Poker:: and Goodbyes

Yup, Im a loser. The last 2 times we had gotten together up in Eatonville, with some friends to play poker, I have come out on top. This weekend proved that the third time is not a charm. But we still had a blast. Tanya and I were the only girls at the table, there were 6 guys also playing but we managed to hold our own for a long time... just dont expect to see me on The World Poker Tour anytime soon!! Our friends Henry and Michelle are going to be moving to Pennsylvania next Sunday and so we wanted to make sure we saw them one last time. We are sad to see them go, but it was either there or Iraq again. Henry is in the military and has already been to overseas a few times and doesnt want to go back again. I dont blame him. We'll miss you guys!! Thanks Bob and Tanya for having us all over!

Pumpkin Carving::

Like most Sundays, after watching football, we headed over to Chris and Angelas. But this time our night included pumpkin carving! We first ate an amazing dinner (and dessert)...yum, anytime I dont have to cook, its great! After we got the kids all cleaned up, Chris set up the dining room table so that each of us had a place to carve our pumpkins. Being that he's a childrens book author/illustrator, I held him to high standards :) Since none of us had been bitten with the "creative bug" that night, we decided to check online to see if there were any templates we could use. For a one time fee of 5.00 we were able to choose from hundreds of designs. We all picked what we wanted, printed them out, and had a great time chatting with each other while the kids played. I think the adults enjoyed it more than the kids! (Except Keegan, he was pretty into it!) Jake, Truitt and Norah could have cared less.

So without further a do...I now present to you, our pumpkins.....

* I carved a fish and Steven did Lightening McQueen for Jacob (he was thrilled!)*


*Keegans Dolphin, Angelas "Tigger" and Chris' "The Count"*

*Keegan cleaning out his pumpkin!*

Mops Playdate:: Jumpin Jack n Jills

Throughout the Mops year, my table leader, Alicia (and my good friend) has made a point to make sure we, as a table, get together for regular playdates. It works out great because all of us have children/babies within just a few years of each other . Today, to start off our year, Alicia picked out Jumpin Jack n Jills, in Sumner. This is a facility that houses an obstacle course w/ slide, jump house, 14 foot slide, stand up arcade machine w/ 200 games, air hockey table and toddler area. I had never been before but was really looking forward to it. Jacob loves to jump on anything! This way, he was able run wild and not get in trouble! It only cost us 6.00 and he had a complete blast! He was so sweaty by the time we were done. I will definatley be going back soon! There were a few other playgroups there as well. It was great getting to know the moms at my table and I look forward to our playdates in the future!! Im officially addicted to this place...and I think I know where Im going to have Jacobs 3rd birthday party!! Here are a few pictures of our morning...

* The obstacle course*



*Jacob on the slide....his favorite part!*


*You cant forget a little air hockey too!*

Pregnant!!::

1 year ago today, I found out I was pregnant. Yup...that's right, the day after Jacob turned 1 we found out we were going to be doing it all over again. We had been trying since August and were pleasantly surprised when it only took 2 months. 12 months and 2 kids later, here we are! The crazy Fenton family, never a dull moment when we're around! One things for sure, we wouldnt change a thing! Thank you Lord for little children, they are amazing!
(::Runs off to ponder when we can have the next one!::) hehe.
j/k (kinda)

2 Years Ago Today:: Happy Birthday Jacob!

I was in labor with you for so long..nearly 36 hours!! I tried pushing for 4 more hours but had no luck. You were quite the stubborn one and did not want to come out...things have not changed :) But at 6:25pm you were born via c-section.

It was worth every second of discomfort as soon as I saw your beautiful face. The last 2 years have been some of the best years ever, we've shared in so much joy and laughter!! I am so thankful God brought you into our lives.

You are surrounded by family and friends that love you so much and I hope you know that! You have taught me so much about being a mom and have been such a blessing to us, we thank God for you everyday.

Next weekend we will celebrate your birthday with some family and friends. I hope you have a blast playing your heart out...you deserve it sweetheart, Mommy and Daddy love you so much!

...I thought I would share with you a few of Jacobs favorite things at the ripe ole age of *2*!
*Can we say obsession??*

*He gets bubbles in his bathtub and we'll often
play with them in the backyard as well!*

*Nemo! His 2nd favorite movie...*

*One of his first words...color! color!*

*He calls these "Ellies" for the Elephants*
(He can say Elephant, but when he was little
he would call Elephants "Ellies" and Steve and I
thought it was too cute, so we continued to call them "ellies"....oops!*

*Every time we drive past a McDonalds,
he's gleefully yelling, French Fries!!"

