Something gross for Halloween....

There once was a toe ingrown,
But only to the owner was it known.
To avoid the stress,
He thought he could solve the mess.
All on his own!

Such began the saga 6 weeks ago with Tyler's ingrown toe nail. It got infected, and he ended up going to the doctor twice for antibiotics. That didn't work, so FINALLY he went in to the doctor yesterday to have part of the nail removed. He asked the doctor if he could "see where the problem was" to which Dr. Whitehead said, "Huh, yeah!" He also put something on the toe nail bed to kill it, so it won't grow back. Tyler does not have the... er... how do I say this nicely? Most aesthetically pleaseing toes. Oh, and did I mention both of our boys have the same? Genetics, gotta love them! Tyler said the pain relief was immediate (well, as soon as the numbing wore off, it was immediate anyway!) I wanted to take a picture of it now, and show you how much they cut off, but he said no, because I'd just post it on the blog! (He seems to be my source of medical grossness on here! Think back to the elbow pictures!) And I'll close with this...

If ingrown is our own toe nail,
Don't delay or act like a snail.
Mighty tempting is an "at-home" fix,
But the doctor has WAY more tricks!

Happy Halloween all! Check back later for pictures of our adorable boys (I am so full of it!) and their cute costumes!

they are my pride and my joy!

Hunk-a-hunk of burnin' love!

I fall in love with him all over again every time I look into blue (and black!) eyes.

Just a little brotherly love in Everson....

Well, maybe not so much love after all! See Weston's jacket under those leaves?...

At least the leaves can't give Weston a black eye!

Best shot of the day of him... he's just like his Dad!

*because you asked for it....*

Your wish is my blogging command! Here are pictures of Weston's eye. Poor little bruiser! He is doing so much better these days, even sleeping through the night at least 1/2 the time! This morning, this is what I overheard Tyler saying to him, "Buddy, I didn't know if I could love another baby as much as I loved Wayne, but boy do I ever! I love you so much, little dude. I just want to eat you up!"

Hmmm.. I had to work today, and when I got home, I was... "perplexed" to find that my precious baby has his first black eye (does that belong in the scrapbook? I can't find the spot in his pre-printed baby album to fill that in... Then again, maybe I should write it in his journal, or I could put it in his "monthly" scrapbook as a first.... The options are endless on how to document this, but I digress...) Tyler watched the boys today, and has no real idea how he got the black eye, except to say that he was a "bruiser" all day long, and played hard. When Tyler put him down for his afternoon nap, there was no black eye. And when he woke up... hmm.. I'd ask Wayne, but I'd doubt he'd take any blame, so it will be a mystery. At least it matches the other bumps and bruises on his head! :-) (Don't you love this stage?!?)

"I am Smart, I am Strong!"

Wayne has a new "handshake." Here's how it goes...

"I am SMART!" (Pointing to his head)
"I am STRONG!" (Making muscles)
Double Fist Bump
Double "snakes" as Wayne calls it (index to index finger, making the "sss" sound)
Double Elbow Bump
"Yeah!"

Gotta love the kid... He is so spongelike these days. He takes in everything around him. He is doing so well talking, learning dozens of new words, getting better at pronunciation... He is sooo good. He obeys really nicely, and is quite the helper. Who knew being a parent could be SO MUCH fun!?!

Howdy folks...

Hi All! It's Tuesday, and I am so glad to be spending the day at home (mostly.) We went away this morning to help my aunt for awhile, and Wayne played with her farm toys (we forgot that he was there for awhile!) Weston stayed home and took a nap with Kelsey watching him. I am excited for his upcoming doctor appointment, because I think he is gaining some weight! Good, good. I've cleaned the floors, the kitchen, made soup in the crock pot, am doing laundry, and have goodies made for a few friends coming for coffee this afternoon. Yippee! What else is new... Oh! All is going well with Trisha's pregnancy (Tyler's sister.) She is over the half way point now, and the turkey's not finding out what the sex is. Arrgh! :-) Oh well... My bet is on a boy (Brenna, Brenna and Alyssa would have their hands full with 4 boys!) Time will tell!

