Phil, Gretch, Finn and Elli

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-09T21:55:00.002-08:00

We had a wonderful, beautiful day to celebrate our mother's with! We had my parents, Phil's parents and Bernie (Angie had to work) over for a delicious meal!Here is Kiki helping Elli with her DELICIOUS brownie!
Just in case you didn't see how good it looked before...
Everyone enjoying their prime rib that Phil grilled.

Finn and Elli not sitting still for a picture with me...
Finn taking a "tend" nap in his sandbox. That is how he says PRETEND. Too cute.
My new patio set! My parent's wanted smaller, so we inherited!
Bread, prime rib and potatoes all grilled!
Finn and Elli enjoying the beautiful weather! What a great day!

Spring 2010

2010-05-09T20:13:00.002-08:00

I took the kids and Carsten to our "bird viewing deck," Potter's Marsh, in Anchorage a few weeks ago. We saw a total of zero birds and a pile of dog poop that the boys thought for sure came from a bear! HA!

Finn wasn't too sure of what to think of the Easter bunny. I guess I forgot to mention him this year so he had no idea who this crazy person was.
Elli sporting a summer shirt at playgroup! She doesn't like to wear anything over her shirts (ie sweaters, sweatshirt, coat) so immediately upon entering, she begins to disrobe.
Finn had applied some shaving cream to his legs and promptly came to show me! I had taken a shower with him the day before and I guess he doesn't miss anything!

Three years of Finn!

2010-03-01T20:04:00.000-09:00

4 mos old
1st birthday
2nd birthday
3rd birthday

Finn's 3rd Birthday!

2010-03-01T19:38:00.004-09:00

We celebrated Finn's 3rd birthday this past weekend! Hard to believe my baby is that big! Here is a picture of my second baby waiting patiently for party guests to arrive... She is a ham!Finn blowing out his cupcake!
Elli enjoying her cupcake!
Emily and Carsten~ true party-lovers! I love her face in this picture. It is such her personality!
Finn pulling strings on our "non-violent" pinata. Yes, I forgot a hook to hang it on, so I ended up holding it. Bern was the line leader!
The kids picking up their loot!! They loved it!

New Couches

2010-03-01T19:33:00.001-09:00

This is for you Bridge and Nat!

Happy 29th Birthday!

2010-02-10T07:47:00.001-09:00

Mexico 2010

2010-02-09T14:41:00.003-09:00

Here are some of my favorite pictures from our wonderful vacation in Zihuatanejo!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-31T22:42:00.004-09:00

Phil opening his Wii
Finn got a fishing pole from Uncle Tom!
Finn trying on Elli's pj's... ummm.. yeah...
Elli sitting pretty...
Family photo

Elli at Oma's house waiting for the singing to start.
Finn so excited about his presents!
Elli got a baby doll from Bern and Ang and she didn't put it down all day!
Elli going for a sled ride Christmas Eve.
Finn painted a birdhouse for G-pop!

Ang and Bern's new house

2009-11-28T19:47:00.003-09:00

Here is Elli helping Bern arrange his cords for his tv and game consoles! I heard this was the first thing that was hooked up when they moved in. PS- don't you love Elli's boots? They are Buster Brown's and I got them at Sally's for $2!
Phil, Bern and Ang hard at work!
Finn posing with his Aunt Ang... or as he says, Uncle Ang!

Their new house super nice and very spacious. We are thinking of loaning them a child or two a few nights a week to help fill their rooms. : )

New Camera!

2009-11-28T19:45:00.001-09:00

Yay! We finally bought a new camera! Finn dropped ours in early Sept and we have not taken a picture since. I talked Phil into buying a new one yesterday at Target, so we are back in business! Keep checking in for new posts!!

How we have been spending our days...

2009-08-07T19:03:00.003-08:00

Celebrating Bridette's 31st b-day. Here she is with my nephew Levi and my neice Emme.

Going to the zoo ( with the temps in the triple digits!!) I thought this slide was so cool! I want one for our backyard!

Here I am with the kids and Emme on an elephant.

Letting the kids splash in the wading pool. Elli loves her cousin Emme. She takes such good care of her.

Baby Claire taking a nap in the sun. We went for a walk downtown with Aunt Barbara and Uncle Chris.

Spending our days with Kiki!

Emme playing with Elli. She is almost walking! She took her first step today!

Finn feeding the chickens at the ranch. The weather cooled down quite a bit, so we had to break out the long sleeves.

Levi, Emme and friends at the ranch.

The kids all taking a bath together.

They loved their mohawks!

The kids are having a blast here in Boise. Finn wakes up every morning and heads immediately outside to "ride his bike." He loves the warm weather and having a boy his age living in the same house as him! Elli is teething right now, so we are struggling a bit in the sleeping department, but during the day she is such an angel. She loves her cousins Claire and Emme and is learning to walk. Maybe before we get home, she will be taking a few steps! We do miss Phil/daddy a lot though! Finn always says, "Daddy, go home." He is anxious to see him soon! We love you Phil!

So Obedient!

