FUN in the SUN

We had a great week enjoying the summer sun. On Sunday morning, while in Seattle, Zach got to experience catching TWO fish at once while visiting Jim and Nancy in Seattle! He thought (and still thinks) that this is the coolest thing ever. :) On Monday we took a walk to the park. We checked out books at the library and Zach took a dollar from his piggy bank and went to the dollar store to find his treasure. We got a suncatcher that you paint. He worked on that for well over an hour. . .and has proudly displayed it in his window. A dollar well spent :). On Wednesday this week, we ended up heading up to black lake. It was lovely. The sun was shining and it was the PERFECT day to be on the water. Zach was instructed, by my mother, how to pee on trees. Quite laughable watching him pull down his pants prematurely and then hop along to the tree clear across the path with his pants around his ankles. :) We spent Friday afternoon swimming in the little pool in the back yard. And listening to the giggles of the little guys - totally wonderful. Then today we took Joe and Linda Crane and Bob and Amie Voss up to Black Lake with us. It was great to hang out with friends, watch the boys play in the sand, and enjoy a few minutes on the water and away from the general hustle and bustle. It made me realize how important that is. I love summer. I love the laid back nature of it. I love the warmth and the sunny weather. I love being able to feel relaxed even by sitting in the back yard with the boys. . .or taking a brief nap after a busy day while the boys rest and the sun streams through the windows. I think I need to do more resting sometimes and less being busy. . .and definitely more "enjoying" :)

Time flies. . .

I am terrible about updating, but I really should. Life just flies by and time just slips away and find that it has been almost 11 months since I posted last. So what's new with us? Tim is still working with my dad. It's busier in the summer than other times of the year so it means we have limited time to travel and such when it's sunny . . .but we are so thankful for a job in this economy. It puts food on the table, lets us do a few fun things, and provides for our needs. For that we are incredibly thankful. He still loves to bike ride and only wishes he had more time for it.

Zach turns 4 this month. I don't know where the time has gone and can hardly believe that he will be starting preschool this fall. He can't possibly be that old! We have him registered for a preschool that is part of one of the local highschools. Students who have a desire to work with kids after graduation use these preschoolers to help develop skills that they will need as well as developing portfolios to aid them as they graduate and pursue careers in education/early child learning/etc. So Zach gets to be a part of that three days (about 6 hours) a week. And since it is funded primarily through the highschool, the price is definitely right. We did try to enroll Zach in swimming lessons this past summer but while I have trouble keeping my fish out of water, it still needs to be on his own terms, so we "unenrolled" after only two classes. We've since discovered that he hates having water in his ears!

Eli is 14 months old and is into everything. He only has the confidence to take a few steps at a time, but I'm okay with that :) It's better than chasing two boys who  move at breakneck speed at the moment :) He is the happiest kid except when he's getting teeth, which has been much of the past month. He has 4 molars now, so we are hoping for a reprieve for awhile. We do a lot of story times, summer kid matinees at the theater, and trips to the park.

I have been knitting and spinning. It's nice to have a hobby that I can do while spending time with the kids. Last month I got to take a spinning class. It was alot of fun! Just this past week I got to go down to Portland for Sock Summit 2011, which is, for lack of a better explanation, a knitting convention. It was so fun to meet people that I've chatted knitting with online for a couple of years, to take a class and to see some really great yarns and fibers in person.

While on our vacation we got a chance to see The Kenagy family, to take the kids to the Oregon Zoo, and to take Eli to his first Mariner's game with Uncle Jim and Aunt Nancy- almost 8 years after Tim and I went to a game on our honeymoon.  It's hard to believe that we celebrate 8 years of marriage in a couple of weeks! Like I said at the beginning. . .time flies!! It's crazy how much we've been through and experienced in those years. . .We feel blessed. We ARE blessed. Now hopefully it won't be another year before I update again :)

What's new in the last year?!?

I can't believe that it has been so long since I last posted! We now have an additional little boy living in our house :) Elijah Jay was born on May 14th. I am still knitting like crazy and have started spinning on a spinning wheel. Zach is rough and tumble and loves to be crazy pretty much all of the time. :) Tim is still working for my dad. We've enjoyed alot of traveling this summer. We went to Salem in July and, of course, made a stop at Black Butte on the way home. We went to Seattle in August and saw family - both Tim's side and mine. We even took a camping trip last weekend and both boys did well! Tomorrow is Samuel's 4th birthday. I can't believe it has been four years! It feels like yesterday but as I see how big my boys are getting it is hard to believe that it has only been four years! Below are some pictures for your viewing pleasure :)

No update for MONTHS, all due to. . .

Our busy life. . .what can I say. . .we have a little man, happy and healthy, climbs on everything. . .ends up with a new bump or bruise every day - no broken bones yet. Smiles with this cheesy grin and melts your heart :) He's taken to dumping out his toys and picking them up again, screaming "potty" at the top of his lungs as he runs to the toilet, but nothing ever comes of it :) He's a cutie, that's for sure. . .

