The Marinelli

T-Ball Season

2011-04-24T06:04:00.000-07:00

It's the beginning of T-ball season. It is Jakeb's first year playing, so James went out with him to practice his swing. While James was practicing with Jakeb, Cole would ride his bike around the yard, and Carson would play in the flowers and drop rocks down the drain. After a while both Cole and Carson wanted a go with dad at learning how to hit a ball. I am so grateful that we have kids that LOVE to be outside. If they could live outside, they probably would.

Carson's 2nd Birthday

2011-04-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

Happy 2nd Birthday to our little Carson. You have been a true blessing in our family. We are so happy that Carson is so strong, healthy, and very AcTiVe!!!!

Here is Carson blowing out all of his "2" candles, wow that was hard work. Thanks to Jakeb and Cole for helping out.

Carson is one who has to always have two of everything, one for each hand. He is asking if he can have another cupcake.

Take a small bite Carson, don't put too much in your mouth.

So He decides to take the biggest bite possible, once he got the first taste.

Look at those eyes, he is determned to eat it all!!! All in all Carson had a great birthday.

Lambing Season: Wimpole Farms

2011-04-24T04:55:00.000-07:00

We went to Lambing season this spring at Wimpole Farms, where you get to see all the new little lambs. Unfortunetely we were not able to feed them this year, because of a disease that was going on with the mama sheep that could be passed onto people, ugh. We still had fun though. We went with our neighbors, Paul and Jill; they are so nice and friendly and we are so lucky to have such wonderful neighbors.

There were also brand new piglets and calfs. They were a bit smelly, but very cute!!!!

I have a feeling that the kids' favorite part was the massive playground, and all the many climbing structures. I do believe that I have a house full of monkeys!!!!

London Temple

2011-04-24T04:15:00.000-07:00

We went to the London Temple with some of our good freinds from our ward here in England. The Temple grounds are so big and so beautiful that these pictures do not give you the full beauty. It is truly a beautiful place to be!!!!

This is Cole and Ruby playing on the bridge over one of the rivers that are on the grounds.

These are our kids and our friend's kids waiting around on another bridge.

This is the gang of kids that are always together. It is amazing that when ever we are together, they ALL get along wonderfully. Never is there any squabbling going on between them, they all get a long so well. We have been truly blessed to find such wonderful people to fill our lives!!!!

Carson exploring the grounds, who knows if he is where he should or shouldn't be.

The day was perfect. A great day at the Temple, great friends, great weather and an even greater feeling when we we left.

Fun Outside

2011-04-24T03:56:00.000-07:00

Now that the weather is so nice, we definetely take advantage of going outside. We have a large green area across the street where the boys play with some of the other neighbor kids. The spring here is so beautiful here in England, probably the most beautiful I have ever seen, you will see the yellow daffodils and tulips all over the country side.

Fun With Aunt Keri

2011-03-02T03:12:00.001-08:00

We had so much fun when Aunt Keri came to visit. She left over two months ago and the kids still talk about her. She helped them build legos, do puzzles, and she even became a make shift jungle gym for them to climb on. We can't wait til she comes back!!!!!! We love you KI!!!!!

Ten Year Annivesary

2011-03-02T02:59:00.000-08:00

What better way to celebrate our ten year anniversary than to do it in the City of Love. We spent our anniversary and New Years Eve in Paris, France. It was COLD, but still very beautiful!!!!
We enjoyed some yummy food and some smooches along the way. We went to Notre Dame, The Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre. We had a magnificant time. And thank you to my wonderful sister who stayed with our children, so we cloud spend it together just by ourselves.

Paris at Chirstmas time is so magical. Everything is lit uip and sparkling. It was truely a beautiful sight seeing how they do Christmas. Everything was so festive and lively.

HAPPY ANNIVERSAY JAMES, I LOVE YOU!!!!

Christmas Pageants

2011-03-02T02:36:00.000-08:00

I am very grateful for a village school. Over here in England they still teach you the real meaning of Chrstmas. In Jakeb's school and Cole's prechool they both had plays that retold the birth of our Savior and the real meaning of Christmas. They actually read the story from the Bible version. I was so impressed, I almost felt like I was in church, in fact our church play was almost identical to our school one. Jakeb and Cole were both wiseman. Cole actually got to ride a litle (pretend) horse, and they both got to present presents to our baby Jesus.

These pictures above were from our Church Christmas party. We had gone back over 2000 years to when Jesus was alive. We were back in Jeruselem. We dressed up as the parts and played Dreidel, and had coins as payment for any services we wanted. They had food booths, games stations, and activities that all costed a gold coin. It was a lot of fun.

