Doughty Digest

Winter Fun!

2011-11-07T18:40:00.005-05:00

We went up north this weekend, expecting to see fall colors, and got winter instead! It was so much fun! There was about 4" inches of snow, we made a snowman, had a snowball fight and enjoyed the snow. As you can see for the pictures, we have some winter clothing, but not everything:) We wore rain boots, fleece mittens, 2 layers of pants and jackets. Our dog Ginger had fun chasing snowballs. It was fun for these desert dwellers to get a taste of winter!

art and such

2011-06-21T13:46:00.002-05:00

I had a ton of fun spending my birthday money on decorating the master bedroom! I love how it turned out. I got some really god deals at Ross and didn't spend over$100 on the whole thing!

Camping

2011-06-20T22:33:00.003-05:00

We went camping up in Greer, about 4 1/2 hours north east of Phoenix, and had a great time! It was super windy, so we couldn't have a campfire, which was a bummer. We did some fishing, the boys caught crawdads (crayfish) and Isaac found a horned toad! He wanted to keep it, but it needs a certain type of ant to survive and was best left in the wild:) Our dog Ginger loved being at the lake, I'm sure thats why we didn't catch many fish!

A New Dress

2011-06-20T22:01:00.003-05:00

I love to make things for my little girl, and it makes so happy that she loves to wear them! This year for Easter I made her a new dress. The fabric I have had for a while and found a cute and easy pattern to make. The buttons are a mix of ones I had and ones I bought, and the ruffle is from a skirt that I bought at a garage sale!

The bedroom project

2011-05-20T15:25:00.001-05:00

As you might know the master bedroom has been a project that I've been wanting to tackle for a while now. We painted it blue when we moved in and really didn't like that choice, so last fall when Jason was away I primed it back to white. That little change made such a difference!

After many months of just leaving it white and pondering the color I wanted it to be, I finally decided and painted it while Jason was in Chicago last month. It took a few paint samples and some great people at ACE, but I found the right color and I love it. A friend from church came over for a few hours and helped me, but for the most part I let the kids watch tv and I painted! Now I can show you the amazing bedroom set we got last year!

I can't figure out how to arrange these photos so you see the "before" first!

I really love how the room turned out, I am still looking for that perfect piece of art to go above the bed..all in good time:)

The littlest one turned 3!

2011-02-28T16:27:00.003-05:00

Tobin just had his 3rd birthday! Here are some pictures of his special day. He got a stick horse, tools , puzzles and skating lessons (pictures of skating to come later) He is such a fun boy, he talks nonstop, is funny, creative, imaginative and just a great kid.

Another reader

2011-02-28T16:21:00.002-05:00

Tobin is growing up fast! He recently turned 3 and I'll post some pictures of that next, but here are some that I just took! He still takes a nap, thankfully, today he fell asleep reading! He loves to read and be read to.

2010-11-16T19:06:00.001-05:00

To see a cool video of Isaac getting his front tooth pulled, copy this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03aZwNuOugY&feature=share

I can't quite figure how to imbed the clip directly in the blog:)

It is funny, and now all he wants for Christmas is his two front teeth!

summer 2010

2010-08-28T12:09:00.003-05:00

Where has the summer gone? I for one an glad that it is almost over, I am ready for cooler temps! Here are some pictures of our summer, more to come later.

fun projects

2010-08-28T11:51:00.004-05:00

Do you wonder what you are going to do with those special baby quilts that your child has? I have made a quilt for each of our children, and so have some other special people. I decided to patch them all together and make one big quilt that they can use now that they are big:) I have enough quilts for Justin's, but I had to make a patch for Isaac's, so I used the same fabric that was used in his cousins quilt and the back is leftover fabric from a sweatshirt that I made him. It was a fun project and the boys really like them.

Say What?!

2010-07-30T17:22:00.002-05:00

Hi! I know it's been forever, sorry. I'll try better:)

Just a quick funny story; on the way home from swim lessons yesterday the boys were talking about a seesaw and so I asked them what was another name for seesaw, expecting to hear teeter-totter. To our amazement Justin says "lever and fulcrum"! Where had heard that concept? a PBS show called Cyberchase, he remembers the most amazing things!

