Wednesday, October 15, 2008

3 Visitors, A Trip to Alaska, Santa Monica, Hawaii, Atlanta and Spain and a whole season Later....






Disclaimer: the following and any posts on this blog will not be grammatically correct. I have had the life long disability of poor grammar. Not due to my lack of education but due to my own lack of interest. So if I use "their" instead of "there" or if a comma is incorrect I apologize and warn you that if it sincerely bothers you DO NOT READ THIS BLOG:) This is for you Krista....PS...this is totally friendly people. I am making fun of myself and a previous post of a friend with whom writes so well she could be an employee of the New York Times.


There is a beautiful tree in our front yard that shades us in the summer and gives us privacy from the main road. I love to look out the front window and see it's beautiful blossoms in the Spring, the Green Leaves in the Summer and then in Autumn watch it as it slowly changes through all the beautiful fall colors. Right now it is an amazing mix of light green and yellow. I keep looking at it and thinking, man I got to do some sort of craft project inspired by these beautiful colors. In the Winter our tree becomes an abstract piece of art, bare branches weighed down by the ice and snow that covers it. I just love our tree!

My parents came to visit, and spoiled us rotten. They got us a great BBQer which we have used almost daily and also got us a zoo membership which we also use EVERY week. The last time we went the weather was perfect and the animals were all so friendly and happy. Our little zoo here is the perfect zoo for toddlers. We will miss it over the extreme winter months. My parents also bought me a bike for my birthday so we recently added a bike trailer/jogger and now we can go on bike rides and runs. WE LOVE IT! I can't tell you how good it feels to be able to bike again. The wind blowing through my hair, the speed, the freedom it gives me. It just feels good and the kids LOVE it. We have a really cool bike path (7 miles worth) right at our doorstep. It winds through town and hits an assortment of parks along the way. It is lined with woods and streams, bridges and lots of fun critters. It's one of our favorite things to do. My parents took a walk with us one day while they were here. We also took in the Iowa State Fair which is one of the top 100 things to do in the USA. It was definitely a site to see, complete with tractor dancing. Yes the tractors indeed did dance. We had the most incredible corn dogs imaginable and we saw lots of fun horses and livestock. We were able to see the Nauvoo Pageant and Festival, what an amazing show. David, Joseph's brother, was also here, we enjoyed having his company. We all got to go on a cruise down the Mississippi together as a part of Homecoming at Palmer, where Joseph goes to school.

Ok so I just remembered one of my good friends, who is completely honest, said my blogs are always too long so I am going to stop myself here. My parents came, we had fun!

Then this summer we went to Juneau for a few weeks to visit Joseph's family. We helped out and spent time with the family. Kaitlyn celebrated her birthday while there. She got to ride a helicopter up to the top of the glacier where she drank glacier water and got very very cold. Joseph went with her and said she LOVED it. Joseph also got to go on the zip line tour where he had the time of his life. I settled for a ride up the Tram and a nice hike on top of the mountain.



We went on our first family camping trip a few weeks ago to a nearby campground just to see how the kids would do. We had tin foil dinners and Sm ores of course. Adam slept perfectly. Kaitlyn woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to wander the tent but overall she did just fine. I think once the newness wears off she will sleep just fine in her little sleeping bag. The kids LOVED painting the car with mud and going on an adventure through the woods. The campground, though only 15 minutes from home, was absolutely amazing and we will definitely go back again next spring.


I have been busy with two jobs, one at a chiropractic office working the front desk and soon will also be doing billing and the other at a ice cream store called Maggie Moos. We serve fresh made ice cream and mix in extras on a granite table just like at Cold Stones. It's a lot of fun and it is super yummy too. I work in the evenings with both jobs so we don't need any babysitters and it gets me out as well as brings in some extra cash for gas and diapers:) I am the Nursery Leader at church, which is super fun. If you are also a nursery leader let me know we can exchange ideas. In addition to all of this I am a part of a club on campus where we support and learn about chiropractic. It's a club for spouses or partners of the students and we do educational and fun activities. I enjoy that and especially enjoy the friendships that have formed from it. OH and I turned 30. No big deal. Had a good birthday and decided to cut my own bangs, just for a change. I am getting them cut professionally on Monday, I can't wait. Note to self, when bored and feeling like I want a change, lock up the scissors.

