r.a.t. family blog

First Day of First Grade!

2011-08-31T20:36:00.001-07:00

Torgesen Family Reunion

2011-07-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

We missed Daddy but we had an awesome time visitng with family and playing with our cousins!

More to come...

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

So without getting too mushy, cause i don't like mushy - this was my first independance day with Russ deployed. It was emotional for me. I love our country and am blessed to be living here. I did pretty good all weekend, until we sang all the verses to the star spangled banner in church on Sunday. Totally lost it during the thrid verse. BABY YOU'RE A FIREWORK!

A day at the lake and a pudding moustache! "I look like daddy!"

Waiting for the fireworks on the hill overlooking St. George by Justin and Nikki's house. It was a great view, we could see the temple and everything.

Kaycee, Camden and Allie sitting safely on the edge of the rocks.

The 'stache lives on...

2011-06-26T22:14:00.000-07:00

When I showed the kids these pictures of Russ, Allie said, "daddy is so silly - what is that thing on him, right there (she pointed to his upper lip on the screen), it's weird." Children are so HONEST. Russ does look silly when he grows a mustache, (and a little creepy too - let's be honest). Everyone has decided to grow them until "hump day" of deployment. He'll keep the pictures coming so we can be updated on the progress.

This last picture is especially disturbing....

Goodnight Prayer

2011-06-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

Allie's prayer tonight -
"Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the flowers.
Thank you for the water.
Thank you for the pool and my teachers to swim.
Thank you for the sunshine...oh wait, no I don't like the sun in my eyes.
Bless daddy - Amen"

T Ball Dodgers Pizza Party

2011-06-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

Summer Summer Time!

2011-06-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

The three "older" kiddos are taking swimming lessons for the next two weeks. They love it- and I love that they're all busy at the same time!

Camden also started horseback riding lessons. He gets to do them for free through a special program for kids who have parents deployed. He is super excited!

They learn to ride and also take care of the horse. Camden is brushing his tail.

The girls loved playing with the other animals at the ranch. Ashlyn was especially excited about the cat.

My Dad is a Seabee!

2011-06-02T22:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Ashlyn!

2011-05-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn turns four on June 6th. We wanted Dad to be at the party so we celebrated a little early. She wanted a little mermaid cake. This is the best I could do. She was pretty excited about it!

Ashlyn's favorites at age 4 : Carrots, Side Salad, Licorice, Spaghetti, Her pink scooter, Princesses and anything pink.

how many moods can we have at once?

2011-05-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

As we loaded up in the car this morning everyone had a different mood going on. Crabby...

So so Sad...

Happy...

And Indifferent....

Family Pictures

2011-04-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

My great friend Carrie took this awesome family pictures on the beach by our house! She took so many great ones. I'll post more later. Thanks Carrie!

Glasses, T-ball and stuff...

2011-03-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

Both Camden and Ashlyn got new glasses! They look so studious - and cute.

Bath time with the girlies.

Camden started T-ball. He loves it!

Disneyland!

2011-02-20T19:22:00.000-08:00

We went on a three day trip to the happiest place on earth! Wahoo - it was awesome. The kids loved meeting all the characters and we loved going on all the rides.

Waiting in line...

Snow White!

We met Repunzel and Flynn Ryder. Repunzel is Ashlyn's favorite. She was so excited in the line, then very afraid once we actually got to meet her. Camden was very comfortable and literally jumped on Flynn Ryder. Both of them ended up on the ground.

It rained on us everyday. We were cold and wet...but it kept the crowds down.

BUZZ!

Tinkerbell!

It poured on us the last day and we took the kids back to the hotel, had some yummy take out, soaked in the hot tub and geared up for a late wet night of riding all the rides. Thanks to grandma and grandpa for watching the kiddos.

It was such a fun trip. We were lucky to have so many adults there to help us!

Allie 2, Ashlyn 3, Camden 5, Kelsie 6 months Needless to say, we had a bunch of strollers.

Allie turns 2...last month!

2011-01-18T21:11:00.000-08:00

Allie wanted a pink lady bug cake for her birthday.

She was pretty excited about it!

Allie is our bruiser princess. She is the roughest toughest 2 year old around but she loves to dress up in fancy girlie things too. She'll run at you like a line backer, tumble to the floor with a smile on her face, and jump up singing Old MacDonald. She brings so much joy to each and every one of my days! I can't believe how fast she's growing up.

Be Quiet...I'm trying to hear the Holy Ghost.

2011-01-18T20:48:00.000-08:00

So let me just start by saying that Camden is hilarious. I left the kids in the car and ran into the bread store...I know I'm a horrible mother. But seriously - they were fine and I could see them. When I got back in the car the girls were singing loudly and Camden had a very serious and mad look on his face. I asked him what was wrong and he said, "I told them to be quiet and they wouldn't. I was trying very hard to hear the Holy Ghost." Ashlyn then said, "It's fine Camden cause you can just hear him in your head - it's okay if I sing". She and Allie then continued singing rather loudly. Camden still looked perturbed but this seemed to pacify him. I liked how I didn't even need to get involved. Cute kiddos.

Christmas Extravaganza!

2011-01-18T20:31:00.000-08:00

Kelsie was a great stocking stuffer.

