PJ and Rachell

Emma Naomi Noll

2011-04-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

Better late than never....

Emma Naomi Noll joined our family December 10th 2010 at 10:32pm. She has such a peaceful spirit. We are thrilled to have her and are blessed everyday by her love and calming demeanor. The boys love having a little sister and I am loving having a little one to cuddle with again. My boys are pretty good snugglers... but there is nothing like having an infant fall asleep in your arms.

Quick birth story without all the details :) I was scheduled to be induced Saturday morning (the 11th... her bday would have been 12/11/10 which would haven been kind of fun). She was a week overdue an my doctor didn't want to wait much longer. So, friday night we left Trader Joes about 6pm. I thought I might be having contractions, but I wasn't sure, which means they weren't very bad :) Well, we checked into the hospital at 8:30pm and they weren't sure if they were going to keep me because they didn't think I was really in active labor...about a half an hour later they checked me and said, I guess we don't need you to walk around the hospital for an hour... it is time to get you to a room. Our sweet little angel was in our arms at 10:32pm. It was definitely my easiest labor and I feel so blessed to have been able to have her so quickly and without any drugs.

She has been such a fun addition to our home. She is now rolling over and trying(successfully) to inchworm all over the place. It is so incredible to watch the boys with her. They are so kind, gentle and fun. They love to make her laugh.

I thought about trying to catch up on our postings... but I figure at this point that is somewhat of a pipe dream :) But I at least wanted to catch up on our newest addition!

Dylan's 6th Birthday.

2010-10-01T20:41:00.001-07:00

He was REALLY excited to unwrap one of his presents. We thought we'd share.

Dylan's First Field Trip

2010-04-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

The boys loved the South 47 street farm. I used to take Dylan there before we had Peyton...
It was fun to watch Dylan and all of his classmates run around the farm, dig for worms, run through the maze, pet the animals, and finally pick out their pumpkins. As we were heading back to the cars, Dylan discovered this fabulous puddle. He had his boots on... and I figure what good are boots and puddles if you can't jump in them every once in a while. So, I let Dylan venture out to the middle of the puddle. Some of the other boys in the class thought it looked like fun, but their parents weren't exactly thrilled with the idea. Not wanting to set a "bad" example I told Dylan he would have to save his jumping for later :)

I have a FIVE year old!

2010-04-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

I still can't believe it sometimes. Dylan turned five at the end of September. He is such a joy to have in our home. I truly feel blessed everyday that his little spirit came to our family. He is an amazing example to his little brother and to PJ and I. He absolutely LOVES science, he would love to do an experiment everyday. Unfortunately, I am not that amazing of a mother, but I do try to fit them in whenever we can. He loves to make inventions out of our recycling, concoctions out of anything he can mix together. And if all he has available is a pen and paper you will find him drawing his inventions... One of my favorite was his water purification machine. He is very thoughtful in his actions and in life. He really wants to do what is right, and he loves school. I could say so much more, but in the interest of getting some posting done and some catching up on our lives.... :)

It is pretty much tradition in our home to get breakfast in bed on your b-day. So, Dylan started the day with breakfast in bed. He had to wait for PJ to get home from work so that he could open his presents and then off to Red Robin and Chucky Cheese. The boys love Chucky Cheese, but we don't love the food... so we get the best of both worlds :) They get to have fun playing games, and we get to have decent food, they get an ice cream sunday and are sung too... it works out great for everyone!

Canoeing at UW- Sept 09

2010-04-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

We spent the morning at the zoo with some great friends and then headed over to UW to take to boys canoeing. We had been talking about doing it for weeks, but hadn't been able to find the time. It was drizzling at the zoo and we thought we were going to have to wait on canoeing, but the clouds parted and the sunshine appeared, so we decided it was now or never. The boys were tickled that we were going and insisted on helping row. It was really cute to watch them try, and they would want to row all by themselves... which resulted in a few circles. But, a good time for all.

So, since I am including this picture of PJ (which I totally set up and made sure you could see the "W" - since he is a husky) I decided I better throw this one in of me to, otherwise I might get in trouble :) As a little tip, you might want to bring a towel or two to sit on or just to wipe down the seats... unless you plan on getting a little wet.

Mariner Game- Sept 09

2010-04-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

The boys were so excited to take their picture with the Mariner Moose. I think it was the highlight of the entire game. Well, it might be a close call for Peyton, he really LOVED the cotton candy. It had to be blue of course; it is his favorite color. Dylan and I decided the cotton candy wasn't really for us, but I was glad that Peyton liked it. The boys were really patient with PJ while he watched the game. We passed the time making silly faces at each other. Don't get me wrong, they loved it for the first hour or so, but then they were ready to be done with it :) PJ was a really good sport though and left before the game was over. It ended up being a good thing too- otherwise we would have had to wait an hour for the next bus.

Remlinger Farms - Sept 09

2010-04-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

Ever since Dylan's First B-day we have been going to Remlinger Farms. We love experiencing it each year through our boys enthusiasm. It is so much fun to watch their faces light up when we get there and go through the park. At first Peyton decided he was not going to ride a horse, but on our way out he decided to be brave and LOVED it :)

Eric Ode performed two shows while we were there. The boys got to participate in the show we went to. They were a little unsure at first, but afterwards they were both so happy they had done it. It was so cute to watch Peyton mirror everything Dylan was doing while they were on stage. I really love what great friends they have become!

Dylan and Peyton and I were waiting for the next train. And PJ and Peyton were exploring the Firetruck. I could post tons of pictures, but these are just a few of the highlights. We always have such an amazing time at Remlinger and can't wait to go back this year!

