time is meant for sharing...

July 4th...

2011-07-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

it is my favorite holiday, i think! it makes me feel a wee romantic and a lot nostalgic because my man and i have been watching the fireworks from nearly the same location for 16 years. it also makes me wish i knew how to run a camera.

we love this land of liberty! happy 4th!

A preview of Em's 4th Birthday Carnival

2011-07-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

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

How lucky was I to have two photographer friends at Em's carnival? I am loving these pictures so much!!! So far I have 380 and they are all awesome! Thanks, girls! Carson deserves a sportsmanship award for wearing the clown costume. I am sorry about the water balloons, Carson. I had no idea that activity would take soooo long. ;) Happy Birthday, Emerson!

More pics to come. Maybe a video of spring and early summer? Between attempts at getting this home ready for the market, we've been having fun.

Andrea: This one of you and Eric made me giggle. I can hear your exclamation. :)

Pappy Pirthday Po Poo!

2011-06-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know how it happened but our girl is 4 today. I do know how she came to be, I just don't know how she came to be 4 so soon. Ryker informed us last night that in six years he will be 12, Emers will be 9 and Pipes will be 6. It stopped my heart cold. After today, I'm not going to think about six years from now. It's not good for my heart. On our way to Em's birthday breakfast, Ryker sang "Happy Birthday" 26 times. Each word in each version started with another letter of the alphabet. It was lovely.

I will do everything in my power to make sure four is good to you, baby doll!

Sarita and Troy

2011-06-20T23:05:00.001-07:00

It was amazing. It was hands down the most fun I've had at a wedding. If I hadn't already been holding back tears, I'd have told them how proud we are of them both during open mic. I'd have told them we love them more than words can say but I think they already know. I'd also have made sure everybody in attendance understood I have dibs on their first born. We can't wait to share in the rest of your story, sweet cousins!

2011-06-14T23:31:00.000-07:00

It was a privilege to celebrate Grandpa and Grandma's 60th wedding anniversary earlier this spring. One of my favorite childhood memories involves Grandpa wielding a wooden spoon and chasing Grandma around the island in their kitchen. She always tried to pretend she was annoyed by his antics but we knew better. I love it when my hubby swats my bottom and I know this memory has something to do with it. It's a sure sign of the kind of love that lasts, I say!

Have I mentioned how excited I am about my sweet cousins getting married and having babies? Considering the enormous number of cousins I have, I'll have babies to love on for a really long time. Yes!!! I'd planned to bring Kayden home with me and keep him forever but he didn't have a passport at the time.

Oh baby!

2011-05-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

I don't know how I'm ever going to stop having these things. It's those eyes...and the holding on for dear life. It is the sleep marks on the cheeks and the drool. The giggles. That sweet smell...it all gets to me man!

Easter

2011-05-04T17:41:00.000-07:00

Loved feasting and hunting eggs with some of our favorite kiddos. If you look closely at the one of Gabriel, you'll see he is holding one of the mantis nymphs Ryker hatched. Ryker fed a few of the nymphs to his lizard, Ali Al, and the rest he released. There were no fewer than 1000. Our neighborhood will be aphid and fruit fly free this season!

Just like his Dad!

2011-04-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

I felt a tap on my shoulder as I worked with a student in Ryker's class this week. A sweet girl wanted to share her writing project with me - A love letter intended for Ryker. It had been colored pink and cut in the shape of a heart. I told her it was very nice and watched as she found Ryker and gave it to him. He read it, giggled and put it on the table beside him. I heard her ask what he was going to do with it and he answered, "Nothing." The girl then told him he should collect all the notes she writes him. "I do." he replied with grin. "In the trash can."

If I didn't know how much he likes Libby, he'd have serious consequences for being mean! And when we talked about it later, Ryker assured me that Libby likes that he is so funny. Oh dear...this sounds very familiar...

kids these days!

2011-04-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

Emerson has figured out how to work the timer on Ryan's camera, among other things, and I pulled this self portrait off his camera. When Em grows up, she want to be Ryker. ;) She keeps me on my toes! Just recently, she helped me fix something and when we were finished I exclaimed, "See? That was a piece of cake!"

"No." Em corrected. "Piece of STEAK!"

true love!

2011-04-19T07:19:00.000-07:00

2011-04-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular opinion, we think Seattle's aquarium is just the right size. We've been told that it is a rare thing to see the usually shy giant octopus but we've seen her four times now. And this time she ate her sardines right in front of us - all pressed up against the glass. Awesome!

Party Games

2011-04-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

Everybody won a 100 Grand (the chocolate variety). Gabriel did the pinata in, more or less. I love the faces in the background of the last one. :)

2011-04-09T22:26:00.001-07:00

Ryker received a loft bed for his birthday. It arrived while he was in Palm Springs and he was tucked into it within minutes of arriving home. When I checked on him at 1:30 AM, he was wide awake - too excited to sleep, he said. I think it will fit one more child. Don't you think? :)

We kicked off spring break with a birthday celebration. Seven! Sniff. Sniff. Ryker long ago requested a Minute-To-Win-It party and so it was. More birthday and spring break pics to come.

70 years

2011-03-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the day and it's a really big deal! We appreciate Grandpa Jack and Grandma Blanche's committment to each other and their family for 70 years. We wish them a happy anniversary. And we hope to be so lucky...

2011-03-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

This peace and quiet is freaking me out a little, Mom!

4:30 AM

2011-03-30T00:02:00.001-07:00

...and still smiling! We said goodbye to the kiddos as they headed to Palm Springs where they have been enjoying the sun with grandparents, uncles and cousins. We miss them! As I signed Ryker out of school last week (he'll return for just one day before spring break), I tried to excuse myself but ended up admitting that I'm a lame mom and begging forgiveness instead. "No, Mom." Ryker assured me. "You're actually pretty cool." :)

2011-02-21T09:06:00.000-08:00

Both children love Piper equally, but where Em has been extremely helpful Ryker has been, well, not so helpful. He does like to inform me when Pipes is hungry though. "Mom!" he'll yell. "It's time to milk your baby!"

Em likes to talk about the time when she will have her own baby. And because Ryan has already determined that neither of his girls will date before they're 25, I tell her it will be a long time from now. And only after Mommy picks a man for her to marry! "You mean my prince." she says.

Piper just smiles. Move over, Sis. There's another princess in this house.

2011-02-18T11:08:00.000-08:00

In an effort to get in shape for a couple of upcoming ski days, we hiked Badger. Ryker's friend, Cavan, joined us and we are really proud of them both. They kept good attitudes the whole way up. And I was terrified that they were going to careen over a cliff edge on the way down. The highlight of our adventure was when Cavan thoughtfully shared his skittles with us. And if you think Cavan and Ryker let even one skittle go to waste, you'd be wrong. Dirt just adds minerals to a nutritive snack. :)

heart day

2011-02-15T17:22:00.000-08:00

The kids helped with setting the table and dipping strawberries for Daddy's Valentine's Day dinner. He wanted tacos but, for the life of me, I couldn't come up with a way to make tacos sexy. Tacos just don't go with sparkling grape juice, candle light and strawberries. It must have been a good meal though - Ryan fell asleep long before Baby Piper. ;) The kiddos owe Grandparents and Greats big thankful hugs for all the Valentine goodies!

Laura Ring Photography

2011-02-14T10:52:00.000-08:00

I've determined that it is impossible to get a good picture of three children, especially when one is a 6 year old boy. A house heated to 85 degrees didn't help, I suppose, but we couldn't have a goose-pimply naked newborn. Thanks, Laura! (Find her on facebook!) More pictures of Piper coming soon. She doesn't look anything like this anymore. Sob!

a hazard of learning to read...

