Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

I love Christmas! It is my favorite time of year. What I love most is the excitement and curiousity in our kids eyes.

Here is what life in our house was like the night before Christmas at 11pm.

Christmas Eve

After Mema & Papka Goobs headed home we got busy. First, cookie dough for Santa's cookies, then naps and snack. Then we got all dressed up and attending Christmas Eve service for the first time in like 6 years. Seriously, it is crazy!

We had the joy of listening to the Three Wisemen play in concert at our church. One of my favorite singers is Timothy James Meany. It was beautiful and funny!

I snapped this picture of the kids before they got all undressed. Look at the way Liam and Reilly are watching over Natalie. She is one lucky girl!

It is 9:11pm the kids are all nestled in their beds and I am ready to get the ball rolling. My favorite part about the entire hyped up Santa Clause thing is the look on my childrens faces when they see presents under the tree and the memories it brings to read the Christmas Story.

We try so hard to make sure they understand Christmas is not just about Santa Clause and gifts, but about something so much more special. This year the boys really are beginning to understand. We are making Jesus a cake for his birthday. Liam said Jesus told him he wanted a Train cake...so a train cake it is!

I am reminded of all the fond memories I have of family and friends. I am so blessed to be loved and to love so many. May God Bless you and your families as you sleep tonight.

Love & Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve with Mema & Papka Goobs

Mema (my mom) and Papka Goobs got up really early today and drove over to spend the day with us and the kids. It was so much fun! The kids got to open presents and play all day. Natalie got a new riding toy. Liam got more Lionel track and Percy, which he was so excited about and Reilly got a dump truck with a crane. It ended up being some what nice out this afternoon and he even got to go dig in the dirt.

Jason and I got away for a little lunch date and some shopping. It was just a fun day. We were so glad they made the trip over for the day to see us. Since we are spending Christmas alone this year with just the kids it was nice to get to be with them for the day. Oh yeah, the family got walkie talkies (the real ones) and I got diamond earings...seriously they are beautiful and I pray that I do not loose them!!

May God Bless you and your family this Christmas with the gift of His salvation. It is a true blessing to know we are in His family!

Cavanaugh Family Game Night

I have eagerly anticipated this day...when all the Cavanaugh's gather under one roof to hash out all life's pressing issues, discuss current politics, eat, play, and have fun together as a family.

It was another year together. I can hardly believe how grown up all the kids are getting. It was such a blessing to have us all together for the day. The Wii was the big hit amongst the kids (and the adults). Uncle Bill took everyone to "strikesville" and the LIAM-I-NATOR was on a role to "spareville". Laura and I rocked the house to "We are Family" and danced with Jack to "walking on Sunshine" oh and "KungFu Fighting". Grant, Maddie, and Uncle Mike duked it out in boxing. Grant was sweating and had to cool of in the shower (literally).

Pop-Pop relaxed on the couch and played games with the kids. Nana and her bummed out knee relaxed as well...we got her to even bowl. Jason broke out the guitar for a little Christmas music with the kids. Uncle Icky and his broken ankle hobbled around. It was the year of the injured!

Nathan and Natalie had fun together climbing and wrestling. They got along so good.

These are the true meanings of Christmas...gathered together as a family. Loving one another and spending time together. It is a true blessing!

We can not wait till next year when Eric & Jodi have another addition that makes grand baby #8. Yikes!

Merry Christmas.


P.S. Notice all the pictures with me in them...I just had to be in some pictures this year even if it meant me taking them. Ha! Ha!

Oh Santa I am so tired...please come soon.

After a long day of waiting to visit Santa at the "coffee shop dat is shaped like a square" Reilly was a pooped out reindeer. I took this picture upon our return home. The drive was 8 minutes. I guess we are ALL tired this time of year.

I will treasure this photo!

We have an Elk, now what?

I found myself last night at about 9:50pm all ready to snuggle in to bed. Liam was finally asleep and I was just turning in for the night when Jason arrived (my Elk hunting hubby). I decided I would wait for him to come in and here about his trip.

WOW what was I thinking? Really I did not sign up for what was to come. As I watched Jason do all that he needed to get the Elk ready I thought to myself "Jessica you are eating your words from earlier". Yes, I am proud, but when I had to actually be involved in the process of "preparing" the Elk I think I wanted to scream. At first I was furious. Then I decided to take the high road. Jason has to get up early to work at church and he "needs" my help. Knowing that I was helping someone in "need" just made what I had to do all better (at least my mind felt better and my stomach).

