It's a Wonderful Life

Kayla's 4th Birthday

2012-01-29T15:26:00.000-08:00

Kayla's actualy birthday was spent with Jonny, my dad, Jason, (Nick was sick with the flu), and other employees and family friends suiting up and heading up on top of the covered docks at the marina to shovel snow at 3:30 in the morning.We knew this snow storm was coming, so we decided to have a small celebration for Kayla at my parent's house on the 17th. Our original plans were to spend the evening of that night, all together as a family up in Bellevue celebrating what would have been Brett's 32nd birthday. That did not happen because my parents and brothers cannot leave the marina in situations such as this. We wanted to get an ice cream cake from Coldstone, but when we got there they were closed due to weather. We headed to Safeway and got one there instead. It wasn't nearly as good, but Kayla loved it all the same. We will be having a joint birthday celebration in March for both Kayla and Brett.

Snow Day Part 1

2012-01-29T15:13:00.000-08:00

Some pictures from when we got snow a few weeks back. This was before we were hit with over a foot a couple days later, on Kayla's 4th birthday.

Kayla's new obsession

2012-01-04T22:26:00.000-08:00

Kayla has recently become very interested in coloring. Not just putting some scribbles on the page, but actually trying to stay in the lines. I was so proud of her when she came to me and showed me what she colored. I didn't believe at first that she didn't have help, but she really didn't. It's no picasso, but to a mommy it's better. She's been coloring a lot of seahorses, per request. We ran out from the coloring book we had, so I turned to the internet and printed out some printable pages. So convenient. We also have a lot of pink trains, horses, reindeer etc...I wish we could buy a box of just pink crayons because that's definitely her preference. We've been using her slant board (required for her vision therapy), which holds the paper at an angle, and thankfully she doesn't mind it. Sometimes we patch while she colors which gives her weak eye some real focusing exercise.
Kayla has also been working hard at writing her name. We have practiced letters using different formats, from the conventional writing them on paper to pouring a can of foamy shaving cream on the table and letting her write it that way. It's very fun, and sometimes frustrating, now that Kayla is really getting into different kinds of learning.

Seahorses

This is her art portfolio where she can place her artwork in plastic covers. She loves to look through it, and I love that I can keep it forever!

Kayla writing her name with some dots Jonny copied for her.

And without dots. Not too sure about the "y" but not too shabby.

Local Travel with Daddy

2012-01-04T22:09:00.000-08:00

Jonny had some local work in Prosser, WA this week so the kids and I went with him to get more time together before he headed off to Salt Lake, Dallas and then Denver.
When staying at a hotel with the kids, we always try to get one with a pool, because that's usually a highlight of their trip.

We stopped at Snoqualmie for a little break.

Kayla is quite the little photographer and snapped this one.

Kayla probably asked 70 times on the way if we were at the pool yet.

It was so cute watching Brett jump in.

Christmas Day

2012-01-04T21:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Jesus!

We woke up bright and early to get ourselves and 4 kids under 4 ready for Mass at 8am Christmas morning. After mass, we headed back to the Nama and Papa's for breakfast, mimosas, rowdy, excited children, and overall Christmas cheer.

The girls opening up their doll house.

Opening stockings.

Princess dress from Uncle Jason

Kayla and Papa

New sleeping bags from Alicia and Jer

Jonny taking a look at baby Aili.

Christmas will wear you out!

We did a pinata Christmas night. It wasn't exactly intended to be a night time activity, but as we were getting the kids pajamas on, my mom suddenly realized that they had forgotten about the pinata!

When we were kids we always did a pinata at our Aunt Jan's house on Christmas, so it's fun to pass that along to our kids.

The Zittel Family Christmas Day 2011.

Christmas Eve

2012-01-04T21:07:00.000-08:00

We headed to Nama and Papa's house for the day and we stayed the night, along with the Fritts family. It was a nice day and Kayla enjoyed playing outside while Brett napped.

Kayla before bed.

The Manke's came over Christmas Eve, which has been tradition for a long time now. It was great company, conversation, food and wine.

Always on our minds

2012-01-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve.

Kayla pointing to the letter "K" on my Grandpa's headstone.

Gone but NEVER forgotten.

Nama's Birthday

2012-01-04T20:48:00.000-08:00

We got together at my parent's house for dinner to celebrate my mom's birthday. Kayla thought we all needed party hats. She also wore her flower girl dress from Uncle Jeff and Aunt Quinn's wedding.

Annie.

Happy Birthday MOM.

Fantasy Lights

2012-01-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

We have done an annual trip with Pommie to Fantasy Lights for several years now. It's something we all look forward to. We picked her up in the afternoon so she could watch the kids play for a while at our house then headed out to see the lights. We then picked up some dinner and headed back home to eat. Jonny had a plane to catch so took off to the airport as soon as we got back. Pommie and I enjoyed dinner while the kids played and then we headed to take Pommie home.

Fantasy Lights 2010

Fantasy Lights 2009

Visiting Nana and Steve

2012-01-04T20:29:00.000-08:00

After Kayla got her hair chopped off, we decided to head down to Eugene, OR to see Nan and Steve, who was in the hospital after having a heart attack (Dec. 12). Although we did not spend a lot of time with Steve, who was busy resting and recovering in between various therapy sessions, it was nice to say hello and let him know we were there for him. It was also important for us to be able to spend some time with Nan, who has been through so much with everything that happened.

So happy to see Nana in the hospital lobby Saturday night.

We weren't able to swim in the hotel pool (long story) so we got the kids some new books to enjoy.

The new 'do.

Brunch with Nana at the hospital cafeteria.

Nana reading a book she got the kids for Christmas.

Steve is now home from the hospital and although his recovery is more slow than he would like, he's making progress. We continue to pray for a full recovery and restoration of health.

Locks of Love

2012-01-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

Kayla did it!

Donated 11 inches of beautiful blond hair to Locks of Love! We have been talking to Kayla for the past six months about what Locks of Love is, and that if she wanted, her hair was going to be long enough to donate. We encouraged her, but in the end the decision was all hers. And she was so proud of herself, and we were proud of her for doing it.

Yay Kayla! You're going to make someone very happy!

Holy Family Christmas Program

2011-12-14T11:12:00.000-08:00

Last night the kids and I met Nama and Papa at Sacred Heart church for the Holy Family Christmas program. Kayla kept saying she wanted to be up on the stage singing. Brett did well for the first 20 minutes then needed to walk around with Papa a bit. Kayla's only complaint was that they didn't sing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer-her favorite Christmas song.

Santa Clause

2011-12-13T22:03:00.000-08:00

HO HO HO

Last night we had Santa photos. They were quite informal, as they were done at Farelli's here in town, where they had a Santa photos and kids eat free night. It worked out perfect. There was no long line and it was free. The kids didn't scream. Brett was skeptical but he rolled with it. We met some friends there and it was a fun evening.

So far I think we are all on Santa's "nice" list.

Jude the Elf

A few of his recent antics...

Eating cookies and watching shows.

Playing with the kids toys.

Hot air balloon ride.

And a photo I love. Brett cuddling with daddy before bed after reading Christmas stories.

A project I did with the kids.

Christmas Photos!

2011-12-12T01:11:00.000-08:00

All 5 cousins under 4 years old... Ahh, it's a love hate relationship. Mostly hate though. Well pretty much all hate. At least when we do them at JC Penny. The only love part of it is that occassionally there will be a good pic of all the cousins together. The "photographers" there really do frustrate me. They want your kids to do weird poses and then they don't snap the photo when your kid(s) are actually smiling and standing in one place. Anyways, next year we have decided to change it up and forego the Penny's portraits for something different. Likely have our friend Elena take the family Christmas pics. Moving on, since the kids were dressed up so nice for their pictures, we decided to take some of our own when we got home.

Kayla's dress was made by Bella Jean Boutique,and Ava and Hanna have matching ones. They were all so darling.

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-12T00:48:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, my brother Jason was having a house warming/birthday party at his new old house. (My parent's former house). Alicia, Jer and the kids came down for the weekend after we did the Santa train. We went over to Nick and Mel's house in the afternoon for some cookie making fun with the girls while Jonny and Jeremy took the boys to Cabelas.

90% of the time this is what the girls did. They all love to dress up. They switched princess outfits, high heels, tiaras, boas etc... more times that we can count.

