Pictures...finally!

Well we finally figured out a system in our home where I have the ability to do my photo editing out in the main room while the kids are playing or sleeping. It is much better than before when the only computer I could use for editing was in Natalie's bedrooom/office where the kids can not play! So now I will hopefully be able to get my pictures off my camera more often and onto the blog. I suppose then, this is a catch up for the last couple of months! The kids are both growing and learning new things. Natalie is getting really fast at crawling and has even started pulling up and climbing onto things!

This is how we now find her in the mornings or after nap.

Here she was helping mommy unload the dishwasher! She climbed up onto the door all by herself.



Caleb got a new scooter and loved his helmet so much he didn't want to take it off. When I was mopping the floors one day I set the barstools on the couch. Caleb thought it would be fun to put his head through the barstool. But then he couldn't get it out thanks to his helmet!

And here is Caleb all decked out in his gear and going for the first ride on his new scooter.

A Sneak Peek...

So I probably don't even need to say it, but the Stopher household is filling fast! We are due with baby #3 in January. We are so excited to have been able to see our new little blessing this morning! Everything looks good, and the heartbeat was strong. This pregnancy has been a lot harder already, with my nausiousness being overwhelming. Each day, I start getting nausious mid-morning and it gets worse and worse throughout the evening until I finally go to sleep feeling like I have the full blown stomach flu. I had a little bit of this with the other two kids, but not this bad!! I am hoping it only lasts the first trimester, and will be over soon. I have also been really tired and so naps have been a must whenever I can get them in. We have told Caleb that mommy has another baby in her tummy and he seems excited. When asked he usually tells us that it is a little brother. We have decided that we are going to find out the gender this time, so we'll know in a few months! Well, that is the exciting news around our house these days, I am off to take a nap! :)

A Wild Week

Life has gotten busy lately, and so the blog has seemed to get pushed to the bottom of the list! I am so sorry!! The last two weeks went like this... To start things off, my grandmother passed away a week and a half ago. So with only a couple days notice, I boarded a plane this past Monday for a whirlwind two-day trip to Arizona for the funeral. My grandmother was a strong, encouraging woman of God! The testimonies shared throughout the funeral activities again brought her wonderful spirit alive for those who knew her. The days were spent visiting with family whom I haven't gotten to see much lately. And leaving the rain for 105 degrees was actually nice. It was really a refreshing trip overall.

Once I returned, Jason and I enjoyed an amazing weekend at the coast for a couple's retreat. The getaway was to celebrate our 6th anniversary. The speakers were really insightful and talked a lot about the importance of commication in marriage. What a great reminder! Jason and I had a great time walking along the shoreline, flying kites, eating at a local brewery, and staying up into the wee hours of the morning playing cards with friends. What a precious time to be together, away from the children, for the first time since Natalie was born.


Yesterday was such a gorgeous day, we decided to spend the evening eating a picnic dinner at the park with the kids. Jason's parents and grandma met up with us also. What a perfect end to a crazy and rewarding week!

I have MANY pictures, but haven't had the time to upload them from my camera...they will come soon...

Does Time Have Wings?

Because it sure seems to be flying away! Natalie is 7 months today. She has another beautiful tooth in the front and her smile is more adorable every day. She is moving around on her own, but not quite at a full crawl yet. It's more of a crawl/roll combo, but it generally gets her where she wants to go.

Caleb is talking in full sentences and loves to make up many stories. Yesterday we had some pancakes for breakfast and Jason got out some whip cream to put on Caleb's pancake. He made a smiley face and we asked Caleb what it was. He replied, "dada clause" (santa clause). I guess because the face was white, he associated it with Santa's beard. Oh the connections he makes! When we go to Costco, Caleb loves to hand the receipt to the guy on the way out. The worker always writes a smiley face on the back. Lately, Caleb has been calling the smiley, "papa" (grandpa). After the Santa, I am now thinking he is connecting the smile with my dad's beard. :) We have been having a rough time at night recently, and Caleb seems to make any excuse he can as to why he is not ready for bed (food, potty, the hook on the ceiling is scary, etc). The other night he came out after I had put him down for he third time and said to me, "tv too loud, night night time!" What a goof! I was watching one of the quietest cooking shows I know of!

On the Mend

What a week it has been! Caleb is finally on the mend, but it was a long road. One night we went through three changes of sheets on our bed (thanks to Caleb coughing so hard he got sick!). I am glad we are through it now. And we are blessed that Natalie stayed healthy! Speaking of Natalie, her front right tooth on the top finally poked through after a couple of weeks of working at it, so now she has three. She got her first taste of rice cereal the other day. I had fun watching her figure out what to do with her tongue and how to open her mouth big and wide for the spoon! I love experiencing all of the "firsts" with my children.

I finished my first knitting project and I think it turned out ok! I made a hat for Natalie.

Caleb participated in his first egg hunt this last weekend. He was so excited, he could hardly wait for the "Go!". He did really well and filled his entire Shrek basket with candy!!

Miscellanious News

The last week has brought such beautiful weather to the Pacific Northwest! It is just too bad that Caleb came down with croup yesterday, which has put a damper on our the enjoyment of it. We went to the doctor today for Natalie's six month appointment, and added Caleb on after a night of labored breathing and horrible "seal" coughs. Natalie is now 27 inches long and weighs 17.05 pounds! She is just around the 75% for both height and weight. And, she is just starting to wear 12 month clothes!! Caleb officially has croup and we came home with a prescription for oral steroids and orders to get a cool mist humidifier. Hopefully he will get more sleep tonight (and mom and dad too!).

I am very excited to begin knitting lessons tomorrow at a local wool shop. My mom and dad gave me a gift certificate for my birthday. I am most excited at the idea of making cute hats for my kids this winter! Knitting is something I have always wanted to do, but never could figure out on my own. Yay!

I have another thrifty meal idea for anyone who wants...as the grilling season gets underway a great thing I do is pre-marinate meat for the grill. When chicken (or any other meat of your liking) goes on sale, I stock up and separate it out into gallon-sized ziplock bags (about 2 pounds per bag). I fill each bag with a different marinade. Sometimes I use the powdered marinades that just need some oil and vinegar added, other times I buy salad dressings (Italian, Honey Mustard Vinegrette, Vidalia Onion Vinegrette, etc) and add about a half cup into each bag. This time I did some of both. Then, I stack each bag in the freezer laying flat, to save space. Just pull a bag of meat out into the fridge a day or so ahead of time and you are ready to grill! A great side dish our family loves with these meals is fresh veggies grilled in foil with seasoning salt, garlic, butter, or any other seasoning you prefer. What a great, wholesome meal!

My Aunt embroidered some adorable clothes for the kids, a dress for Natalie and a shirt for Caleb. Here are a few snapshots I took.

A Look Back

My darling daughter is halfway to one year today! I thought it would be fun to take a look at the progression of growth this far. I took the first photo in the hospital, she was about 1 day old. The next one was taken at about 2 months old, it was part of a Christmas present for the grandmas. The last one is from our day at the park a couple of weeks ago. I look back at Caleb's pictures from this age and can hardly remember him being so little! I know it will be the same for Natalie. I pray that I can cherish every single moment.