~A Bunch Rolled Into One~

Today was a BUSY day!!! It started out not so busy, which was really nice. Joe took the day off today, for my birthday, and so since he was home, it was a very relaxing week day. He started out the day by making me breakfast, doing a bunch of dishes, and getting the kids ready for the day. SO, I was able to take my time getting ready. We had a quick lunch at home, and then headed out for the day to have some fun!

Joe has been bugging me to get Connor's hair cut forever, so first off, he MADE me take Connor to get a haircut. I say MADE because I was really having a hard time letting go of his little baby curls. For some reason my mind is telling me that he is not a baby anymore :(

Mommy & Connor getting ready for the new do!
Yes, I bribe my kid so he will sit still.
Goodbye curls :(

The good thing is, the sides and back still have little wispy wings, so I'm pretty certain it'll grow back curly ;)!

After the haircut, we headed over to Famous Dave's for dinner. We met up with my mom and her husband, my dad :), brother, Aunt, and cousin. It was a lot of fun! My mom got me a facial!!!, so I'm really excited!!

Here's Haylie waiting to go inside! It was SOOOO cold here today!

This is what Connor does when you say, "Connor- show Dad your teeth (smile)." He's a crack up!

We are leaving town next Friday for the holidays, and so have procrastinated BIG time on getting a tree and decorating for Christmas. I guess half of my brain was saying it's not worth it, since the tree will probably be dead when we get home anyway. HOWEVER, I just couldn't go through the holidays without decorating... So- we stopped at Home Depot after dinner and picked up a small tree. When we got home, of course, Haylie had to help put the ornaments and lights on the tree. It was SO fun...!

Here's Haylie putting the star on top!

The final product... a little blurry, but very pretty! It feels much more like the holidays now, and the smell of the tree is Heavenly!

A Sappy One

I thought it about time for a sappy post. I painted part of Connor's room this afternoon, so his door is open tonight (don't want him getting high on paint fumes :S ) When I went in to check on him, I noticed how much he looked like a baby and it made me a little sad.

About a week ago, Connor left the 'teen months and in just a few short months he will turn 2. It's so hard to believe he is that old already. As I watched him sleeping, I realized I needed to capture this "baby moment" so I can always look back and remember (even though I have hundreds of pictures of him as an infant ;).

I just love how vulnerable babies look when they're asleep... so peaceful.

The Polar Express!!!

On Tuesday, I surprised Joe and the kids with a train ride in Hood River, Oregon. It was Awesome! We left home around 11:30, stopped for lunch in Paterson, and then continued down to Oregon, going the Washington way (because I think it's a prettier drive :) Anyway, we got there around 4, after a pit stop (which I'll post in a while). It's a good thing we got there early, because I thought our ride left at 5:30 and it actually left at 5. The entire train was full, with kids everywhere, and everyone wore their pajamas. It was a great experience! I'd recommend it to everyone!Our train, which Connor was in complete awe of.
Our car called "The Parkdale"Whoops! The best picture we could get of us looking out the window. Ask me why I didn't push the window all the way up.....
Just pulling out of the station.... very excited!

Connor was, I think, in a little bit of shock/awe/wonder at the moving train, that he didn't even move for like the first 15 minutes. Unheard of!

And then this is what the 3 of them looked like the rest of the trip. My gut was in knots... We were served cookies and hot chocolate. I think he was enjoying it. ;)
Pulling into The North Pole!
Santa's Reindeer! :)
Connor's little nook. Yeah, so much for my Christmas card idea. Neither of the kids were the least bit interested in that guy. Can you tell?
Haylie has been inseparable from her bell from Santa since we got home. It goes to nap with her... in the tub... to bed... you name it.

A great night with happy kids!

The Flu

Friday evening I started feeling sort of yucky but I didn't really think too much about it. However, around 4 a.m. Saturday morning, I woke up and let's just say... my stomach became empty (I'll spare the details). I knew that I'd caught the flu bug that was going around. The kids haven't caught it so far, so cross your fingers! Saturday morning we were supposed to go to my Grandma's for a birthday breakfast for my dad and brother. SO... being the sweetheart that he is, Joe went ahead with the kids and left me at home. He would tell you that it was no big thing, but for me it was EVERYTHING! I sat all day long on the couch, watching HGTV and it was soo nice, minus the constant feeling that I needed to throw up. Anyway, after the breakfast, he filled the day by shopping around, and by the time they got home I felt much better. And by this morning, my flu bug was gone! :) Good thing it was only a 24 hour thing!

