Lee Style

Disney Highlights

2011-10-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

Princess Abi and Cinderella. What an awesome day for our girls to be able to meets some Royalty and have breakfast in Arial's Gratto. Eliana got star struck and wouldn't pose without me. I am having trouble uploading the pics so I will post more later.

Life Goes by fast!!!

2011-10-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

Eliana being her sweet beautiful self

Lucas busy exploring tree bark with all of his senses including taste

Abi's first day of Kindergarten

My babies are gowing up. It seems like I am running to keep up with my kids as they reach new stages of development. Lucas changes before our very eyes with new words or actions that scream, "look at me I'm the baby and I want your full attention." Eliana is communicating and reasoning in ways that let me know she also is growing up and Abigail... well Abi started Kindergarten in September. Who knew that a child starting school was such an emotional process for Mom's? I suppose every mom who has done it before me! Abi is attending Sauvie Island Academy which is a wonderful school and just the right place to help John and I transition from having her at home 24/7 to letting her go 3 hours a day. Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy:)

Family Pictures 2010

2010-12-27T15:58:00.000-08:00

The Lee Girlz update

2010-05-01T21:52:00.001-07:00

Cleaning the Bathroom:)

Anders, Chandler, Lincon, Abigail, and Eliana all cramned into the Hagen's playhouse.

So Peaceful.

What can I say... they are so much fun.

Abi is totally into costumes and style right now. The thing I love the most is that its her own unique style. She is my big helper who thinks she is 21 already knowing more then me. She loves with her whole heart and is always willing to give if she thinks some else is in need. Abi loves to wear dresses. In fact today she assured me should wouldn't get cold wearing a summer dress outside (even though it had been windy and rainy all day) because at that very moment the sun was peaking out from behind a cloud. Abi is our smart, joy filled daughter.

Elli is so full of imagination I have a hard time figuring out if she is pretending or really in need of something. I love watching her make up games and tell stories about Pumas and Bears that are around. She is always willing to sacrifice herself if the Bear (daddy) has gotten Abi. Elli is also very musical. She will sit at the piano and play and sing an entire song. Don't get me wrong she has no idea what she is doing but she has great rythem. In the last month she has given up her Binky, potty trained, and moved into a twin bed. I guess she decided she is a big girl now.

As for me... I am trying to live and love every day. I feel like I have grown so much in the past year learning how to communicate or not communicate, learning how to love as an action not a feeling and learning how to trust in the Lord. God is so good!!! I am so thankful for my family who run me ragged sometimes but at the end of the day I am always reminded of what is really important. Maybe soon I will actually get some pictures of John and I on the blog.

Changes

2010-05-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

Just looking at these photos makes me want to cry. Lucas has changed so much in the past 12 weeks I almost forgot how tiny he was when I brought him home. Only God could create something that beautiful.

12 Weeks

2010-05-01T14:45:00.001-07:00

The Fun Begins!!! Sometimes having extremely big babies can be hard... like when you have to hold them for extended periods of time and your shoulder and forearms burn from exhaustion. Or when your 12 week old baby fits into 6 month clothes leaving behind so many cute outfits that he never even wore. However, big babies can fit into fun toys at a much earlier age giving mommy one more option to use when she needs free hands. Yay for big babies!!!

11 weeks

2010-05-01T14:39:00.001-07:00

Watch out ladies here comes a heart breaker. Wow this little guy has so much personality and a smile that lights up a room. I am so thankful that Lucas is growing out of his super fussyness and into a content and happy baby.

Lucas 10 Weeks

2010-04-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

How could you not love this chunky monkey? Ten weeks seem like they have flown by with a few days that seemed like a lifetime interspersed. What can I say about this wonderful little boy who has blessed our life with many smiles and a few giggles as of the last couple days. He is very picky about his needs and I am slowly figuring out what makes him happy but those dimples erase any memory of fussy times. All I can say is we all love him sooooooooooooooooo much.

Dirt

2010-04-21T19:07:00.001-07:00

The girls just couldn't resist this awesome pile of dirt in our yard. They played for hours just shoveling dirt, climbing up, sliding down and of course dumping it onto each others heads. I had to bathe them drain the tub and then bathe them again. It was messy but they had so much fun it was worth it.

