Arrows In My Quiver

Oh Christmas Tree...

2011-12-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

So, we decided to get our Christmas tree at a lot this year instead of chopping it down in the woods (the past two years we have done just that with Ben and Amanda). I'm sure we'll continue that tradition in the future, but decided to make it easy this year. :)

The upside to the lot is that the kids got to play "hide and seek" among the trees, which is a family tradition for the Jones boys (J, Ben, and Dan).

Here is Audrey hiding...

...and Aiden counting...

...and Bennett running...

...and Aiden hiding some more...

...and Bennett running...

Aiden liked watching the tree guy chop off the end of our tree using a chainsaw.

Here's Aiden trying to lift our tree.

Before...

Aiden, putting the star on the top...

and AFTER...

And here's Audrey - she insisted on having a picture with her puppy and kitty.

Merry Christmas Eve, friends!

Bennett's first overnighter

2011-12-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

B went on his first overnight stay at Gigi's house in October - so fun!

(Don't mind the creepy Halloween house across the street - ugh.)

Isn't he a sweetie?

Dancing

2011-12-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

The dancing beauty returns...

She just loves dance class so very much!

Doesn't her hair look darling this week?

Waiting patiently for her turn.

And she's off!...

Carving Pumpkins and Trick-or-treating

2011-12-21T11:25:00.000-08:00

Aiden decided to make a crazy, scary pumpkin this year and practically carved the entire thing himself after I drew it on. He loved it and even scooped out some of the "guts" himself, too.

Audrey chose a Hello kitty design and helped me cut it when she was able - she loved the "guts" part!

Proudly displaying their pumpkins!

We trick-or-treated in our neighborhood again this year. Aside from the maniacs across the street with psycho-zombie-babies, blood wiped on their garage door, a smoke machine, a giant wolf-bat, a gurney with a "dead" person, creepy lighting, and scary music, the street is super kid-friendly.

Audrey was Snow White and Aiden wanted to be Darth Vader minus the mask.

Here's B waving "bye bye" to the kids as they left.

Loved this goofy pumpkin with a giant tooth! Isn't he funny?

This girl (who I think was a pirate) was passing out candy and said "Happy Halloween" as we left - Aiden said as we were walking away, "Mom, didnt' she have the sweetest voice?" How cute is that?

This was my favorite house! They put up their Christmas lights and answered the door saying "Merry Christmas" dressed in a Santa suit! Cute!

Wahoo! Check out our candy!

Happy Halloween!

Bennett turned ONE! (in August)

2011-12-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

We threw Bennett-boo an Orange 'Ball' party this August when he turned the big O-N-E and he had a blast!

Here are the big kids dancing away to B's birthday video slideshow.

The orange balls on the trampoline were a big hit for months. :)

Bennett liked the cake at first, but as he went he was less and less excited about it sticking to his chubby little fingers...

Mr. Bright Eyes...

Happy 1st Birthday Bennett-boo - we love you!

My Audrey

2011-11-23T06:58:00.001-08:00

YouTube Video

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Audrey's first day of preschool

2011-09-21T10:43:00.000-07:00

Audrey's first day of preschool (3's) was a super success! This year, Audrey has Mrs. Kim and since she's been chomping at the bit to go to school since Aiden started school last Fall, I knew she would do really well.

After last week's hulabaloo surrounding Aiden and Declan's first days of Kindergarten, Audrey was ready for some attention directed toward her and boy did she get it! I couldn't stop taking pictures of what a cutie she was on in her first day outfit. :)

Aiden was really excited for her to begin school, too, and wanted in on the picture action. Cuties, no?

Silly girl! She loves to make faces at the camera!

Gigi came over for the first day, too.

Obviously, #3 wished he was getting his picture taken, too. :(

Can you tell I'm trying not to cry? Two off to school in two weeks was killin' me! It's still difficult to drop each of them off and drive home with only one in my car! Doesn't seem right that they should be growing so quickly!

"Good morning, Mrs. Kim." She is such a sweet teacher! Audrey adores her.

First stop, coloring table!

Next up, Mrs. Kim read to us from the book "The Kissing Hand" - such a cute first day of school book! All of the kids got a little heart from the parents to put on their name tag so they could look at it if they ever felt sad at school.

Little wiggly feet.

Audrey's favorite spot in the classroom so far is the "kitchen" where she set out to make food for their tea party.

After she started playing in the kitchen, I left for the remainder of the class. We had stayed for the first hour to get the kids settled in, but I knew she'd have no problem once the parents needed to go. She had a blast and at the end of class, she said goodbye to the teacher, got a 'good listening' sticker, and we were off!

So proud!

It was a great first day!

Audrey's post-dance recital photos

2011-09-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Audrey did so well at her first ever dance recital! She was beautiful, fearless, sang louder than any other girl in her class (we were in the back row and could clearly hear her!), and had fun!

She is such a pleasure to watch. I've said this before, but I know it's true - she has her daddy's personality and I admire her so much already (at 3 years old!) for being herself and loving herself.

What a little dolly. So cute!

Gettin' silly...

Thank you, Gigi and Grampa for a super 3rd birthday gift of dance lessons! She loves doing it and I can't help love watching her!

Father's Day

2011-09-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Love this shot of the boys taken on Father's day. Everyone looks so good in it!

Love you, sweetheart... You're such a great dad to our kiddos!

Aiden's Star Wars Party

2011-09-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Aiden (and all of his guests) had a blast at his birthday party this year! Each kiddo was invited to participate in jedi training and then complete a mission as a jedi... Aunt Sarah saved the day this time around with a super cool movie to guide the kids through their training step by step.

An attempt to defeat the death star...

More experienced Jedi's were brought in...

YUM! (These were gooooood - I only had ~~two~~ one.)

It turned out great and Aiden had a blast! I love that he truly enjoyed himself on his big day - turning 5 is huge! I still have a hard time believing he's 5 years old already ... boy how the time just flies!!!

A letter to Aiden on his first day of Kindergarten

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

My dearest Aiden, My bud, My oldest,

I love you, dude, and I can't believe you're already old enough to go to Kindergarten! Honestly, I feel like I just had you... And now you're FIVE!

This morning, you were stoked. After getting dressed and making your bed on your own, you came into my bathroom to get your hair done and you could hardly keep your excitement contained. It was great to know that you were excited and not nervous at all (like me!).

You asked me if I thought you looked handsome in your new shirt and new shoes and I said, "You look smokin'!" You might have been a little embarrassed, but I think you liked it. :)

You had oatmeal (your fav) for breakfast and we talked a bit about school, but not much.

Audrey had cinnamon Life cereal for breakfast and she was a bit sad that she wasn't going to school with you today. I assured her that she was starting preschool next Wednesday, but I think she's really going to miss you while you're gone each morning. She LOVES playing with you. In fact, she told me this week that you're her best friend.

Even though Bennett couldn't say it, he'll miss you, too.

Dad stayed home this morning so he could be with us on your first day. He loves you tons and was super confidant that you'd have a blast today at school.

We all got some of our sillies out during breakfast...

Then... It was time for the big "back to school" picture session. I was glad we were all ready early so I could take as many pictures as I wanted to remember what today was like.

You insisted on taking your first picture with the new McDonald's toy you had gotten yesterday... It was some kind of red alien, but you were proud of it.

