The Pick - Six

Caitlin goes to the Tide Pools

2011-06-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

This year Cait's class has been studying ocean life. As a culmination to that unit they take a field trip to the San Pedro Tide Pools. It was a really fun trip, especially since the kids all knew what they were looking for. Cait has a great teacher who had them make their own t-shirts, and had them make identification necklaces with all the sea creatures and their information on them.

View from the lunch area

Barnacles

My almost third grader!

One of the crabs we saw

Cait's Second grade class

Carsons Birthday Party

2011-06-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

This year we decided it was time to let Carson have his own birthday party. Carson LOVES all things that have to do with "worker men and build huge amazing stuff!" So, we did a construction birthday party. He loved it and asked if he could have his party again the next day! Below are some fun pics from his party.

Practicing hammering in nails

Tim giving instructions to the crew

We saw a cute idea to use a refrigerator box as a house and let the kids paint the house

Carsons friend Harper

Kaylee was ready to help

Miss Karis - Carsons best little girl friend - with the finished project

Working on our toolbox

Birthday boy

Tim and I with our 4 year old boy!

Look who's Six

2011-06-15T15:38:00.001-07:00

A month and a half ago our sweet Grace turned 6. She has been wanting a play date with some girls from school so we had them over on her birthday. In normal Grace fashion they had to play dress-up.

Grace with her friends Addie and Noelle

Sweet sisters

Sporting her new shades and her missing front teeth

Graces Field Trip to Malibu Ranger Station

2011-06-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

In the beginning of May Grace's class went on a field trip to the Malibu Park Ranger Station. It was a beautiful day and a really fun and educational field trip.

Here is Grace with a couple girls from her class - it was a lot of the kids first time riding a bus

Grace and Jhoezeil on our hike

A view from the top of our hike - it was a pretty steep climb up, but the view from the top was beautiful!

On our way up

Class Pic - yes Grace is the tallest in her class :)

Mom and Dad's Chicago Trip Pt. 4

2011-04-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture from Thursday of us by Lake Michigan. The lake is so big you feel like you are on the ocean, especially with the waves we were seeing.

On the lake with the city behind us

Friday we went and visited Memorial Park. There was some really neat architecture

This is what we refer to as the Chicago Bean (I have no idea what it is really called)
We took the pictures looking into the bean

From the bridge over the riverwalk

And today, we are coming home to see all of you! Love you lots!

Mom and Dad's Chicago Trip Pt. 3

2011-04-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture from the ground up of our hotel. Cait wanted to see how tall it was!

Across the road from us is an apartment building with parking underneath. It has some interesting architecture

On Thursday after the conference we took a long walk (4-5 miles). First we walked down the Magnificent Mile, which is all shopping.

We saw some men building a new high rise apartment building (they start at $1.4 mill.)

Here is a picture of the crane they were using to lift the steel beams up with

We then walked over to Old Town Chicago. It was very interesting to see the difference between it and the high end shopping district we were just in. We got you all a fun treat while we were there.

This is one of the many old churches we saw

A little closer up so you can actually see daddy in the picture

Hope you are having a good day and that the jog-a-thon was a lot of fun! We miss you all very much and can't wait to see you and hug you tight!

Mom and Dad's Chicago Trip Pt. 2

2011-04-13T20:15:00.000-07:00

Here's the second update on the Chicago trip.

First, as we walked to breakfast this morning we saw some men washing some windows. Anyone want this job?

Here we are at the conference.

Here are a couple of pictures of the main meeting room- there's something like 5,500 people here for the conference.

We love you Caitlin, Grace, Carson and Makaylee- and Grandma too!

Mom and Dad's Chicago Trip Pt. 1

2011-04-11T19:28:00.001-07:00

Nicole and I are in Chicago for the Gospel Coalition Conference this week. Here's our first post of pictures of Chicago (mainly intended to give the kids an idea of where we're at).

These are all from our hotel room.

At night...

During the day...

What we've been up to

2011-03-31T13:34:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the ultra-long delay in postings! Life has been absolutely insane for us lately! However, God has been incredibly gracious to us and continues to give sustaining grace to us. We have been immensely blessed by all He is doing in and through us.
Here is a whirl-wind version of our life:

Filling out our March Madness brackets

Even Kaylee had one this year!

My uncle got married a few weeks ago and Tim did the wedding. My super cute little boy

We enjoyed some time with my family - Cait and Maddie

Kaylee and her cousin Ezekiel

We also had a fun visit from some dear friends from seminary, the Culbertsons (8 kids between the two families)

The girls celebrated their 100th day of school. Grace had to use 100 of something, here is her barn

Cait had to use 1,000 of something. She made a rubberband snowman bungie jumping :)

We are also experiencing some fierce independence, this is the cute version of it!

And.......

Kaylee is now potty trained!! Carson helped entertain her during potty times :)

He was "reading" the bible to her and showing her the pictures (or lack thereof)!

Here is our big girl. She still has to be reminded to go every hour but she thinks she is pretty big stuff wearing underwear!

I am truly enjoying all that God is putting before us. I am also thoroughly enjoying my kids right now. They are all changing and growing so much. God has blessed us beyond belief!

Fall Fun

2010-11-20T21:50:00.000-08:00

The weather here has been absolutely beautiful lately! We are enjoying being outside and enjoying time with friends. We got to go to a super fun birthday party at Underwood farms at the beginning of the month. It was a fun treat as we have gone as a family but don't do the extra stuff, this time we got to do it all. The kids had a blast!

With some friends on a real wagon ride, horse and all

A tractor ride in cow trains

Riding the ponies

One day the girls wanted to be outside but needed to do their reading. So, we laid a towel on the grass and I let Carson skip rest time and this is what I found:

It always brings joy to my heart to see them enjoying things together

Our Thankful Tree

This year I wanted to do something more with thanksgiving. A few years ago we had done a thankful chart, but with all the varying ages in our house I wanted something more hands on. I saw the idea in a pottery barn kids catalogue (they were selling a felt one) and decided we could make one out of butcher paper. I bought a bunch of fun fall paper and we spent a family night cutting out leaves. A few times a week we take some time to write things we are thankful for on leaves and put them on our tree. The kids love it and I love the reminders too! Kaylee is really cute with it as she can tell you which leaves are hers. she "writes" on them too!
We are excited about this next week off school and all of Tim's family coming to celebrate thanksgiving with us!

October 2010

2010-11-20T21:23:00.001-08:00

October proved to be another busy month for us! It started off with our sweet Kaylee turning 2!

We enjoyed some soccer in the mud. Here is our goofy Grace trying to stay warm with her brothers sweatshirt

Kaylee has become quite independent these days. Everything is "me do." She can get herself dressed, put her shoes and socks on, put the plastic away from the dishwasher. She is getting too old too quick!

Carson being silly at a soccer game wearing the girls headband

Trying out her new umbrella in the rain

We also celebrated Caitlin turning 7. She had three girls from school over for a playdate for her birthday. Here is Carson trying to keep his boyishness present amongst all the girls!

Cait and her friends

Kaylee is now in a big girl bed! She has only fallen off once and is doing a great job staying in bed until we come get her in the morning (this did take some work though)

Dressing up for the Halloween movie night at school
(Spiderman, bridesmaid, '50's girl, and Minnie Mouse)

Halloween (Grace is Fancy Nancy, and Cait a bridesmaid)

Minnie

We borrowed Kaylee's costume from a friend and she loved it. The week after Halloween she kept asking to wear it, ears and all, and would ask me to put her nose on too. Too Cute!

