Pretty Petal

Finally a new post!

2010-10-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy as usual . . .BUT in a wonderful turn of events, Stewart and I had an amazing 11 day vacation in Cancun! It is the first time we have been away from our babies as a couple. We stayed at a 5 star all inclusive resort and spa and it was AMAZING. We just got home 2 days ago, and there was FROST on my windshield! I stood there shivering to death in my flip flops, trying to get the kids loaded up. I guess it's time to put the beloved flip flops away. We met some wonderful people from all over. I have become the "adopted" daughter of a lovely couple from Scotland. Just the sweetest, sweetest people. Also made some great friends from Chester, and Yorkshire. And of course, many many friends from Mexico. I really just wanted to take them all home with me. :)

And being able to wear bathing suits on the beach with pride was a great feeling. People only believe me when I say I've had 3 children (including twins) when I show the TT scar. What can I say, I've never been one to be shy about it! I may look like I'm 12 . . .but NO, I'm not! I'm approaching 30 . . .oye.

We ate and drank a ton and were papmpered in the spa. And the resort staff had a very nice vibe . . .they treat you like family. LOVED it. Now I'm trying to figure out when we can go back!

I've added one of the kids too . . .can't leave them out! This one was taken on the 4th of July as Daddy set off fireworks in front of our house. Enjoy . . . lots of love to all!

One year since the tuck!

2010-08-05T17:12:00.000-07:00

Lots going on -- we took a wonderful vacation to the outerbanks of North Carolina. I show some of that in this video. My "tummy tuck" support venture has exploded into something much bigger than I ever thought it would be. I originally made my video log to share with you, my friends and family . . .I had no idea it would be getting the audience it is. Google is now paying me for add space on my videos -- never expected that! But it's been a great bonus for all the work I put into this. I get hundreds of emails from people all over the world. Crazy! Anyway, enjoy and Hugs to everyone!

The Latest on my TT & Other News

2010-03-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted a lot of my videos on this blog. Because I've been swamped supporting other Tummy Tucker's out there. I have lost a total of 18 lbs since the TT. And feel awesome. So, here's my recent vid. If you want to see the ones you missed . . .just go to http://www.youtube.com/user/beckrsr?feature=mhw4

I didn't realize how tired I look in this video! But everyone is pointing it out. Anyway, all is well in the Reinbold family. The twins are 21 months old and Petal is 3 1/2. Sorry it's been so long for an update. I've been super busy taking a little extra care of myself by working out, etc. And between Stewart and I, we are working 7 days a week, and staying very involved in our church. So, busy busy busy times!

2010-01-01T21:15:00.000-08:00

My good friend Kayti took some wonderful pictures of us -- the kids personalities really come through in them. 2009 has been a full year for us -- many happy moments and some challenges too. But God has been faithful through it all.

Happy 2010 everyone!

2009-12-31T19:28:00.000-08:00

Ok, we were HORRIBLE at getting pictures of our Christmas in Tennessee. We had a wonderful time with Stewart's family -- although, most of us got a horrible flu bug . . .we made it through that -- as we always do. There are 6 cousins in all -- Parker will be 4 in January, Petal is 3 1/2, Ava is 3, Cooper will be 2 in Jan. and Finn and Sawyer are 19 months. Sitting on the couch there watching a video are . . .Parker, Ava, Petal and Cooper. It's the first time the entire Reinbold family has been together since having all 6 children! I wish we would have gotten some pictures of us grown ups! Anway, it's New Year's Eve as I write this and we are wishing everyone a very HAPPY 2010!!

Halloween

2009-11-01T20:33:00.000-08:00

We had a very fun Halloween this year. It was the boys' first time dressing up. As you can see, they are cute little jesters. Petal, of course, is Cinderella. Despite a drenching downpour at the beginning of our trick or treating adventure --everyone had a great time. (If you look closely, you can see Finn's neon green cast he has now. They decided to put a plaster cast on the little guy because he couldn't resist taking all the dressings off. He got a little infection, but other than that . . .the finger is healing well. Thank you for everyone's care and concern. :)

Traumatic Day

2009-10-21T23:27:00.001-07:00

Well, we had a very traumatic day on Monday. Long story short . . .Finn lost a finger. (Don't worry, it is back on now) Petal was trying to be a very good helper and keep him out of the bathroom while mommy was in there. Next thing I know . . .the door slams shut, a terrifying scream ensues, and then absolute panic from mommy. This was no routine finger getting slammed in the door as usual. Once I saw the blood . . . and then the dangling finger . . .I knew something was terribly wrong. My babies' pinkie finger was hanging by a thread and blood was gushing everywhere. What to do, oh what to do. I was so panicked, I couldn't think straight. It took me several minutes to find a phone and dial 911. I was such a mess, the 911 operator had to coach me through the most basic steps. "Talk to your baby" she says . . .he needs you to be calm so he can be calm. "Next, I need you to get a clean towel and compress the wound to stop the bleeding." I was terrified to touch it, afraid that it would completely come off in my hand. But I was able to do as she said . . .but couldn't bare to think about what was happening under the towel. Somehow, I got the front door unlocked to let the fire department in. 3 very nice and helpful firemen came to assist us. Petal helped escort them in. I was blubbering like a baby myself at this point. They took care of the finger, while I tried to give them necessary information. And off they take him into the big firetruck -- I wasn't able to go with him because I had the other 2 kids. So I call my good friend Kelley (also a busy mommy of two) she rushed over, took Petal and Sawyer . . .while I headed for the hospital. It was sooooo hard to let go of my baby and have them take him away . . . without me. They took him to Overlake, and then had to transfer him to Children's hospital where an orthopedic surgeon operated on his finger. The surgery went very well -- turns out Finn's finger was hanging on by a mere 3 mm of skin. Which was a real blessing -- it could have been even worse without that there. By the time they started the surgery . . .the unattached part was getting very gray and dusky . . .obviously a sign that it was not getting blood flow. The surgeon did a great job and the finger is doing well -- it was pinking up very nicely once we were on our way home at around 9 p.m.
I think my Finn has taken it much better than I did/am. Let me tell you . . .this whole new world of raising boys is totally foreign to me!!!! I am told that this will not be my last trip to the ER with having two boys to raise. Lord help me, cuz I was and STILL am a mess from this ordeal. The good news is that Finn is fine and is very resilient. He's happy as a clam right now -- he gets to be on oxycodon for the next few days! We are soooo thankful for the good outcome and are praying that his finger heals without complication. Thank you all for your prayers, support. We truly have some wonderful friends.

This made me smile -- So CUTE!

