Playing Catch Up!

Hi All. Just playing a little catch up since it's been a month and a half since the last post. Once again we all got really sick. Then we had 2 sets of grandparents come to visit before Christmas. Abigail was in two Christmas plays, one for church and one for school. Aaron was in our church play too, but wouldn't say his lines last minute:) He still looked cute on stage. Currently we're all healthy at the same time. Can I get a hallelujah? My abdomen is quickly expanding; thanks to pregnancy, a high calorie diet, and lack of exercise this holiday season:) But I'm working on it now that I'm feeling better.

Check out some fun photos and videos! We hope everyone has a blessed new year this year.

A VISIT FROM NONNO AND NONNA. Karen's Dad and step-mom came to visit for a weekend before Thanksgiving. The kids loved all the wrestling with Nonno and piano playing with Nonna.




FIELD TRIP TO WARM SPRINGS INDIAN RESERVATION MUSEUM. The kids all went on a field trip with Abigail's school to the museum on the reservation, where we got a lot of fun pictures.





ABIGAIL'S FIRST LOST TOOTH. She let me pull it out without batting an eyelash. Brave girls that let Mommy pluck their teeth out get more money you know:)


CHRISTMAS TREE HUNTING. We had big intentions of going into the forest to cut down our tree this year, but when we realized we still weren't well, we opted for the tree lot instead:)


A VISIT FROM PAPPA AND GRAMMY. Richard's parents came to visit for almost a week in early December.



Abigail in her school Christmas play. She says the bible reference is Psalms, but it's actually John:) She did a great job throughout.


Leah getting her "sweet" on and wrapping herself around Nonno and Nonna's pinkies:)

Time to Celebrate!

This is not an actual photo of our baby:)


We're happy to announce the beginnings of Baby Affeldt #4! We weren't trying, but also we weren't trying not to have another baby. I am 12 weeks and due May 26th according to an early ultrasound. But all that is relative since I usually go 10 days overdue. So, in my mind we're expecting a June baby:) That means we'll have one birthday each in May, June, July, and August. Well, that should cover all the summer months!

Good Times

JJ Heller "Your Hands"


Leah holding "Garden" the baby garter snake. We caught her @ the home we buy our eggs from. She made a great show-and-tell at Abigail's school.


Abigail and Daddy at her first ballet viewing day.


Fun Potato Harvest. All of our potatoes were volunteer from the previous year. They were red (all the way through) and yellow. Very yummy!








Halloween. Though the holiday's origins are pagan, it is still a day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it:)




Leah would rather hunt for worms than carve pumpkins!






Our new piano. A gift from a friend. Thank you Rod.


Just a quick entry to catch up on things. This has been a very sick almost two months for us now. I'm exhausted, tired of being sick, and can't seem to catch up on laundry and dishes. Such is the life of a Mom. I'm thankful for it though, and someday our immune systems will think so too. Just asking God for extra measures of patience, love, guidance, sleep, and time with Him. Richard can help with the dishes and laundry:) He's a good man.

Abigail is loving school and is soaking it all up. I'm thankful she is the oldest in her class because our perfectionist, little girl has more confidence and is advanced in her class. Her teacher has done a great job at challenging her as well. On the weekends Abigail likes to work in her phonics workbook, saying, "Reading is so much fun!" Got to love that.

Aaron is growing like a weed. He's mostly bored at home, so he likes to do his school too. He's also thankful we finally got a swing set:) It's an old metal one, but it was free, and you can't beat free! Except maybe with a stick or a bat, and even then who cares, ha! Tonight we will sign him up for mat club. He's excited to learn how to pin his big sis down. Currently she's the reigning champion for take downs and pins. Aaron would like to see that stat change:)

Leah has been so sick now for almost two weeks. Just treating the symptoms, but I'm looking forward to us all being healthy at the same time soon. Hopefully while Nonno and Nonna (Karen's dad and step-mom) are visiting. Leah loves to tell daddy all about her day when he comes home. Some of it needs translation, but she gets her point across really well.

Halloween was fun. We made it out trick-or-treating even though Leah wasn't feeling 100%. I bribed her with a sucker to put on a tiger costume:) Gotta do what you gotta do:) The A-Team had a blast dressing up. They wore the same costumes as last year, but they didn't care. Abigail was a kangaroo with a joey in her pouch and Aaron was a T-Rex. Good times.

What Can I do For You My Lord?

I heard this song on the radio last night while folding laundry, and it just brought to light where my primary focus should be. I hope you find it encouraging as well. I love music:) The song is Tree63's version of "Look What You've Done."

