A True Woman

The kids & I went shopping to get some fall/winter clothes & some new shoes. This was after a few days of it only reaching a high in the 60s & realizing Drisan didn't really have any pants that fit & Andra didn't really have any shirts that weren't short-sleeved. They both have been wearing sandals all summer long, 'cause that's what we do in our family. :) We found plenty of clothes & even new coats & snowpants (for the few days we'll need them in E. Idaho, or if we have another freak storm like last year)!
But no shoes were found. :(
We came home, put Drisan down for a nap, and since Jeremy was working from home that day (and Drisan usually sleeps for 2-3 hours), Andra & I went back out to check a couple more stores. We found some for Drisan, but none for Andra...at least, not any that tie. She's really insistant on having shoelaces now. So we walked across the parking lot to a shoe store, & they hardly had ANY shoes in her size.
So we headed back to the car to go home. Andra put her hand on her tummy & said sadly, "My tummy hurts. I need some new shoes."

PROUD TO BE AN IDAHO GAL!

(I stole this from my sis's blog. I thoroughly enjoyed it.)


Three men married wives from different states.

The first man married a woman from Michigan . He told her that she was to do the dishes and house cleaning. It took a couple of days, but on the third day, he came home to see a clean house and dishes washed and put away.

The second man married a woman from Missouri. He gave his wife orders that she was to do all the cleaning, dishes and the cooking. The first day he didn't see any results, but the next day he saw it was better. By the third day, he saw his house was clean, the dishes were done and there was a huge dinner on the table.

The third man married a girl from Idaho. He ordered her to keep the house cleaned, dishes washed, lawn mowed, laundry washed, and hot meals on the table for every meal. He said the first day he didn't see anything, the second day he didn't see anything but by the third day, some of the swelling had gone down and he could see a little out of his left eye, and his arm was healed enough that he could fix himself a sandwich and load the dishwasher.

Best Friends

I just turned on "Little Einsteins" for the kids after nap. One of the characters asked, "Do you like playing with your best friends?"

Andra says back to the TV, "My best friends named Drisan."

Beach 2009

Ok, so I think we've only made it to the beach once a year since we've been in Washington, so I'm assuming we won't be going again til next year. I guess if we have any more 100+ degree weather, we may. But it's been pretty chilly here lately, so I'm not countin' on it.

On one of the record-breaking hottest days here, Jeremy "took the day off" & we went to the beach. We got out of the house around 10, but had to stop to buy beach toys. Walmart didn't have hardly anything, and what they did have wasn't worth the money--even at Walmart! So, we were gonna hit Target, but realized there's a Toys R Us right next to it, & KNEW they'd have plenty of options, so we hit the jackpot there. Off to Cannon Beach we went (I think that's where we were going...my mind just went blank). As we pull into town, it's foggy & chilly; and I'm suddenly not too excited to be out on the beach. And we were behind a long line of cars trying to find a parking spot.

We drove around for a few minutes, realized we'd probably have to walk quite a ways if we DID find a parking spot. So we decided to go to Sunset Beach, one that you can drive onto. We got there, drove pretty much to the same spot where the Aston Reunion was last year, & the kids were SO excited.

We pulled out lunch to eat real quick before we got all sandy, but Andra decided to forego food & went straight to playing with the new toys, which now included sand. Drisan soon joined her.

(That's mostly lunch on his face. Not much sand at this point.)

(There's always work to be done. Thank goodness for cellphones & flexibility!!!)

Even though it was MUCH warmer at Sunset Beach than Cannon, it was still foggy. At one point, it was hard to see the ocean from our car!
After face-planting. WOOPS!

The kids were hilarious!!! And of course as I get the camera rollin', they stop what I was wanting to record. Oh well. I'll try to describe it, and since I hardly ever put video on here, "you git what you git & you don't throw a fit!":

Andra was "falling" into the pile of dirt, but putting her hands down to catch herself. Drisan tried to copy her, but would put his forehead in the dirt. He did that a few times, and then even put his whole face down.