Gardening

2010-04-21T18:57:00.001-07:00

Abi and Elli had a great time playing in the dirt and planting seeds for their garden project. Thanks Bonnie Jo for the awesome kits!!! John and I attempted a Garden last summer and it faired pretty well but this project seems much more manageable with three kiddos to look after this year.

Build a Bear

2009-12-18T15:23:00.001-08:00

Oh our precious little Eliana... she loves to make us laugh with her funny faces and wildly active personality. It was halarious to watch her in Build a Bear because it took her forever to make a decision on which animal she chose. Then she gave a little heart a kiss and they placed it inside her frog as they filled him with stuffing. She was in awe of the "bath" that he got by placing him under the shower "air" and hearing it blow as she stepped on the peddal. As Mom I was sure I knew just what she wanted when it came to clothes for her Frog. A princess dress with a wand and slippers. Nope I was wrong. She wanted black jeans and a black T-shirt. And she wanted to name him Lucas which most of you know is what we are naming our baby boy. Oh how I love this little person that fills up our life with joy and laughter. Happy Birthday Eliana Noel! I love you soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much.

Build a Bear

2009-12-18T15:16:00.001-08:00

Abi had so much fun with Elli. She was extremely happy to receive a present on Eliana's birthday as well. Abi picked a Moose and dressed her as a princess!!!

Eliana's Birthday

2009-12-18T15:11:00.000-08:00

First I dressed the girls up to take our Christmas photos and that was a sucess only because I bribed Eliana with candy to put her tights on. Later that day we headed to the Cheescake factory for some Avocado Egg Rolls and Fried Macaroni and Cheese. YUMMY!!!

Christmas Tree 09

2009-12-05T20:54:00.001-08:00

Oh the search for a tree is so much fun. Our friends the Ramos' have a tree farm so it is nice to go and find exactly what we want. The girls wanted this little one:) You can also see our new car in the background!

Thanksgiving 09

2009-12-05T20:50:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful time at the Pauly's house for Thanksgiving lunch and then at Rachel Lee's for Thanksgiving dinner. The girls looked so pretty in their Holiday outfits.

Halloween

2009-12-05T20:47:00.001-08:00

Abi and I had fun making the shirt for her Ballerina costume and Eliana was satisfied being "Cheese the Mouse" from the new Tinkerbell movie.

More pics

2009-10-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

Oaks park pictures

2009-10-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Oaks Park

2009-10-02T20:25:00.001-07:00

These are two of my favorite pictures from our day at Oaks park. John in his Super Man shirt looking like a Giant compared to all the little ones on the ride. Abi's look of pure joy when the Carosel started going. We had such a fun day with our friend Dan and Kara and Brian and Tanya.

Baby Boy

2009-09-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

His arm is covering his face but you can still see his sweet little image. We are so blessed and excited to meet our newest family addition.

Can you tell I haven't blogged in a while?

2009-06-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

Okay so here are a gazillion photos of The Birthday Weekend. Saturday was Abi's birthday party and Sunday was Alison's birthday party. The pictures are all mixed up just like my brain has been since I have been pregnant. I hope you enjoy them thanks to all our family and friends for helping celebrate two special girls.

Birthday Extravaganza

2009-06-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

So I had this great vision of what I wanted Abi's 3rd Birthday party to look like. Even though the end result was not to far off, the process was not at all what I expected. Last year we didn't have a party for Abi because Abi, Eliana and myself all came down with "pink eye". I've attended numerous birthday parties for kids in my lifetime and I never realized how much planning and work went into the day. All that aside we had a wonderful day celebrating our "big girl" and I am pretty sure she did too. (sorry the pics are a little out of order)

To much party anyone?

Sweet baby girl.

An Apple and Tasha (backyardigan) on the cheeks to celebrate the day.

Presents are always a hit. Abi received so many wonderful gifts from all of her friends and family.

A little brotherly love. Thanks to Judah and Owen's mom (Tanya) for getting behind the camera for these awesome pictures.

