WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

The snow if falling and it doesn't look like it will stop soon. The picture here is a little strange b/c there is no snow around Chris' car but the steps to my house are completely covered. There really are only a few inches out but there are some deep snow drifts here and there. The biggest one in the neighborhood is at the edge of my driveway so Chris could not get out even if the mustang was slightly better than a snow sled (with heat and a radio). The suburban however loves this and Chris digs driving over the snow drift. I think he made up reasons to leave the house just so he could pop it in four wheel drive and get out of he drive way (kidding of course). Thankfully they have scrapped and sanded all the roads in and out of our neighborhood. The worst spot truly is the edge of my drive way.

I am excited for Christmas tomorrow and looking foward to some skiing. I don't know if we will go up today or wait until Friday but it should be fun either way.

Andy and Susanne came by for a visit. We haven't seen them in a long time so that was nice. They brought their dogs which the kids loved. We went to Susanne's parents house last night for a little party. Tonight we go to Mass, read A night Before Christmas and wait for Santa!!! So exciting.

Holiday Happenings

There has been so much going on that I thought it was time to create another slide show. They boys had a Christmas Pageant and Jonah had his last performance of "a Christmas Carol" last night. Tanya came out to get our Christmas tree. We spent time decorating the tree and then took a trip to "Santa's". We went out to Santa's house in the trees. We saw his workshop and then we went inside to spend some time with Santa. It was such an amazing thing. The house was decorated beautifully and after we had cookies and cocoa in the kitchen. Tanya, Trav and the kids came with us and it was truly a wonderful experience. I forgot my camera but I know Tanya will be sending me pics soon. I love that they are so close and we get to share these memories together. The kids adore her children and it is nice to have family around. I guess you could say I am finally "in the spirit."

I taught Sunday School today and we talked a lot about waiting for Jesus. How we as Christians are always celebrating and always waiting in one way or another. We talked this week of rejoicing while we wait. As those before us worshipped and rejoiced the coming of the birth of Jesus. We remembered that while the anticipation for Christmas is great there is an important part of our waiting. We are meant to prepare the way for the lord. I am so blessed that my kids get it. We talked of how we prepare ourselves and I am reminded of all the gifts I already have. All in all it was a wonderful day. Today we Rejoice!

A Holiday Slide Show

Opening Night

Last night we were treated to a full dress rehearsal before opening night. It was a performance geared for families. These are pictures from that show. Tonight was opening night. It ended up being a very emotional experience for Jonah. I have to say I was surprised and at the same time not so much. Jonah has always been a very tender hearted, thoughtful young man and he proved so tonight. While he was eating dinner he jumped up and came to give me a giant hug. With big old crocodile tears in his eyes he said "thank you mom, this is my dream and you made it happen for me." I said "no, Jonah you made this happen." He just hugged me and cried. It only took a few minutes to gather himself. He got very nervous just before the show and in between scences he would panic and cry a little. He kept finding me back stage to give me a hug. I continue with words of encouragement and I have to admit I was beginning to wonder if he was going to be ok. However, when he went on stage it was like BAM! He was on. He did great and all his scenes went smoothly. Anita, the Religious education leader at t our church came, along with the childrens librarian Kate and a family that we have known for years. I mentioned to Kate what had happened back stage and she truly looked shocked. Jonah was so relieved after the show and I think now he knows he can do it. He also kept thanking me for getting him an audition. The hugs and love were almost overwhelming for me. He is such an angel, and a little ham too. I hope you enjoy the pics. He has two shows tomorrow and two more next weekend.

It was so hard to pick my favorite pictures. The guy who took them took over 400. I tried to limit, I even left out three small scenes he was in but still I overwhelmed you with Mom bragging pics....

Thanksgiving

Here are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving pics. It started out with a Rocky induced coma. The boys cuddled up for a Rocky marathon. Claire and the girls came over to help me finish cooking and to get things ready for my brother and his family. Derek, his wife Christina, Chloe, Devyn and their "adopted" daughter Courtney came about 2:30. I can't think of a time where there were so many little girls running through my house. At one point during dinner Derek's daughter and Claire's daughter announced that they were best friends. It was adorable. We had a wonderful dinner and then a fabulous dessert. As you can see the kids were excited about pie. After Derek's family left Chris, Claire, the kids and I vegged out in front of the t.v. for a couple of hours. Claire and the girls decided to have a sleep over. When we woke up Chris went to the store and picked up cinnamon rolls and butterhorns for us (love Chris).

