FAMILY

Anna turns 2!

2012-01-22T16:24:00.001-08:00

We've been having some interesting weather. It tried very hard to snow a few days early last week, but nothing ever stuck. Zane and Nora were very disappointed. Then late one night, it really started to accumulate. The weather man said it would be rain by morning. I thought it was so sad that the kids wouldn't get to enjoy it, so Kevin and I went out at about midnight and built a snowman for them. They enjoyed him for about a day and a half before the rain completely washed him away.

Zane trying to catch snowflakes.

Lyla get very restless when the rest of us are eating and she's not. She started solids this week and here's what she thought about that:
She's generally pretty happy unless she's tired or hungry. She is LOVED by her siblings and they often fight over who gets to play with her. She is pretty "talkative." She babbles a lot. She is a good sleeper and will usually sleep from about 7:30 until 7:00. However, Friday night she was up ALL night. Happy as could be, just babbling away. If Kevin or I went to try to quiet her, her eyes would light up and she would squeal and babble even more.

Nora is just a happy girl most of the time. She's easy to please. She loves to take care of Lyla and is a big help when mom is busy (until she's too much help). She likes to clown around. She is very thoughtful and generous. She likes to wear her clothes backward. Sometimes it's just her shirt, sometimes her shirt and pants. Sometimes it's everything. She is enjoying Joy School. Her best friend is Blythe. She loves being a Sunbeam.

Zane is also enjoying Joy School. He is the only boy in his primary class so he really enjoys interacting with the other boys in Joy School. He is really growing up and getting pretty independent around here. He is learning to read and LOVES it. He's always ask, "What does that say?" and reading words everywhere in his environment. He also loves to take care of Lyla.

Anna just turned two. She is a girl of many personalities. She can be super sweet and kind and generous. But, she is also very headstrong and can throw quite the tantrum. She also likes to be a clown and get a laugh out of Zane and Nora. She will often do whatever they do, but also likes to just go off by herself. She can spend a long, long time by herself just looking at books. She also really likes stuffed animals and every week seems to add another one to her growing pile of "stuff" that she has to sleep with. At bedtime I will put her in bed and she will get all "my stuff" and try to get her arms all around them and lay on top of them. As of now she has a hippo, bear, bunny, sheep, kitty and two blankets.

We just celebrated her birthday! All day, she sang "Happy Birthday to Anna." She spent the morning with daddy, then after nap we went swimming. She had a blast. She got to
Skype with Grandma & Grandpa Tolman. Grandpa & Grandma Pickup came over for pizza, presents and cupcakes. She had a great day and we're so glad she's part of our family.

2012-01-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

Now, don't keel over!

Yes, we're back, and hopefully for good. One of my New Year's resolutions is to blog at least once a month. I can handle that, right? So hold me accountable. My other resolutions are: run the Hippie Chick Half-Marathon in May in 2 hours or less, 100% visiting teaching, read the Book of Mormon before Easter, learn to play the organ.

I'm not going to attempt to catch up on the last, oh seven months, except maybe a post about Lyla's arrival and maybe a Christmas post.

In the meantime, we started off the new year right with a quick family hike around Powell Butte on New Year's Day.

And for your viewing pleasure, here's one of the world's cutest, happiest babies:

May update

2011-06-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

May was a pretty exciting month for us--especially Nora. She has become quite the big girl! She is now officially potty trained and it only took about a week, and quite a bit of bribery. We still have a few accidents, but she is very proud of herself. She is even sleeping through the night and waking up dry. She can also buckle her car seat by herself (if I'm willing to wait about 10 minutes) and usually insists on it. One evening as I was putting her down to bed I couldn't find her blankie--the blankie that she has slept with EVERY SINGLE NIGHT for the last two-and-a-half years! She confidently declared "I don't need it," and went to sleep just fine without it. She didn't even seem to miss it. A couple of weeks went by and this mommy was a little sad about it. First of all, how can she just be so grown-up so fast, and secondly, if she doesn't need it, I do! I would like to put it in my cedar chest. After almost two weeks I decided to move some things to vacuum and I found her blankie behind the kids toy kitchen. Zane suddenly remembered that he hid it there and Nora suddenly decided she did need it after all!

Anna has become quite the little jokester. She is always trying to make people laugh and to get a reaction out of people. She is not yet talking, but she seems to really be taking in the world and understanding how things work.

The most memorable thing we did in May was to go to "Dozer Day" at the quarry in Vancouver. It is a huge event with dozens of big machines that the kids can help drive, plenty of food vendors, free "hard hats", lots of dirt, and you get to ride in the back of an articulated dump truck. As Zane would say, it's a "huge, huge, huge, huge dump truck." Nora didn't think the ride was so great, but Zane thought it was awesome. They didn't want a turn to drive any of the machines, but they sure enjoyed watching. Grandpa Pickup joined us for the day, which made Mom really happy. As we were leaving Zane said "What a great day! I like it when Grandpa can play with us." I'm sure it helps that Grandpa buys pizza, pop, and popcorn, but I think they really enjoy being with him.

We had a string of nice days and we took advantage of every one of them, spending hours at the park, playing and eating lunch. Anna has gotten too brave for my liking, she climbs as high as she can and isn't afraid to do whatever Zane and Nora.
We enjoyed having the Peacock's in town for few days for Collette's wedding. Zane thought it was pretty fun to go to "Joey's party" and they enjoyed blowing bubbles they got there.
Zane was most excited to take swim lessons again. He was much more confident this time and sometimes I had to fight the pool-side urge to tell him to settle down. His teacher seemed to like him though and I think he made the class a lot of fun. He liked to come home and practice his skills in the tub. He passed the first level, "Goldfish" and is now on to "Penguin." However, he informed me he does not want to be a penguin he wants to be a goldfish, so I guess when I register him for his next session we'll just have to wait a few classes to tell him he's a penguin.

Now we're just anticipating a fun trip in July to see family and then the arrival of this baby! We're down to just a couple of months. We still haven't picked a name and we're really limiting ourselves. Kevin insists that it has to be four letters and Zane says she has to have an 'a' and an 'n' because all the other kids do. I am totally open to suggestions!

Happy Birthday, Kevin

2011-04-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a BEAUTIFUL day and we had a lot of fun celebrating Kevin's birthday. We let him sleep in a bit and then made him breakfast--"roll-up pancake" as Zane and Nora call them. Then the kids and Kevin played outside and worked in the garage while Holly baked a cake and got some things ready. Grandma P., Jennifer and Jessica came swimming with us. Then we came home and had pizza and presents. Grandma and Grandpa got him a hitch for his truck so Grandpa and Dad decided to make a project out of it, then and there. Probably the best thing Kevin could do on his birthday. We girls and kids hung around for a while, then walked to the park and played, then came back to see if they were ready for cake yet! Finally, after about another 45 minutes, they were ready for cake and we ate it quickly as Jennifer and Jessica had some things they wanted to do and Holly and Kevin were heading out to the temple. Going to the temple was a perfect way to end a perfect day and to prepare for our Easter Sunday.

March/April 2011

2011-04-27T14:17:00.001-07:00

Wow, the time can really get away. I may just be able to update every two months. I went to import my pictures today and sadly realized that I have not used my camera nearly enough. Only three pictures the whole month of March! I have been better the last few weeks, though.

In March Zane had a Primary Music Program. It was the first time he had ever participated in anything like this and I was little concerned he might not do it. However, he was pretty excited and did a great job. Our primary sang "Saturday" and "Seek the Lord Early." He was always practicing and was excited to sing on stage. Then all the primary children in the stake sang "If I Listen With My Heart." Grandpa and Grandma Pickup came to watch. It was a fun night and I think Zane felt very proud of himself. We ended the evening with Zane and Nora's new favorite treat-- root beer floats!

The very end of March we had an ultrasound and found out we're having a GIRL! I have to confess, I was a little disappointed as I was hoping to have a brother for Zane, and he was too. I guess these girls just need a really awesome big brother. Kevin also seemed disappointed so I asked him if he was okay and he said he was just sad we had to give most of our kids away and he was thinking about paying for three weddings! Now that we're used to the idea we're very excited and are having fun thinking of names.

In April I decided I needed a change of pace so I decided to take the kids to Idaho to spend some time with my parents. We also wanted to attend the baptism of our nephew/cousin, Kyler. It turned out that Kevin's aunt unexpectedly passed away and the funeral was the same day as the baptism in a nearby town, so we were also able to attend the funeral. That also meant that I had some help traveling, as Grandma and Grandpa P. were going to the funeral. Grandma was a big help, and the kids traveled pretty well. Zane and Nora were excited to sleep in a hotel. Zane had a lot of questions about death and was pretty nervous, but by the end I think he felt more comfortable and had a better understanding so it was a good experience. I was glad to be able to be there with Kevin's family. We had fun celebrating Kyler's baptism with Grandpa and Grandma and cousins and staying in a hotel with Grandma and Grandpa, but we were also glad to finally get to Grandpa and Grandma's and get out of the car.

The kids really enjoyed being in Idaho. They didn't mind that it was a little cold. They wanted to be outside EVERY day. Every time Anna heard the word "shoes" or "outside" she would run to get her shoes and jacket and would demand to have help getting dressed to go out. Mostly they drove the John Deere Gator. I was able to convince Zane to try and take a ride with Grandpa on his ATV. He was not so sure, but he tried it and before long he was yelling "Faster!" Of course, that gave Nora assurance that it was okay and they had a good ride together. We also spent a day with Aunt Kristi and cousins. Again, no one seemed to mind that it was a little chilly. We were just glad to get outside. The week went by too quickly and we left early Saturday morning. Before we even got out of the driveway, Zane said, almost in tears, "Mom, I miss Grandma Tolman." Grandma Pickup had stayed for the week to spend time with Kristi and family, Sean, Jennifer and Jessica so she traveled home with us, for which I was very grateful! We were happy to get home to Daddy. We missed him! We just wish we lived closer to Grandma and Grandpa Tolman.

While we were in Idaho my good friend had an emergency C-section, so I was kind of anxious to get home and help her. She doesn't have any family here and I know, having had three C-sections, how much it meant to have people help. I took her kids every day the week we got home. All the kids play really well together but by Thursday afternoon I think they were all ready for a break--too much of a good think, I guess. We had a lot of fun having them here, though. Also, Joey came in to town for a wedding and we got to visit with him some. He is getting ready to go on his mission and finalized his papers while he was here.

