The Hanks House

4 months old!

2011-11-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

My little peanut is already 4 months old. She is such a joy, full of smiles and giggles, and constantly talking to us through different sounds and noises. Lately she's taken to making a low growling sound which cracks me up. I'll be driving the kids some where and she'll be sitting in her car seat growling away while Jacob just sits and stares at her. It's already obvious who's the talkative one in the family. She's also holding her head up really well when on her tummy and beginning to reach for things in front of her. Her hands are extremely fascinating to her, she will just stare at them as well as continuously put them in her mouth until she gags herself. She loves her hands by her face and mommy can never keep her nails short enough so she has little scratches and marks on her face routinely. Isabelle loves watching her big brother play and laughs at anything and everything he does. I can tell Jacob's going to have a little shadow as soon as she's able to get around by herself. One of my favorite things that she does is in the middle of nursing she'll pull off and look at me with a huge smile letting me know just how much she adores her mommy, it melts my heart every time.

Mmmmm....fist!

My sweet little girl is getting big fast but to mommy's pleasure has stayed a lot smaller than her brother was at this age. At 4 months she weighs 12lbs 10oz (25-50%) and is 25in long (75%). She's my tall, skinny little thing. Isabelle is a perfect little baby sleeping through the night and nursing so well. However, she has decided that no one will do for her except mommy so anytime anyone else holds her she screams until mommy takes her back. While I enjoy being the love of her life, I also don't get much alone time. However, I will cherish this time when I am her world while I can.

Halloween

2011-11-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

Dressing up is serious business

Nana with her two little granddaughters

The trauma of getting his picture taken was too much for him

The kids and I with Nana and auntie Jo-jo

My little ladybug

We had a pretty quiet Halloween this year, spending it with a few family members and sticking close to home. Halloween weekend was full of harvest fests, pumpkin carving, and EATING!!! The Friday before the kids and I headed over to Miracle Ranch for a short time for their Harvest fest. They had lots of activities including a hay maze which Jacob absolutely adored. I dressed my little fireman and lady bug up and headed out to get some pics of my munchkins. Unfortunately, my fireman felt that taking pictures was torture. So...instead I got some great shots of my ladybug who was more than willing to pose, as well as, my adorable niece Jadyn. (I was able to get Jacob when he wasn't expecting it.) Afterwards, we headed over to Nana's house to relax and play. We ended up all trekking out in the rain to pick up some pumpkins, and heading back to let our creativity soar through pumpkin carving. Jacob really got into pumpkin carving and even begged us to carve a third one that Auntie Julianne had picked out for him. Nana made a fantastic meal of chili, corn bread, and apple pie for dessert (Mmmmmm) and we spent the rest of the evening just enjoying each others company and eating WAY to much candy! I sure love the time with family that this time of the year encourages. While I'm sad about the warm weather being gone at least the cold brings us inside to enjoy and love on one another. I thank God for my big, beautiful family!!!

For Halloween we dressed the kids up again and took them downtown Gig Harbor to participate in trick-or-treating among the shops that pass out candy. Jacob was uber shy and we practically had to drag him into stores in order for him to get the candy. He wouldn't even lift his arm in order for people to put the candy in his bucket. I gave up on trying to get him to say, "trick-or-treat" and just pushed him to at least say, "thank you". (That didn't really work either). *Sigh* Maybe next year. :) We hooked up with the rest of the family for a short while and then headed home to spend the night with Nana, Uncle Cliff, and Auntie Dana. Mike, Cliff and Nana took Jacob around the neighborhood to trick-or-treat while I and Dana stayed home to answer the door. We had a yummy meal and enjoyed watching little Isabelle (ladybug) and Lincoln (caterpillar) play together on the floor. It's going to be so much fun to see them grown and learn together. God has truly blessed me and my family! Praise the Lord!

3 months old!

2011-10-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well my sweet baby is growing up quick. She's such a doll and never hesitates to give smiles and giggles away. She's begun to smile and giggle anytime anyone talks to her and her little face always melts my heart. Anytime anybody sings to her she lights up and she especially loves the song "That's Amore". Her big brother continues to shower her with love and affection and always wants to give her kisses, even when mommy would rather he not because it means having to climb up on top of her while "Issam" is nursing. It's hard to tell him though that he can't kiss his sister. Isabelle is holding her head up better and is now willing to remain on her tummy a few minutes longer before screaming at mommy. She just started grabbing for things that are in front of her and I often find her just staring at her hand as if wondering where that came from. The play mat that we have cracks her up whenever we turn on a star that lights up and changes colors. We'll find her talking and laughing as if she's having a great conversation with the smiling star that we just can't understand. I love her so much and am so blessed with my two beautiful children.

Wish they would stop growing up so fast!

2 months old

2011-09-11T14:51:00.001-07:00

Time sure if flying by and summer is almost over. It's so hard to believe that my little baby girl is already 2 months old. I've been trying to mentally slow time down but hard as I try it still gets away from me ;). As she is growing like crazy she is also getting more and more interactive. It's so much fun to lay her down on the floor and just listen to her coo and giggle. Her little smile melts my heart and fills me with so much joy. I can't get enough of watching her grow and seeing the relationship between her and Jacob blossom. Whenever she is upset or crying and I can't get to her, Jacob comes up to her and in a gentle sing-song voice lets her know it's okay...makes me want to cry just thinking about it. Thank you dear Jesus for my two beautiful children.
ISABELLE'S MILESTONES

you are gradually getting more head control and now don't bobble as much when we sit you up.

you continue to spit-up EVERYWHERE!!

you are talking and laughing a lot and everytime mommy asks for a smile you give her one.

you don't really like being on your tummy but you tolerate it for a little while.

you are the most quiet baby and everywhere we go people comment on how good you are.

Sweet feet

My little munchkins

Such a happy girl

A visit to Lodi, CA

2011-09-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

We had the privilege of getting to travel down to sunny California over Labor Day weekend and visit with Mike's family. Jacob and Isabelle got to hang out with their Grandma & Grandpa Hanks, Aunt Julie, Aunt Mari, Aunt Lori, & cousins Alexa, Ryder, Conner & Jude. Aunt Dana and Uncle Cliff, along with little Lincoln, got to spend time down there with us as well. It was such a fun trip spending time with each of them. It makes me sad that we aren't able to see everyone more frequently, so when we get to go down, we treasure every moment. Jacob had a blast playing with Alexa and Ryder in a little kiddie pool that Grandma bought for them. Isabelle (as well as the rest of us) got to meet babies Conner and Jude for the first time. Lori, Dana, and I all had our littles within a week of each other so that makes for 4 babies all born at the same time since Lori had twin boys. It was so much fun lining up the 4 of them and taking pictures. Grandma went from having 6 grand kids to 10. Quite the adjustment!!! We loved every minute of our time down there and hope that we can get to see everyone again soon. Thank you Pat for your wonderful hospitality. You are the best!!!

Grandma getting some cuddle time with Jacob

Mommy what's the deal with all these boys!

Alexa, Ryder, & Jacob

Conner, Lincoln, Isabelle, & Jude

Isabelle & Conner

Aunt Julie & Lincoln

Aunt Mari & Isabelle

Jacob chillaxin'

3 years old!!!

2011-08-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it but my little baby boy turned 3 years old! We had a blast of a party at my parents house in their gorgeous backyard. Nana and Pop-pop even bought Jacob a huge water-slide bounce-house for the occasion. Lots of kids came to play and Jacob was truly spoiled with tons of presents. He is getting to be such a big boy wanting to do everything by himself. There is absolutely no more time for cuddles and kisses anymore as he always has a plan whether it's playing with trains, cars, or play-doh. Life is busy! He absolutely loves his Daddy, wrestling on the floor and following him everywhere. "Why" is his favorite word which was cute at first but now is driving mommy INSANE!!! I think I need to just stop answering (I've begun to resort to "because I said so"...NOOOO!) He fills my heart with unending joy however because he constantly has something funny to say. His smile lights up the entire room and he is the most adorable little boy on the whole planet. I love you Jacob Michael and am so proud of the little boy that you are becoming...even though I miss you being a baby! Don't grow too fast!
Jacob & Cameron have similiar taste in clothing

Mmmm...cake!

