The Snyder Adventures

Just Photos

2009-11-24T14:29:00.001-08:00

ENJOY!

November and Busy

2009-11-03T13:55:00.000-08:00

There is too much to write about in detail.... so I will just post some great pictures from the last 6 weeks or so. There are some of us putting in our sod, camping, the fair, the beach, Halloween and just playing around. We are all doing great and looking forward to Thanksgiving in Tri-cities and hopefully some snow and Christmas in Spokane.

Trying To Keep Up With Blogging

2009-09-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

Already September and summer is OVER?

No, not around here anyways... with no kids going "back to school" yet it doesn't seem like summer is over just yet. We are still enjoying warm days and fun time outside. We will be getting grass this weekend! Yeah! Let me tell ya... 2 year old and a summer with an all dirt yard... MESSY! DIRTY! But tons of fun.

We've been busy... camping and a Seattle trip to see our friends the Knights and the Mariners in August. Camping with Grandma and "Pa-Ka" over Labor day. Headed to the Fair tomorrow and at least one trip coming up in September to Tri-Cities. Busy Busy Busy.

Enjoy the pictures below. Fun boys playing, bath time, hiking with dad.... etc.

Cute Baby Noah

2009-08-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

We just got some pictures taken of Noah. Too Cute.

More Pictures of Elijah and the whole family to come.

May, and Now June!?

2009-06-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

Wow time is flying by. Can't believe it has been almost 2 months since I posted last. Sorry.

Little Noah is growing every day. Can't believe he is 8 weeks old today! We love him very much. He is sleeping at least 7 hours at once and sometimes a little more. Really lucky! Here are some pictures of him. Too Cute!

Elijah is doing great. Learning so much, talking like crazy... wonder where he gets it? hehehe. We are potty training... I think it is harder on mommy then Elijah... but we'll make it though. He are some picture of him, enjoying the little pool at grandma's, running and playing with Daddy and coloring (his new favorite - at least twice a day).

Hope everyone is well. Come over and visit...

take a road trip if need be.

Noah James Has Arrived!

2009-05-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

Noah is here and doing great. Mommy, Daddy and Elijah

are doing good too. All glad that we are home and settled.

It all started Wednesday morning with contractions waking up Karen. To the hospital with regular 2 to 3 min. contractions by 8:00 am. They evaluated Karen for 4 hours and since she was not "progressing" they sent her home to wait it out and come back if things got worse. By 2:00 pm Karen was tired of dealing with 3 to 4 min. regular contractions so she called the doctors office... they said to come right in and the doctor checked her... still not much progress. But sent us to the hospital to wait and wait again. By 10:30 that night.... with still no progress they agreed to admit us and we at least got in a real room. 3:30 am still awake and still dealing with regular strong contractions but there was not a lot of progress. Karen decided to go with the epidural (something she really didn't want, based on it stopping her labor with Elijah). Once the pain was mostly gone the contractions got stronger, longer and more effective by 7:30/8:00 in the morning our doctor was there, water was broken, and we soon started pushing for a baby and by 9:21 am (April 30th) with just a little pushing and not too much pain - Noah James was born. Healthy - 8 lb. 14 oz., 21 inches long, with lots of hair.

All is good. We are feeling REALLY really blessed and loving every minute of our boys. Trying to soak it all up, as they change so fast.

Much love to all, come visit if you can - give us a call first but we would love to see you.

Hoping For Thursday

2009-04-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

Here is the 39 week picture I promised.

I am feeling really big - but good.

Ready for the challenge of labor and

even more ready to meet my son.

We'll keep you all posted on Noah's arrival.

Hope to know more and maybe even head to the hospital

after my appointment this Thursday morning.

Who knows though???

Almost May - All Is Well

2009-04-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

We are getting closer and closer to the due date. May 2nd to be exact. Doing good, feeling good, Noah is moving a lot. I'll try and post a belly picture for you soon. WOW it is big.

We have been working hard on our "to do" list around the house to get ready for him to arrive. I know I will be short on time with 2 boys to look after so I want to get as much done as possible. Here are some pictures of the painting and rooms we have done in the house so far.

Beautiful Orange/Red living room.

Yellow dining room, with our very first "real" dining room table.

My green kitchen!! LOVE it!

Elijah's "big boy" robot room.

Noah's Nursery.

____________________________________________________

Here is a picture of the outside of the house. Painting is almost done. It is really starting to look like a home. Now, if we can just get in the retaining walls, sprinklers, lawn, landscaping and fence - hehehehehe.... we have a summer full of work ahead of us. Not to mention hopefully finishing the basement this winter.

Elijah in mommy's big shoes. He is getting big so fast and is talking like crazy!

We were given this great new outdoor toy for Elijah and Noah and...Mark. Mark had a good time putting it together. Elijah LOVES playing with his friends (Gab-real and Grac-ee).

Hope everyone is doing well. Email or comment and let us know how you are.

2009-02-28T22:12:00.000-08:00

The house is really coming along.

Here are some pictures for you.

Front Porch

Main Kitchen/Living/Dining Area

Hall/Entry to Main Area

Kitchen Island/Sink

Master Bath

February and Nothing Much

2009-02-28T09:54:00.000-08:00

Well February has come and gone and not much has happened around here. We are are getting anxious to move. The house is coming along. I will try and get updated pictures later today or tomorrow and post them. We are trying to get lots of little household projects done before we move. Elijah's big boy furniture painted, curtains, blinds and new furniture purchased.... etc.