January/February 2011

2011-03-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try to keep a better record of our lives. I have been going back trying to do my family history for 2009 and 2010 and the months that I have kept the blog updated have surely helped with that. Otherwise, I really have no clue. I'm already having a hard time remembering what happened in January and February of 2011!

Zane
Zane started going to Primary. The first few weeks were a little difficult as he wasn't quite sure what was expected or what to expect and he just wanted to cling to Mom. He is really enjoying it now and is staring to be willing to participate more. He is continuing in "school," which is something that a couple of friends and I have been doing with our boys. We each take a week and teach two days that week. Zane loves it and really has been learning a lot. He is beginning to read some words and always wants to know how to spell things. Often our dinner conversations are "What does _____ start with?" He can spell everyone's name in the family. He has really started to enjoy playing on the computer. He likes pbskids.org and starfall.com. He is so excited about watching Anna learn new things and he is (usually) a really good friend to Nora. He is really just a happy boy who loves to laugh. He has outgrown his tricycle (a long time ago) and Kevin found a "big boy bike"at Salvation Army. Zane spent about four days earning stars on a "Obey Right Away" chart so he could earn his bike. He was happy to earn it and help dad tune it up and put training wheels on. He is getting a little harder to entertain, though because he always wants to be doing something. Some days he'll say "Mom, I want to do something fun!" Well, it would be fun if we could go to the zoo, or the museum, or swimming every day, but we can't. He still entertains himself pretty well.

Nora
Nora has become the most fun little girl. She likes to be really helpful. She is into the stage where she wants to do everything herself. If Zane can do it, she can do it. Sometimes I almost can't stand how cute and sweet she is and sometimes I can't stand how stubborn and determined she is! She has also enjoyed going to the Children's Museum. She likes to help Anna do things and is always watching out for her sister. Within the last few months she has really started to like "Dora" even though she had never seen a Dora program. That is good marketing. So now she has a Dora movie, Dora toothbrush and toothpaste, Dora books, Dora underwear (which she doesn't yet use), and a Dora tent. She loves them! She is quite a talker and makes her needs known.

Anna
Anna of course has changed the most. In January she celebrated her first birthday. I'm sure you can guess who was most excited--Zane and Nora of course! She has four teeth on top and is working on her fourth one on the bottom. She started walking at about 13 months. She is so happy with her new independence. If I am in the kitchen, she loves to be in there too. She opens all the cupboards and pulls everything out, so cooking without stepping on things is quite a challenge. She is really beginning to develop a personality. She used to be so content just to watch and enjoy others having fun, but now she wants to be in the middle of it and she tries to make people laugh. She gives lots of hugs and kisses. Yesterday she started saying "woof" for dog. She's so proud of herself (and Zane and Nora are too).

Kevin and Holly
Really, not much new for us. The most exciting thing for us is that we have put our house on the market and are really hoping to sell! We would like to move more "suburbish" and perhaps a little closer to Kevin's work. We're tired of the city. Holly is enjoying being Primary president. She feels that she has seen some success there and loves the kids and her amazing counselors.

Oh, yeah, we are expecting--again! Baby number four will be here in August. We'll find out in a couple of weeks if it's a boy or a girl. So, most of January and February Holly spent on the couch and Kevin spent picking up slack.

Kevin is adjusting to his new job. It's not exactly the kind of engineering he wants to do, but he has some good projects. We're just trying to figure out what he is supposed to learn or contribute by being there and for how long. Kevin has now been Elder's quorum president for two years. It's gone by really fast.

We all enjoyed a visit from Grandpa and Grandma Tolman in February, but of course, no pictures because my hands were full!

Here are a few pictures of the last couple of months.

Boyd, Clark and Zane--at "school"

Zane trying out his new bike.

One day I heard Zane calling for help from the bathroom. I opened the bathroom door and found him stuck like this:

This is how Nora likes to watch TV.

Anna opening birthday presents, with a little help.

Her hair is finally getting long enough and thick enough for a little ponytail--if I try really hard!

She insists on feeding herself and on having a utensil (or two).

Helping Grandma P. celebrate her birthday in January.

Playing together on the computer (with faces painted from the Children's Museum).

My birthday. . .

2011-03-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

. . and a few other things to remember about 2010.

I had a great birthday. Kevin and I went shooting (which was my choice, yes), and we both got some practice on his new gun. I like it much better than his old one. We went back to Grandma and Grandpa's and all the kids had made me a picture. We had pizza lunch and then I opened presents. I was very spoiled. I got a new church bag from Ray and Lynnette, and I love it! Kristi got me a Burgerville shake which I was not supposed to share, but c'mon, I've got three little kids. Sean fixed my van so it doesn't squeak any more and now it seems like a new van. Jennifer and Jessica got me a cute new hat. The kids got me some workout clothes and socks. Kevin got me a color laser printer--woohoo! After presents we all went swimming and had a blast and that made for a pretty full day.

A couple of other items of note for the end of the year. . . On Christmas night we were burglarized. We came home the morning of the 26th to go to church and there was a card from a police officer in the door. We had driven separately, so Kevin was ahead of the kids and me. He called me, which I'm glad he did because I was pretty shaken and was able to pull it together before I got home. The thieves threw a rock through a window and got in. They took Kevin's bikes, a safe from our closet that was bolted down. Usually the safe has Kevin's gun, but he had it. Unfortunately he had just put a bit of cash in there so that was gone. They also got away with my jewelry box which had my wedding ring in it. I was most sad about that. Fortunately it was insured. They made a mess and did some damage. It has been upsetting dealing with the mess and the damage and feeling insecure. We have learned, though, that all of those things are just things, and we can live without them.

On a much happier note, Kevin has experienced some good successes at work. He received the "New Innovator Award" for an individual through his company. This is a pretty prestigious award and he definitely deserved it. In October he went to a conference in San Jose and did a presentation on the project he has been working on. He had a good time, but we really missed him. He was sought out by another local company who he interviewed with "just for practice." They ended up making him a very good offer and his company could not compare. After a lot of prayer and discussion he decided to take the offer. We are so blessed that he has a good job.

Better Late than Never--Christmas 2010

2011-02-21T15:04:00.001-08:00

Well, this is almost embarrassing to put up. I know Christmas was more than two months ago, but well. . . I haven't had a lot of energy. Looks like I'll be playing catch-up now.

We started the week of Christmas going to see the lights on Peacock Lane. Grandpa, Grandma, Jennifer, Jessica, & Chris and Kristie and their family came too. We had stew and rolls at our house first, then went to the lights, then came back for cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. Grandma Pickup has all the pictures from the lights, but here's Nora at the house helping Grandpa feed cousin Hannah. I love her little fish lips. She really had to make sure Grandpa was doing it right.

Boyd and Blythe were at the house that week and the kids wanted to put the dress up clothes on again. Nora has her baby "Jesus" and Boyd has the sheep even though he's a wise man.
A couple of days before Christmas we had some friends over to make "gingerbread" houses. Clark and Daisy, Boyd and Blythe and cousins Kade, Hailey and Kaleb. Everyone brought a treat so there was plenty of candy for the houses. Luckily Aunt Jessica was at the house that morning (because she babysat the night before so Kevin and I could go on a date and then she just ended up staying) and helped get frosting and everything ready. The kids had a blast and enjoyed eating them over the next few weeks.
On Christmas Eve we went to Grandma and Grandpa P's. Our friends, the Cardon's joined us (bringing with them way too much delicious food). The kids had fun playing and after dinner we had our Nativity and musical program.
Christmas morning was wonderful. Zane and Nora were quite excited. Anna was happy to be in the middle of it all, until morning nap time. They enjoyed playing with their cousins and their new toys.
Perhaps the happiest boy on Christmas morning was this Mr. Pickup. I actually finally surprised him, and boy was he surprised! Look at that giddy face!

Visiting Santa

2010-12-16T15:11:00.000-08:00

The kids enjoyed a visit to Santa. Zane learned that Santa's favorite cookies are chocolate chip and that the reindeer like carrots. I was surprised that Zane was willing to sit on his lap. In fact, Nora was more shy and stood behind Zane, pushing him along. Anna was just happy to be along for the ride.

A few recent pictures. . .

2010-12-13T21:47:00.000-08:00

The kids wanted to get out the nativity costumes, so I let them. How cute are they?

Grandma Tolman got these cute dresses for the girls. Oh my, how everyone loved it on Nora! I wanted to get a picture of Anna, too, but she was napping and then I forgot.

I don't like this picture because Zane looks so grown up. Please stop it!

Nora does like her pretty things.

We Need a Little Christmas

2010-12-13T20:58:00.001-08:00

Here are a few of the things we've been doing to prepare for Christmas (in reverse order). We also went to the Festival of Nativities which was wonderful. The perfect activity to help the kids remember and enjoy the real reason for Christmas. Of course we have also visited Santa. Believe it or not, Zane sat on Santa's lap and we have a picture to prove it (coming soon).

Enjoying the tree

Decorating the tree

Decorating gingerbread cookie ornaments.

Cutting gingerbread cookie ornaments.

Hmmm. . . distracted from cutting cookies. This became his own personal "sandbox." Don't worry. If you get a plate of goodies from us, I promise this flour won't be used for that.

Cutting down a tree (from a tree farm). I just didn't feel like carting three babies up to Mt. Hood this year--especially since Zane does not like to be cold or get in the snow.

Idaho Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-13T15:45:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Idaho this year. Kevin was between jobs (that's another story), so we took a whole week. We had a lot of fun visiting with family, playing outside, eating great food, playing games and kicking off Christmas.

Going shopping

Zane LOVES this crane!

It takes two to unwrap any presents around here.

Miss Anna: 10-months-old

Nora and Maggie sharing Maggie's new coloring book

Little Mama and her new babyHolly and Nora (yep that's Nora in the camo)

Waitin' for our turn--it was COLD!

Nora waiting for her turn on the sled.

The kids' tables

Showing off her new teeth!

Nora following in Grandpa's tracks

Grandpa's Birthday

2010-11-14T20:03:00.000-08:00

Grandpa and Grandma T. were here to visit a couple of weeks ago and we got to celebrate Grandpa's birthday with him. The kids thought it was great fun to have them around and so did I. They got to go to the trunk-or-treat with us (I'm sure they loved it). They used the Celtic Thunder concert as an excuse to come visit us and they so kindly took Kevin and I with them. No pictures of the concert--but here's some pictures of Grandpa's birthday.

The Last Warm Days of Fall

2010-11-14T19:56:00.000-08:00

It seemed as though for a while we kept getting these wonderful gifts of nice sunny days. I'm afraid that's all behind us now and it is wet and cold! Here are a few pictures of us enjoying some of those beautiful fall afternoons.

