Great Wolf Lodge

We took the kids to the Great Wolf Lodge this winter. What a fun place that is! We all had a blast in the water park and I am so proud of my kids. They were so brave and rode on all the rides (that they were tall enough for). There are 4 pretty big water slides for big kids, smaller slides for younger kids, and even a toddler area perfect for babies and toddlers. They have a wave pool, arcade area, and really fun rooms. The kids were at a perfect age to take them and they all loved it. We left Laine home with our good friends the Moulton's. She would have been ok but it would have been difficult to do all that we wanted to while holding her. Next time Laine! I hope we can make this a family tradition every year!

Shane's 3rd Birthday

On November 4th, 2009 our 3rd child turned 3!! Shane is a sweet little boy that makes us smile and laugh. He's just so cute and tiny! He is fun, happy, and always ready to play. He has a huge sweet tooth. If I let him he would eat candy, cookies, etc. and drink chocolate "mook" (as he calls it) all day long! He is big into trains right now as you can tell from his reaction to opening his gift. I wish the picture wasn't so dark but you get the point. :) Shane is funny and always makes me laugh. Here's an example. It's a little irreverent but cute non the less. A few months ago we were in the car heading out and Shane let out a huge burp. I was so surprised by it that I looked back and said, "wow buddy. what do you say?" I was expecting excuse me but that's not what I got. Shane was just as surprised as me. He looked at me with his big blue eyes and said, "Mom, I just farted out my mouth!" I laughed so hard, too funny!

Shane, we love you so much and we are so grateful that Heavenly Father sent you to us!!
love,
Your Family

Halloween 09'

Here's our crazy crew

Abigail: a little Chinese girl
Wyatt: Darth Vader
Shane: SWAT team member
Laine: the cutest Tootsie Roll you've ever seen!! Couldn't you just eat her :)

Family Pictures

We had some family pictures taken by our friends Jason and Becca Kidd this past fall. They do such a wonderful job and we are so happy with the pictures. Anyone who can get all six of us to sit still, smile and look good, AND the dog, is amazing in my book!!

Family Loss

This year was a hard year for our family. Both Jeff and I lost a family member. Jeff's father (step), Willie Sligh passed away in Oct. 09' after a little under a years battle with cancer. There are no words to express our sadness and grief at loosing Willie. Willie raised Jeff as his own son since Jeff was 2 years old and helped shape him into who he is today. I know Jeff will always love Willie and will forever be grateful for helping raise him along side his mother. Willie was a father, a grandfather, a photographer, a nature enthusiast, a lover of cars, and the Seahawks #1 fan! (just to name a few) We love you Willie.



I lost an uncle this past year. My fathers brother, John Cribbins. I have fond memories of Uncle John coming to visit when Brandie and I were younger. He lived in California then and would come visit us in Seattle every so often. He loved to be in the out doors and be active and he would often take us shopping. I am so thankful for the interest that he took in us and for the relationship that we were able to nurture before he passed. Eventually Uncle John moved here to WA. and we were able to see him more often. Unfortunately as he got older he developed some mental health problems and suffered from severe dementia. He deteriorated quickly and there was need to place him in a home where he could be helped and watched. He died in that home from complications from an illness. My regret is that over the last several years of his life I did not go to see him. His dementia was so severe that I just thought why go. He won't remember me. If I had it to do over I would go visit him and make sure he knew that we loved him. He served in the military and was berried at the Tahoma National Cemetery here in WA. Below is a picture of the Chaplin that performed the ceremony. Jeff and I were the only ones in attendance for Uncle John's service. I'm not sure I could even explain how difficult is was being the only ones there. Unfortunately work and jobs kept my family from being able to attend. I am grateful to have been able to be the one to take care of things for Uncle John and I feel honored to have done so.

Love you Uncle John.

Summer Races 09

I know it's not for everyone but I still really love running! It keeps me in shape, makes me feel good, and it gives me that "mommy time" that I need. This past summer was busy with training for some races that I signed up for. I have such wonderful friends to train with so it makes it so much fun. First I trained for and finished the Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon in Seattle. My friend Kira and I were a great match and I couldn't have done it with out her! It felt amazing to accomplish such a hard thing. Then about a month later I ran with a team of 12 people in the Seattle Ragnar Relay race. Running is such an individual sport but running these relay races turns it into a great team event. The way it works is you have 12 people on a team, 2 vans of 6 people. I was in a car of six ladies which was so fun. Each of the team members runs 3 legs of varying miles adding up to about 187 miles total over a 24 hour period. There's not much sleep, no good food, but there is fun, support, and comradership! It was tough. I was injured and couldn't finish my last leg which was so disappointing, and there were things that I didn't love as much as I thought I would, but I am looking forward to doing it again this next year. Hopefully I won't have any trouble with my IT band! Here is a picture of a check point on the Ragnar relay.

Kira and I after the 1/2 marathon!
Here's to a new year and a start to another running season!!!!

Summer in Colorado

Every summer for the last several years we have traveled to Colorado to see my family. This past summer, 09, was no exception. It's a long drive but we always have so much fun! The kids do pretty well in the car and we are so blessed because we can go for 2 weeks and really make the trip worth the drive. Jeff's work is flexible enough that he can work from there so he works one week and takes one week off for vacation. It works great. We drive through Utah on our way to Colorado and usually we are lucky enough to see friends. This trip we stopped in Lehi and stayed with our friends Justin and Tina and their kiddos. We had such a great time with them. We went to the new Kowabunga Bay while we were there, ate good food, and played. Then we finish out the drive to CO. Brandie's boys were in Montrose while we were there and it was so great so see them. The cousins really love to play. Some of the things we did while we were there are a birthday party for Bryce and Chandler, swimming at the pool, riding bikes, drive in movies, and we took a long weekend and went camping up in the mountains. While camping we played in the stream, explored caves, hiked, picked wild flowers, and road Grandpa's new toy! Below are some pics. It was a great trip!!