Avocado Egg Mangle

December 2009 Reading with Mommy

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December 2009 Danny hanging with Grandpa and Grandma B.

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Danny (and Joe) so enjoyed having their Grandparents here. We could really get used to these frequent visits! It's almost like they live nearby!

Tea with Grandma is a special time!

"Drink your Tea Grandma!"

December 2009 Joe's Perspective

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Joe asked if he could use our camera to take some pictures. Here is the result!

Leota W. was here for dinner.

As was Carol D.

December 2009 Shopping like a Grandma

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Joe: "Mom! I need lots of money!"

Me: "Why?"

Joe: "Cause I"m gonna shop like a Grandma!"

December 2009 Go Diego Go!

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December 2009 Time with Grandpa W.

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If you want to spend time with Grandpa there is a good chance you'll spend some of it on a bicycle! Grandpa W. bought Joe this bicycle. This is Joe's first time around the block with Grandpa.

Someone is totally excited. (make that two someones!)

Relaxing by reading a story after the "strenuous"ride!

Grandpa showing Joe and Troy how Dragon Naturally Speaking works. He's reading a story to the computer.

Thanks for the bicycle Grandpa!!!! Joe wants to go do some more riding. He's got a lot of training to do before STP 2016!

December 2009 My Boys

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December 2009 Christmas Fun

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We snuck over to Snowflake lane in Bellevue. Kent, Julie, Victoria, Madison and Carson were in town so we met them there. The little parade was fun....but wow it was crowded!

When Mom and Dad Burgess came for Christmas we stopped by the Bellevue Botanical Gardens. They are absolutely beautiful. (This was even more crowded than Snowflake Lane...but what do you expect the wknd before Christmas?) Somehow I didn't get a picture of the Brent and Dayla Bergh family. How'd they sneak out of it?!

Danny was absolutely fascinated. Last year he slept through it!

The four of us...a family picture! :)

What a good looking couple!

Grant

Joe and Marissa

Not sure why Joe is frowning...let's chalk it up to it's time for bed! (I'm betting that he is sad that it isn't Kylie sitting next to him. Cause while he likes Marissa a lot....He LOVES Kylie! *grin

November 2009 Thanksgiving

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We celebrated Thanksgiving at our house this year. As Elaine would say, "FINALLY!"

The G.R. Burgess family joined us!

To make clean up easier we moved the table to the living room.

Joe made the place cards.

Troy bought me flowers! He picked good!

The cooks included: Elaine

Troy

Beth

The Menu:

Cream of Mushroom Chestnut Soup

Spinach Sweet Potato Salad with a warm bacon vinaigrette

Sausage Apple Cranberry Stuffing (love my crock pot)

Mashed potatoes w/ gouda (once again...love my crock pot)

Green Beans with mushrooms

Waldorf Salad

Rolls and home made jam

Cranberry sauce

and

Turkey of course!

Can't forget the pies!

Joe even contributed. Yummy huh?! *grin

Here we are all gathered!

Joe knows how to do Thanksgiving right...notice his pants are unsnapped!

Danny

Afterward in accordance with the GR Burgess tradition we decorated gingerbread cookies. My dad, mom, Lucille, Samantha and Mircea stopped by really quick to deliver Danny's big Boy bed and mattress and so they joined in on the decorating.

We have so much to be Thankful for! Next year come join us!

November 2009 More Craft time

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Food coloring + coffee filters are a lot of fun!

Joe using an eye dropper to place his colors.

Danny chose a paint brush.

November 2009 Annual Plachinda Bake Off with Grandpa W.

2010-02-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

Another year of baking Plachinda with Grandpa. Ginny hosted once again!

As soon as the grandkids arrived, they were elbows deep in the dough with Grandpa.

Because the grandkids were too much help, Grandpa gave them each their own piece of dough to roll out. It kept them busy for minutes! *grin Actually, I think they all were at the table for almost an hour working their piece of dough....getting it "just right!"

Casper and Joe...look how perfect Joe's dough is rolled! Pretty soon the parents won't have to do a thing besides just drive the kids over!

Grandma bought them all chef hats!

Joe!

Samantha!

Danny!

Alex and Cea!

They weren't working the whole time!

Hurray for the dishwasher!

You can never have too much creamer!

More play time!

Gladys and Lucille joined in on the chaos/fun!

Lunch was delicious!

Tons of pictures were taken!

Can't wait til next year!

November 2009 Painting Turkeys

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Tis the season for Turkeys! I can't seem to find the pic of the finished product. I'll keep looking and add it when I find it. :)

November 2009 Celebrating Julie's Birthday!

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Kent surprised Julie for her birthday by flying her over here from Spokane....we participated in a fun dinner at Poppy.

The boys sat at one end of the table and girls at the other...we wanted to gab!

Here is Brent and Kent.

Troy and Lee

Dayla and me

Julie and Paula

What are dinner plates looked like! What a fun dining experience!

Happy Birthday Julie!

November 2009 Playing meeting

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Singing Hymns!

November 2009 Painting Cookies

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The boys helped me make sugar cookies and then I rolled them out and cut out leaf shapes. Then the boys grabbed their paint brushes and I mixed the paint (egg yolk + drops of water + food coloring) Everyone was successful with decorating! AND...we discovered that Red + Yellow = Orange! Can't beat cookies for a learning experience! YUMMY!