Kelsie and her cousin Jordynn in matching pants!

All the girlies in their new "fancy, fancy shoes". Allie still walks around saying, "these are my fancy shoes".

The kids serenading us on Christmas Eve.

Ashlyn was Mary and baby Connor was baby Jesus.

Grandma read the kids polar express before bedtime on Christmas Eve. They each got their own silver bell!

A Day at the beach with the fam...

2010-11-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

Kara and Scott came for an afternoon/evening visit this past weekend! Wahoo - we were so excited to see them. We thought our visits would be few and far between when we left Seattle. Of course, we went to the beach.

Scott really enjoyed the sand...

The kiddos had fun burying Uncle Scott and we decided to trap them in one place by burying their legs. Good times.

Thanks for visitng guys!

Let the Halloween Picture Parade begin...

2010-11-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

Camden's kindergarten class had a costume parade outside on the playground. Of course we went to cheer Camden on!

For Russell's work we went to a fun halloween dinner party. Russell's battalion all dressed as scrabble letters. We spelled out happy halloween - we got to be the p's.

All dressed up and ready for the trunk or treat at the church!

Ashlyn was a fairy princess.

Allie was a lady bug.

Kelsie was a hot pepper.

Happy Halloween!

New Kitchen Island!

2010-10-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

We were truly lacking counter space in our kitchen so we are so excited to have this new kitchen island! Wahoo- I've been dancing around and around it all day long. We've been looking for one for about a month and a half and I've been tracking this one on craigslist. The price went down into our range yesterday and we snatched it up. (Actually we hauled it into the house - it's heavy!)

Kelsie's Blessing

2010-10-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

We finally blessed Kelsie this past Sunday. She's 2 1/2 months old, but it was the only time we could get both our dads and Russ to be there. We're so blessed to have her in our family. She lights up the room with her pretty little grin.

She looked beautiful in the blessing dress that Russell's mom made - both Ashlyn and Allie wore it too.

My parents and Russell's parents were able to make it. After church and a yummy lunch we went to the beach to walk around. Here's Grandpa explaining the mysteries of seaweed to Ashlyn.

We had some cousins come to visit this weekend too! They brought their dog with them and Camden was in heaven!

Camden and Gage playing with the dog on the beach.

We weren't planning on getting wet...but boys will be boys. The kids were soaking wet by the time we left.

Grandpa found a dead crab and we took a picture of it in honor of Uncle Chase who couldn't be here because he just checked into the MTC.

Grandma and Grandpa with Kelsie.

Granny and Gramps with Kelsie.

The whole gang!

Thanks for coming guys! We love you.

Camden turns 5, Seaworld, and Stitches.

2010-10-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

Camden got a lot of cool stuff for his birthday - a new scooter from Grandma and Grandpa, a buzz light year pencil bag, a new spiderman watch...and some awesome bat man band aids (which happen to be the only thing I took a picture of, way to go mom!).

I also forgot to take a picture of Camden's yellow #5 cake until after we broke into it! It was a success.

We went to Seaworld right after we celebrated Camden's birthday...so he thinks we went for him. It was a lot of fun.

Russ is such a great dad. He took all the walking kiddos up into these nets to crawl around. He basically had to carry Ashlyn and Allie the whole way through the obstacle course. Good work!

Ashlyn would have been happy "reading" the map the entire day.

We were pretty tired at the end of our Seaworld adventure. We got there when it opened and left when it closed. We stayed in a hotel in San Diego that night and then visited the Mormon Battalion Center on Saturday before we went home.

About a week ago Ashlyn busted her chin open when the stroller collapsed on her. We had to take her to the emergency room and she got 6 stiches! It was a heartbreaking experience for her, the nurses and me! Her chin is looking much better now.

She smiles!

2010-09-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

Kelsie is smiling. It's so much fun!

Allie loves to hold Kelsie...all the time. She's so happy with her and...

so sad when I take her away.

I'm lovin' it!

2010-09-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

We found this triple jogging stroller on craigslist! I'm seriously in heaven...it's awesome.

A moment without tears!

2010-09-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

We were watching home movies from when Camden and Ashlyn were babies and the kids all looked so cute lined up in a row! I had to document the occasion...no one's crying!

Yesterday I met one of our new neighbors. She said, "I've been meaning to come over and introduce myself -we heard about the new lady with four toddlers". She's right - we have four little kiddos, sometimes I forget how little they really are. I feel really blessed to have them, especially when they're all asleep. :)

Kelsie 5 Weeks!

2010-09-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

New house...new baby...new ward...new neighborhood. Whoa! At least I took a couple pictures.

Whenever I wash Kelsie's hair she gets a major fro- it's pretty cute, especially when she does her "surprise" look.

Welcome Kelsie!

2010-08-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

Kelsie was born at 10:06 pm on Thursday July 29th! We're so happy to have her in our family. The kids were so excited to see her and hold her. She was 8 pounds 11 oz. Our biggest yet! Big sisters Ashlyn and Allie love their new little baby.

And now we're a family of six! Holy cow - time goes so fast.

Cute Kiddos...Funny Dad

2010-07-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

Baby, Baby, Baby...