2011-02-03T14:26:00.001-08:00

Emerson is convinced that the bubble bath is actually lotion and it is not doing her skin any favors. I try to tell her otherwise, that it is actually bubble bath. She looks really close at the label and says, "Nope. Because there isn't any f." When I inquire as to what that means, I get a scowl. And with all the attitude a three and a half year old can muster, she says "bubble bafffffffff." I'm such an idiot. :):):)

old news...

2011-01-05T15:18:00.001-08:00

Piper Elly
born 12.17.10
7lbs 3oz and 20 inches
of preciousness!

We love her so much!!!

2011-01-05T14:24:00.000-08:00

The holidays were lovely and we are glad so much of our family was able to meet Piper Elly. I did another pathetic job of documenting the holiday. I had forgotten how many hours of each day are spent feeding a newborn! We enjoyed Christmas Eve at Doug and Jill's home - Santa had all kinds of room to land his sleigh and delighted seven of the eight kiddos in attendance with gifts. Ryker was pretty disgusted that Santa hadn't gotten the memo regarding Piper's birth and as a result, Santa had to do some scrambling to make sure there were a few gifts in Piper's stocking the following morning. Thank goodness for instant messaging! Christmas morning we cozied up in our home and later, Marlene whipped up a delicious Christmas supper. We enjoyed visitors from the Schimdt, Thompson, Tippett, VanBatavia, VanNortwick, Hewitt and Good families - all had to travel and we love them for it! Before we knew it, we were ringing in the New Year (sometime around 10 o'clock). Best wishes to all for 2011!

I have oodles of pictures of family loving on Piper and not much else. Ah well - she will look at her baby book and know that she was loved from the very beginning!

I love the last picture of Emerson - she was sad to learn her cousins from Dallas would be boarding an airplane and flying home to Dallas the following day. Campbell and Caroline are really special to us all!

Cake and Apple Cup

2010-12-06T20:52:00.000-08:00

Ryker and Emerson worked hard to prepare for Ryan's Birthday by wrapping gifts, making cards and decorating a cake with 33 candles. When Ryan interrupted the wrapping process, Em informed him that her gift (a Cougar jacket) was a secret. "It is NOT a coat!" she added for emphasis. Unfortunately our Cougs were not able to eek out a victory over those dawgs but they did make a pretty good game out of it. And we didn't need another reason to celebrate anyway. Happy Birthday, Love!

So very thankful!

2010-12-02T10:52:00.000-08:00

We spent a memorable Thanksgiving in Mt.Vernon with the entire VanBatavia Family. Why didn't I think to take a complete family picture??? Arg!!! I always enjoy our kids' conversation after holidays and vacations. Ryker's favorite parts of Thanksgiving included playing Balderdash with the grownups and decorating Auntie Sue's Christmas tree (Thanks Cousin Ricky and Sara, for your patience!). Em's "best" parts were petting Tilly and playing with Cousin Amy. Cousin Amy wears purple tennis shoes and won Em's heart immediately for that and many other reasons. We are thankful for Uncle Mike and Aunt Sue, who opened their home to the whole rowdy bunch. We're thankful for our country, warts and all. We're thankful for fellowship, family, friends, love, babies...

We hope yours was happy!

Celebrating Dad's 60TH

2010-12-02T09:06:00.000-08:00

In preparation for Dad's birthday celebration, Joe and Michelle spent the afternoon making the largest quantity of spaghetti I've ever seen. It was amazing! The grand kids provided tremendous help opening gifts. Dad was deeply moved by the compassion and generosity of his family, many of whom contributed money in order to donate a heifer and chickens to third world families in his honor. If you haven't already checked out Heifer International, do it now! We also enjoyed a home video in celebration of Dad's 60 years before engaging in a rowdy game of Fear Factor/Minute to Win It. Happy Meal puree and caramel onions anyone??? If laughter is an indication, everyone had a great time. Happy Birthday, Dad!

the naming game

2010-11-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

Naming baby number three is proving difficult but oh-so-much FUN. Ryker and Emerson have all kinds of suggestions. Ryker is rooting for Raptor (my personal favorite) but he also likes Ryder, Ripper, Rocker and Biker. All coordinate so nicely with his name and no, the possibility of a girl baby doesn't occur to him often. Emerson is much more pragmatic. For a girl it is Sophie and for a boy? Sophie-Boy. What else?

Because we're struggling, we've also appreciated suggestions from family and friends. Unfortunately, Ryan and I are still worlds apart but please keep them coming! And meanwhile, I've had fun passing on my favorites (Ryan's rejects) to the passel of pregnant women we know at this time. Sincerely hope everyone is enjoying the season. We are!

TOO MUCH HALLOWEEN

2010-11-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

Once again, Teresa worked like a crazy woman, preparing for a harvest party. She is the most energetic, hardworking Momma I know and I love her! Getting all the kiddos together in one place for a photo was a challenge. If they look disgusted it's because they were. We enjoyed dinner, games, storytime, pumpkin carving and trunk-or-treating. A big thanks to everyone who helped and most of all to Tee. She makes things happen!

There was more trunk-or-treating at Ryker's school carnival. I couldn't get Ryker and Brian to slow down long enough for a decent photo but caught this one as they climbed out of the cardboard maze for the 100th time. Thanks again to Grandma Marlene, for cute kid costumes. Princess Emerson was pleased as punch and though I didn't get a picture of Ryker with his "face" on, he was pretty proud of his Batman costume.

After all that Halloween, we felt a lot like this Jack-o-Lantern and it wasn't hard to convince the kids to pass up trick-or-treating. Instead we made milkshakes and popcorn, turned off all the lights and watched How To Train Your Dragon. It's a good thing because this pregnant Mama didn't need more chocolate!

2010-10-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Cousin Christi who recently wrapped up her reign as Queen of the Lewiston Roundup. She did great and we really enjoyed getting to be there! Another congratulations to Grandpa and Grandma Tippett who were selected as Grand Marshalls of the Roundup. I have many blurred photos of Christi busting out and racing around the arena and more of Jack and Blanche in their carriage. If you look really close at the picture of the screen, you may see royalty on their way out. I definitely need to work on my skills. And once again, a shout out to Cousin Jenna, who takes such great care of the kids. Em loves you and so do I! :)

Happy Harvest!

2010-10-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

The man of this house carves the very best jack-o-lanterns ever! And because they are quickly rotting with our warm fall weather, he'll probably get another opportunity this year. Ryker and I have already finished off the roasted seeds and we're not shedding any tears over rotting pumpkins. Hope your harvest season is full.

Scotty and Tiffany

2010-10-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

Our hiring a babysitter is a rare occasion and our kids get pretty excited at the prospect. However, when Ryker learned we were attending a book launch, he felt abandoned. "Why can't I go with you?" he asked. "Launching books sounds fun to me!" Once we explained that we would not be slinging books at targets, staying with the sitter suited him fine. If you haven't bought Captain Scotty Smiley's book, Hope Unseen, you should. It is the story of the U.S. Army's first blind active-duty officer and his Spartan Wife. Remember, Spartan soldiers were chosen for battle based on the strength of their wives as much as their own...

Appropriate, no?

2010-09-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

Stevenson, WA

2010-09-02T16:44:00.000-07:00

We had a great time celebrating our 10 year with Brady and Shannon, also married 10 years. In fact, they were honeymooning in Hawaii and missed our wedding entirely. Inconsiderate of them, don't you think? ;) We love exploring the Columbia Gorge and have determined there is no end to it. Can't wait to hike some of the hills surrounding this area next summer with Baby in a front pack. Skamania Lodge was nice but a little proud, if you ask me. We've decided we're going to encourage our kids in kite boarding because it is so much fun to watch and must be safer than football. Right? And while Natalie Merchant's concert was just okay, it would be impossible not to love this venue. We'll be attending more concerts at Maryhill! Thanks, Love!

