The Bowman Suite

Pool Time

2009-07-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

Karis playing in the pool at Grandma and Grandpa's house at the end of May during that first heat wave of the year. Now she thinks that we are going to G'ma and G'pa's house every time the word 'pool' is mentioned.

Oops, this next picture is AFTER dinner, AFTER we put her clothes back on. I guess she wasn't finished playing in the pool. Good thing I had PJ's for her to change into before we went home.

Karis and Kellen...together...finally!!!

2009-07-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

Karis frequently asks if she can hold Kellen. She is pretty good with him, until she wants to hold on tight and not let go. I think he was getting a little annoyed with her, but they are so cute together. She calls him "Kellen buddy".

Funny Faces by Kellen

2009-07-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

One Month Old

2009-07-02T15:19:00.001-07:00

Sleeping Soundly -- 6 days old

2009-07-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

Kellen's first bath at home -- 5 days old

2009-07-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome Kellen Graden Bowman!!!

2009-06-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

Kellen Graden Bowman entered the world on May 14th at 12:12pm. He weighed in at 7 lbs 13 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. He was exactly one pound heavier than Karis and one inch longer than Karis. I'm wondering if that accounts for the extra 10 lbs I gained with him? Hmmm, maybe not. Anyway, the story is pretty short. My water broke at about 7:35ish that morning and he pushed his way out...yes, HE pushed his way out, I did no pushing what-so-ever, at 12:12pm.

I must say that God really knows how to plan things just right. I had worried how my preparations of what to do with Karis once I went into labor. A different sinerio for different days of the week and hours of the day of which this blessed event would occur. Fortunately, the most perfect sinerio played out on the morning of Kellen's arrival.

Vance had just left for work and I was about ready to put Karis in the car, take her to daycare, and head to work myself. Well, Kellen had a different plan for the day. So, I called Vance to tell him to come back home (thank goodness for cell phones). We scooped up Karis, her overnight bag, my overnight bag for the hospital, dropped her off at daycare and went to the birthing center.

I checked in and contractions were starting to come, but pretty mild, then, what seemed like all of a sudden, they on very strong. We called in the nurse and all of a sudden, like 5 or 6 different nurses and a doctor came rushing in, getting me to reposition myself so the baby's heart rate would normalize. Then I remember telling them I needed to push, but OF COURSE, they told me not to. Then I hear Vance say "we have a head" and out his body came. I'm not joking, this kid pushed his way out. This kid wanted out, even though I was only dilated to 7 or 8 right before he made his way out. Talk about crazy fast. The labor and delivery nurse said the labor was 31 minutes long -- according to the tracing of contractions. 31 minutes and no pushing would just about make every other mom who went through 24 hours of labor just to come out with a C-section (sorry Betsy) pretty ticked off at me right now. I truely believe its in the genes and I am very thankful for that.

Living up to the stereotype that subsequent children get the raw end of the deal, I have failed to take nearly enough pictures with Kellen. I think I took multiple pictures daily with Karis, not so much with Kellen. Here are a few to enjoy though.

Sneak Peak by Kara Hicks Photography

2009-04-17T20:44:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures from Karis' 2 year photo shoot and the maternity shoot my sister did for us when they came down last weekend. Thanks Kara!!! You are the best!! She works out of the Seattle area if anyone is interested in a photographer. Visit The Hicks Headlines to see her work.

30 weeks

2009-03-09T21:17:00.001-07:00

25 1/2 weeks

2009-02-03T20:42:00.000-08:00

At this rate, I'm afraid this is going to be a big baby!!! I'm pretty sure I wasn't much bigger than this when I was 8 mo pregnant with Karis. Here I am at 25 1/2 weeks (almost 6 mo). I was really bad about taking pictures with my first pregnancy, and haven't been much better with this one. I hope to get at least one per month from here on out. At least I will have 3 or 4 more before this one is born. Thank you Kara for motivating me to get a picture taken. Why is it so hard to get a few shots done once a month. Apparently I'm busy or something.

It's a....

2008-12-18T21:31:00.000-08:00

BOY!!!!!
Yes, so I haven't posted in months. I hope to be back posting soon. Life is just so busy, I can't seem to ever sit down at the computer at home long enough to get anything posted.
We had our ultrasound today. Everything looked great and we were most excited to hear we are having a boy. Can't wait to start the preparation for our new addition in mid May.

Surprise!!!

