The Norske News

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Lil Bro's 10 month photo!

We decided to keep the tradition alive, and head to the Zoo for Mother's Day.

Kinda crazy that Gage was still in utero in last year's photos from the Zoo!

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Favorite two exhibits:

donde esta spring??

2010-04-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

Our big guy celebrated his 5th birthday! I can't believe he is getting prepped for kindergarten!

Ryder and all his Bday loot.

Little Bro and his 9 month pic. It's sure getting harder to get him to lay still in one spot so I can get a picture. He's a movin and a shakin. Well, rolling anyway.

PS he does love his Momma too. Occasionally he cries when I walk out of the room too.

8 months.

I think it is a good possibility that we may have two spiderman freaks in this house. It is sure fun to see these boys starting to play together.

Since he just flips out of the Bumbo chair we had to come up with another alternative. This laundry basket actually works very well. Simply insert child and fill with toys.

Hoppy Easter! Here are the eggs that Big Bro dipped and decorated.

Gage showing off his blue duck from the Easter Bunny. I bet you didn't know that the Easter bunny shops at Bath and Body Works...did you ?

I sure love these boys!

time goes by way to fast!

2010-02-17T17:11:00.000-08:00

Thought I better post this 7 month pic since it is almost time for his 8 month picture! This little feller is getting a fun personality. He is a sweet snuggler and LOVES his big brother. Also, he is a big fan of his Father. If Dad leaves the room he starts to cry... On the other hand, if Mom leaves the room he doesn't give a rip. :(

Last week...

This week!! Big Bro is officially riding his bike all by himself! He is getting so old. I teared up a little when he took off on his own. It trips me out that I have a kid old enough to ride a bike and who wants a pair of Heelys.

My big blue eyed boy

I took a Saturday off and we hit up the boat show this year as a family! It was fun but my husband didn't think it was much compared to his annual boat show trip to Seattle with his Dad.

Wouldn't be a very fun time if we didn't get any popcorn!!

Hope you all had a very MERRY Christmas and HAPPY New Year!

2010-01-19T17:35:00.000-08:00

Aunt Shana has a tradition... every year she pays this little elf to deliver all her neighborhood treats. He made $4 this year!

Three ladies and three babies! It was so great to get to reunite with these gals at Christmas time!

My two BIG boys!

6 month photo session.

and also a 5 month photo since I am such a slacker..

4 month pic plus a few extras!

2009-11-10T12:22:00.000-08:00

4 months old!

It has started already! Anytime Dad has his hands in the engine or is under the car, Ryder is lying right there next to him. I guarantee my kid can identify more makes and models of cars than your kid can ;)

Lego time with the boys. Chris likes to get new Legos for Ryder... I'm pretty sure he likes building with them just as much, if not more than Ryder does.

Traditional family dinner at the Old Spaghetti factory when Uncle Dave & Aunt Barb came to visit

Happy Halloween! We had such a fun time this year!! We all went over to surprise Grandma & Grandpa, then came back home and did a little trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.

PS the purple bucket is Karli's. No- I did not bring one for Gage.

The sugar is kicking in already.

Going Private...

2009-11-03T13:21:00.001-08:00

You know the drill.. If you want to keep viewing our blog email me at bjnorske@msn.com

3 months old yesterday!

2009-09-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

1 month old

2 months old

3 months old!

I saw someone do this on their blog and thought it was a fun idea! Ryder was kind enough to loan us his Batman for these pictures. Long story, but he is from the dump and was a gift from my Dad to Ryder. He cleaned up well.

You can tell how much Gage has grown!

clarification on the name tag...

2009-09-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

The reason he is sitting in Madelyn's seat is because he was the first one there and so the teacher told him to pick the puzzle he wanted to do and to sit at that seat. Then a minute later he changed his mind and wanted to do a different puzzle, so he sat in the seat with the new puzzle which happened to have Madelyn's name tag.

School Time!

2009-09-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

Ryder started Preschool last week! He wasn't too excited at first, but loved it after his first day!
It is kind of sad for me. I was crying after I dropped him off because he will always be going to school from here on out, and is growing up so fast. I am just glad he likes it and has made some friends.

Current pictures!

2009-08-31T12:35:00.001-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted lately. Life has been crazy! Here are some current pics of my sweet boys! Enjoy!

names in the sand...

2009-07-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

In memory of our daughter, my sweet sister found this amazing website and had her name written in the sand in Australia and gave us this picture framed. The girl who does this lost a baby as well and now quit her job and now does this full time for other people who have lost babies or children. She does it for free but accepts donations. She has done almost 5,000 names since last August. Her story can be found on her blog and is a tear jerker. Thanks for thinking of our sweet angel Shana! You can check out the post she did for Gabriella here:
http://namesinthesand.blogspot.com/2009/07/gabriella-norske.html

Who's Who?

2009-07-11T14:48:00.000-07:00

Here is pictures of my boys in the same outfit and blanket. They are both about two weeks old in these pics. Can you tell who is who?