Dylan's First Day of Pre-K

2010-04-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

Dylan was absolutely thrilled to start his first day of Pre-K class. He adores his teacher and we feel so blessed to be able to send him to her preschool. Peyton just adores Dylan and was so excited for Dylan's first day of school- he was just a little sad he didn't get to join him.

Finger painting... or body art - Aug 09

2010-04-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

We decided to break out the pudding finger paint. (Package of pudding mix made up w/ food coloring in muffin tins). At first Dylan dove in with his fingers and was painting away on his paper. Peyton, wasn't interested in getting his fingers dirty so he just used a paintbrush. A few minutes into painting Dylan decided to paint his arm. Little by little he painted more and more. It was too cute to stop him. At first Peyton wasn't sure that Dylan was making a very good choice, but I told him it was okay and he tested out painting one stroke on his tummy. He ended up thinking it was pretty fun, but Dylan still ended up the messiest :) They went right into the bath after they were finished painting their masterpieces!

Dylan's Artwork - August

2009-11-19T22:21:00.000-08:00

Dylan took an art camp this summer from one of our favorite people :) He had a blast... thanks again!

Peyton had to get in on the camera action :) He loved wearing Dylan's astronaut helmet. I love all of my kids artwork, but really... I can't keep everything. So, I try and squeeze as much in one picture as I can... Below are some of his projects from Preschool last year.

August Adventures

2009-11-19T20:51:00.001-08:00

Dylan LOVES inventing things, he was so proud of his little machine. He also has become quite amazing at blowing up balloons. The boys think it is hilarious when Dylan blows up the balloon and then lets it go flying crazily around the room.

Peyton LOVES music! He is always playing a guitar, (real or pretend) drumming on something - he does have drums, but he will drum on anything :) It is so much fun to watch our boys develop their very individual personalities.

Enjoying the Beaches- July

2009-11-19T20:37:00.000-08:00

We are so lucky to live close to so many different beaches. We definitely tried to take advantage of it this summer. It is hard to tell from the pictures, but these are from different trips, to different beaches :) I love this picture of Dylan in all his safety gear :)
We are also so grateful to have such great friends to enjoy the beach with!

"Big" boys camp out -July

2009-09-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

PJ took Dylan to Cascade Park for a boys camping trip with some of his guy friends. It was a little sad to see them go, but they had a fantastic time. Peyton and I had some special time at home, but I think he wishes he could have gone too. Dylan loved going on the zip line, playing in the sand, getting soaked at the beach, helping the Missionaries on the tractor and just being a boy in the dirt.

Swimming Lessons (July)

2009-09-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

Dylan had his first swimming lessons this year. He was so excited! The first week was cold and cloudy... and poor Dylan shivered all the time (outdoor pool). But he enjoyed the class much more once it warmed up. However, he did not love the head bobs... he has no interest in having his face under water. His favorite thing to do was wear the "noodle" so he could "swim" on his own. Peyton and I had a great time watching and eating snacks... but he has no interest in lessons right now... we'll see if he changes his mind next year.

4th of July

2009-09-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

We spent the morning at Lake Wilderness with some our good friends the Hays and the Thulins. The weather was amazing and we loved that Lake Wilderness was not crazy crowded. The boys had a great time digging in the sand and wading in the lake.

After the lake we went home and gave Peyton a nap. Then we packed up again to drive over to Bellevue. We got to the park early and walked around for a while, got dinner and then claimed our piece of grass. Peyton and I ended up saving our spot while PJ and Dylan walked around. The boys were really patient while we waited for the fireworks. They loved the fireworks but hated the noise. They had their ears covered throughout most of the show. It was fun to be so close to the fireworks, but it was crazy crowded. It ended up that if your blanket didn't cover it... someone else claimed it. The boys fell asleep before we even got out of the mall parking lot. Good thing too, because traffic was crazy and it took us almost 3 times longer to get home than normal.

Seattle Science Center (July)

2009-09-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

We surprised the boys with a trip to the Seattle Science Center. We got them up in the morning and told them we had a surprise, but couldn't tell them where we were going. They were really excited, but even more excited when they found out we were going to walk to the bus stop and take the city bus. I am always a little surprised how much they LOVE the city bus.

Here they are waiting for the bus...

It was fun to see the Science Center through the boys eyes.
I always love the butterfly house-- and this visit we got up close and personal with a butterfly. Dylan would have preferred to view them from a distance, but recovered once I had the butterfly off of him and onto me.

PJ and I were exhausted by the time we left, I think the boys would have been happy to stay longer, but luckily we had a super cool bus ride to convince them it was time to go.
We really did have a great time, but I confirmed that the Everett Children's museum is really the best place around for my kids at their ages right now :)

Enjoying the sunshine

2009-06-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

(June 4th)

I normally don't love the heat, but I have a new found appreciation for hot summer days. I love that it was warm enough for the boys to break out their swim trunks and play in the water in our backyard. Dylan was SO excited to break out the sprinkler and would have stayed out there all day running through it. I set up the basketball hoop by the pool so that Peyton could enjoy the water and one of his favorite things... basketball. I can't tell you how many balls I retrieved for him (in an effort to keep the pool water somewhat clean- I didn't want him going in and out). We had such a great time enjoying the sunshine, water and each other's giggles. I sure do love my boys :)

Idylwood Park

2009-06-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

(June 3rd)
We feel so blessed to live in an area where we have so many parks to choose from! Variety is the key for continued park enjoyment in our home. The kids had a blast, Dylan was going down the slide face first and trying all sorts of daredevil moves. He thought it was so great. Peyton brought one of his footballs to the park and was practicing kicking it out of PJ's hands. Dylan also figured out a way to keep his sunglasses about an inch away from his eyes so that when he would run around or go down the slide (see picture below) they would bounce. We all thought it was hilarious. I am so lucky that my boys enjoy each other so much, it is such great fun to be with them and watch them crack each other up :)