2009-07-05T21:05:00.001-08:00

I told Finn to put his boots by the door as they were on the bathroom floor. What I meant was to put them in the shoe pile by the door. He took me literally and obeyed what I said! So cute...

Hiking Thunderbird Falls.

2009-07-05T20:48:00.004-08:00

We have had BEAUTIFUL weather her lately (80 degrees!!) and we decided to take advantage of the evening. Thunderbird falls is very near our house and a nice 1 1/2 mile (?) hike round trip. We took the kids so they could get some energy out, but really, Phil and I were the only ones working really hard. Elli was in the backpack and Finn was in the jogger.
Elli can't see out of the backpack unless she hangs to the side. Needless to say, my right side worked much harder than my left!

Phil and Finn hiding in a tree. Finn loved it!

Independence Day 2009

2009-07-04T22:28:00.002-08:00

Waiting so patiently for the parade to start! It took almost an hour for them to get down to where we were. The kids did great waiting!
Uncle Chris and Aunt Dot made for great company!
The kids posing by the tree in their cute outfits. Their cleanliness did not last long. Finn soon had ketchup on his shirt and dirt on his shorts.
Elli hanging out at Lions Park. Somebody remind me again why we go there on the 3rd of July??
Finn jousting! He was so cute on this big blow up mattress. He didn't want to do anything else the whole time!

2009-07-02T20:39:00.002-08:00

What we've been up to...

2009-06-28T20:13:00.004-08:00

Dipping our toes in Mirror Lake (our church has an outdoor baptism there annually)
Playing with our friends in the water
Eating pretzel sticks and enjoying the sun with our Kiki
Playing in the backyard wading pool with our cousin Emily
Eating chocolate covered strawberries for my parent's 4th anniversary
Hanging with Oma while the rest of my family went on the lake
Paddleboating with my Papa and Nana while waving to baby on shore
Kayaking on Otter Lake
Enjoying the beautiful weather and time alone!
Eating yogurt sticks with my Kiki
Trying on my sister's clothes and thinking I am so funny!
Falling off the front porch and getting two bruises on my face. One on my cheek, one above my eye.
Putting my hands in daddy's exhaust pipe and thinking I am so cool.

Man! We've been busy!

Only in Palmer, AK!

2009-06-14T16:34:00.002-08:00

We saw this in the DQ parking lot in Palmer on our way home from Kings River. We just had to stop and take a picture. Notice the diaper bag hanging off the back... nice.

Dirtbiking/Camping at Kings River

2009-06-14T16:27:00.002-08:00

My dad loading Finn up for a dirtbike ride. He loved it!

We went to Kings River for the afternoon to meet up with my parents who were camping there. The kids had a blast playing and Finn riding on the dirtbike with G-pop. I didn't get any pictures of Phil or I on the dirtbikes because my batteries ran out!!

Messy Face

2009-06-04T19:08:00.002-08:00

So I hear Finn in the bathroom running water.... I check on him about 2 mins later and this is what I find...

He tells me he is washing his face. He has used every clean washcloth we have and has scrubbed his face with them. Too cute to not take a picture of.

PS- notice his outfit. He is wearing only a shirt, one sandal and his monkey backpack (which is on wrong) and he has a whistle in his mouth. He has hit his independent stage where he wants to do everything himself. He does not want to wear a diaper, but also does not want to go in the potty. Go figure. Oh well, at least he has a clean face. :)

I'm so big!!

2009-05-14T08:18:00.002-08:00

Bedtime

2009-04-29T12:08:00.003-08:00

Finn thinks it is so funny when we put Elli in his bed. He often requests this so he can jump on the mattress and make her bounce and laugh. She loves her brother!

Hanging Around

2009-04-29T11:59:00.002-08:00

I came home from a bike ride with Finn the other night and found Phil in the back yard raking. This is what he had hanging off of him. She hasn't been in this for a few months now and was adjusted for her when she was 3 mos old. He couldn't get any of the buckles clipped or snaps to snap. She was loving life though. Just hanging out with her daddy!

Finn is in love with bikes and is constantly telling me that this is his bike. This is how I found him after our bike ride.

Easter Pics 2009

2009-04-24T07:50:00.004-08:00

We had Dori come over and take the kids pics for us in their Easter outfits. She did a great job! Check out her site at dsydesign.net

Finn & Papa

2009-04-10T07:09:00.002-08:00

Elli- 6 months, Finn 2 years - Stats

2009-03-21T20:09:00.002-08:00

Elli 6 mos checkup
Weight: 18lbs, 8 ozs
Length: 26.5 inches

Finn 2 year checkup:
Weight: 29lbs, 6oz
Length: 35 7/8inches

Iditarod 2009

2009-03-21T19:57:00.002-08:00

We took Finn downtown two weekends ago to see the "ceremonial" start of the Iditarod. He loved seeing the dogs and wanted so badly to pet them. The stroller idea did not last long. He immediately wanted out and tried to scramble up the fence to get to the dogs.

2 years of Finn...

2009-03-01T20:14:00.002-09:00

Finn has added so much excitement to Phil and I's life! He is an absolute joy and we are so proud to be his parents. Today was his second birthday and it is amazing to me how fast time flies. It seems like just yesterday he was born. My baby is getting big!