Opening presents with Aunt Julianne

Antie's Julianne & Joanna

The Bounce House

Cousin Jadyn & Uncle Johnny

Uncle Jordan & Aunt Jackie

Little Natatlie cuddling on Daddy's shoulder.

3 WEEKS OLD!

2011-07-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

All About Isabelle

You love to be cuddled and held. Which mommy and daddy are learning is the only way you seem to want to fall asleep.

Recently you have been waking up at 4:30am to eat rather than sleeping till 6am which mommy is a little sad about but she still loves cuddling with you no matter the time.

Daddy calls you his little pre-alarm clock since his actual clock isn't set to go off until 5am.

You routinely fight sleep and have started to get really upset when we lay you down.

You are such a good little subject for all of mommy's pictures and don't even complain when she changes your outfit numerous times!

Your brother loves you so much and excitedly runs to you to give you sweet kisses on your head.

He also loves calling you by name, "Eeesom" is how it sounds.

These first 3 weeks have been such a blessing and my two sweet little munchkins fill my heart to over-flowing!

2 WEEKS OLD

2011-07-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

ALL ABOUT ISABELLE

you are already back up at birth weight and weigh exactly 8 lbs but now are 21 inches long!

you love to tuck your little feet up underneath your bottom

you continue to be such a great little eater and sleep for long stretches at night which mommy and daddy appreciate greatly!

gradually you are becoming more alert and have longer periods where you like to look all around.

mommy and daddy put you to sleep in your buggy each night in the family room all swaddled up tight

all your aunties and uncles love to hold you as well as Nana and Pop-pop, and you LOVE to be held

whenever mommy and daddy kiss your cheeks you turn your head with your mouth open wide and try to eat us

Both you and Jacob fill your mommy's heart up so full! My cup runneth over!

Isabelle 1 week old!

2011-07-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how a week goes by so quickly! I can just imagine how this next year is going to fly by. I keep trying to remind myself that I need to slow down occasionally and just treasure the moments of her being little despite all the things that I know I should get done. Before I know it she won't be willing to cuddle with me like she does now! So in an effort to remember all the little details of who she is at this stage in her life here is a little list.

ALL ABOUT ISABELLE

-at 1 week you weigh only 7lbs 8 oz but grew to be 20 inches long

-we had to get your little heal poked because we were worried about you being jaundiced but because you are such a good eater there was no reason to be worried at all

-you have long little nails and mommy is constantly having to file them down because you like to scratch your face.

-you like to suck on your little fists and when we give you the pacifier you make a face like we're torturing you.

-big brother Jacob loves to give you kisses on the forehead

-you seem to only like to burp for daddy

-you are such a good baby and let mommy sleep for 5-6 hours at night right off the bat

WE LOVE YOU ISABELLE!!!!

Such a proud big brother

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful 4th! Mike and I were discharged from the hospital on Sunday with little Isabelle and rather than hang out all day at home on the 4th we decided we would make the trek back up to Lake Sawyer (this time without being in labor) and spend the day with my family. While I was really sore and tired the next day it was absolutely the right decision!!! Not only did we get to enjoy the company of my family but we also got to hang out with my brother and sister-in-law Cliff and Dana and their little bundle of joy, Lincoln. We got both him and Isabelle together for some pictures and marveled at how just one week before we were getting belly shots together. It was a fabulously sunny day and it was filled with throwing rocks in the lake, a patriotic ride in the boat all decked out, a yummy flank steak dinner, and bundling up around a campfire to watch a great fireworks display. It was so wonderful watching Jacob's amazement at the fireworks and getting to cuddle with my sweet girl around the fire. God has truly blessed me!

Sparklers are so much fun!

Isabelle with her auntie Julianne

Nana and Isabelle

My sister Jackie with her husband Jordan and sweetie pie Jadyn

Cliff and Dana Hanks with little Lincoln

My two boys!

The Olsson/Hanks/Moore clan

Jacob loves his Nana and Pop-pop

Yummy flank steak dinner

Little shooter

Isabelle and Lincoln... only one day apart

Nana and Pop-pop with their grand-daughters

Isabelle Marie is here!!!!!

2011-07-01T22:51:00.000-07:00

The day has finally arrived. Our sweet little girl decided to come a whole week early...and on her own. Which mommy is tremendously happy about! She couldn't of timed it better in that I went into labor on a Friday before a holiday weekend and allowing for Daddy to have the maximum amount of time off to enjoy her and spend time with Jacob. I ended up having a fabulous nights sleep and then waking up in the morning to mild contractions that were coming every 3 minutes apart for about an hour. So as they were getting worse I called Mike home from work (even though I kept doubting that I was truly going into labor) and made sure all our bags were packed and that Jacob was ready to spend some time with his Nana and Pop-pop. However, when Mike got home the contractions all but stopped. So thinking that it was a false alarm and having had plans to drive up to black diamond that weekend to spend it with my parents out on Lake Sawyer. We packed the car and headed north around 12:30pm only to find that 20 minutes into the car ride I started having contractions again every 5 minutes. We got to the house and I sat outside around the lake, enjoying the sunshine and every 5 minutes or so having to breath and groan a little bit for the next 4 hours until they got so bad both Mike and my Dad were insisting we get in the car and head to the hospital. We made it to the hospital around 6 despite the holiday traffic and found out that I was already at 8 cm. Four hours later, one epidural that didn't do much in taking away the pain, and 10 minutes of pushing she came and was placed on my chest at 8lbs and 19 inches long. She's completely beautiful in every way and healthy. We are so happy and even big brother Jacob showers her with love by giving her kisses and hugs whenever he sees her. What an amazing miracle the birth of children are. I will never get over how awesome it is to go through pregnancy and delivery and end up with a perfect little baby on your chest who will grow and learn, laugh and play, and fill our hearts with so much joy! Thank you Lord for Isabelle Marie!
Jacob meeting his little sister for the first time.

He wasn't sure about her at first but he warmed up after awhile.

Our growing family

She weighed 8 lbs exactly

Seeing her sweet little face for the first time.

The Last few weeks of my pregnancy

2011-06-30T04:11:00.000-07:00

Wow! June just flew by and now we're already half-way into July and our lives have, yet again, changed dramatically. I'm so struck by how blessed Mike and I are and once again God has blessed us tremendously. Since it's been a few weeks since I've blogged I'm going to do a little catch up. Mid-June found me at 38 weeks pregnant and attending one of my very best friends wedding up at the Semiamoo resort. Her wedding was absolutely gorgeous and it was such a joy to see her and her whole family celebrate the big day.

A tribute to Leah's mom...Sandy

The gorgeous bride and her father!

Justin, Leah and I...so many amazing and wonderful memories with these two!

The very next weekend my family and I got to enjoy a night out at the ball game watching the Mariners win against...oh who am I kidding, I have no idea! However we had a great time and Jacob and Daddy wore their matching jerseys that we were gifted for being the first 25,000 fans to enter Safeco Field.

Next we got to attend another friends wedding who both Mike and I have known for some time, Candy, and celebrated her marriage at the space needle. What a fun and beautiful night!

Finally to end the month of June we had the wonderful privledge of meeting our sweet little nephew Lincoln Robert Hanks born to my brother and sister-in-law, Cliff and Dana. He was born 6/30 at 9lbs 7oz and almost 23 inches long. Such a sweetie and we are so excited for Cliff and Dana as they get to experience parenthood for the very first time! I feel so blessed with a little boy who loves life and constantly gives me smiles, hugs and kisses, a husband who is so supportive and loving, and a healthy pregnancy with my little girl kicking and squirming almost ready to come. Thank you heavenly Father for all this and much more!

Spring at the Hanks house

2011-06-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

We've been busy around our house. Our tasks have included preparing for the arrival of little girl by decorating her room and turning Jacob's room into a new big boy room with his own big boy bed including slide. I've had fun dreaming up designs and decorations for both their rooms and now we are finally almost done. Isabelle's clothes have all been washed and put away and Jacob now has a new closet organizer allowing for maximum play space. Mike has also been busy and ended up installing chair rail in Isabelle's room and painting the entire thing. He and my father also ended up moving a side of our fence so that our backyard is bigger and gives us more time to lounge in the sun. I love the spring and summer and I can't wait to be outside playing with my little man and watching my sweet girl grow.

My silly boy in his room
Isabelle's room

Spring around our house

The freshly moved fence! So much more room.

It's been some time!

