Canning June Memories, instead of Jam....

Unfortunately I just found out that I missed Strawberry season up in the Skagit Valley (they had an early crop this year). I like to go up there with the kids and pick berries then make jam like a crazy lady for the next couple days. I'm so bummed that I missed it so I thought I'd can some memories from this past month instead.

Walking down the driveway on sunny summer days. The buttercups are in bloom, school is almost out. Meeting that bus for the very last time, plopping fat salmonberry's into our mouths. We walk back up the hill giving grass to the horses. Hand in hand we talk about our day . Empty backpacks now hang on their hooks, waiting for fall to be filled again. 5am arrives and sunlight streams through the window-far too early. He sweetly pulls the drapes closed before leaving for work. Sleeping in, no schedule to keep-waking each morning to the chirping of birds. Sunny, no-TV days, finishing chores, gathering sticks then going out to play in the sandpit. Making castles and digging tunnels. Jumping on the trampoline, "Rocks, Bombs and Survivors" game. Pushing kids on the swings, playing "wilderness family". Bare feet and sandy toes. Warm summer breezes blowing through the house, peaceful naps out on the porch. Squirt guns, naughty boys playing in the hose-AGAIN! Drenching their clothes tracking sand and mud into the house. Filling up the pool on uneven ground, are there really no flat parts in our yard? Overgrown stone path, lost in the abundance of the thriving weeds. Smelling the wildflowers in bloom. Many a morning glory brought to my door hidden behind the back of a smiling boy. Picnic lunches in the front yard or under the shade of the walnut tree. Throwing grapes into each others mouths trying to catch them, and getting hit in the lip. Crystal Lite Pink Lemonade. Fencing in the field for the goats, building a chicken coop . Losing 8 chickens not to a racoon but our own dumb dog. Daddy pushing his bicycle up the driveway drenched in sweat after his long ride home. Starting the peacemaker award that became more of a burden than a blessing. The boys laying in the grass searching for 4- leaf clovers and finding dozens.

Getting family pictures taken, a boyhood obsession with giving bunny ears. Mom a broken record of "Seriously Boys!" Watching UP at the Drive-In Movie (first time for everyone). Playing in the rock pile finding "Crystals" and precariously stacking rocks. Nezzy (our kitty) gone missing, praying her home-a windy night brings her safe return. Reading Princess books to a little sister in exchange for her highly sought after snuggles. Fun with masking tape, ferry rides, Sounders game. "Go slow for Mt. Raineer......Wow!!!". Summer dresses & new hair bows....."Mama, you make my hair pretty?"

Little League season comes to an end to the great sigh and relief of Mom and Dad....

No more weeknight practices and 2 hour games. Our Saturdays are free again and we can get stuff done. No more dinner in a Tupperware for Daddy, Baked potato meals. water bottles, snack schedules, and "Mom-where's my cup?". Watching through the fence, snapping pictures, trying to keep Lauren & Ben out of the dugout-temporarily entertained. Standing between 2 fields watching both boys games. Daddy in the dugout coaching the teams. Mommy in the bleachers, I think I'm going to scream! Cheering loudly, sucking on sunflower seeds, bribing Jacob to swing off the machine.

Father's Day

For Father's Day Aaron requested that the boys "work together to make something" for him. After some intense brainstorming the boys came up with the idea to make a candy house using his favorite kinds of candy. Joseph even used some of his horsetail money to "buy the roof"-(Hershey Bars). After a lot of work they finished it then hid it under their bed upstairs. A day later I was cleaning in their room and found candy wrappers under the bed and a half eaten candy house. What was I thinking, right? We had to go back to the store and get more candy before Father's Day. Aaron loved it and the boys were so pleased with themselves. Aaron also needed new work gloves since he and his Dad were digging fence posts holes. We got some nice ones as a gift and had the kids sign their names in puffy paint.

After church on Sunday we headed to Aaron's Dad's house where we had a BBQ and spent the day with family doing guy stuff (playing numerous "ball games"-football, baseball & of course foosball.)

Words cannot express the deep joy that fills my heart when I see the way my husband loves and interacts with my children. I'm so thankful to have the kind of Father for my children that I did not have as a child. I count this as one of my greatest blessings in life. I'm also grateful to my Father in Heaven who has always been there for me from my earliest age. His love and influence in my life buoyed me up during the difficult years of my childhood. He has always been there comforting me and healing my wounded heart. What a blessing to so many lives is the influence of a loving father. I'm grateful for the father's in my life who have shown me the real meaning of Father and given me reason to celebrate this day.

