Just wanted to share some pics from our latest hike....

Rattlesnake Ridge in North Bend is amazing. Just like Kristi.

Olive did really well, at just over 4 miles, we didn't have to carry her more that 10 minutes. With a nice picnic at the top, this turned out to be a perfect day.

Whose dog is that? Bad dog.... get out of my picture.

.:8:44:.

how blessed am i? i fell in love with an amazing man who has an amazing family AND along with that comes three magical red heads?! whoa. bisti = one lucky girl.

waking up to smell the roses. or lilies, or weeds, or whatever may be in your yard. i’m happy! i’m thrilled to be alive! i find myself looking around me and valuing the colors of my world. in my pictures, on my feet, on the walls at my home. or the colors that i can see streaming through my children’s imaginations. i long to hold them again… ella fell asleep in my arms last thursday and although we had visitors and although her mother was going to arrive shortly to pick her up, i just continued to rock her and hold her and let her drift off to dreamland… at 7 o’clock. i cherished that moment. i can still feel her heavy, sweaty head resting in my elbow… her heavy breathing making me tired.

i helped chloe and ella get ready one saturday morning not too long ago as we headed to lily’s baseball practice. i got them dressed very creatively so they could remain submerged in as much of the blankies as possible as it was early and they were chilly. chloe grabbed my shoulder to steady herself as her left foot slipped into her pants and said ‘i love it when you get me dressed. you always pick out such cute stuff and help me’. filled my heart cup so full- not that it was really in need of filling, but i’m so okay with it over-flowing.

we have the babies this weekend and next… we went two weekends without them earlier in the month, so we now have them two weekends in a row. lily’s birthday is on easter this year… how exciting. we picked out their dresses and i can’t wait to give them to the girls.

quick post on this tuesday morning. remembering my blessings.

xokb

Pippy Longstocking, Cindy Lou Who, and Ella Ruth

Lily singing for her school choir

Ella Ruth wearing her favorite dress.

The lovely Miss Chloe

Lily Jean out growing the tree

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Its not very often that Kristi and I get the chance to participate in preparing the girls for school. So when we got the chance to have them this last Thursday night, and the following day was dress up like your favorite book character/backwards day/crazy hair day. We got pretty excited. Kris is amazing, let me just start right there. She is so great with the girls, always doing hair and make-up and nails and making sure that the girls look and feel amazing. Chloe and Lily's' hair looked spectacular. That was all Kristi. Picking out the outfits, again all Kris. Getting the girls ready for school that morning really left an impression on me. It took me back to a time when I was young. What a long time ago that was. It really made me appreciate what Kristi and I are doing for the girls. My memories of growing up are priceless to me. I hope the memories that we are making with the girls last forever.

Oh yea, later that day Lily had a choir concert at school..... Kristi got off early and we both got to watch her sing. She had a number that involved an umbrella and choreography.... it was actually quite impressive. Go Thunderbirds Choir!!!

They always say go out strong with a quote, so here you go......

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.

-Buddha-

.:march 24th 1994:.

late summer 2009

it’s been almost 16 years since that date. i was sitting in my 3rd grade class with one of the worst substitute teacher’s EVER. over the intercom, mrs. ward from the office said ‘kristi, would you come down to the office please? i think you’re about to have a baby brother or sister’.

i was elated. not only was i about to be a big sister, but i never had to see that sub again. my aunt and cousins picked my older brother and i up and drove us to the hospital.

16 years ago. whoa. my amazing little brother eric came into the world that afternoon. i remember it like it were yesterday.

eric bowled in a state tournament this past weekend and placed 5th. i’m the proudest sister in the world. we wish we could have been there to cheer him on, but sounds like he kicked some serious tail.

eric also just got asked to his first tolo. whoop whoop! i can’t believe it… placing 5th in state tourney’s and getting asked to tolo... who is this kid?! oh yea, he’s my stunning little brother eric.

i love my little E. well, he’s taller than me, stronger than me and smarter than me. but he’s my little brother. and i’m one dang proud big sis.

i love you, E.

early summer 2008

ps. ma- E doesn’t read my blog, so could you give him a hint, please?

