Anthony and Candice Starr Family blog

ViSalus

2012-02-13T09:54:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, we started on a nutrition program called ViSalus. Anthony started looking into it because of the weight loss benefits, but I got very excited when I found it was based on good nutrition with great sources of protein, and we all could use it and benefit from it- even the kids!

So Anthony started on a 90-day Challenge. His goal is to lose 75 pounds in the next 90 days, and he is well on his way to reaching his goal. He started about a week and a half ago, and has already lost 15 lbs, and over 5 inches. He's so excited!

I am not using the products to lose weight right now, but wanted the nutrition during my pregnancy. As a result, I quit craving many of the junk foods and calorie dense foods I tend to crave when I'm pregnant, I have not been having issues with water retention, and have lost over 6 lbs. Yeah!!

The kids love their smoothies! As soon as they hear the blender, they come running- just positive that I'm making them one. Good thing I saved all the smoothie cups from last summer when we went to Dutch Bros.! Nolan very quickly learned how to drink from a straw.

One of Anthony's buddies from Bible School wanted to try it, and lost 3 lbs in his first four days. Anthony's dad is a diabetic and has many health issues. He got on the products and lost 7 pounds his first week. His goal is to get off of insulin and many of his blood pressure and cardiac meds, as well as lose some weight. I will be posting about Anthony's progress as he loses weight, but feel free to contact me if you would like information about the products!

You can also check out the links below if you want some more information!

www.abstarr.myvi.net

and

overview.visalus.com

A little disclaimer.... we have no control over some of the photos shown in the above links. Sorry!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-01T15:58:00.000-08:00

Hugs all around

2012-01-31T04:01:00.000-08:00

Talon walked up to Kaitlyn and said, "I love you, Sissy!", and gave her a big hug. To which she replied, "I love you, too!". I had my camera, so I decided I should capture the moment.

Nolan, being the little participator that he is, decided he needed a hug too!

Gotta love these little stink bugs!

Cookin' with Mama

2012-01-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

Sissy loves to help in the kitchen. I'm just now letting her help stir things on the stove, because she can reach without leaning over and getting off balance. She just knows she's a big girl! Can't wait until I can just send her in to make dinner (and clean up the kitchen!!!) :p

Oregon rain

2012-01-24T03:59:00.000-08:00

Rain. We sure have had our fill lately! It was dry for so long, and suddenly it started down pouring! This is what our pasture looked like after just a couple of days. You can actually see the current!

And in the middle of all that rain, we discovered that we had a leak. This is in Nolan's room. The paint had a huge water bubble coming down from the ceiling. I cut a whole and drained it so it wouldn't continue down the wall, and called our landlord, who quickly sent someone out to assess the situation.

Turns out, our roof has multiple large holes and needs to be replaced. The whole ceiling around the leak is soft, so there will need to be some repairs done on the inside as soon as we get the roof taken care of. This is not the time of year to be replacing a roof, but then you don't usually find a leak like this until the rainy season hits hard, right? Good times!!

In the middle of the multiple rain storms we were having, I must say.... there were a lot of beautiful rainbows. Seems the weather couldn't decide what it wanted to do, so we would have these random sun breaks in the middle of downpours. The sky would look black on one side of the house, and completely sunny on the other.... for about 5 minutes. Right after I took this picture, we had another enormous rain shower. Yep... this is Oregon!

15 months old

2012-01-23T15:51:00.000-08:00

Nolan turned 15 months old this month. Where does the time go? What a fun and active little guy he is. He's doing more and more all the time, and doesn't like to sit still for a minute!
He loves playing with his big brother and sister, and being involved in absolutely everything they are doing.

He LOVES to eat, and is very independent about it.... he wants to feed himself! He will eat almost anything you put in front of him. He's got quite a mouth full of teeth now!

He also really likes to share his food... especially when he's done with it. The dogs love this about him. They wait until he's been sitting in his chair for a while, then head in to see what they can clean up. He rarely disappoints them... he joyfully throws them his left-overs!

He had his first very own ice cream cone a few days ago. He's never been a huge fan of ice cream- I think because it's so cold, but this time he rather enjoyed it!

When he's done eating, he holds out his hands to get them cleaned up. He loves getting his hands washed. It's so stinkin' cute!

And he still loves bath time! All you have to say is, "Nolan, do you want to take a bath?", and he comes running. He'll even try to crawl in by himself with his clothes on.

He loves to drink the bath water, and knows he's not supposed to. This particular day, I reminded him, and he looked at me with bubbles all over his face and an expression that said, "Who me? I wasn't drinking the water!".

Loves his sippy cup....

...and is not afraid to jump in with the older kids and claim the toys he wants to play with. They don't leave him out without him putting up a fuss!

He loves his snuggle time- especially after waking up in the morning and after nap time, and he loves showering everyone with wet, slobbery kisses!

Happy 15 months, little buddy!

Talon Moment

2012-01-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

Kaitlyn is really fascinated with the baby. Every night before bed, when I ask the kids what they want to pray for, Kaitlyn says, "Pray for the baby to be healthy!". It's so cute!
A couple of mornings ago, the kids and I sat down to eat breakfast...

Kaitlyn: "Mommy, where's the baby?"
Me: "The baby's in Mommy's tummy."
Talon (eyes wide as saucers, and in utter disbelief): "YOU ATE IT???"

It's been a while since I laughed as hard as I did that morning!

Just a Bit of Randomness

2012-01-09T23:29:00.000-08:00

These are just some random pictures I've taken of the kids recently. Some of them I was meaning to post around Christmas time, and just realized that I didn't. So here they are!

Kaitlyn in her Christmas dress.

I tried to get Nolan to sit with the older two for a picture, but he wouldn't go for it. So here's one of him by himself... right before he tried to climb off the bench.

This is the typical Talon we see these days... baseball hat and gloves. Because Mario wears a hat and gloves, Talon has to do the same.

Trying to decide if she wants to smile for the camera or not. She opted for 'not' and ran off as soon as I took this picture.

This picture is a little blurry, but I had to post it because I think it's so cute. Kaitlyn hugging her best friend, Alyssa.

This would be the little stinker bug immediately after his nap. This is the time he tends to be the most subdued during the day. Give him a few minutes, and he'll be off with his hair on fire!

One of his MANY faces.

And he's off! Moving furniture and getting into whatever he can find.

He loves this little stool. He either pushes it or carries it all over the house. Such a busy little man!

Hangin' out and lookin' cool!

A few more pictures I took of the kids in front of the Christmas tree.

And the littlest of the bunch.... due July 9th!

Wishing all....

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Katie Quip

2011-12-31T03:04:00.000-08:00

So to give a little background behind this story....

I had to go to the dentist a few weeks ago, so Anthony and the kids dropped me off for my appointment, then came back later to pick me up. It was a morning appointment, I had worked the night before (so I was exhausted), and the whole right side of my face was completely numb. When I got in the car, Anthony asked me a question, and it sounded funny when I talked, so he started laughing. He said I should turn around and smile at the kids, and I did. I then looked in the mirror, and found that only the left side of my face smiled. The other side was completely paralyzed. The kids thought that was just the funniest thing ever and kept asking me to talk to them and smile. We then stopped at Wendy's and I got a frosty- which was extremely hard to eat with no feeling in most of my face. So....

Yesterday, the kids and I got up and took Anthony to his dental appointment. When we were almost there, Kaitlyn pipes up from the back seat and says, "Daddy, we're gonna make fun of you when you get out of the dentist!". This cracked me up. Leave it to the kids to remember what the dentist is all about.
After we dropped him off, we were driving to the store to kill a little time. Talon's sensitive side must have kicked in, because in a sweet little voice he said, "Mommy, I'll try not to laugh at you and make fun of you anymore."
Kaitlyn, very matter-of-fact and not missing a beat... "Mama, I'm still gonna laugh at you. Daddy and me are still going to make fun of you!"
Oh, how I love these kids!

