Hughes Family 5

Our girl is an ATHLETE!!!

2010-02-01T15:55:00.000-08:00

Kaylie's first soccer practice was on 1/30. She had a great time and did amazing. She is the only girl on her team (giiiirl power!) and had no fear. She ASKED to be goalie after being on the field for less than five minutes. She clearly takes after Mark and not me in this!!! It was so fun to watch her. She loved it and can't wait to go to her first game this weekend.

The kids chose the name of their team and they are officially the Crazy Wild Monkeys. Go Monkeys!!!

All I could do as I watched her was think of my dad, painfully watching me play (or try to play) basketball when I was little. I can only hope that our girl has more athletic ability and competitive spirit than I did when I was little! I love you, Dad, for pushing me to keep trying! xoxo!

Check out the outfit! I figure if she doesn't play well, at least she can LOOK good! :-)

I was so proud of her and she had this little hop step that she'd do... too cute.

Go Kaylie!!!

Our girl was tough. She got knocked down, but hopped right back up and kept playing.

And I think if soccer doesn't work out, she can always try some roller derby!

This is K petting my friend Stephanie Cameron's horse. They have an amazing barn in Camas. We had a great time visiting and K fell in love with the horse and goats.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T09:12:00.001-08:00

Vampire Kaylie

2009-10-16T21:51:00.001-07:00

Just another normal night!

2009-10-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

Josh Shoots Out His Tooth!

2009-10-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

Josh has had a loose tooth for awhile. He knew that Malo had shot his tooth out with a Nerf gun awhile ago and has been very excited to try it. Well - tonight he got his chance, and he was impressive. Enjoy the video . . . .

First Solo Geocache

2009-09-07T08:46:00.001-07:00

We went on our first solo geocache adventure with the Neymans this
weekend. Up until now the well experienced Gibb team has been there to
lead the way. It was so much fun that we ended up doing two.

The love of my life

2009-09-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

Oregon Max Ride

2009-09-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

The Kaylie Dance

2009-08-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

I caught Kaylie dancing in the living room this morning after her bath. Now, normally I would respect a girl's privacy as well as her right to dance naked in the living room. BUT - this is TOO cute. My girl has some hot moves.

Men at Work

2009-08-22T11:16:00.001-07:00

Me and the Love of My Life

2009-08-22T10:53:00.001-07:00

Kaylie in her "Horse Wig"

2009-08-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

Kayaking

2009-08-16T20:07:00.001-07:00

Damn Alternator

2009-08-16T18:59:00.000-07:00

After a day in the shop, Mike has her driving like a dream again! NOT
a fun way to start a day!

Us

2009-08-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

Happy!

The quest to make the perfect pizza continues...

2009-08-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

Kaylie's First Pie

2009-08-16T18:41:00.001-07:00

July 2009, in no particular order

2009-08-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

This is Jessica, the best nanny ever! She is going to have her baby in September, so after 4-1/2 years, she is not taking care of Kaylie anymore. We miss her terribly, but are so very excited to meet her new baby! We love you, Jessica!!

Josh lost his first tooth this month. Way to go, Josh!

We went crabbing on Camano with Mom and Dad and had a great time - and LOTS of crab. De-lish!!

This is my new little sister, Izzy!

We got to go visit an alpaca farm. They were wonderful, soft animals.

Marky Mark on the wake board. He is AWESOME and I'm always impressed when I see him doing things like this!

And then me on water skis - not nearly as impressive, but so much fun!!!

Malia is kayaking on her own now. She's really good!

Kaylie kayaking (don't worry, she's in knee-deep water and I'm right behind her)

? Surprise about something...

Hanging out in the water with the Neymans, Smiths, and Walsh's. Good times!

From the front, to the left: Braeden (the only boy allowed on the girl raft!) and Melinda, Linda, Danielle, Lisa, me, Melissa, and Shirley. We had so much fun!

My wonderful husband!

Another day at the beach

2009-07-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

The 5th of July started off as another sunny gorgeous day, so we decided to spend it at the beach. We all kayaked and the kids swam, we had a blast... until the winds rolled in and it got too rough to be on the water. All the kids are becoming excellent kayakers and they all love it. Yay!

K's practice "kayak"

Me and Josh

Lisa going for a paddle

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-06T21:24:00.001-07:00

We spent another 4th of July at home with the Neymans, Linda, and The McConaugheys. A great day of friends and family. We seem to have been blessed with the best of both!

Pre-festivity picnic

Paxton, Carter (Paxton & Avery's cousin), Malia, Avery, Josh, & Kaylie

The dads (Mark & Marty) took the kids to the fireworks stand, which was MUCH anticipated. The kids all emptied their piggy banks in the morning and decided to spend all their money on fireworks. We decided $5.oo per kiddo was enough, much to their dismay. (No, Malia, you may not spend all $34.oo in your piggy bank on fireworks!) I was proud of them for all wanting to use their own money to buy some of the fireworks. Smoke bombs were the favorite - especially the purple & orange.

Fast forward a few hours... after Linda's famous lime jello shots... Lisa and I are dancing to Michael Jackson on the patio. Ok, I know this is not the best picture of me or Lisa, but check out Kaylie. Leopard swimsuit, hair flying, awesome dance moves - she just kill me, she's so much fun!

Mark was the awesome dad - doing fireworks with the kiddos. They couldn't wait until dark, so they started early at the beach.

About 5 minutes into the fireworks, K fell asleep.

The Port Orchard fireworks

The kids running around with sparklers

Us!

Bike Riding

2009-07-06T21:15:00.001-07:00

One of the favorite activities for the monkeys - bike riding. All three of them love their bikes & their scooters. Josh is by far the fastest & the most daring. Malia is slow & steady, and Kaylie is learning fast, she'll have her training wheels off in no time!

I just thought this one was pretty. While the kids and I were out riding bikes in the driveway, Mark was pruning bushes along the side of the house.

