The Chalkers

This Week's Highlights

2011-10-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

Kids say and do such funny things each day, and I always tell myself "that was so funny, I'll never forget it," but I often forget before I even tell Jon about it. Jon's Grandma wisely advised us to keep a little notebook and write those things down everyday, but I rarely get around to writing it down either. So here are a few of my favorites from this week, that I still remember.

>the kids playing Angry Birds in their room--no cell phone, no tablet, just a dresser, a bed, and a child's imagination!

>Emma: Come on Mikey, there's puddles outside waiting for you!

>Mathew: There's no school today? Yay, that means I get to stay home all day and play with Michael!

>Mathew & Emma making letter shapes with Glow Sticks, and Mathew testing Emma on her letter movements (Zoophonics)

>being prepared for anything at Kindergarten:

Watson Family Beach Day

2011-09-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

Back around Mother's Day, we were able to get the ENTIRE family together for a beach day. It's usually a little cold at the beach still in May, but I love doing this.

Dad & Jeanne were there, but they had to leave before we took the group shot.

We love this girl!

2011-09-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

Quotes from my favorite little 4-year-old:

"Girls talk to much"

"That boy looks like a girl" {about a guy she saw at the store with only kind of long hair, which by the way was still longer than hers}

Emma: Mathew, you talk like a girl. {when he was whining}

Mathew: No, I don't

Emma: Well, you cry like one.

Emma to Michael: "That's why you work down in a ditch and I work up in the sky." {with attitude--from the Tinkerbell movie}

Since her birthday lands on the father & sons' campout, we got to have an all (well, mostly) girl party. Here she is with all her guests.

She is such a girlie-girl, but she's tough enough to take on any boy around. She is such a joy to us!

Mathew's 5th birthday

2011-05-05T23:46:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun planning Mathew's big birthday party. It was the first big party we've done for him, and he was so excited.
Mat's new favorite show is "Jake and the Neverland Pirates," so when I saw the idea online for a pirate and pixie party, I knew Mat would love it. Almost everyday he would ask if we could look for party ideas online.

Drawing on the wigwam

Cannonball battle

Searching for treasure
Mathew is so excited about growing up and going to kindergarden. He tells me "I want to be baptized so I can live in Heaven" and "I want to be a missionary so I can go on a mission." He is a sweet little boy, we love him so much!

2011-01-16T22:25:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Thanksgiving was my last post. Christmas is old new by now. (Although I still haven't given out all of our Christmas gifts yet!)

Our Christmas was awesome! It was our first Christmas together alone. We went on a real vacation in white, snowy mountains.

The kids loved the snow. Mathew kept running outside barefoot just to touch the snow. He even laid down in it with just his pajamas on to make a snow angel.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-29T22:29:00.001-08:00

Two of my favorite pictures from Thanksgiving this year:

Mikey found something that was just his size.

Grandpa with two very happy girls.

My boys

2010-12-29T21:52:00.000-08:00

Mathew loves following instructions...
as long as they are on paper...
with pictures!

Michael made a new friend on our last trip to Disneyland. This guy was sooo nice, he entertained the kids for hours while we waited for the parade.

My favorite part about having Disney passes is spending time with our friends when they come for Disneyland.

Halloween

2010-11-11T21:50:00.000-08:00

We went to a fun pumpkin patch.
Getting ready for the corn maze.

Halloween, "but not the real one," according to Mathew. He was looking forward to "the real Halloween, when you trick-or-treat at houses instead of just cars."

This was Emma, earlier in the week, when she still had all her hair. {She cut her own hair}

{And yes, I cried, a little}

She changed her costume 3 times in the morning before her Joyschool halloween party.

School

2010-11-10T11:08:00.000-08:00

Mathew and Emma started Preschool and Joyschool this year.

We all love it.

The Best Summer Ever

2010-10-13T22:07:00.001-07:00

This summer we spent lots of days by the pool and took a few trips. We had lots of good times.

Yosemite

For our last big vacation of the summer we camped for a few short days in Yosemite. It was fun to go camping again, but I really miss being able to take day trips to enjoy Yosemite.
Mathew is having a great time, he loves Grandpa.

The girlie girls. They are out numbered by the boys in my side of the family.

River Rafting A bunch of friends from our ward on the second annual river rafting trip.

We are so glad we got to go this year, it was so much fun! We are looking forward to doing it again.

Good Friends

At the beach in San Diego, our most successful beach trip.

