Thelin Family

Thelin Family VMA's - Justin Beiber

2011-10-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

Layla Ashley Thelin

2011-10-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

It was Sunday night and all was well, my induction was set for Thursday, I was going to get my eyebrows waxed and have my house professionally cleaned (routine baby coming procedure) on Monday, finish organizing some stuff in the house and pack my bags for the hospital. Jeremy was scheduled to leave on the red eye Sunday night to PA for a business trip and was going to be back Wed morning to make the induction the next day. Last minute his plans got pushed back and his trip was postponed. I was a little bummed because now it meant he would have to go after the baby was born but I was also happy to have him around. However I think the Lord had his hands in the business trip being postponed because my water broke, first time in 4 pregnancies, Monday at 3:00 am. He would have been on an airplane and would have never made it back in time. Can you even imagine my anxiety level if that were the case - lol! It was such a shock, so much water I can't imagine that happening in public! We scrambled into "go" mode and got ready to head to the hospital. I was there by 5:00 am and at a 3. They started pitossin just because the rate of infection goes up every hour when your water breaks. The contractions got a little nuts and by the time I got my epidural I was in some serious pain. However at 12:35 pm with hardly any effort, Layla was born. She is perfect. So small and precious. We love her. Here are some pictures from the first few days.

Layla Ashley Thelin * 6.11 lbs * 18.5 inches * 9-26-11 * 12:35 pm

On our way to the hospital.

By far my best delivery :)

Dr. Bair, there is not a better doctor on the planet.

Look at all these crazy boys surrounded by a little pink...

Our family is complete!

Max is a great big brother, he tells Layla how pretty and beautiful she is all the time.

Ike has this fake smile for all of his pictures, he cracks me up. He is the reason we went with the name Layla. From the beginning he has called her "Baby Waywa", he prays for her with that name, he would hand weapons to my belly and say "Waywa is on my team", so when it came time to choose a name, it seemed odd to call her anything else. Her middle name Ashley is after one of my best friends that left this earth but continues to be a guiding light in my life. I hope my daughter can have some of characteristics that Ashley possessed that have helped me become the person I am today.

The hospital hat is hilarious!

Grandpa Thelin and Layla

Brek and his baby sister

Mask of Zorro! We had to do it, remove the bow and wallah, we have a bandit!!!

The boys loved the hospital bed - it moves up and down and you have a TV at your finger tips...

This picture is so sweet to me. Jeremy and his baby girl!

Not my baby anymore. Brek at 17 months seems HUGE!

I love this little girl so much.

"Girls just wanna have fun"

2010-08-14T23:36:00.001-07:00

I have been blessed through out my life with amazing girlfriends. Each stage of life: high school, college, newly married, young family, now I guess middle aged (sad), has been filled with some of the best women in the world. I thank Heavenly Father all the time for placing my girlfriends in my life. Women that have made me a better me and keep me going through life with a smile. I love you ladies! This past month I have been able to have some girl time with a few of those friends and I thought I would share...

Chelsea, Emily and I out for our own little Blue Like Triathlon. It was super fun and beautiful out there but the mosquito's were crazy gross. It felt good to be able to push my body and not be pregnant anymore :)

One of my best friends Tricia from Hawaii came to visit with her two girls Alia and Jada. It was so fun having them here. I love you Tricia, wish we were closer but I will take what I can get!
Out to dinner with girlfriends. Me, Jen, Tricia and Emily

Emily, you are one of a kind. I love you

Jeremy was super hubby while Tricia was here. He watched all the kids every night so I could have time with my friend and he didn't complain once. Your the best babe!

The kiddos at the zoo

Blueberry picking

We went with some family and friends to an Oregon Beavers game. We had a box all to ourselves, it was awesome,the kids loved it.
Max and his cousin Trent below

Breker wrecker - 3 and 1/2 months

Kids and the Beaver!

Ike has been refusing to nap and I am done battling with him about it, so every now and then I find him passed out on the floor with his toys

Paulina Lake hiking trip. Nothing is better for the soul than hiking out into nature for endless hours and having great conversation with girlfriends. Oregon really is a gorgeous state. I had a blast ladies, thanks for the good time. You are all such great examples to me.
Ash, Lacie, Krisanne, myself and Lauri

This is an obsidian flow, I know it really looks like a pile of rocks but it was really cool I promise.

Lacie and I at the look out.

Jeremy is a more avid backpacker than myself and he talked me into taking these hiking poles. I thought they looked ridiculous but I have to admit I was a fan by the end.

Paulina Lake

After a long day of hiking, our feet were sore and tired and we were nasty dirty but we all had smiles on our faces.

30 and lovin it!

2010-07-22T23:13:00.001-07:00

July is one of my favorite months, especially in Oregon because it takes till July to get warm!! Also it is my birthday and what girl does not love her birthday? :) Here are some pictures from the last month or so. Hope you enjoy...

Jeremy and I went down with our friends the Adam's to the coast. We rented a beach house and enjoyed the sand and ocean. The kids had a blast and it was good to break away from the routine of life.

This picture cracks me up... Jeremy was giving bread to the nasty birds and they started to swarm us by the dozens. I noticed Chelsea starting to uncomfortable and her bird anxiety was on the rise. I tried to warn Jer but I think at that point he found it all the more funny....

And low and behold, Chelsea had reason to worry. She got the bomb dropped on her!!!

What we do with out our hubbies to dig?

