M.E. PATERNOSTER

The one with all the sunshine

2012-02-13T10:12:00.000-08:00

We have had quite a few nice warm days full of sunshine lately, and we have been trying to take full advantage! We headed to the park a lot (sometimes multiple times in one day between naps), trying to suck in every last bit of sunshine.

Savannah in her sun hat. Ok, it really wasn't THAT warm out, but I got all excited about the sun! lol We did get into the low 60's though. Heaven!!

It was a happy day when Brooklyn learned how to pump on the swing all by herself. :) Happy for all of us!! She can swing and swing and swing all day long now.

Troy giving me a cool pose.

Another cool pose, on the rocks.

Showing me his "guns"

And showing me how fast he can run. This kid has a complex I tell ya.Always trying to show how strong and fast he is. lol

Fun times!!

The one with the dancing

2012-02-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

Virtually every night before dinner, I turn on a little cartoon for Brooklyn and Troy so they can mellow out a bit and give me time to put dinner together. But before I start with dinner, I blast some music and Savannah and I dance cheek to chubby, little cheek. All while she fiercely grips my hand. She is definitely one of my favorite dancing partners right now. And she gets a kick out of it every night, and seems to think I am the funniest person alive. Love her! Love these moments. Have you all noticed a nostalgia theme lately? Me too. Not sure why. I just love my life!!

On another note, the other day I busted out the camera to take a few "real" life pics. Troy wanted to pose with his Batman car. I mean, can you blame him?! lol

My beautiful brown-eyed girl.

And my goofy girl showing me her nostrils. ha!

Goal: Get my camera out more often! Not just for big events, but for everyday life. I want to remember these little moments that make up my life.

The one with the talk

2012-02-06T17:51:00.000-08:00

Lately the kids have been saying the funniest things. Here is a sampling of the most funny conversations lately:

Brooklyn (4 1/2) and Troy (3 1/2):
Brooklyn-"Troy, look in my eyes. Now, I'm going to kindergarten next year, and you're really going to miss me. In fact, all our family is going to miss me. Mom and Savannah will miss me, and even Daddy will miss me. So you need to be nice to me, because you're going to miss me when I'm in kindergarten."

Troy-"Well, I'm not going to miss you. But Savannah will miss you. Actually, I guess I'll miss you."

And today as Troy was sitting on the toilet:
Me-"Troy, are you done?"

Troy-"I don't think so. Please go, you don't want to see this."

What a fantastic job I have! How lucky am I to get to stay home with these rascals?!

The one with the chairs

2012-02-02T17:36:00.001-08:00

Brooklyn and I had the following conversation yesterday:

Me-"Brooklyn, please stop doing that."
Brooklyn-"But Mom!! I HAVE to walk on the chairs, it's my DESTINY!!"

Oh heaven help me when this girl is a teenager!!!

The one where we said goodbye

2012-01-30T15:35:00.000-08:00

There are few people who enter our lives who cement themselves into our hearts and minds forever.

When we first moved to Seattle, I never thought I would find the kind of best friends I had in Boise. The first time I attended our new ward at church, I noticed a striking, tall, gorgeous girl. Her name was Toni. When we first met, I thought, "I think we will be great friends!" Fast forward 5 1/2 years later, and I can honestly say I have acquired another sister (you would think 6 would be enough right?! lol). Toni is one of those people who genuinely cares about you, is completely self-less, and who will give you her time and talents to the nth degree, times infinity. She brought out the best in me. She taught me compassion, generosity, how to sew!, patience and many other things that would take hours to list. I knew their time here was temporary, her husband has been looking for a new job for a couple years now. But I never actually thought they would really leave. But they did. To Indiana. (insert me crying here!!!) I know we will always stay the best friends, whether we live 5 miles from each other or 5,000. I miss you Toni!!!

They received the job offer, and two weeks later, they were on the road to Indiana. Talk about a whirlwind right?! Luckily, we were able to find a time to slip in a little going-away party for them.

Beautiful Toni, and her little boy Elijah.

Some of the girls (before we all started crying). Kelly, Ali, Toni, Me, Aubrey

Dessert!

Apps!

The beautiful Hostess, Ali.

Ali, Me, Toni, Stephanie, Aubrey, Kelly...post crying. :) We missed you Brittany!!

Brooklyn and Jocelyn (Toni's second child) became the best of friends. And sometimes the worst. But mostly the best. :)

Some of the kiddos at the party. Brooklyn and Jocelyn were so goofy together! Funny girls. Brooklyn can't wait to go visit her. She was just asking me today if we are going to drive to see her soon. I told her I think we'll have to fly. She was not disappointed. :)

We miss you already Bakers!! Come visit soon!!!

The one with Christmas jammies.

2012-01-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

We had an excellent Christmas this year. I can't believe we are already in the throws of January! Last year flew by. It seems like the older I get, the faster the years go by. Anyway...we woke up Christmas morning by the sound of pitter patter of little feet around 7:30. Santa actually came! We were worried since the kids had been kinda naughty. But apparently he is a forgiving Santa. So we opened presents, ate a delicious and "healthy" breakfast of cinnamon rolls and breakfast crescent braid, and got ready for church. I have to say, I really enjoyed having Christmas on a Sunday this year. I remember growing up, I loathed it because like all kids, all I wanted to do was play with my new toys all day. But what a perfect way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. Our Savior and His birth. I am so thankful for Him and his birth. I am so thankful for the Atonement and His redeeming grace. He gives me strength in my life and I would be lost without Him and my Heavenly Father. I know that if I am ever lost or in need of comfort, I can get on my knees and feel of His love and strength. He knows and loves each and every one of us and is constantly lifting and supporting us through life. Again, I am so thankful for my Savior.

A few pictures from the day (someday I'll figure out how to get video downloaded. We have some funny moments of the kids).

Green Goblin. I need to put up the video of Troy saying "green goblin." It's super funny.

Setting up one of Troy's new racetracks. He got two this year.

Breakfast! I did overnight cinnamon rolls this year. They were so easy!

Erik did a photo-op of the kids before church while I got stuff ready for the Christmas program.

Out of a hundred pictures or so, we still weren't able to get a good one of all three in their Christmas outfits! Stinkers.

Savannah was DONE! lol

Christmas jammies!!

Again, really? These are the best pictures we could get?! lol

The one with the squash

2011-12-29T19:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it. 6 months have flown by already! It seems like only yesterday I was going into labor, walking through the hospital lobby having to stop mid-stride for contractions to pass, then being wheeled through the hall after the emergency c-section and wondering when I would be able to see my beautiful baby girl in NICU. I am happy to report that she is still a happy, healthy baby!!!
She is still such a happy, easy-going baby. At 6 months she can sit up (for about 30 seconds, and actually just started this a couple days ago, about 1 week after her official 6-month bday), eats baby food (and even likes green beans!), loves to be rocked to sleep, still loves to sleep with mommy and daddy (when we let her. Usually when I'm too lazy and tired to rock her back to sleep in the morning), ADORES her big brother and sister, squeals and shakes whenever Daddy comes near, still hasn't rolled from her back to tummy but I'm pretty sure she could, she just prefers her back, still has big bright blue eyes, and she loves to grab everything and anything she can (including orange slices, forks, hair OUCH!!) then shove it into her mouth as quickly as possible, just to get a taste. We couldn't be more in love with our sweet Savannah!!

Oh, what a love!! I can't resist those chubby cheeks.

"Ohm num num"

Her stats: 15 lbs 3.3 oz (25%)
26.5 in long (75%)
42 cm head circ. (25%) Shocking, I know! She looks like she has a huge noggin',but it's pretty proportionate I guess!

The one on Christmas Eve

2011-12-28T09:41:00.000-08:00

"The stockings were hung on the chimney with care, in the hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there."

I can't even begin to describe the excitement the kids (and adults!) had on Christmas Eve. I know all of you can understand what I mean. Our good friends the Bakers had us over with a few other families to celebrate Christmas Eve. Good food, GREAT friends, fun times. We ate dinner, frosted some cookies, ATE some cookies, made cute little crafty ornaments, read and acted out the Nativity, and shook our booties to a little Dance, dance revolution. Fun times were had for sure!

Savannah even got in on the action, half-clothed mind you. She's missing a skirt! lol

Brooklyn and Troy opened their pajamas from Santa before the party and insisted on putting them on after we ate.

All the kids (minus Nyah, Simon and Savannah) getting their craft on.

Sweet Nyah.

The beginning of the Nativity.

Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus

Hark the Herald Angels!!

Even our little "sheep" got in on the action and brought baby Jesus a balloon as his gift.

Savannah playing a little b-ball.

Me, Toni and Brittany.Toni is moving to Indiana in a couple weeks!! Oh man, I am going to miss her soooo much!! She is such an amazing person and friend. We have become very close over these past 5 years and she has taught me so much. I've cried a lot about her leaving, but I am so excited for them to start a new phase in their lives! She will be greatly missed!!

The one with the work party

2011-12-28T09:22:00.000-08:00

The kids got their time to party, now it's the adults turn! We had a blast this year dressing up and doing a little "gambling" at the annual NAES Christmas party (they have an entertainment comp come in and set up gambling tables with all sorts of games. You play with fake money, so it's kinda fun since we don't gamble in real life!). A fun date night out is always a hot commodity around here.

I didn't realize I looked this lumpy in this dress. Oh well. Still had fun!

Apparently, after we left, the party started. lol Thanks again Lori and Sam for watching the kids!

The one with Santa Clause

2011-12-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

Here is the proverbial post about the kids meeting Santa Clause. Erik works at the best company...for many reasons, but one big reason that is high on my priority list is they have a kids Christmas party every year!! They feed us pizza and goodies, then bring in Santa for the kids to sit on his lap, and the best part, GET PRESENTS! They are seriously soooo generous and never disappoint! We look forward to this party every year, and so do the kids! Plus, I love that I don't have to pay $25 for my kids to sit on some fake bearded Santa at some over-crowded mall. The Santa who comes to this party is awesome. Seriously. His suit alone is probably worth more than my car. And he is so sweet to all the kids and genuinely talks to them, plus he poses great for picture, after picture, after picture. See for yourself! :)

With their friend Ruby. Something must have been really funny!! lol

My pretty girl. She is growing up way too fast!

Brooklyn and Savannah were still going strong, but Troy was t-i-r-e-d!

Love, love, love this!! She was so fascinated!

Brooklyn with her new Rapunzel princess doll. When she opened it she said, "This is exactly what I wanted for Christmas!!" Whew, good thing Santa knows all!!

The one at Snowflake Lane

2011-12-13T19:05:00.000-08:00

Aww, 'tis the season for all things Christmasy. We love Christmas in the Northwest, and one of our favorite things to do is to head over to the mall for what they call Snowflake Lane. And since we have been having amazing cold, dry weather (Hallelujah!!), we decided to venture out last week. All sorts of "characters" come out to bang drums, dance, and hand out suckers. And there is even snow!! Well, not real snow, it's actually bubbles, but it looks like snow! The kids, and adults, love it!