A Dog!

2010-04-10T20:23:00.003-05:00

that's right we got a dog! Long story short, we knew someone who knew someone who needed to give their dog a new home and we decided to take it. Ginger is a 8 month old lab/husky mix, she is very sweet and energetic! The kids adore her and she is great with them. She still has to learn, but she is a great dog.

Happy Birthday Tobin!

2010-02-20T15:42:00.005-05:00

two

one

birth

Happy Birthday dear sweet Tobin! I can hardly believe that you're 2 already! You are a fun boy who loves playing with his big sister and big brothers. Your vocabulary is growing daily, just yesterday you clearly said "hockey"; and the other night at bed time you whining and when we asked you what you wanted you said "water" very firmly, it was cute. I love you my sweet boy!

More Christmas Pictures.

2010-01-04T16:38:00.004-05:00

The pj's were made by my mom, thanks! The kids love them. Kiah's dress is one I found and couldn't resist, she loves it. A random piece of useless information, my children were born on '01, '03, '06, and '08, they are 1, 3, 6, and 8, cool!

Merry Christmas!

2010-01-04T16:26:00.005-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Christmas. We had a quiet Christmas, just us, but it was great. We went to Christmas Eve service at church, Christmas morning we had our traditional Cherry Coconut Almond Crescent and then opened presents. Justin and Isaac spent most of the building their new legos, Kiah playing with her dolls and books and Tobin riding his new dump truck. That evening we had steak, potatoes and asparagus with candy cane shakes for dessert. We had a wonderful day!

Christmas Letter 2009

2010-01-04T16:12:00.003-05:00

Dear Family and Friends,
I can hardly believe that it is 2010 already! Where did the year go?! Here are just a few of our highlights of the year.
We had lots of visitors; Jason’s Dad and Step-Mom aka Papa and Nana visited in January and again in November; Jason’s sister Jen came in Feb; and his Mom visited in March and August. It is always great to spend time with them and do all sorts of fun things when they are here.
We also did a bit of traveling; Bridget to the women’s retreat in feb in Prescott AZ, Bridget and the kids to WI in April for 2 wonderful weeks, during this time Jason was in Minneapolis and then at a retreat and finally in WI for 2 days; We all went camping with a group from church to Greer AZ at the end of May; June we had VBS and then a short get-away to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon; In July we went to Toronto to visit Jason’s family; we went to Family camp in Pine Valley CA and La Jolla CA for a family beach vacation. Lots of fun was had by all.
Justin and Isaac learned to ride their bikes without training wheels and are loving the new freedom of bike riding. Justin still loves to read, his current favorite is the “Red Wall” series. Isaac is reading as well, but prefers to build things out of LEGOS. Both love sports and look forward to playing soccer this spring.
Kiah and Tobin play well together, and get into trouble together! Kiah talks all the time and has an active imagination! She loves dresses and her dolls and all things princess and pink. She also attends the Church’s Pre-school 2 days a week and loves it. Tobin also is a chatter box, with more and more words every day. He trails after his older siblings and tries to do whatever they are doing. He thinks that LEGOS are good to eat, and that toilet paper is for him to pull off. His favorite things are balls, cars and being outside.
Jason stays busy with his job, but also has time to play some golf and hang out at home with the family.
Bridget is busy home-schooling the kids, keeping up with things at home, reading the occasional book and a little sewing and photography.
We have been so blessed this year, we serve a wonderful God! We find peace and contentment in knowing that He loves us and cares for us and ultimately is in control.
Love,
The Doughty Family

Kiah turns 3!

2009-11-03T18:41:00.003-05:00

Our baby girl is 3! hard to believe I know! She loves to read, play with her baby and her doll house and her Tobin. She talks so well and is really trying hard to say things right. Ina is no longer Ina, but Katrina, and it is no longer "homin; but a clear Tobin. She loves to wear dresses, in fact I have to convince her not to:)

Archimedes

2009-10-09T19:02:00.003-05:00

That's the name of the tortoise, random I know, but somehow it fits.

