Wilkinsation

Abby's 9th!

2011-05-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

My oldest is 9! I can't believe it. It's gone by so so fast. Abby is such a light in my life. I am so grateful to have her. She is a huge help with Davis, a wonderful friend to Emma and such a good buddy to me. She makes us laugh all the time and I just couldn't love her more!

We had a pirate party at the park (thank goodness for the great weather). We switch off years between family and friend parties and this year was a family year. We celebrated with our fantastic cousins. It was a great night, thanks for a good party Abby. She planned the whole thing.

Davis and Thomas took to the pirate thing right away!

Here are all the pirates, aren't they scary? :)

Abby planned a scavenger hunt and hid the clues all around the park. These were the prizes at the end.

The cake! The girls decorated it themselves. It ended up with about 10 times more candy than if I would have done it. I'm sure that's why they volunteered!

The Harry Potter obsession continues!

The doll I made Abby for her birthday.

Another set to add to the collection!

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T15:23:00.000-07:00

I love Mother's Day! Not only because I don't have to cook or clean and I get breakfast in bed, although those are nice perks, but because I love to have a day to celebrate the wonderful blessings of having a mother and being a mother. I have the most wonderful Mom in the world, really. She has always been my biggest supporter and best friend. We have always been close and even though we have lived in different states for quite a while now, I still consider her my best friend. And now my kids get to love her as their amazing grandmother. Thanks Mom!

I have said it a million times but have to say it again on Mother's Day, I absolutely consider myself the luckiest person to be able to be a mom and have the 3 wonderful kids I do. No, they are not perfect and I for sure won't pretend they are. But they are so perfect for our family and I love each of them so much just the way they are. They make me want to be a better person, they make me laugh and cry and I wouldn't trade them for the world!

Justin got called into the hospital early in the morning so the girls were on their own for breakfast in bed. This is the fantastic breakfast they came up with. So glad they didn't forget the Smarties and Tic Tacs, I never go without those first thing in the morning :)

Luckily Justin made it home in the afternoon and took over cooking and cleaning duty so I could sit on the couch and do what I love doing best . . . reading to my kiddos! Thanks Justin and kids for a great Mother's Day. I hope you all had a good one too!

Inspiration

2011-04-04T12:29:00.001-07:00

What an amazing weekend of General Conference, family, food, and sunny Portland weather. I am feeling inspired by the uplifting messages from conference. I've been feeling the need to hug my husband and kids a little tighter, spend more time on the things that matter, and recognize all the blessings in my life. I can't say enough how grateful I am for my family, immediate and extended. What a gift!

Happy April Fool's Day!

2011-04-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

Woke up to this in my bed this morning. I was glad that it wasn't the stuffed rat that Abby usually strategically places around the house to scare me. Still made me scream though. You better watch your back Abby :) I've got some plans!

Happiest Place on Earth!

2011-03-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

Ahh, what a great week we had at Disneyland! It only could have been made better by a little bit more sun and a little less rain but all in all, it was perfect. I actually think our kids do better in the cool weather than they do in warm weather. They are products of San Francisco and Portland weather and don't handle the heat very well. So the weather was actually perfect for them. We drove down (17 hours) from Portland and spent 4 days in Disneyland. Justin's parents met us there and it was a blast to have them with us. Justin's dad had his fancy camera there so I left most of the picture taking to him but haven't gotten those pictures yet so I thought I would post some of mine.

Davis' souvenir was this amazing battery-operated bubble blower. I'm not kidding, it filled the street with bubbles in a matter of seconds. He LOVED it!

I've decided that the girls are at the perfect age for Disneyland. They are big enough to go on everything and are old enough not to want to wait in line for all the characters :) They were so much fun on this trip and loved every ride!

Does he look happy or what?!

I think the ears they picked out fit their personalities perfectly and it made me so happy to see them wearing them around.

Enjoying the sun on Tom Sawyers island.

Too tired to even change into pajamas . . . we wore them out!

Ferris wheel with grandma!

Oh Davis was so excited to see these guys!

Waiting for the Bug's Life 3D movie.

Yes, I do still carry around my 40 pound 2 year old. He's my baby, okay!

Davis loved this "pataliller" train.

Oh how I love these kids.

Finding Nemo submarine.

Waiting in line with Grandma. On the first day as we were walking up to the security line Davis said, "I said I didn't want to wait in any lines!" Too bad, buddy!

Have you had these corn dogs from Disneyland? They are unreal. I won't say how many I ate while we were there.

On the Disneyland train. This was the first ride we went on. As soon Davis saw it when we walked through the gates, there was no way we were going to make it past without going on it. On the last day, Justin rode it 3 times in a row with Davis while the girls and I rode some "big" rides. I think Davis would have sat on it all day if we let him.

Awww!

Enjoying some take out Chinese food in the hotel.

What I didn't get pictures of were: the amazing fireworks and light shows, Emma's priceless face on Tower of Terror, us drenched from the downpour, the "date night" Justin and I had in the park after Justin's parents took the kids back to bed, and all the squeals of joy from the kids!

Happy 33 Justin!

2011-03-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Justin! (one day late :) We just want you to know that we LOVE you so much and are thankful beyond words to have you in our lives. You are an amazing dad and husband and you brighten our lives every day. Thank you for balancing your life so well so that we always feel like you put us first despite all of the other demands on your time. 33 sure looks good on you! Love you!

Lanie, Abby, Emma and Davis

Birthday Fun!

2011-03-10T14:13:00.000-08:00

The day started out with breakfast with friends; crepes with strawberries and homemade cinnamon syrup before they headed off to school.

Then Davis and I met Emma at school and got to eat lunch with her and a few of her friends.

Then cake decorating at home for me. She wanted a flower garden cake this year.

After a birthday dinner of pesto penne and iceberg wedges with homemade ranch (Emma's request), we headed to Sky High to bounce the night away.

Here's Davis launching into the foam pit for about the hundredth time.

Then home for cake and ice cream (mint chocolate chip of course).

And we finished off the night with presents . . . does she look excited?

What can I say, they are obsessed!

Emma, we love you so much! We had a great day with you!

Happy Birthday Emma!

2011-03-09T10:43:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my little girl is 7 today! What a great 7 years it has been with her in our lives. Emma you are such a joy in our home. You are sweet and helpful and a peacemaker; all we could ask for in a daughter. Here's a little bit about Emma at age 7:

Interests: Anything Harry Potter (books, movies, legos, wands), reading, drawing, riding bikes and scooters, playing with Abby

Favorite Foods: Iceberg wedges with homemade ranch, pasta, pizza, tomatoes, peppers

Looking forward to: going to Disneyland in a few weeks, swimming this summer

Loves: Being with family, watching America's Funniest Videos, reading with mom, playing outside, math, and reading

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA!

Portland Timbers

2011-03-05T22:53:00.000-08:00

As you may have noticed, I've been a bit behind on blogging for the last . . . well, year or so. So, I might be posting some older pictures in an attempt to catch up a little bit. Last summer we went to a Portland Timbers game with the kiddos. It was so fun. The girls are really into soccer so they loved seeing a real soccer game on that "huge" field. It was the loudest event I think I've ever been to though (and I've been to some really loud things before). There were some drum players that never stopped playing the entire match. It was also "bring your dog" night so Davis was in heaven as well. A good night all around.

Ready to Start Again!

2011-03-02T16:22:00.000-08:00

So I've taken a break from blogging. Not even an intentional break, just seems like time has gotten away from me but I've been missing blogging. I know that Facebook is the new way to keep in touch but I miss this more personal way of "photo journaling" what is going on in our lives. It seems like time keeps going by faster and faster and I find myself already feeling a bit melancholy for this time in my life when my kids are little and things are really simple and wonderful. So . . . that said, I am going to try to get back on the blogging bandwagon and whether anyone will read this anymore or not, I will have it for my own memory's sake.

I call this one "I'm such a boy but I have 2 older sister I idolize."

Being Grateful . . .

2010-11-22T11:05:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for so many things this year! Here are just a few:

- of course, my wonderful family (immediate and extended)

- that Justin is done interviewing and won't be going out of town again any time soon

- to live in such a beautiful part of the country

- for the trucks and trains that keep Davis busy so I can have a little bit of peace in the day

- for the hugs and kisses from my children (and from Justin :)

- for down coats that keep us warm

- for snow (come soon please)

- for a knowledge of Jesus Christ and all that He means to us

- for good books to read and for kids that love to be read to

- for good food to eat and make

- for good health (except for the strep throat I have right now, but that will pass)

- for a warm place for my kids to sleep

- for chocolate (especially Lindt's sea salt dark)

- for parents who love us and our kids

- for good music and dance parties in our living room

- for wrestling matches

- for Sunday drives

- for mountains and beaches close by

Like I said, the list could go on and on. I'll save some for the next few days. What are you grateful for this year?

