The Bordner Family Blog

A New Addition to Our Family ...

2011-01-23T07:02:00.000-08:00

Dearest friends and family, we have some important news to share with you. You know we've been thinking for a very long time to add a new member to our family. Well, the time has come and we're very excited to share the news with you ...

No, I'm not pregnant, but I had you going for a minute there didn't I?

We are getting a new puppy! We met him yesterday. He's a German Shorthair Pointer and it's a surprise for Ryder's 6th birthday next Friday. So, if you see or talk to Ryder between now and then, don't say anything.

I'm not sure if we could have been more obvious yesterday when we were jaunting about town looking at puppies and going to the pet store. We drove out to Mountain Home (about a 30-45min drive from our house) to meet the puppy, then went to PetSmart to get the necessary puppy items. Ryder asked why we were buying all this stuff, and we told him it's so Byron (the Kearney's dog) will be nice and comfy when he comes over to stay with us. In the end, he was completely clueless.

We're so excited for the craziness that this new puppy is going to bring to our family.

Here's a picture of the little guy below. We're going to let Ryder name him since it's his dog. I asked him what he was thinking of for names. If it's a boy (which this one is), it is going to be Cody. Cute. If it's a girl, he wants to name it Sheila. Odd.

More to come next week ...

Borney-Skene New Year's Eve Celebration!

2011-01-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

We pulled together a last-minute New Year's Eve shindig with the Kearneys and Skenes, which was kicked off with a day of skiing up at Bogus! It was a beautiful sunny day, but oh so cold! After venturing down the mountain, we ended the day with homemade sushi, kids dance party and plenty of laughter at the Bordner "chalet."

Isla & Payton: Double-Trouble

Sleepy kids, post dance party in Ryder's room.

The Boys.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-02T08:02:00.000-08:00

We had a Borney (Bordner + Kearney) Christmas Eve again this year! Love this tradition we started last year! You can see more Borney family fun at the Kearney's blog.

Santa came that evening and it was an entertaining Christmas morning watching the kids open presents from Santa! Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share, as I got my new camera later that day (thanks mom & dad!). Ryder's Christmas highlights - Bronco gear and new model rockets. Payton's Christmas highlights - big girl underpants, a new camera and purse.

Jeremy surprised me with a new ski jacket and a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona in February! Looking forward to some warm weather, relaxation and alone time with Jeremy. I surprised Jeremy with a new tape measure and house numbers. He must have been a really good boy!

After Christmas present fun, we went up to my parents' cabin in Oregon and spent a few days with my mom & dad in the snow.

Here's Payton showing off her big girl underpants!

Payton and Grandma Jan making sad faces ... it's impossible to get her to smile for pictures! Payton, not Grandma. :)

Snowmobile riding lulls Payton fast to sleep.

Look what Grandma and Grandpa got! A little snow scoot for Ryder. He's quite the little daredevil on this thing.

Off they go down the meadow - Ryder, Grandma and Grandpa! A beautiful day for a snowmobile ride. Below is some video of Ryder riding around the cabin on the snowmobile.

We wanted to show Grandma and Grandpa what a good skier Ryder is so we went up to Spout Springs for a few runs (the baby mountain as Ryder calls it). Grandma Jan decided to join ... and here's a photo montage of her trip up the mountain ... and her help down. Yes, she didn't get off the chair, as she was afraid she was going to run into me. Sorry mom, I had to share.

A Look Back at 2010

2010-12-30T20:06:00.000-08:00

Embarking on a New Year is a time for reflection, and one thing I do know is that I neglected the blog. As I said on Christmas, I'll make a more concerted effort to share with you -- my family and friends -- more about the goings' on for the Bordner clan here in Boise. Here are a few highlights from the year:

Ryder starting kindergarten
Jeremy's boxing match - if you haven't seen, check it out on YouTube.
Payton's lively, girly personality
Peter & Kaitlyn getting married
Making our house a home
Long weekend in Hermosa Beach with Jeremy, Julie & Jeret
Our week at Camano relaxing, waterskiing, reading, eating and drinking wine
Girls' weekend in Leavenworth
Welcoming a new Bordner Boy to the family - hello Liam Bordner! Congrats David & Katka!
And many more ...

And for your visual pleasure (in no particular order) ...

Christmas Eve 2010

2010-12-24T08:21:00.001-08:00

It's Christmas Eve, and one of the gifts I would like to give to my family and friends is to reinvigorate our blog. That's it for now ... I'll recap the year on New Year's Eve.

Merry Christmas!!

xoxo

A tribute to an amazing man, Irv Marr

2010-02-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

It was the summer of '98 when I first met Irv. Jeremy and I drove from college at WSU in his S10 Chevy pick-up to Seattle; he was taking me to meet his family. Not just immediate family, but his extended family as well. We drove straight to Irv & Frannie's house in Laurelhurst. I was so nervous, I thought I was going to be sick.

Looking out the bay window of their house down at the pool, I saw Irv & Frannie sitting together in the shade. Such a sweet couple, and so in love. Jeremy's mom and dad were there, as well as his brothers and sister. But there were also aunts, uncles and cousins galore swimming and doing tricks off the diving board. While I was nervous, my emotions were overcome by something else. It was at that moment - looking down at the pool, seeing the love and joy Irv & Frannie had for their family - that I knew this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.

Irv lived to be a 103. This fascinated Ryder. At five years old, how cool he thought it was to know somebody that was 103. When we talked with Ryder about Irv's passing, I told him we need to give daddy some extra love and attention because his grandfather had passed away and he was going to miss him. Ryder got sad and said, "well, I'm sad too. I will miss him." It was so sweet. Irv had that affect on people; he will be deeply missed not just by those who knew him well, but all of us. But, he is in peace now, with his loving wife, Frannie.

Irv was witty. He was caring. He was an honest man. You don't find that much these days. His life story amazes me, and I am so honored to have known him and to be part of his family.

Most of all, I am fortunate that my husband has a little Irv Marr in him.

We will be coming to Seattle this weekend to celebrate the life of Irv Marr, what a celebration it will be!

And for some more perspective on Irv's life, I encourage you to check out this article from the Seattle Times - have a box of tissues ready; you'll need them.

Sweet Memories to Savor
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/reader_feedback/public/display.php?source_name=mbase&source_id=2010922122&offset=20

Ryder Turns Five!

2010-02-01T21:03:00.001-08:00

We hit a major milestone in the Bordner house ... Ryder turned five years old on January 28th! What a great five years we've had in our family. Recently, the five year curiosities have sunk in, as well as his literal and determined ways. We've been asked interesting questions like when you die, who takes you to heaven? Or, he likes to tell me "mommy, you need gas," which yes, I usually am, or "mommy, you're driving wrong; both hands need to be on top of the steering wheel."

Also as a five year old, we've learned that Ryder can help out around the house. For example, we now have a chore chart for him. We have his daily activities that he needs to accomplish by just being a part of the family, but there are also things that he can do to earn "commission." It's been fun watching him go through these ropes. One of the things he tried this weekend was undressing - and dressing - Payton. She actually let him. She laid down and he took off her jammies and diaper and then he took her back to her bedroom, and actually put a diaper on her (!), some tights, and a pink tu-tu. The only thing he had a problem with was the shirt. It was quite impressive - I even have trouble putting her diaper on!