Point Defiance Zoo

2009-06-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

Monday Kaylie had 2 doctors appointments (eye doctor, then surgery consult for her hernia), so we spent the rest of the afternoon at the zoo to make up for the not so fun morning. We had a great time!

K loves the carousel. First ride zebra, second ride seahorse. Look at that smile! Fun!

Have you ever heard the noise that peacocks make? Craaazy!

Playing in the water & following the "clothes & shoes required" rule, against great protest.

Java the Tiger. We were so happy he made an appearance this time. Last time we were at the zoo, K was so disappointed that he was hiding the whole time.

K and her budgie bird

Me and my girl in the shark jaws

My favorite monkey that we came across. A very happy and cute little primate!

Fun in the Sun!!!

2009-06-01T21:36:00.001-07:00

The low, low tides exposed all sorts of fun things for us to see...

And to eat! We had a yummy clam dinner with the Neymans... TOO MANY CLAMS!!! Next time I won't dig quite so many, but I'm sure the seagulls appreciated the pre-cooked clam dinner.

Kaylie & Little Avery in their matching sundresses. Soooo cute!

K in the Polly pool

Mark took Kaylie kayaking out to the Dyes Inlet shoal at low tide - she is pretty much standing out in the middle of the bay. Ask us about her run in with the kelp crab - it wasn't good!

Josh with his sunscreen faux-hawk

The Fab Five of 2009: Kaylie, Malia, Avery, Paxton & Josh

Josh and K in the blow up pool filled with hot water. They would run through the sprinklers to get cold, then dive in.

We spent a long afternoon at the Adamski's lake house on Haven Lake. K was so excited to be in the water! I love the expression on her face!

K didn't want to take a slow spin around the lake behind the boat, so they just floated.

Sweet Marky Mark

Kaylie taking a swing in her jammies right before bed.

Me at Melinda's houseKaylie feeding the Budgie birds at new Point Defiance Zoo exhibit. Our girl is getting TALL and SKINNY!!

On the dizzy chair at the zoo

Kaylie the anemone

Struck by LIghtening

2009-04-20T18:49:00.001-07:00

Strangely, today was "Struck by Lightening Day" at Kaylie's school. Everyone was supposed to dress up as if they were struck by lightening. (Kind of sick, I know). This was supposed to be Wednesday, but then they realized that Wednesday was also class picture day, so they made a last minute switch. Can you imagine a picture of a room full of kids that look like this?

I think she looks a little more like a homeless child or street urchin than someone struck by lightening... but Kaylie thought it was hysterical.

Weekend in the Sun

2009-04-20T18:41:00.001-07:00

Nothing says "spring in Seattle" like a swimsuit and rain boots. My girl has some serious style!

K still hangs out in Polly every chance she gets.

The girls coming up from the beach.

We celebrated Lisa's birthday with a dinner of grilled steaks (great job Marky Mark!), asparagus and red garlic mashed potatoes. Dessert was Tres Leche cake. Sinful and delish!!

Lisa and I did some kayaking (that's her new birthday kayak she's using!!)

Then the boys did some kayaking. Hey Marty - why is your shirt so wet? Neyman has not perfected the art of getting in to the kayak yet... splash!

Lis and I did what we do best... sat in the sun, enjoying wine, and laughing and laughing... and laughing. What a great weekend!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

Josh made this egg bunny for Kaylie

My girl likes her Peeps!

You can see the little white Easter Bunny paw prints. He left a trail from the front door to Kaylie's Easter basked, which was hidden behind the curtains.

The Sun Came Out!!!

2009-04-05T21:22:00.001-07:00

Heading out to Judy and Ken's 50th Wedding Anniversary Party

When Static Attacks...
Getting ready for the first kayak trip of the year

K got pooped out and needed a rest on the way back home
And she also needed to stop for an emergency potty break on the beach...

And at the end of the the gorgeous day, bbq with the Neymans. Lisa and I love to sit in the hammock and have some wine... Good times!

Bremerton Waterfront Fountain Park

2009-03-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the fountain park, even though it was a little cold out. Kaylie loves this park in the summer when the fountains are going and the kids can play in the water. I can't wait! C'mon Summer!

Mmmmm! Watermelon!

2009-03-30T08:00:00.001-07:00

Kaylie's First Time Bowling

2009-03-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

Mark took Kaylie bowling on their Daddy Daughter Day. K rocked it and had a great time. Can't wait to do it again!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl

2009-02-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today, February 11th, is our baby girl's 4th birthday!
Seems like just yesterday that she was born, but oh what an adventure she's taken us on so far!

Kaylen Grace Hughes, about 20 minutes old.
6lbs., 14 oz.

Kaylie, Day 1

K's 1st birthday

K's 2nd birthday

K's 3rd birthday

K last week - that's a ladybug on her chin!

I never, ever thought I'd love anyone as much I love our little monkey.
She amazes me every single day and I can't wait to see what the next year brings.

Happy, Happy Birthday Little Girl!
Our birthday wish for you is all the happiness in the world.
We love you all the way to the moon and back... 147 gazillion times.

Twinkle the Toothfairy

2009-01-21T20:08:00.000-08:00

Kaylie's new dentist is Dr. Jessie Banks (www.kitsapkidsdentistry.com) and K is not at all looking forward to her upcoming appointment. I got online to show Kaylie the offices and a picture of Dr. Banks and we found that Twinkle the Tooth Fairy also works for Dr. Banks. There is even a link for people to email Twinkle. So last night K and I sent her an email.

"Hi Twinkle,
My name is Kaylie Hughes and I'm about to turn 4 years old. My first appointment with Dr. Banks in on February 5th and I'm a little bit nervous. My big sister has lost seven teeth and when you come to our house, we like the special notes & fairy dust that you leave by the window. I can't wait until I can lose a tooth so you can visit me too. My big sister said to tell you, "Hi and thank you for leaving money under my pillow for me, and for leaving me my tooth, too"

Love,
Kaylie Hughes

Ps: My Mommy helped me type this!"