Brek is my angel baby. He was happy as a clam all day.

Exhausted!

Nothing is better than when the kiddos are in bed and the games begin.

4th of July ward breakfast

Off to a carnival. My kids had a great Independence holiday.

Off course finish it off with firework show at Oak Hills. I love fireworks, they are magical and make me feel young.

The cousins, best buddies.

I am worried for my future 4th of July's.... I have a house full of pyros :)

Max and Gabe at Safety Town camp

Jeremy, his dad and brother Justin and Jade at a gun course thingy.

Max took this pictures and he cracks me up. He thinks it is so funny to put Breks paci on his head and call it his little hat. The boys get a kick out of it...

Somebody got a visit from the tooth fairy. This is his first lost tooth and he was really excited. The thing has been loose in there for months and he wouldn't let anyone touch it. He told me that the "tooth fairy had blue hair and wore a bright blue dress with shiny things in her hair and she was this big (he used his hands to show me about a foot). She has skills to get the teeth out from under his head and she takes them home, crushes them and builds tooth castles!"

My little snoogies! He is 3 months now!

I cut off my hair. Post pregnancy, you always change something right?

Side view, it looks like a chunk is missing but it just is got my earring I think...

New park that is awesome. We all love it.

Jeremy pushing the kids on the "spinner binner", let's just say he was a fan favorite.

Brek and Ikey

Chelsea and I at a going away party. Thank heaven for good friends!

Swim lessons

So I turned 30 last week and I had a wonderful birthday. Jeremy with the help of friends threw me a surprise party. I had no clue. They all did a great job pulling it off. I felt loved!

On the morning of my birthday we went berry picking... one of my favorite things to do with the fam.

Then I went on a bike ride with Chels (we have been training for a Tri). It was a beautiful day and I was proud of myself for clipping in my pedals and facing the open road with the cars. Nothing better than facing a fear on your special day.

Jer and I took the boys to Toy Story and then I went shopping by myself at the mall (that is a sign that you are getting old when shopping alone is joyful) and I loved looking in all my favorite stores and not having these rugrats to distract me. You gotta love em though!

Case of the Barlin's

2010-06-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

Brek is almost 9 weeks and I feel like we finally have a handle on life. Now that I am getting a good stretch of sleep at night and I can exercise - I am a new woman :)
3 little boys is not easy but I wouldn't have it any other way....

Barlin Gene
We have chub chubbies for babies. They get hit from both sides of the gene pool. Barlows and Thelins have chubby babies - our kids don't stand a chance. We call it a case of the "Barlin's" (Barlow +Thelin).
I love this picture. Ike is my little weapon man. Since he could walk that kid has had some form of a weapon in his hands at all times. Either a whip made from a bath robe, sword, a gun made from legos, light saber, pretty much any object that can be used in battle, Ikey loves! If you look in Brek's buckle, Ike has made him a lego sword and tucked it in his belt so he could be ready for battle.

Chelsea and Spencer at Pump it Up. They look good holding Baby Brek... maybe it is time for another? Alright I know I am pushing my luck :)

Sam and Max - they have grown to be quite the little trouble making buddies. They have a great time together.

Preschool graduation.

Max and Emma at preschool.

Little Date night with the hubby

The triplets at Omsi

Max and Gabe at Omsi. Best buddies!

Self Shot

They grow so fast. I just love watching him sleep.

Out for a stroll on a sunny Oregon Day!

Family Home Evening
Start it off with a bike ride through the green space.
Now that Max has learned to ride a bike, he can't get enough and is constantly asking us to go on bike rides. We just bought a bike trailer so when Brek gets a little bigger the whole family can go

After the bike ride, home for a little lesson around the fire and smores for dessert.

One lucky Mama!

Come on BBT, Daddy is trying to get a smile out of you...

Baby coo's are one of the best sounds in the world

Happy Birthday Jeremy and Nipper

Brek's Blessing was a wonderful Day. Jeremy gave him a beautiful blessing. It was one of those days that you are humbled and in awe of what a gift parenthood is...

Could not get him to smile, so this disgruntled look is the best we got!

3 weeks old

2010-05-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

Brek is 3 weeks old and adjusting to this crazy household just fine. I love this little guy, I could snuggle him and kiss those chubby cheeks all day. I am feeling good, super tired but good. We have been so blessed by wonderful friends and family that have had play dates with the boys, brought dinners, car pooled my kids, etc. Thank you so much for caring and looking out for my family.

Here a few pics from the last couple weeks. Jeremy is out of town with the camera, so there are more pictures I haven't uploaded yet but I thought I would post what I had (since I had a minute and that is rare :)

This is Brek getting his hearing tested. I always wondered how they did it since he can't raise his hand when he hears the beep....

One of my best friends Chelsea visiting us at the hospital.

This is Brek in his snug little Moses Basket his Aunt gave him...And this is Ike.....
snug in Breks Moses basket!

Little Snoogie

Whenever Brek cries, Max gets all anxious and wants me to help him and Ike just puts his hands over his ears and goes on his merry way!
My sister Tammy came out for 8 days to help me after I gave birth and can I tell you that my love for her grew 100 times. She was wonder woman, I am not kidding. I love you Tammy, thanks again for all your help - the boys miss their "Aunt Sammie".

Here are a few more pictures that Mary took. I just love them...

