Paigey is 5!

Paige had a Build-a-Bear birthday party this year. She and 10 of her closest friends each made their own new friend and had homemade cupcake cake in the mall. She is very excited to be 5 years old and will stop and tell any stranger on the street, "I am 5 years old!"

We also overheard her tell one of her friends, "you won't be seeing me after next week because I'll be 5 so I'll be going to kindergarten." PArker and I looked at each other like uh-oh, who's going to tell her?

Here are some pictures of the birthday girl taken on February 28th, since her birthday is not on the calendar this year ; ).

Willie!

Meet our new sweet boy, Willie! We found Willie on the website PetFinder and fell in love with his sweet expressive face. PJ and Kevin drove out to Prineville (North of Bend in Central Oregon, kind of cowboy town) and brought him home in a giant leap of faith. He'd lived outside his entire life in a kennel with his brothers and sisters as hunting dgs, but apparently Willie and his brother Waylon were not exactly natural bird dogs and the dude had too many dogs, and the rest is history. He is bright and happy and smart and loves the girls. He will still have an occasional accident and chew the wrong stuffed animal or shoelace, but we pretty much trained and house broke him in a day or so. Except for "come". We're taking dog training classes on Mondays. He'll get there.
We also think he might be a Republican - he ate my Barack Obama T-shirt and the seat belts in the back of our Highlander. What do you expect from a dog from Prineville?

Happy New Year with Grammy and Papa Lou

We had a blast bringing in 2009 with Grammy and Papa Lou. This last picture is of Paige giving Lou a shave. Next time she'll make sure to give him a haircut as well. She must have run out of time.

Snow Days!!

Here are some cool pictures of the week we were snowed in at Christmas. Look at how brave PJ is snowboarding on her sled. That hill is steeper than it looks. We had a great time - 3 weeks off!

RIP sweet Jack 9/95-11/08

Here are a couple of pictures from Jack's last days and one from when his sweetheart was born. Look at those lucious thighs, by the way. I think I've told the story of his decline enough that I won't rehash it, but we all still miss him very much. Looking at these photos reminds me of the way the girls cuddled him and read to him and kept him company at the end. A few weeks ago, Paigey asked, "when is Jack going to be back from heaven already?" Now I think she understands. We love you, sweet boy.

Nasty Halloween food

All the kids devoured this entire spread - except ham head. The ham was stuck on with cranberry sauce and was a little too gross for anyone.

Halloween 2008

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Here are some pictures of Princess Leia and my little mouse at the pumpkin patch and celebrating Halloween this year. Kevin added on to the yard decorations and we had some munchies for the goblins - see next post.

Looking for Halloween or Pumpkin ideas? Not a post for weak stomachs!!

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PJ is losing teeth all over the place! On her birthday, she was determined to lose her first front tooth. She worked that little thing right out. She then had fun acting like Dracula. A couple weeks later we were at a neighborhood party when completely out of the blue, it didn't even seem super wiggly, her other front tooth fell out. Today she lost a bottom tooth, completing her pumpkin smile for Halloween. Picture Day was last Thursday and she says it was a blast. The photographer made her show her (or what's left of her) teeth. I can't wait to see how the pictures come out!

Hamster Ball races!!!

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Saturday we headed down to Petco for the annual Hamster Ball races. Our Annie was in the first heat. She won by a mile. She just took off while this Teddy Bear Hamster, dwarf hamster and gerbil just hung out in their balls, frozen by the excitement. Patty was in the 3rd heat. She was in the lead when she just stopped with only two inches of track to go! Luckily, every other hamster in the race stopped, too. Kevin snapped his fingers in front of her ball, which almost made her go the other way (Nooooo!!), but just as the judge was ready to start them all over - she ran to the end. So, of the 12 small rodents, both our girls were in the finals. Annie took off again and won second place by an inch. Patty came in third because the fourth hamster never moved. It was a dalmation hamster and the cutest thing you ever saw. Kevin swears the winner "bowled" his hamster ball and Annie should have won.

PJ's 7th birthday

Here are some pictures of PJ's "Cosmic Bowling" birthday party. She had the high score (not including all the Dad scores) of 86. I love bowling with bumpers!

Austin Rocks!!

We had the best summer vacation ever. Big Texas food, big Texas house, big Texas lake, Big Texas boat, big Texas waterpark (we still work the word Schlitterbahn into conversation whenever we can, "can you believe that schlitterbahn?"). Thanks Louie, Rebecaa and Matt!

Nana and Granny took lots of pictures, too, and when the CD came in the mail Paige and I popped it right in and we laughed for the next half hour at pictures of the funniest member of our family by far - Remy. The picture of PJ and Chandler, they are laughing at Remy. We miss you! XOXO

Goodbye Great Grandma Egan

We miss you and we love you and we are sad. We have gained so much from having you in our lives. You were one cool woman and taught us all more than you ever knew.

Fairy Festival

The Annual Portland Fairy Festival - lots of Paige and one of PJ, too. Summer started a little late, so it was cold and rainy, but we still made potions, crowns and crafts.

Spring Break 2008 in Ohio

Here are some pictures from Great Wolf Lodge, the water park mecca in Ohio, I'm not sure why those strangers kept getting their butts in every picture both days...the girls very seriously painting the pirate mermaid sculpture, that I'm sure they will always remember having a big hand in creating, and twisting it up with the cousins. And of course, Chi-Chi the dog, who made up for any fever or flu : ). We miss you all!!