Earnest Endeavors

Things That Make Me Laugh

2012-01-26T13:51:00.000-08:00

Conversations overheard in the past week:

Quinn offered to read a story to Jonas. She chose a chapter book and Jonas asked if there were pictures. Her reply: "There's no pictures - it's a chapter book. You paint the picture with your imagination - like a TV show in your head."
Lauren (referring to Jonas' pillow pet): "What's his name?" Jonas: "Wuggles" Lauren: "Wuggles - that's a cool name." Jonas: "It's MR. Wuggles to you."
Mattie: "I would be so much farther along in life and school if other people weren't so stupid."
Jonas: "Mrs. Chroninger (his teacher) has a rope and when we're bad she ties us up and when we're really good we get to swing on it for a whole hour."
Jonas: "I want to be on the clouds with Jesus. I would run on them like a treadmill."
Sam (on his way to learn swing dancing at mutual): "I'm a stud - I'm going to dance with all the ladies." Lauren: "Are you sure you're not a dud?" Sam: "No. I'm a stud."

And someday I'll laugh about this....

I play the piano for the choir at church. This is not by choice - the choir director is a force of nature. She gets what she wants and she wants me to play the piano. So I do. Because frankly I'm totally intimidated by her. Sunday the choir was scheduled to sing "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" which is a beautiful song. And it sounded beautiful on Sunday. Until we came to the second page and I realized that I did not have the second page. I had feelings of complete panic and helplessness. In a matter of seconds I had a hundred thoughts run through my head. Mostly I was thinking, 'It must be around here somewhere.' But it wasn't. The choir kept singing; the director didn't notice I had stopped. Until the choir finished the first verse which was supposed to be followed by a piano solo leading into a key change and the second verse. I have heard the phrase deafening silence before but never experienced it until then. There was a deafening silence and 100+ pairs of eyes all on me. The choir director looked at me and I lifted both hands and whispered, 'I'm missing a page.' I think that whisper could be heard on the back row - it was that silent. She handed me her book (with tears in her eyes) and I picked up with the piano solo and pretended nothing was wrong. Someday I'll laugh about it...hopefully.

We've taken over the blog-PART 2

2011-12-31T11:12:00.000-08:00

Mom is still too busy and updating the blog ended up on our chore list...so here we are again. We left off in October I think so here is a look at our Halloween. So we started with some pumpkin carving.

Mattie,Quinn, and I made interesting cat (it didn't turn out too great)

Sam and Jonas' turned out a little more successful-Jonas tells me its a Mario,but I think it looks more like a Luigi.

Then we went trick-or-treating Quinn was the Queen of hearts and Jonas was Ninja. They went trick-or-treating with their friends and mom and dad.

Then Mattie and I went with some friends too. I was the Cat in the Hat and Mattie teamed up with another Maddie and the were Thing One and Thing Two.
I didn't see Sam all night I think he was watching movies with his friends

Then came November....
First was dad's birthday! But....he was to busy with work to celebrate( psh I think he just didn't want to turn 41) so he had to wait 3 weeks and celebrate with me and Mattie!
Next, we had a lovely Thanks giving with our family (no pictures).

Then, Mattie and I had a birthday!! We turned 13!
My wonderful mother rented us a hotel room and we had a sleep over!!

Then on our birthday we opened some gifts and hung with the family.

Jonas has been learning nursery rhymes in Kindergarten. In December they got to put on little plays for the parents. Here's Jonas as Humpty Dumpty with the king's horse and man trying to fix him.

Sadly we still don't have any snow, but we still had a great Christmas. The cousins came and we went swimming and ice skating. I don't think we ever took any pictures though.

We decided to make our own snow. After a long search for a helium tank and lots of paper cutting we made it snow!!! Then we had Christmas Eve dinner at our house.

Then Christmas day came.

Stay tuned for part 3 - New Year's Eve!! You're gonna want to see this....

our mother got busy so we've taken over the blog

2011-12-28T15:32:00.000-08:00

PART ONE
since our mom is too busy to update the blog we thought we would take over. So here is a look at the last 8 months of or life!
In July mom and dad decided to go to Hawaii without us (completely unfair). Mom celebrated her 40th birthday there and they had a lot of fun... without us :(

Then we spent the rest of the summer hanging out.
Mattie and I went to girls camp. It was our first year and it was so much fun!! Can't wait to go back next year!

Sam did his Eagle project! He painted a united states map on the playground at a new Elementary school. It took some work, but when it was done it looked great.

Then Mattie and I have developed a liking for photography-here are a few of our pictures.
And of course our trip to Northern California. We went to the Redwood forest. Hiked around for a while. It was pretty cool and it was a really nice hike!
and of course we had to visit Paul Bunyan

After the Redwoods we took a rafting trip down the Smith River.

then we hiked down to the beach

Then summer ended and we all went back to school. Sam started High School and Jonas is a Kindergartener, Quinn started the 3rd grade and Mattie and I are in the 7th grade. We've definitely kept busy with dance,swimming, and volleyball. Well that gets us to October, but I'm tired of sitting at the computer so I'll get the blog fully caught up tomorrow.

Playing Catch Up

2011-07-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

We seem to have fallen behind on our blog. Not surprising as we have been busy with so many activities. Here are a few of the highlights:

The birthday boy - Jonas is 5! (ok so it was almost two months ago....that's what happens when you're the 5th child)
He got his own Nintendo ds - after begging to use everyone else's.

We had brownies and ice cream on his birthday - we'd had enough cupcakes after Quinn's birthday!

But he was too busy to eat it!

The cupcakes did make an appearance a few days later as we celebrated birthdays with family. This robot put a big smile on his face..

Among his many fun gifts was this kite which he's had fun flying - thank you, Jared and Christina. And a big thank you to all of our family who spoiled him with presents.

Film Festival Update:

I got to take Sam to Portland one night for his film screening at this very cool old theater in the Hollywood district of Portland.

The silent films were all screened on the big screen while the composer of the soundtrack played live on this very cool old organ.

While he and his friend, Billy, didn't win it was a great experience for them.

Sam's new love:

Sam begged me for 2 years to sign him up for lacrosse. I really didn't want to - it meant expensive equipment and several trips a week to Bend for practices and games. After 9 years of sitting through baseball games every spring - really cold and windy and long baseball games - like 3 hours long - I was kind of over spring sports. I finally gave in this year after talking to a couple of friends who were willing to carpool. Let me tell you about lacrosse - it is nonstop action for 45 minutes. And then it's over. I love lacrosse! Here are a few pictures...

Sam scoring a goal...with two defenders on him. Great shot of the ball going into the goal, isn't it?

They ended the season with only one loss (and that to an elite team from the Portland area). I wish I'd signed him up years ago.....

June 2011

The school year ended with Sam's 8th grade graduation. It was a little bit of a sad moment for me watching him get his middle school 'diploma', but also a moment to reflect on how amazing this son of mine is. And now we have a high schooler....

