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Vacation Part 2, Florence, OR

2010-10-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

We had a super long day of travel from Reno to Eugene. But its always glorious to see God's hand in your life.

We were pulling our new travel trailer and began to realize that we were going to run out of gas if the next town did not have a gas station. We began praying that we would make it to the next town, in the middle of nowhere in Northern CA. We made it! Then realized there was no gas available. I was so proud of Troy for knocking on door, after door, asking for gas. God provided a very generous man named Larry to provide for us. It was amazing to see HIS provisions! We were able to fill up and drive to the next town 30 miles away.

We finally made it to Klamath Falls at 10:00pm to find out almost all the hotels were full. We finally found a yucky, smelly, gross room and took it eagerly at midnight.

Then we headed to Eugene for Brandon's wedding reception and then on to Florence for more vacation.

Although most of this vacation was spendt cleaning and repairing the travel trailer, it was still joyous and relaxing.

Larry & Cindy are such support in our lives. They are always giving of their time and belongings to us. They continue to be an example to us, to help without judgement and give without hesitation.

Florence was a blast! Thanks to the Grove's and the Lapinski's for letting us ride their 4-wheelers. We would have never had this opportunity if not for their generosity.

Fun times...

1. Tricks on the bikes.

2. Not realizing the other side of the sand dune was a drop off.

3. Markus jumping from one dune to the next.

4. Nate insisting on tying the log to his bike.

Lake Tahoe Vacation

2010-10-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

Oh man, I don't know how to even begin describing this vacation...

It was last minute. Hardly no planning. Drove 14 hours straight through the night from Centralia to Reno, NV.

We arrived in Lake Tahoe, finally, and it is absolutely beautiful. The weather was gorgeous and the kids and I headed to the pool and the beach to relax. Little did I know I was going to start feeling sick. I think I am getting old, because the lack of sleep (meaning no sleep) and eating fast food, plus the car ride, made me sicker than a dog the rest of the day.

Troy was hours away and finally had to call for pizza to be delivered to the hotel so that the kids could eat. The kids were awesome and never complained about being stuck in the hotel room. They were brave to open the door for the pizza guy and somehow managed to eat pizza and pour themselves pop without spilling.

The next day I was feeling good again and we had lots of fun playing on the beach again.

I can't say enough about Lake Tahoe! The scenery is so striking! Just don't try to visit Fallen Leaf Lake (Troy, is this a funny story yet?).

Back on the road again (way too soon). Sadie has assumed her typical traveling position of watching movies and eating snacks. I want to always remember when we all were awake at 4:00am and watched the sun begin to rise and our sweet & joyful conversation.

Centralia Pet Show

2010-10-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

Sadie & Nate partcipated in the Centralia Pet Show this year. We have watched it for the last 2 years and they were very excited to "enter" it this year.

Sadie wanted to enter Rosebud her favorite plush dog. Nate did not have an animal picked out until we were about to get in the car. He ran in his room and emerged with the smallest, little green dog, named Snoopy (For the longest time he called him Snoofy).

I was really proud of both of them for walking up to the judges all by themselves and answering questions about their animal.

We were so excited when Sadie & Rosebud took home the 1st place ribbon! Nate, also, got a purple ribbon for his partcipation too!

Family Camp

2010-08-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the Double K Ranch in Easton, WA...

To be honest, I was not too sure about this place when I first arrived. There were not very many people, the rooms were a bit "rustic" and we were in the middle of nowhere.

However, the next morning we began the kids program and more and more people kept arriving and soon it became a blast! This was truely a great week of fun and relaxation. The kids has lots of freedom to ride their bikes and play with other kids. I found time to read a book, visit and find quiet time too.

These girls can be so funny and silly. The ice cream was always a highlight of the day - for kids and Moms too!

Nate learned to ride his bike without training wheels on this trip. Both of our kids have learned to ride their bike without training wheels on a good long camping trip. Way to go Nate!!!

We are at the lake and the kids are staring at the trampolene in the middle of the water. They really want to play on it but Michelle and I are not willing to get in the freezing water to swim there with them. Maybe next year...

Thank you to God for the great experience and His abundant blessings!

Let's Make Gum

2010-08-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

Sadie got a gum making kit for her birthday and was so excited to try it out. We made a party out of it and invited Michelle, Payton & Emily.

I was really glad Michelle was there too because it took many hands to figure this out. The kids could choose their own flavor and whether to make it sweet or sour.

It was lots of fun. I'm not sure whether Nate is enjoying his flavor or not...

Troy probably should not have come home for lunch this day. He became our official test taster... I think he likes it! Not!

4th of July

2010-08-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

The kids were waiting and waiting for 10am to arrive so that they could head over to Borst Park for 4th of July activities.

This is the year of "parades and vote for Jon Meyer signs and shirts". Nate told Aunt Kimmie that his reason for voting for Jon Meyer was "because I love him". We decided that was a pretty good reason.

"I kinda want to get into this huge fish and I kinda don't..." - Sadie & Nate

(The worst part was while Nate was inside a car backfired and scared the living daylights out of him)

This was the 3rd year at the Money Scramble. The kids are getting better every year and took home about $1.50 this year. We are proud parents!

This is Sadie's 1st attempt at the hula hoop contest. Sadie claims she won 1st place! For those of us who watched we know the truth. Sadie got a red, white & blue ribbon and chooses to focus on the blue just like Daddy taught her.

Troy drove his big red truck in the parade for Jon Meyer, so the kids and I camped out in the rain while we waited for the parade to start.

Big red, big red, big red truck. We travel near and travel far. Big red, big red, big red truck. We're going to drive the whole day long. - Wiggles

As usual, we set off fireworks in the field and enjoyed good times with our friends and family. Nate brought his safety glasses with him - what a smart boy.

Funniest, but scariest, memory is Riley and Cameron lighting off the fireworks without putting the ball into the canister first. Good thing they can run so fast.

More Birthday Parties...

2010-08-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

We met at Alexander Park and had one big family birthday.

We are blessed with the greatest families. Paris is a great cousin to Sadie. Paris is always helping the kids, being patient and spending lots of time playing with them. Thank you Paris for being such a great role model. We love you and Sadie adores you!

It was wonderful to see both sides of our family together. Here are our Moms...

Carmen, Kim, Tonya & Oliver...they are planning to take part in the World's record largest redhead photo.

And the Dads... my guess is that they were talking about cars???

Morris is the newest addition to our family. He is so cute!!!!

I think these 2 cousins are going to have great fun together, especially when they figure out how to get into more mischief!

Sadie loves the "Buddies" movies which are about 5 dogs. There is one girl dog named Rosebud and Sadie has always wanted to get real golden retreivers (not just 1 dog but at least 2 dogs). She has talked about these dogs for over a year and finally got her very own Rosebud (lucky for Mom & Dad its plush).

Brittain is such an awesome cousin too! He too is always helping with our kids and loving on them. I love this picture...

Bridger and Oliver played catch together. It was very cute!

