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I know...I'm lame

So yes, I know I have been horrible about putting pictures up lately. We have just been so busy and we have had lots of changes and things going on for the past couple of weeks. So, I will put up some new pictures today and over the next couple of days.

So, changes in our world...I have switched clinics. I was working in a clinic about 20 minutes from my house. It was a nice clinic and I enjoyed the people I worked with but then I heard about a clinic that Providence was opening up that was literally 5 minutes from my house and I couldn't pass it up. It is quite a bit different than my last position, but I think I will like it just fine. The equipment will take some getting used to, but I think I can handle it.

Another big change...you better sit down for this one...Derek reenlisted!!! When he called to tell me I was in total shock. I had decided to just be supportive and let him decide what he wanted to do with his military career. Logistically it makes sense to stay in and retire with only 7 years left, but I don't have to do all the Army stuff. Plus, there is always the possibility of getting stationed someplace like Ft. Bragg, NC or Ft. Hood, TX. Neither are places at the top of our list of places to get stationed. So, he reenlisted for 2 years so that he can train in MRI. Some of you may wonder, why MRI since he went through training to become a Nuc Med tech and everything. Currently there is a set of procedures in Nuclear Medicine that is called PET CT. This uses the equipment from Nuclear Medicine and from Cat Scan to create an image. The new wave of equipment right now is bringing MRI and Nuclear Medicine together to produce an image. There are virtually no, or very few people that have knowledge in both MRI and Nuclear Medicine. So Derek believes that having a strong background in both will make him a huge asset in the world of Radiology. I tend to agree and am pretty excited to see where it might lead us. The PET MR machines are currently prototypes and are not yet on the market, so hopefully by the time they are he'll have a very strong background in both types of studies. It's very exciting. With so much of the medical field in places like Germany it could very well take us over to Europe or someplace else in the country at some point. We just don't know but are excited at the prospect.

So, let's see what else is going on...right now I can't really think of much. Oh!!! Laura should be having her baby anyday now. We are very excited for her. I just threw her a baby shower this past weekend. I have had so many baby showers myself I thought I should pass along the joy to someone else. I went a little overboard but loved doing it. I would love to be an event planner. It is so much fun. It went really well and she got lots of cool stuff, which let's face it, is the point of a baby shower. On Saturday, Derek will be headed off to Alaska to go on a fishing trip with his dad and brothers. He's pretty excited about that. He'll be gone for 10 days. Not the most convenient time with Laura about to go into Labor and Ashley about to start school, but we'll manage. He'll just owe me is all.

So, here's a couple pictures of the kids.

Always a Happy girl

Ethan loves listening to music

Ethan's First day of School!!

So, it's official. Ethan started school yesterday. It was the greatest, saddest sweetest thing ever. Neither of us cried but it took a little bit of work not to. So, I have a few pictures from his first day of school for you. I took him to school but he rode the bus home. He loved it and is excited to go to school again. He goes 2-3 days a week and is in an all day class. Yay Ethan!!!!!

Our new kitties!

So, our poor kitty Sammy recently ran away. I have had him for a long time and I am very sad that he is gone, as is Ethan. He has been a really good cat for us and was always very tolerant of Ethan's onstant harassment of him. But now he's gone. So, I decided we should get a new cat. Derek wasn't so sure but I finally convinced him we should get a new one. He agreed to one but I decided to get two so that Ethan and Ashley could each have their own. I am surprised that our marriage survived the night but it's all worked out and we now have two kittens. Ethan's is the grey one and he named it Alex. Ashley's is the multi-colored one and she named him Nanu. He's a runt and is teeny tiny. They are super cute. here's some pics.

Down to the river

Okay, so here are the pictures from the river. I know I am seriously overloading with pictures today, but it's fun. I hope you enjoy these pictures.

Dave Matthews

So, for Labor Day weekend we went to the Dave Matthews concert, again. I know we are so predictable, but we enjoy it. We decided to take the kids with us this year. Derek was concerned about taking Addie with the heat of Eastern Washington but a friend of ours has a trailer that we got to use which has air conditioning and stuff. We were able to get out of the heat and have a semi-cool place to sleep and stuff. We went with a great group and this year got away from the campground a little bit and played in the river.

