But Baby Its Cold Outside

I feel like I am back in Wasilla. One of the reasons I love Sandpoint so much is because it is a "milder Alaska". Its being in Alaska, without having to be all the way up in Alaska. We have beautiful mountains and lakes; rain in the summer and snow in the winter. We have everything AK has to offer (beside the PFD, of course) but its not so cold that you cannot stand yourself. No, not here; not in Sandpoint. Haha. Jon, Ja'el and I all went up to Schweitzer for the weekend. We had this amazing suite and had grand plans of X country skiing, snowshoeing, and maybe alittle tubbing. I think we spent a total of 10 minutes outside. With the temps around -15 and then about 40 mph winds to boot, it was freaking cold!! We went ahead and bundled little Munchie up Christmas Story style

and enjoyed all of 10 min before our faces were blistered by the winds and then went and gawked at new skies. Ja'el found some she wanted and tried to steal them.

I love being a Dad

So last night was awesome. I had to work a bit late but we all sat in the living room and Jael dumped all her toys on top of me and then we all played with her toys. She's learning to put things in the shaped holes for them. It's a amazing thing to watch the synapses firing and connecting in her brain and to watch learning happen right in front of me. That's all.. I love being a Dad.

How to deal with a messy eater

This was Ja`el's ideal way of getting clean after a meal.

Frankly, I like Jon's idea better.

PS go to http://www.jaxcreations.blogspot.com/ to see some pics from a recent photo shoot we had!

Yep, our family at its finest.

after the frenzy

Jael after Thanksgiving. We all felt that way, darling.

I've got plenty to be thankful for...

That is one of the songs from one of my all time favorite movies, "Holiday Inn". It could be a favorite because I have this sick crush on a dead wife beater (Bing Crosby), but it also could be that it is just a good movie. Either way, that song has been playing in my mind all week. We do have soooo much to be thankful for. It is sad to think that these things are often overshadowed by our lust for "more". I have to be honest, I have been a real pain in the butt lately. I haven't been lusting so much after stuff, but man do I covet a good nights sleep. A friend of mine has a 4 week old baby that just slept 6 hours straight. it was hard not too be envious, when we are STILL waking 5 and 6 (sometimes more) a night. So, when I was thinking about how terrible my plight is, God set me aside and said "Look what you have. Why don't you start praising me for all these things rather than bitching about that 1 little thing?" Since then, I have been trying to just focus on how blesses I am. Here are some visuals into my heart for the rest of you to enjoy.


FAMILY
(we are thankful for all our family, but many couldn't be here with us. :( WE MISS YOU!!

.
SWEET FACES. (I think Ja'el is throwing gang signs in this one)

.WINE AND CHOCOLATE
Reese and Mema are enjoying a new invention: Oreos dipped in Merlot! Tastes like truffles!
Ja'els Thanksgiving face

First Snow

Well, after the elections, I didnt think that my week could get any worse...then, it snowed. Normally, by the first snow, I am very excited to see the flurries, but this one seemed to have come a little too early for my taste. Of course, Jon disagrees! He is outside right now, shouting at the sky and doing the snow dance (looks alot like the pee pee dance, but a little more graceful). So, in order to cheer myself up, I decided to look at this as just another opportunity to get my daughter dressed up and take photos. Last year she was too little to care about the snow, so I was excited to see how she would respond to the scenery change over the course of a nap.

When I had opened to garage door to go outside, it was as if a curtain drew back from the stage wonderland. Ja`el's eyebrows went up, a squeal came from her lips and she went racing towards the strange, cold, white stuff. We spent the next 15-20 min. stomping around, listening to the snow crunch under our feet. When it was time to go in, she threw one of the biggest fits I have seen yet. She is her fathers daughter.

KITTY!

Ja`el picked out her own costume for Halloween this year. We were in Old Navy in Twin Falls in August and they had some costumes on sale. I wasnt all that impressed with their selection, but knew that there would be a less impressive one in Sandpoint. So, when I saw this kitty costume, again I wasnt impressed, but tried it on her anyway. SOLD!! Not only did I think that she looked adorable, but, more importantly, she thought she looked adorable. She went prancing around the store, meowing at everyone as they all looked on and cooed. Since then, she has word it at least 10 times. Every time she sees it, she says "kitty!" and hands it to me to put on her. I am thinking that Halloween will extend well into the winter this year.

