The Harrelson Family

Christmas in CA part 1

2012-01-29T22:07:00.000-08:00

Denis the Menace Park...this park is amazing. The kids had so much fun playing there!

Nothing like a walk with the boys on scooters along the coast after playing at the park.

Christmas celebrations in WA

2012-01-29T21:24:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from our Christmas celebrations at home before heading to CA.
This is our family Christmas pictures.

Crafts to keep busy during Christmas break.

We had Ali & Graham over to decorate a gingerbread, exchange gifts, & go look at Christmas lights!

Our house with Christmas lights. Hopefully, we do better next year.

We had some friends over to make sugar cookies.

Opening presents as a family.

The shopping cart from Gramps & Grammy Lynn

Christmas has begun at our house

2011-11-26T21:06:00.000-08:00

We decorate our tree every year on the day after Thanksgiving. This is the first year we haven't gone to Fred Meyer to get our tree. Why you ask...because we have a "fake" tree this year. I got it last year at Target on clearance. We actually have 2 "fake" tree this year. We have a kid tree and a family tree. More pictures to follow. I'm still getting used to the idea of having a fake tree.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T20:56:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My mom & dad joined us for Thanksgiving. As well a family friend from church Frank joined us. Graham & Ali were with us for a while before they headed over to Graham's family celebration.

November Snow

2011-11-26T20:53:00.000-08:00

We had a little snow last weekend. The kids had fun playing in the snow!

2011-11-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

Our Halloween picture. Ethan decided to switch his costume before we went trick-or-treating. It's a good thing I had bought these last fall after Halloween for 75% off because it was no big deal for him to switch his costume.

Blog oh Blog where have you been!

2011-10-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't posted in a while. Every time I tried (which was about 3 time). It had a failure notice. So, I'm just going to post a few recent picture. Skipping most of this past year. Oh, well, most of you have seen my pics on facebook anyway.

Pop-Pops & Grammy Jo's Visit!!!

2010-12-28T15:49:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad my parents made it out to visit again. Eliza is now remebering them when they come & she loves "Papa" & "Go" as she calls them. Glad they will be up again soon!
Eliza playing catch with Pop-pop & Grammy Jo

Snuggling with Pop-pop

Lucas fell asleep on the couch in the evening (as usual) then Eliza wanted to climb up and "cuddle" with him.

Gotta love the crazy hair she has after nap time.

More cuddle time with Pop-pop

Christmas morning

2010-12-26T00:03:00.001-08:00

We had a fairly calm morning. The kids opened stockings. Then the traditional lil'smokies & cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Followed by present opening. Then we played toys with the kiddos. Then finished our day with Christmas dinner. We can't wait for Pop-pop & Grammy Jo to come tomorrow. The kids are super excited to see them.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-25T23:59:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pictures of my cuties before we headed out to church on Christmas eve. Two pictures of my girl because it is just so much fun having a girl to dress up!

Christmas with soon to be Mr. & Mrs. Peterson

2010-12-24T15:07:00.000-08:00

This was our Christmas celebration with Auntie Ali & "Unke Gee" (as Eliza says it). We sure love these two! We had to celebrate early because they both work on Christmas day & Christmas eve. Love the orange hats on them! Eliza's favorite color is purple & so is Ali's so of course she got Eliza something purple.

Kids singing at Church Christmas program

2010-12-24T14:59:00.000-08:00

This is for the grandparents because that is really who would want to watch the kids sing.

Cookies with the Lanes

2010-12-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

We had friends over to make cookies while Micah & Lucas were at school. They had so much fun!

Ginger Bread House

2010-12-24T14:37:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas time and all of the traditions that come with them. I'm not sure how many years we have made gingerbread houses. But, every year we make them with Ali. This year Graham joined us. He is a fun addition to our family. We just do the out of a box type. This time the roof didn't want to stay on and so we tried to use a vise-grip to try to hold it while it dried. But, it just didn't want to stay up.

Our Tree

2010-12-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

In following with tradition we went to Fred Meyer the day after Thanksgiving to get our tree. We have gone to Fred Meyer every year the day after Christmas since we got married. Except last year when we cut down a tree from our yard. That was by far the most beautiful tree we have had yet. It is a super fun traditon. This is the first year however that Sean might have convinced me to get a fake tree for next year. Ours is so dead right now and has been for a few weeks. I have been vaccuming up a ton of needles from the tree for weeks. We'll see if we can find a super after Christmas deal.

First Snow

2010-12-01T21:04:00.000-08:00

We had our first snow of the season last week. It was 6" and it closed school for 2 days. The kids had lots of fun playing in the snow. It was Eliza's first snow since there was no snow last year. What a fun start to the holidays.

