Helping Kamryn

This was just too cute not to post... Lori and I have been working with Kamryn to help her crawl, and tonight Logan tried to help, too!

Dear Friends

It is a very exciting thing to think about: we are going to be in Hays two weeks from today! It is also sad to be saying good-bye to our friends and family here in Seattle. On Christmas Eve we attended two services: one at Valley View and one at Faith. At both churches we were greeted with warm hugs, kind words and well wishes for our ministry in Hays. It was very special for us to visit with many of you as you share in our excitement for Hays. It is good to be reminded that we are loved and cared for by so many here. It has truly been a great honor for us to serve at Valley View over these past years and the relationships that we have forged here will be with us for many years to come. We hope to attend Valley View next Sunday, our last Sunday in Kent, but we will see some of you on Saturday at 9 am when we load the moving truck!

The Perfect Christmas

Christmas this year was absolutely perfect! We woke up and gathered around our tree to open the presents, and Logan was very excited! He hadn't really understood what presents were until the moment when he opened his first one. Then he wanted to open ALL of the presents - regardless of who they belonged to! After we all opened our gifts Mommy and Logan made cinnamon rolls for us all and we played with Logan's new Disney Bingo game.

After Bingo, we got bundled up and played in the snow. Logan had a blast going down his slide into the snow, and of course, Daddy had to tackle Logan and Mommy into the snow! When all was done, we were wet, cold, and exhausted from all the playing. It was way fun!

Next we loaded up into the truck and drove over to Grandma & Grandpa's house for dinner (and more presents!) Grandma made ham, potatoes, jello salad, and had lots of olives for us. Brian and Heather were able to join us and it was a great day. We stayed all day and just played and spent time with each other. It truly was a perfect family Christmas.

Long Night

Last night was a doozy! Kamryn did not sleep most of the night and Daddy was up with her most of that time so that Mommy could sleep. Mommy took over at 7, and Daddy slept for a couple hours. Then it was on to packing and maintenance around the house. Grandpa came over and did a few projects and Grandma came to play with the kids. Lori had to drive over to the day care to make sure that no pipes burst, and tonight has had to call virtually every family to let them know they open at 9 tomorrow morning due to the snow. The forecast says we are to get another 3-6 inches overnight! Crazy, huh? Hope everyone is staying safe and staying warm! And by the way...nice Seahawks game today - good way to say good-bye to Holmgren.

Cookies for Breakfast??!!

I guess just about anything goes when Logan spends the night at Grandma & Grandpa's house! This was his first sleepover and boy did they have fun! It sounds like he got to do anything he wanted last night (and is finding it hard to adjust to having rules again - but that is what grandparents are for: spoiling!)

It was a lot of fun for Daddy and Logan to pack his suitcase yesterday, and as you can see, he just threw everything in there and was set to go! It was sort of weird for Daddy and Mommy to go to bed without Logan in his room, but we were excited about sleeping in. Unfortunately, we both still woke up at 7:15! That's even a little early for Logan! We're glad that he got to do this and Grandpa and Grandma sure made the most of it! (And yes, he had cookies for breakfast and popcorn for lunch!)

The snow is coming in pretty hard right now, and we are having high winds along with it. We may be snowed in come the morning hours, but we will see!

Hi All!
It seems that Logan has taken up a new hobby...taking photos! Here is just one of the many he has taken over these past few days. Surprisingly he has gotten rather good! Most are even in focus now, though who really wants another photo of the same wall?

Kamryn reached another milestone today - she has moved up to Stage 3 foods and had some Cheerios! Her baby teeth are right on the verge of coming in. She is growing up so quickly!

We are busily getting ready for the move to Kansas, and our packing seems never ending at this point - how did we get so much STUFF?? At least we are seeing progress... We aren't going to be selling our house, but instead we are going to rent. It seems that we bought the house in a good market and now...well, not so much. So renting is really our only viable option. If you know someone who needs a nice 3 bedroom place... :-)

Unfortunately, we regret to inform you, our friends and family, that Christmas cards will not be mailed this year. I know, that totally ruins Christmas for many of you, but alas, there will be a something coming to your real mail box in January! That's all for now!

Hello, Seabond!

