Where Did the Summer Go?

Seriously, I forgot we had a blog - it may have only been for a day or so, but I did forget. Phew! It has been a whirlwind of activity the past few weeks. Sara Peppmeier aka Sara Hunt and her new husband Jason were married on Sunday. What a great event and the bride and groom were so beautiful and happy. You've got to love that. They are now honeymooning on the island of Kauai for ten days.

At home it's all work and play. Our dear friend Eleanore will be in town this weekend for a quick visit as she makes stops all along the west coast before heading out to Chicago where she landed a great job with Kraft. Yes, Kraft. Pretty cool, huh? So we'll be around this holiday weekend, enjoying our visitor and gearing up for fall. We thought summer was busy, but actually fall is going to be pretty much the same. We have family gatherings, a wedding and trips planned for five different weekends (Sept-Nov).

Corey will be returning next week from her summer in Europe so we're looking forward to seeing more of her. We have lots of birthdays coming up six before the end of Septemeber and all are family except one! Work and our project house are keeping us super busy. The boys continue to get bigger everyday. We're looking forward to seeing pictures from Sara's wedding - especially the ones with all the nephews in their suits.

Happy Labor Day!

Our Latest Project

As if we weren't busy enough...Doug and I decided it was time to purchase our first "fixer". This is something we've been wanting to do for a while and everything seem to fall into place. First, the property (and the price) were too good to be true, then funding was available and our contractor. The house was built in 1948 and is located on a large corner lot. Perks include being across the street from the best looking house in the neighborhood and within walking distance of the elementry school and multiple parks.

We're hoping to turn the property around in 4-6 months and price it so it sells quickly. I've included the rmls link so you can take a look at the "before" pictures: http://www.rmlsweb.com/reports.asp?PropType=1&ReportID=CLFULLRES&ID=6059435

We're starting with the exterior, new roof and gutters, new windows, fixing the siding (which is cedar and in pretty good shape) and a new coat of paint. The trees are being trimmed up all the old landscaping has been torn out and we'll be putting in all new sod and landscaping. We're hoping to have that all done by the end of the month, then move inside and get started in there.

Summer Photos

Here are some recent pictures of the boys. Swimming, Jack walking and his new haircut. I cannot believe it is already August! Summer is just flying by. Jack is walking like a champ now. Still a little wobbly at times, but I cannot remember the last time he crawled. He wants to do everything Will is doing - play with the same toys, eat the same food, be in the same exact spot. It has been really fun watching them interact. Will is getting so big! He talks constantly and his current favorite song is "Happy Birthday" which he usually sings to me (lucky me). Will really enjoys helping Doug with any projects he's working on and continues to be such a sweet boy.

Happy 4th of July (a month late)

Last year was great and this year confirmed it - I think Lake Oswego is one of the best places to celebrate the 4th of July. Every year the town hosts multiple events, including my favorites the 4th of July parade (which this year we watched instead of participating in) and fireworks over the lake. One of the nice things about our home and having children that are too young to stay up for the show is that we can see the fireworks from our back deck (as pictured). Ideally, it would be great to be in a boat on the lake for the fireworks, but the deck is a great alternative.

That's How We Roll

Oh, the fun we have in the Peppmeier household. Will and Jack are really starting to play together. They are definitely interested in the same toys - or maybe if one has something the other just wants it. Here they are partaking in one of their favorite activities. The other day Jack put Will's helmet on and sat on the back of the bike for almost five minutes just waiting for Will. I realize this it not the safest activity especially for Jack but he hangs on for dear life and they both laugh and have so much fun.

All About Legos

Remember when you where young? There are those toys that really stand out. The ones you spent so much time playing with. Right now Will is really enjoying his legos. Thankfully there are plenty of them so he lets Jack play as well. He's really into building airplanes and towers. Guess which one this is? Also, he really prefers to have Mommy or Daddy sitting with him when puts stuff together. It's so much fun to see his mind at work.

Walking!!!

