Little Carter

Oh my little baby Carter.....I just had to blog about him because I think he is the most curious, sweetest creature on the face of the earth. Everyday he amazes me. I thank God for bringing him into our lives, I cannot imagine our family without him. the girls adore him and he is sick of them bugging him. He turned 15 months this past week and is a mover to say the least. He has started running and he runs away all the time. Especially at diaper time. He would love to be naked 24/7. This morning I called him a "big boy" and he repeated me and said big boy over and over. Everything is a "cracker". He loves his milk and his fruit snacks. He has 15 teeth and a full head of hair that I have had to cut 5 times now since he was born. He is a mommy's boy at times and a daddy's boy at other. Last night TJ was putting together some shoe racks and Carter went to get his drill to help, while making the brmmm brmmm sound. the kid never stops, unless he is sleeping. He is on constant go but he loves his bed and his sleep (thank the lord). He has a blankie.... the first and only one of my children to have a blankie. He won't go to bed without it. He loves music and will dance whenever he hears it. He could care less about toys...just give him a cell phone, remote control or anything electronic and you are good to go. If he doesn't do something technical with his life in the future, I will be very surprised. Well, that's my sweet baby in a nutshell....I love you baby Carter!

Snow Days!

The snow fell in Lynden....and fell and fell and kept on falling! What a beautiful MESS!!! As the temperatures warmed up and mom started to feel better I figured I would be depriving Carter of a great experience by not taking him out to play in the snow. So we bundeled up and went out. As you can see he didn't know what to think...he was half in awe and half watching his dad on the tractor clear the snow and wanting to ride instead of standing waist deep in the cold wet snow. He took a face dive and that really made him mad, so after about 20 minutes we went back inside. As you can see the girls had a blast and were outside all day.

A White Christmas

Well it's been a while, but here we are. Christmas has come and gone in a flash once again. It all goes so fast....this year Santa was good to us. As usual. Except that Mommy was sicker than a dog. I ended up at the Dr's office Christmas Eve morning and walked out with a diagnosis of Strep and Tonsilitis and a possible secondary viral bug. I spent most of Christmas in bed but was up to endure the festivities with all the family. Carter got some great new toys and the girls each got an Ipod. Other than that, we didn't do too much since we are taking a big vacation the beginning of February. The big story was the SNOW! We got so much snow. a couple of feet I imagine...it was beautiful and perfect and the kids loved it. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

The Klander Kids

I had the pleasure of taking photos for Tammy Klander and her 4 beautiful children this weekend. I still have so much to learn about lighting but it was a fun experience. Luckily, Tammy wanted most the photos in black and white so that was easier with the sun shining as bright as it was. Thanks Tammy! Your kids were great. Here are a few samples of the pictures I got.

I Hate Teething!

I normally don't say I hate anything but I have had it. I hate teething. The one thing I didn't think about when deciding to have another baby was the darn teething. Vomit on me, poop on me, slobber all over me all you want...I can handle the crying and the screaming and the whining but damn teething is killing me! We are on the 3rd night in a row of raging high temperatures and gnawing on anything in site, in hopes of some relief. We got 4 hrs of sleep last night. My Carter who normally sleeps 8-8 did not sleep at all. Did he nap today? Oh no....he cried and ran fevers and darnit you stupid teeth where are you? I wish it would be over already!

Ok, I feel better for that little vent. Now I must go sleep while he sleeps because I know it's going to be short lived....goodnight!

Tis the Season to be Jolly!

The Christmas season is in full swing and I have so many things to be thankful for! I have a wonderful family with kids that are good (most of the time) and a kick butt husband who works so hard to provide for us even with the terrible economy. He travels all the way to Arizona to work 160 hrs in 2 weeks, making no more than a job here would make. But he has to do something. Everytime I think about how much I give up for my family I think about how much he gives up as well.

The house is decorated and I have baked up a storm. But Christmas shopping???? I haven't even started. Well that's not entirely true but I have maybe 2 gifts. Since we are going on a cruise in February we have decided that the girls are getting 1 gift each and stockings, they'll thank us when we are swimming with the dolphins in Belize. They just don't realize it yet!!! ha ha.

Carter....well what to get? He is 14 months old and could care less about toys. Give him a laptop, remote control, cell phone, electric drill, anything electronie and the kid is in hog heaven. Do you think he is too young for a tool set??

This time of year is the time to be thankful for everythng we have. Even though times are tough and it seems like it's not getting any better just remember your family. They are all that matters. I cherish my kids and the time I have with them everyday. I cherish my husband and the things he does for us. And I cherish God and the belief that he will never give me more than I can handle. Although, some days I could have a pretty strong arguement about that.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas Bunko

It was my month to host Bunko, so I decked out the house and got very excited! We had yummy food and festive drinks. We opened presents and listened to Christmas tunes. I think we may have played 2 rounds???? LOL. It was more of a social night but no complaints here. Thanks for the great night girls!!!!!!!

Julie's Girls

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting a friend and her 3 girls at the City Park to take some pictures. All 3 kids did wonderful and the setting couldn't have been better. Thanks girls!

