KLABLOG

Cousins!

2011-09-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it took me this long to post, but our boys' cousins arrived!

Matthew Boyd Rudder

June 27, 2011

7lbs 13 oz.

Sigrid Maren Jeffrey

August 10, 2011

8 lbs. 6 oz.

The Big One

2011-06-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

We can't believe our baby is already a 1-year-old. We have been so delighted by him--his sweet, loving, joyful demeanor; his determined, I'm-not-giving-up, nature; his pleasant mix of sociability and independence. He weaned himself cold-turkey at 10 months (to my chagrin). His nickname so far is "Baby Zilla" because he roams the house like a miniature Godzilla looking for things to destroy and devour. We've had to baby-proof cupboards and shelves that Levi was never interested in. Yet he rarely cries (for long at least) and is easily satisfied. He thrives when he's around people (can 'ya tell from the photos?), and yet doesn't have to be the center of attention. It was a pleasure to put him in the spotlight today, however, as we celebrated his first birthday. Happy Birthday, Issac Warren! We love you!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Angie!

2011-06-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

32

2011-05-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

We had our third annual Ryan Birthday Work Party the first Saturday of May. Thank you to all of you who gave Ryan the best gift you can give him--help in his yard. The photo above was taken in Ryan's new wood shed/lean-to where he is stacking all of the wood people helped split.

Happy 32nd Birthday! There are enough candles to start a single blaze. That's when one knows one is getting old. Oh, and I guess another indicator is all of the gray hairs appearing in one's jet black, curly hair.

11 Months, 11 Days, and Counting

2011-05-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

Dress-up

2011-05-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

Tulips!

2011-04-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

The Red Party

2011-04-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

Levi turned three on April 6th. Can you believe it? He moved on from his obsession with trains to an obsession with the color red. EVERYTHING has been about red since our friend's son mentioned that red was his favorite color (thank you, Benno). Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Levi's red party.

Winter Photos

2011-03-11T18:31:00.000-08:00

Now that winter is almost over, here are some photos to sum it all up.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T21:44:00.000-08:00

My friend Thea's dad dressed up as Santa and brought our kids presents. It was so sweet and fun!

Don't throw the baby out with the dirty laundry!

We went for a visit to Kelowna the weekend before Christmas to see Aunt Kami, Uncle Nathan, and GG Klassen. We had a lot of fun! Can you tell?

Bath time!

Here are a few of my favorite Christmas Pictures.

Yes, that's a toy chainsaw Levi is holding. He asked for a chainsaw for months. My dad would've LOVED it!

Our little Isaac is almost 7 months old already! He's almost sitting all my himself now and he's started eating some solid food. He's still not sleeping through the night, though, so don't ask ;).

We had our picture taken with Santa this year. I made many copies to put in our Christmas card this year. What? You didn't receive a card from us this year?! Hmmm....well, that's because I just didn't have it in me this year. I hand delivered a few, but the whole addressing and mailing process never happened. Know that even though we didn't say it, we love you all and hope you had a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

GG Overland

2010-12-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

Great Grandma Overland (my dad's mom) came for a visit a few weeks ago. She met Isaac for the first time. We had such a nice visit with her and Uncle Tim.

Thanksgiving and Beyond

2010-12-11T16:56:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely Thanksgiving at Kristen and Daniel's. Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

One evening we let Isaac chaw (typo intentional) on newspaper. He had such a fun time, but it took much effort to get all of the black off of him.

Uncle Tim brought my Grandma Overland up for a visit to meet Isaac. We had a wonderful day together.

Cuties.

2010-11-24T23:43:00.000-08:00

Isaac's friend, Evie, is trying to eat him limb by limb in this picture. She is a few days older than him and the same size. It was fun to see them together and compare personalities. She is quite the social butterfly and comedian. Isaac just sat back and watched. I think he's going to turn out to be a laid back guy. :)

Snow, Snow, SNOW!

2010-11-24T22:21:00.000-08:00

Everyone has been predicting a cold winter this year, but I've just been poo-pooing these predictions and haven't bothered to buy Levi any snow gear. Well, Friday night Bellingham received around 3 inches of snow. Luckily, Levi fit in most of his gear from last year. He and I enjoyed playing outside for 2 hours while Isaac took a long morning nap. I felt like a kid again!

"Hooray for snow!"

Halloween Plus

2010-11-21T22:32:00.000-08:00

We had an adorable dragon and a fierce spiderman for Halloween.

Aunt Angie came trick-or-treating with us.

Isaac continues to be a smiley, happy boy. His names means "he laughs" and it sure fits. He brings such joy to our home.

"Grampa-Grampa"

2010-10-22T13:53:00.000-07:00

"Grampa-Grampa," as Levi affectionately calls Ryan's parents, came for a three-week visit. Oh, how we enjoyed our time with them! I think they had a bit of fun being with the boys (and the rest of us), too. Aunt Kami and Uncle Nathan (a.k.a. "Mo") also came for a bit. So for one glorious weekend, the entire Klassen side of the family was together. Here are some pictures of the visit.

This is probably one of my favorite pictures of Dad to date. It captures how young at heart he is.

Uncle Mo is sitting on the other side of Levi. I took one with him in the frame, but the people in the background were distracting. Uncle Mo is definitely one of Levi's favorites.

Inhabitation

2010-09-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how the word "vacation" came about. It puts the emphasis on the place you are leaving or vacating. When I begin planning and dreaming of vacat ion it is often to get my mind off of my environs with their particular worries and put my mind on a different place, hoping for a change of pace, new adventures, and rest. So during the first week of September we (including Grammy Becky) vacated our home in Bellingham in order to inhabit a rustic little cabin on Lake Wallowa near Joseph, Oregon. We enjoyed a wonderful inhabitation.

The above pictures were taken outside of Portland at the McMinnamins hotel in Troutdale. It was a totally cool place to stay--it was a renovated county poor farm and very kid-friendly.

This picture and the previous were taken when we took a tram up a mountain. It was a very easy way to see some mountain views.

Our main reason for traveling to Wallow County was to celebrate the marriage of our dear friend, Katie, to our new friend, Jeff.

Here's the crew posing in front of Lake Wallowa.

Doesn't this one just make you want a VW van?