My sleeping beauties

2011-12-30T23:12:00.000-08:00

Every so often, I have to sneak into the kids' bedrooms at night and just watch them sleep for a while. (I even catch Daddy sneaking in there from time to time.) There's just something so innocent and sweet about a sleeping child.

The other night I went in to check on the kids, and Talon was still awake. He sat up in bed and said, "Mommy, can you sleep with me tonight?". Before I could even get a word out, he followed it by... "Daddy can sleep by himself tonight. He wont care!" I told him I couldn't sleep with him all night, but that I would snuggle with him for a few minutes. As soon as I laid down, he got really quiet, then said, "Mommy, is it okay that I don't remember when I was a baby?". I told him that I didn't remember when I was a baby either, and assured him that it was just fine. He seemed content with that answer and settled in to go to sleep. I must say, I have wondered from time to time what kids think about when they go to sleep at night. Maybe it's stuff like this.

Little Roadsters

2011-12-30T22:45:00.001-08:00

These are the cars the kids got for Christmas. They absolutely love them. Our house has become one big race track, and then turns into a parking lot at night! Nolan gets right in on the action. It's pretty much a win-win situation... Nolan loves to push things around the house, and the kids love to go around in their cars without having to actually do the work.

Little housekeeper

2011-12-27T06:23:00.000-08:00

(This blog contribution is from Daddy)

I keep finding half-dressed dolls and Curious George's around the house and the kids' room. It finally dawned on me that Katie got an ironing board set for Christmas. I asked her why the clothes were half-way off of the dolls and stuffed animals. She said they needed ironing. She even demanded that Talon take off his pants so she could iron them. He did refuse, but you could see he felt obligated.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T06:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day was our family day at home. Chad, Tori, and Alyssa came over to spend the day with us, so we had a huge breakfast to start everything off, and Anthony's parents joined us. We then sang some Christmas songs and had a little devotion.

Soon after, the kids started begging to open presents. I love seeing the kids grow up and get excited about Christmas. We don't do the Santa thing, and we don't have the kids list all the things they want for Christmas, so it's so fun to watch them open their presents and find what they got.

We had to do some more pictures in front of the tree. They cooperated pretty well, because they wanted to get it over with as soon as possible!

Yes, I finally put the camera down and let them open their presents in peace. I did have to jump in and take a few pictures, though!

Here's Nolan tasting his new Thomas bath toys.

The only thing Talon has really wanted for a long time, is Super Mario Bros. for the Wii. He mentions at least once a week that I should buy it for him sometime. So, when he opened it for Christmas, he was so excited!

Kaitlyn got a ton of new toys for her kitchen and baby dolls. Her little play house should be all set up now. She even got a cash register with all the bells and whistles, and a grocery cart to play store.

Alyssa had fun playing with her new toys, and helping the kids figure out theirs.

After playing for a while, the majority of us settled in for a nice, long, much-needed nap. When we got up, we went over to Anthony's parents for a little while for some dinner, then came back home for coffee and to open our stockings.

We had such a nice relaxing day!

Chad, Tori, and Alyssa...

Sorry that you didn't get to make it to Arizona to be with your family for Christmas, but we are so glad you came and spent it with us. We had a great time! Love you guys!!

And most importantly...

Happy Birthday, Jesus!!

We love you!!!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-26T12:52:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, after breakfast, Daddy decided the kids needed to each open one of their presents (he would have let them open all of them if he would have had his way). They were super excited!

Later in the day, we went to Jeremy and Donna's house for dinner, and to celebrate Christmas with my family. Of course, there was lots and lots of food....

After dinner, we relaxed and visited for a while. Okay, let me rephrase that.... Some of us relaxed, the kids decided to use Uncle Jeremy as a jungle gym and had a grand ole' time!

Jeremy had a sore back, but was being such a great sport and was still letting the kids walk all over him. At one point, Talon was getting a bit wild, so Jeremy said, "Hey, you gotta be careful because my back hurts." Talon, hardly missing a breath, asked, "Then can we stomp on your head?".

Even Nolan got in on the action.

Then it was time to open gifts, but we had to get some pictures of the kids in front of the tree. The older two were great. We just had to remind them that if they smiled good they got to open presents. Nolan on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with it. He kept screaming and crawling out of the picture. Big surprise! You can tell by Talon and Kaitlyn's expressions in this picture that they are a bit put out by their little brother. They aren't too happy that he is standing in the way of opening presents! We gave him his sippy cup and finally got him to sit in one place for a couple of seconds.

Then, as tradition goes, Uncle Jeremy and Talon played Santa and passed out all the gifts.

Kaitlyn decided she wanted to help.

As usual, everyone went way overboard, and spoiled the kids!

Amongst the many fabulous gifts, Talon and Kaitlyn each got a Little Tikes car with a trailer. I told all my family to take it easy this year, to not spend a bunch of money, and just get my kids something small. Hmmmm. I wouldn't exactly call these inexpensive or small. The kids were so excited!

Then came the not-so-small project of assembling the cars. Nolan thought he was helping, I'm sure!

Talon, lending Uncle Justin his expert advice.

I had fun making all kinds of candy this year. Next year, I don't think I'll make it in quite the mass quantity that I did, though!

So thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my family. Thanks to everyone for making the evening so special, and for helping create such wonderful memories!

14 Months Old

2011-12-17T23:24:00.000-08:00

Little stinker bug is 14 months old!

We took him to the doctor for his 1 year check-up about a week ago. He weighs 24 lbs, and is 30 1/4 inches long.

He is on the move constantly since he started walking. He gets around so fast, and is in to everything. He also has an incredible reach. Just when I think I've set something far enough back onto the counter where he can't get to it, ole 'stretch' manages to grab it.

He nods 'yes' and 'no' to almost every question you ask him. Obviously, most of the time he has no idea what you are asking him, but he vigorously shakes his head to answer.

Yesterday, Nolan took one of Talon's toys he was playing with. Talon, in a very sweet voice said, "Nolan, can I please have my toy back?". Nolan shook his head 'yes' and smiled. Talon held out his hand and Nolan laughed and took off with the toy. Talon got upset and came tattling- saying he asked for his toy and Nolan shook his head 'yes', then still wouldn't give it back. We had to have a little chat with our oldest about Nolan's lack of understanding- even when he seems so agreeable!

Nolan is now drinking from a sippy cup like a champ (although he hates to drink his milk out of it). He eats almost anything you put in front of him (even things you don't), unless it's actually baby food, and he especially loves to feed himself.

He was super excited about the Christmas tree, and all the shiny balls. I don't know how many I have had to put back on the tree. With the exception of the tree, all the rest of the ornaments around the house are plastic. I just didn't want to be cleaning up glass every couple of hours. He's started leaving most of the decorations alone. The only one he really messes with now is the arrangement on the coffee table. He knows he's not supposed to touch it, so he takes his toys and beats the poor thing to death when he thinks no one is watching. Like I said, it's a good thing the ornaments in it are shatter-proof! Every so often, I can tell that Nolan has been into it, because half of the ornaments are piled up on one side.

I was trying to get a picture of him with the tree. Let's just say, it was next to impossible. I finally got him interested in a small ornament for about 2.5 seconds so I could snap a couple of pictures. Of course, he never would look at the camera, but at least it was a still shot, and he wasn't running out of the picture or trying to crawl off the couch.

