The Hunter Family's Adventures

Let It Snow!

2012-01-12T18:14:00.000-05:00

Last night and this morning it said that there was an 80% possiblity of snow today. I was a bit surpriised because it was in the upper 50's the other day and sunny and rainy yesterday. Around 11am today they put out a notice that the kids would be getting out of school early for the day and then the snow started! HUGE flakes! I didn't get a picture of the flakes swirling in the air, but the kids just couldn't stay inside any longer once Celeste got home. She got her home work done in record time and then they all bundled up to go out side in the 1/2 inch of snow!

Even Grim had to go outside to enjoy the snow. He was bouncing around like a puppy and the kids loved throwing snowballs for him to catch. They also loved rolling down the slight incline in our yard. Eventually they got tired of that and we went for a walk to find better hills. Just down the road from us there is a better hill that goes into a drainage ditch. There isn't any water in the ditch right now, so the kids rolled down that hill over and over until Gordon and Mom couldn't handle it anymore and then we came home for hot chocolate. We're hoping for no school tomorrow and at least another inch of snow over night so we can play some more and visit some new friends from Church! The snow is finally sticking to our road, so there is hope of no school in sight!!!

Gordon Turns 3!!!

2012-01-09T22:20:00.000-05:00

I can't figure out where the time has gone. My baby boy is 3 years old today. He's a rambunctious, sweet, caring, loving little boy. He loves cars, trains, planes, helicopters, police cars, tractors and dirt. His favorite thing to do this last summer while camping was laying in the dirt playing with cars. I don't have a picture of the dirt that was in his ear, but he would lay with his head in the dirt to and he would get up with his ear and side of his head covered in dirt. It was the cutest thing to watch and the most disgusting bath water ever!

I asked Gordon what he wanted for dinner. (I didn't know for sure what he would want, but wasn't surprised when he gave his answer.) He said, "Um, salad." He LOVES salad. Some times he will come and ask for salad as a snack, so I keep salad stocked in our house at all times. He likes salad even more if there are tomatoes on it. He doesn't enjoy cherry or grape tomatoes, he doesn't like them squishing in his mouth, but he does like a tomato cut up on his salad rather well. If he runs out of tomatoes, no big deal, Mom always has some for the taking! (Whether she likes it or not!)

Last night Kyle and I set up his gift from us. A few days ago we found a train table on Craigslist for a great deal with the tracks and trains to go with it. We stayed up until late putting it all together, so he wouldn't have to spend any time dealing with track and he could play all day long. This morning he received his first gift when he walked into the playroom and found his wonderful new toy. He and Eddie played with it off and on all day long. They were both in heaven and I already know that the investment was a great one!

So, for dinner Gordon wanted salad, but his siblings have been trying to talk him out of it for a few days. They suggested pizza, which he decided he was interested in. I asked if he wanted pizza or salad for
dinner and his response was, "Um, pizza salad."

I have no idea what pizza salad is, but that's what he wanted. From then on, every time anyone would ask him what he wanted for dinner, he told us pizza salad. So, we had pizza salad for dinner! We had green salad and put pepperoni, olives, tomatoes and cheese on it. He loved it. We let him make his own salad on his plate and then we put ranch over the top. It was actually really good and the kids did a great job of eating all of their dinner. It will definitely have to be a repeat dinner option for our family!

We made strawberry cupcakes with chocolate frosting and had vanilla ice cream. Mostly Gordon just wore his frosting, but I didn't actually expect him to eat any cupcakes since he snuck three of them this morning before I had put frosting on them. Then he tried to sneak another one this afternoon after the frosting had been applied. He finally got his frosting tonight though and that's all he wanted!

Since Kyle and I got him such a large gift, we only got him the one gift, so he didn't have a gift to open from us this evening, but his brother and sister had a gift for him along with one from his Nana/Papa and Grandma. He is loving his new gifts. He had a hard time leaving the playroom tonight because he wanted to keep playing. I have a feeling the next few days, I may not see much of him if he can help it!

I forgot to mention. This morning I made pancakes for him. At first he was too busy to eat breakfast because he wanted to play with his train. When he finally did come down for breakfast, he ate and then left. I turned and realized he was on his way back up stairs. I said bye to him and he said, "Bye Mom, I'm going to play with my trains!" It was so adorable. I love this age when everything is so much fun.

I'm so grateful for my sweet boy and all of the love that he brings to our lives. He's growing up so fast and I just appreciate everyday with him in it. The cuddles and kisses may be gooey, but they are sweet and the best gift he could ever give his Momma!

Celeste and Eddie made a birthday sign for Gordon.

Gordon sang Happy Birthday to himself with us. We all sang off key in traditional Hunter spirit and he was right there with us!

Playing with his new toy from Grandma. I promised him we would play with his new game from Nana and Papa tomorrow!

Celeste's First Day of her New School!

2012-01-06T08:45:00.000-05:00

I didn't get a picture of her on her first day of school, but yesterday Celeste started Smyrna Elementary. She looked so nice in her red shirt and khaki skirt and red tights, but she wouldn't let me take a picture. This morning, however, she was willing to let me take a picture of her in her choice of outfits for the day. I love that she wishes she could be more of an individual and shows it by wearing a flower in her hair. I have a feeling more accessories will come as the year goes on!

Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum

2011-12-30T23:21:00.000-05:00

Today Kyle and I decided to finally take a break from unpacking and do something fun with the kids while Kyle was still off and Celeste doesn't have school. The kids are starting to go a little stir crazy as well, so it was nice to get out and go somewhere besides Walmart or Home Depot for things for the house!

We knew that we wanted to take the kids to the Louisville Slugger Museum, so we decided to do that today. They still have their Charlie Brown Christmas exibit, so we thought it would be fun to see. It really wasn't anything that we would have been sad to miss, but the comics were fun and the kids got to watch part of the Charlie Brown Christmas show. The prices were reasonable enough. Before the tour we went through the gift shop and ordered a family baseball bat that we had engraved.

Kyle also found a bat that he wanted to get from the mess up bin. After tax he got an official Louisville Slugger baseball bat for under $20. He was also lucky enough to find one that you can't actually tell has any problems. We're just guessing it may be the wrong weight or something like that, but he's happy!

During the tour we were asked not to take any pictures, so there aren't any. After the tour however, they give each person a mini bat to take home. They warned everyone on the tour that you can not take a bat of ANY size on a plane. Then the tour guide pointed to Eddie and Gordon in the front row and said he guessed it was probably because of someone their size swinging it and hurting people. I agreed with him on that as my son started swinging his new toy! They are really cute bats though. I haven't decided what we'll do with them yet. Maybe our names in vinyl and then a rack on the wall? Any suggestions?

We also got pictures of Celeste and Eddie in front of the HUGE baseball bat out front. Gordon loved staring at it, but refused to get his picture taken! What a funny boy!

So, we finished our trip to the museum and factory and decided to go to costco for lunch. We've found that everything is about 20 minutes away. The slugger museum? 20 minutes from home. Costco? 20 minutes from the museum! How far away is Walmart from home? Okay, not quite 20 minutes, but further than it was from our Troutdale home! Home depot, probably closer to 20 minutes. The bishop told me about a grocery store that is closer though, so I'm excited to get our truck sometime soon and be able to find stores. Kyle's mom always says that getting lost is the best thing ever. You always get out at the store that you find while lost because you may never find it again! I'm excited for some of those experiences!

Alright, back on track! We made our way to Costco to have lunch. We knew we wanted to buy a new mattress, but had originally planned on waiting until next week when the truck was here. We wanted a memory foam mattress, so it comes in a box. Kyle decided he couldn't wait any longer and was SURE it would fit in the trunk of our car. Let me show you a picture of our car. It's a stock picture, but this is the car, none the less!

Yes, you can see it and I can see it now, but we just didn't eyeball it well enough. A folded up mattress in a big box was NOT going in there. We took the mattress out of the box. It was definitely getting closer, but still not budging. So, we had to do the only other thing we could without having to come back to Costco again! The mattress sat in my lap on the way home! It is a BEAST! There is no way around it, it's heavy! I had to lay the seat back against Eddie's legs in the back seat and it laid across my body. I was sure that I was the safest person in the car if there was an accident though because I wasn't going anywhere! Kyle was just sure we were going to get pulled over, but we didn't. We made it home. I kept as flat as I could coming through the neighborhood so none of our new neighbors could see me and think we were the craziest people around! I could just imagine, "Those crazy Oregonians!"

Well, another full day has come and gone. Time for bed on our new mattress! I'm so excited!!

Our Move!

2011-12-29T23:41:00.000-05:00

I didn't write about Christmas, but who wants to hear about that when there are much more exciting things happening in the Hunter household, right? We've made the move. (By the way, if anyone is looking to buy a house in the Troutdale area, we still have one for sale! We have some soft offers on it, but nothing with real financial backing, so any offer is gladly accepted!)

I'm not going to attempt to show pictures of the house with our stuff in it yet because we have stuff everywhere and most still in boxes, but I do have a few pictures of the house while it is mostly empty!

The living room is going to be so nice. I am determined to have a place for everything in the house, so we don't have piles of stuff in weird places because we don't have a place for it! We'll see if that happens!

Celeste's bedroom is at the top of the stairs. She has the smaller room because she gets her own room, although I bet she could fill up the bigger bedroom all by herself if I let her! That is the bathroom door in the background.

I wish I could say this was Celeste's closet, but it's not, it's her brothers' closet. She gets to have her own room, but without the walk in closet. She doesn't understand what she is missing, but I do for her! I don't talk about it because I don't want her to know what she is missing, but I think in another few years, she will know exactly what she is missing!

This is the playroom and guest room until we get the basement finished with a bedroom and bathroom. This is the amazing closet in the playroom as well. It will be really nice for storage, that's for sure. Celeste wanted to use it as a library, but we think the little alcove by the window will be much nicer for books and comfy chairs for a library!

While we were bringing stuff in the house after we got off the plane, Eddie fell asleep and wouldn't wake up. He ended up in the livingroom on the floor!

I realize you can't see what this is. They aren't the greatest pictures, but I will show the finished product when I have gotten all of the clothes hung up. This is our walk in closet! I LOVE IT! There is actually a very nice system that you can't actually see from these pictures, but the closet is so nice. It's perfect for us!

This is our basement. I know, you've seen pictures before, but it's ours now! We have fabulous plans for this basement. They will probably have to go in a little at a time, since we haven't sold our house in Troutdale yet, but soon there will be another bedroom and bathroom down here. There is actually our big tv down there already and we will put one of our couches down there in the movie room. Where Celeste is standing in the picture, there will be a treadmill and other workout equipment. On the back wall behind Celeste, is where the office is going to be. We will have a craft table and vinyl stuff down there. I was a little worried when we were making plans for everything that we may not have enough room, but then I went down there! We will have plenty of room!

So, with that, I will close. We are unpacking like crazy and getting settled. We've met our neighbors across the street. (They loaned us a light the first night we were here and brought us a pie yesterday.) We also met our next door neighbors. They were kind enough to let us use their WiFi so we could sign up for our own internet and cable. (We found out that the husband used to be RLDS. Kyle told him we were LDS and he seemed fine with it. He didn't keep his son from coming to meet us later on either, so I'm excited for the new friendship!) Kyle also got to meet the neighbors behind us. We've had to write down their names and put it on the fridge, so we don't forget! They have been so friendly, even the kids across the street have been great. There are also some great kids that may be perfect babysitting age. We'll find out soon enough! We also found out that there is an LDS family just down the street from us. Their kids are all grown, so our kids won't be playing with their kids, but they are really close. We also found out that hopefully Celeste will be going to the same school as the Bishop's son, so I'll keep you informed once I find out for sure which school Celeste gets to go to!

Oh the STRESS!

