NEW POST!

My Busy Beaver post says what we did this last week but is listed a ways down---it has photos from Spokane and I will post more photos when I have time!! This post took a long time to get the photos where I wanted them---so please read it!! Ha---

FFF--EASTER MEMORIES

EASTER 2006!!

EASTER 2007--(3 photos)

**I have never posted a FFF--I just saw the theme on Kathy's website and could not resist posting pictures of our memories! Two years ago.....I was praying Gretchen would be home. Our Guatemalan angel was HOME!

Easter was a wonderful day as a family 8 days after we arrived home. We had flown home from Guatemala on Friday April 7th and spent the night in Portland--so Saturday the 8th we drove the three hours HOME! She was a wonderful traveller---When we got home Maria (pastor's wife) Nathan and Lydia , Le Chou were planting flowers in our front flowerbed---I thought this was such a sweet thought! As I entered our front door the whole house was decorated with pink and white streamers and balloons and all the way up the stairs were four or five cute outfits hanging to her bedroom!! So I thought Maria had done this....no ......Had Karen (my cat sitter done this??) no..... OK -who else had a key and we knew Lee's parents and sister and family and Gramma were on their way from Walla Walla ( 1 hour) and Lee' s brother and family were coming from Zillah (1 hour 1/2) The gifts and plant on the table revealed my dearest friends Shanna and Mary had fun decorating and adding the special touch to our HOMECOMING!!! Within a half hour our house was full of hugs and kisses for that little girl we had loved for six months!! OK--this story should be posted on GOTCHA DAY!But I got thinking down memory lane and it leads ito our first Easter. So bear with me..........The afternoon and evening flew by...........we all went out to eat at the Mexican restaurant and Gretchen was put to bed in her own crib!! Uncle Sid and Aunt Amber stayed for a bit and then we were alone--the three of us!! What a feeling!! Gretchen slept all night and when Uncle Sid called in the morning she had slept 12 hours!!! Sunday we slept late and went to get a few things for dinner at WalMart. My cousin Roger and Alison and Taylor (4) came down from Spokane for dnner and more cuddles!!! Lee went to Salt Lake early Monday morning for training for work the whole week!! It was hard but we were sooo thankful our trip was not this week---or I would have had to go to Guatemala by myself !! So the week was full of family and visitors and poor daddy was in Salt Lake! My parents came from Spokane Mon to Friday . My sister and husband and three kids from Seattle came Wed to Friday. Gretchen adjusted great!!!

Easter Sunday 2006 was special we could introduce our daughter to our church family! We came home and I think we took a nap----I can't exactly remember! Our baby girl was such a blessing!!

P.S. Look she wore a white bonnet---not any luck in 2007!!

Easter 2007--oh boy! We had a very sick little princess!! We had gone to WWalla the day before and as we were at the drive in theater she threw up ---inside the car on me on her!! Let me spare you the details!! All the way home (one hour) we kept pulling over-----we were up all night poor baby had nothing left in her!! We did go to church (very tired)and she sat through the whole service!!! (thats the last time she has been to a whole service) Ha! The afternoon was spent sleeping---and then we hunted eggs in the afternoon as mommy and daddy pulled weeds in the flowerbeds! I also remember laying in the grass talking on the phone to my old roommate Ruthanna and Gretchie having fun in the grass!! Wow was I thinking about how much she had changed only a year before. Now at two another year of major changes and milestones---ALL TO WONDERFUL!

MARCH SNOW!!!

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

SNOW SNOW SNOW IN SPOKANE!!!

It was blowing and sticking on the cars this morning at 7 am! Beautiful-yes I have to admit it ! I have spring fever though and am sooo ready for sunshine--the little white sweater I bought G for Easter (2 days away) may need to be a coat!! The weather in Hermiston is warmer---Oh yeah I am posting a picture of our little Dora--I found a cute pink Dora bathing suit at the thrift store for $3.69 and it is sooo perfect! She loves her bathing suit!!! Maybe I did jinx it to snow by buying it! SO ADORABLE!!!

Quick Update

Oh my I have not posted since last Friday 3/14 --We (G and I ) are in Spokane visiting Amma and Papa. Lee is in training in Wilsonville this week. I just downloaded photos from last Saturday through Wed!! So they are coming................I know you are on the edge of your seats!! We woke up to snow here in Spokane!!

Busy Beavers!

Thursday 3/13 Daddy took today off--we got LOTS done!! He then left at 5 pm to go to a UNION BOARD MEETING in Portland! Mom and I had a fun evening eating mac and cheese and playing with the videos on her camera!