Love Troy's face. Pure joy!

Poor Savannah threw up all over on the car-ride over. She had her first taste of sweet potatoes, and apparently they didn't sit well once she got in the car.

The one with the pink Christmas tree

2011-12-13T18:47:00.000-08:00

We found a pink Christmas tree last year for Brooklyn to have in her room. Well, now that Brooklyn and Troy share a room, it's both of theirs...and they L-O-V-E it!! They had a great time decorating it and now re-decorating it. Every day. Seriously. Every.Day.

Troy seems to be saying, "Ugh-oh, I'm gonna be on the naughty list!"

The one where Savannah eats rice cereal!

2011-11-29T13:30:00.000-08:00

Savannah got her first bite of rice cereal a couple weeks ago (yes, I am a couple weeks behind on blogging).Anyway...she absolutely, positively LOVED it! Wanna know how we could tell? When Savannah gets excited, she stiffens up her arms and legs and starts to shake. Troy used to do the same thing, along with twirling his hands and feet. So far she just does the stiff legs and arms, but it is still so funny! She had her second take on rice cereal tonight, and once again, LOVED the stuff. Brooklyn really likes to help out and feed her too. It's still a novelty in this house.

Biggest.grin.ever. And hello double chin and huge cheeks!!! So kissable.

"Am I gonna get some more?!"

Erik found the hula outfit we had for Brooklyn when we went to Hawaii a few years ago, and he did a little impromptu photo shoot.

Aloha!!

Had to add this picture to demonstrate the stiff legs. :)

The one with Brooklyn in the gymnastics meet.

2011-11-25T19:22:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn has been taking a little gymnastics class at our local community center and loving it! A couple weeks ago, a gym where her coach coaches hosted a little gymnastics "meet" for the preschool age kids. She had a blast! Brooklyn definitely has a natural ability. I find myself needing to reign in my competitive edge with her in gymnastics. I have "stage mom" qualities coming out that I never knew existed!! When she is in her class, I find myself day-dreaming of her competing in gymnastics and going all the way!! lol I also have to zip my lip when I see something she is doing incorrectly in her class and not correct her (because her coach will, and I shouldn't get involved right? Right?!). I like to think that it is just because I have a little gymnastics background that I do this (and kind of know what I am doing in the sport), but I have a feeling I will be like this with all sports/activities with my kids, no matter my experience in the activity. It's in my nature! So... stage-mom, here I come!

Brooklyn has since learned to get into kip position and do a full hip circle all by herself!

I love this picture...It reminds me of the many my mom and dad have of me waiting to get a ribbon or medal. And I know they have hundreds more of my other sisters. So fun!

Ta-da! "1st" place! ;)

The one in the chair.

2011-11-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn and Troy are still completely enamoured with Savannah. They love her to pieces!! They especially love to hold her, and it's kind of nice for me too because she is sturdy enough that I don't have to help them (and she isn't mobile, so she pretty much stays put). Just about every time they do hold her, they want me to take pictures, so this time I obliged. They won't be this young and adorable forever!!

I can't get over how much they look alike in this photo. Savannah looks JUST like Troy did when he was a baby.

This is Savannah's grumpy face. We don't see it often, but when we do we can't help but laugh! She's so cute when she's sad. I know, we are so mean. lol

Brooklyn is such a sweetie to her baby sister. And I've said this before, but Savannah LOVES her! She gives Brooklyn the biggest laughs. All Brooklyn has to do is look at her and she laughs. Savannah is quite stingy with her laughs and doesn't offer them up much, but she is VERY generous with ear-to-ear grins!

Savannah at 4 months.

Troy around 4 months

Think they are siblings or what?!

The one with the sports class.

2011-11-17T17:12:00.000-08:00

Troy recently participated and completed a sports class at our local community center. The class consisted of 2 weeks of soccer, 2 weeks of basketball, 1 week of track and field, and 1 week of baseball. The first class was a little rough (I think he was over-tired and just in a grumpy mood). But the next week and from then on out, he loved it! He sprinted his little heart out every week when they did their two warm-up laps around the gym, and played every sport hard. When he got tired, he would come up to me and say, "Mom I'm running out of energy!" And then proceed to get a drink of water to "give him more energy." Brooklyn and I really enjoyed cheering him on each week and he can't wait to start another session in the winter!

Troy is in the blue and orange, of course. He pretty much insisted on wearing his shorts and jersey every week. lol

Getting his graduation certificate. He took this VERY seriously, and wouldn't smile because he was trying to act tough.

Pretty awesome stuff!

The one with the big pile of leaves.

2011-11-11T19:08:00.000-08:00

So, I am totally stealing an idea I saw on a blog somewhere. They had all their post title's like the names of past "Friends" episodes. I don't remember where I saw it, but I'm stealing it. Sorry if it was your idea. I tried to come up with something as creative, but let's face it, I wasn't blessed in the creative department when it comes to writing. Anyway, if it was your idea, thanks! And hopefully you'll be flattered. lol :) Now on to the real reason for this post (now that we have taken care of business).

We have been having a beautiful fall this year. A friend of mine mentioned that she thinks this fall has been the most beautiful (leaves-wise) since she has lived here, and I think I am going to agree! Or maybe it's because I'm getting older and seem to appreciate the beauty around me more and more? At any rate, the colors and weather have been amazing. This week, I have really tried to focus more on the kids and getting them outside to play, and my play with them! So, we did the traditional thing and grabbed a rake. Think the kids liked it? More like LOVED it!! I remember growing up loving to jump in the piles of leaves my mom and dad (or older sisters and brother) would rake up. As I got older, I dreaded being the one having to rake them, but now that I am REALLY old, I really enjoy it. It may have to do with the fact that we really only have one big tree too, as opposed to the thousands we had growing up (ok, I may be exaggerating a bit).

The "wind-up"

Savannah even enjoyed it...in her bouncer from afar. She is such a sweet, happy baby!!

FACTS not fantasy

2011-11-07T09:42:00.000-08:00

Immunizing children is a hot topic these days. But guess what? It shouldn't be. You want the facts? Here they are: http://factsnotfantasy.com/vaccines.php

Clear and to the point. Any questions? Vaccinate your children!

Halloween festivities

2011-11-02T19:28:00.000-07:00

It seems like Halloween was a week-long holiday this year. Maybe it was because it fell on a Monday, so the whole weekend was chalk-full of Halloween parties and activities. But we sure had fun! I was reminiscing of my own childhood and Halloween memories. My mom and dad were seriously the best and made each holiday special. Maybe it's pretty ordinary, but it was special to me. Every Halloween, my mom would take us to get pumpkins, then help us carve or paint them. And she was AMAZING at this! Being the artist that she is, her pumpkins were always the best. My brother Mike and sister Megan always had great ones too. I remember always trying to copy theirs, but I was not blessed with artistic talent, so mine always looked sub-par compared to theirs (and I'm sad to say, my artistic ability has not increased with age, but I fear I am actually regressing!). Then on Halloween night, all my older sisters and brother would be out doing their own thing with friends (I am four years younger than my closest in age sister), and my Dad would take me out trick-or-treating. Since we lived in the boonies, he'd drive me around wherever I wanted to go and he always knew where they were handing out king size candy bars. I few years, he even took myself and a few friends. I'm sure he really enjoyed that! But he honestly really seemed to enjoy it, and I never once heard him complain. I love that I have these memories with them. I seem to be reminiscing about them a lot lately. I'm sure if it is because they are getting older, or because I am. Either way, it's fun to look back on fun times with my mom and dad. Now I am really enjoying making new traditions and memories with my own kids. I hope when they are as old as me (yikes!!), that they will be able to look back on Halloween and other holidays with as much fondness as I do. Now, on to the pictures...the real reason anyone looks at blogs. lol
We hit up Fall City Farms again this year with friends. We went during the week this time, and it wasn't as busy, but they also didn't have everything running like they do on the weekends...like the hayride. But we did a little photo-op anyway.

Talking to the friendly goats.

This cow was so sweet!! The kids pet her and fed her for quite a while.

Our ward had a Trunk or treat and Brooklyn decided at the last minute (around 5:30) that she wanted to be a kitty. Fine by me! It's always my old stand-by costume too. Like mother, like daughter. But I dare say, she made an adorable kitty!

"Rawwr!!"

My costume was last minute (as usual) too. I like to dress up, but just can't justify spending tons of $$$ on a costume. So I looked at what I had on for the day, and coined myself as an 80's punk-rocker. A little (or a lot in this case!) of makeup always does the trick. Erik is a BYU fan. Troy was a horse, but kept telling us he would put on his costume "In 20 minutes." lol. And Savannah was a skunk for the night.

"Gonna make it. Gonna make it."

"Ah ha! I made it!" Name that movie. :)

Checking out his loot.

Savannah got to hang out with Miss Jen for most of the night. She loves that thumb! Stinker!!!

I didn't take any pictures of Halloween night, but we have video that we will hopefully post...soon. Or next year, whichever comes first. ;)

Happy Birthday old man

2011-11-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I'm just posting this!! It's been sitting in my drafts for a couple weeks now. Whoops!!

Another year, another birthday. Erik turned 33! It was probably a pretty lame birthday for him this year, we didn't do much, but we tried to celebrate a little!! The kids were super excited to pick out presents for him and help me wrap them up.

Happy Birthday!! I made pasties, per his request. Not my favorite, but he loves em!

And he thinks I wouldn't post this picture. Ha!

Everyone is gettin' in on the action. :) Sweet "birthday cake" huh? Ya, I'm an awesome wife. lol

Giggles, squeels, and coos

2011-10-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

Our little Savannah is 4 months old! She is still such a sweet, calm little thing, but has definitely found her voice! She LOVES to squeal and scream, and we are just glad she seems to have a voice-box after all! We would definitely take these little screams of delight over crying any day. Lately she has really been enjoying her hands, and pretty much anything else she can get in her mouth. Her bottom tooth that was poking up, seems to have receded, but is now starting to protrude yet again, we're thinking to stay this time. Savannah is still sleeping through the night, about 6:30-6, then back to sleep until about 8:30. We're hoping it stays this way!! I honestly can't say enough how easy she is. She sleeps through the night, doesn't spit up, doesn't cry, and is, for the most part, always happy! She thoroughly enjoys watching her big brother and sister run around her while she sits happily in the jumperoo. Her most ticklish body parts are her little hips, especially when you scrunch her legs up. At her well-check the other day, the Dr. was checking her hips and scrunching up her legs and could not stop giggling! Of course Dr. Schrier thought that was hilarious. The possibly not so funny thing is she has to get an x-ray of her hips, because they may be dis-located. I guess it's common with breech girls, which Savannah wasn't breech, but it still happens in other cases. So it's mainly a precaution we are taking to get her checked out. If they are dis-located, she will just need to wear a brace around her hips that keeps her knees scrunched up for a month or two. Anyway...Savannah also decided to bring her 4 month birthday in with a bang...RSV. A very mild case of RSV however, thank heavens!! My other two kids NEVER got sick as infants, but I guess that's what happens when you have older siblings catching germs and bringing them home! I'm sure this is the first of many illnesses she will catch from them. Dirty little buggers. Just kidding of course. Kind of. :) Anyway, happy 4 months Savannah!!

