Poetzl Tube

Before the haircut...


And after.

Halloween songs.

Happy Halloween

The boys dressed up as spiderman (thanks cousin Garrison) and a frog (thanks Marin) and we ended up having to stay home because B had the chicken pox. But the kids had so much fun dressing up and handing out candy, they didn't miss all the fun they would have had at the church trunk or treat.
Happy Halloween!

Cousins and Pumpkins

Both sets of Eugene cousins came up to visit a few weeks ago and they had a chance to hang out have fun.




The boys are so blessed to have cousins their age and who are friends...forever!















On Wednesday we went to the pumpkin patch with Ben's preschool and though the hayride was a "pleasant" ride on a paved road along I-5 (ugh!) the kids had a blast picking out a pumpkin and chasing friends through the patch. Just seeing the colors of fall puts a smile on my face.

3rd birthday, 1st day of school

It was birthday weekend at our house and it
started with Touch-A-Truck here in Marysville
on Saturday AM...so fun and FREE!
The boys got to "drive" a bulldozer, a city bus,
a garbage truck, fire truck and many more!



Then, it was time to celebrate our sweet Joey with
a cool rocket party with a real live rocket that daddy blasted about 500feet in the air!
Happy 3rd Birthday Joey!











And finally, on Monday, our firstborn had his first day of school...preschool that is.
He couldn't wait and now that he goes to "school" he is truly more "grown-up" and can use things he was never allowed to use before...like sharp knives and eating as much candy as he thinks he can handle...hmmm...

ben joey first release it hot!

To my dear sweet Anna

Anna, I love you so...

you are the love of my life

the most amazing, loving mother

giving and caring human

and just a great friend and wonderful person

I love you so

Your husband, friend and lover...

Tim

6.

6 years later and it still feels like it's just the beginning...
Tim baby, I love you forever.

A Trip to Nelson

We made it to Nelson last week to visit my mom and dad and though it was tough due to how hard things are for my mom right now, the boys had the time of their life. The weather was amazing and the water was even bearable, for a glacier lake!


The boys (including Tim) lived in the water and took canoe rides in the blue canoe and most of all, bonded with Opa and Oma.

It's funny how the older I get, the more I see my parents as people...a married couple who have had to make choices and decisions which as parents, seem hard and strange sometimes, but as people, seem reasonable and even admirable. It makes me thankful to have such awesome people for parents.

Ode to Crocs

O Crocs, I love you so
You have made little feet
Happy as can be

O Crocs I love you so
You have made summer toes
Safe, yet free

O Crocs I love you so
I want the whole world to see
That shoes can make
A mommy's life
Happy as can be

In case you can't tell, I LOVE Crocs.
The "in and out" of the house, the car, the lake, the pool, the ocean, the mud, the sand...I could go on.
(And they have the "Airwalk" version at Payless for 1/2 the price of the real ones).
O Crocs, I love you so.

You CAN camp in May

We finally had the privilege of taking some time for a week long vacation and decided the night before we left that we would camp in the San Juan Islands. So on Monday we left for the ferry and had decided that we would tent so that we could splurge on other things like maybe taking a charter to see the Orca Whales...low and behold, we saw about 80 of them from the ferry itself! So from then on, the entire vacation was spent looking for whales with no luck. But we ended up camping in one of the most beautiful spots on San Juan Island, San Juan State Park---Gorgeous and wild!



The brothers had some quality time together.










And there is nothing better than seeing that your kids have such a great dad.





Happy Mother's Day

The Prince and The Peas

There once was a boy named Ben
Who just wouldn't eat his peas
So the King gave him a crown
With jewels beyond his wildest dreams



But this just wouldn't do!
Who in the world likes peas?!
So the Queen gave him a throne
With the softest, cushiest seat

But this just wouldn't do!
Who in the world likes peas?!
So the prince's brother said,
"I like peas." Indeed!


So Prince Ben ate his peas
With great joy and delight
Each one burst in his mouth
Like a flash of light

So now the plate of peas
Is empty and licked clean
And if your "Prince" won't listen to you
Just ask his brother to say what you mean!

Happy Easter

It is a privilege to celebrate our Savior's death and resurrection and I am grateful from the core of my being, from the very depths of my heart to my heavenly Father for giving me and everyone a second chance.
Especially since I have two kids, I don't know how any father or mother could give up their child even if it was to "save the world".
I don't know how a 33 year old man could know his future would be so painful and still choose to take on the responsibilty to "save the world."
Our church showed a video called "Our Hero Lives" and it showed pictures of past heros whose bodies are still decaying in the ground under shrines and in tombs and coffins.
But our greatest Hero lives and left no bones or dust or tombstone or cross.
So, I am grateful. So incredibly grateful.
I hope I can live each day like a woman who believes this and remembers this always.
And Happy Easter! I hope the Easter Bunny brought lots of goodies even if it is to remind us that
life is sweet and good and God provides and is faithful.

A Day in the Life

I was reading one of Emily's friend's blogs and saw she was blogging pictures of what a day in her life looked like. I was inspired and thought it might be fun to do it too.



Believe it or not, my kids wake up happy and it is soooo nice.








This is what my kitchen table looks like ALL the time...even after breakfast!











Ben, now 4, dresses himself ( I particularly like this t-shirt, as does he!)







We made it to the zoo today with Auntie Greta and the kids were in awe of the animals. This is one of those times that I actually ENJOY my 4 year old asking "Why...Where...When...How...Why...Why...Why?"














We made it home and took naps, watched Curious George, ate dinner with daddy and Auntie Greta, went to the store and were wiped! Ahhh, sweet sleep. Until tomorrow...

Happy 1 Year Toilet Trained

Ben we are so proud of you! You have been toilet trained for one year and it has been so great to see you grow up to know when and where to go potty (even if it is behind a tree in the front yard when you're playing outside!) You are a potty pro!

Happy Birthday Ben!

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I know this is pretty late,
but so were you four years ago!
I can't believe it has been
four years since you were
a newborn in my arms.

Your dad and I were
in complete awe of how
sweet you were and how
observant you were
of the world around you.



You took it all in.
And you still do.
Thanks for making us
smile. Thanks for asking
questions and for seeing
the world around you and
not just what is in front of you.
Happy 4th Birthday sweet Ben!