in the midst of it all

new blog

2011-05-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

i started a new blog in hopes of staying more updated than this one. please follow me over to:

http://agirlandherboys.blogspot.com/

4 months

2011-04-24T19:11:00.001-07:00

So, as you can probably tell from lack of posts in the past month life is busy. Very busy. I went back to work starting April 1st and even though it's just 10 hours a week, it's amazing how much 'time' that adds to the family schedule. But between work, preschool, Easter, birthdays and other such things April has flown by. And here we are with a 4 month old. Almost 4 1/2 month old actually. We are entering my favorite age with babies. The put-me-down-and-let-me-play-but-I-won't-move-anywhere stage. Very happy, very content babies. Love it! We are getting lots of smiles from Mack and a few giggles as well. Although those are harder to come by. He's a sweet boy who's growing like crazy and loves to watch his older brother! More on Finn to come later. Life is very busy but very full. We are happy. :)

3 months old!

2011-03-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Finn!

2011-01-24T14:19:00.001-08:00

FIX sugar - confront your craving

2011-01-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

Check out our friend's new online candy boutique - www.fixsugar.com

Favorites include: Sir Francis Bacon, Lesley's Gourmet, Morning Glory, and Tavalon Tea!

4 weeks old

2011-01-13T14:07:00.001-08:00

Mack-attack (as we like to call him) is 4 weeks old today! Where has the last month gone??? (Actually, I could probably account for it in the span of hours-spent-nursing but I'll spare you the details.) Mack is a great sleeper and for the most part, a pretty mellow guy. Finn has been a great big brother and enjoys helping Mom change diapers and play with 'baby Mack.' He's very proud of Mack and introduces him to everyone we meet. We are still adjusting to life with 2 but so far its been pretty smooth. Loving life with our 2 boys!

3 weeks

2011-01-04T15:23:00.001-08:00

brothers :)

2011-01-04T15:22:00.001-08:00

First bath!

2010-12-27T12:14:00.001-08:00

Mack is here!

2010-12-17T19:24:00.000-08:00

Run and tell that. Run and tell that. Mack was born on Dec. 16 at 4:49 p.m. He was 8 lbs. 3 oz 19 inches long. He's healthy. Heidi's healthy. And when finn first saw him, he said, "Look, it's baby Mack attack attack." They are going to be quite the duo. Heidi is one tough beautiful.

2010-12-17T19:23:00.000-08:00

2010-12-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

2010-12-17T19:19:00.000-08:00

2010-12-17T19:16:00.000-08:00

the first of 29 pics

2010-12-17T18:53:00.000-08:00

They have a bed for us . . .

2010-12-16T05:39:00.000-08:00

Heidi called the delivery ward at 5 in the morning, and Tacoma General has a bed for us! So we're headed over there in a few minutes (it's 5:40 a.m. now). Keep us in your prayers for a safe delivery for heidi and a healthy baby.

Preschool Christmas Program

2010-12-13T11:54:00.001-08:00

Looking sharp getting ready to go to the program.

He did a great job ringing the bells and doing the motions with his hands. Not much singing but honestly I was just glad he got up on stage. Cutest program ever! Hoping to upload a short video later on.

Update on baby Mack

2010-12-09T11:55:00.000-08:00

Shaun and I went in for our 'extra' ultrasound this morning and we so pleased to see all good news. Mack's kidneys are doing great, they were holding no extra liquid and were a great size. They were not concerned at all and told us he could not be more healthy. We are so thankful for everyone's prayers with us this past week, its so scary to find out something might be wrong and I can't imagine facing the reality of 'what could have been' without having trust in God. I'm so grateful to find hope and peace in Christ and thankful Mack is healthy. Even if we would have heard the worst news today, I know that Christ would have been our hope throughout.

Makes this season extra special for us this year.

Merry Christmas!

Awaiting Baby Mack

2010-12-06T15:30:00.001-08:00

There will be no picture to accompany this post due to the fact that I'm not stepping near a camera at this size.