Chicago - Final Day

2010-11-11T20:23:00.000-08:00

Okay, we're coming to a close on the Chicago trip. When I stretch it out like this it seems like it was a lot longer than a week. The last day we were there I took a double decker tour and ended up back at the Museum Campus where I had been the day before so I could go to the Field Museum. The bus tour was great, the guide was super knowledgable and since I was the only one on the tour, except for about 4 minutes of it, I could ask all the questions I wanted. And I did. Surprise, surprise, I know.

I may look lonely on this bus all by myself but I was actually having a blast!

More Sears Tower, that thing is seriously tall. If you look really closely on the left side of the building you can see those little glass boxes I was standing in in the previous post.

Picture of Soldier Stadium as we drove by, this one's for my Bears Fan brothers!

The Field Museum was pretty incredible. They had the largest collection of taxidermied animals you could imagine. I didn't think I was so into taxidermied animals in general, but this was really something. We're talking elephants, giraffes, every sort of bird imaginable, armadillos . . . really everything. Like the zoo but better because they didn't move so you could really look at them.

This here is Sue the T-Rex. Sue is famous apparently because she is the largest, most extensive, and best preserved t-rex ever found. She was also auctioned off for over 8 million dollars, the most money ever spent for a dinosaur. She ended up in Chicago and this is me hanging out with her. She is pretty sweet.

This ended our last day in Chicago. Oh and we ate to-die-for seafood at Shaw's Crab house that night. It was a great way to end our trip! We made it home to our babies just in time, I was so ready to squeeze them! I don't think they much noticed that we were gone because they had so much fun with Grandma. She did take them to Baja Fresh and Taco Bell after all and they will love her forever for it!

Chicago - Day 4

2010-11-08T20:48:00.000-08:00

Don't worry, we're getting close to the end here people.

I walked a few miles down the Magnificent Mile to get to the Shedd Aquarium. Maybe the best part of this day was that I got to skip this line that continued on way past this picture. I just walked to the Will Call line and gave them my GoChicago card and walked right in. Saved me about 2 hours in line. Love that! The aquarium was great. I missed the kids because I knew it was something they would have loved. There was the most gigantic python I ever could have imagined and I haven't stopped thinking about it since.

Right next to the Aquarium is the Planetarium. So, I hit a few star shows there. I met a really nice French couple and got to practice my French for a while. That was fun.

I was so tired after I walked back to the hotel but realized when I got there that I had an hour until Justin would be done so I walked over to the Sears (Willis Tower). This is one of the few things I remember doing in the city when we lived there when I was younger.

View from the top!

Last year they added these boxes that stick out from the building on the 90-somethingth floor. It was pretty trippy standing out there and seeing 100 floors worth of sky between you and the street!

Justin and I met up for dinner that night at a great Italian place that had the BEST scallops I have ever tasted, oh my, I'm still thinking about them daily!

We thought the girls would like this picture.

The Chicago theater

We couldn't pass up this photo op - perfect for the man whose life is about eyeballs these days!

Chicago - Day 3

2010-11-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

Well, the good thing is that our trip was only 14 days so only 11 more to go . . . just kidding. This first picture is not the best but is to prove that we were actually there together :) We had a brunch with OHSU Alumni on top of the John Hancock building that morning but you can't tell from the picture how great the view was.

After the brunch we went on an Architecture River Tour. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Because Justin actually got to come with me and because the architecture in Chicago is amazing. We learned so much and had such an amazing time. So much history in those buildings. We saw where Al Capone had his "furniture office", where the newer Batman movies were filmed, where Oprah works out. The list is really long. It was great.

The Chicago Tribune building. This was built for a contest to see who could build the most beautiful building in the world and this building won.

There's the Sears (now the Willis but they refuse to call it that) Tower peeking through there.

The "macaroni" sculpture

Trump tower - I actually really like this building

After the tour we walked to Millenium Park and this is us reflected in the Cloudgate (locally known as "the Bean") sculpture. This is where we always saw the most people congregated.

Can you find us in this one?

Shot up from under the Bean

Buckingham Fountain - we hung out here and watched the sun set - beautiful!

Another wonderful day in the Windy City!

Chicago - Day 2

2010-11-04T13:14:00.001-07:00

Day 2 in Chicago . . . Justin was at conference all day again so I thought I would hit the Magnificent Mile and do some serious window shopping. Wow, I had heard about the Chicago shopping but it is really something. Every great store . . . super-sized. It was a great morning walking around, trying on clothes, and exercising serious self-control. In the afternoon I headed back to Navy Pier to do another lake cruise, this time on a tall ship. (Another thing included on my GoChicago card). It was another beautiful sunny day out on the lake.

View of Navy Pier from the boat

Tall Ship Windy

The Chicago skyline really is amazing

That night we met up with some of Justin's classmates from UCSF, some that we had gone to Ethiopia with. It was great to see them and catch up. We got sushi and then Justin and I stopped by the Ghirardelli store and ice cream shop on the way home. It was almost 11:00 at night and the place was packed! Did you hear me, 11:00 at night and we were stopping for ice cream, not worrying about hurrying home to relieve the babysitter. We shared this amazing dark chocolate wonder of an ice cream sundae. It was a little too rich for Justin but I thought it was great and could have had more. Tells a lot about my chocolate tolerance level.

Perfect way to end the day!

Chicago - Day 1

2010-11-03T12:38:00.001-07:00

So I realize that this next series of posts, describing in excruciating detail, our amazing, beautiful, off-the-charts trip to Chicago, will probably not be all that interesting to anyone but us. But I am self-indulgently going to recount all the details for my own sake so that I will never be tempted to forget this wonderful week. So feel free to tune out if you find this oh so boring!

Justin had yet another blessed conference last month. This time in Chicago. So, for the second time this year, we left all our kiddos in the care of beloved grandma (this time the Wilkinson one) and we headed out to the Midwest. Words cannot describe the fun I had on this trip. I think Justin had a really good time too and learned a lot of useful things in his meetings. I just think it might have been a different kind of fun than I had :) Before we left I bought the GoChicago card and this ended up being the best decision ever. It included pretty much every thing you could see or do in Chicago. And I did every single thing I could physically cram into each day. It saved a ton of money, not only on admission and ticket prices, but also because I didn't spend a lot of free time shopping on the Magnificent Mile. Just a little . . . I had to go into the 5 story Crate and Barrel and the 8 story Nordstorms, that would be a tragedy to miss. Our hotel was right on the Magnificent Mile, which was perfect because I could walk almost every place I went. I put in a lot of miles that week but then I could enjoy the deep dish pizza even more at the end of the day. And we had sunny beautiful weather EVERY DAY. It was a miracle. Okay, so . . . Day 1.

We started out the trip with this view of Mt. Hood. Oh, how I love my Oregon!

First thing I did on our first day was go to the top of the John Hancock building, directly across the street from our hotel. It is really tall! This is the view from the top.

Chicago's Gold Coast

Since I was sightseeing by myself, I had to ask a lot of strangers to take my picture!

The beautiful Wrigley Building, on of my favorites! Did you know that Wrigley started out selling baking soda and would give a pack of gum to anyone that bought some. He realized that everyone was buying it for the gum and decided that he should just start selling gum. Good move, eh?

My picture reflected in "the Bean" sculpture in Millenium Park.

I spent most of the first day at the Art Institute of Chicago. Amazing art museum! One of the highlights for sure. Lots of famous art (like this sculpture by some dude named Picasso:) and amazing views of the city.

These "Thorne Rooms" were one of my favorite exhibits. This is an actual miniature room behind the glass and all those paintings and chandeliers are real, but tiny. There were 68 rooms like this. The girls would have loved this part!

Lake Michigan

Starting out on a Shoreline Cruise out on Lake Michigan.

Navy Pier (obviously)

That night Justin and I stopped by the American Girl store. That place is crazy! It's huge, complete with a doll salon, restaurant, doll hospital and 2 floors with every doll and accessory you could want. We had to get a picture by the Lanie doll. Looked more like me when I had blonde hair.

That night we ate at Gino's East Pizzeria for some Chicago style deep dish. It was great. There was a lot of cheese. I don't know that either of us felt that great after, but the "during" was yummy.

Happy Halloween from Hogwarts!

2010-11-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

Oh, Halloween was so fun this year! As the girls are obsessed with all things Harry Potter, they have known for months what they wanted to be. Davis didn't have much say in the matter but as soon as he learned that all he had to do was put on his glasses and tie and yell Trick or Treat at the top of his lungs at the door and people would give him candy, he was all over it. He even went so far and to start rifling through the bowls and informing the person handing out the candy that he "needed something chocolate". Seriously, at every door! But at least he always followed it up with a big "THANK YOU" as he ran from the door. We had a blast! Hope all your Halloweens wonderful!

Davis as Harry Potter, Abby as Hermoine, and Emma as Ginny Weasley.

