Ninja Bread cookies

Merry almost Christmas to you!

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The boys and I have been having a little fun making my mom's Christmas cookies which I LOVED as a kid. I have fond memories of decorating about a gazillion cookies each year---frosting and those minuscule silver balls (that were probably laced with lead) everywhere!

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This year the kids are making a couple of platters of cookies to give to their Taekwondo instructors.

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I hope they like the Ninja Santa and his elves!

So much fun!

Introducing Lola...

This little gal is the latest addition to our family. She's been with us for almost two months already so I'm feeling a little ashamed that I haven't introduced her yet.

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Her name is Lola. She is not a showgirl nor does she drink champagne like it's cherry cola.

She is pure sweetness in a soft fluffy coat.

She was born on April 15th and is the daughter of my Brother's dog, Daisy.

They hand delivered her to us when they came for a fun visit the first week of July. (I will post about that later... busy summer folks!)

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Here are a few facts about Miss Lola:

She is a mini Australian Shepherd

She has a reddish brown coat- AKA Red Merle

When she arrived at our home she weighed in at 10 pounds.

She now weighs 17 pounds!

She LOVES food.

She is an expert at playing fetch.

She likes to jump and chew on our other dog, Hazel. Hazel takes it like a trooper.

She may not like her name, because she doesn't like to come when called...

Unless it's dinner time. :)

She is an awesome little traveler... She has been to California,the Oregon Coast, the San Juan Islands, and Whidbey Island all in a span of 4 months!

She attracts attention from people no matter where we go- they can't stay away...she's just too cute!

She doesn't like attention from strangers.

She thinks breakfast should be served at 5:48 AM. Everyday.

I don't agree.

She has boundless energy, and has been witnessed to run "crazy circles" around the yard.

At 9:15 PM she zonks out.

We love her and are so glad she's part of our family!

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Lola- 4 months old August 19th 2011

Aunt Pat- we love you!

Gone much too early, but will never be forgotten- Patricia Ann Carroll. (Pat is in the front on the left wearing a dress- taken in 1997 at my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary party.)

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Earlier this week, my dear Aunt Pat lost her battle with ALS. (Lou Gehrig's disease) I cannot stop thinking about her and how life is a precious gift. Losing a loved one makes you want to soak up every part of life to the fullest, breathe in a little deeper, and take time to enjoy even the simplest things of every day life.

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Pat was my mom's older sister who lived on the East Coast. Unfortunately, I didn't get to know her as well as I would have liked because of the distance between us. But I can tell you from the handful of visits I had with her over my lifetime that she was an extraordinary lady. If I were asked to describe Aunt Pat, I would say she was a petite and lovely woman. Her personality was spunky and fun. I always remember her with a smile on her face and a quick witted comment coming out of that smile. She was intelligent and sassy. One of the things I will miss about her, is her letters. She had a knack for writing the most heartfelt letters. Reaching in the mailbox to find a Christmas card from Aunt Pat was always a highlight. She was an artist and loved to paint beautiful floral and landscape scenes... one of which she turned into a Christmas card. I need to dig that one out and frame it!

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My mom is so sad to have lost her sister. She looked up to her and really enjoyed her company. I hate the empty feeling that follows the loss of a loved one. Hopefully Pat's family will be able to take comfort in each other and remember all of the wonderful stories and memories they have of her.

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We will all miss you Aunt Pat. Rest in Peace, you were loved more than you know!

Birthday Boy

Today is Connor's birthday.

I don't think he'd be too upset if I gave away his age...43.

(He's my much older better half) :)

I hope he has a fun filled birthday stuffed with salty food, good books, sunshine, puppy kisses, coworker shenanigans, happiness, birthday wishes, and a fun evening out with the wife.

He deserves all of those and so much more.

I love ya honey, and hope you have a terrific year being 43!

Rome wasn't built in a day....neither were my home improvements.

Much of our past year has involved weekends filled with sweat, swearing, and muscle pain. I know I've already blogged about my kitchen counter transformation... But our Kitchen just keeps on changing and I'd thought I'd show you the current condition it is in.

BEFORE-

white linoleum floors....and gray laminate counter tops... Not very inviting.