Pictures of Brek and Family

2010-04-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

My friend, Mary Thompson took pictures of Brek and I just had to share. She did an amazing job, I am so impressed. I would just wait until I got them to post them but instead I will just give you the link to her blog where you can see them. Besides, I don't know how to make the photos big like she does and let's face it her blog is just cooler. Hope you enjoy. Love you all

http://thompsonfam5.blogspot.com/2010/04/sweet-baby-brek.html

I am alive and finally smiling!

2010-04-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

I thought I would sit and write a post to share about my labor and delivery since I have not really talked to very many people and some of you have been wondering how I am doing :)

First off thank you for your love support and prayers through out this pregnancy and last weekend, we could not have made it with out you. So we set an induction date for last Saturday the 17th at 7:30 am. Everything looked good, I was 100% effaced, at a 2 and the baby was super, super low so we all thought it would go relatively fast. Saturday morning came and the hospital called and told me that they had a large number of women go into labor and they had no rooms available and they would call me later that day. So Jeremy and I had a nice Saturday morning and finished up a few last minute things we had to do before the baby came. We ended up heading to the hospital at noon and started the admittance process. Our nurse Kathleen was super cool and we felt like we already knew her somehow, well come to find out she was the same nurse when we delivered Ike two and half years ago - funny huh? Anyway, we all were a little too chatty and didn't get the paperwork done and the patocin going until around 3 pm. Dr. Bair came in to pop my water at 5:30 but I had not got my epidural yet so I wanted to wait because in the past I have gone very very fast once I got my water broke. So we made a game plan for him to come back at 6:30 after my epidural to pop my water and we would have a baby by 7:30, however he didn't make it back to our room till 8 and then it took me a little bit longer to get fully dilated. I was ready to push at around 10 pm and we thought it would be a one contraction push kinda thing since the head was right there but Brek was a little bigger than we had thought and his head was way bigger than my other boys. Max was 6.10 lbs and Ike was 7 lbs. So pushing was not bad but a little more work than I am use to and his face was looking up which makes it for a harder labor also. 10:42 Brek Barlow Thelin finally made it into my arms and I was so happy to be done with the crappy part. However it was just the beginning of a really hard weekend. When I was pushing I felt super nauseated and kept thinking I was going to barf but made it through fine. After he was born I got super dizzy and I did start throwing up and the nurses were worried I was going to pass out so they waited quite awhile to move us to our postpartum room. We finally got settled into our new room at 3:00 in the morning and we were beat to say the least and I felt like total crap. The next morning came and I was really excited to spend time with my new baby and get to know him. As the day went on my head started to ache and I started feeling this constant pressure in my back and and neck. The nurses increased my pain meds and I just thought it was due to lack of sleep and the stress of delivery. As time went on the pain continued to get worse but it was tolerable as long as I was lying down. The anesthesiologist came in and told me that it could be a postdural migraine due to a leak in spinal fluid from the epidural. He said that we could do a blood patch to fix it but he would not recommend it. He had needed a blood patch in his past and had a horrible recovery with it leaving him super stiff and not able to bend for about 4 months. After listening to his experience (stupid man) I decided to try and wait it out and just keep it at bay with pain meds. They discharged me from the hospital on Monday morning and that is when I entered hell, literally I have never experienced anything like it in my life. Since I was moving around and not in a hospital bed the pressure in my head, neck and back became unbearable. I could not even stand, I would crawl if I had to get anywhere and I was sobbing non stop. Justin and Ashley came and took my kids which was a huge blessing and I just lay there paralyzed on my bed. I felt scared and totally helpless. Obviously I couldn't go on like this anymore so I called crying to the hospital and the anesthesiologist office in the middle of the night. In the morning my Dr. who had put my epidural in called me back (I love him, honestly he is the most wonderful man) and I told him what has been happening and about the other dumb doctor and his experience with the side effects and I asked him what I should do. He told me to come in right away and he would do a blood patch and it should fix the problem with minimal side effects. For those of you that don't know what a blood patch is let me tell you what I know. When you get an epidural sometimes they enter into the "dura" (sp?) layer and it leaves a little hole where spinal fluid can leak out. In my case the hole was not leaking at the time of insertion but must have teared during labor or whenever and caused the leak. The result being no cushion for your skull to sit on your spine since there is no fluid causing pressure and migraine headaches. Your body will fix this hole on its own over time but it could take a couple of weeks. When they do a blood patch, they take blood from your arm and preform another epidural and shot your own blood back into your spinal space and it acts as an adhesive and seals up the hole and the pressure is almost immediately gone. Yes it hurt pretty bad, the needles they used were big and nasty but I didn't care at that point, I just wanted the pain to stop. I passed out from all the drugs, he gave me some oxygen and 20 minutes later I sat up and the pain was gone. It felt like a miracle had just taken place and it was impossible to believe that it was over. I am really sore in my back and I occasionally have a few shooting pains down my legs but nothing in comparison. I am so grateful, so extremely grateful to be sitting here healthy and being able to care for my wonderful baby. Honestly it put things in prospective for me; sore nipples, lack of sleep and throbbing butt is nothing to complain about.
Brek is perfect, i love him so much. I was sad because I felt so rotten since the time he was born that I didn't get to bond with him right away. He is such a blessing and was worth every bit of pain I went through to get him here. Now I just sit and stare at him and smother him in kisses all day.

So that is my story in a nutshell. What are the chances huh? You never think that you will be one of the ones that has the side effects when you sign that little release paper for your epidural but I think I will take the time to read the fine print before i sign next time :)

Brek Barlow Thelin Has Arrived!