And guess what?!?! Today she got an email back!

Dear Kaylie,
Thank you for your wonderful letter. Sparkly teeth make me so happy! I'm excited that you are going to see my friend Dr. Banks. She is very nice! When you go to see Dr. Banks she will have her friends tickle your teeth to make them super sparkly! You will also get a new toothbrush and a prize! Please tell your big sister that I said hi and to keep up the good work wiggling out her teeth! I'm looking forward to visiting you when you lose your first tooth!

Love,
Twinkle

How cute is that!?!? And this is an actual picture of her - it's from their website!

Out of the mouths of babes

2009-01-21T20:04:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week I was getting dressed and Kaylie asked why I wear a bra. My reply was "to keep my privates covered".

I thought that answer satisfied her, but should have known better. She paused for only a second before saying "And to keep your breasteses from wobbling all around?"

Then I heard Mark cracking up from the other room.

Seriously? WOBBLING?!?!?

Field Trip with April & Braeden

2009-01-18T08:36:00.001-08:00

On Thursday, Kaylie and I went on a field trip to the Poulsbo Marine Science Center. We started with pizza slices at Central Market (they have the best, chewiest crust!), the Science Center, then the park to play. A fun day with Auntie April & Cousin Braeden. Can't wait for our next adventure!

Kaylie is watching Sam the octopus. He was amazing. The workers fed him a crab while we were there, which was really something to see. The science center will release Sam into the Puget Sound soon, before he gets too big. YIKES! I had NO idea things like this were around here - and this isn't big yet?!?

This was our last cousin outing - walking the Clear Creek Trails in the cold.

Three Little Hughesies

2009-01-18T08:34:00.001-08:00

Some recent poodle pictures. Funny how first the kids were "monkeys", then "poodles". We now transitioning to "squirrels". Aren't they beautiful? :-)

Kaylie's 1st Day of Preschool

2009-01-07T20:43:00.000-08:00

Today was Kaylie's very first day of preschool! She was supposed to start last Monday, but that day was canceled due to snow, creating much disappointment! She's been so excited to go to school. As soon as we pulled up to her school (Sylvan Way Preschool), she said, "This looks like fun, Mommy!" When we went into her class, she met her teacher, Miss Julie, and went right to playing. No nerves, no tears, no nothing - just ready to go. I managed to hold back the tears until I drove away. I am so proud of my girl - she is so independent and brave and strong!

When I picked her up after school, she was so excited. She said they had so much fun, had crackers and orange juice for a snack, had circle time while sitting criss-cross applesauce, and played. She said she couldn't wait to go back. Yay!

Josh always says that the his favorite part of school is recess, because that's when it's the most fun. When Jessica asked Kaylie today if she had recess, Kaylie replied, "the whole thing was recess". My girl rocked pre-school! Wahooooo!
Stinker wouldn't let me take a before school picture, this is the best I could get. It does, however show her cute outfit and new haircut, which I cut again on Sunday night. Isn't she just too much?

I took this picture in her classroom before I left. (Yes, I was that mom - the crazy one with the camera, trying not to cry) She jumped right into playing and having fun. That's my girl!

Joshua's 7th Birthday

2009-01-07T20:06:00.000-08:00

Monday January 5th was Joshua's 7th birthday! We celebrated by going to Chuck E. Cheese with the Neyman's and the Lewis'. We'll have cake and ice cream with the family this weekend.

Opening presents from us before heading out. Theme of the year? Starwars, Indiana Jones, and of course, new underwear.

Chuck E. Cheese has a dance area that projects the kids up to huge TV screens; they can see themselves dancing. No shy kids in this group! It was like watching Solid Gold!

BFF's Josh and Chris

More Snow

2009-01-04T19:01:00.000-08:00

We sure weren't expecting more snow tonight, but surprise! Kaylie was excited to go outside and play in it so Mark, being the super dad that he is, plugged in the shop light out in the yard and out they went. This is what they built. How did I ever end up with such an amazing family? Just look at those smiles!

Welcoming 2009

2009-01-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

We had a fairly quiet New Years Eve this year. The Neyman's came over, we grilled cheeseburgers, played a some games, enjoyed some wine, and rang in the new year by banging pots and pans on the porch and watching the fire works. Neither Josh nor Kaylie made it until midnight (thank you!!!), but Malia, Avery, & Paxton were still going strong. Nice to ring in the new year safe and happy at home and with good friends! Happy New Year to all!

Christmas Day

2008-12-29T19:20:00.000-08:00

The stockings & presents that Santa left for the monkeys. Looks like they were good this year, after all!

Santa brought Kaylie the Abby Cadabby doll that she wanted

He left Joshua a Star Wars Transformers kit

And for Malia, a Vet kit with a puppy

Here Malia is checking out the crumbs that Santa left. This year when the kids visited Santa, Malia asked him what he'd like us to leave out for him and he requested sugar cookies and milk. We also left carrots for the reindeer. We figured Santa must eat in a hurry so that he can get all the presents delivered - he seems to be a messy eater.

It's become tradition to open stockings and see what Santa brought, then take a coffee / hot chocolate break before opening any other presents. This was especially necessary when the kids would wake up at 5:30 to open presents. This year, the little darlings slept until 7:40. (Although Kaylie did come down at 4:30 to see if Santa had come yet )

Linda with her new towels

Marky Mark

Baby Braeden ... I just love this picture.

Kaylie showing off the new leg warmers that Auntie Mindy knit for her. Toooo cute!

Mark and his dad

Malia modeling the scarf that Auntie Mindy knit.

Baby Braeden giving Kaylie some cousin love.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight...

Christmas Eve

2008-12-29T19:09:00.001-08:00

We had another wonderful Christmas Eve at my mom & dad's house in Edmonds. I think this could be my favorite night of the year!

If you remember one of the posts this summer, it had my mom's cows from Camano and these are some pictures from that weekend. The biggest one is a water color done by the one and only Shirley Hoyt of Hillsboro Oregon (also known as Lisa's mom). She asked if she could paint the cows and it turned out beautifully! I was so happy to be able to give it to my mom for Christmas! (Thank you, Shirley - you're the best!!)

