Wordless Wednesday

Family Reunion

We had the annual Alfred Starr family reunion at our house this past weekend, and had a great time!

There was lots of food... and even more desserts!

Of course, there was football. Then, after frying in the sun, the guys decided to go find some hoops and play basketball. In the relatively short time that I have been in this family, I've come to realize... you can't get that many Starr boys together without there being at least some type of ball game!

Trying to entice the cows to come visit.

In the evening, we sat around outside and sang while the guys played guitars.

What a great day spent with family and friends!

Attitude adjustment

A couple of days ago, I was just having 'one of those days'. I was exhausted, things weren't going the way I thought they should, and the kids just would not mind. I'd tell them to do something (or not to do something), and they would do the exact opposite. I was so frustrated, and was starting to get emotional.

While the kids were sitting in their chairs eating their lunch, I was trying so hard just to pull it together. I said a quick, "Lord, help my attitude!". Talon had turned on his music really loud in his room, so as the kids ate and I cleaned the kitchen, we sang songs.

About ten minutes went by, and Talon asked, "Mommy, Jesus help you?".

With a puzzled look, I asked, "What?"

He restated, "Jesus help your attitude?".

Oh, I needed that! I laughed and laughed. Yes, my attitude was better... and even my kids could tell!

Little Dipper

The past few months, Kaitlyn has turned into a rather finicky eater. Sometimes I'm just baffled that she keeps growing, because she eats like a bird... and usually what little amount is gone from her plate, she's wearing on her face and hands!

We went out for Mexican food, and I ordered her a cheese quesadilla. She usually takes a couple of bites, eats a few chips and is done. She never touches the beans and rice. This day, however, she decided she liked to use the beans as dip for her chips... and ate almost all of them. I was so excited (it doesn't take much, I know!). I have tried to give her refried beans and cheese many times, and she always spits them out or paints her tray with them.

I thought I should take a picture and document this momentous occasion!

Kaitlyn- 19 months

Hard to believe my little girl is already 19 months old! She has such personality. Her mood can change drastically within minutes. She can go from laughing and smiling, to irritated and moody, then right back to cheery and happy. So crazy! She's doing so many fun things and talks constantly... often stringing full sentences together. She loves to sing and will mimic just about anything she hears.

This particular day in the car, she was so happy and playful. I happened to have the camera up front with me, so I started snapping pictures. She's kinda like her dad in that she likes to hide from the camera and be uncooperative at times. Not this day... she was hammin' it up!

Playing Peek-a-Boo. She puts her hand up to her eyes, and while peering through her fingers, asks "Where's Sissy?".

Her "I'm not going to smile right now" face.

Doing hand motions while she's singing.

Clapping and singing at the top of her lungs.

Just being her so-stinkin'-cute little self!

Happy Father's Day!

I wanted to barbecue today to celebrate Father's Day, but the weather was kinda crummy and I was rather exhausted after work this morning, so we opted for taking Daddy out to dinner after church. Chad and Tori came over for a while, and the guys played guitars and had coffee in the afternoon. After family nap time, I did fire up the BBQ and grill the steaks and we had pumpkin spice lattes in the evening. We had a nice, relaxing day!

(These are just a couple of the pictures that I took of the kids with Daddy at dinner)

I am so thankful for such a loving husband. One who takes his role seriously as spiritual leader in our home, and is such a wonderful father to our children!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy...
We love you!!!

Talon Moment

Anthony's been on a diet, so the conversation around our house often revolves around food and how much weight he's lost. Talon and Kaitlyn both think it's pretty neat to stand on the scales like Daddy. Talon came running into the kitchen while I was making breakfast this morning...

Talon: "Mommy, I lost 3 pounds!"

Me: "Wow, you lost 3 pounds?"

Talon: "Yeah, and Daddy weighs 2.2 pounds!"

Me: "That much, huh?!"

Talon: "Yeah, 2.2!"

--------------------------------------

Last night we went to Costco to pick up a couple of things and the kids were sitting in the front of the cart. Anthony handed Talon the bag of protein powder to hold, Talon takes it and says, "No carbs, Daddy!".

Check-up time!

We took the kids to the doctor for their check-ups. Talon was so excited to get to see "Dr. Baker". We told Dr. Kilty about the Curious George books and Talon calling him "Dr. Baker"... he thought it was hilarious. He told Anthony that if he came in next time with a big yellow hat, that he would give him a sticker. Hmmm... I guess I better start the hunt for a yellow hat! :)
Talon did really good with his check-up. We went into a room where he got his blood pressure taken and had an eye exam. He so matter-of-factly named off all the shapes and pictures he saw on the wall with one eye covered. If he made a mistake, he was quick to correct himself. "That's an apple. Uh, no... that's a circle!". When Dr. Kilty asked about potty training, he asked Talon if he sometimes goes potty on the big potty. Talon was very quick to say, "Yeah, I'm a big boy. I not go potty in my pants!". Dr. Kilty thought it was so funny when he followed that up by saying, "I go poppers on the toilet!".
Kaitlyn did really good too, but was a little more shy. She was really talkative, though, when the exam was over and was left to play and read books.
When it came time for shots, it was a rough experience. Talon screamed with his one shot, while poor Sissy had to get four.
Hard to believe they are growing so fast!
Talon now weighs 32 pounds and is 37 1/4 inches tall, and is in the 50th percentile! Dr. Kilty was impressed seeing that he's always been around the 10-20th percentile. He definitely has hit a growth spurt over the past few months!
Kaitlyn weighs 23 lbs. 4 oz. and is 31 1/4 inches tall. She is somewhere around the 40th percentile.
Thank God for healthy kids!