Also, I bought Richard a used guitar to start learning on. The idea was spurred on by Abigail's strong desire to learn guitar so she can play and her friend Gracie can dance:) It's been something Richard has wanted to learn for a while but just hasn't pursued. Now he doesn't have an excuse;) Merry "early" Christmas honey. I thought it would be special for Abigail and Dad to learn together too. So, if any of you guitar players have any advice for newbies, please pass it on.

Ist Day of School!

Abigail helping make her lunch


Abigail and her teacher Mrs. Gibbons


I told Abigail yesterday that I was going to miss her while she was at school, and her response was, "Oh Mom, don't worry. I'll be home later." This morning while she was wriggling with excitement she said, "I'm so glad school is today!" Richard said,, "Abigail, I'm sorry. We miscounted the days. School actually starts tomorrow." Her smile turned upside down in a flash, but was right back again when she realized Dad was playing a joke.

Aaron has a few words to say about this new school adventure...

Kid's Say the Darndest Things

The other night while I was putting on mascara and curling my eyelashes before work (The extent of my make-up. Who cares what you look like at 1AM?), Aaron was vainly attempting to tell me something. He got distracted part way through and just stared at me with a peculiar expression on his face. I asked him, "What I'm doing to my eyelashes looks pretty weird, huh? Girls do this to their lashes to make them look longer." He nodded his head and said,

"Mom, even though girls are weird, I still love you anyway."

Thanks son:)

Camping, Canning, and Birthday Girls

Camping at Yellow Bottom; the kids were enamored with catching minnows and crawdads


Is it SO hard to get a teenager to smile? This was one of 6 shots I took. Couldn't get a smile out of her to save our lives.


Two Sillies!


Three Sillies! They loved finding sticks and burning them in the fire- AKA "flaming swords!"


Good thing Jackson has a tiny butt!


Dixie getting some love from one of Abigail's beany babies


Leah's birthday CHEATS!






Not much in the way for pictures this month. I either worked, canned, or went camping. A recipe for exhaustion. In fact, the laundry has been an unfolded eyesore on the couch since Monday! At least the bathrooms, floors, and kids got cleaned this week! I've been working extra night shifts (for me that is) in an attempt to help get the van paid off. Something else always comes up to be paid for, though:) Hopefully it will be paid off before the end of the year, this month preferrably. Then we refuse to take out a car loan ever again.

We went camping with the Kingsley's to Yellow Bottom last month. It's become an annual tradition for us. Then afterward Abigail went home with the Kingsley's. Abigail didn't bat an eyelash about leaving us for a few days, and when she was called at night to say 'good night' to, we barely got two words out of her. Needless to say she loves that family VERY MUCH. It is so sweet, but I missed her terribly and wanted her to miss me back the same:) I think it's a mommy thing.

Aaron and Leah and I picked 60lbs of peaches from my favorite valley orchard before picking Abigail up. That was a long week following for preserving. I canned several jars of peach jam and peaches and I dried lots. We're planning a trip up to Hood River soon to buy/or pick pears and apples next. I need more jars and 2 or 3 more food dehydrators, though:)

Leah turned 2 on Aug 21st. We didn't bake a cake because it was SOOOO hot here and I spent most of the day canning. Instead we treated the crew to DQ. Leah got her favorite (and least messy) treat, a hot fudge milkshake. It was a large, but we shared. It just so happens to be my favorite treat too;) She is a card! She loves beany babies, particularly the kitties and doggies. She loves to brush her ponies hair, and go to "sleep" with at least 3 of her "toys" at a time. She's talking loads now too, and is fairly articulate with even difficult words. A few of her favorites: booky (book, can't read enough to her), brother (Aaron), Sissy (Abigail), tweet (bird), lizard, buggy, kiss, lug (hug), nummy cheat (gotta bribe this one with treats to eat her food), chips, bana (banana), kiki (blanky and kitty), moomy (movie), hide (they love to jump out of hiding and surprise daddy when he comes home), please, sorry, key-koo (thank you), and so on. She rarely signs anymore. I have plans to work out a potty training week next week. She wants to learn, just needs all my attention to get it done.

Abigail starts school next week, and she is just pumped about it. We decided to put her in a small, local Christian school for Kindergarten. I home schooled her through Kindergarten last year, but she really didn't want to learn anything until the end of the year and through this summer. I've spoken with the teacher about it and she said if Abigail needs to have 1st grade curriculum brought in that's something we can discuss as the year progresses. The preschool and K class are combined with a total of 13 kids so far. Then their 1st through 8th graders are combined. I believe they're a similar size this year. We'll just take it one year at a time, and continue to put it to prayer what we should do with our kid's education.

