Acacia

Skipper Dan

Skipper Dan
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Wow that long....

Ok has it really been that long since I posted? Sorry about that. Here's a little of what we've been up to since then.

We had Jaden's pictures taken. He's getting big so fast!

For Father's Day weekend, we went to the lake, just the 4 of us. It was a nice relaxing time.

When we got home we found out......

Yup we are having another baby. I'm due Feb 20th. We are so excited :)

Fourth of July weekend we went to the lake. Mom, Dad and Melissa were also there for parts of the weekend.

A few weeks ago Acacia got her hair cut for the first time. (I know hard to believe it's been this long. Especially when Jaden had his first hair cut at 10 months old.) Well it wasn't too dramatic, as we only had Betty cut her some bangs. The rest we just left to grow out. She did a great job sitting there but she was very serious about it.

And then this past weekend Seann put together the new playhouse that we were able to purchace with Jaden's birthday money. They are having a blast playing in it.

The Wedding Dance

This video is so funny. I was cracking up and half way thru I knew I had to share this with you all. Enjoy!

Ahhhh the sunshine!!!!!!!!

Jaden's having a great time playing in the backyard today. He's so happy to be outside playing.

In Honor of Grandma

Acacia is wearing her first Mariner's shirt today in honor of Grandma.

Grandma loved her Mariner's very much. You didn't want to call while she was watching a game.

I miss you Grandma!

Monday Monday

Well it's another week. Not too much exciting this week. I'm getting a perm on Wednesday which I'm sooo happy about.

Today Acacia tumbled all the way down the stairs. She started to lean forward too much and before I could stop it, down she went. Head first and then rolling and bouncing on her side the whole way down. She's ok, it just scared her a little bit. There were tears but they were short lived. Once she got her binkie, blankie and monkey all was well again.

My thumb is getting better. I don't have to wrap it anymore and it doesn't look nasty anymore. Now there is just a red spot where the incision was. I have to start massaging along the incision to break down the scar tissue. But I am very happy to not have the popping pain anymore.

This weekend we bought the kids a little picnic table from Costco. It's a really good deal. It was only $49 and it stores flat. We'd been looking at other ones but they either didn't break down for storage or were still too bulky to store. We have it in the house right now but when the weather gets nicer we'll move it out to the back yard. The kids just love it. They've been eating their snacks at the table and have been playing at it constantly.

Here are the kids showing me their muscles. LOL I wish you could see Acacia doing this in person. She's so cute!

Acacia got new sandals this weekend. Aren't they cute?? I've been searching for a pair that she could wear with or without tights. This was the only pair I could find after searching the whole mall for them. (Ok I did find more than this but they either didn't fit or were too expensive.)

Picture Wall and Monsters Vs Aliens

Last night we took the kids over to the Trapps house where the older girls were watching the kids. Then we went over to the Kreitel's house. We were there with about 5 other couples to watch the movie "Fireproof". Such a good movie! I recommend it for everyone who is married or who is thinking about getting married.

Then today Melissa came over to watch the kiddos while Seann and I went to Seattle with Michele and Kirsha. I won 4 tickets to an advance screening of Monsters Vs Aliens in 3D. It was a lot of fun. Such a cute movie. And pretty cool in 3D too! We had a blast and I ate too much popcorn as usual! LOL

Once the kids got up from their naps, Seann helped me hang my pictures up on the wall. I had recently painted this wall and was excited to get the pictures up. It looks great! Thanks for your help Seann! You made your wife very happy!!

Here's what it looks like:

Bath Time

Sorry it's been so long since I posted some pictures. Here are a few from tonight's bath. They are so cute wrapped up in the monkey towel that we have.

Tomorrow is my surgery for my Trigger Finger. I'm hoping for a speedy recovery. I'd like to get back to normal.

I'll try to post some new pictures soon!

Seann and his Mom

New Dress

We received Acacia's pillowcase dress that I won on ebay in the mail today. There had been some confusion in the transaction. To make up for it the lady made a little dress for Acacia's doll. Well right now her monkey has become her close friend. So we put the dress on the monkey. Here's a couple pictures for you. Enjoy!