Firsts of Fall

2010-09-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

Well fall is here and with it come many new firsts and a packed schedule.
First, we had our first soccer games:

Cait's team is the Lime-inators, and she scored a goal her first game

Grace has improved drastically this year! She also scored a goal for her team, the Lavender Ponies, that Tim is coaching. We are playing AYSO this year and they do things differently. Grace only has 5 players on her team and only 3 play at a time with no goalie. Cait has 7 players on her team with 5 playing at a time with no goalie.

And our little wannabe soccer player, a.k.a. their biggest fan

First day of school!!!

Cait is in 2nd Grade this year

Grace started Kindergarten - she loves every minute of it!

First glasses - Cait has been a trooper with needing glasses and has had a great attitude so far. She did have one boy in her class tease her yesterday so we got to have a good conversation about forgiveness and not worrying about what others think.

First "real" bike for Carson (he wasn't too thrilled with having his picture taken)

And last, first style. Kaylee's look for the games today!

Our community groups (small groups) also started up, and this week Carson will be starting a phonological preschool for speech therapy once a week. I am enjoying having some more time with Carson and Kaylee while the girls are in school, but we do miss having them around all the time.

July Fun

2010-08-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

Well, July lived up to the craziness of the past few months! Life continues to be busy for us. But it also continues to be a blessing! Part of the craziness was the visits we had from friends and family. So far this summer we have been unable to get up north. However, God has been very gracious and enabled many to come visit us! Enjoy the following pictures of some of those visits!

At the Santa Clarita Aquatics Center with my Family

Visiting the San Fernando Mission

4th of July

Enjoying Lake Balboa Park

Dressing up with the Myers girls

Kaylee and Autumn (Kaylee loved Autumn and called her baby, it was really cute!)

Fun at the Beach
Grace and Becca

Love this one of Cait and Charity

Trying for a group shot, not very successful

Rollerskating!!

The zoo with Uncle Rob and Aunt Adri

In case you were curious what I do all day

2010-06-21T21:15:00.001-07:00

I was checking my e-mail real quick today, and this is what was happening in the other room:

And this is what that bookcase usually looks like:

After, my cute, sweet little Makaylee emptied the books out I put her in her room to play while Cait and Grace and I cleaned them up. While she was in there, she climbed on Carsons bed and then got on top of the changing table. There is seriously never a dull moment with her right now. She is so much fun right now and so much work!

Busy Times

2010-06-18T20:42:00.001-07:00

The last month and a half has been pretty busy for us. We started off May with Tim's parents and brother and sister-in-law coming to visit for Jon's graduation. Unfortunately I have no pictures of that, but below is a re-cap of the what else has taken place.
We discovered our new favorite snack, peanut butter
filled pretzels. We like them so much that Kaylee
gets them out herself!

Grace turned 5 and got a new bike

Carson turned 3 and his favorite person right now, Joe Levis, brought him balloons for his birthday. Made his day!

The next weekend the Thorton's pitched their trailer in front of our house while they were here for Maria's graduation. While they were here we got to enjoy the beach with them.

We took a trip to the zoo. More pics to come from Grace's perspective.

And, we all flew to Texas to celebrate Jon and Julia's wedding.
More pics to come of that too!

Then, we started off June right by visiting our Farmers market and getting arm "paintings"
(can you guess who's arm is who's?)

Last, my brother and his two younger kids were visiting my parents from Georgia and were gracious enough to drive down and see us since we could not make it up there. It was a fun time of being able to introduce our kids to them and just spend time together. Unfortunately, Cait was already at school when I realized we didn't have a single picture of their time. O well!

Included in our business was the first official gathering of Redemption Church of Northridge. My family got to be here for it and it was a blessing.
You can be praying for us as we are having a neighborhood summer kick-off BBQ at our house next Sat. Pray for opportunities to get to know our neighbors better and just show the love of Christ to them. So far the warm weather is proving to be very helpful for this. We have already been swimming at two different houses and are on to our third on Sunday.

Redemption Northridge June Update Letter

2010-06-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the latest update letter for Redemption Church of Northridge.

Thanks for your prayers and support.

Tim

Video Card- Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

This year the kids and I put together the following video for Nicole for Mother's Day. She is an amazing mom and we are incredibly thankful for her!

By the way- as most of you know- this kind of creativity is highly unusual for me. Don't get the impression that this is normal. In fact I'm open to any suggestions for how to celebrate our ten year anniversary coming up in a couple weeks!

What you've been waiting for

2010-04-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been pretty busy for us. Between a trip up north, grandma coming to visit, and a little family get a way to the Hot Springs I have not had much down time. We have a little reprieve this week and then the craziness picks up with friends and family staying with us for various graduations and disneyland trips. Then at the end of May we are all going to Texas for Jon and Julia's wedding. Add in to all of this the every day normal life things that have to happen like school, cleaning, laundry, training, and well lets just say I am consistently busy. However, I am thankful for all of this business because it involves people and opportunities to love, serve, encourage, train, and teach.
Most of our blog has been devoted to pictures, but lately I have been trying to write more to give everyone a better idea of how God is working and what He is teaching us in this amazing journey of faith we are on. But I know most of you are wanting more pictures. So, here you go!
Enjoy!

Time with Grandma

2010-04-19T21:03:00.001-07:00

Nancy, Grandma, drove home with us after our visit to Auburn and spent the next week with us. While she was here we did some fun things, and we just lived our lives and let her be a part of it.

Caitlin striking a pose

Grandma always helped with our flowers, so we made sure she didn't miss out this year! And the three younger ones got to help

Just some fun pictures of everyone playing outside and enjoying having Grandma around!

Our neighbors have been doing a lot of work on their house, and the first project the workers did was build a small wall between our yards. Carson loves to work and was inspired. Since watching he consistently drives around our yard in his "work truck" with wood and tools in the back and fixes and builds whatever he can get his hands on. I love seeing his thoughts and creativity!

One day we went to a really fun park about 10 min from us. It has great play equipment, a huge pond, and a big loop to ride bikes/walk. The kids loved it and we can't wait to go back.

We also got to decorate cupcakes with a fun cupcake decorating kit Grandma got us. Cait had a friend from school over, Tess, who got to join in on the fun.

Kaylee watching after she reaped the benefits of the decorating!

Time at Papa and Nona's House

2010-04-19T20:54:00.001-07:00

For Caitlin's spring break this year we went up to Auburn to visit our family and friends who we miss greatly! It was a busy time, but a sweet time as well. We spent most of our nights at my parents house and the kids had a great time playing with all my sibling.

Dying Easter eggs

Laughing at themselves as they watch a video they took of them being silly

Carson spent a lot of time out on the bikes and skateboard

Disneyland 2010

2010-04-19T20:38:00.001-07:00

Below are some fun pictures of us at Disneyland. The first time around just Tim, Caitlin, Grace, and I went to Disneyland. The next time Tim took Caitlin, Grace, and Carson to California Adventure by himself.

