The Penner Clan

Oh 2012... and Hawaii

2012-02-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

We have been a bit down and out in 2012. Like many, our house has been plagued with a variety of illnesses. Jed has been sick not 1, not 2, not 3 but 4 times this year... strep throat, hand foot and mouth, a terrible cold and the flu. Well, Jesse has managed to subsequently catch the terrible cold and flu... and I, also managed to do the same... Oh 2012. This means little time with friends and family. I miss all of you. We hope to improve our social time in February!

We managed to have a few highlights... We took a trip to Hawaii to visit my aunt, uncle and cousin. We were there for a week. (Poor Jesse had the flu for 2 1/2 days of the trip... but we still had fun!)

We were greeted at the airport by my cousin with some beautiful lays. We arrived at the house, changed into some un-traveled in clothes and went to the beach right outside their house. It was so calm and beautiful!

We went to the aquarium with Jed. He was fascinated with the fish... he LOVED watching them swim by. He couldn't quite figure out why he couldn't touch them through the glass.

We went for a family walk at sunrise. It was so pretty!

The first few times we took Jed to the beach he wasn't a huge fan. I don't think he understood what was going on with the waves and the scratchy sand between his toes. So, we went with shoes on. He was much more calm with everything. I love the picture below because his eyes are captivated on the waves. He was walking towards me, but wanted to make sure that wave wasn't going to get him!

We went for a hike to overlook the area where my cousins live. They live right off of the beach you see below. This is on the opposite side of Honolulu.

One of our favorite things to do was go "ou si" or outside. Jed of course had to learn the word outside so we knew exactly what he wanted to do. So we played in a water bin, with a hose A TON!

My little man doesn't care if you squirt him right in the face with the hose... he LOVES water!

Aunt Denise playing with Jed.

Another wonderful day on the beach. Jed warmed up to the sand so we tried with no shoes!

MMMMmmmmmmmm. Shave ice. I remember getting shave ice since I was a little girl visiting my grandparents in Hawaii. It is so nostalgic. Jed of course loved it as well.

More time on the beach.

We like the waves a bit now!

We went to a little cove just outside of Magnum PI's house (where they use to film Hawaii 50...) It is a cool protected area that is perfect for kids! We had a great time with Jed!

I hope that we got our illness done with for 2012. No more flu, no more colds... PLEASE!

Christmas Evening

2011-12-31T19:16:00.000-08:00

It is so wonderful having both sides of the family in town. We celebrated the morning with my family and drove 10 minutes to be with Jesse's family. We woke Jed from his nap a bit early so he was slightly tired (as you can see in some of the pictures...).

I just love his Santa outfit. Thanks Grandma D!

The back is so cute!

I think the best view is the profile. His little belly sticks out just like Santa! (It is funny because Aubrey Rose is always commenting about Jed's big belly!!!)

It was such a blessing being able to spend the entire afternoon with Uncle Blake, Auntie Cherie, Aubrey and Austin!!!

And of course, Uncle Aaron and Aunie TT!

"Apa" and Jed. Jed LOVES following "Apa" around the house... when Oma is watching him on days that I work, he follows Opa around the house saying "Apa" "Apa"... Poor Opa, he can't get any work done! (But he loves it!)

This year, each couple had to incorporate the kids in some sort of skit acting out some part of Christmas. Oma and Opa used a baby doll (as Baby Jesus), had Aubrey be an angle, although she insisted on being Mary, and the boys (including Blake) were the 3 wise-men.

Jed is eating the frankincense...

Mary, Baby Jesus, a wise-man with muir (such imagination). Look at that proud mother!

Aaron and TT told the story of Mary coming on the donkey to Bethlehem. Austin was the right size for the part so he was Mary...

LOVE this picture so much!!!

Blake and Cherie did Rudolph the RED nosed (or bowed) reindeer (or aubreydeer). Jed was riding one of the reindeers and Austin was riding the other (or Cherie's leg)... It was pretty funny!

Jed wanted to ride his reindeer again!

Jesse and I, going last, did what was left... Aubrey was the ghost of Christmas past... she was acting like she didn't like Christmas. (Convincing performance???)

Oma and Jedidiah. Such a great picture!

Time to open presents!

Blake has laminated posters all throughout his garage. Recently, I came across an old signed cheerleading poster from when I was a cheerleader at Fresno State. So, it was his lucky day! I don't know how excited he was, but I thought it was hilarious, especially because I think he would have made a great cheerleader!

Jesse helping Jed open a present.

It's Jed's first doctor kit! Stethoscope, blood pressure kit, syringe... the works! Thanks Aaron and TT!

Oma got Aubrey a princess pillow for when she stays at Oma's house.

Oma and Opa. So happy!

Jed, my sweet little boy, doesn't he look tired. Well, he was! He slept so much that evening and the next day... lets just say he was catching up from all of the stimulation!

Most importantly, it is just great to be reminded of why the season of Christmas is so special. We were given a Gift, Christ, born a baby. He is the reason for the season of CHRISTmas. I hope we never forget that.

Christmas Morning

2011-12-30T14:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning started off with some warm sticky buns at our house. Chelsey and Jeremy (our cousins) spent the night with us so we woke them up WAY TOO EARLY, had our sticky buns and headed to my parents for our celebration!

Chandler, Grandpa and Jonathan (my two cousins from Auburn, WA)

Aunt Denise and Leonard (missing Uncle Bruce and Melissa who were both working in Hawaii). Leonard attends college in Arizona.

Chelsey and Jeremy (acting very uninterested)

Grandpa and Chandler, proving he is much taller then Grandpa!

Grandma D feeding little Jed.

Grandpa Doo Doo with Grandma Harriet trying to explain something.

We have decided that stockings are too few and far between so we have reverted to paper bags. Or should I say that Santa has reverted to paper bags... we may have to rethink this one in a few years.. Jed was very excited about pulling things out of the bag. He loves putting things on and off, in and out... so this was just like a game to him!

We finally got him to remove the paper... he got pretty good!

Jeremy and Jazzie, again, not so thrilled about the picture... sensing a theme??? Must be a morning thing!

Love these two!

Some people got some questionable gifts... well, gag gifts...

Go barbie!

Jed enjoyed standing on the boxes a lot more then most of the toys!

Chandler and Jed with Jed's new golf clubs from Grandpa Doo Doo.

More questionable gifts... just ask Jesse.

The boys hanging out upstairs watching the basketball game.

It was a great morning full of laughter and family. It is always so nice to have family in town!

Family Pictures 2011

2011-12-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

Cori Derksen is such a wonderful friend and amazing photographer! She took pictures for our family when Lauren was in town for Jedidiah's birthday. Here are some of our favorites!

Lauren and her boyfriend Dalton... Dalton made Jed a cute jacket!