No Kids can resist Auntie Chrystal who offered to do face painting and even researched the Backyardigans so she could give Abi a special picture.

New Years

2009-03-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

John and Ian had blast watching Baby Einstein with the Kiddos on New Years Eve. However, it didn't take long before the classical music began to works its magic on them.

Just playing around

2009-03-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

Christmas 08

2009-03-14T22:21:00.000-07:00

I know these don't look like typical Christmas photos but honestly this is how we spent the day. We opened gifts and one of them was a massage chair that I think was more for the girls and John then it was for me. I knew I was getting it because a few days before Christmas John took Abi shopping with him and when they got home I asked her if she had fun shopping with daddy. She quickly replied, "yeah and we bought you a chair Mommy!" Looking at the size of the box I knew it wasn't a lazy boy.

I know Abi shouldn't look so grumpy on Christmas and she wasn't, she just spent all of dinner practicing her best "stink eye" on us. We had a great time playing and laughing with just the four of us this year.

Eliana had so much fun opening gifts and playing with all the new toys since going outside was out of the question.

Christmas 08

2009-03-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

Arctic Blast

2008-12-26T16:41:00.001-08:00

Don't you just love the cheesy titles the news channels come up with when we have any weather that is outside the norm. Arctic Blast 2008 has been the headline for the past two weeks now and unfortunately it isn't over. We are warming up but that just means thaw during the day and freeze at night. Oh well it has caused our lives to slow down tremendously and sometimes that is a good thing.

We all loved seeing the snow and letting the girls play around in it. We had a white Christmas here in Scappoose, OR and it was beautiful. Some of you may know that the last Ice Storm we had in 2004 I was snowed in at my friend Kara's house in Portland and that is when John and I got to know eachother a bit and shortly after decided to start dating. Who knows how many lucky people ended up with their future spouse because of this storm:)

Arctic Blast

2008-12-26T16:36:00.001-08:00

Eliana's Birthday

2008-12-26T16:19:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful day to celebrate our youngest daughters 1st birthday. Eliana means, "God's answer" which is a reminder to me that God is faithful and He does hear our prayers and always answers them. Elli brings us constant smiles with her adventerous spirit and loving soul. She is full of joy and ready to share it with us at any moment. Abi and Elli spend hours playing, laughing and sometimes fighting (always hugging to make up). Elli has been walking since she was 9 and 1/2 months old so sometimes I forget she just turned 1 but she still loves to cuddle and hug which John and I love so much. Happy Birthday Eliana we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Below are a few snaps of the day. Elli watched as Abi and I made a snowman, she ate her first candy cane, mommy made her a fruit pizza for her party, and she opened some awesome gifts. She also enjoyed an early presant from Nana and Papa... thanks for the horse!!!

Eliana's Birthday

2008-12-26T16:10:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving

2008-12-26T16:07:00.000-08:00

Abi could hardly contain her excitment when she learned Papa and Nana would be arriving. We had a nice quiet holiday with lots of yummy food. Eliana learned as every kid does that olives taste much better if you eat them off of your fingers.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-26T16:04:00.001-08:00

2008-11-22T21:55:00.001-08:00

Sorry I am having trouble adjusting the text and pictures I hope you can read it.

Halloween

2008-11-22T21:43:00.000-08:00

Here is a shot of Abi's candy she got from trick or treating. We went with a couple of friends that have kids a little older and understand the concept. It was a blast. After every house Abi ran up to me saying, "mommy they gave me candy to." Before you tell me I'm nuts I was able to give the candy to my friend who has kids in the public school. A local dentist does a candy drive and collects all the candy and the class with the most wins a pizza party. The dentist sends the candy over seas to the troups. I thought it was a pretty good idea and Abi never missed it.

I know I didn't get any pictures of Abi and I feel horrible but for my defense I had a migrane that day and had been puking for an hour. Not that you really wanted to know that but Abi was so cute and my friend got pics to share with you at a later date.