MEET BABY GAGE!

2009-06-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

I must comment about this pic because I laugh every time I look at it.. Right before we left the hospital I asked this older hispanic nurse to take a picture of the three of us and I'm pretty positive that she had never used or seen a camera before in her life. She was like aiming it at the floor and kept saying that she couldn't get Chris' head in the photo. We told her to back up and he ended up crouching down.. This is what we ended up with. We both left dying laughing.

Here a few pics of our new SWEET little bundle- Gage Christopher! I was induced on Thursday morning and had him that afternoon at 4:08pm. Everything was super smooth! He weighed 6 lbs 7 ounces and was 20 inches long. He doesn't look as much like Ryder as we though he would. He has more hair and it is a little darker, and has a little bit more narrow of a face. He is such a special little guy and we are thrilled to have him here and home with us! I am such a lucky lady to have such a great husband and two awesome boys!

A current belly shot for Jessica. Possibly the last...?

2009-06-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

and a cute photo from our Mother's Day trip to the Zoo!

Remembering...

2009-06-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

Happy 2nd Birthday little one...

patience...

2009-06-05T23:40:00.000-07:00

I promise to post soon! I have some very good excuses as to my lack of posting...

1. We just MOVED!
2. We just got our new internet service hooked up TODAY!

So this post is to let you all know that we are still alive and kickin! We are counting down the days until this baby arrives. We are trying to get everything unpacked and settled before he makes his gets here. Speaking of which... I had an appointment today and am dilated to a 1. So some time between now and the next 19 days we should have another bundle of joy.

On another note...
I saw this youtube clip on the news the other day because it was receiving so many hits. This guy is from Utah and is amazing. I LOVE this song and posted it here so you could enjoy it too!

4th Birthday & Easter

2009-04-26T14:49:00.000-07:00

Since I am such a lame blogger lately, I am just now getting around to posting pics from Ry's 4th Birthday and Easter... We went to a Spiderman show on Saturday afternoon and dinner at the Spaghetti Factory on Saturday night before Ryder's birthday to start the festivities off. We waited in line over an hour to get this balloon sculpture made and it popped on the way out to the car. Figures.. On Sunday we had a Spiderman party that was a hit with this little feller. I also posted some pics of Easter. Ryder likes to learn about the resurrection and know that some day he will see his little sister again. Grandma Starr got him this cool kite for Easter that was so much fun. When the wind died down he said "I guess God doesn't want it to be windy". He is such a fun little man to have around and a blessing in our lives!

a belly shot per your request...

2009-03-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

I snapped this photo today and am about 25 weeks along. Too bad I accidentally cut off my head so you can't see my cute new hair cut, but when I saw Ryder's cute face peeking in this pic I couldn't resist posting this one!
Speaking of pregnant bellies... A couple of weeks ago I was at work, (wearing an apron and not showing as much as I was in this picture) and I had a client reach out and put her hand on my belly and ask "do you have a baby in there?". I so badly wanted to say "No, why?" To see the look on her face would have been priceless. I don't know about the rest of the world but I think it's pretty ballsy to touch a pregnant gal's stomach and then proceed to ask if they are pregnant...

like father like son..

2009-03-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

You would think that getting a 3 year old ready in the morning didn't consist of too much... Well it's another story for this boy. After his shower at night he HAS to have some of his Dad's Axe body spray and deodorant before getting his pajamas on. In the mornings he has to have more body spray, deodorant and a clean shave. No joke. He usually won't let me spike his hair up any more because he throws a fit and says "I want it down like Peter Parker's hair!" Thankfully my brother-in-law had a brilliant idea and told Ryder that Peter Parker has his hair spiked up in the Spiderman 4 movie that is coming out. Reminding him of this is the only way I can style his hair my way!

2009-02-10T16:54:00.000-08:00

We had our ultrasound on Friday and the Doctor confirmed that we will be having a boy! They said everything looks pretty good and the baby is measuring one week ahead of schedule. On of the first things they noticed was the size of the baby's feet! Definitely takes after his Dad already (Chris wears a size 15)! We are all excited to meet this little, I mean big guy!

time for a bigger bed!!

2009-01-28T18:50:00.000-08:00

I think these two snuggle bugs have about outgrown this toddler bed! We will be needing the mattress soon for the crib anyways, so I will have to keep my eye out for a twin bed!

Some explaining to do...

2008-12-22T20:42:00.000-08:00

I got a voicemail from a dear friend today and she said "you have got some explaining to do"...
I was waiting to send out our Christmas cards that say "baby on the way" until I had an ultrasound in hand. However, the clinic I am going to is fairly new and has not received their ultrasound machine yet. So I have now been to two appointments and never seen a picture of this baby on the way, or even heard a heartbeat yet. I was a little hesitant to announce the news until I had some proof to show, but it was getting a little hard to hide and people are already assuming. So, Surprise!! We are expecting! We are very excited and Ryder is really hoping for a boy. If it is a boy he wants to name him Spidey. He came with me to my first appointment and my sister waited with him. I have to share their conversation...