"Hello, Seabond!" Has become a bit of a family joke. It started while watching Wheel of Fortune (part of Logan's nightly routine!), and the commercial for Seabond came on. When it was over, Logan and Daddy went to see Mommy and said, "Hello, Seabond!" Logan thought that was absolutely hilarious! But you can't say it to him - "I'm not Seabond! Mommy and Kamryn."

Another great Logan moment was tonight during our family devotions. Logan wanted to sing songs so we sang A LOT of them! He sang to us Zacheaus and Jesus Loves Me on his own. How precious it is to hear praises to the Lord from the mouth of a child! On a sillier note, we sang "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," and we were trying to see if Logan understood the message behind that song. So I asked him who takes care of him, but he really didn't understand the question. Trying to help him get to the point, I asked him, "Who gets you dressed in the morning?" His answer: Jesus. Lori couldn't stop from laughing! She asked Logan what time Jesus came over to help him get dressed...of course, he didn't get the sarcasm.

On a Kamryn note, she is doing really well. She sits up most of the time now, but she is not able to sit up on her own. She has no interest in crawling - she hates to be on her tummy. Nor does she want to pull up on things or scoot anywhere. Her teeth are about to pop through, so she is in a bit of pain at times.

If you didn't already know, we are all moving to Kansas where I have accepted the position of senior pastor at Hays Christian Church. We are looking forward to this next step in our ministry journey and ask that you join us in prayer in regard to selling/renting our house, selling my car, getting Lori a job in Kansas, the logistics of the move, and the emotional toll of the transition.

That's all for now! I'll try to post more often - sorry!!

New Van!!

Last night we made the leap and bought a new (to us) minivan! Out of all of us, I think Lori is the most excited! Here's a few pics! Nothing else is really going on right now, but we are going on some sort of a road trip this weekend!

Car's Totaled

Well, it's official...Lori's car is totalled. So we're looking for a new vehicle, and thinking that we might take a jump to the minivan. We feel like we're a bit young for a minivan, but it is the practical move. (Besides - Lori is the on who will be driving it most of the time!) So, if anyone knows of a good deal... :-) The kids are cute as usual, but no real happenings these past few days. There is some news on the job search, so be sure to check out that blog, too.

First Puff & Trick-or-Treating

Kamryn's having her first "puffs" treat today, and Logan helped her out a bit! On a serious note, Lori was in a car accident on Friday, so please pray for her. She is sore, but otherwise is alright. Her car, on the other hand is most likely totaled. We are very thankful that she is OK.

Friday night we did go trick-or-treating, and Logan really had a blast! I took him to the neighbor's house just for one, but then he wanted to keep going. We would go to the door and after he said "thank you," he would turn and say "More houses! More candy!" Grandma, Grandpa, Mommy, and Kamryn all joined us in our quest for "more!" Somehow, though, this morning, Logan has about only half of the candy he had last night :-) (parents, you know how that goes!)

Home Depot, Pumpkins & Kisses

Today Logan told Grandma and Grandpa that we needed to go to Home Depot so that we can get a new door handle since Daddy broke the door! He sure does pick-up on stuff quickly! On another note, Mommy kissed Logan at day care and he said, "Mooooom!" Can you believe that he is only 2 and already is saying stuff like that?? They really grow up too fast. Logan also got to color on his pumpkin last night. How fun is that?

Down on the Farm

Sunday Grandma and Grandpa went with us to Remlinger Farms in Carnation, and their fall festival was in full swing! It was so much fun! Logan got to go on real rides for the first time. He went with Daddy on a barrel spinning ride (like the tea cup ride) and went with Mom and Grandma on the flying pumpkin ride where he got to control if the pumpkin went up or down. He also went with Grandpa and Mommy on a giant slide.

One of the neatest things was that they had the model T cars that used to be at the Seattle Center. I remember driving Batsa (my grandma) in those same cars when I was a kid. Then, yesterday, Logan got to drive me! It was really special for me. Logan also got to feed some sheep and pick a pumpkin. He tried riding a pony, but wanted off before the pony had even left the stable. We took lots of pictures that you can see here.

Breaking Down the House!

