Rekow Family

First Grade!

2011-09-11T19:01:00.000-07:00

Tytan is a First Grader now! He is so excited to eat lunch at school and have recess this year. His new teacher is Mrs. Duffy.

Martin's visit

2011-09-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

Shane had a friend from Germany come for a visit. He lived with Shane while they were in college. While he was here we tried to show him the sights. We went to the parks, zoo, the coast, the Tillamook Cheese Factory and tubing on the Columbia River. I didn't take very many good pictures but here are a few.

Summer Dentist check-ups

2011-08-11T19:10:00.000-07:00

This summer the boys all went in for check-ups. They were all excellent patients and the twins were cavity free. Tytan needed work over two visits. He was very cooperative the first time and the second he knew what was coming and took a little convincing to open his mouth.

Kindergarten Graduate!

2011-06-14T20:40:00.001-07:00

Tytan graduated from Kindergarten. We are so proud of him! His class sang a few songs and then the teacher passed out diplomas. She asked each student what they want to be when they grow up. Tytan said he wants to be a rock star!

Mother's Day

2011-05-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

We usually hike on Mother's Day and since this was our first Mother's Day living in Beaverton, we decided to head to the zoo, despite the rain. We eventually got rained out and ended up running to the car dragging the umbrellas, but it was fun while it lasted. I love all my boys!

Easter 2011

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

We did lots of Easter egg hunting this year. On Saturday we went to Tytan's elementary school for a breakfast and hunt on the playground. We saw the Easter Bunny there too.
On Sunday we started off with a hunt at our house and then went to my parent's house for a family brunch and egg hunt with all the boy cousins. It was chocolaty fun!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T10:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome baby Jared

2010-12-20T10:12:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving in Emmett

2010-11-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

Jared's Baby shower

2010-10-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

Melanie and her girls Sarah and Peyton, My Mom, Joanie, Me, Cortney, Suz and Haley in front, (Brooklyn not pictured)

Gift time!

Sports themed cupcakes

My little brother Trevor and his wife Joanie are expecting a baby boy early December. He is going to be named Jared, after Trevor's middle name. We are so excited! My sister Cortney and Joanie's sister Marcia threw a baby shower at the Nine's Hotel in Portland. It was beautiful, fun and Jared got loaded up on gifts. I loved helping Cortney make the diaper cake and frost a few cupcakes, although I think she just saved me a few so I could feel like I helped. :)

Back to work

2010-10-26T21:25:00.001-07:00

I just started a new job with Children's Creative Learning Centers at Oregon Health and Sciences University as the Program Specialist. I am responsible for keeping track of the teacher's curriculum and daily classroom operations. We have 14 classrooms for kiddos 5 and under. I am thrilled to be back at work and cannot believe the fabulous teachers we found. I get to bring my kids with me, so I did pull Ty out of Kindergarten and we'll figure out next year when it comes. I just couldn't pass up the 1 to 8 ratio for his age group, and I know he'll love the new facility and his new teacher.

Hahn Cousin Halloween

2010-10-26T21:18:00.001-07:00

My sister Melanie came to visit for the weekend, mostly to attend Jared's baby shower, but we turned it into a Halloween weekend. All the cousins came over to my parent's house for the festivities. We made crafts, cupcakes, danced to crazy Halloween music and all the Aunts and Uncles came over for a treasure hunt trick-or-treat. We had so much fan and it was a huge help for me because I started back to work and needed a babysitter for the week while setting up the new child care center.

Bauman Farms

2010-10-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

It has been really fun getting to know all the cool things to do with kids around Portland. Shane asked around at work and a couple of his co-workers suggested Bauman Farms for a Pumpkin Patch. It was a drive, but SO much fun. It was like pumpkin Disneyland. There were playgrounds made of hay stacks, chestnut pits, a petting zoo, bouncy castle relay races, mazes, apple launching and a bouncy pillow. We had a great time, even though we didn't bring pumpkins home with us. We were too tired to carry them to the car after all the fun.

Longbeach

2010-10-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

In early October we took a day trip out to Longbeach with my parents. We found two jellyfish, tried to throw them back into the water and then decided they were dead. Tytan dug a hole and we buried them, complete with a ceremonial prayer given by Tytan. It was really cute! We ended the day by walking though the beach stores and got huge rainbow butterfly lollipops for the drive home.

School time!

2010-09-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

Tytan started Kindergarten today. He is in the afternoon class since we signed up so late with the move. He was so excited and sits at a table with all the T kids, Timmy, Ty and Tia. He had a great time, loved recess, snack time and only got in one fight. We can't believe he's already five and in school.

Tubing with Gram and Grandpa

2010-08-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

It has been so hot, over 100 for the past few days, so se went out tubing on Grandpa's boat last night. Jaxon and Tytan had a few turns sitting with Mom and Dad, but Madox hated it and cried the whole time which is funny because Madox is the crazy swimmer we usually can't keep out of the water. Hopefully we'll make it out again before summer is over.

