Smile? Anyone?

Have you ever seen this look? I get it all the time! Especially if I pull out the camera. Will usually looks away and Jack refuses to smile. Thank goodness for digital cameras! Today was warm and sunny. We haven't had a day like that in quite a while. Thankfully we were able to get outside and enjoy the weather.

Fall in Whitefish

This is a gorgeous time of year in Montana. I'm sure you're all wanting pictures of the boys, but this is the best I could do. The pictures above were taken in our backyard. One of the Whitefish River, the other of a creek. We're really enjoying the trees changing color. There's lots of gold, orange and red. The mountain is lightly dusted with snow, I think it may be here to stay. The ski resort opens December 8 and Doug cannot wait.

In other news, all Peppmeier boys are doing great. Both are really enjoying school and all other activities. We finally completed the basement which means they have a playroom and new bedrooms. I love having a living room not covered in toys and the house just feels so much more comfortable. Except for painting our bedroom and a den I'm very content with the house and looking forward to enjoying the rest of the year in cozy comfort.

October has been the month for visitors. My mom was here earlier in the month. We really enjoyed relaxing and spending time together. This past week our friends the Knights visited for five days. We had such a nice time. The kids had a blast and we enjoyed catching up and having a few adult evenings out. We went to Glacier Park and even took a short hike. The pictures below Doug took along the way.

Glacier Park

skipping stones at Lake MacDonald

Grandma, Will and Doug skipping stones

searching for stones

rocking at the lodge

Doug's parents and their friends are up here visiting Glacier National Park. They arrived via the train in Whitefish on Friday morning and will be staying until Tuesday. They're touring the park, and staying in West Glacier until tomorrow morning then moving on the East Glacier and possibly the Canandian portion of the park. We had dinner last night in Whitefish and then went into Glacier this afternoon. The boys loved throwing rocks into the lake while Doug, Mick and Chris took turns seeing who could skip a rock the furthest. It was a great afternoon and the weather was really nice. The trees are starting to turn yellow and the drive through the park was beautiful.

First Day of School

I love posting a series of photos, that way you can see how many times I try to get just the right shot. Anyhow, both boys have started preschool. Will is at Christian Community Preschool two days a week in the morning and Jack is at Whitefish Community School two days a week in the afternoon. Both are great programs, Will's you need to be three to attend and I was really hoping to find a school for Jack. So even though they're not at the same place, I think it will work out for the best. Each has an opportunity to be on their own, which I don't think they really care about, but I think is important when it comes working on independence and meeting new friends. These pictures were taken on Will's first day in our backyard. I think Will has truly grown about three inches since last winter because all of his pants are too short. There's only two pairs that currently fit, we're anxiously awaiting a much needed shipment from Old Navy.

In other news the carpet for the basement was installed and it makes such a difference! The boys were running around screaming and I could hear myself think. It's such an improvement from the white tile echo chamber we had down there. Doug's trying to wrap up all the details. It will probably be another week before we can move the boys down there, but we're close, I cannot wait!!

Four Weddings, In Three Weekends

Phew! You may not think it's possible but between Doug and I we accomplished this task. Four weeks ago my cousin Chelsea and her husband Orly were married in Sisters, Oregon. I drove Will and Jack to Oregon and we spent the week visiting with family and friends (and attending the wedding). Doug was in McCall, Idaho for our friends Mike and Danielle's wedding. Then my sister Corey drove back to Montana with the boys and I. Doug and I headed to Colorado Springs for our friends Chris and Sarah's wedding. What a fun and rowdy weekend! One of the groomsmen got into a fight with a guy at a bar and tore all the ligaments in his hand, he had a cast for the wedding. By the end of the wedding I think my friend summed it up best by saying "welcome to a Kappa Sigma party at Montana State", that's exactly what it felt like and I realized I'm too old for them.