Here they are!!!

YAY!! It worked!!! Ok... I'll try to explain how the house is set up....

This picture shows the front door and part of the living room. The doorway on the left is Connor's room (which I don't really love...) and then you can see our dining table on the left. There's not really a dining room...just a big wall.

Here's Connor's room, minus the closet, which is on the opposite wall as the crib. The window faces the street. That's the part I don't love. It's separate from the other bedrooms and even though it's a quiet street, it still makes me a little uneasy.Ok, here's the other part of the living room. Still didn't have everything up on the walls at this point, but you get the general idea.

Here's the other wall of the living room and the bookshelf. This picture makes it seem so dark and it's partly because it's night time. Of course Haylie had to make her little appearance. :) This is the "dining room" which is a few feet behind the couch. It's actually really spacious, even though it doesn't look like it in the pictures. On the left side of that wall, and behind it, is a hallway which leads to the other 2 bedrooms.

Here's the kitchen, which is VERY unorganized and messy. It's an ugly salmon color right now... I'm going to paint it a fun green color eventually and we'll get new hardware, since the knobs right now are black plastic balls. That door leads out to the deck, and then right to the right of the back door is where the washer and dryer are. I thought I'd hate having it there, and it's kind of a nuissance that I don't have a little bit bigger of a laundry room with a place to put dirty laundry, but it's really not so bad.

Ok, so the hallway behind the dining area leads to first on the left a bathroom (which I left out) and then our bedroom. Still not painted.... I'll put updated pics on later.From the other side... Then Haylie's room is on the other side of the hall...Here's the view from the back door... I should have taken the picture in the daylight so it'd show the yard, but it's just a yard I guess.

And looking towards the house... I don't know why the paint looks that way...have I not noticed it before? Or is it just the lighting..... hmmmm....That's it!

Well, what'ya know?!

Apparently I have to load pictures one at a time, in order for it to work. I'll take what I can get. So, now I'm going to try loading the pics of our house. This has been a long time comin'! Joe's birthday was November 20th, and had I known that I could add the only picture I got of his birthday (which really was celebrated November 24th), I would have tried a long time ago. He turned 27 this year (if you couldn't tell by my creative candle display ;). We love him to pieces and would be lost without him.
Love you Hun.

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!

WARNING: It's a long one.....