The Few and Fleeting Days of Summer

2010-09-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

Where did summer go? Did it ever arrive? Here in the Northwest, it seems like summer weather is sometimes start and stop, but mostly stop. That's the sort of summer we experienced this year. Now, I'm not really complaining. I grew up here and love a "soggy" day, to use a term Levi coined (to read more about NW weather and other fitting terms see our friend Emily's post here). With all its sogginess you'd think I would've had more time to blog. Guess not. Sorry. So here is a slew of pictures--many on those blue bird days when we enjoyed being outdoors.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of my recent favorites of Ryan with our boys.

If they look tired and unhappy it's because they are. Levi got the 24 hour flu Saturday night before Father's Day. Between Isaac's feedings and Levi's fever, Ryan and I were up a number of times that night. Needless to say, Father's Day wasn't that much fun, but we celebrated the best daddy the best we could.

Isaac is here!

2010-06-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

Born June 5, 2010

9 pounds, 6 ounces, and 22 inches

8:42 p.m.

A happy and relieved dad and mom. I was very thankful that I didn't have to have a C-section this time.

Levi's first time holding Isaac. He loves to hold him for a few seconds and then he's done :). He already loves his brother very much. Last night he included Isaac in his prayers, "and Issac, too."

Unfortunately, Issac had to be in the nursery for his first two hours of life so Grammy and the aunts weren't able to hold him until the next day. Here they are posing in front of the nursery window with Isaac in the background.

Levi listening to Issac's heart with Nurse Angie presiding over him.

Grammy and Isaac

My boys and me.

Levi and Ike in matching T-shirts. Thanks Auntie Connie!

So how is Levi doing, you ask?

The Good: He loves to give Isaac kisses, bring Isaac his stuffed animals, cover him up with blankets (I found Issac on the couch with three blankets on him in addition to being swaddled!), and sing him the ABC's while gently petting his soft little head. He really has not lashed out at Isaac at all. So far he seems to feel only love for him and is very excited about having a brother.

The Bad: Levi is definitely testing us more...especially me when Daddy isn't around. He knows that I can't hop right up all the time to discipline him and so he's pushing the limits.

The Ugly: There's nothing truly ugly, but Levi has had a couple of major emotional melt-downs since Isaac's arrival. Both were my fault because I forgot to take care of his needs (he hadn't eaten a bite for four hours and he was walking around in a full, dirty diaper for who knows how long).

Ryan's Birthday Work Party

2010-05-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

Celebrating with a happy birthday cupcake in our backyard with friends, family, and a fire.

Two splitting mauls were swung all day long. I don't think we knew how much wood we had.

(Below) Grammy trying to pull her weight at the work day :).

Ryan's favorite part of the day: dinner at Boundary Bay.

Ryan loves the one above (scowl included) and the one below--taken a few weeks before his birthday.

Guess Who's Two!

2010-04-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

For his second birthday present, Ryan made Levi a sandbox in our backyard. It has been a huge hit with Levi and other boys in the neighborhood.

Levi is now a pro at opening presents! Thank you everyone for all of the wonderful gifts you gave him.

Aunt Kami, Uncle Nathan, and Aunt Angie made Levi this AMAZING Thomas the Train cake. Levi loved it.

Levi, we love you and thoroughly enjoyed celebrating you! You have added so much to our lives in these short two years. We can't wait to see what the next years hold!

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a wonderful Easter filled with family and CANDY!! Levi is enamored with the multicolored plastic candy-filled eggs. He had so much fun running around the yard looking, pointing, and yelling, "Der's one. Found one!" This family photo is sort of a replica of one we took almost exactly two years ago when I was 9 months pregnant with Levi... check it out if you like. I am now 7 months pregnant.

In Ryan's family they hunt to Easter baskets instead of eggs. Kami made up a sweet basket for Ryan and then hid it in Levi's sandbox--under the sand. Ryan is notorious for finding his basket too easily. He still found his before the other two boys (Shawn and Nathan). Maybe next year we'll stump him.

This Easter was especially hard/meaningful as I meditated on what it means to "rise with Christ" one day. I can't wait to see my dad again and for all sorrow to be wiped away, but I am also so grateful for the life God has given me (and the life growing even now in my belly).

Fun Times

2010-03-13T06:52:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of fun times we've spent with friends.

Levi loves his friend, Sophia.

About a month ago we went to visit our "old" college friends. It's so fun to see their family growing.

Cate and Levi held hands the whole way back from the playground. Very cute.

Benno showed Levi his room and let Levi sit next to him while they watched a show.

My Uncle Tim (above) and Aunt Hyang came for the weekend. They helped us plant lots of evergreens in our back yard. Levi called them grandma-auntie and grandpa-uncle until he could catch their names.

Levi attempting to dress himself.

Yum! Cream cheese frosting.

Ryan and I snuck away for a night and a day and half to Victoria. We had glorious weather on Saturday and took advantage of it by walking through Butchart's Garden.

Do I look bountiful?

K2's First Photos

2010-02-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

I had an ultrasound on 1/19 at 20 weeks along (I'll be 23 weeks along tomorrow). Here are some of the highlights. This first one is a profile. While we were watching he brought his hand up to his mouth.

Look at that bicep!! Levi better be ready for a tough younger brother.

This picture is taken from his seat/rear-end looking up. You can see his buttocks and thighs and umm... well, let's just say Ryan asked if he was boy before the ultrasound tech was even looking for such things. Then when she inspected she said, "I'll quit my job if this one comes out a girl."

The following is a video of his little dancing feet. She wanted to capture both of his feet together "hanging ten" in a still picture, but he was moving too much. She took this video instead.

My Two Grandpas

2010-01-30T07:03:00.001-08:00

My two grandfathers passed away within a couple of months of each other: Grandpa Rath (my mom’s dad) in October and Grandpa Overland (my dad’s dad) on New Year’s Eve.

Grandpa Rath

Grandpa was my “California Grandpa” whom I saw around once a year. I remember his visits; how he gave tight, enveloping hugs; how he smelled if Old Spice and peppermint; how he laughed loudly and from his gut.

During his visits my sister and I would have to showcase our accomplishments. For my poor sister, who is musical, it meant she had to give a violin recital. For myself, an athlete, it usually meant I showed him how I could jump my bike off of the gravel pile in the front drive, or I detailed my sports triumphs and losses. But what was really special about his visit, was that he took us all out to dinner. Going out for dinner was a rare occasion in my family and even rarer was going out to the type of restaurant he took us to. Our destination was not fast food or Denny’s, but a gourmet establishment like The Keg. And I was even allowed to order steak.