Clark County Fair 2010

2010-08-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

We went to the Clark County Fair with my parents.

We visited the animals

watched the Demolition Derby

went on Fun rides!

Here's the gang, Kristen and Tytan, Grandpa and Madox, Shane and Jaxon

Grandparents and twins, Jaxon and Madox

The last ride of the night, the T- Wheel, Tytan loved going so high.

The Hot Pink Knights

2010-08-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

There was a scrap of hot pink fabric laying around, so I made capes for the boys. The boys had fun posing for pictures and saving princesses.

OMSI with the cousins

2010-08-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

Uncle Jeff had the day off, so we took all the boy cousins to OMSI. We had fun playing in the water tables, the ball room, making airplanes and looking at the Space exhibit.

We've Moved!

2010-07-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

The night before we moved our neighbors, the Inmans, had a BBQ so we could say goodbye to all our Colfax friends. We ended the night with slip and sliding down our hill in the back yard. Then the next morning while we loaded the trucks all the neighborhood kids came over for a splash party. We will miss our neighbors and friends so much!

Tree House

2010-06-07T20:24:00.001-07:00

Shane built a little tree house in our apple tree. It's more like a look out, just stairs and a place to sit, but the boys love it. The colors in these pictures are great and make me smile thinking about the Spring flowers to come.

Tytan's preschool graduation

2010-06-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

Tytan graduated from preschool and is all ready for Kindergarten in the fall. He made lots of friends and loved his teacher. Here's a picture of him and his best friend Tommy. We are so proud of him. He has learned so much this year.

Mother's Day Kamiak Butte Hike

2010-06-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day the kids made me breakfast, picked me flowers and drew pictures for me. Shane let me sleep in and he did all the housework for the day. In the afternoon we went out to Kamiak Butte for a hike. Along the way the kids did a little rock climbing. It was a beautiful day with my favorite boys!

Klemgard Hike

2010-06-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

We got up early on Saturday for a church clean up party, however the party was canceled due to weather. Since we were dressed to work in the yard and thought the weather was fine, we drove out to Klemgard park to for a hike. It was colder than we thought and had to double up on all the coats we had in the trunk of the car. We made it all the way to the top and tried to enjoy the summit view of a wheat field. The kids had so much fun and did great.

Dragon slayers

2010-05-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist the hooded towels on clearance at Walmart, so the boys got new dragon towels. They are from the movie How to Train Your Dragon. The boys love dressing up in them, getting out the weapons and fighting to the death. Jaxon is in blue, Madox is in green and Tytan is in orange.

Crafting

2010-05-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, all my kitchen appliances are pink, so I decided to stick with the trend and I re-covered my kitchen chairs, made a brag board for the kids art and made a valence for the window (as soon as I find the curtain rod, or give up and buy a new one, I'll take a picture of that too) Now I have to think of another craft to work on.

Easter towels

2010-05-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

The Easter bunny left hooded towels in the boys' baskets this year. Tytan got the bear, Jaxon got the frog and Madox got the duck. Everyone loves getting out of the tub now!

Goodbye Teacher Kelly

2010-04-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

Tytan was in Teacher Kelly's preschool class this year. He has loved her so much and I think he was one of her favorites. Her husband graduated from WSU and took a job in Georgia, so they moved this weekend. The class had a surprise picnic for her at the park. There was a great turnout of parents and it was fun to see all the friends that Tytan talks about at home.

Walking With Dinosaurs

2010-04-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

Today we took a trip up to Spokane to see Walking With Dinosaurs. It was awesome! The boys loved it! They growled with the dinosaurs and cheered them on during the fights. We had a great time and were glad Mason and Kellie came with us.

Spring Break and Easter

2010-04-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

We spent spring break in Vancouver this year. My sister Melanie also visited with her family. The kids had a ball. We went to the movies, played lots of games, spent the day at OMSI and sang for the elderly at Cortney's work. It rained almost the entire time but we got outside for a quick swim in Grandpa's hot tub and a family walk. Cortney is graduating from Nursing school next month so we had an early pinning party for her. We also made an anniversary gift my parent's 37th year of marriage with the whole family's hand prints.

We spent Easter in Vancouver with my family again. We dyed eggs with all the cousins, took pictures with all nine cousins, visited the Easter bunny at the mall, hunted for Easter eggs and had a big family lunch.

Strider Bikes

2010-02-24T20:24:00.000-08:00

We really wanted to get the twins bikes for a birthday present, but didn't shop in time and hadn't yet agreed on what bike to get. So we ordered Strider bikes for a late birthday gift and Tytan couldn't be left out, so he got one too. They have loved them so far! We can't wait to get them outside, go away rain!

Palouse Falls

2010-02-24T19:56:00.000-08:00

Shane and Kristen

Jaxon thrilled with his throw and muddy Madox in the background.

