A little bit of Christmas

Here are some pictures of our very laid back Christmas! Thank you everyone for showering us with awesome gifts! Sawyer has been playing with all of his new toys today and is actually taking the time to explore everything today. Fisher slept through most of the activities and didn't seem too bothered by getting only clothes for Christmas. How long will that last? We are thankful for all the family that has traveled great lengths to visit us and help us out during this time. Through bad weather, delayed, canceled flights, rental cars, traffic, buses, lost luggage, and not so helpful airline workers, they have made it here! Who knew that Redding was one of the hardest places to get to? I promise we didn't know that when we decided to move here.

I think our household is adjusting to the new guy. It is hard to tell how Sawyer will be when the excitement of Christmas and company settles down. We had a morning alone and it seemed pretty normal. Fisher hasn't quite settled into a predictable schedule, but do they ever really become predictable? He was pretty wild in the womb around 1:00 am and is proving to hold on to that time as play time. Other than that, he is pretty mellow.

Zach has found his way back to work twice this week and I think it is actually a more restful place for him right now. He has been awesome and has made two very yummy dinners! I knew it was hiding in there all along! I imagine everyone is digging through wrapping paper and boxes too this morning. I am looking at Sawyer's room wondering where all this stuff is going to go, but for now, I'm just grateful for all the ways our family has been blessed.

Happy Birthday Zach and Fisher

Fisher Ridge decided to come early for his daddy's birthday! He was 7lbs 11oz, 21 inches. Sunday night around 11:00, I was greatly surprised when my water broke. I had no clues that he was ready to come as I was feeling quite good all day. We rushed around the house trying to remember all that we needed to bring as well as pack for Sawyer to spend the night with friends. Is one ever truly prepared for this to happen, especially 10 days early? We arrived at the hospital around 12:00 and the fun started. Not much happened the first couple hours. By 3:00, the hard part began and by 6:00 our baby boy was here! The first 24 hours was a whirlwind and we are so thankful to be home. Sawyer is enjoying his new brother and is exhibiting a little more "wild energy" than normal. Grams came on Monday night and is spoiling our family with great food, clean laundry, and just about anything else you could ask for!

Fisher is a good baby. He is turning out to be a bit more vocal than Sawyer was at this stage, especially at diaper changing time! We are feeling so blessed to have him here and excited that he made it here before Christmas. I am feeling pretty good and excited to sleep in my bed again, touch my toes, hold my 4 year old, and go to the bathroom on a normal person schedule.

Thank you to all who have visited and called and wished us well. We'll keep you posted!

"O Christmas Tree"

We went on our annual tree hunt yesterday. It was a gorgeous sunny day, still pretty chilly though. Some have asked us why it takes all day to get a tree and we aren't really sure. Here is a rundown of activities.

1. Meet friends at grocery store (Usually the Bonnins are late)

2. Load up into friend's rig

3. Drive to approved tree cutting area

4. Drive down many dirt roads and turn around

5. Finally find the perfect tree area

6. Unload kids and redress them

7. Start a fire

8. Watch kids play in fire

9. Hike around for a tree

10. Eat lunch

11. Play in any snow around

12. Drink hot chocolate

13. Get serious about looking for tree

14. cut tree

15. Carry tree back to car

16. realize tree is huge and trim tree more

17. Tie trees to car

18. Ride friend's quads(I didn't participate)

19. Eat more, play more, sit by fire

20. Put out fire

21. Undress kids

22. Load up kids and stuff

23. Drive back to town

24. Eat pizza

25. Unload tree

That is pretty much our day and we love it! It usually takes us a day or 2 to get the tree up and decorated...who wants to rush these things.

My Boys are a Blessing

I just wanted to spend a minute and share why my boys are a blessing. As I am slowing down quite a bit, the boys are really taking up the slack. This morning Sawyer got dressed on his own (interesting outfit choice, but I don't care right now). He came in with his lunchbox and said he made it already. He actually made really great choices..apple, yogurt, and oranges (one can never have too much fruit) He picks things up for me and helps me at the store when things are on the bottom shelves.

He is truly forgiving and pretty understanding of my lack of energy and ability to do things we normally do.

Zach has been so great too! There are too many things to list, but he has been selfless in so many ways! I really appreciate everything these guys are doing to make this next month a little easier. Thank you for the extra time in bed in the morning, as I don't sleep so much at night. Thank you for carving out special time with Sawyer when you are tired from your work week. Thank you for your patience.

I love my boys, and I am extremely blessed that my little ones will have an amazing dad for a role model.

Sawyer's Perspective on the President

Tuesday was an interesting day. I had the privelage of explaining the voting process to a 4 year old. I told him we would go to his school where I could vote. He says"does everyone get a boat?" Oh I wish that were the case. I told him I write on a piece of paper in a box. "Do we get to take the box home? What is in the box?" I told him I would get to pick who I wanted for the president. "Do we all get our own president? Will he come to our house? Will we have new rules?" After a long day of questioning and me trying to explain things, I was almost sorry I brought the whole thing up!

