Some Blake Moments

Question: "Where do Gramma and Grampa live?"
Blake: "In WaHatchy!"

Upon opening all of his gifts at his Birthday and Christmas he would state "I NEED that!"

Learning to say "Goodness gracious sakes alive" from his Great Grandma Hanan this Christmas

Upon walking into Nana and Papa's house-with in 5 minutes he asks for the "Zune" to be turned on and the Beatles #1 album to be playing-he can tell you that song #15 is "Yellow Submarine, #14 is "Paperback Writer"-I dare you to challenge him on these facts!

He is starting to sing and if you start a song in the "wrong spot" he will sing where he wants you to start. For example:

Jingle Bells...- "No mama-"Dashing through the snow..."
Winnie the Pooh- "Um Deep in da hundred acre woods..."

If you ask him if he can fix or do something he says "Yes we can, Bob" As in Bob the Builder!

Put a camera near him and he does a wonderful CHEESE face!

He knows that he is two

First morning in his big boy room and bed he was sitting on his bed for me and when I walked in he said "I waited Mommy!"

Whenever we are at the Dr. to check on baby sis he gets mad when the Dr. pulls up my shirt and tries to pull in down-trying to keep me modest. When he hears her heartbeat he says "She round and noisy!"

Whenever he hears a sound he says "I hear that!"

He tells himself "Good job" after doing something he didn't want to do but did anyway.

He is starting to make up things like "pillow time"-which is when he takes off ALL of the couch pillows and puts them in a pile and jumps on them and "bed time" which is when he wants Daddy and Mommy and ALL his pillows and animals in his new bed (these things mostly get made up with Daddy and Blake are alone;)

He asks for hugs and "kisses."

He says "I uv u too."

He says "Thank you Jesus, Amen." when we ask him to pray.

These are just a few things our wonderful 2 year old does-written partly to share but mostly to help me remember in the midst of this busy life.

New years thought

I can't believe that is is 2010-I was thinking about where I was 10 years ago and that would be starting my winter quarter of my sophomore year at SPU on 5th Hill-my how things have changed and not changed...I am still best friends with the lovely lady I roomed with that year-Jenny (Adams) Pitmon-although we are miles apart now we are in some ways we are closer than ever. I was just starting to get to know =the young man who is now my husband-Justin-for almost 6 years now! I had just decided to be a psych major-which I am sure helped to lead me to working with the students that I work with now. It is funny to sit down and think about how in the midst of the day to day life that we go through God does have a wonderful plan-and I can see now in just these 3 examples (there are many more) how he has had some pretty wonderful things come from choices and people he place in my life 10 years ago! It is my hope that in the next 10 years-as I approach 40- I will be able to look back on the fun I am having with my 2 year old and see how this time has helped to shape his pre-teen self (even as I write this I tear up-knowing how fast the time will go). I am in awe of who Blake is already and I really am excited to see who he will become-although I would be happy if this next 10 years didn't go as fast as it seems these have...

Fall...

I love fall...the ability to cook and bake without making your house to hot, the smells, and the changing weather. I do enjoy the change into the holiday season. As I sit here I realize that this holiday season is going to be oh so fun and go oh so fast! To be blessed with a two-year-old around the holidays is going to be a blast! Blake is not going to know what hit him during the two weeks of opening presents for both his birthday and Christmas-and I am anxiously awaiting that time as he is getting bored with his toys but I don't want to buy him any know the onslaught of stuff that is coming! Luckily he LOVES books and enjoys reading all of them, he has a pretty amazing memory for a little one that makes some people ask me if he can already read, because he can pick up a book and tell you a title or "read" a part of a page. It has been so fun watching his vocabulary increase, and to get to have little conversations with him because he now can speak in short sentences. He is wonderful and I am fully blessed I can't believe that he is almost two-where has the time gone. In the midst I hope and pray that I am soaking it up enough, not taking a moment for granted and at the same time I find myself exited for his future and the pleasure of meeting the amazing man that God has created him to be.

As well as loving my little guy I am starting to feel this little one more and more each day-she is making herself known-not as much as Blake did-but known. Blake loves to "find sis" which equals him lifting my shirt up and poking my belly button and today he gave my belly a hug and said "hug sis." So precious. But at the same time he has his moments with this whole idea...like the day I was hanging up some clothes I had gotten and some things my mom had brought me that I wore when I was little girl-he came in the room and pointed at the pile and said "baby sis?" and I said "Yes these are for baby sister." He then promptly walked up the pile and threw them all on the floor! Ha! How blessed I feel to have them both and I can hardly wait to meet her in 16 weeks!