2011-06-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

Isabelle at 21 weeks

It's amazing how time gets away from you! I can't believe summer is here and I'm only 1 month from meeting my baby girl. Every moment I have has been poured into either preparing for her, cherishing the moments with Jacob, and spending time with my family. These past few months have been packed full but I am determined to keep up this blog if only to be able to look back on it and remember. I so appreciate being able to look back on the beginning of Jacob's little life and read about all his milestones and I want to be able to do that for Isabelle as well. Here are a few belly shots as sweet baby girl has been growing steadily until the big day arrives in July.

My sister-in-law Dana and I. 2 weeks apart.

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

2011-02-16T11:07:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to find out that my little bun is a little girl. We just had our 19 week ultrasound and were told that the little one growing inside me is our first daughter. It explains a lot about this pregnancy too being that I've been so much sicker this time than i was with Jacob. She also is much more active than I remember Jacob being at this point of my pregnancy and even during the ultrasound she was constantly turning and punching with her little arms. At night and in the morning I'm always feeling her move. I'm a little nervous about what that means later on in the pregnancy when her movements won't be so small. I'm so excited to go shopping for pink, ruffles and lace. She already has received her first few outfits from her Nana. Now to get down to business coming up with what her name is.

My sweet little niece Jadyn Alaina

2011-02-16T10:42:00.000-08:00

My sister Jaclyn just had her first baby on February 1st. A sweet little girl named Jadyn Alaina who was 6lbs 12oz and 21 inches long. She is so much fun to hold and cuddle with and her and mommy are completely healthy and doing great.

Daddy and Jadyn meeting for the first time

Sweet love!

My baby bump

2011-02-16T10:37:00.000-08:00

This is my little baby at 18 weeks.

My creative boy

2011-02-16T10:03:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I posted anything on here so I'll do some picture catch up. Jacob is loving every minute of life and turning into more and more of a little boy and less of a toddler every day. He is talking A LOT more and gets all crazy sometimes running around the house yelling and trying to tackle daddy. He LOVES every minute of spending time with his daddy and even prefers to hold his daddy's hand on the weekends over mommy's hand. I have been upset by this occasionally but am glad that Jacob's relationship is so strong with Mike as it should be. Also even though daddy is #1 on the weekends and in the evening I get all his kisses and love throughout the week days and am eating up every minute of them especially since I know my time is going to be harder to give him after this new little one is born. He's my favorite little boy in the entire world!

Playing with his race track

Serious work

My budding artist

wearing his painting smock

Fun in the tub!

Reading while he gets his hair brushed

Jacob's spa

Our bun in the oven

2010-12-29T10:18:00.001-08:00

By the way...Mike and I are going to have another baby. We are very excited and look forward to watching our family grow. We are also very interested to see how Jacob reacts to the changes of having a new baby brother/sister around. I am about 12 weeks along right now and almost out of the 1st trimester (thank the Lord!). Our new little bundle of joy will be due around July 9th.

Christmas in Woodinville

2010-12-28T11:48:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful evening the day after Christmas up at Mike's sister Theresa's house. We hung out with her and her husband Samir and their three kiddos Michael, Angelique and Matthew. Mike's brother Cliff and his wife Dana came over as well to share in the fun. Jacob had a blast playing with his cousins and opening up his new toys. We also had fun playing Just Dance 2 which our nephew Michael had just received. Theresa made a very yummy meal and we just spent the evening playing and talking. Thanks for having us up Theresa and Samir.

Cousin Michael introducing his guinea pig to Jacob

Theresa and her three munchkins

Cousins Matthew, Angelique and Michael

Aunt Theresa and Jacob

Michael and Jacob

Angelique and Jacob

Unfortunately I didn't get any pics of the adults, but we all had a good time as well! :)

Christmas!

2010-12-28T11:13:00.001-08:00

We had such a FUN Christmas this year! Jacob really got into opening everything and had a look of complete excitement with every present that he opened. We loved watching him. We spent the morning here at home until 10 and then rushed over to Nana and Granddad's for more present opening and fun times with the whole extended family. We had a yummy turkey and ham dinner along with every other holiday dish you can think of. My mom always knows how to throw a GREAT party. Merry Christmas everyone and may we always remember that Jesus Christ humbled himself and became a baby so that we may be saved through faith in His death and resurrection!

Jacob's big present from mommy and daddy. A fun art easel!

Another fun present that great Grandma Olsson

My amazing mom and my aunt Erin

My sister Julianne

My little sister Dasha and I

My silly cousins Sean and Ryan and aunt Cathy

My brother-in-law Jordan whose married to my adorable sister Jackie (below) whose 8 months preggo.

My sister Joanna and mom

My Dad (ready for the party)

My handsome husband

Meeting Santa Clause

2010-12-28T10:15:00.001-08:00

So this year was the first that Jacob had no desire to sit on Santa's lap and smile. Mommy stood in line with him for about 2 hours at the mall in order to get that perfect picture and when we finally got up there Jacob wanted nothing to do with the jolly old man. *Sigh* At least it wasn't a total bust, Jacob ended up sitting by himself on the big green chair while Santa snuck in behind the chair and popped over the top when Jacob wasn't looking.

Last years photo

Jacob's first Christmas

So being the stubborn mom that I am We had the opportunity to head over to Nana and Granddad's house where Santa would be making a special appearance. After much coaxing, a present, a couple of crackers and a good book Jacob was finally willing to sit on the big man's lap. Hopefully next year Santa won't be so scary.

Trying to convince Jacob that Santa's a good guy

Jacob and his uncles.

It's about time for a post

2010-12-23T19:18:00.000-08:00

Well we have had a busy Christmas season and I have not had the time to get on the computer to post all about it. We have had a ton of fun from cutting down Christmas trees, decorating the house, getting Jacob his first real hair cut, baking cookies and shopping for all sorts of presents. This is the first year that Jacob has started to understand the excitement surrounding Christmas and we have had fun gearing him up for it.

Happy boy hunting for Christmas trees. It took us two tree farms before we found the perfect one!

This years Christmas tree

Decorating the house all pretty.

Trying to fill up Daddy's shoes.

The first haircut experience went very well.

Some yummy mac-n-cheese after the haircut.

First Snow

2010-11-22T13:01:00.000-08:00

Everything is covered in white and it's that time to bundle up and play in the snow! Jacob enjoyed his first snow fall of the season and liked being pulled in the sled, making snowballs, and discovered what snow tastes like. He did not appreciate however falling in the snow face first or the whole process of getting dressed and ready to go out in it. Since my big-little man has grown completely out of last years snow suit mommy had to improvise with footy pajamas under sweat pants and a wool sweater. Top that off with a Thomas the tank engine rain coat, rain pants and rain boots with some extra socks, hat and mittens and you got Jacob's snow gear. Lot's of layers but I'm sure he was warm and dry.

A boy and his sled!

My sweet little man

After about 45 minutes Jacob was done playing in the snow despite mommy trying to coax him to play longer. *sigh* Oh well

Trick or Treat

2010-11-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

We had a very fun Halloween once again. It was fun to see everyone dressed up and our little man took the cake with his engineer costume (and I'm totally not biased at all). Yet again we had a ton of kids come by the house for a little candy and we ended up going through 4 whole huge bags of candy. WOW!!!! Jacob loved giving out all the candy when the door bell rang. He would drop whatever he was doing and run as fast as he could to the door. Depending on what the costumes were he would either enthusiastically drop a piece a candy in the bag (to the lady bugs, princesses, or spidermans) or stand back in shock at the scary masks. We had fun and my little sister Joanna even volunteered to dress up as Thomas the tank engine and let Jacob lead her around the neighborhood.

The spooky dinner table

Aunt Jackie the mime...she won hands down for costume creativity

Aunt Julianne the duchess

Aunt Dasha the angel with attitude :)

My engineer and his train

My brothers Indiana Jones (Johnny) & Robin Hood (Josh)

My mom (Jean), Dasha, Jackie, me, and Pearl

Dasha, Jackie, great Grandma Pearl, and Dana

The Sea Ranch

2010-11-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

We had the amazing privilege to travel to the northern California coast with most of the Hanks clan early October. Mike's mom rented us all a beautiful house with a gorgeous view of the ocean and we spend a long weekend with her and everyone else including: Uncle Cliff, Aunt Dana, Aunt Julie, Grandpa Hanks, Uncle Shawn, Aunt Mari, and cousins Alexa and Ryder. Sea Ranch is beautiful and we had fun walking along the bluffs overlooking the ocean, observing the tide pools, flying kites, and jumping in the waves despite the freezing cold water. We had wonderful meals provided by Grandma Hanks and got to play games and just hang out in the evenings. It was fantastic. Thank you so much Pat for sharing Sea Ranch with us! We love you!

