'd need to get a blood transfusion, so I guess that's what we're trying to avoid.

Now I get to go to the hospital to Out Patient Surgery, once a week, to get IV iron transfusions. I went for the first time yesterday after my regular scheduled dr appointment and it took a little over an hour. It didn't hurt and I was super happy about that. They actually used a numbing cream on my vein before they inserted the iv needle. Thank goodness they can schedule them around my normal weekly check-ups since they know that I live 80 minutes away. I just hope that I won't have to continue them after the baby is born, whenever that may be.

Almost bow season

2011-07-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

We ge a lot of deer around our house, but usually they're all females & their babies. This little buck has been visiting our house almost everyday. He likes the apples that fall from our tree in frontyard. Usually it's him & a little doe that he hangs out with. The other morning, I look up from the computer and Lilly & Marley are checking him out in the backyard. What a friendly little buck!! Ted even said he's legal to kill, once the season starts of course. I thought he was a bit small, but since he's a forked horn, he's legal. Maybe he'll stick around til bow season starts. :)

Wow....can it be 9years already??

2011-07-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

July 26, 2002 in Portland, OR. Theodore Thomas Walker & Sandra Jeanne Avery were married. I still can't believe it was 9years ago already....where does the time go?

I seriously love this picture of Ted & our two dads. They're so happy. We sure do miss you, John.

The Avery kids....being the youngest gives you the privilege of having all your older siblings there to witness your temple sealing. Awesome feeling!!

This one cracks me up....I remember telling Ted to not make it look like I was too heavy. ;)

Our most favorite picture....the one that hangs in our bedroom and in my parents home. So beautiful!!

Diamond Lake

2011-07-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

Ted finally got 4 days off after working every single day for 3weeks, so we took advantage and went camping. We headed up to Diamond Lake, up in Oregon and had a great time, despite the rain & mosquitoes.

Tyson was very excited to finally get there.

Hanging out after setting up camp. We just got that pop-up canopy thing and it is amazing...kept everything nice & dry.

While Ted & Tyson went out on quad rides, Lilly, Marley & I hung out at camp.

roasting marshmallows

Yummy Smores!! I think they're more fun to make than eat.

The next day, we drove to Crater Lake National Park. Tyson is now officially obsessed with this place. He loves the history behind it and really enjoyed learning all about how it came to be. We got them posters from the gift shop for their rooms and a little stuffed animal as well. Tyson chose a salmon and Lilly chose a wolf.

Marley was all tuckered out after a long day of being tied up in the back of the truck. She's not used to being tied up, so I don't think she really enjoyed camping that much. Poor girl.

Later that afternoon, we actually paid $$ and took the kids horseback riding. It was only for 30minutes, but they really enjoyed themselves. Tyson got to ride all by himself, but Lilly had to ride with Ted.

I was so bummed that I couldn't go horseback riding too, but being almost 36wks pregnant, I wasn't allowed. :(

Tyson on Dakota...the old kid horse. Such a good boy, that horse was.

My view in the morning, relaxing in my new reclining camp chair, by the fire.

Something every pregnant woman deserves

2011-07-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Jessica & I treated ourselves to something very well-deserved....pregnancy massages. I've always wanted one even before I was pregnant, but never did it. Jessica had a gift certficate she had received from her boyfriend at the Mt Shasta Resort, so I just did a side-by-side one with her. It was so relaxing, but I can't wait to get one after baby is born, so I can actually lay on my stomach and have them really work on my back.

me right after the massage.

While Jessica & I were getting our massages, one of her friends, Erin (also pregnant) was getting a facial and a pedicure. It was definitely the prego spa day.

Sunday fun

2011-07-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

After the carnival, the kids & I just stayed overnight at my parents house. The kids went to the church with them and I went to Jessica's baby shower. She & I have been going through pregnancy together, both with our 3rd baby and both after a big gap. Her boys are 10 & 7 and my kids are 6.5 & 4.5. We've been friends since high school, so it's been really great going through this with her. She's scheduled to deliver her baby girl this Friday via c-section since she's breech. I still have a month to go and I'm so jealous of her. :)

On the way home, the kids & I found a turtle in the road. We didn't bring him home, but had some fun checking him out and Tyson got peed on. They pee a lot!!

Later that night, we went fishing off the bridge by our house. The kids loved it and caught lots of perch.