On Sunday, we had his birthday party - inviting a whole gaggle of kids over to play and make ice cream sundaes. We had all sorts of candy and goodies to pile high on top of their big bowls of ice cream. The funny thing is, Ryder woke up this morning saying his tongue hurt ... he has a mouth full of swollen taste buds from eating too much candy yesterday. Ick.

We are so proud of our little man - that's what he is, if you haven't seen him recently, he's HUGE. Here are some pictures from his party and other birthday celebrations ...

Geeks in Vegas.

2010-01-07T19:24:00.001-08:00

I just got back from Vegas tonight -- was down there for work. Super-dad Jeremy was here with the kids. Ryder told me he didn't miss me because I wasn't gone for five days, only four. I sure missed him, though. I of course missed my little girl too. She's got some molars coming in, so she's not eating much these days. Her basketball tummy is slimming down to volleyball size. And Jeremy, thanks for being such an amazing dad and supportive husband.

Now onto the geeks in Vegas. After seeing what I've provided below, you'll see that I fit right in. I'm going to be very bold here. This will give you a good laugh. You can see me talking on camera in the second link. I. AM. SUCH. A. GEEK.

http://www.anandtech.com/tradeshows/showdoc.aspx?i=3712

http://hothardware.com/Articles/CES-Showcase-Crucial-and-Seagate-Display-New-SSD-Products/

I need to get back to reality and go watch some chick-flick.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

In order to kickstart 2010 the right way, I am going to get back to updating our blog. Many apologies for the delay in postings. It's been a hectic few months for us with my recent uptick in travel for work, many family and friend holiday gatherings, as well as the usual life of two working parents with kids. My New Year's resolution is to be more vigilant in keeping the blog updated, and now that I'm sharing that with all of you, I'm more inclined to keep with it. Right? Well, I'll try my hardest. I promise.

So the first post of 2010 will be a recap of the past few months from us, told via pictures, videos and a brief summary of each. Enjoy!

Here's to a happy and healthy 2010!!

xoxo,

Kirstin

October-ish ...

Ryder learned how to mow the lawn all by himself (with close supervision, of course).

We took the Pumpkin-liner train to get our pumpkins.

Our next door neighbors grew these pumpkins and gave them to Ryder. Such fantastic neighbors!

Ryder likes to shower by himself now.

I don't know what this picture is from, but I thought it was funny.

Carving of the pumpkins ... a lot more work than you think.

November-ish ...

Jeremy and Payton were home with the Swine Flu and this is what I came home to.

The house was a disaster with tissues, food, toys, diapers, etc strewn about the house.

I went to New York for work and Ji Young joined me the last few days. We had a GREAT time. Sadly, I didn't get many pictures from the trip.

More November-ish ... For Thanksgiving we went to my parents' cabin in Oregon. We had a great time!

Miss P and Grandma Jan getting some snuggle time in after Thanksgiving dinner. Look at the belly on that girl! It's HUGE! But so cute ...

Ryder and I made a snowman.

Playing in the snow!

Miss P was a little cold so she hopped in the hot tub with Jeremy.

December-ish ... Christmas and New Year's celebration!

We celebrated Christmas Eve with the Kearney's. Before dinner we went to the Idaho Botanical Gardens, we got there a bit before they opened we hopped over the park to let the kids run around.

Ryder, Payton, Morgan and Aidan. Such a fun night!

Merry Christmas!

Miss P showing off her teeth, so excited about her new pink wheels from the Kearney's. Thanks guys!

I've taken to calling us the Borney's. (Bordner's & Kearney's mashed together) What fun times we've had together!

Ryder and Morgan saying their goodbyes on Christmas Eve.

Little more ...

One more hug.

Christmas morning.

Susie and Tucker flew in Christmas morning. Thanks for making the trip. It was so fun to celebrate Christmas at our house!

Payton had a good time with Grandma Susie!

I made a turkey. Yes, I cooked. It was quite yummy, if I do say so myself.

For Christmas dinner I used my grandmother's china, silver and linens ... it looked so beautiful.

Thanks Grandma Jo! It was so fun setting up Christmas dinner.

For dessert we made brownie sundaes ... Payton snuck a few bites.

On New Year's Eve Ryder and I built a huge snowman. Jeremy and I ended New Year's Eve with a bang, playing a 2.5 hour War card game. It took a lot of skill, but I won. If you know War, it's all about skill, not luck. :) At least the game kept us up past midnight!

On New Year's Day we had some "split P" soup for dinner! Ha!

Little Miss Manners

2009-10-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

Payton has learned how to say "thank you," it's the sweetest thing. I have been trying to capture it on video to share with you all, but she clams up where I put the camera in front of her.

Essentially, it's any time she is given something or gives something to you she says, "tain-too."

Life has gotten away from us!

2009-08-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the major delay in my blog upkeep, the end of summer proved to be super busy for us ... but quite fun! I'm not going to spend much time in this post recapping the last month and a half and will rather entertain you with pictures. Enjoy! I promise to do better in my blog upkeep moving forward. As usual, life has been pretty entertaining her at the Boise Bordner household.

Ryder and Jeremy went on a day-long flight with my boss ... up to McCall for pancakes at the Pancake House and over to Baker City for some lunch & ice cream! Ryder had a great time!

We had a major BBQ with loads of kids, adults and fun! Thanks everyone for coming.

At the Idaho State Fair! Ryder & Jeremy went on the swings! I was nervous for Ryder, but he LOVED them!

We went to the Mariner's game with our friends Ryan and Heather Skene.

Ryder & Jeremy were in cousin Roy & Erin's wedding this summer. Quite the dashing boys they were!

Grandpa Tucker is really good and reading stories!

While in Seattle we went to the zoo with Grandma Susie and Harper & Bennett (the kids Susie watches).

Payton Turns One!

2009-08-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a year for Miss P ... I'll entertain you with some pictures throughout the year.

Yoga

2009-08-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with Payton I went to prenatal yoga twice a week for several months. We drive by the yoga studio every now and again and when we do Ryder always says, "there's momma's yoga." I showed Ryder what yoga was ... you know, "the downward facing dog" and Tucker's favorite, "the cobra." Well, last night my yoga mat was out in the living room floor from my "morning routine" (I won't go into those details now) and I'm down the hall and I hear Ryder say, "momma, I'm going to do some yoga." I said okay, buddy. Then he says, I need to do some yoga to push my baby out." Of course, that's what he associates yoga with ... me being pregnant with Payton. So I ask him where's his baby and he said, "it's in my belly."

Needless to say for a few minutes Ryder entertained me with many yoga poses/moves on how to get the baby out!

1st Birthday

2009-08-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Payton Frances' first birthday this weekend, co-hosting a joint party with the Hamilton's, as Delaney Jane also turned one (the girls' birthday is one day apart, Aug 4 for Miss D and Aug 5 for Miss P)! The party was at the Hamilton's house, and Molly did a beautiful job with the decorations and set-up!

The theme of the party was "tiny two," naturally, since they are two tiny girls. For food, we had tiny-burgers, tiny dogs, tiny cupcakes, tiny veggies, even tiny water bottles (among normal sized food and drink). It was a great time! Miss P finally got her first girl toy ... a stroller and baby doll.

Impossible to get all the kids to look and smile at the same time.

Present time!

Mommies & birthday girls.

Getting ready to dig in!

Payton loved the mini cakes Molly made for the girls.

Funny.

