Welcome to the world Kaeleigh!

Kirsten and I are extremely happy to announce that Kaeleigh has arrived. She is 6 pounds, 6 ounces and 19 inches tall.

Kaeleigh's arrival is quite the story. Kirsten was supposes to be induced in early April and since Jaedon had to be induced we just expected Kaeleigh would as well. Wow, were we wrong!  Instead Kirsten started feeling some contractions a week early.  Not being familiar with early contracts she thought it was Braxton Hicks. She texted me around 3pm letting me know what was happening but she is okay. Kirsten texted me again around 4:45 letting me know she is still have contractions so keep my phone near since I had planned to go to dinner with my buddy Mike visiting from Atlanta.. 

While I drove to pick up Mike I decided to call and check in on Kirsten.  During the call I could tell it was more than just early contractions. Her breathing was labored and she was having a little bit of a hard time talking. I told Kirsten I'm coming home now and I will call right back after letting Mike know I had to cancel our dinner plans.  When I called Kirsten back a few minutes later the contractions were much stronger. Kirsten could barely talk and I could hear Jaedon in the background was very upset and worried about Mommy.  I was able to talk to Jaedon and let him know I was coming home and they he needed to be strong and help Mommy with anything she needed. As traumatic the situation was for anybody, Jaedon handled it like a pro!  I'm so proud of our little 4 year old.

After talking with Jaedon I had him hand the phone back to Mommy. Once Kirsten was on the phone I told her to hang up and call 911. I knew I was at least 30 minutes away since it was rush hour (5pm) in Redmond.  She didn't say anything and just hung up.  I was extremely worried as I had no idea what was happening.

I tried calling anybody I know to help out. I was able to reach Kirsten's good friend Becky who was able to over there quickly and help with Jaedon. Thank you Becky!!!

Then 5 minutes later a Ring Doorbell notification popped up on my phone.  I could see the Fire Department arrived and I instantly felt some relief. 

Still 25+ minute away I decided to leave the Ring Doorbell app open on my phone so I can watch how things are going (traffic was really slow so I wasn't being too dangerous). After some time I saw them transfer Kirsten into the ambulance.  At that point I got a bit nervous again as I didn't know where they were going to take her.  Luckily they were still there when I arrived.

I went directly to Kirsten in the ambulance to check in on her. She said everything is okay and that she was sorry (for what I had no idea).  She asked how was Jaedon. So I went into the house see Jaedon. He was happy playing with Becky and one of the Firemen.  After giving him a big hug I went back to Kirsten. When I got there another one of the Firemen asked if I wanted to cut the cord?  I was like what? I found out that Kaeleigh was actually born a few minutes before I arrived. She was quiet as they were checking her lungs and giving her oxygen to make sure everything was okay as she pooped in the womb like her brother.

I jump inside the ambulance and cut the cord, which was an amazing experience in itself.  Kirsten and Kaeleigh then headed over to Evergreen hospital for the next few nights.  Jaedon and I visited several times and then after the two days we took Kaeleigh home. She is a very happy and loving baby!

Welcome to the world Jaedon!

Kirsten and I are extremely happy to announce that Jaedon has arrived.  He is 6 pounds, 13 ounces and 20 1/2 inches tall. 

I have to say it was quite an amazing day.  We knew Jaedon would be born this day with his inducement scheduled.  But that didn't take away any of the fun.  Here is how the day went for us...

Kirsten and I woke up bright and early (4am) for her inducement appointment at 5:15 am.  Once we arrived at the hospital we checked in and ran into another couple doing the same thing.  The funny thing is we recognized them as we used to play in the same volleyball league (what a small world!).  Once we were all settled in I texted my lil' sis Vija-Marie to let her know we are ready to begin this amazing journey.