Yes, I am late getting this post up. Since my pictures won't load anymore, I just don't have the extra "umph" to keep my blog updated. However... I figured I should at least make an effort saying what I'm thankful for, seeing as how the Lord has been incredibly giving to us this last year.
So, I guess I should thank Him, first. Heavenly Father has blessed us so much and we owe Him everything.
Next is Connor.... Connor is 2nd on the list of things to be thankful for, mainly because he's screaming in his bed and I can't think of anything else. This is the first time he has thrown a big fit at bedtime. He is on bottle number 2 and Joe is in there trying to console him, to no avail. He's FREAKING OUT!!! But, I love him. When I found out I was pregnant with Connor (on Haylie's 1st birthday) I was very upset. But I don't know what I'd do without him now. He's my snuggler and we are constantly cracking up at the new things he says/does.
Haylie is next and she is Mommy's little helper. Most of the time "helper" means "bossy" but we love her just the same. She's so thoughtful and sweet. She definitely teaches me every day about how I can better myself. She also catches everything.... Joe and I will forever be watching what we say and do because nothing gets by this girl.
What to say about Joe.... My best friend... only Love... confidant... other half... better half... He is always there for me. When I am on the verge of a meltdown, he is there to calm me down. When I am screaming at my kids, he walks in and without saying anything, reminds me that I am screaming at Heavenly Father's children as well. He works his butt off so that I can stay at home with my kids. He's gone for days at a time... sometimes a couple of weeks... It's hard on us all, but he stays strong. I hate it when he leaves, but when he comes home there is so much love in our home. He being gone makes our reunion that much sweeter and our relationship so much stronger. He is a man of God. I know that I can ask him any question about church and he'll give me the answer I'm looking for. When I struggle, he is patient. He doesn't judge me. He loves me no matter what I look like or how much I weigh. I'll never understand how he can think I am the most beautiful person in the world after having 2 kids, but I'm glad he does. :) What a blessing to have him in my life. I can't wait to be sealed to him.
I'm also thankful for my dogs. Lady (our Beagle), Danner (Joe's Lab), and Louis (our Mini-Schnauzer) drive me crazy about 65% of the time, but I love them just the same (yes, we have 3 dogs). I love that I am able to teach my kids how to love and respect our pets.
My family... I love that we live so close to a set of Grandparents. Now that we've moved into our new house, we are only about 10-15 minutes away from my mom and I love it. It's so nice to know that she's just a short ride away if I need her. My dad is now about 45 minutes away, but still close enough. My kids love "Papa" and "Oz" (his dog) and the "Moos" (the cows at his house). All 3 sort of go hand in hand as far as Connor is concerned. We miss Joe's family incredibly and wish we were closer to them, but with gas prices down again, we'll be able to see them more often. We'll be going down to Page, AZ in a few weeks and will be much more comfortable financially. I went there 2 months ago, and gas prices have dropped by half since then, so HALLELUJAH!!!
I'm thankful for the opportunity to buy a house. Not to say, "Look at me, look at me!" or anything, but what an accomplishment. We've been trying to buy a house for about the last year, and it's finally happened. I know in a previous post I said something about having more zits in the last couple of months than I've ever had in my life.... I wasn't joking. It was a very bumpy ride for us. I love my house. It's small, and I thought I'd hate it, but Hey!... less to clean! I LOVE that it's only 1 story. The kids can play in their rooms and I can see/hear everything they're doing.
The last I'm going to add on here, but not least, is friends. This sounds really crazy, but this blog has done wonders for my self esteem. I check my blog probably on average 4-5 times a day. I LOVE getting comments. It really makes my day and helps me to know that I'm not a nobody. So... thank you to all of my blogging friends. I love all of you.
There are millions of things I'm thankful for, but I'd be on here for months probably trying to remember them all. So, thanks for everything I didn't recognize on here.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!

I Lied

SO.... I know I promised pictures last week. However, our internet connection must be too slow or something. We went through Suddenlink and it's just been horrible so far, as far as loading pictures is concerned. We might have to switch over to Verizon or something because I really need to update this thing. Anyway, I'll keep trying! Feel free to come see it in person too... I'm always up for playdates! :)

The move was....

... let's just say I've had more zits the last couple of weeks than I've ever had in my life. Put together.
I guess it doesn't help the fact that I waited to pack up my kitchen the day of and the day after. I still don't have everything out of my old fridge. I just couldn't bring myself to face it.
Otherwise, things are going great! We don't get our internet hooked up until Friday, so I don't have any pictures to post at the moment (I'm on Joe's work computer). But, check back on Friday evening. You can be sure that there will be some pictures posted. :)
Glad to be back in the blogging world. I missed it.
Kim, I don't know how you stayed off for a week.... it's driving me crazy!

MOM! MOM! STUCK!

Now, ya have to ask yourselves....
1) Why is there an Easter bucket laying around the house?
2) How in the world did she get that over her arm? and
3) What kind of mom makes her daughter stand still, on the verge of a meltdown, while she takes pictures?

MOVING DAY

UGH..... that's how I feel about that!

As if moving everything in your entire house to a different location isn't hard enough.... last Sunday, Joe was at work on Snoqualmie Pass and stepped wrong while they were surveying up on the mountain. BAM! Just like that... he can barely pick Connor up anymore... Somehow the way he stepped completely screwed up his back. AND... Connor, Haylie and I are all sick with sinus colds and coughs. YUCK!

SO!!!

