David and Nelita

Bottle

2012-02-08T13:29:00.001-08:00

I love this picture of Aunty Alu feeding Oliver.

Oliver and the Fam

2012-02-06T23:28:00.000-08:00

It was fun having the family visit. It was even more fun watching Oliver "dazzle" them!

Oliver with Thatha

Oliver with Aunty Alu

Oliver and Thatha and TOYS!

Oliver and Paati

Oliver and Aunty Ranjini

Aunty Nilmini changing her first diaper!

Oliver in his Sabbath best!

Oliver and Aunty Alu

Oliver and Aunty Ranjini

The Festivities (Part Quatre)

2012-02-06T23:19:00.000-08:00

NnRA* took me out to breakfast on Sunday, January 29. They took it up a notch by making matching T-shirts...

Alu looks like she is raising her hand in class...

Oliver with NnRA

Dirty 30--wooohoooo!!!

Because we're cheesy like that!

We had loads of fun at breakfast.

*NnRA began as NRA (Nelita, Ranjini, and Alu), little "n" (Nilmini) was soon incorporated into the group after a series of "hazing" type activities. She is now a permanent member of the group and serves as our Safety Patrol Officer.

The Festivities (Part Trois)

2012-02-06T23:06:00.000-08:00

As if the surprise guests were not enough, David had to top himself and throw me a surprise Bday party! Complete with Disney characters (kind of), good friends, good food, and good fun:

David made me go to Robb and Jess' house and wear the outfit hanging in the kitchen. I thought I was Alice in Wonderland. After I saw him put his lion outfit on, I thought I was Dorothy from Wizard of Oz. Well, who knew there was so many blue-dressed protagonists. It turns out I was Belle from Beauty and the Beast, here I am shortly after being surprised with the Beast and Chip! My boys are so stinkin' cute!

I think Judelle was Maid Marian, Ryan is a Backstreet Boy apparently, and (my favorite costume) Appa is Jafar!

Amma as Peter Pan, Arlene as Jiminy Cricket (or Johnny Deep or Danny Devito whatevs), Lydia as Wendy (also from Peter Pan)

Nilmin as the Big Bad Wolf! (or Michael Jackson), Judelle and Ryan

Jess as Cruella DeVille and Robb as Captain Hook's sidekick, Smee! (ok, that's my best guess)

Ezekiel as Captain Hook and Mica as Cinderella (LOVE IT!)

Jiminy, Wolffy, Belle, and Ranj as Pocahontas

Cruella, Cheris as Woody, Belle, and Machelle as Tinkerbell

Jerry as Bert (from Mary Poppins), Tinkerbell, Cinderella, and Aidan as another salty pirate!

The Festivities (Part Deux)

2012-02-06T22:47:00.000-08:00

You really haven't really visited Walla Walla until you've visited the 'Walla WALL.'

(I just dubbed it that... clever eh)

Our timing was way off

Ranjini was the only one who really wanted her face to be in this picture.

Pure, Unadulterated GLEE!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

This just can't be a good idea. Anything that requires this kind of proper body mechanics from Ranjini just can't be a good idea.

It wasn't a good idea...

But it was funny...

really funny...

"laughed SO hard we cried" funny!

Awww, my girls. I miss them.

The Festivities (Part Un)

2012-02-06T22:34:00.000-08:00

The weekend was filled with all kinds of wonderful. We had a great lunch at Olive on Saturday:

Judelle

The parentals with David and me

Tammy, Judelle, and Lydia

All the girls.

30!! (get it??!!)

Amma's '30' was crazy looking!

We ended lunch with Kale smoothies at The Garden.

SURPRISE!!!!

2012-02-06T22:22:00.000-08:00

Golden Birthday:

Main Entry:	golden birthday
Part of Speech:	n
Definition:	a person's birthday when they turn the age oftheir birth date
Example:	It was my golden birthday when I turned 25 onthe 25th or when I turned 54, since I was bornin 1954. David has NEVER been able to surprise me with anything. So this year, for my Golden B (The BIG 30 on January 30th) he outdid himself with surprise after surprise! Starting with: Friday (January 27th), here I am getting ready for work. NOOO idea that Alu and Nilu were going to walk in and surprise me! Saturday (January 28th), here I am stuffing my face with breakfast. NOOO idea that Ranj was going to walk in and surprise me! Best. Surprise. Ever.

