the ellis family

Smiling for Grandpa

2011-09-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

Gwen adores her Grandpa Holt, can you tell?

Oliver's big catch

2011-09-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

The kids often go fishing with there dad. They love it! This time Grandpa Holt came too which was definitely a treat! Oliver is our most patient fisherman, which usually results in more catches! This time he caught something a little different than usual! Great job buddy!

Bug man

2011-08-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

I guess you can call this the summer of the bugs for Jackson. He spent the majority of his time catching bugs (all by hand) and putting them in mason jars to watch them for a while. He was particularly into catching bumble bees. He would bring in a jar with six or seven bees in at a time, how he managed to catch one and place it in the jar without the others escaping is beyond me!

Lego Master

2011-08-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

This one has many aspirations, being a "lego master" happens to be one of them. We think he is well on his way!

miss gwen has something it say...

2011-08-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

gwen 18 months

2011-08-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

This little girl is pure sunshine! I am sure that face gets kissed a million times a day!

A day at the beach

2011-08-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

Just another great day at Maple Bay. We were paddling, digging, kick-boarding and simply enjoying the beautiful weather. I was just a fantastic day!

Learning by observing

2011-07-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

Gwen want to be big. She follows her brothers and sister around and tries to copy everything that they do and in this case her daddy! She is such a fun little character and we couldn't ask for a cuter shadow, honest!

A family affair

2011-07-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

Gwen took her first steps the last week of June this year and the kids were all over getting her to actual walking very soon after that. They would take turns walking with her down the hall and around in the kitchen. All I can say is this is one well loved little girl!

a ritual

2011-07-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

You can bet that most days this summer, after dinner, you would find us on our front porch having a cold treat. Seriously (mostly) every day!

Canada Day and new trees

2011-07-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

So every year we try to add a little something to our landscaping. It is a slow process, but as it turns out, trees and flowers and things cost more than we would have previously thought. It was Canada Day, so we thought it would be a good day as any to pick up a couple more trees for the front yard! Really it was just a good excuse to go to the nursery and hang out outside all day. Jacob did all the work (with help from the kids, of coarse) and I got to sit back with miss Gwen and enjoy. We later got together with family to have dinner and to visit. Not a bad way to spend this Canada day!

Trip to the fire hall

2011-06-17T20:28:00.000-07:00

One of the neat things about homeschooling is that we try to extend learning through out the summer too! It helps us plan our week and find activities where we learn while having fun. We had the opportunity to visit the fire hall and the kids were super excited. We met up with a bunch of homeschooling friends and got to learn the ins and outs of a firefighter's digs! Jackson was thrilled when he got picked to get to try on the gear! The kids got to explore through a couple different fire trucks and got to work with the fire hose (which was their favorite part, aside from the suckers they got at the end!).

I row, therefor I am

2011-06-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to join the rowing club here. We live so close to the bay and I have never lived in a place where learning to row or being apart of a rowing club was even an option. Jacob encouraged me to join and was super excited for me when I finally did! We meet at the bay twice a week for a couple of hours and when the weather was good Jacob would bring the kids along to play on the beach while I rowed. I was hooked from the first day. Seriously, it has been such a neat experience to learn to do something new, just for me and to get to "escape" on the water for hours at a time is saving for me. I love it.

Another Nautilus

2011-06-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

Just another fabulous day exploring at Maple Bay beach. We really are fortunate to live to close to such a great place to go to "get away"! The kids love to go when the tide has gone down a bit because that means that there are a lot more critters and interesting things to find!

When lunch runs a little late

2011-06-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we play so hard when the weather is nice that we don't get to eating lunch until much later than usual which means that we usually run into our nap time!

Hiking the Y

2011-05-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

We try to hike to the "Y" every time we go to Utah! It was just the boys this time because us girls went shopping! They had such a great time and the weather was fantastic! The boys still talk about how much fun they had that day.

Uncle Jared and Auntie Emily's

2011-05-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of our visit to Utah is that we get the opportunity to stay at Jacob's bother's place. They are gracious hosts and our kids adore theirs. They always have something fun going on. Ava particularly feels spoiled because of all their girls. She thought that this game was the greatest. They listened to music and danced along. She was in heaven. Gwen swayed and danced along, but it was hard to capture that on the camera, but, as you can see, she was having a great time too!

