THE TINSLEY'S

Puddle Jumping!!!

2011-04-15T12:39:00.001-07:00

As I looked out the window at the pouring down rain, I thought to myself "what am I going to do to keep the kids busy today with all this rain falling from the sky???"...Then it hit me! PUDDLE JUMPING!! Puddle jumping was one of my all time favorite things to do as a kid and to this day is still amongst my finest memories. I'm so glad that I'm not afraid to let my kids get dirty, wet or fall down. They had more fun than I could have imagined! If you've never puddled jump before, it's definitely worth it! There's no dress code, rules or regulations, except to go out, explore the world around you and most of all HAVE FUN!! When we came back I had the kids PJ's in the dryer so they were nice and warm for them, it was the icing on the cake!

Busy Days Around the House

2011-03-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

FUN PROJECTS!
As of the last couple of weeks we have been thrift shopping and found some killer deals! Not only are we saving some serious moola but we are also having a wonderful time together finding new treasures. Who knew that after 13 years JT and I would find a new way to bond and enjoy our time together!

Our most expensive buy yet, but I have wanted a trunk for so long that it was worth it!

The inside of the trunk is definitely worn, but it gives it great character!

This room is slowly coming together. Eventually the couch will be different and there will definitely be things added to the room, but for now it's a good start.

This amazing chair was at Value Village for just $6.99!! It originally had a very ugly brown plaid fabric on it and the green was poking through, so after we took the brown fabric off this is what we got!

Here it is after a little shampooing. Eventually we will reupholster it, but this will do for now!

Here is the ultra cool drawer I found that I'm going to make into a night stand as soon as I can find some cheap legs.... Drum roll for the price please! Just $1.99 from the Goodwill!! What a steal!

This is a lamp that I bought for $4.99 also from Value Village

Here is my little neighbor/helper, helping me to give it a good scrubbing.. Don't mind the lady in the mirror with a serious case of the quadruple chin!

Here is the new and improved lamp with some black paint and a new shade.. Ending price for this lamp $13, not too bad, but it was definitely fun!

Sneak preview of what the lamp will look at on the table I'm going to make (minus the legs of course):

Catching a Leprechaun!!
This is the first year we have done this, and we had so much fun!! We didn't catch a little green man this year but he did leave the kids some goodies including some "gold" dollar coins!

Home Projects

2011-01-15T16:46:00.000-08:00

Lately Jonathan and I have been trying to make our house "our own" and we are slowly but surely showing progress!! I posted a picture of our bathroom awhile ago, but I recently bought a new mirror and I feel like it completely changes the look of the room so I wanted to share it with you! The 2nd, and latest, room we have completed is the laundry room!! What girl doesn't love a great space to do laundry in??? I got some ideas from theidearoom.net and one of Amy's friends blogs, and it turned out really nice. I LOVE IT!! A big thanks to my husband who worked so very hard to help me make this room how I wanted it and for all of his patience. There are still a few little things to do to the laundry room but I was so excited I couldn't wait to share! Enjoy the photos!.

The bathroom with the new mirror!

The "Before" picture of the laundry room

The "After" picture of the laundry room

The shelving unit

My cute vintage basket (from Marshall's), clothes pin (dollar tree), cool triangular jar (goodwill) and old window (mom's house)

Soap container (Ross) and basket for dryer sheets (grocery outlet)

Old washboard (mom's house), matching hampers (grocery outlet)

Another fun idea!

2010-12-31T10:19:00.000-08:00

This craft was so fun and easy! I have been wanting to make one of these for quite some time now, but have not found the right frame for my decor yet.... kind of bummed about that, but was super excited to find a frame for my mom and make her a decorative chalkboard for Christmas! This project is cheap, easy and quick not to mention that when you are finished with it there are so many things you can do! I am going to use ours for a "Honey Do List", grocery items, upcoming events. But you could make one and put it in a kids room, a play room, a bathroom, use it as a menu for dinner, and you can make it as big or as small as you want. If you needed to you could even take it with you! Sorry the picture is a little blurry, it was taken with a phone camera, but I think you get the idea :)

18 months has come and gone!!

2010-12-22T23:31:00.001-08:00

Is there anything better than watching your spouse play with your children and have the air filled with love and laughter? I think not! The picture above, is my life. They are my everything... It amazes me every day that this is what my life consists of. I am so very lucky! Not a whole lot has been going on lately, besides the hustle and bustle of the holidays. We did take Jake in for his 18 month check up yesterday and everything went very well. He is now 27lbs, 33 1/2 inches and is developmentally doing things that a 23 month old is expected to do. None of this really surprised us much, as we are well aware that he is gaining weight with all of the food he eats at each meal and the fact that my arms are becoming more and more sore as the months go on from lifting him. His pants are getting shorter so we knew he was growing and he is constantly trying to keep up with his big sister making his verbal, social and emotional level higher than an average 18 month old. What did surprise us though is how fast this year has just flown by! We have accomplished so much as a family. And while sometimes it feels like life is in slow motion and I can't wait for the day to be over, just so I can relax, I look back and think where did all that slow motion time go? It is a constant reminder to me to slow down when life is slowing down and ENJOY what God has given to me. This is much easier said than done, but in the new year it will be a goal of mine. Hailey will be turning 3 in 6 months and it feels like it was just yesterday that Jonathan and I welcomed her into this crazy world of ours. Now she's an inquisitive, stubborn, loving, soft spirited, big-hearted little, excuse me, BIG girl. Or as Hailey would tell you herself "I not a baby, I a big gurl". As much as I love watching them grow, learn new things and watching how they help me to grow, I wish they could stay this age for just a little while longer. If it is this hard watching them grow up now, I can't imagine what I'm going to feel like when they're 16! But I know God has great plans for them and they will do many wonderful things, so for that I am excited! May you have a very merry Christmas and a blessed 2011!

