Here We Go Again

Number 4 is on the way! We are excited to announce that we are adding to our family, and the new little one is due February 3, 2010. Drew and Mason are happy about the new addition but I'm not so sure Darcy will be. She is an awfully big momma's girl and she will only be 19 months older than the new baby. We will have to get lots of snuggles in before February. Mason likes to tell me he has a baby in his tummy and he shows me his poochy belly all the time. He also was wondering when I went to the doctor if the doctor would take the baby out of my tummy to check it and then put it back in. This is going to be fun trying to explain it to my very special 3 year old!

Big Birthday Bash

July 8th my sweet baby turned 1! I don't think we even sang happy birthday to her that day because we were getting ourselves ready for the big birthday bash on the 11th. We always throw a big first birthday party for the kids, then pretty much refuse to have parties for them as they get older. Maybe because these parties are so draining on me. Paul knows now to just quietly do whatever I ask him to and not take anything I yell at him personally during these happy events!

This year we hosted the party at my parents' house because it has a huge lawn which could hold the 39 family member attendees. The weather was perfect. Overcast at noon while we ate our bar-b-que, and then the sun came out about 2, just in time for the kids to swim and have water fights. We threw a sunshine pinata in there for fun too, so the kids all went away with goody bags full of candy and tummies full of cake and ice cream.

Darcy wanted to grab the pretty flame on the candle so I had to blow it out for her.

My family. Missing my oldest sister, Cindi, but all of us together only happens once a year if we are lucky.

Drew took a few good wacks at the pinata. It actually broke after the 5th person I think. The older kids didn't get a swing but I don't think they minded since they got the candy anyway.

This is my niece Ruqayyah. So darn cute, and I LOVE the rolls on those legs!

Just a smattering of all those who attended.

Paul and my dad hard at work cooking up the chicken, hot dogs, and hamburgers.

Darcy and some of her cousins.

The party eventually ended with the last guests leaving 8 hours after it started. I guess I will call that a success! We finished the night playing Rock Band, and at one point Darcy was playing the drums while my mom was on the electric guitar. Good times!

Since Darcy can't answer my birthday questions I will list those things that I believe are her favorites:

Food - anything, the girl is a bottomless pit

show - Baby Einstein shapes

Things to do - play with Drew, suck her thumb and play with the tassles on her blanket, snuggle with mom.

My Darcy is such a sweetheart and I am so in love with her. She gets along really well with her sister, and cringes everytime Mason gets near her, but I'm sure she likes him too. She loves to army crawl and still has no ambition what-so-ever to get up and walk, but I think that's because she knows we wouldn't get to snuggle as much if I didn't need to carry her around. We are so blessed with this little girl in our lives. What a happy little thing, and I just love the red hair. She is an original and I wouldn't want her any other way! We love you Darcy!

4th of July Weekend

This 4th of July we had Paul home! What a treat. The last 3 years he was working the graveyard shift and missed the festivities. It was fun to have him home, even though we didn't do anything thrilling. That morning I headed out to Sauvie Island to pick blueberries and raspberries, with the intent of being there at 8am when the farm opened for business. Well, 8am on Sauvie Island on the 4th of July puts you smack dab in the middle of a marathon. I had to drive completely around the island, through a mass of running and walking bodies. It took me about 40 minutes to get to the farm once I got on the island! Argh. The berries were worth it though. I made raspberry jam, a raspberry dessert for the next day, and ate and froze a bunch of blueberries.

We lit our own fireworks in the street and Drew and Mason seemed to enjoy it. I am not impressed with what Oregon will allow as fireworks. I grew up in Washington with Roman Candles and Saturn Missles and trips to the reservation for the good illegal ones. Ahhhh, those were the days. Paul kept stacking the used boxes on top of each other so we had quite the tower in the end, which made the show a bit more interesting with sparks raining down onto the road from high atop the stack. By that point Drew was getting a bit leery and asked if she could go inside.





The 5th of July we went to the blessing of my new niece Kennedy, who was born on June 3rd. What a cutie. We had a good time visiting with family and eating my raspberry dessert! Here are Ruqayyah, Kennedy, and Darcy - all born within 11 months of each other. Darcy looks HUGE compared to her cousins.

The 6th of July is my birthday! Happy birthday to me! I was hoping since Darcy's birthday is the 8th mine might get passed by this year but no such luck. Drew made me a lovely pipe-cleaner tiara to wear for the party, and we ate my very favorite dessert, Angel Delight. Angel food cake, melted chocolate chips, whipped cream, and egg whites all mixed together. Heaven in a bowl!

I got a leather-bound pocket guide to the National Parks, which is just what I need for our road trips! Try to read the comic Paul wrapped it in. It is exactly our life.

I also received Rock Band for our Xbox. Mason loves the guitar and Drew likes the drums. That usually meant I was singing. Not so good. Luckily this game rewards you for being loud and screechy, right up my alley. The game is fun but I can see where A LOT of time can be wasted on it.

In honor of my birthday I asked Drew and Mason a couple questions about me. I also asked Darcy but she just clapped so I guess that means she likes me?

How old am I?

Drew - 36 (she said 56 the day before)

Mason - 20 (thanks sweetheart!)

What is my favorite thing to do?

D - help kids

M - put sauce on it (HA! this kids is so insightful!)

What is my name?

D - Tiffiny

M - momma

Favorite color?

D - Pink

M - Blue (I'll say they are both right)

Favorite Animal?

D - Elephant

M - Giraffe (I thought this would be an easy one - Hippo! Drew inherited my many stuffed hippos so I was surprised she missed it)

What do I do that makes you happy?

D - Play on the computer

M - Give pirate toys

What do I do that makes me happy?

D - Snuggle

M - Eat Fire Chips (Doritos - I think he was confused, he's the one who likes them)

What makes me sad?

D - kids not listening

M - birthday cake (like I said, what an insightful guy!)

We are gearing up for Darcy's first birthday party at my parents' house this weekend. We could have close to 50 people if everyone from both sides of the family show up. Me stressed? Nah.