Fire Station Tour

Today our playgroup visited the Fire Station for a tour. It was so much fun to watch the kiddos stand in amazement as the Men in Uniform showed us around. They were all on their best behavior and their attention span was right on cue! Here is Madalyn & Addi eating their icing cookie and looking very social.

This is such a stinkin' cute picture of the two.

I caught a glimpse of Ethan today and thought to myself.... He looks so much like Blaise. The only difference is the eye color. Blaise has blue eyes and Ethan has brown. Ethan even has Blaise's baby curls.
We had a great time, we are missing a few children in the picture, they were checking out the rescue boat. Lisa, another member of our playgroup could not make it today, so we missed her and Landon!

The kiddos were watching another firefighter put on his uniform. They want the children to see a firefighter dressed in full uniform so they won't be scared if they ever have to pay a visit to your house, how clever!

Everyone had a chance to sit in the seat of the big Red Fire Engine. Addi was up for the idea until she actually sat in the seat, then it was time to get down. I really enjoyed today, it was a nice change of pace.

"The Boys"

Every afternoon about 5 minutes after Blaise gets off the bus, the doorbell starts chiming and the phone starts ringing. Lately I've had to limit the amount of friends that Blaise has over in the afternoon. I'm sure you can imagine a 1 year old, a 2 1/2 year old, and a slew of 7 & 8 year olds. It gets pretty hectic, so now I have a 2 friend cap...it's all I can handle! This day was like any other day, Kainoa and Mario came over, wanted a snack & drink, and then wrestled for a while before settling down to play the Wii. I don't know how they have so much energy, actually, I'm a little envious.

Playgroup Night Out

Last Sunday night our playgroup (minus our kiddos) met at Shanee's for a night out. It was so much fun, we ate and talked, and talked, and talked. We were supposed to play board games, but talking to precedence. We have been meeting every Wednesday for about 2 years. It is really neat to have such a great support group that has blossomed into wonderful friendships. I love my playgroup and look forward to every Wednesday.

Beads & Beverages

We have Mom's Night Out once a month with my MOMS Club, so this month we did Beads & Beverages at my house. It was so much fun, we ate, had beverages, and some of us beaded. There were several that also learned how to bead, which by the way is super simple.

Visit from Aunt Barbara

I've been a slacker when it comes to downloading pictures from my old camera. I made a point of downloading all the pictures from my memory card...let's say, I need to be more proactive when it comes to my personal pictures. Here is a picture of our kiddos with Aunt Barbara. It is always a treat when we have a visit from relatives and this day was no exception. The kiddos squealed the whole time she was here and was very sad to see her leave.

Ferry Boat Adventure

We have taken Addi on the Ferry Boat before, but she is older and now has a lot more fun. It was so cold, but she insisted on staying on the deck the entire trip. The Ferry Boat is very relaxing but also a great way to catch some great views of Seattle.

Seattle Skyline

My friend Jen told me about Kerry Park, and I'm so glad she did. It was cloudy this particular day, but she said when it is clear you can see Mount Rainier. We will have to go back on a clear day for a great view. I highly recommend a visit if you have never been, it is amazing. Thanks Jen!

Playgroup 09

We finally had everyone at playgroup yesterday, so we attempted to take our yearly picture. We have been meeting for 2 years so it is fun to watch all the children get excited to see one another. This was the only picture that did not turn out extremely blurry, I still have a difficult time taking pictures indoors without any natural light. I need to practice, practice, and practice!

A Southern Visit

My friend Sheri paid a visit to the Tibbetts Family this past weekend. We have been friends since we were 9, so that means over 20 years of friendship. I first met her when my Mom signed me up for softball in elementary school, her Dad coached us. I will not comment on my softball abilities, but Sheri was an All-Star in every sport she played. She played Basketball in college and now she is married to a Defensive Coordinator for a Division 1 college. I'm sure their 3 children will follow closely in their footsteps.

The Crew

I am always trying to get all three of my kiddos together for a picture... today we just hauled them upstairs and gave it a shot. This is the only picture that Blaise is not squinting, Ethan is not crying and Addi is not squirming. I think I will probably blow it up or put it on canvas.

The Harbor

Here are just a few more from our Gig Harbor shoot yesterday...