2008-09-14T18:47:00.001-07:00

Coming to the Bowman home in May 2009!!!

Place your bets now, guess the sex and actual birth date. Due date is May 15, 2008.

Photo shoot with Kara

2008-09-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures that my sister Kara took of us on Labor Day!! More to come later.

Camping preview...

2008-08-27T22:33:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few from camping. I'll post more later. These are some of my favorites.

Crazy hair day

2008-08-27T22:29:00.001-07:00

Karis had just woke up from her nap one day when, I saw this awesome hairdo she was sporting. Her hair is getting longer these days and it is getting curly too. I had hoped that she would have some curl in her hair; since both Vance and I have some natural curl. Well, sure enough, she definitely got her share of curls.

My very own berry picker

2008-08-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

YUM-O...
AND THE BEST PART IS EATING THEM!!
(These pictures were taken on 8/1/08, so the blueberries are long gone now, but it sure is nice to have a freezer full for blueberry pancakes on Saturday mornings.)

Fun at Bush Park

2008-08-27T21:57:00.000-07:00

At the end of July, we meet at Bush Park to have the kids' (all 10 of them) picture taken. That was no easy task for Alysun (our friend Andrea's sister of Paradise Photograph) but she pulled it off. What is up with my font anyway? I can't seem to get it to stop underlining everything and I haven't the time to figure it out right now.

Karis on the 4th

2008-08-27T21:54:00.001-07:00

We didn't participate in the parade this year, but Karis got to watch the parade. Even though most of the kids in the neighborhood are in the parade, they still like to throw candy. She came home with quite a handful of sweets. We let her try a sucker, wow was that a sticky mess?

Catch up

2008-08-27T21:19:00.001-07:00

And so, I begin the daunting task up updating my blog posts. I'm so far behind, I'm not really sure where to being. I guess date-order would be good. Here I begin with some more pictures of our Milwaukee trip with the Rowles.

Here we are in the same park as the "Jazz in the Park" night watching a chef cook-off. The food looked really great. It definitely made for great advertisement for each restaurant that was represented.

The food at the public market was so wonderful, we easily went for a dinner in the condo versus going out to eat at a restaurant.

Here are some various buildings and structures from Milwaukee. I couldn't tell you what they are, I just thought they were neat.

One of our last activities was renting Segways. We rode them all along the waterfront. It was one of my favorite things we did on the trip.

Trip to Milwaukee with the Rowles...WI that is

2008-07-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of our trip to Milwaukee, WI with Layth and Betsy. More to come...

Sit n' Spin

2008-07-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

A new discovery

2008-07-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

Ooooo, a new place I can stick my finger!!

Memorial Day Camping

2008-07-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

Memorial day weekend we went to South Beach State Park. Karis and Vance were both feeling a bit under the weather, so there wasn't too much excitement that weekend. Here are a few pictures of Karis playing with her riding toy and playing at the park at the campground.

And yes, she did climb up the slide all by herself!!

I've been threatened...so I must post or die

2008-07-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

So, I just received this threatening e-mail from my sister Kara, stating that I better get my blog updated or she is going to go crazy. Well, since I know we don't have a family history of mental illness, I'm sure she will be just fine, but since Karis is napping and I'm avoiding prepping of the laundry room for a new paint job, here I am getting the blog updated.

I have to say, It was driving me crazy too. I usually go to my own blog first, then start browsing around at others. It does make me sick when I see an old post from over a month ago. I will feel much better when I get things updated. Oh so much to do and so little time (nap time that is), to get things done.

Girls' Weekend 2008

2008-06-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

This year we went to Poulsbo, WA. We had a fabulous time making memories, and laughing a lot. We stayed at the Green Cat B&B, played BUNCO, shopped, got pedicures, had fish & chips, ate lots of food, heard a quick word from one of Beth Moore's devotionals, watched Anita Renfroe, and took lots of pictures. Here are just a few from the weekend. Visit The Hicks blog for more great pics.

More of Karis' photo shoot

2008-06-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

Swimming

2008-06-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

OK, back to swimming. So it turns out there really weren't that many good pictures of the one day photo shoot at swimming lessons. So here are a few others, though not very clear.
Lets just say, she wasn't very focused that night. Karis loves watching other kids, and I think this particular night, she wanted to watch what all the other kids were doing in the pool. (OK, well, that wasn't the only night she did that. We had fun though.