November 2009 Country Village- Bothell w/cousins

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My sister Ginny and I have been wanting to go to Country Village in Bothell for quite some time. We finally went. We chased the chickens, played in the fountain, visited a toy store, and played/drank lattes at a coffee shop and ended it with a train ride.

Danny discovered this hiding place in the toy store. He fit perfectly and was quiet for quite some time. *grin

November 2009 Danny is a texting maniac!

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November 2009

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Just in case things aren't loud enough! Look what my clever (and now very loud) little boy figured out.

October 2009 Brothers

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October 2009 Pumpkin Patch W/ Grandma W.

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Elaine, the boys, and I took a trip down to visit my mom. Elaine was getting measurements for a painting she is painting my mom and I was there because my mom wanted to see the boys *grin. I, unfortunately didn't get a picture of Elaine...but take my word for it. She looked great!

Here are the boys with Grandma before we took off for the pumpkin patch. They made her the apron she is wearing! :)

My cousin Kathy popped in for a few minutes. We haven't seen her for a while so that was a nice surprise. The boys didn't recognize her without her bicycle!

Danny got caught where our dog Squiggy used to hang out...in mom's good room on the back of the couch. Had to catch a quick picture. Grandma of course thinks this is cute...but it sure wasn't cute when Squiggy did it!

Finally....the Pumpkin Patch! Danny loved the tractors.

Troy says our corn is "piker" corn...but we took a pic of Joe by it anyway.

The pumpkins were fun to sit on.

If you look close...Elaine IS in this picture!

Me and my boys!

The best part: MUD Danny "dove" right in...but Joe was a little worried about it.

Stomp Stomp

Thanks Grandma for the great day!

Duplos...one of our top toys!

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One of the boys favorite toys are Duplo Legos. They love to build and create with them. (Thanks to cousin Grant for helping with the enthusiasm!)

The other favorite toys include: tools, cars, and play mobile.

They definitely have way too many toys....lots of variety. It's been fun to see the toys that get played with most often.

October 2009 Time with Daddy

2010-02-01T16:46:00.000-08:00

Joe asked his Daddy if they could spend some time together coloring. (using Danny's new coloring book...but Danny didn't mind) I think they were at the table coloring for over an hour!

October 2009 Danny's turns 2!

2010-02-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

I picked the theme for Danny's party this year...a TURTLE party because my little boy is growing up too fast! My mom used to tell us she was going to put a brick on our heads. Since I topped out at 5 ft 2 inches...I think she did. Anyway...I understand why she said that now.

Danny has been talking and singing songs and running as fast as he can to keep up with big brother. His motto is: If big brother can do it...so can I!

We did a little turtle craft.

so glad Spencer, Juliette, Emily, Jonathan, Toriana, and Gwydolyn could come help us celebrate!

September 2009 Cousin Time

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Samantha and Alex came over for a morning. Ginny was off doing something or other. The kids had a blast.

Playing with Play-Doh

Eating Lunch

Putting on a Concert

October 2009 Semiahmoo Resort

2010-02-01T15:22:00.000-08:00

Troy and Kent were up working a speech therapist convention and Troy called me and told me to pack up the boys and make the drive up....so....I did! So glad I did!

While Troy and Kent worked, the boys and I played....on the beach, in the sand, on the rocks, in the grass, in the pool, etc. A totally spectacular place! We want to go back!

September 2009 Making Music with Debbie

2010-02-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

I didn't include a picture of Debbie in the post before this one...so I wanted to be sure to post this video.

Don't think I've ever heard the hymns played quite like this! Poor Debbie! Do you think she'll come back?

September 2009 Debbie P. and Heidi F. stay with us!

2010-02-01T13:45:00.001-08:00

We are so lucky! Debbie P. called us up to see if they could stay with us for the wknd. We met them at the zoo in Seattle for a fun evening, complete with a ride on the carousel!

September 2009 Muddy Kids

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We were soooo lucky. Troy's folks followed us back to spend some more time here in Washington. One of the mornings they stopped by, this is what they and I found in the back yard!

Sept 2009 Dinner at Diane's Market Kitchen

2010-02-01T13:27:00.000-08:00

Ben and Sue invited a bunch of us to Diane's Market Kitchen. Ben supplied Salmon and we all learned how to put together some delicious fare!

Diane is a kick. Her website is: www.dianesmarketkitchen.com

You got to choose how much you would participate....watch or work!

A good time was had by all! Thanks tons Ben and Sue!

September 2009 York, NE

2010-02-01T13:15:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of September, we left for York to catch convention there. Troy hadn't been there for I think 12 years. It was so much fun to see those we know and for me to meet people whom I had only heard stories about! Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera to the grounds so I have no pictures....but lots of good memories! We stayed at Troy's folks' house and "commuted" back and forth to convention. I had never done that before...it was like being at a five star resort! :) Besides the wonderful meetings and fellowship the memorable moments would include...forever losing Danny (ie he'd just take off and by sheer luck never thought of hiding in the corn rows), the kids playing with the baskets of trucks outside the meeting barn, Grandpa B. introducing Joe to NE mud (as if a kid needs to be introduced *grin), the rainy weather...lucky me...I didn't have to die from heat, and fresh tomatoes served just about every meal! Thank you Mom and Dad B. for inviting us over! We had a fabulous time!

