A Long Awaited Visit

My sister, Sandy and nephew, Tanner came and visited for a couple of weeks! They live in Arizona, so we don't see them often.

Our boys are 18 months apart, so it is really fun to let them, and watch them play together.
(Posing, of course)

The evolving of time is right under my nose, when I think back to Tyler's birth and Tanner being 18 months old...they seemed like worlds apart...but now, as a kindergartener and a first grader they play wonderfully...as if they lived next door to each other forever...

Truth is, they have really only seen each other about 8 times in their entire lives. You would never know it though...they interacted like brothers...and Tyler was SO sad when he left.

Tyler has some great friends, and plays with Makylie amazingly well...but having a built boy in the house to play with 24/7 was so much fun for him!

So the weather was a little bit "Seattle" while they were here. They flew in to snow on the ground, with another 2 inches to follow that night. School was even cancelled! Tanner has more-or-less never seen real snow, so it was GREAT for him, he LOVED every second of it!

So even though they were here for a visit, Tyler and Karman still had school, Karman a full day, so she couldn't join us for our outtings, and Tyler only goes for a few hours, so we could work around it and make the most of the time we had available...because of that, some of the days were just going out to lunch or to the mall...we squeezed in a couple Target and Kohls runs as well! :)

(FYI: Not only school for Karman though, they happened to be here right at her final two weeks in debate. She had her last two tournaments at that time. She also went to state while they were here...so she was pretty busy with her commitments and missed a lot of what we were doing.)

We did go get our pictures taken one of the evenings as well!

(these are pictures of the pictures...)

We did have TWO whole sunny days...so we took advantage of those, and took the kids to the Zoo, and then to Pike Place the next day...

(Here is my sister and the kids at the zoo)

(Makylie and an otter)

It was cold, but actually turned out really nice! It was a couple really fun days filled with great memories! The kids had a great time, and I know mine at least, have not stopped talking about it...especially the zoo!

(web climb at the zoo...)

We went bowling one afternoon. It was really fun, but it is quite a slap-in-the-face, when your kids kick your can all around the block. Next time, I want the bumpers up too!

On one of our last days together we took the kids to the Children's museum. That was a lot of fun...they had a few new exibits since the last time that we had been there, and it was great for the boys' age group especially! We also did Makylie's birthday party a little early on this evening.

One night my sister and I got to enjoy a night out alone...Kevin offered to keep the kids and do a family movie night. They watched Madagascar2 and got pizza...and we went out to dinner and then SHOPPING...

We had a great time, and we miss them terribly, already. I so loved having my DOUBLE-FISTED mocha partner...another TARGET junkie, and someone to teach me the beauty that IS KOHLS...Of course having someone to talk to late in the night, complain with, contemplate with...there is nothing better! I so wish that we lived closer, so our kids could really experience everyday life together, and so that the good time that we had, could be anytime instead of only once in long while. The trip felt far too short...but that is how the story goes...now we just anticipate next time!

I do miss my sister though...

How can this be...My BABY is THREE

So today, my littlest "baby" turned 3!

How can this be? I remember getting pregnant with her, wasn't it just last week...I remember giving birth to her, wasn't it just yesterday? Then suddenly she was one...then two passed quickly, and now...here we are.

Makylie Rae...

you are a prime example of the good things I must have done in my life.

You make me so happy, so frustrated, so eager to see what tomorrow will bring. You add such happiness, love, challenge, character and drama to this house. You make me a better person, a better mommy.

As you have grown, you have struggled with speech so much, but have so much to say that I have become a MASTER at charades.

You challenge my patience because you have an independence about you, and an unobstructed subbornness that rivals any I have ever come in contact with. While at times this makes me question my at home career, it also makes me SO thankful to have the honor, the privlege of knowing you, teaching you, loving you and having you UNCONDITIONALLY love me back!

NOTHING can compare!

At Three...

