the aidas

blocks

2012-02-02T17:08:00.000-08:00

He was proud. And so was I. Rhys got these great Japanese character blocks for christmas from Uncle Tommy and wanted to build a huge tower. It was hard keeping Becks away, just the kind of thing he loves to destroy.

Beach house- Recap

2012-01-31T21:22:00.000-08:00

For our last weekend in cali, my dad rented a beach house in Newport for a few days. It was awesome to wake up and walk right out onto the beach. We played, ate yummy food, bike rides, celebrated dad's birthday at The Melting Pot, played some more, watched several gorgeous sunsets, and built numerous amounts of sand castles.

"Look at me, mom. Im crawling too." I guess its mutual wanting to be like brother.
We spent a lot of time outside. Everyone loved papa's bike rides. The wedge, Corona Del Mar. I could live there...
Gorgeous sunsets.

I love my little family.
Cali did not disappoint. The drive home was not nearly as fun. Or eventful for that matter. The boys and I were over driving by about hour 10. And as soon as we crossed into Oregon, the clouds rolled in and the mist started. Welcome home.

Beck's First Haircut

2012-01-31T14:49:00.000-08:00

Beckham got his first real hair salon haircut. I had, um, well, tried by myself thinking I could save a few bucks... but instead, it was way worse. Poor kid. His bangs closely resembled a jack-o-lanterns mouth. Luckily they have professionals to clean up that mess. Somethings just remind me that my little baby isn't so little any more. This is one of them.
He did great. Rhys's first haircut at a salon was traumatic. We both left in tears. Beckham is so easy going that he really was more interested in what was going on with the airplane he was sitting in that what was happening to his head.
He also got to enjoy his first sucker. That was a real treat.
Mean while, Rhys dusted two in the same 15 minutes. A very focused eater. This also made him less concerned with what was going on with his head.

And now I think he looks darling.

Look who's 32....

2012-01-30T16:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Babe. We love you so much and are so grateful that you love us too. You rock our world.

XoxOOxxoXoXX,
Wifey, Rhys and Becks

this was the balloon Rhys picked out just for you.

Beck's 1yr.

2012-01-19T21:12:00.000-08:00

This boy could not be more endearing. He is the happiest kid. Goes to bed easy, sleeps like you wouldnt believe, and only cries when hes tierd or, unfortunately, his bog brother is beeting up on him. The good news is that Rhys is finally starting to think hes pretty cool too and fun to play WITH not just near.

He is a super quick crawler, masters the stairs, walks along everything, can stand for a few seconds on his own before he gets too excited and usually face plants.

He is impossible to fill. He will sit and eat as long as we let him. He is done with baby food and eats everything. Loves to feed himself finger foods and I think its the cutest thing.

He says dada and plenty of babble in his own language, but thinks hes talking to us.

He thinks his brother is the coolest kid around. He watches his every move with envy and will always laugh at anything he does.

Weight- 24 lb 15 oz

height- 32 inches

Cali Continued

2012-01-18T20:16:00.000-08:00

We spent the next week doing an array of fun activities and really relaxing. We we to Huntington Beach to hang out with Justins brother, James.

The shooting range with my brothers.

Got pedicures with the girls.

Went to the movies and shopping.

And had a lot of cousin time.

Cabin

2012-01-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

Can can you not love life waking up to this??

Moving on. So the next day we headed up to a cabin with my mom in Arrowhead. Its so nice to just get away and be together as a family. We had a blast! We stayed up late playing games, laughing, poking fun at each other and eating. I really love my family.

Ashlyn and Rhys play so well together, except when they don't. HA!

We got up and went to play in the snow. There really is not alot up there, so we had to drive 45 minutes further up the mountain to a hill that is shaded most of the day to find enough snow to take a sled ride on. This picture makes me think of march of the penguins...

Rhys loved to "squuuiiiiisssshhhh" the snow balls. The sledding was kind of a bust. We didn't actually have sleds. And the amount of snow was minimal. And, well, my kids did not love it. Ashlyns monkey feet.

Court, Mom and Wes. After our snowman, we walked across the street to this diner for lunch. It was really good! Or we were all really hungry from our snow day.

The Drive

2012-01-17T20:22:00.000-08:00

We left the on the 27th for a very long straight shot drive to Cali. We have never done this. The thought was to leave around 3 in the morning, or whenever Beckham woke up. This worked out well because at 3 he was up, and Rhys woke up shortly after and casually walked out of his room (which he has decided to do lately, makes me crazy). We loaded and headed out, everything was great, until Koda started panting. I finally talked justin into stopping to let her go to the bathroom... 3 more times before 11am. Diarrhea dog on a road trip. Awesome.

Once we got past this, the boys were awesome for the rest of the 17 hour drive.

Until we hit the traffic. Yuck. Welcome to CA.

Christmas.

2012-01-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas was pefrect. This is the first time we have just been home with our little family and I loved it. That might be our new thing. It was so nice to wake up with our boys and watch the magic on their faces. I loved having my family all to myself and the focus on making it fun for the boys. This was the first year Rhys really got it and was totally into it, which made my job a lot more fun.
our poor attempt at a family photo christmas morning.

Beckhams birthday

2011-12-27T18:05:00.001-08:00

Oh my baby is one. I am still in a mild state of shock over what happened last year, but the anxiety wears off a little every time he smiles. So this is how our day went. We woke up around 9 and started making his birthday breakfast. He joined u's around 9:45. This kid likes to sleep in, he gets that from me. We devoured these ableskiever, they were yummy.

We ate fast and justin and i went to a friends house to get our butts kicked in a crossfit workout. Ouch. We then went on a scavenger hunt to find a place that sold cupcakes (I didn't want to make a whole batch with us leaving in the morning.) T
FYI, no one is open on the 26th if Christmas falls on a Sunday. We ended up getting one from claim jumper, red velvet. It was good. After some naps and packing, we ate left over BBQ ribs from Christmas, which Beckham loved!

Then we dug into the birthday cake. We had high expectations of what Beckham would do to this, and we were blown away. He dug right in and was stuffing the whole thing in his mouth. I'm thinking he loved that too.

Followed by a bath. (I have pictures of this too, but they will not grace the pages of this blog)

This was followed by the biggest sugar high I have ever seen in any kid. He crawled laps around the house and was screaming like a banshee. you could literally see his little mind turning. This could be one of two things. 1. A good thing that he doesn't generally eat much sugar or 2. a horrible thing that we took pure joy in watching him get all hopped up on cake. Either way, I am so blessed to have him as my little boy and to get to spend everyday with his happy little face. He is so sweet and fun and I couldn't be more happy that he joined our family. I love you goose.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-26T15:12:00.001-08:00

From our family to yours.