Our first pet!

2009-10-07T09:03:00.004-05:00

We got our first pet this week! We are now the owners of a baby African Sulcata Tortoise. It is very small, easy to care for and super cute! It will live inside for the first 3 years and then it can live outside, it will get big 100+ lbs, and live a long time. Right now we don't know if it is a boy or a girl and so we are considering gender neutral names.

La Jolla part 2

2009-09-22T22:00:00.004-05:00

I love the beach, the sound of the ocean, the smell...
We celebrated our 10th anniversary while in La Jolla, we had a great dinner.
Here are some more pics of our time there.

Summer part 4, La Jolla!

2009-09-11T18:54:00.003-05:00

After family camp we had the blessing of staying at a friend's condo on the beach in La Jolla CA. It was wonderfully relaxing and beautiful. We celebrated our 10th anniversary by coking in, lobster, steak and scallops, it was wonderful.

Family Camp

2009-09-09T13:57:00.005-05:00

Our church has an annual family camp help in Pine Valley CA, it is so much fun and the weather is cooler! The boys had fun rock climbing, archery and swimming. Jason tried out the high ropes course. Tobin fell asleep getting out of the stroller :) We also took a day trip to the beach and to the San Diego Zoo.

Summer part 3

2009-09-09T13:47:00.002-05:00

2009-09-07T12:16:00.004-05:00

Summer fun part 1

2009-09-07T11:47:00.004-05:00

This summer went by fast, and I am thankful, looking forward to fall and cooler temps. Here are some pics from our time in Muskoka, at the cottage. wonderfully cool weather, good times!

funny stuff!

2009-09-07T11:07:00.003-05:00

Our house is a funny place, especially with a nearly 3 year old girl!
The other day she said that we were going to the zyro zapper! that what!?! the Chiropractor!

The other day she comes running saying there is a spider on the holy god! say what? She loves to play the piano and sings holy God, therefore that is what she calls the piano. We were at a friends house and she scrapped her foot on the piano there and said that she hurt it on the holy god! We all had a good laugh!

Kiah's point of view!

2009-07-23T21:52:00.003-05:00

At dinner we were talking...
Mommy to Kiah: On your birthday how old will you be?
Kiah: sick (six)
Mommy: really? how old are you now?
Kiah: um, fibe! (five)

Too funny!

At Lunch...

2009-06-29T15:49:00.001-05:00

At lunch today Isaac says "we counted Justin's money and he has a one hundred penny dollar" He meant that Justin has $1 in pennies.

Trip to the Grand Canyon

2009-06-25T16:38:00.004-05:00

While we were up in Flagstaff last week we took a trip to the Grand Canyon! I was a little nervous about taking the kids there, but they did well. It is amazing! When the kids are older we'll have to camp there and do some hiking.

Even Super Heros have to sleep

2009-06-25T16:35:00.003-05:00

Tobin loves wearing his cape that Grandma got him for Christmas, the other day he wore while napping and I couldn't resist a picture of my sleeping super hero.

16 months old

2009-06-14T20:14:00.003-05:00

My, oh, my, how time flies! Tobin is now 16 months old and into everything. He follows Kiah around and gets into everything that she does. He knows signs for more, please and water. He has words for Daddy, ball, mama, and if you bring out the camera he says cheese! His latest accomplishment is learning how to climb on the table and tip over whatever he finds there :)

Camping in Greer 2009

2009-06-14T19:54:00.004-05:00

We went camping in Greer, AZ with people from church just like we did last year. It was a ton of fun, even though it was cool, think pants and long sleeves and maybe a jacket, and sometimes rainy. The fishing was good, the company was great, we came home exhausted and dirty but happy. One particular family organizes this trip, sets a communal tarp and kitchen center; then each family is given a meal to make for everyone else (several families do this every night) and everyone eats together, it is wonderful, and you only have to pack for one dinner. the boys had tons of fun fishing and hanging out with friends.