Elijah is growing everyday... soon he won't even fit in 2T clothes and he is only 22 months old.
I can't wait to see how he will be as a big brother.

My belly is getting bigger. (30 weeks along now... 10 or so to go) Noah James is growing fast and kicking like a crazy man. He is going to be an active one.

We took a trip to Tri-Cities a few weeks ago to visit family, and Ryan and Lauren and Kaleb. Had a great time of relaxing and friends. We also got to spend a weekend with Jeff and his cousin Blane when they came up for the Gonzaga vs. Memphis game. Gonzaga lost but it was still super fun to see them in action. Valentines day was spent with our friends for a quick kids dinner then we sent the kids upstairs to play and the adults got to enjoy a super yummy dinner together. Last week I got really sick with either food poisoning or the flu... ended up in the hospital for a few hours in the middle of the night to get re-hydrated and get medicine to stop throwing up every 10 min. It all happened just days before we planned to join the teens for their winter retreat. Mark went but I had to stay home. Mark and the teens all had a great time.

That pretty much was our month. I will keep you updated as the house is finished in the next month and the move out / move in begins. We are so excited .... yet a little overwhelmed. It will be a big job.

January

2009-01-27T11:26:00.000-08:00

We are doing well in chilly Spokane. It has been snowy and cold but we are surviving. Christmas was spent in Tri-Cities with Mark's family - we had a great time. Then a few days later we celebrated Karen's mom's birthday and Christmas in Spokane. Great time all around.

January has come and gone quickly. Elijah and Karen fill their days with lots of playing, cars, puzzles, ABC's and Sesame Street. Elijah is getting big fast. We have taken the front of his crib off to make a "big boy" bed. He loves to read. He is really developing an imagination and learning quickly.

Mark of course has to work all day... but at least we can go to our "soon to be finished" house each night and dream. We are getting so excited about moving - end of March.

Elijah really loves his daddy. Loves to sit next to him at the coffee table - picture of family movie night. Elijah can't wait until daddy is home each night.

Karen is doing good. Baby is great. We can't wait for the little guy's arrival. Here is a 26 week belly picture.

We are looking forward to a busy February. Lots of teen events planned... projects to get done for the house... lots of planning and playing of course.

BAD BLOGGER!

2008-12-30T10:19:00.000-08:00

I am sorry I am such a bad blogger. I am really going to try and be better in 2009. WAY too much has happened since Easter last year to try and blog about it all, so I am posting our Christmas letter to catch you up.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and that you have an even better New Year.

click the image below - it will get bigger in order to read it.

Last One to Catch Up

2008-03-31T14:21:00.000-07:00

I'm back... just a short month later and I am ready to finish the "Catch Up" blog post.
This time I am going to post the items in reverse order. I realized my last post is in the opposite order to how normal blogging should go. So I am starting with this last weekend and moving back to Halloween. That should catch you guys all the way up.

Last weekend was Easter. We had a wonderful day with my mom. She came up to our house on Saturday to watch Elijah while we went with the teens on a Mystery Bus Trip. She then stayed the night and went to church and brunch with us on Sunday. She brought up baskets and eggs for an Easter egg hunt on Saturday. Here is Elijah enjoying his eggs.

The Mystery Bus Trip's theme was "80's Prom." The Roth's, Mark and I had a great time dressing up. Thank goodness for Value Village! We had a lot of fun.... taking the teens rollerskating and to Dick's for dinner. Can't wait for the next one.

In the middle of March we took a quick trip up to Schweitzer Mt. with the Roths, Jenna and all the kids to ski, hot tub, sled, relax, eat out and have a really fun time. Sorry no pictures..... but Gracelyn learned to ski... the little boys went sledding, we had a lot of fun. We were lucky enough to be able to stay at My old Bosses Condo. It was great!

This is Elijah at 11 months! Still really Cute. He loves to be outside... also to stand at the window and jibber jabber at anything that moves or drives by. Really Cute.

Mark hosted an all day "Movie Marathon" on March 8th. All the guys from our small group (8 in all) camped out in our basement with the speakers rumbling all day and enjoyed ALL of the "Lord Of The Rings" movies in there extended versions. See his wonderful flyer below.

We sold my old 1990 Honda and bought a new 2001 Honda. It is great.... tinted windows, leather, sun roof, 6 disk CD player.... they have really made some good improvements since the end of the 80's in cars. I really really love it. Elijah does too. We put his "big boy" car seat (forward facing) in the new car. He loves being able to see where we are going.

At the end of February we went out to Anthonys (yum!!) and to see Brain Regan with our good friends the Roth's and the Donahoe's. We had a great time out with no kids, great food, and lots of laughs.

Here is Elijah at 10 months... can anyone say "CUTE"!? Again wanting to be outside. Can't wait till it warms up for him.

The first weekend in February was the Teen Winter Retreat at Pinelow. We had a nice weekend away... Elijah stayed with my parents and that was hard..... Friday through Sunday! Wow! But I made it. We had a great speaker, good food, lots of fun in the snow and a good time of bonding with the teens.

This is Elijah's second atempt at enjoying the snow (scroll down to see the first time). He did great. He made a snow angel.... with some help. We had fun showing him this wonderful new thing. His nose gets red oftly quick this little so we had to make it a short play time.