More muddy Madox. He licked each rock before throwing it in and he's not sick yet.

Jaxon and Madox throwing rocks

Tytan and Shane crossing small rapids.

My boys on the tracks. Jaxon, Tytan, Madox and Shane.

Almost the whole crew, Jeremy and Mathis, Shane, Layla, Madox, Mary Jean and Jaxon.

Shane had the day off for President's Day we took a trip to Palouse Falls with our friends the Inmans. We ate a picnic lunch, hiked to the falls, walked over the railroad tracks, hiked down to a few rapids and finished off the day with a snack overlooking the huge falls. The kids loved walking on the tracks and throwing rocks in the water. It had been raining, but we lucked out and had beautiful sunshine.

Silly boys

2010-02-24T19:52:00.000-08:00

Early in the morning the boys found my shoes and Shane's hat and were playing dress up. Jaxon had fun walking in my heels and Madox loved wearing Shane's hat while playing the annoying recorder.

Family Movie Night

2010-02-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

We built a fort in the living room and watched Meet the Robinsons for a family movie night. The kids loved the gummy candies we got for treats. Shane and I sure felt old because sitting on the floor for an entire movie was not comfortable, the floor was so hard, even with bean bags and pillows.

Happy Birthday Twins (37 photos), by Kristen Rekow

2010-02-23T07:04:00.001-08:00

I'd like to share my Walmart Digital Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

Happy New Year

2010-01-14T13:41:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! Can't believe it is already 2010! To celebrate the new year, we went to our neighbor's church for a family game night. We spent most of the time chasing the twins in the hallways, but I was glad everyone stayed awake for the big countdown. I made some silly hats to wear for the celebration, and then forgot to get them out. We sorta lost track of time until people started counting down. We shot off some left over fireworks from the 4th of July too. This new year we hope to eat better, loose weight, stick to our budget and spend more quality time as a family.

Christmas Morning

2010-01-14T13:31:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas in Emmett. Complete with giant candy canes, dinosaurs, lizards, coloring books, crayons, flash cards, games, movies, Diego dolls, Yo Gabba Gabba guitars, firetrucks, ninja swords and cars. Thank you Grandmas and Kelly, Jason, Jorden, Haily and Trena for fun toys and great family times.

Visiting Emmett for Christmas

2010-01-04T20:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas at home

2010-01-04T20:42:00.001-08:00

Jaxon is pretending to sleep.

Since we were traveling for the actual holiday, we had an early Christmas at our house. The kids got lots of cars, trucks, puzzles, games and superheros. It was nice to have everything done and over with before we had to pack.

Christmas Pajamas

2010-01-04T20:37:00.001-08:00

Thanks for the matching pajamas Grandma and Grandpa Hahn!

Gingerbread Houses

2010-01-04T20:31:00.001-08:00

We had a great time making Gingerbread houses this year. Shane and I each built a house the night before, so they would be nice and sturdy by the time the kids were adding the candies. Shane went with a square apartment and I went with the traditional house layout. I was a little disappointed in my candy choices... I forgot Neccos for the roof tops and the gum drops. The kids didn't seem to mind, they loved eating all the left overs!

Christmas Tree

2010-01-04T20:25:00.001-08:00

Shane always wants to cut down our own tree, but this year I decided it was too cold and that we would just get one from a tree lot. I was sure glad we went to a lot because just getting out of the car, pointing at a tree and waiting in the car for Shane to tie it to the top was long enough for all the kids to have chattering teeth. It was frigid that day! Maybe we'll make the trip next year.

Christmas Treats

2010-01-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

This year we did a lot more baking than in years past. I think it is because I was home all day and it keeps us busy. We made sugar cookies, toffee and fudge and gave them away to friends and neighbors. Shane and I got on a fudge kick and tried adding all different chocolate flavors, but I think his peanut butter fudge was the best of the year.

Family Photos and Newsletter

2009-12-16T02:09:00.000-08:00

Madox, Tytan and Jaxon

Jaxon and Mom

Madox and Dad

Jaxon, Madox, Mom, Dad and Tytan

Rekow Family 2009

I didn't send letters in our Christmas card because I hate writing them. My mom bugs me until I do it so her Christmas book will be complete. Here is what I submitted for the family history book...

Rekow Family Christmas Newsletter 2009
Dear Friends and Family,
This year I stayed at home with the kids to cut down on our child care costs. It has gone well, but I have gained an extra 10-15 pounds by baking and eating all day long. I have also gotten quite crafty and force the kids to make art projects with me. I have also almost figured out how to keep the house clean and caught up on the laundry, aside from mating the socks. During the day I resort to watching Ellen, Facebooking old friends from high school and have been reading to make the day pass faster. I take the kids to the library and have figured out that if I request all the books I want while at home on the computer, I just have to go to the desk and the girls have them all ready for me, no chasing the little ones down the aisles for a book. I enjoyed visiting with my old friends this summer at my 10 year high school reunion.

