The Aprecios

Linda Ronstadt

2012-02-13T09:59:00.000-08:00

When I was about 13 my Dad bought me a CD of Linda Ronstadts greatest hits. He told me that if I wanted to be a singer some day I would have to "study up on the great female vocalists in rock and roll history."

Who would have thought that my singing career would bring me to dress up and pretend to be Linda on stage.

Introducing, JUST ONE LOOK-a tribute to the music of Linda Ronstadt. Our debut show is on April 24th in Issaquah and we are hoping to book more tribute shows throughout the year. I am so excited to be rockin' out again! I have a great band to back me up and I get to spend time with my Dad, who taught me how good music should really sound.

For your ears: CLICK HERE.
For date information: CLICK HERE.
For your eyes:

EMPSFM

2012-02-10T20:17:00.000-08:00

The EMP (Experience the Music Project) and SFM (Science Fiction Museum) are probably the biggest waste of space in the Seattle area. I have suspected this for a while, but last week my suspicions were concluded to be very true when Sam and I spent the day there with my parents.

Now, don't get me wrong. We had a lot of fun. We just won't be going back any time soon.

There are definitely some cool exhibits in the museum. For instance, the instrument cyclone....

...and the Nirvana room. David and I have something special, you wouldn't understand.

Sam enjoyed the recording rooms. He and Bub made some rock and roll together.

At the end of our music tour, we signed up to be on stage as a band. We named ourselves The Allen Wrenches (family joke) and played to a digital crowd. Sam ROCKED the drums :)

The Science Fiction center is hosting an Avatar exhibit. It was actually pretty neat. This is Sam and Grandma attracting the Woodsprites.

Again, we had a good time but it was not worth the $20 a pop admission fee. So save yourselves the cash and try out another activity in the city.

The Seattle Science Center

2012-01-31T12:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Sam and I hung out at the Science Center with some of our friends. We had a good time and thanks to Quinn, it was also free!

Grayson, (don't let the frown fool you, he did have fun) Sam and Bella.

Sam checking out the anemones. This kid has NO fear.Talise and Grayson. He would touch the creatures and then squeal with excitement. It was so funny.

The butterfly garden is the best part of the center. The kids were very careful to watch their step and kept trying to get the butterflies to land on them.

Tyler loved it so much he went through the garden twice. He kept telling everyone "Don't stomp! Be careful."

Super Sam

2012-01-27T10:50:00.000-08:00

This is what happens to little boys when you put them in Mr. Incredible undies.

They turn super.

Muscles.

Flying.

"To infinity and beyond!"

What does 2012 hold?

2012-01-26T10:07:00.000-08:00

2012 is off to a good start.

The last 4 weeks have been better than our entire 2011. I mean, hello? Income! I realize that money doesn't buy happiness, but it does buy some freakin' sweet things! I know that a new vacuum and classy bed sheets don't sound like much, but after a year of holding ourselves away from anything not a necessity, they seem pretty, pretty, pretty amazing.

Life just feels so much more do-able in buttery sheets. It's a nice change.

Recently we have been talking a lot about the things we hope to do this year. It's very new and exciting.

Vacation? Hopefully! I am seriously open to anything WARM. Hawaii. Cruise to the Caribbean. Disneyland. Or all of the above. Probably not possible, but I dream big, yo!

Baby? Oh man, oh man we all want a baby so bad! It's just that the 3 of us have very different ideas of how the baby will come to be. Matt's thinking I give birth to it, I'm thinking I'll adopt one and Sam is thinking that he's happy wrapping up a stuffed animal and feeding it a pretend bottle for an hour. Which is adorable!

Home improvements?We have come to the realization that we are stuck in this house for a while (thank you economy) so we have a few plans up our sleeves to improve it. We want a deck, a few more windows, update the interior style, better lighting and a nicer yard. When I'm not traveling the world, I plan on being at home a lot so we better make it sweeeeet!

Hey, remember that new years resolution I made "to save money"?

Yeah, that goal is not coming off very strong is it? I'll work on that....

...after I get everything I want ;)

Bowling with the babes

2012-01-25T20:27:00.000-08:00

Sam and I went on an adventure today to the bowling alley with our friends Sarah, Eli and Grace.
The boys started out very excited. Sam could hardly stand the wait.

It started off good. Sam and Eli were able to get their heavy balls down the lane, although very slowly. They enjoyed throwing and rolling the balls down the lane and taking turns. Sam really loved cheering for everyone.

Eli even managed to get a strike. We were pretty excited!

But all too soon the weight of the balls took effect on tiny arms and they were getting stuck mid-lane. Then we started running into other lanes and pushing buttons on the computer. Fingers were smashed between balls and backs were injured by slippery floors.

2 moms lost pathetically against 3 crazy kiddos.

Lesson learned, wait until kids are at least 4 before you take them bowling.

A bit about the boy

2012-01-23T15:59:00.000-08:00

(I know I have already posted this pic, but I just can't find the energy to take a new one.)

What Sam is up to these days:

He is very into the movie The Iron Giant.
He can count to 10 forwards and backwards.
He is able to identify all the letters in his name.
He eats anything and everything but is really loving soup right now.
He puts himself to bed at nap and nighttime.
He loves to sign.
He picks out his own clothes and shoes in the morning.
He sings a lot.
His best friends are Eli, Bella and Katelyn.
He loves to have his picture taken.
He picks up his toys and puts away his dishes when he is done with them.
He loves to read books.
He pouts by silently laying on the floor with his eyes closed.
His favorite shows are Super Why, Dora and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
He gives great hugs and kisses.
He is terrified of the wolf in The 3 Little Pigs story.
His speech is improving dramatically.
He loves to brush his teeth.
He can eat with chopsticks.
His favorite animal is still a giraffe.
He loves to pretend.
He still uses a binkie at night.
He smiles more than any other kid I know.

17" of snow & still accumulating

2012-01-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

Remember how I was all snowed out 4 days ago? Yeah, well, it continues to snow and its getting colder and colder. We have also had a few power outages that have really sent me over the edge of frustration.

Pretty much, I can't wait for the summer :)

However, I am making the best of this winter storm by spending time with the boys and getting outside to play. We had a fun day with friends when they invited us to join them at their parents' house for a day of "sledding in the llama pasture".

Yes, you read that correctly.

The hill was perfect for the activity, but the cold and snowy weather made it hard to enjoy the ride. Sam was done after 2 trips down the hill.

So we hiked back up to the house and enjoyed a lunch while the Daddys built a huge igloo for all of the Littles to play in.

That was all Sam needed to have a little fun.

At one point, me and the other moms looked out the window to see the guys using saws and 2X4's to build this masterpiece. I guess a man's got to do what a man's got to do when it comes to constructing the perfect igloo :)

It was big enough to stand in, had a door and a window and was about 20 degrees warmer inside.

Matty was so proud that after about an hour of being home he asked, "Have you put pictures up of my igloo yet?"

Snow Overload

2012-01-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

Or would that be "Snow-verload?

Either way, it snowed a lot here in the past 2 days.
Luckily we have been able to get out and enjoy it.

It started Saturday night. We managed to get out and play in it a little before it got dark.

Sam enjoyed his first snowball fight against our roommate Kelly. The kid can throw. I'm pretty sure he never missed a target, including my face.
Mommy and Sam in our snow covered neighborhood. We love where we live. Although, after being pent up for two days I am kind of regretting living on a big hill....
Little Man ate A TON of snow. At one point he was laying face down licking it off of the ground.
Sam was so happy to be out in the snow. He didn't complain once about the cold which is great considering we were not prepared for the weather. (You can't tell, but he's wearing sweatpants and tennis shoes.)

Our neighborhood is full of kids and fun parents. When it snows everyone comes out and plays together. It's so great. Erica and Katelyn came out and visited us while the snow fell.

Yup, he's eating snow again.

Kelly and Sam built a big snowman together but we didn't have the tools to make eyes and a nose. Sam enjoyed rolling the snow anyway :)

Sunday morning we woke up to more snow and cancelled church. I got Sam ready for the day and let him go play outside. He was more excited than I have ever seen him.

Even the dogs were hyped up about the new snowfall.

Happy boy :)

The chickens were very hesitant about the white stuff. After I de-iced their water and gave them new food, I tired to coax them out with some Cheerios's.

Only Doris was willing to try out the snow. Even though it was up to her chest, she managed to wander around the yard a little. All 3 chickens did enjoy eating the snow though.

When we could hear the neighborhood kids coming out to play, we headed into the cul de sac to join them.

Sam got to experience his first sledding ride! Although we don't have any kid safe hills near our house, he loved being pulled around by the adults.

Sam and Grayson.

Sam may have been a little distraught when the big kids knocked down the big snowman that the dad's had built. He quickly got over it.Snowball fights were happening all over the neighborhood. The dad's even built a snow bunker/igloo to use.

Even Brimley got to spend the afternoon out with us. He played with all of the neighborhood dogs while we socialized with humans.

Update #2 - Bathroom Mirror

2012-01-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

What you need:

Floor boards - Size and color up to you. I chose to use a wider cut since my mirror was so big.
Liquid Nails - Look for the one that says "Mirror" on it.
Gun - for Liquid Nails and Caulking
Caulk
Painters tape
Paint

Before.

(Tips before you start: Get out of work clothes. Hubby luckily didn't ruin any of his nice digs, but I got paint and caulk on my shirt and pants before the project was through. Good thing I wore scrubs! Don't worry fans, I didn't mess up my Beatles shirt.)

Steps we used to frame our mirror:

1. Measure mirror and cut floor boards at 45 degrees. My Home Depot has a "Cut it Yourself" station with a miter saw and board.

2. Line back of frame (start with the bottom piece) and place onto mirror using tape to hold it in place. Board may be a little warped so do your best to tape it as close to the mirror as possible. Wait about 15-20 minutes for glue to set.

3. Place side pieces gluing the backs and the corners of boards so that it attaches to the mirror and the bottom board. Tape in place.

4. Wait about 20 minutes for glue to set and then finish gluing the frame together by adding the top piece. Tape in place.

5. Let glue set for at least 1 hour. Check often if boards have shifted or become unglued. Use tape to fix any issues.

6. Caulk corners and cracks between mirror. Let dry.

7. Let glue and caulk set and dry. We waited over night before removing the tape.

8. Remove tape and paint frame. The paint I chose was an indoor/outdoor paint to keep it from peeling or cracking in the humidity of the bathroom.

9. Admire!!

After

A winter trip to the zoo

2012-01-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

It was VERY cold out, but we knew that the crowds would be minimal when we were able to park right next to the entrance.

Sam got to sign to this Siamang. He asked him if he wanted cookies and then told him that he loved him. The animal just stared back at him. But Sam was pretty excited to get a picture with the monkey anyway.

Sam has started counting a lot of things. He tried counting the fish, but got frustrated when they started to swim around. He can actually count backwards better than forwards. Not sure what that means...

This bear had me cracking up. So much personality.

It was COLD. So of course the penguins were more active than any of the other animals. But, we saw a lot of cool things despite the low temps. We heard the lion roar, we go to pet goats, witness a porcupine fight and even saw a gorilla eat her regurgitated food (over and over again). Mmmm...
All in all it was a really fun adventure. Luckily the gift shop had some gloves so that we could keep warm on this blustery day!

