We're having a baby . . . .

. . . . BOY!

We are excited- I don't think either of us knew how strongly we felt about it either way until she told us and we saw for ourselves- a NUMBER of times that it was a boy.
Frankly, I had been gearing up for a girl. I just thought it would easier- I have all the clothes and toys and even a name picked out this time around. But shifting gears is A-OK and I really wanted a son for Stephen to teach all his cool "guy" stuff too like scouting and hunting and building stuff . . .

Ultrasound went well today- I got more choked up about the fact that all 4 chambers of the heart were there and 2 legs and 2 arms, etc, etc. This pregnancy has been so unlike the other 2 that I just couldn't relax and not worry that something might be wrong. There are no guarantees, but at least seeing what looked like a healthy baby was reassuring. I just wanted to get this out there in case people didn't see on Facebook what we were
having : )

Newest member of the family

SIKE! The ultrasound isn't until tomorrow. Even then, don't know that I will have pictures of the future little Hunt to post. Meet Ella Lilly- our new cat. We got her totally randomly- let's just say her owner couldn't take care of her anymore. It just so happened we were planning on getting a cat the same week Ella came to us. We had promised one for Odessa's birthday since she has been asking for a pet since she was . . . . hmmm . . . . able to say "doggie"? A cat was the compromise. Much less work and stink than a dog. Ella has been a very skitterish, very good cat- she's a teenager by cat standards we think. Need to get her spayed and checked out and then she can go outside more. Going to be a great mouser we hope. Very good with the girls.

The girls got an art easel and they have been painting nonstop. This is "Ella" by Odessa

She likes to cuddle- sometimes

Snow last week was such fun for the girls and wreaked havoc on the roads. It took some people 8 hrs to commute home, cars were abandoned. Stephen walked the 6 miles home from work because all the buses were stuck behind cars that couldn't go over the bridges. Being Stephen, he didn't walk though- he jogged.

It's fun that we have a few inclines in the yard that made great sledding trails

On a different note:
Stephen's Grandpa Fife passed away 2 weeks ago and the funeral was Nov 27th, which just happened to fall on Odessa's birthday. Stephen flew to Boise Friday after Thanksgiving, so we celebrated Odessa's birthday early on Wed before Thanksgiving. It's been nice to hear all about Grandpa's life from stories and things that Stephen shared from the services. Although all will miss him, especially Grandma Dove- he has been ill for a while and it was a blessing I think that his suffering came to an end.

Odessa's birthday:

She got her coveted ballet slippers

An umbrella from Ada

She finally got to open the package that came from Grandma and Grandpa- it was a raincoat with horses. I think she would have been just as excited if it had been an educational book- she just LOVES getting packages and mail!

She wanted the "fruit cake" like mom got on her birthday. Little does she know they come from Chinese bakeries in the International District near Stephen's work LOL. She loved it . . .
On her actual birthday, the "girls" went out for fun. IKEA playland for them, IKEA shopping for me. Lunch was Odessa's choice- Chinese food. She got to take her birthday money from Grandma and Grandpa to the $1 store and get crafting supplies- yippee!

And finally, the Thanksgiving feast that I promptly refused to eat leftovers of. I am definitely going to do something different than turkey next year! We had a nice meal with a friend away from his family. Hope yours was joyful!

So behind

So, it's been a busy few weeks since Halloween. I have been working on some projects for work, Ada was really sick . . . . after Odessa got better . . . .
I am just updating with photos for now.View from the computer room, all of our Japanese maples turned colors- but yellow or red, not all the same- so that was really pretty. We have 3 of them.

Odessa lost her other bottom tooth, and the left tooth started growing in

Then a couple weeks later she lost the other top tooth- now she has all 4 front teeth missing

Odessa made hair bows for Ada that made her look like Nellie from Little House . . . .
(note the "smiley eyes" in this photo)

Ada was REALLY sick for a few days, and her smiley eyes definitely were frownie eyes those days- hard for me and her

These pics were actually when she was on the mend, but whining about something because she'd gotten so used to me doing everything for her. She even had me holding up her sippy cups of juice for her a couple of days. A world of difference between her and Odessa as patients!



A little while ago we cleaned out the garden, this was our "big haul" - next year we will start earlier with the warm crops . . .

We did get a ton of carrots

While Ada helped me in the garden, Odessa helped dad keep the chickens happy while he finished the coop and we moved it to the garden spot


The chickens are getting so big, bigger than this photo. One was killed by a falcon last Sunday. We have been letting them out sometimes when we are home, but everyone was napping and a falcon swooped in and got one. We did get the chicken away from the falcon and buried it for Odessa's sake and because we don't want the birds thinking there is a free meal at our house.

