Weird

I keep track of the weather in three different; in Selah, WA where I live, in Forest Grove, OR where my parents live, and in Austin, TX where my brother and sister-in-law live.
Just now, it shows that all three locations have a temperature of 97 degrees!
How often does that happen?

I know, weird and pointless. But that is all that I feel capable of right now. Another weird and pointless thing; the death of a young, godly man.

Pastor Lucas Matejka was the youth pastor at Anchorage First Assembly of God where I went to church in Alaska. He was incredibly fun and passionate about the youth and worship. He felt God leading him to Australia where he moved while we were down in Oregon in March. I didn't even get to say good-bye.

Through Facebook, I found out that just today, he was in some kind of accident and passed away. I'm still in shock. I know that God is sovereign, and even in this, He is God.

Cake, Cake, Cake

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, mostly.

He wishes he had a bigger mouth.
Just enjoying, clearly.

So sweet to share!

Awww, kisses!

And the results of said kisses.

Party, Party, Party

It was going to be a short trip. I didn't think to bring jackets for the boys. So when Grandma Mary took them to the park, they wore a couple of her sweater-coats! They sure look cute!

What a cute, precious angel he is! I can't get enough of him.

Or him! Nick can test my patience as nobody else, but he has such a sweet spirit, and can make me laugh so hard. What a jewel he is to me.

They are already sharing....sort of. All the kids play well together, for the most part.

Cake! Give me cake! I can just hear Nick's thoughts screaming out.

It's Happened

I can't believe it. It's true, Ethan is officially (since we celebrated early) one year old. I know I've said it before, but time just seems to speed up exponentially. My baby is one. I thought I would reminisce with you a bit.
Ethan was born on Monday morning, 8/18/08 at 5:46am, after just four and a half hours of labor. He was 8 pounds 12 ounces, and was 21 inches long. The first comment the nurse made was, "Look at those cheeks!" And when he was being washed up, he was already trying to roll over, out of her hands.

Ethan has always been a happy, mellow baby. The only time he would really get upset would be when he was hungry. And you can tell by how tiny and frail he was that I hardly ever fed him. No, he is well fed. He just seems to think that the food should be instantaneously in his mouth the second he feels hungry. He is so cute to watch when he sees the food close by. His whole body shakes with anticipation.

He spent so many hours in his bouncer. He loved that thing, until he was a bit more mobile. Before he started crawling, he was scooting, kind of a half army crawl. He would pull himself around with his left arm outstretched, and his right arm bent at the elbow. Always the same. He was very proficient at scooting; but once he was freed from the bouncer, he quickly developed the skills necessary for crawling, pulling himself up on furniture, and cruising around it. He still hasn't started walking, which I'm thankful for, but he looks like he wants to let go and step out on his own. I don't think that he will wait much longer before he finally does.

Ethan loves being like his big brothers. He is not often entertained with his own age-appropriate toys. He would much rather be a "big boy" too. Even now, a I'm typing, he is playing with Nick's new tool set rather than all the wonderful toys he got himself. He does enjoy those as well, don't get me wrong, but when his big brothers are playing with the tools, so is he.

And now, we have made it a whole year. One year ago today I was sitting in a hospital room, mostly all by myself, as Nick had to be home with the kids. I spent a lonely night, not being able to sleep, even though Ethan slept most of the time. He would wake up to eat every few hours, but would go back to sleep right afterwards. In the morning, I packed my stuff back up, got my own ice water from the break room while Ethan was getting his hearing test done, and waited for my doctor to okay me going home. I wish I hadn't had to stay so long; I was ready to be home by noon the day before. But they have to keep the baby for a full 24 hours before they release him, so I had to wait.

I can't imagine my life without all three of my precious treasures. They each bring their own special light to my life. They have also been asking for a sister. I will try to accommodate them sometime.

Also, I want to wish a very happy birthday to Grandpa Chuck. It is his birthday today, too.

Have a great week. The boys have their first appointment with a new doctor next week, and then we will be getting ready for school to start. The next phase of my life is just about to start, and I must say, I am more scared of it, than any other phase I have been through.

