The Cowger Family

A Sweet Baby Shower...

2011-01-31T11:25:00.000-08:00

for a sweet music loving friend.

I had to include a picture of another music lover, just for fun...

Jude baby book

2010-06-30T11:42:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

My Sweet Baby Boy

2009-09-10T22:06:00.000-07:00

We have officially hit the 6 month mark. No more newborn baby here... fully bouncing baby boy. We are rolling around, eating oatmeal, bananas, and applesauce, and screaming at the top of our lungs when we don't get what we want. Oh joy. But with a smile like that, who could hold it against him?

Works For Me Wednesday With Watermelon!

2009-07-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

I love watermelon.

My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

What could better than the crisp, cool, refreshing taste of that summer fruit teasing your taste buds? Enter my new friends: honey, mint, and lime.

My sister, Barbi, brought over this awesome recipe last time we got together and I will be forever grateful. It is a great way to serve watermelon when you want to add a little class to the typical summer fruit and picnic table.

Have fun and enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 watermelon, chilled and sliced
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup mint, chopped

Cooking Directions:
Place the watermelon slices on a decorative platter. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice and honey. Drizzle over the slices of watermelon. Sprinkle the mint over the slices of dressed watermelon and serve immediately.

If you want more great summer recipes check out Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.

Everyday Faith

2009-06-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

"Dear Jesus: Thank you for my food. Please help Daddy and the Lone Ranger to shoot my pistol very good today. In Jesus' name, Amen."

"...He gathers the lambs in His arms

and carries them close to His heart..."

Isaiah 40:11

Video-a-thon Day 5

2009-06-07T22:59:00.000-07:00

THE VIDEO-A-THON FINALE

So it's 2 days late, but who's counting, right?

Two things I have learned during this week long theme post:

1. Children do not do the same thing twice (especially when you have to run to get the camera, wait for it to turn on, then point it right in their face.... yes.... not the same).

2. Inevitably when you capture something really cute or funny on camera, you will find that for some reason or another IT DID NOT RECORD. I am actually surprised my camera is still alive and working (I almost hurled it across the room to it's sudden death more than once).

Enjoy these last two videos... because I may never video again...

A little dance for the babies by Thad. The only words I understand are "dance, dance" and "two ba-bies".

Just a little slice of life from our house to yours. About every third time Daniel walks by the piano, he hammers out this song or one similar... and the kids love it.

Video-a-thon Day 4

2009-06-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

UNCLE STROM

We love Uncle Strom and look forward to the special times when he has leave from the Army and comes and visits. Here is a little tribute to one of Logan's favorite people (unfortunately, the sound is a bit garbled, but eh, what can you expect from the cheapy little video option built in to your camera):

P.S. I don't even want to think about his first comment regarding joining the army... that could never happen... right?....

Video-a-thon Day 3

2009-06-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

EXCITING BABY FOOTAGE

(keeping in mind that 2 month old babies are not generally too exciting, but oh so lovable)

Jude Dana... 12 weeks old and just on the cusp of a full belly giggle.

Video-a-thon Day 2

2009-06-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

LIVIN' ON THE EDGE

A couple of serious risk takers...

Note: Water from sprinkler is approximately 6 inches high.

Video-a-thon Day 1

2009-06-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

Yep, that is correct... all videos, all week long.

Enjoy!

Just for fun, here is the previous video that sums up Thad's 2-year-old independent spirit (the nice way of putting it). This is what happens when you tell a 2 year old to "go ride your motorcycle REALLY FAST!":

Garbage Day

2009-05-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh.... the simple joys in life.

Fun With My Sewing Machine

2009-05-26T10:31:00.001-07:00

"Where have you been???" you may be asking. Yes, I realize it has been 4 weeks (wow, seriously?) since my last post, so I am posting a few pictures of what has been occupying my time. That is besides feeding, chasing after, dressing, undressing, bathing, wiping, etc., etc.... you get the picture.

My favorite endeavor so far: the necktie shirt. I am still in process of making Jude's (it is hard to find a plain onesie that is more t-shirt, less undershirt -- if you know a good place to get one, let me know!).

Secondly, and yes, Daniel has sufficiently made fun of me for this one... babylegs a.k.a. leg warmers. I love the practicality of these, even if they were originally designed for girls. Just slap those puppies on and you've got instant leg coverage with easy diaper changes. Also a fairly easy project since they are simply reconstructed tube socks. Soon I will make it to Target for more funky styles to cover those chunky thighs.

