Catching Up

I know, you want photos but I really need a quick minute to catch up and I blew off the camera this week.

RJ just finished up a week of soccer camp. He had a blast but was soooooo tired all week. Camp was every morning for three hours and Wednesday was the only day it wasn't hot. He ate like a horse and slept really hard. He also was doing Tae Kwon Do and so by 7pm he was a wreck. Has a nice tan going on:)

I am signed up as his Asst Soccer Coach for the fall. His team is w/out a coach at all so I am hoping someone who has actually played the game will sign up as the head coach, otherwise I will spend a lot of time w/ ESPN and at the library. I know you have to not cross the line and not touch the ball w/ your hands, other then that, well, they'll have fun!

Jack is 2 and has the attitude to go with it. He is talking a little more and it is getting to where we are able to understand most of it.

Phillip is out with a good buddy tonite which is why I can update this. He has had a less then rewarding week at work and that is why we need your prayers. You know how well the Erwin's do change of any kind, especially the kind they don't like...he will be starting a new position at Tek in September and fingers crossed it is where he is supposed to be. We knew that there were going to be changes in the next two years but they moved up the timelines and he feels a little overwhelmed. We are doing better but stressful none the less.

All our love!

Birthday Boy

Happy 2nd Birthday Jackson!

It has been a fun day of celebration. His birthday was Thursday and the first pictures are from Grandma/Grandpa and Uncle Ken as well as his gifts from Mama/Dad and RJ. RJ did most of the unwrapping as Jack gets too excited about the first gift that he doesn't make it to the second, or third or fourth:) He loves the barn full of animals that all make noise when you press on them (awsome find grandma e!) Mama especially loves them in the car as they make a long drive easier for him. We sing a lot of Old McDonald. Which also means he loves the book Grandma found about Old McDonald and his barn. Phillip and I got him a trike and RJ got him a beloved garbage truck that holds all his animals!

Today (Saturday) we had both of his birthday parties. One for friends in the morning and one for family in the evening. He had a Thomas the Train birthday this morning and KaeKae (Aunt Katie) made and amazing cupcake train cake! It was a huge hit. We made a train out of boxes for the kids to play in but mostly they just ran around and played chase. Jack has found he loves being the monster to chase everyone so there was a lot of growling and laughing. He also pulled the biggest psych out I have ever seen from a two year old. All the older kids were running from him so he prentended to cry up in the bedroom. When they were all at the top of the stairs and saying "are you okay" he put up his hands and did the biggest "ROAR" I have ever heard and they all screamed with delight!

He enjoyed all the transformers, books and little people he got. I was thrilled to get more Thomas pieces for my purse (thank you Avi!) and the company was excellent as usual. Oh and Jenny, he loves grooin to the electric harmonica too...I have a long memory hon, enjoy your peace now;)

Prayers

Just a quick request for anyone that believes to pray for us right now. I know it seems to be a frequent request but honestly it has been one of those years where we are feeling a little beat up by the world and today has been especially hard. Our love to everyone and gratitude for your support.

A quick catch up

I am trying to multi task tonite so bare w/ me.

Here is a picture of my sister Kate lovingly cutting out the cardboard stearing wheel (I know that's not what it is called) for the pirate ships.

Next is Lexi and Jack being goofy. Jack was laying next to her giving kisses and talking w/ her when I took the photo. They chatter at each other all the time, too bad no one knows what they are saying. They are hysterical in the car as they both lean forward to "talk" to each other and chatter away over the top of Connor who is usually in the middle.

Next is RJ and his buddies playing in a creek in a local park. They had a blast splashig around and making a raft. It is so nice to just watch them play. Quite a nice respite from all the activities this summer.

Last is my favorite moment in the last couple of weeks. RJ was jumping off an overturned laundry basket (I do supervise, honestly) and Jack wanted too also. Since he was to little to actually jump off, RJ would pick him up and "fly" him around the room! They were just laughing and carrying on for quite some time. They just love each other so deeply and it is just amazing to watch how tender they are with each other. Mind you the same nite they were hitting each other but hey, take what you can get...

Love You

Okay, just had the most endearing mama moment. Jack climbed into my lap while I was closing out my blog and started whispering by my ear. Phillip has been teaching him how to tell secrets. I listened really carefully as he kept saying the same thing, he is still learning how to talk well. I am tearing up because it was the first time he was telling me "love you mama". Sounds more like "yuv woo mama", I cry all the same. It is so powerful to be a mama I tell you what, the best thing I have done with myself. I still remember the first time RJ told me. I was talking to him on the phone because I was at the opera and he said it into the phone. Jack sounded just like he did all those years ago. I am so blessed!