Waiting to see Bugs Life

Dancing with the Disneyland street party

Princess Jasmine (our longest wait for a "ride")

Graces favorite ride until she rode Space Mountain

First time behind the wheel

Answers to Prayers

2010-03-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

Over the last month we have seen God answer many of our prayers. I am blown away by the care God has for us and the details He seems to always take care of. To think that He hears our prayers, the sinful and faithless people we are, and uses them is pretty amazing. Below are some of the ways He has answered:

* Financially - We received a $20,000 grant from the Mustard Seed Foundation, and continue to receive support from friends

* Relationally -
* I got the opportunity to take Caitlin to a birthday party for a girl in her class and was able to spend 2 1/2 hours talking with other moms from her school. I was encouraged by the instant connections I had with them
* I went to the park again with a girl I met, the one that seems to really need a friend. God opened up opportunities for us to talk about the gospel and for me to really just show her love. It was a neat time. Praying for more opportunities.
* We met a family that lives down the street from us that has three kids. They are really nice and we talked to them for quite a while. Hoping to get to know them more. They are easy to talk to and seemed like we connected with them.
* We have been able to spend time with another family from our church and continue to build a friendship with them. My girls love their girls and I am always encouraged by her sweet and caring personality.
* We started meeting with the leadership and their wives every other week - the beginning of our small groups. I am excited to get to know these couples better and to see the way God uses each of them in our lives. They all have so much to offer.
* God continues to show me reasons why we are here and I am excited to see what He does!

* We found a time to use our gift cards and take the girls to Disneyland! It is actually 2fer here (you buy one ticket and get another to the other park free) so we are going again this Thursday and taking Carson and Kaylee with us.

* Health - God continues to sustain me and give me the energy I need to do what is necessary. I am needing to continue focusing on this and praise Him for it. It is easy for me to get overwhelmed with all I am not doing and want to, but when it comes down to it I am doing what He wants me to and I must rest in that. Things have really picked up for us so this is a huge praise!

Thank you for all of your continued prayers! God is working and we are excited to see how He continues to use the prayers of His people to bring about His glory!

Learning to Walk in Faith

2010-02-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

Today marks a pretty big day for us. It is the first core meeting for our church plant, Redemption Church Northridge. In many ways I can't believe we are here, in others it still feels like we just moved. My emotions are all over the place today. I am excited to see how God builds His church and uses us here in Northridge. I am in awe that we are starting. I am overwhelmed with all that lies ahead. I am thankful for all the ways God has provided, blessed, strengthened, and made possible this day. I am sad because I terribly miss our church family in Auburn, today they are having a feast at church - the first big thing we are missing. I praise God for the way He is growing our church in Auburn and the people we are seeing step up and serve - it makes my heart fill with joy. The anticipation of what is to come and the peace of knowing that God is at work is exhilerating.

I decided that due to all of this today is a good day to write out some of the ways God has been working and growing us over the lat few months. I can't put them all down because I know He is still working and has many plans unbeknownst to us. But I will try to put some down. Since my emotions are all over the place I hope my thoughts make sense.

Honestly, writing this all out is no easy task and yet I know I need to do it 1) for myself so I can begin to process it all and 2) for you so you can rejoice and learn with me. The thoughts and emotions we have had over the last couple months are numerous. And yet, the ways in which I have seen God grow our faith as we learn more and more to trust Him is huge. It has been one of those times where you feel inundated with emotions and wonder if you’re learning anything at all. Yet as you continue to move forward and put one foot in front of the other you see that God is working and will continue to.

In so many ways we have seen God's faithfulness time and again. From our housing situation, to people helping us paint and unpack, to the peace He has given knowing we are where He wants us, to the comfort I have had when I am lonely and missing dear friends and family, to the people He has given to be a part of the leadership of this church, to helping our kids adjust to a new place. He is faithful! I am learning that if I look to Him to provide and meet my needs He always will. I don't always do this, but I am learning.

Dependence is another huge way in which God seems to be causing us to grow and be stretched. This isn't something that comes naturally to me. I tend to think I can do things myself and if I just plan right or grow in the right areas then I will be o.k. That is so far from the truth. I am completely dependent on the grace of God. I can do nothing apart from Him. He is the source and strength of all that I do everyday. Some of the ways in which God has been teaching me this is in my health.. God has been incredibly gracious in giving me the strength and stamina I needed to move and unpack and get us settled. And then I got sick and had a pretty big relapse in my energy levels. This has been hard. I have had the thought of wondering if God realized the timing of me not feeling up to par being really bad. And then I realized that God does know, He is just answering my prayer to keep us dependent on Him. We know that we are not the ones who are going to build this church, save people, or minister to them. It is God and God alone. He will use us, but only if we are trusting in Him and seeking to be used - not working independently along side of Him. I want these truths to constatly ring in my mind through out the day.

One of the other major things that has been causing me to grow in my trust in the Lord is relationships. This has been hard. It has been a long time since I moved somewhere and had to get to know people without the help of a church body. The last time was in college. One of the big milestone of growth in my walk with the Lord. And now I am in the same spot. I have friends around the greater LA area, but none really in Northridge. It has been an interesting and eye opening experience for me. There has been many days I have gone to the park hoping to meet someone, to make a connection, and have come home no farther ahead. In order to see someone during the day we have to go out of the house - something I have not had to do for awhile. One day I went to the park and was excited because there were a ton of moms there. I was hoping it was a play group, maybe something we could get invloved in. It was. It was through a church nearby, a great church from what I know. However, all of the moms were so preoccupied with each other they wouldn't even make eye contact with me. I could tell by their conversations that I would have a lot in common and lots to talk about with them, but they just didn't have the time. I realized how many times I have done the same thing. I don't want to be like that! I want others to feel loved and included even if I have never met them. God is providing though. I have met two different girls in the last couple weeks. One seems to really need a friend. We went to the park one day and I am trying to get together with her again. The other I met at the park. She has one little girl Carsons age. We met by me asking her if she knew of things to do with young kids in the area (this has become my way of starting conversations with people). She replied by saying she has been looking for things too and has found nothing except things that cost a lot of money. This has been the standard reply I have gotten from people. So, I am praying about starting a mom's group and seeing what comes of it. There are none that I have found in the area that is not connected with a church or preschool. And there are a lot of people here that are not connected to either. Tim and I are also praying about getting involved in the YMCA here. Many people seem to be involved in it and it would provide some consistency in seeing people. I can go to the park, but I most likely will not see the same people twice. We will see how God works and provides.

I know there are many more things, but I will leave it at this for now. Thanks for all of the prayers and support. God is working and He will continue to!

What We've Been Up To

2010-02-15T20:24:00.000-08:00

Have a fun family day celebrating Valentines Day

Not feeling well - Everyone but Tim got a horrible cold-flu that knocked us out for two weeks

Caitlin and I went rollerskating for a girl in her class birthday - Cait did great

And eating! Seriously, Tim and I are convinced all of our kids are going through growth spurts. They are always hungry these days and will eat anything!

Tim and I also got to go away for a couple days to a friends place in Desert Hot Springs. It was a wonderfully refreshing and relaxing time. There isn't much to do there but relax, which is just what we needed.
I have a lot of more serious things I want to write on here, just have not had the time. I hope to soon to give everyone a little more of a glimpse of what is going in on and how we are doing and how God is working in us.

New Life, New Look

2010-01-24T20:39:00.000-08:00

I decided it was time to give our blog a new look, so when is a better time then now. Everything else has changed so we might as well change up the blog too! Here are a few pictures to hold you over until we get more up.