2010-04-19T21:57:00.000-07:00

Jeremy put together this video of Brek's birth and his first moments with our family. It doesn't take much to make me cry lately but this was a tear-jerker for me (happy tears). Hope you enjoy.

Clearing out the camera...

2010-04-16T12:31:00.001-07:00

I am in the thick of nesting and one thing on my to do list is to clear out my camera so it is ready for all the pics that will be coming with the birth of this new baby. There are quite a few pics seeing how my average post time is about 2 months. We have had a wonderful spring filled with fun vacations, some nice Oregon sunny days and just good ole family fun. Hope you enjoy...

I took a last minute trip to Hawaii to see my girlfriends before I enter newborn chaos life again. Jeremy is a great husband and Dad, he kept the boys and with help of friends I was able to leave for a week and take sometime for myself.

Aloha
I stayed a couple days with my friend Keri and a couple days with my other girlfriend Tricia. We had a great time. 35 weeks is a little too close for comfort to travel though, I thought I would be totally fine and I am but my body did give me a few scares on the flight over and while I was there. Next time I have a brilliant idea like this when I am couple weeks from giving birth - someone remind me how stupid I sound :) It was totally worth it though!

Jada (Tricia's daughter) loved my belly, she asked me about 30 times a day "is there a baby in there?"
Out for one of the many girls nights. I miss you guys! Thanks for a wonderful time.

One of my favorite spots on Oahu - Ko'olina, so pretty!
This picture cracks me up... I was calling for Ike because it was his nap time and I could not find him anywhere. I started to panic thinking he escaped out the front door while I was occupied doing something else. Turns out he is just a really good hider who does not make a sound!

This project that Max did at preschool also gave us some good laughing time. They were learning about the human body and its functions. The kids were to create a robot using whatever they liked. Here is what Max made, take special note of the robots penis.

The penis is long paper towel roll (not a short toilet paper roll that would be proportionate) and it was standing straight in the air. Max was not trying to be naughty or dirty, when asked about his robot he said "I have a penis so my robot should have one too." The teachers were laughing pretty hard when they showed me his finish project but they were so good about not making it a big deal. Clearly the kid has no self esteem issues regarding his body parts :)
Easter time... I love Easter because it is a marking point that spring is here and summer is on its way!

I let the kids pick their baskets this year and decorate them with glitter glue.

Out with our friends the Dorrough's last week. We had a great time guys, thanks again :)Quality artwork at its finest-
This picture was taken by Max last Sunday - he loves to snap all sorts of shots whenever he gets the chance.

Thelin grand kids. Jerai (Jeremy's younger sister) was visiting from Idaho so we were able to take a picture of all the grand kids together. Cute bunch of kids.Trent, Max and IkeI love Max, he brings so much life to our house. He is so smart it sometimes scares me. He will be in kindergarten this fall and I often wonder how on earth did I get to this stage of life so quickly. His cute little face expressions make me smile instantly.Oh Ike, he was such a pain in the butt baby but he more than made up for it as a toddler. He is all boy this kid. He carries a weapon of some sort at all times and has the best sound effects of any two year old I know (shing, shing - when swords clash together :) I just love him
I feel so blessed to have these boys in my life and even more blessed that we will be adding to bunch. We will keep you posted on the arrival of Baby Boy #3. Love you all

Wolf, Love and a few extras

2010-02-15T14:26:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of February we took the kids up to Wolf lodge (hotel/indoor water park) in Washington with Jer's family. We had a blast, it was nice to get away and enjoy some family time. Max keeps asking me "when we are going back to Wolf Lodge?" ...now that is a sign of good trip :)

Ike was able to go down the water slides by himself. He LOVED it, I honestly think he went over 100+ times in the 2 days we were there.

Jeremy and his brothers acting like a bunch of kids on the rides. Jer was trying to jump off the tube while going and slide down linked with his bothers on their backs.... of course the lifeguard put an end to it. Boys will be boys!We celebrated my nephews birthday while we were there, it was a pirate theme. Happy Birthday Gabey!

Max acting silly at his 5 year old appointment. He did NOT want to wear the robe because it had pink on it and a few butterflies. He let the Dr. know that they needed some "boy" robes... we all laughed.

We had one major success last month... Ikey was potty trained. Here is a shot of those few first lovely days where he had no clothes on so we could catch him before he had an accident. Being naked didn't stop any of our fun, we just rode our bikes in the buff rather than clothed.

Jer and I at a friends Valentine party. The goal was to get as much lipstick on your spouse as you could in an allotted time. We didn't win but I am sure that Jer enjoyed the game :)

Our traditional heart pancakes on Valentines morning.

Jer playing cook as always... he is such good Dad and Hubby. Love you Babe!

The boys set the table and were so proud of it that I let my OCD side go for the day.

Our family Valentines gift that I worked so hard on to finish before V-day: it is our family 2009 scrapbook. I give them the last years scrapbook on Valentines every year. We love looking through the pages together and seeing all the fun things we did through out the year.

Me and my Honey on Valentines Morning

I have needed to take a pregnancy shot for a long time but I just don't find it as exciting to watch me grow as I did with my first :) I decided to stop being selfish and capture the prego body for Baby #3. I am about 31 weeks here. 2 months to go... yipee!

Hope you all had a wonderful, love filled Holiday.....

