Many months behind

Here are a few photos of the kiddos from February. Both kids are at such a fun age, and I absolutely love watching them play together, tackle each other, and laugh together. It's a mama's dream. If only I could freeze time and keep them at this age forever.

Thanksgiving celebrations

Better late than never. We have not been very good about updating our blog, so I have a few different events that I will posting over the next few days. We had a wonderful time hosting our family for Thanksgiving and learned that you don't have to have a large home to host loved ones. My brother and his fiancee flew in from Colorado, my sister and her husband drove up from California, and my mom and step-dad brought their motor home down from Mill Creek. Sadly, my older brother and his family were not able to join us because his daughter got sick. We spent five relaxing days together celebrating Thanksgiving and my brother's engagement with a surprise bridal shower. Avery, my brother's sweet fiancee, also invited my mom, sister and I to a bridal boutique to try on dresses, and she even found a beautiful dress to purchase on "Black Friday." It was a great weekend!

Halloween and Hermiston

In mid-October, we all piled into the car at 5am (an hour only my husband appreciates)in hopes that our children would sleep most of the way to Hermiston, Oregon, where my grandma would be celebrating her 75th birthday. This was also the first time most of my relatives would be meeting Elise, and it had been over a year since they had seen Micah. We heard little noise from the back seat during the first half of our trip, and the second half went rather smoothly, despite their awake state. My grandparents had a wonderful time loving on both of their great-grandkids, and I really enjoyed spending some time with my relatives.

At the end of the month, we enjoyed some Halloween festive activities and loved dressing our kids up in fun costumes. Micah looked adorable in his kangaroo costume and Elise was stayed warm in her pee-pod costume. We also put her in a cute bear outfit that Micah used to wear on our cold walks to school.

Fall update

Our sweet first born is now 3 years old! I can't believe how much in our lives have changed over the past three years and how much Micah has morphed into a fun, little boy. His blossoming personality and incessant talking makes us laugh and, at times, makes us wonder why we ever longed for him to start talking.:) Like most three year olds, he loves to pretend play with his trucks, doctor's kit, animals, or grocery cart/food. I get the biggest kick out of listening to his inner dialogue as he talks through each move.

He is also thoroughly enjoying school, which he attends two mornings a week. Hearing all the great stories of craft-time, snack-time, play-time and circle-time assures me that this two and three year old class at our church is a perfect fit for Micah. Early Sundays mornings, Micah returns to church for Jim's praise team practice. While Jim is rehearsing, Micah sits in the pew with a small instrument in hand (drum, piano, microphone, etc.) and plays along with them. Sunday mornings are a highlight for this budding musician and his father.

Elise is growing like a weed. At her 6 month appointment, she was in the 60th percentile for height and the 10th for weight. We are blessed with another happy, easy-going baby! Elise loves to watch her brother and laughs at the funny faces and sounds he makes. She rolls all over the floor, is learning to sit up by herself, and is getting her first tooth, which explains why she chews on EVERYTHING that comes near her mouth. Knowing that she is our last, helps me to appreciate each stage more than I did with Micah. I am treasuring each little milestone Elise meets.

This month we were visited by Auntie Kandi, my childhood best friend, Kandi's mom, my mom, and Kristi Gertner, another one of my mom's friends. They are all from La Grande, OR, where I grew up, and were in the area visiting a relative. Our moms have known each other since high school, and Kandi and I and Kristi's son were born just months apart and literally grew up together. Although their visit was short, it was packed full of funny childhood stories, family updates, and photo shoots. Below is a picture of our moms fixing lunch at my house(some things never change)and Kandi holding Elise. Fall is the perfect time to reconnect with old friends!

Camp McCullough

At the beginning of August, we spent a week working at our church's high school camp. With our kids in tow, our job was to keep the camp running on time, problem solve any issues, and do evening bed checks, just to name a few. The campers were great with both of our kids and gave them lots of attention and even babysat when both Jim and I were occupied with other duties. Micah loved playing with "his friends" , running around the camp, helping with craft time, and swimming in the lake. Whenever Elise was awake, she was passed from camper to camper and smiled at each new friendly face. During lunch, Jim and I announced the winners of cabin clean-up and surprised the campers with a visit from Henry and Midge, a very old couple who thought they were going to "Senior Citizen Camp." We had a lot of fun letting our creative juices flow during this improvised skit. We also had a great time dressing up for each of the theme nights (Western Night, Disney Night, Lost at Sea, and Bollywood Night). The campers really got into this and were very creative with their costumes. Our favorite part was spending quality time with all of the amazing people who were a part of camp and watching the kids grow in their walk with the Lord. Camp McCullough is a blessed place!

Quick update

We have spent most of July fixing up our home, hosting BBQ's and playing with our kids. We took a few pictures of the three 70 foot trees that we had taken down. I finally had to leave the house during the process because I was so nervous the tree was going to crush our house. The good news is that we now have a peek-a-boo view of Mt. Rainier. Although it has been hot, we've had a great time this summer and are looking forward to a fun-filled August.

Our House is a very very very fine house

God has blessed Julie and I over the last couple years with a great apt. to live in. We waited, sometimes very impatiently, for the right house for us and finally found it. With the help of many to accomplish a few minor fixes (paint, new carpet and flooring, downed trees), we are now sleeping in our very own home. We are incredibly grateful and know that the timing was a result of God's provision for us.