Mommy Weekend

2009-07-26T20:01:00.001-07:00

Jeremy was gone this weekend (re-enacting the movie "The Hangover" LA-style with his cousins for Roy's bachelor party) and then I picked him up at the airport at1:20 for a 20-minute tease. What do I mean by that? After picking him up, I dropped him off with some Boise friends (through EO) for a trip up north of McCall for their yearly "planning" for the group. Mmmmhmmmm. Lots of planning will get done, I'm sure.

I don't want to complain though, the kids have actually been quite wonderful this weekend and we've had a blast. Ryder has been the sweetest boy and it's been fun watching Payton get into all sorts of mischief. And Ryder has been my snuggle-bug at night. So while I haven't had the best nights sleep, it's fun to have slumber parties with my little man.

I must also give many, many thanks to the Kaerney's for letting us come out on the boat with them yesterday! That was a great break in the day and a good way to wear the kiddos out for the night. Both Ryder & Payton fell asleep on the drive home and were out until the next morning. Ryder & Morgan went tubing and didn't want to get off until we finally forced them off after about 30mins of bouncing and whipping.

Anyway, Jeremy gets back on Tuesday and I can't wait. I miss him terribly. He's such a good daddy & husband and our house just isn't the same without him here.

Oh, and I've stalked/bugged my mom long enough and she's coming into town this week too! We're getting ready for Miss P's 1st birthday party on Saturday. Molly and I are hosting a joint birthday bash for Payton & Delaney (born one day apart!). I'll update you next week on that!

Owweeee!!!!

2009-07-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

Payton got an owwweeee. On Friday she was crawling out the front door, I saw her heading that way ... didn't think any harm. I was chasing Ryder and when I went to grab Payton, she started crying. I looked down and her little hand was on the threshold (the metal part on the bottom of the door), which had been baking in the hot sun. She burned it so bad, I felt awful for her. I had to run her hand under cold water for a good couple of hours and then I held her on the couch until 3am with her hand in a bucket of cold water while she slept.

We took her into the doctor on Saturday and they said she had second degree burns on her hand. She'll be fine though, the biggest concern is if it gets infected. They gave us a prescription for some medicated burn cream that we put on twice a day. We keep her hand padded pretty well with gauze and coban so she can still crawl around.

This poor girl! My hope is that she's going to get it out of her system now ... we'll see.

A Visit from Tucker & Susie

2009-07-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

I love summer. It's a time when friends & family come to visit us in Boise! This weekend we had Jeremy's parents come into town. What fun we had! We went for a LONG bike ride (for us - it was 8 miles! On our cruisers, that's long.) out to Lucky 13 after a quick swim at the Nat with the kiddies. Ryder wanted to show Grandma & Grandpa what a good swimmer he is.

Then Jeremy and I finally got to go out on a date! It has been a while. Susie & Tucker put the kids to bed and Jeremy and I jetted out. I forget what fun what Boise is. We stopped by a local coffee shop, grabbed a few iced drinks and walked around downtown in the Basque block and in BoDo. There were a ton of people out ... the Basque block closed the street down and they had this great band playing and a huge crowd of people doing some fun dancing. No worries, there was no dancing on our part. As I said, we only had coffee that night ... not wine.

While in BoDo ... we noticed that a whole new crop of restaurants & bars had popped up. Who knew? We decided to spend our night going to the movies though. We went and saw "The Hangover." Hilarious, awkward and several "are you kidding me?" moments ... it was most definitely a dude movie.

Many thanks to Susie & Tucker for coming to visit us this past weekend and letting Jeremy and I sneak out for a bit ... it was definitely needed. Plus, we didn't have to pay for a sitter!

I didn't have my camera out much during the weekend, but I did grab a few pics of the kids with Susie & Tucker.

Fourth of July Weekend

2009-07-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

For the Fourth of July we loaded up Jeremy's truck and headed to the Tri-Cities to spend some time with my parents. We spent a lot of time on the boat, went for bike rides, took some much needed naps, and played endless games of baseball with Ryder.

Highlights from the weekend:

The boat. There is nothing better than being on the water and I am so glad that Jeremy feels the same. Thanks mom & dad for taking us out and letting Ryder drive! We had a great time.
Going out for cocktails with my high school friends, Kelli and her husband Jeff and Melissa. It was so good to see them ... we're planning a for them to come visit sometime in September. I would love to show them what my Boise life is all about.
Talking with Ryder about what he wanted to be when he grew up ... the conversation was post time-out from Jeremy so he was a little sad and even more dad-clingy than normal. When we were walking down to my parents boat on the 4th I asked Ryder if he wanted to be a baseball player when he got bigger. He said "no, I want to be a daddy." It was so sweet.
Watching Miss P spend some time with her grandparents. I may be biased, but she certainly is the sweetest little girl around.
Getting to see my brother, Brad, and having him spend time with Payton and Ryder.
Stopping by to see my Grandma Jo and Aunt Debbie & Uncle Eric. My grandma had this beautiful green velvet settee/love seat for years. She gave it to me this weekend, which I absolutely love. It looks so good in our house. And she gave Ryder an old vintage radio that he put in his room ... such cool pieces. Thanks Grandma!

Ryder and Payton enjoying time with Grandma Jan and Grandpa Chris on the boat!

Both Grandpa Chris and Ryder were about to fall asleep while watching the fireworks.

Grandpa Chris feeding Payton limes ... she loved them. She had about three.

Ryder and Grandpa Chris going for a ride in the dinghy.

A Visit from the Headlee's

2009-07-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

We had a visit from our dear friends Tom & Deborah Headlee, along with their two adorable little girls Kiara and McKenna. Per usual, we had a great time barbecuing, playing games (our own version of Jenga) and watching the kids play together.

Here we are: the Headlee-Kearney-Bordner crew. I wonder how much bigger the brood is going to get?

On Saturday while the boys went golfing the mommas decided to take the kiddos to the Natatorium pool down. To wear the kids out we decided to walk - three mommas, six kids, three strollers, one Razor scooter and one bike. It was a circus ... but it gets better. After about a 30 min or so walk in the hot sun to the pool we arrived ... and it was closed. Seriously. Luckily there was a snow cone stand right next to the pool, so we opted for that and some play time at the park instead.

The kids. Aidan (yes, he's naked again), McKenna, Payton, Ryder, Kiara & Morgan.

My favorite pic from the weekend. McKenna looks like a cross between an eighties rocker and a jazzersizer.

And sweet Miss P in her cute Paul Frank swimsuit.

Girls Weekend 2009: Palm Springs

2009-07-06T20:19:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back I went to Palm Springs with my Seattle girlfriends (Cherie, Missy, Ji Young & Dorrinda). We stayed in a rockin' suite at the Riviera - many thanks to Ji Young's friend, Julie!

We had a great time catching-up while lounging by the pool and drinking fruity cocktails. Naturally, after one, two or three of those yummy drinks the conversations got a little more interesting and engaging. It's always fun playing the "would you rather" game and reminiscing about college. I had so much fun and am already looking forward to the 2010 trip!

Oh and lest I forget. Before we got to Palm Springs, I heard nothing but rave reviews about the food in Palm Springs ... well, it was definitely memorable. Ji Young had a questionable hair right on top of her eggs Saturday morning and Cherie had a fairly large piece of cardboard in her salad that night for dinner. After that she exlaimed, "that is not a crouton."

Here are some pics from the trip ...

Missy popping a bottle of champagne after we arrived to our room. This is off the deck from our room.