Ryder: "Why didn't they cut my Mom's belly open??!?"
Shana: "What do you mean?"
Ryder: "To get my baby out!"
Shana: "Oh, well the baby isn't ready to come out yet, (she flips open the 'as your baby grows' book they gave us) see, here is what your baby looks like now"
Ryder: "Well that doesn't look very good..."

Christmas Performance

2008-12-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

This last week Ryder has his Christmas performance for his tumbling class. It was just the pre-show for the program but it sure was fun to see him up there. We went out for some Italian food after the show. His teacher calls him Peter Parker because when he goes to class he tells her he has to call him that.. He is a little obsessive about Spiderman.

Pet Peeves...

2008-12-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

Chris and I have been talking about what our top pet peeves are and trying to guess what the other person's biggest pet peeve is. Here is what I have come up with:

Chris: Gets majorly bugged when people don't return their shopping carts to their designated cart returns in parking lots!

Me: I guess I would have to say I can't stand it when people don't wash their hands after using the restroom..

Just curious... What's yours?

what a difference a year makes!

2008-11-02T20:31:00.000-08:00

The above picture is from this Halloween 2008. (Ryder is 3 1/2 yrs old).

This picture is from Halloween 2007. Ryder is 2 1/2 yrs old here.

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Ryder was planning on being Venom for Halloween this year. We bought the costume a few months ago because he loves to wear it. We lost the mask last week so he had to settle on being Batman again this year. We did some trick-or treating at the mall, and then went to a few houses around the neighborhood until it started raining. He is getting so big. It makes me sad how grown up he is getting. He is so much fun to be with and keeps us laughing all the time!!

2008-10-28T18:39:00.001-07:00

We carved Ry's pumpkin tonight! We found a Bat template on this really cool site:

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/halloween/mpatterns.htm

It gives great instructions and has a bunch of fun designs to choose from. Since my child is obsessed with Batman, he chose the bat of course! If you haven't already carved your pumpkins you should check out the free templates...

Family pics on a rainy day...

2008-10-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

So we have been wanting to get some family pictures taken for a few weeks now, while the leaves were still nice. We had to coordinate a day when Me, Chris, my Sister and her Hubby all had the same day off. Too bad the weather didn't want to cooperate with us. We ended up taking a beautiful drive up the canyons and up to a ski resort. The trees and leaves were all bright and would have made for some nice pictures. It rained and even hailed on us most of the day though. It was actually nice though because we listened to conference the whole way and just enjoyed the drive. Finally we decided we were just going to have to settle for a family picture inside the dry car. Hope you like it ;) Eventually once we got back down in to town we caught a few rain free moments and snapped a few pics. Hope y'all had a nice weekend too!

Boy's Club

2008-09-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

Today my little man and I went to a new dance studio to check it out and see if they had any fun classes for him to take. Looks like we missed the boat on soccer for this fall. The folks here are real serious about it and sign ups for soccer are in early spring. Anyways, we are going next week to try out two classes for him. We are really excited about one called "Boy's Club". It is all boys and is taught by a male instructor. Normally she said boys start it at 5 but the lady thinks he would do fine. They learn hip hop, break dancing, and a little tumbling! Ry has been begging his Dad to do dance but Dad thinks it's for girls. I think we can talk him in to the Boys Club though!

Creme Brulee

2008-09-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

Last night I made Chris' Favorite... Creme Brulee. I found this handy baking kit at Sur La Table and love it! It comes with a really easy recipe on the back of the box too. This tasty treat was a hit at our house. You should google a recipe and try it too!

Last good days of summer...

2008-08-31T21:59:00.000-07:00

Is summer over?? We have sure had some nice and hot days here the past two weeks, but today it was so windy and it rained like crazy! Tomorrow we were going to go to the lake but the weather is suppose to drop 30 degrees :(

I am not much for boating in the rain or cold. I like it hot!

We helped Grandma & Grandpa lay some sod on Friday, just in time for the storm. Ryder was such a big help. He liked for us to place the sod and then he would unroll in. I wish I could say these sunny pics were from Labor Day, but it looks like we will be staying in doors tomorrow.

Happy Labor Day!

Moving

2008-07-31T22:18:00.000-07:00

Our long load:Ryder was invited to play over at Carson's house the morning that we packed up. They took the boys to McDonalds and let them have one last play date. They even gave him a super cute water color book that he colored in most of the way over. Thanks for everything Holly! We will sure miss you guys.

My brother and his cute fam had Ryder over for a sleep over our last night in Idaho. He had so much fun and didn't want to leave. I was nervous because I was afraid of how Ryder would do with out Chris or I there (he doesn't do a whole lot of all nighters). My brother came over to help us wrap things up the next morning and brought these pics. He said "here's how might night went", and showed us the pic of all three kids in bed with them. I don't know how they manage with a queen bed. We feel cramped with a king! Ryder will really miss his cousins!