Back to Utah

2011-05-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

We did spend a lot of time driving this trip, but the kids really did great. They loved getting to stop for meals, especially breakfast! We are so loving the kids at this age, they find the most simple activities to be so much fun!

random images of AZ

2011-05-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

We really enjoyed ourselves this trip! Here is just a couple more pictures of some of the highlights! We are looking forward to the next time we can make it down to Arizona!

Our Morning Walks

2011-05-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

We loved getting up early in the morning and going for walks with the kids down the canal and around the places I used to roam as a kid. We would always bring apples to munch on and the kids liked to share with the neighbors horse! We enjoyed these quiet mornings so much we think this needs to become a tradition when we visit down south!

Swimming at grandma's

2011-05-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

The kids were in heaven. We left cold, rainy Canada and had fantastic weather in Arizona! They spent a lot of our time at grandma and grandpa's in the pool! Not a bad way to spend the day eh?!

Grandpa Curtis

2011-05-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

Every time we visit Safford, we have to make a visit to the site where my daddy was buried. We love to tell the kids stories about their Grandpa Curtis and then show them where his body was buried. The kids think it is really neat and there is a feeling of reference there and I am glad the kids can be there with us to experience it! Oliver knows that he is named after his Grandpa Curtis (his middle name is Edward) and he thought it was neat to make those connections there!

Driving to AZ

2011-05-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

My grandma Genie passed away early in May and we really wanted to be there with family, so after our 21 hour drive to Utah and stopping there for a few days, we continued on to Arizona (another 12 hour drive)! These are some shots of one of my favorite spots on the trip. We were all due for a break at this point and this spot was perfect! The kids did amazingly well and Jacob and I LOVE road trips, especially the drive from Utah to Arizona. It is beautiful and we cannot get enough of it! We are actually looking forward to the trip again, hopefully soon!

My picky/Not so picky eater

2011-05-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

So all of my babies have eaten baby food in some form for part of their meals until they are at least two years old (it is such a easy/lazy way to make sure that they are getting all of their fruits and veggies). This one has decided that she wants things done differently. As far as she is concerned she will only have what every one else is eating. Good news that she will eat anything that I give her (pretty much) so good enough!

This guy means business

2011-05-04T08:41:00.000-07:00

Jackson has such a fun and inventive imagination. He takes his playtime very seriously. He really is into matching lately, he feels like that when he is outfitted in clothes of the same hue that he is officially in uniform. He was pretty bummed that he couldn't find green boxer briefs though, and asked that next time I went to the store if I can put that on my list! You got it buddy!

Oh Vanity!

2011-05-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

So I have a pedestal sink in my bathroom. Love it but it is not very functional when I am trying to get ready in the morning because of the limited countertop space. I usually end up dragging all my stuff over to the tub area and sitting on the floor to put my makeup on. This worked fine for awhile (although still a pain) until miss gwen started to pull herself up and had all access to my stuff. Jacob suggested that he make a vanity for this awkward spot in our bedroom that we weren't sure what to do with anyway. I showed him a picture of what I wanted it to look like and then he and the kids went to work! The great thing about this project was that it cost next to nothing because we used items we already had and most of the wood was used from leftovers of previous projects! I LOVE my new space and I actually look forward to getting ready in the morning. Ava is particularly fond of this space as well since the bench has room enough for two (she often keeps me company)!

It is all about control

2011-04-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

It is quite an understatement that this girl loves to color. She is very particular about how her work comes out. She has developed a system where she uses her left hand to control her right so that she is less likely to color outside the lines, genius!

baby bottom teeth and smooshy kisses

2011-04-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

two of my favorite things ever!

Built in Prince Charming

2011-04-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

Ava loves to be a princess (probably because she is one, just ask her!) She will often convince Oliver to be her prince and to marry her (she is certain that dancing together is the same as getting hitched!). He usually is a good sport and will do and dance just how she instructs. He loses interest a lot faster then she does however ( as evident in the last picture)! She often tells us that someday she really is going to marry a boy and Oliver will proudly announce, without hesitation, that he is that boy!

Where they create

2011-04-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

There is a place in our room that the kids have somehow taken over. They will spend countless hours building lego and playing with their various toys. If I am having trouble finding either one of them, I always check there first!