Sundance

We kicked off our summer in an AMAZING cabin in Sundance, Utah with Jon's family. Those mountains are gorgeous. We rode the tram all the way to the top and did a little hiking.

We got some yummy suckers for the kids, just like Jon got when he was little.

Spring Things

2010-05-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

I haven't been much for photos lately, but there's this place...

where I wanted to take pictures of them...

but they were acting like this...

until they got to do this...

and then they didn't want to leave.

At least she liked it :)

That was Easter weekend. We had lots of fun Easter parties, too with egg hunts. But, our kids don't really "get" egg hunts yet.

Disneyland

2010-04-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

We took our kids to Disneyland for the first time and got passes. They loved it! (Although it doesn't show in this photo).

We forgot the camera! So this is our only photo of the day.

Mathew liked all of the boat rides and running around Toontown.

Emma was mesmerized by the princesses and the castle.

Michael's favorite seemed to be the Buzz Lightyear ride.

BFFs

2010-02-09T20:58:00.000-08:00

As crazy as it is, we love having these kids close together.

Sometimes they act like they can't stand to be apart.

-----

This is not what she was wearing when we put her to bed. A few hours after bedtime Emma strutted downstairs, all dressed up.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-27T22:45:00.000-08:00

We have been so busy the past several months, with moving and Jon's new job. There just hasn't been time to blog. So, here are some of the highlights from the past few months.

Halloween

We went to a great big pumpkin patch on a very windy night. They had tons of stuff for the kids.

It was our kids first time going trick-or-treating. We went with our good friends, the Francis'. Emma had no problem walking into stranger's homes as we went door to door. They were all exhausted before we got all the way around the neighborhood.

Thanksgiving

We had lots of family at our new house for Thanksgiving.

Fortunately, about 2 weeks after we moved in, Michael figured out how to safely get down those nice wood stairs.

Christmas

We went out on one of the coldest nights to find our Christmas tree. We bundled up at had hot chocolate before we left. Mathew was really looking forward to getting a tree. The smell of the fresh new tree filled our whole house for days.

Santa Claus visited the kids at our ward Christmas party. Mathew & Emma didn't mind, but Mikey did not want anything to do with him.

We hope you all are enjoying the holidays too!

Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays

2009-10-16T23:57:00.000-07:00

We celebrated little Mikey's birthday...

He loves to have his picture taken. I don't know if it's the sound effects or what, but it makes him smile.

...then Jon's birthday...

Reason #4 (yep, it's pretty high on the list) of "why I love this guy:" He thinks he can do anything (and I think he can too). He recently built a computer (an HTPC). It was a first for him, but it's up and running.

...then my birthday.

My Dad was in town for my birthday--yay!

Beach Fun

2009-09-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

Another favorite thing of ours to do is take day trips--sometimes long trips.

Last month we went to Lake Tahoe. It was so pretty, and the weather was great.

Look, I caught a smile on camera!

The kids couldn't wait to play in the sand when we went to Santa Cruz.

Some Watsons Visit

2009-08-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun when Gary & Lindsey came for a visit. It was crazy/hectic with 6 little kids, but we're so glad they came.

The girlies--Emma & Raegan

Aiden, Derick & Mathew, obviously enjoying their treats.

Root Beer Tasting

2009-08-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite cheap thrills this summer is root beer.

On Fourth of July, when we went to the grocery store we picked up 4 new kinds of root beer to try. Here they are from our favorite to the not-so-good (L-R).

We started the holiday with star shaped french toast, then later had aunt, uncle & cousins over for BBQ.

Jon's backpacking trip

2009-07-20T15:35:00.000-07:00

Jon went backpacking in Yosemite with the Scouts. They wanted to hike Half Dome, so they made it a 4 day trip. This was his first actual backpacking trip, so I'm so glad he had a good time, (especially considering all the gear he got).

He didn't want to sleep in a bivi, so we made a tent. We invested so much time making it, I was sooo glad when we were finally finished. Even though I did all of the sewing, Jon helped me the whole time. He thinks this tent is great because it sleeps 2 and weighs just 2 lbs.

Our first trip to the ER

2009-06-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

I knew this day would come, but I could have held out for it forever. Mathew has been pretty lucky so far--we've had a lot of near misses with him running around wildly. I had to call poison control, once, but fortunately everything he's ingested has been harmless.

Mathew and Emma were in the garage with Jon (over a week ago now) when Mat grabbed one of Jon's tools--a big framing level--and dropped it on his foot. He had his crocs on, but that tool is heavy enough that it smashed his little toe really bad. So, I took him to the ER. I love the way Mathew tells the story. He says "I dropped a yeyow yever on my foot so Mommy took me to a nicer hospital."