I'm really glad we decided to get a plain backpack this year and put patches on it. I think you were skeptical at first, but once I put them on there, you were so proud of your unique backpack and really excited to wear it in your pictures and bring it to school. I love that about you - you're happy to be unique, your own dude, yourself. I hope you hold on to that, sweetheart, because you're super special.

I made this sign for you to hold and you totally indulged me. Get used to it, bud, because I have a feeling it's happening every year. I may even make you do it when you're off to college. ;)

Papa was here on your first day. He was really excited for you... so much so that he flew all the way from Southern California just so he could see you on your first day. He really loves you.

Audrey wanted to be a part of the picture action, too. See anyone else that wanted "in"? (Or should I say "out"?)

Then, Gigi and Grampa came on over! They were really excited to see you on your first day, too. I think Gigi was a little teary-eyed, but I won't tell you that until you're older.

Great smiles, everyone! I think you thought it was pretty fun to be the center of attention... getting your picture taken with everyone.

Smiles with mom...

Smiles with mom and dad...

Dad wanted to see "who was taller"... It wont' be long, bud, before you're as tall as or taller than your daddy.

Your dad and I and Papa all drove you to school. There were so many people that we had to park on the next street and walk you in. You looked so big to me walking around the corner with Dad, wearing your backpack. Way older than five, it seemed.

Once we got to the school, you saw your teacher, Mrs. Dean, and where all the other kids were sitting at the edge of the playground lined up. You went right up to the teacher, said, "Good Morning, Mrs. Dean," and sat down in the line. I was so proud.

I thought it was funny that you were a little apprehensive about talking to the girls sitting next to you. They seemed nice but probably a little silly, huh?

I wondered as you sat there which boys or girls you would become friends with. Who would you choose? We talked on the way to school about introducing yourself to try and make a friend and I hope you do that today. You're a nice friend and I hope the other kids notice that.

You waved goodbye to me and Dad as your line started to go into the classroom. It was a proud and sad moment for me. I was surprised that none of the kids were upset at all about leaving their parents (although I knew you would be just fine) but I was still proud about how well you listened and followed the other kids into your first real classroom.

Aiden, buddy,

I miss you already even though it's only been an hour since we dropped you off. You're a super sweet boy and so smart! I know you're going to do really well in school and you're going to love it, too! I can't wait until 12:03 when I can pick you up at the bus stop!

XOXO,

Momma

ho ho ho ho

2011-09-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

Recently, Audrey has decided that singing to Bennett in the car is a good idea. I agree ~~all the time~~ sometimes.

Today, we were driving to Federal Way in traffic and Bennett started to get fussy so I asked Audrey to sing him a song...

Me: "Audrey, Bennett is having a hard time - Can you sing him a song to make him feel better?"

Audrey: "Sure!"

*thinking

"Jingle bells,
Jingle bells,
Jingle all the way...
Ho what fun it is to ride
in a ho ho hopen sleigh,
Hey!"

"Jingle bells,
Jingle bells,
Jingle all the way...
Ho what fun it is to ride
in a ho ho hopen sleigh,
Hey!"

The end.

Aiden's 5th birthday day

2011-09-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have really been bad about posting lately, huh? I've basically missed the entire summer except for the few posts I made from my phone...

Well, I guess I'd better play catch up and since I don't think I'll be sleeping anytime soon (Aiden begins Kindergarten tomorrow and I'm a nervous wreck) I'd better put my insomnia to good use.

Aiden had a great birthday day this year... First, Gigi and Grandpa (my parents) brought him balloons and doughnuts (his fav) at breakfast time. He also got to open several gifts that had arrived in the mail earlier that week from my grandma (the kids call her Gramma Jam) in Florida. He was stoked on the Star Wars game from her!

Then, after indulging in a bit of Red Robin for lunch, we all came home to surprise him with a giant trampoline from Grandma and Papa Jones. As you can tell from the photos - he and his cousins had a blast jumping, being silly, and watching Aunt Sara do flips. Thanks everyone, for your part in making Aiden's 5 birthday day a special one! (more to come later on the party)

Mommy & Me - A moment spent between Mother and Child

2011-09-06T12:33:00.001-07:00

I pinned this idea on pinterest the other day and decided that I would try it as part of our back-to-school traditions. It's a series of questions you ask your child that can/will change every year. I'm already excited to do it again next year before school begins to see how the kids have changed. Here are their responses...

AIDEN-
Can you recite your name? "A.I.D.E.N. J.O.... What's the rest, Mom?"
How old are you? "Five."
What is your favorite color? "Black... Because it's cool." (I thought he would say Black because Batman is black.)
Who is your best friend? "Declan, because I love him." (I hope this never changes.)
Favorite animal? "Dog. Because they are fluffy."
What do you want to be when you're all grown up? "A firefighter. Because they blow out fire with their hoses."
What is your favorite movie? "Penguins of Madagascar." (Who knew?)
What is your favorite book? "Superman vs. Bizarro"
What makes you happy? "My fluffy dog, my giraffe that sings songs."
What makes you sad? "When I don't have my fluffy dog. If Audrey hits me."
What is your favorite food to eat? "Chicken Nuggets... Mom can you add a question?..."
**Where do you like to go to eat? "McDonald's. Panda Express." ** Added by Aiden
What is your favorite song to sing? "Jesus loves me."
What game do you like to play? "Star Wars battle game."

AUDREY-
Can you recite your name? "A.U.D.R.E.Y."
How old are you? "Three."
What is your favorite color? "Purple."
Who is your best friend? "Aiden."
What is your favorite animal? "Horses."
What do you want to be when you're all grown up? "Dora." (As in, Dora the Explorer.)
What is your favorite movie? "Pink the Panther."
What is your favorite book? "Pinkalicious."
What makes you happy? "Silly things. Hugs."
What makes you sad? "Crying. Going to time out."
What is your most favorite food to eat? "Chicken nuggets - the dinosaur ones."
What is your favorite song to sing? "ABCs"
What game do you like to play? "Pop the Pig."

Wow, they're getting big!!!

These boots were made for walkin'

2011-09-01T20:47:00.001-07:00

This kid cracks me up every day. What a ham!

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Gladiator style

2011-08-30T21:38:00.001-07:00

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To brighten your day

2011-08-17T11:19:00.001-07:00

The song he's dancing to is by Incognito.

YouTube Video

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Introducing...

2011-08-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

Sawyer and Sarge

Sarge (who's taken a special liking to Aiden)...

And Sawyer (who especially likes Miss Audrey)...

Brothers. Buds. :)

Road trip, take 1

2011-07-31T05:54:00.000-07:00

There are just too many photos to include everything from our road trip to Orange County (with a stopover in Folsom) so I'll just leave Legoland, the beach, and Folsom for the next couple of posts... Here we go...

As you can see from the photos, the kids had a blast (as always) hangin' out in Auntie Landy's backyard.

Pause. We also had time for quick jaunt over to Kristi's house, which was a blast. It was perfect timing... Bennett napped and the big kids each had a playmate so Kristi and I were able to catch up. Thanks, Kristi, for having us! Toward the end of the playdate, Lauren and Audrey had a tea party on the back patio with water - Ah-dorable!