That being said, we've had mostly great news with the impending arrival of Mack. Our 37 week ultrasound showed a very large, but very healthy baby boy. There is a possibility that his kidneys are holding too much liquid but its something they are watching, no one seems too concerned for now. We will know more when he arrives! For now we are praying for a safe, healthy, EARLY delivery for both Mom and baby. (Well, mostly Momma is praying for the early part.) I've just about had it with all of this false labor and not quite sure how many more days of this I can take. Luckily I have a great doctor who's very willing to hear me out and assist a 38 week pregnant, crazy woman. Poor Shaun, I've cried so much these past 3 weeks that he's just started giving me hugs right when he comes home instead of asking how my day was.

Baby Mack - we are ready for you to come! Everything is in place - cleaned and prepped - now we just need you!

Excited for whats ahead . . .

Snow

2010-12-06T15:26:00.001-08:00

This post is a little belated but during the week of Thanksgiving we had some snow and ice to preview the winter ahead. (Although now its like 50 degrees and sunny.) Finn and I got a few chances to get out and explore. Nothing like Thomas the Train boots to make for a great walk in the snow! Hopefully we'll see some more snow before the years end. Disclaimer - not on the night I go into labor, please.

Practice Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T11:39:00.001-08:00

This year I decided to finally tackle the big Thanksgiving turkey dinner. Instead of choosing to ruin a perfectly good Thanksgiving day however, I decided to practice it the week before on some great friends. It's a good idea to pick people who won't end the friendship over possible food poisoning. Which thankfully, we did. ;)

I made the turkey, stuffing, rolls, and cranberry sauce while other friends brought the yams and pumpkin pie. Great idea to spread out the love of food when you only have 1 oven to work. The timing can get a little crazy towards the end. I learned a lot this year, roasted my first turkey, set my first Thanksgiving table, hosted great friends. There are definitely things I will change for the next time I try the whole dinner - lots more stuffing, a bigger turkey, and I probably won't use an oven bag to cook the turkey but try something new instead. But I wouldn't change the setting - only hoping to add more friends and family next year!

And, as far as I know, no one got food poisoning. ;)

Happy Halloween from Woody!

2010-11-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

Silly boy on Halloween. I think he had more fun handing out candy to other kids than getting his own bag-ful. I can't believe he is almost 3 years old!!

a little something to get you in the mood for tomorrow . . .

2010-10-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we took Finn to a local farm that has an amazing Fall Festival. It was perfect for Finn's age. He got to ride a train, play in the hay, get a pumpkin, climb on tractors, take a hay ride and much, much more. Needless to say it was the highlight of his month.

A canoe ride all by himself.

Baby Mack (7 mths) and big brother Finn.

And no I did not steal a pumpkin under my shirt. ;)

The amazing train ride! Nothing topped this for Finn. He talked about it for weeks!

First day of preschool!!

2010-09-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

Finn started preschool this week. As you can tell by the photos he was beyond excited. Not even a wave goodbye for Mom. When he came home afterwards (and took a long nap) he kept asking to go back to school. He wears his backpack around the house and everything. I think it's a hit! I definitely miss having him around 2x a week, but I'm sure come this December I will be grateful for a few hours of quiet time.

6 1/2 months

2010-09-14T18:09:00.001-07:00

A few have asked for pictures of the baby bump. Here it is! Can't believe I still have 3 more months!

Wedding Bells

2010-08-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my brother proposed to his sweet girlfriend down in Oklahoma. It is so incredible to watch your younger brother literally change into a man overnight in your eyes. He could not have picked a kinder, more loving, Godly woman. I may be a bit biased because she is also a Kindergarten teacher. :) We are so excited to have her become a part of our family! Here are a few pics from the engagement. Congrats to David and Natalie!

Summer Pix

2010-07-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

Seems like summer still has not actually come to visit the Northwest this year. When we do get the occasional beautiful day we all venture outside for some vitamin D. Here are some fun pix from our summer so far.

Here's hoping for some more sunshine and warmth!

It's a BOY!!

2010-07-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

We got very exciting news at our 18.5 week ultrasound today. It's a healthy, strong, active baby boy! Finn is going to have a brother come this December. We are so blessed. Praise God!

Macklin David Kempston

otherwise known as:

'Mack'

Boy or Girl?

