Crazy snow days!

This week has been so snowy! For those of you here in Washington, you know what I mean. Everyone else- take a look at the crazy snow! Here are some pictures of us in it, and also of the huge snow fort/cave that the boys, Chris, and I have been working on. When it's done, I'll post a few pics. We are currently taking a break- my arms are sore, and the boys were getting really tired. The roof is posing a challenge, but we'll see!

Blame it all on Gary...

Funny story:
It all started about 5 years ago when Chris made up a person named Gary. He was the person who would pinch Xavier's butt when he wasn't looking. Sometimes he would pinch it because Xavier was being naughty, and sometimes he would stand watch just in case a naughty thing was done- poised to pinch. We actually have some video clips on our old camera (I will try to figure out how to post them) of Xavier holding his butt cheeks or sitting on the floor after Chris says, "Look, it's Gary!"

Anyway, it worked until Xavier was old enough to know that it couldn't be Gary- it was Daddy.

However, Chris thought that it would be funny to try this trick on Chase. We all know that Chase is not easily threatened- he prefers to find out what is really going to happen instead of avoiding the inevitable consequence. Anyhow, recently Chase had gotten into some granola, and had decided to eat it while watching Diego on the couch. A huge mess was made, and when Chris questioned the young man who was most likely to blame, Chase said with a completely straight face, "It wasn't me Daddy, it was Gary."
Well, would you be able to keep a straight face??

Blessings and Happiness!

First of all- Happy Thanksgiving to all family and friends out there! I have so many things to be thankful for, but here are a few that I am especially thankful for right now. (Note: these things may change from moment to moment, but they're happiness now)
1. Cookie dough
2. Mimi's blog- little Mia's heart to be specific: http://mcdonaldfam.blogspot.com/
3. Chase's cute voice- especially the way he says Xavier (Zayer)
4. Chris' video game addiction- while I don't appreciate the finer points of Call of Duty 4 or 5, I can appreciate the extra time he gets to spent vegging out and playing with friends
5. Gavin's laugh- the really belly-deep laugh that he gets when he thinks something is absolutely hilarious. It used to be the really old Bugs Bunny cartoons that would do this- love it!
6. Xavier's cute face- isn't he just the cutest little boo?
7. Mason's "I'm too cool" attitude. While it's not going to be cute in the future- specifically in the junior-high years, right now the way he tells a little girl who has a crush on him "S'up", and nonchalantly walks on- how cool can an 8-year old get? (Note: I did tell him that he should have at least talked to her a little- there's a difference between rudeness and coolness)
8. I love how God has blessed me with such a wonderful family. I truly love the moments that I get to spend with them- whether they make me nuts or not- I wouldn't want any other family.

Hope you all have a fabulous Turkey Day- I plan to eat a lot, but then go to the gym sometime this weekend, perhaps twice.

Running Update #2

Ok- so I have made some progress toward my running goal. I jogged the track at the Y today for 12 whole laps without stopping!!! That is 2 miles baby! I don't pretend to think I am amazing yet- some people I've talked to about running casually mention the fact that they "warmed up" with a 3 mile run. WHAT?
Anyway, 2 miles is great for me, and to tell you the truth.....I actually didn't loathe every minute of it this time. I just strapped on my i-pod (onto which I had downloaded some running songs which were suggested on runnersworld), and I went for it. I may get to my goal early- but who knows.

Hope you all have a great day!

Wrestling @ the Y

Here is the first pics of wrestling this year. The Korum Y had a small jamboree tournament this past weekend, and the kids all received medals. Our kids did really well, and we hope the next tournament (this Saturday) will go just as well. Enjoy, and look forward to many more of these!

Halloween '08

The kiddos had fun this year with Halloween. We only took a few photos, which is weird, but I am hoping they use similar (or same) costumes next year, as it was a little pricey, so we can take more next year. They all got a huge amount of candy just from our little neighborhood, and Spiderman was a huge hit. Mainly because he kept saying quite excitedly, "Come on guys! It's fun! Wets go! It's Ha'ween".

