All I Want for Christmas...

We went and saw Santa...Landin was great, although the picture doesn't show it and Ashlynn slept through the whole thing. Oh well, it was great anyway.

On The Road Again...

It was a little scary at first, but we escaped Seattle just before the worst of the weather hit. I recently learned that there is nearly 2ft of snow...luckily when we left there was only about 6 inches. It was a long trip...46 hours to be exact, but it's over and we all made it to Texas safely. We're getting settled in and Landin is loving being able to play outside in the middle of winter. The high for today was 81. Yep....81 degrees!!! Go Texas! Anyhow, here is what we left behind in Seattle...it will be missed while we're away, but if things pan out like we expect them to, we'll be back in a year.

In case you couldn't tell, the middle picture is a tiny snowman that someone had built on the dividing wall of I-5 in Seattle...I guess someone got stuck and decided to make the most of their time!

Family Portraits 2008

We FINALLY had some family portraits done this year. It's been a while since we've had them done, but we did it! They turned out great. Ashlynn is adorable (if I do say so myself) and Landin is so photogenic! Check out these few for yourself, and you can view the rest at the web link below. Use Emily Joiner as the customer name...Enjoy!

https://www.smilesbywire.com/home.asp?AC=LTPP0177113807JCP

Daddy's Girl

We were just taking random pictures and I thought that this one was too cute not to share!

And The Winner Is...

Landin has had a habit of fighting sleep since he was an infant and that is still the case today. I posted earlier that Landin has gotten onto a really cooky schedule and so I've been trying to get him back onto a normal one. I was able to do it, for a day, but then we got off track again. Well, today I tried to put him down for a nap at a normal time and he wasn't ready. I tried again an hour later, still no luck. Then, he came into Ashlynn's room where I was and said he wanted to sit in the rocking chair and I agreed. He made it half-way up the chair and fell asleep...now why couldn't he have done that in his room? Oh well...it makes for a pretty adorable picture!

Sleepy Baby Boy

So, we are on a really odd schedule. Landin has started taking naps really late in the afternoon because we are up so late with Ashlynn. Well, today was an attempt to try and get him back onto a normal schedule, however it didn't work out the way I was hoping it would. I was trying to keep him up all day (even through his worst crabby moments) and let him go to bed at a normal decent time to get him back on a real schedule...this is how it turned out (not how I was hoping it would).

I walked into the other room to start making a bottle for little girl, and when I came back, this is what I found!

Yummy Breakfast

Landin is such a good helper, especially when it has something to do with cooking. He loves to help mix and stir. He has helped make cookies, muffins, and brownies at "school", and now he has helped me make blueberry pancakes. He did so good stirring...we'll see if he grows up to be a chef!

Girl Time

Ashlynn and I spent some time together today while the boys played...

Finally, there's another girl in the house. Well, there's always been Cammie (the cat), but she doesn't count cause she just sits there. Now, finally, the numbers are even. Two boys and two girls. Hah...that's so cool!

Tummy Time

Ashlynn is growing so quickly. We just went to the doctor recently and learned that he is now 10lbs 5 oz, and 21" long. I wish she could stay little forever, but she just keeps growing. Tummy time is especially fun, when she just wiggles and makes cute noises.

Boy's Day

Landin loves his daddy! Josh is definitely Landin's hero. Landin walks in Josh's footsteps on every level (they evey look just the same). Mimics his every move. It's going to be very difficult for Landin to live for such a long period of time without his daddy while Josh is away on deployment.

Monkey-ing Around

Landin loves to climb and now loves to stand on his head! He's certainly our little monkey!!!

4 Weeks Old and Growing!!!

I can't believe that Ashlynn is 4 weeks old already. I can't remember what it was like without her, it just feels like she's been here the whole time. We have all adjusted very well to having her here with us, especially Landin. I am actually quite surprised as to how well Landin has done. He's so helpful; wanting to hold her, feed her. He watches us give her a bath, if she's crying he runs to get the pacie or bottle. He's such a good big brother, and of course, she's the perfect little sister.

At the Playground

We went to the playground at "The Village" near downtown Seattle. Landin loved it! Since he's not in "school" anymore, he loved to be able to play with other kids around his age. It's so funny to see him interact with them and how quickly he can find friends.

Not Just Any "Road" Trip

While Grandma was in town, we decided to go on a ferry ride, Ashlynn's first. Landin loves the water. The both did so good! Ashlynn of course slept, while Landin was fascinated by the water, birds and noises of the ferry. It was a lot of fun!

Can you tell the difference?

Here is a picture of both Landin & Ashlynn. These pictures are roughly when they are about the same age (2 weeks old). Can you tell who is who?

(Hint: Landin's picture is on top, Ashlynn is on bottom.)

Trick or Treat

Happy Halloween to our two little ones! Landin was "Ironman" and he was so proud. It took him a bit to warm up to going to people's doors and knocking, but he started to get the hang of it once he saw the candy coming! Ashlynn made her appearance as a little black cat but she only got a few pieces of candy since she was in the stroller the whole time, sleeping on the job! It was great though!

Big Brother

Landin finally got to meet his baby sister. He was so excited. He came into the hospital room and noticed Daddy holding something new. He walked over and we asked him, "Landin, who is that?" to which he replied "That's Ashlynn". He knew exactly who she was, we didn't have to explain a thing! He's such a good big brother. So gentle and already so protective!

Ashlynn's Arrival

Born: Ashlynn Tayler Joiner

Date: October 14, 2008

Time: 9:08AM

Place: Arlington, WA

Weight: 7lbs, 12oz

Height: 18.25in

Day At The Fair

We went to the Puyallup Fair so that Landin could see all the animals. He saw a few, but instead he was more entertained by the rides! He's certainly a little dare devil and thrill seeker. I hope that'll wear off in the future otherwise I foresee many sleepless nights! He really had fun on the roller coaster though. It was tough to get him to understand when it was time to go, but he got to win a prize at one of the booths, so that calmed him down a bit.

All We Need Is You

Ashlynn took over! After much shifting and rearranging, this is the finished product. Now all we need is Ashlynn to make her first appearance and the room will be complete! Not long now, just a few more weeks!

Sleepy Head

I think that Landin definitely gets his sleeping habits from me, however I would have to say that this position certainly has his daddy's name written all over it!!! He was a tired little boy and probably would have slept through the fall, however, I am sure glad we caught him in time before we found that out. Plus, we avoided another "Owie".