My beautiful sister... look at those eyes!

Christmas

2011-11-30T09:43:00.000-08:00

This year we were so excited to get out our Christmas tree. It sounds so bad because this season is more about Christ than a Christmas tree but... you see... our little boy is FASCINATED with lights. He walks over to lights switches and points and says "ah" (translated: on)... when they go on, he says "ooh, wat dat?" pointing to every light. It is soooo cute. So when we lit the Christmas tree this year, he loved it. Every morning we turn it on and watch his face fill with amazement.

He walks up to the tree (see first picture) with his belly sticking out, leaning back. Usually his hands are on his belly. He says oooooooohhhh. Proceeds to walk backwards staring at the tree and then repeats the process. I almost died laughing.

We are working on using one finger to touch the tree.

(I wish my shutter speed was faster...) He was flapping his hands... something he does when he is excited.

The next morning I invited the grandmas over to open up Jed's new manger (thanks Oma). And talk about all of the wooden characters. What a special tradition!

Thanksgiving #2

2011-11-27T21:51:00.000-08:00

Janice, Lilly and Charity

Arris, Margie, Austin, Christy and Aaron

The crew...

Chelsey, Becca, Margie and Christy making Zwibach.

We decided to go to the park... such a great idea! The kids had a great time!

Jadon on the swing

Aubrey going down the slide

Jed and Arrielle... discovering each other... "ooh, wat dat?" (multiple times, they would just walk up to each other and look at one another)

Aubrey Rose getting ready to throw some leaves into the air!

And... 1...2...3... leaves everywhere!

A few extra for Jed...

What a sweet cousin Aubrey Rose is!!!

Going up the play structure... Jed was loving it!

Only one time out... :(

(notice the black eye and bruise in the middle of his head... he has taken some falls over the last few days... today, he scraped all the way down his nose... hopefully this is a stage!)

Arrielle

Christopher

Aubrey and Arrielle

If you ask Jed where is ____'s nose, he sometimes points to the nose. This time, he was right on!

Arrielle wondering what is going on.

Aubrey Rose swinging away

Feeding Jed after fun at the park with Auntie Becca

Happy Thanksgiving #1

2011-11-27T21:13:00.000-08:00

So much to be thankful for. Family, friends, health, our jobs, our beautiful boy, blessings and most of all, a loving Savior.

We spent Thanksgiving day with the Hanson side of our family. We decided to try something new and cook the turkey in our pizza oven! Yummy! It took about 4 hours and was really tasty... slightly stressful because I wasn't exactly sure how long it would take!

I started the bird upside down for the first 45 minutes. I flipped it breast side up after that.

I want food now!!!

The top was slightly charred but it didn't really matter. It was very flavorful and moist.

We did two different types of stuffing. A traditional stuffing with bread, celery, cream of mushroom soup and thyme. I tried a new kind with corn bread, apple sausage, cranberries, caramelized onions, parsley, sage and apples. The last dish was a sweet potato casserole with pecans.

Hong, a family friend and his family brought some delicious desserts!

Margie cooked some zwiebach...translated double buns... SOOOO GOOD!!!

It was great grandpa Harold's birthday so we celebrated with a candle in one of great grandma's home made pumpkin pies!

Some how, great grandpa couldn't blow out the candle :) so he had Jed help him.

It was also James (Hong's youngest') birthday next week so he got to blow out another candle!

HP and Margie celebrating completion of radiation.

Grandpa and Jed

Jed and his grandma and oma.

Doug, his friend El and sister.

Hong and his entire family.

Hong gave Jed some shoes for his birthday (which was a few weeks ago) they 4 sizes too big but they lit up so we put them on Jed and he loved them!

35 Days.

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

35 days. Harold, my father in law, has been undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer for 35 days and today is his last day! He and Margie have been going back and forth to Stanford for 2 months. They were graciously offered a friends home to stay in during the week located in the BEAUTIFUL Marina District in San Francisco.

A few weeks back Cherie, Aubrey, Jed and I went to Stanford and San Francisco for the day. It was quite a long day but a ton of fun!

Oma drove with us there, so we met Harold after his treatment at Stanford Hospital.

Jed had not slept since 6:30, so he was tired!

There is a beautiful fountain and Opa showed Jed the wawa... Jed was mesmerized!

We then went to see the radiation therapy area. We were able to see where he goes every day, where he checks in, and where he waits for treatment.

Reception area

There are fish tanks everywhere! (the Fisher family donated a bunch of money...)

Opa's radiation doctor... I baked cookies to take along as a treat to all of the doctors and nurses... (I know how much I like cookies from patients!)

Jed, Oma and Aubrey were having a great time playing in the lobby!

Jed wanted to go in for treatment!

HP organized a special trip for Cherie and me to go back to his actual treatment room! What a special treat! His room is on the left. He goes in for 15 minutes a day.

These are the ladies who work with him every day. They position him and make sure that big machine behind him is working properly.

The door into the room is thick... notice it on the left of HP.

After the tour we met Auntie TT in the city she works in (between Stanford and San Francisco) and went out for lunch. It was so great to see her! She even changed a flight to see us!

We headed back to the Marina District in San Francisco where we were able to see the beautiful house they are staying in. Oma went on a walk with the kiddos. We stayed back and rested for a bit.

When Oma returned we walked to the park together, walked along the local main street and then down to the water.

The park was so much fun! Jed really loves the park! He loved feeling the sand, spinning on the merry go round and walking everywhere!

It was getting cold as we walked down to the water so Jed was bundled up!

The homes were gorgeous!!!! I love the colors and architectural interest!

It was a gorgeous night!

Oma and Opa, loving the view!

We are so proud of you Opa. So proud of your faith, so proud of your faithfulness to God, for your perspective. You are a one of a kind man, with a one of a kind wife. We are so glad that your 35 days have come to an end! We continue to pray for healing and know that God is so much bigger than anything here on Earth. He is a capable healer.

We love you!

Jed's 1st Birthday Party

2011-11-19T21:18:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday, we had a little celebration for our big boy! Here are a few pictures of the events!

Grandma Hanson watching Jed play.

Uncle Blake and Cousin Aubrey

Auntie Cherie, CC and Austin

Auntie Lolo and Jen Bell... My sister Lauren came to visit! What a special treat!

Working in the kitchen...

Oma holding the boys... notice Jed's big yawn and Austin's death grip on Jed's ear...

I pulled out a few of Jed's favorite toys as decorations... it was so easy and such a fun way to remember his favorite things!

Cake time!!!

Here is Oma's first birthday cake made by Oma. What a special cake!

Before the cake... we had one final clean face picture.

Singing... we practiced blowing out a candle all week... but due to 50 people looking at him, he froze... so we helped him blow it out!

Hmmmmm... what's this? (I have been really careful on anything sweet so, this was a major treat!)

