Drive Home From Seaside

So after the aquarium I wanted to walk around and basically take a while to leave. However brandon was done in seaside, so we quickly left town. Good thing we did. While we were driving home it started to snow! We were only at 1000 ft or so and it is the end of March! As we drove the flakes got bigger and bigger, the plows were out, we saw them heading up the hill and we were heading down. The van is in need of new tires, not badly however still in need. So going up and down hills while it is really snowing hard out is not so great. I took a quick little video of it. You can't see the snowflakes really well, but holy cow they were huge. It had just started a bit before we got there, I cannot image what it would have been like a couple hours later.

The kids quickly passed out after the novelity of the snow wore off.

Tillamook and Seaside Fun

We started our trip with a little detour to Tillamook. Everyone has told us how fabulous it was,s o we thought why not. Totally NOT worth the hour detour to go there. The kids were entertained for about 10 min. So after soem ice cream we headed north to seaside.

The weather was actually really nice on Monday, so after we checked in, we went straight to the beach. I forgot to grab the camera out of the room, drat! They would have been some great pics! Abagayle played in the sand, while Jackson and Dad played in the ocean, really. Jackson was soaking wet and freezing after 20 min. or so in the ocean. So we cleaned up and headed back to the hotel.

The rest of the trip it rained or hailed. We had fun wlaking around a bit, but mostly playing in the pool. The kids loved it, and they were exhausted after.

On Wed before we left we went to the aquarium, which we hadn't done before. It was pretty neat. You got to feed the seals, Jackson liked that. Abagayle not so much, since the food was cut up fish. Here is one of the seals.

The kids really like the hermit crabs however they had no interest in holding them. They just wanted Dad to hold them, so they could look closer.

Then we started the drive home.

Easter Sunday

We went home for Easter this year. Brandon's brother was giving his farewell talk at church.

We started the morning with Easter baskets from grandma and mom, then a yummy breakfast.

Abagayle started her breakfast with a chocolate bunny, little sneak :)

Then it was off to church to hear Zeke's talk, we left after sacrament meeting to be back to my mom's for an lunch with Mom, brother and his wife. I didn't eat anything, not feeling so good, but the food looked and smelled great!

Off to Brandon's family's house for Easter dinner with everyone! Karen made turkey and ham, it was a lot of food, she had banana splits for dessert. It quit raining for a bit so we did a quick egg hunt for the kids in the yard.

Aunt Jessica and Jackson enjoying the gummy rabbit teeth from the hunt.

We left late that night to head back to Portland so we could leave the next morning for Seaside.

Easter Egg Hunt on Sat.

We had a busy and fun Easter weekend. On Sat. we went to an Easter egg in Woodvillage. It was pretty neat, the Easter bunny flew in by helicopter! However it was so windy! Abagayle was freezing. As soon as the hunt for our age group was over, we were out of there.

I didn't get a picture of the kids with the Easter bunny, Abagayle was too scared and Jackson just ran up and gave him a piece of candy and ran away. :)

DONE!!

That is right folks, finals and boards are done!! I cannot tell you how excited I am! It will be nice to have a dad/husband who isn't stressed out, even if it is for two weeks :) He did really well on the finals we know the results of. Boards scores don't come till April. He is amazing! I really wasn't feeling so hot some of the time during the last two weeks. He would get up early, really early, to study, go to school, come home at 600- clean and make dinner, put the kids to bed, then study some more. I couldn't ask for a better husband and father. We are heading home tonight for Easter dinner with both the families. We are going to hear his brother's farewell talk at church. This will be last time we see him for couple years. Then we come back Sun night and head out Mon morning for a couple days to Seaside, I hope the weather holds out. Then back to work for Brandon. Soon after the start of 7th quarter! That seems way too soon (7th quarter), times flies. Before we know it, we will be in the OPC :)

Trouble with words

Jackson has rarely had trouble pronouncing things, even when he was little. While Abagayle on the other had changes all "F"s to "B"s. However he is having the hardest time saying binoculars. I have know idea why but it is hilarious. He says bannanacopters. So last night while making pizza I said it very slow and pronouced everything for him. Bi-noc-u-lars, slowly. He repeater ba-na-na-cop-ters loud and slowly to me. Then said "see I can bananacopters just like you" I almost fell of my chair I was laughing so hard. Brandon had tears in his eyes from laughing.
Apparently during his prayer at night he said "please let Jesus come to church and I can see him with my bananacopters". Brandon said he started laughing right in the middle of his prayer, Jackson promptly told him "we have to be quiet during prayers dad, till I say Amen"
My son cracks me up.
Sidenote-he always asks if Jesus can come to church with us, so that was nothing new. But seeing him with his bananacopters was.

Pizza Pizza!!

We had a fun dinner last night, make your own pizza night. The kids had so much fun creating their own dinner. Jackson had a ton of candian bacon on it, while Abagayle's pizza was mostly cheese and pinapple. Each time she put a pinapple on the pizza she put one in her mouth, it was fun to watch.

Half Way Done!