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AFTER--

Connor and I installed these new floors last winter. I'm not very up to date on my blogging people... sorry. They are made from Pergo and I'm in lurve with them. They are called Hand scraped hickory and are nice 5 inch wide planks. I love the color and I love how my dog's claws do not penetrate them! They still look brand new!

Connor and nick taking out the old flooring. The kitchen linoleum, the tiny bit of hardwood we had in the entry way, and the carpet we had in our formal dining room were all removed to make way for the new Pergo. I love that all of the rooms flow together better now.

Here's a snapshot of our entry way.

And here is our formal dining room. Love it!

(I'm sure in less than a year I will have a new picture of my kitchen in its ever changing state because I've been wanting to paint my cabinets FOREVER... I will wait until the kiddos are back in school then I'll dawn my painter's duds yet again.)

Connor blames HGTV on my obsession with constantly wanting to update our home. He may be right. But I know he gets just as much satisfaction out of a job well done as I do. It's fun to see our home transform. :)

Kissing Elementary School Goodbye

Today Nolan will spend his last few hours at our local elementary school. I'm in denial. How did the last seven years fly by so doggone fast?

First day as a big Kindergartner, September 2, 2004

Last day as a big sixth grader, June 21, 2011

Moving on to bigger and better things!

I learned more than I taught...

About six years ago, one of the elementary teachers approached me and asked if I would volunteer to be one of the art docents for the school. Nick was a student in her class at the time and since he is uber-artistic, she thought I must be too. Ha... Not the case! My first instinct was to say no and run away knowing that my lack of art skills would steer the students wrong and they would be stuck with an art teacher that rocks at stick figures and that's about it. But Nick pleaded with me to be his art docent, and I couldn't let my little red headed 3rd grader down.

Over these six years I have stood up in front of classrooms full of kids once every month to teach them a little about famous artists from around the world and have taught them about different styles of art. Everything from Impressionism to Abstract, the list goes on and on...

And one of the best parts of this journey was getting to learn about art/artists myself. I have learned so much from having to do research for each lesson. It's been fantastic!!

But, by far, the best part of being an art docent was getting to be with the kids. Their eyes would always light up when they'd come in the room from recess to see me with all my art "stuff" ready for them to start the fun. I don't think being a "math docent" would warrant the delightful cheers an art docent receives. :)

I taught Nick's classes and soon after began to teach Nolan's classes too. Nolan has pretty much been with the same group of kids since third grade so I have really gotten to know each kid quite well. I know what their skill levels are, what they like and dislike as far as art, and how much time I should expect them to complete a project. I've also learned that this group of kids he's been with are a complete joy in every way! They have been the most positive students and have had an eagerness to learn and participate each month. They are truly friends with one another and for a class of 26 that is no easy feat. It has been refreshing and fun to teach this group over the years.

Since Nolan is moving on to Middle school next year, last Friday was my final art lesson. We were learning about Georges Seurat and how he was famous for Pointillism. (Art that consists of tiny dots of color that are not blended together on the canvas.) I wanted to have fun and make the final project different than anything we had ever done before. So instead of breaking out the paint brushes and paper; I brought in rice crispy treats, frosting, and jumbo sprinkles! (I wanted to make sure I saw plenty of smiling faces on the final day!) They created their own "pointillism" creations with the help of a toothpick and came up with some great edible art! I took a picture of every one's before they ate the tiny works of art.

Here's Nolan with his "Baseball"

It took Nolan about 40 minutes to create this masterpiece and only about 40 seconds to consume it!

This is one of my favorites... made by a sweet girl named Jordan. (I have pictures of all the kids, but I don't think it's right to put them up on this here Internet without their parents permission.)

Another fave! Look at that fishy swimming amongst the seaweed. Amazing what you can do with a rice crispy treat, huh?!

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I was more bummed that I thought I would be when the day was over. I really like this group of kids and I'm sure gonna miss seeing their smiling faces every month. A couple of them gave me a big squeeze as they said goodbye. It's been such a fun experience for me and I'm glad Nicholas guilted me into this whole art docent thing six years ago. I'm sure I will always look back and remember it fondly!