"Mommy's Marathon"

Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon

June 27th

26.2 miles of pavement and 25,000 runners participating. It was literally a sea of people. I ran the whole way without stopping (if you don't count the 60 second dash into a porta-potty at mile 3-I drank waaaaay too much water before the race). In the end I made my goal of a sub 4-hour time. Hooray!!! The final result was 3:58:57 A little closer than I would have liked but still a new personal record by 3 minutes. My boys were there at the finish line holding up their handwritten signs cheering me on. That is my favorite thing in the world-seeing them there at the end.

Fearless little girl

I'm inclined to think that most 2 year old girls would not hold a chicken, hand feed a horse and beg to be pushed as high as humanly possible on the worlds largest swing. Lately I've been noticing (and coming to respect) what a brave little girl Lauren is....

Last week when we were walking down the driveway to meet the boys at the bus the neighbors horses came up to the fence. Lauren immediately grabbed some grass and ran over to feed them. She was not afraid at all to hold her little hand out to that big head and let the horse's teeth brush past her fingers sometimes holding the tiniest blades of grass for them to eat. Not once did I see her jump back or let out a single girly scream when they got too close.

Recently we got baby chicks and from the first time we brought them home Lauren wanted to hold them. This wasn't surprising to me, but what did impress me was how calm she was when they started getting bigger and didn't really want to be held. Trying to escape my daughters grasp they would chirp hysterically and begin dramatically flapping their wings. When I first saw them do this I thought for sure that Lauren would be traumatized by the dramatic show and drop the chicken and run. On the contrary she would continue to carefully hold the frazzled bird all along saying in a calm voice, "It's otay birdie, it's otay."

A few days ago I was out at the sandpit pushing the kids on the swings and I could hardly get Ben (my almost 5 year old) to let me give him an underdog. "That's too high mama!" he'd say, clutching the rope and tensing up with fear. Then at the other end of the swing set Lauren would be yelling for me to come back over and push her again because she was slowing down too much. "Higher, mama, Higher!" Every time I'd get her going really high I'd run around to the front so I could see her little face beaming with joy as the wind blew her hair back each time she swung forward.



I love discovering the inborn personalities and character traits of my children. Some are naturally loving, some naturally strong willed. Others are naturally compliant and have an innate desire to follow rules. They are all unique and each day their spirits unfold before my eyes and I wonder as their mother how these qualities will influence their adult lives. How will it be a part of the grown men and women they will one day become? I often wonder if mother's of astronauts or famous artists would say of their grown children, "I'm not surprised my son went to the moon, he always had a love of the stars or had an adventurous nature."

And what will my daughter do with her life? I'm sure I won't know the answer to this question for many years. But one day will I say when seeing the woman she's become, "I'm not surprised, ....for even at the age of 2 she was fearless and brave." ?

May Memories

Washing Daddy's motorcycle


Ben thought he'd be helpful and wash Aaron's motorcycle. I saw him outside with the hose and a bucket of soapy water spraying it down and lathering up the sponge. When I went outside to snap a picture of him he was at the height of his cuteness with his rubber boots and wet blue jeans smiling from ear to ear. A few days later Aaron was in the garage and tried to start up the bike. After wondering why it was running so sluggish, he revved it up and about a gallons worth of water sprayed out from the exhaust pipes. After questioning Ben he reluctantly admitted to spraying the hose water directly into the exhaust pipes.




"Mommy, will you marry me?"

Over Memorial Day weekend I was in the office trying to catch up on my blogging while the kids were outside playing. Later on that afternoon all three boys came in the house and marched into the office with their hands behind their backs. Then all at the same time they held out their hand picked bouquets and shouted in chorus,...."Mommy, will you marry me!?" I love my sweet little boys.

Father/ Son Canoe trip to Blake Island

Aaron had a fun outing with the boys on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. He borrowed a friends canoe and put it in just down the road by the Southworth ferry. He paddled across the water over to Blake Island where they camped for the night and stayed the next day hiking and exploring the island. Their campsite right on the water had an amazing view of Mt. Rainier. Lauren and I stayed behind and had a girls night at home. I'm so glad that he takes the boys out on these outings. Any chance he gets he takes them on little overnighter trips. I really do feel so blessed that my children have such a wonderful Father that genuinely enjoys spending time with his kids. I told him that next time though he was going to have to find another canoe because I want to come too!