Snoqualmie Falls

2009-06-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am going to attempt a little catch up :) May 16th PJ and I took the boys to Snoqualmie Falls. They were amazing, they both pretty much walked the entire trail on their own. In fact at times they insisted on walking over being held. There were a few moments where they let us put them on our shoulders, but they were definitely pulling the independent card :) I had forgotten how steep the climb down to the water is once you get to the end of the trail, so I spoiled Dylan and PJ's fun because I didn't want to try and climb the rocks w/ Peyton and have an accident. I told PJ that he could take Dylan down and Peyton and I would just hang out, but he didn't want to leave us behind. So sweet :) Dylan was definitely disappointed and we promised to make it up to him next time. We had a great time, it was so refreshing to get out together as a family and enjoy some of the amazing things that the Northwest has to offer. We are going to have to take the boys on more little hikes like this... any suggestions?

Saying goodbye...

2009-06-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we said goodbye to a dear friend that has been a very important part of our family for the past 2 years and 3 months.

.... Peyton's beloved Binky

We went on a scavenger hunt throughout the house and collected all of his binkies and put them in a ziploc bag. When PJ got home we headed out to Target. Peyton was SO excited to use his binkies to buy this...

He has wanted this CD for a few months... but I told him that we needed to wait for something special and then we could come back and get it. So, when I asked him if he would want to trade his binkies for the new Mover's CD he was all about it. Might I mention how much he LOVES his binkies. I tried explaining this meant his binkies would be ALL gone, and I think he understood as much as he could. We went to Target, he picked out his CD, we got a couple other things, and then went to the register. PJ prepped the cashier and Peyton confidently handed over his little bag of binkies to "pay" for his new Mover's CD. He was amazing, I thought, maybe this won't be so bad after all. Then came bedtime. Yes, he cried, and cried, and cried. He normally likes to cuddle... but didn't want me to even rub his back. He kept asking to get his binkies back. He told me, "I am crying because I want my binkies... I am upset mommy". Well, we made it through night one- with a few wakings, and crying... :( But I am happy to report that last night was MUCH better. He only woke up one time, we cuddled for a few minutes, he went back to sleep and then woke up about 6:30am for the morning. Perhaps a little earlier than I would like, but I'll take it if he can learn to sleep through the night :)

I am optimistic that tonight will be even better (fingers crossed)

And he LOVES his new CD- we came home from Costco yesterday and I turned on his CD while I unloaded the car... I looked over and found him on top of our ottoman with his baseball tee (using it as a microphone) and his baseball bat (aka his guitar) and he was rocking out to his new CD :)

Everett Children's Museum

2009-05-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

We had some friends invite us to join them for a free night at Everett Children's Museum. I was a little hesitant to go, I wasn't sure if the potential crazy crowds would be worth it. But I have to say, the boys LOVED it. It is one of the best children's museums I have been too. It was definitely crazy... but since the boys didn't mind I decided to jump in and have fun with them.

PJ was right again... he convinced me it would be worth going, and I am totally glad we did. Dylan keeps asking when we'll go again.

Dylan's First Bike Ride

2009-05-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

So, I found a crazy deal on a training wheel bike for Dylan and couldn't pass it up. We told him that it was part of his birthday... but that we wanted him to be able to enjoy it during the summer. He was sooo excited for his surprise! The only problem ended up being that for the next week he kept asking if I had another surprise for him :)

We let him ride it in the house for a day before we took it outside for the first time. He rode like a champ and has since taken it to the park a few times and he just took it for his longest ride this weekend at Lake Chelan.

From the mouth of babes...

2009-04-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

So PJ took Dylan with him to drop off our van at the mechanic on Monday. When they got there Dylan really wanted to tell the mechanic what was wrong with the car. So this is what he told the mechanic (as best as PJ could remember). "Sometimes, our car doesn't start, but if we say a prayer, then it works". I am so glad that he is gaining a testimony of prayer. I can imagine that if PJ or I had dropped off the car on our own, we might have left out that part of the story. I am so proud of Dylan for having a testimony of prayer and wanting to share it with other people. Our kids really can teach us a lot if we let them.

The other day Peyton says to me, "When I am big I can drive" I told him that when he was 16 he would be able to drive. He thought about it for a minute and looked at me and said, "When I am big and can wear your shirt, I can drive" I thought it was too cute that he would associate being "big enough" to do something with my size. And today he was telling me that when he is big he will be able to wear his Papa's shoes.

Does he really have to want to be all grown up already!

New Dave Matthews Video

2009-04-18T17:52:00.001-07:00

So, most of you know I am a Dave Matthews FANatic. He has a new album coming out on June 2nd. Below is a video talking about the new material, and the death of their sax player, LeRoi Moore.

Here is a link to the new song off the CD called "Funny How it is".

Happy Birthday Peyton!

2009-03-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

My baby is 2. I know this post is a little late, but I figure since he can't read yet it won't be too traumatizing. Peyton is such a joy to have in our family. He cracks us up everyday and is always full of smiles. He has started pretending that he is another character... it is super cute. Right now we have a few different personas...

1) The Imagination Movers... (A Disney show)- he is Mover Dave, or Mover Rich- it depends... Dylan is Mover Scott... PJ is Uncle Knit Knots... and I get to be Nina.