Friday 3/14 about 3 pm Daddy came home from Portland about 3 pm! We ate dinner and just had a relaxing evening!! Today was also Angelica's birthday at McDonalds---yeah!!
Saturday 3/15 we towed Daddy's car to the mechanic. Gretchie loved the huge tow rope!! She thought it was awesome using it to "capture".(I used a regular camera with reg film so no photos yet?) We then decided to go to Walla Walla (one hour) and see Papa and Nana. We got to WW and G had kept herself awake--(stinker). Mommy ran into Shopko to get G new soxs (all her soxs were so little) and white tights for Easter. Daddy stopped by mom's favorite consignment store to see if they had white sweaters for me. We were then headed to Papa and Nana's at 1 pm! Mom gave up on any chance of nap----G helped Nana clean potatoes for the St. Patrick Day potatoe bake at their church at 5 pm(those photos are on my cell phone)

Papa Cole was running errands--Daddy had to run to work and some other errands. Gretchen did take a nap at 3:30 after mommy saw she was yawning and threw her in the car (asleep within one min) and I woke her at 4:30 pm so we could go at 5 pm !! We got back to Papa and Nanas about 7:15 and Uncle Scott and cousin Cole came over!! Boy does G love her cousin Cole and will not let him ignore her---Blake and her boyfriend stopped in and G had hugs for Blake!!! We left at 9 pm and she kept herself awake until 8 min before we got home----this child does not like to go to sleep when life is so EXCITING!!! We all wore green today---
Sunday 3/16 we woke up early to go to breakfast at church---got there and Lee had read the time wrong---so the three of us went to Hale's for pancakes---G was sooo wonderful in her cute frilly dress and sat up in the booster and colored! Plus the two huge pancakes I shared with her were soo big that we have had pancakes for breakfast MON and Tues and still have some left! Went to church--and Gretchie sat through the first part of the songs---yahoooooo!! Her track record at church the last three Sundays was not very quiet and talking during songs!! So I was excited to sit for awhile and actually sing----Children's Church she was great and even answered a yes /no question when called on---she answered wrong but beamed with delight when Mrs. Fun handed her the plastic egg filled with lucky charms!! G ate her hamburger and cheese from McDonalds we got on Friday. It took awhile to go down for a nap and a cold stroller ride around the movie theater ended when mommy's ears were cold and patience gone!! Daddy then took her to get her to sleep!! Packing and cleaning the rest of the afternoon. Daddy went to small group at church and I gave G a bath!! Mommy was thankful no grocery shopping this week yet?
Monday 3/17 daddy left to go to training in Wilsonville for the whole week. We ran into Safway for milk and cheese sticks--which Gretchie loved!!We met Hailey at the park at 11 am! We then drove over to Hailey's new house to see it! Hailey and Gretchen playd chalk and outside and we left at 1 pm! She loved the new baby and was talking to her. Cleaning and throwing away more of mommy's junk! We played with chalk on the patio (according to G she thought the patio was the rug) Mommy made me mac and cheese for dinner! YUM YUM!!
Tuesday 3/18 we drove to Spokane 3 hours!! The morning was spent doing errands, bank and calling around for a warranty on a part on daddy's Nissan. Thank goodness for cell phones because it took me on the way there to answer all my calls I had made! We bought this car last Presidents Day (for a commuter car). Thirty minutes after we bought the car--it quit in the middle of the intersection---yes we called and they came and towed us back!! They fixed the car and gave us a rental car!! The car quit again in the fall so Lee just drove our Saturn back and forth. Well the part they fixed on the Nissan was what we needed replaced this time---no luck - no warranty and another $460 plus the other million things needed so it will be $1,200 --cars yuck!! As we were driving to Spokane G was so excited to see AMMA AND PAPA--she was not going to sleep so I decided to stop an hour and ten min from home and see Papa Cole--in this small town (CONELL)he works there during the week. I called him when I pulled up to the restraunt just to say we were in town (he was sitting inside with 2 other men) When we walked in---I handed G to Papa ---(wrong thing to do>>>>>) She freaked out cried and would not look at Papa Cole the whole time we sat there) I felt bad --but who would have known----G did look at Papa as we were leaving the restraunt 20 min later!! I then went outside to the window so she could wave-she looked but did not even wave! I put her in the van and said G you need to say hi to Papa and that was not nice! Shut the van door-got in and looked back in the carseat -- she was sound asleep!!! Got to Spokane about two----by this time I was not sure what she would do when we got to my parents house---she was fine---whew! Had a fun afternoon with her grandparents playing with their toys--- playing catch outside with Papa. Chasing their cat!! Our friend Michael came over for dinner . Fell asleep about 9:20 pm----
Wednesday -3/19-mommy still had a list of stuff to finish. Called the place where they are fixing the car, two banks here in Spokane, shopping for Andrea's birthday which was Sunday the 16th. Found G a white sweter at Shopko. had to mail the package! Gretchie was good as we shopped but ater awhile I hear her say Mom look at my friends!! It was a girl and boy and when Amma went over with her she got shy! She then ran away from us between the clothes racks--I freaked out because she did not answer me when I called her name! After yelling twice she says YES MOMMY!! I AM RIGHT HERE!! I explained she needed to stay with us and asked if she had to go potty--she said no thanks---seconds later she crawled under a rack and says I have to go potty---she had an accident!! I picked her up (got all wet--what was I thinking??) (this was the first accident since she has been trained in January) THANK-YOU MOM for being there!! I had extra panties in my purse but not pants--Amma went to the van and got us another pair! Gretchie was on the potty chair and said I had an accident mommy! She got possesive of the stall after we changed and when a lady came in she said to her thats my pottychair and went to close the door on the stall. I scooped her up and apologized to the lady. G then got down and peeked under the stall door at the lady--I was washing my hands and heard the lady say hi to her. I scooped her up again and put her on the baby changer to wait for Amma.