Belly Diving

Ethan has started a new, very interesting, activity. I don't think I have seen this from either of my other kids, not to mention from any other baby I have ever known. He cracks me up.

Also, when giving Joey loves, listen for Ethan saying "ahh". He does this every time, because he hears me say it every time. It makes my heart smile when I see my boys loving on each other.

Looking forward to coming down to Portland tomorrow. I love saying that. This is the first time that we will go 'home' since moving to WA, and it has only been about three weeks! Much better than three years between visits.

Ethan is done with breakfast and begging to get out of his booster. Gotta go.

First Cupcake

Although we are having a party for Nick this weekend, we didn't want his birthday to go by without a little memento marking the occasion. So Daddy picked up some cupcakes on the way home from work. (Nick was also allowed to pick what dinner he wanted, out of the three menu choices we had left!)

What an adorable kid he is! He's getting so big. (Tear)
Joey was excited that there were a couple chocolate cupcakes in the pack. Nick doesn't like chocolate at all, so Joey was able to enjoy something not often available to him.

Even though it is a few days before his first birthday, I thought he would enjoy some practice with the whole "cake" thing. Ethan was so funny. He picked up the cupcake like a bottle (much like Nick did on his first birthday) and tried to "drink" it. He went cross-eyed at one point, trying to look at his "bottle" and figure out why he wasn't getting anything out. It didn't take long for him to figure out this was way better than a bottle.

As you can see, he thoroughly enjoyed his cupcake.

I can't wait until he can show off his mad eating skills on Sunday.

Celebrating Three Years

It hardly seems possible, but Nick is three years old today. I remember the day he was born. I was ecstatic, knowing that I was finally going to be able to hold him in my arms. He was the brightest spot in a grey period for me. Here is Nick the day he was born; such a sweet, tiny (to me) baby.

Here is Nick the day he turned one year old. He was such a joyful, goofy baby (after he got over his colic.)

Here he is at two years old, apparently very serious about the business of opening presents.

And here is my ham-bone at three years old. He is such a big boy now.

Speaking of big, Joey has just learned how to hop on one foot! It is so exciting watching his face as he learns something new. I suppose that is one thing I can look forward to about him going to school; he will be learning new things all the time.

We will be headed to Portland on Saturday for the weekend. We will have a birthday party for both Nick and Ethan (whose birthday is in six days.) It will be nice to be able to celebrate with the extended family. This is the first time in three years! I'm very excited about that.

Well, I will go check on the boys. Ethan is still sleeping, but the big boys are ready for snack. Have a great week.

Smart Alec

This afternoon, I put the two little ones down for a nap and set Joey up on the computer for "quiet time." I told Joey that I would be in my bedroom doing my Bible study if he needed anything. Not five minutes later, before I had even begun the study, Joey joined me in my room.

I reminded him what I was trying to do, asking him very nicely if he could play quietly so I could concentrate. A few minutes later, he decided to play with Daddy's set of screwdrivers. The entire time, he was commentating his every action, and asking questions.

Finally, he came up on the bed with me. Through all his jabbering, I hadn't made a sound. Not one peep, not one reminder for him to play quietly. Out of the blue, Joey says, "Mom, you need to be quiet so I can build with the screwdrivers."

I had to laugh. He wasn't telling me to be quiet in a rude way, he was just parroting my instructions to him. I wasn't offended. But I found it funny that he had the audacity to ask me to be quiet when it was he who hadn't stopped talking. So I said, "I'm not the one making the noise!"

He looks at me and said, "Well, now you are." I couldn't stop laughing. What a little stinker. He can be such a joy, such a kick in the pants.

Just wanted to give you something to smile about. Have a great week.

Aunt Bonnie's

With each additional child, I tend to put things off longer....you know, with the developmental things. For example, Ethan will be one year old in twelve days, and yet tonight was the first time I let him feed himself dinner. We had Aunt Bonnie's, a childhood favorite of mine, and a good dish for a baby to be able to feed himself.
Ethan gobbled it up! He loved squishing the noodles through both fists at the same time. And although he had a fork, which he would occasionally put in his mouth with nothing on it, he preferred the time honored tradition of stuffing his face with his fist.