Now we start blowing...

Then, we got really overwhelmed!

Grandpa Doo Doo bought some water! So much better!

Grandpa Doo Doo and Grandma D

How old is Jed... 1!!!

Opa and Oma

Mommy getting ready to clean up a tired and messy boy!

In leu of gifts, we decided to have people bring shoes to donate to the kids in Thailand. Thailand has always had a big place in my heart because my dad's parents were medical missionaries there for 10 years and my dad grew up there. So, when Jesse and I went, we noticed none of the kids in the village have shoes and a lot of them have diseases such as worms. Shoes, we felt would help prevent certain diseases and hopefully improve their quality of life. Some people couldn't help themselves... but we gathered a ton of shoes!

A popper from great grandma and grandpa Bieber.

A bike from Grandma D and Grandpa Doo Doo... Not pictured is a great truck from Oma and Opa... he LOVES it and promptly learned how to mount it!!!

Here is only 1/2 of the shoes we gathered!

If you would like to donate more shoes please contact me... it is a great way to bless others this year!

Happy 1st Birthday Jedidiah!

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

one year ago today. the morning started with a visit from Dr. Helm (my perinatologyst). 36 weeks pregnant and 20 days into my hospital stay. my wait was coming to a quick end. with a dropping baby heart rate, i was induced at about 7:30 in the morning. deep breath. finally. i was so relieved. to know my wait was over. to know whether this baby was a boy or a girl. to be home. the rest of it was so quick, so smooth. 12:16pm, after 4 1/2 hours of labor, i had a baby. a baby boy. joy. pure joy.

name. name??... what to name this sweet boy. by 12:40 we had chosen jedidiah. BELOVED OF THE LORD. through our process, we felt the presence of God. this baby was sooo loved by the Lord. jedidiah's path was chosen long before he was created. oh, to be so in love. i never understood this love until now.

to my dear jedidiah,

jed, you have filled me with so much joy and fulfillment as a person and mother. from the day you were born, never once have i taken for granted the gift you are to jesse and me. God entrusted us to with you, to nurture you, help you grown, and to help you develop as a person. i pray that God grabs hold of your heart at an early age, that you see His glory and feel His presence. know Him. rest in Him. trust in Him. follow Him. life won't always be easy. we, as believers are promised trials. my prayer is that you are able to grow in character and faith every step of the way.

i have loved watching. studying you. learning from you. the way you analyze everything. your curiosity about life. how you like opening and closing. you love water, dog bowl water, pool water, water from faucets, wawa from a sippie cup, water through a straw, in a water bottle, shower, bath, sink, water everywhere. maybe it is baby einstein that caused your facination 'water water everywhere'...

"ooooh wats that", always pointing... when you wake up "ooooh wats that", when you cry, you pause "ooooh wats that"... always wondering.

on, off, on, off... "ah, ah, ah, ah" pointing at the light switch. so vocal. you know what you want. you turn the light on, then look, examine that the light did turn on and proceed to turn it off. repeat.

bbbbbbbbbb... the sound of a car. any time you see a car, push something that moves. bbbbbbbbbbbb...

you love pillow fights, when dad throws you onto the bed. joy. you are full of joy. from the day you were born, you have always wanted to be happy. you try so hard, even when you are teething, when your tummy is upset, when you have a fever, you try to be happy. a good nature is what i call it.

i love how you eat. double fisting. pick up food with one hand, shove it in with the other. we called it the sweep technique. peas make you gag. you love applesauce and bread. the messier, the better. i look forward to the day when you eat me out of house and home. it will come.

outside. you love outside. you cry when i let the dogs out and you can't go out. its cold now, too cold to always play outside. but you would be there, chattering and all. picking up rocks, discovering new corners of the yard, "ooooh, wats that?", trying to eat bark. thank God for the pool fence! you love the pin wheels, love daddy's golf balls. you love life.

speaking of golf balls, you have a putter, a very special putter that you carry around everywhere. you love your golf club and your daddy and grandpa love that you love your golf club.

names i call you... sweetness... bubba... mr. jed... dude... buddy.

i love you so much.

i will always try my best to first serve God, then be a great wife, followed by a great mother. i pray continually for wisdom and strength in those roles. please have grace when i fall short.

i love you. nothing will ever change that.

mommy
11.17.11

A year ago today...

2011-10-31T23:16:00.000-07:00

Tonight as loads and loads of kids came to our house, Jesse and I kept saying, "Last year not as many kids came..." We promptly remembered where we were last year... Not handing out candy, that's for sure!

One year ago today, we were 3 days in to a 21 day hospital stay. Jed was negative18 days old. Life was very different. The mag sulfate was still in full force, my vision was still blurry, I still was unable to move much. Life was tough. Good days, bad days... days... lots of days...

Looking back, every minute... every single second of pain, uncomfortableness, loneliness, fear, discouragement... all of it was worth the joy that Jed brings to my life.

Today, we celebrated a silly holiday. It was fun to be with family and friends. Most of all, it was just great to hold my little boy, in my ARMS reflecting on how hard we worked to keep him safe and how God's goodness filled and has continued to fill our hearts with so much joy, despite our circumstances.

We didn't go trick-or-treating... didn't find a need to, but we still had a blast dressing up!

My bulldog was such a sweet bulldog, he even stuck his tongue out like a little puppy!

COWBOY!

2011-10-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had our annual WSM Barn Dance!!! SOOOO much fun! We thought Jed might enjoy the festivities so we dressed everyone up!

Jed and Daddy were on the dance floor doing the electric slide.

Some of our leadership students... love them!

Half Way Done!

2011-10-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

God is faithful. I had to start that way. He is so present in the midst of trials. For the last month, my father in law, Harold has been undergoing radiation treatment for prostate cancer. He and Margie (Jesse's mom) have been staying in San Francisco at a friends vacation home (such a blessing). Every morning they leave at 6:00am and travel to Stanford where they begin their day with coffee at the Stanford mall and a special envelope.

Each week, we send them off with 5 envelopes, one for each day of the week. In each day, we have gathered notes from people who love them so dearly. Included are scriptures, letters of memories, funny pictures, song lyrics, crafts from the grandkids, and written prayers. Never in my life have I seen such a small thing/idea do so much good to someone.

Every day, HP has to lay still for 15 minutes. No music, just himself and God (and the radiation techs). He has repeatedly said how amazing it has been to have such wonderful scriptures, thoughts, words, prayers FILL his mind. He lays there in PEACE, knowing God is in control.

What is even more special is how he has used these envelopes to minister to those around him. As Harold showed the receptionist one days worth, tears filled her eyes in amazement.

This past Friday was day 17 of 35. HP is 1/2 way there. These are the people who care for HP every day.

This is the machine that they use.