2010-08-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

Our kids had a great time exploring Silverwood and Boulder Creek with their cousins when they came to celebrate T&M's anniversary. As evident in one of the photos, Ryan and Todd had way too much fun soaking the boys (Ryker mostly) on bumper boats. And it was not a fair fight. The boats were not equip with guns that could even come close to competing with those on the docks. The kids get major props for good sportsmanship, if you ask me. :) Fun times!

2010-08-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

Some pics from our week with the Texans, exploring Walla Walla. Ryker was thrilled to have a four-night sleepover with cousin Gabe. We think he's pretty awesome. And an enormous debt is owed to Cousin Jenna! We begged her to stay with us for a couple of nights and then put her to work the moment she arrived. Literally. Thanks, Jenna!!!

2010-08-29T13:57:00.000-07:00

Because we love our nieces, had yet to celebrate a birthday with them and because their trip to Washington landed right between Campbell's seventh and Caroline's fourth birthday, we had a little princess celebration. Happy Birthday girls. We love you!

2010-08-27T12:11:00.000-07:00

My home is no longer a dead zone. I have regained access to the Internet on both my computer and my phone but I'm not sure I'm happy about it. In fact, were I not trying to run a small business here, I would have been mighty tempted to stay dead. As much as I ordinarily enjoy browsing, checking in on my blogger friends and being "connected", I really really really enjoyed these past couple of weeks! And SURPRISE! I do remember how to talk on the phone - as in have a real Hi. How've you been? Let's catch up. conversation. And now I'm determined to have more of these.

Something else I've enjoyed this month has been the privilege of spending time with family and friends. We celebrated Tim and Marlene's fortieth anniversary on August one. A big thanks to all who shared in the celebration, to Don and Sandy for opening their home, to Donna for working her decorating magic and to the Knights of Columbus for a BBQ that was out of this world. And an even bigger thanks to Tim and Marlene for making their marriage work for 40 years. We love you all!

More posts to come!

10 years

2010-08-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

10 years ago, I married my best friend. I know, it's so cliche! I vowed to love, honor, cherish and obey him. I think I choked a little on that last bit. ;) These vows haven't been hard to keep but I'll have to get back to you on whether he thinks I've done well. Between dishing up a little something for breakfast and dishing up a little something for breakfast, I forgot to inquire. The 2000 photo in the collage below is pretty obvious. The others may be more obscure.

I still love you, Baby! And just as soon as we return from the lake, I'm going to dig up a picture from one of our first dates circa 1994. Think braces, pimples, Ropers, Wranglers and a "Hey, cowgirl! Wanna get lucky?" baseball cap. :)

2010-08-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

Today, my girl told me about a dream she'd had. There was a mean cougar in it and this cougar wanted to bite her.

"That sounds really scary!" I said.

"It wasn't." she replied. "I turned the cougar into a beautiful butterfly."

- Just one of many little lessons I learned from my children today. :)

Like I said, sugar and spice!

2010-07-26T00:03:00.000-07:00

These days, Emerson has taken to cuddling my bump. She likes to kiss the bump, pet the bump, talk to the bump and rest her head on the bump. I asked her if she can tell that my tummy is growing. "Ya." she replied and then added (much to Ryan's delight), "So is your bum."

2010-07-24T17:09:00.001-07:00

boys

2010-07-20T17:01:00.001-07:00

I wasn't present during this particular conversation between Ryker and his favorite buddy but I'm glad my friend shared it with me. Everytime it comes to mind, I laugh out loud. You know how boys are - he and his pal were attempting to best each other and near as I can tell, Ryker was getting desperate because he brought out the big guns. "Oh yeah?" he said. "Well, my grandma can sew better than yours!" :)

City Slickers!

2010-07-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

I'm ashamed to say that I've raised a couple of city kids. Ryker and Em would rather hold lizards, pet snakes and play with cockroaches than get anywhere near a cow - or calf, for that matter. We recently took a field trip to what was once the Vanbatavia Dairy. Current owners have yet to remove the sign in the parlor with our name on it. It was difficult to convince Ryker to pet a calf and I doubt he will again. Ryan may have to give up the idea of Ryker showing steers at the fair and resign himself to raising rabbits. :) And after about five minutes, Em decided she could see everything she wanted from the back seat of our Yukon. She loves her western boots but sure ain't no cowgirl!

2010-07-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

Ryan enjoyed a weekend in Alaska, fishing with his father and family friends (I stole these pics from fb - don't tell!) He would like to claim that beastly halibut but thankfully, the fish he caught were MUCH smaller. I can only do so much fish. That said, we enjoyed delicious halibut tacos last night. And I mean DELICIOUS! Ryan requested that I make them at the lake and that's saying something because only his favorite meals make The Lake Menu. :)

Hello, Gambia!

2010-07-13T09:51:00.000-07:00

Someone in Gambia peeked at this blog. Being that it is a small country in Western Africa, I have to assume it was either Laura, Jill, Megan or Cara. Love you girlies!!! After a few minutes browsing the internet and learning a little about Gambia, I came to the conclusion that I really want to be there right now! :) Hope that as I type, you're all lounging on this little beach or off on a really exciting adventure. HUGS!!!

2010-07-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Yard Sale Benefit went great! Friday was crazy busy. Saturday started out slow. You've heard of political sign wars, I'm sure. Apparently there are also yard sale sign wars and because we're a little naive, it took us the better part of two hours to figure out that someone had kicked our signs over. They had hefty rocks in them and there is just no way the wind knocked them over. We sent Case out to investigate and before he'd even returned from righting our signs, cars were streaming in. It was all made okay when a man and his wife offered to haul all remaining items away. Perfect! Thanks so much for everyone's help and donations! And to those who donated so generously at the kids' lemonade stand. Perhaps their success was due less to generousity and more to Ryker taking the bills and saying, "Thanks. We don't do change." :) I doubt it though. Everyone I saw left with a smile on.

I love this land...

2010-07-09T21:15:00.000-07:00

no doubt about it! hope your 4th was happy.

Seattle Rock-n-Roll

2010-07-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

Some pics from our race on June, 26. Ryker keeps asking who won and I keep telling him I did. "No. Seriously, Mom!" He rolls his eyes and asks again, "Who won?" We had fun! This season alone, our Team In Training chapter (WA/AK) raised $640,000 for blood cancer research. And I heard rumored that The American Cancer Society makes over 1 million on an event of this size. We'll wrap up our first (but not last) experience with TNT this weekend with our Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Yard Sale Benefit. Big thank you "hugs" will be posted and mailed shortly thereafter. Thanks for all your help!

This last one was taken by teammate, Denise, at the victory party hosted by TNT. Just looking at it makes my knees ache and nose tingle from the scent of Icy Hot. I suppose it qualifies as our "after" photograph. You may or may not remember the "before" pic I posted. It is a mystery to me how the fat migrated up my thighs and found a comfortable resting place on my abdomen. :)

2010-07-08T11:09:00.001-07:00

Early this spring, Ryker arrived at his first baseball practice and asked Coach Mike which hand he should put his mitten on. Considering his starting point, Ryker was indisputably the most improved player. :)

Em and Clay

2010-07-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Cavan, our neighbor, and Ryker played baseball together. Clay is Cavan's younger brother. We like Clay. We like Clay a lot! However, we are concerned about his attraction to our daughter. It is a good thing Ryan was coaching first base on this occasion and it is a good thing baseball season is over. Things were getting pretty steamy. :)

So last things first

2010-07-02T10:07:00.001-07:00

...or first things last. whatever. there is no particular order to this series of posts. i'm posting em's birthday pics first because my friend takes great pics and i love them. so pink! em recently decided pink is no longer her favorite color but when pressed to come up with a new favorite color she hesitated before settling on, what else? light pink! princess emerson in all her pink glory...