2011-12-14T11:51:00.000-05:00

When Kyle and I decided that we should really make this move and try something new, we felt so good about it that we started packing what we knew we could. Now the time has come to pack it all. After boxes and boxes of stuff, I look at my living room and it doesn't look like we've packed anything! Where did all this stuff come from? I don't get it. I've ben tossing stuff and donating and packing, but more just keeps showing up.

I must say, there is something to be said about people who move every few years. It's the perfect time to get rid of stuff. I'm really hoping that after all the stuff I have gotten rid of, it will be easier to find places for everything in the new house!

I would really love any tips on the best way to pack or organize to make moving easier. I only have until Saturday to get this all done, so the sooner the advice comes the better!

A Christmas Carol Part 2

2011-12-13T11:24:00.000-05:00

As I promised, I am posting a few more pictures of the play that Celeste was in. They did such a good job. It's a small youth community theatre that do a fabulous job. If you are ever in the Portland area when they are performing, I recommend you go see them. They have some very talented youth and a great director. The name of the group is Black Swan Youth Theatre.

The young man who played Jacob Marley also had several other roles, including the younger Scrooge. He is a very talented young man who we happen to be good friends with. I'm sure going to miss him when we leave!

My Celeste as Lotte (Belle's daughter)

This is Celeste's other dramatic moment. She is Want. If you have only ever seen a movie, you may not know about Want and Ignorance. Want got to wail on the ground during the play. Many people were impressed with how well she did her part on stage, but I know for a fact she has been practicing that part at home for years!

I am so glad Celeste could be a part of it. She needed it so badly and now knows where she belongs and what she is good at. I will be looking for a community theatre for her when we get to Kentucky, so she can continue learning how to channel her drama. I can't wait to see how she grows!

Eddie's Birthday

2011-12-11T02:16:00.000-05:00

This week we celebrated Eddie's 5th Birthday! I can't believe I'll have two kids in school this next school year. Eddie asked for his name on his cake, so Kyle said I should make his name out of cake. Eddie also wanted Spiderman on his cake. I know that he meant that he wanted me to use frosting and decorate, but a plastic toy had to do this year because of everything that has been going on! He was fine when I told him he could keep the toy though.

He got new cars from Auntie Erin and Uncle Spencer. They light up, which makes them even more cool!

Walkie talkies. They aren't great, so we may have to go shopping for something else!

Mom and Dad got him a toy city. They were at a garage sale this summer and he absolutely had to have them. He took it so well when we told him he couldn't have them. Later we went back and bought them. They've been sitting in storage since June!

Happy Birthday My Eddie Boy! He's such a sweet, loving little boy. I don't think my mom minds at all that she has to share her birthday with this special little boy! I'm so grateful for my Eddie and his love for everyone around him and his adorable personality!

A Christmas Carol

2011-12-02T15:20:00.000-05:00

So, as the proud mama, I get to show the pictures. Kyle didn't take lots of pictures of Celeste last night. He did a few videos, but not pictures, so tonight I will take some more pictures of Celeste during her parts. I'm hoping that with us not sitting in the front row, she'll forget the audience more and it in to her part better, but she did such a good job for her first real play performance. I'm so proud of her hard work. We will definitely have to find a community play for her when we get to Kentucky because she needs it!

The Concessions! Yum!

The cutest idea for serving candy!

What is in the cone? Caramels, English Toffee and Truffles. YUM!

She's ready to begin!

Last minute prep before the play begins.

They even sold apples and pears. Kyle didn't take a picture of the edible gold painted pears, but they were so cool!

Eddie wanted it ALL!

Plum pudding, Brown cakes and roasted nuts.

Celeste was peaking out to see us before the play began.

Celeste had three roles. They were all small, but it was fun for her to have to do costume changes and all of that because of her different parts. She is a townsperson, one of Belle's daughters (Lotte) and Want. You don't hear about Lotte or Want when you watch The Muppets or Disney's Christmas Carol, but if you're in the Portland area, you can learn all about them at the play! (yes, why not try and sell tickets and make every night a full house!?)

I haven't given you nearly enough pictures of the play to make the excuse to not see it. They did such a good job. I know several of the youth in the play and I was so excited for all of them. I'm so impressed with all of their hard work. I know that sleep and homework has probably suffered for some of them, I know sleep is suffering for Celeste, but she loves acting and I love that she has something to be passionate about. I was never one to get on a stage and do that sort of thing, but I am so glad that Celeste wants to be a part of this and find her niche in the world! I'll post more pictures of Celeste on stage when I get them, so check back for new pictures!

Our New House

2011-11-30T17:52:00.000-05:00

A lot of people have asked about our new house and I thought I would post some pictures that we have. Most of them are from the listing on the house before we saw them, but we were able to take a picture of the garage and basement while we were there as well. We're nervous and excited about this move all at the same time. We're all a little bit sad as well about leaving all of our friends and family. That is going to be the hardest part of all of this, but the adventure brings so much excitement that I know it won't hit me until after we get there that I'm missing everyone I love like crazy!

Living room front door

Living room into the dining room

looking down from upstairs

Kid's bedroom upstairs (Jack and Jill bathroom)

Kids bathroom

Bonus room over the garage. (Perfect toy room, don't you think?)

Bonus Room - it has a huge closet as well

Master Bedroom

Master/hall bath

Over 1,000sf of basement available. I can't wait to turn this part into an excercise room and tv room!

This part of the basement is plummed for a bathroom and we will put in a bedroom as well so there is always an extra bedroom for people to come visit!

So, it's definitely going to be an adjustment, but we're so excited about our new adventure. Please know there is always room for anyone who wants to visit any time! I know Kentucky is pretty far for some of you, but we'll be coming back to Oregon frequently, so we'll see you around!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T20:06:00.000-05:00

I was reading my friend's blog this afternoon. I know I haven't written nearly enough and I will definitely be writing a lot more once we move, but just because most of the things we do in our lives are with the people that read this blog, doesn't mean that I can't spend some time and write about things other than events.

This month I have had so much going on that I am actually so overwhelmed, it's almost unbearable. The beginning of the month actually started with finding out that I was pregnant. Kyle and I have been praying about it for a while and thought that it was time to have another baby. We were excited and couldn't keep it to ourselves, which meant more people knew than we probably should have told. I didn't start feeling sick though and thought I may get off lucky with this pregnancy. I was keeping myself healthy and workingout so I didn't gain more weight than was necessary. Unfortunately, things weren't right with the pregnancy and I ended up losing the baby. It was a hard lose for me for some reason. I wasn't very far along, but the hormones were enough to make me horribly sad. The same night that I lost the baby, I found out my grandpa had passed away. Needless to say, that was a hard night for me and there was a lot of crying involved.

This isn't a blog post all about sadness though. I'm posting it because these sad things made me realize just how much I do have to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for my FAMILY. Both my extended family and my immediate family. I have been blessed with wonderful parents who have always loved and supported me. I have a mother-in-law who loves me like I was her own child. What a blessing it is to know that I am loved and accepted by all those around me. My HUSBAND may be the best person in the whole world. He dealt with the hormones while I was pregnant and cried with me the day so much sadness took place. He is my best friend. He knows me better than I know myself and for that, I am especially grateful! I'm thankful for my children. They can be some of the sweetest kids ever when they want to be. Even though they aren't a joy at every moment of the day, they are beautiful, healthy, talented, and loving kids who I adore!

I'm thankful for PRAYER. About two months ago Kyle found out that there was a job opening in Kentucky that he really wanted to apply for. It is kind of a promotion and a pay raise as well. We prayed about it and felt that if Kyle got the job, we should do it. We aren't in Kentucky yet, but everything that we needed to have happen is working out so far. We knew we couldn't afford to move and needed the company to help and they did. They are willing to help so much that we can actually buy a home there and have a place of our own. We prayed again that things would work out with our house here and we would be able to sell it and not worry about it. Not long after, we had a family in our ward approach us about possibly buying it. It's not a done deal yet and anything can happen, but the fact that they want it is a huge first step for us. This job means that Kyle can come home at regular hours now. I don't have to wonder if he will be home for dinner or in time for me to make it to a meeting or a school function. He doesn't have to miss family outings and even bedtime. He will be able to commute by bike if he wants to and he'll be able to have more energy for things around the house when he gets home because it won't be a physically demanding job. I'm so thankful for this opportunity for our family. While he is doing this, he'll be able to finish school, which the company will pay for and then he can go into management if he chooses. He can't actually do that until he has his bachelors degree, so the fact that he will actually be able to study and take online classes while he is working is a HUGE deal to us.

I'm thankful for the GOSPEL. My grandpa died last week. He and my grandma just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. My family is sad, but those of us who know him and have the gospel in our lives, know that he is happy. He wasn't the same man he was when I was younger. He's been in a body that wasn't working anymore and was getting worse and worse all the time. We had a small memorial service for him and although I was sad that he wasn't on this earth any more in the sense I was used to, I knew that he was happy now. He is with my aunt who has passed on and my cousin as well. He is obviously with his brothers and sisters and parents. I hope he gets a chance to chat with my dad's mom as well just for us. I'm thankful to know that I am sealed to my sweet grandpa for eternity. I'm thankful to know that I am sealed to my husband and children along with the rest of my family if we live worthy lives. I will definitely be working harder at keeping myself worthy to live with all of those I love for eternity.

I'm thankful for my friends. My dear visiting teachers who I should just put in as friends, but they hold a special place in my heart. I'm thankful for my visiting teaching companion who keeps me going every month or follows along on the months I keep her going. I'm thankful for the understanding sisters who I visit teach and let me bring my kids! They are women of great understanding for sure and great friends! I'm thankful for my friend, Sandra, who thought that the sisters in our ward could use some more exercise and started a workout group to help us meet our goals and push ourselves harder than we would on our own. I'm thankful for my sister-in-laws who visit and talk, and help me whenever I need it. I don't consider them just sister-in-laws, but sisters. For three of them, if my brothers mess up, I'm keeping my sisters over them any day!

Even with sadness this month, I have so much to be thankful for. Many things I can't even name, but know that there is a long list that I haven't even gotten to.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Our Lesson in Saving

2011-08-25T11:11:00.000-04:00

We've been working on teaching our children that if they want something, they have to save for it. Frequently they will want something and ask us to buy it for them and they will pay us back when they earn the money, but they never do, so we've changed our strategy. From now on, they have to have the money, there is no credit in our house anymore! We've decided this is a good lesson to learn in life anyway, so we're sticking with it.

Celeste has been, on occasion, earning her allowance to save up to buy a purse. She ended up finding a less expensive purse that she liked and then had money left over to buy a Barbie Car. She really wanted the Jeep, but once we got to the store, she found out it was twice as much as the car. She then had a choice to make, does she save more for the Jeep or does she buy the car now? She chose to buy the car and was so proud of herself. Over the years we have purchased so many toys for her and she hardly ever takes care of them, unless they are toys she really loves. You would not believe how well she takes care of this car. She loves it! Her brother has now taken off the stickers, so we are going to have to decal the car, but you would think this car was real with how much she loves it. We had to take pictures and blog it because she is just so proud that she was able to pay for it all by herself with her own money.

Do you have any secrets about teaching your kids about money?

Grim and Kyle's 5K

2011-08-10T14:25:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago Kyle and Grim signed up for a 5K doggie run. We were a little nervous about it because Grim has only run with Kyle a few times, so we didn't know how it would go, but Grim just keeps going when Kyle is with him, so they did an amazing job. Kyle was able to shave a couple minutes off his 5K time this time around and we were so proud of him. The bonus, there was a park for the kids to play for the 29 minutes that it took Kyle to run the 5K!

Camping

2011-07-15T00:16:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we went camping again. Spencer and Erin suggested that we invite Cavan, Sarah, Casey and Roy'l so the kids would have more kids to play with. We decided to try out McIver State Park. It's not too far away and it is a huge park. We took bikes to ride and we went on a hike and played in the water. The kids seemed to have a good time and played hard everyday. The weather was perfect for camping as well, so the whole weekend turned out to be perfect. Thank you all for coming with us and enjoying the beautiful outdoors that we are blessed with in Oregon!