We have a door between the family room and the rest of the house that has a lock on it. We have never used the lock, don't have the key, and never thought much of it...until today! Logan and Kamryn were in the family room and somehow Logan locked and shut the door. There is no other way to get to into the room - we can't get through the garage from the outside and the only window has a bar in it. So Logan starts freaking out and Kamryn follows in kind. All of my tools are in the garage, which is not accessible, so I had to kick down the door! I felt like I was in the movies! A kick or two and that door was open! Fun times!

Sick :-(

Well, sickness has hit the Daniels' family - and hopefully the worst is over!! Logan got sick on Friday night, Lori on Saturday night, and Kevin Sunday night and all day Monday. We are hoping that Kamryn doesn't join the family party!

And we're not talking about the Seahawks game...

Sharon & Bill's Wedding

Saturday was Sharon & Bill's wedding. It was a small ceremony with just family and close friends, and I officiated. It was great to see everybody. We wish only the best for Sharon and Bill as they start their married life together!

Friday Fun

Friday was a fun day for us all. Kevin and the kids went over to Sharon's for the wedding rehearsal and then Lori went to the Nordstrom's Cafe for Sharon's bridal luncheon, hosted by Sandy, who was in from Virginia. In the evening we all went to Brian & Heather's for dinner. Brian cooked for us, and Kamryn put on a show rolling over from her stomach to her back for the first time!

Milestone: Rolling Over!!

Kamryn rolled over from her back to her stomach today!! She did it in slow motion so that Daddy could watch the whole thing!!

Rainy Day Fun

It was raining today, but we made the trek out to Issaquah to Salmon River Days anyway in hopes of not getting too wet. When we first got there it wasn't too bad, but the rain kept coming harder and harder, so we had to throw in the towel.

Uncle Brian met us at Fatburger for some lunch and then we headed home.

The family was getting a bit discouraged about the rain, so Daddy transformed the family room into the Rainy Day Fort. I put up sheets and Christmas lights, Mommy popped some popcorn, we got into our PJs, and laid around on the floor which was covered in all the cushions, blankets, and pillows in the house! It was a lot of fun - especially with Logan jumping all over the place. The second movie we watched was We Are Marshall. That was a GREAT movie. We would highly recommend it!

See photos from our day here.

Library & Gel

Lori had the morning off today, so we got to go to one of Logan's favorite places: the Library! We got some books and played on the computer. He also wanted to try Daddy's gel this morning!

"Da-Da"

Hi All,

Kamryn has started saying "da-da" Hooray!! She said it for the first time about two days ago, but I wasn't going to count it until Lori heard it, too, which was last night!

Sorry for the loooonnngggg delay for this post! This past week or so has been very crazy. There has been a lot of activity on the job front (check the other blog for that info).

Janet & Grandma Fox Visit

Aunt Janet came in from Virginia and we had a family dinner with Cindy & Jim, Tyler, Brittani, & Ella, Grandma & Grandpa, Grandma Fox, and us! It was fun to get the kids together for the first time. We also took Janet to Jack in the Box, as she doesn't have those back East. Check out more pictures here.

Peaches & Nodding

Kamryn was having some trouble with constipation these past few days, but thankfully is all better now. We had tried some food last week and were inadvertently giving her the B.R.A.T diet, which is to stop diarrhea. So the doctor told us to try giving her sugar water and that seemed to work. We also were told to give her some fruit, so today she ate almost a whole jar of peaches! She really liked them! She goes for her 6-month check-up on Thursday. Can you believe that she is already 6 months old??!! Where has the time gone?

Kam's newest development has been nodding yes when you talk with her! It is soooo cute!!

Ocean Fun

We spent this past weekend at the ocean in Long Beach. We went with Grandma & Grandpa and had a great time! It was fun taking Logan and Kamryn to the beach for the first time. Logan had a lot of fun jumping waves and building sand castles. Though once he realized how much fun destroying the sand castles, the building slowed considerably!

We also spent some time in the swimming pool - something that was also new to Logan. He was pretty fearless. Two times he jumped in! Mommy (the former life guard and swimming instructor) helped him learn how to kick and blow bubbles. The blowing bubbles was going really well until Logan blew in instead of out! That was the end of that game!