His baby sister

2011-03-31T07:54:00.000-07:00

Jackson loves Gwen and she adores him. It melts my heart watching them interact everyday. She can do no wrong in his eyes and she trusts him completely!

How our morning was spent

2011-03-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Who knew that balloons could be so fun?! Honestly, the kids ran around the kitchen with these things for a good 45 minutes let alone all the other creative things they came up with that morning that involved using said balloons. Gwen was more than thrilled to get her turn too!

Our time

2011-03-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

I love to cook. Whether I am really good or not makes no difference to me. I love it. I consider it my playtime! Lucky for me, we have a darling little girl who loves it just as much as I do. Ava and I have decided that when she gets older we are going to go to culinary school together. Just ask her, she will tell you! But for now, just the two of us in our kitchen is just about perfect!

When the house is quiet...

2011-03-12T14:25:00.000-08:00

Jackson spends a couple hours each day during the younger kids nap time listening to his favorite books on tape and creating some pretty fabulous creations with lego. This one is for all you Star Wars fans out there. Can you tell what it is?!

it's a snow day

2011-03-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

Snow doesn't happen a lot for us around these parts (rain is what we have learned to be accustom to) so when we get it, we love it. I am not sure which the kids love most, getting dressed to go outside or actually playing in the snow! What ever the reason, snow is just fun and fun is good.

Happy Birthday Gwen

2011-02-20T16:29:00.000-08:00

Gwen decided sit up for the first time, crawl for the first time, got her first tooth and basically stopped eating baby food all within weeks of her first birthday! When this girl's ready, she doesn't waste any time!

We love you Gwenneth Ree

Friends

2011-01-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

There is something special between these two. Jackson adores his baby sister and she adores him. They spend a considerable amount of time together each day, rolling around, laughing and playing. They are just so sweet when they are together. We just love it!

Budding Archeologists

2011-01-21T09:35:00.000-08:00

For the last couple of years Jacob has been telling the boys bedtime stories from when he was a kid. One of the favorites is the one exploring caves deep in the mountains where there are skeletons... After two failed expeditions (it had been awhile since Jacob was last there) on the third attempt, guided by Uncle Dan, he and the boys finally got to a certain secret cave. The boys were thrilled! They carefully viewed the burial site while Dad explained how the bones got there. Jackson has been really into archeology and learning about Egypt so they were all ears. After spelunking through a few more caves on their bellies they returned home proud as can be.

A boy and his buzz

2011-01-06T14:39:00.000-08:00

These guys were instant friends after Santa put him under our tree. Magical times i'll tell ya!

Christmas Eve 2010

2011-01-06T14:27:00.001-08:00

We like to take a picture of the kids in their new Christmas jammies every year in front of the tree, just to see the changes in these sweet things each year. We are kind of smitten with are new edition to the photo this year, although she looks about as big as the rest of them! Isn't my baby supposed to stay tiny for a little longer than this?! Jacob and I feel incredibly blessed to have these little people apart of our lives. We sure are lucky. Merry Christmas to you all!

Ward Christmas Party and Santa!

2011-01-06T14:15:00.000-08:00

We had a lot of fun at the Ward Christmas party this year. Jackson was able to be a shepherd in the Nativity pageant, which he was thrilled about and the kids got to sit on Santa's lap! Needless to say they were pretty excited, Oliver even gave him a hug the minute it was his turn to sit on his lap!

The Twin's turned 4

2010-12-15T15:38:00.000-08:00

We cannot believe that these two are already four! What a hoot these two are. Oliver is such a sweet and happy guy and will always find the humor in just about anything! Ava has such a darling personality and is such a kind little person. They both bring such joy to our family. We are so lucky to have them both!

ava's favorite spot

2010-12-15T15:33:00.000-08:00

This girl is a coloring maniac! She will do it as long as I will let her! It is a way for her to escape the craziness of her brothers! She has become quite skilled in this area as well. She is a perfectionist and rarley will she color outside of the lines! It is fun to she her personality come through in the things that she loves to do. She really is so sweet!

One year older!

2010-12-15T14:42:00.000-08:00

Jackson turned six this year and we couldn't be more proud of the person that he is growing up to be. He is an amazing big brother and is such a good example to his brother and sisters. He is compassionate, friendly, and just a great kid to hang around. We feel so blessed to have him as a member of our family. Life just wouldn't be the same without him. We love you Jackson!