Sadie's 6th Birthday

2010-08-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

Here's our Sadie girl...
She is now 6 years old. And her favorite color is...PINK!!!! She loves playing with others and her invitation list for her birthday party just kept growing and growing. The kids had lots of fun playing outside even though the weather wasn't as warm as we were hoping for.
Sadie was thrilled with her birthday cake! I attempted to bake a cake the morning of her party however it flopped "Big Time". Sadie said she still loved me and that I was the best Mom in the world. We could eat it anyway. Sadie has a really wonderful heart. We hopped in the car and headed to Safeway instead. She was able to pick out her own cake, colors and decorations. My kids always peer out at the store cake displays and hope to pick one out and Sadie finally got her chance. I am thinking this is a way easier, less stressful option for me in the future.

Sadie met another girl named Delaney who shares the same birthday and we were even at the same hospital together. So they shared their birthday cake and both blew out candles together. It is fun to see how many connections and similiar interests that the girls share even though they don't see each other very often.

Cape Disappointment

2010-06-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

We camped at Cape Disappointment this weekend and really loved this campground. There are 2 lighthouses to explore, tons of trails to hike and bike. Our campsite was in a cul-de-sac so the kids were able to ride around and around without worrying about traffic.

We hiked down a steep trail to explore this beach and find treasures or pieces of the Sea Captain's boat. We explored the Lewis & Clark interpretive center, which was fun to relearn. We learned that Cape Disappointment is where Lewis & Clark finally made it to the Pacific Ocean and realized their goal.

Yeah for sunny skies! Its been so long since we had good weather and we loved being at the beach to enjoy it. The kids were so happy to running around in the sand and splashing in the ocean. The kids were so happy that they were putting their faces in the sand and I had to take a picture of Nate (above) with his sandy smile.

This is the North Head Lighthouse which was also a fun hike and beautiful.

Cowgirl Hats

2010-06-15T22:07:00.000-07:00

One of our family motto's is "The Dahlin's don't say I can't. The Dahlin's say I can."

Well... Sadie wanted to dress up as a cowgirl and decided to make her own hat. She was getting frustrated and about to give up, when I heard her repeat our motto outloud.

She ran for the craft supplies and and stapler and started working away at her new cowgirl hat.

I was really amazed that she was able to turn, twist, cut and shape the paper without tearing it. She also made the hat to fit her head all by herself.

I was so impressed she figured out how to do all of these things.
Nate saw her hat and wanted one too. These are truly the moments that I love.

Quality Time

2010-06-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

We have been spending a lot of time traveling back and forth to Portland/Vancouver.

The time traveling is always worth the time gained with Grandma & Grandpa and cousin Oliver.

Camping at Taidnapaum

2010-06-14T01:05:00.000-07:00

Our 1st camping trip of 2010 -

Sadie made friends with a girl named McKenzie, who settled into becoming part of our family. We laughed when McKenzie realized we didn't bring her a camping chair so she discovered a chair right in between Sadie & Nate.

The kids spendt a lot of time finding bugs and exploring the land. Sadie found lots of "treasures" on the rocky beach and wanted to bring home all the "pink" rocks that she could find.

We have no idea how Nate's tie ended up in his suitcase. We headed out to go fishing, I looked down at Nate and there he was with his fishing pole and tie...ready to go.

I love this age - Nate can be a stinker but still be totally cute!

Marie Lance (1918 - 2010)

2010-06-14T00:40:00.000-07:00

Nana,

We will always remember you. You and Grandpa were
such special people, whom everyone adored and enjoyed being with.

Nana you were a role model to all of us; a kind and gentle mother, a gracious and welcoming hostess, elegant and fun-loving.

You were an amazing cook and I will always remember us fighting over who would get more meatballs. I wish I knew how to add just the right amount of special spices like you. You could make friends with anyone by providing them with a meal.

Thank you for taking the time to teach me to sew. I remember the last skirt we made together. Then the next time I saw you, you had made me another. You were always thinking of others.

I know your true heart because your words and actions overflowed with the love from your heart. Always kind, always gracious and always loving. You gave your belongings, food and time to anyone who asked.

I will treasure you forever and talk about you and Grandpa to my kids and their kids.

I love you.
-Maria

Projects

2010-06-14T00:33:00.000-07:00

This is my latest tiling project. This is at Cindy's house.

We started this project at Home Depot, laughing at each other as we tried to figure out how much to buy in supplies. After several diagrams and a couple of hours, we finally left the store.

I think Cindy headed back to Home Depot 3 or 4 times for more supplies - we have no idea what went wrong in our calculations :)

We worked hard, laughed a lot and are very proud of how the bathroom turned out. Now on to the next bathroom...

Graduation Night!

2010-06-14T00:12:00.000-07:00

On Friday, May 29th, 2010, Sadie & Nate graduated from Fiddlesticks Preschool. They graduated with honors, Magna Cum Laude. We are very proud parents of their tremendous achievements.

All joking aside, we did have another very fun year at Fiddlesticks. It's a lot of fun to be a part of the co-op. At the end of the year, the parents realize how much we got to know each other and each other's children at Fiddlesticks.

Each family volunteers in the classroom 2x times per month. I admit that the 2 1/2 hours in the classroom can seem like an entire day has gone by. However, there's no better way to connect with your child than to get involved.

Let summer begin!!!

Last Day of School

2010-06-13T23:48:00.000-07:00

The last day of school at Fiddlesticks is a special celebration day. The kids get to wear pajamas and watch a movie.

Sadie & Nate were so excited for this day. However, I could see their expressions change as we got to school and opened the doors to go inside.

There was suddenly fear that maybe the other kids were not wearing their pajamas.

I had to smile because I can remember the same feelings but all their fears faded as soon as they saw their friends.

Movies are often scary for both Sadie & Nate, so we talked about what to do during these parts.

Nate reported that the movie, Brother Bear, was scary and he was able to hid his face under his blanket. Other than that, the day was really great!

Mother's Day

2010-06-13T23:26:00.000-07:00

My family gave me the sweetest Mother's Day ever! After church we headed to Priest Point Park in Olympia and had a picnic on the beach. It was a great adventure, a beautiful day, adoring family and best of all - away from the house.

I can get so caught up in chores, housework, cooking, blah, blah, blah. I have learned that the best thing to do is to leave the house, so that I can refocus on the most important and precious moments of just enjoying time with each other.

Thank you God for my family.

They are a blessing to me and they love me for who I am...

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment,

such as braided hair

and the wearing of gold jewerly and fine clothes.

Instead, it should be that of your inner self,

the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit."

1 Peter 3:3-4

Sadie playing T-Ball

2010-06-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

Sadie had her 1st season of T-ball with a team called "The Liquidators".

Her favorite things about T-Ball are:

1. The shirts are pink !!!!

2. Her friends Audry and Kennedy are on her team

3. Winning every game :)

4. Snacks at the end of the game

Nate is her biggest fan! He loves to watch her play and is very patiently waiting for his turn to play when he's old enough. Nate got to sit in the dug out and didn't move from this spot the entire game. He was really proud that the coaches told him he could sit here.

Actually, all of our family has been her fans. Thank you to everyone for making time to watch Sadie play.

My favorite part of T-Ball has been taking the time to relax and sit down, visit with family and friends. I'm so proud of Sadie for learning how to be part of a team, practicing to achieve her goals and listening to her coaches.

One of Sadie's best qualities is to be cheerful in almost all circumstances. Even after getting hit by the ball, she kept playing the game.

