The Philldoggers

SWAGGER WAGON

2010-05-18T13:28:00.001-06:00

Hate to brag, but I totally have this van.......

Blessed

2010-05-17T21:19:00.002-06:00

Baby Girl

Happy Birthday Claire Bear

2010-03-21T20:20:00.004-07:00

Poor little thing, no one feeds her.... (not an exaggeration, she POLISHED the whole cake right off. Gone. Finito.)

What a cute baby! (Side Note: Can someone get that tired looking mom an espresso, or makeup, or SOMETHING???)

Happy Birthday sweet girl.

What happens with G-pop, stays with G-pop

2010-03-21T20:16:00.003-07:00

Ummm Dad? An explanation please.....

All you need is Love.....

2010-02-17T15:01:00.005-07:00

Look at her little finger pointing for more...

Pressly being so careful..

Thomas being very particular with his cookie adding just the right amount of frosting...

"like this Mom, let me sketch out the design for you...."

Soph eating a big sugary cookie, isn't that what it's about???

Very pleased with himself!

Working diligently

Most of the kiddies...

The littlest member of the club...8 day old Andrew with his Valentines pants on..

Yes Mom, Can I help you??

2010-02-02T15:31:00.001-07:00

Grandma B's Visit

2010-02-02T14:48:00.008-07:00

During the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season I received a card from my grandmother which she had inscripted on the inside " I hope to see all (or some) of you on January 14 at the airport at suchandsuchatime"...in other words she was coming! I had little laugh about the way she was checking whether we were around or not. Only Grandma B would write a letter to check instead of a phone call, email, or through my mom. Gotta love it.

We had such a nice time drinking coffee every morning in our jammies, folding and refolding the kids drawers (read:she did it), organizing junk (again: all her and she LOVES it and ASKS), and just living in my life for a few days...

Here are a few pictures from her visit.

Every morning she would make Emme and Levi their own coffee milk. (mostly milk with just a titch of coffee to color the milk). They were in heaven.

Emme wearing an Austrian dirndl that was her great Aunt Dorothy's when she was a little girl. I love the sentiment.

Emme, Gram and I also went to a Tea House for a luncheon and to sip some tea like "real ladies." Em told me more than once to get my elbows off the table too. Yipes.

Claire was being a helper here. Grandma would fold something and put it away, while Claire would promptly rip it out of the dresser..so proud of herself. Turkey.

Thanks for the wonderful visit Gram. I loved every minute of it. Come and visit again soon. Like next month. Levi's drawers are already a mess. Love you.

miss abigail

2010-01-17T14:28:00.006-07:00

I've been fortunate enough to be taking some pictures of family and friends this past fall/winter. Here are a couple of my faves that I took of our friends little girl Abby this past weekend. I hope you like them Becky! I'll send you a CD of the finished ones.

December Entry Part 1

2009-12-31T21:59:00.007-07:00

What a busy, exhausting, filled to the brim month! I love the whirlwind of activities, and I tried to purpose in my heart to just soak more of it in this year. To make more of an effort to be present and ENJOY. Enjoy friends. Enjoy family. Enjoy food. (yeah!) Enjoy the gifts that God has given me and be thankful for his ultimate gift of sending his Son to be born into this world.

This year was supposed to be a "Kale" Christmas, but since Dad is overseas, we chose to stay close to home and go to Alaska in the summer when the weather is nice! ((fingers crossed)) We had the privilege of staying with Josh and Heather for the first part of our stay, and then with Chad's grandparents Roger and Norma the last part. The kids had so much fun with their cousins getting to play with them all the time at Josh's and Chad and I enjoyed getting to visit with Grandma and Grandpa and talking basically picking their brain about "life" and their memories together from childhood. I am so thankful for my extended family!

Here are some snippets from our activities from December!

The Ugly Sweater Party. I think this picture of Jeremy, Chad, and Jon speaks volumes of their personalities... (this one is for you Dad)

The girls...Chad liked Candee's sweater the best because she just looked like you could cuddle up to her and get a glass of milk and some warm cookies.... (I'm pretty sure that I saw his grandmother wearing this exact same one at Christmas.)

Levi working very hard on the cookies he was supposed to be making for his daddy. I think only a 1/2 of a slobbery Santa made it home to Chad..

Speaking of Santa, Heather Marie worked painstakingly on this Santa. He was gorgeous I tell you.

Heather Marie's mom, Meg. She is such a gem. Every holiday that we visit Washington, Meg is always inviting us over to some sort of party. All of them Cookie Parties now that I think of it; my kind of girl.

This is my best bud. She was always checking up with me, "Hey B, you gonna eat??" Hey B this, Hey B that....what a little personality she is...

I know you will all be waiting on pins and needles for the second post so stay tuned! And Happy New Year! Time to watch the ball drop.....

What I'm Thankful For

2009-11-30T16:11:00.007-07:00

First Thanksgivings

Cosmic Bowling with the fam

Naps after a full Turkey belly

Sweet Nieces who take the time to play with their adoring younger cousins

Thoughtful nephews who color pictures for his tiniest baby cousin

Helping hands to make Thanksgiving dinner so yummy (thanks to my assistant for the posed hand)

Relaxing reads afterwards

Family

Halloween Sweeties

2009-11-01T14:22:00.007-07:00

Let me see that Tootsie Roll!! (It was stuck in my head all day; she had the dance moves and everything.:)

Feeling much better! Thanks for your prayers.

"Which way to the Pacific??"- Amelia the Aviator

My Cuties

Bathtime

2009-10-29T09:40:00.003-07:00

Poor little Bubba soaking in his oatmeal bath. He's actually doing much better.:)

Waiting patiently....err, not so much...

Now that's better.. don'tcha just want to squeeze her?

Over the River and Through the Woods

2009-10-27T19:59:00.003-07:00

excepppppttttt, everyone came to me this time! I had the pleasure of hosting my Aunts Ramona and Debbie, and Grandma Kale (known as Grandma George to the kids) this past week.

(The timing couldn't have been better for their visit, because the morning that they left, Levi broke out in Chicken Pox. Or Chicken Bawks. Or Chicken Bites. Etc.etc.etc... He's obviously been kissing to many hens on the sly. Anyway, back to 1986. I mean, 2009. Yes, Chicken Pox still exist folks. Can you believe it? Ah well, that's another post. Back to the visit with the fam.)

Anyway, these gals are gals after my own heart. They love to go, go, go and do, do, do; we are definitely related. Some of the highlights included a Scarecrow Stroll through the Botanical Gardens, picking apples at a local organic farm, making applesauce and fruit leather (hello Mrs. Jacobson), roasting pumpkin seeds, having an early Thanksgiving dinner complete with learning how to make "real" gravy (I will never eat it again after seeing it made), buying a 20 lb. sunflower head so I could roast the seeds, a visit to the pumpkin patch and petting zoo, and of course a little "antiquing". I had such a nice time with them and so did the kids. Thanks for your visit guys! Here's a few random photos, because what is a post without pictures??

Aunt Debbie looking like she's up to something. Probably killing some flies.

