The Dunkin Family

Anniversary Surprise!

2011-07-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

My WONDERFUL former boss blessed Brian and I with tickets to a Family Life "Weekend to Remember" conference about 4 months ago, and it was for any location of our choice. As we looked on the Family Life website for locations and dates, the one in Las Vegas "just happened" to fall on our 5 year anniversary, so we thought we would go for it. Not to mention we "just happened" to have an extra pay period fall between the time we were blessed with the tickets, and when we would actually go. The details were already worked out by the Lord, we just needed to be faithful to go through with it.....so we did!

Needless to say, we had an AMAZING time. And it truly WAS a "weekend to remember!" For more reasons than we had thought going down there. The Hotel (Red Rock Resort) was phenomenal, and beat anything or any place Brian and I had ever been. Our relaxing time by the pool actually turned Brian into a little Sunbird, which I was thrilled to see! The conference brought up more topics than we anticipated, and made for some really great one-on-one conversations and quiet times together. Our date night on Saturday was spent over on the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel we stayed at (conference location) was about 15 miles away from the Strip, so we thought we would go check out the hype. It certainly wasn't what either of us had remembered, or perhaps we're just at different points in our life now where it just wasn't for us. So we took a cab back to the hotel and settled in with some Ben & Jerry's ice cream, which was located downstairs IN our hotel! It was perfect.

The "icing on our cake" for the weekend would have to have been finding out we will be parents to 3 beautiful blessings in a few months, rather than just 2! Admittedly, it wasn't a complete shock, but a welcomed "finally" discovery. And the fact that we found out ON our anniversary, made it PERFECT. It was our first of 4 mornings waking up in Vegas that we found out. Made for a more significant trip to spend together! Probably the last one like that for just the two of us for awhile. But it is a good story to share for sure!

Of course it didn't take long for the excited shock to phase and quickly become panic! Ha! And I can say that each day since finding out, I've wavered between the two emotions A LOT! I'm not the only one....I think Brian is still in denial! Three will change things, but of course for the better. We can't wait to become a family of 5!

No Foolin'!

2011-04-02T18:50:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe that our little Macey bug, (aka: our "Little Chomop Chomp") is 1 year old already! It's hard to describe the joy that has been added to our lives since she surprised us with her arrival a year ago yesterday. All I can say, is our family would not be the same without her in it!

I think it's safe to say she enjoyed her party. With nearly 40 people at our house last night for dinner, cake and presents, I just wasn't sure what to expect of the birthday girl's attitude. But she was quite the dollie, enjoying all the excitement that came with her special day. Here are a few pictures of the cake, her individual cake, and her checking it out!

Here are just a few Macey "highlights" from this past year:

~ The girl can (& loves to) eat! Hence her nick name of "Chomp Chomp." So much different than her older sister...this girl will eat just about anything and everything we put in front of her. Needless to say, it's been a blessing for Mommy!

~ She is walking as of about 2 weeks prior to her actual birthday. What started off as a step or two or four, is now full-blown, walking. Of course there are the unsteady moments, where she realizes crawling is easier and faster, but for the most part, she is ready to chase her sister on 2 legs instead of crawling! Look out, Annie! She's a comin' for you!

~ This little one is a climber! We had to drop the crib to its lowest setting at about 4 or 5 months of age. And since then, we have noticed her bravery in several "obstacles" in our home. Yikes...Brian is a little worried we have a future rock climber or something among us!

~ Milk is doing her body good! Although we haven't had her 1 year well-child checkup just yet, we are encouraged by the ease and excitement shown from her, after her early introduction to real cows milk. She loves it! Once again, a relief for mommy, as her dear sister still wants nothing to do with the white stuff....or brown, or pink. Yes, I've tried all kinds and still no luck.

~ Off the bink....no pacifier by the age of 1. Not bad. We never faced a major "issue" with big sister, but you never know how they will take it. Smooth as butter. She soothes herself well with her blankie and close friend, Elmo!

~ She is a lover of anything and everything to do with Annie. It's so heartwarming to see the love these 2 sisters already share. At only 17 months apart, we are certain their relationship will only grow over the years, and hopefully they will remain close throughout their lives.