August 2009 Grandpa Burgess' Birthday!

2010-02-01T13:07:00.000-08:00

The kids took Grandpa B. golfing for his birthday.

When Grandpa tallied up the scores at the end...somehow he won! We had him take us to Subway to celebrate! :)

August 2009 Troy and his blankie!

2010-02-01T13:02:00.000-08:00

Troy's folks came out for our annual church convention and brought some of Troy's childhood treasures to add to the trunk they'd given us. Here is a piece of Troy's blankie as a child. Isn't he cute?!

I have no such memorabilia *grin (actually...my parents have brought over tooooooo much!) My blankie was left up on Mt Rainier in the bathroom after an annual igloo sleepover trip when I was probably 5...in fact it was probably one of our first Igloo character building trips.

August 2009 Cutting down our Chum Tree

2010-02-01T12:45:00.000-08:00

Some time in the morning I heard a big CRACK. But didn't think anything of it. However, with a look outside later I discovered our Cherry Plum tree had lost a big ol branch. Thus it was decided the whole thing must come down. Troy was lucky that he has a lot of help around here.

Summer 2009

2010-02-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

Never wait til the last minute to get a pool! If there is any stint of warm weather here in the NW, all pools are sold out and you are stuck with an expensive palm tree one. *grin Oh well...the boys had a great time. (We don't bother with suits around here!)

July 2009 Michael + Katie = 4ever!

2010-02-01T12:28:00.000-08:00

Somehow I do not have any pics on my computer of the lovely event....but it was just that...LOVELY! Beautiful bride and a handsome groom. I should mention here that later Joe said to us...

Joe: "Do you remember Uncle Gentry's wedding?" (uncle Gentry officiated)

Us: "yes"

Joe: "Do you remember the beautiful dresses?"

Us: "yes"

Joe: "The flower girl was bee-u-tee-ful!" (Emilia, Lee and Paula's girl was the flower girl!)

Ahhhh...the things to remember for when he is a teenager!

So I'm stealing some pics from Jill's blog...here's the flower girl!

and here is the happily married couple! :)

July 2009 It IS Rocket Science

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Wish I could have gotten my camera going earlier! This was just a quick take before Joe helped out....it was quite funny. (just imagine this going on for a couple of minutes.)

July 2009 Working with Dad

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Discovering why in the world our dining room is bumped up! Dad and boys tore up the carpet to see what it'll take to "some day" lower the floor. (The verdict....lazy plumbing...not a hard fix...but it'll have to wait til maybe next year.) Now to get new carpet! Hurray!

July 2009 My boys helping me out!

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Our bumper crop of rhubarb!

You have not lived until you have tried Rhubarb Lemonade with blueberry skewers!

July 13th Troy and Beth's Anniversary!

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We can hardly believe we are already celebrating 7 years! Time does fly when you are having fun! :)

We spent the day being tourists in Seattle. We did the "ducks" tour, explored EMP (Experience Music Project), walked along the water front and ate clam chowder at Ivar's etc.

July 2009 At the Park with Friends!

2010-01-31T23:49:00.000-08:00

It isn't summer time unless you spend time at all the great parks in the area! Lucky for us we could join cousins and friends for some great times! These are in no particular order...just a few of the fun times we had with our friends!

Samantha, Alex and Carson!

Madison and Danny

Samantha and Joe

Victoria and Carson

Watch out!

On this particular day....the moon was out too!

Playing in the sand! (Life Jackets from Grandma!)

Love the wet times at Idylwood park!

Grass Lawn park is another favorite!

This swing is the best!

Danny is always making friends! If I remember right, he was told, "the doggy will give you a kiss" and so he leaned right in!

Joe surveying the scene from the top of the castle. This park is just a nice walk from our house.

Danny likes to go FAAAAAAST down the slides!

Farrell McWhirter Park...the kids love seeing the cows.

Victoria taking care of Danny.

Carsen and Joe catching the water at the water park in Bellevue! We definitely did not visit this park enough!

July 2009 Time with Grant and Victoria

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After saying our "goodbyes" to W & A and crew we headed back to the car....kinda...just a short and wet side stop. :)

At the fountain! (again...I am the photographer.)

A Seattle Past time...can you touch the fountain without getting sprayed?

Yes!

Now run for your life!!!!

That's my MAN! :)

Victoria hung with Danny!

Just a side note...not all fountain touching events were successful. Grant either wet his pants or got hit by the fountain....we're all hoping it was the latter!

July 2009 More doin's with W & A et al

2010-01-31T23:19:00.000-08:00

Everyone needed a little down time after walking on the "wild" side at Vertical Ranch. So we just shut the kids in the toy room with Uncle Wade. (Andrea spent all of her time doing laundry! I know, I know...someone has to do it! She just made it possible for me to put it off for a few days. We hardly recognized them all cleaned up!)

After a rousing ride in the ducks Wade and Andrea met us at the space needle for lunch! I have to say....my selection was delicious!

Just a bit chilly and windy at the top!

After watching the table over from ours order dessert...Wade couldn't resist!

The boys were fascinated too!

I just had to include this one of Brett! He is totally cute!

We were sad to send them on their way back home! Come back again!

July 2009 Vertical Ranch

2010-01-31T22:29:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Vertical Ranch!

