No luck

Griffin sums up our recent photo shoot. We have no luck when it comes to family photos. I always sit in "awe" when I see all your adorable little family photos. Mine, well we never do them because I know how awful I am at photos, and then put three boys in the picture and good luck getting any one shot with us all looking decent. The day we did our pictures was day one of swine flu for our family. So I am blaming the flu on these ones.

This was picture retake day, and I like more of these ones then the flu day.

Ryder did the best photos, he was the one to shock me the most. I did not think he would give a good smile, but that he did on pretty much all of his. I love this little boy!

Their eyes give it away. They look like ill kids, but memories huh?

A special thanks to my good friend Brittney, who is an amazing photographer by the way. She is my sweet friend and she was ever so kind to agree to all of this. She probably regrets it, ha ha, but she was awesome and really tried hard to get us some good pictures. Little did she know what unphotogenic people she was about to photo shoot. I bet you will never forget us. You're the BEST Britt, thanks for everything!!

Final Product

Here it is! Our new addition. I love it and I am glad to "almost" be done. We still have some finishing work, but I am loving our new space. The boys love it too, we have not moved our furniture out there yet and they go crazy with the open area. I will show pics of our master room when it is finished. Our bathroom is getting plumbed tommorrow so more pics to come. Alas, we get to enjoy our new addition!!

The New ME!

Ryder's first haircut! Grandma Keri was kind enough to cut his hair this weekend. It was just time and I absolutely LOVE it. He does look more grown up and it makes me sad, but too many people thought my baby boy was my sweet, adorable little girl. I will miss those blonde curly locks. He is sure growing up way too fast. This little boy has such a sweet, fun, contagious, and energetic personality. We love Ryder to pieces and I just cant get enough of him. You look so cute with your new hair Ryder!!

Before......After

Here is what the addition looks like now. It is all sided and a new roof (along with the rest of our house) and if you could not tell, they framed in the old french doors with a window and put a sliding glass door into the new family room. We are in the making of a concrete patio outside the sliders.
This is how I have been living these last few weeks, in a mess, and yes I am a mess too!

Rich tearing out my old kitchen cabinets. It was such a mess here this last weekend and I still wont have appliances until Oct. 7, but I really can't complain, the outcome is beautiful and I LOVE my new cabinets. They are made of maple and our countertops will be a brown/black marble looking formica. I will definately be posting when those are done this weekend. I am so loving my new cabinets!

Notice if you will, my green color next to the old paint, the lighter green color. Isn't that funny? I think I will stick with green, but I need to pick a new shade, the maple cabinets make my green paint look like split pea soup.

Tres Amigos

First Day & House

This is Noah on his first day of preschool this year. He is going back to Innovations Academy, with Ms.Michelle and is in a 5 year old group, even though it is still considered preschool, he gets to do more big kid stuff this year. School is on Tue. and Thur. mornings from 9-11:30. He really learned a lot last year and made good friends. Hopefully it will be just as beneficial this year, he is very excited to go back. This picture makes him look so grown up, my little Noah!And slowly, but surely here is the updated pics of our addition. The trusses should be set this week and then our whole house will be re-roofed with the new roof on our addition. I am ready for this phase to be over, oh well!! It sure will be worth it.

Addition

Here is the beginning phase of the addition to our house. We are adding a family room and a new master bedroom/bathroom. We are also redoing our kitchen. I am excited, but boy is my backyard a mess! Oh well, it will all be worth it in the end. Because of our loan we have to have contractors do most of the work, but Rich is and will help out as much as he can. I am going to try to update as we keep going along. In the last picture, the window that is in the top right corner, it will be taken out and that will become the doorway to the fam. room. We are going to open up the kitchen to this fam. room with a bar. Unless you have been in my house it might be hard to picture, but anyways stay tuned for the updates.

Soccer season 2009

Noah played soccer this summer, for a Union County, aged 4-6 league. We traveled all over, from Union to Elgin and Imbler to Cove and we had games here in La Grande too. Season actually is over next week, but I figure I will just post now. Heidi Ho is the name of his team and they are all pretty young and inexperienced. Noah just cant seem to get into the game, he just runs around always smiling, sometimes getting the ball, missing a couple goals here and there. He seems to have no interest to "steal" the ball from anyone and says, "Mom I am bored of soccer, why dont you just sign me up for Football?" Anyways, til next year, soccer good ridance!

Summer 09

So I have been neglecting the blog I know, but here are some updated pictures from this summer. This first is in Newport, OR when we went to Albany to visit our lovely family. It was so cold and miserable that day, the wind was awful, but it is always beautiful there. The kids lasted maybe 10 minutes on the beach, but oh well what do you do?

Ryder watching baby einstein, he just veg's out in his chair whenever he gets to watch his movie. It is cute.

Griffin and Noah ride their bikes everyday, atleast two times, morning and night. It is so funny that Griff has to have a helmet just like Noah and he uses a football one at that. They are getting really daring on their bikes and Noah learned in June to ride with no training wheels and he jumps off curbs already. He is pretty determined.

And not to forget the sandbox. I have many more summer updates to come so stay tuned. Including ones that will give you all updates of our little addition project on our house starting in August. We are adding about 560 square feet off the back of our house and remodeling our kitchen, so look out for chaos!!

1/2 Marathon

So here it is, my very first 1/2 marathon. The event took place in Boise, Idaho. There were over 830 runners in the full and half marathon altogether. I had a really fun experience and I accomplished my goal, I finished the whole thing running. (if you are wondering my time, you'll have to call me:) I must say the adrenaline rush was amazing and the atmosphere and all the support of people who dont even know you was really great. I had a fun group of friends, and my own support team, Rich, Naoh, and Griffin. The shot above is my favorite part of the race, right towards the finish line! You can tell I was ready to be done. Anyways, it is over now, and so I begin training for a sprint triathlon. Wahoo! Wendie Perry, Karen Crews, Carrie Eyre, Jannette Smith, Hayley Rampton, and me

Karen, Me, Nettie, Hayley, Leigh and her Husband Clayton

Where does time go??

I will never as long as I am alive, get over how fast time goes by. I remember so vividly bringing this little boy, our first born, home from the hospital. There is something so magical about your first pregnancy and first born (I'll skip the whole delivery memory) that I can't help but be sad when I think about our first baby growing up so quickly. Noah will be 5 this July and I just dont know how this all happens so fast. Somedays could not be over fast enough, but mostly I really, truly love getting to be home with my three little rascals. I could have never imagined the feelings of motherhood without going through them. Each day I get to spend with my sons is another day treasured, I am so blessed to be their Mother. I love my boys so much and they enrich my life endlessly.

Noah loves taking pictures!

So I am in the kitchen cooking something good and Noah says, "Mom, smile and look at me" and then Ryder from the living room is whinning, but really what is new, so I continuse doing my thing. Well, Noah had to come show me the pictures he took of him stuck and sitting inside the box of legos. Just a glimpse of a day with us.

I also had to get a photo of the photographer, my sweet Noah!