Stay tuned for more...

2008-05-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

Need to take a break from the marathon/catch up blogging session and go to bed. Stay tuned for swimming lessons and other fabulous 13 month pictures I took of Karis here at our house in the yard. Here's just a taste of what's to come....

Oh my, I almost forgot about the group birthday party

2008-05-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

So, among our "Sunday night group" there are 5 birthdays in the months of March and April. So, we decided to have one large party for all the kids. Here are a few pictures from that evening.

Nika 4, Nathaniel 1, Keiton 1, Karis 1, and Christian 2

There was eating...

Drinking...

Playing...

And...whew, sleeping.
All partied out and ready for bed.

What I'm going to be when I grow up.

2008-05-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder what your kids will be when they grow up. Here are a few things Karis has been trying out. I'm thinking about getting her into some type of job shadow program, because she has been quite indecisive lately.

A dishwasher?...

A computer programmer....or possibly a music producer? (She's playing with iTunes)

Or maybe she will go into professional fencing...

Happy Birthday Stew and Go Wildcats!

2008-03-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

My cousin Stewart, from Spokane Washington, is attending Linfield College in McMinnville and playing baseball. His birthday was on the day of Karis' party, March 22nd. We couldn't help but celebrate his birthday too. We were so happy he and his girlfriend Hannah could join us for burgers, cake, and ice cream. Stew holds his Scotch-a-roo cake. Scotch-a-roos are a family tradition. They are basically rice crispy treats but they have peanut butter and Karo syrup in them (no marshmallows) and are topped with a mixture of butterscotch and milk chocolate chips. My mom decide to make them into a two layer cake, just for fun. Though he got his own cake, looks like he had to share the birthday hat with Karis. We love you Stew.

Happy 1st Birthday Karis

2008-03-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

March 24th, 2007 Karis Faith was born. There are so many amazing changes that happen in one year.

A New Look and New Posts

2008-03-13T23:19:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, I know, where have I been? And FINALLY, a new look. I was beginning to hate even going onto my own blog, just so I could link to all of my friend's and family blogs to see what they are up to these days; always hoping they have posted, yet I can't seem to keep it up myself. I couldn't bare to look at that brown Fall background any longer.

Computer time at home is few and far between these days. Ever since Vance got me the Creative Memories Storybook software for my birthday, I tend to play around with that instead of blogging. So, this is what I have been working on. This is the invite I did for Karis' first birthday. We are just doing a family party this year. I really wanted to do one big party with family and friends, but my home would be busting at the seams.

Enjoy the new posts as well.

Big Girl Bath Time

2008-03-13T23:15:00.001-07:00

Park fun, part 2

2008-03-13T23:06:00.001-07:00

Playing at the Park

2008-03-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

This is Karis' first time playing on a playground at a park. Well, I don't know if it really counts. She won't remember any of it, and we had to help her with everything. It was fun though.

Nap time, like mother like daughter

2008-03-13T22:54:00.000-07:00

Apparently, my dad used to find me sleeping like this when I was a kid too.

(Meghan, do you recognize the pants? I took the jacket off for her nap, but I think that outfit is so cute. She gets lots of complements on it when she wears it, saying she looks good in gray.)

Walking...well, sort of

2008-03-13T22:50:00.000-07:00

Karis is walking all over the place, just not without assistance. She is a very cautious little girl. She will carefully lower herself down to the ground to crawl from point A to point B before she will try taking a step. I'm not trying to push her though, I bet Vance that she wouldn't walk until after April 15th. He said he would take any date before that. So, stay tuned to see who wins the bet.

Karis with her Uncle Ryan and Aunt Amanda

2008-03-13T22:49:00.000-07:00

Great Grandpa

2008-03-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

Karis eating Cheerios with her Great Grandpa Young.

First Piggies

2008-03-13T22:41:00.000-07:00

Karis' first pig tails. Well, she doesn't go around wearing this hairdo, since naps are still a part of her day, it's just too high maintenance to redo the piggies after a nap. However, her hair is getting quite long in the back. I am looking forward to real pig tails some day.

Two Front Teeth

2008-03-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken at M&M's condo at the coast over Presidents Day weekend. I just noticed I got a picture of her showing her two front bottom teeth. She has had them for a while but thought I'd post a picture of them anyway. She now has three teeth on the top.