Carving Pumpkins

2010-11-08T15:36:00.001-08:00

For Family Night the Monday before Halloween we carved our pumpkins. Zane said he wanted happy pumpkins, not scary pumpkins so we let him choose some designs from pictures. He chose a smiley face and an owl.

Zane thought the pumpkins were stinky and he wasn't too sure about getting his hands in there, but he was content to watch and "help" Kevin. Nora also wasn't too sure about the pumpkin guts, but it didn't take her long to take over her "own" pumpkin and do it "myself."

They were pretty happy with the final outcome and they loved lighting them each evening (as did the slugs we found each night when we went to check on them before going to bed).

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-11-08T15:18:00.001-08:00

After one failed attempt to go to the pumpkin patch for Family Night, we decided to head out one Saturday afternoon. We walked through the barn and looked at the animals (Nora loves animals) and caught one of the last hay-rides out to the field. Zane thought it was just great to get to ride behind a John Deere and Nora thought it was pretty fun, too. It was a really beautiful, crisp evening and the sun was just setting as we got on the wagon. The sunset was beautiful.

Zane took quite a long time selecting his pumpkin. He has to keep going until we were on the edge of the field, way over by the corn. We finally selected to nice, big pumpkins and were on our way home. Nora found the field a little difficult to walk around, with all the vines and a little mud, so she got carried most of the way.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-08T14:39:00.000-08:00

We went to the trunk-or-treat at church on Saturday evening. Zane was very excited and therefore, so was Nora. Zane has wanted to be a John Deere for as long as we've been talking about Halloween--a little over a month. So, Kevin finally brought home some boxes the week of Halloween. I decided to try and put the costume together Friday morning. Of course, Mom and Dad were visiting, so they had some input (which was actually helpful). I also had a lot of "help" from Zane, Nora & Anna (not so helpful).

After getting the basic construction of the tractor decided, Mom and Dad went out to lunch with some friends. The kids and I went on a trek to see about getting some headlights, green spray paint, yellow duct tape and John Deere decals. Thanks to Stark Street Lawn and Garden we got hooked up with some pretty cool John Deere stickers, but the yellow duct tape could not be found at Target or Home Depot, so I called Mom and Dad and asked them to pick some up at Michael's before they came home. I gave them the address for the nearest Michael's--just about 10 minutes from my house. After it was already too late I realized I had sent them to the wrong store--pretty much downtown. Well, I don't think they were very happy about their extra (almost) two-hour errand, since they kept talking about me sending them clear to Seattle to get duct tape. However, the costume just wouldn't have been the same without it, so we really appreciated it.

Zane was very proud of his costume. At first he didn't quite know what to think. Everyone kept coming up and talking to him, telling him how great his costume was. Kevin and I were pretty proud of the job we did. I think he started to get use to it, though. He loved telling people to put the candy in his exhaust pipe and got a little irritated when people thought he was a train. After we got home Zane told Grandma that "Everyone like my costume the best, but I won't share."

Nora was a lion. She could have cared less about dressing up, but once she realized it meant candy, she was all for it. She was very excited to get treats.

Anna was some sort of big cat--leopard, jaguar or something. She didn't last and happily fell asleep in Grandma's arms.

Mirror Lake-September 2010

2010-09-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

Saturday was BEAUTIFUL here. We decided to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather and go for one (possibly last of the season) more family hike. We decided to go to mirror lake. Zane and Boyd were troopers, and although they started dragging their feet about half-way up the mountain--we made it! I found that singing marching songs really helped them pick it up. Nora and Anna enjoyed their rides. Once we arrived at the lake we had some lunch, played in the water and took a few pictures. On the way down I could hardly keep up with the boys. We had to stop at "slide rock" for some fun sliding, but before we knew it we were back to the van. All-in-all a perfect hike (except for stupid people that don't know how to leash their dogs. Sorry--I AM going to get upset when your wet dog decides to jump on me while I'm nursing, and I AM going to be upset when your huge, "friendly" dog knocks my one-year-old to the ground.) Who knows, maybe we'll get in one more hike.

Random Summer Pictures

2010-09-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

The new sandbox Daddy built. It's small, but they LOVE it. It has definitely bought me some more free time during the day (in fact, that's where they are now), but then I spend more time after they go to bed cleaning up sand that has been tracked in the house. I'm wondering how many tractors and truck are already lost in there.
Nora enjoying one of our Asian Pears. All the fruit got eaten off the tree in the front of our house. I call it our "charity" tree. I didn't think the back two trees had much fruit, but I picked it all this week and ended up with almost a full bushel.

Man, is she cute or what!?

Blythe and Nora shakin' a leg.

Nora's favorite thing to do these days is to find a pen or marker and write on ANYTHING. . . paper, the walls, the bumbo, Anna, the computer screen. Lovely.

Playing at the park.

Zane loves to go down the fire pole. He feels so big!

Linoln City September 2010

2010-09-16T15:36:00.001-07:00

With the end of summer quickly approaching I decided we'd better get to the beach again. One day early in September was forecast to be 70 and sunny in Lincoln City so I loaded up my kids and Laura and her kids and we headed out. The morning was beautiful and we had a lot of fun. (Well after Laura and I were able to haul all of our stuff and kids down the beach. We did get some sympathy and help from perfect strangers). It did cool down quickly later that afternoon so we packed up and headed home, but not before getting a good day's worth of playing in the sand.

This area is one of my favorites. The "D" river runs through the beach here and for some reason so many people won't wade through the river to the other side, so if you cross you have a bit more privacy. Plus the "river" (the world's shortest, supposedly) is really mellow and fun for the kids to play in.

Laura was a good sport and stood in the sand for a long, long time so Boyd and Zane could bury her.
Nora--she's so full of life. Always eager to have fun and up for an adventure.

Zoo--August 2010

2010-09-16T15:20:00.001-07:00

I've learned that if I keep my zoo trips to about one or two a year, then I actually enjoy visiting the zoo. We missed the annual zoo trip with my ol' teacher pals because my kids were sick. One week in August I thought it would be fun. Kade was in town and Jennifer, Jessica, Brenda and her family were headed out on Saturday, so I thought it would be a fun thing for us all to do together. I've also learned that the zoo is much more enjoyable if you get there early and on a relatively cool day (you don't have to fight for parking or fight crowds, the animals are usually just getting going and if it's cool they're more active).

We happened upon the "bird show" and managed somehow to get seated in an AWESOME location. The birds flew just above our heads and perched on a stand right behind us. It was a big scary for Zane so he cuddled close to Aunt Jennifer. My favorite was the bald eagle.

The elephants are my favorite. The kids liked watching them but Zane has started having nightmares about elephants outside his bedroom window.

This could have been the highlight for Zane.

Jacob, Anna, Zane, Shayli, Kade, Nora, Corbin, Annie

Banks Tractor Pull August 2010

2010-09-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

After a morning of picking blackberries (Holly, Laura and kids), Kevin and I took our kids and Boyd to the Banks tractor pull. Zane was very excited about this adventure and was happy to bring his buddy along. Being a country girl at heart, I was looking forward to it as well.

We got there about 20 minute before it was supposed to start and I was afraid it was going to be a big disappointment as the stands had about 10 people. Well, about an hour later the stands were about 60% full and they were just getting started. We found out this was more like their "fun" day and the real competition was Sunday. It was still fun to be out there.

Cape Lookout August 2010

2010-09-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

In August our friend Stephanie organized a trip for moms and kiddos to the beach. We were more than happy to join them. Brenda and her kids were in town and so was Kade so they also came. Jennifer and Jessica and their friend also came. We went to Cape Lookout. It was a perfect day to go, as it was oppressively hot in the city. However, we chose the coldest beach to go to. The ranger at Cape Lookout informed me that the beaches near Tillamook were usually 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the coast line.

Even though it was cool, we still had a great time. My friend Laura and her children, Blythe and Boyd drove over with us. After several potty breaks, a stop by a police officer for crossing the center line, and a stop to nurse the baby we finally made it to the beach. I don't think there could be a bad day at the beach, regardless of weather.
Every time we have gone to the beach Nora has insisted on eating her sandwich a certain way. She has to lay on her stomach on the blanket, facing the ocean wave. Then I must lay another blanket or towel over her in just the right way. Then she's happy.

Tolman Reunion

2010-09-16T13:37:00.001-07:00

This post is long overdue. I guess it because we've been so busy having fun. In early August we drove to Idaho Falls to see Grandpa, Grandma and the cousins. We were able to stay about a week. Zane and Nora loved seeing G&G and the cousins. Zane and Maggie got along especially well. There was lots of driving of the John Deere, jumping in the "jumpoline," eating peas out of the garden, and riding our bikes. Of course there was lots of good food--too much. These pictures are all out of order, but I haven't the energy to move them around.

The girls helping mom get around after her surgery. . .:)

Zane enjoys ANOTHER bottle of homemade root beer. A favorite.

Kyler giving Maggie and Nora a ride on his 4-wheeler.

Grandpa cooking up the annual meal of dutch oven potatoes and chicken. Mmmmm.

Zane got to open a birthday present from G&G. It was fun to get to 'celebrate his birthday with them a couple of weeks after the actual day. He got another dump-truck. That boy could never have enough and a fun construction magnet activity. Perfect for church.

Bridal Veil Falls

2010-08-12T21:15:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago my friend Laura and I took our kids on a little hike to Bridal Veil Falls. It was perfect for our little ones. Even Nora and Blythe (not quite two and barely two) were able to walk almost the whole way (about 3/4 mile round trip), but it felt more like a "hike" than a "walk". They had a great time throwing rocks in the water and watching the falls.
Nora's at the stage where she doesn't want to look at the camera unless it her idea. Zane is just leaving that stage, so this is the best picture I could get of the two of them.

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Zane Turns 3 !?!

2010-08-12T14:09:00.001-07:00

I can hardly believe my baby Zane is turning into a "big boy". Something happens when they turn three. I remember going out of town a few months ago and coming back. While we were gone a friends child had turned three and he just seemed so much bigger. Well, it's happened to Zane.

Well, I LOVE three-year-olds. They can tell great stories, have some reasoning skills and are just a lot of fun. I love hearing my kids practice things I teach them (at least practicing the good things). Zane tends to get frustrated easily. So I've tried to teach him that he "can do hard things." Yesterday he was trying to put something away and it was hard. I heard him say, "This is really hard. I can do hard things," and he did it! Some things do sink in.