Recently a good friend of mine who works at the local airport took me on a dream getaway to Hawaii. With the accumulation of many fortunate circumstances I was able to go with free babysitting and on a very low budget. My friend Nathalie and I stopped in Santa Monica for a day and visited a friend there and did some major good shopping. Santa Monica really is a dream. It is so beautiful and super exciting. We stayed 5 days in Kauai, which was like heaven. We just layed on the beach, saw all the natural wonders and enjoyed a wonderful boat ride. We saw dolphins, turtles, lizards and cool looking moths. I made some good friends and had a nice relaxing vacation. I owe Nathalie big time for her generous gift and her steadfast friendship. She is amazing and I am so grateful for her and her husband. I love to hang out with them and they have done so much for me. Thank goodness for good friends!

We recently went to the pumpkin patch and got some pumpkins. The kids rode the pony's and petted all the animals. Kaitlyn especially liked the llama. Adam enjoyed the bunnies.

At Palmer they have a Trick or Treat day. I made Kaitlyn and Adam's costumes the morning of. I found some cute furry material and decided to make them Mommy and Daddy's little Monsters! Roaaaar. They turned out well, I was pleased. Kaitlyn thought it was the best day of her life to walk around and have people give her candy. She just quietly walked up to the bowl of candy, took two (which is as much as her hand will hold), and would put them slowly in her bag and walk away. Surprisingly her favorite thing ended up being a note pad she got. What can I say, she loves to draw.

Which leads me to our trip to Spain, where our camera was stolen so we have no pics of the monster costumes. Just think furry and blue. For Joseph's break we went to Madrid and Barcelona. Despite having a bag stolen from literally underneath our noses we had what I would call an amazing time. I had never really experienced Europe and thouroughly enjoyed the ancient history and awe inspiring architecture. I def want to return to Europe it was unforgettable. If you want to see pics of the most beautiful architecture check out my friend Nathalies blog. They took really good pics and were great guides in some of Europes busiest cities. I cannot forget to mention our nights stay in Atlanta and our visit to The Worlds Largest Aquarium. Go people! It is worth the trip, Atlanta is so friendly anf fun. We are going back with the kids FOR SURE!

Since we have been home, life is back to normal. Winter is now upon us. When I started this post fall had just arrived and now all the leaves have fallen and the air is cold and crisp. Snow will soon arrive and so will the holidays. How quickly time goes by, I am so greatful for the amazing experiences we have enjoyed this year. Sorry for the long blog.......you deserve an award if you made it the whole way thru....

There you have it, I am all caught up...wooohooo. Take Blog off the TO DO list, at least until next week when I get to update you again:) We love and care for you all. Let me know how your doing. Even though I don't blog a lot, I do check your blogs....often. Blog on my Blog friends...Blog on!

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

It's about Time!

We have been super blessed to have had soooo much go on this Spring and Summer. I have recieved many emails and notes from some of you about my delay in posting. I just want to say Thank You for caring. I got one post done for you today but plan on posting more in the next week of all that we have done so far this summer. Just after Adam's Birthday in May my Older Sister Amanda came to visit us and we were fortunate enough that she could also bring her two little kids Aidan and Mckenna. We had the most fun while they were here. We made a trip to the zoo, The John Deere Museum, the Family Museum the park, the ball pit and had many fun times just staying at home and playing outside. Aidan and Adam loved to wrestle around, well actually Aidan would just lay there and Adam would run up and tackle him over and over again. I am pretty sure Adam will always look up to Aidan as a good friend and cousin. Mckenna and Kaitlyn loved to play together, they had a little hard time here and there with sharing but overall they played well. I can't tell you how much I love my sister. With this visit my heart and mind were made up that after we are done with school here, I have to live close to her and her family. It kills me to think of all this time I am missing out on developing our Eternal Friendship and bond. I love spending time with her and our regular phone calls are what get me through till I get to go back home again. So, I've convinced Joseph that when we are done here we will head directly back to the Portland Metro area where my family is and set up a practice there. We are so excited to find a community to settle down in and be able to serve with Chiropractic Care. While I have been here I have learned a lot about Chiropractic and I just love it. I think it is a important contributor to our nations health and well being. I hope all of you get the chance to experience what Good Chiropractic care can do for you and your families lifestyle. We so enjoyed having my sister and her two kids come to visit. I am so greatful for that experience for Kailtyn exspecially because she can now remember names and faces of people she meets. She asks for Aidan and Mckenna and when I ask her if she loves them she responds with a very enthustiastic , "YEAH"! It makes my heart melt. There will be several more slide show's as the week progress's so come back and check them out soon. Love to you all.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Adamsaurus Turns One