Just for fun

2008-11-22T21:39:00.001-08:00

It is a good thing that Abi loves Eliana so much. It's not like I don't feel Elli but for some reason Abi's food tastes better than her own. She was pretty proud of her achievement!!!

Multnomah Falls

2008-10-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

Abi could hardly contain her excitement when we arrived at Multnomah Falls. There are so many great places in the Portland area to see but I think since we live here we forget just how beautiful they are. The idea came about when i was driving home from Costco and there was a small water feature in the median. Abi got really excited and started saying, "mommy a waterfall." I smiled and pretended to be excited with her but I was really thinking, "how pathetic." We live 45 min. away from the Gorge which is filled with amazing waterfalls and Abi thinks that water feature is one. So last Friday we had a family day and headed to our old stomping grounds.

Eliana dancing and walking Abi singing

2008-10-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

The Latest

2008-10-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

She is just such a cutie I had to take a picture!

Abi has so much fun at Church making new crafts every week. This particular Sunday she came home as a Lamb on a sugar high. Abi calls our building the "church house" and every time we pass it she wants to go play with her friends.

Abi and Elli have so much fun playing together these days and one of the best spots to do that is in the bath-tub. Abi usually dumps water from a cup all over Elli and then Elli takes the cup and drinks out of it. Someday she may realize that she doesn't like Abi dumping water on her but for now its all just part of the experience.

I am tired of people calling Abi a boy because of her short hair so I am dressing her in as much pink as I can stand.

Sand and Sea

2008-08-31T22:05:00.001-07:00

Double trouble X 2

2008-08-31T21:39:00.000-07:00

We were blessed to have John's sister come and visit us for 10 days in August. We got to meet Addi for the first time (she is 9 months old) and we got to see Aiden for the first time in a year and a half. Wow it was a crazy, challenging but wonderful time. We had a small taste of what parents of multiples might feel like because Lisa had a two day class in Seattle so John and I watched all 4 kids while she was gone. Addi and Elli are so close in age and accomplishing the same skills so it was fun to watch them play together. Aiden and Abi are two years apart but they had a great time hanging out and watching tons of Little Einsteins together. Here are some highlights of our time together.

We went camping at the beach and were short on sleeping space so thankfully Addi and Elli were accomodating.

Aiden met some new friends and learned all sorts of fun stuff like how much fun climbing trees can be and how cool head-lamps are.

What can I say... they are just so darn cute!!!

Elli and Addi kept us so busy I fell over from exhaustion every night but they are just so much fun. Despite the fact that Addi has bright blue eyes and blonde hair and Elli has dark brown eyes and brown hair every one thought they were twins.

Grandma Lori or Maga as Abi likes to call her came over to help while Lisa was gone, I don't know what I would have done without her.

It takes costco to keep enough supplies for these two around!!!

Nana and Papa's House

2008-07-31T13:35:00.001-07:00

All of a sudden I can picture Abi as an old lady taking care of her grandkids. She had a great time dressing up with Nana. Abi has moved into the mothering role since she has discoverd how much fun it is to boss her little sister around. I am constantly saying, "that's mommy and daddy's job," to the point where she will boss Elli around and follow it up with, "that's mommy's job."

A girl after my own heart! Thank you Dad and Peg for the awesome chocolate on chocolate on chocolate cake. I hope you find something to do with it. I would have taken it home but I am pretty sure it wouldn't have made it through security.

There is nothing like some tickles from Papa.

Cape Meres (The Beach)

2008-07-21T15:55:00.001-07:00

We were camping so close to the beach we just had to take a detour on the way home. Abi has been asking to go to the beach a lot because one Elmo episode they are at the beach. It was a little chilly but a great experience to take Abi and let her play in the sand and the water. I took her shoes off in the warm loose sand and she said, "ohh that feels nice." She is so funny!!!

Church Camp

2008-07-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

On the last day I decided to get my camera out and snap a few photos. I wish I had done it sooner because there were some great first events for Abi, like walking in the river with her awesome boat coat that Nana and Papa bought her. Also, Abi and Elli had a great time playing with their friends and with each other. This year the camp had invested in a huge play structure for the kids so according to Abi she lived at the park for 2 days with all of her friends. I really don't think life could get any better than that for her.