The following weekend Doug and I traveled to Portland with the boys. Doug's mom met us at the airport and took the boys. Doug and I continued on to Tahoe with my mom and sisters for my cousin Eric and his wife Lindsay's wedding. What a wonderful way to end our wedding streak! The location was gorgeous and it was so fun to be with family. We attended the rehearsal dinner on Thursday, my aunt and uncle hosted a cocktail party at their home on Friday, Saturday was the wedding and Sunday there was a brunch. Doug played golf and I visited the spa. We came home somewhat rested and thankful for such a fun event.

Doug's Company Picnic

Doug's company picnic was two weekends ago on Flathead Lake. We took the boys and we all had so much fun. A lot of time was spent playing in the water. The boys loved being in/on the boats, Jack even feel asleep (in the last picture).

Daddy's Helper

Working with Doug is such a treat, at least Will thinks so. From the minute Doug changes into his work clothes Will is near his side. He has lots of questions, but at times he's helpful as well. His favorite tool? The drill of course, which Doug taught him how to use and he's pretty good at it.

Summer Update

First, I'd like to apologize because the pictures are so small. I've been trying to make them larger and cannot figure out what the problem is. Anyway, I figured people would like to see a new entry even if the pictures aren't large.

The first two pictures are of our neighbors. They show up every morning and eat apples in our front yard. The boys don't like getting too close to the deer, but love watching them from inside the house. Usually there are two, sometimes three. They completely ignore Gus, especially when he's barking and less than five feet away from them.

Next, a silly picture of the boys. They've completed their first round of swim lessons and both did pretty well. They can put their faces in the water, blow bubbles, kick their legs and float on their backs with support. They especially love wearing goggles in the water and throwing water toys and retrieving them.

Our basement project is close to being complete. Carpet will be installed Sept 4 & 5, and we are confident that will give us enough time to get all the other details completed. I cannot wait for the kid compound to be complete! Also, Wednesday this week Will, Jack and I are driving to Oregon for a week visit. I'm looking forward to everything but the car trip.

We're looking forward to the fall. Will and Jack are signed up for preschool two afternoons a week, plus we'll have a steady stream of visitors September through October. I wonder when our first snow fall will be?

Peeing

Yes, peeing. With two little boys I knew it would become a topic for the blog, eventually. So, here's a story. Today I was outside with the boys, they were riding their bikes and discussing who should wear which helmet, who should ride which bike (which they do everyday) and I couldn't see Will because he was on the other side of the car. All of a sudden I hear what sounded like water being spilled on the driveway. I don't know why it took me so long to figure it out - the look on Jack's face should have clued me in on what was going on. Anyhow, by the time I made it around the car Will was pulling up his pants and Jack was yelling "Will is peeing!" Of course this was followed up with a time out and a discussion on why it is inappropriate to pee anywhere but a bathroom.

This leads me to another story which I forgot to share, but definitely do not want to forget. The first day of our Hawaiian vacation we went to the pool after breakfast. It was early so it was only us and a few cousins. I was helping Jack with something and my cousin quiets says, “you may want to check out what Will’s doing”. I turn around just in time to see him standing at the end of the pool with his swim trunks around his ankles getting ready to pee into the Four Seasons’ pool!! Some say they saw him pee, I didn’t and I took him immediately to the bathroom where he did go the bathroom, so I like to think he was close, but didn’t actually pee in the pool.

Demo!

The projects have begun at our house. Most important updating the basement so the boys may move into their bedrooms and playroom. Really all the work that needs to be done is finishes - new windows, doors, trim, carpet, lighting and hardware :) We're hoping to have everything wrapped up within the next few weeks. With Doug's skills and Will and Jack's grunt labor we should be in great shape!

