Sleep in Heavenly Peace

What happens at 6:30PM when Case wakes up at 6AM and won't take a nap. The excitement of Christmas could only keep him awake so long.

2 DAYS!!!!!!

We just made cookies for Santa so we're moving right along. I'm so excited!!!!! I actually had a hard time falling asleep last night cause I was imagining Christmas morning. What a dork I am!

Russ (and all of us) made these awesome "sweet sushi" boxes and treats for our neighbor gift this year. It was super fun.

Whatever...he's almost 2...totally old enough to be the saw-holder when we cut down the Christmas tree. I'm the best mom ever

LOOK AT THAT!! Not just the adorable kids, but also the gorgeous world. We live in the most beautiful place on earth.

My boys enjoying a moment

I've started selling my hair pretty's a little bit. If you need any...I'm here...and not ridiculously priced like so many are.

Russ and I went to Claim Jumper on our anniversary. Russ got ribs and I got this pasta thing. So then we got this awesome cake too. We NEVER get dessert at restaurants so it was fun. I had only eating 100 calories all day (I was saving my calories for dinner) and I had burned 650 calories on the treadmill that morning so I was feeling pretty good about it. Then Russ (darn him) happened to see the calorie chart!!!!!!! OH MY GOSH. My pasta was 2600 calories. I didn't eat the whole thing, but still!!! The cake was 3600 calories. Again, I only ate one layer and there were 6. BUT STILL!!!! I was nauseous for two days thinking about the number of calories that went into my body in a 60 minute period. Needless to say, I've been running 5 miles every day this week trying to work it off.

Fall Fun!

Since we're almost at Thanksgiving, I thought I'd get Halloween up. Hadley in the red dress decided to be a party planner...seriously, what am I going to do with that one??!!

I'm sorry, but when Layne gets a hold of the camera, I think the best pictures are taken. AHHH, I love this kid!

Scary fly!

"We are the champions, my friend." We had our annual fun. We raked up those leaves (millions since we live on the forest!!!) and jumped, flew, and slid into them.

Why yes, Hadley's mom DID make that awesome sign and (though you can't see them) the matching hair pretty's. Then, since Hadley's mom isn't available to brag for herself, she made the witches hats for each of the soccer balls on the sign (as seen above) since this game was on Halloween. She must be THE best mom ever!

OKAY, I DID IT. I'M DOING FACEBOOK.

Oh, and by the way, wish me luck on the northwest winter this year...last year was the first year that I had a problem with it. And now since sunset is currently at 4:30PM and I workout in the PITCH black, pouring down rain from 6-7AM...just wish me luck. YES I KNOW I KNEW WHAT I WAS GETTING INTO...I'M JUST ASKING FOR SOME LUCK FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

WOW! THAT'S PATHETIC!

Okay, so evidently I decided to take a hiatus from blogging. It's just that SOO much has been going on. Okay, so here we go...I'll do a family entry and then one for each munchkin.

AHHHH!!! KC ROCKS with her Diet Coke T gift!!! Thank you! We got to hang out at the Reid reunion AND the Merrill reunion this summer. Why yes, I did travel (mostly alone w/ 4 kids) for 21 day...thank you for asking. Actually it was WONDERFUL. It's SOOO nice to have no more teeny tiny babies. I LOVED the stage and I'm LOVING being out of it too.

And just a side note, we (me and the kids) made it home from Solitaire in Utah in 11 1/2 hours. We only stopped once in Baker City (after a prayer while driving cause the car said I only had 13 miles of gas when I finally pulled into the station...oops). I don't believe in Benadryling my kids, but I don't think that a little dehydration hurts. "Okay kids, no drinking until we're within 30 miles of the rest stop and then drink like crazy".

Yippy for my adorable cousins and sister-in-law

We hung out at Solitaire and played and played and played some more.

THEN...Nicole and Russ needed some alone time. Thank you Mom for taking the kids. It's been 2 1/2 yrs. since we had a weekend with no kids. We went to Bend, Oregon and biked, climbed (Smith Rock), played tennis and had a ball! Russ is into full out downhill biking (like riding the ski lift up and going down double black diamonds!). So I was super thankful that he just took along his normal bike and we got to bike hard, but not scary.

Then, as if watching the kids wasn't enough, Mom got me the awesome enormous mirror that I've been eying for over a year! Merry August Christmas to me!!

The Life of Kordo since May

Russ had the sex talk with Kord. The next day was Sunday and we have late church so all the kids were hanging out playing on our bed. Hadley, Layne and Case went downstairs. Russ and I were talking and Kord was reading his book on our bed. Suddenly Kord jumped up and headed for the door.