The pool. Where we spent 90-percent of our time.

The bedroom in our suite.

This was the ladies' dance night.

Out to dinner at the Viceroy. Yum, yum. Minus the cardboard salad.

Already a Busy Summer ...

2009-06-09T20:28:00.001-07:00

It's not even officially summer, but it's already been a busy one. We like it this way though; keeps things interesting. A few highlights thus far, Ryder has been very active in soccer (though it just ended), we have gone out on the boat a couple of times, and we went on a camping trip with the Kearney's.

Also, while not necessarily a "highlight," this past weekend we went to Seattle at the last minute for Jeremy's grandmother's memorial service and to spend time with the Bordner family. Under the circumstances it's not the best reason to make a trip to Seattle, but Jeremy's dad, uncles (Brett & Steve) and aunt (Jannie) did a wonderful job putting together the service to celebrate Mary (Jeremy's grandmother). She was a beautiful, kind and vibrant lady. Her and Roy (Jeremy's grandfather) have created an admirable, loving family. One that I am so fortunate and thankful to be a part of.

So, to keep the post short, you can enjoy some recent pics of our summer thus far ... there will be more highlights to come here soon. I'm off to Palm Springs this weekend with a group of girls. No boys, no kids. Ahhh...

Soccer Camp: Ryder loves soccer! He especially likes being a "blocker," AKA goalie.

Soccer Camp: Ryder and Morgan (in blue, front row) doing their warm-up stretches.

Kearney/Bordner Boat Maiden Voyage of 2009: Family pic. Ready, set, smile.

Kearney/Bordner Boat Maiden Voyage 2009: Tubing fun!

Kearney/Bordner Boat Maiden Voyage of 2009: Yes, I am wearing a wetsuit from 1988. The water was freezing and it's the only one we had.

Kearney/Bordner Camping 2009: Cute.

Kearney/Bordner Camping 2009: Cuter.

Kearney/Bordner Camping 2009: Ryder and his buddy Aidan.

Kearney/Bordner Camping 2009: Ryder and his best buddy Morgan. They had a blast camping ... were ready for bed at 6pm. Nice.

Kearney/Bordner Camping 2009: Daddy and Miss P, chilling on the beach. Doesn't Jeremy look great in is "Daryl Earnhart" sunglasses?

Kearney/Bordner Camping 2009: Do you know how hard it is to get the kids together for a decent pic? Yes, Aidan isn't wearing any clothes. He hardly wore them all weekend.

Seattle Weekend: As you can see, Ryder and Payton were pooped at the reception for Mary after playing at the park with Ji Young (thanks!) during the memorial service. We placed them in the back corner of the reception hall and they slept for a good hour or so while we visited with friends and family of the extended Bordner family.

Seattle weekend/Camano Island: The boys (l to r: Darren, David, Peter, Jeret, Tucker, Jeremy) playing a game of "Rock the Dock." I just now made that up. The gist of it is: each participant gets five rocks and throws them at the dock and whoever hits the dock the most times wins. Jeret won - he hit the dock all five throws.

Seattle weekend/Camano Island: Following the game, Jeremy, Peter and David showed Jeret just how appreciative they are of him with a little wrestle match.

Seattle weekend: Here's Ryder getting in on the wrestling.

Seattle weekend/Camano: Miss P and me enjoying a little mommy-daughter time.

Seattle weekend/Camano: Visiting, getting ready to say our good-byes for the weekend.

Seattle weekend/Camano: Miss P and Aunt Katka.

Mowing the Lawn

2009-05-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

Recently Jeremy was out of town, in New Orleans, with some friends from Boise. While gone my mom came into town. We decided to do some yard work, plant some plants, mow the lawn, edge, get the garden started. You would think mowing the lawn would be the easiest task ... well, not for two adults. But for a four year old, no problem.

My mom and I could not figure out how to get the lawn mower started. We put gas in it, we pulled the cord, checked to make sure it had oil, but we just couldn't figure it out. After about ten minutes Ryder notices and comes running across the yard telling us "You have to prime it. Push the red button three times." It started right up!

Tubes Again ... but for Payton

2009-05-05T20:56:00.001-07:00

On Friday, we went to the ear, nose and throat doctor for Ryder's follow-up appointment for when he had his tonsils and adenoids evicted and tubes inserted. While there, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity and have the doc check out Payton's ears, as she's had a plethora of ear infections this winter/spring, on top of all her respiratory issues.

This doctor is really hard to get into -- she's a top-notch doctor here in Boise -- her name is Dr Beck if anyone is looking to have any work done in the ENT region. Anyway, as I said, Payton's ears have really been bothering her lately and when the doc peeked in there, she could understand why. Both ear drums were bulging, on the verge of rupturing, hence the irritation in her ears. Poor girl, she has been through so much!

They scheduled an appointment for this morning to have tubes put in her ears. We went in, she fell asleep in my arms, the doctor carried her back still asleep (it was so precious), they gave her some anesthetics via an oxygen mask, inserted the tubes, she woke up (not the happiest camper, a little disoriented from the anesthesia wearing off), but then about an hour or so later it was like nothing happened.

So, here's to a healthier, happier and more comfortable little girl!

Six Years of Marriage!

2009-04-26T19:36:00.001-07:00

Today Jeremy and I celebrated six years of marriage! This is what it consisted of: 6:30am wake-up call by the kiddos, cleaning the toilets, mopping the floor, mowing the lawn, visit to the Urgent Care to have Payton checked-out (another ear infection), park with Ryder, Jeremy playing tennis with Jesse ... and now doing everything we can to get Payton to fall asleep so Jeremy and I can relax and watch a terrible Jim Carrey movie.

I couldn't be happier!

Easter Weekend

2009-04-16T19:12:00.001-07:00

Realize, we're a week behind ... but last weekend we had a fantastic Easter. It was beautiful here in Boise, so naturally a lot of our activities centered around being outdoors. We performed the usual Easter rituals ... church and Easter egg hunt. We also went on a long bike ride, played at the park and enjoyed dinner at the Kearney's (thanks!)

When we came home from our bike ride our neighbors put together an Easter egg basket in our yard with large stuffed animals for Ryder and Payton. It was a fun surprise to come home to. Pics below.

Earth vs Space

2009-04-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

This morning Ryder told me he didn't like Earth any longer and wanted to go up to space. When I asked him why, he said because he wants to shoot aliens. He said he can't go by himself, so either mom or dad need to go with him. To make the trip, according to Ryder, we need to borrow his friend Jamison's (from school) spaceship.

Ryder's Tonsils, Adenoids & Tubes

2009-03-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday Ryder had his tonsils and adenoids removed and tubes put in his ears. It had been a week since we were at the hospital and we kind of missed the place. We have had our fair share of hospital visits this year; enough to last a lifetime, and it's only March.

Ryder was a very brave boy in the ENT (ear, nose & throat) surgery center, and the nurses commented that he was the best kid they had seen in a very long time. He's still healing, but doing much better. He went back to school today and was so happy to be around his friends.

As you know, we've been through a lot this winter and we wanted to pause and say thanks to everyone who called/emailed and offered up their thoughts/prayers and support.

Specifically:

The Kearneys: Making Ryder one of their own for a few days while we were in the ER/Pediatric ICU with Payton.

The Skenes: One of the ER nurses noted that, "I have never had any patients have Mai Thai delivered to the intensive care before." To which we replied, "thats how our friends roll."