2009-09-23T08:57:00.001-07:00

Petal's First Day of School

2009-09-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

Princess Petal Turns 3

2009-07-28T22:24:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Petal into her 3rd year of life on Saturday . . .today (July 28th) is her actual birthday. She had a very fun time at her Princess party -- here are a few pictures of her special day.

A few of the kids

2009-07-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

Tummy Tuck Progress At 3 Weeks

2009-07-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

Petal's Bedtime Routine Get's a Little Silly!

2009-06-22T22:52:00.000-07:00

Getting my drains removed!

2009-06-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

So I am healing remarkably well and a little ahead of schedule . . .usually the drains are removed between 10-14 days post op. I am 7 days post op and I got mine removed today!! It is SO nice to have them gone. Having my nurse remove them was a little scary and painful . . .the tubes are something like 12-14 inches long. But as you can tell from my videos my nurse is EXCELLENT. She is so wonderful. Anyway, the last photo is the latest of my incision -- it is looking great so far.

Little Update & Liposuction Bruises

2009-06-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

Our Little Petal

2009-06-19T07:25:00.001-07:00

Petal has such a nurturing heart. She knows mommy isn't feeling the best and she has decided to take on the role of my protector. Everyday she brings me something like a handful of buttercups she picked, or a cracker she saved from her snack time. And when someone is administering meds or helping me with dressings etc. she informs everyone to, "Be careful with that, ok?" Or "Be gentle with mommy she doesn't feel really good, ok?" You'd have to hear it come straight from her, but it just melts your heart. She is the sweetest little girl. (This one's for you Ken!)

Lost my comments!

2009-06-17T18:40:00.001-07:00

So, as I was rearranging the order of my posts . . .I lost some of your comments! Please feel free to leave them again.

MY FIRST TUMMY TUCK VIDEO PART 1 !!

2009-06-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

2009-06-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

The beginning of the diary begins with video 1 . . .So follow the movie numbers to view them chronologically!

TUMMY TUCK DIARY PART 2

2009-06-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

I wish we could have gotten a picture of Dr. E. I'll for sure get one during one of my post-op appointments!! He was so wonderful and made me feel so at ease. It all of a sudden becomes very real when you see the markings and everything that will be G-O-N-E!

TUMMY TUCK DIARY PART 3 -- LAST ONE BEFORE SURGERY!

2009-06-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

TUMMY TUCK VIDEO 4 (FYI -- the drains can loook pretty gross! So don't look if you get sick easily!)

TUMMY TUCK VIDEO 5 -- SEEING MY NEW BELLY FOR THE FIRST TIME! (As you can see there's a little bit of swelling that eventually go away)

Finn and Sawyer Turn 1

2009-06-03T22:40:00.001-07:00

Well, the big day was yesterday June 2nd! Our Boys turned the big 1 year old! We didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked . . .mostly video. Petal had fun showing them how to blow out their candles! I've posted a cute picture of Petal at the end on a different day, so as not to leave her out! We really have not been great at taking lots of pictures these days. We are spending lots of time doing the "potty training bootcamp" with Petal . . .which as you know, is a big job. I can't imagine what it will be like to potty train 2 boys. :) Anyway, the boy's birthday was very low key and quiet . . .but it was perfect. I cannot believe it's been a year.

Boys will be boys

2009-05-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo the other day -- all 3 kids' first time! Check out the boys' up close and personal encounter with a monkey in the gift shop! (I have no idea why it duplicates part of the link . . .I couldn't figure it out. You can still play the video though.)

This Is What Happens When Daddy Gets Home From Work

2009-05-20T16:15:00.001-07:00

Wedding Cake Cookies

2009-05-02T13:22:00.001-07:00

Here's another fun project I did this week.

A Few Recent Pics

2009-05-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

The kids are growing fast.

Baby Shower Cookies

2009-04-10T20:40:00.000-07:00

I am very excited about these cookies! My friend Bridget created the damask design for a baby shower she put together. She wanted the cookies to match her invitations --I have a company that can print anything for me in a jepeg format onto edible icing paper . . .and voila! Here is the finished product. As you can see, they match the invitations just perfectly! I love how they turned out! Of course I can see all of the flaws -- but I know it's some of my best work! The Whole Foods deal is progressing slowly but surely. Hopefully my product will be in the store by the end of the month! My business definitely needs a weekly account to be profitable in any way so I am so thankful to have this opportunity with Whole Foods.

Spring Cookies

2009-03-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

I am SUPER excited -- Whole Foods Markets is going to buy my cookies! All of the details are still being worked out . . .it's been going through the corporate approval process for a few weeks now. But if all goes as planned you'll be able to buy my cookies at the Redmond Whole Foods. We're starting in one store to test it out and will move on to the other stores with time. These are the spring themed cookies I made and they loved them! My family has been asking for these pictures for weeks now. . . so here they are!

This quote . . . Wow.

2009-03-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.

--Jim Elliot

God is good, people!

2009-02-24T19:20:00.001-08:00

Can I just say . . .God is so Good. All the time. Not just sometimes, or when He feels like it. He is a God who wants good things for us, all the time. And I rest in the knowledge that I serve a God who's love is far reaching. I think God gets blamed for many things that are not His doing. Talk about being misunderstood. You know that saying, "Everything happens for a reason." I can't stand it! Yes, things do happen for a "reason." But it doesn't mean that God is behind everything that happens on earth. The age old question, "Why does God allow such suffering in the world?" Because He has given each person a free will -- God shouldn't have to take responsibility for people's bad choices -- OR for the operations of Satan. But when things DO go wrong (and I personally believe they do because Satan plays a role in our decision making at times.) God makes us an AWESOME promise: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (And I believe he has called EVERY SINGLE person on earth) I've seen God fulfill this promise in my life over and over. I don't know about you, but it gives me incredible HOPE to keep pressing in, and to keep fighting for what God has called me to do during my time on earth. GOD IS GOOD! Can I get an amen?!

Now that my sermon is over. Haha :) Auntie Livy says I do not post nearly enough pictures?! I tried to give Finn a haircut on Sunday. It turned out MOSTLY ok . . . except that I kinda gave him a bald spot on one side when he turned his head really fast. I was trying to avoid giving him the unfortunate "dumb and dumber" haircut that little kids so often end up with . . . you'll have to watch the movie to understand what I mean. Anyway, I'm thinking I should probably leave the haircutting up to the pros. :) The boys are getting to that age where they are starting to play with Petal now . . .and each other too. It's like one day they realized they had each other to play with!

Our Life In A Day

2009-02-06T17:52:00.001-08:00

Mommy's Boots

Ready to Go!

