Miss Evelyn Colleen

After much anticipation, my niece finally arrived on November 25th! Poor Weesie endured a long labor...but she did great. After a whole week of contracting, she didn't gain any progress and was "lightly" induced Thanksgiving night at 9. It didn't take much to get her going on regular contractions, however she didn't deliver until around 5:30 PM the next day. Mom and I were privileged to be present through the entire process...THANKS WEESIE!


Evelyn Colleen Bigelow was a big girl at 8 lbs 8 oz and a 14 inch head! There were no major complications and Chris and Elise were able to bring her home Sunday morning. I'm sad to say that I've only been able to see her three times since. We've had colds and we've been too busy to get away. I'm looking forward to the Christmas break...maybe I'll get to snuggle her some more :)

Elise at around 1:30 in the afternoon....4 more hours to go!

Getting to hold his daughter for the first time...


I like this pic...we were all texting like crazy. Everyone was waiting to hear if the baby was a boy or a girl. Grandma was waiting in the waiting room, while Dad and Henry were en route as Evelyn arrived.

Grandpa and Uncle Henry

Grandma

Auntie!

Evelyn 1.5 weeks old

Baby "B" Will "Bee" Here SOON!

I don't think it really hit me till last week...the excitement, that is...that my little Sis is gonna have a baby! Quite honestly, I can't wait till little baby B comes in November. I've been an aunt since I got married, but now one of my siblings is having a baby! WOOT!

Of course, it was only fitting that I throw her a baby shower. With all of the busy-ness of my life, I was actually having a hard time devoting enough of my energy to making it great. I thought about it all summer, but knew I still had time so procrastinated. After Labor Day Camping I kicked it into high gear and eked out slots of time to work on it. I was thrilled that Elise had chosen a bumble bee theme for her nursery. I had never been to a bee-themed shower and was excited at all the possibilities. After much searching I found a fantastic custom jpeg kit on Etsy.com and went from there. Everything that I couldn't print, I had to make or find supplies for. But, I enjoyed every detail...especially the embossed bee and honey stamps (dug up from some old Winnie the Pooh stamps I had as a kid) on the outside of the invitation envelopes. When you have a great theme...it's easy to go the extra mile :)

The shower was set to take place on September 18th, so I spent all of the day prior, my birthday, getting things ready at my Mom's house. Sounds kinda sad, but it really wasn't...I got to sleep in that day, Adam and the kids took me to lunch at "The Logger" and then mom and dad took me and the kids to dinner at "Fultano's" (only the BEST pizza place EVER)! I stayed late at my mom's that night prepping and baking. I was saved my my Grandma Barb who pitched in and bought all of the fruit for the event and then stayed to help cut it up. Writing it all down makes it sound like a lot of work...it was. There were close to 50 people invited!

The morning of the 18th I skipped church to head back to my mom's to finish up the cupcakes. I was making special pudding-filled "Boston Creme Cupcakes" and they had to set for at least an hour before serving. Then we started carting everything down to the basement. We had no choice...the basement was the only place that would accommodate that many people.

Of course, several didn't show, but we still had a large crowd. We played games, and enjoyed the food. Elise had fun, and that's what matters :)

Boston Creme Cupcakes

Party favors...honey sticks

Chris and Elise's friend Heidi Fastabend brought her this creative crown that says "preggers" on it :)

Aunt Alice and Fi Fi made her a diaper "cake" loaded with goodies

Vickie Howe (pictured left)made this beautiful bee quilt for the baby. Vickie owns the hair salon next to Elise's coffee shop and she used to live across the street from our house when we were kids. Vickie made both Elise and I beautiful teddy bears when Elise was born that we still have :)

With all the games and visiting, the shower lasted quite a long time. Weesie got lots of great stuff including lots of green, yellow, and white clothes. It's fun not knowing if you're gonna have a boy or a girl!

Pre-Christmas December

My sister had been planning a surprise 30th birthday party for her husband, Chris, for quite some time. His birthday is the day after Christmas, so birthdays for him have been (I'm sure) less than exciting. Elise thought it was PERFECT to surprise him by throwing him a party on her birthday (the 10th). We were supposed to meet her and Chris for "dinner at the Shilo for Elise's birthday." Somehow we lured him downstairs to the banquet rooms for the big reveal. He was surprised...and I'm pretty sure he enjoyed himself :)

Auntie Piggy gives a shocked Chris a hug...

Soren's Christmas program was the next week. He was a Christmas Star along with all the other 3-4 year olds. He did everything he was supposed to do...except he didn't smile or sing. Maybe next year?