So brandon finished boards today! Hooray! I can see a difference in his face, it isn't quite as tense. He feels like he did okay, so here is to hoping. We don't find out till mid April. We are having a celebration dinner. His favorite Potatoes Au Gratin with ham. We are having apple cider(I bought two bottles,one for tonight and one for Friday night) and berry cobbler. We still have finals to endure but he says this is one of the easier quarters for finals that he has had. That may be due to boards stress. He still doesn't work until Friday, so he has study time. Congrats to all the families who survived boards, five days to go then....... BREAK!

10 Years ago

I was tagged here we go....
10 years ago...I was 17 years old. My senior year of high school, dating Brandon, working at KFC and hangin out with friends

5 Places I've visited... Florida, Hawaii, Arizona, Paris and Mardrid.

I enjoy... Camping, we have an annual campout with Brandon family and my mom every year. We have so much fun. Family time, anywhere. Bake huge meals, not the cleaning though, I love board games, bring it on if you can :)

3 bad habits... Sometimes I have potty mouth, it is much better then 10 years ago, over analizing everything, worring what others think.

5 things you may not know about me: I want to go to culinary school when all of our kids are in school, I played 1st base pretty much from 2nd grade till 11th grade (slowpitch till 7th grade then fastpitch), I never wanted kids until we were married (now that I have them I couldn't image anyother way), I was raised by a single mom most of my life (she did the most amazing job ever), Brandon and I have been together for 12 years this May (dating 4 1/2 years married 7 1/2 years)

Jobs I've had... in order of oldest to the most current: KFC - 3 years; Valley Medical Center, billing and refunds - 1 years; PASC - hospital billing company, lead of a customer service dept for 5 hospitals in CA, AZ, OR, WA; Editor for online outsource company, I am takign a break until the morning sickness passes; Being a mother and wife, no sick days here.

I tag my mom, sonnet, lori, amber, mandy and lisa (if you all have time)

Heading into a horrible two weeks

So it is that time, the first time for us, BOARDS! Yikes. Brandon has part I boards on Sat and Sun then finals Mon thru Fri. It is crazy to me that they are right on top of each other.Brandon does have the next week and half off work, which normally we would love. However since he is a studying man we will not see him anymore. I take that back, he will come home at 9pm instead of 10pm. However once this trying time is over we have 3 days at the beach!! We are so looking forward to it, I hope it doesn't rain. This is only preparing for next year, when he will have part II and III and PT boards, Fri-Sun. A lot of our friends are doing that this year.

Good Luck to all those suffering from attack of boards. :)

We are lucky to have a dad/husband who will work so hard for us.

My cell minutes are on the rise

My son has become quite the talker lately. My husband family called for some reason and of course Jackson asked to talk to everyone. I couldn't find him anywhere, then this is what I saw.


When I told him to finish up the call, he respnded "Would you be quiet, I am on the phone, jeez" Then I hear him tell his aunt, "That was my crazy mom, she was just bugging me" I couldn't help but laugh.
I hadn't quite noticed how long it had been until the call ended. 50 min. Mind you I was on for a min or so to answer a question. Jessica, I think spent most of the time on with him. He loves them so much.
He gets it from both us, while we were dating we would talk on the phone till 1 or 2 in the morning sometimes. The teenage years should be fun :)

Zoo Trip

Last week we went to the zoo with some friends. It was a fantastic day for it, sunny and even warm. The kids had a great time. We took Ezra with us, the kids were so excited that he could come. I am so glad it is sping time and we can get outside again.

This is Abagayle's favorite part of the zoo, the sand box with footprints :)

Hoarsy rides for everyone

My mini shower

My mother came down a couple of weeks ago with my cousins, emily and amanda. They were a huge help with tons of cleaning that they did. Also I got to rest up some, which was so nice. My mom and I went to JoAnn Fabric to get material for the quilt I am making Jackson. When we got home there were wrapped presents on the table and cheesecake. They three me a mini baby shower. I guess they had gone shopping early when they were all out. It was so sweet. My mom is amazing. She said she wanted to remind of the good things that come out of the pregnancy. As if that wasn't enough. They also decorated my upstairs bathroom with some beautiful pictures, candles and a new rug. They wanted me to have a nice place to get sick :) I am so grateful to my mom for the wonderful things she does for me and for my cousins who are so thoughtful. They spent their own money to buy the baby pj's, that were so cute by the way. It was a fantastic weekend. ( a few weekends ago, I am behind :)

Pregnancy Update

So I am feeling a little better. I get sick a few times a day, which is much better then 3 weeks ago. I have lost 7 pounds :) I have to find some silver lining in all of the sickness, right. The kids keep asking when the baby is going to come out. I don't think they realize just how LONG it is going to be. They moved my due date up a few days to 9-22 which normally I would be thrilled about. This time however I am not. Since I have c sections they like to do it a week early, so you don't go into labor. With it being on the 25th, I think it might have been okay do it the Friday of finals week or the following Monday the 22nd :) So who knows how it will work out now, we can only wait and see.