*You love. I mean you really love...you absolutely cry when Tyler gets hurt. You hug me, and simply will not leave my side when I feel sad, or am just having one of those days. You will sit and stare under the bed saying "kitty, kitty" in your sweet little tiny voice just to TRY to coax one out, even if for just one second to pet it. You just love...and when and what you love are your complete focus!

*You have an innate sense of empathy that is well beyond your years. you stand at complete attention when Tyler gets his feelings hurt and will watch the full situation, taking it all in. Then you will hug him, with this look on your face that I truly can't explain. If I have a headache you will go get an ice pack without even being asked...somehow you just know. Even though you then leave to go play, you will come back, just to check to make sure everything is OK.

*You are passionate about every single thing that you want or need. Whether that means a screaming fit on the ground, or dragging a heavy stool all of the way across the kitchen to get what you are trying to reach without help, or pleading at your bedside because you can't reach your favorite monkey. You are just downright passionate!

*You have your daddy wrapped around your little finger...every minute of every day!

*You LOVE Hello Kitty! You also love babies, and princesses.



*You are just now starting to put together very simple sentences. You can say a lot of words, but have a hard time with some that should be simple. You know FAR more then it seems, and I have learned that speech has NOTHING to do with intelligence.

*You are so beautiful!

*You are still so little... you wear a size 24 months to a 2T...and sometimes they are just too big.

*You still sleep better then Tyler ever did. You will go to bed before 8pm, and not wake up until 9 am...and still take a two hour nap during the day! It still amazes me.

*You are stubbon. My little miss independent! You started using a child-sized metal fork when you were 13 months old because you just had to do it yourself (like big brother)...and that you did! You tried and tried, and would cry from hitting your lip, or your chin, but still tried again. I knew then that you were going to be a force to be reckoned with!

*You are SASSY!!! I think you have to be though, being the youngest of three. It can be the only way to get listened to...

*You love to call daddy at work. You also LOVE the weekends when Daddy gets you up in the morning. You look forward to it all week long!

*You will snuggle with me over all others. We have our night time routine, you and I...You will lay on my shoulder now, just like you did when you were a week old. Then when I have to wake you in the morning, you do the same!

*You love to play with my hair, and drive cars on my legs and back

*You still seem very "babyish" for being three. I feel like you are younger then I felt Tyler was at the same age. (this is probably just because you are my littest monkey)

You say things like...YAY-HOO, Peep (pink), Hello Meowy (hello kitty), I Free (I'm Three)

You make us smile every single day! We love you so very much, I couldn't even begin to say it strong enough to touch how deep it goes! I can only hope that you follow your own path and continue to be the sassy, independent, wonderfully amazing girl you already have been for these incredibly fast three years.

If nothing else, ever...know you are loved, and know you are accepted. Unconditionally!

Happy 3rd Birthday Baby girl!

No Show...

So, my sister and nephew are here visiting.

I am loving every minute, and trying to enjoy some much needed and always missed family time!

I will be a bit neglectful for a little while...

But when I do have time, there will be some fun pictures to post...

IF IT EVER STOPS SNOWING!!! :)

Here they are, from sunny Arizona, and they happened to fly in during a freezing trend, where it is topping off at 38 degrees during the day, and drops down to 22 at night. Talk about culture shock!!!
Just a little sun would be much appreciated! :)

What Matters...

9 years married...15 years together...High School sweetheart...

Even still, so many things make me smile so much more then you will ever know.

Your work ethic. How hard you work, and the pride that you take in it...You make me proud to be your wife...

How you spot a penny on the ground from a moving car window....and get that LOOK in your eye that you REALLY, TRULY want to stop the car, just to pick it up! (no, really)

That you have to have the remote in your hand EVEN after you have fallen asleep on the couch, and notice if I take it away

And when you do fall asleep, how you *miraculously* wake up for commercials, and claim you have been awake the entire time.

How if your garage bench is cluttered you have to clean it (for an entire afternoon) AGAIN

How much you changed, and became so much more a responsible man, when we had kids

How much your kids idolize you...just because you are you

That no matter how crazy some of these things make me, I still smile, just because you do...

For so much more then this...

We love you,

Happy Birthday