October Update

2010-11-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

I haven't been good at updating our blog. So...here is what happened around here in October...

We took the kids trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. It has great sidewalks so it was super easy to trick-or-treat. You might be wondering what Lucas is... he is the mad bandit...yes that is a made-up costume.

We went to the pumpkin patch with the Johnsons & the Halls. We missed having Ali, Graham, & Lindsay with us this year. What a fun tradition!

Ali & Graham got engaged!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bring on April 16th! So excited for both of them

Our new place

2010-09-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

We are blessed beyond what we could imagine. As we think about our house we are reminded that this life is not about this life but, if is about the life to come. The Lord worked out many detailed to make this deal work out. I am having lots of fun decorating it. I will post more pictures when we paint the walls painte & de

Birthdays

2010-09-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

September 2010 might go down in our family as one of the busiest months. We had 3 birthdays, Micah starting school, Visit from Pop-pops & Grammy Jo, Sean begining to teach a Greek class, moving church location, oh yeah and our house closing & moving. All good things just super busy. Here are pictures of each of the boys birthdays.
Lucas. It's tradition for the boys to pick what they get for breakfast & dinner on their birthdays. Lucas chose pancakes & pizza.

Micah had a great birthday. It was also the church picnic so he got to play for a while with friends at the park. He asked for doughnuts (we had a great groupon for Frost in Mill Creek). For dinner we went to Burger King a few family friends were able to join us.

Ethan had a great day. He chose french toast for breakfast & pizza for dinner.

End of summer

2010-09-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

Well it is sad to say but our summer is nearly over...The big boys start school on Wednesday. So here are a few highlights from the past month or so since I haven't done well at keeping up with the blog.
To the park in Renton & Red Robin with the Petersons...My mom flew up for less than 24 hours while my dad was here. While she was up we went to the park on Lake Washington in Renton with Graham, Ali, & the Petersons. We had a great time. The bigger boys were also able to read to my mom. And Graham if you borrow my camera & take a picture of yourself you better believe the picture will end up somewhere.

Big Four hike with Pop-Pop...We loved hiking the big four we decided to do it again. This time Pop-pop was in town and so he came with us. What a beautiful location!

Big Four Hike #1...On one of the free weekends at the National parks we went up to the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie national forest. It was a very hot day...but, who cares when it is this beautiful. I love being outdoors when its nice out. This was a super hike for the kids.

Harborview park...This park has an amazing view of the sound & the Everett Harbor (hense the name). I made dinner at home and we packed up and headed out for dinner. It is so much fun to see the beauty while eating dinner.

Dessert at the park...In trying to keep the kids busy and out of trouble we made a cake one day. Then after dinner we packed up and headed out to another park that overlooks the sound. The boys and I also took the hike and went down to the water while Eliza and Sean stayed up and played at the playground.

Grandad's memorial service. My grandfather passed away at the end of July. I was blessed to be able to attend his memorial services. He was a hard working man who was very bright and served his country with honor. He accepted Christ as his savior in his last days on this earth.

Swim lessons...Micah & Ethan were able to take swim lessons twice & Lucas once. They had so much fun in the water. We hope to continue this through the fall.

Mukilteo Beach.... while we are living in our temporary home we are close to Mukilteo so we have enjoyed the oportunity to go to the park and the beach there. It is a beautiful view of Whidbey. The kids love playing on the playground.

Edmonds Beach

2010-07-30T23:36:00.000-07:00

If you know anything about me you know I love the beach (especially CA beaches). Up here in Washington there are not many "real" beaches (there must be sand to qualify). Well Edmonds beach has sand & not to mention it is beautiful there. We have been there the last two Saturday. The kids stay busy digging in the sand and building moats and bringing buckets of water up to fill in the moat. Last Saturday Ali & Lindsay came with us. Ali has the pictures from that so I will have to get those from her.

Lakeside Bible Camp

2010-07-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

We were blessed again this year to go to Lakeside Bible camp as a family. Sean was one of the speakers. Ali & Graham also came up one day and spent the day with us. We did all kinds of fun things including... carpet ball, bows & arrows, spent time at the lake, bmx race track, swings & more.

The Mukilteo Ferry On our way back

Toy Story 3

2010-06-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

We took the boys for a little end of school/ begining of summer celebration to see Toy Story 3. This was Ethan's first movie in the theater. He did great!

End of the school year

2010-06-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

Today was Lucas' last day of school. On Friday they had a little program with some songs and poems that they had learned this year in class.

Friends from class

Ms Ponn & Lucas on the last day of school

Lucas at his locker

Lucas & Mrs. Butler

Lucas at the class program

Forest Park

2010-06-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

Since the house where we are staying is on the market we have to be willing to have it be shown. So on Saturday morning while it was being shown we went to Forest Park which is very close to our current house. We were able to get there before it got crowded which was very nice.
The petting zoo was open.