Vacation and Max's Birthday

2009-12-16T19:03:00.001-08:00

This posts has pictures with no chronological order and no explanations... lame I know. I am totally into my scrap booking right now but I still wanted to show my Mom my pics, so whoever else would like to view - have at it :) These are from our last minute trip to Arizona (just our little family, it was one of our best trips) and Max;s 5 year old birthday party. He had a blast - teenage mutant ninja cake, and super hero's party (his choice). Sorry about the laziness with this post :)

One Proud Dad

2009-12-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

Most of you know that Jeremy and I are expecting our 3rd child (and if you don' know, sorry I have not been that great sharing info this year). I am 5 months and doing great. It has been a really weird pregnancy but overall I have been pretty blessed.

On Wednesday we had our ultrasound and I couldn't have had a more happy husband at that moment. We are having a 3rd boy! More testosterone around here is just what I was wanting for Christmas! I would be lying if I told you that I was not secretly hoping for a girl but overall I really am happy for a healthy baby no matter the gender. So after a tear or two was lost over no pink, or hair bows, or the frilly things I would love to buy... I looked at my two beautiful, fun, lively little boys and can't help but be overcome with excitement of another! I was raised with 5 brothers, I know boys and maybe would have no clue what to do with a girl but I was willing to try and if we dare attempt at another (heaven help me), I will be secretly crossing my fingers.

Jeremy has 2 brothers, he is in the middle of them and they are best friends. I feel they are a large part of the reason we moved here to Oregon. If my boys could be even half as close as Jeremy and his brothers, I would be one happy mom. So, the Thelin legacy lives on of 3 boys in a row and the Barlow legacy lives on of 3 boys in a row (but my mom did get my sister in there before her 3) and also the dominant gender families the Barlow's seem to have.

I am due this April. This is my first pregnancy where my last trimester will be in the cold. It is wonderful. I am trying to stay in shape and not give into my fast food craving that come on so strong when I am prego. My body is starting to change, the baby is moving around like crazy and it has recently become a little more real to me.

I just wanted to share our exciting news. There has been lots of celebrating going on with Jer, Max and Ike. So bring on the swords, trucks, legos, ninja turtles, wrestling, fighting, jumping off all the furniture... because we are prepared and well seasoned! We will keep you posted. Love you all....

Hero or Villan?

2009-11-08T15:59:00.000-08:00

This post is for you Mom! I am a little late at posting Halloween but my parents are on a mission in Minnesota and I promised my Mom I would send pictures of the kids in their costumes. Sorry it took me a little bit but at least I am following through :) We had a great Halloween this year - I am really starting to get into this holiday!

Max was Indiana Jones and Ike was Batman. They looked so cute.

Here are some Thelin Heros at a Halloween Party. Left to Right: Jade and Ashton (Superman and Lois Lane), Justin and Ashley (Wolverine and Storm), Jer and yours truly (Joker and Poison Ivy), Janea and Nipper (Dead girl and Nacho Libre)

It was fun dressing up this year!

We spray painted Ike's hair, he looked like an Indian child without his blonde hair!

Of course one set of costumes was not enough, Trunk or Treat was Hero's and Halloween night we went with the "Star Wars" theme. They crack me up. Happy Halloween

Vikings vs. Packers

2009-10-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

In the beginning of October all 6 of my siblings and myself flew back to Minnesota for a little reunion and to catch a Monday night game. My parents are serving a mission 3 hours from my sisters house, so they were able to come spend some time with us also. It was a really fun weekend and it made me appreciate how much I love my family. Not to mention the game was AWESOME! I watched the Vikings play Packers for the second time today and it made me want to blog my pictures from last month. This football season has been so fun to watch.

My sister Tammy and me at the game
Brandon, Jon and Brian - 3 of my 5 brothers

The whole Barlow clan on the Vikings practice field... ready, set, hike!

My Brother in Law Darrell (Vikings OC) giving my fam the tour

Me kissing Brett Favre's helmet... I guess that is why they are having such a killer season :)

Dad, Mom and all their 7 kids: Doug, Tammy, Brian, Jon, Jason, me and Brandon

I totally have a crush!

Bad Blogger but Fun Summer

2009-09-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

When I first started blogging I was very consistent and then I seem to have slowly died off over the summer. I think I am back and ready to start posting again (no promises)! Our family has had a crazy summer! I thought I would post a few shots from some of our favorite events over the last few months.

Oregon Coast at its finest!

Emily, Jonah and Brooklyn Walker on the Bumper cars at Seadside.

My good friend Emily - I love you girl! We had a great time at the coast with you.

The Thelin clan at a notorious "Jeremy Thelin Bonfire"

Ike and Jack Jack - he loves this dog!

In July we went to Utah for a little Barlow Family fun. Max and Ike had a great time with their cousins!

Kaitie and Brandon (this is her first time ever doing fireworks - pretty exciting!)

Uncle Jason and the boys (Cam and Ike)

Max got stung by a bee when we were up in the canyon. He was pretty brave and barely cried. I however, got stung a few days ago on the lip and felt like bawling ;)

One of my best friends Robyn taking Max for a scooter ride - he thought she was the coolest

I turned 29 in July - had a fabulous birthday with my boys!

San Fransisco, CA I met two girlfriends from college there for a little get away

Myself, Lindsay and Stephanie and Fisherman's Wharf

Max and his cousin Mar doing one of their "projects" at the beach. This one particular project consisted of gathering dead bird feathers and putting them in old beer bottles - priceless!