Gretchie fell asleep on the way back to Amma's house. After nap Amma made her favorite mac and cheese--she was so EXCITED!!! We then went to the duck pond and fed the ducks!! G was apprehensive at first with all the noisy seagulls and could barely get to the pond! She loved feeding the crackers and bread to the ducks. She had a smile and started chatting away. I think they are so noisy she said --and they need their mommies! G wanted to walk around the pond--so she says hi to this girl sitting on a bench---(see some times she is outgoing and other times NOT!) We then went to Costco---she was EXCELLENT held Papa's hands as they tried all the samples! Mommy got to shop--- new jammie for Gretchie, kitty litter, laundry soap, dishwasher soap, cheese--got gas and then home again---Amma made taco salad for dinner and then Michael came over and ate later! (I ate chc. pudding while he ate) When we were at Costco mommy bought the cutest jammies for me and I immediately had to have them on back at Amma's.(even though it was 4:30 pm) G fell asleep by 8:50 (this was good lately)

Thursday 3/20 another fun day with Amma and Papa in Spokane!! G kept asking to go to the zoo--NO ZOO in Spokane so we took her to the pet store-teehee! She saw dogs , cats , bunnies , birds --A huge tropical parrot took Papa's jacket in his beak and would not let go!!! Amma had to help loosen the parrots teeth from his new jacket--and guess what!! The bird had three of the jacket teeth in his mouth! Boy!! Gretchie has retold this story sooo many times--The bird ate Papa's jacket and Amma had to help and then the jacket was in his mouth and then Papa looked at his jacket like this!! (Its funny when she says it)NAP--Lunch--More shopping---We went to Value Village(thrift) Other Mothers (thrift) then grocery store to get eggs---and the dollar store to get dye and G was so excited she found Bunny Paints in the aisle---so Papa and G painted when we got home! We ordered Chineese Food and played the rest of the evening! Gretchie tried on her new swim suit and sang!!

FRIDAY 3/2o---We woke up to snow!!! While we loaded my van Gretchie wanted to make a snowman!!! I got some cute photos---and the snow stopped thirty min out of Spokane on our way south home!! We stopped at a rest stop hour or so it was so WINDY!! We could hardly walk inside--Gretchie was laughing so hard!! In fact a dog on a leash was going sideways!! She was so wound up I thought would never sleep---she did!! When we got into Hermiston about 1:45 pm -Went to pay and get the key for our Nissan we had fixed! Daddy got home about 6 pm!! He brought a SUPRISE---2 Babar books yeah!!

Gretchen Girl!

Miscellaneous photos from last week!!

BIRTHDAY BUDDIES!

Friday March 14th was Gretchen's friend Angelica's birthday. She turned two! We went to McDonalds at 11:30 and stayed until 1:30 . Isabella and Angelica and Gretchen had fun!! We had cupcakes and each girl got a gift---(how nice) Hope she doesn't expect something at other birthdays! She got a stuffed yellow duck--book/Cd , Smartie candies and stickas and a helium balloon! We took tons of photos trying to get the three to pose!