A Special Weekend!

Last weekend we dedicated Merrick at church. They call it a 'baby dedication', but it's actually a parents dedication... We get the chance to ask our community to help us raise our kiddos the best we can, to know the Lord. It's been really cool for Ryan and I to talk about how we desire to raise our boys and what an incredible privilege it is that God has entrusted us with these little guys. Parenting is so hard, but it's the biggest sense of freedom and peace knowing that we do our best, and at the end of the day they are God's and He is in control.

Grandpa Bob and Grammy made a special drive to be with us and celebrate this handsome big boy...

And of course his handsome big brother! Weston was very excited to be on stage for Merrick and he actually lasted longer than I thought :) The sun even peeked through the clouds so we could walk up the street for a yummy breakfast. It was a great day!

Halloween

Although this is our least favorite day to celebrate, we embraced Weston's love for dressing up and headed down our block to say hi to all our wonderful neighbors with our friend Kaitlyn dressed as the cutest little monkey. West was so into it, yelling before he even reached the door. Merrick would not have anything to do with a costume. But he sure was on a mission to follow his brother and Kaitlyn everywhere. Now that they're in bed, the candy gets sorted, hidden, trashed, and of course eaten by me!

What a weekend... and it's only Saturday!

We had a special visit from 'Grandma Leah' and her grandson Dylan, aka 'Woody' yesterday. Leah is so wonderful to come visit us. She and her husband are dear friends and mentors to us. We met them when we moved to Los Angeles as newlyweds over 8 years ago and we still get to see them! Weston and Merrick adore them too, and their little dog Chelsea.

West and I had a very special date today. We spent time together mesmerized by Disney on Ice! I didn't realize how much I would enjoy this; all the old Disney movie characters and the new ones combined with music was quite a show.

Can you tell he had fun?!

Mt. Tabor

Last weekend we finally ventured up to Mt. Tabor to do some exploring.

Somehow in the three years we've lived here, this was our first time. It is beautiful and only 10 minutes from our house! There are all sorts of trails around the mountain and three water retention ponds. The view is looking west towards the city. You can't see it here, but there is a stunning view of downtown from the top of the mountain.

It felt so good to get in one last sunny and sort of warm, hike before the weather really starts changing... boo...hoo...

Going for a ride with... Grammy!

Oh, how we LOVE our time with Grammy. She came down for the weekend and it was so wonderful. It's the first time I haven't worked on a Saturday in a long time and being with my family is so much better! Ryan and I spent Saturday together rafting for his birthday celebration on the White Salmon river and Sunday we all went to the pumpkin patch together. Dressed for mud, we climbed up towers built of hay, rode a little 'cow train', ate fresh corn on the cob and spent an hour lost in the corn maize... Weston and Merrick were troopers.

Come back Grammy, please come back!

"Cheesy" afternoon with Popsicles!

Merrick is quite verbal now, and will definitely let you know what he wants. At least twice in a day he holds onto the freezer drawer screaming 'po sil' (popsicle)! It's his favorite afternoon snack... and sometimes 9am, 5pm... depends on mommy's patience that day.

These two are quite the smile provokers. This morning Weston grabbed his hat and said 'Mom, I'm wearing my beanie because I'm a big fisherman and I'm meeting up with Jim.' I have no idea...?

I pray for these two boys to compliment one another as they grow, really like each other, lift each other up when they're down, have fun, grow up sharing a special relationship with their dad and to know how much the Lord loves them, and made them perfect for His plan. Please let His will be done through our family for his glory :)

Sunday night campfire!

One of our summer projects was to transplant a ton of plants, clear the mound of dirt they were in, level it and make a patio for the fire pit (Ryan did most of it). It has been so much fun with the boys to have a special 'bonfire' together.

Weston's always in character, finding ways to utilize anything.

And this guy? He is such a stinker! But very, very snuggly. Love him.

The blessing of Grandparents!

We feel so happy that our kids have grandparents. Not just the kind who's picture hangs on the wall but grandparents who truly want to be an active part of our boys' lives. And how awesome is it for Weston and Merrick to have three sets of grandparents?! Plus a few more who may not be actual family, nevertheless, love our boys like their own. This weekend Grandpa George drove all the way down here to spend quality time with the boys, give me a much needed break and cooked us one of the best meals we've shared in a long time. Thanks Grandpa! With Ryan traveling A TON we really need to be intentional with family time. Grammy sent us out to Seaside for a couple of days to get away from the busy city and gaze out at the ocean. It's amazing what the ocean, sand, and sun can do for an anxious mind. Well, it is the Oregon coast so maybe not as much sun as I'd like. But the boys were loving every minute of the pool, Daddy, and managing to squeeze sticky sand into every body part. Do you think pictures like these will prove to the boys how dramatic they were even as infants? In an instant it turns from happy, best friend play to a scream which makes you think someone is being tortured. All in all, I'd say we had a pretty great time together. Thank you so much Grammy and Grandpa Bob!