Lilly had her own little way of fishing and whatever she was doing worked wonderfully. She just kept reeling them in, one after the other. She caught more than anyone else.

Good catch Tyson!

Since Ted & I rarely get a picture of us together, I had Tyson take one. He did a good job. Thanks buddy.

Good times on a Saturday night

2011-07-11T11:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday, me & the kids went over to my parents to hang out with the cousins & then to the Weed Carnivale. Ted couldn't make it since he was on stand-by for work and Weed would be too far away if he got a call.

While at the ranch, my dad wanted to show me his little corn that he planted. He just loves working on the ranch and he's so much happier doing the ranch thing now.

Ranching....it's what he loves!

Then off to the carnival.

Lilly on the dragon coaster

Tyson & Asher on the big swings

While there, we ran into some other cousins. Tyson & Daniel are 5.5mo apart, so they always have so much fun together. Tyson being the braver one, convinced Daniel to go on the biggest ride there. It's where you lay down on your tummy and they raise it up and you fly through the air. Daniel did very good and didn't even cry. Gotta love peer pressure. :)

Shasta Lake weekend

2011-07-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

At the end of June, we took our 2nd annual Shasta lake weekend with a bunch of friends. Last year, it was to celebrate our friend's Celeste's 30th birthday, so we decided to do it again. We rented the same house, had two wakeboarding boats & even rented a patio boat. We had even more people this year and everyone had a great time.

Ben, Scott & Ted

Natalie, Celeste & me (& baby boy)

Annie (Ted's sister) & me

Some of the crazy boys -- Chris, Ben, Brian, Lawrence, Ted, Trapper & Luke.

Celeste & me

a group shot of everyone the last morning, as we were packing up & leaving.

Gettin' Caught in the Rain

2011-07-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

Some of our friends own a wakeboarding boat and invite us out every once in awhile since we all live in the same area & work together. It was a lot of fun, but then we got caught in the rain, literally. Someone was going to try wakeboarding and the line got caught in the prop. As the boys were diving under the boat, trying to untangle us, it started pouring rain. It was actually fun and made for some fun memories. :)

Ted learning to surf

Jessie Foster & Lilly (they have a love-hate relationship) Super funny!

My handsome hubby & our silly kiddos.

We were all underneath the canopy, bundled up as it was raining.

Wildlife fun

2011-07-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while waiting for our car to get some maintenance done, my mom picked us up and took us to the park. The kids love going on the new bridge and finding turtles. Usually we just see a couple being lazy and blending in with the weeds & such. This time we actually saw one swimming, diving for food and having a good ol time. It was pretty cool to be able to see it dive down deep and eat.

Then, on the way home, we came across some of the wild horses in our area. They were actually on the road. We usually see them down by the lake or in a big field. I've seen this momma & her baby many times..once actually fairly soon after the filly was born cuz she was still wobbly on her legs. I kept driving past them, trying to get a good picture, but momma horse would walk faster, shielding her baby until finally I got a good shot with my phone.

Baby boy update

2011-07-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

I really think I'm starting into the "nesting stage" and it's driving me bonkers. I am setting everything I have up and realizing I don't have everything I need. I want to go out and buy stuff, but I can't do that until after my baby shower on the 31st since I don't know what I'll be getting. It's an annoying feeling, not being completely ready for this baby.
I made Ted set-up the crib already even though we both know that the baby won't even be using it for the first few weeks of his life. With the other two, we had them sleep in a vibrating bouncer chair in our room for at least the first month. The vibrations seem to calm them and keep them sleeping longer and it's so convenient having them in the room, but not officially being there. I can't stand to have the crib in the room, so we put it in Tyson's room since he had so much more space with his new closet. It's now the "boys room".

I got the crib & a matching changing table/dresser for less than $180 including the tax. Score!!! The bedding I got for cheap too and I absolutely love it.

My big ol' belly around 34wks....about a month or so to go. I really hope it's less because I'm not sleeping very well and I get major braxton hicks contractions in the afternoons. I'm scheduled for a prenatal massage next week and I'm super excited about it. I have sciatica pains down my left side and I really hope that goes away after baby's out, but it'll be nice to have it worked on by a professional. :)

Still....a sleepy girl

2011-07-07T21:08:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been kinda trying to wean Lilly of her daily naps since she'll be starting full-day Kindergarten at the end of August from 8:30-2:20pm. She took naps at preschool for at least an 1.5hrs before I'd pick her up, so that's what she's used to. She's always been my little napper and has never put much of a fight when told to take one. She's been doing really well and I only usually make her take one when I know we have a later night planned or something big to do that requires her to be less whiney.