Camerin & Keith

The special feather angel ornament that each of the Gibb girls has on our tree. This one is mom's.

Kaylie and her favorite person on earth - her Auntie Camerin!

The men & boys

And the women... the girls were too busy playing

Uncle Keith, doing what he does best.

The hummingbird out the kitchen window

Merry Christmas to all!

2008-12-24T08:05:00.001-08:00

Winter Wonderland!

2008-12-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

We have so much snow, and it's still falling! This afternoon Mark, Kaylie, and I made this igloo in the yard. So cold, so fun!

The eagles seems to be loving the snow. We've seen several today.

Mark and K in the igloo

K peeking out the igloo window

Marky Mark snacking on an icicle

The kids swinging in the snow

Miscellaneous Winter

2008-12-15T10:47:00.001-08:00

Heading out to see Jessica's singing performance. She was amazing!

Kaylie's new haircut. She's got some wild curls back again now that it's shorter!

Johnathan blowing in the wind.

Kaylie and Mark's first snowman of the year. Isn't he cute?

Pretty fountain picture that Mark took

This is the SUNRISE - yes, they were playing out in the snow THAT early! :-)

K's snow angel

Mr. and Mrs. Hughes

2008-12-13T11:20:00.000-08:00

The Newest Hughes Mac Geek

2008-12-13T11:08:00.001-08:00

The Tree - she's a beauty!

2008-12-13T11:06:00.001-08:00

We love Dad!

2008-12-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

Monkeys Gone Wild

2008-12-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

Spoiling Our Girl

2008-12-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

Kaylie's favorite new activity: taking a foot bath. Preferably with hot chocolate & while watching a movie. Our little diva!

Christmas Tree Cutting

2008-12-13T10:49:00.000-08:00

Night out on the town

2008-12-01T19:22:00.001-08:00

It has become tradition that to celebrate Mark and Mike's birthdays, we all go do something fun together. This year, it was out for a fantastic Thai dinner, a comedy show at the Admiral Theater, then wine at Anthony's. It was a great night with great friends! Thanks, guys!

A beautiful Dyes Inlet morning

2008-12-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

Mark took these pictures Sunday morning... so pretty!

"Our" mountain
"Our" seagull, Jonathan, right on time for breakfast!

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-01T19:09:00.000-08:00

Our first Thanksgiving visitors were a dock full of seals! I think we counted 13 of them!!!

Our birdie coming out of the oven!

Who could ever say that these two don't look like each other?

Grammy and Kaylie just couldn't wait to taste the turkey!

Grammy & Kaylie
Mark and his mom

A perfect dinner for four! We re-named Linda "Grammy Gravy!"

So thankful for my girl!

My Little Cheeseball

2008-11-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

Cabin Weekend

2008-11-23T21:27:00.001-08:00

Mark, Kaylie and I spent the weekend up at the Hide-A-Way at Crystal Mountain (Thanks, Cam!) We had a great time: lots of R &R, tortilla soup, wine, & walks. We drove up to the ski lodge to play in the snow, & Kaylie just loved it. On the way up, she told us that she knew what snow was, but wasn't sure if she could remember playing in it. She made a snow angel, rolled around, and ate a LOT of snow. We explored down at the river, crunched the ice, and hurried back to the cabin to warm up.
Mark & Kaylie's snow angels!

Thumbs up!

It was sooo icy cold!
Day One:
12:30 Arrived at cabin - it is @#&*! C O L D up here! Fire started, heat on, unpacked
1:00 Cookie, cashew, & milk break
1:20 Vacuum cookie & cashew crumbs
1:30 Listening to Kaylie sing Jingle Bells. Happy!
1:35 Freezing & still wearing coat, sweater, & scarf.
1:45 Mark is channelling Camerin by sweeping cobwebs off the ceiling
1:46 Finally warm enough to take off coat
2:00 Wishing for snow!
2:18 In my happy place - cooking Tortilla soup, listening to music, enjoying a glass of wine
2:25 Not loving the old school garlic press
3:00 Kaylie is loving playing with marbles; sad we can't find "Kiki's Delivery Service"
5:00 Dinner guests!! Chance meeting with Chris & Laura who spent the day hiking at Crystal.
8:00 Catching up on reading & shows in front of the fire; K tucked in and sleeping.
Fell asleep on the couch, we headed up to bed & tried to guess what time it was. Our guesses were 12:45 & 1:15. Actual time? 9:45!! G'night!

Day Two:
6:56 Kaylie is wide awake and ready to play
7:30 Coffee & hot chocolate in front of the fire, talking about how to spend our day
8:00 Thanksgiving menu & shopping list complete
8:30 Mark's chopping wood, I start breakfast, Kaylie's having a "Hannah Montana moment"
9:00 Pancakes & Bacon! Mmmmmm
9:30 The big spiders are warming up and coming out to visit. Yikes.
9:35 Fear Factor: Are you brave enough to shower at the cabin? YES WE ARE!
10:00 Games & puzzles
10:45 Kaylie declares "I'm going to eat snow!" We're off to Crystal.
11:00 How can I be this surprised, every year, at how cold snow is? Brrrr!
1:00 Back to the cabin after snow & river play
1:20 More tortilla soup
2:00 Nap on the couch while Mark and K play upstairs
4:45 Heading home!

My Brave Girl

2008-11-20T21:57:00.000-08:00

Today Kaylie got her flu shot, and she was the bravest girl in the world. No tears, no yelling, just sheer bravery (and a few seconds of lower lip quivering). I think it was harder on me than it was on her. Of course, as everyone knows, after you have a shot you get to have ice cream, so tonight Mark and Kaylie went to the store to pick out the ice cream and had a little "Brave Girl Party". I am so very proud of her!