Adam had the best birthday ever. His birthday was Sunday the 18th so we had a small family dinner with the missionaries. It was fun to have the missionaries here to help us celebrate, hopefully one day Adam will want to serve a mission as well some day. Serving a mission was the best thing Joseph and I have ever done besides have a family. I made Adam a cake but he was not interested so Kaitlyn had his piece:) We got Adam a bunch of balls for his birthday, he LOVES anything to do with sports gear. He was born with the ability to throw a ball, it's pretty amazing actually. He also tackles a football like a pro, and I'm not even kidding. He just automatically knows what to do with the balls it's really kind of weird. I am pretty sure he will be a sports nut. Then later in the week Adam had some visitors, his Aunt Trish and my friend Robin. I went up to Chicago to pick them up, a friend of mine was gracious enough to watch the kids for a day so I did not have to trek them up there and it gave me a chance to explore the city a little. Robin and I while waiting for Trish's plane to get in went and saw Navy Pier and went up the Sears Tower. It was awesome. Thank you so much Michelle, you ROCK!!! Friday we all got ready for Adam's party which originally was planned for a park but it was raining so we switched it to the Institute. It turned out to be so much fun, Adam had lots of friends come and he got some cool presents. Thank you so much everyone. My neighbor and I made him his Dinosaur cake which turned out awesome. I learned lots about cakes, they are fun to make. Saturday we all went to Nauvoo and went on a wagon ride of the city and then headed to Iowa City to go to the outlets where we all found a few new things for summer. Then on Sunday we all relaxed and Robin made us an amazing dinner. She has been taking some cooking classes and boy oh boy have they payed off. Yummy! Monday our guests had to leave, we were sad, we loved spending time with some of our favorite people. Trish and Robin and I laughed a lot and probably stayed up way too late for our own good but we felt we had to make the most of the little time we had. Trish is off to Spain for a month for a study abroad and Robin is back to work, she works hard. As for us, we are getting ready for a few other visitors. Amanda and her kids are coming on Saturday. Adam and Kaitlyn have no idea how much fun awaits them. I don't know how we got so lucky to have such good friends and family. Here are some pics of the last week. Happy Birthday Adam!!!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

April Update

Time is flying by really fast. Next month Adam will be one and Kaitlyn will soon be two. They are the gem's of our lives. It is so much fun watching them learn and grow. I think sometimes as parents we feel like we need to work so hard at teaching our kids things. We plan activities and try to read to them often, expose them to new things etc etc. It's amazing although how easy it is for them to learn at this age. Without even knowing it, you teach them things. I guess what I am saying is, I think as parents we don't have to stress ourselves out so much about what we are and are not teaching our kids and just live. They learn more from just watching what we do and from who we are then anything else I think. Kaitlyn has been learning more and more words each day. It's amazing how quickly children can pick up on words. I'll tell her the name of something once and the next day she will remember it. She loves to ask, "What's that?". She asks that question at least 20 times a day. I love it. Her favorite animal sound is a rooster and she loves this cute web site called Boowa and Kwala which has free games and songs for kids. She laughs so hard at some of the songs, which have animations to go along with them. It's a great site for kids, check it out...http://www.uptoten.com/kids/boowakwala-home.html go to the tab that says 58 songs and go through all the pages. We really like the Toucan Song the best. Adam is standing on his own now and can walk with a walker. He will be walking very soon I believe. Yay! He is such a kind little boy and has a very sweet demeanor. He loves his sister Kaitlyn and follows her around everywhere. He also has learned to climb the stairs so it's time to block them off once again. Adam's hair was getting super long so we took him to a local children's hair salon called "Cookie Cutters". It's so cute it has a play gym inside with chairs that are trains or cars for them to sit in while they get their hair cuts. The hair dresser was really nice and we had a fun time getting Adam's first real hair cut. You can see pictures below. Hope you all are doing well and enjoying Spring. We love and miss you all....The Shepro's