Wearing A New Coat... Of Paint.

Our home sweet home got a little makeover recently.

She's feeling quite smitten with her new coat.

BEFORE

Not so lovely "pale blue almost white"

(Boys didn't believe me when I told them they lived in a blue house... they always thought it was white.)
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DURING
It only took these guys about 4 days total to tackle this project.

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AFTER

She's a vision in her new "khaki" with "tiki hut brown" duds.

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We are happy with the warm and cozy results! I love it!

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We are no longer embarrassed by our front door. She's a lovely shade of "Rustic Red".

Before she was covered in scuff marks, nail holes, and spider webs.

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LURVE.

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View of the back. I think the covered patio addition melds in better with this new color scheme.

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Our shed no longer looks like it came out of the civil war. It's a lovely now! (Notice those snazzy new window boxes.)

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It was so nice to hire some work to be done instead of doing the grunt work ourselves. The painters were fabulous, showed up on time, cleaned up, and were very reasonably priced.

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Now the outside represents my love for this house. :)

One Lucky Mama...

If it weren't for these two guys I wouldn't have been able to celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday. I was spoiled rotten... From the moment I woke up until I crashed into bed late at night. They are such great kids and I love' em more than they could possibly know. They, along with their dad...

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1. Made me my fave breakfast of french toast, with whip cream no less!

2. Surprised me with pretty garden decorations & two beautiful window boxes to help adorn our newly painted shed.

3. Took me to the local nursery to pick out some lovely flowers to plant in said boxes.

4. Let me watch HGTV without any moans and groans.

5. Created some wonderful homemade Mother's Day cards... My very favorite!!

6. Gave spontaneous hugs throughout the day.

7. Made me feel like a million bucks.

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THANKS BOYS!

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We also managed to squeeze in a family visit to attend a fun afternoon Mother's Day dinner at Connor's cousin, Christina's home. It was a nice evening spent with his Grandmother, mother, aunts, cousins, and uncles. So many wonderful mom's! We are very lucky to have such a great family. Love you all!!

Bet you don't have one of these in your house...

The other day I came home from work to find this new fellow on my kitchen countertop...

He's the snazzy new toothpick holder Nick created in Art class. He cracks me up. He kind of clashes with my current decor, but who else can say they have a buck-toothed, blue faced, toothpick holder dude?
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Nicholas also made a pizza plate just so he can eat pizza on it. Of course, Connor baked up a fine pizza to break in the new plate that very night he brought this home.

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I love my creative kid!

Annual Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt

On the most beautiful sunny day of the year so far, our neighbor's congregated to the park in the middle of the 'hood to partake of our annual Easter egg hunt.

This yearly tradition has always been a favorite of our kids. The boys were four and two when we first moved into this neighborhood...the perfect ages for a fun egg hunt. Now, Nolan searched for the candy filled eggs for the last time (sniff) because the cut off age is 6th grade.
Here are the anxious hunters learning the rules for how many eggs they are allowed to collect and in which areas of the park they get to search.

We met a new neighbor. So cute! I've never seen a bunny on a leash before. Connor and I felt kind of bad because we seemed more interested in meeting this furry guy than we did it's owner. Oops. :)

Here's Nolan with a couple of his buddies... Alex and Jacob, waiting patiently for the instructions. (I just have to mention that Alex came equipped with "Crown Royal" purple velvet bag to collect his eggs. I'm gonna have to tease his parents next time I see them.)

Each of the thousands of eggs either contained candy or a surprise token that allowed the recipient to choose a prize at the end. I think there were enough prizes for EVERY kid to go home a winner. So fun!

Yes... there was actually an egg perched carefully on that cement wall right where my sweet neighbor, Jordyn, is standing. I thought for sure it would have a prize token in it, but nope... just a few jelly beans. Kind of lame for having to risk falling into the drink!

This is my friend/neighbor Cyndie. She's got three boys so we understand each other pretty well. :)

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It was such a lovely day! So nice to be outside, seeing neighbors that have all been hidden inside their homes during this nasty, cold, and ridiculously wet winter!

Hope you all had a very Happy Easter!

You can teach an old dog a new trick!

