A Window into our World

I often have a difficult time coming up with an answer for the question "What have you been up to?". There's not a long list of activities or much of anything to show for, however the normal things of life at home ALWAYS keep me busy. Here's a few of our "normal" life things that we've been up to recently...

Sunshine and Outdoors

We have been enjoying some beautiful weather with sunshine and highs in the mid 50's. Now 50's with rain and 50's with sunshine feel VERY DIFFERENT, so we are thankful for sunshine this time of year!

We take full advantage of the nice weather by playing outside for as long as the kids will stand because they always need to "burn off some energy!" There are also 3 kids about the same age as our kids just next door to us, so they come to play sometimes. This is a nice option, especially for Braden. One afternoon Braden, Ashlyn, Nana JJ and I walked to the library and then to Starbucks for a treat (about a 2 mile round trip). This was a fun way to enjoy the outdoors, get some exercise, do an errand, and enjoy time together!

We even enjoyed a picnic on our warm (south) deck....press the play button to watch the video clip below.

Kids Say the Darndest Things!

Now to completely change the subject, here's a great conversation I overheard in the car the other day.......

For context, I'm driving with the 2 kiddos in the back, and coming upon the school zone that has flashing lights and a speed limit of 20 mph. Braden knows that when the lights flash, cars need to go slow. He could tell I was coming upon the zone going faster than I should so he says....

Braden:"Mama, you need to slow down."
Ashlyn: "Or you'll go to jail..."
Braden: "No Ashlyn, she won't go to jail, but she'll get a ticket and have to pay LOTS of money! Then we will be poor and won't have any money for food!"

Needless to say, I slowed down! Although I've never gotten a ticket, Braden still likes to hold me accountable (and I've never mentioned anything about not having enough money for food?!).

Ashlyn the Lumberjack??!!

As I mentioned in our Christmas letter we checked out a video called "Lenny the Lumberjack" from the library way back in November. Recently, the kids asked me to check it out again. I guess Lenny has made quite the impression. It must be fun to watch trees get cut down with big chain saws! Anyway, as expected, Braden likes to pretend he's a lumberjack. However, Ashlyn is right on board with this lumberjack stuff! The other day she was all dressed up in her pink shirt and "dress-up" princess high heels (which was HER idea) and would hold up her toy spatula and say, "This is my chainsaw, gonna go cut down the tree!" And off she would run in her high heels with her "chain saw!" Quite comical if you ask me!

Braden + Sound Effects

Braden is one of those kiddos who is not just seen, but ALSO heard! If he's not talking, he's making NOISE. When he plays he uses sound effects for almost everything. It's fun to hear him tell a story about something because he uses his entire body to tell the story along with the best SOUND EFFECTS ever. I captured one of his many sound effects on video. Hope you enjoy his impression of a rocket taking off...

Our New Baby Niece

Sheldon's sister Chandelle and her husband Michael had their 3rd daughter, June Margaret, on Jan. 16, 2009. Here's a newborn photo of June and the family. How exciting it is to have a new family member and another cousin for the kids!

Fun with Cousins and Papa for the Superbowl

Well, this is just a few of the MANY stories I could tell, but I hope you've enjoyed this little window into our world!

WE LOVE LEGOS...

My kids just LOVE legos! Braden got a tub of the Duplo legos when he turned 3, and played with those so much that when he turned 4 he got a MASSIVE tub of them, and at age 5 he's still loving them!

Braden at age 3, with Papa, when he got his first tub of duplo legos for his birthday.

Braden at age 4 with his HUGE tub of duplo legos!

I think that a day barely goes by that the legos are not played with, at least for a little while. And some days they are almost ALL that is played with. It's been really neat, too, to see what Braden can build with just legos. He usually goes through phases (for a month or so) of building similar things with somewhat different designs and then moves on to something else. As I quickly think back, one of his phases was building ant houses (when we had "indoor ant friends," he would REALLY catch an ant to put in the house). These ant houses even included generators.

His other phases have been building hospitals, Jericho, airplanes, and tall towers to the ceiling. His most current phase is building rockets, pyramids, and Wall-E (the robot from the Wall-E movie). Trust me, these are just a FEW of his ideas....

This is Braden's Wall-E and Eve robots.

Click the Play button to watch the video clip of Braden.

Since Ashlyn has always seen Braden build, she too, has really gotten into legos, and will often try and build what Braden does. Below I have some pictures from last year of Ashlyn because I don't have any current ones. She sure has changed alot!