Right before 7am Kirsten started the inducement with the nurse administering in the Pitocin.  We were both tired from a relatively sleepless night due to the excitement in meeting Jaedon the next day.  So we both laid down together in the window bed (for dad) and slept off and on for little over an hour.  Over the next few hours Kirsten's contracts were getting stronger and stronger.  A little after 11am the contractions were very strong with Kirsten working her labor breathing nicely to get through them.   I kept busy making sure Kirsten's ice cup was full and keeping here distracted from the pain with my awesome humor.  That worked until Kirsten started getting triple and she nearly squeezed my arm off.  I kept telling her it wasn't my fault, but she didn't think that was funny.

The next two hours were the roughest with the contracts becoming extremely intense, which the nurses were very supporting in letting us both know everything is going great.  Around 1pm the nursed checked out Kirsten and said you are about ready to "PUSH!".  Our doctor came in a few minutes later Kirsten started pushing...

After only a few rounds of pushing Jaedon was introduced to the world.  And I have to say it was an amazing feeling for both newly minted mom and dad.  We were both completely overwhelmed with joy.  Instantly we had this feeling of love for this little guy.

As soon as I got a minute I started texted and letting everybody know the wonderful news.  We had a lot of family and friends stop by that night to meet and hold Jaedon.  It was great to share this experience with everyone. 

The next day around 12:30 we got the all clear to go home!  After what seemed like a long whirlwind adventure we were finally going home as a family.  Now the fun begins...

Baby Jaedon Mark

Jason and I had the honor of finding out on May 15th we were pregnant. We were shocked!! We didn't share our fantastic news until we were 13 weeks and we wanted to have our first doctor visit on June 19th to confirm our positive pregnacy test.

Jason and I didn't believe the first test, we had to take two, to make sure!

Can you believe 21 weeks have already gone by since we were blessed with a growing little baby in my tummy? Every week we are Thankful another one has gone by and then cannot believe we are that much closer to actually meeting our soon to be son, Jaedon Mark Lewis.

Here is an ultra sound from 6/29/12 and Heart Beat on 7/24/12 of our precious little tyke:

 

 

 

Due to keeping our pregnancy a secret until the first weekend of July, we decided to find out the sex of the baby with all our close family and friends. So the party planning started. We planned the date; August 26th, Jason made the incredible invitations, the day came, and we found out it was a BOY!

 

The party was amazing, we shared the special day with all our family and friends. My closest girlfriend from Tri-Cities, Christina, came over Saturday and helped us get ready for the party. Everything was ready and people started showing up; Jason and I were so excited. We were able to keep it together until the cup cake/name reveal.

Jason and I decided on a very special name to both of us; Jaedon Mark Lewis. I was so lucky as Jaedon has been a name I have loved for years and Jason loves it too. Then we come to Mark; for me my father's name is Mark. He has always been there for me no matter what has happened in life, my support system when things are good and bad, my everything.

For Jason, Mark was an incredible best friend from High School who was taken from us way too soon. Everything I have heard, he was one of a kind. A guy who was always there for you when you needed him, an wonderful athlete, and a person you always wanted to have around. I wish I could say I had the honor of meeting him, sharing the memories I know Jason will hold onto forever, and to be able to share the stories when he tells them to our future son.

Here are just a few pictures from the party and of course the winning team: The Boys!

Thank you all so much for being in our lives, we appreciate every single moment and cannot wait to share our little bundle of joy, Jaedon Mark come this January.

A Fan Story - Not a Love Story

Here is a story of caution and a warning to all of you out there looking to buy a ceiling fan or light.   We finally decided to buy a fan and get it wired and installed above our pool table in the living room.  We've lived in the house for over 4 years now and did not have any fixed lighting.  The room wasn't wired for a fan so we hired an electrician to do the install including wiring.  He recommended getting a high quality fan so that it will last a long time.  We ended up decided on Seattle Lighting. 

Back in mid-February Kirsten and I went to Seattle Lighting in Bellevue to look for a ceiling fan. While there we found one we really liked.  We had a couple requirements that had to be met.  They were, the fan needed to look contemporary, with nickel metal and dark cherry blades.  We also were only going to control it with a remote and since our ceiling is really high we needed the remote to reverse the direction of the blades. 