We are so blessed to have such amazing parents. HP and Margie have shown immeasurable strength, that is only seeded in the depth of their relationship with the Lord. God has been so present in this time of trials.

Thank you to all who have added to these envelopes. You may never know how much of a blessing you can be to someone. With a little effort and time, you can change someone's day.

If you would like to add anything for the final 17 days please get them to me at alliepenner@gmail.com

Carter gets dedicated!

2011-10-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago, our friends Blake and Christina baptized their sweet boy Carter. It was a beautiful service at their church followed by a reception at Piazza del Pane (yummy)!!! Congrats to Carter!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had some visitors from Alameda (Auntie TT and Uncle Aaron!!!)... so we took a field trip with the entire family to an amazing pumpkin patch in Reedley. It was so charming and an amazing place to take kids!

The pumpkins were in a real patch... scare crow and all!

They have a truck set up all ready for family pictures... we always take advantage of opportunities to take pictures.

Aubrey was so sweet to take Jed and Austin for a ride!

OOOH.... Big boy!

They even had a train ride and hay ride!

They also had a mini train that I am sure in a few years I will have a little boy who will obsess over!

Thanks for the visit Auntie TT and Uncle Aaron!

We were getting a little hungry so we went into Reedley to eat at an awesome Mexican restaurant. Austin just couldn't wait so he ate his toes!

Jed's first Haircut

2011-10-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

Jed's has hair... it can be out of control at times. It is very long and starting to curl (like his mommy's). So, it was time for a little cut!

I began by spraying his hair... Jed was VERY curious so, I gave him the sprayer to buy some time. He was a bit squirly!

Snip snip...

Jed's first locks

Snip snip

Mommy, I'm bored!

Oma and Opa face timed with us during the cut... So Jed was looking at Oma!

After spraying his hair a second time, I thought he might like to try a taste...He loved being sprayed in his mouth!

Well, it's not a perfect hair cut but it is a special memory I will always have!

All boy!!!!!

2011-10-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

Jed is ALL BOY!!! He loves the outdoors! In the last 2 weeks he has discovered the wide world outside!!! He loves going in and out, in and out... he can find an open door anywhere!!! He loves playing with the hose, picking up rocks, feeling different textures, pointing at everything...

Look!

Everything in the mouth!

Oooohhhhhh!

Good job Jed!!! (clapping for himself)

Look mommy, a rock!

Rock #1

Look mommy, another rock!

Rock #2

Look, another rock mommy!

Rock #3

Time to clean up, putting the rocks in and out, in and out.

We were cleaning the garage the next day. He found the door and was all over! It's so hard for me to just let him crawl all over, get soooo dirty but daddy thinks it's a good idea, so I am going with it!

We found a dodgeball head band from years back... "Your Mom" ... we thought it might help when he hits his head all the time!

OUT

Dirty hands... well worth it!

My Little Pumpkin

2011-10-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

Today we visited Bella Fruta on Willow and Shepard to see the pumpkins! Our close family friends, the Ricchiutis (whose daughter recently got married, see Cristina's Wedding). They own PR Farms and Bella Frutta. It is a wonderful fruit stand, they carry a variety of nuts, fresh fruits and veggies, corn during season (yummy), Fresno State ice cream (even more yummy) and now, they have pumpkins! The best thing is it's all at a great price!

Side note: Recently, they started selling Lanna Cafe Coffee... (Visit Lanna Cafe for more information) which is a huge part of my parents life and part of our family's passion for Thailand. Lanna Cafe purchases coffee from the Hill Tribes in Thailand at fair trade market value. This means that they are able to make fair money for their hard work and significantly helps the Hill Tribes get out of poverty (... which helps with illness, health, nutrition, education, sanitation...) Purchasing this coffee is an excellent way to directly help the people in Thailand and the coffee is fresh roasted here in Fresno and REALLY GOOD!

So, here is my little pumpkin (so ready for a nap I must add!) I wonder what kids think about all the pictures we take sometimes...

"mamamama, ninight.... ooh, wat dat... an apple"

"i'm bored with the apple, oohhh wat dat?"

"yucky, that tickles"

"back to the apple, yummy..."

"Just a little more"

"If you want me to pose, I will pose mammma... so annoying!"

"Grandma D, why are you dancing around, you are sooo funny!"

"Ok, not funny any more, lets just go home so I can sleep."

Jolly Green Giant!!

2011-10-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

My little man wore his green giant pjs to bed. When he woke up it was time to feed the dogs! Jed loves watching them eat!!!

After they ate, it was time to let them out and we had to follow!

Ooohhhhh!!!

(Our new favorite face!)

What a happy boy!

Monster feet!

Great Grandpa and Grandma came to Visit!!

2011-10-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

My grandparents stopped by this last week on their way to Loma Linda (their house for 1/2 of the year). It was so much fun to see them!

Jed loved great grandpa's beard!

Ooooohhhhhh! Look at the light!

A little bed time story!

2011-10-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

Last week my parents came over for dinner. It was Jed's bed time so they read him a bed time story! He is not the best at sitting still... he is a bit squirmy.

Lets just say, he decided he wanted to get down!

On to the next book! Auntie Lolo got him this frog book!

Going, Going, Gone!

2011-10-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

My little boy likes to eat! He is such a good eater!!! Most of the time, I strip him down to his diaper and let him go at it! He had such a great time eating, smearing sweet potatoes all over his face and in his hair, all over his chest, high chair... EVERYWHERE! But, it's so worth the mess!

Going...

(mind you, this was his second helping... along with cheerios, pees, carrots, and grapes!)

Going...

Gone!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our first picture of the teeth!!!!!!!

OOOHHHHHHHH!!!

Happy Anniversary Oma and Opa!!!

2011-10-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

Jesse's parents celebrated their anniversary last weekend. We all got together for some breakfast at their house. Immediately, Aubrey Rose wanted to bake! She stood on the stool and "baked" for 1 hour and 30 minutes! It was awesome! The boys played on the ground together and we got to eat!

Oma was sitting at the table feeding Austin in her lap, Jed walked up and wanted "Ba" or more. It was adorable! So Oma accommodated and fed both of the boys and herself all at once!

Happy Anniversary Oma and Opa! Thank you so much for the example you have shown us! Your marriage is a testament to your love for God! We love and appreciate you!

An Event to Remember

2011-10-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago I had the pleasure of attending one of my dearest friends weddings. Cristina Ricchiuti and I grew up together, beginning in Kindergarten. We played soccer together for years, attended every Fresno State Football game (and event) together and spent many years growing up together. We always talked about our weddings as kids... (although it was with our 6th grade sweethearts)... so this event was such a joy to be a part of! And best of all, she looked SOOOO happy!!!

The festivities began on Friday night with a cocktail party at The Inn at Spanish Bay.