The rest of the weekend was pretty low key. Trevor stopped by for leftovers, Jonah went to a birthday sleep over, we had pageant rehearsal, did a puzzle, watched more football than anyone can imagine and finally Chris put up the Christmas lights. I am starting to get into the holiday spirit which is nice. Chris and I both have to work tomorrow but it was a nice few days off. I am excited about my lights and I can't wait to go get my tree. This week is hell week with Jonah having dress rehearsal 3 hours every night. Opening night is this Friday and we are all excited.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving and ate plenty of Turkey.

Max's First Reconcilliation

Max celebrated his First Reconcilliation on Nov. 22nd. It was a great day. Max is excited to be on the road to his First Communion. He is so cute and I can't even imagine what he told the priest. He is such a good boy. I can't believe how big he is getting. I am starting to field old as my little men reach these milestones. What am I going to do when they get married?

Sleep over with Aunt Tanya

So they day started off pretty normal with me not hearing my phone ring 4 times for various people to tell me school was canceled because they expected flooding. Well, this happens to us all the time but they never cancel school (should've been my first clue). We were about to catch the bus when I checked my phone. Good thing Sarah decided to text me and let me know what was going on. Then people kept calling to tell me the flood was going to be real bad this time. After our last experience I took the warning. I called my friend Tara (who's husband works for the city) and she said we needed to go and that they were expecting 20% more water than last time YIKES! So I quickly began preparing the house w/ the flood cresting at 4. I had no time to spare. I figured the road would flood around 1pm. As I was desperately packing and picking thing up Tara pulled in the drive to help me. We put everything in the car and picked up as much as we could and then we were out by 1:15 and still no water....That was good news. So I felt a little over dramatic leaving but I thought it was better to be safe than sorry. Right, right.
So anyway, around 7pm Tara calls to tell me the city workers are going home, Mike drove by the house and it was fine. At the same time Sarah called to say that Kimbell Creek (the major threat to us) was backing up into her yard and she now had lake front property. With conflicting reports we were just happy to be at Tanya's house eating a fantastic dinner and watching movies. At 7am this morning Steve drove by my house and said all was well but the street behind us was under 2 feet of water. I drove into work but stopped at the house to turn the electricty back on and get it ready for the boys. I drove around and noticed the water stopped at my fence and went no further. My back yard neighbors yard were under water and I am not sure if they had any water inside. I felt very fortunate. We lucked out! The water knocked on the door but didn't come in. In the mean time, I am thankful we left because we would have seen the water coming and done another midnight retreat (which wasn't much fun the last time). The boys were happy and comfy and so were we. No stress, no drama. The water flooded the road into our house but the water had gone by the time I got there (not nearly as bad as last time) so that was good. I love my home and where I live but this whole flood thing is starting to get old. Well, I am going to go I am off work and I want to see my kids....

evacuation

We evacuated just to be on the safe side. I will let you all know how it shakes out tomorrow. So far so good! Say some prayers and wish us good luck.

Max's Heritage

Max was recently asked to do a small project about his heritage. He was to pick a family picture and present it to the class along with an explanation of his family traditions and/or heritage. Here is what he wrote:

Hi my name is Max.

We have a big family.

We are hard workers.

We love eachother.

We live in Washington.

We all go to Catholic Church.

We pray.

We sing to God.

We take care of poor people.

We celebrate God's bday.

We are Americans.

We love our soldiers.

We celebrate seasons.

We celebrate Thanksgiving and 4th of July.

My great-great grandparents taught us to work hard and love God.

From Max Duvall

That says it all...Here is the picture he is including. It was taken 3 years ago around Easter.

A weeekend alone

It seems so strange but the second the boys were done trick or treating, Chris left with them to visit his Uncle in Yakima. They went to build an addition on his house. I couldn't go because I had to do the children's mass this weekend and they wouldn't be back in time. The plans were so last minute that I didn't have time to plan a single thing so I stayed home by myself and cleaned out the garage (thrilling I know). I get scared and a little melancholy being here by myself so in true Halloween fashion, I slept with a baseball bat and a butcher knife in the mattress of the bed. I am so ridiculous. I did have an opportunity to go into Seattle and see a friend who is in the hospital and I stopped by the U Village Barnes and Nobles for some book time. (as if I don't get enough of that already) My friends Peggy and Ruth went to the hospital with me and we were sent on a mission to get books. It was hilarious, Peggy is a 2nd grade teacher, Ruth is an Art teacher and I work in a library (all very passionate about literature). We had a difficult time picking out appropriate reading material for a 12 year old but in the end each of us picked our favorite classic. Ruth "My Antoine" Peggy "Jane Eyre" and I picked "Pride and Prejudice" Along with "Why the caged bird sings (her selection) Secret Life of Bees and Tricksters.
I am happy to say she picked Pride and Prejudice for her first "book club" selection....I did shamelessly dance about a bit. The boys finally came back this morning and we have a whole day of pageant rehearsals, and team parties to go to. Back in the grind. I best go they are getting crazy over there. Plus, I haven't had a hug in about 10 minutes.

