Lessons learned...

Well, sorry to start off on a sad note....but we experienced a tragedy in our lives this last month. Our old-faithful computer crashed....the worst part is that it got a terrible virus that ate ALL our pictures from the last 6-8 months. I had been trying to burn the pics onto discs over the last couple of weeks, but the icky virus had already damaged my burner and I wasn't able to save anything. The lesson learned...never trust your computer to keep anything safe....burn important memories to disc ALWAYS! So, sadly, I have not one picture to share with you all at this time. If anybody wants to send us pics of our family that you may have taken over the last months, that would be awesome! Just email me or send them snail mail.

On a happier note, we are all healthy and doing well. We had to replace our old A/C unit because it broke a few weeks ago...our new heat pump is very nice and very efficient. We were able to spend a whole week with John's brother Josh and his wife Meghan and there kiddos Kaitlin and Zach. The kids had a good time with their cousins.
The new bun in the oven is doing well...things are healthy and growing great so far!
We are looking forward to a couple of camping trips coming up soon and well as school starting in a little over a month.

Let us know how you all are! We love you!

Some surprising news...

Well, if you haven't heard by now...we got some rather surprising news this month...I should say, it's a "surprise blessing"...we will be welcoming baby number 4 in January 2009! Obviously God is in control, and thank goodness he doesn't give us more than we can handle or else I think I might be crazy by now! We are looking forward to this new adventure in our lives and I am so excited that for yet another summer I can not worry about what I look like in a bathing suit! Whoo-hoo! Jeremiah seems to think there is a boy AND a girl in there and John and I are secretly praying there's not! I think one more Thorndike is all I can handle at this point!





On a seperate note...here are the long awaited pics of our new house:




I'll have to take pics of the inside later....when it's clean...hahahaha.....

ON vacation...

We haven't posted in ages, I know. We have just been so busy and then our computer got sick...so I'm finally back in the game!

We have had a great May. The whole family took a trip up to the Thorndike Farm (I like calling it that :)) for a Family Day/Birthday Bash/Baby Shower weekend....I know, we could have crammed at least a dozen more things in that weekend, right?! The kids had a blast playing all weekend with their cousins despite the rainy weather. Plus, Josh and Meghan had just arrived back from their 4 week trip to Costa Rica, so we were able to spend some really great quality time with them. The other really great treat of the weekend was getting to see Savannah...Dan and Elizabeth's beautiful little girl. John and the kids hadn't met her yet, so that was super precious. We are blessed with such an amazing family! We also were able to visit Dad and Mom Thorndike's little church and the was fun....John, Josh, Meghan and Liz sang a special song, since it was Mother's Day.

After we got back from our long weekend...I was trying to secretly finish up all the details for John's 30th Birthday surprise party...ugh! It's so hard to keep a secret when you love someone! It turned out awesome! He was totally surprised and it went really well aside from Jeremiah first getting a bloody nose and then having to rush him to the ER because he sliced his finger open....but it was SURE exciting!! John's sis Liz and her family were passing through town that day so it was great to spend time with them and show them our home and where John works. It was even better that they were able to stay for the surprise party, too.

A couple of days after John's birthday, he headed of to go bear hunting with Dan Alanis for a few days....wow, it totally sounds like he never works! He had a great time, but came home without a bear....aawwww.

At the end of the month, Jeremiah finished preschool. He has done so great. We are so proud of how well he has done. He is so excited for next year already!

Well, we love you all and I'm sure we will have more to share soon!!

Hosanna taking a bath in Gramma's sink

Such a pretty girl!

The kiddo's watching a movie

Hosanna, Kaitlin and Alison

Jeremiah and Zachary

Our family and Josh & Megs family

John and I cruising....

Alison and Jeremiah in Bellevue

Precious Savannah

Zach, Jeremiah, Rachel and Sarah riding their bikes

John is has officially been at the new job one year(yay). He has worked a smorgasborg of shifts these last few days and we are also getting ready for a Thorndike Family weekend at the farm. I have been working on a few things around the house...like trying to be patient in my quest to get rid of some kitchen ant naturally...ugh! It;s been day three of the battle and I think I'm finally winning!


The kids have been outside playing in the dirt non-stop. From the time they get up until I drag them in for naps or bathtime they have been out there getting dirty or riding their bikes. I am so thankful for the space and safe area of our home. God has really, really blessed our family.


We had to say good-bye to our close friend Lisa this last week....it's not a sad occasion , she is heading home to Oklahoma to greet her hubby, Andrew who has been in Iraq for 3 months. We feel very blessed that we were able to see her and spend time with her so often while she was home in Pendleton. Lisa, I miss you already, girl!


We are excited to see Andrew come home safely again, though....too bad they just don't live closer to us!


I guess the biggest news lately is that Hosanna now has 4 teeth and she's now only 17lbs. She is getting to be quite a big girl...although not as big as her siblings were at this age, by far!

Bubbles, toothies, and goo...

Jeremiah, Alison and Hosanna are the best kiddos in the world! We have been playing in the mud, riding bikes and having fun. Jeremiah recently got his first haircut in about 8 months.....YES! He know looks like Papa instead of Unca Airwin....according to him. Alison is officially a big girl...she slept in her big-girl bed last night with no problems. I wish I could get her to nap better in it! Hosanna is getting her third and fourth teeth! She's doing pretty well with it all...she's a bit more sleep, which I don't mind, of course!

They are definitely our precious gems!

I'm a slacker...

...I haven't posted regularly like usual...sorry.

Since last time...I went to Seattle to witness the birth of the newest Thorndike, Savannah...Dan and Elizabeth's first baby girl! That was on the 5th of April....then this last weekend it was back up to Seattle with the whole fam for Adam and Rippel's wedding. Adam and Rippel are dear friends of ours and both John and Jeremiah were in the wedding. It was totally awesome and we had so much fun.

During our trip however...Jeremiah ended up in the ER with a bout of croup and then that same day, little Savannah ended up going back in for some jaundice. I am happy to say...everyone is doing well now! God is so great! Also during the last week or so, Uncle Aaron was here for a visit and the kiddos were in HEAVEN! They certainly LOVE their uncle.

We are all getting well now from a little cold bug and our exhausted bodies...but, this too, shall pass.

OOOHHH.....one more thing.....only 13days until Josh, Meghan, Kaitlin and Zach are back in the states from Costa Rica...YYYAAAAYYYY!!!! Can you tell we've missed them??!

Life...

SO... we haven't done tons of amazing things over the last few weeks. But, we have worked outside, inside and all around our great new house. The kids have been enjoying lots of playtime outdoors as well.

Our biggest news lately is that Jeremiah is currently testing out a gluten-dairy-and mostly sugar-free diet. The doc thinks he may have inherited some fabulous food-allergy genes from his daddy....:) So, we have put both kids on the diet...no fair for one to have what the other can't, right? And, since there is more than one Thorndike with these issues, we have learned several "tricks" as well as found lots of goodies and foods for them at Andy's Market in Walla Walla.(including chocolate chip cookies, which he loves...at a mere $5 per half dozen, yikes!). It hasn't been so bad and at least I can keep them away from the bad sweets and junk food! There new fav snack is rice cakes with peanut butter!