While at Seattle Lighting we worked with a person who was able to find the fan we wanted and make sure it did everything we wanted it to.   That is where everything went wrong.  See the breakdown below...

Mid Feb

• Wife and I come into store and work with a Seattle Lighting Employee (This person will now be referred to as SLE)
• We found one that can be run off the remote and reverse with the remote
• The fan was nickel with dark cherry blades.
• We ordered fan; the SLE told us it would arrive in about 2 weeks.

3/5

• We have the fan the week before and scheduled the install for today.
• I paid electrician to install first fan, including wiring.
• He installs fan but finds out it won’t reverse by remote as we were informed.
• Originally thought it was missing transceiver.
• I call the SLE and let him know, says he will order transceiver and pay for installer to come out and fix

3/15

• The SLE calls to let me know the fan I have won’t do reverse by remote as he originally thought
• He will order the right model.

3/30

• The SLE designated installer comes out to install replacement fan
• The installer brings in the fan and it is not the fan we ordered originally
• I wasn't told I was getting a completely different fan
• I tell the installer not to install the fan and I will call the SLE
 

4/1

• The SLE emails me picture of a replacement fan, says the fan we wanted doesn't do reverse by remote (he just now finds this out). He apologizes.
• The replacement fan is a higher end model which is cool
• On the picture dark cherry blades and a remote are marked to indicate I can get the same features I wanted in the original fan.
• I reply back saying that the replacement fan will work but make sure to get with dark cherry blades
• He says no problem.

   

4/20

• The installer comes out (2nd time) to install new fan the SLE ordered.  
• The installer brings everything in and we find there are no fan blades.
• The SLE forgot to order the blades
• I email the SLE letting him know, he apologizes and says they are ordered now to be shipped overnight.

4/27

• I email the SLE about the blades as he said they should be overnighted.
• He tells me they should be here on Monday (of the next week).

5/4

• I emailed the SLE again about the blades, said they arrived Wednesday (5/2).
• He informed the installer to contact me.

5/11

• The installer comes out (3rd time) to install the fan as the blades have arrived.
• He opens the box and finds the blades are Cherry, not Dark Cherry.
• I call Seattle Lighting (Bellevue) and ask to speak to the manager.  I am told she is out until Sunday.  I ask to be forwarded to her voicemail.  I leave a voicemail letting her know the situation and to please call me back.

5/13

• No call from the manager as expected.

5/14

• The SLE calls me and personally berates himself on the phone (very professional).
• I tell him that it has two months now of mistakes and if we don't get this resolved and installed this week, it will be another two weeks as I'm going on vacation.
• He tells me he will get them overnighted and installed this week.

5/15

• Installer calls to setup appointment, says the SLE told them the fan blades will be in on Wednesday.

5/18

• Installer calls (3pm) to let me know the blades are not in yet, but they should be in later today.  Says he will stay until 4pm for the blades.
• Installer calls again (3:45pm) and let's me know all deliveries have been made and the blades were not delivered. For the second time the blades are NOT actually overnighted as told to me by the SLE.
• I call Seattle Lighting to talk to manager, she is out again.  Will be back Sunday.  I tell them I will call back then.

5/20

• Seattle Lighting manager called me back and apologized for all of my experience.  She said she would take care of everything so that we can finally get the right fan installed once we got home from vacation.

6/14

• Fan is finally installed!

As you can see it over 3 months to get what we originally requested installed at our house.  Now not to say the SLE was only terrible, he did upgrade our fan and let us keep the old one.  He also paid for the installer to come out several times to do nothing.  From my perspective he is at least making an attempt to resolve the issue, but unfortunately he is simply incompetent.  At any point in this process he could have double checked what he was doing and make sure what was being ordered was correct. He could of also kept me more up-to-date.

It is also extremely frustrating to not have the manager call me back in a timely manner.  Not sure what I could have done to get proper attention from them, maybe write the Better Business Bureau?  Simply put this is the worst customer service I've ever received from a company.

I will never make another purchase from Seattle Lighting and will tell this story to anybody that is looking to buy. 