This was the other 10%

Alicia helping Ava and Hanna

Some delicious cookies to take to Uncle Jasons's party!

Santa Train

2011-12-12T00:35:00.000-08:00

This was our first year doing the Santa train. It starts in North Bend and takes a 3.5 mile trip to Snoqualmie, where you get off, meet Santa, get cookies and cocoa and then have some time to hang out before heading back to North Bend.
It was a fun Christmas activity. Wasn't fabulous. But it was fun. It was also very cold.
We went with the Alicia, Jer, Hanna, Jacob, Kristen, Jeff and baby Mason.

Our Elf Jude

2011-12-12T00:19:00.000-08:00

We have started doing the "Elf on the Shelf" this year. It's not only fun for the kids, but for us as well. We have named our elf Jude. He's been busy around our house so far this Christmas season.

When Grandpa and Grandma Bartsch visited, they made a gingerbread house with Kayla. We had it for several weeks, and then we woke up one morning to this...Jude and one of his elf friends had a feast and left only remnants of the destruction behind, along with a note. That night, Jude and his friend also put up some red Christmas lights along the rail going up the stairs. Kayla was so amazed.

Here is Jude's friend,who made his way back to the North Pole to help Santa during crunch time.

This is Jude. He took a ride on the San Francisco Trolly car while we were on the Santa Train.

Jude taking a look at all our wonderful Christmas cards.

He got into Kayla's Highlights magazine and was trying to put some stickers on it.

What will Jude do next...

Weekend in Seattle

2011-12-11T23:34:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we spend up in Seattle. I had a conference for work on Friday and Jonny had conference on Saturday and Sunday at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, which is where we stayed. The highlights of the weekend for us were swimming with the kids in the pool, and walking around downtown seeing all the Christmas lights and riding the merry go round in Westlake. Extra bonus was that while we were on it, Rudolph the Red nose Reindeer played, and that's Kayla's favorite Christmas song!
Friday night we got dinner to go from The Cheesecake Factory then took the kids to the pool. Saturday Jonny was up early for the conference, and so were the kids. We played in the room for a while, went for a walk downtown, then hit the pool before Jonny was done around 1:30 and then we went and did some shopping at University Village. Next up was some shopping and festivities downtown, which included the merry go round and Gingerbread house display at the Sheraton. We went to Rock Bottom for dinner Saturday then got a good swim in at the pool.

Brett wasn't a big fan of the Teddy Bear room at the Fairmont

Hanging out in the hotel room

The kids weren't cooperating for pictures, but Jonny did!

This is what happens when you wake up way too early!

Mom's Birthday

2011-12-11T23:16:00.000-08:00

We celebrated mom's birthday with dinner at their new house. Nick, Mel, Ava, and Jason were there too. Kayla wanted everybody to have party hats. Also, she wanted to wear her flower girl dress from Uncle Jeff and Aunt Quinn's wedding. Typical almost 4 year old. Makes life fun!

Annie likes to party too!

Happy birthday Mom!

Oh Christmas Tree!

2011-12-11T23:03:00.000-08:00

December 1st, we got our Christmas tree! We prefer the real ones. Got a noble fir this year, last year we had a frasier fir. It was a chilly day, so the kids, or Kayla I should say, wasn't too much into looking at too many. She did like the candy canes and hot cocoa though!

Decorating the Tree

This year we had a scantily clad ferry helping us.

And Brett did his fair share too.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-11T22:58:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving at my parents new house, with all our family minus the Fritts', as well as Jonny's Dad and JoAnn, Marcy and Annika. It was great to have everybody there!

Ava and Kayla spend the majority of the day playing dress up.

Pommie and Jonny

I love this photo!

W had great food prepared by my mama, and wonderful company!
And so much to be Thankful for as well.

Grandma and Grandpa Bartsch Come to Town

2011-12-11T22:50:00.000-08:00

Grandma and Grandpa Bartsch spend 9 days, divided up between our house and Marcy's house. There are many things the kids enjoyed doing with Grandma and Grandpa.

Brett and Grandpa

We got to go to the Apple Cup while they babysat!

Grandma and Kayla making a gingerbread house

Nana's Visit

2011-12-11T22:41:00.000-08:00

Several weeks back, Nana came up from Oregon to spend some time with Marcy and Annika, and spend time at our house too. We hosted a dinner for Marcy and her mother in law, Ina Jane, who was visiting from North Dakota. The kids have so much fun with Nana when she visits, and we always look forward to seeing her.

In other news, a while back we went to Toy Story on Ice with the Gonzalez family and had a sleepover at their house. Kayla really wanted to sleep in Jack's room so we moved her mattress in there and she slept at the foot of his bed. About 4 AM Kayla and Jack woke up and cuddled in with their respective mommy/daddy for the remainder of the morning.

We have a BALLERINA

2011-11-17T20:20:00.000-08:00

I wanted to get Kayla into an activity, but wasn't sure which one. I thought about swim lessons again, gynmastics and ballet. I looked at the options in our area and the times and days that worked with our schedules and asked Kayla if she wanted to take swim lessons or ballet class.

Ballet it was.

This past Monday Nana and I picked her up from school and got her geared up.

*Size 10 ballet slippers

*Small pink leotard (She wanted purple and they didn't have her size but she was happy with pink) I told her maybe Santa would bring her a purple one.

*Pink tights.

ONE HAPPY GIRL!

Coming downstairs to show Nana and daddy her ballet attire. She wanted to surprise them.

Goofing off with nana.

Sometimes her ballet resemble karate

I think this girl has potential

Reading Angelina Ballerina

A video I took on my iphone.

Kayla had her first ballet class yesterday and her only complaint was that she didn't have a sticker on her name tag like the other kids (because it was her first class and they hadn't put one on yet) and that she wanted to dance more...

Vision Therapy

2011-11-17T19:51:00.000-08:00

In September Kayla had a 4 month post surgery check up. All of her eye appointments after surgery have gone really well, and we had anticipated hearing much of the same at this appointment. We didn't. Doctor Epley said Kayla may need another surgery, but that for the next month we would 1) Increase her lens prescription, and 2) patch her weak eye more 2-4 hours a day and reassess in two months. We were very disappointed to hear this. And a little confused as to why the sudden change. She just had surgery, why should she need another?
In October, we were visiting Nana and talking to her about this. She did some research and talked to some colleagues of hers and set us up with a neuro opthamologist in the Seattle area for a second opinion. We made an appointment and Nana, who was up visiting Marcy who had just had her baby, was able to come along. Dr. Torgerson saw Kayla and she does not think that a second surgery is necessary at this point, and instead we are doing Vision Therapy once weekly at Alderwood Vision Therapy. Kayla goes every Tuesday at 11:30 and sees the same vision therapist each week. We are also given 20-30 minutes of exercises to do at home each day. This Tuesday was Kayla's first session and it went well. We look forward to the positive impact we hope this has on Kayla.

What is Vision Therapy?

Vision Therapy is an individualized, supervised, treatment program designed to correct visual-motor and/or perceptual-cognitive deficiencies. Vision Therapy sessions include procedures designed to enhance the brain’s ability to control:

•Eye alignment

•Eye tracking and eye teaming

•Eye focusing abilities

•Eye movements

•Visual processing

Visual-motor skills and endurance are developed through the use of specialized computer and optical devices, including therapeutic lenses, prisms, and filters. During the final stages of therapy, the patient’s newly acquired visual skills are reinforced and made automatic through repetition and by integration with motor and cognitive skills.

Here's to no more surgery for Kayla!
And a HUGE thank you to my mother in law for all her help and support with this!

Kayla 20 Months old, not too long after she started wearing these glasses we all know and love!

Visiting Annika

2011-11-17T19:01:00.000-08:00

The friday after Annika was born we went to visit the new family and take them some pizza. Kayla and Brett enjoy looking at and exploring the new baby. We had a nice visit and will be the last time we see Kyle for a while since he headed back to Norway to finish his doctoral degree.

The letter of the week at school was "A" and the kids are supposed to bring something to share that starts with the letter of the week. Kayla brought this picture of her and her new cousin, "Annika."

Brett giving kisses.

Hats

2011-11-17T18:52:00.000-08:00

Kayla in her fancy hat she made at school for the Melbourne Cup the week they learned about Australia.