Winter Projects/Crafts

2010-12-21T14:01:00.001-08:00

I have been feeling very crafty and as a result have come up with some fun stuff to keep me occupied! Check out my new projects :)

This is our powder room.. our now, very blue powder room. But I love it! We are going to change the mirror out eventually, but for now, this one will do.

This is my paper wreath! I made it using a styrofoam floral wreath, hot glue gun and old book pages. Super fun and easy! And I think the end product looks pretty good too.

I recently started crocheting again, and learned how to make these flowers... My first project with them was to make headbands for Hailey. They have since been modified a little bit, but this was the original.

And last but not least, my hat! I LOVE this hat and was so proud that I made it all by my lonesome! Now all of my nieces are getting hats for Christmas :)

Things To Be Thankful For

2010-11-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I look at my life and wonder why things happen the way they do. I wonder why every time something goes wrong, my husband is not able to be with me. Why seems to be a big question in my daily life these days and I have come to the conclusion that the reason we have a big wind storm, a tree falls on our fence, our power goes out, my son wakes up in the middle of the night and I go into to comfort him by sitting with him in his rocking chair, but completely miss the chair while sitting down, then we have a small earthquake that scares me because my first thought is my children, my dog of 5 years (who is house broken) poops on my white carpet and I have to replace it, just to go into the other room and unknowingly step in a second pile of poo, then to have my daughter poop her pants, it falls out of her pants onto the floor and I drag my foot through it and then step in a pile of puke on my way to clean up all the poo and all while my husband is gone for a week and two of my very best friends have moved to other states, as well as most of my family, is because I don't let go of things the way I should. I know God is stripping me of some of my biggest support systems so I will lean on Him more. This is something that is so hard for me, but I am determined to continue every day to look at the life He has blessed me with, recognize all the good things and wonderful people I am surrounded with and be thankful. Even when I step in a pile of poo (barefoot). I know some of these things sound trivial, but one after another leads to a very trying day. But I know life is good. I have two beautiful children, amazing friends and family and the opportunity to go to school and fulfill my dream to become a nurse. Thank you to all of you who have always been there for Jonathan, our children and myself. Thank you for never judging, but being supportive, loving and selfless. Thank you for showing me how to have faith in God no matter what happens in life and reminding me that even when it feels like the world is crumbling down around us it's really just new doors opening and providing us with new opportunities, memories and the ability to take something difficult or troubling and turn it into something good. I am thankful to have you in our lives!

Bussling About

2010-10-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

These last 4 months have been very busy for us! This summer was full of weddings, softball tournaments, family reunions, birthdays, the puyallup fair and mommy being at school and getting her hunter's safety course done. This means I get to go hunting with the hubster! I'm so stoked and can't wait for some one on one time with him. He's super excited too; even got me shotgun for my birthday! I had three weeks off in August and just started back the end of Sept. for my 3rd quarter. The time is flying by and it seems like I will be done with this program in no time! I can't wait! This is the quarter I have been most looking forward to. I am in clinicals for the majority of the time and as of yet I am still in my first rotation at Western State Hospital. If you're not familiar with this hospital, it for the mentally ill and to put it lightly, there really aren't very many dull moments there. The kids and Jonathan are still adjusting to my school schedule (because it changes all the time) and to me being gone all too often. And I'm trying to adjust to not seeing my family as much as I'd like to. It seems as though everytime I'm home my husband is gone making money to support us. But together, we are working well as a team and we are so luck to have him. He's a good man. He's been staying home on his days off to take care of the kids when I go to school. It's a lot of hard work for him, but I can see his bond with the kids grow stronger everyday from it, and he can too. He's a wonderful daddy, and they love him so much! Below I posted some pictures from the puyallup fair, but hopefully I will have updated pictures of the kids that Melanie took for us soon :)

Jake and Hailey loved petting all the animals!

On the carousel... the only ride Jake could go on.

This was Hailey's favorite ride. She couldn't go on many either because she's so short, so we did some serious searching, but this one was worth all the hard work just to see her smile like she did. She rode this ride twice in a row.

Having a snack with Mimi

Jake loved this contraption with all sorts of fun stuff to bang on. He loves music!

Hailey was having a blast riding in this boat... it's funny the only rides she was allowed on were ones that went up in the air, and on water. But she could ride strapped down in a little car that went in a circle on a track, go figure.

How time flies....

2010-06-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe it's almost been a year since my last post. A lot has happened in the last year, but to sum it up Jonathan has been working hard, as usual, and occassionally getting some time to play, Hailey is as busy as ever and just celebrated her 2nd birthday, Jake is walking, talking, running and today started twirling and is getting ready to celebrate his 1st birthday, Porter is loving having the kids to play with and throw his toy for him, and I will be starting my second quarter of nursing school in a week! We found a new home church in DuPont that we absolutely LOVE! The Pastor and congregation are incredible. We have a bible study we attend on Tues nights that is on building healthy marriages/relationships so if you're in the area and would like to join us it's at 6pm and we'd love to have you :) Other than that, there's not a whole lot going on. I am planning on keeping you updated much more often and hoping to share some new things I've learned too!

I will post pictures as soon as I can so all of you can see the munchkins!

The last of the summer days

2009-09-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

Well the weather has really taken a change, but luckily Melanie took some pictures of the kids while it was still sunny and warm out :) We are so lucky to have Mels around. Not only is she a wonderful sister and auntie, but she is always willing and excited to take pictures of the family whenever we need her to! She's such a talented photographer and I'm so grateful to have her capture the memories of my children that otherwise may have just gone by the way side. I hope you enjoy her work and our kiddos as much as we do!