Shane is a PhD student at the University of Idaho. He is always busy researching things, even at home, to find faster and more effective ways to run his experiments. He is still working with cancer genes and has a few more semesters to go, depending on how his research turns out. He has been fishing and hunting a few times this year, no fish, but we are enjoying the venison he brought home this fall.

Tytan is now 4 ½ years old. He goes to preschool in the mornings and loves riding the bus. He is quite a ham and loves spending time with his friends. He is really into tigers and lions, and superheroes. He is a great big brother to Madox and Jaxon. He tried out basketball, soccer and swimming this year and loved swimming the best.

Madox is now 22 months old. He is our tv junkie. If the tv is on, Madox is watching. When the tv is off Madox is busy moving things with his trucks or playing with animals. He loves the same kind of toys that Tytan did when he was one. He is very sweet and loves to cuddle and carries around his silky blankie. He plays hard all day and takes naps so easily.

Jaxon is also 22 months old. He is our little helper. He loves to be on my lap or in my arms helping me all day. He unloads the dishwasher, sweeps the floors and loves to wash his hands. He also loves reading books and talks quite a bit, like 5 word sentences. He loves playing with Tytan and telling on Madox.

We are all ready for the holidays and are excited to spend Christmas in Emmett this year with Shane’s family. We hope all is well for you. Happy Holidays.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-16T01:53:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving in Vancouver with the Hahn family. Wednesday night we celebrated Cortney and Ian's birthdays. Thursday we made crafts and ate turkey. Friday we shopped, I had lunch with Brooke and Jordan and then we went to a Blazer game. Saturday we went to OMSI. We had fun visiting.

First Snow fall

2009-11-15T18:38:00.001-08:00

Tytan, Madox and Jaxon

Jaxon

Tytan making a snow angel

Yahoo! Down the hill they go!

Tytan's turn

Everyone is ready! Tytan, Jaxon and Madox

Jaxon was really worried about his truck, it was snowed in!

Madox

It snowed last Friday, so we got up early Saturday morning to hit the slopes. Well, we only have one slope, but it is big enough for sledding. The boys had so much fun playing and making snowballs. Hopefully the next time it snows we'll get more!

Kung Fu

2009-11-15T18:32:00.000-08:00

Jaxon

Madox

Tytan

Tytan's high kick

Madox taking a break

Every time Tytan puts on sweat pants he thinks it's time for Kung fu, thank you Kung Fu Panda. We were having a dance party in the living room, the fire was going and it was too hot, so we took off the kids' shirts and let them do a little boxing. They put on their mittens to wear as boxing gloves.

WAR!

2009-11-15T18:27:00.000-08:00

Tytan and our neighbor Layden had a war in our living room. Layden brought over his map and Tytan got out his army men and hats. I tried to show them how to re-create the Civil War, but they were more interested in the East-West coast rap wars. It's nice to have a buddy right across the street!

Warm and cozy

2009-11-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

Burr, it's getting cold outside! The boys have loved helping daddy make a fire and are very good at following the rules to stay safe.

Halloween

2009-11-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

Wear them out park trip

2009-11-02T13:47:00.000-08:00

On Halloween we had planned to have a morning party to wear everyone out so they would take a good nap. The kids all turned out too sick to have anyone over, so we went to the park. It had rained all the night before, but the kids still had fun, and did take awesome naps.

Halloween Treats and Crafts

2009-11-02T13:33:00.001-08:00

Halloween morning we ate pumpkin pancakes with raisins for faces.

Here we mixed colored glue to make window cling pumpkins and cut and glued jack-o-lanterns

This craft the boys painted with q-tips to make the webs and then glued a body and legs to make a spider.

This craft I cut out bats and moons and the boys glued, stuck on star stickers and colored.

This one the twins made pumpkin patches and worked really hard to make pumpkin faces and said "eyes, nose, mouth" as we drew each part of the face.

Tytan's ghost and Halloween snack mix; goldfish, raisins and marshmallows

Jaxon and his ghost, he had to have another lollipop to eat

Tytan showing off his ghost

Madox enjoying his candy

My little students

2009-10-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

Madox

Jaxon

With Tytan away at preschool in the mornings, the twins get the house to themselves. They love having free reign of the toys and their favorite thing to do is color.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-22T17:41:00.001-07:00

My parents and Grandpa came to visit for the weekend. The boys went to the Cougar football game because my Grandpa had never been to a college football game before. The next day we went to the Red Barn Pumpkin Patch near Uniontown/Colton. We had fun playing in the lentil tables, jumping in the castle and riding to the pumpkin patch by tractor. I have to get the pictures from my mom.

Bowling

2009-10-22T17:33:00.001-07:00

Shane and Tytan being cheesy!

Jaxon clapping for the bowlers

Madox getting ready to give me fives! I got another STRIKE!

