Fall routines

September is here and we are "back at it". Abbey has preschool three mornings a week and ballet once a week and she is loving both. Ballet is new this year and we are sending her based completely on her new interest in it. She has entered the stage of princesses and ballerinas and all things girly. She told me she wants "to be a ballerina" when she grows up! I'm excited to see how she likes it and how she does. I think it will be a good fit because Abbey is our little "entertainer". She is always performing for us at home and loves to be the center of attention.

Ella is so badly wanting to keep up with sister. "I go preschool too" she says and wants to stay every day with Abbey. When Abbey puts on her ballet outfit, we hear "I wear ballet too". I tried picking out a princess dress for her to wear at the same time as Abbey was in her ballet outfit. That did NOT fly! So I hauled out the Seahawks cheer uniform and she accepted that as her "ballet" dress :) We have two princesses in this house! So much fun! Ella and I are enjoying two mornings together while Abbey is at school. It's our "special" time. Today we went and got hot chocolates. Most other days we stay home and read books just for Ella and do puzzles. We are working on learning colors...she's not really getting it yet! We'll get there!

I am finally feeling relief from morning sickness. Thank the Lord! Just in time for these fall activities. I joined a Life Group at church on that meets once a week and right now we are going through the "The Purpose Driven Life". So far I am enjoying the book and the accountability that comes along with the group. The ladies are great too...looking forward to some personal growth in the next few months.

There wouldn't be fall excitement at our house without football on - every available day! Between the Huskies, Seahawks and Duane's fantasy league, football is filling our house. It's so great! There is nothing better than a relaxing day home watching football with our family and friends.

That's our news for now...pregnancy pics to come soon!

More summer pictures

Highlights from the past few months

I am not making promises anymore. I suck at blogging. However, once in a while I have the desire to give an update on our lives. This just happens to be one of those days. As summer nears to a close, I realize there is so much to share with you all. Family BBQ's, weddings, strawberry jam, vacations, swimming....so many highlights.

I'll start with April since my last post was in MARCH! In April we took a week long trip to So. Cal. We went to Disneyland for a few days then drove the PCH up to Santa Barbara for a good friends wedding; stopping at the beach along the way. We also had a short but sweet visit with my aunt and cousins who I haven't seen in five years. It was a packed week, filled with great memories!

May brought the last day of preschool for Abbey and three weeks of swimming lessons to follow. She LOVED swimming this year. She now puts her head under water and advanced to the next class! Way to go Abbey!

In June, Tasha and Lane came up from California and we had a fun girls' weekend the week after she got here. Quality time with my girlfriends was great as usual and always treasure. The following week we attended my 10 year class reunion! It was hard to believe we've been out 10 years already!! I wasn't sure how if it would be fun or not, but I ended up having a great time. Fun to catch up with old classmates!

July was full for us. On the fourth we celebrated Ella's SECOND birthday! I had a hard time with this one. She is my baby and time moves too fast! We had a huge party with family and friends and ended the night with a bonfire and fireworks. It was a fun day!

Four days later, I found out I was pregnant! Baby number three is on the way!!!! We are so excited!!! I am now 13 weeks along and due March 9th, 2011.

On July 10th, I ran in the Chuckanut Foot Race for the second time. Love the run, but didn't do so well this year, being tired and pregnant!

We also left that day for a 12 day vacation to Eastern Washington. Stops included Crescent Bar, Lake Chelan and my inlaws property. It was great "family time". We swam ALL DAY, everyday. The girls loved the water and I swore Abbey turned into a fish while we were gone! What a swimmer! Other highlights were going for icecream after dinner, go cart rides, laying out, and catching a rattle snake - yep, Abbey brought me the rattle!!! So gross!

Since we've been home, we haven't been doing a whole lot. My morning sickness was in full force and still is, so we've been home a lot! Lot's of backyard swimming pool days!

In August, Duane participated (for the fourth year in a row) in the TW golf classic tournament in Lynden. Always good to see old friends! Abbey and Ella went to the fair three times this year! They got spoiled by Nana, went on rides, peeked at animals, visited Auntie Michelle and her horse Joey in the 4-H barn, and ate a ton of cotton candy! It was a fun week for them!