The scenery is gorgeous there, the wild Iris were in bloom and we saw fields of them while we were driving.

Memorial Day fun

2009-06-14T19:48:00.003-05:00

On memorial day we had a pool party at our friend's house. Kiah loves to swim and is getting pretty good, these pictures show how she was jumping in the pool, over and over! Then she and Tobin bounced on the trampoline.

Where is Tobin?

2009-06-14T19:45:00.002-05:00

I walked into Kiah's room the other day and this is what I found.

Isaac turns 6

2009-05-14T21:24:00.003-05:00

Isaac turned 6 while we were in WI, he got celebrate it with his cousin Colten (3), whose b-day is the day before.

Even more...

2009-05-14T21:20:00.002-05:00

We had a sleep-over at Anna's; the kids thought that was great. I just love this picture I took of Kiah, she was having a lot of fun swinging.

Still more pictures from our trip.

2009-05-14T21:10:00.004-05:00

It was so much fun watching all the grandkids hang out at my parents house, when we come we almost double the grandkid count!

more WI Pictures

2009-05-14T18:17:00.003-05:00

Our Visit to Wisconsin

2009-05-14T17:46:00.004-05:00

Our trip to visit family in Wisconsin was amazing, we had such a great time! The kids all did really well and loved hanging out with cousins, Aunts and Grandma and Grandpa. We spent a day at Katie's. a day at Carissa's, spent the night with Anna's family, met new cousins Oliver and Pyper, went bowling, helped do chores, saw brand new baby guinea pigs, went to the post office to pick up new chicks, played in the rain, just had fun!

T-ball

2009-04-18T12:24:00.003-05:00

Justin and Isaac are so excited to be playing t-ball this year. Their first game was Thursday night. Isaac is #12 and is the lead-off batter and plays right field. Justin is #14, bats clean-up and plays left field and the pitcher position. (it's t-ball, so there is no pitcher, but they have a kid play there as that's where most of the balls go)

Cherry Coconut Almond Crescent

2009-04-13T17:55:00.003-05:00

Cherry Coconut Almost Crescent aka Fred Bread
Wisconsin State Journal 1979
Yields 3 crescents to make about 15 servings

1/2 c. lukewarm water
2T dry yeast
1/2 c melted butter
pinch of sugar
1 - 5.33 oz can Evaporated milk
+enough water to make 2 c. liquid
2 eggs
1/2c. sugar
about 6 c. unbleached flour
1c sugar + 2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt
1-16 oz can sour cherries packed in water
1-12 oz can almond filling
flaked coconut

Mix dry yeast with lukewarm water and pinch of sugar. Let stand until puffy. Mix together evap. milk, water eggs, sugar, salt and melted butter. Add yeast mixture. Mix in 5c. flour, (add more until you can kneed it) turn out on to floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes adding more flour as needed, so it is not sticky. Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled; about 1-1 1/2 hours.

Punch down and divide into 3 pieces.

Roll out each piece into narrow oblong about 14x5 spread with 1/3 of the cherries, 1/3 of the almond filling, 1/3 of the coconut and 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar (or as much as you want). Roll up as jelly roll keeping ends thin and middle fat. Place on greased cookie sheet in crescent u-shape.

With scissors make cuts from outer edge of curve almost to the opposite side. Turn each partial slice on its side, exposing filling. Brush with melted butter and cover with waxed paper or damp tea towel and let rise for about 1 hour.

Bake 375 for about 15 min, until light golden brown. Let cool and add frosting.

Frosting: 3c sifted powdered sugar and enough milk to make a spreadable frosting. can sprinkle coconut on frosting.

Bridget’s modifications:
I always use 2 can of cherries. I usually don’t use all of the cinnamon sugar, I put the extra in a plastic dish and save for toast. I have never sprinkled coconut on the top. The original recipe says to only slightly cool before frosting, then your frosting melts in. I cool completely and then frost. I bake them on my stoneware 2 at a time, rotating them half-way through the baking time. I've thought about using frozen cherries, but forget to look for them and price them out. My family loves this and I usually make it for Christmas and Easter. I am trying to think of a better name for it, so send me your suggestions.