Jack surprised us and showed up on the river with a boat so us girls got to play on the boat for a while. Derek was rock climbing so he didn't get to go. Too bad for him. He really enjoyed climbing though. I took Ethan tubing which scared him but he was a good sport about it. He was just scared of going so fast. It was a lot of fun though. Plus Ethan always loves to see his Uncle Jack. We had a great weekend. We came back Sunday since I had to work on Monday. I really didn't mind working Monday though. I haven't worked in the hospital for a long time so it was a blast busting my butt for the first time in a long time. So, here's a bunch of pics from our weekend.

Here's some cute pics for you

I know. I've been horrible over the past few weeks about putting up new pics for you guys. Sorry about that. Well, today I am going to make it up to you. I'll put up several postings with lots and lots of pictures for you. I hope you enjoy them. Love you all!!!!! Oh, by the way...my photographer is back. I told Ashley she had to stay in our house forever so that we always had pictures of the kids. We'll see how that goes.

It's been awhile

Hey guys!! I am so sorry it has taken me so long to put something up here. We have just been really busy, yet nothing major has been going on. I seem to be shopping a lot trying to get Ethan ready for school. I am lucky it's only kindergarten though. He doesn't care what he wears to school.

For the past week Ethan has been up at my parents' house. It was so weird not having him here. The house was so quiet. He's the perfect son, too. He'd get on the phone with us and tell us how much he missed us but then tell us about his day. I don't have any new pictures of him except the one I'm putting up. Soon we will though. Ashley is coming back on Wednesday so hopefully she'll be our own personal little photographer again. The picture I am putting up is from today. My parents took us out to lunch for his birthday and they sang to him and took his picture. So, that's the picture I put up. It was hilarious watching his face as they sang to him. It went from normal, to complete confusion, to something close to fear to smiling during the few minutes they sang. It was his first birthday at a restaurant experience.

So, we have a big week coming up. Tuesday is Ethan's birthday. I have all of his birthday shopping done. Yay!! Then Wednesday Ashley is coming out here and then on Friday we leave for the Dave Matthews concert at the Gorge. We're going Friday and Saturday nights. I am so excited. I think the group we are going with will be a lot of fun too. I'm bringing the kids too. Ethan is super excited. We are taking him to the concert instead of having a birthday party this year. I just hope one of the nights he plays Dream Girl, which is one of his favorite songs. It will be a good weekend.

Well, I am going to go ahead and upload some pics. I think I am starting to just ramble on and on. I hope everyone is doing well. I will add more soon. Ciao.

More Steps!!

Let's see if this works...

Cranky Day

So, we all had a cranky day today. I think we are all just too tired and can't get caught up on sleep. So, what am I doing??? I'm staying up late and messing around on the computer. Oh well. We did have something exciting happen today. You will have to watch the video and find out for yourself. I have some videos on the side but I'm going to try and put one up here. When you check them click on the tab to make it full size or else it will stay distorted.


We've got some stuff getting ready to change soon. Ethan starts soccer up again in a few weeks. That is always fun. I will be switching clinics I work in at the beginning of September. I'll work for the same hospital but just at a different clinic. The new clinic is only 5 minutes (literally...Derek and I timed it tonight). away from our house. How can you beat that? Ashley is officially moving out here now. The ticket has been bought. We are very excited about that. Laura is getting closer to having her baby. It's starting to freak me out a bit. I don't have an offical plan yet to cover while she's out. If you have any suggestions...


Derek and Ethan went camping last weekend and left me and Addie at home. I'm including pictures of the trip. They did a hiking trip so they only camped with what they could carry. Ethan only had to carry his sleeping bag so that left Derek and our friend Steve with everything else. They had a blast. Meanwhile, Addie and I stayed home and went school clothes shopping for Ethan. Kindergarten is the most exciting and heartbreaking thing ever. I am totally going to be the parent who follows the bus to school. I guess I won't actually follow the bus but I'll put Ethan on the bus and then sit in the school parking lot until I see him get off the bus.

Ethan and Derek hiking up the hill

Ethan and Steve setting up camp with Gryff and Murphy

Ethan loves camping and hiking with Dad

Can't forget a sleeping baby picture

Sorry guys, I tried but I can't figure out how to include a video. Check out a video link instead to the right. Love ya!!!

Fair Pictures

So, on Wednesday Laura took the kids to the Thurston County Fair. Its not a huge fair but had rides, games, animals and fair food. All the important stuff. Laura is so brave taking a 4 year old and two babies out in public at all. She gets all sorts of weird looks carting them all around. I keep telling her to tell people that yes, the 4 year old, the 8 month old and YES the 11 month old are all hers, along with the baby in her belly. Its amazing me the things that people think. So anyway, I thought I would share some pictures from the fair and some sleepy pics.