2011-12-19T22:03:00.000-08:00

I got a email (ha!) from my sister today saying that I need to update my blog. The nerve! Just kidding. Apparently I have been a bit preoccupied with getting everything ready for Christmas. I am also in pure shock that my baby is turning one in a week. Could it really have been a whole year already? ANways, I am desperately trying to soak up these last moments of him as my baby. But I am really excited to have my own little Christmas and birthday party with my family. And we leave for California a couple days after Christmas, so January will be full of updates.

Merry Christmas!

Tis the season...

2011-12-14T09:50:00.001-08:00

For being sick. Everyone is feeling completely run down lately. The humidifier has gone from one room to another depending on who has the worst cough. It started in Beckhams room while we had pneumonia, then into Rhys's to help prevent his cold to turning into it. Now they both have the thickest green snot I have ever seen and Beckhams viral infection has spread into his eye, meaning big eye boogers. Not to mention they had become slightly nocturnal the last few weeks and were both getting up twice a night, at different times. I am tired. Let's just hope we kick this cold and the new sleep habits before we head to Cali.

Kelly

Lets meet Santa

2011-12-07T21:14:00.000-08:00

Beckham met Santa for the first time. Didn't think much of it.

Rhys wouldn't get anywhere near him. And used me as a human shield when I got close with Beckham.

2011-11-26T12:22:00.001-08:00

Look who decided it's time to crawl. 11 months to the day.

Kelly

I love fall

2011-11-20T21:22:00.000-08:00

So I guess Oregon has a few redeeming qualities. Its Fall is one of them. I have been in heaven with all the crisp air and lack of rain. And the crunchy bright leaves are a favorite, unfortunately mostly with my phone.

Rhys- 2yo 7mo

2011-11-19T21:13:00.000-08:00

What a fire cracker. This kid is so crazy and so fun. Everyday he says or does something new that has me cracking up. His vocabulary has gotten really amazing.

He weighs in at 34 also very heavy pounds.
He is so sweet. He loves to give hugs, beso's and "I love you mom" in this funny voice. Everyday when dad comes home he runs to the garage and opens the door and says "Hey dad, how go work?" Which is then followed by "bye mom, have fun in the big truck. Dont forget your purse."
He loves trains, planes and automobiles. His favorite movie is CARS, and a close second is CARS 2. He loves Mater, "Lightming", and "Bachesco" (Francesco). He also loves to watch Chuggington and Thomas. He could spend hours driving his trains around their tracks and he carries one of them where ever he goes. Unfortunately that means we have lost a few and that his supply has dwindled. Good thing Christmas is around the corner.

He loves to run and jump and chase and be chased, and since his orthodics, he has becomes so much better at keeping up.

His favorite day is wednesday when we go to Story time. He knows when we drive by the library and when we get to pull in he is so happy. He loves when we go to our friends house. He plays so well with other kids. He is just a happy kid.

He loves his brother. If Beckham is crying he says "Mom go check on Brother." And when he wakes up he usually beats me into his room to say "Hi brother. Hi cutie." He is also learning how to share. He usually needs to be reminded that if he wants the toy brother is playing with, then he needs to get him another one. But sometimes he gives him all his best toys just to be nice. Or he will bring an extra train for brother when I tell him to just bring 2. When I ask him to only bring two again, he informs me this is for brother.
He still loves cheese, pasta, apples, cookies, "shlocate" (chocolate), cereal, carrots, puffs (one of Beckhams foods. He informs me, "Rhysie loves Puffs too. Can I have some?") and "samwiches."He knowss most of his letters and can count to 16 consecutively. He is still grasping the concept of evey thing gets one number when you are counting how many, but sometimes he gets it right. He is also finally figuring out which color is what. He used to say everything was blue or green.

Beckham-10 months

2011-11-18T21:16:00.000-08:00

I have been the worst at keeping track of things for this ones baby book, so I need to put down a few things.

This kid. Boy. He has been something else from the get go. I could not be more wrapped around his fat little finger. He is so happy. Like really really happy. The only time he is fussy is if he is stuck, or is ready for bed.

He is 22.8 very heavy pounds.
He does not crawl. He didnt even roll until October, but he has gotten pretty efficient at getting to where he wants to go. I think he is a bit closer to walking than crawling.
He has 5 teeth (3 on top, 2 on bottom).
He loves to play with whatever his brother is playing with. If Rhys has his train set out, Beckham rolls right on over (and usually right on top of it) to destroy, I mean play with. Luckily Rhys is getting better at sharing.

He loves to watch his brother and laugh at whatever he is laughing at.

When ever he sees something he wants, he starts diving, climbing and reaching with everything he has to get it.

He babbles, squeales, yells, squacks, blows bubbles, grunts, and laughs in this deep little voice until you look at him. Then he flashes his big grin.

He still sucks his thumb, but only sometimes. Im hoping he kicks this habbit all together real soon.
A typical night is he goes to bed at 7:30, wakes up at 6am to eat and go right back to sleep till 9. I am totally ok with this set up. It helps that the sun doesn't come up till 7:30 so he can dose off again.

He still has red hair, these steel grey eyes, and some big 'ol cheeks.
Its hard to remember life without him. He gets more and more fun every day.

[PC] Day 22

2011-11-15T09:45:00.000-08:00

Hands
my big handed big little boy loves to hold mine while we snuggle. I melt with his sweet little gestures.

Fall colors love

2011-11-09T22:30:00.001-08:00

Oregon has a few redeeming qualities. It's fall is one of them. We joke that the leaves are soggy, which they are, but this year has been particularly dry and wonderful. Just a crispness in the air and lots of sunshine. This is something I could get used to.

Kelly

Recap- San Juan Islands and Wedding

2011-11-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

Oh, to be done with recapping and on to whats actually happening...

At the beginning of October, I went up to the San Juan Islands (just north of Seattle) with my dad for a quick trip. Some times we plan out every detail from where we are are going to stay to the activities booked well in advance. This was not one of those times. In all my traveling I have learned a few things: Some places its nice to get there and find the area that you want to stay in before booking a hotel. Others, you need a reservation well in advance because there is a U2 concert in town that night and all the hotels in a 30 mile radius of Dublin are booked, leaving you stranded until 11:30pm driving around to end up in a small room above a very busy pub....Anyways.