That brings us to the present. We are enjoying these sunny days as much as possible. I am battling this pregnancy sickness almost all day, taking it one day at a time. Looking forward to this part being over! I've had two ultrasounds already - it's so fun to watch the baby! Such a miracle already!!! Love it! More updates to come soon!

Hope you all had a wonderful, memorable summer as well!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

On March 14th, it was Duane's 29th birthday! Creeping up on 30 - I can't believe it! This means we have known each other for 13 years! I think it's pretty awesome to have spent this many years celebrating his birthday. This year was pretty low key, as they tend to be the older you get! We went out for dinner with some friends the night before and the day of we just had cake and ice cream with our little family and his parents. Abbey had to make daddy a cake and it had to have BLUE frosting! Happy Birthday, babe! We love you!

One of my favorite things

Since having my second child, one of my favorite things is seeing, watching, and hearing my two girls interact together. It started with Abbey holding her baby sister, then the smiles to each other, the giggles, and now they play together, chase each other around, read together, dance together, push their dollies side by side in strollers outside...They really do love each other. It is so fun to see. Ella asks for "Abbey Abbey Abbey" when Abbey is not home, and Abbey has given Ella some funny nicknames...sometimes she just calls her "joy" which is her middle name, or "little sockee (sounds Native American to me!)", "little wudgy". Soooo funny! And, of course there are the many moments each day they make each other mad or cry. Ella has even started to go sit by Abbey when she is in a time out!

More often than not though, these good times shine through and make me so happy! Being surrounded with many wonderful women in my life - four sisters, three wonderful sister in laws, the most amazing group of girlfriends, and my mom and mom in law, I know how important, wonderful, fulfilling and precious the bond is between "sisters" - in whatever form they come in.

I pray that the bond my girls are forming in these early years of their lives will last a lifetime and that it would be so strong that nothing could ever separate them as sisters and as friends. I pray that they would always be close and quick to forgive each other. I am so excited to see them grow up together and to see what God has in store for them. I love these kiddos with all of my heart!

These pictures were taken a couple weeks ago...one weeknight...Abbey reading to Ella. Ella was so attentive and Abbey so serious. It was really sweet!

Ramblings.....

I'm copying this entry layout from my cousin Kristy, and ultimately Tiffiny. Hope you girls don't mind!

Tuesday with Kyrsten...

I'm thankful for: Today I'm thankful for my kids. I'm enjoying them today!

What I'm listening to: Ni Hao Kai Lan - Abbey's cartoon :)

What's for dinner tonight: Roast with potatoes and veggies

What's happening this week: Preschool for Abbey, playdate with an old friend, MOPS, Friday night out, Saturday mornig coffee with my friends, church, and hopefully I'll be attending a Haiti benefit concert Sunday night. A SUPER busy week!

What I'm missing: My friend Natasha

I know I didn't post last month, what a month it was. January wasn't really a good start to the new year. Lot's of tragic things happened causing heart ache for many people I know, including myself but more importantly one of my best friends and her family.

On January 12th, my good friend Natasha lost her 5 and a half month old sweet baby boy Case to SIDS. What a sudden, heartbreaking tradgedy. When I heard that something was wrong I spent the rest of the day praying...please God, please don't let Natasha lose Case, heal him, make him better. When I found out he didn't make it, of course I was in shock. "Lord, this isn't what I have been praying for all day...WHY??" "How in the world can this be part of your "perfect" plan?" "How are Natasha, Reese and Lane going to get through this?" "Why, why, why?"

My heart was broken in a million pieces. I cried for days for my friend who must have been enduring the worst pain ever. I can't think of anything harder than losing a baby, a sweet child whom you have grown to love so much, who is a part of you and your family. It is every parent's worst nightmare. Natasha lives down in San Diego so I felt so helpless being far away. I just wanted to be able to hug my friend, cry with her, and just be with her.

I referred back to the book of Job in the Bible which deals with the issue of human suffering. I have read it years ago and decided it was time again. I was reminded that God doesn't mind our questions...it's okay to ask "why?" however we may not ever receive a response. God doesn't have to answer us. He wants us to trust that He has the perfect plan for our lives and that "everything works for good for those who believe in the Lord". He doesn't mind our questions, but He does not want us losing our faith our doubting Him. That is sin. I believe that God allows trials or down times in our lives in order to test our faith and prove faithful to Him. I know that we will be blessed if we remain strong and trust in the Lord. Job lost everything in his life - his children, animals, land, wealth, etc....but was blessed later for trusting God. It is during these times when we are on our knees that God wants us to turn to Him more than anything. He will carry us through the pain and days, months and years ahead.

