Dude, I totally should've brought my board!

Who knew that a January day at White Pass Ski Resort could feel so much like Spring with blue skies, warm sunshine, and plenty of snow for Jackson's first time out on a snowboard. We took a couple hours during our Annual Blankenship Family Cabin Weekend to dedicate to Jackson's dream of being just like Shaun White. Watching all those youtube videos of Shaun certainly paid off because our little dude took to the slopes like a pro and with a little help from Dan was soon on his way down the mountain...doing mini jumps and looking like a real pro on his board. It was way too much fun for these proud parents!

 

And right about then, he took off on his own and there was no looking back. This kid is a natural!

 

They say pictures are worth a thousand words, but in this case I'm thinking that a video (or two...or three) is worth at least a thousand.

Is anybody else tired out just from watching Dan run after Jackson?


I love how Jackson is smaller than the snowboard!

I had Dan snap this pic of me with Jackson so that he can autograph it for me once he goes pro.

We're already looking forward to taking Jackson out to the slopes again soon. Hopefully we can plan a trip to the mountains before Emma makes her debut without risking a roadside delivery!

coming soon {Baby Emma}

Well, we've reached that pinnacle moment of pregnancy where my belly is big, my back is incredibly sore, a myriad of tiny pink outfits are waiting to be worn, and Jackson (like the rest of us) is asking daily when he will get to hold his baby sister.

Emma herself seems more than ready to make her debut. I swear she's trying to escape through my belly button! I honestly don't remember ever being so uncomfortable inside my own skin during my pregnancy with Jackson and I still could have up to 4 full weeks left of this so please!...bear with me if I seem to get a little cranky.

Needless to say, we're anxiously awaiting the arrival of this precious baby girl who we've prayed for all these months and all the years preceding her conception. What an amazing gift from God we've been given in this baby girl who we've yet to see face to face! And how appropriate that her name Emma Jane also bears the meaning of "God's Gracious Gift" (as does Jackson's).

While my sister Julie was in town for Christmas vacation, we forced her to brave a very chilly day down at the beach here in Edmonds and take photos for us (I broke the ye olde tripod we normally would use) and she very graciously acquiesced to my plea.

Here's the outcome of our family walk to the beach -- one of our last as a family of just three!

 

And here's one bonus shot just for laughs...if the focus hadn't been on the background, it would've been a new favorite, I think! :)

 

For this child {we} prayed, and the Lord has granted {us our} petition that {we} made to Him.  

 I Samuel 1:27 (adapted)

happy new year 2013

Happy New Year from our home to yours!

Last night we engaged in our second annual Marshmallow Gun Fight with Julie. Last year she gifted Jackson with these guns and we've now incorporated them into our New Year's traditions. Okay so maybe it's our only New Year's tradition. But at least we have one! (Thanks, Julie.)

While I ducked for cover beneath the couch cushions, Dan and Julie got their game faces on and took to shooting. Mini marshmallows were flying across our living room and kitchen at lightning speed! This year Jackson got way more into the shooting, mainly because he's actually able to fire the gun on his own now. And I'm pretty sure his intake of actual marshmallows increased by about 5,263%. Picking up the spent ammo was a chore that was embraced quickly and easily.

 

 

 

 

  

We might've gone to bed before midnight on New Year's Eve, but with good reason. Besides the fact that we were just plain tired from shooting (or avoiding) flying marshmallows, we also knew we needed our sleep for an action-packed New Year's Day full of driving, sledding, snow-shoeing, and fun with friends and family.

Before the crack of dawn on 2013, we loaded up the car with sleds, snow shoes, and puffy coats and took a 7:10 AM ferry boat and met our friends The Ericsons in Kingston for the drive up to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park.

Once we'd risen above the clouds, it was the most gorgeous, sunny day with blue skies and big smiles all around while the kids enjoyed sledding before we set out on a snow shoe hike (while all 3 exhausted kids passed out in their back-pack carriers) that jump-started my Braxton-Hicks contractions in a big way. If Emma isn't here by February 7th, I now know exactly what we need to do in order to coax her out of her comfy perch!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was an amazing day in every way and the perfect setting in which to reflect on the beauty of our Awesome Creator and all of the incredible blessings He has poured out on our family in the past 365 days. We finished 2011 on the heels of two more back-to-back miscarriages with hope and prayer of a healthy pregnancy in 2012. And here we are beginning 2013 with a healthy daughter who is due to arrive in a matter of days. Our family has witnessed firsthand the faithfulness of the Lord in 2012 and we rejoice that His mercies are new each morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). We're so excited to see what the Lord has in store for us in the year ahead!