We have had SO much snow this winter. It was the most I remember since 2nd or 3rd grade. Schools closed and there were lots of snowmen and forts in the neighboorhood. Here is a picture of our house when the snow started to melt off. I don't think we will see a winter with this much snow... or lasting this long for a while.... there is even snow on the ground as I write this.... and tomorrow is APRIL!

Elijah got a Seahawks jersey for Christmas from his Uncle Greg... he was a true fan.... look at the excitement and dedication in those eyes.

At the end of January we went out to P.F. Chang's and to see the Blue Man Group with my parents and Greg and Marissa. It was a lot of fun... and very interesting. Don't know if I would go again... but it was a great family outing.

Here is Elijah at 9 months.... I think he is just soooooo cute! Getting into the shoes and frisbee golf disc in mom and dads closet!

For my mom's birthday the whole family went Bowling this year! What a kick! I can't remember who won... but I know it wasn't me.

Mark and I were lucky enough to score tickets to 2 Gonzaga Mens Basketball Games this year! It was great to see them in person. Although I usually complain about the sometimes corney announcers I realized that when you are at the game you really have to pay attention because you can't hear those guys telling you what is going on.

Christmas was soooo much fun this year. Watching your own kid enjoy christmas is way better than all the presents you get as an adult... not to say that I didn't enjoy my presents... or that I want to stop getting them...heheheh... we just loved to watch Elijah's excitement. It was all new to him this year. He needed help opening... but something tells me next year he will be all over it. Here is Elijah with his walk behind car (which we got for a gift before he was born, but he is now old enough to use it so it was his "big, unwrapped" surprise this year).

My Family being crazy.

And more cute Elijah.

Here is the cutie at 8 months. Smoking in the bath again! hehehe.

This is the First snow for Elijah....

He was ok for about 4 min. then......

We had a great Thanksgiving in Tri-Cities with Mark's Family. Elijah tried a few things from the traditional feast.... didn't like them much.... maybe next year.

CUTE at 7 months too. Enjoying his mobile.

In November we took Elijah to his first Chiefs Hockey Game. He got a free kids hat and was such a good boy the whole game.

Halloween was great again. Somewhere after 6th grade or so, Halloween stopped being really fun.... it was a little better in college when we all dressed up and went out... and it was pretty fun when we got out first house... and got to hand out candy for the first time.... BUT this year with Elijah all dressed up and Mark as Bob the Builder, and me dressed like a Crayon headed out to our church's Harvest Party. We had fun trying to help Elijah play the little games to win US candy. I guess things like this are just better as a kid or through the eyes of our own kid. I sure enjoyed dressing him up and having fun. Can't wait till next year.

That brings you up to date... and I vow to keep this blog as current as possible... to keep you informed and keep me from having to do these giant posts!

I'll Try and Catch You Up.

2008-02-26T15:23:00.000-08:00

I (we) have been such BAD bloggers. I am going to make an attempt to catch you up to the current goings on of our house.

This is Elijah at 5 months! Too Cute!

We are working with our youth group at church with a few other couples as the "interum youth pastors". We lost our youth and senior pastors so not only has the church been busy but so have we with all sorts of events with the teens. Here is Elijah and Mark joining in on the action at a x-box night.

At the end of September we went to Tri-Cities to visit the family and meet Ryan and Lauren's little guy Kaleb Christopher.
He wasn't really happy in this picture... but Elijah was sure curious.

We headed to Long Beach on the Washington coast with Mark's parents. We met up with some family friends, the Knights. We had a really great time and can't wait to go back. The weather was absolutely amazing for October - sunny and perfect. We flew kites, played lots of games, ate good food and had a wonderful time just being together.

Elijah really enjoyed all things "Fall." He loved Grandma Schlatter's pumpkins as you can see here.

This is Elijah at 6 months. Yup, still cute.

For my birthday in June, Mark got me tickets to go on a train ride up in Northern Washington. It was very beautiful with all the colors changing.... I went as a kid and remembered it as such a great time so I wanted to go again. We took Elijah and enjoyed it as a family. Over rivers and through the woods... even a "train robbery" for fun.

This catches you up to just before Halloween... out of time for today but I promise I will keep adding.... must go take a shower while the boy is still asleep. It is amazing how simple things like taking a shower before 3 pm seem so hard to do with a busy little guy.

Scooting & Big Boy Bath

2007-09-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

Our boy is offically "Scooting" across the floor - front, back and side to side.... wherever the toy is, he is going to get it! Before long he will be crawling... then watch out world - here comes Elijah.

He had his first "Big Boy Bath" in his bath chair tonight. He is SO cute!

Oregon Coast & The Cutest Boy Ever

2007-09-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

Our family of three stepped out on Labor Day weekend for a true adventure. We loaded up in the Roth's car with their two kids and headed for Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast. We stopped in Tri-Cities on the way as well as the Portland Zoo. It was good to see Mark's parents and swim with all the kids (big and little) in their pool. The Zoo was great! Perfect weather... good to see Hilary and her kids there as well.
Then it was off to the ocean. Beautiful weather, cute little beach house and lots of fun. We played and played and ate and played.... shopped and played and ate. Then drove ALL the way back home in one day. Wow! What a trip. Three small kids, 4 adults.. and lot of stuff... good times!

Check out all of our great photos.... and some random ones of Elijah... he really is cute!

Love of Shoes & Cars

2007-08-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

Hey Dad, why am I wearing two different shoes??