Monster Truck Bash!

2009-03-01T20:00:00.002-09:00

We had a monster truck birthday party for Finn at the house today. He had a great time with his cousins and family. We had corn dogs and french fries and you were supposed to feel like you were really at a monster truck rally! (not quite sure we felt that...) Thanks to everyone who came and help celebrate. Our little boy is now 2!!

Friends

2009-03-01T19:54:00.002-09:00

We were so glad to have Talyn and Makenna came to play with Finn and Elli this past week. While Kathleen was out, the kids played great with each other. Makenna and Elli just stared at each other while Talyn and Finn got out the high heels and pranced around.
Come back soon!

Sweet babe!

2009-02-21T20:09:00.001-09:00

Elli was so sleepy one night that she just feel asleep in my arms. She is such a good baby!

BFF's

2009-02-21T20:00:00.002-09:00

Phil and Michael (phil's younger bro) can often be found sitting at our kitchen table going through archery magazines. This is their new passion as it seems to be the only topic of conversation around here lately. My in-laws are in Mexico for a month, so Michael is just right up the road watching their house/dog. He comes down for dinner and to talk about archery, or so it seems! I hope that this passion will soon leak over when it is Phil's turn to do the dishes.

Busy Day!

2009-02-21T19:49:00.003-09:00

I hosted a baby shower for my friend Stacie (with the lei on next to me) today. She is due with her second baby on March 30th! We had a great time at the Glacier Brewhouse just relaxing with close friends.
After I got home, I really wanted to spend some time with the kids by getting them out of the house. Finn can get pretty antsy when he is home all day. Phil and I took them to McD's playland. You can't tell from this picture, but the place was packed. Finn followed the 12 year olds around the whole time. It is funny to watch him as he is very attracted to older people. I guess I won't be suprised when his first girlfriend is 30. haha- just kidding. That would be a real problem!
Elli hanging out with me while wishing she could go play too.

Reverse Roles

2009-02-16T08:26:00.001-09:00

Finn did not like Elli sitting in "his" chair, so we let him sit in hers for a while. :)

Valentine's 2009

2009-02-14T08:23:00.002-09:00

Finn eating his chocolate chip waffle breakfast. He loves whip cream!
Phil proudly displaying the button I got him.
Elli, well, she didn't really get anything special, just some milk. :) She is such a happy girl and loves playing her exersaucer.

I Love You!

2009-02-03T20:27:00.004-09:00

5/5/5

2009-01-28T16:25:00.001-09:00

I got tagged by Natalie to go to my 5th folder, 5th picture under your "my pictures" folder and tag 5 friends. Here is a picture of Phil looking mighty scary. Not sure what he is doing!

I now tag:
1.Dori
2. Dawn
3. Sherri
4. Jessica Custer
5. Sara Gill

80's Yeah, Yeah...

2009-01-25T19:57:00.004-09:00

On Sat night we went to a 70's/80's party put on my the AK Air National Guard. Decked out in Salvation Army and Value Village duds, we headed out to the event in full 80's style.
Christian and Dori... mullet, leggings and all...
Bern and Ang in hoop earrings and short green track shorts.
My mom went as a 70's diva...
Looking sweet!
The whole gang at dinner before hand. Notice my fanny pack?? Stylin...
Phil in his sweet tapered leg suit, red turtle neck and white shoes... Looking Hot!
Here are a few of the people that came out for the party. A blue pant suit...
a tuxedo shirt...
a member of KISS
Daisy Duke... Yes everyone, this is for real!!

Look what I can do!

2009-01-18T16:34:00.001-09:00

Sit in a bumbo chair...
Ride a motorcycle... (note the new glasses. These are 100% titanium, so hopefully we will keep these ones around a while!)

2009-01-01T19:49:00.002-09:00

Elli- 4 mos, Finn- 22 mos

2009-01-01T09:39:00.002-09:00

Finn- (pic taken in Sept)
22 mos old stats:
Length: 34 5/8 (75%)
Weight: 28lbs, 40z (60%) He has slimmed down! Must be how active he is!
Head: 49.11cm (75%)
He currently LOVES trucks and his Daddy. Those are the top two things he talks about. I got him up from his nap yesterday and he sat up in his bed immediately and said, "Da-e, Puck" translation- Daddy, truck. He also likes to sing twinkle, twinkle and makes diamond shapes with his hands. He continues to be an excellent sleeper and is so full of life. He actually makes people tired by just watching him!!
Finn 4 mos
Length- 26inches
Weight- 15lbs, 12oz
Elli- 4 mos
Length-24 1/8 (50%)
Weight- 14lbs, 13oz (75%)
Head- 42.2 cm (80%)

She is a very content baby and enjoys passing her time by watching her big bro. She lets him sit on her, feed her, even try to carry her without so much as a peep. She is taking 2- 2 hour naps and one cat nap in the evening. She eats between 5 and 7 times a day and sleeps almost through the night. (7pm-5am) We seem to be stuck in that time frame, but as long as she is happy during the day, we are fine with getting up that early to feed her. She is getting better about riding in her car seat although she still would prefer to not be in it. She grabs toys and is almost rolling over. She can get up on her hip, she just doesn't flip over. :) She can almost always be found smiling at you when you are passing her by.