Before and After

2012-02-04T22:59:00.000-08:00

BEFORE AFTER

There was SO much work behind this transformation. HUGE 'Thank You' to the Correy and Cheris. They made this project happen. Robb, Jess, and Robert Sr. helped out as well! Here's a few more pictures from the two days of work:

Laundry Baby

2012-01-23T22:13:00.000-08:00

We worked on a HUGE project at Cheris and Corren's house this weekend (more to come on that later). We did not think about where Oliver was going to nap...thankfully Cheris is innovative. We may not need to buy Oliver a pack 'n play!

Baby Love

2012-01-23T22:11:00.000-08:00

Kuyler and David in the Mother's room with their offspring. We approve of Oliver dating Charlotte in the future...

Precious

2012-01-17T15:44:00.000-08:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Wyatt!

2012-01-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

(Wyatt at 3 months)

It's hard to believe Wyatt is 2 years old today!

He is a charming, playful, energetic, handsome little man.

We love you Wyatt!

Happy Birthday

Love,

Uncle Dave, Aunty Nel, and Cousin Oliver

Buds

2012-01-15T15:48:00.000-08:00

Ezekiel and Wyatt

Children's Museum

2012-01-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

We had a fun day taking Oliver, Ezekiel, and Wyatt to the Walla Walla Children's Museum.

Ezekiel checking out the x-rays in the vet clinic. Apparently he's learned a thing or two from his Pops...

The boys had SO much fun at the fishing area. Here's a fun shot of Wyatt with his catch!

Rock-On!

Siblings and Cousins

2012-01-15T15:35:00.000-08:00

Heather and Wyatt came up for a quick trip in early January. Oliver loved snuggling up with his Aunty Heather and it was SO much fun to see how much Wyatt has grown and the zest and enthusiasm he has for everything around him--including his cousin Oliver!

This is Wyatt's first reaction upon meeting cousin Oliver--PRICELESS!!

Oliver and Heather

Love this picture of the boys.

Wyatt taught Oliver a thing or two about playtime!

Heather and David with their sons. So blessed!

New Year's Eve

2012-01-15T15:30:00.000-08:00

We decided to go to Spokane for New Year's Eve. Judelle and Ryan joined us for this adventure--I must say it was embarrassing how much combined luggage we all ended up having! Oliver does not travel light. Anyways, we had a great weekend with the Wilkens' and their friends/family. Thank you Joyce and Keith for your hospitality! Here are a few fun snapshots from the weekend:

Uncle Taylor giving Oliver some snuggles.

I have NEVER seen Nilmini asleep in a mall.

Joyce had this awesome GINORMOUS teddy bear. So Taylor did a photoshoot with Oliver. I'm sure his pictures are much better. Consider this a teaser!

HICC-me-UPS

2012-01-15T15:23:00.000-08:00

This video of Oliver with hiccups is incredibly exciting for us. Perhaps because we are Oliver's parents...

Boys

2012-01-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

I had to steal this from Robb and Jess' page. Notice Oliver and David's crazy hairstyles.

A Sam-a-lama Christmas

2012-01-06T23:23:00.000-08:00

Sammy had to have surgery on his other ACL on January 5! Anyways, the second ACL surgery happened after Christmas. He seemed to have an enjoyable time during the holidays--playing with HIS present--"the gift aftermath"

A Crawford Christmas

2012-01-06T23:12:00.000-08:00

Soaking in the love and kisses!

The Current's stopped by with Guava/Cream Cheese Turnovers (YUMMMM!) and pajamas!

Oliver's first Christmas (adorable outfit provided by Aunty Jenn and Uncle Las!)

Papa and Grandma

2012-01-06T23:06:00.000-08:00

Oliver finally got to meet his Grandma and Papa, he snuggled right in and made himself quite comfortable in their arms!

Hi Grandma and Papa!

Grandma and Oliver

Papa and Oliver

Christmas Photos

2011-12-21T18:44:00.000-08:00

All photos taken by the lovely Ali Walker. Check out her BLOG

Silly Faces

2011-12-21T18:27:00.000-08:00

He might have a flair for the dramatic.