Howdy

So I know all you really want are the photos but just had a few minutes for an update. The boys are having a fun filled week with friends, cousins and adventure. It has been raining like the second coming of the floods and on Tuesday I had six kiddos running around. With Kate's help we made the necessary acoutriments for the kids to be pirates. They had a blast! And when RJ had another friend over the next day the fun continued and they made flags. Today should be a great time with another friend and more additions I am sure. A mama's best friend is a big cardboard box, sharpie and good box cutter. I will take photos and post them later today. All our love!

Phillip

Okay, so here is a photo of all my boys:)

Saturday Run

So I figured out that it wasn't arthritis or an injury in my knee. It appears that joint swelling and tendon tenderness are effects of low hormones. Ahh what a suprise. It cropped up the week my levels dropped. I am rather frustrated that my surgery in January is still impacting my life so dramatically this late in the year. I am only 5 weeks away from the H2C and I am really fighting my training because my levels fluctuate so dramatically and so quickly. My goal went from running the whole time to finishing w/out having a total meltdown or hormone crash. Not happy about it but what am I to do really. I want to run this and I am tired of my "female problems" dictating every piece of my life. It has been what, eight years now that I have put things on hold, or given things up all together, because I hurt, can't walk, can't sit, can't lay down, can't work, can't take care of my kids, can't be the woman I want to be. I was hoping this surgery would fix it and it has it is just getting my life stable that is taking longer then I planned. Ah, listen to me bitch and whine. Sorry for the digression.
I ran six miles yesturday w/ Jack in the jogging stroller. Needless to say pushing an extra 40+ lbs it took a little longer but I finished!
No more excuses, as they are very easy to come by, I am really kicking it into gear starting today. Pray for me...

Blueberries

Took the boys blueberry picking this week. A rather Zen experience actually. I can't remember if I have ever done it before but it was really enjoyable. We went with some good friends, Jenn and her kids- Ben and Sophie. It was all rather mellow and uneventful, almost medatative...odd for me and the fam really:)

Summer Fun

Sorry for the delay in updates. I started the blog hoping to improve my mood and outlook on life but it was temporary. I am finally coming through the otherside of a really hard and dark time, thanks to the loving support of family and friends. So I am ready to start back up my "gratitude journal" as it were. If you believe, pray for me, this one lasted a lot longer then usual and it has been very hard for the kids...Phillip especially...

We had a ton of fun this afternoon, I got a new sprinkler and the kids had a blast with the neighbors. At one point there were three dogs, three moms and 5 kiddos running around between the two yards:)





Phillip took us all to the Bvtn Farm Market this weekend and it was very fun. I smiled quite a bit and even got a bunch of peonies...


The boys picked out cheddar pop corn and it was like eating cheetos on steroids...here are photos of the aftermath, granted it was after about 3 baby wipes so imagine his face covered in orange:)





Will keep you posted as soon as I can. All our love guys!

Beach Trip

Took the boys to the beach for a couple days. Phillip had to work all day on the 4th so we wanted to let him have his time guilt free. My folks live in Cannon so we had a blast. We got into town early and enjoyed catchin' some waves!



Small towns are always good for a parade on the 4th. This is no exception. The kids enjoyed hanging out with their cousins and getting all the candy and beads thrown their way. Well, Jack has the event all figured out. He sat w/ me on a bench and ate the candy while RJ and his cousin were busy grabbing all the treats. My boys aren't slow...

Here are all four kiddo's waiting for the show to start. Next is Lexy and her daddy.








The first is the car Phillip wants to rebuild, the second is the car I want him to rebuild. Someone has decided he needs a new hobby. I think he just likes the tools better. They justify the compressor he got for x-mas:)





Someone's firework pooped out mid parade...





This was the first year that RJ wanted to watch the fireworks. We just got him diagnosed w/ a sensory disorder and w/ therapy he has been doing great and willing to do things that he didn't like before. Don't know if it is the OT or getting older. Just glad that he is excited and not feeling left out anymore. I got a couple photos of the big night. Him holding a sparkler for the first time and then hunkered down in his "fox hole" watching Uncle Sam light off all the big ones. Wow, they get so independent so fast. Won't be long before he going off to college.




All our love...

Eeewww, can I touch!

Took the boys to see a reptile show at the library. Can you imagine their excitement when they got to hold it! Hard to believe I even got this close to take the picture. I HATE SNAKES! There was also an alligator, turtles and lizards, oh my! Fun summer so far I think. Might make it as a cool mom;)

Kitchen Living

Okay, so I didn't want to be misleading about living w/out a kitchen. Here is how it really is. Anyone that knows Phillip understands that this, just isn't going down well. Needless to say. We are itchy to get this wrapped up. One more month! Agghhh!