Finally

I finally was able to capture a decent shot of Blaise yesterday. He runs every time he sees my camera, so I felt slightly victorious. I met with other photographers in Gig Harbor and we spent the morning doing a photo shoot. He was so patient even though it was in the low 30's.

A little sunshine

We had our first full day of sun yesterday so we all made a mad dash outside for a little fresh air. I was playing around with my new camera and was able to snap some pictures of Ethan climbing in my new thrift store find. I tried to get Blaise and Addi in on the picture but they were too busy digging in the mud!

Cool Website

If you like bargains, and want to find some cool deals, you should check out the website here, that my good friend Jen started. She used to email a lot of us with the amazing deals she would find, but now she has set up a blog and it is easier just to zip over to her site and check it out. Thanks a ton Jen, I have already utilized your blog to take advantage of many bargains!

My Favorite Flowers

My husband had my favorite flowers delivered for our anniversary; he even remembered how much I like Windmill Gardens, that is where these flowers are from. These Stargazer Lilies make the house smell wonderful, almost like having a candle lit. The smell of lilies always reminds me of Spring, and after the weather we've had, I could use a little Spring.

I Love You ...

I had to hijack this post to leave my wife an anniversary gift...

Meeting Jennifer was, and still is, the greatest thing that has happened in my life. I look back and remember the person that I was and how completely different my life has become since we met. I appreciate her understanding; I know that becoming a husband and a father was at times very clumsy for me, she stood by me. I appreciate how much she loves me; when she told me "I will go wherever you go" I knew I had met the person I had been waiting on for so long. I appreciate the easy way that she loves; she finds the goodness in people and loves them in spite of their faults. I appreciate her kindness; it is inspiring to see the joy she gets from helping out a friend, keeping a child whose parents are in a tough spot, running a meal over, or just sitting out front while the neighborhood kids (and ours) play, keeping watch over them all. She reminds me that a tender heart and a willing hand can make all the difference in the world.

I hope that our children can one day look back and see how much of her life she poured into theirs; I have never known a more devoted and loving mother. If I am the "rock" of our relationship, then she is the heart. She loves being a stay at home mom, she no longer worries about work hours or time off, she is there to love and raise our kids 24/7. Not only has she had to raise kids, but she has had to help raise me in the ways of being a parent. There are few things that have scared me more than the thought of not being a good dad; she has walked with me through all my growing pains and I appreciate her for that more than she could ever know.

Jennifer is the greatest blessing of my life...my greatest regret is my inability to remind her often enough, to show her often enough, to make her feel often enough, just how blessed I am to be her husband. I look forward to a lifetime of trying, I only know that I won't give up until I do.

Just the Boys

Yesterday was late start day for Blaise's school district so "the boys," took advantage of having 90 extra minutes in the morning. I don't see how they have so much energy early in the morning. By the time they finished wrestling, and playing the Wii, I was exhausted..LOL! They always have so much fun together! They chased Kainoa (in the middle) around the house after they viewed the picture of him holding up rabbit ears.

Just a Typical Night..

We were cleaning out a closet downstairs, and Addi found her way in my photography prop storage bin. She loves hats and then anything that is pink. She ran around saying, "I'm a cowboy!"

While we were cleaning out the closet, Addi was running around in her "cowboy," attire, Ethan pulling EVERYTHING out of ANYTHING, and Blaise finding his way under the fort. He was a, "spy guy," keeping tabs on everyone! Never a dull moment around here.

Pizza, Kiddo Style

Blaise and Addi made their own pizzas last night, Ethan just wanted to eat the black olives that we used.

We took canned biscuits and flattened them out on the pizza stone...

They then put pizza sauce and their favorite toppings to finish off their baking.

Here is the completed product. Addi likes black olives on her pizza and Blaise prefers the extra cheese. This was a fun project and I hope to have a hands on cooking night more often.

Climbing Machine

Ethan got his first "big boy," chair from Santa Clause. Now all three of our kiddos have their own official chair. He loves to climb up, down and over, rather than sit. This is not surprising, he is our busy boy. I hope to get pictures of the other two and their favorite gift tomorrow.

One Year!