Fun with Photoshop

2008-07-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night I had a couple of girlfriends over and we learned some cool tricks with Photoshop and ate delicious treats. Thanks for the "Better than Sex" cake Jenny!
Here is a picture of Ryder with his best bud Carson. He is sure going to miss him!

They LOVED their Yam Pancakes!

2008-07-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday night I made Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Yams. They were delicious! Chris and Ryder really liked them too. I froze a bunch of veggies that I pureed when I got my Deceptively Delicious cookbook, so I just added one baggy of Yams to my pancake mix. I originally bought the cookbook so I could get Ryder to eat more veggies, but really it works best for my Husband who is not a big vegetable fan!

Summer Sleepovers

2008-07-12T22:49:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night Ryder and I went swimming and to ice cream with my brother and his cute fam. Ryder and Paisley both went down the big water slide all by themselves, and I caught them at the bottom. They both got twisted and turned around and came out looking freaked out! They didn't want to go again but they were both so proud they went down the slide.

Last night we had Aubrey and Brinley over for a sleepover. We got Happy Meals and went to the park to play, then came home and did haircuts on both girls. Aubrey's was way shorter than we would have normally cut it, but all three girls have cut their own hair within the last few weeks. In the "before" picture you can kind of see that she cut one side clear up to her ear. We fixed it though, and it's cute. By the end of Brinley's haircut is was about 11:30pm and she was dozing off. I couldn't get a smile out of her because she was so tired! Ryder sure loves his cousins!

What we have been up to...

2008-07-05T16:11:00.000-07:00

We have had a couple good trips to the lake this year. We were shocked when Ryder wanted to go on the tube! He did so great. He wasn't even scared. Such a big boy!

Unfortunately there was a windstorm while we were gone last week. When we came home our patio set was shattered.

A day at the Zoo

Aunt Shana and Karli came to visit and we went to the Zoo with some friends to celebrate the last day of Ryder's preschool group!

Sleepy Haircut

2008-07-05T15:51:00.000-07:00

Normally my son screams and cries every time he gets his hair cut. I guess I will take a moving target over the crying :)

Guess who is coming to town!?!

2008-06-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

Shana and Karli are coming to town tomorrow! We are super excited for them to come visit. Here are a few cute pics that I never got around to posting from when we went to stay with them in the hotel before they could go home. Ryder was such a big helper!

Happy Memorial Day

2008-05-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

(Chris isn't a big camper, so Ryder and I had to improvise last night with the tent..)

Today we went to the cemetery and brought some flowers for Gabby's grave. It still seems weird to us that we had a grave to go visit (other than an elderly Grandparent) on holidays like this. When we got there is was great because someone had already left two pretty flowers on her grave. I think it may have been my Grandma...

It is heartbreaking every time we go to visit and there are fresh flowers from a new infant laid to rest or a new headstone that wasn't there before. We always feel for the family that just had to bury their baby. Today was kind of neat though, because we were able to see the cute, young families that were there to visit their babies graves. We have seen the other headstones for so long, but never who the people were that were visiting the graves. Our hearts go out to anyone who is missing a loved one today. Happy Memorial Day.

Our Life With Bailey...

2008-05-24T00:56:00.000-07:00

The dreaded day has come. Last Monday we had to put our beloved Bailey down. He hadn't been feeling well so we took him to the vet and they did blood work and x-rays but didn't find the reason for the problems he was having. They did find that he had lost 25 pounds and had kidney disease though. His body was only using less than 25% of both of his kidneys combined. The doctor said they would eventually fail all together. Later that week he started sneezing lots of blood and just looked miserable. We didn't want to put him through any more pain for our selfishness of just wanting to keep him with us. I think it has hit Daphne the hardest. She has been so sad ever since we came home without him. He was her mentor and best friend and you can see from all the pictures. Bailey was a wonderful dog and will be greatly missed.

Ryder's First Dentist Appointment!

2008-05-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

Ryder had his first dentist appointment a few weeks ago at a super fun pediatric dentist right by our house. They have movies playing on the ceiling and head phones for the kids to wear with the movie playing in them. He did so great! The dental assistant said that he did better than most 10 year old patients they have. He had x-rays on his whole mouth and all his teeth cleaned and flossed. It was so neat because we could see his adult teeth in the x-rays. If you look closely in the bottom picture you can see them. After his exam he got a token to go get a surprise out of the machine and he got a bad with a new tooth brush, toothpaste, timer, and floss. He loved the dentist and can't wait for his check up in 6 months!

Hawaii Trip Photos!!

2008-04-10T13:30:00.001-07:00

3 YEARS OLD!

2008-04-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Ryder's 3 year birthday while we were in Hawaii! Here is a flashback from newborn until now. He is such a big boy and amazes us everyday. Happy Birthday Ryder, We Love You!

PS I will post some Hawaii pictures soon!

Aloha!

2008-03-24T14:44:00.000-07:00

I know I said I was going to try and write more entries than have... But after working on the computer all morning with work, the last thing I want to do is sit in here and burn more day light. SO, you will all just have to wait until I get back for some more pictures and videos! Mahalo.

