It's been awhile. Thought I'd do some practicing to refresh my memory on how to post again. This pic is from our "budding artist", Christian. I just had to take a photo! Love it!

Just some photos...

Yep! The kids LOVE taking pictures! I sure hope Avi can handle this...

Our neighbors were moving and the moving company was gracious enough to give me one of their refrigerator style boxes. The kids played in it for about a week or more before I was ready for it to be gone!

Val.....thought you would enjoy this one. We painted fingernails and toes one day. This is Christian. Each hand and foot was painted a different color. Madeleine's photo won't upload correctly, but her were alternating colors! You would be sooo proud!!

Caught her smiling!

HUH??

Pumpkin FUN!

We took the kids to a local pumpkin patch not too far away from the house. It is a very popular place. We found out that on a clear, sunny weekend, they can bring in 4000 people a day. We went to this farm a few years ago when Christian was just a baby (with Michele, Marlea, and Josh...made me miss them so much), so we knew to steer clear on the weekends. One good thing about Eric's job schedule....we were able to go on a beautiful Tuesday. It was a little chilly when we first got there, but warmed up. And the sky was beautiful with the sun shining.

Anyways, the patch is great! We paid for our tickets to cross the lake (which had a mechanical shark and loch ness monster coming out of it) to the pumpkin patch, grab a wheel barrow, and collect our pumpkins. They also had a small hay maze for the kids next to the pumpkins. When you are done, a train comes and picks you up and takes you back where you began. Of course, you could just walk to the pumpkins, but what kid would want to forgo a boat and a train ride. They are making BANK!!!

Lakeview Farms Pumpkin Patch

On the boat going across the lake to the pumpkins.

Too Cute!!

I really think that scary movies should be filmed in pumpkin patches. Look how scary the ground looks.

They were searching all over for the right pumpkin. We found a lot of rotten ones and green ones.

Asher was sticking his fingers in the dirt. You can see the dirt on the tips of his fingers.

Posing with their pumpkins.

I told the kids to say "choo choo" as I was taking the picture. Can you see Asher really getting into it? :) He loves trains!

Taking the train back to the store.

Pumpkin Patch

You can see the lake beyond the pumpkins. Nice property!

Right before we left. The kids really hated leaving.

Lincoln City, Oregon

Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport, Oregon

View of Yaquina lighthouse from the bay we walked down to.

View from lighthouse.

The view down from the lighthouse.

Madeleine playing in the water. Couldn't keep the kids out of it!!

We went to the old part of the city of Newport. Eric and the kids went to the pier and saw all these sea lions bathing in the sun. It was quite a warm day. Eric said that there was one sea lion, in the water, who was lifting one fin up and letting it warm up in the sun, then would roll over and lift the other one to warm up. He thought it was pretty amusing.

Eric and Grandma were saying that they saw deer around the neighborhood. Finally the kids and I saw this deer eating the fushia in the bushes.

Daddy and Avi at the beach house. Sorry, couldn't get her to look up.

This was hilarious to watch! Eric gave Asher a toasted marshmellow. Asher started pulling it apart and, lo and behold, it started sticking to his fingers. He couldn't get it off and was trying to rub it off on the log. He was starting to cry and then Eric came over and was pretending to eat it off of his hands. Asher's crying turned to laughter, as you can see! :)

Madeleine and Christian must have been warming themselves by the campfire. It was pretty windy.

Misc. photos

Just like Val and Scott's daughter, Carrie, our children love to take pictures with the camera also. This fine photo was taken by Madeleine. One of the better ones. :)

I think this one was taken by Christian. I have to wonder what it is going to be like for Avi in a few years!

Another photo by the kids.

Making cookies with Grandma!

Asher just being silly.

Aviela

Sooo.....I think our sweet baby girl is colicky! Go figure, our 4th. It was really rough around the 5th to 6th week. I'm noticing a little change. She's not screaming as much. I thought that she might have reflux, but after a week of giving her the reflux medicine, I think I've ruled that out.

That is why there aren't very many pictures of Aviela below. Hopefully that will change fairly quickly. Please keep us in your prayers!!!

Pictures!!

Latest picture of Aviela. She's getting so long.

Madeleine wearing her birthday butterfly hair clips. Really cute!

Asher will go into the garage and get Christian's helmet, put it on, then get Madeleine's scooter. I think we need to go shopping for him.

I think he was embarrassed about me taking his picture here. One of those looks!

A sweet moment. Asher can be very loving and will come up to one of the kids and give them a big hug!

Couldn't pass up this photo. He just looked too cute!

One of the finer moments!

Garden

Here's a picture of my garden! I've been wanting a garden here for years and finally convinced Eric when we re-vamped the yard. The tomatoes really took off. Too bad no one likes tomatoes but me!

Here's a little watermelon growing. It is about the size of two quarters side by side. I bought 3 plants, thinking that each one would grow one watermelon. But we've seen 6 or 7 watermelons so far. Don't worry....I can definitely eat them all!!! :)

Party party party!!!

Cool cake, huh? Yeah....I made it....NOT! (Notice the picture in the center.)

Madeleine had a few friends over to celebrate her birthday. We re-inacted the Cinderella story with the kids and made bead bracelets. I think everyone had a good time! It sure wore Eric and I out!

Madeleine turned 5!

Celebrating Madeleine's 5th birthday. I made her a cookie cake.

We went to a pizza place for Madeleine's "family" party. They had these little cars for the kids to ride. Asher just loved them. He would try to escape out of the lines that were drawn, and drive all over the place. He definitely shouldn't be a race car driver!

Here are Madeleine and Christian on the same scooter cars.

Yes!!

I'm actually getting another blog done! Aren't you proud of me?

Aviela is changing so much. It's still hard to tell who she looks like. I don't think she looks anything like the other children. If anything, she resembles Christian more than the others. But Eric and I have concluded that she looks more like an Olson.

The kids still love on her. Probably too much. Asher is still wanting to touch her all the time and give her kisses.

Madeleine is getting so tall. Everyone who sees her says how tall she is. She must have had a big growth spurt recently. Can't really tell because she doesn't wear pants or shorts. She loves her dresses! Christian is finally (FINALLY!) okay with potty training. He's been peeing in the potty the last 2 days. Eric and I are so excited! One less child we have to buy diapers for! Wahooooo! Asher is quite mischievous. Always pushing a chair somewhere to do something. We think he's going to be the "brains" of the group. He'll think of something to do and get the others to join along. He seems to always be thinking.......

I also have quite a funny to tell. The other night we were driving back home when Madeleine said: The blue sky matches my eyes. We all said, "yes, that's true". Then Christian piped up and said: My eyes match the dirt!!! I couldn't hold in my laughter! What a boy!!!

Latest Pics

Here's 3 of them, at least. It's hard to get Asher to sit still to take a picture of all of them.

Most recent photo of Aviela. She's a month old here. I think she looks really good in purple. Must be her color. It was my favorite when I was a kid. I remember wanting a purple car and house when I got older. Good thing I grew out of that, huh?

Here she is on the 4th of July. About 2 weeks old.

I went to check on Aviela, and there she was sucking her thumb. It was sooo cute. I haven't noticed her doing it since this picture.