First family trip to the beach

This week we got a three day trip in up to the beach for our first little family vacation. I found a house on the beach in Ocean Park, Washington with a pretty good rate during the week on Craigslist. It's only about a three hour drive from our house if you drive the right way. The house was really private and spacious for us. It even had a hottub overlooking the beach, but unfortunately with Hunter we didn't get any hot tubbing time in. Maybe next time!





Ruby made matching hats for Hunter, Teri and I. So Hunter and I had to sport them when we were on the beach. We'll get a three musketeers shot with all three of us and the cool hats soon though!

We got Hunter her first Blazers jersey (even though it's a size 3T!) and so she had to sport that on the beach too. Gooo Brandon Roy! :)

I found a walking tour online of the little town and we had to check out this house called The Wreckage, built in 1912. A guy snagged logs that were from wrecked ships along the coastline in 1912 and made this house out of them. It was really old and cool. I love the simplicity of these old cabins.

Here is a picture of the sunset on our second night, so pretty!!

The house was stuck in the 80's with their decorations and electronics (that or they hit up the goodwill for everything). Check out the size of the remote to the TV in the background that had it's speakers on the side of it! They had a nice collection of VHS Disney movies too. We tried to watch 'The Black Cauldron', but all three of us fell asleep. Not sure if it was the movie or just time for an afternoon nap. :)

I of course had plenty of time to take a million pictures of Hunter while lounging around in the house, here's my favorite!

And we made a couple videos of her first time walking on the beach and walking in the wake with me. Enjoy! We sure enjoyed the whole time away!

After the strike

I went on strike for a bit because I want Brandon to start posting more to the blog too. Hopefully he kicks it up or else I will strike again! :)

Some highlights of things that have happened in the last few weeks:

• Hunter now weighs 13 pounds 5 ounces at 5 months old
• We had our family holiday gathering at Aunt Susan's in Dallas, Oregon that had postponed due to bad weather
• Hunter is now back to waking up two to three times in the middle of the night and early morning, causing us to be very sleep deprived (why am I still up right now?!)
• Hunter started eating rice cereal and tried her first real food - an avacado
• Hunter and I had a girls day out and visited Aunt Mikki, Aunt Holly, Aunt Tonia and cousin Lena (ok, not true relatives, but whatevs)
• Brandon and I went to a Blazer game and are going to another one next week
• I started reading a RAD book about raising a vegetarian baby :)
• Shasta (Mark and Teri's dog) killed a Nutria by ripping its head off
• The final season of Battlestar Gallactica started
• I made some huge strides in helping dogs at the Newberg shelter (more to come on that!)
• Sold my Bronco to some high school kids :(
• My Mom's great dane passed away (RIP Pebbles)
• Brandon mucked up his back and then I mucked up mine today at the shelter (Urgent care and pain meds saved my day)
• Brandon and I have worked many long hours at work, while Grandma Nanny Teri takes the best care of Hunter
• Hunter is now rolling all over the place
• Brandon and Hunter and I are going on a three day trip to the beach on Tuesday for our first solo family trip
• and tons more I'm sure, but time for pictures!

Late Christmas at Aunt Susan's...





The cousins and Erin playing Rock Band on the wii...






Hunter eating rice cereal with a spoon for the first time...

Hunter eating avacado for the first time...

Hunter playing on her pony from Aunt Julie...

Visiting with Aunt Mikki...

Hunter looking adorable in a cute hippy dress and galoshes...

Hunter chilling on her daddy's lap...

The Jumping Jelly Bean

Sometime I feel like we totally exploit Hunter for our own enjoyment. Here is a video to prove that we do. What do four grown adults do after a hard days work? Put a cute little Hunter into a baby jumper for the first time!

(This offically breaks the blog strike, I'd like to thank those of you who were patient with me)

Hunterpalooza

We had a lot of time at home over the holiday's and even before with kinda being snowed in, so I took lots of pictures of Hunter.

She loves the stuffed balls that she got from Mark and Teri...

We got her booster seat out and she sits in that really well. We tried out the sippy cup and she caught right on what that was for. She hasn't moved beyond breastmilk or formula quite yet, but we're going to try out the rice cereal in her fifth month, which is coming right up.


She got her first toothbrush from Teri and she's already cleaning those gums.

She's going to take after me and the body art, she's already begging to wear tattoo's. Check out the flaming basketball on her arm. ;) Actually Teri got her some Blazers tattoo's for Christmas, not my doing, but they sure are cute!

We decided to stay in for New Year's Eve last night to be with Hunter. Nothing too spectacular, just spending some quality time together and watched the ball drop (I'm sorry, but Dick Clark just looks scary now!). We put together a puzzle and tried to take some self portraits. Hunter had a weird nap schedule going on and was actually up at midnight, so she brought in the new year with us. Family hug!

Happy New Year to everyone!

One of our new years resolutions is to not buy anything new for one month. If we can go for one month, then we'll try and go for a year! Basically we'll buy second hand or borrow or just go without. It'll be harder for me than Brandon, but it'll be good to force ourselves to question if you really need something or not. Of course that doesn't apply to food and household products (or underwear). Fun fun!

Hunter's 1st Christmas

We all had a really fun time with Hunter for her first Christmas. In the morning we went over to Mark and Teri's to open gifts with them and Erin and eat a yummy breakfast. The first thing Hunter did with her very first gift was put it in her mouth.

And then afterwards she proceeded to want to eat the paper.

More gift opening...

More putting gifts in the mouth...

She got a lot of books...

And she's well on her way to being able to read them...


After opening gifts and laying around letting our food digest, we went over to Ted and Ruby's. We ate a HUGE meal over there. And even though Erin had thirds (yes, thirds), she and Hunter posed for an adorable picture.

We got Ruby a very special gift for being such an awesome Grandma to Hunter. It is an apron with a picture of Hunter in her Princess Leia Halloween costume (that Ruby and Teri made) and it says "Princess Leia and Hunter will always love Grandma Ruby". Ruby LOVED it.

(Check out Ted in the background catching a glass of juice (with his ninja like reflexes) that is about to go flying)

Ruby got Hunter the most adorable winter hat, she loves it!

And of course looks adorable in it. (both Ruby in her apron and Hunter in her hat!)

Hope all of you enjoyed all the moments in your holiday! We did! I'm so appreciative to be a part of an amazing family that I get to see so much of and I don't mind! ;-)

December 22nd sledding

Before I get to Xmas photos, I have to share our sledding adventures out at the farm a few days before Xmas. We got more snow in the valley (always snow on the mountains around us) then we have in many many years, and I was even more excited to now be a part of the Case family where we have our own private hills to sled down! Erin and Mark could not find sleds at the stores so they improvised and bought some corrugated pastic and cut that up for sleds. And Erin got out the spray can of Pam to help us slide down.

Erin scoped out this hill for our first one. I had my snow shoes on so I helped pave the path. There was a layer of snow, then a layer of ice and then more snow on top, we had to pack it down.

Brandon had fun throwing ice chunks around (no, he's not just showing off his muscles here).


Shasta was having a blast running after everyone as they went down.

Erin's expression was hilarious on the above picture, had to blow it up a bit for ya'll to enjoy.

Brandon is getting chased down by Shasta too.

You can see that Mark and Brett (the furthest down the hill) took it headfirst into the snow.

Hunter stayed inside with Grandma Teri but she got to enjoy snuggling up to Gramp's armpit after the sledding was over (it's okay though, he took a shower).

Here are just a few of the pretty shots of the farm with all the snow.