Zachs "birth" day.

Zachs birthday party was on Saturday but his actual "birth" day was on sunday the 17th. So since we had no plans for the day (which hasnt happened much all summer long!), we decided to have a family day out. We started the day with a special birthday breakfast of Pop Tarts thanks to Leslie, and then followed with a few errands and then went to the park in Wilsonville. We'd never been there but had heard it was pretty cool. We definately liked the park and had a great time. The park area wasnt anything compared to our new favorite park in Sherwood, but the water area at this park definately won us over. The boys had such a great time, and we even got a little into the play as well.





Its in my nose daddy!!
All soaked and tuckered out, time for lunch!

So then we headed over to Red Robin where we had some yummy lunch and celebrated birthdays again. They sang to both Zach and I, and then gave us some ice cream. YUM! "Cheese" for our birthdays!
Feeding eachother our ice cream!

Happy 3rd Birthday Zach!

Both of our boys have gone through the "dog" phase at about 2-3 years old. Zach is by far more into it though than Eli ever was. Zach will bust out into dog mode at the most random times...for example, in the middle of the store while shopping. And its not just a little innocent act that he does, he goes full on dog. He gets down on all fours, licks, puts everything in his mouth, and even barks..but its no nice cute little bark, its a really loud high pitched bark that you can hear for miles. We've learned that its not something that he should really get in trouble for, being creative and all. So instead we've gone with the "playing along" route. Say like when he wont brush his teeth at night as "Zach" we turn the tables on him and say "come on doggy time to brush your teeth now" and he plops down on all fours and happily crawls to the bathroom barking to brush his teeth. So where the dog mode has its downfalls, we've definately learned how to take advantage of it also. So when the planning for Zachs party came about and we asked him what kind of party he wanted and he said a doggy one...it was just perfect. I want my boys to always remember how fun their birthdays were growing up, so I try to go all out. I make their cake myself every year to go along with the theme, and we try to do everything we can to make the theme just perfect. We had a "hot dog" bbq and had many varieties and toppings, all served in dog dishes. We even had some "dog food" on the tables as guests arrived (cocoa puffs). I was really suprised at how quick all the kids started eating it, it really did look like dog food! But as Jenna quickly corrected me when I asked why she was eating dog food, she said "no, its chocolate silly!". Kids are so smart.

We set up the pool and water table to keep all the kids as cool as we could in the heat.

Zach opening his gift from big brother Eli. He was truly so excited! Eli picked out a dog grow head, like those chia pets kind of, for him all on his own and wrapped it and everything. That night when I tucked Zach into bed I asked him if he loved his doggy party and he said "yeah, and I love my doggy grow head so much!" How sweet is that? Its things like that when Im reminded that just because they fight like mad all the time, doesnt mean they dont love eachother still.

I just love this picture of him blowing out his candles! He looks so stinkin' cute. I cant believe my baby is 3 years old already. I think this officially takes us out of the baby phase? He's become such a fun little boy. He's our calm, caring, cuddly, funny little guy..I mean doggy. Happy Birthday Zach, we love you so much.

Safety Town Camp

We are always checking out the local Park and Rec activities and camps for the boys. Park and Rec is who we've put Eli in Soccer and Tball through so far, and this year Zach will get to join a soccer camp too, he's finally old enough! Zach starts his soccer camp at the end of the month, its the same camp that Eli's done since he was three. This year Eli is old enough to join a real team and leave those silly "soccer camps" behind, he starts the beginning of Sept. :) I will be sure to post his game schedules for everyone to come cheer him on!