We just can't wait to see what this next year holds in store for her! Happy Birthday, Macey! We love you!

Poop, Or Get Off The Pot!

2011-03-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

Ok..........another 6 months, just about and here I am again. A slacker. Let's just start with our most recent "happenings."

Today we began potty training "for real" with Annie. (Hence the title of this entry) The day was a complete disaster, from a mother's standpoint, as I wondered what in the world I was thinking only a half hour into the day's new routine. The idea was simple. We would start at 8am, and try to potty on the big toilet every hour. Easy, right? Not as it turned out. Annie's diaper was bone dry at 8am, so I was thinking it was going to be a piece of cake. I mean, after all, she's been going at church, successfully, for the past half a dozen classes or so. Now I begin to question the teachers as to what their interpretation of "successful" is! Sure, she may line up with the other 2 year olds who are in her class when asked if anyone needs to use the potty....but it doesn't mean she really knows what she's doing! I never knew peer pressure started so young. Needless to say, we didn't have a successful training "session" this morning.

I put both girls down after we sang our nightly songs and prayers were sung/prayed, when about 10 minutes later I hear (on the monitor) "Mommy, come quick! I need to use the potty!" Of course she does. Couldn't do it all day, but now, as I'm ready to settle in for some much needed ME TIME, she thinks she's ready to try again. So, we tried again. Yet again, unsuccessful. Question now I have is, was it a stall tactic to not go to sleep yet, or did she really think she needed to go? Ahhh, the many joys and challenges of having a 2 year old! But goodness knows, I still love her!

6 Months Sure Does Fly By!

2010-11-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so just when I promised to be doing blog posts more often, I go and have my longest stint away from it! Chalk it up to having a very busy toddler and needy newborn, I suppose. All this to say, I wouldn't change one thing about the past 6 months for anything!

Here is a quick "rundown" on our most recent family "happenings:"

Annie: celebrated her 2nd birthday last month, if you can believe it, I know we can't! She is a very busy little girl these days, and this toddler phase is proving to be quite fun. She recently has shown much interest in going potty, yet nothing consistent has come of the new hype. It's exciting to now be able to converse with her in a more understandable lingo! Along those lines, she graduated to the 2's class at church a few weeks ago, and the language is developing that much faster because of it. The new songs she's learning (and attempting to teach us) has brought smiles to our faces! It's amazing how young God can start working in those little lives!! "Normal" remarks were made at her most recent doctor check-up, although we keep anxiously waiting and expecting to hear she's sprouted off the charts with height. Just hasn't happened yet.

Macey: ...now 7 months old...WOW. She is eating some solids, definitely holding herself up well in the sitting position, and wants to be in and around Annie at all times! We can predict a crawler in our home in the very near future! She's got to keep up with Annie somehow! How fun it's been to see these two sisters bond in such amazing ways! And her laughter, that seems to bellow out so much more with Annie than Brian and I can ever get, is absolutely infectious! Her most recent doctor check-up showed her development as being right on track, in about the 50th percentile.

Megan: is now working part-time for the church once again, but in a much different capacity than before. She oversees the early childhood childcare department, consisting of 3 classes (Nursery, Weebles & Toddlers). This was a complete "God thing" for this job to come about. So far, in the 1 month she has been employed, we have seen it as a blessing for our family.

Brian: is still happily employed by the Marion County Sheriff's office, as he continues the graveyard shift, even going into the new year. As hard as it's been having him gone most nights, our family has adjusted well to this schedule, and we are happy he is happy doing what God has called him to do. In regards to hobbies, Brian just got his first elk in nearly 6 years this year, on his hunting trip with his folks to Eastern Oregon. We are glad to have that meat in the freezer!

I won't hold myself to a time limit on another update...just check back in a month or so. If you would, be praying for us as we seek the Lord's guidance with potentially putting our house back on the market. We've been feeling a "tug," and are now in the checking things out phase. Thank you, friends and family!

Love,
The Dunkins

Macey Olivia Dunkin

2010-05-03T13:44:00.001-07:00

I know, I know. It's been nearly 5 whole months since my last post. What the heck? Well, life has been a little busy. Busy in a good way, most definitely.