We are very thankful that our children are healthy and happy!

Merry Christmas 2008

2008-12-26T15:06:00.002-09:00

This year we had 5 Christmas gatherings! It is crazy when everyone lives in the same town and wants to spend Christmas together. We started by having Christmas early with Bernie and Ang at my parents on the 21st. Then on the 24th, we had Christmas Eve at my Grandma B's house. Then Christmas morning we celebrated with the kids and then off to my parents for breakfast and to exchange gifts with them. Then for lunch/dinner we went to Phil's parents where his brothers and grandparents were. We spent the remainder of the evening with them. The kids did well with so many transitions! This picture is of Christmas morning with the kids in their matching pjs. Phil is not looking so awake!
Finn with his new puppy play toy. Our house looks like Toys R Us inside. Finn got many cool toys and books from everyone that he can't figure out which things to play with first.
Finn trying to steal ornaments from the tree at Kiki's house.
Ang, Finn and Elli posing for a picture.
Bernie and Angie got caught up in the winter storms and were unable to fly out to NY on their scheduled dates. They were able to rebook their tickets for Christmas day and got to Syracuse, NY early the morning of the 26th.

The master chef preparing his prime rib dinner.
Hard at work in the kitchen.

Christmas Portraits 2008

2008-11-28T20:40:00.002-09:00

We took the kids to get their Christmas portraits taken today. Here are a few snapshots that I thought turned out pretty well. You will have to wait until you get your Christmas cards to see the best ones!

Elli- 3 months old

2008-11-26T15:37:00.002-09:00

It is hard to believe she has been in our family for 3 months now! I thought I would post some random information about her should anybody care to read.

She loves her binky
She loves to suck on her fingers when the binky can't be found.
She goes to bed at 8pm and sleeps until 5am, feeds, then back to sleep until 7am.
She doesn't care for riding in her car seat and chooses to let us know very loudly!
She sleeps on her tummy
She kicks and swats at her toys in her bouncy chair.
She doesn't care much for her swing
She eats every 3 to 3.5 hours and is still taking 5 naps a day approx 1 hour to 1.5 hours.
She LOVES to take baths.
She likes it when her dad gives her airplane rides around the house
She SOMETIMES likes to sit in her big brothers lap on which he adamantly declares that he wants to hold her.

We are all very thankful for Elli and love to watch her learn new things!

Finnley - 1.5 years old

2008-11-21T07:59:00.003-09:00

Thanks Justin and Sharon for my cool sweatshirt. I always pick it out to wear!
Finn posing with his Dad's tools. Notice the slight lean to the right. It actually was pretty heavy for him on his pocket causing the imbalance...
I'm so cool with my new f aux hawk!

Giraffes and Kitties- OH MY!

2008-11-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

Self Portrait of the girls

2008-10-25T13:38:00.002-08:00

Oops, missed her head
Getting Better....

Finally!

Buffalo

2008-10-25T13:34:00.002-08:00

We pulled this toy out of the crawl space last week for Elli. Every time we lay her under it, her brother, the buffalo, comes and lays next to her (more like on top of her as you can see from the picture). He kicks the toys with his feet and laughs. One day he was being especially rough and I pulled her out from under it and he started crying and came to me and tried to pick her up and put her back next to him. He already loves his sister!

8 weeks old!

2008-10-25T13:31:00.001-08:00

Finn's Baby

2008-10-25T13:26:00.002-08:00

Someone gave me the idea to let Finn have his own baby so it would deter him from trying to pickup/sit on/feed crackers too our real baby, Elli. I dug my old baby doll, Pamela (no comment), out of my hope chest and he took to her right away. He insisted that she needed a diaper, so here he is trying to diaper her. Very cute!

Joe the Plumber?

2008-10-18T08:16:00.004-08:00

No, but Finn the Climber...

Finn climbs on EVERYTHING! Notice he has a pen in his hand... he also draws on everything from counter tops to his arms to my right shoulder. No amount of "discipline" has yet to stop this. I think we need to put him in an art class to see if he is a child prodigy. :)

Date Night

2008-10-18T08:13:00.001-08:00

For the first time since Elli was born, we went out on a date! We went for dinner last night with friends and had a great time!

Caught!

2008-10-18T08:05:00.003-08:00

I caught Finn in the living room the other day eating Marshmallow cream straight from the jar!

Family Photo Shoot

2008-10-03T14:19:00.002-08:00

Courtesy of Bernie Kale!! What a great job he did!

Windshield wipers

2008-10-02T08:51:00.002-08:00

Finn loves yogurt so much that he wants to eat it everyday for breakfast. One morning we found him like this... in need of windshield wipers for his glasses. He didn't even notice that he could barely see, he just kept on eating.

I love this picture of him. He runs around on the deck in the chilly 45 degree weather and plays with the dog. He insists on leaving his coat unzipped and here I catch him in the act of unzipping.