Ethan wanted to swing in this crazy swing!

Eliza loves to swing.

Just because I think she is so cute!

Our house sold

2010-06-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

There is a very long story of how by the grace of God our house sold. We are reminded that the heart of the king (or the worker at the county permit departmen or any leadership) is in the hands of the Lord and He turns it as he wishes. We are also reminded that the Lord owns everything and that he will have us live where is best for our family. We had an acceptable offer in 5 days. Then the story goes on to include work that needed to be done so that we could get permits for an addition that was made to our house prior to our purchasing it. To the Lords provision of a home for us to stay in until we move into the house that we will purchase. My God shall supply all of your needs. Praise God for his perfect timing. We are blessed to have many friends from church who were able to help us move into the house where we are currently staying.

2010-06-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

While Sean was on sabbatical for 3 months we were able to do some fun things. One of them was going Coeur 'de lene & Spokane for a few days. We had so much fun. We are thankful for the time away as a family. Ali met us there for one night. So fun to have her there! While we were there we swam at the indoor pool, went to the park walked down to the lake, & walked on the boardwalk. After we finished our tip to Idaho we went to see our friends the Magees in Spokane. We stayed at their house on Friday evening then headed home early Saturday morning. It was great to see friends we have known for almost 10 years. The sunshine and 70+ degree weather was a very welcome thing for this withering California girl.

Having fun playing football with the Magees

River Front Park in Spokane

We stayed at one of my parents' time shares in a city across the lake from the city of Coeur de lene. You can see the place we stayed off in the distance. The picture is taken at the water front in Coeur de lene.

The Lake

The park

One of the Biggest highlights for the kids was the pool.

The View from our room

Mother's Day 2010

2010-06-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

This year I got breakfast for mother's day. It was very fun because Sunday morning are generally very busy but, this year Sean was on sabbatical. So he and the boy went out and got doughnuts for me. And Lucas said that he wanted to decorate for me to surprise me so they got me a balloon.

A visit from my best friend

2010-06-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

I was so blessed to have my dearest friend (not including Sean of course) come to my house with her husband. Steph was up for business & Jason flew up also. So we were able to have them over for dinner and spend the evening with them. I just wish they lived closer. Thanks for driving up to see us Steph & Jason. Love you guys!!!

10 years!!!

2010-06-22T21:12:00.000-07:00

So it has been a long while since I last blogged so I am just going to give you highlights from the last almost 2 months.
This will be the first of many posts hopefully!
On April 29th of this year Sean & I celebrated 10 years of marriage. (That makes me feel old to say that I have been married that long). I am truly blessed to be married to a man who I love and who loves me and who also and most importantly loves the Lord.
Since it has been a busy few months for us with the sale of our house in progress at that time we simply spent the day together after I picked him up at the airport from visiting his dear friend Tom. Thanks to Ali for keeping all of the kids for us all day. We are going to try to get away for a night after we close on the house we are purchasing.

Lucas' missing teeth

2010-04-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

Lucas lost his first tooth on Eliza's first birthday. Pop-pop pulled it out for him since it was so loose. Then he lost a second tooth on Saturday.

Eliza's Birthday!

2010-04-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from Eliza's 1st Birthday. My mom & dad flew up on Friday evening and flew home on Sunday. So they were able to spend Saturday celebrating Eliza's birthday. We also celebrated on Sunday with Ali & the Malwitzs but, I forgot to get my camera out for that.

Easter

2010-04-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

This year our Easter was simple. Since Sean is on sabbatical we all went to church together in the morning at our church. We worshiped the Lord. The we did an egg hunt with candy eggs and resurection eggs. The kids got a present each from Pop-pop & grammy Jo. Then we just spent time together as a family. Eliza looked like a little princess in her dress. The boys thought she looked like a dancer. I got this dress for her at her baby shower from the Pettersens and I saved it knowing it would be ther right size for Easter. Hopefully we can get more pictures of her in it soon at the studio.

Eliza walking

2010-04-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

Not this is mostly for the grandparents. Please note you will have to turn your computer to see the video. I was not able to turn it on my computer before I posted it. I wasn't able to take the time to figure that out. Enjoy.

Museum of Flight

2010-04-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we met Ali & Graham at the museum of flight in Seattle. We had a lot of fun. It was great to be able to ask Graham questions since he knows so much about planes. We were able to go inside an old airfore one which served the presidents up until the mid 70's (I think that is when it was). Afterwards we had lunch at the museum with Graham & Ali.