Having fun riding our bikes on our street

We have this great climbing tree in our front yard. The kids discovered it right away, and it is the favorite place to be when we are waiting for someone to stop by.

The Big Snow of 09- Pt. 1

2009-12-07T07:56:00.000-08:00

Some pics from our front porch as of 8am this morning (we got between 4 and 5 inches).

Time for a snow day!

Holiday Traditions

2009-12-04T14:52:00.001-08:00

The last three years we have enjoyed a very special tradition for getting our tree, we go to costco with the Myers, have dinner, get our tree, and then go to Starbucks and get hot chocolate! Our kids love it and look forward to it every year. This year Carson is starting to understand what is going on and kept talking about going to get our "mismas tree." He was amazed that we got to put it in our house! Here are some pics from our adventure:

Kaylee sitting at the table like a big girl

Sweet Autumn enjoying her first tree getting adventure

What are they planning? Too cute

Carson loving all the trees

The gang!
We will greatly miss these dear friends God has given us! We already have a camping trip in the making and they are coming down to visit!

Northridge, CA - Our New Home

2009-12-03T22:07:00.000-08:00

The last few months have brought about much change for our family. The biggest change being that God is moving us to Northridge, CA to plant a church. God has been growing our hearts toward being in an area where there is a need for the gospel to go forth, and Northridge is where He is taking us. We are excited about this next chapter in our lives and all of the ways in which we will be able to watch God work. We are also sad as we will greatly miss our family and friends that God has blessed us with. It has been a sweet blessing to be close to our families the last 6 years and we thank God for it.

This last weekend Tim, Caitlin, Grace, and I took a trip down to Northridge to spend time with people and to look for housing some. It was a very encouraging trip. The girls were troopers as we drug them all over the place and enjoyed seeing where we will be living and making new friends. We are not able to secure housing yet as we do not have all of the support we need. However, in the meantime we have a place we can stay until we are able to get a place. God is definitely teaching me about depending on Him, being flexible, and trusting! We will be moving right after Christmas so the next few weeks will be pretty hectic. They will also be bitter sweet as we enjoy last times with friends and family and say goodbye.

Hopefully I will be able to update and put some pictures up before we move, but if not, you know why!

Favorite Photo

2009-09-04T22:02:00.001-07:00

First Day of First Grade

2009-08-24T21:13:00.001-07:00

At times it is hard to believe that Cait is already in 1st grade. Here are some pictures from her first day:

Cait with her friend Jason from kindergarten

At her very own desk

Honestly, sending her off to 1st grade was a little harder for me than I expected. I think the thought of her staying longer and seeing her at her own desk made her seem so grown up. I love watching her go through the new stages of life, but selfishly I get a little sad that we are already here. At least I have 3 more that re not there yet!

Summer Camp Outs

2009-08-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

Twice this summer we have done backyard campouts with the kids. It is easier than going camping for one night somewhere else, and they think it is a lot of fun!

The last time we camped out Grace really wanted to sleep in the shade tent we have. So here they are conked out under the stars

Our silly Gracie Girl!

Enjoying smores that daddy made in the fire pit

Sisters

A typical Carson pose!

Sweet dreams buddy!

I am so thankful for our sweet family and the good memories that God enables us to make!

Double Trouble

2009-08-24T20:36:00.001-07:00

Carson and Kaylee are becoming fast friends these days. They love being together! They are starting to interact a lot more and are enjoy doing many things together.

Such as riding in trucks and eating popsicles...

and getting into the wipes! (Carson is realizing he is caught)

Kaylee is excited about her new find

Carson decided to redeem himself by informing me he was cleaning for me!

At this point Carson has not taught Kaylee too many "bad" things. However, I see this as a glimpse into what is to come!

Ben & Lizzy's Wedding

2009-08-02T10:30:00.001-07:00

July 3rd my brother Ben got married. Both Caitlin and Grace were flower girls in the wedding. Grace was excited to experience this role for the first time, and Cait, well she was quick to tell us this was her 2nd time as a flower girl. The wedding was beautiful. They had it at my parents house at night. Unfortunately, I have very few pictures since I was playing wedding coordinator for the first time (and hopefully last ;)). Congrats Ben and Lizzy, we love you!

Setting up - Kaylee and Evvie

Jon and Julia

The flower girls raking

My brother Morgan taking pictures

The 4 flower girls - my girls, and my sisters Bella and Maddi

A little of this, and a little of that...

2009-08-02T10:11:00.001-07:00

Summer has ended up being kind of crazy for us! It has been lots of fun and lots of work!

Enjoying the 4th of July parade

Giggles and grins playing with the swamp cooler!

Kaylee likes to show off her tricks

...and her cute hair!

Tim worked hard to set a trap and catch the mouse in our house

I got up in the middle of the night to get water, and this is what I saw...

And, our summer started with Cait needing stitches in her knee, here she is with her bear the hospital gave her

Lancaster County and Philadelphia

2009-06-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

On our last day we enjoyed a wonderful, relaxing day. We decided to take a detour on our way back to Philadelphia and drive through Lancaster County. For those of you who don't know, Lancaster County is home to many Amish people. It is beautiful country and was intriguing to be able to get a glimpse into how many of them live. It also provided for some interesting conversations on life and the way we live.

The beautiful countryside

An Amish family in their buggy

An Amish farmer plowing his fields with a horse and plow

Amish family restaurant we ate lunch at. Good Food!

The weather was a little overcast when we drove in to Philly. The fog was so low you could not see the tops of some of the high risers

The Liberty Bell
Unfortunately we did not make it in time to go inside and see everything, so we just looked form the outside.

Kaylee posing, again, in front of an old village

Independence Hall - the front

and The Back

Washington D.C.

2009-06-24T14:53:00.001-07:00

Our day in D.C. started a little differently than we had originally imagined. We decided to ride the train in due to costly and hard to find parking, and the fact that there seemed to be a lot of 8th grade trips taking place the same time we were back there. Well, 2 lightrail rides, 2 train rides, and 3 hours later we ended up in D.C.! Thankfully the Lord was gracious to us and allowed us to take it all in stride and have some fun with it!

Here is Tim and Kaylee - a little confused about which train to take

One of the beautiful buildings we saw - this on is the EPA

The Unite States Capitol

After we got to D.C. we ate lunch and then went to the National History Smithsonian.
A Future President?

The next stop was the Holocaust Museum. This was one Tim and I were really looking forward to seeing as we heard some pretty amazing things about it. Unfortunately, we are going to have to go back another time. When we got there this is what we saw:

The entire street was blocked off and there were a ton of Emergency Vehicles in front. Walking up we wondered what was going on because there were more news reporters and cameras than I have ever seen before. Here are just a few:

What we found out is that while we were in the national History Museum there was a shooting in the Holocaust Museum. A 80 something white supremisist shot a security guard upon entering the building. It was one of those moments when you realize God's protection over your life. If we had driven or been able to arrive in less than 3 hours we very well could of been in the building when it happened. We would not have been injured, but it would have been scary and a rather long ordeal. Thankfully we were not and we got to enjoy the rest of our day, along with some added benefits! Like seeing an FBI Command center truck, not something you see everyday!

The Washington Monument

Kaylee enjoying the view!

