Mission Impossible?

One of my best buds, Erin, came out from Maryland this week for a little visit. It was fun to catch up and for her to see the boys. Erin is a great photographer, so our mission while she was here was to get a good family picture that we might be able to use for Christmas cards this year. Zack tends to make that mission a little impossible, I guess it comes with the territory of being almost 2. We did get some great pictures though, but I am not going to post the picture we are going to use for Christmas cards. I am certain you will all be in suspense until then. ha ha We got some good ones of Victor and I which is great because we hardly have any pictures of just us. So here we go, be prepared for picture overload!

Thanks Erin!!!!!

Erin used her fish eye lens for this picture and Conner thinks it is the coolest thing ever

Just playing around

Victor and I were just talking and watching Conner and Zack play in the park, but I like these pictures of us

Just a little catch up with the kids. . . Mason had a well baby check up this month and is 12 lbs! He was at the 40 percentile with weight and 43 percentile with height. I guess those chubby cheeks of his that I love so much aren't as chubby as I thought! The doc said he looks great and is right on track. We all got flu shots which will hopefully deter any bugs that may come our way, I guess the keyword here is HOPEFULLY!
Zack continues on his quest of being a ham. He is really into matchbox cars and dumps them out all over the family room. I usually have Conner help to pick them all up. Well the other day I told Zack, "You need to get your cars picked up bud." He says, "Nugh ugh Ca Ca." (Ca Ca is what he calls Conner) I said, "No, Conner is not here to help you. You need to get them picked up." He again tells me the same thing then the garage door opens up and in walks Conner. Zackie gets a huge smile on his face and yells out, "Ca Ca!!!!" and runs over to him and hands him the bag for the cars and takes him over and points to the cars on the floor then he goes and sits down in his little chair with a big smile on his face while Conner starts to pick up his cars. What a little turkey that kid is! Zack is also really into to football. Not just football, but Boise State football (Victor is so proud). Whenever he sees a BSU bronco logo he points to it and gets really excited and yells, "Feutball!" He carries his little football all over the house. We tell him, "Down, set. ." and he gets in the down position, "hike, hike!" Then he takes off running with the ball and growling. He will also just randomly throw the ball and yell, "Fumble!" and jump on it. It is very entertaining!
Zack in the "down" position

Oh, Victor and I are on a co-ed volleyball team with some friends and we had our first game this week. We won! It is so much fun. I am such a dork, when our friends asked us to join I made Victor start to practice with me! ha ha I am not sure if it is my competitive side or just the fact I haven't touched a volleyball in over 10 years and didn't want to make a fool of myself! We will keep you posted as the season goes on.
I am also looking for a good book to read! If you have any suggestions let me know.

Pumpkin Patch

We finally made it to the pumpkin patch and corn maze. The place we went to is awesome! The people who own it make the coolest mazes.

We have been patiently waiting for 1- Conner to not have football 2- Not to have rained for a while (we didn't want to go when it was all muddy) 3- Good weather! Well we finally got all 3! We met up with some friends but we still had one little problem, it was the same night of a Boise State game and by the time Conner would get home from school we would only have 2 hours to spend at the maze and pumpkin patch. I envisioned us getting lost in the maze and Victor putting us to a dead sprint and making our own way out so we would make it to the game in time and not miss kick off. The kids ended up having a blast and we totally made it to the game on time without missing one single second!

We look like we are ready to go hunting! Ha ha Just on our way to the game.

Conner picking out his perfect pumpkin.

Zack playing in the corn.

Conner helping Zackie on the blanket tramp and Zackie hating every second of it. He is a big boy just like his brother, or so he thinks!

Conner also had his last football game of the season this weekend. Yipee! We had so much fun watching him, but are happy to finally have a little freedom instead of football six days a week!

Conner is just about to get this guy (he is the one in white with black football gloves). He hits him hard and takes him down! Way to go Conner!

Milkin' It

We are totally an outdoors type of family. We do all we can to be outside, we don't mind the cold or snow, but we hate cold and rainy! So we are trying to milk the weather for all it is worth before the sun is replaced with the fall rain clouds.

I think it is funny the boys are out in shorts playing one day and bundled up in coats and hats the next!

Zack is striking a pose for me. He is such a ham!