2010-07-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

We find out this Wednesday whether or not Baby K is a boy or girl. We are so excited! More importantly though, we also find out if Baby K is healthy. Prayers are always appreciated. Any thoughts on whether you think Baby K is a boy or a girl??? Vote on our poll!!

Happy Father's Day Shaun!

2010-06-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

Coming to our family this Christmas!

2010-06-01T14:10:00.003-07:00

Monterey pics 3 - Dennis the Menace Park & Asilomar Beach

2010-04-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

Monterey pics 2 - the Aquarium

2010-04-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

Monterey Pics 1 - Carmel Beach

2010-04-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

love this boy

2010-03-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

even when he's throwing tantrums and screaming 'NO!' there is nothing he could do that would make me love him any less

Gooey Enchilada Casserole - a new favorite!!

2010-03-03T15:12:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of the March 2010 issue of Parents magazine. (A healthy twist on an old fashioned recipe)

2 tsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 Tbs chopped garlic

1 14oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

Pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 lb lean ground beef

1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

8 corn tortillas

1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown meat - adding onion and garlic towards the end (do not overcook or heavily brown). Once meat is cooked add tomatoes, coriander, cumin, oregano, pepper and cook for a few minutes longer. The finished sauce will be a bit chunky. Stir in cilantro.

Warm tortillas to make them easier to roll. Divide the beef mixture and 1/4 cup of cheese among the tortillas and place seam side down in rectangular baking dish. Pour remaining sauce on top and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle on remaining cheese and bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Make 8 servings.

Sewing Expo 2010

2010-02-27T14:57:00.001-08:00

Excited for my new purchases and projects!

World Vision Micro - Fund a loan for the poor

2010-02-11T13:36:00.000-08:00

Great Web site done by World Vision. I was lucky enough to get to write all the copy for the site.

Crashed . . .

2010-02-04T08:56:00.000-08:00

It's hard to be 2 sometimes. :)

Choo Choo Train Birthday!

2010-01-28T22:23:00.000-08:00

A few highlights from Finn's 2nd Birthday!

Birthday Boy! He's excited for his party!

I love this boy. Cannot believe he is 2!

Blowing out the candles on his cake with both of his grandpa's. What a treat!!

Choo Choo Train Cake

Happy Birthday to my big boy!!

2010-01-21T22:39:00.000-08:00

Happy 2nd Birthday sweet boy. You have made me a mother. I love you more than I knew my heart capable of.

Countdown to turning 2

2010-01-11T15:23:00.000-08:00

A reminder of what life was like around this time 2 years ago...

And what life is like now...

Would not have it any other way!! :)

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-23T11:40:00.000-08:00

Another year ends for the Kempston family with 1 Condo listed on the market, an almost 2 - year-old precious little boy, a 3 -year-old crazy puggle, 2 jobs (Shaun's full-time, Heidi's part-time) and over 4 years of marriage. Whew!

I'm excited for what 2010 will bring!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Kempstons.

May you experience Christ's love this holiday season.

Christmas Tree Shopping

2009-12-06T15:30:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Shaun!!

2009-11-22T23:23:00.000-08:00

We love you SO much and are so thankful for all that you do for us. Enjoy your special day!

Anyone need a photographer for family Christmas pictures?

2009-11-10T20:17:00.000-08:00

I know a great one! Her name is Linnea Bergstrom and besides being a great friend she is also an amazing photographer! A few weekends ago she took some fabulous shots of our family down on Ruston Way. Despite a super cranky toddler we got some great pictures! Fabulous Christmas cards to come! Here is her new website:

www.libphotography.com

Check her out!

Happy Halloween from Huckleberry Finn!!

2009-10-31T14:36:00.001-07:00

21 months

2009-10-26T20:28:00.001-07:00

Family Update

2009-10-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

Since its been a while since my last post I thought I would play catch-up with whats happening for us this Fall.

