The Life and Times of the Watters Family

our anniversary weekend

A beautiful drive down Chuckanut, dinner at The Rhododendron Cafe, Cat Stevens on the ipod, a scenic drive, LaConner, The Wild Iris, yummy cookies, chocolates and champagne, watched Goodwill Hunting, delicious breakfast, antique stores and boutiques, lunch at the Calico Cupboard, more antique stores and boutiques, reading, dinner at El Gitano, watched Pride and Prejudice, another delicious breakfast, fresh fruit from the market, take out lunch from Calico Cupboard, scenic drive, Jars of Clay on the ipod, Deception Pass, Rosario Beach, reading, sunburn, and then home.  Here are some of our self-portraits from the weekend…

We had a fantastic time! I can hardly imagine how much the next decade will hold for us. We talked a lot about the challenges and joys the next 10 years could possibly bring. We are excited and also feel the need to prepare– especially for those teenage years. 

Thank you so much Cam for planning this weekend away for us!

a decade ago….

When Two People Marry

Helen Steiner Rice

Your hearts are filled with happiness
so great and overflowing
You cannot comprehend it,
for it’s far beyond all knowing
How any heart could hold such joy
or feel the fullness of
The wonder and the glory
and the ecstacy of love.
You wish that you could capture it
and never let it go
So you might walk forever
in its magic, radiant glow.
And love in all its ecstacy
is such a fragile thing,
Like gossamer in cloudless skies
or a hummingbird’s small wing.
And love that lasts forever
must be made of something strong-
The kind of strength that’s gathered
when the heart can hear no song.
When the sunshine of your wedding day
runs into stormy weather,
and hand in hand you brave the gale
and climb steep hills together,
And, clinging to each other
while the thunder rolls above,
You seek divine protection
in faith and hope and love.
For days of wine and roses
never make love’s dreams come true-
It takes sacrifice and teardrops
and problems shared by two.
To give true love its beauty,
its grandeur, and its finesse,
And to mold an earthly ecstasy
into heavenly diviness.

Happy Anniversary Baby!

aliza pictures and whining

I took these pictures of Aliza at Cambria’s the other day. We were there celebrating Gretchen’s first Birthday (I can’t believe it’s been a year already). Gretchen is such a cutie and it’s been fun to watch her grow up this last year. You can see more pictures of the birthday here.

Aliza is one of my favorite photography subjects as I am sure you have noticed, hence the pictures below. I just love taking pictures! It is one of my most favorite things to do. I love how you can capture time, memories, expressions, and emotion in a photograph. I love how pictures can take you back to how you felt and what you thought (good or bad) when the image was captured or how you can watch your kids grow up all over again. 

Cambria generously let me use her camera (Canon xti with 50mm fixed 1.8 lens) to take these pictures.  So, on to the whining part–I REALLY want a new camera, in fact I would be really happy with the exact set up that Cambria has. I never plan on being a professional photographer, I would just like to be able to get really great pictures of my family and friends. I get by with my little Canon “point and shoot” but there’s so much more I could do and learn with a digital SLR.

I am very blessed and God has been more than good to me and our family so I really shouldn’t whine about a camera but I still feel like whining about it! Multiple times we have set aside money and a time for when we could purchase a new camera but something unforeseen always comes up– which we are then very thankful we had the resources to cover. Again, I remind myself, God continues to bless us beyond our expectations year after year and I really should not complain. See how this works? I do this back and forth thing, counting my blessings and then whining, at least 4 or 5 times a week. 

In the scope of what’s important in life, I do realize this doesn’t even show up on the radar. I’m just being honest. Sometimes I feel like whining. The feeling usually doesn’t last long. Actually, it’s pretty much gone now. Cam has been so good for me in this area! He doesn’t whine and it’s about the only thing he doesn’t have much patience for. I may or may not get a new camera but I will continue to love taking pictures, remember to be thankful for all the beauty that God has put in my life and try not to whine (too much). 

Argghh!

Warning: Pirates lurking below

Shhh… this is top secret stuff! Admittance to Pirate Beach is by invitation only!