2010-07-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

Okay - I'm just ready for our baby to come. I'm 37 weeks pregnant--still three more weeks! I'm pretty sure this is the most uncomfortable pregnancy I've had yet. The whole pregnancy went super fast...until now.

Yes...we're still alive.

2010-06-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

So I am very behind in my blogging! Here are a few catch up pictures. Allie is now 18 months old and gets to go to nursery. She is as active as ever.

Russell is an awesome dad and the kids have enjoyed spending lots of quality time with him this past year as he's a student again! Camden and Russ went to a few Mariners games. They even made it on the jumbo tv with their matching shirts!

We went on a few road trips! A house hunting trip to California, and a friendly visit to Idaho. I, of course forgot the camera on the house hunting trip, but here are a few of the trip to Idaho. Camden stayed behind with Granny and Gramps in Idaho for a week! He loved every minute of it and can't stop talking about all of his adventures. We missed him, but he had lots of fun with his cousins Whitney and Olivia. He also enjoyed the sunny weather!

AND ASHLYN TURNED 3! I can't believe how grown up she is. She's a little lady with a big opinion.

2010-04-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

We went on a fun filled family vacation to Lake Chelan during Russell's spring break. We got a condo at Wapato Point and really had a wonderful time. Russell's parents came for the first part of the week and we loved having them!

Camden was so exhausted one night that he fell asleep crawling into bed!

Bald Boy

2010-03-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

So I volunteered to buzz Camden's hair yesterday. I set up the clippers with a guard on and then I made the mistake of leaving the room. Camden went into the bathroom "to get ready". I thought this meant he was taking off his sweatshirt. When I made the first buzz from the bottom of his neck to the middle of the back of his head I thought, "oh-man, that is really short". Camden had taken the gaurd off! What a little stinker! I told him he looked like he had a bald spot and he said, "Oh - that's cool, I look like President Monson." So, I was mad, but that was pretty cute. Luckily Russ has hair cutting skills and he fixed the problem pretty well. I'll post a picture later.

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

Russ made us a wonderfully "pinkalicious" Valentines breakfast this morning. Thanks! It was really yummy. Once Camden finished eating he had to run and check if he had turned pink.

Allie turned 1!

2010-02-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

Allie turned 1 on Christmas day. We celebrated her birthday a couple days later. She was excited to have a pile of presents and a cake. She's growing up so fast. We love our little girlie.

She had a hard time opening all the presents so Camden and Ashlyn helped.

December - (I know, I'm behind) Catch up!

2010-01-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve 2009! Mary and Joseph had a great time acting out the Christmas story. Camden took his role as Joseph rather seriously. We were lucky enough to have Aunt Kara and Uncle Scott available to play a wise man and a shepard. And of course, Russell was the donkey. He even had a leash, which Camden insisted on. Allie played the angel, but she wouldn't keep her costume on. We wrote a letter to Santa and anticipated the events of the next day.

Grandma and Grandpa Pearson gave Camden a new bike. He loves it.

Thanksgiving Weekend!

2009-11-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving 2009! We had so much fun and some wonderful visitors to help us celebrate. The kids were in grandparent heaven with Grandma and Grandpa Pearson and Great Grandma and Grandpa Ash. We also had a fun day in Seattle. We'll just tell the story in pictures. Enjoy!

Cute, cute, cute.

2009-11-25T11:53:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn walked into the kitchen and saw the box of macoroni and cheese on the counter...

Ashlyn - "You're making that for me, mom?"
Aspen - "yep, for lunch"
Ashlyn - "Wom, that is gonna be yummy for my tummy. I love it. Thanks mom."

She's so cute sometimes.

New Family Pictures

2009-11-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

Allie is almost a year old! I can't believe how quickly she has grown into a beautiful little person.

Ciera is an amazing photographer. She's got some awesome talent! Thanks for taking such memorable pictures for our family. Life goes by so fast and pictures are such a fun way to capture all the little memories. Having a 4 year old, 2.5 year old and an 11month old is very exciting to say the least, it's fun to see everyone smiling at once.

Ashlyn is our cute little 2 and half year old with a HUGE attitude. We love her and all her little mood swings too.

Halloween

2009-11-08T18:11:00.001-08:00

Superman! Camden looked pretty ripped in his costume. He ran around like a "hero" all day.

Ashlyn was our cute little lady bug.

Our ward had a trunk or treat and we took the kids to score some yummy treats.

Do you ever want to put your kids in a cage?

2009-10-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

Here we are at the zoo. The kids had a fun time crawling into the cage and pretending to be monkeys.

Halloween 2009

Halloween 2008

Pumpkin Patch 09

2009-10-21T19:31:00.001-07:00

Our ward had a fun mom group activity today. We went to the pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins and play around with the tractor. Camden especially loved the wheel barrow. He was such a big boy carrying that thing around everywhere we went. What a great helper.

Camden's 4th Birthday!

2009-10-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

For Camden's birthday this year he wanted a spider cake. He seemed excited about the web and the peanut m&m spiders I made. He also liked the spider web shirt that Grandma P sent.

You wouldn't think batteries were that exciting, but Camden was thrilled with them. And that was before he opened the remote control car they were intended for. He loves it and chases his car around the house like a crazy 4 year old should. Thanks mom and dad!

