Flower Pickin'

Happy Spring!

Top 4 reasons I love my family

A few weeks ago my Auntie Marilyn and cousins Theresa, Loreen & Quade came down for a visit.

I love love love family visits.

Here are a few reasons why:

#1: We're silly Just a simple happy hour turns in to a hysterical laugh attack when everyone tries to play Drew's pocket trumpet. Of course, Ellie and Quade were natural horn players.Even Jude gave it a try!

#2: We play games

Dad always seems to the instigator of said games but everyone is happy to join in.

Nothing beats of good round of 'slap the hand'

#3: The kids love family too!

Even though we don't see the Campbell River clan very much, the kids know how special they are!

Ellie and Auntie Smack.

No, Auntie Smack didn't get her nickname from beating children but from the big kisses she plants on your cheek.

#4: We love to eat!

This night was especially awesome because Theresa cooked an amazing dinner in my kitchen while I played Rummicub!! And I'm telling you - THE BEST potatoes I've EVER had in my life!

Campbell River doesn't seem too far away but a 6 hour journey including a border crossing and ferry ride is looooong when packing 2 kids!

So we especially love it when family comes to visit US!

3rd Annual Egg Hunt at the Nobles

Since moving into our house 3 years ago we have started a few very important traditions. Halloween and Easter are at our house.

But Easter brunch and egg hunt is my personal favorite. Especially, when we have beautiful weather like today.

Here are the stats:

24 adults

17 kids (from 9 months to 8 years)

26 DOZEN eggs

9 bottles of champagne

Dylan, happy with his loot These kids really believe bigger is better - even though they had the same stickers and jelly beans hidden inside.

Georgia and Ellie

Love this photo of MacGrudes taken by my friend Karen. He looks so serious - and I love his knee up pose.

Silly kids waiting in line for the rope swing.

Attempting a sibling Easter photo

Off to hunt for eggs

Buddies! Olin and Ellie

In her Easter bonnet

Why is Easter my favorite Noble house get together??

It's all the excitement of Christmas but none of the stress!

pitter patter

I just love to watch this little guy walk around.

His stiff legged walk and constant chatter are pretty entertaining.

p.s. please excuse the toy explosion in the family room in the background.

The thick of it

When we bought our house a couple years ago I was so excited that there was a hot tub in the backyard! I spend most every afternoon in the bathtub so being able to sit outside and chat with Drew while getting my warm water fix is the best!

The funny thing is that our hot tub happens to be a piece of sh*t!

Drew has spent many hours working on it - installing a new motor, moving it to a better place in the yard, fixing leaks.

Yet, it still sits on a bit of an angle and has a few slow leaks but oh well. We go in it all the time and it's the only time of the day when we actually get to spend *quiet* time together.

Last night during one of our hot tub chats we were talking about how right now our life is completely consumed by the kids.

My career is on hold and breaks are practically non-existent.

We are in the thick of it.

It's hard to imagine a time when the kids will do things for themselves, have sleep-overs at friends houses, watch movies we like too, have dinner table conversation that doesn't include 'I spy'.

Even though that freedom sounds wonderfully delicious I also know I will miss the baby stages when they go.

So Drew and I will continue to remind each other that time does pass and kids will grow and change. And that although the kids want our attention constantly right now - one day we will be begging them for their attention

Here is a few pics from inside the trenches . . .

Last weekend we took the kids to the Seattle Children's Museum.

Jude's favorite room was the Lego room. Taking after his cousin Jules!

Ellie's tongue out while she's working hard - such an Ocamp! Worker Jude

Shopping for veggies

Siblings!

Jude loves feeding his sister part of his snack. Even if it's a soggy cracker!

This is so funny! Neither of our kids ever took a pacifier (called a "Lala" in our house).

But they both found Jude's old teething lala's and were crawling around the house pretending to be little babies.

Headed out to play in the puddles . . . in his sisters rain suit.

I've always said - the days may go by slowly but the years fly by!

Here's my reminder to cherish these little faces - everyday!

It's the little things

I've been trying to practice the art of appreciation these days.

A few close-calls, tragedies and health scares have reminded me how very fragile life is.

A person would easily give anything for the mudane if it all changed.

I try to remind myself how very lucky I am

A great husband!

Drew does such a good job getting the kids outside even when it's cold and rainy.

If it were up to me - we'd all be inside until it was 80 degrees and sunny out!

Great kids!

Ellie is learning to play by herself more and more everyday! If you know Ellie then you know she usually requires contant input . . . usually coming in the form of 'play me with mommy' repeated about 20 times per hour.

But lately I've actually caught her playing by herself for a few moments at a time.

Here she found her princess book recorded by Diane and her 'lil sis' (Belle doll) and was reading to her.

Of course, she planted herself in the middle of the kitchen but at least she was doing her own thing for a few minutes!

She is becoming such a big kid!

Great friends!

Little Wyatt is 6 months to the day younger than Jude.

Juder seems so much older than Wyatt right now - Jude walks, Wyatt crawls - Jude talks, Wyatt coos.

But when they're a little older they will be exactly the same age and best buds!

Great playdates!

Sometimes when these two play - my friend Joelle and I actually get a few minutes to talk and sip our tea before we need to intervene on a Cowboy Alice or Knight emergency!

and more Great Kids!

Jude is so affectionate lately! He loves giving kisses and just this week started giving big hugs. It's not hard to remember to be thankful when this little guy is planting a wet kiss on your face.

This little piggy . . .

went to urgent care!

Poor little Ellie had a rough day yesterday. The kitchen stool fell on her toe.

She normally is a pretty tough kid but we could tell it hurt so so bad.

Unlike a lot of moms, I tend to err on the side of "nah it's fine" instead of freaking out.

But after waiting a few hours we realized the pain wasn't getting any better and the pressure beneath her toenail would probably need to be relieved.

Off to urgent care we went.

Ellie was pretty nervous but luckily my brother reminded me of a important family tradition.

The Brave Stick!

When Devin was little he cracked his head open on the coffee table corner. While waiting for stitches in the ER, dad pulled out an ordinary ball point pen and deemed it the brave stick.

Ellie's eyes widened when I took the brave stick out of my purse. She never put it down the entire time we were there.

Thank goodness my dad has such a great imagination and my brother has such a good memory!!

This poor kid had to endure the doctor using a cautery tool to puncture a hole in her toenail.

I am amazed that she is so strong and was a total trooper!

Three cheers for the brave stick!