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

I'm Dreaming of a White Easter

This Easter was a white one for us. It started snowing Saturday night and then Sunday it snowed off and on. The weather is fairly warm though so it did not stick around very long. Saturday we went to a friends in the morning for a brunch and Easter Egg Hunt. Kaitlyn actually understood a little bit of what was going on this year so it made all the Easter activities fun. She knows that the bunny goes, "Hop-Hop-Hop"! I did not dare try Egg Dying this year but I hope next year we can start that tradition. I saw a cute idea in a magazine to dye easter eggs with chalkboard paint and then let the kids draw on them with chalk. It looked like it might be a little less messy for young kids then egg dying. Anywhoo, Saturday night we went to a chili cook-off and made a super yummy creamy chili, it did not win any awards but it sure was good. If anyone wants the recipe just let me know. Sunday we dressed the kids up in their Easter gear, and went to church and then that evening we went to another friends for dinner. It was a fun weekend even though Joseph had a super lot of studying to do. This trimester is turning out to be one of his hardest ever. Everyone says this is the hardest of them all so we are taking it seriously. Joseph comes home for dinner, helps put kids to bed and that is about all we see him. He does make sure to take a few hours each weekend to have family time with us which is nice. If it's not hard it's not worth it! Kaitlyn is learning words by the minute. Right now she loves to say Cockadoodledoo! We went to the zoo today and she LOVED it! I am so excited to go often this summer since it's only 20 minutes away. Here some pics of our Easter Adventure and of the Quillow I made recently. Cheers....

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Spring Is On It's Way!!!!

This week was eventful. The previous routine I posted went way out the window (Thank Heavens)! The weather actually warmed up, the snow has all melted, the birds are singing and spring actually looks like it may happen. So, the kids and I played outside quite a bit. Kaitlyn LOVES to play at what I call the "Rock Pit"-it's behind the garages in our parking lot and Kaitlyn loves to find different kinds of rocks and then throw them as far as she can. When we are done I kick them all back into the pile. Lucky me! I started making a Quillow, which is a quilt that folds into a pillow..thus a quillow. I met Joseph down on campus for lunch a few days this week which was fun. Friday we all went to the YMCA for the first time. I am so excited to get into an exercise routine. The kids did awesome in the daycare (which is FREE) so I am going to add exercising to my routine on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Saturday we tried to go see the St. Patricks Day Parade but ended up leaving because it was a little chilly and the parade was getting off to a slow start, really we left because Kaitlyn wanted to run out into the middle of the street and also dig in the gutters which were full of cigarette buts...She is so curious I love it and usually I am all about letting my kids get their fingers dirty but I had to draw the line on this one. Kaitlyn is talking more and more. I think she talks more then I think because I have noticed what I thought was just babbling has now turned into actual words. It's AWESOME! There is something about your child learning to talk..it makes you feel comforted to know they are learning something from you (or maybe Sesame Street). Adam is pulling himself up onto things, almost standing. He is such an animal, he has fast hands. He can grab something like the speed of lightning. He also has started making a noise that sounds like a machine gun so we have started giving him the nick name Ammo. It is so cute. Joseph is really busy lately, studying and involvement at school and church. He is such a trooper. I think he thrives on having work to do. The cutest thing happened Saturday Morning. We went to get the kids up and brought them into bed with us to cuddle and play for a bit (one of my favorite times of day). It was cute though because Kaitlyn and Adam did not want to cuddle us instead they cuddled up to each other and held hands. It was the sweetest thing on earth. They looked at each other with such loving eyes. Adam has been following Kaitlyn around like a puppy dog and most days Kaitlyn will play nice with him. They are really becoming good friends and nothing could make me more happy. I am looking forward to Easter and hope everyone is enjoying the beginnings of Spring. Here are some pictures from this winter....enjoy!


Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Clarification

No Joseph is not pregnant (see last blog post).

Monday, March 03, 2008

Under Construction

Be patient with me while I try to figure out how to make my page more interesting. I have a minute or two here or there to work on it. Currently Adam is at my feet whimpering for some love but I just wanted everyone to know that I am working on it-slowly but surely-I am working on it. Please don't be offended either if you don't see your name in my friends list anymore....I still love you-I just have to re add everyone. We are doing good, Joseph starts his second trimester tomorrow so we are gearing up for that, everyone says the second is the worst so this may be a trying 4 months. Adam is now rolling across the floor as if he might die and any minute due to lack of attention....so better run...