Eliana continues to tower over her friends with those long legs. Anders and Elli spent many hours hanging out with thier mommy's together. It was great fun!!!
Judah and Owen were nice enough to lend their wagon to Abi and Elli. Thanks guys!!!

Little Red Riding Hoods

2008-07-17T10:39:00.001-07:00

Much to my joy when we went outside to play yesterday morning it was a bit chilly. Since we don't have AC and it has been hot lately it was a nice change. I didn't mean to dress the girls alike but they looked so darn cute I had to snap some photos. Eliana is just about to crawl, she creeps on her tummy so taking pictures is becoming more of a challenge. Abi is, well what can I say "2". It is like riding a rollercoaster of emotions where she is so happy and excited then 2 seconds later she is frustrated and screaming. It's a bit like being a teenage girl in highschool so I can relate;)

Abi eating applesauce

2008-07-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of seeing this video I hope you enjoy it, it is one of our favorites.

Elli and Emmy

2008-07-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

Sharing starts early. Thankfully Emmy and Elli do a better job than their big sisters Abi and Hadley. Hadley, Abi really does love you and promises that she will share her toys next time you come over.

Body Parts

2008-07-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

Eliana seems to think that her hands are the most beautiful things in the world and Abi can't seem to get enough of her pink toenails.

Sisters sharing

2008-07-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

Oh the joys of having two and watching them interact with eachother. I love the sweetness that I get to see when Abi shows something new to Eliana or when she just wants to give her a love. However, there are times when i think Abi gets bored with the 6th month old stuff and goes looking for adventure. This time adventure took her to the beachball sprinkler which Abi excitedly brought back to show Yaya. What could be more fun then rolling a giant ball over your little sisters head? Thankfully Yaya took it well and we continued our lovely evening outside waiting for Daddy to get home from work.

So Sweet

2008-06-25T08:53:00.001-07:00

I had to post this since it was so sweet. John and I were upstairs and when I came down the girls were like this. How sweet!!! I had to snap the picture from behind so I didn't disturb the moment.

An unwanted house guest

2008-06-25T08:47:00.001-07:00

It's no secret that Abi loves animals and she would absolutely love to have one all to herself but Mommy and Daddy aren't that excited about having a pet. Abi tried to invite the Kitty cat in while I wasn't looking and thankfully she can't open door because I am sure she would have let him in. This cat is a stray who really wants to adopt us but I am determined not to give in to his tactics. For now he lets Abi chase him around the yard and lays down to let her pet him. Thankfully Abi is really in to washing her hands right now so it doesn't take much to get her to wash up after playing with the kitty. At least it is cheep entertainment!!!

Just being cute

2008-06-23T14:49:00.001-07:00

I just can't describe how cute and cuddly Eliana is. She has the sweetest personality and loves to simile at just about everybody. However, she is entering that stranger anxiety stage so if she is tired watch out, the slightest look her direction could make her scream and you feel horrible. Yaya wants to crawl so bad but she just keeps going backwards. She loves splashing around in the bath with Abi. Abi loves it too and laughs a lot when water gets splashed in her face. It is such a joy to see them play with each other and a blessing because I can get a lot more done durring the day. We are Blessed!!!

My Dancer

2008-06-23T14:37:00.000-07:00

When Abi was teeny tiny I would dance around the house with her while she giggled and wiggled her little body with me. She loves when John comes home from work and plays the piano while she dances. Abi's friend Hadley gave her this tutu for her Birthday and Abi couldn't wait to try it on. It is a little big and at first she would say, "tickle legs mommy" but after we got all the kinks worked out she wouldn't take it off. Don't mind the messy hair it was first thing in the morning when she decided she had to put the tutu back on.

Thanks Nana and Papa

2008-06-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

As soon as I walked in with the package Abi started clapping her hands and yelling, "ABI'S BIRTHDAY". So far she has gotten gifts Tues., Wed., and Thurs. I wonder if she will think everyday is her Birthday.