Pumpkin Seeds. Yum-o.

Thanksgiving (sorry you missed it)

Homemade applesauce

Great Grandma George with the girls

Emme

2009-10-08T10:26:00.005-06:00

Can this baby be a whole hand already?

I tell you 40 times a day to put the baby down, she's not Superman. But you love babies and can't help but want to squeeze her. I love that about you and I hope you become best friends. You put on wearing your "church clicky shoes" even when wearing sweats because they make you feel pretty. You love to put on lip gloss,eat marshmallows, dress up, hit your brother because he's a pest then play "baby octopus" with him for hours, and snuggle in your cat sleeping bag every morning. Riding horses seems to have become one of your favorite things to do at preschool. And Josie the horse loves you. You have a sensitive spirit and I hope you keep that forever. I love you Emme Kate. Happy 5th.

Little Missy's favorite hangout

2009-09-24T12:28:00.002-06:00

it's like a typewriter and everyone else has a computer

2009-09-03T14:40:00.007-06:00

ok, so i've been doing some thinking about this blog thing...i'm doing a poor job of keeping it up at best, and i need to be more directed with my time now that I have three littles!! (i.e. facebook...blog......Facebook......blog.....FACEBOOK....blog..if you catch my drift)....

But in retrospect, I wish I still owned a typewriter (did I ever own one?: no) because something in me just can't let go (read: clutterbug)

So in the interest of those who still aren't Facin' or Spacin' here is my contribution to you.

This is my newest babe. And she is a baby doll, let me tell you. I am soaking her up!! She's 5 months now and sitting up and scooting around! Yes, I know, I have told her that moving is against all rules until she is at least 9 months old, but she doesn't listen. The nerve.

So for now I will keep up the blog and hopefully all three of you will keep reading my sporadic posting and ramblings about my life!

Who do you think she looks like??

Emme at 5 months

(pic of Levi by Kamalamadingdong at 6 months)

Summa Summa Summa Time

2009-07-08T21:49:00.004-06:00

So here's something new that I've been up to! Have you ever heard of meal swapping? My good friend/college roommate Beth got me started on making meals ahead of time, freezing them, and then swapping with some friends! Currently we have 8 peeps in our group and have had great success with getting yummy dinners. We all meet for ice cream once a month, but first we throw open our trunks and let the goods start rolling! Mexican casserole, Chicken stir-fry, Meatballs, BBQ hamburger, etc...that's what on the menu this month. I love it; plus it keeps me out of the kitchen when I'd rather be outside in the summer!

Kim and I swapping, writing our instructions for baking last minute

Nayibe and I sitting in the trunk with our coolers. Fill 'em up girls!:)

Meme Tag from Amanda

2009-06-19T14:28:00.003-06:00

Friday, June 19

a meme-

Eight Things I'm Looking Forward To:
1. Being finished with Potty Training!
2. Fitting back into my pre-pregnancy summer clothes
3. Getting new tennis shoes
4. Seeing my family for the holidays
5. Having lots of time to scrapbook
6. Soaking up this newborn stage of Claire
7. Paying off the hospital bills (so we don't have to give her back!:))
8. Going to the coast for vacation in August!

Eight Things I Did Yesterday:
1. took some maternity pictures for an awesome family
2. washed sheets
3. made chicken pot pie for dinner
4. Washed and folded laundry
5. talked to Gretch, Nat, and Mom
6. Browsed a scrapbooking magazine
7. nursed Claire 6 times
8. tried to be domestic since this week has been hectic and the house is showing it!

Eight Things I Wish I Could Do:
1. be a runner and enjoy it!!
2. go to a concert in the park
3. visit my sisters more often
4. have fresh flowers all the time
5. have an RV
6. catch up on my scrapbooks
7. get a new wardrobe
8. be more patient with Levi

Eight Shows I Watch:
1. The Office
2. House
3-8. Whatever happens to be on when I sit down for the night!

Eight Favorite Fruits:
1. strawberries
2. fresh pineapple
3. grapes
4. raspberries
5. fuji or pink lady apples
6. clementines
7.
8.

Eight Places to Visit:
1. Singapore
2. Africa on Safari
3. India, on a short term mission trip
4. Boston
5. Hawaii to relax
6. England, Scotland, Ireland (it's one trip)
7. Australia
8. Spain

Eight Places I've Lived:
1. Alaska
2. Lynchburg, Virginia
3. Wildwood, New Jersey (for a summer)
4. Aiea, Hawaii (for a summer)
5. Oklahoma City (for a minute)
6. Boise, Idaho
7.that's it.

Eight People to Tag:
1. Gretch 2. Nat 3. Mom 4. Katie L. 5. Heather S. 6. Heather H. 7. Dawn 8. Sherry

Cutie Girl

2009-06-10T17:16:00.004-06:00

My little "big" girl. Here are her stats from her two month checkup.

16" head circumference (80%)

25" length (90-95%)

13 lbs. 12 oz. (90-95%)

I don't make milk, I make heavy whipping cream. :)

If she were edible, I would eat her up.

Seeing Things

2009-06-09T15:43:00.005-06:00

Most days I get caught up in just the daily part of living but today I was inspired to actually take some time and see things. Some day I am going to miss this so I want to write it down.

My sweet girl. She found her thumb yesterday.

My other sweet girl. She was determined to sleep in that laundry basket, but I talked her out of it.

Levi cuddled up at nap time. He had a hard day being a pirate at gymnastics.

Pictures

2009-06-04T08:11:00.002-06:00

Sorry about the Memorial Day pictures! I ended up just posting them on Facebook because it is waaaaaay easier than blogger to upload. But during my free time this week I've been photoshopping some pictures of a sweet little newborn. You can go to http://photos.philldog.com/ if you would like to view them! I have really enjoyed the satisfaction of a completed project.

Memorial Weekend-ugh....

2009-05-26T09:26:00.003-06:00

i'm having trouble uploading my pics of the weekend, so while i struggle along, take a look at my pretty little reader..

Finally

2009-05-01T21:28:00.003-06:00

Just in case you had forgotten, I did have another baby recently...:) Here are some pics of my beautiful girl...

She has recently started smiling, however I can't seem to catch it on the camera. And believe me, I tried. I was crouched next to this bouncy seat for a solid 10 minutes waiting.... but I caught my oldest yardbird stealing a few kisses...

As you can see, Em loves her. A little too much sometimes and I have to tell her to back off. But she is such a good helper too and she loves her little "buji, buji" ( I have no idea what it means, she made it up..)

I love having a newborn in the house again...if only they stayed that little.....(and slept through the night of course.:))

the new one

2009-03-24T16:37:00.006-07:00

Claire Elisabeth Phillips
Born March 20, 2009
8 lbs. 11oz.
20 1/2 inches

Whew! Sorry it's taken so long to blog..(g and n). I am feeling pretty good right now so I thought I'd take this opportunity to blog! Plus, mom took the kids to the pet store, the little lady is swinging, so basically I have the house to myself. :) Here are some pictures from the big event!

Things went smoothly at the hospital and now my mom is here helping with the transition to home.