The Hamiltons: Great dinner, lots of calls and visits to the hospital, as well as a few rides to/from the airport.

The Richins: For having your baby so we could hijack your nanny for a few weeks so Miss Payton could get healthy enough to go back to the daycare germ pit. And for bringing us the yummy dinner, two days after bringing little baby Eli into this world.

Tucker and Susie Bordner: For making a last minute trip down over the weekend to help us get our house/life back in order after spending the week at the hospital with Payton. Also, installing new chandeliers and a new toilet seat which otherwise never would have happened.

Jan/Mom: Thanks again for making multiple trips to Boise to help us out (digging into your vacation time), doting on the kids, cleaning our house, and just helping us keep our sanity.

Ji Young: For sending Ryder Madagascar 2 and Bolt. We needed some new movies. We watched Space Buddies at least 15 times this week while he was home.

The Seattle Girls (Missy, Cherie, Ji Young & Dorrinda): For sending Miss Payton a new teddy & balloons while she was in the hospital.

Work: For not firing me.

Work friends: For the bag of goodies and for getting me hooked on Twilight during Payton's first hospital stint.

Here are some recent pics of the two kiddos, healthy. We hope it stays that way.

Let's Get Ready to Rumble

2009-03-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Jeremy liked to box? Well, he does. A few weeks back, he participated in an amateur boxing match that consisted of three, one minute round fights.

He did a great job, winning the match by a unanimous decision. We're quite proud of him here at the Bordner House of Ali. (This is really weird for me, writing about my husband boxing.) Anyway, he broke the guy's nose in the second round, which has led the poor fella to spending some time with the doctor. Jeremy has a bruised rib, or two, but otherwise he came out of the fight without a scratch.

I've included some pictures below, as well as a video of the fight. Enjoy!

Oh no. Facebook.

2009-03-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

I tried to avoid it. I just signed up ...

Ryder & Marriage

2009-03-20T09:16:00.001-07:00

Last night Ryder told Jeremy and me that he was going to marry Payton. I asked him when, and he said when mommy & daddy go to heaven.

Wow.

We're home again!

2009-03-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

Miss Payton was discharged today from the hospital. We are so thankful to our dear friends here in Boise for helping us out. It's hard to be away from family during times like these, but we are fortunate to have a good group of friends that we consider our "Boise family." Thanks for the yummy food, snacks, reading material and toys for Payton ... but most of all thanks for all your support and making Ryder feel loved while we concentrate on our sick girl. It means so much to us. XOXO.

Back in the Hospital

2009-03-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

We're back in the hospital with Payton. We went into the ER yesterday afternoon and got admitted into the Pediatric ICU here at St. Luke's after she tested positive for RSV. Her poor lungs didn't have a chance to fully heal since our last visit and she caught another cold that advanced into RSV. We hope to only be in the PICU until tomorrow and then get transferred to the Pediatric's ward, or better yet, home. We'll keep you posted on how things progress with her.

Caribbean Cruisin ...

2009-03-08T20:27:00.000-07:00

After a couple of weeks off from work and money out the door for Payton's hospital expenses, it only makes sense to go on a cruise through the Caribbean. Recession? What recession?

Actually, we had this cruise planned for nearly a year with Jeremy's family. Don't worry, we consulted with the doctors to make sure Payton was healthy enough for us to jet-set across the US and then cruise out into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. They felt she would be fine. And she was; she only barfed on me twice and got an ear infection the last couple of days. Piece of cake.

We had a wonderful time and enjoyed spending time with family. Rather than words (since my last post was so long), I'll tell this story through pictures. Enjoy!

We made it! We took a red eye to Miami to meet up with the rest of the Bordner clan who arrived the night prior.

Payton Frances and Julie Frances on the deck off our rooms (we had five rooms next to each other with an open deck looking out onto the ocean).

Payton and me, enjoying the sun.

Ryder got lots of love from Grandpa Tucker & Grandma Susie.

Every night when we would pick Ryder up from "Kids Club" he would come back with his face fully painted. Most kids had smiley faces and balloons painted on their cheeks. Not Ryder. He wanted to be an alien.

Our sleepy little alien.

The guys enjoyed a couple of Coronas and some cigars on the deck off our rooms, while the ladies enjoyed being pampered in the Spa.

Spa time. (Thanks Susie!)

The cruise had "party pics" - remember those from college? As you can tell, Jeremy loved the party pics.

A little bubbly, anyone?

All the "kids" went on a catamaran cruise to a private "pink" (and nude, mind you) beach.

Here we are in, you guessed it, St. Maarten.

While in St. Maarten, Katka, Julie and I decided to get matching shirts. They were too cute.

Family pic in Puerto Rico. We spent the afternoon exploring Puerto Rico.

Labadee, Haiti.

While in Haiti, Jeremy, David, Peter, Katka and I went on the world's longest zip line across an open body of water. It was terrifying, but exhilarating.

Jeremy and Ryder playing in the ocean in Haiti.

Hospital Visits

2009-03-06T20:38:00.000-08:00

Most of you probably know by now that our sweet little Payton was in the hospital for a bit. It was a scary couple of weeks, but she's doing much better now. Thanks to all our friends, family and co-workers for thinking of us and sending Payton get-well wishes, bringing us dinners and lunches, and for just being there for us and helping out with Ryder. I wanted to especially thank my mom for all her help during this ordeal. She took time off from work to be with us. She sat with us at the hospital, she did our laundry, cleaned our house, played/fed/helped out with Ryder ... the list goes on and on. I don't think we could have sanely gotten through all of this without her!

Now about what happened ... as you may have seen from one of our previous posts, we took Payton into the doctor's office mid-January as she had a fever, raspy chest and a mild rash on her body. They checked her out and determined that she had bronchiolitis and sent us home with a nebulizer and some albuterol to give to her a couple times a day to help clear up the secretions in her chest. We followed instructions and felt we were on the mend.

The following Tuesday after Ryder's birthday party, we didn't feel like she was getting better. She got another fever, her cough was terrible and she was working really hard to breath. So we called the on-call nurse and they recommended we take her into the hospital. We took her to the ER that Tuesday morning and they admitted us for the night to monitor her breathing as her oxygen levels were hovering around 86 percent. They should be in the high 90's.

Payton and I stayed the night in the hospital and they discharged us the following day (on Ryder's actual birthday) after sucking some the secretions out of her lungs, giving her several rounds of various nebulizer treatments and watching her oxygen levels. We decided to keep her home from daycare the rest of the week to make sure she was getting healthy.

She was still coughing and sounded rattly in her chest the following Monday, but we felt that she was improving so we took her back into school. When we got home from work that night and picked the kids up from school, we noticed that Payton was very sleepy, had another fever and she really was working hard again to breath. We went back to the ER that night ... and were admitted to the hospital's pediatric ward at midnight. Poor Payton was poked, prodded and just generally irritated for the four days we were in the hospital. They did several x-rays of her chest, took her blood, gave her nebulizer treatments again and again. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. Imagine that feeling not knowing what is wrong with your baby. Why was she so sick? Why was she working so hard to breath? It was terrifying.

After spending the four days in the hospital they sent us to another local hospital because they specialized in pediatrics. We spent two nights there. While in the Pediatric ICU at the second hospital, they took Payton down to the operating room where the ENT and GI doctors inserted a bronchoscope to take a look in her lungs and GI tract (stomach, small & large intestines, etc).

