Welcome 2011

Happy New Year to all our beloved....



May your New Year be full of Peace, Family, Blessings and Love!

A Very Merry Christmas, and a Boogie New Year!

From our kids, with love!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

A Christmas Concert

Ellysa performed in her last Christmas Band Concert of her High School career.One more of many "lasts" we will experience this year. It was of course lovely and a far cry from her first concert in 5th grade. Lets just say " it was kinder to the old ears".

The entire Flute section performed " Dance of The Reed Pipes" as a solo.
It was So BEAUTIFUL!



The band performed several traditional Christmas songs along with my favorite of the night "Russian Christmas"



The Curtis High School Drum Line is AMAZING! This is less then half of the team as they were also performing at a basketball game in the gym next door. These talented young men and women won a contest last year in their frst year as a Drum Line! The Seattle Sea Hawks drum line performed at a CHS football game and gave tips during some practice time with the kids.
Pretty awesome I think!

Truth or Dare....

This is the end result of a friendly game of Truth or Dare. Kaylee "dared" Tyler to allow her to draw on his face with a Sharpie, Kaylee claims "it was the worlds best dare" until... she said "DARE" a while later.

The good news is that no-one had to go to school with "facial hair" :)

2 Years Old, She Is!

Danee turned two on December 1st, It was a beautiful day for a party!





Danee really enjoyed her cupcake!




Each friend went home with their own horse.


Danee LOVES her wagon, and we have enjoyed many wagon rides in the past couple weeks!

Merry Christmas!

To help spread some Christmas Cheer, I've set up a 24/7 Christmas Music station with over 600 songs, and more than 32 hours of music on the playlist! To enjoy it, just click below!

Merry Christmas!!

Winter Formal 2010

Kaylee attended her first formal school dance. We had so much fun putting together her outfit! She was gorgeous, in-fact almost too gorgeous...


Cute accessories!


Hair Curled!


Wait! Just when did my baby turn into a full blown young women?

A Very Merry Thanksgiving To You!

Now that Danee's a "big girl", she "gets" to go into Nursery at Church...  Last Sunday was actually the first time she spent the whole time in there, which made Cindy and I very proud.

But my pride swelled to possibly  unhealthy levels when I saw the craft she had made while being a big girl...



YES!! Her first handprint turkey picture!!

While I'm sure we'll enjoy many many more of these, we're currently savoring this first one like so much giblet gravy!

The Wind, oh how she blew!

We had quiet the wind storm last night, knocking out power and uprooting trees all over our neighborhood. The yard and roads were covered in debris this morning and all schools were at least 2 hours late to start. Romeos school never did get power back and so he spent the day with the babies (Danee and Tavis) and me.







He raked the leaves, the babies threw them around. It was a fun little game until nap time. Looks a bit blustery outside again this afternoon, I wonder what tonight will bring?

Skipping School.....

Last week I let Kaylee skip school. I know I shouldn't, Junior High isn't as easy to catch back up on when you miss. But.... it just seems so rare that I get to spend one on one time with anyone besides Danee these days, that when Kaylee mentioned she had forgot her back pack at her dads, it seemed a perfectly good excuse to stay home from school. So she did, and we did crafts. It was fun!
I sure do love my Lil Peanut girl!


Rocks for the rock garden one with each Puddle Jumpers Name on it.


A winter cottage all painted and ready to light up our mantel!

On A Beautiful Fall Morning

Today's weather is nothing short of dismal... But LAST Saturday we were over in the Tri-Cities, and enjoyed a picture perfect example of what a Fall Morning should be like!

We were staying with Danee's grandparents (Wayne & Ginger) who live right across the street from the Badger Mountain trailhead, so what better way to enjoy the morning than to hit the trail?

We weren't sure how Danee would handle a mountain hike, but we had a brilliant backup plan...



She was so excited to see the little blue wagon, she jumped right in, and before you know it, we were on our way!



Mommy pulled her for the first couple minutes, but then it was Daddy's turn.



Before long, Danee was showing signs that maybe the wagon wasn't the MOST comfortable place she's ever been...











After that last position, she started dragging her fingers on the wheels, so we let her out, and she had a great time being a big girl, walking with Grandpa Wayne.





Yep, walking was DEFINITELY more enjoyable than the wagon!



Then it was Grandma Ginger's turn to receive Danee's help...



