6 Days and Counting

In just 6 days this will be the local beach that we will be at maybe everyday. We will pull out of Dallas on Wednesday Dec. 31st. Our plan is to get to So Cal on the 3rd of January. It should be quite an adventure. We are gonna take lots of pictures along the way to document, so stay tuned.

Hotel! Motel! Holiday Inn!

We got out of Seattle just ahead of the big one on Wednesday night but we only made it as far as Centralia before we were forced to stop and evaluate the situation. After a quick discussion we decided to get a set of chains while they still had some, get a motel room and give it a go in the morning.

Finances being what they are we decided to go all out for the luxury of Motel 6. $49 +$3 for wireless internet and tax came to about $54. We asked for a non-smoking room. In fact, we ask for a room as far away from smoking as possible. What we got was a room that smelled like they converted it to non-smoking 10 minutes before we got there. While there wasn't actually a sweaty, chain smoking 450lb man in our room, it smelled like it.

Trying to make the best of a bad situation, we striped all the covers off the bed put down our own sleeping bags and turned off the heat to keep the smell down as much as possible. Then, the satelite TV went out. Three kids, two adults, a very stinky, very small room with no TV is a BAD combo. We turned to our old friend, the internet. Quickly we signed up for a netflix account and started streaming cartoons straight to our room. Underdog saved the day. Best $8.99 I ever spent.

My Favorite Christmas Movie

My favorite Christmas movie of all time is White Christmas! I don't think I've missed seeing this movie every year since I was 11. I love everything about it, the cast, the music, the story but most of all I love the memories this movie has given me. I hope my kids grow up loving it like I do! What's your favorite Christmas movie and why?

Looking Forward to........

Last night Eric decided we should all draw 3 things we are looking forward to in our new adventure in Southern Cali. Here's what we came up with....

Eric

Surfing

Palm Trees

New Friends

Brandi

Sunshine

Warmth (which means flip flops everyday)

Disneyland, Legoland, Seaworld

Amara

Beach

that's all for now, she's struggling

Sully

Seagulls

Ocean

Boats 

Finn

He just had fun stabbing holes in paper with a pen but I know he's looking forward to:

Being outside more

Sand

Ocean

We are all struggling making this change but we appreciate all the love and support you are all giving us. Please know that just because we look forward to these things doesn't mean we won't miss all the fun things here we've done with all of you. We look forward to lots of visitors in our new home.

Times are a Changin'

After working at the Seattle Times for 6 years it has come to an end. Eric was given the official word last Friday that his last day will be December 12th. We are sad and terrified but excited at the same time. Eric has more talent and charisma in his little finger than most people posses. I KNOW that he can do anything he puts his mind and passion into. It has been a joy to watch him grow as a cartoonist and person the last 6 years. We will never regret making the choice to have Eric follow his dream. This place and these people have become our family, but times are a changin' and we feel a pull to move on. It won't be easy but this is our time to make our dreams come true! We love you all and will let you know where this adventure takes us.

2 Ninjas and a Softball Player

Ok- So better late then never. We had a fun Halloween. We did the annual tricker treating with our friends around their neighborhood. Then we went to the ward Trunk-r-Treat cause I got to be in charge this year, then back to our friends for candy eating, dancing and post Halloween pizza feasting. It didn't rain and it wasn't freezing butt cold. All in all it was a fun evening!

LongBoardLarry Apparel

After almost a year of working on it LongBoardLarry's new line of apparel is finished and up on the site. I still am waiting on one design but things are rolling. The designs turned out great.

Check the site at LBLApparel.com

We also launched a new blog here.

I got a pickle, I got a pickle, I got a pickle hey, hey, hey, hey!

Finnigan has recently discovered that he LOVES pickles. We have gone through 3 jars in the last 3 1/2 weeks. My favorite thing is when he crawls up in my lap to give me a kiss and breaths pickle breath in my face. He is just so darn cute!

Baby Girl Blankies

These are some little girl blankies I've made recently. The brown one I did a few months ago and the pink one I made this last week. It only took me an evening and a half. I love both of them. Now I just need to find someone who is having a baby girl? Anyone? Which one do you like best?

My Newest Blankie

We have some friends down in Southern Cali that are having a little boy in a few months, so I made this for him. Finn is not happy this blankie is not for him! He's thought it was his since I started getting the material ready. Guess I better make him one.

Clarks's Sleep Over

A few weekends ago my little sister Jen and her husband Kevin went to see Phantom and so we got to have their little guy Clark. The kids were so excited! Amara had done really well with her reading that week to so we decided to go to pizza to celebrate. At one point Eric looked at me and said " The people in here probably think we have FOUR kids"! No big thing to me but to him that extra little one makes a big difference. He was actually fantastic! He did not cry the whole time. He went to bed around 9 and woke up at 2am, was up until 2:30am and didn't wake up again til 6am. He then was up for 30 minutes and then got up for the morning at 7:40am. He really was a joy to have in the house. All the kids helped feed him and put his jammies on and Eric even helped in the middle of the night when Finn woke up too. All in all it was a successful sleepover. He's welcome back any time!
The saddest part of the whole weekend was realizing I don't have a baby in the house anymore. Isn't Finn so Big and handsome?

The Greatest Love Song EVER!!

EVER. I mean it...EVER.

Cool Video

Just came across this and wanted to share. It's awesome!


Shoes on a rampage from Sean monroe on Vimeo.

More Pictures from the Baptism

Great to Be 8

We had Amara's baptism yesterday. It was really great. Each one of the Grandparents did something, and Amara, Sully and some of their friends sang I'm Trying to be like Jesus, which was so cute! We had lots of family and friends there to support us. The weather was beautiful, it really could not have been a more perfect day ( except if the Texans could have been with us). Here are a few pictures from the big event.

Eric tried on a few jumpsuits to see which one to wear. We decided not this one!

Amara

Amara turned 8 today....... yes, I said 8. How did that happen? Here are a few pictures, a little blast from the past.

More 1st Day Pics

Amara looking CUTE!
Sully being brave in his new class room
Amara finding her desk
Sully's bus home
Happy to be home, but LOVED school!

First Day of School

There has been a long standing tradition in my family that on the first day of school we always posed with our hand on the door knob ready to take on the new year in our great new clothes. I have most of the pictures from my 1st days and I thought it a fun tradition to continue. Here are Amara and Sully sporting there cool new clothes and sweet kicks. Sully finally got his Sketchers Z-straps that he's been wanting for years. Amara chose some retro black and white checkered Vans.