3 weeks old

2008-09-18T14:36:00.002-08:00

Elli was 3 weeks yesterday! She is healthy and happy! She eats "pretty well," although she still struggles with falling asleep while feeding. She is sleeping about 3 hrs at a time at night and hopefully will be lengthening that anyday now! Her big brother loves her and likes to kiss her on the head and push her in the swing.

Fill In the Blank

2008-09-11T12:27:00.003-08:00

I recently bought a Baby Memory Book for Elli and I need some help filling it out as I am not as up as I normally am on current events/figures. Any input would be very welcome!!

1) Hit Movies & Popular Actors

2) Favorite TV Shows

3) Popular Songs and Musicians

4) Best Selling Books

5) Fashion Trends

6) Favorite Sports Figures

7) Technological Advances

Leave me a comment as I need all the help I can get!

Finn and Elli Pictures

2008-09-03T12:28:00.001-08:00

Labor Day

2008-09-03T11:07:00.002-08:00

On Labor Day we went up to Knik River to meet up with some friend and also celebrate Lynette's (m-i-l) b-day. Some friends had 4-wheelers for their kids and they let Finn ride one. Little did they know that he wouldn't let anyone else have a turn!The throttle was electric, so he learned very quickly that he could press the red button and make the machine go.

Phil, his cousin Courtney and Finn
Phil broke down and Dave came and gave him a push. Creative towing...
Finn working on fixing the problem.

Elli Marie Courtney

2008-08-29T19:22:00.002-08:00

Elli was born at 4:44pm weighing 9lbs,5ozs. She was 20.5 inches long and has a head full of dark hair. Here I am before heading into the hospital to have her. Looking at this picture now, I guess that I would have thought I was having a 9 lb baby!
1 day old
Smiling for the camera
Checking my mom out
Heading home!

Sneak Peek

2008-08-27T18:35:00.004-08:00

She's here! Elli Marie 9lbs 5oz and lots of dark hair.

The Final Word

2008-08-26T20:04:00.002-08:00

We met with the doctor today and discussed our options. I am officially 7 days late (41 weeks) and the baby is estimated to weigh in between the upper 8lb mark to the low 9 lb mark. That being said, I have dilated no further and the baby has actually moved back up into my stomach area. This decreases my chances of a successful VBAC and each day that goes by is another day for her to get bigger! The doctor did give me the option to wait u p to one more week, but said that every day we wait, we would decrease our chances even further. So, needless to say, we opted for a second c-section.

I am disappointed in the fact that from now on, all pregnancies will be c-sections, but excited that she will finally be here and I will have some relief from the tremendous ball of baby that I have been carrying. To those of you who have had late, big babies, I give you all the credit!!

We are scheduled to go in tomorrow to have the c-section at 4pm. Everything will be routine and I am excited to meet our new baby! Please continue to keep us in your prayers and to pray specifically for 1) no infection 2) quick recovery 3) a healthy baby.

Thanks to everyone who keeps checking in with us!!

And the verdict is....

2008-08-20T11:33:00.003-08:00

still no baby.

No labor pains, no further dilation (at a 3.5 last week) and no indication that labor is forthcoming. However, if she is not born by next Tuesday, they will most likely break my water to get the ball rolling. Thanks to everyone who is checking in with me! I actually feel great, just slightly uncomfortable due to my gigantic stomach. Who knows, maybe this is a good thing as my doctor is on vacation until Monday. Keep me in your prayers!

A night at the lake...

2008-08-11T19:32:00.002-08:00

Phil, Finn and I took Mac down to Mirror Lake to see if he could swim. We were having our fourth sunny day of the summer and decided to take advantage of it. Mac checking out the stick...
Success! After several attempts, he decided that he really could swim.
We are still working on the "drop" command.
I call Mac Phil's girlfriend as he is all about spending equal time with the dog as he does with Finn and I. :)
As soon as we got to the lake, Finn waded right in in his water boots. He promptly filled them with water and fell forward. Here he is more interested in the twine that we brought than getting his pic taken.
Cutie Pie!
It took me a long time to decide to post this, but alas, I truly am this LARGE and IN CHARGE. Hopefully I am just days away from having her!

Well, we went to the hospital...

2008-08-04T19:28:00.002-08:00

but not to have a baby... to have our other baby stitched up. He tripped over his pant leg while drinking from a glass. Yes, I know, who gives their child a glass... but in my defense, he was taking a sip of my juice and I only handed it to him for a second. He actually is quite proficient at drinking from a big person cup. Anyway, he fell on top of the glass which shattered in his hand. We knew it was bad, but we thought a doc -in-a-box could fix it for us. We were wrong and she sent us to the ER as she thought his tendon was severed. Thank goodness it wasn't! 7 stitches later and he was good as new. He doesn't even act like his finger hurts!!