The girls' dance recital followed school ending. They were all beautiful. Here are a few of their pictures.

Quinn was part of the the ballet 'Alice in Wonderland'.

I'm not sure what's with the Charlie's Angels pose. I think it's a result of several hours in the dressing room waiting their turn to perform.

And we can't forget two more sets of braces in our family. (Sure am grateful for the family discount!)

So that brings us to mid-June. Many exciting things have happened in the last few weeks as well, but that's a story for another blog.

Congratulations are in order!

2011-05-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

Sam and his friend, Billy, entered a Silent Film Festival for movie-makers under the age of 20. Their film is called "Change" and it's very funny and creative. They were the only middle-schoolers to be among the finalists and their film will be screened next week at Hollywood Theater in Portland!

The Best Birthday Ever

2011-05-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, May 7th, Quinn turned 8! We started the festivities on Friday night when she got her ears pierced.

We also spend some time on Friday making cupcakes. The girls were all willing to help (but Mattie is missing in the pictures).

And here's what they created:

She woke up Saturday, and in true Earnest tradition, opened her presents right away...

which included a new dress....

for her baptism!! When Quinn was born we decided to wait until 4th of July weekend to bless her so that more family could be there. The circle of priesthood holders to bless her had about 10 people in it - all 5 of her uncles plus a great-uncle, 2 grandfathers, a great grandfather and her father. I thought how lucky she was to have so many worthy priesthood holders in her family to stand in that circle, to set an example for her throughout her life of how to live and be happy. She had plenty of family there to celebrate her baptism, too. We are thankful everyone could be there especially for those who traveled from Portland and Virginia to be there with her.

Afterwards, we celebrated her birthday at Straw Hat Pizza where we had pizza and cute cupcakes.

Happy Birthday, Quinn! You are a joy to have in our family and we love you!

Easter

2011-05-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

Easter has become a holiday of tradition for us since moving to Oregon. We spend time teaching our children about the resurrection of Jesus Christ during the week prior to Easter. Sunday morning brings some kind of yummy breakfast and church with our new dresses and ties. Then off to Uncle Alan and Aunt Jann's for dinner and a big Easter egg hunt. Grandma Lark and Aunt Jann spend a lot of time stuffing a lot of eggs for the kids. This year we had cousins to share the fun with - Ada and Cashlyn (who I didn't get a picture of).

(Sam wants it noted that Jonas just stepped on his shoeless foot - the cause of the non smiling face.)

It's not easy to get a picture of this kid - he is always on the go.

The hunt...

Handsome Boy

2011-04-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

On our way to the parent appreciation Spring Tea at Jonas' preschool I told him I had to stop by Walmart first. His response, "I can't go to Walmart looking like this! I'm too handsome!"

The Passing of Time

2011-03-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

Time has slipped away from me and here it is almost April and I have yet to update our blog this year!! Here are some glimpses from the year so far....

Sam turned 14!! I can't believe he's so old!!

He also got braces. And he's still a good-looking boy!

And he spent his hard earned money on an airsoft sniper rifle. He spent 3 days cleaning out a crawl space that had been infested by rodents. It was disgusting and uncomfortable but I think he's glad he did it. I have to say I was shocked when the box was delivered - I didn't realize how BIG the gun would be!

And for his birthday party he invited his friends for an airsoft war in the woods. What would you think if this group was walking through your neighborhood on their way to the forest?

One thing I am really thankful for is that our kids have chosen such good friends. While only one of these boys is a member of the church (so far) they are all good kids from good families. Sam has been friends with some of these boys since kindergarten. I hope they will still be good friends as they start high school next year because, honestly, high school scares me.

Over spring break, the Battens came for a visit. I'm always more motivated to do things like sledding when family is visiting. We had a great time with them - thanks for coming, Batten family!

More glimpses of our family:

Jonas sure loves Grandma's iPad.

When Quinn is happy, she is very happy (But when she's mad, she is very mad....)

Mattie, Lauren and Quinn got twinkle toes!

There I did it!

Images of Christmas

2010-12-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of our favorite photos from the Christmas week.

November

2010-11-29T09:37:00.000-08:00

Lots has been happening at the Earnest's this month. First, Chris turned 40! Unfortunately, it landed on his busiest day of the week, and it wasn't until the next day he was able to open his presents. We also celebrated with friends that weekend - good food and good company. Happy Birthday, Chris!

A visit from the Batten's for Thanksgiving is always fun. This year while the mom's went shopping on Black Friday, the dad's took the kids to the Painted Hills.

They also explored an old abandoned mine.

Then the twins turned 12!!

I can't believe they're 12!! They opened presents after a yummy breakfast of croissant french toast topped with strawberries. They got new boots and Just Dance 2 for the Wii. We've all had fun showing off our dance moves - and it's just as fun to sit and watch all of them dancing in unison.

It's been a good month and we are thankful for a happy and healthy family, for caring friends, and for the gospel of Jesus Christ that brings meaning and purpose to our lives. Happy November!

The Wedding

2010-11-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a few weeks, but since it was so much fun let's relive the memories....

Congratulations, Chelsea and Taylor!!

2010-10-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

It seems like I blinked and October was over! Here are a few things we've been up to. Sam, Mattie and Lauren all decided to run cross country for Obsidian Middle School. This was a new experience for the girls and I was proud of them for pushing themselves every day at practice and working to improve their times at meets. This was Sam's third year running and he and his friends had fun together. We'll see if he decides to continue cross country in high school.

Sam earned his Life rank in the Scouting program.

Jonas helped me make Halloween cookies -

Tasty looking aren't they?

I'm not a huge fan of several traditional Halloween activities, carving pumpkins being one of them. I had this great idea this year. While the kids were at school and Jonas was distracted by some highly educational activity (okay, it was the TV, I admit it. I'm not proud of it but it worked), I cleaned out the inside of the pumpkins. The pumpkins sat in the sink and the guts went directly into the garbage. It was fast and not too messy. Then that evening I presented empty pumpkins to the kids to carve. It was brilliant! Some of them are old enough to carve them by themselves - we didn't even have to help!

The finished products - a BOO carved out and

...Sasquatch.

I got to go to Jonas' preschool party this year, so I dressed up with him. (Thank you, Charlie, for loaning Jonas your Luigi costume - he loves it!)

The ward Trunk-or-Treat was our next event. I graciously let Chris use the Mario costume for this party. I don't think Jonas took the Luigi costume off the whole day. Quinn came home from school and turned into a vampire princess.

Mattie and Lauren had two parties over the weekend. We snapped a quick picture before they headed off. Mattie is an artist and Lauren is dressed up in the sophisticated fashion of 1984!

Bring on November - let the birthdays and holidays begin!

First Day of School!

