Eben Turns 5!

Eben 1 day old.

Eben 5 years old.

Our first baby turned 5 on October 20th! (Where did the time go?) So we celebrated his big day on October 18th at Rainier View Christian Church. He planned a "Space" party and invited 4 friends because "then I will make it 5 and I'm turning 5". Plus, he wanted a boy party. So he invited his good friends Hunter and Hayden and Jonathan and Isaac.

He was so specific on what he wanted. He told me just how to make the cake, the type of decorations, etc. And we did pretty good, except for the real rocket.

We ate freeze dried fruit, rocket fuel (soda),

and astroid pizza by the light of glow bracelets and space (book) lights.

The kids all took their space lights and went into space (the next room over which was pitch black and Peter set up a fog machine so you couldn't see even with their lights) where they had to find all the glow in the dark planets.

Then we sang "Happy Birthday" ate cake and ice cream and Eben opened his presents! A favorite came from our friend, Mr. Wiley, a dancing robot with a remote.

Happy Birthday Eben!

We can't believe you are already 5! You are an amazing boy. You are a smart, fun, sensitive, kind, helpful, loving, wonderful child of God. And we are so blessed that He put you in our family so we get to love you, help you, raise you, tickle you and hear you laugh!

We love you, Mama and Dada.

Hunter Farms 2008

On October 17th we went to another pumpkin patch. I really love them and I warned Peter that I was going to want to go to both Spooner and Hunter's 2 months before. This time we went with Nonnie who was visiting from California and Grandma and Grandpa. Last year we got to go on a merry-go-round, ride ATV's, and all the other fun fall stuff but we didn't realize they only have those things on weekends. The good thing is they still have the Giant Slide, Hay Maze, Kiddie Corn Maze, Goats, and of course Pumpkins on weekdays. So we still had a lot to do. We started off our journey with a trip to Elmers because I love their German pancakes and the kids devour their chocolate chip pancakes (with ice cream) and Peter loves a good big breakfast.

Spooner Farms 2008

We went with our HFG (Bible study) to Spooner Farms - my favorite corn maze! They always have a different theme (this year it was Narnia) and it's so much fun to find the characters and hidden mailboxes throughout the corn. We had a race against our other HFG family friends. They casually walked through the maze as a group while we frantically pushed through the maze under Eben's fearless leadership. We lost. By a lot. But we had a ton of fun! We were so proud of Eben - guiding us through to every box and scene, Opal did super on Dada's back and Jasper and Kivi didn't whine once! Afterward we all went out to pizza.

Finding the beaver's den!

Trying to find all of the hidden mailboxes.

Corn mazes are new for me since moving to Washington and I love them. I try to do one every year. I love having this as a family tradition! It encourages family loyalty, adventure, determination, and when going through the dark tunnels - trust.

Things I Want To Remember

These are things we do a lot and at some point I know I will forget them unless, they are somewhere for me to see and spark memories deep in my brain. I have a VERY bad memory. So since these things also happened the second week of October and fit in my chronological family blog, I thought I would mention them. And if the internet is still around, and this blog is too when I'm 60, I'll be happy I put these in here.

This is how we retrieve our trash can. It's a long haul down our lengthy driveway, so we hook the can to the back of Eben's 4-wheeler and off he goes.

We build lots of forts! Almost every other day ALL the cushions get taken off the flowered couches and piled in a new way on the living room floor. Confession: I let my kids jump on the flowered couches. Although I've tried to teach them that we don't jump on other people's couches. But I have a feeling at some point they'll be told to treat things they way they do at home and start jumping all over stuff. Oh well. I've always wanted to jump on couches.

Opal in her jumpy seat. Kivi got her all beautiful and she was so happy to jump around.

Kivi and her Boo Boo Puppy. Nonnie got all the kids a Build-A-Bear for their first birthday, although, she waited until they were about 2 before she went with them to build it. Kivi is definitely the most attached to hers. Although Eben sleeps with his Space Froggy and Bubba likes Bubba Bear, Kivi takes (or begs to take) Boo Boo Puppy everywhere we go.

This video is a new thing that the kids started doing this fall. They drag their cars up to the garage and race down the hill. This day the Schock kids were over and they did it over and over. Poor Jasper dumped his car, but he survived and got back on.  

The Mamas Go To Texas

MOPS Convention 2008 in Dallas, TX -  Yee Haw!

