Top 5

Top 5… (Got it from Crystal's blog and had to give it a whirl!)

… things under $5 that I couldn’t live without
-CO Bigelow lemon lip creme
-toothbrush (with you there, Crystal!)
-disinfectant wipes
-vanilla lattes
-hand sanitizer/hand lotion

… favorite Movies
-Juno
-Spanglish
-Walk the Line
-The Illusionist
-The Notebook

… baby names I love
(not including the obvious Parker and James)
- Anna
- Ava
- Jacob /Jake
- Luke
- Grace

… songs I could listen to over and over again
- Sunrise (Norah Jones)
- Come Thou Fount (favorite hymn)
- How Great the Father's Love for us (another favorite hymn)
- You Are My Sunshine (I can also sing it over and over again!!)
-Yellow (Cold Play)

... books I love
-the Bible
- Justice in the Burbs
-Blue Like Jazz
-The Wedding (Nicholas Sparks)
- The Memory Keeper's Daughter


… people who have influenced me in a positive way
(thought I should explain why!)
- my husband because he demonstrates unconditional love and support in his strong, calm way. What would I do without him to balance me?! He is my other "rock" ;)
- my son-he brings me undescribeable joy and humor to my life
- my dad-he has always been my role model and he models the meaning of loving and serving the Lord
-my mom-I have deep gratitude and respect for her as a mother and grandmother and don't know what I would do with her support, guidance and advice!
- Johnny -his desire for simplicity, his free spirit, and his selflessness inspire me. . .
- My mother-in-law (had to add one more!)-she is truly an amazing woman of God and does so much for her family. Prayer warrior that I inspire to be like

… things that are always in my purse
- cell phone
- lip gloss/chapstick
- hand sanitizer
- debit card
- gum

… moments that changed my life forever
- the day I realized that Nate was the one I was going to marry (realized very early on that not only were we compatible, but our families were as well!)
-our wedding day: July 20, 2003. . .Amazing!!!
- when I was 4 years old and asked Jesus to come into my heart
- having Parker (although I was so out of it that it didn't change me instantly-it was probably the next morning when I came to and truly experienced the miracle of life!!)
- all kinds of moments that happen on a daily basis where Parker ceases to amaze me and make me love him more than I ever knew was possible!


… obsessions I currently have
-morning coffee
- taking Parker swimming at Grant Pool with Bumpa and Gigi
-bulldozers, backhoes, cranes, dump trucks etc. . .
-going to the library/reading with Parker
-Facebook/blogging

… places I would like to go
- Italy
-Greece
-Hawaii
-Paris
-and one fine day, Heaven

… appliances or kitchen tools I couldn’t live without
- Coffee maker
- refrigerator
- microwave (how else would I heat up Parker's dino nuggets!?)
-range/oven
-coffee grinder

… people who I would like to see their top 5’s
- Chelsea
-Rachel
-Abby
-Lindsay
-Nate

So proud. . .

Parker has been doing some very big-boy things lately. Sure makes a mama proud!!

1. He went POTTY on the toilet yesterday without prompting! He actually told me he had to poo poo (a bit too late),but I let him sit on his potty chair anyway,and then we went potty!! He even said, "yellow pee pee" as we dumped it out.

2. Today when I told him that Mickey Mouse was on, he ran into the living room and started picking up ALL of his 15-20 trucks and cars and put them in their container, and then he even put that away in our toy chest. All of this was without me saying anything. It is not something we require of him, but he tends to like to complete a task before moving on to something else and has been wanting to pick up every time he is done with something just like his mama!! It obviously comes naturally;)

3. Today he was riding his stick horse and put on his cowboy hat so of course I had to encourage him to wear his red boots as well. Got some great/classic photos!!

4. Tonight Parker surprised us by counting past ten all the way to twenty! We had no idea that he knew the teen numbers and has only heard them a number of times. Its amazing what he picks up on!

Children's Museum

Bumpa and Mama took Parker to the Portland Children's Museum yesterday. It was our first time, and Parker loved it! We are definitely getting a membership:)

Driving an ambulance (notice the concentration with the tongue)

Parker and Bumpa listening to each others' hearts

Water Works!! Of course my son was the only kid who actually drenched himself! He kept trying to lift his leg over the edge and get it:)

Bumpa taught Parker how to brush the dinosaur's teeth (he was using the toothbrush on his own teeth initially)

Responding to 911 emergency calls

Building and plumbing in the Bridgetown Building area. . .

And of course the digging pit! It has this amazing mural and cool rubber gravel. We started and ended our time in this area of course:)

Five Years!!!

Happy Anniversary to my best friend and husband!! We have been through so much in 5 years. . . hard to believe that five years ago today we were standing on the top of the hill at Willamette Valley Vineyards saying our vows! I can't wait to see what the next 5 years have in store for us!

Pasta!!

Cleanliness went out the window when Parker had pasta for dinner last night. He is usually a very neat eater, but sure made a mess this time!!

He loves to say "pasta!"

Makena and Parker pics that I meant to include

in our last post.

More vacation pics

My crazy brothers at my grandparents house in Wisconsin. This was after Joe helped John out of the tree and Luke caught John. It was quite entertaining to watch!

Parker with my cousin, Makena. She was the best babysitter ever, and he adored her!


In the tree at my grandparents house. . .

Parker with Makena and Mary Kate. They were all eating yogurt. . .

Reading time with Makena

Bath time with Mary Kate. They were hilarious! She is actually 3 years older than Parker, but they weigh the same!! She liked to try and carry him around and we had a near accident on the stairs when she tried to "carry" him down. She also asked if she could rock him when he was sad!! Sooo cute:)

Melissa and Matt's Wedding in Chicago

Melissa's wedding was so much fun!! If only we had more time to explore! Parker came down with a stomach virus the day we left for Chicago, but thankfully Gigi was with us to help take care of Parker. He only threw up on the airplane one major time. . .
Saturday started with pedicures and manicures for the girls in the John Hancock Building which is one of the largest buildings (just a bit smaller than the Sears Tower). We stayed at the Hilton in downtown Chicago off the Magnificent Mile and enjoyed some cool sights between the hotel and the Newberry Library, where the wedding took place. We also got to enjoy some amazing Italian Food at Ballo's Restaurant for the rehearsal dinner. It was a beautiful wedding and the bride looked stunning! Great job, Matt and Melissa!!!