OUR NEW HOUSE! Closing in two weeks!

Beautiful weather!!

It was a beautiful day today! Crystal and the kids came over- we all played outside on the swingset and on the big swing by the fire pit. At the end, we had some fun with the teeter-totter- is that how you spell that? LOL It was loads of fun- the kids were in full meltdown by the end but it was SO worth it. Gonna miss you, Crystal!

Miss Ava is missing from the photos because she was off having a tantrum as we were never doing what SHE wanted to be doing :) She will be 2 in three weeks....

This was a crazy week!!

This was a crazy week.... did I mention we are MOVING in three weeks??? My goodness. We have been so busy getting our house ready to sell- it looks great!! We have been packing, booking movers, getting the car shipping arranged, having the dog spayed, treating a double ear infection, getting ready to buy our new house, getting everyone caught up on immunizations, saying goodbye to people, scheduling service and utilities for the new house----- I need to stop. That list freaks me out. On a much lighter note- Ava has been terrified the last month or two of baths- we are talking FREAK out time. When we put her in water I am sure the neighbors think someone is being murdered. Last night Roy has the idea to pop her in, in her clothes! And that seemed to work. I got a couple of great shots of her in the bath. Check out Lauren's face when Ethan sat his little naked self on her lap.... and I love the strategically placed duck mirror.

The Gang- glow in the dark bowling!

Amazing Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Well, my awesome husband sent me beautiful red roses... I love fresh flowers!! And he included a wonderful card. Great man! HOWEVER, to really celebrate we went with some of our best friends to Portland via ( A stetch H2) to catch the Laser light show at OMSI. It was great! We had dinner here at the house and had just a blast of a time the rest of the night. We are going to miss you both so much! My crying has already started- I think it is going to be once a day for the next month and then hopefully it will get better as I just get excited for your next visit!

Ethan taking a bath!

I'm It!

I have been "tagged"! The exercise stops with me....LOL I will not subject my loved ones to this torture- we are busy enough, aren't we! :) However, I will play along this time.

1. What was I doing ten years ago? Roy and I were getting ready to graduate from Chemeketa Community College and we were moving to Cincinnati in the summer to continue our education at the University of Cincinnati. We lived in a super cute litte house here in Salem. Good times!

2. Things on my to do list- For tomorrow.... call and schedule service for the Toyota, refill prescriptions, order diapers, maybe run to the mall, pay the mortgage, tell the moving company about some large items I left off the inventory list, find an outfit for Vday, get some packing done, conduct the Brownie troop "offical welcoming ceremony" tomorrow night.

3. Bad habits- Um, I talk on the phone way too much. Gotta work on that! I have a bit of a foul mouth but I am getting better! I am on the computer too much! I am a SLOB. Not a dirty person, but clutter does not bother me. It has to get PRETTY bad for me to do something about it. Again, not dirty... just don't mind piles! I am very blunt and say it like it is.... my good friend has coined a term for me- "Don't be Christy." When she needs or wants to tell me something for which she knows my reaction she says, "Don't be Christy for a few minutes!"

4. Places I have lived- Cincinnati, OH... Salem, OR.... Cincinnati, OH.... Salem, OR.... Cincinnati, OH.... Salem, OR.... moving to Cincinnati, OH. Whoa, I believe that's what you call a pattern.

5. Five things people don't know about me- This is rough!!! Most people know more about me than they care to. Sheesh. 1. I LOVE BOSTON LEGAL. I wanted to go to law school and this show is my wonderful escape. 2. I have TERRIBLE insomnia. This is a cruel twist of fate for someone who loves to sleep. 3. I hate that I am not a better "girl." I don't know how to do my hair or makeup, can't buy fashionable clothes and I am not exactly Martha Stewart in the home. 4. I have always wanted to work for Disney. Everything they do is magical. I wanted to apply for Radio Disney a few years ago but didn't want to commute to Portland. 5. Even though I am not exactly a person that loves babies, I am a bit sad I won't have any more! I get a little sad when I go near the baby aisle at Kmart or Walmart-- knowing I never need to buy another receiving blanket is a bit of a downer.

That's all, folks! :)

Twelve years together!

Roy and I celebrated twelve years together on Feb 6, 2008! We were married seven years ago but I like to count all the way from the beginning! Without the first five years of growing together- trial and error- we might not have sustained our marriage as long as we have! We have had our ups and downs! Some of our biggest problems have been most recent... try meeting the needs of another adult while taking care of three kids (two babies!)!! So, we struggled a bit but recent events have reminded us that we are an amazing team. Luckily, we are a couple that decided a long time ago to make things work- we always have and we always will! I am so blessed to a have a wonderful man in my life! He is an attentive and loving husband and a near perfect example of what a father should be. Plus, he did a GREAT job picking a wife! :) I am including a pic of us taken 8 months after we started dating. I have no clue why we are dressed alike. Ten bucks says we turn into the kind of old folks that go out in matching outfits. Just a guess!

Princess Pearl

Ethan got a beautiful blanket for his birthday...he is such a blankie boy! He has been so ill though and with his runny nose I have mostly kept it up. Lauren stumbled across it one day and when the dog fell asleep in front of the fire she had to make her comfortable. I was trying not to freak out, seeing the dog under the brand new blanket for Ethan, but held it together long enough to snap the picture and then remedy the situation.

Ethan has his party!

Ethan had his party last weekend! He was still sick but it was starting to get silly, putting it off! He was adorable and on his best behavior. We had family come over and he scored a lot of great gifts! He is such a big boy! And he loves cake! He LOVED the chocolate sailboat cake Roy made a week earlier but he enjoyed this one as well. I believe he has a particular liking of all things chocolate! Happy Birthday, Little man!

Lutz Family Moving!

We have put an offer in on a home in Cincinnati! It looks as though we will be relocating somewhere around the third weekend of March! We are very excited- this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our family. We are sad to go for many reasons-but are trying to focus on only positive things! We will keep you all posted as things develop!