Happy Birthday Bro!

What can I say about my loveable, huggable brother-in-law?

Jason and I go way back (about 30 years maybe) and that would make us how old? Jason is the cousin of my BFF Lorain, so we spent loads and loads of time growing up together. Then I go off to the military and lo and behold he marries my sister.

When I think of Jason I think of…

…Running around the Priest Lake Sawmill. What were our parents thinking???
…Pigs, pigs and more pigs. How much money did you make anyways?
…Broken arms and football. Enough said.
…Many broken hearts trailing behind you.
…A bear hug that could crush ribs.
…A brother that can put me in my place without losing his smile.
…A wonderful dad!
…An excellent teacher!

But most off all, he is the man who makes my sister happy. We are so blessed to have you as part of our family. Happy Birthday Jason!

Presents, Puppies and the Ugly Sweater Contest

We had a great Christmas vacation. It was a bit of a whirlwind, but loads of fun. We drove to Missoula and spent Christmas Eve with the Strongs. Then it was off to Coeur d'Alene for Christmas with the Workmans. There were lots of kids running everywhere, plenty of noise, and loads of good treats. I am still not sure how Ashlee escaped the picture below...but somehow...

The girls had a blast opening presents. Kendall was Uncle Roy's little Elf this year. I think her favorite part was passing out the gifts!

Kevin even won top prize at the annual ugly sweater contest. He wore his lovely sweater with pride and took home the grand prize of twix and reeses plenty packs. Way to go honey!

One of the sweetest gifts this year went to Hallie. She received a Pomeranian puppy this year. "Beau" is almost 2 years old and quite a beauty. He did not live up to his reputation and refrained from yipping the whole weekend.

One of my favorite moments of the weekend occurred when we arrived at my mom's house. The last time that Sidney had been there, she was probably only 9 months old??? When we arrived all of our arms were loaded. Before we had a chance to put anything down, Sidney was climbing up the stairs directly to the "grandbaby" room. This is the room where mom keeps all of the toys, etc. She climbed onto the little table and chair set and started playing with the little keyboard up there. Did she remember this from her last visit? The answer to that may always remain a mystery. But one thing is for certain, those little buggers are a lot smarter than we think.

Kendall stayed overnight with her cousin Hallie. Thankfully, there was not a tear-filled call in the middle of the night. In fact, she did not seem to miss us at all. Hmph!

It was a great holiday and I am so glad that we made the trip. Thank you to everyone for making it so memorable. Kevin thank you for getting us there and back safely. This was a milestone trip, as we made it there and back without a speeding ticket. WOOHOO!

Happy Birthday Pops!

My dad is one of the most focused people I know. He never does anything half-heartedly:

If he is going to run, he does a marathon.
If he is going to do a triathlon, he does the Ironman.
If he is going to get thrown off a horse, he ends up in a cast up to his hip.
If he is going to hunt, he bugles them in and hunts with bow and arrow.
If he is going to lay brick, he does a masterpiece.

I am sure you get the picture. Growing up, I always appreciated the honesty and wisdom that my dad was willing to share with me. To this day if I want empathy, I call my mom. If I want a kick in the rear, I call my dad. He has always been so real and straight with me. It is refreshing.

I am so proud of my dad and all of the things he has accomplished. He has done things that many people would not even attempt to try. He instilled in me the belief that nothing is out of my reach.

Most of all, I am thankful that he put his family first. My dad was a young father, so I distinctly remember him making difficult decisions so that his family could succeed. Thank you Dad.

He also set a great example of how a woman should be treated. He has always treated my mom with the greatest amount of respect. No matter what the situation – he would back her 110%.

Happy Birthday Dad. You are without a doubt the best father (and grandpa) a girl could ask for!

Silence CAN be golden.

This morning Kendall went into her bedroom and shut the door. My first thought was "YES, silence". But as the minutes ticked away and silence continued to emit from the room, my thoughts turned to images of permanent marker pictures on the wall, or lipstick all over her body, or haircuts ala toddler. Eventually my curiosity got the best of me and I opened the door to find this...She was playing with her flashcards. Who knew...silence CAN be golden. So, I quickly told her that I was going to shut the door so she could finish playing. Phew...don't want to ruin that silence.

We had my work Christmas party this weekend. It was a family affair. Here is a picture of Sidney accessorizing before the party.Santa even made an appearance at the party. Despite all of the girls attempts at getting on the naughty list, apparently Santa thought they had been pretty good. Sidney was not about to sit on the Jolly man's lap. Who can blame her? She did quickly learn the fine art of gift opening. I think she was more entertained by the box than the present inside.

Kendall got over her fear of the big fellow and even went back for a second sit on his lap to chat about all of her Christmas wishes.

All of the kids spent the evening dancing the night away. Desiree - I caught a picture of Miley in all of her dancing glory. Talk about a dancing diva.Kevin took this picture of Kendall in our front yard. Every night when we get home from work, she insists on going out front to see Santa and Teddy. At her rate of growth, she may just be taller than these guys next year!

Bring on the Starbucks!

We had our first sleepover last night and have affectionately decided that two children are plenty! It was quite a fun event filled with games, pizza, baths, breakfast and movies. All of these things contributing to the Venti coffees I just picked up for Kevin and I. Mine has already been consumed, and I am asking myself how much coffee is too much as I contemplate running for another. In an attempt to capture a picture of all the kids, this is what I got:It really was a good time. Kevin and I even managed to squeeze in a movie of our own as the kids watched Ice Age 3 (Eli's pick). Movies...they are a parents best friend. Look at the peaceful gaze on all of their faces. Whoever said that too much TV was bad - clearly - does not have children.
My favorite part of having other kids over is to watch my girls interact with their friends. The stories they tell (Kendall mostly), and the things that I realize are important to them. It is sweet to see Kendall's big grin as she tells them "this is my____". And, "I will get cereal for everyone mommy".

This week Sidney has decided that she wants to go down the stairs on her bottom as opposed to sliding down on her tummy. SCARY. The first time she did this I just about had a heart attack. All I could envision was head over feet somersaults down the stairs. Hopefully, she can do this without too many tumbles. She is a pretty careful little girl (unlike our other monkey). She has also found her new hangout place:

It is amazing how fast they grow! On a different note, we have had a lot of snow falling in Boise. Alright it is nothing compared to our family up North, but we are enjoying it. Our neighbor got a new plow for the front of his four wheeler, and we have been fortunate enough to reap the rewards of his excitement. Thank you Rich!

Happy Birthday Kevin!

I do not even know where to begin. Kevin is undoubtedly one of the awesome men I know. After all he has put up with me for 12 yearsJ So here goes, my top ten list:

1. He puts the toilet seat down.
2. He is a romantic at heart and has NEVER forgotten a Birthday or Anniversary.
3. He has never hesitated to tell me the truth no matter how much it might sting.
4. He will go visit my parents even when I am not with him.
5. He has never “let me” win at anything. He will make it a good game, but if I win it is legit!
6. He has always been my biggest fan and has never doubted me for a second.
7. He is passionate about what he does. This one drives me crazy at times, but ultimately I think it is amazing.
8. He has endured countless questions of “Does this make my butt look big?”J
9. He does not care what my hair looks like or if my clothes are trendy (although he DID put his foot down when I wore red sweatpants with a purple shirt).
10. He is the most amazing, consistent, tender, funny, caring, loving father there is!
Happy Birthday My Love!