G-pop In Da House

2009-03-07T15:47:00.004-07:00

My dad dropped by this past weekend for a short little visit on the way home from a business trip. We had such a nice time with him! The kids were very excited to have their G-pop in town; probably because he spoiled them with a trip to the candy store, quarters for the games/rides, an outing to the zoo, lots of hide-n-go-seek, and craft time with Emme! All in three days.. who wouldn't love all that attention! Here are some pictures from our fun night at the Arcade.

G-pop and Levi

Emme looking like a pro

Dad swishing the slopes.

Proud as a Peacock

2009-03-07T15:44:00.003-07:00

I think someone's ready to have a new baby in the house, don't you?

Valentines Day Party

2009-02-17T09:06:00.004-07:00

I snapped a few quick shots at our Valentines Day party. I love Valentines Day...probably because of all of the pink and red, and of course the sweets! We dined on heart-shaped grilled cheese, tomato soup, celery with pink ranch and then decorated cupcakes for dessert. Then later, the moms each made a candy bouquet for their life partner or spouse. Just kidding, I just wanted to say life partner in a sentence.

Lizzy and Tara

Tyson lickin his cupcake fingers clean!

Sweet Carly

Must have been good Owen!

Pressly and Grace

Emme and Rylee working hard on their cupcakes

The girls looking very festive in all of their pink!

I do really enjoy creating a theme party. It satiaties my "matchy-matchy" disease.

A Tiny Bit of Randomness in my Otherwise Super Organized Life

2009-02-10T09:24:00.005-07:00

Because random should be my middle name, I felt like I should have a post to reflect this trait.

For starters, we have a new chore chart!

The highly anticipated chore chart! Finished! My aunt Ramona helped me copy this idea from a blog that I look at occasionally. I'm really happy with how it turned out. And when the new baby is ready to join the chore world, I have some blue polka dot ribbon just waiting to be attached at the bottom with some buttons.

Here is an up close shot of the pockets. Basically, just laminated some scrapbook paper with the chore picture on it-and the name of the chore on the bottom for soon-to-be readers. Then when they are finished, you flip the card over with the "All Done" on the back!

The Thanksgiving cactus did not get the message that the holiday is waaaaayy over. So funny because this cactus didn't bloom for years, then we moved it to this window and it has bloomed twice in 6 months and doubled in size. Guess it likes light, who would have thought?

Here are some rascals making "Magic Muck". This is a perfect (but messy) project for wintertime/daddy's not coming home tonight/nothing to do fun!:) Each kid had a different color, some with glitter, some plain...But all can be made with kitchen ingredients and the kids love the goopy texture and how it can also be made into balls. Warning: **Recommend drop cloth for big pregnant women who don't like to bend over***

Here is my favorite girl working on a craft for her Valentine's Party! She is very meticulous and LOVES crafts...a girl after my own heart...the craft part, not the meticulous...LOVE her.

This boy can be so sweet. I told him to bring me some socks from his drawer so I could put them on. Well, he is really into dressing himself (trying) and insisted on putting them on his own feet. After struggling for several minutes, he said "just second Mom, I be right back". He got a pair of his dads, and voila, so much easier to slip on than his...so cute. Now if only they would fit in his shoes...

5-5-5

2009-01-31T22:57:00.002-07:00

Blast from the Past... What a great memories! Here we are on our cruise to Jamaica in 2003. We had a great time!

I was tagged by Natalie and my cousin Dawn to post the 5th picture under the 5th folder....and now the 5 people I want to tag!

1. Kelly H.

2. Candee M.

3. Heather Marie

4. Beth W.

5. Tara T.

Deja Vu and Ta Da!

2009-01-15T18:47:00.004-07:00

Here is a picture of the "new" nursery! This was Em's crib bedding and I was so happy to set it up again! Sorry the picture is a little funky, it looks very yellow, must be the lighting. Or Levi had been smoking on the sly in his crib..

And Ta-Da! Here is E and L's big kid room and bunk beds! Yes, I realize the room is pink, but I'm hoping by the time Yeebs learns his colors, the girls will be sharing this room.:)

Vanity and Cottage Pictures

Reading Nook- I also hung a little picture on the wall which makes it all the more nook-y...nook looking? Whatev...anyway...(p.s. Candee, I did even nail into the beadboard, I used a removable hook...are you proud of me?)

The best for last!!

Of course the beds aren't made, but I had to lower my expectations or haul my large self up the ladder to make it...I chose to swallow my pride and let you see them in full unmade glory.

Levi is quite enjoying his new football bedding and didn't even move or try to get out the first night because he was elated to just be surrounded by footballs...isn't that cute? Of course it didn't last more than a night, but still...

There is also a trundle drawer underneath the bottom bunk which I intend to use for storage, but I have to get some sheeting cut to make a base for the bottom of the drawer.

I love nesting.

Projects

2009-01-04T19:16:00.003-07:00

I've been feeling a little bit crafty lately....I blame it on "nesting". Unfortunately, they are not the projects I should be working on (quilt binding, ahem)...but anyway.

Since I love looking at other peoples craft projects, here are a few of my own that I snapped some pics of.

A fun little notebook cover that I made for my friend with just a regular old notebook and some leftover paper and ribbon!

Recovered dining chairs. What a cheap and quick way to make the dining room look refreshed.

Christmas Pictures

2008-12-29T17:41:00.002-07:00

We had such a great Christmas with all of Chad's family here in town. We are thankful that they live within driving distance. (Weather permitting.:) All of the nine grandkids had a great time playing together and it was fun to see them interact as they grow out of the toddler years!

Chad edited and put some Christmas Eve pictures on Philldog Photography website. Check them out; he did an awesome job.

I can't believe Christmas has come and gone so quickly, but it has, so HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

24 1/2 weeks

2008-12-07T14:52:00.003-07:00

I was so good about growing belly pictures when I was pregnant with the first two, but this is the only one I have so far of this little lady.:( I figure that posting them will keep me accountable. I don't want her to be left out already; she isn't even out yet!:)

By the way, I am taking any good name suggestions that anyone has! Chad and I are having a hard time finding the 'perfect' name, so bring 'em on!!

It's a GIRL!!!

2008-11-12T17:19:00.003-07:00

I guess unless you are an ultrasound tech, you might not be able to appreciate these photos!:) They always look so... well....scary! But we are so thrilled to be welcoming another GIRL into our family this March.:)

Halloweenie

2008-11-01T12:46:00.002-07:00

For Halloween this year, Emme went as Stefanie from Lazy Town ( I think it's a cartoon on some weird channel! I'm not sure:)! And Levi went as, of course, SpiderMan. They had such a fun time at the Fall Fest that Calvary puts on at the Fairgrounds, and I like that they have activities to do for the evening! They played bowling, did a cake walk, went fishing, and did lots of other things like jump in bounce houses and slide down huge slides. Here are just a couple cute pics.