Hmmm...which shovel should I choose

Aunt Juju, Grandpa Hanks, & Grandma Hanks

Aunt Mari with her munchkins

My crazy boy

Uncle Cliff fishing in the surf

Daddy shielding himself from the wind

Uncle Shawn's attempt at blocking the wind

Our pretty walk through the park to the beach

Grandpa Hanks

Pretty cousin Alexa

Our trilby kite

Walking along the Sea Ranch bluff

Sea Ranch is so beautiful

Checking out the tide pools

While checking out the tide pools we also came across some larger sea life.

I love my two guys

Grandma Hanks and our big boy

On our last night we even got a beautiful sunset

Jacob was sad to go home

Lake Easton

2010-09-30T14:03:00.001-07:00

Our last hurrah of the summer (even though it's fall) :) Mike, Jacob, and I went camping this past weekend with our friends the Stulls and Archibalds. We had a gorgeous day on Saturday. We went for a hike, had a picnic, played on a playground, threw rocks in the lake, and sat around the campfire roasting smore's. It was almost absolutely perfect except for waking up to a wet Sunday morning. We tried to pray the rain away but God knew better. It was so much fun to watch all the kiddos play together. We had two 3 year olds (Amelia and William), two 2 year olds (Jacob and Anabelle), and a 6 month old (little Clara). It was quite the crew but everyone seemed to have a great time. Thanks Heather & Eli, Katie & Kyle. We had a great time and we look forward to next years camping trip.

Eli, Heather, William, & Anabelle

Katie & Clara

William & Amelia

Heather & Katie after our hike up the hill. Heather ended up pushing/carrying up a stroller and lunch for the entire group. Thanks Heather

William the happy camper!

These blue chairs were a favorite of the trip. Everyone had to take turns

Daddy and Jacob watching the chicory

Our visit with Sarah and Zack

2010-09-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

We had the fun experience of having Sarah and Zack over for dinner and a play date. It was so fun to watch the boys play together. They both got really excited when the kitty decided to grace us with his appearance outside the bonus room window. Both of them desperately wanted to climb out on the roof with him. Little Zack continuously walked around crying "Mow, mow, mow" and Jacob just squealed at the top of his lungs. They're both pretty darn cute. Thanks Sarah we had a great time with you guys!

More fun at the zoo

2010-09-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

Mike, Jacob and I had some fun at the Point Defiance Zoo earlier in the month when we got to meet up with Uncle Cliff and Aunt Dana. We traveled all around the zoo and even got to see the new baby tigers. However, Jacob's favorite part was definitely the petting zoo. Daddy bought some yummy goat food and shared it with little man. At first Jacob didn't know what to think about those crazy goats but he seemed to warm up after feeding them.

First Hair Cut

2010-08-28T15:23:00.000-07:00

Well it finally happened! I looked at my little man and decided it was time to cut off those baby locks. Jacob did so good sitting on the counter while Daddy cut off the last remnants of his baby-ness. It's a good thing he has those adorable chubby cheeks though otherwise I don't think I could have handled the hair cut. Despite my struggle I must admit that he looks better without the hair poofing out over his ears and sticking straight up all the time. Plus we were able to save a little curl in the back. Here he is before and after. He's turning more and more into the little boy and less the baby.

Before

After

A special visit!

2010-08-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

What fun we had! Aunt Julie and Grandma Hanks both came up from Lodi, California for 2 weeks to visit the family up here. They spent the first week staying with Mike's sister and her three adorable munchkins and the second week they stayed with us. Jacob got attention 24/7 from his adoring grandma and aunt and loved every minute of it. It was fun hanging around the house, walking to the park, going to the zoo, celebrating Jacob birthday and taking a hike down to the water at Kopachuck state park. We also had the priviledge of having Grandpa Hanks up as well, who flew all the way up just for Jacob's party. What a special treat! We had fun and were sad to see them go. We love you Grandpa, Grandma and Juju!

Dana, Me, Pat (Grandma), and Julie (Aunt Juju)

Mike, Jacob, Cliff Sr. (Grandpa), and Cliff

Playing at the park for about 15 minutes on one of the hottest days of the year. We quickly decided there was just way to much concrete and not enough trees.

Looking at the puffins (I think) at the zoo with Grandma and Juju

Checking out the seals

At Kopachuck state park

Pretty Aunt Juju

Best buds

Grandma

Julie and I

2 years old!

2010-08-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

Well he has hit the two's and so far it hasn't been terrible. In fact it has been quite the opposite. There have been a few tantrums here and there but over-all we have a pretty perfect little boy. Yes I said it, he's now a little boy but luckily the chubby cheeks have remained for mommy to kiss like crazy. We had a great time with our family and friends for a fun backyard BBQ for his second birthday. The kiddos played in the sandbox and pools while the adults lounged around the patio enjoying each others company. Jacob was spoiled like crazy with so many fun toys (lots of Thomas the train regalia) and loved eating every bit of his cake and ice cream. Even Grandma and Grandpa Hanks, and Aunt Julie from california made the trip up to celebrate with us. Aunt Jackie made an amazing Thomas the train themed birthday cake which was perfect for our little train fan. Mommy and Daddy gave the birthday boy his very own train table and set that we set up in the living room for now. However, I have a feeling it might take up residence in there for quite some time. Jacob will run in there saying, "CHOO CHOO" while raising his arm up like he's pulling the whistle himself. SO CUTE! We love you buddy and to mommy you will always be our sweet little baby.

The awsome birthday cake made by my beautiful sister Jackie

Our friends Andrea and Riley Kilcup

Jacob and cousin Angelique

Opening presents

Jacob's first trcycle from Nana and Granddad

Jacob's new back-hoe from Grandma Hanks

Kisses for Grandma Hanks

Aunt Julianne shares her card with Jacob

Gotta love that cake!

Mmmm ice cream

Jacob and Riley enjoying a ride in the wagon from Uncle Johnny

Mommy's little engineer

Jacob and his trains

P.S. Most of the pictures were taken by my awesome sister-in-law Dana Hanks. Thanks so much Dana!

Oceanside

2010-08-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we spent a grand 5 days on the Oregon coast with the whole family. We stayed in a big house where we headed down to the beach everyday to jump in the waves, build castles, fly kites, and completely cover ourselves in sand. This is the first beach trip that Jacob enjoyed himself. By the end of every day he was completely covered in sand and needing a hose down. Luckily, we never had to actually hose him down completely and usually a good brushing off, removal of pants, and spraying of legs and feet did the job. We found out that he now likes (not loves) the sand and loves running in and out of the waves. He would run towards the ocean (a little farther than I was comfortable with) and then turn on his heals run as fast as he could away from the encroaching waves giggling and laughing the whole way. It was so much fun to watch. We had a great time and I love that my family has built a tradition of spending time on the beautiful Oregon coast every year since I was little. We are greatly blessed by such an amazing family. Thank you so much Mom and Dad for hosting us. We love you!

1-2-3....SWING!

Our trilby kite. It's so much fun to fly.

Jacob loved every minute of playing on the beach with his uncle Johnny

He is every bit of what his shirt says

Our gracious hosts...we love you mom and dad!

Julianne, Jackie (w/ baby J) and Jordan

I don't know why I even bother rolling them up...he gets wet anyway

Oh how I love my little beach bum

Jacob getting some love from Aunties Joanna and Julianne

A visit with Dana and Ben

2010-08-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

Jacob and I made a trip up to Bothell to see Aunt Dana and the little boy that she nanny's for. It was a wonderful visit and Ben was such a little sweetie sharing all his toys with Jacob. It was hard to get some good pics of the two of them...they just didn't seem to cooperate with my request for smiles. Afterwards we headed over to Cliff and Dana's for some yummy dinner. It was wonderful Cliff and Dana and I'm glad that we got to come up and visit.

