...Heiken Family...

2009-09-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

A couple of newer ones...

2009-05-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

March '09

April '09

2009-01-10T13:26:00.000-08:00

Reagan Olivia is here!!

2008-12-31T20:02:00.000-08:00

Reagan Olivia was born December 29 at 2:21 pm. She weighed 9 pounds, and was 21 and a half inches long. Check out those cheeks!!!

They passed out little Beaver hats so Reagan sported hers during the game today! Yay Beavs! We got to watch most of the game while we were still at the hospital.

The proud big brother...he loves everything about her! He also immediatly strikes a pose when he's holding her, it's as if his mom takes pictures of him all the time or something. :)

Marlee is going to be such a big help with her little sissy, and she is loving every minute of it!

Cousins playing at the hospital...gotta love the static! They were playing in the curtains and watching out the window.

This lady just makes my heart happy. She's amazing and such a good 'Nammer' !

DUE DATE!

2008-12-29T00:07:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah, and today is my due date...but no baby yet. I'm trying to be patient, but it's hard! :) I can't wait to meet this little girl.

Some catching up...

2008-12-28T23:43:00.000-08:00

This post is a little backwards...but then again I haven't blogged in so long that it shouldn't matter.
Uncle Chris and Aunt Staci had an awesome idea for Christmas to get the kids trees to plant at Nammer and Dockers house. The kids LOVED this, as they got to go outside and help plant the trees, and they keep saying they want to go and live there so they can check on the progress of their trees.

Before that there were of course quite a few snow days. Hence some snow pictures.

The neighbors dog, but such a cute picture I couldn't leave it out! :)

Tasting some snow...

Of course picking out the perfect tree...it's hiding behind Rob mostly. :)

And back on the very first day of December we got to meet our latest little nephew...Jesse Dale, (Jon and Steph's second little boy) and of course we were all excited to do that! This month has flown by, and he's almost a month old already, cute as can be and such a good baby!

2008-11-13T19:52:00.000-08:00

Just catching up a bit...it's been a while since I blogged. :) Halloween, harvest party at the fairgrounds...Uncle Jon was working there helping with parking, so the kids were excited to see him.

Tatum was here the weekend before his first birthday, and he even came to Marlee's last soccer game. Happy Birthday Tater Bug!!! We love you and miss you!

The kids had so much fun helping with filling the new woodshed that dad built.

And hauling the wood to fill the woodshed...they were a little helpful, but mostly loved climbing the hill and standing on stumps.

And in recent news...Owen had an eye test today, and got to wear these cute glasses because they dilated his eyes.

I'm 6 and a half weeks from my due date, and am getting anxious and excited! But we still haven't come up with a name for her. :(

Just try and beat that!

2008-09-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight when Marlee said her prayers, she said, "thank you for my mommy because she is the bestest drawer ever! " Um...yeah. I'm good. I draw a mean rainbow, what can I say?

Happy Anniversary to us!

2008-09-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

6 years, 2 and a half children later, and we're still kickin'. I love this man more every year!
Marlee took these first two pictures.
My mama's flowers are gorgeous...I wish I had a green thumb like her!

School and Soccer

2008-09-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

So sweet! :)

Marlee's first day of school...last week, but just now getting the pictures up. :)

Her first game is this Saturday, so today they had their first "practice" and get together.

Lining up tallest to shortest...what can I say? She takes after her mom.
Yay! We got a great color for our uniforms!
Owen likes her socks.

Posing.

Just a few things about me~

2008-08-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

So, I was tagged a while back and I'm supposed to come up with 7 interesting things about myself...

1. I like to organize my kids clothes in rainbow order in their closets. "Like to" might be the key words right there, because they never stay that way for too long.

2. I had kidney cancer when I was pregnant with Marlee. The doctors found it because I had a kidney stone, so they did an ultrasound, and then 12 days after she was born, they chopped out my kidney, along with the cancer. I have had no problems since, and I'm coming up on 5 years. Usually this is something that old men have...and I'm not old...or a man. Hmmm.

