New Every Morning

Fall Fun!

2010-11-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

Visiting the pumpkin patch with cousin Sydney (my camera batery was low)
Playing games at our church's fall festival.

Golfing with Pastor Barry

Cute Moment

2010-09-09T15:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we were enjoying a cool fall day out on my parents deck. Gabe asked if he could get into Papa's boat. A few minutes later, we heard Gabe talking to himself saying, "Papa said no, Nana said no, Mama said no." So Papa asks him, "What does Gabe say?" Gabe quickly replys, "Boohoohoo." (He's been watching Madem Blueberry from Veggie Tales.)

One Strange Neighbor

2010-09-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

Imagine living in your nice home in Spokane, only for the new neighbor to have a hairbrain idea. Well it happened. Needless to say, there were a bunch of homes on the street with for sale signs. I guess this younger guy bought this house and tried to make it his castle. The hidden house in the back is covered with tin. Strange!

Riverfront Park

2010-09-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

Last week, we took another 13+ hour road trip to Spokane, Washington for my grandpa's memorial services and to spend time with loved ones. We managed to sqeeze some fun time between naps and work to visit Riverfront Park. Uncle Patrick with cousins: Sydney, Damien, Blake, and Gabe

Gabe isn't fond of slides or rides. He'd much rather be climbing.

My mom's sister, Aunt Tami and grandson Damien.

Man's Best Friend

2010-04-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've noticed that Gabe's found a new buddy. It's our 4 year old lab, Brook. He loves on her and pulls her ears. She doesn't seem to mind. I guess after a baby stealing her attention, she welcomes the rough affection

This is our new favorite picture of Gabe. It won't be long and he'll be trampling through the woods with his Dad, grandpas, and uncle.

I love Easter!

2010-04-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

I really have to say that Easter's my favorite holiday. I love that creation screams newness of life. On sunny mornings, I enjoy seeing what new plants are blooming and which new leaves are appearing on the bushes. I love trips to the park and warm sunshine. On Easter morning, it's a joy to see all the kidos at church, the little girls in their pretty dresses & little guy all handsome. But the best part of all is cherishing our Risen Savior. Do you know Him? Delight in obeying Him?

If it's been awhile since you've been in God's Word, may I suggest the books of John and 1 John. Hope that you have a wonderful Easter. He is Risen! :) Our future Cow Creek worship team.

Gabe's new wheels.

G.Grandpa holding one heavy kid

Enjoying a mini pop and working on his tan.

Visiting Eureka

2010-03-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, we three decided to visit Eureka. Gabe was such a trooper. He traveled well on the windy curvy road. He slept well in the motel. We took along a dark flannel queen sheet and thumb tacks to creat a little room with his pack n play. Silly but I selfishly love his early bedtime, and he falls asleep best if we completely agnore him. We ate yummy fish & chips and clam chowder at Woodly Island. We visited the zoo and played in the park. It was such a special time to get away and rest in the Lord's leading for our lives. We'll see what happens next. :)

My favorite picture of the trip. Does this look like coastal weather to you?

Take 2

2010-03-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

So this is the 2nd time I'm attempting to post. I had everthing perfectly written. Then something happened, and my beautiful work was lost. Here's Gabe sporting his Elmo backpack. He love wearing it. I just need to remember to pack a light load for him or else he gets too wobbly.

Booktime!

My reminder and encouragement as we're making many decisions. I'm so thankful for God's Word and the work of the Holy Spirit directing our lives.

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Christmas Parade

2009-12-16T20:02:00.000-08:00

This was our first time at the downtown Christmas Parade. At the last minute, we grabbed our warmest clothes and braved some very cold weather (for Redding anyway). We tried to find our wonderful friends, but had a hard time getting around the crowed with our stroller. Then some of our wonderful friends from church invited us to their pad. We had such a fun time. Gabe loved watching the parade. We knew that he was cold, because he's never sat so long on daddy's lap all bundled up. I think the high school bands and all the lights were his favorite part. What a fun way to start up the Christmas season! We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Harvest Fun

2009-11-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

Our church has a fun little Harvest Festival every year. We dressed Gabe as a basketball player. We mostly enjoyed the outside events, where the rocks and sticks are plentiful. Gabe loved the wagon rides, which were pulled by a quad. I also got to bounce Gabe in the bouncy house before all the kids (and adults) came. My favorite part was watching Gabe interact with the other kids (or shall I say stealing their candy). He looks innocent and cute, but don't let the real Gabe fool you.