(Aunt Gail, these are the overalls you gave

the boys! Can you believe they are wearing them already?)

New Blog Look

2009-02-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

I've been playing around with new blog layouts. I thought we needed a new look. :) The whole formatting and changing text around is completely foreign to me . . .so I will make other changes as I get the time -- as it IS quite time consuming!

Nothing Much

2009-01-29T14:30:00.001-08:00

Has it really been a month since I posted about Christmas? Good grief. Well, it has been a month without any picture taking. I enjoyed a wonderful trip to Anchorage to visit Olivia and Sam. It was a wonderful break. Don't worry, I didn't leave Stew home by himself with all 3 kidlets! Stew's mom was here to help. My trip was 6 days long and it was awesome! Stewart and I are still very sleep deprived. We have one boy who mostly sleeps through the night (Sawyer) and one boy who is still up every 2-3 hours (Finn). By the way, Helen . . . I know you're reading this and I feel like I have about 1,000 questions pertaining to twins that I know you would have the answers to!

Needless to say, life is much more difficult without solid sleep -- especially for someone like me who operates best on about 10 hours a night. Seriously, I'm not kidding! We were hoping for that 6 month milestone of sleeping through the night. The boys will be 8 months old on Feb. 2nd! I'm sure you can see from the pictures that they are BIG boys for being premature twins. Finn is weighing in at 19 1/2 lbs and Sawyer is 21 lbs! Which is only 4 lbs lighter than little miss Petal!

Today, Petal is eagerly awaiting a visit from Papa and Grammy. They are on their way over here for a weekend visit. My mom will be helping me again with my business. Business has kept a steady pace and I am still loving it. Stewart is looking forward to the Super Bowl this Sunday. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't share the same sentiments about football.
Well, I'm trying to think of a good picture to post just for fun . . .if not, I'll make up for it on the next one. :)

Ok, here's one of the entire family.
I think Olivia might have posted this one on her blog too.

Christmas Highlights

2008-12-28T22:06:00.000-08:00

I'l try and post more pictures over the next few days. We had a great time with our family and were sad to see everyone leave. Olivia got some nice group shots so I'll have to get from her and post them. Our Christmas was blessed -- a very happy time for all!

Just hear those sleigh bells ringaling ting ting tingaling too . . . . .

2008-12-21T12:39:00.001-08:00

This is one of my favorite Christmas tree ornaments I've had for a few years -- I got it in Ketchikan way back when I worked at Hallmark. We were all laughing yesterday at how each of the penguins looks kind of like Petal, (front) Finn, (middle) & Sawyer (back). I think mostly it's their expressions. Or maybe we see what we want to see! But it's cute anyway!

As you can tell, we've finally gotten our tree decorated. I can't believe we didn't get around to it until now! My mom and I worked a 12 hour day getting ready for a fund raising event on Mercer Island. We were in the process of making about 3,000 cookies and 500 cinnamon rolls when I received a call informing us that the event had been cancelled. We've decided to deliver all of the food to the food banks and shelters in the area . . .if , however, we are able to get out in this blizzard!

We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Olivia and Jeremy. They are currently in Portland visiting Jeremy's brother and family and will then make they're way up here on Tuesday. My dad will be driving here the same day from Idaho, and then Sam will arrive via plane on Christmas Eve. We are all praying for safe travel! The weather all over the nation has been pretty wintery -- interestingly enough though, the power in North Bend has been out for more than 12 hours, except for our block! Which is a HUGE blessing. We all remember 2 years ago when the power was out for 5+ days and we were trying to pack for our trip to Australia! Petal was only 5 months old at the time. Thankfully, we have avoided that this year and we are able to enjoy our Christmas lights and enjoy the conveniences of electricity!

I'm sure all of you are looking forward to spending time with your families and friends this holiday season as well. Thank you all for the wonderful Christmas cards. We are sending everyone warm wishes for a Merry Christmas!

2008-12-13T12:16:00.000-08:00

Well, we've had our Christmas tree now for over a week -- and there it sits in our living room untouched. Poor thing. I hope we can get it decorated on Sunday. I am beside myself with excitement for this Christmas. My entire family --including Sam, Olivia, Jeremy, and my parents are coming to stay at our house. Yay! This year Petal is old enough to understand a little bit more of Christmas which is very fun.

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed as of late. I have taken on a lot with my new business. Working long nights to get everything accomplished and trying to be a good mother at the same time. I am leasing kitchen space from a catering company in Kirkland -- and I had the entire 1600 sq. foot kitchen all to myself for almost 12 hours yesterday . . .it was exhilerating. Being able to exercise my creativity and having a business to call my own is very rewarding -- but maintaining a balance is a challenge. The business aspect is quite the learning curve for me too. With time, however, I have confidence that the wrinkles will be ironed out, and I will get better at juggling both work and home. :) My husband is the most supportive and loving partner in the world. He has always been behind me, cheering me on to follow my dream, and picking up all of the loose ends at home. How blessed I am to have Stewart.

Baby Loves Disco

2008-11-23T09:56:00.000-08:00

We went with some friends to "Baby Loves Disco" in Seattle. A nightclub rented out just for babies and kids. It was super fun! Petal wasn't so sure about the thousands of bubbles pouring down from the ceiling . . .(she has a fear of bubbles and baloons popping . . .go figure) but other than that she enjoyed dancing with her friends. Evan is her age and Daniel is almost 5. Thanks Jennifer for the video!!

Exciting News

2008-11-13T22:16:00.000-08:00

It has been the desire of my heart pretty much my entire life to have my own bakery. No longer a dream on the backburner, it has become a reality. I am renting a commercial kitchen space for the timebeing -- which is a great option to get my started without outrageous overhead. I am already crazy busy with orders for the holidays. It's starting out small -- which is good. I just got my business cards in the mail today and it felt like Christmas. :) I am excited to begin this journey! You can check out my website: http://www.simplysugar.jimdo.com

Triangle Bob

2008-11-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

Petal loves watching Sesame Street. This summer, a certain episode with a very small segment called "Triangle Bob" captured her attention. Unfortunately, our Tivo automatically deleted it and she has been asking for Triangle Bob ever since. She asks me to sing the song to her every night at bedtime . . .I simply do not do the song, "Triangle Bob, Triangle Pants" justice. Thank goodness for Youtube! I guess it's suppossed to be a parady of Spongebob squarepants. I think it's the silliest thing I've ever seen, and I'm not sure why Petal is in love with it . . . but here it is. Triangle Bob is a household name around here . . .and I couldn't resist introducing you to him. :)

Petal's Halloween

2008-11-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

Petal as a little lion ballerina this year. We had so much fun going trick or treating. I think she liked the oohs and aaahs over her costume almost more than the candy. :)

Some Halloween Pics . . .More to come!