The Real Reason Earplugs Were Invented

2008-11-20T21:55:00.000-08:00

Walking the Clear Creek Trail

2008-11-20T21:48:00.001-08:00

Last weekend we walked the Clear Creek Trail in Silverdale. It was a gorgeous fall afternoon and we had a great time.

We even met some new cow friends

In the end, it was a little too far for Kaylie to walk, so she hitched a ride.

SBK

2008-11-03T09:12:00.001-08:00

This morning Kaylie and I put on our boots and did a little puddle jumping in the driveway - a favorite sport of K's. I think monkey pajamas and polka dot boots make a fantastic outfit!

Hangin' out with Dad

It's a Hughes Halloween!

2008-11-01T13:53:00.001-07:00

The Kiddos on the way to trick or treat

Boba Fet Josh, Power Ranger Chris, and Imperial Clone Gabe

Us

Pumpkin Weekend on Camano

2008-10-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had our annual Gibb/Lashley/Hughes Pumpkin Weekend. This year we spent the weekend at my parent's house on Camano. We had amazing weather (Mom claims it's ALWAYS sunny on Camano), played cards, went to the pumpkin patch, carved pumpkins (barefoot, outside in the sun - so strange for Washington weather!), had s'mores in the fire pit the boys made this summer, launched apples into the bay via slingshot (and almost launched Josh), played at the beach, and had one of the best costume debuts ever. It was a great weekend!

Another great costume debut!

Cousin Bailey

Three little Hughespoodles sitting on a tree...

Sisters!

The cousins

This is what we look like after a long day of kids and pumpkin carving...

Kaylie likes her marshmallows raw - on the stick, but no need to put them near the fire

Malia likes her roasted to a "dark white" with chocolate, no graham crackers

Josh likes his quick charred - just blow the flames out and eat!

Can you believe that this is how we carved our pumpkins? Looks more like summer!

SBK got into my purse and found my glasses and my gum. Can't you just see her as a teenager here? Y I K E S ! !

Marky Mark's Birthday Weekend

2008-10-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

Mark turned 36 today, October 12th. We celebrated with a dinner party on Saturday with some of our favorite people in the world, then cake and ice cream with the Hughes clan on Sunday. Two cakes in two days... you can't beat that! Happy Birthday, Love!

What do you think he wished for?

Kaylie and "Uncle Crabby", who Kaylie told me today is "the oldest uncle!"

Mr. and Mrs. Lashley

Mark and his monkeys, waving the birthday pennant that Malia made. Malia wrote Mark a poem that said in part, "Columbus Day may be tomorrow, but you're more important than Columbus will ever be!"

Josh raking the yard (really, this isn't child labor - this was the only pile he raked!)

Peek-a-Josh
Us

The future ballerina (this is what we get when Kaylie picks out her "party clothes")

Baby Braeden is hardly a baby anymore!

Melinda, Ken & Mark

Josh and Baby Braeden cuddling in the yard

SBK at the end of the weekend, fresh out of the bath and ready for bed

Jammies and books in front of the fire... a perfect way to end the weekend. We wore SBK out this weekend, she was asleep by 6:30! Goodnight!

Miscellaneous

2008-10-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

Three Little Hughesies

Sometimes, at the end of a long day, when nobody is looking, Josh and Kaylie stop picking on each other long enough to remember how much they really do love each other.

Our girl has a problem - and it's called Cheetos. Yes, she is actually sleeping, still orange faced & fingered, and not letting go of the bag. She is my daughter, isn't she?

Beautiful Malia

And just because... another self portrait.

My girl - what a ham!

2008-10-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

Kaylie's eyes are getting greener and greener - just like both of her Grandpas!

New Addictions

2008-10-06T17:23:00.000-07:00

It's funny because I always thought that Mark was the computer uber dork in the family. Turns out it may be me. I am newly, totally, addicted to Twitter and Facebook. I am spending far too much time on the internet, learning far too much about others, and enjoying it far too much. Let me know if you're on either! xoxo

Pear Mystery - S O L V E D !!!

2008-09-27T13:26:00.001-07:00

Bryan and Tracy McConaughy, of the Gig Harbor McConaughys were officially charged today with Pear Larceny in the 3rd degree. Upon interrogation, they plead guilty to the crime. No plea bargains were made, bail was set at one bottle of wine, and a hearing for sentencing has been set for Tuesday. With no prior convictions, it is suspected that the judge will comply with a request for leniency. Their motive was stated to be "boys that really like pears". No futher investigations will be made at this time. This case is now offically closed.

Quote of the Day

2008-09-25T14:19:00.001-07:00

"Please stop licking the car, Kaylie"

A Pear Mystery - Reward Offered!

2008-09-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know us well have surely been given a bag of pears lately. Or maybe we forced them upon you, but in either case, we had more pears than we could eat. We finally gave away just enough so that we were left with a manageable sized bag. Our bag of well loved, perfectly peary pears lived on our front porch (sounds tacky, I know, but they were happy there - continuing to ripen in the fresh air and being outside meant that the fruit flies weren't in my kitchen.) So here we are... loving our delicious pears, the pears we kept for ourselves, the pears that we harvested with our own hands and guess what... today we came home from work and our bag of pears was gone. Just like that - gone. All that fiber, all that pear goodness, just gone. And really, it's not that the pears were taken that bothers me - I would have given them to anyone who asked. The fact that someone was on our front porch while we were gone is what bothers me. Weird, huh? Do you know anything about the case of the missing pears?

My Laugh for the day

2008-09-22T15:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, I do realize that it's probably very wrong to post this picture, but I just can't help it. It makes me laugh too much. Kaylie is now very independent and likes dressing herself. Unfortunately pants are usually put on backwards (seems uncomfortable to me, but she doesn't mind) and panties are often put on... sideways. Somehow she gets the little tiny leg hole up around her waist. If that isn't bad enough, sideways panties seem to only cover one bunny. Who knew?

I will be in so much trouble when Kaylie learns to post pictures and starts getting me back for things like this. Ha!