4th of July 2007

We had the most wonderful 4th of July. We celebrated with friends, Betsy and Kennet Bertelsen and Scott Larkin at Betsy's parents' cabin on Flathead Lake in Polson (about an hour south of Whitefish). Since the holiday was right in the middle of the week, Doug only had one day off. He played golf early in the morning with friends and then we met up at the cabin around 2p. We went for a boat ride (as you can see). The boys LOVED it! They took turns driving the boat and Jack even fell asleep on the way home. Our friend Scott stayed behind and when we returned he was floating in a raft with Gus. More friends stopped by, we grilled and Kennet set off fireworks later in the evening. We stayed overnight and Doug left super early for work the next morning. Thanks Betsey and Kennet for such a great holiday!

A Tuesday Tradition

We've started a family tradition - Tuesday evenings in Whitefish a farmers market is held downtown. We load up the boys (as you can see) and walk into town. We always have dinner (Doug and I prefer the yakisoba noodles right now) and sit and people watch. It's always very busy and such a fun summer activity.

Lanai 2007

team peppmeier at breakfast

Will at the luau

boys at the pool

nap time on the balcony

Will falling asleep on the flight home

We had such an amazing vacation. Here are a few family pictures from our trip. We really enjoyed spending time with all our family. The boys loved playing with their cousins and spending time in the pool. Doug enjoyed a couple rounds of golf and snorkeling while I preferred spending time at the spa and our nightly adult dinners. Each night the kids got together at the resort's kids club and enjoyed fun activities and had dinner together. We truly enjoyed ourselves and have such wonderful memories.

Paradise, Missed

the view from our room

the lobby at Manele Bay

the pool

the beach

gardens at Manele Bay

17th hole, the Lodge at Koele golf course

set up for dinner at Manele Bay golf course

Doug & Kelly before dinner, Manele Bay golf course

Pictures from the Road

These are a couple of weeks old, but here are pictures from our trip from Oregon to Montana. The boys were very good and Will really enjoyed the DVD player (that's why he's wearing headphones).

Broken, Round Two

So the day after Jack got his cast, he and I were shopping, I turned around to get something off the shelf and when I turned back he had pulled off his cast! Imagine my dismay and complete surprise. Turns out this is pretty common among toddlers, since their arms are larger than their hands (or something like that). So we took another trip back to urgent care where they split the cast in two and now we’re using it along with an ace bandage to hold everything together. Needless to say we’re re-wrapping and putting the cast on quite a few times a day. Turns out he only needs to wear it about another week. I guess three weeks is typical recover time for a toddler (lucky them!).

As you can see from the picture Jack is not the only family member with a cast, today Gus had a little accident. We’re not quite sure what happened, but Gus tore a nail. We took him to the vet hospital and now he’s sporting a charming red bandage. Hopefully that is enough drama for this week.

Enjoying the Outdoors

I know what you're all thinking, "finally, some photos!" The first two pics are from our first trip to the City Beach, they both really like digging in the sand and splashing the water. I love how beautiful it is and how close the mountains are. Also, we're spending a lot of time outside our house, since there's plenty of room to ride bikes, throw balls and run around.

Broken

Yes, Jack has a broken arm. I think we've been in denial that it was really broken, we just thought it may be a sprain. A week ago (yes, a week) Jack fell at the playground. Nothing huge (or so we thought). Just a typical tumble. He was complaining his arm hurt, so I put ice on it. It never really swelled and he was able to move it around so we assumed there was no way it was broken. Well, he’s been saying it still hurts and favoring it a bit, so we decided it would be a good idea to check and make sure it wasn’t broken. So you may imagine how completely guilty and awful I feel for not realizing this was much more serious. Jack was really good for the doctor, x-ray tech and even sat still while they put his high-lighter yellow cast on. I felt so bad this afternoon when he woke up from a nap and asked me to “take it off”. Poor guy! The cast only needs to stay on for 2.5 weeks, but we’ll be leaving for Portland then Hawaii in 10 days so the doctor suggested we have it cut off when we return to Whitefish. Thankfully they put him in a waterproof cast, I’ll just need to get creative when it comes to keeping it free of sand. Will is somewhat interested in the cast and refers to it as the “Band-Aid”. The lesson we’ve learned, if Jack says anything hurts we need to get him in and have it looked at. Hopefully he won’t hold this against me.