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Blog Betrayal

I have betrayed my blog. I don't update it near enough and I apologize for those of you who check my blog regularly only to find the same old pictures and boring monologues. I am making a new resolution to be a better blogger and hope you all will continue to send me your notes and messages. I love to hear from you more than I enjoy updating you on my ever so routine life. One of my good friends said she does not get an idea of what life is like for me from my blogs so here is the day in the life of Robyn:

6:30 am wake up- don't need an alarm, I wake up at 6:30 am on the dot every morning without fail. The first thought in my head is..."are the kids awake yet"..and I listen for Kaitlyn who usually is talking to Adam and making him giggle. Yep they sleep in the same room now and they sleep mostly through the night. WE DO NOT go get them if they cry, I am a firm believer in the "cry it out method". It has worked wonders for us. Anyways, I think it's funny how much my mood changes between when I put the kids down for bed and when I go to get them up in the morning. At night I can't wait to put them down and in the morning I can't wait to pick them up.....mothers are quick to forgive I have found.

7:00 am put on some sweats and feed the kids breakfast. It takes extra long b/c I still have to feed Adam his cereal. I can't wait till Adam feeds himself, although it will get messier so I guess I'm not sure about that. I usually always watch the news in the morning although, sometimes Kaitlyn watches Sesame Street. We are still teaching Kaitlyn not to throw her food on the floor when she is done, she is slowly getting it but usually every meal includes an intense pick up of Kaitlyns leftovers.

8:00 am Depends on the day, Most days it's time to get ready, other days it's time to veg on the couch while the kids play. It just depends...

Getting ready is fun with two babies. It used to be easy b/c I could put both kids in the shower with me every morning, which makes it easier b/c I know where they are and what they are doing. But it's been so cold here, that a shower every day makes their skin dry so lately I jump in the shower as quickly as possible and leave the kids in their room hoping that when I get out their dresser drawers aren't emptied all over the floor or that Kaitlyn is not sitting on Adams head. Then by this time Kaitlyn is mad that she can't play in the toilet or climb up the toilet to the sink and or get into my makeup and Adam is super upset that I am not holding him and or that he cant play with the cord from the heater. (He LOVES electrical cords) So I get ready while I listen to them cry and whine, every so often I try to find something to entertain them but for some reason at this time they have short attention spans and they just want Mommy so either I am able to finish getting ready or I give up and just make do.

9:00 Whew, I made it to Adam's first nap. He goes down and I give Kaitlyn her nebulizer treatment for asthma. She watches cartoons to distract her, usually Elmo's world and then it's time to play. Depending on my mood I will be creative with the kids or I will let them just wonder and play on their own which they are good at. Kaitlyn loves to get into the kitchen drawers and play with the utensils, we read books a lot and make forts with the kitchen table. We also love to put on music and dance. But I'll be honest, I usually have shows recorded on my DVR that I want to watch so sometimes I play with them sometimes I watch one of my shows. The shows I tape are, American Idol, Project Runway, Lost, Oprah, Supernanny, Biggest Loser...I am waiting for the new Top Chef..yay.

10:30 Snack Time...yes all of us get a snack. This is usually when I start getting excited b/c after snack time is NAP Time...yay! My favortie time of day, only b/c I cuddle Adam while he sleeps for like 2 hours. Just the most precious time of day. He is so cute and I love to just wrap my arms around him and watch him sleep. When he wakes up he smiles so big at me and we play a little bit. He is such a sweet heart. I sometimes take a nap with him but most of the time I watch T.V. while he sleeps. If I have "things to take care of" I'll set him down and get them done but to be honest, all my bills are on automatic bill pay, I don't have a lot going on that requires attention and my crafts I do at night so anyways, I don't have a lot of pressing issues to deal with. It's not necessarily a good thing, I like having stuff to do, so it's weird to not have a pressing to do list. I miss it.

11:00 Nap time....

1:00 Lunch Time....usually at this point I am thinking what can I do for the next 4 hours to get me through until Daddy get's home.

2:00 I battle myself, try NOT to turn on the T.V. I wish more then anything I could just take the kids outside but it's SOOOO Cold and we have only one car so usually I don't have transportation to go anywhere so I have to be creative at home. As of late Kaitlyn likes to stand on a chair at the sink and play with water, dance, bubbles, play upstairs in her room and look out the window, slide around on a blanket, jump on me, get into everything she's not suppost to, Play in her playhut, climb the stairs and read. Adam loves to just crawl around and find electric cords to chew on. He follows Kaitlyn around and usually gets squished by her.