Sharing so nicely

How we have fun at Nana and Granddad's house

2010-08-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

Our desire to cool off led to the slip-n-slide being set up, which led to the quick determination that it was just way too short. After adding a few more tarps to the end of the original we finally decided that we could have fun. A great day in the backyard make for some sweet memories.

My sweet man watching us crazies slip and slide

Fun in the backyard

2010-08-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

We've been having some fun this morning. Setting up the little pool and watching Jacob throw all shorts of things in and then fish them out again. I sure love living in the northwest on days like these.

Oh no Jacob where did your pants go?

He has such a great little grin

Sweet little bottom

Mowing the lawn

2010-07-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we finally got around to mowing our incredibly long grass after 2 weeks of being gone and Jacob wanted to join in the fun as well. He pushes/pulls his little cow mower all around while daddy pushes the large noisy mower. We hope to train him early! :)

He also liked going around and telling mommy where she needed to water the plants.

Apparently I didn't do a very good job.

"It's okay mommy...I forgive you"

The 4th

2010-07-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

We had a blast this 4th of July celebrating it with my whole family in Idaho on beautiful Lake Pend Orielle. The 12 of us (Nana, Granddad, Aunties Julianne, Jackie, Dasha, and Joanna, Uncles Jordan, Johnny, and Josh, Jacob, Mike and I) all spent an entire week between two condos at a little resort right on the lake. Granddad brought the speed boat and we spent the next week tubing and wake boarding to our hearts contents. Even Jacob jumped on the tube for a little while. We got a few smiles from him up until the ride was over and water came over the front of the tube getting him all wet. Apparently he believes in a dry tubing experience. The 4th of July was a little on the cold side and thunder storms rolled in just as the fire works show started. It was pretty incredible watching the fireworks while seeing flashes of lightening streak the sky directly behind the barge they were shooting them off from. I must say that God's fireworks are definitely more powerful than anything we can come up with. It warmed up shortly after that which allowed us to jump in the lake without freezing. We enjoyed all our meals together and then after the sun went down we spent the evenings doing a Bible study together. It was wonderful to slow life down a little bit and enjoy great quality time with the people I love most in the world. All the Kids

(Mike, Janelle, Dasha, Julianne, Jackie, Jordan, Joanna, Jacob, Johnny, and Josh)

Our little family

Me and my wonderful sisters

Lake Pend Orielle always puts on a great fireworks display. We watched from the comfort of our little deck off the condo as they shot them off from a barge positioned in the middle of the bay. It rained & thundered during the whole show but that was okay with us since the deck was covered

Every day we were able to play tennis. The whole family took turns while Jacob meandered about the courts pushing trucks and picking up balls.

My little muscle man

Johnny and Jordan waiting their turn.

Dasha and Jordan kicking some tennis butt.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. He really wanted to go fishing with his uncles.

Ready for some serious fun.

My cool dudes...admiring the view.

My dad driving his boat. This is the place that he spends most of the vacation when we go to the lake.

My handsome man taking over! We tried to give dad a few breaks here and there. It was hard to watch the tubing though when that sexy face was looking my way ;)

Lake Pend Orielle is huge and completely gorgeous.

Jacob tubing for the first time. He was a little nervous but we got a few smiles.

On our way back home we stopped at Silverwood theme park and enjoyed the water park and rides. Jacob is really into Thomas the Train right now so he was excited when we got to see the little steam engine take off. He hadn't gotten a nap at this point and was a little sleepy during the whole experience however.

This was Silverwood's play on the Dumbo ride. These elephants' ears, however, weren't even close to being big enough to get that huge body in the air so I was a little confused on how they were taking to the sky. Jacob seemed to enjoy the ride despite the poor design :)

The park also had a water park attached to it as well. We spent most the day letting Jacob play in "Toddler Springs". This was my favorite part of the day. Water slides and roller coasters are fun sure...but there was nothing like watching Jacob giggle and scream about streams of water shooting out of the ground. He had a blast and was completely drenched at the end of the day.

A day with the Attalah's

2010-06-26T21:41:00.001-07:00

We just had a great day watching my oldest nephew Michael, 11, play baseball at a local park in Tacoma. He played great and their team won 7-1. Jacob got to play with Angelique and Matthew, his other cousins, during the game while Mike and I got to enjoy time with Theresa, Mike's sister, and her husband, Samir. We then enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Chevy's restaurant. Mmmmmm tex mex! We had a great time guys and loved hanging out. We'll see you soon!

Here's the brood: from left to right - Angelique, Matthew, and Michael

Happy Fathers Day Mike!

2010-06-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

You are a wonderful father and I am so blessed to be able to share with you the joys and struggles of raising our children together. I love you so much!

Graduation!

2010-06-16T10:39:00.001-07:00

My little sister Dasha is graduating high school this summer and is a couple quarters from getting her Assosiate degree from the local community college. We are so proud of her and know that she will accomplish great things. Dasha you are such a blessing to our family and I'm so excited to see what God will do with your life. I love you!

Camping at Scenic Beach State Park

2010-06-07T09:41:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful weekend...despite the rain. Our little family heading out Friday after Mike got off work and drove the 45 minutes to Scenic Beach State Park on the Hood Canal. The whole way there we were crossing our fingers for the rain to stay away and about 15 minutes from the campground it started pouring down. Remaining optimistic I looked up in the sky to see a small patch of blue amidst all the gray and just hoped that it would be positioned above our campsite so we could get the tent up without much difficulty. We pulled in and to our delight, my wish came true. We were able to set up all the tents and organize our campsite and even enjoy a fire with s'mores before it began to rain again. The next morning we awoke to sun streaming in through the trees surrounding us. We had a beautiful Saturday and hiked down to the beach to throw rocks and discover little sea creatures that Jacob got a kick out of. My amazing husband willingly carried our big guy all around on his back. We laid out in the warm sun and soaked up all the smells and sounds of sleeping in the great outdoors. It seemed to only rain at night, which I find incredibly peaceful. There is not anything like the soft pitter patter of rain drops falling on a tent while you are all cozy in a warm sleeping bag inside. However, wet gear makes clean up more difficult but we managed to get it all packed up and then un-packed it in our garage at home to dry out for the night. Basically, Mike and I are getting really good at putting together and tearing apart our tent. We had a wonderful time and are so grateful to live in such an amazingly beautiful place. Thank you Lord for the amazing weekend!

Playing peekaboo while Daddy puts the tent stakes in

Jacob loving his first s'more

This was after our first night...Jacob had some trouble sleeping in a tent and ended up waking up a little cranky. He needed a serious pick-me-up.

There were pink rhododendrons everywhere throughout the forest

Jacob is always hanging out in the kitchen with us wherever we are

The boy and his stick

What a beautiful place we live in

What a trooper...that's a whole lot of boy on his back

Checking out the little crabs on the beach

Throwing rocks with Daddy

Our big boy helper...he wanted to get into the action by helping mommy and daddy fold the tarps up.

Happy Birthday Mike!

2010-05-30T20:54:00.001-07:00

My sweet husband's birthday was just this last week and we had a nice little family party for him over at our house. I love you so much sweetie and I'm so glad that you are mine! Happy Birthday!

This was Mike's birthday present. A garage organization system...doesn't look like much but it's such a blessing!

2010-05-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

Just so you aren't under the impression that he's always a stinker...

Playing in his new sand box. Still not sure about that sand though.

Playing with playdoh.

Oh how I love him! Tantrums and all.

Tantrums

2010-05-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

Yep, you heard right, we have a major tantrum thrower whenever it comes to his stomach. Whenever mommy is doing anything in the kitchen, from washing dishes to making dinner, my continuously hungry munchkin comes in, stands by the pantry door, and lets me have it something fierce. I've been slowly trying to teach him that screaming at me is not the right way to ask for anything but it's a slow process. Don't get me wrong Jacob is a doll in every way, but I fear for the terrible two's being that this is happening and he's only 20 months. :-O

Standing at the door demanding a cracker. *sigh*

What am I going to do with that boy?

This is the little stinker after he's finally gotten what he wanted.

Aunt Julie's visit

2010-04-27T11:21:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful time we had with aunt Julie while she was visiting from California. We had the privilege of having her as our guest for about a week. Jacob basically had a playmate completely devoted to his every whim for a whole 5 days. For the next few days now that she's gone he is going to be disappointed that it's just boring 'ol mommy now :) We also made a trip to NW Trek and enjoyed looking at all the animals and getting out of the house despite the yucky weather. Uncle Cliff and Aunt Dana came down too and we enjoyed a wonderful evening and afternoon talking and eating the yummy food that Dana brought down.