Camden took this picture of Russ and Allie before we ate cake. A picture montage would not be complete without a funky face from Russ. We love our little guy and I still can't believe he's so grown up.

Fashion Show

2009-09-19T20:37:00.001-07:00

We went to a fashion show in Seattle tonight. It was a lot of fun. The costumes were based off different works of art in the art museum in downtown. We got free tickets to go into the museum some time in the next couple weeks.

There were some really weird outfits.
Before the show we were treated to dinner by the fashion show director, a friend of Russell's family from Venezuela. It was a great time. We ended up sitting next to the Christine Gregoire family. She's the governor here. Anyway - the kids were really good and dinner was yummy. Camden enjoyed his grown up glass of lemonade.

Fun at the Fair

2009-09-09T13:58:00.001-07:00

Last week we went to the Evergreen fair in Monroe. We had a great time looking at all the animals and watching all the shows. My favorite part was the funnel cake.

Seattle

2009-09-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

We officially live in Seattle. It's gonna be a fun year.

Crazy Camden

2009-08-23T18:49:00.001-07:00

This was our last Sunday in our ward here in Oak Harbor. We will miss everyone. During primary they asked Camden if he wanted to choose the closing song since it was his last week. He got up in front of everyone and then they asked him:

"What's your favorite song?"

(without hesitation and with a huge smile) he said, "MAMMA MIA!"

Oh brother - it's pretty funny, and it is his favorite song, but c-mon kid- we sing church songs in our house too.

Happy 29th B-day Russ!

2009-08-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

Russ is a whole year older and wiser and to celebrate the special occasion Nick and Dustin took him to a Mariners game last night. It was a long long long 14 inning game that stayed tied at 0 -0 until the very end when the Mariners pulled through with a run. Russ had a great time.
It's awesome to have good friends to do fun things with. Thanks guys! And look - they all match, how cute! Who planned that?

Plums!

2009-08-11T10:05:00.001-07:00

Hello all! We have a plum tree in our backyard that's overflowing with small but yummy plums. I made one batch of plum jam and I'm just too busy worrying about moving and packing and stuff to make any more. Please feel free to come over and get some. If I'm not home just go through the back gate.

Car Ride

2009-08-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

I love it when the kids just play together. I caught a rare moment on tape.

Torgesen Reunion 09

2009-08-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

We had a great time in Joseph, UT this last week. The whole Jerry and Allene Torgesen family was together. It's always a party! There are 21 Adults and 37 grandkids! Can you believe we got everyone looking at the camera? We started the week on a sad note with the funeral and graveside service for Russell's grandma, Agnes Zimmer Torgesen. She was a wonderful woman and we were glad to be there to celebrate all she did in her life. She was buried in Soda Springs, ID with her husband. Of course we all had to try the spring water before we left. Ashlyn summed it up pretty well when she said, "this is berry yucky".

We also got to go to the open house for the Oquirrh Mountain Utah temple. Camden thought all the "really big shiny lights" (the chandeliers) were the coolest part. Ashlyn liked the cookie they gave you after the tour. Once in Joseph we went to a historic Indian village park where they let the kids throw pretend spears and climb in pit houses. This is gramps looking down at the kiddos in the pit house.

We had so much fun - late night games and late night visiting catches up to you. The kids actually slept in the morning we got home from the reuinon. It's great to get together with family. I just wish we lived a little closer. We miss you guys already! This is a picture of granny and gramps with all the grandkids.

Cruise Review

2009-07-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

Russ and I had the wonderful opportunity to go on a Mexican cruise this last week. Let me just say - IT WAS AWESOME! A big thanks to Mom and Dad who funded the whole trip as a Christmas present to all their kiddos. We had so much fun, we ate so so so so much food, we stayed up way too late and we will have these great memories forever. This is Mazatlan, one of the ports we stopped at.

Royal Carribean cruise lines fold up the towels into cute little animal shapes every night when they come to turn down the beds. This was my favorite, a monkey. When we stopped in Cabo San Lucas my parents had arranged for a sail boat to take us out snorkeling and swimming and sailing. It was lots of fun.

Allie with Great Grandpa and Grandma Pearson on the sailboat. The crew made us fancy drinks, I was excited - but it doesn't take much for me. Below is a picture of us on the sailboat looking back at the cruise ship. Allie spent the entire trip in this amazing moby wrap that I borrowed from a friend. Thanks Becky it made the trip so much easier. We rode ATV's on Stone Island in Mazatlan. There were two formal nights. Here are pictures from one of them.

Some beautiful ladies - Grandma, Mom, Aspen, Alyssa, and Nikki.

Good looking guys! Dad, Weston, Chase, Russ, and JustinBy the third night we were ordering two appetizers, two entrees (sometimes three) and usually three desserts. On the last night Russ and Chase ordered 4 desserts each. It was a great gluttonous party. I haven't eaten that much food in a long time, if ever. It was a great trip. We had a blast and our thanks go out to Mom and Dad who organized the whole thing. Wow!

4th of July and Dance Moves

2009-07-07T14:27:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful visit from Aunt Kara and Uncle Scott this weekend. We had lots of fun!

