Thanksgiving on Bainbridge Island

We had a great Thanksgiving.  We went down to Bainbridge Island with the Muffolettos and stayed overnight.  (They really must love us - we aren't the easiest house guests!)  We had a very delicious dinner and a whole lot of fun being with great friends.  I wish I'd have taken more pictures!

A post-dinner game of Apples to Apples.

And the car packing game.

On Friday we took the kids to the Bainbridge Children's Museum.

Arrrrrgh!

It's not quite as good as Halle's, but Liam also does a great pirate face!

We caught a late afternoon ferry...

... and made it home in time for me, Grace, and Liam to go to a community theater production of "Hansel and Gretel."  It's been a great weekend so far!

Grace's Birthday Dinner

Grace wisely chose the Olive Garden for her birthday dinner last night. 

Opening some of her presents...

...a Jungle in my Pocket set from the boys...

...twelve pairs of earrings in the birthstone of every month from Nanny Flo...

...Hmm, I wonder who this one is from?!  A jewelry beading set from Papa and Nana...

... a cat calendar...

... and an American Girl book and doll from Mom and Dad.

And last, but not least, her biggie...

...an iPod Nano!  Oh, how I wish I had remembered the video camera for this one.  I know it's not a puppy, but boy, was she excited!!!

Thanks to everyone who called and sang to her and sent cards and gifts and birthday wishes.  She really had a special day, or in her own words, "The best birthday of my whole life!!"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRACE!

I can't believe my baby girl is nine years old today!  She is in every way my dream daughter and I am so lucky to be her mom!  

First birthday:

Second birthday:

Third birthday:

Fourth birthday:

Fifth birthday:

Sixth birthday:

Seventh birthday:

Eighth birthday:

Ninth birthday:

Grace's Birthday Party

On Friday night we had Grace's friend birthday party, and (very bravely, I think) had eight 8 and 9 year old girls over for a puppy-themed party.   It was complete chaos, but very fun. Instead of a sleepover, we had the girls come from 6 - 9:30 and wear pajamas.  Four hours of screaming girls was much more bearable than twelve hours!  

Grace made up all the games.  They had a pajama fashion show, played "Guess who's in which sleeping bag," Pin the Tail on the Puppy, and my favorite - puppy chow, pictured below.  They had to eat a small plateful of Cheetos puffs without using their hands. 

At the end, we calmed them down for a movie - "Kit Kitteridge."

And what girl party would be complete without a pillow fight?

The only slumber party stereotype not fulfilled that night?  Lip-synching into hair brush microphones. 

A few more Preston pics

I just stole these pictures off of Madi's blog because they are too freaking cute!!  

This is my new very favorite picture of Grace: (what a beauty!)

Thanks for taking these, Madi!  You are such a great photographer!  I'm bummed we didn't have you take some official family ones of us...

Fairhaven Park Video

Here's a little movie I made while Garreth was at church meetings tonight. 

The song on this is from the movie "Meet the Robinsons," one of my favorites.  (If you haven't seen it, watch it!!)  I love the message of the movie since it applies to my little family so accurately and poignantly.  I have seen it MANY times and I still find myself sobbing at the end every time.

  I love this song because I feel like it was written for us.  I know our family did not come together just from "twists and turns of fate," but that Heavenly Father had a very specific plan for us and for our children and that they were always meant to be with us.  I don't mean to get all sentimental here, but with Declan's adoption finally approaching (December 18th!), I have been feeling very emotional and introspective lately.  Also, at a time of year when we really focus on our blessings, how can I not be overwhelmingly grateful for my children, my little wonders, and for the ways they came into our eternal family?  

"It's the heart that really matters in the end..."

11 YEARS

On November 1st, we were preoccupied with more important matters, but Garreth and I have now been married for the 11 happiest years of my life.  

I LOVE YOU!!

(This song - "It Had to be You"-  is one of dozens of "our songs," but it might just be my favorite, since Garreth surprised me by singing it to me at our reception.  Yes, it's true, he really is the perfect man.)

High Fashion

There are many things about parenting that I feel strongly about, and two of them are: 1)celebrating my kids' individuality, and 2)giving them choices and therefore, some control over their lives.  So I let them choose their own clothes each day, albeit sometimes with a little gentle guidance and color advice.  

Today as we were leaving the house to go hiking, I looked at each of them and knew I needed to take pictures.

Grace and Liam opted for the slimming, monochromatic effect, although Liam added a slight "bling-less rapper" look to his all-black Adidas tracksuit ensemble.

Sam should have a photo spread in People magazine's Best Dressed edition with his brown Adidas track pants and plaid button-up church shirt.

And Declan.... oh wait, Garreth chose this outfit.  No comment.

Stimpson Nature Reserve

Since mild, non-rainy days are getting fewer and far between these days on the lovely Washington coast, we knew we needed to go on a hike this afternoon.  We went to the Stimpson Family Nature Reserve for the first (and definitely not the last) time.  Wow, was it beautiful.

You may have noticed that I wear this hat a lot, and it's true, I have many bad hair days.  But today I was feeling extra self-conscious about my 'do.  I went to a new hair salon for a cut this morning, where my cute Russian stylist told me everything that sucks about my hair.  Apparently, I have the strangest-cut bangs she has ever seen and she was appalled at my grown-out highlights.  ("Honey, you need to get those retouched or just go back to your brown color.  No more stripes!!")  The funny thing is, I seriously was not offended until I got home and told Garreth what she said.  Maybe I was assuaged by the darling Russian accent. 

Here is Declan, playing a game he loves, called "Push Declan's stroller down the trail on its own and Mommy will catch him."

Scaling across a fallen tree.  It was not this dark in the forest, my camera is just not the greatest.  If the flash is on, the picture is dark and if it's off, the color is good but the image is fuzzy, like here:

My attempts at getting a good picture of the little hikers.