National Puzzle Day

Don't be puzzled by today. National Puzzle Day honors puzzles of all size, shape and form. Crossword puzzles are by far the most common. Sudoku, a number puzzle, is the most recent puzzle rage. There's easy puzzles, and there's puzzles for experts. They fit the needs of every person, and every skill level.

Puzzles are a favorite pastime of millions of people, young and old. So, what's with this fascination over puzzles? There's numerous reasons for it's popularity. For many, doing puzzles is fun. Some people just like the challenge of completing them, and graduating to evermore complex and difficult puzzle solving levels. For others, it is a way to kill time, and to eliminate boredom. Others still, do puzzles to keep their mind sharp, or to learn new words.

Whatever the cause for your interest, spend National Puzzle Day doing puzzles.

Puzzles come in all shapes and sizes: Jigsaw, word search, Sudoku, crosswords, the list goes on and on.

I have memories of my Grandma doing puzzles. So today I will think of fond memories of her working on her puzzles. :)

National Kazoo Day

People young and old love Kazoos. Kazoo Day celebrates the the joy of this musical instrument.

Alabama Vest of Macon Georgia made the first Kazoo in the 1840's. Actually, he conceived the Kazoo, and had Thaddeus Von Clegg, a German clockmaster make it to his specifications.

Commercial production of the Kazoo didn't occur until many years later in 1912. Manufacturing was first started by Emil Sorg in Western New York. Sorg joined up with Michael McIntyre, a Buffalo tool and die maker. Production moved to Eden, NY where the factory museum remains today.

Kazoos are easy to play. Simply hum a tune into the kazoo, and you're an expert. Kazoos can be played solo, or in groups. It plays a great tune both ways.

What do you do on National Kazoo day? Why, play the kazoo, of course.

National Chocolate Cake Day

Chocolate Cake Day is a day that chocolate lovers delight, and a day to eat cake. Why this a day to "bake your chocolate cake....and eat it, too!"

On this day, a white or yellow cake will not do. Nor, will part chocolate, part white suffice. It must be chocolate, all chocolate. You can make milk chocolate, dark chocolate, fudge, or any other type of chocolate cake.

Today in History

The Pentagon opens (1943)

Happy Days premieres on TV (1974)

National Hat Day

National Hat Day is set aside to wear and enjoy a hat of your choice and style. (Is there any question as to what I would wear? LOL) Isn't it great that hats come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and styles? There's one to fit every size head and personality.

Did you know? More body heat is lost from your head than other parts of the body.

National Braille Literacy Month

January is National Braille Literacy Month. January was chosen for this celebration because it is the birth month of Louis Braille, the inventor of the system of raised dots that made it possible for people who are blind to read and write for themselves with independence and freedom.

He became blind at the age of three. He attended the local school until 1819, when he was awarded a scholarship to the Royal Institution for Blind Youth. Soon after enrolling at the school, he started to develop his reading code. In 1824, at the age of fifteen, he invented the braille system. In 1829, he published his work in Method of Writing Words, Music and Plain songs by Means of Dots for Use of the Blind.
The initial idea for a raised system of dots came from a military code called "night writing" that was used by French soldiers to communicate in darkness. It was based on a pattern twelve dots arranged in a "cell." Unfortunately, the fingertip could not feel the entire raised symbol with a single touch. Louis took this idea and adapted it by reducing the number of dots to six so that the fingertip could cover the entire cell with one touch.

Edgier Brownies

So I was just reading thru my WonderTime magazine (Feb 2009) to see what was in it before I recycled it. I found a little article about this pan. I went to their website and checked it out. http://www.bakersedge.com/ This is pretty cool!

It provides two edges per piece. Great for those who love the chewy edges. It is designed for boxes of cake mixes for 9x9 pans and 9x13 pans with no adjustments needed. You can use it for brownies, bar mixes, breads, anything you can think of. They have quite a few recipes on their site too! It retails for $34.95. A little pricey for a pan for me but I think it's pretty cool!

I just saw they are working on a lasagna pan that looks similar.

National Blood Donor Month

Blood is traditionally in short supply during the winter months due to the holidays, travel schedules, inclement weather and illness. January, in particular, is a difficult month for blood centers to collect blood donations. A reduction in turnout can put our nation’s blood inventory at a critical low.