So for this trip, I was thinking that since its the end of tourist season up there, we would have no trouble finding somewhere to stay when we got there. This probably would have been true if we had tried to find something before all the offices closed at 5. And that would have been done had we not been 5 minutes too late for the ferry, which left us waiting for an hour and a half waiting for the next one. I know what your thinking. Isn't that an hour and a half that you could have found something..... but no. Dont really have any exceses there. The good news in misisng that ferry is that our sunset ferry ride was gorgeous!!

Anacortes to Friday Harbor

And just like the lodging, I thought we could get there and book a boat tour to go see the orca's, since that was my main reason for going up there. Wrong. Because it is the end of the season, there was only 1 boat even going and by the time we called they only had 3 spots left. We needed 4. Curses. In my effort to find a boat, I did get ahold of a wonderful lady who gave me the insider scoop that the Orca's were headed back to the islands from a 3 day hiatus and she called me about an hour before they were supposed to be passing along the coast. So, after spending all morning waiting to see these whales, thinking I would have to come again next year if this was a failure, they came! Success!

After a day in the Islands, we headed down to Seattle for my second cousins wedding. Justin flew in that night. It was a beautiful small ceremony and reception at the Salish Lodge in Snoqualamie. And as always, it was great to see our family again.

29 degrees

2011-11-02T11:56:00.001-07:00

Brrrrrrrrrrr. It's chilly out. Perfect day for jammies, hot chocolate, and CARS 2 with my little boys.

Kelly

[PC] Day 20

2011-11-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

Bokeh- Hello Bee.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T22:03:00.000-07:00

This has been the best Halloween ever. It is so fun to do halloween with kids. And it is even more fun once they get whats going on! We have been to 2 trunk or treats, a costume party and then trick or treating tonight, and he has gotten the hang of it.

[PC] Day 19 and pumpkin patch

2011-10-30T21:39:00.000-07:00

Something Orange

How appropriate! Im just going to tie this one into our pumpkin picking adventure.We took Justins mom with us to pick out our pumpkins this year. We like to go to a local home that has a big field of pumpkins to choose from. This year we went a bit to late, so they were all cut and pulled to the side of the road. But it was a gorgeous 75 degree day (which is rare!!).

Summer Recap- September 24th

2011-10-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

We went for a last beautiful day at the coast. We knew this would be one of our last warm days of the year, so we went to Ecola state park. It was a bit chilly, but gorgeous! We even walked over to check out the tide pools.

Summer Recap- Raspberry picking

2011-10-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

We met up with our friends and went to our first ever raspberry picking experience. I cant believe we had never gone in all our years living here. Its so cheap. We had so much to eat, make into freezer jam and cobblers for weeks. Delicious. We will definitely be doing this again next year, maybe more than once!

Summer Recap- Seattle

2011-10-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

Still working on th recap. This is from August.

My dad, little boys and I went to Seattle for literally 38 hours. It was a fast fun trip. We started off by going to the Seattle Mariners game. The boys both did great, and Rhys caught a foul ball while sitting on my dads lap. He was a little scarred when all the people were looking at him and cheering. It was a blast.

The next morning we walked to Pikes place from our hotel. Very cool. I had never been so we headed to the flying fish counter. We also sampled the Cheese factory and get some fresh peaches.
Then we headed to the Space Needle to get some great views of the city.
Then we headed to the new Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation facilities for a private tour. Its very gorgeous. That night we went to my second cousins birthday party at my great uncles house. Its always so great to get together with family.

13 things update

2011-10-28T15:14:00.001-07:00

So I have felt a little guilty having 13 unfinished things on my self, so I got busy. And I added a few other things to the list.

Picnic caddies

Halloween wreath

Guest room headboard and pillows

Covered the pillow for the boys room

I put a bird on it.
And I made the boys costumes fir Halloween. This was a huge pain, but maybe if I hadn't started the day before they need to be done, it would have been a little less stressful. But I think they look great.

This is how it started.

To this.

Ah. Feels great.

[PC] Day 17

2011-10-11T21:18:00.001-07:00

Technology

Since the second I saw this was one of the challenges, all I could think about is Napoleon Dynamite... "Yes I love technology, but not as much as you you see....."

Anyways. Here's what I love. My computer. And pinterest. And this owl. Hopefully I can pull it off in time for Halloween for the little boys.

[PC] Day 16

2011-10-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

Long Exposure

[PC] Day 15

2011-10-10T21:31:00.001-07:00

Silhouette

I swear I have not given up. I am slowly but surely finishing this challenge. Emphasis on slowly. This picture was taken on our ferry ride to the San Juan Islands up above Seattle this past weekend. Its Beautiful up there and this is in my top 3 prettiest sunsets ever. More on that later.

{CORRECTION}

THIS is what happens when you blog late at night. Ok, it was only 9:30, but I was in bed asleep by 9:45. Anyways, I posted the wrong picture. In my effort to go to bed faster, I did not pay attention to what I was posting.... Um, yea. Heres what I had intended to put up.

[PC] Day 14

2011-10-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

Eyes

Road Trip [cont. 4]

2011-10-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

After staying an extra day in Magrath, we left early Tuesday morning to drop my sister off in Missoula. She had to fly home for their trek, so my mom and I finished the trip by ourselves. To get to Missoula though, we had a couple options. First was the way we came, around Glacier NP, or straight through it. I wanted to go through it, my mom did not. My thought is how could you not go through it, its so pretty. My mom was terrified to drive over Going to the Sun Pass, but knew I would look around to much to trust me to drive. It literally took us up to the entrance of the park to decide. And into the park we went. Its a pretty small road, but since they were doing construction, it was one way at a time for a lot of the really scary parts. Unfortunately it was cloudy and raining at the top (and very cold) so we will have to brave the pass another time when we can look around and enjoy its beauty. Courtney and I were very excited. My mom was not. The East side of the park was not so bad. The road was fine and the visibility was good. You couldn't see the tops of the mountains, but you could tell its gorgeous and majestic. I was, however, the only one brave enough to get out at the top. It was really cold and I had to ask some other people, to take my picture. Once we left the pass to go down the other side, it got a little scary. The cloud cover was really thick and low and you could barely see the front of the car, let alone the road. This is where the panic really set in for my mom and all fun was gone. Instead of helping her see the road, I decided to take pictures when I could. Its really a good thing I wasn't driving, I would have been very distracted! They were also doing a lot of construction on the road, so it wasn't all paved, nor was there a guard rail. And it was raining. It may have been a good thing we couldn't see more or we would have been more scared of the cliffs of death. The Weeping wall
We made it back to Portland the next day, and thus concluded our beautiful rooad trip.

temple

2011-09-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

My friend and I took our kids to the temple. It was much better than I thought it was going to go. We had a gorgeous day to walk around the grounds, sing "I love to see the temple" and sit in the atrium for the longest 2 minutes ever. The boys did an amazing job, but trying to keep a three, two and 9mo old quiet is tricky. So we continued back outside.