Busy week!

It has been one busy and exciting week around here! My little ninja works very hard at his costumes...

Then we snuggled 'Bear', my friend's 6 week old baby. Weston was really into holding him and did a great job.

Weston's first day of PRESCHOOL! He woke up Tuesday morning, came running upstairs and said 'Mom, I'm so excited to go to school today! I would really like to wear something nice.' He picked out his outfit and insisted on buttoning his shirt all the way up.

He did great, but Merrick did not like leaving him at school. He cried and pointed to Weston's car seat. Well, only a few hours of being apart and they're back to being silly brothers.

Cousins

After Ryan and I got back from a phenomenal weekend running in the Hood to Coast relay, we got to spend the whole afternoon with some of our family! We rarely get to see Auntie Em, Uncle Rob, Maleah, Kalin and Hailey, (they're all the way in Louisiana now), so it was a very special day.

With the extra bonus of Meme and Papa who were kind enough to drive for umpteen hours to see us.

Merrick's expressions are never disappointing with these horrified faces for family photos :)

Weston works very hard. Any given day he could be a fireman, motocross rider, super hero, astronaut, or bull fighter. Today, he's our knight (with goggles).

What is he doing now?!

A couple of weekends ago (yes, I am behind), we had a wonderful surprise visit from some friends, Renny and her husband Chad. I used to live and work with Renny about 10 years ago and hadn't seen them in at least 5 years. It was so fun!!! Weston loved her; she's so great with little guys... she even got a wet one from West!

Our incredible babysitter, Alexi, has this sweet little dog Nika. Nika is the best dog with the boys and they LOVE her. Weston put on his super small dog costume from a couple of years ago and pretended to play like a dog. He seems to keep himself quite entertained these days.

Our days of fun in the Northwest were coming to an end... but before we headed back to Portland, we made a stop at Great Grandpa Keith and Great Grandma Jean's.

To say Merrick liked the boat ride is an understatement. He wouldn't get out. We sat in the boat for so long after our ride around the lake, he loved it.

Eli and Marin were able to come play one last time too (boo... hoo...). What a treat to be by the lake on these hot summer days. Love it! If the valley was sunny and warm even a few more months a year, it would be such a wonderful place to live. I am no amateur, the summer is beautiful, but don't be fooled, Winter is rough :)

Of course one more evening with Grandpa George, Merrick is his biggest fan these days.

It all comes to closure with a very late bedtime, beautiful starry night, roasting marshmellows with Grammy and Grandpa Bob by the fire. What a treat! Thanks everyone for hosting, playing and making our visit so incredibly special! Can't wait to see you again.

Daddy's Family

As if our week could get any better... We finally get to see Auntie Em, Uncle Rob, Maleah, Kalin, and Hailey! All the way from Louisianna.

Gubby and Gramps were so great to host all of us. Meme and Papa were there to play with all the kids too! Merrick took awhile to warm up as you can see...

After about 60 seconds Weston was head over heals for Hailey and Maleah, not to mention the excitement of playing Legos with Kalin.

What a special day. Wish is happened more often because we have so much fun together. Although it just wasn't the same without Daddy. We miss you Dad and can't wait to see you soon! Weston said a million times on the way home 'Mom, what a great day. That sure was fun!' Even though he acted like he was being tortured in the photos.

A day on the farm

The Dow's farm is a place I spent over half of my childhood. Taking my boys out there brings back so many great memories. Like being so scared of the big, old barn at night, watching calves being born, stumbling upon a bull in the midst of a field and sprinting through gigantic corn stalks to escape, listening to the coyotes at night, and spending time with the Dow's. My boys LOVE it out there. The barn is now empty, except for little critters who now call it home and an owl we intentionally quietly crept up on. He lives at the very top of the barn and flew right over our heads once he noticed us. It was so cool! I could not get Merrick off of the 4-wheeler. I put a little helmet on him and took him for a ride, he was so excited!

I didn't get any photos with the cows or fields, but it is absolutely beautiful, almost makes me want to live on a farm... almost. Thanks Auntie Kim for sharing your photos!

Skagit County Fair

It was so special to be with my family! How could I be in my home town and not take the boys to the fair? Livestock, rides, country singing cowboys, kettle corn, and tons of friendly faces, what little boy wouldn't enjoy this?

Spencer and Weston were so excited to ride the dragon. I try so hard to remember their faces these days. They're so pure, sincere, and truly joyful experiencing all of these 'firsts' as they become big boys.

Merrick did not want to leave the animals. He is definitely in the phase of mimicking every animal sound, most words, and very opinionated about what he wants.

Auntie is a must when you're out and about with kids. She is so good with them; playing, helping, loving them, and they love her!

Weston still favors the carousel. He loves this thing, and this particular one was extremely fast, kind of scary in my opinion, but he didn't seem to notice.

And they're on again... no off again... on again... the intense relationship of best buds. It's so hard to be 3 1/2. Thanks Grammy and Grandpa for a special day together!