Nicole—“Kord, what’s wrong”

Kord, with a waving gesture of the hand—“Isn’t there something YOU TWO would like to do”

______________

Kord's team got 2nd place in LaCamas Little League! This is his 6th season playing. It's hard to believe that Kord(2nd from the right) has done anything for 6 years!

During the season, we headed off to Seattle for Little League weekend at the Seattle Mariners game. Yep, that's Kord calling his hit.

Do-do-doodoo-doo-dee(that's the circus theme song...trust me). Layne learned how to ride a two wheeler, Kord decided to show her how...on HER bike.

Kord and Russ have BOTH gotten into downhill biking. On their WAY to the trails, Kord took an 8 foot biff straight down into the blackberry bushes on the right. NICE. We decided that he needed a full out mountain bike instead of a BMX bike. So, ironically, though I have two pix of Kord on bikes, neither one is actually HIS bike.

Yep, Kord decided that he needed to build himself a stool...Have I mentioned that I love this kid!

Hadley Shmadley's

Here's that super fun weekend of Seattle Mariners baseball and the amusement park. This is the BEST family ever!!!! They're so fun.

When in Rome :) We went to Colorado for Russ' family reunion. It was SOOO fun and some of the beauty for the kids is the freedom of back dirt roads! Hadley had a BALL with her cousins.

Yes, we've already been to the orthodontist.

Just trying on Mom's wedding dress.

Rockin' awesome first day of school. This is 'Foxy". He's in front of our school and, evidently, is a carnivore. Kord and Hadley were both super excited about their new shoes...Layne and Case could care less.

Layne-y Bayne-y's

We can see TONS of awesome fireworks from our house. So we had some friends over and had a ball. Of course, Russ and our friend went crazy on fireworks too so it was hilarious.

Well, I (Nicole) have tried a garden and it's just not working for me. I know it's because I have to invest in doing a raised garden (we have crazy red clay dirt here). So in the meantime, I just take the kids down to Sister Christensen's house down the street. Her garden is by the road so I just show the kids all about gardening and what to do and what's going on...I'm the best mom ever. Who needs to actual lead by example...honestly, I use the "Lead by Sister Christensen's example" philosophy. It's totally working for me. Layne did, however, decide to grow some sunflowers. Since they're considered a weed to farmers since they grow so easily, we DID manage to get some...though most were eaten by the deer. :)

Layne and her super cute friend. SOOOOO CUTE!!!!!!!

It's the classic learning how to ride a bike in the church parking lot...it's a four year old MUST.

On our trip this summer we got to spend lots of time with Rochelle and her family. WE LOVE THEM!! Layne and Case also discovered the electric truck there.

"Wait Dad, let me get this straight, I have to wear a helmet to ride a scooter down the driveway at our house, but (if Mom doesn't see) I DON'T have to wear one to go flying down bumpy dirt roads on a motorcycle." YEP

Layne got to play with Grandpa Merrill in Utah too

Beautiful Bride Layne

Why yes, Layne DOES enjoy "borrowing" the camera and taking some candid shots

Layne and her mini-me. All ready for school. Layne and Hadley both do this every morning complete with the head.

Another great year of preschool begins!!!

Caser's

I'm generally apposed to shirts with words. But honestly, we have to give the shout out to Uncle Adam...and the zombies. And yes, I think he may, in fact, be pooping in the picture.

Okay, so Case is hilarious! He NEEDS his cowboy boots (that were Russ' when he was a little guy) and his camo hat. I LOVE IT!!!!!

What a naught little monkey. I turn around and there's Case wondering through the house with a ball of cookie dough. Do you LIVE in a barn? Yep, he grabbed it off the counter and was enjoying a little snack.

I crack me up-they crack me up

A few classics:

1. I woke Layne up the other day and she was in NO mood!  She threw her head under the pillow and said, "NO!!!  I hungwy.  I mean, I tirsty.  I mean, I TIRED!"  I LOVE my 4 year old!

2. So Kord's eating his lunch last week at school.  Yum, Mom put a hard-boiled egg in there.  I love when she does that!  Here, let me crack it open.  OH CRAP! Mom did NOT put a hard-boiled egg in my lunch...she put a RAW egg in my lunch.  

Yep, way to go Mom.  Hadley's lunchtime is later then Kords, so she was digging into lunch and Mrs. Pierce walked by, "Hadley, is your egg hard-boiled." 

"I don't know, I think so."  

"Let's check"  

Yep, Mom gave BOTH kids raw eggs.  

Then we have these pix.  Layne and Hadley played with the camera last night.  Note to self ladies, if you decide to do things that you're not supposed to do (like climb on the treadmill and banister)--DON'T document your misdeeds with photos.  This is a lesson that you should keep for the duration of your mortal existence.