I heart Halloween

Someday I will really get back into the swing of Halloween. My house will be spookier, my costume more thought-out . . .
When I was too tall to trick-or-treat, I turned all my efforts into pumpkin carving, creating spooky porches at my house (for trick or treaters that never showed up) and collecting Halloween decorations.
I've also decided that someone out there should start selling the Ultimate Bag of Halloween Candy. They would have to get the cooperation of all the candy companies, but think of how awesome this would sell! (keep in mind, some of these candies no one likes, but they are a Halloween tradition!)
You would have your standard 3 mini candy bars of all the classics:
Milky Way
3 Musketeers
Snickers
Butterfingers
Kit Kats
100 Grand
Hersheys
Reese Pnt Butter Cups
Reeses Pieces
Crunch Bar
Mr Goodbar, etc.
then a handful of the following:
M&Ms, all kinds
Skittles
Starbursts
Tootsie Pops and Tootsie Rolls
Dots
Sugar babies and a Sugar daddy just to rip your teeth out
Smarties
mini boxes of Nerds
mini Twizzlers- red
some Gobstoppers
Double Bubble
Sweet Tarts
Bit O Honey
those weird black and orange wrapped peanut flavored taffy things that your mom made you throw away because it came from "that house" down the street . . .
Am I missing anything??

We had a great Halloween Party at the church Friday night and a fabulous Mystery Dinner at friends Saturday night. The menu was full of things like Festering Sores, Moldy Scabs, Buzzard Brains and Monster Mush and we had no idea what we were ordering. Odessa and Ada somehow got the bread, jello dessert, brownie and punch on their first try- way to go kids! You get to order as many times as you like, but have to eat what you got first. SO MUCH FUN and we are totally doing it next year. Sunday took a turn for the worse as Odessa got a stomach bug and we have been staying in ever since.

Lining up for the costume contest, there was trick or treating in the halls, jack-o-lantern contest and games for the kids, dinner and cupcakes

Can you see Ada's shoes? They had ribbon ties to make them look like pointe shoes.

Odessa wore my wig, so I could not be Elphaba this year. lol. She was Pocahontas.

Odessa drew the picture she wanted on her pumpkin, Ada requested an upside down crazy face.

Stephen won the jack-o-lantern contest with his pumpkin on the left. The girls were really bummed we didn't all get ribbons! lol

Pumpkin Farm

Last weekend we went up to Snohomish to a pumpkin farm. No arguing that the weather forecast was for bad storms, we had a Groupon to use and by George, we were going!!

We got on a list of about 4oo people willing to adopt one of these kittens. Think we will get called?

The rabbits were also a huge hit

Then it was time to pick out a pumpkin. We ended up walking to 4 different fields to find just the right ones.

Despite the rain, dad wanted to teach the girls mini-golf, so we golfed! They were hilarious.

Hay ride out to the corn maze. We listened to the drivers description, looked at the map, talked our friends the Coles who we had just run in to and decided to avoid the mud and just ride back to the start. Good choice.

The kids enjoyed the hay maze in the barn instead- look at that slide! Made Odessa go flying.

"COOOLLLLDDDD" sitting in a puddle just to enjoy the cow train.

We had a great time, even better that we ran into our friends. I guess the crowds were a lot smaller than on days when they have better weather. It was not much like a farm, more like a fair! But a good time was had by all.

Shout it all out

I am not a real "shout out" kind of person, but there are several things that are missing from my blog lately. This post is almost for catch-up purposes so I won't ever forget . . .

First, to elaborate on the this wonderful taxi driver - whose taxi number I should have written down so I could make one of those phone calls of praise to his company instead of complaints. We got off the bus about a 1/4 mile from our house, up some rolling hills, around some corners. Stephen had to use both arms to hold a sleeping Ada and I was pulling our one large suitcase and holding hands with a zombie-like Odessa. We did not get far from the stop when a taxi passed us, then turned around and pulled over. I waved him off thinking "no way am I paying a taxi after all the work we have done to take the bus". He rolled down his window and said in broken English "I take you where you need to go for free, no charge!" And I knew he meant it because we really were pathetic to behold. Turns out he has 4 kids- little boys and is from Somalia. So sweet and talked about when you offer to do something for free people still think you are trying to get something out of them (like the pessimist I am). I think the hardest part was when he pulled up to our house and said "nice, strong house, lucky kids to have a house like this" and I thought of the 6 of them probably crammed in some apartment on Delridge. That's why I wish we had gotten his number, to pay it forward somehow and pay him back. Whenever I see a taxi now I peer at the driver to see if I will recognize him.
Second, I wish I had mentioned that my mom was supposed to go on our Victoria trip with us. It was quite a shock the Saturday before the trip when she pinched a nerve in her back and ended up flat on her back. After seeing 2 Drs Monday, she decided Tuesday morning not to fly out to us that night. That was sad. She is much, much better now and we are so glad she didn't try and over do it and make her back worse. When Ada asked her on the phone if her back was better and my mom answered yes, Ada said "then you can come to our house now". They are looking forward to a "make up visit" from both my parents in December!