Once they were trick and treated out, they came back to strict instructions of 2 pieces of candy each. Chris and I were getting dishes done, laundry, and cleaning up the decorations, and were pretty sure that Spiderman, aka Chase was not following the 2 piece rule. As we walked into the family room, where the candy was spread out Chris was saying, "Are you boys only having 2 pieces each?" At that very moment, we heard the screen door open quite quickly, and caught the tail end of Chase throwing a sucker out the front door. He closed the door confidently, then turned around to see us standing there. The look on his face was a mixture of guilt and innocence, kinda like, "What? I didn't just throw that candy out there so you wouldn't see that I had taken my third or fourth piece." I busted up laughing, and Chris tried to play the strict role, but chuckled in between phrases such as, "What did you..? Why are you looking...? Are you trying to...?" But Spiderman wasn't really punished for this action- the sucker wasn't edible after that anyway, so he kinda took care of the natural punishment himself- we would have just taken it away.

Ah- Chase, the one and only!

You know this has happened to you:

You are walking along, minding your own business. You might be admiring the scenery, thinking about your day, or perhaps dancing along a street. You may even be fussing with a cell phone, purse or diaper bag, your attention on anywhere but your feet- when out of the blue.... you falter....you stumble.....you trip.....you crash into a wall that just appeared out of nowhere. The world becomes a sea of spinning, slow motion rainbows as gravity does what it will do. As you plunge toward the ground- you think, frantically, "Don't fall, catch yourself!" Your arms may flail, your eyes bulge, and you may utter a slight scream or some profane words. As you come to your senses once the ground has caught you, you know what your first thought is- no, not "Am I injured?", but "Who just saw this pathetic fall?"

I would venture a guess that everyone reading this has had a "falling" experience. Here is one of my most recent ones:

I was right on time for my ballet class at the Y. I had my purse (weighing 15 pounds), my dance bag (unknown weight, but seriously heavy), and my clipboard. The dance room was dark, and I was noticing that there were several yoga mats and blocks scattered all over the floor, which irritated me, since that meant I had to pick them up before my class, and that some kids had been playing unsupervised in the dance room.... and then, my flip-flop slipped on some unseen overturned spray bottle spillage, and......I crashed onto the floor, flat on my back. I immediately looked toward the window of the dance room, thinking, "Could that have been any lamer- the dance teacher, supposed to be graceful, slipping and falling in the dance room? Did anyone see me?"

Well, fortunately for me, I landed where no one saw me- and Salina graciously helped me mop up the floor before the class- and assured me that I wasn't seen. (Thanks girl!). Anyway-just thought I'd share a slightly embarrassing experience, hoping that you'd share too- don't be shy, leave a comment about a "falling" of yours!

Chaser-baser is 3!

Well, it was bound to happen- Chase turned three today. I can't believe it's been that long since he was born! He adds so much spunk to our house- I don't know what we did before we had him. Here are a few things that I really love (or love to hate) about my little boy:

1. Chase is a very strong-willed child- but I suppose I don't have to worry as much about peer-pressure when he's in high school- he only does what he wants to!

2. He has such a sweet smile!

3. He is a momma's boy- sometimes he absolutely exhausts me- but I hope in another few years he will still want me to sit on the couch with him or to hold his hand everywhere he goes.

4. Chase is very polite!

5. He loves hugs- and can squeeze harder than most kids I've hugged!

6. He looks up to his brothers and wants to do everything they do, down to the wrestling exercises and bike-riding.

I am so happy that Chase is my little guy- and I love him so much! Happy birthday chunky!

Running update!

Hey all! Well, a few days ago I ran 1.5 miles without stopping, and I didn't die. I plan to work out tomorrow, so we'll see if I can push myself a little more.