[PC] Day 13

2011-09-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

Yourself with 13 things
This is kinda embarrassing.... These are 13 unfinished craft projects. We joked about taking this picture when my friends and I were talking about doing the challenge, we call it craft day after all. So here it is. They are all missing one part or another, and I just dont have that much time in my day because, well, I like to go to bed early, play with my kids more than I should, and take a break to catch up on my trash tv programs (so at our next craft day we can chat about who got kicked off survivor, who should have gotten kicked off the sing-off, or what in the world are Kacey and Vienna talking about on Bachelor pad). Not to mention the occasional nap when my insomnia kicks in once a month.
1. Wreath form for Halloween 2. Beckhams blanket fabric 3. Canvas for something 4. Picnic caddy (I finished the 3 others that we currently need)5. Rhys's baby book... yea, I need to get that done. 6. ugly halloween wreath I need to fix and use the form from #1 7. Yarn for another wreath Im thinking about for christmas 8. Boxes for my shelves that need to get lined 9. The ribbon to make Beckhams hooded towel to match Rhys's (I finished this today! check) 10. Pillow for Guest room 11. Pillow for Rhys's bed 12. Coverent Diaper box for downstairs bathroom. I think it needs a bird on it in the corner. 13. Frame to make into christmas card holder or necklace holder. I havent decided.

[PC] Day 12

2011-09-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

Sunset

This was not taken today, but it is the last picture of a sunset I took. It was from my backyard, and I couldnt believe the colors.

Road Trip [cont.3]

2011-09-20T15:27:00.001-07:00

We went to Waterton for the day, which is in Glacier National Park on the Canada side. It's only about an hour away from my families house and was a beautiful sunny day. We roasted hotdogs, threw rocks in the lake, went to a splash pad and playground for the kids, and had a great time with the family.
The whole family was in on the rock throwing.Rhys and Talan. They are buddies. Rhys would do everything Talan did. Mom and Aunt Jan

[PC] Day 11

2011-09-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

Something BlueMy Boys room!! Its finally done! I have always wanted my boys to share a room, and I'm so excited they do now! Its nothing fancy, but I love it. I got the comforters from target. They are both Queen sized blankets, but I cut one to make it fit in the crib and used it for over the window. My mom and I finished Rhys's bed last time she was here; it used to be Justins when he was little. We cut some stuff out/off, added beadboard and painted it. I love how it turned out. This has been a 18 month project to get it just the way I wanted, and cheaply, and it couldn't make me happier.

Road Trip '11 [cont.2]

2011-09-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

We spent some time out at my granpas ranch. Thats his house above the field. Gorgeous! I love it out there. I have so many memories of this place, it was great to get back. I would love to live in a place like this.

Luckily it was Beckhams nap time, so while he slept we went quading around the pastures. Rhys loved it! He was scarred at first when we would go right next to the cows, but he did great and was soon saying hi and bye to every one of them.

My awesome mom and sister. I love that going back to Canada lets my mom let loose. She just walks out, jumps on the quad and goes. She was leaving my sis and I in the dust. You can tell she grew up working on the farm. Shes fearless. Rhys got a ride from grampy. He loved it! "Tractor! Another tractor! 2 tractors! Look at all the tractors! Lots and lots of tractors" Did I mention he was in heaven?

[PC] Day 10

2011-09-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

Childhood MemorySince this ttok so long, I'll do a couple. This is me riding my brothers ATV thing. This thing was awesome! We used it up until we were 10 or so. I tried to find a picture of when my brother and I did a triathlon in the back yard. He is 2 years older than me, so it little different than a regular race. I used water wings for the swim, he had to swim the pool length twice. I rode the ATV while he biked. And Im pretty sure he still won. That is one of my earliest memories.

note: check out my sweet outfit. Sweet hand-me-downs from my brother, all the way down to my checked VANS. Oh yea!
Despite my inability to dance well now, my mom tried hard to give me a good foundation in ballet and jazz. I had recitals (with my moms awesome handywork in making the outfit) and would pose all on my own. I really liked that part.

[PC] Day 9

2011-09-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

Someone you love

Predictable, I know. But they rule my world.

Road trip '11 [cont.]

2011-09-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

We went to Magrath Days. This means the little town in which I was born throws a big bash that lasts all weekend. There is a parade, family softball tournament, petting zoo, bounce house, live music, a dance, fireworks and they used to have a huge bonfire until some idiots blew it up last year. Stupid kids. This is all in a town of maybe 3,000 people. I can count the number of stops signs on my fingers. Its small. And I love it. We did everything.
This is a huge feet for Rhys to overcome. He is kinda terrified of animals that get too close. Even dogs. My family runs a big cattle ranch that we would go to growing up (and by we, I mean my brother.) Rhys loves tractors and got to ride with my cousin Dougie. He was thrilled, once he got past being terrified of that too.

[PC] Day 8

2011-09-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

A Bad Habit

So my dad asked what I was going to do for this picture on the morning of when it should have been posted. I told him I didnt have any. He lovingly offered to give suggestions. Thanks dad.

Turns out its hard to photograph procrastination. This will have to do. This is a little corner in my kitchen that I hate. I hate that it always looks so messy, no matter how many times I clean it. I hate that I cant help but fill that little tray with so much stuff it over flows. I hate that the pile is only organized to me, like when my husband asks wheres this paper and I tell him in the pile he gets this dreadful look on his face like I just sent him into lions den. Oh well.

Camping at the Coast

2011-09-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend was amazing. We all had so much fun, even Koda thought she was in heaven. We went camping with our friends the Wilkinsons and had a blast. And considering we didnt have spots reserved, we found an amazing place that we will definitely go to again.

We were going to go to this great lake in the mountains that is first come first serve (hence the lack of reservations), but due to a wild fire 15 miles from there, the campground was closed. With a day to re-plan, but a horrible reservation site, we decided to just go anyways and hope for the best. We woke up early on friday morning to head out towards Tillamook. We found this awesome county camp site called Barview Jetty just north of Girabali. It was great and we got some big awesome spots.

He was so tired by the end of the day.