Third, people have been really nice to me since finding out I was having a hard time being sick with this pregnancy. Stephen has been an angel, you would not believe what he puts up with. I also have to tell you about my friend Hermes and how he made us dinner one night- my favorite Filipino dish, Tinola. Which is PERFECT for a pregnant woman because it's essentially the best chicken soup ever with lots of ginger in it and green papaya and leaves of some sort . . . hmmm I forget- anyway, it was to die for. You pour it over rice. My cousins got to partake of some of the leftovers and they also fell in love with Tinola. Seriously, one of the sweetest things anyone has done for me. He also fed our chicks while we were gone along with my friend Hillary and her family. Thanks guys!!

Last but not least, I never blogged that my sister Alyssa is also expecting- she is about 4 months ahead of me, due in January. This was a HUGE surprise to everyone- they told us in a tricky way at the family reunion this July. They led us on a treasure hunt that ended with a ultrasound photo! The roof of the condo I think jumped 2 feet as we all flipped out. I think the son-in-laws were blown back by the blast and realized their wives and sisters-in-law were all a bit more dramatic than they had even imagined. It was sheer joy. Alyssa is my oldest sister (far left in the photo) and this is their first baby. My two sisters in between each have 4 kids a piece. So you can imagine the fun of talking to her about maternity jeans and birth plans and how she is going to "survey monkey" us all to find out the most essential baby items. TOO MUCH FUN.
I didn't blog about her being pregnant when we got back because it was still a secret, but now it's too fun to not include somewhere in my writings. (btw during the reunion someone assumed I was the oldest- in fact I am pretty sure it was the photographer )
And THAT is me playing catch up . . .

Victoria, BC

Last Thursday we took off for Victoria BC on the Clipper ferry- and came home Saturday night. To keep my commentary on the trip brief, I will use the "dos and don'ts" list . . .

If you are crazy enough to agree with your transportation planner husband to take the bus to the ferry terminal and home again, DO make sure you have the correct bus fare for both going and coming. This will help you avoid stress and embarassment at 6am and keep you from finding a mini mart downtown at 9pm.

Do change your plans if you agreed to take the bus home- don't do it. If you don't have any West Seattle friends in your cell phone who can pick you up, take a taxi. Because eventually a taxi will take pity on you at 10:20pm trying to drag luggage and sleeping children home from the bus stop and drive you for free anyway and then you will feel terrible (and terribly grateful too).

Do remember your medicine, especially if your medicine prevents you from throwing up on your trip. Note: next trip to Canada, be 100% healthy- don't have the stomach flu, be post miscarriage or pregnant. Just don't.

Do book your vacation package through the Clipper- they always put you in sweetest hotels with excellent customer service! Like the Grand Pacific across from the Government Buildings.
Do go visit Miniature World- one of the more kid friendly things to do in Victoria.

Do "ohh and ahhh" at the Empress lit up at night while walking home late from Chinatown.

Do get up early enough to join the "duck man" at the hotel to help him feed the ducks. Your kids will talk of little else.

Do giggle to yourself when the bazillion Japanese students staying at your hotel act like the paparazzi around your kids and won't stop squealing "kawaii" (cute) at them.


Don't go to Butchart Gardens in October- they still charge $23 per person and your kids may not enjoy it $23 worth

Do go visit Hatley Castle. Your kids may think Princesses once lived there and the gardens there are very lovely and extensive- plus just $4.75 instead of $23!

Do keep an eye out for hummingbirds- they love the rose garden and have nests in the area . .

Do enjoy the lovely greenhouses- original glass and build, just so spectacular

Don't feed the ducks at the Japanese pond and garden
Do sit on the bench in the "Croquet lawn" and just soak in the tranquility and beauty of this place and enjoy the fact you have seen only 3 other people in the last hour


Do visit the Royal BC Museum, it's very much worth it

Don't eat at tea houses, they just don't have the best food . . .

But DO go to Willie's Bakery on Johnson and order a large orange juice. It's worth every penny. In fact, when your kid knocks her glass over you may be tempted to lick the juice off the table.

Don't miss one last chance to say goodbye to inner harbor, such a lovely city and such a lovely day!