If you want to proceed, you’ll have to get by this guy

This pirate looks a little more welcoming

Can you climb a rope? It’ll be necessary.

Are you brave enough to proceed?

Don’t forget, this pirate doesn’t take kindly to strangers!

Don’t even think about approaching this beach by boat!

Maybe he’s not as friendly as we first thought!

Or maybe he is, just not to his brother!

This little pirate isn’t old enough for rum–he’ll have to stick with apple juice.

Too much juice for this pirate! Maybe that’s why he’s so cranky?

Not quite the Black Pearl but it’ll have to do.

like father, like son

This boy is much more like his daddy than I ever imagined he would be– and I don’t just mean how they make the same smirk/smile. Caleb remembers crazy, random details but gets distracted walking across the room. He gets overwhelmed with too many instructions and is much better at handling one thing at a time. He is SUPER sensitive and very articulate about his feelings. He is very smart and very loving. He can be a stinker sometimes but has a way of making my heart melt with his sweet, expressive, big eyes.

Both of the boys are a lot like Cam and I am so glad! He is a great example to emulate. If both the boys grow up to be like their daddy, they will be amazing men.

sweet, little niece

Aliza looks especially “little” in the arms of and between these two adoring uncles. She is such a loved little girl. God has truly blessed our family through the gift of Aliza.

I love Shane’s expression in this picture! What do you think he may be thinking?

I just love him

more and more everyday.

Small Group BBQ

Our small group is taking some time off over the summer but we planned a couple summer BBQs together. We had a great time before the thunder/lightening and rain started! We missed Jonathon and Deanna though!

Camp Firwood

At the very last minute (Saturday night) we decided the boys could go to Firwood this week. We packed Sunday morning after church and they were registered and ready to go at 1pm on Sunday afternoon. The boys were SO excited. Caleb was a bit nervous about taking the swim test but he did fine (he was happy to get the yellow bracelet that allowed him to do most things with a life jacket). The boys are in the same cabin, which is great and their counselors seemed like really nice guys. Cory is also at Firwood (he’s a CIT this summer) and the boys were thrilled to be able to go and spend some time with him there. The theme for this week is PIRATES! It couldn’t be more perfect for them!

When we took them out to camp we walked around and Cam showed the boys what cabin he stayed in when he was a CIT (13 years ago!). He shared with them the story of how God told him that he was supposed to marry me (while lying in his bunk, contemplating pursuing another girl!) We had been dating before camp but “broke up” a couple weeks before he left for the summer. God pretty clearly spoke to his heart that day and confirmed that we were “it” for each other. As we walked around and talked with the boys yesterday, I remembered visiting Cam at Firwood that summer. I knew I had taken him and our relationship for granted and I missed him SO much. It didn’t take long after camp before we figured our stuff out and resumed our relationship (shortly after that there was a lot of other drama but that’s another story…). As Cam and I talk about our history as a couple I am so grateful and amazed at how God brought us together. Through the hills and the valleys God had His hand on each of us and had a good plan for our life together. One important thing for us to remember, as parents, is not to freak out if one of our boys tells us he’s totally in love with a girl and God told him that she’s the “one” when he’s 17.

We miss our boys (Daddy most of all right now) but Cam and I are having a lot of fun together and are really thankful for this time for them and for us.

To see a few more pictures click the Flickr link (on the right).

Disneyland day one

We had so much fun our first day at Disneyland! We arrived at the park at 9:30am and went on 5 big rides in the first 2 hours! It was a bit chilly, especially after getting wet on a couple of the rides. We are hoping the sun comes for our other days at Disneyland.

Here’s what we did today:

1. Indiana Jones
2. Thunder Mountain
3. Pirates of the Caribbean
4. Splash Mountain
5. Winne the Pooh
6. Astro-Blasters
7. Soarin’ Over California
8. Grizzly River Run
9. Space Mountain
10. Matterhorn (during fireworks — which  was super cool!)
11. Tea Cups
12. Mr. Toad
13. Snow White
14. Pinocchio
15. Pirates of the Caribbean (again)
16. Nemo Submarine

Here’s a few pics from the first day:

Kelly and I picked up a birthday button for Cam yesterday. She had them write “Roon” on it– that’s her nickname for Cam.