4th of July

2011-07-14T23:51:00.000-04:00

For the last few years we have been going to Corbett for the 4th of July and this year was no different! We had dinner at my parents house and then headed up to Corbett for an old fashioned candy throwing parade. The kids love going up. We don't ever have to take treats with us for the day because they have so much candy we end up having to throw some away when they won't eat it any more!

We were able to get a few pictures, but I didn't really take any that were of worth, other than for our family. We did have the opportunity to hang out with our friends though, which I really enjoyed! Thank you Amanda and Bryan for deciding to bring your kids for the day and hang out with us!

We love this time of year, when the family can be together and enjoy each other! Happy Independance Day to all!!

Eddie is learning to ride his bike without training wheels. We got a few pictures of him without the training wheels, but because he still has a hard time getting on his bike and stopping, he has the training wheels back on, just bent up so he doesn't use them while he's riding. We've had a few close calls with him not being able to stop, so we'll probably keep them on for a little while longer!

July is turning out to be just as busy as June was, but summer isn't any fun if you aren't busy, right!?!

The Month of June has come and Gone!!

2011-07-13T16:41:00.000-04:00

Well, I did it again! I didn't write all month and feel silly about it. I can recap though (without tons of postings!!

Starlight Parade!

So, this year Kyle made a goal to be able to run in the Starlight Run before the parade. He trained and started dieting with me for a month or two before the run. He lost about 20 pounds and could actually run the 5k for the Starlight run. I was so proud of him and his accomplishment! He did such a good job, considering it was the first time he had run any type of race since we've been married! (10 years this year!!)

Unfortunately, the proud feeling I had didn't last very long when I realized that my Eddie was gone. He was trying to find me and ended up wandering 5 blocks away in Downtown Portland. It was the most terrifying feeling that I have ever had in my life. The last picture that I took of him before he wandered off was of him with his airplane hat, which he was wearing when he got lost. I must say that I am blessed though. He loves policemen and knew to tell a police officer when he couldn't find me. After we found each other again, all I could do was thank Heavenly Father for a little boy who was smart enough to tell someone he knew he could trust, so he could find his way back to me!

Gordon and Kyle watching the parade. Kyle is wearing his shirt from the run!

We also went on our first camping trip of the season in June with Erin and Spencer. We were able to buy a new tent and checked out a campground that I hadn't been to in years. It was a lot of fun for the kids and close enough that when we had to make a run to the store, it wasn't too far away! Grim loved it too!

Celeste was a busy girl this month also! She has been taking ballet and the week after school was out, she was able to be a part of a drama camp that is held by a friend from our ward. She loved it and did a fabulous job as the wicked queen and old lady in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She definitely has a calling in drama! The camp instructor said that she hopes Celeste will consider joining them in the fall when they start working on their next play/musical. I told her I am going to try to get Celeste to do this because she is so talented at it.

Sister also had her end of the year recital. I didn't get a really great picture of her dancing, so I didn't put it in. But she stayed still so we could get a picture at the end!

Celeste and Mrs. Lisa, her instructor. She is the sweetest teacher for these little girls. She loves them and thanks them every week for coming to class. She hugs them and kisses their cheeks and brings them gifts for their birthdays. She is the best teacher I could have asked for for Celeste!

It was a fun June and July is turning out just as great! More posts to come!!

May

2011-05-31T15:06:00.000-04:00

So, May has come and gone and I haven't written! Here is a short version of what is going on in the Hunter Family until I get pictures!!

Kyle and I are working on making ourselves healthier this year. Kyle is running his first 5K this Saturday for the Starlight Parade. He's lost enough weight now that he had to buy some new pants this weekend until he's down to his goal! I am working out at least 3 times a week and we are both eating healthier than we have ever eaten in our lives and love it!!

Kyle got to go to the flag plant again this year as cub master, but forgot the camera, so I don't have any pictures of Eddie and Celeste placing the flags on the graves. I was pretty bummed about that, but my friend emailed me some pictures she was able to take of the kids, so I still have pictures to enjoy! (Thank you soooo much Amanda!)

We are just about done getting everything we need for the camping season. We plan on going camping several times this summer, so stay tuned for camping pictures all summer long!

My Problem

2011-04-04T19:46:00.000-04:00

I'm just thinking about this. It isn't the worst thing in the world, or the biggest problem that I have, but it is a problem for me. For Christmas Kyle got me a Barnes and Noble Nookbook. He thought that with as much as I love to read, I may enjoy it. Well, he was absolutely right unfortunately. Do you know how easy it is to check out a book for the Nook or buy a new book that you want? WAY too easy! It also means that I can always get a new book whenever I want it. Don't get me wrong, I know there isn't anything wrong with reading, but when your house goes downhill because of it, that is a HUGE problem. My house could be falling down around me and I wouldn't know because I'm too into my book to look up or notice. Like I said, it's not a serious problem, other than that it is almost dinner time and I haven't decided what I'm making for dinner because I was reading, but how cool is it that I can even set my Nook down and not have to bookmark it because it's electronic and will do it for me, so I'm right back at it within seconds! Cool huh? It's not a big problem for others, but for me, I love to read. What's a problem that you have because you love it so much? I'm interested to know!

My Birthday Week

2011-03-19T15:18:00.000-04:00

This past week I celebrated my birthday. I have no problem celebrating my birthday because it means that I get to have cheesecake with all of my family and favorite people!

Kyle attached some balloons to my rocking chair and whenever I sit in my rocking chair I always have little boys crawling in my lap to cuddle. It's my favorite thing to do with them, but my party was no different. My Eddie was right there to cuddle while I rocked him!

My favorite kind of cake is cheesecake. We don't have it often, but I think I have had it every year for my birthday since Kyle and I were married and maybe before, I'm not quite sure. This We get a plain cheesecake from Costco (or two because there are a lot of us!) and buy different toppings so everyone can have what they want!

As always, I am the practical one. I don't need anything usually and I'm the one that takes care of purchasing things for the home, so I don't usually want for anything that is practical for the house. This year however, I had two wants that are perfect for my practical self. I asked for a new ice cream scoop and a garlic press. I'm the happiest girl ever!!

I didn't take any pictures at dinner on my birthday, but we went to Roadhouse with Kyle's mom and my mom. We enjoyed the yummy food and of course the servers sang to me. My parents also took me out for lunch with the boys, just to Burger King, but it's more that we usually do because I'm trying to keep the eating out to a minimun around here. It's been a great week and even though I'm getting older number wise, I am so blessed for my wonderful familiy and all of my friends who love and support me.

Celeste's Crazy Hair

2011-03-10T16:10:00.001-05:00

I just had to post this because it is so funny. Today is Celeste's school's crazy hair day. Kyle put her hair in two pig tails and two braids. She wasn't sure about what everyone at school would think, but her hair is definitely crazy today!!

Dover Snow Day

2011-03-10T15:59:00.001-05:00

Last weekend Kyle wanted to get the family together to go up the Lake Merwin for the day because there was so much snow. During the week there was between 2-3 ft., but some of it melted, so there was only about a foot left by the time we got up there. Only having a foot of snow didn't bother us at all though. There was so much snow and it was untouched! It was the perfect snow for making a snowman and throwing snowballs. I started helping Celeste make a snowman, and then Aunt Roy'l helped finish it. It was hard to find rocks and stuff for the face, but we did what we could. Eddie loved making snow balls and tossing them for Grim. Grim would get so confused and keep looking around for his ball then run back to Eddie to try again. That was really funny to watch.

After lunch of chili and corn bread, we decided to go up the road to a hill to do some sledding/tubing. All of the side streets weren't plowed, so it was actually a road that we were sledding down, but you can't tell from the pictures. Gordon, Eddie, and Javin were the most fun to watch. They loved going down that hill over and over. Eddie got really fast and I thought we might lose him in the street a couple of times because he could really pick up speed. The dogs loved running up the hill with people on the sleds and then run down the hill with whoever was coming down. We got a little worried every once in a while because we thought for sure that they were going to get plowed by someone coming down the hill!

Over all it was a fabulous last day of snow before the spring and summer. I wish we got more snow in town during the winter, but at least we had access to snow if we couldn't have it at home!

Monster Trucks

2011-03-10T15:51:00.001-05:00

Last month Kyle wanted to take the boys to see the monster trucks when they came to town. I was a bit leary because they are so loud, but thanks to Harbor Freight and their cheap, but very effective ear muffs, the boys took off with Casey and Javin for a fun afternoon. The boys loved the dinosaur that ate the cars. They love watching monster trucks on tv with their dad and playing with them, so it was so much fun for them to be able to see the monster trucks in person.

Girl's Weekend

2011-02-09T23:38:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go to Seaside with my sister-in-laws and mother-in-laws. Erica was kind enough to invite us to have a weekend away with just the girls (and her son, Stevie). The view was amazing. I forgot to take pictures of the hotel itself, but the view from our balcony and livingroom window was AMAZING. We were right on the corner of the building over looking the circle and watched the waves of the ocean into the night.

I don't do things, like go to the beach, without my family ever, but we may make this an annual event or at least do it again next year if all works out because we shopped, talked, played games, went hot tubing and just relaxed. Thank You to my Hunter sisters and mom for a fabulous weekend, I really hope we can do it again next year!!

This is the view we had from inside the livingroom. GORGEOUS!!!

These are the views outside on the balcony. It was gray, but not raining for most of the weekend, and we didn't care if it was raining anyway!

Hunter Family Snow Day 2011

2011-01-12T14:42:00.001-05:00

A month or go Kyle decided he really wanted to take a day at the beginning of this year to go to the mountain and play in the snow. His family knows of a great place to go tubbing. There is a shelter with a wood stove, so you can bring a pot of whatever you want to keep warm and water to boil for hot chocolate and play for several hours without too many cold problems. We kept our kids out of school, bundled them up and drove to the mountain for the day.

Eddie coming down the mountain with cousin Breanne. They were coming so fast, Eddie ended up with snow in his eyes and he never did go back up that particular hill. Don't worry though, there were other hills that he had no problem going down all day long!

Celeste had a great day. She started off with the easy hill, but after several rounds, decided that she needed more adventure and went for one of the larger hills.

Auntie Erin with Stevie 3. It was Stevie's first time in the snow and he enjoyed every minute of it!

Aunt Cheryn and Uncle Brandon bought Gordon snow toys (sand toys, but Gordon could care less what the original intent was for!) This is Stevie 3 playing with Aunt Cheryn in the snow.

Kyle going down the big hill. He went almost to the top before he was too tired and decided to just go down. There was ice under the snow, so it was rather slippery and there were ice bumps, so Kyle got some good air.

The cousins sharing a sled down the little hill. They loved going up and down that hill all day. They would climb up themselves just so they could get someone to push them down.

Gordon's nap time was right during our trip and he was NOT going to let the fun stop him until he just couldn't cope anymore. He fell asleep by the fire, so we laid him on the table net to the fire to keep warm. He didn't sleep long, but it was long enough that he woke up in a good mood!

Grandma figured out that the birds loved corn bread and started feeding them. Then Breanne started feeding them and Stevie 3 wanted to try it too.

The bird landed on Bre's hand many times, but when it finally started perching there long enough to get pictures, we were all excited! It was so cool!!

It was a beatiful day at the mountain. The weather was perfect for a day of sledding with the kids and we didn't have any accidents to worry about. Heavenly Father sure showed us His love that day as we enjoyed a day as a family! I can't wait to do it again next year!!