2) The Magic Treehouse... we have been reading the series to the boys (we are almost done... any suggestions for a new series?) Peyton is Jack, Dylan is Teddy, I am Annie, and PJ is Merlin.
3) The Incredibles... Peyton and Dylan both like to be Dash... for whatever reason Peyton has decided that I am Jack Jack (the baby) and PJ is Mr Incredible... or "Bob"

4) Signing Times... Today while Dylan was at Preschool Peyton decided that we were Alex and Leah from Signing Times. Every week we get new signing time DVDs from the Library (which is totally LOVES) so all around the library he was calling me Leah... I called him Peyton and he said... "I mean- Alex" I responded, "of course, I'm sorry Alex" and he giggled. I love these DVDs -- it has been amazing for his vocab and I am super impressed at how quickly Dylan and Peyton have picked up all of their signs.

There might be more... but that is all I can remember at the moment. It is pretty crazy though, because he'll remember all day and is pretty consistent in calling me "Nina" or whatever character he deems me to be. Dylan did the same thing at this age- just different characters, maybe it is a standard development thing, but it is pretty adorable.

He also LOVES music and is pretty particular about what we listen to. You know he likes a song because after it plays he says "again, again" and when he doesn't like a song, he says, "no, not this one." Sometimes it makes PJ a little crazy because Peyton can listen to the same song 10 times in a row and still want more. Luckily Dylan and I don't mind so much and PJ isn't in the car with us very often :) He sings with the songs that he likes and learns the words super fast. I have been borrowing CDs from the library and he fell in love with the Imagination Movers CDs... so for his birthday we got him one and he was so excited to have his own copy that he didn't have to say goodbye to at the library! He also just discovered the band "Milkshake" and they have a song about baseball that he loves and one about superheros. It is so much fun for me to watch him discover new music and form opinions about songs so quickly. He definitely has some of PJ's blood in him.

He loves drums-- and plays multiple times a day. He counts off with the drumsticks... one, two, three four... and then starts pounding on the drums, and always finishes with the symbol.

He loves sports... any kind and we play a lot of football, baseball, soccer, toss... I am so glad we have a big play room!

But most of all, he LOVES his big brother Dylan. He always wants to be with him and wants to do whatever Dylan is doing. He can keep up pretty well, and it always makes my heart melt to watch them play together. Dylan is such an amazing big brother and I am so grateful to have both of these special spirits in our home. I love watching them hold hands, play in the tub, wrestle, and work together. Yes, they do have their moments of frustration-- but they are far out shined by the moments of kindness.

His Birthday Cake. He was so excited when he saw buzz that he pulled the bar stool up to the counter and just started chatting with buzz for about five minutes. "Hi, how you Buzz?" Then, it was lunch time, so Peyton insisted on saying prayer, "by self"... he blessed buzz and said thank you for buzz about 4 times in his prayer- I thought it was pretty sweet.

I could go on... but he'll be waking from his nap soon :)

We have had a great time celebrating his birthday with family and friends!

A little of why I've been so absent...

2009-02-19T21:05:00.000-08:00

It's official... I have my own website. It is amazing what you can learn in such a short time. A few months ago there was a baby shower at PJ's work. He asked if I would do a cake for the party. I decided it would be fun to practice some of my fondant skills and took it on. Well, one of his co-workers loved the cake so much she had me make one for a baby shower in her law department at Boeing.... from there she has ordered a few cakes and has referred a few friends... I've already had to turn down a few orders... I really enjoy making the cakes, but they take an incredible amount of time... so I have to balance taking on orders and making sure that it doesn't negatively impact my boys. Anyways... thanks to my loving husband, I have my own website-- I've gone through a couple names, and a couple websites, but this one is here to stay.

http://www.amorecake.com/

Enjoy :)

Kids say the sweetest things...

2009-02-19T20:45:00.000-08:00

Today Dylan and I made cinnamon rolls while Peyton napped.... well, technically I made them while he played with some dough. It was so much fun to just chat with him. We talked about all sorts of things, and then he gave me the ultimate compliment... "Mommy, I want to marry you when I get older" I told him I thought he would be an awesome husband... and he said, "to you?" I told him that I was kind of already taken... but I knew he would find a wife that would be perfect for him. I asked him if he would marry someone who loved me too... and he said... "who wouldn't love you mom!" For a moment, I thought about telling him that unfortunately sometimes in life people don't love you-- but then I thought better of it and decided to relish in the moment. I know that there is the slight ;) chance that he won't always feel that way about me-- so I am loving that right now, in his eyes I can do no wrong. And instead of telling him of the harsh reality of the world I just told him how sweet he was and how lucky I am to be him Mom. I asked him how I got to be so lucky, and he told me... "In heaven mom." Moments like these remind me why I LOVE that I get to stay home and take care of my boys!

On the flip side... today one of Peyton's best buds came over to play and he was soooo excited to see him, until it got time to actually play with the toys. Anytime poor Caleb would pick up a toy, Peyton would say... "No Caleb play with _____ that is my _____." Granted he was a little sleep deprieved, but :( it made me feel real sad because we love Caleb and his family. I'm crossing my fingers next time will be better--- normally they play amazing together, so I'm going to convince myself that this is just a one time phase :). Normally he is a real crack up though... in the morning he wakes up and says, "How you Mama", "Ove you too" he talks all the time. The other day in the car he said... "My tummy is not good- I need more Fruit Snacks" It is amazing to me how well he is able to communicate. What is even more amazing is that my baby is almost 2! It seems a bit unreal. The last two years have gone by so quickly.

Random December Fun

2009-01-26T21:17:00.001-08:00

SnowFlake Lane

2009-01-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

Last year we went to snowflake lane 3 different times... this year we went twice, but didn't get to see the entire parade either time. I had thought about taking the boys for the opening night, but then thought it would be crazy and we decided not to go. Then, forgetting it was opening night we went over to Bell Square to get Peyton's Christmas stocking (when the kids are close to 2 we let them pick out their own stocking-Peyton picked a Santa one). Turns out, opening night at snowflake lane is the ONLY way to go. We were stopped at the light watching firetrucks and police on motorcycles then Santa in his sleigh pulled by horses... after sitting in the car at the light forever... we finally decided to have me hop out of the car with the boys so that they could get a closer look. I wish we hadn't of waited so long. Lesson learned, opening night is worth it and the craziness of all the people just adds to the experience. We didn't have a camera with opening night, but were able to take a few pictures the next time we went while waiting for a table at Cheesecake factory.