Meet Macey. Macey Olivia Dunkin joined our family on April 1st at 10:41 p.m. Despite being 3 weeks early, she weighed in at a healthy, heavier than Annie at full term, 7lbs, 7oz, and was 19.5 inches in length. What a surprise she was to us on that very day. Having only been insured for about 15 hours when we went to the hospital, we thought there was no way we were going to have a baby that day. It was just too close for the odds.

Brian got his job back with Marion County at the beginning of February. Since then, he has absolutely been a changed man. More happy than ever before. Due to the change in jobs, we were without insurance for the month of March. Macey's due date wasn't expected until mid-late April, so when things started "happening" on the 1st, we thanked our good Lord for getting us to that date of coverage! He knew all along when she would join our family, we are just so thankful it was after insurance kicked in.

Macey is a month old already, and life in the Dunkin household is finally beginning to feel "normal." If there is such a thing. Brian feels a bit out-numbered with us girls running the show, but he is one proud dada of all his girls.

Annie is adjusting very well to a new baby in the house. She just needs to learn how to give baby some space. Her oodles and kisses on her sister are really too cute for words, I'm just praying this love for her grows and grows, and never turns into a jealousy thing. So far so good.

As for me, I'm doing well. Tired, which is expected, but good. I was able to get a whole 2 months off with this pregnancy, so I won't be going back to work until the 1st of June. I can't believe that it's already May, but my time at home has been so wonderful. Macey is such an easy baby and I'm loving every second of it. It feels good to be a family of 4!

Stay tuned for more posts....I will make every effort to post things more often. Goodness knows, I've got enough pictures to show off!

CHRISTmas!

2009-12-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas is probably my absolute favorite time of year. Not only are there many family get togethers to be had, but it's the celebration of our Lord and Savior's birth. Praise Him for all the beauty this holiday brings to so many!

Annie sure enjoyed the festivities. From school Christmas programs to all the buzz with presents and food galore....I'd say she did well.

And although this year was an especially bittersweet Christmas for our family, we can rejoice with the angels as my grandfather is now resting in peace with our Savior. It's never easy losing a loved one, but we know he would have enjoyed the family time we had together! Any excuse to get all the 7 grandkids together is a plus!

A Milestone Not Worth Bragging About!

2009-11-02T13:48:00.000-08:00

I never thought I would say this, but my daughter had a "first" today that I truly cannot say I am proud of. Yes, my friends, we are talking about the very first time this little girl, this sweet angel of a girl, actually grossed me out. The reasons the pictures of the actual incident aren't posted are obvious, but the ones that are here, are of our "intermission" shall we say...as we awaited the tub to be emptied and cleaned out after Annie POOPED in it during her bath.

Oh the joys of parenthood.

A Cupcake for Annie!

2009-10-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't believe it's happening, but it's true. Annie is turning 1 this weekend, and I really don't know where the year has gone. We've experienced more joy than we ever thought possible with her in our lives, and we eagerly look forward to many more incredible years ahead, celebrating her life!

So last night I decided it was time. The girl has waited an entire year for this, and I'm ready to spoil her, just a little! Ok, ok, so maybe she's had a bite or two of cake/ice cream at birthday parties and such, but this time it's her turn! Now I really wish I could say I was even slightly crafty in the kitchen, but since I'm not, I figured good 'ole Betty Crocker's recipe would suit just fine for Annie's first cupcake experience! Daddy had to work, but we made sure to capture the special moment on camera.

Here she wasn't quite sure what to DO with the cupcake.

Realizing how yummy frosting is...

Realizing how yummy the whole cupcake is...

"Happy Birthday to ME, Mom! That's good stuff!"

A New Experience

2009-09-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

Annie had her first experience with a toothbrush tonight.....and I think we should say...the jury is still out as to whether or not she liked it. I would say it wasn't a bad experience, except for trying to get her to "open wide." As you can see, she wasn't sure what to think!

A Day to Play for all of my Parents' Grandkids!