For Zane's birthday we went "camping." We pitched our tents in Grandma and Grandpa's trees, built a fire, and had a blast. We told Zane he could invite a friend and he wanted to invite Boyd. We were happy to have Boyd's family with us. We love them.

The kids had a blast driving the battery operated cars, picking berries, playing on the play structure, and eating. I was surprised at how well my kids slept. Zane and Nora didn't make a peep and Anna only woke up for her middle-of-the-night-snack.

We were happy to have Grandma and Grandpa Pickup, Jessica, Jennifer and Aunt Brenda and her kids with us as well.

Helping Dad pitch the tent

Anna, Daddy, Zane, Annie, Grandma Opening presentsAll the kids wanted to help open the presents

Nora mooching off Brenda, Boyd and Grandma, Jacob, Aaron.

By the way, Boyd and Blythe really took to Ray and Lynnette and were calling them Grandma and Grandpa. It was pretty cute.

Enjoying s'mores

Fire truck birthday cake made by mom. A learning experience, indeed.

Nora and Annie enjoying cake and crowding Grandpa's lap.

One happy birthday boy!Picking raspberries

Pickup Reunion 2010

2010-08-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

The first week in July we joined with Kevin's family for the annual Pickup family reunion. We started are rendezvous in Lincoln City where we rented a BEAUTIFUL home right on the beach. It was so nice to be able to just step out onto the beach and to watch the kids from our balcony. The house was absolutely beautiful and accommodated us all very easily. On the way to the beach Kevin, Zane, Nora, Anna and I stopped outside the Evergreen Aviation Museum for a break. They have a really great playground and some fun tanks and airplanes to see outside. We didn't have time to go inside (meaning we would have stayed all day--Kevin loves that place), but it was a nice place to stop and feed Anna and let the kids run around.
Once we arrived in Lincoln City we planned on just playing on the beach until we could get in the house, as it was still being cleaned, but the weather was kind of "iffy." We still took our chances and only got misted on a bit.

We had a great time playing on the beach, flying kites, eating good food, visiting, having a picture scavenger hunt and building sand castles.

Anna and Hannah--five months and three months

Zane, Nora, Jennifer

Anna

One of the activities was a "picture scavenger hunt." Each child in the family got paired with an Aunt/Uncle and we had to find a list of things, take a picture and the child had to be in the picture. Kevin and I were paired with Kade. He was so enthusiastic about it. I'm sure we had the most fun.

Playing on the beach. The house we stayed in is the big one in the background.

Zane was intensely working on his project.

Nora had a blast at the aquarium. She loved getting right up close to the creatures. Here she is trying to pet a snake.

We had a family work day with the goal of painting the fence. No small task considering the fence around this property. The Pickup's neighbor moved to Florida. They had this huge play structure that they needed out of their yard so they could potentially rent it. They were so kind to give it to Kevin and I and our family. If only we had a yard to put it in. For now it will happily reside at Grandma and Grandpa's. Some of the boys moved the play structure to the back yard while other painted the fence. Others tried to keep kids from touching the wet paint on the fence or took turns nursing the babies. We did manage to get almost the entire fence painted and mended in one day.

Why set up the slide? This is more fun.

Two of Nora's favorite things--sweets and swinging.

This reunion did not include nearly as much swimming. The water was just too cold for most of us wimps. We did have a couple of times where it was warm enough outside to make a cool splash feel pretty good.

Nora and Daddy in the pool.

Preview

2010-07-07T23:11:00.000-07:00

Just a little sneak peek at some of the pictures from the Pickup reunion. Every time I think of these pictures I just crack up.

Catching Up

2010-06-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

I have been a blogger-slacker. Every day it has been on my to-do list, and every day it gets ignored. I guess I'm busy. I decided I better do it now before the reunions start and we have even less time and more to blog about. So, get ready for a picture/post overload to follow this post. As for now, what's going on with us?

Anna
Anna is growing so fast! I finally stopped trying to squeeze her into her six-month clothes a few weeks ago. She is barely five months old and is easily wearing nine-month clothes. She goes to bed about 7:00. Much later than that and she is super cranky. She sleeps pretty good through the night with the exception of a feeding around 4:00 a.m. Of course, as soon as I divulge her sleeping/eating habits, something changes so we'll probably be up all night tonight! Now if we can just get her on a good nap schedule. She seems to be a bit of a momma's girl, but is generally pretty happy. She can be entertained just watching Zane and Nora play or watching Mommy work. She giggles easily and gives lots of spontaneous smiles. She loves her bath. She cries when she's hungry or tired. She likes to play with her feet and to grab things and put them in her mouth. She ate her first solid food today. I was snacking with the kids at the park and looked down at Anna in my lap. She had somehow grabbed a pretzel and was sucking on it. I wonder if she will love salty foods? I can't even get her to open her mouth to try cereal or bananas. She rolled over yesterday, but I think it may have been an accident. She is getting close to sitting up. I know she doesn't get nearly enough floor time, but I fear for her safety down there. One Sunday the Peacock's were here. I heard Amy gasp and looked down and Zane was rolling Anna across the floor like an Easter Egg. Both kids seemed as happy about it as can be.

Nora
Nora is quite spunky. She is a girl who knows her mind. She can be the sweetest, most caring, thoughtful child. She can also throw quite a tantrum. She seems to know when Mom really can't do anything about it--like in the middle of the library while Mom's holding Anna and trying to collect everyone's books to check out. Nora will just scream and throw herself on the floor--lovely. However, she gives great hugs and kisses, loves to be helpful, and LOVES her daddy and Grandpas. She likes anything Zane likes--trains, John Deere, blocks. She likes to put things away and to sort things.

She is really beginning to talk a lot and can communicate a lot of her needs verbally, at least well enough so Mom and Dad can understand. Her favorite phrase is "Mommy? (or Daddy, or Zane)" "Do?" (what are you doing?) "Why?" She likes music and dancing and loves to sing songs in the car--especially "Elmo" and "John Deere".

We took her pacifier away a couple of weeks ago and it was fairly painless. Just a little bit fussy at bedtime for a couple of nights. She just moved into a toddler bed and thinks it's pretty neat. She and Zane still share a room and Kevin and I love to hear them in the monitor after we close the door and they are supposed to go to sleep. We can hear them jumping and laughing, and talking to each other forever. Nora used to go right to sleep, but now she will outlast Zane most nights. She likes to carry her blankie everywhere.

Zane
Zane is getting to be quite the big boy. The other day someone asked him how old he was and I heard him say "two and a half." Two and a half? Who taught him that? Whenever he sees something in the store he wants he says, "Maybe I'll get that for my birthday." He still love John Deere and Thomas. He likes to watch TV in the morning. We watch Super Why and Dinosaur Train.

He loves to sing the alphabet and identify letters on packages or around places we visit. "Mom, is that a 's'?" "Mom, there's a 'w'!" I was shocked at first. I guess TV can be a good thing. He knows many of the letters by sight. He also loves to sing songs. His favorites are the temple song, John Deere, Thomas, I Am a Child of God, and Popcorn.

He likes to ride his tricycle and can ride all the way to the park now. His conversation is getting more advanced and it is a lot of fun to see him reason and to carry on conversations with him. He likes to help Kevin and I do whatever we're doing and he is a big helper with his sisters. He loves his family and his friends from church. He talks about his cousins and friends a lot.

Sometimes Zane can be downright goofy. I see him acting really silly and I know Kevin would never act like that and I'm almost embarrassed that he picked up such odd habits from me. At least he seems to enjoy himself.

Zane got to go camping with Dad for the Aaronic Preisthood Campout. They had dutch-oven pizza and he got to run through grass as tall as him with all his little friends. He thought it was so much fun and now he wants to go camping all the time. He told me yesterday he wants to go camping for his birthday, so I guess that's what we'll do.

Holly
I am adjusting to being a mom of three under three. Most of the time I do all right. I just feel like there is too much to do and I come to the end of the day and I have less crossed off my to-do list than not, and I have ADDED to the list.

I have been into couponing for a couple of months and tire my mom with phone calls of "Listen to what I got today and guess how much I spent." I have great ambitions for completing a couple of quiet books and a quilted wall hanging I started at my moms.

In May I was put in as Primary President. I love the calling as it is challenging me, letting me call on my education and experience as a teacher and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the primary children. Even our little challenging kids. I just can't help but love them. I just hope I can fulfill my calling and do a good job. It is keeping me busy and requires a lot of mental effort. Fortunately, I think I have the world's most amazing counselors. I really mean that. I have also felt the spirit guiding me a lot in my decision making. I'm looking forward to the rest of summer and some fun upcoming activities.

Kevin
Kevin continues to plug away. I don't know how he does all that is required. It seems that his calling as Elder's Quorum President always keeps him busy. For a few weeks there he had a couple of meetings a week. Then there is always a move, building clean-up or a service project. He finally finished his final course for his Master's Degree--woohoo! Now he just has to finish a project of thesis.

He keeps busy around the house with yard work, home repairs, kid duties and all that. His new hobby is guns. Well, new within the last couple of years--I think it has surpassed biking. He reloaded his first shells a few weeks ago and they were a beautiful sight. He has quite the set-up in the garage--or "man cave" as I like to call it.

He was one of ninety of three-hundred applicant selected to publish for a conference through his work and so he is working on that as well. We're hoping all this hard works brings a nice promotion this fall.

Kevin actually took an extra trip to Idaho the beginning of June for his Grandpa's funeral. He was able to see a lot of his family again and was honored to be a pall-bearer at the grave site and to hold the flag during the 21-gun salute and that ceremony. His grandfather was a WWII veteran and a POW. Kevin, as you know, is very patriotic, so this was quite an honor for him. We were glad we all got to stop and see Great Grandpa for a few minutes in the beginning of May.

Joey
I know Joey's not "officially" part of our family. In fact, I know some people are thinking "Joey who?" Joey has spent the last ten month in our home. You would think that he would have more of a presence on this blog, right? Well, he's just so independent. However, he has been a very wonderful presence in our home and our lives. What an amazing, atypical 17-year-old. Well, now he's graduated high school and gone off to BYU until he goes on his mission. Joey has been so much fun to have in our home. He was a great help to me with the kids. He was a lot of fun to talk with. The kids LOVED him. He was so much more a blessing and never, ever a burden. Now I have one more bathroom to clean and no one else to sweep the floor, but that's not why we'll miss him. He's going to be great at whatever he does.