The Wade and Andrea clan visited WA and Vertical Ranch was the first stop! Brian also flew in...seeing us once a year is just not enough! I'll only throw in pictures so you can see the whole crew. There were so many cameras going the whole time that often I didn't bother to take ours out. Shame on me!!!

We'll begin with a picture of Uncle Gentry. Wait a minute...that's Joe wearing the infamous Gentry hat!

One of the few pictures caught of the ever elusive Uncle Gentry. Brett latched onto him pretty quick. Uncle Gentry is definitely a favorite with the younger crowd.

Luke and Uncle Wade riding 3 wheelers! A favorite Vertical Ranch pastime.

Another of Luke (and Joe) with dessert!

Uncle Wade eating dessert uncooked.

Uncle Brian surrounded by rocks just waiting to be explored!

Grant, Micah and Victoria riding the pond rapids!

Joe waking up for a breakfast of biscuits and gravy!

My beautiful Sis-in-laws...Andrea and Elaine!

Troy had a lot of help when it came to making ice cream!

The two best buds ever! Brett and Danny.

These two liked to hang out at the water jug and help each other get water. One would hold the cup while they other pushed the button!

A typical scene at Vertical Ranch.

I don't think I ever saw Micah and Grant a part except maybe when they were going to the bathroom....ummm..that totally came out wrong....I want it to be clear that I never saw them go to the bathroom...oh, never mind! Let's just say that they hung out a lot!

I, of course, do not have any pictures of me....but I was there! I wouldn't have missed it for anything! :) Thanks Gentry and Elaine for hosting! Next time we should definitely bring more food! *grin (Uncle Ryan and Aunt Jennifer....the view from the potty is not to be missed! You should come some time!)

Katie's getting married! (June 2009)

2009-07-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

Sue and Mitra held a bridal shower in Katie's honor...somehow, I got on the guest list. Congrats Katie and Michael! *grin I've made several graduation survival kits and college survival kits... I am slowing expanding my repertoire.

Introducing... the official FIRST Acme Marriage Survival Kit!

Every item is labeled and explained.

It is even guaranteed!

I have a honeymoon kit in the back of my mind and I'm also considering his and her marriage survival kits as well as baby survival kits. *grin Now just to have the time to make them!

Want or need one?....they start at $100/box! :)

A day at Grandpa and Grandma W.'s

2009-07-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

You don't need a licence at Grandma's house!

Here we go!

Time to cool off!

What a fun time!

(as always!!!)

Baseball June 2009

2009-07-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

Brent B.'s brother reserved a group suite at Safeco Field. Brent invited us to join in on the fun! So after meeting, we headed out.

Here's Ichiro...we got to see a lot of him.

Catered...YUMMY!

Our view of the field.

Danny was fascinated.

Joe taking it all in.

Troy finally getting to eat!

Joe wanted some "blue stuff" so we went down below to mingle with the peons *grin

the "blue stuff"

This one is mine!

If I could stuff my mouth any faster, I would!

more daddy, more, more, MORE!

It was...run the bases day...so... can you see Troy and the boys...it was like playing real life "where's Waldo"

Here they are running the bases!

(note the key bank guy....Joe and Danny were absolutely convinced he was Elmo.)

What a great day!

P.S. Mariner's won!

Closet Fly

2009-07-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

Through MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) I met Mayna, a wardrobe consultant and owner of closet fly.

www.closetfly.com

At Closet Fly, Mayna gets into your closet, goes behind the scenes of your wardrobe and, through shopping, consulting, and frequent follow ups, helps you develop and maintain your own personal style.

Soooo...I invited some friends for a home seminar. It was a lot of fun with mini consultations, a presentation on how to create a wardrobe that fits your lfestyle, good food, chatty women...we of course, went over time.

Tonya and Mayna during Tonya's mini consultation.

Porsche and Mikelle

Ginny

Julie, Dayla, and Meradith

Thanks Sandra for the pictures!

Now if only I had the money for a closet makeover! :)

A little preschool time

2009-07-16T16:40:00.000-07:00

Every so often we do about 2 hours of preschool in the morning. The boys love it. When September begins, my goal will be two days a week of preschool activities. :)

Here is Danny transferring beads from one bowl to the other. He loves fine motor skill building.

Joe LOVES to cut. I have not taught him how to cut fringes...you can ask Ginny why.

Clean up!

2009-07-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

The boys were filthy after some outdoor play (like usual) and so Grandma W. helped with the clean up!

2 little boys out playing in the yard. June 2009

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Riding our Bicees!

2009-07-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

One of Joe and Danny's favorite pasttimes is riding their "bicees" on the back deck. These videos don't show how fast they get...but they give you an idea. :)

Crashing is just too much fun... Watch the slow motion acting.

They love to crash everywhere.

Marshmallow Boy

2009-07-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

I was wondering where Danny was as he had been inside for quite a while, so I went in the house and here is what I spied...somehow he had gotten in the baking drawer and found these.

"Mooshmewoh!"

This has happened before...this time however, he couldn't figure out how to open the bag. But look at that face...could you resist giving him one?

Summer Time in June!

2009-07-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

Grant came over quite a bit the "last" week of school. He and Joe had a ton of fun with water, slides, buckets, sand etc. Every day Joe would say, "I can't take a nap today mom, what if Grant comes over!" He just loves Grant.

Memorial Day Wknd 2009 cont...