And of course, we went to the famous bakery a number of times. We couldn't get a birthday cake for Mommy - but there were plenty of snacks! She had a great birthday spent at the beach with the family. We also learned a new card game from Grandma called Hand & Foot. It turned out to be a blast, though trying to get to 10,000 points turned out to be impossible! That game's outcome is still TBD.

We can't wait until the next time we get to go on vacation! I will have photos posted here once I get them uploaded.

Off to the Ocean

We are almost ready to leave for the ocean! We are heading to Long Beach for the weekend with Grandma & Grandpa and are really excited! Logan can't wait to find sea shells. He has never been to the actual ocean before, so it should be really fun! It's also Lori's 30th birthday on Saturday, so we have some special treats for her! :-)

Sweet Potatoes

Yesterday Kamryn got to try "real" food! We tried Sweet Potatoes first, and she LOVED them!! She ate half of the jar yesterday and finished off the jar today. It's so fun to see her taking this next step!

Funny, Funny, Funny!

This is the SNL sketch about Palin and Hillary. Fun for both sides of the aisle! :-)

First Week

Today is Wednesday, and so it's the 3rd day of our new arrangement: I have Kamryn home with me all week, and I have Logan with me 2 days per week. The change in cost for day care is staggering: $187 per WEEK! That is a HUGE savings for our budget and it is also a great time for daddy and Kamryn to bond. Logan goes to day care 3 days per week so that Daddy can still get some things done around the house! :-)

Kamryn had a diaper-area rash since Friday that turned out to be a yeast infection. The doctor gave us an antibiotic ointment and it has cleared up a ton. It was the first time that I have ever taken both Logan and Kamryn to the doctor by myself...and it went great! Logan loved to "drive" the elevator!

Today we are going to the Puyallup Fair thanks to our friends who gave us free tickets! We hope to have lots of pictures to share, so we'll post them when we get home! Have a great day...I know we will!

Farewell Potluck

Sunday night was a very special night for Lori and me as the church held a potluck in our honor. It was really good food (as usual!), and there was an open mic time for people to share memories and thoughts about our time here at Valley View. A lot of the teens shared and it was very special to hear the nice things that they said about our family. They also put together a slide show with some of the pictures they gathered. We certainly are going to miss our friends at Valley View, but we know that this is the time for this change.

I'd Like to Raise the Roof

Howdy! Sorry this hasn't been updated this past week. It has been a busy week for us. It was my last Sunday at Valley View and I was preaching, so that took a lot of time. Then there was the time it took to get everybody up to speed on my current projects so that they don't fall through the cracks.

Friday and Saturday I spent some time helping mom and dad remove their roof. They saved a bunch of money, but it was really hard work! There were parts with 4 layers! I felt muscles that I didn't even know I had!

Evergreen State Fair

Saturday was a day of fun when we went with Grandma & Grandpa to the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe. We enjoyed lots of fair food, and Daddy even won Logan a big stuffed prize. Granted, we played the water game in the kiddie section of the carnival and I was the only adult playing, but hey - it was for Logan! (To be honest, I didn't realize that I was the only adult playing until after I had paid, and at that point, I knew I really better win!) We had a ton of fun, and we even found Grandpa's lost glasses before we left for home! :-)

Lori's big purchase was some jewelry cleaner. You know, the kind that they sell after they clean one ring free? Well, she finally bought some and has been a jewelry cleaning machine ever since! I keep looking for the television cameras because she is walking advertisement. If you have any jewelry you would like to look "good as the day you bought it," then give her a call! She's going nuts!! We're looking forward to a fun Labor Day, though we may just veg around the house all day!

For more fair photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/rev.kevin.daniels/EvergreenStateFair.

Junior High Breakfast

On Wednesday, Kevin had the fun "job" of hosting a junior high breakfast in honor of the students who are graduating out of the junior high class at church. It was a really fun breakfast with wacky awards (and some more serious ones). Here I am with the 3 graduates who are on their way into high school. Check out more photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/rev.kevin.daniels/JuniorHighBreakfast.