Several times while growing up, we took a road trip as a family to stay with him at his beach house time share on Monterey Bay. It was such fun staying so close to the beach, going to sleep to the sound of the waves crashing, and awaking to the sight of a large migration of birds flying along the coast. The picture above was taken during our last trip to the beach house in July 2008.

Grandpa Overland

Grandpa Overland lived about 20 minutes away from us, so we saw him regularly or at least at every birthday and holiday. I remember Grandpa as so loving. He had a practical and gentle way of loving us (that my own father inherited).

One of his special talents and daily responsibilities was cooking breakfast (which my father also inherited). He had a set weekly menu that went something like this: Monday—hot cereal (soaked overnight with prunes and served with cream), Tuesday—French toast, Wednesday—flinsin, etc. All of us grandkids loved his flinsin the most. Flinsin are like German pancakes or crepes. His would come out tasting of a hint of butter and sweetness and we’d add condiments like more butter, honey, and Grandma’s homemade applesauce (I liked the pink, tart kind the best). My father made these regularly for us growing up and I make them regularly today, but neither of us can quite do it like Grandpa—never with lumps, always the perfect ratio of eggs to flour to milk.

Grandpa was a farmer, though his formal job was as an agronomist for the military. He loved working in his yard. I remember him in his overalls, work boots, cap, and leather gloves as we played in corn rows or trails or woods or the play house he built.

Grandpa always wanted to know what was going on in our world. He would ask about what we were learning in school or church, how our jobs were going, or about the trip we had taken.

And he loved to share about his trips, too. He would bringing out pictures or old slides after dinner and tell of the amazing gas mileage he accomplished with his car or describe the glacier he and Grandma viewed or detail the family visit to see a man name Bill (I think) who lived alone in the wilderness.

The two pictures above are from our visit with Grandpa and Grandma on Mother's Day. In the first, Levi is pushing Grandpa's walker. Notice the stuffed animal on his walker. Grandpa love wolves and received wolf memorabilia for every birthday and Christmas.

I will miss both of my Grandpas, but in the words of Jayber Crow (by Wendell Berry): "I thought of an unimaginable thought of something I could almost imagine, of a sound I could not imagine but could almost hear: the outcry when a soul shakes off death at last and comes into Heaven. I don't speak of this because I 'know' it. What I know is that shout of limitless joy, love unbound at last, our only native tongue." (italics added)

Various

2009-12-20T19:15:00.000-08:00

Playing dress-up out of the kitchen drawer.

Start 'em young.

Every year on Thanksgiving we dress up and do a "Turkey Trot" that ends up being more of a "Turkey Waddle" as we try to make our way to the park wearing awkward and ill-fitting costumes.

The day after Thanksgiving my cousin, Peter, had his sixteenth b-day party. He wanted it to be Lord of the Rings themed and we all had to attend dressed as a different character from the books/movies. My mom was clever and came as "Entie" Becky. The only time we ever dress up these days is when we're hanging out with my Aunt Connie's family.

Grandma and Grandpa Klassen are visiting from Ecuador for a month. They already spent a week with us and Levi was in his glory. One of his favorite things so far has been helping Grandma Mandy make cookies.

Halloween

2009-11-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

Levi was a giraffe for Halloween. The costume was just a means to an end for him; his goal was to eat candy. In the photo above we are bribing him with candy so he'll keep his giraffe hood up. I can't believe it's come to this already. He now has three favorite words: "candy," "cake," and "cookie." We're going to have to watch this boy and help regulate his sweet tooth.

We went to our friends' house for dinner Halloween night. His buddies Belle (a fairy) and Lily (a gnome) helped celebrate. Then we went home to trick-or-treat around our neighborhood. Levi knew what to say, but was a little shy. He did manage to point and show some of our neighbors the moon, which was almost full that night. I guess that was enough because he scored a lot of candy.

Levi and Belle jammin' on the piano.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-29T19:05:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we visited Stony Ridge Farm in Everson. It wasn't just a pumpkin patch; it was a fall extravaganza with farm animals to feed, fresh apple and pumpkin pie, apple cider doughnuts (my fave...warm and melt-in-your-mouth), little train rides, crafts, apple orchards, and wagon rides out to the patch. Levi loved running around looking at "punkins." He was little overwhelmed with the rest.

Kami came all way from Kelowna to help us pick out pumpkins (and to help celebrate my birthday). It was great having her.

Everyone who sees me hold Levi comments, "He's already half your size!" And here's proof they're right. He is 2' 8"... I'm 5' 3". Only 18 months and already over half my size. I can't believe he was ever in my belly.

Train Choo-Choo

2009-10-25T14:20:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to the NW Washington Train Show. Levi is currently obsessed with trains. He had a lot of fun, but was a little overwhelmed. His favorite thing was a child-size train that he could go inside and play in.

Of Anniversaries and Reunions

2009-08-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

August 24th was our seventh wedding anniversary. We went for a romantic walk down Taylor Dock to Boulevard Park where we played canasta and sipped coffee. It was a ton of fun and very relaxing. It reminded me of when we were first married and played cards all the time. We don't have quite as much time for cards these days. :)

My roommate from college, Julianne, and her husband, Joel, came for a visit. It was great to reconnect with her and to get to know Joel a bit more. We showed them around Bellingham and played a rousing of rook. We also got together with our other two roomies in Vancouver one evening, but I forgot to bring my camera.

Cutie Pie

2009-08-28T20:28:00.001-07:00

He received a green sucker after getting his hair cut yesterday and, of course, he was sticky all over.

GGpa and GGma Overland

2009-07-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

Way back in May we visited Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Overland. It was a lovely visit, and Levi absolutely LOVED Grandpa's walker.

Walla Walla and Wallowa

2009-07-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

Walla Walla and Wallowa. Can you say that ten times fast?

Mid-June Mom, Levi, and I headed SE to visit my friend, Katie, from college. We stayed in Walla Walla for two days and visited the Whitman Mission, Ft. Walla Walla, and a couple of wineries. Oh, and we ate at this great French restaurant that was tres kid-friendly.

The Whitman Mission was a very interesting and solemn experience.

There was an old covered wagon on the mission grounds that Levi had a grand time playing in. My mom has always loved the "pioneer days" and covered wagons--and she loves Levi, too, so I had to take a picture of the two of them beside it.

