Rinker4

Winter Carnival 2011

2011-03-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

Ava and Lulupie

The look says, "Hurry up, my butt's cold!"

Big cousins and little cousins.

Official Family Winter Portrait.

(the dudes in the back are long lost cousins twice removed)

Looking forward to next year!

Some of my favorite pictures from the last few months...

2011-02-19T15:54:00.001-08:00

More to come....

Excited to see Santa!

2010-12-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

Getting into the Christmas spirit....

We ran into Krysta at the mall!

Waiting patiently.

Awww...finally, Santa.

Winter Fun in McCall!

2010-12-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

"Ralphie...I can't get up!"
Cutie pie.

Tree Lighting-Downtown McCall

(not worth standing around freezing to see someone flip a switch)

Happy or crappy?

Sledding out in the front yard.

Happy Halloween 2010!

2010-11-02T07:19:00.001-07:00

Ava & William's pre-school class.
Abby being her usual crabby self.

The McCall haunted house....Ava WAS NOT HAPPY!

Abby liked the haunted house..."ooohs and aaaahhhs"

Mermaid Barbie and 'Fashion Werewolf'.

I could have swore when I asked him, he said "Fascist Werewolf".

It poured down rain, and Ava fell in a mud puddle.

Halloween in McCall!

Happy 40th Birthday!

2010-10-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Awww....super cute. Daddy & his girls.
........ or is that Justin Bieber, when he was a baby, in Craig's arms? Even more funny, is that Abby shakes her head like "the Bieb" when she dances.

EVEN MORE FUNNY.... when "the Bieb" was on TV, Ava turned to me and asked, "Is that Payton?"

(sorry, dude, but you do look like him!)

LOL

4th of July Parade

2010-07-04T15:19:00.001-07:00

Okay....so Mommy got a little crazy with the crepe paper.
Ava and William. Will brought his Harley and won "Honorable Mention". (for the only motorized vehicle, I think.)

Ava won "Best Decorated Bicycle".

(but I'm telling everyone she came in first place, beacause they said her name 1st!!!)

(I also am telling people she won "Best of Show" because nothing else even came CLOSE!)

When I do a project...I wanna win! (I meant to say: I want Ava to win... :)

Happy 4th of July!!!!

Happy 1st Birthday Abby Rose!

2010-06-25T12:55:00.000-07:00

We had a birthday party at Lisa's house for Abby while we were in California. She had many admirers to help her celebrate. The Klein girls made a HUGE blue cake that matched the color of her eyes! It was a great family get-together filled with swimming, food, and fun!
Here she is saying, "Oooohhhhhh."

Got cake?

Abby does!

Awww...you can actually see her top teeth!

Please see my Facebook for more pictures!

Another Graduation for Ava!

2010-06-14T02:31:00.000-07:00

Ava raised 10 butterflies from caterpillar to cocoon. We finally set them free, and this one wanted to stay with her on her finger.

Graduation day for pre-pre school. They performed a ukulele song, "Unca Bunka"...something like that. It was hard not to laugh out loud.

Support from the audience.

True rockers at heart.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-07T07:36:00.001-07:00

Sheri took my girls and I to a church function for Mother's and Daughters. They had 'stations' set up all around the gym, and at each station was a craft or fingernail painting you were able to do with your daughter. Ava had a blast! She loves creating and making projects. Here we are making a 'scrapbooking' page to glue a photo of us that they took when we first arrived.

Ava made this beautiful flower clip. All pink, of course, since it's her favorite color.

Abby getting in on the action. Grandma Sheri was on "baby duty". (thanks, Sheri!)

Showing off our flower clips.

Abby Rose. (I made this?)

Thank you Sheri for including us in some fun fun fun mommy/daughter time!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

"Crazy Daisy" jumped inbetween us, and grabbed Ava's bunny! Daisy is such a sweet dog!!!! Ava and Daisy played the WHOLE time.
Easter Bunny Abby

Ava and her Easter "goodies"

I know my brothers and sisters are SO JEALOUS when they see these pictures!

Awwwww....matching dresses and all!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

2010-03-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

My two little angels. I finally capture a smile from Abby.
Hmm...I wonder where Abby inherited her pretty blue eyes?
Namma and Bappa came for a visit. Not an easy feat getting here, especially since Namma has a broken ankle!
(Abby's usual 'deer in headlights' look)

Bappa was a trooper. He was doing triple duty...... Such a good sport. He played endlessly game after game after game after game with Ava, and still wears a smile.