Her 4 month stats:
Weight: 14 lbs 3 oz (50%)
Length: 25 1/2 in (90%!!!) She is our LONG baby!!
Head circ.: 40 1/2 cm (25%) They're pretty sure someone goofed when they measured her head at her 2 month appointment because it didn't grow much.

"Hi, my name is Chubby." Troy loves doing "Chubby" to her. Poor Savannah.

She is a drooling fool lately!

The "helicopter brother." Always hovering :) Also, notice the newly finished chairs!!...finally!

Our happy little princess. She's our blue-eyed girl!

Kittens, trains, and pony's

2011-10-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

We ventured out to a local little pumpkin farm the other Saturday with the kids. It was a beautiful, sunny, fall day, and just perfect for pumpkin picking...but there wasn't a pumpkin patch at the "pumpkin patch." Ironic, no? BUT they did have pony's and a little train to ride, and kittens, and bunnies, and chickens, and PIGS WITH LITTLE PIGLETS!!! Sooooo cute! The kids were in H-E-A-V-E-N. Oh, and a super fun rope swing in the hay. So even though we stood in line for about 45 minutes waiting for a pony ride, it was well worth it. Nothing beats an outing with the whole fam-damly.

Look at that little piglet!! So cute. They all were trying their best to be little escape artists.

She was so excited to ride, but was trying to be cool and not "show" her excitement apparantely.

If you look behind Troy, you can see the proud Daddy and poor sleeping Savannah. Her feet were so cold! She didn't seem to mind though. Poor thing.

Yup, that helmet saves lives folks.

Big sister

2011-10-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn absolutely ADORES her baby sister. She is like a second mother to her! I know they are going to be the best of friends.

And then there's Troy. lol Check out that scowl!

Are we to that age already?!

2011-10-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend, Brooklyn went on her first "late-over." (kids aren't really doing sleep-overs anymore, but they do late-overs where the kids stay late. So fun! And I'm pretty sure my parents would have MUCH preferred late-overs to sleep-overs where it seems no one sleeps anyway!)Anyway, after I got off the phone with her friends mom (Toni), I had to stop and think, "Wow, is she really already old enough for "late-overs"?! It blows my mind how mature and grown up Brooklyn is. So I dropped her off and sent her on her way to "hang" with her friends! She had such a blast, and we are looking forward to having her own late-over at our house!!

All set and ready to go with her pillow, sleeping bag, and jammies!

Fingerprints

2011-10-07T22:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Troy,
This week you have been really challenging. I have lost my patience with you many, many, many times unfortunately. I definitely haven't won any "mother of the year" awards this week. And just when I think I can't take it anymore, you give me a moment of the sweet, gentle little guy who I know you are! While we were driving today, I looked back, and Savannah was gripping your chubby little hand with all her might. It is second nature to you to take care of her. She loves you and I can tell you love her so much!! You are such a sweet, loving, and (most of the time), gentle big brother. You offer comfort when she needs it most, and Mommy is so thankful for you and your sweet spirit!! I will try and remember this moment in the upcoming days and weeks.

Love,
Mommy

Perfect 10!

2011-10-06T22:42:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn started gymnastics and could not be more thrilled!! I have always seen a natural gymnast quality in her, so I was excited to finally get her started as well. And I must say, she is doing phenomonal! While doing cartwheels, Brooklyn kept doing front hand-springs! Her coach was really impressed. And on the somersault mat, she was doing front flips and diving forward rolls instead. Yup, Aunt Megan would be proud!! (Aunt Megan was a collegiate gymnast, and yes, I'm her sister, and yes, I'm bragging lol)

Flashing her gang sign?

Worth it!

2011-10-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

Last night, I went in to check on sleeping Savannah before I headed to bed. I can never resist kissing those sweet, chubby little cheeks. I just had to get a picture of her sleeping so peacefully, but of course she woke up from the noise of the camera (and possibly because I turned the light on lol). So I "had" to pick her up and rock her back to sleep. Totally worth it!I love those moments when I'm not in a rush and don't have anything else to do, so I am able to just cherish my sweet time with her. Often while I'm rocking her during the day I get frustrated because she is fighting sleep and my other kids are fighting each other! lol I am so glad I get to enjoy a few quiet, uninterrupted moments with Savannah. She's a keeper!

I love this picture. It looks like she's thinking, "Why in the heck are you waking me up?! I'm tired dang it!"

"Mawwry me!"

2011-09-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

My nephew, Brad, got married for time and all eternity a few weekends ago. We were so lucky to be able to go! His beautiful bride, Katelyn, is from Spokane, WA, and Brad is from Hayden Lake, ID, so we were able to just drive a few hours to get there. They had a beautiful ceremony in the Spokane LDS temple. After the ceremony, my sister Heather and her husband Don put on a delicious luncheon of catered BBQ. Yumm, yumm!! Fortunately for me, it was my "free day" so I could eat whatever I wanted!! (I'm still trying to lose this dang baby weight) Then we rushed home to Heather's and made preperations for the open house that night. They have a huge beautiful yard, perfect for big parties. The kids were in heaven, especially with the candy bar. We had a blast and can't wait to make it over there again!

An attempted family photo lol

Sweet Annie (my neices little girl).

My BEAUTIFUL neices Tara Brooke and Carmen, aka "the big girl" (Carmen came when I had Savannah and Troy kept referring to her as "the big girl" lol )

My nephew-in-law Bart, and nephew Shaun.

The happy couple!! I wish I would have gotten more pictures of them.

Tired and DIRTY!

Neice Tara, me, and neice Megan

This is a horrible picture (way too dark), but the only one I have with my sister Melanie! Melanie, neice Nicole,me, and neice Carmen. I can't believe I didn't get a picture with my sister Heather and Melanie!! What were we thinking dang it?!

The AWESOME candy bar. Om nom nom

My Mom would HATE this picture, but both she and Brooklyn were exhausted by the middle of the party, so they sat down to watch a movie. Soon after this, they were both asleep, snuggled up on the couch together. So sweet!!

Tell me something I don't know!

2011-09-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

When we were driving home from our trip to CDA a couple weeks ago, Brooklyn and I took a potty stop at a rest stop. The following conversation ensued:

Me: K, Brooklyn, Mommy needs to go potty too. Don't open the door.
Brooklyn: Ok....Mommy?
Me: Yes honey?
Brooklyn: Mommy's have big bums don't they?
Me: haha yes, we do.

Oh sweet innocence. Gotta love the truth! :)

3 months!!

2011-09-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

Savannah is 3 months old!! I can't even believe it. I say this every time, but time has flown by! She is still a super sweet, calm, and cuddly baby. She sleeps through the night (and has been pretty much since we brought her home), and is still taking great naps during the day. She adores her brother and sister and loves being entertained by them at home and in the car. She likes to be held on our shoulders so she can see all around her. Savannah loves to talk and gab with anyone who will listen. I just love her little coos!! She is also starting to get a tad attached when I pass her off, and won't move her eyes from me when I do. She is still chunking out big time and we love it! Savannah is a great eater and is starting to scoot on her back a bit by pushing with her legs. The other day I laid her down for a nap in the middle of her crib, and when I went in to get her when she woke up, she was scrunched up in the corner! Oh, and she is also cutting her first tooth already! Brooklyn and Troy were early teethers (first two popping up at 4 months), so it didn't surprise me too much. I was wondering where all the drooling was coming from! Anyway, we love our sweet angel Savannah. I thank Heavenly Father every day for letting her bless our lives. She truly is a blessing in our home!

Whoa there Savannah! She was arching her back like crazy and did not want to be sitting! lol

Oh sweet summer days

2011-09-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

We didn't have much of a summer here this year. We only had a few "hot" days (in the 80's, if you can even call that hot!). But we made sure to make the most of what we got nonetheless. The kids LOVED running through the sprinklers and sliding on the slip n slide. Fun times in the sun! And a little break for Momma can't be beat! :)

Savannah and I chilled in the shade while the kids played. Such a sweet baby!

After a long day of hard play, they fell right to sleep! Silly girl.

Boys will be boys

2011-09-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Erik scored some sweet Mariners tickets from work. So off he went on a little Father/son's outing for the day. In the meantime, Brooklyn, Savannah, and I had a little girls day and caught a flick (The Smurf's) and did a little shopping. Erik parked the car at the park and ride, and took the train into down-town. Troy had a blast on the train, and was completely enamoured with the game. Or maybe it was the cotton candy. Either way, he seemed to have a really great time. Nothing beats one-on-one time with Daddy!!

"You break it, you buy it!"

2011-09-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Erik brought home some knee, elbow, and wrist/hand pads for the kids. Troy had a fun time trying them out in the kitchen. What a goof! But don't mess with him, he is one tough kid!!

Matching

2011-09-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

When Brooklyn was brand-new, we received a sweet little polk-dot dress for her. Erik loved it SO much, that he bought two more in different sizes. One of them just happens to be the size Brooklyn is now, so the girls have adorable matching dresses. Brooklyn LOVED dressing alike with Savannah. And I must say, I'm happy Erik has a slight obsession with these dresses! lol

Mr. Thankful

2011-08-25T23:18:00.000-07:00

I love Sunday's. I love asking my kids what they learned in their classes and looking at their pictures/handouts they bring home. Yesterday, Troy brought home a handout with his "Thankful Tree" on it. Troy said he is thankful for, "Family, Football (Erik has been brainwashing him since birth!lol), food, toys, and his Birthday." I loved his answers, and they are so him!! My first thought was, "Boy, I'm super thankful for your birthday too buddy." He is my sweet little man!! We've been duking it out lately (he has entered the turmoltuous 3's), but I sure love this little guy. He makes me laugh and smile every day. And makes me yell every day too. But I am trying to remind myself that this little boy is on loan from our loving Heavenly Father and it is my responsibility to love and take care of him. I'm sure Heavenly Father would never raise his voice to him. My goal this week (and from here on out), is to try and remember that. Speaking of birthday's, Troy just celebrated his 3rd birthday on the 16th! He wanted an Ironman party with just his "best friends." No girls allowed!! We tried to convince him to invite some of his girl friends, in order to get more presents (haha), but he persisted! So an all boy party we had...well except for myself and Brooklyn.
Troy is such a smart little guy and knows all of his letters, can count to about 30 (sometimes he misses a few numbers), knows his numbers by sight (up to 12), has an amazing throwing arm (and one proud papa!), can run super fast (and his arms pump just about as fast as his little legs can carry him), and he is a great baseball player. He is very close to being able to write his name (the "Y" is a little tough still). It definitely helps to have a short name (as opposed to Brooklyn and Savannah lol). He also ADORES his sisters. He can be quite the tease to Brooklyn, but he loves her so much and can be very sweet when he wants to be. :) Anyway, we are so proud of our smart, strong, sweet little man! We love you Troy!