Lincoln Memorial from a distance

Inside the Lincoln Memorial

Washington Monument at night

The White House - or in Cait's words "President Obama's house." And me looking incredibly tired from a very long, but fun day!

Gettysburg and Crabs

2009-06-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

The Bauers made us a great meal tonight that we got to enjoy with the Brown's. Fresh Crab, ribs, and lots of great sides. It was our first crab experience and we both enjoyed it!

Gettysburg - On top of Little Round. It was nice while we enjoyed the Visitor Center, but when it came time to tour around it started pouring, thundering, lightening, and hailing! Some of our pictures are from the car while we quickly rolled down the window and shot.

DC and Baltimore

2009-06-09T06:20:00.001-07:00

The Bauer's home- our amazing hosts here in Baltimore (not Jack by the way)

In front of the Mount Vernon Mansion- George Washington's home

The mansion again

Kaylee at the visitor's center with the Washingtons and their grandchildren (she fits right in, eh?)

Makaylee inspecting the grass on Federal Hill in Baltimore

Makaylee and I kicking back on Federal Hill- pretty amazing view of the city and harbor- you can see it a little bit in the background.

...by the dawn's early light.

Nicole checking out the inner harbor in Baltimore.

This is where we ate lunch- tough times.

We thought about buying this hat for our family- then whoever was in a bad mood would have to wear it for the day.

Makaylee on board the USS Constellation in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

Some of the guns on the USS Constellation

...and some more guns.

Nicole, getting ready for a nap on the berth deck of the Constellation.

Makaylee and I below the masts and sails of the Constellation.

Patrick and Natalie's Wedding

2009-06-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

Caitie and Makaylee

Makylee enjoying playing a game with Rob, one of the groomsmen

The Pickards and Wades

The Pickards and Levis

Us with the Patrick Levis Family!

Patrick, Debbie, and Will watching Natalie come down the aisle

Natalies mom, Kathy, watching Patrick

The Wades

My handsom husband in his model pose

Tim and Adam, and old student of ours from Grace

Kaylee sleeping with Papa Will

Adam missing his wife of two months

Swing dancing at the Barn Dance

Learning how to swing dance

Setting up

Joe and Caitie having some fun!

Enjoying the Beautiful Scenery in PA

2009-06-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

Nockamixon State Park

Kevin and Karen Cripe's home. This is where we stayed through the wedding.

One of the many large fish in their pond in the backyard

Old Barn at the end of their road

The Cripe's road

Daddy Bud and Aunt Joanie visit

2009-05-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

In April we had the pleasure of having Tim's grandfather and Aunt visit us. It was a lot of fun to see them and share a little bit of our lives with them. Our kids loved them, but Carson had an extra special spot for Daddy bud! Unfortunately, I do not have a single picture of Aunt Joanie, but she was here!

This was not an easy picture to get! At least no one is crying in this one!

Thanks for coming Daddy Bud and Aunt Joanie! We are so blessed that you did! Hope to see you again soon.

The Last 6 weeks in Review

2009-05-31T21:05:00.000-07:00

Things around here have been rather busy, what is new! Carson turned 2 and is a very busy, independent, cuddly, sweet boy. He keeps me on my toes to say the least! On top of that Kaylee started crawling / scooting (I don't think she can decide which is easier). So I have a lot of damage control / prevention that takes place in my days. Also, Grace turned 4, Tim and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary, Cait is wrapping up her school year, and Tim and I are getting ready to head back east for a friends wedding and vacation (with just Makaylee). So, here are a few pictures to get me "caught up" so I can post some from our trip.

My cute, chunky crawler enjoying some sun!

Grace showing us how old she is

Carson with his new favorite toy, a drill just like Dad's!

"Covering" their eyes for their birthday gifts, Kites

Cait and I at an awards celebration for a young writers contest

Makaylee is 6 months

2009-04-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

I love being outside!

This crazy, go get 'em face is a common one on our Kaylee. She has this big open mouth grin she gets when she is real excited or really wants to go somewhere.

That open mouth grin again!

Her serious, checking things out / sizing them up look

Our happy girl!

Kaylee has been such a joy to our family! From watching Cait mother her, Grace play with her and make her giggle (she truly can make her belly laugh like no one else), Carson loving on her and trying to make her smile and laugh (he is becoming successful!), and the sweet cuddles that only mom gets. She is full of life and can't wait to chase after everyone else. She has taught me more than I ever imagined a newborn could, and I know will continue to teach me to depend on and trust our Heavenly Father and praise Him for the gifts of my children. Her acid reflux continues to be an issue but is controlled through diet and medicine. She started solids and so far is doing well. She loves being outside, chewing on things (or gumming them), playing on the floor (she is not a big fan of the exersaucer), jumping, sitting, getting raspberries, and time with just mom and dad!

Graceism

2009-04-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

Grace has taken off with expressing her thoughts more clearly. She tells us long stories that are either "awesome, really funny, or amazing." She talks with Cait a lot, however, when Cait is not in the car with us I don't think she ever stops talking unless she is tired! Here are a few classic Grace comments:

We were in the car driving and Grace was using her imagination (something she does often). All of a sudden I hear her talking to her feet. So, I asked what she was talking to them about. Her response, "I am naming them!" "What are you naming them?" "Tinky and Nicki."

Right before easter her and Cait were downstairs in their room. Apparently Cait knocked Grace's popscicle cross she made at church off their dresser. This is the conversation that followed:
G: Cait, you knocked the cross that Jesus died on for our sins on the ground!
C: He didn't die on that cross Grace so why do you want it?
G: So people will know that He died on the cross for our sins
C: People know that Grace
G: No, there are people around the world that do not know that Jesus died on the cross for our sins!
C: Well they are not coming to our house
G: Well, I want to keep it on our dresser if they do

I love her sweetness, silliness, and crazy imagination!

Tricks!

2009-04-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

Lately my kids have been really into doing "tricks." Here is Cait balancing.

Carson, very proud of his ingenuity in balancing the chair upside down against the side of the house!

Cait working on her headstands

This doesn't look like much, but it is the beginning of Kaylee starting to move (she was on the mat originally). This was almost 2 months ago and now she is scooting backwards like crazy. She really wants to chase her brother and sisters (mom's not sure shes ready though)!

Carson, balancing on a chair again. Notice a pattern?! If he wants to do something or needs something a chair is his current solution. In his mind he can do everything as long as he is able to get a chair to the spot needed!

Rainy Days

2009-03-05T21:05:00.001-08:00

Lately we have had a lot of rain. And finding ways to keep everyone busy and able to expend the necessary energy has been well, difficult. Especially when it comes to Carson! He is a very busy little boy! So, we play Hide and go Seek, read books, jump, play ball, make forts, make more forts, play with blocks, go visit people, take walks when there is a small break. Enjoying extra time in our p.j.'s

Carsons hat that daddy made him

Grace decided that Makaylee needed to be part of their fort making, so she made her one.

Auburn Snow in February

2009-03-05T20:54:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love about auburn is that we occasionally get snow. Every year for the last 3 or 4 we have gotten enough to build a snowman on our front lawn. The girls love it. This year Carson got to join in the fun. He wasn't too fond of being "old" (cold) but he joined his silly self in the picture.