"shampoo mine hair peeease?"

2008-03-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything new in a little while so I thought I would put a few pics up of Ryder and what he has been up to...
When I first got my shampoo bowl and chair Ryder would freak when I asked if I could shampoo his hair. He would pretty much run and hide because he was afraid of it. Then one day he decided to let me try it... Now he will ask me about five times a day "shampoo mine hair peeease Momma?" He cracks me up!

The other morning when Ryder was brushing his teeth he walked in to the bathroom like this. He found these old fake glasses in my nightstand a while back and always wants to wear them. I think he looks like the boy from that movie -A Christmas Story.

Two peas in a pod. Ryder likes to help his Dad with vacuuming.

Aunt LeAnna brought her new puppy over so we could meet him. His name is Mater. Such a cutie!

Tagged By Melissa!!

2008-02-27T22:58:00.001-08:00

I am doing this because of your threat Melissa :)

10 years ago:

I had just finished up volleyball season and I was about to finish up my senior year at Culver High School. 10 years ago this March my Dad got hit by a train and my dog died in the accident. We always make sure to call him on March 18th to tell him "Happy Train Day" and remind him that we love him and are glad he is still around!

Things on my to-do list today:

1. Go to the bank
2. Go to the beauty supply house to pick up hair color
3. Stop by Grandma's house to pick up a load of homemade bread
4. Cut and color niece's hair
5. Go to Blue and Gold Banquet to accept award for Chris since he can't make it

What would I do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:

First I would pay off all of our debt and STUPID medical bills. I would help out family and friends, (Chris and I use to talk about what we would do if we won the lotto and how much we would give each person). Then I would make it so my husband didn't have to work while he was finishing school and could just concentrate on that. We would have spending money for Hawaii! Then once we got back I would build a salon/spa with a day care for Ryder to play in and then I would work there when ever I felt like it!

3 of my bad habits:

1. I have no patience
2. I like reading celebrity gossip (drives my husband nuts)
3. I eat really crappy and drink way too much Diet Pepsi. I am trying to kick my caffeine addiction though!

3 places I have lived:

1. Tigard, Oregon
2. Rexburg, Idaho
3. Boise, Idaho

5 jobs I have had:

1. New car lot attendant at Ford dealership (this is where Chris and I met)
2. Waitress
3. Bank Teller
4. Manager/Stylist at hair salon
5. Mortgage loan processor

5 things people don't know about me:

1. I usually cut and color my own hair (sometimes Chris helps me)
2. I use to have my tragas and belly button pierced
3. My husband thinks I am weird because I smell everything
4. I was prom queen my senior year of high school and after that my dad started calling me "PQ"
5. I had my tonsils taken out in the third grade and brought them to show and tell in a sealed bag from the hospital. I kept them until we moved years later and my Mom threw them away. I was devastated.

I tag: Holly, Lynette and Dana

Pee on my pants...

2008-02-21T22:26:00.000-08:00

So Ryder now has 38 days left until he turns 3. When I was talking to my Dad the other day and telling him something that Ryder had done that day my Dad said "well maybe he is just trying to get all of his terrible two's over with before he turns three". I think he was right. I do a lot of hair appointments in the evenings and with Chris now working in the evenings it is just Me, Ryder and my clients. He has discovered that during this time I am pre-occupied and cannot give him my full attention. He in turn has tried to pull off some pretty naughty tricks. Here are a few of the more memorable in a Top 5 Countdown...
5. Climb on the kitchen counter and turn on the sink and spray the hose across the kitchen.
4. (Before he was potty trained) Pooped in his pull-up and then went out in to the back yard and took off his pants and pull-up and then came back inside and threw the poopy pull-up at my feet while I was doing a haircut.
3. Chases the dogs around the backyard and tries to hit them with my golf clubs.
2. Went out in to the backyard, dumps the dog water on his head and then throw his wet clothes on the grass, comes in side with muddy cowboy boots, climbs up on to the counter to get a piece of chocolate out of the cupboard, eats the chocolate and then sticks the tin foil wrapper in the microwave and then proceeds to start it.
And for the most memorable one...
1. This evening he took off his pants and undies while I was blow drying a friend's hair, walked in and stood at my feet and peed ALL OVER my jeans and shoes!
I shouldn't have been surprised considering the other night when Chris was laying in bed and Ryder climbed up on to the bed and peed on his Dad! I really hope that the terrible two's are really over in 38 days or that I can figure out how to handle this bundle of joy. I don't know how you people that have more than one kid do it! If you have any advice, please feel free to share. I could use it!

2008-02-14T13:12:00.000-08:00

This year for Valentines we decided to go out to breakfast since Chris' schedule with school and work is so funky right now. We went to Elmers and I would have to say Ryder's food was the best... He got the chocolate chip pancakes! I helped him eat them until he poured the salt shaker on them. It's fun going to Elmers because we both have so many good memories of going to Elmers back home in Portland when we were growing up. Chris wasn't feeling too well and as you can tell by the photo, he was dosing off. Hope you had a good Valentine's Day too!