Weston on the move...

Chasing the Train

Here's a few clips of the boys chasing trains... Weston is getting pretty fast at the crawling thing, he has to in order to catch the trains Wayne keeps teasing him with.

my One and Only election post...

They say a picture says a thousand words... I hope so. All credit goes to the AMAZING Tyler, the Silves family professional carver. His tradition lives on!

My baby who.... SLEEPS!!!

I think we are turning a corner around here folks. Weston has been on his medicine for about a week, and he is starting to sleep longer for his naps! I have also implemented a firm "2 hour" rule as well, but most of the time these last few days he has been sleeping that long on his own anyway. Can you imagine? A TWO HOUR NAP! TWICE A DAY! These words were unheard of not too long ago. I frequently referred to him as "the baby who doesn't sleep." Not only is he sleeping more, but he is so much happier when he is awake. I can't tell you what it feels like to be able to accomplish a few things while he is down, and sometimes even take a 15 minute snooze myself! Where is he now you ask? Sleeping!

this and that...

Sometimes I feel like I post frequently, but that they are not of a very high quality. So, Tyler is listening to the Nooksack vs. LC football game right now, and I thought I'd do a little chatting with you all (and I'm going to try and NOT post about my precious, adorable, wonderful, amazing boys for once.... Oops!) (The score is 33-13 in the 3rd quarter.)

Life is good around here these days. Our days are full, but they don't feel "busy." They definitely have a flow... I work on Mondays and Wednesdays, but am usually done by 3pm. I still enjoy my job, and have really had a lot of pressure taken off of me since we hired another manager. She is actually a friend of mine too, and she is so great! It will make a world of difference coming into this next tax season. We've also hired a lot of new staff, and so I am involved in a lot of training and teaching, which I enjoy. I still can't believe that I have two kids, and am working part time. Mind you, it's pretty limited part time in the off season, but still... It is a testament to the company I work for, the people I work with, and my clients!

Our church is in the first few months of our "Year of Jubilee." It has definitely been different for me to not go to women's Bible Study on Wednesday mornings, and to not have Tyler involved in AWANA. We are trying to truly take advantage of the year off of programs and allow ourselves to really focus on our family. We are being more deliberate in what we are teaching Wayne, and we are both working on our own Bible Studies, which has been great because it keeps us in God's word on a regular basis. I am doing Beth Moore's "Psalms of Ascent" study, which is excellent. I so enjoy her teaching style, partly because as I read the words off each page, they come alive in that Southern accent! (I know you know Dana!) I truly have enjoyed it. Just today there was a "hmmm" make you think section.... There was a picture of a crown made of throwns, and Beth directed each reader to write the names of folks who we fear physical harm happening too. We write their names in the middle of the crown, and then pray that God would have his walls of protect built around them. I put Weston's name in twice! That boy is an accident waiting to happen these days.... He knows how to stand and walk, but doesn't have a clue how to fall!

I have so enjoyed the photography class that I took, and can't begin to tell you all that I learned. I am so GRATEFUL to Tyler for allowing me to take this class, and for taking the boys without ever complaining. I am a much better photographer for it. I truly enjoy it, but it is my hobby. I have had umpteen of you ask why I don't do it professionally, and the answer is, because I'm not a professional! Doing that would put too much pressure on me, and I don't want that. Sometimes it's rewarding just to use the gifts that God gave me to glorify him, and I feel like I can't do that when money is involved. How does taking a picture glorify God you ask? For me, it's capturing the precious moments that he's given to us, and the awesomeness of nature all around us. It's being able to look back at those pictures when you are in a rough patch in your life, and being reminded of God's blessing. If I can do that for myself, or someone else.... all Glory be to God the Father!

I am looking forward for the upcoming election day to be OVER. I am getting tired of all the polling, ads, and commentators. I never thought I'd get there, but enough is ENOUGH. It's out of control.