Visiting Grandma Fox & Bruce

Last weekend was a fun weekend for all of us as we traveled across the mountains to Bridgeport to visit Grandma Fox & Grandpa Bruce. It was a great time to visit and just relax for a few days. Grandma cooked up a storm and we ate like kings! It was great having some down time and spending it with family. On the way home we stopped at the French Fry Place in Sultan for some of the best fries known to man! See more photos of the trip here: http://picasaweb.google.com/rev.kevin.daniels/VisitingGrandmaFoxBruce.

Kamryn's Good!!

Well, let me start with the most important news of the day: Kamryn is fine! She has mild head flattening in the back, but it is not anything to worry about. It will probably work itself out within the next few months and the therapy that is available would not provide any benefit for such a minor problem. There is no need for follow-up unless it becomes worse, which the specialist says does not happen with her condition. She told us that if we keep her off of her back as much as possible during the day that it would be of benefit for her. We are very thankful to God.

G-Sale

This Friday and Saturday we are having a garage sale to help clean out the clutter! Hopefully we can make a few extra bucks while at the same time getting rid of the extra stuff that has been piling up. Lori won't be able to take Friday off, but Kevin & Vicky will be there manning the driveway!

Kamryn's Check-Up

Today was Kamryn's 4-month well-child check-up and immunizations. Things went alright, but not great. First, her stats: Weight: 15lbs, 3 oz (72%), Height: 25 1/2 inches (82%), Head Circumference: 17 inches (91%). She is definitely on the large size, but her growth curve has stayed consistent, so there are no worries there.

She checked out fine on all other areas except for a bulge on her right forehead above the eye. The doctor does not think it is a serious problem (no tumors or anything like that), but he wants to have it checked out just to be on the safe side. So we will be taking her to Children's Craniofacial Center. Once the office faxes over the referral we can make an appointment and then we go from there. Because her head is sort-of flatter on the back left side, the doctor thinks that it might be the cause, but he wants a specialist to make sure. He told us that this is just a precautionary step and there is no need to worry at this point. Of course, there is always some stress and worry on our part (and I'm sure for some of you, too), but we trust that God is in control and that He knows what is best.

**UPDATE: Her doctor's appointment is in Seattle on Monday, August 18, at 2:00 pm.**

Daddy's Barber Shop

Well, Daddy's Barber Shop was open for business this morning, and it was way past time for Logan to get that hair cut! Logan does pretty well, but since his hair was so long it took longer than usual. Mommy had to come help by offering stickers for sitting still. A few stickers later and we were done! Thanks, Mommy! More Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/rev.kevin.daniels/DaddySBarberShop

Kamryn's First Night in Her Crib

Well, Mommy and Kamryn got home safely after a great trip to Kansas. It was time for a big change for Kamryn when she got home - she spent Monday night in her crib for the first time. It was a little rocky those first couple nights, but last night (Wednesday) she slept through the night as normal. Logan is doing fine with little sis in the room, and doesn't usually wake up. When he does wake up, we just tell him it's not time to get up yet, and he goes back to sleep! We are hopeful that lasts!

Food!!!

Wednesday night Kamryn had her first* solid food! We mixed some rice and milk and let her at it. She didn't really know what was going on at first, but then got the hang of it. The doc said we could try introducing some fruits and veggies to her, so we will be slowly doing that. See more photos of the fun: http://picasaweb.google.com/rev.kevin.daniels/KamrynSFirstSupper.

*this is called her "first," but Daddy has already snuck some ice cream for her...though there's no official proof of that!

Grandma Fox Comes to Town

After the Seahawks Scrimmage, we drove up to Cindy's to see the family and Grandma Fox who had driven over from Eastern Washington. She and Bruce have a place over there, and it's a pretty long drive, so it's really great when she gets to come over. Rhonda & Al, Cindy & Jim, Brittani, Tyler, & Ella, Britni, and Christopher all were there, along with Grandma & Grandpa. This was the first time that Ella and Logan got to meet, and it was great to see everyone. Logan, Ella, and Kamryn all got lots of cool presents from their Aunts, and Logan ended up with a big bubble blower that is sure to entertain! (I just sounded like a commercial for the thing, didn't I?!) Thanks to Aunt Cindy & Aunt Rhonda for all the goodies!

Go Seahawks!