Check out the fancy 4th of July shirts.
Fireworks! Fireworks! Fireworks! Check out the look on Rylins face.
Is Camden trying to smooch Rylin in the picture?

Camden and Ashlyn help keep Allie entertained with their awesome dance moves.

Balmex and baby hair DO NOT mix!

2009-07-03T21:36:00.001-07:00

We had an interesting evening tonight. Ashlyn was in her bedroom trying to go to sleep...or so we thought. We heard some screaming and found her covered in Balmex diaper rash ointment. Her hands and her hair were completely saturated.

We washed her hair about 7 times. We used baby soap, bar soap, adult shampoo, and on the advice of Russell's mom - vinegar. The vinegar seemed to help a little more than anything else. But she still has a lot of gel in her hair.

Luckily Ciera - expert hair dresser - came to the rescue and tamed her hair.

Thanks for the new do, Ciera! Good work.

2009-07-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

So, I know I should have been comforting my little girl instead of taking a picture of her - but, it's so cute! When I left the room she decided to pour her own cereal. I think she got carried away and couldn't stop. Talk about a sugar overload.

Triathalon

2009-06-28T19:49:00.001-07:00

Russ and Eric completed another triathalon this weekend. Linda and I had a great time wrangling the kiddos and watching the competitors. Way to go guys! Spandex is a right, not a privilege. I believe the same principle applies to wet suits. You are brave guys! Check out Eric's stance in the next picture. Superman.

Devoted fans...as long as we kept the snacks coming.

Baby Snuggle

2009-06-25T11:26:00.001-07:00

Kids are so hard...life with kids can be challenging. It's hard to keep your sanity. So you know when you're having a hard day and nothing seems to be going smoothly? I've found the perfect cure. Baby Snuggle. Just pick up that sleeping little baby (hopefully at some point in the day they will be asleep) and hold em close. Baby Snuggle. It's pretty awesome.

Ashlyn's 2

2009-06-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn celebrated her 2 year old birthday while we were in Utah. She had a princess cake and she loved being the center of attention for a while. When we got back she had her 2 year check up at the doctor. She weighed in at 27 pounds.

Ouchie Update

2009-06-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

Camden is so brave! His burn is getting much better. We take him every morning to debride (this means peeling off all the dead skin, ouch!) his burn and have it redressed. Then Russ and I get to redress it at night before bed. It's definitely a two person job. I finally remembered to take a picture with the bandages off. This is after 5 days of healing.

Birth Control

2009-06-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

I'm in Kmart on Friday with my three kiddos. We're enjoying some free pizza. We're just sitting nicely minding our own business. An older lady sitting across from us strikes up a conversation. The following dialogue ensues (I did not make any of this up).
Lady: Oh, are these all your kids?
Me: Yep
Lady: How old are they?
Me: 3 years, 2 years, and 6 months
Lady: Oh - wow! Are you in the Navy?
Me: yes
Lady: hmm...they forget to tell you about birth control in the military, huh?
Me (in my head): Control yourself Aspen, she's just a cranky old woman with nothing else to do.
Me: Actually we planned all three.
The lady says nothing and just shakes her head.
I then turned away and started talking to my three little burdens on society. Seriously - who does she think she is?

OUCH!

2009-06-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

Camden ran out to meet Russ after he got home from work yesterday and jumped up on the motorcycle with his Daddy. When he was ready to get off his foot slipped and his leg landed on the very hot muffler of the bike. Camden got some 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his little leg. We took him to the urgent care clinic and they numbed it up, cleaned it up, and wrapped it up - all while he enjoyed a popsicle and a pretty good dose of motrin. He was a very brave little boy. Our thanks to Nick and Amanda who jumped in and watched our other two kiddos during the drama.

Free Pizza

2009-06-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

Little Cesears in Kmart is giving away free slices of pizza, free samples of hotdogs, and free samples of icees. This is going on for Fathers day. It's all weekend.

"Don't pick an eye on me"

2009-06-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

Whenever I ask Camden to do something he doesn't want to do, which seems to be everytime we talk lately, he scrunches his face up into a scowl and proclaims, "Don't pick an eye on me". Yeah - weird, huh? We can't decide if he thinks we're picking on him, or trying to keep an eye on him. Either way, he wants us to leave him alone. We tried to capture it on video at the dinner table yesterday. Please ignore Russ - he loves the camera.

scream team

2009-06-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

So, as a mom, or maybe just as Aspen- I'm not sure- I'm always talking to myself. Sometimes it's out loud, most times it's just in my head. Anyway. Today I found myself thinking. Okay I've got to pee. Hmm...I think I've got 5 seconds. Maybe I can take care of business before Ashlyn starts screaming at Camden for stealing her bubbles. Now I'm in the bathroom thinking, I hope Camden doesn't fall of his bike and start screaming for me. I hope Allie is still alive in her high chair and she doesn't start screaming any time soon. Any way - Apparently I'm concerned about everyone screaming....is this normal?

Sixth Folder

2009-06-11T10:27:00.001-07:00

So I'm way behind - but here's the sixth picture in my sixth folder. Camden looks so little!

Justin's Wedding

2009-06-11T10:16:00.001-07:00

Justin did it! He tied the knot and we are so excited to have Nikki and Kaycee as new members of our family. The temple ceremony was beautiful - I think I get more out of the temple weddings I go to as a guest, than I did out of my own. Here we are all dressed up for the wedding and reception.