Finn is running circle around us at nearly 21 months. Shaun and I both find ourselves saying '2?' Is he really going to be '2' in January? Crazy! He's finally started talking and our days are now littered with 'Uh-Oh, Dank Doo (thank you), Wuv Woo (love you), Dye (bye), Yay, and Foose (shoes), Helwough (hello), and LNo (Elmo).' Not to forget the ever present 'NO' that we hear quite often. All that said, Finn is the highlight of our lives and we love watching him learn new things like coloring, jumping, playing with his trucks and anything involving kicking/hitting/throwing balls.

Shaun is still working for World Vision as a Writer 2 position in their internal Creative Agency department. He's enjoying the friendships that it brings and we are so grateful for the security of his job. This Fall has also given him the opportunity to receive some freelance copy writing and play Fantasy Football with lots of friends. ;)

I find my weeks busier and busier as I'm now working 10 hours a week for the Children's Ministry Program at our church. I also watch a sweet little boy 2 days a week and am involved in few different bible studies and playgroups as well. Life is moving quickly but we are trying to enjoy each day and the adventures, challenges, and opportunities it brings with it.

Happy Fall from all of us!

San Diego

2009-09-14T20:58:00.001-07:00

Thanks to help from a lot of people I was able to fly down to San Diego for a fun girls weekend! I met up with some of my closest friends for great talks, beautiful sunsets, hilarious adventures, and amazing food. Here are a few pictures from an unforgettable weekend! I miss you girls!

Elmo takes on the SWINE FLU!!

2009-09-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are heading back to school tomorrow. . . be it teaching or learning . . . here are a few tips to keep you happy and healthy and protected from the Swine Flu this year. :)

Maybe you haven't heard . . .

2009-08-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

but I received a sewing machine for my birthday! (Thanks Mom and Dad) Sadly, it has sat a little neglected for the summer due to work/Finn/special projects/Finn/BBQ's/work/shaun's work/vacations/crazy summer/Finn. However, I made my first official purchase of fabric from a fabulous website called Sew Mama Sew and couldn't wait to share it with you all! Here's a little preview of what I'm getting in the mail in a few days.

Ready for school?

2009-08-20T13:23:00.001-07:00

hmmmm . . . :)

Zoo - part 2

2009-08-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

A few more of the Kids Zone at the Zoo . . .

Mom, seriously? Will you stop taking pictures and help me down from this thing?

;)

Zoo - part 1

2009-08-20T13:10:00.001-07:00

Today we went to the Zoo with Mary and cousin Ben. We had so much fun looking at all of the animals. Here are some fun pictures from the day.

Mary and Ben

Our best attempt at a picture

Mom, look! Fishies!

Ben, check this out.

His favorite part was watching the seals swim.

Finn & the Furious Dance Moves

2009-08-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

Serious dance moves. We were watching "You Don't Mess with the Zohan," and Finn starting doing his Kevin Bacon impression. I think we have a future Young Life song leader on our hands.

Happy 30th Mom and Dad!!

2009-08-11T09:48:00.001-07:00

We love you!

Rapper's Delight Roller Babies

2009-07-27T13:35:00.001-07:00

I can't believe we have an 18 month old little boy!

2009-07-22T13:27:00.001-07:00

summer photos

2009-07-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

Father's Day

Hike up in Hood's Canal

playing by the river

silly, sweet, happy boy!

'Eight'

2009-07-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

A sweet, sweet friend from college, Stephanie, tagged me on her blog for this fun list. So, here goes!

Eight things I look forward to...
1. Moving into a bigger home so we can continue growing our family!
2. Getting to see my dear friends, Jen and Kristen, in September
3. The first time Finn says 'I love you Momma'
4. Date nights with Shaun
5. Being able to have all of our friends and family over to our house for holidays and parties
6. Teaching preschool again someday
7. Traveling to Italy - someday!
8. Upcoming Fall season of TV - juicy!

Eight things I did yesterday...

1. Drove thru starbucks (same here Steph!)
2. Worked in the Children's Ministries office at church
3. Went to Target
4. Chatted with my parents
5. Did some laundry
6. Went out to dinner with a great friend at a super yummy restaurant!
7. Read and went to bed
8. Woke up this morning to find out another good friend had gotten engaged!

Eight things I wish I could do...