Getting older is no fun. I see it every day at work when people come in with new ailments attributed to their aging bodies. (Take your calcium people... take it when your young! :))

It's so true that our bodies just can't keep up like they used to when we were young and spry. Even at the ripe old age of 39 I'm a little hesitant to partake in some activities because I'm afraid I'll pull a muscle or break something. Lame! I'm currently going to the gym regularly in hopes to get my body in better shape so I don't have to be so cautious.

My husband has a theory on growing older. He notices that as people age they have a tendency to spiral into ever smaller circles of activity and experiences. Over time, people get comfortable doing the same routines and are much more resistant to change. Trying a new experience or learning a new or difficult skill seems too daunting and therefore people avoid them all together. Pretty soon you find yourself sitting in the Lazy boy recliner doing crosswords in front of the television rather than taking a new class or venturing outside to see a new sight.

I hate to say that I can see myself on the way to the Lazy Boy recliner... I need to broaden my horizons and try something new. But Connor? He's bucking the system!

Yup, that's right... My "older than me husband" has decided to take on a new venture that has always appealed to him. He signed up for Scuba Diving lessons and for that I am so proud! He has the gear he needs and will be participating in several lessons that will grant him the Scuba certification he has always dreamt about. How cool is that?!

I hope he has a blast with this new experience. I'm sure he will see some amazing new things under the deep blue sea that he will be able to share with us. Who knows...maybe I'll be the next one signing up for Scuba lessons? Or maybe I'll just stay on the shore, perhaps Hula lessons are in my future? :)

Cooking 101

My boys love to eat. They have absolutely no problem mowing down on whatever is cooked for them each day. Well, except for mushrooms... They both HATE mushrooms and I'm not gonna fight them on that because I LOVE mushrooms and that just means more for me! :)

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However, neither one of them has had a whole lotta time spent in the kitchen actually preparing any meals. Don't get me wrong, they have mastered the toaster, can operate the microwave with flair, and Nick can whip up a mean batch of top ramen from time to time. But if you asked them to saute a veggie or bake a cake I think you would not be pleased with the outcome. So starting last month, we've decided to have each kid cook one dinner per month. From start to finish... This includes choosing a new recipe that appeals to them, making sure we have all of the ingredients, preparing the meal and sharing it with the entire family.

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Nick went first a couple of weeks ago. He chose to make pasta in Alfredo sauce, crescent rolls, and green beans. Now since I rarely make homemade Alfredo sauce I thought it was only fair to let him use the jarred type too. Besides it was his first meal and I thought we should stick to something rather easy. .

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He quickly learned that timing is one of the hardest parts to making a meal come together. But he did an awesome job. Everything was ready at the same time and cooked to perfection! I was in the family room in case he had any questions but told him that my rear was going to stay planted on the couch. I wanted him to do EVERYTHING and by doing so I think he was even more proud of the outcome.

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So meal number one was a success! Nolan is up for his cooking day in just a week or two. He says he already knows what he's going to make. I'm liking this little cooking experiment/lesson so far. I think it's important for everyone to know how to cook. Their future wives will thank me and I have to admit I'm liking the fact that I get a night off from cooking! :)

A Series Of Unfortunate Events

I just have to share a little story about how a series of small disasters followed my boys last Sunday morning. . . . . They decided to pull each other around the house on my beloved fleece blanket like they used to do when they were little kids. It's just not the same game when you're 5 feet tall and weigh 100 pounds or so... This little "game" led to my blanket unravelling around the edges. Oh joy. . . . . . . . . They were amazed by how long the string was that was unravelling before their eyes. So... They decided to stretch it around the house, up and down the stairs, and basically made our home look as if it had been attacked by a gargantuan spider weaving a nasty black web EVERYWHERE. Nice. . . . . . I told them to clean it up and that is when we realized that the string had cut little gouges into the corners of the walls and chipped away the paint leaving ugly spots. Oh lovely. . . . . . .This is when I gave each kid a small paper plate, small paintbrush, and a dollop of paint to correct what they had just ruined. There might have been an eye rolling or two at this point, but they were up to the challenge. . . . . . . Nolan finished up in a jiffy, washed out his paintbrush, and was on his merry way.... . Nick on the other hand, started yelling from the hallway at his cat, Sophie. She had somehow managed to get her paw into his paintbrush and was tracking paint down the hallway. Are you kidding me? . . . . . At this point I grabbed the cat, tossed her outside, and started laughing at the crazy turn of events. How on earth can one little mishap lead to such a crazy string of mishaps? Pretty soon we were all laughing. . . . . . . Life is never boring with these boys! :)

