Terrible Blogger

Sorry for being an absent blogger. Things have been a little rough around here. Steve has been laid off since Feb, so our mojo has kind of slowed. We are very hopeful for a new job and should be able to share some information in the next couple of weeks.

Other than having no job we have been adjusting to life with two. It has been going pretty well, I think that we are in a good grove now that we have CJ on a set schedule. PJ still loves his little brother, probably too much (like smothering him with hugs). Cj is HUGE, he is close to 18-20 lbs and only 3.5 months old. How did he get so big so fast? He is wearing 6-9 mo clothes and recently got some really handsome outfits from family. Thanks Nonnie and Papa!

We have been spending lots of time as a family, going on walks, making things, doing projects and etc. PJ has recently started playing with play dough and he loves it. He still loves cars, trains and legos. His new favorite way to play with his cars is outside in the dirt and rocks. He is also starting to imagine different scenarios and such, usually they involve going to Ivy's house or church. He is also really starting to copy what we are saying with our tones and intonations. So funny, I never realized I say "sorry guys" so much while driving. So here are some photos.


Ivy and PJ on Easter, I failed to get a pic with both boys together in their outfits, oops!


Boys before we went to the Zoo to hunt for Easter eggs.


This is how we found PJ a few afternoons when he refused to nap in his bed, we have since conquered this battle and he sleeps in bed.


We said goodbye to Nana a couple of weeks ago as she moved to AZ with a new job. We miss her lots!


CJ learning to grasp toys!


PJ playing with one of Steve's guitars, he loves to play the game of dropping the pick inside! sigh.


The boys baking, PJ loves to have his own bowl of flour.


This is a common sight in our house, PJ loves his ties and asks to wear them, he call them his necklaces!


Valentines Day, was pretty low key here.


CJ in his rock star outfit.


One of CJ's first baths.


CJ's dedication at church, PJ would not stay still, at one point he started petting Steve.

Thanks for being patient with us and the blog! I am not going to promise to be more faithful with it, but I hope to be.

Since our new man arrived

We have been busy at home getting to know one another. CJ is a wonderful little baby. He really likes to eat and sleep, like most newborns! I think that he will grow faster than PJ, he is already out of some 3mo onesies. We have concluded at this point that he looks like my father's baby pictures, so far his eyes are more blue than brown, (very different from PJ - his were never blue). PJ is adjusting rather nicely for a two year old. He loves his brother and looks for him every morning, one morning he said "Bye baby, I'm going to go have waffles with syrup!" He is missing his Mommy since I am not able to pick him up and stuff.

We are also very excited as Steve will be starting a new job in Feb. It is really wonderful timing as his Mom wasn't going to be able to pay him starting in Feb. We are very thankful. He will be working in downtown Seattle selling internet services to residential homes and businesses. However, his schedule will change and that I am not looking forward to, oh-well it goes with the territory.

Here are some pics from the last couple of weeks. I am being more diligent since I have started to scrapbook everyday of our life in 2009.


PJ holding the new man, sincere love here!


Ivy and PJ reading in his new big boy bed!


CJ before he really developed those sucking muscles, he has lots of cheek now.


PJ got a new big boy bed, he really didn't like it for awhile until his cousin came over and showed his how cool it was. See the quilt at the end, both boys got matching quilts from me, I heart them!

Introducing Christopher Jack

Our newest little boy made his appearance Jan 6th, 2009. He weighed in at 9lbs and measured 21 inches. Big boy! Mamma and baby are doing well. PJ is loving his new brother, "baby Jack". Please enjoy the pics.


Our little baby boy!


PJ meeting CJ for the first time. He was so gentle and excited to meet him.


In the OR, surgery went very well.

He is 2!

Happy Birthday Patrick!

We love you so much. Everyday we are amazed at the little man God is transforming you into. We love how you love people and like to cuddle with them. It may take you awhile for you to warm-up to them, but once it happens you are so sweet. We love that you are learning how to smile into the camera, so far squinting isn't quite what we have in mind, but you will get the hang of it. You love to help Mommy with all kinds of tasks, I am grateful, but continue to be patient with me as I try to orient them to your 2 year old capabilities. Everyday you are more like your father, concentrating hard on one task and so full of joy. We hope you never give up your love of trains and Legos! We are grateful that you love books and will happily sit yourself in your chair and read. Hopefully soon you will remember to say please and thank you when you make requests. We are also grateful for your 20 min running sessions around your room when you have been inside all day. We are grateful that you are such a wonderful eater even if you don't like chicken. We pray for you daily that God will call you into His Kingdom and that you will be a man that desires to fear the Lord. We love you our little monkey!


Love Mommy and Daddy
PS. I will post b-day pics later!

November 2008 and a little of Dec

In November my sister-in-law threw us a shower for CJ. It was very lovely and most of my family and friends were able to attend. We were so blessed by all of the gifts. There wasn't much that we needed, but it was nice to be showered. One of the greatest things was that she also held a raffle for all of those who brought diapers in addition to their gifts, so now we have probably a 6 month supply of diapers, what a blessing.