Kellie and Mason

We went bowling two weeks ago with our good friends Kellie and Mason. I bowled the best game of my life, which I credit to carrying around twins who have given me buff arms. Tytan and Mason liked the bowling okay, but they loved break dancing and having Shane push them across the slippery floor much more. The twins watched from the stroller until the last frame when we let them out. Jaxon liked the different color balls and Madox headed straight for the pins.

Hunting Season!

2009-10-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

Putting in the ear plugs

Can you see Tytan's huge grin?

Tytan and Shane are so excited for Open Season this coming Friday. They went to the shooting range to sight in his rifle. That means lining up the scope on his rifle for a straight shot, for those of you who do not hunt. Tytan had a blast helping Shane! I try to be a supportive wife, but secretly hope they don't get anything because I don't want to eat it!

Goop

2009-09-08T16:29:00.001-07:00

My neighbor was getting ready for Fear Factor so I looked up this recipe to make slime. The boys loved it and Shane walked in the door just as we were getting messy. It looks solid, but you pick it up and it oozes through your fingers. Goop is so fun, messy, but cleans easily with water. Mix 3/4 cup cornstarch, 2 cups water, food coloring and dig in!

Cake to celebrate Tytan starting preschool

2009-09-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

I've been watching Cake Boss on TLC and really wanted to try fondant. I tried a box cake and store bought frosting because I wanted to focus on the fondant, but it was a bad idea. I should have done everything from scratch. The cake was really good, but too soft and fluffy. It was breaking apart before I even iced it. Tytan loved the cake and he was ready to eat it as soon as he got home from his first day of preschool.

Tytan 1st day of preschool

2009-09-08T16:24:00.000-07:00

Fall means FOOTBALL!

2009-09-05T20:14:00.001-07:00

We have been looking forward to this weekend for a while now. Last year we didn't make it to a football game, so this year we bought tickets for the whole Cougar football season. The seats aren't great, but we didn't know how long we would actually last with two 19 month kiddos. Shane and I packed the twins in hiking packs and Tytan had to walk from the car, which was really really really far. Poor Tytan was ready for a nap by the time we got to the game. We were running a little later than we wanted to be, but made it just in time for the kick off. The kids did much better than the Cougars did and we got some great pictures. Check out my Facebook for more.

Up to no good!

2009-08-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

The twins are almost 19 months old, and are into everything. They climb up onto the couch and mess with the blinds, windows and thermostat. They move the chairs of the kitchen and dining room tables to climb up onto the table tops and pull things down. The tables used to be my "out of reach" places. They are starting to hit, bite and wrestle with each other. I think it is time to start sitting in naughty chairs like on Nanny 911. Here is a pic of them up on the couch, banging on the window while Shane was working on the front patio. I have a picture from when I was 2 just like this, perched on top of the toilet, with the same grin of naughtiness. It's good to know everyone goes through this, I just have two at the same time!

Camping at Silver Creek Plunge

2009-08-23T10:04:00.001-07:00

Sat- We drove 8 hours to the campsite and set up camp. Everything was a little muddy because it rained the two days before we got there. Shane put tarps up in the trees for a little rain cover, set up the tent and I tried to keep the kids busy and out of the mud. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows only to find that the kids had no interest in roasted marshmallows. They wanted them straight out the the bag. After it finally got dark we put on all of the warmest clothes we brought and tried to put everyone in bed. The kids just jumped on the air mattresses and played until about 11 pm. We had to divide and conquer. Shane got one to sleep at a time in the tent while I held the others around the campfire. It was a nightmare, especially when everyone was up at 6 am.
Sun- Since we were up so early and ALL the other campsites were dead asleep we drove up the creek a bit to do some fishing. Tytan was so excited to fish. Shane and I each wore the babies and we hiked off the trail to look for some good fishing holes. After no luck, we tried the bigger creek and by then Jaxon was mad being on my back. I decided to try and park the stroller next to the creek since we were fishing at a spot so close to where the car was parked. As I put Jaxon down, the stroller started rolling and I jumped in front of him just in time to fall into the creek holding the stroller on the grass. My shoes filled up with water and I was done fishing. We headed back to camp and went for a swim in the hot springs pool. The kids all loved the water. Madox loved walking around in the shallow end and throwing himself backwards into a float. I had a heart attack each time he did it. Jaxon loved walking around in the shallow end with an intertube around himself. Tytan loved wearing his lifejacket and swimming around the deep end with a doggie paddle. He didn't want any help from us. Bed time went a little better because we were tired and we drove the kids in the car until they all fell asleep.
Mon- Early in the morning we found the creek in walking distance from our campsite and our neighbors showed us the good fishing holes. About 15 trout later we took a bike ride around the campsites. We spent most of the day going between the creek and riding bikes that day. Late in the afternoon Shane's sister showed up. Silver Creek is where Shane and his family grew up camping each summer. It is only a 90 minute drive from Emmett. We had burnt foil dinners and took a night swim in the hot springs pool. We also went fishing with Kelly. It was so nice having another adult to help with holding/helping the kids. As soon as we got the kids to bed Kelly said she saw a skunk. We went to sleep anyways and about an hour later I was woken by an animal digging through our trash. It was hanging on the tree and it had fallen down. It was trying to open our muffin package. I woke Shane up and after searching for flashlights and only finding the one that didn't work, he threw the flashlight at the animal, ran to the car and turned on his headlights so we could get the garbage all picked up.
Tues- We got up and packed up camp while Kelly took the kids for a walk. We fished on the big creek all the way back to Crouch, ID and stopped for lunch at a cute diner. It was nice to get to Shane's Grandmother's house, take a shower and wash our clothes.