Huge news, huge milestone, Jack is walking! It is so fun and exciting. He's still pretty wobbly and refuses to walk when you want him to but other than that he's doing great. He has walked across the living room (about 15-20 steps) and continues to go from sitting to standing without pulling up on anything. Of course we've gone through this before with Will, but I forgot how amazing it is to watch them "get their legs". I've only managed to get one picture and it's not the best, but I know people want proof. (Disclaimer...it's been hot the past couple of days that's why Jack is only wearing a onesie.) Yea, Jack!!

Happy Father's Day

We celebrated Father's Day according to Doug's wishes. He watched the US Open from 9a to 4p. All day on the couch watching golf! Not a bad day! We celebrated with my dad later in the day with dinner. Here's a picture of the boys giving Doug their Father's Day gifts.

Tough Guy

This is the worst owwie Will has ever had. I cringe everytime I look at it, and I can only imagine the awful things people think when they see him. So here's what happened, the Jeep was being worked on so I took the carseats out of the car and leaned them up against the window when you first walk into the house. The boys were having a great time sitting in them and climbing on them. Unfortunately Will was leaning too far and the carseat slipped out (still not quite sure how that happened) and he fell, hitting his face on the window ledge. I think he was so surprised he wasn't able to put up his hands out to protect himself. He cried when it happend, but a few minutes later he was off and playing. He hasn't complained about it once. Such a tough guy.

Number One

Do you recognize this baby? It's Will! His eyes are very much the same and the calic is still intact, but he's changed so much in the past 2 and 1/2 years. How quickly he's grown. It's funny looking back, I had no idea what he would look like as he got older and now when I look at him I'm starting to see what I think he'll look like as a teenager and possibly an adult. Looking at this picture makes me so thankful we have pictures and it gives me an opportunity to remember him as a baby.

Also, before the babies were born we referred to Will as Number One and Jack as Number Two. We never used their names before they were born because we didn't know if they were a boy or girl.

Children at Play

Here are some recent pictures of the boys playing. Jack wants to be involved or doing exactly what Will does. Will is pretty good with Jack, but as soon as Will's done playing nice he usually pushes Jack over. I can only imagine what kind of ruckus we'll have once Jack's big enough to push back.

Jack's Walking (sort of...)

going...
going...
gone!












Jack is so close to walking! He's moved from hanging on to the furniture and walls to pushing around his little walker. He gets moving pretty fast and you can tell he's thrilled with himself. He'll be turning 14 months on June 4 and that's right around the same time Will started walking. I'm excited for this next milestone, but I also cannot imagine what it will look like to see him walking on his own!

Mother's Day Weekend, Cannon Beach 2006

Don't mind the little terror (Will) waving the stick in the first picture. Aside from some very typical 2-year-old behavior we had a really nice trip. We spent the weekend with the Hovdes (Dina, Ryan and Luke) at their neighbor's beach house. As you can see we had fun playing at the beach. The weather was gorgeous, we were so lucky. On Sunday Dina and I went out for Mother's Day breakfast. Then Team Peppmeier headed home early so we could barbeque with the Peppmeiers and my mom. It was such a nice evening, the weather has really warmed up and we spent time out on the deck. What a great weekend!

The Boy in the Barbie Car

I was thinking this morning about what it's like to be a mom of two children and how your perspective can change when there's two instead of one. I believe I still have this intense determination that I will provide my children with my very best (unfortunately my best, isn't always that great). I want them to be confident and independent while having compassion for others and of course through all this I hope they will have a sense of humor.

What sparked this is I was looking back through some pictures and came across this one of Jack having his hair cut a couple of months ago. Yes, he's sitting in a Barbie Car because all the "boy" chairs where occupied. What's funny about this is that if it had been Will I may have even waited until another chair opened up. But with Jack I find myself thinking "it's no big deal". What I'm curious about is to see how my much more laid back approach to certain situations may effect Jack's outlook. With Will I was able to concentrate solely on his wants and needs and I'm unable to do that now. I also wonder how far back my boys will remember things when they are grown. My earliest memory is of Erin being born and going to the hospital. I was about 31/2. Does that mean I have a free pass until they turn three? I have another year to get my act together?