Idaho Trip

The kids & I took a 2-week raod trip to Idaho, just after the 4th of July. My immediate family was having a reunion, & Jeremy had to work like crazy, so we headed out. For the reunion, we got to go camping....Yes, I did it, "single-parenting" it. Of course my family helped pitch the tent, and my sis even traded me off through-out the night when Drisan was having bowel issues. (poor guy).

The first night the kids were really excited to do smores, as you can see by the picture below:

Portland is really rubbing off on Andra. After every meal, snack, dessert, etc. when we'd throw the plates & stuff in the fire, Andra kinda freaked out. She did NOT want her plate to go in the fire. If anyone put something in there, she'd ask if they threw hers in there. The last morning as we were packing things up, I casually asked Andra to throw her Fruit Loops box in the fire...just to see how she'd react. She said, "ok" & went off with no problem. After awhile, she realized it was melting (it was barely in the coals). She freaked out again & "didn't want it in the fire!!!" But of course, we weren't gonna get it out. Yeah...not gonna do that again. Not for awhile anyway. Obviously we don't go camping much.

On our way back home, we stayed in Boise for a couple nights. We had a BBQ with my in-laws & enjoyed the visit. Drisan & Andra really liked throwing tennis balls to the dogs.....or just playing with the ball-throwers, anyway, and playing "Chase" with their aunt & uncles & grandpa.
Overall, the trip was great & we always enjoy spending time with our family.

4th of July

Our neighbors joined us this year at the Ridgefield Fourth of July Parade. We've really enjoyed going the 3 years we've been here, thanks to Uncle Nate & Aunt Stacey.

We had a great time, and we're still eating the candy to this day. It didn't help that our nice neighbor kids made sure Andra & Drisan got plenty of it...even if it meant taking some out of their own bags. Their parents have done a great job teaching them to share. :)

Drisan was just learning to put his cup in the cupholder & taking it out again. He also did that with cheddar cheese crackers throughout the day. YUM!

Andra would've been happy without the candy, as long as she got her flag pinwheel.

We had a BBQ that evening with more friends, and finished the night lighting & watching fireworks, of course!

Portland, OR Zoo

First things first....Thanks for the many reminders that I need to update my blog! It's never on my mind. hahahahaa. yeah right. Really, I'm grateful when people remind me to update--that means they're actually looking at it & I'm not just wasting my time. :D

Anyway...

Some Boise friends were in town & stayed with us a few days (too few, if you ask me), one of which we ended up at the Oregon Zoo.

Andra in 1 of the caves

Drisan being careful not to wake up such a big bear!

Andra & Hunter playing "Ring Around the Rosy"

After we got home & ate some pizza, we all ended up playing in the cul-de-sac with the neighbors...a common occurance on nice days/nights.

Halle (a.k.a. Cinderella) & Andra riding in their "coach"

Then off to bed we go.

Grandma Commons

The beginning of April Jeremy's Grandma Violet (Vi) Commons passed away. Everything went so quickly, and in a way we are grateful for that. It's never fun when someone you love so much dies. But we know she is up havin' a great time on the "other side" with her eternal companion. Grandma was always cracking jokes & I have a special memory in particular of when we first met. It brings a smile to my face & to my heart. Miss you!

Andra Turned 3!!!

Andra's birthday party was 5 days later...March 24th! I attempted to make a round, layered cake but messed it up pretty bad. I called Jeremy up & asked him to pick up a cake. And since we were already "caked out", I tossed the ugly one. Here are a few pics from her party:

Tess & Christie gave Andra these "accessories"...even the nails.

(MUCH better-looking cake than the one I attempted to make)

1 of the kids blew the candles out before Andra did. Needless to say, she was devestated & throught the world had ended. We re-lit them.

Presents, Presents, Presents!

What a BIG girl!!!

I've decided in the future, Jeremy, Andra, & Drisan don't all get cake for their birthdays. They each get to choose a different dessert. 3 cakes in 1 week is a little much. What fun times, though!

Happy Birthday, Monkey Moo! You are getting SO big & way too smart!

Drisan's 1st Birthday Bash

Drisan turned 1 on March 19. We had a little party for him. He was more interested in the bags than the presents...but Andra was excited enough for the both of them.