Three Things I Love About My Daughter

2010-06-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

Cousin Jenna (loved seeing you, girl!) made it clear that it would be SO WRONG not to list three things I love about my little Emerson. She turned three last week and I do plan on posting pics of her cute little princess party. But here is the thing - I simply can't narrow down the things I love about Em to just three. Six was hard enough. So please know, I love many many more things about my baby girl!

One
She is sugar AND spice AND everything nice. Truly.
Two
She gives the very best kisses.
Three
When her skinny arms are wrapped around my neck, all is well with the world.

I love you, sweet girl!

Ivan

2010-06-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

Wyker, who's the guy that's workin' on the railroad?
His name is Ivan, Em.
And who's the boy who blows the horn?
Dino.
Yah. That's right.

I'll take your money...and run!

2010-06-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

...or walk. Maybe even crawl. This baby has changed a few things (contrary to some expert opinion, running does not help pregnancy induced nausea) but not the important ones! I am going to finish this race (click to learn more) one way or another. And we are still fundraising for an excellent cause. I committed to raising $2500 to fund blood cancer research and thanks to family and friends, I'm almost there. This coming weekend, I have organized a neighborhood yard sale to benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Many generous friends have already donated items to be sold but our driveway is huge and I have room for several more tables. So if you've done some spring cleaning or are in need of doing a little summer cleaning, I'd love to turn your gently used items into money I can run with. ;) So call, txt, email, or face book me. I'll buzz right over and pick up your stuff. How easy is that?!! And if you'd like to make a cash donation to LLS, please click on the TEAM logo on the side of this post and it will take you directly to my secure fundraising web page. It is quick, easy, and can be anonymous if you wish. Don't forget to print a reciept. THANKS SO MUCH!!!

Yard Sale on Saturday the 19th at 7:00. Early birds welcome!!!

Clarkston

2010-05-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

This spring, Todd and Caroline made a short visit to the Grandparents in Clarkston. It seemed like a good opportunity to test out the new camper. Emerson was thrilled to share her bunk with her cousin, whom she thinks is the greatest thing since, well... bubble bath. Aside from the challenge of trying to hide pregnancy induced nausea(unsuccessfully, I'm told), we had a really good time. Thanks all!

Dinosaurs and Easter Eggs

2010-05-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Ryker's 6th Birthday and Easter at one of Ryker's favorite places - Gabriel's house. He wanted a dinosaur party and because dinosaurs and Easter eggs go together and because we already had plans for Sunday lunch and because it would save me a ton of work, I coerced our friends into having both simultaneously. That was after I'd bullied them into having our egg hunt on their sprawling property in the first place. Talk about taking advantage! My photographer was preoccupied and I had to make due with my own photography skills. I guess she was busy hosting. :)

And if anyone wants tips regarding paper mache pinatas, I have one...don't bother!!! Unless, of course, you have hours of excess time and peeling glue from hardwood flooring makes you happy.

Oh baby!

2010-05-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

We fell in love again today, as we watched our baby's heart beating. This untimely but very welcome addition to our family is due the 22nd of December. I thought the news of a baby sister or brother would be enough to talk the kids out of a pet (they've been begging for months) but no such luck. And at dinner this evening, Ryker informed our friends that he wanted a new sister. "Another sister would be really nice!" they agreed. "Not another sister!" he corrected. "A new sister." Needless to say, Ryker is hoping for a boy. Em is not particular regarding gender, so long as the baby likes pink. They both are going to be a big help come December! They both are going to be a big help... If I say it over and over maybe it will be true!?! In just a few weeks, I hope to wake up free of nausea, energized and motivated. Maybe then I'll post some pics of our latest adventures. For now, serving my family something other than cold cereal is enough of an adventure for me.

PS. I totally see Ryan in this pic. At first I thought it was Elmer Fudd but he and I haven't been intimate.

PSS. To Fred and Carol, Instead of receiving a check for the use of your lovely condo 10 short weeks ago, you can now expect a bill. :) :)

Six Things I love About My Son

2010-04-04T05:56:00.000-07:00

one
he tells me he loves me at least once a day
two
he reminds me of his daddy in so many ways
three
he orders his cheeseburgers "with meat"
four
he investigates everything
five
he says the funniest things
six
he makes my heart sing

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Cali

2010-04-01T21:27:00.001-07:00

Almost everything about our trip to California was awesome (we could have done without the tire slashing). Again, I loved La Jolla most. There is nothing like playing on a little beach, no more than 100 yards in length and accessible only by steps cut into the cliff wall, and having a family of seals meander up to sunbathe along side you. Em and I spent a long time observing the seals.

Ryker most enjoyed the stunt/comedy show at Knott's Berry Farm. In fact, his attempt to repeat the one-liners nearly drove us insane. I didn't get a chance to ask him, but I bet Jaden's favorite was the log ride at Knott's Berry. He talked Case and Ryker into it 7 times total. Cousin Jaden made our trip extra special! I love the over-the-shoulder pic I snapped of Case and Ryker during the last drop.

Em loved everything about Sea World, even though she was too short for the Raging River. Shamu's show was strangely anticlimactic. For some reason they cut all the best parts - like trainers swimming with killer whales!?!

Everybody loved swimming in the resort pools.

Thursday nights in Palm Springs are a big deal! Grandpa and Grandma make early reservations at the Pizza Kitchen in order to dine on the patio while watching a street fair take shape. The street fair in Palm Springs is not to be described. You just have to experience it.

Ryan especially liked helping the kiddos into their pjs in the early evening before taking me out to dinner and having Fred and Carol's lovely condo all to ourselves. No pictures of that! ;) Thanks a bunch you two. Big hugs!!!

St. Patty's Day Race

2010-03-14T14:59:00.001-07:00

No matter how hard I train and how hardly Ryan trains, he will never let me beat him. I'm convinced he has some kind of homing device planted in my shoe that signals when I'm getting near. Just when I'm sure I'll catch him, he takes off (fueled by stubborn pride, I assume). We both finished this weekend's 10K race under 60 minutes, which was our goal. But barely, as evident in the pictures. I was happy to have ran the whole way but need to shave a half minute off my current pace of 9.5 min/mi in order to finish Seattle's Rock-n-Roll 1/2 marathon in under 2 hours.

We are especially proud of Ryker, who entered his first race and ran his first mile. The United Way Leprechaun Dash is for ages 5-15 and so Ryker was not expecting to win. He ran most of the way, however, and was proud to have finished. Ryker thinks "smoking" Uncle Case was better than taking first place anyway. :) Ungrateful little bugger, I'd say, considering Uncle Case volunteered to coach him the whole way.

there's this blog i love

2010-03-08T16:58:00.000-08:00

a couple of years ago, around the time i started this blog, i ran across ree drummond of the pioneer woman's blog. you know, it was on a friend of a friend of a friends blog roll. i've been reading her ever since and aspire to keep the hubs and kids deliriously happy with good home cooking as ree does. i aspire to take beautiful pictures as ree does. however, i do not aspire to sing as ree does. i especially enjoyed ree's "confession" today. i love her particular brand of narcissism, she makes me laugh and well, i love cowboy colloquialisms. farmers use them too. dairy farmers especially. in fact, by the time i was 16, i'd been told i was useless as tits on a boar hog so many times that on my birthday, i drove myself down to the local ranch store and applied for a job, never to work on the farm again. i showed 'em a thing or two! (translation: they were glad to be rid of me.)

check her out, if you haven't already (she only has some several million viewers). who knows, you might find yourself making this for dinner tonight. take it from someone who would NEVER order a burger - they're divine!