1. Eat a meal without an 18 month-old running around me in circles
2. Redecorate my house without a budget
3. Run or excercise with ease - ha!
4. Be more comfortable with myself
5. Sleep peacefully at night without thinking of everything else I 'should' be doing
6. Sew
7. Be able to drop everything for Finn to spend time playing instead of finishing my to-do list
8. Finish an entired crossword puzzle all by myself!

8 Shows I Watch:
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Dancing With the Stars
3. The Office
4. The Bachelor/Bachelorette
5. Gossip Girl
6. One Tree Hill
7. Anything and everything that is on the Food Network!
8. I love re-runs of Friends, Gilmore Girls, and Sex and the City (only on TV)

I tag:

Linnea

Moriah (when you get back from vacation) ;)

Allison M.

Allie S.

Melissa O.

Can't wait to see what you write ladies!

A highlight from past week of vacation!

2009-07-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

more to come . . .

Happy Father's Day to a couple of #1 Dads!!

2009-06-20T20:00:00.001-07:00

WE LOVE YOU!

silly boy

2009-06-08T15:25:00.001-07:00

Colorado

2009-06-02T12:02:00.001-07:00

There are too many pictures to count from our fun trip to CO last week. So I thought I'd just give you the highlights from David's graduation. Enjoy!

I can't wait! Sad, but true.

2009-06-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

You did it!

2009-05-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

Way to go, David! You've finished 4 intense, challenging, amazing years at the Air Force Academy. And thats not all you've got to show for it - heading off to Pilot Training in a few months. We are SO proud of you and can't wait to celebrate with you this weekend!

Congrats graduate!

First Tech Support Guy - Ever

2009-05-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Journey of Heidi's Mommahood!

2009-05-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day Heidi!

We love you~ Shaun and Finnegan

Happy Mutha's Day! almost.

2009-05-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

Spring face-lift

2009-04-28T21:47:00.001-07:00

Grow little flowers, grow!

Smelling the flowers

Exploring the 'backyard'

Helping Mommy sweep the finished back patio

The new look of our front door. Love, love, LOVE the welcome mat. (Thanks Mom!)

2009-04-12T22:40:00.000-07:00

I pray for love, more and more
That I might have, a love like Yours
A love that shines, upon the earth
A love that fills the ocean floors

I pray for peace, like rivers flow
I pray for joy, like fountains glow
Faith that moves the mountains to seas
But most of all

I pray for love, like Yours for me
I pray for love, like Yours for me

I pray for love, more and more
That I might have, love like Yours
A love that goes, from east to west
A love that has no height or depth

I pray for peace, like rivers flow
I pray for joy, like fountains glow
I pray for truth and grace over me
I pray for strength, this hope I believe
A faith that moves mountains to seas
But most of all...

Love, Above the Golden State

Meeting the Easter Bunny

2009-04-07T14:00:00.001-07:00

Evidently meeting the Easter Bunny for the first time is a very traumatizing event.

The boys and their Moms from Bible Study ready to hunt for eggs.

Looking for Easter eggs.

Look how many I found!

Owen's Beach

2009-04-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

The weather up in Washington has been incredible this weekend and so we took advantage of the warmth and headed outside. Here we are at Owen's Beach with Finn. He had a pretty good time playing down by the water!

Clapping at the waves.

Looking at rocks with Mommy.

The only picture I could get with his new hat (as you can see, he doesn't like to wear it much).

Tickling our toes in the water with Daddy.

red boots

2009-03-26T22:19:00.000-07:00

14 months

2009-03-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

Finn is now 14 months old and what a difference a month can make. He is walking (pretty much running) everywhere now and with such ease. He's started talking a little bit - can say things like 'waz dat?' and 'Momma' and 'Dadda.' He's pointing to fire trucks, dogs, cars, and trucks. Loves his new red rain-boots and going outside for walks.

Here we are down by the beach on Ruston Way.

He loves to wear his hat around the house.

He's also learning how to feed himself with a spoon.

And our all-time favorite is reading books. Here he is pointing to a

strawberry - one of his favorite things to eat.

Can't wait to see what the next month will bring!