I will not describe what I had to do with that Elk, nor did I take pictures for the sake of saving you from...well hurling! Just think lots of blood and red meat.

It gets better though...After we hung the Elk in the garage with care and washed all the back strap and tenderloins down with a bucket of Apple Cider Vinegar my hands were stinging from the cuts drenched in vinegar. I washed up and was ready to call it a night. Oh no...we were out of Food Saver bags for vacuum packing it all. Jason was busy finishing some other things I will not mention and gave me the old sigh "I guess you can go to bed". Pack your bags we are going on a guilt trip...I fell for it hook line and sinker. So with my yellow Ducks beanie, my nightgown, grey fleece pullover, hot pink capri sweat pants, ski socks, and my Uggs I headed off to Safeway to get my man those bags. I forgot I also had my cute black Coach purse that completed the outfit. This outfit would have so gotten me on "What Not to Wear".

Mortified I entered the store with out a peep in hopes that NO ONE I knew would be there. I was just to darn tired to change and I just wanted to go to bed and be done with it all. I snicked down the isle with all the storage stuff and can you believe it, they had no Food Saver Bags. As people walked by the isle they hesitated a bit. One guy actually walked backwards stopped, rubbed his eyes and chuckled. I knew what he was laughing at and yes I was a site!

I did not want to go home empty handed so I grabbed some more freezer bags. As I walked to the check out stand I SWEAR everyone in the store got in line behind me. Then the checker had to notice my "O" hat which again made everyone look my way. Then she wanted to talk college ball with me. Geeeez lady just let me pay for my two items and get the heck out of here!

Finally the small talk was done and I walked swiftly to my car. Home at last I sat those bags down and headed off to bed at 11:58pm. As I lay in bed trying to fall asleep I prayed my husband would see "what a great wife I am". Totally selfish, but true! I know it meant a lot to my hubby and that is what matters most.

What amazes me is that Jason passes out at the site of blood when I am giving birth, but a 700lb Elk does not even seem to phase him. Interesting?

He Got an Elk!

Yes, my husband is a hunter. He started about 4 1/2 years ago bow hunting and he loves it. He goes usually every year,but has yet to get an Elk until TODAY! This photo was just sent to me from his last day of hunting. He got a Cow (female Elk) this morning right after they started hunting. She is close to 700lbs Jason's friend Eric says. I guess it took them all morning to get her out of there. There is nothing like hearing your man so proud that he just provided meat for his family for the winter. A bit "pioneerish" I know, but it really is a circle of life.

I am so proud!

Snow Day

I took the kids and our friend Jacob with us up to Crystal Mt. today to play in the snow and sled. We packed a lunch and some hot cocoa and headed up. It is about a 45min drive from our house. It was a beautiful drive and sunny when we first got there. We sort of "ignored" the "no sledding at Crystal Mt." sign and found a fun place just down the Mt. The kids had so much fun! We had snow ball fights, ate lunch, drank hot cocoa and listend to "Nemo" on tape. Then we did some more sledding and made snow angels. Liam LOVES sledding and is quit the dare devil. Reilly actually like it when he sleds with me. Natalie thought the snow was fun, but she was not so happy about sledding.

All in all it was a great day. We missed daddie as he was off hunting Elk (last day of bow season). We hope he comes home with something!

Tomorrow it is church and then off to see Santa at the "Java Java" coffee house. Reilly calls it the "square room" stayed tuned for those pictures. I am sure Natalie will have a fit as she does not like Santa one bit.

Girls Weekend ~ Seattle 2007

I forgot to post these...I went on an all girls weekend Nov 30-Dec 2 with my two sister-in-laws, Laura and Jodi. We stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel in downtown Seattle. Friday night we enjoyed dinner at Gordon Beirsch and Laura and Jodi stayed up till 2am talking. I was the first asleep and I am not the pregnant one! Then Saturday morning we had massages and spa pedicures and then lunch at Nordstrom Cafe and a full afternoon/evening of shopping. Saturday night we enjoyed dinner at Wild Ginger - it was hot! We came home early on Sunday as Laura had to get over the snowy pass. We had so much fun we decided to make it an annual event. It was great to get to know Jodi better and spend time together as sisters. Now I know why God never gave me siblings because I have all I need in my sisters and brothers. It is such a blessing!