2009-07-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...this is the place to begin the story of the camp out...with Breakfast in a Bag! What a perfectly lovely idea for breakfast! See how lovely it turns out?

Some like theirs cooked a little hotter! How nice that you can make it to your own taste.

Alas....sometimes they got cooked so well that the fire consumed it before the cooker could.

Hey wait a minute...that's not a bag! B in a B is definitely a tradition now...though I have heard rumors that on other campouts that it was referred to as: "Beth's cruel Joke!" But what do they know...they probably prefer Biscuits and Gravy or something.

Dakota's 4 wheeler is always a hit with the kids.

Joe can't wait for the day when it is actually running when he is on it.

Everyone gets to help out!

Drumming Danny

Storytime

A favorite meal.

Yummy!

Here's Marina!

And Megan and Missy!

Here is Carol...she finally got to sit down for a bit...it's hard to catch her as she's always doing something.

Sean putting the shishkabobs together...Thanks!

Sean's fruit shishkabob from Beth.

HELP!

Keep out of range.

Digging the Latrine with lots of help...the was by far the favorite activity of the camp out.

What a bunch of great helpers...

Danny's grape shishkabob.

We tried out the pie irons we got for the other Burgess' *grin They make DELICIOUS pies as well as incredible Reubens!!

Danny was playing on the grass...then all of a sudden went pell mell into the water...it was hilarious. I fished him out and then he wanted me to hold his hand while he stomped around.

No such thing as a relaxing boat ride when you have to peddle.

Uncle Y takes Danny down the hill.

Sean planned a memorial egg hunt...everyone does one of those don't they?!

Here are the girls with their loot.

Dakota is finding the LAST egg...it's in there somewhere! (don't worry...I can't seem to see it either!)

There was some neato stuff in those eggs.

Then the little kids got a turn! Who are these goofs?

Joe really got into it.

Danny wanted to open each egg right away.

Here they were showing their Dad that the eggs have stuff in them!

Casper just needed to get away from it all...so he took a boat ride.

All in all...a time was had by all! *grin

I'm sure we'll be there next year!

Memorial Day Wknd 2009

2009-07-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

For the past couple a years we have joined the Sean and Carol Y. family, and the Bryan and Porsche A. family for a memorial camp out!

This year was no exception....they won't take no for an answer!

This is actually the last picture of our fun time...but it shows the whole group minus Sean's brother Aaron and his wife Danny and two cute kiddos.

I would suggest that you not scratch and sniff...as I'm sure (totally positive) this picture is VERY ripe!

Please Lean AWAY from the picture!!!

It's time... (May 2009)

2009-07-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

It was time to put the trampoline back together!

So much help!

Hurray!

"Jump! Jump!"

"Mommy, I need two marshmallows!"

2009-07-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

"Now, I have earplugs for mowing the lawn just like Daddy!"

This was not what I expected! :)

Love and Logic Seminar 2009

2009-07-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

Troy and I believe in Love and Logic techniques/philosophy in raising responsible kids. Dayla talked me into taking a 5 week love and logic course with her...it was fabulous! We learned so much, we thought it would be fun to have our husbands take a course. Thus the 3 hour seminar came into being. Liann Smith was our Fabulous instructor! This of course snowballed into...let's invite others to join in on the fun. then....let's make getting a babysitter easier...all the kids can go to Troy and Beth's house and all the parents can go take the seminar at Brent and Dayla's cabana...and so....

At Troy and my house was:

19 kids under age 5

Babysitters: Deanna, Kyleah, Victoria, and Lisa

2 crazy "adults": Doreen and Reid

a totally wild time!

(our house was still standing when we got back....my guess the only real chaos was getting those parents out of there!)

Everyone had a great time. The adults learned some great techniques and got some time away from their kids. Doreen and Reid will probably wait a little longer to have their own kids. The babysitters most likely slept in the next morning. The kids had a great time! *grin

I didn't get any good pics...but if you check Brent and Dayla's blog...she probably did. The video below is just a sampling of the chaos. :)

Rampathon May 2009

2009-07-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

Shirey Handyman Service volunteered another year for Master Builder's Rampathon. This year the ramp they were assigned was a small one, so Troy invited Joe and Danny to come and help build! The boys arrived with their toolbelts on! They were soooo excited! They pounded nails, used shovels, got in the way, ate pizza, and were totally cute!

The two cutest handyboys there!

Danny did quite a bit of shoveling.

ummm...did I mention they also used saws?

Danny with Daddy....what a helper!

Danny heads to the van to get out another tool!

"Mommy, Stop that! I'm workin'," says Joe.

Here's the full crew with the gentleman for whom the ramp was being built (did I say that right?) They were having picture time with the master builder's photographer!

How we spent Mother's Day!

2009-07-15T15:03:00.000-07:00

We are sooooo luck to have good friends in Pullman! Mandy (and Scott) invited us over for the wknd so we could see Leon W. They planned out the entire wknd....all we had to do was show up!

Here they are with their handsome boys...Tyrel and Justin. Our boys just loved spending time with them!

Here's we are with Leon. Troy went to meeting in Leon and Inga's home when he was a little boy in Waverly, Iowa. (I wasn't even born yet.) Then I went to meeting with Leon and Inga when I was in College at WSU. Leon isn't getting any younger but he seems to be doing great. We were glad for the extra time we got with him.