First Christmas Party

2011-12-21T18:25:00.000-08:00

Oliver got this stunning outfit from Grandma Joyce (Taylor's mom).

Portland Ponraj's

2011-12-21T18:23:00.000-08:00

Erwin and Noelle stopped by for a quick visit. The boys had a great time decorating Gingerbread houses, snuggling with Oliver, and playing with Sammy.

Grady and Oliver

Decorating Gingerbread Houses

Aunty Ranjini

2011-12-21T17:40:00.000-08:00

Ranj came and visited for one week. It was so great having her around. She got plenty of snuggle time with Oliver and we got to catch up on a bit of sleep!

Having a few laughs while Oliver is nursing. Ezekiel was quite bored with all the chattering...

Aunty Ranjini and Oliver.

Week Four...time flying

2011-12-20T23:30:00.000-08:00

We might have gone a little crazy with the Retro Cam app on our phones...

Sneaky David taking pictures at 3 am.

Gosh, we have one good looking kid!

There was a massive poop explosion right after this picture. It was so bad we just cut his outfit off instead of pulling it over his head...

Baby Shower

2011-12-20T23:10:00.000-08:00

The Hartmans, Coffees, and Currents got together and planned a "Build-a-Library" baby shower for Oliver. It was a great time with good friends, good food, and good books! I managed to get a few shots of the festivities (I wish I had more of the decor and guests, but unfortunately, I spent most of my time chattering and didn't get many pictures!):

Kuyler and Oliver accidentally wore matching shirts! Twinsies!!

Our lovely neighbors Walt and Bonnie.

Cheris...the baby whisperer.

Aidan helping me hold up the awesome quilt Machelle made for Oliver.

Week Three

2011-12-20T22:49:00.002-08:00

My boys.

Extra Time

2011-12-20T22:49:00.000-08:00

I've been blessed with a few minutes of EXTRA TIME!!! I haven't had much since the little tyke was born--but, I am taking this time and updating the blog. Here is a quick review of the past few weeks:

10 days after Oliver's birth:

We had an awesome Thanksgiving dinner at our house. It was so much fun to have this great big table with amazing people and amazing food and a brand new babe. We were quite thankful!

I think I have a picture of David eating a turkey leg like a barbarian at every Thanksgiving we've celebrated together. I must say he looks more civilized this year.

Oliver cuddling with Emily...first outfit of the day...soon to be spit-up on.

My little lad looking like a big boy! I think it's the shoes. Ahhh, he's getting so big!

Emmelyn Amara Davamony

2011-12-16T06:16:00.000-08:00

It's was quite an exciting November for the Davamony family. On November 25, 2011 Las and Jenn welcomed baby Emmelyn into this world. We were elated to hear the news and immediately fell in love with the newest member of our ever-growing family. It's been cool to swap "new parent" stories with Las and Jenn. We can't wait to see sweet Emmie in person, until then we'll just have to see her cute lil' face in pictures!

Emmelyn Amara Davamony

The Davamonys

Adore

2011-11-22T08:52:00.001-08:00

Aunty Nilmini and Uncle Taylor are also up in Walla Walla to meet Oliver and celebrate Thanksgiving. Aunty Nilmini absolutely adores this little one and he spends LOTS of time snuggling with his Chithi. We can't wait for our little man to have adventures with his Uncle Taylor and Aunty Nilmini!

Thatha

2011-11-22T08:48:00.001-08:00

We have a feeling that Thatha and Oliver will get into a lot of mischief as Oliver grows up. One thing we know for sure is Thatha is quite taken with his little grandson!

Cuteness

2011-11-21T18:02:00.001-08:00

Little Bitty Mohawk.

Mama and Oliver

2011-11-21T17:51:00.001-08:00

Daddy and Oliver

2011-11-21T17:50:00.001-08:00

Paati

2011-11-21T17:46:00.001-08:00

Oliver is blessed with two amazing Grandpas and two amazing Grandmas. But, the first grandparent he got to meet was his Paati, who has been making his room and our house just perfect for him for the past few weeks. Needless to say, both of them seem quite smitten with each other!

Visitors!

2011-11-21T17:36:00.001-08:00

Oliver already has tons of fans. We'll have to be more vigilant with the camera next time, because we missed tons of his admirers. Here are some of the few we managed :

Ezekiel waving hello!