"Cofke Mama Cofke"

Okay so it seems like I have a clone and her name is Natalie. She mimics my every move. I sit, she sits. I brush my hair, she brushes her hair. I drink coffee and she wants "cofke". It would be fine to let her have a sip, but the problem is she takes my entire cup and will not let up on her grip. Last week I spilt and entire cup on my lap trying to get her to let go. So here we are this morning at 6:30am with our "cofke" (hot cocoa) and our coffee (the real stuff) enjoying the morning together. She loves her little Starbucks mug. I had some little donuts from a Moms Club meeting from yesterday...I guess I should not admit I am feeding her donuts at 6:30am. Tis the season!

Tis the Season...to make cookies...fa..la..la..la..lalalalal

It is December and the count down has begun...13 days till Christmas. In the midst of the hustle and bustle we try and remember the "reason for the season". It is hard to teach your preschool and toddlers that Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas day. In hopes of teaching my children we are going to be making Jesus a birthday cake this year!

Besides trying to forge Christmas traditions with our kiddo's we have been busy making cookies, wrapping presents and watching all the fun shows (i.e., Charlie Brown Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer). The kids are having so much fun. I mean right now as I type Reilly is looking for his "stinking" shoe and telling us to "quit" talking to him. Liam is tattle tailing on Reilly and Natalie is running around with one boot on and one off. Just another day! As I said "Tis the Season".

I got to meet with my good friend Deb on Saturday for lunch and some shopping. It was so great to have adult conversation and to not be interrupted a 100 times. It was great to catch up! I participated in the annual Jingle Bell Run last Sunday (5K). It was soooooo cold. I ran with my cousin, her friend Hilary, and her SIL Mindy. We had our small group Christmas party Sunday evening and we have just off to a running start this holiday season.

Jason is busy with work at Cavanaugh Auto and at the Church. He is loving his job at the church. He is hunting a lot this week as it is his last week of Elk hunting until next year. He got a deer in early season, but he would like to get an Elk. Besides work he has not been doing much.

I am looking forward to spending Christmas with just Jason and the kids. It will be a first for us and I am sure by noon I will miss everyone, but it is good for us. We plan on eating out Christmas Eve and then attending Christmas Eve Service with the kids. I love this time of year!

As always here are some pictures of us.
Jess

PRICELESS

This is an e-mail I got today and it just warmed my heart and well made me laugh so hard I peed my pants...I have had three children!

My husband and I had been happily (most of the time) married for five years but hadn't been blessed with a baby. I decided to do some serious praying and promised God that if he would give us a child, I would be a perfect mother, love it with all my heart and raise it with his word as my guide.

God answered my prayers and blessed us with a son. The next year God blessed us with another son. The following year, he blessed us with yet another son. The year after that we were blessed with a daughter.

My husband thought we'd been blessed right into poverty. We now had the four children, and the oldest was only four years old. I learned never to ask God for anything unless I meant it. As a minister once told me, 'If you pray for rain, make sure you carry an umbrella.'

I began reading a few verses of the Bible to the children each day as they lay in their cribs. I was off to a good start. God had entrusted me with four children and I didn't want to disappoint him. I tried to be patient the day the children smashed two dozen eggs on the ki tchen floor searching for baby chicks. I tried to be understanding when they started a hotel for homeless frogs in the spare bedroom, although it took me nearly two hours to catch all twenty-three frogs.

When my daughter poured ketchup all over herself and rolled up in a blanket to see how it felt to be a hot dog, I tried to see the humor rather than the mess. In spite of changing over twenty-five thousand diapers, never eating a hot meal and never sleeping for more than thirty minutes at a time, I still thank God daily for my children.

While I couldn't keep my promise to be a perfect mother - I didn't even come close - I did keep my promise to raise them in the Word of God. I knew I was missing the mark just a little when I told my daughter we were going to church to worship God, and she wanted to bring a bar of soap along to 'wash up' Jesus, too.

Something was lost in the translation when I explained that God gave us everlasting life, and my son thought it was generous of God to give us his 'last wife.' My proudest moment came during the children's Christmas pageant. My daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds and my youngest son was a wise man. This was their moment to shine. My five-year-old shepherd had practiced his line, 'We found the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.' But, he was nervous and said, 'The baby was wrapped in wrinkled clothes.' My four-year-old 'Mary' said, 'That's not 'wrinkled clothes,' silly. That's dirty, rotten clothes'.