Summer Cookie Challenge Winner!!!

2008-09-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

This is the cookie that won our Summer Cookie Challenge. It was chewy, chocolatey, and just about perfect. Amazing with vanilla ice cream, perfect warm out of the oven. Enjoy!

Chewy Chocolate Toffee Cookies

1 1/4 cups butter or margarine, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 Heath Candy Bars, crushed

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until well blended.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in Heath Bar crumbles. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, and place on lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan 1 minute; remove to wire racks to cool.

Cookie Challenge, Second Place

2008-09-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

Lime Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar, divided
Zest of 2 limes (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature*
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour

1. Beat butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and lime zest on medium speed with an electric mixer fitted with a paddle until lightly creamed. Add sour cream, and beat just until blended. Stir in egg yolks and lime juice, scraping down sides of bowl. Add salt, baking powder, and flour, and beat until blended. Chill dough 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar, and place on baking sheets.

3. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until edges begin to brown; bottoms will look light golden. (For crispier cookies, bake a few additional minutes.) Remove to wire racks to cool.

*Remove eggs from refrigerator, and place in a bowl for 30 minutes.

Raise Your Hand if You Like Candy!

2008-09-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

Scaring a Mom to Death

2008-09-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Kaylie was playing outside and Mark came in to say, "You've got to see this! Kaylie's up the tree!" I was guessing that she climbed a few feet off the ground. Nope - not our girl. She went all the way to the top and was a good 20 feet off the ground. Look close - that's her smiling little face poking out between the branches. After climbing down with spotting by Mark, we plucked the tree out of her hair and made her promise not to do it again. This girl is giving me wrinkles.

Welcome Baby Girl!

2008-09-17T20:17:00.008-07:00

My friend Jayna gave birth to her second little girl, Emma Renae, on September 16th . Emma is welcomed by Jayna, Ed, and 2-year old big sister Paige. Jayna and I lived together in Connecticut and had many, many fun adventures together. I am so happy for you, Jayna! Congratulation! I miss you terribly! XXOO!

Emma Renae
6 lbs. 14 oz
18.5"

We're baaaack!!

2008-09-17T20:17:00.007-07:00

Sorry for the long delay in posts... we were having computer problems, but we're back in the game! Hope you've been well! Enjoy!

September Sunrise

2008-09-17T20:17:00.006-07:00

Mark took this picture the other morning. While it's hard to see the sun coming up later and later, She's still giving us quite a show!

Malia's 9th Birthday

2008-09-17T20:17:00.005-07:00

We celebrated Malia's 9th birthday with a Barbie Princess party complete with Barbie Cupcakes, an ice cream sundae bar and a pinata. What more could a girl ask for - friends, family, sunshine, sugar, & Barbie... a perfect day! Malia was completely spoiled with amazing gifts of a Nintendo DS, an American Girl doll and book set, Webkins, clothes, gift certificates, art supplies... and much much more. She is one loved girl!

It was a full house
Some of the men folk

The birthday girl and BFC (best friend Cousin) Avery

Another guest of honor

Uncle Keith got a little carried away with the whipping cream. Mark thought we should offer a prize to the person who comes up with the best comment for this picture.

Chris & Josh

The pinata line up. Braeden got the first whack... Chris got the whack that brought the whole thing down.

Marty found other uses for the smashed pieces of pinata. I think I'll forward this one to the school board!

Grandpa Bob and Grandma Nicki - my wonderful parents!

Malia and Kari

Braeden always loves a party

Our Tree Climbing Girl

2008-09-17T20:17:00.004-07:00

(Check it out - our girl wears panties now!!!!)

Ken's 70th Birthday

2008-09-17T20:17:00.003-07:00

Mark's dad, Ken, turned 70 in August and we were so proud to host his birthday bash! Happy Birthday, Ken!
The birthday boy and his brothers Fred, Jim, & Frank

Fruit of Fall

2008-09-17T20:17:00.001-07:00

We're knee deep in fruit off our trees and loving it - we've been eating pears and plums like it's going out of style. Sooo goood! Sadly, our apple tree didn't produce a single apple this year.

Camano

2008-08-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

Did you know that 10:30am is the universal time for feeding cows? :-)

The Potty Update

2008-08-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

So after all the bribing, encouraging, & pleading that we could come up, I think (dare I say it?) Kaylie may have decided to be done with this whole potty training thing. Friday morning she came down the stairs carrying her piggy bank (that is actually a bunny) and said, "If I stay dry all day long, can we go to McDonald's tonight?" I said, "Of Course!" and guess what - SHE DID IT! Not only did she stay dry all day, including through her nap, but she's been dry ever since - even overnight last night. She is 100% a pantie girl. To be honest, she did have one accident today, but we'd been in the car for 3+ hours and she was asleep, so I totally don't think that counts. Oh, and she used a port-a-potty for the first time "Ewwww! Yuck!" I don't think she'll be asking to do that anytime soon! Keep your fingers crossed for us! (Oh - and how funny is it that SHE bribed US to go to McDonalds?!?)

I Packed My Bags To Go To Grandma's

2008-08-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

And in it I put:
Apple laptop, beach bag, coffee, donuts, everything, flip flops, (my) girls, hair products, ice cream, Josh, kayak, lemon bars, magic, Nano, ostrich, purse, Quizno's sub, Range Rover, smoothie, tanning bed, uniqueness, vagina, wonderful wife, xerus (swishy tailed), your car, & zedonk.

Goodbye Summer!

2008-08-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

I am soooo looking forward to fall. I think I'm officially done with summer. Done with dirty barefoot feet, sunscreen, and kids up at 5:30am just because the sun is up. Today was the perfect teaser for fall... cool and crisp, a few rain showers, a little sun. Tonight we have a fire burning in the living room (ok, in all honesty, we are about to open the doors because it's getting really hot in here), I'm having an absolutely lovely glass of red wine (a super juicy full Malbec from Argentenia), and we have our "fall" music playing (you've gotta love these: Beth Orton, Jamie Cullum, with a little Louis Armstrong thrown in for good flavor). Mark is tucking the kids in bed (after blow drying Malia's hair - what a good, good Dad!). Chances are we'll play a few rounds of Dominoes tonight, because that is our official "sport" of fall and we are pretending that she has arrived.