Apparently she was still worn out from July 4th and couldn't take a nap since Ted was building her a new closet, so at 3:30pm, when we headed up to Medford for grocery shopin, she totally crashed in the car. She slept hard all the way and didn't even wake up when we stopped for a drink at the gas station.

The following day, she finally fell asleep after trying to battle with me. I had the A/C on, so she cozied up in her blankets and I just couldn't help but take a picture before I had to wake her. She's so cute when she sleeps. :)

Independence Day

2011-07-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

Saturday, my dad picked up my niece & nephew in Idaho. They were up in Boise, visiting their other grand-parents. Sunday, my kids stayed overnight with my parents & their cousins. Monday, the 4th came and they were scheduled to go boating out near our house with our bishop's family. I picked up my kids at the boat launch and when they were finished boating, Mom, Dad, Avery & Asher came over to hang out for awhile.

That night, we went boating with some friends & then over to their house for a bbq & small fireworks.

By the time we got home, it was close to 11pm and we lit our own little sparklers. The kids love them.

More space

2011-07-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

We've had the worst closets with barely any room for all our stuff in this house. I can't complain too much since it is free company housing, but thankfully Ted was able to get some material and build us closet packs. I'm so lucky to have such a handy-dandy hubby. Thank you Ted!!

All our clothes on the bed....waiting for a new home. :)

All done...complete with shoe shelves. Yeah!!

Tyson's closet before. What you can't see is the two totes of toys & clothes not in the picture.

So much better....he loves it and has so much room in his bedroom now, maybe even enough room for baby brother's crib. :)

Snakes

2011-07-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

So...living out here, we've been getting a lot of snakes. I think they've counted 14 rattlesnakes so far that the guys have killed. We've only seen one baby one in our yard and Ted was down the road and I was too scared to kill it. Next time, I'll be braver and just do it.
Yesterday, Ted killed his first rattler and he video-taped the entire thing on his phone. He brought the snake back to the house, without the head, and laid it on our dump trailer for the turkey vultures to get. He took off the rattles & gave it to Tyson, to keep first.

This little guy is just a bull-snake and I chased it out of the yard. I hate snakes!!

Baby shower invite

2011-06-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

So....this is going to be the invite for my baby shower. Super cute, huh?? My friend, Celeste, is seriously amazing and came up with this and is planning the entire thing. She won't even let me help out at all, not even to address the invites. She's such a good friend.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

I think I have the best two men in my life that are seriously amazing fathers. I used to have three, but unfortunately one passed 7yrs ago and all we have are memories left. Luckily, the other two have great memories of the other and can pass them on to my children and others. My dad & Ted are the two most important men in my life and I'm so grateful to have them to lean on, cuddle with & support me in life. Thank you to both of you wonderful men.

Yesterday, my parents came over after church and we had a bbq, to celebrate father's day. We had yummy halibut, red potatoes & broccoli. The kids swam in the pool, my dad napped and Mom helped me organize and figure out where to put the crib when baby comes. I love that about her!!

This picture was taken last year on my dad's 65th birthday, on Shasta Lake. We had so much fun that day with all the kids & grandkids. It was definitely a great day to remember.

We love Nana's house

2011-06-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

So....my kids were really missing the ranch even though it's only been a week and a half since they'd been there. I guess they just get bored at the house all the time, even though they swim most of the day. They like to explore the ranch, ride the 4-wheelers, etc.

On the irrigation thing, Tyson made himself a bridge. What a proud boy!!

We brought Marley with us and she really enjoyed swimming in every pond she could find. Tipsy isn't much of a swimmer and kept looking at Marley like she was a crazy dog or something. It's hard to get Marley out of the water, once she starts. We had to give her a bath afterwards since she had nasty pond water and moss all over her.

Finally, the barn owls came back to the ranch. They've been gone for a few years and my dad thinks it's because the great-horned owls have been chasing them away. This year, they came back and laid their eggs in the box. That box has been up there for probably about 20yrs, so it's filled with poo, which is why we can see the babies so well now. After they leave, I think it's time for my dad to clean out some of the layers, so the babies can be more protected next time. I like being able to see them with their white fuzzy head, but still, they should be more protected from the elements.