Meeting Santa/ Ward Christmas Party

2009-01-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I am playing a little catch up--- better late than never :)

We had a great Christmas program at Church. The Primary kids did the nativity and Dylan got to be an Angel. One of the women in the ward used some of her fabric "scraps" from home and handmade costumes for all of the primary kids. So much work! Luckily our primary isn't too huge. Dylan didn't love being an angel because he said his costume was too big :( But he was a trooper. I'll spare you a picture though because the lighting was Terrible :(

The boys were so excited to visit with Santa. We didn't know how Peyton would react, but he walked right over to Santa and climbed up on his lap. We knew Dylan would be great... and he loved it. Luckily he didn't recognize the man behind the beard :)

Peyton loving seeing Santa, he left quite the impression... Peyton's favorite thing to tell everyone about Santa was that, "Anta gave me andy-DaDa andy too, Mama, Papa andy too" Which in translation was that Santa gave me CANDY, Dylan too, Mama, Papa candy too.

Dylan giving a big GRIN!

New Family Pictures

2008-11-24T23:01:00.000-08:00

Thank you, thank you Beth and Jason! You guys are the best. I LOVE these pictures of my boys! I must say you make a much better photography team than PJ, myself and the tripod. Thank you for capturing their personalities and always making our boys feel so loved. Now the hard part... choosing the Christmas card photo :)

Halloween pics

2008-11-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

We had a great Halloween. Dylan got to start the day at his Preschool's Halloween Party. When PJ came home from work we got the kids ready and went to our ward's "trunk or treat." How I ended up with no pictures from the actual trunk or treat... :( Maybe it was too dark out? The kids had a blast running around with all of the other kids and scored big time on the candy. After the trunk or treat we headed over to Bellevue Square. It was way crazier than I remember from the previous years.

For those of you anticipating this years pumpkin carving entry... I am sad to say-there was none. Maggiano's Little Italy didn't host their annual contest :( With no contest to enter I decided I didn't have the time to devote to carving this year. Instead Dylan drew some bats and I carved them out of a pumpkin for him.

Friends... with benefits :)

2008-11-11T14:42:00.000-08:00

Okay now, not those kind of benefits--

PJ and I feel so fortunate to have such amazing friends in our lives. We don't get to see or spend as much time with any of you as we would like. However, we still feel so blessed to know such wonderful people. Having these friendships is enough... but I can't say we don't love some of the "fringe benefits". This year (and others) our family has been able to create some amazing memories thanks to the generosity of good friends.

Most recently (thanks Christian and Kelly) we got to take the boys (including PJ) to their first Huskies game. They also set us up with Husky attire for the boys. Which they LOVED. They felt so special and had a great time.

Unfortunately, they lost... but the boys (especially Peyton) LOVED the game. It was pretty chilly when we left and Peyton was signing more and saying football. I told him that the football players had to go "nigh nigh" and all night... the next day and still occasionally he says... "football nigh nigh."

Why do they call it liquid?

2008-10-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Dylan is always asking me questions. He is very curious and I love it. Yesterday we had the following conversation:
Dylan: "Mom, why do the call it liquid?"
Me: "I don't know Dylan... why do you think they call it liquid?"
Dylan: "Maybe a long time ago before they had cups they had to lick it, so they decided to call it 'lick-wid'"

I thought it was too cute and had to share :)

Dylan's B-day

2008-10-24T15:25:00.001-07:00

2008-10-24T15:10:00.001-07:00

Dylan is 4!

2008-10-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

And yes, his birthday was September 29th, I know this is a little late :(. How is it possible that I have a four year old! I swear time speeds up when you have kids. I can barely wrap my head around the idea that the infant I brought home from the hospital four years ago is now; (sorry- this is really meant for my benefit for when I put together our scrapbook for the year) singing solos in preschool, writing his name, reading me stories (reciting stories), counting to 30, wrestling with his little brother, saying the most thoughtful prayers, telling me he loves me more than (everyday it is different-my favorite is "a house full of machines"- you'd have to know how much he LOVES inventing new machines, it is quite the compliment!) I could go on...

Dylan's birthday was on a Monday so we decided to do our annual Remlinger Farms trip the Saturday prior. Well, he shares his birthday day with one of his buddies... so they had the same idea and had their son's birthday party on Saturday as well. We decided to juggle both events and it worked out great. We started out at Chuckie Cheese for Max's birthday party (and lunch :)). He was bummed that we had to leave early in order to make it to Remlinger Farms, but really wanted to do both. We told him that we would save our tokens and come back to Chuckie Cheese on Monday (his real b-day) to play games and open his presents there. Luckily he loved the idea. Dylan looks forward to Remlinger Farms all year and this time Peyton loved it too. My favorite thing was riding the roller coaster with Dylan and he decided to lift his hands in the air and said, "look mom! no hands" he left his hands in the air for the duration of the ride. It was so fun! The boys both loved everything, but especially liked riding the ponies and the train. I will be sad when they decide they are too grown up for the farm... but hopefully it won't happen too soon.

On his actual birthday we started the day with breakfast in bed (a family tradition) and then got ready for preschool. He was delighted to spend his birthday at preschool so it worked out great. After preschool I tried to make Dylan feel special with some extra attention and waited for PJ to get home. We then went to Chuckie cheese as promised, and opened presents and used up his tokens. Then we went over to Red Robin for dinner and had them sing to Dylan. It was so sweet to see how special that made him feel. And you can't beat free dessert :)

A little of what I've been up to...