A rare photo of myself...and my little bruiser. He had a goose-egg on his head (ran into the corner of a wall), a swollen and bruised jaw (tripped and hit a barstool). A few days later, he fell and split his chin open!

He was the HIGHest star!

A couple of days later we had a big storm. Really...the wind was blowing hard, but not harder than a typical coastal storm. But, because the wind was blowing in an easterly direction, branches were falling like raindrops! I didn't sleep well that night because there were constant thuds on the roof...I was afraid one of our skylights was gonna shatter! The next morning, we woke up to this....

Frankly, this picture doesn't fully illustrate the magnitude of the mess. Adam was busy fixing his Mitsubishi (AS USUAL!) and I worked non-stop for 5 hours cleaning up the property. I could have done more, but I was soaked to the bone and a bit chilly. Except for our "hurricane" 3 years ago, I've never seen a storm create such a mess! Fortunately, the larger branches managed to land in perfect places!

Creation Northwest 2010

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend Creation Northwest with Weesie and the Wilson's. Originally, mom was gonna go, but she very nicely offered me her ticket. I even tired to arrange for Adam to go too, but he really wanted to just stay home and hang out with the kids because he's been so busy lately. So, Elise and I headed up Friday at around 1:00. The Wilson's had been camped there since Tuesday, but Elise and I were only free for the weekend.

It's been a while since I've been to any kind of concert. I think the last concert I went to was at some punk/rock festival where Nickelback played....sometime back when Adam and I were engaged. I like concerts, but usually don't like the spend the money to go to them. Although, I really enjoyed going to Jesus Northwest back in the 90s. I think I went in 1991 and 1997 (it's last year). ANYway, when Creation was "created" back in 1998 I was kinda bummed because it was clear over at the Gorge, where it's really hot and quite a far drive. I always thought it'd be fun to go, but the opportunity never came around. This year was the first year it was going to be in Enumclaw, WA. Enumclaw is a lot closer than the Gorge, and certainly a lot cooler! The Wilson's go every year, and this year they had two extra tickets...woo hoo!

We went. It was a blast. I wanna go again.

I just took my iPhone as my camera and left Adam the regular camera because I knew he was going to take the kids on many adventures while I was gone. Needless to say, the pictures I took are terrible...but, you get the idea.

Elise, Chris, and I waiting in the "mosh pit" for Toby Mac's concert to start. It was a fun concert! I saw Toby back in 1991 when DC Talk was just starting out. I was even in the same room with the entire band, but was too chicken to get their autographs.

Throughout the days of the festival, youth leaders could go to a sort of "v.i.p." area to talk to the different artists. Doug and Sherry had a couple of leader passes, so Elise and I went with them to see Superchick talk...they were so down to earth and hilarious!
We also went to see the lead singer of Skillet chat with folks...he was funny too. One of the questions somebody asked was "what's it like being on tour with your wife and kids?" He responded..."we're like the Osbournes....but we're saved!" Ha ha! Guess you had to be there...

Below is Superchick

Doug and Sherry waiting for Tenth Avenue North to play...

I put this picture in for Doug...he thought he was being so funny...

And....SKILLET! It was a killer concert...lots of fire, smoke, and fireworks. This is a shot I took from the back as the concert was starting. Elise and I couldn't stand to sit in the back any longer, so we ran up to the pit to rock out with the rest of the panheads.

My January Jobs

Do you ever get tired of hearing the phrase "I've been sooo busy!"? Well, I'm getting tired of saying it. As I've said before, my life is in transition. Aside from being "mom of a preschooler," I've added part-time barista, part-time remodeling consultant, part-time beauty consultant, substitute teacher, and disgruntled root canal patient to my list of January jobs. It's been one of those months when I've wished that I didn't live out in Svensen. The constant driving is wearing on me. Fortunately, the kids are at the age now where naps aren't necessary. However, it's also UNfortunate that the kids are at the age where naps aren't necessary! I'd like to say that I miss the lazy days of staying at home spending a leisurely day with the kids...but, for now at least, I don't. I'm loving the many opportunities to get out of the house and interact with "big" people.

So, what exactly have I been doing??...I'll tell you:

Mom of a Preschooler/Substitute Teacher:

I suppose this is fresh in my mind, because in the span of one week (this last week) I've attended the monthly board meeting, subbed for Miss Kara, and was snack helper for Synnove's birthday. Aside from driving, that has accounted for about 7 hours of my time over the span of 1 week. And, seeing as I'm not in preschool, that's quite a bit of time. However, roughly 3 of those are paid!