Gordon's 2nd Birthday

2011-01-12T14:17:00.001-05:00

Gordon had a birthday! His second one and boy was he ready. We have been practicing singing to him for a week and he sings with us. He was actually singing to himself while everyone else was singing at his party as well. Gordon LOVES Mickey Mouse, Elmo, trains and anything boy, so it was no surprise that all of the gifts he received were so exciting to him. He was in heaven!

Gordon was so excited when he saw Elmo on those jammies!

Gordon gave Elmo loves when he opened it.

Happy Birthday my Gordon Boy! I still can't believe it has already been two years.

Hunter Family Christmas Party

2010-12-22T20:11:00.000-05:00

It is officially the Christmas Season! We celebrate Christmas with Kyle's family the Sunday before Christmas as a new tradition because Christmas Eve and Day are so busy, that it is just easier to celebrate before hand. It has really worked out well so far because then we can have Christmas Eve dinner at home and invite Grandma over and the kids can go to bed at a decent hour. We are also going to reinstate a tradition that the Hunter family used to do and go kazooing. They couldn't always remember the words to songs, so they would kazoo the songs at people's houses, so we are going to try it this year. (Those pictures will come later!)

We are fortunate that Aunt Erin is married to someone who has a father who LOVES to play Santa. This is the second year Santa has come to our family party. At first Gordon wouldn't go to Santa, but then when he heard that he could have a candy cane, he was all for it. Unfortunately, my camera wouldn't turn on in time, so I'll post the picture when my sister-in-law has a chance to email it.

We were just in the middle of getting ready to open gifts from Grandma when Santa showed up, so the kids didn't know what to do. They wanted to see Santa, but they didn't want to leave their gifts. We had to tell them they could put their gifts down to go see Santa!

This is the gift that I got from Marla for Christmas. I have the BEST mother-in-law. She has known for a while that I would love to have a fainting couch and she found one at an estate sale. Apparently it was pretty yucky, but after cleaning and painting, it is beautiful and I can't wait to put it in my house!!!

Eddie's Birthday

2010-12-17T17:04:00.000-05:00

Honestly, I still can't believe my little boy is 4. He's getting so big. He can't go to kindergarten for two more years, but he is going to be able to go to preschool next year and he's really excited about the thought of being able to go to school like Celeste.

Eddie wanted a Lightening cake again like every year, so once again, I made him Lightening.

What are Eddie's likes this year?

Toy Story is a new like, but he loves it. He also loves Cars, cars, and anything boy!

Kyle and I decided to buy him a Leapster 2 for his birthday because he is constantly taking his sisters without asking, so we remedied it! He is in love with it and we are love with it because it often keeps him occupied while other things are happening!

Aunt Erin and Uncle Spencer got Eddie a Cars tent for his bed. This is Celeste and Eddie on Eddie's bed playing their Leapsters together. It was too cute not to take a picture!

Happy Birthday my Eddie Boy, I love you!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2010-12-17T16:36:00.000-05:00

So, I'm catching up slowly, but surely! After Thanksgiving we took out or Christmas decorations and our Christmas tree to decorate for Family Home Evening. We talked about Baby Jesus and we put the ornaments on the tree. I decided to not worry about what the finished tree looked like and let the kids completely decorate the bottom of it, so if you come to my house, don't look too closely at the tree!

Gordon LOVED decorating the tree. Often the ornaments would fall off after he put them on, but he never got frustrated and just tried again until the ornament would stay on!

Eddie got to put the star on the tree this year. Next year is Gordon's turn and Celeste is so upset that she has to wait for two years to have a turn again, but she'll get over it!

Our finished tree. It doesn't have the tree skirt on in this picture, and the ornaments are perfect, but the kids LOVED every minute of it and we are ready for the season!

Happy Halloween

2010-11-02T00:45:00.000-04:00

This year, Halloween has been lots of fun. Gordon is older and understands what is going on a little more, so everything has been a lot of fun for all of our kids. I think the only thing we missed this year was making sugar cookies, so we'll try and add that to our activity list next year!

A week before Halloween we carved pumpkins. Casey and Roy'l came over with Javin and brought Roy'l's brother to carve their pumpkins. While we were starting, Kyle's sister, Erin, called to see what we were doing. When she found out we were carving pumpkins she wanted to come over and join in the festivities. She's still newly married and with it just being the two newly weds, it doesn't seem as fun to carve pumpkins without lots of people around. We had a house full, but had so much fun.

I do have to say, Gordon LOVED all of the pumpkin activities. He was even eating the raw pumpkins and seeds. It was slightly gross for the rest of us to watch, but he just loved the whole experience!

These are most of the pumpkins all lit up after they were done being carved.

Friday before Halloween Casey called to see what we were doing, so we came up with plans! We decided to have homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner and then make caramel apples for dessert. Eddie was supposed to go with Nana that night to spend the night with Leann, so we invited Nana and Leann over for caramel apples also. It was a sticky mess, but the kids LOVED all of the yumminess. Okay, the adults loved it too, but you can tell from the little boys that they definitely loved it!!

Javin and Gordon enjoying their caramel apples!

HALLOWEEN NIGHT

Gordon did great with keeping his costume on this year and being able to say "Trick or Treat", but he definitely prefered the candy! Kyle always takes the kids out and I stay home to pass out candy. I don't seriously know how he did at the door, but he sure loved going out. He was so upset when he had to come inside! (He's an elephant, but has been called an aardvark by Uncle Casey!)

Celeste was going to be a zombie Little Red Riding Hood, but a few days before Halloween, she decided she wanted to be Sleeping Beauty because Auntie Erin's dog was going to be Sleeping Beauty. So, here is my princess instead of my zombie! Eddie wanted to be Lightening McQueen over a month ago. I was looking for used costumes because I didn't want to pay for the costume, but I wasn't able to find anything. Then I went to a consignment sale and found Mater for $5! It was the best day ever to be able to find the costume for so cheap. So, I brought it home and we talked Eddie into the costume and he has been excited to be Mater ever since.

I hope everyone had a great Halloween. We sure did. Now it's on to Thanksgiving!!

Hood River Harvest Festival

2010-10-27T01:13:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago we went to Hood River to go through the fruit loop like we do every year. It was the most beautiful day! The sun was shining and we were able to go to all of the places we love to go the most. There is this great cookie and pie store that we just have to go to every year, if not for the cookies, for the hand held pies - yumm! Of course we had to go to the pumpkin patch also so the kids could find the perfect pumpkin for them. They had so much fun being able to walk around without rain or mud and we were even able to get a family picture with the pumpkins. I love this time of year with all of the fun fall activities and holidays. I'll be posting our carved pumpkins next when I have a chance to download the pictures! Until then, Happy Fall!!

Fishing

2010-06-22T14:34:00.000-04:00

Kyle took the two older kids fisihing a few Saturdays ago and took pictures of the kids, so I thought I would share them. It ended up being a beautiful day that day and they had a great time, even if they didn't catch anything!

For Father's Day we got Kyle his own tackle box, so he doesn't have to borrow my dad's anymore because Celeste and Eddie have both decided that fishing is something they really enjoy with their dad. With pictures like these, you can't really blame them can you?

The Zoo

2010-06-12T19:42:00.001-04:00

On Friday my parents took all the grandkids and moms to the zoo for the day. We had a great time with all of the kids now old enough to know what is going on. The little ones loved watching the big animals and the older kids loved learning new things about the zoo even though they have been a few times before. Since my parents have a yearly pass I'm hoping we get to go a lot this summer and really help the kids learn new and different things about the zoo and the animals.

They have a new African exhibit and when you first walk through there are some drums there for the kids to play. Celeste and Eddie loved trying these out.

In the new African exhibit they also have lions. We couldn't see the lions well while they were sitting on top of the rocks, but the statues of the lions were fun. Celeste enjoyed climbing on them with the other kids and was willing to take a picture for me!

While some of the other kids were in the petting zoo, Gordon got a chance to get out of the stroller and run around. He loved climbing on the benches and chasing the birds.

Starlight Parade

2010-06-12T19:16:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday we were able to go to the Starlight Parade again. It was raining all week and we really thought that there was a possibility that we couldn't go, but it ended up being really nice and a perfect day for a parade. These are just a few of the pictures taken of the parade. During the Starlight run that happens before the parade, there was a guy running who was dressed up like an outhouse.

Celeste enjoyed playing with the glow necklaces.

Gordon enjoyed running away from us and eating the bubble wand!

And Eddie LOVED the sidewalk chalk. I have never seen him draw and color the way he did in the street. Since then it has been really rainy, but every chance he gets he wants to draw on the street!

I love being able to take my kids to these kinds of things. We decided not to go to the Rose Parade this year because Kyle wanted to take the kids fishing and I just wasn't really up for it, but we will probably have at least one more parade to go to next month, so my kids will be ready!

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-02T15:54:00.000-04:00

This weekend was a rainy weekend to kick off the summer, but before the weekend began Kyle had the opportunity to take Eddie to a flag plant up at the veterans cemetary. Kyle had never been before. We think that his pack and troop never participated in flag plants, but he is sure glad that our pack now does, so he could be there to participate. Eddie said his favorite part was the guns shooting and the helicopters flying over head. He also seemed to enjoy saying the names and then telling them thank you while saluting them. I love that Kyle got a picture of Eddie saluting, it's so cute!

Saturday we stayed around town so Kyle could get some homework done and Celeste could attend a birthday party. On Sunday we went up to Lake Merwin to visit with my family who were up there already for the weekend. It rained so much over the weekend though, that we had to have a propane fire pit under the canopy. That's camping for ya!

Even in the rain, Gordon and my nephew, Javen, had a great time playing together. They don't always play together, but they sure had a great time running around, playing in the grass and soaking themselves. .We just let them play until bedtime and then got them nice and warm in their pjs, so they didn't miss a minute.

We went home Sunday night to get a good night rest because we planned to spend the day with Kyle's brother, Brandon, and his family. We went back up to Washington hike the Ape Caves at Mt. Saint Helens. I had been once when I was a kid and Kyle remember going once when he was a kid as well, but neither of us had been in a long time, so it was fun for us to go. With the kids there, we just hiked the lower cave, which was almost more than enough for Gordon and Eddie, but we had a great time. It is definitely somethine we'll have to remember to do again when we are trying to think of an activity to do in the future. We took glow necklaces and braclets for the kids and the kids had their own flashlights, so they could look around and keep themselves from getting scared.

We are definitely ready for summer to be here, now we just have to convince the weather that is is summer!

A Sticky Situation

2010-05-28T16:34:00.000-04:00

I have no pictures because it was in no way humorous at the moment, but now I'm wishing I had at least one picture to show. Oh well!

I was emailing some people and finishing up some eBay stuff this very afternoon when I realized that my boys were playing together way too well without whining or crying. When I went to investigate, I found both boys on top of the table playing in something liquid. As I got closer I realized it was honey. Yes, honey, a brand new bottle of honey. It is now only about a quarter full when it started out completely full with the seal still on it. Eddie is getting WAY too big, that's all I have to say.

Both boys have been in the bath now for a while. Since I couldn't punish them because they had no choice but to get in the bath, I think the punishment is going to be to ignore them when the water is cold and they want to get out! They love the bath, but there was no choice. Their clothes were covered in honey. They had it in their hair and on their faces, they had to have a bath. Is that a bad way to punish? When they are freezing cold and want out of the bath, they will know that something they did was wrong, right!?!

Working in the Yard

2010-03-30T01:17:00.001-04:00

On Saturday the weather was nice enough to get out in the yard and finally mow for the first time this season. It was nice last weekend, but we were at the beach and Kyle doesn't usually have time during the week because of school, so Saturday was the day! Eddie got to help Dad mow the lawn with his bubble mower. He followed him all over the place with that thing and loved every minute of it!

Gordon has been wanting to walk around the back yard for weeks now, but because we have a dog and this was the first time we have gotten out in the back yard to take care of doggy "gifts", Gordon has been able to walk around and play in the back yard, so Saturday was his day to enjoy his yard!