The last time I made this I was trying to think up a new name, our friend Katrina said we should call it fred bread, so that's what we jokingly and lovingly call it.

At One...

2009-03-27T17:04:00.003-05:00

Tobin is a very cute, happy, into everything, little boy. He has 5 teeth now and is working on more. We are trying to teach him sign language, but he prefers to point with his pudgy little finger and grunt:) I think he is ready for his first haircut, it's still thin on top, but the back is getting long.

St. Patty's day

2009-03-26T17:48:00.003-05:00

Yum! We had the the best corned beef and cabbage for St Patrick's Day! I used Alton Brown's recipe that I found online; it was delicious and easy.

Super Tobin!

2009-03-26T17:43:00.003-05:00

Tobin was playing with his cape that he got from Grandma for Christmas, it was cute!

Pictures

2009-03-17T14:55:00.002-05:00

Did you notice? I finally put a new family picture up! Thanks to Raquel and Expressive Photography, she did a great job with our pictures. Here are some of my favorites of Kiah and Jason. See that gorgeous dress she has on? My sister Emily wore it at our wedding.

playing in the snow

2009-03-09T16:18:00.003-05:00

A few weekends ago we got to go play in the snow, the kids had a lot of fun!

Housekeeping

2009-02-16T12:49:00.001-05:00

We've changed our phone# to just our cell phones, e-mail me if you need our numbers.

Then there was cake!

2009-02-14T17:21:00.002-05:00

I made a, from scratch, chocolate cake for Tobin, it was good but a little dry, I'll try a different recipe next time. Tobin wasn't sure what to do with the cake at first, but then he dug into it. I think he had more fun playing with it than eating it!

He's 1

2009-02-13T17:56:00.005-05:00

I cannot believe that Tobin is one already. Happy Birthday my little boy!

A Visit from Papa and Nana

2009-02-02T20:35:00.002-05:00

Papa and Nana came for a visit, we had a great time. Here are some pictures of their time with us.

He walks!

2009-01-31T19:56:00.001-05:00

Tobin started taking steps a few weeks ago and now is walking. better every day! It is hard to capture of camera, but here's what I have.

Random musings!

2009-01-31T19:11:00.000-05:00

Can you believe that it is the end of January already! Time is flying by here, we've been in AZ for 1 year now! It is gorgeous out today Jason and the boys are at the FBR Open, Kiah is supposed to be napping, but she is doing puzzles instead and Tobin is sleeping. Tobin started walking! It is so fun to watch him toddle around. Carissa's baby shower is today and that makes me a little sad because I don't get there for it, but I am super excited that the kids and I are coming to visit in April! I signed Justin and Isaac up for t-ball today, they are really looking forward to it. So, how's that for random!

Say Cheese!

2009-01-19T16:27:00.002-05:00

Justin lost another tooth! He loves that he now has a big gap, but not for long the permanent ones are right behind.

Strawberry Shortcake

2009-01-19T16:23:00.004-05:00

Kiah loves wearing dresses, she wore this one Sunday. This dress used to be mine and I remember thinking of it as the strawberry shortcake dress. Kiah looked so cute. The dress is really thin and very well loved, but it was fun to see her in it.

What happened at school today?

2009-01-16T15:40:00.002-05:00

When I went to pick up Isaac from school on Tuesday he had a surprise for me...he had pulled his tooth out! We knew this tooth was loose and when he was eating his apple it got really really loose and he pulled it out. So now I have 3 toothless children, Justin and Isaac are loosing teeth and Tobin is slowly getting them:)

Kids

2009-01-03T13:17:00.003-05:00

I post pictures of Tobin all the time, here are some great ones of the other 3.

the climber

2009-01-03T13:08:00.002-05:00

Tobin is starting to climb, he loves to climb in Kiah's chair and her car. He can't walk yet, but that doesn't stop him!