Our birthday boy. Check out that shiner!! And that was over a week old even. Got it in nursersy. That's a tough place you know. lol

"MY FOOTBALL TEAM!!!"

Brooklyn was so excited for Troy. She is such a sweet sister!

Ya, I know, kind of creepy right?! But he loves his football team!

Umm, spoiled much?! Good thing most of it was on clearance. Time to clear out some old toys!

His birthday party cake. IRONMAN!!!!

Look at that pouty little bottom lip! The wind blew out his candle.

The presents were "flying!"

Another birthday happened this month...Savannah turned 2 months!!! I still never quite get used to how fast time flies with these sweet, little babies. I wish I could bottle it up and remember every single moment, coo, cuddle, smile, and cry. Thank heavens for the digital world to help us remember a little more. Here are her 2 month stats: Weight: 12lbs7oz! I knew she was a chunk! (75-90%), Height: 24in (90-95%), Head circ.:40cm (75-90%)

I meant to take a better 2 month old photo on her birthday, but it just didn't happen. We're a little busier around here these days! :) But I love that I caught a little smile!

Oh what a blessed day!

2011-08-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, on August 7th, we blessed our sweet, little Savannah Hazel. We were lucky enough to have Erik's parents visiting for the first time when we blessed her. I'll post more about their visit soon. Anyway, Erik gave a beautiful blessing to Savannah. I have said this before, but she is such a sweet spirit and has truly blessed our home. She is a calming influence on all of us and we cherish every minute with her! She is getting bigger every day (and way too quickly I might add!), and she continues to light up our days with her big, happy smiles. We love you Savannah!! Oh, and some of you may be wondering, "Why the name Savannah Hazel?" Well, Savannah was actually a contender for Brooklyn's name,but we obviously went with Brooklyn. We still really liked the name (although, I was a bit hesitant using such a long name), so we used it. Hazel is my Grandma Hill's name, so it has special meaning. I never knew my Grandma Hazel, but I know she must have been an amazing woman because she raised an amazing son!

The kids playing a little tag after the blessing.

Grandpa & Grandma Paternoster with Savannah and cool guy

Our good friends who were able to make it. We missed those who weren't able to be there!

We love it when Grandma and Grandpa come!

2011-08-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

I completely neglected to blog about my parents visit. And I can't even believe I only have this photo to share! My Mom was here too. I'm so mad I didn't get more pictures! Anyway, they came for a few days when Savannah was just a few weeks old. It is always so fun to have them visit. The kids absolutely adore them, and love every minute with them. They especially enjoy the annual visit to Bhoemm's candy factory. :) Erik and I especially enjoy the meat they bring! It's a gift that gives year-round. We love you Mom and Dad!!

Are you for real?!

2011-08-01T21:53:00.000-07:00

Where, or where has the time gone!? Little Savannah is already over a month old (6 weeks to be exact, well exactly yesterday at least)! We have been enjoying her so much in our home, that we haven't even noticed the time pass! She is such a well-mannered, calm baby. She literally doesn't cry. I have honestly only heard her cry a handful of times, and it only lasts a few seconds. Savannah seems to embrace the chaos around here and is totally in love with her big sister and brother. Just this morning, Savannahs was giving Brooklyn the BIGGEST smiles! She probably smiled more this morning at Brooklyn then she has her whole life for me. We are loving her newly formed chubby cheeks, and the rest of her body is chunking out quickly. She eats great, sleeps great (goes for at LEAST 4 hour stretches at night, but has started going about 5-7 hours!), and is content so far to just be. We love our little miracle!!

The big 4!

2011-07-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

Our sweet baby girl turned 4 on July 11th. I can't even believe how fast time has flown by since she was born. Brooklyn is our little second mother around this house. She is always so willing to help me out whether it's throwing away diapers, picking up toys, or holding Savannah or many of the other things I ask her do to throughout the day. And she is even super sweet to her little brother. My friend Stephanie who watched the kids for us while I was in the hospital (how great are my friends?! For real!), said that she was so sweet to Troy and constantly was making sure he was ok and being a little mother to him. She loves her brother and sister so much!
Brooklyn has grown leaps and bounds this year in all aspects of her life. Not only has she physically grown (although she REALLY wants to be bigger. It's tough being the petite one and shorter than all her friends, not that I know ANYTHING about being petite lol), but she has grown mentally and spiritually as well. She is like a sponge and soaks up new things. I wish I had more time to teach her all the things she wants to know. She wants SO badly to be able to read, so we're hopefully going to work on that this summer. Just as an example, her favorite thing she got for her birthday is her big dry-erase board writing tablet. She loves to write and show Troy all the letters and numbers, and has been a huge help in him learning all his letters and numbers. She absolutely can't wait to start school next year (2012)!
Brooklyn is also a very good friend. She loves all her friends and wishes she could play with them all day, every day! She is a very kind, loving and generous little girl.
Of course when a child opens their presents, you don't really expect them to be entirely gracious the whole time. Well, not our Brooklyn! After every single little gift she would say, "Oh thank you!! This is EXACTLY what I wanted!" Or something to that effect. She seriously is the sweetest ever! It made me want to buy her anything and everything she would ever want.
We are so thankful to have her in our family! We couldn't ask for a better daughter! Happy 4th Birthday sweet girl!

"Oh yeah!"

Sweet birthday girl with her fast, easy to make cake. Notice the finger swipes. lol

We threw a little party for Brooklyn, and since it was crappy weather, it had to be inside our tiny, little house. Imagine 12 little 3-5 year olds. Bliss! lol

We forgot to sing Happy Birthday to her! So this was a little bit of an after-thought, but she didn't mind.

Savannah Hazel-The Birth story!

2011-07-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

The time has come for me to document the birth story of our little miracle. This little girl sent me into contractions fairly early in my pregnancy (32 weeks) and never turned back! I consistently had contractions every night starting around June 7th (real contractions, not braxton hicks. You know, the kind that hurt and you have to brace yourself for). So needless to say, there were several nights when I thought, "Ok, this could be it!" But then after drinking a bunch of water and sitting up, they would slowly putter out. Which I actually was happy about. I needed all the time I could get before her arrival! So much to do, so little time. Well, along comes Saturday, June 18th. I was having contractions the entire day. Not too painful, and about 10-15 minutes apart. But my intuition kicked in, and I knew I was close. This is how Troy's labor started, so I braced myself and warned my friends who were either watching the kids for me, or coming to watch the birth. Sure enough, I woke up around 12:30 am on the 19th with STRONG, PAINFUL contractions, and they were coming 3 minutes apart. I got up after timing for a while, and began preparing to head to the hospital. Next thing I know, they were coming 2 minutes to 2 1/2 minutes apart, and were lasting at least a minute and a half, to two minutes! They were pretty much right on top of each other. I decided I should probably call my babysitter so we could head to hospital (all the while Erik was wondering "WHY HAVEN'T YOU CALLED ANYONE YET?!") But I knew I had time, my labors aren't that fast. Anyway...so Brittany headed over (bless her heart, with a sinus infection and all!! I also later found out she had taken NyQuil, so she was a little drowsy. Poor thing!). We arrived at the hospital around 2:15 where I told Erik just to drop me off since we had to walk in through the ER entrance. I asked the security guard where the birth center was (I was a little confused since I usually go in a different entrance). I started heading toward the birth center, having to take a few breaks because of contractions. A doctor passed by and asked if I needed a wheelchair, but being the stubborn girl that I am, I declined. I was fine! Next thing I know, the security guard was by my side, escorting me to the birth center. He was very concerned! Poor guy. He probably was thinking, "I need to get this lady up there asap, 'cause I am NOT delivering a baby tonight!" Anyway, I got admitted into triage, and next came the true test of whether I had progressed enough for them to admit me into labor and delivery. After a painful check from the nurse (my cervix was tilted, so she couldn't find it!! OUCH!!), she told me I was dilated to a 4 or 5. So, happy day, I was being admitted!! Toni joined us around this time, and it was fun to have her there! At this point, the contractions were KILLING me, so my sweet nurse, Vivian, gave me fentanyl to ease the pain around 3:20 am. That stuff is good! It took away a lot of the pain and I was able to rest a little bit (it makes you a bit loopy, and tired, but she assured me it would be worn off by the time I was ready to push, so I wouldn't be drowsy). I was admitted into my own room at 4:12 am and sweet epidural relief was ordered and on it's way! Dr. Farachi was my anesthesiologist, and he was awesome! I mean, how could I NOT love the Dr. giving me sweet relief?! My epidural was administered at 4:45 am and I was dilated to a 7 and 90% effaced at 5:18 am. My Dr. also broke my water at this time, and when she did there was meconium in the fluid. So she said that they would have a NICU nurse on hand when I delivered, just in case. So I dozed a little, then woke up at 6 to my nurse, Lesley, rushing in and checking the monitors. She asked me to roll to my left side and gave me oxygen. The baby's heart rate had dropped down into the low 60's. A few seconds later, my Dr. rushed in. They had me turn to my right side, but the heart rate was still dangerously low. Dr. Oxford put an internal monitor on the baby to double check the heart rate, and sure enough, the monitor wasn't lying, her heart rate was dangerously low. At this point I was very concerned and scared. They had me turn on my left side again, then again on my right, and had me get on all fours. But to no avail. At this point, my Dr. told me they were going to prep the OR for a possible emergency c-section (my worst nightmare! Not that I know anyone who would opt for major surgery!), but they would get me in there and try one more time to get her heart rate down. The last thing I remember was looking at Toni and Erik as they rushed me into the OR. Erik had a look of terror on his face and was crying. Toni told me it was going to be alright, and then they were gone. I tell you what, those Dr's and nurses know what they are doing! They were so efficient. I just remember looking all around me while being wheeled in and seeing all these people prepping the room and themselves for this major surgery. When I got in the OR, they again had me roll over on my sides, but again to no avail, my sweet baby girl's heart rate was still in the very dangerous zone. Dr. Oxford told me they were going to go ahead with the c-section and that everything was going to be all right. Thank heavens for an amazing Doctor and amazing nurses!! All the while, Dr. Farachi was above me, reassuring me that I was ok. I was crying hysterically, but he was right there trying to calm me down. They started the surgery and I remember thinking, "OW! This hurts!!" I must have said it out-loud because Dr. Oxford asked if it was a sharp pain. It wasn't a sharp pain, but a lot of pressure. Dr. Farachi took care of that quickly and I wasn't able to feel any pain. Thank heavens for modern medicine and technology!! Erik was admitted at this point, and a few seconds later sweet baby Savannah was born at 6:11 am. (Yes, her heart rate dropped at 6 am, and she was born at 6:11 am. This was not a joke! They wanted to get her out as soon as possible! Like I said, SUPER efficient). She came out chalky white (NOT a good color at all!), and was having a very hard time breathing. I kept asking if she was ok, and everyone kept reassuring me she was fine, but I knew from the look on Erik's face, and the tears in his eyes that she was not ok. I told Erik to go be with Savannah, and that I was fine. One of the NICU nurses came over to me and told me they needed to rush Savannah into the NICU for further treatment. I wasn't able to see her, and I was devastated! But I knew she was in good hands and was being taken care of. Erik came over to my side at this point and told me he had given Savannah a blessing and would I like one as well? Of course I said yes, and he gave me a sweet blessing of comfort. I am so thankful for a husband who honors his Priesthood! After I was all stitched up, they threw on a bunch of warm blankets (I remember them feeling so good!) and wheeled me into my room. I got a little "gurney sick" on the way there, but luckily they were prepared with a kidney bowl. I remember apologizing and Dr. Farachi saying, "It's ok, we'll get you all cleaned up!" He was seriously awesome and I am so thankful for him! After I got into the room, Dr. Oxford told me that we could go in and see Savannah very soon. It felt like an eternity before I was able to see my little girl. I asked Dr. Oxford if I would be a good candidate for a v-bac (a vaginal birth after having a c-section) and she said that yes, I was a very good candidate. Sweet relief! I guess I'm a bit selfish in not wanting a c-section. My first thought when they mentioned that I may need one was, "No! I can't have a c-section!! I won't be able to run for a long time or take care of my kids!" Totally selfish I know. But I couldn't help it! I knew the recovery would be at least twice as long, and I wasn't ready for that. But I tell you what, it was all worth it when I was able to see that sweet baby girl for the first time. All my fears and anxiety went away when I saw her sweet face. It was extremely difficult to see her with all those tubes and IV's in her, but I knew that she would be ok. I am so thankful for the for sight of my Dr. who knew that she needed to get out asap in order to thrive. Had they not been monitoring her, she may have suffered brain damage, and possibly death. How thankful I am to Heavenly Father for blessing us with modern technology and medicines!