Ava's a genius. Loves her puzzles!!!

My Irish Princess.

2010-02-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

While I am putting together our many photos of our trip, I thought I would post this moment I caught between Ava and Abby. Abby was laughing so hard! I finally caught her beautiful smile...

Winter Carnival 2010

2010-02-08T12:32:00.001-08:00

Mommy lost the coin toss who gets to ride with Ava.
Craig, at least, was hidden from sight......

....but if you notice...WE ARE THE ONLY ONES dumb enough to take our kids to a carnival when it's freezing outside.

Ava got extra long rides, since no one else was there!
(prepping her for Disney rides next week)

I won "The Winter Carnival" gift basket worth $735.00.

Nobody seems surprised anymore...I always win at these things!

Happy 4th Birthday Ava!

2010-01-30T18:14:00.000-08:00

It was an event filled birthday for my sunshine, Ava. We had a family party/dinner at Chapala, where Ava was thrilled to wear the birthday hat. Lots of great gifts and cards from everyone. Thank you.

Then we had a combined birthday party for Ava & William, (no gifts thank goodness) at the ice skating rink where their friends joined in for pizza, cake, and skating.

Happy Birthday my dearest Ava!!!!!

Jorgenson Wedding

2010-01-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

We are so happy for Patti & Steve. It was a pleasure to be able to meet the Jorgenson family prior to the event. What an incredible family. We'd like to thank the Epperson family for hosting & helping them have a beautiful, memorable, and happy occasion.

Welcome Steve, Hannah, and Max!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

I'm still trying to figure out how to do a slideshow like Dad and JD.

Meeting Santa

2009-12-22T18:08:00.000-08:00

Ava just finished asking for a Princess Castle, and then she asked Santa, "Will you come to my house?" (Santa and I had a good laugh)
Abby was staring at everything but the camera.

cuteness

Ava's the BEST big sister. She adores Abby.

This is the closest thing to a smile I can get out of Abby. She's like a deer in headlights when the camera come out.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-29T11:31:00.001-08:00

I think Ava sat here for almost an hour, waiting patiently for Thanksgiving dinner.
A few more cousins joined in.
Sheri had a great idea to cover the table with paper, so that the kids could color and draw while they were waiting. Some has drawn what they were thankful for....
(kept them busy, that's for sure)

Sue Sue wanting to help with the binky!

Ice skating the day after Thanksgiving. Luke finally got the hang of it, and used his feet.

(instead of draggin them)

Two fairies and a cow girl.

Love the high heels.

Rob would be so proud.

Our latest photos...

2009-11-20T08:57:00.001-08:00

Ava said, "Mommy! Mommy! I've made you a present!" She was so excited by this bondage, tied up stuffed animal and princess catalog...I just had to to take a picture. Cracked me up!
Not quite sure what's going on here.

Look Mommy, I can hold my head up! ( and chew on my tongue at the same time)

Cheeeeeese! (or cake)

(Apparently, I don't change Ava's clothes)

My beautiful Abigail.

Our latest photos...

2009-11-20T08:52:00.001-08:00

Dress Up Fun!

2009-11-14T10:40:00.001-08:00

Ava received a big box from Lyn, Emily, and Amanda, (Craig's side of the family) FULL of dress up clothes and Halloween costumes. The girls had a hey-day!
They made little Brija be the dog, while they were the Princesses.
(big sisters are so mean!)

Ava loved her dress slip so much, she had to wear it the next day to school.

Whatever.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

Not going for any carving contests.
Ohhh..Fifi doggy. (thanks for the costume Tash!)

Cinderella, SpongeBob, and Dog.

Poor William and his costume. He couldn't see any steps while trick-or-treating, and kept tripping and falling all over the place. In this picture, he can't sit down. Oh, and his arms stuck straight out, too. Classic Halloween story. Great costume out of cardboard, though! Props to the parents.

Craig and a very scared looking Abby. (I don't think she likes the camera)

Awww...me and my beautiful girls.

Baby Chunk-a-Monk!

2009-10-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

Look at my beautiful belly rolls!
Not quite sure if she's scared here or not...

There's that dimple on the left...I hope it doesn't go away!

Yeah...life is good.

New Addition...

2009-10-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

We did it!

We paved our driveway....
....instead of putting in a lower deck.