Homemade Volcano

2009-08-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

The boys have been really interested in dinosaurs lately and Tytan has been watching volcanoes erupt on the computer, so we decided to make our own volcano at home. We used baking soda, vinegar and food coloring. Everyone took a turn pouring vinegar into the volcano and caused an eruption. The boys loved it. I'm sure we will have many more of these to come over the years.

Tytan turns 4!

2009-08-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

Tytan has his first Superhero birthday. He had a Batman cake, got Batman clothes, PJ's and undies, Spiderman toys, and his favorite Teen Titans videos. We had a few neighbors and friends over for cake and ice cream. He is growing up so fast!

4th of July

2009-07-29T13:52:00.001-07:00

Tytan loving the show

Jaxon relaxing, yes his hand is down his diaper, Ed Bundy style!

Madox fighting Mommy with glow sticks

Tytan and Shane waiting for the show to start

Jaxon and Madox waiting

Doran, Tytan and Layden

Doran and Tytan

Jaxon swimming

Tytan using kitchen spoons as weapons, of course!

On the 4th of July we had Shane's good friend Ben and his family over. The guys put up our new porch and the kids played in the water. After the work was done, we headed over to Sunnyside Park in Pullman for a great firework show. Our neighbor Chelsea joined us with her kids, Layden and Clara, her brother and her friend Lisa.

Happy Birthday Shane!

2009-07-26T12:51:00.001-07:00

Shane turned 37 this year! I made him a trout birthday cake and we had a family celebration complete with balloons and hats.

Visiting Daddy at work- U of Idaho

2009-07-26T12:47:00.001-07:00

Shane is at the University of Idaho for school and he works in a Biology lab as a research assistant. We like to visit his lab and bring him lunch. This day we took a walk on the campus over to the clock tower. The twins are finally able to go on walks around town.

Father's Day 2009

2009-07-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

Madox, Tytan and Jaxon

Tytan made it to the top, (ignore the black eye I gave him when I accidentally tripped over his foot and shoved him into the corner of the wall).

Madox climbing

Jaxon loves hanging

TEETER...TOTTER!

We were in Vancouver for Father's Day this year. Early in the morning we went to the park as a family. The kids are getting so good at climbing and figuring out playground equipment. They had fun and so did Daddy. He doesn't get to come with us on our daily park trips very often.

10 Year High School Reunion

2009-07-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to the Oregon Zoo and rode the train around.

We ate lunch at my favorite Olive Garden and stayed for over two hours just talking! It was so much fun catching up with all my old girlfriends.

My best girls from highschool, Charise, Courtney, Me, Jordan and Brooke

Tina and me, we planned a lot of the reunion and it turned out great!

High school days

2009-07-10T16:53:00.000-07:00

Track
Jordan, Carlie, Me and Charise

Track
Carlie, Me, Melissa, Charise and Brooke

1999 Graduation
Jordan, Charise, Me, Courtney, Jaime and Bethany

Talent Show Junior Year- Any Man of Mine
Bethany, Jaime, Jordan, Charise, Catherine, Lynsey

Courtney, Kristi, Me and Brooke

Senior skip day at the Oregon Coast.
Bethany, Jaime, Me, Courtney, Brooke and Charise.

Reunion Oregon Zoo Trip

2009-07-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

Tytan and Courtney's boys

Tytan at the bats

Tytan and Charise's nephew at the monkeys

Watching the sea lions swim

I met my best friends from high school, Charise and Courtney, and their kids for a day trip to the Oregon Zoo. We got rained out and had to make a mad dash to the car.

Jordan Circus

2009-07-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

The circus came to town at our fair grounds. There were black bears, lions, tigers, elephants and crazy tricks. We had a great time and Tytan and TJ took a ride on the elephant at intermission.

Swimming pool

2009-07-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

The pool finally opened in Colfax! We met our friends Leona, TJ and Gordon for a swim. The weather was great and the kids had blast!

Fish

2009-07-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

After camping we drove across the dam to see the fish museum. There were windows to see the fish swimming up the ladder and Tytan got to talk to a Chinook Salmon on the phone.