*His idol, Pablo*

*His first word...Football!*

Enjoy!

It's Party Time:: Ben and Heathers

Last Saturday, our good friends Ben and Heather invited us to their place for an evening of fun, food, and scary movies. She thought it would be fun to have us all dress up. I was so busy last week I barely had time to think, let alone plan for a costume for the 2 of us. So unfortunatley, I was stuck wearing my costume from last year and Steven wore his "redneck" outfit from our Hick Party in July. It was still a great time!! This is pretty much the same group that gets together for our murder mystery dinners a few times a year so and there's never a dull moment! Especially with the guys, they always seem to have us on the floor dying of laughter. Last Saturday was no different! We just added a few more people into the mix!! My mom was gracious enough to take Jacob for the night and Norah pretty much slept the whole time so Steven and I got to enjoy a night of adult conversation! We played "chubby bunny", the game where you have to stick one marshmellow in your mouth at a time while trying to say "chubby bunny" it starts out farily easy but then quickly gets harder. The guys were hilarious to watch.... they really got into it!
Here are a few pictures of the night...

*The Girls*

*Some of the Boys*

*Yours Truly*

(Dont worry, I am wearing a wig!)

Awana:: Puggles

*Jacob grinning ear to ear...ready to eat his cupcake!*


*Diving In...*


I grew up in the Awana program at church... I began as a "Sparky" (Kindergartener) and I remember looking forward to Wendesday nights; getting to say my verse, play games, listen to council time and my favorite, rewards (candy)!! I have the privilege to work with the Jr High girls and Steven works with the 4th and 5th grade boys, we both have a lot of fun with them but this year had been even more special... Jacob has now entered the Awana world of "Puggles" (the 2-3 year olds) it has made going to Awana, even more rewarding. Technically, Jacob was supposed to be 2 by September but his teachers allowed him to still join. I cant tell you how much he had spiritually grown! He now makes sure we pray every night before bed and before each meal. Its so adorable seeing him cross his hands and repeat after Steven or I. Tonight for example, we both prayed for Grandma and Papa, Mommy and Daddy, Baby Norah, Buddy our dog (*he thew that one in), and for the trees, clouds and the light. All of which are what he's been learning about in his class. The theme this year has been "God created everything" and each week they learn about something different. Like the older kids, they also get to enjoy game time, story time and Jacobs favorite, snack time!! I think Jacob truly looks forward to Wednesday nights as much as I did growing up. As soon as we pull into the parking lot he's saying "Church, Church...and I think hes saying Puggles too, but it comes out more like "puckkles!!" with much enthusiasm. Tonight the kids celebrated Jacobs 2nd birthday (which is on Sunday) he was given a balloon, wonderful cupcakes, and a stuffed animal! Thank you so much Amy and Ricci for the adorable pictures and being such great teachers to Jacob and even better friends to me!

Love you both,

Keren!

Busted::

*Ephesians 4:29*
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

*1 Peter 3:10*
"For, whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech."


*James 3:9-12*
"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."

James makes it clear that the lives of Christians should not be characterized by evil speech. By making the analogy of both salt water and fresh water coming from the same spring (which is uncharacteristic of springs), he makes the point that it is uncharacteristic for a believer to have both praise and cursing come from his/her mouth. Nor is it characteristic for us to praise God on one hand and curse our brothers on the other. This, too, is uncharacteristic of a true believer.

Jesus explained that what comes out of our mouths is that which fills our hearts. Sooner or later, the evil in the heart comes out through the mouth in curses and swearing. But when our hearts are filled with the goodness of God, praise for Him and love for others will pour forth. Our speech will always indicate what is in our hearts. “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).