Brett in his fireman hat. This boy loves his hats.

November

2011-11-17T18:45:00.001-08:00

Kayla 3 years 10 months old

Brett 20 months old

Pirate Night in Mexico

2011-11-17T18:38:00.000-08:00

Pirate night was our favorite night in Mexico. It didn't really have too much to do with pirates, but included dinner, drinks and entertainment on the beach. The sunset was amazing, and we had a bunch of little dancers entertaining everybody and drinking strawberry daiqueries in between performing.

The girls headed to the beach for pirate night.

Mom and dad

Ava, Nick, Mel (and baby girl)

Dancing the evening away

The girls, and Kayla didn't want to smile.

Kayla really wanted to look for a treasure, so Papa went searching with her

It was a great night!

Not so much fun

2011-11-10T11:16:00.000-08:00

Our outings don't always go as planned...
This morning we woke up to sunshine, and cold temperatures. A beautiful November day. I had initially planned to take the kids swimming at the YMCA, and when I called to confirm that the activity pool was open, I found out it was not. Bummer. Plan B was to go to the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, which is only 10 minutes away, and so beautiful in the fall. We headed out with jackets, hats and snacks. It was going to be so fun! But it was not! Kayla kept saying from the get go that she wanted to go home. She was cold. Her hands were freezing. Brett got cold too. His hands were freezing. I hate being cold, so I don't really blame them. Rookie mom move to not have mittens for the kids, but I just haven't bought any this year as it hasn't been too cold out, but 42 degrees and in the shade the poor kids' fingers couldn't hack it. And we all suffered for it. A trip to the store for some gloves/mittens is in our near future. Kids are currently warming up in the bath. And they are happy!

Before things got too bad.

Kayla took a spill that put her over the edge.

And Brett is done...

Hope you all had a good morning!

Visiting Aunt Jan & Uncle Martin

2011-11-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I took the kids over to my aunt and uncles house for a visit. It was great to see them and watch them play with the kids. My aunt and uncle also have as farm, and I have many childhood memories of playing at their farm, feeding the animals, riding the horses, and learning all about the different kinds of animals. It is exciting to see how much Kayla and Brett enjoy all the animals. I think Brett would have been happy playing with the dog, but he sure had fun running all around and playing in the tree house.

After spending time inside talking and playing with alphabet puzzles, dump trucks and cars, we headed outside to visit the animals, who were finishing up their early dinner in the barn. (They haven't adjusted to daylight savings time yet).

Aunt Jan and Uncle Martin helping Kayla feed the donkeys.

Kayla out in the field with Jake the horse and the two donkeys, one named Poncho and I can't remember the other ones name. Kayla kept chasing them around trying to pet them, but they were not too sure of a little girl with lightening speed running after them.

Kayla and Jake. Aunt Jan corralled him into the barn so Kayla could ride him but then she decided she didn't really want to.

Brett headed out towards the cows.

The tree house. Same one we played in as kids.

Brett throwing pine cones out.

Uncle Martin would throw pine cones in through the windows so that the kids could toss them out.

Kayla and Aunt Jan

We look forward to our next visit!

Puerta Vallarta

2011-11-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, we got a twenty passenger van, not that we needed one that big, but that's what they gave us, and headed to Puerta Vallarta to check it out. Nick, Mel and Ava stayed at the resort and spent the day swimming in the pool.

First stop after disembarking from the hot van ride, was a stop at McDonalds for some ice cream.

The Puerta Vallarta waterfront.

The temperature was in the 90's and we were all very hot and sweaty, especially chasing/carrying 4 kids around. We stopped and browsed in several shops along the waterfront, and Kayla picked out some maracas at one of them.

We then hit up a bar that had $1 beers and margaritas. Cant' go wrong with that. Plus, we all needed to get out of the sun and in a little shade.

Jonny making sure Brett stays hydrated.

The bar had a nice stage the kids enjoyed dancing on! How perfect. Even Uncle Jason got in on the action.

After some drinks and a reprieve from the sun, we walked to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission.

The girls found a secret door they tried to get Uncle Jeremy to open for them.

Waiting for our van to pick us up. We were all pretty hot and tired.

Images from Mexico

2011-11-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

Kids having snacks and watching a show before hitting the sun, beach, and pool.

Our handsome nephew Jacob.

Brett taking a little break.

Kayla going after dive sticks in the pool.

The kids like these fountains as well.

Trick or Treat

2011-11-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

This year we were not sure what Kayla wanted to be for Halloween. She had her face painted as a clown at a summer camp she attended and really loved being "Clowny Kayla." Then there were also the options of a princess, an animal etc...The boutique I love in Olympia, Bella Jean, owned by two identical 21 year old twins, custom make all their clothing. A while back I saw on their website that a bridal party had them make Mexican Ruffle dresses for bridesmaids and flower girls for a destination wedding. I thought that that would be a fun dress for Kayla to have in Mexico. Kayla was very excited for her Mexican ruffle dress, and so we thought she could be a "Mexican Girl" for Halloween, and that this year her costume would represent where she had vacationed just before the holiday. We chose the colors pink and orange, based off a suggestion from Alicia, and it turned out great. In Mexico, we got Kayla's hair braided with beads matching her dress and bought her maracas. It may be a bit of a pretend costume, but she loved the whole get up and that's what matters most. (Even if it is a bit of a stretch for Kayla to be a Mexican girl for Halloween.)
Jonny and I both thought Brett would make a good pirate, so Bella Jean put together a costume for him that turned out nice. We added a sword and an eye patch, which he didn't tolerate too much, and he also enjoyed his costume.

Some photos of Kayla in her costume in Mexico.

Halloween morning started off with Jonny, Brett and I dropping Kayla off at school. The three of us then headed to the marina to get some pictures of Brett in his costume, amongst some boats he was looking to raid. It was a brisk but sunny morning and we had fun playing at the marina and on the boats with Brett.

The Pirate and the Harbormaster.

Next we headed up to Nama and Papa's new house, which is almost complete to check out the progress. While we were here, we received the news that Marcy had given birth to Annika and that both mom and baby were doing well!

One of the only pictures of Brett with the patch on.

Next up was arriving at preschool 30 minutes early to help the kids get into their costumes and watch them parade around the museum!

After picking Kayla up, we headed north to meet Billy in Federal Way for "Panda Club." Both the kids fell asleep so I stayed in the car with them and Jonny was able to catch up with Billy, in town from Hawaii on business.

We then made our way up to Seattle to meet little Annika. She sure is a sweet little girl! The kids were also excited to see Nana, Aunt Marcy and Uncle Kyle.

We made it home about 5:50 and decided to head to Steilacoom for their pumpkin walk (where you can vote on which pumpkins are your favorite) and trunk or treat.

Brett taking a good look at the pumpkin.

We encountered another pirate. Brett wasn't too sure about him.

Kayla is clearly excited!

We then headed home for some trick or treating in our neighborhood.

Kayla and Brett ran from house to house all night. Brett, however, could not quite keep up with the speed of his sister, so she would go up to the door, say trick or treat, take hers, then ask if she could take one for Bretty, who was still running down the sidewalk, and she'd place it in his bucket.

I took a photo of Kayla in front of this last year, and thought it would be fun to do again this year.

Kayla and neighborhood pal Skyler.

Through the years.

Kayla 2011

Kayla 2010

Kayla 2009

Kayla 2008

It's hard to believe we have had 4 Halloweens with Kayla!

Brett 2011

Brett 2010

Zittel family Vacation

2011-11-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

Nuevo

On Saturday morning, October 22, we headed up to the airport to embark on a week long family vacation to Nuevo, Mexico, about 20 minutes outside of Puerto Vallarta. The trip included my parents, Nick, Mel, Ava, Jason, Alicia, Jeremy, Hanna, Jacob and the four of us.That made fourteen total. We had a brief layover in San Francisco and ended up at our resort about 6pm in the evening. It was a long day of travel with the kids, so a swim was in order upon arrival. We stayed at the Villa Del Palmar and had a Penthouse suite, along with an additional 2 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom unit next door. The weather was low 90's everyday, the ocean was warm (high 80's), and the pool was refreshing. There were three happy hours at the resort and lots of pool space, which was great for the kids. We had a wonderful time and will be posting more photos and stories as I have time.