Yummy Cake

2008-06-05T09:52:00.001-07:00

Since Abi, Eliana and I have been so sick I didn't plan much for Abi's actual birthday on Wed. but at least we got to sing Happy Birthday and she got to blow out her candles.

More gifts...wow this Birthday stuff is fun!

2008-06-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks Auntie for the "Cute" purse and all the goodies that came inside. I especially liked the sunglasses and the candy (except the orange ones). I love you! Thank you for thinking of me on my Birthday. If it looks like I am making a funny face it is because I am sucking on the candy you gave me. I went to the store with Daddy and I took my new purse and wore my sunglasses the whole time. I looked like a movie star!!!

The Birthday extravaganza begins a day early!

2008-06-04T05:57:00.001-07:00

Well a box arived on Tues. morning addressed to Abi and somehow she knew it was for her. After opening the box and seeing her presents I couldn't make her wait until Wed. Thanks Grandma Sue for the Puppy and the bubbles. I think her expression says it all. And thank you Maga and Grandpa for the water toys I am ready for summer. Wait is it summer or winter here?

Give me some food!!!

2008-06-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

This isn't her first meal but it is the one she has seemed most interested in.

Swimming Pool

2008-06-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

Why is it more fun to dump water out of the pool then it is to swim in the pool?

There is little Abi likes more than playing in the water but seeing her Daddy come home from work always makes her smile. Yaya just loves chillen in the shade. Can life get any sweeter?

Play time

2008-06-01T10:43:00.001-07:00

Be sure to check out the video below!!!

What was I thinking?

2008-06-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

In defense of my parenting skills I must tell you that the girls had been playing this way for quite a while and Eliana was cracking up. I had no idea that getting the camera out would create violent behavior.

Uncle David and Auntie Chrystal's house

2008-05-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Abi had a great time riding her cousins trike and watching Daddy and Uncle David ride their dirt bikes around the property. David has spent many hours creating trails at his house for the boys to compete with. Eliana also took a ride on a bike, ok really she is just posing. Mommy had a great time just relaxing with family and enjoying the beautiful view. Thanks Chrystal and Terry for such a wonderful dinner. It was YUMMY!!!

Hot spring evening

2008-05-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

Baby Anders came over to enjoy the cool evening breeze after a 95 degree day.

Goofing around

2008-05-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

Just some photos of us having fun around the house.

Clothes. Who needs them?

2008-05-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

This is what Abi put on after I asked her to get dressed before she went outside. If I leave the girls unattended too long I will usually find Eliana with no clothes on as well and sometimes with no diaper.

Mommy's

2008-05-08T16:06:00.000-07:00

On Thursday mornings our little Mommy's group meets for lots of giggles, tickles, food and fun. We have featured from left to right, Emmy, Eliana, Anneli, Anders and Keslin and Abi in one of the pictures. Not featured is Hadley (Emmy's big sister), Kyra who is the babysitter (she is 6) and Keslin's little sister who is due to arrive in Sept. sometime.

Ants make horrible pets

2008-05-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

Abi is an animal lover and has recently discovered bugs (bugies) as she likes to call them. Abi follows our newest roomates all over the bathroom and kitchen floor just watching them move and carry objects toward the door. I think she would love to keep them but then again she also thinks it is great fun when mom and Dad smash them with whatever object is flat enough to do the job. Oh the joys of spring!

Eliana's 4 months and growing

2008-05-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

I wonder if all mom's with more then one child constantly think..."I need to get my digital and video camera out more often"? Eliana is growing and changing so fast and we are loving every minute of it. Yaya has a sweet peaceful personality and loves to make you smile. Even when she is sick she is happy. THANK YOU LORD! She loves watching Abi, who makes her laugh all the time and she loves to cuddle. She is also a big fan of TV which Mommy and Daddy try to keep her from but she will strain her neck to watch Elmo with her big sister. Yaya rolled over for the first time last week...I missed it, but my friends saw it. The Dr. was suprised that she is already rolling over because she is such a big baby. Yes she is 17lbs. and 2oz and 26 3/4 inches long. No wonder my back hurts!!! All in all she is such a blessing to us and we are so thankful for our little family.