2008-10-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

These are the cookies I made this year -- I love holidays because it gives me a reason to make these kind of cookies!

Here are the boys in their Halloween outfits . . .they are little sheepdogs. And yes! Those of you who guessed you were right . . .Finn is on the left and Sawyer is on the right. Petal is going trick or treating tomorrow. I will post some fun pictures of her in her costume. It's really quite adorable this year.

A few recent photos

2008-10-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

Can you guess which one is which?

Looks like I've been out voted -- So here are some new pics

2008-09-08T10:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, let's take a vote

2008-09-04T11:14:00.001-07:00

Alright, I've been hearing a lot about this, Sooooo if you like my blog and think I should keep it up and running . . .vote. Just leave me a comment and let me know what you think. If I see a huge response, I'll certainly keep it. I wanted to shut it down because I thought no one was viewing it. Let's see just how many really are . . . leave your vote!!!

Moving to Facebook

2008-09-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

Hello to all . . .

Well I've decided to shut down my blog and move permanently to Facebook. This site doesn't seem to get many visitors and it's easier for me to keep everything updated via one website as opposed to several. I know it's kind of a bummer for those of you who do not have a Facebook account.

Fun With Family

2008-08-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post some fun pictures of our summer with my family. I actually have time at the moment because I'm over here in Idaho at my parent's! My mom has been a HUGE help during the last few months, right before the birth of the boys and for these past 9 weeks. 4 days after my mom and dad left our house, I called them up and told them I was coming for a visit -- Surprise!! I made the 5 hour drive by myself with all three kids -- I was thinking the entire time how crazy I must be to attempt such a thing. We did have a few rough moments, but it is so nice to be here. Stewart has been working non-stop on replacing our roof. He has been able to focus on that while we've been gone, which will be good to have a break with the projects, at least for a little while. Olivia came to visit for a week which was wonderful. It has hard to see her go. Petal also turned two on July 28th.

Grammy and the Boys

Pappa and Petal
Playing with Grammy
Grammy is Petal's best friend -- they have been joined at the hip the entire summer! What a blessing my mom has been to Petal. Her world has been turned upside down to say the least, and having a constant companion in Grammy has eased the transition tremendously.

Petal's 2nd Birthday

Petal at Grammy and Pappa's
Auntie Livy anfd Finn

Starbucks!
Grammy and Sawyer
Playing in the backyard

Finn and Sawyer are doing really well. They are still not on the same schedule at all! They are definitely two individual people with individual personalities. Finn is the busy bee. He is a mover already! (He was that way in the womb too.) At 9 weeks he is already rolling from his tummy to his back. He wants to eat ALL the time and does not hesitate to let us know. I don't like to say he is the "fussier" one, but he is certainly vocal. :) Sawyer is very laid back. He is on more of a schedule than Finn and is the more quiet of the two. Although, he has this deep husky voice when he cries, which is so cute! We've all decided that Finn takes after my side of the family, and Sawyer is the spitting image of Stew.

We'll be driving home on the 4th and then Sawyer goes in for his surgery at Children's on the 6th.

2008-07-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

Sawyer

Finn

A few more pictures

2008-06-10T23:32:00.000-07:00

They're Here . . .

2008-06-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

Sawyer Gray -- 6lbs 2oz. -- Born June 2nd at 6:33 a.m. (On the left)

AND

Finn Michael -- 5lbs 15 oz. -- Born June 2nd at 7:01 a.m. (On the right)

The boys are considered premature (even though they are HUGE!) they were born at 34 weeks and 3 days and NO c-section! My doctor was able to successfully turn Finn from the breach position.
They have been in the NICU for over a week now and are doing great. Finn will come home either tomorrow or the next day. Sawyer will have to stay longer, hopefully he'll be home by the weekend. We were able to board with the babies until today . . .it was hard to come home without them, but we are so grateful they are healthy . . .they just need to be able to feed independently and gain some weight. Thanks to everyone for all of your prayers. I will post more pictures hopefully tomorrow!

Look at these flowers!

2008-05-15T15:04:00.001-07:00

I just can't get over how gorgeous our clematis is this year! The blossoms have never been this bountiful before. It only blooms during the month of May, so we are enjoying every minute!

Another Belly Shot

2008-05-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are at 31 weeks. 37 weeks is considered full term for twins -- although they can arrive safely as early as 34 weeks! I am hoping it will be sooner than later. As you can see from the closeup picture, my belly is going through a lot right now. I have the obvious stretch marks and also a condition called PUPP -- which 1% of pregnant women end up getting. It's a skin condition that looks and feels like hives. Lovely, isn't it? The only cure is delivery -- but I have an arsenal of soaps and lotions and oils and body butters to relieve some of the discomfort. :) I'm not at all embarrassed to show my belly to people. Especially those nosy strangers that walk up and start feeling your tummy without permission . . .all I have to do is lift up my shirt . . .so they can get a closer look of course, and they usually remove their hand with shock!
Hopefully I will get a few more posts in before they arrive. If not, then you'll be getting to see two beautiful baby boys as opposed to stretch marks. :)

A Few Pictures

2008-04-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

Relaxing With Mommy
Petal's New Elmo Slippers
Playing in the Kitchen Sink

Still Here

2008-04-15T11:59:00.001-07:00

Sorry, no pictures this time. Things have been a little chaotic around here. Stew is spending any spare time he has on finishing the upstairs portion of our house which is yet another huge undertaking. I'll take some pictures soon so you can at least see the before. Petal and I are still taking one day at a time, spending our time here at home and that's about it! I am getting rather large with the twins. So large in fact, most of my maternity clothes are too small for the belly. Stewart's T-shirts have come in handy. :) We had a 79 degree day last Sunday, and the very next day was back down into the forties. And now today, you can see the snow line once again on Mt. Si. I think we are all ready for some warmer weather.

The twins should arrive sometime in June. My doctor has given me more of a due "month" rather than a due date. I am SO ready I can't even tell you.

We'll try to update everyone with some pictures soon. In the meantime, we send our love to everyone.

Petal

2008-02-23T11:48:00.001-08:00

Here are some recent pictures of Petal. She played out in the yard while Daddy did some yard work. It is finally starting to feel like Spring.

The BOYS . . . .