Grim loved having us all in the yard to play and throw the ball for him. Our new neighbors have a little yappy dog who wanted to come play too, so we promised to set up a doggy play date soon. The kids loved playing outside while we worked. Gordon didn't want to get off the swing, he had so much fun. It was a nice afternoon for everyone!

With as much as we love winter and all of the excitement that it brings, I think the Hunter family is ready for some summer fun around our house!

The Oregon Coast 3/20/2010

2010-03-21T23:18:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago Casey and Roy'l called us and asked us if we would be interested in going to the beach for a day in March. Casey had to take some vacation, so they thought it would fun to go to the beach. They also asked Cavan and Sarah if they would like to go and they asked Cameo, but she said they were just there, so she wasn't interested in going again. A day before she decided that she would like to come with us and bring Leann to play with her cousins. Unfortunately Mom and Dad ended up having other plans by the time they learned that we were all going, so they didn't get to come, but we will definitely have to plan another trip with everyone next time!

We decided we really wanted to spend the whole day there, so we left Gresham just after 7am and drove straight to Tillamook for ice cream for breakfast! Since we were there so early we didn't have to worry too much about the kids because no one else was there. We wandered around and took lots of pictures of the kids in the face cutouts that they had. We went and watched the workers making the cheese and packaging the cheese then went back downstairs to sample cheese and get our squeeky cheese. Then, it was on to the ICE CREAM!! They have a new flavor called Grandma's Cake Batter that I just had to try, and I have decided that it is really good and I like it. It honestly tastes just like cake batter with sprinkles!

We then went on to Cannon Beach. The wind was really strong, but Cavan and Kyle had to try out the kites they bought at one of the shops there. Celeste also bought a mini kite that she was able to keep up in the air fairly easily and Eddie got to try it out as well. Gordon got to feel the sand on his feet for the first time and wanted none of it. He cried and insisted on being held the whole time so he didn't have to touch the ground!

I really wanted a family picture on the beach since we had people there with us to take a picture, but Eddie wanted to keep playing and did not want to waste time on a picture, so we didn't get a nice picture with him because the sand is much more fun than standing still!

We then went on to Seaside. It was still really windy, so we found a place for lunch then went on to the carrousel for the kids. It was Gordon's first time on the carrousel and he loved it. He and Eddie both cried when they had to get off of it, so once again, we had to fight with them because they were kicking and screaming to stay on. By the time we got off the carrousel it was raining outside, so we didn't go to the beach and instead went shopping. Now, when I drive all the way to the beach, I like to play on the beach, but when it is raining, I don't want to fight with grouchy kids, so we shopped! Mostly just looked, but it was fun to go into shops and the outlet mall and walk around.

Then we went on to Astoria for dinner. The last time Kyle and I went to Astoria with our family we found this great cafe called "The Wet Dog". We LOVED it and that was my only request when we went this time is that we go to Astoria for dinner there. Everyone else agreed and all seemed to enjoy it as much as Kyle and I enjoy it. By the end of dinner it was after 8pm and the kids were exhausted and ready to fall asleep on the way home. We are lucky in the fact that our kids will sleep in the car and then go straight to bed afterwards, so we had a great, quiet trip home and no fights at bedtime! I don't know about my siblings, but it was a great day for us and I hope we can do it again sometime!!

Scouting has begun!

2010-03-20T00:50:00.000-04:00

I know, it's a few years early to start scouting, but not within the Church! I guess Heavenly Father knew that Kyle will always be a kid at heart and he loves scouting, so he was the right choice to be the Cub Master. He's so excited about it. Of course, he was called right after the scout training and the parent committee meeting, so he hasn't actually had any meetings with the parents, but he did get called in time to make it to his first round table meeting before the Blue & Gold dinner tonight. Apparently the pack hasn't had a cub master for a while and the den leaders have had to take turns handing out awards and conducting meetings, so they were excited as well to have someone in the calling that wants to be there. Our home teacher figured out that if we don't move out of the ward, Kyle could potentially be in this calling for the next 9 years. (Kyle said he wouldn't mind!)

Anyway, tonight was the Blue & Gold and Red & Green dinner combined to celebrate 100 years of scouting. It was actually really fun for the whole family because Celeste's friends and one of Eddie's friends was there to support their brothers. Celeste's primary teacher was there for her son in boy scouts, so she sat next to us. Kyle has a few things to learn, but over all, he actually did really well for it being the first time he has ever met the boys and not having been in cub scouts in a long time. For those who know Kyle, you know that he has no problem being silly and speaking to people, so this will be a fun calling for him.

The first two pictures are of Kyle passing out awards and meeting the boys for the first time.The third picture is the scouts with the cakes they made with their moms for the celebration.

My Birthday

2010-03-16T17:01:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday was my birthday, but it's much more fun to celebrate all weekend, right!? Saturday night we invited our friends over for games after the kids were in bed and we could enjoy ourselves. We stayed up playing games and eating all sorts of unhealthy food until we couldn't think any more. It was so fun to have our friends here, thanks so much for coming everyone who was able to. I know it's hard to find babysitters sometimes, but I sure had a good time!

Then on Sunday evening we had all of our family over at our little house for tons of noise, dinner and birthday cheesecake! My mom did a great job of taking pictures of everyone for me. I have to thank you for that Mom, I had too much on my mind to take pictures, so I'm grateful you thought about it!

Last night we finally went to experience Buffalo Wild Wings. It was actually really good. I got this massive burger that I could only eat half of and had to bring the other half home for lunch today. The kids shared some pulled-pork sandwiches and Kyle had to get the wings. He also asked them to bring some Mango sauce. He thought it would be nice and sweet and taste really good just to find out that it was three from the top on the very spicey side, so he was burning up before he realized what it was! It was fun to take the kids out. We have been doing our best not to go out often and have been succeeding so well that our kids were a bit crazy. We went early enough though that no one really cared, so it was an enjoyable night. I had a great birthday weekend and am so glad that I was able to spend it with all of the people that I love. Thank you all for celebrating with me!

Gordon's Firsts

2010-01-19T16:14:00.000-05:00

Gordon celebrated his first birthday on January 9th! Kyle had to work during the day which is actually really unusual for him to have to work on Saturdays, but it seemed to work out and Gordon had a fabulous birthday party with all of his family there to celebrate. We made homemade chicken nuggest and french fries. Everyone said they were great, so I hope that I am right in saying that the food was great. Since Kyle had to work during the day I ran out of time to decorate the mini birthday cakes, so the kids got to ice their own cakes, which they LOVED. I insisted that parents help their kids, so it didn't get too messy and the kids got to enjoy however much or little amount of icing and sprinkles they wanted. I did decorate a cake simply for Gordon so he had one to blow out and eat though. I definitely didn't do my best work in anyway, but he devoured the cake anyway, so it didn't really matter what it looked like! All in all, it was a great day. Thanks to everyone who helped celebrate GoGo's birthday and let him know we are happy he is a part of our family!!

As you can see in the pictures, Gordon got his first HAIRCUT!! I didn't want to, and at the same time, I knew it was time. He was looking a little too girly with that long hair, so it was time for it to go! All the boys got hair cuts and Kyle even shaved off the facial hair. It was weird to see him like that. He has had that facial hair since we moved into the house 3 1/2 years ago or maybe even longer, so it's been awhile since I've seen him without it. He decided it was bothering him too much and he needed a change, so that's how he did it. He also got a change in getting new glasses, but I haven't taken a picture of those yet, so that will have to come later. I do have to say about Gordon and Eddie though, that really the only thing different about the two boys features now is their size, other than that, it's like they are one in the same person. It's really fun and strange at the same time!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-19T14:31:00.000-05:00

Hunter Family Christmas

We started the season with the Hunters the Sunday before Christmas. We went to Grandma's house for breakfast and presents and Santa had a few spare minutes to stop by. My brother-in-law's dad dresses up for such occasions and was willing to stop by and be loved by the kids and Grandma. Grandma always tells the kids "if Santa wasn't already married, she would marry him!"

Christmas Lights

Monday Night that week we went with some friends to Peacock lane. We walked through because it was a perfect cold night for it and then we went and had hot chocolate afterwards. We really enjoyed being with our friends for the evening and have decided that we really need to do more activities with them!

Christmas Day

Christmas morning first thing we spent the morning at home opening our presents from Santa, etc. I posted those pictures in a slide show on the side. Later in the morning we went to Nana and Papa's house to open more presents from Nana and Papa. It is amazing how much work my parents put into Christmas for us still. I am in awe and will probably never be able to do that much without going completely crazy! When I think of all the thought that they put into the holidays to make sure that we have good memories, I know just how blessed I am and my kids are. They will always be able to remember Nana and Papa as being generous and loving. Thank you Mom and Dad for your love and effort. As you can see in the pictures - it does end up taking a toll on Mom because she was up way too late and up way too early to get everything done and get ready for Mike and Brooke to come. Next year I may talk her in to delegating a little and not taking on the whole burden!!

This year Christmas was a wonderful time of reflection for us all at the Hunter home. We enjoyed family and friends and the blessings of our Heavenly Father. I had the opportunity to participate in a sing-a-long of "The Messiah" and enjoyed the Spirit that it brought to the season. If we happen to play for it next year, I invite anyone in the Portland area to participate because it was such a wonderful event to start the season and help us remember our Savior.

Love from the Hunter Family!

Eddie's Birthday

2009-12-12T17:25:00.000-05:00

We had the privilege of celebrating Eddie's birthday twice this last week. We celebrated it with the Hunter family on Sunday evening and then again on Tuesday with the Dover's and Nana since it was her birthday too!

I asked Eddie what he wanted for dinner on his birthday and he said he wanted macaroni and cheese, so I made homemade mac and cheese with bacon for dinner. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, but I will definitely have to make it again so it is more consistent next time!

Eddie's likes haven't changed a whole lot since last year and everyone knows exactly what he likes, so it was no surprise that his birthday was full of Disney Cars! That seemed to be the theme for him and he LOVED it. He got Cars socks, a sleeping bag, a hauler and Celeste even bought him The King for his collection. Now we just have to teach him to share his cars with his brother! (I know, I won't hold my breath!)

Thank you to everyone who helped make his a happy little 3 year old on his birthday. I love him so much, it is so fun to watch him smile!

Grandma got him a Lightening scooter - needless to say, he is in love!

I forgot the camera at Nana's house, so I will post pictures of that night when my mom has a chance to send them! Happy Birthday Eddie and Mom!

Christmas Tree and Visiting Santa

2009-12-07T11:20:00.001-05:00

After Thanksgiving is always the perfect time to set up Christmas, right!?! Well, we had to wait until Saturday when Kyle didn't have to work to set up the tree. It also worked out well because we were inspired after going downtown to see the tree, so the kids actually wanted to put the tree up on Saturday. I decided that I wasn't going to fight it when the kids said they wanted to decorate the tree, so if you come to our house this year, it's not the most beautifully decorated tree, but it was done with love and excitment by the kids!

Celeste and Eddie decorating the tree. We have our tree in the corner this year with the couches blocking it so little hands can't get it!

Daddy and Eddie put the star on the tree together this year. Eddie loved being able to help Daddy!

A week after setting up the Christmas tree (Last Saturday) we had a ward Christmas breakfast and party and Santa came to visit! Celeste was so excited, but she was the only one from our family who would go near him, so our family picture is a little silly with Eddie refusing to face anywhere near Santa, but it's still a cute picture!

Thanksgiving and Christmas Tree Lighting

2009-12-07T10:48:00.000-05:00

We had such a nice Thanksgiving. It was very relaxed day starting with pie and the parade and then moving on to snacking and cooking and then on to football and relaxing while waiting for food to finish cooking. Kyle's mom always has pie for breakfast while she watches the parade, so that was what we did this year. We had such a great day in all!