Aaron won't be going to preschool this year. I'll home school him and do other activities with him like swim lessons and mat club (wrestling). We couldn't afford to put both kids in private school and it would mean a tremendous amount of running around on my part to coordinate driving for field trips for 2 different schools and so on. So, he'll still get to go on Abigail's field trips when she has them. I think he'll be bored without his constant playmate and companion. He'll have to settle with playing with Leah most days. That's ok, she loves to play in the dirt and eat it too.


Brain Teaser: Do this in your head (nothing on paper)
Take 1000, and add 40, add 1000, add 30, and add 1000, add 20, add 1000, add 10.
What do you get? If your answer is 5000, you're wrong, try again:)

CROCK POT RECIPE:
I don't even know what to call this yummy crock pot dish, but it's ridiculously easy and yummy, so I have to pass it on. Thanks to Donna U. for the idea.

4 chicken breasts
2 cans diced toms/chiles

Coat crock pot with cooking spray. Layer of toms on bottom of pot, then chicken, then lastly the rest of the toms. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (the longer it cooks the more the toms break down into a sauce). I thought it was going to be more of a Mexican kind of dish, but decided last minute to serve it over linguine noodles with a sprinkling of parmesan on top. My kids all dislike Italian dishes, but devoured this:) NUMMY, as Leah would say. I likened it to chicken parmesan, but healthier and much easier. It would probably be good over rice too, though.
Bon appetito

Leah loves shoes:)

Affeldt Backyard Zoo!

Just got these picts today. I couldn't figure out why I heard the sound of a cicada dying. Well, it's because it was! It was being eaten alive by a cleverly camouflaged praying mantis. We found a huge mature green one this morning. Leah wanted to hold it, and yet not, all at the same time. It kept wanting to crawl up her face, and she wasn't particularly down with that!



The baby lizards are getting used to us holding them and are so easy to catch now. This one was particularly docile and enjoyed chillin' on us while we took pix.

A Little Fun for the Soul

Our extraordinary Kingsley visit!
Jackson brought his turantula for us to see and catch bugs for it to eat. Everyone got a chance to hold him/her (?)


Best buds:)


Thick as theives




Eating peas from the garden


The largest jumping spider the kids have ever seen. They affectionately named him Zac.


Painting pictures for the fair. Check out Jackson's grin. It's the same for every picture. Priceless!


The fair. Leah showing me the pretty she took out of her hair.


Aaron loving the ferris wheel.


Dad and Leah watching the A-Team on a ride.


Abigail on the ferris wheel. Good timing with dad and Leah in the background.


The Urspringer visit. Aaron showing me his Spiderman moves between turns on the slip-n-slide. So intense!


Quiet time!


Working men!


The Urspringer Fam


We had a huge batch of baby side spotted lizards (AKA blue bellies) in our yard. The kids love catching them. They're growing accustomed to being held.


Our first sunflower. One that eluded the deer who have been frequenting our garden. Chase is really good at scaring them off. She just ran off two bucks this morning:) We're looking forward to bow season around here;)


Hey all,

Wow, July has been a whirlwind of activity between friends and family visiting and the fair. We entered a gazillion items into the fair and won some too. Yay! I highly recommend getting involved in your county fair. It was something I never considered before, but it has been so fun for the kids to see the things they enter and to win a little cash too.

We watched the Kingsley kids from July 14th - 22nd. It was busy, loud at times, and ever so sweet all in one. Ashton and Leah took a huge liking to each other and Ashton was very attentive to her every need, even if Leah felt she didn't have a need:) Koodos to Ashton and her determination and persistence. It paid off marvelously. Aaron and Jackson were thick as thieves. The epitome of boyness there. Abigail played with them too, but really enjoyed doing girly things with Ash on the computer. It seems Abigail is caught between tomboy and girly girl. It's difficult to give up bug, lizard, and frog 'catch and release' for dress up and tea parties. There has to be an even balance:) We were all sad to see the Kingsley's go, but are looking forward to our annual camping trip soon.

We also had a visit from the Urspringer's on their way through from California to Idaho. The kids all got along REALLY well. Justin matched Aaron's boy energy and Abigail's wildlife hunting skills very well, and Breonna was a dream. She's one of those kids that is able to keep herself content in any situation. Amazing! Sleep was rocky for the crew, but I think they all had a great time. Richard put Brian to work helping combine some research plots and adding gravel to our "in-the-works" back patio project:) Thanks for all the free labor Brian. Donna and I just hung out and ate Bon Bons all day while the kids wrangled animals and played in the water:) Yah, right! It was a great visit filled with much needed fellowship. Miss you guys. Hope you're getting settled in nicely.