The kids' babysitters, Tess & Christie, were great playing with all the kids!

Time for presents...

Not too sure about this...

Ok, it's not so bad ("I wanna finish it, but I'm not sure if my belly will hold one more thing!"

Drisan played with this for DAYS...going around the island. He still does!!!

I thought he looked adorable in this outfit.


Happy Birthday, Buddy Boo! Glad you survived your first year & didn't get sick after eating all that cake!

Jeremy's Birthday Party

After I got back home to Washington, I quickly planned a surprise birthday party for Jeremy, who turned 30 on the 22nd. But the party was on the 14th, and he had NO idea. WHEW! I pulled it off....with the help of many of his friends. A bunch of people from work, church, and even one of his best friends from Boise (and his wife) came for the occassion!!! Here are a few pics (we had the camera on a weird setting on accident, so not very many of them turned out.) :(

I think everyone had a good time...and I'm glad I don't have to plan another party without his help for a LONG time.

Three Birthdays and TWO Funerals

So at the end of my last post, I said there'd be 3 birthdays & 1 funeral. That turned into 2 funerals, unfortunately. We have also bought & moved into our first house. So instead of doing a HUGE long post covering everything, I'll break it up into smaller posts. With that said, let's begin....

Funeral Number One: My Aunt LaRene Neeley passed away the beginning of March. She was diagnosed with cancer & given 4-6 months to live. She surprised us all & was in great spirits and was with us for about a year and a half. That's the kind of person she was....a strong, high-spirited person. I always looked forward to seeing her. She was one of my favorite aunts, and it still seems weird to me that she's moved on from this life.

Escapee Drisan

So, I usually turn on cartoons for the kids while I take a shower....making sure there's nothing for anyone to choke on, blocking ways were Drisan can escape & go upstairs, etc. So, after I showered & got dressed, I looked through the kitchen to see if everything was a-ok, which it was. I went back & blowdried my hair & then heard someone scooting one of our dining room chairs across the floor. "Oh, it's probably Andra going to get a cup, or a treat of some sort." But I came out to check anyway.
Andra was still downstairs watching cartoons & Drisan was havin' a blast with the chair! I looked downstairs to see how he got through all the "baracades", but couldn't figure it out. I asked Andra how Drisan got upstairs. She responded, "This is how he do." and that's when I got the camera:

(Coming soon: 3 birthdays & a funeral)

I don't plan to blog about this very often. But this one was hilarious!

(While eating dinner last night, Andra tooted pretty loud. Here's the conversation that followed:)

Mom: (gasp!)
Dad: (looking under the table) Was there a mouse riding a motorcycle, or did you sit on a frog?!?
Andra: That was my toot!
(apparently Andra heard a noise-- or imagined it, cuz I didn't hear anything...)
Andra: Daddy, you have a mouse in your bum!!!

Home At Last!

I was hoping I'd blog at least once a week. But our last trip to Idaho kinda threw me off. So, here's another kinda long & scattered entry. Oh well. I'll get better at this. The day before the kids & I flew to Idaho, Drisan decided to throw himself out of his crib (morning nap). It was a busy day for me & I didn't have time to lower the mattress myself, so I just set up the Pack 'n Play 'til Jeremy was home to do it. :D

Andra being Jeremy's big helper.

My little brothers, Jordan & Riley, returned from their missions the end of January (the whole purpose of us going over there for the 3rd time in 3 months.)

At the airport waiting for Jordan to arrive.

Drisan and Grandma chillin' at the airport.

The twins are FINALLY reunited!!!

We were at Grandma & Grandpa's house a week before Jeremy came over. Drisan LOVED exploring a new house, new toys, and new cousins!!!


Drisan pushing cousin Hunter in the swing (Hunter didn't enjoy it too much)

We also celebrated Grandpa's 54th & cousin Alexa's 3rd birthdays!!!

The kids & I hung out at my sister, Susan's, house for a day. Andra was excited to build snowmen, but noticed the shoveling needed done.....someone's gotta do it! ;)

We went to a cabin with the WHOLE ENTIRE family up in Island Park, ID. (Family pictures will be up soon! YAY!!!)