Ikey turned 2 in August. He is SO much fun right now. Happy, delightful, little buddy!

Our next trip was Max's favorite trip of the summer (maybe even favorite of his life at this point)
Honeyman Campground - annual Thelin get together

We made a 35 foot zipline at the sand dunes for the kids

Grandpa Thelin and Max on the 4 wheeler

Our family going for a little ride on the 4 wheeler. Max still is talking about how fun this trip was on a daily basis.

Hillsboro Airshow - August 29th
Max and Ike thought this was a pretty cool show. Ike was hilarious, he kept yelling "wook airpane mama, wook"

This is the truck that Max is saving his money for. He wants to have a bigger truck than his Uncle Jade and this is the only candidate we have found!

Family Pictures

2009-07-15T22:55:00.000-07:00

We were in Utah seeing family and friends last week and while we were there my friend Lindsey took our family picture. She did a GREAT job. Thanks Linds, you are talented and so fun to work with. I miss you.
It was a nightmare of a day, Ike had strep and was grouchy the whole time, it had been raining on and off all day and my patience level was wearing thin with my kids! It is amazing to me that any of these turned out.

This picture tells it all!

We took these shots on another day when Ike was finally healthy and happy again.

Dead Opossum

2009-06-03T22:48:00.000-07:00

Last week I came down stairs in the morning to a yucky smell. I thought to myself "did I not throw away one of Ike's diapers?" I continued to scrub my house and then it dawned on me..... Last month Jer and I spotted Cat Lady's (next door neighbor) cats going beneath our deck and we thought there was a pee smell coming from the opening. So my manly man goes down there, which by the way is pitch black and the ceiling is only 5 feet high so you have to crouch down, to investigate and he finds a vent that had been chewed away so he secures it and leaves. Well, now a month later we have this smell that is pretty strong and Jer, yet again, goes down and "looks"around but can't see anything (so he says), so when he went to work the next morning I took it upon myself to call a wildlife specialist or what we call "the rodent man" to come help. Not that I didn't believe Jer but I know that he couldn't have been that thorough in his shorts and flip flops standing near the opening shining a flash light around. Three hours later my knight in shining armor came to my rescue and headed down the hole to find a 2 foot DEAD Opossum and a ton of poop! So gross, I know! It started to smell due to the heat we are having so who knows how long it was in there. They cleaned it up and disinfected the area, rewired 2 chewed away vents and now my house no longer smells like a dead carcass! It was the best money I have ever spent. I just can't imagine Jer tackling that job! Max on the other hand thought the whole situation was totally cool!

Max and Rodent Man

Bon Voyage!!!

2009-05-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

My mom is my hero! Last month Jer and I went on a 7 day Caribbean cruise. We flew out my mom to watch the boys and we had a wonderful vacation being Jeremy and Kristin; husband and wife not Mommy and Daddy for a week!
Thanks Mom, you have no idea how much we appreciated it :)

We traveled with Jeremy's brother Jade and his wife Ashton - they were great cruising companions. The weather was perfect, the ship was crazy crazy (in a good way) and I couldn't have been happier. It helped that I couldn't call home from the boat, so I was able to let go and quit stressing about how exhausted my mom was going to be and if everything was going ok!

Our port stops were Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. Martin. The Caribbean is truly beautiful, I was suggest you go if you have the chance. My favorite was St. Thomas - we did some pretty incredible snorkeling which Jer just loved. This local guy gave us these dog biscuits to feed to the fish and Jer was all over that, I on the other hand didn't know how I felt about fish hitting into my body and mistaking my fingers for food! Once I relaxed it was really fun and quite surreal to be surrounded by that many fish. Jer would booby trap me by diving below me and releasing bits of biscuits that would float up around me. I was not a big fan of the random attacks of fish but it was pretty funny.

The boat was nuts! It is incredible that something that large can float, it is like a moving city on water. My favorite part of the ship was the adventure deck; rock climbing, sports court, mini golf, and most of all the flow rider. This was a big part of the entertainment for the 4 of us. Jer and Jade loved this thing and Ashton and I were quite fond also. It is a wave simulator that you can surf or boogie board on. Ever since we got back Jer's business wheels have been turning on how to get a flow rider and make a business out of it - big dreamer, it is like a million dollar machine! Super fun and the staff on the sports deck were super cool, we became pretty good friends with them all.

But most of all I LOVED spending time with Jeremy. I forgot how fun he is and that we actually are a good match. Life is so busy sometimes and we get wrapped up in the craziness and putting our kids first, that it is nice to take some time focusing on each other. Every couple needs to get away even if it is for the weekend, I think it is a must!

Here are some pics from the week:

Our Boat: The Freedom of the Sea

Puerto Rico

Jade and Ashton took this shot without us knowing. I love it! Thanks guys!

Flow Rider
Jade and Jeremy trying to suicide each other on boogie boards

Ashton and I feeling like we were kids again. It was great

St. Thomas

Ashton and I studying our cruise compass! She is way more organized than I am, it was great because she always knew where to go or what was going on.

The cruise had an "Amazing Race" competition and the four of us entered as a team. We took home the gold, are you proud?

Rock climbing was awesome, I think I could really grow to love it!

Shuffle board. It was so so windy! I get barely play because I was so occupied with keeping my skirt down and my hair out of my mouth.