We love Elijah more every day.
He seems to be getting bigger by the hour - learning new things... making new sounds... fitting into "big" clothes! Wow, can't wait for what's next.

Look Mom - I can sit up in my car seat.

Two Months In One Post

2007-08-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

We are bad bloggers.... it is offical.
Sorry it has been so long... a lot has happened we will try and get you all caught up.

I will start with this last weekend and work my way back to May - which is when we last posted.

Let see... As I am writing Elijah is laying on his blanket on the floor next to my desk. He spends alot of time there while I am working... I don't think he minds. He is really starting to find his voice... chatting cooing and laughing. It is wonderful.

This last weekend we went camping. Elijah's First time. We went with my (Karen's) parents to an RV type park at Little Diamond Lake - North of Spokane. We had a great time; laying around, playing cards, huckleberry picking and spending time just being family. Plus Mark and my Dad rode the motorcycles up as well and spent a good amount of time riding trails in the woods.

Elijah is getting so big... he finally has chub!

He has started eating cereal. Just a little once a day but I think he enjoys it?

The previous weekend was spent in Tri-Cities where I co-hosted Lauren's baby shower. I was a nice time to see friends and celebrate her baby belly. It was a quick trip - just down and back on Satruday. I had a lot of work to get done. Working from home and being self employeed is nice but it sure can be a lot of work sometimes.

We took Elijah to his first Indians baseball game. There was a home-run that landed just 20 feet from us. Elijah seemed a little shocked with all the cheering! But other than being really hot and of course spitting up all over his outfit (like usual) he had a great time and so did we.

On the 22nd of July, Elijah was dedicated to the Lord at our Church in Spokane. Lots of family came to be apart. It was a really special time and it meant alot to have the family here for it.

The 13th - 15th of July we headed to Tri-Cities on Friday. Elijah got to swim in Grandma and Grandpa Snyder's pool. First time in a big pool. Then Saturday it was off to Walla Walla for a family reunion on my side then to my Grandma's 75th birthday party. The reunion was hot and the birthday was fun - Elijah was the center of attention. He is just so darn cute.

Ryan and Lauren came to visit the 7th and 8th of July. We went baby shopping - out to some good food and just had fun relaxing and chatting. Can't wait for Baby LT.

We had our 5 year wedding anniversary on the 6th. We left Elijah for the first time overnight - with my parents... it was a little hard but was nice to have the time away and alone. My parents did a great job.

The week of June 29th through July 5th we rented a lake cabin with 5 other couples. There was lots of sun, food, kids, laughing, eating, playing and having fun. Not lots of sleep with 7 kids 3 and under in the house but lots of fun times just the same. Elijah went swiming in the lake and had fun with mommy and daddy playing in the sun. While we were there Mark turned 28.

In the month of June we had time to just hang out and enjoy Elijah. He went swiming for the frist time in a little baby pool he got from his Uncle Josh, Aunt Haley and their boys.

I turned 26! Wow that sounds so OLD. Mark made me a great doughnut birthday cake.... it is my new favorite.

At the end of May we made the long drive to Billings MT to visit Mark's brother Josh and his family. The boy's have gotten so big and active since we saw them last. We had a great time just hanging out and being with family. Lot of fun resturaunts in Billings. Elijah did amazing with the long car ride... but I don't think he is looking forward to doing it again any time soon.

That takes us back to about the last time we posted.
Promise to try and keep up from now on.

New Favorite Picture

2007-05-21T14:07:00.001-07:00

ISN'T HE THE CUTEST BABY EVER?!!!

We did a photo shoot with our good friend Cameron this weekend.
This is just one of the MANY great new shots we have of our little guy.
Thanks Cameron.

You Decide!

2007-05-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

$40 to $60 bouncer.... OR....

Good old fashion laundry basket....
Is there really a difference to him???

My First Mother's Day

2007-05-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful first Mother's Day. It started with breakfast with my husband and a wonderful gift from Mark and Elijah. It is a beautiful symbol of being a mom... I love it. (see picture below)

Then is it was off to chruch and out to lunch with my 2 boys and some friends - the Old European has the best food. I got to nap in the afternoon... then enjoy a bath in the evening.

All around a really good day with my family of 3.

I love being a mom. My little guy is growing up so fast! I can't believe he is a month old already. He seems to be changing every day... you can be the judge... soon he wil be a "big boy".

MOTHER'S DAY GIFT

MY BOYS

SLEEPING

BATH

Elijah Christopher is Here!

2007-04-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday night we got the call from our Dr. for us to head to the Hospital so Karen could be induced. Karen went into labor Thursday morning at 1am and we finally had Elijah at 8:12pm that night. What a day! Lots of work and emotion. We were lucky to have a great support system there for us in the room: Karen's Mom, My Mom, Lauren, Andrea, Jordan, Karen's Grandma and of course a whole handful of nurses. Also at the Hospital the whole day were Karen's Dad and Grandpa. It sure feels good to be a Dad! God is definitely AWESOME to have blessed us with such an amazing thing. Here are some pictures of us all.

Happy Easter - 40 Weeks - No Baby Yet!

2007-04-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well... my due date has come and gone and no Elijah yet. I am eagerly awaiting his arrival. I know that he has to come out sometime. We are trying to be patient.

Even with no baby - Mark and I had a wonderful Easter. Church service was Awesome! Dinner and games with my family was great. Saturday we even did a little Easter egg hunting with our friend's kids. Can't wait till our little guy is here and it is his turn to find the eggs.