2008-10-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

Since taking the Wilton cake decorating classes I have had the opportunity to practice for a few occasions. Dylan's buddy Max turned three and wanted a police car cake--- so I decided to try carving a cake for the first time. It was touch and go for a little bit, but I think it turned out pretty good. It is hard to tell from the pictures, but the police car is sitting on a "curvy road" sheet cake.

Dylan turned 4-- and yes this is way late and deserves a post of it's own, which will follow... but he wanted a firetruck cake. Unfortunately, it isn't the best I've done, but sleep deprivation was setting in...

The final was for a baby shower at PJ's work. I probably had the most fun with this cake, if only my royal icing crib frame had worked- it would have been completely edible :(... Oh well, a trip to Michaels, a few pieces of wood, some hot glue and PJ with his saw saved the day!

Our last two days in San Diego

2008-10-13T22:51:00.001-07:00

Disneyland and California Adventures

2008-10-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

We LOVED Disneyland! What an amazing experience to be able to share as a family. I have really fond childhood memories of Disneyland, so it was really amazing to be able to create memories for our children.
Dylan was such a dare devil. He wanted to go on every ride he was tall enough to ride. I have been to Disneyland a handful of times but had never been on the Matterhorn. PJ took Dylan on it and afterwards Dylan wanted to go again... with me. He told me, "Mom, you don't have to worry- it's just a doll." Little did he know it wasn't the abominable snowman that worried me. I decided to be tough and not let on that I was nervous. Turns out it wasn't even that fast. The only ride Dylan didn't like was the Spinning LadyBugs at California Adventures (equivalent to the TeaCups at Disneyland). We got off the ride and he said, "Mommy, we will never do that again!". Needless to say we didn't ride the TeaCups at Disneyland.
Peyton fell in love the the Buzz Lightyear ride and Winnie the Pooh ride. The ride would end and he would sign more and say "B" or "Pabear."
We saw both Parades, but our favorite was the one at California Adventures. It was so great to watch the kids get excited as their favorite characters came by. Peyton still "talks" about how he got wet during the parade, but Lightning didn't get him wet. He would whine every time he got squirted... (it was an interactive water parade) so, he didn't love that, but he really loved seeing all of the characters. Dylan was totally enamored with the parade and LOVED getting wet. Kids are so funny.
We also loved meeting Crush. The adults all got a good laugh when Crush was talking with a kid and had a picture of a bikini top and asked the boy what it was. He responded... a bra. Crush proceeded to ask what a bra was, and the boy said it held boobs. I'm sure his parents will remember that for a while.
We all had an AMAZING time and can't wait to go back.

Disneyland and California Adventures

2008-10-13T21:22:00.001-07:00

Pictures from SeaWorld and San Diego Zoo

2008-10-08T22:19:00.001-07:00

San Diego Zoo & Sea World

2008-10-08T21:59:00.001-07:00

I'm still playing catch up from our trip to California. Our friends, Guy and Erin Balogh, moved from Seattle a year ago to San Diego. They were gracious enough to allow us to camp out at their house again (they saved us when our apartment flooded December 2006 and put up with us for 8 days). We had such a great time with them and are super grateful for their friendship and hospitality! We spent a day at the Zoo, one at SeaWorld, three at Disneyland and one day at the beach. Above are some pictures from the Zoo, Erin's parent's pool and SeaWorld.

I don't know if we are just weird... but the Zoo did not amaze us. We liked it, but we "like" the Woodland Park Zoo as well. While we appreciate that the animals are in their "natural habitat"-- we did not enjoy the endless walking and hills :) It was a great way to start our trip though. We figured we would ease the boys into the fun so that they weren't disappointed with the zoo after having gone to Disneyland. SeaWorld was awesome! Dylan LOVED feeding the Dolphins, touching the Sea Stars and Bat Rays. Peyton didn't like touching the Bat Rays as much, but had a great time and loved the Sesame Street portion of the park. The boys did amazing and had a great time.

I am going to attempt to post about Disneyland tomorrow... then Dylan's birthday... some new cakes... etc.

I gradutated!

2008-09-11T17:58:00.001-07:00

...... from Wilton's cake decorating courses I & III. Last year for Dylan's 3rd birthday I decided to try my hand at cake decorating with fondant. It is amazing what you can learn in a year :) I was completely self taught until this summer when I enrolled in a Wilton's class through Michaels. I still have more classes to go, and much more to learn... but I have thoroughly enjoyed the process thus far. It is a lot of work, but definitely worth it. Here are a couple pictures of my final. (Yes everything (including the roses) are edible and handmade out of fondant.

My Year of Cakes (In order, starting w/ Dylan's B-day)

2008-09-11T17:09:00.001-07:00

Ryan Shupe

2008-08-28T13:26:00.000-07:00

I think it was 8 years ago that I heard Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband for the first time. It has been so much fun to watch them "make it big". I even have PJ listening to and enjoying their bluegrass/pop sound. He is actually really impressed by them, which to those of you who know him- means a lot! They were here last year at the Triple Door and we missed it, so I was excited that they were in town and playing for FREE :) We brought the boys and they loved it. Mostly they loved playing in the dirt, but they also love the music (they know it well). We stuck around after the show and got a picture with the band. We also enjoyed running into old friends at the show. It was great to visit and catch up.