The Pitzer People

2008-03-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

Some friends from church, the Pitzer's, host a small group on Monday nights, so we get to go to their house and Karis gets to play with their kids. They do have 5 kids, so she has many playmates. Four of the kids are girls and the youngest three really enjoy having Karis to play with. Every week, we come to their house and the living room is clean. When we leave, the girls have almost completely emptied their rooms into the living room, in order to bring all their toys and stuffed animals out for Karis to play with. Dress up is also a very common trend at the Pitzer house.

FOOD!!

2008-03-13T22:22:00.000-07:00

There is no secret, Karis likes her food. I'm really trying to play catch up here, so these pictures were from mid January, but I will do my best to get the blog caught up. Currently, Karis' favorite food is peas. She eats them with her hands mostly, but has really enjoyed being feed peas by the spoonful. Instant gratification I think.

You may be asking yourself, regarding the last few photos, "why even bother with a bib, that stuff is everywhere." Well it didn't start out that way, a kid has got to learn somehow?

Peek-a-boo...I see you

2008-03-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

Reading with Daddy

2008-01-29T21:26:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day!

2008-01-10T21:49:00.000-08:00

Christmas with the Kellmer Family

We will always remember Karis' first Christmas as the one and only white Christmas I can remember having since living in Oregon! We had to get pictures to prove it.

Grandparents

2008-01-10T21:44:00.000-08:00

Vance's dad and step mom, Grandpa Merlin and Grandma Marti.

My parents, Grandpa Dave and Grandma Robin

What do you think? Karis is DONE taking photos for the night!
Enough already!?!?!

Christmas Eve

2008-01-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

After our Christmas Eve Service, we took advantage of the Christmas tree back drop to take some pictures.

Karis and the Christmas Tree

2008-01-10T20:52:00.000-08:00

This was our first Christmas with a child in the house. Karis conveniently became more mobile during the month of December. Therefore, we had to be careful which ornaments we placed toward the bottom of the tree. By Christmas day, we had to move the beads up higher so she didn't grab them and try to eat them.

Santa even visited our house early this year. Our neighbor, Terry, dresses up as Santa every year and he came knocking on our door on December 16th to bring Karis a candy cane. She wasn't too fond of Santa though. I realize now what all those parents feel like when their kid doesn't want to sit on Santa's lap.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-17T10:46:00.000-08:00

Ducks vs. Huskies

2007-10-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

October 20th was the Husky vs. Duck game in Seattle. My sister just married a die hard Husky fan in February and she--like myself--converted to support the team our husbands are so in love with. We drove up to Seattle and stayed with Kara and Greg. It was a fun, fast weekend. My aunt and uncle are Husky fans as well and drove over from Spokane to join us. My parents drove up from Warrenton. Mom watched Karis and dad joined us for the game. Here we are right before walking out the door to go to the game. The fan base for this group was heavy on Husky but the Ducks came through and won the game 55 to 34. My dad decided to wear a Duck had and wear a Husky T-shirt. Too bad it was cold out, he had to wear his coat, leaving only the sign of a Duck fan.

More Pumpkins

2007-10-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

Playing with Pumpkins

2007-10-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

6 months old... Go Ducks!

2007-10-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

Can she get any cuter?

2007-10-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

Salem Riverfest

2007-10-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

Sunday September 23rd was Salem Riverfest. We spent the evening with friends from our Sunday night group listening to music and Reid Sanders (the evangelist whose organization put on the event). Karis did very well, but as you can see, she did get a little tired toward the end of the night. See The Lunde Family blog for more pictures of Riverfest, including the "soaring Soren", which was quite a funny picture.

Before, During, and After

2007-10-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

This summer, Vance was hard at work in the yard; our side yard that is. We have a slope on the side of our garage that was not functional at all. We decided to build a retaining wall, fill it in, and level out the side of the property. Vance did all the work, with the help of some hired hands from the youth group at church. He was even able to hire some of the girls to watch Karis while they worked. He did an amazing job and I am so pleased with the results. This is just the first of two more phases. The next two years we will work on the back yard. This will include a continuation of the retaining wall to level out the back yard, tearing out the existing wood deck and replacing it with a patio/deck made of highland stone blocks. All this just in time for Karis to be old enough to play in the back yard. We hope to have some type of swing set or play structure in the future.

First Foods

2007-09-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

We had our first attempt at rice cereal with Karis on Tuesday. She wasn't too sure at first, but a few spoonfuls later she was lunging at the spoon with both hands.