Cousin playtime

2011-06-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we had Ted's sister & family out. We barbecued, played in the pool & they stayed the night. The kids had an absolute blast!! They haven't got to see their cousins in awhile even though they only live down in Mt Shasta (1.25hrs away). With school, work, the drive, etc...it's been hard to schedule time to visit. The boys are only 5.5mo apart and the girls are only 3mo apart, so they really get along very well.

Natalia, Lilly, Tyson & Daniel

After Ted got off work yesterday, he played in the pool with the kids. They love it when Daddy/Uncle Teddy throw them up in the air. Who wouldn't??

At first when Ted would do it to Lilly, she didn't like it, but she got over her fear very quickly. :)

30wk check-up

2011-06-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

I had a second ultrasound on Tuesday, to rule out the marginal placenta previa that I was previously diagnosed with. Thank goodness my placenta moved up to a higher & more normal position. No more pelvic rest for this girl....Yeah!! The ultrasound tech measured this baby boy around 3-3.75lbs, which is once again bigger than what the websites say I should be. I'm not surprised since my other two babies were good size at 8lbs 9oz & 8lbs 12oz. He was also thinking I could be a week farther along, but I saw my doctor that same day & he's sticking with the same due date...August 17th. I'm hoping for the week before, during the fair, since most of my family will be in town and it gives me an extra week at home with our new family before school starts. Thank goodness, the schools decided to push back the starting date to the 24th, rather than the 18th because I was worried I'd miss Lilly & Tyson's first day. I really don't want to miss it, especially since Lilly is starting Kindergarten.

The weird looking thing by his mouth is the umbilical cord. That's right, he was sucking on it. He was moving all over the place, twisting and turning, making it difficult to get a good picture. Luckily on one of the turns, the tech noticed that he was still a boy.

Now we know why my belly is so big.

Pool is done....Yeah!!

2011-06-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

With all the ground work, setting up, making sure everything's level...it took a few days, but we finally got it finished. The kids are super happy now. Now...if only the weather would cooperate, we'd have it just perfect.

Good job Daddy on the back-hoe.

Bugging me all morning to swim....he then realized it was a lot colder than he thought.

A few days later, it was warm enough for Lilly to test it out.

Happy birthday Ted!

2011-06-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

So....Saturday was Ted's 32nd birthday and also his hydro test. He passed with a 95%....yeah baby!! To celebrate, he went out and bought himself, off of craigslist, a new toy. I guess he couldn't let Tyson have all the fun with his. He got a 2008 KTM quad, complete with sand tires, a fancy exhaust, nerf bars, etc. Now that the boys have their toys....when do Lilly & I get something fun too??

Our Graduate

2011-06-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

Last night was Lilly's preschool graduation from Chrysalis. It was so cute and I'm so glad we had her in this school. She's learned so much and has really come out of her shy-girl shell. She's friends with everyone in the class and knows all their names.
The graduates wore their little caps & gowns, sang a bunch of songs, recited little poems, gave out gifts to their moms, received gift bags from their teachers and had cake & cookies afterwards. The weather was a little chilly, but we were just grateful it didn't rain. I still can't believe my little girl will be starting Kindergarten at the end of August. Where does the time go??

walking in

the whole class

doing one of their songs....most included sign language

Lilly doing her "Nigel Nighowl" zoo-phonics part. Each child got to do one and then they called their mom down to give out a rose & pictures. Yes, I was emotional and got all teary. :)

Our little pre-k graduate

With Nana & Papa.....it was a little chilly, but for some reason, Papa wore his big winter coat. :)

Daddy's little girl

Our family

John & Tim -- hunting buddies

2011-05-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

Just this week, my dad sent me this old picture of he & my father-in-law, John. My guess is that it was taken sometime in the early 70s, before either Ted or I were born, based on the fact that John's hair is still red. Most likely on a random hunting trip in No. Caliornia. John's mom lived in Castella, so they'd stay at her house on these hunting trips. At the time, they both lived down in Southern California, down in Glendale & Burbank, going to the same church. I love that they were friends during this time, especially since John isn't around anymore. He died in April of 04, when I was pregnant with Tyson, from a brain tumor that they had just found 6mo before. I love the fact that my dad knows stories of John that even Ted doesn't know & that he can tell our children fun stories of their Grandpa. Who else can say that??