3. I love fall best of all the seasons.

4. I detest talking on the phone, except to Rob, my mom, and my brothers. So don't call me. :)

5. I'm not a typical female in that I'm a dreadful multi-tasker. :(

6. I know nothing about history. I really wish I would have listened better in school. I'm one of those people you would laugh at on a game show because your first grader knows more than I do.

7. I have the smartest husband ever. Seriously. And he's also pretty nice, and grows a mighty fine beard. I know every man is jealous. :)

in case you were wondering...

2008-08-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

~i am so excited to be having another girl, and i've already been shopping too much, even though i have an attic full of girl clothes from marlee

~i'm craving a la rockita veggie burrito, with green salsa and lime

~lately i've been loving fish tacos, and everyone i tell this to thinks i'm disgusting :)

~i like to blame everything on being pregnant...forgetfulness, moodiness, unmotivation, and anything else that's convenient at the time

~i still throw up almost every time i eat fruit, and it really sucks because fruit is one thing that always sounds so good :(

~i hate the fact that everyone warns you about the "terrible twos" and then fails to mention that (at least in the case of my kids) it gets progressively worse with "throwing a fit threes", and "fighting fours"

~mostly im just really sick of marlee arguing with everything i say no matter what it is

~i made blackberry pie and blackberry cobbler yesterday, because they are robs favorite

Funny faces, bay front, and the beach. That's all.

2008-08-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

So I said "make funny faces" and they did. They are such good listeners! I especially love owens folded over ear in the first one. :)

Just watching a little olympics with dad. Pretty serious stuff.
But not so serious that you can't stop and smile for a picture...
...as long as you get right back to it!
A little Newport Old Bay Front. Had to stop and look at some seals. (Sorry...no picture)

A little foggy, but not so bad we couldn't all play on the beach!

Oops, a couple more from the bay front.

Marlee helped Nammer pick out this rock.
Awww!

A crack only a mother could...um...love.
They really do love each other! :)

Yep, I was there too.
Soooo fun to run away from the ocean!!!!
Also fun: throwing rocks into the ocean.
I just wanted to see if I could try out one of those neat "jumping on the beach" pictures. I was pretty excited to get the "tongue hanging out of mouth while jumping on the beach" shot! Bonus!!!

We had such a fun day, and all after checking the weather online and expecting it to be pouring and thunder storming all day. What do they know anyway? :)

A little of this and that...

2008-08-10T15:13:00.000-07:00

We had a little family reunion at my parents house and here are a few good looking people who came...Chris and Staci, and little Tatum who is growing up so fast! Don't get to see them enough, but it's always nice when we do! Love you guys!
Brian and Heather were there! We talked about what a horrible blogger I am, so here I am trying to be better! Thanks for the motivation :), and it was extra nice to see you!
Joe and Jennifer and their son Andrew...he's such a cutie! Andrew and Owen had fun playing in the water table even though it wasn't sunny at all.
Jon and Dewey, I don't think Jon knew I was taking their picture :)
Owen tried out his cousins scooter, which he calls a "tooter".

We went to the Scandinavian Festival, which I had forgotten was mostly an eating festival, with a little dancing and music thrown in! Perfect for us! :) Marlee kept seeing people with food and asking where they got it. We also were fortunate enough to find these fun picture opportunities, and you'll notice mine mysteriously is not on here.
Owen could barely reach...
...and I think Rob was having the most fun! :)
My favorite one...if you know Rob you might enjoy it too! I laughed so hard! What a tiny little man he is! :)

Then for some swimming time in our new pool. It's nothing huge, but the kids love it!
Marlee has been taking swimming lessons, so she likes to practice floating and "gliding".

Just a big smile.

Trying to float on the dolphin.

2008-07-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

We've been busy this summer! Dewey turned 1, and of course that was an opportunity to try and get pictures of the 4 grandkids all together...which turned out like this! :)

Then we tried again at mom's house later, and they cooperated a lot better. They held still for a long time actually, and we're still working on the smiling. :)

In other news, Owen broke his leg, and is in a cast. He is being great about it, and seems to get around pretty well, although I'll be very happy when he can WALK again, since I'm not very used to carrying him.