The Cake

2010-10-11T13:20:00.001-07:00

Davis turned 2 last week! I can't believe it, my baby boy! He had a great birthday, lots of trucks, cars and trains. Just what makes a little boy happy. He also loved his Lightning McQueen cake (or "Lyda King" as Davis says it).

Happy Birthday "Big Funny Guy"

2010-10-04T14:09:00.000-07:00

Reflections

2010-10-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

I laid, or lied, or lay (which is it dad?) awake in bed last night for hours listening to my baby boy itching his chicken-poxy back against the crib, trying to find some relief. Not crying, just itching. It gave me a lot of time to think. I have mentioned it a lot on this blog and numerous times daily to Justin, just how much joy this baby (almost 2 on Monday) boy has brought into my life. I feel, of course, the same about the girls. They are a little older now, and while they still need me, it's not the same. Davis still slips his warm, chubby hand in mine every few minutes. He still likes me to cradle him every night and sing him his favorite songs (Teach Me to Walk in the Light and "The Truck Song" - made up by me and maybe the worst song ever, but he loves it). He still sucks his two middle fingers when he's tired or sad. He still starts shaking with excitement every time he sees daddy pull in the driveway from work. He still melts my heart every time he takes my face in his hands and kisses me on the lips. These are things the girls don't do any more and I know that these moments are fleeting with Davis. I want to hold them tight and not let them go. I want to bottle it all and not forget a moment. I want my Heavenly Father to know how grateful I am for these little spirits that light up my home and my life and make me who I want to be. I want them to know that I may not be a perfect mom, but I love them with a love that I never knew was possible!

That Explains A Lot . . .

2010-09-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

For months I've been wondering why in the world Davis was always running out of socks when I knew he had plenty. It all came to light the other day when Emma went to grab something for me under the crib. When she pulled it out away from the wall, she found this . . .

Evergreen Aviation Museum

2010-09-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

These pictures are from Memorial Day. A little outdated, I know. But I wanted to post about it because we had such a fabulous time here. We met our dear friends the McFarlanes (we love you guys) and it was a GREAT museum! So, the Spruce Goose is here - yep, it's beyond huge. They also had the first ever commercial airplane and tons of other aviation and space "stuff" (for lack of a better word).

Emma posing by the war planes.

Checking out the interior of the war helicopter.

That orange and yellow plane was my favorite, how cute is that!

The kids rode this ride seriously about 25 times in a row.

My cute family! Notice Davis' smile (see previous post)

This is the best picture of the Spruce Goose that I have. It's so big that you can't get it all in the picture - at least with our camera. This is just the one wing, the body of the plane and the other wing are behind me. Davis kept saying, "Huge a-mean (airplane)" over and over for about a month. He was really impressed!

All in all, it was a great day. I really recommend it for anyone in the area. It also has a great playground that the kids enjoyed almost as much as the planes.

Say Cheese!

2010-09-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

This is Davis. He will be 2 in a few weeks. He loves cars and trucks and trains and Little Einsteins. He also has a perfectly normal, adorable smile. Until the camera comes out. When it does, this is what happens . . . . every time!

A Real Live Date!

2010-09-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Justin and I went on a fantastic date. Perfect actually. Our wonderful brother and sister-in-law took our 3 kiddos overnight and we went out. We stayed out late, didn't worry about getting home to relieve the babysitter, we ate at an amazing restaurant (if you are ever in the Portland area, you must go), but we did not sleep in the next morning. Reason being that my genius husband had the genius idea to set the alarm for 5:30 a.m. so that on the one day that we weren't waking up to a 1 year old yelling, "Come mommy, I'm poopy!" from his crib, we could drive to Mt. Hood and go for an early morning hike. Actually, it was genius. It was beyond beautiful, we hiked 7 miles at adult speed, and we got to talk and talk and it was perfect. Here's the proof.

Just a few tidbits

2010-09-08T14:28:00.001-07:00

First, I would like to say that my husband, that's right people, my husband met this guy last night. Okay, well, they didn't exactly meet. But Justin did go to a talk he was giving at OHSU (the hospital where Justin works). Justin walked in late with a few other residents and Dwight, I mean Rainn Wilson, heckled them a bit, made fun of their white coats or something like that. Doesn't really matter, Justin got heckled by Dwight Shrute. And Dwight is pretty funny!

Next item is: Um, has anyone tried the green chile bagels from Costco? The Kirkland/Noah's Bagels brand. Yeah, they are really good. Toasted with a little butter. Made my morning.

Next up: my girls started school yesterday and I cried a bit walking home. I know it's schmaltzy but I miss them and their little brother misses them more. Here's an example of our whole day-long conversation. (Aside from the 4 hour nap he took - bless this child!)

Davis: Hey Mom, where AbbyEmma go?

Me: They're at school.

Davis: Oh, I go to Abby class right now, K?

Me: We can't Davis.

Davis: Oh, but where AbbyEmma, mom?

Me: School.

Davis: Oh (pause 2 seconds) Why mom?

Me: They have to go to school.

Davis: Oh, I go to school now K?

(Repeat 756 times)

Last item of business for the day:

I just got done reading this book 25 times to my little man. Did I mention I miss the girls?

Ft. Lauderdale

2010-09-05T13:46:00.001-07:00

So, apparently I still have a lot of catching up to do with my blogging. These pictures are from May. Better late than never!

Justin had a conference in Ft. Lauderdale in May and I tagged along . . . just me . . . no kids . . . did you hear that people! Justin, me, no kids, Florida, sun, beach, pool . . . wow, it was amazing. It was the first time in a LOOOONG time we have taken a vacation together. Okay, so Justin did have to go to conference every day but it still was a major vacation for me and we still found plenty of time for fun. Thank you again and again infinity to Grandma and Grandpa T for taking care of the littles while we were gone. Our kids had so much fun with you that I don't think they even wanted us back!

This is the beach right outside the door from our hotel. Um . . . I spent a lot of time here while Justin sat in his conference.

Out to dinner with some of Justin's co-residents and his program director.

We rented a scooter one night and cruised up the shore for a few hours. It was really really beautiful. The guy we rented it from was so surprised when we asked for helmets. I don't know if anyone had ever asked for them before. Justin's treated way too many head injuries in the hospital . . . wear your helmets people! Especially when you're on a scooter that maxes out at 30 mph.

On our last day we rented a car with one of Justin's co-residents and her husband and drove down "the keys". We stopped at Key Largo and went snorkeling. So much fun and the drive down there was stunning.

Post snorkeling feast - such a good meal!

I am so glad that Justin and I can still have such a great time together. We just laughed and laughed. We missed the little ones but it was so nice to be together alone for a whole week! Thanks for the great time babe!

Are you kiddin' Me?

2010-09-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

Where, oh where have these been all my life! Must be eaten directly out of the freezer. And yes, they will ruin your dinner. Maybe for 3 days in a row . . .

Olympic National Park

2010-08-30T15:31:00.001-07:00

We just got back from a dreamy week-long camping trip and let me tell you, it was the Northwest at it's finest. Perfect sunny weather, gorgeous mountains, clear blue lakes, amazing hiking, hot springs and stunning coastline. Not to mention, dirty happy kids (oh and the adults weren't too clean either). I tried to trim down the number of pictures as well as I could but didn't do a very good job so bear with me.

Lake Crescent

Highlight of the hike at Lake Crescent

My crazy kids and their equally crazy and wonderful cousins

Have I ever mentioned how much I adore this girl?

This is pretty much what Davis and his cousin did the entire time - words can't describe the amount of dirt that was on these boys after a whole week of dumping dirt on their own heads

Sitting at the visitor's center at Hurricane Ridge - the views of the Olympics here were so stunning!

More from Hurricane Ridge - how I love those rugged mountain peaks

My men - Davis was so happy to sit there with daddy that I think he sat still for a whole 3 minutes

Day at the coast near La Push - yes Twilight fans, THE La Push. I found myself wishing I was a bigger Twilight fan so I could have enjoyed driving through Forks, Port Angeles and La Push a little more.

more beach - these logs provided a whole day of entertainment for the girls. As for Davis, he dug in the sand with his truck, surprised?

Lake Crescent repeat picture, sorry about that. But it's still pretty the second time.

This was the river at our campground. Davis spent all the time that he wasn't digging in the dirt, throwing rocks into the "riber".

Enjoying our nightly ritual.

One week camping + 3 kids = so much stuff that we could barely fit it in our huge minivan.

(This is out of order but this was our car when we left for the trip. It was ridiculous. I couldn't even see the kids in the back. It was kind of nice actually.)

Davis even read in the dirt.

Just a sidenote that this is the hammock that Justin bought for scout camp when he was twelve. We also used the pocket knife that he has had since he was twelve. Have I mentioned that Justin never gets rid of anything. He has an eraser that he used in 3rd grade that has his name written on it in Sharpie. He took it to his board exams last year. That's all.

More beautiful sites, and a cute little girl.

A week well spent! Thanks to my wonderful family for making such great memories!