All bundled up and ready to go bye-bye!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

2011-12-10T04:09:00.000-08:00

We finally have the house all festive and decorated for Christmas! I kinda went wild with the lit garland this year, so it's fun to turn off all the lights and just have all the Christmas lights on! The kids have a blast going around and helping to 'light up the house'.

I absolutely LOVE snowmen, so this is my snowman corner!

Did I mention I kinda went nuts with the garland?

Our massive 9+ foot tree (with close to 2,000 lights), after I cut about a foot off the top.

(We'll be looking for our thank you note from the electric company.)

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

The not-so-fun fact about this years' tree...

So this has turned out to be our most expensive tree yet! It was only $20 when we took it out of the field, and I already had all the decorations (except some of the lights); but after spending about 5 hours lighting it, standing up on the apparatus I had rigged up to light the thing, and leaning over it.... I landed in the Emergency Room the next day, with a $100 co-pay, to get rid of the horrible case of vertigo I got from lighting it. (We're talking Zofran, Ativan, IV fluids... the whole 9 yards!!) I don't think I've ever felt so sick in my entire life! Not so fun! I hope this comes back to me next year when we go hunting for our tree! Either that, or I need to light it in stages and take Dramamine first!

Christmas Tree Adventure 2011

2011-12-08T03:55:00.000-08:00

Talon, Kaitlyn, and I loaded up with Papa and Granny in their truck, and set out on a mission to find our Christmas tree. We went to a tree farm that we found last year. It's huge with a big selection, and it has a lot of perks... you can pick any tree you want- as tall as you want, and it's only $20, they cut it down with a chain saw and haul it to your vehicle with their big tractor, and basically load it for you, and they hand out candy canes (this is a big perk when you have kids involved!).

It was a chilly, but beautiful, sunny day. The kids were bundled up in their coats and boots, and we were off!

We set out on a little jaunt into the back of the tree farm because I wanted a tall tree (8-9 feet). The kids loved it. Whenever I found one that was nice and showed it to them, Talon would say, "No, I think we need to go more down there" and point further down the hill. In other words, he was just wanting to go on a big hike!

It didn't take us long until we found the one. It was really tall, but the guy said he could cut a little off the bottom. He trimmed to what he estimated was about an 8 or 9 feet tree. Perfect!

The kids enjoyed watching the tree come down. I enjoyed the fact that we didn't have to go after it with a little hand saw!

Look Who's Walking!

2011-12-07T22:22:00.000-08:00

It started kinda like this...

Nolan loves to be walked all over the house. Kaitlyn is such a sweet big sister- she will walk (and sometimes drag) Nolan around for long periods of time. It was a bit nerve wracking at first, because she would go so fast, it seemed he wouldn't be able to keep up. He's gotten to where he sees her, and will pull himself up to her so she will walk him. It's very sweet!

Well, last night, while I was at work, I called to say 'good-night' to the kids, and was informed that Nolan had decided to start walking! Daddy quickly grabbed the camera and got a couple of video clips of him toddling around. When he got up this morning, he walked a little, but preferred to crawl. When I got up this evening he was walking all over. He likes to walk from one point to another, then stop to giggle and celebrate himself. It's so stinkin' cute!!

New bear

2011-12-02T11:34:00.001-08:00

Nolan's new bear. He's pretty intrigued with the moving mouth. So funny!

Moving furniture

2011-12-01T23:44:00.000-08:00

Nolan's moving the furniture again! I guess I'll know who to call on when I decided to rearrange the living room. Such a busy little guy!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T03:29:00.000-08:00

More birthday fun!

2011-11-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

Before Thanksgiving, we got together at my parents' house to celebrate the November birthdays- Melanie's, Kaitlyn's, and mine.

Kaitlyn got a Dalmatian purse that she absolutely loves...

... and more Hello Kitty stuff!
She tries to stuff everything in her new little backpack!

Of course, there were lots of cameras involved, and some fun pictures taken.
Like this one.....

Nolan's first cucumber. Once he got past the texture, he really liked it!

The kids building with the mega blocks. Nolan loves to get right in and play with the big kids now.

Grandpa reading just one more book before we head home

Happy Birthday to my little sis, Melanie! It's always fun celebrating our birthdays together!

13 months old

2011-11-17T20:27:00.001-08:00

Nolan is 13 months old today. What an active little guy he is! He never stops moving and exploring. His new thing these days is moving furniture and other choice objects throughout the house (stools, laundry baskets, the dog kennel...).

He's also quite fascinated with the bathroom- especially the toilet. A key phrase constantly resonating throughout the house is, "Make sure the bathroom door is shut!".

He loves opening and closing doors. It's quite funny when he shuts himself in a room- he bangs on the door from the inside, and yells until you come let him out.

He loves books, loves his noise toys, and loves the toy kitchen. It's just at the perfect height where he can open and shut the cupboards, and stand up to the counter.

His motto is 'Possession is 9/10ths of the law'. If he got it, he pretty much figures it's his right to play with it.

He loves to be roughed up and loves to wrestle.

How we all love this crazy boy!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Kaitlyn!

2011-11-14T20:11:00.000-08:00

Kaitlyn turned 3 years old on Saturday, the 12th. She had her heart set on having a Hello Kitty birthday, so we had a little party for her. Her cousin, Delani, and Alyssa came over for a while, and helped make her day very special.

The girls did a lot of playing with dolls and the toy kitchen. There was quite an entourage marching through the house with each of the girls pushing a stroller with a baby, and Nolan hot on their heels trying to run them down!

Talking to each other on their phones.

Coloring time.

When they got tired of coloring, we stepped it up a notch... painting!

We covered them with a plastic bag, covered the table, and they went to painting.

There was Hello Kitty everywhere!

My mom surprised us and brought over a cake she made for the party. It was adorable! Kaitlyn LOVED it!!

.... and I made Hello Kitty cake pops.

She got some really fun gifts!

... including a Hello Kitty hat and glove set.

After the party was over, Granny and Papa came over for dessert. We did a little more celebrating, and she got to open all the rest of her gifts.

The two things she wanted for her birthday were a Hello Kitty lunch box and clock (Why a clock? Because Talon got a Cars clock and she wanted a HK one. So now there are two clocks sitting side-by-side on their bookshelf, and neither of them can tell time. So nuts!)

And from Granny and Papa... a huge stuffed Hello Kitty!

Katie and Alyssa hanging out in the box her Kitty came in.

Fun with party hats

Even Kiki got in on the action!

Getting ready to go to bed with her new jammies and Hello Kitty.

Talon got some new jammies that he was proud to show off, too!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl! We love you so much!!

Daddy, Mommy, Talon and Nolan

Breakfast with a couple of my boys!

2011-11-13T17:38:00.000-08:00

Talon and Kaitlyn stayed the night at Grandpa and Grandma's during my work stretch, so when I got off on Thursday morning, Anthony and Nolan took me out for an early birthday breakfast. We went to our favorite breakfast place... The Original Pancake House.

When we got done with breakfast, we went and did a bit of shopping. I found a few more fabulous candles and some kitchen paraphernalia. After all the fun, it was finally time to head home and get some sleep. Thank you, Honey, for such a great morning!

Shoe Shopping

2011-11-07T17:15:00.000-08:00

We went to the mall, and did some shoe shopping for Daddy while we were there. Nolan decided to do a little shopping of his own.

Watch out! He's got wheels!

2011-10-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

So, Nolan decided to pull himself up to the walking toy and take off across the floor yesterday. So crazy, since he just decided about a week and a half ago, that he would start crawling on his hands and knees- instead of doing the army crawl across the floor. He doesn't know how to turn or guide the walker, so he gets irritated when he gets to the end of the room and runs into something.