Logan and Daddy were still missing Kamryn & Mommy on Saturday, but the day was full of fun distractions! For one, Logan got to go to his FIRST Seahawks Game! Alright, it was just a scrimmage, but still it was a lot of fun for all of us. We got there early and found seats in the fifth row back on the 50 yard line! It was so cool to be that close! Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Brian, Aunt Heather, and Heather's dad, Kurt, all joined us for the fun. Grandma even bought Logan a Seahawk Football that talks & cheers! It was the perfect gift as Logan is now learning how to catch! He is doing really well at it - we surprised Mommy when she got back at how well he is actually doing. Logan can also count to 10 (most of the time), but usually forgets the number 5. Wierd, huh? Check out more photos at our family photo album (see link to the left).

Moving Brian & Heather

Well, Friday was a day off work for me and Dad, but Brian had plenty of work for us to do! Brian and Heather moved into their new house in the Issaquah Highlands Friday (on their 6 month wedding anniversary), and Dad and I came to help Brian empty their storage locker. With the help of a 24 foot truck, Brian's truck, and Dad's truck, we got everything to the house in one load. The house is really nice, and we hope that Brian, Heather, & Jersey will be very happy there!

Our Kids Are Groovy!!

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Mommy & Kamryn Leave for Kansas

Yesterday was very hard for Logan and Daddy. We got up at 3:45 am and drove Mommy and Kamryn to the airport. Logan really wanted to go on the airplane, too, but we had to explain to him that he would get to go next time. On the way home from the airport, he kept asking Daddy if he could go with Mommy on the airplane.

After Mommy and Kamryn were through security, we went home and I thought it would be a good time for both of us to catch a nap. Unfortunately, Logan did not feel the same way - so he ended up at day care pretty early. At day care he saw a squirrel (which he was very excited about), and he made sure that everyone at the day care knew he went potty on the big boy potty! We finished off the pizza for dinner, called Mommy, and went to bed at 7:30!

Mommy and Kamryn got to Kansas safely and enjoyed spending the day with Grandma and Grandpa. They will be in Kansas until Monday.

Sunday Picnic & Pictures

Sunday was our church's annual picnic at Lake Wilderness. We went out to the lake for worship, food, fun, and baptisms. It was such a blessing to see 7 people make public professions of their faith through baptism.

After the service, there was a watermellon eating contest, along with a cake decorating contest. I was a judge for the cake contest, but unfortunately we did not get to taste test them all! We left the picnic around 1:45, because Logan was ready for his nap.

When we got home, most of us joined Logan for nap and then went to get Kamryn's 4 month old pictures taken. Can you believe that she is 4 months old now? Man, the time flies!

After pictures it was off to McDonald's with Grandma and Grandpa. After eating, we all joined Logan in the play toy! Too bad we forgot our camera, because it was very fun seeing all of us crawling through the tubes and coming down the fast slide! As usual, Logan didn't want the playtime to end.

Saturday's Fun

Saturday was another fun day for me and the family when we went to the Covington Days Festival. We got there about an hour before the parade was going to start, so when we were looking at the booths there was hardly anyone there. A local church had brought bouncy toys for the kids, and Logan was more than excited to run and bounce through them. After the parade we met Grandma & Grandpa down at Kent Station for Chipotle and Cow Chip Cookies! More photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/rev.kevin.daniels/CovingtonDays

The Weekend Festivities

This past weekend was fun for all of us! Aunt Sandy had flown in from Virginia, so there much to catch up on. Thursday afternoon we met Uncle Richard at the Spaghetti Factory. It was great to see him and get updates about all that is going on in his busy life. On Friday night, Brian, Heather, Sharon, Grandma, Grandpa, and our family was all on hand to have some burgers. It was sure great to see Sandy! She is coming out again on October 11 when Sharon and Bill are getting married. See more photos of our time with Sandy: http://picasaweb.google.com/rev.kevin.daniels/SandySVisit

Welcome to Our New Blog

Hello Family & Friends! We have decided to enter the blogging world with a blog about our family. We will post photos and let you know what's happening in our corner of the globe! If you look to the left and see the RSS Subscribe option, you will be notified automatically whenever content is added. Also, there is a link to the left which has some of our favorite photos. Hope you enjoy!