happy birthday favorite sister

I have only one sister. Thankfully, she happens to be one of my favorite people in the world.

Karen is:

-funny

-100 mph

-a girl with a big heart

-a great Mom to three darn cute little girls

-a loyal friend

-a good cook

-driven

-and a saint for putting up with me for all these years

Happy Birthday Karen

I LOVE YOU!

everyday ice cream and chocolate cake

Cole turns 3 today!

Happy Birthday sweet boy. I can't imagine this family without you. To me, you are ice cream and chocoate cake everyday.

(and that's not just because you act like you're on a sugar high 24 hours a day 7 days a week!)

I Love You,

Mom

happy b.day b.rad!

Happy Birthday to this guy.

Short and simple musings on my brother Brad:

*always himself, NEVER anyone else.

*"major rock star" (aka: plays the bass in a band)

*loves family

*hilarious

*wants to have 15 kids (no joke)

*"fashion savy" (just say no to cardigans)

*thinks Jack Black is genius (have to agree with him here)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY B.RAD! I LOVE YOU!

a little beach, a little sun, a LOT of wind...still a LOT of fun

Home from the coast and wanting to go back. It's always a little depressing coming home from vacation. We had a ton of fun. The sun was shinning the entire time. Not a cloud in the sky. And yet somehow, we seemed to have brought the tri-cities wind with us. You know the kind that takes your face off when you step outside. Only this wind had sand in it. OUCH!

We had a great time non the less: hiking dunes, hunting for sand dollars, checking out tide pools, watching movies, and shopping. So wonderful to have some family time and get away with great friends. Now back to life and all of its demands. This week I have one thing on my mind...GET READY FOR BABY!

Here is a list of what I have ready so far:

NOTHING

Hey...it's #4. What do you expect?

Note to Self

Just because your trying to make healthier versions of your favorite foods and you made a batch of these...

(best ever snickerdoodles! not even joking!)

using whole wheat flour instead of enriched white flour. . .doesn't mean you can eat 12 of them like they're carrots and celery or something. I mean come on!

On a Rare Occasion

On a rare occasion we stay home for Sunday dinner (aka: my in-laws were out of town.) However, there was no need for panic because I still didn't have to cook dinner. Lucky me! My husband, always the Scout Master, experimented with his dutch oven yet again. The end result was perfection. Thanks hun!

On the menu:

*dutch oven chicken
*biscuits
*steamed broccoli




And of course some Sunday night football.

(please don't mind the forest of weeds growing in the sandbox. It's somewhere on my "to do" list. Most likely at the bottom.)

I've been feeling so sluggish lately. Not really wanting to do much of anything. As I'm witnessing the lasts weeks of my pregnancy extinguish any and all of my usual desires to love a good book or make something. . .anything. I find myself a little renewed watching the rest of my family revel in their own loves.

Rob: His love? Always and forever. . .fishing. Loves it enough to want (no demand) his kids to enjoy it with him.

(Brock with friends on a recent trip to the Tucannon.)

Brock: What's he jonesing on lately? Pokemon cards, as he is forever finding one new passion after another.

Brynn: Her current love? gymnastics. Especially upon discovering this picture of her (and good friend Abby) on the Mid Columbia Gymnastics web site and on all their summer camp fliers.

(15 minutes of fame looks good on you Brynn Lou)

Cole: this is a picture of a crayon floating at the top of Brynn's fish tank. What's Cole loving? Curiousity. (aka: troublemaking)

Andelin#4: what does this baby love? simply going with the flow. That is if the flow is in an upward direction as this baby is currently breech. Here's to me hoping this baby decides to love swimming downward sometime soon.

In light of all this, I've decided to currently love watching my five loves enjoy doing what they love and maybe be o.k. admitting what my own real love is at this time. . .taking a nap whenever I can.