Not only did Jacob have tons of fun with his aunt Juju but it was so wonderful to get a companion for me as well. I loved relaxing while it continued to rain outside, watching HGTV and getting to talk all afternoon. I hope I didn't talk your ears off Julie! We will miss you and can't wait for you next trip up.

That's one big doggy!

Jacob chillin' on the tram

Jacob loves to float in the bath tub

Happy Resurrection Day

2010-04-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

We had a nice Easter this year even though it was a small gathering. Since my Mom and Dad were still in Hawaii, I decided to make a nice dinner for Mike, Jacob, my sister Dasha, and my Grandma. We busted out the nice china and linens and I made my first attempt at leg of lamb. Everything turned out great. The only issue was the length of time it took to cook the lamb, but things never work out the first time, right? We decorated eggs, had Jacob go on a little Easter egg hunt, and even painted a resurrection sign together. It was a wonderful day and I pray that Jacob grows up knowing just how important this day is. We are reminded of the great love the Father has for us in that He sent his only Son to death on a cross in order to pay the penalty for our sin. And on this day Jesus Christ overcame death so that we also may be conquerors and live eternally with Him in heaven. Praise God and Happy Resurrection Day!!!!

He's off!

"Look mom I found one"

More Hawaii Pics

2010-04-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more fun pics from Jacob's and my trip to Hawaii.

Jacob hated the sand so this was a rare moment that his mommy got him to play in it.

as you can see he is not too happy about it though.

A rainbow off of our balcony

Enjoying the sunset

Hawaii

2010-03-23T17:00:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting here in a beautiful hotel room while my little munchkin sleeps in the other room and looking as ocean waves come crashing onto the Hawaiian coast line. What a blessed life I have. Jacob and I had the joy of joining my Mom and sisters in Hawaii for a 1 week vacation. Mike unfortunately is not with us because he had to travel for work to meet a few customers and attend a trade show with his company. We miss him dearly and never miss an opportunity to call him on the phone which is hard to coordinate since he is 6 hours ahead of us in Florida. Jacob has enjoyed our Hawaiian schedule of waking up at 6:30 having some breakfast, putting our bathing suits on and heading down to the pool to play. We've also taken a few trips out to the beach which I've discovered he doesn't seem to like as much as the pool. I put him in the sand and he looks up at me with sandy hands outstretched whining that he has sand all over. I keep telling him that he is a boy and should like being dirty but he doesn't believe me I guess. He did love watching the waves crash in however from the comfort of mommy's arms...up off the sand! He giggled uncontrollably every time a wave came. He's so cute and is most content sitting on a pool chair playing with his cars. I'm hoping by the end of the week to entice him to actually jump in off the side of the pool into mommy's arms. We shall see. I love you Mike and I miss you terribly. I wish you were here and I'm sure you feel the same way.

Paradise sledding

2010-03-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

Paradise

2010-03-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

This weekend we headed up to Paradise, Mt. Rainier. What a BEAUTIFUL day! The sun was out and we took Jacob for his first sledding experience. He loved sliding down the hill with mommy and daddy giggling the whole way, however, he did not seem to like not being able to get his footing on the slippery snow and wanted both of us to carry him everywhere. Hiking up a mountain with a 35 lb kid is quite a lot of work. We loved playing in the snow and the fantastic views. We also stopped at a creek on our way down and took a small hike. Jacob seemed to have no fear of the water and immediately headed right for it. If left alone I'm sure he would have jumped right in for a refreshing swim. Mommy and Daddy ruin all his fun.

I love you Babe!

2010-03-01T18:39:00.001-08:00

I had such a wonderful weekend with my sweetie celebrating the last three happy years of our marriage. We we're able to escape down to Portland, just the two of us, thanks to my awesome parents and sister. Thanks guysfor taking care of our little munchkin! We stayed at the Westin downtown, just a short walking distance to great restaurants and shopping. I loved walking around hand in hand with my sweet husband and getting to take our time everywhere we went. Mike also took me to the ballet where we watched "A Mid-summer Nights Dream" which the Oregon City Ballet did beautifully. Then on our way back to the hotel we stopped in to The Melting Pot for some yummy chocolate fondue. Sweetie, I love you and there is nothing else in the world I would rather do than get to spend my entire day with you, even if we aren't doing anything. Thank you so much for such a wonderful weekend and treating me like a queen. I love you so much! Our weekend was just fabulous and then we got to come home and greet our sweet little boy who had a big smile for both his Mommy and Daddy. What a great way to come home.

Girls Weekend

2010-02-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful weekend I had! I had the opportunity and privledge to spend Friday and Saturday at a church women's retreat with my Mom and two sisters Julianne and Dasha. We got to stay at the beautiful Alderbrook resort out on the Hood canal. The weather was perfect and the scenery was amazing. We had the opportunity to study Psalm 119 with a bunch of other women that go to our church. It is such a beautiful Psalm reminding me just how in love I should be with God's Word and all the blessings that come from storing His law in my heart. It is so amazing to get to study about the Creator of this universe and then step outside and observe His majestic mountains. I loved getting to have a slumber party with my mom and sisters as well since I don't get to do that as much and was able to finally get to know a few of the women that attend our big church in hopes of making connections with other mommy's in my area. Thank you God for blessing me so much!

If you can't read the sign it says:

"Unattended kids will be given a double espresso and a puppy!

How blessed are those whose way is blameless,

who walk in the law of the Lord.

How blessed are those who observe His testimonies,

who seek Him with all their heart.

Psalm 119:1-2

Fun in the Sun

2010-02-19T10:37:00.000-08:00

We sure are enjoying this beautiful weather and I discovered that Jacob loves to play in the park that is in the neighborhood adjacent from ours. He giggled and laughed as he climbed through the fun tube and saw his silly Mommy poking her head through the other side. He's always so curious and constantly exploring. I love to watch him. February is always a favorite month of mine and we have been enjoying it immensely. I get to enjoy my birthday, valentines day and our anniversary all crammed into the shortest month of the year. I turned 29 this year and hope that it goes by real slow being that I'll no longer be in my twenties next year. My family and husband were so sweet showering me with gifts and taking me out to dinner. It's amazing how time seems to be flying by with every year that passes faster and faster. Here's some fun photos of my little man playing in the sun.

Sometimes hats make it hard to see!

Jacob's favorite way to go down slides

It's hard to believe the cherry blossoms are already coming out

It's time for an update!

2010-02-01T12:42:00.000-08:00

Wow it's been quite awhile. It's amazing how time can run away from me so quickly. It felt like the beginning of December just yesterday and it's already February. We've done quite a bit these past few months including a very fun Christmas/New Years vacation to Orlando, FL and Disney World. My parents treated the whole family to 10 days in Florida by renting a big house 10 minutes from Walt Disney World with plenty of room and our own pool. We spent our time hopping around to different theme parks like Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood studios, and Animal Kingdom. Mike and I had such a blast watching Jacob take in all the fun. We found out that his favorite rides include dumbo (which he didn't want to get off of), the merry-go-round, and above all else "It's A Small World". Here are some pictures of everything. Thanks Mom and Dad for giving us such a wonderful vacation. We LOVED it!!!

Since getting back our lives have returned back to their normal rhythms, with Mike working at Continuant and me picking up a few shifts a week at the hospital in between taking care of our sweet little man. I'm a lucky girl that I have the ability to pick and choose the days I get to work and that I have such a great mom who is willing and happy to watch Jacob when I do have to work. Jacob has picked up a few new tricks as well since the last time I wrote. He is now a full fledged toddler and is walking everywhere! It's so cute to watch him meander about with his arm out for balance and his legs spread wide like he just dismounted a horse. He sure gets around quickly and needs to be watched even more carefully since he's now figured out how to open doors and likes to head straight out to the garage! He also loves that he can carry things around with him and will be often found wandering around with either a toy of his or mommy's tuppaware which he loves to take from the kitchen. He sure keeps us busy!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T20:35:00.000-08:00

For turkey day we took a road trip all the way down to Lodi, CA with our little guy and my sister and brother-in-law, Dana and Cliff to spend the Holiday with Mike's side of the family. This was our first holiday that we got to spend with them and it was very special. My wonderful mother-in-law graciously accepted us into her home and provided a wonderful turkey dinner. It was wonderful to get to spend more time with Pat, my mother-in-law, Cliff, my father-in-law, and Mike's sisters, Julie and Lori since we hardly get to see them being so far away. Jacob again loved hanging out with his little 6 year old cousin Alexa who entertained him to no end. Alexa also entertained me by allowing me to play with her hair and cuddle constantly. It was nice getting my little girl fix since Jacob is go go go. While it wasn't the entire Hanks clan it was so special to gather as many people as we did around the dinner table to give thanks. I'm so glad that it worked out that Cliff and Dana could come down with us and I pray that we're able to visit again soon. Thank you Pat for all your hospitality.