Sam, all bundled up in the "big boat."

Just wondering, do you know anyone that goes to the zoo as much as we do?

I'm thinking we should probably get a yearly pass...

Shadow Boxes

2012-01-11T17:09:00.000-08:00

I get complimented on our wedding shadow boxes a lot so I thought I would do a little DIY. These are super simple. The hardest part is finding an image that works for the background.

These glass door shadow boxes were found at a local craft store and are 8.5"X11" and 1.5" deep. I believe they were each about $15.

If using a boutonniere in your shadow box, dry it upside down for at least 30 days. This will give it a good "fresh" look.

After you have picked out the perfect picture (hopefully your photographer got a good shot of your neck and his chest) crop and cut the image to fit the back of your shadow box. The original picture that I used was a much bigger pic but I cropped it down so that the jewelry and boutonniere were closer to the same size.

If you are using your wedding necklace, puncture 2 holes near the neck and lace through the jewelry. Clip in the back and tape in place if needs be.
Now glue or pin the image in place and put jewelry and boutonniere in the desired location. I also added the earring that I wore by just poking it through the paper.

I pinned my husbands flowers to the shadow box, but I'm sure a glue gun would also do the job. I also included little print outs that give our wedding date. I used some hot glue behind those to make them stand out a little from the image.

Now, close the shadow box door and hang! Again, we get comments on these all the time. They are a great way to display pieces from your big day!

(Other wedding ideas: Cake cutting knife with image of cake in the back, dried flowers glued onto image of bouquet, bracelet placed around picture of your arm, etc.)

Two Twelve So Far

2012-01-09T16:05:00.000-08:00

So far this year has been very low key. We know it won't last, but it's been nice to finally enjoy some down time together as a family.

Matt starts work this Friday. The changes this will create will be HUGE for us but it will be good none the less. Back to reality!
For a few more days we will enjoy sleeping in together, playing games late into the night and fun family adventures during the day.

Here are some shots of our year so far!

A new bouncy house opened up in our hood so we took in the sights. SO MUCH FUN!
It's possible Matt and I played around too...
Sam's daily routine is to wake up at 9am (lucky, we know) take a shower and then get warmed up in Mommy and Daddy's bed. He likes to be all snuggled up while he dries.
We rented out our spare bedroom this year to a friend named Kelly. With her came her cockatiel, Thisbee. Sam LOVES to have her hang out on his shoulder.

Sam enjoys dressing himself and since we spend most of our days pent up in our home, we allow it. One day he chose Spiderman Pjs, robot shoes and his owl backpack. Gotta love his style!

Sam got his Mommy's sleepy genes. On most days he puts himself down for a nap and never whines when it's bed time. He's super easy when it comes to rest. One day we found him like this:

Fast asleep.

For Christmas Papa and Tutu got Sam this HUGE lava-lamp-aquarium. He loves it and asks for his fish every night.

Hopefully we can fit in a few fun activities this week before we lose Matt to Boeing!

Our 2012 Resolutions

2012-01-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

Holly

1. To be more proactive, patient and positive.
2. Become more organized and less cluttered.
3. Spend less time on work, more time with family and friends.
4. Dedicate more time and energy into teaching Sam.
5. Save money.

Matthew

1. Work hard at my new job.
2. Get A's in my last two quarters.
3. Knock up the wife.
4. Serve others
5. Get fit. (back to honeymoon shape!)

Samuel

1. To learn how to say "Shrek" without it sounding like the "F" word.
2. Ride my bike more often.
3. Less whining.
4. Learn how to read.
5. No more binkie at night!

A Christmas Miracle

2011-12-30T17:33:00.000-08:00

Dotty laid her first egg on Christmas.

Let Heav'n and Angels sing, we don't have to eat her.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T17:30:00.000-08:00

Our family was lucky enough to get 3 days of Christmas this year.

On the eve of Christmas Eve, we opened our first gifts to each other, pajamas.

Sam was THRILLED to get Spiderman pj's. He demanded to put them on right away and then asked Daddy to help him touch the ceiling, because apparently that's what Spiderman does.

Then, on the actual Christmas Eve we had dinner and opened presents at my parents house with my little brother, Cory.

He and Sam are good buds. They love to wrestle and play together. Sam was also very excited to have Dundee there, my brothers dog, to play catch with.

After opening presents Sam and Grandma sat down to watch some movies while the rest of us relaxed as well.

Christmas morning came and Sam had a blast opening his stocking goods from Santa and his gifts from Mom and Dad.

Buzz Lightyear!

Matt and Sam got a Circus Waffle maker, so after presents were finished we ate breakfast and got ready for the day.

We arrived at Matt's parents house that afternoon to eat dinner and open more gifts. We were all spoiled, yet again, but I think that Sam mostly just enjoyed ripping the paper off of everything. He opened his own and assisted with everyone else's as well.

Matt's Mom had been fighting a bad infection for weeks, so exhaustion made it really hard for her to enjoy her Christmas. She opened all of her gifts first, and then went back upstairs to lay down. Hopefully next year she will be back to her usual self! Her Chemo treatments are working!

We hope that everyone had as Merry a Christmas as we did!

Sam

2011-12-23T15:36:00.000-08:00

We love everything about him. Cheesy grin and all.

The Girls

2011-12-21T21:07:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you think I am a little "different" for posting about my chickens, but the truth is, I love them.

Like, a lot.

I know it's weird because Matt tells me.

Me- "I love my chickens."
Matty- "That's really weird, Babe."

See? It's true. Both the fact that I love my hens and that I'm odd for doing so.

Despite these facts, I am posting about "The Girls." They are each very cool with extremely different personalities.

Doris. My chubby chicken. She eats A LOT. Pretty much anything that falls in front of her. She is a great layer and extremely docile. It may just be that she weighs too much to run away...

Matt and I gawk a lot at her pretty chest plumage. Isn't it pretty?

Daisy Anne (Yes, my chickens have middle names. It's important to have full names when I yell at them for digging up my onions.)

She greets me every morning with a posture that I pretend is a "Good morning! Please pet me!" stance, when in reality its a "Please mate with me, I want babies" stance.

She LOVES to bathe in the dirt. Its easy to tell when she has done so because her white feathers make a nice canvas for all the mud. When she shakes it all out, we laugh and call her "Pig Pen".

Daisy lays a lovely white egg every morning at 9:30. She is very reliable :)

Daisy has pretty bangs, don't you agree? :)

And then we have Dotty. She's a pretty one all right, but has been a pain in the tail feathers from day one. She's always the first into the garden to eat my strawberries, she plucks the dog's hair when they are going potty and she chases the cat out of the yard. She's grouchy, aggressive and NOT LAYING EGGS. What good is a chicken, especially when they are mean, if they are not providing you with a fresh egg every morning? Well, I'll tell you, not much.

We have tried a few different things to get her to lay, but nothing has worked. I swore that if she didn't start laying by the spring, I would eat her. And honestly, I think I could do it.
(This is the face she made when I told her that.)

But alas! Yesterday while cleaning the coop, Dotty assumed the mating position (a sign that her hormones are heading in the right direction) and I was able to rub her back a bit to simulate mating. It's not as disturbing as it sounds.

Today she requested a "back rub" twice and started making lots of noises that I have never heard her make before, noises that I assume could only mean 1 thing. She's got an egg on the way.

Look at how happy she is.
I may be wrong, but I think she is on her way to becoming a real chicken!

Well, if you didn't think I was crazy before, you probably do now.

But, aren't my chickens fun!? They are good entertainment if anything. I could probably convince you of their awesomeness with a fresh from the coop omelet :)

Holiday Performances

2011-12-20T10:39:00.000-08:00

Last week, we attended my parents' ward Christmas program. My Aunt and Uncle were in town so they joined us to watch my Mom perform the Hula.

She has been taking classes from a lady in her ward and this was the first time showing off what she has learned.

If you ask Sam how he enjoyed the Christmas program, he would probably tell you he loved it. Although I'm not sure he could tell you one thing about it since he was staring at girls the entire time.

He was, however, intrigued when Grandma took the stage. He kept talking about how "She had a pretty flower in her hair!"

After dinner was over, we all headed out to a restaurant where my Dad's Paul McCartney band was playing. Sam LOVES to watch Bub play, and he's always a huge hit with the rest of the fans.

He is always right up front, shakin' his maraca or dancing to the beat.

Graham Cracker Houses

2011-12-18T15:20:00.000-08:00

Thursday night we ATTEMPTED to make graham cracker houses. I thought that using crackers instead of real gingerbread would be easier and cheaper but it was a disaster. The crackers break REALLY easy and we ended up having to use 2 boxes just to get 2 small houses! It was so frustrating. Lesson learned.

We had fun anyway. Sam was really excited about it and actually got very creative. He put smarties along the rooftop and said "Christmas lights!"

Only 2 out of 3 houses survived. Matt ended up having "the touch" for building, so he built the bodies and we decorated.

Matt's house and Sam's house were eventually completed, but Courts fell apart, so we ate it :)

The final products.

Jessie's Song

2011-12-13T22:40:00.000-08:00

Every night Sam requests that I read him 2 books (one about the ocean and the other about nocturnal animals) and then sing him Jessie's song from Toy Story. He LOVES this song and has recently begun singing it with me.

Tonight, I got it on video :) Makes a mama cry! He is seriously the sweetest kid ever!

Sam visits Santa

2011-12-13T17:38:00.000-08:00

We arrived at the mall today to see Santa. I had Sam practicing all morning what he was going to ask Santa for and he seemed very prepared.

"Buzz, Woody, Army Guy, Hamm and Jessie" were all on his list. What can I say, the kid loves himself some Toy Story.

When we got in line there were only a few families waiting ahead of us. Just as we turned the corner, Sam spotted Santa and ran straight for the Jolly man, cutting off 3 or 4 patiently awaiting children. He dove right into Santa's arms shouting "Santa! Buzz and Woody" and gave him a huge hug.

Luckily, all the other moms and workshop helpers were laughing along with me as tears of joy, laughter and embarrassment (quite the emotional cocktail) welled up in my eyes.

Oh, my little boy. Excitement to the extreme.

His Santa picture, although very cute, (doesn't Sam look dashing?!) does not do the moment justice. But I will always remember our 2011 Santa visit! How could I not?

It's December...

2011-12-12T20:44:00.000-08:00

...and, as most Decembers are, it has been busy.

I have stayed extremely well worked between holiday photoshoots and helping with Courtney 3 nights a week. Not to mention being Mom to a seriously energetic 2.5 year old who is very sensitive to being "pent up".

Matt has been at the tail end of finals week and school has started to require a little more time with projects and assignments being due.

Stress levels were just about to peak as we approached the expensive holiday season when Matt was offered a job at Boeing. Deep breath. Ahhhhh....

The timing couldn't have been better. We were just about to pass the 1 year mark of being unemployed when Matt accepted the position. A huge weight has been lifted from our shoulders and we are excited to get Matt back to the office. BOTH of us, equally thrilled :)

We will enjoy this short break before Christmas with Matt at home for a couple more weeks and me with only a few "to-do's" on my schedule. We will get out and be a little less stressed, finally. We are thankful for the lessons we have learned during this year of trial, but we are more thankful for the options we have towards a better future.