Victor and I will also be sad to say goodbye to our fire pit nights! Victor worked his butt off landscaping the yard (beautifully I might add!) and one of the things he and I enjoy most is our fire pit he put in. We get the kids to bed and start a nice fire and discuss our day and just reconnect. Never fail a neighbor or two will scare the crap out of us and poke their head over the fence and eventually join us. I am not sure if they see us out, or can smell it, but we love having company too! Our neighbors are great!

On a milestone note, Mason is growing so fast! He rolls all over the place and anything within his reach goes right to his mouth! He is all smiles and all we have to do is look at him and we get a nice big cheesy in return!

9 Already?!?

Conner just turned 9!!!! My how time flies, especially after you have children. Let me tell you a little about Conner. He can be a little turkey, just like any kid, but he really does have a kind and caring heart. Last year he earned one of the nine Student of the Month Awards handed out at his school (mind you there are over 500 students at his school for the staff to chose from). At the end of the year they voted on the top three and he was one of them! They pick the student of the month based on their kindness (yea, I know, some of you are shocked he is related to me! ha ha), integrity, honesty, and school work. He is adventurous and athletic. He loves to play football, skateboard, and climb on anything.

When he was three we got him his first bike. He got on it, rode it about 50 yards before he turned around and came back and told us he hated the training wheels and wanted them off. We did, thinking he would just be tipping over and want them back on. However, he just took off down the sidewalk! When Victor got him back to the house he asked us if we could take him over to the skate park so he could ride on the ramps.

We also taught him how to ski when he was three. He took to it right away too. He recently traded his skis for a snowboard and leaves us in the dust. We got walkie talkies so we take them on the mountain with us because he is always waiting for us at the end of the run.

We have a VERY dear friend, Josh, who I believe is 6'3" (help me out Robyn) and he is Conner's judgment for height. Every time we tell him something is tall he asks, "How tall? Taller than Josh? Because that is really tall!" And Poppa is Conner's judgement for age, "How old? Older than Poppa?"

Conner had a great day for his birthday and Mom and Dad really enjoyed playing with his gift (Havoc Helli's) while he was at school!

A little stroll down memory lane. . . .

A few "Out of the mouth of Conner moments":

Age 3- "Mom, you are like super white and dad is brown. Am I milk chocolate?"

Conner wanted to know why we never eat at McDonald's. I explain to him how it isn't good for us and could make us fat and Conner asks, "Has my Dad been eating at McDonald's"

Age 4- A larger gentleman was picking out some ice cream in the grocery store and as we walk by Conner loudly announces, "Mom, that guy doesn't really need that ice cream does he?"

Age 5- Some random bus driver waves to us and Victor asks why that guy was waving to us and Conner says, "Maybe it's Wave to a Mexican Day and he saw you Dad!"

Mason 08

Hawaii 08 Baptisim 08
Zachary 07 Bear as a pup 06 Houston, TX 06
6th Birthday Age 4

Mt Reiner, WA 04

San Diego Zoo, 04 Old Faithful 03
3rd Birhtday
Dad home from Afghanistan 02 Ft Lewis, WA
2nd Birthday

1st Birthday
Astoria, OR 9 Monts Old
4 Days old!

Conner is just a lot of fun and we are happy and lucky to have him. Whatever he does that is good naturally comes from me, and it is Vic's fault for the bad. :)

Rednecks & Paint

Conner was so excited to get a brother when we had Zackie. I think we really rocked his world when we added Mason too! He is so great with the little ones and really helps out. Victor and I try to make it a priority to spend some quality time with him without the babies. Victor and Conner enjoy what I call their "redneck" activities, shooting guns, fishing, and dirt biking. Conner has been so involved in school and football we were so excited when he got a few days off from school and he got to spend a day with Dad doing his favorite "redneck" activity, dirt biking. Conner

Victor

The two boys loaded up and I was left home with Zack and Mason. I was feeding Mason downstairs when Zack disappeared upstairs. As any mother, you know when it gets quiet that it means trouble. I went up stairs to see what he was up to and this is what I found. . .
Zack says to me, "See dat?" and points to his toes that he had painted just like Moms!
I said, "Yes Zackie, I see that. Looks good bud."
He got a big smile on his face and says, "Ughhhhh hughhhhhh. Nay Nay?"(Which is what he calls Mason) And holds up the marker.
I told him "No, you can't paint Mason's toes too."
"Ohhhh" he says.
Which is why we have the rule: If it isn't washable, it isn't allowed in my house! Funny kid.