And now I have to go. Everyone is waking up from their naps. Perfect timing for a change.

June Pictures

2010-06-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

Off on another couponing trip! Nora's really gotten "cheese-y" for the camera lately. Zane just thinks he's cool in his sunglasses. A special treat for us when we go couponing to Rite Aid and Albertson's is to walk around the corner to Daylight Donuts. These are delicious donuts and it supports a local business, so a rationalize every trip.

Joey and Anna during Joey's "going away dinner."

One last picture with Joey. It was a great Sunday with him and his family. He was ordained an Elder and we had the whole family over for dinner. President and Sister Peacock and Joey and Adrienne helped entertain Zane and Nora through two hours of stake conference. Unfortunately, Kevin missed all the day's events. He was in Idaho for his Grandpa's funeral.

Nora loves to mother Anna.

Sisters! I hope they always love each other so much.

A beautiful day for a picnic. We went to Oxbow State Park, which Zane has declared "his favorite park."

Hockinson Fun Days

2010-06-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

While Grandpa and Grandma Tolman were here they let us drag them to a small town parade. Why would we do such a thing? Well, the Grand Marshals of the parade were Grandpa and Grandma Pickup. It was a lot of fun to see them in the parade. Plus, there were a lot of Zane's favorite things in this parade--fire trucks, a train and plenty of John Deere tractors.

The crew--waiting for the parade. It was the first sunny, warm day in three weeks and we were not use to it!

You can't really tell in this picture, but Nora had a pretty rough day. Two falls, scraping up her face, sunscreen in her eyes, and a bit of sunburn. Not a happy camper.

Here they come! The Grand Marshals--Grandpa and Grandma Pickup.. . . Listen chums (Johnny Popper). Here it comes (Johnny Popper). When you hear that sounds rollin' through your town, the answer is clear it's a big John Deere!
Nora hugs the Grand Marshal

A boy, a lollipop and a fire truck.

Nora rides the Johnny Popper.

Zane rides the Johnny Popper. (I have video but it won't load--bummer)

The Beach-June 2010

2010-06-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to have Grandpa and Grandma Tolman come visit for a few days in the beginning of June. I think they felt guilty for bringing a flu bug last time they came so they wanted to make it up to the kids and take them to the beach--I say whatever gets them here is great! We did enjoy a nice trip to the beach. It started off just a little breezy and cool, but by the time we left it had warmed up and Zane and Nora had their jackets off. Actually, Zane was completely shirtless because he fell in the ocean and he didn't mind one bit. Some of us even left with sunburns. How blessed are we, that a common post for us is a trip to the beach? If we ever move away, I am going to miss that!

Bucket? Check. Shovel? Check. Sand? Check. Go!

Daddy and Nora

Grandma and Zane filling the bucket, just so Zane can knock it down.

Grandpa and the kids digging.

One of Zane's favorite things to do was to knock down the "sandcastles" Grandma and Grandpa made. What a boy!

Grandpa, Grandma and Zane digging.

Isn't this picture AMAZING? If you could see it bigger it would be better. The background looks almost fake and you can see even the little specks in her eyes.

Anna--just chillin'.

Nora loved burying herself in the sand.

Anna

Zane loved gathering rocks off the beach

Nora was IMPOSSIBLE to keep out of the water. She just wanted to run all the way in!

Dad and Zane

The end of a great day! We like to go to the Sea Hag in Depot Bay. Forget Mo's clam chowder! Sea Hag's is much better. Then, of course we get some salt water taffy for the trip home.

May Pictures

2010-06-25T15:06:00.001-07:00

One way Zane and Nora have found to entertain themselves while I cook dinner is to stick Post-It notes all over the fireplace. I figure, if it keeps them busy, keeps them out of the kitchen and gives us all some sanity during witching hour, then it's worth the price of a few extra sticky notes.
Zane got some new sunglasses and he thinks they are rather cool. He and Nora are becoming wonderful playmates.
Joey holding Anna. She is starting to develop a little personality. It doesn't take much to make her smile. You can see to the right of this pictures some of the spoils of my latest hobby--couponing. I can't believe how much money I've saved--especially on diapers!

One afternoon I heard crying upstairs (not an unusual occurrence at our house) and I proceeded to ignore it, as I do much of the crying that goes on around here (for the most part I think I can distinguish a cry that needs attention and a cry that will sort itself out). This cry however, was brought to me. Joey came down, Nora in arms and said "I think we have a problem." I took one look at Nora and couldn't help laughing at the poor girl. She tried to comb her hair and the comb got stuck.
One day in May I woke up feeling not quite right. It had been an unusually late night for Kevin and I and an unusually rough night with Anna, so I thought I was just tired. Then my vision started "strobing" and I thought that was weird. Then I started to get a little headache, I called and talked to Kevin for a minute and mentioned it, but didn't think much of it. Shortly after that I got very nauseous and completely wiped out. I realized I was having a migraine. I have never had one before, so I wasn't sure, but this is what I would imagine. I called Jennifer and Jessica, who thankfully had not found jobs yet. As soon as Jessica said she could come, I just started crying and went straight to bed. I was able to get a few hour nap and then felt much better, but Jessica stayed all day to help out. What a great sister-in-law and Aunt! I'm so thankful to her!!
Nora likes to organize things and put things in their place. One morning I found her taking all the wipes out of the case and neatly lining them up on the computer desk--so helpful!
Anna--like I said is easy to please. Just look at this big smile as she sits on a sleeping Daddy waiting to head off to church.

Trip to Idaho

2010-06-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

In early May we got to take a trip to Idaho. The main purpose of this trip was to be a part of the blessing for our niece/cousin, Hannah. Hannah and Anna are two months apart. It was a great trip and we got to spend some wonderful time with family. Kevin and his brothers and our brother-in-law, Chris, who is like a brother got to go on a couple of bike rides (I don't have any pictures). We got to see our niece, Hailey, dance in her Spring dance recital. Of course she was the best little dancer and it was so cute! We had a super delicious dinner after the blessing. Zane and Nora got to play with their cousins and Anna got to be acquainted with everyone. One day we went to the Rex and played on the jumping equipment and went bowling. We stayed with Grandpa and Grandma Tolman so we got to spend some time with them too. We got to go see cousin Kyler sing with his class at school. Of course Zane and Nora loved staying at Grandpa and Grandma Tolman's and riding the John Deere--even if it feltlike February! Aunt Jennifer and Aunt Jessica stayed the week with Kristi and her family, I think mostly as a favor to me so I could stay an extra week with my family and not have to drive home alone with three kids. They were a huge help!!! On the way back to Portland we stopped at a rest area to let the kids run around, feed Anna and well, rest. Aunt Jessica helped Zane and Nora keep their eyes on this tiny little bunny we spied. We also got to stop in Boise and visit our friends Darwin, Hannah, Macy and Livia. We had a lot of fun jumping on their trampoline. It was a long ride home, but we did pretty good.

Kevin's Birthday

2010-06-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

Kevin had a birthday. We won't say which number. We celebrated with the kids and Joey and with Grandma Pickup. Grandpa was in China. After eating at Red Robin we came home and opened presents. He got two big packages of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups from Nora, "The Patriot" (edited) from Anna, "Sherlock Holmes" from Joey, a fire starter kit from Zane, a weed-eater from me, a bluetooth from Grandma Pickup (mom) and a card with $$ from Grandma & Grandpa Tolman (my mom and dad). I think that's it. Funny how excited someone can be about a yard tool and Zane and Nora had fun with the box.

Sing, sing, sing!

2010-04-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

Grandpa and Grandma Tolman visit

2010-04-16T21:43:00.001-07:00

Grandpa and Grandma came to visit and they brought Grandma Great with them! We were so happy to have them here for Anna's blessing. Unfortunately, their visit also included passing around the flu. We still had fun and wish we lived closer. Zane and Nora love their grandparents.

Grandma Great with Anna

One, two, three. . . jump!

Zane and Grandma Great were reading "The Grouchy Ladybug". They came to the page where the grouchy ladybug meets the yellow jacket and Zane decided to quiz Grandma Great.

Zane: What's that?

Grandma Great: A bee.

Z: What's that?

GG: A bee.

Z: What's that?

GG: A bee.

Z: What's that? A yellow jacket? (Duh!)

Easter 2010

2010-04-16T21:27:00.001-07:00

Easter was fun this year. Friday evening we colored easter eggs. The kids loved it. Zane wanted to do more. He then insisted he didn't want the Easter Bunny to come. Well, he came anyway and Saturday morning when I told Zane he came he cried "Nooo!" But then, I told him there was candy all over the house and he seemed okay with that. So, we followed Zane and Nora gathering jelly beans that had been hidden all over the house until they finally landed at their Easter baskets.
Sunday we enjoyed watching conference with Grandpa and Grandma Pickup and then having Easter Dinner there. We were joined by Joey and his sisters and tortured them with a game of "Seek" after dinner.

Digging

2010-04-16T21:18:00.001-07:00

Get ready for picture overload. We still haven't planted the garden and I'm tempted not to this year. The kids have a lot of fun digging out there. One day I let them loose and I didn't have one whine, or cry, or push, or fight or tattle for well over an hour! That never happens.

Children's Museum--again!

2010-04-16T21:12:00.001-07:00

Thank goodness for a membership to the Children's Museum. Zane and Nora seem to have more fun every time we go. Kevin even got to go with us recently, but it was SOOO crowded. We didn't know it was Free Friday. Here are some pictures from a recent trip with some friends.

I built a fire

2010-04-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

One of Zane's favorite things to do at Grandpa Pickup' is to help build a fire. Ever since he got to experiene this he like to "build fires" in my kitchen cupboard. Recently I have been on a couponing craze (saved $150/spent $75 this week--but that's another topic). I found Zane getting into my coupons and crumpling for paper for his fire. I quickly saved my precious coupons and gave Zane and Nora the rest of the inserts to use for fires. The next day I was sitting on the sofa nursing Anna when something caught my eye.

Zane had "built a fire" in my fireplace. Oh, this boy!

Blessing Day

2010-04-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Anna Pickup was given a name and a blessing by her father on March 28, 2010. Her father, Grandpa Pickup, Grandpa Tolman, Bishop Robert Tu'itavke, Russ King (1st counselor in bishopric) ,Chuck Wells (2nd counselor in bishopric), Lawrence Turner (home teacher), Aaron Cardon (Elder's Quorum counselor) and Jason Sampson (Elder's quorum counselor) participated in the blessing. Anna was very quiet during the blessing although she wailed like a banshee before. Her father gave her a beautiful blessing and her proud siblings, mother, Grandma Pickup, Grandma Tolman and Great Grandma Tolman were all present to witness this event.