Guess what fun new toy we're getting??

2011-05-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

That's right....we're getting a pool. Yeah!! I told Ted that if I am to live way out in the boonies all by our lonesome this summer, then we have to get something to play in during the hot summer days. It gets super hot out here and we do have the lake nearby, but no beachy areas to use. We'll go to the lake with friends on their boats, but we can't just randomly swim there. This will be perfect for me & the kids. We'll have to get all the fun pool toys, including noodles, dive sticks, goggles, etc, but we'll have a blast. It's 16' x 48in and it comes with the ladder, cleaning kit, salt water pump, pool cover & ground cover. Finally, a pool big enough for mommy to use too. We're super excited and found the best deal at Costco....$200 cheaper than Amazon. Score!!

Three brothers

2011-05-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

So...after a phone call from my mother, mentioning that I never posted a picture of the three sons of Grammy, I finally did. Happy now, mom??

Grammy's three boys....this picture was taken on Mother's Day weekend, the last weekend she was alive. Tim (born in 45), Rob (born in 56) & Jim (born in 43)

The three boys & two of their cousins, on Grandpa's side.

A group shot of everyone in the family who was there for the funeral. Not the best picture, but at least we got one.

Butterfly Garden project

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

So...for Easter, I buckled under pressure and bought the kids the butterfly thing from the infomercial on tv. I ordered them off of http://www.livebutterflygarden.com/ and we received 10 live catepillars in the mail along with instructions & the actual hanging garden thing. The kids were super excited and it was really fun to watch them grow. We were guaranteed that 3/5 per cup would survive and all 10 of ours did. Yeah!!

At the beginning, they were small little catepillars. The grew super big, about 2in or more long. Finally they decided to hang upside down and form chrysalides.

Once formed, we would undo the up lid and hang them in the garden by a safety pin. During this point, it was crucial that we be very gentle cuz they were at their most vulnerable state.

A week or two later, we watched as the chrysalides emerged into butterflies. We'd come home from school & see more and more emerged. One, we actually got to watch the transformation. It was quite the sight to see. They ooze this red liquid that looks like blood all over the place. It's actually just extra lining that they didn't use in the process of changing into butterflies.

After watching them fly around for a few days and feeding them sugar water on tissue balls or cut-up oranges, we finally released them outside. We had to keep one cuz one of his wings isn't quite straight and he can't fly well.

Tyson holding one of the tissue balls with four painted lady butterflies holding on. They finally let go and flew away.

Lilly helping out too. Soon after we released them, the kids wanted to catch them with their butterfly nets. Go figure!!

Quick Trip to Burbank

2011-05-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was Grammy's funeral down in Burbank, CA. I flew down on Friday and returned on Sunday. Most of us were there just a day or two, but it was definitely worth it.
My sister lives in Grammy's old house, so it was nice that she was able to provide lodging for so many of us. It was a full weekend and so nice to have everyone together, telling stories, laughing and eating like you wouldn't believe. All of the grandchildren except one were able to attend. The last time we were all together was in 2000 when Grammy had paid for a trip to Belize.

Malia & Ashland playing (two of Grammy's great-granddaughters)

Roy, Peter & Mac - the oldest grandsons

Kathryn, Asher (Kath's son), our cousin Jay, & me after the funeral

Sisters

The funeral program. They just found this picture of Grammy, taken in her early 20s. No one had ever seen it before.

The men carrying the casket to the burial site on Forest Lawn. It's a really steep hill.

All of us placed daisises on her coffin

My brother & dad.

My grandpa's gravesite. Now they're together again after 12.5yrs apart.

My parents....such a great picture

Aunt Emily, cousin Emily, Ashland (Roy's daughter) & myself

Amy (Roy's wife), Karen, myself & our cousin, Cameron.

My Grammy

2011-05-18T17:43:00.000-07:00

My Grammy (the last grandparent I had left) died this past Saturday evening. She had just turned 90years old in February and had been a widow for over 12 1/2 years. She had been living the last 3-4 years of her life in Provo, Utah with my Uncle Rob and his family. She was diagnosed with early alzheimers, so she couldn't live alone in Burbank, CA anymore.
The funeral is this Saturday afternoon down in Burbank and it looks like all the cousins, but one, will be in attendance. Unfortunately Ted & the kids can't come with me because of school & work, but I will be flying down for the weekend. It'll be a short trip, but a very busy weekend. I'm excited to see everyone in the family, but I wish it was under better circumstances.