4 Months

2009-02-18T21:53:00.001-08:00

I love this girl so much! She is sweet, smiley, and loves interaction, especially with mom and dad. The first 2 1/2 months of her life were a little rough. She has really bad acid reflux and it took us awhile to figure out how to help her. So, now with the combination of me being on a really strict diet and the right medication she is not in constant pain and we get to see the happy, fun baby she is.
One of my favorite times of the day with her is at night. We tend to be pretty laxed with her compared to the other ones and keep her up later just to be able to play with her and enjoy her. She loves these times. She talks, giggles, smiles - she knows she has our full attention.
She also loves her siblings and they love her. She lights up when they walk in the room. Grace can get her to full on belly laugh better than anyone.
Being the fourth she is ready to move and chase everyone around. She rocks when she is on your leg to try to get something and she turns herself in circles on the floor. Before I know it she is going to be moving, and my life will get a little crazier than it already is!

Award for the first broken bone goes to...

2008-10-21T22:08:00.000-07:00

...Makaylee. Yes you read that right, and before you report us to CPS please know this is not a result of any member of our family harming her in any way!
I took her in for her 2 week appointment today and found out she broke her collar bone when I delivered her. I guess it is fairly common when babies come quick, which she did, and are big (average size baby is 7 lbs, so I guess she is considered big). I feel so bad for my sweet girl. However, I will say it is a little relieving to know why she would randomly cry in pain when I would pick her up or change her position when holding her. Her Dr. said it should only bother her for another week.

Makaylee Faith Pickard

2008-10-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

This morning at 4:59 am we welcomed Makaylee Faith Pickard into the world. She was 8lbs 30z and 21 inches long at birth. Even though its our fourth the same feelings of shock and wonder overwhelm me. I'm sure Nicole will fill in more details later (hopefully not to many details) but for now here are some pics for your enjoyment.

Waiting on Monday night- eating dinner in the hospital with mom. The excitement of a hospital room wears out after about 5 minutes it seems...

Minutes old...

Makaylee seems to have acquired her dad's ability to sleep...

Some pretty excited siblings...

Legalism 101

2008-09-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

Just to clarify, this is not what we are wanting our kids to learn! Sunday on the way home from church Cait and I had the following conversation:

C: Where were the Vincents? I didn't see Drew at church
M: Miss Tammi told me that Drew had a football game today
C: He must not want to know God then!
M: Why do you say that?
C: Because church is more important than football
M: That is true but that doesn't mean he does not want to know God because he missed church one Sunday
C: Well I think he should of missed his game
M: I don't think most of his games are on Sunday. Plus, we have missed church before, it's the same thing.
C: But going to church means you love God
M: You can still love god and not go to church. It is good to go to church because we can worship God and love others there, but it does not mean that if you don't go sometimes you don't love God. Your heart is what is important
C: Oh! So Drew can still love God even though he played football!
M: Yes!!

(Julie, hope this does not make you feel bad! I thought it was hilarious and a good opportunity for Caitlin. Hope Drew had a good game)

Kindergarten Insights

2008-09-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

It has been really fun hearing all of Cait's stories and new little insights into life since she started school. One of my favorites is a recent conversations she had with a little boy in her class. For Auburn, there is quite the racial diversity in her class. On the first day of school I am pretty sure her teacher addressed this due to some of Cait's comments about her classmates being dark skinned or being able to speak spanish. Well, Cait is very intrigued with spanish. So Tim encouraged her to ask a little boy in her class how to say something in spanish as he has been a little shy. This is what took place when she got home:

"I asked Ignacio how to say "nice to meet you" today, do you know what he said? "Nice to meet you!"
I guess we were not clear enough that she had to ask him to say it in spanish!

This one is for you Uncle Jon

2008-08-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Tim's younger brother Jon left for college. He is attending Cal Baptist in Riverside. My kids love there Uncle Jon, especially Carson! He will be greatly missed, but we are excited to see what God does in this new chapter of his life.
Below is a conversation Cait and I had about Jon being gone:

Cait (C): Jon left today for college.
Me (M): your right, before you were even up!
C: I am going to miss him

C: On Friday I don't have school
M: Actually, Friday you get out early and Monday you don't have school
C: Yeah, it is a holiday
M: Your right, Labor Day
C: Does that mean Uncle Jon will be home (very excited)
M (at first a little confused, and then I realized what she meant): No, Labor Day is a quick holiday and Jon just left. He won't be home until Thanksgiving
C: How long until Thanksgiving?
M: It will be after your birthday, and the baby coming
C: Ah, that's a long time, I really don't want to wait that long to see him. When do we get to visit him?
M: He just left, you can call him sometime.
C: Maybe I will tomorrow

We love you Jon and you will be missed! Oh yeah, I think we are going with Makaylee!

Tahoe Fun

2008-08-17T14:51:00.001-07:00

Some dear friends of ours came up the weekend before Cait started school to spend some time with us. We had a great time and used it as a good excuse to take them to Tahoe. Two of them had never been!

Amanda, Michelle, and Emily

Carson throwing rocks in the lake

Emerald Bay

Our kids love Amanda, Emily, and Michelle. We had so much fun with them and can't wait until they come again (hint, hint!)! Thanks for coming!

First day of Kindergarten

2008-08-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun pictures of Cait's first day of Kindergarten. It is hard for me to believe that we are already here. Everyone says it goes by too fast and I agree. However, it is really fun to be able to watch Cait grow and experience new things. When she got home on her first day she had a headband on that said "I love Kindergarten." she told me what her headband said and then told me, "and guess what, I really do love kindergarten!"

The rest of us missed her while she was gone. The biggest adjustment is definitely going to be for Grace. They were so cute when I had them lay down that afternoon. Neither of them slept and about 20 minutes later I heard them giggling. I went to tell them they needed to rest but when i got down there I didn't have the heart. They told me that they missed each other so much and they hadn't got to play at all that day! I love that they are such great friends!

I can't believe it...

2008-07-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

...I am updating our blog. Although, I am creating the blogging no, no, publishing multiple posts in one day. However, there is a lot I have been wanting to put up and I finally have an evening where I am awake, have no pressing items on my task list, and it is a reasonable hour! Having a 14 month old and being pregnant makes this a very rare happening for me. Speaking of being pregnant I had a request for my due date. I am due October 24th.
Here is a favorite photo of each of my kids, and many posts to follow!

4th of July

2008-07-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

This Year we celebrated the 4th of July with all of my family (the Bigelow's), Tim's parents, the Myers, and Chrisy's parents. We had a big group and a lot of fun.

Family Vacation '08

2008-07-06T20:42:00.001-07:00

This post is mainly for family, but I am sure more than that will enjoy! Most of the pictures below are from the zoo in Santa Barbara or Pismo Beach. Carson became a walker on this trip so it was especially fun seeing him trying to keep up with his sisters and do what they were doing. He also turned one while we were gone.

Checking out the animals

I love this picture of Cait because it really shows all of her exuberance for life!

Visiting Friends

2008-07-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

Cait and our dear friends The Jacksons youngest, Owen

Grace and Sydney Jackson

Patrick and Natalie

Amy Andersen and Carson

Carson, Ian, Cait, Amy, and Grace
(Ian and Amy are some of our kids favorite people)

The Flower Girl

2008-07-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

In May (I know 2 months ago!) Cait was in her first wedding. So, here are some fun pictures of our little flower girl and her "princess" sister.

The Results Are In...