Not only do we have to move... we have to move without Joe. I'm thinking a LOT of my stuff is going to get ruined, scratched, etc. Never assume.... I know, I know. Luckily, my mom (the saint that she is :) is bringing us dinner on Saturday night AND hiring a couple of my brother's buddies to come and help us unload on Saturday. Hopefully we can get the majority of our stuff packed up in the truck on Friday night. Joe's co-worker Julia called today and is sending a bunch of guys over to help us load the truck, so that was a nice surprise! I was starting to get a little nervous... but things are working out. I didn't know how stressed I hung up the phone and started bawling. It's ok... I'm good. :)

OFFICIALLY (almost) HOMEOWNERS!

YAY!!! We close on our house in 1 week!!!! I'm so EXCITED!!! We've been shopping around for paint and I just can't decide what colors to go with in the big living room or the kitchen... The rooms aren't really divided in any way, so the way they have it painted right now is kinda' funky. If anyone would like to see the house, just go to chapmanlampson.com... click on Search for Homes... scroll down and in the MLS box, type in 152385 and it should be there. OF COURSE, I'll be taking before and after pictures... :) Anyway, any ideas or input would be welcome!!!

OLYMPICS... Here we come!!!

She's so modest.

Haylie just loves her gymnastics class. She goes every Friday, and is very coordinated. She LOVES her teacher Davina. We have seen Davina a couple of times, at Costco and Target, and Haylie thinks that she is so cool. I should have taken a picture of Haylie and Davina, but of course I didn't think about it.

Halloween!!!

This is the little white pumpkin Haylie picked out at the pumpkin patch. She was very adamant about doing it herself!

Connor gutting the pumpkin!

(Actually, he was spooning the guts back into the pumpkin...)
Joe's work of art! :)

Haylie with a wad of taffy in her mouth saying cheese. Connor's dragon costume did have pants, but he refused to put them on, so he was only part dragon. And of course Haylie's halo was already broken by the time Halloween came.

I just love this picture... Connor is obsessed with suckers (he calls them pickles) and necklaces (ness). He looks like such a little girl with his huge eyes and long eyelashes.

My Main Squeeze!

How long did you date before you were married?
We dated from May 2004 to September 2004... married September 16th!

How long have you been married?
We've been married for a little over 4 years! :)

What does he do that surprises you?
Nothing he does surprises me. He loves to get out there and do just about anything. It's what I love most about him. He's very supportive in everything I do, and backs me up 100%.
I guess maybe the most surprising thing he's ever done is choose me... I wonder about that all the time.

What is your favorite feature of his?
This isn't really a feature... but I LOVE Joe's laugh. He has an amazing ability to make me laugh. Hard as I try to keep a straight face, I can't. He can always make me crack a smile. I love it!

What's your favorite quality of his?
I love the way he prays. The way he will pray whenever I ask him to. I really don't like praying out loud; especially in front of other people, and I am so thankful that he will step in and pray for me, should anyone ever ask.
I also love the way he feels my pain when he knows I am upset. I don't like that he is upset too... I just love that he is so in tune to my feelings and tries to do everything he can to fix it. He loves me! :)

Does he have a nickname for you?
Well, we call each other "Hun," but sometimes he calls me "Sweetie" or "Sweets"... it's so rare that he calls me Cassi, that when he does, it sounds so weird.

What is his favorite color?
Hmm... I'd have to say red. I really like red or green on him.

What's his favorite food?
Any kind of meat! My man is a meat lover, through and through. His favorite food that I make, is definitely banana bread. He always wants me to make him a loaf before he goes out on the road.

What's his favorite sport?
Joe's favorite sport is mountain biking. I feel so bad because when his brother Will went on his mission, Joe gave him his mountain bike to use. I've been trying to figure out a way to get one for Joe, but with moving and everything... money's a little tight these days. Someday... :)

When and where was your first and last kiss?
Our first kiss was on the front porch of the house of the family I nannied for in California... it was about 5 a.m. in the morning, and it was in May of 2004. Our last kiss was in the Target parking lot this afternoon... he was saying thank you for a CD, and I was saying thank you for a book.

Favorite thing to do as a couple?
Joe would say, seeing movies in the theater. I'd have to say... eating at a nice restaurant -OR- snuggling up on the couch and renting a movie.

