MeRrY ChRiStMaS!!

Ok Ok I am so sorry to all of you. Christmas cards and letters have been a tradition for a few years now and this year we just didn't get to them. I think posting a "Merry Christmas" on our blog is like the lamest thing ever, but it's all you're getting this year. And you don't even get a picture, again I am sorry. I was going to post a video of Kellen singing the 12 Days of Christmas. It was really cute, but of course I can't figure out how to blog a video. So you just get to read. There are a few reasons for the lack of card this year.
1) No New Family Picture
2) We were quite busy (I know everyone is)
3) Scott broke his hand.
Yes, Scott broke his hand a few weeks ago and so could not type up a letter. We all know I like to think I am as funny as Scott, but we all know (including myself) that I am not. So I did not attempt the Whitemarsh letter. However, I could not go without doing something, so here it is.

Scott breaking his hand is probably the most exciting thing anyways and that is not very exciting. He is still able to work, which we are so, so, so thankful for. He broke it doing an adjustment. I guess the correct term would be fractured. It did not completely break or shift the bone, again we are so thankful for that. He is stabelizing it with a brace and taking x-rays every couple weeks to check the progress. It is nice having your own x-ray machine. He didn't have to go anywhere to have them done. The business is doing well. We are able to take care of our family and pay our bills. We did hire a receptionist this year, cutting my time at the office way down.

I am only in the office on Fridays to pay bills and do that boring stuff we don't want to pay anyone else to do. So yes, I am now a PTA mom. I go in with Kellen every Tuesday to help with a math masters game day and I go in Wednesdays to help with Jr. Joggers. Kellen is in Kindergarten but he stays with me and participates with 1st and 2nd graders. I have been going to the gym and have lost some weight. We will see how the holidays treat me. I still enjoy the good food!

Kellen is in Kindergarten and loves it. He is happy everyday after school and still looks forward to going. I know this will not last forever. I am enjoying it while it does. He is very helpful, he will do anything if there is a reward attached. He is very sweet and tender most of the time. He does enjoy making Jakob scream when he can.

Jakob goes to preschool 3 days a week with "iis eee" (Mrs. B). He loves "eeeool" (preschool). He too looks forward to going and gets very mad on the 2 days he doesn't get to go to school and Kellen does. He goes to speech once a week at the "ig ool" (big school) or "kaka ool" (Kellen's school). We have seen a huge imporvement with his confidence and language. He is really trying more. He has more and more to say everyday and now I can't get him to be quiet. I still don't understand it all but he is making an effort!

That is us, if you have been cheking out the blog you have seen our year for the most part. We do hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas, and thank you to those that got around to your letters. We do enjoy them .

Our Fall

Last year when the Halloween stuff was on clearance I bought these pumpkin faces. The boys mixed and matched and stuck them in their pumpkins, it was a lot easier than craving! Kellen and Scott did carve one together.
Both boys got to go to the pumpkin patch with their classes. I got to go with both, however Kellen's pumpkin patch pictures are already on a CD along with his birthday pics, we recently moved so I am not sure where they are so no posts for those things this year. Anyways so this is Jakob on the hay bail pyramid in the tunnel that went through.
This is Jakob's pumpkin he picked from the pumpkin patch.
Our church had a carnival before the trunk-or-treat, so this is us at the carnival. Scott's parents got to come over for our nieces baptism, also on Halloween day, so we had a busy day with family, it was great times.
Kellen was a Seahawks football player, he was doing all he could to get the good vibes out for the team, however it has not worked as Scott planned.
This year Jakob new what he wanted to be. He wanted to be a "red race ca" and because he could say it and I could understand it, I did my best to fulfill his wish. So here he is. Yes, Jakob is really coming along with his talking. Preschool and speech are really making a difference, his confidence has really grown.
Here are my boys after their buckets were full and their feet tired. I do have to put a shout out to the good candy this year. I don't know if the sales were better on the good candy or what, but this year was good. Not a lot of crap and of course that is what is important to the kids, not the parents, I promise.
So we moved again. No we did not buy yet, we just moved into something a little bigger and more updates. Something to be a little more cozy in for a few years. We have decided not to buy until we have the business paid off in 3 years. So the first few days we were in the new place Kellen was raking leaves, and the best part is he just did it. Apparently he enjoys it.
The first day was the big piles and now he is lucky to get a little grocery bag full, but I encourage it. Jakob can't be bothered.