Trip to London

2011-03-02T01:56:00.000-08:00

When Keri was here we took our first official trip outside of our town. We went to London for three days right before Chirstmas. It was a bit cold, but so worth it. We had a blast!!!! We visited Buckingham Palace. It is very beautiful and such pretty statues and art work. The above pictures are inside of Kinsington gardens, which includes a park dedicated to Princess Diana. They are both located inside the huge Hype Park

We also went to The Museum of Natural History in London. The coolest part was that it was free!!!! It was the coolest museum, but unfortunetely we didn't get a whole lot of pictures, I guess that is what happens when you are having fun.These are just some casual shots of us. The palace above is the Kinsington Palace that is located inside of Hyde Park.

We also went to the Science Museum, which was free as well, and just as fun as the Natural History Museum. There were so many hands on exibits, which kept all the little hands busy and having a ton of fun. We visited "Winter Wonderland", which is a huge Christmas carnaval inside of Hyde Park. We had so much fun, and the kids even though they were cold had a blast. Keri and I were a bit cold just standing there, but it was a great night.

Our Little Village

2011-02-15T13:55:00.000-08:00

Our back garden looks so beautiful during the

summer months.

The street that we live on, the boys love riding
their bikes out here.

We love how beautiful the skys look here!!!

Jakeb's school just finished being added onto and

it is awesome.

Houghton Church it was built in the 13th

Century. The boys love walking on the

grounds. Coles school Nativity play was here.

Houghton Mill Tea room, you can come here and

get some tea or something to eat.

Houghton Mill is one of the oldest working Mills

in England and you can get fresh flour from here

during spring-fall.

The boys love going to feed the ducks at

the river.

One of boys favorite things to do is to walk to

the mill and go across the bridge to see the

cows and sheep in the pasture.

Jules and the boys walking across the

bridge at the mill.

The village is full of old cottages like

this one.

This is our town center it has our clock tower

village store and post office.

Easter 2009

2009-05-04T07:51:00.001-07:00

This easter we celebrated it at my
Uncle Richard and Aunt Janice's
house with all their kids and grandchildren.

Being in Utah we were forced to have
the easter egg hunt indoors due to
the snow still covering most of the ground.
Even though it was indoors the adults did
a pretty good job of hiding the eggs.

As you can tell, and as my sister Traci would say,
"They scored".

Daddy's Home

2009-04-28T14:51:00.001-07:00

Daddy's home and we are sooooo happy!!!

Now we can be crazy with daddy,

and Carson finally opens his eyes to this craziness!!

I have my boys home again: James, Jakeb, Cole,
and Carson. What joy it is to hear the running
around and rough housing of boys.

IMAGINATIONS!!!!!

2009-03-01T19:36:00.000-08:00

WE ARE.....................

Superheroes!!!!!! They found my headbands and have used them for masks. Jake is batman and Cole is Spiderman.

Pirates!!!! So they think that having any type of red bandana like the pirates make them a pirate. I think that they look a little like someone from the 80's, but it is what they think that matters.

More Superheroes!!! All superheroes wear boots and fly. These are actually my boots that are obviously way to big for them, but they run around in them like that are real superheroes.

DADDY!!!!! They love to wear daddies hats and say that they are daddy. They also love to look at sporting magazines just like their dad. Boy they are making their daddy proud.

Thank You Grandma!!

2009-02-27T19:10:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's day Grandma Pratt made the boys their very own fleece blankets. They abosolutely love them. Jake chose a motorcycle blanket, and Cole Chose a pirate blanket.
Thank you Grandma, We love You!!!

New Years Eve

2009-02-27T18:32:00.000-08:00

We went down to Jon’s house in St. George for New Years Eve; We had a blast. We had sushi for dinner prepared by Keri, and tempura vegetables prepared by myself. The next day we went to Zion’s National Park and had so much fun, once it warmed up a little.

Christmas 2008

2009-02-27T16:13:00.000-08:00

This year we were able to spend Christmas at my parent's house in Utah. We had a blast. We played tons of games and ate lots and lots of yummy food and candy. We had a huge snowfall Christmas Eve, which definetely gave us the white Christmas we had all hoped for. The kids even got to go sledding in my parent's front yard. Jakeb loved to sled, but Cole had his reservations(maybe it was the cast he was wearing?!?!?) What would have made it the most perfect Christmas ever would have been to have James there ---- We Missed you hunny.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-18T08:49:00.001-08:00

This picture was taken at my parent's ward christmas party. Jakeb and Cole were both so fascinated by Santa Clause that they could not wait to sit on his lap. Jakeb had a boo boo on his finger, and he wanted santa to kiss it better. When Cole saw santa kissing Jakeb's finger better, he ran up to santa holding his finger up so he could kiss it better(there was no boo boo). Since that day whenever Cole sees a santa he says, "Ho Ho Ho Missmuss". He can't say the whole thing, but he tries.

Cole's Cast

2008-12-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago James and I were talking about which of our boys would have their first broken bone......... Yep......... it was COLE!!!