Doing what we do at Bear Lake!

2010-08-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we've been home from Utah for more than a couple weeks now, but we all know I am majorly behind on my blogging so I am just getting around to posting about our trip. While we were there, we spent a week in Bear Lake with my family. (Thank you Wilkinsons for letting us use your place!) We had a blast doing all the things you should do in summer - swimming, eating homemade ice cream, playing tennis, climbing, miniature golf, frisbee, a raucous game of kickball, etc., etc. It was wonderful and thank you again to my family for being so fantastic! We miss you all so much already!

Mt. Hood Cherry Picking

2010-08-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

One of my very favorite things about living in Portland is the fruit-picking. There are so many U-pick farms really close by and we LOVE to go and stock up in the summer. Last weekend we drove up to Mt. Hood and drove the Fruit Loop. The views of Mt. Hood were the best we've ever seen and the the cherry picking was amazing! We were a little worried about Davis after all the cherries and pits he ate but he handled it like a champ.

Abby's Baptism

2010-07-22T22:36:00.000-07:00

I wish I would have posted this sooner, but alas, blogging has been put on the back burner while there are things like swimming, exploring, bike-riding, and more swimming to be done this summer.

Abby was baptized on May 22 and it was wonderful. What a perfect day! We had so much family here (thank you to you all for traveling so far)! Abby was beautiful and prepared and calm. The program was great with grandmas, grandpas, aunts and uncles speaking, singing, and playing instruments. I was so moved as I looked around that room and saw all of the amazing people in our lives! We are so blessed to have wonderful family and friends that are such great supports to us and our children. Abby couldn't have been happier! We are so proud of you sweetheart and know that this is a decision that will bless your life forever!

Abby and her daddy

The family (Abby's new white shoes were hurting her feet!)

All of the Wilkinson cousins! (obviously they were posing for someone else)

We went to the Portland temple before her baptism to get some shots of her in her dress. Man, I love this girl!

Don't Give Up On Us!

2010-07-15T23:12:00.000-07:00

Because it is 11:30 p.m. and I have a new goal to get to bed by 10:30 and because I have cleaning and dishes and various projects that I should be working on and because I have eaten triple berry crisp for breakfast and lunch for 2 days in a row, I decided to update our blog that I haven't even looked at for 5 months! Perfect logic, right? I have so many pictures from Abby's birthday, end of school, trip to Florida, trip to Utah, Abby's baptism, etc. that need to be posted. But it's all seeming a bit overwhelming right now so I thought I would throw on a few from our most recent trip to Utah and make a new goal to get back into blogging. We missed you little blog and if I can keep my kids inside long enough to get on the computer once in a while, I will pay you more attention!

Happy Birthday Emma

2010-03-11T12:38:00.000-08:00

My little girl turned 6 this week. I love this girl. She is such a light in our lives. Here are a few things about Emma to help us remember what she loved when she turned 6!

Favorite Food: Lemon Pepper Shrimp Pasta (her request for b-day dinner)

Favorite Colors: orange and blue

Favorite Movie: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Favorite Things to Do: Gymnastics and Soccer and anything with her sister

We love you Emma! Happy Birthday!

Disco Girls

2010-03-03T22:50:00.000-08:00

I really couldn't look at those hot dogs anymore. I mean, I don't have to relive it every day, do I? Anyway, here's a better picture to look at. My little disco girls. The girl's school had Disco Bingo Night a few weeks ago. We all got decked out (unfortunately we don't have a photo of Justin in his yellow polyester glory and me in my sweater dress and go-go boots.) We ended up winning a free dinner at Giant Burger (such good onion rings) for the Best Dressed Family so I guess it was worth it. Actually we all had a great time even if I couldn't walk for a few days after all that dancing in my high-heel boots.

High Class!

2010-02-23T12:57:00.000-08:00

I don't want to make you jealous of what we had for dinner the other night but . . .

(I am really not sure what Emma is wearing in this picture, think it's a skirt pulled up . . .)

That's right folks, spaghetti dogs. So when you're in the need for a really fancy dish for a dinner party, please don't forget this post :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-12T14:34:00.000-08:00

Feeling Grateful

2010-02-02T10:32:00.000-08:00

This morning I am feeling grateful for many things, some of which are . . .

- sunshine and 55 degrees in February

- walking in my neighborhood with Davis in the stroller pointing out every car and dog that passes

- an overwhelming sense of gratitude for my healthy and safe children

- Grape Nuts with bananas and (a few) chocolate chips - oh come on, you know it sounds good to you too!

- good books to read - now reading A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg (it's fantastic)

- good movies - watched Whip It again this past weekend (I realize roller derby is not for everyone - I happened to love it!)

- everything else that I don't have time to list because I now have to go clean up the Kix that Davis has dumped out and stomped on while I was writing this post, which leads me to one last thing I am grateful for - a clean house (not that I have one but if I did, I would be really grateful for it)

What are you grateful for this morning?

Living by Family!

2010-01-30T10:33:00.000-08:00

For the last almost 3 years we've been lucky enough to live in Portland, right down the road from Justin's brother and his family. Our kids are all almost the same age and after 4 years in San Francisco (where we had no family), it's been so great to live by them. Justin and his brother are both residents together at OHSU and will both finish at the same time. Although it's not time to say goodbye yet, I am already getting melancholy thinking about possibly not being able to be their neighbors anymore. Our kids have so much fun together and have really grown up together the past 3 years. Here are some highlights over the past few years. We love you guys!

Oaks Park

Picnics at Cannon Beach

Easter Egg Hunts

Lots of hiking and being silly

Pumpkin Patches

First days of school - Emma and Alice got to go to 2 yrs. of preschool together

Sleepovers

Newport Beach

Camping trips

We love you guys!

Better late than never . . . right?

2010-01-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

I know that no one even noticed that I didn't post "first day of school" pictures of the girls, especially since I didn't notice until just now. I also know how incriminating it is to be posting them now, in January, as opposed to just not posting them at all. But I think they're cute. And I want them on here. So, here they are!

Emma - First day of Kindergarten - 5 years old

Abby - 1st day of 2nd Grade - 7 years old

(she started a day before Emma)

See, at the rate I'm going, I might just post Christmas pictures by next Halloween!

It was one year ago today . . .

2010-01-08T12:16:00.001-08:00

. . . that our trusty (ha ha) old Jeep went up in flames. We actually kinda miss the thing. Justin still thinks we could have saved it :) May it rest in peace (and pieces).

Where are my keys?

2010-01-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

This is a question that I usually ask myself a few times a day. But I usually find them a minute later in my coat pocket or in their usual spot on the kitchen counter. The longest I've ever lost my keys was 3 days. I looked everywhere. I found things I hadn't seen since we moved here almost 3 years ago. I found about $5 in change, but no keys. Until Davis and I went to play with the ball popper and the balls wouldn't come out. Now I know just where to look when my keys are lost.

Soon to come: Christmas photos and many other catching-up photos!

Halloween . . . Finally!

2009-11-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

I knew I had to get these on the blog before Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a great Halloween. Justin laughs at me for saying that it is one of my favorite holidays, but it just is. I love it! I love the costumes, the decorations, the trick or treating, the Snickers, all of it. We had a great one this year. The girls are still young enough to love trick or treating and old

enough for us not to have to remind them to say thank you after each house. Here are a few pictures from the big night.

My little witches getting ready for trick or treating

Me and the Wizard

Yes, the legs were a little short when he's sitting down but I mean really, have you ever seen a cuter little lion, I couldn't stop squishing his little face!

Yes, it's true, I do get to cuddle him all day!

So, I do realize looking at this picture that Davis looks a little out of place . . .

Hope you all had a good one!

A few recent gems . . .

2009-11-03T12:32:00.000-08:00

I know I really should be posting Halloween pictures on here and I will get to that. But I wanted to share a few of the many crazy things that come out of Abby's mouth on a daily basis. That girl seriously cracks us up.

Abby: But Mom, you and Dad can just leave us here while you go out. We don't need a babysitter.

Justin: What would you do if we left you here alone? (don't worry, he wasn't really considering it, just curious what her answer would be)

Abby: (shrugging her shoulders) I dunno, probably just dance on the tables naked.

Okay, I must say here that she has never seen either of us do that or, to my knowledge, seen that in any movie or T.V. show. I don't know where she comes up with this stuff. We got a babysitter by the way!

Next one:

Lanie: Abby, I really want you to take it easy today so you can get better soon!

Abby: (looking at me with a bored look) Really Mom, I thought I was going to an Extreme Tree-Climbing Competition today.

Thanks for always making us laugh Abby!

The Little Big Man Turns 1 !!!!!

2009-10-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Our little guy turned one this past week. Wow, I know it's so cliche, but it went by so fast. He went from being the most cuddly, squishy, calm little thing to being a big crazy 1 year old with so much funny personality. We have had the best year with you Davis. You keep us busy and laughing all day long. We are so grateful to have you in our family - we love you Davey-doo! Happy Birthday!