Here are some pictures of the results. This one shows his hair styling technique using casserole.
Here is an adorable "cheeky" grin, greatly improved by the four inch thick layer of sauce, reaching all the way above his right eye. Impressive!

Here you can see that he has the fork, posed and ready, yet chooses his hand instead. If you look close enough, you can see the noodles squishing between his fingers.

Taking a cautious bite in the beginning, he soon learned that he could down it so much faster by smashing his hand against his open mouth.

The clean up from this one meal that lasted no more than ten minutes to at least twice that long. Oh, the joys, of allowing your babies to grow up and learn new skills.

Eleven Month Comparison

I can't believe how fast time has flown. Since Ethan is only a couple weeks away from turning 1 year old, I thought I best get the eleven month comparisons done right away.

Here's Joey at eleven months, giving loves to Daddy.
Here is Nick at eleven months, loving being with Nanny.

And here is Ethan at eleven months, loving splashing in the pool.

I have so many other pictures to share, but since I have the boys watching a movie downstairs, I don't have a lot of time to myself. So I will make an attempt to come up at bedtime sometime this week and post some more pictures.

Computer Up And Running

We have finally arrived at our new home. We moved in on Sunday, a very hot day. It's just been getting hotter, too.
Nick has been very busy at work. He has left before the boys get up and we didn't pick him up until just before the boys went to bed last night. The kids are really missing him, so it will be an adjustment for us all.
I spent the day yesterday getting all utilities and services hooked up and even found the library. Water, sewer, and trash is done through the city of Selah, and you have to sign up in person at City Hall. If the boys hadn't been so well behaved, it could have been a real pain in the backside. But the boys were gems, and a big hit with women in the office. As I pulled up to City Hall, I saw that the library was right next door. So I went in and got a library card a a couple books for the boys. It was good day, getting things accomplished.
Nick spent the rest of the night setting up the computer. We had a bit of difficulty when every time he turned the computer on, it blew a fuse. Finally, I suggested we turn off the ceiling fan to see if that would help, and it did. So now, we can use the computer, but only if we turn off the fan. And since it is above roasting temps, we don't turn the computer on for very long at a time. In fact, I have been on it long enough.....Ethan is telling me that. He is tired of being in his bouncer and wants a chance to roam free.
So I will go for now. It is nice to be blogging again. I have lots of pictures from vacation that I will load on the computer over the next couple days and then I will post some on the blog.
Have a great day and enjoy the week.

Signing Off.......For Now

Tonight's the night. We have to load the car up to be shipped down to Seattle. Nick will drop it off in the morning, and then head out to Fairbanks for the week.

This is my last day with the computer until I get home. Then I will borrow my parents' until I move in to my new house, because I can't go over a month without my portal to the outside world. It will be hard enough lasting 17 days! Any communication with me from tomorrow on out will have to be by phone.

So, for now, I will bid you adieu, and pray that my blog will not be forgotten in the time that I am away from it. My last post from Alaska. Wow! I have included a blip from my very first blog....

"We have made it to Alaska. This is a period of major adjustments for me. This is the first time I have lived away from my family whom I draw great strength and support from. I miss them all terribly.
I miss them the most when Joey starts talking about "Help Nanny make house nigh-night" and "Aunt Aubrey, Jesse, Rina over soon", which of course means that Joey helped Nanny put the bounce house away and that he wants Aunt Aubrey and her kids to come over soon. Joey also spends much of his time talking about Papa Buddy and the big truck and Uncle Josh's tickling."

We sure have come a long way. It is hard to imagine how much Joey has grown in the time we have been away. Not to mention Nick's growth, and the added member of our family! We sure like to stay busy with the major life moments around here.

Before saying good-bye, I want to wish a Happy Father's Day to my husband, my dads, and all the other wonderful dads that I know. May God bless each and every one of you.

