My Favorite Guys

Aren't they cute!!!

Tricksters

Our kids are a bit obsessed with bike riding!  It's true!!!  If they had their way...they'd be out on their bikes, every minute of every day!  We're pretty blessed in the fact that we live on a street with very little traffic, so the kids can actually "own the road"...which only makes the desire to ride every waking minute...that much stronger!  Anyways...

Kallen got a new bike a few weeks ago, and decided that he had to race daddy...you know...now that he had a "fast bike" and all!  So, they pumped up daddies tires, and off they went...

Now, Kallen won of course...

So daddy had to start doing tricks...you know...to keep his "coolness" after being beat by a 4 year old!

The kids thought daddy was amazing...but the lil' miss still tried to show him up!!!  Standing and riding at the same time, no way!!!  oooh ah ooooh ah!!!

She was pretty proud of herself

and so was big brother!!!

Slightly Addicting

Kevin has always been a video game "junkie"!!! He has had almost every gaming unit, from the original Nintendo, to his current favorite, the Playstation 3! I on the other hand have not. Every once in a while as kids, we were allowed to rent a Nintendo from the video game store, or we'd enjoy playing at friends houses, but owning a unit...we never did! Anyways...Now that I've been married to Kevin, I get to enjoy a video game every now and again! The only problem is...Kevin likes sports games! We've got football, basketball, golf, etc. etc.! I on the other hand enjoy the "Donkey Kongs" and "Mario Bros" of the gaming world, but no such luck for those games in our house!

So...when the Wii came out, I talked Kevin into getting one, thinking a break from the "Madden" games might be kind of nice! We played it for a bit, truly enjoying a friendly boxing match here and there, and I even got a Wii fit! It was fun and we played it often! Then...we began to do other things, watch different TV programs, and surf the Internet. Our Wii and beloved Playstation3 began to collect dust!!!

It wasn't until recently when the guys at Kevin's work, got him the Tiger Woods golf game for the PS3, that the machine got dusted off, and came to life again! Kallen even picks up the controller every now and again, and is quite the little golfer!!! So...all that to say, that we were in Best Buy the other day, and I saw Super Mario Bros. Wii, and memories of the old school Nintendo game started flooding back! I handed it to Kevin saying let's buy this! He just laughed and said..."no way...the only games worth playing are sports games"! I said "Well, I guess it will be my game then," and we went ahead and bought it!


That night I played my Mario Bros on our little mini TV, while Kevin played Tiger Woods on the big TV (I know...we're hard up on a Saturday night)! Anyways...it wasn't long before Kevin had turned off his game and we were playing Mario 2 player! We haven't laughed that hard in a long time, and couldn't stop playing. We went late into the night laughing, joking, yelling, and trying to pass levels that Kevin once could pass with his eyes closed!!! It was fun, to say the least!

Every night after that, I found myself laying on the living room floor, squinting at the little TV, getting my Mario fix! I was hooked! Then lying on the floor wasn't fun anymore, so I took the Wii into our bedroom, and there it has remained! I typically go to bed around 9:30 these days, though I don't actually turn off the lights and call it a night until midnight or so! Kevin plays his Tiger woods for a while, then comes in and joins me on Mario! We haven't gone to bed before Midnight in the last week and I pay for it in the morning! It's slightly addicting I tell you, and it couldn't be more fun!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Blessings,

Picture Me

I was tagged by Amy to do this fun little meme! I'm supposed to post a picture of myself, then write about it...so here it goes:



This is a picture of Kevin and I on our "second honeymoon" to Cancun! When we got married, we were both still in school, and finances were a little tight. It was the middle of January, so we simply went for a fun weekend away in the snow!


In December of '04, Kevin and I decided to take the honeymoon we never had, a trip to Cancun, and this was us on the first night we arrived! We had a great time just being us! It was also on this trip that we decided when God was ready for us to be parents, we were ready too! I was pregnant with Kallen a month and a half later! Good times!


Now I tag Dani, Kim, Jessica and anyone else who wants to participate!!!

I'm Blessed with the Best!!!

Being that it's Father's Day and all...I wanted to take a minute to give Kevin some much due praise, and thank him for everything he does for our family!