Mandy also arranged for Jared, Margaret, and Brandon and Laurel to come for dinner! It has been waaaaay to long since I've seen them. Ken and Tanya were also there but somehow, they skipped out on all the pics. Shame on them!

After meeting on Sunday, Tanya had us stay for a lovely lunch which included Danny locking himself in one of ther guest rooms. Lots of excitement!

Jeremiah...who I hadn't seen since Bonners Ferry Convention...ummmmm...lets say 12 years ago is now in Pullman with his lovely wife Becky. Danny latched on to him right after he started playing. :)

Here's Jeremiah with Becky! So fun to meet her and see Jeremiah again.

I should also mention that Scott made breakfast Sunday morning! I think we'll have to make it tradition to go over there every mother's day! *grn

Who knew that we had one of these!

2009-07-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

I was just gone for a minute...

2009-07-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

And everyone wonders why I haven't been blogging....this is what happens!!!

Cousins

2009-07-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

Danny just loves Victoria...how could he not...she shares her Mp3 player.

The Tradition continues... (May 1st)

2009-07-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

All I can remember is loudness, lots of food, and absolute chaos.

Happy Birthday Dad....Let's do it again next year!!!

Go Mariners!

2009-07-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

Our boys were sick...so Grant lucked out and got to come with us to the game! He said he'd already eaten before he came...but we stuffed him full of food additives, preservatives, dyes etc. YUMMY! (sorry Elaine...but that's part of going to a ball game!) Thanks for babysittin' mom and dad. Thanks Jill Z. for including us in Seattle fun.

Choo Choo! (April)

2009-07-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

Joe kept singing, "the gospel trains a comin'...there's room for many on board!"

Getting my hair done!

2009-07-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

Shoulda takin' an "after" pic. :) It was very serious business. All those clips take lots of concentration. Danny found the clips and Joe attempted to put them in.

Bugs...fascinating creatures, aren't they?!

2009-07-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

April Fools!

2009-07-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

My favorite Holiday!

This year we invited our meeting for a potluck lunch. (Gail C. talked me into it!)

Many joined in on the spirit of the holiday!

Part of the menu:

Ice Cream Sundae's

Vanilla ice cream-Mashed Potatoes

Chocolate ice cream-sloppy Joes

carmel sauce-gravy

cherries-cherry tomatoes

sprinkles-pepper

Whip cream-sour cream

Potato chips- Surprise...fresh veggies

Guacamole & chips-mockamole(made with peas)

Kitty Litter-an actually yummy dessert w/tootsie roll...)

Drinks:

Juice cups w/straws-Jello

Orange Juice-apple juice

Apple Juice-Ginger Ale

Milk-Water

Hmmmmmm....what will I make/do next year? :)

The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Joe (March)

2009-07-01T02:07:00.000-07:00

Meet Bob! Can he fix it? Yes, he can!

2009-07-01T02:05:00.000-07:00

Quick snippet from when Chet & family were here!

2009-07-01T01:55:00.000-07:00

Notice the bare buns! They were each others best encouragement to use the potty...one right after the other!

Brothers! (March)

2009-07-01T01:54:00.000-07:00

Chet and Zane come to visit! -Will & Shelley too (March)

2009-07-01T01:44:00.000-07:00

We were thrilled when we received a call from Shelley (Troy's cousin) that she and her family would be in town. We begged them to stay with us!! Joe and Chet were inseparable! They got along famously....the only little "argument" they had was when they were both exhausted and up late and even that was nothing. Danny was fascinated with Zane and Zane was probably a little overwhelmed *grin Some how Danny missed being in my pics...but he most definitely was there! Come again!

"Mommy! Pull us!" (March)

2009-07-01T01:42:00.000-07:00

Aquarium Visit (February)

2009-07-01T01:37:00.000-07:00

Grandpa and Grandma W. took Joe and Danny to the aquarium as part of Joe's birthday present! The kids were thrilled!

Scott P. came along.

Thanks Grandpa and Grandma! Joe talked about his trip for weeks!

The case of the missing cookies! (Feb.)

2009-07-01T01:36:00.000-07:00

Danny AKA the cookie snatcher!

Random February Joe shots

2009-07-01T01:30:00.000-07:00

It's that time!

Joe loves National Geographic Little Kids!

The Hewitt's got Joe a toolkit for his birthday...Here's Joe's favorite tool!

My three year old!

Playing Meeting (March 2009)

2009-07-01T01:27:00.000-07:00

Joe likes to play meeting. He sings with great enthusiasm!

Joe at play! (January)

2009-07-01T01:21:00.000-07:00

Danny's "first" word. (one of the first ones) *January

2009-07-01T01:15:00.000-07:00

January 19th Joe is Three!

2009-07-01T01:10:00.000-07:00

Grandpa and Grandma B. sent Joe exactly what he wanted...his own herd! He was so excited to get the cows, bull and calves. He even slept with them.

Chicken Pox

2009-07-01T01:05:00.000-07:00

Just about an hour out of Cabo on the plane...I look down and notice a spot on Danny's face. Two hours later another spot appears. CHICKEN POX!

Well enough to ride the scooter! A totally proud boy. He did great...keep in mind he is only 15 months old.