Below are just A FEW of my favorites...

Hailey loves giving her brother kisses!!

Relaxin in the summer sun

Something smells funny!

Life is good :)

When Jake's awake, he's all smiles

There just aren't words to describe this one.

Jake's Two Month Check-Up

2009-09-03T10:02:00.001-07:00

It completely amazes me how different Hailey and Jake are in size. I took Jake in for his two month check-up yesterday and the doctor said he looks great, which is always good news! But to me Jake is H-U-G-E! He weighed in yesterday at 14lbs. 10oz. (90%) and was 24 1/2 inches (90%) in length with a head circumference of 15.5 inches (25%). What this means is that Jake is only 3 1/2 pounds and 4 1/2 inches behind Hailey and is pretty much wearing 3-6 month and 6month clothes! Absolutely amazing.... I'm at a loss for words.

Melanie took some pictures of the kids the other day. When I get a CD of them I will post some new pictures!

The Ocean

2009-08-14T11:56:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, Jonathan, the kids and I went down to Oregon to visit my family. We only got to spend an afternoon and evening with Grandpa & Nona and some other family, but were able to spend a couple of days with Auntie Anna at the beach house! It was really nice to get to see everybody! We miss you all very much!

This was Hailey's second trip and Jake's first trip to the ocean. Hailey had a blast at the beach. She loved the ocean and kept pulling Jonathan and I further into the water with her! Jake just kinda hung out with us on the shore, but looked as though he was enjoying himself. Best of all, the weather was amazing. It was about 75-80 degrees and beautiful.

I love my sister!

Daddy & Hailey playing in the ocean!

Building a sand castle

Little Jacob was so good!

Grandpa K and the kids :) This visit was way overdue.

Jonathan's showing Anna how to practice safe driving ;)

Growing Up!

2009-08-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

Jake is only 6 weeks but looks like Hailey did at three or four months! It's amazing how each child is so different from the next. Not only has he grown physically, but he is starting to get a little personality! He's smiling a lot more lately and starting to stay awake for longer periods throughout the day. I can't wait to see what life is going to be like in a few months... It's so much fun watching them grow!

Meanwhile, Hailey has been working on her potty skills! She loves going on the potty like a big girl, we just have to work on her getting distracted and forgetting she needs to go :) But today she would stop playing and tell me she needed to go so I think we're making progress! Life is good.

July...

2009-07-31T18:49:00.000-07:00

We have had such a busy month that I thought I would do one big post of all the exciting things we've been doing! Enjoy!

A visit to GG and Great Grandpa Ando's House :)

THE POOL! It has definitely come in handy during this hot weather!!

This is our make-shift slip n' slide... A little redneck, but we love it!

Our 3rd wedding anniversary was this week! We went to Ocean Shores and had a blast!

Little Jacob all snuggled up! This is his favorite place to be, in someone's arms.

This is Hailey's new "I'm excited" face... she's so silly!

Jake's first bath.

More fun in the water... Hailey is definitely a water baby!

A visit to the station to see Daddy! (We took pics of Hailey in Jonathan's helmet last year)

One of Hailey's favorite things to do is brush her teeth!

Gardening with Daddy!

2009-07-16T13:39:00.001-07:00

Jonathan's new hobby has been making our deck garden. He really enjoys being outdoors and loves the thought of growing his own produce! The other day we got some new pots and he went and picked up some seeds, fertilizer and soil and with the help of miss Hailey successfully planted carrots, lettuce, basil, soy beans, cucumbers and hot peppers.... it should be fun to see how everything turns out. We also have a couple tomato plants and a thorneless blackberry bush, YUM!

(This was a picture of me and Hailey on the fourth of July,

I just liked it so much I had to put it up!)

GO MARINERS!!

2009-07-14T15:01:00.000-07:00

Jake, napping on the train.

Slater being a little ham :)

Domenic and Slater with homemade bull-horns!

(Don't worry, the bottles are empty and the bottoms are cut out)

Three generations of goofiness!

Domenic pretending to be shy

Jason and Kate!

Mike, Slater, Domenic and Mark

(The boys were so excited to ride the train!)

This last Sunday we went to took Jake to his first Mariners game. Unfortunately we couldn't bring Hailey because she's so mobile now she wouldn't have been able to sit still. Instead she had a fun filled day with Grandma Mimi and Auntie Katie. We took the Sounder train up to Seattle and had a blast at the game! If you ever go to a Mariners or Seahawks game the train is the only way to go! It was only $9.50 per person round trip and they pretty much drop you off right there at Qwest Field... we had a little walk to Safeco but it wasn't bad at all. We had a four year old with us and he didn't have any problme making it! The Mariners were playing the Texas Rangers and kicked butt!!!

A whole new world

2009-07-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

Having two kids has been the biggest blessing I have ever received, but it has also been the most challenging thing I have ever had to go through. At first everything is exciting, new and you feel as though you can be super mom... two and a half weeks later the dilerium, sleepless nights, napless days, and piles and piles of laundry and dishes start to catch up to you. Not to mention that instead of having one child to worry about getting hurt, fed and changed/pottied, you now have two (three if you count my husband, lol). My how the days fly by! Unfortunately I had to miss my family reunion in Oregon and another relative's wedding because I just couldn't bring myself to take both the kids on an all day outing by myself. I feel terrible that I wasn't able to make it but know in my heart it's what's best for me and the kids...