The next few days were an emotional roller coaster. Savannah stayed in the NICU for continued monitoring. I began pumping, in hopes that we would begin a feeding tube soon. Our good friend Hyrum Rigtrup came Monday night and helped Erik give her a blessing. Finally on Tuesday, they allowed me to try breastfeeding. The first couple times were pretty discouraging. But by the 3rd try, she latched on! The night nurse, Nona, decided it was time to get things going for us. She called me to nurse on demand when Savannah woke up during the night, and by morning, she was off the IV and feeding tube and was breastfeeding exclusively! The next nurse, Amanda, was just as ambitious, and told us she was getting her out of there that day (Wednesday)! We were ecstatic, especially since the Dr's had been telling us that the earliest she would probably go home would be Thursday. So, even though it was a hectic morning for the NICU Wednesday (they had a baby who had to be transferred from Savannah's room to Children's hospital), she ordered all the tests she needed to be discharged. So Erik grabbed her carseat for the carseat test (NICU babies have to pass a carseat test. They sit in their carseat for 90 minutes in order to monitor their breathing and make sure they can breathe fully on their own). And Amanda ordered the hearing test to be done while she was sitting in her carseat, just to speed things along even further. The PKU was done, and by 2 pm, she was all ours!! They discharged her into my room, and we were told that we would be going home that day at 4pm. Those next couple hours will forever be so precious to me. I was finally able to hold my sweet baby without any tubes or wires. She was ours! We will be forever grateful to those nurses (Nona and Amanda), who took initiative and got our Savannah discharged so we could take her home!

I am so thankful to all the wonderful nurses and doctors who took care of both us. But mostly I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for blessing our family with our little miracle baby. She has already blessed our lives in so many ways and I only hope we can raise her the way our Heavenly Father would want her to be raised. I am so thankful for the power of the Priesthood and the miracles it produces. And for again, for a worthy Priesthood holder, who loves his children and wife with all his heart. We are very, very blessed!!

In triage, waiting to be admitted.

First time holding my Savannah!

Our first time seeing her. I was an emotional wreck! Laughing and crying all at the same time. :)

Proud, proud Daddy!

I was instantly in love!

With all her contraptions. It was so hard to see her like this. So glad she's home and healthy now!

Gripping to my finger.

I love this picture. It shows a glimpse of how tender and sweet Erik is with our kids.

Hooray! The cpap (breathing machine) is off!!

She was definitely the biggest baby in NICU.

A new bed! She's getting better!

FINALLY all ours!!

Ready to go home!

Brooklyn and Troy couldn't be more proud or in love with their baby sister.

Bring on the sleepless nights!

All wrapped up, just like Savannah.

She's here! She's here!!

2011-06-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

Savannah made her dramatic arrival Sunday, June 19th at 6:11 am. She weighed 7 lbs 8 oz, and was 20in long. After a long, painful night of labor, we ended with an emergency c-section. She just wanted to make an entrance! We're all doing great. I'll post the whole birth story soon...it's a crazy one! But she's perfect and beautiful. We couldn't be more blessed!! Just a couple sneak peeks of our beautiful baby girl.

Showered with love!

2011-06-16T08:15:00.000-07:00

Since I'm about to have my baby, I figured it was due time to post about the baby shower my amazing friends threw for me! :)
A few weeks ago, my very good friends threw me a baby shower. I really wasn't expecting one at all being that this is my third baby and second girl (in the same season as well!), but they kept persisting, so I caved. Ok, I didn't take a lot of persuasion I guess. :) Anyway, the shower was BEAUTIFUL! They had tables set for a full and delicious lunch, a slide-show of the recent maternity pictures taken by Lori Burkman, and of course, the recording of the big nursery reveal! (You can see that here:

It was so fun to spend quality time with good friends and to celebrate the upcoming birth of our next little princess, Savannah Hazel. We are anxious for her arrival! So thank you so much to my amazing friends: Toni Baker, Lori Burkman, Aubrey Peterson, Brittany Richardson, Stephanie Rigtrup, Kristina Wi, and Sara McCarter! You ladies are all the best and I treasure our friendships dearly!

The gift table and beautiful decor!

Sweet Toni filling up the water glasses.

Check out these cakes Toni made! There was a bird theme for the whole shower and for my beautiful nursery! Even the quilt Toni made has a bird motife. So gorgeous!

The beautiful table setting.

A few of the best friends a girl could have! (Kristina, Brittany, & Stephanie)

A new car-seat cover!!! Yay! Thanks Jen!

Seriously, I die! This cake was SOOO good!

Beach pictures

2011-06-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Brittany posted some super cute pictures from our trip to the beach last weekend, so I stole them. :) Glad she brought her camera and was prepared! I love that they're color-coordinated. These kids have a blast together!

Gabe was very daring and went in the freezing, cold water, but Troy wanted nothing to do with it!

Oh what do you do in the summer time!?

2011-06-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Seattle reached a warm 80 degrees! We took advantage and went over to the beach on the Sound. What a fun time! The kids enjoyed exploring for shells and other treasures with Daddy, and I basked in the sun (and have the sunburn to prove it!). Our good friends, the Richardsons, were there too, so it was fun to have some company and of course the kids LOVE their kids. Their son is Troy's "best friend." At least that's what Troy tells me. :)

Once we got home, the kids wouldn't nap (if they fall asleep for even 5 minutes in the car, nap-time is ruined!), so we turned the sprinkler on and they had a ball! There's nothing like the bliss of a first summer-time run through the sprinklers. It was a great Saturday spent with the kids before baby #3, sweet Savannah, gets here. They definitely are sensing a change, so we're trying to spend as much quality time with them as possible before their world is rocked (and ours for that matter!!).

Erik made us a yummy dinner of steak, chicken, ribs, corn and broccoli to top off the great day. He's such a great husband! I love a man who cooks. :) And the Richardson's joined us for a little dessert. Anyway, all in all a wonderful day! We can't wait for warmer weather so we can do things like this more often.

Abstract pictures

2011-05-23T07:34:00.000-07:00

Troy apparently went a little "Picasso" on his face the other day. He was very proud. I'll take the face over walls any day! :)

Troy's favorite thing to do is line up cars "on the freeway." And he ALWAYS wants me to take a picture of the traffic jam. I don't even think these are all the cars he owns!

Brooklyn yesterday brought me a picture with a bunch of circles and some scribbles. I asked her what it was of and she said, "It's abstract." Umm, what? So I asked again, and she said, "It's abstract." Me: "It's abstract?" Brooklyn: "Yup!" Well duh Mom!! Where does she learn this stuff?! lol Love these sweet little kiddos.

I am the luckiest girl in the world!!!!

2011-05-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

This story begins a couple weeks ago. On the evening of May 9th, I started having consistent contractions (real contractions that hurt, not braxton hicks) around 8:30. After laying down, drinking lots of water and doing everything I was supposed to for the next 3 hours, the contractions had picked up in pain and were coming 3 minutes apart. I decided it was time to call the hospital 'cause I was pretty sure I would need to come in. Sure enough, the nurse said to get in there asap (being that I was only 33 weeks pregnant). They got the contractions stopped finally with a shot of terbutaline (which by the way is NOT fun stuff. It makes you super shaky and it feels like your heart will jump out of your chest any second). Anyhow, fast forward about a week and the contractions were happening again. At my Dr's appointment, she decided I better go on partial bed-rest so as not to have this baby too early. My first question was, "You know I have a 3 1/2 year old and 2 1/2 year old right?" Then my second thought was, "When am I going to get everything done that I need to!?" But, I want this baby safe, so I have been taking it (fairly) easy since. On Thursday May 12th, while my good friend was taking maternity pictures of my (and some adorable ones of our family), Erik let me know that we were going out Friday night. Hooray!! So my goal for the day Friday was to take it really easy so we could have an enjoyable evening. Little did I know that there were shenanigans going on behind my back. When Erik came home from work Friday, he rounded the kids up immediately to clean up the toys. I thought it to be a little strange, since usually he doesn't worry about that (at least not right when he gets home). But I thought, "Oh, he's helping me out since I can't really do anything. How sweet!" Then he put the newly washed bathroom rugs on the floor. Again, something I thought was strange, but didn't really think twice about it. He also said that we needed to leave at 5:15 and the kids needed to be to Lori's by 5:30. I just thought he had reservations somewhere. Ok, fast forward...after a great dinner at Panera (my FAVORITE!), we headed to the movies. Erik was texting someone and I asked, "Oh, who are you texting." He was all secretive and said, "No one." But I caught a glimpse and saw he was texting a good friend of mine, Stephanie. I summed it up to it having to do with the baby shower she and some other friends were throwing me the next day. Fast forward again, we stopped by Walmart after the movie (Erik needed a tarp), and he texted Lori to let her know we were on our way (they were watching our kids). Well, we get home and I see Stephanie's car. Then I see my friend Toni's, Kristina's and Brittany's cars. What.the.heck! I go inside to find a dark house, but there was a light on in Troy's room, with the door shut. Well, that's all I'm going to tell you, but you can see the rest here for yourself.

I truly feel so incredibly blessed to have such amazing, loving, and caring friends. And an amazing husband who has taken over these past couple weeks and made this whole pregnancy in general be such a breeze!

Happy Easter!