I am so blessed to have him in my life, and couldn't ask for a better man to be the father of my children! He doesn't get to see Kallen as much as he would like due to providing for our family with work and all...but the time they do spend together is extremely precious!

He is a compassionate, loving, caring, and fun man of God, and these days especially, filled with life. By the end of the day, I'm pretty worn out, and not a whole lot of "fun" for Kallen...Then daddy gets home and livens up the party! Kallen and him run around, play hide and seek, wrestle, and just plain be boys! Kallen runs to his arms the minute he hears the front door open, and bombards him with hugs and kisses galore! It is such a special relationship to see, and it brings me so much joy each and every day!

I can't wait to see Kevin with our new son or daughter, and see how that relationship differs in it's own special way from that with Kallen!

Thank you Kevin for being the man you are, for running our house the way you do, and for instilling such Godly values in our children! My hope is that they too grow up to be men and possibly women of God, and follow in your loving footsteps!

Happy Father's Day to all you daddy's out there!!!

Walk With Me, Daddy

Walk alongside me daddy

and hold my little hand.

I have so many things to learn

that I don't understand.

Teach me things to keep me safe

from dangers every day.

Show me how to do my best

at home, at school, at play.

Every child needs a gentle hand

to guide them as they grow.

So walk alongside me, daddy~

I have a long way to go.

Daddy's Boy

I've come to the conclusion, that I'm rapidly losing "my" baby boy! Here's the deal...for the past 17 months, Kallen has been quite the mamma's boy. When he's hurt, he wants me, if he's fussy, only I can calm him, I'm the last hug he wants at night, and the first face he wants to see in the morning, etc., etc.!!! Well, all of that is now changing, and not very slowly might I add.

Ever since our trip to Alaska, Kallen has been on a daddy kick. When Kevin would call to say hello, it was all I could do to get the phone away from a couple of little hands who didn't want to let his daddy's voice go away. Then on the plane ride back, Kallen saw the lights of Portland out our window, and at the top of his lungs yelled "dadda" (I'll tell you more about that story later). When we walked to the area of the airport where your friends and family can meet you, Kallen saw Kevin and I've never seen his little legs move so fast. He was in Kevin's arms before I could blink my eyes, and we finally had to pry his little fingers lose when we got to the car and it was time to go home!

So began the daddy saga. Now, for those of you who don't know, I'm a stay at home mom, and Kevin works. As a result, Kallen generally only gets to see Kevin from around 5:30 when he gets home, until 8:00 when it's bedtime. Then, on Wednesdays they don't get to see each other at all because Kevin bowls in a bowling league, and Kallen goes to bed well before he gets home. Well on Wednesday night (the first Wednesday since we've been home) Kallen had a REALLY rough time. From about 4:30 on, he basically didn't stop crying, and was continually looking around the house for his "daddy". I muddled through the fussiness, and put Kallen to bed like usual. Well...his attitude hadn't changed any, even when he woke up. He was still fussy, and looking all over for "daddy".

About 5:00 tonight, he began walking to the front door, calling out "daddy", then coming back to me with the saddest look you've ever seen. I kept saying...he's almost home, just hang in there. 5:20ish roles around, and the front door opens...Kallen's eyes got as big as baseballs, and his smile went from ear to ear. He stood paralyzed in anticipation for that one face he had been longing to see for the past day or so. Then came the "hello"...it was Brandy, coming to pick up Dawson. "oh" said Kallen, and what sounded like "it's you" in his eawok jibber jabber. He then gave Brandy the polite "hello" smile, though you could see the disappointment on his face. From that moment on, our little man decided to park himself on the front porch, and wait for his daddy to come home.

When the oh so familiar truck finally pulled in the driveway, it was all I could do to keep Kallen from leaping off the deck and running to greet him. All my little boy's troubles were over, his daddy was home!

I survived...and so did he!