The wedding was at the Carmel Mission at 1:00. It was such a pristine day! The sky was the most unbelievable blue, and the weather was just gorgeous.

All of the details were very elegant.

Cristina looked absolutely gorgeous and glowing!

The dress was AWESOME!

Papa Tony and Cristina (Cristina's grandpa)

I snuck in to the church during the pictures and took some.

Pat, Andriana, Neils, Cristina, Vincent and Vinci... a happy family!

The newly married couple going to their Rolls Royce.

We left the mission and went to Pebble Beach overlooking the 18th green for a cocktail hour. It was so beautiful!!!

The reception was in the Library at Pebble Beach. The tables were so elegant.

This is where we sat, overlooking the 18th green!!! What a view!

Neils and Cristina walked up from where they took pictures.

They look so happy!

HER SHOES WERE INCREDIBLE!!! Soooo Cristina I must add!

Each place setting had our personalized menu.

Glowing!

More pictures of the shoes!!!

Dancing with Papa Tony.

More shoes...

Thanks to the Ricchiuti family for an amazing weekend of celebrating!

Mommy Time

2011-10-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

Joy. That is what Jed brings me. He is so sweet. He makes me laugh, his smile is so infections... he is my little angel!

Family Pictures

2011-10-03T15:33:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, my dear friend Jen Bell took some awesome family pictures for the our family! We were so blessed to have her skills!!!

Three generations!

Opa kissing his first grandson. I will treasure this picture forever!

Oma and her boy... I love this picture!

So much love!

The Quaresmas

The Smittcamps

Auntie "TT" and the boys...

Love.

My little cheese ball!

Oma and her grandkids...

Brush Brush Brush!!!

2011-10-02T17:14:00.000-07:00

Now that Jed has teeth, we have a new addition to our night routine... brushing our teeth!!! Jed loves it! Mommy fake brushes her teeth, then Jed repeats it back! He mostly bites the tooth brush but he knows where it goes and that it moves around!

He was waving with the tooth brush...

We love to play with the mirror!

He loves to talk to the mirror!

Growing Up

2011-09-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

Jed is getting so big! Growing up, my mom always measured us on a stick. It was so much fun to look back and see our growth spurts. We realized Jed is growing so fast that we had to start tracking it!

We started with a few items from JoAnn's... there are soooo many cute pre-painted wooden figures. Trains, dinasours, guitars, surf boards, flowers, animals... It was very difficult to choose! Ultimately, Jesse thought the train was the best for us! Way to go!

A little paint...

We picked up a piece of wood from Home Depot. I used some red spray paint.

Also spray painted the P... getting creative for the drying!

My sister-in-law has an Cricket machine... it is so awesome! It cuts out different shapes, letters and numbers. I used black vinyl and cut out numbers and dashes. I started measuring out the distance and placing the numbers and dashes!

I used screws to screw on the black rectangle.

A little tacky glue and... we are done!

The whole project took 1 hour!

Jed, a little dazed from just waking up from a nap got his first mark!

A day in Carmel...

2011-09-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Carmel is a ton of fun. We love it there and so blessed to have such a great place to go! (Thanks mom and dad!) So the day starts with a morning walk with Oma while mommy gets to go back to sleep!

Knock Knock, we're home!!!

Breakfast time!!!

We decided to go on a bike ride in Monterey... it was so amazing!!! Jed absolutely loved it!

Aaron and Christy joined us!

Jed loves playing with Opa!!! What's in his mouth?

It's official... Jed can walk!!!

2011-09-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

Jesse put it best... Jed may not be happy that he can walk, but we are!!! 14 steps is his highest now!!!

My new favorite place!

2011-09-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

In Carmel, Jed discovered our balcony. I am not going to lie... I felt an awful lot like Michael Jackson! We opened the sliding glass door and out he went! He loved the texture of the tile and wall. He loved all the places to pulls up... and he loved crawling back and forth!

Look at me go!

Oh... I loved the texture of the wall!!! We stopped that right away!

Haha... mommy laughed so I laughed back!

Mystery Spot, Santa Cruz

2011-09-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

For my birthday this year, Jesse took me to Santa Cruz for the night with Jed. He has always told me about the Mystery Spot and I have always wanted to go!!! So we went! It was intriguing, frustrating and made my brain hurt. I know there must be something to this, but I don't know what!!!

So we started by him explaining how the ground is level but its not. Makes a lot of sense already. One kid stood on one of the cement strips below and one on the other, same height. They switch sides and one is extra tall. Even though the level is level... yeah, frustrating.

Jed was so great even though he was SOOO tired!

The board is level, I saw the level with my own eyes... it looks like it is much higher on the side where the guide was.

And, the ball rolls up hill... even though it is level... FRUSTRATING RIGHT???

There are multiple other demonstrations in this house, many of which seem like optical illusions...

This one was weird. These 5 people are in height order, shortest on left, tallest on right. The plank they are standing on was level according to the level. So, they switch, tallest for shortest, second tallest for second shortest and middle stayed the same. They became level... weird!

Ultimately, it was an awesome experience, so fun and something to talk about for a long time!

Splish Splash, I'm Taking A Bath!!!

2011-09-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

Jed LOVES the bath!!! If he is sad, the bath makes him happy... if he is tired, the bath holds him out... her seriously LOVES them! I of course put the bubbles on his head, but he thought it was the coolest thing!

He loves watching the water come out of the faucet.

He loves splashing!!

And now crawling around!

And more splashing!

Now I am ready for bed!

Happy Birthday to me!

2011-09-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

My sweet mother in law gave me a great early birthday present... it's all about pancakes! Last year I watched an episode of Rachel Ray and she had a guest who used a pancake pen to make all sorts of cool things for her kids. I wanted it so bad! So when I saw this gift, I was so exited! Of course, she got the Star Wars for Jed or "Jedi" as some call him. Truth is, I have never seen a Star Wars movie.

Side note... I have seen Alton Brown use ketchup and mustard squirters from the dollar store.

I started off with a flower. If you make the outsides first, then fill in the middle you get a neat patterned effect.

Allie says from the kitchen, "Time for storm troopers"... I was corrected promptly from Jesse "Those aren't storm troopers Allie..."

When I put the pancakes on the plate... Jesse said, "No Allie, those are opposing forces, at least put the X-Wing Fighter shooting the Empire's fighter ship!"... as if I knew or cared!!!

I love daddy!

2011-09-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

If anyone in the whole world can make me laugh, it is my daddy. He is silly, he loves to play with me and he knows how to make me smile! I love my daddy!

A fun little project.

2011-09-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

If ever a kid loved his pacifier, Jed is he. He is a huge fan. He can find that thing anywhere and can spot it across a room. So, he has gone through approx. 5 leashes. The clamp portion always breaks, the lighter colored ones look brown. So I began looking at the design and thought, I can do that! I got a few different ribbons at JoAnn's... and got a few to make for friends.