On a different note, I got the boys' Halloween costumes finished up today. Xavier is a Jedi- I think perhaps he's going for the "curly haired" Anikan (sans the curly hair). Mason is a zombie doctor- a character that he wanted last year, but they didn't have his size- he lucked out this year. Gavin is a scary clown- funny, since I think he's a little scared of clowns and puppets. And you can all guess what Chase is- yes, Spiderman. I will post pics of them in a week. I also bought some angel wings and a halo for myself, and seriously contemplated a Mr. T wig and some gold chains for Chris-but I didn't end up buying those.

Also, I am greatly saddened by the passing of Roseann, Teri's mom. She was such a wonderful person, and made every visit with her a reason to smile. I can still hear her famous laugh, and I remember that crazy duck that she kept as a pet for a while (what was the name?)- she will be missed!

Hope everyone has a great weekend and beginning of next week!

Running

Calling all runners! I absolutely HATE running. I have challenged myself to the following: I will run (or in my case, jog fast) 3 miles without stopping by the first of the year. Yes, I plan to do this, regardless of the fact that Chris tells me that it's not the most "efficient way to burn fat and build cardio-vascular endurance". (Gotta love him). I don't care- I want to do it. Not because I really enjoy it, but because I think I COULD do it. I am only on day 2 of this self-challenge, and I have gotten to 1 and 1/3 mile without stopping. So, here is day 2 of the running challenge-anyone want to join? Come on, you can do it!!! Chase is almost 3- there's no way I can blame the extra 20 pounds on that pregnancy.

I can keep you guys updated on my progress- anyone else itching to get into shape??

Ga-Zavier

Today is Xavier's 6th birthday! I can't believe he's that old already. There are so many wonderful things I could say about him:

1. He was hands-down, the best baby ever! He was so easy-going, always smiling, and he slept through the night at 6 weeks old.

2. He has the cutest dimples!

3. He is one of the most athletic and coordinated little guys I've ever met. I am sure most of you heard the story about the time I saw him doing back flips on my bed!!! He runs a mile in a little over 8 minutes, and barely breaks a sweat. He learned to ride his two-wheeler without training wheels right after he turned 3.

4. He loves his brothers soooo much.

5. He gives the greatest cuddles, just when you need it most. (Do you guys remember how he used to put his little baby hand in our shirts, right by our chests when we held him? He always wanted snuggles)

6. Even though he doesn't talk a lot, he doesn't miss anything that's going on.

Boo-ie, we love you! Happy birthday!

Mommy and Daddy

Wheat thins

Has anyone else tried that new flavor of Wheat Thins- cream cheese and chives? They are absolutely addicting! Any wheat thin is a favorite of mine, but those I can't stop eating. I don't think I'll ever buy them again- but if any of you want to buy them, and then have a party, I will come. Just provide the wheat thins and perhaps a mojito...cheers!

Masonisms

Over the last 8 years, Chris and I have written down things that Mason says, and that we want to always remember. I thought I would share some of those things with all of you- and a cute pic of my handsome Mason:

"Look Mom! It's the Goodyear Limp"

"Why do babies cry so much? Why do babies cry when they come out of mommies owaginas?" (I have no idea where he even heard the term!)

"I need more gum. The odder one went down my draims"

"I am so irrimitated with Gav!"

Mason came home from a sleepover in Kindergarten. He was telling me that his friend has a Grandfather in the military, who was, "So brave, worked so hard, and he helped so many people that his heart turned purple." (Get it- he got a purple heart!!!)

I just love how their brains work!

Here I Go!!!!

OK, so I have resisted this big time...but here is the fabulous Eaglin Clan blog!





Thanks, Stephanie for leaping into blogging territory- I feel compelled to follow in your footsteps. So whatever the day (or week) brings to us, will in turn be brought to all of you. Perhaps you will laugh along with me- or cry- whatever. A new post to soon follow!

Yes sir, I am getting things rolling!!!!