Hopefully our next post will be Elijah's arrival.

39 Weeks and Ready to Pop!

2007-04-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

I am now at 39 weeks and I feel like I could pop any day.
It is getting harder to move around and to get comfortable. Hard to sleep through the night.
Won't be long now... anyday in fact. Just hope it is sooner than later.

We will keep you posted.

37 Weeks and Counting

2007-03-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well I didn't think I was really getting any bigger, but I think the picture proves that we are both growing with every passing day.
My due date is three weeks from yesterday... the countdown is on.
We are of course very excited and ready to meet this little guy.

We'll keep you posted!

Oh and Mark says "From this day forward our son shall be called Elijah Christopher Snyder!"

More Complete I Now Feel

2007-03-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

This last Saturday, Karen's Dad and I sat down for our first annual movie marathon day. I have always wanted to watch all 6 Star Wars movies in episodic order. It had been forever since I had seen the original ones so I was in for a treat. I figured if we started at about 8am we would be done around 11pm with a few breaks for exercise and food. We started Episode I at 7:45 am and then rolled right into Episode II. After that we needed a little break and went outside and finally took down the Christmas lights off of the house. It was really nice taking them off this year with out having snow on the ground or roof. The lights popped right off and we were back inside with lunch and starting Episode III before we knew it. Watching these movies I really enjoyed Episode I, II was ok and III is still a disappointment. But then we jumped back almost 22 years in technology and movie making to Episode IV "A New Hope" and was completely amazed at the difference. You don't realize how realistic newer movies are until you watch something that old. Episode IV is still very entertaining and a great movie, it just took me a little while to stop laughing at the "special effects." HA! We cruised right into Episode V "The Empire Strikes Back" and made it half way through until it was time for a pizza break! Heading upstairs I was blinded with light. Being in a very dark basement all day and then being exposed to all the lights on upstairs was quite surprising. We ate quick and picked up where we left off. Finishing Episode V, I felt like I was left hanging. Not the best movie by itself but it keeps the story going. We took another break to help the ladies with a few things and then we were back for Episode VI. By this time it was around 8:50. Remembering back to when I was a kid Episode VI was always my favorite with the Planet Hoth, Jabba's Palace, Planet Endor & the Ewoks! I was not disappointed, the special effects were MUCH better than the previous two movies and it was just more entertaining. We finished the marathon right at 11. Perfect timing! Looking back it is hard for me to decide my favorite movie of this series. So I will say I have two favorites, Episode I for pure excitement and graphics & Episode VI for all of the reasons I said above.
It was great to be able to take a day and be a bum. I am already looking forward to next year. Maybe we will watch Lord of the Rings, or Indiana Jones (but I just read that there is a 4th coming out May 2008 so maybe we will wait for that to come out), or Harry Potter, or Rocky, or The Godfather. What do you suggest?

34 Weeks and the Mantel is Finished!

2007-02-21T18:14:00.000-08:00

Karen and the baby are almost at 34 weeks now! It won't be long now until we have a little bundle of baby boy!
WOWA look at that belly!

The mantel is finally complete. Started the tile April of 06 and now the mantel is installed, painted and looks great! Don't you think?! One more project is off the list! Yeah!
Check out the before and after.... better now?!

Baby Shower in Tri-Cities

2007-02-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

We had a great time this last weekend at our baby shower in Tri-Cities. Lots of family and friends blessed us with so many cute and useful things for our little guy and we are very thankful. The baby's room is busting at the seams now that we have gotten all of the gifts home. We love it! Thanks to everyone who came, we can't wait to introduce you to our new baby.

Sneak Peak at the Babies Room

2007-02-06T17:52:00.000-08:00

Well, we have finally finished the babies room. Now all it needs is him. We had so much fun making it our own. We walk by and it makes us smile because it reminds us that he will be here soon. 9 weeks and counting! Still haven't decided on a name yet, so when you see or talk to us ask us what we are thinking. We would love your input!

Sewing, Chair and 30 Weeks

2007-01-21T18:27:00.000-08:00

Karen and her Mom have been hard at work trying to get all of the little guy's bedding done before he gets here. They are making his quilt, bumper, sheets, crib skirt, window curtain, diaper stacker, and rocker pillow. It is all turning out great. Only a few more pieces to do and everything will be done.

This past weekend Karen's parents came up to pick up/deliver/and set up our baby gift from them. They got us an amazing rocker. It is such a nice gift. Karen and I will be able to rock all of our children quite well in this rocker, possibly all at the same time if need be.

30 weeks into the pregnancy and Karen is feeling great. Karen is very eager for the little man to be here. We are so excited to start the journey of raising kids and building a family together.

Who is Bigger?

2007-01-08T20:55:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago we headed down to Walla Walla to Karen's Aunts house to celebrate her Grandpa's 80th birthday. Lots of family, food and fun. Couldn't leave with out comparing bellies with her Uncle Ron. Who do you think is bigger?

Christmas, New Years & 25 weeks

2006-12-29T12:48:00.000-08:00

Well with Christmas behind us and New Years just around the corner our lives have been very busy. We spent a wonderful Christmas weekend with Mark's family and all the friends in Tri-Cities. This coming weekend will be spent with Karen's side celebrating 2nd Christmas, Grandpa Blair's 80th Birthday and of course New Years.