Other fall favorites:

Walking Bainbridge Island, window shopping, kicking the leaves on the streets, stopping for hot apple cider and lemon bars
New dark wash jeans, boot cut, with just a touch of stretch (nice & long of course), a cozy chunky knit sweater, & new fall foxy black boots with a great heel.
Evenings at home with wine, a crackling fire & dominoes
Children asleep by 8:00
Rich pasta, soups, & more wine
Our wedding anniversary (it's no accident that we got married in the late fall)
Catching up on books - summer is just too busy to read all those books that are stacking up on my nightstand.
Knitting - it's time to start knitting scarves!!!

So Goodbye, Summer! You've treated us well, but we're ready to say goodbye... Ciao!

She's growing up!

2008-08-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

This morning Kaylie packed her own backpack to go to "school". I have no idea what she packed in it, but I'm sure it's a fine assortment of animals, toys & books. She also picked out her shoes and put them on (the wrong feet, I noticed later). It just made my heart skip a beat when I realized how fast she's growing up. She is so strong and independent and so little, all at the same time. I wish I could keep her at this age a little longer.

2008-08-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

Duuuude! Check out Josh and his totally rad faux hawk (and the gnarly bruise on the forehead to go with hit!)

And SBK's lovely Goldilocks. Did you know that she gets her curls from Mark? He used to have one seriously curly mullet. How hot is that?!?

Putting Our Lives in the Hands of Carnies

2008-08-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

Saturday we went to the Hydroplane races in Silverdale. Unfortunately due to the weather (high winds, and later rain) the hydros never even made it in the water. We did, however, throw all caution to the wind and handed our children over to the grinning, toothless carnies and their rickety death trap rides. (I'm sorry - that's rude. One of the carnies had a few teeth)

Check out SBK's grin as she goes on her first motorcycle ride (And her last, says Mark!)

Cotton candy was the snack of choice, of course. Nobody could determine which was better - the pink or the blue. It's all good!

For ride #2, Malia chose "The Octopus". It was a very brave choice.. perhaps too brave. A few times around and I had to ask them to stop the ride so a very shaken Malia could get off.

And then we played at the park for awhile before the rains hit. (Hard to believe that it was raining sideways 20 minutes after these picture!)

Last week when we went to the park, Malia went across the monkey bars 30 times and came home with blisters on both hands. She toned it down to 6 crossings this time.

We ended the day with a carnival theme dinner at home: corn dogs, nachos, and root beer floats. There will be time for veggies and hummus tomorrow.

A great Malia picture

2008-08-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

Malia is going to be NINE in September - I can't believe how fast she's growing up - or how gorgeous she is!

House Update - Painting is almost done!

2008-08-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

So here she is! She's not finished, but we're getting there. Can you believe how much of a difference paint made? We still have a second coat on the trim, then the porches and the garage doors to paint but we can tell our little old house is feeling pretty!

A not so good idea

2008-08-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

I heard from someone (who will remain nameless) that sometimes it helps encourage kids to potty train if they have to clean up their pants when they have an accident. Hey, I'll try anything once if it might help the cause... here is how it went down:

Last night SBK was outside in her bikini, playing in the water and running around. Sure enough, I hear "Moooommmmy!!! I need to be cleaned up" - a sure sign that she has poopie panties (or bikini in this case). So we march into the bathroom and I explain to her how she is going to clean up and wash out her swimsuit bottoms. (I know, just writing this I now hear how ridiculous this sounds.) We start out great, she takes off her suit and tries to shake the "stuff" into the toilet. No go. She shakes harder. No go. It's like a slingshot at this point and I'm getting scared. I asked her to slow down and try to shake out her suit into the toilet a little more carefully. This is when she grabs the suit and is holding the "stuff" in the palm of her hand (it's still inside the suit, so she's not actually touching it). In slow motion she looks at it closely.... then closes her hand into a fist... squeezing the poo everywhere.

I'm pretty sure I'm losing my mind.

Planning Ahead

2008-08-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday there was a catalog in the mail that had some Halloween costumes in it. The kids got to thinking and this is what we have so far:

Joshua - "An Imperial Storm Trooper"
Kaylie - "A beautiful butterfly"
Malia - "Too soon to decide"

I'm guessing this will change no less than 47 times between now and October 31st... we'll keep you posted.

The Painting of the House

2008-08-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

It's coming along beautifully! Thanks to Jason, Bryan, Robert, and especially Marty (the paint pro who has been putting in overtime at our place)! The house is looking great... the body is finished and the trim work starts tomorrow. Mark is exhausted, today was a 6am to 8pm day, but there is an end in sight.

Thanks Lisa for loaning us your husband! We love you!

We'll post pictures tomorrow!

Monkeys in the Sun

2008-08-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

Kaylie and Little Avery in their matching dresses.

One Eyed Packarooster - the day before his 10th birthday

SBK wanted to surf so bad but her mean mommy wouldn't take her down to the beach, so she made do with the puddle in the driveway. My girl rocks!

Flowers & Love

2008-08-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

Today Mark brought me a dozen gorgeous white roses - the same flowers that we had at our wedding and it got me thinking of our wedding and our vows. Just thought I'd post them because they make me happy.

Mark:
"I take you, Leslie, to be my wife,
My partner in life and my true love.
I promise to love you unconditionally,
To be your best friend,
To respect and support you,
To be patient with you,
To work together to achieve our goals
And to dance with you when we are 100.
With this ring, I marry you
I am honored to be your husband."

Leslie:
"I take you Mark, to be my husband, my partner in life, and my true love.
I promise to trust you and respect you
Laugh with you and cry with you
I will support you, and love you unconditionally as we continue our life together.
I promise you my friendship, my heart, and my love from this day forward.
With this ring, I marry you
I am honored to be your wife"

Lovely.