2010-09-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

Or more accurately, sometime during the first week of school because mom kept forgetting to take pictures. There's just so much to do in the morning!

Sam started 8th grade - his last year of middle school

Mattie and Lauren started 6th grade - their first year of middle school

Quinn started 2nd grade - her first year in school without her siblings, but with a bonus of going to a brand new school that is just down the street from our house!

Jonas started preschool!

Family Vacation

2010-09-12T14:03:00.001-07:00

We had a great family vacation last month - here's a quick overview.

We stayed in Park City and took a few day trips. We took a tour of the Conference Center across the street from temple square in Salt Lake. These views are from the roof.

This kid was asked several times by our guide to get off the wall:

A day spent at Raging Waters - water parks have become a yearly tradition for us.

We also got to visit some family in Utah that we don't often see.

We saw Grandma Simmons and Aaron and Rachel Earnest. The kids met a bunch of cousins they didn't know they had and had a great time with them!

An afternoon spent at BYU - where it all began....

The Bean museum...

Lunch at J.Dawg's...

While in Nevada and Utah, we got to see some old friends from college. It was so fun to see these good friends again - it's been years but it felt like no time had passed at all.

What are big sisters for?

2010-08-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

The cousins came for a quick visit!! And I forgot my camera everywhere we went! But, of course, Beth had hers so we have photo documentation of the fun!

The splash park....wait for it...wait for it....

Floating on the river....

It's all fun when the cousins come! We have been lucky for the past few years to have my sister and her family just a few hours away. The kids love having cousins to visit often and I have my only sister. "A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost."

The month of July

2010-07-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

Wow ! July is almost over and we haven't updated our blog all month!! We've been too busy having fun to sit inside blogging... It all started with my birthday on July 1st (or June 31st as Chris refers to it - just so it doesn't sneak up on him). The girls made me a delicious smoothie for breakfast - doesn't it look good?

Then came the 4th of July which was very quiet for us this year. On a Sunday with no family in town. It just wasn't the same without the cousins and grandpa and his blow torch. We did have our traditional funnel cakes and watched the fireworks from the front yard.

Then we did a lot of hiking - I won't bore you with the details, just some beautiful scenery. I was the hike leader at Girls' Camp this year and we had to go check out some hikes before camp. Good thing we did - one of the trails was covered in snow. Chris joined me each day (and Mattie and Lauren came on 2 of the hikes) and we hiked 13 miles in 3 days!

Jack Lake with Three Fingered Jack in the background.

Sahalie Falls

Somewhere along the McKenzie River

Tenas Lakes

After all that hiking we had to take a break and go visit Beth and some cousins. These kids sure have fun together.

Redmond has a new park, too - this is what the kids do there:

This is what I do there:

I love summer - seeing family, having fun, playing in the sun, and relaxing. Exactly what summer should be.

Benham Falls

2010-06-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took the kids hiking at Benham Falls. I realized two things:

1. We live in a beautiful area of this country. Of course I already knew this, but as we hide out indoors through the winter I tend to forget it. So the first hike of the summer is always like seeing the area anew. Don't you feel peaceful just looking at these photos? (which were taken by our budding photographers, Mattie and Lauren by the way):

2. My kids need to do things like this - it makes them happy, it keeps them active, and it gives them a chance to have fun together. Hopefully the memories of their childhood will be like that - happy, fun times with their brothers and sisters.

The perfect day for a little boy: climbing...

jumping....
and playing in the dirt!

I'm not saying the afternoon was perfect - there were some tears and some scratches and we were exhausted at the end of the trail, but despite all of that it was a great day!

Remember these?

2010-06-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

I have a vague memory of tin can stilts, but nothing specific. Quinn and I were reading one of the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary and she makes tin can stilts with her friend, Howie. They spend the day walking around the neighborhood on them. We decided we should try it, too. No one has left the backyard yet, but I have high hopes for hours of fun on these summer classics.

Dance Recital

2010-06-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

Time for the dance recital.

Beautiful girls....

Also this week, Mattie and Lauren graduated from 5th grade! After a short ceremony they had a party and spent the night in the gym. (Glad I didn't have to chaperone!)

And now we are enjoying summer vacation! We're hoping it feels like summer soon!

Look what I built!

2010-05-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

A green house! I'm hoping to keep my tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and strawberries warm and safe from the deer. So after 3 designs and 4 trips to Lowes for PVC pipe, duct tape, and plastic, here it is:

Jonas' big day

2010-05-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

So his birthday was twelve days ago, but I promised my mother that he'd get his own post. So here he is sporting his new Mario shirt and cowboy hat on the day of his 4th birthday.

We'd already had his party but I wanted to do something fun on his birthday so I picked up his best friend, Sawyer, (and Sawyer's mother, Brittany) and we took the boys to lunch at Red Robin. Where they were wild. But, hey, it was his birthday.

He got the requisite birthday song from the waiters and the free sundae, of course.

Then off to the park to burn off some of that energy! Happy Birthday, Jonas!!

Jump for joy - Quinn is 7!

2010-05-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

When the first three kids were little, we went to storytime, the zoo, the park, we had playgroups, we fed the ducks, we had birthday parties every year. It was a memorable childhood for them all. I have always felt a little guilty and concerned about Quinn's and Jonas' memories of their childhood - I'm tired of storytime, dread going to the park, never feed ducks, don't have time for playgroups, and avoid all birthday parties. However, my guilt got the best of me so I geared myself up for Quinn's 7th birthday party. I spent a month considering all the possibilities for a party and tried to come up with the least stressful party with maximum fun. Here's what we did:

Five hours of bounce house fun! Now, five hours is way too long to have 15 squealing 7-year old girls (no boys allowed) at our house and since we were doing this party and since Jonas' birthday is only 5 days after Quinn's we split the time and did two birthday parties on the same day. I know, sounds crazy, huh?

Here's the birthday girl on the morning of her birthday: (Thanks to my SIL for the banner and shirt idea.)

She probably doesn't even know what a radio is, but this is the cake she picked. (It reminds me of the radio my mother kept on the kitchen counter and listened to Paul Harvey on every day - only hers was black, not purple.)

Then Jonas' friends came for his party. He spent literally hours jumping.

His train cake:

After all the friends and the bounce house left we tried to have some dinner. However, Jonas just couldn't take anymore so he curled up on his barstool and fell asleep.

They were fun parties and I'm sure they'll both have great memories of it, but I realized that of course they don't have the same childhood that the older kids had. They have a big brother and two big sisters who love them and play with them and help take care of them. They have grandparents and great grandparents who live nearby and we see often. They also have a mother who might be a little bit wiser and a little more relaxed about rules of dress or appropriate breakfast foods. So good-bye guilt, I'm done with you.

And Happy Birthday, Quinn! You have been a joy to have in our family these last 7 years!

Licking the bowl....

2010-04-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

Went a little overboard...