I was getting ready for church, and when I turned off the hair dryer I heard crying from Cole. When I went in to find out what had happend I saw Cole lying on his back with his head on the pillow. I thought, "Oh good at least the pillow broke his fall". Well it wasn't the pillow, it was his arm that broke his fall. I asked Jakeb what had happened and he told me that Cole fell off of the ladder that goes up to the bunk bed. Well, about 45 minutes of continual crying, and Cole not being able to hold anything with his left hand, I knew that the emergency room was needed. So instead of church we spent the morning in the ER.

Cole had partially fractured his ulna and his radius. When looking at the x-rays the doctor didn't feel comfortable casting it, so he sent us to an orthapedic surgeon, because one of the breaks was near a growth plate.

After spending 1 1/2 hours in the waiting room during Cole's nap time(not very fun) we finally were seen and told that it wasn't an actual break, but his bone was 7 degrees out of line. He still needed the cast, and the coolest part of it all is that it is waterproof!!!! I can bath him, horray!!! When the doctor found out that James was in the army they asked Cole if he wanted an army cast, and of course he said yes. When we ask him what kind of cast he has, he says, "Army cast". He thinks it is so cool to be like dad.

Jakeb's First School Christmas Program

2008-12-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

Jakeb had his first pre-school Christmas performance. He did so good. I was so proud of him. He even sang most of the songs that they performed. He did very good at staying on his red circle. I am especially proud of him because he is the youngest one in his class.

At the end they had a special visitor. Cole even had to get in on the action.

Funny Cole

2008-11-17T19:50:00.000-08:00

I tried to take some cute pictures of the boys before church, cause I thought they looked so handsome. I first told them to make a funny face and this is what I got. Jakeb of course was serious, but Cole was hamming up the funny faces. He is my funny one, he keeps me laughing all day, that is when he is not making me pull my hair out!!!!!

I then told them ok it is time to say cheese and smile, and they did do that, except for Jakeb does not like to look at the camera. He has never been a good picture taker, so I take what I get, and hope to get some pretty good blackmail pictures for when he is older.

Halloween

2008-11-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

We went to St. George for Halloween this year, and it was so much fun!!!! Jakeb & Cole absolutely loved playing with their cousins. The weather was perfect for trick or treating and my brother's new neighborhood was perfect for the going door to door.

For those who cannot tell, Cole is a monkey and of course you can tell Jakeb is a pirate. For a whole month before Halloween he kept telling me that he wanted to be a pirate ship. I kept telling him, Jakey you cannot be a pirate ship, but you can be a pirate. He was very insistant on being a pirate ship, but when I brought home the pirate costume he was happy just being a pirate.

If you look close on his upper forehead you can see a huge scab, and it is not make up. The day before halloween he fell out of the car and onto the driveway, which left a huge mark and then scab. His preschool teacher had to do a double take cause she thought it was make up at first. He is ok, he has a tough head.

Fun with my Cousins!!!!

2008-11-08T10:06:00.001-08:00

We went to St. George, Utah for Halloween weekend to visit my brother Jon and his family. We had an absolute blast!!! We were able to go to my niece Haleigh's school halloween parade; she was a devil girl. Jakeb and Cole absolutely loved it. They had a blast, especially Jake who would comment on each person walking by. Cole especially loved the pirates. When it was time to leave, Cole kept waving to one of the pirates sitting down, and did not want to go. As we walked away he kept turning around to see the pirate and wave.

As you can tell, the boys had a blast with their cousins Haleigh, Lauren, and Collin. My mom was in heaven being able to be with her grandchildren. They love to sit with grandma and have her read them stories. Jake tried to get up on the chair, but there was no room.

One of the highlights of the weekend was Aunt April's famous graveyard dessert. Cole loved it so much, that he tried to lick the cup clean. I loved it so much I had thirds, you know what they say eating for two, haha.

Jakeb's First Fieldtrip

2008-10-24T14:25:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go with Jake on his very first preschool fieldtrip; we went to the pumpkin patch in Orem, Ut. We had a blast. It is very fun to listen to the conversations of four three and four olds in the car while driving. The main thing they talked about was which type of trucks we were passing on the freeway a dump truck, a diesel truck, and a cement truck were the most popular.

We went through a corn maze, a spook house,a little animal area, and a big ol' playground. Jakeb kept asking the whole time, "Mom, when am I gonna get my pumpkin?" Then when he finally was able to get his pumpkin he was tired and cranky and didn't want to hold it because it was wet, so he had a grumpy look on his face for the picture. All in all it was a blast, aside from the kid who peed his pants that just happened to be driving in my car!!!!

