It started one rainy day in Tigard

I was keeping (sort of ) a journal for the past two years, just about things my kids have been doing, but I just write so slow. I hope my kids can look back on this with fond memories.

This is a blog about myself, Tanya and Jonathan, Nathaniel (almost five), Benjamin (2.5 years) and Grace (10 months) and the path we take as a family.


The family at Lake Tahoe

The family at Lake Tahoe
Nathaniel is just hiding

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Again, again?



Ahh.... candlelight services..... so we went to our church's candlelight service. The music was beautiful, the service was great, but Benjamin was so eager for the candles to be lit, that he could not concentrate on anything else... one song would go, then another and then another. He was waiting patiently, but that he said "my light candle now", "again" after another song would be sung, "again" after each song. It was about an hour into the hour and 15 minute service that they got to light the candles. By this time, I was out in the hallway with Grace as she was not happy being cooped up in someone's arms for that long.

Earlier in the day we went to Gustav's German Restaurant for lunch. It was nice and relaxed, getting us ready for the next day.

Christmas Eve we finished up the Trader Joe snacks we prepared and then got the house ready for Christmas Day; egg casserole, check, breakfast and dinner table laid, check, stockings filled, check, dishwasher emptied, check, brussels prepared, check, prune compote in port, check. Lots to do for the big day. Jonathan and Nathaniel even made mini mince pies for a Happy Birthday Jesus pie (no cake this year)....



Monday, December 21, 2009

Philippian's Song

At church yesterday Pastor Gene led us through Philippians 2 and why God had Jesus come to us on earth as a man, in likeness, but not a man. He put forth that this is the reason for the season. It was such a different message from the traditional message, that I was awestruck that he found something new to tell the congregation.

We had another home run with the kids yesterday. All three went into their classrooms and Jonathan and I got to sit through the service without them. It was such a gift to us.

The boys went to Portland International Raceway with my parents last night for the Christmas light show. They loved it and got taken out to dinner afterward. Jonathan and I stayed home with Grace. It was so weird, the house felt empty and we wondered what was all the fuss about having just one kid when we had Nathaniel. Oh, yeah, the first one eats you alive....

Nathaniel, with the help of Shanika (our awesome nanny) made a donkey for in-the-tail on the donkey for our NYE party.

Grace is down to three nursings a day, with one bottle thrown in here or there. Yeah Grace!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Grandparents arrival

My parents arrived last night and for some reason I told Nathaniel they would be there by the am.... and then he decided that he was so excited that he got up at 5:30 am to start the day. Now, to be honest, that is not that much earlier than his normal wake-up time of 6:30 am, but enough that by noon I felt like a zombie. With a bit of a rest, I was recharged.

We are going out to dinner tonight with my parents to Ponzi's Winebar in Dundee. So looking forward to a grown-up meal that the only person I cut things up for is myself.

Grace is taking a few steps here and there and is crawling like a crazy thing. She loves the stairs so much.... and gets so excited about them....


Thursday, December 17, 2009



So, this is the first day of writing my blog. I am listening to Benjamin yell for Daddy while he should be napping. He has been up since 6:20 and has swimming at 5:50 tonight. Joy. And of course Jonathan had a 6 a.m. meeting today. Long day.

We decorated our last three cookies left over from the cookie decorating party and then made chocolate chip cookies. Yum.

I need a Coke Zero and a nap. Will probably only get one.

I have been changing around Grace's nursing schedule, and she is doing the same to me....