Anna was full of smiles for pictures this morning.

The family:

Nora, Grandpa P., Grandma P., Zane, Daddy, Mom, Anna, Grandma T., Grandma Great, Grandpa T.

Zane, Dad, Nora, Anna and Mom

Just some more pictures

2010-03-11T15:17:00.000-08:00

Of course, Anna is just changing every day. I can't get over how quickly it happens. She is still a very sweet baby. She is waking up a lot more during the day but is generally pretty quiet. She seems to only cry when she's hungry, gassy, tired or if someone is mauling her. She seems to be spitting up A LOT every morning. I think it's too much foremilk, which I guess I know how to fix, but who wants to go to all that work? She's on the verge of smiling. I think I might have actually got a real smile this morning. I can't wait until it's more consistent.

Sadly, Nora has given up her morning nap and for the most part and Zane is starting to give up his nap altogether. The other day Grandpa called and wanted to know if Zane had been put down for his nap yet. He hadn't and I figured he probably wouldn't sleep so we started "quiet time." Zane sat quietly on the couch for 45 minutes and didn't bother mom once. Oh, if only it lasts!

"Nora's a reindeer!" or at least that's what Zane said after I put these pigtails in her hair. I've found that it's the only way to keep her long hair on top from getting crusted to her runny nose. Nice, huh?

Kevin's been so busy this term with school, work and Elder's quorum responsibilities. Sometimes it feels like we never see him. When he does get to be home he's always good about spending quality time with the kids. Here they are enjoying a few good books together.

I received this apron in the mail last week (thank you). Zane's eyes lit up when he saw it and of course he wanted me to wear it. Then he wanted to wear it. That lasted about 30 seconds before he wanted it off. I tried to get a picture first, but he wanted it off--now!

Nora has found that she rather likes sitting in Anna's swing. I tried to put it in a inconspicuous spot, but she always finds her way over there. Sometimes Anna is resting peacefully and then gets lovingly mauled by Nora. So I have to move Anna out of the chair and then Nora quickly finds her way in. She's a clever little thing, no?

Pictures!!

2010-03-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

Since we don't really go anywhere these days, it seems I don't take many pictures. I tried to be more conscientious this week and get a few pictures. You'll notice lots of snotty noses. We've all been sick--including Anna and I. I kind of feel a little guilty after going to the doctor and getting antibiotic for myself, but making my kids suffer through it and fight it off themselves. However, they really did seem to be recovering a lot more quickly than I was. They were getting better and I was getting worse. We're all on the mend now, though.

Anna is changing so much. She weighs over 11 pounds now and is still super sweet! Anna was resting in the sun, and Zane and Nora wanted to share their toys--Zanes Foof-foof and Daddy's shoes from Nora.

A chocoloate chip cookie was the first thing I could get Nora to eat for four days. Her eyes still look sick, but her mouth looks happy!

Nora was so proud of getting herself into the car. I wasn't sure how she did it. . .

. . . until I saw this. She is determined!

Nora can sit and look at a magazine or book for a long time. Here she is, happily doing just that. Zane's got some pretty big shoes to fill.

Nora loves to play with Kevin's "house shoes".

Daddy and his girls.

Last Sunday

2010-02-23T20:31:00.000-08:00

Yikes! I really haven't taken enough pictures. I guess my arms are alway full with other things.

Zane loves to hold Anna--for about 15 seconds a day--cheese!

Last Sunday Kevin came home from church after sacrament meeting because he wasn't feeling well. He usually has Nora during the 2nd and 3rd hour since I'm teaching music in Primary and she's much too much of a distraction in there, so he took her home with him. I asked him if he was able to get a nap in. I should have known--this is what he said. "I laid down on the floor and watched her play and when I woke up she was asleep next to me with her pacifier and her blanket." So, Dad was sleeping and Nora--little Miss Independent--went upstairs, found her blankie, found a pacifier (I couldn't even find them Sunday morning) and went back down to nap with Dad. I told him he should be glad that's how he found her and not drowned in the toilet or covered in syrup and flour or something.
Then we went to Grandpa and Grandma P.'s for dinner and visiting. Nora sure has taken a liking to her grandparents lately. Grandma P. is always quick to offer to bathe the kids. I walked past the utility room and this is what I saw:
I can't believe she got them both in there at the same time--and they're happy about it!

Three Weeks!

2010-02-12T13:52:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe we've had little Anna here for three weeks. For the most part the adjustment has not been too difficult. It has been made much easier thanks to great friends and family. I think I've cooked two meals since I've been home from the hospital. Looks like that's come to an end now, so it's back to reality!

Zane and Nora continue to love her, although Nora sometimes can't make up her mind if she wants to compete for Mom's attention, or just be mad or just love her sister. Almost daily Zane will say "I wanna hold her." I will set Anna in his lap and he will hold her for about ten seconds and then say "I'm finished." Nora will often want to hold Anna and will want to hold her for a LONG time. I will hold Anna in Nora's lap but then try to take her away so I can get something done and Nora will just scream. She would be content if I just let Anna sit in her lap all afternoon.
Anna continues to be a good-natured baby. We've had just a couple of "difficult" nights/days, and by difficult I mean she just wants to be held--not difficult like inconsolable. She nurses about every three hours and is growing like a weed. At her two-week appointment I was hoping she was back up to birth weight--it just didn't seem she was eating that much. She surprised me coming in at 9 pounds! She is changing so much.

We've had a couple of nice sunny days and were able to get outside. We all needed the fresh air and sunshine. I even ventured to the grocery store with all three kids--in the rain--but I don't think I'll be doing that again any time soon.

Should I be concerned that this is where I found the beloved Foof-foof?

Grandpa P and Anna

Zand and Nora love to play in her bed after nap time

Why do they have to grow up so fast?

Nora really can't wait until Anna can play

Kind of grumpy after a nap

Getting bigger!

Zane wants Anna to play, too. Yes, their room is a disaster!

Almost a smile!

Pensive--a common look for her

Home

2010-01-28T21:56:00.000-08:00

It's good to be home. So I don't forget details, I thought I better get my story down sooner rather than later. Kevin and I arrived at the hospital early Thursday morning--about 6:20 a.m. We checked in, went up to our room, met our nurse, the anesthesiologist and basically just waited for everyone involved in the surgery to get there. I have mixed feelings about that operating room. On one hand it has been the room where my greatest blessings have arrived, but it is so cold and bright and stark. I hate sitting there getting a "spinal" and worrying that it won't be effective or that something will go wrong and I will actually feel what is happening. My anesthesiologist was pretty good and I was only slightly nauseous for a few seconds. Once the surgery started, Anna was here and healthily wailing in practically minutes. It seemed like Dr. Drake (who is wonderful) was pretty quick putting things back together and I was back in my room fairly quickly.

Once we got back to our room and I was holding little Anna while they were doing some vitals on me, we noticed Anna's color was really pretty awful. Her extremities were quite blue and her face looked just wrong. I had started feeling a bit light-headed myself and the decision was made to take her to the nursery to assess her and try to get some fluids in her. My understanding when she left the room was that we would maybe try to supplement with formula, but they were gone for a long time and no one had come to tell me what was going on. After about 45 minutes or an hour Lynnette showed up. I told her Anna and Kevin were in the nursery. She visited with me for a minute but then left. Shortly after that Anna returned to my room. I thought Lynnette had maybe "encouraged" them to bring her back, but she said she hadn't. Kevin said that they had tried several times to get an IV started but he finally asked them to stop and just bring her back to me let us be together and I could try to feed her. I am glad he knew what was best and told them. He didn't know how heroic that was to me. She nursed well and we spent good time bonding and she quickly returned to normal.

I, however, had a very difficult day. I was vomiting all day, which is not fun after abdominal surgery. I was sweating hot, dizzy and my blood pressure was quite low all day. I couldn't even think about eating anything, even though I was starving and hadn't eaten since the night before. I was so glad Kevin was there with me and we had limited visitors our first day. By about 8:00 that night I started to feel better and my appetite was beginning to return.

The next few days in the hospital were rather enjoyable. I think Adventist Medical Center is a wonderful hospital (even though the food is much better at Providence). The nurses and all the staff are very considerate and took good care of us. We had a few visitors every day. Between my friend Kedra and Lynnette the kids were well cared for. Kevin was able to spend time home with the kids and also at the hospital with me. Kevin brought Zane over Friday because he seemed really unsure about everything when he saw me Thursday. We had some good one-on-one time--watching "John Deere," going on walks, and eating popsicles. By the time he left he decided we could keep Anna and everything was okay.

We got home Sunday about 11:00. My mom has been here helping with the kids. It has been so good to be home. I don't know what I would do without my mom though. She has cleaned up more than her fair share of vomit and poop. Nora has been sick--vomiting Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. It was really hard for me not to be able to pick her up and carry her. Grandma was able to do that though, and Nora was not neglected. Now Zane is not feeling well.

Mom has been cooking and cleaning and caring so well for my kids. I feel like I am recovering really well from the surgery this time. Even though I feel I am recovering really well, there are just things I can't or shouldn't do. Between my mom not thinking I should lift a finger and me wanting to do more than I should, I am probably keeping it about where it should be under her watchful eye. I am so glad Mom has been here to help. I can't say enough how grateful I am.
Anna has been a very, very good baby so far. She is peaceful and calm. When she does get upset, which is very rare, she is easily soothed. She nurses well and sleeps pretty well. Zane and Nora really seem to love her and like to hold her and rub her head.

This has been a very happy week for me. I feel more rested and physically comfortable than I have felt for months. I sit around with my little family and am overcome by feelings of gratitude
for the blessings I have.

Grandma and Nora have become very good friends.

A nice day at the park. We were all anxious to get out of the house.

Peacefully resting in Grandma's arms. I insisted that part of Grandma's time here should include just snuggling. She feels like she always has to be waiting on us.

Love from Brother
More love

Anna Day 2

2010-01-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures.
We can take visitors now except 2-4pm.

Anna's Here!

2010-01-21T10:25:00.000-08:00

8:33 am 7 lb 13 oz 19 in

Mom and baby are doing well.