Why is it a sin to cuss / swear / curse? Sin is a condition of the heart, the mind, and “the inner man” (Romans 7:22), which is manifested in our thoughts, actions and words. When we swear and curse, we are giving evidence of the polluting sin in our hearts that must be confessed and repented of. Thankfully, our great God is “faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

I must confess, I did something no one should ever be proud off and was caught (by my 2 year old). I was cleaning up the house the other day and as I was doing so I stubbed my toe and a four letter word slipped out of my mouth, and yes, Jacob was right there. It hurt so bad, but Im not going to sugar coat anything, I have always struggled with my language and thanks to some wonderful preaching from Pastor Frank and a wake up call in realizing that my 2 year old is smarter than I think, I have since, signifigantly changed my vocabulary (unless Im watching a Seahawks game...j/k) I didnt think anything of it until I heard Jacob repeat that word the other day when he dropped his cherrios out of the bowl. I was taken back...and almost in denial. "My 2 year old did not just say what I think he did" ...oh boy. Then my mom told me she thought he said it again this weekend at her house...I was so embarassed. She told me not to make a big deal out of it with him and ignore it because he will realize it gets him attention, so instead I have just told him he cannot say that word and that Mommy shouldnt have said it either. To top it off...when we were at Wal-Mart tonight, he said it really loud in one of the aisles...Steven and I looked at each other and had no idea what to do. So I write this asking for help...I know many of you have never let a word slip so thankfully you havent had to deal with this but I want Jacob to know that its unacceptable without making too big of a scene. I'd love any advice you could give!!

Lesson learned.

Norah explaining life as a 3 month old....

And the verdict is........

Yup!! We did it! It went perfectly!! I called my friend Ricci who I admire greatly and she always gives me great advice (not to mention half of Norahs clothes!) and she told me she got her daughters done at 8 months but wishes she had gotten them done a little earlier. She said if I wanted to do it, I should do it now...she recommended Wal-Mart in Bonney Lake (yes, Wal-Mart) we were able to have them both done at the same time by 2 different women and they were the only place that made sure that Norah was up to date on her shots, we got her the highest quality earrings they had and it was nice and quiet; not flooded with people (at least in the jewelry area) and unlike at Claires, we werent going to be stared at like circus freaks through the glass! They also told me Norah was at a good age to get them done. Seriously, she cried for 6 seconds (yes, I counted) and I think it was more the sound of the gun and the fact there were 2 women she didnt know right in her face. After they were done, I stood up with her and she was fine!! We all got some lunch, I nursed her and she was good to go! I am so glad I did it and want to thank you all for your comments...I really did take it all into consideration!! But now, it's over and done with and we can have our mom and me day for her 2nd holes :) ...or heck maybe even matching tattoos (j/k)...

*This looks a lot worse than it was...promise!*


*Showing off her new bling....*


*Side view, happy as can be*


....we're off to Ben and Heathers costume party for the night, stay tuned for pictures!!!

Love,
Keren

And now, my random fact of the day....
-It would take 11 Empire State Buildings, stacked one on top of the other, to measure the Gulf of Mexico at its deepest point-

Tough Decision:: Ear piercing

I have been on the fence weather to get Norahs ears pierced or not. When I was pregnant I was dead set on waiting until she got older and asked for them to be done. Its almost like a right of passage, not to mention I could use it as leverage when it came to behavior/grades ect. I had always hoped to make a "girly" day out of it. Lunch, manicures, shopping and then getting her ears pierced. I definatley know there are varying opinions about when, or even if this should be done. But, like every other thing in life, as a Mother, its up to you to hopefully make the best decision possible. You wont always please everyone but ultimately, you have the final say.

For instance some women, co-sleep, practice extended breastfeeding, eat only organic foods, homeschool, choose not to vaccinate/ circumsise, cry it out, cloth diaper and avoid pacificiers...while I dont believe any of this are right or wrong, they come with strong opinions from other moms. My point is that there are so many different degrees of parenting, you cant please them all.

That being said, after asking many women about their experience of either having their ears pierced at an early age, or piercing their childs ears at an early age, 95% of the feedback has been positive. Most have said that their baby barely cried, and when they were picked up, they were fine. At an early age, babies cant reach up and grab at them which gives them time to heal. (and personally, I think they look adorable, others do not) On the other hand, it was also brought to my attention that as they grow up and reach toddlerhood, other kids will notice the ears and may try and pull at them...I dont know if thats true or not, but its definatley something to consider. I hate to sound so selfish by saying it will put an end to her "boyish" look (2 more people at the mall yesterday thought she was a boy...even with her 2 pink blankets and pink outfit...grrrrrrrr) and I know most of you are laughing at me right now, go ahead...maybe this isnt a big deal to anyone but me (hehe) I think Steven and I will just go check out Claires today, talk to a Manager and see what her experience has been, if shes a pro, we may consider it but I will take many things into consideration and its not final...we'll see.....


I'd love to hear if any of you have had your childs ears pierced and how the experience was...
or
Why you're choosing to wait...