Feeding or Luring?

2009-09-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

This morning my mom and I woke up early to walk the Clover Creek Trail. Once we completed a lap, we pushed Gabe over to feed the ducks. Most of the time Gabe kept pulling his feet closer to himself. I guess he didn't want his toes to get nibbled. We say Gabe was feeding the ducks. My hunting husband thinks he was just luring the ducks closer.

A Much Needed Family Day

2009-09-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

On Friday, the three of us decided to head north for a little drive and to enjoy come cooler weather. So we visited the park in Dunsmir and had lunch in Mt. Shasta. Mostly we just relaxed and enjoyed the outdoors. So here are a few pics from our day together.

Gabe was thrilled with this log bench to climb while Dad fished the Mt. Shasta Hatchery.
Dave's goal: catch all these fish!

Oh, man! It got away!

Fat lip and 3 more teeth on the way.

Finally, lots of pictures with mommy & daddy.

A Day with Great Grandpa&ma Wolff

2009-08-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

We were blessed with a couple of days to visit with Great Grandma&pa Wolff. Once a year my grandparents come to visit as they journey from Spokeann to Palo Alto. My grandpa is a lifetime heart patient. In the fall of '95, he got his heart transplant. It was my Jr. year of high school, and I can still remember the middle of the night call when his heart arrived. My grandma survived a stroke a couple of weeks before Dave & I were married in 'o3. So here we are enjoying another visit with them. These are a few snaps from the day, and I experimented with a little video clip too:

Gabe actually ran around the room wearing these silly glasses.

My mom trying to fill up a growing boy with graham crackers & milk.

We passed around this little doll.

Somehow I didn't get a picture of Great G&G holding Gabe, but here's last years picture when Gabe was 2 months old.

Lastly, my experimental piece. My grandpa & Gabe were great pals.

Fourteen & Four

2009-08-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

These cousins are 14 & 4 months here. Such cute stages. Gabe is very interested in his little cousin Sydney. He's not quite sure how to love on her yet, but he likes watching her move and hearing her make noises. I love that Sydney has blue eyes unlike her mommy & daddy with brown eyes. God is so creative at surprizing us with unique features. :)

My brother Patrick is always loving on his little girl.

Our simple entertainment these days.

Happy, Hot, & Hoping

2009-07-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

Not much is going on here, except we're happy~ God provides work, hot~it's been triple digits for most of this month, & hoping~ for cooler days ahead.

Here's Gabe enjoying his toys. He's in the take 3 steps/climbing stage. I'm amazed at how fast kids this age can move. Yesterday, I felt little hands around my neck, when I turned around he was standing on my chair behind me. Little Rascal!

Here's our future Cow Creek player.

Brook is hiding from the heat too! Can we blame her?

Last night, a customer gave daddy a box of boy toys for Gabe. I cleaned them, and set them on a towel to dry. This morning we enjoyed hearing his little hoot, when he discovered the loot.

Sour Cream Banana Bread w/ Chocolate Chips

2009-07-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

I wished that I took a picture of the pretty loaves after they cooled. We cut into one loaf and froze the other two before I thought of posting the recipe. :) I love this yummy recipe {from my friend Joy}, because it doesn't get so dark like many banana recipes.

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. I used 3 mini loaf tins greased with a wax paper strip on the bottom. :)

Visiting GG & GG

2009-07-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we took a short road trip to Vallejo to visit my grandparents. After Gabe woke from his nap, we walked the waterfront. The weather was in the low 80's and breezy (unlike the 107 that we're expecting today). My grandparents don't even have an AC~ now that's the place to live.

My favorite part of the visit was listening to the many stories. My grandma shared about the Depression. When my grandma was a little girl, she found a coin on the ground. A man put it tight in her hand and told her to run home quickly and to give it to her parents. The man made sure the other kids would not follow and try to take it from her. Their family was able to buy a huge sack of flour, sugar, and other cooking items. What a blessing during those hard times!

My grandpa was in a submarine during WW2. I always enjoy listening to his war stories and looking a pictures of his brothers, who were also in the war. During our next visit, we would like to take the ferry to SF and tour the WW2 submarine at the pier. We had a wonderful time and look forward to our next visit with them.