Colorado Springs - Auntie Baba's House

2008-10-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

We went to Colorado Springs last weekend and had a blast!!! We went to visit James' twin sister Christina(Auntie Baba - this is what James called Christina when she was little and couldn't say her name yet), her husband Travis, their kids, Kodi, and Kylie. We went to the zoo, we visited James' Grandma Val, and we even were in a parade. The time went by to quickly. I wish I had more pictures, but my battery died the second day. I took lots of video and thanks heavens I still have my memory. As you can see our boys wanted to spend all their time in the garage; four wheelers, need I say more. Uncle Travis was very nice and took the boys for a ride, and of course they did not want to get off. I am very grateful that I have boys that would rather be outside then inside. Thank you Anutie Baba, Travis, Kodi, and Kylie for a wonderful and unforgettable time.

Cole absolutely loved playing with his big cousins!! There was a dog, Kiera, who the boys loved. Each night they would go after her to hug and kiss her goodnight. Kodi would find anyway to entertain the boys and they would laugh with him all the time.

Kylie would love to read to Jakeb and Jakeb would just sit there forever and listen to his cousin read to her. I walked in several times throughout our visit and this is what I would see, Kylie reading to her little cousin.

Fluffy

2008-10-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

Before James Left for Iraq he took both his boys to the Build a Bear Workshop, so that they can pick out any animal that they want. This was James' birthday present for them before he left. Jakeb is very fond of his dog, "Fluffy". He says that Fluffy protects him and keeps him safe.

Each night before Jakeb goes to bed he has to have Fluffy sleep with him, and if he doesn't have him we have to search the whole house for him. He is also a comforter. Whenever Jake is sad he says he wants his doggy, and then he is happy.

Jake's 3rd Birthday

2008-10-24T10:48:00.001-07:00

On September 30th, we celebrated with Jake his third birthday. He was so excited and very happy that it was finally his birthday and not Cole's. Every present Cole opened on his birthday Jake would want. As you can see even Cole was able to play with some of Jake's presents. He even got a special crown from preschool to let everypne know that it was his birthday. He was so proud!!!

He fianlly got his tool chest. When we moved from Washington and James was taking things apart to pack up, Jake wanted a tool chest so he could help daddy. Like Cole, his favorite toys were the Hot Wheels brand race cars.

Jakeb has been really into pirates lately, so when I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, he quickly told me, "A pirate boat cake, mommy". So I did my best, and remember I am not in any way shape or form close to any kind of cake decorater. I followed the directions, and from a far it looks ok, just don't get to close!

St. Goerge, Ut

2008-10-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

We went to St. Goerge for my niece Haleigh's baptism, and it was so much fun. I didn't get a whole lot of pictures, but this is about it. My whole family was there, and it was so nice to see them all after not seeing them for a while. My individual family was missing a very improtant member; James we love you very much and miss you very much and felt very alone at times whithout you.

The boys seemed to enjoy their cousins very much and wish that they lived closer to them, well I do at least, haha!!

Woodland HIlls Day

2008-09-17T13:27:00.001-07:00

Every year my parent's town has a special day celebrating their town and their residents. We began the day with a big breakfast. Jakeb and Cole seemed to really enjoy their food. Jakeb was lucky enough to be able to sit by his grandma who shared her breakfast with him.

After breakfast they had a flag raising ceremony and a speech honoring America. Cole didn't seem to know that he needed to cross his heart during the pledge of allegence, but Jakeb stopped and crossed his heart. I didn't know he knew to do that when they say the pledge of allegence. I was very proud of him.

Of course boys will be boys, they had to take a detour to the man hole for Jakeb, so that he can drive his car. We then had to take another detour to the rocks. Rocks are the best toy around for my boys, if there are rocks then there are my boys as well.

We finally made it to the bounce house!!! Three months ago Jakeb would not step foot in one, and this time he went in even with the other kids. I was so happy. Of course, since Jake went in Cole followed his lead. They then ventured into the second bounce house with the slide. Haley had to help them up and they loved it. They would go down and then right back up again, UNTIL, Jake got pushed down head first on his stomach. Now, he didn't get hurt cause it is just a bunch of air, but I believe it rather scared him a bit. Cole kept going up, but Jake opted to stay in the bounce portion of the bouncehouse.

Cole's 2nd Birthday

2008-09-17T13:04:00.001-07:00

It was Cole's 2nd birthday on September 12th, so we celebrated it with some pizza and a car cake. I was very proud of myself, I made the cake all by myself (it was my first time attempting something like that).

We are of course at my parent's house and Very sad because James was not able to be there, although he was there in spirit and by phone.

Cole had several presents but the only one he held onto the whole night and not let go of was a yellow match car that cost $.99. If I knew that was all he really wanted I could have saved some money. His big brother Jake was very quick to offer a lending hand when it came to playing with the toys.

Jakeb seemed to get upset that we were cutting the car cake to eat, because he didn't want to break the car. He then asked me if he could see the seats in the car when we cut it, for which I had to explain why there were not any seats in this car. In the end he loved the taste of the cake better then the looks of it.

Jakeb's First Day of Preschool

2008-09-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

Jakeb started his first day of preschool last Thursday. He was such a big boy. He didn't even look twice when I left, a little sad, but at least I knew he was going to be ok. I was so proud of him!!!