The evening we arrived, mom, dad, Jason and Alicia headed out to get groceries and toys for the kids. The boys loved their trucks.

Hanna on the beach the first morning.

Kayla really enjoyed digging and filling her bucket with wet sand.

Jacob took several face plants.

Kayla swimming with daddy.

Ava diving in.

I just love this photo.

Brett had a lot of fun playing with Uncle Jason in the water.

Of course, we all had our moments...

...and then snapped out of it!

Sunset from our penthouse deck.

Annika Marlene Korynta

2011-11-03T21:10:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful niece, Annika, made her arrival the morning of October 31, 2011. Jonny, Kayla, Brett and I headed up later that afternoon after Kayla was done with preschool to meet the new family member. She is quite the pretty little baby girl. She weighed 7 pounds and was 20 inches long. Congratulations to Marcy and Kyle on parenthood! It's quite the ride.

Cardinals win the World Series

2011-11-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, Jonny was able to make it to a St. Louis Cardinals playoff game against Philadelphia while he was traveling for work. He sat next to a couple middle aged women who had been life long season ticket holders, and it sounds like they had a little crush on him. They gave him a Cardinals hat after the game which he bought home and gave to the kids (ignore the big "Budweiser" on the cap). While we were in Mexico, we watched the Cardinals win the World Series while drinking some drinks at the resort bar. So, since Jonny attended a Cardinals playoff game, and they won, I thought it fitting to post a couple pics of our boy in his daddy's hat.

Fox Hollow Farm

2011-11-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

This year we also visited a place that was new to us, Fox Hollow Farm, located in Issaquah. It is a farm and equestrian center, and had a lot of fun things for families.

We then went to meet Mason Jeffrey Fritts, who was born earlier in the week. He's quite the cute little guy!

Schilter's Family Farm

2011-11-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

Schildter's family farm is a great place to visit in the fall. It's only about a ten minute drive and the kids love playing there. We have taken the kids picture next to this sign each year, and it's fun to see the growth and change.

Kayla 2009

Kayla 2010

Kayla 2011

Kayla and Brett 2010

2011

Brett 2011

This year they added a hay stack jump which Kayla loved!

Brett having a snack and watching Kayla jump.

I didn't get as many pictures this year as normal because each time I went I was by myself, as Jonny has been traveling a lot, and it's more difficult to try and wrangle two fast children and snap photos at the same time.

Visiting Nana and Steve

2011-11-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

We have made it a tradition to make a trip down to Cottage Grove, Oregon in the fall time to visit Nana and Steve. Our trips in the past have included fun pumpkin patches, walks by the river, and quality family time together and this year was no different. We headed down after the Rampage at the RAC race, and met Nana at a pumpkin patch in Eugene.

After the pumpkin patch festivities we drove the rest of the way to Cottage Grove, where the kids played outside a bit, we all went for a walk then enjoyed dinner. On Sunday morning we headed to church and then picked up lunch and ate it out at a park at the lake.

Nana doing "Pony Boy" with Brett. Both the kids love it and want Nana to do it over and over and over!

After lunch and some play time at the lake we headed home so Jonny could catch a flight later that evening. It was a fun filled weekend and we look forward to our next visit.

Borrowed blogging

2011-10-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple links to read that involve our family.
Rampage at the RAC
Alicia and Jeremy babysitting- We are so thankful that Alicia and Jeremy were able to babysit the kids so I could join Jonny in San Francisco for the weekend. I was able to meet several of his colleagues and their wives as well as enjoy some of the San Fran staples like Union Square, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square and the Golden Gate bridge.

Steilacoom Sunset

2011-10-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

Jonny had the chance to come home for about 24 hours in between traveling, and we made the most of it. We had a family photo shoot up in Seattle, did the Puyallup, and then had dinner and played on the waterfront in Steilacoom.

Kayla talking to Hanna, wishing her a happy birthday!

Do the Puyallup!

2011-10-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

We did the Puyallup! (Back in September)

Kayla loves the little roller coasters.

Captain Brett

Kayla on the BIG slide! Brett and I also went down once but Kayla did it a few times.

Kayla really enjoys the obstacle coarse type activities.

Brett and Kayla together on the trucks.

Brett 1.5 years old.

Pommie's 87th Birthday!

2011-10-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

Back in September, my grandma, Pommie, celebrated her 87th birthday. It was on a day Kayla had school, so Brett and I headed over to her place. We picked up soup and sandwiches from one of her favorite places in downtown Olympia and met my mom and Jason there. We had a fun time with Pommie. Brett and I often visit her while Kayla is in school because she's so close!

It's fun to see how much she enjoys the kids and I often find myself wishing she was 20 years younger and could really play with them as she did with us as children.

Planting Bulbs!

2011-09-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Jonny had a 6am flight this morning to Salt Lake City for a few days of work. The kids slept in for me, past 7:30, we had breakfast, watched a new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode, built towers and knocked them down, then got dressed and headed to the bank and Home Depot for a few things. The weather was supposed to be rainy today, so we weren't planning on doing much outside. When we returned from our errands, it was sunny and 63 degrees. I decided it would be a good day to plant the tulip bulbs we bought yesterday. The kids had a blast! Brett may have tasted a few.

Excited to get digging.

Kayla choosing where some of the bulbs will go.

I make these kids work for their food.

Kayla liked to carry the bulbs around on her shovel.

Kayla helping Brett.

And that's a wrap.

Hopefully our April showers bring May flowers. Fifty of them.
Kayla is already looking out the window and talking about being excited for the flowers to bloom!

Dentist Visits

2011-09-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

Last week the kids went to the Dentist for their check ups. The best part of going to the dentist is getting to see Aunt Melanie!

Both the kids had good reports. Kayla got x-rays for the first time, and doc said her permanent teeth are going to be big and she will be needing braces in the future. No real surprise there. Oh ya, and Brett is also missing a tooth. He is our hillbilly child.

5 Year Anniversary

2011-09-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

On September 8, Jonny and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. He hit up Vegas and LA (for work-and a little play), and I met Alicia and the kids at Alki Beach. We started out playing at the park, then had some lunch and rented one of those multiple person bikes.
Although the guy said only two people could fit in the front, we were pretty convinced we could squeeze three, and we did. At least for the first 15 minutes until my two kids got squirrely. Kayla was also repeatedly ringing the bell, as shown in picture below. That provided some nice background music. The kind that gives you a headache.

This is how we rode for the first half of the ride, with the three bigger kids in front and Alicia holding Jacob while we both pedaled and I manned the steering and brakes. After we took this picture, however, things changed. For the worse. Kayla wanted to sit in between Alicia and me. Shortly after that, Brett decided he did not want to ride up front but be held. Hanna was a good girl, stayed where she was and just enjoyed the ride. This new arrangement meant Alicia and I were both holding children, one was squeezed between us, and we were still trying to pedal and steer. We cut our hour long bike rental in about half and headed to the beach. Next time we do this we will take the daddys with us.

The kids and I at Alki Beach. A few miles away from the church we were married in 5 years ago.

After Jonny came home from his trip, we did celebrate our anniversary together. Nana came up from Oregon to babysit the kids with Aunt Marcy. THANK YOU both! On Saturday morning we dropped my car off at the Bellevue Toyota dealership and headed to Portage Bay Cafe for a late breakfast/early lunch. We then checked in to our hotel, The Four Seasons, around noon and headed straight to the pool. It was a beautiful and hot Seattle day. We lounged by the pool and went for a swim when we got too hot. It was so nice to just relax! We had happy hour on Leschi at Blu Water Bistro, came back for some more pool time before heading to dinner at The Georgian.

Kayla, Brett, Nana and Aunt Marcy had a fun day which included the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge and one of our favorite local parks!

First Day of Preschool

2011-09-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

Kayla's first day of school at the Olympia Children's Hands on Museum.

9/12/2011

Kayla is in the "Playful Learners" Classroom. She goes 3 days a week for 3 hours.

She loves it!

After running some errands after dropping sis off, this is what Brett and I did.

Jacob's 1st Birthday

2011-09-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

On Jacob's 1st Birthday, we headed up to the Fritts' house for some cake and then made our way to the Evergreen State Fair. It was fun to be able to spend some time with Jakey on his 1st Birthday!

Jacob hanging out in the ergo.

Hanna loves pony rides.