The Joys of Motherhood

For those with a weak stomach stop reading now please. Oh I must share, mostly with myself and my sweet son when he is older. I hope he reads this and realizes that he owes me one! My sweet sweet Carter, so innocent was running around the house with just a diaper on. I swear it was only for a minute, we were in transition from clothes to jammies. I went to throw the dirty diaper away and get his jammies as he darts up the stairs....like he always does. The girls are up there so I am not worried. A few minutes later I hear a scream from Malaya and run up to find Carter's diaper on the stairs? and POOP all over the carpet. Yep my sweet boy took it off and did the deed all over my carpet. Why oh why do sweet boys do such nasty things?

I would have taken pictures but I didn't think that would be too appropriate! Carter when you can read I am going to give you this to read.........I love you baby boy. But no more poop!

I've been Tagged!

Jenn has tagged me! She tagged me to post my 3rd picture of my 3rd folder.....here it is.

Man this picture is from 2005 when Malaya got bit by our cat Slibs. It bit her so hard that the bacteria got into her blood stream and gave her blood poisoning. This picture is her in the pediatric floor of St. Joes where she spent 3 days on IV antibiotics. Pretty scary. She loved it though and wants to go back because they "have cool video games and you can eat in your bed. And play video games at the same time!"........$2500 later..........lifes lessons. Never learned the easy way.



Brooke I am tagging you now! Post anything from 2006!

Black Friday

Ok it's time to give kudos.........to 2 dear friends Tiffiny and Jenn.....they are diehards. They are shoppers.....they are stay up all night on Thanksgiving and go shopping in the rain, sleet, snow and hail cause gosh darnit......the deals are way too good not too! And they are. I was just reading Tiff's blog, poor woman has a sprained ankle, 4 kids and a hubby that works 2 jobs. She is amazing, she is a giver and a lover and an inspiration to all of us trying to be the best darn moms we can be. and then I see Jenn's comment about good thing she isn't in a cast for black friday and I seriously laughed out loud and had to walk away from my table for a moment. I love it. I had the pleasure of accompanying these 2 on black friday 2 years ago. It was my birthday and we left at 10pm. Tiff drove us in the "mini" all the way to the Marysville outlets (it was snowing by the way), we gambled at the casino, ok they gambeled and I lost all my money then just watched, and then headed over to the shops for midnight madness. What did we score? a gravy seperator. yep. all the way there and the only purchase was Jenn, a gravy seperator. I am laughing outloud again. Then we hit the Skagit casino on the way home and got kicked out at 2am. (I am telling you, these girls are diehards). We then proceeded to go visit Jeremy, (Tiffs hubby) who was waiting in line at Best Buy at 3am for a Wii.........crazy huh? I took a nap in the mini while they kept Jer company and then we made our way to Kohls for the 4am early bird specials. We waited in line outside in the freezing cold, almost got our butts kicked from some crazies outside and then the madness began. I am telling you some of those people would have shot someone for a $99 portable DVD player on sale for $49.99.............all in all it was an amazing experience with 2 very great women. There is never a dull moment when hanging out with them so I have to laugh that Jenn is already thinking black friday, don't worry Tiff I am sure if your ankle isn't healed all the way the 2 of you can rent electric scooters and get around that way together! and heck they might even give you special treatment for being handicapped!!!!!!!!! I just love these girls!

It's Beginning to look alot like Christmas!

Wow.....here it is. November 17th already. I honestly haven't a CLUE what happened to 2008. The past year has flown by so fast. I was just telling TJ that it feels like Christmas was just a few months ago.....to him it feels like a year but for me, it's a vision of the very distant past. Everywhere I go, whether it's Costco or Target or even to a restuarant the places are decked out in Holiday decor. Even if you wanted to procrasinate......this year the retailers aren't going to let you! I have to admit though, it's been out for a couple of weeks now and I have done a bunch of Christmas shopping already. Mainly for Christmas parties and my kids.......but there will be no waiting until the last minute at my house this year. I have had the decorations ready at the garage door for weeks wanting to put them up but I just can't do it! I have to wait until at least next weekend to get them up, then I can turn them on after Thanksgiving. I don't want to be the crazy holiday decoration lady on Bentgrass Way!

If you drive towards Bellingham on the Guide there is a house already completely decked out in lights and animation and it was on last night! Talk about getting in the spirit early! The kids are already asking to listen to Christmas songs in the car.......ok I guess, whatever makes them happy. I am just glad to be in the midst of the season......getting together with family, eating great meals, visiting and just spending time together. The chaos and business of the season keeps me in high spirits......along with the occasional egg nog latte or peppermint mocha!

So I guess what I am trying to say is...........Happy Holidays everyone! Let the season begin!

It has been a while but I have some time today so........I decided while Carter was down to get the girls outside and snap some pictures. They are very photogenic......and did so well! I got a new camera in September and it has taken a while for me to get used to it but now that I am, I LOVE IT! this has become a passion of mine and I just cannot seem to take enough pictures! Here are a few samples of what we did today.