Ladykiller

2009-03-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

Here's finn with his ladykiller eyes.

a favorite

2009-03-04T10:04:00.000-08:00

Finn and I are both home with stuffy noses today so I thought I would throw up a favorite picture of mine. It was taken at the Anderson's house (thank you Lisa!) on Christmas morning. I love this picture because it is such a great example of daily life at our house. Finn loves his daddy and no one makes him laugh as much as Shaun does!

Love my boys!

This time last year...

2009-03-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

Both Shaun and I have been reminiscing lately about what life was like a year ago (Feb 08). The differences between life back then and life today is notable. For instance, last year we were just learning how to be parents with a 1 month old little boy. The lack of sleep, the colic, the craziness of a newborn are all things that stand out to us from that time period. Honestly everything that I try to remember during January and February of '08 is very hazy! And this year we have a toddling 1 year old who says Momma and Dadda, likes to tickle our feet, helps Mommy clean house, loves his puppy dog Oscar, blows kisses, signs for 'more' and 'all-done', says 'night night' to everything in his room before going to sleep, and SLEEPS FOR 12 HOURS STRAIGHT!!! I say this only to give hope to the parents out there who feel like their children will never-ever-as-long-as-you-live sleep through the night. They do. They all do.

Another noticable difference about last year was that we had just discovered mold growing along our hallway and had to move into my parents house temporarily while things were being fixed. Now the house is doing pretty good with the exception of occasional maintenance here and there. Our condo has been a huge blessing to us especially with the Recession and we are grateful to have a wonderful home. Mostly grateful for a hard-working husband who makes sure that Finn and I have everything we need. Thank you Shaun!

I do also remember last Spring being a little dark and mostly rainy but it seems this year I am noticing more sunshine due to daily walks with Finn and Oscar. When I wake up in the morning the birds are chirping but maybe thats mostly due to a restful nights sleep (thank you Finn). ;) Spring holds so much hope and promise of what is to come. Not just for sunshine but also hope that Jesus Christ gave us when he rose from the grave on Easter morning. That promise of eternal life is never more clear to me than now as I lay my precious son down to sleep each night, praying for his life and his heart. But also as I attend the memorials of 2 very dear people this week. Jesus has conquered death for us. Life is not over when we die. It is just the beginning.

Happy Spring!

Chicken Parmigiana

2009-02-28T12:31:00.000-08:00

Cooking has become a favorite hobby of mine and having 2 boys in the house really helps inspire me to continually try new things. Both Finn and Shaun have pretty broad palates and so I'm usually at liberty to try new and different meals. I'd been eyeing this recipe lately for Chicken Parmigiana from the Tyler Ultimate show on Food Network (Tyler Florence). I love ordering this meal in restaurants but it has been so intimidating to try as a cook. Part of my New Years Resolution was to stop being threatened by fabulous meals and to just try and make them. They are not always as hard as you think!

Finn and I made a quick trip to the grocery store to pick up a few items. He munched on a free cookie from the bakery (a wonderful idea - thank you Safeway!) and I gathered up our list. Afternoon naps are also a gift because it helped me prep the dinner without a little 13 month old attached to my legs. After a quick throw together that evening - dinner was done. Both Shaun and I commented on how good it was and Finn ate probably an entire plateful! No thanks to me, thanks to a great recipe from Tyler Florence. The link to the recipe is below and I highly recommend this website as a great tool for recipe ideas. I know that I'm going to be trying new recipes weekly and can't wait for the next great meal!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-parmigiana-recipe/index.html

13 months

2009-02-25T08:52:00.000-08:00

This picture of Finn cracks me up. We received a wonderful bag o' goodies (clothes and shoes)from some great friends. We tried this Halloween costume on Finn one night. Needless to say he was not too excited about it.

Cutest little unhappy BumbleBee on the block!

Babies impersonate famous Da Vinci Painting - guess which one . . .

2009-02-19T10:29:00.000-08:00

And while you're at it, play the "Where's Finn?" game.

birthday cake!!

2009-02-03T21:13:00.000-08:00

Birthday Boy!

