Some Recent Pictures

Sarah, standing at her play/music table, she is everywhere and pulling herself up on everything, including people and doors - which makes it hard if you go outside to get the groceries, because when you come back she is standing at the screen door (can't open it or she will fall out)! Lucky for us she has a big brother who can ever so gently pull her away from the door and lay or sit her down! I had to post this picture, because I love her little skirt and she is outgrowing it so fast.


Hiking over the weekend at Tryon Creek (It's really my favorite place to hike in the summer, it's always shaded and has nice trails). This time we took 2 different trails and got a bit lost and walked for a little over an hour - Jakob did awesome, he loves hiking and Sarah just slept on my back most of the time!

A couple Jakob funnies

While playing and looking at spiders and/or caterpillars in the backyard tonight with Daddy and Roxy...
"No Germany!" to Roxy, most of you know that Mark so lovingly calls Roxy "German" since she is a German Shephard.

And then to me after spotting a spider...
"Mommy what's your favorite spider?"
Me: "I guess the Daddy Long Legs? I kind of like their long legs and small body" (Stretching for an answer as I'm not a fan of spiders).
Jakob: "Well, do you like the Mommy Long Legs too?"

Helping Others

So, we have "The Peace Book" by Todd Parr, checked out from the library. It's really a cute book. I read it to Jakob tonight and we talked about what we can do to be peaceful or help others.
Here are some of Jakob's ideas:
His first response was, "We can pick up someone else's dog poop" (Because some else's dog pooped in our yard)
"We can pick up trash that people forgot."
"We can be someones friend...like if someone doesn't have a friend, I could be there friend...I would just ask them what their name is."
"I can teach someone how to read if they don't know how" (Jakob doesn't know how either, but apparently thinks he does!)
About helping homeless people..
"We can let them sleep in our house"
"We can give them a couch if they don't have one."
"We can give them some clothes or books if they don't have any"
"We could give them some food or some seeds so they could plant some food...or pretty flowers!"
"We can give them money if they don't have any...then they could buy a house" (seems so easy doesn't it!)

Happy Birthday to Me!

I was pretty down yesterday, had a bad morning, super stressed at work, started crying - at work - and to add to the day Sarah cried when I dropped her off and picked her up at daycare, and was just pretty hormonal for a lack of better words, today was a much better day! And, it was my Birthday, so I had to cheer up a bit.

And, Mark got me this...



A super cute, powder blue Diamondback bike for my Birthday! I was shocked! I even have a matching helmet - feel like a total dork in the helmet, but gotta be the good example! Now, we just need to work on getting the Daddy a bike and a baby seat and we're good to go.
Had a nice birthday, breakfast from my co-workers - super sweet - and Thai for dinner. Hanging out with some friends tomorrow and possibly a night out next week when our Ol' Trusty Auntie Amber is back in town!
Oh, and Sarah stood up for 2-3 seconds by herself tonight - not holding on to anything - so a pretty eventful birthday!
Thanks for all the cards and phone calls, I was so busy tonight and on the phone a lot that I didn't get to call everyone back!!
Lots of love to my peeps!

Crazy Kids

This is what my crazy kids are up to:

Sarah, digging in the Tupperware drawer - a serious find for her! Honestly, she is 7 1/2 months old, she shouldn't be doing this yet! Once she pulls herself up, she has to really think about how she is going to get back down, luckily she has a lot of padding on her behind and so far hasn't got too many bruises on the forehead!



Here's Jakob, pretending to be an astronaut. The laundry hamper is the rocket ship, the red mixing bowl was my idea for a spaceman helmet - of course he thought I was crazy, until Sarah and I both put one on, then it was a go! Fortunately we don't have a picture of me with the bowl on my head!

A Real Football Game

Mark and Peter took Jakob and Ian to an Oregon Ducks football game yesterday. Jakob was very excited when he came home,
"Mommy, it was a REAL football game, they even tackled for REAL!"

Jakob and Ian - Jakob is blowing his Duck Lips whistle - or as he calls them "My Duck Clips"


Umm - apparently Mark HAD to take this picture - have to capture every part of the football game!




Best Buds

He Did It!

Mark ran in the Portland, Nike Human Race 10k on Sunday (the largest running event in the world) and did awesome! Jakob, Sarah and I waited at the finish line to cheer him on, we even had bells to ring. When the first runner crossed, Jakob yelled "Is it Daddy?"
Me: "No, honey, he'll be here soon."
Jakob: "But why isn't Daddy the fastest?"
Me: "Well....because there is only one winner? He'll be here soon, he is trying his hardest and that's what is important."
Jakob: "But why Daddy isn't the winner?" (yes that's the grammar that Jakob uses)
Again, I reiterate that there is only one winner, realizing that Jakob has thought that his parents are the best at everything until this point - reality is beginning to set in for him - we aren't the greatest at everything! Oh man just wait until he eats at someone else's house - what is he going to think of my cooking!

Anyhow, Mark did great with a time of 47 minutes 41 seconds - and his body held up very well.
We stayed around after the race to watch Nada Surf in concert. (The race that went on in Austin had Ben Harper - I'm sure - where does Portland rate - the race was at the Nike headquarters - C'mon!)

You can check out race info here:
Nike
Human Race

You can put in Mark's name and see his time.

Good Job Daddy! We are so proud of you and can't wait to see you race again!