A Blast From the Past...

So you gotta check this out...

My mom has saved some clothes and toys from when I was a kid. It's been kinda nice because I've been able to pass them down to my kids. In fact, Braden's very FAVORITE stuffed animal is my old Chip that I got from Disney World long ago. Braden includes Chip in most of our daily activities, and there's no going to bed without chipmunk either. Who would have known that he would have clung to my old toy like this?

So here are some photos just for laughs...

My brother and I with our chipmunks (look at how "young" chipmunk looks).

Braden and Chip (poor Chipmunk has seen better days)!

AND when my parents came to visit earlier this month they brought an old Christmas dress that my mom sewed for me to wear when I was two, so I put it on Ashlyn (who is also two), and here's the results...

Ashlyn (she loves those sunglasses)!

Jamie at age 2

Ashlyn

Several people think Ashlyn looks a lot like me.....what do you think?

Anyway, it's been fun to see my old stuff and watch my kids enjoy it too-THANKS MOM!

Arctic Blast 2008!

SNOW?!? Yes, for those of you in Iowa, snow that actually sticks is a TREAT for us in the Pacific Northwest. We've just gotten hit with the biggest snow and ice storm that Vancouver has had in at least a decade.

Last winter we didn't get any snow at all here, and it was January 2007 the last time we got enough snow to play in. Of course, Braden barely remembers that and Ashlyn had just been born. Even being from the wintery midwest, it's easy for me to forget what it's like when a big snowstorm hits.

It all started on Sunday the 14th with less than an inch that didn't stick around for long. It was the first snow that Ashlyn got to see here - very exciting for her! We had to rush out and play as soon as we got home from church.

Click to Watch Video of our First Snow of the Year!

Ashlyn - "What's this stuck to my mittens?"

Following the initial excitement, there was a mix of snow and rain all week long. We would get an inch of snow or so overnight, then it would melt off each day. So, when it finally started to stick on the ground on Friday, we had to run out and build a snowman while we had a chance!

Braden hard at work on his Snowman

Click to Watch Video of our Snowman

Little did we know what we were in for. It finally got cold enough with just the right conditions on Saturday. It snowed steadily ALL day for over 12 hours. At first it didn't seem like much, but it kept coming and coming!

Braden trying to keep up with the falling snow!

Ashlyn enjoying a ride down the hill

Saturday night it turned into freezing rain on top of all the new snow, and then it snowed 2 more inches on Sunday. It was really starting to feel like a real blizzard!

Click to Watch Video of our REAL Snow

Ashlyn holding a big chunk of ice
(She insisted on wearing her sunglasses)

Everything tends to shut down here when we get snow. With all the hills, wet packed snow and ice it's nearly impossible to safely drive without chains or studded tires. Plus there's a bunch of people that don't know how to drive in the snow! Church was canceled on Sunday and Sheldon's office was closed on Monday. Uncle Byron even stopped by and recruited Braden to help shovel the driveway and build a snow fort!




Needless to say, it's been a lot of fun for us to play in the snow and enjoy some winter weather. The sun is peeking out momentarily and it's sure to melt off eventually, but for now we are enjoying the beauty of it all!

Our Snowy Backyard Wonderland

Our Virtual Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas! To those who were expecting to see a Christmas letter when you came to our blog....THIS IS IT! I won't get into a great amount of detail since the pictures and posts on this blog will speak for themselves, but I will just give a mini update on the specifics.

Sheldon continues to work at Allied Insurance as a commercial claims unit manager, and enjoys his work there. The past couple months he's been able to work from home one day a week. Sheldon doesn't miss the commute and it's nice to get a little extra sleep and have a big breakfast together as a family. In addition to work, being a Daddy keeps him going. The kids always run to the garage when they hear him pull in after work and greet him with BIG DADDA HUGS. Daddy is definitely a whole lot of fun to play with!

PHOTOGRAPHY continues to be a passion for Sheldon. He always has a project going.... long drives for landscape photos, buying and selling camera gear to find that "perfect" lens/camera/flash/lighting gear/camera bag/filter/light meter/film/print (you get the picture), upgrading his computer to deal with all the photos he takes (can you say Terabyte? Quad Core?), or just shooting another portrait session for a friend. Despite all the "stuff" associated with photography, having pictures of those we love and sharing with others makes it worthwhile.

