A Favorite Spot

For the past two years we have enjoyed swinging on a tire swing hidden in a grove of oak trees near our house. On Sundays, rain or shine, we will go for a walk as a family. More often than not, we end up passing by the swing. Underneath it is a well worn patch of earth from the countless feet getting ready for a ride. Our favorite time to swing is now, when the wind is easing through the trees and leaves fall lazily through the air around you. It's just the right temperature for a sweater but not cold enough that your nose gets red. You can smile, lean back and glide through the brisk air. Then, of course, you have to let the kids have a turn.

A Beautiful Fall Day

In an effort to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather on a day with no rain, we decided to venture over to Steilacoom and take a walk around the lake near Ft. Steilacoom park. There were many people out there enjoying the beautiful F A L L day. After throwing some rocks in the lake and enjoying the ducks, we headed back. On the way back the sun was setting a bit and the kids enjoyed running in the tall wheat grass. These are the moments we live for. Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best--"We find a delight in the beauty and happiness of children, that makes the heart too big for the body."

Making Jam Together

Our tradition of making homemade raspberry jam started with great grandpa Papa Miller. Papa grew so many things in his garden in Spokane, WA. Ever since the boys were little, Papa made special trips all the way to Maryland and Virginia to bring us many gallons of his famous raspberries. Since living in Washington, we have been able to make a couple of trips to Spokane and eventually got an extra freezer to store all of those delicious raspberries. We sure do miss Papa Miller, not only for his raspberries, but for his sweat nature and generosity. One of the ways we keep the memories of Papa alive is to keep on making our favorite raspberry jam. And when we finally run out of his wonderful raspberries, we will just have to start growing our own. We love you Papa!

Is it really that time again?

I can't believe my little girl is entering the world of potty training. Ok, so she is only 20 months but knows exactly what the potty is for. We have had a couple of lucky moments....but most of the excitement comes from sitting on the toilet while playing with the toilet seat and the flusher. Emma knows that you get to flush when you are done and wash your hands with the cool foam soap. She is mostly fascinated by the bubbles made after washing your hands.

Who wouldn't want to be naked while sitting on the toilet?? I tried to explain to Emma that she could keep her shirt on, but I quickly lost that battle!

We couldn't be happier that she is so happy to be sitting on the toilet...the day of no diapers is coming before we know it! Ok, maybe that is wishful thinking.

And she just wouldn't be our curious sweet pea without this classic pose!

Our Boys

Our boys are truly best friends. They both love life and love to smile. Every morning they get up and play together. We are blessed to have such energetic and very humorous boys in our home.



Peter is 4 years old and is starting preschool this year. He loves to play games on the computer, watch cartoons, drink lemonade, play with legos, read books, sing nursery rhymes and silly songs, play soccer, be tickled, and just be silly!

We love Peter because of his sweet nature. He is our cuddly child who will give anyone a hug. He makes friends easily and has the most contagious laugh. We LOVE his big blue eyes! Peter is so easy going...a trait mom is trying very hard to learn. We learn so much from Peter through his tender ways.



Andrew is 6 years old and is in the first grade. He loves to play video games (especially Star Wars and Mario), build with legos, read books, ride his bike and play soccer, play the piano, draw pictures, have friends come over, and be in charge!

We love Andrew because he is so much fun to be around. There is never a dull moment when Andrew is around. In this respect, he takes after his Dad. We love his sensitivity to the needs of others. We LOVE his cute dimples and his silly ways. If he could be silly all day long, HE WOULD!