Halloween 2010

2010-12-15T14:25:00.000-08:00

The kids loved halloween this year! They are just getting to the age where they can appreciate what this holiday is all about. Jackson chose to be a velociraptor, Oliver wanted to be Franklin the turtle, Ava wanted to be a bumble bee, but one look at this pink dress and she was sooo going to be a princess and Gwen was a bug, a caterpillar to be exact! We sure love these little people!

Forest Discovery Centre

2010-11-21T21:49:00.000-08:00

The kids were super excited to go for their first official train ride. It was a spooky theme for halloween so we had lots of fun things to see. They seem fascinated with skeletons and scary things (I am just the opposite!) We went with fellow homeschooling friends and had a really good time.

Fall Fishing

2010-11-21T21:34:00.000-08:00

Can you tell that we love fishing! It was a beautiful fall day and we just couldn't resist. The kids thought it was pretty neat to be fishing and to all of a sudden see bubbles and then real life divers too! We never regret the time we spend here. Great memories!

An expedition!

2010-11-15T14:38:00.001-08:00

Jacob tells the boys bedtime stories about adventures of his childhood. These two just eat it up and can't wait to hear more. Jacob used to hike around the mountain near his home and would find all kinds of neat things. The boys were super excited to find out one morning that dad was taking them hiking around that very same mountain. They found and learned about all kinds of bugs and slugs and plants. And the highlight was going to Split Rock and exploring through some real caves! Jackson even got to practice his photography skills which is something he has shown an interest in learning (he took the last photo of Dad and Oliver!). The boys had a blast (even the big one!). Jacob and I talk frequently about how this is such a great age to be a kid and we are just soaking up their enthusiasm and are loving it!

Field Trips

2010-10-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

A cool thing about homeschooling is that we can go on field trips anytime we want! This one was to Shaw's Ocean Discovery Centre which is just an hour south of us. The kids LOVED it. We learned and saw so much. We definitely will be going back soon especially since the weather is starting to turn and it is a great place to go and learn. Our favorite part is that they have a great pacific octopus that has just laid over 70,000 eggs. It was neat. Fun times!

Fall

2010-10-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

yep it is here. It really is fabulous on the island this time of year. We just love it. We take a walk on this estuary every Sunday until it gets too cold. It is peaceful here and a great place for the kids to run.

Last days of Summer

2010-10-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

Oliver is our most patient fisherman and as a result usually catches the most fish out of everyone. This little guy caught this fish all by himself. We didn't even realize he was reeling one in until he announced out loud that he caught one!

We can feel fall coming. And before our warm days are over we head over to Maple Bay, of coarse. Fishing is the sport of choice for these little guys, even Gwen got a try at it (and yes she is holding the rod all by herself!). It was a fantastically beautiful evening, sort of the evenings that remind you what life is really about. To be honest, fall is my favorite season here on Vancouver Island, but summer evenings like these are hard to beat!

A mini Summer Recap

2010-09-24T14:10:00.001-07:00

We started off this summer heading down to Utah for Uncle David and Aunt Nicole's Wedding (we LOVE her by-the-way). It was such a fun trip for us. We enjoyed spending time with family and friends. We also got the fun opportunity to have their Open House in our home with was a great privilege. I am kicking myself for not taking more photos. This photo is of the following morning after cleaning up. My great friend Shelli did all the flower arrangements. They were fantastic. She really has a gift! We had all kinds of yummy food and lots of friends and family to share it. It really was a great night.

Jacob did a ton of work on the house to get ready for the summer (pictures to follow soon...I promise). One of our favorites was getting our backyard fenced in. Until then the kids weren't even allowed back there due to the 10 ft drop. The kids and us parents for that matter LOVE having more freedom!

We can't talk about are summer without mentioning Maple Bay. We love it there. Jacob and I actually spent more time in the water this year because of this little number. Paddle Boarding! Who knew it could be so much fun!

We fell in love with Bright Angel again this summer. It is a place where the Koksilah River runs through. The river is shallow enough and moves at a slow enough pace which makes for literally hours of fun by these little people.