With a steady job for Matt, more time with Sammy for me and lots of good benefits for our family, great things are bound to come our way ;)

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-27T11:08:00.000-08:00

Matt and I hosted Thanksgiving at our house again this year. It was so much fun to have our family with us. Sam was in heaven :)

Matt did most of the cooking. I made the dessert and decorated the house and table with holiday decor. (They may not look too good, but these pies turned out pretty yummy!)

It's always fun to be able to bring out all the nice settings. (Which haven't seen a meal since the last Thanksgiving we hosted....3 years ago!)

Dinner was amazing, as we expected it to be, and it is tradition in our family to open Poppers after dinner. We all got paper crowns and silly little gifts.
Sam and Shauna playing with their Popper gifts. Shauna is also teasing Sam for his cheesy smile, which is almost identical to the smile I made at his age.

After dinner we all went into turkey comas :)The end!

In a nutshell

2011-11-21T15:42:00.000-08:00

Things are pretty much same ol', same ol' here. Looking for work, parenting, photography sessions and house chores. As normal as it gets.

However, we did get a fun day out on Friday. We took a ferry ride out to Bremerton (I had a photoshoot) and then had lunch. Simple and low key, but so fun. I love my family and its so great to get to spend so much time with my boys.

We saw lots of sea birds and a seal.

It was such a beautiful day.

It was very cold and windy outside. Sam wasn't prepared for the gusts! I believe his exact words were, "Whoa! Winny!"

Our view of the city. We love it here on days like this.

The Big Boy

2011-11-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

Sam has done a lot of growing up in the past month. It really took us by surprise.
First of all, Sam is officially potty trained. No diapers ever again! He doesn't even have them on at night any more. He is amazing at going to the bathroom when he needs and he has even started to go on his own without asking for help or telling us "mommy, daddy, I pee!" The greatest sound in the world is a toilet flushing from your 2 year old. We started a sticker chart that really motivated him to go potty on his own. He gets a sticker every time he goes and when the chart is full he gets a new toy. Last week he chose a Bucket-o-Farm Animals for his prize. He used the chart to "pay" for the toy at Target.
This is a very exciting concept for him and I think we'll use the same idea for nights without a binky.Secondly, Sam is now in a big boy bed! We finally got around to rearranging his room so that it suited our toddler, instead of our baby. He still had a crib and a changing table in there.

When we showed him his "new" bed, he was thrilled and spent hours playing in it and even took his first big boy nap. Last night was his first night in the big boy room and it was a big success!Show me a big boy smile, Sam!Show me your big boy undies, Sam! (with Buzz Lightyear, of course.)
Give me a thumbs up!Show me your big boy dance!Now go to sleep! (He loves to pretend snore.)Such a big boy!

Some Fall pics

2011-11-06T11:22:00.000-08:00

I have been dying to take some pictures at this tree nursery near our house and the other day was the perfect opportunity to do so. I begged my friend Sarah to snap a few for us, and I am so glad she agreed. These are some of my favorite pictures of us ever. Sam was not in a very smiley mood, but he's still cute in my book!

Asking him to kiss me. Didn't happen.
Once again, here are some shots of how we really act in front of the camera. :) Matt, photo-bombing without my knowledge.

Trick or Treating

2011-11-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

What a fun night! Once our tummies were full of warm chicken chowder, we got into costume and started the festivities.

Our little Trick or Treaters. Grace, Eli and Sam. We LOVED having the Cox's with us for Halloween.

The boys checking each other out.
Mommy and Sam, super excited about CANDY!

Daddy helped Sam out at each door. He had a fun time yelling the magic words.

We had a blast with the Cox family and my parents who came dressed up as well. Dad took care of the door duties so that we could walk around the neighborhood as a family.

We are already excited (and planning costumes) for next year!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

We hope all of you have a fun and safe Halloween weekend!

We are sure to have quite the adventure with Indiana Jones around!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Dotty. A dud?

2011-10-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Dot is about 35 weeks old now and she has yet to lay an egg or show any signs of nesting.

She has MAJOR attitude issues and chases the dogs and cat out of the yard. She picks on her sisters and doesn't like to be touched. I have threatened her with words like "dinner" and "crock-pot" but nothing has improved.

I know there are a few people that read this blog (Linda Brown, Colton Finch) that know a little sumpin' about chickens, so let me know if you have any ideas as to what we can do to get her into laying.

Doris and Daisy and just perfect. They lay every morning at 9am and are really great at keeping bugs and slugs out of our yard. They are really friendly birds and I will go as far as to say that I LOVE my girls :)

Can't you tell that they love me too!?

Carved

2011-10-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you can figure out who belongs to what pumpkin :)

Randy and Dena visit

2011-10-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

My Uncle Randy and Aunt Dena are truckers. They travel all over the United States delivering goods. We were super excited to hear that they had a delivery in Washington and that they were going to visit for a couple of days.

We all got tours of their truck. Sam was especially excited. He even got to blow the horn!

Matt's trucker face, I guess.

My parents with Randy and Dena and "Big Red."

Thursday night we had a family dinner and told funny stories. We are one crazy bunch, so you can imagine all the fun we have had over the years.

After dessert we sat down and watched old family videos. Matt learned A LOT about the Bailey family :)

We hope that Randy and Dena will swing by again soon! Check out their blog to read about all of their adventures! http://randyanddena.blogspot.com/

A little pity party, please.

2011-10-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

I can not wrap my mind around anything these days. Even the question "What do you want for dinner?" really stresses me out.

I am at the end of my rope, hanging by a thread, about to burst, can't even carry one more piece of straw on my back. You know, all the usual adages.

I find myself tearing up a lot which is really odd for me. Just ask Matt, he believes my lack in emotion can only mean one thing; I am heartless.

But apparently, i have a heart (albeit black) and it's really tired of feeling. I am sad for Matt's mom. I am frustrated with Matt's lack of a job. I am really unorganized and behind in my business and I cant seem to get anything right lately. Not to mention, adding another little life to our family is constantly on my mind and we have no means to do that right now.

I have lost a lot of faith in humanity and yes, even God. I do believe He is there, but its hard not to feel so small and insignificantly when prayers are seemingly ignored on a daily basis. We keep thinking, "This is the opportunity we have been waiting for" only to be shut down again. Its been a really painful roller coaster.

We have amazing friends and family that, if they were given the option, would help us in any way possible. We feel very blessed in that category. The problem is, there is really nothing anyone can do for us right now. No one has a cure for cancer, a job for Matty or a magical spell that creates more minutes in the day.

I think that what it all really comes down to is that I am extremely tired of having NO CONTROL over where our lives are heading right now. I don't even really feel like I have control over my emotions or thoughts. Its all just a blurry mess of negatives and stress. Its really weighing everything else down.

We are keeping busy with things that hold our mind back from the pity party we have been throwing for a good 10 months now. We try to get out, see friends, play with Sam and I have been working in the yard which is a good break from the rest of the world.

We'll survive. We'll get by. We just pray that it will start to get easier any day now...

Punkin Pickin'

2011-10-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to the pumpkin patch as a family today. It was a perfect day to be out! The weather was nice and sunny and the Snohomish Valley is so pretty this time of year.

Sammy loved riding in the wagon.When we told Sam to go pick out a pumpkin, he got out, walked a little ways and then came back with this little freckled one. It was like he knew all along what he wanted. It was so cute :)He insisted that he carry it the rest of the way, including the drive home.We had a good time. I cant wait to carve our pumpkins with Sam.

Sassy

2011-10-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

When you ask Sam what his name is, he exclaims "Sassy!"

The poor kid has a hard time with his "m's".

So naturally it was hilarious to me when a few days ago, while Sam was playing in the "lets-share-a-virus-pit" at the mall {aka-the play area} a little girl he was running around with came darting past me yelling {to Sam} "Come on, Sassy! Come play over here, Sassy."

I can almost see the confusion on her face when she was told "Sassy" after asking Sam his name.

He may not be talking well, but at least he's trying!

We're good.

2011-10-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

Sure, there are tons of things to stress about, but I do enough complaining, don't I?

Sam is healthy and happy. He is growing like a weed and learning so much every day. The love that we have for him is not something we can describe in words. Just know that it's really, really big. :)

Matt is still looking for work (going on 10 months now) but has a few good leads. School has started again and he is really succeeding there.

I am busy. VERY busy. Which is good. Busy keeps some money coming in and my mind off of other things that make me sad and/or angry. I have been extremely blessed to have constant work.

All of our needs are somehow being met and that has really strengthened my testimony. God has really watched out for us in the last year and we're thankful for Him. On top of that, we have an amazing support system with our family being so close and our friends being so awesome.

Gosh, we are just really lucky. That's why (in all of this stress) we can say, "we're good".

iphone pics

2011-10-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

I don't ALWAYS have my 7D around, so I am thankful for cell phone cameras.

Sam and Bub at the Seattle Science Center checking out the Dinosaurs. Sam was so excited.

Kelly, Courtney and Sam shopping at Ikea. Sam hung out in the cart for most of the trip.

Sam wearing his beach robe. We thought he looked more like a mini-boxer.

We had the bouncy seat out for a friends baby but Sam used it as a place to eat and watch TV. Silly kid.

Sam and Courtney.

One day I looked in the review mirror to see Sam smiling big. He's so funny!

My baby chickens. They grew up so fast!

The cool kid.

My brother Cory showing Sam his bike.

Sam and our friends cockatiel, Thisbee. Sam actually closed a door on her tail this weekend and pulled ALL of the feather out. Yikes.

Sam watching his chickens eat corn.

Wearing a friends Buzz Lightyear costume and LOVING it.

Sitting in the backyard, watching chickens and eating Gogurt with our friend Katelyn.

Doris's biggest egg yet.

Sam and Court taking pictures of themselves on her ipad.

The Chicago skyline from my train ride to Indiana.

Brimley and Princess cuddled up.

Updates on Jan

2011-10-04T19:03:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks of not feeling very well, Jan went into the Dr where she was prescribed antibiotics and sent her on her way. After about 5 days of no improvement, nausea and vomiting, Jan went into a different hospital (where she works as a nurse in the OR) where they found via sonogram that she had lumps on her liver and omentum (a part of the stomach).

The next day they did a biopsy and diagnosed her with carcinoma.

While awaiting results and a treatment plan, Jan tried to heal at home only to find the nausea and vomiting too much to handle. So she and Ben went back into Overlake where they put her on IV fluids and took her off of a pain medication that was making her sick.

Today she was feeling a little better, on a new pain regimen, and was getting lots of sleep. Tomorrow Jan will have a IV catheter surgically implanted into her chest to allow for chemotherapy treatments. She will not start treatment until she is able to gain a little weight back and start eating solids again.

Right now, we are awaiting a few test results having to do with the origin of the carcinoma and the stage of the cancer. As more tests are done and completed, we will keep this post as updated as we can.

Update: Oct. 5th
The port-a-cath was placed this morning and Jan made it through the night without any anti-nausea medication.

The origin of the cancer has yet to be discovered, but its looking as though it is most likely gastric carcinoma. (stomach cancer) As far as the stage of the cancer, we have yet to be informed.

Ideally what needs to happen this week is for Jan keep down solid food and gain some weight back. If this does happen, they will start Chemo right away and she could be home as early as Friday. We are hoping and praying for this outcome.