Halloween

Here are some shots of our treak or treating gang on Halloween. We had a wonderful time at our friends house and the boys had a blast getting candy. Our friend the Fursmans hosted another wonderful Halloween bash and we walked throught the neighborhood. Many of the neighbors got very creative with their decorations as you can see by the graveyard created by a family who lives on Silva St.

Weekend adventures...or lack there of.

Is it true....could it possibly be????? Are sports really and truly over until January!!!! There is a Lord up above who takes care of me!!!!

Friday night we did.....................Nothing. Christian was invited to a friends house to go to the Mt. Si football game and a Haunted walk through the woods. So, I got boboli pizza stuff and we made pizza's and watched Harry Potter. Chris was asleep by 7:58 which was cracking me up. I wasn't awake much longer. It was lovely.

Saturday I worked but I took an hour off so that I could make it to Christians last football game. He say he likes it when I hold the chains on the sidelines because he can hear me cheering for him. I told him I thought that it would be embarrassing to have me on the chains screaming my fool head off. He said "well, some of the things you yell are pretty embarrassing but I like it anyway." I loved it! Because it was the last game they worked Christian in on defense for the last three plays of the game. He was in on both stops until the tallest, fastest kid on the other team got the ball and ran it back on the left...Christian was on the right he went in the backfield to put pressure on the QB (a little retribution) when there was a hand off to the monster kid who couldn't be stopped. Christian took off after him and was the last kid in the back field. He ran so fast and so hard he was passing everyone! It was one of those moments where it looks slow motion. He was two steps behind him when the TANK entered the endzone if there had been 5 more yards to that field Christian would've had him. Why is this important? Christian has been working so hard to recover the strength/speed in his legs. He knew he had beat all those kids up the line and he knew he came from the back! I looked at him and said I had never been more proud and that he could finally put the issue of the "leg" behind him. I think for the first time he really believed that was true. So, the officials blew three calls that were (touchdown related) one of them was a touchdown for Christian. I was on the line so I saw him cross. So the officials weren't the greatest and we totallly got creamed but in the end Christian did awesome and walked away a big time winner. YEAH Skippy.

Then Saturday Night we did nothing....
Sunday we went to Church and then had breakfast with the Kolodejchucks. It was nice. It was just them and us and we had a really wonderful time just hanging out and we were so thankful they invited us.
After, Tanya and Travis came to pick up Max. They took him on the Halloween train. Mrs. Roy had loaned Max a skeleton costume and he loved it. After, Travis and the boys had an impromtu yard football game which lead into dinner. The kids had a blast playing and loved seeing Tanya's kids. It was great. Dinner ran a little late but it was good and I was so relaxed just hanging out. Tanya and her family are fantastic guests. I am really glad she doesn't live in Georgia anymore!!
So that long blog is what happened this weekend. I hope to do a lot more of Nothing in the weekends to come.

Happy Birthday Mom

So you know I am super lame when I not only post Derek's birhtday late but my Mom's too.

Happy Birthday Mom. My mom had the difficult task of raising four children. Raising three has proven challenging enough. With the absense of my father my mom truly had to become the super mom, she worked, she raised kids, she taxi'd us around she did it all. She once said that she thought that I thought I was a better mother than she was. I told her that I just have a different set of circumstanses to deal with. What she doesn't realize is that in many ways she set the bar very high. I struggle everyday to be the perfect mom not despite her but because of her. She taught me how to fight everyday and to never give up. She tries so hard to please everyone and to be an important part of all her grandkids lives. This is never more evident that when she comes for a visit. Of course she spoils the kids but that isn't what makes her great. What makes her great is that she take the time to get to know them individually and to learn their strengths, dreams and goals. She has a special relationship with each and everyone of them. When they succeed at something she is one of the first people they think to call. She supports them and nurtures them. I am thankful she is in their lives. Holy Cow the bar for Grandma is virtually unattainable. (but if anyone can do it, I can..hehehe) Happy Birthday Mom.

Happy Birthday Derek

UGHHH, I am sooo late on this but oh well. Happy Birthday Derek.