Better Late Than Never

Several months ago... Last October to be exact, Nick and Nolan reached a goal they had worked very hard to reach for over 6 years. Because they were committed to reach their 2nd degree black belt goal, we told them we would reward their hard work by taking them to a local water park for a weekend of fun. We meant to deliver on our reward soon after the big belt test, but the holidays and a busy life got in the way. Fast forward to February... My boys were still water slide-less, so we got busy and made arrangements to remedy the situation.

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For the last few weeks in February, Nick and Nolan were so looking forward to the fun they were about to embark on at The Great Wolf Lodge. Finally their parents were making good on their deal. They were told we had reservations from March 4th to March 6th. Finally!

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Well, on Friday the 4th we were all packed up and hopped in the car. We started on our journey when out of nowhere Connor started blaring Disney tunes, I handed the boys some Mickey Mouse Pez candy for the ride, and then both of us slapped a couple of Mickey Mouse ears on top of our heads. Wait, What? :) Oh yeah... we just pulled one over on them! We were actually on our way to the airport to head for....

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DISNEYLAND!!!!!

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Yes. We rock, if I do say so myself. I love a good surprise, and you could say that Nick and Nolan were blown away! Within about 4 hours of pulling off that surprise we found ourselves walking around in the Southern Californian sunshine amongst the likes of Goofy, Pluto, and Minnie Mouse... it was awesome.

Nick sporting his Goofy pirate cap and Nolan staying warm under his "Chip n' Dale" hat.

Tarzan's tree house

Doesn't get much better than this. :)

Jungle River Rapids is one of our very favorite, albeit wettest rides.

Nick and Nolan got to sit next to the driver on the double decker bus down Main Street USA.

I like this rear view mirror shot!

We had three full fun filled days at Disneyland. Enough time to take a few breaks to enjoy some relaxation at the Hotel's pool. Which was a good thing because our dogs were barkin'.

By the end of our trip, Connor's feet were so sore he could barely walk.

I'm thankful for great kids who work hard at reaching their goals and for the opportunity to be able to make spur of the moment trips like this possible. It was a non-stop weekend filled with lots of fun new memories that I hope my kids don't soon forget.

Coyotes and Bobcats and Elk... OH MY!

Sometimes we kid our friends that we live in hillbilly land, away from the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle over an hour away. It's true that we drive past many a barn and cow filled field to get home. It's not unusual for us to spy an elk or coyote roaming in the greenbelt behind our house.

But last week, Hazel (our dog, not our grandma) started whining at the back door when she spotted a bobcat on the hill behind our fence. The boys and Connor grabbed the camera and took video of the uncommon visitor. I was glad our animals were all safely inside the house as I'm sure Sophie, our dumb cat would have easily been an appetizer for this bobcat.

A little Uncle Envy

Here in blogland I have a few favorite blogs that I love to read. One I check out at least a few times a week is called betterafter. I am constantly amazed after seeing "before and after" photos of spectacular transformations created by quite crafty and talented people.

I decided to submit one of my all time favorite "before and afters" to the woman who manages this blog just to see if she would want to feature it on her blog. And lo and behold she did!

Most of you already know about this transformation, but you can take a look at it on her blog and read the comments that others left behind. BetterAfter

Al is famous now and as well he should be! :)

Double Duty Apron

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know how much I get a kick out of my dear friend, Karen. We've been friends for 32 years now and we share quite a history together. Last week she shared a little tidbit of information on her blog that cracked me up and took me back to my childhood. It's pretty funny and "grody" at the same time and you need to read her blog entry before reading any further.... Really, you do.

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Well, after reading that post and wiping away the tears of laughter my hubs and I had a moment of inspiration. Connor was minorly disgusted but majorly amused by what she shared and wanted to create a little something for our wonderful friend.