Their campsite on the island. (Yes he paddled that canoe across the strait all by himself)

(The view of Mt. Rainier at sunset from their campsite)

Jacob's Diabetes Walk/Run

Jacob was very excited to participate in his school's Diabetes walk/Run. I happened to be volunteering that day at the school so I got to see this little guy running his heart out. They had the upper field coned off and all the kids ran or walked laps around the field. Every time they completed a lap they got a punch on their card. 40 laps around the field equaled 10 miles. Jacob ran every lap and over the course of the two days had his whole card punched equaling a total of 10 miles. He was very proud of himself for being the only First grader to have his entire card punched. The next day when he came downstairs for breakfast he was walking a little funny. "Mommy, my legs are kind of sore this morning," he said. I wonder why you silly boy!

Baby Chicks

Joseph's Kindergarten class hatched some baby chicks. It took several weeks of waiting but after finally hatching they were old enough to take home. Jospeh got to bring home 2 of them. We were already planning on getting some laying hens this spring (I've wanted to have fresh eggs for a couple of years now) so getting these first two kind of pushed us into getting the chicken coop built. We bought 8 other baby chicks and the kids have been enjoying them immensely. Joseph named the two from his class "Big Heart" and "White Charm." He announced their names to us one day right out of the blue. Lauren has cracked me up with her bravery when holding the chicks. Sometimes they will try to get out of her grasp and they'll start frantically flapping their wings in her face. Without even flinching she just holds on for dear life as she says soothingly: "It's okay birdie, it's okay." Here is a picture and a video clip of them holding the chicks.

Sticker Lauren

One night while I was making dinner Lauren was sitting up on the island playing with a sheet of stickers. After a while I looked over at her to find that she had completely covered herself with the stickers. All over her shirt and hair. It cracked me up to think of her carefully placing each one evidently she thought she was making her hair pretty. She didn't think it was such a great idea later though when I had to pull them out of her hair. Ouch! This month Lauren also did something else for the first time. She grabbed a pink little marker and drew nail polish on her fingernails and toenails. It was done very carefully and she was so pleased with herself as she declared, "Look Mommy, I make it pretty!" It was funny because the color she picked was almost dead on to the shade of polish I had on my toenails.



Playing Catch

Baseball season ends in June and our life won't be so crazy. Any spare moment Aaron has he'll usually be found out in the yard playing catch with the boys. I snapped this picture one day from the kitchen window while I was washing dishes. I love these simple little moments that mean so much. Aaron is so great about always taking a few minutes away from his laptop (when he works from home) to just go out and play catch. He teaches me so much about taking time out to spend time playing with the kids. I love that about him.

Mother's Day

When we were planning our Disneyland trip we didn't look at the calendar very well because it would not have been a part of my plans to get home at 10:30pm on a Saturday night with Mother's day being the next day. We were both exhausted from our flight and the hours of driving. I think we were up until at least midnight unpacking and minimally putting the house back together before we finally hit the sack. Aaron still woke up early though to make me my favorite breakfast (crepes with strawberries and yogurt) and got to stay home from his usual morning meetings to help with getting the kids ready for church. That night he barbecued some salmon (also my favorite) and we enjoyed a great dinner with me not doing a thing but enjoying my break for the day. I love Mother's day.

The boys made me some little gifts (beaded necklaces and a potted flower from school). But mostly what I treasured from them was their sweet pictures and home made cards. Now that they're getting older it has been so wonderful to hear them express themselves in words. I think every mother would agree that the best gift from your children is to hear them lovingly express how they feel about you. Their words warmed my heart and made it a very special Mothers Day.

Clone Trooper Helmet

Jacob worked so hard on this Star Wars Clone Trooper helmet. He came downstairs after being up in the playroom for over an hour working tirelessly cutting, coloring, taping and stapling. The end result was quite impressive. I couldn't help but smile when I thought of all the work and detail he put into making this. I love his creativity and his little imagination. So cute.

Blast from the Past.....Summer 2006

Summer of 2006.....

Jacob was 4, Joseph was 3 and Ben had just turned 2. I was pregnant with Lauren and she was due in September. This picture was taken in July on our big Laws Family camping trip to Cape Disappointment. After 3 years in a row of bad weather we finally gave up and tried a different location. Aaron used to camp here as a boy with his cousin so it was fun to go back and have a big camping trip with Papa, Grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins each year.

Taken at Cape Disappointment, one of our all time favorite pictures of Jacob and Joseph. Aaron was lucky enough to zoom in on this unopposed, candid moment between brothers.