Now, these truths I know in my head and my heart, but I am human and I still feel heartbroken, sad, and overwhelming grief. I believe God when he PROMISES "For I know the plans I have for you...They are plans for GOOD, NOT for DISASTER, to give you a FUTURE and a HOPE. In those days when you pray I will listen. If you look for me in earnest you will find me when you seek me." Jeremiah 29:11-13. Knowing this does not take the immediate, raw pain away, but it DOES get me through. Gives me hope to hold on to, strength to get up in the morning and face each day and in time, eases the pain. God grieves with us, hears our prayers, knows our needs and will get us through if we trust Him.

I've read a book titled "I will meet you in Heaven." God promises that in Heaven we will be "in an era where we will know and be known". We will know our loved ones and they will know us. How awesome! This I know...because of her faith, Natasha will see Case again. This is NOT the end. She will get to hold him forever in heaven, for ETERNITY. I can not even grasp that! Case is in Heaven now, with his grandma Karen, seeing the face of God, and watching down on Natasha, Reese and Lane. He loves them will be there to meet them. He is not sad or hurting. He is in peace with God. Thank you Lord!

It's hard to beleive that taking Natasha's baby away from her can be part of His plan for her life. What good can come of this? I don't know. There is no immediate answer. I do know that God is using Natasha and Reese's amazing faith as testimony that is touching so many people's lives. My pastor spoke about them in church referring to their amazing faith in God, what an example! People that don't even know Natasha are praying for her and her entire family, shedding tears, and being touched and changed by her story. (This is what we get for living in a small county that knows everything about everyone) I can only pray that this is reaching people that need to think about their own faith, the direction their life is taking and their relationship with God. I know that my heart has been changed by this. I CANNOT imagine how people get through tragedy and pain without having God. How hard and sad.

Natasha is a WONDERFUL mother and Reese is a great father. Case is lucky to have had them as parents. So is their 5 year old son, Lane. They are blessed to have Lane too. What a sweet boy! I was blessed to have met Case at Thanksgiving. I am thankful for the hour that I held him and he fell asleep in my arms. I will always treasure that and remember his babbling, smiles and chubby legs. They were bare and I just got to snuggle him and rub those sweet thighs! I am thankful for the few hours that I got to spend with Natasha and the rest of my girlfriends while she was here for the funeral. I treasure our coffee, conversation and friendship so much. We are all so blessed to have girlfriends that are as close as sisters. I'm thankful for these amazing women in my life. I love you all!

As we all return to normal life, I know that Natasha, Reese and Lane are struggling. Struggling to find a new "normal". I pray EVERY day for my friends, praying that they will feel God's peace and love for them. I pray that God would give them strength and courage to face each new day with hearts that are open to Him. I pray that God would fill Tasha's "empty arms". I pray that everyday God would ease their pain a little more but that they would hold on to their memories. Please keep praying!!!! Natasha, we love you and can't wait to see you soon!

Christmas excitement

Sampling the cookies!


Abbey's sugar cookies :)

The "shining star" at this program!

My little entertainer!

Getting ready for her church program

Our beautiful new Pottery Barn stockings!

Pretty girls

Reindeer Abbey

Abbey and cousin Koltin at the lighted parade

My family

It was so cold!

Abbey and Daddy found the perfect tree!

Daddy and Ella at the lighted parade.

It's been a while since I have posted, so here are a bunch of pictures of our family and our Christmas festivities so far. Getting our tree, our new stockings, making sugar cookies and Abbey's church Christmas program. It's been busy, and so fun! I love this time of year and am soaking it all in. I'm enjoying Abbey really understanding the meaning of Christmas this year, clelbrating Jesus' birthday and singing her Christmas songs. She is precious...I love hearing her answer first in Sunday School all of the right answers of the Christmas story...she could recite it to you all. Both girls are loving receiving Christmas cards, eating all of the yummy treats, driving around the neighborhood looking at lights, playing with the tree and helping me wrap presents. They are so fun and so often remind me of what life is all about. Thank you Jesus! Merry Christmas to you all!