We set up camp and poked around the campground. We found a cool sand dune that we had to climb. And I got this tent for my birthday to help make Camping a bit more comfortable. We called it Hotel de' Aida. Its a sweet 10 man tent that Justin can stand up in. Yes, I know we are only a little bunch of 4. And no, I am not going to have 8 kids to stuff this thing full. Its just roomy and comfortable and I love it.

We went to the beach on Saturday and it was perfect. It was 75 degrees, sunny, beautiful and no wind. It was perfect. The Oregon coast is beautiful. Beckham was loving the attention from their girls. Tin foil dinners and bon fires. Its what camping is all about right. That and Rhys lounging in their hammock. He loves to chill. And Koda took it upon herself to make herself comfy around the campfire after the kids went to bed.

2011-09-09T09:17:00.001-07:00

I interupt this challenge for an emergency sunshine outing. We are going camping for the weekend and will resume the photo challenge upon arrival. Thanks!

[PC] Day 7

2011-09-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

FruitJust the inspiration I needed to get my family out of the house for a walk to pick blackberries. One of my favorite things about Oregon is the rampant blackberry bushes every where. We have a field full of them behind our house and have enjoyed several cobblers and crisp this year.

[PC] Day 6

2011-09-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

From a Low Angle

We had fun in Seattle. Cant wait to go back!

[PC] Day 5

2011-09-05T22:28:00.001-07:00

From a High Angle

This was taken at a recent trip to Seattle on top of the Space Needle. My literal high angle.

[PC] Day 4

2011-09-05T22:26:00.000-07:00

Something Green

Sorry. This was yesterdays. I had a minor misunderstanding with a fellow challenger, but it has been resolved. And no more muffs. I don't want to be the chump in my own challenge.

Anyways, this is a watermelon for summer. I'm going to miss it when it leaves, so we are soaking up every moment.

[PC] Day 3

2011-09-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

Clouds

For living in a place where 9 months out of the year we have clouds everyday, today was not one of them. Here is a picture taken today void of clouds. We took advantage of it by going to the coast to enjoy 80 degree weather. Bliss. Anyways. I have lots of pictures of clouds because I love they way they give dimension to the sky. These are from the last couple years.

Central park, NY- July 2008

Noosa, Australia- September 2008

New Zealand- December 2008

Grand Tetons- August 2010

Lightning storm in DC- April 2011

Southern Alberta- July 2011

Glacier National Park- July 2011

[PC] Day 2

2011-09-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

What You Wore Today

So knowing what the picture challenge was today, there was a lot of pressure this morning over what to put on. I mean, your outfit for the world to see. Yikes. I spent a little too much time trying on different things hoping for the perfect match. Fail. Why is it when you HAVE to be crafty/fashionable/clever all inspiration leaves. I kept looking at my clothes thinking nothing matched. I picked up some pants and literally thought what do I usually wear with this? This happens alot. I need that computer in Clueless where it matches all your clothes for you and then pulls them out. But I love nothing more than a good white shirt and dark jeans. Classic.

Yes, I was in these clothes today, despite my absence from the picture. But considering we dont have a full length mirror, I didnt want a picture of me standing on the bath tub and scrunching down to get it all in the shot.

In case your interested: Shirt- Ashmarlin, Jeans- CoH, Shoes- TOMS, Bag- GUESS, bracelett- Tiffany's

[Photo Challenge] Day 1

2011-09-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

Self Portrait

This is what I picked. Originally I thought it would be cool to take one and only shot each day and see how it goes. That went out the window after I saw the first picture. And I picked this onefor a couple reasons. 1. Its sunny. And I love to be outside when its sunny. This happens to be druing my boys afternoon naps, and I like to go read my book outside, in peace, to soak up the last bit of summer. 2. Its not great. I figure it can only go up from here.

a Challenge

2011-09-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

In the interest of a recent pinterest challenge from Mari, I wanted to do one of my own. I found this list on pinterest the other day and I really wanted to do it. Its a 30 day Photo challenge from White Peach Photography. Heres the list :
Im going to do it every day of September and you should too!! Who's with me?!

Road Trip '11

2011-08-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

Every year we road trip to somewhere. This year was awesome. My mom, sister, the little boys and I went to Canada. It was great. My mom (and I) are Canadian, and all of her side of the family still lives in southern Alberta. Growing up, I used to go up for a couple weeks every summer and rummage around with my cousins. We havent been back in 5 years and I was itching to get back. Unfortunately that wasnt enough to convince my mom to go. It took a lesson in YW and my little sister getting bossy to get my mom to agree. They flew up here and we took off.

We spent the night in Coeur d'Alene, Id. What a beautiful place. I could have spent a few days walking around and playing on the lake.
look at me sitting up all by my self

That is probably the prettiest drive we have done yet. I kept looking around the whole way thinking I want to live here (or at least have a cabin to live during the summer).
Crossing the Border, we were all a bit stir crazy at this point.

the Cardston Temple

[recap] Cocoa Beach and Kennedy Space Center

2011-08-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

On our last day, we headed out to the beach. It was nice to get into the warm water, especially for all the kids. But not as refreshing from the warm air. I had both kiddos so I didn't get any pictures, other than on my phone.

We then went to Kennedy Space Center. With the last shuttle launch scheduled the day after we left, we were hoping to get out to see it sitting on the launch pad, but we were 15 minutes late. We were bummed, but it was great to walk around all the old rockets. They also had a launch simulator that was awesome!

[recap] Disneyworld

2011-08-26T22:26:00.000-07:00

We spent the day at Disney's Animal Kingdom. What a cool place. We go to Disneyland all the time, so this was the only theme park we were really interested in. It is huge, and very cool. It is kinda a glorified zoo, but the best part is the safari ride. You get so close to the animals.

Justin and Rhys tried their hand at some dancing. It was pretty stinking cute. And Rhys was slightly terrified.

The tigers were definitely my favorite part.

A Challenge.

2011-08-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

We interupt the (attempt of) summer recap to blog a challenge. I love a good challenge. Or even a crappy one. It doesnt matter. My friend put a challenge to do pinterest. Instead of just pinning the fabulous things, to actually spend a week doing them. Sounds great! I only had a few days notice, so I didnt get something done every day, but it was nice to put into fruition all the busy pins.

Stuffed Zucchini from Kayotic Kitchen.

We have had an overactive Zucchini plant and I have had to come up with more ways prepare them. Its been fun. and these were delicious! I'm even more excited that they were really easy.

Glazed Carrots on the BBQ from Patio Daddio BBQ.

Blackberry Cobbler from Martha.