2009-09-05T09:03:00.001-07:00

The weather couldn't have been better for a day at the Family Fun Center in Wilsonville. It was an "end of the summer/back to school send off" for all 7 of my parents grandkids. Although at this point, only 4 are returning to school. Nonetheless, we all made the trip to play and laugh and enjoy each others' company. What a great day!

Here are the kids playing "putt, putt golf."

Here are the kids LOVING the bumper boats!

I still can't believe this one....we actually got MOM to drive the go-kart for she and Kylie! I think the adults had more fun with this one than the kids did!

Here's this sling-shot thing that the girls wanted to do.

And our little all-star, Brody...the lone boy in the fam, got his turn at the batting cages!

Dad surprised Mandy and I with tickets to the bumper boats since we "missed out" on the go-kart driving. Gee...thanks dad for letting the kids SOAK me! :) But it was worth it, and the kids LOVED getting a 2nd chance at the squirt guns!

And finally...the end of the day arcade games and prize selection. I think it's safe to say they all had a blast! Can't wait for next year!

Annie's First Time in the BIG CITY!

2009-08-28T15:54:00.000-07:00

Wow. What an amazing experience, taking a 9 month old to the big city of Seattle! One of our dearest friends, Lindsay, and her husband, Kyle have been telling us we need to come visit, and we felt it was about time that we actually did!

Using one of Brian's longer weekends, we were able to head up North just after visiting our newest niece, Isabelle on Wednesday, August 12th. Izzy was scheduled to be born via c-section on my birthday (Aug 23rd) but with minor complications revealed at one of the last ultrasounds, they decided to take her a little early. We were thrilled to meet the newest Straus, and what a dolly she is!

So our trip began around 3pm on that Wednesday afternoon, having no idea how our little Annie would do on her longest car ride ever. We took the truck, which provided more comfort for all of us, and to our delight, Annie was a champ. She managed to get a pretty good nap in before stopping for a bite to eat for Brian and I. Not to mention, she did well herself in the Burger King parking lot with her applesauce and other yummies.

We made it to Lynnwood at just before 8pm. Lindsay was working the Mariners game, so we settled in and chatted with Kyle before all of us crashed out around 10. It had been a long day, but we knew an even longer one awaited us the next morning.

Thursday morning we got up bright and early, early enough to catch up with Linds before she and Kyle headed off to work. They were such gracious, wonderful hosts, we couldn't have had it any better anywhere else. They had done their research on some typical tourists spots to visit if we had interest/time before the Mariner/Yankee game that evening at 7. So we tried to get as much in as we could, starting the day off at the "Sea Star." One of the actual ships used on the TLC reality show, Deadliest Catch. Brian is a big fan of the show, so we thought it would be fun to see what the fisherman see and from their perspective. It made for some great pics, and started our day off well.

Next stop....downtown, lunch with the Guzz. (Lindsay's nickname for as long as I can remember). After parking the car, walking a few blocks, brushing shoulders with Alex Rodriguez, we met Linds for lunch. Yes, that was A-Rod we passed on 6th street. After all, he was in town for the Yankees premiere night in Seattle.

After lunch, is was off to the market, followed by the Seattle Aquarium and then onto the Space Needle. Some of the funnier moments of the day took place at the Space Needle, where other tourists (I presume) got a bigger kick out of Annie than they did of the sights they were seeing. Again, made great memories and pics for all time.

We finished the night at the Mariner/Yankee game where the Mariners got stomped by the good old boys. We still enjoyed ourselves, especially after the game had ended. Lindsay took us down on the field, and there we got some great behind the scenes pics of the field and what it's like from the players perspectives.

Friday morning was here before we knew it. One last stop...the Sound with Lindsay before hitting the long drive home. We should have anticipated it, yet didn't quite expect a 6 and a half hour + drive. It was ridiculous to say the very least. Needless to say, Annie amazed us once again, taking nearly a 3 hour nap, and keeping content with mommy and toys in the backseat with her.

It was a GREAT experience. We now know this little girl can take long road trips! Hooray for the years ahead!

Family Camping....With Friends

2009-08-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

Well, believe it or not, we had our very first camping trip together as a family. Actually, it's the first time for Brian and I to have camped out together period. Hard to believe, as much as we both like being outdoors, but true. Life gets busy, and I guess the last few summers we just didn't get around to it. So we figure we might as well give it a try..............IN STYLE!

