As a surprise for Payton's baseball team, the coaches arranged for them (and the families) to attend a Mariner's game this past Saturday.


As you can see, it was Little League Appreciation weekend. We had to be there at 5 to line up for the parade around the field. Our awesome coach and his wife were in line at 3 so that made it possible for our team to be the first in line...being lead by the Mariner Moose.

(Payton is number 3...the tall one to the right)

Yeah, Doug couldn't resist. I am just glad that I had traded him backpacks before I took this picture. He WAS carrying Savannah's flowered backpack around. Actually, it's too bad I traded him.

Savannah really had no interest in going to the game. But we had an extra ticket so, Bryce, Payton's cousin came along.

Some of the team members.

The best part for Doug was being able to see Ken Griffey Jr. play in a Mariner's uniform again.

It was a perfect day to be at a baseball game. We ended up leaving early because of the time and the fact that in the top of the 8th inning, the Mariner's gave up 5 runs!!!

But it was a really great day. Sometimes it pays to be the parents...cause you get to do a lot of fun stuff too!!!

Attack of the Popcorn Chicken

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Yes, it looks very innocent. But who knew that Popcorn Chicken could be so dangerous? Isabelle was just sitting on the bathroom floor, eating the chicken and humming while I was getting ready. And when I turned around, she was passed out on the floor with the chicken all over the place.

Poor thing, she probably didn't even see it coming!

She was a very tired girl. She was trying so hard to stay awake to eat, but she just didn't make it. I saw that she had sat down and then a few minutes later she was laying down, on the cold tile floor, chewing, with her eyes closed.

The INCREDIBLE SHRINKING DOUG!

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I just wanted to give a little shout-out to my husband. He has been working really hard the last couple of months to loose weight and get in shape. I am so proud to report that he has lost 25 lbs so far and is still going strong!!! Keep it up babe...you rock!

Grateful for Small Things

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Doug and I have a pretty small bedroom. The bed takes up the majority of it but leaves room for maneuvering on both sides and the end. Several months ago we decided to replace our puny dresser with a much bigger one. I don't know how big it is...it is just big and solid wood. It is placed against the wall to the side of our bed. So, there is just barley enough room to open the drawers all the way. Well, Jillian's new favorite thing is to open ALL of the drawers (12 of them). She has been told time and time again to not do that. Come on now...this is Jillian we are talking about. She doesn't give up easily!

So on with the story. She wanted to watch a movie in my bedroom the other day and decided that I was taking too long to do it for her. So she was going to take care of it herself. She pulled all of the drawers out and tried to climb the dresser to reach the TV. Yeah...didn't really work out. The dresser ended up falling over...on top of my little Jilli, trapping her between the bed and the dresser. Having heard the loud crash, I booked it in there. Holy Crap!!! I tried to lift the dresser off of her, while calling her name and telling her that it was going to be OK. She was screaming at the top of her lungs and I was turning purple trying to lift the stupid thing. Finally, thanks to my incredible muscles and probably a shot of adrenaline I was able to lift it off of her. Once I got it to a certain point, I was able to start closing the drawers which distributed the weight more evenly so I could get it back into place. Then I grabbed her and hugged her and started to cry. I did a check of her little body...she was just fine. A few scratches on her chest and belly, more scared then anything. I was in that moment, thankful for my small bedroom. If the bed hadn't been that close to the dresser, it could have been different. I do hope that she will not be doing that again. I just might have to take up body-building for Jillian's sake.

Happy Mother's Day, MOM!!

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~

All that you have done for me

I didn't understand

Until I became someone

To hold such little hands.

~

I couldn't comprehend

The worry and the love

A heart could hold and cherish

For the ones sent from above.

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I couldn't have believed

That I would be the one

To hear voices saying mommy

With each, a life begun.

~

But now, I can look back

And start to see the time put in

Trying to hold it all together

Every day, a race to win.

~

I can see the sweat and tears

That came most every day

And know that there was no one

To wipe all that away.

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Every day you gave yourself

And every day you tried

To give us what we needed

Your own needs, pushed aside.

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You woke up and you faced

The struggles and the pain

And you kept right on going

Through the storming, through the rain.

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I can see more clearly

Just what you had to do

And say with everything in me

My dear mommy, THANK YOU!

~

All that you have done for me

I didn't understand

Until I became someone

To hold such little hands.

~

I love you!

WHAT THE HECK IS THIS???

We walked outside yesterday morning and found this perched on our doorway. CREEPY! What is it exactly...no idea. But if it is a moth, it is one of the biggest ones I have ever seen. (I saw one like the size of a bird at my sisters house in Grand Junction years ago. It haunted my dreams.)

It stayed there all day until some little lady's that were at my house were found carrying it's torn apart body around.

It's antennas were like feathers. SHIVERS!!!

Adventures in Astoria

(and Seaside)

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At last...something to blog about.

I had almost come to the conclusion that the most exciting thing that had happened in the last two weeks was that I cleaned poop out of the bathroom TWICE in three days. But an unexpected visit from my brother saved me from that being the case.

I heard a little rumor that my brother, Kash, was in town visiting his lady's family. So, I gave him a call and after a long discussion about how we could figure out a way to see each other on such short notice, it was decided that we would take a last minute road trip and meet them in Astoria and then head to Seaside. We pulled the kids out of school early, Doug took half of the day off and we were on our way. It was a pretty nice day, not too warm, but clear and NOT raining.

This sign cracked us up.

We met up with Kash, Cody, Dylan and some of Cody's family in Astoria. Kash had been there with us last time he was here and really wanted to get a better view of the bridge that connects Oregon and Washington. It is an amazing example of architecture.

He is my brother...so he smells a little.

The kids were so excited that they got to see Uncle Kash.

Kash, Cody and Dylan

LOVES!

This is somewhat of a tradition. Every time Doug and I have been to the beach, he writes the same message in the sand.

Savannah was very interested in having some deep conversations with her uncle.

Rough-housing!!

The beach in Seaside.

The Carousel

Isabelle hated it...

The hat store.

Where's Izzy?

It was a short trip, but a fun one. I am really grateful that I got to see my big brother and his family. And that it gave us a reason for a good family day!!