Seattle Weekend

2009-09-28T11:14:00.001-07:00

Okay, I am starting at the present and will work my way back (since I've missed about 5 months of blogging). I just realized I never even posted pictures of Abby's b-day in May. I'll get there, slowly but surely!

So, as for this past weekend . . . it was FANTASTIC! Justin had an Ophthalmology conference in Seattle so Davis and I tagged along. We left the girls with our dear friends (thanks again Cary and Matt) but don't feel bad for them for being left behind, they had a total party. I don't think they wanted us to come back.

Justin had meetings all day on Saturday so Davis and I literally hit the pavement for 8 hours straight. I love Seattle. What a great city! We went to the Public Library (I forgot my camera that day - but do go if you are ever in Seattle, it is worth seeing). We shopped and shopped - mostly window but it was fun anyway. We ate at fun cafes and we played on the grass at the waterfront. Davis proved himself to be a worthy shopping companion and didn't even fuss once during his 8 hour stroller imprisonment. The sun was shining and we had a great time.

The next day Justin had morning meeting but we got to walk around in the SUNSHINE (yes it does happen here in the northwest people!) all day again. We hit the Space Needle, the Pacific Science Center, the "cool fountain" (I don't know what it's called), Pike Place and some more walking. Thanks for a great weekend boys!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2009-08-15T21:41:00.001-07:00

I don't know how I'm ever going to catch up on all the summer activities, but I'm committed to try. . . at least right now I am. A few weeks ago we got to take the girls to a Portland Beavers vs. Salt Lake Bees game. The girls were so torn about who to root for but it didn't end up really mattering since it was about the lowest scoring baseball game in the history of the game. But we didn't care - we had hot dogs and ice cream sandwiches and that's what really matters, right? After the game they let everyone down on the field to watch Star Wars. The girls were more interested in practicing handstands and cartwheels than watching the movie. It was a fun night - the stuff summer is made of!

Dear Blog,

2009-08-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

. . . We haven't visited you in a while. It is summer and we have been busy doing a lot of important things like riding bikes, picking berries, swimming, going for walks, eating popsicles, visiting the Portland sites, and learning to survive 108 degree weather without air conditioning. We're sorry we haven't had time for you but we will visit again soon. Don't give up on us but summer flies by too quickly and we don't want to miss it. See you soon.

The Wilkinsons

2009-07-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

Blogging is like journaling, when you get so far behind it almost gets to a point where you don't know where to start again. We have been having a great summer so far. We were lucky enough to have both of our families come and visit and we had a blast - as we always do when they are here. We've been swimming, hanging out at the beach, trying to be a little productive and mostly enjoying the beautiful Portland summer (a little more sun would be nice please!). We hope you are all having a great summer and not working too hard :)

Just Another Day at the Park!

2009-05-31T21:13:00.000-07:00

Sunday Evening Thoughts

2009-05-24T19:43:00.000-07:00

So I usually don't use our blog as a venue for expressing my deeper thoughts. I seem to use it more as a photo journal instead. But, the house is quiet (Justin is camping with the girls this weekend) and the baby is sleeping and I am contemplating a few things. I seem to keep coming back to the same thought lately and I want to see if anyone can shed some light on it for me. Or maybe by writing it down, I can shed some light on it myself. Why do we insist on finding the negative aspects of each other and focusing on them. Why do we speak unkindly about others to our friends? Why is it easier to do that than to find nice things to say? Why are we intolerant of each other's flaws or actions? Why do we care? Why can't we just let people be? This sounds so negative. I know that there is much kindness and love in the world. But I am thinking right now about this "syndrome" of "speaking unkindly". I've noticed that it seems to start at an early age (I didn't know the "mean girl" syndrome hit as early as first grade, but apparently it does) and seems to continue throughout our lives. I've been really feeling a push lately to focus on kindness and tolerance. I think because my kids are at an age where I really am pushing this with them and I'm realizing that every thing I say in their presence affects the way they see the world. When they hear me being intolerant of flaws I seem to find in others, this gives them license to do the same. I want so much to be able to dismiss the negative and focus on the positive in my relationships with others. I want others to do this with me too because I know I have much to work on. Tell me how you do this, I want your thoughts!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2009-05-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

9 years of marriage! (How embarrassing, my mom just reminded me that it's actually only been 8 years of marriage - ha ha, sorry honey) I just can't believe how much we have packed into these short 9 (really 8) years that we have been married. This October I will have known Justin for 13 (really it has been 13) years. So much has happened in those 13 years. We had no idea how life would turn out for us but we couldn't be happier about where we are and what we are doing with our lives. There's so much more in store, we can't wait to see how life continues to unroll for our family. So far we've had (in no particular order): 3 kids, 3 graduations, 3 states of residence, 3 foreign countries visited, and countless wonderful memories. I love you JT - you are such a light in my life. Thank you for your amazing positive outlook, tireless work ethic, and for being the anchor and joy in my life. Happy Anniversary and here's to many more to come!

Pictures are from our bike ride (without children - thanks Marissa) last weekend along the Willamette River that runs right through downtown Portland. It was beautiful and we were reminded yet again how lucky we are to live in such a fabulous city!

Happy Spring!

2009-05-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

Every year (okay, just the last 2 years since we've lived in Portland) we've gone to the Woodburn Tulip Festival. I love it! What could be better than acres and acres of beautiful tulips of every color you can imagine. This year I got to go with my mom which made it even better. Thanks for being a great date Mom! There's nothing like beautiful flowers to make everything seem new and beautiful and good in the world.

(This tractor one is for you Dad!)

They Know Too Much!

2009-04-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

This is a conversation that went down in our home a few days ago:

Emma: Mom, can I have one of those orange drinks (referring to the orange cream sodas left over from our Spring Break trip)

Me: No Emma, we don't have any left.

Emma: Can we buy some at the store?

Me: Sure.

Emma: When?

Me: Sometime.

Emma: Okay.

At this point Emma walks in the bedroom and tells Abby in an excited tone of voice: "Guess what Abby, Mom says we can buy some orange drinks at the store sometime."

Abby lovingly puts her hand on Emma's shoulder, gives her a look of pity and shakes her head.

Abby: Emma, let me tell you something. When mom says "sometime", that means never.

Emma: Awwww.

Now this is not totally fair as I am sure that sometime I will buy them an orange cream soda, I just don't know when!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T14:02:00.001-07:00

We hope you had a great one!

Newport Spring Break Fun

2009-04-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

March '09 - Spring Break Newport

2009-04-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

So, we're thinking Davis likes to suck his fingers! It's always those middle two and sometimes he has to use the other hand to hold them in, just in case they try to fall out. It's cute right now, I'm sure we won't love it in a few years when he's still sucking on them. But it sure is useful in the middle of the night when he finds them and puts himself back to sleep.

Wicked!

2009-03-29T14:03:00.001-07:00

To kick off our Spring Break vacation last week (more photos of that to come), we went and saw Wicked. I LOVED it. I am such a sucker for musicals and this one did not disappoint. The music was so catchy, the story was so clever. I just loved it, loved it. It made me want to do a little dance when it was over. Plus, dates sans children are few and far between these days and it's always nice to feel like I can sit through something without stopping every few minutes to dig for a distraction from the magical diaper bag. Thanks for another great date Justin!

New Milestone - Davis is Sitting Up!

2009-03-19T22:40:00.000-07:00

Something New to Look At

2009-03-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

I needed something new to look at, I couldn't look at those pictures of me anymore. This is much cuter. We had to get Davis a hat and tie, I mean, what is cuter than a baby in a tie. Who says boys are no fun to dress!

Caution - Majorly Superficial Post

2009-03-17T09:59:00.001-07:00

I have an issue. It involves my ability to deal with the status quo. I love change. I love change of scenery, weather, apartments, and mostly hairstyle. Those of you who have known me for a long time, have seen the many different colors and styles that my hair has been over the years. Some on purpose and some not. Well, I've reached this time in my life again when I am itching for a new "do". This is the first time in a long time that I've had long hair and I've never had it long and dark before. Justin thinks I should leave it for a while, I am back and forth on the subject. I have a hair appointment in a few days and whenever I go in undecided, something drastic occurs. I am putting this out there for public opinion (because I know none of you have more important things to think about :) Here are a few examples:

My hair now. . .

Brown with bangs

short and blonde

medium and blonde

shortish and blonde

I couldn't find a picture of the black hair with purple highlights but I don't think that hairstyle is currently being considered. So, what should I do?

Lou Lou Turns 5!

2009-03-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

Emma has been asking to go camping for her birthday for 3 years in a row. We've had to explain to her that camping in Portland in March would really not be that fun. But since it was the "family party" year, we decided that we could camp at home. We made a "camping" cake (scene), a paper campfire and even pulled out the girls beach tents for sleeping. Justin and I slept out "under the stars". It was so much fun and Emma was thrilled. After hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner, we "roasted" marshmallows, ate cake and ice cream and then watched Planet Earth in the tents. It was a great birthday Emma - we love you!