The Writing is on the Wall AND Will's First Day at Preschool (4.18.06)

One of the funny things about parenthood is that just when you think you KNOW your child, they go and do something you would never expect. For example Will drew all over the dining room wall with a permenant marker. How did he find the marker you may be wondering? Of course I left it out on the counter and didn't even think of the trouble it could cause. The funny thing is that Will uses crayons and pencils all the time and he's never drawn on the wall. He must have known just how "special" that marker was. Thankfully we still had some leftover paint and I was able to cover the "masterpiece".

Will's first day of preschool was the day after we got home from Palm Springs. The preschool is run by the same person who runs the childcare both boys have been attending since February. Will was the oldest at the infant/toddler house so they decided he was old enough to move to the "big kids house". There are 16 children ranging from 2 1/2(Will's the youngest) up to 5. He is doing really well! He's interacting with all the kids, follows directions really well and is even sleeping on his mat during nap time. He's even brough home a few art projects, and of course, they are so darling!

Happy Easter! (4.16.06)

I know I'm totally behind on blog entries (it's the last day of April!). Here are pictures from Easter Day in Palm Springs. We started off with Easter baskets (bags really, they travel better) and then went to Mass. Jack lasted about 15 minutes and then I had to take him outside. Everytime I'd start to head back into the building he'd start fussing and getting louder. Will stayed quiet for almost half of church and then he had to be taken outside. Will is at this stage where running (or being chased) is really fun. Of course it scares me to death because I'm terrifed he's going to run into the street. Let's just say he's faster when I'm running in three inch heels, not very praticle for a mom.

After church we went to Thunderbird for Easter brunch. It was so good! Will ate 5 waffles and a pint of strawberries, no joke! We had a nice time visiting with everyone. During brunch there is always a magic show which is very entertaining, and a puppet show. Will watched the puppet show and was pretty intrigued for about 15-20 minutes. Then he hopped out of his chair and said, "no more puppets". We finished out the morning with Will's first easter egg hunt. He did pretty well, I was very impressed. Unfortunately most of the eggs had chocolate eggs in them which had become very soft while waiting in the sun/heat. What a mess! After all the activity and excitement the boys took long naps and I read. Doug played golf and we started to pack up. What a great holiday!

Palm Springs, Easter Weekend (4.13-17.06)

We had the greatest vacation recently. We were in Palm Springs for a long Easter weekend. We stayed at Thunderbird Country Club in the cottages so we were close to all the action. Doug played golf everyday and the boys and I enjoyed the sun, pool, food and visiting with family. Everyone was there except Uncle Allan and Aunt Pat's family and Mary Jane. There were still 23 of us at Easter brunch, not bad!

Will loved riding/driving the golf cart and this was Jack's first time in the pool. He LOVED it. He just hung out in his raft and play with toys. He even feel asleep at one point - he was so relaxed. We feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to see everyone and get to go somewhere so nice and warm.

More Birthday Party Pictures (4.9.06)

Phew! What a day!

The Party (4.9.06)

We celebrated Jack's birthday with friends and family on Sunday, April 9. Turns out our second child not only loves cake, but doesn't mind getting a little dirty. Such a tease and a bit of a clown, Jack entertained his guests by smearing cake all over his face, and rubbing it into his hair. We had lunch and cupcakes. Jack received MANY nice gifts, and thoroughly enjoyed playing with all the gift wrap (isn't that always the case?).

One Year

Today is Jack's 1st birthday! How quickly time has passed. Jack brings complete joy and fun to our family. He's a busy boy, not sitting still for very long. Loves to move and has been pulling to stand for the last two weeks. He's silly, likes to laugh and play. He's great at wrestling with Doug and Will and loves to pet Gus. He still likes to cuddle and will lay his head on your shoulder and snuggle. It looks like his auburn hair may be here to stay. He has six teeth with a few molers starting to poke through. It looks like Will and Jack are going to be very different, but they seem to be good friends (aside from the hair pulling incident) and enjoy playing together. We feel so blessed to have such a healthy and vibrant son. Happy Birthday Jack!