Tagged

2008-07-30T19:41:00.003-08:00

1. Where is your cell phone? work :(
2. Your significant other? nursery
3. Your hair? ponytail
4. Your mother? Bridge's
5. Your father? also
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? nadda
8 Your favorite drink? coffee
9. Your dream/goal? perfection
10. The room you’re in? dining
11. Your hobby? babies
12. Your fear? loss
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? 125lbs :)
14. What you’re not? energized
15. Muffins? Seinfeld
16. One of your wish list items? blender
17. Where you grew up? Alaska
18. The last thing you did? clean
19. What are you wearing? sweats
20. Favorite gadget? I POD
21. Your pets? MAC
22. Your computer? Junky
23. Your mood? thankful
24. Missing someone? Sure
25. Your car? messy
26. Something you’re not wearing? lipstick
27. Favorite store? Target
28. Like someone? sure
29. Your favorite color? green
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? yesterday

I tag Dori!!

Please God, don't let this child pee...

2008-07-30T19:38:00.001-08:00

I want to be just like my daddy!

2008-07-30T19:33:00.003-08:00

Finn actually clipped Phil's knife to his diaper waistband after stealing it from Phil's pocket. Not to worry, we only let him carve one hot dog stick and we kept a close eye on him the entire time. :)

Help me please

2008-07-22T12:02:00.002-08:00

Anyone know how to make the picture at the top of my page span the whole area? Someone by the name of Bridgette Phillips told me a while back she would fix it for me, but I guess she just forgot about me. Let me know if you know how to!!

Ready for a baby sister?

2008-07-22T11:59:00.002-08:00

I don't know, but it appears that Finn is not quite ready to give up his old toys...

Meet Mac

2008-07-22T11:54:00.002-08:00

We recently got a new dog who seems to be working out pretty well. He is great company for Finn and is 100% housebroken. Who could ask for more? (although he seems drawn to eat our electronic equipment, but hey, who is perfect?)

4th of July

2008-07-04T13:04:00.003-08:00

The night of the 3rd we headed up to Lions Park for the festivities. Now mind you, I don't think I had been there is 5 plus years for a fourth of July celebration. I remember it mostly consisting of teens "hanging" out and parents with little kids looking for something to do. I figured we would fit into the second category. After MUCH cajoling, Phil finally agreed to go with us (he only remembered it as a teen hang out.) :)
On the way there we stopped to feed the ducks some old pancakes. The ducks would have nothing to do with them and the seagulls ate all of it. Finn loved to see the birds up close and only took a few bites of the pancakes before he threw them in the water.
Here he is playing in a bouncy house that we had started to load him up into (no line, no one really around) and a guy came up to us and said "Excuse me, you need to buy a token." Phil bought Finn 5 mins for $3! I thought that was expensive for only 5 mins. He loved it though and we let him play for longer than that until someone was coming to tell us his time was up.
Bern showed up to get footage for the news. Here Finn is showing him how to dance to the live band behind them under the blue tarp.
Finn on the fire truck...
Mom and Dad joined in the festivities.Good thing, because I think Dad was the only one who brought money to fund the bouncy house for Finn!!

Finn having a staring contest with Sparky the dog. He didn't know what to think of him...
Family pic...Finn enjoying ice cream. (Again, funded by dad!!)

Visiting Grandma George

2008-07-04T12:59:00.001-08:00

Carsten and Finn playing on the swing set.
Finn loved this ride!
Grandma and her beautiful flower!
I love this color blue!

Finn the Operator

2008-07-01T21:27:00.003-08:00

Finn having a blast helping Dave dig some holes. He thought he was the King!

THREE and TWO

2008-06-26T11:09:00.003-08:00

Phil and I celebrated our third anniversary yesterday (June 25th). Phil surprised me by buying me roses, chocolate and a pregnancy massage (with the appointment already made!!). He took me to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants where we ordered an appetizer, salads, dinner and dessert! (S0rry no pics of that) What a great husband!!

The two portion of the title refers to the number of our children (or soon to be). We were laughing at dinner because we didn't want to start having children until we had been married 3 years, but we now have (almost) two kids! Who would have guessed?

Pictorial Catharsis

2008-06-25T11:18:00.005-08:00

A camping trip, family visit, lingerie shower, wedding, multiple bbq's, another wedding, playground trips, a garden party and a whole month later... I finally have some pics to show for what we have been doing in June!

Here Dad, Let Me Help...

2008-05-18T19:12:00.001-08:00

Finn working on Phil's ignition with him... Like father, like son!

Vegetable Garden

2008-05-18T19:01:00.003-08:00

I thought I would give my brown thumb another try and plant a veggie garden in our backyard. Every plant I have ever had has died, including a cactus. Phil did the majority of the work and I supervised (per usual). Here is Phil and Finn setting the rocks up.
We got a load of top soil and Phil shoveled into the garden. It almost loked like we were burying someone in our back yard. All we needed was a headstone. :)
Hopefully this will not be the end result. We planted carrots, onions, lettuce, peas, cilantro, cabbage and zucchini. We put a lot of miracle grow in the soil, so hopefully the seeds will take root and produce! Anybody have any gardening tips out there??

Looking Mischievous

2008-05-14T18:56:00.001-08:00

This is how I found Finn when I came into the dining room today. I love how he is perched on the edge of his seat!

