By way of announcement...

Yes, I am pregnant! Hmmm, 30 and 3 kids- yikes, way to feel old, huh! We found out several months ago that we're expecting, but I think it has taken me all this time to really internalize this and feel well enough to start telling people, so if this is news to you-- that is why. I was never quite this sick with either Cole or Mason and certainly not in the same way. So-- we are expecting baby #3 and we're excited. At least I'm more excited now that I'm no longer sick (just tired all the time); and Rusty's just been excited since day 1 regardless. We haven't found out what we're having yet, though our guess is a third boy. I think boys are all we know. Anyway, this ultrasound is from last month when I was given a due date of April 5th. Hurry Spring!!

Not your typical date night

Rusty's a hunter-- absolutely loves it and goes whenever he can- hunting for whatever is in season. Well, he got a deer this weekend so he was excited about that and I am glad too (for now he'll be home more often, that is until elk season starts again) and now our freezer will be stocked for the next year, which is a good storage feeling. We like deer meat. So when he got home the other night, he strung it up from our cherry tree in the front yard and warned the neighbors of what he was doing, and this is how we spent our date night-- gutting and skinning the guy so he could take it to the butcher the next morning. Not quite the date night of choice in my book, but I guess I gotta take what I get, huh??

I don't get it...

Right after the bath: What is it about nudity that inspires kids to run up and down the halls giggling non-stop? Are all kids this way?

Roses from Rusty

Very sweet of my husband, (though I may mention he was in the doghouse and trying to redeem himself through this thoughtful action). Didn't stop me from enjoying their presence on our dinner table for the last few weeks. They lasted a long time before turning this shade of purple and then needing to be tossed.

The Frog is Ready to go out!

Ready to trick-or-treat....

Rusty and I took Cole around my in-law's neighborhood in Enumclaw, while Mason waited with the grandparents eating more than his share of Halloween candy meant for visiting trick-or-treaters. Cole insisted on wearing his rubber boots that day, and I suppose it was fitting to go with his costume, and the soggy weather. It was cute seeing him truck up to houses- real excited initially, but then too scared to say a word. So in talking on his behalf ("trick-or-treat" and "thank you"), Rusty and I feel it's only fair that most of his candy be ours. We did do the work too, right? Whatever we need to say to rationalize snitching a piece or two...

Birthday Celebration

I just turned the big 3-0 on Oct. 30th! Both Rusty and his mom surprised me with ice-cream cakes for my b-day (um, I guess I've made my favorite kind of cake clear). So in the spirit of not wasting a cake, we had 60 candles to deal with. 30 on each cake. Yikes! There was plenty to go around, and lots of left-overs for the freezer. So we've been enjoying my b-day again and again...

Pumpkin Pancakes and OJ

Me and the boys celebrated Halloween by making yummy pumpkin pancakes together to have with our orange juice. Pumpkin pancakes have been a regular item on our breakfast menu these last few weeks. Cole asks for them every day. Yummy, despite the way they look in the picture. And Cole says I should show the pumpkin garland we made to decorate our walls and windows.

Absentee Voting-- Yea!

We finally got our absentee ballots in the mail yesterday and I'm glad for that. We are technically still voters in Enumclaw where we used to live over 3 years ago and we've not ever switched things over. We've gone out there to vote in the past, but I have no desire to do that this year with my kids and all. I'm just happy that I could call my county elections office and have it all sent to me in the mail so I can read through all the candidate and initiative mumbo jumbo and take my dear sweet time about it and not have to leave my house to do it. And this way, Rusty and I can discuss some of the people and issues so that I am clear on them. He listens to talk radio on a daily basis and is more updated on recent national and local campaign happenings, whereas I am not. I'm grateful to be a voter and hope my voice is heard by means of absentee -- I'll-mail-it-when-I'm-good-and-ready Voting.

A Visit with Cousins to the Pumpkin Patch

This last weekend, Rusty's parents took Cole and Mason down to Portland with them a day earlier than we were going (to visit Rusty's sister and family), so we had a night without kids. Rusty had to work late, so we just enjoyed dinner alone, but it was kind of nice to not be interrupted. And though I can't sleep in much even if I try, it was nice to not be rushed to get up b/c of hearing my kids wake up. Rusty and I drove down late Friday night to stay over in Oregon and have all the kids do the pumpkin patch thing together this year. Cole and Mason had a fun time with their 4 girl cousins, and the girls are all great with the boys. They have a lot of fun together. Not sure why I was worried about how my kids would do spending the night away from home (except that they've only done it once before and that didn't work out so well). But obviously it affected me more than them. And now I'm thinking that letting them do the overnight thing once in a while with the grandparents is a pretty appealing idea!