Thanks to Dave and Sally (Brian's folks) we were able to camp out with our Sunday School class in LUXURY! I guess it's hard to call it camping when you get to spend time in a 34ft air conditioned trailer! But it was nice to have with Annie being so young, giving her space to crawl around and burn off some energy. (That's right, I said CRAWL around....remember the last post where I knew it would happen any day...well it did. Litteraly.) Not to mention, better sleep without the wild wilderness noises surrounding us.

Our camp "site" was out at a couple from church's (Bruce and Wendy Robbins) property, just outside of Monmouth. A private little escape from the business of life was just what we all needed! Being that it was a family camping trip, it was the perfect place for all the kiddos to run and play. We did it all from singing songs around the campfire, to great fun in the sun with water games and scavenger hunts. A family tradition we are excited to start!

Mommy's Big Helper!

2009-07-16T14:18:00.001-07:00

So I do realize she is going to be off and running in no time, but I love the ease of setting Annie down on the floor in the kitchen while I'm doing my best at being Betty Crocker. She absolutely loves "helping" me in the kitchen! Maybe it's just the being close to me that she loves, but I think she's genuinely interested in the things I do, especially when things make noise, such as cooking. The freedom now of completely supporting herself has given Annie a sense of pride, and Brian and I a sense of "ahhh..." to know we don't have to be right there at her side, every second of the day. We love the little moments in life like this one.

3 Years and Counting!

2009-06-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

June 10th, we celebrated our 3 year anniversary. In some ways, it's really hard to imagine it's only been 3 years, but in others....it's like we've never been apart. God has truly blessed us these last few years, and we look forward to His provisions in the years to come.

This year, for our "celebration," we had (what we say) is our first and only family trip. Not that we don't LOVE every second of the time we have with little Miss Annie, we just recognize the importance of focussing on our marriage, and sometimes that's a little hard to do that with a blessed little person occupying most of our time! :) Soooo, needless to say, we had a marvelous family celebration of our gift of marriage. Because our time together is so limited, we were only able to get away for one night. So, we headed to Lincoln City and stayed at the Inn at Spanish Head....a place both of us have always bee curious about, so we just thought we should check it out. It was great. Each room is individually owned, so they are all decorated according to the owners' tastes. Ours was (in our opinion) a 10++!! See pictures below. During our short stay, we did some walking on the beach...dipped Annie's toes in the sand once again, as well as in the ocean this time, went for a swim at the hotel's pool (Annie's 1st time in a big pool....she LOVED it!) and even the hot tub. On our way out, we stopped at Mo's for some yummy lunch, and then cruised on up to Depoe Bay to pick up some carmel corn and taffy. All in all, it was a FABULOUS family trip!

This studio style apartment had it's own kitchen, plush with stainless steel appliances!

The hotel staff knew we were bringing a little one, so they had this crib in the room waiting for us. Not too shabby! We loved the oversized chair and a half to snuggle up on and watch the waves roll in! Annie loved it too!

Although it was a family trip, and I had hoped there would be no television, we found ourselves watching it Wednesday night. We were just so excited to get the chance to watch Channel 2 since our Dish at home still didn't have it!

We both loved what the owners had done with the bathroom! Floor to ceiling stone shower was pretty cool looking. Gives us ideas of what we'd like to do in our next home!

This was the view outside our room to the left.....I was LOVING the beach access right outside our back door!

This was the view outside our room to the right.....

Here is a view of the hotel from the ocean.....

And here is Miss Annie dipping her toes in the Pacific Ocean for the very first time!

Annie and Mommy in the big pool for her first time....

Annie and Daddy loving the hot tub! Thank goodness the water wasn't too hot for our little bug. She loved it!!

Mommy and Annie checking out the tidepools with Daddy!

She's a good little traveler! The trip was so much fun!

This stuff feels weird!