[recap] 4th of July

2011-08-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

We took a day off of the rat race and just stayed at the pool and swam. This way all the kids could get a much needed long nap (which they did all at the same time, in one room. It was amazing) so they would be happier to stay up a little longer for fireworks. That night we headed to a BBQ at my uncles house with the rest of my family that was still there. It was so good to see every one.

We even made a little trip down to see their local alligator, Morgan, who got stuck in a storm water ditch and is 18 ft now so he cant get out. You just call him and he swims over to you. It was very erie, but so cool.

the wedding

2011-08-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

We went to the wedding. It was alot of fun and so good to see all of our family again. Nicole looked gorgeous, the reception food was delicious, and watching the kiddos dance around was great.

gatorland

2011-08-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

ok. Recap. July was awesome. I dont even mind being gone for 22 days because the weather here was still crappy. So we started off by going to Florida for my cousins wedding. We took the whole family and had a week in the warm sun. I'll post by events in kinda chronological order.

first, we went to Gatorland. it was great. I never thought I would have liked it, but it was cool. we watched the gator feeding show, sat on a gator, fed tortoises, played in the water, and tried to stay cool.

first fish

2011-07-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

Rhys caught his first fish yesterday. He was quite proud, as was his daddy.

july

2011-07-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

This has been a great month! We were gone for the first 14 days, and we leave again next week for another 8. Its a good thing the weather still sucks here. So in the midst of getting a new camera and leaving the old one in cali, All I have from our first adventures are from my phone.

First thing, we flew to Florida to go to my cousins wedding. It was great. Gatorland, Animal Kingdom, Cocoa beach, kennedy Space Center.

Next we hung out with Justins family in California.

And next week we are off to Magrath, Canada to be with my moms family for a week. Yeah!!

canning casualty

2011-06-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

We had the portable caner last week to get ahead on our food storage and after all this: (88 cans of oats, beans, bean soup, rice, oat groats, flour, and sugar. I kept 36)

the only casualty was this.

He cut up the pad of his finger in this nasty jig jagged pattern. Its gross. Now he has his "silly purple singer"

Rhys 2yr. 2 mo.

2011-06-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

Rhys is a chatter box! He is the narrator to absolutely everything. He repeats everything we say, which means we have to be so much more careful! Some words just sound so bad coming out of his mouth. He loves to play outside in the "buckyard", imitating daddy as he mows with his fire truck. He loves the smell the roses and say "um, smells good." He loves having a garden, playing in the dirt and watering the plants. He is terrified of cats and dogs other than Koda. We just moved him out of the crib into his big boy bed, so naps and bedtime (and morning) have become a struggle. He loves to sneak into the bonus room and find his toys, or empty the wipes container. Both are equally as fun. He loves his friends and always asks to go their house to play. He is still not so chatty with strangers, and usually waits until they are out of ear shot and/or he whispers to them, usually things like thank you and bye. He loves to get up and have breakfast with dad, then wave to him as he goes to work. He loves to point out every bus, tractor, airplane, motorcycle, school bus, boat and train that goes by. And then we have to find "an other" one. He loves to sing "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam", "ring around the rosey," and "the wheels on the bus." He is so fun and so bold and says some of the best things. He has me laughing every day!

Beck's 6 mo.

2011-06-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

The six month stats:

height: 27 inches

weight: 17.8 lbs

He dont look like no premie. He is so "talkative", he has really found his voice lately. He is so close to rolling over, in fact he started today while laying on the exam table at the dr.'s office. Yeah, that was nice. Its a good thing the nurse was standing there and caught him from rolling right off the edge. He is getting better at sitting up, but those cheeks weigh down this face. He's not a huge fan of tummy time or sitting in the bumbo. He is such a good sleeper. He tells you when hes tired and just wants to be put down and left alone. He loves to watch his brother play and dance around him. And Rhys has gotten in the habit of telling him everything he is doing (example: "Look Beckham, fire truck! See it!"). He is a thumb/finger sucker. This little boy has us so wrapped up in him. He smiles at everyone, has killer blue eyes, and still has his red hair. I love you b.

this is the best picture of his cheeks! They really are amazingly big.

trying something new

2011-06-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

We finally got our garden in this year. One of the most exciting things about moving to Oregon was that we would get to have a garden. I dont think you can live here and not have a garden, it just seems like one of those things. We are growing beans, peas, strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, zuchini, yellow squash, cilantro and basil. Yum!And our Dahlias and roses are doing great too! We have taken out half the rose bushes, and Im hoping to take the rest out one day. They just arent very practicle with kiddos and honestly the bush itself is ugly. But the flowers are pretty, so I will enjoy them while I can.

cali

2011-06-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

We went to Cali. Again. And it was awesome. Ill let the pics do most of the talking.
the whole fam- well, dad is takin the pic

face plant.

we dug a tunnel. epic success.

i really like pelicans.

me and my boys.

the cousins.

j-rex.

dash.

the Amgen tour of CA.

chocolate fondue. twice.

these two play so well.

peek-a-boo feet.

manzanita

2011-05-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

We had a wnderful overnite getaway to the Oregon coast a few weeks ago. It was nice to get away for the night. The boys did awesome all crammed into a cozy room and Becks did especially well sleeping in the bath tub. It was the perfect day until it got super cold and windy. But Rhys loved the sand and Becks laughed everytime the wind blew the tent in. So we bailed around noon. Naps on the way home for the boys. Perfect.

duhna nana nana nana... bath time

2011-05-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

sung like batmans theme song...
something about wet babies makes them so cute.

DC

2011-05-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

Oh what a fun trip. I met up with my dad and brother in DC for my birthday weekend. I only took Beckham, who was an absolute angel. We hit the red eye out and got into DC at 8 am. This was great in theory, except Beckham was the only one who slept on the plane. And it meant that we spend a good portion of our day sleeping. But once we woke up, we went to the national mall for a long walk around all the monuments.

The next day we headed up to Baltimore for the day. The rush concert was there that night, and my wonderful friend Christi came up too. She took Beckham home with her that night while I went to the show. Thanks again Christi!! We spent the day walking around the downtown promenade checking out the ships, eating five guys, walking over to little italy to get canoli's (which are now where near as good as Boston's), walking back to eat at McCormicks grill, and then heading to the show. Another great day.

On Saturday, we went to Mt. Vernon for the day. We walked around the grounds and awed at the view of the Potomac. On Sunday, we went to the Museum of Natural History and spent way too much time in the rocks section. The Dowdells (the people we were staying with) made a wonderful Easter dinner!