Centennial Park is a new place we found this summer. It is new and clean and has water features as well which = more fun! We spent quite a bit of time there as well.

All in all it was a summer to remember. Jacob was able to take ALOT of time off for paternity leave, six months to be exact! Yep that is right. I know I was spoiled.. seriously we love his job! It was just great to spend so much time with our little family. We feel incredibly blessed to have eachother (Cheesy I know, but it really is true!)

Cobble Hill Fair

2010-09-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

I love small town fairs. The kids all but absorbed it. Highlights were the baby pigs, balloons, and the dilly bars! It was a great day!

Solids

2010-09-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

yep. she is that old now. i put it off as long as i can. she won't listen. she just keeps growing.

Pink fingers and toes

2010-09-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

I never really paint my nails because I cannot stand to have chipped polish and I can never seem to keep my nails pretty for more than a day and because of that Ava had never had an intrest because she has never seen my nails done. The other day, however, Ava saw a cute little girl with painted nails and toenails and she just had to have hers done too! She is hooked now and prefers pink, of coarse! Funny thing, though, Ava doesn't like chipped polish either so we have to re-polish often. Go figure.

6 months

2010-08-14T11:38:00.001-07:00

This little gem just turned 6 months old. She really is such a special little person and is sooo adored. We just love every bit of her!

Boy's Night Out

2010-08-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

Jacob took Jackson and Oliver to Western speedway were they watched monster trucks, demolition derby and stock car racing. The boys haven't been able to stop talking about it since. Loud cars, big crashes, and junk food. What could possibly be better than that. Men... they're simple creatures.

V.I.P

2010-07-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

We got this idea from some good friends of ours and we just love it. We take the kids, one at a time, on a special V.I.P. (very important person) outing with just mom or dad. The kids look forward to their special day and are excited to find out what they are going to do. This particular morning was this little girls V.I.P and daddy took her to pick flowers and if you know Ava, she loves flowers! Daddy won BIG points and she insisted on taking pictures with him afterwards. She is such a special little girl and daddy would do just about anything to win her over....he does it daily!

our little "alfalfa"

2010-07-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

I had to document this sweet do that this darling kid sports daily. Since he still has a strong relationship with a certain two fingers (he has been sucking his fingers since he was only a few months old!) and if mom or Ava's hair isn't close by to twirl with his other hand, this section of hair is a great substitute. As a result, it is in a constant state of , well, straight up! I am honest to goodness going to miss it when he stops this cute little habit. I love this little guy!

Bright Angel Park

2010-07-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite places to spend a warm morning. The water is pretty shallow for the better part of this area so the kids feel safe to roam and explore! Gwen and I get to hang out and watch and since she loves to be outside everyone wins! I just love how everything just seems to slow way down around here when the weather is nice. We just love it!

More Utah

2010-07-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

I am totally lame and didn't take many pictures during our trip to Utah (I could just shoot myself), gratefully Auntie Kristen sent these cuties our way. We love them and thought we should share. Thanks Kristen!

This is THE place

2010-06-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

We simply LOVE Utah. We got to go down there for a couple of days to visit family and to be there for our Uncle David and our new Aunt Nicole's wedding. We sure enjoyed our time there and only wished we could have stayed longer to visit. Thanks to everyone who let our crazy bunch crash your home and invade your space. We have only been back a couple of days and we miss you all already.

Life's a Beach

2010-06-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

If given the choice, these boys would spend every day here. They love Maple Bay. This bay is particularly cool when the tide is low, interesting things can be found. On this particular morning they found a nautilus and a massive clam shell. They insisted on dad taking pictures to show mom. Awesome.

Gwen's Blessing Day

2010-06-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

We blessed gwen on Mother's Day! It was a perfect day. Jacob gave her such a neat blessing. We feel incredibly blessed to have such a special little person in our family. We just love her.

Sigh...

2010-05-11T17:08:00.001-07:00

nuff said.

We call it the Happy Couch

2010-05-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

This little darling loves to spend her wake time on this little number. She will just lay there and stare out the window and talk and smile. Hence the name. The happy couch.

Here comes the sun

2010-04-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

Sun = Maple Bay Beach in our household. It is still too cold for the rest of us to actually get in the water, but nothing stops Jackson. He just eats it up. It is so nice to get out and to shake off those winter "bugs". We really do love it here!