Rootin, Tootin, Shootin good time!

2008-01-31T18:41:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Chris and I had a much needed date night. My niece Camille watched Ryder while Chris and I went shooting and to dinner with my Aunt Chris and Uncle Tim. We had so much fun and hope to go again soon!!

way back when...

2008-01-29T22:31:00.000-08:00

My sister found this picture at my Mom's house over the weekend. I don't think I even have one picture of myself this young so I thought I would share it with you. My crafty Aunt Chris made us these dresses. This is me, my sister LeAnna, my sister Shana and brother Doug. After seeing this picture I realized that my brother's little girl looks just like him and my sister's daughter looks a lot like her. Chris says Ryder looks a little like me... What do you think??

Gordon B. Hinckley

2008-01-28T00:40:00.001-08:00

June 23,1910-January 27,2008

“Cultivate an attitude of happiness. Cultivate a spirit of optimism. Walk with faith, rejoicing in the beauties of nature, in the goodness of those you love, in the testimony which you carry in your heart concerning things divine.”

-Gordon B. Hinckley

Knifty Knitting!

2008-01-24T14:37:00.000-08:00

So, I have taken up knitting! Not needle knitting, loom knitting. It is very addictive. When we had our baby girl we got two hats that someone had donated for preemie babies. I thought that was so sweet and wished I had a talent like knitting so I could give back. Well my Mom told me about these Knifty Knitter Looms you can buy and you can make ALL kinds of fun stuff on them like hats, booties, scarfs, blankets, purses, shrugs, socks, slippers, hot pads, and SO much more. Here are a few hats I have made. I want to make enough that when I go on trips to new places I can take some with me and donate to the hospitals there. I am saving these to take to a hospital in Hawaii!

Ryder was always asking who the hat was for and wanted one for himself. Then when I actually got him some yarn and started making it I would tell him it was for him and he would say "no, for baby". I tried to convince him that this one was not for a baby, it was really for him. I finished it last night and the sweet thing fell asleep with it on. I was in the office this morning when he woke up and he had found the hat and came walking in the the office with it back on his little pumpkin head.

He has been wearing the hat pretty much all day. I am glad he actually likes something I made and it getting some use out of it!

It's FINALLY here!!! I have been looking EVERYWHERE for this book! Every place in town that carries it was all out and every place that I looked online was back ordered. I called Barnes and Noble on Friday night and the gal who answered said they had it. I said "are you sure because I called earlier in the week and they said they had one copy but couldn't find it. I am driving in about 20 miles so I want to make sure you have it." Stupid girl: "yup, we have it." So, Ryder and I drove to Boise and sure enough they didn't have the freaking book. I asked a kind gentleman to help me and he looked it up in the computer and they still showed the one MIA copy. He felt bad that I had been told they had it so he ordered me a copy online, took of 20% and had it sent to my house free of charge. I am so excited to start some new projects!!

Snow Day!

2008-01-21T13:55:00.001-08:00

We have got more snow this year than any of the previous years since we have lived here. Last week school was canceled for a day so after we delivered a little birthday treat to a friend, we met up with a few neighborhood kids to build a snowman. Remember that part on Dumb & Dumber where the girl gently tosses a snowball at Harry, and he in turn chucks one back at her face as hard as he can?!? That is what is happening here. Ryder thought it was so fun to just throw snowballs at my head. Such a sweet boy!

Video from my new Flip!

2008-01-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

Chris got me a Flip video camera for Christmas that I really wanted. I LOVE it!! Here is a video of Ryder a couple days after Christmas. Now that he is starting to talk more, it is so fun having conversations with him. In this video he is saying Thank You to Grandma & Grandpa Smith for the submarine and octopus that they sent him for Christmas. Brace yourself for many more videos to come!

(You may want to pause the music at the bottom so you can hear my cute boy)

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-31T18:16:00.000-08:00

Thumbs up on the train set! Thanks Grandpa Norske and Leslie for all the train stuff... and thanks to everyone who made this a great Christmas!!

Ryder on his new bike!

Putting together all the new Geo Trax.

Ryder spent hours playing with all his fun new Christmas gifts. As you can see, Daddy didn't last long.

Santa brought Ryder a Spiderman Bike! I'd have to say that this was one of our best Chrismas' because Ryder loved opening all his gifts and had so much fun with all of them! The first thing he did when he saw his new bike was ran and got his helmet from his room. I had a hard time getting him to take his helmet off the rest of the day. This is right after he discovered what Santa had left him.

T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS...

2007-12-31T17:56:00.000-08:00

Ryder opened his traditional Christmas Eve PJ's and we let him open one other as well.

My brother Jamie and his wife Rebecca had their first baby. It's a girl and they named her Lilly Jane!

Now we have two girls in the family with a birthday on Christmas Eve.