The boys at Uncle Keith's house sitting in the back of his pick-up.

Back in the "Clifford the Dog sprinkler" days. Many summer afternoons were spent watching the boys (and the neighbor kids) run through the sprinkler in the front yard.

JoJo getting the pep talk from Daddy just before his maiden flight without training wheels. Like Jacob he was 3 when they came off (one of the advantages of living on a quiet cul-de-sac). Ben is almost 5 and since living in our new home (on a gravel driveway) he still needs his training wheels on.




Pregnant with Lauren
(In my last trimester) I spent most of my summer redecorating the spare bedroom in anticipation for the arrival of my little girl. My theme was "A swallows Nest." The round crib took months of stripping, sanding and staining to a rich walnut brown (it was previously lacquer white). I painted a soft sky with clouds on the ceiling and muraled Lauren's name with hand painted birds. I sewed her bedding, put up the chair railing (well Aaron did). Sanded, stained and attached a mirror to the closet door. Made a cornice box, covered it with my inspiration fabric and searched for months on e-bay and in antique stores looking for the perfect details to complete her room. My heart and soul went into her nursery and so did all my spare time that summer. Too bad that 1 year later we would move to a different home, and my daughter would only remember this room from the pictures we took.

This was the summer that we discovered Lake Cresent on the Olympic Peninsula. 2 weeks before Lauren was due we spent 3 days enjoying this magnificent place. It has since become one of our favorite camping destinations. The lake is gorgeous as is the view surrounding the lakeside campsites.

Many bike rides and evening walks with the Big Red Wagon were taken down our street. I miss those walks.

Summer sleepovers for the big boys. Jacob and JoJo eating ice-cream and sleeping under their "tent" that Daddy set up for them in the family room. I don't know why but they would get SO excited about having these little indoor campouts.

Our Trip to Disneyland

I took a ton of pictures from our week in Disneyland/San Diego. Way too many to post. Most of you have probably seen some of these pictures on Aaron's facebook page but for those of you haven't here are a few for your viewing pleasure.

It may seem silly but one of the highlights of the trip was taking the kids on their first ride on an airplane. Landings and take-offs were so much fun! I loved watching their faces when the engine was revving and we were zooming down the runway. It still puts a smile on my face thinking about it.

Day 1 at Disneyland, the kids fresh off the plane and ready to hit the park.

At the end of day 1 the kids were all crashed out.

Watching the steamboat and taking a churros break.

Waiting in line for the Finding Nemo Submarine Adventure. (One of my favorite rides)

Taking a break on day 2 we hit Huntington Beach half way through the day. Needless to say the boys LOVED it!




Jacob and JoJo helping Ben (who was a little scared) jump the waves.

What family vacation would be compete without the unexpected fun of changing a flat tire on the rental car.

We got lucky when we found Mickey Mouse in a back alley.....




The Jedi Training Academy was a HIT for my boys. They were instructed in the ways of the force by real Jedi Knights. Then they got to try out their skills on the bad guys...




Joseph got to fight Darth Vader with his light saber....




Jacob got to fight Darth Maal, (my camera was on the fritz during his fight) I'll try to get Aaron to post the clip from our camcorder.

My sister and her family joined us on our 4th day.

Taking a stroll with Goofy down Main Street.

The kids and their cousins posing with Goofy.

Lauren showing off her blue tongue. (Never underestimate the power of lollipops when your kids are wating in lines).

Aaron with the boys at Disney's California Adventure Park.




Waiting in yet another line with the boys...

Exploring the caves on Tom Sawyers Island.

Day 5..... Last time down Main Street just before leaving the park.

Eating Dinner at Goofy's Kitchen on our last night.

The kids with some of their cousins just before leaving my sisters house. I sure wished they lived closer. ):

Saying our goodbyes to my sister and her family just before leaving for San Diego. She was such a great hostess!!!

THE Jack in the Box where I worked as the Drive-thru Queen for almost 2 years in high school. Believe it or not I LOVED working there and have nothing but happy memories from those days.

Just for fun we stopped my my old high school where I graduated. While there they were taping the clip from American Idol for Adam Lambert (a fellow MCHS alumni).

The kids at Del Mar beach. It was so weird going back to this beach after all these years. The last time I was here I was 18 years old. Coming back with my husband and seeing my children play on the same sands was a little nostalgic.

My little Surfer Ben at La Jolla Shores.

At La Jolla Shores on our last day, just before leaving to catch our flight.