Christmas Time / Wreath Season

For those of you that have been reading my blog since it's inception you are quite familiar with my wreath season rants and actually this year, I don't have one. Well not one like I have had in the past. So far this season the girls and I have been BUSY! To start my sister and I headed out to Kohls at 3:30am on Black Friday. And black it was. The deals were few and far between this year and my sisters car battery died and I only had until 7:00am because Andy had to get to "the farm" for their busiest shipping day.

Last weekend Julie and her girls came down and we made our annual gingerbread houses. Georgia was so into the Christmas present she got from Kate & Olivia that she couldn't be bothered with decorating a gingerbread house, and I think Olivia and Natalie both preferred taste-testing the candy to placing the candy on the house. After that we went to the Shelton Christmas Parade. I know, who knew Shelton of all places would have a decent Christmas parade, but they do.

I have just completed my cards, made them on snapfish and literally 10 minutes later they said they were ready to be picked up at Walgreens, god love snapfish.com.

So the only left to do on my list is get a tree and that leads me to my only gripe this wreath season. My husband does not get home from "the farm" until 10 or 11pm most nights and apparently he can't take a 1/2 hour out of his day to meet me at a tree farm, cut down a tree, pay the nice man working the tree farm and throw it in the back of "big whitey" (big whitey is Georgia's nickname for his truck). Weekends tend to be out because I am working at the Olympia Farmers Market every Sunday and Saturdays he once again is at "the farm". I hope we get our tree before the week before Christmas. If not I am going to start calling Andy, Bruce. As my father always holds out until the last bitter moment before he agrees to go get a tree.

Merry Christmas and Happy Wreath Season!

Pumpkin Patch '08

Saturday afternoon we headed off to the pumpkin patch. Normally we go to Hunter Farms in Shelton, (no relation to us), but this year we went to Hunter Farms, in Olympia, (still no relation). This pumpkin patch was amazing....they had pony rides, train rides, atv adventure, corn maze, tractor rides, the list keeps going. The girls had a blast. Georgia fed a goat and Natalie went on her first pony ride...she is a natural. We went with our friends the Bennett's as is the tradition.

Natalie


Andy & the girls on the tractor

My little girl looking all grown up.

Family photo

Natalie on her pony.

Lily & Georgia

Steve & Becky

Hands On Children's Museum

This blog is a little out of sequence, but as I was downloading Georgia's first day of school pictures off the digital camera I realized I hadn't downloaded our Hands On Children's Museum photos...so this blog is from August, I think.


The girls and I met my friend Susy and her boys at the Olympia Hands On Children's Museum for a morning of worry free fun. If you haven't been to a children's museum they are wonderful, and I really recommend the Olympia museum.

Natalie & Georgia in front of the fountain

Natalie and Devin with their eggs.

Carson & Georgia putting on a puppet show.

playing in the sand

Natalie picking apples.

First Day of Preschool

You know how people who have already raised their children tell young mom's "it will go fast, before you know it they will be off to college." well I was a bit skeptical, especially as I was suffering from sleep deprivation, trying my best to shed the hamburger and fry weight that came along with pregnancy, and wondering if I will ever get to shower in peace again, but you know what they were right.

Georgia started preschool yesterday. I left our fall conference early so I could be there for her first day of school and you know what she could have cared less. She didn't even say good-bye to me. In a way it was a blessing, because I watched the agony that other parents were going through as their children clung to them for dear life and it was heart breaking.

Now just two more years until kindergarten and Natalie starts preschool....please lord slow down the clock.

Morgen (her cousin) & Georgia

Georgia in her classroom.

I've Been Published!!

Ok, so it is not some great triumph. It is not like I have written a book or even had an article published in a magazine, I have been published on a website...can you even call it being published when it is on a website??

Anywho, my friend Kinan sent me a link http://firstkissproject.blogspot.com/ where you can submit your first kiss story. And as I sat there thinking about my actual first kiss, not just the one kiss that is stuck in my mind for eternity because I didn't know what the h*ll I was doing, but my FIRST kiss, the innocent one, it all came back to me.

Sunday, June 08, 2008
Tracey Hunter, 7th grade
Interesting Place / Sweet Kiss
It was 1986…Shane Dimmit was his name. He was the epitome of cute; tan, blonde hair, athletic what more is a seventh grade girl looking for. We had been on a double date, if you will, to the movies. I couldn't tell you what movie was playing, heck I can't even tell you all the parties involved in the double date, but I do remember that the "pick up" parents worked across the street from the mall at Ernst hardware. While we were waiting for our ride we cruised the aisles of the hardware store and there in the middle of the toilet seat aisle I received my first kiss. Not slobbery, no tongue, just a sweet, genuine 7th grade kiss.

Fun Times

As long as Andy and I have been together we have been going to Long Beach for Memorial Day Weekend. It started out just the two of us and Aggie, and has now grown to four families with dogs and kids. Although it is a lot more work than it was the first time we went, when I look back at the pictures it makes it all worth while.

Georgia, Me & Nat

Kate & Georgia...wow, how she idolizes her!

Nat and Liv....best friends

Liv smiling, Nat with her infamous scowl

Andy being a dork, riding Kate's scooter.

The Nation's Capital

Andy and I just returned from a trip to Washington DC; part business, part pleasure. I was there for the National Rural Water Rally and Andy finally came along to take in the sites. Six days, no children...need I say more....ok, I can't lie, six days was too long for me to be without my girls. A bonus of our trip was seeing an old friend of mine, Cami Beaudry. Cami and I went to junior high and high school together and I don't think I have seen her for at least 6 years. It was nice to see her and hear about her family. They are moving to England in a few months so Andy and I have decided we will have to take a trip across the pond.

Here are some photos of our trip.

Andy & I with George, Martha & the kids.

In front of the Capitol, getting ready to do my "thing".

Having lunch with Cami.

Boot Camp

I have one more week for life as I know it. Starting March 17 I will be a changed women. I have joined a fitness bootcamp. Lord help me. Three days a week I will be getting up and out of the house at 4:45am to start exercising at the ungodly hour of 5:30am.

Today I headed over to get weighed and measured, body fat tested and go over my nutritional plan. Apparently I eat too much sodium. Apparently lean cuisines are horrible for you (who knew?). And apparently I consume a few too many calories. The only nice thing he said to me was that if I cut back on my calories, drink more water, and stop eating so much sodium I will get tight sculpted arms and stomach. NICE!

Wish me luck, I am going to need it.

We Made It A Year

I made it a year as a mom of two. That's right Natalie turned one a week ago!!! She is trying so hard to walk and talk and it just isn't coming together. She gets so frustrated.





Here is a picture of her waiting for cake.

Christmas Time!

As you may recall in our house hold the Christmas season is usually referred to as wreath season, and as you may also recall during wreath season I rarely see Andy. Well this year was different, my husband was home most nights by 8:30 and more often than not he was home before the girls went to bed. One thing that was interesting to watch was Georgia's behavior during this time. She really started acting out when she wasn't seeing her dad each day, so after I made note of that to Andy he made certain to be home for dinner and have a special evening with Georgia...you know what she didn't act out at all that night or any other night that daddy was home. I had know idea Andy not being around would affect her so, guess that means I better keep him around : )

Here are some pictures from Christmas Eve:

Andy & Natalie

Andy, Natalie & My Dad

Georgia & Natalie and their LOAD of gifts.

Andy being goofy.....(Georgia took this picture)

Natalie & Georgia "sharing"

Georgia dressed as Belle