Long Beach, WA

2010-03-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

Long story short... Sean was supposed to fly to CA to see his friend Tom but no open seats. So we went as a family to Long Beach, WA which we thought was only 2.5 hours away but really about 4 hours. Oops! We were so busy getting the house ready to list that we didn't have time to pack so we just brought along our clean laundry basket with clothes instead of suitcases. Nothing like a last minute trip (we are able to do that because Sean is on sabbatical for 3 months). It was beautiful and sunny. The kids loved having their feet in the sand though it was super cold (about 60 degrees outside). The kids were able to see their first sunset at the beach (my all time favorite place to watch the sun set).

Before & After... Mission Complete

2010-03-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know... in 2004 we purchased a "fixer". Well, we should have called it a complete "gutter". With much help from many friends just 2.5 months short of 6 years we are done fixing it up! It looks just how we wanted it to and we put it on the market. It went on the market yesterday. Here are a few before and after shots of our home.
Before...

The After Pictures....

Micah's missing tooth/teeth

2010-03-04T22:54:00.000-08:00

Micah lost 2 teeth this past month. Here are pictures after the loss of the first tooth. I can't believe he is old enough to loose teeth.k

One of the great blessings in my life

2010-01-30T23:07:00.000-08:00

Let me start by saying sorry for no picture or updates on the blog for a while. It was not letting me upload pictures. So, instead of going back and adding my Christmas picture and try to back track I am just going to start off from last weekend.
I am blessed beyond measure to have great friends. These are 3 friends who have known me for 15 years. It has been since 1998 that all 3 of us have been together... much too long. I have been able to see each of them at some point since then but not all 3 of them at the same time. We were all able to get together this past weekend.
We were able to catch up on each other's lives. We shared the good and the difficult things... we laughed and cried. These are the friends who I can pick up with even though time has passed since we saw each other last. I thank God for this opportunity it was exactly what I needed. Thanks Amy, Steph, & Wendy for being a huge encouragement to me.
I am so thankful to Sean for watching the boys for me. And thanks to Gil, Jason, & Nathanial for supporting your wives so that they could come.
I am also glad to say that each of them is still walking with the Lord... Glory be to Him!
Here are a few pictures from our trip to Solvang, CA.

Our Christmas Tree

2009-11-29T23:40:00.001-08:00

This year we decided to cut down a tree on our own property. It made us laugh but, it looks great in our house. It might even be our favorite Christmas tree so far in our 10 Christmas married. The tree was located on the edge of our property and needed to be cut down anyway at some point.

Sean cutting down the tree.

The finished product!

Eliza Crawling

2009-11-28T21:09:00.000-08:00

This is mostly for the grandparents...it might be boring to all others. But, we think she's cute! Sorry about the super cheesy talking to Eliza... and Ethan is potty training to sorry about his underwear.

Cannon Beach Get Away

2009-11-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

I am blessed... for many reasons. I am blessed to have great family and great friends. My Sean arranged for us to get way for my birthday. My mom came up to watch the boys for most of the time. Also, Gil watched the boys for a few hours, then Lisa. Then the Pettersons watched the boys on Sunday afternoon. We weren't sure where we were going to go as of Tuesday evening. Then Rich and Elaine suggested we go to Cannon Beach were they were already going for the weekend. What a great idea. I am only bummed for one thing... we didn't get a picture with our friends. Cannon Beach is a beautiful place and the Ocean Lodge is a great place to stay. We were able to leave the window open and hear the crashing of the wave and keep warm by the fire. What a great place to relax. Hard to leave it.
This is a picture of the place where we stayed.

These are views from our room.

Us on the beach.

On the deck off our room.

A great gift from friends.

Duck Park

2009-11-08T20:31:00.000-08:00

Ali and I took the boys to a park with ducks. Love this fall time. Especially the colors!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-08T20:19:00.000-08:00

These are a few fo the pictures from Halloween. We took the kids tick-or-treating with our friends the Nelsons & Rosenaus & 2 of the Lessley clan's cousins. It ws wet but, the kids had a great time.

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-11-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

This year was different than our tradition. We went on a wednesday andwithout the Halls or the Johnsons. On our scheduled Sunday Lucas was too sick to go. This year we got to go with Ali & her friend Graham.We all had a great time. We got to enjoy lots of extra stuff because it was during the week like the play area for the kids and the hay maze. Here are pics of our time there.

Grammy Lynn came to visit

2009-11-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

Eliza's First Solids

2009-11-06T07:38:00.000-08:00

Eliza had her first solids last months.

Just because I think she is cute!!!

2009-10-10T22:59:00.000-07:00

You've come a long way baby!!!

2009-10-10T22:53:00.000-07:00

As we get closer to completion of our remodel it is hard to believe how far this place has come. We are 99.9% done. The before and after pictures don't even give enough of a contrast. Here is a preview... I will take more picture really soon and post them. We are so thankful for all of the many hours some of our friends have given to us to help us finish this up.