Baby update

2010-01-13T22:59:00.000-08:00

Just to let everyone know, we are scheduled for a c-section next Thursdaymorning, the 21st. I am so very exited. With the exception of family we plan on not having visitors until Friday. My friend Kedra will be coming to take care of the kids on Thursday and Friday (love you Keds). Then my mom will be here Saturday through the next Sunday (love you Mom ) and then Kevin's mom is plannig to take a few days the next week to help out here (love you, Lynnette). So that puts me through the first two weeks, which I'm the most worried about. I know I'm not SUPPOSED to lift or do anything for six weeks, but really, I think two good weeks will be the most important. Also, so many people from the ward and my friends have offered to help. I'm so thankful for that! I will definitely let people know.

I'm excited to meet this little girl and even though I know how much work it is once they get here, I am SO READY for this pregnancy to be over!!! It has been a pretty rough one these last couple of months. Also, I have been sick for a week and I think this little banana is just sucking all my ability to get well. I think I'm on the mend now (I've been saying that every night now) and am looking forward to finally getting a few things done to prepare for baby three.

I have been showing Zane videos of his birth and Nora's birth to help him understand what is happening. The other day I walked in their bedroom and Zane was pushing on Nora's belly and pulling on her legs. I asked what he was doing and he said "I'm cutting the baby out. I'm the doctor. It's okay, Nora. It's okay." Cracked me up! He's always asking now when the baby's going to come out.

So be blog-watching and hopefully we'll have some good news posted by Thursday evening or Friday.

Playing with cousins

2010-01-13T22:10:00.001-08:00

While spending over a week with the Pickups, we had quite a bit of fun. We played at the church (Steal the Bacon, volleyball, just running around), went bowling, made Christmas trees wtih frosting and sugar cones, played outside, and drove Grandpa crazy running around inside. Zane and Nora really loved getting to know their cousins better and learned a few new tricks as a result. When we left Grandpa and Grandma's Zane wanted to know "where did my cousins go?" It was a fun, busy week and we really got to spend some good time together.

Nora on the merry-go-round at Chuck E. Cheese's.

Zane's favorite thing at Chuck E. Cheese's.

Zane is definitely a John Deere boy.

Bowling!! I think Zane got a higher score than mom and he LOVED it! Can you tell?

Nora looks like she's had a rough day. Played too hard, I guess.

Kade's baptism.

Kaleb was sleeping on the rug by the door. Zane was rather concerned.

We had a hard time getting all candy on the trees and not in the mouths.

Grandpa's girl

Secret Pal

2010-01-13T21:57:00.001-08:00

Another fun tradition the Pickups have is Secret Pal. The siblings draw names and then keep it a secret all year who you are getting a gift for for Christmas. The rule is it has to be homemade. We always have a lot of fun deciding what to make for the family or person we have and are alway pleased with our lovingly homecrafted gifts. This year we had Brian and Samantha and made them a puppet theater with puppets. The front of the theater is chalkboard paint, so hopefully that works well. Sean had us and made us costumes for the nativity. He made Mary, Joseph, a shepherd, a wise man, and an angel. I was so excited about this! He also found a copy of "Grover Goes to School" and burned a CD for Kevin. (Funny tradition that the Pickup boys have includes listening to this book on tape).

Me in part of the angel costume and the scarf Samantha knitted that I tried to steal from Jennifer.

Brian and Sam with the puppets and theater we made.

Everyone with their Secret Pal gifts (including Brenda and Blaine on Skype in the computer).

Christmas Day at the Pickups

2010-01-13T21:21:00.000-08:00

What a great Christmas we had! We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (and about an additional week) at the Pickups. Santa was very good to us. He brought Zane a toy train set adn and elf made a "train table" that fits perfectly under Zane's bed. He brought Nora a kitchen. Both kids enjoy both gifts and are entertained for a long time. We really enjoyed sharing the day with everyone. It was a great celebration.

Checking out the stockings.

Waiting to go down and see Christmas!
Dad waiting to go down and see what Santa brought.

Dad and Zane playing with the train.

Grandpa knows how to keep Nora close.

Tearing into the big present. Lots of fun to be had!

Zane having "Foof-foof" play with his new train.

Daddy and Nora enjoying a Christmas morning snack.

I love you Daddy!

Christmas Eve with the Pickups

2010-01-13T20:59:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely Christmas Eve with the Pickups. One of my favorite traditions is the nativity. Kevin always gets out of "acting" because he's the official filmer which means he sits behind the video camera that sits on the tri-pod. They made me be "expecting" Mary and Hailey was the other Mary. Nora was the cutest little angel and Zane was the cutest little shepherd. I was so surprised that Zane was cooperative. He doesn't like new experiences and especially wearing things that are "uncomfortable" like coats, hats, sweaters etc. He did a great job though. We also sang a lot and ate good food.

The performers

The cutest little angel and her pretty cute aunt, too!
The cutest little shepherd

Christmas Day Dinner

Thanksgiving/Christmas in Idaho

2010-01-13T20:47:00.000-08:00

We went to Idaho for Thanksgiving and also celebrated Christmas with the Tolman family. Sadly, I did not get a lot of pictures of our trip. Once again, my excuse is--I was too tired. I mean, who wants to go up or down stairs or even get out of their chair to go find the camera, right? We did have a good trip and enjoyed seeing all of our family. Of course the food was delicious! We played games, rode on Grandpa's new toy, ate way too much, and watched a couple of good movies. One night I did get sick--fever, aches, etc. I took a hot bath and then tried to get out of the bathroom but it wouldn't unlock. I banged on the door and yelled for Kevin. I was right next to the kid's room and hoped he would hear me through the monitor without waking them up. I probably tried for five full minutes, although it felt like fifteen minutes. Finally, I yelled for Zane to come out of the room. Luckily, he heard me and came out. I told him to go upstairs and tell Daddy that Mommy was stuck. He dutifully obeyed and came to my rescue, but as soon as he got to the top of the stairs , I got the door unlocked. I tell you, this two-year-old has way had to take on way more responsibility than any two-year-old should. I don't know what I'd do without him. Zane and Nora traveled well, even with Zane only being potty trained for about a month. After we got home, Zane wanted to go back. We just need to live closer!

Zane and Dad opening Nora's gift. She had to miss the party for a nap--bummer.
Zane and Dad opening one of Zane's favorite toys--John Deere!

Kevin gettin' in the Christmas spirit.

Peacock Lane (December 21, 2009)

2010-01-13T20:38:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed an evening out with Kevin's family going to Peacock Lane. First we had everyone over for homemade chicken noodle soup and rolls. Then we ventured over to see the lights. Zane was a bit timid at first, but by the time we got to Santa he was ready for him. He was so excited that Santa gave him a candy cane and he got to shake his hand. Nora just enjoyed the ride and all the sights. Afterward we came back to our house for hot chocolate, cookies and visiting. It was a great way to kick off the family festivities.

A few December Pictures

2010-01-13T20:28:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pictures from December. As tradition has it we went up to Mt. Hood to cut our tree. It was VERY cold and Zane was not having a good time so we somewhat hastily chose our tree. I knew it was crooked at the top, but otherwise it looked pretty good to me. I actually ended up loving this tree and it didn't seem nearly as crooked after it was decorated.

Zane really enjoyed helping decorate this year and the kids were fascinated by the village. Surprisingly they were pretty good about not playing with it or the tree.
We have a rule about not playing in the ottoman/toy box. However, this day, like many others lately I was too tired to put up a fight. Plus, it was just too cute. That's Zane's puppy she's holding and yes, he's wearing Elmo underwear, which reminds me of a funny story. Zane grabbed an empy tissue box and put all his undewear in there. That is his underwear box and that is where all of the underwear have stayed for a couple of months. Not a bad idea, actually.

And finally this random picture. Zane had been watching a lot of "Pooh's Heffalump Movie" and elephants/heffalumps had been on his mind a lot. He made elephant noises, said he dreamed about elephants, etc. This Sunday morning he spilled milk from his cereal and I was going to clean it up but he begged me not to because it was a "helephant." See?

2009-12-14T22:52:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

One year old!

2009-12-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

Nora celebrated her first birthday a couple of weeks ago. It seems like it has just flown by! Nora is a determined little thing. She definitely knows what she wants. She is anxious to keep up with her big brother and as Grandma Tolman says, "She's not going to let the grass grow under her feet." She is a good little walker and can say a few words: "more" (sign and say), "mama", "dada", wave bye-bye, gesture yes and no, and sometimes says "hello" when pretending to talk into a phone. Her favorite toys are whatever Zane plays with--cars, blocks, calculators. She can be affectionate with dolls but isn't really interested for very long, although I keep trying. She has a lot of spunk and personality and we're glad to have her in our family.

What are you thankful for?

2009-11-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

Just Nora

2009-11-01T15:11:00.000-08:00

Isn't she cute--double chin and all?

Trunk-or-Treat

2009-11-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

After dinner at a friends house we headed over to the "trunk-or-treat" at the stake center. I had Zane all warmed up to say "Trick or treat!" but I don't think he said a word for about the first 15 minutes after we got out of the car. He just stared, kind of dumbfounded. He did however readily open his treat bag and I eventually had him saying "thank you" near the end.

My Little Animals

2009-11-01T14:54:00.000-08:00

We had to wrestle Zane and had lots of tears getting this lion costume on, but once he got the idea (happily in my costume = candy) he was happy to oblige. Nora just thought it was great fun.

Laughing at Tigger

2009-10-27T21:49:00.001-07:00

I'll admit it. Zane has probably watched a bit too much television the last month or so. Usually, I try to just let him watch one movie or program per day, but since I'm looking and feeling nine months pregnant I just had to put a movie on one afternoon and lay on the couch myself. I was surprised to hear Zane cracking up. He really thinks Tigger is one funny cat.

Rainy Day Play

2009-10-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

Went to the mall last week to play. 'Twas too rainy to go to the park.

Little Pu'kin

2009-10-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

Nora has become a bit possesive of this little pumpkin. She thinks it is hers and all last week she walked around the house with it. I finally managed to get it back to the front porch. We'll see how long it stays there.

Sunday Afternoon in the Park

2009-10-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

Heading out. . .

While we were there. . .

Home for some hot chocolate and snacks. . .

2009-10-12T15:04:00.000-07:00

We've had a fun October so far. Nora has really started walking quite a bit. She started just taking a few steps, but then last week she started walking more and crawling less. She's still quite wobbly and gets frustrated when she falls.