Seany had just eaten a Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwich.

Mike took the front on Splash Mountain and got SOAKED!

Caleb leaps for joy as we enter California Adventure!

Mike and Cam on our way California Adventure– oooh–look at those calf muscles!!

Kelly and Mike riding Winne the Pooh.

Today we are just hanging out at the house– hopefully around the pool! We are celebrating Cam’s 30th birthday and Kelly’s 20th.

Happy Birthday Cam! 30 is good. I love you SO very much.

counting down

5 more days ’til takeoff and 8 more ’til Disneyland!

The boys worked way ahead of their school schedule and are almost entirely done for the year! They have a few more history lessons and a couple spelling tests but after that, they are done. Our vacation to California will officially kick off our summer break.

Last year when we took our vacation we put a couple Harry Potter audio books on the ipods so the boys could listen on the plane and in the airports. It turned out to be a great idea for keeping them occupied. This year I am loading the ipods with Tom Sawyer. The story is a classic, full of adventure, pirates, and carefree boyish schemes. I am hoping for another memorable summer full of excitement, creativity and exploration for the boys. Sean and Caleb are incredibly blessed with a wonderful beach that their Grandparents put much time and thought into so that they can have the kind of summers most little boys only get to dream of.

sweet

We watched Aliza the other night so Sara and Scott could go out to dinner with friends to celebrate Scott’s birthday. We had a lot of fun having Aliza here for the evening. She sat at the table with us while we ate dinner and sampled little bits of what we were eating. She played with a new toy while standing up (with help). She loves to have the boys undivided attention and will squeal at them if they are not entertaining her. Everyday she learns something new and she’s growing up so fast!

Being an auntie and uncle is more fun than we could have imagined. I love to watch Cam with Aliza. This picture melts my heart.

what we’ve been up to

Last week the boys each had 2 games. We had an extremely busy week on top of all the sports stuff. We had commitments every morning and evening last week– it was too much. Today we are going to stay in our jammies as long as we want and just relax. We may go for a walk or a hike later this afternoon.

Hopefully, taking this time to relax today will help us get through our next super busy week with a little more calm and kindness.

Only 4 weeks to SoCal! We are so looking forward to our vacation.

the best fifteen dollars I’ve ever spent

I found this cute baby doll in a little toy store down in Mt. Vernon today. It reminded me of this little girl that I absolutely love and I just had to get it for her. Aliza loved this baby from the first moment I showed it to her. She hugged it close and squealed with delight as she would hold it away from her and look at the doll’s sweet face. Cam says it’s a good thing we didn’t have a little girl (he thinks I would have spoiled her). We are so thankful that God blessed Scott and Sara with a little girl that we all can love.

Tulip Festival

Here’s a few pictures from our trip to the tulips today (there’s a lot more on flickr). We had a wonderful time with Holly, Shane, Sara, Scott and Aliza. It was a surprisingly beautiful day considering the absolutely crazy weather we have been having around here. Check out “Miss Loo” in her butterfly costume!

changes…

Cam and I are changing the look of this site a bit. It will be a slow process I’m sure (you know the saying about the cobbler’s kids having no shoes…). Anyway, for now check out the most recent Flickr photo set in the right margin!

ready, set, fly…

We bought our plane tickets for our D’land trip in May! We are very excited!

a few more from the wedding

baby sister is all grown up

I got to spend a lot of time with Heather (aka my baby sister) this weekend. I enjoyed our talks all the way down to Seattle and back on Saturday. Today was her wedding shower. I can hardly believe that she will be married in a month! I am so proud of how much she has grown up in the last year or so.

Here’s some more beautiful pictures of Heather and Vince from their engagement shoot.

Heather, thanks for being so open and sharing your heart with me! I love you and I am so glad we are sisters.

so sweet!

Photo by Jen Fox Photography 

Check out more on Jen’s blog.

walkin’ in a winter wonderland

Engaged!!

Congratulations Heather and Vince! We are excited to welcome Vince to our family!