The clamps were 3.50 for 2, the ribbon I got by the yard so it was really inexpensive.

I also had some extra velcro in my stash but you can purchase that by the yard also.

Burn the edge so it doesn't fray.

Sew on the velcro.

Place the clamp on, fold over the edge twice

Sew... and...

Done!

Now we have a happy boy!

My Man

2011-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

What a catch! I am the luckiest girl on earth! Seriously! I feel so blessed to have Jesse in my life. I was looking through old pictures and found some of my greatest memories of Jesse. He is such a servant, and God-honoring guy!

Jesse at my baby shower, in place of me... what a good sport!

At WSM broom ball.

Entertaining Aubrey Rose...

Jumping off a cliff.

Helping me face my fear of snakes.

Playing with Tigers

Hmmm...So fierce!

At WSM winter retreat

The day we found out we were pregnant.

So sweet to me after I shaved his head on accident (good story!)

In Carmel

Leading WSM night at my parents house...

At my bedside for 21 long days. So supportive, so loving, ALWAYS trusting the Lord and leading me in a time of crisis.

Most genuine smile ever!

Making pizza together!! What a team!

Adventures of a life time!

Never taking himself too seriously!

Maybe one of my favorite memories, the best man speech at Luke and Becca's wedding. Another story you need to hear!

4th of July

Day hike, Jesse loves the outdoors so much!

Dodgeball king!

More fun in Carmel!

On the beach in Carmel.

Really, again, never taking himself to seriously!

More Pictures from Jed's Photo Shoot...

2011-08-31T10:34:00.000-07:00

As I said earlier, Cori Derksen took pictures of Jed at one of her recent photography classes. If you are a aspiring photographer, her classes are amazing and totally worth checking out! She took some sweet pictures of little Jed. He was the "model"... here are a few pictures!

Time Flies!!!

2011-08-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

I feel like it was just yesterday when Jed was born. I was looking back at pictures and couldn't believe how he has changed!

This was the last picture we took of my belly... about 2 days before he was born.

Jed in his car seat on the way home form the hospital... 6lb 12oz

1 week

Stretching was the cutest thing!

1 month

In grandma D's sink taking a mini-bath.

2 months...

I am filling out!

3 months

Aubrey Rose loved to hold Jed and this particular time, she was singing to him.

4 months

Getting big!

6 months

Happy Fathers Day!

7 months

We traveled the world... in Vancouver BC, Canada.

8 months

I learned how to swim and I love hanging out with my friends!

Jed and Emry Cadieux

Cori Derksen took pictures of Jed for one of her photo classes. (more to come!)

Today, Jed turns 9 months old.

He weighs a back breaking 21lb.

He loves to walk using his toy lion.

He makes me smile.

He is sooo big!

He fills my heart with joy.

I am so proud of him!

Under the sea...

2011-08-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

Well... more like in Grandma D's pool. This is back when Jed was in swimming lessons. I forgot to post it. So fun!

More from San Diego

2011-08-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

From the time that I can remember, I look forward to our annual trip to San Diego. My sister and I have been at probably 24 of the last 27 years of parties. We love seeing friends and hearing stories, catching up and enjoying the laughter. Usually, the families who live in San Diego host a catered meal on the beach. This year not many families were able to make it to the event, so we ended up going home, showering up and heading over to one of the families homes. (This was sooo great with a baby who needed a nap!) We enjoyed a fabulous meal and sat around the fire.

Jed is the first grandchild of the group (as I may have mentioned earlier). So everyone enjoyed watching him play and walk around. I hope that he has memories of this annual get together when he grows up!

Fun with Cousins!

2011-08-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

What a trip San Diego was... well... packed! We had sooo much fun seeing everyone, including our cousins Carly (left) and Thea (right). They are my dad's youngest brother's children. Jed had so much fun with them, climbing on them, being passed back and forth, and showing off his newly learned skills. The worst part of the whole trip was realizing that my two best babysitters live in San Diego!

Jed's first San Diego reunion

2011-08-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

My dad and his fraternity brothers started an awesome tradition 27 years ago. The first weekend of every August, we get together in San Diego and have a huge beach party. My sister and I were the first kids by a few years and we make it a huge priority to go and visit friends. This year, Jed stole the show. He was the first grandchild among the group.

Grandpa and Jed

Jed's first time touching the ocean... lets just say he didn't like it!

After recovering from the ocean shock (62 degrees)... Jed and daddy pondered what to do next.

We had an awesome set up! This is the best wagon ever... it converts to a table, two seats... a bet... or pretty much anything you could ever want. Auntie Lolo came to visit when Jed was eating lunch.

We went for an afternoon walk. It was so gorgeous! The water was beautiful, the sun was shining... it was a great day!

Jed loved watching the waves.

My first black eye...

2011-08-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, Jed got his first black eye. You can barely see it but over his left eye is a nice bruise... he met the coffee table and then proceeded to meet a chair a few hours later. We are proud of our battle wounds!

Visit with Auntie Lolo

2011-08-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

This Past weekend my mom and I drove down to see my sister, Lauren. We had such a great time seeing her and meeting all of her friends. On Thursday night she and her roommates made a fantastic dinner for us (steak, salad, bread and Fresno corn). On Friday, we went to her work (she cooks at a house for 12 people). Jed showed off his swimming skills...

Check out those beautiful green eyes!

Fun with Cousins!

2011-08-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

This past week we had so much fun visiting with my cousins. My mom's dad's cousin's kids... are considered my cousins... to keep it simple. One cousin, Jeremy, lives in Visalia with his wife, Bibi, and 2 children, Brianna (5) and Kiara (2). My other cousin, Kenny, lives in Saipan which is a small island in the South Pacific. He has a wife, Crystal and daughter Shylah (18 months). When they are visiting, we make every effort to see them... as it is a special treat!

We went to see them on Wednesday night at my Aunt's house in Visalia.

Shylah and Jed played with each other... it was soooo cute!

Jed loved eating the toys and watching Shylah move so fast!

We attempted to get a group picture... not everyone wanted to participate and it ended with a few tears, so this is the best shot we got of the kids!

On Sunday afternoon, the family decided to come up to Fresno to go to the Zoo... It has been sooo long since I have actually gone to the Zoo to visit. We took our niece Aubrey Rose along.

Bibi and Jed

Jeremy and Jed

During the bird show, Aubrey Rose played in the dirt and got some on her nose...

The owl in the bird show was unbelievable! It's eyes were larger then a quarter and an amazing gold that I have never seen!

Jed and Shylah checking everything out!

The bear was showing off!

Feeding the giraffe's was a huge hit!

Jesse helping Aubrey Rose see what to do with the gorilla...