Tobin the reindeer

2008-12-31T13:44:00.004-05:00

We put these antlers in Tobin, he thought it was funny and we thought it was cute,

Justin's Front Tooth!

2008-12-30T19:12:00.003-05:00

Justin's front teeth are loose, and this one has been hanging on for a while now. The day after Christmas, he comes running, yelling and crying "I'm bleeding"! The boys were wrestling and Isaac kicked Justin in the mouth, the tooth was ready now! the other front one is loose too, but the big teeth are coming in fast, so I don't know if he'll have both front teeth gone at the same time or not.

More beach pictures

2008-12-26T18:04:00.003-05:00

Here are some more pics of our time at the beach. In yesterdays post, you'll notice a picture of Tobin standing, he can stand, but not walk, just yet.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T14:43:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas to our family and friends especially those that are far away; we love you and miss you.
Here are some pictures from our recent trip to the beach.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

2008-12-06T14:52:00.004-05:00

We are decorating for Christmas, the tree is up, the stockings hung, the nativity set, all's ready.

The Faces of Tobin

2008-12-06T14:42:00.004-05:00

Tobin is very expressive, here are some that I've managed to capture on film.

Let's play kitchen...Soup anyone?

2008-12-05T01:28:00.000-05:00

Let's just say we hope Kiah tries more traditional recipes as she gets older...

hanging the lights!

2008-12-04T17:55:00.003-05:00

It was a strange sight to hang Christmas lights with the back drop of palm trees and sunny blue skies, but it was fun. See the beautiful green grass, Jason has been working on the front lawn and it looks great.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-04T17:00:00.004-05:00

We and a wonderful Thanksgiving. It started with the Turkey Bowl, a game of flag football played by the men at church, under 25 vs. over 25, the older group won. It was fun, messy and a good time was had by all. Then we went to the fellowship hall at church for a time of Thanksgiving songs and testimony, it was great. Our God is so good. After that we came home and made the kids take a nap then went to our friends house for dinner, football on tv and fellowship, it was wonderful. Isaac tried on the football jersey and Kiah tried in the helmet, it was so cute. Tobin found himself in the mirror and thought that was pretty neat.

No, a favorite word

2008-12-02T14:08:00.000-05:00

Kiah, is stringing words together in remarkable ways, yet her favorite response to anything is still...no. Notice the recent exchange...
Kiah: (enters living room with blue plastic piece) "look dis"
Daddy: "that's a piece from Tobin's cup...(hopeful) can you go find the cup?
Kiah: (matter of factly) ummm...no.

As you see in the photo she not only found the cup but insisted on me fixing it.
Jason

the kiddos

2008-11-24T20:04:00.004-05:00

just some pics of the kids over the weekend

A Little R & R

2008-11-24T19:45:00.004-05:00

We were blessed to be abel to use a cabin up in Happy Jack AZ for a few days. We left Thursday afternoon and stayed until early Sunday morning. It was wonderful, the cabin was big and open, it was quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The stars were amazing, it was clear and cold, all in all a wonderful get-away.

Ahh a tiger!

2008-11-20T17:02:00.003-05:00

Isaac's school had a carnival and he got his face painted. They did a really great job.

Harvest Festival

2008-10-29T22:15:00.003-05:00

Last week was the harvest party at the church, the kids had a blast, here are some pictures of the little buckaroos.

Orangutans

2008-10-29T22:00:00.003-05:00

We went to the zoo the other day and had a great time. Every time we go we like to see the orangutans, there is a whole family of them, dad, mom, baby and grandma. The baby is so cute, this last visit we were able to see the baby nursing! Then the mom climbed up the rope with the baby still attached makes me glad I'm that me children nurse nicely (most of the time:)

He stands!

2008-10-27T15:23:00.005-05:00

Tobin is getting more mobile by the day, it is not uncommon to find him in the kitchen, after I have sat him in the living room! He is still just army crawling, but he can get to where he wants to! He is now pulling up on the furniture!, He is very pleased with himself! Here are some recent pictures.