Derek is my older (much older) brother. He turned 36 on Oct. 19th. Derek is the father of two adorable little girls Devyn and Chloe (toddlers) and the foster parent of Courtney (teenager....crazy). Rumour has it that they have opened their home to another teenage daughter. How God thinks it is a good idea that I have all boys and he keeps giving Derek daughters like crazy is beyond me. But, that is my lot in life and I love it anyway. Derek is a Pastor at Christ the King in Bellingham. He has been there for years and loves it. He is a great Father, Husband, Brother and Friend. He is always very supportive of my children and their efforts and it is not unusual for Christian to pick up the phone and give him a call to let him know how is latest sports endeavor is going. I am thankful that Derek is my brother but I hardly tell him so. That is mainly because when I was growing up and trying to get some sleep he would get on the piano and play these ridiculous songs he made up about me and I don't think I have really ever forgiven him.
I am proud of my brother and the man he has become. From Spirit Man, New Cans on the Block, to Pastor and Daddy Day Care oh yeah and he helps his wife coach cheerleading! We've come a long way. Happy Birthday Derek.

A new slide show

I haven't posted a slide show in a long time. I felt these pictures were worthy. Chris left today to go visit his family in Seaside. They are celebrating his Dad's birthday. The boys and I stayed behind. We were just not able to clear the schedule enough to make it work. The upside to us staying behind is that I did clear some time. After I got off work, I went to pick up the boys and we decided to go to the pumpking patch. I have been taking the boys to there for years. I tried to talk them into Safeway pumpkins but they just weren't having it. We were there at the perfect time in the afternoon. The weather was perfect and we had the place to ourselves. They gave us a private tractor ride. The guy kicked it into high gear for the boys and they loved it. Mudd was flying off the tires and going everywhere. Max was covered in it after the tractor ride. They picked out more pumpkins than we could possibly ever need. After my friend Jerean and her son came over for some pumpkin carving. It was fun. Mitchell turns 14 tomorrow and Christian was very impressed. Jonah entertained them with his dancing. Max made a police man pumpkin. It was a fun night and I am glad. We needed a good night at home and it makes up for not being able to go to the beach.

The Pumpkin Patch

Peter Pan was a success!

Jonah was Peter Pan in the school play. It was great. The people that came to the school to put the play on were fantastic. They met once and to audition and try-out for parts. They practiced for an hour and a half once a week for four weeks and then this was the final product. I could not believe the play was almost a full hour and the kids really new their parts. Jonah was adorable. Tanya brought Tristan and Tori to the play which was awesome. Thanks to her I have a few clips to share of the play. Enjoy. Sarah (Mrs. Burns) also came out to support Jonah. He is so lucky to have such great people in his life. Here is a little sample of what he can do.

As for the Christmas Carol tickets are $12.50/15.00. The play is appoximately 2hrs. The tickets have not gone on sale Yet!

Jonah as Peter Pan

From Peter Pan to Tiny Tim

Well next Tuesday is Jonah's school performance of Peter Pan (he is Peter Pan). He is very excited.
Last night he went to a reading for the Christmas Carol at a small theater in North Bend. He got a small part in the production and is looking forward to playing Tiny Tim along with a couple of small rolls. He was so thrilled. He called Mrs. Burns (one of his biggest fans) and my mom. They appropriately oohed an awed for him. He is mostly looking forward to hundreds and millions of people seeing him on stage. All morning I listened to him go on and on about how it has always been his dream to be on a real stage. He cracks me up. You can get tickets to his performance from their website. http://www.valleycenterstage.org/ It looks like they will run the play three weekends in a row. I am not sure how much the tickets will cost but if I remember correctly it is not very expensive. Christian and I went with his third grade class two years ago and it was great. I am looking forward to watching my little man perform!!!

working working working

Well, that is all I have been doing lately. I worked everyday this week except Wednesday (I ran errands). Next week I look forward to working doubles on Monday and Tuesday with Wednesday being my only day off. I am sure I will run errands on that day too. I have been trying really hard to keep up with the house cleaning on Mondays and Tuesdays because I work nights those days. I have to say though, it is very difficult. I am just getting by.

Jonah has been asking for a family night so I think tonight after baseball we will cuddle in and watch a movie together. Who knows maybe we will have a Duvall Family Wii Tournament.

Chris comes home and Christians team pulls off their first win.

What a crazy week from start to finish. Chris has been gone which I hate. I don't sleep well and I am getting sick too. Not cool. The kids and I have been busy with school and their activities. It sure makes a difference having Chris home to share the responsibilities. Thanks to Mr. Burns, though, for giving Christian a ride to and from Football all week. It was a huge help. Also, Claire came out and watched the boys while I went to the schools curriculum night. My mom is here today taking care of the boys while I work. I get off in a few minutes. She took them to the movies so I am sure they are having a blast. Thanks mom.