My sister drawing a baby on a paper plate, she was competing with my step-mom in a tiebreaker.



This onesie is specifically in honor of Steve. His mom found it and couldn't pass it up. So cute!


The spread, great food for brunch.


Thanksgiving this year was at Steve's parents house. Unfortunately, I got a really bad cold 5 days before and so we came late and left early. I thought the food was great, esp. since it had been the first real meal in a few days. There were lots of family there, we were a bit crowded to say the least.


With dinner a little crazy this was about the only photo we took the whole night. Steve's parents house is a grandchild heaven. They have almost every toy you could want.

After Thanksgiving we started to decorate the house for xmas. It was really great to get all of our stuff out, we hadn't seen it in two years! We got our first live tree, which was almost a Clark Griswald moment. After some trimming and rearranging of furniture we were able to make it fit. A new addition to the decorations this year was a motorized train for the bottom of the tree. Growing up my Dad always had one around the tree. This one is mostly for PJ, but I admit it feels more like xmas to have one running around the presents.


Our mantle, I love it. The only thing I am dreaming of is matching stockings. They weren't really in the budget and our family may not be done growing yet, so maybe in the next couple of years.


PJ is very unhappy that he has to wait to put up the train. Poor guy.


Sheer delight as we unpacked the box and he got to touch and move the train cars.

The first weekend of December we had the cousins over to decorate cookies. This may become a tradition, it was lots of fun. Kya (who is the oldest) is a great artist and very creative. Aliyah (Kya's sister) was happy to mix red and white to make pink. Ivy was very calculated in her movements and only really loved to decorate the star ones. PJ...hmmm... he loved to make a mess. His frosting became brown and camouflaged, I should have made army men cutouts. He also loved to eat the icing the most.


The table is all set for the little ones to make a mess!


Ivy concentrating hard on spreading the icing.


Some of their finished creations.


Just cause Kya is so cute!


PJ and Aliyah having some fun with frosting.

If you have made it all the way to the end, congrats. Obviously you love us very much. Now that I am all caught up hopefully I will continue to update the blog. I will be posting a Christmas letter soon and PJ turns 2 tomorrow! Crazy.

October 2008

October was a little more exciting.

We took a family vacation to Southern CA to visit our friends and to enjoy some warm weather. It was really great to see some wonderful friends that we hadn't seen in almost a year. They threw us a surprise shower for our soon to be newest addition, Christopher Jack. We realized the depth, height, and width of love that PJ has for his wooden trains. Me being a silly Mommy did not pack any to take on our trip (though I did buy some new toys to keep his interest on the plane), well after two days at the Calvi's he started doing a room by room inspection to see where some choo-choo's might be. After 20 mins he started to cry when he realized there were none there. Thankfully, the Calvi's were able to bring home their stash from the family bookstore for him, he was in heaven. PJ learned many things while at the Calvi's since they have 6 older kids, he learned that a bib in his world was no longer necessary, cereal really does need to be eaten with milk out of a bowl (again I am such a silly Mommy) and he doesn't need to sit on a booster seat (this one we have been able to curb since being back home!) Halfway through our stay we moved to the Lee's where all of his new tricks were reinforced, their youngest is the last of five and is a few months older than PJ. Thankfully, he did not learn how to drink out of a cup with no lid, (I had to put my foot down somewhere, I can only take so much change at once!) While in CA Steve and I were able to make it out by ourselves a few times, which was a real treat. Steve was so awesome in taking PJ and letting me rest and relax on the trip.


Playing in the Lee's pool, though it wasn't being heated we still had fun finding leaves in the rocks.


Photo op with Christie Lee at her husband's 40th bday party!


Feeding the horses with Dave Hinrichs, where we used to live.


Playing choo-choo's at the Lee's - so serious!

We also managed to get our family xmas pics done in Oct. Cards are coming, but we are sending them with the announcement of CJ's birth. I will show you some close winners.







Halloween rounded out the month. PJ was a monkey, which is very fitting for him. He loves them. We walked down the street to the church on the corner where they were having a little carnival. Which does not compete with the one Faith Bible Church in Spokane does every year. Anyway, he wasn't really understanding what was going on till we let him have a piece of chocolate, then he understood. His favorite kinds of candy, Nerds & Dum-Dums.


Playing a game with Daddy!


Scouring the loot!


Mmmm, chocolate!

The rest of September

Since I have been so uninspired to blog (though I am constantly checking everyone else's) I need to do some major catch up. In September we finally made it to Woodland Park Zoo with Steve, PJ graduated from the highchair to a booster seat at the table and the cousins celebrated their birthday.


PJ and Ivy playing at Kya and Aliyah's birthday party, we gave the girls tutu's (so cute).


Eating his most favorite food on graduation day; spaghetti!


Playing on the tractor with Daddy!