Kayla enjoyed the trampoline jumping.

These girls could have done the slide all day long.

Jacob and Brett mostly got to watch the girls go on rides.

Hanna on the bungee trampoline.

Happy 1st Birthday Jacob!

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

SATURDAY

On the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend, we headed out on my parents boat. Along with the four of us were my parents, Jason, the Fritts family, Marcy, Jeff and Kristen Fritts, Leila, Taylor and Wyatt, as well as Ava and Melanie. It was a beautiful day and we headed out to McMicken, an island where there is a protected cove we like to anchor out at.

Brett enjoying the ride on the boat.

Leila and Wyatt, 9 months old

Marcy, 8 months pregnant

Jacob and Wyatt out on the sand spit

Grandpa took us out tubing. I also went with Hanna. All the girls loved it.

Ava and Mel, 5 months pregnant, getting ready for their tube ride.

Aunt Mel and Brett, he loved walking in the water along the beach.

The kids and I swimming after Alicia and I jumped in off the boat, pictured top right and swam to the beach. Several people (Jonny, Alicia, Kristen, Jason, Jeff, Jeremy and myself) made some swims back and forth.

Having so much fun swimming.

Alicia and Jacob

Jonny and Kayla with Mt. Rainier in the background.

Brett helping Jeff push the boat out

Fun with daddy on the cruise home.

Kristen, 9 months pregnant and Marcy, 8 months pregnant, enjoying some relaxation.

Wyatt is tuckered out.

Taylor.

Our captains for the day.

Kayla and Brett's handsome daddy.

SUNDAY-On Sunday we headed over to our friend's, the Kardonsky's, for a backyard water day (sprinker/pool) and bbq. They live a few minutes from us and we often go over there so the kids can play and the adults can have some adult conversation. They have a son, Kale, who is 5 years old and a 2.5 year old daughter, Clara. Kayla of course thinks their toys are way better than hers, so it works out really well for us.

MONDAY

On Labor Day, we went over to Leila and Tayor's house to play in their pool. This is the first summer in thier new home, and they were not sure how often they would use the pool, so decided not to heat it this year and reassess next year. This meant the pool was a bit chilly, but we all got in a swam around and layed on air mattresses. It was very relaxing. Kayla preferred to walk around the pools edge, sit with her legs in the water, or float on an air mattress. I think she's the only one who didn't really swim. We then had a bbq and headed home so Jonny could catch a flight to Los Angeles for the work week.

Sand in the City

2011-09-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Sand in the City is a community event that benefits the Olympia Children's Hands on Museum (Where Kayla is attending preschool this year!) We met Melanie and Ava there, just as we did last year.

Here is Kayla getting her face painted as a butterfly.

Kayla last year getting a flower painted on her face.

The event is held on the Olympia waterfront.

Kayla, Ava and Brett playing in the giant sand box.

Wherever we go, Brett will find a truck to play with.

Kayla and Ava in front of one of the many professional sand sculptures.

Kayla and Ava last year.

Kayla and Brett last year after we got home from Sand in the City. I love looking at pictures, year to year, and seeing just how much they have changed, especially Brett. Look at that kid, what a little fatty.

Girls

2011-09-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

I'm quite behind on blogging, so in an attempt to catch up, I will likely compromise some of the more detailed content of events that happened. Something has got to give right?!

Here are a couple snap shots from a day I babysat Ava back in August.

It's always fun getting the cousins together, and we are looking forward to the first Bartsch cousin arriving around the end of October and another Zittel cousin towards the end of January!

A New Challenge - By Jonny

2011-09-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

I (Jonny) wanted to try my hand at this blogging thing and give you an update on what's going on with me (and us). I started a new job at the beginning of summer with a company called Mindray. We sell portable ultrasound machines and are the third largest medical device company in the world. My position is called Clinical Applications/Product Specialist (CAS). I am the CAS for the Northwest region, working with my friend and mentor, Jim Berry. Jim is the sales rep for the NW... he locates opportunities and sets up meetings for us to go show our ultrasound machine to potential buyers. We mostly market toward emergency rooms, surgical centers and hospitals (Radiology). I get to demonstrate to our audience how to use the machine, provide technical support and also give post-sales education to the facility once they have purchased the machine. Ultrasound is used in so many different ways- it has been both fun and challenging to grow within my profession. There is, however, a downside to my new position, and that is the travel and being away from my family. I currently cover the majority of the western states, though I was recently in Iowa for a few days, and have also been in Chicago and Texas. It is hard to go for several days at a time, sometimes as long as the whole week, without getting to see and be with Kayla and Brett, as well as spend time with Brenda. The kids are changing and growing so much every day. Brett's vocabulary is rapidly improving and Kayla continually surprises me with something new she's learned about or how to do. Kids are amazing and I am so blessed to have 2 healthy beautiful little ones. I am also very fortunate to have Brenda's support in my persuit of this new line of work! It is not easy to be away from home, knowing how much work and care she puts into raising our 2 kiddos. We are thankful for our family and friends that offer us a strong support system, particularly when I am away from home. Some of my travel is local to Washington and Oregon, so Brenda, Kayla and Brett will be able to go on some trips with me. As Mindray continues to grow, I am hopeful that more and more of my work will be within WA, OR, and northern CA.

Jonny's Sprint Triathlon

2011-08-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday Jonny did a sprint triathlon on Fort Lewis. It was an 800 meter swim, 15 mile bike and 3 mile run. He had done this same race two years ago with my brother Jason and they both really enjoyed it. Fort Lewis does a series of 3 triathlons in the summer, and Jonny had hoped to get to at least 2, and I myself wanted to make it to one, but because of Jonny's travel schedule with work, he was only able to make this one, which is the last of the summer. It was a beautiful morning for a race, and the kids and I came along for support. Next year hopefully Jonny and I will be able to do a couple of them together!

It's a family affair.

Jonny and Brett stretching out pre race.

A few hill repeats for a warm up.

WOW, brotha, slow your roll!

Jonny was second overall out of the water.

Taking time to say hello to the kids as he was leaving the transition area.

Waving to Brett and Kayla.

Brett sees Daddy on the bike.

High fives for daddy as he head out on the run.

It was fun for the kids to be able to watch Jonny at different points in the race. They really had a fun time cheering him on, and I know Jonny loved seeing them on the course, as do I when they come to one of my races!

Bellarmine 10 Year Reunion

2011-08-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

Alicia's blog pretty much sums it up, so here's what she had to say...

Saturday night we attended our 10 year high school reunion. It was a very nicely planned event at The Vault in downtown Tacoma. We enjoyed catching up with old high school friends and acquaintances over dinner and cocktails. It was nice to meet spouses and introduce ours as well. So much has taken place in the last 10 years, it's hard to believe 10 years has already come and gone!

Funny side note: Alicia and I both bought our dresses last mintue, and when we arrived at my parents house to get dressed, we decided to swap. I guess we like each other's style more than our own sometimes.

A big thanks to my mom and dad who babysat Kayla, Brett, Hanna and Jacob. Pommie came over to observe all the chaos :)

Circus Science Day Camp

2011-08-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

The first week of August Kayla had her first day camp. It was at the Olympia Children's Hands on Museum, where she will be starting preschool in September. The theme of the camp was "Circus Science," so they learned about all thing circus related. We talked to Kayla abot her going to camp at the museum the week before it started, and she was always a little hesitant, and would say, "But you're going to be there with me, right?" We explained that she would have a teacher and be able to play with other kids her age, and that we would be there to pick her up after her camp was over. I wasn't too nervous taking her the first day, because I knew (at least I was fairly confident) she would love it. Her camp was from 1-4, Monday through Friday. When Brett and I dropped her off Monday, she hung up her backpack with her snack in it, sat down at the table and acted like she's been going for months. When we picked her up, she said to me on the way home, "Mommy, that wasn't that bad at all!" The next four days she was no longer nervous to go to camp, but really looked forward to it. Her teacher for camp will also be her preschool teacher, so it was a great introduction for the both of them. Every day after camp when I would pick Kayla up, she had some kind of artwork she had made and she was really excited to show me and tell me about her day. I was very pleased with the quality of the day camp and the Hands on Museum and will be sigining Kayla up for more in the future, and Brett when he is old enough. Kayla's camp was for kids age 3-5.