Back at Landy's we had some splashing good fun in the spa!

On Saturday morning, Mary Ann and Brock were able to come to Landy's for an early visit, which was just perfect. It gave us all time to chat and catch up. :)

Brunch! The rest of the family came over for brunch later that morning and we all had a blast!

Connell - it was so good to see you! I LOVE these pictures of you and the kids together!!!! SO CUTE!!!!

So, here is Bennett with his GREAT-GREAT-Grandmother, Ethel. There is a ONE HUNDRED year difference in their ages - isn't that AMAZING?!? I think so.

Round out the day with some s'mores - how could it get any better? Thank you, Landy, for hosting such a great get-together!

Preschool graduation performance

2011-07-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

Aiden and his bud, Nicolas, just before the performance. He was so proud (and super excited) beforehand. What a fun kid!

Audrey sat between Sarah and I and watched her brother so carefully. I know she was wishing to be up on the stage, too. Next year, darlin'!

The preschool 'graduates' performed for us (back in May) and these are just a few shots before and after. I'll have to post the video of the performance later - Aiden and Declan were just too cute to describe here. LOVED it!!!

Aiden's preschool graduation picnic

2011-07-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

Audrey heads straight for the swings at any park nowadays - I gotta get that girl on the big-kid swings! Three's a bit old for the baby/bucket! haha

This was B's first time on the swings at the park - LOVE!

Gorgeous park, no? Can you see the lake in the distance?

Here's Aiden with his buddy, Miles from preschool. It's cute that they stayed friends during the year... His first day of school I asked him if he'd made any friends that day and he told me, "Yep! Miles is my friend."

Getting pushed on the swings by Gigi.

Picnic lunch - gotta love that PB & J!

Waiting for his certificate and new Bible from Mrs. Tina!

He has often said this Summer that he misses Mrs. Tina - thanks for making it such a memorable experience, Mrs. Tina!

Great job, bud - We're so proud of you!

This was our first time at Lake Wilderness park and, just to be honest, we're crazy to have lived in Maple Valley (and a mere 2 minutes from the park) and to never have been there previously - it was/is AMAZINGLY beautiful!

Picnic on Sunday

2011-07-28T18:11:00.001-07:00

Audrey borrowed my sunglasses while we ate lunch at Lake Wilderness park on Sunday. Lookin' pretty cool, huh? I can't believe how fast she is growing!

This was our view from the picnic tables - gorgeous! Living in Washington is like being on vacation 24/7. Seriously.

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"Spray park"

2011-07-28T18:04:00.001-07:00

Some backyard summer fun.

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Cute mischief

2011-07-17T08:33:00.001-07:00

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Practice, part two

2011-05-25T09:52:00.001-07:00

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Practice

2011-05-25T09:47:00.001-07:00

Practicing for next year already!

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Jimmy Eat World

2011-05-20T23:36:00.001-07:00

Super sweet concert! So glad we went...

YouTube Video

This one's for you, Jeremiah Jones...

YouTube Video

The park

2011-05-20T13:27:00.001-07:00

Whenever I try to videotape Bennett, it often ends up looking like this...

YouTube Video

Aiden usually wants to be in photos with B, which I think is totally cute.

Proudly wearing his new Spiderman shirt.

Bennett really loved sitting in the grass but it wasn't long before I had to give him a paci to avoid wood chips in his mouth - yuck!

YouTube Video

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Waiting for Gigi

2011-05-19T10:47:00.001-07:00

Audrey loves dancing class- she also loves riding in Gigi's car on the way there... Here she is this morning waiting and watching out the front window. Isn't she just a doll?

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Game Night

2011-05-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

The kids' favorite game these days (besides rock-paper-scissors with Daddy) is "Go Fish" (the I spy version). They love it and so tonight (as I type, actually) they are playing it with Gigi and Grampa. Fun!!!

Lookin' pretty

2011-05-15T20:21:00.001-07:00

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New jammies

2011-05-14T22:32:00.001-07:00

"To get jammered up" is a frequently used phrase in our household- it cracks me up to hear the kids say it.

Anyway, here they are all "jammered up."

Aiden in his new dinos and Audrey in her new ice cream cones.

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I spy (or as Audrey says, "High Spy")

2011-05-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

Me: "I spy with my little eye something cute."

Audrey: "Cute?"

Me: "Yes, cute."

Audrey: Looks at self in mirror, head to the side. "Is it me?"

Me: "Yes. Yes, it is." :o)

Audrey: "I spy with my little eye something big."

Me: Laughing. "Is it me?"

Audrey: "Yes!"

Backyard beauties

2011-05-13T09:35:00.001-07:00

I was surprised this month to find that our backyard had so many flowering trees and plants... We moved in here in the Fall and I was completely unaware. So when the trees began to flower and bulbs began popping through, I was happily surprised!

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Boo!

2011-05-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

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Mother's Day tea at preschool

2011-05-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

During the last hour of preschool class Mrs. Tina and all the kiddos put on a Mother's Day tea for all the moms. It was super cute!

This was our table where the kiddos had made two placemats each for us to eat on.

Here is the little mural they made from their handprints.

YouTube Video

Here is the song all the kids performed for us - I think Aiden had a bit of stage fright in the beginning when Mrs. Tina asked what kind of flower he wanted to be but he was so cute the rest of the song?

This is the card he made telling me what was special about mom.

The cupcake he frosted and decorated for me. :)

His darling class!

Here is Aiden and his first official teacher, Mrs. Tina!

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Pulling up to his knees

2011-05-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Bennett has been pulling up to his knees for the past few days...

...and boy is he proud of himself!

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Parkin' it on Mother's Day

2011-05-10T15:11:00.001-07:00

Headed to the park with the nuggets after rest time this afternoon to soak up a bit of sun.

Audrey was rockin' the sunglasses.

Bennett was grumpy but still ended up doing well once we got to the park.

We headed around the block once so Aiden could get in some more bike time.

Pretty sure we're going to take the training wheels off of his bike soon.

I was admiring the pink blossoms on this tree... I've been meaning to take some pictures in our backyard (we have three just like this tree) because they are so beautiful right now - a great Spring surprise!

Then I noticed how beautifully long and thick Audrey's hair has gotten!

"Whoa!!?? Mom, where's the American flag?"

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Sleeping Beauty

2011-05-07T15:56:00.001-07:00

Forget this girl...

Here is the true sleeping beauty...

Pearls and all. L.O.V.E.

Feeding Bennett

2011-05-07T11:16:00.001-07:00

I was a little nervous about Bennett getting enough attention when I decided to switch to formula...

Because once I switch, I'm tempted at his age to let him feed himself some of the time when I get "too busy" to hold him...

And he already gets less of my attention than either of the bigger kids did simply because I divide myself between three now instead of two or just one...

But I soon realized that my worries were wasted energy...

Bennett is rarely alone...

He always has a playmate during play time, someone to feed him scoops of cereal at lunch, a friend to bring him a toy or a paci when he's sad...

Simply put?...

He is loved.

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Day of fun with my middle one

2011-05-06T14:44:00.001-07:00

We dressed up...

Had fun with the camera...

Made kissy faces...

And silly faces...

Slurped chocolate shakes...

Got balloons...

Tried on funny hats...