Cheris is the Baby Whisperer...seriously, she can swaddle a baby like nobody's business!

I think Aunty Lydia and Oliver are going to be buds.

Bathtime and Sleepless Nights

2011-11-21T17:34:00.001-08:00

It's tricky giving this little fella a bath.

Our first sleepless night at home.

Going Home

2011-11-21T17:25:00.001-08:00

First Bath

2011-11-20T18:44:00.001-08:00

Introducing Oliver Rohan Crawford

2011-11-20T17:57:00.001-08:00

Amma has been in town for 2.5 weeks waiting for Oliver to show up. David's mom was in town for the weekend, hoping that Oliver would make an appearance, alas, he didn't. So when Monday morning rolled around we proceeded as usual. David went and worked out at 6:00 am, Amma was fast asleep, so when my water broke at 6:30 am...it was quite anticlimactic. After I was able to wake Amma up and get a hold of David, my contractions had picked up quite a bit...here's some pictures of the aftermath...

Practicing my breathing!

Amma is way to excited about all this pain I'm experiencing.

Post-epidural found me playing Words with Friends and David telling Oliver to speed things up!

New little family.

8 lbs. 15 oz., 20.5 inches long.

Quick pictures with Dr. Wujek, our amazing OB-GYN. Oliver and I had a really hard time staying awake for this picture.

Oliver meets Paati

Check this barrel chest out!

Overdue

2011-11-13T20:47:00.001-08:00

Oliver's official due date of 11/11/11 came and went with little fanfare. Now we practice patience. Amma and I had a little photoshoot on Sabbath (11/12/11).

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

2011-11-13T20:38:00.001-08:00

I've been bored. Really bored. Amma is taking care of most house tasks, David is working, I'm gestating. I needed a complicated project. I decided it had to be in the kitchen. I talked Jess into making a salted caramel chocolate cake with me and I had my complicated project. This cake took 2 days to make. Jess worked on the caramel (the hardest part of this whole project). Unfortunately, the caramel nearly smoked Jess, Robb, and Ezekiel out of house and home. Jess and Robb attempted the caramel once again the next day and I must say that the caramel was by far my favorite part! I worked on the batter and icing--and the next day we took about 2 hours total to assemble the whole deal. As always we had a good group of friends willing to partake and I think after writing this post, I might have to go eat the last piece of cake!

Zucchini Noodles

2011-11-13T20:35:00.001-08:00

We had SOO much zucchini in the garden. So we got out the julienne slicer and made noodles!

Bowl number one got frozen.

Bowl number two got tossed with garlic, basil, tomatoes, red chili, chicken, a little cheese...it was delish!

Fat Feet

2011-11-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

Oliver is pretty content to be baking some more. Amma has been here for one week now--which has been wonderful, every little thing seems hard when you're belly is so far out in front of you! Anyways, we're all pretty anxious to meet the little guy. Apparently all the "progress" I was making a few weeks ago has slowed down and we're all becoming pretty proficient in waiting! David's show "The 39 Steps" opens this weekend. If you are in the Walla Walla area this weekend or next, you must see it! Here's a link to reserve tickets: The 39 Steps.

Pirates

2011-11-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

The Hartman's were a pirate family this Halloween!! Don't they look awesome... Jerry was the only one that really mastered the scary pirate face. The rest are friendly pirates!

Cream Puffs and Craft Night

2011-11-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

Jess makes the best Cream Puffs this side of...well, the WORLD! I was having some serious cream puff cravings, but was way too lazy for the whole process. So I made cheater cream puffs. Puff pastry filled with cream and topped with chocolate...

Check out Jess' cream puff's HERE.

After the cream puff indulgence we had a gang of people over for Craft Night. YES, this is what we do in Walla Walla, WA on a Saturday Night...leave us alone...it rocks! We couldn't think of a craft, so the boys were back to tying flys for Fly-fishing. And the rest of us helped Lydia and her friends with their Barn Party costumes...SALT, PEPPER, and CUMIN!! By the rest of us I mostly mean Cheris and my mom!

Boys and their flys...

Ezekiel snuggled up to Andi and ate some pomegranates while her costume was being made.

The final product!

These are my doors

2011-10-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

My sister, Nilmini, is on an adventure with my Aunt Rosette...in Nepal!