The Cake - Justin took the scrap cake pieces and constructed the hill, complete with edible grass, gummy centipedes and spiders.

Getting ready for bed . . .

It looks like they really think they'll roast if they hold them there long enough.

Emma made that hat herself, just in case anyone didn't know it was her birthday!

Itzhak Perlman

2009-03-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day Justin gave me (us) tickets to see Itzhak Perlman with the Oregon Symphony. It was just this last Monday. Oh my goodness, it was so fun. I love the symphony anyway and to see Itzhak Perlman in person was amazing. We had a great time - thanks honey, you are a great date!

Here's a little ear candy for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dggfA9Vo64U

Nostalgia . . .

2009-02-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I am hit with a major case of nostalgia. We love Portland, we are totally happy here. But we miss San Francisco too and when I think about it sometimes I get kind of melancholy. It was such a good time in our lives. The city was amazing and we feel so lucky to have lived there and experienced all we did during our 4 years there. I know we will feel the same way when we leave Portland. I was just going through some pictures and found a few of our favorite things about SF.

Tidepooling - We absolutely LOVED going tidepooling. We can't wait to do it here at the Oregon coast. It was the girls very favorite thing to do and we went as often as we could (it didn't hurt that it was only about 20 minutes from our house and it was free!)

The Marin Headlands - right across the Golden Gate, about 10 minutes from our house. We loved to come out here and have picnics and enjoy the view of the bay. It was a perfect Sunday drive destination and we probably did it at least a few times a month.

The Palace of Fine Arts - This is my favorite place in SF. I love the architecture, it is so beautiful. It was my favorite place to go and walk around with Justin and the kids. I spent a lot of time there while we were in SF.

Alamo Square - Full House - what else can I say?

THE RAT!

2009-02-20T16:54:00.000-08:00

I'm sure that some of you can relate to this. I have a husband that thinks he's pretty funny. I will admit it, I am a super jumpy person. I get startled so easily and most of the time it just takes Justin walking in the door from work to scare me. Well, about Halloween time Justin found a new way to scare me to death. The rat. I've honestly never seen anything uglier. I don't know where he found it but one day it showed up under the sink and when I went to get the dishwasher detergent, I very nearly had a heart attack. I should have thrown it out while I could. Since then the girls have grown attached to the rat. They won't let me throw it away and I don't have the heart to do it when they aren't looking although I know I should because . . . the rat keeps rearing it's ugly head at times when I least expect it and most of the time now, it's the girls that are the instigators. Everyone is against me!

My Amazing Mom!

2009-02-16T20:42:00.001-08:00

I just have to brag about my mom for a minute. I can't say enough about how wonderful I think she is. She is smart, talented, a wonderful mom and grandma. She is also super-crafty in all things. Something I aspire to but never seem to get the hang of. This Christmas she went crazy making gifts for everyone and we LOVE all of the things she made. I just had to show off a few of them. These matching aprons she made for the girls and me have made me so happy. I've never felt so cute while cooking and the girls are really motivated now to help out in the kitchen, which is good and bad :)

Here are the darling cupcake outfits she made for the girls. They love them and would wear them every day if I would let them. Thanks Grandma, we love it all!

Related?

2009-02-13T19:07:00.000-08:00

I have been looking at pictures of the girls when they were babies and I'm thinking our kids are all related, whadya think?

Davis 4 months

Emma 2 months

Abby 2 months

I can't believe they were ever this little!

It goes on and on!

2009-02-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday . . .

Justin was telling the girls all about Helen Keller (you know, he's really into eyes these days). So he gets done explaining all it and Abby says:

"I wish Jesus would have been there to, like, put some mud on her eyes or something."

Riding in the car to the zoo on Saturday:

"Mom, don't you just love those days when you're with your whole family, the sun is shining and everything just feels fresh and new and happy?" I sure do!

A few more Abby quotes!

2009-02-06T16:43:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry, she just cracks me up. These are my favorite from today.

- "Mom thanks so much for the popsicle, you are the best mommy ever. I mean, where did you even get these, they're not even in season."

- (conversation with Justin after getting his hair cut)

Justin to Lanie: "The problem isn't the hair cut, it's the receding hairline."

Abby: "I don't want your hair to fall out."

Justin: "Well, it is. It's all coming out."

Abby: "Well, pray then!"

If only it were that easy . . .

Nice Try!

2009-02-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning we were all sitting around the table, eating our pancakes and divvying (how in the world do you spell that word anyway?) up our Saturday morning chores. Abby gets her all-too-sweet look on her face, cocks her head and says, "I have an idea Mommy. How about for our chores Emma and I will play so so sweetly and quietly in our room and won't disturb you and Daddy at all while you clean." Nice Try Abby, it was very tempting!

There's Something about Davis!

2009-01-25T11:57:00.001-08:00

I know, I know, I have been posting kid photos in excess lately. I can't help it. I'm pretty into this little guy and I just can't keep myself from sharing him. Hopefully soon we will have a really exciting adventure to blog about. Hopefully it will not involve one of our cars and fire. Anyway, here are some photos of the little big man at almost 4 months.

Christmas Fun!

2009-01-20T17:44:00.000-08:00

I knew that eventually I would get around to posting a few Christmas pictures. I can't believe how few we took this year. We decided to finally break out the video camera again so we do have quite a bit of Christmas video. Davis, on the other hand, is greatly under-represented. He was "snug in his bed" through most of the Christmas festivities. He did show his face long enough to get his Christmas Eve pajamas though. Justin's family always did Christmas Eve PJs and my family always does a Christmas Eve ornament. So we have continued each of those traditions and the girls were so happy to get their PJs and ornament this year. Since they love bugs so much, we got Abby a grasshopper and Emma a frog for their ornament, they were thrilled. Another tradition we want to carry on is the Christmas Eve seafood extravaganza that the Wilkinsons always have. Since we didn't go to Utah this year for Christmas, we did our own Christmas Eve feast with all of our favorite foods: king crab legs, shrimp, artichokes and oysters (even the girls tried their first oyster this year). We made sure to decorate the sugar cookies for Santa (he LOVES sugar cookies and we always have to leave out a lot for him. )

Look at this fat happy baby! He loves Christmas!

The girls showing off their pj's and ornaments.

Getting in a little 'Twas the night before Christmas before they head off to bed.

Mmmmm!

The all-important sugar cookies.

The Great Portland Storm

2009-01-16T22:22:00.000-08:00

We had a crazy storm up here in Portland over the Christmas holiday. Everything literally shut down for weeks. Schools were closed for a week, church was canceled for 2 weeks, the roads were insane and I literally didn't even leave the house for 2 weeks except to play in the snow and to venture to the grocery store one night only to realize that I couldn't push the cart through the parking lot. So what did we do for 2 weeks in the house. . .

We at ate a lot of this (these were supposed to be friends/neighbors gifts that were rendered undeliverable due to the weather, so eventually disappeared (not quite sure how that happened:)

We got crafty!

We hauled away bits of the ginormous tree that literally uprooted from our front yard on Christmas Eve and fell across the street.

We marveled at the inch-thick ice that developed overnight on top of the already 6 inches of snow.

And we played and played and played in the snow and we got our "white Christmas" even though we weren't in Utah this year. It was perfect!

Farewell Old Friend!

2009-01-13T13:25:00.001-08:00

For those of you who have been with us through the drama of the Jeep over the past 8 years of our marriage, you will really appreciate this. For those of you who haven't, it's still a good story. We have loved our Jeep. It has seen us through many camping, biking, and family road trips. It's taken us to the top of Mt. Logan and across the country to San Francisco and Portland. It's weathered the winter storms over the Sierra Nevadas. It even survived the Portland Arctic Blast of '08 and narrowly escaped the tree that fell in our front yard only a few short weeks ago. The Jeep has also been towed at least 4 times since we moved to Portland a year and a half ago. It's been in mechanic shops all over the west coast. It has squeaked and screamed and smoked it's way through life. But it has ever remained faithful until the fateful day of January 9, 2009 when it went out in a blaze of glory.

Justin drove it to work on Friday morning. All was well. I met him Friday night for a work party and when we left the party that evening, we were met with this. (see below) Between the time Justin left the Jeep at 7:00 a.m. and returned at 8:30 p.m. an electrical fire had all but consumed the interior of the Jeep. Ah, how fitting. The best part is that Justin looked at me later that night and said those all too common words, "I think we can fix it!" Not this time. It is on it's way to the U-Pull it junkyard where it will finally be laid to rest, never to be fixed again . Goodbye old friend, you will be missed . . . sort of.

Davis at 10 weeks!