His toe was broken and needed one little stitch. He did well in the hospital though, he got to watch cartoons and play with stickers, he didn't even want to leave. We've since gotten the stitch removed and the doctor said he was very brave. Mathew didn't cry when they were taking it out, he just kept saying "thanks" to the doctor.

Emma wanted to match Mathew, or at least get the same attention.

June Gloom or Global Warming?

2009-06-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

Last week I got to take the kids down to Southern California for my youngest sister's high school graduation. Twelve years ago, the first of 7 kids in our family graduated from GHS. It has never been anything but hot, hot, hot on graduation day. This year, for the first time it was actually cold enough that people were wearing jackets and coats at the ceremony. That does not seem like a "warming trend" to me. Not that we don't care about the planet, but we don't need to hear scary stories in order to realize that it makes sense to recycle.

We had a great time on our trip though, it's nice to have so many brothers and sisters to visit with, and to help with the kids. Lake Arrowhead definitely had June Gloom. It was foggy every day up there. I took the kids to a nice park at a little lake there. We had a fun. It's always good to visit family.

Thank you to my family for all your help with the kids.

Family Pictures

2009-05-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

We were finally able to go get our pictures taken by our friend, Angie. I just love her photography, so we were thrilled to have her photograph us. She posted some pics for us at angielane.com

Birthday Girl!

2009-05-14T23:52:00.001-07:00

Our little Emma had her second birthday today. She is such a doll--we adore her! She is starting to talk more, so we are glad to hear her little voice. Emma is a complete girly-girl: She loves wearing dresses, playing with babies and getting her toes painted. We love having her in our family!

2009-04-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

We went to a very cute birthday party yesterday for my cousin's daughter, Lia. It was pretty much an all girls party, except for the 5 little boys that were there. But, everybody had a good time. They decorated cute little crowns that the kids loved. Mathew was really shy at first, but then he warmed up and had a blast. Happy birthday Lia, thanks for the fun party.

Now that they both got their gifts, I can show you the tutus I made for two special little girls.

P.S. I want to give credit to inspirationorganization.blogspot.com, but I don't think the instructions are on the link anymore. Thanks for the great ideas, Melissa--you do so many cute things!

The Fenn's

2009-04-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

Since Lani and Ryan are obviously too busy, or too cool to post on their blog, I thought I would go ahead and do it for them, but I don't have their password. I know they’re doing stuff--Ryan took Mat & Emma out on the canoe last time we came down to visit. And they were supposed to move. They must be busy, because they never call anymore. Maybe they’re over us or at least Mathew’s whining.

Actually, I was just browsing through some older pictures on my computer when I came across photos from their wedding and Lani’s bridal shower. Good times! I had fun at their wedding & stuff, mostly thanks to Jon’s wonderful sisters for helping so much with our kids at that time. Wow, I can’t believe they’re coming up on their first anniversary in a couple months.

San Francisco

2009-04-18T23:20:00.001-07:00

When my sister Jenny came up for her spring break we went to San Francisco for a day. We walked around Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli Square. Golden Gate Park was beautiful. We were there at the perfect time, everything was green and all the flowers were in bloom. It was a fun trip. We're glad Jenny came to visit us.

Happy Easter

2009-04-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

Charity Hero

2009-04-12T14:20:00.000-07:00

Our ward youth made this music video for the stake "road show," all the wards did videos, rather than live shows. This video was awesome! It's a good thing we have Rob Kroff in our ward. If the rest of us had to do it alone, it would not have been this good.

2009-03-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Michael was cracking up for 5 minutes when we shot this video. It's so easy to make him laugh & smile.

Adventures with Mathew

2009-03-23T23:08:00.001-07:00

Our big boy is 3 years old!

It's interesting to think how different our life has been for the last three years.

We love Mat and the funny things he says.

"So, how's your day?"

"Mommy, can you just deal with this?"

"It surrre is!"

"I don't want a birthday."

Happy Birthday anyway!

Valentine’s Day

2009-02-22T23:45:00.001-08:00

This year for Valentine's Day we weren't even going to try to go out on a real "date." Who wants to deal with the crowds at every restaurant? We decided to take the kids on a nice scenic drive. We took the scenic route to San Francisco, over the Golden Gate Bridge, then down the coast a ways.