Family Camp

2009-06-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we camped at Brookings, OR with some of our church family. Gabe did really well traveling 5 hours each way. He loves that he can now face forward in his carseat. The whole camping experience with a 12 month old was interesting. Gabe got super dirty crawling in the dirt. {Mama hated that part!} He wasn't too fond of the sand or the sound of the ocean. Silly boy! On the last day, we ate wonderful fish tacos. They were so fresh. We actually watched the cook cut up the fish and batter it. If anyone has a good fish taco recipe, I'd love to try it!

Our Little Birthday Boy

2009-06-16T20:50:00.001-07:00

Well, it's hard to believe that we officially have a 1 year old now. These past 12 months watching Gabriel grow and change have flown by. We often reflect in our quiet times together how thankful we are for our precious little boy. His simplest acts of love melt our hearts. Gabriel loves to explore- still on his knees! He loves food, and his favorites are "mmm." We love to watch him play in the pantry. We've found red potatoes in the strangest places. On a more serious note, our greatest desire as parents is that Gabe would one day know and delight in our loving Savior Jesus Christ.

Happy 1st Birthday, Gabriel Ryan. We love you bunches!

Love, Your Mommy & Daddy

Playing in the Pool

2009-05-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

We're not sure what Gabe's thinking here, but it's a funny picture!

Gabe loves his O-ball. It is his favorite toy. He would toss his ball outside the pool, and we would throw his ball on the otherside of the pool for him to fetch. It was funny listening to his gasps as his belly got into the cold water.

A little exploring!

Gabe took a wonderful nap after playing in all this water! Very refreshing on a hot day!

Evening Walks

2009-05-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

In the evenings, David & I like to take Gabe and Brook for walks around the neighborhood. I'm sure the neighbors have a nickname for us by now. We often stop at this old fenced park to throw a few dummies for Brook. Then we circle around the block and get Gabe ready for his bath. I enjoy evenings like this when we can get some exercise and talk about our day.

An Outside Haircut

2009-05-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's hard to believe just how fast these babies grow and change. Gabe is very close to 11 months old, and we're loving him like crazy. He is so full of adventure and curiosity. He's waving good bye. He enjoys eating and trying new food. With 8 teeth now, he's eating basically what we eat except for desserts and spicy foods. I hope that he stays a good eater, because I love to cook a variety of foods. Looking back in time, life must of been boring without our little guy.

Our towhead after a haircut!

The following pictures are all about the process~ lots of toys, cheerios, and a comb to keep Gabe busy in his seat.

Mommy Moments

2009-05-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

Here's Gabe doing his favorite sport- stair climbing. Notice the long drooler too! While climbing, he likes looking behind him to see who's following him. His little game is to throw his ball down the stairs and watch it bounce.

Three Gabes~ now that's overwhelming!

Precious little feet!

Enjoying my first Mother's Day! Dave surprised my by taking this picture. Of course Gabe was napping, and hubby was outside working for the most part. Simply Perfect!

A Mediterranean Afternoon

2009-05-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

This is the third annual luncheon that our church hosts every May. This year's theme was "A Mediteranean Afternoon." In other years, the themes have been picnic and fiesta. I always look forward to seeing all the creative tables, listening to a testimony of God's grace (I tend to cry during these), and eating amazing food. Next to our Ashland retreats in October, this is one of my favorite activities to attend. Here are some of the Mediterranean tables:

I loved the potted herbs on this one.

A sea and shell theme with fresh flowers.

The center piece was a handmade oil lamp with dried beans and grains.

Shh! Don't tell! This was may favorite with the rich colors and individual jars of green olives for each friend to take home.

My mom and I worked on this table. My dad pruned the neighbors olive tree for some added greenery. I can't wait for next year's theme to be revealed.

Work Day

2009-04-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, Patrick, Amy, and Sydney came up for a work day. Patrick helped my dad cut down this huge Live Oak from my parents backyard. The tree was quite messy with leaves and pollen pods {yuck!}.

The guys laughed at me for taking pictures of them.

I love this picture of Amy and Sydney. She's 8 days old here.