The gang at Grandma Hanks house

Aunt Julie and Jacob

with aunt Lori

Aunt Dana with cousin Alexa

Grandpa Hanks

Playing with Grandma Hanks' pots and pans

My two little sweeties

Heading to the park

A trip to the nail salon

Halloween

2009-11-01T22:57:00.000-08:00

What a fun Halloween! We were able to have most of the family over and serve a great dinner before trick-or-treating. The whole family got into dressing up this year and we all paraded around the neighborhood before dinner to show off our costumes with the rest of the kiddos. I love how our neighborhood gets so into the fun. We even have neighbors who host a talking pumpkin, lovingly known as pumpkin head Fred, who comes out every Halloween and wows all the kids at how he carries on conversations with them. Jacob was a little unsure of a talking pumpkin man and decided he would rather steer clear. Oh well maybe next year. We had such a fun time but mommy can't wait till next year when my little monkey will be walking. He may be cute and cuddly but he's getting a little too big to be carrying around the neighborhood. I hope you enjoy the pics.

Such a chubby monkey

The whole gang

My sisters and I all dressed up with Grandma Alspach

My mom's dog Lily dressed up as a doggy princess

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-31T10:05:00.000-07:00

We had tons of fun digging into pumpkins this year. My mom always hosts such a fun pumpkin carving party and she did it again this year. We kick off the evening with a very yummy meal and follow it with getting creative with our pumpkins. We thought it would be fun to get Jacob a pumpkin this year as well, however, that just meant that Mommy and Daddy had to carve three instead of two. Silly us! We also got to have hot spiced cider and bob for apples. To finish it off we all displayed our pumpkins on the porch and stood amazed at our creativity as we lit the candles.

Jacob's scary face

Ewwww gross

What's in the Daddy?

All lit up

Pumpkins

2009-10-21T09:38:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we went out to Maris farms with the whole family to pick out which pumpkins would be lovingly carved into beautiful masterpieces. Jacob was his usually happy self and it was fun to place him in the wheelbarrow and navigate him around the pumpkin patch. Along with getting pumpkins we also enjoyed their mine shaft slide, yummy roasted corn and great corn maze which my brothers loved running ahead and getting lost in. What a blast the fall can be and thank you God for such an amazing place we live in to enjoy all the seasons.

Mommy's little pumpkin

Oh how I love my Dad!

Jacob loves Granddad as well

My amazing great big family

Our coffee lover

2009-10-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

This is a very late post but Jacob was given a minature starbucks apron from a good friend of mine Candy Spradling and we took him to one of the stores and took a few pics. Unfortuneately they wouldn't let us take a picture of him by the counter. Thanks so much for the fun apron Candy! These pictures were taken this past June.

Aunt Julie visits

2009-10-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

Mike's sister Julie was able to come up for a couple of weeks and stay with us over the weekend. This was her first trip up to Washington since Mike and my wedding and it was so much fun to be able to relax with her and show her around Gig Harbor. Jacob also loved having Aunt JuJu up because he knew that he could get anything he wanted whenever he wanted it with is aunt being here. Julie we had so much fun with you and I'm looking forward to seeing you over Thanksgiving. Thank you for staying with us.

So happy to see Aunt JuJu

Downtown Gig Harbor with Cliff and Dana

A visit with friends

2009-09-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity over Labor Day weekend to head down south to Sherwood, OR to see our friends Mark and Katie as well as Seth and Meghan. It was such a blast being able to hang out and watch Jacob play with Mark and Katie's little ones Henry and Savannah. Henry is 2 and half (born on our wedding day!) and Savannah is just three weeks younger than Jacob. The kids played all weekend and Savannah even tackled Jacob to the floor showing him who was boss :) On Saturday we even got to get out for a little adult time and had the joy of eating dinner kid free and racing some go-karts at a local arcade. It was a blast! It was so much fun to hang out with everyone again and it reminds me just how much I miss seeing them in between times. Thanks you guys for such a fun weekend! Lets not wait so long next time.

We all look so good in hair nets

Our Big Boy!!!!

2009-08-18T21:46:00.001-07:00

Well our big man weighed in at 27lbs 1oz at his 12 month appointment. That puts him in the 95th percentile. Way to go my little chunk-a-munk!

Oregon Coast

2009-08-18T21:36:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we had the privilege of joining my family on the Oregon coast down near Tillamook. My parents rented a big cabin for everybody and we were able to all get together for a nice little vacation. We loved being able to relax with all my sisters and brothers play cards until all hours of the night. ;) It turns out that our little man is quite a beach bum. We spent our days running in and out of the surf with him and letting him cram sand into every little roll that he possesses. Every time we ran into the surf he would giggle with delight and when I put him down and helped him walk, the first thing he did was head right for those crashing waves. We're definitely going to have to watch him like a hawk as soon as he figures out this walking thing the next time we're at the beach. We had so much fun and I can't wait until the next time we get the chance to play in the sand. Thank you so much Mom and Dad for the great time and great food. We love you!

Playing in the waves

My sister Dasha and I

My sisters Jackie and Julianne relaxing

My sister Joanna and her dog Lily

She really likes horses.

Crazy boy! That's freezing.

My brothers Josh and Johnny.

Happy Birthday Baby

2009-08-13T00:08:00.000-07:00

Exactly one year ago August 13th at 12:08 AM our little man joined our family and has since captured our hearts with every grin and giggle he makes. It's hard to believe that he is already a whole year old and yet at the same time it's hard to remember our family without him. Our little boy who entered this world at a healthy 9lbs 6oz continues to stay big and strong. He now weighs 27lbs 1oz and is the cutest chubby little thing ever. I love every single little roll and those adorable kissable chubby cheeks. Jacob we love you so much. You fill our lives with such joy and laughter. Don't grow too fast our sweet little man!

One Day Old

One Month Old

Two Months old

Three Months old

4 months old 5 months old

6 months old

7 months old 8 months old 9 months old

10 months old

11 months old

One Year Old!

One Year Birthday Party!!!

2009-08-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go?!!! My little man is already one year old. Thinking about it too much makes my eyes well up. While I will miss the days of him falling asleep in my arms, taking naps on mommy and daddy's chest, and fitting perfectly in the crook of my arm, I am looking forward to watching him learn and grow. Every day he discovers something new and watching him, for me, is like discovering the world all over again. We celebrated his birthday this past Sunday with so many friends and family. It was wonderful! Mike and I threw the party at my parents house where we could set up two big bounce houses and invited our friends and their growing families. All in all I believe we had a total of 17 kids running around everywhere ranging in age from 9 weeks to 10 years. It was great getting to see everyone and their growing little munchkins. Jacob was greatly spoiled and we have more new toys than we know what to do with. I guess were going to have to expand the play area to our bonus room. Thank you everyone for coming out and playing with us and for all the love you showered on us and Jacob. We love you all!

Jacob's homemade cake

Grandma Hanks, Aunt Theresa and cousins Angelique and Matthew

It's time for cake!

Playing with our friends Sarah and Zachary in the bounce house.

Sarah, Zachary, and little Maggie

Happy Birthday to my sweet little monkey! I love you with all my heart.