That night we went on a walk around their park, and got to watch an awesome lightning storm. I wish we had more of those in oregon. I like the rain when the air is warm and we can sit outside and watch the sky light up. Gorgeous.

The next day I went with Christi, her kiddos, and my dad to Great Falls NP to walk around until my dad had to be at the airport.

We stopped by coldstone for my birthday lunch before heading back to Christi's house for a nap outside. It was the perfect trip until I missed my direct flight and had to be rerouted through Denver. That sucked! But it was wonderful. And really nice to be with just Beckham for a few days. I feel like I got to know him so much better (which sounds so weird), but we finally figured each other out.

Rhys lingo

2011-05-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

Ill let you decipher the talk and see if you can guess his favorite sayings these days.

1. "susic"
2. "ina dat un"
3. "boo-be-by!"
4. "ow-seeide"
5. "i yuhve you!"
6. "hunterhunter"
7. "cackers"
8. "petsoles"
9. "carry you"

and his favorite sayings that we can totally understand:
1. "its stuck!"
2. "oh hi, bruhder"
3. "ready, set, go" followed by running
4. "uh, bonks!"
5. "Koda besos"
6. "i need more"
7."dancing"
8. "we're cookin"
9. "happy birthday!"
10. "buh bye, see ya!"
11. "mmm, delicious"

His talking is getting better and better everyday. Love him!

some days

2011-05-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

Some days I am so wrapped up in my boys, I dont want to do anything but play and be with them. Today is one of those days. We had big plans full of shopping and parks and even maybe the gym. Instead, we didnt get out of the shower until after noon. We played and sang and danced. We learned about how the laundry machine works and made train tracks in circles. We ate pancakes while watching Elmo for breakfast and split an "orange drink" and a pb&j sandwhich for lunch. I saw Rhys rubbing his eyes for nap time and I kept putting it off saying "Dont you want to play with this?" Now its nap time and I'm sitting in the quiet house alone. My little buddies are both happily sleeping and I just wish they weren't. I love hearing Rhys talk and sing to him self. I love his enthusasim for the small things. I love Beckhams blowing bubbles to get you to smile at him. I love how they love each other.

Most days I long for my silence. I long for the time when I can sit down and relax. But not today.

Happy Mothers Day

2011-05-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful to be the momma of these two babes. They make my life complete and I cant begin to describe how happy they make me.

And I am so grateful to my mom. She is an amazing woman. Her generosity, love, patience, kindness, sense of humor, humility and wisdom are an inspiration to me. She has taught me how to love my children unconditionally through her example. She has taught me to be independent and how to take care of the needs of my family. I still can't believe all she does for me. Her laugh is infectious and her happiness is constant. I love you mom! You are a best friend!

And thank you to Vickie, my mother-in-law, for raising Justin to be a wonderful man and father. He is wonderful and I thank you for it. And being a wonderful grandma to my boys.
dont mind my grampy. this is the most recent picture i could find.

Ashmarlin Annual Sale

2011-05-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

My friend started this company that makes the perfect shirt. Seriously! They are breathable, don't roll up, and have the perfect sleeve! They are really amazing! They are such great quality. So they are having their first sale next week and giving 20% off everything! Please check them out! ashmarlin.com

rhys's birthday

2011-05-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

I think we ended up celebrating rhys's birthday 3 times. it was more of a week celebration.

On his actual birthday, we went to OMSI with our friends the McIlmoils. He had fun playing in their discovery center. We finished it off with a trip to Pudding on the Rice. It was awesome! That night we made him a strawberry shortcake and he got to blow out his two candles. I left that night for Washington DC, and when I got back, we celebrated again.

He got a train track set from us, baseball and bat and sidewalk chalk from the McIlmoils, and his ride in airplane from grandpa Hide. It is really awesome. I cant wait for the weather to clear up and he can ride it outside.

he spends most his time now in his airplane and playing with his "happy birthday trains." He is too cute. Im still in shock that he is 2!!

cowboy up

2011-04-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago, we got to go with the McIlmoils to work their cows about an hour south of here. It was gorgeous! I would love to live on a farm one day with nothing but open land around me. We had a great time roaming around and playing outside. And it was actually a nice day. Justin got to try his hand at the cattle shoots and help with the immunizations. I think he loved it. On the way home he was trying to come up with a way we could buy a cow and have it live in the field behind our house. I knew he had a little country in him!

Hunter Bug and Alexis Lulu playing with the salamander

Rhys had a blast being outside all day long!

tupil festival

2011-04-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

This year we made it down to the Woodburn tulip festival. It turned out to be a gorgeous day. There is a great kid area to play, complete with pony rides and duckie races. Rhys was able to run free with his friends Sadie and Quinn.Rhys with his friends. Nearly impossible to get them to all look at the same time!
and the tulips were so pretty!! I love these flowers!

taken on April 12th

the stats

2011-04-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

Rhys: 2 yr. appointment

height: 36 inches 88%
weight: 31 lbs 82%

He is still tall and heavy!

Beckham: 4 mo. appointment

height-26 inches 84%
weight- 14.6 lbs 37%

He is way up from his 6% last time. He doesnt look like a premie anymore, but still acts like one sometimes!

2!!

2011-04-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Rhys!!!!!

My baby is 2!!! I still cant believe we have had him around for 2 whole years. I love this boy more than I could have ever imagined. Being his mom is so easy, he is wonderful. He is the best big brother and little helper. I love that he is learning and growing so much every day. You can just watch him thinking and discovering new things all the time.

-He loves his brother. He is always worried about his "bruhder." He is always telling me if Beckham is sad or "syeeping". He loves to give him besos and say "hi bruhder." I didnt think it was possible, but seeing him as a great older brother only makes me love him more!

-he is so helpful. I can ask him to do this or that and he loves to help.

-his favorite food is probably carrots, oranges, oatmeal, orange drink, strawberries, blueberries, pasta, musaka, ice cream and cookies.

-he loves to sing "itsy bitsy spider', 'popcorn on the apricot tree', 'once there was a snowman', 'oh christmas tree', 'we are a happy family', and 'happy birthday'.

-he loves to count "1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. lets count again!"

-he loves to be outside. It is hard here, but every chance we get without rain we try to be outside doing something. He loves to go down the slide, and up stairs.

-he loves water. like, really loves water. if there is anything that has water in, on or around it, rhys will be right there with it.

-and best of all, he still snuggles all the time.

I love this kid!

our last day

2011-04-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

On our last day Nana and the kids made pizookies for everyone. The perfect ending to the perfect 10 days.