SeaFair 2008

2008-08-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

After living almost our whole lives in the Seattle area... PJ and I had both never attended SeaFair. Luckily our good friends the Hays had some free tickets and invited us to join them with the Thulins. We all met up and took the city bus into SeaFair. Dylan thought it was so much fun. We really could have ended the day after the bus trip and he would have been totally good. We had pit passes and so we got to see the hydroplanes up close. Peyton and I weren't too amazed... but the bigger boys thought it was pretty cool.
The Blue Angels put on quite a show. On the way back to the bus PJ took Dylan down one of the big inflatable slides. When they came down Peyton said "Papa...May" and was pointing to the slide-which means... Papa me too! So, PJ stood in line with Peyton and he got to try out the slide too! It was a long day- but we had a great time. Unfortunately I didn't realize until much later :( but, our camera was set for email quality pics.... so they aren't terrific- but here are a few shots from our day

UW Graduation

2008-07-01T22:28:00.001-07:00

June 15th PJ's UW Graduation

2008-07-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

I know it is a little late... but we are so excited to announce that PJ has graduated!!! The boys did amazing during graduation. I even had Peyton asleep-- for a moment, and then the clapping began. But he was a trooper. Luckily I remembered to bring Dylan's Lightning McQueen church bag to keep him entertained. PJ was really easy to "spot" in the crowd because he was holding a pink fluorescent piece of paper (he was the first one to walk out leading the business graduates). We were grateful to have my Mom (my Dad was in LA), PJ's Parents and his Grandparents (Hymas) with us to celebrate his graduation.
Thanks to everyone for all of your love and support!

My first Wedding Cake...

2008-06-02T14:53:00.001-07:00

This past weekend some of our favorite people had one of their daughters get married. I was helping with the food and ended up making the top tier of the cake as well. It was so much fun and hopefully my first of many cakes. It wasn't perfect... but I figure not too bad for my first one :) I can really only claim ownership of the top tier... but I think the whole thing turned out pretty great.

TOP 10% Baby!

2008-05-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

We couldn't be more proud. Friday, May 16th 2008 PJ was inducted as one of the newest members of Beta Gamma Sigma, which means he was among the top 10% of his graduating class! We are so excited that all of his hard work is paying off. Graduation is only 3 weeks away- talk about the light at the end of a long tunnel :) Seriously though- I am so proud of PJ for all of his hard work, sacrifices and dedication. I am so grateful for his determination and thirst for success and his tremendous effort in juggling all of his responsibilities-- including our family. The boys were great during the ceremony and loved running around afterwards. Dylan loved wearing PJ's medal and had fun pretending that it was his own graduation and that he was awarded the medal. We are excited to have the summer together with PJ only working full time.

Beta Gamma Sigma Pics

2008-05-22T14:38:00.001-07:00

2008-05-01T13:23:00.001-07:00

We know... its been forever

2008-04-30T23:11:00.000-07:00

Life can get so crazy! We have way more to update then I can tackle right now... but to fill you in a little:
Peyton turned 1!!! We feel so blessed to have him in our family. He makes us smile everyday. It is amazing to watch little ones grow. Pictures of his Bday to follow in another post.
Also, we have moved! At some point maybe we'll post on that as well-- but for now I'll leave it at Dylan and Peyton LOVE having a backyard- Unfortunately the weather has only cooperated in letting them have a few days to enjoy it.

Now for the good stuff. I love my kids! Yesterday we were all in the car and PJ and I were talking about my previous boss. Dylan wanted to join the conversation and asked if... she was "wicked". I tried to soften it and told him that she just doesn't have a very good heart-- we thought she did... but she hadn't made the best choices. He then thought for a minute and said... "I think the best thing to call her is... Lamanite." Seriously, you'd have to know the whole story to truly get how cute that is... but what a sweetheart! I love how thoughtful he is... but also that he is implenting what he has learned from reading the Book of Mormon. I thought it was too cute not to share.

Is it real?

2008-04-13T14:49:00.001-07:00

Check out the following video and let me know if you think it's real. I'm still on the fence about it...

2008-02-09T01:04:00.001-08:00

Does it get any sweeter?

2008-02-09T00:20:00.000-08:00

The other day Peyton had a pen and was about to draw on one of our doors. I looked at him and said, "No, No Peyton... we don't draw on doors... that isn't paper". My 11month old looked at me and dropped the pen and signed "sorry". I picked him up and gave him the biggest love... too cute.

Dylan tells me all the time... "Mommy, I appreciate everything you do for me." He is so amazing at expressing himself and wise beyond his three years. I love how he tells everyone with his three fingers up that he is "free".

The start of some wonderful traditions

2007-12-24T23:29:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas Eve, we did a couple of really fun things. We went to PJ's sister's house, where we all got to open some presents. It was fun to see all of PJ's family while they opened their gifts. After that, we spent the evening in Downtown Seattle. We bought a Carmel Apple Spice from Starbucks (great apple cider that we recommend to anyone), and went to Pacific Place. Every night at 6:00, it snows inside the mall. We watched it snow, and Dylan said it was a wish come true. We thought is was all the snow we would see, but that comes later. Then, we took a horse-drawn carriage ride though the city. It was wonderful to see the lights and then enjoy the decorations. Seattle during the holidays is truly a beautiful sight. Dylan and Peyton both slept through the carriage ride, which gave Rachell and I a chance to spend some time enjoying each other. Once we were home, we drank hot chocolate, lit a fire, and watched the Polar Express. It was a great evening, which inspired in us some of the Christmas spirit that had been forgotten. Christmas Day was just as amazing. We had our Christmas wish come true with some afternoon snow. We spent the afternoon at Rachell's parents house, opening presents and eating food. Overall, this was an amazing Christmas. Check the pictures below...

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

Our boys crack us up...