100,000 miles and counting…

Today was a big milestone for me and my 2003 Toyota Tundra.  While I was driving to the gym the odometer reached 100,000 (see pic below) miles.  I’ve been waiting for this day ever since I got my 90k maintenance done last summer.  I wondered were I would be when I hit that milestone?  The answer, I was getting off the 520 freeway taking the 50th ST exit to head to the Pro Club.

Some of you would think that’s not that big of a deal to hit 100,000 miles, my car is way past that.  Well for me it is a big deal for a couple of reasons.  Growing up I had several vehicles, none of which I kept for more than a few years.  My first brand new car was a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero, which I only kept for 2 years as it was a lemon.  I never thought I would actually own a vehicle long enough to get to this milestone.  When I was a bit younger, say in my early 20s, I loved having a new car and thought I would buy a new one every 5 or so years.  Luckily I out grew that and have had my truck for almost 9 years.  Another reason is that I truly love my truck.  It has been 100% reliable since I have had it.  Don’t get me wrong there have been things I’ve needed to replace (a battery after 7+ years), but the truck as always started and drove me to where I needed to go.

To get a little nostalgia here are the top 10 things I remember about my truck over these 100,000 miles…

10. Buying Her
Yes, trucks are hers, just like cars:-). I was getting tired of having my POS Alero that I asked my grandfather if he could get me a deal on a Toyota Tundra.  I’ve always loved Toyotas, and the Tundra really caught my eye.  My grandfather was able to get me a great deal on one and it was not a hard decision to trade in my Alero.  Even better was the 0% financing.  The icing on the cake was that it was bigger than Adam’s Toyota Tacoma, I never pass on an opportunity to one up Adam.

9. Driving to Sporting Events
This one covers a lot.  Even though now I take the bus to Husky Football games, there was a time when I drove a lot to games.  One time specifically I recall clearly.  Saturday several years ago not only did I have a Husky game to go to, but also a Battle in Seattle (CWU vs WWU).  I remember this clearly as I had to pay $25 to park near Husky Stadium and only stayed for the first 3 quarters, then drive to Seahawks Stadium (I still call it that, sellouts!) and pay another $30 to park there.  That was the most I’ve ever had to pay in parking in one day, that is why I now ride the bus.

I’ve driven to many sporting events, from the Huskies, Mariners, Sonics to Aquasox.  But the ones I remember most was with Chris, Adam and I squeezing in to the front row (as the back really doesn’t have room) to drive to Redmond Nine games.  Luckily the drive was short.

8. Moving Friends
Over the years I’ve moved several friends; it is truly is the biggest downfall of owning a truck.  The saddest one was moving my buddy Tad, even though we didn’t need my truck to move stuff; I drove the truck there to help him load his U-Haul for his move to Dallas.  It was a great move for Tad, but a sad one for me and our friends as we now don’t get to see him as often. 

7. Buying TVs & BBQs
There’s nothing better than buying stuff, I truly love it.  Just as Kirsten:-).  My favorite things to buy are things too big to put into the cabin of my truck.  I’ve purchased and drove home with 2 big TVs and 2 BBQs since I’ve owned the truck.  Aaaah the memories!

6. Driving to CWU
For the longest time I have been the one to drive down to Ellensburg for our annual watch the Computer Science students present their senior projects trip.  I drove mainly because it is held in March and a lot of time there is still snow on the pass.   There’s not much better than driving back to CWU, seeing the sights, and doing some drinking with buddies.  To top it off staying at the good ole Thunderbird Inn, wow that place is a dump.

5. Picking up Maggie Sue
Not long after buying our first home, Kirsten and I got a dog, Maggie Sue.  We picked her out from a breeder down near WSU and had to wait several weeks before she was old enough to take here.  When she was 6 weeks and 2 days old we met down in Olympia and picked her up.  Man was she small and cute.  After 4 years she is still cute, but not that small.

4. Driving To Golf Courses All Over State
I’ve played a lot of golf over the years, well over 100 rounds.  I got to most of those rounds by my truck.  I’ve driven up to 4+ hours to play a round of golf (usually in Oregon with my Dad).  Never have I been late to a tee time.  Thank you Tundra!