Part-Time Barista:

As you all know, my sister owns the Wheelhouse Coffee Company in Astoria. I help out there from time to time, but haven't really done much in the last handful of months. This month, Elise needed some extra help because her husband had knee surgery. So, I worked for her for a couple of days. When my dad isn't around, it's hard to juggle the kids around. Sometimes, they end up spending a good part of their day hanging around the shop while I work. This always makes the day a bit more difficult. Grandma Barb ended up watching them one of the days, and they had a blast with her! They even made cupcakes, which was something I remember doing often at her house when I was a kid. My time at the shop is always a good break from the kids...and that's enough payment within itself.

Part-Time Remodeling Consultant:

For some reason, I am the "go-to-gal" for advice on cosmetic home improvement. I suppose I'm known for giving my honest opinion and giving good reasoning for "why." My mother especially appreciates my opinion and often takes me on her many shopping trips. ANYway, since my parents' house got damaged in the freeze, they have been frantically shopping for new carpet, counter tops, flooring, lighting, paint, and tile. Not only have I been "hired" as remodeling consultant, I've also been "hired" as the mediator between mom and dad...lol! I guess dad trusts my judgement...seeing as he actually admitted that my painting the precious raw cedar in my basement was a "not bad" decision!!!

Part-Time Beauty Consultant:

Even though I wish I were busier in my business, being a new beauty consultant is work. I knew it would be work, and I'm happy to take it on....one step at a time. I'm enjoying every minute of it. I'm overwhelmingly surprised at how much I love sharing a product that is...well...awesome. There is no lying, fudging, or insincerity involved. And, my favorite thing to say in this business is..."if you don't like it...PLEASE return it!"

ANYway, beauty consultant business has been good. People love it. The hard part is getting people to try it. They think I'm out trying to "get" them with my crafty sales tactics and they ignore me, don't return my messages, or give me a large handful of excuses. The most popular one is..."Oh, I tried that once and it broke me out." What they don't want to hear is that the formula has changed over the years, AND, there are like 6 different formulas to choose from! Fortunately, I'm the QUEEN of breakout and can feel their pain.

Ultimately, I have the experience (have tried MANY products over the years), I have a bit of knowledge (still have LOTS to learn about MK), I have the skills (I'm a fairly competent individual)...the only thing I lack is confidence. Each time I pick up the phone, my hand shakes. Each time I write an email, I say a prayer before pressing send. Yes, it's about making money! Of course, why would I venture into business if I didn't want to make money?? But really, as I've tried the products, I'm finding I just want people to experience the reason why Mary Kay should be in their bathrooms! I don't want them to buy it to help me out...I want them to buy it to help THEM out!!

I digress. So, I spend much of my days with Mary Kay on the brain. I've attended meetings, went to a conference in Seattle, and given coupons and facials to a small handful of people. It's not much, but it's a start.

Disgruntled Root Canal Patient:

Long story short: my crown fell off in December and has fallen off at least 4 times since. It was re-glued with temporary cement 3 times, the 4th attempt was very unsuccessful. I have spent most of January chewing on one side of my mouth waiting for my dentist to return from not being well (I heart my dentist, btw). My dentist's son is also a dentist and has done most of the re-gluings. I have seen him 4 times this month. I have rescheduled my root canal 3 times, with 2 out of those times being because my dentist has been ill. Dr. Smith (my dentist) finally returned to work and attempted my root canal this last Tuesday. He proceeded to numb the entire left side of my face over the span of at least an hour, only to find that it wasn't enough. There is much more to this story, but I'll just end it here. I now have a half-drilled permanently glued crown awaiting root canal-age from a specialist.

The Clincher:

Add 2 young children, a husband (who makes life easier most of the time), and a dirty house to everything above.

Weesie's Birthday

My sister turned 23 on the 10th! Chris invited the family over to their place for pizza and ice cream on her birthday. I had a feeling he had a pretty big surprise for her...but I didn't think it would be THIS big! Spoiled brat...

Great Columbia Crossing 10k

Last winter Elise asked me if I wanted to do the "Great Columbia Crossing" with her the next fall. She thought it would be a fun thing to do, and she really wanted the stupid t-shirt. I agreed and we made plans to do so. Over the summer, Aunt Jodie decided she wanted to join us. So, she and her daughter Jordan came with us.

I had never done a walk/run before and was very surprised at how many people were there! I had no idea how many people come from near and far just to walk/run 6 miles across a bridge. Wait....let me rephrase: I had no idea how many people come from near and far just to PAY to walk/run 6 miles across a bridge! We parked at the Port of Astoria and took a shuttle to Dismal Nitch in Washington. Although freezing, we had fun people-watching and visiting with people we knew.