Stoney Ridge Farm

The kids had no school on Friday so we took them to Stoney Ridge Farm to pick out pumpkins, go through the corn maze, ride the tractor and eat yummy pie! It was so fun. The weather was great, nice and sunny but it was a tad windy so down at the patch if you were in the wind just right it was chilly! Carter thought the pumpkins were pretty cool but his favorite thing was the tractor. He freaked out when we got off and it drove away. The girls loved everything of course, especially the pie! Malaya picked out a 40 lb pumpkin and dad hauled it all the way up to the farm only to find out it was going to cost us about $20. So we had to leave it behind, we did come away with a pumpkin for each of us and a fun filled day!

Ready for Fall!

I love fall. I love decorations, candles, pumpkins, scarecrows, apple cider, pie, pot roast, fall leaves and foggy nights. I love it all. time to get out the Halloween decorations and put them up. All our corn has been harvested so I have all the stalks I need from my own backyard this year. We are looking forward to taking Carter on his first trick-or-treating trip around the neighborhood this year. He is going to be a horse, Gramma got him a horsey outfit several months ago and it's sooooooo cute on him! Natalya picked out a princess dress (imagine that!) but this year she doesn't want to go trick-or-treating, she wants to see all the kids dressed up and hand out the candy. She told me the other day that she will just steal some of Carter's candy since he can't eat it. And she doeesn't want that much anyways because it's not good for her teeth. How's that for levelheaded??? Just like her mama! Malaya is going to be a Lynden Lions Cheerleader this year. It should be a lot of fun. Hopefully Gramma and Papa will be over to help hand out candy and scare the little ones. It's a family tradition around here!

I think we will make a trip to Stoney Ridge Farm this friday since there is no school and get some pumpkins and some fresh cider. Hoping to get some great pictures so I will post again friday afternoon after our trip. Happy Fall Everyone!

"Brownie" the bunny

So we got a bunny. Yep. The girls have been bugging me for a year to get a pet. First it was a dog, then a cat but we just don't have the time to pay real attention to those animals that need a lot of human contact and attention. So as we are walking thru the barns at the fair a great thought came to my mind.....a bunny! They are low maintenance and cute. They totally went for it. Browine is a part of our family now. She's almost like a dog, she stays near the house and comes when you call her.....what more could you ask for right? So the other day the neighbors cat came over and had her eye on Brownie. We thought....uh oh, there goes the bunny. But much to our surprise Browine stood up to that cat! She even had her running away and up a tree! We got out the camera just in time. Pretty comical.

Soccer Days

Malaya is playing soccer again this year. She loves it and is a really good player. Although sometimes we have to remind her that she needs to pay attention and stop socializing with her friends on the other team during the game! Ha ha....like I can talk right? Ah to be in 3rd grade again. We are very proud of her and are trying to teach her that it's about learning the game and teamwork and not about who wins or loses. She has a pretty firm grip on the game and has great sportsmanship! She plays 9am Saturdays at Bender Field if anyone would like to come watch.

Carter's 1st Birthday

We celebrated Carter's 1st Birthday on his actual Birthday,Sept.28, at the Lynden City Park. It was wonderful and the weather was fantastic! We had almost all our family and friends there to join in the fun. Carter loved his cake! And his presents. Thank you to everyone who came and for the gifts. He plays will all of his toys everyday. We appreciate all the love you give to all our kids.

Our Life

Well TJ has started his own business with a partner and I have to say for right now things are going great. Business is good and work is steady. I am very thankful for that. What really sucks is that he is gone all the time. He was in Fort Collins, Colorado for 3 months and this week he is in Maui.........yes Maui. Everytime he calls I ask him to tell me it's terrible and raining but I know that is isn't and it's not!!! He will be home this weekend and then it's back to a new job. I hate being alone. It's very lonely and really stressful sometimes but I do what I have to do. I am a good wife and promised to support him in anything he does so I love you honey and I miss you!

I am back to work 4 days a week and it's crazy. I don't know how some of you do it 5 days a week. I find myself exhausted at the end of the day. My housework and laundry is way behind. All 3 kids want my attention and it's hard to juggle housework, homework, attention, playing and keeping up with Carter and getting to and from activities in a 3 hour time period after we get home and before bedtime. I miss staying home and having a clean house and being in a state of mind at the end of the day to really focus all my attention on the kids. But in the current economic situation we are in, I just don't see myself not working right now. I mean don't get me wrong I love my job and the people I work with. I really do. I just feel stretched so far right now and am struggling to find a happy medium that everyone can be happy with. Hoping I will soon! So come on over and have a drink or a cup of coffee, these days I am up for either!

I Finally Did It!

For months friends and family have been bugging me to start up one of these blogs and I have decided it's finally time to do it. I mean who am I kidding? Life is not going to slow down for me anytime soon so now is as good a time as ever. The kids are growing and changing so fast and I have come to a conclusion that this would be a great way to document my daily chaos and pictures. So someday I can look back and remember what life with 3 small children was REALLY like! I will try and update as often as I can!