2011-05-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

I finally get on here to update the blog and of course my pictures are doing something funky. So hopefully Erik will be able to figure that out soon so I can post about Easter. In the meantime, these are a couple pictures I took of Troy a couple weeks ago. He is very much into swords these days and loves to "fight" and be a "bad guy." He was using this sprinkler head as his sword and tucking it into his pocket. I was a tad worried he'd stab himself, but he made it through the day without any casualties. He is definitely all boy!

Dress-up

2011-04-06T17:39:00.000-07:00

Just a typical day at that Paternoster home. :)

That is one serious fireman!

My sweet baby boy

2011-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

I guess I'm feeling nostalgic with baby #3 not too far away. So I've done Brooklyn's nostalgic post, now here is Troy's.
Behind his rough and tumble exterior, there is a sweet, sensitive, loving little boy. My absolute FAVORITE thing he does right now is out of the blue he'll say, "Mommy? I wuv you." Melt me heart!!! He really knows how to work us that's for sure! The other night he said, "Mommy, I just wuv you everyday." lol He also gives us the cheesiest/cutest little grin while he's playing. It's like he's saying, "I'm not doing anything wrong. Aren't I the best child?!" Troy is very into cars and trains, and plays with them for hours on end. He loves to line up all his cars or trains in a single row. I find trails of them everywhere! He is a very smart kid too, and knows how to count to 20 with little or no help. He also knows many of the letters of the alphabet, thanks to Brooklyn and "Super Why." :) He loves to wear his Superman cape with his blue rain boots and "fly" all around the house. A couple weeks ago he even suckered us into wearing it to church. Some things just aren't worth the fight right? So there he was, waltzing in wearing his cape and cool sunglasses. He definitely got a few snickers from the Bishopbric that day. Troy still loves to snuggle, and I give in to his ploys because he'll only be young once right? I figure he won't be letting me snuggle him soon, so I take adantage when I can. I really enjoy our time together after naps when it's just him and me (Brooklyn is usually still sleeping), and we can just snuggle on the couch, usually while watching "Cailou," which, I'm sorry to say, is still his all-time favorite cartoon. We also have a really fun time together while Brooklyn is at preschool. I can tell he loves getting one-on-one attention. He isn't potty trained yet, but loves to sit and go on the potty. He loves to shower (all by himself!) and also still loves baths as well. Although, the other day I let him shower for a while (literally, he was in there for like 20 minutes. I thought it was a little insight to what we can look forward to in teenage years lol) I found a huge puddle on the floor. Guess he doesn't quite keep the shower head pointing down like I thought. :)
Troy can not wait to be a big brother! He loves to talk to the baby, and loves to pull my shirt up to "see" the baby. He gives her kisses and tells her he loves her and asks when she's going to come out. He also shares his blanket and special doggie and bunny with her. She will be well loved for sure!

Marcie forgot....(written by Daddy)

Troy always says "Soda my favorite." In addition to soda, this kid would literally live on a liquid only diet if we let him.

He always wants to fight, but as Marcie mentioned, he loves to cuddle and when he does get hurt (which is quite often trying to lug that huge head around) he immediately cries for his blankie and dogdog.

The other day he also took a moment to let his friend Jenna know how he feels by saying "Jenna, you my friend. I just love you, everday." To which Jenna got creeped out (jk).

Troy's also very much my little buddy, and being such, is brainwashed to play football at Boise State. Although a lefty like Kellen Moore, he will most likely be a long snapper. He even prayed for the BSU football team to have a great spring the other night, out of the BLUE.

My absolute favorite is how spirited he is towards things. I probably shouldn't encourage him, but I just love when he furrows his brow and scolds someone or something. As an example, when we got home the other day, we got out of the jeep and Troy immediately went to the edge of our driveway and yelled at a black crow in the middle of the street "Go away bird!" It's also quite funny when he scolds Marcie for playing with my computer and remote control to the tv and says, "that's daddy's mom!"

This little guy has us wrapped completely around his pinkie.

A few days old.

6 months old

2 1/2 years old.

What Brooklyn has been up to...

2011-03-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

I was lying in bed last night, trying to go to sleep and kept thinking I should really write something on the blog/my journal of what these two sweet, crazy kids have been up to lately. It's so easy to go about every day hearing their funny stories, one-liners, or sweet antics without giving it much thought about writing it down. But today is the day! So here goes a bragging post, because let's be honest, that's kind of what it is. And I'm sorry if it's long-winded, this is mainly for me, so kuddos to you if you make it all the way to the end! I'll start with Brooklyn first:

She is now a little over 3 1/2 years old, and can't WAIT for her birthday on July 11th. Which she reminds me about practically every day. The conversation usually goes something like this:
Brooklyn: Mommy, when I have my birthday on July 11th, I want to have princess cupcakes and lots of cookies that you make (or whatever else she has on her mind that day. This party is apparantely going to be HUGE!).
Other things she has mentioned she wants for her birthday: a pajama party, every single toy in the latest Target add, a BIG Dora cake, lots and lots of friends over, and lots of balloons. I'm sure I'm forgetting several wish-list items, but you get the jist.

Brooklyn LOVES preschool and almost every morning asks if she has preschool that day. She has the Pledge of Allegiance memorized (has for a while, but just didn't realize it until last month when I was teaching), can count almost to 40 (sometimes she misses a couple numbers), can count to 10 in Spanish, knows all her letters and numbers up to 10, writes her name very well and can write Troy's name and Mom, she has memorized all the primary songs they are working on. A couple Sundays ago, she came home singing one of the new songs we learned THAT DAY, and she literally knew every word. She definitely has an ear for singing, that girl. Brooklyn has always been very agile, and I am anxious to get her into gymnastics this year. My sister Megan (who was a collegiate gymnast, yup, she's awesome!) has told me she definitely has a natural ability and it's highly unusual some of the things she is already doing at this age. So that gives me all the motivation I need! We're going to have an Olympic gymnast! Ok, ok, maybe not that extreme, but I know she'll love it and gymnastics is such a great background to have for all sports and dance. She also LOVES to color and it consumes a lot of her day. And she's actually very good at it and is already pretty much staying in the lines! Her teacher at church (who used to teach Kindergarten), said she is even much better at coloring than most of the kindergartners she's seen. She definitely didn't get her artistic ability from me (thank heavens). I think Grandma Hill passed on her amazing artistic ability to her!

Brooklyn LOVES her baby brother. Yes, they argue and fight sometimes, but she is so motherly to him most of the time. Several times during the day I will hear her say, "Troy, come give me hugs and kisses." Or, "Troy, you want me to hold you?" She can hardly wait for her baby sister to be born so she can "feed her yummy food, and get diapers and wipes for Mommy." In Primary, pretty much whenever there is a question about how you can be good and keep the commandments, etc, her answer is usually, "I am good because I help my Mommy do the dishes." She LOVES helping me with chores around the house and is always so willing! Her favorite chore is definitely washing the windows (something we don't do often enough). She also really enjoys setting the table and making her bed. Brooklyn is definitely Mommy's little helper.

When I fix her hair in the morning, she usually tells me who she wants her hair like that day. Such as, Jessi from Toy Story, Cinderella, Snow White, Fiona, Tinkerbell, etc. She cannot WAIT for summer time to go swimming at the waterpark again and is so excited for swimming lessons. I think she thinks she'll have the same teacher again (Kyle, she LOVES him). Oh, and her favorite color is purple.

I'm sure there are many more things I could write, but can't think of anything at the moment. I love this sweet little girl. She has blessed our lives in so many ways! I am so thankful she was sent to our family.
Written by Daddy- I'm convinced Brooklyn is going to be the smartest in every class...sorry all you other kids (of course I am biased).

My favorite thing she does right now:
When she is coloring, writing, playing on my ipod she is in deep concentration and always squinches her lips really tightly together as if that will help her to stay in the lines or win the game.
She's very much Troy's opposite in the cuddle with the parents category, but she is starting to soften up and let us hold her every once in a while.
I've always felt that Brooklyn thinks she is going to miss something, which is why she hates going to bed if we aren't and always wakes up at the crack of dawn. Even at 3.5 she very much longs to be an adult, and always says "when I grow up...".
I love this little girl. She changed our lives

Just a few days old.

At 13 months holding 2 day old Troy. She has always been such a mother. What a sweet sister.

A couple days before her 1st birthday.

Oh to be a kid again

2011-03-18T22:06:00.000-07:00

Troy, like many boys, LOVES playing in the dirt/mud.

Brooklyn enjoys it on occasion as well.

Wearing Mommy's heals

Do I really need to add a comment to this photo? I think it speaks for itself! lol

Why shouldn't they wear each other's shoes? They wear the same size!

Showing off their gymnastics skills. Check out Brooklyn's form! I'm definitely getting her in gymnastics this year. Her gymnast Aunt Megan says she is definitely a natural. :)

Troy and his "girlfriend." So cute.

I'll probably regret adding this picture, but man it makes me laugh. Doesn't this SCREAM pregnant lady?! I'm glad I can laugh at myself. :) Looking at that yummy chip and quac is making my hungry...

"Ugh....welll....????"

2011-03-11T07:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was driving in the car with the kids to music time and Brooklyn said to me
"Mommy, how is the baby going to come out of your tummy?"

Me:"Ugh....welll, hmm."

What the heck do I tell this little 3 year old? The truth?! No way! That's just a little too much for her I was thinking. So I decided to give her a simple answer:

Me:"Well, Mommy will go to the hospital, and the Dr will take the baby out!"
Brooklyn:"Oh, ok."

Whew! Dodged that bullet! For a minute there I thought we were going to have to call Grandma and have her explain. I'm not ready for these tough questions! lol

2 black eyes?!

2011-03-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn put on her pretty make-up the other day. Doesn't she look beautiful?! I didn't even wash it off this time when we went out. I finished the look off with some lipstick. She is all girl, that's for sure!

And I can't leave Troy out. Just a couple cute pictures taken before church again.

A look back

2011-02-22T18:41:00.000-08:00

It was my month to have the kiddies for preschool. We had so much fun! Tomorrow is our last day for the month, and we still have our field trip to the post office Friday, so there will be another post. Love these kids!

I love Troy's pouty face. At least the other kids were having fun!

Total concentration

Some of their shadows on Groundhog's Day. Looks like an early spring!

Making their Valentine mailboxes.

What a silly boy. Poor G is all surrounded by girls.

The highlight of the day. Opening their Valentine mailboxes to see all their Valentine's!!

I pink puffy heart Valentines!!

2011-02-17T19:39:00.000-08:00

Valentine's day is probably one of my favorite "holidays." My mom and dad always made it so fun and such a special day growing up. From pink eggs, to Valentine baskets full of goodies. I don't know how they did it all those years, because I was just exhausted from doing basically the bare minimum this year! I tried to make the day extra fun for the kids. The Saturday before Valentine's day, we headed over to some friends house for a little Valentine's party. The kids decorated sugar cookies (I think Brooklyn used up at least half a bottle of sprinkles, yum!), and the adults played Kinect and the Wii. Fun times!