Nate's Swimming Lessons

2010-06-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

Nate has been taking swimming lessons for the last 4 weeks. He is in the Kinder 1 class and working hard at back floats, bobs, kicking his legs and much more. We have been really proud of Nate because he pays attention to his instructor and tries his best. I love watching him work on his "shark arms" because he loves to exergerate his motions. Way to go Nate, The Great!

Talking to the Neighbors

2010-05-07T23:36:00.000-07:00

Everyday that the kids go outside to play, they climb up on the bench to see if Riley is next door.

When Ellen & Audry came over to play, the kids were excited to introduce them to Riley also.

They spend hours talking to Riley over the fence. Now Riley has a ladder so he can climb up and look over the fence to our side.

One day, Riley decided that he wanted to play in our yard. We lifted him over the fence, but he started getting really worried and wanted back over in about 5 minutes.

Maybe by the end of summer they will be ready to play together again. For now, they throw the ball back and forth over the fence or pass things through the slats.

Walmart Boy...no explanation needed.

2010-05-07T23:34:00.000-07:00

One More Ski Day

2010-05-07T23:11:00.000-07:00

We were able to ski one more time this spring and before White Pass closed the following weekend.
It was a great day for Nate. He slowed down enough to gain control of his turns and was able to take his 1st trip up the ski lift. Way to go Nate!!!

I love the family time we have gotten to share. As a stay-at-home Mom, its so nice to get out of the house with the kids and not worry about cooking, cleaning, reading, etc.

Troy & I can cheer on our kids and encourage them to do their best. Not to mention, when the kids take ski lessons its the perfect built in "date" for Troy & I to spend time together.

All in all, its a good day when you can enjoy the family and also the beauty of the mountains that was created by our great God.

Papa's Chair

2010-05-07T23:05:00.000-07:00

Papa has 2 chairs that he always likes to sit in at his house.

Sadie & Nate decided they would steal Papa's chair at the dinner table before he could sit down.

Everything was looking pretty good until Papa got closer and closer. They tried to hang on for dear life, but Papa won by the old "tickle" trick.

Easter Candy

2010-05-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

Aunt Kimmie - you are so much fun! We had no idea what fun we could have watching Peeps fight each other in the microwave.

Step 1. Stand up the Peeps on the plate.

Step 2. If they don't stick you can always resort to licking the bottom of them.

Step 3. Give the peeps some toothpicks to sword fight with.

Step 4. Put in the microwave and laugh and laugh. These pictures show the sheer joy of simple things in life.

Step 5. The end result for the fighters is not looking good.

Easter at Fiddlesticks

2010-05-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

Easter celebration at Fiddlesticks!

Teacher Bobbi had the kids make their own easter egg baskets and then all the kids were able to find eggs around the classroom.

Sadie wanted her handle pink, because pink is the prettiest color. It's her favorite color and everything she wants must be in pink. Her favorite book is called Pinkalicious.

Nate is happy with anything. He's just happy to be next to his sister. I love to hear them make each other laugh. They are great friends and Sadie still wants to marry Nate when she grows up.

Our Anniversary!

2010-03-23T20:51:00.001-07:00

We celebrated our 12th Anniversary last weekend. Yeah!

Looking back, I realize that I had no idea how GREAT God had blessed me when I met Troy. We are so happy together and have only grown stronger through our trials. And of course have throughly loved and enjoyed the blessings God has given, especially Sadie & Nate.

On our wedding day, the limo drive took us to Multnomah Falls, so we decided to re-live the memories and go there again.

We giggled and thought we were really cool to score a parking spot as soon as we got there, while everyone else circled and circled the lot. This doesn't happen very often for us...were usually the ones circling the lot for hours.

We laughed while hiking the trail because it is the only place where one can buy a latte or ice cream cone at the trailhead. It seemed like every other person had one or the other in their hand while hiking.

The other highlight of our hike was standing under the bridge while the train passed over the top. It was very exhilarating to stand under the train as it rushed by. We were sad that Nate & Sadie were not there to enjoy the moment. They would have loved to be so near the train although they would have covered their ears because it was so loud.

Troy's Birthday Weekend

2010-02-15T20:45:00.000-08:00

Troy & I had a getaway weekend to Port Townsend to celebrate his birthday, Valentine's Day and just a time away together.

Port Townsend is really a fun town to visit for the weekend. The scenery is beautiful, there is a cute little town and lots of Victorian buildings and houses to explore.

We also ate incredibly good pizza at Waterfront Pizza. And also an incredible breakfast at Sweet Laurette Bakery & Bistro. We are already strategizing a way to go camping at Fort Flagler in the summer. Mostly because the area is so beautiful and partly so that we can eat more pizza.

The greatest part of our trip was spending time together. Its so much fun to get away and be young and goofy together.

A little taste of Heaven

2010-02-15T20:35:00.001-08:00

Graham Cracker Ice Cream Sandwich

2 cups of lowfat plain yogurt

1 cup sugar

1 cup lowfat buttermilk

2 Tbl lemon juice & zest of 1 lemon

Graham crackers

Whisk together all the ingredients, cover and freeze for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Spread between graham crackers, then wrap individually in wax paper and freeze for at least 30 min. I found this recipe in the Jessica Seinfeld Cookbook.

Our family has been LOVING these dessert treats. They are really, really good and a healthier option. Nate and I made 1 batch and it makes about 16-20 sandwiches. We wrapped them and put them in the freezer and have been eating them for the last 2 weeks. Enjoy!

Sadie Lost Her 1st Tooth

2010-02-15T20:24:00.000-08:00

Sadie has been anxiously waiting for at least 1-year to lose her 1st tooth. Last year, her friend Jocelyn at Fiddlesticks lost her 1st tooth and Teacher Bobbi was the one who pulled it out with dental floss.

Well, about a month or so ago, she noticed that two of her teeth were starting to wobble. She has been wiggling and wiggling it trying to get it ready for Teacher Bobbi. Sadie was convinced that this was part of Teacher Bobbi's job description - to pull out lose teeth.

Last week, Sadie decided to eat an apple and sure enough her lose tooth got stuck in the apple and she pulled it right out without realizing it.

She was SO excited. Now she can whistle through the hole, drink through it and stick her straw through. These are definitely things to get excited about!!!

Vacation at Red Mountain

2010-01-05T22:20:00.001-08:00

Go Canada! We drove to Spokane and then north 2.5 hrs to the Red Mtn. Resort in Rossland, BC. It was a really long drive, but the kids did really great and Troy & I listened to an entire audio book and lots of crosswords.

Our most exciting adventure was watching the kids learn to ski. This was their third time on skiis and both the kids were able to take a ski lesson. After Sadie's lesson, the instructor told us that she had taken Sadie up the chair lift and she was capable of skiing down without help.

The next day, Sadie & I were able to spend our first girl day "tearing up the slopes". I learned really quickly to tell the chair lift operator to slow down the chair so I could lift Sadie on & off, other than that she did really great. Its amazing how fast kids can figure out new things.

She is so awesome! She's getting in the tuck position going for GOLD!

Nate was a great skiier also. I will post pics of Nate really soon. He was all about "going fast"...which meant no snow plowing just point the skiis downhill and go. If only Nate realized there was no way he was graduating past the magic carpet without a little more control. Nate really loved the snow and asked to go skiing almost everyday.