Seven of us girls packed up and went to Texas Oct. 2-5th.  I had such a fun time! We made some cowgirl hats and T-shirts before hand at a little "Convention" party I had in the Mother In Law the Sunday before so we could find each other in the crowd of 5,000 moms. We roughed it in the Gaylord Texan resort, laughed and cried in our general sessions, saw an arial acrobatics show, went out to dinner every night, learned how to be better mamas and wives, and worshipped God. 

I stole this collage from Mashel, cause it sums up our trip. 

Except for:

The Theme. Every year MOPS chooses a different theme. This year's is Adventures in Mothering. So it's based on a carnival/circus. And there was free cotton candy!!

There was also a pool, which Wendy and I went to every day. I just laid next to her to make her look even more tan.

 "Go Fish" came and gave us a concert. Their songs are so fun, and not just for little kids!

Thank you Baby for letting me go! And thank you Grandma and Grandpa for watching ALL our kids!!

Pioneers

 On September 22, I thought it was funny that our hobbies suddenly looked so "pioneer". The boys were outside "helping" Dada chop wood. Which is a new hobby of Peter's since installing the wood burning fireplace, and our only source of heat thus far during our cold fall. Yesterday he said, "I don't think we'll have enough wood to get us through the winter." And I thought it sounded so funny, like we were living in the olden days.  But I'm so proud of him. He works so hard to keep us warm and starts a fire every morning at 5:00 am, comes back home at lunch to keep it going and starts another fire in the evening and sometimes before we go to bed. ( No, it's not one of those new efficient stoves.) I feel very cared for and protected. The boys copied his every move. Jasper went straight for his chain-saw and Eben fashioned his own ax out of wood.

The girls were inside (by the warm fire) sewing. I was making quilts for the girl's new pink and black French country bedroom. (Still not done.) Kivi got out her lace up animals so she could sew too. And Opal laid on the floor like a happy clam.

"You are teaching me to be a mama, right Mama?"  Kivi

Jasper's 2nd Birthday!

Jasper David Johnson, lovingly known to all as "Bubba", turned 2 on September 20th! We had his Truck party at Rainier View Christian Church. It was supposed to be an outside tailgate party, but rain changed our plans. So we used the big indoor kid's room and set up "Bubba's Car Wash",  "Jasper D's Auto" a repair shop, and "JJ's Gas Station". The kids loved it and drove all their little cars around the big room stopping at the different stations and running into each other. 

Mama and her big 2 year old.

Grandma and Opie Girl.

Bubba behind the wheel.

This car is too full!

Our little family at the gas station.

Kivi teaching Opal how to drive in their matching dresses.

Although it looks like we are trying to burn up our son, we are actually positioning him to blow out the candle. It took him so long to blow them out!

Nathaniel, Cooper, Eben, Kivi, Jack and Jasper eating their truck cupcakes.

Dada and Bubba at the repair shop.

Jasper and his little driving friends.

Happy Birthday our little trucker!  (Actually, Bubba is a really good trucker name.) You bring such joy to our lives! You are such a fun, cuddly, happy boy and we love you so much! 

Opal Sits Up!

On September 17th our 7 month old baby girl sat up by herself for the first time! I'll also put this picture of play dough time here, since this happened the next day.

The Puyallup Fair -Take 2!

My Aunt Louise and Uncle Gene came and stayed with us September 14-16th. So on the 15th we took them to the Puyallup Fair! This time we brought the kids too and Grandma and Grandpa. And we focused more on animals and rides this round. 

Here we are in the petting zoo!

With all the kids in there it's amazing that we got 2 pictures with all four of our kids and no one else's. The poor animals were swarmed by sticky little fingers all day. All they wanted to do was get out of there. But, petting the animals is a fair experience. So, get your gooey hands all over those animals kids! (My kids with gooey hands! - Never!)

The Autotopia Ride that the kids picked out to ride.

Kivi and Bubba went all by themselves! Here they are getting buckled in. Eben went in the next car with a kid he met in line.

The riders. We bought tickets to send the kids on 1 ride, but the nice carnies wouldn't take my tickets for 2 of the rides so we got to go on more!

Jasper the Grasper. Digging Dada's eyeballs out.

The motorcycle ride that Eben and Kivi rode. Jasper was going to go, but freaked out, so I had to take him off.

So he and I and Dada went in the hot air balloon ride.

Our whole fair gang, minus Dada, whose taking the picture. (I got my cotton candy - hurray!)