And just had some silly, girly fun.

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After!!!!!!!

2011-05-06T11:57:00.001-07:00

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Before

2011-05-06T11:54:00.001-07:00

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Star Wars exhibit

2011-05-06T09:59:00.001-07:00

The Goodales so graciously offered to take Aiden with them today to the Star Ward exhibit in Seattle - boy was he surprised this morning when Aunt Sarah showed up at the door to pick him up!!!

We don't have any Star Wars costumes so I had to think quickly this morning... I figured his Taekwondo top and a makeshift brown belt (read: a long, thin piece of fabric that I cut minutes before "pick up" time) would make him look enough like a Jedi to suffice for the day. :)

Boy was he super excited to go!!! Have fun bud!

I'm sure some pics and video will be up on Sarah's blog soon!

Video of Bennett crawling

2011-05-04T17:52:00.001-07:00

Here he is! Mr. "on the go"!!!

YouTube Video

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Beautiful day for a ride

2011-05-04T15:51:00.001-07:00

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood and we decided a walk (or three) around the block was in order. After the walk, Bennett went down for a nap but the big kids and I stayed out front and rode bikes.

This is Audrey's first time riding her new bike outside and she had a blast!

She's still learning how to push the pedals but is having fun learning.

So proud!

Aiden has a lot more confidence this year... Pretty sure he's going to need a bigger bike for his birthday this year!

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Bennett boy

2011-05-03T16:29:00.001-07:00

Bennett boy is now 8 and 1/2 months old and growing so quickly! He's already dabbled in the sitting up phase and moved right on to crawling! Luckily, he's not super fast just yet but just give him a week and I'm sure he'll be pretty speedy.

He remains the favorite nighttime prayer subject and love of both of his older siblings. It's no wonder since he's still delightfully plump, a great listener, and chatterbox as well - mostly "da-da-da".

Just today he discovered his reflection in the refrigerator while I was prepping dinner.

I'm sure his "da-da-da" could actually be translated "Hey there, handsome fella!"

Other news on the Bennett front... I've decided to discontinue nursing so he's been taking formula since Sunday. Luckily for me he's transitioned like a champ! No problem whatsoever!

I'm so thankful for this little guy. Even on my worst day, his sweet smile brings me great joy - what a blessing from our Lord!

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Dancin' in the street

2011-05-03T09:47:00.001-07:00

This morning we're at dance class making up for last week's illness. Audrey is so excited to be in class with her friend Cassidy today! Aren't they darlin'?!?

Dance class is Audreys favorite time of the week and having Cassidy in class just puts it over the top!

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Location:Maple Valley Black Diamond Rd SE,Maple Valley,United States

I may never post from the computer again!!!

2011-05-02T19:37:00.001-07:00

Ok, so that's a bit of an exaggeration, but I am really stoked that I can blog on the go now! How cool is that?!?!

Anyway, here are a few photos I've been meaning to post from J's 30th birthday last weekend. The kids and I organized and hid a 30 item scavenger hunt in the morning -very fun! The kids were totally into it.

Then we hit up our local Mexican place for lunch - YUM!

After lunch, J headed off to have a massage ...

And finally, to round out a fun day, my parents took J and I to a Mariners/A's game!

J was pretty excited when the A's spanked the Mariners 9 - 1! Whew!!!

Happy 30th, my love! You're my favorite!

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First blog post from my iPhone!

2011-05-02T19:25:00.001-07:00

I am really excited to say that I can now post to the blog remotely using an app I purchased for my iPhone! Super fun!!! Here is a cute photo from this morning when we were watching the trash man come by (for the 4th time!) The kids are always excited to see our trash man because he always waves to them and honks his horn - they love it! I'm sure our neighbors are less than amused, but oh well!

Right after we came inside the 4th time Audrey said, "I just love him soooo much! He has the coolest job!". Golly, I love her enthusiasm!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Adele

2011-04-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

I love this song... Adele - Rolling In The Deep

Light Scoop

2011-04-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

Bought this:

Buy the The Pop-up Flash Bounce at the Photojojo Store!

Buy the The Pop-up Flash Bounce at the Photojojo Store!

Received it yesterday and was so stoked to try it out but, of course, my camera battery turned out to be DEAD. Lame-o-rific.

Anyway, I charged it last night and have been snapping away today. I must say, I am in L.O.V.E.

Results:

The results are near perfection - no more red eyes, terrible shadows, or blown out photos for me! Dear, Photojojo, I love you.
P.S. Aren't Bennett's baby blues to die for!?!?

Tube slide park

2011-03-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

A little over a week ago, Sarah and the kids joined us at what we have now deemed "The Tube Slide Park". The kids have been dying to try this park because there are two huge tube slides and a rock climbing area. It's a unique looking park and we've driven by it several times on the way to a friend's house.

Anyway, it was another sunny day so we packed up a picnic lunch and spent several hours playing in the fresh air ...
Making a new friend (he was wearing ski goggles so the kids were instantly interested in being friends with him - haha.)

SWORD FIGHT!!!!!!!!!

Beautiful day

2011-03-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

Last week we had several beautiful days in a row. It was refreshing and a great reminder that Spring has come. We cleaned out the garage, washed and vacuumed both cars, planted tons of bulbs in the front yard, shopped for trees to plant, played in the backyard, captured frogs, and went to the park. Fun!

Here are a few shots of the little Mr. playing in his exersaucer in our backyard. (I finally got him to wear a hat without whining!)

PS... Can you see his first little tooth? So cute!

3 kids!

2011-03-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

All three kidlets in suds together! Bennett doesn't look like he's having a very good time in the photo, but he really does love the water!

Our family trip to Great Wolf

2011-03-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Last week the 5 of us took a quick trip to the Great Wolf Lodge for some family fun. It was perfect timing since it was super rainy Tuesday and Wednesday and we all needed a couple of days away. Our spontaneous trip turned out to be fun for everyone and we're hoping to make it an annual trip!

I decided not to take my camera down to the water park because I knew it was pretty likely that it would get wet and I've still never mastered the whole "hold a baby and take photos at the same time" trick anyway. So here we are just before the fun!

Aiden's favorite part of the trip? The slide that he and Daddy named "bullet." Speaking of big slides, Aiden's height gave him a real advantage at the water park... he measured into the "yellow" bracelet group, which allowed him to ride some of the bigger kid slides that the average 4-year-old probably wouldn't be able to ride. He was in heaven.

Audrey's favorite part of the trip? She loved the pretend wave runners that have squirt guns shooting water out the front and spray up water on the sides as if you're really riding one. :)

Bennett was in heaven splashing in the water... He loved watching all the big kids run around, but he spent most of his time sitting in a couple inches of water and accidentally splashing himself in the face over and over again. Doesn't Mr. Pudge look too cute in his swim trunks?

The lodge was great - perfect for kids... a million activities, water park areas for all ages, food, and tons of sweets (as you'll see below!).

We ALL had so much fun that I'm sure we'll be back again next year - can't wait!!!

Randy's birthday cupcakes

2011-03-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Here are the photos that Amanda took while we filmed part of Randy's birthday video last weekend. They are super cute, just didn't end up needing them for the video but I thought I'd post them just for fun anyway.

Happy Birthday, Randy!

2011-03-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Brothers!