2009-05-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, Brian and I decided to introduce Annie to one of my favorite places on earth. The beach. After a couple hours at the outlet mall, shopping for a sweatshirt and sunglasses for Annie, we sat her little buns down in the sand. She LOVED it. Brian had asked the doctor (at her 6 month well child check up) about sunglasses, and whether or not they were necessary for her young age. The doc said "it's never too early to start protecting your eyes," so we just HAD to purchase these cute shades for Annie. And to our surprise, they didn't seem to bother her a bit. We got more comments on how cute she looked, and every time we looked at her, we had to chuckle. What a cutie!

My First Mother's Day!

2009-05-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

Wow. What a tremendous amount of emotion fills my heart today. This is the first year that I can officially announce that I am a mother. God has blessed me with the gift of motherhood. I am a proud mommy of an adorable (nearly) 7 month old baby girl. I truly feel more blessed than ever before.

We had a busy Mother's Day...daddy had to work, but Annie and I managed to stay busy. With a wonderful morning at church, followed by Mandy and I making dinner for Mom, Dad and both Grandma's. After dinner...Annie and I went up to visit Brian's family, and to see our buddy, Wyatt. Annie always enjoys seeing other little ones! This time next year, there's no telling how many new little people there will be!

My prayer today is for God to give me every skill & talent and the wisdom that I might need to be the best mother I can to Annie, and hopefully others some day. I want to be a Proverbs 31 woman for her, (& other children) because that is what I feel God has put me on this earth to be. I pray that my children would be proud to call me their mother...that they might see the Lord through my words and actions.

Healthy Annie...not so healthy family.

2009-05-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say after Annie's 6 month check-up, that the doc sees her as the epitomy of good health. She is doing great. Right on track with where she should be, which I suppose is a relative term, but we feel good about it. She now weighs 17.5lbs and is 26" long. She falls somewhere in the 60th percentile. Still surprises us that she hasn't shot off the charts with length, but I suppose there's still plenty of time for growth!

I wish I could say everyone in the fam was doing as well as little Annie. Poor Gracie is on her 3rd day in the hospital. Started out with a temperature of 104 for 48 hours, took her to the er, got sent home only to be phoned by her doctor that night saying to get back to the hospital, and they wanted to admit her. Now they are just trying to get her to hydrate herself, rather than by iv. Hopefully today will be the last of 3 long days for her and John and Mandy.

Meanwhile, my grandfather was admitted to the hospital yesterday with similar issues. He too, has become severely dehydrated and the medical staff would like to see him hydrate himself, rather than by iv. Hopefully his condition will also improve and he will get to go back to the care home soon.

My mom...now up at OHSU undergoing some personal surgery, is hopeful to be released at some point tomorrow.
We trust the Lord has His mighty hand in all of this, and will carry each of them through. We have great support from our friends and family, and are thankful for everyone's prayers. God is good!

Fun in the Sun!

2009-04-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

After taking her to the playground for the very first time, I decided to introduce Annie to the front yard yesterday, and I'm certain it was a big hit! She could have cared less if I was there, she was just mesmerized with the way the grass felt on her hands and tootsies. I loved watching her expressions as she, no doubt, was wondering what this new texture was she was feeling! I guess she's still too young to completely appreciate the playground as I did when I was a child, but I am certain she still enjoyed just being outside. The entire time we were out for our walk and little adventure, she was happy as a clam!

Buddies!

2009-04-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

So my friend (and cousin) Erin and I were pregnant at the same time for most of our pregnancies, and we're now finding it so fun to compare our two little ones. Or should I say, CHUNKY ones? :) Not-so-litte Wyatt Arndt was born December 28th...Annie, October 18th. We're starting to think that Wyatt is about to (if he hasn't already) pass Annie right on by with his weight and length.

This was last weekend. The two checked each other out, finding it amusing to have another person of their size to look at. Oh what fun lies ahead for the two cousins! We're all looking forward to watching them grow up together!

The Walls are Up!

2009-04-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

Annie is starting to get antsy these days...it's almost as if I can see her thoughts, thinking, "When am I ever going to be able to move around on my own??" She is so interested in EVERYTHING, and I just KNOW we'll have our hands even more full when she starts crawling! But for now, she just likes to rock about on her hands and thighs...she hasn't quite put the knees and hands thing together yet, but I'm sure she'll figure it out soon!