Karen's belly has reached the 25th week mark. Our little son is very active. We are continuing to work on the nursery but are making slow progress around the holidays. He'll be here before we know it.

Karen's office will now be at home. Her company has decided to become "virtual" meaning everyone is moving to a home office. We think this is great... when the baby comes Karen will be able to be home and a mom and work and be a designer.

We wish you all a very happy New Year!

Half Way There

2006-11-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

Well we have made it halfway. This week marks 20 weeks for Karen and the little one. We couldn't be more excited. Lots of stuff to do before he arrives but we'll be ready for him. We have been busy painting furniture and sewing his quilt and crib stuff. Soon enough he will be here. Watch out world, one more Snyder boy!

Ultrasound Video

2006-10-31T15:51:00.000-08:00

It is amazing we have figured out a way to see our babies before they are born. In the video you can see his profile with his little heart beating and then the investigation of whether it is a boy or girl. What do you think? Then some more profile video with his little hand up by his face and lastly just a close up of his heart beating away!

IT'S A BOY!

2006-10-30T16:51:00.000-08:00

We had our first ultra sound today and are going to be proud parents of a little baby BOY! It was the most amazing experience to be able to see our little baby. And so far everything looks good. His heart was beating hard and he was moving around a lot. We are very excited to start picking out boy names and shopping for cute little blue stuff.

Mt. Bike Hiking

2006-10-30T16:40:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been biking and the trail just got too steep to ride? Well this last weekend a couple of my friends and their friends went to the Liberty Creek Loop and that is just what happened. We rode a good way into the loop and then we hit the seriously expert trail. It is very steep and has extremely tight switchbacks as it climbs up and up. Most of us tried to ride as much of it as we could but we ended up pushing and carrying our bikes through part of it. Once we reached the peak of the trail it was all fun from there. Down, down we came and FAST! The trail had some nice corners, creek crossings and a good amount of bumps and humps to go flying over and off of. A great trail if you are prepared for a bike hike up and have no fear coming down.

The Pumpkin Carvers

2006-10-30T14:15:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year again - our pumpkins are carved, lit and ready for tricker treaters. Andrea helped out and carved the baby pumpkin that is inside Karen's larger pregnant one. We had a lot of fun being kids and carving them up. Plus they turned out great!

WE'RE PREGNANT!

2006-10-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

Mark and I are expecting a baby this April. Easter Sunday April 8th to be exact. We are very excited. I am just starting my 15th week so we have a ways to go but time seems to be going by faster and faster. I am really glad the "all day sickness" (morning sickness HA!) is finally over. That was tough!

We are going to keep updating you on the growth of my belly and other fun stuff here on the blog. Soon it will be time for an ultra sound and finding out if it is a little boy or girl.

Well keep you posted.

Weekend Outside

2006-10-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was packed with fun in the outdoors. It started out on Friday when my boss told me to take off at noon. I didn't pass that up. I headed home and picked up Karen and we went to Audubon park to play trackball and frisbee. Then out to Karen's parents house where I met up with her dad and brother to go shooting. We went up into Dishman Mica hills and found this sketchy private shooting range. They guy running it looked like a pirate from Pirates of the Carribean. He even carried a pistol on his hip. Anyways we shot .22s at targets and shot the shotgun at clay skeet. My shoulder was a little sore after that. Then that night I headed out with a couple friends to go ice blocking at the golf course. We didnt start until 10:30 and it was DARK! Steep hill, dark, and a crazy fast ice block made for a ton of fun, plus no one got hurt so that was even better.

Then on Saturday I headed to Stevens Lake to go backpacking with a couple other friends. The hike was only a moderate in rating but it almost killed me. The whole thing was up up up! We made it the 2.5 miles to the first lake and found only a few camp spots with one of them with a couple guys so we headed further up to the upper lake. What an adventure. We never really found the trail so we climbed along the creek/waterfalls coming from the upper lake. Once we managed to get up there it was worth it. All of the foilage was turning so there were tons of reds/oranges/and yellow. That night we had a fire and made smores. Then we were all out like a light. Morning came and so did the wind and cold, but what do you expect when it is October. Once the sun broke everything started warming up and we hiked up to Stevens Peak (elev. 6826) from the lake (elev. 5563). It only took us an hour and 15 min. The veiw was amazing looking down onto both Stevens Lakes and also over the ridge to Lone Lake. We headed down to camp to grab our packs and then hiked back out to the car. Leaving the upper lake we were bound to find the real trail between the lakes but we weren't that lucky. So I bushwhacked us through the woods until we came along a dear trail and followed that down to the lower lake and caught the hiking trail the rest of the way to the car. It was a short trip but a lot of fun. Only would have been better if Karen could have come too.

Outdated Update

2006-09-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

After we returned from Mexico we had one week to rush around and get everything unpacked washed and repacked for our trip to Hawaii. We spent 7 nights 8 days in Kauai with Mark's parents. It was wonderful. Lots of snorkeling, beaches, hiking, waterfalls, great food and even a helicopter tour of the island. The resort we stayed at was beautiful. The trip was very relaxing and well worth it.

After Hawaii we slowed down a bit... weekends were filled with helping Karen's parents tear down a giant cherry tree, friends (Ryan and Lauren) coming to visit, camping a couple times once with the whole family, huckle berry picking, helping friends move, attending a wedding, going to Indians baseball games, staining the fence, washing and working on cars, going to the Spokane County fair and Labor day was spent in tri cities. It is always so much fun to go see family and friends.