Finn's 1st haircut

2008-05-14T18:51:00.002-08:00

Finn got his first haircut from his cousin Sara. He did great (as long as he had his lollipop in hand)!

Angie's Bridal Shower

2008-04-29T08:38:00.003-08:00

We had Angie's (my soon-to-be sister-in-law) bridal shower this past weekend. We had planned on having it at a friend's house, but after receiving a foot of snow the day before, we had to change plans due to the fact that our friend lived 7 miles up Bear Mtn. Needless to say, we made multiple phone calls at 9pm to change locations, but it all worked out. We had 45 people attend!

Here is a picture of the party favors Dori, Phil and I made. Chocolate dipped pretzel rods with sprinkles! They were a hit!
A picture of the party table...
We had bought a cupcake tree for the party and it actually worked out quite well!

Angie (in gray) and friends Ellie, Deanne and L.C.

Thanks Cousin Levi!

2008-04-21T20:00:00.002-08:00

Dear Levi, Thank you for letting me borrow your clothes. They fit me perfectly!
My mom tried to make me hold this dumb sign, but I decided I should crumple it instead...
So my daddy held it for me as I inspected my new pjs...
I have so many outfits I don't know which one to wear first...

I guess I will look at the camera for my last shot to say thanks. See you in June!!

Love,
Finn

Hitching a Ride

2008-04-16T08:00:00.003-08:00

Spring is not here yet! It snowed approx 6 in' last night. Sigh... Finn likes to go outside when Phil leaves in the morning, so here he is helping his daddy bring the trash to the curb.

It's a girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-04-05T07:47:00.004-08:00

Finn's reaction to the news...

Man Bag

2008-03-22T08:45:00.003-08:00

I recently switched Finn's diaper bag to a more condensed version and came up with the idea of using one of my larger purses instead of buying a new bag. It is blue alligator skin (real I am sure) and he loves to drag it around. Now only if I could get Phil to carry it.

Chocolate Syrup anyone?

2008-03-07T08:01:00.003-09:00

As I was baking the kitchen last night I saw Finn in the corner of my eye pulling out random condiment bottles from the fridge when I opened it to get the eggs. I noticed he had the Hershey syrup in his hand. I didn't think twice because he often yards everything out and I put it all away. Fifteen seconds later as he was still sucking on the top I came to the realization that he was actually drinking the syrup and that he had opened the top with his teeth!! He had chocolate syrup running down his chin. I guess he wanted to make sure he got his dessert for the night!

Happy First Birthday Finn!

2008-03-05T08:48:00.007-09:00

March 1st was Finn's first birthday. He had a few family members over to help him celebrate. We had a cowboy themed party including a cowboy boot cake I made myself.
Finn got a cell phone from his Uncle B and he continuously went up to Barbara to put it to her ear to let her talk on it.
Finn and Kiki
Bern wearing his "I wish I was a Cowboy" shirt.
Carsten playing soccer in the living room.
Finn doing a square dance in Carsten's hat.
My beautiful cake.
Finn loved eating his cake!!
Carsten helped blow out the candle.

Buenos Dias, Amigos!

2008-02-29T07:28:00.003-09:00

We have returned! After 11 beautiful days in sunny Zihuatanejo, Mexico we are back home. We had a blast snorkeling, swimming, laying out, eating out, getting massages on the beach(Gretchen), fishing (Phil), boogie boarding, jet skiing (can you do that while pregnant?) and taking in all the beautiful sights of Zihua.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from our travels.This was Finn every night at dinner. We took turns holding him and chasing him around. They have highchairs there, but they do not latch and do not have belts to hold the kids in. Do I have any other parents out there who agree that taking your kids out to dinner is not the most PEACEFUL event?
Phil and I stayed in this same room when we were there in 2005.

Finn loved the beach! He loved to walk in the sand, feel the waves, but most of all found the sand to be quite delectable, much to his mother's dismay.
Finn getting ready to go out to dinner.
Phil and I on the patio of the hotel.
I told Robbie, Phil's youngest brother, that this would be a great picture for the ladies as any picture with puppies naturally would be. Do we have any takers, ladies?
Finn and his favorite past time, eating sand.
Left to right, Robbie, Justin and Phil snorkeling off of Ixtapa Island. They have a great coral reef there and awesome fish viewing. We actually saw a stingray while snorkeling.
Finn and I on our way to the beach. Don't let the bucket fool you, he used it as his plate for eating sand. :)
Finn and Phil in the swimming pool at the hotel.
This was the hotel (bungalow as it is called) that we stayed in. It had a beautiful deck and pool for the 88-90 degree weather we had.
Finn and his Senoritas. Everywhere we went he had girlfriends. These girls wanted their picture with him. Or so I thought they said as they speak Spanish. :)
Finn and his toy that Phil bought him while at a Mexican outdoor show. Everybody comes to town for the weekly show on Sundays. Finn loved the business and all the attention he received. We couldn't understand a thing as to what the show was about, but did enjoy the people watching.

Mexico here I come!!

2008-02-05T09:37:00.000-09:00

We are taking a family vacation to Mexico in Feb. We are all very excited, including Finn. His suitcase is packed (he has unpacked it himself twice) and he is ready to roll.