Beckham's Blessing

2011-04-17T21:26:00.000-07:00

We had his blessing at my mothers house on April 3rd. It was beautiful. I am so proud of Justin for the sweet blessing he gave and the strong group of men that surrounded Beckham. I am so greatful for the wonderful family and friends we were able to have there supporting our little boy and I cant believe how blessed my boys are to be so loved.

Thank you to all our families that came out to support our family.

the ashfords-rhys, justin, me, becks, papa wes, aunt courtney, nana, aunt kristen, j., uncle danny and ashlyn the aidas- gampa, uncle jawed, becks, me, justin, rhys, gamma, uncle jame and stephanie the woodburys- justin, me, becks, papa, rhys, ashlyn, uncle tommy, j., aunt kristen, and uncle danny

the wards- rhys, me, aunt sheri, miley, uncle ben, justin and becks

After the blessing, and in between conference sessions, we had a wonderful lunch and spent the day with our families. It could not have been a better day. And it was all thanks to this lady, Thanks mom!!

These two are the best buddies!

legoland

2011-04-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

Sheri, Miley, myself and my boys went down to check out Legoland. None of us had ever been but we heard it was better for little kids than Disneyland, so we had to go. And honestly, I think it was. There were so many things for Rhys and Miley to do. Thay both really loved playing in the splash pads. It was so cute seeing them play and get all soaked. We also went on one ride. It was great!!

Happy 75th Grampy

2011-04-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my grampy's 75th birthday. He lives in Canada, but comes down to Palm Springs every winter to escape the cold. This was the first time they met my kiddos, and I know rhys loved it! Doesnt he still look great for a cowboy! We love you Grampy.

We had a little party for him with deserts Rhys and Ashlyn were dying to eat.

shout out to my twinner bro and my cute sis

Angels

2011-04-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

After Disneyland and a much needed nap, we headed to the Angels game with my dad. It was awesome! We had dinner at the diamond club and then front row seats behind home plate. Did I mention it was awesome? Rhys and Justin even made it up on the jumbo tron during the seventh inning stretch. I wasnt quick enough to catch it on my camera, but it was so cute! It was a great night with papa.

hangin out with papa

California Adventure

2011-04-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

We headed to Disneyland for a morning of fun with Sheri and Miley. We went, ate, watched a show, roade one ride, let the kids play in the grizzly bear area. The biggest hit of the day was this duck sitting on a rock by the waterfall, they were trying to find everyway to see it!

CARS

2011-04-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

Oh CA, you never dissappoint! While we were there, we left the kids with Nana and went to the Nascar pits. We walked around where the cars were being worked on, met Robert Richardson (a driver), and checked out the buses.

Then Rhys went back later that day for the actual race. Rhys has been into cars, and especially race cars, lately. They went to both days! He had a great couple days with Daddy at the track and is definitely his new racing buddy.

a preview

2011-04-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

This about sums up our trip to CA, pure exhaustion. more to come.

2011-03-11T22:20:00.000-08:00

Ok... He really is cute. Not just droopy.I would love to post something other than pictures of my kids, but they are all I have been doing lately. Between the two of them, there isn't much time for anything else. That and keeping Becks quarantined has been my number one goal. Good stuff to come, we head to CA in 10 days. Hallelujah!

Resemblance?

2011-03-09T08:38:00.000-08:00

what do you think?

recommendation

2011-03-08T10:38:00.000-08:00

I just finished this book for my (last months) book group. It is so cute and such a good story.

Blazers game

2011-03-06T13:54:00.000-08:00

We took Beckham to his first Blazers game last night. He had fun actually watching the game and we got to osit in a suite which was great for Rhys to run around in! We also took our first family picture, as in the first picture with all our faces pointing the same way. It was a great evening out with my boys.

Beckham 2 mo.

2011-03-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

weight: 9lb 9oz

height 22 1/2 in.

I still cant believe he is 2 months old! He acts more like a 3 week old! Still only sleeping 3-4 hours at a time at night. He has smiled at us a few times, but it still might just be gas. He is pretty good at putting him self to sleep, but nothing like Rhys did. And he isnt the most photogenic baby, it is so hard to get a picture to turn out as cute as he looks in person. He already likes to assert his will and let you know when hes mad. But we are so happy he is here and are completely in love.

and no one loves him more than his big brother.

not his best day

2011-03-01T09:23:00.000-08:00

Some days, pictures just dont work out very well. this picture makes me laugh out loud. Who is the old man in my sons clothes?

He really is cute, I promise.

Winter Wonderland

2011-02-24T16:48:00.000-08:00

We woke up to this:

So then we made this:

And then the entire city of Portland shut down. Unfortunatley Justin had to fly down to CA bright and early this morning for work, or else he would have enjoyed the state-wide snow day as well. I really love that this happens only once a year, but its kinda sad when 1 inch of snow cancels school, work, bus schedules, ect. and then melts away by 10am.

happy thursday!

More Beckham.. by request

2011-02-23T10:46:00.001-08:00

i love this boy

the DUE date

2011-02-14T20:21:00.000-08:00

Today was supposed to be the big day. I have had a big star on it in my calendar all year. It has been used for the last nine months as a marker of sorts, my personal countdown. And had everything gone according to plan... if there is such a thing... today would have had so much more meaning than flowers and chocolate hearts. Today would have been the beginning of our new little family. He was supposed to be our little love boy. But today is still a big day and I have still been looking forward to it. Today now marks "normal" for Beckham.

So, as of today, he is 7lb. 15oz. As of today I can start looking forward to the big milestones (like sleeping longer than 3 hours). He finally began nursing well. And his awake/sleep pattern is beginning to find a normal rythm. And I am thrilled. He is doing great and we are all happy that he has been part of our family for the past 2 months.

So Happy Valentines day. We aren't big into this holiday, but it has been great. Justin let me sleep in till 9, Rhys has been cranky because of more ear infections, Beckham is a dream baby, and I am thrilled because I got this bike trainer. Its been a great day.

I love these two

2011-02-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

A peek into our Sunday.

just because

2011-02-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday

Happy Birthday Hubby

2011-02-01T14:58:00.000-08:00

Justin celebrated his 31st Birthday on Sunday so we headed out to the coast for the afternoon. We decided to try out a new spot, Pacific City. The whole drive out though we both kept thinking we need to live a bit closer to the beach because 2 hours each way doesnt lend itself to a quick trip on a sunny day.

The weather turned out to be warmer and sunnier than at home, so we are glad we went. Rhys was having so much fun running every where. He had a blast.