Wordless Wednesday

Fun at the playground

The weather finally cleared up, and my parents have a playground next to their house, so we took the kids over there to play. They had a blast! Kaitlyn went down the slide all by herself and wasn't scared at all! As soon as she got to the bottom, she'd try to climb right back up. She's such a little monkey and isn't scared of anything. Talon had a blast playing basketball with Grandpa. The swings were a big hit as well. What a fun day!

Talon Moment

This conversation took place while Talon was eating his snack last night before bed...

Talon: "Mommy, I'm Gowiaf!"
Me: "Goliath? Wow, you seem a bit short to be Goliath!"

(I walked out of the room to put something away, then came back in)

Talon: "Mommy, I'm Dabid."
Me: "David? Yeah, that's probably a little more like it!"
Talon: "Yeah, I'm Dabid... like in the book!"

It's a BOY!!!

We had our ultrasound today and found out we are having a BOY!!
Everything looks great and we are very excited.
He wasn't very cooperative for pictures (guess he's a little camera shy like his Daddy), but here is one of the profile pictures.

Thanks to all who participated in the poll. Out of 24 votes between the blog and Facebook, 71% guessed boy. We had a pretty strong feeling it would be a boy, but it was fun to see what everyone else thought.

Party time!

On Saturday, we celebrated Talon's birthday. As you might guess from the pictures, he had a 'Thomas the Train' party. My mom made the cake, and did a fabulous job, as always. Talon loved his "Thomas Cake". He'd stand and stare at it for a long time, run and play, then come back and stare at it some more. When we started taking pictures, I noticed that his teeth were all red. I looked at the side of the cake, and found that he had been sampling the frosting. After he blew out the candles, I cut him a piece of cake, and he got really upset. After wading through puddles of tears, we finally figured out what was wrong...
he got to play in the cake at his 1st birthday, then Sissy got to play in the cake at her birthday, so he thought he was going to get to play in the cake. We put him in his seat, gave him his piece of cake and one of the Thomas characters, and told him he could make as big of a mess as he wanted... and he did!

He got tons of fun toys and gifts, and loved playing outside with his cousins in the beautiful weather.

Thank you to everyone that came and helped make Talon's 3rd birthday so special!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Talon!

Yes, our little boy turned 3 today. Hard to believe! We had a big party yesterday and celebrated with family (I'll post pictures soon).

I took this picture of him this morning as we were running out the door to church. He looks like such a little man in his suit and tie!

Happy Birthday, Bubby...

We love you!!!

Daddy, Mommy, and Sissy

Wordless Wednesday

(Contributed by Daddy)

New blanket/hat

Anthony's aunt came to visit for about a month, and stayed with Papa and Granny. While she was here, she made the kids frog blankets. The frog head is a pouch so they can wear it on their head like a hat. Talon likes to come wake me up in the morning with his "froggie hat" on and the blanket dragging behind him.

And speaking of 'hats'...
I was folding laundry one evening, and Talon was having fun running around the house with a pair of underwear on his head like a hat. Kaitlyn joined in the fun too, but wouldn't stand in one place long enough for me to take a picture of her. It was pretty hilarious!

Talon's Birthday Surprise (early)

Talon turns three in just a few days, and since he's gonna have a party, we decided to give him his gift from us a few days early, and make a day of it. We started out by going to a "resta-want" for lunch because he loves the experience of going out to eat. Next, we headed to Portland Music Company. Daddy went in and got all the details sorted out, then the kids and I went in. Talon was in awe over all the guitars and musical instruments he saw everywhere.

Daddy handed him the Martin LX1 3/4 size guitar, and we told him it was his birthday present. He just kinda stood there and looked at us. We told him it was his own guitar and that he gets to take it home. He got a big smile on his face and started playing it. I don't think he really comprehended the fact that it was his until we put the guitar and stand in the back of the car and headed home. He then started saying, "That's my guitar? That's my new guitar?".

One of the main reasons we chose to get Talon a guitar for his birthday, is because his old one is falling apart. He's played it so much, the neck is actually coming apart. Papa drilled a bunch of bolts into it to hold it together, but we knew it wouldn't last too much longer.
He's always been possessive over his guitar, so Kaitlyn never gets to play it. She has her eye on it constantly, though! We told Talon that since he now has a new guitar, that Sissy gets his old one. He was fine with that... so was she!! The first time she got to play it, she had the look on her face like she was really getting away with something. She loves that thing! She has to use a pick when she plays it just like Daddy and Bubby. Daddy got some picks for her so she would have her very own.
It's quite the riot when Daddy and both kids get their guitars out and start playing.

(Playing and singing "Jesus Loves Me".)

Boy or Girl?

Just for fun, we're taking a poll and we've posted it to the side bar on the right.

"Will Baby Starr be a boy or a girl?"

We would like to know what your guess is. We have our ultrasound next Monday, June 7th, so the poll will close that day at noon. I will post the answer that day... or as soon as I possibly can.

{Note: For those viewing on facebook, you have to actually click on the blog site to participate}