Pictures of the kids

2011-10-26T03:01:00.000-07:00

These are just a few pictures I've taken of the kids when we've had some nice weather lately; and I've been having fun playing around with photo editing.

I need to get a few more of Nolan, but it's a little more difficult to get him to sit still for a photo shoot.... he tends to crawl out of the picture before I can snap it!

I loved this one. Such a fabulous expression on Nolan's face!

Playtime

2011-10-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

We went to visit Grandpa and Grandma Bauer and the weather turned out to be beautiful, so Grandpa took the kids over to the church play structure to get some energy out.

This girl LOVES to swing!!

Yes, Grandpa was pretty much the hero of the day!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

Look Who's ONE!!

2011-10-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

Nolan turned a year old on Monday, the 17th, and we had a big family party for him that night. This past year has flown by, and it just doesn't seem like he could possibly be a year already.

Grandma Bauer made the cake. I told her I would love to have something with monkeys, and told her the colors. It was perfect! So adorable!

He has very quick hands, and swiped at the cake before anyone could catch him....

and he LOVED it!!

Here's just a short clip of him with his cake.

The end result.... a very messy boy that got tossed in the tub!

The boys had fun playing basketball in the hallway.

He got some great gifts.... toys, clothes, and books!!

Granny and Austin

Papa helping the kids discover how the new toys work.

Nolan and Mommy. Sure do love this little booger!

(Daddy hid out behind the camera a good portion of the night. He has a way of consistently avoiding pictures!)

Nolan really enjoyed the balloons!

Happy Birthday, Little Nolan-bug! We love you so much!!

Not a fan!

2011-10-15T05:46:00.000-07:00

I put Nolan on the horse swing outside thinking he would love it. Hmmm.... not so much! This is the reaction I got. Guess we'll wait a while before we try the horsie swing again!

Sure made for some cute pictures, though!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to the Pumpkin Patch at Fir Point Farms yesterday. It was a bit rainy and muddy, but we had fun. They each got to pick out a pumpkin to put out on the front porch. With all the choices, we were there for a while as they made their selection, then changed their mind a few dozen times.

Talon is a bit of a clean freak, so he didn't want one that had any mud on it. That made the selection even more difficult!

Ah, finally, he found one! He tried to pick it up, then decided it was too big... and muddy! After a bit of a discussion, we decided that Mommy would carry it, and we would wash it off so he wouldn't get dirty. Whew... Done!

I told them all to say 'cheese' and smile for the picture. That is exactly what I got.... their cheese-faces!

Daddy and Chad chose not to tromp through the mud in the field, so they stayed back and kept Nolan. When we got done, he played on the big pumpkins outside the store.

Of course, sitting on top of it wasn't quite as fun as banging on it and splashing the water off, while squeeling in his high pitched voice!

(And notice the very large bruise on his forehead.... that's what comes of getting mad and head-butting the tiled kitchen floor!)

Lovin' fall!

2011-10-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

So excited to get all my Fall decorations and candles out!!

I love my wicker pumpkin on my dining room table!

The corner shelf in the dining room.

Entry way table

End table

Coffee table

(This arrangement looks different on a daily basis.... seeing that I have to put it back together constantly after Nolan gets done with it!)

Messy Man

2011-10-03T04:33:00.000-07:00

Nolan's new found love... emptying bins out and scattering toys all over the room. He's very quick at it! He's especially fond of the toy kitchen accessories, and will keep himself entertained for very long periods of time!

He is so proud of himself!

Visit to the Martins

2011-10-01T04:20:00.000-07:00

We went to visit the Martins last week. I started babysitting Rachel and working with their family when she was a baby. Rachel was diagnosed with autism when she was very young, and I worked with her and her sister, Katrina (who has Cerebral Palsy), until I graduated from nursing school. It's hard to believe that Rachel turned 19 this summer and graduated from High School this year! Congratulations, Rachel, we are so proud of you!!

Terese and Rachel

So funny!

2011-09-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

This picture cracked me up. I had to pass it on!

Daddy's look alike!

2011-09-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

After getting Nolan's hair cut, Anthony was going through some pictures of himself as a baby, and found this one. There's quite a striking resemblence!

(Anthony @ about 9 months old, with his cousin)

(Nolan @ 11months old)

New haircut

2011-09-24T01:03:00.000-07:00

Nolan just got his 4th haircut, and he's not even a year old yet! He doesn't much like getting it done, but he sure looks cute!

Just love all of his goofy faces!

"Outta my way, Mom, I'm comin' through!"

Such a happy little squirt!

And the winner is.....

2011-09-21T23:48:00.000-07:00

As a group, I think my kids win the prize for the craziest bed hair in the mornings, but I'll let you be the judge....

Yeah, I knew you'd agree with me! Pretty bad, huh?!

By the way, there's a reason we didn't include Anthony and I in this picture. I guess you could say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

The Pumpkin Patch

2011-09-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

We heard the Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island was open, so we thought we'd head out there. The weather was about 95*, so we didn't stay very long. The pumpkins weren't ripe yet, the produce wasn't out, the concession stands (with the yummy caramel apples) were closed, and the kids were a bit tired and needed a nap. So, we decided we'd go back in a couple of weeks when we can pick out some pumpkins and gourds, and go through the corn maze. The kids did really enjoy the bounce house, and we did go on a hay ride through the fields.

The kids enjoyed watching the animal exhibit they had out front.

I thought this was so cute.... they stood and held hands while they watched the animals.

Had to get a few pictures of the kids on the hay bales

Can't have a photo session without a few goofy pictures, right?

The bounce house...

11 months old

2011-09-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

Well, my little booger bear is 11 months old. He is constantly on the move, and seems to be discovering new things daily. He scoots everywhere (yes, he still refuses to crawl); he's not so fond of being 'trapped' in his ExerSaucer anymore.... he'd rather be out where he can explore; he opens drawers and cupboards and quickly removes all their contents; he finally started pulling himself up to a standing position, but is learning the hard way that all objects are not stationary; he is finally starting to eat more solids (very exciting!!), but is a very picky eater (not so very exciting!!); he still has quite a temper; still loves to swat at anything within reach; will bite anything he can get in his mouth (with his four big chompers); and is still a complete mamma's boy! Oh, how I do love this little monkey, and can't believe he'll be a year old next month.

He has quickly learned how to tip over the toy bins.

Such a little booger!

"Who me? What mess?"

His 'peek-a-boo' face

Walking along the coffee table.

Playing in the kitchen with the big kids.

Little Jumping Beans

2011-09-16T04:08:00.000-07:00

The kids love summer time at Grandpa and Grandma Bauer's, because they set up the "bouncy" (trampoline) and the kids spend hours jumping on it. Nolan has even spent some time on it recently. It'll come down as soon as the rain sets in, but I'm sure next summer there will be another little jumping bean on the bouncy!

Must be nap time!

He got up on his hands and knees, the kids would bounce him, and he'd fall flat on his tummy. He thought it was pretty funny!

This particular time, after it got dark, they talked Grandpa into pulling them around the yard in the wagon.

Photo session

2011-09-12T00:10:00.000-07:00

I had the kids in matching outfits, so I thought I'd sit 'em down and take a few pictures. No big deal, right? Wrong! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get three young kids to cooperate at the same time for a picture? I took about 15, then gave up. Here are a few that I got. Keep in mind, these are the good ones. My sister now works at a studio where she will be taking pictures of kids and families for hours on end. I think I would be bald at the end of one day. As much as I enjoy taking pictures, I think I'll stick to candid shots, thank you very much!!!