And yes, Jackson is wearing doctors gloves and he is in his underwear (all of our summer stuff is still packed!)

Mini Me

2010-04-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

It is a little scary how much your kids mimic you. This one does everything I do. I caught her the other day in the study working out to a video that I had just finished, she got it to play and brought out the matt and weights all by herself. I watched her silently for quite some time without her knowing and she was following the tape very well. It was too cute. I also find her randomly on her own "feeding" her baby dolls. She loves to cook for her brothers with her play kitchen. She reads to them and "mothers" them (ie: tells them what to do) and she loves to shop. I am creating a little monster!

Men at Work

2010-04-11T19:46:00.001-07:00

Lately the boys have been doing a lot of work around the house. Jackson and Oliver take it very seriously...until they get distracted with sticks and homemade swords, of course. It is significantly more quiet around the house with those three outside all day. Ava, Gwen and I get to just hang out, read books, cook things or run to town. It's quite nice actually and then we get to come home and see the neat stuff that is getting done. I will post before and afters of the work after it is finished. This week they should have most of the fence built and the front porch completed. Good times and dirty boys!

six weeks

2010-03-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

We cannot believe she is already six weeks old. She is such a doll and is a complete joy. She eats well and sleeps amazingly and has such a sweet disposition. We just can't get enough of her! One really neat thing about her, although I am not sure this is the best picture to show this, but she has a little ginger in her hair just like her great grandma gwen whom she is named after! We think that is pretty special.

Best Biggest Brother Ever

2010-03-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

Yep, an absolute fact. This kid adores his new little sister....and she him!

Baby Gwen

2010-03-04T12:47:00.000-08:00

I needed to post a recent photo of our sweet Gwen. She changes daily and her stages are too cute to miss. How we every managed without her is anyones guess. We just love her to pieces
note: This post comes as a specific request from her aunt heather. we love you.

Eight

2010-03-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

This one and I just celebrated our eighth year anniversary together. Simply put, I am the luckiest girl in the world.

Enter Comedian

2010-03-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

I just had to post this photo of Oliver. He by far, is deemed the "funny guy" of the family. He catches everyones jokes, including mine, and he finds the humor in just about anything. He is such a goofy guy and we are crazy about him.

Go Figure

2010-03-04T10:47:00.000-08:00

We have recently brought out all our books from storage since jacob finished the bookcases in the study (see above photo...I think he did an awesome job by-the-way). The other day, when Jackson woke from his nap I found him reading this, (mind you he can't read quite yet and there are no pictures). He told me, when I ask why he chose this particular book, "just cause". love. this. kid.

Mom and Ava

2010-03-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

Ava is such a girl, which I just love. One of her absolute favorite things aside from reading and "talk" time with her daddy is for me to play with her hair. She will sit next to me as long as I am patient to do so. She is such a delight and a fantastic big sister by-the-way!

Here.

2010-02-18T18:03:00.000-08:00

Introducing:
Gwenneth Ree (Gwen)
Born February 8th 2010
8 lbs. 4 oz
21 inches long

I am happy to report that we are all happy and healthy and over the moon for this little girl.

Fishing Buddies

2010-01-19T10:48:00.000-08:00

This is what the guys have been up too, just about every Saturday since Jackson got a fishing pole for his birthday. They go in the morning after breakfast when the fish are biting and they catch fish 95% of the time. To date the most they have caught in a day is eight! They all love it and even go if it is raining. If they can find a crab then they use his meat for the bait too which Jackson just thinks is sooo cool. Ava, has zero desire to go with the guys, so we make it a girls morning out and run errands and things of that sort. Needless to say that we look forward to Saturday mornings!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T08:47:00.000-08:00

We just wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year. I wasn't even close to being "on the ball" this year to send out cards, but we wanted you all to know that we adore you and we wish you all the best for this coming year. We are excited for what this new year will bring for our little family and look forward to sharing our moments with you. We sure love you!

These two

2009-12-13T12:42:00.000-08:00

Jackson and Oliver have really started to appreciate eachother. They wrestle for an insane amount of time and find it quite hilarious, they "hunt", and have all sorts of grand boy adventures. Ava joins in sometimes but they can be too rambunctious for her...she is looking forward to a little sister needless to say!