John's inspector

2008-05-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

SHE'S A FIRST BORN!

NEED I SAY MORE?

Spring is finally here! Wait...where did it go?

2008-05-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

Abi looked so beautiful in her green dress and blue sweater I just had to snap a picture. I love spring.

Abigail and I snuck outside one afternoon while Eliana was sleeping and had a wonderful time playing in the dirt. A few months ago Abi wouldn't put her hands in the dirt at all and now she can't get enough of it. She loves the outdoors and asks to go outside about every 5 mins. Thankfully we have had a few dry days lately so I can say yes. Because of our location and lack of fence I need to be outside with her and I just don't enjoy the cold rain like she does. I usually blame it on Eliana so Abi will probably always think Yaya will melt in the rain.

Beautiful Girls

2008-03-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

Eliana is Growing up

2008-03-15T21:24:00.001-07:00

Well both of our girls are getting bigger and changing so much. Abigail is fully potty trained, thanks to the Elmo Potty video and a little help from Mom and Dad. It is difficult to get a serious picture out of her these days. When she sees the camera she turns into a big ham. It is fun to hear all of her new words and it seems like there is at least one new word a day. Her latest word is Fruit but it sounds more like Frup.

Eliana laughed for the first time yesterday and is all smiles. She is so much fun and thankfully sleeping all the way through the night.

Abi's Outdoor Adventure

2008-02-20T21:17:00.000-08:00

Finally after months of being indoors Abi got to explore our yard and the dirt next door. She loves rocks because of an Elmo episode she she saw.

Thursday Mornings

2008-02-20T21:05:00.000-08:00

Last September we held a Bible study by Beth Moore at my house for 10 weeks called Believeing God. There were a consistent 7 ladies that would show up on any given Thursday and 4 of us were pregnant. Marika was due first in Oct. and gave birth to a beautiful little girl, Anehli. Megan was next in Nov. and had Emmerson "Emmy". The race was on (at least according to John) between Lonna and I since we were both due on Christmas day, Eliana came 2 days before Anders but Anders wins for beign the only boy at the ladies Bible study. Here are a few of the faces.

Back to Normal

2008-02-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

Is seems we are getting back to normal around here (whatever that may be). Abi is adjusting to life with a sister, she has moved into her big girl bed and slept through the night in it for the first time last night. That was a great accomplishment for Abi and for Mommy and Daddy since we need the crib for Eliana who likes to make a lot of noise when she is going to sleep. Yaya is more and more alert everyday and we love to make her smile. She still gets a little nervous when Abi is around but she loves to watch her big sister doing things. For sure they are both Daddy's girls and we feel so blessed to have them.

Source of Joy

2008-02-06T17:14:00.001-08:00

Many of you may know that Abi's name means "Source of Joy" and I really believe that the Lord led us to that name because it fits her perfectly. Here are some more pictures of our kiddos. Abi is wearing Anders (Ian and Lonna's son) jean jacket; Anders is the same age as Eliana:)

Anders and Eliana wouldn't stop chewing on eachother's face. They are already best buds. Oh by the way we are calling Eilana YaYa because that is what Abi calls her. Love you!

Life With Two

2008-01-28T20:37:00.000-08:00

Do you notice a trend? Only Abi looks happy in these photos. Adjusting to life with two has had as many ups and downs as all the Six Flags and Disney parks combined, but We love every minute of it. As humans we get busy with the hustle and bustle of life, we get frustrated when kids get in the way of our neatly planned out life but when we step back and remember that God is in every event (even the rice being thrown from the highchair for the 3rd time) we see the blessings. We remember that this is only a short blip on our path to eternity. So today remember to hug your kids and tell them you love them while they will still let you.

Erin and Lonna

2007-12-23T16:44:00.000-08:00

These are the last pictures of me pregnant. Lonna and I were due on the same day (Christmas day) Eliana came the 17th and Baby Anders came the 19th.

Abi and Eliana

2007-12-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

Be sure to check out the pictures of just Eliana also.