Katie and I on her doorstep. She was a fabulous hostess and showed us about Wallowa Co. (as much as two days allowed.) It is a beautiful piece of this country. She calls it "The Shire," and I see why: community is rich, life is lived closely to the land, it is hedged in by mountains, and even its women have hairy feet :).

Yes, we are sitting on a giant chair. We hobbit folk are small.

One of my better photographs, I think.

Beautiful Wallowa Lake

I feel that this welcome mat by Katie's front step is very fitting. It is bright, cheery, and welcoming--just like Katie and her home.

Ryan's 30th B-day

2009-07-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

For Ryan's 30th (in May) we hosted a work party in our yard. You can see the pile of brush behind Ryan that the guys hauled out of the backyard. They hauled out two or three loads worth while the ladies weeded in the front and spread bark. We really appreciated all of the help as our wilderness of a yard can be a bit overwhelming.

Later in May we traveled to Kelowna, BC to visit Ryan's Grandma, sister, and brother-in-law. He was celebrated again there.

On our way back we stopped in Hope. Did you know that Rambo was filmed there? I can't say that I've ever even seen the movie, but Ryan has and was ecstatic to find this photo op outside the visitor's centre.

Levi's First Haircut

2009-07-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

Shortly after his first birthday (in April), Levi got his first haircut.

Birthday Boy

2009-04-23T22:02:00.001-07:00

Levi turned one on April 6th. We had a little party for him in the park the Saturday before. Here he is with his frosted muffin and unlit candle, which he preferred to the muffin.

Aunt Angie and Levi

This is Levi's friend, Lydia, and her daddy. We were in birth class with Lydia's parents.

Levi's friend, Kai, helped him open some of his presents.

This could quite possibly be the last picture of Diana taken while still pregnant. She went into labor that night. Art and Diana now have an adorable baby girl, Lily.

"Sunshine On My Shoulder..."

2009-04-02T21:42:00.000-07:00

We escaped this depressing "spring" weather for five days in exchange for the sunshine of Southern California.

Levi's only true curl. The Klassen side still believes he'll have curls like Daddy. I say, don't hold your breath. But I guess one can hope.

Doing what the Klassen boys do best.

"I love Grandma sooo much!"

My favorite memory of Palm Desert: one morning we awoke to search out citrus trees. Mainly, we wanted grapefruit for breakfast--which we found, mmmmm. We also found lemons. Kristen is holding a lemon--not a grapefruit. Some of the lemons were huge! Kristen steeped some rosemary in boiling water and made rosemary lemonade--my favorite treat from Avenue Bread here in town. It was so refreshing and free!

We'd look like a typical S. Calfornia family if it wasn't for the pasty white tan.

Ryan giving Levi a frisbee catching lesson. The first of many.

Doesn't Kristen look tall next to the palm tree? She's always seemed tall to me (since she was ten and I was fourteen, I mean).

This is one of my favorite photos that I've taken of my mom. Isn't she beautiful?

Notice that Levi is standing holding onto his daddy with only one hand. He is getting more stable every day. He will be walking in the near future.

Levi finds a friend wherever he goes!

"Put a cork in it, son."

The wait-staff at the fine restaurant we visited to celebrate Daniel's 30th and Mom's 25th birthdays escorted us to a table in the back corner, far way from anyone else. I'm not sure if it was because we had Levi along or because Daniel was wearing a bright pick shirt.

The bougainvillea looks nice, doesn't it?

Cheeezz!

2009-03-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

He's already a strong reader :).

While I was working away at the computer I suddenly realized that something had changed--there was quiet. Levi was sitting on the living room floor with his back to me while he busily played with something in front of him. A toy, I assumed. But the quiet (he's rarely to never silent) disturbed me. So I came in for a look and--whoa! he was playing with the tub of vaseline I had used to moisturize his dry, rosy cheeks that day. Vaseline was all over his hands, his clothes, and--sigh--the rug that I bought to cover stains in the carpet. Now the rug has greasy vaseline stains. Should I buy an area rug to cover the stains on the area rug? If I start this, we'll have a dozen area rugs stacked in the living room before he's three. I think I'll let it go.

A Day on San Juan

2009-03-28T21:33:00.001-07:00

Near the end of February we took a trip with Ryan's family to San Juan Island.

Levi waiting eagerly for the ferry.

Finally February

2009-02-19T22:02:00.000-08:00

This is the first time I came into the room to find Levi standing up in his crib.

Clapping is now one of Levi's favorite past-times.

On Valentine's Day we took a family trip to the Whatcom Museum with Grandma Becky.

I haven't taken a picture of her yet, but our cat Harlee is back!! Levi loves to stand at the window and watch her (as shown here). She, in turn, loves to come up to Levi at the window and caress his hand--or the glass. It's very sweet. It has been a special joy to have Harlee back. She was gone for 6+ months!

Our Christmas

2008-12-31T11:22:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Darrel and Grandma Mandy bought Levi this fun rocking horse!

Levi and I had a visit with our friends, Thomas, Amy, Hudson, and Audrey who live in North Carolina

Four generations of Klassens: Great Grandma Pat, Grandpa Darrel, Daddy and Levi.

The Boys

Daddy and Levi at Pike Place Market

I'll probably owe my mom a mocha for posting this one. But here she is keeping cozy at Kristen and Daniel's wearing her new necklace that we all gave her.

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

Bellingham has accumulated about 2 feet of snow since last Saturday night. Our neighbors gave Levi a snow suit, and so we've ventured out a bit.

Aunt Kami and Uncle Nathan arrived safely from South Africa just as it was dumping snow. They have helped keep Levi occupied indoors.

Levi loved being pushed up and down the hallway in the laundry basket.

Uncle Nathan was smart and tied a rope to the basket so he could stay in one place while pulling. Levi didn't know the difference.

Kami and Nathan came from the summer heat (90 degree weather) and stepped into our winter wonderland! This was Nathan's first experience with snow.

Reminiscent of Ralfie's younger brother in "A Christmas Story," don't you think?

The snow piled is even higher on this table now, and we're still expected to receive more.