That brings us up to mid September where we are trying to make time for the to-do list and get ready for fall and winter.

Blog from the Past

2006-07-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

We are such terrible bloggers. It has been way too long. It might just be due to the fact that we have been so busy... anyone who was reading this blog before has probably given up by now... but hey if there is anyone still out there here you go. I will start with the end of April and bring you up to speed or almost.

After Easter weekend - which was so much fun - the following weekend was Women of Faith here in Spokane. I went with my dear friend Jane and had a great time. The speakers were wonderful and the musical artists were fantastic. It was a really good time to reflect and remind me why I sacrifice and try to live the life God would want. Our friends from Tri-Cities were also up for the Conference and afterwards came over and had a good time.

The next week April 24-26 we had our hard wood floors refinished. Lots of sanding and dust and did I mention the STINK! WOW that stuff is smelly. We thought we could handle it by staying downstairs for a couple of days but we quickly discovered that it was necessary to evacuate. Thankfully we have wonderful friends and we retreated to their guest room for a couple of nights. Thanks Rusty and Jordan.
When it was all dry and we were let back in the floors looked wonderful! We love them.

April 28-30 brought us outside for our motorcycle training class. It was a ton of fun learning to maneuver the bike and feel safe on it. By the end of that really long weekend we were both legal motorcycle drivers. We got our licenses updated that next week and we are now enjoying the bike in the warm weather.

We had a bit of fun with the teens on Cinco de Mayo with Game show night. All the teens and their families were invited - the youth staff set up 4 or 5 different game show games and we pulled the contestants out of the audience. It was great fun.
After that we ended the night at a Cinco de Drinko party with some friends and had a good time there as well.

The following weekend May 11-13 was filled with picking out, deciding on, buying, cutting, laying and grouting new tile for our fireplace. It was a totally new adventure and thankfully it turned out really great. We still can't wait to get it finished with the rest of the wood pillars and mantle. But that will come soon enough.

Starting on May 15th we began the adventure of installing a sprinkler system. There was lots of figuring, drawing, charting, mapping, discussing and then came the removal of the sod the digging the digging and more digging! Both of our parents joined us for a long weekend... after it was all in it was wonderful to know that our grass would be green and that Mark would not be moving around a hose and sprinkler all summer again.

Saturday morning the 27th of May we loaded up the Subaru, picked up our friends, made sure we had birth certificates along and took off for the northern border. We went to a fun little town in Canada. While in Nelson B.C., we stayed in a historic hotel, visited the Ainsworth hot springs. On our way home we took a ferry ride across Kootenay Lake, stopped at a couple casinos and had a nice drive home. It was an action packed trip full of good memories.

The first weekend in June was great! We finally emptied the garage onto the driveway and had a "garage sale" with some friends. We sold just about everything on the first day and thank goodness because the next couple days were super rainy.

The first part of June went by so fast with us finishing up small jobs around the house, celebrating Karen’s 25th birthday, painting a carousel pony for a charity auction and just trying to stay ahead at work.

Soon we were leaving for Mexico (June 16). We packed the church bus full of 45 people (teens and adults) and headed this time for the south border. It was a long ride but we made it with little trouble. Once in Mexico we set out to build 3 houses in 3 days, finishing with time to spare. There was lots of playing with the Mexican children and giving away lots of toys. Those teens work so hard and gain some real perspective on how others live in our world. Mark and I feel really blessed to have been apart of such a great trip again this year.

More to come soon to bring you all the way up to date...hopefully

Easter Weekend

2006-04-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

Friday and Sunday night our Church put on a Musical / Drama Presentation for Easter titled Eyes of Faith. Karen had a part as Mary Magdalene and did a great job. The whole presentation was amazing, better than anything else I've seen at Church in a long time. I am very proud of Karen for using the talents that God has given her.

The Calender Was Full!

2006-04-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry that we have been such lazy bloggers. We have been super busy. Here is a look at what we have been up to since I last blogged.

Shawn McDonald Concert - March 7th
We drove out to Post Falls ID to see Shawn McDonald, Warren Barfield, and Ali Rogers (totally great new artist). The best part was getting to see our friend Scot Mortimore (drummer for Shawn McDonald). We had a good time catching up and watching them perform. Good night.

Putting For The Green - March 9th
Mark raised money for Life Services - crisis pregnancy center here in Spokane. The event was really great. Mark got lots of sponsors and we went and golfed, drove go carts and played tons of video games all for free. We had a really great time and supported a really great charity.

Skiing at 49 Degrees North - March 11th
Wow what an amazing ski day. The conditions couldn't have been better and the company wasn't half bad either - Just kidding friends. It was powdery, fresh, sunny and wonderful. We (Karen) found out how out of shape she was - the next morning with SORE muscles. But a great day!

Revolution Tour - March 17th-19th
I (Karen) headed to Seattle with the teens for a conference centered around sharing your faith. The teens had a great time - the schedule was PACKED! We headed out to the streets to go door to door collecting food and sharing our faith. It was an event I'll remember for a long time - challenging me to be open and honest with what I believe as I share the greatest gift I have with others.

Tri Cities - March 24th-26th
Once again we headed to Tri Cities - this time to celebrate Dan and Megan's baby on the way. We had lots of fun at the baby shower - as you can see by the photo us girls finally have something to count down. (For those of you who don't know - Mark's friends have been counting down the number of guys left single at each wedding - now all the brides and girlfriends can start the count down this time with babies) Tri Cities is always so much fun. Good times and good friends.