All that being said.... I still think they are pretty stinkin' cute, and I love 'em to pieces and pieces!!!

Overheard by Daddy...

2011-09-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

Talon had his bin of toys out....
Katie: "I wanna play with that stuff."
Talon: "You can't, it's boy's stuff."
Katie: "I wanna play with that stuff, toooooo!"
Talon (much more emphatic): "You aren't supposed to, Sissy, it's booooy's stuff!"
Sissy: "I wanna play with boy's stuff!!"
Talon didn't have anything else to say, so he just let her play with the toys...

Labor Day

2011-09-07T16:04:00.000-07:00

These are just a couple pictures I took on Labor Day. We had a BBQ at our house in the afternoon with Chad and Tori, and some of Anthony's family; then went to my parents' in the evening to spend some time with them.

It was great to have my grandmas there!

Katie Quip

2011-09-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

At times, I wish I could turn on a tape recorder for the entire day just to catch the funny things the kids say. Some days, they just keep us in stitches all day long. I try to remember the things they say so I can jot them down and put them in a memory book for them (and myself) to read when they get older. It just isn't quite as cute or funny on paper as it is when it comes out of their mouth. Not to mention their expression and voice inflections. This is a little something that happened last night, that I had to try so hard not to laugh at (at least where the kids could see!).

It was Labor Day, so we went to my parents in the evening for a picnic. We've had a small issue with Talon in that, when he gets to play the Wii at Grandpa and Grandma's, he throws a fit when he has to turn it off and we have to leave. We have warned him numerous times that, if he throws a fit and can't act like big boy, he will get grounded from our Wii when he gets home (This is something he dislikes very much!). So last night, I told Talon it was time to leave, and he proceeded to throw a fit. I told him he would be grounded when we got home if he didn't quit, but he still continued. When we got in the car, our conversation went something like this:

Kaitlyn: "Is Bubby gonna be in trouble?"
Me: "Kaitlyn, that is for Mommy and Daddy to decided. Don't worry about it. We don't let Bubby talk about you when you are in trouble."

I tried to lighten the situation a bit, and chat with the kids on the way home, but Talon was very quiet and pensive for a while, and didn't say much for about 10 minutes. Finally, he started talking. These days, he likes to ask how to spell various words, and asks what signs say when we go by.

Talon (seeing a few street signs in a row): "Mommy, what does that sign say?"
Me: "That sign says 'No Parking at any time'."
Kaitlyn then pipes up: "And THAT sign says 'You're grounded!'."
Me: "Kaitlyn, that's enough!"
I'm just glad it was dark in the car and the kids couldn't see me, because I had to laugh. It was hilarious!

Tired boy

2011-09-02T04:56:00.000-07:00

Nolan was ready to be put to bed, but was being so sweet, I had to snap a few pictures. Love this face!

Lovin' the great summer weather!

2011-08-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

We have finally had a decent stint of summer weather. The kids (and dogs) have loved being able to go outside and ride their bikes everyday, play in the grass and the dirt, splash in the pool, and run through the sprinklers. I've even been able to spend some time relaxing in the sun, and have gotten a ton of yard work done. I love it (the sun, anyway, not so much the yard work)!

Pancakes

2011-08-29T14:06:00.001-07:00

More blueberries! This morning for breakfast I made a blueberry compote...

I made some blueberry pancakes...

... and they disappeared! The kids were so excited that we were having breakfast with the berries they helped pick!

If you're interested, here's the recipe for the compote (I used the recipe I had for the cobbler and made some changes.)

Blueberry Compote

2 cups fresh blueberries

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbl + 1 tsp corn starch

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 Tbl. lemon juice

2 tsp. brown sugar

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp. vanilla

*Mix sugar, corn starch, water, lemon juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a sauce pan with a wire whisk. Cook and stir constantly over medium heat until thick and starts to bubble. Add vanilla and blueberries. Return to stove, and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until it cooks into a thick sauce (about 10 min).

Katie Quip

2011-08-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

While I was doing Kaitlyn's hair this morning, she kept moving her head around, so I said, "Kaitlyn Michelle, hold still!". A couple of seconds later, in a sweet little voice, she said, "I'm Sissy Achelle".

At breakfast we were discussing our names...

Me: "Kaitlyn, did you know Mommy's name is Candice Michelle? You were named Kaitlyn Michelle after me."

Talon: (Not wanting to be left out) "And what about my name?"

Me: " You were named after Uncle Shade. His name is Alfred Shade, Chantry is Chantry Shade, and you are Talon Shade. Pretty cool, huh?!"

Talon: "Yeah, and Chantry Shade is my cousin."

Kaitlyn: "And Lani Shade is MY cousin!"

Then after thinking for a second about what she had just said, she giggles....

Kaitlyn: "Oops, I mean Lani Achelle is my cousin!"

Blueberries

2011-08-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

We picked blueberries from our orchard yesterday. The kids had so much fun helping! We would have had a few more, but they kinda got the munchies!

So last night, Anthony searched online for a recipe, and found a really good one for blueberry crisp. We had it with vanilla ice cream. I'm not much of a blueberry fan usually, but this was really yummy!

Here's the recipe:

Blueberry Crisp

1 quart (4 cups) fresh blueberries

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbl. corn starch

1 cup water

2 Tbl. + 1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup regular oats

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted (no substitutes!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*

2. Lightly grease 11x7" baking dish, and spread the blueberries in the bottom of the dish.

3. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, water, and lemon juice; cook and stir constantly, over medium heat, until thick and clear (it will start to bubble), then stir in the vanilla.

4. Pour over, then gently stir in the cooked mixture with the blueberries.

5. In a bowl combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

6. Add the melted butter, and mix until crumbly. (I start mixing with a spoon, then finish mixing with my hands)

7. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the blueberries. (It will seem like a lot of crumble, but it will settle and mix well when baking)

8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the blueberry mixture bubbles and the topping is brown.

9. Serve with vanilla ice cream.... Enjoy!!!

(**Posted on Food.com by Kittencalskitchen)

Just a note: Next time I make this, I will probably add 1/2 to 1 more cup of blueberries.

Hangin' out

2011-08-28T22:56:00.000-07:00

This is how Nolan likes to hang out in his ExerSaucer... with his legs propped up on the side.

Such a cute face!

My green thumb

2011-08-27T16:54:00.000-07:00

My sister asked me to help her make some cake pops for their Sunday School picnic. So, I made a bouquet of flowers. As much as I hate to admit it, this is about as green as my thumb gets. Oh well, looking on the bright side.... at least these are edible, right?!

Then I added some bees....

For the chocolate pops, I made 'Smores'. These were super easy, and very fun!

....and some chocolate peanut butter pops. These have to be my favorite, though a little dab'll do ya. They are so rich!

Nolan (usually) likes to sit in his high chair and play while I work in the kitchen.

"All by myself..."

2011-08-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

After he had gotten up from his nap, Talon hollered at me to "come look!". When I walked in his room, this is what I found...

He said, "I made my bed all by myself!" (And was pretty pleased with himself, just in case you couldn't tell from the picture!). I told him he did a great job, to which he added... "Yep, and I'm a pretty big boy!"

Yes, Talon, you are! (~sigh!) It makes Mommy almost sad sometimes to see how fast you are growing up!

Fair Time

2011-08-21T22:55:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, I took Talon and Kaitlyn to the Clackamas County Fair. We met up with my sisters and Grandpa and Grandma Bauer. We walked around to some of the exhibits with Aunt Melanie and our friend Andrea, then went to the Rodeo. We met up with some more friends there, and had a great time. It was very hot, and we didn't think Nolan would do so well in the heat and sitting through the rodeo, so Daddy stayed home with him.