Easter

2010-04-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

Easter this year was a little different than others - no church because of general conference, no Chris because we scheduled his trip to AZ without realizing it was Easter weekend, and no sun because it's springtime in Central Oregon. But we didn't let any of that deter us. We had our own little Easter egg hunt indoors Sunday morning, watched conference while eating yummy cinnamon rolls, and then headed to Grandma and Grandpa's that afternoon. Easter dinner was at Jann and Alan's and was delicious. Then came the big egg hunt - thank you Lark, Steve, Jenny, and Ben for filling 200 Easter eggs! We got all bundled up:

And off they went!

On another note, I ran into a friend the other day. We were laughing about Jonas' naughty antics lately when she told me about the headaches her son is giving her. He's 18 so you can imagine his actions are a little more serious. She reminded me that he's only 3 - still learning, etc. That afternoon this is what I found in his room on every blank wall space he could find:

I thought about my friend and scolded him while trying not to laugh, got the camera, and then some rags so we could clean it up together. Thought I'd share in case someone else needs a reminder about perspective.

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

Big happenings at the Earnest house this spring break! We started off with Quinn learning to ride her bike without training wheels. I've put off teaching all of our kids to ride a bike - I like to use the excuse that we live on a huge hill. So, yes, we take them to the cemetery to learn to ride - it's a nice flat half mile loop and very peaceful.

Then Beth and kids came to visit for a few days of fun. My only sister and her family have lived in the Portland area for the last five years and we've had great visits on both sides of the mountain. Sadly, they will be moving to Pennsylvania when school gets out so this will be the last spring break we ski with the Battens. So I decided it was time I tried skiing again (after 20 years). Chris has taught the first 4 kids how to ski and now it was Jonas' turn:

Nothing cuter than a 3 year old on skis! It didn't take Jonas long to be brave enough to let go of Chris, His method was to go straight down the hill with his knees bent - no pizza wedge for him just straight down. When he wanted to stop, he sat down. I tried to take a video but I couldn't get one without falling on my own behind. By the end of the afternoon, he had started to get the hang of turning.

Meanwhile, I hung out with Quinn and tried to overcome my slight fear of heights on the ski lift. And ignore all three of my girls making fun of me.

Beth took the girls, Mattie, Lauren, Tyler, and Hannah, up on the more intermediate lifts and we let the three big boys ski on their own. I questioned the wisdom of that later that evening when Sam was telling me about skiing "the bowl" - really there are some things I just don't need to know about.

It was a beautiful day on Mt. Bachelor - sunshine and fun!

Swimming at the Madras Aquatic Center - also a must:

It was a fun Spring Break!

Deacon Jack's Gospel Shack

2010-03-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

Sam turned 13 last week! Hard to believe we now have a teenager in the house. At 13 he:

wakes up on his own every morning at 6:00
has figured out how to set off each of his siblings
eats a diet high in carbohydrates
is great in the car, especially if he has his ipod
is very creative
is getting taller (5' 2"), but his patience seems to be getting shorter
can babysit!!!
serves as the Deacon's Quorum president
gets straight A's
can be moody
plays a mean baritone saxophone (see video below)
is well-loved by all of us!

Here's a link to a video of Sam's improv solo at the jazz festival last weekend - "Deacon Jack's Gospel Shack":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNo2soA--dI

What do you think of Sam's new glasses?

2010-02-04T17:15:00.000-08:00

Can you spell snowman?

2010-01-29T18:07:00.000-08:00

Jonas and I spend a lot of time together while the other kids are at school. Sometimes it's hard to entertain him, but when we woke up one morning this week to a little bit of snow he really wanted to build a snowman. He asked me all day and it kept getting later and later in the day. I finally realized that if we didn't do it now all the snow would melt and he wouldn't get to build his snowman and it was really important to him. So after I got my priorities straight we went out and built his snowman which he named "Snowman Mountain". (Mom, thanks for the snowman 'kit'.)

Several days later he had just as much fun kicking down Snowman Mountain as he did building him. I'm thankful that I'm able to stay home with my children and build snowmen before the snow melts.

Quinn came home from school last Monday very excited because she won the spelling bee in her class! She went on to the first grade spelling bee and came in third - out of the whole first grade! I'm thankful to have kids I can be proud of.

Also under 'events of the previous week', Jonas burned his little hand on the dryer. He's a funny boy and likes to put his clothes in the dryer in the morning before putting them on - you know how warm and cozy they are when they come out, especially on a cold morning. His curiosity kicked in and he thought he'd touch the fan in the back - the very hot fan. It was painful and blistered, but thanks to the medical world by that night he was pain-free. I guess I'm feeling thankful today - what are you thankful for?

National Bacon Day

2010-01-23T09:40:00.000-08:00

Sam designated yesterday as National Bacon Day. He produced a video spot of the "Bacon National Anthem" to commemorate....enjoy.

We hope you all enjoyed National Bacon Day.

Sam really enjoys making stop motion animation. And he is quite good at it. For Christmas he received a laptop and purchased an HD webcam to capture the shots. He has his room set up as a studio ("monkeydudestudios"). He has special lighting, a green screen, and some specialized software. He spends a lot of his time building his own sets. He even recently asked if Jonas could move into Quinn's room so that he could expand his work area.

Here is another of his productions....an action scene.

Here is a link to his youtube page where he posts most of his videos:

www.youtube.com/user/monkeydudestudios

On using my talents

2010-01-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

For a couple of years now I've struggled to find age-appropriate and modest church clothes for the girls, especially Mattie and Lauren. I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and make skirts for them. I took them all to the fabric store and let them choose their own material and this is what we came up with. Can you guess who's who?

I love that Mattie and Lauren will still do silly things because their mother asks them to - like twirling around for a picture.

I think they turned out really cute - the girls and the skirts! (Unfortunately our camera isn't working so well lately so we have this smudgy look to all of our pictures.)

Notes from Quinn

2010-01-07T19:42:00.000-08:00

Quinn made each of us a card this year for Christmas complete with her sentiments towards each of us. Here they are:

Mattie and Lauren can't find their letters, but they both said similar things. "I love you. I hope you were good this year because if you weren't Santa won't come. I hope your Christmas is jolly."

"Dear Daddy, I want you to have a jolly Christmas. I want more than one gift."

"Mom, I really, really love you. I just hope you have a jolly Christmas. You are the mom I want to have.....I want more than one gift."

"Jonas, Sometimes you make me mad. I still love you."

And my personal favorite:

"Sam, You are mean to me, but you are in my family and when you are in my family I have to love you."

December to Remember

2010-01-01T22:10:00.000-08:00

Hi all....Chris here this time. Julie put me in charge of updating our blog tonight. I think she is a little worn out from the holidays...and she really wanted to finish a sewing project she's had on hold since the December whirlwind started. She is upstairs working on it now.