The girls at work let me sneek out for an early lunch so I could watch the second half of Christian's game. They did great. He threw a 20yrd pass for a touchdown and had a fumble recovery plus several Quarterback keeps with good yardage. He is so cute. They won the game in the last 31/2 minutes and the defense worked hard to hold on to the lead. Christian was excited, the last play of the game was him taking a knee to run out the clock for their first victory!!! Yeah Skippy. Chris was of course bummed that he missed the game but I was there waiting on the sidelines phone in hand so the first person Christian talked to was his dad. He was so excited. Their relationship is so cool. I love that they are close buddies.

Chris texted me between flights, he is just now catching his plane out of Denver to come home. I miss him a ton and can't wait for him to get home!!!

Chris Duvall is in San Antonio, Texas

Chris left today for a business trip and won't be back until Saturday night. I need a cup of coffee and I hate being without him. The kids have a busy week and I have rearranged everything to make it work. I plan on trying to find time to sit and have a glass of wine with a girlfriend while he is gone so I don't go crazy.

By the way, My Texas friend is fine and all is well but I can't get a hold of another friend Coleen who was further inland. There phone hasn't worked for days. ...gotta go finish later

Jane Austen

I recently read an article about Jane Austen and it basically said "Why do people have such a problem with Jane Austen being a spinster." The article was talking about the movie "Becoming Jane". (Which I love) The whole point of the article is people can't fathom how Jane could write such wonderful love stories with the absence of true love in her life. Therefore there is a constant quest to find out who Jane truly loved and what went wrong. There are two choices: Tom LeFroy (which the movie addresses) and the speculation of a captain who died at sea. I don't personally care which, or whom she was in love with. I love Jane Austen with or without romance. The reason is she just didn't write love stories. To me the books were wonderful explanations about life, people, and love. She touched on ideas that I can relate too. Pretentious women, arrogant men, a lack of fortune but most of all relationships. Relationships of deep passionate love, comfortable love, convenience, relationships for gain or duty. It didn't matter she mastered all of them and those are all relationships I see around me to this day.

I think Jane wrote about love because she was in love with the idea of love. Perhaps she didn't get married because she trusted her heart and mind more than any other. She knew she could fall in love with a whim in her mind and maybe that was all she needed. Perhaps she loved Tom LeFroy and he couldn't marry her because of her lack of fortune. I don't know but I like her anyway and I resent anyone who suggests Fans aren't happy with her spinsterhood. I think it makes her cooler....But that is just me...

Can you tell, I am at work???

Happy 30th Birthday Tanya.

Tanya, me and Melissa





Happy Birthday to my dear sweet cousin Tanya. "Nicki" is the closest thing to a sister I have ever known. She is a wonderful friend to me, a fantastic Aunt to my children, and above all she is a great wife and mother.
Some of my favorite Tanya memories are:

1.Dancing like idiots in our bedrooms.
2. Wearing too much make-up.
3. Dating all the wrong boys...ughh
4. Finding the right boys...Yeah
5. Our Weddings (Made of Honors)
6. The birth of Tristan
7. The time we got lost coming home from the movies (her dad was sooo mad)
8. Oh yeah, that reminded me of trying to teach her how to drive a stick shift!!
9. Red Robin
10. Getting our Christmas tree this year was a huge highlight.

To the past, present and future. Thanks Tanya for being there for me always. You know everything that sucks about me and you like me anyway. So thanks for being an amazing, kind, honest, strong, peacemaker, smart, funny, directionally challenged, beautiful, fantastic women. You inspire me!!!!
Love ya, D
p.s. remember the time we locked Meli out of my bedroom (hehehe she'll never let us live that down!)

Remembering and Prayers

First I just want to ask for prayers for my good friend. She and her family were recently just stationed outside of Gaveston Texas and have obviously been evacuated. When our home flooded a few years ago they opened their door to us and let us stay with them. She also has saved me many other times along with demoing my kitchen (babe in arms), she helped me with my carpet, Max's room, she and I moved all the furniture out of the house to re-do the floors. Basically if I need anything she is always there. Just pray that the family is well taken care of and that their new home is still there and in good shape for them to return to! Thanks, Y'all!

The second thing I wanted to talk about is 9-11. I remember as everyone else does Exactly where I was and what I was doing. The strange thing is we did not have television. Therefore, my experience was dramatically different from most. Last night NBC aired two hours of the original broadcast from that day. First I am so glad I saw none of it on that day. Second, I was deeply touched by the timing and images I watched last night. What a day that was. I am so amazed at the wonderful response of good will that we had in those days and I hope as we move toward the future we can regain some of that.

The Duvall Boys head back to school.