Kayla with her Ringmaster hat and baton she made.

Kayla painted as a clown on the last day of class.

What did Brett and I do with our time?

Monday we went out to the marina so I could work on some family business things.

Tuesday we visited Pommie at her place then walked around Capitol Lake.

Wednesday we went home to do stuff around the house.

On Thursday we picked up my grandma, Pommie, and took her to the Olympia Farmer's market and lunch. Brett had a fun time riding on her walker. We took a stroll through the market then had lunch outside at Mercatos, where I spent the majority of the meal chasing Brett around. We then went back to the market and had some ice cream. It's so much fun to see my grandma enjoy the kids, and I often wonder what it would be like if she were 10 or 20 years younger and was able to get down and play with them like I know she would love to.

Brett riding on the walker and listening to Pommie tell him about the the plants.

A new park in town

2011-08-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few snapshots from a new park that's been in the works for a while. It's now our favorite park in town for a few reasons.
1) It's out in the woods so there are no streets or parking lots near by
2) There are two really big slides that both the kids love
3) There are trails to explore
4) There are swings, both big kid and little kid, as well as a tire swing the kids love
5) It's a 1.85 mile run, mostly through the woods to get there, which is a good distance to run when pushing two kids in a double BOB
6) It's a great place to get together with other families for a fun play date
Just don't go in the late afternoon to early evening as that's when the mosquitos come to get you!

Kayla down the big slide.

Kayla waiting to "catch" Brett on his way down.

And there goes Brett all by himself!

Daddy's turn.

Kayla loves when there is a fire poll at parks.

Going for a ride on the tire swing.

If you come to visit, chances are we may take you to this park for a fun filled morning of playing!

Part 2- Cannon Beach

2011-08-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

We headed to Cannon Beach for two nights after Hood River to continue our celebration of Nana's 60th birthday. Upon arriving into town, Jonny, the kids and I headed down to the beach while waiting for other family to arrive and check in time at our house. The next morning, which was Monday, we headed to Seaside where we walked around a bit, and Nana got a dolphin tattoo on her foot for her birthday. This process took a little while, so Jeff and Quinn took the kids out for some train rides which they enjoyed. Later that day we had some more time at the beach and after the kids went to sleep we walked into town for an ice cream treat. Jonny, the kids and I took off early in the morning so Jonny could get to work in Tacoma. It was wonderful to spend this quality time with family and CELEBRATE Nana!
*You can also read Quinn's blog on Hood River and Cannon Beach as well as Marcy's blog about the vacation.

Jonny and the kids after arriving at Cannon Beach

Aunt Quinn painting Kayla's nails

A shop in Seaside Oregon

Enjoying the carousel

Aunt Marcy-due end of October, with Jonny and Brett

Kayla enjoying the water

Nancy and Steve relaxing at the beach

Playing in the sand, making castles and digging holes

Happy Birthday Nan, we all Love You!

Nana's 60th Birthday Celebration

2011-08-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

For Nana's 60th birthday, she treated us to an extended weekend away. We all met up friday night (the four of us, Marcy and Kyle, Jeff and Quinn and Nancy and Steve) at a house in Hood River, Oregon. We stayed two nights there before heading for two nights at Cannon Beach. We had a great time Saturday playing down at the river, watching kite surfers, and walking downtown. Nancy even treated us to an afternoon of wine tasting at a Stultz tasting room while she spent some quality Nana time with the kids. That's an extra bonus that I know all you mammas out there will definitely understand! We took turns cooking the meals that we didn't eat out, and all enjoyed each other's company.

Nana and Kayla playing on the shore of the river.

Ice cream time!

Wine tasting.

Saturday morning we went on a paddle boat brunch cruise that was a lot of fun.

Aunt Quinn and Brett on the boat.

After the cruise we all headed to Cannon Beach, except for Kyle, who departed early to head back to Norway where he is finishing up his studies.
I hope to put up a summary and pictures from our fun times at Cannon Beach soon.

Lakefair 2011

2011-07-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

The weather wasn't very good for Lakefair this year, but onSunday, after wataching the Women's World Cup Soccer game, we decided to head out anyways as we knew Kayla would love the rides. It rained and drizzled on us, but the temperature was warm, and seeing the happiness in your 3 1/2 year old is priceless. This year, Kayla was going solo on rides Jonny and I accompanied her on last year, and loving it! It's just another reminder that she is growing up, and while I missed her "needing" me to ride with her, I truely loved seeing the joy in her as she ventured out on her own.

She waved at us each time she passed by.

Her first roller coaster!

Daddy and Brett, watching Kayla go on rides.

Kayla on the swings last year at Lakefair

All by herself this year, with a rain coat and rainboots

Brett 1 year ago

Great Wolf Lodge

2011-07-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

This past week we took a trip to Great Wolf Lodge. We had a camping trip on Orcas Island planned with friends, but the weather did not cooperate so that was cancelled. We decided that since we both had several days off, we still wanted to try and do something fun with the kids. We arrived on Wednesday at 1pm, and started playing right away. It was so fun to see the kids having a blast. We stayed one night, which was perfect for kids our age. We played most of the day on Thursday before we headed home, all four of us exhausted!

Photo opportunities were limited due to the fact that once you enter the pool and activity area, you are subject to large quantities of water being dumped on you, sprayed or squirted at you. (And I value my camera) But as per usual, we managed to snap a few in the "safer" locations.

There were 2 slides Brett could go down all by himself. Kayla enjoyed showing Brett around and telling him how to do it.

Jet skis in the toddler area.

Shooting hoops with daddy.

There are 2 bigger slides that Kayla loved to ride. Jonny and I went up to the top with her, expecting to be able to ride down with her, but the lifeguard said she had to go by herself if she was going to go. I was really nervous to just send her down on her own, and she was a bit too, but she ended up loving it! Thank God! In my mind, I was of course thinking about all the bad things that could have happened to her, but was relieved when I saw her at the bottom after I was able to go down. She rode these two slides probably thirty times during our two day stay.

A tired boy!

We look forward to many more trips to Great Wolf Lodge with cousins and grandparents!

Park with Pommie

2011-07-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

This past Monday, Jonny, the kids and I went to visit my grandma, Pommie. Little did she know we had a surprise for her-a trip to Priest Point Park and best of all, Alicia, Hanna and Jacob were meeting us there! It was a lot of fun for Pommie to see the kids in a different environment, and was fun hearing stories from her childhood when she would go to the same park as a kid with her siblings and cousins. Kayla now calls it Pommie's Park. Here is a blog Alicia did about our morning at the park with Pommie.

It brings me such happiness to see the joy Pommie's great grandkids bring to her.

The Past Month

2011-07-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

I took a bit of a blogging hiatus the past month, so I will give a brief overview of some of our activities.

Jonny worked on Father's Day, but we went up and had lunch with him. The kids and I spent the majority of the day at Nama and Papa's house.

Pommie and Mom up at the new house in progress.

Brett and Kayla enjoying summertime fun.

Jonny and I had the privilege of meeting Joan Benoit Samuelson at the Run To Remember Pre race dinner of remembrance. She was a surprise guest that our guest speaker, Geoff Hollister brought for the evening.

Joan Benoit Samuelson is an American marathon runner who won gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics, in Los Angeles, the year that the women's marathon was introduced. As a result she was the first ever women's Olympic marathon champion. Benoit Samuelson still holds the fastest times for an American woman at the Chicago Marathon and Olympic Marathon.

Jason and I ran the Seattle Rock n Roll Half Marathon.

Nana came up from Oregon, which is always fun for both us and the kids.

We also saw Marcy and Kyle after the race.

We have enjoyed quality family time.

Kayla still likes to jump off things.

Alica, Jamie, Marci and I had girls night out boating on Lake Washington. We hit up our favorite happy hour spot, Daniel's Broiler.

The Fritts family, Mel, Ava, the kids, Jonny and I took a boat to a beach for some playtime.

We took a drive out to Jarrel's Cove, on Hartstene Island, where we have been by boat many times, but never by land.

I worked night shift July 3rd, so slept some of the morning of the 4th. Jonny and the kids went to a pancake breakfast in DuPont and then watched the parade.

In the afternoon, we went out boating with the Manke's and Nolans. We headed down Hamersley Inlet into Shelton.

We then celebrated Independence Day with our friends, the Kardonsky family.