Notice he is holding a wooden spoon. This has become a favorite toy of his and I am hoping he doesn't get too attached. As soon as he is up in the morning he is searching for this spoon. It is not too bad for us aside from the fact that he has no wrist control and whaps us in the head often.

Some stats I am proud of!
1) Finn has been walking for approx 3 weeks (middle of 10 mos.) He doesn't crawl anymore at all!
2) Off his bottle ( he didn't even make a peep when he was switched to the cup.) I think he only cares about the milk.
3) Almost off formula. He is drinking whole milk from his cup and again didn't mind the gradual switch.

We Have a Weiner..err.. Winner!!

2008-02-01T07:04:00.000-09:00

7 girls X 7 backpacks= 49 backpacks
49 X 7 big cats= 343 big cats (1372 legs)
7 big cats X 7 small cats= 49 small cats per backpack
49 small cats X 49 backpacks= 2401 small cats ( 9604 legs)

1372 big cat legs+ 9604 small cat legs+ 14 human legs
( no amputees or bus drivers) = 10,990 LEGS!

Congrats Bridge! I knew you took after me with your math skills. :)

Puzzle for the day

2008-01-26T13:05:00.001-09:00

See if you can figure this one out! I got this from Gary Elmore and it took me a while to get it myself. Post your answer when you are done and I will post the real answer in a few days.

THERE ARE 7 GIRLS ON A BUS. EACH GIRL HAS 7 BACKPACKS. IN EACH BACKPACK ARE 7 BIG CATS. EACH BIG CAT HAS 7 LITTLE CATS. HOW MANY LEGS ARE ON THE BUS?

Let it Snow!

2008-01-16T08:44:00.000-09:00

Everybody has been posting their snow pictures lately, so I thought I would post mine. This was taken this morning before Phil left for work. It snowed somewhere beteween 3-5inches last night, this does not include the snow we got the day before or the day before that. It seems never ending! It makes me very thankful that I no longer have to drive to work in the morning as this amount of snow almost doubles the morning commute into Anchorage.
Finn watching his daddy brush snow off the cars. He lately has been crying when Phil leaves for work and I think it is very cute. He continues to wave bye-bye for 30 seconds after he no longer sees his truck. :)

A little run-in with maple syrup...

2008-01-16T08:36:00.000-09:00

One morning I made waffles for breakfast , which Finn loved (obvious from below pics.) I put, maybe 1/2 tsp of syrup on his waffles because I thought, "who can eat dry waffles, they might get stuck in his throat." Well, they did not get stuck in his throat, but the few cheerios on his tray got stuck to his body! These pics do not do justice for the amount of cheerios that he had stuck to his arms, hair, ears and belly. He did not even notice the stickiness, but continued to eat every piece of waffle on his tray.

Little Monkey

2008-01-16T08:29:00.000-09:00

Finn has recently discovered that he can now climb out of our tub, much to the dismay of his parents! He has recently started climbing on everything! He has not fallen yet, but I am sure it is not far away....

Yesterday we caught him standing on a shelf in the refrigerator reaching for the pickles on the top shelf!! The day before he pulled himself up on the dishwasher by grasping the top shelf and clinching his toes onto the door and heaving himself up.
In this picture, he is actually standing on the ledge half way up the bath tub trying to heave his leg over!

Christmas Photo Shoot

2008-01-02T08:18:00.000-09:00

Big News from the Homefront...

2008-01-01T20:15:00.000-09:00

I know I have not posted recently( that would be due to the multiple Christmas/holiday gatherings and family visiting), but the exciting/scary/what were we thinking/we weren't thinking news is that we are expecting baby #2 in August!! Phil and I are excited to welcome this little baby into our lives and know that he will be as wonderful an addition as Finn! Notice I said he, that is because I am pretty resigned to the fact that our future daughter will have to be adopted with Phil being the oldest of 4 boys. :) I officially am welcoming any advice from mothers of two or more children!! I hope to post pics soon of Christmas!

Mom, seriously, I know what I am doing!

2007-12-10T18:39:00.000-09:00

Shopping on ebay...

Fixing dinner... How does vanilla pudding sound?

and unloading the dishwasher. What a great helper!

Twins?

2007-12-04T09:08:00.000-09:00

No, but father and son!

2007-11-29T21:03:00.000-09:00

Hijacked...

2007-11-27T10:08:00.000-09:00

I hijacked this picture from Dori's blog, but I had to because I thought it was so cute... This was taken on my 28th birthday and I just can't imagine life without this baby!

Thanks Dor~

Sending Bern a Holiday Hello

2007-11-21T11:26:00.000-09:00

A local bank sponsered military families in sending holiday greetings to their family members that are deployed. We all went in and filmed a 3 minute greeting that Bern can view online whenever he wants. My mom is talking with a little boy who kept saying his name was "mustard house" We thought that was so funny until his aunt told us he was trying to tell us about a movie named Monster house. haha
AJ enjoying the freee cookies....
Signs made by Finn and my dad
Finn trying on the pilgrim hat...
Phil checking out the camera...