My sweet sister LeAnna celebrated her birthday as well. Happy Birthday LeAnna, Love you!

Weekend with "Papa" Norske

2007-11-13T21:49:00.000-08:00

Testing out Chris' bike...

Our new overhead microwave from Grandpa- (cooking a little turkey!)

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This past weekend Chris' Dad came to visit to spend Chris' birthday weekend with us. He totally spoiled us. We stuffed ourselves with great food all weekend and had a great time. He even bought us this new microwave and of course spoiled his Grandson too. Ryder couldn't quite say Grandpa so he called him "Papa". Thanks for everything Brian!

happy hallo-wiener!

2007-11-08T18:56:00.000-08:00

So this year for halloween I really didn't want to buy a costume, so my friend loaned me this super cute giraffe get up. Ryder thought it was pretty cool, but every time we mentioned halloween all he would talk about was "batman, batman, batman". You get the point. So, I gave in and bought this batman costume that I am certain he will get his use out of year round. Pretty cute, huh? I like the muscles :)
This year we hit up the ward trunk or treat and then pounded the pavement a little bit in our neighborhood before heading home to hand out candy. Candy makes excellent potty training bribery!

pumpkins

2007-11-08T18:53:00.001-08:00

The headstone is finally done!

2007-10-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

On Sunday before church we met my Mom and Dad at the cemetery so they could see the headstone. It looks great!

We had to drop Shana off here so she could head back to Utah with them. Ryder LOVES having his Aunt Shana here and as always he cried until he about made himself sick when she left. Thanks to Mom, Dad and Shana for making the trip up and having such a great weekend with us! Love you guys!!

Our Forever Family

2007-10-28T21:51:00.001-07:00

We got sealed for time and all eternity in the Boise Temple this past Friday! We chose that day because it was suppose to be Gabby's due date. It was something we have been wanting to do for a while and we are so glad we finally had a chance to do it. Shana was able to sit in as a proxy for Gabriella. Thanks to our friends and family who were able to make it and celebrate this special day with us!

Traditional family dinner @ The Old Spaghetti Factory

2007-10-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

After the sealing all the family headed down to the Old Spaghetti Factory in Boise. It is a family favorite and where we use to celebrate all kinds of occasions when we lived in Portland. The only difference between the two is that in Portland you can look out the windows and view the Willamette River... In Boise you look out the windows and you get a view of the down town streets. Good food either way! I think the camera was zoomed in so we didn't get any great shots of everyone. You get the idea though...

Prison Break

2007-10-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

I recently finished reading a book called "Running with Angels". It is about a lady that has two babies pass away and she becomes a marathon runner. It inspired me to enlist in my first race this past Saturday. I thought it would be a great day to run on Saturday after we got sealed and to have my family there supporting me. It was freezing at the start so my Dad loaned me this pair of work gloves. I wore them the first two miles and ended up packing them the rest of the time. The race was out at the prison in Boise. I guess when I signed up I knew it was out around the prison but I didn't realize we were actually running along the fence on the prison with all the inmates standing along side them! My family passed me in the truck just as I was about to the finish line and I though "how sweet, they were out driving looking for me to cheer me on"... They were actually just returning from McDonalds and got back just in time to see me finish :) It was fun, but I am sore!

To view more photos from the race you can visit their site at: http://www.idahosportspics.com/events/2007/prison-break/

halloween train ride

2007-10-22T17:47:00.000-07:00

Since Ryder is obsessed with trains, and we have seen this train numerous times on our way to Cascade this summer, we decided to do out pumpkin patch trip a little different this year. We went on a train ride up in Horseshoe Bend that follows along the Payette River. The ride is about an hour and a half and they stop and let you each pick a pumpkin to bring back. They had some pretty tasty and affordable treats on the ride to eat as well. They have different kinds of rides all year long. Here is the link if you are interested.

http://www.thundermountainline.com/

mommyjewelry.com

2007-10-22T17:40:00.001-07:00

Many of you know that when Gabby passed away Chris and I got a necklace charm that said "daughter" and we got her one for a bracelet. They weren't sterling silver so they had started to tarnish. I had been looking around to get a white gold one made or find a sterling silver one. I was stoked when I stumbled upon an add in Us Weekly for an "endless love charm". It was exactly what I have been looking for. The website is mommyjewelry.com and they have a bunch of different kinds of charms and key chains, etc... I got her name and birthday engraved on mine. I tried to take a picture but couldn't get the camera to focus on something so small. They sent me a card that said to type CHARM in the coupon redemption area for 10% off a future order. Check out the website!

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

2007-10-22T17:29:00.001-07:00

I found this yummy recipe online a few weeks ago.
It is really easy and pretty tasty. Try it out...

1 c. pumpkin
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 egg
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. milk
1 c. chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
nuts (optional)

Dissolve baking soda in milk; set aside. In large bowl add pumpkin, sugar, oil and egg; stir. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda mixture. Mix Well. Stir in Chocolate chips and vanilla. Spoon on to cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees 10 to 12 minutes or until done. Enjoy!