Happy children who can rides their bikes: priceless.

2009-10-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

Awwwww.......our Ava & little Irish pixie, Abigail.

(she has strawberry blonde hair)

The Latest and Greatist Pics!

2009-09-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

Namma visited again...who can stay away from my girls?
Awww....Daddy's girls.

How cute is this? She's starting to grab at things!

Me and my girls.

a BIG 2 weeks....

2009-09-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

Our 2 weeks started with:

Ava and William SO excited for their first day of Pre 3 school.
Two little monkies sittin' on a couch...

The biggest SMILE ever!

Grandma Sande & Grandpa Tony came for a visit. We had so much fun in the sun, I think we all suffered 3rd degree burns. (except the babies, of course) Grandpa Tony even hung our dining room chandelier for us! Such a great visit!

THEN, we went to Montana for Labor Day weekend, where Ava got to feed Rooster and Clay the horses every morning. She also picked carrots to feed the rabbits, and fed the chickens, too. Needless to say, WE'RE exhausted from going going going the last 2 weeks!

Ava's first haircut...(NOT by choice)

2009-08-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

We went to Ava's friend, (not anymore...j/k) Krysta's birthday party. They had a tent set up, and the girls were playing inside. Ava came out and said, "Mommy, Krysta cut my hair." I replied, "Oh, how f..u....n?" and then I saw all the locks of ringlets on the ground. I think I went into shock after that. Too stunned to be mad. Too stunned to be sad. (Although I did ball my eyes out later) I had to keep reminding myself, it could have been worse. She could be bald. She could have had her eyes gouged out...yaddy yaddy yadda. So, here' some before and after shots. Ava was so good getting her her cut, she got her nails done, too.

We also went and saw Grandma Smith at the rehibilitation hospital, so she could meet Abby Rose. She always recognizes me when I see her! She's learning how to use a walker, and still seemed on top of things. Although, she did ask me if my husband still worked for the airlines. (Pretty close, Grandma!) She seems so lonely, though....

Lovely different lengths.

Beautiful pink nails.

Are the ringlets gone forever? *heavy sigh..we had a good run*

Somebody wipe the glow off my forehead, please. Grandma LOVED seeing the girls.

Abby's Blessing

2009-08-07T11:02:00.001-07:00

Our Beautiful Baby Abigail
Our lovely little family is complete.

Ava loves LOVES LOVES her little sister!

Ava tickling Abby's fingers.

My two little angels.

Summer Photos

2009-08-07T10:51:00.001-07:00

Daddy and Ava on the beach.
Namma, Bappa and Ava enjoying the lake!

Namma and Abby

Taylor, Payton, Ava, and Auntie Lisa ice skating in July!

SURPRISE 25th Anniversary party for John & Sheri...just moments before they walked in.

More Family Photos

2009-07-08T10:21:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th of July!!!! (We had THE BEST pork ribs) Curtiousy of Sheri and Josh who slaved over them all day. Homemade everything. So good!

Awwwww...,cuteness! (which is the real baby?)

Craig and the beach do not mix so well with his leg brace. Only 2 more weeks!

It's all the rage....baby tanning beds.

Ava and Abby. Special little angels.

Ava & Abby

2009-06-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

There are no words.

How precious is this?

Our little nugget...

Ava LOVES helping out with Abby! Trying to give Abby a bottle for the first time.

So adorable.

Ava & William Graduate

2009-06-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Boyfriend and girlfriend ready before taking the stage....
Singing the "Graduation" song...(I really couldn't tell what they were singing) There's always one nose picker in the crowd.

William was pissed he couldn't stand next to Ava.

I mean, honestly: Pre-2 Graduation? What does that even mean? Pre-pre-school?

Ava and our Wildlife...

2009-06-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if you can see the 2 deer at the top of this picture....they are laying in the grass, and the ears make a 'V'. Anyway, we never have deer just hanging around. (probably the dogs) Ava spotted them yelling, "Mommy...deer!" Ava thought this was so cool, and that the deer were waving to her with their ears. So, I take a picture, and settle back down to the couch. Seriously, 2 minutes have passed, and Ava yells again, "Mommy, I see a bear!" Craig and I look at each other; "Yeah, right." And she's yelling it again, "A bear, a bear!" Ava's not one to just lie.......