Camden had a little tux - isn't he cute?

My sister Alyssa and I were bridesmaids. It was fun.

It was hard to get Ashlyn to keep her flower halo in her hair.

All the kiddos.

Congrats guys!

Food delivery.

2009-05-26T08:40:00.001-07:00

Camden: How did Jesus make us, Mom?
Mom: He gave us bodies to look like him.
Camden: Oh, does Jesus eat like us?
Mom: He did while He was on Earth.
Camden: Oh, does He eat in heaven?
Mom: Uh...maybe. I hope so.
Camden: How does he get his food in heaven?
Mom: I'm not sure.
Camden: I think some soldiers bring it to him in a helicopter.

Family visit!

2009-05-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

Aunt Kara and Uncle Scott came up to visit for a couple days. It was a lot of fun to have them. We went to Deception Pass Bridge and hiked around on some of the trails. We had great weather! Kara and Scott can come anytime, especially if they bring the sunshine with them (and even if they don't). Aunt Kara and Camden having a hike break in a tree at Deception Pass State Park.

On Saturday we took the ferry over to Port Townsend to watch the local parade there. Kara and Scott playing a rousing game of Hi Ho Cherrio with the kiddos.

Eat at Flyers Deal

2009-05-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

So - I found this website, http://restaurants.com. If you ever eat at Flyers in Oak Harbor, then you should go there and print out some $25 gift cards and pay only $3. You can only use one coupon per bill, so make sure you print out two if you're going with friends who will pay for their own food. You have to spend a total of $35 at the restaurant, so it's like paying $13 for $35 worth of food. Good Deal. Type in the promo code TASTY before you check out.

Workin at the car wash...

2009-05-11T19:03:00.001-07:00

Russ was washing the car on Saturday and the kids just had to "help". They got really cold after about 10 minutes and came shivering inside for a hot bath.

I look really great in this picture - but I had to post it anyways because look how cute my two kiddos are. Russ helped them make breakfast in bed for me on Mother's day. Thanks Russ you are an amazing husband and father.

FREE FOOD

2009-05-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

So we just got back from KFC. We got four meals for frreeee! It was awesome to look at the reciept and have the total be zero. You need to print off these coupons and go and get your free food. http://media.oprah.com/sterm/KFC_Coupon_OprahWebsite.pdf If this doesn't work for you go to the Oprah website and search for the kfc coupon deal. It's totally worth it!

Chubby Chub.

2009-05-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

Camden's favorite new thing to say to Allie is, "hello chubby chub". He does this while tenderly squeezing her checks together. It pretty cute. Allie had her four month check up.
Here are the stats:

Weight - 16 lbs. 9 oz.
Length - 24 3/4 in.
Head - 16 in.

Tulips

2009-04-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

At this time of year in Washington the tulips are blooming - and there are a lot of them. Ashlyn loved all the pretty tulips. It was hard to keep her from picking them all!

Funny Conversation

2009-04-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

Camden - We have a big family, huh?
Mom - I guess so , it's pretty big.
Camden - We have Mom, Dad, Sis, Baby Allie and Me.
Mom - That's right.
Camden - When will Heavenly Father put another baby in your tummy?
Mom - Not for a while.
Camden - Maybe on Saturday?
Mom - Maybe not.

Rockin the Baby Gut

2009-04-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

So I have a new favorite song to sing in the shower. The original version is entitled, "rockin the beer gut", but I have changed the lyrics. Listen to the song and insert baby in place of beer. It's hilarious. http://www.cmt.com/videos/unplugged/trailer-choir/262542/rockin-the-beer-gut.jhtml

Holland Happening Parade

2009-04-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

The parade starts at 11 on Saturday. We are going to be on Bayshore drive in front of the softball fields in case anyone wants to join us at that locale. We'll probably get there around 10:30 ish. We usually park over by Safeway and then walk over.

Summer Lovin'

2009-04-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

It's been warm enough to go outside the past few days! Wahoo!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

Easter Morning. Allie can't really sit up yet, so this was the best we could do.

Saturday we went to the Easter Egg hunt on base. The kids were very excited!"C'mon sis I'll help you open your eggs."

Sneaky little guy...

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

Sometimes Camden really amuses me. Yesterday during quiet time Camden kept wanting to come out of his room. So I went in to show him on the clock what time he could come out. "When the big hand points to the 9, then you can come out." I left him alone again and about 2 minutes later I heard, "Mom - it's past the 9, can I come out?" I knew it wasn't, so I went back in to show him one more time what I meant. I found him sitting on his bed with a huge grin holding the clock. "see mom, it's past the 9". He had moved the hands on the clock! What a smart guy!

2009-04-08T19:45:00.000-07:00

Most of you have probably already seen this clip but I was very touched by it.
I kept thinking about the three little children I've created.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhLlnq5yY7k

Our little Hoodlum.

2009-04-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

Fun pics.

2009-04-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

Watching Conference with his baby girls. Too cute not to take a picture.

I just thought Allie looked pretty cute all wrapped up. I don't know how much longer she'll like this.

