Artic Blast 2008

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Oh..the weather outside is frightfull!

We are snowed in! Yesterday we got hit with about 3 inches of snow, and today we stayed in the twenty's. Now all you Utah people are probably saying wha'st the big deal.. Well us Oregonians can deal with rain and flooding but not SNOW! No, studs, no chains, no going anywhere! Although today after I about lost it with cabin fever, I talked Dane into going to FredMeyer (the store that has it all!) We bought Christmas presents, food for the next couple of days, and some entertainment for the kids...oh yeah, and snow gloves!

Tomorrow it's gonna stay in the lower 20's and then Wens we'll get dumped with some more snow, but ohh we're not done yet! Saturday possibly a FOOT of snow and maybe even some freezing rain!

Now I've always loved the snow..but that's because in Oregon it usually melts by the next day..letting us all go on with our busy lives. I guess this is Gods way of saying slow down! I just wish our house was bigger to spread out in, we're driving each other bonkers!

BTW - See our lights on the house! At night it's lit up like a Gingerbread house! It is so bright!

Making a list, checking it twice!

Just look at all the people I buy Christmas presents for. I'm done with most of them...but still have to hit the stores again this week.

Mom

Dad

Dad

Robin

Mom in-Law

Dad in-law

Grandma

Grandma

Grandpa

Sasha

Troy

Logan

Aiden

Chris

Jen

Gracie

Alex

Secret Santa for Brandy

Secret Santa for Dane

Heath

Heather

Han

Hunter

Noelle

Logan

Hailey

Chase

Tyler

Jenny

Lauren

School friend for Maddy

School friend for Christian

CHRISTIAN

MADDY

SAMUEL

Wow! Writing it out makes it seem even more daunting!!

Another Holiday Brunch

Yes my in-laws spoil us rotten. This last Sunday all 15 of us when to Multnomah Falls for brunch. Here are some pics.

Multnomah Falls

My diaper stash!

For a surprise, I sent Candina and Natalie one of my favorite cloth diapers, a minky (so soft inside and out) Preston Pants. Candina is very interested in cloth diapering Sienna. So, I thought I'd take this opportunity to show off my diaper stash. These aren't as cute as the newborn diapers that I had when he was just a little guy. But these are the workhorses in our house. A few are missing, as some were in the wash. Yes, I wash my own diapers..there's nothing to it. When you figure the average cost to diaper a kid from newborn to potty training is $1,400 an initial investment of $200 is not bad!

Here's most of it.. washcloths (I made), inserts, diapers

My favorite... Fuzzi Bunz

Close-up of my favorite FB's Bugs, and trains!

Dane's favorite Thrirsties All in Ones...although you can stuff more into them. He likes them because of the Velco tabs :)

Super thin and absorbent hemp inserts 

Also very absorbent microfiber inserts

Dyed infant-size Prefolds (these are what our grandmas used) - I use them for stuffing diapers and burp rags. Have a ton of these!

Diaper liners both fleece (yellow are handmade) and flushable liners! What a great invention...baby poops...you just flush the insert!

Update on the kids

Samuel

On Dec 15th he will be 7 months old, and I'm guessing he will be mobile by then. AHHHH! Part of me likes spending time w/ him on the floor upstairs (carpeted) teaching him how to crawl. Another big part of me would like to stay a little lump baby for eternity! Maddy and Christian have so many small toys, that we will have to babygate the toy room. Also 2 maybe 3 more gates around the house. Stairs are a biggie! We had a gate up at the top of the stairs when Christian was little, but it was not strong enough and he pushed the gate over and flipped about 5 times down our Very steep stairway. He was ok...but gave us a big scare!

So as soon as the big event occurs we will shoot some video and post it here! Stay tuned!! He still has no teeth...although he constantly drools and chews on everything! Loves the watch the kittens run up the drapes in the living room. Is easily entertained by his brother and sis, in fact, his day is pretty blah until the noisy kids come home from school. Driving to and from school (once to pick up Maddy and then later to pick up Christian) is a different story, he still Hates the car!! Sam's pretty little, still in 3-6 month clothes. Although he looks very proportioned! Not skinny at all! More to come!

Maddy

Maddy had a rough time getting back into the swing of going back to school over the holiday. She would break down crying in the morning saying she didn't want to go. But after a couple of days, I think she's back to her old bubbly self again! She already planning her B-day party and which of her friends she wants to invite to her "friend" party. I love all the crafts that she brings home to me. For Christian it's something he's very used to doing...but for Maddy, it's like she's giving me a most valuable gift! :) All of which I display either on the fridge or the hanging thing over our island that is supposed to hold beautiful pots and pans (that I do not own :) She now looks forward to every morning going downstairs to open her advent calendar (this year she has the littlest petshop)

Christian

Christian also looks forward to his morning advent calendar, he has Lego City. YES, he still is very much into Legos. Although he has been enjoying doing puzzles lately! Every day after school he does a puzzle. Even though he only has 3, he does over and over again. They are 100 pc puzzles but he keeps begging me for bigger ones. Maybe for Christmas! He is doing excellent in school! During the first-grade period, he came home with straight A's. Must take after his dad :) On the not-so-happy side of things, he has to have an operation on Jan 8th. This is to have tubes put in his ears due to frequent ear infections and hearing loss that he has been experiencing for over a year now! During the surgery, he may also have his adenoids taken out, as we think he has sleep apnea. Christian can you believe he is actually excited to have the surgery...he wants to be able to hear like everyone else again! I'm really praying that his adenoids are of normal size and they do not need to be removed as I know the recovery from that can be very painful! Hid Ped doc said at one time that his apnea spells and snoring could be caused by a very small mouth and throat structure, and if that were the case surgery would not help the apnea spells. Keep ya posted!

Dane

I know Dane isn't really my child.... but lately he sure seems like one :) Yesterday was his first day back at work following the surgery he had on Nov 21st! He still has a lot of pain from the incision sight. Yesterday at his doctors appt, the doctor informed him it was infected and gave him some antibiotics. NOW he should start feeling better! But he still can lift anything heavy for the next 6-8 weeks! So I guess I'll be the one putting up Christmas lights this year! UUGG!

Zoo lights!

Sunday night Janice and Wayne aka Mom & Dad, treated us all to buffet dinner and zoo lights! All were there except Kim :( We all had a lot of fun! The lights were so beautiful, and it now feels officially like Christmas! This was Sammy's first zoo lights, Maddy and Christian have been going for years now! This year we toted him around in my front carrier and stroller! Maddy it think had the most fun driving the stroller! She also loved the baby elephant, who is now about 5 months old! She was so cute! The mama elephant was just getting her lo to sleep by stoking her back and fourth with her trunk. Christian ofcourse loved the train and the gift shop.. This time it only took 1/2 and hour for all the grandkids to pick out a trinket! AHH progress! Last year I think they were in there for about an hour! Gotta love GAGA's patients and generosity! Thank you Janice and Wayne for an awsome evening!

The family

The extended family

Pretty lights

More pretty lights

Sammy in zoo stroller

Maddy the little mommy

Maddy, Noelle, and Rudolff

More pretty lights

Eating an Elephant Ear

Samudra the baby Elephant

(my picture didn't turn out too well as you can't use the flash inside his exibit)

Sammy loved the lights!