On the morning of Valentine's the kids ran into my room and surprised me with homemade cards (thanks Erik!) and yummy chocolates. During the day, I just tried to make lunch a little more special than usual with heart shaped pb and j, heart canteloupe, heart sugar cookies, and of course, pink milk. We sat down and watched "Despicable Me" together (instead of just eating lunch then going down for naps). For dinner I made heart shaped calzones, caesar salad, and pink milk. Then to top it off with dessert, we had a yummy chocolate chip cookie pie. Mmmm! I love our little family!!

Check out all those sprinkles! And that was AFTER I took off the excess.

Nice job Troy! He was a little more interested in just eating the chocolate candies.

Sitting down to watch a mid-day movie. Troy was saying "Happy Valentine's Day!!"

Brooklyn showing genuine love for her brother. :)

The dinner table, minus our yummy dessert. Mmm, warm, gooey cookie with melty vanilla ice-cream.

Best Friends

2011-02-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

Every Monday, Troy (and Brooklyn) gets to play with one of his "best friends," Thomas. These two have so much fun together! They're only about 6 weeks apart in age, so it's perfect. I do a swap with his mom, so they're at my house every other Monday. These are just a few pictures of them playing in action.

I was washing my bed linens, and they decided to have a "sleep-over."

These boys LOVE their trains!

Brooklyn and Troy are also the best of friends (and sometimes the worst! lol). But they really do love each other, and Brooklyn acts like a second mother to Troy. They are both going to be Mommy's big helpers when baby #3 gets here in June!

Right before church, picking out their fruit snacks/treats. I love Brooklyn's face here, she looks quilty of something...

And the winner is....drumroll please

2011-01-31T13:03:00.001-08:00

GIRL!!! Baby #3 is a beautiful baby girl. We are so excited to have another sweet, spunky, energetic little girl join our family. Troy still thinks he's getting a brother, so I guess we'll have to keep trying!

Oh the memories we make

2011-01-26T08:15:00.000-08:00

A couple months ago, Southwest was having FABULOUS deals on flights to Boise. So I called up my parents and told them to get out here and visit their grandchildren!! They thought that was a great idea and told me they'd call me back with dates so I could book their flights. When they called, they told me they had changed their mind, but would rather fly me and the kids out! Umm, ok, twist my arm! So, off we went to Boise. The kids were SO excited to see Grandma and Grandpa!

Ready to fly off to Boise! They were so well-behaved and easy. Even though we had the early morning flight.

The first thing Troy went for was one of the big tractors. He was in heaven!

Nothin' beats big marshmallows on a fork. What a healthy snack.

Got a little hair-cut while we were there.

Troy had his first professional hair-cut, and wasn't too fond of it. He wouldn't wear the cape, so he had hair everywhere. It was actually pretty comical.

Brookyn and Liv.

She wanted a picture with the turtle. lol

One of the kids favorite things to do: remove all the cushions and build a fort. Or just lay on them and watch cartoons.

Playing house with cousin Aundrea.

We're a couple of dorks. We just couldn't get a good picture of both of us.

I'm loving the quadruple chin. Nice.

So we enlisted Brooklyn to take one for us and this is what we got.

Ya think I need some sunless tanner or what?! Mom, Mel, Me, Elena, Brooklyn.

Please just look at my mom and the kids. Don't pay attention to the pale creature on the right.

Troy had Grandpa wrapped around his little finger.

A great past-time and way to tire them out for bedtime. :)

Brooklyn has always been such a climber and loved climbing up to the tree-house and the BIG ladder on the fort. Scared me to death. Gotta let them go sometime though right?

"I did it!!"

Ever wonder how my dad gets the kids to swing so high? This is his little technique.

Cousin Hailey, and Brooklyn

Most of the Paternoster cousins

At the grandkids party.

Our last night in Boise, there was the most beautiful sunset. I had to capture it!

We had so much on this trip and weren't really ready to come home! We enjoyed time with Erik's family too, but somehow I managed to not get very many pictures!! Grandma and Grandpa Paternoster held a great party for all the grandkids, while the parents went out. They had so much fun! And when I picked them up, I saw the fun all over their faces (chocolate, suckers, etc). lol Thanks to all our family for the fun times!!! Can't wait until the next trip.

And he thought it was for him!

2011-01-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

Erik got an IPod Touch for Christmas, and the kids have really been enjoying it!

How stinkin' sweet is this?! They are the best of friends. Brooklyn really looks after her "little" brother.

Deep in concentration.

Year-end round-up

2011-01-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

We actually did celebrate Christmas this year...even though I haven't posted about it yet. Better late than never I always say! For Christmas Eve, we had some good friends (the Mortenson's and Cluff's) over for food, the Nativity, and games. Brooklyn was sweet Mary, and Troy was Joseph. And I was of course an angel (just like every other day of the year! ha!). We played a little Just Dance 2 (the little kids LOVED this, especially Brooklyn and McKinley). And it was of course hilarious to watch the men "dance." And I think I got a work-out from it for the first time in a couple months!

Christmas morning was so much fun this year with both kids really understanding and getting involved. They even gave us a gift in return and slept in until 8 am! I'm sure that will never happen again, but we savored the moment/sleep this year. When Brooklyn did wake up, she ran into our room yelling, "Mommy, Daddy, Santa came! Santa came!!!" The kids loved tearing into their gifts and were very gracious and polite. The perfect little Christmas!! Oh, I should mention...on Christmas Eve, one of Santa's elves dropped a couple gifts off on our doorstep for the kids to open. Brooklyn unwrapped hers, found that it was new pajamas, and proceeded to whine that she doesn't "want pajamas, I want a unicorn pillow-pet!!" Yup, proud parent moment for sure. Spoiled much?! lol

Mary was a little sad to have to wear a head-dress.

Our handsome Joseph and "angelic" angel!

McKinley and Brooklyn dancing. They did surprisingly well too. Even beat David a couple times. :)

Brooklyn received make-up for Christmas, and Troy "ran" into it one morning. Yesterday (I didn't get a picture), he had put foundation powder all over his face, and did a surprisingly good job. These pictures will show up on his first date for sure.

New Years!! We had a great New Years. We started off the evening at our friends house (the Rigtrups) for a little pre-party dinner of nachos. Easy and yummy! We tried to get a good family picture, but you all know how that goes with toddlers. After dinner, we headed over to the Peterson's and danced our booties off!! It was such a great party. The kids celebrated New Years at 9, and we took off for home around 10:15ish. We threw the kids in bed, settled on the couch to watch the countdown and both fell asleep before midnight. Yup, we're hard-core these days!

Just a little insight into our lives. They love to wrestle. So funny!

Happy New Year!!!!

Random

2010-12-27T08:54:00.000-08:00

Trying to get a nice picture is nearly impossible. Brooklyn was being crazy and Troy was obsessed with the funnel.

Our little 80's boy.

Erik was able to come home after meetings before church and got a couple snapshots of the kids. I wish he could have come home the day I had them in their Christmas outfits! Oh well.

They really are best friends. So cute.

They ask me to take pictures of them all the time. This was one of those times. Precious! :)

Our first snow of the year

2010-12-27T08:45:00.000-08:00

The kids enjoyed our first snow just before Thanksgiving. We ended up getting about 6 inches!! That's a lot for Seattle. Anyway, we had a blast playing in the snow and making snowmen. These pictures were taken when it was still snowing. The next morning we woke up to a ton more! So much fun. Erik stayed home from work and we played all day.

Making a tiny snowmen.

I was trying to teach Troy how to make a snow-angel.

It's never too late right?!

2010-12-27T08:38:00.000-08:00

Our friends the Richardson's graciously had us over for Thanksgiving this year. Brittany set the tables BEAUTIFULLY, and made some amazing food!! We had such a blast, and the kids probably had even more fun. :) They have a little boy who is Brooklyn's age, who Troy just LOVES! It's fun for him to have boy friends, since there aren't many boys his age around here. Thanks again for having us!!

The adult table.

The kids table. LOVE that little Mayflower centerpiece!

The Turkey. It was perfectly moist and delicious. Just like a turkey should be.

Eric, the carver. :)

Is that the cutest face or what? The kids enjoyed playing with Denali and riding on her back.

The kids making their apple turkeys.

Our hostess and her cute son. He was making a silly face.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2010-12-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

Erik's employer had their annual NAES Kid's Christmas Party, complete with coloring, food, goodies, presents, and....SANTA! Brooklyn and Troy were quite patient waiting for their turn to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they want for Christmas.

Brooklyn is looking very sweet. She loves Santa.


Troy's a little nervous. Notice Santa holding his hands down...

And here is a photo of our little family with Santa (and no, Marcie isn't THAT pregnant, it's the dang shirt)

Kids say the darndest things!

2010-11-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

This post may be a little too much info for some, but it's something that I just had to write down and document. Lately I've been pretty sick from pregnancy. There hasn't been a single day since I hit 6 weeks where I haven't thrown up (to give you an idea). Some days are way worse than others. Anyway...when I am throwing up, I usually leave the door unlocked just in case the kids need me or something. Troy likes to come in and ask me over and over, "Mommy, you're not feeling well?" To which I reply, "No honey, I'm not feeling well." Then he shrugs and shuts the door behind him leaving me to myself again. Brooklyn on the other hand, enjoys watching me throw-up. The other day she came in and said, "Mommy, I want to see a big one!!" As I proceeded to throw-up, just a little bit, she says, "Mommy, that was a small one, not a big one!" Apparantely I'm not quite meeting her standards. lol

Happy Halloween! and other news...

2010-11-15T13:47:00.000-08:00

Yes, I realize it's almost Thanksgiving, so sue me. I'm a little behind on blogging. But, I should hopefully be pretty much caught up after this post.

We had a great Halloween this year. Erik's nephew Jaryn was here for the weekend, so that was fun (probably not much for him!). We started the festivities at a friends for a little pumpkin carving. Troy decided he would go the modern way, and just color his with markers. I kind of messed Brooklyn's pumpkin up by cutting too much off the bottom, but luckily she didn't know any differently. We ate way too much chili, pumpkin donuts, and hot chocolate and had a blast! The next day we had our Ward Trunk-or-Treat. It was a little crazy and crowded (we combined with 2 other wards and a branch this year), but still a lot of fun! The kids loved it, and that's all that matters. And there was no rain! SCORE!! Sunday we headed over to our friends house for a little pre-trick-or-treating dinner, then hit the road! Brooklyn was all gung-ho again this year. Troy was pretty chill and relaxed about the whole thing. But he DID enjoy getting lots of candy. They both made out like bandits this year. We still have a ton of left-over candy. Stocking stuffers maybe? Hope you all had a great Halloween. We're looking forward to spending Thanksgiving this year with friends. We are so thankful for friends who are willing to have us over on holidays! :)

In other news...I'm pregnant. 9 weeks along today, and due June 21st. We can't wait to welcome baby #3!!

Traditioooooon...TRADITION!!! (as sung in Fiddler On The Roof)

2010-11-12T09:40:00.000-08:00

Like many people, we have a tradition of taking a trip to a pumpkin patch every year with the kids. This year we went to Fall City Farms. It had been recommended to me from a friend, and it did not disappoint! Although, we didn't buy any pumpkins there...they were WAY over-priced. But dang, their fresh-pressed apple cider?! TO DIE FOR!!! The kids had a blast in the hay-maze, riding the the tractor ride, petting the baby calf and mamma cow, and petting and feeding the cute little goats. Good times for all!!