Teething...it has only just begun

2007-09-13T21:46:00.002-07:00

How many fingers can you get in YOUR mouth?

Karis and her Uncle Ryan

2007-09-13T21:46:00.001-07:00

Karis at the Park

2007-09-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

Here is Karis sitting on the picnic table at the park. We spend one of our Sunday nights there to celebrate Soren's 3rd Birthday. She is sitting in a BUMBO seat, borrowed from the Lundes, who are borrowing it from their little friend Lucy.

There is more than one use for a restaurant sling

2007-08-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

Most restaurants provide a sling to put your infant car seat in. Well, since Karis rode in her stoller, we didn't have her car seat. Needless to say, she got tired and fell asleep. What better way to take a nap, than in this hammock-like structure.

Crib Time

2007-08-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't seen Karis' room, here are a couple pictures. In addition to a couple pictures of her in her crib. Thank you Deborah for sewing everything for her.

Karis in her big girl stroller

2007-08-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

Karis and Grandma Robin

2007-08-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

Karis has changed so much since birth. Here is a picture of her with her Grandma at 3 days old and then a picture with Grandma at 4 1/2 months old.

I'm tired mom, do we really have to take pictures now?

2007-08-10T22:19:00.000-07:00

A lady from work made this outfit for Karis. I had to get her picture in it, but she was really tired at the time. I think it's cute, but Vance thinks it looks a little frumpy. Oh well, they grow out of clothes so fast at this age, he doesn't have to worry about her wearing it too many times.

Camping in July

2007-08-10T21:32:00.001-07:00

July 27th-29th we did a multi-family camping trip with the Lunde's, West's, and Rowles'. I may be the last one to post camping pictures, but it is still worth stating the adult to child ratio of 8:8. Of note is the ages of the kids, all 3 1/2 and under. Fortunately for us, three of them are not mobile yet. Next year will definitely be a challenge.

Friday morning we loaded the kids into the bike trailers and rode 7 miles into town (Cottage Grove) for breakfast. We finally finished eating around noon, rode to a park so the kids could play, packed up the trailers and rode 7 miles back. Soren and Karis took naps on the ride home. Saturday afternoon we went to Dorena Lake. The water was questionable but the toddlers had fun splashing around.

Vance did a great job entertaining the toddlers with B-I-N-G-O, Old McDonald, and a few other songs. He even kept them busy writing their names on the little magic writing board (I don't know what that thing is called).

Sunday is always a sad day when we have to pack up and go home. Fortunately, we top off the weekend with a trip to Prince Puckler's ice cream shop in Vance's old stomping grounds in Eugene. I can't wait til next year!!

Back tracking

2007-08-10T21:17:00.001-07:00

I found more pictures of the island trip on another camera. Karis had her first ride on a ferry boat. You can't really tell in the picture, but the one of Karis and Vance is on the ferry. The ferry was old hat for Keiton, so he decided to take a nap. The first morning at the house Soren took some time to read Karis a book.

4 months old

2007-08-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

I know some of you are wondering where I've been. Well, between work, taking care of Karis and trying to maintain a decent house, I am finding less and less time to post on the blog. Here is a picture of Karis in a restaurant high chair on our camping trip. We went camping a couple weeks ago, and Friday morning we went out to breakfast. She had to be propped up with Vance's sweatshirt, but she sat there the whole time we were there without complaining one bit. I will post pictures of the camping trip soon but it is my chance to go to bed early tonight, so I am jumping at the opportunity before it passes me by.

Too big for wipes

2007-07-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

Karis had one of the biggest diaper blow-outs we've seen. So bad, we decided a bath would be much easier than using up an entire box of wipes to get the mess cleaned up. Since it would have taken way too much time to get out the baby bath, fill it up with water and get her cleaned off, I decided to simply use the bathroom sink. She seemed to enjoy it and it was a nice quick bath for her, even though a bath was not on the agenda for today's schedule.

A couple weeks ago Karis has been laughing at herself when she sees her reflection in the mirror, here is also a picture of her doing just that.

The Rowles' Island House

2007-07-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

We spend last weekend with the Rowles Family at their island house up near Everett, WA. It was beautiful up there. We took a long walk on Saturday with Kara and Greg who came over on Saturday from Bothell to visit us (thanks for coming over guys). Vance took Soren on a ride on the 4-wheeler (of course he rode with his dad too), we relaxed, played CLUE, ate raspberry cobbler, and talked finances of course (thank you Dave Ramsey). Here are a few shots from the trip. A view from the house, Vance and Karis, Vance playing guitar, Karis and Keiton relaxing on the deck, and Soren playing in the ivy.