Saturday we went to Rasmusssen farms to the pumpkin patch. Although it was a bit of a let-down given what their website touts, we still had a fun time. Yes, it was chilly, but Zane refused to wear his jacket. Zane had to go through the corn maze twice, enjoyed pumpkin bowling, and picked a couple of fine pumpkins. We also got a lot of apples for our apple pie filling. It was really just nice to enjoy the day as a family and also to have our friends the Saunders' there with us. Of course I think Kevin's favorite part of the day was when we were walking out of the corn maze and a parade of Mustangs started pulling in and parking.

Some of the cars at the farm

My favorite

A nice little pumpkin for Zane

Learning about Johnny Appleseed in the corn maze

Nobody look at the camera, okay? Checking out the pumpkins

Some funky gourds

Nora walking and Zane sweeping

Thomas and his friend

2009-10-12T14:31:00.001-07:00

A couple of Saturdays ago we got home late at night and found a package had been dropped off in the mail for ZANE! Sunday morning I let him open it and he was so excited to find a new "Thomas the Train" book, Thomas engine and Thomas pajamas. Although he's never really watched Thomas the Train, he loves trains and was so excited about this package. He wanted to wear his Thomas jammies after church, and I thought it wasn't worth a fight, so he wore jammies all day. He also wore them to bed that night and requests to wear them every night. His train goes on our walk with us almost every morning. He loves this package. After we opened it I had him call Grandma to tell her thank you, which he did. What I thought was the best was Sunday afternoon he was playing with his Thomas train, I saw him pause and realize how much fun he was having with it and he brought me the phone and said, "Call gramma. Thank you, gramma." So we called and thanked grandma again.

Just another day at the beach

2009-09-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

My parents were here for a bit on their anniversary trip to the coast. Zane, Nora and I joined them for a day in Lincoln City. Once again, it was a most beautiful day. It was hard to leave. Of course Zane and Nora had a fabulous time. The day before we went to the beach we spent some time down town.

Happy Anniversary

2009-09-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this month. We tried to surprise them with a dinner at one of their favorite restaurants, but they were on to us. We had a delicious dinner and a nice visit as a family, although it was a quick one. They're a great couple and I'm glad to have them as parents.

It's a . . .

2009-09-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

GIRL! Hopefully, this isn't too big of a surprise to too many people, but that's right. We're having ANOTHER baby. A BIG surprise to us, actually. We had the ultrasound yesterday and the technician said he was confident it was a girl. I could tell with Nora but not this one. He tried to tell us how he could tell but I wasn't seeing it. However, I wasn't seeing what I saw with Zane either so I believe him. So we'll be happily welcoming baby 3 in January!

Labor Day 2009

2009-09-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

Kevin didn't have to work on Labor Day so we decided to go to the beach. I was a little leery because I thought everyone would be going to the beach and we would spend half the day in traffic. Also, there was a slight chance of rain. Kevin confidently declared, "It's not going to rain." So, off we went. There was no extra traffic, which was great, but we were only 15 minutes from the coast and it was dumping rain. Once we got to Lincoln City though, there was no rain. The weather was actually beautiful. We walked across "D" River, the smallest river in the world supposedly. Really, it was about 10 feet across and ankle deep. No one else seemed to want to cross so we had that side of the beach pretty much to ourselves. The kids could play all day on the beach. We had a really great time. Of course we ate at Mo's but were disappointed in our food. After playing at the beach some more, we headed for ice cream and home. When we got up this morning I asked Zane what he wanted to do today. He said, "I wanna go back to beach." Maybe next week when Grandpa and Grandma Tolman come visit.

Raymond Park Play Date

2009-09-08T09:34:00.001-07:00

On Wednesdays we get together with some other moms and kids and play. Last week we went to Raymond Park. It was a beautiful day. We had a little picnic and then played on the playground a bit. Zane had a blast running through the water feature . Nora really wanted to get in, but every time she got too close, the water was just a bit to forceful and she would get upset. Still, she seemed to have a good time too.

Bangs

2009-09-01T15:32:00.001-07:00

I have been contemplating bangs for Nora for a long time, but keep deciding against it for one reason or another. Finally, Friday morning I just got tired of all the food in her hair, and the poor girl can't see until I find time to pull her hair back, so I just got out the scissors and did it. It's very hard to get a 9-month-old to hold still. Too bad I cut them way to short and kind of crooked. I thought about blaming it on Zane. Oh well, in two weeks they'll be just right and I think she looks super cute with bangs.

A Fun Week

2009-09-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

Last week the kids and I had a lot of fun. Monday we went to OMSI. I'd been to OMSI before, but didn't realize there was a small "Science Playground" just for kids 0-6. Zane and Nora both had a great time. Zane spent a good 45 minutes in the sandbox, so Nora did too. They both enjoyed playing with the balls and exploring the "caves." Unfortunately, I left my camera home.

Tuesday, a fellow teacher friend invited some of us teachers up to a house she has in Longview. It was about an hour drive, but it was worth it. They have a huge yard and the kids just played outside while we moms got to sit and visit. Since I am not teaching any more it was nice to see them again and just catch up. We had a very nice lunch hosted by Heather. We had to leave a bit early because Nora had a Dr. appointment and both kids were desperate for naps. Nora was sound asleep in her car seat before we had even gone the approximately 8 blocks to the first turn. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures--again.

Wednesday was not so fun. Zane woke up very late and it took him about 20 minutes of moaning to actually wake up. I had a feeling he was going to be sick. When he did finally wake up I went in to get him and he said his tummy hurt. Hoping he was just hungry I took him down for breakfast, but unfortunately after about 4 bites of cereal I saw him struggling to keep it down so I rushed him off to the toilet and fortunately made it in time. That was the only episode that day and he wanted to go back and finish breakfast. He acted energetic and normal other than complaining of a tummy ache and being a little crankier than usual. Glad it only lasted a little while.

Thursday we went to three stores. I know, big deal, right? But really, some days it is a big deal. Three stores with both kids. We got Zane some big boy unders and he was so excited about it he had the package open and one pair on each leg before we got home. Seriously contemplating starting toilet training soon. Also, I made three dinners that evening so I'm pretty proud of myself.

Friday I took the kids to the Dahlia festival. The flowers are amazing-better than the tulip festival, I think. There's not a lot of kids to do though. Zane did enjoy watching the pond of large koi and observing bees gathering pollen.

Silver Falls

2009-08-24T21:20:00.000-07:00

We got to spend some family time on Saturday and decided to go for a hike. We went down to Silver Falls. We thought Zane might be able to do the two mile loop, but he is such a dawdler. Kevin just couldn't wait for him any more, plus it probably would have taken us ten hours, so Zane finally got put on Dad's shoulders. Even packing Nora and Zane, Kevin climbed the hills much easier than I did. Man, I'm out of shape! However, it was beautiful and refreshing and just nice to get to spend a Saturday together. Zane had a great time, and I think Nora did too.

Nora enjoyed the ride.

Family photo

Another family photo. (That's not a pick, it's a scratch).

Zane insisted on playing in the water.
A boy and his stick.

Super Kevin

Joey's Birthday

2009-08-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

Joey moved in with us the last week in July. His family moved to Indiana and made the hard decision to let him finish his senior year here in Portland. He is such a good kid and so easy to have in our house. Zane loves him and is constanly asking "Where's Doey?" or narrating Joey's life: "Doey eating. Doey sleeping. Doey at work. Doey reading. Doey downstairs." Joey celebrated his 17th birthday last week. We had fun celebrating with him.

The Beach

2009-08-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

Last week I called my friend Kedra from Seattle. I had been so bummed that Kevin didn't have any more time off and that we probably wouldn't be going anywhere until Thanksgiving. Then I came to the realization that just because Kevin can't go somewhere and have fun, doesn't mean I can't take the kids and do something. Kedra was thinking the same thing and so we packed up the kids and took the kids overnight to the beach. It was a lot of work having four little ones and no daddies to help. The kids really had a great time and so did Kedra and I. However, I think we decided we would only try day trips from now on. At least for a while. Thanks, Kevin, for working so hard so we can go do fun things. It would be more fun if you could go, but we sure appreciate it.

I forgot to take my camera down to the beach, so I’ll have to get those pictures from Kedra. I swear, Zane could spend all day contentedly in the sand.

The end of the trip. All four kids slept most of the way home.

(Notice those cute little toesies up front)

Zane enjoying his ice cream
Window shopping

Walking around town

Riding the carousel

Playing in the hotel

Picture Update August 2009

2009-08-24T17:25:00.003-07:00

Just some pictures to show off the kids--especially how much Nora has changed.

Zane doing a handsome pose.

Nora- crusin' around
Puddin' face

Nora in a dress I used to wear

We spent a day at the zoo with friends earlier this month. Normally I'm not a fan of the zoo, but if it could always be like this, I would probably go more often. It was a perfect day. Cool and overcast. All the animals were out and very active. Not crowded at all.

Happily making a mess

We are still using a Children's Museum membership frequently. Nora is even beginning to reap the benefits and it's fun to watch them both play and explore. Zane's favorite places right now are this transportation room and the dig pit.

Pickup Family Reunion--July 2008

2009-08-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

Finally getting pictures posted from the Pickup reunion. We had such a great time and EVERYONE was able to be there. Right now there are 9 grandchildren with at least two more on the way, and I'm betting there will be 5 more next in 2009. We started with a trip to Fort Stevens. It's a great place at the beach. There are lots of bike trails, a lake, a very short ride to the beach, a shipwreck and lots to see and do. We sported our family shirts the first day and it was always easy to identify a Pickup. We went to the temple one day, as always, which is one of my favorite things to do at our annual family reunion. Friday night we had a girl's night out and went out to eat, then back to our house for games and foot treatments by Lynnette. There was also a family birthday party, talent show, shooting, and lots of swimming to beat the heat. It was a busy, fun-filled week, but we sure enjoyed spending time with everyone and Zane and Nora really got to know their cousins and aunts and uncles better.

Tuckered out from a long day at the beach.

Nora lookin' cool in her b-day sunglasses.

Family pictures were kind of a joke for us this year. There was little cooperation.

Nora discovered she does not like the taste of sand.

Nora and Daddy relaxing at the beach

Daddy's girl

Fun in the sand

Zane tries to eat the sand, too. Yuck!

More beach fun

Dig, dig, dig

Kevin throwing horseshoes

Holly throwing horseshoes

Kevin shooting his shotgun

Some of the grandkids waiting to blow out birthday candles.

Zane driving one of Grandpa's power toys he got just for the reunion.

The "adults" at the temple. Soon we'll add Jen, Jess and Sean.

The Pickup Family at Fort Stevens.

The grandkids getting ready for their photo

Nora and Shayli. Two months apart and having a lot of fun together.