2011-03-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

Aiden has taken a serious interest in all things "Bennett" these days and Bennett is all about it. They love each other and it's the cutest thing ever.
Aiden loves laying on the floor with Bennett giving him toys to play with.
When Bennett cries (which isn't very often) his big brother, Aiden, is always there to try and make him laugh with a silly face, song, or to give him his pacifier.
Aiden has even decided several times to share his beloved "dog", "monkey", or "giraffe" with his baby brother. Of course, Bennett loves all of the attention.
They are so sweet together and I pray they continue to be close forever.

The Marshmallow Test

2011-03-08T21:22:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen the video of the real marshmallow test here it is...

We watched a few blips from the real experiment today during MOPS. The speaker said (and though I had seen this video before, I had never heard the stats) that only 10% of the hundreds of 4-year-olds in this study chose to wait to eat their marshmallow. Apparently, the children from the study were followed for years afterward and the 10% who waited as 4 year olds were described more often by their high school teachers as responsible, etc. Also, they averaged 210 more SAT points above their peers.

Anyway, I thought that was interesting and wanted to test it out on my kids. Here are the results:

Aiden waited a full 15 minutes. Audrey was downstairs for 10 minutes total.

Cutest darlings ever.
~Kelsey

Snow! (again)

2011-03-06T21:16:00.000-08:00

I
never
get
tired
of
watching
snowflakes
fall...
it's
beautiful...
it's
magical...
it
was
surprising...
(right, Landy?)

Bennett Boy is 6 months!!!!

2011-02-19T17:09:00.000-08:00

Oh, the sweetness! Time just flies! Golly, I love this little ball of dough - he is just the sweetest baby and i can't believe he's already SIX months old!
He smiles and smiles and smiles all day!
I just love his gummy smile - no teeth yet!
He has started rolling and rolling around the room, though. I can tell how proud he is of himself - too cute!
What a sweetie! Don't you just want to kiss those sweet cheeks??!!??

Valentine making

2011-02-19T16:52:00.000-08:00

I was really excited this year for valentine making and it turned to to be so much fun. The kids had a blast creating valentines for everyone they know... My favorite part was when Aiden stopped for a potty break and said, "Mom, this is SO much fun!!!"

Here they are with a couple finished products. LOVE!

Some recent photos of the kidlets...

2011-02-02T21:27:00.000-08:00

Thumbs up for 4 and 1/2 months, dude.

Some baby blues...

Sweet, cubed.

Oh boy, are we in trouble with this beauty.

Took the remainder of these photos today... Started off slow...

Slightly better...

Definitely happier with Aiden and Audrey's entertainment.

Finger dimples. Need I say more?

Oh yeah!

There's my smiley pants!

Cutie pie!

***That was a picture of AIDEN! Can you tell? Playing in the SAME exer-saucer - made it through all three kids, Grandma Bee!

"I'm DONE, Mom!!!"

Tiny Dancer video

2011-01-21T13:07:00.000-08:00

Copy Cat Dancer...

Hi Ho Silver! Dance

Guess What I'm Gonna Do? Dance (And by far, my favorite!)

Tiny Dancer

2011-01-20T13:33:00.000-08:00

Audrey just joined our local dance studio and had her first ballet/tap combo class today (compliments of Gigi and Grandpa's birthday gift)! Holy moly was she cute!!! I love that her sweet and joyful personality allows her to have the courage to just join right in with the other girls, no questions asked...

They did tap first, then ballet and the instructor was nice enough to let me hide out in the corner and photograph her first class. I can't stress enough just how stinkin' cute she was!

See for yourself!

After a few minutes a couple of twiners joined the class so that totaled a set of nine 3-5 year olds! Whew!
I was happy to see what a good listener she was since we're considering putting her in preschool next year.
All the girls are just too darling in their pink leotards with pink tights. So sweet.
Audrey just followed right along, lovin' every minute!

About half-way through, the girls switch shoes to ballet and head for the bar.

They did quite a few stretches on the floor in a circle before I had a chance to get my camera out. I think Audrey was a bit confused then, but once they got to their feet, she followed along.

Then, they did a little song about dancing with a teddy bear... Audrey was pretending it was a baby doll like the other girls.

Tah Dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Video from the tap part of class soon to come!

Rocket Launchers

2010-11-27T16:46:00.000-08:00

For the past couple of weeks, J has been building several rockets from the hobby store - one for Aiden, one for Audrey, and one for himself. Today, they finally got to launch them on the field at our local middle school.

Here is some video footage of the event...

Aidens first launch: (My favorite part? The glasses... Safety first! That's my Aiden.)

Audrey's first launch: (My favorite part? "Five......Four.... ThreeTwoOne!")

Launching Daddy's rocket: (The best part? "Look at it go!" or Audrey's face when the rocket takes off.)

Aiden's second launch: (I adore Aiden's smile when he's counting down to "blast off" - he can't help it, he's just too excited!)

Audrey's second launch: (Best part? Audrey's countdown is AWESOME. Also, her reaction to the rocket taking off.)

Last flight for Daddy's rocket.

Bennett - 3 months

2010-11-23T10:41:00.000-08:00

Since yesterday I posted a whole slew of pictures of the kids and I playing in the snow, I think Bennett is due a post devoted to him! He is growing so fast! Here are few of my favorite things he is doing lately...

1. He likes to blow bubbles (and drool, of course!)

2. He's beginning to love taking a bath in the sink.

3. Everything makes him smile!

4. He loves to chitter chatter (mostly, oooohs and aaahs).

5. His face is a just the cutest little chubbiness - I want to pinch his chubby little cheeks all the time!

6. He now fits in his green seat that helps him learn to sit up - love it! He loves it too!

Winter Wonderland

2010-11-22T15:38:00.000-08:00

As of last night, Maple Valley has become a snowy playground for our family and I am enjoying every minute of it! After growing up in Southern California with 80 degree Thanksgivings and 75 degree Christmases, I am SO ready for some cold weather to make the holidays feel like real holidays! It always bothered me that the weather never really changed around Christmas... and sweating in my new Christmas sweater was always irritating.

We are truly blessed to be here and I am so thankful. Thank you Jesus for the snow!

Fortunately, we are less underprepared than we were last winter for cold weather and had a blast walking around in the powdery goodness this morning... See????

Catching snowflakes on our tongues! Yum!

The snow just makes everything beautiful! Here are a few shots of our house, street, etc. I love how the snow sits on the branches...

Yellow Belt!

2010-10-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, we had to miss Taekwondo this week because Aiden has a cough, but two weeks before he tested for and earned his yellow belt and we are SO proud!

The week of the test, the kids do their own class then test at the beginning of the adult class.

KICKS!
AUDREY'S VERSION OF A PUSH UP

AIDEN'S PUSH UPS

HIGH BLOCKS

STANDING AT ATTENTION

BEGINNING OF THE TEST

SPEAR HANDS!

OH YEAH!

3 Babes

2010-10-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

The T-REX - What a sweet smile.

It was their idea to hold Bennett's hands in this photo.

This is one of Aiden's first times holding Bennett. Isn't he a proud brother?

It's pretty normal that I have a difficult time getting Audrey to look at the camera and smile at the same time. This picture is no different. Still a sweetheart, though. And boy was she proud to hold her baby brother, too.

