Wowza. My last post was in March of 2010. I admittedly have slacked off and been distracted and had other things going on in my life and have rarely found or tried to make the time to sit down and update this blog. I have been asked by some family members why I stopped posting on here and could find no good reason. Really. Which is why I am here now. I am going to attempt to keep up with this a little better than I have over the last oh, two and a half years.

Since my last post we have moved twice. That's right. Packed up the entire house and moved. We have gone from being renters to mortgage paying grown ups.

Alexis is no longer 6, but a very smart (she is at the top of her class), beautiful (inside and out), independent 8 (and 1/2) year old girl (teenager). She likes to read and will finish a book in a day, much like her Grandma. She has made a few BFF's and seems to always be on the phone or asking them to spend the night. Can you believe that she is about to be a third grader?

This is Alexis on her birthday in Seattle right after she got her birthday present. Julie, her American Girl Doll.

Hanging on the back porch (Note: Jake is actually hanging on the back porch)

Jacob. As always I don't even know how to describe Jacob. The best I can do is to say that he is all boy. At 3 1/2 he prefers to go by the name Iron Man. He laser beams (I really don't know if that is what it is called) little old ladies shopping in Safeway. He pushes my buttons everyday. He is loud and rambunctious. He is curious and ever exploring. He doesn't ever sit still and will go non stop until bed. Gene has likened him to Charlie Sheen, having one speed which is GO. He likes loud cars and all the Marvel super heroes. As long as something comes apart and makes noise, he likes it. He is smart and very funny. He is just on the cusp of being a bully and I can already hear the principal calling to tell me that Jake has been suspended -again. 

Always the jokester

You would think that this was planned, sadly it was not. He is so awesome he woke up from a nap with this do'.

This is Jake pretending to care that Dad is taking the time to read him a book.

Gene and I are doing well. He is still working with the railroad and getting higher up in seniority, which is leaving him home more often than before. It is nice having him around, I suppose ;) I still stay at home trying to keep Jake busy and learning. Thank God that half day pre school starts in the fall!

This was the quick "catch-up) that you all deserve and I will do my best to do a better job of keeping this thing up to date so that all of you friends and family who are near and far can keep up with the happenings of this crazy circus family.