Every day in our country, approximately 39,000 units of blood are required in hospitals and emergency treatment facilities for patients with cancer and other diseases, for organ transplant recipients, and to help save the lives of accident victims.

If you would like to donate, here is the information for our local donation center.

Puget Sound Blood Center

2703 Oakes Avenue

Everett, WA 98201

425-740-2909

www.psbc.org

Whole Blood Donation Hours
Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Call 800-398-7888 now for your donation appointment or make an appointment online.

Today in History

Today in History..... Batman debuts on TV (1966)

It's the little things....

Oh it's the little things in life that makes Jaden happy. Who knew a Mickey Mouse sandwich could taste soo good. LOL He just loved it. In fact he shoved a whole ear in his mouth in one bite! Right now he is watching me post this and getting a kick out of seeing himself and his sandwich. "That's my sandwich Mommy!" "That's Jaden!" "Tada!" What a funny boy! I sure love him :)

Today in History

Did you know that January 7th, 1948 Singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins was born right here in Everett?

His hits include "House at Pooh Corner", "Footloose", and "Danger Zone".

Happy Birthday Kenny!!!!!!

Trivia Day!

Trivia Day is a fun day. It is an opportunity for us to share those many little trinkets of knowledge. It doesn't matter how big or how trivial. Dazzle your friends and family with generous portions of trivia.

In honor of Trivia Day, here is some 80's Trivia questions.

1. Who was Mallory Keaton's fiancé?
Nick Moore
2. What was the name of the dog in Fraggle Rock?
Sprocket
3. What was the name of Punky Brewster's dog?
Brandon
4. What was Angela's son's name in Who's the Boss?
Jonathon
5. What was Michael Jackson advertising when he was nearly killed?
Pepsi
6. What was Roscoe's dogs name on the Dukes of Hazzard?
Flash
7. What was the name of the school mistress in The Facts of Life?
Mrs. Edna Garrett
8. What were the names of the four main characters of The Facts of Life?
Jo Polniaczek, Blair Warner, Natalie Green, Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey
9. What was the name of the bartender on The Love Boat?
Isaac Washington
10. What star of the Breakfast Club was also part of the original cast of The Facts of Life?
Molly Ringwald
11. What actor was famous for the line "nanoo nanoo"?
Robin Williams for his character Mork from Ork
12. What was the name of The Facts of Life's Mrs. Garret's gourmet food shop?
Edna's Edibles
13. Who shot J.R. Ewing?
Sue Ellen's sister, Kristin
14. What is the name of the Dukes of Hazzards car?
General Lee
15. Who played Mork from Ork's son?
Jonathan Winters
16. In Knight Rider, what does K.I.T.T.'s name stand for?
Knight Industries Two Thousand
17. On Laverne & Shirley, what was Laverne's favorite drink?
Milk and Pepsi
18. What actress played Laura and Almonzo's niece on Little House on the Prairie?
Shannon Doherty
19. How old was John Schneider when he first played as Bo Duke on the Dukes of Hazzard?
18 years old
20. On Punky Brewster, how was she abandoned by her mother?
Her mother went into the grocery store and never came out.
21. In "Family Ties" who was Alex P. Keaton's idol?
Richard Nixon
22. What island did Balki from Perfect Strangers call home?
Mypos
23. My dad was a big kid, a big RICH KID. What show was I on?
Silver Spoons
24. On what show would you find Gary Gnu?
The Great Space Coaster
25. If you heard the words "Hey You Guys!" what TV program was about to begin?
The Electric Company
26. Who played the Uncle on Family Ties?
Tom Hanks
27. What was the name of the TV show with the theme song that began: "Believe it or not, I'm
walking on air..."?
Greatest American Hero
28. What current popular sitcom star played Michael P. Keaton's girlfriend Lauren Miller on
Family Ties?
Courteney Cox

Hope you all enjoyed this trip down memory lane! Enjoy Trivia Day!!

Fruitcake Toss Day

Fruitcake Toss Day is your opportunity to finally throw away the old fruitcake.

After the holidays are over, it's time to bring in the new, and toss out the old. Today is the day that the fruit cake goes....hooray!