The kids played on the deck of our condo. They were hoping to make a snowman, but the snow was too powdery. Instead Sadie opted to make a face in the snow and then they each took turns eating all the food.

Oliver finally got his turn to go outside with the other kids. He had been watching and watching from inside the house.

On New Year's Eve, the resort was advertising a big bonfire, fireworks and hot cocoa at 9pm. So, all the family bundled up and headed out for the festivities. We discovered that the ski slope was turned into a giant sledding hill so Troy ran back to the house for our sled.

We sent Nate & Sadie down the hill first, they took off like a rocket and Tonya, bless her heart, had to dive to stop the sled before they crashed at the bottom. I guess we should have tested the slope before sending our babies down first :)

Everyone took a turn sledding. We also had a really good laugh about the bonfire, which turned out to be someone's pot-bellied stove. The fireworks turned out to be 4 skiiers who came down the ski slope holding a roman candle. Good times and good laughs. We had so much fun enjoying each experience and just being together.

Nate took this picture of Troy & I when we were all playing around in our pajamas...I think we were suppose to be putting Nate in bed and saying Goodnight, but sometimes its more important to laugh and make memories with our kids.

Christmas at Lance's

2010-01-05T21:51:00.000-08:00

Lots of Christmas fun with family! Sadie, Nate & Oliver all got reindeer antlers and they had lots of fun wearing them.

Christmas is the best because we get to spend lots of time with our family. Sadie & Nate LOVED spending time with their cousin Oliver. And he was absolutely adorable in his little suit and tie. He's such a happy boy and had lots of smiles for everyone.

Another big highlight of Christmas Eve...was Nana's present. She was really surprised with her new Kitten. Nana named her Fluffy and Fluffy stayed by Nana's side all night. The two of them are going to be great friends and keep each other company.

Nate loved his new car. He can take off the tires and lots of other parts. Nate, Oliver and Sadie all played together and drove the new car.

Sadie's big exciting present was a Leapster. She was able to play her Leapster all the way to Red Mountain and home...lots of time in the car to play.

Halloween

2009-11-02T22:47:00.001-08:00

The kids had a Halloween party at school and got to dress up for the last half of class. Sadie is Share Bear and Nate is a friendly monster.

At their party, they played games, went on a costume parade and practiced their trick-or-treat skills by knocking on the doors inside the hallway of their building.

We had an expected trip to Vancouver on Halloween morning to buy a new refrigerator off craigslist. The new purchase was only 5 minutes from Mom & Dad's house. Dad was able to help us load the new refrig. and the kids had a chance to see Grandma & Grandpa and trick-or-treat at their house.

Grandma & Sadie got right down to business making cookies to fill the cookie jar. We always look in the cookie jar when we get to their house. Its almost always empty and then we get the chance to blame Grandpa for eating all the cookies. They made Ginger Chocolate cookies from a Sunset recipe. Really, really yummy!

Sadie & Nate also got the chance to spend the night with Grandma Deva & Papa the night before. They had a very special time together. Sadie was able to snuggle and sleep with Grandma while Papa and Nate snuggled together too. The kids were thrilled to watch a movie, eat popcorn and drink water (maybe even pop) and stay up late.

Nate requested pancakes for breakfast and asked Grandma if she had some of that Pancake Powder like Mom and Dad have. Thanks for making special time with the kids. They loved it!

Carving Pumpkins

2009-11-02T22:21:00.000-08:00

Sadie did most of the carving on her pumpkin this year which was a lot of fun to see. Nate wasn't grossed out by the guts, which is a big step up from last year.

Sadie is carving a kitty face.

Nate wanted a pumpkin with a scary face.

Here are the masterpieces...

Last Soccer Game

2009-11-02T22:06:00.000-08:00

Sadie had her last soccer game in October. Thank goodness! The weather was getting colder and wet. Sadie's raincoat became part of her uniform. And we found out she stopped running around the colder she got, despite our efforts to convince her the more she ran, the warmer she would be.

We are proud of Sadie for completing her season. She was always happy to be part of the team.

This last game had some really funny moments. Sadie was the goalie several times and managed to block the ball from going in the goal by accidently being in the way. Many times, she would be daydreaming and the ball would come right towards her. Luckily she was standing right in front of the goal box and the ball would bounce off of her back or her legs.

Grandma and Papa put on their warm jackets and braved the weather to watch Sadie's game. She's got a great fan club!

Way to go team!!! Coach Gallagher celebrates with Sadie, Bella, Noami, Katie, Xander and Jason.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-02T21:43:00.000-08:00

Fiddlesticks had a field trip to the pumpkin patch. Since Nate and Sadie are in different classes, we decided to join the younger Bear class.

These are precious years and so much fun to enjoy with kids this young. The animals are exciting, the corn maze was exciting, the tractor was exciting and so was picking out the pumpkins.

The pumpkin farm made is very special for the kids. They had a table setup in their barn so that the kids could color and then had a special snack and treat bag for each child.

Sadie & Ellen decided they wanted their picture taken with the sunflowers.

Nate's Birthday Party #2

2009-11-02T21:14:00.000-08:00

We had a weekend full of birthday parties for Nate!

Nate asked Grandma Ruthie to make a chocolate cake with strawberries. He also wanted transformer plates and napkins at his party. So Grandma made this delicious cake with a transformer on the top of it and yummy strawberries all around the outside.

Grandma, Thanks for making it so special for Nate!

Nate got a new bat and glove for his birthday. It was a beautiful day and everyone went outside to play ball together. Sadie and Nate were both pitchers which made the game a little more challenging. Jenny hit a ball off the umbrella, then the BBQ and tried to score a homerun.

Love the hammock.

Hammocks bring families and friends together, it is a must have for every backyard.

Nate's Birthday Party #1

2009-11-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

Nate is 4 years old!!! He is such a sweet, cute, funny and tenderhearted boy.

He wanted to be a friendly monster with 1-eye for Halloween. I finished making his costume a few days before his birthday. He wanted to show it to everyone at his party and then didn't want to take it off.

Cameron, Paris and Sadie are having fun being silly with the hat from Sadie's Care Bear costume...
Poor Kale...he worked at a toy store and will forever be our toy expert. As soon as Nate opens his presents, we give them to Kale to assemble, fix with batteries or the worst job of all...untying all the wires from the box.

Nate, Sadie and I made cupcakes with monster faces for his birthday party. Nate thought it was really fun to make funny faces.

Grandma Deva looks so pretty. She was having fun too at Nate's party. We love you Grandma!

Weekend at Gig Harbor

2009-11-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

We spendt a really relaxing weekend at Gig Harbor to celebrate Mom & Jenny's birthdays.

We ate leftovers for lunch around the campfire. The boys got a little carried away "making fire" and we all had to move further back and further back. It was also the middle of the day and sunny outside so that may have been another reason we were so hot...oh well. The important thing was roasting marshmellows for the kids and having fun together.

Our sweet Nana came with us and we enjoyed playing cribbage together and talking about recipes.

Sadie, Nate, Oliver and Grandma had fun throwing rocks into the water and combing the beach for treasures.

The best of times is often a day of rest.

"Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls..."

Jeremiah 6:16

Troy and I are definitely at a crossroads in our life, we ask for direction everyday and will one day look back and be able to see the path more clearly. For now, these days of rest for our bodies and rest for our souls are precious to us. They renew our strength to continue on the path that the Lord leads us on.