Anyways, with Eli going into kindergarten this fall there has definatley been a little more panic happening on my end of things. Its a whole new ball game of safety issues that arrise in my controling mind. So when I came across "Safety Town", a camp put on by the Park and Rec and the Newberg/Dundee police department for $40..I had to sign him up. We went down to the Park and Rec office to sign him up, they were accepting 50 children...we were 51. I was so upset! So I begged to have them make a note that if someone cancelled to PLEASE let us know...this was a wednesday and the camp was starting the following monday, but on Friday I got a call! They told me that no one had cancelled but that since Eli was the only other child "begging" to be in camp, that they could take on just one more kid and make it a camp of 51 instead of 50...boy was I one grateful Mommy and thanked her over and over again. It was a week long camp, I dropped him off every morning at 9am and picked him back up at noon. His first day he was a little worried on our way but when we got there he said "you can leave now mommy, I thought it wasnt going to be fun but it is now". They learned every safety topic you can name! Everything from fire to electrical, walking, biking, strangers, and so on and so on. But by far my favorite experience he had of the week was the bus safety. He had been so excited all summer to ride a school bus to kindergarten, but this last few weeks he's been refusing saying he's not going to. Im not sure why or where it came from, other than he's been a cranky little boy. So the day that they learned about bus safety a bus came to camp, they rode around town on it and learned the safe way to ride one. He was so excited and told me all about everything he learned each day when I picked him up, but the day he rode the school bus was his most exciting. He's decided that the school bus IS cool, and he will ride it to school now that he knows how to do it safe. So he learned a ton all week long, had a great time making some new friends, has been teaching his brother some safety tips, and even came home with a few paranoid moments (one night thought all the kids were going to get shocked at my moms house playing by the plug in, another night he was playing Wii and started making a furball noise and said he had poison in his mouth but he really didnt). So $40 on Safety town definatley helped mommy feel more comfortable about shipping him off on a big school bus all alone without me shadowing behind to make sure he's ok. My big boy is growing up so fast.

Happy 6th Birthday Landon!

This weekend we attended a birthday for a friends little boy, Landon, who turned 6 years old. I met his mother, my now very dear friend, through Relay for Life. They had the party at the Soccer Park in Sherwood (I dont know its REAL name sorry!). They have this very cool water/sand area and lots of really great play ground equipment to play on. We had lunch and played a ton. It was a very nice day full of great company, good food, and lots of play. Even Jake got down and dirty and had a troup of kids helping him build all kinds of fun things in the sand. They were all in aw of Jakes cool castle. Happy Birthday Landon!

Relay for Life 2008, Around the World.

Relay for Life to me, has become such an important part of my life. Such a huge part of my heart, my family, my being, my peace. Coming into the knowledge of Relay for Life 3 years ago was such a huge step in my healing process over losing my Daddy to cancer. My Dad passed away over half my lifetime ago, its wierd to think it in those terms..but with me turning 30 this week Im thinking time in weird terms latley so thats ok. hehe I was ending my sophomore year in High School. For years I had a hard time with his death, I mourned more than I can tell you. But through the birth of Eli, who was born on the exact same day that my dad passed away, just 9 years later. I immediately knew that Eli was a gift from Heaven from my Daddy to help me cope with his loss. I quickly learned that he wouldnt have wanted the day he passed away to be the day I always remembered, so he replaced that day with a day of joy and celebration...the birth of my first son. Along with that blessing, and the blessing of becoming a part of Sherwoods Relay for Life...Ive learned to grow, to educate myself, to fight back, but above all Ive learned to celebrate my Daddys life instead of mourning his loss. I began as a team captain, and last year decided that wasnt enough fight for me and I joined the great group of volunteers who help run the event. Ive met some fantastic lifetime friends through this event, and have made some great memories with them all. This year I ran the Silent Auction, raising just about $8,000 with the help of all the teams and local companies donations. (Yes I am very proud to announce that total was a 334% increase from last year!) Our over all goal for the total relay was $70,000 and we are almost there! It was a very successful year for Sherwoods Relay yet again and I look foward to Relay 2009, as I have volunteered again for the Silent Auction Chair position. So as you are cleaning out your extra basket throughout the year that you dont need...think of me and hold on to them for me, or call me to pick them up! Also anyone who has any connections to companies and such that can help get us donated items, let me know too! Thank you everyone who came to help and support my love for Relay.

Spending time with out of town family.