UPDATE: here’s a picture of her BEAUTIFUL ring!

more pictures and our new tradition

(click to see photoset on Flickr)

I forgot I posted a new set of photos to Flickr. These are also from the night we set up our tree. Yesterday we had our first real snow of the season. We took a wintry walk in the snow at dusk. I love how beautiful the trail is covered in snow — it is so bright and peaceful and my favorite sight is the snow covered trees.

We watched Elf last night while Cam and Caleb made chocolate chip cookies and Sean and I made an Advent paper chain. The Advent chain is a new tradition we are starting this year. The boys picked 25 people (couples or families count as one) that we would pray for throughout the next 25 days. I loved hearing their suggestions for who to pray for. Of course our entire extended family makes up most of those on the list but they also wanted to pray for Pastor Grant and the rest of the pastors at CTK, family friends, and our small group. We are really trying to stay focused on what’s truly important this season and not get caught up in the dizzying commotion that is typical for this time of year.

My prayer is peace for the season and for a constant reminder of the gift of the Prince of Peace.

Caleb is smitten

click images to see an Aliza photoshoot by Caleb

thank heaven

 for little girls….

Aliza and Gretchen Rollo

Such cute baby girls!

Halloween

(click image to see more on Flickr)

Just for fun try…

POM POM hair!

oh baby girl!

I just had to post a couple new pictures of little miss Aliza. We just love her so much!! Sean, Caleb and I babysat her today while her mommy went to work for a couple hours. It is so fun to see how much she is starting to bond with the boys. She gives them the best smiles! I am so thankful that the boys get so many opportunities to connect with her and develop a relationship. She is such a sweet girl!

Seahawks Game

(click image to see more)

Sean and Cam went to the Seahawks game together yesterday. This was Sean’s first NFL game. They had the best time! Sean said it was almost as good as Disneyland.

On Friday at Caleb’s soccer practice, Sean overheard another player’s dad talking on the phone trying to get rid of a couple of tickets to Sunday’s game. The tickets were for seats that were 3 rows back from the sideline at the 25 yd line! Sean immediately called Cam to find out if he wanted him to ask about it. Cam gave him the okay and Sean jumped out of the car, walked right up to this guy (Joe) that he’d never talked to before and offered to buy the tickets from him. Joe explained to Sean that the tickets “were expensive” and Sean said he had overheard the price and that it was fine. Joe got Cam’s number from us and said he needed to hear back from a couple other people he’d checked with. Joe called Friday night and said the tickets were theirs if they wanted them.

Sean and Cam needed some Seahawks apparel for the game so we went shopping Saturday night and found a couple T-shirts. We also picked up some green and blue hair spiking gel and gave Seany this fabulous faux-hawk! The Seahawks beat the Rams 33 to 6!

Caleb rode down to Seattle with them and spent the day with Auntie Holly and Uncle Shane. He had a lot of fun with them. They played Lego, watched movies, drank apple cider, went to the park and played soccer. It was really nice for the boys to get a break from each other (they spend every minute together, 24/7).

I stayed home all by myself and had a really great time in the peace and quiet. I worked on some craft projects with Colleen, watched a movie and of course, watched the Seahawks game! Sam (the dog) thought I was crazy every time I would cheer or get excited about the game.

It was a great day!

soccer

I wouldn’t wanna meet these two on a soccer field, how ’bout you?

Stoney Ridge Farm

We took our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch today. We have gone every year (except last year) since Sean was born. It has been fun to watch Stoney Ridge change over the years. It’s fun to see the new features they add every year. We’d all agree that our favorite thing is the Pie Shop where we get to eat homemade apple pie with “the works” (caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream). We had beautiful weather and found 3 fabulous pumpkins. Check out more pictures from our trip by clicking the mosaic below.