Aside from the frustration, being sleepy and never feeling caught up I am having a great time watching my children grow, explore and develop into wonderful people! I love being a mommy and wouldn't change it for anything. I never knew how much my children would change my life and each day they never cease to amaze me. They make me smile and feel such joy and happiness that I feel like I can do anything. Their smiles light up a room and no matter how bad my day is going, one look from them and all my problems seem to disappear.

To be honest, it really helps to have a great support system around me. I don't know how I would have made it these last couple of weeks without Jonathan. No matter how cranky I get, or how much I let my emotions get away from me he remains supportive, loving, forgiving and helpful. I love him! Not to mention the never ending support from friends and family. Our parents and siblings and friends have been nothing short of amazing and willing to help us as much as we need it! Thanks to everybody.

Jake's Two Week Check-Up

2009-07-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

We took Jake into the doctor yesterday for his two week check up, thinkin that he had gained a little bit of weight but had no idea he was growing as fast as he is! Last Saturday (the 27th of June)Jake weighed 7lbs 5oz and was 20 inches. Yesterday his measurements were:

Weight: 8lbs. 10oz. (60th percentile)
Height: 20 3/4 inches (50th percentile)
Head Circumference: 13 3/4 (15th percentile)

Before we know it, he's going to be as big as Hailey!!!

Meet Mr. Jacob Tinsley!

2009-06-28T15:00:00.001-07:00

On Weds, June 24th Jonathan, Hailey and I welcomed Jacob Guy Tinsley to our family! He weighed 7lbs. 12oz. and was 20 inches long. We're at home now and doing well! Jake is the perfect addition to our family and we're so happy and blessed to have him.

The newest addition to our family!

2009-06-19T11:28:00.001-07:00

This is a little delayed, but Katie had her baby Miss Lanajah June Reed on June 3rd at 5:17am. She weighed 8lbs 5oz and was 20 inches long :) Both Katie and Lanajah are doing well and settling in great! We are so excited to watch Lanajah grow :)

Fun with Daddy's Hat

2009-06-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hailey loves to play with Jonathan's hat, and today she was having an especially good time with it.

Hailey's birthday and awaiting the arrival of our little one!

2009-05-28T18:22:00.001-07:00

So my last week has been trying to play outside with Hailey as much as possible, switch her over to regular milk, working my last two days of work, trying to decide what to do with the baby's room and decide on a name for him...I know, we've been slackers and then finishing Hailey's birthday invitations and getting decorating ideas. It's been a crazy, crazy week and doesn't show any signs of slowing down anytime soon :) Not only has Hailey had a cold, but she is also getting her two front top teeth; once these come in she will have a grand total of 4 teeth! Needless to say, although most people would never be able to tell, she has had a bit of a rough week. On a good note, she is trying to walk. She will take about 3-5 steps on her own before she starts to worry herself and will sit down or start running for you before she just falls into your arms of safety. It's pretty cute for now but I think once she figures out how to go, she'll be gone... We'll definitely be busy!

I also had my 36 week appointment today. We had an ultrasound to check on the baby's fluid levels and his growth since this is around the same time I was having low fluid with Hailey. The fluid levels are great, right on track and he just like Hailey is small. The are estimating he's about 5lbs. 13oz. give or take 12oz. When we had our ultrasound with Hailey they estimated her to be about 5lbs. give or take 12oz. She was 5lbs. 7oz. when she was born... we're hoping he'll be a little bigger than she was (well actually I think JT is hoping more than me, I don't mind having a small baby at first, ha ha), but as long as he's healthy we're happy. And he has hair!! That's huge for our family :) It wasn't much but it was there! Anyway, I'll keep you posted as time goes on. I'm dialated a little bit so things seem to be on their way.

Fun in the Sun

2009-05-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend was so beautiful and warm that we had to break out the swimming pool! Originally I thought we had a blow-up pool because Jonathan said he saw one in the garage, little did we know that it was only 2 feet by 2 feet.... not a lot of room :) So Katelynn was nice enough to stop by the store on her way over and pick up a second blow up pool that was a little bit bigger and had a really neat canopy on it to keep her protected from the sun! Hailey had a blast and was absolutely hilarious; she made my day.

Dancing Queen

2009-04-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

One of Hailey's favorite things to do is DANCE! I love watching to see what her newest move is. I wanted everybody else to be able to see what I get to be a part of every day so I compiled a few videos together of her from this last month. Enjoy!!

Yummy Recipes!

2009-04-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

I have been recieving Parents Magazine for almost a year now, and just recently started paying attention to the recipes that they have in each issue... I know, I'm a slow learner. Because I have found so many great recipes and ideas for snacks, not to mention wonderful advice on healthy foods for my little ones, I decided to go online and see if I could find more recipes on their website, and I SCORED!!! I can't believe how many recipes they have that are easy, cheap and most importantly nutritious, so I had to share! Here are a couple of recipes that I haven't tried yet, but looked really good!

Penne Pesto with Chicken
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Makes: 6 servings Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 19 minutes

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Ingredients
1 large bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed slightly and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
1 box (16 ounces) penne pasta
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 package (9 ounces) fully cooked grilled chicken strips (such as Perdue Short Cuts), cut into bite-size pieces
1 container (7 ounces) Buitoni Reduced-Fat Basil Pesto

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add broccoli rabe and cook 3 minutes. Scoop into bowl with a slotted spoon and add pasta to boiling water. Cook 9 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, drain water from broccoli rabe. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Stir in broccoli rabe; cook 3 minutes more. Season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

3. Drain pasta. Stir chicken, pasta and pesto into skillet. Cook 2 minutes to heat through. Serve warm.

Makes: 8 servings Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 9 minutes
Roast: 30 minutes/20 minutes

View Nutrition Facts
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 eye round roast (about 3 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon plus pinch black pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound sliced shiitake mushrooms
1/3 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 can (14-ounces) beef broth

Directions
1. Heat oven to 450°. Brush 1 tablespoon of the oil over eye round and season with salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Roast at 450° for 30 minutes, turning over halfway through. Reduce temperature to 350° and roast for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until internal temperature registers 130° on an instant-read thermometer for medium rare. Remove from oven and allow to rest, tented with foil, 10 minutes.