Oh my Snoqualmie Elementry better look out because the Duvall boys are back. The kids were so excited to start school this morning. Everyone was up and dressed early. Jonah made lunches for everyone. What a good boy he is. After practicing our piano we were off for our first day of school. I had to do our pictures which Christian was irritated by, but it was necessary. Here are the boys with their teachers. Max has Mr. Z, he calls his class camp cougar so Max took his binoculars today. Mr. Crumb is Jonah's teacher and the doll is Chucky. When we walked in the Beatles were playing (Jonah is at risk of liking school too much). Mrs. Hodgins is Christians teacher. Thank God! Christian asked me nearly everyday of the summer if he had Mrs. Hodgins or not. He is soooo excited to have her this year. Well, I better get to cleaning the house and getting it set for the school year. I have exactly four hours left til they come home...Crazy!

Busy Weekend

Well, It was another crazy weekend for the Duvall's. It started out Friday when my brother graduated from the police academy. The boys got to spend some time with their cousins. I finally met my neice Devyn who is beautiful and such a happy baby. My cousin Tanya was there with her kids and my other cousin Charles who I never see. So all in all it was fun. Thanks Mom for lunch it was great and the kids had a blast. Saturday Christian played his first full game and they did great. I had to work but was able to sneak out and see a little. When I got home the boys were playing the wii with Chris (strange). The next day we went to mass and then off to Tanya's church for Tristan's baptism. She had a photographer taking pics so I will post those when I get copies. I was honored to be the God mother and it was such a special day. She put on a nice brunch and my other cousin Melissa was there so it was great to see her. Then we went to dinner at some friends house which was nice.
We finished the weekend painting the house, doing yard work, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning. I worked a little yesterday and was exhausted when it was all over. The house is basically finished being painted with some touch ups needed but nothing major. SIGH OF RELIEF to have that behind us. Well, I have to be off to Meet the Teacher. I will post first day stuff soon and the pics from the baptism....

Blogging at work.

Ok, so I shouldn't blog at work. But sometimes I just can't help it. It is very quiet tonight in the library and I am sick of searching the web. I was watching the Olympics for awhile but now that they are finished I half to go back to surfing. Plus a girlfriend came in and I was showing her how to blog and then I just had to post.

Christian played in his first game ever. He did a good job and had a couple of pass completions, and even ran for a few yards....Nice.

We went to some friends for a bbq this weekend. It was nice to spend some time relaxing.
Chris broke our shower on Saturday which caused a lot of commotion but in the end worked out ok. We needed a little extra drama so Chris stepped up and provided.

As a football fundraiser we all went to the movies and watched Remember the Titans. That was fun for the kids. We came home last night and snuggled in bed after a long, tiring weekend when at about 10pm I shot up out of bed. I remembered that I was supposed to get 600 mailers out for the school today. So I stayed up til about 1am stuffing envelopes until I couldn't stuff anymore. I woke up at 8am and began again. I put the last label on at about 1:30 this afternoon....Note to self. Don't sign up for that one on a busy weekend where Chris decided to break plumbing, we have a game, funeral, bbq, movie and a birthday party planned. Leave it for one of the slow weekends....uh what is that?

I hope school starts next week and our teachers don't strike. I support them if they do but I sure hope they don't!!!

Happy Birthday Max

Ok, so I am super LAME. I was looking back at my blog and realized I forgot to say Happy Birthday in the Blog world to Max.

We were out of town for Max's birthday which was fun but busy.
So here is a little bit about Max. He is hilarious rough and tumble kind of kid. He loves everyone and is super compassionate. He is so much like Chris. He is stubborn and quiet. He is a huge cuddler and never misses a day without cuddling his mommy. He acts like a big kid but will quickly turn into the baby of the family if it suits him.

I love Max's smile. He is always grinning. My favorite thing about Max is he still kisses his mommy goodnight, good morning or whatever. If mommy needs a kiss Max is the one who is there. He is so loving. He is also a surprise. He doesn't talk much but when he does I am always laughing. He also surprises me in the smarts department because he will just whip out this knowledge and you never knew where it came from. He is an inventor and is always thinking of things to build. I think he will be an engineer like his dad. He is building a car in the garage. I video taped him talking all about his plans for a battery, lights, steering, a trunk etc. He has it all planned out and the crazy thing is all of his ideas should work....He is way too smart.

So Happy Birthday to my boy. My thinker, inventor and explorer. I can't wait to watch him quietly change the world!!

p.s. I will post a pick when I get home from work. I shouldn't be blogging at work anyway.

I just bought two tickets to the gun show!