We just got a new Dell computer! I am so excited. As I type, I am staring at a 22 inch widescreen monitor, and the typing can actually keep up with my fingers!!! Bonus! We had our old computer for 7 years, and it seriously needs a bullet. We recently did a little redecorating and moved our computer into the family room, where the bookcase was. The bookcase is now in the dining area, where the curio cabinet was. The office now holds the curio cabinet, and has been cleaned up, with the scrapbooking stuff put away, and my photography gear too! I love our home, it is my haven. I was always worried I wouldn't ever find "my style." For those of you who know my mom, she is the EPITOMY of personal style. But my house can't look EXACTLY like my Mom's! I think we have our own style, although admittedly about the only difference between mine and hers is that mine is a little more kid friendly, and I place a high value on function over looks! Oh well.... I love it here. I am so happy to raise our children in this home. Oh, and Tyler just hooked up my weather center! Right now it is 48 degress outside, and the wind is blowing at 3 mph in a southwest direction. Humidity is up to 79%. No, I'm not elderly, I just enjoy the weather stats!

Okay, the score is now 39-13 Nooksack... I'm going to go convince Tyler this isn't worth listening too! Night friends!

oh where-oh-where has my baby gone?

"Wayne, smile at mommy!"

This is the picture that hit me hard... he looks so old!

I love this shot... Playing with depth of field, so that Tyler is clear and sharp, and it captures how he just "eats up" all Wayne's lovin's.

A father's love... I always knew that Tyler would be an amazing Dad, but I had no idea how HEAD OVER HEELS madly in love he'd be... He's just as bad as me! :-) Everything our boys do is amazing to us, and we feel so blessed and undeserving of them.

Who's In?

You are never too old to learn folks! I am going to take at least one of the following courses from Whatcom. Al Sanders is the same instructor that we had for "The Art of Photography" and he teaches courses on Elements (the new 7.0 version is now available at . I am going to be taking the Level 2 course, which he said should be fine as long as you have some experience in the software. He also teaches the Photoshop courses, so he is EXTREMELY knowledgeable. So... who's in?

Also, Mindy and I went to the QuickSilver Photo store on Cornwall last night! I "invested" in a backdrop holder AND lighting equipment. Seriously, it's the coolest stuff ever, and I look like a total professional! Now if only I could photograph like one... :-) But hey, I'm working on it. Here are a few I took of Brenna and Weston today.. I should have been on a tripod, but oh well. I will be from now on!

Photoshop Elements--Level 2
Take your next step in editing digital photographs! This intermediate class will teach you how to work with layers for risk-free image editing and enhancing. You'll learn how to transform the look of your images without ever damaging the original and how to re-edit your image at any time. Photoshop Elements--Introduction or familiarity with Photoshop Elements recommended.
F8523 / 1 session / 3 clock hrs.
M from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Sanders $55
11/3
WCC - Kelly Hall #104

Photoshop Elements--Level 3
This class will explore a variety of techniques to alter and enhance your images using Photoshop Elements. Learn how to use selections to make composites of two or more images, create new backgrounds for portraits, and more. Topics also include restoring old photos as well as giving new photos an antique look. This is a chance to learn tips, tricks, and shortcuts that will allow you to have fun with your digital images while helping to speed up your workflow. Photoshop Elements--Introduction and Level 2 or equivalent experience strongly recommended.
F8526 / 1 session / 3 clock hrs.
M from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Sanders $55
11/10
WCC - Kelly Hall #104

Scrapbooking with Photoshop Elements
Join us for a fun introduction to digital scrapbooking! Using Photoshop Elements, you will learn how to create your own scrapbook pages, brushes, papers, and patterns. Class will also cover a brief overview of the wizards available in Photoshop Elements. Prerequisite: Photoshop Elements--Introduction and Level 2 or equivalevant knowlege strongly recommended.
F8604 / 1 session / 4 clock hrs.
Sa from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Durbin $69
12/6
WCC - Kelly Hall #104

This is why pumpkins shouldn't drink...