At my Grandpa's 80th birthday party in July of 1998. Everyone was there except for Karen & Stephen. This was the last time we were all together except for his funeral, two months later.

me & Grammy at my wedding in July of 2002. I love this picture!!

Grammy at my parents house, Christmas of 2005

Dance recitals make me crazy

2011-05-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend wa Lilly's long dance weekend. Friday, she had her 2nd costume rehearsal at normal class time. Saturday, they had a full dress rehearsal for the entire show at the theater and she had to be there from 12-3pm. Sunday was the afternoon matinee and Monday night was the 2nd performance. I went to the matinee and sat with some good friends since Ted had to work and Tyson was at my parents house. Monday night, I helped backstage, frantically changing little girls outfits and making sure they stayed clean. Talk about crazy hectic!! Wow...that was seriously an interesting thing to be apart of. One poor little girl never got dressed for the 2nd dance and it was time for them to line-up. Two other mothers & myself frantically undressed and redressed her like a Nascar pit-crew. The poor little girl had three women ordering her this way and that...it was quite a sight to see, I bet.

Lilly all ready for the Sunday matinee. Yes, she has make-up on and she loves it!

doing part of her "Steppin Time" chimney sweep dance

One of Lilly's friends, Annabella & her, ready for the 2nd show.

Lilly's line in "My Girl". She's the third little girl from the left.

This has got to be the cutest picture ever. Too bad her eyes are on her dance teacher, Katie, instead of the audience. One of my friends took this and sent it to me and I'm so grateful she did. What a cutie pie!

Just me & Tyson

2011-05-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

At 26weeks, with my amazing first-born. He's going to be such a good big big brother. He gets so excited feeling the little boy kick and move around.

He loves his mama, that's for sure. I definitely feel love from this little boy....he's very good at showing his affection for me.

Just a silly pose he wanted to show me. What a goof!

Mother's day

2011-05-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

I was awakened in the morning with all my kids' homemade surprises from school. I didn't get pictures taken of them, but they were super cute. A bunch of handmade cards from Tyson and a smelly candle & magnet with Lilly's picture on it from Lilly.

flowers from Daddy, that Tyson picked out

My adorable Lilly bug at church. Daddy & Tyson ditched out, but since I had to teach and Lilly loves church, we just couldn't possibly do the same.

Lilly, the tap dancer

2011-05-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

This costume is for the song "Steppin Time" from Mary Poppins. I've never seen it done...they always make the parents wait out in the foyer, so not to ruin the surprise of the dance. Her performance is this coming Sunday & Monday and I'm so excited to watch her dance again. She just loves dance class and has already informed me that she wants to try ballet next time.

This 2nd costume is for "My Girl" and this is the costume her teacher chose for the professional pictures that they took this weekend.

Fun at the ranch

2011-05-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

Tyson is becoming quite the expert on driving quads now, thanks to his new one that Daddy bought him. I'll post pics of that soon. Anyways, Papa got a new quad and Tyson can actually drive it all by himself, very well, I might add. I was the 2nd passenger, behind Lilly, to take over the controls....just in case.

Last time the kids hung out at Nana & Papa's, Nana showed them the "tall grass" to play in and now they're officially obsessed. It's the first place they want to explore when we get there. This time, I finally got to see what the fuss was about. They run in it and fall the ground, playing hide & seek. Thanks Mom for introducing more fun times....they love it!

Photos via Destiney

2011-05-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

While Lilly & I were at one of her last dance rehearsals, Tyson got to go to one of his classmate's homes to play. This boy's mother is a professional photographer and loves to take pictures. Go to her website and check it out. http://www.destineysmemories.com/

Don't you just love Lilly's "cheese" look??

Tyson taking full advantage of all Destiney's props.

Such a pretty profile of my sweetie.

She was trying to get them to hug each other, but that doesn't happen too often, plus Tyson was getting angry that we had to leave. It turned out pretty cute anyways. ;)

The new sign

2011-05-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

Our new mailboxes & sign. The boys made this and were very proud of themselves. It really makes it look very countryish, but oh well. We are in the country, way out in the sticks, so it definitely works.