A wrestling match broke out between Mary and the shepherd and was stopped by an angel, who bent her halo and lost her left wing. I slouched a little lower in my seat when Mary dropped the doll representing Baby Jesus, and it bounced down the aisle crying, 'Mama-mama'. Mary grabbed the doll, wrapped it back up and held it tightly as the wise men arrived.

My other son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and a paper crown, knelt at the manger and announced, 'We are the three wise men, and we are bringing gifts of gold, common sense and fur.' The congregation dissolved into laughter, and the pageant got a standing ovation. 'I've never enjoyed a Christmas program as much as this one,' laughed the pastor, wiping tears from his eyes. 'For the rest of my life, I'll never hear the Christmas story without thinking of gold, common sense and fur.'

My children are my pride and my joy and my greatest blessing,' I said as I dug through my purse for an aspirin.

Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master. Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer. Had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today. Feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us.

I can not help but relate with this woman. If only I could have written this e-mail. I just laughed so hard and was reminded of all these same moments and the ones to come with our kids.

God Bless You All!

Whose in the Cookie Jar?

Little Miss Natalie that is Who!

Natalie loves the snowman cookie jar - I think she was a little bummed there was nothing inside. She loved taking his head off and then looking inside. I think I have her trained as when I pull out the camera she says "cheeeeeeessssseeee".

I can hardly believe she is 19 months old now and asserting her independence. PLEASE God let her get it out when she is young. She is feisty and can throw a good tantrum when she does not get her way.

Her favorite words are "Tank too", "MOOre", "I see you", "Dare you are", "Grrrr", "I wuv woo", "one, two, tree". I love to watch her. She also loves to tattle tale on her brothers. She will come marching in to where I am at and say something I can not understand and point at her brothers. It is pretty funny!

She makes me laugh A LOT.

Happy Birthday to Me

Yes that is right...I turned 34! Yikes...seriously I used to think 34 was OLD. Now I am just 6 years away from being 40. WOW!

I spent the weekend of my birthday in Beaverton, OR with my 97 yr old great grandmother. My mom and I took a trip down to visit her and help pack up her apartment. She fell a few weeks ago and broke her hip and we found out she has severe dementia. It was all very sad, but getting to see the smile on her face when she saw us was priceless.

She is such a sweet person with a big heart!

Coloring Fun

So like most days we start coloring by 7am or playing with homeade playdoh. The kids love to draw and create. Reilly is really getting good with the scissors and loves cutting small pieces of paper and leaving all over the floor. Natalie is now joining in the fun. She loves to be just like her BIG brothers. Liam is the artist of the family and creates some amazing pictures. This one is of his coaches in soccer and him kicking a goal. It is safe to say he got a little creativness from both mom and dad.

Playdoh stuck to the floor or a table with pen all over these are the things I cherish most. Being with our kids and enjoying the moment. Sometimes it is hard to stop and take the time amongst the long "to do" list I have, but when I do God shows me how blessed I am to be a stay-at-home mom and to have the funniest little rascals around.

Have a great weekend.

Love,
Jess

The Kitchen is done...wahoooooo!

Finally after 2 years of having a hole in my ceiling and not being able to use the master bathroom the kitchen is done. Jason's dad sent down a contractor to get it all done and I am so happy! He even put the tile back under the dishwasher. We had to be out of the house a few times during the day ~ but it was well worth it and just in time for Thanksgiving.

Little Girls

So Natalie spent and evening with our good friends Shaun & Anne's daughter Olivia. Anne took these pictures of the girls playing. Natalie loved the little bed and playing with Olivia. Adorable photos!

Happy Halloween

Hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween. The kids had a blast trick or treating. Liam did not want to stop...Reilly complained his bag was too heavy and Natalie got on quick. She actually walked to the door, got a piece of candy and said "tank too".

We went with our good friends the James Kids and Kileen to our old neighborhood in Maple Valley. It was fun to see the "hood" and all old neighbors.

We were home and in bed by 8:30pm (the kids anyway).

On to decorating for Thanksgiving MY FAVORITE time of year!

Love,
Jess

October 31st

Happy Halloween!

Todays Top 10

10. Carving Pumpkins with the kids
9. Watching the kids color and play together - nicely
8. Getting to see my God Children
7. Natalie took a 3 1/2 hr nap
6. I took a 2 hr nap
5. Going Trick or Treating with friends
4. Seeing my kids in their costumes
3. Seeing the excitement when they get candy
2. Natalie on the kitchen table
1. When my head hits the pillow tonight I will be out!