The day after Thanksgiving Kyle wanted to take Celeste downtown to the tree lighting on Pioneer Square, so we packed up the kids and took them downtown on the MAX on a beautiful Friday evening. We got downtown just after they lit the tree, so walking on the sidewalk was like a fish swimming up stream! There were people everywhere, but everyone was happy and polite and the Christmas music was nice and loud and easy to sing to. After taking a picture of the tree and walking around, we went to the mall and walked around for a few minutes before heading back the way we came. I really enjoy simple and cheap outings like that. The kids love them and I don't have to spend a ton of money - What could be better!?!

We forgot our camera, so we used our cell phones to get pictures. They aren't the best, but I think you can still tell what it is!

Halloween

2009-11-17T14:48:00.000-05:00

It's only a little late, but I wanted to post Halloween pictures before Thanksgiving so I wasn't too late! We had a fun year this year and got lots of use out of Celeste's costume and a decent amount of use out of Eddie's costume. Gordon had some Halloween outfits, so he only wore his costume once, but it was enough! So, Celeste's costume was a Vampire Bat, Eddie was Winnie the Pooh, and Gordon was Winnie the Pooh's Honey Pot!

Celeste's school held a Harvest Festival and the kids could dress up. Eddie didn't want to, so Celeste dressed in her costume with makeup and all. She loved it! The festival itself wasn't spectacular, but the kids were able to get lots of candy and prizes, so they were happy!

Then Grandma's ward held a Halloween carnival with chili dogs, scones and a cake walk. All of the kids could win cake or cupcakes and our kids did just that. They didn't win just 1 cupcake, no, they won a plate of cup cakes, so we had dessert for a couple days in a row for the the family!

Kyle was Captain Hammer, this is a kid as the "as seen on tv" guy (Billy Mayes), and Auntie Erin looked great in that wig!

Then our own ward's Halloween festival came up the day before Halloween, so we were able to go to that. It was just a bunch of craziness, but the kids got to go trick or treating inside the building like we usually do every year and their cousins were there, and Nana and Papa had decorated a classroom for trick or treating, so the kids enjoyed it until they got too tired to think!

Of course, that brings us to Halloween! We went to lunch and a movie during the day with Grandma. I am disappointed in myself though because it was a momentous occasion in the fact that this was the day Grandma got her very first cell phone!!! We are so proud of her!!

That evening the kids went trick or treating with their cousins Javen and Leann. It was a great night for trick or treating and Eddie did not want to come home after they were finished, he could have kept going for a while longer if we had let him, but he ended up happy when we told him he could eat the candy if he came inside!

It was a great holiday and now we are ready for the next holiday season to begin!

Disney on Ice

2009-10-23T15:21:00.000-04:00

For Celeste's birthday we bought her tickets to Disney on Ice. We knew that she would love it and Eddie would love at least the Cars part, so we took the whole family. We should have forseen the fact that Gordon can't sit still for that long so he needed a babysitter, but other than that, it was a great time.

We got there early so we could take pictures of the princesses. The new princess, Tiana (I think) was there and Cinderella was there to take pictures of. We also took pictures of some of the princesses dresses and walked around a looked at all of the horribly expensive stuff that Disney so evily tries to sell to your kids knowing that your kids will throw a tantrum if they don't get their own way! Then we found our seats and the fun began!

Eddie loved the cars and both kids sang the songs from cars. Then The Little Mermaid came out. After that was The Lion King. Then there was an intermission, but poor Celeste didn't understand that there was a second half, so she thought we had to leave without seeing Tinker Bell. Poor girl, she was in tears and didn't want to get up, but really we just had her get up to go to the bathroom before the second half. After we explained things she was happy again and the second half was just as great as the first half. Celeste sang all of the songs from Tinker Bell and loved with Tinker Bell got to fly. Of course Mickey and Minnie were a favorite for both of our kids as well. Kyle said he was surprise at how good it was. I don't know why he wouldn't have liked it, it's Disney and it's expensive. If you have to pay for it, you better be able to enjoy it!!

The whole night was so much fun. Celeste was in heaven (if she tells you about it be sure to listen because this was her special thing!) and Eddie loved the part he actually saw! Gordon liked the music to begin with and danced during most of The Little Mermaid. We were able to get the tickets at a discounted rate and I think that we will definitely have to do it again sometime because we all had so much fun. (Next time we will leave the baby at home though - heads up Mom and Dad!!)

Celeste's First Day of School

2009-09-10T17:30:00.000-04:00

Celeste is now in first grade. She is in Mrs. Campbell's class, she has only been there for one day, but really likes it! I took her to school yesterday for her first day and got pictures of her sitting at her desk. She knows a few of the kids in her class and her friend from the neighborhood is in a different class, but they can see each other at recess, so she is happy. She's 6 years old and in first grade. I can't believe she's getting so big!!

Celeste's 6 year old Birthday Parties

2009-09-10T17:16:00.000-04:00

This year Celeste requested to have a birthday party with her friends and I knew that if I tried to have a party with her friends and our families altogether that we would all go crazy, so we split the day into two parties. Some may think I was crazy, but it actually went really well. The yard was clean for the day and all of the food was purchased before hand for both parties, plus I did all of the baking the few days before and we were set for the day and didn't have to try and keep the yard clean for more than one day (which is hard with a dog!!)

So, in the morning, we had Celeste's friends over for a party and lunch. We had a treasure hunt/pirate themed birthday party, so I made a treasure chest birthday cake. I googled "treasure chest cake" and found pictures of different cakes I could make. We had the elaborate one for the friends party, but I also had to make a cake for Celeste's friend who is lactose intolerant. She can't take pills or anything, so she just can't have any dairy. So, the pink cake was made especially for her. We had a treasure hunt around the neighborhood for the kids and a coloring contest that we ended up forgetting about and no one won anything! Oops!! She has some great friends who really know her because she absolutely LOVED all of her gifts.

Then, for the family party I made a little more simple cake for Celeste and Grandma Marla because their birthdays are only two days apart, so we celebrated them together. It is still a treasure chest, but I just baked candy bars into the cake instead of making two seperate cakes. We had so much cake from the morning party left over that we made everyone eat huge pieces of cake because at the family party so we wouldn't have any more left over cake! I don't know if everyone ate all of their cake, but I didn't care as long as it wasn't left in my house!

I think everyone had fun at both parties and Celeste enjoyed her day, so that was really all that mattered! I posted the pictures of her parties in a slide show on the side, so take a look there for the pictures of our 6 year old!

Gordon is Crawling!!

2009-08-17T19:14:00.000-04:00

It is happening! Gordon can now crawl. It is still slow going so far, but he's getting around and he loves the freedom to be able to move and get where he wants to go. I'm having to really get on the other two kids to keep things off the floor so Gordon can't get them, but it is worth it to have a happier baby! He wants to do everything his older siblings do, so he is well on his way!

Erin's Wedding

2009-08-03T14:51:00.000-04:00

We had a CRAZY weekend this weekend, but wonderful for the whole Hunter family. Erin and Spencer got married. A year and a half ago Erin wasn't sure what she thought of Spencer and boy has that changed. She is happy and looking forward to the future, wherever it may take her. Friday evening we spent the evening meeting Spencer's family and decorating for the reception at the church building. Kyle, Brandon, Jason, and Stephen spent time up on the ladder stringing lights and making sure they worked. During that time we also spent time wandering the church building trying to find where the round tables were kept just to find out that they were locked away in a closet. (Apparently they are afraid there will be a theft of large round tables or something!!) We decorated and moved things around and actually got home at a reasonable time of evening so the kids could go to bed and be ready for the next morning.

Saturday morning we got the kids bathed and fed and THEN got them dressed. Celeste was a flower girl with her cousins Kyleen and Tamsen and Spencer's niece. Eddie was the ring bearer and Gordon got to spend the morning with Uncle Jason. Michelle was asked to be the Matron of Honor, although all of us were there to help Erin in every way we could. We wouldn't have been able to pull most of it off without Cheryn there anyway, so it didn't really matter what any of us were called!! Erin also asked Kyle to walk her down the isle. Kyle and the twins have always been close. They had their fights growing up, but they have always been close, so it was an honor for Kyle to do that for her.

The wedding was short, but beautiful. The background of Multnomah Falls was spectacular and with the falls there was a cool breeze even though the heat was coming. We only started a half hour late too, so I was impressed overall!! Can you imagine a more perfect place for wedding pictures? During the ceremony the bishop encouraged us as their close friends and family help Spencer and Erin prepare to celebrate their first anniversary at the temple and I think that was the best thing he could have ever said. They want to be sealed and plan on working towards that over the next year, so I'm really excited to celebrate their first anniversary with them at the temple.

After the wedding we had a family luncheon and nap times and then got ready for the reception. Erin loves kids and fun and wanted this to be a party, and it was!!! She read that it is sometimes fun to have cotton candy and popcorn for kids at a reception, so they ended up making it a carnival theme complete with pizza, hot dogs, candy as decorations and to eat and of course, the cotton candy and popcorn. Erin also wanted to play songs that their siblings and other family members danced to at their own weddings, which made it even more memorable.

Over all it was a great day and so special for everyone. The Hunter family loves Spencer and is so excited for him to be an official part of the family! He's been around for a while now and the kids sometimes love him more than Auntie Erin, so we are glad that he is a part of the family now!!

We love you Spencer and Erin. Congratulations. In one of the pictures Spencer just told her that they were going to Maui for two weeks on their honeymoon, so she has her arms raised while cheering. Have fun in Hawaii you two!!!

Newport Family Vacation

2009-07-16T16:41:00.000-04:00

Well, we made it! We decided to go to Newport for our family vacation this year. We had originally wanted to go to Utah so Mike and Brooke could meet Gordon and we could visit our friends and family there, but we just didn't have enough money to get there, so we decided to take a trip to Newport and visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium instead. I posted a slide show of the aquarium pictures. You can notice that Celeste was "floating" with the animals and fish in some of the pictures!

This is a picture of camp at Seal Rock. We didn't get many pictures, so you get several of Grim, but it was gorgeous and the perfect spot to camp.

On Monday we went to Newport and walked along the waterfront where all of the shops and boats are. We watched the boats come in from fishing and cleaning fish. The kids complained about the smell. We couldn't see the sea lions very well without paying a lot of money, so we zoomed in the camera and got a kind of fuzzy picture of a sea lion lying on the rocks. It ended up being a beautiful day, so we went to Nye Beach on a whim and let the kids and dog play. They were soaked and sandy and loved every minute of it! They actually didn't want to leave, but we finally pulled them away to go back to camp and make a fire for dinner.

Kyle also took pictures of the kids for the aquarium in case we lost one of them. He took pictures of Gordon so he wouldn't feel left out also, but these are the pictures of Celeste and Eddie. So, if we ever lose one of the kids somewhere, we have current pictures!!

4th of July Festivities

2009-07-05T02:42:00.000-04:00

Well, the Hunters had a great day today. We started by going to Corbett for a pancake breakfast. We were afraid that it would be really crazy/busy and it would be a long wait for breakfast, but not for us!! We got there and got in right away and had an amazing breakfast.

After that Corbett had an old fashioned parade. Our ward extends into Corbett and some of the members of our ward live right on the parade route, so we parked at their house and watched from the base of their property on the highway. It started with the classic car show driving through throwing candy for all of the kids and then the parade of kids on horses and tractors and all sorts of atv's coming through throwing candy for the kids yet again. I don't have a picture of the candy, but let's just say that the kids have candy for the next year and Winco must LOVE the Corbett parade because we have a lot of their candy in our home now!!

After the parade we made our way over to the Corbett School grounds for a FULL day of playing. Kyle entered a pie eating contest and Celeste enjoyed the blow up toys all day long. She kept going and going and going all day long. Every once in a while she would come back for something to eat or drink and then she was off again. However, I forgot to bring new batteries and my camera died, so I didn't get pictures of the day. Casey recorded Kyle in the pie eating contest though, so I will post that soon. Kyle didn't win, but he sure had fun and enjoyed trying!

