Christmas Lights!!!

I have declared looking at Christmas Lights our newest New Family Tradition.  It was so much fun!  This year we went to a place on Big Valley Road in Poulsbo that does a lighted walking path.  Calder was a little bit spooked of the toy train.  Which, was hilarious.  He couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry.  He kept laughing with a totally distressed look on his face and then loosing it and reverting to sticking out the bottom lip (I'm so glad he hasn't yet forgotten how to do that).  After we got past the train he was not so nervous anymore.  Who knew a train would be so scary?  Tayler had a good time too as there was a lot to look at.  Shane and I want to go back tomorrow night and do it again.  And that means it was fun because Shane rarely wants to repeat. 

 Calder is making sure no sneaky Christmas Trains are approaching from the side.

How to not freak out when you visit santa:

DO NOT LET GO OF YOUR SISTER.

No matter what.

If she tries to sneakily hand you over to that Jolly Old Elf.  

HANG ON FOR DEAR LIFE.  

She might try again.  

DO NOT LET GO!

It is important to look calm and serene at all times.  

EXCEPT if your big, protective, loving sister tries to pass you over to some guy with a beard. 

If that happens immediately go into panic mode so that she GIVES UP. 

Your parents will not be able to capture any of this on camera because it happens too quickly
(in fact the pictures they do take will be slightly fuzzy).

Big sisters are pretty protective of their little brothers.
They will immediately decide it will be better to just stand next to Santa while holding you.  

Big sisters are cool like that.   

These two kids of unequal age sure love each other.  

The big guy on the right? 

Not so much. 

Christmas Card Outtakes

 

We tried to get some pictures to make a Christmas card this year (some would say I am behind...but it isn't Christmas yet so I consider myself ahead).  I always like to do a new picture close to Christmas because I feel like everyone looks so from any other time during the year.  We had some okay pictures but it is always a challenge with the self timer.  Here are a few that did not make the cut!

In other news, we continue to get ready for Christmas.  Decorating has been so slow this year.  What with the walking mess (calder) that I am always cleaning up after or trying to pick stuff up before he finds it.  But, it really is starting to look like an Elf exploded in our house, so, success!

Buns in the Air

It cracks us up how Calder sleeps.  Buns in the air!  Immediately when we put him down he turns over, tucks his hands in and hikes his buns up.  This picture does not do it justice because it is normally much higher.  So funny! 

Why this blog has been so quiet...

 

I want to eat this.   Everyday.

We bought one of these.

(It was a sad, sad day) :)

 We thought we learned to believe in miracles when Calder was born. 

I guess God didn't think the message sunk in. 

Because this is a miracle.  

We are terrified and excited. 

So far everything is going well and I feel really good.  I am glad to be done wearing giant baggy sweatshirts and leaving my coat on trying to hide the belly.

Grandma Mary and Grandpa Gary's Hot Tub!

Shane and Tayler LOVE the hot tub and Grandma and Grandpa Westby's.  Whenever we go down for a visit Shane makes sure T calls to ask, "Is the hot tub on?"  So that it will be warm enough by the time we get there.  This weekend Calder got to try out the hot tub for the first time!

 Calder forgot his swim trunks.  I do not think Grandma and Grandpa appreciated that!
Also, just so you know the hot tub was turned down low and he was only in for a couple of minutes.   So, nobody freak out!

Winter Mornings

Pumpkin Pancakes!
Skip Bo!
Coffee!
Christmas Music!
PJ's!

Oh, Calder...

This kid can just not catch a break.  This year we had Thanksgiving at our house with our friends Alan and Kara and their baby Sienna.  My mom and Nick and Caitlin.  We missed Kadene, Madalin and Levi! 

We had tons of fun!  Yummy food (Kara helped me cook) and fun company!  After dinner Shane and I were doing the dishes and we hear, "WHAM"  "WHAAA"!  Oh, Calder.  The little sucker fell of his unsteady feet right into the coffee table.  So, Mom and Dad headed straight to the emergency room.  What is this Calds?  Trip number 4?  He split his bottom lip and needed two stitches in that.  He also sliced his frenulum which is the flap of skin that holds your upper lip to your jaw.  So, he needed 4 or 5 stitches there too.  Poor little chubster.  Shane had several visits to the emergency room on Thanksgiving each year due to the yearly Turkey Bowl.  Let's hope this is not a family trait!
 
These pictures are a few days post fall. 

Tayler is 13!

Oh, boy is this a late post.
Tayler requested to go to Spokane for her Birthday.  So, we did that and also had a small family party at home.  She had a fun time.  We ate chili and stuffed our bocas with Apple Pie (the requested birthday dessert).  She got super special Ugg boots for her Birthday (her feet have officially stopped growing) from me and Shane and Calder gave her some fun lotion that he picked out himself.   On her actually birthday she requested going out for frozen yogurt.

Fall Visit

We had another 24 hour visit to Spokane this fall.
Tayler's birthday request was to invite a friend to Spokane to Harvest.  How can you say no to that?
Despite it being so short we had a ton of fun!  We did two corn mazes. One at night that was super scary and fun.  Ate tons of donuts and caramel apples, chili.  Picked apples and pumpkins.

 Going through the corn maze!

Volleyball!!

At the last minute Tayler decided she wanted to play volleyball.   So, she tried out and made the team!  She worked hard, had fun and improved her skill and confidence throughout the season.  Can't wait to see what you do next year, T!

1st Day of Middle School

Tayler is officially a 7th grader.  The same age as my students!  She had a great 1st day.  We started the day off right with eggs and toast and hot chocolate.  The only complaint she has had is that the boy who has the locker next to her accidentally closes her locker with his butt several times a day.  Ha.

We love you Tayler and are so proud of how hard you have worked in middle school so far!

Camping Part 2

So...I stopped writing on this blog for a while.  But, hopefully, I'll be a little more motivated in the future.  The start of the school year kicked my butt this year!

So, after our trial camping run we went on a 4 day/3 night camping trip.  It was fun!  It actually went pretty well.  Calder is a great sleeper at night so that is a huge huge blessing.  He does not do so well with napping in a pack and play in a tent but we were expecting that.  So, he took a couple of stroller naps and one day Shane and I (Tayler stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Westby who were camping with us) actually drove home so Calds could take a good nap in his crib.  Because of the lack of naps Calder fell asleep with no problems in the evening.  But, here's where things got weird...Calder who had NEVER soaked through his diaper at night before...ever.  Soaked through his diaper every. single. night.  And, when you soak through your diaper camping it is kind of hard to be settle back down due to the cold temps and multiple layers of clothes that have to be changed.  After that the baby is wide awake.  WIDE AWAKE.   After that first night Tayler decided it might be fun to sleep with grandma and grandpa in their trailer.  Ha! 

Calder has not wet through his diaper since.  So, this is apparently a camping thing.