2008-06-03T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems that everyone wants us to have another boy. I am not sure of all the reasons, but I know mine is for Carson's sake. Someday he will tire of princess shoes, headbands, and purses! We had our big ultrasound today and the baby looks healthy and all is measuring normal. And we found out that all of you are....

WRONG!! We are having another girl! So, we will just have to work extra hard to do all those boy activities. However, at this point it does not seem that our little girl lacks any energy, meaning at least he will have good company. She moved the whole entire ultrasound. All the pictures took a little longer because of it.
We are very blessed and praise God that she seems healthy.

Carson turns 1

2008-05-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

O.k, so he has been 1 for almost a month, but I am just now getting around to posting! We celebrated His birthday with Grace's, who turned 3 two days before he turned 1, at the park with some family and friends. Here are some photo's of him enjoying a cupcake for the first time with Grace. He absolutely loved it!

Carson is such a sweet boy. Right now he has taken a break from talking (he said some words before he started walking and now says "mum" only) and is practicing kicking a ball, working on his throw-ins, and playing with cars. He also continues to be our curious kid. Yesterday I found him in the bathroom and he had thrown one of his sisters bracelets in the toilets! And he is the only average kid we have, 50% in everything, sorry Grace. Praise God for the blessing of having him in our lives.

Tagged

2008-05-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks Rachel! :)

4 Jobs I've Had:
Gymnastics coach
Alterations lady
Gap Manager
Human Resources

4 Places I've lived:

Grass Valley, CATustin, CA
Santa Clarita, CA
Auburn, CA
(that is a complete list by the way!)

4 Shows I watch on t.v.:

American Idol
Numbers if I am home
That is it - I don't have time or any way to record

4 Blogs that I read:

The Grindy's
Heather Norris
Tammi Clader
Chrisy - at least when she does post :)
*if I listed you then you are tagged!!

4 Favorite Foods:

Italian
A really good Salad
Fruit
Coffee

4 Places I'd rather be right now:

On Vacation - wait I just got back!
Sleeping - 4 kids is exhausting
On a date with my husband
Right where I am - at home being a mom to my precious kids

4 Things to look forward to this year:

Meeting the newest little Pickard - no we do not have a name yet
Church camping trip - one of the highlights of my kids year
Cait starting kindergarten - she is getting so old
Maybe going on a family trip!

Pregnancy Brain - at least that is what I like to think!

2008-05-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

Just a funny little story that you other moms might enjoy, and may help you feel a little better about your own parenting!
As you know Sunday was Mother's Day and we went to the park after church with my family. However, before church Cait had been coughing a lot from allergies so I decided to give her some cough and cold medicine to see if it helped. Well it did not work very well. On the way from church to our house Cait fell asleep, kind of unusual for her, but we did just get back from vacation. Then at the park she took a nap on a blanket instead of playing! This is definitely not my child!!! When she woke up she was very happy and her normal talkative self. So that night we decided to give the cough medicine another try. That is when Tim pointed out I had give her nyquil! To quote a friend "I am that Mom!"
Happy Mothers Day! (Am I still qualified to be a mom?)

Resurrection Sunday 2008

2008-04-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to be part of a church that finds their hope and identity in the cross of Christ. We had our service outside again at the fairgrounds and the weather was perfect.

We spent the rest of the day at my parents enjoy family, food, and easter egg hunts.

Trip to Tahoe

2008-03-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't seem to be doing any better at posting more often, but I do have some fun pictures to share with you from a trip the kids and I took to Tahoe. Tim was at a conference with some other guys from our church so we took the opportunity to have some fun with some friends.

Action shot of Caite sledding

Group photo of the kids (there were 9 kids five and under)

A-okay after a big crash sledding

Fun in the Snow!

2008-02-20T21:53:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Tim and I were able to go away for a few days and Tim's parents graciously agreed to watch the kids for us. As it ended up, it was snowing the day we left. I was kind of sad because I really wanted to play in the snow with our kids and get some pictures of them. Especially Grace as she doesn't remember the snow from last year and she takes such delight in the simple things of life. Well, things didn't go as smoothly as we were hoping (read the next post for details why) and I got to get my pictures. They are taken at Tim's parents.

Grace loved watching it fall and seeing snowballs break apart

Caitlin was able to talk Uncle Jon into playing with them, they even made a snowman. Caitlin informed Jon the next day when it fell over that "my daddy makes better snowmen than you!"

Caitlin forgot her hat so she had to borrow Carsons. She loved throwing snowballs and sledding.

What Life is All About

2008-02-20T21:19:00.000-08:00

Well, my goal when I started this blog was to update it once a week. Obviously I am not accomplishing that! So, I thought I would give a glimpse into my days so you can see why this has been difficult! Here are just a few snapshot:

The most used phrase in our house right now is, "Caitlin, please let go of your brother! He does not want to be smothered!"
Carson is the going to be the child that causes us to put child locks in our kitchen. His favorite thing to do is take things out.
The following explains why some friends of ours will never come to us for potty training advice:

Carson had the flu for a couple of days and I went to change his diaper. Come to find out he actually needed a bath (I will let you put two and two together). The girls were playing contentedly downstairs so I thought it would a quick process. Right after I finished getting him dressed Caitlin comes upstairs with her pants around her ankles and informs me that she could not make it to the bathroom (as she is dragging her wet pants all over the house). I decide to have her clean it up. I finish taking care of the bathroom and go downstairs to check on Caite's progress. Right as I get to the bottom of the stairs Grace meets me and lets me know she pooped her pants! My comment to Tim that night, "I am so sick of dealing with bodily fluids!" May God give me the grace and patience I need! And if you are looking for potty training advice, I am more than happy to tell you all the things you should not do!

Caitlin has taken to informing me why she should not have done something as her way of letting me know what she just did. For example: "I do not think it was a good idea for me to get water for Grace out of the bathroom and I should not do it again."

Hopefully, I will be able to update a little more frequently, even in the midst of the busyness of motherhood!

Holidays

2008-01-08T21:52:00.000-08:00

God truly blessed our family with a wonderful time as a family and enjoying our extended family over the holidays. The week between Christmas and New Year was a much needed rest and reprieve for all of us, especially mom! Below are some fun pictures. As soon as I get some from my father-in-law I will post those as well.

Why am I sitting in this?

Posing in our jammies

Christmas Morning

It's about time

2007-12-06T22:24:00.000-08:00

We caught you all up on the going ons in the Pickard household.
Carson is now 7 months and so much fun. He really wants to chase his sisters, but still doesn't have the hang of crawling.
Grace, is well, sweet Gracie girl. She is into taking care of her baby, Beth, and trying to do everything Caite does. And, she is going through a little bit of a curious stage. Lets just say that cutting her pants is one of the many things she has experimented on.
And Caite. She is more of a sponge every day and simply cannot learn enough. She is a great little helper, so much so she has decided that I need help organizing. I opened the fridge the other day to find everything rearranged because she thought I needed more room. For those of you who know how much I like things neat and orderly, you can understand my need for extra patience. It is really scary when you see so much of yourself in your kids, good and bad.

Please enjoy the many new posts following as they will give you a "picture" into some of our latest happenings.

It's Christmas time

2007-12-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday we went with our good friends the Myers to get our christmas tree. We did it the good old fashioned way...

at Costco!

