He's Six!

(In no chronological order...but a few pics from the past six years.)

My big man is six.  I love this kid.  Top Ten list of things I love about him...

1.  He likes to do things.  I mean he likes to be up playing tag or running laps around the kitchen, or playing Wii, or sliding down the stairs.  If it involves movement and games he is there.  He likes to do things so much that when he is doing them he forgets to eat.  If we are at an amuzement park I have to sit him down and almost force feed him so he doesn't faint of lack of food.

2.  He loves the bus.  I love that he is so excited to ride the bus everyday.  I thought this would fade after a few months.  No.  He loves it.  He gets on the bus, sits by a friend and waves to me enthusiastically out the window.  As I was waving to him on friday I took a mental picture of that cute little face waving to me until he can't see me anymore.  It ALMOST brought a tear to my eye.  I am such a mother.

3.  He loves his Dad.  He LOVES his Dad!  I know he loves me too, but he adores Steve.  Every card, note, or thing he draws is to Dad (or Grandma).  Anytime he has exciting news or has done something great he asks to call Dad.

4.  He has a routine about everything.  He does the same thing over and over.  He used to come in every morning and say, "I need to go potty.  Then get me toast and turn on cartoons."  Every morning for about three years.  Before bed he says, "goodnight mom (or dad).  I love you.  See you in the morning.  Bye."  Every night.

5.  He is silly.  He will write Grandma letters with riddles such as, "why did the starfish cross the hot dog?"  He laughs himself silly when Dad is goofy.  (Steve loves the audience :) )

6. He loves Abram.  He often comes home lays by Abram and talks to him for about 20 minutes.  He says how cute he is.

7.  He is a good student.  He is kind and respectful to teachers (so they tell me) and he often brings home "otter notes" these are little notes they give to students who act kind, responsable, safe, etc.  Good boy.

8.  He is affectionate.  Loves hugs. Loves me to tickle his back as he lays on my lap.  Loves to sit on Grandpas lap.

9.  He is a friend to all.  He does not care who you are, if you play with him he is your friend.

10.  He is a leader.  When we meet with friends at the park he often gets the kids together to play a game of tag or hide and seek.

We love you Hudson!  Happy Birthday!

Thanksgiving with Grandma Maxfield

This weekend our little family journeyed to Richland, Washington to visit Great Grandma Maxfield to celebrate Thanksgiving with her. Fred Meyer's provided a great Thanksgiving feast and Grandma provided the excellent entertainment.

Grandma has a basement full of fun games, trains, and various other antiquities for kids to enjoy. Along with the classic wooden marble track, I remember them all from my childhood.

We didn't actually play the hockey game, but it's still there and brings back the warm fuzzies of yesteryear. The funnest game we played was on a Carrom Board that my dad got for his 10th birthday. Dad talks about it like he still owns it; though he mysteriously has never reclaimed it since leaving Richland over 50 years ago. All but Everett and Abram played. Much trash was talked (wah, wah, waaaah...) and fun was had by all.

On Friday, we took Grandma out (actually she insisted on paying) to Zip's Drive In (where my Dad used to "Kick Tires" back in the 1950's) and enjoyed a "Big Zipper" Burger (Three Hamburger Patties on an elongated bun, admittedly a little too much for Natalee) and slurped down a 1950's style Hot Fudge Shake...mmm...

Grandma happily rode around with us as we got some pictures of historical sites in Richland. We snapped some photos of the "Bombers" at Richland High School (formerly Columbia High), the school logo (the mushroom cloud), and visited the Hanford Site where the atomic bomb (Manhattan Project) was made that ended World War II (hence the H.S. mascot) and where Grandpa Maxfield worked throughout his career. It was great getting a history lesson from Grandma and I think she appreciated the company. It's been almost 19 years since Grandpa passed away so things get pretty lonely, I'm sure.

Grandma's favorite, a visit to Columbia River Park in Richland, topped the trip off. Thanks for the fun weekend Grandma!

(Hudson chatting with Great Grandma)

(Sadie on the Zip Line)

We love you, Grandma!

Abram's Blessing

Abram was blessed on October 18, 2009. Hudson and Abram

Sadie and Everett with Abram

On Grandma's blessing blanket she made for him.

We were so lucky to have both sets of Grandma's and Grandpa's and Uncle Adam come to his blessing.

It was a beautiful blessing and an eventful day!

My Sade is 4!

It truly feels like yesterday that my Sade came into this world. I remember meeting her and seeing her smile from the first day she was born. She had a little patch of blond/red hair on the top of her head that has now grown into beautiful highlights into her brown hair. Look at those blue green eyes! And she kept them for a whole year! Then they turned to beautiful golden brown to match her golden brown hair.

Sade with cousin Soph in thier matching dresses from H&M

Sadie loves her cousin Annie. She always says, "I miss Annie".

Sadie loves her Daddy. If he ever leaves for work before she wakes up she crosses her arms and says, "Daddy didn't give me a hug and a kiss. I'm sad."She is my helper. She always wants to get Abram's paci, wash it, get a diaper, or just hold him and talk to him.She loves to have her picture taken. She will pose and say, "mom, take my picture."

She has always had such a fun and dynamic personality. She loves life and the color pink. She is a happy and helpful girl.

She's a girly girl. She insists on wearing a dress, or the color pink, or sparkles. She loves princesses. Happy Birthday Sade! We love you!

(friends from the princess party. Halena Hayden, Hudson, Jenna McMurdie, Audrey Naciamento, Everett, Noelle Mortinson, Sadie, and Ava Hughes)

Meet the Roloffs

The minute I told my sister Nichole that we would be moving to Oregon she said, "you have to go meet the Roloffs!" I said, "who?". She explained they were the ones on the show Little People, Big World on TLC. I then knew who she was talking about, but didn't know they lived in Oregon (I think I had seen the show maybe twice). Well they do live in Oregon and Roloff farms is about a 15 minute drive from our house. So some friends and I went one afternoon. I did not actually think we would meet a Roloff...

So Nichole these pics are for you!

The kids had so much fun at the farm. They had a petting zoo, small corn maze, pumpkin patch (of course), and other little things to do.

See, Oregon does have blue skies in the fall!Haroldson kids, Halena, and Bridger with my kids.