4th of July

2007-07-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

Our neighborhood has a parade every year. Everyone decorates their trikes and bikes and we loop the neighborhood a couple of times. This was the first year that we have been in town for the 4th since we have lived in this house. Andrea, Betsy, and I decorated our stroller/bike trailers and walked in the parade. It was wonderful weather and the kids did great. Later in the day we all went to the Lundes for eats and fireworks.

Karis, don't eat your bath towel

2007-07-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

3 Months Old

2007-06-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that Karis is already 3 months old? Time is going by way too fast for my taste. Even though I look forward to each and every milestone, I wish it would slow down a bit.

Garage sale toys

2007-06-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

We have found a lot of our baby gear on Craigslist, but this was a garage sale find. We hope that Karis enjoys it more when she is able sit up in it a little better.

Spending time with daddy

2007-06-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

If Vance is sticking Karis' toe up her nose while I am at home watching him do it, maybe I don't want to know what they do all day while I am at work.

Back to Work

2007-06-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

So I went back to work last week, which is part of the reason why I haven't posted in a while. The transition went very well. Karis is staying home with Vance, so it is a lot easier for me to leave the house in the morning knowing she is in good hands. I may have had a meltdown if I had to drop her off at daycare last Monday morning. This week she has been at VBS (Vacation Bible School) with Vance. Well...actually she is being watched by the childcare workers at VBS. She isn't really old enough to participate yet.

This week she has almost rolled over, from back to front. She gets most of the way and then her arm gets stuck. Of course Vance saw her do it first, since he is home with her during the day. Yesterday I came home and she did it for me. I was yelling at Vance to hurry downstairs so he could see her roll over and he informed me that he already saw her do it but didn't want to spoil it for me. He is so wonderful. Any day now we are expecting her to roll over all the way. She is starting to laugh and "talk" a lot. Today she even laughed at herself when she saw her reflection in the mirror.

Just Because I'm Cute

2007-06-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

So this entry has nothing to do with a specific event or anything special that Karis has done. It is simply because I think she is so cute and this outfit deserved some kind of photo shoot.

Sleeping through the night

2007-06-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but the last 4 nights Karis has slept through the night; 8 hours at a time even. We are very excited but know that this could change any moment. It would be very convenient if this becomes a trend since I have to go back to work next week. We will see if it continues...

Portland Rose Festival

2007-06-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday Vance, Karis and I went to Portland for the Rose Festival. We parked in the Pearl District and took the Streetcar down to the water front. Karis did extremely well. We tried to take her on the ferris wheel but she didn't quite meet the height requirement. We have taken her on so many day trips and a few different overnight trips and she really hasn't given us too much hassle. We love her so much.

4th Annual Girls' Weekend

2007-06-05T18:34:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was our 4th annual girls' weekend. All the women on my mom's side of the family get together for a weekend of fun, food, and fellowship. This year we stayed in downtown Portland and used the Max and the Portland streetcar for transportation. We visited the Rose Garden in Washington Park, ate at PF Changs in the Pearl District, played BUNKO, and had chocolate fondue. Thank you Kara for a fun get-to-know-you game on Friday night, that was a blast.

Visit to Uncle Greg and Auntie Kara's

2007-06-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we went up to Seattle and stayed with my sister Kara and her husband Greg. They prepared a wonderful dinner for us Friday night, Greg slaved over ribs and Kara made a really great pasta salad. Vance had a guitar workshop and concert to go to on Saturday, so Karis and I went to Pikes Place with Kara and Greg and later meet Vance for dinner. Sunday we visited their church, Overlake Christian, and went out to brunch at Anthony's. Karis had her first experience 'playing' with their dog, Red. Don't worry Red, one day she will be old enough to really play with you. I know she looks forward to it. =)

2 month SHOTS!!

2007-05-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Today was Karis' 2 month doctor's appointment. She is now 14 lbs 3 oz and is 23 inches long. Her weight (as everyone might imagine) is in the 95th percentile and her length in the 75th percentile. The nurse was so fast giving the shots that we almost didn't even have time to see them being done. Karis was a great patient; she cried as the shots were administered and then once they were done she just decided to sleep it off.