'Tis the Season

2008-12-17T17:57:00.000-08:00

Joy Amidst Sorrow

2008-11-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. –Romans 12:12

Since I haven’t posted in nearly three months and since my last post was my dad’s obituary, you may all be thinking I’m must be down in the dumps. In some ways I am. But in most ways I’m not. As the pictures on the following post will show, life forges ahead with its joys even amidst, and sometimes because of, sorrows. "Joy cannot unfold the deepest truths, although truth must be deepest joy. Cometh white-robed Sorrow, stooping and wan, and flingeth wide the doors she [Sorrow] may not enter" (George MacDonald, Phantastes). Sorrow opens the door to joy. This is not to say that joy explains sorrow or evil, but God, in his goodness, can turn even the deepest pain into something good. Here’s how I’ve been experiencing this truth in my life:

1.) I have never felt so close to my family as I do right now. We need each other. We think of each other. We are helping one another.

2.) I am coming to understand brokenness and feel that this understanding helps me to see it in others. It is helping me to learn how to love and comfort others who are hurting.

3.) The Bible talks about how we “participate in the suffering of Christ” and that we are to “take up our cross and follow him.” I’ve never understood these verses. But now I realize that in my suffering (which is miniscule in comparison to what Christ suffered), I have communion with God. He stooped to earth and suffered an ignominious, excruciating death and all so that we might be with God after our deaths. He knows our pain, and we know him more deeply through our own pain.

4.) I generally have a different outlook on life.
a. I realize my days are numbered: “Teach us to number my days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). It has caused me to savor things like the vibrant colors of the autumn leaves, my son’s bubbling laughter, a good book (currently it’s Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry), and a warm embrace from my husband. And yet while I savor this all, I have a yearning for my true Home where this enjoyment will not be mingled with sorrow.
b. For some reason something inside of me (and I think most of us) believed that I deserved to be happy and have an easy life. I wish I could say that I could blame it on watching too many Disney movies as a kid, but I think it’s innate. Whenever I would complain about something being “unfair,” my father (like so many fathers) would quip: “Life’s not fair, Jessica.” His death more than anything he ever said to me has taught me this. I have come to believe that my life isn’t fair, but not in the way my father meant. Here’s how my life isn’t “fair:” I don’t deserve any of the good things that the Lord has given me. I don’t deserve my husband, my child, my house, not even the next breath that I am about to take. They are gifts granted by a benevolent God to a selfish, greedy, prideful, conniving woman (who, in our most honest and lucid moments, can say that we are otherwise?). So when I fall and scrape my knee or my house burns down or I break my cell phone or worse—this is what I deserve. And above all, my sinful heart and self deserve the eternal fires of hell, but instead, God came near through his Son and so I have hope that one day I will be without blemish and in His Presence.

5.) My dependence on God has deepened, and I’m more aware of my need. You see, I’ve always been dependent on God, but more often than not I fooled myself to think it was with my own strength that I lived and worked. Now I run aground much more often. Right after my dad died, I started a new job (online teaching) and Ryan started working overtime. Like a tree in a strong winter wind, I felt bare. On my own strength, I could not have handled it all. But loved ones helped out, and I felt God granting me the stamina to carry the load. These verses (along with many, many others) have meant much to me: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isaiah 26:4).

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. –Jesus, speaking to his disciples (John 16:33)

What We've Been Up To

2008-11-03T13:31:00.000-08:00

On October 18th we hiked up Yellow Aster Butte near Mt. Baker with Simone and Nolan. It was Levi's first major hike!

Carrot-face, Pumpkin-head
(thanks to Gerber and Grandma Becky)

On October 12th, Levi celebrated his first Canadian Thanksgiving with his second-cousins, Christian (not pictured here), Nolan and Ethan. Breast milk was his favorite entree. Maybe by American Thanksgiving he'll be eating mashed potatoes (mommy's favorite).

The family at Belle's 2nd birthday party.

Levi was baptized by Pastor Bert Hitchcock on September 21st. Ryan and I are prayerfully raising a child of the covenant. What a joy and what a responsibility!

Mmmm... rice cereal.

A snapshot of my life: this and working online and cleaning and cooking and doing laundry.

This frisbee is from Grandpa Warren. He supported our raising a frisbee fanatic.

On September 6th Levi met his Grandpa Darrel and Grandma Mandy for the first time! He loves the many walks and all the attention he gets from them.

It's easy to smile in the arms of Grandma Mandy.

Grandma Mandy has the touch.

Great Aunt Connie (a.k.a. GAC) and Grandma Becky at Lake Tapps at the end of August. The day after Grandpa Warren's funeral, we played hard, just as he would have wanted us to do. After all the tears, it felt good to laugh. We grieved through our laughter just as much as through our tears.

Levi just kickin' back with Uncie D-D.

Dad

2008-08-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

Warren Douglas Overland, age 55, of Puyallup died of a heart attack on August 14th while hiking near Mt. Rainier. He was a devoted husband and father who loved the outdoors, especially the Cascade Mountains, and saw them as a reflection of the Creator, whom he served. He was born on March 25, 1953 in Pullman, WA and married his wife, Becky, on July 12, 1975. He grew up the middle of five children. After graduating high school, he earned a degree in Forestry. One of his greatest achievements was earning a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in his late thirties. He worked 13 years for the Edman Company as a log buyer and chipping mill foreman. He found true joy in it. There he melded his love for the woods with his skills in technology and business—he also loved the heavy equipment. In fact, he was a lover of all things manly. Warren was a big kid who loved, water fights, potato guns and fireworks. He was always telling stories. Most importantly, his lived in such a way that he created stories and he will live on through the tales we all tell of him. The loss of his presence will truly be felt at Evangelical Reformed Church, where he served as deacon. Warren loved and served his Lord Jesus Christ. He had an unwavering, childlike faith which he lived out not by words, but by helping others. His family is assured that he was not afraid of death.
Warren is survived by his wife, Becky; two daughters Jessica (Ryan) and Kristen (Daniel); his grandson Levi; his parents, Alvin and Bernice; his brother Tim and his sisters, Eunice, Lynette and Alice. A celebration of his life and faith will be held at 3:30pm on Friday at Evergreen Presbyterian Church, 11018 249th St., Graham. Memorial gifts may be given in his honor to Evangelical Reformed Church, 7435 So. Madison, Tacoma, WA 98409.

Camping

2008-08-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

We went camping near Leavenworth with some friends this past weekend. Levi did quite well (he's at that stage where he'll sleep anywhere or be carted anywhere).

It's hard to fill daddy's shoes.