2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Stir in wine and cook 1 minute.

3. In small bowl, whisk flour, nutmeg and pinch of black pepper into broth. Stir broth into onion-mushroom mixture. Simmer for 1 minute, until thickened.

4. To serve, slice the roast as thinly as possible. Serve gravy on the side, with mashed potatoes, if desired

Roast Chicken & Barley Pilaf
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Makes: 4 servings Cook: 25 minutes
Prep: 20 minutes
Roast: at 450 degree F for 60 minutes

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Ingredients
Chicken:
1 whole chicken, skin on,about 3-1/2 to 4 pounds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
12 sprigs fresh herbs, such as rosemary, sage, oregano
1 cup chicken broth
Barley Pilaf:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
1/2 cup diced carrot (about 1 large carrot)
4 ounces mixed sliced mushrooms
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup barley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
1. Roast Chicken: Heat oven to 450 degree F.

2. Gently lift skin from breasts and legs and season with the salt and pepper. Place some of the garlic slices and fresh herbs under the skin. Place remaining garlic and herbs in the cavity of the chicken.

3. Place chicken on a rack in a large roasting pan. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pan. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degree F on an instant-read thermometer. Tent with foil halfway through cooking.

4. Make Barley Pilaf: Meanwhile, in a medium-size saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add broth, barley, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add a few tablespoons water if mixture becomes too dry.

5. Allow chicken to rest 10 minutes. Remove skin, slice and serve with pilaf.

Play dates, date night and watermelon!

2009-04-23T08:08:00.001-07:00

Hailey has been so lucky to have such cute and sweet friends to play with. We love our play dates! Her second favorite thing to do is eat new foods... her latest favorite is watermelon. She absolutely loves watermelon and would probably eat it all day long if we let her.

YUUUMMM!! Watermelon!!

Hailey and Kaylee

Hailey and Miss Rachel

Hailey and Carson

Jonathan and I have been so busy with the house and Hailey we haven't had much time to concentrate on eachother, so last night we decided to go on a date to the Rainiers game. We had so much fun together, pretty much laughing the entire time we were there. The only downfall was that it was absolutely FREEZING!!! We left a couple innings early because it was so cold, so we're not sure who won, but when we left the Rainiers were losing :( But it was a really interesting and exciting game. We got to see a grand slam, and a few more home runs and great plays. We had a wonderful time.

April...

2009-04-21T11:06:00.001-07:00

Well it looks like I'm creating a pattern that I'm going to have to fix. Blogging once a month just isn't going to work. Hailey is growing up so fast and there are so many new things she is doing.

Absolutely LOOOOOVES to dance
Finally got her first two teeth on March 24th & 25th
Points at everything and says "DAT" and then tries to repeat you when you tell her what it is that she's pointing at
Prefers to eat 'big people' food and to feed herself (she's super independent)
Likes to pull everything and anything off the coffee table and onto the floor
Loves to read her butterfly book
Still isn't sleeping through the night :)
Still takes two 2hr naps a day with a 1hr nap somewhere in there too!
Loves animals
Has the best smile in the world and a great sense of humor
Hates getting dressed but loves to take her clothes off
Recently discovered that she really like yogurt, fruit, playing in the toilet and eating toilet paper, but doesn't like the way the grass feels on her skin

... I could probably go on forever...

Aside from miss Hailey, our other little one is still growing well and helping me to grow too :) I gained 14 pounds in two months (only bringing me to a total weight gain of 22lbs.) and have since slowed down since then. He is definitely a mover and a shaker though. We don't have an official name for him yet but are very close! One of my most exciting moments throughout this pregnancy was getting to take maternity pictures with Katie!

Lastly, we have a new home!!! I only have a couple pictures because we're still trying to move in, but I'll post the ones I have and then update again later!!

Kitchen

Dining Room

Family Room

Talking, talking, talking

2009-03-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

It is so much fun to watch Hailey grow up and learn new things; although sometimes I feel like the time is just flying by way to quickly. Not only is she walking along furniture and getting into everything and anything, but she's starting to talk more and more. For the longest time the only thing she would say is "da-da" to pretty much anything... that is until this week. Now she is saying "da-da" specifically to daddy or pictures of daddy, dog, which sounds more like "dach" (but in a german accent...), "up" and on a very rare occasion she will attempt to say "bye" when she is waving to someone and they have said bye-bye first.

She is such an amazing little girl with the brightest personality that I have ever seen. She has a great sense of humor, isn't scared of anything, loves to meet new people- especially babies, likes any kind of food you put in front of her and constantly wants to show you how much she loves you. We simply cannot imagine life without her.

Update...

2009-03-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting to post so that I would be able to share some pictures with everybody, but unfortunately our computer is in storage and so is our camera so I've been relying on technology from other people to help document our last month! Hopefully I will be able to post some new pictures soon.