2008-02-16T17:08:00.000-08:00

The results are in! Our babies are both boys. They are healthy and are doing great. And we couldn't be more thrilled! Petal won't know what hit her . . .but I know she'll be a wonderful big sister. :)

Baby B turned his face away just as the picture was snapped, so that is the back of the head you are seeing. The babies are almost exactly the same size. We won't know if they are identical or fraternal until after they are born. Sometimes it takes a blood test to confirm -- unless of course they look exactly the same.

Belly

2008-02-09T09:49:00.001-08:00

We are 19 weeks pregnant with the twins . . .here is a belly pic. We will find out on Valentine's Day the genders of the babies and I will be sure to post with an update! We really need to be taking more pictures in general. Petal is growing and changing so much.

Guess What???

2008-01-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

We are having TWINS!

A Wonderful Christmas

2007-12-29T13:55:00.000-08:00

If you're wondering why you didn't receive a Christmas card from us this year, it's because we didn't send any! I have never felt so absent from my own life before. The morning sickness or rather, "pregnancy" sickness I have been struggling with for the past 14 weeks has been one of the hardest things I have had to overcome. Stewart has taken a substantial amount of time off work to help me out here at home. I am, thankfully on some medication, which helps but does not eliminate the problem. I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful husband, I don't think I could do it without his help. For me, the days are blurring by one by one. Petal on the other hand, does not seem to let it bother her! She is such a trooper. She is growing so fast, and keeps herself busy playing around the house.
We had the pleasure of visiting my parents in Cour d' alene Idaho for an entire week! Petal loved spending time with her Grammy and Grandpa. They have a charming country home, and it did indeed feel like "home" to me. The "real" Northwest snow was wonderful. The kind of snow I grew up with! We were able to get Petal out sledding which was a new experience for her. We had a very relaxing time, and were able to connect with several close family friends as well. We were also able to spend some real quality time with my brother, Sam. He stayed with us for 4 days and then joined us at my parents' for the week. We couldn't have asked for a better Christmas.

Snow Day

2007-12-02T19:18:00.001-08:00

2007-11-25T20:02:00.000-08:00

Sorry for our lack of blogging lately. We just got home from a trip to Tennessee for Thanksgiving with Stew's family . . .and boy the morning sickness is sure hitting me hard this time around. It was not like this at all with Petal. Anyway, we enjoyed our visit with family and are trying to get back into the routine here at home. Christmas is sneaking up on us quickly as it always does. I miss the days of being a child and counting the days. I remember once I made this huge chart and taped it to my wall . . .crossing off each day and thinking how slow it was going. My mom just laughed hysterically because I had started the chart 90 days until Christmas! Now it seems like there is barely enough time to get a Christmas card out!

I'll try to be better at keepin the blog up to date . . .although, sometimes I feel as if the daily tasks of mothering do not offer very much blogging material! I do check everyone's sites regularly though, and hope you know I enjoy reading about all that's going on with everyone. All for now, and more later!

Baby On The Way . . . .

2007-11-02T20:23:00.001-07:00

Well, we have some exciting news to report. Can anyone guess what it is?? :) Yes, we are pregnant with our second baby! It already has a nickname, which is "the little muffin". I told a friend that we have a "muffin in the oven" instead of a "bun in the oven" and the name stuck! Anyway, we are SO excited . . .we have been trying for 6 months! We are so grateful and can't wait to add this new little life into our family.

Trick or Treat!

2007-11-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

We all know we went trick or treating so I could have the

candy! Hahaha! Actually it was MY very first time trick or treating as well, and it was SO much fun! Petal really enjoyed herself. We lost steam after about the 20th house, but Petal would have kept going if we let her!

The Latest

2007-10-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun pictures of Petal in her duck outfit for Halloween! She wasn't quite sure what to think of all the other kids dressed up in their costumes. Her friend Alexis is a pink octopus. We also went to the local pumpkin patch with my sister in law Mary and Petal's cousin Parker. We were lucky to have them up for a visit for the weekend. We had so much fun!

Petal & Mommy

2007-10-09T19:49:00.001-07:00

Petal is almost walking! Here we are goofing around. She is such a ham for the camera. :) It's amazing how she has gone from baby to toddler in what seems like minutes.

First Lollipop

2007-10-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

It's funny that the "Bank Lady" gives out lollipops still . . .I remember that when I was a kid. Mom, did the bank ladies give you lollipops when YOU were a kid? :)

Pretty Flowers

2007-09-26T16:37:00.001-07:00

Well, I have zero flower arranging and photography skills! But here's a picture of the last of the flowers from my garden this season.

A Favorite Book

2007-09-24T17:06:00.001-07:00

Reading Green Eggs and Ham

A Day At the Beach

2007-09-23T09:32:00.001-07:00

We went to the beach in Seattle (Golden Gardens) here are some pictures. It was a cloudy morning, but still very fun! We went with our friends Katie and Rylan. The girls had fun playing in the sand, watching the geese, and eating sand covered snacks. :) Petal decided to scoot after a flock of geese and got pretty close to them! Just like her mother, I'll tell ya. Like the time I was trying to "rescue" a woodchuck when I was a kid and nearly lost a finger!

Petal also got her first haircut as you can see in the pictures. It's taking the form of a little bob, which is cute!

Not much else is going on these days. Fall is definitely here, the weather is getting colder and colder by the day. Time to get the fireplace going!

My little flower child

2007-09-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

A little update

2007-08-18T17:05:00.001-07:00

My parents were here for about 5 days. They are safe and sound in Courdalene and relieved to have a huge portion of their move completed! We had so much fun during their visit. Dad picked all kinds of berries during some down time and the day of unloading their container and transferring it to the U-haul went really well. I didn't take hardly any pictures! My mom has quite a few on her camera, I'll have to get her to send them to me. Petal is enjoying some blackberry cobbler in the picture below. As always, she got Grandpa and Grammy to read many books to her. We are really glad they will be living closer to us!

Gardens

2007-08-04T17:43:00.001-07:00

Our gardens are getting lush! We have already had lots of zucchini and squash and my flowers are beautiful. Petal likes to play in my flower garden. I love tending it . . .it is so peaceful.