2010-03-07T14:31:00.001-08:00

We like Silver Mountain. We also like that it is only a one hour drive from my Dad's home in Spokane. The three kiddos insisted that they sleep on the "bridge" to the billiard's loft. When we took a quick break from Pinochle to dish up some ice cream, I noticed three pairs of eyes glaring at us.

"That's not fair!" Ryker complained.

"Yah. You have ice cream and we don't." Em agreed.

And so we promised them ice cream with their breakfast cereal. So sorry, Gabriel! It'd have been way more fun if you liked ice cream!

The gondola ride from the village to the mountain was fun. From the window, Ryan and I spotted a bobcat just strolling down a dirt road.

The best feature of this hill is the magic carpet. And because the bunny hill is on one side and the tubing chutes on the other, we were able to spend the day together. Em had a ball tubing, building snowman families and catching an occasional board down the hill from Uncle Case. Admittedly, the boys had more fun tubing than boarding but we were really proud of them both. Learning to board is hard work! And they didn't whine nearly as much as the teenage girl working with a private coach. Nor did they shed as many tears. By the last couple of runs, they were even using their edges and carving a bit. Ryker and Gabriel are going to be tearing it up by this time next season!

recent dinner table conversation...

2010-02-24T12:29:00.000-08:00

Ryker shared his theories as to why Daddy is bald:

1) He shaved his head so much that his hair just gave up.

2) He didn't get in the shower often enough for his hair to have the water it needed
to grow.

3) He didn't get in the shower often enough and the awful smell made the hair weak.
Eventually it just died.

About this time, Daddy told Ryker to stop thinking so hard and use his mouth for eating. :) I thought they were all good theories.

Eventually the conversation picked up again and somehow, Ryker thought it appropriate to use the word penis. And it was perfectly appropriate to use the word penis but because it isn't the word we use around here, I was curious as to where he'd picked it up. It went something like this...

Where did you learn to use that word, Ryker?

At school.

Really? I asked, assuming it was on the playground.

Yeah. He replied. The teacher said, "Hey Class!" We were studying the letter P.

Really?

Yeah. We were circling all the things in the picture that started with the letter P.

Really.

No. Grandma was talking on the phone to Nurse Christy and I learned it.

Ah.

Yeah. A man stuck a Q-tip in his penis and it was the size of a "trofical" fruit.

One of the hazards of having a grandmother who works for a urologist, I guess. As soon as I stopped laughing, I called Grandma.

rAndOm

2010-02-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

Ryker noticed that Alvin's "Squeakquel" is no longer in the theater and is convinced that he can rent it at Blockbuster by now. After all, the two are less than 100 yards apart and it can't take very long to run the movie over. :)

Em talks non-stop about traveling to Palm Springs in March. It is in Mexico. And Mexico has a beach and "picy" Cheetos. California is also in Mexico, in case you were wondering. She is sad that Caroline won't be there and is only somewhat consoled because Jaden will be. As far as Em is concerned, Caroline is all that and a bag of "picy" Cheetos! Ryker is planning all sorts of activities that include Jaden and exclude Em. I think he is grossly underestimating his lil'sis.

Ryan has been five days gone and two days home since Jan. It stinks. He is missed. Even on the road, Ryan is working to maintain a running schedule and is still totally game to go for our early morning Saturday runs with the TEAM, which is consistently running five miles now. He can't wait to meet up with his family in Palm Springs for a little fun in the sun and a couple of date nights at Blue Coyote. It can't come soon enough!

Kristi is keeping crazy busy so as to miss her man less. It works. A little. :( I log a lot of miles, on foot and behind the wheel. I'm still teaching Skylar every morning and after 5 years together, often feel like I have a teenage daughter. Love her! I especially love volunteer teaching at Ryker's school. Wish I could teach more and am thinking about ways to make that happen without "stepping on toes". Wanting to plug The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and their great cause again. CANCER RESEARCH, friends. Think about it!!! Just click on the TEAM logo to the right of this post and it will take you to my fund raising page. It is a piece of cake to make a donation there. Please do. A *BIG* thanks to Grandma Marilyn, Grandpa and Grandma Tim and Amanda for supporting the cause by babysitting our kiddos while we run. Love you lots!

First timers...

2010-02-16T19:08:00.000-08:00

They did GREAT! I can assure you, learning is much easier at 5 and 7 than at 18. It was as if the snow was rubber. These boys bounced right off it. I am proud of them both!!! Schwietzer Mt. (awesome bunny hill)...here we come! And if the sound comes through on these vidoes, pls ignore the obnoxious cheerleading mom. She just showed up and started yelling at my kids. An otherwise nice lady tho. ;)

*videos to come*

Like pink matches purple...

2010-02-14T20:34:00.000-08:00

Which color clips would you like to wear in your hair today, Em?

Ummmm...yellow.

Yellow doesn't match very well.

Ya it does. Yellow matches orange.

No. It doesn't really.

Ya it does. Yellow matches orange like pink matches purple.

A Good Cause

2010-02-06T17:23:00.000-08:00

I'm off and running. A race, that is. And I'm in love again! With ACDC, my favorite running companions. Sorry honey. Ryan and I decided it was time to stop talking about running a marathon (just a half for us first timers) and actually get 'er done. With hopeful intentions to expand our family once again, it was sort of now or...much later. :) We enjoy running but thought it might be even more enjoyable to run for a cause. We didn't have to look far and as soon as we found TEAM IN TRAINING, we knew it fit. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and has raised, to date, $680 million dollars for research and patient care. Our family is no stranger to cancer but watching Ryker's young friend, Tyler, battle leukemia made us want to participate in an organization that has directly contributed to many breakthrough cancer treatments. In 1960, the five-year survival rate for children with the most common form of leukemia was just 4%. Today it is 85% and are we EVER thankful for that! In addition to completing our goal of running 13.1 miles at Seattle's Rock'n'Roll Marathon on June 26, I've also committed to raising $2500 in charitable donations for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by March 15th. We are so excited about this cause that we've come to consider greeting the damp cold morning at 6:45 each Saturday as a privilege. There are so many good causes and I can't begin to tell you that this one is better than the next. So I simply ask that if you have a little money to give to this great cause, please do!!! At some point in time, cancer will touch us all. It'll take just a minute to visit my TNT WEBPAGE and make your donation there. I'd love to take your money...and run! Tee hee.

2010-01-26T16:32:00.000-08:00

Em woke earlier than the norm this morning and Ryker was happy to wrap her up in blankets and cuddle her as she so likes to do upon waking. I continued to help my student with her studies until I heard Ryker and Em in the bathroom. "Great job, Em." Ryker exclaimed. "You're such a big girl. Brother is proud of you!" He was helping his sis go to the potty. We're exactly two weeks into this program and still on a bit of a learning curve. I sat quietly at the top of the stairs and watched as he proceeded to help her wash hands and then attempted to clip her unruly hair away from her face. Em waited patiently while Ryker fumbled with her hair. Before returning to my work, I gave my sweet son a hug and told him I think he is the best kid ever. Oblivious, he asked, "How come, Mom?". I love my babies!