I'm finally back (MAYBE)

2009-07-01T00:04:00.001-07:00

I know, I know....it's been forever since I posted...I have gotten all your emails, phone calls, reminders, etc. ...thankfully no texts (how horrible to be charged for a snarky reminder). *grin I will try to be better...however...there are no guarantees! But here's to hope!

Jennifer and Ryan's Wedding (January)

2009-07-01T00:04:00.000-07:00

Way back in January, we packed our bags and headed down to Cabo San Lucas for Troy's sister Jennifer Burgess' wedding to Ryan Barry. How great to be able not only to go to your sister's

wedding but also to a good friend's wedding....even better...having it be

the same one!

This would probably be a great time to mention that when I first met Troy, he told me about his sister and off hand he mentioned, "she'll marry my friend Ryan Barry some day." Cool huh?!

We all had a fabulous time. Here's Joe and Danny with Grandpa and Grandma B.

Troy, Danny and Dad B.

The "eating trough" was a lot of fun! So many choices...yum! I loved the guacamole! I probably ate my weight in it...and that is no small feat. *grin

Joe loved playing with his truck and trailer in the sand. At one point they got lost and we spent quite a bit of time kicking sand looking for them....only to find that the "help" had picked them

up.

Troy "had" to buy a spiderman kite for Joe. It was the coolest!

We have so few pictures of Danny NOT eating all the sand. But here's one!

Beach clean up was always fun! Here's Joe with cousin Luke!

It was always fun to go back to the room and see the towel origami!

The kids' show at the resort was a lot of fun. In fact, my kids are still singing, "Veo Veo!" It is quite catchy and fun. Joe would get up and dance but refused to show his skills on the stage...in front of the stage was enough.

Joe loved the ocean....but it had quite a "pull" so we kept our swimming to the pools.

One of the highlights of the trip was going to Sunday morning meeting. The fellowship was "supremely sweet!"

And finally the reason we even went to Mexico...THE WEDDING!

Too bad our memory card was used up...we didn't get many shots of the wedding...which was absolutely gorgeous. Here's the few we did get...

The beautiful Bride (and Dad B.)

That's a quick snap shop of our time! Thanks to Jennifer and Ryan for even inviting us! :) I'm totally excited that I'm even posting this before their year anniversary!

Tigers

2009-02-17T16:06:00.000-08:00

Joe woke up hollaring from his nap. I ran in to see what the racket was all about. When I got in the room and went over to him, he looked up at me and said, "Mommy, don't worry, there aren't any tigers, it was just my pillow!"

Whew....I was worried there for a minute!

I hope to post again soon. I just have too many monkeys running around to get anything done.

The BIG SNOW

2008-12-27T17:16:00.000-08:00

We have had a lot of snow here, starting about a week before Christmas. It snowed almost every day for a week and one day it snowed 8". We probably had 16 - 18" of total snowfall at our place, which is a lot for us. It was a great opportunity for kids and parents alike to play and spend time by the fire.

Here's Joe having a taste. The flakes were big enough for a meal at this point.

Beth & Joe's snowmom & kids

Danny and 12" of snow on top of Ol' Blue

Grant and his handiwork

I kinda wonder if this house has ever seen this much snow

A little snow sure dresses the place up!

Too much fun!

I'm sure there are responsible parents out there who would handle this situation much differently, but we dont know much about that, so we just grabbed the camera and figured it would be good for a laugh, if not a lesson.

Lucky for us, Gentry just happened to have a snowmobile at his place during all of this. There was no way that thing was staying parked. Here's a quick clip of some of the redneck fun.

We've got tons of great pictures and videos, but it's too much for the blog. More fun here!

Basic Kid Stuff

2008-12-27T15:46:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post a few pictures that we enjoyed. There's a great series of Joe riding a pig, but I can't begin to improve upon Elaine's treatment of those, so y'all will just have to visit her blog if you haven't already. Danny's a climber for sure, and we often see something like this when we walk into a room...

Joe's buddy Carson gave him a scooter, what a great deal! He's thinking about starting a gang.

Sometimes we take Art to meeting and we have lunch at our house. Danny helps.

Joe's new look. "Mommy I'm a goat!"

Comfy, I guess?

Ain't wintertime great?

Boys will be boys!

2008-12-11T16:26:00.000-08:00

Doesn't the extra box make a nice ramp? Worked great with the little cars...that means it will be fantastic with trikes! I didn't have to leave them to their own devices very long before this came about. *grin Danny decided to forgo the trikes and would just go from the chair headfirst down it or he'd sit and slide. Joe figured out how to ride up it and then sliding back. I think I'll just superglue their helmets to their heads.

Thanksgiving!

2008-12-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

This year the "other" B Household invited us over for Thanksgiving! We couldn't refuse! :)

Here are two of the pilgrims that joined us!

Here are our lovely hosts!

The table was a work of art...should have been no surprise there with Elaine in charge! Each setting had a male or female pilgrim holding a name plate. Troy's was a pilgrim in a tux! Not only is the presentation awesome but the food...... YUMMMMMMMMMM!

Bring on the food!

Joining in were the Brent and Dayla family. Can't believe I didn't get any pictures of Dayla. She of course was everywhere helping out. I don't think Joe would have gotten any food without her.

Joe was thrilled to find out that Kylie and Marissa were going to be there.

And of course such charming smiles on the boys' faces!

Danny's favorite part was the whipping cream!

Joe decorated a cookie for his daddy. (He couldn't let Marissa out do him!)