Kevin and I did it...we finally left Kallen over night! This might surprise you, but Kevin has actually been the one reluctant to leave him, and I've been begging for the time away. Kevin thinks it's no big deal to take him every where we go, and for the most part...I agree. I don't mind taking him out to dinner, or if we go visit family and friends...BUT...taking him to a plumbing trade show in Seattle didn't sound like something I was excited to do. Kevin's comment was "it will be no big deal." Sure, for him...I'm the one who will be chasing the little munchkin all over the convention center, while he was wheelin' and dealin' and looking at all the new products.

After weeks of pleading my case, Kevin finally agreed. Yes!!! Kallen would be staying with Grandpa and Grandma, and Kevin and I would have a night away in Seattle. It took a room full of hundreds of plumbing propaganda to get our time away, but we did it!

When we dropped Kallen off Friday morning, the tables had turned. Kevin was excited, and I was second guessing our decision. "Why did we need to leave him? He'd be okay with us. We'll just take his stroller, and lots of snacks and it should be easy peasy lemon squessy, right?" Okay, fine...with lots of coaxing, Kevin got me in the car, and we were off! Seattle, here we come...alone!

I called mom 2 hours after we left, and then 4 hours later. Everything was fine, and Kallen hadn't even noticed we were gone! Okay...it's getting easier. Kevin and I roamed around the show a little bit, then went for a romantic dinner at "The Cheesecake Factory". Neither one of us had ever been, but let me tell you...The Chicken Medeina was the best chicken dish I've ever had, and it was all I could do to keep Kevin's fork off my plate. I had to keep telling him to get his "own".

We got back to the hotel, and both crashed early channel surfing between reruns of CSI: Miami, and the Disney Channel's "Freaky Friday". I don't think a hotel bed has ever been so comfortable and cosy, and Kevin and I both slept like babies! We woke up this morning, enjoyed our contenintal breakfast, went to the show for a few hours, and headed home. Kallen, here we come!

When we arrived at mom and dad's, Kallen was in his highchair eating dinner, and didn't even blink an eye when we walked in the door. Okay, so maybe we missed him a little more than he missed us, but I guess that's the way it should be. I'd rather him be having a grand ol' time and not even know we were gone, than to be crying for us every other minute. Our little boy is growing up so much!

Bottom line is he survived...and so did we. I guess another vacation away isn't out of the question, and hopefully this time we can be alone without hundreds of other plumbers there joining us!!!

Sleding at the cabin!!!

Kevin, Kallen and I headed over the mountain this weekend to celebrate our nephew Austin's 10th birthday! We stayed at Rod & Sheri's cabin, and had quite a bit of snow to enjoy during our stay! We thought you all might like to see Kallen and daddy enjoying their time in the snow.

Takin' the plunge...or plunger, if you will!

Well, we've done it...Kevin and I are officially business owners!!! Rod and Sheri (Kevin's mom and dad) had the sales papers drawn up, and we signed this afternoon. Albin's Plumbing is OURS!!!

Rod is still planning on working 3 days a week and helping us out in every way he can! He and Sheri have built a very successful and reputable company which we hope to keep that way, so we definitely appreciate all the help and advice they are willing to give!

We've got a long and exciting road ahead of us, and can't wait for this next chapter in our lives to begin!!! Keep us in your prayers as we embark on this new journey!

When seconds turn to minutes

I just need to take a minute to say how wonderful Kevin is! He's a great friend, a loving husband and most importantly THE BEST daddy!!! My heart breaks each and every day for the guy however, because he doesn't get to spend nearly as much time being the best daddy as he would like to. He's up and out of the house before Kallen wakes up in the morning, and generally home for only a few hours before he goes to bed at night. Well, in those few hours that Kallen and Kevin have "daddy, son time" I get to see so much love and joy in both of their faces!


Sometimes in the evening Kallen seems to think he needs only me, especially when I'm cooking dinner. This never seems to phase Kevin and instead, he does all he can to take Kallen out of the situation, and keep him entertained! Thanks hun! Anyways, last night nothing was working for Kallen. He wanted to be with me, and me only...until, Kevin pulled out the big guns...the marble works! Kallen has played with the marble works towers several times, but we've never used the marbles with it, and quite frankly I wasn't sure how interested he would be in it. I was expecting Kallen to give a minute or two of attention, but never anticipated the 45 minutes of gut wrenching laughs and high fives!