Check out her blog:

http://thesearemydoors.blogspot.com/

Baby Bump

2011-10-20T22:19:00.000-07:00

Jessica took on the arduous task of taking baby bump pictures for us. I love this picture of her in action. Let me also add that I (Nelita) am a horrible subject, I make silly faces and goof around...she managed to get some pretty good ones!

Daddy, Oliver and Mama

feetsies

Our little family

Pommies

2011-10-20T22:04:00.000-07:00

David's favorite thing about fall is the package he gets in the mail from Paati (my grandmother). This package has some sweet, juicy pomegranates that he powers through quickly...

Birthday Boy

2011-10-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

The Big "32!"

I have to give a HUGE shout-out to Robb and Correy, they were personal shoppers and party organizers for this whole shindig...AND they woke up at 5:30 am the next day for a man fishing-trip!

Our Walla Walla buddies: Hartmans (made awesome crepes!), Currents (hosted and made an awesome frittata and some potatoes!), and Coffees (appropriately made coffee cake!).

It's amazing how little feathery things can make grown-men so excited!

Tater Tot getting some love from Aidan and Mica...he thought that box was for him.

New fishing rod! Such glee!

The kidlings with Tater Tot...I hate cats, but I kinda sort like this one, because he acts like a dog...and does silly things--like putting himself in baskets.

Bathroom Shelves

2011-10-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

I've been bugging David to put some floating shelves in the bathroom. I looked everywhere online for some cool wood shelves and the cheapest (that met my standards) started at around $250.00. Anyways, that was clearly out of the question, so we stopped by Jensen's Hardwood and bought some black walnut. David sanded and lacquered the shelves (we wanted more organic lines so we left the chips and cracks alone), Correy and David made some magic happen and now we have beautiful bathroom shelves!

Pumpkin Time

2011-10-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

We grew this people!! No thanks to our green thumbs. The pumpkin plant sprawled about 10 feet across the side of the yard and produced this ONE gigantic pumpkin.

David and the Giant Tomato

2011-10-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

Our tomato plants are producing some behemoths.

Ryan and Judelle

2011-10-20T21:14:00.000-07:00

Hello all, it's been forever since I've posted. Lots of updates... Anyways, we were SOOO excited when Ryan and Judelle Johnson landed in Tri-Cities Airport. Ryan was in my 7th grade religion class in Pohnpei. Judelle was in 6th grade. They were our neighbors in Pohnpei and their parents fed us every chance they got! Even cooler their dad grew up with my mom in Sri Lanka. They've been like family to us and it's been great having them around. Here's a shot with a big student missionary welcoming party!

David's 15 seconds of FAME!!

2011-10-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

Surgery for Sam

2011-09-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

Our boisterous Sammy had to have an ACL repair done on his left knee. He is quite miserable with the whole thing. But our vet assured us in two months, he'll be back to his active ways.

Little loopy from all the drugs...

these drugs.

For Oliver

2011-09-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

Jess made these stunning bowties for baby Oliver's room (Thank you Holly for the idea!)...

Cheris made this awesome onesie for Oliver at our recent craft night! Check out more details on our craft night at Jess' blog.

Little Techie...

2011-09-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

Uncle David has the best toys!!

All the way from San Diego!!

2011-09-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

This last week was full of fun, especially since I have family starting college at WWU. Priscilla and Ebenezar dropped their second daughter, Tammy at college. I haven't gotten a picture with her yet, because she was quite busy diving right into the college scene. But, we had a great time visiting with them. Sammy especially loved all the love and attention...

It's the place to be!!

2011-09-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

We had a great visit with some of the Kore's in Walla Walla (Amanda and Chris must come next time!!)

JUMPING (baby and the rest, not so much for me...) for joy since Lydia is now a Northwesterner!

Trying to be serious, Lydia and Miranda might have failed at this...

Our second attempt at serious...

Sandwiches

2011-09-21T19:10:00.001-07:00

My husband makes amazing sandwiches...

Introducing... Karin & Enoch Ross

2011-09-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

We attended another excellent wedding. Karin and Enoch planned a spectacular event...

Dad and Mama Crawford looking like newlyweds!!