Bellingham Bay Half Marathon

Here’s a few photos from Cam’s half Marathon today (I didn’t get great pictures, my battery was really low on my camera). We are so proud of Cam!! Way to go babe!

little wonders

(NOTE: Betsy posted a great slideshow, but it’s huge, and made us go over our bandwidth limit, so you’ll have to “read more” to see it)

read more…

love this

(click photo to see more pictures on flickr)

Aliza’s first Build-A-Bear

Caleb decided to spend some of his very own money (birthday money he’s been waiting to spend since March) to buy Aliza a Build-A-Bear today. He thought carefully for weeks about what kind of bear to get her and what kind of clothes to dress her in. He picked the same style of bear that he and Sean both have. The only disappointment was that the diaper/bib set they had online was not carried in the store. Caleb chose to name Aliza’s bear “Gracie”. He told me in the car today, “Aliza is the most precious thing in my life”. I love his tender heart and his generosity.

digital scrapbooking

I felt the need to create something today but I didn’t want to make a mess that I would later have to clean up. Instead I opted to create a digital layout using some of the free digital kits I found on 2peas. I like Rhonna’s stuff. Each of these elements were pulled from a different kit.

new pictures of baby aliza

Pirates

Today is national “Talk Like A Pirate” day. Sean and Caleb dressed as pirates and went to Pirate Beach (aka Watters Beach) to learn science with a pirate who looked an awful lot like Grandpa Michael. They had a blast! I am bummed that I didn’t have my camera to capture the memory. Sean and Caleb built this sign and had the idea to paint it for an art project. They have such amazing imaginations. Notice the shadow in the 3rd picture- it was Sean’s idea.

Aliza Grace

Arrived today!

Sara and Scott welcomed Aliza Grace today (August 28th) at 6:26 pm.

Aliza is beautiful! 6lbs 4oz and 19 inches long. Hooray for the full moon!

Sara is doing amazing! It was a super quick labor and delivery. Sara started having mild contractions around 12:30 pm but wasn’t sure they were real. She then started having real, consistent contractions at 3:30 pm (while at work–babysitting). I brought Sara over to my house and tried to help her get as comfortable as possible. I was timing her contractions and the time between them–using 2 separate timers– one on each wrist! At around 4:00 we called Sara’s midwife to let her know that Sara had begun having pretty consistent contractions. The midwife wasn’t too concerned because Sara sounded so perky on the phone. The midwife told Sara she’d check in with her around 6pm.

Meanwhile, Scott was at the doctor’s office trying to get a metal sliver taken out of his eye and wasn’t able to make it over to my house until a few minutes after 5pm. Shortly after Scott got here it was agreed that we should give Ann (the midwife) a call. She decided to come to my house to check Sara. She was planning on doing the exam here and knowing that there could be some possible water-breaking I scrambled to prepare my bed– just in case. I ran downstairs and urgently asked Cam, “Do we have anything waterproof we could put on the bed?! Just answer yes or no!” Cam replied, “Hmm, what about those vinyl table cloths we use camping?” I said, “Sounds great go get them quick!”

When Ann checked Sara she was 8cm and it was time to head to the birthing center (no water-breaking). We (Sara, Scott, Ann and I) arrived at the birthing center at around 5:50pm. It was fast and furious after that! From the waiting room I heard one final push/yell (sounded SO painful I couldn’t help but cry), immediately followed by Sara exclaiming,”She is the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen!” 6:26 was the recored time of birth– but according to my cell phone– the first cry I heard was at 6:23pm. Sara and Scott spent the next hour or so alone with Aliza before inviting us all (all 13 of us) into the room.

You would have never known Sara had given birth only an hour before. She looked beautiful and SO happy. Scott looked awestruck by both of his girls. Aliza was very alert and responsive to each and every family member who held her. That baby is already so very loved.

One of my favorite moments was watching Sean and Caleb sitting on the bed with Sara staring at Aliza. I saw such a sweet, adoring yet curious look on Caleb’s face. He kept touching her head and hand, almost as if he wanted to make sure she was real. One of my other favorite moments was when I went outside to help Scott get the carseat base secured. We had just finished getting it situated and looked over to see Holly and Shane walking into the parking lot! I’m so glad that they could make it up to meet Aliza tonight and thanks to everyone who facilitated their trip up here (borrowed cars, given rides, etc.) . It had felt so weird that Holly had not been there earlier in the evening. We always do these big things all together!

It was such a blessing to be part of this amazing experience. Scott and Sara did a great job! I am so proud of them both! I will never forget how special this day was!