Sure enough! Right where the deer had been laying, is this bear! Our first bear sighting right outside our window. Good sized, too! Needless to say, we didn't let the dogs out for a while.
Oh.....and here's gimp.

Thank you, Namma!

2009-06-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

Syl came and helped me for 2 weeks. Thank goodness for mother-in-laws! I didn't have to lift a finger the whole time, and became quite spoiled. We organized Ava's new bedroom (which she is sleeping in now!) and washed all the new baby's clothes! Everything is ready for a new bundle of joy to come home. I am truly blessed with such a wonderful family!

We took Namma to Goldfork Hot Springs. What a beautiful place we live in! Ava and Kohvie playing "chess".

Namma was a trouper and we also went to a birthday party for Ava's friend, where Ava proceeded to strip down to her skiives to play on the slip and slide. Here she is playing "house" with William. William is 2 days older than Ava, and has already professed to everyone that Ava is his "girlfriend". Oh boy.

We are thankful for Namma's!!!!!

What a fun week!

2009-05-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

Here's my goofy girl.
...peek-a-boo, I see you!

This was right before Ava almost drowned, (kinda serious). The stinkin tube she's in flipped over, (note: how much air WAS NOT in the tube) and all I saw was feet up in the air. Me, being the Mommy, jumped up from the lounge chair and did my impersonation of a Superman dive into the pool. In a matter of 3-4 seconds, I had her flipped, and my friends husband was right there with me. He looked at me in amazement, and told me to be still (see if I go into labor; I landed on my belly) and then we started to laugh....never seen a pregnant lady so big, move so fast, to take a leaping dive of the side of the pool. I was a bit sore the next day, to say the least!

Silly girl.

Ava trying to pout...here she's pointing 'that finger' at me!

Grandpa Tony helping me out by pushing Ava on the swing! Ava found a new friend in Grandpa Tony. We got into the car, and she freaked out, "We have to wait for Grandpa! Turn the car off!" It was a great visit from Mom and Tony. I had a long arm's list of 'honey do's' that Tony did for me! Blesss his heart!! Ava loved having attention from her Mom's, Mom.

Beautiful, lovely day at the park in McCall. We loved having a visit from the grandparents. Such a nice treat!

Our day in Seattle...

2009-05-08T17:00:00.001-07:00

Making faces at Mommy.
Seattle Center Merry-Go-Round.

I can't believe they let Craig on this ride...he barely fits!

Remember the 'dome' at Seattle Aquarium?

Making more faces at Mommy...enjoying a soak in the hot tub.

I hope you enjoy all the pictures I have posted...still haven't figured out how to do the slideshow. Our last visit to Seattle was so short with Craig, we went again a month later. That was absolutley the last time they let me fly. It was worth how tired I was when we returned.
Definitely worth it!

Our Seattle visit...

2009-05-08T16:46:00.001-07:00

Ava and the Space Needle and Chocolate Fudge ice cream.
The ferris wheel. (Craig has butter stains on his shirt. See: picture below)

Eating at the Crab Pot on the waterfront. Craig and I each had a full crab. YUM!

Seattle Aquarium.

Horsing around on the grass below the Space Needle.

I cannot believe our good fortune. The one day we had to spend with Craig in Seattle, we were blessed with 75 degree weather. It was so much fun to see Craig, but it also made me miss him more! Only 23 more days to go until he comes home. Hooray!

Baby "A" Baby Shower

2009-05-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

Still referring her to Baby A.

One of my gracious Hostessess!

Holy 206 pounds!

Always gotta show the spread.....

Lots of GREAT GIFTS!

What a wonderful baby shower. I had a relaxing stress-free (kid free) time with all my dearest girlfriends. I appreciate all the wonderful gifts and cards (and phone calls) from everyone I love. The count down is on: 7 weeks to go!

Carnival: SUN in McCall?

2009-04-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

It's TOO BRIGHT! (they all said)
Yes, that's REAL grass! (finally!)

The elementary school held a carnival, and since there is absolutley NOTHING for children to do in McCall this time of year, the place was packed! The kids all had a blast. All of Ava's friends are 3 years old, so it's nice she has kids her own age to pal around with. They are so stinking cute....William calls Ava his "girlfriend". (Oh boy!) After my basement fiasco, it was fun to get out of the house. Enjoy!

Carnival-McCall Style

2009-04-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

Face Painting
Ava's chose a flower, Kohvie a butterfly, and Krysta a spider. (Sounds about right on target) I love how they always hold hands.