Birthday Girl

2007-07-28T20:02:00.001-07:00

Well, the day is done and what a birthday it was! Petal is now one year old (officially at 9:29 p.m.) We opened presents and then had cake. I made an applesauce and sweet potato caterpillar cake topped with whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries. I made the recipe up last minute and it actually turned out to be quite delicious! Petal ate half a caterpiller section all by herself! Then we headed into Bellevue for a late lunch at the Cheescake Factory. They brought Petal her own little ice cream fudge sundae which she thoroughly enjoyed. I am such a kid at heart I think I had more fun than Petal did! I was showing Stewart and May how all the toys worked -- I knew of course, because I played with them all before I wrapped them!! We got a good laugh out of that. Stew is always giving me a hard time because I could spend hours in the toy section playing with all the toys! I can't believe our little baby is now becoming a little girl. We ended the evening playing with flowers out in the backyard and Petal fell asleep in my arms exhausted from having so much fun . . .life can't get any sweeter than that. What a happy day. We are so blessed. :)

Petal made out like a bandit with the toys!Caterpiller Cake

Mmmm . . . .

Even Bella and Ruby got in on some birthday cake!

Here we are at the Cheescake Factory

Happy Birthday to me!

Cute Outfit

2007-07-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

Here is Petal in one of the adorable outfits from Grandma. She kept pointing at herself in the mirror and laughing!

Happy Birthday May!

2007-07-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

Today is May's Birthday! Petal's is just 2 days apart from her Grandma's Birthday. I made a

surprise cake and we sneaked it into Ray's Boathouse (May's favorite restaurant in Seattle). Our server brought it out with the candles lit.

May knew I was going to make a cake but she didn't know that I had made it already and brought it with us! It was fun to plan a surprise. Petal has really been enjoying Grandma, they have been having loads of fun together. Happy Birthday!!

More stories and pictures to come . . . . .

Fun in the Sun and Bluberries

2007-07-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

Ah ha! I have you now my little blueberry . . . . Grandma, Becky, and Petal

We had a splendid time picking blueberries today. Petal really enjoyed eating them and it was wonderful to get some sun! With all three of us picking we ended up with 50 lbs!! Check out the size of those berries! All this rain has been great for the blueberry season. I ran into my friend Jeannette and her little boy Leif while we were there, which was fun -- they are in Petal's
Peps group. I think I will make a blueberry cobbler tomorrow! I made a rhubarb cobbler the other night, but our plants aren't quite mature yet, so next year will turn out better fruit.

I am excited to try the blueberry this time. Usually in the summer, we do blackberry cobbler. I'll have to post the recipe for everyone. I have been slacking on my recipe posting lately!!

Petal also got to play at the park with Grandma May, she could barely keep her eyes open during dinner it's been such a busy day!

Grandma May

2007-07-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

Grandma is here!!

Here is one of the many pictures we will be posting of Grandma May's visit. She arrived this evening and will be here for a week. We are looking forward to a very fun week!!

I want my mommy!

2007-07-14T22:10:00.001-07:00

I went out for a night with some girlfriends the other night. As you can see, Petal was not very happy about it! Stew is a great babysitter though, they have a good bond. :) By the way, I have to share the wonderful news that Petal is now sleeping in her crib (by herself!) all through the night! It is wonderful. It is hard to get used to using a baby moniter instead of just having her right there, but it is good and we are all appreciating the sleep.

Just a few pics

2007-07-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

My 25th Birthday

Petal and Auntie Livy

Bella playing with her ball

Idaho Road Trip

2007-06-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

We had a great time on our trip to Council Idaho. Olivia and I were honored to be part of Liz's wedding day. Isn't she beautiful? On the drive back, sleep deprivation and one too many chocolate covered espresso beans caused some chaos (mostly on my part) I haven't had that much fun with my sister since . . . well, since we were kids! Both Olivia and Stewart can attest to my caffeine induced hyperactivity. This is how out of it I was -- we stopped at a Safeway in Baker City Oregon for a bathroom break . . . .I hung my keys on the back of the bathroom door and didn't realize it until we were about 140 miles away. I made a frantic 411 call, called the Safeway store and long story short, my keys arrived in the mail today. Whew! Olivia and I also played deaf Karaoke with her ipod. Hilarious to say the least!!

Me, Olivia, and our cousin "in law" Shyla

That is Olivia's head under Petal's blanket
Petal enjoying some watermelon!

Finally an update!

2007-06-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, time for a new post! My sister is visiting for a whole week! I am so excited to spend some good quality time with her -- and Petal is a big fan of Auntie Livy as well! Next weekend we will be heading to Idaho for our cousin Liz's wedding, both Olivia and I are bridesmaids. We are looking forward to it. It will also be fun to see our hometown again and spend time with family.

In other news . . .we are going through a big change right now. Since day one, Petal has slept with us in our bed. For many reasons it is what has worked best for us. It all came to an abrupt end 4 nights and 5 days ago when Petal decided to climb over the protective rail in the bed and fell head first onto the hardwood floor escaping with thankfully only a little goose-egg on the side of her head. She is a very cautious baby and has not been very adventurous in that area but we knew it was only a matter of time. It was up to the crib with her that very night and to say that least it has been rough. It's a good thing I'm only 4' 10(and 3/4) ". Let's just say I have been spending a good portion of the last few nights curled up with Petal in her crib! The transition is slow, but she is starting to adjust. I am very proud of myself for sticking to it and following through . . . while I think co-sleeping is a good thing, it is obviously not so good at the expense of safety.

Anyway, here are some fun bath time pictures of our little sweet pea. She is waving a lot and she likes to copy me with my Saturday Night Fever dancing -- the minute she hears music, she points her finger up in the air . . .it is quite funny. :)

Our Anniversary

2007-05-28T21:07:00.001-07:00

Today is our 2 year anniversary! We had a very low key, relaxing day. We often reminisce of our days in our old Queen Anne neighborhood in Seattle so decided to spend the afternoon there. First we stopped by and visited some friends in Seattle and then went out for Thai food . . .which was a real rarity for us. We go out to eat about once every 6 months if we are lucky! It's funny, when we were first dating we had Thai food probably 3 or 4 times a week! Petal slept in the stroller (amazing!) during most of our time at the restaurant and then she was able to experience some Thai food for herself, which she loved. Here is a picture of us today and then some cute ones of Petal -- she is 10 months today, I can't believe it.

Happy Birthday!

2007-05-21T19:16:00.001-07:00

Both Stewart and my mom had their birthdays today. We wish we could have all been together -- maybe next year mom! The three of us did have a small celebration for Stewart. I made a steak dinner and of course cake!! It was fun. I'm glad Petal does not know what sweets are yet. She had no idea what the cake was and was eyeing it suspiciously!