11 months

2009-07-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

I can't believe in just one more month my baby is going to turn 1 year. This past year seems like it has flown by. Jacob is such a blessing to our family and we couldn't have been gifted with a better baby. He is as happy as can be and is constantly giving his mommy and daddy big smiles and giggles which melt our hearts. Our house is slowly becoming more and more baby proof each time he finds something new to explore. Army crawling is his preferred method of transportation only second to mommy and daddy helping him walk around the house, however, there is only so much a back can take as your bent over a baby. This past week he's discovered pulling himself up in his crib (when he's suppose to be napping) and pushing himself up to a sitting position. He's a big boy with tons of cute rolls everywhere. His 9 month appointment he weighed close to 23 pounds so I'm sure he's closer to 25 by now. We love him so much and are trying to hang on to every moment while we can and still enjoying him learn and grow at the same time. Here's a few portraits I got of him and us this past month through a local photographer. Enjoy!

Spaghetti

2009-07-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

Jacob's first time eating Spaghetti. He LOVED it!

4th of July

2009-07-07T21:28:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful 4th this year. We kicked off the day by making a little road trip up to Bainbridge Island for their street fair and parade to get us in the Spirit. Jacob seemed to really like watching all the different colors and noises the entire day. He especially liked the fire engines and police cars when they flashed their lights and blew their sirens. The parade was cute and consisted of everything from the silver medalist on the American swim team to a pack of basset hounds. We then headed home for a fun BBQ with some family and went to watch the fireworks nearby at Henderson Bay. Jacob did so well and even smiled during the chaos that is the 4th of July. Such a brave boy!

Aunt Jackie and Uncle Jordan with Jacob

They even decorated their dump trucks

Aunt Jackie entertaining Jacob with bubbles

Jacob's first trip to Lodi

2009-06-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

Mike, Jacob, and I had the opportunity to finally get down to Lodi, CA to visit Mike's parents and sisters. Mike set up a last minute meeting with a customer down in Stockton, CA and so Jacob and I tagged along for a nice visit with family. Jacob got to meet for the very first time his aunts Julie and Mary, uncle Eric, and cousins Alexa and Ryder. It was wonderful to get to see everybody and watch Jacob get to know each and every new face. Jacob and I stayed to played with Grandma Hanks and Alexa all day while Mike was meeting customers. Alexa was great with Jacob and entertained him the entire day. Mike would get home and then we would have an amazing meal made special by Grandma Hanks with all the family. We love you guys so much and wish that we could get more opportunities to get down there and see you. Mike, Jacob and I all send hugs your way.
Jacob and Grandpa Hanks

Jacob loves his Grandma

Alexa and Jacob = Best buds

I think they both were tired of me taking pictures

Aunt Julie and Jacob

Aloha from Oahu

2009-06-07T12:29:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to vacation in Hawaii this May with my parents (John and Jean Olsson) along with my little sister and brother (Joanna and Johnny). It was a absolute blast and I couldn't have asked for a more relaxing time. We stayed at the Marriott Beach Club in Ko Olina which is on the island of Oahu. It was Jacob's first long plane ride, as well as, trip to the beach and time in a pool. He was a dream travel baby. The plane ride went well and he even managed to charm the ladies sitting next to us so that there was no way they would be agitated at the slightest cry he made. Watching him on the beach was such a blast. He would be so content just to sit in the sand and play with the little granules in his hands. It took a little while for us to get him to warm up to the pool. I believe he was just overwhelmed by the size of it (not quite the same as the bath tub!) However, after awhile, he started to relax and enjoy himself. He absolutely loved the waterfalls the resort had falling all over the pool. We had such a great time and are already missing it.

Nothing better than a naked baby on a beach

All dressed up Hawaiian style

Our night out together

at the Polynesian Cultural Center

He's such a fierce warrior

Fun in the pools

Hawaiian sunset

Mmmmm Sand

I love this place!

What do you mean we're leaving?!!!

8 months old!

2009-04-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

This past Monday was Jacob's 8 month birthday anniversary! It's been a little while since I've updated the blog and since then our little man has definitely changed. I am finding it harder and harder to be disciplined about taking pictures and regularly updating everyone since having started nannying and working at the hospital when I can. Life sure gets busy! Despite how crazy things have been though it has been such a blast the few times Mike and I get to get down on the floor and experience playing with our sweet little boy. My favorite time is just after Mike gets home from work when all three of us are laying on the family room carpet and enjoying each others company. We adore watching Jacob laugh, learn and play as he rolls around from toy to toy. In the past couple months he has started rolling all over the place. It is fun to place a toy just out of reach and watch him figure out that by rolling he can get his toy without any problem. We have discovered, though, that he really is only good at rolling in one direction, so, once he hits a piece of furniture or wall after rolling that direction, he eventually gets frustrated and Mommy or Daddy has to pick him up and put him back in the middle of the room. Pretty soon I'm sure he will be able to get around without any help at all. He also started sitting up at about 7 months. His balance still needs a little work but he does great with the support of a few pillows behind him to prevent any head banging on the floor ;).

Jacob's facial expressions are also multiplying. He has just started giving us this huge squinty eyed smile every time one of us says "hello" or "I love you". Plus we have found that he is ticklish which makes me incredibly happy...now I'm not the only one who can be tickle tortured in our family! We continue to adore Jacob and look forward to the next new thing that he will start doing.

Mike and I are also doing well. I have been busy working with Sophie and Emma, every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. They are very sweet little girls and are great with Jacob, making him laugh incessantly. I also have been picking up about 8 hours of work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit every week. It has been great being able to pick and choose when I work in order to coordinate times that my Mom can watch Jacob. Our family had been such a blessing to us and we love having them close by. Mike has also been busy working at Continuant and has made a few great sales in the last month. We thank God for His provision and that He has blessed us both with great jobs. As well as working, Mike continues to attend classes with the University of Phoenix, and will be finishing up his degree requirements this coming December. After that, he will just need to finish a few general education classes and it'll be "pomp and circumstance" for him. He's hoping to complete everything a year from this June.

We also had a wonderful Easter, sharing it with my family here in Gig Harbor. Reflecting on our Saviour's death and resurrection fills us with such joy because of His great love for us and our freedom from fear and death. Thank you Lord for your great sacrifice and victory over death!

Sitting up like a big boy

Two of Jacob's many looks

The park across the street

Playing in the playpen outside

Bath time mohawk attempt...not quite enough hair yet.

It's Been 2 Wonderful Years...

2009-02-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

...since I walked down the aisle and married the most wonderful man in the world. It's so hard to believe how fast time has flown by that Mike and I have already been married 2 years. While it doesn't seem that long ago since we exchanged our vows I feel like I have known and been with him forever. My husband has such a servants heart and treats me with such loving kindness. For our anniversary we experienced our first 24 hour period alone since Jacob was born. It was heavenly! Mike took me to stay up in Seattle at Hotel Vintage, with rooms named after different wineries across the country. We also had a romantic dinner at a fancy restaurant down on the waterfront accompanied by a moonlit walk along the piers. We spent the entire day up in Seattle on Saturday visiting the aquarium and the flower and garden show that was going on at the convention center. While every inch of me loves cuddling and spending time with our adorable son, I am reminded how much I crave and need time alone with my amazing husband. I am truly loved and couldn't be happier. I love you Mike so much and I look forward to celebrating many more anniversaries in our future.

Our Anniversary dessert

6 months

2009-02-13T08:22:00.000-08:00

Jacob is now 6 months old and to celebrate we took a trip to the Dr.'s office for some shots. Poor little guy. :( He's doing great though despite his shots. All smiles and hardly any complaints as always. His length and weight have seemed to plateaued in the last couple months. Length didn't change at all, which I think may be the nurse who measured him at 4 months' fault ;), and his weight is now 18lbs 14oz which puts him in the 75th percentile. No longer off the charts but still a big boy. His most favorite things to do are sitting in his little jumparoo and playing with all the toys that surround him, being tossed in the air by mommy and daddy, playing in his bath every night, and chewing on his feet anytime mommy takes his socks off. He's eating three meals a day consisting of fruit and vegetables with rice cereal thrown in there occaisionally. He seems to love almost anything I feed him except he no longer will eat rice cereal just plain and doesn't much appreciate peas. He now is rolling from his tummy to back without any difficulty at all making it really difficult to have tummy time. For meals now we busted out the high chair and he sits there so expectantly while I warm up the fresh baby food that I have frozen. He just so cute and I am addicted to spending every moment I can with him. He loves his Daddy and every time Mike get home from work no matter where Jacob is hanging out in the house he always greets Daddy with a huge smile. What blessing these past 6 months have been.