On another note, I am appreciating email updates regarding our friends in Haiti. It is good to see progress being made towards repairing homes and grounds, to see smiling faces and to know that much needed medical treatment is becoming more available. Melanie is safe, in good company and has returned to teaching. I envy her the privilege of providing these desperate kiddos with something so simple and yet so valuable - normalcy. Among my favorite pictures are several of women throughout the city of Port-au-Prince wielding straw brooms and sweeping rubble. A beautiful picture of human resiliency and hope, if you ask me. Hugs and love!

2010-01-14T16:55:00.001-08:00

The citizens of Haiti have been on my mind. God's servants and saints there, our friend Melanie Rumble and all those affected by this tragedy have been on my mind. May this tragedy open hearts in Haiti. And hearts here as well!

love.ly.

2010-01-10T15:44:00.000-08:00

If there was ever a reason to have a guest room, it would be so your guests would not have to lay their heads next to the booger wall. I've been told that my child is not unique in this - that many mothers (in this case, father) are required to clean boogers from the wall next to a child's bed but this knowlege makes me feel no better. Today Ryker informed me that those were not his boogers. They were Em's and he knows for sure because he doesn't wipe his on the wall. He eats them!

It's so fitting that I have a child who eats boogers because I have a booger phobia. It's really real! In fact, every student I've ever had the privilege of teaching knows I have one basic rule: If you must pick your boogers, eat them. Papers with anything remotely resembling boogers on them, will not be graded.

Only one parent ever objected. In fact, I'm pretty sure she asked if I'd tell my own child to eat his boogers. And I'm sure I said yes. I feel really bad now about lying then. :) Though I am on the fence regarding which is worse - the one who wipes boogers on the wall or the one who eats them???

Santa Claus came to town!

2010-01-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

Santa was somewhat discombobulated this year. We're so glad he came but presents were strewn all about the yard and he was really sweaty and all out of breath. It was also bit strange when Santa began to behave inappropriately while hugging Uncle Terry. Ryker was quick to declare it the reason he hasn't and won't hug Santa Claus. Thanks Santa. Thanks a lot.

Somehow Uncle Ron missed the whole show. It was sweet of Santa to leave him a gift anyway. Uncle Ron, despite all his faults (name calling, cheating, general disorderliness), is still my favorite uncle. :) Em thinks he's pretty special too! Or maybe it's just the kitty.

Christmas Supper...

2010-01-08T09:51:00.000-08:00

It was lovely. Thank you, Dan and Carol, for offering your home! Everyone contributed and everything was delightful!

I'm proud of my cousins. They're all really cool kids. But I'm feeling more like an Auntie these days and a wee tired of all the jabs regarding my age. Kinda hurts my feelings (and pains my joints too). I envy their closeness. I hope they know how lucky they are to have each other. Do you hear me guys? YOU LUCKY DOGS YOU!!! A handful of the girls are off to South Africa for several months. They've already traveled to Australia and all around South America together. I'm living vicariously and love it. A very merry Christmas!

2010-01-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

Gary is top of my list of favorite Uncles. It has nothing to do with character though and everything to do with my coffee addiction. Uncle Gar makes a mean latte and would you believe that he hand delivered one to me six mornings in a row? The last one tasted a little funny though. I think we'd outstayed our welcome. :)

The espresso line was getting pretty long. For the love of coffee, someone please get Uncle Gary a tip jar!

Speaking of mornings, this particular morning Carly and Ryker were mysteriously absent. In fact, they were nowhere to be found. They'd decided it would be a good morning for a soak in the hot tub. And if Carly says it's okay, there is no reason at all to consult Mom!

Christmas Eve and morn...

2010-01-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas Eve. Carly and Ashley made sure Ryker and Em were included in setting out goodies for Santa. I was happy to have found some really special Reindeer food. It was the magical kind and guaranteed to bring Rudolf and his team racing our way. I described the store I'd found it at in great detail (a unique little store specializing in all things Christmas) and Ryker hung on every word. Carly glanced at the tag, rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah. Like Pier One."

Well, what do you know? Santa found the place. And after three trips and hours spent unloading gifts, I'd guess he knows this home as well as his own.

Strange as it seems, Santa's elves can make kittens. They're exceptionally life like! Santa brought Ryker a Wii. He wanted to know what it did. Em first opened a gift of candy and it was all over for her. I noticed that my cousins got an awful lot of socks. What is that?!? I remember when Santa starting bringing me socks and for lack of a better word, it sucked. :) We had fun!!! Love, hugs and kisses to Grandpa and Grandma Good. We love celebrating in your home.

2010-01-06T16:26:00.000-08:00

Because I'm not digging sitting in front of the computer for more than a few minutes at a time these days, our holiday fun is going to have to be posted over the course of the next several weeks. That, and I have big plans this month to do as little as possible so I won't have anything else to post anyway.

Mount Baker provides a beautiful backdrop for skiing. The lifts however, are painfully slow. How is it possible that a ski hill with 8 lifts not have even one high speed quad? Regardless, skiing with the cousins was a treat. I've always known cousin Amy is as frugal as our grandmother (Yes YOU, Aim!) but not stopping for lunch just to squeeze every minute out of a lift ticket is beyond frugal! :)

Would you know that in a few years Dad gets to ski for free? I guess they don't expect many 65 year-olds to be hittin' the slopes. Dad points his skis down the hill and stops for nothing...and nobody! His ski adventures usually end with a bang (or crash) and this one was no different. He made it until two, when he pulled up covered in white and announced he'd slipped on a little patch of ice. That can really hurt at age 59 and as many miles per hour! He sipped hot chocolate at the lodge for the remaining two hours. Does anyone know where I can purchase a governor for skis? Dad's never going to make it to 65 otherwise. Tee hee.

I'd like to take this moment to gloat, I mean apologize, to these fine people for thoroughly schooling them in Balderdash. It was inconsiderate of me. I am sorry. Next time I will attempt not to win by such an embarrassing margin. :) Thanks Aunt Sue! Your enchiladas are exceptionally good.

Boo hoo...

2010-01-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

We've not had nearly enough snow this season. So far there's been no sledding, fort building or snowman making. But each dusting of snow has the kids begging to jump on the trampoline. Don't let appearances fool you. These two are no angels. ;)

2010-01-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

Do you remember our Uncle Tom? He's the one who always appears on this blog asleep in an easy chair. He recently managed to procure a boat load of tickets to a WSU basketball double header hosted right here in our very own arena. It was fun to spend time with some of the extended Tippett family. Unfortunately we have exactly one picture of the weekend and it's this one, taken by Ryan's mother. Ordinarily an MIL would object to her DIL kissing men other than her son. But it was Butch and if Marlene could have made her way over, she'd have planted a kiss on his mug herself. I'm fairly certain that Butch uses Downy fabric softener as conditioner or bubble bath or something. Bet you didn't know that. Thanks Tom, for all your hard work. And we're keeping our fingers crossed that the event will take place again next year.

The best day ever!

2010-01-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

Sometime after dinner yesterday, Ryker announced that it had been the best day ever! We inquired as to why, of course. "Because I've been in my undies all day long!" It's true. We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner in our pajamas. And after all the holiday fun, it really was a great way to spend a Saturday.

Today was not a good day for Ryker. He was pretty bent out of shape about having to watch a "stupid girlie princess" movie with his sister. We drug him to Princess and the Frog anyway. He giggled a lot and occasionally laughed out loud. But when the movie was over he sighed an exceedingly loud sigh and exclaimed, "That was even worse than I thought!"