His teacher is Miss Karen, and her daughter helps out as well. There was a big class, so there are plenty of kids for him to play with. of course as soon as we got there he went to stake his territory on the trucks. When I came to pick him up he was outside have a great time on the swingset with his friends. When we came back inside to get ready to go, he showed me his apple that a worm had eaten a hole through.

When I asked him how it was, the only the olny thing he could tell me was, "Ashley took away my fixing truck". I wonder if he already has his first crush!!!

Daddy we will miss you!!!!

2008-09-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

For all of you who do not know, James left for Iraq about a week ago,we are very sad.One of the boys favorite things to do is to have James read them story after story. They will miss his stories and especially his wrestling with them.

We are in Utah living with my family and having a tough time adjusting without James. Jakeb keeps asking when we are going home, and I tell him we are home, and his reply is "No mommy this is grandma and grandpa's home".

I know the first few weeks or month is the hardest, but we will get through, we have two times before. I just ask for those to please keep James' safety in your prayers while he is gone. I am just so thankful for my parent's to let us come and invade their home for the year.

Sesame Street

2008-08-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

There are actually a few good things about being in the army, which is why we joined, but here is one of them. We were able to see a Sesame Street performance for free. Yea, it wasn't on a big ol' stage, it was actually inside of an airplane hanger on McChord Airforce Base, but none of the children seemed to mind and the parents were heppy not having to spend a fortune on tickets. We had a blast. We did have front row seats, until late comers had taken over the ground in front of us. I honestly think that Haley and James had more fun then the boys.

2008-08-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

At McChord Airforce Base they have a display of old airplanes that have been refinished. They are so cool. Jakeb and Cole absolutely loved it, as well as Haley. Jakeb had to make sure that he had touched every plane before he left.

2008-08-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

2008-08-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

So, whenever there is nothing to do, or we just don't want to spend money, or it is raining, we head over to Cabella's!!It is the coolest outdoor sports store around. If you have never been to one, GO! It is so cool inside. Our kids could spend hours there. As you can tell they didn't even make it inside, all they wanted to do was to play in the boats. I love that my kids love to be outside.

Football Men

2008-08-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

Jakeb and Cole absolutely love to play ball with James. It doesn't matter what type of ball, as long as they can hit, kick, throw, or catch it, it is all good. Well one morning Jakeb decided he wanted to make a stadium, so we can watch the game. We moved all our chairs around the kitchen and sat in our seats and cheered for the team. Jake thought that was so cool.

It's 9:00, Time to get up!!!

2008-07-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

On the weekends I allow James to sleep in until 9:00, and so when that time hits, I say,"It's 9:00, time for daddy to get up". As soon as I say that the kids bolt down the hallway and start knocking on the door hoping to be loud enough to wake up daddy. When that doesn't work they barge in and wake him up, their way!

As they enter the room Jakeb says, "Daddy it' 9:00, time to get up". They jump, climb, wrestle, and torture James until he has woken from the dead. I truely believe that that is their favorite time of the day, or favorite toy to play with.

My First Movie

2008-07-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

James and I took Jakeb to see his first movie!!! We went to see Wall E. It was realy cute, a little slow at the beginning, but ended cute. Jakeb did great! He did'nt stay seated the whole time, but for his age, we are so proud of him. He was so excited because he got to have popcorn, candy, and a little soda in his very own bottle.

During the movie he had to get up to go the bathroom, for which he told everybody he passed that he would be right back and that he was just going to the bathroom. He is a talker and will talk to anybody about anything if he is in the mood. We had a great time, and Jakeb is looking forward to his next movie.

Fourth of July

2008-07-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

We had a 4th of July pancake breakfast at our church, and it seemed Jakeb and Cole were a little more interested in the motorcycle that was there than anything else.

We went to an Indian Reservation to watch fireworks, cause we heard that on the reservations you can buy all the huge "illegal" fireworks. I guess that we should have stayed away when we heard the word illegal and fireworks in the same sentence. It was crazy. People were lighting off these huge fireworks within feet of cars and people. One man almost blew up his family. Jakeb and Cole would not get out of the car. We actually did not have to wait for the show, we got a pretty good one from all the people who had no clue what they were doing. I can't count how many people, who dared to walk in the middle of the parking lot, actually got hit from a falling or misguided firework. Other than fearing for my life, it was quite fun.

It was so funny wathing Jakeb get his face painted. He was in deep thought the whole time. He said he had to make sure and stay still. I was very proud of him, he actually didn't even smear or touch it. Cole had to be held by James, but he did a good job as well, until he tried to itch it and it smeared, so off it went.

Time for Church

2008-06-25T11:01:00.001-07:00

Here are Jake and Cole right before church. It is
finally warm enough for them to wear their shorts
and sandals.