2009-02-03T21:05:00.000-08:00

Even though Finn's birthday was a few weeks ago we wanted to post a few pictures and videos from this fun day. We had such a great time celebrating with friends and family. Finn had a blast opening presents and eating cake (see below). What a difference a year makes! Finn is walking/running everywhere! Mom and Dad are trying hard to keep up with him. This is such a wonderful stage of life for us. He is bringing us books to read on our laps, 'talking' on his phone, playing peek-a-boo, and growling like a scary monster (also known as Daddy). Can't wait to see what this next year brings!

Heidi has big pull with Disney

2009-01-30T16:19:00.001-08:00

do the t-Mobile dance!

2009-01-29T14:05:00.001-08:00

Happy 1st Birthday Finn!

2009-01-22T09:46:00.001-08:00

Reflecting back over the year... part 3

2009-01-18T23:00:00.000-08:00

We are so excited for your first birthday Finn! Daddy and I are so proud of the little boy you are becoming. We love you!

Opening presents! So much fun!

Meeting Santa for the first time.

Christmas 08

First snowfall in December 08 - 10 months old.

Reflecting back over the year... part 2

2009-01-18T22:54:00.001-08:00

Getting into trouble? ;)

Starting to pull himself up in the crib.

Discovering all the new toys in the kitchen cabinets.

Getting ready to go out with mommy - about 7 months.

Summer 08- Mommy's birthday

Reflecting back over the year...

2009-01-18T22:46:00.000-08:00

Finn - about 5 months old - sitting up for the first time. So proud.

Finn - about 2 months old. Now realizing that he really does have way too much hair.

Finn - about 5 weeks old. We were just starting to learn that he had an abnormal amount of hair for such a small baby. :)

Mommy and Finn learning how to do this thing called life - first few days home from the hospital.

Finn's birth. January 22, 2008. 7lbs 12 oz, 20 inches, 4:52 am

As Finn's first birthday approaches I've been doing a lot of reflecting over the past year and all that it has held for our family. Finn has gone through SO many changes this year (as well as Mom and Dad). Its amazing to see how far our little boy has come.

I'm posting the pictures a little backwards so sorry for the confusion.

Guess who's walking?

2009-01-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

11 months

2008-12-29T21:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T20:19:00.001-08:00

I had a lot of fun at Christmas unwrapping all of my presents. Oscar helped.

The ribbon was my favorite. I kept trying to put it on my head.

Seeing Santa on Christmas Day was NOT as much fun as I thought. My cousin Ben liked it though. ;)

Merry Christmas!!

SNOW

2008-12-18T21:36:00.000-08:00

We've got snow and lots of it!

Playing with Daddy.

Touching the snow for the first time.

Laughing with Daddy.

Watching the snow fall with Mommy.

10 months old!

2008-11-26T11:17:00.001-08:00

This past weekend Finn also turned 10 months old (sorry for the late post). Here's a few fun pictures of our big boy!

Waiting outside Starbucks for Mommy.

Sweet baby boy in dinosaur pajamas eating his breakfast.

It was a long hard day and this was how I found Finn sleeping after his nap.

Week of celebrations

2008-11-26T11:03:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving week is full of celebrations for the Kempston family. This year we tried to plan ahead and Shaun took a week of vacation from work so that we could enjoy all of the big events in our life. We started out the week with a fun 27th birthday party for Shaun with just a few close friends and family. Then on Tuesday it was our 3 year anniversary! So much fun to look back on what the past 3 years have brought us. It's a great day to celebrate with our sweet baby boy! Here are some fun photos from the past few days.

Family photo at Shaun's birthday party.

Finn and Shaun at Anthonys in Tacoma for his birthday lunch.

Mommy and Finn

Anniversary dinner at Anthonys in Gig Harbor.

Happy 27th Birthday Shaun! We love you!

2008-11-22T23:14:00.000-08:00

Hmmm . . . how many hours of XBOX 360 will Heidi let me play today?

Our little Tiger

2008-11-02T21:23:00.001-08:00

ROAR!!! Look out! Something growly is coming to get you! It's a 9 month old Tiger named Finn!

Family photo at our church Harvest Party

Finn had a blast playing in the ball pit!

Heidi and Finn, Linnea and Soren, Brooke and Zack - Good friends!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T15:07:00.000-07:00