Way back When-sday

my sister, my cousin Stacey and me, all dressed up and done up by our Aunt Gloria haha!

Christmas!

Yep, it's a month after Christmas and I am JUST now blogging these photos... I'm bad I know! This is why I don't do new years resolutions... just doesn't work with me! Anyways, here are just a couple photos from Christmas. We had a rough week, with me having yet another miscarriage and our cars transmission going out... the last thing I was thinking about was picking up the camera. I was just trying to soak up and enjoy Owen being 3 and having so much fun opening his presents.


Our family gets together about a week prior to Christmas and has a potluck style gathering. Usually one of the guys dresses up as Santa. Derek had agreed to do it, then we all hesitated because we didn't want Owen to figure it out... so we had someone else do it. Owen would go no where near him... just grabbed his gift and went!

This was Christmas eve, my sister and brother in law came over after church along with our friends Shawn and Stephanie, their 2 kids and my Uncle Bill and Aunt Lana. We all had some yummy Lasagna and Derek got the Christmas prime rib prepared for the next evening.

Owen got this "Shake n Go" track that was a total hit! Until it stopped working...

we need to take it back still ugh!

baby Wyatt

On Owen's 3rd birthday, my cousin gave birth to her first son...Wyatt David . We all were so excited that the day he came home from the hospital, we drove all the way out to Glenoma to see him! Owen couldn't wait to hold him, it was just the cutest thing!!!

Wyatt is a precious baby and such a blessing to the whole family! I can't wait to see this little handsome guy grow up :)

Owen's Birthday party

The day after Owen's birthday, we had a little party for him. Invited some of his friends and their parents. Derek went all out with the sail, pirate flag and crows nest. (I think it's called that) I had a lot of fun just bringing in little details... I used a lot of Owen's own toys to help decorate :)
The front door signs

the bathroom door sign

I had to wake Owen up from his nap and he wasn't happy...

Mis Savannah decided that she needed to eat off of the floor

Owen was bummed that his "Happy Birthday" sign fell, so he tried to put it back up

the Birthday

The morning of Owen's birthday, we woke up super early. We went and had breakfast in the hotel and headed out. Owen got to ride in Daddy's work truck for a while, which he thought was so fun! After nap time we got ready for dinner, but first Derek wanted to give Owen his gift.

Yep, it's a little dirt bike (which he's ridden once... Derek HAD to have it!)

We went to dinner at Red Robin after and Owen got sang to for his birthday and he got completely embarrassed... it was too cute!

Owen's 3rd birthday!

The day before Owen's 3rd birthday, I took him and the two kids I watch (Laney and Boston) to Jumpin' Jack n Jill's in Sumner for some birthday fun! The kids had a blast!!! Boston didn't get to do much since he wasn't walking when we went (he started like a week later!)

Owen and Laney on a slide

She was having a blast!
So was this crazy kid! ;]

After the kids' dad picked them up, Owen and I packed our stuff in the car and drove to Portland. Derek had been working there for the past 2 weeks and we thought it'd be fun to have a family night there. As soon as we got there, Owen hopped on his fold away bed and said "it's night time guys!"

We went to dinner at the Deschutes Brewery in downtown Portland. Derek's friend from high school, Dan and his wife, Kris joined us for a late evening meal. Owen was having a blast with his crayons and kept putting them behind his ears, I couldn't get a good picture of it though :( He did make friends with the little boy in the booth next to us, Charlie. So cute!

Tomorrow I will post the photos from Owen's birthday and his party!!!

a year in review

Well, thank God for a new year!!! I'm hoping and praying that 2010 brings bigger and better things than 2009! Here's a few things that happened in 2009... good and bad. Enjoy!

Good:
~Derek and I spent my 27Th birthday in Las Vegas, our first vacation just the two of us!
~in July, Owen decided to start using the potty all the time! I told him he was too big for diapers and that was that! No diapers at all... undies 24 hours a day!
~I started watching my friends 2 kids as a source of extra income, 3 days a week and those kids are just a blessing! I love them and so does Owen. I've had 2 weeks without them (mom is a teacher so she had Christmas break!) and every morning Owen asks me when he wakes up "are Laney and Boston coming over?!"
~my mom moved into the other side of the townhouses... such a blessing! We get to see her every day and help out when she needs us. Plus, Owen just adores her and is always wondering where she is if she's not at our house. The other positive to her moving is that it costs her less per month... NICE!
~My sister married her best friend Josh (also Derek's best friend!) they had a beautiful wedding at Red Barn Studios in Chehalis... my whole little family was in the wedding. A crazy day, but so much fun!
~I met and got to know a few ladies better this year... they've been such a blessing!
~Derek and I became so much closer this year. He amazes me! He is always helping out around the house and being the best husband ever! I've always loved him, but this year has made our love stronger for each other!

Now for the Bad: :(
~Derek's truck broke down... leaving us with one vehicle for the two of us. Thank God I didn't have to drive to work!
~I had 3 miscarriages... probably the biggest downer of all 2009. We wanted to have a baby so badly and it just didn't happen. All in God's timing.
~on Christmas eve, my car decided to lose it's transmission. Nice! We had just gotten a little in savings and then this happened. Thank God for that! He does provide and it is getting fixed now!

In 2010 I don't want to make any resolutions... they always get broken and then you're left feeling bad about yourself. So, I'm going to just list a few things that I hope to do this year... if I don't no biggie!

~be a better blogger! (i hope to get Owen's birthday blogged (from November!)
~not be a huge procrastinator anymore... do it when it needs to be done.
~focus on me and my health. With getting pregnant 3 times in the last 12 months my body and mind had been through the ringer. I'm going to really watch what I eat and workout more.
~enjoy my little family being little ;]

Happy New Year everyone!!!!