"Toofless!"

Yep, that's right! You are looking at a 2 1/2 year old boy that knocked out his front tooth yesterday. I'm completely devastated!!! I am mad, sad and just sick to my stomach over the whole thing. He is going to be toothless for the next four or five years and there is NOTHING I can do to fix it! We had just spent a great day at the coast. When we got back, Nicholas went chasing after his dad in the kitchen and fell SMACK down on his face. Blood came gushing out of his mouth and he immediately started screaming! Lucky for him, his dad is a dentist. We could see the tooth hanging by a thread and then all of a sudden, Nicholas just spit it out! The whole tooth, root and everything all intact! Pretty amazing! We couldn't stick it back in because of the damage it could do to the permanent tooth bud. So there you have it! Gone! Gone forever! It's very SAD!

Nicholas was a champ, though! He calmed down very quickly and just wanted water and his blanket. Macy was bawling her eyes out during the whole thing! She was so worried he wouldn't be able eat again! Karlee was crying just because everyone else was crying! Mom wanted to cry! Needless to say, we are all okay. Sort of....I'm still trying to come to grips with it! It is what it is.

We put the tooth in an envelope with a note to the tooth fairy that asked for a toy instead of money since we're so little! Luckily, the tooth fairy had just been to Wal-Mart and had something on hand. Nicholas was scared that the tooth fairy was going to come in to his room so we left the envelope outside his door! He was very happy to find his new Buzz and Woody in the morning! He hasn't put them down all day.

Beautiful Day at the Coast!

Nicholas petting a baby snapping turtle. He was the only brave one!

Watching the sea lions. They would come right up to the window and do flips in front of us!

Mark and I were craving seafood so we picked up and headed out to the coast with the kids on Saturday. We forget that when it's 90 degrees here, it's always 70 degrees there and a little chilly, but a perfect day to walk around the Newport Aquarium. They have a new exhibit, the Swamplands and it was awesome! We saw an anaconda, alligators, and Nicholas even got to pet a baby alligator snapping turtle. The exhibit was very well done! It was one of our best days at the aquarium.

Afterwards, we headed over the Chowder Bowl for a big bowl of chowder soup and fish 'n chips. I went with the fish tacos. Very good! I also had to make a stop at Wal-Mart since we don't have one! I got my fix!

I just loved this view! The coast is beautiful! Still chilly, even in the summer, but beautiful.

Fourth of July Weekend!

We had a very fun 4th of July weekend! It was great being with friends, eating good food and letting the kids run wild. I swear they were up until eleven or so every night! It's summertime.

Saturday, we BBQ'd with friends and then went to a Corvallis Knight's baseball game. The stadium was packed, but it was the perfect night for a game. They had a great fireworks show afterwards, which almost made sitting through all 9 innings with the kids on our laps worth it. Our kids did actually really well, with a little candy, popcorn and glow sticks. This was our second game of the week and we have found that we really enjoy going to them. Nicholas loves to watch for "Mack" the Knight's mascot and can spot him a mile away. At one point in the game, Nicholas couldn't find him and concluded that "...he must be sleeping. Yep!" So funny!

Sunday, we topped it off with more food, more fireworks and of course, more fun. We did have to cut the night short due a complete meltdown by all 3 kids. It's all good now! They were good, tired and dirty after playing with sticks and fire all night long, every kids dream! Who could blame them! It's a beautiful country we live in and I am so grateful to be living in it!

Nicholas made a new best friends and ran around with him the whole night. It was so fun to watch them just be boys...poking around with sticks, finding rocks and playing with fire.

I love this picture with Karlee in the background! She stood like this the whole night!

Finally Landscaped!

Before....

After two years of living in our home, we took the plunge and landscaped this summer! We soooooo LOVE it! Believe me, after 2 years of staring at weeds, dirt and rock, we are so happy to have a lovely, manicured yard to enjoy! I can't wait to see how it all develops. I have even taken up gardening in my little raised beds that Mark built for me. I'm growing strawberries, zucchini, summer squash, sweet peppers, cucumbers, peas, tomatoes, green beans, baby carrots and cilantro. We love watching it grow!

After...

I scaled our rock climbing wall to get this shot.

My garden

The path that Mark built....

The shed that Mark built....

He's been busy.

Show Week at the Little Gym

This past Spring, we discovered The Little Gym. My kids have LOVED it! We did it to get out of the house and run off some energy! I can't believe the difference it has made it my children's confidence. They are climbing, jumping and rolling off everything now and more fearless than ever before. These pictures are from "Show Week" where they each got to show off their individual gymnastic skills. What a great program & the teachers were fantastic! Hopefully, we'll be back in the fall!

Nicholas was the first to volunteer for everything! He is ALL boy!

Karlee liked to do things on her own time and in her own way.

They both loved the parachute!

Monkey Boy!

Karlee's favorite was the beam!

Nicholas getting his award! Look at that face! He is so animated.

Nicholas and Karlee showing off their awards together.

I couldn't sign Nicholas and Karlee up without signing Macy up, too. She has turned in to a little monkey herself...cartwheeling, doing handstands, front and back somersaults. She did so well and absolutely loved it! I was so proud of her this day!

Dance, Dance, Dance

Macy had her creative movement ballet recital on Monday. She was such a pretty ballerina, a little shy, but so beautiful! I was very proud of her! She had a darling teacher and a sweet class. What a fun year!

This little girl wanted to be out on the dance floor BAD. If only she were four! It's hard watching big sister do everything. One day it will be her turn to shine!

SWAGGER WAGON

If you love the Toyota Sienna commercials with the mom that thinks she is ALL THAT but really it's her van that is getting all the looks, then you'll get a kick out of this video. Believe me, I am the LAST person that wanted a mini van but it was almost a requirement to have when the twins came along. I must say that I do LOVE it for all of its features. I couldn't live without the automatic doors or the DVD player, though I swore I'd never turn it on unless we were going on long trips, but....I do! Especially when Nicholas and Karlee are screaming. It works every time.

So here is a shout out to all those moms out there that drive a mini-van like me and have grown to LOVE IT after all!!! We've still got it goin' on!