As for Gabe, he's now 10 months old and personality plus. He loves exploring/climbing new places. He is waving bye-bye and drinking from a sippy cup. The other day, he pulled a bunch of books off his daddy's nightstand. He left such a cute little mess, that I had to leave the surprize for daddy to see and clean-up. The best part of being Gabe's mommy is the random hugs and drooly kisses that I get from him.

Here he's enjoying a cut up quesadilla. He's enjoying a variety of foods, and even pulling my hands to his mouth to try something new.

Doctor Patrick?

2009-04-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

My mom took this picture of my brother when he announced that Sydney had arrived. Wouldn't he make a great doctor? I just love how his happiness is captured in this moment.

Sydney is a few hours old here and freshly bathed. What a sweetie!

Sweet Baby Sydney

2009-04-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

I'm an auntie. Sydney Leeann was born on April 13, 2009. She weighted 6 lbs. 3 oz. and was 19" long. She was less than an hour old here. She is purely precious!

Congratulations to the new mommy and daddy!

Two Days of Fun

2009-03-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

Last week, we (Amy, Mom, and I) decided to take a little road trip to Babies R Us and IKEA. Gabe was quite the trooper. Poor guy better get used to shopping at an early age. The next day, we loaded up the dogs and went to the dog park. We also did a little more shopping in downtown Chico.

My little neice, Sydney Leann, will be here in approximately 1 month.

Look how cute her wheels are!

Gabe thinks shoes taste good, wait until he tries cookies n cream yogurt. Yum!

Stinker Bug

2009-03-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

These are just a few pictures of our Sinker Bug, who is almost 9 months.

About half of the pictures I take now are the smushed face.

Making out with the window.
I get grossed out thinking about the flies that have been on that surface.

Mom woke up to a mussle man.

First day wearing shorts and shoes. I couldn't stop pinching his chubby legs. If you look closely, you can see a new top tooth too!

The Day Aunt Marylin Came

2009-03-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, Dave's Aunt Marylin came from Texas for a short visit. We loaded up the family (Uncle Joe, Aunt M., Grandpa & Grandma, 2nd cousins James & Bailey) and enjoyed an hour at the Sundial Bridge. We saw a cool Lookout Tree in the garden, but got kicked out by security before I could take another picture. Thank you Aunt M for coming before Gabe graduates from college!

Just a cute pic with Uncle Joe, the baby hog!

Please Stop Growing Up

2009-03-03T20:50:00.000-08:00

Our little boy started crawling last weekend. We were with Dave's parents and family. When Gabe took that first step, Uncle Joe gave such a loud cheer that Gabe started to cry. Good thing Gabe is starting out slow, because it gives me a little more time to child proof the house. Our son also has a new top tooth coming down. He won't let us see it, I guess he's trying to surprize us. I am loving this stage. Each day is new and full of adventures.

My Dad

2009-02-27T10:03:00.000-08:00

I sure enjoy spending time with my dad. He has been retired for a year now. I love that he takes Gabe on tours of the backyard and shows him his tools. He also gets out the puppets and makes them talk.

First Fall

2009-02-21T08:27:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago, Gabe had his first fall. After a walk in the stroller, Gabe was watching Daddy do a landscaping project. I guess I forget to latch him in his seat, because poor Gabe leaned over to pick up his toy and plop. He landed right in the dirt. He didn't cry, but had the I'm scared look. Poor Daddy was broken hearted. It was mommy's fault. Lesson learned.

Here is our happy boy with his Daddy again that evening.

Such A Fun Stage

2009-02-13T14:27:00.000-08:00

Our little Gabe is 7 months old in these pictures. He is such a busy guy! He is not crawling yet, but he can scoot backwards, turn in all directions, and rock on his knees. It seems his favorite place to play is under the crib. We are looking forward to him being mobile, because he is heavy to carry and our backs hurt at the end of the day. Our son enjoys playing in his room by himself for a short time. Good thing our house is small, because I can hear/peek on him, while cooking dinner at the same time. Also, Dave and I are enjoying this stage, because we can eat a meal together, while Gabe is nibbling on Cheerios in his highchair. Enjoying some toys in his storage bin.

Gabriel often tries to get out of his bumbo by leaning back and sticking out his tumtum.

Here It Goes!

2009-02-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

I've been reading my friend's blogs for some time now, and I'm ready to give it a try. I am sure learning a lot on this new computer. More posts later.