Scooping up ducks.

Their first horce race. (Kohvie won) Hopefully, their last!

William's making his best 'cowboy face'.

Drama Queen

2009-04-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

My beautiful new bathroom......? (Jason's tearing up the floor)
Wet carpet... trying to dry out.

Again...my pretty bathroom. Not so pretty anymore.

Well, there's a silver lining to everything! I luckily decided to go into my utility room yesterday, and found an inch a water with a layer on mold on it. Then, I realize the carpet is seeping wet, and then I realize the bathroom floor has buckled. First thing I do is call my Daddy crying. "HELP ME!" Everyone was there within 30 minutes, helping me clean up. (I really didn't do anything but try not to hyperventilate) Long dramatic story short, my water filter system has been leaking. Home insurance will cover it, so all is well. Sadly, I am watching them tear apart my newly finished bathroom. BUT, like I said: silver lining. I wanted to add wainscoat to my walls in there anyway, and now I can.

P.S. I am waiting to tell Craig over the phone, so please don't mention it to him until I do!!!!!

Can you imagine how bad it could have been, had not gone down to my utility room?

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER!

While Jordan was passing the sacrament, a little boy leaned over to his Mommy and whispered, "Is he a prophet?" (We think because of the beard) Maybe there's something we don't know?!?
The prettiest blue eyes! (I'm partial)

Ava and her "kaboodle" Easter basket.

We had a lovely Easter Sunday....started with church, and I was very excited to take my friend Rebecca with me. She hasn't been to church since she was 13, and asked me if I would go with her. Her daughter is Kohvie, one of Ava's best friends. So, it was nice they could play together in the nursery, and colored pictures of Jesus and the tomb. During the passing of the sacrament, Ava had a melt down, and I was off to the hallway for timeout. Well, she proceeded to scream at the top of her lungs at me, so I had to haul her down the hallway, and lock her in a classroom. (I wish) Yes, they could her her in sacrament! After that, all was well. We had a lovely dinner with Dad, Sheri, and Jord; ham! And the best dessert EVER! (of course) I hope everyone had a lovely Easter sunday as we did.

2009-04-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

Craig's gonna kill me for posting this, but Ava was SO HAPPY and EXCITED to see him! He's pretending to be asleep, so I won't take a picture....

Ava still fits in a portable crib (barely) and when she woke up, Craig kinda made a sound like, "Ahem," and Ava's eyes opened wide. She whispered to me, "It's Daddy!" and proceeded to jump on him for the next hour or so...............

2009-04-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

I love this picture!
Seattle Center at the Rock-n-Roll thing-a-ma-gig. (When did Josie turn into a 'real life' teenager?)

Lulupie, Zack, and Ava did LOTS of drawing! (It rained and snowed until the day we left)

2009-04-07T08:21:00.000-07:00

Ava LOVES LOVES LOVES her cousins! She also must have enjoyed her chocolate ice cream sundae, since it's still all over her face.

2009-04-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

Ava pointed to my boobs, and said, "Mommy, they are down there!" I replied through my teeth, "Yes, they are!" She replied, "But they are supposed to be up there," as she tried to lift them for me. Oh the joys of a 3 year old!

By the way, I found my first grey hair. Pregnant and grey. Lovely combo.

2009-03-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

Just ONE more Princess photo!
Ava said to me yesterday, "The baby will come out of there (and points to me belly) , and I will be a big sister." She's going to be a great big sister, and such a help for Mommy. We are teeter tottering between 2 names. I said to Grandma Sheri, "I think Craig likes Ashley Rose." And Ava replied, "No. Abbey Rose!" Oh boy. I don't know why I'm so stuck on "A" names. Beats me. Oh yeah, I remember now....I put "A. Rinker" on all of Ava's clothes. hahahaha Jokes on me. Naw...that was just a joke in itself.

We are excited to go visit with Daddy, Ava's cousins & Aunt & Uncle, and Grandpa and Grandma next week in Seattle!

2009-03-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

When You Wish Upon A Star.........

.....you get my Princess Ava!

2009-03-22T16:46:00.000-07:00

What's with the chipmunk cheeks?

2009-03-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

I just had to post these pictures of Ava, because she rarley "hams" it up for the camera...plus she gave me her special"popeye" smile, too. She's getting too big! But, GOOD NEWS! I secured my first listing! Hooray for me! (with some help from Dad, too) Now, all I need to do is sell it...yah, good luck, huh? Let's hope for the right pricing to find an interested buyer....wish me luck!