Mr. B

2010-10-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

I'm still in shock that Bennett already turned 2 months old this past week. It's truly amazing how quickly time has flown by already. I honestly feel like it was just yesterday that I was complaining to my midwife, Kirsten, about "still being pregnant" and so uncomfortable at my last appointment with her. Remember, Kathy? About 24 hours later, I was in early labor! Crazy.

Anyway, I haven't posted too many pictures of the little nugget yet so I thought I'd better get a few more up here. I'm still working on getting the videos uploaded... soon, friends, soon.

Here's the sweetie pie at 2 weeks. I just love little baby hands...

In this photo, he's 4 weeks old. Isn't the cradle just darling? I love it. And yes, Randy, he's bundled up like a crazy little baby. Haha. He likes it!

And here he is, wide awake and looking right at the camera at 7 weeks!

Big Kids Room

2010-10-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Since we moved into our awesome new house in Maple Valley, we decided to put Aiden and Audrey in a bedroom together and use the other room as a nursery for Bennett. A and A have never really been in the same room together consistently until now (I tried it in our 2 bedroom apartment in Tustin but didn't have much luck) and my luck doesn't seem to have changed in that area.

I originally thought that they would get over the newness of being in the same room after a couple of weeks and start falling asleep at the normal time and getting up at the normal time. Boy was I wrong. Though Aiden is great about staying in his bed and will fall asleep despite Audrey's noise, Audrey continues to sneak out of her bed nearly every night to either play at Aiden's bedside or with the toys in her room. She also sings, kicks the wall, dumps the entirety of her bed onto the floor, pillow and all, and plays "kitchen". Now if you know Audrey, you know she is extremely happy-go-lucky like her Daddy and difficult to be mad at (also like her Daddy). Mommies of the world, help! How do I get this girl to stay in bed???

I would be lying if I said it hasn't gotten better than it was when we first moved, but holy guacamole, it's driving me bonkers!

Here are a few shots of the two kiddos on their first night. Mom and I bought them some cute matching bedding and each a new book so they would be excited about their new room together. Little cuties.

Our Garden, Summer 2010

2010-10-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

This summer we started a potted garden on our back porch (transferred, of course, to our new backyard in September). The kids love watching the veggies grow... and Audrey loves to eat them! Both of our tomato plants and our cucumber plant did well - plus a few flowering plants. Next year I hope to keep the zucchini alive as well. :)

Dancin'

2010-10-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

Just dancin'...
Feelin' free...
Havin' fun...
Hangin' out...
Bein' me...
Lovin' it...
Spinnin' 'round...
Bustin' it...
Oh yeah...
All right...
Just dancin'!

Family photo

2010-10-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here we are... our first photo as a family of 5! I'm stoked to say that this photo is taking at a home we no longer live in - wahoo! Bennett was only a week old at the time and we were still living in Des Moines. It feels like just yesterday and so long ago at the same time that we were living there with just 2 kiddos. Everything is so different now - new family, new house, new preschool, new MOPs group, new grocery store, new parks,... and the list goes on. Thankfully, it's all exiting new things and the kids are acclimating well (adults, too).

To all family and friends who used to check my blog regularly, I've had a difficult time finding time to post lately, but I'm working on fitting it in to our new schedule so expect more posts soon!

Aiden's First Day of Preschool

2010-09-13T14:16:00.001-07:00

Can't even believe this day is here... I can still vividly remember being pregnant with Aiden, so how can it possibly be his first day of preschool already? He's getting so big so fast! Luckily, as a first time mom of a first time preschooler, he's at a great preschool (New Life Christian Preschool) with a teacher (Mrs. Tina) that i think is super. He liked her right away at orientation last Thursday and did well listening to her and responding during the "meet the teacher" part. I was so proud. :)

Today, I reminded him that it was his first day when he woke up, but I think he was too distracted to really understand. Besides, "after lunch" is a long time away for a 4 year old! But once he sat down to his food and asked, "Mom, is this LUNCH?", he started to get excited and scarfed his PB sandwich just so he could be finished faster and get ready right away.

Here are a few photos I got of him in his first day of school outfit. I'm going to make it a tradition that each year we take a photo on the front porch in front of our door so we can see how they grow from year to year. Isn't he the cutest?

First Day of Preschool
Photo with Dad
With Mom
Right outside the front door of Preschool
Waiting for Mrs. Tina to open the door...
So, all the Moms and Dads go inside to take photos of the kids starting class while Mrs. Tina pulls out some books to read "while all of our friends are arriving." Aiden goes right in, sits down on the circle time mat, picks up a book, and starts looking through it. When he looks up and sees that I'm still there taking pictures of him, he says, "Mom... How come you're still here?" So sad! He was ready for me to go right away!!! I know I know, it's better than a meltdown, right? *tear*

All in all, I think he's going to do really well. He was so excited and was really ready to begin. I can't wait to go pick him up and hear all about his first day! ;)

Bennett Allen Jones

2010-08-21T14:52:00.001-07:00

Our newest darling, Bennett Allen Jones, was born one week ago today, Saturday, August 14th, at 5:57 a.m. at Valley Medical Center in Renton. He was born at 8 lb 7 oz, 20.5 inches long (slightly bigger than Aiden, but still much smaller than Miss Audrey). He is just as sweet as can be, healthy and strong, and all that we prayed for. Big thank you's and hugs to all who prayed for a healthy and timely labor and delivery - it truly was just that!

My goal for this post is to get a few pictures up of Bennett's first week. Even though his birth was my "easiest" labor and delivery yet, I would still like to tell the story here at some point, just not right this minute. :) Soon, though, since (as most Mommies will tell you) the details of the story begin to fade as the days pass.

I will say, however, that it makes me a little sad to think that Mr. Man is already 1 week old. Time goes by faster and faster, I tell you.

Without further delay, here is our newest addition!

Update

2010-08-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

Was just checking the blog and realized I'm pretty far behind in updating! So here goes...

1. MOM AND DAD...
My parents arrived and have been staying here with us for nearly a month now. Having them here with us has been a real blessing in so many ways. I have needed some serious help around the house and with the kids this pregnancy. Though I haven't had any major issues, this pregnancy has been by far the most difficult, as is expected after being pregnant 3 times. Just the fact that our laundry room is downstairs (steep, narrow stairs) has made my life around the house difficult. (Envision a 9-month pregnant-bellied woman trying to make it up and down steep, narrow stairs carrying a full laundry basket. Yea, not good.) Anyway, I'm so thankful my mom has been here to help with the everyday stuff, as well as help me work on packing the house, which we've been doing a lot of lately.

Also, CONGRATS are in order to my parents for selling their house this weekend! Yea! They have a 45 day escrow and are well on their way to becoming official Washingtonians. :) This is great timing, seeing as they had put in a contingent offer on a house that they liked just last weekend. The new house will be completed this November (potentially sooner) so they will be able to move in just before the holidays! Their new house will only be a few miles from the house we're buying - so convenient - and close to the elementary school my kids will end up attending!