Thanks Gentry and ELAINE for the wonderful time! Everything was delicious.

Fun Play Times!

2008-12-09T13:54:00.000-08:00

Joe and Danny love visiting friends. Here we had a fun playdate at "Emlee's and Jawfun's" house after a fun time watching a puppet show at the library. Ivona took great care of us moms and the kids had a wonderful time playing.

Here Danny is driving Joe around the house!

Naomi invited us over for a fun time with her girls. Joe hasn't stopped talking about Khiana and Kaitlin. Thanks Naomi!

B is for Box!

2008-12-09T07:28:00.000-08:00

We love the fact that Grandma W. got all new appliances for her kitchen remodel!
This is....Joe's house! (Before we did the roof)

We had so much fun decorating it with MARKERS! I learned that I do not own washable markers...I need to fix that!

We spend a lot of time in our little house!

Of course...Danny had to have a house too!

Everyone gets their own space!

Come over and play with us!

Cousin Alex turns 1!

2008-12-09T07:19:00.000-08:00

Alex turned one year old! (he's just one month younger than Danny.) (Umm..this event occurred in November...but like usual...I am behind.)

They are the best of buds!

Samantha put in the candles...I guess it is more exciting to count to three!

Not sure how this next picture got in here...must have clicked on it by accident. What a cutie!

Danny's 1st haircut!

2008-12-09T07:11:00.000-08:00

It was time for Danny's 1st haircut. He did have lovely blond curls...but his daddy was chomping at the bit! *grin So I took all 3 of my "boys" to Earl's barbershop! It is a wonderful little barbershop that is really close by.

Here's Danny with Carl. Carl is fantastic with our boys.

Danny sat so well for his haircut...here he is watching football (of course!)

Here they are...what a handsome group!

Janell turns 30!

2008-11-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

Janell turned 30 and we celebrated with a Surprise Party!

Velva and Eunice (Janell's aunt and mom) roped me into putting together a fun time with some of Janell's friends and family. Yippee!

I, of course "had" to put up some decorations and had a great time making her a girly cake (a purse with a coin purse as well) and brownies in the shape of high heel shoes.

Some of the guests ate a bit early!

Standing around waiting for the guest of honor to arrive!

Dinner, of course, was Happy Meals from McDonalds! We were soooooo lucky...McD's switches off from Happy Meal Boxes to Bags and they had just gotten in boxes....bags just aren't as cool! Here's Derek and Julie all set with their order!

Here's the Birthday Girl!

Hopefully Janell got her hamburger ketchup only! *grin

Justin said he hadn't had a Happy Meal for over 20 years! What an Oldy Moldy!

(Oh, I made a caesar salad to offset the McD's.)

Janell's brother Jon and his wife Jen and boys: Bowdrie and Carsen came all the way from Montana! I didn't get any pictures of their totally cute boys. Too bad! You'll just have to put up with this one of Jon.

Chip helped with picking up the order at McD's...he got a free Big Mac!

The best part is getting the toy in the box! Perfect party favors!

The polly pockets were a definite favorite!

Wait a minute Jolyn, how did you get another one?! *grin

Some had more fun at the party than others! *grin

Happy 30th Birthday Janell!

Danny is...

2008-11-02T22:19:00.000-08:00

Walking now!

Danny

2008-11-02T22:11:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of our "little" one. He is growing sooooooo fast!

Danny was named after 3 Georges. Troy's Grandpa George Burgess, George Dissmore (my adopted Grandpa), and George Richardson (another of my adopted Grandpas.) Here Danny is with George Richardson.

Here's a little bedhead! He is such a happy waker upper.

Getting ready for meeting, Danny all of a sudden was really quiet so I peaked in on him in the playroom and this is what I found!

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-02T22:06:00.000-08:00

My little Cowboys were invited to Kenmore Story Time on Wednesday, by "emlee" and "jawfun." They listened to some great Halloween stories, learned about the "Jakalanter" and trick or treated at the check out counter where they recieve some Yummy treat.

We spent Halloween evening with some of the ones in our birth class group. Here are the treats I brought!

Here the group of kids that were there minus the two babies. From the left: Joe, Danny, Owen, Lucy, and Paige.

They went trick or treating to about 5 houses. After the first house...the kids were pumped up! Joe gave me his horse cause "I need to hold my bucket of treats carefully!" They couldn't believe that all these people were giving them candy! Troy would put Danny down and Danny would walk up holding out his hat for candy...it was totally cute.

Sara and Troy hosted all of us and we had a wonderful time! Thank you! It was so much fun to catch up with everyone!

Plachinda!

2008-11-02T21:57:00.000-08:00

My family continued the tradition of holding a "plachinda" baking day at Ginny's house on Saturday. Porsche and Bryan upholding tradition didn't show up til lunch time. Unfortunately, our camera battery was low from trick or treating so I didn't get many pictures. Here's Grandma with the caboodle of them. The kids did help Grandpa make the dough and then the "adults" put the plachinda together. A good time was had by all!

We turn our backs just a moment on Grandma and the next thing we know she's teaching Samantha, Joe and Cea how to play poker! Now their college funds are being used to help pay for her kitchen remodel!

Whoops

2008-10-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

So blogger didn't post them in the order that I published but did it backward *groan...so you get to see the party in reverse! Oh well...