So my next few posts are a little behind...sorry. The weekend of my suprise party we also had a few other fun occasions. On Saturday morning we drove up to Camas to Jen and Neils house where we had a wonderful brunch and played and visited. The reason we all got together there was because it was Kristi and Juan and the kids' last day in Oregon from New Mexico, and Bens first day in town from Hong Kong. So for the few hours that they were all here in Oregon we got together to enjoy eachothers company. It was so fun to see all of the kids play, and to see most of the adult siblings together (other than Jake who was working...but he'd been up there all night long playing Wii so it was ok). Aunt Jen always has the coolest kid toys, so she set up two bubble machines, one small and one large...and the kids went to town on them for the longest time! We were sad to see the Ferrets off, we cant wait to see them again at Christmas time in Mexico for some sunshine and fun!

Then after leaving there we went to my suprise party (posting below on that). Then Sunday we woke up and went to a Jubilee for Sister Aunt Catherine. 50 years of being a Nun. It was a very nice ceremony, followed by a yummy potluck and visiting with family. And as with any Hertel function, the boys were thrilled to see the Georges. After eating we took the boys out to the little playground and Eli gave the balance beam a try. He got a little frustrated...long weekend with not much sleep. But got pretty happy when he almost made it across! When it was time for Unlce Ben to leave the Jubilee gathering, the boys we were sad to see him go. We knew we wouldnt see him again before he left for Hong Kong again, so the boys ran across the big grass area to give him a great big hug. Its a far away picture, but you get the sweetness of the idea. They sure miss their Uncle Ben and Aunt Alisa.

And as you can see...this is how tiring and long our weekend was. haha. I think this picture can be used as blackmail amo in his dating years, what do you think?

Happy Birthday to ME!

Happy 30th birthday to me! So somehow Billie, along with my mommys help and the quiet secret hushes of everyone else...I was thrown a wonderful suprise party for my 30th birthday this last weekend! Normally Im pretty observent and pick up on everything and ruin suprises...but I have been SO busy latley and so overwhelmed with our schedule that I really honestly was suprised! Infact a few weeks ago I told Billie that she had "badly hinted" about throwing me a party a few months back and so I was telling her that I was just so busy latley to please not do anything for me and that we would do a small dinner sometime. Well luckily she is a GREAT friend and didnt listen to me, because I really needed this party as a pick me up and a re charge in my mood latley. I walked in and it took me a second...I saw my mother in law Rita and thought "why is she here? am I really seeing her? am I really THAT tired?" and then I realized that it was a party for me..and almost slipped a bad word (which I dont ever do, but was so shocked it almost came out anyways!!!). Then of course, I bawled like a baby...happy baby of course. It was wonderful to be surrounded by all my loved ones, sitting and eating and celebrating my big 3-0. I even had a couple corona...tiny little baby ones, they were soooo cute! (thanks to Pat for that one..hehe). So again, thank you everyone who was a part of my big special suprise. You are all one in a million, love you all!
Walking in to Billies backyard for a "bbq" with her and Pat....
And realizing it wasnt that at all...but was a suprise party for ME!
Wiping away the "happy tears".
All the gang eating up the yummy food and enjoying the company.

Opening my wonderful gifts! Thank you everyone.

But, I decided that since my party was 2 weeks before my birthday that this means I get to have a celebration month instead of just my birthday. hehe

Ive been asked a few times by people if Im sad about turning 30. Here is my answer...2 years ago, I awoke at the Hertel campout on my birthday turning 28. I quickly found out that I really was getting old because all day long I was so upset because I thought I was 29 instead of 28 (see, getting so old I couldnt remember my own age!) and in my mind that meant I only had ONE MORE YEAR until the big THREE-ZERO. Then Jake figured it out and let me know, that no honey you have two years to go. I was so excited! It was the best news I heard that entire day!!! haha So now here I am, actually turning thirty (for real this time!) and Im totally excited. Im at a point where I love every aspect of my life and wouldnt change a thing, Ive gone through things that have brought out the best in me and Im comfortable with the completley open me, and I feel like Ive come full circle to adult hood. So am I sad about turning 30?...definatley not. Im enjoying it more than I ever expected I would. I guess I had my "30 depression" two years ago, which Im so thankful for now! So here's to me...and my birthday!