They also have a mole contest because moles are such a problem up in Corbett. They give prizes for the largest, the best dressed and all sorts of other prizes. It was quite strange, but fun to see at the same time. I couldn't do anything but laugh and the silly things that go on in small towns!

The fireworks were great as well. I tried to capture them as best I could. The batteries held out just long enough to get a few pictures before the camera had no power what so ever!

Over all, it was an extremely wonderful day. We've decided that we wouldn't mind at all doing it again next year. We set up s0me canopies and played games and just had fun all day long. Some of us got a little more sun than we had planned and we are all horribly exhausted, but what a fun way to celebrate the 4th for July. Happy 4th everyone!!

Hope at the end of the rainbow!

2009-06-30T01:17:00.000-04:00

Well, as you have read in the past, my life has consisted of potty training a very stubbern little boy. Well, today I have to say, there is hope at the end of the rainbow! We went to the zoo with my mom, sister, and two sister-in-laws plus all of our kids. Eddie wanted to wear his Elmo underwear so badly that I told him he could, but if he pee-peed in them, then he would have to wear a diaper. After many bribes and forcing, we made it through the entire trip to the zoo with no accidents. Wahoo!!! I was so proud of him and he was pretty proud of himself. We unfortunately had a pretty big accident after we got home, but he didn't like it at all and I'm not sure he'll do it ever again because he hated how it felt! I think we have broken through and potty training can't get anything but better from here!! I post pictures when he gets his new underwear with Grandma!

Potty Training Stress

2009-06-24T23:31:00.000-04:00

Well, after the first three days, hope is not lost, but boy has this become stressful!! Even candy isn't working on this little boy all of the time. On Sunday evening, Eddie pee-peed on the couch and we yelled at him and told him that he couldn't have candy unless he went in the potty chair and he said "no thank you". So, I tried again on Monday and we had another "accident" on the floor in the kitchen while I was feeding Gordon, so no candy and I was done for the day!! Diaper went on the rest of that day and the next with no candy for him. Today I thought we would try again and he pee-peed on my leg while sitting on my lap, so the diaper went back on until this evening. Finally, we may make a breakthrough (okay, maybe not, but at least I can wish!) He didn't want to wear his diaper any more, so he went in his bedroom and took the diaper off while we were in the other room. The next thing we know, he is in the bathroom and we hear, "I did it, Eddie did it!!" We did a dance and yelled hurray and gave him a piece of gum. He was so proud of himself, but we'll see if it will last for another day tomorrow. I'll keep you posted!

Going Strong on Day Three!

2009-06-19T15:51:00.000-04:00

Day two went well, although there was no way for it not to go well when he was naked all day for potty training! He didn't have any accidents though and that is the point! Today, however, he has on underwear and still made it to the bathroom, so we are hopeful. We have plans this afternoon, so the challenge will be to see if he can make it while we are out and about! I think it's almost time for Eddie to go shopping with Grandma!!

Potty Training is Here!!!

2009-06-17T16:23:00.000-04:00

We have begun the potty training stage. We'll see how it goes over the next few days, but so far only one accident (although we did just start today!) We'll keep you posted and put up pictures of his new underwear when he goes shopping with Grandma!!

The Grand Floral Parade

2009-06-05T01:35:00.000-04:00

We have decided if the weather is going to be nice, we are going to be there. We are going to sit pretty much where we sat for the Starlight Parade by the library at 11th and Taylor. It should be a good spot for it once again. It may be a bit sunny, but sunscreen will be plentiful! If anyone wants to join us, you are more than welcome to!!

Parade Week Continues!

2009-06-03T19:46:00.000-04:00

We have made it to the middle of the week and to the Junior Rose Parade. I wasn't sure if I was going to try and go by myself with the kids, but it just so happened that Auntie Erin wanted to go also, so we took the kids for a fun afternoon. On the way and when we got there it was overcast and perfect parade weather. We lathered up with sunscreen and started to enjoy the parade just in time for the sun to shine down hard. Auntie Erica's sister-in-law brought some umbrellas and let us borrow them for the kids, so even though they were hot, it could have been MUCH worse! It was a fun parade with candy throwing and everything for kids, so the kids enjoyed it, although they seemed to be most excited about the slurpees afterwards! (Poor Celeste was so hot she couldn't smile - funny girl!!)

The Starlight Parade

2009-05-31T14:10:00.000-04:00

Last night we decided to go to the Starlight parade because the weather was actually nice and warm and we knew the kids wouldn't complain, so we enjoyed the beautiful weather and great company of not only our family, but friends and strangers alike!

Playing in the street after it closes is lots of fun.

Gordon and Grandma hanging out!

Celeste and Daddy

Eddie and Daddy!

Celeste jumping roping during the breaks in the parade.

Kyle's glasses were a HUGE hit!

Our Group

Gordon fell asleep during all the noise!

Eddie watching the choo-choo trains in the parade.

Eddie got to jump rope and then got embarrassed when everyone started clappping for him!

We had a great night. We may be going to the Grand Floral Parade this coming Saturday depending on the weather, so we'll keep you posted. We'll let you know where we are sitting if we are going to make it!

The Joy of Motherhood

2009-05-04T15:22:00.000-04:00

I was asked to speak in Young Women yesterday about the joy of motherhood. Right after I was asked on Friday the baby started screaming and Eddie wanted something, but wouldn't talk to me so he was just crying. The thought of joy was NOT on my mind, but the more I thought, the more I realized just how much joy I really am blessed with as a mother.

Whenever my kids come up and put their arms around my neck and tell me they love me. When my kids are playing together and not fighting! (I particularly like when they play house and call each other "hun". It gives real perspective on how Kyle and I treat each other!!) The kids also like to have "dates" at their little table and talk about their day.

The first time Celeste felt confident riding her bike with no training wheels was so special because she just shined. The first day riding the school bus was another sad, but oh so happy day of accomplishment. Eddie learning to put his own socks and shoes on was his proudest moment. When the kids help each other unload the dishwasher - yes, the two year old unloads the dishwasher and he loves it!!

I have so many thoughts and blessing with being a mother. Gordon smiles at me and sometimes only me so easily, that I can't help but be grateful that I'm his mom. Is there anything better than sticky hands around your neck and a little voice saying "Mommy, I wuv ou!"

A Sweet Moment

2009-04-07T00:29:00.000-04:00

Early Sunday morning at about 3:30 Gordon woke up. He didn't really want to eat, he just woke up. I picked him up and layed him on my chest to get him back to sleep, but he wasn't interested in sleeping right at that moment. He looked over at the night light and started cooing and even laughed. Then he looked up above my head and smiled and cooed some more. I knew he was seeing someone there and was talking to them by this time and just watched his interaction. He cooed and smiled back and forth at the two spots for a few minutes then looked right into my eyes and pointed his hand at me and smiled. He then looked up above my head one more time and had a serious look on his face and then looked back at me and closed his eyes to go to sleep.

I realize that some may not see this as anything special, but to me it was. I have to thank whoever that angel was for letting me have such a special experience with my baby and then helping him go back to sleep without any problems. I've always believed that babies can see angels, but this was the first time I have watched my baby actually interact in a real way with one.

Just thought I would share!

Mom's Craziness

2009-04-03T15:39:00.000-04:00

I was just thinking the other day that I should really post more often because my kids can be so darn funny at times. Well, today isn't one of those days, but the story is funny none the less and any mother can relate.

This morning I got up and got Eddie dressed while Gordon was still sleeping. Eddie got his clothes on just fine but when I went to put his socks on, he didn't want them. No problem, we just have to get them on before getting Sister from the bus which was a few hours later. Then GoGo woke up, so he was fed and dressed, but his diaper wasn't very wet, so I knew the flood would be coming!

The morning progressed with no problem whatsoever and then it was time to pick up Sister from the bus. Eddie's socks go on and I go for his shoes just in time for him to get both socks off within seconds. I put them back on and threaten to leave him home (he knows this trick though) so that doesn't work. I put the first shoe on, the other sock comes off. I get the sock back on, he takes off the first shoe as I'm putting the second shoe on. We do this two more times before I break him and he keeps his shoes on! Then it's time for Gordon to get ready to leave. Sure enough, the fountain erupted and he's soaking wet! It is now five minutes past the time we normally leave for the bus stop, so let's hope the bus is late today! I get Gordon changed with dry clothes and ready to go just in time to find out Eddie took off one shoe and hid his coat. We frantically get the shoe back on, the coat on and we might as well take the car to the bus because more than likely we'll have to drive to the school to pick up Celeste! Like I said - crazy!

I still must say that it is totally worth it. I wouldn't trade my crazy days for anything - well maybe for a not so crazy day!

Two Months Old

2009-03-10T16:18:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Gordon turned two months old. He is getting bigs and chunky as you can see in the pictures! I am happy to report that he is finally sleeping well at night and has found his eating and sleeping schedule - yea!!! He still likes to be held more than be put down, but he is learning that Mom can't hold him all of the time. I am also happy to report that he doesn't spit up if I eat chocolate, although that may not be a good thing for me!! We are sure enjoying him though. He is smiling and talking to us. We took him to the roadster show in the baby sling and he wasn't at all happy until he was sitting up and could see the cars, so we may have another car crazed kid on our hands!!

New Family Pictures

2009-02-24T23:35:00.000-05:00

We finally have some new family pictures with Gordon. We did some vinyl work for a friend who happens to be a photographer. She agreed to take our pictures as partial payment, so we were able to get professional quality pictures for trade! I have to say that vinyl sure comes in handy at times!

We are doing great around here. I'm still getting used to having three kids to think about and take care of. Eddie is still getting used to not being the youngest as well, but it sure is a lot of fun when I am awake enough to enjoy having a new baby around. Gordon is 6 1/2 weeks old now, boy does time fly! Gordon is a slightly picky baby. He likes to be held while he sleeps and wants to eat at least every two and a half hours. Do you know what that does to your day? We're all learning a lot, that's for sure.

A New Member of the Hunter Family

2009-01-11T15:08:00.000-05:00

I know that my mom has already posted about Gordon, but as the mom I get to tell it all again!! I also have pictures of Gordon with the Hunter family as well, so we will post them all for everyone!

On Wednesday of this week, I went to the doctor and scheduled to be induced to have our new baby on Friday morning at 6:30. We had our other kids taken care of already and thought we would have a nice night of sleep before heading to the hospital in the morning. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, my water broke at 2am. I got up and cleaned up while waiting for contractions to start. When the contractions were getting strong we headed off to the hospital, not knowing at the time that the labor and delivery was almost over! I got to the hospital and when the nurse checked to see how far along I was, she discovered that I was dilated to 8 cm and my contractions were getting stronger every time. If I had wanted pain medication, there wasn’t time and my body took over. I don’t know how many pushes it took, but Gordon Benjamin was born at 3:39am for a 1 hr 40 min labor from start to finish! The best part is that the doctor didn’t make it to the hospital until after the baby was born, so the nurse had to deliver little Gordon herself! It was a great delivery and I am recovery quickly as well. I don’t know if I can ever have more babies though because I don’t know if I would make it to the hospital before the baby is born!!

My mother-in-law says that I may have to find a doctor who is will to deliver at home like my mom did because I may not make it to a hospital in time! I really don't want to think about having another baby for a while though!

Gordon will be here soon!!!

2009-01-07T19:25:00.000-05:00

If I don't go into labor before Friday - then I am scheduled to check into the hospital at 6:30 Friday morning to be induced!! The baby will be here very soon! We'll keep you posted.