3. Visiting Family
Over the years Kirsten and I and myself alone have taken many trips to visit family.  One of my favorite trips was our annual Xmas cross state trip where we visit my Mom in Tonasket, Kirsten’s Grandparents in Tri-Cities, my Dad in Hillsboro (OR) and finally my Grandparents in Lacey.  This whirlwind adventure usually took about 7-10 days. The best year was when Vija-Marie joined us, it was great spending that much time with her.

2. Meeting Kirsten
I always hoped I would attract more girls if I bought a truck.  And boy was that true.  If it wasn’t for my truck I would never had got Kirsten’s attention.  The story goes like this… When I first started working fulltime at my company I parked outside and would walk through the front door where the receptionist was.  After a few months this young cute girl took over at reception.  I was instantly interested in getting to know her, but I didn’t know how to do it.  So I decided to start renting library books, which I would have to pick up from the receptionist.  Every few days a new book would arrive and I would come down and get my book.  I would also start up a little chit chat.   In one of our early conversations she says to me “Do you drive the black truck I see every morning?” and I say “Yes”, then she replies “Cool, I love trucks!”.  That’s when I knew I had a chance.  After several more book rentals we started to have lunch together.  Then after a few more weeks we went on our first date, though she didn’t know it was a date.  And the rest is history.  The funny part of the story was I didn’t even want the library books so after I picked them up from Kirsten and would walk to the book return and drop them off.

1. Getting Married
The only thing that could top meeting Kirsten, was to marry her.  We got married on July 25, 2009 at Indian Summer Golf & Country Club in Olympia, WA.  It was an amazing time that I will never forget.  Starting with driving down (in my Tundra) with my buddies Tad, Chris & Adam a few days early for some golf.  I drove the truck to the wedding, several hours early for an awesome photo session with our photographers Jen & Jeff.  Then lastly after the wedding, exhausted, Kirsten and I drove away in the Tundra as husband and wife.

What an amazing (almost) 9 years I’ve had with my Toyota Tundra.  I can’t wait to see what the next 100,000 miles brings me.

2011 Coming to an end...already?

Can you believe 2011 is almost coming to an end? 2012 is right around the corner!

As we close out 2011, Jason and I have a lot to be Thankful for this year. We started the year off with me looking for another career opportunity. With this opportunity came another company offering me a job...yes the company might be purchased by AT&T...but I moved from the famous Microsoft to T-Mobile! I started the day after the buy out announcement, March 21st.

School still going strong and only one more quarter to go! With a new job, my last quarter of my BA Degree in sight, and not to mention two of the most important people in my life, my loving Grandparents Jan and Don's 50th wedding anniversary quickly approaching my Father and I kicked it into high gear planning. We had a beautiful party in Tri-Cities at the Marriott hotel ballroom, invited all our close friends and family, and personally decorated the entire room. It was beautiful and after 50 wonderful years my Grandparents still looked amazing on their special day.

I believe my Grandmother has waited 50 years to do this....!

In addition to my Grandparents 50th Anniversary, my baby cousin Bailey graduated High School! My Uncle Craig can finally celebrate, all three girls have all graduated!

Speaking of Graduation, my turn! After a lot of sleepless nights, midterms, and more papers than I would like to remember College for me.....is....OVER. I graduated June 16, 2011!!! With all my friends and family by my side, I walked across the stage, got my degree, and off we headed to dinner to celebrate! Well, after about 1000 pictures. Here are just a few... to show how we celebrated with style for the next five days!

First on Thursday was my actual graduation ceremony. My family all showed up to to cheer me on. Friday night, my close girlfriend Michelle planned a night away at Tulalip Hotel for a little R&R. It was exactly what I needed to celebrate school being over!!  Then on Saturday my wonderful husband threw a party for our family and friends to help me celebrate. No more school! Wahooo!!