My Aunt Jill and Uncle Greg came from Virginia with their kids and a couple of their kids friends, and we've been having so much fun hanging out with all of them. I'll put more pictures of them later.

Owen's not the baby anymore...

2008-05-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

Yep, we're having another baby. The due date is December 29, and Marlee and Owen are pretty excited. We are too, although I've been extra sick this time around, and I don't feel excited yet. I'm just waiting to be able to eat again, because I love food, and it makes me sad that nothing sounds good. Hmmm, maybe I won't gain as much weight this time around! :)

The story of my camera...

2008-04-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

Last week I realized I couldn't find my camera and started looking everywhere I could think of. The last time I lost it it was under a bunch of clothes in the laundry basket, so I made sure to check there, but I couldn't find it anywhere!

I gave up for a while, and then I really needed it for something so I started my search again. I had called mom at least twice to have her look for it at her house, and so I tried again. Finally it dawned on me that I had left it outside at her house, (no wonder she couldn't find it) and it had been sitting in the grass for almost a week. Not in sunny beautiful weather, no, but in snow, hail, rain, and wind!

The chances for survival didn't seem good. The first thing I did was google "camera left in snow and rain" and I came up with several good ideas. Some people had even dropped their fancy cameras into lakes, so I guess I'm not the only one who mistreats my camera! :)

Anyway, after three days sitting by the wood stove at my parents house, my camera is as good as new. Or at least it still works, which I wasn't expecting at all. Rob is happy because we don't "have" to buy a new camera, and I'm happy that I won't be missing all the great opportunities to snap my kids, or whatever else catches my fancy. Win-win.

2008-04-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

Last week we had fun planting some flower seeds that Nammer gave Marlee. And then Sunday night, Owen got sick, and still hasn't fully recuperated. He has spent a lot of time sleeping, hence the photos. I especially liked the one when he fell asleep with his hat on, and when I tried to pull it off he woke up enough to tell me otherwise.

2008-04-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

I heard about this on moneysavingmom.com (thanks Beka), and I signed up and got my $25 dollars! If you click on my link then I also get $10 for every referral :) and that's why I'm posting this! It's free, and it is being promoted so that people will switch to this instead of paypal. But even if you don't use paypal, you can still use $25 dollars can't you?

It only took a few minutes, and was pretty easy. Try it out. Oh yeah, it only lasts until April 15, aka TAX DAY!

I'm quite awful...

2008-04-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

This evening was going along quite normally, and then Marlee started arguing with me and wouldn't be quiet long enough for me to finish my sentence...so I yelled at her.

About two minutes later she came into the kitchen where I was washing dishes and loudly said: "I'm going to call you stepmother, because stepmothers are mean!"
A little too much influence from watching Cinderella and Snow White? I think so. But I was acting a bit like a wicked stepmother I must confess, minus the forced labor, locking her in her room, or hiring my huntsman to take her into the woods. That locking in the room bit might have it's advantages though. :)

I guess it will serve as my reminder to not act so "stepmotherly" and just act like a mom?

frogs and snails and puppydogs tails...

2008-04-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

Owen went with me to run some errands today, and we stopped and took some pictures along the way. He was fairly agreeable and I LOVE this picture the best.

He is definitely a sweet little boy, with enough sour thrown in to make him real.

Family Time~

2008-03-22T22:09:00.001-07:00

Today was such a beautiful day outside! We had an Easter egg hunt, took a wagon walk, and I even got some family photos taken. Thanks family for being so cooperative! :) I'm so thankful for the sunshine, and the smiles it brings with it.

Tatum is almost 5 months old already, and he's such a happy and adorable little boy!

~Baa baa black sheep~

2008-03-18T14:46:00.000-07:00

We went to the OSU sheep barns on saturday and there were so many adorable babies! M and O were pretty excited to get to touch them, and Marlee has shown everyone we know the picture of her petting the lamb.

Marlee was dressed up all green for St. Patrick's Day at preschool. The teacher told the students that they would need to be quiet if they wanted to catch a leprechaun, so Marlee made sure it would be okay if Owen stayed home because he wouldn't be quiet. I don't think she caught any though...you know how loud preschoolers can be!