The Finished Product

2007-05-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

We had a very productive Mother's Day today! While Stewart stained the fence I finally planted my flower and herb garden!! I am so excited. I chose a wide variety of seeds this year. Petal was very content to sit on her blanket -- we spent the entire day outside. The weather was a little cool but perfect for both projects. Thankfully, it didn't rain during the 2 day staining process. I think it looks beautiful! Stewart has been working day and night to finish it. He did the entire fence entirely by himself. I have no idea where he gets the drive -- he is pretty worn out . . . . it is worth it though -- it is SO nice to have the privacy in the back yard. The dogs are in heaven . . . I love being able to just let them out the back door instead of taking them out on the leash. Our hearts are full of gratitude for God's provision!! This house is a labor of love for Stewart and while it has been very challenging (well alright, I think the word "challenging" is putting it a little lightly!) They say if your marriage can withstand living in the midst of constant renovation you can make it through pretty much anything! We have learned a lot about ourselves and each other and we have become a great team. And then a day like today, when you get to stand back and admire a finished product like this -- it is SO rewarding!

And now on to the next thing! The exterior of the house is up either this upcoming weekend or the next depending on weather -- I STILL haven't found my perfect yellow yet! I am determined though and I will find it. We of course will be updating all of you with pictures.

Stew also just put this fence around our vegetable garden. You all know how Ruby is about eating things . . .well she was already going after the strawberry blossoms! So we decided to keep her out for good! Hopefully we will get it planted tomorrow. My flower and herb garden is about half the size of this one -- it's on the other side of the big tree. We are thinking about fencing that one up too now that the dogs have free reign of the yard! Ok, I'll quit now and stop rambling! I hope you all are finding this somewhat interesting. :)

Almost!

2007-05-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

Petal is so close to crawling! She's almost there -- any day now. She is wearing the cute outfit Grandpa picked out for her. You have good taste dad, she got quite a few compliments on it!

A few fun pictures

2007-05-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

We are back from our trip! I realize how much I am going to miss Granny -- she was a special lady. I forgot to bring my camera with us -- but here are some pictures we took today. As you can see, Stewart has finished the fence! There are a few loose ends to wrap up like putting the gates in, etc. But it looks great! Petal had fun watching daddy outside today.

It's been a while . . .

2007-04-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

We have been keeping pretty busy over the last couple weeks -- I keep forgetting to take pictures! Petal and I will be leaving for Idaho tomorrow for my Granny's funeral. Stew is going to stay home and take care of the dogs. Although the occasion is a sad one, it will be good to be with family for a few days. I haven't seen my brother Sam in 2 years! I will make sure to post about our trip when we get back. Until then, we send our love to everyone!

Spring is here!

2007-04-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

So, I am not much of a photographer but here are a few pictures of my flower gardens. I get so excited to see the first blooms of the year! I would love to spend more time gardening -- I didn't do hardly any last year during my pregnancy so the flower beds have been a little neglected. It's amazing how plants just go right along growing despite the lack of tender loving care and weeds. I took Petal outside and we spent a good part of the Easter afternoon going to each flower or plant and saying hello. Yes, I DO talk to my flowers! I think they grow better when they know they are loved. :) A few of my favorites are: Tulips, Lilys, Clematis, bleeding hearts, roses . . .truly, I love them all! The picture above is a Clematis.

Bleeding Heart

Stewart has been very busy the past month installing a fence around our property. We will have a 6 ft. privacy fence in the backyard, and then a white picket fence in the front yard. Once this is done, we will be painting the house yellow (the pale yellow I've always wanted!) And then hopefully this summer, Stewart will be replacing our roof. Of course, he is doing all of this work himself! I'm not much help to him with these big projects . . .except for little things like holding a post steady or checking to see if something is level! Our house has come an incredibly LONG way over the past 3 years. One of these days, I will have to post some before and afters. I think my husband is so amazingly talented. He's done everything from replacing supports underneath the house, plumbing, replacing our entire electrical wiring system, flooring, drywalling, painting, and now fencing and roofing! I am very proud of him. Here a few pictures of the fence going up.

It's Pajama Time!

2007-04-06T21:23:00.000-07:00

Petal's new favorite book is called "Pajama Time" by Sandra Boynton. It's a very fun and jazzy one, we read it every night before bed. She smiles and laughs every time I say, "It's Pajama Tiiiiime!!" That's what I'm saying to her in this picture. :)

Teriyaki Chicken

2007-04-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

A very quick and easy meal! I served this over brown rice with grilled lemon asparagus. Tasty!

1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

1 Tablespoon cold water

1/2 Cup white sugar

1/2 Cup soy sauce

1/4 cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 tsp. black pepper

12 skinless chicken thighs

Combine cornstarch and cold water in saucepan -- add sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and pepper. Let simmer, stirring often until sauce thickens and bubbles. Place chicken in 9x13 glass dish. Brush chicken w/ sauce on both sides. Bake 30 min in 425 degree oven -- turn chicken over and bake another 30 min. Brush chicken with sauce occasionally while cooking. Serve over rice.

Crab Salad

2007-04-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

This salad is light and crisp! I personally love imitation crab meat, I could seriously go into the 10 reasons why, but I will spare you! (I know, if you're on the opposite side, which would be imitation crab meat haters, just use real crab meat! I think it tastes fabulous either way.)

1 1/2 cups seashell pasta

12-16 oz. crab meat

1 small green bell pepper, diced

1 sweet onion, diced

1/2 cup diced black olives

5 radishes, diced

1 tomato, seeded and diced

1/2 cup sliced celery

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Cook pasta until al dente. Rinse with cool water and drain -- set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, garlic powder, dill and basil. Add the pasta to the dressing and toss to coat. Add the crab, green pepper, onion, olives, radishes, tomato and celery --gently fold into the salad mixture. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Chicken and Dumplings

2007-04-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

I'm posting 2 recipes back to back for you since I missed last week! This is a delicious version of chicken and dumplings. Sorry, I didn't take a picture of this one!

2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
3 Cups Water
1 Cup Chopped Celery
2 Onions quartered
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
5 carrots, sliced
1 16 oz. package frozen peas
4 potatoes quartered

Dumplings:
3 Cups flour (I use 1/2 whole wheat 1/2 white)
1 egg 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 Cup Chicken broth or stock

Combine flour, egg, sour cream, and chicken broth in bowl. Mix well (but gently) and roll out onto well floured surface into 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into small circles (I use a narrow shot glass like a bicuit cutter to make about 1 inch circles, but really they can be any size you like)

In heavy pot, combine soup, water, chicken, celery, onion, salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat about 1 1/2 hours.
Remove chicken, shred and return to pot. Add carrots and potatoes and cook for another 30 min. or so. (I make the dumplings during this 30 min period) Add peas and bring to a boil. Drop dumplings into boiling stew. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes -- uncover and cook for 5 additional minutes. Tip: This soup tends to stick to the bottom if cooking over high heat and/or not stirred enough. Low heat and frequent stirring is the key!