Later that evening, we were watching the news for the results and Sawyer asked, "Did we win mom?" After I answered his question he said very thoughtfully, "God has more power than the president, right?" that is so right. May we all be reminded by the big heart of a little 4 year old that God is all powerful....even more than the president.

Eight Months

Not much to report except getting closer!

Our countdown is the same countdown to christmas day, so is everyone ready?

I think I was tagged!

I think I was tagged to give 6 fascinating facts about myself(unless Lindsey has another blogging friend Megan) I will go for it anyway! This isn't going to be easy!

1. I have learned in the past year and a half not to fear my kitchen! I have never loved to cook or do much in the kitchen, but I am actually learning to like it and some weeks, I enjoy it. I finally have some recipes that are favorites and one of them is in the oven right now.....banana chocolate chip bread! I love finding the foods that Sawyer loves and enjoys making with me!

2. I really enjoy coffee! I am taking a break from caffeine during pregnancy as it makes me feel weird, but it is something Zach and I look forward to everyday. I like to make mochas at home and save $4 a day! It also brings great joy to Zach as that is his breakfast! my favorite is white peppermint mochas with little candy cane pieces!

3. I absolutely love fall! it is my favorite season! Growing up in AZ, I didn't get to experience the change of seasons except hot to kind of colder. I love taking walks and seeing changing colors, smelling wood stoves that are starting to be used, pumpkin patches and the chill in the air!

4. I am a new snowboarder. Last year was my first season and in spite of all the bruising, I really loved the challenge of a new sport! I skiied since I was 6 years old and when I am asked to compare the two, I have trouble. I really like to be good and not fall and tackle any part of the mountain, but not wearing ski boots could possibly top that list! I'm hoping I'll get a few runs in this winter after the baby is born...I might be dreaming. Oh yeah..my snowboard is the girliest thing you have ever seen, thank you hubby for that!

5. I'm thinking if I left my hair alone, it would all be gray. I struggle with the vanity and cost of having it colored, but I really enjoy it right now and it is a special treat. (I need to clearly state that I don't think gray hair looks bad as most of my family is blessed with it, but I'm just not ready to go there yet!)

6. I have been a scrapbooker since 1996 and have a huge collection of scrapbooks. i love the creative outlet. With that being said, I have really enjoyed blogging! I like that my pictures can be caught up to the minute and my thoughts can be shared while they are fresh in my head. I like that family from a distance can see what we are up to, where my scrapbooks just sit on the shelf rarely looked at. I am trying to figure out how to publish my blog and have it bound somehow. Let me know if anyone knows how to do it!

I'm going to tag Jenny, Tricia w, mary, sherry and breanna are you up for the challenge?

Salmon, Sonic, Soccer, and Sparklers...oh my!

On Saturday, we went to the Coleman Fish Hatchery, Return of the Salmon Festival! This is one of Zach's favorite local events, I think it is pretty cool also. Every year the salmon come back to the place where they were born(I think they are gone for 3 years before they come back) Pretty much, they spawn and die. Sawyer was very intrigued by the whole process...can he be any more like his dad?

After our festival we went to Sonic for lunch and headed to Sawyer's soccer game. I dreaded the 2:30 game as he still needs a nap, but he manged to keep it together. Once again our little team got slaughtered, but fortunately they don't seem to mind too much as long as they get their special team treats at the end.

We finally got home for a little rest and then went to the 4th of July fireworks show. Yes, 4th of July was cancelled here due to so many fires in our area. It was awesome! It wasn't hot or too crowded. It seems ironic to have hot chocolate at a fireworks show. Redding never lets us down! The fireworks here always impress!

So, a very long day, but definitely fun!

Pumpkins!

Zach and Sawyer were very successful growing pumpkins this year! The pumpkins actually overtook our whole garden and most of our other crops died due to the major takeover! They have been picking pumpkins the past few weeks and we still have a few more growing. Today we decided to see if we could actually do something useful with them. I thought I should at least try, since they spent all that time growing them. Sawyer picked 2 pumpkins just the right size and we cut them, cleaned them, cooked them, scooped them, mooshed them, mixed them and cooked them again! I had enough mixture to make 2 pies, but only one pre made crust, so I broke down and made a pie crust. We just finished sampling and it was surprisingly really good!

Baby Buzz update

Just a quick note: We went to the Dr. yesterday and had another Ultrasound. Everything is looking great, the baby is healthy and strong and is definitely a boy! No question on that! He is head down(he can still flip, but Dr. seemed to think he would stay there). We are so thankful that God is protecting this little guy and growing him. Zach set up our crib while I was gone and it is starting to seem pretty real! I love walking by the room and catching a quick glimpse of the baby's special place!

Back From the Land of Mickey Ears!