Carson even had fun

Decorating the tree

My favorite memory was Grace's response the morning after we got our tree. The girls had gone to bed when we got home so they never saw the tree up that night. When Grace got up the next morning she walked into the living room and exclaimed "Our christmas tree is in our house!" I keep forgetting that she doesn't remember much from last year, so it is all new to her. She gets so excited and is very expressive about every thing. Every time we see lights she says "See those lights guys, they're nice ones."

Thanksgiving

2007-12-06T21:55:00.000-08:00

We spent the day at Uncle Rob and Aunt Adri's house along with the rest of Tim's family and the rest of Adri's family.

It was really fun for the girls to have other kids to play with (these are Adri's nephews)

The brothers had some quality bonding time!

And Caitlin found a new hiding spot

The next day we spent the day at my parents. I thought this was a really sweet picture of my dad playing with Carson.

Our Sweet Boy

2007-12-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

All smiles

Carson is officially on the move now, just backwards!

I love those sweet baby blues!

Caite turns 4

2007-12-06T21:27:00.000-08:00

Caite got to celebrate her birthday twice, she had a family birthday and one with friends.

Trying on some of her new gifts

She had a polk-a-dot party and the guests had to "dot" themselves when they came in.

Some fun pictures...

2007-12-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

in some fun attire.

The littlest pirate
(this is not on halloween, I just keep forgetting to post it)

I think Carson is done, what do you think?

Sleeping Beauty, dressing up and getting free candy is a lot of work!

The things they say

2007-11-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

The following is Grace's prayer at dinner:
"Jesus, welcome for our food. Welcome this day. Amen"
We are still working on the difference between thank you and your welcome.

Later Caitlin was talking to me and telling me this long story. At the end she said:
"I always have a lot to say. I don't know why, I just do!"

Caitlinism

2007-11-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

Today Caite went with me to run some errands. I told her we were going to go to the mall, and this was her response:
"I love the mall, it has so many great children's shoe stores. I just love it! Love it, love it, love it! (huge sigh) That is so beautiful!"

Trip Pics Pt. 3

2007-10-30T22:14:00.001-07:00

If you're getting tired of our St. Louis trip pics take heart- this will be the final installment.

The girls beneath the arch.

Checking for structural integrity.

Enjoying the view.

Hanging out with the grizzly.

Contemplating Ole Miss.

Trip Pics Pt. 2

2007-10-30T21:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a second installment of pictures from our October trip to St. Louis.

The girls and dad at the world renowned St. Louis zoo.

Caitlin with Tim's Aunt Joanie

Three generations of men.

Me and my beautiful bride (just in case anyone was wondering who was posting).

Grace at the park (yes, we spent a lot of time at St. Louis parks)

Trip Pics Pt. 1

2007-10-30T21:29:00.000-07:00

Mid October we took a trip to St. Louis to see relatives- Mommy Dot and Daddy Bud, Aunt Penny, Uncle Stosh, Aunt Joanie, and Cousin Rebecca to be specific (Grandma came along). It was an incredible trip with lots of memories and lots of good pictures. Here are a few.

The girls enjoying their plane ride.

Carson, trying to figure out how a big hunk of metal can stay airborne

Grace and Grandma taking the reins at the Botanical Gardens kids park.

Caitlin giving her "beautiful" look at Turtle Park in St. Louis

Carson, hanging out at Turtle Park.

Bed Head Anyone?

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Grace took a bath before her nap and this is the result.

Dad, this one is for you

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Carson Gets a Haircut

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"What's the problem, you don't like this mom?"

O.k., I guess you proved your point

"I'm ready mom, bring it on."

The final product. Now I look like a big boy instead of an old man (some people said I had a comb over!)

Hanging at Home

2007-09-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun pictures at home:

We let the girls help us paint their new room (we moved them downstairs)

My current favorite photo of Carson

Having a tea party in our backyard

Bodega Bay Camping Trip

2007-09-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago we took a much needed family camping trip to Bodega Bay, CA. It was a wonderful time as a family. We love the northern CA coast and had fun introducing the girls to it. Here are some of the highlights:

Family photo

Starfish we saw in the tide pools. We also saw a crab, a bunch of hermit crabs, sea anemones, and minnows. The girls love it!

Pickardisms

2007-09-22T21:51:00.000-07:00

Grace in the car one day:
"I am going to be 5 soon, and get married, and have baby Jesus."

Caitlin about our new neighbors:
Cate: I think I hear Enzo (our neighbors little boy)
Tim: Do you remember his mom and dad's names?
Cate: (thinking real hard) Emily...and Marshmellow (His name is actually Marshal)

Caitlin about her new room, we just got finished painting it:
"I love it, it is so beautiful."

Grace on the "phone" to our friend Julie (for some reason Julie is the main person Grace talks to on the phone):
"Hi julie, yeah, um, (fake laugh), I know, see you tomorrow."

Cate:
"Carson just loves me so much, I think I'm his favorite. It's probably because I take care of him."

Look what I can do

2007-08-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

I can not believe how quickly Carson has been changing lately. He recently went through a growth spurt and a developmental spurt. Here are some of the fun things he can do or has recently experienced:

Life with sisters; he already likes their dolls

Going swimming

Grabbing and playing with his toys

Laughing. The first time was at mom (I was very excited about that), but now it is at Cait

And just enjoying life.
We are so blessed to have an incredibly easy baby. Carson smiles all the time and rarely cries.

Little Moments

2007-08-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

Reading Richard Scary, one of their favorite books. I love it when I catch them enjoying something together.

These are their "cheese" smiles.

Playing house. Caitlin and Grace love their babies, cooking, and pretending to be some of our good friends and their families "playing house".

Painted toes. We have two very girly girls who love jewelry, dresses, and getting their toes painted. These are Graces toes.
I painted her toes this time, but usually Nona, my mom, paints them. One day I painted my own toes and Grace asked me "Nona paint your toes mommy?"

Just waking up.

Dinner Table Rule #2

2007-08-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

I know most people who do these sorts of blogs post funny stuff their kids say but I'm going to make an exception and post something my wife said.

Last week we instituted three rules for dinner time behavior one of which is to not talk with your mouth full.

Several nights later as Nicole was attempting to jog Caitlin's memory she informed Caitlin that we are not to talk with our mouth open. Caitlin looked at Nicole funny and I started laughing. Soon we all joined in the laughter and had a little fun trying to talk with our mouths closed (you try it- I'll bet you'll find it quite humorous).

All of this made me thankful for my family and particularly for my wife and her humility displayed in being willing to laugh at herself.

Caitlin Joy

2007-07-31T21:32:00.001-07:00

Caitlin (on the right) with one of her best friends, Charity

Grace Elisabeth

2007-07-31T21:21:00.001-07:00

Grace has all of a sudden become a little girl. She is no longer a toddler.

Carson Scott

2007-07-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

Here is one of my favorite pictures of our sweet little guy

First Edition

2007-07-12T22:03:00.000-07:00

This blog has been created to provide news about our family in such a way so as to give those of you who are not involved in our everyday lives an idea of what life is like for us.

We are doing this not because we are impressed with ourselves but because we are impressed with our God and the innumerable blessings He has graciously poured out upon us.

This blog will not normally be a forum for communicating philosophical musings and such but will mainly highlight the blessings and joys God pours into our everyday lives.

Thanks for reading.