The prognosis?

Payton has been aspirating into her lungs - either from her reflux or from nursing (apparently I am/was like a fire hose). They also found when performing the bronchoscope that she has a cleft larynx, which could have been an attributing factor to her aspirating. She also has an irregular suck/swallow. So by combining all of this together, the food/milk in her lungs was like a magnet to the series of respiratory colds she had, which was making it hard for her to breath and keep her oxygen levels up.

It was a frightening couple of weeks, but she's doing much better. Here are some pictures from our time in the hospital.

Still a happy girl with tubes going in and out of her.

Her bed, which she didn't end up sleeping in. I pretty much held her all night, every night.

After the bronchoscope.

Payton was not a fan of the canula in her nose.

Nothing like family time in the Pediatric ICU.

So happy. She's going home.

Getting ready to leave the PICU. I look so tired.

Ryder's 4th Birthday

2009-03-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

It's been more than a month now since we celebrated Ryder's 4th birthday, I realize that, but like I said, we've been a little busy. You'll learn why in the subsequent posts.

Now onto Ryder's birthday ...

For Ryder's 4th birthday celebration we had a whole gaggle of 3 & 4 year olds over to our house for a little party time (bbq'd up some burgers and hot dogs). What constitutes a gaggle? Well, I think we ended up with 12 kids and their parents at our house. A lot of work, which is why we are so thankful that Grandpa Chris and Grandma Jan were able to make the trek over to Boise to help out! We definitely needed it.

Before the party made it over to our house, we called the local fire station and the kind firemen hosted the rowdy bunch for an hour or so. The firemen showed the kids around the fire station and talked with them about fire safety. You know, the whole "stop, drop and roll" shtick. Ryder and Jeremy even got to go for a ride in the big red engine.

Here are some pics from the celebration at our house.

Ryder and the ladies. He has lots of girl-friends. Oy. What are we in for?

Who's ready for some cupcakes?

Payton even got to invite some of her friends (Isla & Delaney) over to celebrate. Such sweet little girls.

The Twilight Series

2009-02-25T20:06:00.001-08:00

After months of making fun of my co-workers for reading the wildly popular - among teenage girls, mind you - Twilight book series, I have (reluctantly at first) found myself a huge fan. I've only recently finished the first book and am swiftly reading the second. Actually let me clarify what I mean by "swiftly" real quick. The only spare time I can find to read is just before bed, and without fail every night I fall asleep after three pages. So, it's taking me awhile. For those of you that have already finished the series or are ahead of me ... please don't spoil it.

Anyway, I would love to hear what others have to say about the books. Please, chime-in with your comments, but be careful not to spoil it for me.

Been A While

2009-02-25T20:03:00.001-08:00

We apologize that it's been so long since our last post, but we have had quite a crazy and busy month. Please tune back in this weekend for an update on Ryder's 4th birtday party, Payton's not one, but two hospital stays and of course, our beautiful cruise through the Caribbean.

Until then ...

Our sick little girl

2009-01-21T18:46:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little girl has had a pretty deep cough for about the past week and there were a few days with a high fever. The cough wasn't letting her get much sleep and it seemed to be hurting her, so we decided to take her into the doc.

It turns out she has bronchiolitis, which is an infection in the airways. I really hope this doesn't develop into asthma for her later in life. (No worries, she's no longer contagious. Just wanted to get that out there for those that are coming over this weekend for Ryder's birthday party.)

Since it's a virus there aren't any antibiotics to help with the cough (and we all know the recent findings about cough medicine for our little ones), but they did put her on a nebulizer that we have to adminster 2-3 times a day. It's to help open up her airways and unclog the mucus in her lungs.

Here are some pics of her with the nebulizer. Poor girl.

Funny pics & video

2009-01-05T15:14:00.001-08:00

I told you about our trip to Seattle, well David sent us some additional photos and video from the trip that I wanted to share.

The Tucker Bordner family. The funny thing is, even though Payton is upside down - she still looks like she's having a good time!

(Left to Right - Tucker, Susie, Jeremy, Payton, Ryder, Kirstin, Jeret, Julie, Peter, Katka & David)

Oh, and this video is pretty entertaining of the boys down on the field before the Seahawks game while the players were warming up. Watch out Jeremy!

Milk + Water = Baby?

2008-12-31T17:22:00.001-08:00

Ryder asked me tonight to drink a lot of milk and water so I could make another baby. I asked him if that's how he thought babies were made and he said, "yes, is that correct?". I realized I had taken the conversation down a path I wasn't quite ready to go yet and changed the subject.

He then said he wants Sister to turn into a Brother.

Christmas Wonderland at the Cabin

2008-12-30T13:00:00.000-08:00

It has definitely been a white Christmas this year. We went to my parents' cabin in Oregon where we had our fair share of snow. While we were there, we got at least two feet of snow -- on top of the already four or five feet.

Christmas morning started off bright and early - around 6:30 am. Ryder was so excited to see what Santa had brought him. Naturally, the one present Ryder was most excited about was his $6 spinning Spiderman toothbrush. According to him,"That was exactly what I wanted. Santa knew!"

Payton had a great Christmas as well. Santa hit up the Hanna Anderson outlet store in Woodinville, WA (thanks to Susie & Tucker for taking me on my one and only outing during our Seattle visit) and scored some adorable outfits for our sweet girl. She was quite content sitting in Daddy's lap grabbing and biting anything and everything she could get her hands on.

When we tried leaving on Saturday morning, we got down to a small town called Elgin and didn't make it any further. As we were driving, the wind gusts were picking up quite fast and created a complete white out. Since we had zero visibility, we drove right into a snow bank that had drifted its way onto the two-lane highway. The car was nearly completely covered in snow, except for the driver's side. With the help of a small pick-up truck, we were able to break my rear bumper and pull out the emergency brake line. (It's in the shop today.) Since that didn't work, a fellow Elgin resident was kind enough to hop on his tractor and pull our car out of the snow bank. As we turned around to drive back up to my parents' cabin to wait it out, we saw that three more cars behind us had also ran into the snow bank. It was pretty intense. I felt claustrophobic with the snow all around the car.

While Ryder, Payton and I stayed warm and dry inside the car, poor Jeremy was out in the blowing snow trying to get us out.

We did have a great time at the cabin though and here are some pics from our very white Christmas.

Payton and Grandma Jan, getting ready for Santa Claus.

For some reason, it was quite easy for Ryder to go to bed on Christmas Eve ... he knew Santa was coming and he would wake up to a room full of presents!

Jeremy enjoying a nice cup of hot cocoa on Christmas morning. Payton, looking adorable, of course. You look adorable too, Jeremy.

Miss Payton was so excited about her new books from our neighbors, Scott & Maggie.

Payton & Grandpa Chris, relaxing after an exhausting morning of opening presents.

A Christmas bath.

Come on Grandpa, let's go for a snowmobile ride.

Ryder watching Grandpa on the tractor snow blower.

Ryder even got to help Grandpa blow snow.

Jeremy and Ryder digging our cars out of the snow! So much snow. Unbelievable.

Snowed-in In Seattle

2008-12-30T07:24:00.000-08:00

We traveled to Seattle the weekend of December 19 to visit friends and the Bordner family since we were spending Christmas with my family this year at their cabin. Wow, what a weekend we picked -- we were literally snowed-in all weekend.