We took Ethan to his One Year Appt. today and yes, he is in the 95-100% in all of his stats. Whew... I think we may have an offensive tackle in our future. He has been VERY fussy the last couple of weeks, not to mention the eczema that has suddenly invaded his whole body, we finally found out he has a milk issue so we stopped the whole milk yesterday and we have our sweet, even tempered Ethan back. I took advantage of his temperament today and tried to take his one year pictures. Most were blurry due to his excessive movement, but I was able to salvage 2 out of 20. If you are a Mom to a boy, you probably know what he is doing in the top picture..yes, he found his jewels. He was occupied for the moment so I started snapping.

Happy Birthday Ethan, we love you!

Snow in the Northwest

I still can't believe how much snow we have here in the Northwest. We have at least 7-8 inches. As soon as it started to snow, Addi begged to make a snow angel. Here is her attempt (above) at making a snow angel.

She was so happy to be outside playing. I played with her for a while and then John switched with me so I could take pictures.

John felt Addi needed a little help making a snow angel, so they both made one together.

I can't begin to tell you how beautiful it is here. It feels like I am on vacation every time I look out a window. Blaise flies back in the day after Christmas, we should have plenty of snow left for him to make his own snow angel as well.

Here is our snowman complete with his own cherry tomato eyes and carrot nose.

Birthday Party

We celebrated Ethan's birthday a few days early since Blaise is flying out tomorrow to visit his Dad for the Holidays. I still can't believe my little boy will be one in 5 days. Where did the time go? I can't wait to take his one year pictures, I have some great ideas! We bought him a walker for his birthday, although he is currently taking some steps, he can use this to fine tune his walking. Any day now he will be running around the house.

Once he figured out what the cake was, he eventually tried to grab every bite, especially between his fingers.
We vowed to make sure that Ethan has a great birthday and that it does not blend with Christmas... but, this cake is SO cute!

Christmas Party

We had Blaise's annual Christmas Party with his friends the other night. It was really fun to hang out with 12 little boys. Out of the 12 boys, all but 4 live in our neighborhood. It is really nice for Blaise to always have friends around to play with. We never have a dull moment around our house, it is always filled with boys, boys and more boys! Back to the party... they ate pizza, went on a night hike, and had a gift exchange. I'm sure they slept very well that night, they played non-stop they whole time they were here.

The Rock

I saved the best for last, John..... I can remember like it was yesterday that we were set up on a blind date by my good friend Christy and her husband John. It has been great ever since. John is such a blessing and he makes our family strong and whole. He is such a wonderful father; he changes diapers, cooks, cleans, gives baths, reads to our children, but most of all, he spends so much time with Blaise, Addi and Ethan. He is patient, speaks kindly, and reminds them to count their blessings. What a wonderful father our children are blessed with. I know because of him, they will stand tall with confidence, know family is important, and remember that faith is what your foundation is built on.

As a husband, I can strongly say that John has made me want to be a better person. He is the most honest and patient person that I know. He lets me work through my struggles and listens without trying to offer quick solutions. He is the rock of our relationship as well as our family, he truly lights up our house when he walks in the door every day. I am blessed to have him by my side and look forward to many,many years with him!

My Sidekick

Where do I start with our oldest... Blaise. He is very special to me because he made me a Mom. He is a very affectionate, caring, and sensitive soul. He loves life, and will find fun in everything he does. He loves to play, run, laugh, and engage. He wakes up in the morning with a smile on his face and literally goes to bed the same way. He reminds us to never take life too seriously; laugh, live and enjoy. He loves his younger siblings as much as they adore him. He has library day every Tuesday at school where they can check out 2 books, he always comes home with a Dora book for Addi. Ever since he was little he has loved to build things, anything. He can take tape, paper, and a paper plate and construct a building. He will spend hours building various locomotives out of Lego's. We cleaned out his bedroom several weeks ago and he had at least 10-12 boxes in which he had built cities, buildings, garages, etc. He has a vivid imagination which I know will take him places when he is older. His main food group right now is Cheez-itz..the boy can eat Cheez-itz! It is funny, because when I was pregnant with him, I would eat cheez-itz first thing in the morning to ease the nausea. He is missing a tooth in the picture, which is now coming in. He is so excited, it has been about 6 months without his 2 front teeth. What a blessing he is.. our sweet, nurturing soul.