Update: Oct. 6th
Jan is feeling much better and was able to eat a bit of bagel and drink some juice. The Drs believe she can recover on her own at home, so she will be released today! No word yet on when she will start chemo, but we are hoping to talk to Jan a little later today and get some more information.

Update: Oct. 7th
Jan is home and has started chemo therapy. She will be getting a treatment once every 3 weeks, and so far is feeling fine! Because of the therapy, she is easily dehydrated (which is normal) so she will go into the hospital every once and a while for IV fluids.

The doctors have diagnosed her with cancer of the gall bladder and are hoping that her nausea and pain will subside when the chemo shrinks the tumors in her gall bladder, stomach and liver.

Update: Oct. 10th
Jan received another round of chemo today because they believe that on top of the chemo side effects, the cancer on her stomach is making it really hard for regain her appetite. She is in desperate need to put on some weight, so they have added an appetite stimulant to her medication regimen. A few hours later, she ate some squash and chicken :)

An odd side effect from the chemo treatments is that it can make things either taste too sweet or metallic-y. Jan is experiencing the "too sweet" effect and is having a hard time finding anything to eat or drink that doesn't taste like sugar.

She is getting a lot of rest and taking it as easy as possible at home.

Update: Oct. 12th
Jan is back at Overlake due to weight loss and dehydration. They have started her on a system called TPN which is a nutritional supplement that is given through a feeding tube. Hopefully this will allow her to regain some strength so that the chemo can start working better. She hasn't been able to eat much due to the stomach cancer and treatment side effects.

Fresh

2011-10-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

Just pulled all this from the garden :)

Fresh eggs from Doris and Daisy, summer squash, zuchinni, carrots, roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, strawberries and a small walla walla onion.

Peter and Linda visit us

2011-09-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

Matt's Uncle Peter and Aunt Linda came up from Kona to see baby Audrey and to see the family. Saturday morning they took Courtney and I out to breakfast and then we met up with everyone at the zoo.

Sam was a little sleepy from having to wake up so early so Court let him relax with her on the chair.

This was our conversation at the Komodo Dragon exhibit:
Me: (Talking to another adult) "It's terrifying to me that these animals bite their prey and then follow them until they die from infection. How morbid."
Sam: (Overhearing)"No bite, wizard! NO BITE!"

This is their third Aprecio grand baby!

On Tuesday Peter and Linda came by our house to play with Sam and visit some more.

I talked them in to getting a few pictures taken :)

We love these two and already miss them. Thank you Peter and Linda for everything you do for us.

Pyro

2011-09-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

Matt and I took some sparklers home from a wedding we attended to show them to Sam. Nothing works like fire to get a grumpy kid smiling. (We think he's getting his molars. He has been a whiny little monster these last two days.)

Do boys ever grow out of pyromania? No, no they do not. Matt was just as intrigued.

"The best love to have..."

2011-09-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

...is love of life." - Jimi Hendrix
On Friday my parents took Sam and I to visit the grave site of rock and roll legend, Jimi Hendrix.

Sam, walking with Grandma and Bub through the cemetary.

My Dad's reflection. Lipstick marks from adoring fans. Sam, dreaming that someday he'll be half the guitarist that Jimi was :) Without the drugs....

Colton comes to visit

2011-09-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

Colton, who served his mission with Matt, is a good friend of ours who shares the same love of animals and the outdoors as we do.

So we knew we had to take him out to Sequim to feed the animals at the game farm.

We took a ferry out over the Sound.
A seagull doing the Titanic pose......and Colton, doing the Titanic pose.
The Olympic Game Farm is a seriously fun experience. But let me tell you a few things before you make the trek.

First, check the Hood Canal Bridge schedule. We were stuck in traffic for a good hour. Good thing we were parked next to blackberry bushes. Yum.

Second, bring WHEAT bread loaves with you to feed to the animals. They never turn down a slice of bread.

Now, be prepared to see some really cute animals. I was about to walk out of there with a new Raccoon friend. How cute are they!?If you are into photography, bring a wide angle lens. Otherwise all of your images will look something like this:Be aware that the Bison are HUGE. I mean, seriously large animals. We are in an SUV and he was still towering over us.
The other thing to know about Bison is that they have very intrusive tongues. It also doesn't help that they are 2 feet long and super smelly.All of the animals love bread. Even the Kodiak Bears. They will actually do tricks on command like wave and snarl.

Beware of the "Special Elk". She leaves flys and slobber behind on your car interior.If you are anything like my husband and hate to get dirty, or if you are extremely allergic to cervidae saliva, bring rubber gloves. None of the animals are schooled in manners. Know this. If you are out of bread, do not stop or slow down. The Yak will start chewing on your car if you don't feed them. I warned you.If you are looking for nicer, less pushy animal, try the Fallow Deer. They are a little more timid that the other game. But the male deer will push away all the babies and females if he's hungry.Don't expect much excitement out of your 2 year old if you have them drugged up on Tylenol. Sam was fighting a cold, so we gave him a dose and watched him zone out. Oh well.Have fun! We sure did!

Daisy lays an egg

2011-09-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our friend Colton, who is in town visiting (blog post to come on all of our adventures), noticed that Daisy was acting strange. He explained that her behavior could only mean one thing.

She was ready to pop out an egg.

While the other two girls pecked around the yard Daisy dug away in the coop creating a comfortable nest to lay in. She scratched and panted and struggled to get comfortable. As confused as she must have been, her instincts took over and she carved out a little place for her egg.

A couple of hours later, Matt found her back in the yard and a little white egg in the newly built nest.

Congratulations Momma Daisy! We are going to celebrate by eating your accomplishment. But don't you worry. There are plenty more where that painfully came from!

Soon enough, Dotty and Doris will experience their chicken fate as well. I can't help but feel a little sorry for my girls since their "pullet-hood" is soon to be, well, scrambled.

Holly's garden notes

2011-09-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

I am no pro. This is my first year of gardening but I have learned so much that I thought I should take notes so that I don't forget how to do it all again next year! ROMA TOMATOESNext Year - 2 plants only. 4 plants took up way too much room and 2 plants gives plenty of fruit. Pinch off suckers from the start!

Use a stronger cage or build a trellis. Plant on the opposite side to keep it from shading the rest of the garden.

SWEET MILLIONS CHERRY TOMATOESNext year - Same notes as Roma's. These tomatoes are to die for! They are so sweet and so juicy. Must plant every year.

ROMAINE LETTUCEThis year - Matt didn't like the texture and I planted too much for our small family. Next year - Try another breed of lettuce. Simpsons? Butter? Cut back when the plants start to take over.

ROSEMARYThis year - 3 plants that are slow growing but strong and fragrant. Next year - Try planting in decorative pots or along fence line. Should do good outside of garden when a little more mature.

WALLA WALLA ONIONSNext year - Either protect with a "spine" or keep chickens away. 25% of my plants were trampled. Harvest when the size is right, usually around 150 days.

SUMMER SQUASHNext year - Fewer plants. These grow large and in charge. Plant on a hill to keep squash from sitting (rotting) in dirt. Keep chickens away. They tend to nibble on the veggies. Pull when approx 1ft long. Doing so will allow other veggies to grow.

ZUCCHININext year - Notes are the same as the squash. Used for "Zucchini Cake" that are delish.

CUCUMBERSThis year - Failed. Next year - Try a trellis or a vine guide.

CARROTSNext Year - Plant further apart and keep chickens away. They get trampled easily. Do not transport plants. Carrots become crooked and oddly shaped. Water dirt before harvesting to keep the root from breaking.

BUSH BEANS Next year - Keep plants protected from Chickens. My bushes were not able to grow because the leaves kept being eaten. Beans were good when harvested. Plant directly into garden.

SOY BEANSThis year - Failed. Next year - Keep protected from chickens.

SILVER ROSE GARLICNext year - Use a "spine" to protect plants. Tend to grow a little weak but bulb is still growing and strong. harvest late fall.

STRAWBERRIESNext year - Do not be fooled by their sweet disposition and good looks! Chickens love Strawberries! Keep protected from all angles. Trim back plant shoots.

BLUEBERRIESNext year - Another fruit that chickens love. Keep covered with netting at all times.

SPINACHNext year - Fewer rows and pull while leaves are still small. Freezing spinach works great for omelettes or cooked spinach.

BASILNext year - Plant in a pot and move through yard throughout the season to follow the sun. Needs more heat and light than the garden is able to provide.

LAVENDERNext year - Plant more! Very hardy and very fragrant. Need to learn how to trim it in the off season though.

DILLThis year - Killed during a transport. Next year - Try planting seeds in an herb garden.

BROCCOLINext year - Don't even bother. The plants are too big to protect from my hungry chickens who apparently, LOVE broccoli.

GRAPE VINENext year - Expect one or two grape bundles. Guide vine to desired shape over both sides of fence.

PUMPKINS This year - Didn't plant in time. Next year - Try planting them around the fence line. Should grow well there.

ARTICHOKE This year - Didn't have room. Next year - Try! GARDEN LAYOUT & CONSTRUCTION
"Covered Wagon" with netting works great to keep chickens and other birds out. Copper slug tape works miracles. Keep it constant around the base of pots and garden bed.

Keep taller plants towards the grape vine section of the garden beds. This will keep them from shading other plants. (dill, tomatoes, squash, etc.) Fertilize with "Chicken Poo-Tea." So gross, but so rich. Start composting. Back corner of side yard? Find a inexpensive barrel composter. Make a walkway to coop and garden using flagstone or bricks. Spay moss growth in between. Marigolds are pointless and the chickens love to eat them. Bugs were not an issue without the flowers. Start seeds on soaked paper towel, but be prepared to plant in 72 hours. Sprout you see is actually the root! Don't plant upside down.

The Evergreen State Fair

2011-09-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

We love fairs. And this year was especially exciting because Sam's age made him old enough to ride rides and enjoy the animals.

Sam's best friend Eli met us and the boys loved the rides.

Then we walked through the animal exhibits and admired the livestock.
These boys are inseparable.

Sam loved getting to touch the momma pig. She was due to have babies any minute!

These "pinks" were 10 days old :)

Sam chose the rabbit on the carousel.

Then, as we were heading out of the fairgrounds, we noticed the pony rides and Sam was happy to try it out. Ironically, he was given the pony named "Bullseye" so he was thrilled to ride the "Ho-sey".

Sam and his "gike"

2011-08-16T20:46:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure who had more fun tonight. Matt and I teaching Sam how to pedal, or Sam learning how to ride his bike? Either way, it was some very valuable family time.

Ah, that dimple. Melts me every time.

Sam realized pretty quickly that it was hilarious to chase mommy.
This is the face that I get when I ask for a smile. :)

Sam is growing up so quickly. Its so great to see him learn and grow every day. He is still the sweetest little boy and loves to cuddle, gives kisses and hugs and sign "I love you". We are so proud to be his parents.

Just sit right back...

2011-08-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

...and you'll hear a tale.

On Friday we were invited to join my parents on a boat ride through Lake Washington. Carl, a friend of my Dads, just bought a new boat and wanted to show it off and let us have some fun.

Sam woke up that morning talking about boats and water and fish so we knew this would be an exciting adventure for him.