We kicked off the weekend with heart-shaped pizza, then heart-shaped French toast, which Mathew loved.

It was a long walk down to the beach, and it was really cold and windy.

The sand at this beach was really nice—those small, smooth pebbles.

Share the Love

2009-02-13T08:49:00.001-08:00

(I hate that I only have pictures of the Watson family, but Mary gets all the good pictures when we're with them).

2009-02-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

Well, we haven't posted any Christmas pics because they're still in our camera. But, I wanted to tell you about our favorite Christmas gift. It's from my aunt Joy--she gave us the talks on CD by John Lund called "For All Eternity." We LOVE these talks and we would highly recommend them to everyone who is married (or even those who are not married yet). We started listening to it on our Christmas trip. We're only about half way thru and so far it is awesome. Thanks aunt Joy!

Pinkberry?

2009-01-11T21:54:00.000-08:00

On a much lighter note: We had a great time visiting family in Southern California at Christmas. It was a short trip, but while we were down we wanted to visit some restaurants that we are missing out on up here in Nor Cal. First stop: Chick-Fil-A. I fell in love with this place while I was in Atlanta a few years back, and I was so excited when it came to California just a couple years ago, now I miss it again, because there aren't any around here. We went there with Mary & Jeff & let the kids play.

Also, I've been wanting to go to Pinkberry, since everybody's raving about it. We hit that up with Lani & Ryan right before we left. I'm sure I'll lose a lot of credibility when I tell you this, but we hated it! Sour ice cream! What's that about? Jon doesn't like yogurt--so I'm not that surprised that he didn't like this frozen yogurt--but I do. Even at that, I like my ice cream sweet. I really, really wanted to like it but it just didn't work for me. It looks like we'll stick to Cold Stone for now.

Goodbye to '08!

2009-01-01T19:46:00.000-08:00

2008 Was hands down the worst year ever for us. The year started out normal enough, I don't remember any of January or February, and then BAM!

Jon's unemployed. My mom comes down with cancer again and passes away. With the housing market crash, there goes our other plan for income. Jon's truck was stolen--another problem for getting income. Our newborn baby was stuck in NICU for a while. And so the year continues, challenge after challenge. Only two good things came out of 2008 and they are Ryan (my sister Lani's new husband) and Michael, and Sadie makes three.

I'm sure we're not the only ones that face such hard things...are we? We are so glad 2008 is over and we are hoping for better things in '09.

2008-12-30T22:22:00.000-08:00

We've been pretty busy lately--feeding Michael. He is growing so fast and he smiles a lot now. We love him more and more as time goes on.

2008-12-30T21:58:00.000-08:00

"Take another picture of the mess, Mommy."

Mathew thought it was pretty funny to be playing in the ovaltine like it was a sandbox. After that stunt though, Mathew lost the privilege of chocolate milk until Christmas (this was Thanksgiving).

Emma has a taste for funky hats.

After finishing her ice cream, she pulled the Breyer's bucket off of the counter and stuck it on her head.

Six years...

2008-11-16T13:29:00.000-08:00

...and three kids later.

We were married before digital cameras were invented, or at least before they were popular enough, because all of our wedding photos are on film. But here are a couple photos of one of our favorite places, Yosemite.

Then...

And now...

We are celebrating our sixth wedding anniversary today. Some of our favorite things in our married life are:
road trips
camping
eating out
boating
family
our kids

(but not altogether at once).

Jon's favorite phrase lately is "Come on, we've been married for six years now--" followed by something he knows about me, or something I should know about him. I think he says that because it feels like we've been married an extremely long time, especially considering all of the events of this past year.

A Disney Halloween

2008-11-01T23:54:00.000-07:00

Lightning McQueen Driver

Minnie Mouse

1 Dalmation

Fall

2008-10-28T15:01:00.001-07:00

We went to this pumpkin patch on my birthday--it was my first time ever going through a corn maze. The kids had fun, once they got over being cold. Michael stayed in the stroller the whole time, so he's not seen in any of the pictures.

Helpers

2008-10-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm not usually into doing posts with a lot of words, it's too much reading for one blog. But, in case you might be wondering how we are managing with three small children, I thought I would share how it goes.

Mathew is really trying to carry his own weight around here. While I was feeding Michael, Mathew decided to help clean the house. He dumped half the bottle of bath bubbles on the bathroom floor and was scrubbing it with a cleaning brush. Emma tried to join him but she kept slipping on the bath bubbles.