Kristen and Heather

David and I with the Bride and Groom. Did I tell you how much I LOVE seeing the Spangler women laugh/smile! Seriously, these girls can get you smiling in one second flat!

Enoch is a dentist. Karin shared with him her favorite floss and now it is "their" favorite floss. They had some of this very efficient floss in cute little packets as wedding favors. David and I might have tossed several "left behind" flosses in my purse. We might have enough for the year...hehehe.

Seattle or BUST!

2011-09-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

We had to start our Seattle trip with a little quality time with Jumbles. She refused to pose for a picture, but I did catch her red-handed with some Nutella and Oatmeal Squares...

Lil nephew Wyatt is growing up quite fast. He's got an extensive vocabulary and lots of CHARM!!

Wyatt got a lot of snuggles from everyone, here's a fun one with Grandma Crawford...

and some more fun times singing with Aunty Nel.

The reason we were in Seattle was for Karin's wedding. We had some good times catching up with the Spangler's. (Mama Crawford and Aunty Gwen)

Kristen and Heather are the best people to be around when you need a good laugh, they laugh like they mean it!! Here's BBC getting a little dose of his Auntys' laughter!

Kristen, Heather, Karin (the bride), and David have all known each other since they were wee little ones.

NORTH...to Tacoma, WA!

2011-09-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

We said goodbye to all the family and fun in Portland and headed for some MORE fun up in Washington. First stop, Tacoma Ponrajs!

Elaina couldn't get enough of loving on "Baby Tato," she had her little hands constantly on my belly saying all kinds of "sweet nothings" to her little baby cousin.

Had a fun excursion with the whole brood to the park. Here's a quick snapshot of them watching the train...can't believe how much they've grown!!

Uncle David looking at snails with the boys...do you see the little "drain" in the middle of the water...

Cod Liver Oil

2011-09-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

Whilst in Portland we usually stay with Erwin and Noelle. They very graciously let us upset their routine and we always have a blast! This time they had to go to Seattle for a night and while on their trip David noticed some Cod Liver Oil in the fridge. Needless to say, a reader of any ilk has read many Classics with peppered references to Cod Liver Oil. David wanted SO bad to try it, so when Erwin and Noelle returned he took a swig...he said it mostly tasted like Pledge (the wood cleaner). Grady and Kalon however will guzzle anything down that is called a "vitamin." Noelle, you've taught them well!

Not fazed one bit!

I absolutely ADORE this picture, do you see the sheer delight and surprise on Grady's face??!

And there is still room for silly faces and smiles after the "vitamins..."

Introducing...Laura and Fletcher Wilkens

2011-09-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Classy, right...

Wedding Pie!!! Even better than wedding cake!

We ate and took a lot of cheesy photos while Taylor was off being a responsible Best Man!

Beautiful Couple. Beautiful Wedding. Beautiful Family. AH, just Beautiful!

Photoshoot

2011-09-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

Traipsing Hawthorne

2011-09-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

Such a friendly town!

Such a gentleman!

Such tourists!

Portland is full of fun little places. We stopped on Hawthorne (St., Ave?) kinda late and unfortunately everything was closed--but we still had fun!

Sabbatical

2011-09-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

Welp. Apparently we took a one month sabbatical--on accident. But, we're back with several new posts from August that have been on the back burner. We start off with our early August visit to Portland, OR with Nilu, Taylor and Amma & Appa. We were very excited to take them to one of our favorite restaurants in Portland--Bete Lukas. Some of the best Ethiopian food in the NW, trust us, we've tried several Ethiopian restaurants, can't beat Bete Lukas.

Iron-versary

2011-08-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

This post is a little late. But, that's how we roll...

Anyways, July 31, 2011, David and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. The traditional gift for this anniversary is "iron." We followed that quite loosely this year! I always said that after 5 we wouldn't call ourselves newlyweds anymore. Eek, that makes me feel old.

We've seen lots of ups and downs, but we've seen them through together. Here's some quick snapshots over the years...

Wedding reception in California--August 2005

2005-2006: Hiking in Pohnpei our first year of marriage. (Somebody FEED us!!)

2006-2007: Our second year of marriage was a fun year of life in Seattle, WA.

2007-2008: David starts officially wearing a tie our third year of marriage, also his first year as Director of Drama in Walla Walla, WA.