Next, I couldn't pass up making Jude some cute pants out of this black and white rocker-looking material. Of course, had to come up with a coordinating shirt.

And lastly... this sweet bird mobile. My current project. I have one bird done, as you can see in the picture below, with more birds cut out of the fabric shown. Check out the pictures below this one for the finished product from www.spoolsewing.com. I love it!

I've got some more posts on the horizon... check back soon!

Dishman Hills

2009-04-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

We had our first Family of Five Hike up in the Dishman Hills on Saturday... what a blast! Logan was hilarious and kept us more than entertained with his cute comments (I wish I had brought a notebook to write them all down!).

Logan had more than enough energy and was still happy after 2.5 miles of hiking - even with a case of ants-in-the-pants (literally) that had us stripping his pants off and smashing ants before they could bite. The poor kid did get a few bites from the giant suckers that have given him a new dislike for the creatures (watch out ants - Logan is NOT AFRAID to smash you with his bare hands like a true man!).

It felt so good to get outside during our beautiful weather this weekend and enjoy God's creation in it's raw form. I think we may have a new family weekend habit!

A Deer Sighting! Note the arrow in the above picture and Thad giving it a cute wave.

Logan checking out the deer too.

Some Good Ol' Fashion Air Guitar

2009-04-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

Here is some good ol' air guitar to brighten your day...

True Love

2009-04-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

Come close listen to the story
About a love more faithful than the morning
The Father gave His only Son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the Fathers Broken Heart
Tears were filling Heaven's Eyes
The day that True Love died, the day that True Love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died

Search your heart you know you can't deny it
Come on, lose your life just so you can find it
The Father gave His only Son just to save us

The Earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt The Fathers broken heart
Tears were filling Heaven's Eyes
The day that True Love died, the day that True Love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died

Now, Jesus is alive

Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Oh, He is alive
He rose again

When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that True Love died, The day that True Love died

Come close listen to the story

UPDATE -- Baby Gabe

2009-04-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

YES! He looks good! The surgery went well for little Gabriel. The doctor was surprised by the size of the muscle swelling, which means it must have been feeling pretty bad for the little guy. But overall, the surgery was a success!

Gabriel has been eating and nursing since late last night and it looks like he is keeping the food down. Thank you Lord!

The family is hoping to go home today, but may need to stay one more night for observation.

Thank you all for your prayers, I know Barbi and Mo felt peace and were comforted through that stressful time.

Pyloric Stenosis

2009-03-31T09:07:00.000-07:00

My sister, Barbi, and her new little boy, Gabriel, headed down to the ER yesterday. For the past couple weeks Gabriel has been losing weight and progressively having a harder time keeping food down. After three visits to the Pediatrician, they were finally sent down the Sacred Heart Emergency Room for an IV and X-ray exams. The doctors there have concluded that Gabriel has Pyloric Stenosis -- a swelling and hardening of the lower stomach muscles, preventing food from passing through to the lower intestine (my uneducated abbreviated explanation). Please pray for him today. He will be having surgery this afternoon to spread out the muscles (or cut them -- I'm not quite sure how it works) and hopefully correct the problem. To see some stinkin' cute pictures of my 4 week old nephew, check out Barb's Blog.

Side note -- I am so excited that Jude and Gabe are so close in age (1.5 weeks apart). I foresee some good cousin friendship and lots of trouble :)

Sleep (or lack thereof)

2009-03-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

"Sleep when the baby sleeps" they say. Does that mean after you put your 2 and 3 year olds to bed, for an hour on the couch before the 11 pm feeding?

Ahhh.... life is good.... but very tiring....

(picture courtesy of Daniel)

Photo Shoot (by an amateur)

2009-03-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

Some pictures of Jude at 9 days old.

My wonderful sister-in-law kidnapped Logan and Thad for a few blessed hours this morning and I was able to do a million things I have been putting off -- including taking some pictures of Jude and posting them for you to see!

Thank you Bethany!!!

Jude Dana Cowger AKA Squishy, Fred Bear, Chunky Monkey, Jujube

2009-03-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

Please meet Jude Dana Cowger, welcomed into the world at 10:38 p.m. on March 9, 2009. Weighing in at 8 lbs. 14 oz. and measuring 20 1/2" long.

More to come when I am getting more sleep...