Spidey and Stef

Packing up the baggies

Then I got this awesome idea from a friend named Kim Hanson (hi Kim!). At the end of the evening, since the kids have gathered the amount of their body weight in candy, each child packs a baggie full of their favorite candies to keep and the rest of the candy gets collected by the "Candy Fairy." The "Candy Fairy" then takes the excess candy and gives it to Operation Christmas Child to be sent overseas with their holiday packages. In turn, the "Candy Fairy" will leave each child a book or paints or little car or something thanking them! I really loved this idea and the kids were excited to be generous with those less fortunate.

Will

2008-10-16T13:46:00.003-06:00

Congratulations to Nat and Adam! William Scott Renstrom born last night weighing 8 lbs. 13 oz. And what a cutie!

I think he's practicing for his hearing test. The little genius.

We love you Will and can't wait to meet you next month!!

ummmm......

2008-10-11T08:15:00.002-06:00

The day I gave birth to Emme was in the high 80's.

The day I gave birth to Levi was in the mid 70's.

On the eve of the kids' birthday party this is NOT how it is supposed to look.

Not 27 degrees today.

Oh my, good thing I didn't get ponies this year!

"Something tells me we are not in Kansas anymore Toto."-Dorothy

Emme's Soccer

2008-09-25T15:40:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures of Emme's first soccer game! Can you believe that she is old enough to play an organized sport? Kids can actually start at 2 1/2 years old in this league. There are some on her team still in diapers! What a crack-up.

I wouldn't say that she loves the game (which only lasts 15 minutes), but it's fun to watch her run around, or pout on the sidelines at the very least, like she did last weekend. :)

She does a great job with the drills though!

Em and Pressly, soccer buds

Who let this little guy on the field? Levi loves to think he's part of the team. "Where's my soccer ball?" he says.. We've started bringing a second ball to each game so he can play on the sidelines..he loves it.

Wedding Pictures

2008-09-24T17:24:00.003-06:00

Chad has been working feverishly on getting some of Erin and Brandon's wedding pictures ready for viewing. They look fabulous if I do say so myself. You can view the first batch here! Click on Galleries and it should take you right to the wedding section. (And don't forget to comment! It boosts his confidence.:))

First Day of Preschool

2008-09-08T16:54:00.008-06:00

My little "big" girl on her first day of preschool! She was so excited she couldn't even eat her favorite breakfast cereal that morning. She acted like a pro when we got to the school; she hung her backpack up on the hooks (never happens at home), found her name and seat and sat down immediately. She didn't even give us a second glance as we walked out the door.:) I'm so glad everything went so smoothly. She was definitely ready for this big step into the world.:)

This 3 mile down the road, 3 hours once a week step into the world.

And not a toenail further.

1+4=5

2008-09-01T10:18:00.004-06:00

It seemed only fitting on Labor Day to announce the soon-to-be new addition to our family! We are very excited and our looking forward to this little one joining us in March.

Also in honor of Labor Day, I've seen this fun post floating around from RocksinMyDryer. Play along if you like! I would love to read your answers.:)

How long were your labors?

#1- 17 hours (yikes! I was induced)

#2- 9 hours (mucho better)

How did you know you were in labor?

#1- Doc told me to come in for induction, 3 weeks early

#2- Water broke at Dream Dinners!, 2 weeks early

Where did you deliver?

#1 and #2-St. Luke's hospital, right where the drugs are kept..

Drugs?

Praise the Lamb for epidurals. Seriously. Just in case though, I memorized the anesthesiologist names just in case they jacked it up. That way I could scream at them with more accuracy. Loved, loved, and will love it again with this next one.

C-sections?

Nope.

Who delivered?

#1-My awesome Doc

#2-My more awesomer hubby. (yes, I know that's not a word.) Doc let Chad actually guide Levi out and catch him. What a surreal moment.

Go to Rocks in My Dryer if you want to play along! Happy Labor Day!

She's Here!

2008-08-28T08:12:00.002-06:00

Gretchen and Phil's baby girl, Elli Marie, made her grand entrance into the world last night weighing 9 lbs. 5oz. and looking EXACTLY like Gretchen! Go to her blog and check out some pics and say congratulations! Welcome to the world Elli!

The Fair

2008-08-17T18:49:00.004-06:00

This past weekend we braved the heat and headed to the local State Fair with our friends the Histands! I love the Fair- the animals, Fair food, rides, and checking out the local night life. Serious night life peeps. Anyway, that will have to be a different post.

As kids, we LOVED the fair. Dad would always stop and check out some new gadget which we would inevitably end up bringing home with us (Living Air Purifier anyone?) or we would watch the waterless cookware demo for a solid 1/2 hour. Anyway, I hope my little guys have such fond memories when they become adults.:)

Owen and Levi driving the jeep. Kelly and Em ridin' shotgun.

"See I think this goat likes me! He is licking my face, eating all of my leftover food!" Levi, 22 mos.

"Hmmm, the quality of this wool is a little shabby; not good enough for me. Thanks anyway."

"Can you give me the specifics on this particular breed Ma'am? I'm interested in getting one for our backyard. Our lawn is a little long. Thankssomuch." Owen, 22 mos.

Perfect dinner at the fair! A Pronto pup corndog, and a nice tall strawberry lemonade. Delish.

Soule*Mama Wannabe

2008-08-17T16:18:00.005-06:00

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm a wannabe. I am impressed by a few blogs of people that I don't even know, but have linked on my sidebar. Have you ever checked out Soule*Mama? Her photography is generally awesome, and she always has great handiwork that she is crafting, and well, I could go on! But instead I'll show you pics that I tried to make look like hers!

See how I focused on the plant and not the tomato? I did that on purpose. Yes I did Chad.

Yay! Our first red tomato! We were very proud.

I mean seriously, who takes this many pics of a silly tomato? Again, very proud.:)

I love little feet pictures. And well, Kiki has little feet too, so she's included in these shots.

30

2008-08-04T07:35:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm 30 now!! And no, I don't feel old. I think 27 was an "old feeling" for me. Plus, I bought some expensive face cream that I was wishing for, courtesy of some gift cards!, so I will be looking 29 again in no time.:)

My parents came down for the weekend on their Goldwing! Seriously!:) They allowed Chad and I to go on an overnight date which was a real treat. We got to try out golfing (really fun!), Chad bought me a massage, we went out for a nice dinner, saw the Batman movie, and stayed downtown at the Grove. Then on Friday morning we saddled up Jay and Heather's trailer (thanks a million!) and headed up (took 4 hours!) to Yellowpine, ID to check out Idaho's finest citizens. It was more fun just watching people than anything. My mom has quite a few pics on her blog you can check out for laughs. I had a really great time overall just spending time with family. Thanks for all of the birthday calls, cards, and emails yesterday; it made me feel so special.:) I would turn 30 again anytime!