So this clearly isn't our kid, but we thought he was so funny! Doesn't he look like he's having a blast? lol

This Mamma cow was so sweet. She was nursing her calf at this point.

Feeding the hungry goats. Don't mind the random kids in the picture.

The apple press. Seriously, this stuff was SOOOO good. And very interesting to watch. The guy said they only make it on the weekends, and average about 500 gallons per day. They sell out every weekend! Yup, that's how good this stuff is. AND it's $10 a gallon! We didn't buy a gallon (a little pricey,even though it was delish.) We just got a couple little pumpkin sippys for the kids.

Troy think it's hilarious for us to "ride" on his shoulders.

Hey, I'm a dancer, and a dancer, dances!!!

2010-11-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn started her first dance class this year, and she is loving it! I don't know many little girls who don't enjoy dance class. Anyway, she's in there with her friend Rachel. I just love seeing her cute little body in pink tights and a black leotard. Her teacher is Miss Carly and is so great with the girls. She's learning a lot, and having a lot of fun in the process! During class, Troy and I like to play soccer or football. He says there's too much estrogen, so he brings it down a few notches by showing his "manliness."

Before her first class. She was SOOO excited!

Doing some killer dance moves.

With Rachel before class. "We so pretty!"

Another pose before class. Troy was getting in on the action too.

Happy Birthday

2010-11-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

For Erik's birthday this year, I sent him to Boise for a weekend with friends and football. I took about 150 cookies to his work to surprise him with his birthday gift. So we celebrated his birthday a few days early at our house, then sent him off for a boys weekend. Yup, I'm awesome. He had a lot of fun, but of course didn't take any pictures (even though I sent him with a camera). Aw well. The kids and I stayed busy doing little projects around the house. Happy Birthday Erik!

The previous weekend we went to the Issaquah Salmon Days parade. Who doesn't love a parade?!

Just love these faces. Not quite sure what was going on,but this is classic.

ARE YOU READY FOR FOOTBALLLLL?!?!?!

2010-11-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

I'm so far behind on blogging, but I've been writing and saving posts and publishing when I can get the time to add pictures. Hopefully we'll have our big computer back soon! I'm using Erik's little mini notebook and it's a total pain!

Seasons have changed here in the Paternoster household. Well, sort of. Baseball hasn't actually ended yet (but I am counting the days), but football has finally arrived! I enjoy football MUCH more than baseball. And this season, the Broncos are out to prove, yet again, how awesome they are. The first game peaked in intensity, but BSU was able to pull off a win. We had some friends over (and Erik even interacted with them! He does NOT like being interrupted during BSU football games lol). We ate, we screamed, we high-fived and we had a great time. Go Broncos!!

Check out that hair! Erik's doing.

Happy!

Sad! Classic Troy pose.

All the kiddos watching a flick in our bed.

Cutest cheerleaders I've ever seen!

Our friends Bryce and Kristina

I'm a big kid now!

2010-10-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn is my big 3 year old. And what usually happens when you have a 3 year old (other than screaming tantrums when they don't get the toy/popcorn they want while trying to escape Target without being reported to CPS because you just flicked her lip while complete strangers stared at you like you were beating the crap out of your child...not that this happened to me, I've just heard about it. ha!)? Well, when you have a 3 year old, you start preschool. Actually, I had no intention of putting Brooklyn into preschool, I just don't feel it necessary when I can teach her the same things if not more while at home and saving $200 per month. But a few of us moms with preschool age children got together and started a little preschool of our own. We ordered some awesome (and inexpensive!) curriculum online and divvied out the next 9 months between the 5 of us. I was first up with September. I have to admit, I was a little hesitant and nervous about the first day, but it was a total success! What a blast we had. And such SMART kids! I am having such a blast so far, and I'm looking forward to teaching again in February (ok, and I'm also excited about NOT teaching for 4 months lol).

Such sweet siblings.

Posing before school starts. 1st day!

snack time, yellow and red foods

The 2nd week we made pizza. They were a hit!! We do lots of fun things, other than just eating too. :)

A birthday treat

2010-10-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

This year for my birthday, Erik surprised me with a weekend get-a-way to Leavenworth. It's a cute little Bavarian village right here in Washington. Well, being the spoiled wife I am (haha ya right!)

, I asked if we could forgo that trip and head to Hayden Lake to visit my sister and her family instead. We haven't been up there for years, so I was super excited when it all worked out with everyone! So a few weekends ago, we packed up the car and drove the short 4 1/2 hours to their house. We had such a great time too! We enjoyed lots of R & R and even caught my nephew Shaun's first football game. And then we water-skied "all day" Saturday. OK, so we were only actually on the boat for about 45 minutes before a storm rolled in. But I did manage to ski, wake-board and tube in that small amount of time. Of course, it only takes about a minute of skiing before my muscles are twitching with over-use. lol I am so not 16 anymore and just can't ski for hours and hours on end! It's a little embarrassing. Anyway, we had a great time, ate great food, including a smorgasbord breakfast of champions (Don KNOWS how to do breakfast!). And we really enjoyed being with family. Heather and I of course had our "sisterly" moments, or as the brother-in-law's would refer to those moments, our crazy and out of control moments. I never laugh as hard as I do as when I am with my sisters. I love that we can all be super goofy and crazy with each other. We have no inhibitions when we're together! And that's just the way it should be right? Thanks for the great weekend Duffy's!!

The kids had a blast at the football game. Especially playing on the hand rails.

Troy driving the boat with Uncle Don.

Troy was a brave kid and rode the tube. Fun times!

Troy and his "bodygaurds." Cousin Brad and Shaun

Playing with Brad and Daddy.

Cousin Shaun.

"Ewww, Troy did you toot?!"

Brooklyn with cousin Carmen! She is the sweetest and the kids LOVED her!!

Crash and burn

2010-09-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

So unfortunately, our computer crashed last week. Ugh! All my pictures are on there, so I can't really post until I can get those out. Or I could, but who really wants to look at a post without our adorable mug shots in it? :) Anyway, there is LOTS to post about...vacations, preschool, football games etc. So stay tuned. In the mean-time, I think I'll try and catch up on all of YOUR blogs now! So there is an upside.

So much to do, so little time!

2010-08-31T10:08:00.000-07:00

So we went to Boise a few weeks ago, and spent about 3 weeks there. What a blast! We didn't want to come home. I really could have stayed another week, which shocked me, but we were just having way too much fun. I just never seem to have enough time to get everything in that I would like. My Mom and Dad are celebrating their 50th anniversary (today actually!) so we threw them a fantastic party while I was there. That party is something I will never forget. And I'm sure those who were there will never forget it either. We enjoyed many things including, hundreds of popsicles, tons of cousins, swimming, slip n sliding, swinging, climbing VERY tall ladders while Mommy freaked out a little, jumping on the tramp until we couldn't jump any more, staying up late then sleeping in, Costa Vida (yumm!!), Blimpie, happy hour at Sonic, reading on the hammock, and so much more I can't even list it all! I have put up an overload of pictures. I toyed with the idea of just doing a slide-show, but I enjoy being able to see each individual picture in full size. So, if you make it to the end, kudos to you! And thanks for sticking with it. lol

Practicing her form for track and field. I made them run hill sprints. lol

Is there anything more joyous than rolling down a hill on a hot summer day?

Covered in just a little grass.

Brooklyn had her first real hair-cut while we were in Boise. Sammy, my mom's hair dresser, and a dear friend of the family, came over and worked her magic. She cut almost 6 whole inches off!! Brooklyn LOVED the attention.

Aww, sweet Aunt Holly.

My Uncle Paul and Aunt Maureen were able to be there, and he would get donuts every morning. Breakfast of champions

Troy just chillin' with cousins Daniel and Trevor.

Melanie did most of the work for the party (she's the only one who lives in Boise anymore). It was so fabulous and she did an amazing job!

Me and my Uncle Val (my Dad's younger brother). Two other sisters of his made the trip over.

Yup, that's right, my mom still fits in her wedding dress!! AMAZING!! And such a sweet moment to see my mom and dad still so in love after 50 years!

They danced the jitter-bug after their slow-dance.

We all joined in for the dancing, and since Erik wasn't there, I grabbed my cute "little" nephew. He was thrilled as you can tell. lol

About half of the grand kids. They sang "Families Can Be Together Forever." We really missed the Whetten kids!!

All of us sisters sang "Someone To Watch Over Me."

What a show-off!!

My cute nieces Tara Brooke and Taryn.

The cool guys. No smiling allowed.

My sisters Melanie and Maureen.

We were a little crazy this night and poor uncle Paul just wanted to read his book. lol

Aunt Maureen and Uncle Paul. LOVE them!!

My niece Megan and her cute little family.

The "infamous" hair. (inside joke obviously)

Our return missionary straight from Tijuana!! Welcome hom Elder Duffy! And Melanie and his mom Heather.

We were quite delirious.

Holly and Maureen.

My friend Melissa was able to come over for a little bit with her cute little Addi. Our kids had a blast together!

All the Paternoster girls (and Jake).

Hanging out with the Balls and Bills.

Do you see that giddy smile?!

We went to Starlight Mountain Theater for date night with the Waters. Fun times! I have a lot of great memories of that place.

A couple of my cousins were in town and we were able to see them (Luann and Kim Relyea) So fun!!

Happy Birthday little man...part 2

2010-08-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

Our little man turned 2 last week and he is already fulfilling all expectations of a typical 2 year old! Troy is full of spunk and energy which keeps us on our toes. He loves his big sister but isn't afraid to tell her "what's what!" We had a fun day at the beach in the morning, then a little dinner at Dairy Queen and cake and presents at home. He was so polite and said thankyou before opening every present. What a sweet boy!

Did a little finger painting at his party.

This is Troy's new face he makes all the time, usually when he's trying to be tough.

It wouldn't be a party without a little "tricycle derby!"

Happy Birthday little man

2010-08-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

The big 2 has hit our house again, and we can't wait to see what this year has in store for us with our little man. He is already sporting the 2-year old attitude and continually makes us laugh. Some of his favorite phrases right now are, "I'm a FIREMAN!!" (while of course sporting a fire-man hat), "Stop it!", "My turn now!", "Where'd Bubba (Brooklyn) go?"

Troy is such a sweet little boy, with a very tender heart. He loves to snuggle and always makes sure to give everyone hugs and kisses before bed-time. We recently came home from visiting Boise, where he had everyone wrapped around his little finger, especially his Grandpa's and Grandma's. Every morning he would wake up and the first thing he would ask was, "Where's grandma?" He called my dad Grandma, and my mom Grandpa. Funny kid.

We are so thankful Heavenly Father sent us such a sweet, passionate, adorable little boy. Our family wouldn't be the same (or half as entertaining!) without him. We love you Troy! Happy Birthday!!