PS: On another note, we are venturing to Trader Joes for the first time ever today...I'd love to hear you're favorite TJ food item is.....

*Thanks!!*

Update on Brie...

Thank you Amberlyn for keeping us posted. What a special friend she has in you...keeping her in our thoughts and prayers....

(Stolen from Amberlyns email)

I just got a call from Brie. It was rushed because her son was about to come in and see her, so here is what I know...

Baby B, the one with the ruptured sac will probably not make it. It's stomach is deflated and she said something about the lungs, I am not sure what all of it meant because she was so rushed. The likelihood of that baby surviving is VERY low. Of course we will still pray over that baby for complete healing, but she is also dealing with that okay. She said she was prepared for that possibility. She is on magnesium sulfate right now to calm her uterus from the activity that was causing the bleeding, but they will take her off of it tomorrow. If she goes into labor after that then they will not stop it. She did not give me details as to why, she just told me that would be what would happen. We all know that it would be very early for baby A if this happened, but we will continue to pray and trust God in His capability to heal and also his all knowing will. I may or may not get a call later after she has seen her little boy. I will let you know further details as I hear them.

Thanks to you all for being there for her in prayer.
-Amberlyn

BBQ:: Suzie and Andy's

We were invited to Suzie and Andys last Saturday night for a bbq to celebrate Suzie finally getting a few weekends off (she's a 911 dispatcher and rarely gets that time off) we all had a great time and got to catch up with many friends from high school! We were going to find a babysitter for the kids but ran out of time because we came straight from the pumpkin patch. I was so cute seeing all of my friends playing with Jacob, he sure made a name for himself and had no problem showing off. It was nice to have an adult conversation, and at the same time, I knew Jacob was being taken care of. Norah was the only baby and there was no shortage of arms wanting to hold her. It was precious. Jacob loves going to see Auntie Suzie and Uncle Andy too! They take great care of him and he especially loves their boxer, Maverick. We were so glad we were able to make it and look forward to the next get together...murder mystery dinner maybe?? Thank you Suzie and Andy for having us over, and for the adorable Seahawks outfit you bought for Norah...(too bad it didnt bring them any luck on Sunday! Boo!)

Here are a few pictures from the night...

*Alysha and Norah*



*Katie*Suzie*Joy*



*Seth and Nicole, the cutest pregnant girl ever*


*Me with Norah and Avrey*


*Norah sporting the adorable new outfit from Suzie*


*Mr. Andy at the BBQ*



*Katie and Miss Norah*



*Alysha and Miss Norah again*



*Me*Katie*Joy*



*Oh My Goodness, these girls were just too precious for words!!*



*Some of the gang by the fire*




**And now, for my completely random fact of the day, taken from
"The Paranoids Pocketbook"

-Some 3.7 million Americans claim to have neem abducted by aliens. Most found it a postitive experience.-

In honor of Halloween...

Id thought I'd list 10 things Im scared of

10. Possums (ick!)
9. Moths (yuck!)
8. Big Spiders (yuck, again!)
7. The movie, "The Ring" (creepy!)
6. Diseases (ugly!)
5. The volcano errupting (scary!)
4. Swimming in lakes (the fish creep me out, and you never
know what's lurking below (nasty!)
3. The Dentist (ouch!)
2. Getting into a car accident (ouch, again!)
1. My kids/family getting hurt (sad.)

I tag anyone else who wants to do it too!!







**And now, for my completely random fact of the day, taken from
"The Paranoids Pocketbook"

-One in 6,500 Americans will be injured by a toilet seat
during their lifetime. Most will be men.-

Mops Playdate:: Terry's Berries

We had our first MOPS outing of the year and it took us to Terrys Berries in Puyallup. I had never been before so I no idea what to expect. I was so impressed with the facility. In case you dont know what Terrys Berries is, it's a farm full of 100% organic berries, fruits, vegetables, pumpkins, eggs and much, much more. Today, they opened their doors to us and took all of the children on a tour and allowed them to pick their own food. Jacob dug for his own potatoes, pulled apples off of the trees, fed the chickens, and picked out a pumpkin!! He got to take all of them home too (besides the chickens..hehe) They even got to go on a tractor ride!! Here are a few pictures of our day....(thank you for the pictures Amberlyn!)


*Amberlyn and I with our babies!!*


*Pull and twist the apples*


*Group Shot!*


*Jacob was amazed at the chickens*


*Feeding the chicken his bread*


*He loved the tractor ride....*



*Me and my little girl*