Happy 2010 everybody! I'll post pictures of our holiday antics before the year is out. Promise. I just need to recover from several ulcer-inducing card games, a sore ankle (dance revolution?), an aching shoulder (wii boxing), Buck Buck (don't ask!) and a little family Fear Factor. Caramel onions, anyone? :)

hAppY BirThDAy, GraNdpA sTeVe!

2009-12-14T20:43:00.000-08:00

2009-12-13T22:39:00.000-08:00

If you haven't visited Santa at the Country Mercantile, you should. They'll let you decorate cookies and ride the train all the way to the North Pole. Very cute. I thought if Emerson saw me sitting on Santa's lap, she'd realize there was no harm in it. Unless of course, you're Santa. You should have seen the look of horror on Santa's face when I suggested it. He clearly was trying to remember his contractual obligations and whether he'd agreed to offer his lap to middle aged women. And because Trevor, I mean Santa, was very uncomfortable with the thought of his former teacher and mother's colleague sitting on his lap, I sat on the arm of his chair instead. ;) Neither Emerson nor Ryker bought it. And so this is the only picture we have of Santa. Regardless, it was nice of Trevor, I mean Santa, to come all this way and give us a candy cane! And dear sweet Vixen is on his last legs. In fact, I'd go so far as to say, he won't make it to Christmas. Poor Vixen!

A Tippett Family Vacation

2009-12-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

Cancun, Quintana Roo

The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort has three continuous infinity pools. Most days, we arrived shortly after 9:00 and stayed until 4:00ish. Even then, we had to drag the kids away. It was rough. Em couldn't get enough of the water slide and Ryker was pretty impressed with lunch and refreshments at the swim-up pool bar. The final wall of the infinity pool is visible in the photo below and if you look really close, you'll see Ryan and Ryker waiting their turn at the top of the slide.

And as usual, Ryker got a kick out of being thoroughly abused by that Uncle Todd. ;)

We decided to visit Isla Mujeres, per my father's recommendation, and loved it. Everything about this excursion was just our style. Upon disembarking the ferry, we grabbed a map, rented a couple of golf carts and set out to see what we could see. Now I'm the first to admit I'd rather sight see than navigate and am pretty miserable at doing them simultaneously but there were only a couple of minor navigational errors. ;) Isla Mujeres is five miles long and barely 100 yards across in some areas. It is so rich in color. I love color!

We found a beautiful beach complete with free (yes, I said FREE) beach chairs and a convenient grass hut grill with breakfast tacos AND hotcakes on the menu. We enjoyed the tranquil surf of Playa Norte for a while and then meandered on to a turtle sanctuary. We later enjoyed grilled Amberjack tacos, called tikinshik, at a little beach cafe on the opposite end of the island. They were so good! Eat your heart out Lane W. :)

2009-12-07T09:32:00.001-08:00

The Mayan ruins of Tulum are beautiful. Dates lifted from these ruins are from as early as 550 AD. Tulum's heyday was much later though, around 1200-1550 AD when Spaniard's set out to conquer the Yucatan Peninsula. The job was made easy due to their bringing of old world diseases which decimated the Mayan population. And so this city, like so many before it, was abandoned to the elements during the mid 1200s. We later enjoyed Xel-ha's Eco-park, which is the largest outdoor aquarium in the world. It offers a myriad of activites and ecological features. We especially enjoyed tubing through a mangrove forest and swimming in a small cenote. Shame on us all for failing to purchase a great picture of Marlene cliff jumping. Rosalyn and I didn't quite make it to the floating bridge on our snorkeling adventure and I'm glad for it. The fish there (Amberjack, I heard) were huge and I can say for certain, I prefer them grilled! My only regret is not taking more pictures at Xel-ha. But it was really wet.

Not twenty feet below the infinity pool at Lagunamar, lie a beautiful stretch of beach. We especially enjoyed watching the sun go down and the waves roll in during early evening. A big thanks to Rosalyn for finding this place!

So much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and always - Especially for FAITH and HEALTH both of which without we'd be unable to enjoy our many blessings! We hope your Thanksgiving was also wonderful and enriched with family and fellowship.

Happy Birthday to Grandpa Tim!

2009-11-29T11:52:00.000-08:00

In honor of Donut Thursdays, we celebrated Grandpa's 61st with a donut cake. Nearly every Thursday morning, Grandpa Tim calls the kids, takes their order and then swings by for a donut breakfast. Ryker and Emerson love it. And they love their Grandpa Tim too!

Have so many cool pics to share...from the Harvest Season (yikes!)...from birthday parties...from Cancun. Gonna get right on that! Just as soon as I finish laundry, clean bathrooms and floors, plan an office Christmas Party, organize Ryker's classroom Holiday Party, Christmas shop...

Have an awesome Holiday Season! You probably won't be hearing from me. And because I know I'm no busier than the next girl, you're not going to be reading this blog until January anyway. :) May it be merry and bright!

2009-11-07T09:36:00.001-08:00

I have some great pics (Thank you, Norita!) from Musser's Harvest Party. I just can't post them yet.

We bought a new computer, you see, and it is currently a mess. My den is a mess. My laundry room is a mess. My life is a mess and it's all because of a stupid computer. In fact, a few seconds ago, a blinding flashing screen popped up out of nowhere to inform me that windows would be shutting down immediately in order to reconfigure. I was not to turn off the computer, blink or even breathe for the duration of the reconfiguration process. Come on, Hp. Don't make me regret not buying a Mac!

I've spent some time in front of a Mac. I've talked to Macs on a real personal level and remain unconvinced they're superior. Why throw the baby out with the bath water, man? I like change...when it's BETTER! I can't help it. It's a left over reaction to working for an administrator who jumped on every silly band wagon that came along. We'd get good at something and BAM! She'd move on just like that. I now view all change with scepticism first. Convince me, I say! Convince me this change is going to make my life better. Convince me that my life will be better in ways that make this kind of change worth the money and effort it will require. If I read my return policy correctly, I've got 60 days to throw this baby back. And I don't mind being wrong. Occasionally. :) Now this blog gets upwards of 100 hits per week. I don't have a clue who you are or why you'd bother reading it but I'm hoping some of you lurking out there in cyberspace care enough to comment on this particular post! Pretty please? I'm begging.

Those Harvest Party pics coming real soon. I think.

2009-11-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

Edwin Markham Elementary is a really cool place. Because we hover around 400 kiddos, we're able to throw some really great events that larger elementary schools are unable to pull together. It also helps to have involved, enthusiastic and creative moms AND dads. Ryan whipped up a pirateship bean bag toss for the annual Halloween carnival. The kids LOVED it, despite a few kinks that we quickly worked out before our own harvest party. I love this picture of Em and Finn. I wish I knew what had tickled them so.

For the record and in case you are interested, homemade is better but not cheaper. Ryker has wanted to make a robot costume for a long time. In fact, he drew the coolest plan and because I loved it so much, I put it away for safe keeping. :( It's sure to turn up sometime in the next ten years. Grandma Marlene did a great job with these costumes and if we'd arrived in time, they'd have won first prize in the costume contest. Emerson wanted to be a butterfly, a princess and a robot so she dressed as what else, Robot Butterfly Princess. Two days before Halloween she decided she'd also like to be a ghost but I couldn't quite figure out how to work that one in. Silly girl. Ryker was a Super Rocket Robot complete with fuel tanks and glowing flames. By far the most awesome robot ever imagined by a five year old!

2009-11-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

Exceptionally bad football. WOWZA!