Ok, I will start with the gun show.. Jonah is cracking me up lately. The Olympics have totally inspired him to work out and be fit. He is working really hard in his gymnastics class and he is loving the rings. I taught him to say "do you want to buy tickets to my gun show?" I know I shouldn't have but it makes me laugh so hard.
Football has begun and Christian is having a great time. The gymnastics is really helping the strength in his leg and he is working hard. He loves doing flips on the parrallel bar. This is his first year playing football and some of the kids have been playing 2-4 years already so he has a lot to learn. But never the less the kid works hard and has won the spot of starting quarterback. (this dissapointed him because he wanted to hit people). He got his jersey today and is super excited so I took a couple pics of him to share.

This is Max and his friend Anna Pehlivanian. They are so cute. We only get to see them a couple times a year but the two of them are great buds. Anna was excited to see that Max had a picture of them on his bulletin board. They were cuddling listening to books on tape after an evening swim. Max just started Soccer and is having a great time. He doesn't know a single kid on the team but you would never guess. He is also having a great time with gymnastic. He is really good at tumbling and loves the trampoline.

A picnic

Chris had his work picnic this last weekend in West Seattle. We went to the beach, had some burgers and played some beach football. It was hilarious. After the picnic the fun wasn't over. The Pehlivanian's and the Stapleton's came over for some bbq ribs, Seahawks and a game in the yard. It was awesome. We don't often get to hang with these guys b/c our lives are so crazy but I am glad that the kids got to hang with their friends and no matter how much time passes we still all love to chill. Plus, I really needed to hang with my girls. I have been super stressed and it was nice to just have fun. Sunday we went to church and just hung out at home. It was awesome!

Happy Birthday Chloe

It is my neice Chloe's birthday today. I never ever get to see her and I miss her a ton. I know she is growing and changing all the time. She is the best big sister in the world. I hope she knows her auntie loves her. In the mean time everyone wish her the best wishes in all the world for her birthday. The boys and I tried to call her today but her mommy wouldn't answer the phone. NOT COOL. Oh well, this is proof that for once in my life I didn't forget a birthday!

Remebering to Blog

Well, I haven't been blogging much even though a lot has happened and I have a lot on my mind. Our dear friend Kyle passed away and we will miss him terribly. The boys were sad to hear the news and I know Chris will miss his buddy a ton.

On a happier note the kids are doing well, we have had a lot going on. We finished baseball and they have been doing golf and Christian started football. I think things are going to slow down a bit once school gets started.

I have a lot to think about and will blog more soon. Oh yeah, I am loving the Olympics.

Tagged

Ok, Jen tagged me. I am going to try my best to finish this. Here goes

20 years ago- I was 12, in middle school, lovin' the new kids on the block and I had a huge crush on Rob Penrose. I had big curly hair, braces and I thought I was an awesome dancer. I dressed as an army girl for halloween and my best friend was Leila Haletky. We even had the same bathing suit.

10 years ago- I quit my job, had my first son Christian. We lived on Capital Hill in a one bedroom appartment and Chris was finishing college. (I am glad someone did) I found out I was preggo with Jonah. Claire and I used to walk to Madison Park and Starbucks together.

5 Years ago- Max was 2 and we had been living in Snoqualmie for a couple of years. It is crazy how in the years from 10-5 so much happened. We had three kids, bought a home. Christian was starting school. Jonah was hanging out at Our Lady of Sorrows Preschool. I was helping out at the library a little and Chris was of course working a ton.

3 years ago- I believe Chris finished most of his tests (for his P.E. and S.E.) I was running around like a mad woman shuttling kids from here to there and everywhere. We started remodeling the house.

So Far, life has been pretty good. Kinda crazy with all the sports and activities. I started working back at the library again. I am working towards a few personal goals and my kids are pretty amazing. Chris has done a great job balancing, work, kids and all our volunteering. So for the most part things are pretty cool.

Yesterday, I took the boys to gymnastics. I cleaned the house for three hours (no one should ever clean for that long) Then I went to work. The boys came to the library for a bit to see me and then I took them home and went to bed. Thanks Misti for buying them Pizza for dinner, I had a slice when I got home.

Tomorrow- We leave for Battle Ground. Jonah is in a baseball tournament. We will be there until Sunday when Max turns 7. Strange. Hopefully, we will get to spend some time chillin in the hotel and playing in the pool. Oh yeah, Saturday I will have been married for 11 years..

Next year- I hope to be managing life a little better. I hope to get in the groove of kids, work, volunteering etc.. I just want to be happy and live life to the fullest and maybe have a vacation.. Or time to get my hair done. We will see....

Tagged, My BFF, Tanya, Derek, Tia.....

Here's what happened

In honor of my birthday I started writing a list of my 32 favorite things. I got distracted half way through and I am back 9 days later....Oh well. Things have been crazy as usual. Christian and Jonah both had tournaments this weekend. Christian's team did really well and took 3rd which is the best they have done so far. Jonah's team had a rough go with several bad calls and a little hitting slump but that is the way baseball goes.