It happened again....

2009-10-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

I went another month with 0 posts. Not that I have a huge following but, I try to keep friends and family up to date on pictures at the very least.
September in review...
Ethan turned 3
Lucas started Kindergarten
Started fall ladies Bible study (we are studying Esther and Ruth... I am loving it)
Started home fellowship group
Micah turned 5
The boys had a small birthday party
Lucas turned 6

I am planning our ladies retreat for church so hopefully after that then life will settle down a little bit and get back to normal.
So please make do with these pictures.

A crazy couple of weeks

2009-08-30T23:14:00.001-07:00

We have had a few crazy weeks. We have been to the doctor/hospital about 9 times (it will be about 15 time over the course of 4 weeks). We went to Lakeside Bible camp. And we worked on the house.
The reason for all of the doctors visits started wit a visit to the doctor because Ethan had been having diarea for 3-4 months (poor little guy). For which he had some tests done and was refered to a specialist at Swedish in Seattle. Where we found out that his blood work showe 98% that he had Celiac Disease (can not eat any gluten because it causes damage to his body... a life long thing). So, after hearing from the specialist on Wednesday he went in on Friday for surgery to take 6 biopsys to confirm celiac disease. We were blessed that my parents were able to fly up to watch the big boys while we were at the hospital with him. Today on Ethan's 3rd birthday the doctor called to confirm that yes indeed it was Celiac disease.
The other reason for the doctors/hospital visits was Lucas injured (cut open his arm) on a water slide while we were at Lakeside Bible camp. The hospital on Whidbey Island was an experience in and of it's self never to be repeated. After having the stitches removed at our doctor's office 3 days later the cut opened up again so yet another visit to the doctor.
We went to Lakeside Bible camp's family week because Sean was teaching. He taught 10 times. The kids had a blast! I would reccomend it to any family with kids. There is lots for the kids to do and very low stress. While Sean was teaching they had VBS for the kids. They had lots of fun in the lake.
We also went to Deception Pass this past weekend. The weather was great.
On the home improvement front... we had our patio pours, removed a stump, and finished painting the outside... only a few more things... hopefully we can list it soon... as the Lord wills... He knows what is best.
Here are few pictures from the last couple of weeks.
The Patio...

The Stump removal (Gil & Sean taking it out)...

Brave Little Ethan...

Lakeside Bible Camp...

Deception Pass...

Just because I think she is cute...

Blueberry Picking

2009-08-11T20:59:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday Micah and I when blueberry picking. We had a great time. It was fun to spend time with just Micah. He is a fun kid. We talked the whole time. He was great a picking the berries. We picked 29 pounds in about an hours. The berries were especially large because we have had such a warm/sunny spring and summer. There were also lots of berries on the bushes because of the heat wave the previous week (not many people came out to pick berries in the heat).

Mukilteo Beach

2009-08-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

We went to Mukilteo beach last Tuesday for a church beach service. We hadn't been to the beach in a few years. They have added a great park and covered area. So we decided this last Sunday to take the kids back again. These are pictures from both of these times.

My Least favorite Job

2009-08-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

So potty training is my least favorite part of being a mom. Well it has begun now with Ethan. I wish it was only a one day thing...at least it doesn't last forever.

Forest Park

2009-08-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we met some friends from church at Forest park. Time flies when you are there because there is so much to do. The kids had fun playing on the playground, in the water park, and at the petting "zoo" just a few animals. And the best part is that it is all free.

Keeping Cool

2009-08-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

While it has been hot we have been trying to stay cool. We went to my sister Ali's pool at here apartment complex. It was really nice to get cool when it was 95 in the house and 106 outside.

Eliza in July

2009-07-26T19:46:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Eliza this month!!!! She's getting big really fast.
Here she is sucking her thumb while asleep. She was sleeping 11-12 hours at night now she is down to 8 or 9.

Another dress made by grammy Lynn.

Her bathing suit (a shower gift).

This dress is from the Beals. Jason even picked it out. We miss you Steph and Jason.

Grammy Lynn Dress

2009-07-13T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sean's mom made this super cute dress for Eliza.

Eliza's 1st 4th of July

2009-07-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

This is just a cute picture of Eliza. We just stayed home for the 4th. Eliza also had her 2 1/2 month check-up. She is 12 lbs 13 ozs. She is 24". She is 90% weight and 95% height. Poor baby had to have 3 shots today!!! She slept 9 1/2 hours last night. Her record is Saturday night 10 1/2 hours. I had to wake her up to get her ready for church that morning. It was a crazy surprise.