Brett loved the fireworks.

Kayla

2011-06-15T20:31:00.000-07:00

A few pics of our darling girl who is growing up too fast.

Guys Fishing Trip

2011-06-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of June, Jonny headed down to Oregon for a sturgeon fishing trip with my brothers Nick and Jason and brother in law Jeremy.

Ava's Birthday

2011-06-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

Our niece, Ava, turned 3 at the beginning of June. She hosted a fun brithday party at her house, where the kids enjoyed playing in a huge bounce house, decorating crowns, plaing with bubbles, and eating lots of sugary treats.

Mel, Nick and Ava

Ava, Hanna and Kayla

Great grandma Pommie

Ava and Kayla in the bounce house

Brett 15 Months Old

2011-06-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

His stats:

Height: 31 inches
Weight: 25 lbs 8 ounces
Head: Same size as Kayla's

Brett's weight had definitely slowed down in the last few months. Since his birthday he has gained just under a pound. Our pediatrician said he is on a great growth curve, with height and weight just over 50th percentile now. I'm not surprised he didn't gain much weight, the kid is all over the place, running around, and climbing on everything. He has also taken some good spills trying to copy his sister. This is evident in all the scrapes, bruises and bumps all over his body. His head and face seem to take their fair share of beating too. He's quite the little man though, and usually brushes it off and continues on with what he's doing.

Things he likes right now are slides, climbing on things, Kayla's bike, or anybody's bike that's at the park, dogs, balls, books, running up and down hills, playing with his plastic golf clubs, usually hitting something with them to see what noise it will make and how loud it is.
He definitely prefers to be outside, and constantly brings me his shoes hoping I will get the point. He has also been know to throw a tantrum when coming in from outside when he's not ready. Sometimes allowing him to play in the garage will halt a full on meltdown.

Foods he thinks he can't live without are grapes and kids cliff bars. He also likes bananas, dried fruit, crackers, and chex. Sounds a whole lot like another child living in this house.

He's quite the happy child, although his molars have been coming in the past week or so and this kinda turns him into a monster, and one who acts like sleep is for the birds. Three of his four molars have now cut through, so hopefully that last one will arrive soon. When he's teething, I pretty much have an extra appendage, one that weighs almost 26 lbs and whines a lot. Good thing he's cute!

Surgery Day for Kayla

2011-05-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

Friday was the big day for Kayla, the day of her eye surgery for strabismus repair. Originally our arrival time was 8:30 and surgery was scheduled for 10:30. The night before they called and moved us back an hour due to an emergency case. Jonny's mom, Nana, came Thursday evening and stayed through Sunday to help with everything. She spent all day Friday with Brett at our house, which was a big help to us. We (Kayla, Jonny, my mom and I) left the house just before 8, got up to Swedish Hospital around 9:15, checked in, and waited. Then we waited some more. Kayla was doing pretty well, but we could tell she was a little nervous. After some more waiting, they called us and we went into a room where the nurse took Kayla's blood pressure, temperature, got her height and weight, and she changed into her hospital gown. We were then told we would need to take Kayla's braid out and wash her hair. (Side note: We took her to Jack and Jill's Childrens Salon Thursday afternoon to get her hair done. We went with a headband braid as it keeps her hair out of her eyes and face and lasts for several days, which we thought would be convenient.) Luckily Kayla did not put up a fuss about the braid. We then were led to a different waiting room, about the size of a large bedroom, which was a kids playroom, where we anticipated being for a short time until they called us back to speak with the surgeon and anesthesiologist. There was another family, with a 3 year old girl waiting there when we arrived. The two girls played and us adults talked here and there. They were talking about how their surgeon was running over an hour late, and after inquiring who their surgeon was, we realized that it would not be a short wait, but that we were there for the long haul. Our scheduled surgery time of 11:30 came and went, and nobody told us what was going on or why we were still waiting. I feel like the staff at Swedish could have done a much better job of keeping the families informed. The good news was that the other little girl, who was scheduled before Kayla, was called back. This was the only reassurance we had that things were indeed progressing. In the meantime a 5 year old boy, and his 2 moms, joined us in the play room. As I said earlier, this is not a very big room, and the toys got old real fast. Kayla was getting antsy, hungry and a bit crabby. I don't blame her, I felt about the same. I asked if she could leave the room for a short little walk, so we went out and visited Nama, as well as Auntie Alicia and Jacob who had joined the waiting crew. It was a nice little break, but then we were back to the waiting/play room, where Jonny made a comment that his phone would be toast if he didn't charge it soon. This was not the optimal choice of wording to use in front of a 3 year old who hasn't had anything to eat in almost 18 hours and who loves toast. This then lead to a cascade of Kayla wanting Food, and distraction was not an option anymore. So we just did what we could to pass the time, with a 5 year old who was bouncing off the walls.
A child life expert then came in, talked to Kayla and the boy about what was going to be happening. She had their masks for them to decorate with stickers and put flavored chapstick inside so it smelled yummy. We were then on our way, or so we thought...It's kind of like Disneyland, where you think you're getting closer to the ride, but you just turn another corner to find that there are still a boat load of people in front of you. We went down an elevator, then down the hall and around the corner to another waiting and play room. Here we were reunited with the other parents we had come to know, the parents of the three year old girl. Their daughter was in surgery and they were waiting. The only good thing about another waiting room was that it offered some new toys. We waited, waited and waited some more until Dr. Epley, our doctor and surgeon came in and gave a post op update to the other parents then came and talked to us. Not long after that the anesthesiologist came in to talk to us and get our consent. When Kayla was finally called back, I went with her into the OR until she was out. The nitrous oxide didn't effect her much, so they went straight to the other gasses and she was in dream land (at least I hope she had some fun, crazy adventure while she was under.) It was hard for me to leave her, but I was pleased I could stay with her until she was asleep. I then met back up with Jonny, and we grabbed a quick lunch with my mom, Alicia and Jacob. The surgery took an hour, and we got the word from Dr. Epley that everything went well. Jonny and I were relieved it was over. We were told she was still asleep and that in about 15-20 minutes when she started to wake up they would come get us. Time passed slowly as were were watching the clock, and so did the 20 minutes. I was starting to get impatient, wondering what was going on, and about 5 minutes later a nurse came in and took us to our girl, who was still asleep. She looked so angelic and pretty to me. I remember thinking her skin looked like a porcelain doll. Her eyes would bleed and we would blot them so she didn't have blood running down her face. She really didn't want to wake up. Little did we know we would spend the next 5 hours in recovery, only to have the nurses tell us she would likely need to be admitted overnight because she wasn't really waking up, wasn't eating or drinking anything, hadn't voided and continued to vomit and dry heave. And truly this is what recovery was like for her. Anytime she would wake up at all or we tried to stimulate her, she would vomit. It was so hard to watch and not be able to do anything to make it go away. She was given a max dose of Zofran, then Decadron, both anti nausea meds, and nothing helped.
I felt like Kayla did not need to stay the night, but that she needed to go home with us and be in the comfort of her own environment. I wasn't too concerned about her not eating or drinking because she had over a liter of IV fluids in PACU. Also I knew she would pee when she needed to, and as for the vomiting, I figured she would probably keep doing it until all the meds were out of her system. I wasn't surprised the anti nausea meds didn't work too well on her, because they have no real eeffect on me. When the nurses called Dr. Epley to give him the update about her staying, thankfully I was able to talk to him. I told him my thoughts and he felt comfortable sending her home with us. THANK GOD! On the drive home, which I anticipated being a bit rough, she only had one puking spell and slept the rest of the time. I was quite happy with this. When we got home she wanted to cuddle and sleep, which we felt was the best thing for her. She slept in bed with us that night. When she woke up Saturday morning, we knew we made the right decision to bring her home!

Kayla's Surgery Day in Photos

Trying to keep entertained in the waiting room

Our beautiful girl.

Kayla checking me out with the stethoscope

In PACU (Post anesthesia care unit)

I will give more details about her surgery and recovery in a later blog update.

Sequalitchew Creek Trail

2011-05-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

Ever since we moved to DuPont, 4 years ago, we have heard about the Sequalitchew Creek Trail. We never knew how to get there or where it went...until recently that is. So this past week when the weather was nice we decided to see what it was. Kayla was at school, so it was Brett in the Kelty carrier, Jonny and me. Here are a few pictures from our morning walk.