Farewell. Thank you for joining me on this journey. I can't wait to begin the next chapter in Washington. Look for more posts from me around the middle of July.

Ten Month Milestone

Ethan at 10 months old. He was literally shaking with excitement, knowing that he was going to be fed.

Nick at 10 months old. What a ham, even back then.

Joey, aka Chubba Bubba, at 10 months old. He was always such a joyful baby.

Photo Update-Ethan

Ethan is such a joy, but he has his serious moments. He's usually "serious" about keeping his pacifier.
I love those blue eyes!

And those chubby cheeks! We call him Chubbs. I guess that's as close to a nickname we have come up with for him. Not that it will stick for long.

Ethan loves his time a church. Here he is enjoying one of the toys we donated to the nursery.

Ethan loves anything "string"-like. String, cords, shoelaces, etc. You get the picture.

Ethan turned ten months old today. Or technically, yesterday. I will try to get ten-month comparison pictures up later. I can't believe that in two short months, not only will I be living in a new place only a few hours drive from home, my baby will be turning one year old. Within a two month period, I will have experienced a major move, my middle son turning three, my baby turning one, and my oldest having his first day of school. How much can a mama take at once?!?

Photo Update-Nick

Nick is thinking real hard. You can see the "pondering" finger against his temple.
I don't remember the reason, but Nick didn't get a nap. He couldn't quite make it till bedtime. First, he fell asleep on the floor while eating a peanut butter sandwich. (They were having a picnic.) I went upstairs to switch a load of laundry, and found that he had switched places. Apparently, he preferred to sleep upside down in my recliner.

I love this one, just for the fact that Nick is just so darn cute!

Nick was on "ant patrol." He would find the ants and watch closely to make sure they didn't try to "bug" him. At one time, he took a spade to them, whacking away at the poor things.

This is the face that makes it so difficult to discipline this child. Who could doubt the sincere innocence of this face. Don't believe it for a second!

Photo Update-Joey

Joey being a big "cheese." Nothing unusual about that.
Finding a new "toy." Foam! How exciting.

He who has the big stick in the champion!

Joey and Ms. Tina. Tina is determined to marry Joey. Joey told Tina that she could find her husband in the jungle, wearing black pants, blue shoes, and flat hair.

Joey on the slide in the nursery. Yes, he is too big, but I was feeding Ethan, and he was waiting for Children's Church to start.

Making Headway

At times, it doesn't seem like this place will ever get packed up. We are busy getting all the "obvious" things packed and placed in storage. What do I mean by "obvious?"

Well, we are leaving most of our belongings, including all furniture, up in Alaska, in storage, until we can come back up and get it. So that means, that we have to pack only the very barest of essentials in our van, and not pack is so full that you can't see out the windows. So, for everything that we are "obviously" leaving in storage, or "obviously" packing in our car, that is what we are packing up now. Storage gets packed in our storage unit....things for the car get placed in a corner of our garage.

The other mind-stressing obstacle is that we are shipping our car on the 29th of June, but don't leave until the 9th of July. So, anything that goes in our car can not be something that we absolutely have to have for the ten days we are still here. And, on the other hand....anything that we absolutely have to have while we are still here, has to either fit in our suitcases, or be placed in storage just before we leave. But, if we absolutely have to have it while we are here, than it is safe to say, we absolutely have to have it when we move....and not a few months down the road. So, I have to organize my thoughts enough to determine what, where, when, why, and how I should pack everything.

I know I'm not the brainiest person, and often my thoughts leave my head before making any kind of sense, however, it is even worse now. I have no ability to form a coherent or cohesive thought.

That being said, we are making headway. We have most of our "obviously" storage things packed and in storage, except for those things that we use on a daily basis. Our kitchen, for example, has a lot of things that can be put in storage now...but that means I have to be able to foresee whether or not I will need it in the time we have left or not.

Speaking of the time we have left, only 22 more days. We leave three weeks from tomorrow!! The count is on. Joey is wavering between wanting to move immediately, not waiting for three more weeks, and not moving at all. Thankfully, it's not up to him.