Happy Birthday

2009-12-06T15:46:00.000-08:00

We celebrated some birthdays here with in the last couple of weeks. We can't believe how big these kiddos are getting. Jackson turned 5 on the 11th of November and Oliver and Ava turned 3 on the 24th! Time sure flies, but it sure is fun with these little people around. We sure love you guys!

The Province Family and Parksville Beach

2009-10-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

Our really good friends, the Provence family, came to visit us earlier this summer. We loved having them, it was such a treat for our family. This is just one of the things we did while the Province family were here. It was a huge beach and they had a awesome water park and regular park right next to the beach. The only thing lacking was a little sun, but it was still fun! I am kicking myself that we hardly got any pictures taken while they visited. We have none of Wing and Ali and their little Oliver and only this one of William jumping in the water at this beach with Jackson (chalk it up to being sick and not thinking of details!). Regardless we had such a blast with them and love and miss them dearly.

The Provence family visit...and baby lillian

2009-10-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

Here is another highlight of their visit. The kids loved baby lillian. She was such an amazing little gal. I am not sure that she really even cried the whole time she was here. The kids adored her and her bothers and are still talking about them. We miss their family terribly since they have left.

We are having a baby girl!

2009-09-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

We are all just really excited and can't wait to meet her!

Check back soon, I am planning on backtracking a bit and getting caught up with this blog from the couple of months that I was sick. Love and miss you all.

Thirty...and loving it!

2009-09-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

I turned 30 years old yesterday. I thought I would have a hard time with this birthday, but really it's great. I have three wonderful kids, one on the way and a darling husband whom I have officially started to "grow old with". Life is good.

Jackson was using the camera today and snapped this one and thought it blog worthy...

The kids have something to say...

2009-09-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

Yep, we are having another baby and are thrilled about it! I am due on February 14th and we will find out the sex of the baby the end of next week. I have been pathetically ill with this pregnancy so hence why this blog has not been updated. I have lots of catching up to do so stay tuned and we will let you know what we have been up to these last couple of months. Love to you all.

A special thanks to our "aunt" Heather for making these darling shirts for us... the kids are so proud of them!

what we've been up too

2009-06-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

This is a bit of an update post. A lot has been going on, but we we aren't doing silly busy stuff we are here. Maple bay is where we spend most of our time. We all just love it. We easily spend hours there at a time with no complaint. The greatest thing is that the beach is never busy. We always joke that it is our private beach. good times!

Sunday and Uncle Dan

2009-05-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoons are fun because Uncle Dan usually comes and hangs out. The kids adore him. This is just a sampling of the fun things they get to do with Dan. The kids hung on to the toy dog's two back legs and tail and they slid around on the floor. They had a ball... and the floors looked great when they were done. bonus.

Bike day

2009-05-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

Usually the bikes are kept downstairs in the unfinished basement, but every Thursday we have bike day so the kids can bring them upstairs. The kids love it. Oliver asks seriously every day if it is bike day. I love it too because it keeps them crazy busy for a lot of the day and I only have to maneuver around bikes for one day instead of seven. Yeah for bike day. (Ava is not supposed to wear shoes in the house, but she will sneak them on when ever she can get the chance, she adores her "butterfly boots")

Another reason I love mornings!

2009-05-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about little kids eating cereal, but I just think it is so cute!

This is serious stuff

2009-05-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share some photos of jackson's diving night. The night kicks off with Jackson helping get the babies bathed and ready for bed. All the kids then come in to mom's and dad's bathroom to start filling up the tub. It takes a bit of time so there is a lot of running around and laughing and yelling (because they love how loud they sound in the bathroom). It's then bedtime for Oliver and Ava and show time for Jackson. He dives for about and hour and a half with the majority of the time under the water. He is getting quite good. He only pops up every once and a while to say something to dad and then it is back to business. He is either catching sea animals or taking their pictures just like the divers do in the documentaries that he loves. He wraps up the night with a later night snack with dad, his choice (which always ends up being a treat cereal). He so looks forward to Wednesday nights.