I’m writing this blog from my car, parked in downtown Whitefish, as I am pirating unsecured wireless access from one of the local businesses. Phew! We’ve survived our first week in a new state and house. And what a week it has been! We still do not have internet or phone in the house (that will happen a week from Wednesday). I apologize, but I won’t be able to post any pictures until this is set up Also, Doug has been battling with the satellite tv mongrels (aka Best Buy and Direct TV) who sold us our package, promised we’d have local channels (the major networks) plus a plethora of cable channels. Turns out our home is part of the 2% in the country who cannot get local channels. SO the solution was either getting the networks out of NY or LA. No thanks, needless to say it has been a very costly and time consuming problem. But on to more exciting things.

The boys – they are taking in the sights and making a name for themselves. We trained them early to wear sunglasses, so almost everywhere we go, we get comments. My favorite was an older man who told them they were very “Hollywood”, kind of funny. We’re making daily trips to the awesome park they have in town, the City Beach which is located at one end of Whitefish Lake and we recently joined an athletic club where they get to play while I get a breather, oh, and work out. The club is called the “Wave” but Will insists on calling it the “Storm”.

The two biggest mishaps of last week would be when Jack locked himself in the condo Doug was renting, along with my purse, keys and cell phone. I was get putting Will in the car and didn’t realize Jack as tall enough to lock the deadbolt. So, long story short, a kind neighbor suggested I check in the club house on site and see if they had master keys. Of course they did and Jack was freed within 5 minutes. Thankfully he entertained himself by opening a bunch of the cabinets in the kitchen, turning on the stereo and going poop (in his diaper). I on the other hand was frazzled and close to having a serious meltdown. Also, I’ve discovered the town dump – WOW, as Doug says the 80’s called and they want their idea back. So much trash in a big pit, it’s amazing. There’s no curbside recycling in Montana, so you have to make a conscious effort to take recyclables to drop off locations. Biggest surprise, they do not recycle glass anywhere! Anyhow, I went to the dump for the first time and was watching the other dumpers and reading ALL the posted signs, most important “no salvaging”. I pulled up to this row of large dumpsters and proceed to toss the trash in, just like the other people. Only I forgot I had my car keys in my hand and threw them into the dumpster with the trash!! Thankfully I spotted them fairly quickly and the dumpster wasn’t too full, of course I totally looked like I was salvaging AND I was in flip flops (so gross!).

Whitefish highlights – kids, lots of them everywhere. Riding bikes, in stores at the parks, it’s great. This is definitely a family friendly area. Also, the scenery is amazing, you almost forget it’s there, but every time I take a moment to look around I’m thrilled by the beauty. Being outside, a lot. The boys may be little blondies by the end of the summer. They are getting some color on their skin so they don’t look so pale. We’ve met other families who’ve made the same sort of move we’ve made and all say it takes about a year or two to really feel settled, but it’s worth it. Here’s hoping for the very best. Much love to all our family and friends. We miss you so much!!

Whitefish, Montana

We've arrived, safe, sound and ready to get settled. We had a fairly uneventful drive from Lake Oswego to Whitefish. We left around 6a and arrived at 8p (7p pdt). This of course included three long stops. Overall the drive took about 9 1/2 hours, and it was a beautiful drive (I highly recommend it for anyone who's interested). The pink house is looking good, all the bare shrubbery around the house has filled in and the lawn looks great. We met the moving truck this morning and everything was unloaded in about three hours. So far everything looks to be in good shape - we'll begin the unpacking process tomorrow. I find myself feeling a bit postpartum - where I'll start tearing up for no good reason except I miss my family, friends and everything familiar while at the same time I love our new home, location and am excited for what the future holds. I hope to post pictures soon of the boys in their new surroundings. Much love to all those we’ve left in Oregon (and Washington) we miss you dearly!