Hanging out with mommy while daddy and friends rock climb.

Playing with daddy in the tent.

New Feat

2008-08-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

Levi has discovered his feet! Who needs toys when feet are to be had. He now spends much of his time playing with his new-found friends.

The Coast

2008-07-30T14:05:00.001-07:00

Over the Fourth of July weekend we headed for the Oregon and Washington coast. We stayed in a hotel/hostel in Astoria and took day trips to Cape Disappointment, the Astoria Tower, the Maritime Museum, Ecola State Park, and Cannon Beach. We didn't experience the best weather, as you can see. No pictures were taken on our one sunny day in Cannon Beach--I guess we were too busy playing on the beach with our friends we met up with there.

"Arrrgh, matey. I can't whhhait to test them sea legs ah mine."

This photo was taken three days later than the previous two, but in the same spot.

Oral Fixation

2008-07-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

Levi must be entering the teething stage because everything he can get his hands on goes straight into his mouth....

Good Folks

2008-07-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since my last post. I guess we've been busy with various things--one of them being visiting with friends. The summer is a great time to connect with good folks. The following pictures reflect this.

Anya and Hosanna listen to Audrey's story.

Danyale and Levi

A few weeks ago we went up to Canada to visit some of Ryan's old roommates from college. Each of these guys have guys of their own now. Believe me when I say that it was quite a feat to get all six of these boys to look at the camera at the same time. I think that I snapped twenty pictures hoping one of them would turn out. Not bad.

We enjoyed meeting adorable John Samuel for the first time.

Benno in his (my) cool-man shades.

Darren and the fabulous strawberry cream pie! Is there any better way to celebrate summer than with strawberry desserts?

Buddies Blaise and Levi.

Aunt Kristen up from Seattle for a dose of smiles.

Father's Day

2008-06-17T21:11:00.001-07:00

Levi and daddy donned their Carhartts, and we all headed to the Deming Logging Show.

On Sunday grandma, grandpa, Levi, Ryan and I went for a hike in the Chuckanuts. The next two photos capture the view from the parking lot!

To top off our red neck weekend, dad hopped on a backhoe and pulled several stumps and leveled our back yard a bit for us. He probably did many days work in just a few hours. Thank you dad and thank you technology.

Overland Family Get-together

2008-06-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago we all gathered at Grandpa and Grandma Overland's retirement home to see cousin Angela and her son, Caleb. They're the ones peaking from behind my grandma and Aunt Hyang--unfortunately, this was the only picture we took of them as things were a bit crazy.

Four generations of men: Great-grandpa Alvin, Grandpa Warren, Daddy Ryan, and Levi.

Levi enjoying the arms of his Great-grandma Bernice.

Mesmerized by the light in Grandma Becky's dining room.

Helping his daddy out.

Family Time

2008-05-26T09:02:00.001-07:00

The weather has been brilliant the last two Saturdays, and we've gotten out. The next pictures were taken above Boulevard Park this Saturday. We went to watch the last sea kyakers go by during the Ski to Sea race.

My two sleeping handsomes!

The following pictures were taken at Clayton Beach, one of our favorite spots in Larrabee State Park.

The Many Faces of Levi

2008-05-21T14:29:00.001-07:00

We are amazed at how expressive our little guy has become and that he now responds to us. When we talk to him he smiles back at us. Of course, we're obsessed about capturing these many expressions this being our first child and he being so darn cute. Which face is your favorite?

Content

"I'm adorable, and I think I know it."

Astonished

Minorly upset

Overjoyed

Happy

"Hi-YA!"

"Hello, everyone! I love you!"

Levi and Grandpa

2008-05-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

My father came up a few weekends ago and we traveled to my parents' house for Mother's Day, so we've shot some great photos of Levi with his Grandpa Warren. Many people have commented that Levi looks most like Grandpa. What do you all think?

Nap Time

2008-04-21T19:55:00.001-07:00

Ryan and I both enjoy snuggling up with our little one any chance we can get.

Family Visits

2008-04-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Great Grandma Klassen came for a visit along with great aunt and uncle Lorraine and Cecil and cousin-uncle (is that the right term??) Cole.

Here is Levi with his cousin-uncle Cole.

Antie K-K and Uncie D-D came for a visit last Sunday. The minute his aunt held him in her arms, Levi let loose a barrage of gas. Auntie K-K has the magic touch!

Our First Firsts

2008-04-13T19:18:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we took our first family outing to Zuanich Point Park. Levi truly enjoyed his introduction to the Puget Sound, distant islands, and spring sunshine--he slept the entire time.
We're sure that he still soaked it all in.

Later that evening we gave Levi his first bath at home. He wasn't too thrilled, but at least he was awake. However, he did enjoy having his hair washed. Whenever I go to the hair dresser, that's his my favorite part as well. In fact, I'd pay just to have my hair washed and head massaged.

Like I said, he wasn't too thrilled. And no, our son does not have a stump for a right hand (in case anyone is worried).

He's Here!

2008-04-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

Levi Jay Klassen
born April 6, 2008
9:27 p.m.
9 lbs. 2 oz.
21 1/2 inches long

Daddy cutting the umbilical cord.

Mommy holding him for the first time.

The Klassens

Four generations: Great Grandma Madeleine, Grandma Becky, Jessie, and Baby Levi.

Right away Levi recognized and was soothed by the sound of his dad's voice.

It's good to be home with our new little boy.

We're Ready!

2008-03-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

The stroller is purchased, the room is prepared, the camera battery is charged, our bags are packed... and now we wait. In the meantime, we enjoy each dinner out or nap taken thinking that it might be our last one for awhile. The picture above was taken on Easter with five days to go until our baby's due date.

This picture hung in my nursery. I love the little poem.

Bathrooms and Bellies

2008-02-25T14:47:00.000-08:00

This is our friend, Stratton, who has been showing Ryan the ropes of tiling. We are grateful for his help.

Ryan had to tear up three layers of vinyl and one layer of 1/2 inch particle board, which was stapled AND nailed down. He finally just used a crowbar-like tool to pry it all up. It took him much longer than he had expected--typical of home renovation projects.

Ryan in his "Vanna" pose showcasing the area he dry walled and textured.