The last couple of weeks have been better,
but this is usually the reaction we get from
Cole when he goes into nursery.

Jakeb from day one has loved nursery and
asks all day Sunday(we have chruch at 1 pm)
when he gets to go to nursery.

Future Missionaries

2008-06-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

I came into the family room and this is what I saw.
Jakeb and Cole both looking at the Children's first
Book of Mormon. I was so happy.

They actually delight in the words, or pictures, of
The Book of Mormon. Jakeb's favorite prophet is
"NEHI" Yes he combines Nephi and Lehi together.

Fun at the Lake

2008-06-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

Horray, it is actually warm enough, and it is not
raining, to go play in the water.

I love to splash in the water, can you
tell I am all wet.

Cole doesn't like to be splashed as much.

I finally got my fishing pole, now if
mom would actually put the line in everything
would be great.

Come here little fishey, come bite my
pole.

I will stick to the sand and the shovel,
that way I can stay a little dry.

My favorite activity in the whole world
is to throw dirts or rocks into the water.

I am just like my older brother; I love
to throw sand in the water as well.

Future Baseball Star

2008-06-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

As you can see Jakeb is very careful setting his ball
on the tee.

I know it isn't perfect, but this is where
it begins!!

He has to hurry and swing the ball or
else his little brother will come and knock the ball off.

Here comes Cole without fail. Right after Jakeb
swings the ball, Cole comes to claim that it is
his turn to hit the ball.

Great Hit Jake, and great follow through. Wow
if we can get his hitting down and Cole's left handed
pitching controlled James and I will be set.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

2008-06-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

I love the dirt so much that I even tried to eat it!!
I am still totally cute, so my mama says.

My brother stays clean, "How do you do it Jakey"?

One of Jakeb's favorite books is, The Very Hungry Caterpillar", and wouldn't you know it he came to our house for a visit!!

Thanks dad for letting me take a look, it is sooo cool. When will it build a racoon(cocoon)?

Look mom I can touch it. This is so cool!!

GOONIES

2008-06-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

Well one of the main reasons we went to Oregan was because the movie Goonies was filmed there, and that is one of James' favorite movies. So lucky for us we just happened to stay in a hotel that was within minutes of all the famouse sites of Goonies and the movie Kindergarten Cop. We had an absloute blast from invading the Goonies' home to having people stare at us while taking silly pictures, but I am sure that they are probably used to it.

Astoria, Oregan

2008-06-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

We went to Astoria, Oregan for Memorial day weekend and had a blast. Yea, it was a BIT overcast(but hey whats what you get when you live in the northwest). For those who do not know where it is, it is the most north you can go in Oregan on the 101, right where the the Columbia River meets up with the Pacific Ocean. It is pretty amazing. There is a scary looking bridge that connects Oregan to Washington State. We visitied so many places. We first went to a beach where there was a famous ship washed ashore a very long time ago and became a permamt fixure on the beach. It was freezing, but the kids did not seem to care. As Jakeb would say, "Look mama, a big sandbox".

More Goonies

2008-06-05T16:39:00.000-07:00

Seaside, Oregan

2008-06-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

The next day we went to Seaside, which is where the Lewis and Clark Trail ends. It is such a cute town and so much fun. There were arcades and lots and lots of candy and ice cream stores, which we did not mind at all. The beach was so nice and very clean. The weather was overcast, but not as cold as the night before. The boys absolutely loved playing at the beach and did not want to leave. Haley brought a friend and we let them just roam around the boardwalk area and have fun, who wants to hang out with adults - haha. We had an absolute blast and want to go back again and again. While walking on the beach we passed several beach goers building sand castles, and one in particular was a pryamid. Passing him Jakeb said, "Look a sand triangle". Anyway I know it is silly, but it says to me that I am doing something right when it comes to teaching my children.

2008-06-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

2008-06-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

2008-06-04T21:24:00.000-07:00

The last leg of our trip we ended up going to a really cool Maritime Museum and tour the different ships that were there. We got to go on a real Coast Guard Ship(Jakeb thought that was way cool). We ended the trip with a trip to the Aquatics Center in Astoria. All Jake could talk about was wanting to wear his life jacket. On the way home we stopped at a pirate store and on the way in we passed a statue of a large pirate and Jakeb said to James, "Dad can you believe it"? James replied, "What Jake"? Jake said back to James, " We are going into the pirate's house"! Oh the mind of a child, so full of imagination.

Red Lion Inn

2008-06-03T14:16:00.001-07:00

We stayed at the Red Lion Inn, which was right on the marina that is connected to the Columbia River. We could have stayed in our room all day and the boys would have loved it. All day there were boats coming in and out.

GOONIES

2008-06-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

James and I found out that we were very close to where they filmed the movie "Goonies", and so we hopped in the car and away we went. It was a blast looking at all the many spots where the movie was fimed. We also found out that the movie "Kindergarten Cop", with Governor Arnold, was filmed there as well. So we saw all the cool spots and had a great time doing it.