Christmas photo outtakes

2007-10-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

HOORAY for Ryder!

2007-10-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

Voluntary poopin on the potty calls for a celebration at our house! Last week we celebrated for the first time with a rootbeer float from A&W. This whole potty chart thing works wonders!

You can never be too safe...

2007-10-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

I got this crazy boy a new helmet that came with knee and elbow pads and can't seem to get him to take the darn things off. He even took a nap with them on the other day :)

15th Annual St. Lukes Women's Walk!

2007-10-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

Part of our gang after the walk...

My sisters and I try and do the 5K Women's Walk in Boise every year. This year we got rained on a little but it was still a blast! After the walk and breakfast downtown the bus drops you off at the mall where we got to do a little shopping and have lunch. Can't wait until next year!

My crazy sister LeAnna and my niece Madison

Starting up the hill around the old train depot

OK, so at the end of the walk they have a bunch of guys (young and old) dressed in short shorts and long tuxedo jackets that give you high-fives and tell you good job. This one here was different from the rest and made for a nice picture!

The dreaded goodbye

art in the park

2007-09-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

Every year Boise does "art in the park". This year we took our bikes down town with my brother and his family and rode the greenbelt to the festivities. They have live music, food, tons of tents with things for sale and a huge tent with free activities for kids. Ryder got a mask, made a card for his Dad, made a visor, got some tattoos and even got to do a painting. It was such a nice day and lots of fun!

stolen balloons...

2007-09-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went car shopping.... It's something that the whole family can enjoy. While Chris and I are busy looking at potential vehicles, Ryder seems to think we are just driving around to different parking lots to see who has the biggest balloons available. We aren't able to come home until he gets one. This one pictured here was a real find. The picture doesn't do it justice... It was SO big that it barely fit in the back seat. Ryder was so excited when Dad snatched this one for him!

labor day weekend snapshots...

2007-09-04T00:54:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we went with my brother Doug and his family and we took our boats up to Cascade Lake. We had lunch up at the lake and then got dinner and ice cream at "Grandma's Kitchen" in Cascade on the way home. It was a lot of fun and a great way to celebrate Doug's birthday!

fun with the cousins!

2007-08-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

a day at the lake...

2007-08-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

2007-08-13T15:14:00.000-07:00

Our happy camper!

2007-08-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

Here is Grandpa Starr and Ryder. He is trying out this Barbie on his new moose he got from Lagoon. He loves Uncle Jason's deer heads and even picked out a hunting video to watch at their house. The next day at Lagoon he wanted this Moose and has kept it with him ever since.

2007-08-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

2007-08-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

2007-08-13T14:59:00.000-07:00

2007-08-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Shana bought this jumbo water slide for the BBQ. The kids loved it!

2007-08-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

Shana got Ryder this cool airplane and track and Sea world hat when she went on her trip to Cali. He LOVES the airplane and insisted on holding it all day and night while the motor was still going.

2007-08-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

Aubrey, Me, Mom, Dad, Ryder and Chris on the train ride.

2007-08-13T14:34:00.000-07:00

Shana & Jason

2007-08-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

Waiting in line for the train... This was Ryder's favorite part of the day. We got to see all the animals along the way.

2007-08-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Mom, Dad, Doug and Chirs on Rattle Snake Rapids. It was so freaking hot that day at Lagoon. They went on this ride and were cooled off for the rest of the day. Even still a little damp when we went home at about 11 pm.

2007-08-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

Shana & Aubrey

Summer Trip 2007

2007-08-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

Chris planned a surprise get away for my birthday weekend. We met up with Cory and Cy on their way through Salt Lake City and got to have dinner with them. We also went to Lagoon, went to IKEA, had a family BBQ at Shana's and spent time with family down in Utah.

2007-08-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

Ryder and Camille at Roaring Springs. He finally went down a slide with her!

2007-08-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

Looking more and more like Daddy every day!

2007-08-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

2007-08-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

Ryder always loves seeing what new toys and things other people have placed on their babie's graves.

2007-08-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

Here is Gabby's temporary headstone. Her real one takes about 12-16 weeks just to get the stone in.

2007-08-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when Mom goes to work in the office for a few minutes...

2007-08-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

We had a long, hot, day on the boat on the 4th of July! Ryder is just relaxing once we got back in the truck with the AC on.

2007-08-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

2007-08-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

Ryder and Simi having a rootbeer float!

In loving memory of Gabriella Jo Norske 6/15/2007

2007-07-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

2007-07-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

So I know I emailed some of you with this quote by Joseph Smith that we used for Gabby's program but I love it so I am posting it for everyone to read...

"The Lord takes many away, even in infancy, that they may escape the envy of man, the sorrows and evils of this present world; they were too pure, too lovely, to live on earth; therefore, if rightly considered, instead of mourning we have reason to rejoice as they are delivered from evil, and we shall soon have them again..."

2007-07-08T18:26:00.000-07:00

2007-07-08T18:24:00.000-07:00