Sissy got a flower balloon hat....

Bubby got a frog...

Talon was pretty intrigued by the pigs; while Kaitlyn wanted held, and kept telling us that something smelled stinky!

Mommy and the kids

Kaitlyn loved the flowers!

Me and my sissy

Melanie and Andrea

Crazy kids!

It's rodeo time!!

When the kids were getting a little tired of sitting at the rodeo, Grandpa and Grandma took them around the fair. They got glow-in-the-dark swords.... which they thought were pretty neat!

10 months old

2011-08-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

Is it possible? Can my little Nolan-bug be 10 months old already? Time is flying by way too fast. He is getting big, and is ON. THE. MOVE! He's still not quite crawling (not that he couldn't if he really wanted to). He keeps threatening to crawl, then just scoots around on his belly, or rolls from place to place. He's quite fast at it too, I might add!

As you will see in the picture below, he doesn't like it when he gets held up or thinks he's stuck somewhere.

... and he's off!

He just got his 3rd tooth. He now has 2 on bottom and one on top.... and chews on everything! Just look at those chompers!As far as his eating goes... he's doing better, but still has a ways to go. He'll eat almost an entire jar of baby food some days, but other days it's hit and miss. We've decided to hold off on the speech therapist for now and keep working with him on eating from a spoon. When he's really hungry he does the best. I am convinced that a good portion of his issue is his disdain for baby food. Whether it's the texture or the taste, I'm not completely sure. But I do know he doesn't care much for it. He does like his teething cookies, though. (And so do the dogs, I might add, since the floor is where the remnants end up. When they see him in his high-chair, they start hovering because they know, sooner or later, he's gonna throw something on the floor!)

So for now, we'll just keep working with him and see what happens. Like Anthony and I have thoroughly discussed... it's not like, if we don't figure this out in the next month, it'll set him back for life. Besides, he seems to be getting along just fine in the nutrition department! ;)

Nolan definitely sleeps like his daddy.... on his tummy with all the blankets kicked off. It cracks me up!

And this would be the little stinker after his nap.....

....notice his diaper is laying in the back of the crib, and his buns are quite bare!

It was a warm day, and Nolan usually sleeps pretty hot, so Anthony decided to put him down with just his shirt and diaper on. I guess we wont be trying that again anytime soon! This was one day I was so glad he's a tummy sleeper! Enough said.

One thing we know for sure... this kid is strong-willed! He hates the word "No", and 'yells' when he doesn't like something. He frequently throws his toys or spits out his pacifier when he gets mad. I think we may have our work cut out for us with this one! The older two are learning to stay out of his face. If you get too close, he'll just reach out and smack you , or bat at whatever you have in your hand. Folding laundry, cooking dinner, or doing anything even moderately productive is next to impossible while holding him. Not that he's trying to be naughty (well, most of the time, anyway), it's just what he does. We call him our little 'bruiser'. He is so much fun, though. He's very jovial and loves to be roughed up. It's hard to just sit and hold him on your lap because he's always on the move and wants to play. When he's sleepy, though, he's quite the little cuddle-bug. It melts my heart! Daddy says we're pathetic when we get all cuddly, but that's okay... they aren't little for very long, right?! All the kids are quite cuddly, and that is perfectly fine with me. I'm up for snuggles anytime!

Coffee time

2011-08-11T23:58:00.000-07:00

When I make lattes, the kids like to have their own coffee in their special 3 oz mugs. It's mostly flavored milk, with just a splash of espresso, and they think it's pretty great!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Nolan's Dedication

2011-08-01T23:50:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, we had Nolan dedicated.

Such a handsome little guy, all dressed up in his new suit and ready for church.Papa Starr dedicated him. Grandma and Nolan.Poor Talon, trying his best to smile nice for the picture, and still hold on to his active little brother who has only one thought in mind.... "Must get down. Must get down..."Of course, we had to take a few family pictures!Hey, where did Aunt Lacey go?Oh, there she is!Sure love this little booger!!This picture turned out a bit blurry, but I just had to post it. He was just cracking up. I love it!

Daddy and Sissy.Uncle Roger and Aunt Jenny came.Our Little Nolan James,
In these short 9 months that you have been here, you have been such a blessing, and brought so much joy to our little family. You have a sweet and bubbly personality, and make us laugh constantly. You are growing fast and getting more curious by the day.
We do realize that God is the one that gave you to us. While we feel honored that He has entrusted us with your care and raising, we also don't take this responsibility lightly. We have held on to you these past 9 months, and now we give you back to Him. Our prayer is that we will be Godly examples for you to follow, and that you will grow to love God with all your heart, and live your life to glorify Him. We pray you will hold on to the truth that has been passed down to you, and that you will love the Message that the generations before you have stood strong to protect.
You are such a precious, sweet little boy, and we love you so very much.
Love,

Mommy and Daddy

New Sprinkler

2011-08-01T00:55:00.000-07:00

We got the kids a new sprinkler... it's a ball! You blow up the ball (which is a lot of work, by the way), then hook the hose up to the bottom of it, and water sprays out from the top and all sides. The kids love it!

Summertime F-U-N!!!

2011-07-25T23:40:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite summertime meals.... shishkabobs! They can be a bit time consuming to make, but so yummy and worth the effort! I've started doing them a bit differently... I separate the meat and veggies. That way I can grill each one for the right amount of time they need. Throw on some fresh cut pineapple, steam some rice, add a little barbecue sauce, and it's a fabulous dinner!

.... and what's more fun after dinner, on a warm summer evening, then heading outside to play in the pool? (Well, the kids, at least!)

Silly girl

2011-07-21T23:49:00.000-07:00

Getting all dolled up at Grandma's house.

How I love all of her adorable, silly faces!

One of Kaitlyn's new favorite things.... flossing her teeth. She asks me at least a couple of times a day, "Mommy, can I fwoss?".

Family night

2011-07-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

We went to John's Incredible Pizza with Chad, Tori, and Alyssa a couple of nights ago, and had a blast! They have a huge pizza buffet with various themed dining rooms to sit and eat; and when you're done, they have a huge arcade and play land with games for all ages. It's such a fun place to go as a family!

They were so excited to ride the train. Kaitlyn kept asking to go ride "Thomas". Alyssa was a little scared of the toys, so she just watched the other kids play. We'll get her on some of the toys next time hopefully!

One of our favorite games.... the motorcycles!

Chad and Tori playing air hockey.

Talon and I rocked at the basketball game. We got tons of tickets!

Until next time.....

9 months old

2011-07-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

Nolan is 9 months old! He went for his check-up last week, and he weighs 21 lbs. 10 oz, and is 28.5 inches long. He is between the 50-60th percentile.

He is doing so much these days. He loves to roll around and scoot on the floor. He's refusing to crawl at this point (I guess he figures he can get around fast the way he's doing it now, so why change anything?). He does like to stand and walk around when we hold on to his hands. He finally got his first tooth, followed immediately by his second one.

See?....

He still hates his baby food and anything other than his bottle. His doctor thinks we should get a speech therapy consult, but we are trying to figure out if he CAN'T eat, or just WON'T. So far, we think it's an issue of just not wanting to. He hates his food and throws a fit when we try and feed him. Dr Kilty's concern was that he may have muscle control issues with his tongue. We're holding off for just a while and trying a few different feeding tricks before we rush to the speech therapist.