Baby Eilana

2007-12-23T16:29:00.000-08:00

Okay I know it has taken me forever to get these pictures on our blog but please forgive me I am sleep deprived and a little slow right now. Eliana Noel was born Monday December 17th, 2007 at 2:04pm she weighed 8lb 12oz and was 21 1/2 inches long. She is perfect and so mellow. However she is a night owl as I suppose all newborns are. Her eyes pop open about 11pm and don't shut again until about 5 or 6 am.

Abi loves her new sister and tortures her with a million hugs and kisses a day. We are blessed with 2 beautiful daughters and couldn't have asked for a more wonderful Christmas present. We love you guys and thank you for all your support.

Daddy's little helper

2007-09-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

Abi loves to do anything that John is doing.

What's Happening???

2007-09-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

Abi turned 1 on June 4th and we had a great weekend celebrating her birthday. She loved crawling through tunnels at Auntie Chrystal's house and stuffing her face with birthday cake at the Kangas' house. I can't believe over a year has gone by. Abi has a bright, fun personality and she is always full of life. She is always ready to give a kiss and a hug and a bright smile just when you need it. She loves digging in dirt and working with daddy out in the yard or in the house. As you can see from the pictures she keeps me busy, but every minute is worth it. I know she won't be this little for long so I try and treasure every moment we have together.

John started his Excavating business last Nov. and has been keeping busy ever since. He loves what he does, what man wouldn't love driving heavy machinery and digging in the dirt. He has also been busy with the new Church plant here in Scappoose, preaching every once in a while and coordinating events as well as setting up and tearing down since our church "Branches" is meeting in the park during the summer months.

Erin (I) spend most of my time in the Kitchen. I know that sounds bad but honestly when Abi eats 3 meals a day with snacks in between a lot of my time is spent there. Thankfully we have a lovely new kitchen with lots of space. Actually I have loved living in Scappoose because there are always wonderful women to go walking with or shopping with. I spend many hours hanging out with friends and I love it.

Hiking then Hurting

2007-04-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

Well I finally bought a baby backpack that I wanted for some time now. I can't believe how out of shape I am. It probably isn't a good idea to strap a 21lb baby to your back and do a 3 hour hike when you haven't even been walking more than 3 times a month. I can barely walk right now but we had a great time. Thank you to my friend Sarah for taking the pictures and next time I am making you pose for one.

Finally

2007-04-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

Okay so I have tried to update our blog for two days now and every time I have gotten off track. We had a wonderful Easter with friends who invited us to join their family.

Abi Loves her friend Judah. The picture doesn't show it but they have tons of fun playing together. Judah just turned two but he is very patient with Abi and teaches her lots of new things like how to growl.

We went to the beach to visit John while he was working in Tillamook. It was COLD!!!

Here is Abi with Fred who we just gave back to his previous owners. Abi loves him so much be he started to act jealous of her and we weren't willing to risk him attacking her. Dave and Beth who owned him prior to us have moved and are now able to keep Fred. They wanted him back but of course weren't going to ask for him so it all worked out for the best. I found out yesterday when they picked him up that Fred has a criminal record. He was actually picked up and cited for assalting and harrassing livestock. That's Fred for ya!!!

Moving On

2007-02-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

Well many of you may already know but our family is in for a big change. We are moving to Scappoose, OR. I know what most of you are thinking. "WHERE?" Scappoose is North West of Portland by about 30 min. It isn't that far and we are very excited to join our friends in starting a new church called Branches. We don't have any of the details worked out so the next couple of months will reveal when we will be moving and where we will live. Thanks for your prayers and support. For now here are some pictures of our beautiful and crazy daughter.

We Love You

2007-02-15T18:05:00.000-08:00

Dear Family and Friends,

I am so excited to announce that I (Erin) have been appointed (self-appointed that is) Editor in Chief of our family blog, Lee Style Magazine. In this blog we will share events of our crazy, exciting, sometimes boring life so that, you friends, can partake with us even though you are hundreds, and even thousands of miles away. We love all of you so much and wish we could have everyday with you but for now this is as close as we will come. Thank you for taking time to be a part of our lives today.