Train Park

2008-10-26T19:43:00.005-05:00

There is a wonderful train park near us, we went recently to their fair ans saw many wonderful model trains set up on display. It reminded me of all the years Dad would bring down his train and set it up at Christmas time. with the holidays fast approaching, I find that I am greatly missing family in WI and friends in NC. We are making new friends here and new memories, but nothing compares to family and good friends.

Justin's birthday

2008-10-26T19:37:00.003-05:00

I cannot my oldest baby, i mean child, is 7! Wow has the time flew! He had a very full day with a morning soccer game, which they tied, a after noon party with pizza and cake and a evening hockey game with Daddy, his very first. He was so very excited all day, he told us in the morning " I can't believe that I am seven" I know, me neither! He was thrilled to be going to a hockey game and overall had a great day.

Kiah sleeps!

2008-10-06T19:50:00.003-05:00

Last night we put Kiah to bed as usual, thought she was asleep...later when I went to put Tobin in bed I found Kiah asleep on the floor in the hallway diaper undone, with a fire hat on, it was so funny, she was snoring!

Tobin sucks his tongue

2008-10-06T19:39:00.003-05:00

Tobin loves to suck on things, toys, fingers, a pacifier, even his own tongue! It is hilarious, he sticks out his tongue and then sucks on it.

Our Birthday Girl!

2008-09-29T18:08:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Kiah! I can hardly believe that you're 2 already. So much has happened in you little life, you've moved twice and got a baby brother, you've adjusted wonderfully. I love the way you adore Tobin and look out for him, even though you still sit on him and take his toys, it is evident from the way you come running yelling "mommy, Tobin stuck" or Aboo, wake" that you love him. You love to color (on everything) and love to dance. You are very verbal and are starting to put 2 and 3 words together. I pray a blessing on you today that you may continue to grow strong and into the beautiful little girl that you are already showing sings of becoming.
Love, Mommy

Here are some pictures of her special day. She loved eating cake, opening presents and that her favorite babysitter (and possibly person) came to visit. She had to try on the beautiful sweater that Grandma Mae made for her, it is beautiful.

Soccer

2008-09-27T17:23:00.005-05:00

The boys are playing soccer this fall, today was their first game. They are on separate teams this year, bummer for the parents who have to go to 2 games, but the boys don't mind. Jason is coaching Justin's team. Isaac's game was at 8 and that was good, his team won. Justin's game was at 9:30, it was hot, we sat in the shade and sweated, the kids on the other team were much more experienced, but Justin still had fun. Next week both boys play at 8 so it should be nice weather.

Luau

2008-09-27T17:13:00.002-05:00

The pre-school that is a part of our church had a Luau last saturday to celebrate it's 25th anniversary. Jason did the grilling, the kids and I did the eating, fun was had by all. This picture of Kiah makes me smile, she is wearing an outfit that used to be mine!
Like Justin's blue smile? we had snow cones!

muscles

2008-09-05T11:18:00.000-05:00

Justin at breakfast while stirring his oatmeal "I can feel a muscle coming on!"

Baseball!

2008-09-03T17:02:00.002-05:00

Justin has become quite a fan of baseball this year, especially the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has been able to go to 3 games so far. Through the summer reading program at our local library, the boys both earned a ticket, so Jason took them to the game on Monday.

The back yard

2008-09-03T16:49:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures of our back yard. It is kind of U shaped.

The flood and therefore the floor removal

2008-09-03T15:14:00.003-05:00

We had a huge storm last week and the living room flooded! You could stand in the middle of the room and watch the water come through the bamboo flooring. Now we already knew that we wanted to replace the flooring, but not so soon. We were very thankful that the tree in the front yard remained standing, many trees around the city went down, it was one on those storms that had me wondering if I should gather the children and hunker down somewhere; the wind was blowing so hard, rain like crazy and hail, it was crazy. So we spent Saturday pulling up the floor. Oh, and notice that whoever put the flooring down in the first place was not so smart, they glued the bamboo onto the concrete, it was a pain to remove.

did you know...