What have we been up too??

So because Scott and I spent our first summer married as Ice Cream truck drivers, I had to let the boys go out and choose an ice cream.
Jakob chose the "banana rocket" ice cream stick, it was huge.
Kellen chose a classic, the ice cream sandwich.
So this year we didn't get to go to the BIG fair in Puyallup, we settled for the little Benton-Franklin County Fair. The boys didn't care they had fun, however Scott was a little disappointed.
So Grandma Whitemarsh had a brilliant idea. She put together little crafts for the kids and then they had them to do over the summer when they were so bored. The boys loved them. Thanks Grandma!!
At the fair we got a pass for a free game. So we took the boys bowling, which they absolutely love. I think since the whole Wii Sports game they think they are pros.
Kellen may not be a pro, however he was beating me until the very end I ended up with 2 more. Umm yeah I suck, Ricks College bowling class did not stay with me.
We went to a Hot Air Balloon light show. Not as cool as we thought it would be, but Kellen liked it and that was worth it.
Jakob did not. He hid his face the whole time, when we were walking away he finally wanted to look at the balloons. I think he was afraid they were going to be like fireworks, which he hates.

First Day of School

Kellen started Kindergarten September 1st! WHOA!! He was so excited, I however had a hard time.
Jakob started preschool September 8th, he was so upset he did not get to go with Kellen. He had a hard time while we would drop-off and pick-up Kellen until he started.

My Coming of Age!

I am canning without my mommy!
My sister-in-law, Andrea and I have been cannin' fools. We did peaches, pears, and peach salsa earlier. We have started on Apple stuff...applesauce, apple pie filling and maybe some apple butter. We got free apples with very little hail damage and are hoping to do a lot for our food storage!
Kellen's Watermelon. They did not get very big but they were sweet. We cut them and ate the bigger ones. We will have to see if next year we can get some bigger ones.

Our Fun Summer is Coming to an End!

One of my huge sunflowers! We are waiting for the seeds.
Boys just wrestlin'- an everyday occurrence, not just in the summer.
Kellen did 2 swim sessions and now he is a fish. We have tried to swim a lot, he loves it and does so great! He is preparing for our pool...someday!
We went with Dan and Andrea and girls for a hike through a cave. The hike is great for kids, not too long with a big reward in the end- a pitch black cave and then a water fall too!
Along with swimming, Kellen also learned to ride a bike with no training wheels. This was a cousin effort. While we were camping the dads took the training wheels off to see how the kids would do and Abby and Kellen got it. They were so excited and had so much fun.
For our camping trip with the Whitemarsh family we went to Salt Creek. It is up by Port Angeles on the Puget Sound/Straight of Juan de Fuca. In the morning when the tide was low we went exploring. Scott is holding a crab. We saw lots of crab and other sea stuff that I can't spell.
Again, out on the rocks at low tide exploring. Salt Creek was a great place for family camping. The kids had a great time exploring and did pretty well playing together.
On the way home he rode the Ferry across into Seattle. The kids thought is was great, it was a good way to change up the long drive home.
On the Ferry Boat.

HE HAS GRADUATED!!

I thought the day would never come that I would be able to say "Jakob is Potty-trained!" But I can! I know I complained a lot and now I look back and it was only about 4 weeks of my life... and now it is over. The only accident he has had once it finally clicked, was when we were camping! He has done so great. For all those potty-training moms don't stop, don't give up. It is only a short time in your life and then one day it will be better. I know when you are in the moment it does not feel that way.
Jakob's covered sticker chart!
NO MORE PINK POTTY! I do have to tell the story. I figured after going potty in out-houses while camping, he was ready to say good bye to his pink potty. When we got home I put it away and the first time he noticed he asked "ere ink otty" I told him it was gone and to go on the big potty, he said "OH". I know it's not funny typed, but it was really cute the way he said it. Then I took the pink potty back to Andrea's and he found it in her garage and he got so excited to be reunited with his pink potty. I told him to say bye-bye so he did. I think it was good for him to have closure. :)

Let's Take A Quiz!

WHAT DO THESE 2 PICTURES HAVE IN COMMON?