The guys are making great progress on the garage still...yippee skippy! They have just about finished putting the siding up, and today they will be working on the roof. I'm looking forward to the day this project is finished! It will be nice to have it done and have daddy back! :) He and his dad have been working so hard! Every chance Brian gets, he's out there working on it. I'm so proud of him for sticking with it. Expected completion date: May 1.

Bananas & Bauman's!

2009-03-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

I love bananas. Wouldn't it be great if Annie decides she does too? Our first banana experience would prove otherwise. She wanted that foreign thing out of her mouth, and fast! Ha! Aww....now look at the happy girl! Bananas, be gone!

We took a trip to Woodburn this week to visit Bauman's for Annie (& Brian's) first time. Ok, ok, so she's a little young to "experience" the farm, but it made for some cute pictures. I can't wait to go back when she's a little older!

Making Progress!

2009-03-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

Well the garage is well underway after a productive week the past few days. Brian and his dad, with the help of our good friend Josh, and brother-in-law, Drew, managed to complete the exterior framework for the garage, and are excited to begin siding it and getting a roof up hopefully some time this week. The goal is to complete the garage by May 1st....so we'll see how they do!

Meanwhile, Annie has been showing major interest in our foods lately, so we thought we would give her a little taste. After all, she's well on her way to 6 months, and we feel it's time to start testing the waters with that funny stuff called rice cereal. What a funny experience that was! I'm sure all mommies and daddies can relate to the "first meal" with their little ones. In the mouth it goes, and right back out! Ha! As you can tell by her face, she was curious about it, but she's definitely NOT a big fan just yet. So we'll continue to try it from time to time and hope she begins taking a liking to it soon!

One Wall Up & Annie is Sitting Up!

2009-03-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

It's been another great Thursday inside the Dunkin household...and out. Brian and his dad worked on the garage project that has been on hold since Annie was born. The weather held up for them to make major progress, and they actually even managed to get a partial wall built. Yippee! I'm starting to see the light at the end of this tunnel! :)

Meanwhile, Annie and I went with Grandma to get her 5 month pictures taken today. She did great! After returning home, we spent some quality time on the floor, learning how to keep our balance! This little girl amazes me, as she sat up all by herself and in the half hour or so that we were "playing," she only required my help once or twice! Way to go Annie!

We're Rockin' and Rollin' Now!

2009-03-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

Well it's been an exciting month for us so far, as we've witnessed Annie roll over for the very first time. I was finally able to capture the moment on film....funny how they never want to cooperate once the camera comes out! It's so fun watching her discover new things! A few weeks ago it was her hands, and then her feet. Now she feels so big and strong to realize she can roll over all by herself. She definitely enjoys back time more than tummy time, and this proves it. When we place her on her tummy these days, it's as if she's saying, "No guys, I want to be on my back!" She then rolls over and begins to coo. Gotta love it!

God continues to reveal His mighty works to us through Annie, He is simply amazing!

Sunny Days Together!

2009-03-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

I love Thursdays! It's the one day off a week that we can pretty much be assured at having it to spend together as a family with little to no interruptions. And what a beautiful one God gave us today, right? I'm loving the sunshine today as we were able to get out in it with a nice long walk together. Brian handled both dogs, and I carried Annie in the front pack carrier so she wouldn't miss a thing. The photos above summed it up. We had a fantastic day! Although the sunglasses for Annie were still a little too big, we found enjoyment in her "modeling" them for us!

New to Blogging!

2009-03-09T16:50:00.001-07:00

Can I even call it blogging? Is that a word? I guess we (I - Megan) decided to start a blog so that our family members and friends could easily catch up with all of our recent happenings. So hear goes....

Annie is keeping us well entertained these days with her recent discovery of her vast range of vocals. She absolutely LOVES to talk. Should we be nervous? Probably. And lately, it's this kicking and squirming thing that leads us to believe she's going to be quite the little mover as soon as she discovers the whole crawling thing. Ahhh, the joys we have to look forward to!

We feel so blessed to have this little lady in our lives. She has truly made our lives better, when we didn't even think that was possible. We love our little Annie bug and look forward to the days, weeks and months ahead!

Enjoy our updates....I'll try to post often!