1st Day of School

2009-09-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

Our year at Fiddlesticks preschool began again on Thursday. Nate is in the Bear class, Sadie is in the Star class and I am serving on the board this year as Treasurer.

Nate was really excited to finally get his turn to go to school. He will go to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 - 11. I don't think that he was anxious or nervous at all. He walked into school, found his cubbie, and was ready to say goodbye. He said that he didn't make any friends the first day but he is going back to Fiddlesticks next week and will make friends the next time.

Sadie was also looking forward to school. She is in the older class on Monday, Wed & Fridays. She feels pretty important because this is her 2nd year and she already knows what is going to happen and what to do. When I picked her up, she was telling Teacher Bobbi that one of the other kids was throwing pillows on the ground and he is not suppose to do that. She believes her job is to be the teacher's helper this year - we might need to talk about her job description a little more.

Soccer Starts

2009-09-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Here's the soon-to-be undefeated U6 Centralia soccer team! They are tough, mean and lean, fighting machines!

SCORE!!!

This is too much FUN!

The Fair

2009-08-25T00:03:00.000-07:00

I am SO tired! Its midnight and I can't sleep... it might have been the capuccino. Elaine & Jessica - did we talk about this?

Don't let me buy one next time, cut up my credit card, tackle me, do whatever you need to do. I am so tired. Hey - at least I am finally updating the blog.

We went to the SW Washington Fair on Sunday.

My niece, Paris, had stayed a couple of nights at our house this week and gave me the best idea.

She said that her Grandpa Glynn saved coins all year long and used his change to pay for them to take Paris & Brittain to the fair each year.

I loved this idea and started looking for our change jar. The whole family got into the excitement of counting the change and we came up with more than enough to enjoy the fair and let the kids ride the rides. We have the jar started for next year also! Thanks Paris!

We giggled while Nate rode the swings because he waved the entire ride. I think he is in training to be in politics because he loves to wave and he waves with a lot of enthusiam. Isn't life great!

Sadie & Nate both climbed to the top of the slide, but Nate realized how far down it was and decided it was too "cary" (scary, without the s) to go down. Maybe next year.

Nate figured out that Sadie could do all the work and he could put his arms up and relax!

Sadie & Nate are on this train. The sides are so high that we can't see them and they can't see out, but they loved it. They wanted to ride this one twice.

Big Day for Sadie

2009-08-24T23:56:00.001-07:00

We went camping for our 2nd time and Sadie had a chance to ride bikes with her friend Faith.

Faith had just learned to ride her bike without training wheels and it turned out to be the perfect incentive for Sadie.

Sadie woke up Saturday morning and told Troy to take off the training wheels. Troy took off the wheels and Sadie took off and just kept going.

We are so proud of her!

1st Camping Trip

2009-08-24T23:25:00.000-07:00

We finally did it! Our dream of camping this year came true.

We had many laughs trying to get our tent trailer set-up for the first time and held our heads high even though our campsite was surrounded by the Richie Rich's.

It was great to focus on something positive in our lives, especially when it brings our family together.

The kiddos got a chance to ride their bikes all over the campground, play on the playground and waded out into the lake.

These pictures make me laugh because it looks like Nate has received the worst news imaginable.

The true story is ... Nate did not eat his dinner, therefore he did not get a smore for dessert. Sadie is showing no empathy but rather really enjoying this moment.

This last picture was taken right after Troy & I had a weak moment and finally decided his facial expessions showed so much despair that he should at least have one marshmallow.

I think he's got us figured out. Oh well, he's just so cute we can't help ourselves.

Nate the Great!

2009-07-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile Nate gets really motivated to pick out his own clothes for the day. This morning he ran into my room with all of these clothes...

his favorite brown shirt with the four wheeler on it,
black shorts,
favorite tie with construction equipment on it,
animal socks that Papa brought back from Alaska and
of course the blue headband from his days of running marathons.

4th of July

2009-07-04T21:06:00.000-07:00

Our annual tradition is to head to Borst park for the 4th of July festivities every year.

Here is Nate and his friend Justin getting mentally prepared for the Money Scramble. We were giggling at the boys because they never moved from their same spot...we kept trying to get their attention and get them to move to another spot but they just looked at us with a confused look. Nate was thrilled with his find of 1 nickel.

Sadie has made it into the next age category and is getting into the more aggressive spirit. She was able to find 1 quarter and 5 nickels. We, personally, felt there must have been some budget cutbacks in the money scramble this year.

The kids were really excited to ride the trolley and hay ride too!

In the afternoon, we headed for the Centralia 4th of July parade... everyone was ready for the parade to begin.

Sadie is looking down the road wondering if the parade is EVER going to start. She was really anxious for the candy and told Troy to make sure he didn't drive over the candy in the street and crush it.

Finally, we got some candy...this is the life!

And more candy....

Troy & I loved watching Nate at the parade. He made sure and wave at everyone and was amazed at all the different trucks, horses and such that went by. By the end of the parade he was waving with both hands and still having tons of fun!

More Birthday parties for Sadie!

2009-07-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

More fun, fun, fun celebrating Sadie's birthday. As you can tell from the pictures, Sadie is loving these birthday presents and having everyone at her party.

Nate had a chance to get a few presents also. He loved his brown shirt with a four-wheeler on it from Cindy. He wouldn't take it off, he wanted to sleep in it and he wanted to wear it the next day. I finally talked him into taking it off long enough to wash it.

Nate also got bubbles to blow out of a gun and has loved it too. Especially playing with Brittain and Bridger in the backyard.

One of Sadie's favorite memories will be getting her toes and fingers painted with stickers and all from Auntie Carmen. She is a girly girl and loves to get her toes & fingers painted. If only we could figure out how to get the polish to stay on longer. Nevertheless, its lots of fun!

Our Baby girl is 5!

2009-07-04T20:35:00.001-07:00

Oh my, where have the years gone. Our baby girl is turning 5. She woke up on her birthday morning and looked out the window, it was overcast and she said more than anything she wanted sunshine on her birthday.

I was amazed that she said that because Sadie had received a book when she was a baby about a little girl, with long brown hair, who woke up on her 5th birthday and prayed for sunshine. She was sad when God did not appear to answer her prayer because the rain began to pour. She learned maybe someone else had needed rain that day for their fields or the ducks were too hot, and at the end of the book, God surprised her by sending a birthday rainbow to her. We read this book together because the message was so perfect for the day.

Sadie had chose to spend her birthday with one friend instead of a big party. Here is a picture of Sadie & Audry. Since there was rain on & off all day, we went out for lunch and then headed back to our house for a fun day of playing with just each other. It was a really fun time and Audry helped make Sadie's day so special for her.

Here are pictures of Sadie's birthday parties and all the wonderful family that we have that came to help celebrate.

One of Sadie's presents was a bike from Nana. Sadie has been practicing and practicing riding her bike without using the training wheels. She is doing really well!

This age is so much fun! Sadie is thrilled to turn 5 and has been waiting and waiting to blow out the candles on her cake. She believes that she does not "truely" turn 5 until the candles have been blown out.

The day after her birthday, she woke up and asked me with concern, "Am I still 5 today?" She was so relieved that the answer was yes.