Also 2007-2008: Sammy officially joins the family!

2008-2009: 4th year of marriage finds Nel graduating with her Masters in Teaching and David starting a Masters in Fine Arts at UCR...CRAZY, busy year!

2009-2010: 5th year of marriage we celebrate David's 30th birthday. He also graduates with an MFA in Poetry and Screenwriting.

Also 2009-2010: We experience our greatest joy finding out we're pregnant with our baby girl Nisha, and also experience our greatest heartbreak when she is stillborn. Despite our sadness we find ourselves blessed with amazing family and friends that surround us with love and support. This picture was taken 4 months after we lost Nisha. We had a relaxing time in Alaska adventuring around with the mom and dad Crawford.

2010-2011: We've done a lot of growing up over the past 6 years--though there are still few signs of maturity to be seen...hehehe. This picture was taken at the WWU graduation. David is in his graduation gear as a faculty member. Year six finds us expecting another little one. So far his name is BBC (Baby Boy Crawford). Although we are very open to any suggestions you may have... Here's to 6 years together and many more to come!

Portland Ponraj's

2011-08-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

We had a great time this weekend with the Portland Ponraj's. We started with an early morning excursion to Bennington Lake on Sabbath to enjoy the great outdoors and some nature! The great outdoors was however in the 90's by 8:30 am'ish--so we left faster than planned.

Fishing lessons with mom...

Sammy was not happy to be left behind with the girls.

Lots of fishing poles...no fish :(

We continued our adventures on Sunday with some blueberry picking EARLY in the morning. (Our alarms were set for 5:30 am). We picked a total of 50 pounds of blueberries and I think the boys had a few more pounds of blueberries in their bellies!

Gorging ourselves on blueberries!

We had to watch David, he very easily could have eaten that entire container by himself...

David's Photoshoot

2011-08-01T20:12:00.001-07:00

For those of you that don't know--my husband is quite the creative force. He's always coming up with fun projects to do. Here is some snippets of his latest. We bought the vintage theatre seats at a garage sale for $5.

Ezekiel and Robb had some fun things to talk about...

as did Jess and Ezekiel. Can't wait until this little guy starts talking...

oh wait, I suppose talking comes with some questions...eeks!

Best Friends!

2011-08-01T19:55:00.000-07:00

It was SO much fun having Nadia visit a few weeks ago. She used to be terrified of Sammy, but now she calls him 'Best Friend'--I have been ousted.

Our 'secrets' picture from David's photoshoot.

Wheat Belly

2011-07-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple pix of the gorgeous 23 weeks my wife is rockin' and rockin' well.

(The second is an homage to Jessica Coffee's picture with the radZekiel.)

Hairspray!!!

2011-07-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

David and I joined some friends to check out WWCC's Summer Musical, Hairspray on Sunday, July 17. There is still one more weekend left! Buy tickets here. Even better than having a fun evening with friends was watching Erica Walter (college buddy) dazzle, as Velma. Erica lit up the stage with her amazing voice, smile, and acting chops. It was also great to see a ton of David's students acting in several roles on stage and backstage. He gets to work with some amazingly talented people! Seriously, if you're in the area next weekend and you haven't seen it--best outdoor musical I've seen in Walla Walla to date!

Blue Mountain Lavender Farm

2011-07-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I get to see some friends from college! This summer has been fun visiting with Holly, who has been in Walla Walla for the past few weeks and Lindsey, who was here for the weekend. Lindsey's mom planned a fun excursion for us at the Blue Mountain Lavender Farm. Dave's co-worker Jean-Paul and his wife own this gorgeous land and have set up quite an operation involving all their family members!! Check out their website here.

Yummy picnic...thanks to Judy!!

perfect.

The girls trying to pooch out their flat, little bellies!!

Jean-Paul, taking a break from working hard on the farm. He also teaches French at WWU's Communications and Languages Department.

Lindsey and Holly holding sleepy kitty's.

Fished all night...

2011-07-19T21:08:00.000-07:00

David had a great crew this year with Josh, Jeremy, Ryan, and Jonathan! Here are a few favs...

Parentals

2011-07-18T14:15:00.001-07:00

Had a great time with Amma and Appa. Appa got some serious landscaping done (note new pots, lights, and groundcover), and Amma cooked SO much delicious food! Anyways, we had a great time and I especially think they liked feeling BBC kicking.