The boys are doing fairly well for the most part, but occasionally, they have trouble accepting the fact that their things are disappearing before their eyes. It will be even worse when we load the car for shipping, because we will have our TV, Wii, Playstation (which we use for watching movies), and computer in the car. What are we going to do with no entertainment at home (as all their toys are being packed up and stored a little at a time) and no car to go anywhere else! I think those ten days will be the hardest of my life, and the worst of them will be the last three.

We will have to rent a U-Haul on Sunday July 5th to move all our furniture to storage, since Nick will not be able to do it after work during the week. We will have to leave at least our mattresses so we have something to sleep on, but other than that, we will look like we are squatting on the property for those last few days. We check out of here on the 8th and will spend one night in a hotel before leaving in the morning for the airport.

Please pray for strength and sanity for me. I won't even have time to recuperate after we leave because we will jump right into my sister-in-law's wedding which Joey and Nick are ring bearers in, and then directly into a week long camping trip. Both of which I am beyond excited about....but I think that I will be in overload by the end.

I can't wait to be home to see everyone. Blessings to you all, and have a great night.

It's Official

I have less than a month left to remain in Alaska! We fly out for Seattle a month from yesterday. We will be out of our house a month from the day before yesterday.

The only thing hard for me is leaving the church. I love the church I go to, I love the women in the church. Besides my family, I have never met a more wonderful, loving, and godly group of women. Mama Joyce claims to be in denial about our departure and won't accept that we are leaving until we are gone. I'm going to miss Mama Joyce. She is an absolutely incredible woman of God. She has been a "surrogate grandma" for me while I lived so far away from mine.

I will miss Adam, Rachel and Tirzah. Rachel has been my closest friend since I've been up here. She and I trade off babysitting. She has always been so gracious and eager to help with the boys if there is somewhere I needed to be. I, in return, would watch Tirzah for her when she needed it. I always felt guilty for the unbalanced trade; she had to watch three extra kids for me; I only had to watch one extra kid for her. But the kids love playing with each other and have fun when we are together.

I will miss Gil and Rosi and their little Kaio. I have just recently been getting to know them more and I am very tempted to pack Kaio in my backpack on the plane just to force Gil and Rosi to move also! They are both so passionate about their faith, their relationship with Christ. They are a blessing to be around.

I will miss Mindy and her family, whom I was also just starting to get to know and enjoy. I will miss the Allens and the Kings as both of them are also leaving this summer, off to wherever the military takes them. I will miss Lenore and her heart for the children in the church. I will miss Tina, the women I went to college with. Tina was a special "welcome" gift from God, a direct connection to my past here in my present. I will miss Pastor and Alice.

And I will especially miss how everyone in the church adores my kids. Not that they don't adore all the kids, but there is nothing better for a mom than for her kids to be adored by people who are not required to adore them!

Well, I am supposed to be getting clothes for the boys so I can get them dressed, so I better get going. Hope everyone has a blessed day. And please pray for me today that I get more accomplished in the packing department.

Humming Bird

I saw a humming bird fly around my house the other day.
It wasn't the beautiful, colorful kind.
It was black.
It wasn't the nectar drinking kind.
It was the blood sucking kind.

These mosquitoes are HUGE!!!

Term In Purgatory

Most of you know by now, so I can safely post it on the blog; we are moving to Yakima, WA! Nick has been offered a position there, a bit of a step up, which can only help him advance in the company in the long run. The best part about it, we will only be about 3-4 hours away from home! We are very excited about this move, a little overwhelmed by the process, as we probably only have a month to get everything packed and ready. We are not sure yet when he will start in Yakima, but we are guessing end of June beginning of July. If we haven't moved before July 9th, we will leave on vacation as planned, and just not return to AK.

My time in purgatory is coming to an end!

Okay, so I'm exaggerating on the purgatory part. It has not been as bad as that. But I have missed being close to family as much as, if not more than, I imagined.

I hear the boys running crazy, so I better make this quick. Have a great week. Happy June 1st.