Oliver

2009-07-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

Oliver is getting bigger! He is crawling and loves to laugh and smile. I think he must already have a great sense of humor. So cute!!!

2009-06-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Dad!

I am so proud of you for being so dedicated to bike riding and accomplishing the Reach the Beach each year! You are such a kind and loving father. You have always been eager to help me when I needed it, especially on my "latest and greatest" project ideas. You are fun-loving and know how to make me laugh and Sadie & Nate. Your smile is infectuous and the best part of you!

Love you lots! -Maria

Graduation from Fiddlesticks

2009-06-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

We celebrated a fun night with all the kids from Fiddlesticks and rejoiced in their completion of the school year.

Teacher Bobbi shook hands with each student and gave them a diploma. It was fun to watch the kids figure out which hand to shake. The kids sang songs and we watched a slideshow of pictures from the entire year. It made me cry to realize how fast time passes and how proud Troy & I are of the young lady Sadie is becoming.

"Be happy, young [lady], while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgement." Ecclesiastes 11:9

Thank you Grandma Deva & Papa for coming to Sadie's graduation. When Grandma & Papa met us at our house, Papa had on this shirt with a fish design. Well, Sadie made us laugh at her childish innocence by asking Papa, "why did you wear your fishing outfit?"

Being silly must be something that we are born with?

Reversible Purse

2009-06-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

My friend asked for this pattern, so I am posting this fun reversible purse. This is also a quick sewing project and the fabric cost about $6-7 for both the inside & outside (using coupons & sale prices at Joanns).

The pattern is found on the following link. As usual, I tweaked the pattern because it said to make one strap shorter than the other and I also make it larger than the pattern because I wanted to be able to put my bible in it. Another note, before you sew the handles put some thought into which way you want the straps to go...I did it wrong the first time and had to pull out the stitches and re-do it.

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/reversible-purse

Simple Sundress

2009-06-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

Another sewing creation!

I found the instructions for this dress on the internet. The instructions are for women but I just cut out a smaller version for a little girl size.

I tried this dress because you can create your own "smocking" by using elastic thread. The elastic was really inexpensive and you simply thread it on to the bottom thread of the sewing machine. Then you start sewing around and around and around. The entire project took just about 2 hours - my favorite kind...quick & easy.

http://heatherross.squarespace.com/journal/2008/8/5/free-dress-pattern-download-for-mendocino-fabrics.html

Portland Zoo with Zia

2009-06-02T09:53:00.000-07:00

Zia - you make me laugh! Aarghhh...which bear looks the scariest?We got lost on the way to Zia's condo in Portland, but we called her up and she told us the way...we just decided to take the "scenic" way to Zia's. We took MAX from Zia's to the Zoo which was equally as fun as going to the zoo. Thanks Zia for taking the time to hang out with us!Mama & her baby were so cute. This morning at breakfast, Sadie saw a picture of an animal and called it skinny. I asked her what type of animal it was and she said an elephant with no arms, no legs, no head and no tail. So I took a look at the picture she was describing and it was a snake! Silly girl...I guess she had elephants on her mind.Zia treated the kids to cotton candy for being good "walkers" and not wanting to be picked up and carried...most of the way :)

Pacific City 2009

2009-06-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

Pacific City was a blast this year! Thanks Mom & Dad for making this happen every year...its a lot of good memories.

Our family friends, Terry & Darlene, came with us this year and brought their granddaughter Ashlynn with them. Sadie & Ashlynn had an entire weekend to play with each other. Mostly they were laughing and having fun, but then one of them would get their feelings hurt and the drama would begin. It was very serious to them and pretty funny to the rest of us.

Zia's the best! She's helping the kiddos climb the huge sand dune.

Hey Dad! Try this drink...

Peek-a-boo!

Like I said before...high drama! Nate's face in this picture sums it up.

Favorite quote from this weekend...

Ashlynn woke up grumpy and didn't want to eat breakfast, but then she suddenly perked up and said, "Its OK that I am sad, because afterall, I am still a princess!"

Grandma & Grandpa Germann's House

2009-05-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

Another great day with the cousins!

Sadie & Nate learned lots from their cousins about fun stuff to do on the farm... playing on tractors, balancing on the trailer, feeding the cows and jumping into the hay. Tyler was the winner of the hay jumping contest when he landed head first in the hay with his legs sticking up in the air.

Sadie is always talking about her cousins (that includes every single one of them on both sides of the family), she is always anxious to get together and play with them.

I love her accepting attitude of everyone and she knows they must be special people because they are "cousins".

We heard funny stories from Uncle Daryl about getting start in the "bee" business and him trying to capture the Queen bee and getting stung by the bees. These stories are so entertaining...I'm sure he could be on his own reality show.

Grandma & Grandpa live right next to DeGoede's bulb farm so we made sure to visit the tulip fields. It doesn't matter how many times you see them, they are always beautiful.

Sewing Projects

2009-05-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

The kids & I found this kitty cat pattern on the web and thought it would be fun to work on during the rainy days. They each picked their own fabric and put the kitty's faces on just as they wanted. By far, the funnest part was stuffing the kitty. Nate named his Pete and Sadie named hers Sally with the help of cousin Cameron and Auntie.

I been having a lot of fun sewing too. I finished a dress and in this picture I am wearing a skirt that I just finished. Sadie has 2 more dress ideas lined up for me. She has definite ideas and wants the next dress to be a summer dress with no back and ties behind the neck. We'll see how it goes...

Air Museum

2009-05-12T16:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when we get a sunny day, the kids & I seek somewhere to go. This is mainly for the sake of my sanity, but I think the kids find plenty of fun in the adventure. This day we went to the air museum in Olympia. Sadie & Nate "said" that they liked climbing into the airplane, but they both were pretty anxious for me to snap the picture and help them out.

Nate thought the shark airplane was neat. Although a couple of days ago he was talking about the museum again and wanted to see them fly in the air and ended by saying, "...but not the shark one, OK Mom."

"May the words of my mouth...be pleasing in your sight." Psalm 19:14

2009-04-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

I want to be the best Mom that I can be and therefore, I am passionate about teaching and directing my children.

I want to seek each morning to fill my mouth with pleasing words, words for good and for blessings in the lives of my children, husband and others around me.

I want to start the day with an "I love you" to my kids and husband. I want to speak love to my children and if I need to reprimand them for wrong behavior then I am trying to do so without unneccessary critism. The words I choose are so critical, they must be true and appropriate, yet not leading to discouragement

These wise words are a help to me when teaching my kids...

"do not exasperate" Ephesians 6:4
"do not embitter your children or they will become discouraged." Colossians 3:21

I wanted to share these thoughts so that my family and friends will help keep me accountable. I want to encourage their souls, direct their thinking and establish their lifetime principles.

Let us all be inspired to use words that can build up, direct, heal and inspire.

Easter at Grandma & Grandpa Germann's house

2009-04-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

Sadie is always missing her cousins and asking when she will see them again. So she & Nate were thrilled to play with all of their cousins at Great-Grandma & Grandpa's house. I heard her proudly announcing to several family members that Oliver was "her-own" baby cousin. For whatever reason, my camera was not taking very good pictures...definitely not the operators fault. Hopefully Tonya or Dad will send me some better ones (hint, hint).

Grandma Germann surprised me by making a birthday cake for me and everyone sang. What joy!