3:00 Adam goes down for his last nap and I spend quality time with Kaitlyn. Lately by this time Kaitlyn is really "spirited" and so to calm her down and keep her from waking up Adam I'll put on a movie..her "FAVORITE" is Finding Nemo. She LOVES it.

4:00 Think about dinner and start it while Kaitlyn and Adam climb at your feet. It's a challenge to make dinner. If your smart you plan out strategically how each child will be entertained while you make it. Usually Kaitlyn is at the sink and Adam is having a bottle in his high chair. But often I am fighting to make dinner and keep from stepping on Kaitlyn who "needs me NOW".

5:00 Hope that Joseph is home and ready for dinner. He stays at school and studies so that when he get's home he can help put kids to bed and give me some attention. We eat dinner as a family which I love and then it's time to start the bedtime routine.

You know the routine....usually a bath, lotion, pj's and then we play with them until 7pm and then whew say our prayers and time for bed. Then I walk down the stairs, exhale and decide what I want to do with the rest of my night....Below are my options..

Clean
Food shopping
Craft store
Relief Society Activity
Internet Surfing and Blogging
Sewing ( I've been making these cool nursing covers for friends)
Little crafts
Watch T.V.
Talk on the Phone
Go see a friend

I usually get to bed by 10:30pm....I try to always read some scriptures and have been as of late reading a book called Temples and Cosmos by Hugh Nibley...

Well there you go my life in a nutshell. I do have fun...I have lots of good friends who help make life interesting. Joseph is so busy all the time but he still finds moments to make me laugh. My life has never been so routine but it also has never been so full of joy. Kids are awesome they just bring pure love into your life and teach you so many important things. I feel blessed that I can stay home with my kids and watch them grow up. I know it's a blessing and I feel like sometimes I fail to give them all they need. But I have watched myself grow as I have overcome challenges, found ways to be creative and learned how to be more patient. Maybe some of you can relate to my life...I hope this may comfort a few out their, just to know that they are not along in this world in the daily routine. I am here with you girls and we are doing it together. Yay for stay at home Mom's. I am excited for this next week..Joseph has a break so watch out world here I come...

Friday, February 01, 2008

Christmas 2007

We were so blessed to be able to fly home for Christmas. My sister Amanda flew over here to Iowa and helped me get ready to leave and then flew back to Oregon with the kids and I. Joseph stayed behind for a few weeks and finished school and then joined us just before Christmas. I feel so grateful for a family who is so supportive and caring...everyone pitched in to make our stay amazing. Joseph and I even got to get away for 3 days while family watched our kids. We went snowboarding and I got to go clothes shopping. Yay! It was so good to see friends and family and to just feel "at home" again. My sisters and I went to a spa and had massages, manicures and pedicures. I think every Mom deserves some pampering every once in a while. I felt like a new woman after four hours of pure relaxation. I love to be with my sisters too. They always make me feel good. Amanda is a Mom of three and makes sure she is deeply involved in all of her kids lives. She is always on the run, doing things for others and trying to better herself. She has this amazing ability to know what others are in need of and fulfilling it. She is always anxiously engaged in service for others. My other sister Trish just started Law School and survived her first trimester, way to go Trish! She is always there to add a fresh perspective on things and is so intelligent it makes me feel like we come from different gene pools. She has an amazing sense of fashion and keeps my sister and I young. Despite her sophistication Trish will always be the sweet little angel we all loved to cuddle when we were younger. She is so precious. I love my sisters to pieces. While were in Oregon my brother Tim and his wife had their first baby. He is so cute and they are besides themselves with joy. I am so happy for them. It was a long road of up's and down's but now looking back it all seems so right. Little Sam came at the perfect time. My other brother Mark and his family were finally able to move into their newly remodeled house (my parents old house) and are having lots of fun with all the extra space. My parents recently moved into a new condo in Lake Oswego. They love living in the city and have really found themselves a nice place to live. My parents work together doing Financial Planning and are super busy managing a Beneficial Life office there in Lake Oswego. I've never seen them so busy, but then again, I've never seen them so happy either. Well, there is an update on my family for those of you who know them. I love them so much and am so glad I got to be home for Christmas this year. Hope everyone's year has gotten off to a good start. We are excited to plow through this year and make it a good one. Here are some pictures of our Christmas Break...

Growing Up

Growing Up