The last morning (while parents were packin' up), most of the girls decided they wanted to sit in the "hot tub". So we threw them in the jacuzzi tub in the master suite. Not much room for them to move around, but they all enjoyed it....at least 'til they realized they couldn't move very much.

While we were in Idaho, Drisan decided to FINALLY start crawling on his knees...not just do the "army crawl". He loves it! The other day, Andra thought it'd be funny to pull his pants off....

....and to get her back, Drisan thought it'd be funny to drop Andra's shoes down the stairs between the banister poles! :D

And here's a little video (from Friday night) that makes me happy every time I hear/watch it...

Who needs bath toys?!?
(Watch how fast Drisan's hands are moving!!! And, yes, this is actual speed!)

Everyone Needs Blessings....

Andra was saying the blessing all by herself. She said the usual "thankful for this day, thankful for mommy and daddy and andra and drisan, thankful for our friends. PLEASE BLESS JESUS. in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." It was cute, but reminded me that no matter how good life seems to be going, or who you are, we all need blessings from our Heavenly Father and that all good comes from Him. The End.

Christmas....finally

We hope everyone had a great Christmas. I know this is late, but oh well.

Here are a few pics from Christmas (I'll try not to put up TOO many).

We had a GREAT time at our house Christmas Day & got to hang out with Uncle Mike & Aunt Sue (and their kids & families) & our good friend, Candy. Then we set out on the crazy roads the morning of the 26th. We got to Boise (after 10 hours!), and hung out with Jeremy's fam the next morning. We ate Papa John's biscuits 'n gravy (I only eat his....they're SO good!!!), and opened presents. Then we braved a big storm, and after 7 more hours on the road, made it to Rigby.

We stayed at my parents' house, along with my sis Melanie & her fam. I think EVERYONE was sick, or got sick, at some point of the "vacation". hahahahha! Oh well...we had a great time & I still would have gone if I knew beforehand.

Here are the most of the "girl cousins" layin' down for "quiet time" after.......

playin' in the snow with my sis, Susan

the girls all got dressed-up with the stuff Grandma & Grandpa gave them

We got to see some fun relatives/friends who used to live over here. (Miss you guys!) They were havin' too much fun & didn't want to sit long enough for a good pic.

Drisan was SO excited with all the toys he could put in his mouth! YUM!!!

Andra loved hanging up the stockings. Christmas morning she woke up to see they were gone! She was bummed 'til we pointed out that maybe Santa moved them downstairs!

We're starting a new tradition....we open one family gift Christmas Eve (most likely a Christmas book that we get to read that night.) This year we read "The Night Before Christmas".

(sorry the pics were "out of chronological order". i'm still learning this stuff.)

It Was Nothing

The other night I asked Andra to keep Drisan happy while I made dinner (Jeremy wasn't home yet). So, she started playing "chase" with him....her running back and forth between her bedroom & the front room. She'd also dive into a tent that we have in the front room, and Drisan would start chasing her one direction to the other...even crawling into the tent with her. It was very cute, and I was very happy they were happy entertaining each other. So at dinner, I said, "Andra, thank you for playing with Drisan & keeping him happy while I made dinner."
She responded, "It was nothing!"
I laughed, because I'd never heard her say that before....and we don't say that. It was funny. She has continued saying it when I tell her thank you for "helping" Daddy put up child-proofing gates, going potty on the toilet, etc.
Where do kids come up with these things?!?

It's a bird...It's a plane.....It's..it's...the ASTONS!!!!!!!!!!

Well, well, well....Look who's FINALLY started a blog! I guess since my little brothers are comin' home from their missions this month, I'll fill that "email-writing-to-them-time" with blogging. haha. I'm hoping you'll have as much fun reading our blog as I'm hoping I'll have keepin' up with it. Jeremy seems excited to put his 2 cents in sometimes, too! YAY!!! But for now, I'm off to explore how all this blogging works, & to find a pic or 2 to put up. Thanks for your patience as we get this put together.