2 month pictures

2007-05-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

The New Bike Trailer

2007-05-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

Vance does a lot of bike riding in the summer while I am at work. We decided that a bike trailer/jogging stroller would be a good idea. It will also come in handy when we go camping with our friends who have kids, since this one can also carry two kids. The first time we used it to go for a walk, we put Karis in her car seat and strapped her car seat into the trailer. This time Vance strapped her in by herself. She looks so tiny. Believe me though, she is not what you would call petite.

Memorial Day BBQ

2007-05-29T14:27:00.001-07:00

Karis attended her first BBQ on Memorial day. The Lundes hosted, we had great food and great fun. Benton and Soren decided that eating the bubbles was much more fun than blowing them. Karis had her first ride in the BabyBjorn facing out.

OK mom and dad, I'm ready for summer

2007-05-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

Do these sunglasses have UVA/UVB protection?

Bath Time

2007-05-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

Karis generally enjoys bath time, but since the weather has been getting warmer and the temperature in the house has warmed up, she has been enjoying them much more. As you can see, she is definitely not deprived of nutrients.

Karis' first trip to the beach

2007-05-25T16:25:00.001-07:00

Last week we were able to get away to Seaside for two nights with the Rowles family. The weather was actually pretty good and we were able to enjoy a couple walks on the beach and the boardwalk, ate seafood and some really good ice cream.

Four Generations

2007-05-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

When I was an itty bitty, a picture was taken of the four generations on my mom's side of the family. The picture includes Grandma (Jessie) Young (she is holding me), Great Grandma (Lela) Covert, and my mom (Robin). This Mother's Day we duplicated this picture which includes Grandma Robin (holding Karis), Great Grandma Young, and me.

Baby Dedication

2007-05-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

On May 13th, Mother's Day, we had baby dedication at church. Karis, along with 8 other babies were dedicated.

Hangin' with the boys

2007-05-25T15:46:00.001-07:00

On Sunday nights a bunch of our friends come to our house. The girls work on scrapbooks and the guys watch a movie, go have coffee, go out for dessert, or make fanny cakes (an interesting fried creation that they made just a couple weeks ago). Lately, we have notices that we get less and less scrapbooking done now that there are three newborns in the group. Our friend Meghan bought these outfits for the new kiddos. Nathaniel, Karis, and Keiton are seen here showing off their matching outfits. I hope they get better at posing for the camera as they get older. Oh wait, never mind, when they are mobile it is probably much harder for them to sit for a picture. (Nathaniel has the green pacifier and Keiton with the blue one.)

Oh So Many Expressions

2007-05-24T21:24:00.000-07:00

First Smiles

2007-05-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

Karis would frequently smile in her sleep or smile at random, but at about 4-5 weeks old she started smiling in response to us playing and talking with her. Here are a few of her first smiles caught on camera.

Easter

2007-05-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

Tummy Time?

2007-05-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

Here is Karis in her Eeyore outfit from her Aunt Deborah. I thought she looked so cute in it. I would like to say I was giving Karis some quality tummy time here, but honestly, I just thought she would look cute in a few pictures on her tummy.

The Tulip Farm

2007-05-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

Vance's mom, Pat, came up from California to visit just a few days after Karis was born. We went to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm in Woodburn when she was only 1 1/2 weeks old. It was a little chilly that day, but fortunately it didn't rain on us.

Sweet Baby Carrots

2007-05-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

On March 24, 2007 at 7:33am our beautiful baby girl was born, Karis Faith. She came into the word right on schedule, on her due date. This was quite convenient for us, since this was the Saturday before Vance's spring break. She weighed in at 6 lb 13 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. We enjoyed all the visits from friends and family while we were in the hospital. One family from church came to visit with their daughter Rebeccca. On the ride to the hospital they were telling her what the baby's name was. She had a little trouble at first and called her "baby carrots." The name has stuck and we started calling her Sweet Baby Carrots. Good thing she isn't a red head. Karis is now 2 months old, but here are a few pictures from her hospital visit.

My First Post

2007-05-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

After months and months of wanting to start a blog, here I am. I have admired other friend's blogs (including their friend's and family's blogs I don't even know) and always enjoy seeing new pictures of the latest trips that they have taken and the most recent happenings in their homes, both joyous and disastrous. So here I am, my first attempt at creating a blog. I hope that you enjoy it. Here we go.