He loves spending time outside and likes playing in the grass. Probably one of his favorite things, though, is playing in his ExerSaucer on the back patio. One evening, the older two were playing in the pool, and he was out there just having a ball. So, I got the camera.... and he hammed it up!

With the cowlicks in his hair, it stands up in the form of a mohawk most of the time. I think it's adorable. He's already had his hair trimmed a couple of times.

I'm not even sure what he was so upset about, but he got very unhappy for some reason. This kid can THROW. A. FIT. Then, within a few seconds, he was just fine again.

Starr Family Reunion 2011

2011-07-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

The Annual Starr reunion was at Lonnie and Becky Justice's house in Washington this year. We had a good time visiting with everyone, and the kids had a lot of fun playing with their cousins and all the kids.

Talon found a new best friend.... his cousin, Summer. She played baseball with him and let him pretty much run the show for the afternoon, and he's been talking about it constantly since then. She has become his imaginary friend. When he plays baseball in the house or the yard, he says that Summer is pitching to him. She even helped him decorate a t-shirt to bring home. She definitely made a big impression on him!

Destini and Granny having a heart-to-heart chat.
Sharlotte and Nolan became good friends fast. Of course, he didn't mind the attention and being constantly held and made over!

Best friends.... Kaitlyn and Delani. Kaitlyn insisted on sitting in the stroller, then wanted Delani to join her. They sat there for a long time and hugged on each other. Kaitlyn is a bit on the shy side, so it's great to have a cousin her age that she can play and be good friends with.

Of course, there was lots of music and singing.

The weather even turned out to be really nice. We had a great day!

Buddies

2011-07-14T03:59:00.000-07:00

Nolan rolls around everywhere... and doesn't waste any time getting where he wants to go. These two love rolling around on the floor together!

Love this face!!!

So serious!

Guess what I learned...

2011-07-13T22:46:00.000-07:00

20 seconds is about 4 seconds too long when heating some baby foods in the microwave. I suppose I should have taken heed to the warning label on the back. "Do not heat in microwave. Contents may explode."

The good news.... my microwave is nice and clean now!

Popsicles

2011-07-13T03:55:00.000-07:00

After the song fest, it was popsicle time!

Little Songbirds

2011-07-13T02:48:00.000-07:00

The kids were playing in the pool and decided to serenade me, so I got a couple of video clips. Usually, when I get out the camera, they just get goofy, so I don't get any good videos. This day, they cooperated so well. Kaitlyn loves to sing, but gets shy and wont sing on demand or when I have the camera out. I'm hoping I can sneak a video some time.... she has such an adorable voice.

The three munchkins

2011-07-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

I love the way the kids play together, and how the older two try to entertain their little brother. They like playing and rolling around on the floor at Papa and Granny's because they have carpet in their living room. (It's just not quite as exciting on our hardwood floors!)

It's always fun to gang up and attack Mommy!

Water fun

2011-07-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

We have finally started having some warm days, so I got the kids pool out, cleaned it, and filled it up. They were so tickled. They love the water! I gave them a bunch of random containers with sand buckets and shovels, and they had a blast.

Kaitlyn was too scared to try the slide last year. This year, she thinks it's just the greatest thing.

Jared & Jonakin

2011-07-09T14:00:00.001-07:00

Jared and Jonathan went back home on Thursday. It was hard to see them go- we really enjoyed having them here! The kids had a blast with them. After they left, Talon and Kaitlyn kept asking where they were, and if they were going to come over. Kaitlyn had a big crush on Jonathan. (She called him "Jonakin". It was really cute!) She would hardly talk to him or let him hold her, but as soon as he wasn't around, she'd be asking about him. After I did her hair in the morning, she would ask me if 'Jonakin' was going to like her hair and her dress. She refused to take a picture with him, but did give him a good-bye hug, and still talks about him periodically.

Out to dinner at Changs the night before they left.

At the park

2011-07-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to the park to play, and I had to take a picture of Talon and Kaitlyn. A little girl came up and asked them if they wanted to go on the 'see-saw'. They jumped right on, and the other mom and I both laughed. The kids saw the little girl get on one end, so they got on the other, facing the same way as her (which made them backwards). They didn't think anything of it, except that Talon didn't really enjoy sitting on the bar. He wanted to sit on the seat, but didn't have anything to hang on to when he bounced. We tried to get them to turn around, but they wouldn't have it. Oh well, they were having fun. I guess that's what matters!

Nolan sat in the grass with me, and took every thing in.

"Hmmm... what's this green stuff?"

Guitar update

2011-07-07T23:49:00.000-07:00

Ron Kirn emailed Anthony the final photos of his guitar. It's finished!!!! Needless to say, he is really excited. It should be here next week!

Finishing shielding

Finishing electronicsFinishing body Neck plate

The finished product.....

View of the back
Headstock

Momma's Little Helper

2011-07-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

Kaitlyn loves to help me in the kitchen and be involved whenever she can. She has found a new way to help.... opening all the tea bags when we make sun tea.

Drive time

2011-07-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

Talon is very infatuated these days with driving and playing MarioKart (a racing game on the Wii). When he's out riding his bike, he pretends he's racing around the track. When he's in the car, he pretends he's driving. He runs around shouting, "It's Mario time!" randomly throughout the day. So, it was no real surprise when I went to check on him in the bathroom and found this....

Yes, my son is sitting on the toilet with his toy steering wheel. Believe it or not, we don't actually let him play Wii that often, or for long periods of time when he does play. (I guess maybe if we did let him play a little more often, he might get it out of his system, and we wouldn't have to come across this in the bathroom. Who knows!)

Naptime!

2011-07-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

It cracks me up the ways that Nolan finds to fall asleep in his ExerSaucer. He will be jumping around and playing one minute, then zonked the next. It's the craziest thing!

I love how he's reclining with his hands placed neatly in front of him, and he's only wearing one sock.

She loves getting to take her nap in Daddy and Mommy's bed!

Messy eater

2011-07-02T01:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some video clips of Nolan eating. Let's just say it's not his favorite past time. He's quiet a messy eater... especially since he's figured out how to blow with food in his mouth. We both end up wearing it a good portion of the time! He is so ticklish on his hands, that he starts giggling whenever you wash him up. What a riot!

Pest control

2011-07-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

We have a real problem with flies this time of year, and Anthony asked me to pick up a couple of fly swatters when I went to the store. So I did.

Any guesses which one is Anthony's???

Now THAT is a fly swatter!

4-year check-up

2011-06-29T23:17:00.000-07:00

Talon had his 4-year-old check-up this week. He's doing great!
He weighs 38 1/2 pounds and is 42 inches tall.
He got an eye and ear exam. (He got a little ADD-ish with the ear exam and kept giggling at all the little *beeps*), but passed both with flying colors. I cracked up when they had him put these glasses on. I had to take a picture!!

Reading books and waiting to see Dr. Kilty.
Say "Aaaaaaaaa"!
He hates shots, but got 2 of them in his left arm. He was such a brave boy... all he said was, "OUCH!".

Starr Reunion 2011

2011-06-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

We had Anthony's annual family reunion and Papa Starr's birthday celebration this past weekend. The weather was fabulous and we had a great time!

Papa at the grill

Playing with trucks in the yard

Ashley

Lounging around outside

Playing baseball with Uncle Jayson

Fun with cousins

"Ooooooooh... look what I found!"

I'm really not sure what was taking place here. Family council meeting, I guess!
I pulled out the camera and Delani struck a pose.... a real one!
Destini
Eating with the big boys
Listening to the music
New toy.... Jared's iTouch.

More cake pops....

I called these "Summer bouquet". I realized that I didn't make near enough pink ones. Those were the girls' favorites!