 

Jason and I are blessed with an incredible group of close friends. Last year we decided to start a new tradition. Every year we want to take a week out of our summer to spend quality time with each other away from the daily grind. This year, Kerri found an amazing place in Leavenworth for all of us. We made camp fires, cooked dinners, played card games, listened to great music, and made wonderful memories. We already cannot wait until next years trip!

Happy Birthday to our first niece, Madeline! Her Mom and Dad threw a lovely party and invited all of their friends to help celebrate their adorable daughter's first birthday. We had velvet cup cakes, lots of presents, and played our hearts out! We love you Madeline and cannot wait until your second birthday!

Every July is Jason's families reunion, this year was a beautiful day. We drove to McCleary, WA to spend a couple hours with his family and then head to his Grandmother house. His three uncles, his Dad, and cousins were all waiting for us. We visited memory lane, lots of laughter was shared, and of course talk of new traditions being made.

One of our closest friends, Tad, moved to Texas to pursue his dream of working in the Flight Industry. He was able to get a job teaching flight path information (from what I understand...). We miss him terribly, but are incredibly proud and excited for all the new opportunities heading his way. XO!

August 6th, we were invited to a wonderful celebration for our friends Ngoc and Alexey. The were married May 8th, 2010 and threw one heck of a wedding reception this year. We watched these two people share an incredible bond of love cherishing each other and every moment. Thank you for allowing us to celebrate your special day.

August 21, Adam, Michelle, Jason, and I all went to Toledo, WA for another friends wedding. Brian and Morgan were married outside a beautiful red barn with beautiful weather. We wish them well in everything they do in the future.

I cannot believe another year has gone by, our nephew Calvin turned one this September and has gotten so big! My sister Erin and brother-in-law Mark threw a party for all their friends and family to celebrate. Calvin was a little scared at first with all the people around watching, but Daddy helped that along with shoveling cake into Calvin's mouth. From there on out, he was over the moon! Presents were next and he could not wait to play with all the amazing toys he just got.

Another year and another Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 60 miles in 3 Day walk has flown by. This year we walked from CentryLink Field (AKA Qwest Field) in downtown Seattle to Marymoor Park in Redmond, or approximately 26 miles the first day. The second day we walked from Redmond through Bellevue or approximately 23 miles, and then the last day we walked back to Memorial Stadium in Seattle. It was an amazing walk and I couldn't have been more happy walking with three wonderful ladies; Christina, Amy, and Laura!

Another amazing memory was made on a cold and windy Friday night in October. We met our friends at a Corn maze/pumpkin patch in Redmond, ran around the corn maze (even though we could see over the corn stalks!), picked pumpkins and then headed back to our house for some Pumpkin carving. We were incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful group of people around us during this special holiday.

With a new job, also means meeting new people. One of the lovely ladies I work with invited us to her wedding at the Georgetown Ballroom in Seattle. Little did we know, it was a Halloween Wedding! They had acrobats, Gourmondo catering, wood fire pizza, a hot dog stand, Dick's hamburgers at 10PM, and during the party three old school game machines. Congrats Tressa and John - it was the best wedding we have ever been invited to.

On lucky 11/11/11 our dear friends, Chris and Kerri, welcomed their first baby girl into the world. She was born at 7:13AM, weighing 6lbs 8oz, and measuring 18 3/4. She is an incredible addition to our family. She didn't have the easiest entrance into the world, as unfortunately her Mommy had to have an emergency C-section. We couldn't wait to meet their adorable daughter, Brooke! We love her with all our heart and cannot wait to watch her grow up and become the perfect mix of both her parents.

Holiday Cheer, Family Love, and Joyful Friends are forever Memories...

Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of our favorite holidays. We get to take a break from work, see family, and have our annual friends Holiday party. There is nothing better than being surrounded with family and friends for the holidays enjoying each other's company, reminiscing about our past, and during all this making new memories we will all never forget. This year was no different… 
We started Thanksgiving with two big family dinners. Our first dinner was on Thursday where Jason and mother-in-law, Debbie cooked an awesome turkey dinner. We heard a dear friend of ours was the only person from his family in town, so of course we jumped on the opportunity to invite him to our house. By the end of the night, our first dinner included; Jason, Debbie, my Dad, Wendy, Tad, and me! We had a wonderful time, by the end of the night we had an unbelievable dinner, one less wine bottle, ok maybe two, and sore tummy muscles from laughing! A few days later, we went to my Father’s house for his turn on cooking dinner for everyone. This time, we had a bigger bunch; Dad, Wendy, Jason, myself, Erin, Mark, and my two adorable nephews – Benny and Calvin! We had a great time playing; laughing at the faces Calvin made in his sleep, and of course enjoyed visiting with family.

With Thanksgiving over, we head into the Christmas season head on! We start off with our Friends Holiday party the first weekend of December. It was fantastic. We had all our closest friends and their loved ones over to celebrate. Everyone brings something to drink and a side of munchies for everyone to enjoy. To kick off the celebration of presents we always do a white elephant gift exchange. This year was much mellower than they have been in the past, due to three sneaky people bringing gifts they really wanted. Can you guess who all went home with their gifts? I’ll secretly help you…Amy, Michelle, and Adam! ;p )

Next, I was able to get some time with my little Sister for a couple days. I left work early on the Monday before Christmas to drive down and get her. Then on Tuesday night we had a relaxing time with Dad and Wendy celebrating and opening gifts. Jason and I thought we did pretty well guessing on what she would want for Christmas…and you know what, we hit it head on! The best gift was a wedding album I made for her. I had agreed to make her a book if she came up before the holidays; unfortunately we both got busy with school and work and didn’t make the time. In turn, I secretly made the book for her. She loved it!!

Thursday came quick and our driving adventures started! We drove down to McCleary, WA to celebrate with one of Jason’s Grandmother’s home. There was a big turn out with his Grandmother Rosalie, his father Carl, his two Uncles, Kerry and Kevin, cousins Emma (6) and Chance (3 or 4…I think), and later in the evening Kerry’s girlfriend Tracey was able to join us. It was a blast, playing with the kids, visiting with family, and the long drive from our home to theirs. 

Friday, we made the long drive back to the Olympia area to celebrate with Grandma Bonnie and her side of Jason’s family. To celebrate, Aunt Cathy and Uncle Dave made a wonderful dinner for everyone to enjoy and welcomed all of us into their home. Jason and I showed up shortly after his father and were able to enjoy catching up with Dave, Cathy, Carl, and cousin Nicky. It was wonderful. A couple hours later, Grandma Bonnie, Aunt Ginger, and cousins, Annie, Tasha, Calieb, Tommy, Thomas, Penny, Alex, and Aiden all showed up. As you can count, we had one full house. Watching the three youngest, Calieb and the twins Alex and Aiden all play and run around was amazing. They all are growing up so fast. 

After dinner, Jason and I drove back to our house to get Momma Debbie and then headed over to my Dad’s house for our annual Crab feast!! Waiting for us there was a football team of people! We had Dad, Wendy, Aunt Stacy, Tim, Uncle Barry, Annie, Erin, Ben (almost 2), Baby Calvin (3 months), cousins Alex and Darcy, and the newlyweds Derek and Chrisie. Now include the three of us, Jason, Momma Debbie, and me! Everyone had finished eating by the time we got there, however we dug in and enjoyed every bite. Great dinner Dad!! We sat around chatting and then changed gears to open gifts. Poor Benny he was so tired and started to get grumpy…so the best way to fix it. Have Grandpa Mark grab the biggest present under the tree for him and start opening it. Oh my gosh – you have never seen the happiest little boy opening his awesome gifts from Santa and family. The little oohs and awws made it completely worth it.

Christmas day started off quiet, Momma Debbie, Jason and I all slowly rolled out of bed to get up and start making Christmas dinner. Dad, Wendy, Erin, Mark, Benny, Calvin and Tadders were all heading to our house to celebrate! To close out this very long post, we had a wonderful Holiday season and are super excited to see all our friends to bring in 2011. Here we come!!