Nap Time

2008-05-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

For those mothers who have had no problem with nap time, I'm sooo jealous. Jakeb used to be to best sleeper. He used to go with to bed and not a peep out of him until the morning. Thant is until he became potty trained last month. Now it takes him forever to go to sleep cause he of course has to go potty or poopy like ten times before he goes to bed. Because bedtime is so long now I get very unhappy sometimes and Jakeb senses that, so while he is sitting on the toilet for the tenth time he will grab my cheeks and say, "I want mama to be happy". Wow, how can I not just laugh and give him a big ol kiss on his cheek. He is so silly sometimes, but then after all this is the age I adore the most.

Well, one day after many trips to the bathroom, I finally set the law and told Jake to stay in his room and do not come out again!!!! About ten minutes later I hadn't heard from him in a while, so I went to check on him and I found him sleeping on the ground. At least he didn't leave the room!!

Mother's Day

2008-05-20T09:59:00.001-07:00

The Sunday before Mother's Day the nursery had the kids do handprints to give to their mom's on their special day, which was supposed to be a surprise. All week Jakeb kept telling me that he had a surprise for me in nursery, so when Mother's Day came he ran out of nursery holding his handprint while telling me that this was a surprise for me. They were adorable:):) Well a couple of days later I was trying to find a neat spot for my surprise when Jakeb saw it and started to get so excited because I found my surprise. He would say, "Look mama, your surprise. Can I hold it"? He really felt proud giving me a surprise!

Gum, Gum, Gum and More Gum!!!

2008-05-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

Jakeb is obsessed with gum. We have to literally sneak a piece of gum and we cannot let him see us chew, blow, or pop our gum, or we have to give him a piece. The other day Jake comes out chewing gum, which he got from my purse, and following him is Cole chewing the gum Jake gave him(at least Jake likes to share with his brother). Jake does really well chewing gum and not swallowing it, but Cole still likes to swallow it, so no gum for Cole!!

Bathtime in the Family Room

2008-05-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

I was in the family room changing a diaper when out come Jakeb, buck naked!!! He had dumped out all his blocks and brought out the container, climbed in, and told me he wanted to take a bath. Crazy boy!! So of course Cole wanted to do the same, so I let him, with clothes on of course.

COLE

2008-05-11T20:58:00.001-07:00

Cole was born on September 12, 2006, and what a birth it was. From beginning to end it was about 1 1/2 hours labor with no time for an epidural or pain medicine. James had just gotten home on leave from Iraq 12 hours before and Cole just didn't want to wait any longer. Cole was such a good baby. He rarely cried and was such a beautiful little boy. He has big blue eyes with long dark eyelashes. He has such beautiful eyes that he has been called a little girl at times (even though he is clearly wearing boys clothes). Now as he is getting older, wow what a handful he is. He is constantly teasing his older brother, and now throws tantrums if he doesn't get what he wants. Cole already loves sports and video games, yipppeee!! His favorite toy is James' old video game controller, and he loves to sit on daddies lap and watch baseball or basketball. At church if the overflow is open he will point and say basketball for the basketball hoop over and over again. It gets quite embarrassing. He loves to be outside and especially he loves to play in our cars. He is saying so many words like: touchdown, basketball, baseball, yellow, red, mama, dada, Haley, thank you, please, truck and many more to mention. Cole also loves animals and laughs everytime he sees any. He will just run up to any dog or cat and try to bear hug them. Cole hates the nursery or being in any type of daycare, but when it comes to playing at the park or preschool, he loves it. He is such a daddies boy and will not come to mama when daddy is holding him. It is so crazy the things he is doing now that bug the heck out of us now and a year ago when Jake was doing them. Cole is constantly shutting the door, when Jake wants it open. Cole is constantly turning the t.v. off when Jakes wants it on. Cole is constantly taking away toys from Jake and then teasing him about it. He does not like to share!!! He is our little instigator. The only time Jake cries, usually, is because Cole is bugging him. Cole loves to try and play with Jake, but most of the time Jake doesn't want to be bothered. He is a climber. He climbs on top of anything, especially daddy. Daddy is his jungle gym. He is our daredevil. He doesn't get scared over anything. We took Jake and Cole to a waterpark and Jake hated going down the slide, but Cole enjoyed it very much. Cole loves to be paid attention to and loves to be tickled, and most of the time all we have to do is look at him to get a belly laugh. Cole was a definite surprise to us when we got pregnant, but this surprise was definetely what we wanted.

Zoo, Zoo, and more Zoo!!

2008-05-02T23:22:00.000-07:00

We love to go to the zoo!!! Jakeb and Cole go absolutely crazy when they see the animals. It began with the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Wa., where we had gotten the membership because we go there so much. We then went to the Portland Zoo on Easter weekend; It was packed, but very fun. Then during spring break we went to the Seattle Zoo. It doesn't matter which zoo we go to, the children love it!!!!