At first I was reluctant to do a Christmas update blog....not that I'm grinch or anything but its the new year now and I'm ready to move on. Julie convinced me that we (I) needed to do an update to document our Christmas season. I didn't have much else going on tonight so I relented and started looking through the pics from the month. As I did, I started to realize the great month we had. It was busy for sure....but busy with fun activities, family, and Christmas spirit. So I'm glad I got this assignment....it made me remember how blessed we are.

Ok, roll the tape....

The month started with a Christmas dance recital by Mattie, Lauren and Quinn. They did great.

Grandpa Steve even came. Its been a while since he last came to a dance recital....judging by the picture below he must have enjoyed it...how could he not with these three?

The week before Christmas, my sister Brooke surprised us with a visit. Our kids were estactic to see their cousins and had a lot of fun throughout the week. It included a trip to HooDoo for some snow and sledding.

Christmas morning finally came. After a few obligatory pictures we tore into the gifts. Santa seemed to do a pretty good job this year.

We love the blanket Annee....it is wonderful. Soft and cozy and very coveted in our house.

So there you have it. Christmas 2009 documented. I'm going to bed.

Two beautiful 11-year olds

2009-12-17T17:50:00.000-08:00

I have been reminded a couple of times now that I have neglected to post a blog about Mattie and Lauren's birthday. I apologize for putting it off, but I'm ready to document their
11th birthday!

We started off the celebration with a family birthday party. We were especially lucky to have it the same weekend that Alyssa, Taylor and Ada were here visiting.

They received some really cute gifts - handmade aprons from Grandma Lark...

And cute hats and earrings from Jared and Christina along with other very nice gifts from everyone.

Chris was especially excited about the gifts:

Sharing a birthday usually means sharing a cake, too, but this year Mattie wanted a chocolate cake with mint cream filling and Lauren wanted banana splits. Their desserts complimented each other nicely just as their personalities do which makes for the best of desserts and the best of friends.

Later that week my sister, Beth, and her family came for Thanksgiving. Their birthday fell on the day after Thanksgiving this year and you know what that means: shopping! For the first time ever I let them go shopping with me on Black Friday. (I don't think they found it as fun as I do.) Then Mattie, Lauren, and Tyler made cupcakes which I let them decorate. Then we cleaned the frosting off of every surface of the kitchen.

And Mattie, Lauren, Tyler, Quinn, Hannah, and Jonas made marshmallow people.

We ended the day at the Christmas Parade downtown.

We love having Mattie and Lauren in our family - they both bring joy and laughter to my day. I'm proud of the beautiful, graceful, and compassionate young women they are growing into. I love you, girls!

Wonderfully Warm

2009-12-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

Winter hit Central Oregon hard last week. With temperatures in the single digits during the day and below zero at night, we had to be creative in finding ways to keep warm.

Sam and Jonas decided a ninja approach would be both toasty and stealthy.

With help from Grandma Ann, Lauren knit a yarn stocking hat. Not bad for her first attempt....next time she'll make one that will cover her ears too!

Jonas decided to go "on frozen pond" in PJs and boots.

Santa came to a party and warmed everyone up with his jolly cheer.

Being close with those we love keeps us wonderfully warm all through the year.

-awwwwwww

Losings....

2009-11-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

Every autumn trees lose their leaves and Chris loses another year of his 30s. And this autumn, Quinn lost her first tooth (but awoke to find she'd gained $1).

With all the losing comes memories gathered.

All Hallow's Eve

2009-11-01T16:22:00.000-08:00

Cross Country

2009-10-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

Sam's been running cross country again this year. He has managed to improve his time every meet except one. This last week he cut a minute off his time! (I told him if he pushed himself as hard as he could he could have ice cream and watch TV all evening - he's not the only one who can manipulate (uhh...motivate) others).

Coming down the homestretch:

Apples

2009-10-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

With our school budget cuts we have gone to a four day school week this year. (And let's hope it's only this year.) After several Fridays with bored children, I decided last Friday to take the kids to the Hood River, OR area to pick apples. Don't they look beautiful?

We visited three orchards - this one doubled as a pumpkin patch complete with a corn maze and beautiful views.

The Gala apple trees were getting pretty bare where we could reach so I hefted Sam onto my shoulders so we could get to the best of the apples.

Mattie very kindly acted as our photographer for the day. She's great with the camera, but of course there are very few pictures of her.

We found a fort which made Jonas very excited.

Everyone was happy, the weather was beautiful and the apples are delicious!

Running at church

2009-10-19T08:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jonas was running down the hall after church when someone came out of the gym. He hit the door and split his forehead open. I guess he's not Superman after all.

After spending a couple of hours in the ER, he was feeling much better! (The trick to not having to wait at the ER is to carry a screaming, bloody child in!) Thank you to some very good friends who took the other kids home and fed them. Here is Jonas "fixing" daddy's head:

Greetings from Jonas

2009-10-12T19:19:00.000-07:00

Family Camping

2009-09-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

The kids have been begging to go camping all summer, especially the girls. Sam goes camping a couple of time each summer with Scouts so he wasn't missing it, but the girls really wanted to go. So we finally picked a weekend to take them. It's taken me an entire week to be emotionally ready to revisit the experience and blog about our camping trip. Ok, it wasn't that bad, but I'm really not a camper. These kids were though:

I had visions of peaceful family time around the campfire in the evening, everyone visiting and laughing and making s'mores - you know like a Norman Rockwell picture. We managed the s'mores, but the kids were too excited to be camping to make sitting around the campfire enjoyable. So off to bed they went. My plan was to sleep in the car, but I didn't take into account the tinted windows making it blacker than night should be or the irrational thoughts that someone might decide to steal the car in the middle of the night and I'd wake up to find myself two states over. So after about 15 minutes in the car I crawled into the tent with Chris and Jonas. I slept better than I thought I would, but was rudely awakened by Jonas beating on me, mad that I was in the tent that he was supposed to be sharing with only daddy. I tried to make it up to him by making pancakes and bacon for breakfast.

After breakfast we took down our tents and loaded up again. We had big plans for a hike on Saturday. Chris and Sam had camped a couple of times at Tenas Lakes and couldn't stop talking about how beautiful they were. So we decided to hike the 2 miles up to the lakes and enjoy the view. Everything started off great...

As we got higher up the trail, it started lightly misting and then it got heavier. There were a few tears and a couple of piggy-back rides required. Then we finally got to the beautiful and much anticipated viewpoint of Tenas Lakes:

I can't say that it rained, but between the mist and the wet foliage we hiked through we were all soaking wet when we got to the bottom. Sam, Mattie, and Lauren went ahead at a brisk pace and beat us by a good twenty minutes. I stayed with Quinn and we trudged along together. I don't know how many times I said 'You can do it - we're almost there!' (I don't know if I was trying to convince Quinn or myself.)