First Camping Trip

2009-07-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

We went camping at Boyer Park for our first family camp trip of the summer. We grilled hot dogs and marshmallows to eat. It was so warm out we were sweating in our tent and no one got much sleep. The kids finally went to bed around 11 PM after Shane drove them around in the car. Then everyone was up at 5 AM. It took two days to recover from this trip. Good thing we took this practice camp out rather than going for a five day trip in remote woodlands like Shane wanted!

Tytan

2009-06-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

Tytan will be 4 in one month! He is getting so big and smart. He loves Spider Man, Batman and Teen Titans. At night, Tytan has his four "Guardians" (stuffed animal cats, lion, puma, white tiger and orange tiger) who protect him from "Beasties" at the four posts of his bed. He can be found carrying a guardian or a stick where ever he goes. Tytan calls his sticks "boan's" (like bow and arrow combined) and he hunts for jaguars in our yard with his puppy Sammy. Tytan is a great big brother and is learning to help the babies go on longer walks by holding their hands. He is also getting into hiding and sneaking, that is sneaking out of the house to play with his friends across the street...we're working on that one!

Jaxon

2009-06-06T21:41:00.001-07:00

Jaxon is 16 months old. His best dancing move is spinning on one foot around and around. He even wore a hole in his shoes doing this. He loves playing with cars/trucks and pushing them around in the dirt. When we go to the park, he finds the swing and waits next to it until I put him in and push him. He is a great eater, but when he is done, the food starts flying. His favorite book is "Five Little Monkeys," because he likes to shake his finger and say "No, no" to the monkeys jumping on the bed.

Madox

2009-06-06T21:36:00.001-07:00

Madox is now 16 months old. He is quick on his feet and has a mind of his own, especially when I want him to walk in a certain direction. He just learned to "Say cheese," and knows what cameras and phones are for. Madox loves to watch tv shows and sweeps the house for me if I leave the broom out where he can get to it. He loves playing in the yard and can often be found just laying in the grass looking at flowers. His favorite words are "what's this" and "thank you." He is such a sweet, emotional, little guy and I love his 11pm snuggles each night.

Here it is Oriana

2009-06-04T20:58:00.000-07:00

This is what I looked like 32 weeks preggo with the twins. I made it 4.5 more weeks, so you can only imagine how big I was at delivery! :)

Boyer Park

2009-05-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

Tytan and TJ fishing

Madox loves the water

Jaxon was a little hesitant, but did get his toes wet

Gordon, Madox and Jaxon trying to push the wagon into the water

With such great weather I can hardly sit still in the house. Our best friends from the library, Leona and her boys TJ and Gordon, went with us down to the river. We had the whole park to ourselves and luckily my boys loved their life jackets. The boys threw rocks into the water, pretended to fish and had a yummy picnic lunch. We will be going here more often since it is only a 25 minute drive!

Happy Anniversary- 7 Years!

2009-05-28T22:01:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Shane's niece Haily and her fiancee Mike, Shane and I got to go out to the fanciest restaurant in Pullman, Fireside Grill, and celebrate 7 years. We toasted to 7 more years focusing on our health and then drove around to our old houses while we waited for a movie. It was great to get out of the house. There aren't many people who can watch our little tribe.

Mother's Day

2009-05-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day this year Shane brought home "Pottery to go." It was a nice surprise and I had the boys help me paint it. We put hand prints and ages on it so I can remember how small the boys were when they are all grown up.

Popsicles

2009-05-28T21:54:00.001-07:00

These were our first of many popsicles of the summer. Jaxon was so mad when his popsicle would fall off the stick, or when it was gone. He wanted them to keep coming. Madox shared his popsicles with the dogs and didn't mind picking it up off the ground after it broke. Tytan is the popsicle king of our house and would eat one back to back all day long. He doesn't care what color or flavor it is, all he wants is a popsicle. We had to start a new rule, only one popsicle per day.

Sprinklers in the yard

2009-05-28T21:49:00.000-07:00

Shane brought home a new sprinkler for the boys to try out. It sprayed like crazy! Our water pressure must be much higher than the testers for this product. The sprinkler was going over the house. Madox sat down next to it and sprayed himself in the face while giggling uncontrollably. Tytan ran through the water a few times, but thought it was too cold. Jaxon would get just close enough to the water to get a toe wet and then run to me so I could warm him up. Jaxon also liked playing with the meter like he was flying an airplane. It is so funny to me how different the boys all are.

Captain Underpants!

2009-05-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

The boys were helping me fold laundry and the last pile to go to the rooms was Tytan's underwear. They all tried them on, so of course we had to get pictures to black mail them when they are older.

Update

2009-05-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

I would love to update my blog, however, I cannot find the cord again. I always put it in a safe place that I can't remember!

New haircuts

2009-04-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

All the boys got hair cuts this morning. I did the twins and Shane did Tytan. They were all good sports and are ready for some summer sun. Tytan was playing outside, so I'll have to add his picture later.