2009-03-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

So, you basically cannot see the date on this coin at all....but I tried. Here's the story: (Zack's gonna love this!) I was in my physical therapy for about 40 minutes, and when I came out, right next to my car was this bright shiny coin. It looked fake to me, at first. I looked around the street, to see if anybody was looking on the ground, etc...when I picked it up, I noticed how heavy it was, and it's size is an inch and a 1/2 in diameter. Then I looked at the date: 1881. I did a double take...like the cartoons. I thought to myself, "Naw...it looks too shiny to be that old. Must be a fake, or something." Didn't think much about it again, until a few days later, I remembered I had it, and showed it to some friends. They told me to look it up, and see what it's worth. Come to find out, it IS real. It's a real silver dollar from 1881, and a used coin like this goes for $150-200 on Ebay. Can you believe it?!? The ones that are packaged up nicley with certificates and such go for $700-$800! And this coin is in GREAT shape! Craig told me, "Shine that baby up, and sell it!" My lucky day, I guess. I've been very lucky since I've turned my life around, or should I say very blessed. I keep getting little rewards like this dropping into my lap...I must be living my life right! Good Karma!

2009-02-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

Maybe this picture? I look a little more "pregnant" in this photo. I think the other picture is more flattering cuteness-wise.

2009-02-26T06:41:00.000-08:00

OKAY...here it is. The pregnancy picture seen around the world! I cannot imagine gaining 20 more pounds!!! I'm definitley going to be right up there in size, like I was with Ava. I started 15 pounds heavier this time around, so that means even though I didn't gain as much as I did with Ava...I'll end up the same weight at the end. Oh well, at least I'm healthy. I lost it the first time around, and I'll do it again this time, too.

I had my girlfriend take this photo for an advertising idea for the paper. Have this photo, and then a caption that states I'm a new realtor in town...yadda yadda yadda, and then a logo of some sort like:

Limited Time Only! Two for the Price of One!

Remember Dad's ad? "Lab tested and approved"? (with a picture of him and Grace the dog) Everyone thought it was funny, and it caught your eye. I'm just want to get my name out there...Someone suggested at the bottom of the ad, put the expiration date: June 2009 Some people may get it, other people may wonder what the heck I'm talking about. I like idea, and I'm open to suggestions! Love, Kat and baby girl (still liking Abbey...or maybe Livie) P.S. I still have to crop the picture, and it will be in black and white, too.

2009-02-19T15:42:00.000-08:00

Well, Craig is out to sea. 98 days to go and counting. As you can see, Ava is finding ways to entertain herself, since her playmate has left. She calls this, "Look Mommy, I'm a robot!" I think we both miss him tremendously.

Just for an update; Craig is doing an Alaskan run, and will probably get off the ship the first of June. (Depending on how big I get, and if what I look like now is any indication....well, you do the math!) I have had to start physical therapy for my lower back strain (or weight gain!), and I'm not allowed to pick up anything heavy or even push a vacuum cleaner! (bring on the help...) I'm going to have to start wearing a "pregnancy support" back band that wraps around my belly. Too funny and yet, it's a bitch getting old.

I had a very wonderful birthday. Thank you for all the lovely calls. It is what I cherish the most on my 'day' is to hear from all my family.

2009-02-18T07:09:00.000-08:00

2009-02-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

Our little shredder skier!
Mommy in her Jessica Simpson granny ski pants.

Pizza slice, Ava!

Ava in front of the Worlds Special Olympic torch!

2009-02-14T11:51:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. Happy Valentine's Day! I'm going to try and post a video message we sent to Namma and Bappa for Heart Day. (that's what Ava and I like to call it...she loves hearts!) We're happy to have Daddy here this time around...he's missed the last two years in a row, (but has always sent me flowers from the sea!) and we're going out to have a Heart Day dinner tonight. Let's hope I can post the message....or this will be very boring. (Hooray, I did it!) Enjoy our dorkness...

Winter Carnival Fun!

2009-02-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos of the ice sculptures at the Winter Carnival in McCall!

Rinker4

2008-10-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

The Rinker Family is proud to present the fourth member of our family! We just found out we are having another baby-kins and we are extremely happy! (since we have been trying for a year and a half!)