{...TWO more days and we'll be adding another Chickie to our Coup!

OUT WITH THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW...YEAR!

OH MY! It has been WAY too long since I have blogged and with much happening this NEW 2012 YEAR I had better get on it. We have some exciting events happening in 2012...namely the arrival of a baby GIRL and a new HOME. Very exciting. But, first...here are a few pictures to close out a pretty good year of 2011...

Christmas Eve Tradition of attending First Presbyterian Christmas devotional and coming home to open up their one gift.

Good times...

Oh yes! These boys are "Smart Cookies" and we love them to death!

These 3 Muskateers have had it great these last few years...here's

hoping they welcome their little SISTER with loving arms.

Joshy has been KISSING and RUBBING HIS NOSE on my belly since

he found out I was pregnant. I had to capture it. Such a sweet boy!

We haven't taken many pictures of this pregnancy. I think one

at 4 months...and here at 7 months.

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011!

Oregon Coast Cousin Retreat

As part of our 3 week Oregon trip the boys and I spent 3 nights at my sisters Beach House with some of their cousins...22 in all (to 7 of us adults!). I must say it was a lot of work for me and my sisters but totally worth it when we'd see our children enjoying each other. So much fun!

Above is half the group, the younger ones enjoying some time at the beach.

Ryan with Emma and Claire.

Ryan running from the waves!

Josh and Kate cleaning off all the sand!

Claire got the "dirtiest" award for sure!

Looks cold but it was actually about 80 and humid.

Emma, Ryan and Claire posin' it up again!

Steph with her "Mini-Me." Kate is Mindy's daughter but looks just like Stephanie did

when she was little.

Ethan and Evelyn in front of the beach house.

Timmerman Family Reunion

This year my boys and I were able to attend our Timmerman family Reunion. It was at Grandma's home (my mom's mom) on the Oregon Coast. We were so fortunate to get a lovely day!

Uncle Conrad and Greg roasted this pig and it was YUMMY! (I can't figure out how to get this underline to go away..oh well).

Liz made up these score cards for the kiddos to keep track of the different events they participated in.

Here's Ethan doing the Ring Toss.

Ethan and my hilarious cousin Zach offering tribute to our heritage.

Liz made these for an activity with her YW but it came handy for the little ones!

My cousin Chloe's girl Lili.

Aunt Lindsey looking ready to pinch some buckets. Josh and Kate had been playing in Grandma's pool...more like a dirty pond.

My cousin Alexis' son Carter. Best picture of the day!

My amazing Grandma Timmerman in her sun room. She is one tough cookie. I hope to be just like her some day!

Trophy

Some kids love sports trophies and some go for...well....syringe trophies! Ryan has filled his first container of used syringes for his diabetes. It's actually his second but the first container that he wants to keep. Hey, whatever keeps him motivated right? It might be a bit creepy a year from now having a shelf full of these but, what the heck. He's a champ in my book!

Ryan's New Life

About a month ago our 5 year old son Ryan was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes. Needless to say this has been quite the adjustment for us all but especially for Ryan. It was really kind of crazy how we discovered the disease. A couple months ago I started noticing "sticky pee" around the toilet and at first we kept blaming the dog. At one point I remembered my pediatrician telling me that if you ever need an SOS pad to clean around the toilet because the pee is so sticky, someone has diabetes. At the time I remember thinking, "Why in the world is he telling me this? We are healthy eaters and are active (all misconceptions about type I diabetes). I told Jeff my discovery and he told me to watch Ryan and see how often he was drinking and peeing. In an hours time he had used the restroom over 7 times and kept getting drinks. I called a friend who has a glucometer and that night we took his blood sugar. He was at 517. Normal is between 80-120. We let him sleep that night and then took him to the ER the next morning.

He was immediatly admitted to the hospital and sure enough the diagnosis was correct, Type I Diabetes. For whatever reason his body began attacking his beta cells in his pancreas killing most of them off. Because of this his body will never produce insulin again.

The picture above is such a great representation of his attitude. He has to check his blood sugar between 8-10 times a day (by "finger pokes," thus the bandaids) and get 4 shots of insulin, one with each meal and one at night. This is becoming our new normal. I love this kid. He's always been such a sweet and sensitive child and now I am learning a very brave child as well.

Sisters Retreat!

Well, it was more like a Vrtiska Retreat since our parents came. It was kind of weird to have all of us together with no kids (except Debora's Taedon)! I can't remember the last time that happened. When we finally met up in Cannon Beach it was one LOUD reunion. People were stopping in the street to stare. We kept bumping into this same couple and they finally asked us if we were on America's Got Talent! Uhhhh...no! I've come to realize that you just can't replace your sisters. You gals rock!

We are in order here....Michele on the far right, Erica, Debora, me, Lindsey,

Mindy, Stephanie and Monica on the far left.

Cannon Beach

Sweet mom and dad. I was so glad they came!

Dad with some of his girls.

Michele. Mindy. Lindsey.

My techy older sisters! They have teenagers...can you tell?

Me. Monica. Mindy. Stephanie.

My lil' sis.

Darling Taedon.

Here we are at Haystack Rock. This is the rock you see on Goonies.

Thanks for the memories! Love and miss you all already.

Meet Oakley!

For Christmas this year we surprised ( I mean really surprised!) our boys. Jeff picked up the dog from the breeder Christmas Eve when the boys were asleep. Oakley slept in our bedroom that first night so the kids wouldn't hear him. In the morning Jeff went down by the Christmas tree first and then the boys came down. Once they hit the stairs and looked over the railing the look on their faces was priceless. Ethan said, "Did we REALLY get a dog?" Like it was a stuffed animal or something. Too cute. Oakley is a German Wire-haired Pointer (a bird dog).

FALL Family Pictures

It is that time of year again. The beautiful fall colors are out which means it's picture time! We LOVE, LOVE our photographer! http://studiotphoto.blogspot.com/

Ethan. Ryan. Joshua.

I can't believe all our boys are in school! Ethan is now in First grade and loves it! He comes home everyday saying how glad he is to be in the first grade. Ryan is in Kindergarten and LOVES filling in his dot sheets because then he gets a "treasure chest." Joshua is in the same pre-school that Ethan and Ryan attended when they were 3 and 4 years old. He totally knows the ropes and couldn't get there fast enough (see video)!

Crested Butte

My husband and I took a trip to Crested Butte without kids. We had been here before but with the kids. This time we got to bike the world famous 401 trail and hike from Crested Butte to the pass where you can look into Aspen. We had so much fun and can't wait to take another trip like this soon!