We are so excited and hope to have lots more pictures soon.

Together

It was so great to spend time together yesterday! I love my sisters (and their boys). Too bad we didn’t have a love seat that we could all pile on together. I miss those days sometimes but am so grateful that we are still close and still very involved in each other’s lives. I wouldn’t trade my sisters for anything!

Birthday Party at Mom’s

We all had a great time! Lots of yummy food (especially the home-made vanilla ice cream and strawberry rhubarb pie) and fun times. Thanks for everything mom!

I love family photo shoots, and I love how our family keeps on growing. I am amazed at what God has done and continues to do in all of our lives. We are so blessed!

water slides

Sean and Caleb’s 1st trip to the Birch Bay water slides

Sara’s Baby Shower

Click photo to see more pictures on Flickr

summer pictures on flickr

I haven’t taken enough pictures this summer! Here are a few that I have taken in the last couple days.

Happy Birthday Mom!

happy 9th anniversary!

Holly, Dad & Mom

Introducing….

Shane and Holly Herzer!

Congratulations! Shane we are so happy to welcome you to our family!

vacation brain, Caleb’s costumes and Sean’s paper

So, we’ve been back for over 2 weeks now and I still don’t feel normal yet. This time of year is just crazy and so I am sure that contributes to me feeling unsettled. We have 8 days of school left this year, less than 4 weeks until Holly’s wedding, 6 weeks until we go to the Oregon Coast beach cabin, 9 weeks until I turn 30 and I think Sara said 12 weeks until Baby Girl (my un-named neice) arrives. It is going to be a whirlwind summer. I am really excited for each individual event but when you put them all together it makes for a very full and busy summer. We are going to have to pace ourselves and make sure we take time as a family and appreciate our moments together. We love summer and we have to make sure we get lots of time outside to enjoy the sunshine.

Caleb has been really creative lately with his costumes– his current staples are his ripped in the knees jeans, cowboy boots, and a black vest. From those items he creates a cowboy look, a pirate look and a rockstar. He just adds a couple other accessories and he becomes a whole new character (with new personality, voice, mannerisms and swagger). The other day he was Luke Skywalker, Batman, Captain Jack Sparrow and a Cowboy all within about 2 hours. His newest prop is the “electric guitar” he made from cardboard. He spent over an hour making one for him and finishing the one Sean had started.

I know these days will not last much longer and that is why I want to be so intentional about appreciating them. The boys have been pursuing more individual activities lately. Sean is really excited about reading right now and spends as much time I as I will allow him, reading Harry Potter. He has mostly out-grown the dressing up thing but Caleb is still very into it. I was feeling really sad last week about how the boys are growing up too fast and fearing that they would eventually not be close. I talked (cried) to God about it. The very next evening we went to school for an open house and read a paper that Sean had written that day. The paper was titled “The 3 Most Important Things In My Life”. #1 Jesus, #2 Cam and I, #3 Caleb. He said the sweetest things about Caleb. He said he was “so blest” (spelled that way) to have Caleb for a brother and that Caleb “brings so much joy into his life” and that “without Caleb I would be so boring”. That was such a gift from God to me to assure me that the bond the boys have is incredibly special and that they truly love each other.

Here’s a picture of the “rockstar” look Caleb is currently sporting.

Disneyland Pictures- finally

We had the best time ever! So many amazing memories and so much fun!

almost 6 months

I can’t believe how fast the time is flying! Sara is glowing. She is such a cute little mommy! Scott and Sara are still deciding on a name for their baby girl. Post your suggestions as a comment on this post and I’ll forward them.

Sean and Caleb are so excited for their little cousin. Sara brought Gwen (a little girl she watches- whom I adore) over for a visit. The boys were so attentive and so sweet with her. I am happy that it comes so naturally to them to be careful and tender with girls. I can imagine that Sean and Caleb are going to be much the same way with Sara’s baby girl.

17 days–tickets in hand!

We picked up our tickets at AAA today- it’s so exciting! We are looking forward to the sunshine and warm weather, and well, DISNEYLAND. Sean and Caleb both insist that we are going to go on California Screamin’ for our very first ride. I guess it will be good to get the