Play date with the Hall kids

2009-07-06T14:14:00.001-07:00

While Mike & Irene moved into their new home I watched their kids. All of the kids had fun frosting cupcakes and playing in the sprinklers. Julia had to borrow some swim clothes. She wasn't too sure about wearing boy clothes but, this way she stayed cool.

Marine Airplane Museum

2009-07-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

While we were in San Diego visiting my parents we when to see these planes that are close to one of my dad's offices. So we met him for lunch and then when to check these out. The boys loved seeing the old plane and helicopters up close.

Lake Elsinore

2009-06-24T22:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went shopping at the Lake Elsinore outlets. We got some great deals. The kids were a bit cranky. Then we went down to the lake to play. The water was super warm. The kids had lots of fun. I am a stress case by the water as my kids don't know how to swim yet... I think it is time for swim lessons!!!

Grammy Jo & Eliza

Those spots down there are the boys and I down in the water. Of course I forgot to bring my bathing suit along so that I could go in the water with them. Oops!

San Diego Zoo

2009-06-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to the zoo with my dad. We had a great time. The only bummer was that my mom was not able to come. He dad dislocated his hip again and had to go to the e.r. so my my had to go help my grandma who has difficulty with her memory. My grandfather seem to be doing well now. The best part of the visit to the zoo was watching the hippo. The kids had a great time. Next time we will make sure my mom and Sean are able to come as well.

The Beach

2009-06-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

So if you know me you know that I love the beach. In fact it is my favorite place. Only living in Washington I don't get to the beach much. I don't really count the beaches in Washington as real beach have sand (at least that's how I feel). So it was so much fun to go to the beach in CA with the sand. I am always amazed to see God's power as I watch the waves. A trip to Ca would not be complete without a trip to the beach. My dad was helping with a baptism service at the beach with his church so we tagged along. Being at the water with the kids is a little stressful but, worth it. This was Ethan & Eliza's first time to the beach.

Visiting Grammy

2009-06-15T23:27:00.000-07:00

This is my grandmother who I had not seen in 9 years. She is at an assisted living place. The grounds are beautiful.

Great Grandparents

2009-06-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

We got to see my grandparents who were just moved to a retirement community by my parents. Here are a few pictures.

Pop-Pop's Motorcycle

2009-06-15T16:56:00.000-07:00

Pop-Pops & Grammy Jo and the grandkids

2009-06-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

My parents and the kids in CA.

Trip to CA

2009-06-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

So, here's the story. Since we bought our house 5 years ago we have been working on projects to finish the house. More recently (the last 2 years or so) we have been trying to finish up all of our projects so we can sell the house. We are wanting to get a place that has a school that will be good for the kids. Also we are wanting a place that will allow us to host more church stuff in our home. On Wednesday evening while feeding Eliza I was looking at houses online. I saw a house that seems like it would work great for us. Sean and I were talking on the way home from Lucas' preschool end of the year party. I suggested that I fly to CA with the kids and Sean work on finishing up the house on the weekends and after work. So, I called my parents on Thursday and flew down Friday afternoon. Oh, the reason we choose to do it so soon is because Lucas starts summer school in 3 weeks. Thanks to a sister who works for an airline...passes made it possible. Ali was also kind enough to fly down here to help me on the plane. She then flew home the next day. It is tough to get much done while the kids are around. So, is painting and putting up trim. Thanks to kindness from friends and family we will be done soon. Who knows if the house I saw online will be the one we buy but at least if we see one we like then we will be ready to put it on the market. And in a market like this who knows if it will sell. I get to spend time with my parents, see my grandparents, & go to the beach. We know in all of this that God will do as he pleases and do what is best for us. If our house doesn't sell we will be content knowing God has a plan. Pictures coming soon!

Preschool Graduation

2009-06-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday was Lucas' last day of preschool. They had a graduation celebration. Here are a few of the pictures.

Dress by Grammy Lynn

2009-06-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

Sean's mom mad this dress. Sorry for the sad baby... by the time I could take a picture she was tired.

Ethan's Glasses

2009-06-07T21:06:00.000-07:00

I didn't get a good picture of him in the glasses. He didn't want me to take a picture of him. I will try to get another and post it. The glasses make his eyes look huge because he is farsighted. The glasses are already scratched and tweaked. What do you expect from a 2 year old. Our challenge is to get him to keep them on.

Tummy Sleeper

2009-06-07T00:23:00.000-07:00

So as is evidence from the pictures we have a tummy sleeper. She sure does sleep better this way. I know what tye all say...but, if she isn't sleeping the other way. Anyway, my mom told me after Lucas was born "it's ok to try the tummy sleeping...remember you all slept on your tummys and you are still alive". Lucas and Eliza are my only 2 tummy sleepers. The purpose here is really to show her cute cherries on her bum. Onsie is a gift from a friend up here Amy. And speaking of sleep Wed night 7.5 hours, Thurs 5.5 hrs, last night 6.5 hrs. What a great gift from God!