Rob is putting up wainscoting in Marlee's room, so Owen was a big help in the hammering department.

2008-03-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

This is the smile that Owen gets when he sees our neighbor Emma, who's 10. He tells her he loves her constantly, and you should see how excited he gets when she comes over to play with Marlee and him.

2008-03-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon Rob headed to Newport so he could help his brother do some bathroom remodeling, and we tagged along to get in a little time on the beach. It wasn't too cold so the kiddos had fun chasing seagulls (or as Marlee sometimes calls them bagels) and getting sand in every place they could think of.

I got owen to hold still for a minute so I could take his picture by telling him to look for whales in the ocean. He thought he saw some...but I wasn't so sure.

It was a fun end to our day that started out about an hour LATE since we forgot all about the time change. Come on mom...isn't that your job to remind me? :) Oh wait, I'm the mom now. Growing up sucks.

Salem Riverfront Carousel

2008-03-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

Parents get to ride for free if you're with your child! :)
Marlee rode several times, but once was enough for Owen. He had as much fun watching her ride and he was pretty delighted every time she came around and waved at him.

Superbowl Winner = Kevin Boss!!!

2008-02-03T20:40:00.001-08:00

I've never been so excited to watch the Superbowl before, and I wasn't dissapointed! Pretty amazing for Kevin and his family! Everyone in P-town is feeling pretty amped up tonight I'm sure! Not to mention in New York...

Good for you Kevin Boss!

Just a day in our life ~

2008-01-27T22:20:00.000-08:00

Just eating a little cereal.
Marlee likes show us how strong she is.

Go Kevin/Giants!!!

2008-01-22T00:11:00.000-08:00

Kevin Boss is my hero! How awesome is it that the Giants are in the Super Bowl this year! I think this might be the first year that I have ever cared! Honestly, I don't even know who has played before, but this year, I'm rooting for the Giants and you should too!

Happy Birthday Marlee!!!

2008-01-15T21:22:00.001-08:00

Marlee turned 4 years old today! I can't believe how fast it goes! Everywhere we went she was excited to tell everyone that it was her birthday. We went bowling tonight to celebrate, and Owen didn't really like it, but Marlee had fun. I was actually pretty excited about the bumpers because I forgot what a horrible bowler I am. Rob won, and he was a bit proud of himself, although he really didn't have much competition. That's okay, if it makes him feel better! :)

Better late than never?

2008-01-15T21:22:00.000-08:00

So I'm not really sure if I'm right about the better late than never idea, but here are some pictures from Christmas time. Marlee was awfully excited about the tiny christmas tree that she found, and we were pretty excited about how we actually got our tree home. (This included Rob holding it out the window as we drove home, and fortunately it was only about 2 blocks.) Our tree was a bit Charley Brown, but the kids liked it and it was only $5, so we didn't complain.

Tatum...

2007-12-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

I was very excited to take some infant photos of my newest nephew Tatum. He was not very interested in sleeping at first, which is what I had in mind, but after a little coaxing from his mommy, he finally crashed for a bit. What a cute little guy!

I was greatful for the practice, and hope to keep getting better and maybe someday make money doing senior, baby, family, etc. pictures.

2007-11-28T20:58:00.000-08:00

We finally started getting our laminate flooring in today! It is far from finished...but we are making progress, so that makes me happy.

With all the chaos in our house we are waiting to get our tree and decorations up, and Marlee keeps asking when it will be. I wish I knew, but I have enjoyed looking at all the pictures people have been posting of theirs. It makes it seem a little more real!

Our neighbors have a big inflatable Grinch decoration, and Marlee asked today why there was a giant frog outside their house. We told her it was the Grinch, and then later she was pretty sure it was a pinata and was hoping for some candy. Needless to say, she's pretty disappointed with everything about it. To top it off she told me to hurry inside tonight so it wouldn't get me.

Oh, and Owen has some food stuck in his tooth in this picture... but I liked it anyway.

Dewey...

2007-11-21T11:34:00.000-08:00

The last time I saw Dewey I just couldn't help myself. I had to take some pictures of him. He is five months old already and the time is just flying by! He has the most handsome big, blue eyes, and such a cute little smile! Makes you just want to kiss him!! Anyway, I coudn't help putting my favorite pictures of him on here!