We thought the kids were being pretty cute playing house. So I decided to take a little video of it. The best part of the show is Russell's parenting. Check out the karate chop that sends Camden laughing to the the floor.

Seattle Aquarium Trip

2009-03-31T19:14:00.000-07:00

Look at this crazy crew! (Kendall, Camden, Rylin, Ashlyn, Carter & Allie) Too bad I didn't get a picture of the crazy moms that were willing to brave the $1 entry day crowds at the aquarium. There were so many people there! We had a great adventure.

Allie spent most of her time in the stroller...what a hard life.

Camden and his future sweetie Rylin posing with the squid.

Waiting For Dad

2009-03-31T19:11:00.001-07:00

The kids love to wait on the front sidewalk step until their dad drives up on his motorcycle. Russ then gives them both a quick and slow ride back to the garage. They just love it!

She thinks my tractor's sexy!

2009-03-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

We drove to Burlington today. All was quiet in the car until Camden said, "Mom, what does sexy mean"? I paused for a moment and said, "huh? what did you say?".
Camden - "What does sexy mean, like she thinks my tractor's sexy?"
Mom (in my head) Oh, he got it from the song - thank goodness. "Sexy means...uh...it means like when you tell someone they're handsome or pretty or cool."
Camden - Oh.
Then he was quiet for a while and I thought this whole incident would blow over. Until...
Camden - "She thinks my tractor's sexy. Sexy. Sexy. Sexy. Sexy. Wow, mom I learned a new word today."
Once we got to the children's museum he forgot about it and I thought that would be the end of it.
Then during dinner I got this performance. Enjoy!

Potty Gender Confusion

2009-03-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

After Camden got out of the bathroom Ashlyn told me she wanted to go potty too. And this is what I found.

Field Trip!

2009-03-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

We are going to the children's museum on Friday. We will be leaving Oak Harbor around 9:30 AM. We'll stay as long as the kids last and then grab some lunch at Wendy's or somewhere convenient. It'll be really fun. Hopefully we'll see some of you there!

Here are some pics of the "oh-so-exciting" 10 minute St. Patricks Day parade! It was something to do anyway. The kids had fun - and so did I.

St. Patty's Day Parade!

2009-03-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

Just so you know - There's a parade today! We'll be parking in the Safeway parking lot at 3:15, and then walking over to pioneer at 3:30 to watch the parade in case you want to join us. Maybe we'll se you there.

Oust, my new best friend.

2009-03-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

As a mom you get to experience so many new and exciting things. Bodily functions are not new, or exciting and I'm quite tired of experiencing them. Camden hasn't throw up yet today, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. I hope it doesn't - I pray it doesn't - but who knows?

How did I get so lucky?

2009-03-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

So I've decided I married the best man ever. There are a lot of reasons for this, but today we will focus on "clean up". Let me explain. Russell was reading Camden a book last night when he started throwing up. And we're not talking a little drool here, this was a major amount of yuck! He quickly brought him to the sink and then began the clean up process. This happened a lot last night. And when I volunteered to take over the clean up Russ wouldn't let me (I was gagging a lot, and maybe he was afraid of another mess, but still). Anyway. Russ is such a great Dad. I love to watch him with our kids. I know only a parent would think it's cute when their son needs a hug right after they just threw up in the toilet- but it really was.

Camden's Date

2009-03-03T11:24:00.000-08:00

At the dinner table last night Russ asked Camden how his day was. He replied, "good, I went on a date with Rylin". We all laughed but then I got to thinking...

When he got dressed yesterday he asked me if he "looked good to go to the museum with Rylin".

Then at lunch he told us he was going to marry Rylin, in the temple of course, but first he had to go on a mission like Daddy so he could "preach the gospel".

He was trying to hold her hand all day long (so was Ashlyn, but that's just cause Ashyln thinks Rylin is so cool).

And finally when Camden climbed into the car after saying good bye he said, "Oh- I miss Rylin. Mom, I really miss her."

Well, it's official - our son is in love! Good thing his "dates" are always supervised. :)

New Tricks

2009-02-23T12:48:00.000-08:00

Allie fits perfectly in the sink of our bathroom. I just thought it was so silly I had to take a picture.

Wow - three kiddos, and they're all ours. I'm still adjusting to the reality of it.

Allie is learning to make faces at the camera, just like Daddy. Oh the things you learn from your parents.

Allie has started smiling and cooing a lot lately. It's really fun.

Babies, huh?

2009-02-12T18:21:00.000-08:00

So I'm at the store with all three kids (one in a car seat, one in the front seat of the cart, and one hanging on to the back of the cart for dear life). A woman and her daughter pass us. The daughter says, "wow, mom look at that lady with all her babies!" And I thought, "what's she talking about? I only have one baby". And then I realized...she was right. I do have three babies and I need to remember how little they are. Thanks to the girl in the store for the reminder. They grow up so fast.

Allie at 7 weeks

2009-02-12T12:41:00.000-08:00

I just love this little skirt...and I love the little girl too.

The Warners came over for some games and we decided Allie and Ammon could have their first play date. Notice how Allie is running away from Ammon- hopefully she keeps this mentality all through high school. Run from the boys.

Ashlyn is always so happy when she wakes up from her nap. I just wanted to remember what she looks like when she's not screaming.