Under the table

2009-04-26T13:11:00.001-07:00

Why is it that one year olds love to play under the table? The boys love to go under and over the bars between the chair legs. Tytan loved playing under the table when he was this age too. It's all fun and games until someone bumps their head.

Tytan's weapons

2009-04-26T13:08:00.001-07:00

TJ and Tytan all dressed up

Tytan with the bubble gun

It seems that most activities Tytan chooses focus on weapons and fighting. He must be 100% boy. Luckily he has two good buddies that will play fight with him, and a daddy too!

Easter 2009

2009-04-14T12:27:00.001-07:00

Jaxon, Kristen, Madox and Shane

Madox, Grandpa, Tytan, Grandma and Jaxon

Madox found eggs

Jaxon found two eggs

This Easter we spent at my parent's house in Vancouver. It is the first time we have been there for Easter with our own kids. We dyed eggs with the boy cousins Ryan and Ian. In the morning we did our own egg hunt in the living room with all the hard boiled eggs. The twins found two each and then ate through the shells to eat the eggs. It was so gross and my parent's new carpet was covered with hard boiled egg. Stinky! We should have just let them find the candy filled eggs instead of saving them for the bigger kids. Before lunch Tytan, Ryan and Ian hunted for eggs and got more than 20 each. Their baskets were overflowing. I made lunch this year with a ham, ranch red potatoes, carrots, a fruit salad and easter grass cupcakes. When we were all full, we hopped in the car for our six hour ride home.

Easter Bunny 2009

2009-04-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

Tytan, Jaxon and Madox took pictures with the Easter Bunny this week. They all smiled and enjoyed the chocolate eggs! NO crying like I expected!

Twins Birthday Pics

2009-04-10T10:31:00.001-07:00

Jaxon and Madox 14 months

Jaxon

Madox

Seaside/Astoria day trip

2009-04-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

Grandpa had some deliveries to make on the way to the coast, so we went along for a day trip to the beach. We saw lots of boats and seagulls and came home full of sand. We stopped at the aquarium to fed the seals and touch the crabs.

Washington Park

2009-04-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

Grandma, Jaxon, Jeff and Suz

Ryan, Tytan and Ian

Kristen and Madox

Yummy pizza!!

Jeff, Suz, Ryan and Ian introduced us to the coolest park in Portland, Washington Park. It is the one you can ride the Oregon Zoo train to. The structure is HUGE and the kids had a blast!

Oregon Zoo

2009-04-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

This morning we went to the Oregon Zoo. It seems to be a tradition each time we visit Grandma Hahn. The weather was cold and wet but we had a blast and fed the lorikeets for the first time. We bought two cups of juice for the birds, I had one and Tytan had the other. When the second bird landed on his arm he got scared and threw his cup. I ended up with 5 birds on my arms, shoulders and even on top of my head. The birds held still and let the babies pet them too.

Camping out, well in the house :)

2009-04-02T15:34:00.001-07:00

Grandpa took off for a hike with the Boy Scouts and Tytan was so sad. He really wanted to go camping so we made a tent in the living room and put out the sleeping bags on the floor. Thankfully after about 20 minutes Tytan decided we should sleep in our beds instead. I am too old to sleep on a hard floor!

Nerds

2009-03-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

I gave Jaxon a box of Nerds to keep him busy while I cleaned up dinner and came back to find all three boys with the box open, scarfing them off the ground. Tytan was even tummy down sucking them off the floor because they were so small he could only grab one or two at a time. They are a bunch of Nerds!

Cougar Baseball

2009-03-26T19:28:00.001-07:00

Aunt Cortney and Uncle Mat came to visit for the weekend and since Mat is a baseball fanatic we went to see the Cougs destroy South Dakota. We ran into Tytan's best buddy Eli at the game. They had a blast running between our seats and his Grandma's box. Butch teased the boys throughout the game to keep them all entertained. Cortney took all the cute pictures of the boys with Butch, so I'll have to add them later.

Boise Zoo

2009-03-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

The group
Mike, Haily, Jan, Shane, Tytan, Madox & Jaxon

Tytan on a safari

Sliding with my boys

We always visit the Boise Zoo when we visit Emmett. This time there was a new Africa exhibit with tigers and giraffes. Grandma Jan, Cousin Haily and her fiance Mike joined us for the day. It was St. Patrick's Day and we all had green on under our coats. It was chilly!

Out to dinner

2009-03-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

Grandma Jan, Great-Grandma Jerry, Haily, Madox, Kristen, Jordon, Jason, Kelly, Jaxon and Tytan (Shane took the picture )

We went out to dinner with the family to a Japanese restaurant where the food is cooked in front of you. It was so yummy and everyone gained about 5 lbs. Tytan loved the fire, the cook tossing the eggs and getting squirted with the ketchup bottle rigged with a straw. It was nice to get everyone together out on the town!