What we didn't know was that the excitement would only last about 30 minutes in to our 4 hour trip. After a while he grew extremely tired of the life vest he was required to wear and got bored with all the sights. Good thing Carl's boat had cable!

Sam would occasionally come up to see what we adults were up to.
The best part of the ride was checking out all of the amazing houses on the water.

Thank you Carl for the fun boat ride!

Bub's 50th

2011-08-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my Dad (or "Bub" as Sam calls him) turning 50 with tons of good friends and lots of ice cream cake.

We all met up at Big Daddy's where Bub was set to have a show.

The turn out was awesome, and the music rocked. Sam danced the night away with some of his favorite people.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUB!

We like chicks

2011-08-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

We are watching some baby chickens for our friends this week and we are loving it. Sam asks to go out and see "baby nin-icks" at least 5 times a day.

The have 6 different breeds and the funniest one is the Naked Neck. No, this chick is not sick or diseased. Its really supposed to be bald like that. The funniest thing is that when we open the garage door in the morning this silly face is the first thing we see poking out of the tub. She's so hilarious.

They will be going home tomorrow and we will surely miss having babies around! Our girls grew up way to fast, and although we are still loving them, I wish they stayed this cute and cuddly forever.

whoa.

2011-08-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

I have been busy.

Since the sun has finally arrived here in Washington, I feel like I have been shooting non-stop. Family photoshoots during the week and weddings on the weekends. I am extremely thankful for the work that I am getting, especially since its our main income right now, but its a hard shift from being a stay at home mom with a hobby to a full time photographer.

Matt is still looking for work. He has had some really great interviews that we have been really positive about that have fallen through. Its a really rough emotional rollercoaster.

Sam, is Sam. He is growing big and strong and getting cuter and smarter every day. We can't get enough of him. He saw his first 3D movie this week and he was amazing. We are constantly impressed with how well behaved Sam is.

I had a photoshoot at my home a week ago and Sam got to sit in for a little while. When I asked the little girl who I was shooting to pose for me, Sam would copy her every move. BTW- His shirt says "Spoiled by Grandma and loving it." A gift from my Aunt. Thanks Auntie Em!

Well, time to get back to photo editing and diaper changes :)

Oregon Coast - Day 3

2011-07-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

The rain that had been forecasted for the entire week, finally arrived on Thursday. So we drove into Seaside to check out the Aquarium and the shops.
Sam and Mommy in town. Mr was a little grumpy this day.
Sam and Daddy learning about chitons, anemones and nudibranchs.

Speaking of grumpy...

Sam was ecstatic to get to ride on a giraffe.

Walking back to the car after spending the morning shopping and exploring. Sam was falling asleep on my shoulders :)

Well, that concludes our trip. We are so thankful that the Cox family allowed us to join them on their vacation in Oregon, and we hope we can explore the beaches again soon!

The Oregon Coast - Day 2

2011-07-25T00:14:00.000-07:00

Tuesday morning we headed over to Hug Point at low tide to check out some caves and to see if we could find any tide pools.

This beach was awesome.

View to the north.

And the view to the south.

It took no time at all to find some tide pools with living creatures. Sam was even brave enough to touch them all.

The boys ran in and out of all of the caves. Some of them were really deep and dark.

Matty and Sam checking out the sea life.

Some really cool (and supposedly rare) sea barnacles.

"Shmool", dancing on the beach.

Eli was more interested in building castles than tide pooling.

The girls walking down to Hug Point.

The rock formations are pretty cool. You can actually climb around these to get to another beach with a great view of Cannon beach.

One of the caves.

Eli and Eric.

Grace laughing at the boys playing in the sand.

Watching big brother gather water.

Me. Checking out the view from the cliffs. FYI-Wear shoes when climbing over mussel covered rocks :)

Yep, those are nuns.

I hope that they were not offended by my half naked boy running up and down the beach.

After all the fun at Hug Point, we drove back into Manzanita, ate some lunch and took some naps. Then we got all cleaned and prettied for family pictures at the beach.

The boys were excited. More about being at the beach than getting pictures taken.

Our family.

I am so grateful for these shots. I am rarely in any pictures :)

Matt took this one while Sam and I played. Gosh, I love it.

Ahhh! The weather and sunset worked out perfectly in our favor. Could the cloud covering be any more beautiful!?

Every minute the colors changed and we even had some sunbeams for a while. It was so pretty.

A family from Spokane brought their horses to the beach and let us meet them.

I asked Sam for a kiss and he said, "No mommy. No kiss. No kiss on the geek." (cheek)

What a ham. Hard to believe he's my kid, right?

The Cox family. We are so thankful for our friends.

What a happy family!

Gracie and Mommy.

Gracie and Daddy.

I love reflections.

Eric and Sarah.

Did I mention it was a beautiful night?!

You can image we slept pretty good after a day packed full of such fun :)

The Oregon Coast - Day 1

2011-07-22T17:19:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the beach house late Monday and met the Cox family for a week of fun along the Oregon Coast.

Sam and Eli were so excited to see each other. They quickly ran through the whole house checking it out.Tuesday we packed up our buckets and shovels and headed north into Cannon Beach. After we fueled up on pizza and candy we wakled down to the water.
Twins. They wore matching Mariners sweatshirts all week.
Cannon Beach. Although the clouds look daunting, the weather was perfect.
It took the boys no time at all to start constructing towers to knock down.
Sam was in his element.Seriously. Eric and Grace.
Thank you Sarah for taking this picture. We have a shot from 4 years ago in the same location and its always fun to get updates! I LOVE it.
Miss Grace got tossed...
and the boys asked for turns. This shot cracks me up.
The tide was low but getting higher very quickly. It was fun for the little ones to get their feet wet.

We love this family. :)
Sam did not want to be held for a picture. Stinker. He had better things to do.
Grace and Mommy.
Sam making roads for his car.
Me, making sand creatures...
like an octopus....
that take two year old boys only seconds to destroy.

When eyes started to show signs of exhaustion, we headed back to the cabin for some naps. Sam fell asleep in the car, so by the time we had arrived back in Manzanita, he was ready for some more beach time. So we walked to the shore.

This beach was only a minute walk from the house. It was perfect.

Daddy joined Sam and I even though he was hoping for a nap himself.
We got very sandy. VERY. VERY. SANDY.Feets.

Sam played "run away from the waves" for a good hour and laughed like it was the funniest thing every time. Pure joy.
Little boy.
The weather got better and better throughout the day.
This water is COLD. But Sam didn't seem to notice, probably because his limbs were numb.
Cute boy.
When Sam finally started to complain about the cold and all the sand we walked to the house and jumped in the bath with Eli. They had a good time.After an amazing dinner outside we celebrated Grace's birthday with some cake. Grace had no problem downing her slice.
When the cake had been eaten and the kids had been put into bed, the adults sat out back around the fire and roasted marshmallows. Yes, a second dessert. Because that's what you do on vacation.

Our Big Day

2011-07-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

2 years ago our son Sam was born and found to have a rare blood disorder called NAIT. The condition is so rare that it took the doctors many days and many tests to figure out the cause of his low blood platelets.

We did some research on NAIT and found out that because my body has built up antibodies against all my future pregnancies, it may be very hard to carry another baby without dangerous complications.

Last year at the NICU reunion we ran into Sam's doctor who was excited to inform us that there was now a specialist in our area that had experience treating NAIT patients.

Today, after weeks of being excited/afraid/thrilled/nervous, we met the maternal fetal medicine doctor to discuss our options.

He was extremely positive.

Doctor Barford explained to the both of us that because Matt is homozygous for the antigen PLA1, the next pregnancy will for sure need to be treated for NAIT. Because of this, we don't have to do any high risk testing during the pregnancy. At 12 weeks gestation, I will start getting immunoglobulin suppressant transfusions once a week throughout the entire pregnancy. This will be extremely difficult for me, to say the least, but I know it will all be worth it.

I will have to deliver through c-section to lower the risk of bruising to the baby, but the chances of delivering a normal platelet count baby are very good.

Although the treatments for a future pregnancy are extremely expensive and strenuous, there is hope for us to grow our family. It was extremely good news to hear after years of being in the dark about our future.

The next steps are to get better insurance, get an appointment with my fertility doctor and....hire a stork :)

To add to our exciting day, Matt had a really great interview for an AMAZING job. Please think positive thoughts for us...we are hoping and praying that things finally work out this time.

What I know (so far) about chickens.

2011-07-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

I am no chicken guru, and I am learning a lot as I go, but I have recently had a lot of questions in regards to "backyard chickens." I figured it would be easiest to answer them all in one big post.

Here ya go!

Are they loud?

Not really. So far (our girls are only 15 weeks old) they have been really quiet. Chickens, unlike roosters, try to stay unannounced to predators so they only make small noises when they are "talking" to each other. Throughout the day they make little "bock" sounds, but you cant even hear it from a few feet away. I have been told though, that they make a loud squawk when they lay, which is only once a day.

How many eggs do you get?

Each chicken will likely lay 1 small egg every day in the first year. Each year the egg will get larger, but less constant. At about age 5 they start to lay about 2-5 a week.

Are they allowed in your neighborhood?

Check out your county regulation. In Snohoish, where we live, hens are allowed 2 to a home. However, your chicken flock should be at least 3 hens so that if something happens to one of the ladies, the other two have each other to keep company.

How expensive are they?

Chickens themselves are VERY cheap. Our hens cost about $2 each. The food and bedding is also very in-expensive, but the coop can cost a pretty penny. When we were looking we found coops anywhere from $200-$700.

What kinds of breeds do you recommend?

I am VERY new at backyard chickens, but I did a little research when I was investigating the idea of having hens. First decide what you want from your chickens. Companionship, hardiness, good egg laying or even just for looks are all reasons to house hens. We got three different breeds; Rhode Island Red, Barred Plymouth Rock and a White Leghorn. They all have very different personalities.

How do you build a coop or where can I find one?

There are a lot of coops and builders on Criagslist or you could check out your local grange for ideas as well. We didn't find one that worked for our family so we found out what the requirements are for a safe coop and designed our own. Coops should be completely closed off to predators, their nesting area should be up off the ground to keep it free from moisture and insects and it needs to be large enough for your entire flock.

How hard are they to care for?

So far, they are very easy. We clean out their coop once a week and make sure they have food and water daily. If you are a traveler, chickens are perfect for you. If you get a large feeder, chickens can be left alone for days at a time. When they start laying, their eggs will need to be collected as often as possible to keep them from brooding. We spoil our chickens by letting them have free range of the yard during the day, and we make sure they are locked up and safe every night.

Do they fly?

Kinda...not really...but kinda. Our Leghorn has made it to the top of our fence, and could easily get away if she was brave enough. Ooccasionally when something startles them the girls will "fly" from one side of the yard to the other. If you notice that they are gaining height, clip one of their wings which is an easy and pain free task to keep them more grounded.

Do they ruin your yard or garden?

Our grass seems to be immune to the daily peckings. They do eat it, but it doesn't seem to be a problem. However, my girls are extremely fond of Hostas, Bush Bean Leaves and Blueberries. So I have to net off the plants that they bother to keep them from destroying my plant babies. BUT, did you know that chicken manure is the best fertilizer for yards and gardens? Well, it is. So they are actually doing a lot of good there.

Are you going to eat them?