Chris got to entertain Jonas for 2 miles playing games to distract him. Too bad Chris had the keys and we all had to wait, cold and wet, for him to get to the bottom of the trail. And that's how we all survived our hike.

I've discovered that writing this post has been therapeutic for me. I can finally look back and laugh at myself and our weekend of misery.

More recently, Sam learned how to make lasagna as part of the requirements for the church program Duty to God. Doesn't it look delicious? Well, we had it for dinner tonight and I can verify that it was indeed delicious!

Last day of summer

2009-09-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

I took Mattie, Lauren, and their friend, Adrienne hiking at Smith Rock yesterday. It was a beautiful day and I had a lot of fun with them.

Lauren and Adrienne at the top of Misery Ridge.

Heading down the backside of Misery Ridge towards Monkey Face.

Watching the rock climbers on Monkey Face.

On our way back down to the river trail - look they're still happy after 2 hours of hiking!

Then Chris and Sam spend the afternoon golfing. Today is Sam's last day of summer - he starts school tomorrow. He has chosen to spend his day at the lake - even though it is 75 degrees. I'm trying to humor him and be happy about it.

Until tomorrow when four children will be at school and Jonas and I will have ourselves a quiet day at home and the fabric store and maybe out for lunch....

When mom's away...

2009-09-02T09:08:00.001-07:00

Yesterday after my workout I was meeting with another instructor to get some ideas on a new class I'm going to teach (new to me). The kids called me 3 times during this conversation and I stopped answering after the first call because I just wanted to finish up and get home. This is last message from Sam:

"Mom, the police just left. They said someone called 911 from our house. I think it was Quinn. Just thought you'd want to know. Bye."

Guess I should have answered the phone.

This goes out to the overseas Earnests

2009-08-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

In response to a comment Anne made on her blog these are some pictures of a typical, unblog-worthy day at the Earnests':

I know it's not entirely safe, but Jonas likes to pour his macaroni in when we made mac n' cheese for lunch so here's the 3 year old cooking.

After a rousing game of Life with Mattie and Lauren, Quinn is left to clean up...

while the girls are off to swim with one of their friends who has moved to another school this year. Please note the bags they are sporting - one of the projects they insisted I help them make. They did a great job on them!.

Some vegetables harvested from our garden.

When Sam is not outside running around with friends, he is usually on the computer working on a stop motion film. I've lost count of how many he's made this summer, usually with the help of a cousin or friend. They are very creative - I'll have to see if I can post one of them.

And I finished this blanket for Andy and Heather's new baby, Cashlynn. (Heather says Andy is already looking for a horse to buy for her.)

So I hope you've enjoyed spending the day with us. I edited out all complaints, fights, and any teasing that may have occurred.

One Sweet Boy

2009-08-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

Today I was feeling frustrated by all of the kids needing something. I felt like I was going from one person's problem to another's. This has been the theme of my summer really. And this week I only have four children, but four is still a lot and they all still need things from me. Every one of them, every second of the day. So I'm sitting in the front room feeling the frustration (and it doesn't help that I just poked a needle into my thumbnail) when Jonas comes in. He says to me, "I'm going to play the piano, mommy. The music will make you happy." And it did. I felt like someone wanted to take care of my needs - who cares that it was the 3 year old or that he's been a fourth of the frustration all day. He made me happy while he played the piano for me.

Fredericksburg, Virginia

2009-08-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

We spent a great ten days in Virginia and now, after 3 cars, 2 planes, 3 airports, countless bathrooms, and 18 hours, we are finally home. The older I get the more I appreciate the history surrounding the town I grew up in. Fredericksburg is replete with Civil War-era buildings and battlefields. We, of course, had to drag the kids downtown to walk around.

Even though it was hot and humid.

A slave auction block still stands on the corner of Charles Street and William Street.

And since it is a tourist town souvenirs usually have a Civil War theme.

I noticed that Carl's is now on the historic register. It really should be a national landmark - the best ice cream in the world.

Here Quinn has found some purses. On one of our trips into a craft/bazaar store she found a room full of purses and spend a good 15 minutes trying every one of them on.

One day we had lunch at Five Guys - our first time there. Delicious.

I also went to my 20-year high school reunion. It was interesting to see how people have changed. Some were friendlier, some had come out of their shells (although the open bar could have factored in), some had changed very little, and some were more of what they used to be. I found that the people I really liked and respected in high school I still like and respect and those that I was unimpressed by 20 years ago, I am still unimpressed by. I don't know if that says something about me or about them. There were a handful of people I was really glad to see and visit with and they made it worth going. And Chris was a good sport to come with me and spend 4 hours watching me catch up with old friends - thanks, C!

Coming up next...our trip to Virginia Beach. (I know you can't wait.)

A Day at the Museum

2009-08-04T10:00:00.001-07:00

Publish Post

Yesterday we took the train into DC and spent the day in the city. Here are a few favorite pictures from the day.

Honestly, we had a great day.

Deschutes County Fair

2009-07-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

We spent the day at the fair yesterday. Please ignore the previous post as it was all worthwhile. See their happy faces:

Lauren received a blue ribbon for her Ada art! And so did Sam for his oil pastel drawing of a lighthouse. The reflection in the water is pretty cool, but you can't see it in this photo.

The fire department had relay races and gave out prizes. Even Jonas participated.

Quinn and Jonas both did some mutton bustin' (riding sheep for you city folk). Jonas fell off before I could even snap a picture, but Quinn got a pretty good ride.

Then the pony rides....

Sam was in heaven when he found out there was a juggler/entertainer performing. During the afternoon the juggler was teaching kids how to juggle. He was getting pretty good and I caught some on video.

What would the fair be like without the carnival rides? Or the funnel cakes? (that I forgot to take a picture of)

I don't remember ever going to a county fair when I was a kid, but this is an Earnest family tradition that I intend to continue with our own kids. I draw the line at raising pigs, though.

It's official...

2009-07-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

We are done with diapers!

Another one of my less brilliant ideas...

2009-07-24T23:03:00.000-07:00

This is what I spent my ENTIRE day doing:

You see, the Deschutes County Fair is next week (anyone want to go with us?). The kids love to go, and it is a fun day, but it gets expensive paying for 5 kids + myself to get into the fair, if we get hungry $$$, if we can't walk by the carnival rides without the kids noticing $$$... you get the idea. So, I realized last year that if the kids enter an art project into the fair displays they get a wrist band that gets them in free. I thought it would be so easy - they could spend some time creating something beautiful and I would glue it onto poster board and they would get their wrist bands. Why do I always underestimate the time and energy (and patience) it takes to have 4 kids doing art projects especially the one child who is all Earnest in his perfectionism???