The Completed Project

2009-03-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

It is finally ready! Well.... I am still waiting for my brilliant Engineer husband to find a way to hang the tacked-up window coverings I made to fit our 60's odd-shaped window frames...but I am not doubtful of his abilities, and for now they are blocking light :)

Anyway, I digress. The baby room is done! I have crafted, sewed, dyed, and spray painted myself to death, but it was all worth it. Please note the name above the orange stars (it is on the wall, but we reserve the right to change it until it is officially on the birth certificate!).

I am now 10 days from the due date, and ready to roll. I am not completely sure why I felt the burning desire to completely re-do the baby room, but possibly since this is our third boy I needed to do something a little different. It was fun, but since I am not especially crafty nor a gifted seamstress, I am glad to be done.

Enjoy the pictures!

Let The Countdown Begin...

2009-02-20T13:10:00.000-08:00

We are officially expecting baby Cowger #3 in less than one month. As I just returned from a trip to the mall today, I am reminded of how close we are to the end. Especially when I am asked repeatedly (by everyone I come into contact with, or even just happen to pass by) if I am due to pop (or explode, depending upon the tact of the asker) any day. No.... baby Cowger still has 3 full weeks to GAIN MORE WEIGHT. Let us pray this little guy does not posses his older brother's competitive nature in which he will last long enough to beat Thad's 9lb. 1 oz. birth weight. "Can my 5'3" frame even handle a bigger baby?", I ask my doctor. Supposedly, yes, it can. But I will not like to see it happen.

Logan is so excited for the baby to "pop out." He is already making plans for playtime. According to him on the way home today, Logan will hold the baby, and Logan will stop Thad (or slap Thad...I wasn't quite sure what he was saying) from hurting the baby. Thad is aware I have a baby in my tummy, but then again, he thinks he has a baby in his tummy too.

Stay tuned for pictures of what has been keeping me occupied for the past month or so -- my obsession over the baby room. We are closing in on the finish line, and I plan on having it finished before my official due date!

Happy Love Day!

2009-02-14T11:49:00.001-08:00

Look Who's Two!!!

2009-02-11T16:49:00.000-08:00

We started out the morning with a duo of "Happy Birthday" by Logan and Mommy followed by the opening of the above present. An ironic book about how dinosaurs share their toys with their friends. Ironic, I say, because the boys spent most of the day fighting over who got to have the book.

Next, Thad (and Mommy and Logan) enjoyed delicious Chocolate Chip Pancakes with whip cream smiley faces. Scrumptious, indulgent, but also nutritious with flax seed and rolled oats. To check out the recipe, go here.

mmmm.... serious sugar intake at 9 a.m. (can this only lead to trouble?)

Later that evening we were joined by various family members to celebrate Thad's big day of the year. Mommy made Baked Spaghetti to feed an army (which we will now be eating for the next couple of weeks!) and Snickers Ice Cream Cake. Thank goodness cousin Emma is ready and willing to run interference on would-be candle blower-out-ers.

The toddler toy groupies at the present opening bonanza.

And finally, the icing on the night. Motorcycles galore. A miniature motorcycle that Thad insisted on sleeping with and the Harley Big Wheel that he can ride 'round and 'round the house all day long. Let us pray this is not insight into a future love of grown-up motorcycles!

Happy Birthday to you, Thad! You bring joy to our lives and a smile to our hearts.

THIS will wake you up in the morning...

2009-02-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

I looked up this morning while washing my hands at the kitchen sink to be totally shocked by the sight of a moose standing directly in front of our house. I think I actually screamed since my mind could not comprehend what it was seeing for a few seconds (a dog the size of a small car???). After spending some time checking out our neighbors back yard across the street, the big guy decided to come over and enjoy some greenery from our yard-- much to Logan and Thad's delight. Since our backyard is fenced, we lost track of him when he went between our next door neighbor's house and ours.

What a crazy year it has been in our "inside the city limits" neighborhood-- forced forest fire evacuation, record breaking snow, and now giant wildlife wandering the streets. Makes for lots of excitement, expecially for the boys!

P.S. Logan informs me he LOVES moose (and now he will pretend to be a GIANT MOOSE for the remainder of the day).

Mountain Man

2009-01-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

Able to scale tall mountains. Strong enough to climb to the highest peaks. Wear-er of 'backpacks' on both his front and back. And, yes, all while wearing only underpants under all that armor (and sunglasses under the Lone Ranger mask). Don't ask me where he came up with this new character. With the very limited amount of television Logan views, his imagination works overtime inventing new personas... and I love it!

