Sweet peas over the years...

Without knowing it, L's grammy started a tradition when she gave her the first bouquet of sweet peas at age two:

2010

2011 

2012

2013

Growth Chart.

I finally found a place in our house to start a growth chart.  But, I'm in serious need of some cute ideas.  I'd like to transfer this info onto a portable growth chart incase I want to move it around in the house. I'm thinking of making this.  However, I want to be able to write-on their names (not pin/nail anything to the board...) So, I'm not sure what I'd write with to help it show.  To be continued... 

God Jul!

I gave myself permission to not do Christmas cards this year so, this is as-good-as-it-gets.  Merry Christmas to all & may this next year be filled with peace, healing, joy & blessings.

Love, J, K, Lai & A

Eve.

I hosted Christmas Eve this year.  I was bummed my siblings weren't able to join us but, a pack of Swedish cousins made the trek.

I loved catching up with my dad's side:

Brett, Malkolm, Jake, Andy, Carl, Bjorn 

Then:

Visiting daddy.

Then:

Annual trip through Candy Cane Lane.  

Halloween.

As you saw, we had the ballerina & monkey for one Halloween party.  We then had Rapunzel & monkey for another.

Happy Halloween!  

Visiting a friend in a nursing home.  

THEN:  Visiting more friends!

Laila could not believe Ingrid ALSO had a side braid!  

It's become tradition to visit the Thorstenson's on Halloween.  The costumes come off, we eat Halloween candy & the trains come out.  

Seaside June 2012.

This time we stayed the full week.  It was so wonderful getting away for the full 7 days.  We filled our days with beach time, swimming in the pools, flying kites, touring Tillamook Cheese factory, Cannon Beach, exploring the coast, outlet mall, checking out the Lewis & Clark National Park & the men caught 135 clams!

Mother/Daughty date swinging on the beach.  

These manly guys testing out the new, giant fairy-ballerina kite.  

Family swing at sunset.  

It was the oddest thing... Our car started driving on it's own & we ended up here...

My baby loafs.  

I'm moving here.  

We (of course) couldn't help ourselves. 

Gettin our hugging on...

Fish eye...

This is now a new family special stop.  We loved Hug Point.  

Hug Point is almost as magical as this place.

Exploring Hay Stack at low tide, in some seriously stormy weather.  

Should have held up a quarter but, these muscles were at least 8 inches long!  

Lewis & Clark trail.

This gives you an idea of how deep the Seaside beach is.  This SUV was readying the sand for a big soccer tournament.   

For the first time L was completely comfortable going under & was really trying to learn to swim  (thanks in part to her little fish cousins!)  

The week ended with this sweet toe stepping into the path of me opening the front door.  Poor, boy.   I will not even begin to describe to you what his toenail looks like now...  

Until we meet again...  

Family Dinner.

I've been much more intentional about having traditional family dinners & having the kids in the kitchen to help prepare the food.  It's brilliant!  Today we did 'build your own pizza'.  When Axey wasn't eating the uncooked toppings, he was quite the helper.  The kids were so proud to have made dinner for us!

Ho Ho Ho. (Post #200!)

Our Christmas flew by.  J worked both Christmas Eve & Christmas day this year.  It worked out fine & we just carried-on with family, without him.  We then had our family's "Christmas morning" at 11:15am when he walked in the door December 26th.   

If it wasn't for this late celebration, I have a feeling my Christmas decorations would have been put away December 25th by midnight.  (Is this terrible to say out loud?)  I have no idea why I felt this way this year...  However, as soon as the festivities were celebrated I was scurrying around the house packing-up & clearing the clutter.

(they call them "love-handles" for a reason...)

The last decoration to come off the tree was our precious L angel.  The house is now in order & I can breathe again.