Fall in Sandpoint

One of the reasons we love Sandpoint so much is that we have a REAL Autumn season here. I Love Fall time. The cold morning frost seems to deepen the richness of that first cup of coffee. The sky is almost a sapphire blue and the leaves turn every path and avenue into a magical yellow brick road. And all I can think about is apple cider!! Sunday we were supposed to go to church, but instead I made Jon and Ja`el take me to Green Bluff, a community of farms and orchards just outside of Spokane. What a wonderful day!! We meandered through the pumpkin patch and a beautiful little grove of trees, bought a huge bag of Honeycrisps (by far my FAV apple now!) and had fun eating elephant ears. And then coming back over the long bridge into Sandpoint -sigh- there is truly no where else in this world that I would rather live right now!

Ja`el vs Scooter

Frankly, I think Ja`el pulls it off much better. Perhaps it is the expression, though.

My Favorite Subject

It is hard not to take pictures of this little girl. here are some of my new favorites.


I think PSB should post this on their website.

5 monthes later...

So, Jonathan is fired and I am taking over the blog. I can spell better than he can anyway! :) Ja`el is now a one year old. It makes me so sad to think that my little girl is already a toddler and no longer my little baby. And I am not sure if I would even call her a toddler either. She does not toddle whatsoever. She is more like a bumble bee, buzzing everywhere and never landing for longer than 5 seconds or so. She is still in an infant car seat facing backward because she is still under 20 pounds. The doctor was a little concerned until she spent some time with her in the office. "oh", she said "you have a VERY ACTIVE little girl" and sent us packing with a list of high fat foods. Along with perfecting walking, she has a litany of words in her word bank (her favorite being "pretty")but she also has made up her ownlanguage as well. At first I thought she was just making noises until I went into her room one day and she was telling me all about what her toys did, pointing and allowing her pitch to rise and fall with her excitement. I have no idea what she was telling me, but it was intense. (and no, she is still not sleeping through the night -sigh-)
Jonathan is also another year older. He has been healing slowly after knee surgery in June and has been telling me about how he wants to see the mountains covered in snow already. Terrifying thought to me. He just ordered ANOTHER pair of skies (I think this makes 5)but I think that my real rival for #1 place is in heart is cycling...Either that or "the West Wing".

New Picutres

S It's been forever since I've posted some new pics so here they are. I got a new Camera a week ago and have been having a blast with my new Digital SLR. Love good Cameras. Our good friends the Croteau's came to visit us on the way to Minesota( I can't spell.. I think)

Vacation and more

So I haven't written for a while it's becuase we were back in California for a week or so and I wanted to write a quick update, I'll post more pictures later.. not now beucase I'm in Chicago. Anyway just wanted to write a quick update.

Bakersfield stole my Wife and Daughter

So I just put Leah and Jael on a plane to Bakersfield for her cousins wedding. I'm driving down there next week, but I have to finish up work first. They're on the plane right now and I'm just sitting here missing them... *sigh* I love my girls and miss em whenever I'm away from them. I guese that's life. that's all

I'm terrible I know

So I haven't posted in forever.. I know I know.. Hannah already yelled at me for it so you don't have to. So things have been crazy for us since the last post. Jael got really sick, I don't think there's anything that breaks someones heart more than their child being sick. No fun at all. I went back to Alaska, To Boise to get surgery (which is now postponed untill May), To Denver for work for a week, then back to Alaska. And now I'm home. In that proccess I missed the debut of Jael crawling and pulling to standing. So We're all doing great up here.. It looked like winter was over, but alas, no such luck. I'm starring out of the window at the snow blowing in Sideways. So here's some updtaed pics. I don't think she can get any more cute. OH! she's eatting solid foods now too

Yes my cat took a nap with my daughter.

I know, I know.. we should post this on cute overload.

Snow.. Snow and More Snow

So as I said.. There is a ridiculous amount of snow here.. Check it out. For perspective.. The awning above is around 10 feet high. Yep.. Lotsa snow.. Pictures don't even do it justice.

New Blog

So with everyone's family with a blog now I thought it was high time that we join so we can keep everyone updated on what's going on with the Shine fam. So Here's a quick update.. Jael is 6 months old now and you know what?? Teething is no fun.. she started with the Drooly drool about 3 months ago, right after her crazy case of Colic.. which by the way means that somethings wrong and we have no idea what it is. She's gotten a few teeth already and the rest of em drive her nuts. Lately she's been wakeing up 2 hours ealier than she normaly does. To top all it off we have more snow here than I've seen in a long time. They're calling it as hard of a winter as people have seen here in over 15 years. so Yeah.. we got lots of snow.. I'll post some pics so you guys can see.. oh yeah.. and pics of the fam too.