Death to Dust Bunnies

2009-01-19T08:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is true. Dust bunnies to longer lurk in my corners. Bread crumbs do not grow beneath the kitchen table. And dog hair does not dance across the hardwoods. I have found the answer to my quest for clean floors. Thank you Electrolux for creating my new best friend: the Ergorapido.

Okay, maybe that is taking it a bit far. But really, anything that will fight the constant battle with toddler crumbs and assist me in my nesting habits is welcome to reside in the corner of my kitchen.

Similar to a dust buster on a stick, this puppy has 12 volts and a constant charge and it is ready any time you need to suck up a mess with no cord to get in your way. It is light, so us pregnant women do not regret vacuuming for the rest of the day, and easily manuevers under tables and around chairs. It even has a dust buster built in! I could go on, but I will spare you. After reading rave reviews, I was delighted to receive this vacuum/sweeper as a much hinted for Christmas present and I am happy to say it meets and exceeds my expectations. Yes, I do actually enjoy keeping my floors clean now!

Fireman Travis

2009-01-15T12:01:00.000-08:00

After much anticipation, we finally made a trip down to the fire station to visit one of Daniel's buddies, who just happens to be a much sought after fire fighter!

We could tell right away Logan would not go near the truck easily. Like most things that he finds scary, we knew the fire truck would become a point of obsession. After much silent observation of Travis and Thad checking out the truck, Logan decided to get a little closer. He eventually let me talk him into sitting in the driver seat on my lap (don't ask how I fit up there with my pregnant belly and a 3 year old on my lap).

Travis in the breathing mask...

and the boys' stunned reaction...

Here we are in the driver's seat. I'm still not sure how I climbed up there with Logan!

One of the boys' favorite parts--turning the lights on. I think they made Travis turn them on 3 times.

Thad man saying "cheeeese" in the driver's seat.

and my favorite part....Logan's homemade fireman helmet and firetruck. For the rest of the night we were demanded to refer to him as "Travis." Seriously. Even when he was done being a fireman, he asks "mommy, should Travis go be the lone ranger now?"

Thank you Travis for the fun experience! I think Daniel and I had just as much fun as the boys checking out the truck and having a tour of the station.

Praise!

2008-12-30T21:26:00.000-08:00

We just recently heard back from our doctor regarding the last blood draw monitoring my antibody levels and it is GOOD! I have been a little on edge about this one since this is the time in our pregnancy with Thad that we discovered I have KELL antibodies that could harm the baby and any future babies. Thankfully, Thad was okay (my levels topped out at about 8:1, which is considered watchable, but not dangerous -- at 16:1 we would start seeing a specialist). My last blood draw at 28 weeks showed a titre level of 1:1 (which means my blood could be diluted 1 time and the antibodies would be undetectable) -- that is about the lowest possible! Thank you Lord! It seems that this little baby most likely has the same blood type as his mommy and therefore will not be harmed by the antibodies in my blood.

If you are unfamiliar with our lovely blood problem, here is my explanation in a nutshell: Daniel has a rare blood type (Kell) that through giving birth to Logan mixed with my blood. My body could not recognize the Kell antenna and started making antibodies to fight this cell. Every child that we have has a 50% chance of inheriting Daniel's rare blood type. As soon as my body detects the Kell antenna in the fetus, it will start developing antibodies to fight against the baby's blood (thinking it is something dangerous), eventually causing anemia which leads to other serious problems and possibly death. Our hope, if we have an affected baby, is that the doctor can catch my body making large amounts of antibodies and then take steps to prevent harm to the baby through in vitro blood transfusions.

All that to say, we are very thankful that the Lord is protecting this little guy. You never know what trials you will go through in life. My experience with this blood problem and the last 3 pregnancies has strengthened my faith and helped me to lean not on my own understanding, but to trust in Him. Also to really appreciate and be thankful for a healthy pregnancy. Each new life is truly a gift to be treasured and not taken for granted.