For those of you who haven't heard yet, we're having a baby boy! So far he's twice as big as Hailey was at this point, so I'm a little scared, but super excited to have one of each! We are so blessed. Jonathan and I are going to register today for a few essential boy items and look into getting another crib (since we'll be needing two now). It's going to be so much fun shopping for little boy stuff, I can't wait :)

Hailey is doing great! She's crawling everywhere and pulling herself up on anything she can. We went to the zoo last week for the first time and she had a blast. Her favorite animals were the whales and the walruses. Every time they swam up to the window right in-front of her she screamed, laughed and starting hitting the window. It was pretty cute. She also just had her nine month appointment and is growing perfectly. She weighs 16 pounds 8 ounces and is 27 1/2 inches long. She's still little but growing!

As for Jonathan and I, we're busy with work and are also trying to buy a new house in DuPont. We're supposed to close the end of March, so I should have some pictures of our new home soon! We are very excited to have a bigger home and yard for our kids to play and grow up in. Other than that we've just been enjoying our time with miss Hailey and our families!

Loving every minute!

2009-01-30T17:42:00.000-08:00

So once again, it has been a long time since our last post! I'm hoping that at some point in my life I'm going to get better at keeping this site updated :) Our life has been busier than usual, but full of good stuff! Jonathan and I have decided to rent out our house so that we are able to buy something that will have a little more "play room" for the youngin's. We advertised our house on the 27th and by the 29th had a renter! Who knew our house would go so fast! Although it's stressful, Jonathan and I are both very excited about it. In addition to that Hailey has discovered that she loves to dance to music, she can roll to any destination she pleases, the first steps of learning how to crawl and how to say "da-da". Needless to say, she's been a busy girl... now, if only we could get her to sleep through the night. Speaking of babies, we find out the sex of our next baby on Feb. 5th! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.. I want to know now!!! Anyway, keep looking back and I promise, I will post what we're going to be blessed with :) In the meantime here are some pictures of miss Hailey...

Hailey's 6 months!

2008-12-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

In the midst of my posting last night, I forgot to tell everybody that Hailey was officially 6 months on the 15th of December! Her appointment was on the 17th and as usual, she's little :) She weighed in at 14 Lbs. 4oz., she's 25 inches long and her head circumference was 40.9cm. This means that she's in the 15th percentile for weight, the 25th for length and the 7th for head circumference!

YUUUMMMM!

2008-11-17T20:51:00.000-08:00

We started giving Hailey rice cereal last week and she absolutely loves it! She will just sit there with her mouth open waiting for the next bite... sometimes I feel likeI can't get her the next bite fast enough! As you can see, she and daddy have a great time together, eating isn't any fun unless you can get messy! Keep looking back for updates on her new foods!

So Busy!

2008-11-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

We've been so busy lately with random things, I haven't had a chance to post! Jonathan is currently in Montana, but on his way home today. He went hunting over there for deer. It's a trip that he absolutely loves and can't wait for each year. This time he got a 4 by 4 mule deer and a white tail doe, so I think it's safe to say he had a great trip! Hailey is still working on getting some teeth in so she's been a little uncomfortable, sleepy and cranky throughout the day but still manages to smile and laugh at things just as she usually does. She's also trying to figure out how to roll from her back to her stomach. She rolls onto her side and then rolls back to her back, but she's almost there! Porter's doing okay, I think he's felt a little neglected since Jonathan has been gone, but he's hanging in there :) And as for me, I've just been trying to keep up with the laundry, the cleaning, work, Hailey and Jonathan :)

Fall Pictures

2008-10-30T09:49:00.001-07:00

Well I guess I'm making up for lost time this month with all of these posts, but I couldn't resist posting the pictures that Melanie took of Hailey last week. Melanie always does such a wonderful job and these pictures are no exception! Enjoy!

Birthing Class Reunion

2008-10-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

Last week Jonathan and I had dinner with two couples from our birthing class and we had a blast catching up with them and seeing the new editions to their families, Luke and Aliya. Luke was born June 16th and Aliya was born August 19th. Hopefully we'll get to see more and more of them as the kids grow! We are so lucky to have met such wonderful people, are able to share these precious moments with them and watch all of our children meet their milestones month by month.
Luke is a true ladies man! Look at him with a girl on each arm!
Daddy's busy during dinner time. On the left are Sean and Aliya, then Jonathan and Hailey and on the far right are Jake and Luke.
Luke and Hailey always find a way to hold hands... it's too cute!
This is a picture of the three of them from biggest to smallest! Luke weighs 17.4 pounds, Hailey weighs 12.7 pounds and Aliya weighs 8 pounds :) They are so cute!

There is nothing better than little baby feet! From left to right goes Luke, Hailey and Aliya :)

Pumpkin Carving!

2008-10-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy, busy week for us! Hailey had a doctor's appointment on Thursday. She weighs 12 pounds 7 ounces, is 24 1/2 inches long and her head is 39cm. She's in the 50th percentile for height and the 25th for weight and her little head is in the less than 5th percentile. She was the smallest baby in her class! Then we visited with our cousin who came up from Oregon and came home to get the house ready for our party on Friday. A couple years ago we had a pumpkin carving party at our house and everybody really had a good time so we thought we would do it again this year... only problem was that we hadn't picked out our pumpkins yet. So yesterday afternoon we went to the pumpkin patch. It was pretty slim pickins but we found the perfect ones for us. Then we went to the store, picked up some groceries and some tables and came home to make food and prepare for company. Hailey is teething so it made it a little more difficult to get things done, but we managed. Jonathan put some stuff on Hailey's gums and that seemed to really calm her down :) Hailey missed most of the festivities but we had a great time with everybody!

At the pumpkin patch!
Daddy helping mommy pick out her pumpkin!

We wore her out!

Daddy helping Hailey feel better... She had been crying for a while :(

Time to start carving!

The girls are having too much fun! Not sure why Stacie has "earmuffs"... :)

Brian, Jeff and Kaylee are kickin back lettin the Jenny and Stacie do the hard work!