Brianna is sooo beautiful!

Shylah's adorable sunglasses!

Bye Bye Pony Tail!

2011-08-01T22:55:00.000-07:00

I cut my hair. A lot. 10 inches... yeah, finally...

I have been thinking about cutting my hair for a long time but my sweet husband was a bit against it at first.

Reasons: 1. Jed pulls on it. 2. It's HOT! 3. I never did it, when I did, it ended up because of 1. Jed pulls on it. 4. I looked like a high schooler... no offense... with a big pony tail on the top of my head... I needed a style and more sophisticated look.

Thanks to Meadow Rhotan for a great cut and for the idea to give it to Locks for Love!

Friends Forever

2011-07-27T06:52:00.000-07:00

We have been friends with the Cadieux family for many years now. We traveled to Costa Rica with their family and the Feils. In this picture, Breann (far right) is six months pregnant (I know... you would never know!) and I am 4 months pregnant. We like to say that this is our kids first trip together.

Even though our pregnancies were two months apart, Emry came a week late and Jed came a month early... they just wanted to be closer in age!

Last night Breann and Kris brought Emry over with a little onesie for Jed.

They are both standing...

We took them in the pool... clearly, Jed is teething right now!

We are so glad to have such great friends and enjoy doing life with them. We hope our little ones stay best buddies for a long time!

Self Do It!

2011-07-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, I was very determined (so my mom says)... For example, my mom had to get velcro shoes for me because I wouldn't let her tie my shoes... I would say, "Self Do It!!!," throw tantrums, and usually make a scene (sorry mom). So, it is no surprise that I have a child who is very determined. For the past few weeks, Jed has been increasingly frustrated during feeding time. He wines and grabs for the spoon. It seems like he only likes his little puffs. As I studied this behavior more and more I realized that it was more him wanting to feed himself. Yesterday I researched good first finger foods and this morning we went to the grocery store.

He LOVED it... I cut up bananas, cooked carrots, avocado and watermelon.

I read about ways to make it easier for him to grab onto the food... they suggested making a powder out of puffs or in my case Trader Joe's form of Cheerios. (If you use Cheerios, make sure you don't use honey nut... infants aren't suppose to have honey.) I used a coffee grinder. Then roll the food in the powder and serve. Jed found it much easier to pick up and for me, it was a bit less messy... even though we still had to change clothes.

He was a happy boy!

The dogs were happy too! I remember when my niece Aubrey Rose would eat over here... the dogs would LOVE it... one for me, one for you, two for me, one for you...

I hope this keeps him happy for a while!

More from Jed's Swimming Lessons!

2011-07-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

For all the grandmas and great grandmas, family and friends... here is Mr. Jed in action...

Between swims, he loves the lady bug... he even holds it during the swims!

Jed's grip on mommy is pretty incredible!

Watch him kick!

On the move!

2011-07-19T15:52:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may not live close or have not seen Jed recently, he is an excellent crawler now. He is pulling up on everything and beginning to pick up speed. When he sees something he wants, he goes for it! He scales walls (like his father) and thinks his parents are a climbing gym. He is very proud of himself!

Swimming Lessons

2011-07-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

We are half way through swimming lessons. A friend gives them at my parents pool and was so sweet to include Jed in the mommy and me class. He wasn't the biggest fan for the first week. He SCREAMED the ENTIRE first class. Over the weekend, however, he enjoyed it with mommy and daddy. He didn't cry at all the last time we went in!

During the class she has us put them in face down, wait for any leg movement then pick them up. (sounds simple, but it seems to be rather complex...) As they improve at holding their breath, we push the kids longer and longer. Jed can hold his breath almost 5 seconds now. We give them lots of love at the end.

A few tears...

Back to my happy happy boy after the lesson...

Homemade Pesto

2011-07-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Home made pesto is soooo good! I love having it for a hot summer day to mix with cold bow-tie pasta, cherry tomatoes and prosciutto...mmmm. So how do you make pesto? SOOO easy!

Toast walnuts or pine nuts until you smell them... that's when they are done.

Blend lots of basil, parmigiano reggiano, a few garlic cloves, toasted walnuts and lots of olive oil in a food processor.

I froze the pesto in ice cube trays (the same ones that I use for baby food) and will bag them once frozen. It is the perfect thing to pop out of the freezer and use in a pinch! You can also add a cube to spaghetti or even salad dressing for flavor.

POPSICLES!!!

2011-07-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Fresno. Fruit. Hot Hot Hot... what more do you want then a cold popsicle! I used some Wawona Peaches, frozen raspberries, frozen mangos and the left overs of a fruit salad (grapes, strawberries, plums, and peaches). I used crystal light lemonade as my liquid for blending. I am so excited to taste the yummy goodness of a cold popsicle on a hot day!

Garden Goodness...

2011-07-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I harvested my garden. I had TONS of basil, onions, fresno chilies, tomatoes and onions. I have enjoyed gardening so much. Not only is it a way to provide for my family, it is so great to need some basil or an onion and be able to go into the back yard and pick some FRESH!!! I can't wait until Jed grows up and is able to help me.

Sunday Afternoon with Family

2011-07-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday night we had my parents and grandparents over for lunch and swimming! I am not sure who had more fun in the pool... Jed or my dad. It was a beautiful afternoon!

Getting ready with great grandpa.

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we spent a few days in Carmel. The boys golfed a few times and the gals watched the kids and relaxed. We took the little ones to the beach for a fun photo shoot celebrating the Fourth of July!

Mommy, why do you always want to take pictures?

I don't like wearing hats any more! I think I'll get take it off!

Grandma D helped joined us also!

Happy Fathers Day!

2011-06-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

Happy First Father's Day Jesse! I found some Star Wars shirts a few months back and thought it was so perfect for a day of father-son bonding! "Jedi" has been Jedidiah's nick name since he was born (thank you uncle Blake). For Christmas his aunt Christy gave him a Jedi shirt and so we just embraced it. Hopefully we don't become the parents whose kid hates them for their name!

Seasons: Baby. Food.

2011-06-29T15:33:00.001-07:00

We are now in the season of baby food. Jed loooves to eat. I mean he really loves food. We have to make sure we feed him at the right speed or he gets frustrated (sounds a bit like his grandpa doo doo)! In an effort to save a few bucks and so I know what Jed is really eating, I decided to make my own food. Don't get me wrong... when we are going somewhere I always have a back up baby food jar in my diaper bag... so I am not against baby food from the store, this is just my fun little project!

It all starts with fresh fruits and vegetables, and it is sooooo simple! I spent 3 hours yesterday making enough food for about one month. It cost about $20! Baby food costs about $3 per day depending on how much they eat (about 90$ a month).

Plums.

Simmer down until the "melt" in a pot, strain, remove pits, puree.

