I forgot about these pictures!

I thought that the only pictures we had of the 2 of us together before we got married were our engagement pictures. I was going through a box of things and came across this wonderful find. They were taken about 1 month before we got married in a photo booth. I love this one here, it was the classic last picture taken. I think I am going to have it enlarged and framed for Valentines Day for Shawn.

I love this picture so much!

Weekend picture frenzy!

Here is a couple of new pictures. I decided that since I didn't know when the baby was coming I had better do my picture with the girls before he was born. I have done this type of picture with the girls each time I have gotten pregnant. It has been fun to do.
This place we went does like 50-100 pictures per sitting and you can do outfit changes and no sitting fees. Their smallest package is $10 for a lot of good sized pictures. It covered everything I needed. (I always need at least 4 5x7's, but usually have to buy more, since most places give you maybe 2 or 3.)
I decided to buy the next smallest picture package 3 sheets for $15. So I was really good and spent only $35 . Of course we will have to go back and use their $10 package 2 more times, with the baby being born and needing family pictures.

I have these really cute picture frames that I got for the girls that say "sisters" on them, so that is why I ended up getting this pose too.

Baby Update!

I thought I would write a little bit to let everyone know a little more of how I am doing and how the Baby is doing. Right now I am almost 34 weeks.
I have had to have a doctor's appt every week, starting about 5 weeks ago. Just to check things out. I have gestational diabetes that has progressively gotten harder to manage with just meds. They finally put me on insulin a couple of days before Christmas and it took a good week to get that sorted out and working right. Now it is all good. My glucose numbers are good and I am feeling better too.
Now I am at a visit with my OB every other week and my Perinatal Dr every other week. Plus a non-stress test every other week and an ultrasound every other week. So I am finally on the home stretch. (I hope). When I had my last ultrasound, they measured Payton at 5lbs. Can you believe that at 32 weeks he is already that big.
I have not gained any weight of consiquence. All the weight I have gained is all baby and not any more than that.

Christmas Update!

Sorry I have not updated in so long.
We were able to spend a Christmas at home with just our family. It was quiet and WHITE!!!! Can you believe that?!?!?! It began snowing and being icy around the 14th and so the girls didn't have school all that week because of the conditions. (Any signs of snow here they practically close down everything.) So the girls got an extra week of school, which was nice for them, but bad at the same time! Now they have summer habits again. I have been trying all week to get them to bed on time and to start thinking school again. Some days are better than others!! :)
Here are a few pictures from our weeks at home, in the snow and Christmas.

Madie going down a hill on a tube, if you can zoom in you would see the worlds biggest smile!!!!

Naomee on her way down the hill!!

I used to love playing in the snow. (Not so much these days!)

Madie with another great smile, opening presents!

Cadie and one of the best games we have had in the house in a long time.
It is called Express Monopoly. It is really fast and easy, even Madie and Naomee get in on the action.

Naomee with her Christmas eve present.

What a vacation!

We went to visit my parents for a week over Thanksgiving. It was a really good visit, even with getting the flu. My brother was able to come down and spend most of that week with us and so were all 6 of his kids. I feel bad, some of them got the flu too. So most of the time was spent at my parents home, just relaxing. We did go a couple of places with all the kids, so I will post a few pictures later.
When were able to travel and weren't sick the kids and I spent an evening with Shawn's parents and some of his siblings and step siblings. The girls were able to run wild with few of there cousins there, so all is all the whole trip was good.

Thanksgiving Thoughts!

Ghost of Thanksgiving Past

I thought it would be fun to share memories of past Thanksgivings.... Feel free to go back in time however near or far you like, include experiences with your current family or your in-laws or your own family growing up.

MINE:
1. I remember the years we were living in Guam and had just gone through a Typhoon! (actually a couple of them back to back). We were will out power after this particular storm for 6 months. Well mostly with out power, they filtered in power in 2 hour shifts. So this particular holiday we had missionaries for dinner (all of the ones on that half of the island, about 6 or so) and we made spaghetti on a camp stove in great big pots. It was very interesting and a lot of FUN!!!
The next year we had to cook the turkey in our oven for 2 hours and then high tail it to a neighbors that had power for another 2 hours. We went back and forth all day depending on who had power to bake different things. It was an interesting couple of years worth of holidays.

7 Days and Counting!

In the 7 1/2 years we have lived in Oregon, we have been home once for Thanksgiving and not at all for Christmas. This year we are going to go to my parents house for Thanksgiving. I just wish Shawn's parents were in town for the Holiday, then we would be able to spend time with them too. I feel like we are the Prodigal children, returning home for the first time in a long time. Granted we do go home at least once a year, usually in the summer. (I don't like to travel in the winter and we can't afford to fly.) I am looking forward to the celebrations, especially since Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

Halloween!!

All of us after trick or treating at the local supermarket strip mall.

Cadie dumping her load the next day after Trick or Treating.
We weighed one of the bags of candy and it weighed in at 8lbs. All of the girls got about the same amount of candy.

My friend and her little pirate. She always has the best ideas and they all turn out perfect.

Naomee getting ready for a party (I mean trick or treating.)

Madie getting ready to go to a party with a friend. She decided not to wear the wings or the headband for Trick or Treating.

This is our kids and my boys at Shawn's work party. Way too crowded, but the kids like it.

We actually had a lot of things to do for Halloween, so the kids got to spend quite a bit of time in costumes. I ended up freezing 90% of the girls candy. Can you image 24lbs of candy between them. The worst part is I can't eat any of it. Well I guess that is not the worst part. It is a very good thing for me.

Collecting clothes for Payton!

I had gone to Fred Meyer when they were having clearance sale and bought some new clothes for Payton. I hung them up so Shawn could see them and I have not been able to bring myself to take them down. That and I don't know where to put them all.

Pumpkin Patch with Naomee

Naomee on the bus!
Naomee and Mom on the bus!

Naomee before we started our pumpkin hunt!

Naomee and mom on some bales of hay!

On the train back to the farm!

Naomee was done with pictures so she took this of me instead!

I made her stop and take pictures so often that she was getting annoyed with me.

On the boat ride to the field of pumpkins

Naomee and a little friend in her class and from church, Emma!

Naomee had been very excited about Halloween starting all the way back in Sept. So this trip to the pumpkin farm was just the cherry on top. She loved being there, but didn't like me taking so many pictures. Which is funny because she will bring me the camera and say "will you take a picture of me."