There is no one way to toss out the old fruitcake. Why not make a little fun out of it? Gather up a few friends who also are fortunate enough to have received a fruitcake for the holidays. Go out to a field and see who can toss it the farthest. Caution: do not toss the cake at anyone. This weighty steel-like mass of sugar, flour and fruits could injure someone, if they are hit by it.

A New Year, A Time to Reflect

Happy New Year to you all!

Most people see the New Year as an end to the old and a start to the new. They see it as a time to make resolutions of what they want to accomplish in the New Year. Well statistics show that about 50% of people make resolutions but only about 8% actually keep them. 24% of people fail every year to keep the resolutions they have made. I have wondered if we make them with the best intentions of keeping them. Or because it just sounds good to say these things at the start of the New Year. Or if we say them but deep down have no intention of doing anything to acheive them. For instance, saying that you are going to work out and get in shape but never once in the year go out and exercise or join a gym. What is the point of making a resolution that you will not keep?

So this year I will not make a resolution, or even think of the New Year as an end to the old and a start to the new. Instead I will look back on this last year and count the many ways that God has blessed me.

My Husband - He loves me no matter what, he has always stuck by my side, he tells me no when I need to hear it (even if I don't want to hear it), he is my friend, he makes me want to be better than I am, he is an awsome Dad who desires to be apart of every aspect of his kids lives. (I could go on and on)

My Kids - As I was approching 30 and we still did not have kids part of me wanted to give up that it would ever happen. But I knew that God had put that desire in my heart for a reason but it had to be the right time. As I look back now, we weren't ready for kids then and this is the best time for us. God knew what was best for us. It was a long, hard wait...but it was worth it. I feel that I appreciate my kids even more because of it.

My Family - I am blessed to have most of my family nearby. I love my family very much. No they are not perfect, but none of us are. My family loves me. And not because of what I do or what I have. I do not need to put on a show for them.

My Friends - I have the best friends in the world! I know that may seem like a clishe statement but to me they truly are. I love just being around them. We can be silly, serious, happy or sad together. It doesn't matter what is going on in my life. My friends are always a part of it. One thing that means the most to me is that they are "truth tellers". They give me good advise, they are there for me to lean on, they tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. When something good happens, I can't wait to tell them. When something bad happens, they are the ones I run to. They cry when I cry, they rejoice when I rejoice. I couldn't have asked for better friends. The Lord really knew what he was doing when he brought us together. And I am thankful every day for them!! I love you guys!!

My Health - Yes I know that this may be a strange one to be thankful for concidering the diabetes. However if I had not been diagnosed, I wouldn't have gotten my sugars under control. I wouldn't have lost weight. And I wouldn't have been in the place I needed to be to get pregnant with Jaden. It made me reevaulate what was going on and how I was taking care of myself. It has not been easy. And yes I wish I could go back to not having to think about it on a daily basis. But what challenges us makes us stronger. I will continue to push forward.

My House - I am blessed to have a roof over our heads and that Seann has a job that will allow us to have a house. And that allows me to be able to be home with the kids and not have to work outside the home. I see many people around us struggling and losing their homes, etc. We may not have excess but the Lord has taken care of our needs. Yes I do want a bigger house and I am believing that it will happen. But it will happen in God's timing and not mine. I will continue to trust in Him to guide us and provide for us.

These are just a few things that I am blessed with. The Lord has greatly blessed me in this last year. From the little things to the big things. For each one I am thankful. With this New Year I want to continue to look at all the blessings in my life and not dwell on the hard things or the negative things. I have been so greatly blessed that it outweighs those things.

Most of all I am blessed to say that: I am a daughter of the King. How humbled and blessed I am to know that He sent Jesus to die for my sins. I do not deserve it but I am so thankful. He knew all my days before they were even begun. He knew the good and the bad things I would do. He knew the sins I would make. And still He loved me enough to send Christ. Just for me. So that I could be with him forever. I pray that I never take that for granted. For that is the greatest blessing!

Happy New Year to you all! Please take a moment and look back at the last year of your life and count your many blessings. From the big to the small. I think that you will be truly greatful for the many ways that you have been blessed this last year.