We've decided to keep her

2008-08-02T14:59:00.001-07:00

You may have been one of the lucky ones that did not get a phone call from me last Thursday. But if you were not so lucky and you received my tearful, "Kaylie's gone mad - I think we're going to have to send her to boarding pre-school" call - then I thank you. Although nobody had any real answers on how to make it through the day with this edgy child, we did survive and I'm pleased to announce that we have decided to let Kaylie stay in the family. By the way, when I called my dear, OLDER sister for motherly advice - all she did was laugh. In fact, I believe her comment was, "Thank God it's not just my kids!"

Kaylie must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Or maybe the wrong side of the room... she was cranky from the minute the sun came up.

A little history: nearly every morning, Kaylie comes down stairs and asks for hot chocolate. Nearly every morning we say yes and she curls up on the couch with her blanket and "cocoa chocolate". Then my charming child finishes her drink and hucks the cup under the couch. (Honestly - we didn't know this for the longest time. Where are all the @&# cups going?!?! I think it may have been Mike that looked under the couch one day and found them. The old hot chocolate cups, the stinky chunky milk cups, a kids plate... it was all there. Seriously, this is why I could never have worked as a house keeper. It just doesn't cross my mind that there might be dirty dishes UNDER THE COUCH!!!

But back to the point... Thursday morning, Kaylie had her cup of HC and I reminded her that if she didn't bring her cup into the kitchen and put it in the sink when she's done then she won't get HC the next day. She gives me the "OK Mommy!" and trots off to the living room. I gave her a minute (she does drink like a true Hughes) and go check on her. Her cup, of course, was upside down on (not under) the couch. I asked her to take it to the kitchen and she growled (really - a growl!) at me as she picked up the cup. Apparently this was NOT the wisest time to inform her that she wouldn't be having her beloved HC the next day, because my dear, sweet, loving child then looked me in the eye and threw her cup right at my head. Luckily I'm tall and she's only three - she missed.

And it was all down hill from there...

After too much time and too many tears (both mine and hers) battling this child, and with Malia and Josh literally hiding from her in the basement, I realized that we needed a serious change of scenery. I packed up all the kids and headed to the park. I figured that either a) she would run hard and work out all of her aggressions or b) the other moms at the playground would intervene if I tried to kill her.

I honestly saw her worst behavior that day. It was downright ugly and horrific like something off The Super Nanny where one might watch and think, "That poor dysfunctional family - get that kid some meds!" (What kind of mom does this make me?) But... we have managed to make up and for some reason, she's been a perfect angel of a child for two days now. We are all getting along beautifully, she's listening & following rules & being polite and nice. I think we'll keep her after all. (And no, she has not had any more hot chocolate as she is on hot chocolate restriction until next Wednesday.)

Wish us luck with this girl... we're gonna need it!

Malia & Molly

2008-07-28T11:55:00.001-07:00

Malia's friend Molly is moving to Minnesota tomorrow so they had one last play date today. Bye, Molly! Malia will miss you lots!

Making Lisa Proud

2008-07-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

My BFF Lisa is the only girl I know who curls her eyelashes several times a day, carries MULTIPLE eyelash curlers with her, can do both eyes at the same time, and has even been known to CWD (curl while driving). I know that Lisa will be proud to see that Kaylie found my eyelash curler and knew exactly what to do with it. I can only assume that since I never use it, Kaylie must have known what it's for by seeing Lisa use hers. (note the shoes that she's wearing... too cute!)

Chelan, Summer 2008

2008-07-27T21:22:00.001-07:00

I love my family! We spend a several hot, fun days in Chelan with my sister and her family. We had a great time, lounged at the beach, played in the boat, went wake boarding, swam, ate great food, hit the water slides... Thank you so much, Camerin and Keith! We love you!

We were soooo sad to leave The Quail's Nest!

This was right before Kaylie fell asleep and took a good half hour nap in her life jacket in the middle of the beach. Camerin and I had to fight off all the ducks who were trying to peck my baby girl while she slept. (Or maybe they were trying to eat all the Goldfish crackers the kids dropped in the sand, we couldn't be sure.)

Jill and John Kain
Us!
Keith Lashly - Your Lender for Life
This could be my favorite picture of the weekend
Avery, Austin, Malia, & Josh going for a ride.
Scooter Summer Olympics. After the kids were tucked in and sleeping, we'd hop on their scooters and race around the loop. A hysterically fun time.

Barbie Scooter + John + Speed bump = injury. Luckily Camerin brought some Sponge Bob band aids.

Even though there is no head in the picture, I swear this is me wake boarding. My old body was sore for d a y s !!

Keith & Austin Driving the boat. After Austin got a concussion on day 1 of wake boarding, he was bumped to driver instead of boarder.

Hey Austin:

What time is it?
Have we gone to the hospital?
How long have we been here?
Where are the girls?
Is this worse than last time?

We love you, Austie and are so glad you didn't get hurt worse!

It just wouldnt be summer vacation with the Lashley's if one of the kids didn't get hurt. (Knock on wood, but we just may make it though a summer without stitches this year!)

A day at the waterslides

2008-07-27T21:09:00.001-07:00

John, Keith, Mark & Josh - the sliding men of 2008

"The Mushroom" was Kaylie's 2nd favorite part of the waterslides - only behind the hot tub. We learned that there are sliders and non-sliders. SBK is a non-slider.

My poor burning scalp - I bought this sweet hat to keep my scorched head covered. Have I ever told you how much I looove the Variety Store in Chelan? Love it!

Sweet Avery
Sweet Austin
Sweet Malia
And Sweet Josh

The girls got airbrush tattoos as the water park. These are Malia's dolphins

Avery's red devil
And Kaylie's black shark. No sweet little flowers or butterflies for our edgy girl! Jill taught her to flex her bicep and say, "Talk to the shark!"