Sweet Potatoes. (Peel, wrap with tin foil, bake in 425 oven until done (30 min ish), remove foil, puree.)

Peas. (Boil, puree)

Green Beans. (Boil, puree.)

Bananas. (Peel, smash or puree)

Carrots. (Peel, cut, boil, puree).

I use my handy food processor... a must!

I use all different kinds of containers... I put some in ice cube trays... I have some small containers and I also use cup cake trays, both mini and regular.

Keep in mind that there is a 1-3 month window for the food to be eaten so always date the food when you make it.

The food is fresh and tastes good. I made sure to taste all of it! (I wouldn't ever try baby food from a store... it just smells bad!)

Jed likes it!

"Ohhhhhh"

Yummy...

Trying to grab the bowl...

Oops, we missed!

Water please (we just figured out how to hold the cup)!

I'm pretty sure he wants to feed himself... he always wants a spoon so I finally just got two. One for Jed and one for mommy.

Sweet Jed...

2011-06-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

My sweet Jed.

Oh how I love this boy.

He makes me smile all day.

When I am away from him, I wish I was with him.

He smiles and giggles.

He sucks his thumb (even though we try to stop him).

He lights up when we walk in to get him in the morning and looks for us when we leave the room.

He always tries to be happy even though it is hard sometimes.

He gives big wet kisses.

He is our sunshine.

7 months

Seattle, Washington

2011-06-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

While in Washington we made a day trip into the city of Seattle. It was a crystal clear day... gorgeous!!! We parked in Pioneer Square, which is the old part of Seattle. It was about a 30 minute walk from Pioneer Square to Pikes Place Market. It was great to see the water and all of the historic parts of Seattle.

Pioneer Square

We found a pier and looked at the water and mountains surrounding the city. It was so beautiful!

Who would have thought that Seattle would have a gum wall just like San Louis Obispo... well, my cousin Jonathan knew about it! We had to visit and my mom, Jesse and Jonathan contributed to it! (I can't stand the thought of the germs on that wall!)

We had to see the very first Starbucks!

The flowers in the market were GORGEOUS!!! And inexpensive!

The produce was amazing... we tasted some fun stuff... different olive oils, chocolate pasta... yumm!

After a morning of walking we sat at a park at the north end of Pikes Place Market and each got food from where ever we wanted. Jesse got clam chowder... my mom and I got paninis and root beer, my grandpa, aunt and cousin got pizza... Jed loved looking at the cars and eating the top of the root beer bottle...

After lunch we walked to the monorail which took us to the Space Needle. There is a really cool fountain down town with a path that goes in the middle of it. My mom dared the boys to stick their heads through the fountain. Both did... the only difference is that Jesse had rain gear on and didn't get wet! Jonathan got soaked!!!

Of all the days in Seattle's history, we may have had the top 10 perfect days to go up the Space Needle! We could see all of the mountains surrounding the city. It was absolutely breath taking!

Waiting in line for the elevator ride Jed got lots of play time with aunt Debbie and Great Grandpa!

Great Grandpa, mom and Jonathan

Mount Rainier

After a long day, Jed wanted to snuggle with mommy... he was such a trooper!

Auburn, Washington

2011-06-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

On the first of June we embarked on a journey to visit friends and family in Washington and Canada. We arrived at the airport bright and early for Jed's first airplane ride... exciting! He did really good considering he is the worst possible age for sleeping during the flight! We flew into Seattle which is only 30 minutes north of Auburn.

We had SO MUCH FUN!!! We did all kinds of outdoor activities... shooting guns, riding dirt bikes, walking... we watched my cousin graduate from 8th grade... toured Seattle (coming soon on a post) and Jesse even got to drive Grandpa's Corvette!

My grandparents have an AMAZING motor home. They live in southern California 1/2 of the year and drive it up to Auburn and into their living room (where the motor home acts as their bedroom) for the second 1/2 of the year. It is a beautiful set up!

For some perspective we took a picture of Jed next to Great Grandpa's shiny wheels!!!

Here is Jed and Great Grandpa on his Harley Davidson... Great Grandpa looooooved it!

Here is a picture of my mom, her parents, her sister (aunt Debbie) and uncle Ron, Ron's parents, Ron and Debbie's kids Jonathan and Chandler and of course, Jesse, Jed and me.

Jesse and I were playing a scene out of Mr. and Mrs. Smith... I wanted the big gun!

Riding Dirt Bikes around the property was so fun... I as a little intimidated at first but got more comfortable!

My Cousin Jonathan is so great at riding bikes... he is 16 and rides all around the property. My uncle is the principal of the Jr. High/Elementary school that is on the property of Auburn Adventist Academy. So the property they live on is all connected with the school.

Grandpa found an Indianapolis 500 pin ball machine. He is a car collector and has collected 4 out of 6 of the Indianapolis 500 Corvette pace cars. So when he saw this machine he had to get it. It was a ton of fun! Jesse (of course) got one of the high scores and was so proud. Jed loved watching the lights go off!

Great grandma, grandma and Jed... great grandma was in heaven playing with Jed! She gave us a CD with sweet music that Jed fell in love with. He listened (and slept) to it all the way to Vancouver and back!

Eating some yummy food with auntie, grandma and great grandma.

My grandpa said I wasn't holding the gun correctly so I posed for the camera... this is what came out!... looks good to me!

The boys and their guns.

We absolutely loved hanging with the family! It was so lush and green in Washington and we plan on making a return trip soon!

Forever His Children

2011-05-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

On May 15th we were so blessed to dedicate Jedidiah at our church. It worked out so perfectly because our nephew Austin is only 3 months younger then Jed so we were able to do both at once. Jerrod Rumley did a fantastic job and made it so special for us. He encouraging us as parents to be Christ-like, to read our Bible and to love each other and that these are the best way to love Jed. He spoke individually to Blake, Cherie, Aubrey and Austin and then to Jesse, me and Jedidiah. It was such a special moment for us that we will cherish!

Jedidiah did so fantastic during the service he sat with me in the cry room because he had a stuffy nose. He slept most of the service and was so sweet during the music and dedication!

Before the church service started at 9:00am my day began with a huge heap of dough. I woke up around 5:30 and made 60 balls of dough! When mass numbers are necessary, a trash bag is my best friend! Easy clean up and it can grow as big as it wants!

Cherie and I had such a great time decorating for our boys! Despite the weather being iffy... to rain or not to rain... we had a gorgeous day!

Dessert Table

Arris, Ariel(Cousin-in-law and daughter), Symohony (Jon and Andrea's newest addition), Becca (Cousin in-law), Jed and Ashley (one of my good friends from school).

Getting a picture with these boys was a bit tough!

Sweet Dorothy and Becca... Dorothy had baby Grace a week later.

Happy mammas and sweet boys... Jed looks ready for a nap!