Tag

2008-07-31T13:16:00.002-06:00

Natalie tag
1. Where is your cell phone? charging
2. Your significant other? computing
3. Your hair? pony
4. Your mother? zoo
5. Your father? also
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? none
8 Your favorite drink? wcmocha (does that count as one word if i don't use spaces?)
9. Your dream/goal? perfection :)
10. The room you’re in? kitchen
11. Your hobby? crafts
12. Your fear? loss
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? vacation
14. What you’re not? tired
15. Muffins? poppyseed
16. One of your wish list items? jet
17. Where you grew up? Alaska
18. The last thing you did? golf
19. What are you wearing? shorts
20. Favorite gadget? weedsprayer:)
21. Your pets? Fang (rip)
22. Your computer? desktop
23. Your mood? content
24. Missing someone? always
25. Your car? clean
26. Something you’re not wearing? mustache
27. Favorite store? Target
28. Like someone? yes
29. Your favorite color? emerald
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? ??I'm a brick wall:)

I tag Heather, Heather Marie, and Mom.

I Heart Trivia

2008-07-30T23:04:00.001-06:00

Check this out! You can tell how many people have your exact name in the U.S.! There are 34 Bridgette Phillips in the U.S. Who would have thought?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
1
or fewer people with my name in the U.S.A.

http://howmanyofme.com">How many have your name?

As Promised

2008-07-10T08:19:00.002-06:00

I really have been spoiled with our new camera; needless to say these pics did NOT come from the 5D. I didn't want to lug the big one along so I thought I'd capture some 4th pictures with our little point and shoot. (little meaning it weighs less than 8 lbs.)
However I don't want to be a Pouty Polly (as I call E sometimes), and I said I'd post some pics so here are some cute ones!

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Gretsky

2008-07-10T08:16:00.001-06:00

Chad bought some new photoshop actions so I thought I'd play around with this picture of Greta. I love how the texture turned out!

4th of July

2008-07-05T22:05:00.004-06:00

Here is my little helper putting the finishing touches on our dessert for the 4th of July BBQ at
The Hughes house! I'll post more 4th pics soon.

Hysterical

2008-06-29T17:25:00.002-06:00

For any of you who know Chad you know that he is DEATHLY afraid of bees. He has been stung several times in his life, and I guess that just took a toll on him! Well, this poor little bee met his match today. Chad had out a tennis racket AND a fly swatter (for extra protection). He plotted and stalked this bee for at least 30 minutes. No one was allowed in the office while the bee was alive. Finally success! He nailed him and I love the last picture of him studying his prey.:) What a funny guy. And entertaining too.:)

A few wedding pics

2008-06-23T22:45:00.006-06:00

Edit: I moved all the photos to Angie and Bernie's website and will continually add photos to this link: http://www.angieandbernie.com/philldog/

Mr. and Mrs.

2008-06-16T09:15:00.004-06:00

Bernie and Angela are hitched! Go to http://www.chrisanddori.blogspot.com/ for some excellent sneak peeks. I just didn't want to leave you all hangin!

Ballerina Girl

2008-06-08T20:58:00.001-06:00

Last weekend Emme had her debut performance as a bonafide ballerina. We were so proud of her. She bravely walked out onto the stage, scanned the crowd for us, and danced, danced, danced!

Scanning the crowd looking unsure

Being a fish

Being a wolf

I love how they are all doing different things in this picture!

Afterwards, when everyone was getting roses from their family, our girl got some lip gloss. Because a girl has gotta to look good for her fans! She ate the entire tube in the car. Yep, that's my girl.

Memorial Weekend in Ketchum

2008-05-30T21:38:00.006-06:00

This past weekend we had the opportunity to go visit our friends the Duerre family in Ketchum! We had a fabulous time hanging out, eating, playing, laughing, being outside, and just catching up with them! Here is part of our weekend adventure in pictures.

We went to an outdoor festival in Hailey where everything was handmade. Right up my alley; loved it.

The kids LOVED this bubble machine. They were running all around into booths trying to pop every last everlovin' bubble. This picture Chad took turned out great.

Emme loves her a good face painting.

Ells was not so sure of the face painting at first. She came around though and got a stunning ladybug.

We went hiking one day in the Sawtooth Recreation Area. Here's Amanda and I getting our picture so you can know that we are really outdoors-ey people. Actually, we just slapped on the packs and posed for a picture then hopped back in the car.. not really, but wouldn't that have been funny?

The Chads and their dental work (or lack thereof)

Should we be seeing this stunning photograph on a Christmas card this year? I should hope so.:)

Umm, you will not being seeing this one on a Christmas card this year. Who is that naughty little boy trying to escape a perfect photo-op? Don't you know that mommy needs a scrapbook two-page layout? Silly boy.

Thanks a million Chad and Amanda! Thanks for moving to the mountains so we can have some mountain friends.:) We love you guys.

For Katie

2008-05-27T13:03:00.003-06:00

I am posting a layout of my new scrapbook pages so you all can ooooh and awwww over it.:) It's from the pictures of Emme and Chad's date to the thee-a-ter. That's how she says it.
I LOVED this flocked blue bird paper by Heidi Grace! It was a little on the spendy side and I couldn't risk messing it up, so I called in the heavy artillery, my college roommate Kate. She was the original reason I started scrapping, and she is the bomb dot com with ideas and originality. This was my first time stitching on paper and I am fairly pleased with how it turned out! The machine missed a few zigzag stitches, but I guess that lends to the creativeness of it all. Hope you like it K!

a>

div>

Weekend

2008-05-19T21:48:00.004-06:00

I had an awesome time this weekend with these fine ladies...

Me, Candee, her mom Nora, and her mother-in-law Marian. *Please do not state the obvious in this picture. I had just gotten done taking my inflate-a-boob pill.*

Seriously though, the Beth Moore conference was awesome. I loved every minute of it and was trying to memorize all that she had to say. But she says it best in one sentence with saying "Gift without grit is a dang waste." Thanks for inviting me Candee. I'll remember this for a long time.

Jacked Up

2008-05-19T21:43:00.005-06:00

Seriously almost peed my pants when I saw this fine thang rollin' by. Talk about feeling self-conscious in a minivan....this poor girl is gonna have issues!!

Some would call it a Fashion Faux Pas

2008-05-12T13:18:00.006-06:00

Have you ever heard of D on D?
Neither had I.
Until I met this girl.

It stands for Denim on Denim, which is considered a fashion crime by many a fashionista*. I cracked up for quite awhile when she told me of this phrase. I mean, I knew it was not cool to do, but D on D? Too funny.

Anyway, so Candee and I decided to play a little prank on our friend and wear D on D. So blatantly obvious! Well, she didn't even notice until I pointed out that I was seriously overheating with this DENIM jacket on...

Here's the picture of our fashion crime.

This was a fun night with friends. I think we will need a new trampoline mat now, as I was trying to add up the "poundage" of these 3 full grown men trying to crack the "Chad egg".

Here's a cute pic of the little man. After a long time of playing hard he walked directly over to the comfiest spot available and planted his little self down.

Never mind that it was mommy's day lily. I guess after a hard day playing a guy has gotta relax.

*Disclaimer* For those who might be wondering, some would consider D on D appropriate if the denim is a cropped jacket or shrug.

A Little Thing I Like to Call Fluffy Fingers

2008-05-02T08:18:00.005-06:00

Best part of the night on The Office yesterday. Fake gang/street advice from Darryl.