2007-12-21T23:23:00.000-08:00

So, we had two funny events happen today. First off, Dylan's ability to express himself has become a tremendous joy. Tonight, we were at the mall, and ran into Jason, one of our good friends. Jason was not wearing his glasses, and we could tell Dylan did not recognize him at first. On our way home from the mall, Rachell asked Dylan about Jason, and how he wasn't wearing his glasses. Dylan said that he didn't know him at first, and he thought Jason was trying to trick us. Then he said "Uh-oh, I think we've got a goofer on our hands." Rachell and I could not stop laughing.

Our second moment invovled Peyton. I swear, he must have met Houdini up there in heaven. Rachell and I were in the living room watching him play. Peyton was standing up, holding on to the back of Dylan's Fire truck. Background: Peyton is able - with a lot of effort - to pull himself up and walk, as long as he has something to hold on to, but he cannot walk by himself yet. Rachell and I both went into the ajoining room for a minute. When we came back, Peyton was in the exact same position, but his pants were off, and he was holding them in his hand. We have no idea how he got them off, or how he stood back up so fast, for that matter. Dylan was napping so we know it was a one man show. We took the picture below to document his first great escape.

The Christmas Season

2007-12-14T19:49:00.000-08:00

If you haven't figured it out by now, we are not exactly the "textbook bloggers." We don't post on a daily, or even weekly basis with funny stories that make our lives interesting. We are more about posting pictures and various mediums that reflect who we are, and what we are into at the current moment. Of course, the majority of our content is centered around Dylan and Peyton. Regardless, we love sharing our little family with you, and hope that you enjoy the updates that we do post. Below is a copy of the Christmas card we sent out, with the accompanying message (click on the picture to see the enlarged version). Be sure to check back after Christmas for our 2007 family video, which will replace the 2006 video above. We hope the blessings of The Savior find you this Christmas season. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year.

How to save a life

2007-11-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

I know that most of you have heard this song, but I thought this was an especially poignant version of it. Hope you like it as much as I do...

Halloween Pictures

2007-11-03T00:57:00.001-07:00

We had a great Halloween. Friday night we went to the Woodland Park Zoo for the "Pumpkin Prowl." Dylan got to watch a performer do some tricks. His favorite was when a magician swallowed a long, thin balloon, and then pull it back out as a heart-shaped balloon. Then we went through the "Haunted House" which was perfect for Dylan. Inside the haunted house, he met a "spoooky tree" that talked to him and dropped candy down a slide to him. Peyton was great, and loved looking at all of the pumpkins and decorations.

On Halloween, the boys got dressed up once again to go Trick-or-Treating at Bellevue Square. Rachell entered a pumpkin carving contest (and totally got robbed). She didn't win this year, but she got some great experience, and will make a go at it again next year. We got plenty of candy, and had a blast.

Dylan's Birthday

2007-10-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

September 29th was Dylan's 3rd Birthday. Rachell made him breakfast in bed (Mickey Mouse shaped, apple-cinnamon pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. We then watched an episode of Word World on the laptop in bed (TV in bed is something we don't usually do). Dylan's friend Max also had a birthday that day so we went to his party at Pump It Up and spent the afternoon jumping and playing with many great friends. Dylan even beat his dad on the air hockey table. Finally, we ended the day at a restaurant called Canyon's where the wait staff brought out his birthday cake. When Dylan got home, we all went on a hunt for his last birthday present. He finally found it in the garage. His new Mickey Mouse tricycle was a hit, as was his new bomber jacket. Here are pictures from the day as a whole.

Rachell made an amazing "Lightning McQueen" birthday cake for his Birthday. She actually made fondant and covered the cake. We then used food coloring that came in a spray-paint can (we really should have done that outside, as our socks still get red on the bottom from the cloud that settled in our apartment after we painted). We considered this a great success, especially since this was her first attempt at a fondant cake. These are pictures of the process of making Lightning.

Remlinger Farms

2007-10-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

We took Dylan and Peyton to Remlinger Farms for Dylan's Birthday. This is becoming one of our family's favorite traditions. Dylan really is coming out of his shell, and becoming more courageous. He allowed the fair workers to lift him on to three rides which he rode all by himself. Mom and Dad were very proud. One of the best parts of the day was when the pigmy goats nibbled on Peyton's foot. Hope you enjoy the pictures in the slide show below...

New family photos taken at Anderson Park

2007-10-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

Cool Video

2007-09-30T22:33:00.001-07:00

Here is a great video from our friend Cameron. It's a spoof on Man vs Wild. Enjoy~

Our first Post

2007-08-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

This is our first attempt at a blog, so you have to bear with us. Things have been extremely busy for us this summer. PJ has been interning at the Boeing Company as a procurement agent. This has been an exciting and tremendous blessing for us. He will be working there part time until next June when he graduates. At that time, he will transition into a full-time procurement role. This has been bitter-sweet. He has missed watching Dylan and Peyton do some of the amazing things that kids do.

Rachell has been busy as well managing the apartment complex we live in. The rental market in downtown Kirkland has been really good to us, and she has enjoyed success keeping the units occupied. Of course, she also has had her hands full with the boys. Dylan is learning his numbers and letters. He can count to 13 if you catch him in the right mood. He also knows all of his letters, and the sounds they make. He has grown into a wonderful big brother. Whenever Peyton is crying, Dylan will rush to his aid pat his head, or hold his hand in an effort to calm Peyton down. He is extremely sensitive. Peyton is growing everyday. The dark brown hair he had when he was born has turned almost white. At one point, it looked like Rachell had colored his hair when it was growing out. Peyton is full of laughter, and is always watching what is big brother is doing, just waiting for the day when he can follow Dylan around. Peyton has also discovered what it is like to want things. It's fun to watch him struggle and roll on the ground until he can reach that toy that was just out of his reach.

2007-08-13T18:07:00.001-07:00