Jakeb

2008-05-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

Jakeb is growing so fast. It is unbelievable what he is doing and saying. While driving home in the car tonight Jakeb asked if he can go to a waterpark, and then he asked if he could go to the beach. Where on earth would he get the idea of a waterpark, we are in Washington where every day is like a water park. He also comes up with some very funny ideas. Tonight he decided he was going to line up all his books and make a bridge and walk over it and see the ducks, and then when that was done he stacked up all his books. He loves to stack things and will try to stack just about anything. We have also been working on potty training for the last two weeks and it is unbelievable how quick he caught on. He has been doing so well especially because he gets a treat for going potty, but now he thinks that all he has to do is sit on the toilet and he gets a treat. He is also very tricky, instead of going one time he will hold a little and go twice so he gets two treats. The hardest part for James and I is nap time and bed time. It is funny how a little boy needs to go potty at least five times before he goes to bed; I guess this is the beginning of prolonging bedtime. Jakeb is also our helper. He wants to help with everything or go everywhere we go. His famous sayings are, "I help to", or "I go to". My most favorite time with Jake is when he tells me he wants to cuddle with me, even if it is right before bedtime, which is just another prolonging of bedtime, but for cuddling with Jake its alright. Jakeb loves trucks, trains, bridges, and anything you would find on a construction site. Any bridge we drive over or drive under we always have to specify if it is a car, train, or people bridge, and if we are lucky we will see a train going by. Jakeb loves to be outside, and if he could be outside all day he would. He loves to go to church because he get to go to nursery. He loves to read books and from his books he has gained quite an imagination. We read a book every night about Teddy Roosevelt when he was a boy about how he was scared of bull mooses, so now everytime he sees a shawdow he says that he sees a bull moose. It is quite hilarious.

Klingman Home

2008-04-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

When we went to Los Angeles in December I had to do a little bit of memory lane. Before we went to the beach in Santa Monica I HAD to go and see my grandparent's old house on Ocean View Drive. My mom grew up in Santa Monica and so for each vacation we would go down to LA and visit my grandparents. There are so many memories that come with that house that my emptions got the better of me. I remember so many things; the famous "WALL" in the garage, walks to Mrs. Gouches, hiding downstairs from Grandma, taking our beauty rest, the Kings across the street, walks on the pacific Palisades to go to my grandparent's favorite seafood restaurant, and just hanging out with family. I will truely treasure all the wonderful memories that were shared within the wall of thier home.

Pre-School

2008-04-29T23:31:00.000-07:00

On the military base there is a preschool type play area that I take the kids to each week. They have blocks, play areas with kitchens, puppet shows, dress up areas, sand and water tables, gymnastics rooms, and outside they have a ton of playground toys. The whole purpose of taking them there is to prepare them for preschool while having quality mommy time with my children. Each time we go I see them grow and explore more and more. Jake and Cole absolutely love it; Cole goes right to the sand table while Jake goes to the blocks and tool table area. It is a very fun time that I am able to share with my boys, and at the same time they are getting some sort of education and exercise.

LOS ANGELES

2008-04-29T22:27:00.000-07:00

In December 2007 James' mom passed away. It was a very dificult time for our family, but luckily for us we came together as a family and supported each other during this difficult time. We had the opportunity to fly to Los Angeles for a memorial for James' mom and think back on all the crazy things that she has done in her life (and for those who know her, you know she has done some crazy things). She was truly one of a kind and was a devoted mother to her children. We were fortunate to leave Seattle where it was cold and rainy to arrive in LA where it was clear, sunny, and beautiful. We had a fabulous time being together as a family. James' twin sister and her family also came out from Colorado. We went to Santa Monica Pier and enjoyed the beautiful weather, played in the sand, and went ona few rides. We were fortunate that James' step dad was able to come with is as well.

BUSY MONTH OF APRIL

2008-04-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

Well I keep telling Julie that this is her blog, but I say that to just get at her. I will be busy over the next couple weeks so I wanted to have a chance to put something on here. The month of April was very busy for the Marinelli family. It started with Haley getting started in softball and me being in the field for most of it. I am thankful for a wife who has it together enough that I don't have to worry about going away for days, weeks or months at a time and everything not falling apart. My beautiful wife Julie had her 24 (grin) birthday this month we went to the dinner and to the movies. I never knew it would be so difficult for alone time when having kids. It is great to spend time with my sweetheart and laugh about how crazy our kids are or be in awe at how fast they are growing up. Last weekend our neice Haley got baptized she is 13 and she has really blossomed into a beautiful young lady since moving in with us in November. I will be away for two weeks here in May and I will be spending the majority of June at WLC Warriors Leader Course so I could start working towards getting my Staff Sergeant while in Iraq . We hope to hear from everyone else and whats going on your eventful lives soon.