Gramps & Gramy Lynn Visit

2009-05-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

Sean's parent were up visiting this past week. Here are a few of the high lights... Memorial day bbqing and swimming at their hotel pool.

Ethan is going to get glasses

2009-05-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Sean took Ethan to the eye doctor today because he has been squinting. The doctor said he is far sighted. It is moderate to serious.

More pics from Dad

2009-05-22T22:01:00.001-07:00

Here are few more pictures. Eliza was one month here. She is 5 weeks today! Time is flying!

This picture captures the end of attempts to get a family picture. Ethan kicked Micah in the head... real life at our house!!!

Pics from Becky's Dad

2009-05-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

When my parents were here last weekend my dad took lots of picture here are a few of the highlights. Dad was playing/experimenting with his new camera. Everything turned out great.

Pop-Pop & Grammy Jo's visit

2009-05-21T23:44:00.000-07:00

My parents came up last weekend to visit and meet Eliza. We had a busy weekend!!! They arrived on Saturday at 10 am. We went to McDonalds for lunch & the playland, then JCPenny for a generations photo, then home for dinner, then off to a baseball game the boys were in. Then church on Sunday. My dad took some picture on his new camera... I will post those soon.

Just Cute!

2009-05-15T23:38:00.000-07:00

1st Mother's day with a little GIRL!!!

2009-05-12T22:14:00.001-07:00

This year's mother's day was different... there was a little girl in my family. Don't you just love her outfit. The bunny slippers didn't make it to church because they are too big... but, they sure are cute. I got to go to church thanks to my sister Ali who watched Ethan who was/is sick with a bowel issue. Doctor said the virus should go away soon. That will be a great blessing as we have been sick off and on for the last 4 weeks or so. I didn't get any pictures with the boys this year... next year for sure. We are excited to see Becky's mom and dad on Saturday. Then Sean's parents the following weekend!

Remodel Part 25 or so

2009-05-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

We are entering the final phases of finishing our house. After nearly 5 years of ownership (it will be 5 years on June 18th) we are almost done with the inside of our home. We could not have done this without the help of many friends!!! We are currently taking the sheet rock off of he walls and ceiling in the family room. We are then going to replace the electrical panel. Next is painting the kitchen & family room. Then trim... then the inside is done!!! All that will be left is painting the exterior trim and landscaping. What a great feeling it will be to be all done!!!!!!

Our littlest cutie

2009-05-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

Here she is sleeping just the other day.

Baseball game #2

2009-05-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

Last night Ali, Eliza, & I went to Micah & Lucas' baseball game. It is always a crack up to watch them play. They get bored while playing the field.

Micah forgot to drop the bat while running to 1st base.

Micah is able to play this year. He is playing on Lucas' team this year. He is so excited to be able to play this year. It is so much fun to see my kids having fun!

After the game Lucas & Micah were throwing grass around.

2 Week Check-up

2009-05-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

Eliza had her 2 week check-up yesterday. She is a little one compared to her brothers at the same age. She is 50% for height & weight. She is up 5 oz from her birth weight. She has a little cold but, other than that she is doing really well. She is a great sleeper. We really love her!!! She's a great addition to our family.

Eliza's First Sunday at church

2009-04-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

It sure is fun to dress a girl for church! This is the first dress she has worn.

Brothers & Eliza

2009-04-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

All 3 boys were sick when we brought Eliza home from the hospital so they had to wait to give her love. Finally on Saturday they were better. Here they are holding her and loving on her for the first time.

Girl clothes!

2009-04-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

We took some pictures of Eliza yester day. Girl clothes are much more fun than boy clothes. I'm sure there will be many more to come!

Eliza's 1st Bath

2009-04-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

Sean gave Eliza her first bath. The boys had fun watching. She was not fond of the bath. She cried most of the time. Notice the soap is called Liza Lamb.

Our family!

2009-04-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

The boys meet Eliza for the first time.

2009-04-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Eliza from taking her home! The last picture was just a cute picture of her not one of her on her way home (we took it just before we headed out).

Eliza Jo Harrelson

2009-04-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Eliza Jo Harrelson
Born 4/17/09 @ 6:26 pm
8 lbs 5 oz
20 in
More pictures to come!!!!

Being Induced

2009-04-18T09:03:00.001-07:00

This was a different birth experience for us. Eliza went all the way to her due date. I was put on the "waiting list" to be called to be induced. We got the call at 5:45 am. We arrived at the hospital at 7:05 am. Check in was a slow process and the lady checking us in was unique (I wish I had pictures). We arrived in the room at 8:05 am. I was induced at 9:50 am. It was a slow process of contractions coming and then stopping until tey broke my water at 4 pm. Then Eliza was born just 2 1/2 hours later. If we had not done the induction we might not have had enough time for the needed antibiotics.