After that he and Emma both needed a bath. Once we got enough soap off of them, I told Mathew that he needed to clean up, so he drained the bathtub, picked up all the toys and got himself out of the tub. I went to put Emma down for a nap and when I came back into the bathroom, I found Mathew on the toilet. He's been working on potty training himself for a couple of months.

I was feeding Michael again when Emma woke up from her nap. I asked Mathew to go in her room and play with her. After a while he came out and grabbed a baby wipe. Mathew was talking about changing her diaper, but I thought, there's no way he's actually changing her diaper. He would half to climb into her crib with her, and she was wearing shorts and a onesie--I don't think she would let him do it. I just had to go and make sure. Sure enough, there was Emma, laying calmly in her crib with her diaper off, waiting for the clean one to be put on. Then Mathew proceeded to change his own diaper. Later, Mathew even changed Michael's diaper, too.

When they're hungry, they take care of it on their own. Mathew climbs in the pantry up to the top shelf where we keep all of the chocolate and candy. Emma is usually with him, but she doesn't climb the shelves. She lets Mathew do all the work so he gets in trouble while she gets all the benefits.

That was one of the crazier days.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JON!

2008-10-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

--the only thing I got done in time for his birthday--
WE LOVE YOU!!!

Another trip to Yosemite

2008-10-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

Jon's parents came to visit last week and it was Jon's birthday on Saturday so we went to Yosemite for the day.

Visit with Grandpa Watson

2008-10-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Watson flew up to visit for a day after Michael was born. It is so good to see family.

He is home

2008-09-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

We left the hospital after midnight on Sunday night to bring home baby Michael. Mathew and Emma were so thrilled to see him on Monday morning. It was like Christmas morning for them.

Michael Jon Chalker

2008-09-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

...that's the new baby's name...a bit predictable, I guess.

2008-09-11T00:14:00.001-07:00

Baby Boy is here!

2008-09-10T23:16:00.000-07:00

The newest member of our family was born on Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 8:38 am.

He was 5 lbs, 9 oz, 19 inches.

He came 4 weeks early, and kept some fluid in his lungs, so he has been in the NICU since Sunday. He is doing really well, and we can't wait to bring him home.

We haven't completely decided on the name yet, so check back soon for the decision.

2008-09-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

"My Mommy and Daddy don't beat me."

That's what I taught Mathew to say when his face started looking like this. It's been a week since he hit his forehead the corner of a wall. That kid is going to get us in trouble someday.

Mathew seems to be adjusting to the new house okay now. It took only a couple of nights and now he is sleeping through the night again. Last night he even went to bed without crying!

Emma will sleep anywhere that she has her own room and her own bed. She was really happy when she saw her old blanket again though.

Yosemite/Mammoth

2008-09-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

Growing up, Jon would go camping with his family in Yosemite; I went to Mammoth. When Jon got a work order to do in Mammoth, we decided to all go together. It was a great little overnight trip for our family after being apart for a couple of weeks. We stayed the night in Mammoth and then drove to Yosemite for the day.

The good with the bad

2008-08-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

Well, most of you know that Jon finally got a job. We are thrilled that he is working right now. Unfortunately it is in Stockton, so we've had to move.

Jon has been working up here for about a month now. Mathew and Emma really missed there Dad while he was away, so we came up over a week ago. My aunt and uncle have let us stay with them while looking for a house--they have been such a big help in this whole process.

We finally found a house and we are going to move this weekend. We really miss our ward and all of our friends there in Elsinore. The wards here are a lot smaller and the people are kind of different than in Southern California.

The hardest thing so far has been the sleepless nights. We haven't been able to lock Mathew in his room a bedtime/naptime. He also is constantly waking up Emma when he should be sleeping.

The kids are having a blast with their cousins up here Livai, Lia and Logan. They live right around the corner and Mathew asks to go for a walk so that he can go play with them.

We can't wait to get settled in our new place and see what life has in store for us up here.

Today's Headline: "Strong quake shakes Southern California"

2008-07-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

"The 5.4-magnitude quake — considered moderate — was felt about 11:42 a.m. from Los Angeles to San Diego, and as far east as Las Vegas, 230 miles away. Nearly 30 aftershocks quickly followed, the largest estimated at 3.8. ...

"As strong as it felt, Tuesday's quake was far less powerful than the deadly magnitude-6.7 Northridge earthquake that toppled bridges and buildings on Jan. 17, 1994. That was the last damaging temblor in Southern California, though not the biggest. A 7.1 quake struck the desert in 1999. "

A little earthquake, but no reason to panic. Jon was nice enough to call to make sure we were all okay, though.