2008-08-25T15:05:00.003-05:00

did you know that a certain almost seven year old boy will eat seven pancakes just to prove that he can eat more than Daddy?
...that a certain almost two year old girl can eat as many pancakes at her 5 year old brother?
...that the same little girl will climb into a tub of water fully clothed and ready for church?
just some fun things happening at our house:)

Movie to see

2008-08-22T19:32:00.002-05:00

we have loved Flywheel and Facing the Giants and look forward to seeing this.

He sits!

2008-08-22T17:52:00.004-05:00

It's so much fun to watch Tobin grow and develop and to see how he compares to the other kids at this stage. All the kids have sat right at 6 months. Tobin turned six months last week; for the last two weeks he has been able to sit with help, in the last few days he has been sitting all by himself, he still falls over eventually, but he is very steady. No teeth yet, but by the amount of drooling he is doing, I know they are not far off. At 6 months he is 20 pounds, 27 inches long; smaller in weight than the other boys, but about the same in height. we'll see if he walks as early as everyone else did, I hope not, but he probably will:)

Six Months old!

2008-08-16T19:50:00.002-05:00

Tobin is six months old already. here are a few of the pics that I snapped today.

Kiah and the hat

2008-08-14T13:11:00.002-05:00

Kiah loves to dress up and I just had to share this picture. She was still in her pajamas, had her bunny and the fire hat, too cute!

Grandma visits

2008-08-14T13:00:00.004-05:00

We had the pleasure of having Grandma come and visit us. Here is a pic of her and the kids. This picture of Kiah I just love and had fun creating the effects.

Silly Tobin

2008-08-14T12:52:00.004-05:00

Tobin is six months old now! Hard to believe, the time is flying by. He is almost sitting by himself, he loves to play on the floor, and puts everything he finds in his mouth. He is so silly, he loves to suck and even sometimes sucks his tongue. These pictures aren't the greatest, but they're the best I could get. He also loves to play with his toes.

He is really scooting around and loves to play on the floor. he gets his knees under himself, crawling is not far off:)

vacation fun

2008-08-14T12:38:00.003-05:00

I've been trying to get to these posts for a while now:) It has been crazy busy ever since we arrived in AZ, I hope that things start to be "normal" soon.

Justin

Under a huge cyprus tree

a lizard we saw on our hike

More Vacation Pictures

2008-08-07T14:38:00.007-05:00

Here are some more pictures of our vacation. First, a wonderful dinner we had "Good Eats" style. It was delicious

Isaac looking pensive

the kids got to try panning for gold.

Vacation

2008-07-22T21:45:00.003-05:00

We just returned from a wonderful vacation in Big Bear California.

A Big hole!

2008-07-03T19:19:00.003-05:00

Here's a funny story; the place we were camping was fairly rustic, no electricity, no running water; so Isaac goes to use the outhouse for the first time and comes back looking worried. He says, "Mommy there's a big hole and I feel like I am going to fall in" it was so cute, so i took him to the outhouse and he was fine after that. i didn't take nearly enough pictures, and can't explain how beautiful it was, the pine forests, the lakes, being so high in elevation, it was wonderful.

Camping

2008-06-30T11:24:00.002-05:00

We were blessed to go camping on cool beautiful Greer AZ this past weekend with a group from church; it was a lot of fun.

Mmmm, Ice Cream

2008-06-24T22:04:00.002-05:00

The boys enjoyed some Ice Cream cones recently.

Where'd she learn THAT look?

2008-06-24T17:36:00.005-05:00

Pretty smile

What?
"the look"
Here are some pictures of Kiah, in one of them she is giving "the look", she is very expressive:)

Hair!

2008-06-06T19:20:00.003-05:00

Kiah's hair has gotten so long, it hangs in her face, but I don't have the heart to cut it yet. She usually won't leave any barrettes in, but sometimes leaves it in a pony tail or pig tails, which is so cute.

D-back game

2008-06-04T14:34:00.003-05:00

Justin got to go to his first baseball game recently. He had a great time, he really loves sports.