At Your Service

2009-04-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

Ava is well taken care of by her brothers, especially Oliver. He will get her things and do just about anything to make her happy. These photos show Ava on the window ledge. Oliver wanted to help her down because she seemed anxious doing it on her own. He pulled up a chair and when that wasn't enough he offered her a piggy back ride. It was so cute watching them do this, we just had to take a picture

Man-Eater

2009-04-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

I confess, I am tempted to nibble on this one daily. He is just super sweet!

Diving Machine

2009-04-22T13:11:00.001-07:00

Ok, jackson has a small (or rather large) obsession with diving and everything that goes with it. He loves watching the Planet Earth series particularly "Deep Ocean", "Shallow Seas", and "Caves" because these are the episodes where divers are present and they show what you can find while diving (ie, whales, fish, octopus, squid, sting rays, etc). He begs daily to "look up" diving stuff on the internet and he has been working for weeks to earn enough rocks (our reward system) to earn these puppies. He wears them just about as often as we will let him. Wednesday nights, when I go to our Young Women's activity and after the twins are down for the night, Jackson gets his "Diving Night". Jacob fills our rather large bathtub and full as he can and Jackson will "dive" for upwards of an hour an a half. He is really good at staying underneath the water and using his snorkel to breath. He has many sea animal toys that he dives with to make the experience even more real. His favorite part is that the tube has lights in it and changes the water color from clear to blue, green, red, and purple. Jacob will turn the lights out in the bathroom and Jackson "dives" to the lights from the deep sea, submarines, etc. He is such a hoot. He is forever looking for this summer when Grandpa Holt comes to visit. He has decided that Grandpa Holt will be his diving partner when he goes off the dock in Maple Bay. This kid doesn't even know how to swim yet, but he is ever so confident that he won't have the least bit of trouble. He tells me " I am a fast learner Mom, it won't be a problem". Love that kid.

Silly kids

2009-04-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

Usually after naps and a snack these guys get pretty goofy. It usually is displayed by running around like crazy people in the kitchen singing songs from Scripture Scouts (which I highly recommend, although watch-out, your kids will want to listen to it ALWAYS). Anyway, this day they just sat on the couch and laughed for about 5 minuets straight about who knows what. Too cute!

Blue Gloves

2009-04-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

Ava is in that lovely independent stage where she wants to do everything "by self". If it seems too hard, she will find a way. This particular time, she wanted to get into her highchair and wasn't going to wait for mommy and she pulled up a chair to climb up and she fell back in her attempt and hit the table on the way down. She was incredibly tuff. She needed stitches in the back of her head, 4 to be exact. She was super good at the hospital and charmed all the nurses. After she was finished she was offered a variety of toys and treats, but she only wanted a pair of blue gloves like the doctor and that is just what she got (she even turned down an Popsicle that was unwrapped and ready for her). She played with them for hours the next day until they broke. We were so proud how well she did. She is such a great kid!

Baby Sue

2009-03-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

This girls loves her baby dolls. She has three favorites, Molly, Sue and Nya. This one is baby Sue and boy does she adore her (thanks grandma holt!). We get such a kick out of watching her be a little "mommy" it is super sweet. She will spend a lot of her day caring for these babies amidst the rough and tumble of her two brothers (yet another win for nature vs nurture). This is clearly what she was made to do and she is already a pro!

All is well that ends well...right?

2009-02-25T21:29:00.000-08:00

Today was just one of those days where I felt discouraged about my "mom" efforts. I got after them more, where I should have stopped and listened. I worried too much about getting the floors in the bathroom sealed than just being with them. We had several melt downs (me included). My focus was just off today, but as I was putting Jackson to bed we had a discussion about the day and I apologized for not being "me", he smiled, gave me a hug and a kiss and told me it was alright and that "we will be better tomorrow, it's ok". Bless kids and their ever forgiving natures. I feel better already.

The sun was out... and so were we

2009-02-19T23:48:00.000-08:00

The past few days have been fabulous. It is still really cold but there have been clear skies (which we don't get a lot of in these parts). On Sunday we took advantage and walked down to some soccer fields just down the road from us. It was nice for everyone...although it made me incredibly anxious for the warm weather to come and we still have months before that happens!

Just thinking

2009-02-19T23:32:00.001-08:00

For all those who know Jackson, he has his, well energetic side, but quite often I will find him quietly doing "nothing". When I ask him what he is up too he says, "I am just thinking". What I wouldn't give to peak inside that cute head of his!