On my birthday, I was able to get a new serger machine and I have been having so much fun making skirts, dresses and PJ pants. My first project was Sadie's Easter dress.

She and I went to the fabric store and she picked out the material...which of course was her favorite color purple. She was really excited to wear her new dress on Easter. This was such a special moment for me because of the time we shared together. She cut and pinned the scraps of fabric while I sewed and we talked and talked. I love just spending time together.

Easter Egg Hunt at Fiddlesticks

2009-04-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

Fiddlesticks had their annual Easter Egg hunt on Friday. Since the weather was rainy, we had the hunt inside the school instead. Fiddlesticks' classroom is part of a church so we were able to hunt eggs all over the classrooms, gym, foyer and hallways.

Nate was able to go first with the other 3-year olds and get a head start. It made me laugh to watch the 3-year olds step over 5 eggs to get to the egg they wanted to pick up. Then they would stand up, look around and wonder where should I go next, even though there were 10 more eggs surrounding them.

Somewhere between age 3 and 4 some kind of change takes place. The 4-year olds and older were on a serious mission to find as many as possible.

This is Sadie with her friend Zoe.

We had lunch at the school for all the kids and parents. Teacher Bobbi goes out of her way to make these events so special for the kids. She had the kids make easter baskets out of milk carton containers during the week and had all the kids help fill the eggs so they were ready to go on Friday.

Coloring Easter Eggs

2009-04-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

Zia & I are getting a little "stressed out" watching Nate pick up his egg with his tongs and whirl it around and then drop it into another color. We were amazed that he never dropped it even though he didn't "appear" to be paying any attention to his egg.

Nana wanted to color easter eggs too...she surprised us with her polka-dot creation.

Everyone had fun coloring easter eggs at Grandma & Grandpa's house. The kids, and myself included, are always amazed by Grandma Ruthie's treasures that she continuously pulls out of the attic each time we visit. This time she pulled out all the supplies for coloring easter eggs, including stickers, markers, crayons and more. Your the best Grandma! Thanks for always being prepared.

2009-04-10T11:48:00.001-07:00

Aunt Sherry gave Sadie a hair cut on Monday and she always treats her like a princess by curling her hair also. The kids love going to see Aunt Sherry because she has a popcorn cart in her salon and they eat bowls of popcorn while getting their haircuts. Thanks Aunt Sherry!

Spring Break

2009-04-01T23:27:00.000-07:00

Spring break was a very typical example of how the Dahlin household operates. First of all, I had no idea that Sadie has a "spring break" from preschool and furthermore I had no idea when it was. I feel that I am an organized person but I am beginning to think not so much...I found out Friday that Monday was the start of spring break. Yeah! Vacation! ...darn we have no plans. So, Monday we woke up and decided to go to Northwest Trek for an adventure.

We packed lunch and headed North. As soon as we got there, Sadie & Nate decided it was lunch time. For whatever reason, they get really excited about eating outside. I think it may be anticipation of summer months when we get to play and eat outside all the time. After we got settled and unpacked our lunch we had approx. 5 min. to eat lunch before we were suppose to be in line for the tram ride. So, Troy & I fussed at the kids to eat, eat, eat and let's go!

We made it just in time for the tram, but then made the dreadful mistake of choosing car #3. We soon found out this car was filled with out-of-control children with parents who decided this was their chance to rest and ignore their kids for an hour. We had a perfect opportunity to teach our kids about the "preciousness of others". We actually had a really good time on the tram and enjoying looking for so many animals.

We ate more lunch after the tram ride and decided the day was over when Nate yelled No! at the top of his lungs because he didn't get his way. I guess we learned our lesson about judging others about the "preciousness of others". Thank God we will have another chance tomorrow.

Equipment Training

2009-04-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

We had two little trees in the front yard that were diseased and sickly looking and also happened to have a backhoe parked at the house. So, Troy and the kids decided to knock them down and take them out. They had lots of fun and Sadie & Nate took the job very seriously.
I didn't really think it was a good idea to let the kids run the backhoe all by themselves but Troy said, "Its in their blood and they'll be fine". They did a pretty good job but now we need to also remodel the side of the house. :)

These three are my life and there's nothing better than being together.

Anyone Want to Kiss???

2009-02-09T18:31:00.001-08:00

Thank you Grandma Deva for the LIPS...the kids thought they were great fun!

Sadie & Dozer

2009-01-27T15:57:00.000-08:00

Sadie is our little kitty lover. She still squeals with delight every morning when she sees her kitties. She squeezes them, cuddles them, kisses them and loves them everyday. When we leave the house, she always makes sure that she said Bye to each of them. I'm so glad we decided to get the kitties because of all the joy they have brought to us.

Nate quoted his first movie line today. He watched the preview to Ratatouille last week and apparently has been thinking about that movie. He keeps yelling, "I DON'T want to eat garbage, Dad!"

This post is for you Kimmie!

2009-01-27T15:48:00.001-08:00

I told you that I would catch the kids doing something funny this week. Well...it was Dad's turn to give the kids their bath. Dad's all about fun and giving them a bath they'll never forget. It worked...they laughed and laughed and had tons of fun. Even after the water was drained from the tub, the bubbles were still in the tub 2 days later.

Grandma & Paris

2009-01-27T15:43:00.000-08:00

I love this picture! We are so thankful that Grandma Deva is done with her chemo treatments, may 2009 be a year of God's continued blessings for her health and healing.

Lots of Love

2008-12-31T22:44:00.000-08:00

We rode on the gondola again today just to get some pictures. However, on the ride up 4 more people decided to get in the gondola with us...so all of our pics were taken squeezed off to the side so we didn't get our new roomies in the pic with us.

Sadie is always making sure she has enough snow to eat. We have been pulling these kiddos all over town and up and down the ski slope to get back and forth to town...the whole time she eats snow.

Today, Troy accidently tipped them over in the snow...we looked down and Nate was totally upset to have snow all over his face...Sadie was smiling from ear to ear because she had snow all over her face and she could lick it.

We have been enjoying my nephew, Oliver, and getting to know his personality. Sadie is "Baby Crazy" and can't get enough of him. They have been teaching him different songs and helping him learn his animals. He is SO cute!

We decided to have an early New Year's Eve celebration with the kids at 9:30. We lacked the noise makers and party hats, so we decided to have good old fashion fun, banging pots and pans. Dad decided to fill his bowl with snow first, which went all over Mom. Luckily her choice from the kitchen was round cookie sheets which she was able to use as a shield.

Our prayers are for God's continued blessings, safety, and healing for our family and friends in this new year.

More Snow Fun

2008-12-28T20:00:00.001-08:00

We have been enjoying the snow today. As you can see, our condo is right beside the gondola. Nate insisting that it is called a "gondo", NOT a gondola. Our on way here, we had to stop at urgent care to get the metal out of Troy's eye. The day before he was drilling the locks on our car carrier and the metal must have flew in his eye. He felt so much better after the Dr. visit and was smiling again. They were able to put enough stuff in his eye to get the metal to come out. Luckily, no damage to his eye.

We walk down this ski run to get to the village and its been fun to watch the borders and skiiers fly by or "crash and burn".

Does anyone recognize the look on Nate's face? Hum...maybe Troy???