A) They are Jakob's favorites to play with
B) They are random pictures Kellen took while playing with my camera or...
C) They are Jakob's places for #2.
What's the rule in school? When in doubt it's always letter C!
So yes, these are the latest pictures of our potty training saga. Picture #1 is the vent in the floor. He took his snacks back there and was just hanging out like he often does. He came to the couch where I was with a big smile on his face, and pointed to the vent. And surprise surprise there was a brown surprise and a puddle to go with it on and in the vent.
Picture #2 was his favorite game until it went in the trash. I will just tell you all that that is not chocolate all over the game and the floor...enough said!
A house with potty training can not have too many of these handy little wipes!
I will leave this message on a positive note. He has gone #2 in the potty 6 times so maybe we are getting a handle on things!! Keep your fingers crossed!

kElLeN's WaTeRmElOnS aRe GrOwInG!!

Kellen and Scott planted watermelon earlier this year, and while the plants were growing and over flowing the planter, Kellen was not satisfied with the progress. He wanted to see watermelon. When the flowers came he got a little excited but still wanted the melon.
This was the first one we saw and I swear it grew this big overnight. We check the plants everyday and this was the first time we saw anything! He was so excited. He loves planting the seeds and watching the progress. He wants a bigger garden. I wonder where he got that...THANKS GRANDMA WHITEMARSH!

This picture was taken a few day later and we are seeing more melons and the first one is still growing!

Potty Training note: There might be hope yet! No accidents today and we were out and about all day, so he couldn't be naked! Yippie!!

WHY CAN'T WE COME POTTY TRAINED?

I AM PUTTING THIS QUESTION OUT THERE? COMING POTTY TRAINED WOULD MAKE EVERYONE'S LIFE EASIER! OK so I apologize to all of you who have had to listen to me this past week about potty training Jakob. I know I am a huge complainer, but really I have not a clue how to potty train. And yes, we are using a pink potty, it's a loaner therefore it was free. Although maybe that is the problem, maybe Jakob doesn't want to sit on a pink potty. If he has issues later in life we will know why. SO I ASK ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL MOTHERS OUT THERE...HOW IN THE HE-- DO YOU POTTY TRAIN A STUBBORN
3 1/2 YEAR OLD LITTLE BOY? (I might even go as far as more stubborn than his Great-Grandpa Cook, for those of you who know Cleve Cook, that is not a compliment) We have tried standing, sitting, little potty, big potty, big potty with a little seat, cheerios in the toilet, rewards, an excitement party, sticker chart...
the Elmo potty doll, with the Elmo potty movie, being stern and punishing, and being so patient and positive reinforcement like! I am out of ideas. For all you new moms... my advice- make your husbands do it! Or pray for a child that trains himself...that is possible, Kellen was one!!
He did give us hope one day. I had to keep him naked all day, but that did seem to work the first day I tried that. He went 4 times all by himself, I thought I found my trick. However, Jakob does not give into the struggle that fast, the very next naked day, Kellen found little brown piles on the stairs with a puddle on the floor. So again I ask HOW?
At least Jakob has found some use for his potty, he put it in a circle with other toys and did a "Potty Dance" or "Anti-Potty Dance", I am not really sure which one. I will take any suggestions anyone might have, I will also take anyone that wants practice to come and practice on Jakob. Trust me you will be a pro for your next one!

OUR TRIP TO BEAUTIFUL YELLOWSTONE

OK so the pictures are posted backwards- sorry for that and sorry for so many, I could not just pick a few, I have the same problem when I scrapbook. So long stroy short...my tire blew off the rim, in a residential area, going maybe 15 mph. We are thankful it happened just around the corner from my most favorite and bestest aunt and uncle. They took care of me again! Thanks so much Aunt Teri and Uncle Brent!!
Yellowstone was beautiful but also very cold. It was rainy and very wet and add some slush for fun!
1 of 7 bears that Scott saw! Some were far and some were too close for comfort.
Our little squirrel that hung out on our table to eat our scraps!
So the sign did not stop Scott, Claudia, or RC.
This is the black bear they stocked from our camp.
Some of many elk we saw.
Kellen having S'More fun.
Hiding in a rock.
The Yellowstone Falls- so pretty.
As we walked to the over look of the falls Kellen said, "Mom, I didn't know this was in the world!" Even a 5 year old boy was taken by the beauty our Heavenly Father has created for us.
My boys and I checking out the upper falls.
Boys at Morning Glory Pool.
Boys at bubbling Paint Pots.
Scott and Jakob at Old Faithful. This was a good one from Old Faithful.
Scott, Riley, RC, and Dad hangin at camp.
Cousins have fun while the adults set-up camp.