Emergency in Aisle 9

2008-12-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

I sometimes forget the attention you draw when you are obviously pregnant (as opposed to the before-pregnancy-waddle). Today at Costco, while walking through the produce section, I had a sudden stabbing pain. Now, don't worry, I was sure I wasn't going in to labor. BUT, when you are caught off guard by intense, uncomfortable pain during pregnancy you can't help but display a painful expression -- which is exactly what happened, accompanied by closing eyes, gripping stomach, and waiting for pain to pass. Ready to resume my shopping, I selected a bunch of bananas and glanced over my shoulder as I placed them in the cart. Watching me intently was a young couple I noticed walking towards me before the pain hit. It struck me as funny since they looked ready and willing to call 911 at any moment. I suppose before you have children any pregnant woman displaying pain is cause for immediate action. It is good to know there are people out there ready to help a stranger in need, but lets hope that doesn't happen for another good two or three months!

Thad & The Terrible 1.8's

2008-12-12T09:14:00.000-08:00

Before 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving day at Great-Grandma Carter's:

1. Put fingers in the butter dish ready and waiting for Thanksgiving feast

2. Get into (and somehow open) bleach and windex while mommy is in shower -- thankfully none ingested

3. Crush a dried flower arrangement in guest bedroom all over the carpet

4. While mommy is cleaning up said flower arrangement, take bites out of pear in Thanksgiving centerpiece

5. Put fingers in butter... again

6. Pull a statue from bookshelf causing it to break

7. Take more bites out of centerpiece (along with a few grapes for variety)

8. And lastly, look so darn cute and innocent that mommy won't be able to do more than scold and try to keep up even more!

Family, Food, and Dog Bones

2008-12-11T13:26:00.000-08:00

Is it too late for a Thanksgiving post? Nahhhh.....

We had a great time in Seattle visiting family, eating lots of food, and getting in some shopping. Thank you Grandma & Grandpa Carter for putting us up (or putting up with us) through Thanksgiving, and Grandma & Grandpa Gulke for after that. We had a great time both places and Logan still talks about all his great-grandparents!

Thought this was a funny picture. I came downstairs to find all three little ones sitting contently with Grandpa Carter watching CNN (it didn't last long).

Enjoying a fabulous dinner of BBQ Baby Back Ribs. Yummmmmmm......

Tip for all you with young boys: Tell them you are having dog bones for dinner. They were a HUGE hit with Logan!

What a fun and memorable time we had. Both Thanksgiving dinners were delicious. I wish I had taken more pictures, but I was too distracted keeping track of the kiddos and catching up with family members!

Apple Cup

2008-12-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

Its been a little over a week now from the big Washington State Apple Cup between the Cougars and the Huskies. Can you guess who our family was cheering for?? Logan insisted on going to Nana and Papa's house as a football man and performed various football-man moves for us throughout the game. We were all expecting a boring game considering each team had a terrible season, but it turned out to be a great game!

Logan and Thad hanging out with Uncle Peter and Rosie who came for the fun at the Carter house.

The "guys" engrossed in the game. My dad was greatly outnumbered (being a Husky fan and alumni). But he is a good sport, and considers the Cougs his second favorite team (probably has something to do with his daughter marrying a big Cougar football fan and alumni). He has even turned Daniel into a Husky fan -- that is, when they are not playing his team.

Here is a shot of the expression on his face when the Cougars won in double overtime. You'd think he could look a little more disappointed than that!

Advent

2008-11-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

The season of Advent begins with the fourth Sunday before Christmas. "Advent" is a Latin word meaning "the coming." During the season of Advent, Christians across the world prepare for the celebration of the coming of the Lord into the world through the birth of his Son, Jesus Christ. Advent is a time to celebrate light in the midst of darkness, as symbolized by the Advent wreath (or log in our case).

Daniel and I decided to really focus on the birth of Jesus Christ as the purpose of Christmas for the boys beginning this year. Tonight was the beginning of Advent, and we decided to start a tradition. After dinner, we sat around the table and listened while Daniel read various scripture about the coming of Jesus and Him being the light to the world. Logan was fascinated with the lighting of the first candle and spent most of the time seeing how close he could get to the flame before mommy reprimanded him.

Above is the Advent Log we made for a Women's Group at church -- actually 3 of our awesome husbands sawed and drilled the logs for us women to take home (one being my incredibly manly husband). Who knew when I married him he would be so versatile -- able to cut wood, design municipal infrastructure, and play various Christmas carols on the piano and guitar?

