Washington Vacation

For spring break this year we decided to take sort of a last minute trip. A combination of a tax return and easy time off of work for Zack and Spring break for the kids made up our minds for us. We called up our friends near Seattle and said we were coming back for a visit. One thing led to another and it was decided that we would spend a few days in Seattle and then a few days out on the WA coast near Oregon (Long Beach) with the Cameron Clan (see http://melandcompany.blogspot.com/)

We started Sunday Apr 5th with an early visit from the Easter Bunny, that clever bunny knew just what to bring us... sand buckets, sunglasses, umbrellas, and activities & treats for the car.

Zack had to work Sunday so we spent the morning listening to conference, eating candy, packing the car and waiting very impatiently for Dad to come home. The girls actually took chairs down the street and sat on the corner watching for Dad to get home so we could leave on the trip. We drove as far as Baker City Oregon and stayed a night there. The room at the Super 8 there was crammed with 3 queen beds. Exciting for the kids but not very conducive for 5 little wound up kids to sleep. I woke a couple times to Sarah laughing at Bekah's snores. They had an indoor swimming pool but silly me didn't pack the swimsuits into the overnight bag we used for the first night. They were buried deep in the van somewhere. That was the only chance on the whole trip they could have gone swimming too... (

Monday morning we got an early start and finished the drive to Seattle. We stopped at Snoqualamie falls and enjoyed the sights there. We had a nice steak dinner that night at a favorite restaurant and checked into the hotel in Seattle.

Tuesday we met Melanie and her kids at the aquarium in Seattle, we got some greasy burgers, fries and chocolate shakes at Dick's (Yum!) after that we went to Coulon beach park and let the kids play a bit. We washed up a the Cameron's and then went to Ben and Cathy Lim's house for a dinner get-together. They made "lympia" ( I know I spelled that wrong) for us and followed it up with a chocolate fountain which was a big hit with the kids... and me too hee hee. It was a great chance to see some friends we used to get together with all the time there.

Wednesday we spent most of the day at the Zoo and then we wandered a giant mall we used to go to all the time when we lived there. We took the kids to the Cameron's house again and then just Zack and I went out to dinner at a nice seafood restaurant in Seattle on the docks. It was fantastic.

Thursday, we loaded up and drove to Ocean park WA to the house we rented there. We stopped at the Cape Disappointment lighthouse on the way in. It's very pretty but we couldn't climb up into it because it is too old. The house was perfect for our two families and we had a fantastic time there. the house was just yards away from the beach. It was very secluded and had a fire pit that we enjoyed. Here's a slide show of all the pictures from there... I'll probably update it later with a few more from Melanie's camera too.

Friday started out looking stormy but turned clear and beautiful. The kids flew kites, played in the sand, looked for shells and eventually were jumping in the waves (brrrr!). We had a BBQ that night and roasted hot dogs for the kids, followed by smores.

Saturday, we got up and had a big breakfast followed by an Easter egg hunt outside the house. We went to the other light house on Long beach (North Head Light house) and we were able to take the older kids up to the top in that one. It was built in the 1890's. The guide there said as soon as it started to crack they would have to lock it up like the other light house.

It was a bit more stormy this day so we spent most of the time inside paying games, watching Monty Python and eating .... Melanie was a bit braver and took the kids out to the beach to play in the rain and wind at the beach.

Easter Sunday, for us, was spent in the car coming home... the whole time wishing we could have stayed. Emma said the trip could be complete finally after Sarah was sick in the car and we had to stop to clean that up. (the "token" throw up event) Anyone who has heard about the car trips with us has probably also heard about the many many throw-ups, ick!

We had a fantastic time and can't wait to do it again sometime.

Leah is 3!

For the last couple of weeks before Leah's birthday we would ask her how old she was going to be and her answer was a always a detailed (as detailed as a 3 yr old can get ) description of a flower cake with candles and "fi-ire!" that you blow. In fact anytime I would start cooking in the kitchen she thought I was going to make her flower cake and get all excited.

When the moment came and she finally got her flower cake... she really wasn't all that excited about it anymore. I guess the anticipation of it coming was more exciting than the actual thing.