.:saturday evening post:.

imagine this: posting on the day of the events i'm about to share. bizarre.

what a wonderful saturday we've had so far and it's not even over yet. it started off with a delish breakfast. comprised of homemade heart-shaped biscuits, gravy, yogurt, eggs, fruit cocktail and some jelly for our biscuits. quickly after breakfast we switched gears to continue our ongoing game of family poker. dave is teaching us all how to play.

at the breakfast table dave asked the girls (for no known reason to me...) what they would change their middle name to if they could change it to anything. chloe was the first to respond with a quick 'schaeperkoetter'. melted my heart yet again. ella wished to change her's to 'cinderella'- now that just melted my heart in a whole separate way. dollface.

we decided to take olive to the dog park as today was probably the most beautiful day of the year thus far. i'm sure the temperature didn't top 60 degrees, but nonetheless beautiful. on our way to the park dave gave us all nicknames. i loved this idea as i've practically begged my brother my whole life for a nickname only to be quickly reminded that nicknames aren't just given or made up, they're earned.

our nicknames:

lily = rax
chloe = frenchie

ella = rizzo

kristi bisti = lover

dave = punko

lily's nickname comes from one of dave and his dad's favorite restaurants (he's talking about the salad bar as i type this blog... oh and the chocolate pudding.)

chloe's nickname (i imagine) comes from grease... perhaps dave was feeling like danny zuko more so today than he usually is.

ella's nickname: see chloe's nickname

my nickname i want to credit brother brent for, however chloe came up with it this time.

dave's nickname was straight from the creative melon of ella. we thought it fit wonderfully.

oh, we did nickname olive, but didn't stray very far from her current bank of nicknames. we picked: pit.

we had a delightfully fun time at the dog park, there were many friendly people and friendly pups too. one of pit's favorite friends she met at the park today was hank. ella called him 'hey'. he too was a yorkshire terrier, but with a shorter haircut and a funny quirk. he only ran & walked in a counter clockwise direction. it's true! and it was huh-larious. thanks for the laugh, hank.

now we're home and the girls played their little hearts out with the favorite neighbors. we slurped down some clam chowder that dave had a brewin' in the ol' crock pot and now the chicks are watching happy feet before we make some chocolate chip cookies.

who knows how the schaeperkoetter hopes will wrap up their saturday night... but one thing's for sure: i can't wait to find out what it is.

xoxo kb.

.:facelift:.

our blog is getting a facelift. bear with us as we try new things... i think we'll send out a sort of 're-grand opening' once it's finalized.

xoxo

.:february catch- up:.

so i’ve started blogs here and there over the last couple of months however i’ve yet to produce anything worth sharing.

i’m going to try and just get everyone up to speed. dave is still doing cable… wishing/hoping/praying for something else. i’m still at report footwear and with free shoes- a girl can’t complain. we continue to do major work around dave’s house. paint, rearrange, trash, move it all around again. then donate. we’re practically buds with the guy at the goodwill donation station.

the girls are growing like absolute weeds. lily is approaching TEN. yes, you read that right- ONE-ZERO. she hasn’t been in my life for as long as some of you reading so i can’t imagine how you all feel. time is flying. she’s doing her baseball thing, with tourney’s about to start up and early saturday morning practices. she’s been playing her recorder non-stop and nailin’ it. we love listening to her. (really makes me wish my elementary school had done something like that; instead i just had the piano teacher who made me cry so i never went back.) i recorded lily playing and now have it set as my ringtone on my cell phone. i have received so many compliments and high fives for that one- people love it. even grumpy people in grocery store lines.

chloe is the most animated 7 year old ever. her grades are terrific and her broadway attitude is out of this world. she sings and dances everywhere. such a light in our lives. everything is a production with her- and not in a pre-teen dramatic sense- very much like dress rehearsal, introductions, performances, and bows. every thursday when i get home from work they all have a number worked out for me. sweet, heart-melting lyrics to the tune of a popular song…. all about me. chloe nails the notes, and hits every count she’s supposed to.

ella is a fire ball; at 4. her energy and desire to learn continues to fill my heart with such excitement. her speech is terrific, her desire to learn and do addition and subtraction floors us all at the dinner table. “if i have one apple and dad gives me 1 more apple, how many apples do i have, ella?” she sits… she looks at her fingers and shouts for all to hear “TWO!”. she’s growing and learning and i’m so thankful to be along for the ride.

now, as far as olive is concerned. naughty, naughty, puppy. just kidding. she is growing up fast too… seven months already! she’s definitely my puppy, but also has such different and rad relationships with everyone.

we’re hosting a pampered chef party at our casa at the end of this month… i’m a bit nervous for it, but hope it will be fun. oh! we also joined the YMCA- the girls love to swim and dave and i are trying to take our health more seriously and make our health a priority. we love it so far!

i’m going to wrap up here. it’s chinese new year for my co-workers in china (who i primarily work with) so it’s absolutely dead in my department- hence the time to blog.

peace and love.
kb