Because of the snow I wasn't able to see my friends, as I was nervous I would get stuck in downtown Seattle and wouldn't be able to get back to feed Payton. Good decision; the snow kept coming and the cabs didn't.

So, while Jeremy spent Saturday and most of Sunday in downtown Seattle with some buddies(he visited the new Seahawks training facility and went to the game – thanks Tom!), Ryder, Payton and I spent some quality time with the family, and we had a great time. I enjoyed catching up with Katka and Julie, and had a nice talk with Tucker about my job and the challenges of being a working mom.

Jeremy's brothers, David and Peter, and brother-in-law, Jeret, joined Jeremy for the Seahawks game. David got some pics and video from the game; pretty amazing how close they were to the players. It was a great game for the boys to attend - Holmgren's last home game as a Seahawks coach, a chance to see the great Brett Favre play, the Seahawks won! (after a pretty dismal season) and it was snowing nearly the entire game. Thanks to our good friend, Coach Tom Headlee, for hooking the boys up to go to the game!

Ryder also got to see his girlfriend, Kaitlyn (actually Peter's girlfriend), while in Seattle. Ryder was talking with Jeremy about seeing Kaitlyn. Here's a quick snapshot of that conversation:

Ryder: Is Kaitlyn going to be there?

Jeremy: Yes, she'll be there.

Ryder: I love Kaitlyn.

Jeremy: Yes, I love Kaitlyn, too.

Ryder: Is she going to be wearing a dress?

Jeremy: I don't know, we'll have to see.

Ryder: I think she will. I think she'll also have some pretty stuff in her hair.

Here are some pics from our visit.

Ryder's Christmas Dance Recital

2008-12-23T11:44:00.001-08:00

Ryder had his Christmas dance recital the other day at school. Yes, he's in dance. Don't laugh. He's going to be a well-rounded boy.

Anyway, he's got some moves. Hope you enjoy the video. It's quite entertaining to watch.

Payton and Her Toes

2008-12-22T17:16:00.000-08:00

Payton loves to suck on her toes. I forget how flexible little babies are - maybe she'll be a ballerina? Or a gymnast?

Happy Birthday Jeremy

2008-12-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

Jeremy turned 32 yesterday (December 2). Happy Birthday, big boy. We had a little family celebration last night after work and school, enjoying some steak, asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes. We topped the night off with a scavenger hunt around the house for Jeremy to find his present. Jeremy also decided to take full advantage of his birthday and rent a scary movie. Normally I put the kibosh on those movies. Needless to say, it wasn't the best night sleep for me (and it wasn't because I had to get up with Payton).

We also celebrated Jeremy's birthday this past weekend with some friends. I arranged for a stretch limo to pick us and some friends up before dinner. It felt like prom all over again.

Here are some pics from our limo ride, dinner and the night out.

Thanksgiving Tradition

2008-12-03T18:53:00.000-08:00

For the past three years we have given thanks with our good friends the Hamildummies (AKA Hamiltons). We have enjoyed the tradition and look forward to continuing it. Also, I must give a shout out to Molly's mom, Karen, she makes quite a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie ... I could go on and on.

Here are a couple of pictures from the evening. Thanks Molly for having us over!

It was also a big day for Miss Payton this Thanksgiving - she rolled over from back to tummy for the first time (actually four times!). I was able to catch a video of the big moment.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T09:22:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of Thanksgiving I would like to share the top 10 things I am thankful for:

1. Jeremy. He's such a good husband and father. If I didn't have him, many items on this list would not be possible!
2. Family. I love the little family that Jeremy and I have created. Ryder and Payton are such good kids. Being a Mom is the best - and most fun - thing I have ever done. Also our extended families. I so appreciate it when they come to visit us in Boise. We're looking forward to celebrating Christmas with both the extended Bordner & Jensen families this year.
3. Friends. We have such good friends here in Boise (and back in Washington!). Several of us are getting together this Saturday to celebrate Jeremy’s birthday. We’re having an adult night on the town. I can’t wait. Also, my dear friend Ji Young is coming into town for the festivities. I'm so looking forward to seeing her.
4. Our home. It's a perfect home for us to grow into and make it our own.
5. Barack Obama. No need to say more. (PS, don't tell Jeremy, but I have a bit of a crush.)
6. My job. I really like my job and I am so thankful that I am employed when so many people are losing their jobs in this economy.
7. Breastfeeding. You may laugh, but it helps shed the pounds. Now I just need to tighten up, especially if I have to get into a bikini this February (we’re going on a cruise).
8. Breastfeeding again. Why twice? Well, it helps in that region.
9. Sleep. Payton has been sleeping through the night.
10. The blog. It's been a fun outlet for us to share with our family and friends the adventures of the Boise Bordner family.

Thanks Grandma Jan

2008-11-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

I love it when moms and mother-in-laws come into town. The laundry gets done, the diapers get changed, the dishes are cleaned, countless books are read (to Ryder), stories are told, wine is drank ... I could go on and on.

I'm so thankful that my mom came into town this weekend while Jeremy was enjoying some 'family-free' time in Texas. We had a great time and are excited to see you again at Christmas!

Way to Go Cougs

2008-11-25T18:47:00.000-08:00

The Cougs and the Huskies battled it out this weekend during the annual Apple Cup. No matter how bad or good the teams are, it's always a close game. This year they were giving it their all for 9th & 10th place. The Cougs took the game in double overtime! Go Cougs.

To watch the game - well, I actually didn't start watching until overtime (it's a little hard with two kids) - the kids, my mom and I went to our friends Jesse & Molly's new house (gorgeous!) to watch the game. Jeremy was in Texas visiting some friends from high school & college.

Ryder and Payton showing their Cougar pride!

This picture was just too funny not share.

After numerous attempts, we decided that it's impossible to get these three kiddos to sit still and smile for a picture.

Four-wheeling

2008-11-16T18:02:00.000-08:00

So, after I take Ryder to see Mickey (see previous post), Jeremy takes him four-wheeling. One step forward, two steps back.

The boys had a great time. Here are some pics and video clips from their ride.

Mommy & Ryder Date Night

2008-11-16T17:19:00.000-08:00

We all know how much dogs, kids and just about everyone loves Jeremy. He's irresistible. I get it, I married him. But the thing is even our own kids are catching on to just how cool he is and prefering him over me. Ok, so it's just Ryder, but I know he will unintentionally woo Payton his way once she gets a bit older.

Ryder now wants Daddy to do the stuff I always used to do ... read him books, snuggle with him in bed, take him to school (an hour before I am leaving for work and I still have to go and drop off Payton -- at the same place) and even wipe his bottom! There have been some instances that are just too heartbreaking that I can't bear to type them out for you. If you want to know, call me and I'll tell you. Seeing it written out is just too much for me.

Yes, I'm feeling sorry for myself.

So what do I do? I take Ryder on a date to spend a little one-on-one time together and show him that I'm just as hip and cool as Daddy is. We went to Disney on Ice. He loved it. He is saving his money to go to Mickey Mouse's house (AKA Disneyland) so seeing Mickey (and all the Disney characters) was perfect for him. In fact, he actually thought the arena was Mickey's house.

So you may ask, how is our relationship now? Well, seeing Mickey didn't mend it, but we're making progress. If he knows how to break my heart now, what's it going to be like when he's a teenager?

Fall Bike Ride

2008-11-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

The weather has been beautiful this fall. Last weekend we packed up the bikes and went for a ride along the greenbelt. Payton even got to join us for her first bike ride. It lulled her right to sleep.