Before we all had the same address, but one of the postal workers had a hissy-fit about separating our mail (since he's been spoiled & put it all in one before), so we had to change our addresses to different #s. What a punk!! If our new address isn't on our mail, he puts it in the PacifiCorp mailbox, just to be difficult. Whatever!!

Check out this video

2011-05-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

This transformer came down the 18mi of our narrow, windy, pot-holed filled road, to the substation right passed my driveway. It was shipped over from Korea and then transported down from Canada by train to Roseburg, OR. Then, it traveled on this huge trailer down the freeway to Hornbrook, which is where our crazy road starts. It could only travel at night since it took up two lanes of the highway, escorted by police, traveling about 20-25mph and about 3-5mph going up the summit grades. It sat in Hornbrook for over a week while our county complained. The president of PacifiCorp had to personally call the county, to see what it'd take to get it down the road. Lots of $$ later, it finally made it. What a crazy sight it was to see. Enjoy!

Neighbors

2011-05-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

The picture is a bit blurry since it was taken with my phone, but these are some of the wild horses I see from time to time, on my drive. The black part of the horse in the background is actually a new colt. I saw him the day before with his mama and he was just new...his legs were still a bit wobbly. So cute!

I spotted 11 of these girls hanging out in my front yard. Little stinkers....they just wander around and eat everything. It's no wonder why we have so many mountain lion around. Easy meals, these deer are. That's right, we know for a fact that we have mountain lion around. I've even seen one of them...the other night, driving home from town. She was a big kitty, that's for sure. Yikes!

Easter

2011-04-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

Coloring Easter eggs.

Pretty Lilly girl in the truck, after church, heading out to Nana & Papa's for an egg hunt, hidden baskets & a yummy Easter ham dinner.

My Easter treasures.....I love it when they're sweet & loving towards each other.

The Bug Catcher

2011-04-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

For some reason, Tyson received a nice present from someone we know (a mother of one of his classmate friends). It's a Backyard Safari Bug Vacuum. So....of course, he wanted to look up the website and look at all the other things they sell. He talked me into buying him the safari vest. He was so excited when it finally came in the mail. I ironed on the bug patch and he's set to go.

Showing off his new vest & bug catcher vacuum

Finding frogs & other animals at Nana & Papa's.

22.5 week belly shot

2011-04-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

As of last month, the doctor told me that I have low iron levels, so I was put on extra iron. Apparently it's not working because as of yesterday, a month later, I still am too low. He then sent me over to the hospital for a blood draw to check and see why they were so low. I have been low my entire life, but never too low during pregnancy. Wonder why it's different this time?

Also, I am on pelvic rest because they seem to think I have marginal placenta previa, which just means that my placenta is partially covering my cervix and it's a little too low. I get to have another ultrasound at 28wks and hopefully it will show that the placenta has moved up higher where it's supposed to be. 90% of placenta previa cases move on their own, so I'm really hoping that I'm in that percentile. Until then, pelvic rest for me. Total bummer!!

My favorite monthly lunch date

2011-04-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

So....just like last month, after an appointment in Mt Shasta, I got to have lunch with Jessica & Amy. This time, it was after my monthly doctor appointment. We ate at the Goat Tavern and totally lost track of time talking and laughing. What a great lunch!! Good thing my kiddos were having a blast at my parents since it's spring break this week and not stuck at school while Mom was gabbing along. :)

Finally....a new phone

2011-04-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

Ted & I have had our old phones for over 2years and finally, we got new ones. Ted got the Droid X and he got me the Samsung Fascinate and I am in heaven. I have been impatiently waiting for a newer smart phone for awhile now, so Ted, being the fabulous hubby that he is, got me a new one on his way home from Portland. I had a feeling that he was going to do it since we talked about it the night before, but then when my phone wasn't working in town, my suspicions were confirmed. The only bummer thing about it is that we can't use the internet out here where we live...we're in a big dead zone. I turn on my phone like 20min into my drive and get all my old texts, pics, etc from everyone who tried to get ahold of me. At church today, Lilly was loving the phone, playing a memory game during Sacrament and my mom even was fascinated by the Gospel Library app I downloaded. I could read the scriptures, look up hymns, conference talks, etc. See, there are good things to download on to a phone. :)