-->
Michael: Were you part of a gang?
Darrel: Uh, yeah, yeah I was.
Michael: I KNEW it.
Michael: What are we talking about here, Crypts, Bloods?
Both. Yeah, them, and the Latin Kings, the Warriors, Newsies
Michael Scott:
Ok, so dig this. You're on the street, and one of your gang disses you.
Darryl: Oh my goodness.
Michael Scott: Yeah. Right. So what do you do to get 'em to make it right?
Darryl:
Well see, um, in a gang world, we use something called fluffy fingers.
Michael Scott: What is that?
Darryl: That's when someone really gets in your face, you know you just, start ticklin' 'em.
Michael Scott: Really?
Darryl: Yeah. And he starts tickling you. And pretty soon you laughing and hugging. Before you know it, you've forgotten the whole thing. Y'all just go to church together, get an ice cream cone.
Michael Scott: I would have never though that.. gangs would be tickling each other.
Darryl: Oh. It's a fact of life.

And seriously, at the end of the show, so uncomfy! Just let Michael get off of the camera! It was NOT funny after a solid 3 minutes of whatever he was blathering about!! Any other Office watchers out there? Shout out to my peeps! We LOVE it!

Run Mama Run!!

2008-04-28T21:17:00.003-06:00

This past Saturday, Chad gave me the day off!!:) Some girlfriends and I drove up to Ketchum to visit Amanda for her 31st birthday. We rented a hotel room and had a great girl time just hangin' out, catching up with life, and celebrating Amanda's birthday. Thanks for sharing your weekend with us A!

Dinner at Ketchum Grill

This is Amanda's crazy face...Candee is looking at a fly on her nose....Wende is in the middle of a sentence(that's ok, she doesn't read my blog;)

Yikes, I think we had been out too late by this point..must have been 9:30 or something outrageous....:)

Tag!

2008-04-16T14:38:00.000-06:00

My sister-in-law, Heather H., tagged me to do 10 random facts about me about 40-90 years ago. I'm just now getting around to it, pathetic I know, but I rarely forget anything.:) I don't know if I can think of that many uber cool things about me, but I'll give it a try!

1. Every Sunday we take a different route home from church instead of the usual route (I know, I'm so crazy!!!)...it's kind of our shortened version of a Sunday LBR, which is Kale Speak for long boring ride, which we used to take often as kids.

2. I was almost non-existant on the music front in the 80's. You could name several popular singers and I would have no clue who you are talking about. I grew up listening to nothing but oldies and old skool country. I only started listening to popular music when I started public high school in 1993.

3. I have no less than 40 punch cards in my wallet. I definitely have the "Kastanza" wallet.

4. I love saving money on things! I am the ultimate cheapskate, although I prefer to think of myself as frugal. :) Hence the 40 punch cards in my wallet.

5. I seriously love old people. Seriously. My roomie in college used to call me a little grandma! (And no, I did not take that as a compliment.) I think that's because they have so many awesome stories and things that have happened in their lives that I can learn from! After I'm done raising my kids (like the 10th of Never), I would definitely love to go back into the geriatric field.

6. I love Random...but Interesting trivia. I think that's because my dad is the king of this..he just seems to know so much about the oddest topics. For example, did you know that Barack Obama and Brad Pitt are cousins? See? Random...but Interesting.

7. My college roommate when I was a senior was the niece of Bill Keane, the creator and illustrator of Family Circus cartoon!

8. My co-worker Colleen, her mother, taught The Osmonds, as in Donny and Marie, piano lessons! Do you see where I'm going with this? Say it with me now, Random.....but Interesting.

9. I have lived in or visited Alaska every year of my life.

10. I am really scraping here, so I will let you all off of the hook for reading all of the previous nine ridiculous facts!!

Now I want to tag Dori, (who has been tagged by Little B, but she is avoiding it), and Katie Lee!

Wordless Wednesday-Easter

2008-04-02T19:16:00.010-07:00

You will be missed Chuck.

2008-03-30T15:16:00.002-07:00

Charley Hughes (1944-2008)

Much Ado About Nothing

2008-03-14T06:19:00.004-07:00

So yesterday I lost the kids for a little while...which is not that unusual since Emme can work the deadbolt and loves to take her little brother on her outdoor excursions. Anyway, this is how I found the kids in the driveway!

I was informed that they were headed for a campsite and that I was not invited to come along. However, Chloe the neighbor's dog (Emme told me she was "borrowing her") was more than welcome to join in the fun. So with Levi in the driver seat, off they were headed. Good thing I didn't leave my keys in the car.

While Daddy Is Away

2008-03-01T13:29:00.008-07:00

Some of you know that poor Chad has been virtually MIA these past 10 days while working in McCall, working through the nights (45 out of 48 hours for one stint at M.P. yikes!), and now in Yakima picking up Ol' Blue and, you guessed it, working! He is still on the prayer chain, like every 10 minutes, at Nat's church. Just Kidding. But not really.

Anyway, here on the home front, I have been trying to occupy the kids with fun activities, trying to separate their day from evening (some stay-at-home moms may know what I'm talking about) basically so I don't lose my patience with them!:) Here are some cute pics of the kids from our "all mommy/all the time" party!

This weekend we went to the kid's workshop at Home Depot! They each got a cute little orange apron with their name on it, and then we built a race car!

Emme also got a haircut this week too. So much easier to comb through now!

Em checkin' herself out in the tub

Levi being mischievous turning the water off and on....off and on...

Come home soon Daddy! We miss you!!

Maybe She's Born with It

2008-02-28T22:04:00.004-07:00

Or maybe it's just The Missie

(with natural athleticism....):) Love ya Miss!

See You Soon Duerre's

2008-02-28T21:19:00.006-07:00

I know Amanda hates goodbyes, so I'm calling this post See You Soon.:) Our good friends, the Duerre family, are moving to a far far away place Ketchum, Idaho this week. We are very sad to see them go, but trust that our friendships are stronger than the distance separating us!:) Here are a few pictures I took at the shindig that Candee and Dan hosted for them.

Sara (hi Sara!!:), Candee, and Soph

Amanda and Wende

Ells and Emms

Amanda and Sara

Amanda and Sarah Rousselle

The guys L to R; Jeremy, Dan R, Dan M, Chad, Mr. T, and Travis

I'm gonna miss this girl!!

p.s. just in case you were wondering, yes, this is her swimsuit model pose. She was giving free lessons.

Love Fest '08

2008-02-14T14:25:00.004-07:00

Valentines Day! Just another reason to party!:) We had a few little ones and their mommies over for the special occasion.

Sweetie Ella. I loved this picture.

3 little ducks all in a row.

Candee, Amanda, and Tara (and Lizzy)

Our lollipops that Em and I worked feverishly on earlier this week. We used cut out hearts as the petals and the lollipop was the center! Thanks for the great idea, Nat!

Our heart pizza from Valentine's Eve. We like to make it a week long event around here.

Handsome Devil up to no-good.

Working on our craft surprise for the daddies.

The whole gang! Thanks for coming! We love you all!!!!