One rejuvenated happy couple excited to go home and see their boys!
Max loved Grandma Zoo (Sue). She would play this Xbox Lego Game with him (which she had no clue how to do) and for that she will always hold a special place in Max's heart!

The boys had a great time. Grandma spoiled them rotten with fun activities and endless attention. They ran my Mom ragged and I am sure she was just as happy to see us as they were.

Before the vaca.....

2009-05-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

Jer and I just got back from vacation and I went to post a few pics and I realized that I still had some from before that I wanted to show. So here are some random shots from last month...

Marianne (my mother in law) and Jer took Max and Gabe downtown to the Political "tea party"!They said it was amazing to see so many people together to have their voice heard. Good for them for getting involved. Max and Gabe had a blast, they took the train down and got to spend time with two really fun people - Dad/Uncle and Grandma!

It just wouldn't be April if we didn't but some Easter pic in here :) Max LOVES dying eggs - this year was a Kung Fu Panda theme!

The Easter Bunny brought the boys water shooters, which quickly turned into light sabers/swords.... a big hit (no pun intended)!

My handsome men all dressed up for Easter Sunday. How did I get so lucky?

Chelsea and I freezing our butts outside the church Easter morning. Our families were troopers while we made them all pose for family Easter shots. I am so grateful to have such good girlfriends.

Random Fun

2009-03-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

Homemade play dough is way better than store bought, why has no one shared this with me before? Max loves rolling it out and using his new cookie cutters (thanks Chels!)

Ike also joined in on the fun, he tried to see how much he could eat before I took it away!
Ike loves to brush his teeth, he is so cute to watch
He does not like me to help at all. He waits till I walk away and then starts sucking down the tooth paste. You can imagine this kids diapers: play dough, tooth paste, crayons...
Getting to be such a big boy
Every time I go to upload my pictures there seems to be a bunch of random shots. This time the culprit incriminated himself!
Max loves doing art lately, he also loves to use all my tape and hang them up around the house. I figure whatever makes him happy and more importantly keeps him busy I am fine with!

Thank Heaven for Dads :)

Blue Barf & More...

2009-03-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

Some conversations I have had with my 4 year old Max in the last few days....

He had already eaten his cookie that I gave him and he goes to look in the Tupperware and says:
Max: "Who are these cookies for?"
Me: "Those are for some ladies I visit teach, so please don't eat any."
Max: After sitting there contemplating for a minute....."If I take a cookie and eat it, what will happen to me?"
Me: I was a little shocked that he was weighing out the consequence in his mind if disobeying would be worth it. Heaven help me when this boy is a teenager. I won't write my reply so I don't look like a mean mom! :)

We went to Target with the kids to look at Patio furniture (first mistake). We bribed them with a slurpee and a popcorn if they would sit still in the cart. The cashier in the snack shop did a excellent job of up selling Jeremy into a large slurpee/small popcorn combo instead of small slurpee and small popcorn bought separately and it would save him a quarter (more is not always better Honey!). It was a crazy Target trip and we had not noticed that Max had slurped the whole thing by himself. We jumped in the car and headed to Brooklyn Walker's baptism and upon getting there Max started complaining that his head hurt. I told him it was a "brain freeze and it would go away"... well after a little while longer he was complaining that his tummy hurt. He started crying and acting a little odd so after the baptism we headed home and he went up to bed. I told Jeremy that it was way too much sugar for his stomach and I thought he would sleep it off. A few minutes later..... BLUE RAZZLE BARF all over my carpet, I am talking about fluorescent blue. Jer threw him in the shower and I searched the Internet for stain removal solutions (side note: 1/4 c. oxyclean in 16 oz. water - did the trick). Max instantly felt better and said to me with a serious look on his face: "Mom, we shouldn't eat slurpees and candy, they make me throw up, we should eat green vegetables that make us strong." I gave him a kiss on the cheek and told him thanks for the tip. Now if he could just follow his own advice...

Max: "Look at that man with all those whisky's under his nose, he looks funny."
Mom: "That is called a mustache and yes, they do look kinda funny."

Max: "Mom, you look like Annie Jones in that hat."
Mom: "Who is Annie Jones, is she someone from church or school?"
Max: "No mom he jumps and fights the bad guys and he is really cool."
Mom: "Oh, do you mean Indiana Jones?"
Max: "Yeah mom that is what I said, Annie Jones!"

In one of our power struggles (which I am getting better at handling) I told max that if he jumped on his brother and made him cry one more time than he wouldn't get to play and he would have to go to time out. His response to me was: "Well, you know what I will do if you put me in time out? I will come and wake you up in the middle of the night!" Once again I was shocked that he understood that waking me in the middle of the night is a true threat. I fought back a smile and helped him see that he was hurting his brother and showed them a new game to play. Too smart for his own good.

Max: "I want a pocket for my penis."
Mom: "You want what?"
Max: "Dad has a pocket for his penis on his underwear and I don't, see look!"
Mom: I was laughing really hard. "When you get older like Dad you will have a pocket for your penis."
You know how on adult underwear the seams are not sealed and on kid underwear the seems are all sewn closed, this is what he was referring to. Hilarious!

A few of my favorite tag lines of Max's: "All my dudes" (that is what he calls his friends), "I have a really good idea, how about..." (that is how he starts almost all of his sentences), "Mom and Dad, you really need to work on.....: (constantly putting us in our place)!