Hardwoods - March 27th-31st
Mark and I got crazy one night and decided to rip up all of our carpet in the living room and hallway upstairs. We knew there were hardwoods underneath and were pleasantly surprised by how nice they looked. In a few weeks we will have them refinished along with the dining room. Then we can move back in to the living room.

Painting Mark's Office - April 1st
Mark was tired of working in a boring white office with no personality. So we went in on a Saturday and gave it a makeover. We painted three walls blue and one accent wall orange/copper, bought him new office organizing stuff, and spray painted his old nasty bulletin board all black. He is still working on finishing three b/w photographs of us to hang above his desk. It looks so much better and makes him feel at home.

Re-Roof Garage - April 6th-7th
Our spring projects didn't stop with the carpet. Just this last weekend we tore off our garage roof down to the skip sheathing (1x4s) and put a new pretty one on that doesn't leak. It was a TON of work (4' x 8' sheathing, drip edge, tar paper and architectural asphalt shingles) and we had to do it fast. We only had one night and one day without rain. We are crazy to re-roof in early April in Spokane. You never know what the weather will do. But we got it done just in time before the rain and it looks great. Thank you Chris, Andrea, Grandma, Grandpa, Mom and definitely Dad for all the work you did. It would not have been possible without your help.

SO now it is on to putting in a sprinkler system and a few other small projects around the house. We hope to finish everything before our trip to Mexico in June where we are going to build houses for families in need through Amor Ministries.

We will keep you updated.

Road Trip

2006-02-24T10:24:00.000-08:00

We just got back from an amazing weekend road trip to Southern Idaho. On Friday we got off work early loaded up the vans with teens and stuff and hit the road. We arrived in Nampa/Caldwell and stayed the night. Lots of poker and watching Olympics and at least some sleep for the teens and Mark - Karen went to bed early. Then we were up for a huge breakfast, some fun stops around town and by Saturday night we were at a Relient K concert. TONS of fun. Then it was off for a day of visiting the family while the teens had fun with Colin. Our new nephew is sooooo adorable with his red hair. Then Monday took us to NNU our alma mater campus. The teens went to classes and explored. We loaded up and made the long haul back late Monday night. It was another great weekend with the youth-group and our family. Plus it brought back some really great memories of where we first met at school.

Friends

2006-02-01T14:41:00.000-08:00

Do you remember those days when you just had so much energy that you couldn't sit still. I do and I was reminded of that this weekend when we had over 20 teens come to our house for an Aftershock. We had a great time. We played video games, foosball, poker, uno, catch phrase, taboo, and I think there were a couple other games going as well. Sometimes I wish I could be a teenager again so that I could experience all that fun again. Sure I still have fun now but it just doesn't seem to come as often as it did back then. Life changes as you grow older, but at least I still have all of the wonderful memories. I thank God for the friends that he gave me during that time in my life. But I thank him even more that they are still my close friends now.

Winter Blast '06

2006-01-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

Over Martin Luther King Day weekend Karen and I went with the teens from church up to Waitts Lake for our winter retreat. Too bad winter forgot to show up. There was no snow and it wasn't very cold, but everyone had a good time. We played lots of games, listened to a great speaker, and spent quality time with each other but most importantly with God. It is always fun to go on trips with the teens. I can't wait until June when we go on our 2nd annual Mexico Mission Trip to build houses for the poor.

Bouncy Balls

2006-01-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

Last Friday night we watched our friends little girl while they went out to catch a movie. We had a great time. We watched Pooh, ate dinner (baked potato, chicken strips, and bananas) and then finished the night with a couple hours of playing with bouncy balls. It was fun to watch and play with her as she would bounce the ball and then chase after it so she could do it all over again. Mark had just about as much fun as she did playing with the balls. It took him back to the days of playing with bouncy balls all over his house as a kid.

They've all returned

2006-01-10T14:16:00.000-08:00

We spent our New Years weekend (Thursday through Sunday night) in Richland with Mark's side of the family. We had second Christmas - tons of gifts, great time with the kids and lots of good food.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday were spent with the "Friends". Mark grew up with a group of friends that have stayed in touch - this is the first time since high school that they all returned home at once. Friday was a group gift exchange - Saturday games and watching the ball drop and Sunday one last night of cards before we left.

It amazes me (Karen) that my husband has such a great group of friends. A group that has stayed in touch - and that is so easy to hang out with - lots of jokes and great times laughing and playing games. We are blessed to have them all.

There are some pictures here of the kids and the group of friends - from our weekend.

Motorcycle Christmas

2005-12-27T12:29:00.000-08:00

Mark and I had a wonderful christmas with my side of the family. We were all at my parents house in Spokane Valley. Lots of food, games, presents and movie watching.
I love the holidays.

As you can see We (Mark) got a motorcycle for christmas this year, helmet and all. We both can't wait till the weather is warmer and we can go riding more.

Hope all of your holidays are wonderful and safe.

Snow in Spokane

2005-12-12T14:50:00.000-08:00

This is our home.
We have lots of snow on the ground.
Our tree is up - lights outside - shopping done - we are ready for Christmas!

First Time

2005-11-10T14:50:00.000-08:00

This is my first entry on my new Blog.
I have had so much fun reading my other friends Blogs that I needed to start my own.

I will try my best to keep it updated.