Daddy Date

2008-02-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday Emme and Chad went on their first official "daddy date." They went and saw the new "Beggie Tales" (that's what E calls it). It was her first time in the theater, and I think she enjoyed it! All she told me that they got some "fruit duds" and the movie was really loud and that the seats were red...hmmm..not a thing about the movie, but hey! I'll assume it was a positive experience.:) Here are some pictures of the cute couple!

On the Road to Random

2008-02-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

Some of you know how I crave a good field trip! Here is one of our excursion pics that I took from last week. Debbie (my mother in law) drove us through Toppenish, the town that she grew up in, while we were in Washington. This is her old house where she lived until the 3rd grade! I thought it was interesting hearing her reminisce about living here. I always like a drive down memory lane!:)

Chad's grandparents, Darrell and Peggy, with Debbie and the kids

Happy 30th Birthday Kelly! For my friend Kelly's 30th birthday we went to the Melting Pot restaurant downtown. It was delicious! We tried to surprise her, but being the detective that she is, she found out the day of the party...oh well! I still blindfolded her just for fun when she walked into the room!!:)

Just a random cute picture of Levi in his new snowsuit!

p.s. I realize that this is bragging, but I photoshopped the 2 pictures myself! It may have taken an hour, but it's fun playing around with the actions..;)

The Rest of the Story

2008-02-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

Most of you know what happened last Saturday, but for those who don't.....we were visiting Chad's parents for the weekend in Yakima when the crash happened. Debbie (my mother in law), Emme and Levi were all in the car when it happened. I was attempting to drive through an intersection while the other driver, who was driving the opposite direction, was attempting to take a left right in front of me. It had been snowing and slick roads....needless to say, he did not allow himself enough time to get some traction and turn before I slammed into him.....and then I slammed into the person behind him and then hit a telephone pole. Thankfully enough, no one was seriously hurt. I have moderate whiplash and Debbie also has had some back issues for which we are being treated for. Emme and Levi are doing well..definitely shaken up after the air bags deployed (extremely loud!) and of course, the actual collisions..

Anyway, now we just have to deal with the insurance for this whole mess! Not easy..especially being out of state.. the car is fixable (amazingly enough)! And that's the rest of the story.....

Guardian Angels Score Some Overtime

2008-01-27T15:44:00.001-07:00

Yep.

Not good.

Nope, not my fault.

Everyone is safe and sound. Praise the Lord.

Except Ol' Blue. Poor girl.

Just a little whiplash. I think.

Hey, we always like an adventure! That's how we roll! :)

No, we didn't roll, I'm just sayin'...

Hopefully we'll will be back home soon.

After the roads are cleared from the foot of snow that dumped today!

Yikes.

Pray for safety as we travel through the Blue Mountains if you can!

No, not travelling on our bicycles. :)

See ya soon.

Plants and Sew On

2008-01-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

When I walk into someone's house for the first time and I decide that I really love their decorating style, I try to think about what it is that I exactly like about it. What makes it feel like a home. I think it's the amount of living things in the home. Namely plants. I think plants always look good and make a home look great. So when my Aunt Ramona came to visit this week, we decided to repot some plants I had that were looking rather sad. (read: all of my plants)

We repotted all the plants in the house and gave them fresh soil. This one looks much happier, don't you think?

She also is a sewing guru, in addition to a Plant Technician, so we came up with this little number for Emme's stained little chair. A cute little slipcover that can be pulled off and washed easily.

The finished product

My male model and the cute button accent

The main reason for her trip!! Emme's little curtain project that I had been wanting to sew now for a few months. Ramona taught me how to make the pleated ruffle and how to draw up the back with ribbon! It turned out perfectly.

Thanks Ramona for a wonderful visit and for all of your help!!

Merry Christmoose, belated of course

2008-01-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting up the nerve to sift through 600 pictures of our Alaskan Christmas vacation! An daunting task for sure! I don't want to bore you with all of them (can I hear an AMEN?) so I am just posting a few from each event that I find interesting. See? I really do have your best interest in mind.

Update: Sorry some of the pics are sideways! I'm not ambitious enough to fix them now after blogging for an hour!!:)

A moose in the backyard! Now what a way to start our vacation!:)

Nat's first time seeing a moose. Nerd.

Our trip home started with awesome facials for Nat and I, and Gretch and Angie got massages. Definitely the way to begin a holiday!

My aunt Dorothy and I hanging out with my brother Bernie! As most of you know he is in Quatar right now, but he had this one-dimensional cutout made of himself so we could take him to all of our events! And he actually wore that elf costume while working! He is such a funny guy, even when he's not around.:)

A toast to Bern

Here are 15 of the 16 great grandkids from the Kale side!
What an awesome legacy.

Here are G-ma Batten's great grand kids!
She needs to get on the ball to catch up to the Kale side!:):)

Me and my boyfriend

We hardly got any presents this year!! Sidenote: I hope someone got Mom and Dad
game this year!

Em's new Christmas tent, also known as the "Tent of No Return". You'll have to ask me about it.

"Greta, have you seen the inside of my "Tent of No Return?"

Levi is such a monkey! Always climbing, and looking quite pleased about himself.

We had an AWESOME dinner of prime rib and crab legs while we were home.
So yummy. Great job Dad.

G-pop giving Levi a lesson in "how to ride a pony safely"

This is more Emme's type of pony

"Back away Mom, this is my photo op" Nephew Finn, age 9 1/2 mos.

Meet Angie! She will be the newest Kale come June! She is an awesome girl; Bern is a lucky guy.

Nat and I's first time seeing snow!!

Carsten, my cousin who is also 3 like Emme, enjoyed making sugar cookies with G-ma B. They used every last sugar crystal in the house.

An awesome gingerbread town fashioned after Tiny Tim's in Charles Dicken's book.

Chad trying to make out with me.

A whole family picture!

Christmas eve at G-ma Batten's house. Lots of family, busyness, and food. All things I love.

Cutie Aunt Ramona. I surprised her by taking the picture...and I know she looks at the blog, so I am posting it! Love ya R!

"sledding" with Carsten and Emme in the leaf-laden sled

A Phillips family pic in front of G-ma Kale's house. You perhaps
are wondering what Emme has on her eyes...well my peeps, that
is MAC spice long-last lipstick. And they weren't kidding about the long-last.

My beautiful 3 year old. With Nat holding the backdrop.

Levi during his photoshoot..umm..this is the best shot I got.

Cookie decorating party! The week before Christmas. The
fruits of her labor.

Levi quite enjoying his ride on the boogie board in the driveway!!

Nat's new myspace* picture, doesn't she look mysterious?

Guess Who?

2008-01-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

Guess which one of my sisters is pregnant?

Could it be Nat?

She does this sick trick where she can puff her belly out super far. I hear that only the strongest of ab muscles can do that effectively..:) (Did I say that right Nat?)

Or Gretch?

Yep, it's Gretchen! She and Phil are expecting a bouncing bundle of joy this August!

Congratulations guys! We love you!! I can't wait to meet your newest addition.:)

Christmas pics to come....