Stephanie and Carson! Carson had so much fun with all the pumpkins!

Nothing like drinking and using sharp objects to carve pumpkins.... Good thing we had some EMT on scene :)

Josh is checking out Emery's creation to get some inspiration... Cheater.

This is our family picture! Can you guess which one belongs to Molly, lol.

From left to right, Emery's, Josh B., Justin T. and Dede!

From left to right, Stacie, Kaylee, Matt, Nicole, Jenny, and then there was Molly (the one on the broom).

From left to right, Nicole, Jenny, Molly, Hailey, Jonathan, Justin & Stephanie, Jason.

The "Rainier" pumpkin is Jason's, can't imagine where he got his inspiration (See picture above) ;)

The last two belong to Justin and Dede.

Everybody did such a great job on their pumpkins and we all had a wonderful time! Can't wait to do it again next year!

OCTOBER...

2008-10-21T10:43:00.001-07:00

Well October is almost over and I don't think I have posted at all this month! In the beginning of the month Hailey and I went to the Apple Squeeze in Steilacoom. The Apple Squeeze is an event that Steilacoom has every year where you can squeeze your own apple juice, eat apple pies, fritters, butter and other delicious apple treats! It also gives the citizens a chance to set up boothes and sell some art work or share hobbies. Daddy and Papa met us down there later with Grandma Bon-Bon when they were able to get away from work for a little bit. We also had the pleasure of seeing Sarah and Jenny and meeting their little ones Sterling and Makenna. Sarah, Jenny and I were all pregnant at the same time and our babies are just weeks apart, so it was fun to have the chance to catch up! After the festivities, we went back to Grandma and Grandpa's house and visited with more family!

Just this last week we made a trip down to Oregon and I get a big "F" because I forgot to take pictures. But Hailey got to spend quite a bit of time with her Nona, Granpa K, Auntie Anna and Aunt Rhonda and on our way home she got to meet her Great Grandma and Grandpa Hess and Aunt Shari for the first time! It was a busy and somewhat hectic trip, but a good one to say the least.

On our way to the Apple Squeeze!

Me & Hailey, Jenny & Makenna, and Sarah & Sterling. The babies were worn out!

Hailey and Uncle Josh!

Hailey and Auntie Melanie!

There's nothing better than a daddy's love :)

Auntie Katie has the magic touch! Hailey was so tired and grumpy that she was fighting going to sleep, but Katie was able to calm her down in a matter of minutes :)

Such a happy baby!

Time to Eat!

2008-10-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

Hailey held her bottle all by herself for the first time today! There have been days where she will put her hands up for it, but today she took the bottle from my hands, put it in her mouth and fed herself until she was full! What an exciting day!

Busy, busy....

2008-09-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

his past month has been crazy busy for us! Jonathan was gone hunting for two weeks and was successful yet again :) This year he shot a 4 by 4 elk that weighed 400lbs! Hailey and I have just been enjoying our time together and trying to get things done around the house and play outside as much as possible. Usually Hailey and I have play time as soon as she wakes up in the morning and it has become our favorite part of the day! Hailey is definitely a morning baby and is always smiling, laughing and most alert right after a good night's sleep.

T

Pictures!!

2008-09-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

Melanie came over a couple weeks ago and took some amazing pictures of little Miss Hailey! Below are just a couple of them :) Enjoy!

Its that time of the year again....

2008-09-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

Well both Jonathan and I love this time of the year! Although it's a little sad to see the summer go, this is the time of year where the leaves start to change color, the air becomes crisp, we snuggle up by the fire at night and we get to spend a lot of time with our friends and families! Aside from all of these great things, we usually do quite a bit of fishing, Jonathan finally gets his hunting fix and I have the opportunity this year to have a lot of one-on-one time with miss Hailey.

There hasn't been a whole lot going on lately. Jonathan has been working a lot and just left yesterday to go hunting. I've been able to talk to him a couple times, and unfortunately he hasn't seen any elk yet.... hopefully he'll have better luck in the upcoming days. Melanie came over yesterday as well and took some pictures of Hailey and a few family photos too! When I get copies from her I will definitely post some of them. As for me, I've just been working, cleaning, and playing with Hailey!

Miss Hailey was 12 weeks (3 months) yesterday, and has been cooing and smiling so much lately! She loves it when people sing to her, she loves to be outside and often tries to mimic our expressions and words that we say to her. Right now her favorite word to mimic is "Hello"... I can pretty much get her to make some sort of cooing noise every time I say hello to her :) We're guessing she weighs about 11-12 pounds, is finally out of her newborn diapers and is fitting into her 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes! We cherish every moment we get to spend with her and can't imagine a day without her.

Our Anniversary!

2008-08-24T09:47:00.001-07:00

These pictures are a little late, but Jonathan and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary at a cabin that we won in an auction this spring. The cabin is beautiful and sits on the Nisqually River. We had a campfire, fished, watched a couple movies and just enjoyed our time together as a family!

The Cabin

Toast!

Gettin Ready to go Outside

Heading to the River!

Porter Takes a Break From Swimming

We Only Drink the Finest!

Roasting Mallows!!!!

Hailey's First Boat Ride :)

2008-08-07T19:53:00.001-07:00

Today Jonathan and I took Hailey out on the boat for the very first time! It was a beautiful day and we had a blast!

Hailey with her life jacket on- Not so happy.

Hailey without her life jacket off- Very happy.

Hailey's first time in a lake!

Family photo <>

Porter taken a dip!

Miss Hailey at 2mo.