I have been working a ton. We are leaving town for a baseball tournament on Friday and Max turns 7 on Sunday. Crazy. The boys start golf camp next week which is different from baseball so that is cool. Christian starts football on the 11th but first both boys have one final baseball tournament. So, I am thinking my life will resemble some sort of normalcy on the 11th. I am hoping football will be less taxing than baseball but the reality is they practice everyday too.

Chris and I are coming up on our 11 year anniversary which is crazy. Of course we will be at baseball but it is a nice milestone anyway.

Well, I will try to post more often.

32 Favorite Things

1. My Family (Chris, Christian, Jonah and Max)

2. My Friends, I am so thankful I have so many great friends

3. Tanya, she gets her own line b/c I am thrilled she moved back this year and she has been so amazing to me and my family.

4. Diet Coke without it, I would be a disaster

5. Cheesecake. Love it

6. Margarita's - I had a couple over the weekend and that was awesome. Jeremy even made me a strawberry one the other day. Fantastic.

7. Pride and Prejudice. I watched it last night and it was awesome. I think I may read it again for a little refresher.

8. I love the little pool we bought for the boys. They are having a blast.

9. The Wii- I never thought I would say that about any video game but we do have a lot of family fun with it.

10. My Hammock. I don't get to sit in it as often as I should but I love knowing that it is there if I ever need it.

11. Books- I can't choose just one but I love a good book and a hot cup of tea.

12. My bath tub. I am so glad we put in the new bath. If I am ever stressed, I can lay in there and everything gets a little better.

13. The Ice Cream shop. I love taking the kids for a bike ride or walk up the candy factory. Simple pleasure with a whole lotta reward.

14. Warm summer nights by the Burns' bon-fire. Good times.

15. Movies- Ok so I am a movie junky....

16. Warm cookies

17. Thanksgiving- Probably one of my favorite holidays what is better than good food and family.

18.

The Latest

Well, we haven't had any baseball since Sunday. Which gives us two full days off. I did have to work but that was ok. I caught up on a few things like, mowing the lawn, removing paint from my car, weeding, and I am working on the laundry. The kids have been playing in their pool. Max won't get in unless he is wearing a life jacket which just kills me. Jonah and Max got sunburns yesterday b/c their mama was not quick enough with the sunscreen. They wear shirts when they swim a lot but they took them off and were running around the yard. The back yard was shady so no big deal. The front yard on the other hand not good. Chalk that up to a lame Mom.

Jonah has a scrimmage tonight and Christian has practice. I signed the boys up for gymnastic class so they will go to that today. They loved the last class. So thats the latest with the Duvalls. Sunburns, baseball and gymnastic......

Happy Birthday Jonah

Happy Birthday Jonah- 9 years old. CRAZY

My favorite things about Jonah are:

His sense of humor

His joyful spirit

His compassion for people and animals

His love of family

His love for nature

His art, music, laughter

Jonah is the kind of kid who absolutely loves everything. He is honest, kind, and such a tender heart. He makes me laugh every day and he puts more color in the world than I ever thought possible. He can turn rocks into gold, a dirt patch into paradise, wood into a ship....He truly is magical.

Thank you for being an amazing little boy. God blessed me more than I could ever explain with this little man!

Snoqualmie Valley Invite

Jonah's team (the knuckleballers) played in a tournament this weekend. It was the first tournament Jonah has ever participated in and he loved it. He had a few key plays and was always ready to go. I was so proud of him. His team took 3rd which was fantastic. All of us are a little hot from the weekends activities. I have a nice little sun burn. The boys of course were properly sunscreened but mommy missed a spot on each shoulder blade and behind my knees. Ouch. The boys sold consessions for their teams and raised some money for the knuckleballer association.

Christian scrimmaged with the All Star Team this weekend. I think he can't wait to get that going. He is really excited to play in some knuckleballer tournaments too.

Max spent the weekend selling consessions which was awesome. He pushed a wagon around the ball park with all the big kids and sold stuff. He would get sno-cones or gum or some other treat. He had a great time and suffered through only one major baseball coma this weekend. I video taped it but it is just to pathetic to share. He and I ditched out a little early and cuddled on the couch to watch a movie.

Christian and Jonah stayed at the park with Dad until the last game was over. That was just in time for an incredible Lightning and Thunder Storm. The boys stayed up staring out their window watching it last night. Jonah said it looked exactly like when a wizard is training his dragon and then when the dragon roar's it is the thunder. (his explanation was much longer but I figured the jist was appropriate here). I am off to work a double today. Uggh, I am tired.

I will try to find time to post again soon.