Any children?
Two: Haylie is 3 years and 3 months. Connor is 19 months tomorrow.

Does he have a hidden talent?
Joe is very good at anything he tries. It takes him little time to learn a new skill, and automatically he's got it perfected. He claims he makes many mistakes at everything he does, but I don't believe him. If he does make mistakes, he's very good at hiding it.

How old is he?
26... 27 on November 20th.

Who said 'I love you' first?
Here's the conversation... and yes it was only after 2 weeks. We were at his apartment... We'd just made dinner together and we were watching a movie.
Me: I think I'm falling in love with you.
Joe: WHAT?! You can't say that...
Does that count?

What is his favorite type of music?
He likes older country music... bluegrass...
Chelsea- Joe doesn't like Josh Groban either :)

What do you admire most about him?
He LOVES to work Hard! (One of his favorite things to do is split wood.... )

Do you think he will read this?
Maybe... sometimes he gets on and looks at the pictures I've posted. He might read it

~8 Favorites~

8 fav. TV shows
1 Life
2 Extreme Makeover Home Edition
3 America's Funniest Home Videos (especially the America's Funniest Pets version)
4 Rachael Ray
5 Oprah (depending on who's on)
6 Any talk show around Christmas time... the "Favorite Things" episodes. LOVE EM!
7 Little House on the Prairie (yes, I know)
8 7th Heaven

8 Things I did yesterday
1 Missed Joe
2 Watched some cartoons with the kids
3 Cleaned my house
4 Had my dad, brother, sister and her boyfriend over for lunch
5 Ate chips and salsa from Country Mercantile YUM!!!
6 Had Mom, sister, her boyfriend for dinner; Tacos, YUM!!!
7 Read books with Haylie
8 Talked to Joe on the phone before going to bed

8 Fav. places to eat
1. Mom's- she's the best cook ever!
2. Home
3. Red Robin- bottomless fries!!! ;)
4. PF Changs- Joe's and my favorite date restaurant
5. This place called Brucchi's... yummy!
6. Any Mexican restaurant that makes steak fajitas!
7. Weakness... Wendy's Southwest Taco Salad... guilty!
8. Spudnuts (or is it Spudniks)... anyway... a doughnut shop in Richland... wow. I'd recommend everyone eating at least 1 doughnut from there in their lifetime!

8 things I'm looking forward to
1. Joe coming home tomorrow!!!!!
2. Closing on our house next week!!!!
3. Moving into our house in a couple weeks!!!!
4. Painting my new kitchen and building a fence around the yard...
5. Being closer to my mom
6. Spending Thanksgiving in our new home!
7. Spending CHRISTMAS in our new home!
8. Going to Arizona for the holidays :)

8 things I love about this fall
1. The cooler weather
2. The leaves
3. Our anniversary in September
4. Getting to buy our first home!
5. Fall decorations
6. Pumpkin patch and carving
7. Wearing jeans
8. Fall Sports

8 things on my wish list
1. To have a non-cluttered kitchen and living room
2. To have enough money to do the few things that I want to the new house
3. A BIG laundry room
4. For Joe to get a raise!
5. Christmas bonus!
6. To lose weight for me but also for Katie's wedding
7. Some things I won't actually name..
8. TEMPLE........... like soon

I Tag Anyone and Everyone!

HAYLIE, I mean, MOM (titled by Haylie)

Haylie has to be put to bed every night at least twice. The other night, Joe and I were watching TV, and all of a sudden, he muted the TV because he thought he heard Haylie get up. So he walked over to the stairs, and this is what he saw:

Who knows how long she'd been there, fast asleep! Her little body fit just perfectly in between the walls... the things kids do!

6th Folder, 6th Picture!

I'm thinking Joe must have done her hair this day....??? I saw this on our cousin Meagan's blog, and thought it would be fun. She had "4th folder, 4th picture," but my 4th picture was of my bare pregnant belly, and I didn't want to offend anyone...! ;) SO... I chose my 6th folder and 6th picture! I am tagging everyone on my friends list! If you don't have a 6th folder, just make up a new one!