Probably not. Dotty and Doris are both considered "meat" birds but we are pretty attached to our fouls. There are people who butcher and dinner-ize their birds after they stop laying eggs daily. I understand this, but I'm not sure I have the stomach for it. But, if an emergency arises, I could do it. I would just leave the "murder" task to Matty. :)

When do they start producing eggs?

Most chicken breeds start laying eggs at about 20-25 weeks of age. They grown FAST. We are very excited for our fresh eggs to start appearing!

I hope that helps! If there are any questions I left unanswered, there are tons of great websites out there for people hoping to add chickens to their yard. There is even a "Chicken Keeping for Dummies" book!

Update #2 - The "Chick Inn"

2011-07-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

Matt and I searched for weeks trying to find a chicken coop that we liked. We wanted something that didn't take up a lot of room, was small enough for 3 chickens and cheap enough to keep our bank accounts at a positive.

We didn't find anything we liked or could afford. So we put together a design of our own.

We sawed, measured and hammered for about a week straight. It was a lot of work but so worth it. The finished product turned out better than I could have ever imagined.

Matthew is the man. He painted it and framed it the same color as our own house. I am so impressed with the "Chick Inn!"

We installed a locking "egg" door so that they wont have to be bothered when we collect eggs in the morning.

This is my artistic addition to the house. :) I also made a pretty fancy ladder.

Our lucky chickens even have porch lights. We are hoping that these, along with the solar powered motion light, deter raccoons and other predators from bothering the girls.

They have a lovely view of the garden. The whole front of the coop opens up for easy cleaning and the bottom door is opened for them every morning to have access to the backyard.

Hanging food buckets. These are imperative to keeping bugs and dirt out of the food and water. These were a good investment.

Oh yeah, and the girls LOVE their house. They can dig for bugs in the gravel, sleep in a warm room and gaze our their window.
Every morning they greet me at their front door, and every night they snuggle up together in their roost just as the sun goes down.

Moley Russell's Wart

2011-07-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

(If you are confused in regards to my post title, please rent yourself "Uncle Buck" and come back when you're more comically prepared.)

I have many moles. But I am lucky enough to have had 7 of them removed, tested and found to be benign.

(Don't be confused by the above image. I am talking about skin moles. But let's be honest, a big picture of one of those wouldnt be nearly as cute as that guy.)

Yesterday I went in to have a full body check with my dermatologist and ended up having one mole "shave biopsied". This mole was taken off more for vengeance purposes (it grew really big and ugly when I was pregnant) rather than any pre-cancerous worry. It was right in my hair line and I was always self conscience about it when I pulled my hair up. And now, it's gone. Mwahaha.

I am a big baby when it comes to needles, doctors or any one cutting my skin off. (weird, I know.) But it was so much easier than I could have imagined. I actually walked out of there wishing I had had more removed.

The Doc said that none of my moles were looking suspicious and that all I needed to do was wear sun screen and come back in a year for another check up.

So, readers, now that the summer has finally arrived make sure you are UV protected and make an apt with your dermatologist if you have any "odd" moles or concerns. Here are some great links with some important information that I found very reassuring.

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/moles-freckles-skin-tags

http://moleswartremover.com/tag/skin-cancer-symptoms/

Also, check this out. Did you know that there are MOLE READINGS? According to this website I am "Prone to have trouble during childbirth" and "Prone to be robbed".

http://wenhousecrafts.com/facereading/moles2.htm

Let me know what your moles say about you!

The Fourth

2011-07-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

I'll let the pictures tell the story :)

Backyard Camping

2011-07-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

We thought it would be a good idea to test Sam's camping skills before we try the sport away from home. Its a good thing we did because it was too much fun to even think about sleeping.

We watched a movie (really roughing it, I know) and jumped around on the air mattress. At about 1am, when I was starting to slumber, I asked Sam if he wanted to go inside to which he replied, "night, night inside."

Maybe we'll try it again, or maybe we'll just accept the fact that camping may still be a few years away.

Mrs. Tucker

2011-07-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

There are some amazing people out there.

A. MAZE. ING

I met with my "girly doctor" on Wednesday for a physical and a consult. There are so many things going through my mind these days and I needed a professional to talk them over with.

I wasn't able to get in with my usual fertility hero, as I call him, because I don't currently have a bun cooking in the oven. I guess a growing fetus is the equivalent of a golden ticket in the gynecological field.

So I was forced to make my apt with a nurse practitioner. I am pretty nervous about seeing anyone new because I like my doctors to know my history through and through.

At my scheduled time I walked into the clinic, checked in and met the new doc, Mrs. Tucker.

Once we had finished the uncomfortable tasks included in my yearly exam (epidural, please?) we discussed my concerns, fears and confusions regarding getting pregnant again.

We talked for almost 2 hours about my issues getting pregnant, staying pregnant and delivering a healthy, high platelet count, baby. She was extremely interested in our case, took lots of notes (on PAPER-meaning not for the hospitals record, but for her own) and promised me she would study up and get a referral for me to meet with a maternal medicine doctor equipped with lots of genetic knowledge.

I thanked her and went on my way not expecting much else.

Then this morning, I got a call FROM MRS TUCKER. How many drs do you know that call the patient themselves? Impressive.

I sat and talked to her and her nurse for a few minutes to find out that she had taken the time to personally head into the Maternal Medicine clinic to talk face to face with a doctor who has treated NAIT patients before. She even made an appointment for a consultation for both Matt and I and looked over our records with the genetic specialist.

I can honestly say it brought tears to my eyes.

We have been so blessed to have met some amazing doctors in the past few years that have allowed our family to grow and thrive. I truly believe that the Lord is allowing these relationships to form so that we can put a trustworthy and loving team together to hopefully one day bring another little Aprecio into our home. I haven't felt this positive about our situation since Sam was born, and although we have yet to find out what a pregnancy entails, or if its even possible, I know that the answers we are about to get will be the ones we are supposed to get.

Barracuda

2011-06-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the amazing and seriously fun opportunity to sing next to famous guitarist Roger Fisher, who is best know as one of the founding members of Heart.

Even more exciting, I got to sing Barracuda (a Heart original) with him playing lead.

Pretty. stinkin'. rad.

Although I had only learned the song the night before, and it happens to be a REALLY incredibly hard song to pull off (Anne Wilson rocks) everyone seemed to really enjoy the experience.

Yes, I had to use my notes, and yes I blew many, many notes and lyrics. Lets be honest, I bombed the entire song. But, HELLO!? Roger Fisher is awesome. Not to mention a really nice guy.

So here we are with About Face singing Pat Benatar's"Hit me with your best shot!" and Heart's "Barracuda."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiT-iJl_BsA

My doctor visit

2011-06-23T22:18:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor on Monday with a list of concerns. It has been 2 years since I have been insured so we have been very lucky that there haven't been any emergencies.

First on the list was a lump that Matt found on the back of my leg 3 weeks ago. Not only has it not gone away, but it has turned black. Now, I'm no doctor but I'm pretty sure black is never a good color to have on your body...

The doctor stated that she had no idea what it was and that she would do some blood tests to see if there was "an infection or something".

What does "or something" mean?

My CBC came back completely normal. Looks like we'll have to biopsy the ugly sucker. That should be really fun.

The second thing we discussed was the fact that I have been having little black outs every once and a while. Not to the extent of passing out, I just lose vision for a few seconds and my heart beats really frantically. One time I couldn't catch my breath or stand up my legs were so weak. (This is the event that pushed us to get me insured. It was really scary.)

The doctor ordered an EKG and that too came back totally normal. Good news? Yes. But I would love to know why I occasionally feel like I have just run a marathon.

The other concerns I had were minor. I have an appointment with a dermatologist to get some moles removed, a new allergy medication regimen (that is working!), a date to discuss the possibility of a future pregnancy with my Gyno and a glimmer of hope to rid myself of seasonal depression. (that so far has lasted 4 seasons. Thank you Washington.)

Overall, I feel a little better. Its good to know I don't have anything REALLY wrong with me and that I now have a little plastic card that allows me into hospitals when I am not feeling right.

I'm sure the stress from not having insurance played a small part in my bad health.

Now that's irony.

Outside

2011-06-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

We went outside today to watch a storm come in.
We sat with the dogs.
One of them is ashamed after a minor scolding.
"Don't eat poop!" is what I had to yell.
Sam looks handsome in his new digs.

Sam makes this face after I ask him to show me a smile.
I show the image to him and he laughs.
I laugh too.
What a goofy kid.

I take pictures of Dotty to document her comb growth.
Our friend Colton thinks her gender should be questioned.
I hope that our pretty pullet is not a roo.
My dad says if she is a he, we should plump him up and name him "Dinner."
That will not happen.

We watch the clouds roll in and feed the chickens corn.
They devour most of the can.

Sam eats the leftovers and states, "My corn, nan-icks."
He can't say "chicken" yet.

We all head inside when the rain drops start to fall.

The Artist

2011-06-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

I had this grand idea that I would give Sam an empty canvas and some selectively chosen paint colors so that he could create a masterpiece for a bare spot on one of our walls.

But it may have been too grand of an idea.

He started out loving the project. I had taped a few designs on the canvas and as he painted, I pulled off strips of it to give the painting a little "modern edge".

He carefully used his fingers to place paint blobs on the canvas and just as he was about to finish he noticed the mess that had been made on his hands and arms.

He was NOT too happy about that.

So I cleaned him up, cursed Matt for passing on the OCD cleanliness gene and prayed that this event wouldn't scare him away from ever painting again.

But you know what, I think it turned out pretty cool anyway. (Look at the little finger prints!)

Next time, to save ourselves from the drama, we'll invest in some paintbrushes for our little Picasso.

Funny conversation

2011-06-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

Matt just called the Drs office to make an appointment for me. (for those of you who know my situation, yes, I finally have coverage!)

This was how the conversation went down:

Matt- "I need to make an apt for my wife."
Receptionist- "What is the reason she is needing to be seen?"
Matt- "There are so many. She has lumps on her legs, moles all over her and she gets bad headaches."

Pretty sure the receptionist is envisioning me looking like this:

"Doots"

2011-06-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

Please welcome, "Doots" the fish.

When we were coming up with names we landed on the name "Bruce" after the shark in Finding Nemo (one of Sam's favorite movies). When we ran this idea by Sam, he smiled and proclaimed, "Yeah, DOOTS!"

And so he shall be known as just that.

Update #1 - Kitchen Backsplash

2011-06-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

As much as it stinks to have Matt out of work, its been nice to have him around the house to help with a few projects we have been wanting to tackle.
First up, the kitchen. It was boring and very yellow. What to do....?
I managed to work out a deal with a tile company and put everything together to place a back splash behind our oven. After choosing tile and grout color and watching a few youtube videos, I was ready.
Materials and tools needed: Tile, grout (non-sanded for glass tile), back splash double sided tape, glass cutter, trow, sponge, cheesecloth and grout sealer.
Here is the kitchen at the start. If you look closely you can see that I have started putting up some of the double sided tape. This product is much easier to use than grouting the tile to your wall.

Next step is to place tile mosaics onto tape taking extra precaution that it is all level and spaced evenly. Leave area empty around the outlets, and cut single tile pieces to fit. Put outlet cover on after tile has been placed. The cover should sit on top of tile.