We all complained about having to park so far away from the shuttle, as it was taking away from our energy to do the long walk. We wanted to stay in the truck and keep warm (it was REALLY cold out!), but we heard rumors that the shuttle only ran until 7:30 (run started at 9).

Waiting at Dismal Nitch

Our sweet numbers...I know, I know...you wanna be us.

Jordan noticed this killer manatee backpack...it became the center of our conversation for quite some time. It's now our team mascot. We're already making plans for next year. I would elaborate, but it wouldn't be as funny to you as it is to us.

We were so excited when 9:00 finally came around...not so much to do the walk, but to finally get warm. They let the runners go first and then the walkers (us). There were sooo many people, that it was hard to walk at a good pace. We had to do a lot of maneuvering to make any headway. We weren't trying to race or anything, just trying to walk at a pace faster than a stroll. We were hoping that once we reached the bridge that people would have spread out a bit. It did get easier with every mile, but it was still very crowded the entire way.

Leaving Dismal Nitch

I snapped a shot of the floods of people across the bend...

Once on the bridge, we followed the manatee backpack for quite a while...not on purpose.

Almost to the incline! Lori on the right.

Once off the bridge, my legs were noodles, but we still had about a mile to go. It took us 1 hour and 42 minutes to finish. It would have been better if we didn't have to weave through all the people. Maybe next year? We'll see about that...

A Post to Satisfy My Mother

I know, I know...the lack of blog posts in the last couple of weeks has been disappointing. I wish I had something fun to share, but really, life has been pretty hum drum. No doubt, we've been keeping ourselves busy...so here's what we've been doing lately:

1.) Caulk. The rain was inevitably coming, so I had to kick it into high-gear and caulk our cracked siding. The garage side of the house sees the most weather, thankfully, and as a result, the garage siding (in places) has begun to rot. So, I suppose I caulked it back to life. Then, I primed it back to life. And one day when the rain stops, I'll paint it back to life.

2.) Adam repaired our deck door. Last winter, we discovered rain seeping it's way downstairs through a window. After some investigation, we found that the deck door was rotten in the corner and leaking into the basement. Hopefully, it's truly fixed. Oh, and I also did a good amount of caulking on the deck side of the house as well.

3.) I joined the preschool board. Nothing special, but I see it as a way to get involved with the community and meet people. Last Friday I baked cookies, baked a whole oven-full of potatoes, and volunteered at the preschool's annual "Salmon Corn Dinner." Home-grown corn and freshly caught BBQ'd cedar plank salmon...YUM-MY!

4.) Watched "The Proposal" with my Mom and her friends at the Columbian. I hadn't been there since junior high because of the scary owner/manager. It's been re-vamped as a somewhat run-down McMenamin's type theater for several years now. It was quite fun! Afterwards we had appetizers at Pier 11 Steakhouse (again, another place I hadn't been to since HS for their less than awesome food). The place is under new management and the food was delish!

5.) Adam left for Atlanta on Sunday for work. He won't be returning till this Saturday. Sad.

6.) Visited Faith. The Hollett family moved into downtown Vancouver over a month ago, and I was dying to see their new place. Adam had already been there with the kids on the day that I was doing the Shanghaied in Astoria "Fun Run" on the Astoria Riverwalk in support of my sister's coffee shop. It's a little coffee shop competition...I'll spare you the details. ANYway, Faith's place is adorable. It's probably somewhere around 100 years old and quite charming. The kids played (rather loudly), Faith and I visited, and she foiled my hair (again). All around, a good time.

7.) Auntie Weesie spent the night! Elise's husband is working nights this week for his boat operator's job, so she was free to hang out with us. We talked, watched 1/2 a movie, and turned in early. Elise and I don't spend enough time together, and it was nice not to have to spend another night alone.

8., 9., & 10.) Paint. Paint. Paint.

**I got halfway done with painting the bunny shelter.

**I painted Synnove's closet in preparation for her new floor. Originally, we left her closet paint-free because it was cedar. However, because we took her closet doors off (didn't work properly) and put up sheer white curtains, her closet is exposed. Having painted plank walls, a non-painted plank closet, and plank floors would just be distracting. Ugly. So, I fixed the problem.

**After MUCH delay, I finally finished Soren's dresser. Painting it was easy. It wasn't until I tried to replace the hardware that it got difficult. I thought I had checked the hole placement for the screws. I didn't. After it was painted AND lacquered, I realized I needed to drill new holes and patch the old ones. What a disaster. I finished it yesterday and achieved the look I was hoping for. Here's a pic of Soren's freshly painted dresser and a pic of the inspiration dresser at Pottery Barn Kids...