Danee did an EXCELLENT job of helping to walk the doggies.



Then she decided she wanted to blaze her own trail, while eating her apple.



But then all that walking started taking its toll on her tiny little legs, so it was time to be carried.



So all of us took turns carrying her down the mountain and back home!

All in all, we made it about half way up the mountain, and I'd gladly do it again, rather than being cooped up in the house on this miserable drizzly Saturday!

Neo-Natal Follow up

Today was Danee's 18th month follow up at the Mary Bridge Preemie Clinic. I have been anxiously awaiting this appointment for some time but due to Danee's illnesses we have had to reschedule several times. This explains why she is only having her 18 month check up even though she is almost 2!

Even still, she did not meet the developmental milestones of a 18 month old toddler. Danee is way...way...way behind. I am not really surprised as I have been suspect for a while. I am however a bit taken aback by some of the ideas that were talked about today.

Danee isn't verbal yet and I knew that by 15-18 months most kids should have a vocabulary of around 25-50 words. She maybe has 5 if we prompt her. I expected that the Speech Therapist would want to do some interventions immediately, and they do.

The Occupational Therapist noticed some things that weren't even on my radar, like weak arms and trunk. Danee is still a bit wobbly when throwing or kicking a ball. She also would go up one side of the stairs but rather then go up and over and down the other side, she just turned and went back down the same way she went up.
So Danee will also get O.T.

For me the biggest surprise is that they are concerned with her "Sensory Integration". Danee is really, really busy. I always knew she was by far the craziest kid I have ever had, but I guess I just chalked it up to her personality. It Turns out that she is so busy because she is unable to organize the information she receives through her senses. She is a "Sensory Seeker", this explains the constant movement, dumping of toy bins, climbing...etc. It also explains just why she isn't talking yet. She can't stop moving long enough to hear or see what we are trying to teach her. It's good to know I am not crazy and it is not my old age making me so tired!

The final concern is Danee's weight. She had gained a pound last month and by today has lost weight. At her last "well baby" appointment she was (negative) -3rd percentile for weight today she is -5th. So we will continue to let her have bottles and eat what ever she wants but now she will be monitered by the G.I people. I am not sure what that means but will keep you posted.

All of this new information certainly gives Mike and I a lot to mull over and of course many new appointments to make and therapist to meet. I am looking forward to getting Danee the help she needs and moving her in the right direction. I get to learn a new skill and teach Danee sign language until she begins to talk and hopefully she will be less frustrated and someday soon calmer as she begins to file and organize her information.

She is happy and full of life and we couldn't love this little girl anymore then we do. She may be small and full of it but at the end of the day she is perfect to me!

Dress Up Fun!

Danee is at such a fun age right now!

Her Halloween costume this year is a fairy princess (with wings!) and she LOVES IT.

At least once a day she brings her wings to Mommy so she can help put them on. A week ago, Grandma Ginger gave her another little fairy princess getup, a one piece dress with flowery skirt petals and little wings on the back. At first, Danee wanted NOTHING to do with it... but a couple days ago, that changed, and she put it on - along with her other wings, for a one-two cuteness punch!

First off, she was so happy that she decided to try to eat Mommy's face!



Then a quick pose for Daddy...



And then she started dancing around the living room, swinging her skirt, waving her wings, and cementing her position as "World's Cutest BabyGirl"!



It's funny - all the fears and drama of her early arrival are SUCH distant memories now... Blessed beyond measure!!

Scratch That... New Ideas arent' always the Best Ones!

Puddle Jumpers will remain open and ready for buisness...
After all things considered now is not the right time to make huge life and finacial changes for our family.



Keepin' it Clean will go back on the shelf for another time.

New News is Great News!

It's true! I am closing my daycare and starting a new business! Interested in having more time to do the things you love? Spend more time with the family? Give me call, I would love to help you out, one time cleaning or scheduled monthly visits, just let me know.

Please pass on the word, I would love to be busy and am available NOW!

Sunday Funnies

"A Night at The Museum"

The Young Women at church held their annual "Young Women of Excellence" program last week. Each girl entered a piece of art or something that would represent what they had been working to improve all year. It was a great night, and didn't Kaylee look lovely!




Lot's of great pieces from Music to Photography, everything was really nice.






The Food Was Super Yummy Too!