The unfortunate part is that we have to walk UP the ski run to get back to our home. Sadie decided to give me a break and pull me instead.

We discovered a free holiday special...this week they have an event center full of games for the kids including 5 bounce houses, mini-golf and lots more. The kids had a blast.

Sadie & Nate also took their first gondola ride today and went to the tube park. They both went tubing all by themselves. I was really surprised that they loved it because the tubes went really fast but the runs were smooth and there were no crashing.

Sledding Fun

2008-12-21T21:14:00.000-08:00

OK...who wants to be 1st down the hill???

On Sunday, we decided to drive to G & G Germann's house in Mossyrock. We were feeling brave in Troy's vehicle and besides our motto now is, "use it until you lose it". We did fine until we got to their house. Their driveway is fenced in on both sides and the wind blew 50 mph the night before which filled their driveway with 2-3 feet of snow. Troy tried to drive into it but we got high-centered right away. Luckily, Troy put a shovel in the truck to help clear off Grandma's doors and pathways, so he was able to shovel out the tires. We also had a sled with us so we loaded the kids and presents in the sled and walked down the LONG driveway. Troy stepped in a soft spot and sunk down in the snow past his waist. Good times all the way! The kids opened their first x-mas presents and also got to play with cousin Rachel. They loved their presents! And we enjoyed spending time with Grandma, Grandpa and Rachel.

We also stopped at Karen & Jay's house in Toledo and got to try out their sledding hill. What fun! I wish we lived closer so we could come over all the time. I was really surprised and proud of Sadie & Nate for going down all by themselves. They did great until the end when Troy & Nate got too much snow in their faces and Nate decided enough is enough. Elisabeth & Tyler are great cousins and so patient to help the kids. Lots more fun and more x-mas presents. We are really blessed with so many loving relatives and friends.

At bedtime, Sadie & Nate were really excited to put on their new robes from Karen, Jay, Elisabeth & Tyler and their slippers that Grandma Germann made for them. They insisted on wearing them in bed all night long too!

The Snow Angel Appeared

2008-12-18T20:04:00.000-08:00

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a tiny snow angel and four cold sculptors gathered near,

With a fearless leader working so handy,

I knew in a moment, we should invite them in for Hot cocoa and candy.

We whistled, and shouted, and called them by name-

Now, Carmen, Now Carson, Now Cameron, Now Kale!

On Sadie, On Nate, Dozer and Felicity to the window without fail.

From the top of the porch, taking pictures of it all,

Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!

Settled in for a long winter nap!

2008-12-18T19:44:00.000-08:00

A Winter Wonderland

2008-12-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

The kids are really excited to see the snow falling and falling. We bundled up twice yesterday and went out in the snow. Their primary focus was eating the snow. Later we made a snow man that Sadie named Frosty the Bunny. The best part of the snow day was that Troy came home from work early and Carmen, Carson & Cameron played Wii and had fun visiting. I just wish I had a chance of winning a Wii game every once in awhile...

2008-12-11T13:51:00.000-08:00

Sadie couldn't be happier in the middle of Grandma & Papa and holding Dozer. She's a good Mama to Dozer & Felicity.

2008-12-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

The kids were in their 1st Christmas program at church last night. They were very excited and did a great job! Sadie was working on being very brave and said her verse with all the other preschoolers..."Today in Bethlehem, a savior has been born, he is Christ the Lord" and also sang Go Tell it on the Mountain. Nate's toddler class was next and they sang lots of songs. Nate stood on stage with all the other kids but didn't want to move a muscle. He didn't want to have anything to do with singing songs or the hand motions...I think he was trying to figure out what in the world was going on and why were all these people looking at him.

At the end, Sadie's class dressed in costumes and most of the girls were dressed as angels with wings and halo's, including Sadie, they all went back on stage to look at baby Jesus in the manager. It was adorable and we had a lot of laughs trying to round up 15 or so 4-yrs olds and trying to get them to sit quietly in the pew with their wings and halo's. One little girl "got away" and went running and dancing down the aisle to the front of the church.

"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him." Psalm 127:3

2008-12-08T12:29:00.000-08:00

We went to a christmas tree farm last week and got our tree. We are trying out different types of trees every year and this year we picked the bushy kind. Troy and I are loving this tree because we found you can shove the lights back and forth on the tree and bam! your done. Neither of us have patience for the lights and a few strands is just perfect. Sadie & Nate squealed and were so delighted to pull the ornaments out of the box and decorate the tree. They put them where ever they wanted and I re-arranged after bedtime while Troy watched and made me hot cocoa.

It reminded us how thankful we were 1-year ago to have incredible friends and family RESCUE us and our belongings from the flood. Every once in awhile I look for something, like the tree skirt to the x-mas tree, and realize Oh...it got ruined and thrown out during the flood. Darn...I need to go buy another one. Then I realize we would have lost almost EVERYTHING if all of our church family and Carmen & the boys, hadn't shown up that night bringing blocks & plywood and sawhorses with them. God promises in the Bible to never give us more than we can handle and to provide for our needs. He provided for us through all of the people that worked day after day at our house and we realized how much we are loved. Thank you!

As we trimmed the x-mas tree, we are making a new tradition of reading "Jesus, Me and My Christmas Tree" which talks about the x-mas tree and what the lights, angels, bells, etc mean on the tree.

The kids are excited about their presents so the last page was particulary important. "The pretty presents are fun to share, to show friends and family how much we care. They help us remember the blessings God sends, as day after day his love never ends."

2008-12-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

Grandma Diva called us Friday night and asked if Sadie & Nate could come over and make a gingerbread house with Paris on Saturday and said Troy & I could spend some time on our own. We were so thankful and jumped at the chance to have a lunch date. The kids made a fantastic house and we heard they had lots of fun.

Paris is so patient with Sadie & Nate and already understands the most valuable present you can give someone, is the gift of spending time together. Thank you Grandma & Papa for spending time with the kids too! They had so much fun at your house.

2008-12-01T18:46:00.000-08:00

Sadie & Nate spent the night with Grandma & Grandpa Lance last weekend. Grandma & Grandpa took them to the christmas tree farm and they got to help pick their tree. Sadie told us over and over how cute her cousin Oliver was and she also told me that he can say Hi! (I might have to ask Uncle John about that one).

2008-11-27T21:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

We started the day by feeding the ducks at Borst park with a Thanksgiving feast of leftover waffles from breakfast. Then, we headed to Mom & Dad Dahlin's house to enjoy our own feast.
Nate & Sadie love their cousins so much and they got lots of quality time with each one of them. The day ended with a good old "dog pile" and then we headed home to get our little ones in bed.

Starting Line-up

2008-11-26T20:29:00.001-08:00

Get your own Family Sticker Maker & MySpace Layouts.

2008-11-26T19:43:00.000-08:00

We would like to introduce 2 new members of our Dahlin team...Dozer II and Felicity II. They are 8 weeks old and are still getting use to our home. Sadie, especially, loves these kitties. The middle picture is Felicity II and, yes, it does appear, that Sadie is strangling the cat. We are working on these issues :)

2008-11-26T19:21:00.000-08:00

2008-11-26T16:09:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we raked leaves in our backyard. Sadie & Nate were having tons of fun covering each other in the leaves and marching through the piles. Somehow I think that they enjoyed the workday a little more than we did.