2008-08-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hailey had her 2mo. appointment yesterday and now weighs 9lbs. 7oz. is 21 1/4 inches long and her head circumference is 35.9cm. After looking up her information online, I discovered that she is pretty small for her age :) She's in the 10th percentile for weight, the 4th for height and less than 3rd for her head circumference! I think she got stuck with my peanut size head! Anyway, her appointment went well with a clean bill of health and 4 vaccines (it was so hard to watch her get her shots). Below are some pictures that Melanie took for us! She does such a great job and I'm glad we have the opportunity to share them with everybody :)

Some of the pictures are from the Tinsley's annual Elk Hunting BBQ where all the guys get together and talk about the upcoming season while the ladies get to enjoy each other's company and eat lots of great food!! Stacie and I had a great time getting the girls (Hailey and Kaylee) more acquainted with each other. It's so much fun watching them interact even though the most they really do right now is stare at one another :)

Oregon

2008-07-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

Well this last weekend Hailey finally got to meet her family down in Oregon and had her first trip to the beach! Debbie (Nonna) did a wonderful job throwing Hailey a welcoming party and we really had a lot of fun visiting with everybody and catching up. As you can see, Hailey was definitley spoiled and loved every minute of it :)

Nothing like being in the arms of Nonna!

Auntie Anna helping with Hailey's bath!

Girl Time! (Naptime with Auntie for Hailey)

So comfy in the arms of Auntie Shauna

Miss Hailey with Auntie Katie, Cousin Emma and Miss Marie!

Grandpa K with Hailey

Hailey with Aunt Rhonda and Uncle Scott

Hailey's First Visit to the Fire Station

2008-06-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took Hailey to visit Jonathan at the fire station. He was so excited to have her there and show her off that the guys got together and took some wonderful pictures for us! Even Papa (Jonathan's dad) took time away from his station to come to Jonathan's station and take some family photos! Hailey doesn't know it yet, but she has every man in our family wrapped around her little finger :)

More Pictures!!

2008-06-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures of our baby girl! Hopefully as soon as she is able to be removed from her bilirubin light (because of her jaundice) we will be able to take more pictures and everybody can watch her grow :) Enjoy!

She's Here!

2008-06-17T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well after an induction and 21 hours of labor, our little Hailey Marie has arrived! She finally joined us on June 15th at 6:03am weighing in at 5lbs. 7oz. and was 18.5 inches long. The labor and delivery went very well, I had a wonderful support system both at the hospital and from those of you at home so we are grateful for all of you! I would personally like to tell Jonathan and Katie that I love you both very much and couldn't have done so well throughout the labor with out the two of you. You guys were amazing! We went into the hospital at 7am on Saturday and they started out giving me two doses of cytotec at 9am that were 3 hours apart. By 3pm my contractions were close enough together and consistent enough that they didn't feel the need to give me a third (three doses is typical). However my contractions slowly started to spread further and further apart so they started me on pitocin help get the labor going. To make a long story short, I was dilated to 4cm and was 80% effaced by 2am when the pitocin started to stack my contractions. Meaning I didn't have any time to rest in between contractions so I decided to get some pain meds that lasted about an hour and a half. Because the contractions hadn't gotten any better, I decided to have an epidural. They gave me the epidural at 4am and by 5am I was ready to push! I started pushing at 5:30am and little miss Hailey arrived at 6:03am partially by the hands of her father! Yes, Jonathan got to help deliver her, cut the cord, lay her on my chest and help me clean her off. It was an amazing experience for both of us.

Anticipation

2008-06-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

Well our wait is almost over. We found out yesterday that we are going to be induced on Saturday! Which means that our little girl will be joining us by Sunday and Jonathan will have a baby girl for Father's Day :) We had an ultrasound yesterday and she is doing all of the things she is supposed to be doing and appears to be healthy and responsive, but they are inducing me because the amniotic fluids have decreased to a point where if they decreased any more it wouldn't be a healthy environment for her to stay in. Although she they think she is going to be a petite baby (they are estimating she's in the 14th percentile for growth) she should be fine being born a couple weeks early because I am considered full term and she is completely developed. Needless to say, we are excited , nervous and anxious all at the same time. There are so many things that we need to finish by tomorrow!!! Be sure to watch for an update within the next week or so. Once we get home from the hospital, get into a routine of things and have a couple minutes I will be sure to post some pictures and a little blog to let everybody know how things went!

Awaiting Her Arrival :)

2008-06-07T10:06:00.001-07:00

My sister-in-law, Melanie, was sweet enough to take some maternity pictures for me and Jonathan last week! Here is a little preview of the pictures she took!

Ultrasound Videos :)

2008-05-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

Since so many of our loved ones live far away, we wanted to share videos of our second and third ultrasounds with all of you. It's amazing what you can see in these videos... be sure to have your sound on so you can hear the heartbeat too! Enjoy!

Update on the Tinsley's!

2008-05-27T17:19:00.000-07:00

Well life is getting exciting! Jonathan and I are expecting our first baby and can't wait to meet her~ we only have about 4 1/2 weeks to go! So far things have been very good with the pregnancy and everybody has been healthy so there isn't anything to worry about there. Jonathan has been very busy with his job and working around the house. He has been help to train the new recruits and is absolutely loving every minute of it. When he's not busy with work, he has been helping me to get our house ready for our little and trying to finish up some last minute projects in the yard. He's a trooper and I am really blessed to have such a wonderful husband! Hopefully we will be able to keep up with this page better than we have been able to keep up with most of our loved ones. Here is the latest picture of me and the baby at our friends Jessie and Nathan's wedding reception. I am standing with Sarah who has been a long time friend of mine. We have known each other since we were about 10 and did gymnastics and soccer together. Now we are both having children, and our due dates are just 2 days apart!