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It all started with a trip to the store to purchase an apron and a couple of dish towels.

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Then I got busy with my sweet sewing machine.

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To create a little number that Karen could wear with pride to help aid in the drying and cleaning of goblets of her own. :)

It's says "You wash... I'll dry"

and has strategically placed dish towels sewn onto the front of the apron.
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We agonized over what shape the towels "patches" should be and resigned to leaving them square instead of round to keep it a subtle inside joke. After all, we don't want Karen to be embarrassed while wearing such a lovely fashion statement.

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Of course, It's all in the name of fun. I love a good practical joke and I know Karen does too.

Here's to happy days filled with drying/dusting in Karen's future!

Happy 12th NOLAN!

Today my baby turns twelve.

First of all who pushed the fast forward button? And second of all, how on earth is my baby twelve?

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When I think back to the day I met him 12 years ago, I remember how little he was when he arrived. I was so used to having a toddler in the house that this little tiny baby boy was just that...tiny. Tiny and snuggable!

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Now he is not tiny. He's even bigger today that his "once a toddler" older brother. Nolan has always seemed to big bigger and older than his age from the get go. Hard for a mama to take because he went from newborn to kid in no time flat.

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Nicholas was soooooo excited to hear that he had a little brother that day. My parents were babysitting him and they told him that it's fun to have a little brother because you can play basketball together some time. That stuck with Nick...because upon entering the hospital to meet Nolan he ran through the halls saying "hoops hoops hoops!" He was a little disappointed to see that his brother was a lump the size of a loaf of bread. Not what he had hoped for. But he loved Nolan from day one and gave him kisses all of the time. With his minor speech impediment he lovingly referred to Nolan as "Baby Dolan".

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(Nolan was our hood ornament while rafting down the Deschutes in Oregon. Poor kid had nothing to hold on to!)

(Nolan's 3rd birthday... love that grin!)

(Nolan age 8 with one of his many hats... this one came from Leavenworth and is a fave.)




(Christmas morning where he was super thrilled to see Santa brought him the slippers he asked for! I think he was five.)
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Nolan has been such a treat! He's known for being very laid back and just kinda goes with the flow of life. I think what I love most about this kid is that he doesn't care one bit what people think of him. He is who he is and if you think he's crazy well then so be it. I wish I could've been like that as a kid. He loves to be silly and loves to say silly things and I hope that never changes!
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Happy Birthday Nolan! You are loved more than you know and I hope you have such a wonderful year being twelve!

Meet My Uncle Al...

This jovial guy sitting in the beach chair is my Uncle Al. He is one of the best natured people I have ever met. He almost always has a smile on his face, a joke to tell, and a positive attitude to share. Connor and I absolutely love spending time with him and we feel grateful that my Aunt Linda married such a wonderful man. Besides being such a fun person to be around, he is by far, one of the most creative people I know. He loves to build things. All kinds of things. He tinkers away in his garage shop making the most wonderful treasures all. of. the. time. From beautiful bird houses, drift wood people, homemade valentine boxes, and amazing intricate geared automatons... the list goes on and on.

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But take a look at what this talented guy did for Connor and myself recently.

He took some of these nasty old fence boards (that we replaced a couple years ago :)) and turned them into works of art!



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Look at this! I know I've posted about it before, but I love this garden bench that he created for me for Christmas last year. He designed it to look like a large stuffed sofa which I can only imagine is very difficult when you're working with wood. It was meant to live outside in our garden, but Connor and I can't stand the thought of it getting all gross in the soggy weather and getting full of spiders. So it lives in our entry way! I love it!!

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And just take a gander at this beauty! He made this unbelievable bird house out of that same nasty fence! This was Connor's Christmas present from Al this year and let me tell you, we are beyond happy that Al drew his name in the family drawing! :) It is stunning.

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He does such amazing work with everything he makes. He has even had the opportunity to sell some of his gems in some local artisan shops near his home. I wish I had just a smidgen of his creativity and imagination.

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But for now I'll just be happy with the notion that I have the most creative and imaginative Uncle around!