I'm getting so excited for Thanksgiving! It is a blessing to be in such an amazing family and to get to see so many of them this week! Have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING everyone!

Here comes the Broom

2007-11-15T09:29:00.001-08:00

Marlee was really wanting to play wedding, and she kept asking Owen to be the "broom". He wasn't really into it (hmm...I wonder why) so I bribed him with candy and he finally walked down the hallway with her.
The beautiful bride! She ended up being pretty excited about the candy too! She told me she wants to hurry and get married so she can have babies. When I told her some people don't get married or have babies, she was pretty shocked. "Yeah, but they need babies." she said. She's right I guess...we don't know what we'd do without the two of them!

2007-11-14T13:08:00.001-08:00

Rob and I painted yesterday evening, and this was the first time we used a sprayer. What a difference from rolling! We were both so surprised how fast it went, and were so thankful that his grandpa let us borrow it!

These geese are kind of hard to see, but I was so impressed by how many there were that after I dropped Marlee off for school, I drove back by this field and tried to get a picture of them. I couldn't even get all of them in the picture because they were everywhere!

Remodeling...

2007-11-11T12:22:00.000-08:00

What we have been doing this weekend is ripping out our floors and putting in new ones. Satisfying yes, but also messy and hard to have any kind of routine when all our furniture is piled in the dining room. But the end product will be well worth it! Yay new floors!

2007-11-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

Today is starting off pretty awful. The kids are getting sick again, it's grey outside, my house is a mess, and I just don't feel like doing anything. But I like these pictures. That's about it.

2007-11-05T17:57:00.000-08:00

Marlee was very patient with me this day. I found some new hats and had her pose for me...imagine that! She did great though, and I really like how this one turned out.
Owen was running around like crazy at Uncle Chris and Aunt Staci's house while we were there for Tatum's dedication. This was one of the moments when he was actually still long enough for Docker to catch him.
Tatum was the perfect baby for his dedication, I didn't hear him cry at all! He mostly slept through the whole evening, and we were all glad to see him and his tired parents. Uncle David was more than happy to take a turn holding little Tatum.

Cheetos

2007-11-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

I've told Marlee that beef, milk, cheese, etc. comes from cows, and she knows we eat chicken and fish, so I thought it was pretty funny last night when she asked me: "Mommy, do cheetos come from tigers?" After all, there is a cheetah on the bag!

I love fall!!!

2007-11-01T22:58:00.000-07:00

Fall is my favorite! The colors, the weather (when it's sunny and cold like it has been lately), the leaves, lighting candles...the list goes on. I wish we had a fireplace so we could curl up near it and drink hot apple cider and read books...but I guess we can still do everything but the curling up by the fireplace. Hmmm, still fall is the greatest! And even though I'm not the hugest football fan (gasp) I do like the Beavers! My most favorite thing about the Beavers though, is that since Owen knows orange is their color, he always calls anything orange "beaver". Well actually "beeber" would be a more accurate pronunciation, but it's very cute nonetheless. So go Beavs, and enjoy your fall!

You've gotta love little boys!

2007-11-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

This first picture is of my nephew, Dewey Douglas, Jon and Stephanie's little boy. He is 4 and 1/2 months old already, and they took these cute pumpkin pictures of him! He is growing up so fast I'm already imagining him running around with Marlee and Owen next summer!

Then there is my newest nephew: Tatum Christopher! He is as precious as can be, and I get to see him again on Sunday because he's being dedicated! I bet he will have changed a lot in a whole week...they do so quickly! I'm blessed to have such a wonderful family and now both of my brothers have little boys.

2007-10-31T13:34:00.000-07:00

So I've decided to try out a blog. I don't really know anyone who might want to read it...but I feel like I'll have an idea outlet nonetheless. So here goes. This is Marlee and Owen and one of my successful attempts to get them to smile at the same time. For as many pictures as I take, it's pretty frustrating that I don't have very many with the two of them cooperating. They probably feel just as frustrated that I keep trying. :)