Wonderful Day

2009-02-22T21:18:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Valentines Day this year. We started out the morning having a sit down breakfast all together. We made heart shape pancakes (which, by the way, are wheat and really good, let me know if you want the recipe) the boys loved helping cut the pancakes into heart shapes. It was nice to start the day all around the table laughing and enjoying each other's companyI love my husband. We are very different people but I really believe that there is no one more perfect for me than Jeremy Thelin. I am one lucky girl to have such a hot, wonderful Valentine!

Jeremy's gift to me was perfect! He wrapped it up in a Victoria Secrets box and at first I was thinking "oh no, here we go in front of the kids" but he was tricking of course. He saved his personal spending money for a couple months and got a digital video camera. He knows that I am way too cheap and think our old video camera is just fine. Truth be told, it is awesome to upload our footage into the mac and be able to edit and make little Thelin movies. Thank you Honey!

I started a new tradition of giving each of the boys (including Jeremy) their scrapbook I made from the previous year for Valentines. It has been so fun to look at all the pictures and events that we did as a family through 2008. Ike didn't care much about any gifts - he just wanted to eat more pancakes!

Max was so cute. He loves to help and feel a part of things. He set the table, stirred the juice and pressed the pancake hearts. He is my little buddy.

I feel very blessed to have 3 of the most wonderful Valentines in my life.

I still can't see :(

2009-02-13T14:04:00.000-08:00

I was suppose to be blogging about how amazing my Lasik surgery was but needless to say I still can't see clearly! I went up to my surgery appointment last Tuesday, went through 1 hour more of tests, only to have the Optometrist tell me that we need to wait another week without wearing contacts and run some more detailed tests! I started to cry in the chair like I was a 14 year old hormonal teenager. I had cleared all the pre-op exams with flying colors and they told me that I was a "perfect candidate". So now I am still wearing my 8 year old classes with a weak prescription and a perfect hint of geekiness. I guess one of my cornea's is asymmetrical and the other is symmetrical (whatever that means) but they need to make sure that I am in a "normal range" before they operate, which of course now that I am over the shock of not getting the surgery, am happy about. So this Tuesday I will drive to Tualitan to get the other test done and see if we can move forward. Either way I am happy, don't get me wrong I would love to get the surgery done but I am also grateful that I have a conservative, detailed surgeon that won't preform the surgery if my eyes would not adjust well to it. I don't want to end up blind! I will keep you posted.

Impossible

2009-02-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

First time to the dentist was a success! I was a little worried that Max would not do well because he has a easy gag reflex but he loved it and did a great job. Everybody got a good laugh at the office while Max was visiting :)
Max: "Hi, my name is Max"
Dentist: "Hi, my name is Dr. Willis"
Max: "You are not a doctor, my doctor is Dr. Shotskee (Machousky). You are Dentist Willis!"

Max has a wonderful Grandpa Thelin. He took the grand kids to go see Cat and the Hat at Pottery Barn Kids by himself..... Brave Man! Max had a great time! Thanks Grandpa!

These are a few shots from my attempt to get a picture of the boys together! Ike is impossible. We were all laughing pretty hard by the time we were done. FYI - the bandaid on Max's forehead is because he had a "headache" and only a spiderman bandaid would fix it! It was a losing battle!

Brain and Brawn

2009-01-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

Isn't it amazing that kids are born with their own personalities, strengths, weaknesses, passions and interests. My boys are so similar yet very different. First you have Max - the little brain. Max spoke at a very early age and his mouth has not stopped moving ever since. He excels in school and is fascinated how and why things are the way they are. He is too smart for his own good. He is constantly making Jeremy and I laugh with the things he asks or says. It amazes me what goes on in that little brain of his and I am sure that there will come a time where he will be smarter than his mama.Then there is my little brawn - Ike. He is my crazy child. If he didn't have such a cute little face I think I might snap more than I do :) Ike has no fear, he loves to suicide himself off the couch and belly flop onto the floor. He went from crawling to running - literally. He is a little too sure of himself. He has fallen down our stairs 4 times and I am sure that is not the worse that is in his future - sadly! He has always loved balls, when he could only crawl he would push a ball around the floor entertaining himself. He throws a fit watching Max's soccer class or basketball class and the minute it is over he runs out on the field to join his brother. He is my tough little buddy that loves life.
This a shot of all the Thelin grandchildren as of January 09, we will have another addition this April and I am sure many more after that! This picture was mere impossible to take but so hilarious. From left to right. Trenton, Boyd, Max, Sam, Charlotte, Henry, Macey, Peyton, Gabe, Ike, Marley and Lucy. Cute group of kids.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-01-03T22:04:00.000-08:00

I have a good feeling about 2009! We have had a wonderful year in 2008 and are excited for the adventures in this upcoming year. We rang in the New Year with the Thelin family and had a wonderful time.

This is a picture of my new triplet nieces and nephew, Charlotte, Lucy and Henry Neff. They were born on December 18th (our wedding anniversary) and I just LOVE them. Everyone is healthy and Janea (their mom) is doing great. If they are not a New Years Miracle, I don't know what is :)

Jeremy (acting crazy) and I toasting to a wonderful New Year

We put the kids to bed early. Max had a blast sleeping in Gabe's bed with him. He loves his cousins.

Out to dinner at Outback with the Thelin clan. Nothin better - great company and good food! Jerai and Phil are in town for a week and it has been so fun to see them and meet our cute nephew Boyd.