2. THE HOUSE...
Well, it's the 11th, and we haven't closed escrow yet. We were hoping originally to have closed on the 10th, but the bank is being so stinkin' slow. Right now all of our paperwork is in order (and has been for over a week) and we're waiting to hear back about a few bids that FHA required of the bank for doorknobs, light fixtures, and a stove. Apparently, those items are required by FHA in order to approve our loan. So the bank is getting bids, and is hopefully going to replace them soon. Once that has been accomplished, our broker can order paperwork, we can sign said paperwork, and be done!

I can't wait to get in there and start making it our own... I keep looking back at the photos and trying to envision where things will be placed.

Today I have an appointment with Empire Flooring to get an estimate for flooring... the carpet is NASTY and definitely needs to be replaced before move in. Also, if you've seen the photos of the house, you'll notice there are some seriously crazy paint colors in there that need to be fixed, and wallpaper than needs ripping down. Yuck. In addition, we're going to need to order and have delivered all new appliances, as the former owner took them ALL (as well as doorknobs, light fixtures, and drawer pulls).

So that's where we are with regards to the house...

3. THE BABY...
I'm slowly closing in on my due date here... It was originally the 13th when I was with my OBGYN, and the Midwives have changed it to the 16th. Really, it doesn't matter... these babies have a way of coming whenever the heck they're ready. Aiden was 9 days late before I went into labor naturally and Audrey was 7 days late before I was induced so I'm figuring this baby's not going to make an appearance anytime soon. Unfortunately for me that could potentially mean having him/her even later in the month... closer to our move date.

On a positive note, the baby is healthy, moving around like a champ, and measuring correctly. So we're all good on that front.

I'm just SICK of being pregnant, having constant contractions that don't mean anything, fearing charlie-horses every morning, dealing with hips that pop in and out randomly, not being able to move around like I want to, having indigestion and acid-reflux after nearly every meal, avoiding caffeine when I don't ever sleep well at night, going to the bathroom at least 5 times a night (sometimes 6, 7, 8, or 9 times), feeling fat and re-wearing the only 3 or 4 outfits that fit me anymore, having little energy, ... I could go on and on. This pregnancy has not been good to me. The good news is it will be over soon, right? :)

4. THE KIDS...
The kids are both doing great. Audrey is proving to be a smart as a whip and is still the best 2 and 1/2 year old eater I've ever seen. This morning she ate Raisin Bran for breakfast. Um, yeah. She also LOVES playing doll house, reading books, wearing sunglasses, choosing bows for her hair, and playing with Aiden.

Aiden is growing like a weed despite being a semi-picky eater, standing as tall as most 5 and 6 year olds. He starts preschool soon, September 13th, and is super excited about meeting his teacher. He'll be going 3 afternoons a week to New Life Christian preschool in Maple Valley.

They are both still enjoying Taekwondo each week. Aiden has progressed to an orange belt along with about 5 other kids from their class. It's great to see them practicing and enjoying the class.

Well... I guess that's it for now! A lot of type and no photos this time... sorry! My pregnant self has not been too interested in carting around a camera lately but I'm sure I'll get right back into it once baby #3 is born!

Love to you all,
Kelsey

Water fun in the backyard

2010-07-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

What a goof!

New summer swim suit!

Lookin' good! Nice smile! :)

Audrey! Look at the camera!

Trying to spray Aiden with the ball sprayer...

Getting Daddy back with the squirt guns...

Uncle AJ even got in on the fun!

Double shooter!

Forget the squirt guns! Let's get Dad with a bucket of water!

Shoot! It busted!

Rest assured, Grandma, the water guns you bought for the "big house" are surely getting used!

House update (and others), July 18th

2010-07-18T05:56:00.000-07:00

Hello again!,

Yesterday morning we met with our fabulous realtor, Babbs Weissman, and had an inspection done on the home we are buying. Looks like there are a couple of issues we need to be concerned about with this house... One, there is a drainage problem happening under the house. The inspector couldn't tell us exactly why it is happening, but that it needs to be fixed or it could cause some major water damage in the future. The house has a 10 year structural warranty so we're looking into whether or not this issue will be covered, as well as getting a couple of bids to get it fixed.

Two, there is a leak under the master bathroom coming either from the master shower or master bathtub. There is a small stain on the ceiling in the kitchen, evidence of the leak. This is obviously another water damage concern and will need some checking by a professional.

Fortunately, other than those two issues, we have reason to celebrate the fact that other than maintenance, the house is in good shape.

I have to tell you, friends, walking around with the inspector discussing all of details of the home got me a bit anxious! We've never owned a home before and have always left any and all kinds of maintenance to the owners/landlords. So, thinking that we'll be responsible for all of details of such a large purchase really made me nervous!

On the other hand, starting to think about and discuss paint colors, carpet colors and types, and general decorating was super exciting. Luckily, my mom is here to bounce ideas off of and work through design ideas. HGTV, here I come!

We are so stinkin' exited!

----------------------------------------------------

On another note, we had our final OBGYN appointment with my now former doctor, Dr. Mckeever. Unfortunately, our new insurance as of July1, will not approve her as a preferred provider despite the fact that I'm only 4 weeks away from my due date and we're going to have to switch. This is super unfortunate as J and I both really really like Dr. Mckeever, her nurse Jan, the staff in the office, and the just the office itself. We were very comfortable there as well as with the idea of delivering at Swedish in Seattle. But to put it plainly, our insurance is L.A.M.E.

We've elected to switch to a group called The Midwives at Valley Medical Center who deliver out of the birthing center at Valley Medical Center. The good part about this switch is that delivering at Valley will be a shorter drive. The bad part is... well, potentially everything else. I've heard great things about this group (some from my good friend, Jen) and the new-ish birthing center, but haven't experienced any of it myself. And the idea of switching this late in my pregnancy is really really really irritating.

-----------------------------------------------------

I am also sad to report that our Miss Olive is missing. She has officially been gone now since Thursday and I miss her. I've always been nervous Nelly about letting her be an inside/outside cat, but it got to be unavoidable several months ago when she started acting out. Since letting her outside, she has been a dream, until this week.

I hate to think something bad happened to her, but what else is there? Sadly, I'm afraid I just have to come to grips with the fact that she is probably not coming home. The longer she's gone, the less likely it is that she will return, I know. And it's already Sunday. We'll probably be posting "missing" flyers soon around the neighborhood just in case someone decided she would be a nice pet for their family. :(

J's right, though, we should focus on the good things right now... the house, the healthy baby, my parents' move... but I can't help feeling sad in the midst of it all without my kitty.

House update! (and others!)

2010-07-16T06:43:00.000-07:00

So today is going to be a big day (and tomorrow, too, to be honest). After a week of countering, we've come to mutual agreement with the bank! Yea!!! We are so exciting to finally become homeowners! Today we're jumping through all kinds of hoops for the bank, and tomorrow we have an inspection set up for the morning. Once that's over, we're going to break the news to our landlords that we won't be renewing our lease at the end of August.

ALSO!!! My parents arrive today! I can't believe after all these months of waiting that they are finally arriving! We will be super glad to see them, the kids especially.

Today marks only 4 weeks until my due date with baby number three! We still don't know the baby's gender and are still trying to wait until birth for the surprise. We have officially chosen a boy's name, but the girl's name still evades us. :)

Doing well all around, just busy. Will update soon on all fronts!