The trail took us out to the beach and puget sound. Maybe this summer we will have my parents or brother pick us up by boat.

Under the railroad tracks.

Daddy love.

One tired little boy.

It's about 3 miles down and back, with decent on the way out and uphill on the way back. There is a stream (the creek) that leads you down to the water, and lots of old growth trees along the way. It really was a nice way to spend a couple hours in the morning. Later that afternoon I left from our house and did the trail as part of my run.

Lattin's Cider Mill

2011-04-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, we met Aunt Mel and Ava at Lattin's Cider Mill. The kids all had fun feeding the goats, petting the bunnies, and splashing in puddles. It was nice to just be outside and enjoy some decent weather.

YMCA 5K For Kids

2011-04-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

On April 9th, some of our family, which included my parents, Alicia, Jason, Jonny, the kids and I, along with my mom's friend, Joyce, participated in a 5K run/walk. The weather was nice, and it was a fun morning. Jason and Jonny both ran and met their goals, while Alicia and I ran with my dad. It was so much fun to be able to run with dad, and he met his goal of running sub 10 minute miles. I am really proud of him, and his 66th birthday is tomorrow! My mom and Joyce enjoyed the walk together. We are looking forward to another family 5K soon.

Dad, Alicia, Jason and Jonny pre race

With dad after the race

A photo mom took on her iPhone during the race. The kids did great!

KAYLA

2011-04-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

A few things about Kayla

She is getting really good at being able to tell stories about her day, including what other people did and how she and others felt
She is proud and excited to tell people that Brett is her brother
Loves wrestling and tackling Brett, mostly in a playful way
She calls him "Brett, Bubba or Brother" and is usually trying to get him to follow her or play with her
When Brett is not listening to Kayla like she wants him to, or doing what she tells him to, she calls him "Brett Zittel" (She obviously hears, "Kayla Zittel" when she's not listening to us) haha
She is more open to trying new foods
She always wants to help with cooking, cleaning, baking etc...
She likes to entertain Brett in the car by making silly faces and funny noises
She hands Brett snacks from her carseat to his
Sometimes she answers for Brett, or talks for him, usually saying he wants something when she's really the one who does
She is very into friendship and different relationships. She talks about who she is friends with at school, and who other peoples friends are
She likes to play games on our cell phones occasionally
Sometimes I wonder if she is prone to getting car sick like me, because she often asks for fresh air in the car and wants he window down-regardless of the weather
She loves kids Cliff bars
Loves closing doors (has been known to lock them as well) and going around the house turning lights on and off
Dislikes getting her hair washed
She thinks it's funny to run and hide under a table or in a small place when we want her to do something (like get her shoes and coat on) that she doesn't want to do
She's wanting to do more things independently
Loves to watch movies
Her counting and alphabet skills are improving
She is very into pretend play and using her imagination. The couch has been know to double as an oven, the beach where she makes sand castles, and a car where we take imaginary road trips. She also does a lot of pretend cooking.
She likes wagon rides with Brett and will even ride in the stroller
She is very into matching mommy. For example, she insists on eating from the same color plate I am using and she talks about how we both have blond hair, blue eyes and big pony tails.
She's full of energy, a fast runner, and loves to jump off things.

Kayla, you are such a wonderful daughter and sister. You bring us so much happiness!

BRETT

2011-04-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

This little (big) guy is such a delight!

Here are a few updates on the boy:

* He's trying to talk more and more. Some of his words include, "ball, dada, mama, nana, that and juice"

*He points to things he wants, and says "this"

*When he hears music or gets excited, he twirls his hands/wrists up in the air

*Loves chasing Kayla all over the house and hiding under tables with her

*He loves his airplane rocker he got from the Fritts family for his birthday

*Changing his diaper is like competing in a wrestling match

*He was diagnosed with atopic dermatitis (excema). We have special soap to wash him with everyday, a cream to put on him twice a day and a steroid ointment for the really bad spots.

*He's sleeps about 11 hours at night, from 7-6

*Hugs and cuddles are definitely a strong suit of his. I don't know what I would do without them everyday

*He loves eskimo and butterfly kisses

*He and Kayla like to have noise making competitions, which usually take place in enclosed environments, like the car. Oh how we sometimes wish there was privacy glass like in a limo :-)

*Whether good or bad, he likes to mimick Kayla

*When waking up from a nap (which he takes 2 of), he can be a little slow to warm up and likes to be held

*He can go up and down the slide at Nama and Papa's all by himself

*He knows which drawers and cupboards do not have child locks, and he likes to play in them

*He loves to play with bouncy balls, soccer, basketball, tennis, or any other kind of ball

*He's much more aware of his environment, pointing to the fish mobile in his room and the letters on his wall that spell his name

*When I feed him and put him to sleep at night, he looks at me with a big smile on his face and twinkle in his eyes, and it looks as though he's thinking to himself, "Life couldn't get any better!"

And Brett, Daddy, Kayla and I would have to agree, life is pretty darn great with you around!

Lunch date

2011-03-31T12:01:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, we went out to lunch with my Grandma. It's always so fun to see how much she enjoys her great grandchildren.

Home Made Play Doh

2011-03-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

On one of our rainy days last week, we decided to make some play doh. I used a recipe from a friend's blog to make Kool-Aide play doh. Kayla chose grape, and we had a fun time making it while Brett napped. Later that day Kayla and Brett both enjoyed playing with it, Brett trying to eat it of course.

Brett's 1 Year Photos

2011-03-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

A preview on Jocelyn's photography website of Brett's 1 year photo shoot.

He looks so mature, my little baby boy.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Kayla and I made some green sugar cookies, and decorated them yesterday for St. Patty's Day!

Wagon trip to the Park

2011-03-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

It's been non-stop rain, rain, wind and rain lately. There was a break in the weather today, so we loaded up the wagon and headed to a little park in town. This used to be one of Kayla's favorites when she was younger. It's fun to now see Brett playing and enjoying it so much, just like Kayla did.

This is about as good as it gets for a pic of the two together these days.

We did get caught in a downpoor on our way back home, and Kayla kept instructing me to "run faster" while pulling the two in the wagon.

Kayla circa March 2009 (14 Months old)

Brett March 2011 (12 Months old)

3-13-2011

2011-03-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

It's been Six Years

You have been loved, missed and remembered every single day.
We know you're jumping cliffs, skiing powder and living it up.
Thanks for being the best Guardian Angel!

Uncle Jason, Uncle Nicky, and Papa reassuring Kayla everything was fine after she got scared post screaming Jager shots.

Some of the folks at Hannah's when we were there.

Brett 12 Months, Jacob 6 Months

Brett with Uncle Jason and Uncle Nick

We Match!

2011-03-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with Brett, I found these cute Puma shoes that I thought would be so cute for him. On my way out of the store, I saw they had some "big boy" ones in the same style...so I thought maybe I could find a pair that fit me. And I did. So we match.

Brett's 1 Year Stats

2011-03-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

BRETT ETHAN BARTSCH

3-5-2010

Weight: 24 lbs 12 oz                                            Healthy
Height: 29.5 inches                                             Happy
Head:   47 cm                                                 Full of Energy

Brett's first Haircut

2011-03-08T21:16:00.000-08:00

We decided to get Brett's locks trimmed up for his first birthday.

He really didn't mind the experiece at all, just was interested in what was going on. We also shoveled in snacks frequently to keep him content.

Here he is pre haircut

Oh my big boy, you are such a joy!

Brett's 1st Year

2011-03-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

Brett's first year with his sticker pictures.

Brett-You are such a sweet boy! You are very easy going and happy just about all the time. You love to snuggle and cuddle. You follow your sister around, chase her, and get tackled by her, smiling and laughing the whole time. You say dada, mama, that-and point to things while saying it, and try to say sissy. You understand lots of things we tell you, such as "kick the soccer ball." You're pretty much the best son I could have asked for and when I'm holding you and you've fallen asleep, I truly feel like I'm holding a little slice of heaven send to me from God. We love you bubba.

Swim Time

2011-03-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

Today we took the kids swimming. Kayla enjoyed doing bobs, ring around the rosie, jumping in, and swimming from the stairs to Jonny or me. Brett was entertained with everything happening in the pool and liked his time in the water as well.