Taking the wheelbarrows on a search for the perfect pumpkin...







And enjoying the firetruck that was on display

Jer, Shannon, and Girls

I just wanted to show my brother and his cute family, since I think their picture is so darn cute. They just had family pictures taken by my friend Kali (check her out at: http://kalileenstra.blogspot.com/). Here is one of their shots:

A Lion and A Frog

Costumes Decided! When we unpacked our Fall Decorations a few weeks ago for Family Night, I was really excited to have costumes for the boys so that I don't have to decide whether to buy/borrow/or just invent from what we have this year. One less thing to do and decide on! Mason is going to wear the lion one that Cole wore a few years ago, and my sister Koriane sent me a few fun costumes a while back for play and the cute froggy one fits Cole this year. Both boys are really excited about them and want to put them on nearly every day. This is a good sign, since past Halloweens have sometimes been a struggle getting the boys to keep them on long enough to make it worth the fight. Hopefully their enthusiasm for their costumes will last through Halloween. Here they are trying them on:

The Harvester, anyone??

On Saturday, I went to an Emergency Preparedness Fair that the Maple Valley Stake hosted for the community. My in-laws were in charge of a booth there and Rusty was hunting that morning, so I took my boys. It was great, since all these emergency topics have been on my mind and in conference and on the news, and everywhere else lately! I made a few 72-hour kits for my family, so I'm now a little more on my way towards not being entirely unprepared for everything! And there were fun things for my boys-- a helicopter that landed that they could tour (of course no camera with me), and other ambulance and police vehicles, etc. to get excited about. One of my personal favorites was the booth about food storage from www.shelfreliance.com For a long time, I have debated about getting one of their can-rotating systems so that I could use what I am storing more effectively. I even almost bought one from a Wal-Mart in Utah a few months ago, and then didn't want to be too impulsive about it and hauling it around on our trip. So anyways, I don't know if any of you need help with food storage or rotating cans or whatever, but their biggest free-standing system was on display there. The lady that I know there had been in touch with someone from shelf-reliance and they'd agreed that they'd give a discount for those bought in connection with this fair. So basically, instead of the $459 price on their web-site (plus tax and delivery, I think), you can buy it for $299 delivered straight to your door (no added charges). I still haven't completely decided on this, since we have no garage and my storage area is limited- I might have to get a smaller unit, but I thought I'd share this in case anyone out there is contemplating a purchase like this. Worth checking out, I think. Just let me know if you are, and I'll tell you how to get it... happy food storage!!

Date Night

So I'm quickly learning that I am not the blogging type. So much time passes between posts and then here I am saying: Yea for date night! Quite the exciting life we lead here, I really must sarcastically say. But going out with my husband is my recent highlight that I'm sharing... Rusty has been working a lot lately (plus it's now hunting season, so that occupies any remaining free time he may have). Adding to that-- the kids and I have been sick all week, so this has made for some super tired parents and very cranky boys. Not so much love at our home this last week, we'll just say that! So come friday, I was thinking date night at home doing nothing would be ideal. Going out sounded too tiring. Gratefully, I have good in-laws who are often overly-eager sitters, and a sweet husband who is always wanting a date. I couldn't refuse. Combine this with a chance for my favorite Japanese steakhouse restaurant, and I guess I couldn't resist. It's good that I didn't b/c I'd forgotten how good it is to just get out and hold hands with my hubby with no little fingers in between, have a yummy meal uninterrupted, and enjoy an adult movie, too. Of course we were sure anxious to pick the boys up from Rusty's parents that night and cuddle them endlessly, but the night without them was heaven. Just to say-- that I suppose I can survive another week now that I'm rejuvenated a bit.

Wedding Photos

Janni added some photos to her facebook account of her wedding, so I thought I'd share a few here as well...

My boys at the temple-- not so cooperative for photos, but still cute

A deep moment together

Umm, cleaning the floor with his tummy??


Caleb and Janni with my cute parents


All my sisters together: Koriane, Kathy, Janni, Alissa, and me

Janni and Caleb's Wedding

August 16th, my baby sister got married-- what a fun day for family and friends. I didn't take many photos though (something to do with corraling 2 kids and helping in the kitchen...), so I will refer you all to my good friend Kali who was their photographer. She did an amazing job, and has some cute ones posted on her blog. I'm planning to get a few copies from her and my other cute sisters who are more camera-savy than myself and then I'll share from this perspective. Until then.... thanks Kali. And Congrats to Janni and Caleb who are down at BYU so she can finish school.
http://kalileenstra.blogspot.com/