Decorating Cookies, Part 2

2007-12-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

Well the cookie party was a success! Lots of friends, girl talk, and sweets! Oh yes, and lots of eating of the unfit ones. We had an awesome time sharing and decorating cookies for our families and friends. There were carmels, popcorn treats, chocolate covered pretzels, peanut butter balls, peanut clusters, and sugar cookies. Yum. Let's plan on doing it again next year girls!

Making Cookies, Part 1

2007-12-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures of the kids helping roll out the cookie dough (read: eat) and cutting some shapes for our impending decorating cookie party! I used to host just a "cookie exchange" but on the advice of my aunt Chrissy (who freeloads off of my blog! Hi Chrissy!:), I now have changed it so that we decorate the cookies and if the decorating standards are not up to par, then you have to eat it! Works perfectly! Minus the fact that we all gain a few pounds off of the party. :)

What a big guy!

Baby Kara is Here!!

2007-12-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Josh, Chad's brother, and Heather!! Kara Avery Phillips was welcomed in this world on December 5, weighing in at 9 lbs. 15 oz!! She is a big girl! Here are some pics that I shamelessly stole off of their website.:) Congratulations guys, we are so excited to meet her in person!

Proud Mama and Papa

Baby Kara

Big Brother Jase and Big Sister Ella

Once Upon a Time

2007-12-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

there were 5 little princesses (one who was too shy to be photographed) who decided to have High Tea. They had an exquisite time chatting while munching on little sandwiches and petite desserts.

And sipping their raspberry tea, of course.

And playing dress-up.

When the fun of it all was coming to a close, the eldest princess decided her little friends needed to be tucked in and read a bed-time story. What a wonderful end to a busy afternoon.

Looking forward to our "middle management, doctor or lawyer" tea party. :)

Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

Our first snow & Thanksgiving with the Hughes.

The Playroom

2007-11-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post some pictures of the new shelving units we got for the kids' playroom. They are made from recycled doors! I really love them; so here they are! (sorry that top photo is so dark!)

Anticipation

2007-11-07T20:57:00.001-07:00

Emme's first day of Ballet.

Sup cuz....lets do dis photo shoot

2007-11-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the title....I'm bustin some fiddy while posting right now....holla!

Edit: Can you find the difference between these 2 pics??

Harvest Festival

2007-11-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from the Harvest Festival that we attended on Halloween!

Levi was having a hard time walking because of the wide monkey feet! He eventually figured it out though!

"Did you bring this camel all the way from the Sahara just for the petting zoo?" ~Me

"Nope, just from Nampa!!"~ Wise Man

Owen is attacking Levi's ears!!! Or does he just want the lollipop?

Here is a picture of Chad teaching Emme and Levi how to hold a baby chick properly. Notice neither one of them are interested in the lesson.

We had a great time at the Harvest Festival at the fairgrounds! Every year Calvary Chapel holds a concert called "Light in the Night" for the teens and a Harvest Festival for the little kids. They had games, snowcones, cotton candy, those jumpy blow-up things, and a petting zoo! It was a lot of fun as this was the first year that Emme really got in on the action!

Boo at the Zoo

2007-10-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

(**taptap**, is this thing on?) Sorry I haven't blogged in a couple weeks my peeps! Here is a few fun pics of us this last Saturday at the zoo!

Here is the little monkey!! Ooo,ooo.

After telling Emme all of her choices for face painting (i.e. flower, heart, star etc.) she chose a bat!..not just any bat, it had to be a RED bat. Well the 15 year old painting her face tried his darndest to do an awesome red bat, but well, it wasn't happenin'. The thing had about 5 wings!! Oh well, E thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. She kept checking it out any chance she got!!

A family pic

Someone knew it was Cold and Flu Season

2007-10-18T10:00:00.000-06:00

Last night I had Emme help set the table. Here is what I found at each place setting. She is very intuitive, don't you think?

Birthday Weekend!

2007-10-14T17:45:00.000-06:00

We had a packed weekend of birthday events featuring friends, family, pumpkins, and even ponies. Click on the this LINK to see our slideshow =)

Happy Birthday Levi

2007-10-12T08:11:00.001-06:00

Well it's official! I am a mom of a 1 year old! A year ago yesterday I was making some "Dream Dinners" to stock up for my boy that was supposed to arrive in 2 weeks! But he had different plans and at 5 something in the morning on October 12, my little "big" boy arrived.

Happy Birthday buddy.

Happy Birthday Goose

2007-10-08T15:11:00.000-06:00

Happy 3rd Birthday to my little girl. You are such a blessing in our lives! I'm glad out of all the little girls that God picked you for our family.:) I love you Emme Kate.

Golf at the Appletree

2007-10-06T23:39:00.000-06:00

While Mamo watched the kids on saturday, I got to play a round of golf with my dad and bro. You can actually see Josh's ball in his pic at the bottom, it's a little spec.....very cool. And you can see my lame form in the 2nd pic...what can I say, I swing for fences each time!

The Fair!

2007-10-04T21:20:00.000-06:00

So while Bridge is off frolicking around in NC without the kids, I took em to Yakima to visit the fam. Today we went to the fair and Emme and Ella had a great time riding the kiddie rides!

Sophia pics

2007-10-03T11:11:00.001-06:00

I finished the sophia pics...hope you guys like em: LINK

ps...Marchants I have a cd for you of high resolution ones to print if you like.

The Marchant Family

2007-09-27T23:31:00.000-06:00

Dan, Candee and baby Sophia had us over for dinner tonight and allowed me to pry into their lives by shooting a gazzilion photos of them....it was fun. Here is the first one I have finished touching up. Thanks guys!

Snug as a Bug

2007-09-27T08:05:00.000-06:00

This is pretty much a regular morning in our bed. Emme loves to come in when she wakes up, whether 2 am or 7am and steal my pillow and hog my side. Stinker. And because I'm too lazy to take her back to her room, so I just shove her a little farther over to her daddy's side.
If only I didn't know better, I'd say she looks like a little angel here, no? I love this shot.

Pals

2007-09-16T15:22:00.001-06:00

Owen & Levi

Hyde Park Fair

2007-09-16T14:39:00.000-06:00

Bridge and I went to the Hyde Park Fair downtown on Friday for a date......pretty liberal atmosphere, but we enjoyed seeing people's passions displayed non-the-less. This is a panaoramic pic stitched together using about 6 photos.....which is why some people look like ghosts ;)

-Chad

Sophia Marchant

2007-09-16T13:44:00.000-06:00

Sophia Marchant is here! 9lbs 7oz - 23in long!!

The Duerre's and our family loaded up yesterday to go visit the Marchant's at St. Lukes. Welcome to the world little Candee Jr. =)

Emme's Bike

2007-09-14T12:31:00.000-06:00

W00t W00t!!....I got my new camera yesterday (Canon 5D, with a Canon 35mm F/1.4L prime lens). Here is my first pic. I did an acid burn color change in PS and gave it a border. Fun stuff =)
-Chad

Happy Birthday!

2007-09-14T08:27:00.000-06:00

Happy 27th B-day Heather Marie =) We love you!