This is me and baby at 34 weeks (as of today we’re at 35 weeks and 3 days—and, yes, I’m counting). I can feel his feet kicking my ribs and grazing the inside of my uterus. He is quite active. He is now in a head-down position and let’s hope he stays that way. I had a very vivid dream last week. I dreamt that I was standing in front of a mirror looking at my bare belly. The sun then shone on me from the window behind and turned my skin around my abdomen translucent. I saw a little (fully clothed) baby with dark hair sucking on his fist and snuggling up to me. I called for Ryan in my dream to come and look. As I yelled, the baby shifted his position to be head down. Then my belly went back to normal. I think that I’m preparing, in my dreams at least, for birth and motherhood. I’ve read that lucid dreams of the baby are quite common in the weeks leading up to birth, but I count this a unique and precious vision.

Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year!

2008-01-16T19:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, so Christmas was a long time ago. You have all moved on by now I'm sure, but I still wanted to share a few of our photos. This Christmas was special to us. As we wait in expectation for our first child to be born in March (April?), we experienced the Advent season and its characteristic waiting and hoping in a new way. We are reading books, preparing the nursery, taking a birthing and parenting class, and just becoming mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepared to be parents. We could associate with the Wise Men who were watching the stars, the prophet and prophetess who paced the temple, and the young virgin who prepared to be a mother.

Here is the gift that Ryan presented to me. It is an "end grain" cutting board constructed of cherry and walnut. I absolutely love it. It sits in the middle of our kitchen island. Stir fries and other dishes that require much chopping are no match for this puppy. I almost hate to use it though, since it's so beautiful.

Here's goofy Ryan with his Christmas present. He is a game-aholic and this one has already given him hours of fun. I definitely don't play it with him enough. Anyone want to come over and play with him? He won't let you win, though; he's a cutthroat when it comes to games.

After opening our presents at home on Friday night, we boarded the train Saturday morning in Fairhaven enroute to Tacoma where my folks picked us up. Dad took us to his favorite Asian grill and, man, was it a thrill. The highlight was the "onion volcano."

This is my "look alike" cousin Daniel and here we are with our mouths open doing what we do best--never shutting them. He came to our house twice during his holiday leave from the Marines. I don't know if it was to see us or to ride the powder at Mt. Baker. Either way we were grateful for some quality time with him.

"Smile and hug the pregnant lady!" Angie, Ryan's sister and the one hugging me, came with us to my Aunt and Uncle's house for Christmas dinner. Heather is my new cousin-in-law, but she's not that "new" since she has been a friend of the family for years already. But it's great to make our connection with her official.

Since our family continues to grow and we don't want to turn anyone away, my Uncle Darrel constructed a HUGE table for the holidays. It's made of plywood and 2 X 4's which rest on their round, oak table. It was truly a feast. The only things missing: beer songs and an elf or hobbit dancing a jig on the table.

After Christmas my sister came up to help me paint the nursery. We spent the morning choosing and buying colors. Our original choice: this green and a light yellow. Once we painted the first coat on the walls, the yellow proved to be...well...um...yellow. My brother-in-law, Daniel walked in the room and exclaimed, "It looks like a Sprite room." I should've contacted the company before we painted over the spunky color. Maybe they would've used the room as a n advertisement. It was definitely too bright--our child probably wouldn't have been able to sleep even with the lights off. So Ryan and I painted blue over the yellow, and now it's perfect.

My mother came to visit after the new year. She hemmed our curtains and helped me pick out fabric to cover the glider. A piece of the fabric sits on the glider, but my mother has the cushions and will be covering them for us since I'm no seamstress.

Ryan took this picture of me just last Saturday. I'm at 28 weeks now and losing track because the weeks are getting so high. It's easier to remember the countdown: 12 weeks to go! (Of course, give or take a few weeks.)

As the Baby Grows

2007-12-02T16:23:00.001-08:00

At my doctor’s appointment last week, he looked at our child’s anatomy. He measured and inspected such parts as the kidneys, liver, brain, skull, femur, arm bone (I don’t remember its clinical name), toes (so cute), abdomen, and genitalia. This is a picture of our child’s genitalia. Our doctor has been a doctor for many, many years and is an excellent ultrasoundographer. As we looked at this image on the ultrasound screen, he told us the sex of our baby. We just didn’t see what he saw. Do you? He said he was sure of the baby’s gender. Are you?

Here I am in my 23rd week of pregnancy. The baby has now added 25 pounds to me. Can you tell? I am feeling great: my energy is high, and I don’t feel nauseous anymore. Of course there’s other effects of pregnancy beginning: a sore back, swollen feet, and excruciating leg cramps at night (well, it’s only happened once so far, but it was so bad that I was afraid to fall asleep the next night).

The first snow of the season fell yesterday. It was very festive, and we had plans to put up our Christmas tree and decorations, but we didn't actually get to it until today, and this evening the snow has almost melted.

Baby's First Photos

2007-11-23T22:59:00.001-08:00

These are some of our baby’s first photos. It is an awesome thing to see our child move around in the womb. During the first ultrasound in August he or she was only three centimeters in length, but was very active—kicking and moving its arms like a freestyle swimmer. What especially struck me was the sound of the tiny fetus’ heartbeat. The doctor turned up the sound on the ultrasound machine and the heartbeat filled the entire examination room—the stamp of human life at only 3 centimeters in size.

These two photos are from the end of September. The baby is quite a bit bigger and still just as active. Ryan was present for this ultrasound and asked the doctor, “When is it possible to find out the sex of the baby?” We hadn’t yet decided if we wanted to know the sex of the baby, and Ryan asked this question out of curiosity and not out of the desire to know our baby’s gender. But the doctor replied, “Well, let’s see.” And from then on he was in search for the genitals. He was able to get a pretty good angle of that critical region and said, “That looks like a penis.” Of course, at only 15 weeks it was far too early to guarantee, but now that we think it may be a boy, we are going to find out the sex just to make sure. If it is a girl, we’ll have an ironic photo for her baby book with an arrow pointing to the crotch and the word “boy.”

Ryan and I have been working on choosing a name for our child, and since our doctor thinks that he may’ve found a penis, we are focusing on boy names. So far the names in running are: Cash, Ace, Champ, Hrothgar, and Santa (‘tis the season, right?). But most recently, our family has been fixated on the name “Klaus.” Do any of you have any suggestions? Feel free to enter them in the comments section of this blog.