Its Been a While

Hey to all the people out there-probably 3, but I do this for myself as much as for others so hope you enjoy it. Sorry it has been so long-we have had a busy 3 months. In August we started a kitchen remodel and it is slowly reaching its stages of completion-takes longer when you do it yourself-but costs a whole lot less! In September I started my new position at Renton School Districts Re-Education TOSA (teacher on special assignment). Re-ED is a philosophy developed in the 1960's on how to best work with troubled and troubling youth, if interested check out http://www.warea.org/ Anyway it is my job to support other teachers working with kids with Emotional Behavioral Disabilities in the classroom. It is, so far, a lot of work but a lot of fun and I am really thankful for this opportunity. And I am currently 1/2 way to being a mom of 2! We found out this week that we are having a little girl this February and are are really excited for Blake to be an older brother. Now let the preparation begin....last week we got to go see a couple of friends who just had a little boy and when I was holding him Blake stood by dad and cried "No No No" while shaking his head....we have some work! Needless to say life is really good right now and I am truly thankful. Here are some pics of things you have missed...

Us in the photo booth, this year, at the Fair.Blake seeing the ocean for the first time in Lincoln City OR:)

Running around in his "towa."

A Small Step...Dangling Earrings... :)

For those of you who know me I am a creature of habit and a rule follower. This has lead to many things in life that I realize in my adulthood that I haven't done or seen because I couldn't when I was younger (ie haven't seen "Pretty Woman"). Last night at KOHLs I was shopping with my 30% off of coupon in tow and I was finding some good deals for stuff for Justin (lets be honest that is the only way the guy gets new clothes for himself-I buy them take them home he tries them on-if he likes them we keep them if not I take them back :). I was not enjoying finding clothes for me-I wasn't in the mood-and I still think I am in a state of limbo with this "new" body -although it has been a year and a half it really has only been 7 months-as I nursed buddy for 11 months and my body was NOT one that just lost all the weight from nursing-in fact it held onto about 10 pounds the whole time! And even though I am within 2-3 pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight-which I think is great-it is not exactly the same...so I am still figuring that all out. Needless to say I wandered into the jewelry aisle...there was a bunch on sale and I in that moment realized that I should get myself some fun earrings...Yes at 28 I only have about 2 pair of fun dangling earrings. So I did-I had a ball. On the way home I was thinking about why did I not have them as part of my life...I have always like them on others. It was then I realized that my mom never wore them-she doesn't like them on herself, so not that it was a rule that she made-I just never really was around them in my childhood and therefore carried that into my adulthood. Funny. Random story I know but it made me think about other things that I have carried over from my childhood into my adulthood-I am sure some just as small and others larger-and I would like to spend some time moving on and having fun with the process of still "growing up."

Summer Fun!

We have had quite the summer so far-I can't believe that July is almost over! I got to go to our church's summer conference in the mid-west this year-which was a blast and made me oh so thankful that I don't live there! Yikes that humidity and heat is a nightmare. Then my best friend from college and her husband and baby girl came to visit over the fourth of July. It was so fun to see our two kiddos together! We joke that they should get married-hey moms can dream right?!?! Here are some pictures from the visit:)

Soo much fun!

This summer has also found myself waiting....I still have yet to hear about weather or not I am working next fall. It is up in the air and will probably be for a long time. As I know about myself, in times of change, it is not the change itself that I struggle but rather waiting for the change to happen. It is why I didn't love being engaged and couldn't wait to have my pregnancy be over-I just want to get on with the next step-waiting for the inevitable change has always been difficult. I find myself knowing that I will be sad if the answer is no-and yet so thankful that my identity ultimately is not found in what I do-but rather who loves me. I will keep you posted!

Winding Down...

In only 4 short days I am no longer a classroom teacher...the feeling is that of relief and confusion at the same time. I have spent the past 9 years of my life dedicated to this-through working in schools, getting my Masters, and teaching for 4 years...it is weird to know that it is over for a time-but good to know that it is on my terms. I don't want to go back full time while Blake and is someday siblings (not yet) are young and I also don't want to work part time with just anyone-this year has been a blessing-but it had to come to an end. I thought I would feel more sadness-but right now I am just excited for what is to come, knowing that I am always a teacher...just taking a break for a moment-maybe a long moment. We will see what the future holds-but if I know going into this new chapter that if I continue to trust God for the plan it is going to be a great one!