Hopefully the last pictures of a giant belly!!!

2009-04-16T22:31:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow could be the day... so here are the pictures from tonight of my gigantic belly. This is 39 weeks 6 days pregnant. I guess she likes it in there (at least better than the boys did since she is staying in longer). I hope to post pictures tomorrow of our little girl!!! All is in the Lord's hands... he already knows here birth date. We will just be waiting for the call from the hospital to say that there is room to be induced... we could get the call as early as 5 am. I would much rather go into labor between now and then on my own.

Baby Update

2009-04-13T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well... I saw the doctor today. I am 3 cm, 60-70%, and -1. They are planning to induce me (elective) on Friday. I would much rather go into labor on my own so, we are praying that it will happen before that. Petocin is not comfortable. This is the longest I have gone with any of the kidos. Today is 4 days till my due date. We will update as soon as she arrives.

Easter 09

2009-04-12T20:50:00.001-07:00

This year Easter was low key. We just did baskets when we got home from church. Then we went to a friend's house for dinner. The kids did an egg hunt there. We are still waiting to meet our little girl to arrive. She is the lastest to arrive of our children. I've never been pregnant this long... just must want to come later...she is a girl after all.

I almost forgot!!!

2009-04-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

On Monday Ali watched the kids while Sean and I went for a walk hoping to help go in to labor (no luck there). Lucas arrived home while we were out walking. When we got home from our walk we were all hanging out together. Lucas had been home for about an hour. I asked him what he did at school and he said "Just a minute... don't look... it's a surprise." Then he ran to his backpack and pulled out a cupcake wrapped up in a napkin. Then he ran to the table and started to devour it. We were laughing so hard... if I hadn't asked about school that cupcake could have sat in his backpack for another day until he got home from school and I checked it again.

Loving the break from the rain!!!

2009-04-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

We have had some of the most wonderful warm days since Saturday. It has even made it up into the 70s. After snow last week and now sun... what a crazy weather couple of days. I am a California sunshine girl at heart so I am loving this sun!!! According the weather man it is supposed to be warm tomorrow too and cooler on Wednesday but still sunny. What a extra special blessing!!!!
We have been able get out and spend most of the last 3 days outside. We have been on walks, to the park, kids ride bikes, and we even washed the van this morning. Here are picture of the kids helping us wash the van.

Pictures of the Baby Room - Finally

2009-03-31T23:17:00.000-07:00

I was going to wait until the room was completely done but, the things that are left are just small things. I had a lot of fun putting this room together!!! The things that are left are a changing table pad & letters that spell out her name. I also need to put pictures in the frames once she arrives. I was able to see our old crib and changing table and a few other things on Craigslist so that I could buy this crib and changing table from Craigslist. I also got much of the decor/bedding on clearance at Target. My mom bought the bumper pad for her baby shower gift. I had trouble finding a lamp for her room. I am not fond of the one that I bought but, we needed a floor lamp (there is not enough room a table for a table top lamp). And I had been looking for longer than I wanted to. Not to mention that she could arrive anytime. So here is her room!

Fun stuff about having a girl

2009-03-31T23:04:00.000-07:00

These are all just things but, I am looking forward to putting them on our little girl.

These are the two dresses that I am trying to decide between for her to wear on Easter Sunday (yes we are hoping she arrives prior to Easter).

Just a super cute dress I got at the baby shower. I will have to wait a whie to see her in this one as it is a 12 month size.

One of the things I look forward to seeing her wear. This was a shower gift. I don't have to wait long to see her in this one as it is a 0-3 month size.

I really like a good deal. These each cost $2.50 each. Ali got the pink ones for her. I think she has more shoes than I do (they are in different sizes).

This is another deal that I got. This whole outfit cost $5 new at the Children's Place outlet. The hat cost $.99, the dress cost $1.99, and the shirt cost $1.99. I have to wait a while to see her in this one as it is a 12 month size.

This is another cute thing I got at the baby shower. This is her bathing suit and shoes to go with it for the summer!

Baby Shower & Baby Belly

2009-03-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

I had a baby shower last Friday and somehow managed to not take any picture. I got a picture of these cute boots with flowers that were the center piece. Here is also a picture of my baby belly from last Friday at 37 weeks. So only 2 1/2 weeks left until my due date. Hopefully, she is early like her brothers! I am dialated to 1 and 30%. So, who really knows every labor is so different. The doctor said at least my contractions are doing something even if they are irregular. We can't wait to introduce you to our little girl! Perhaps that will be our next post!!!