Chocolate peanut butter and chocolate mint

We really missed Jess, Ruth, and Jessica; as well as Walt, Rachel, and the kids.

We love you guys! Sure hope you can come next year.... it just isn't the same without ya!

Guitar update

2011-06-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

Ron Kirn sent Anthony some more pictures of his guitar. We expected it to be done long before now, but apparently there were some issues, and he had to reorder and replace the neck that was on there. Ron said it would hopefully be ready to ship next week. Pretty exciting!!

Here are some pictures of the body after he polished it.

These are some up-close pictures of the flamed, birds-eye maple neck and head stock.

And now a peek at the electronics ...

8 months old

2011-06-17T01:35:00.000-07:00

Nolan is 8 months old today!
I thought for sure he would have cut his first tooth by now, but nothin' yet!

He does really well entertaining himself with toys on the floor, and just rolling around.

He jabbers constantly, and grabs at anything he even thinks he might be able to reach.

He loves singing along with music, and bouncing around to the beat. It's hilarious to watch!

He still is not a big fan of eating with a spoon, but is getting better at it. If he had his way, he would feed himself. (Mmmm... not quite yet, Buddy!)

In this picture, Nolan's upstairs with Daddy listening to him play the guitar. He gets so intrigued!

He also loves playing with his feet!

Lovin' his Papa.

Flowers

2011-06-16T01:47:00.000-07:00

These are just some of the flowers that are in bloom around our yard right now. It's nice to see that, amongst all the weeds, we do have some beautiful flowers!

Helmets

2011-06-15T23:38:00.000-07:00

Since Kaitlyn got a bike, she had to get a helmet. So, we made a late-night run to Walmart to see what we could find. She was very specific- it had to be a pink helmet (of course!). We found a pink Hello Kitty one. Perfect!

She's adorable in it, and would have worn it to bed if I would have let her.

Since they have to wear them, I'm sure glad they think their helmets are so cool! (Sure hope they still feel that way in a couple of years!!)

New Bike

2011-06-15T23:11:00.001-07:00

Katie got her new bike from Papa and Granny for getting potty trained.

The look on her face when they wheeled it in was priceless! I wish I could have gotten a picture of her at that exact moment. She exclaimed really loudly, "Ohhhh, my PINK BIKE!!".

The pictures I did get were so cute, I had to post a couple of them. Is this the face of a really happy girl or what???

Papa setting everything up.

Birthday fun continues...

2011-06-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

Last night, we celebrated Talon's birthday with Papa and Granny.

We also gave him the rest of his gift from us..... Mario Galaxy for the Wii. He loves it! (Though it'll probably take a while for him to figure it out since he has to use the nunchuck and controller.) From Papa and Granny he got a western boot money bank that they found in North Dakota. It goes great with his western room decor! He also got a bike helmet. He was so excited. Once I got it fit to his head and he put it on, he didn't want to take it off. He wanted to run outside immediately and ride his bike. Yes, we sang "Happy Birthday" again. His first question when he saw me making the cupcakes and cake pops was, "Is everyone gonna sing Happy Birthday to me?".

Rockin' Out!

2011-06-10T13:13:00.000-07:00

It's so funny to sit and watch Nolan in his ExerSaucer. He gets pretty wild! What a crazy kid!

Big Girl!!!

2011-06-09T01:38:00.000-07:00

Yeah.... Kaitlyn's potty trained! We started focusing on it and being really consistent about a month ago, and she's doing really good. She's gone a whole week now with no accidents! We're still working on nap time and bed time, but she does wake up completely dry many times when she takes a nap. She even does really good with car trips. In case we might forget, she reminds us constantly what a big girl she is!

Her favorite part about the whole process is getting to stand on the step stool and wash her hands.

Granny and Papa buy the grand kids a bike when they get potty trained, so Kaitlyn's already put in her request.... she wants a PINK one (and talks about it constantly, I might add!).
Way to go, Sissy....

We are so proud of you!!!!

CVC Facelift

2011-06-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Anthony got a new black pick guard for his CVC, and it looks great! It came with a mint-green one that did not match at all!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th Birthday, Talon!

2011-06-07T15:45:00.000-07:00

Talon turned 4 years old yesterday. Wow... how time flies. Can't believe my baby is growing up so fast!

We had a little party at Grandpa and Grandma Bauer's on Sunday evening, and had a great time.

He was super excited about the ball-shaped cake pops I made for him!

He had one of each, and was a little sugar overloaded by the 3rd one.
With Grandpa and Grandma....

Opening gifts. He got some fun toys!

...including a Monster Truck!

Grandpa made sure the 'bouncy' was up in time for the special occasion
Sharing pizza with Grandpa

.... and smooches!!

'Fixing' Aunt Kayla's hair

Then, last night, we took him out to dinner at Mongolian Grill.

His favorite part..... when everyone sings "Happy Birthday" to him!
Happy Birthday, Bubby! We love you so much!!!

Daddy, Mommy, Kaitlyn, and Nolan

Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day this year, the shindig was at our house. The weather turned out to be beautiful! We had a barbecue with lots of yummy food, played games, did a ton of gabbin', and had an all-around good time!

Grandpa, of course, spent the entire day outside with the kids.

The girls found some snakes in the pasture.

Playing in the back of Uncle Jeremy's truck.

A rousing game of croquet

The 'green' team

Aunt Babe got some cuddle time in with Nolan. I'm not really sure who enjoyed it more!
Love this lady!!!

My new hobby is making cake pops, so I decided to make bouquets for the table decor. It was so much fun!

As we observe this holiday, we honor the men and women who have given their lives to fight for our freedom. And to the families that have lost loved ones, and have sacrificed so much......
Thank You!

Random pictures of the kids

2011-05-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

The kids had just come home from my parent's house, and I was trying to get a picture of Kaitlyn's hair- my mom had it fixed up so cute. I caught her having a 'discussion' with her baby.

She didn't want to pose for the camera, but she wanted to make sure I got pictures of her baby!

My little girl is getting so big!

Hmmm.... looks like someone might be ready for a nap!

Fun at the Park

2011-05-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

We have a couple of really great parks fairly close by, so when we have nice weather, the kids love to go play.

They haven't quite gotten the 'train' down yet. So when they go down together, they usually end up side by side.

The swings are always a big hit!

Even Nolan enjoys playing on the toys!

Raaaaaaaaaaarrrr!

Mmmmm... Cake Pops!

2011-05-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

The kids look forward to going to Starbucks... especially since they discovered cake pops.
Talon's not super picky about the kind he gets- though he prefers the white one, but Kaitlyn always wants pink.

The Starbucks we frequent in Canby has a nice area in the back with a leather couch and chairs. They also have a big bin of books for kids. So, they don't mind at all when we go for a coffee... and stay a while!

Rollin', rollin', rollin'....

2011-05-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

I finally caught a video of Nolan rolling over.

7 months old

2011-05-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

Nolan is now 7 months old, and is getting to be such a big boy!
He is finally rolling over to get his toys (as much as he dislikes being on his tummy!).
He is starting to mimic sounds he hears.
He has started saying "Dadadada".
He still hates to be fed with a spoon. He does, however, love to sit in the high chair to play.
He doesn't have any teeth yet, but gnaws on everything.
He sleeps up to 12 hours a night.
He loves hair, and grabs a fistful of it every chance he gets (even his own, unfortunately!).

He has graduated to his new tub.... and loves it! He's fascinated with the bubbles and likes to play with the bath toys.

Such a cute face!

I walked into the kitchen to check on him because he was being so quiet. Apparently, it was nap time!

Nolan-bug with Mommy.

A little power nap in the car.