Harlee and Me

2007-11-11T12:38:00.000-08:00

A lot has occurred since our last post (granted, it’s been several months and lot can happen in that time): we have two new additions to our family. One is in the form of a frisky feline who we named Harlee. The second is the baby that is growing in my belly (Jessie’s—in case it wasn’t clear).

Harlee was given to us by our friends Jesse and Danyale back in September. It took us a while to name her, but straightaway we noticed two of the most endearing qualities: she loves to play, and she purrs nonstop whenever we’re in her vicinity. Her domain is our newly insulated garage where we’ve rigged all sorts of toys for her: a beanie baby on a string. a plastic strip from the seal of a five-gallon paint bucket, ping-pong balls, paper bags, open boxes, etc. She runs free through all of our junk and has many secret passageways and hiding places. Sometimes I try to bring her in the house, but she’s just too hyperactive. The TV wires turn into jungle vines from which to swing from, our couch becomes a scratching post, and our book shelves a jungle gym. Maybe when she’s older and tamer we’ll let her in more often. So for now she’s our garage cat and once she’s spayed Ryan will install a kitty door in our garage so she can roam outdoors as well. Right now she only feels safe venturing into the yard if we’re there or if she steals out under the cover of night—but then we can’t see her, so we’re not very comfortable with that.

Some may wonder why the name “Harlee.” It’s because she purrs so much. Each morning when I awaken, turn on lights, and begin fixing my breakfast she awakens as well. I know this because the door to our garage is in our kitchen/dining room. As I sit and eat my breakfast I can hear her purring away on the other side of the door. I haven’t yet opened the door, petted her, or even spoken to her but she’s already purring. The vet was astonished at her purring abilities as well. As she gave Harlee her shots and washed all of the mites out of her ears with a soapy solution—Harlee purred through the whole thing! The previous cat had moaned and hissed and meowed, but our Harlee just purred. So instead of naming something like the Purrmanantor or Purrkalator, she’s Harlee like the big hogs that sputter and purr as they drive down the road—only the sound she makes us much more pleasant.

That’s enough about Harlee, now about me. And when you’re pregnant it’s “ALL about ME.” Kami (Ryan’s sister) has requested to see pictures of my growing abdomen so I’ve put my pride aside and posted the first two. Ryan made me start posing with the same outfit on in the same spot around week 14.

This picture is about week 18, and I will post the next picture in two weeks at the beginning of week 22. And for those who haven’t seen me in the past two weeks, I’ve really begun to poke out.

Before and After I

2007-07-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

I have entitled this "Before and After I" assuming that there will be a "Before and After II."

We painted the kitchen red before we moved in.

No more blackberries or trees looming near the house!

Timmberrrrrrr!

2007-07-18T22:12:00.001-07:00

Our 1/3 acre lot had several cottonwood, alder, and maple trees that were dangerously close to our house or neighbor's house. They had to come down. Jessie's Dad helped cut down four trees one Saturday. And it took all day.

For the next trees we called the professionals. They climbed into our huge cottonwood and maple trees and took them down piece by piece.

Ryan's job was to feed the branches into the chipper. At the end of the two days we had a huge pile of chips that we will use for landscaping.

Welcome to America Party

2007-06-24T20:33:00.001-07:00

On June 10th our friends and family came to our first gala on Gala Loop. It was in celebration of our new home and Ryan's new US citizenship. Guests brought an American food or drink to share; our kitchen island was spread with such delights as mac-n-cheese, jello, salsa, chips, deviled eggs, hot dogs, beer, punch, and decaf coffee.

Of course it was not all celebration as some of our Canadian family and friends were not especially happy with Ryan and his crossing over to the "dark side." His cousin, Cole, brought him a bunch of Canadian paraphernalia which included this Canadian flag.

We required that our guests take a sample citizenship test. Some scored 100%, some the required 60%, some failed, and others chose not to take the quiz. See how well you do.

1. What do the stripes on the flag represent?
2. What is the 4th of July?
3. What country did we fight during the Revolutionary War?
4. What are the three branches of our government?
5. What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
6. Who becomes president of the United States if the president and the vice president should die?
7. How many Supreme Court justices are there?
8. How many times may a Congressman be re-elected?
9. Why are there 100 Senators in the Senate?
10. What is the most important right granted to U.S. citizens?

Angie's Birthday Party

2007-05-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

Today is Angie's 30th Birthday so Ryan and I threw her a birthday party. We told her to have her house clean on Friday night and not to plan anything for her birthday. And fittingly, 30 people attended.

On the invitation we asked guests to bring Angie 30 of something for her present or something associated with the number. She received 30 recipes, 30 items from Trader Joe's, 30 socks, 30 pink balloons, 30 granola bars, 30 pieces of chocolate, 30 notes on the ukulele, and a tank top with the Roman numerals for 30.

After the BBQ, we loaded into vehicles and went to Whatcom Falls Park to play croquet and bocce ball. It was dark by then so we set up 24 candles and two tiki torches.

Workin' Around the House

2007-05-27T20:39:00.001-07:00

Ryan and I are enjoying Saturdays in the yard. There is something about working with your hands in the dirt when you know that it's your dirt.

We are discovering that we need things that we never thought we'd need; we have borrowed our friends' trucks the last few weekends to pick up dirt/gravel and haul away old insulation from our crawl space. Speaking of crawl space, here's a picture of Ryan returning down under after a short breather (it's rather dank and smelly down there).

Our New House

2007-05-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

For those of you who live far away and haven't had the chance to visit and won't have the chance for a while, here are some pictures of our new house. It is a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom rambler north of Lake Whatcom in Bellingham. We look forward to having you in our home, but until then these pictures will have to suffice.

To the left is a picture of our dining room and kitchen. One thing that we really like about this house is the open living area. The picture is being taken from the entry way/living room. We hope to enjoy warm meals, grueling games of Settlers, and much laughter in this space.

To the right, you can see the jungle that is our back yard. The house was built in 1985, but no ever bothered to put in any landscaping. So as you can imagine, blackberries (see the picture below as well) have claimed the territory. We WILL subdue them, however. The deck that the picture is taken from doesn't even have steps that lead down to the "yard." We hope to replace the deck after we cut down some trees and tame the land a bit. You can look forward to some before and after photos in the future

These pictures were all taken at the beginning of April before we had bought the house. We made an offer shortly after, it was accepted, and we moved in 3 weeks later (yes, it was quick).

We hope that you have enjoyed your first visit to our new home.