Baby Tag

2009-02-07T22:46:00.000-08:00

1- Where were you when you first found out you were pregnant? Camden - the bathroom
Ashlyn - the bathroom Allie - the bathroom (do you see the trend?)
2- Who was with you? Russ
3- How did you find out you were pregnant? I peed on a stick all three times.
4- What was your first reaction to finding out you were pregnant? Camden - Excited, I hope it works this time. Ashlyn - Wow, our kids are going to be close. Allie - Here we go again!
5-Your husband's reaction? Always a huge hug with lots of smiling.
6-Who was the first person you told? Russ
7-Did you plan to get pregnant? We knew it was a possiblity.
8- Was everybody happy for you? Yes.
9- Did you go out and celebrate? We celebrated at home.
10- Did you want to find out the sex? Yep
11- What was the sex? Camden, boy. Ashlyn, girl. Allie, girl.
12- Did anyone throw you a baby shower? Yes.
13- If yes, who? My mom, friends.
14- Did you get any outfits at the baby shower that you just knew you weren't going to put on your baby? Nope
15- How much weight did you gain? I've tried to block that out, but around 30 -35 pounds each time.
16- Did you lose all the weight you gained? Not yet, but it's only been 6 weeks!
17- Did you get a lot of stretch marks? nope
18- What did you crave the most? Camden - licorice, butterfinger blizzards and philly cheesesteak sandwiches. Ashlyn - anything sweet (must be why she's so sweet). Allie - SOAP, laundry soap to be exact, I know it's weird (don't worry I didn't eat it).
19-Did you crave anything crazy? Yes, SOAP
20- Who or what got on your nerves the most? I missed all the energy I used to have.
21-Were you married at the time? Yes.
22- Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? Not unless you count the crazy mood swings. She's laughing, she's crying...
23- Where were you when you went into labor? Hospital
24-Did your water break? Not until the doctor did it.
25-
26- Did you go early or late? Camden - the day before my due date. Ashlyn - Two days before my due date. Allie -Christmas, EARLY by a week.
27- Who was in the room with you when you gave birth? Russ and some other medical people, mostly I remember Russ.
28- Was it video taped? Are you kidding? Who wants to see that? Not me.
29- Did you have any drugs for the pain? Oh, yeah - bring on the drugs. Epidurals with each.
30- Did you go vaginal or have a c-section? vaginal
31- What was your first reaction after giving birth? This is the most awesome thing in the world. I can't believe we have a little perfect brand new person to take care of.
32- How big were the babies? Camden - 8 lbs 10 oz. Ashlyn - 8 lbs. 8 oz. Allie - 8 lbs.
33- Did your husband cry? There were some watery eyes, but no tears.
34- What did you name the babies? Camden Russell, Ashlyn, and Allie
35- Did the names have any significance to you? Camden is just a cool name. Ashlyn is named after my mom's maiden name, Ash. Allie is named after both her grandmas (Allene and Julie)
36- Do the names fit? Yes.
37- Did the babies have any complications? No.
38- How old are they today? Camden 3 1/2, Ashlyn 20 months, Allie 6 weeks.
39-When is the next one coming? That's a mystery...to me.
40-If you could, would you do it all over again? Yes.
I tag Elizabeth, Brooke, Amanda, Ashley, Ciera

Prison Warden

2009-02-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel like a prison warden during nap time. Here's a picture of Ashlyn's little fingers under the door of her room. She's reaching for freedom! Too bad.

Allie's Blessing

2009-02-05T10:08:00.001-08:00

Allie was blessed last Sunday. What a wonderful event. We had lots of family come to celebrate with us.

Denny's Free Grand Slam

2009-02-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

Denny's offered free food today from 9 -2. You know we went for the free food - FREE FOOD! Amanda and I brought our 4 kiddos into the craziness. Thanks for braving the crowds with me Amanda! It was a lot of fun. Check out the post on Amanda's blog - she brought her camera. http://thearmendarizfamily.blogspot.com/

Baby Pics

2009-01-26T11:10:00.000-08:00

Ciera is so awesome. She took some really cute pictures of Allie. She always has fun ideas- thank goodness someone I know is creative. Check out her photography blog http://pixiedustphoto.blogspot.com.

4 weeks old

2009-01-22T14:14:00.000-08:00

Allie is 4 weeks old today! Crazy how time flies.

Russell couldn't make a straight face in a picture if his life depended on it! Allie looks cute though.

Baby Bliss

2009-01-14T19:30:00.000-08:00

You know that awesome peaceful, happy, giddy feeling you get when life is going great? I get to have it every time I snuggle with my new little baby girl - And I'm lovin' it!

Uncle Justin and Grandma Extraordinaire!

2009-01-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

Allie had her two week check up. She is 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 20.5 inches long. She's past her birth weight and gaining on it! Hopefully she'll get just as chubby as her brother and sister were.

We were lucky enough to have Grandma and Uncle Justin visit for a whole week. It was wonderful. I got to catch up on sleep and didn't have to worry about a thing. Mom cleaned, cooked and played with the kiddos. Justin played with the kids all day long - and then we played games all night long. It was a lot of fun. We are blessed to have such great family. Thanks guys!