Hand clappin', throw your head back, laugh till it hurts, excitement

On any given Sunday, there are millions of men, women and children watching the ever popular game we call football. There are bets being made, dreams being achieved, and all around excitement or dismay depending on the outcome of "your teams" game. Well today was no different. Would it be the Saints or the Bears? The Colts or the Patriots? Those were the debates all over the country.

Kevin and I went to our friends Mandi and Mark's house to watch the big games. After the Saints disheartening loss to the Bears, Kevin and Mark made a quick trip down to the local supermarket, to purchase a Sports Action ticket. Sports Action, for those who don't know, is a Lottery game where you pick certain statistics about the games, and bet on them. We don't generally make it a practice to bet on the games, but being this was such a special game...Kevin thought he would go for it.

We went through the game with the fate of their tickets weighing on the "yoyo"ing score and miscellaneous statistics. Half time came around, and they were still looking good on their bets. Only 2 more quarters until they could turn their little pieces of paper into cold hard cash!!! The previous few times that Kevin has put his money into this silly little game, he's lost...so, needless to say, he didn't have too high of hopes this time either. Well.......as the game neared an end, things were looking up on both Kevin and Mark's tickets. Kevin needed one more field goal to be kicked, and the Colts to win by 3 1/2. Mark also needed the Colts to win by 3 1/2 and to not have any more sacks.

I've never seen Kevin so "into" a game. He was on the edge of his seat, jumping up and down when things went his way, and throwing his head between his legs when things didn't. There was a particular play in the game where the Colts Reggie Wayne had the ball, and fumbled it straight up in the air. Kevin jumped up off the couch so fast, and tried to grab the ball himself. It was so funny. He didn't even realize he was doing it! No worries...Wayne got it back!

Anyways...the Colts ended up winning the game, for those of you who didn't hear, and Kevin won his bets! He was throwin' his head back, clappin' his hand, and giggling like a kid in a candy store. Who knew football could be so fun...or it's fans???

Pants, shirts and REALLY good sales!

What more can you say about Old Navy? I love that store...especially when they're having sales that you just can't pass up. Let me tell you about the nice little shopping trip I had there on Friday! So as anyone knows whose ever been inside an Old Navy store...they always have racks of clearance items. Now sometimes these items are a few dollars off the original price, and sometimes they're half off. Well this last weekend, that wonderful store was having their additional 50% off clearance sale. Let me just explain what that means! The items that were already marked down at least 50% were an additional 50% off. What...whose kidding? Here's an example. Kevin has this old 1980's black leather jacket that he wears with absolutely everything nice he owns. When we get dressed up and go out to dinner...out comes the jacket...Going for a date night...out comes the jacket. Anytime he's in anything other than carharts and a sweatshirt (which isn't very often mind you), that blasted puffy, faded, falling off because it's too big, 1980's, wanna be cool, leather jacket makes it's way out of the closet. Well...I thought it was about time to retire that ol' thing, so lucky me, Old Navy had the perfect replacement! They had this great black dress jacket at a price I couldn't resist. Regular price $58.00 (good price, but not willing to pay that), on sale for $19.99 (great price, but still not to sure), additional 50% off clearance price $10.00 (Awesome price, and she's sold!!!) Okay, in all fairness to Kevin and his favorite leather jacket...I should let it have a cameo appearance! Here she is...his pride & Joy!

And the new one...

Much cuter wouldn't you say. Yeah, so maybe not on a hanger, but trust me when I say the new one is much more stylish and a great replacement to the old one!!!

Aside from the great deal on the jacket, I got shirts, pants, and even a sweatshirt or two for Kallen for prices you wouldn't imagine. I totaled up the original prices and came up with $244.50 ahhhhh...but wait. My total bill came to $50 and some change...plus I had a $16.00 off coupon thing which means I only spent $34.ish on $244.50 worth of clothing. That's a ridiculously good sale if you ask me. Yeah, and you're right...I definitely wouldn't have bought all that stuff at the regular price, but still isn't it fun to see the savings! Who buys anything at full price anyways??? Good ol' Old Navy!