Letterboxing

2009-07-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

I received a couple of e-mails about letterboxing several months ago so when summer came, the kids and I decided to give it a try and have an adventure. Letterboxing is similar to geocaching without the GPS system. There is a website on which people post directions to the letterboxes they have hidden. Inside these boxes are a log book and a rubber stamp. Following the directions and armed with your own log book and rubber stamp you set off on a hike. When you locate the well-hidden letterbox you stamp your rubber stamp into the log book and stamp your log book with the rubber stamp in the box, then hide the box back where you found it. I know it doesn't sound too exciting, but to the kids it was like a treasure hunt. So I looked up some letterboxes in our area and the kids and I set off in search of treasure.

The first time we tried letterboxing we failed to find the box, but we did find a furry caterpillar and a scorpion. I really didn't feel like the outing was a failure - the kids had fun, got some exercise, and found some fascinating creatures.

So after doing some research, I located some more recently placed letterboxes and we set off again. We hiked through the Redmond Dry Canyon and found 3 letterboxes! It was very exciting especially because these boxes were placed by friends Quinn went to preschool with.

The girls stamped and recorded their success.

Jonas didn't have his own log book, so he improvised.

If you are interested in a treasure hunt of your own, check out the website (www.letterboxing.org). They are all over North America (but not Korea :( - sorry Annee & family). I don't want to sound like an advertisement - just wanted to share a fun activity for summer with all of you!

Summer Fun

2009-07-11T21:52:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy month so far. Just a quick rundown of the first half of July. We ended June with the girls' dance recital. They all danced beautifully. Mattie and Lauren were in two dances - one tap and one jazz. I didn't get a picture of their tap costume - it was pretty much just a baseball uniform with tap shoes on, but they did look pretty cute. Quinn performed a tap dance to "Cruella deVil" so she was a dalmatian.

Next came my 38th birthday! Chris asked me what kind of cake I wanted and I said an ice cream cake. He took the easy way out, but who wouldn't be happy with Haagen Daas?

The 4th of July brought the traditional parade through downtown Redmond. Our cousin Ben invited the kids to be on the Les Schwab truck and throw candy. I'm not sure if they threw as much as they ate, but they sure had fun!

Then came the mandatory 4th of July bbq and fireworks with family. It's a tradition at the Madras Earnest's to use a blowtorch to light the fireworks - effective, if not entirely safe in the hands of a 3 year old.

The next day we celebrated Great-Grandpa Loren's 90th birthday party with many of his old friends and all the family we could gather. He is a great grandpa in every way.

With Brooke and her 6 children visiting we have to spend every minute we can with our California cousins. Yesterday I was asked approximately 13 times 'what are we doing with the cousins today?'. They just couldn't believe that the house needed to be cleaned and we were not going to see them for one day. We spent two days at the lake - a favorite summer acitivity for us all. I somehow didn't get any pictures the day grandpa took the boat out and pulled all the kids behind on the banana. (Even Jonas who loved it and made me so nervous back there despite the life jacket.)

I also came up with this idea that sounded like fun - digging for geodes at Richardsons Rock Ranch. Ten kids, digging in the dirt, finding cool rocks. It really sounded like fun.

Unfortunately it was 8 miles of dirt road driving 10 mph, when we got to the dig site it felt like we were at the dump, the ground was solid rock so it was less digging, more chipping, and everyone was unhappy. Not my best idea, but we can look back and laugh now that it's behind us. Sorry, Brooke!

So, we've had a fun two weeks. We've loved having our cousins and aunts here. This summer is going to be over before we know it. We have to pack all the fun and activities into it we can!

The Earnest California Adventure

2009-07-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

We got home a week ago from our trip to California for the Earnest family reunion - it's probably time I updated the blog. We decided to break up the drive by stopping in San Francisco for a day. Lark and Steve made the crazy decision to travel with us for which we were so thankful. (Really - who would volunteer to travel 700 miles with 5 kids?) The three girls rode with grandma and grandpa and Chris and I traveled in peace and quiet with just our two boys. It was the best road trip - not a single argument or complaint. Thank you, Lark & Steve!

In San Fran, we visited Fisherman's Wharf for lunch, rode the trolley cars, and visited Chinatown. Then we headed over to Golden Gate Park before leaving the city.

When we finally got to San Luis Obispo, we stopped at Brooke's house (Chris' sister) before going to the hotel. Jonas got reacquainted with his cousin, John, who was a good sport and let Jonas drive the Brundage kids' jeep. They were hilarious - driving up and down the street, knocking over garbage cans, trying to run down people, and laughing together the whole time.

We headed down to Avila Beach where our hotel was right on the beach and was equipped with a pool/hot tub, lifesize chess set, putting green, and a playground. All of the family was soon together and hanging out at the pool. The cousins hit the pool first thing - can you tell which cousins live in AZ?

The best part of the trip was catching up with family we haven't seen for a while: Annee, Todd, Amber, and Chris visit by the pool.

Quinn and Ellie were inseparable the entire week. They were easy to find - we just had to follow the high pitched squeals and giggling.

How do you feed 39 people? Pizza, of course...

After a few hours of being in the pool with Jonas the first day, I decided a flotation device was necessary. He spent hours kicking around in the pool with his floatie. (I was waiting for him to fall in through the middle, but he never did.)

Here he is with John and Emma.

On Wednesday evening, we had a bonfire on the beach. We roasted hot dogs, made s'mores, played football, and visited some more.

Chris and Todd took the boys on a hike Thursday afternoon where they found some tide pools. These are the "cool" cousins - Joe, Jackson, Sam, Chase and Cameron.

On Thursday evening, we went to the San Luis Obispo farmer's market for dinner and then to Cold Stone for ice cream (thank you Brooke and Joe). Friday was another day spent at the beach. The water was COLD, but it didn't seem to bother the kids. Jonas had a blast running from the waves.

Lauren and Mattie looked for seashells, played in the water with Quinn (those girls are so sweet) and tried boogie boarding.

Sam spent most of his time boggie boarding with the boys. It wasn't easy to get a picture of him.

Chris got Joe, George, Sam, and Chase to stand still for a minute for a picture, then they were off again.

We ended the week with family photos, dinner, and a talent show by the Earnest grandchildren (who are all very talented!) We had a great trip and want to thank everyone for being there. We know it took a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice for everyone to make it, but it wouldn't have been the same if any of you were not able to be there. We love every one of you! Happy Anniversary, Steve and Lark! Trying to raise my own children has made me aware of how amazing you are to have raised 7 capable, generous, caring children of your own.

Congratulations, Quinn!

2009-06-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the last day of school for Quinn - she has successfully completed her first year in the public school system. Way to go, Quinn! (Don't tell my other kids, but she is much farther along academically than any of them were after kindergarten - partly due to her incredible teacher, Gina Meengs, and partly due to her natural love of learning.) And so our summer begins...

A Memorable Memorial Day

2009-05-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

We were invited to spend Memorial Day with friends and family at Whit and Loretta Swan's ranch. Their property is beautiful and full of entertainment for all the kids.