Sleepy Baby

2007-03-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

Being a baby is hard work -- Petal fell asleep while playing on her activity mat! It suddenly became unusually quiet . . .I looked over to see her fast asleep! She didn't even wake up when Stewart came home from work. The dogs were even running around making a bunch of noise and she slept through all of it. Petal is usually very picky about where she sleeps . . .she's not the type of baby to sleep in the car or stroller so I was really suprised! She must have been VERY tired. :)

Caliente' Chicken and Rice

2007-03-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

A huge part of my everyday life involves cooking tasty meals. Anyone who knows me understands my love affair with food! In fact, I am living my dream. It is a simple dream, but a lifelong one, and I have never been more content. When I attended culinary arts school, my fellow classmates had high hopes of becoming executive chefs or owners of their own restaurants. For me, the plan was to nurture my family with food. And so I do. I spend my afternoons creating and concocting meals in my somewhat small, but very functional kitchen. Every Monday morning, I sit down at the computer and work up a menu spreadsheet for the week -- which includes my food budget and grocery list. I really enjoy the challenge of bringing something fresh and different (but always incredibly delicious!) to the table every day. And so . . . .I thought I would add one of my recipes to the blog each week for you to try!

Stew cannot stop raving about this amazingly simple yet flavorful dish. It is easy to make, tastes amazing, and the leftovers are even better. Enjoy! ~

Caliente Chicken and Rice

1/4 cup whole wheat flour (or all purpose)

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 Skinless chicken breast halves

3 Tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped (other colors work too)

2 large garlic cloves, minced

One 7 oz. can sliced green chilies

1 cup uncooked rice (I like brown rice best)

2 1/2 Cups chicken stock or broth (I use Wolf gang Pucks natural chicken stock)

1 teaspoon turmeric

3/4 teaspoon chili powder

Mix flour, 1 tsp. of the salt, and pepper in a large ziploc bag. Add chicken and shake until evenly coated. Add butter to a skillet and brown chicken over medium heat. Set browned chicken aside. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to pan drippings in skillet and saute until tender. Add can of green chilies and rice, lower heat slightly and cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, turmeric, and chili powder and remaining teaspoon salt. Bring mixture to a boil. Pour into casserole dish and top with chicken. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour -- until rice is tender and chicken juices run clear.

Meet the rest of our family!

2007-03-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post a picture of our "other" children. Can you tell we are total dog lovers?? Ruby and Bella are almost a full time job just by themselves! But we love them so much, they enrich our lives with their playful spirits and unconditional love. Ruby is a pug/boston terrier mix and is 5 years old this year. I adopted her from a pug rescue in Seattle when she was just 12 months old. Bella is a purebread springer spaniel and turned 1 year old in February. We got her from a local breeder when she was just 12 weeks old. Over a year ago, we had another dog named Jeb. He was such a sweet boy but had some serious health issues. He had epilepsy which later on caused severe dementia. He was only 4 years old when he had to put him to sleep. Ruby was VERY attached to Jeb. I think he was the love of her life. This lack of companionship for Ruby prompted us to get a friend for her -- in the form of Bella! Bella has the energy of multiple dogs and is so energetic she almost wears Ruby out! It has taken a year now, but Ruby is very fond of Bella -- they play all day and sleep together at night.

This is Jeb when he was about 3 years old. We sure do miss him. He was the sweetest dog I have ever met.

Grammy!

2007-03-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

My mom is in town for a short visit this week. Here are some pictures of Petal with her Grammy. :) They are having lots of fun playing with each other and reading books. Grammy was the first to discover that Petal's very first tooth has arrived! Petal was chewing on her tea cup when we all heard a very distinct "clink!" It had to be a tooth, and sure enough there it was! It has also been nice to have a little break here and there since my mom is "babysitting". I actually got to take a nap yesterday after work. For anyone who may not know, I work part time during the weekends at Starbucks -- my day starts at 4:15 a.m. so a nap for me was a real treat! Petal has found Grammy's newly pedicured toes in the picture below.

February Snow

2007-03-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

We have been getting lots of snow the past few days!

This is a picture of Mt. Si. I always think it is so beautiful covered in snow!

Check out this snowy crash in our area (picture from King5 News)! I think there were a total of 60 vehicles involved.

Daddy's Girl

2007-02-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

So, they say not to count "mama" and "dada" as first words, but it sure is nice to hear! She has been saying "mama" for awhile now, but recently she started saying "dada" too! Stewart is thrilled! We have also been teaching Petal some sign language and she is now doing the sign for milk. Good times. :) I really should put one of my baby pictures up side by side to this picture of Petal because seriously, we look like the same baby!!

Something to think about

2007-02-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

I was so invigorated by our Pastor's message this Sunday and wanted to share. His message was about loving people when they least expect it and least deserve it. (Read Luke 7:36-50, 2 Cor. 12:9-10, and Matthew 5:45-47) Here is a quote from Pastor Monty:

Radical, uncommon love, begins in Christ, is born through empathy and is sustained by grace.

~Pastor Monty C. Wright

He spoke about how we often times carry the attitude of the world that "you get what you deserve." If Jesus held this same attitude, there would be no forgiveness for us! Instead, we need to be like Him and approach with grace, the people who have hurt us. I am inspired to look more at the people in my life, rather than their actions. Pastor Monty said something that struck me: "Religion focuses on the act, love focuses on the person." Monty reminded us that every single person sitting in that church today, is broken. Often times in a church body, people pretend that they are perfect. Many times we do not want to admit our shortcomings and we put on a mask for all other Christians to see. In reality, we are born into brokenness. We all need healing in some way. And so it is with new inspiration, I endeavor to love every single person in my life with grace and empathy. I have been burned so many times -- in church relationships, in friendships, and family relationships . . .and the impulse is to light that torch, and burn right back. Instead, I will choose to love. I am SO grateful, for those in my life that have given me grace instead of punishment. Most importantly to Jesus Christ who sacrificed His life for me and who because of his grace, welcomes me into His presence as His very own daughter.

To read more from Pastor Monty Wright, visit his blog: http://www.mcwright.blogs.com

Petal's Swim Class!

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We had swim class today -- Petal LOVES it! She is definitely a water baby!

Aren't they cute?

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Here is a picture of Petal and two of her good friends! From left to right, Alexis (Aug. 13th), Alexa (Aug 2nd) and little Petal (July 28th). . .the oldest but still the smallest!
All three girls are also in swimming lessons together. They have lots of fun!