2008-12-21T17:13:00.000-08:00

Our little guy is growing up so fast! He is such a chubby happy baby, we are all pretty happy just staring at him all day. The girls are completely obsessed with him and I get in trouble with them if I let him cry for even a minute. He's going to be so spoiled but we are having a lot of fun doing it!

Secrets!

2008-12-18T18:23:00.001-08:00

So, we are pretty into surprises in our house. This comes from Justin. I love surprises but I can never wait for them and I was always a "peeker" growing up. The girls love to be surprised and for the past 2 years have not asked for anything for Christmas. They say they will love whatever Santa wants to bring them. I love that about them. They do always love whatever Santa brings them. This year though has brought a new challenge. When we asked Emma what she wanted for Christmas she told us that she wants us to be surprised and that's why she is only telling Santa what she wants. Hmmmm . . .

A few recent favorites . . .

2008-12-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I've formally introduced Ellie the Elephant and Lily the Lamb on this blog yet. They are our other 2 children. The girls have had them since they were born. They fix "owies", help induce slumber, and love to be dressed up.

The girls at the Sauvie Island pumpkin patch. Have I mentioned before how much I love Halloween and pumpkin patches. I know it's almost Christmas but I'm a few months behind in my life these days. I also love Christmas but more of that to come in a few months :)

Justin and Emma at Mt. St. Helens.

Abby pulling around the cousins.

Poor Davis, he doesn't have a chance in this house of girls. I just noticed that he's even wearing a gown to top it all off. What a sport. (This one is mostly for you Mikey.)

What I am NOT missing right now . . .

2008-12-03T14:15:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for a lot of things this holiday season and not looking like this anymore is one of them. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind being pregnant that much, I actually even enjoy it a little. But I just got done scrubbing the tub and I didn't have to lie sideways on the edge of the tub to get to the hard to reach spots, I didn't get bleach all over my belly and I wasn't even out of breath when I got done. Like I said, much to be grateful for. And, Davis is so much cuter "out" than "in".

Quote of the Day!

2008-11-30T19:27:00.001-08:00

The other day the girls were watching a Christmas movie and I brought them each a bowl of popcorn. They asked if they could have some water too. I was leaving the room to get it and Abby said:

"Mom, you're pretty much like our servant, huh?"

Glad someone noticed.

Soccer Pics!

2008-11-24T16:56:00.001-08:00

So I am playing catch up with all of our pictures. There has been so much going on and I haven't posted about any of it! I just realized that I never even put the girls "first day of school pictures on here". Tragedy :) Anyway, I will try to get caught up slowly but surely. Here are some of Abby's soccer pictures. She is a cute little soccer player for sure. She's excited for next year when she won't have to play with the ball-hog boys anymore!

Our Halloween Bugs!

2008-11-11T21:47:00.000-08:00

We had such a great Halloween with our little "bugs"! Davis didn't even know he had left the house, let alone trick or treated for a few hours. He was asleep when we put him in his caterpillar costume and was still asleep when we got home and took him out of it. At least we have the pictures he can see one day!

Here's the fam out for some candy gettin'!

The kiddos!

Ahhh, what a life!

The Butterfly Costume!

These are the girls "harvest skirts" that I made them.

Thank Goodness for Family!

2008-11-05T11:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's been a little while since I posted. Between figuring out 3 kids and having major computer drama, it's been a little tough to get on here. But I needed to give a little tribute to our amazing family. My mom was the BIGGEST help the first two weeks of Davis' life. She not only took over all of the cooking and cleaning and getting my girls to school and doing homework with Abby and any other thing that needed to be done, she also made the totally amazing baby bedding for Davis. (see below). Have you ever seen anything cuter? I am so in love with it. And of course, the picture doesn't even do it justice. Thanks Mom!

Then my Dad came and met my mom here for a week. He was a huge help getting the girls to and from school and showing them funny things on the computer. He also brought the biggest banana squash I have ever seen, we are still eating it and it is SO good! (see behind my mom in the above picture).

After my parents left we were lucky enought to have Justin's family out here for a week. Justin took a few days off work and we had so much fun with them. When I wasn't feeling up for fun, they took the girls for the day and I just got to rest with my little one. I will have pictures of that soon (right Mikey?).

Thank you, thank you to all of our family and friends that have helped out with the girls and with meals and gifts and everything. We are so so blessed and we love you all so much!

I Am In Love . . .

2008-10-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

with two men!

Welcome to the world Little Man!

2008-10-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

Our little guy is finally here! The quick version: Davis Justin Wilkinson was born on October 4th at 6:40 a.m. at OHSU Hospital in Portland, Oregon. He was (get ready for this) 9 lb. 11 oz. and 21.5 inches long. Everything went very smoothly. We are so excited that he is here and is healthy. I am feeling great (considering having given birth to an almost 10 pounder). His sisters are loving him and can't think about anything else but holding their little brother.

Longer version: Justin and I went to the hospital Friday night about 11:00. Luckily my mom had just flown in that morning so she was able to stay with the girls. I was having contractions about 5 minutes apart and we didn't waste any time considering my history with fast-coming babies. We got checked in and since I was already dilated to a 5 (for 2 weeks before-hand), it went pretty fast. Luckily not as fast as with Emma and I had some time for the epidural to actually kick in. None of us could believe it when he finally made his appearance. He is huge! I knew that this baby felt a little bigger than Abby and Emma did but had no idea that he was that much bigger. But he is healthy and wonderful and we love having him in our home. Here are some pictures of the little (big) guy!

Deprived? or just creative?

2008-09-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Emma had her first preschool field trip. They walked to Petco to pick out a class fish and a hermit crab. It was very exciting for Emma, especially since it was her special day to be the class helper so she got to be the first one to feed the fish.

When I went to pick her up, there was a list of all the kids on the door. Next to it, the teacher had written what pets they had at home. A few of the kids didn't have pets, but the majority had dogs, cats, fish, birds, etc. Under Emma's name was written "Box Elder bug". Now, I believe I have mentioned before about my kids love for anything creepy crawly. At any moment, there are about 5 cups on Abby's desk with some sort of spider living in them. Well, just yesterday morning Emma had been playing outside and had found a Box Elder bug that she had adopted. She made a habitat and even named it Bock (you know, short for Box). I was so glad that she remembered to tell her teachers that she did indeed have a pet. He drowned shortly after her return from preschool. But the great thing about Box Elder bugs is for every one that dies, there are about 10,000 more in the backyard.

If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again

2008-09-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again

If I had my child to raise all over again,

I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.

I'd do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less and know to care more.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious and seriously play.

I'd run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

I would be firm less often and affirm much more.

I'd build self esteem first and the house later.

I'd teach less about the love of power,

And more about the power of love.

-- Diane Loomis

Randomness

2008-09-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

So it's been a while since I've posted. I'd like to say it's because I've been in the hospital having a baby but I can't . . . because I haven't. 3 weeks left to go until the due date. I don't remember being so uncomfortable and anxious when I was pregnant with the girls, but I've had some time for my memory to soften about pregnancy and childbirth.

In the meantime, we have been having a super busy month with school starting, doctor's appointments, soccer for Abby, ballet for Emma and lots of eye surgery for Justin. The girls are loving school and the highlight for Abby has been the Bean and Cheese Chalupa she had for school lunch yesterday. Apparently it was "awesome".

We had the best weekend ever with our dear friends the Akins and Chamberlains in town visiting. We got to get together with the Norths also, making 3 families we love from our San Francisco days. We played so hard all weekend that I'm sure it will take a long time to recover for all of us but it was so worth it. In fact, we had so much fun that I forgot to take any pictures. So, I'll just post some pics of the cutest girls I know. Hopefully soon, we'll have some pictures of the little man that will soon join our family. Until then . . .

Nesting . . .

2008-09-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

I've definitely been nesting lately. After a long period of not being motivated to do much at all, except read (I'm always motivated to do that), I have been wanting to sew, paint and organize anything I can get my hands on. This baby better come soon or else it's going to quickly get out of hand. These are a few of my latest projects.

Embellishing old jeans and t-shirts for the girls

Baby shower gifts (how cute is that snail, I can't get over it

The Before Picture (thanks again Amanda for the dresser)

The After (the girl's dresser got moved to baby's room) I think this turned out pretty cute. I painted it and then covered the drawers with scrapbook paper and loads of mod podge. Have I mentioned on here before my complete and utter love of mod podge. If not, I have now gotten it out there.

There are some more projects in the works but they are secret Christmas presents so they will remain unpublished until a later date.

Last Days of Summer

2008-08-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Can you believe summer is almost over?! Where did it go? The girls start school next week and I am having very mixed emotions about the whole thing. This is Abby's first year of "all day" school and Emma will be in preschool 4 afternoons a week. It seems like their childhood is passing before my eyes. I know they're still little but every new phase in their lives seems to bring on a wave of emotions for me.