Grout tile. Use trow to even out material then sponge off excess. After grout has dried, use cheesecloth to "sand" off dust. I recommend using a grout that is either close to the tile color or darker. We were brave and decided to go with a tan color, but because its such a contrast, it kind of highlights our mistakes.

The tile sealer that we used recommended waiting 30 days to seal grout. Make sure to follow instructions on the product that you use.

A few hours of cleaning up tile and grout mess and viola! Instant kitchen improvement!

This project was super easy and makes such a big difference in the kitchen. Overall it took us about 5 hours (a lot of dry time) and approx $200 for our 17sq feet of space. (We used grout that was left here when our house was built, so that was not an expense for us.) The tile can be pricey so search around for the best deal.

Living with teenage chicks

2011-06-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Quite literally.

The girls have most definitely hit the awkward stage of life. They are decorated in half baby down and half adult feathers. It's kind of embarrassing.

If they were human girls they would have greasy hair and zitty skin.
And braces.
And wear small training bras.
And be unable to control the sweat in one armpit.
And have a nerdy boyfriend even skinnier and more awkward than they are.

I might be speaking from experience....

But, I am a biased mother and nothing could deter me from thinking my chickens are pretty darned adorable.

To prove to you their worth, here are 94 pictures of "The Girls". (I'm only kind of exaggerating.)

Eating corn.

They love to look for bugs along the house, eat corn and grass and sleep in the garden.

Feets.

Daisy posing, and Daisy stating "no more pictures please."

A little rest.

Daisy has really started to be a sweet girl. I love this shot of her.

Their combs (the ridge on the top of the beak) are starting to come in. Dotty has the most perfect little comb.

Doris. She is a pig when it comes to eating and her size proves it. She's my chubby chicken.

I think she was curious about seeing the shutter in my lens. She was very interested in my camera.

I know. I'm kind of obsessed. I completely recognize it and accept it without any desire to change it.

On another note, we are so close to being finished with their coop, which will be aptly named the "Chick-Inn", so pictures are soon to come!

Loathing

2011-06-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

I guess I'm not in the greatest of moods. Its probably the fact that its June and we still have NO SUN and NO HEAT. I hate it.

Here are some other things I loathe as well.

Flo from those Progressive commercials. How am I supposed to like her? She's annoying, stupid and has horrible hair and yellow teeth. Why would any of those things make me want to buy insurance?

Cilantro. The Thai word for this spice literally translates to "Piss weed."

Cottonwood "Snow". I am so allergic to these seeds and there is no hiding from them here in Washington. My red eyes and stuffy nose would love to rid the world of these trees.

Fish. Whitney Smith said it best when she asked "Why should we eat meat that when its done right doesn't taste like itself?" Explanation: If it tastes fishy, its bad. Therefore, fish is bad.

"Just freakin' say something already" movies. You know, the ones where everything would work out fine if the main character hadn't just spun a web of lies to cover something up? Movies like Meet the Parents, The Proposal, My Best Friend's Wedding and Hitch are just a few that came to mind.

Having my feet touched. I'm not foot-phobic, meaning I don't have a problem with other peoples feet, I just HATE having my feet rubbed, pedicured or even grazed. I will NEVER have my toe nails filed.

Mountain Dew. On top of being flat out gross its the color of something nuclear reactive. Its probably toxic.

Leopard Geckos and Cockroaches. For some odd reason they both really creep me out.

Nail snags. I go crazy if a nail chips and starts to snag on clothes or my hair. I will do whatever it takes to find a file asap.

Food TV shows. I don't want to watch people eat food. I want to eat food.

Public bathrooms. I am not normally a germaphobe (if thats even a word), but I don't do well with commonly used restrooms. I will do anything it takes to "hold it" until I get home.

Un-toasted bread. Its all moist and gets stuck in your teeth and on the roof of your mouth...yuck. Toast it.

And I guess that's about it for my negative rant.

What do you hate? And if you say that its people who hate Mountain Dew or leopard geckos, I may have to add you to my list.

New Videos

2011-06-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

Sam rockin' out to Bub's band "Wings n Things". Check out these moves!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m00yyo4YD9E

Does he like them or hate them? We don't know. Here is Sam's first experience with Pop Rocks candy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujI1iOJSFjU

Olympic Game Farm. We thought it would be a good idea to keep the windows rolled up through the Bison encounter...not such a great idea after all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv5iDe8kqnQ

The bink

2011-06-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Sam and I am a bink-a-holic.

We are struggling to ween Sammy off of the pacifier, or "nee ney" as he calls it. He is not allowed to have it at all during the day (except for nap time) and binkies are not supposed to leave the crib. This has actually been working out great but occasionally Sam will walk into the room with a blanket over his head or his hands over his mouth. A clear indicator that he is breaking the rules, and knows he is. Little stinker.

We haven't tried anything in regards to night time weening because he is such an amazing sleeper and we like our sleep here in the Aprecio household.

Here's to hoping he grows out of binkies on his own...before he's 19...

Some sun

2011-06-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

The nice weather finally arrived here in Seattle. We had the coldest April/May in record history and the depression that it caused was experienced by all of us. We were sick and tired of being stuck inside!

When it was finally warm enough to get out, we soaked up every moment of it.

Sam was thrilled. I put some water in his kiddie pool and he had a blast while Matt and I worked on the chicken coop and the garden.

We also got to bring the chickens outside for some "yard work." They are really great at finding bugs, digging up moss and fertilizing the grass.

By the way, they are big. They look like totally different birds every morning we go into the bathroom to check on them. Not only are they changing in size, but their adult feathers are coming in.

Its been fun to watch them. They each have such different personalities.

Mrs. Dot. Her feathers are so pretty already. She is still a baby. She cries and cries until she gets attention from either Doris or Daisy. Sam stepped on her foot the other day and she limped around crying for a while. We couldn't tell if she was really hurt or just being dramatic. She's fine now.

Daisy. She has started to like me a little more and loves to steal food from her sisters. Even though she is quickly becoming the littlest of the 3, she is still in charge.

Its funny to me when little "tiffs" or "Chick fights" if you will, break out between these three. The point of the fight is to see who can get the tallest. It ends when one of them flies onto the others back. Its good entertainment.

The rain has come back today which is actually a good thing. Matt and I have tons of work to catch up on and we are forced to do it by the cold weather. But, we would love some more sun soon!

Our first garden-fresh meal

2011-06-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

It wasn't much, but it was good. I loved walking outside, gathering leaves and then taking them in the kitchen to prepare dinner.

I used my romaine lettuce for a nice salad.

followed by a cheese filled pasta covered with a freshly chopped basil pesto.

Yum! I cant wait for more of my garden to start maturing!

The side yard

2011-06-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

I pretty much get whatever I want. So it should be no surprise to me that Matt was more than willing to build me the garden beds and the chicken coop that I asked for.

Still, I am super excited about these almost finished products.

Our side yard has been a wasted space up until last week.

Out of sight, out of mind.

But now I have a fun garden to care for and I will have even more responsibility when the "Chick-Inn" is completed.

We planted all of the things that we most eat/use most around our home. Tomatoes (2 different varieties), lettuce, spinach, string beans, garlic, onions, cucumbers, dill, strawberries, basil, rosemary, broccoli and carrots. (Blueberry bushes will be added this week as well. ) Its so exciting to go out there every day and see how mature it is becoming.

There are still a few more projects to tackle in regards to the garden (stain the outside wood and add some slug-b-gone to the dirt mix) but I am loving any excuse these days to get outside. Rain or shine...even though its been mostly rain.

Yesterday, Matt started building the chicken coop. Did I mention that the girls are LIVING IN OUR BATHROOM?! Yes, its a disaster. Even though they are contained in a plastic tub, they are taking over. Not only are they huge, but they are curious birds with no fear. When I go in there to change their water or food, they immediately fly onto me to be able to stretch their wings a little. I love the attention, but I cant wait to introduce them to the outdoors, where they belong.

How white trash is this situation: Constructing A CHICKEN COOP with a toddler in CHRISTMAS PAJAMAS and hand-me down RAIN BOOTS in the recently thatched and seeded DIRT LAWN. Oh, and Sam is pretending that the broken screw he found is a gun. Sweet. Should I take a trip to Walmart in my flannels now?

a giraffe kind of day

2011-05-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

Sam woke up in one of those moods. You know, when you can't live without ALL of your giraffe toys in your arms? It happens to all of us.

What can I say? The boy loves his "ah-waffs".

"Sam, where are your giraffes?"

Giraffe attacks are funny.

Sam has been so helpful this morning. I'm on day 4 of waking up totally exhausted (thank you sinus infection) but he has been an angel. Handing me tissues, putting toys away and giving me kisses on my cheek.

I had a little sneezing fit after breakfast and when I had finished there was Sam at my feet stroking my knee. "You aright? You aright, Mommy?" I couldn't help but pick him up and squeeze the little man. He is such a love!

Chickens!

2011-05-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

After years of begging, Matty finally caved and allowed me to buy chickens! (and dont say anything, but I'm pretty sure Matty is starting to like them.) Besides the fact that I LOVE me some birds, I am excited to gather eggs, build them a coop and use their mess to fertilize our vegetable garden. Bring on the overalls and plaid shirts because I'm a farmin'!

Meet the little ladies!

This is Dotty. She is a Barred Plymouth Rock hen. She is quite shy but still super sweet. She is the loudest of the three and "peeps" a lot during the day.Dotty will grow up to look something like this:

This is Daisy. She is a White Leghorn hen and she is large and in charge. She is a week older than the other two and she thinks that makes her "Mother Hen." She is a drama queen and yells bloody murder when you pick her up. She is quite the character already.

She is going to be pretty like so:

And last, but absolutely not least, Doris. She is my favorite. (don't tell the others!) Doris is a Rhode Island Red. She loves to be cuddled and is sweet little soul. She is the best at keeping herself clean and eats a whole lot.

She should grow up to look like this:

They have been so much fun. We are going to enjoy the cute baby phase as much as we can because these 3 will be mature and laying eggs by August!

Sam is AMAZING with them. He is so gentle and they actually seem to really like him. They stay seated in his lap and allow him to pet them. Sam gets so excited to tell people about his chickens and is so proud to show them off.

Here is Daisy doing what she does best. Protecting her "babies."

We have had lots of visitors that will hopefully get these little girls socialized.
HEN FACTS:

An egg takes the hen 25 hours to make, so at most, a hen can lay 6 eggs per week. (That's 18 a week for us! Our neighbors will be getting free dozens, I promise you that.)

A minimum of 3 chickens makes a brood. If a chicken is alone, they can easily die of loneliness.

A hen lives an average of 5-7 years, but can live up to 20 years. She'll lay eggs her entire life, with production decreasing every year from year one.

Alektorophobia is the name given to "The Fear of Chickens". I have the opposite of this :)

Eggs have a natural protective coating called the "bloom", which gives the egg a slightly "matt" finish. Washing Grade A eggs before selling them to the public is illegal, as it removes this coating. In the 19th century in Ireland, a farmer could be put in jail for washing eggs.

A chicken with red earlobes will produce brown eggs and a chicken with white earlobes will produce white eggs.

Olympic Game Farm

2011-05-18T17:55:00.000-07:00

Since I was off of work last Saturday we decided to enjoy the time off together and head into Sequim with my parents. We have been wanting to drive through the animal reserve since we tried it out last summer, so we caught a ferry and spent the day there.