Other news - we get to go to Hawaii in April. Fun in the sun for a week, which we'll probably need to make up for a plane flight with two kiddos under two ;)

Now the fun part!! Pictures:Zach is wearing a hat knit by his mother. . .:)

Pictures

Here are a few pictures of Zach checking out and then delicately destroying the cute Duckie cake that Kelsie made him for his birthday.

Here is a picture of our trip to Greenbluff. Zach was petrified of the goats and the crowing Rooster :) Cousin Lily loved all the hustle and bustle and kept Grammie and Kelsie busy by running off every which direction to get into trouble.

This is a picture of Zach standing. . .he is also now walking and climbing and getting into just about everything :)

And yes. . .he really is that big of a stinker :). . .

One year older and still missing Samuel

Well, here we are. Zach is officially one!! And we have just passed Samuel's second birthday. We had a great party for Zach, complete with messed up cake and bubbles and friends and family. It was a great time. I will post pictures later, of course!

And Sam. Our dear Sam. It is so hard to believe that he would be two. I can't believe he's been gone that long. I miss him like it was yesterday.

Nine months old!

Zach is doing really well. After Croup he ended up with a double ear-infection and sinus infection, but now that we're past that, he's doing well. We are heading to Salem for a Memorial Day weekend visit. The past two years Granny and Grandpa Kenagy and Uncle Matthew have made the trip to Spokane, but Great-Grandpa Kenagy is getting ready for his trip to heaven so we are going to visit Salem this year and see Uncle Dan and Aunt Carly as well. Zach has two teeth and enjoys chomping on soft bites of whatever mom and dad are eating, often times throwing a fit when he is told "NO" :) but we'll take it. He's become much more interactive and is SO close to crawling. Zach got to go to his first Mariner's game in April and had his first garlic fries. He also go to wear his suit for the first time :) He will go to the dentist for the first time tomorrow! And has his nine-month check-up next week. NINE MONTHS!! WOW! Enjoy the pictures. One of them was taken during Zach and Lily's first pool party. Zach really enjoyed the warm weather this weekend. :)

Zach eating pizza at Grammie's house! Yum! Yum!

Smiley-pants!! Sitting in his new favorite toy, an excersaucer walker from the neighbor! I think this kid has more hats than anyone else I know!!

Hey mom! What's this?!? Can I eat it?

Hey look at me!! I'm sitting up!! YEAH!! Now I just need to work on my hair and my tan :)

Zach and Lily having their first pool party. Lily ended up taking over the WHOLE pool and Zach sat on the sidelines and watched :)

Zach's first Mariner's game with Uncle Jim and Aunt Nancy. Zach is sporting the daily giveaway. . . a Felix Hernandez jersey.

Zach enjoying his first. . .and second and third and fourth and fifth and sixth garlic fry at the game. :)

Zach sporting his suit for my cousin, Allison's wedding.

Catching up

It has been MONTHS since the last post. Here it is Spring and it was the middle of winter the last time I posted. At one point, the snow in Spokane was deeper than Zach is tall :) Zach has had Croup, which for those of you who don't know, causes a baby to sound much like a dying seal while struggling to get a breath, and is helped by a walk in the cold night air or a steamy stand in the bathroom while the shower runs. Zach has also succeeded in figuring out that if he rolls over from his tummy to his back he ends up stuck like a turtle and mad - which causes mommy and daddy to come in and flip him back over -oh fun! On top of that, mommy and daddy have also figured out what to do to make Zach giggle - playing peek-a-boo on the changing table, tickling his collar bone, wiggling fingers in his face, and letting the kitty run her tail along his feet and face. :) But enough about that. . .now for the good part :) The pictures :)

This is what we like to call the Rapper Z picture :)

This is Zach in his Easter outfit. Uncle Andrew says that all he needs is a cigar and he'd resemble C.S. Lewis :)

What a stinker! Zach learned to suck his bottom lip in and then POP!! it out. Pretty funny :)

It's pictures like these that make you wants kids and not just pets :) It doesn't get much cuter :)

Too bad he hasn't quite figured this out with food yet. . .in the hand, in the mouth. The initial food bite usually ends up making him gag, no matter how small. . .and 95% of the rest of the food ends up on the front of him or on the floor :)

Not so happy Zach. . .Really happy Lily

No children were harmed in the taking of these pictures :) Sad. . .
More Sad. . .
Most Sad. . . :)

Cousin Lily helping wrap presents. . .
Lily says, "Don't mess with me. . .I'm teething." And she already has two bottom teeth. :)

Between three and four months old

Hey Mom!! Look what I found!

Yummy! That's good!

I love Mommy!

The first big smile caught on camera.

WHAT was that?!?!

More Zach at four months. . .

This one is mommy's favorite. It is also very similar looking to a picture of mommy when she was this age.

What is that, Grammie?!?

We call this the smug look.

This one is daddy's favorite. Big Yawn!!

Zach about 4 months. . .

This series of pictures is adorable :) Kind of smiling, kind of smug. . .you choose :)

Grammie, get your finger out of my mouth!

This green elephant belonged to Mommy when she was little. . .soon after, Grammie's dog decided that it was hers:) Glad I didn't get it in my mouth :)

ooooo! I love my burp rag :)

Wide-eyed Zachy. Are we done taking pictures yet?