Morning

Addictive....

Woke up this morning to the sweet sound of my boys, laughing in their room together. I listened for awhile and it just made me smile. They are in bunk beds and Jack had climbed into RJ's bed and woken him up trying to snuggle. Makes all the fighting worth it when you see how truley loving they are with each other. Comforting to know that they will always have each other, even when I am gone.

Much to my suprise I saw Jack and found that he had a harder day yesturday then Phillip and I thought. First black eye for my poor babe. He fell more times then I can count yesturday so must be growning...

Running

I am workin' on getting these all segmented out so you can choose what you want to be updated on. Some people don't give a rip about my running (Phillip raised his hand from his spot in bed) and some are really quite suprised that I took on running the Hood to Coast. Most of you probably know that it is a 12 man relay race from the top of Mt. Hood to Seaside at the coast in about 35 hours. Each person runs three legs that vary in difficulty from easy to f'n hard. I have been blessed with two easy legs and a very hard. I am rather optomistic at this point that my training has been good. Until the stress of remodeling, hormones and Phillip's work schedule mixed not so well with the funky weather and my arthritis has kicked my good knee pretty bad. I am working on high doses of MSM, bengay- which RJ and Phillip think smells like mints and Jack has found is not chap stick (I got the what for when I got home tonight about leaving it out) and a brace are helping with most of the swelling/discomfort. I took about 5 days off of running and found there was no marked improvement even with icing the heck out of it so really I am just getting old and stiff in the joints.
I really can't tell you how excited I am to be taking on something that really to be quite frank, scares the crap out of me. I have never done anything like this and I am running every day with a hope and prayer that I don't get hurt and can run the whole time. The group I am runnign with is a lot of fun so at the least I will make some very close friends and spend two days riding in a van eating brownies and stinkin' up the joint;) Any tips would be immensely helpful and encouragement is always welcome. Also looking for some good 5-8 mile runs in the bvtn area for longer weekend trecks. Jack has come to enjoy them and I am finding that running w/ the jogging stroller and his extra weight to be quite the training tool.
Fingers crossed man. 7 weeks away!

Fun in the Sun

Took the boys and my sisters kids to the park today to enjoy the sun before it got too hot. Well, hot for us, you know me, if it is over 78 I am breakin a sweat.

Do you recognize the look that Jack is giving me? Yeah, carbon copy of his father, in everything including temperment. Would like to say he was blinded by the sun but not really the case. He just was mad that I stopped the swing to take a snap shot. The next moment he was saying 'weeee' because I pushed him really high. Go figure, he has a mind of his own.

This is RJ and Connor trying to see which one could bounce the other off the teeter-totter. Just like brothers really those two.

Here is Lexy, my girl. Well, I get all the fun and my sister gets all the sleepless nights when it comes to dating, clothes and hair!

I must say, they are all too stinkin' cute. Biased as I am about the whole thing, I think I am being pretty reserved. Have a fun 4th! I am sure that I will have another update soon. As I said, this is really quite addictive...

Kitchen

We are one step closer to finishing up the madness! They came and did the final layouts for the kitchen and we made our last changes (I hope). Here is a picture of what we live in now. The floors are finished and turned out beautiful in red. Can't wait to have this done! Then I can have people over and actually cook, well as much as I ever have but with nicer cabinets;)

I have arrived...

Well, thought it would be a good idea to get something going to keep everyone in touch with the going's on at the Erwin house. It is crazy busy and I am getting behind in my catching up w/ friends and family that are not close.


New photos of the boys...


The first is Jack at a pirate band concert, can you believe he is two in four short weeks? First word may have been chocolate, but his best understood word and most dramatic is MINE!



Here is RJ, now at 7 and a half (can't forget the half, he has earned every day I tell you). Lovin on our newest family member Hammie. Daisy passed on a couple years ago and Hammie was a rescue. He is all RJ's dog. Okay, mine too but he does love the boys. It is summer fun for RJ and I am havin' searious issues keepin up and it is only week three! Okay, so it is truley my fault as I am the one that signed him up for all the summer camps of the world, but what else was I going to do w/him? He has more energy then I do and we are the pair that look at each other after about 5 minutes together sayin' "What do you want to do? I don't know, what do you want to do? I'm bored, can I go back to school?"

The summer is also full of kitchen remodeling and my training to run in the famed, H2C and Phillip's project at working going live after 2 years of slavin' away on it. Do the Erwin's ever do one thing at a time? Naw...gotta love the drama. Phillip now uses that phrase from the flip it show- Save your drama for your mama- I do have to remind him that is me, but he still thinks it is fitting for the kids.

Much more to come, I have a feeling this is going to be addictive!