Since the boys are so young, a friend passed on to me a cute little Advent countdown for kids to accompany our weekly Advent. It starts December 1st and goes until Christmas. Everyday has a little gift to put in an Advent calendar or wrap up as a present with a corresponding scripture and story about Jesus from the Bible. I know Logan and Thad will love the day they receive grape gum, but after our last post we may replace it with another form of grape! Below is a copy of the Advent Countdown. If you are interested but cannot read it clearly, let me know and I will email it to you. I am super excited to start it tomorrow morning with the boys!

One for the books

2008-11-23T21:14:00.000-08:00

Just had our first experience of gum in the hair. What makes a 3 year old and almost 2 year old think it is funny to put their precious gum in younger brother's hair while mommy is otherwise occupied??? For that matter, what makes a mommy think it is wise to give gum to a 3 year old and almost 2 year old. Go figure.

In case you are curious, it ended okay. Most of the Green Watermelon Bubblicious came out easily with Daddy's help, a small snip with scissors was needed for the rest. And Thad's hair does smell fruity-licious.

Daddy's Office

2008-11-21T08:32:00.000-08:00

Armed with Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, various fruit, and pumpkin muffins we headed down to Daddy's office for an impromptu office picnic. Somehow we left having ingested more candy and gum than sandwich and fruit! Grandad, Uncle Jesse, and Daddy are always good for showering the boys with "treats" while we visit.

Grandad is ready with Hot Tamales to share with the boys (he is already preparing them for the Cowger spicy addiction gene). Logan is proudly showing off his booty while red dye #3 dribbles down Thad's little chin.

What a special blessing it is to have a place to go and visit our family all in one spot!

Seven Things (Severe pregnancy cravings)

2008-11-19T21:30:00.000-08:00

A while back a friend of mine, Lori, tagged me and told me it was my turn to make a post about seven things you may not know about me. I've decided to put a little twist on it and make it seven pregnancy cravings I've had in the last few months you may not know about. Here we go:

1. Pickles and peanut butter -- I actually scooped up the peanut butter (chunky, of course) with the pickles.
2. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with potato chips
3. California rolls (with lots of soy sauce) -- I am drooling right now thinking about these!
4. Hummus with tortilla chips
5. Chocolate ice cream with pretzels crushed on top... lots of pretzels
6. Mashed potatoes
and lastly...
7. Pineapple and Canadian Bacon pizza

Maybe I should have just said salt, salt, and more salt :)

To ease your mind (in case you are already worried about the health of the new baby), I am not eating these things all the time. And, in fact, I am trying hard to be healthy and take my vitamins. But what can I say? I do have an intense desire for all things salty, which is a nice change from my standard desire for all things chocolate!

A Beautiful Fall Day

2008-11-15T18:03:00.000-08:00

Some pictures from a fun afternoon walking in the leaves and snacking on cookies and danishes at a local bakery.

Admiring the crisp, colorful leaves with cousin Ava.

Relaxing halfway through our walk at the Rockwood Bakery.

Anyplace is a blast when Grandpa (or "Papa" to Logan and Thad) is along to supply entertainment -- especially when that includes chocolate cookie with M&M's!

Thought for the day

2008-11-10T08:57:00.001-08:00

In my reading this morning I came across this passage from the book The Passion Of Jesus Christ by John Piper that really spoke to me:

"The world will bring its condemnation. They may even put their sword behind it. But we know that the highest court has already ruled in our favor. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). No one successfully. If they reject us, he accepts us. If they hate us, he loves us. If they imprison us, he set our spirits free. If they afflict us, he refines us by the fire. If they kill us, he makes it a passage to paradise. They cannot defeat us. Christ has died. Christ is risen. We are alive in him. And in him there is no condemnation. We are forgiven, and we are righteous. "And the righteous are bold as a lion" (Proverbs 28:1)."

To live is Christ, to die is gain. Let us glorify Him in everything we do!

THANK YOU

2008-11-09T19:55:00.001-08:00

This is a quick shout out for gas prices. Can I just say: YES, I FILLED MY ENTIRE TANK FOR UNDER $2 A GALLON???!!!!!

I've been cruising around on empty for the past few days just hoping I would last until gas went for under $2 (probably not the smartest idea since 1. I don't own a cell phone, 2. its been raining constantly, 3. I'm in charge of a 3 year old, a 1 year old, AND I'm PREGNANT).

Thankfully, yesterday I sat in the warm car while my wonderful, caring, considerate husband stood in the drizzle and filled the tank full.

Thank you Daniel and thank you Costco!