December

2008-12-30T10:42:00.000-05:00

Eddie's Birthday

This month has been a whirlwind. Eddie celebrated his birthday at the beginning of the month and enjoyed every minute of it. He didn't really understand what was going on when people called him and sang to him during the day, but that night, after everyone sang to him and he blew out his candles and opened his presents, he was really into the birthday thing. We haven't been able to get him to stop singing Happy Birthday since! I think the funniest part is that every time he sees a candle lit, he just HAS to sing Happy Birthday and blow out the candle!

Christmas

Christmas was also quite an experience this year. We were actually able to really enjoy an extra long holiday because Kyle's family celebrated on Sunday instead of Christmas Eve like we have in the past. I think we all enjoyed the day, especially in the crazy snow. What made the week even better was having so much snow that Kyle couldn't go to work up until the day after Christmas. I loved that he was able to be home during the snow and we could enjoy being together as a family and helping others. On Saturday before Christmas, the snow was really deep and it was blizzarding outside really badly. We came home from my parent's house and there was a neighbor of ours out walking with her shopping cart trying to pull it through the snow to the grocery store. We offered her a ride to the store because she had to go that night or she wouldn't have food for the week. We sat at the Starbucks and had hot chocolate while she did her shopping and then took her home afterwards. We also had our own trials with the snow and Cavan and Casey had to help us a few times get out of the snow, but Kyle still had the opportunity to help a co-worker go Christmas shopping because he didn't have a vehicle that could get through the snow. It was also nice that Kyle was able to drive me places and I didn't have to try to drive myself and hope I didn't get stuck because I just know that I would have if I had to drive on my own!! (Can you imagine - me at 37 weeks pregnant, trying to dig my way out of the snow and put chains on the truck by myself? I don't think so!!)

Christmas Day was a nice relaxing day for our family. We woke up and got to see what Santa brought our family. Celeste baked in her new Easy Bake Oven and Eddie played with his cars all morning. We had a light breakfast and got ready to go to Nana and Papa's house. We had brunch at Nana and Papa's and opened presents there. Grandma came to Nana and Papa's house and then came to our house with us to see what Santa brought. We took naps after Grandma left and then had dinner over at Nana and Papa's house again. It's nice being close to our family, so we don't have to travel far and we can go home when we need to for whatever purpose we have! The new year is now coming and with that, a new baby will come as well. We are all excited for that, but what a flurry of excitement this month has been for our family!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T12:41:00.000-05:00

I haven't written in so long, not even for Halloween, that I need to at least write for Thanksgiving. Yesterday we spent the day with my family, since most of Kyle's family was in Idaho. We enjoyed the day over at Cavan and Sarah's house with everyone except Mike, Brooke, and Adam (we missed them as always!) It was such a nice day that we didn't even notice we were leaving at the kids' bedtime instead of before, so we had to fight to keep them awake and from fighting once we got home.

Our family has so much to be thankful for. We have great extended family that love and support us. We are thankful for Kyle's job and the fact that he still is working, not just full time, but over time frequently to give us the comfort of knowing that Kyle will have a job for a long time. We are grateful for each other and the love of being a family. We are grateful for the gospel in our lives and the fact that we can be a family forever.

Our Beach Trip

2008-09-30T11:01:00.000-04:00

Kyle had some time off before starting his new job, so we took a day trip to the coast. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. The only thing we planned on doing for sure was going to the cheese factory, other than that, we didn't have any particular plans and just played it by ear. It turned out to be a gorgeous day at the beach. There wasn't any wind and the sun came out while we were on the beach, so the kids were able to take off their shoes and socks and play in the water and sand. They absolutely LOVED it! They found fun seashells and barried their feet in the sand.

At dinner time we drove up to Astoria and went to this great little place called The Wet Dog. They were VERY kid friendly and they had the very best clam chowder ever! I totally enjoyed it and am ready to go back and get more!!!

We had such a nice time as a family. It was a wonderful day and we really lucked out with nice weather. I can't wait to do it again!

Kaelynn's World Premier!!

2008-09-29T19:04:00.000-04:00

Cavan and Sarah had their baby and she is so precious. These are the pictures that we took of her while she was still at the hospital.

Celeste's 1st Day of School!

2008-09-29T18:12:00.000-04:00

I am finally downloading the pictures of my baby getting on the bus for her first day of school! I can't believe that she is a kindergartener now! She LOVES school. She loves music, gym (sometimes), library, and recess (of course!). She says that the stuff in the classroom is boring, but then she starts talking about playing with the toys and today she came home and spelled DOG all by herself because she learned how today at school! I love that she loves school, but I just can't believe she is growing up!

My baby is growing up!

2008-08-15T02:24:00.000-04:00

I was just thinking today about the fact that my baby girl is turning five in a few weeks and we are getting ready for kindergarten to start in September. My little girl is big and getting bigger all of the time! Where has the time gone? I'm so excited for her to go to school, but she's my baby, I just can't believe it!

We'll have pictures of her birthday party and of her first day of school coming up soon, so stay tuned!

New Pictures!

2008-06-07T21:44:00.000-04:00

We finally have some new pictures to post! I have been meaning to for a while now and now it is time. Kyle doesn't want me to, but I have to show you just how beautiful a princess my son could be. His sister was wearing a princess dress and he needed one too! Then he decided he needed to try a few on just for kicks! I promise though, Kyle will make sure that he loves football and nascar and NOT princesses!

Javen Roy Dover

2008-05-09T23:39:00.000-04:00

It's a beautiful boy! I'm the first to write about it, but I don't have many pictures, because we used Mom's camera for the still shots, so you'll have to go to her site for those. It was amazing. Roy'l was brave enough to invite Mom, Cameo, Sarah and I, along with her own mom and sister to be there and she asked me to video tape it. What a special honor! I enjoyed being in the room and the calm that was there. Roy'l felt it all and took it like the strong woman that she is. I was impressed and amazed with how well she did. I know I had my baby naturally, but in the end I probably would have taken meds if they had let me, but Roy'l did it for real! She didn't complain horribly and she was even fairly nice when she could have been very mean and some points. What a blessing that baby is and how wonderful that we have added another baby to are rapidly growing family. I love you Casey and Roy'l and I know that I am going to be so in love with Javen. Thank you for letting me be a part of your blessed day!

2008-05-04T18:50:00.000-04:00

The sun is out, the kids are playing on their own and my house is a mess. It's a happy day!!!!

Back to Work

2008-04-17T02:24:00.000-04:00

Well, Kyle is going back to work. It is more of a have to thing, than a dream job thing, but he's willing to do what he has to for his family. He will be going back to being an appliance tech for Sears/A&E. It's not where we had hoped to be, but it's a job and we know the ins and outs of the company now and he'll only stay until he finds something else to do. We're still hoping to hear from the City of Portland or Kaiser, either of which would be a pay raise and a greater amount of responsiblity, but totally worth it for him. Please pray for us as we are praying for something better. Because of the job he won't be able to do his radio show anymore though and that is probably the hardest thing to think about for him. It didn't pay much and he was in the back room on the phones, but he loved it and the guys think he is great. They want to keep him on doing the website and possibly driving the cars for video footage though, so he can still be involved and get free tickets to things! I think not doing the show is what makes the appliance repair job a bad deal because there is no way out of working Saturdays. Oh well, Kyle will do what he needs to for his family and we'll make it through until something better comes along. Just letting you know, you don't have to worry about us, we have an income and Kyle has a job!!!

Conference Weekend

2008-04-08T01:51:00.000-04:00

We definitely enjoyed General Conference weekend. The messages were so wonderful and just what I needed. I am so grateful for Prophets and Apostles who lead and guide us to make ourselves better. I'm grateful for their love and support of everything we do when we are trying our best. I know that President Monson is a true Prophet of God. He is such an amazing man and will continue to lead the Church wonderfully.

Children's Songbook

2008-03-28T14:38:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to tell anyone who is interested that you can get some of the Children's songbook songs on your playlist if you are interested. I was helping my friend Kayley create a blog because she is moving and I want to stay in contact, so she was creating her own playlist and typed in Popcorn Popping just to see what they had and it was there. So I typed in Children's Songbook and was able to find some of our favorite primary songs for fun!

That's all for today except that I'm really sad that Kayley is moving away and I have to get a new visiting teaching companion and new friend that has kids the same age as my kids to play with. I still have a few weeks though, so we'll play as much as we can before her family has to go!

Easter Sunday

2008-03-24T03:18:00.000-04:00

We have finally got something working on our blog. THANK YOU MOM!!! I was so busy for a while that nothing happened with it. This last week I had my Enrichment Activity, since I'm the leader I started feeling a little overwhelmed, but at the same time, not really knowing what I was actually supposed to be doing. I decided that I need to take a little time for myself and really do something fun. What is more fun than blogging and playing on the computer!?!

Today we had a nice Church service and then we came home and got to relax for a while. Kyle and Eddie had naps and Celeste and I worked on things around the house. Celeste loves helping me in the kitchen, so she helped make the deviled eggs for Easter Dinner at Nana and Papa's house. She doesn't like to eat eggs, but she loves to color them and help make them! Dinner at Mom and Dad's was very nice with Cavan & Sarah, Casey & Roy'l and Cameo and Leann. Marla called to wish us a Happy Easter, but it was too late to go visit today. Marla and Erin had steak for their Easter dinner (personally I think it's not such a bad idea to have steak for Easter dinner!)

This last week we had a sale on Ebay, so that kept me really busy with decals. We have decided that while Kyle is still not working that we are going to do our best to get the decals going well, so that if he does have to take a pay cut, it won't hurt us too much in the long run. I would really like to help more financially if possible from home. I love being home with my kids and being able to help our friends by watching their kids. There is just something about being able to stay home with my kids and watch them grow up. I get to see their habits and skills change and grow from a tiny baby. I also understand my kids so well just from being able to be with them and communicate with them on a one on one basis consistently.

Well, it is late and I am tired. Easter is an amazing holiday to celebrate. We hear way too much about the death of our Savior through other churches during this time of year, but we don't always discuss the resurrection. What a remarkable thought that through Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world, we can ourselves be resurrected and live with not only our families for eternity, but our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as well.

I do have to apologize if this doesn't make sense at all. I wrote it late and am too busy during the day to work on a post more!

Hunter Family Pictures

2008-02-11T16:38:00.000-05:00

We had our pictures taken by one of Kyle's co-workers right before Eddie's 1st birthday. She wanted the pictures of our kids for her website, so she took our pictures for free - great deal huh!?! If you need your pictures taken for anything and you live in the Portland area, her name is Nina and her website is itzmeagain.com or her email address is itzmeagain@gmail.com I figure that putting her info on our blog is the least I can do since she came to our house and dealt with the kids to take our pictures when all she really needed was a few pictures of the kids! She did great. The slideshow of pictures is coming, as soon as I figure out how to do it!!!

The Creation!!!

2008-02-05T18:55:00.000-05:00

And so the journey begins! I've thought about a blog and since my sister-in-law Brooke has promised to show me the ropes to make it original, I am willing! Why Emerald Lane Hunters? Because we live on Emerald Lane - what a thought!

The Hunter Family consists of Kyle, Michelle (Dad and Mom), Celeste (4 1/2) and Kyle Edward (Eddie 1). We'll get pictures up soon. Oh, our family is also joined by our dog, Grim. He's a lab/retriever. He's bigger than both kids, but such a sweet dog, I can't leave him out!

We have a good life here on Emerald Lane. We're just around the corner from Michelle's parents and across the street from Kyle's Mom's work, so we get to see grandparents on a regular basis. What a blessing that is for the kids. They have parents who love them so much and grandparents that would do just about anything for them within walking distance.

Kyle and Michelle have a vinyl decal business on the side (kind of a night job for Michelle!) We get pretty busy with that after the kids go to bed, but we'll do our best to keep up on the blog too. Hunterdecals.com is our website, so if there is ever a question about decals, that's what we have so far, however we are ALWAYS updating it, so check back often for anything new that may be coming. (good way to promote the website, right!?!)