But we had a really great time with the Dickhaus family! And the kids LOVED getting to spend time with Larry, Mickie and Grandma Gertsie on the farm. Thanks to the Thompsons for taking such great care of the kiddos. Thanks to Jenna and friends for hanging 'round the RV. Thanks to Tom for a ride to the game. Maybe next time he'll even let us sit INSIDE the cab. :) Kidding, Tom! Thanks to Linda for introducing me to hot spiced wine. Oh Nellie. And thanks to the Dickhaus and Ross families for enduring 8 degree nighttime temperatures! WITH NO HEAT!! TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW!!! You guys win the prize.

Dan, Ginny, Shannon and Brady made a delicious post game meal. We sat around the fire, roasted marshmallows, sipped hot chocolate and sang campfire songs. In our dreams! Actually, we shivered and huddled around the fire in an effort NOT to freeze our hineys off. It was fun anyway. Campfire songs next year guys! :)

Ryker, Em, Carter and Logan got a kick out of the college's wild animal research project.

our first frost

2009-11-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, not really. But it is the first frost that has covered the rooftops and dusted trees with shimmering whiteness. It is the first frost that has me reaching for the sweater boots, sipping rooibos, leaning against the windowsill and watching it gracefully melt away. I love the first frost! Now I know there are some who don't have heat, can't afford blankets and sleep under cardboard. My heart goes out to such today and everyday! But if I were homeless, I'd walk to Palm Springs and so I'll say it again: I *heart* the first frost! It warms me to my toes, which all snuggled in my sweater boots, feel like 10 friends at a slumber party. ;) And btw, if you didn't catch All About Steve, you should. Terribly corny but still the movie equivalent of comfort food and even though Sandra Bullock's super cool boots can't touch my sweater boots, it'd go nicely with a first frost.

PS. Ryan hates sweater boots.

And one of these days I'll start posting pics of our last shindig in the RV and Halloween antics. But as you've come to expect by now, blog posts are anything but timely around here.

Happy First Frost!

www.thethoringtons.blogspot.com

2009-10-22T18:49:00.000-07:00

This beautiful lady was married recently. You can check her out at her new family blog. Best wishes to Mike and Shawna!

10 reasons to join a CSA next season

2009-10-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

10.It'll save you money.
9. You'll eat more vegetables.
8. You may discover you like squash
7. and zuchinni.
6. You'll try new things.
5. Your heart with thank you.
4. You'll throw more dinner parties (to unload
the vegetables).
3. It'll get you out of a meal-planning rut.
2. You'll eat out less
1. And if you're lucky, you'll come home one evening to pumpkins, squash, onions, peppers and things piled high on your porch!!!

I know you've heard of corn-on-the-cob but have you heard of corn-on-the-stalk? I have no idea how to cook it. :)

overheard...

2009-10-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

Come here, Em. It's time to brush teeth.
Daaad! I already did.
When?
Umm...last Tuesday.

funny thing happened yesterday...

2009-10-16T13:23:00.001-07:00

while i was attempting to get from one city to another via the blue bridge. what a nightmare! the left hand lane was backed up for well over a mile and as my lane crept along, more than a handful of vehicles raced by on the right and successfully merged at the front of the line. i was alternately fuming mad at such inexcusable behavior and annoyed that i didn't have the courage to just go for it. 20 minutes later, i reached the top of the bridge and there, behind the barricade, was a police officer with nearly everyone of those cars and their drivers pulled over. i felt vindicated, relieved and ashamed all at the same time. and then i giggled hysterically all the way to my destination because for some strange reason, i found the whole thing inexplicably funny. too much joe and not enough food i think. like you care. ;)

have a good weekend, my faithful readers!

2009-10-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

"Dude! I was zoomin' sooo fast!" Ryker learned how to ride his bike earlier this fall. I do have better pictures but this is his favorite. He thinks the poor focus (iPhones stink at capturing movement) indicates speed and I'm not about to tell him otherwise. The reality is that he was barely going fast enough to keep the thing balanced. So note the absence of training wheels (finally) and ignore the absence of a helmet. What can I say? The kid's head grows faster than his feet.

2009-10-13T07:50:00.001-07:00

Ryker: Emerson, you are so complicated. AND annoying!

Why there are always more pictures of Emers

2009-10-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

First there's this.

And this.

Then this (not too weird but definitely pained).

Mother and son (Take one)

Take two.

Take three.

Take four.

Forget it. He is so weird and I love him so much! I love him more than I could ever put into words. Only actions can express this kind of love, you see. That's why I'm posting these pictures and calling him weird. Mothers of boys know that this is the greatest praise I could ever give him.

But give the boy something living, breathing, loving, soft and cuddly...

or something green, moldly and disgusting...

and he'll smile like a prince.

2009-10-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

Ryker and Emerson ran lickity-split through the pumpkin patch, turning over many pumpkins in search of just the right one. Ryker's pumpkin is tall, skinny, lumpy, awkward and green. As we were getting ready to load our picks on the hay wagon, Emerson yelled, "Look at this pumpkin Grandma! It's perfect!" And it was. Hers is short, round and perfectly orange. Funny how it wasn't nearly as challenging to find the perfect kitten to bring home with us. Too bad Daddy is such a grump when it comes to kittens. I wish I owned the Country Merc. It is so much fun and such a racket!

2009-10-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

Things we love about OCTOBER

A last swim,
a first frost
and one last weekend in the RV.
Luscious green lawns that require less mowing.
Colors! The colors warm my bones!
Hayrides, corn mazes and carmel apples.
A new carousel at the Mercantile.
Bulky sweaters, cozy scarves
and Emerson looking sweet in her boots and mittens.
Soup and toasted cheese.
Pumpkin picking, painting and carving.
Costume planning,
party organizing
and trick-or-treating, of course.
Hot chocolate and board games,
late nights and good friends.
(Hello Pinochle. We've missed you.)
Apple pies, sauce and cider...
canning.
(Yeah. Right.)

Bring it on, October! Wishing all our family and
friends the very best of this harvest season.

Alki Beach, Seattle

2009-09-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed our weekend in Seattle with the Texans. It was short though and on our first day out, I brought along the camera without a battery. I have no photos of our morning at the Pacific Science Center or of the WSU game at Quest Stadium. It is just as well because the Cougs, well, Coug'd It and we don't need any memories of that particular game!

We enjoyed Sunday afternoon at Alki Beach. The company was good, the weather was perfect and the view was lovely. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to get good pictures in mid-day sun. Is it possible? Someone once told be to shoot upwards toward your subject when the sun is straight above. That worked great - no shadows at all. Though try as I might, I can't find use for many giant nostril pics.

The girls.

The guys. Caroline and Emerson play under their watchful eyes. ;)

A really cool fort the kids built.

Our family portrait turned out swell. Don't you think?

And if you've never been to Salties and sampled the buffet, you should. The phrase all you can eat breakfast buffet is usually enough to make me break out in a sweat, dry heave a little and run the other way but this was really good and really fun! I mean REALLY good and REALLY fun! Ryker ate marshmallows dipped in a chocolate fountain and cocktail shrimp. The slice of bacon on his plate was just for looks. We didn't want to look like total loser parents as we paraded through the buffet line. I know, I know. The slice of bacon didn't help that situation at all.

"There's this girl and I like her face."

2009-09-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

There's this girl in Ryker's class. He likes her face. His cousin Carly suggested that if he really really likes her, then he should share his lunch with her. But he only likes her face. He might consider sharing some of his almonds with her. Those aren't really his favorite. But he is definitely not going to share his chocolate wafer no matter how much he likes her face.

I'd rather go to Hawaii...

2009-09-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

We're off to Seattle for a weekend with the Texans. We plan on watching Washington State be defeated by Hawaii. Did I say be defeated? 'Cause I meant beat. We plan on watching Washington State beat Hawaii. Yep. Go Cougs!

Can't wait to hug my nieces!