Loretta raises lambs and she has a few that have to be bottle-fed. Quinn and Jonas got to feed the lambs. This was a highlight of their day.

There is an old pioneer cemetery on the property. It is a tradition to hike the mile or so out to the cemetery and clean it up.

Along the way someone found a nasty-looking lizard that the kids felt it necessary to hold...

Some of us pulled weeds...

while others 'supervised'. :)

One of the best things about days like this is that everyone in our family has fun together. It's not easy to find activities that make everyone happy from the youngest to the oldest, the girls and the boys, and even mom and dad.

Sam was so busy entertaining himself that we hardly saw him. But we did capture one picture of him riding the 4-wheeler. (Just so you don't think I'm crazy for putting my 3 year old on a dangerous machine operated by a 12 year old, Loretta's rule is that they go below 10 mph. Sam and his friend Spencer were very responsible with the little ones.)

Every little boy's dream - mud to play in. (He only fell in a couple of times.)

It was a flippin' great day! Good food, good friends, good fun.

MAY DAYS

2009-05-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

May seems to be our month of celebration. We say happy birthday to Quinn, Jonas, Grandma LaRue, Grandma Lark and Andy. Throw in Mothers Day for all the moms and we've had a full two weeks. Lots of cake and ice cream, wrapping paper, flowers, and family. Here are a few pictures from the fun.

Quinn turned 6 on May 7.
Happy Birthday Sunshine.

Jonas celebrated three years on May 12. The day was capped with a trip downtown to watch the trucks and tractors working.

On Sunday, the whole family got together at Jann and Alan's place to celebrate all the birthdays. Everyone was there...

Jenny and Ben (or Benny and Jen...that works too)

Dad...Grandpa Steve (very dapper)

Heather and Andy (happy bday Andy) and baby will make three

My Spring Chicks
(Happy Birthday Mom...you're the best)

Fireman Jared and Christine

more Spring chicks (happy Birthday Grandma LaRue)

President Monson even showed up....he led the singing of "Happy Birthday"...it was really cool.

Many gifts were opened. Jonas kinda stole the show...or at least the camera.

A new galloping stick horse he named Bullseye.

New Spidyman PJs

...and Starburst candy from guess who?

On the drive home, Sam shot this pic from the car window.... nice eye Sam.

ahhh....

neighhhhh.....

Take me out to the ball game...

2009-04-27T15:04:00.001-07:00

Easter morning

2009-04-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

Ski For All

2009-04-01T21:59:00.001-07:00

Last week was Spring Break in Oregon - which I think is really a misnomer given that there is usually nothing spring about it. It probably should be named "late winter break" as it is almost always still pretty cold and usually windy. But it does make for some good conditions on the mountain. And last week we hit it right. It snowed Tuesday and Wednesday and turned nice on Thursday and Friday. So I took a couple days off and hit the slopes with our four oldest. What a great two days.

My Three Ski Bunnies.

Quinn was especially excited. It was her first time on skis and like with most things she caught on fast. The first day I worked with her on the bunny hill and by day two she was ready for the black diamonds...well not really, but she did venture down some of the longer slopes.

Our cousins from Portland came with us. Their own little ski club.

The guys on a bluebird day.

I skied most of the two days with the girls and rarely saw Sam. He and his cousins were off searching for the steep and deep and usually only popped in to meet us when they were hungry. At the end of the second day, I finally had a chance to make a couple of runs with him. He is proving hard to keep up with. On our first run we stopped atop a pretty steep slope that hadn't been groomed. I said to Sam, "OK son, show me what you got." With that he was off, be-bopping through the bumps and cuts at a swish swish clip. There was another skier standing at the top watching him with me... he turned to me and said "looks like he's got somethin." It was a proud moment for me.

Julie and Jonas came up Friday afternoon to see how the girls were doing and to join in the fun. Jonas was anxious to go. He is still a little young for skis, but not for sliding down a slope on his backside. Hopefully next year we can strap him in some skis and it'll become a true family affair.

Every family needs a superhero

2009-03-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

(Thanks for the pics Mattie and Lauren!)

By the way, this is what the beginning of our week looked like:

Sam Hits a Dozen

2009-03-14T12:14:00.000-07:00

Can you believe he's 12? It happened last weekend...and given it was such a milestone birthday, we celebrated all weekend. On Saturday we took him and several of his good friend up to the mountains for tubing and snow fun.

There were jumps....

And races...

And everyone survived...including mom and dad

Sunday was a special day. After church, where Sam attended primary for the final time (i think that was the most exciting thing for him all weekend), grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins and friends came to our house for Sam's ordination to the Aaronic Priesthood. He is now a geekin' Deacon...way to go kid.

After the ordination, Sam received a copy of his line of authority....which included his father, grandfather, and great grandfather; all of which were there and participated in the ordination circle. Four generations of priesthood holders...

And of course afterward we had a party. Good thing Jonas was there to help Sam blow out all those candles.

We love you Sam....looking forward to the next 12.

Family Bowl Evening

2009-03-04T21:36:00.000-08:00

The girls earned bowling passes at school last week so we used them for Family Home Evening. We all had fun (until the last 2 frames when everyone was tired - these things sound like so much fun in the planning stages.)

Sam thought the bowling shoes were pretty cool - he wants to know where he can get some. And at the end of the night Mattie came in first place with Jonas coming in a close second. Of course, he did have the advantage of the ramp to roll the ball down and the gutter bumpers.

Fort Samuel

2009-03-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

We haven't included much about Sam yet. He spends most of his free time with his friends building this cool fort in the woods near our house. We walked out there the other day to check it out. Jonas had a great time on the tire swing and all the boys were filthy & happy.

"Jonas: Hold Your Head Still"

2009-02-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

Jonas recently gave himself a black eye while jumping on the bed (isn't there a song about some monkeys getting into trouble doing that?) This being his first black eye, we thought a picture was appropriate. Not an easy task with a 2 year old however. After several attempts we were a bit exasperated and impatiently told him to hold his head still. To our delight, he literally took the matter into his own hands.

Holding still for a haircut later in the week also proved challenging. But he did it...and (at least from the front) it came out great.

3 of Hearts

2009-02-16T20:44:00.000-08:00

Saturday was Valentines day and our three little cupids decided to spread the love. It was a nice day. We had our new favorite breakfast - croissant frenchtoast stuffed with mascarpone cheese and topped with strawberries. A visit from Grandma & Grandpa as well as the missionaries in the afternoon, a fondue dinner, and a family movie night to wrap it up. A nice day spent with our own special sweethearts.

2009-02-09T11:26:00.000-08:00

My New Year's resolution was to create a blog (finally) and while others are beginning to "amend" their resolutions as it is February, I have finally (with a lot of help from Chris) succeeded in my resolution. Now we just have to keep posting for the whole year....