For her birthday we took her to Build-a-bear and she picked out a bunny that was named "Pinky" by her older sisters. Leah was too distracted buying accessories for her bunny to come up with a name. We went to dinner at Applebees afterward. Then Sunday we celebrated with cake and ice cream at G&G Colton's house.

I just can't believe she is 3 already and so independent. She's fully potty trained now (only had 1 poop accident early on, I've never been so lucky) she even got mad when we tried to put her in a diaper for bedtime and insisted she wear underwear to bed. She also insisted she did NOT wet the bed (even though I found her wet jammies)
Her favorite things to do include playing with her sisters and going outside to play with her friends there. She also loves movies and will get mad if we turn on Nick or regular TV... it has to be a movie. I think she just likes running the DVD player, the other day I came in and the movie "The Thin Red Line" (a gory War movie that Zack likes) was starting. I guess I need to put some of the movies up out of the way.

Anyway, happy birthday Leah! We love ya!

Baby Food

So we have begun a "battle" of baby food. This little guy does NOT want to eat it. He delights in keeping his mouth closed, or spitting it out the second it hits his tongue. We discovered a little while ago that he LOVES Cheerios, He will practically try and eat your hand if he sees that you are holding a Cheerio. So I figued it out! I put a cheerio on the tip of the spoon with his baby food on it...and of course, he opened right up for it and didn't even try to spit it out.

Crazy baby...I can't help but love him :)

Hand-made Tag

you can thank my Sis in law Natalie for this....

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!

2. What I create will be just for you.

3. It'll be done this year. {it might be a little while}

4. You have no clue what it's going to be. I don't even have a clue what
it's going to be.

5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a homemade gift! It may not be great, but it will be fun!!* * *Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!**

Well it's been a few weeks since I last updated. Probably because I've been too preoccupied to get on and update.

Bekah got baptized on Saturday the 31st. It went really well. She was the only one in our ward getting baptized so we had to take care of the whole program. We asked her who she wanted to speak and it was Grandma and Mom. So Grandma Nilson and I had the honors. Bekah had a great day, she was very excited to wear a dress handed down in the Nilson family to be baptized in and a new dress afterward.

By the way, I have a very funny story about her right after she got baptized, but I don't dare put it in writing, so if you want to know you'll have to ask me sometime. ( sorry about the teaser)

(Mom has the camera out, we need a picture too!!)

In January, we also took some time and went out to get some professional pictures taken, I'll post those in a slide show for your viewing enjoyment.

I thought they turned out nice. We had to get pictures in before I started the next adventure in my life... braces! Yeah, you heard me right. Thursday I went in and got braces on. I am hoping this will help with my bite and jaw problems, and hoping to even out my teeth a little. So far, all I can think is, "What have I done to myself?!" This is going to be a long 16-21 mo months

Bekah turns 8

Happy birthday to Bekah today!
We celebrated her birthday with her friends on Friday. She invited some friends over and played games and had cake. She had a great time. Today we celebrated with grandparents over dinner.


Here's a look at Bekah through the years

Blessing Day

16 mo

2 yrs

Bekah and her blanket that she was VERY attached to.She would rub the corners of it with her thumb or rub it on her cheek. After it wore out we had to make a new one similar to it, she called the second one her "quack" blanket ( it had ducks on it)

3 yrs

4yr birthday



5th birthday


Bekah first lost tooth

1st day of kindergarten

6th birthday

7th birthday

2nd grade:

I can't believe that she is 8 already, she'll be getting baptized on Jan 31st.

Christmas fun

So instead of being negative and making a list of things that drive me nuts about the holidays, I'm making an effort to be positive... here we go

Now for the top 10 things Mom likes about the Christmas Hoidays:


10- mmm, yummy Sticky buns!

9- staying in my sweats all morning long because I want to and not because I got too busy to remember to get dressed.

8- finally being done with making wash cloths and other craft items for Christmas

7- Motivating kids with "no presents for you unless you get the chores done"

6- almost a whole 2 weeks of not having to take the kids ANYWHERE unless we want to or are going to a party

5- new toys=no bored kids (for at least a day anyway)

4- a "no guilt" eating binge for a week... I'll hate myself later for it :)

3- knowing I wont have to listen to another Christmas song until next year!!

2-spending time playing games and doing puzzles with the kids

1- taking the time to remember Jesus' birth and giving to others



Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!