So we've been trying to get in all the fun we can and enjoy these past few weeks of summer. Last week it was, get this, 104 degrees in Portland. So all of you that think the sun never shines here . . . We had to escape the heat and so we drove to the coast where it looked like this (see below). Yep, cloudy, windy and 60 degrees. I would have settled for a middle ground somewhere around 80 degrees but I wasn't complaining when we got home at 10:30 pm and the thermostat in our apt. still said it was 90 degrees in our house. The girls didn't mind that it was less than sunny. They played all day in the sand and even got in the water a bit. Not me!

The beautiful Oregon coast

Painting - they're practicing to be artists one day

Can I even tell you how much I love the blackberry bushes behind our house! Mmmmm.

Blackberry jam and blackberry-lemon tart - I love summer!

Portland Rose Garden

2008-08-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

This has got to be one of my very favorite places. And of course the pictures don't ever do it justice. There are just thousands of roses, every shape and color. It is really so beautiful and the girls love to walk around and smell them and pick out their favorite. Anyone want to come and visit?

The Perfect Exercise for Kids . . .

2008-08-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share a great new discovery I made this week. The perfect way to completely wear out your kids without them even knowing it. Windless Kite-Flying. Let me explain. The girls and I were getting ready for a picnic at the park when Emma asked if we could take the kite. There was absolutely no wind whatsoever. That didn't seem like a good enough excuse to Emma, so in order to avoid the arguement, I told her to bring it just in case. Well, the wind never picked up but of course she wanted to fly it anyway. So for the next 2 hours the girls took turns running as fast as they possibly could in order to keep the kite in the air. They thought it was great, I had a nice rest on the blanket and by the time we left the park they were completely spent. Let's hope for plenty of windless days.

Just a Little Blogging Break!

2008-07-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe a big blogging break. We are still here and doing well. We just got back from a 3 week vacation to Utah. We had so much fun with family - the girls loved being with their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents that they don't get to see too often. A few of the highlights were; a week in Bear Lake, lots of hikes, bike rides to Aggie Ice Cream, fireworks, seeing their new baby cousin Lily, learning to play hopscotch, running through the sprinkler, playing legos, jumping on Uncle Tyler, making necklaces at Grandma T's and eating a lot of popsicles. What else is summer for, right? Thanks everyone for letting us come and play with you. It was a much needed break and I think I'm well rested and ready now for these last couple months of pregnancy.

On another note, we had two big milestones this week since we've been back. Abby has learned to ride her bike with no training wheels and Emma is now officially swimming. We realized that we could have taken those training wheels off quite a while ago when Abby started riding without any trouble at all. "It's so easy" she said. Emma just made the decision to start putting her head under water after 4 years of refusing. She is now a little fish and we are loving spending every day at the pool. I'm enjoying having two swimmers while I can since next summer will be a different story.

So, there's the update. Sorry for the wordy post. Here are a few highlight pictures. I am hoping to get a web album up here soon as soon as we remember our password.

Our Little Superstar

2008-06-20T20:31:00.000-07:00

So the big T-ball season has ended and the jury is still out on whether or not it is the sport for Abby. She pretty much summed it up after her first game when she said, "It was fine, but I want more soccer in T-ball." I will admit that those hours spent watching pitch after pitch after pitch got a little bit long. (because apparently t-ball isn't really t-ball after the first game because they start pitching to the kids and since they are 5 year-olds they don't ever ever get out and get as many pitches as it takes). But it was fun to see Abby learn to throw and hit and she really did do a great job when she wasn't making mud pies in the outfield.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T20:15:00.001-07:00

For some reason this picture of Justin and the girls is very descriptive of his life as a father. He is very involved in the day-to-day tasks of fatherhood; reading, teeth-brushing, dress-up, bug-catching, etc. But he also works a lot and has to make the most of the little time he does have at home with us. Thus the double toothbrushing picture below. The girls adore their daddy and we wish you the best Father's Day ever Justin. Sorry you had to spend it at the hospital but we're glad we got to celebrate with you yesterday. And to our wonderful dads, thank you for the wonderful examples you are to us and your grandkids. We all look up to you so much and appreciate the huge part of our lives that you are.

Silver Falls

2008-06-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

I just came across some pictures of a little trip we took down to Silver Falls a few weeks ago. It was such a great day. We had driven to the Tulip festival only to find miles and miles of cars backed up to get in so we decided to keep going and find a new place to discover. This park was beautiful and had the most gorgeous waterfalls. This one you could hike behind and the girls thought it was pretty amazing to be able to stand behind the waterfall. I just love having all of these new places to discover.

Not complaining, Just sharing . . .

2008-06-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

So I just got online to check the weather for the next week since the girls have been begging to go to the neighborhood pool that just opened. Now, I'm not trying to be a complainer, I just wanted to share our 10 day forecast. I am now repeating in my head the words "I love the trees, I love the greenery, I love the flowers" over and over again. Please note the words in orange.

TonightJun 1
Partly Cloudy
N/A46°
10%

MonJun 2
Partly Cloudy
67°52°
10%

67°F
TueJun 3
Showers
59°50°
60%

59°F
WedJun 4
Showers
60°49°
40%

60°F
ThuJun 5
Mostly Cloudy
63°53°
20%

63°F
FriJun 6
Few Showers
58°53°
30%

58°F
SatJun 7
Showers
60°49°
50%

60°F
SunJun 8
Few Showers
65°50°
30%

65°F
MonJun 9
Showers
63°49°
60%

TueJun 10
Showers
69°51°
60%

Goings On!

2008-06-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know I have not been a great blogger lately. Justin's been working nights this past month and I've been spending quite a bit of time curled up with some great books. So I thought I would post a few pics of what's been going on these past few weeks.

I got to spend a weekend at the coast with some girlfriends. We rented a beach house and just relaxed, walked on the beach, ate way too many swedish fish and enjoyed the beautiful Oregon coast.

We also had Abby's birthday - 6 years old. She requested an "artist birthday party". It was so much fun. I took way too few pictures due to the intensity of 10 girls and tables of art supplies. We made pet rocks, decorated goody bags, painted little ceramic fairies, made mugs, etc. They were messy and so happy. Abby even decorated her own cake this year to look like a paintbrush. It was so fabulous but you'll have to take my word for it because I totally forgot to take a picture in all the excitement. I can't believe it.

The last picture is just Emma being so Emma.

Early morning walk on the beach (okay, not SO early but early enough for me)

Our rental house - it's for sale if anyone's looking. It was SO cute!

The birthday girl!

Abby and a few of the partyers being crafty.

Oh Emma, we love you!

It's a BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-05-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, I had big plans to learn how to scan the ultrasound picture and post it, but I am just not up to the challenge I guess. I'll have to have Justin help me with that (pathetic, I know). We are so excited! The baby is looking healthy and wiggly and "smudgy" according to Abby who didn't think the ultrasound picture quite lived up to her visions of "seeing the baby". After the tech told us it was a boy the girls both said "Yeah, we really wanted a boy!". It was fun to see them so excited to see the baby's hands and feet and point out things they could see. They will be great big sisters! And although Justin insisted he would be thrilled with either a boy or a girl, I know that deep down he is thrilled to have a boy and not be so outnumbered with the drama that seems to come with the girls in this family! Anyway, had to share the news. Life has taken over lately and blogging has been neglected but I will try to do better. I will post pictures soon of Abby's wonderful birthday party . . .

Woodburn Tulip Festival

2008-05-05T21:40:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun at the Tulip Festival! Okay, so it was hailing when we showed up. But we still couldn't get over how beautiful the tulips were. The girls LOVED it and think that we should grow this many in our backyard next year . . . hmmm,

Words to Live By . . .

2008-04-29T21:19:00.001-07:00

So I was flipping channels tonight and came across one of my all-time favorites. Karate Kid I. It just happened to be the part where Mr. Miyagi says one of my all-time favorite movie lines; "Man who catch fly with chopsticks, accomplish anything". I mean, seriously, how cool is Miyagi.

To Learn About Oneself . . .

2008-04-27T20:39:00.001-07:00

It's amazing how much I can learn about myself from my girls. Apparently I must have had a hard week because this was our conversation tonight.

Me: Okay girls, what should our goals be for this week? (we set goals on Sunday night)
Abby: Doing what you ask without saying "no". (All said with a bored, annoyed look on her face.)
Emma: Going potty when you ask and not being grumpy. (Same goal for the last 8 weeks)
Me: Okay, what should Mommy's goals be this week?
Abby: Don't be grouchy anymore! (Rolled right off her tongue like she didn't even need to think about it).
Emma: Do yowa (your) haya (hair) a little pwettier!
Abby: Don't be sick anymore!
Emma: Don't be grouchy anymowa (anymore)! (wait, didn't we already say that)
Me: Okay, okay, that's enough goals for me this week. What should Daddy's be?
(long silence) . . .
Abby: Work really hard at work.

Looks like Justin already has it made. Apparently, I am a sick grouch with bad hair.

If you need to learn anything about yourself, just ask your kids. But be prepared for a way too honest answer.