Can it Be?

Could it be…my baby is Five? Well it can! Jack turned five on December 5th. I can’t believe it really. But then I realize a lot has happened in the last three years! I am so thankful that our family is growing up a little bit! Now we are able to go and do whatever we want. I have three hikers, three bikers, three out- and- abouters! (when Bellie is in a good mood!) So here is to FIVE! Happy Birthday Jackers!

We celebrated by taking our happy feet to Happy Feet. A fun time was had by all, especially Jack!

Sunday Sunrise...

This was so beautiful! I am NEVER up early enough to see such a sight. Thanks to Christine for "making" me work the espresso stand with her Sunday morning!

Observations of the snowed-in...

Since being trapped in the Valley since Sunday here are a few observations:
Day One, very exciting, super fun to be outside, everywhere you can see is covered in a beautiful soft white blanket. Absolutely beautiful.
Day Two, bitter cold, but still fun to play in. Sledding a top activity, loving the fresh air. Isabelle not into going outside. No school.
Day Three, Getting a little board of watching T.V., bring out the games and drawing supplies, teach Ethan Monopoly, finally venture out on our snow hike just to see something other than the cul-de-sac, Isabelle is bored enough to join us. Run out of toilet paper and milk… Jack takes three baths. No school.
Day four, torture, everyone is suffering from cabin fever, Ethan and I take a nap on the couch, all four of us to lazy to put on all layers snow clothes to go outside. Have top ramen for lunch and heated up frozen bagels for dinner. During our waking hours Ethan and Jack are like are like being caged up with two wild tigers. Lovingly, Shawn Buhler comes to our rescue with toilet paper, fresh milk, bread and homemade soup from Simone. Jack takes four baths, no joke. Can’t sleep because we’ve been lazy all day. No school.
Beginning of day five, I can hear rain falling on the roof along with huge clumps of snow, if I don’t get out of here today I just may go insane. No school. Going straight to Toyota dealership to trade in for four-wheel drive!

Overall Experience: An adventure, one we soon won’t forget! No doubt, lots of fun memories made!

Bring on the Cocoa!

Let it Snow! Here are some shots of the long awaited snowfall! The boys have been waiting to sled down our hill for two years! The snow along with decorating for Christmas made for a great day… School is cancelled for Monday so I’m sure we will do it all over again tomorrow.

Harbor in Winter

There are days when it just all comes together and this was one of those days. The kids and I just set out to find something to do. The boats always draw us to them, and I can’t resist. The lighting was perfect, the colors were radiant and the kids were happy and having a great time. I can just sit back and watch them play and explore and see how far we have come. It was a good day…

Boo!!!!

It is hard for me to recreate the feeling of Halloween the next day. When it turns November I don’t want to think about Halloween any longer. We trick-o-treated this year in Lynden. Accompanied by Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker, Princess Laya, Master Yoda and the Starwars Kitty! Despite nearly freezing to death the kids had a great time. We celebrated Emily’s 8th birthday the next weekend and everyone got to wear a new costume to her party. Jack has been the green power ranger since!

Jack in the Patch...

We headed back to the good ol’ patch for Jack's preschool trip… Check out the height of the corn! I am thankful for Love to Learn preschool and all of Jack’s new friends.

Creativity...

If you think about it, God's creativity and detail in the small things in life are absolutely amazing. I can't help but think how much He must care about us when I see His stunning moves with color and design...

Pumpkin Patch...

Click to check out our great adventure to The Patch. Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere…

School Spirit...

Both Isabelle and Ethan are settling into Geneva Elementary beautifully. They are both making new friends and enjoying all the new experiences and the daily school routine. Jack and I had fun counting laps for the Jog-A-Thon. They both did a great job! Ethan did 34 laps and Bellie bells, 15. Go Geneva Gnomes… gnomes? Who picked gnomes anyway???

Lucky Number Seven!

Ethan turned Seven on the 22nd! We started our day with the traditional candle lit doughnut delivered to his bedroom. He was so surprised, even though he talks about it all year long. Ethan was able to take a special treat to school and enjoyed all the birthday boy privileges throughout the day. We finished off the big event at good ol’ Chuck E. Cheese at his request. It was so fun to connect with Ethan’s Montessori friend Marcus and his mom Denise. As always we were blessed to have Auntie, Caleb and Emily join us as well. Ethan was spoiled with some new outdoor gear; a compound bow, compass, walkie-talkies, camo boots, etc. I think he even received a new bike from his dad. Happy 7th Birthday Ethan Cole!

School Time...

School has begun and we are all four settling into our new routine. It was time- I think all things considered we are off to a good start. Here’s to getting the right kid to the right place, at the right time, on the right day, with the right stuff!

The Last Splash

Okay... school is in session back to routine and schedules so one more swimming outing to enjoy this beautiful weather was a must. We joined some of our Geneva school friends and headed for Larabee beach. Check out the seaweed heads!

Summer Vacation!

We had the most terrific vacation! What a blessing to spend the week with grandma and grandpa kayaking, hiking and fishing! We started our trip exploring Deception Pass in Washington, even experiencing the Naval Base hotel on Whidbey Island. To see the kids play around in the waves listening to the roar makes me so happy! I think Jack can see God when he looks out! He lifts his arms like this every time we meet the oceans edge. Our journey continued as we set out for Lightening Lake in Manning Park, British Columbia, Canada. We stayed at the Manning Park Resort in the cabins. I would recommend that anytime! It was absolutely beautiful- We spent every moment we could exploring the lake in the kayak. Each of the kids loved the kayak experience; just don’t ask Bellie to go hiking! She hates it! We hiked into the alpine meadows to see the last of the season’s wildflowers. When Isabelle has had it she simply sits down on the ground and waits to see if someone will carry her. It makes for a long day! Ethan was in his most anticipated heaven, learning to fly fish from gramps. The time spent together as a family was great! Thanks mom and dad for the unforgettable trip!

Blueberry Pickin'

On our ever increasing quest in search of cheap summer entertainment, we decided to give blueberry pickin' a try- It was a blast. The kids had a great time; Ethan was the most meticulous, only picking perfect blueberries. The other three of us just picked whatever would fall into the bucket! This is not something I grew up with in the Midwest. Perhaps it is too hot for berries to grow like they do here? I love the smell; it takes me back to childhood, playing with my Strawberry Shortcake dolls, especially Blueberry Muffin…
Now… what to do with a flat of blueberries?!

Back to the Beach...

We heard the faint sound of waves last week calling us back to the beach. It was actually Christine calling to see if we could join she and Mike at Ocean Shores for a few days. Absolutely! It is our favorite place. The wind, the waves, the sounds, the smells, the sunsets, the people, I love everything about the beach. We enjoyed every moment we spent on our trip. The beauty of the sand and sun is always a fun photo opportunity for me… Everything about the beach is healing.