My Sister Lani married Ryan in the Redlands Temple

2008-07-28T21:38:00.001-07:00

Mathew & Emma both love Grandpa Watson.

What a ride!
I guess Mathew thought he could put his Great-grandma's walker to better use.

2008-07-28T21:24:00.000-07:00

I saw that Melissa posted first, so, at the risk of sounding like the girl from SNL...
I made Emma's dress (and pattern).

Mary made the flower clip for her hair.

2008-07-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

I know this one was silly, but I had to try it, and I was surprised at the accuracy--Sleeping Beauty was my favorite when I was little.
You Are Aurora! (A.K.A. Sleeping Beauty.)

Thoughtful and loving. Authority figures probably have been sheltering you all of your life. Thankfully you're a very tranquil person who is content with what life has given you, but secretly you want to know how the outside world works.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Toddlers are so funny

2008-07-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

Emma is walking now.

She likes to follow Mathew around and do everything he does, including the things he does to get in trouble.

Mathew loves tractors. He went outside by himself recently, and when I was out looking for him I said "Mathew, where are you?" I heard him, off a distance, say "on Daddy's tractor." (He had climbed to the top of a lift, about six feet high, with no ladder, by himself.)

The Bride

2008-07-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

I always seem to let a lot of time go by in between posts, so sorry to those who get bored of seeing the same old stuff all the time. We have been pretty busy lately planning and preparing for Lani's wedding. We had a bridal shower for her at our house recently.

2008-05-27T22:17:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

Wild Animal Park

2008-05-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

Emma's Very First Birthday!

2008-05-24T21:37:00.000-07:00

Emma was born just fourteen months after Mathew. She is such a joy to our family. We celebrated her birthday by going to the wild animal park and with a small party at the lake.

When I wished Emma a happy birthday that morning, Mathew ran to her room and opened her closet where we had been "hiding" her presents. I couldn't figure out what he was doing in there until he said "birthday!" We had to keep telling him that those presents were for Emma's birthday, so when that day finally came, he couldn't wait to get out the new toys.

It's not too late to post Easter pics.

2008-05-01T17:52:00.001-07:00

Mathew's 2nd Birthday!

2008-05-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

We had Mathew's birthday party at the lake again, so that we could go boating. We had lots of family and friends there, and it was perfect weather to be out on the lake, as long as you didn't get in the water. Like most boys, Mathew currently loves "Cars."

2008-02-23T22:47:00.000-08:00

Did you know our kids are celebrities?

I'm too sexy for my shirt...

No pictures, please.

Trying to escape the paparazzi.

ODE TO '07

2007-12-30T22:04:00.000-08:00

For us, 2007 was an exciting year. We reminisced about all the things that happened and decided to share a little with you.

January

We kicked off 2007 the same as we have most other years--at the Rose Parade. This year though, with Mathew still a baby and Carly pregnant, we had to be more comfortable, so we stayed in our RV.

February

After going to the boat show in January, by February Jon couldn't wait to get a boat. At the first opportunity, he bought a new wakeboard boat that he loves.

March

We'll use any excuse to get out on the lake. So for Mathew's first birthday in March we took the boat out.

April

Mathew started walking soon after his birthday.

May

In May Emma Jean was born, a couple of weeks early after a quick and easy delivery. Now we're a very busy family of four.

June

What a roller coaster. After much praying and fasting we finally obtained our long awaited grading clearance that we needed to continue on with the project of building our house.

July

It was so hot and dry this summer. When building our foundation, the concrete dried almost immediately. We tried to escape the heat on the lake.

August

By August we were anxious for our family vacation at Lake San Antonio, but it was hardly a break from the heat.

September

After vacation, Jon was always busy building our house. He didn't even take a break for boating or his birthday.

October

We finally got the house just barely finished enough to move in (!!!) by Halloween. We don't get any trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood though.

November

We took a little trip (just the two of us) in November to celebrate our big five year anniversary.

December

Now Emma is crawling all around the house. Mathew enjoys being a little helper for Mom and Dad. We've all had fun with family and friends this Christmas.

We hope that 2008 brings more good times for us and all of you.

2007-11-18T00:56:00.000-08:00

Mathew had been climbing out of his crib for a long time,
but we were surprised when climbed back in after he
left his blanket behind.

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2007-11-18T00:54:00.000-08:00

Watch her face at the end!!!

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Check out our house!

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