Hope you enjoyed a belly laugh like I did!

Latest Recipe Post: Baked Potato Soup!

Saute diced onion, celery, and butter in a soup pot. Then, sprinkle 2/3 cup of flour over top. Once cooked, pour 6 cups of milk (that you've microwaved for 5 minutes or so already) into the pot. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly, about 8 minutes. Next, you need to add the mashed cooked potato (oh yeah, cook two large potatoes, peel, and mash them, set aside until the milk mixture is thick and bubbly!) Okay, add the mashed potato, then add 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 cup of sour cream, and 1/2 cup of chopped green onion. Cook over low heat until thoroughly heated through. You can crumble bacon bits and cheese on top before serving. It's DELICIOUS!


I'd include a picture, but there is none left to photograph!

Weston's Crawling!

Weston's ready for bootcamp!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcsHUfgXuK4

Weston is crawling/army crawling.

Click on the link for the video... sorry I can't embed it, my computer's being not smart!

The Pumpkin Patch Part 1

Wow, I am so blessed to have such a cute husband! He is so his Dad!
I could just eat him up!

I love how Wayne is just holding Tyler's leg...

I bottled wine!

We had a work event where my "team" went to Whatcom Winemakers in Bellingham and enjoyed really fancy french cheeses and crackers, and then got to bottle, cork, label and foil wine! Although I don't drink (I've never had even a "taste") it was still really fun. Here are a few pictures of what we did!

The cheeses were DELICIOUS! The area where we washed bottles, filled them, and corked them. I want one of those bottle washers here at home!
The room where the wine ferments (or however that is spelled!)
These are the wine bottles I made, and the labels I designed! The words say, "A Taste for Tyler" since he always says, "Hmm.... I'll have just a taste!)

Weston's First Haircut

1st Haircut for Weston Before.... ....and after!

Giving his Mama some lovin's

Seriously, I've got some catching up to do! We Silves' have been up to a lot these days. Weston is now 9 months old. We cut his hair for the first time last night. What a difference! He looks like such a big boy now. I took him in to the doctor today. I was concerned about his lack of sleep, fussiness, how he was nursing, and spitting up. We met with Dr. Putney (LOVE HER!) and together we put together the scenario we think is going on. We have Weston back on liquid antacid for his reflux. We think it's been flaring up again, causing him not to nurse well, which makes him hungry, which is why he won't stay asleep! I came home and gave him a dose, and topped him off with formula, and he slept for 2 1/2 hours! Praise the Lord! I was so relieved, and he woke hope soooo happy. It has been awhile since I've seen him so joyous. He is so precious, we are just soaking up all the moments with him, because he is going to be too big, like Wayne, before we know it.

Photos of Fall

Ain't she a beauty? I love, love, love this picture!
Like the many layers of a person, this bark peels back to show it's true color. (okay, give me credit, that was at least a little poetic!)

This photo plays around with "depth of field." Notice how some of the flowers are in focus, and some are not? It depends on how close are far from the camera they were.
Gorgeous! I love the fall colors.

Pumpkins for my Pumpkins

We went up to Mom's the other day for lunch, and as we got out of the Jeep, Wayne noticed her pumpkin display. He was so excited, but I had to tell him, "No, those are Grandma's pumpkins." He didn't throw a fit, and instead just went inside. Later when we left, she followed us out and told Wayne she had a surprise for him.... she had bought him his own pumpkin! He was THRILLED, to say it mildly, that he got to take his own pumpkin home. Now of course, the pumpkin comes with us wherever we go. Couldn't it have been a smaller pumpkin? :-)

Rub-a-dub-dub, two Silves boys in the tub!

These two are a hoot in the tub. I will tell what bathtime is NOT around here:

it is not quiet
it is not dry (in OR out of the tub)
it is not short
it is not often (hey folks, it's a lot of work, and I believe our kids are too clean these days)
it is not lonely!