I love my bike. Paris Hilton and I have the same one. I had mine first.

Ryder and Mommy taking a break.

Payton in the trailer ...

... and fast asleep.

Payton & Delaney

2008-11-02T18:09:00.000-08:00

I wonder how many pictures we are going to get of the girls (Payton & Delaney) growing up together? It's going to be so much fun ... It already is.

Back to Work

2008-11-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

My maternity leave came to an end this week, with me returning to work on Tuesday. It's nice to be back among adults, but I sure do miss my days with Payton.

Family Time

2008-10-22T13:58:00.000-07:00

We've enjoyed the Fall spending quality time together as a family. Payton sure is a hit around the house, getting lots of love from the boys.

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

We carved our pumpkins the other day. Ryder didn't like touching the pumpkin's "brains and guts."

Pumpkin Train Ride

2008-10-11T13:10:00.001-07:00

Ryder, Payton and I met Molly, Delaney and Meredith to go on a train ride up to a pumpkin patch to pick out some pumpkins for Halloween. Coincidentally Payton & Delaney were wearing the exact same outfit. We were asked several times if the girls were twins. When we said no, we then were asked if we were sisters.

We had a great time. Definitely worth making it a tradition for the kids.

Barfy Barf, Round Two

2008-10-11T12:44:00.000-07:00

Back to Payton's barfing on boys. Last night, she thought Daddy would like some barf with his beer. Not kidding, she barfed right into the bottle. Yummy.

Funny Ryder Sayings

2008-10-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some funny Ryder sayings over the past couple of days:

"When you grow into a boy Mommy, you can go potty outside like Daddy and I do."

Mommy: "What do you think I should be for Halloween, Ryder?"

Ryder: "I don't know, how about a princess? Cinderella."

"Mommy, how about you go to the gym and Daddy and I play? How about that?"

He's quite the character. Wonder where he gets it?

SOOOO BIG

2008-10-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Payton had her two month check-up yesterday and she came in weighing 12 lbs, which puts her in the 75th percentile. We're very proud of her, she's doing a great job growing. Here's a short video clip and a picture. Gotta love those cheeks!

She has pillows for cheeks.

It's the Freakin' Weekend

2008-09-28T11:42:00.001-07:00

It was beautiful weather in Boise this weekend so we packed a picnic and headed up to Bogus Basin to go for a hike. Along the way ...

Nature called.

Ryder did such a good job climbing up the big mountain. Here he is, taking a break on a big rock he spotted.

We found a nice place to enjoy our lunch.

"Hey Dad, where's the snow? I'm ready to take a ride up the mountain."

But the most entertaining moment of the weekend came from Ryder on Friday when I picked him up from school. Innocently he said, "Hey Mom, it's the freakin' weekend." That phrase stayed with him all weekend. Here's a short clip of him repeating it on our hike.

Barfy Barf

2008-09-24T11:29:00.001-07:00

Babies barf, we all know that. Well, Miss Payton especially likes to barf on boys. No matter what, she always shows Dad just how much she loves him by sharing some of her food in her belly with him.

Then just yesterday, I had Payton in the Baby Bjorn (facing out) and I was bending down to talk with Ryder and splat she let a good one fall right onto his forehead. Ryder didn't take it as well as Jeremy does. I think he was embarrassed and didn't know what to do, so he started crying.

Sadly for Ryder, it was pretty funny for us.

Congrats Heather & Ryan!

2008-09-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

Our good friends, Ryan and Heather Skene have been thrown into the world of parenting a wee bit earlier than expected. Miss Isla Ryan Skene was born on Friday, September 19 (her original due date was October 5) weighing just 6 pounds, 11 ounces. She is a tiny one, but she sure is cute. Congrats you two!

We look forward to our little girls growing up together and getting into all kinds of mischief, I'm sure.

Payton Roadshow 2008

2008-09-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

We just returned yesterday from a three-week road trip through Washington to see our friends and family and introduce them to Payton Frances. Some of you may balk at the idea of spending hour upon hour in a truck with a three and a half year old (minus a DVD player) and a newborn, but you see, this is how our family does things ... we like to have a little bit of adventure.

Our first stop was in Tri-Cities where we spent some time with Grandma Jan & Grandpa Chris and visited my dear friend, Kelli, and her two kiddos. Below is a pic of Ryder with her daughter Estella. (She also has a 1 and a half year old boy, Brooks, and they are coming to visit us this weekend in Boise!)

After spending some time in Tri-Cities, we traveled up to Seattle where the adventure continued. We enjoyed visiting with friends and family. Here's a picture of Ryder and Payton with their Great Grandpa Marr (he's 101 and a half!).

We then headed up north for a week to Jeremy's family cabin on Camano Island where we got to build moats on the beach, make s'mores around the campfire, take long walks and enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of the Pacific Northwest.

We were able to get some great pics from our time at the cabin (mostly of Ryder & Payton) ... until my battery died (yes, out of all the stuff we packed I seemed to forget the battery charger).

View from the cabin.

Uncle Peter better watch out, Ryder sure is smitten with Kaitlyn.

Ryder loved the outside shower. Here he is giving us his best model pose.

Nap time for Daddy and Payton.

The moat before the tide came in ...

... and after.

While we enjoyed seeing everyone, it sure is good to be home.

Payton's Packin' on the Pounds

2008-08-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

Payton had her two week appointment yesterday and she came in at a whopping 9lbs 2ozs. She's almost gained a whole pound since she was born. As you can tell by the picture, I think the whole pound went straight to her cheeks. Oh, and the doc says I make great cream. I guess this breastfeeding thing suits me.

Then after our doc appointment we picked Ryder up from school early and went to the zoo with our good friends Molly, Meredith (one of Ryder's girlfriends) and Payton's new friend, Delaney (they were born a day apart).

I'm enjoying the time off from work, getting to spend quality time with both kiddos.

A Family of Four

2008-08-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

Hello friends & family. We hope you enjoy our blog ...

So far, we're enjoying life as a family of four. While we're still working out the kinks, we haven't hit too many bumps along the way.

Ryder is a great big brother, constantly showering his baby sister with kisses.

Now at two weeks old, Payton still sleeps quite a bit. She has her two week appointment tomorrow morning so we'll see how much she has grown since her birthday on August 5, 2008.

Some pics of 2008 to date

2008-08-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

Miss Payton Frances Bordner was born on August 5 at 11:05 AM. She weighed 8 lbs 5 oz and was 21 inches long.

We went to the Lyle Lovett concert with some friends (l to r) Ryan & Heather Skene, Sarah & Ryan Kearney, us, Molly & Jesse Hamilton. Three of the four ladies were pregnant and Molly and I ended up having our babies one day apart.

Payton is an international traveler before she's even born. Here we are on the streets of Hong Kong. I got the chance to travel to China, Hong Kong & Taiwan for work in early June. It was a lot of work and a long flight, but a great experience.

Ryder & his best buddy Morgan hanging out at a BBQ at the Kearney's.

Ryder helping Daddy in the yard. He's such a good helper.

Jeremy went on a cat ski trip with some buddies up at Brundage Mountain. They skied 15,000 vertical feet in one day!

We always have a great time when the Headlee's come to visit. Here's Ryder & Kiara (their oldest) at the zoo.

Jeremy went back country skiing in the Sawtooth Mountains with some friends from his EO group.