Muddy Fun

2011-07-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Whilst Jenn and I are at home paying bills, cleaning the house, working etc. Our boys (husbands) are working hard in Alaska...

(Starring: David Crawford, Cameraman: Josh Thompson)

22 weeks

2011-07-08T21:45:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe that BBC (Baby Boy Crawford--thank you Sharon for the nickname) is already the size of a spaghetti squash. This picture is for all you BBC fans out there. But, mostly for David who unfortunately (or fortunately!) missed out on all my girth since Week 19

Blast Off!!

2011-07-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

My dad woke me up minutes before Atlantis took off for it's final space mission. I like to think I was a part of history--bleary-eyed, confused, and half-awake, I witnessed the end of the space program, like so many witnessed the beginning of the space program 50ish years ago. (Whew that was one long run-on sentence). Anyways, I think I liked NPR's space timeline the best...for all you other geeks out there.

Yeaaa Visitors!!

2011-07-07T15:26:00.000-07:00

Amma and Appa are visiting from July 4th-13th. We are having a blast so far. Here they are picking strawberries and blueberries from the backyard...

It was Appa's idea to put blueberry bushes in Nisha's garden.

Sammy was terrified of the fireworks. People having been lighting fireworks since the 1st of July--eek! He was a mess most nights. We gave him some Benadryl (per the advice of his vet)--it didn't sedate him at all, but he was less anxious.

Yummy 4th of July treats...Happy Birthday America!!

Pizza

2011-07-07T15:18:00.000-07:00

I had a MAJOR craving for pizza last week. So, I decided to try and make some homemade pizza. I searched online for a bit and found this fantastic recipe for crust. I made a few changes. I used whole-wheat pastry flour for 1/2 of the flour. Whole-wheat pastry flour is so wonderfully light and fluffy! I also used a garlic-infused grapeseed oil instead of the recommended olive oil. The next time I make this crust however I will bake it for 5 minutes before adding the sauce and toppings. Under the cheese there are mounds of mushrooms, spinach, garlic cloves, and onions. It was DELISH!!! (Stop judging my never before cleaned oven...)

First Birthday

2011-07-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel turned ONE on June 27, 2011! We love watching this little tyke grow up. He's one of our favs! Ezekiel was born 2 weeks before Nisha's due date. So, we kinda fancied that he'd be one of her boyfriends at some point!! Anyways, it has been a blessing watching him reach little milestones.

Sans Computers

2011-06-30T11:25:00.001-07:00

Shortly after we moved to the United States I remember Amma bought a computer:

According to Appa, this IBM XT "something or other," (I'm guessing it was the IBM XT 286--since I'm sure my parents bought the latest technology..hahaha) was purchased in 1986--my internet search produced this picture...looks vaguely familiar to me.

Amma would type things...dissertations, letters, other documents (I think this was what she did). Anyways, it barely dents my memory, the computer, the typing, everything about it. It's weird to think about life back then. We had a phone with a cord and a computer that did not affect our playtime outside or inside for that matter. I think, as far as technology goes, the only thing that really made any kind of impact was watching Popeye, the Sailor Man (so 1 hour a day...maybe?)

There were no cellphones, pagers, cordless phones, iPads, mp3 players etc. that I was aware of. I miss that life sometimes. Don't get me wrong, you can catch me on my computer several times a day now. But, I romanticize the possibility of life without any of that technology. Yes, I KNOW, I could choose to not have it in my life. But having that choice is different than a world where I do NOT have that choice..does that make sense? And yes, I concede, I was only 4 years old. But think of a 4-year old today, their world is a drastically different place. It's mind-blowing to think that so many things changed so greatly in my lifetime!!!

It just gets me thinking with our little boy on the way and all. What is going to drastically change in his lifetime? What is this world going to be like for him?

The News from Lake Wobe...Walla Walla????

2011-06-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

BEANS

June 25

2011-06-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

I'm posting a day early. But, tomorrow, I'm going to be thinking about Nilu and Las on their 28th birthday!! Goodness, baby brother and sister are not so "baby" anymore. Anyways, here is a picture of them with Thatha.

Because...

2011-06-24T17:40:00.000-07:00

they're gorgeous!!