Conquering the PINNACLE!!!!

On the last day before everyone headed for home, we took everyone to Seattle to climb the pinnacle. REI had no idea what hit them when 18 of us started cheering the climbers on.


Ryan and Jared's race to the top

Joel liked coming down the most. Again a kid after my own heart

Josh goes up, up and away

After REI we went to Ivar's and of course we had to feed the birds

Notice how there where no parents in this photo. It was gross!!! (the birds not the food)

Ice Skating

Ok I just trying to play catch-up with this thing....
The day after we went up to Snoqualmie we took the kids ice skating. We were all so sore but still managed a few hours of fun.

My boys holding me up. (if you think I'm kidding then you have never been ice skating-It's hard!!!)

After Joel got the hang of it, he finally let go of his dads hand for a few pictures

Ryan didn't 'love it' this time around. The boots where killing her but she still took her dad around the rink a few times

Break time

Calling it quits for a bit to warm up those toes!!!

Snow Boarding/Skiing

Over Christmas break we took the kids up to Snoqualmie pass and spent the day skiing and snowboarding. We all had a great time even though the wind was blowing and the snow was not the best.

My only regret is that I don't get a picture of me. I promise I went!!!


My brother and his fam




Ryan ripping it up
We didn't see much of Josh. He had no patient for us slow pokes and ended up going down by himself a few times. I had to wait at the bottom to get this shot of him.


Jared usually blew past us as well but I got this picture just in time!

Christmas...1st time,2nd,3rd,and 4th times the charm

We had Christmas morning not once, not 2X, not 3X, but 4X. Why??? Well Uncle Jeff was home for a few days and was trying to fly out to Utah to spend Christmas with his mom and sister, but the snow storm hit so no flights left Seattle. But Sunday morning when we had our first Christmas with him we had no idea that that was the case. Sorry no pictures

Our 2nd Christmas with Aunt Drew and Uncle John. 'Cool' light sabers for the boys and ITUNES for Ryan.

The battle is ON!!!

3rd Christmas with Grandma & Papa. (Christmas morning)

More Light Sabers 'but not as cool as Aunt Drew's' Josh says

Joel gets Mario cart

Uncle Jeff and Josh

Ryan surprised and happy

4th Christmas with cousins. They finally made it after waiting a week for a new flight. But New Years break was a blast with them!!!!

Jared 'in the hot seat'

Josh in the chair with Tyler ready to go next-

All Ryan wanted was gift cards and a Rubiks Cube. Thanks Gma & Papa for getting her 'exactly what she asked for'

Having my brother and his family and my younger sister with hers made the 4th Christmas special.
Christmas 4X's around was GREAT!!!!

Where's Joel??

Every Sunday morning it is the same routine. We all try to sleep in. Eat breakfast at 10. Then shower everyone and then eat lunch at 11:30 so that I have time to shower and get ready for church.

Well this morning I thought...Why am I making 2 meals an hour apart? Why not just have breakfast a little later and lunch a little earlier. AKA brunch!!

AH, the stress that was lifted off my shoulders. So as we sit down to eat at 11:15ish I look around and count heads only to find that 'thing 4' is missing. No one has seen him all morning.

We call out, but no answer. We look in his room, no Joel. Weird!!! So I go in and check his room and there he is sound asleep at 11:15 in the morning!! Now there's a kid after my own heart!

1st Missing Tooth

Jared finally lost his first tooth. He has been asking when his turn would be to loose a tooth. Many of the kids in his class have already lost teeth and he wants the tooth fairy to came-BAD!


This morning he told me his tooth was loose. Well if this was Ryan or Josh it would have been a week or more before they got up the courage to pull it out. But Jared remember, wants the tooth fairy to come, so uncle Jeff said he would pull it out for him. A few minutes later he comes running in my room to tell me...'it didn't even hurt'.

He sounds so cute talking through the hole in his mouth. At church he opened his mouth to everyone to see if they would notice that he was missing something. Darling!!!

Snow and Santa

Last night we were anxiously awaiting the highly publicized snow when finally around 7:30pm it came!!! Ryan had just gotten out of the shower and was in PJ's. Josh was in shorts. But as soon as it was spotted the kids ran out front to be in it. Well as soon as they stepped outside Santa arrived!!! There was so much screaming that the neighbors ran out to see what was going on. It ended up being a block party with EVERYONE on the street out. Joel wanted nothing to do with it. 'His car is too big'. So we stayed by the house and watched from a distance.


Ryan and her friend Sade.
The kids with our darling neighbor and her baby.


Santa comes every year into our development, but because we live on a dead end street he never stops at our house. It was so fun to be out in the snow and be with wonderful neighbors.

John dressed the kids in there snow stuff and we finally called them in at 12. Yes he let them stay out until MIDNIGHT!!! (he's the fun one. I wanted them in at 10, but dad won)