The elk. Showing us how he really feels about wheat bread.

Look at that face! Aren't the oxen kind of cute?

Me feeding the lama. I was pretty sure I was going to get spit on.

This bread-preying eagle,

Plus bread-hungry peacocks,

equal = a fight.

There were monkeys there too :)

And, scene.

Our new hangout

2011-05-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Lynnwood Rec center. Only $4.50 for adults and $3.50 for kids to use the pool. This post may sound a little like a paid advertisement...but it ain't.

We have spent hours and hours there just this week. Sam has tons of fun splashing around while Matt and I trade parenting shifts to try out the water slides (which are surprisingly fast!).

If we're not home, chances are this is where we are. Such a fun place!

Why I am a Mom

2011-05-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

There is a reason to laugh and make someone else laugh every day.

The rewards are prominent and endless.

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

The everyday lessons of patience, understanding and time management.

The constant reminder that life is fragile and fast.

All the fun activities you can only get away with when you have a child.

(Swings and slides, hello!)

The joy of teaching and seeing your baby learn.

The firmness it adds to any testimony.

Seeing life through "first time" eyes.

The kisses, hugs and "I love you's".

To be able to use and cherish the gift of birth and motherhood
given to us by God.

The timelessness of it all.

Unemployed

2011-05-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks to this wonderfully crappy economy, Matt has really struggled to find work. And thanks to an even more amazingly silly government, Matt was denied unemployment because "he's a student, and therefore unavailable for work." This is ridiculous, as the MBA program he's enrolled in is designed for people already in their careers who don't want to quit their jobs to attend school full time. Matt filed an appeal with the State to argue this point, and we pray that it rules in our favor. We are hoping for an answer in the mail today or tomorrow.

Matty asked me the other day what I thought the Lord was trying to teach us with this trial. Humility, patience and financial preparedness were a few thoughts that came to mind. We are definitely learning how important these three principles are as we wait for one of these job leads to turn into something.

Matt and I have been blessed with finances sufficient to meet our needs, often with extra for some fun. We haven't been too good at saving and we were never really concerned with our future. The past few months have definitely taught us to be more aware of the potential instability of income. Doesn't it seem like all things fall apart when you have no money to fix them?

These few months have been an emotional roller coaster, to say the least. Matt has had exciting leads and hopeful interviews that have yet to work out. It's a very frustrating process. There are so many people in the same situation as us. My parents have been struggling financially for almost four years now and the unemployment rate is an extremely depressing number.

We are lucky that I am able to bring in some money by picking up extra shifts with Courtney, or through photo shoots that I have been able to book on the few days of sun that we have had. Its not enough, but it keeps us fed and clothed.

Its been hard, as we expected it would be, but we are still so blessed. Its not easy to do, but we thank the Lord for the learning experiences and hardships that we have been given to remind us how truly lucky we are. We hope and pray for some positive changes in the VERY near future, but we know that we will be taken care of until then.

Happenings

2011-05-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

Although Matt is still struggling to find a job, we managed to go out to dinner for our anniversary. We dropped Sam off with Papa and Tutu and sat down for dinner at the one place we had a gift card for, Spazzo's.

The food wasn't that great and our waitress probably used meth, but it was so amazing to just sit down, relax and focus on us. Its been a while since it was just the two of us and it was a very refreshing night.

After dinner we headed home and...that's all you need to know. ;)

This weekend turned out to be so beautiful! Although I worked with Courtney and Matt attended school, we did get to enjoy the sun when we got home. Saturday night we played outside at Matt's parents house and then Sunday we flew kites and hiked to the pond. Sam was in heaven. We could really use more sunny days here in Seattle. April was pretty darned miserable.

Sam has been signing a lot lately. Of course my favorite is "I love you."

Looks like the weather report calls for more vitamin D tomorrow so we'll probably be out re-living the weekend, if we're able.

Five Years

2011-04-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, we share our wedding date with Prince William and Kate Middleton. Only we've got 5 years on the Royal couple.

Today is our anniversary.
Matt and I decided not to have as big of a wedding as William and Kate, but I would venture to say it was just as spectacular :)Here's us on our big day.

5 years! Happy anniversary, Matty. I love you even more today.

A tribute to 2

2011-04-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

Although we only have 1 day under our belt, we are LOVING our 2 year old. He is the greatest! Sam is extremely well behaved. He loves to be praised and is so proud of himself when he does the right thing.
He LOVES his brother Brimley. They are best buds. They play tug-of-war, chase and wrestle. Sam calls him "Bimmy".
Sam is really great at "helping" out around the house. He hands us dishes from the washer, pulls out clothes from the dryer and puts them into the basket and really enjoys helping Daddy cook dinner.
Sam has a new obsession with Bananas. When he was a baby he despised them so much, we assumed he was allergic. (He also gets a small rash around his mouth after eating them). Now he eats one a day and loves to peal them on his own.
Sam can sign please, milk, more, dog, camel, giraffe, apple, candy, sorry and I love you. He is learning the alphabet very quickly as well.
This boy is all about bugs, sticks rocks and dirt. (Although he HATES to have his hands messy when he's eating.) He can identify lots of bugs and animals that some adults don't even know. (i.e: Geckos and Tapirs? Who is this kid?)
Sam loves being outside. Its too bad we live in rainy Seattle....
At 2 years old he is 26.4lbs and is in the 25%ile for height and weight. He is still wearing 18-24 month clothes :)
Sam's favorite movies are Toy Story 1 Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3. He loves Buzz and Woody so much.Sam knows how to start a car. Scary, right? He's just like his Daddy. He loves cars, trucks and bikes.We are so thankful for Sam! He is truly the coolest kid we have ever met. Its hard to believe its been 2 years! Although its a little sad to watch our "baby" become a "boy", we are loving every moment of it!

Happy 2nd birthday, Buddy!

We are sick again

2011-04-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday that we drop Sam off at nursery, he picks up a bug and brings it home. We are all really tired of fighting off all the colds, infections and exhaustion that come with going to church! It hit Sam and I hard today with horribly runny noses and sore throats.

Does this happen to you? How can we keep this from happening every week?

I hope this isnt the only option....

The zoo, after hours.

2011-04-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

Stress levels are extremely high here in the Aprecio household. Its been a little rough for us all. On Tuesday, after working 3 days in a row with Courtney, Sam and I took off to my parents house to leave Matt home to tend to job searching and test taking.

I needed to get out. It was imperative. So my Mom, Sam and I hopped into the car and drove out to Tacoma to go to the zoo.

We arrived at 3:30. The Zoo closed at 4.

Darn it.

I wasn't about to turn around, so we went in anyway. It just so "happened" (quite possibly on purpose) that we were as far as possible from the zoo exit at the time the park closed. So we HAD to meander our way through all of the yet-to-be-seen exhibits on our way out. ;)

It was amazing to be the ONLY people in Pointe Difiance. It wasn't until we had seen it all that we got caught and asked by an employee if "we knew the zoo was closed."

Oh, we knew! But we're rebels.

Sammy and Grandma at the shark exhibit.

Watching the big nurse sharks.

We got to watch the young tigers tackle their mommy. We had no crowds in our way.

Sam was very entertained.

I'm not sure what he would have done had he caught it.

We ended the day back at Grandma and Bub's house for some nice, relaxing hot tubbin'. Ahhh....

Sam's 2nd Birthday Party

2011-04-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

Although its not official until the 26th, we celebrated Sam turning 2 this weekend with all of our favorite people.

Because of Sam's obsession with "Woody" we had a cowboy themed party. It was so fun! We had hats and bandannas and all of the kids got kits complete with squirt guns and harmonicas.

Sam LOVED opening gifts. It was so great to watch him rip open the paper and get so excited at all the cool new things he was given.

He got all of his favorite things. Books, cars, Toy Story stuff, giraffes, bubbles and shoes. What a spoiled little boy!

Giraffes! He is still very much in love with this animal.
All the boys enjoyed the new toys. Sam was fairly good about sharing...
Sam with Woody's hat in his mouth. Goof.
My dad. A pretty legit cowboy.Sam and his new toys. He has yet to stop playing with these.Papa and Tutu brought him books and movies. He wanted to experience them right away :)Sheriff Eli!
Matt and Preston opening up the Car toys.
Mommy the cowgirl having fun!

Cowboy Knox.
Baby Tyler couldn't make it to the party so big boy Tyler decided that the cowboy kit was his.

Sam eating cake with Auntie.
Cowboy Chase.
Grace.

Two little Indians! Thank you to everyone that was able to attend! We are so thankful for all of our friends and family. Sam is one lucky dude to have such cool people around!

Our First April Post

2011-04-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

Yikes. 10 days into this month and I have yet to update. Thanks to my Dad for the ~~brash~~ "friendly" reminder.

We really haven't done a lot since we returned home from California. It took us a good week to cure ourselves of coughs, runny noses and exhaustion but we are starting to mend and get out of the house a little.

On Thursday and Friday there was this bright light that appeared in the sky. We ventured out to see what it was.

Sun? Could it be?!

It was glorious.

The new light made it possible to view our yard in a way that we hadn't seen it in months. Dirty. Messy. Weed-y. Time to work. Sam and I put on our gettin' dirty clothes and started a'fixin'. Matt came home and joined in the party.

We were able to do so much! Its a relief to have yard work checked off the to do list.
BEFORE:

AFTER:

Such a difference, right?

Matt has been a busy boy with school. Its a lot of work, but he seems to be really enjoying it. It takes him away from us Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but we are 1/3 of the way done! Hooray!

When he's not busy with school, he is working hard running the family staffing agency. (That makes it sound like he staffs families. Need a mom? Haha. This is not the case. Its a Nursing Agency started and owned by his mother. Matts runs it. Got it? Okay, moving on.) However, it doesn't bring in the money we would like (millions, please!) so he is searching far and wide for another position. We are hoping for something to come along sooner than later.

For now, a lot of our income will be coming in from the photo shoots that I am able to schedule. (which would be a lot easier if the weather would cooperate!) Luckily, my summer is booking up full and fast with weddings and I get to travel for some of them. I'm pretty excited.

I am also busy creating marketing campaigns and informative cards for mine and other business's. Its keeping me on my toes, but it doesn't bring in the money right away. Sigh.

Anyway, our Sam is doing great. And guess what?! His birthday party is this weekend! I cant believe my little brown, crazy-haired baby is going to be 2! When did that happen?

Sammy is all about Woody from Toy Story, so we decided that a cowboy party was in order. I dressed him up in some western wear and asked him to make a grumpy face.

Could this be any more perfect?

The glare. The pursed lips. The REAL bruise on his forehead. Gosh darn it I love that there cowpoke.

We are pretty excited to celebrate :)

Welp, that's about it for now. Hopefully the spring will bring lots of fun activities for us and we will actually have something great to blog about!

Dancin' to Bub

2011-03-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

Here is Sam dancing to Bub's new song right before a nap.

Sammy and the lion

2011-03-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the lion exhibit just as this male was giving us a show. See that sign? Its not joking.
Watch the video to the end to see Sam's interpretation of the lion.

Sammy says "giraffe"

2011-03-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that Sam has been obsessing over giraffes for a few months now, but this is the first time he has ever said it!