Baby Fever

2008-11-09T15:10:00.000-08:00

I love seeing the boys tormenting, err... I mean, doting on their little cousin Lucy. Last Friday we watched the cousins while ma & pa had a date (we weekly trade babysitting duty for date-night). This was the first time 6 month old Lucy stuck around for the fun. Both Logan and Thad thought she was just the most precious thing and had plenty of kisses and snuggles for her.

Lucy is a real trooper, what with having a 2 year old brother and 4 year old sister. She took all the abuse (sorry again), I meant love, Thad could give her.

So encouraging to me to know the boys will be excited about having another little baby around the house!

Bun in the oven

2008-11-08T08:02:00.000-08:00

Since a few people have been wondering about the due date, gender, etc. of the little one on the way, I think a special post for the pregnancy is deserved.

Here is one of those awkward pictures of me posing at almost 22 weeks (halfway done!). How do you gracefully pose for a "look how pregnant I am" picture???

So far we know that the due date is around March 15th (we have had about 4 different due dates, but this one seems about right). We found out last month we can expect our third little boy to add to the Cowger football team. And it looks like this little guy is not being affected by our Kell antibody problem (thank you Jesus!). If you don't know about Kell, I will save that post for another day, but it basically makes my pregnancies high-risk.

All in all, I am in the second trimester and really enjoying it. Thank goodness morning sickness is over (although Logan did enjoy watching mommy "be sick" in the garbage can -- at least some good came of that!). It is pretty strange heaving over the toilet then looking up to see a three-year-old grinning at you like you are putting on a special show just for him.

We don't have a name picked out for the little guy yet, but we are working on it. Feel free to leave your suggestions... in fact, please do!

African Children's Choir

2008-11-06T07:50:00.001-08:00

Last month was our second opportunity to host some kids from the African Children's Choir. Our entire family always has a blast when these cute kids come to visit. About 9 months ago we had two girls and this last October we had 3 boys. Below are Joshua (with Logan), Michael, and Julius. Of course I had to have a picture with these sweet boys too. As you can see in the background, the foosball table was a big hit with the older boys - soccer, or football in Africa, is very popular and they loved playing it on a table. In fact, all the names the boys picked for our new baby were popular soccer players in Africa! Speaking of which - we found out on our second day having these 3 boys stay with us that we will also be having a third boy come March (just coincidence, or was the Lord preparing me??).

If you every have the opportunity to see these kids from Africa sing, you should do it! The concert is a blast and the proceeds go to educate these kids when they are done with their year long tour.

Also, these boys met President Bush a few months ago and sang with Michael W. Smith. If you hear the new Michael W. Smith song on the radio (I think it is called New Hallelujah), you can hear these kids singing in the background.

What time is it??

2008-11-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have to admit it... we missed day light savings yesterday. We were one of those families pulling in to the church parking lot 1 hour early. Thankfully, we had the foresight to realize church attendance wasn't REALLY low that day, but that we had probably made some minor mistake. We pulled out of the lot before anyone early at church for a good reason could see us. The up side is that we got to spend some quality family time driving aimlessly through downtown Spokane and eating pilfered Halloween candy for breakfast.

Was it just us? Did anyone else lose that precious hour of sleep for no good reason?

Our Little Cowboys

2008-11-02T15:29:00.001-08:00

On Halloween night we headed up to Calvary Chapel for their annual party. The boys had a blast. A dinosaur exhibit was a big hit with Logan, especially when the giant dinosaur head roared up out of the darkness and terrified all children under the age of 5. Since then he has talked of little else. Here Logan is dressed as the Lone Ranger and Thad as his cowboy buddy (I was hoping for a cute indian costume to fall out of the sky so he could be Tonto, but alas, it did not). Logan LOVED being the Lone Ranger. Since then he has been dressed in various stages of the ranger (i.e. Cowboy hat and bandana, or to the grocery store with just the mask). This morning we caught him running around completely naked with just the cowboy boots on! Thad also loves the boots, but his are a little too small and the poor kid walks around mostly wearing them like high heels. Oh well, they did have a blast!

The Beginning...

2008-10-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

After much peer pressure from friends and one convincing sister-in-law (but I'm not mentioning any names), I have decided to start a family blog. I am new to this, having never been into MySpace or Facebook, but I will try to keep up. I am hopeful that this will be a good way for friends and family to keep in touch with our family as the years go by. Hope you enjoy!