Love to you all,
Kelsey

Audrey's big girl bed

2010-07-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got Audrey's hand-me-down toddler bed painted this weekend! She was a little nervous at first, but is now really enjoying her "big girl" bed. I'm proud to say that she has been such a good listener about staying in her bed at night and during nap time. She hasn't gotten down on her own once! (crossing fingers!)

I decided to paint the toddler bed black because I'm anticipating putting Aiden and Audrey together in a room and thought it would look better if all the furniture was the same color (Aiden has a black bed, dresser, toy box and bookshelf).

Can you believe this is how her hair looks in the morning after going to bed with wet hair? Volume! Ends curled under! What a beauty queen!

House photos and video...

2010-07-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we had gone back to Maple Valley with Audrey in tow, to revisit the 2 houses we were seriously considering and drive the neighborhoods. This was our third time. :) While I was on the phone with my Dad, J accidentally made a wrong turn and while we tried to find a place to make a U-turn, came across a sign for an open house. Audrey was begging to get out of the car, so we decided to go check it out eventhough it was in a neighborhood we couldn't afford.

We were totally in awe when we saw the house. Stoked, to say the least. So much so that we called our realtor immediately and told her we wanted to make an offer right away. So, now it's Monday and we're just waiting for a response from the bank (it's a bank-owned property).

This morning Amanda, Adalae, AJ, Audrey, Aiden, and I all went over to the house with Babbs to look at it again. Truthfully, I was getting a little freaked out that J and I had only seen the house for about 10 minutes on Saturday really quickly. We had never really considered a property seriously without our realtor seeing it with us and seeing it multiple times.

So,... here are some photos I took of the house today.

FRONT

NEIGHBORHOOD

NEIGHBORHOOD

ENTRY

ENTRY

OFFICE

OFFICE

OFFICE

DINING ROOM

DINING ROOM

FAMILY ROOM

KITCHEN

KITCHEN

POWDER ROOM

STAIRS

MASTER BEDROOM

MASTER BEDROOM

MASTER BATH

MASTER BATH

MASTER BATH

LOFT

UPSTAIRS LAUNDRY

UPSTAIRS BATH

BEDROOM 1

BEDROOM 2

BEDROOM 3

PIG FRIEND IN THE BACKYARD - "WHEN PIGS FLY"??? - NOT A GREAT SIGN. ;)

BACKYARD

BACKYARD

BACKYARD

Also, AJ takes you on a tour of the house here, noting all of the missing items that the previous owners took.

Well??? Thoughts??? We are super stoked. Like I said earlier on FB, I will be totally crushed if our offer is not accepted. I know there are other houses... "other fish in the sea" so to speak, but we both really really really like this one!!!!

Aiden's Superhero Birthday!!!

2010-06-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

Aiden turned 4 this weekend and we were excited to celebrate, Superhero style. Between pizza, capes and masks, mysterious appearances by villains, the defeat of such villains, and ice cream, the kids had a blast! I'm pretty sure it was a birthday to remember!

The Superhero Candidates

The Birthday Boy (I seriously can't believe he's already 4 years old!)

The Capes!

Chasing the evil villain who tried to steal Aiden's birthday gifts!

VICTORY!!!!!!!!

A big thank you to everyone who helped with the party! And a Happy Birthday to Mr. Aiden - we love you, buddy!

Aunt Jennifer

2010-05-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

The Jones family sadly lost our Aunt Jennifer this last Saturday after a long battle with cancer. Thank you all who kept her, her husband Jeremy, and her kids Joella and Ben in your prayers. Please continue to remember her family, asking God for peace, comfort, and direction in the midst of this difficult time.

Here is a photo of Jeremy, Jennifer, Joella and Ben from our trip to Alaska almost 2 years ago:

Great memory!

Click here to visit Amanda's post about Aunt Jennifer.

Beautiful day for the park

2010-05-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

Truck Day

2010-05-13T18:08:00.001-07:00

This morning we went to Mercer Island for Truck day with our friends Carrie, Cayleigh, Cassidy, and Carter. We had a blast! The kids got to see and climb around in...
A Fire Truck:
(This is Aiden with his friend Cayleigh.)

(Audrey in the fire truck.)

A School Bus: Boy, was I excited there was a school bus there... Aiden has been talking about going on a school bus since he could say the word "bus"! He was stoked! Can you tell?

A Police Car:

Some kind of super speedy boat:

A limousine:

Search and Rescue:
(They were giving out whistles, which the kiddos loved, of course!)

(Aiden said later that his favorite was the fire truck, but he spent the most time in the Search and Rescue van talking to the man about the maps inside and playing with the computer that had maps on it!)
Bull Dozer/Dump truck: (what's the difference?)

Race Car:

Search and Rescue SUV:

Police boat:

Back to Search and Rescue:

Tractor:

Harley:

The kids really had a blast - what a great idea! Thanks again, Miss Carrie, for inviting us!

Afterward, we also picked up McD's and picnicked at a nearby park (beautiful day!!!). Pics to come from the park!

Dresses and indecision

2010-05-04T21:36:00.001-07:00

So... I've been debating with myself about whether or not to post photos of myself in the 4 dresses I ordered. On the one hand, I'm not really that into being in photos or posting photos of myself on my blog. It's generally about the kids and I'm generally behind the camera. Fine by me.

But, if I don't post the photos of my dress options, I'll get no feedback, and I honestly can't make a decision - help!

***Please excuse my pulled-up-because-I-really-need-a-visit-to-the-salon hairdo!

Anyway, I'm stalling....

I should start by saying that after trying them all on, they are all incredibly comfortable. Each one is made from a semi-stretchy fabric (which is definitely good in pregnancy), and looks good as far as I can tell in my half-length mirror.

The first dress is The Satin Bow Dress by Isabella Oliver: (this dress is all black, with a satin bow around the empire-set waist that can be tied on the side or in the front. pretty sure i like the front, which is why i wore it that way for the photos.) This dress ONLY comes in black.

The second dress is The Ruffle Wrap Dress by Isabella Oliver: (you should note that this dress is J's favorite - he likes the bell sleeves. this dress wraps around nicely, has a ruffled edge on the skirt and sleeves. the only detail i'm not sure that i like about this dress is how the skirt hangs. i was originally avoiding dresses that didn't "go in" under my belly - thoughts?) This dress also comes in bright red and dark purple. See it here.

The third dress is the Tie Knot dress by Isabella Oliver: (this dress fits nicely, but doesn't have as many details as the other three. it may be plain, but it could easily be dressed up with accessories. the front ties in a knot, and then wraps around the back. it could also be tied on the side, but i like the long ties hanging in the back. see photo #1.) This dress also comes in "indigo". See it here.

The final contestant is the Grace Dress by Tiffany Rose. (this dresses under layer is satiny and shiny and champagne colored, but also stretchy and comfortable. the tie can go either in the back or on the side. not sure which i prefer. the one thing this dress has going against it is that the guys (J included) will be wearing black and white tuxes,... would brown look funny?)

Please vote in my poll on the side of the blog (and leave a comment, if you'd like)! Help me decide!

*** Added 5/5/10... I am also interested to hear if you think one of the Isabella Oliver dresses should be a different color. (I've already had one vote that I should NOT wear black to a summer wedding.) I will go back and add the other color options for the black ones.