I am a full time wife, mother, and official KEEPER OF THE HOME. I really don't need to say much more than this as it keeps me BUSY, BUSY, BUSY! However, I do enjoy many aspects of this, such as finding new and healthy recipes to cook for our family meals, gardening, scrapbooking, and reading lots and lots of books! I am very thankful for the friends around me that also stay at home with their children. This is a great support network for me, and also gives opportunities to get together for playdates! Recently, I've taken up blogging in order to keep in touch with family and friends and share some of Sheldon's great photos.

Braden turned 5 this month! WOW...he really is growing up, but is just as charming, friendly, & enthusiastic as ever. Whenever I take him somewhere (even if it's just a walk around the block) he ends up talking his way into a tour of someone's backyard or garage, gets a complete explanation of how a specific device or machine works, and makes a new friend in the process. All of this with no effort on my part - Braden's smile, friendly greetings, and MANY, MANY QUESTIONS are all it takes. As his Mom, it's really neat to see how enthusiastic he is about life in general.

Did I mention that he asks a lot of QUESTIONS? Not just any questions, though, EXTREMELY SPECIFIC, COMPLEX QUESTIONS that require an answer that I usually don't have. Praise the Lord for Daddy and all his answers! Best of all, I see a growing love for the Lord in his heart. One of his most common phrases is "God is SO, SO powerful that He could________(fill in the blank with the most dramatic thing a 5 year old mind can come up with)!" Yes, this is a reminder for me too because God IS powerful!

Ashlyn turned 2 in October, and to say the least, her "spunkiness" is emerging. She's always on the go with an agenda. With the influence of her big brother always nearby, she doesn't mind playing with toy swords, legos, or getting excited about "Lenny the Lumberjack" movies. Mommy is thankful when she nurtures her dolls or cooks in her kitchen too; she's not all rough and tumble! Ashlyn can always capture our hearts with her sweet smile, cuddles, and requests to "carry you" (carry her)! The biggest change in her life these past few months is how she's now talking in full sentences. We are often shocked by the statements that come out of her mouth as they seem too "grown up" for our baby. However, it is neat to hear her express what's going on in her mind, even if it does mean our little girl is growing up.

What a year the Lord has blessed us with! Feel free to enjoy our blog as a way to experience our family highlights along with us.....and "Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas" as we celebrate Jesus together!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Christmas will be here before we know it! There were many traditions in my family growing up, and several that I want to make "our own," especially since Braden is even more excited than myself about all that this season brings.

Here are some of the traditions that have seemed to carry on in our household thus far....

Christmas Decorating Thanksgiving weekend.

Making gingerbread cookies. The recipe is from my grandmother, and we love to spruce them up with our favorite candies. I think Ashlyn spent most of the time sneaking the candies!

Snacks and stories around the Christmas tree.

Peppernuts! Anyone heard of this Christmas treat? They are a bite sized cookies made with anise oil and have a very distinct flavor. My great grandmother used to make them, and the tradition has been passed down with each generation. Click on the play button to view video clip.

Although this isn't a tradition, this year was extra special as we were able to celebrate an early Christmas with my parents, who came to visit us last week. We were especially thankful to share time together during this season. So glad you could visit Dad and Mom!And the biggest celebration is yet to come-Christmas Eve/Day! We enjoy attending a Christmas Eve church service and then spending time with family celebrating our Savior's birth.

A Thankful Heart

With the celebration of Thanksgiving and the arrival of the Christmas season, this time of year reminds me to focus on all that I have to be thankful for. I often get so caught up in all the "to do's" in life that I easily get overwhelmed and don't truly thank the Lord for all that He's blessed me with. It has been really good to be reminded of what is truly important, and how I need to be intentional about being thankful each and every day. Above all else, the opportunity to have a relationship with the Lord and the gift of eternal life gives me a reason to celebrate not only during this season, but every day of the year!

Here are some of our highlights over the past month, all of which I am so thankful for...

Sweet moments with my wonderful husband, Sheldon:

Learning new things from Papa and Nana J:

Time with Grandpa Ken and Grandma Julie:




Moving from a toddler to a twin sized bed:




Silliness at the park when Daddy is HOPING for a good photo opportunity:



Stories with Uncle Byron:

Fun times with Chandelle and Michael:

Playing Playdough (Melea and Ashlyn):

Praise the Lord that we have these and so many more things to be thankful for!!