We finally returned from our trip and have gotten around to posting some pictures. We spent Sunday at the California Adventure Park and then to Disneyland on Monday. Sawyer did great on Sunday and enjoyed the fastest rides the most! By Monday he was a pretty tired and we broke down and rented a stroller. The highlight rides are Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Buzz Lightyear Astroblaster and the new Toy Story ride. Rides that were a bust include Finding Nemo, the 3-D bug's life show, and the Monster's inc show. Zach was our main rider since I wasn't able to go on many of the rides. The next day we loaded up and went to the beach. It was a perfect sunny beach day and the kids had a great time!

We drove to AZ the next day and had a great time hanging out with family! We feel very blessed to have the family we do and miss them so much!

Going to the Magic Kingdom

Tomorrow we leave for Disneyland! We are very excited to bring Sawyer for his first time! Zach and I haven't been there for 10 years, so we are actually pretty excited also! I'm sure I'll have pictures to post when we return, so stay tuned!

It's All About Volcanoes!

I'm not sure what triggered the fascination with volcanoes, but the last two weeks, Sawyer has inquired about volcanoes on a regular basis. We took a special trip to the non-fiction section at the library and picked out as many volcano books as we could find. We've read all of them and talked about them in great detail. Only a few weeks ago did he start saying "hot Lava" instead of "hot llama". I didn't correct him because it is too cute, but he eventually corrected it himself.

Zach and I have been wanting to take him to Mt Lassen all week and yesterday was the day! For those of you that don't live around here, Mt lassen erupted in 1915 and is now preserved as a National Park! It is absolutely beautiful! There are lakes, streams, mountains and peaks to climb, backcountry hiking trails and campsites. The terrain changes at every curve of the road. It is quite a spectacular site! I am usually not an information, nonfiction, data gathering type, but I'm experiencing a new excitement for these things to come alive for my little 4 year old sponge. To see this through his eyes is so cool.

We thought the coolest thing to see (actually the hottest) was the boiling mud pots. We hiked a cool trail (we didn't realize it was 3 miles), but we all made it! The sulfuric rock and liquid was horribly stinky, but it made a huge impression on Sawyer. he woke up this morning and came into our room and the first thing he said was, "that volcano was really cool and stinky!" I'm not sure what he'll be interested in next, but I can't wait! he has been asking alot about the moon, but I'm not sure what we would do for that field trip?

Taking a Walk

The weather has cooled off this week and we've been able to get outside more! Sawyer, Toby and I went on a little walk this week next to Whiskeytown on the Old Mill Creek Trail. It was great for dog and boy to run! I'm afraid I was the slow poke!

6 Months

We are cruising along now! We are all so excited to have this new little guy here! Everything is going great and I feel very blessed to get to go through this awesome journey again. I have to admit my temperature gauge changed over the past few weeks. I am freezing Zach out at night with the AC and still find myself hot. Hopefully, our temps will start dropping here soon. I'm absolutely amazed at how much faster this pregnancy is going, YIKES! I just realized this morning that 5 years ago this month, we found out we were pregnant with Sawyer...very cool!

A Rough Start

There were 2 shelves! Now only 1!
The hole here doesn't quite show up good...there are 4 all together :(














Thank you grammy for our sweeper, I'm going to need a more powerful model!


One phone call is all it takes sometimes! I heard a massive bang from the back of the house with no screaming (which is good). Sawyer shows up in the kitchen and tells me something really bad just happened. I already guessed that! We went into the office and there it was on the floor. My poor shelf. The sad part is the huge holes in my wonderful wall. After a few minutes of asking what happened, it finally came out that he just needed to hang! Yes, you've heard the "need to speed" well my son has the "need to hang". I'm thankful that he didn't get hurt! After, he spent some time in his room, I gave him a snack and this is what became of it! I'm glad I didn't add milk!!!! I love my boy and realize that the action is just going to double soon!

Belly Bling

What do you do for fun when daddy is gone for the evening? Bling up our bellies of course! Sawyer is thrilled we both have "outies" right now, so why not decorate them! By the way, please don't blow up these pictures, they aren't flattering!

lizzards and crafts?

I just thought I would post pictures of the lizzard wrangling going on at our house. Poor little guy didn't know what was coming his way. I guess he won't be walking so slow next time.

I've had my scrapbook table out for awile and Sawyer loves to sit with me and do "work". Unfortunately, one of his favorite things to do is use scissors. He is good with them, but I'm getting to the point where I'm not fond of picking up confetti.

First Soccer Game

I think playing soccer has been more of a highlight than school starting! From the time he could talk, he has wanted to be on a team! He loved getting soccer shoes and special shinguards! I'm surprised he let me take them off the first day we bought them. The game was pretty exciting! He got tackled twice. One resulted in a bloody lip and the other one a dirty face. After that he wasn't too keen on kicking the ball. He just ran "super fast" all over the field the rest of the game. He gets to play with two of his friends and is enjoying meeting the others! After his first practice, he asked,"when does baseball start?" So I guess soccer is good, but baseball is his first love. I'm thinking we just need to get him on a track to run!

I'm all for sports as he is still taking his nap this afternoon....going on three hours!