Free Spirit

Today I will introduce you to our Free Spirit, Addi. She is such a charm, and is her very own person. She takes the term, "Daddy's Girl," to a whole new dimension. Seriously, when she wakes in the morning, her first words are, "Where's Daddy." After I explain that Dad is working, she says, "I want my Daddy back." She adores her Dad, as does everyone else in the house. She loves to sing on and off throughout the day. Her favorite songs are, "You are my sunshine," "I'm a Little Teapot," Christ the King," and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." You can usually find her curled up somewhere with a book reading the pictures, or working on a puzzle. She has learned to use her manners, so it warms my heart when I here her say, "Please, and Thank you." She is our social butterfly and loves to spend the day with her, "friends." Wednesday is her favorite day b/c she has playgroup and I can barely get her to sleep the night before. Anytime someone falls or hurts themselves, she is right there asking, "you OK?" She loves ketchup on EVERYTHING, especially her fruit, which I have to say is not very appetizing to watch. Addi makes my day fun b/c she wants to help with everything from cooking to cleaning and everything else in between. Before we call it a day, we have a family prayer where each of us gets to say what we are thankful for; Addi has added her own touch. All of us say "Amen," she says it again and then yells "AAAAHHHH." We have no idea why, but that is what makes Addi so special. To end the day, she likes to fall asleep in her bed surrounded by all of her friends (stuffed animals). Before I go to sleep I go in and check in on her and I have to search for her, to only find her face surrounded by at least 10 stuffed animals. She is our precious soul.

Places To Go..

I thought in an attempt to revive myself, I would post several entries about each member of my family over the next several days. I will start today by posting about our youngest of the bunch. His given name is Ethan, but I've heard several AKA's since he has been born. Some of which include.. "Little E," "Eth," "Little Chunk," and "Pork Chop." The last two were probably because of his healthy status and legs full of rolls. He is my busy boy..literally, he is active from the time he gets up until it is bedtime. He does not even have time to nap, OK, maybe he naps, but it is only for 45minutes to an hour. He also likes to wake up between 4:45-5:15. He has to always be near someone, and then he loves to smile at whoever is near until they smile back. He loves to cuddle and will hang on tight when you pick him up. When he is tired he will nuzzle on your chest until he is comfy, and then try to fall asleep on your chest (but will immediately be awake and become alert if you try to lay him down in his bed by himself). He is in his happiest moment when he is held. Blaise and Addi never really wanted to be held or cuddled, they wanted to get down and play, but Ethan would stay in mine or John's arms all day if he could. When John walks in the door, Ethan immediately crawls as fast as he can to the door and raises his arms, as to say, "now hold me." And, of course, John holds him while he eats supper and then on and off for the rest of the night. He is such a happy and content baby, my heart melts every time he smiles up at me. He has taken a couple of steps so I'm guessing within the next week or so he will have me running after him.

Santa Visits

I feel like it has been forever since I have posted. I am currently making a list of my New Year's Resolutions, and one of the resolutions will be to increase the post on my family blog. I want to post 3-4 times a week, this will be such a wonderful way for the kiddos to look back at fun times. I will definitely need to learn to better manage my time before the first of the year.

We had a fun weekend, packed full of Santa sitings. On Saturday we went to the MOMS Club Christmas Party where the kids sang carols, made crafts, and visited with Santa. Santa brought all of the Children at the party a book. We love books, so we were excited to read our new books Saturday night before bed.

Last night Santa made an official visit to our house. WAHOOO! It was so much fun. We heard him outside singing carols. We opened the door and there he was, the jolly Santa himself. He brought a few fun gifts and talked to the children about good behavior and how to have fun this Holiday Season. I could have stood there all night and watched the looks on their faces. Addi, who is very loud, kept repeating, "HELLO SANTA CLAUSE." Blaise was in awe, and could not wait to rip into his gifts. I'm posting a few pictures from last night. We hope that this will be a family tradition, I think John and I enjoyed it as much as our children did.

Trick or Treat

We had so much fun this year Trick or Treating! Blaise really wanted to go to as many doors as he could, Addi just wanted the chance to say, "Trick or Treat," to everyone she passed, and Ethan wanted it to be over as quickly as possible so he could get out of the chicken outfit. It is so neat to watch my kiddos grow and enjoy the simple things in life. It reminds me over and over again that it's the little things that matter. I'm so grateful for my family, that each day is so special to me, I don't want my little ones to be older and have regrets that I did not spend every possible moment with them. I read on a friend's blog about how amazing it is that we are responsible for shaping our children. Wow, what an amazing opportunity for us to instill confidence, teach kindness, and to understand acceptance.