Yesterday:
Jonah: "Sorry I hit you, Ava."
Ava: "Your welcome, JoJo."

As Jonah says, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!"
Merry Christmas to all our family & friends.
We hope you all have a wonderful holiday!
~Jon, Elisabeth, Jonah, & Ava Louise

Jonah, looking at his dinner last night: "My tummy says 'No'."

Ava got a new "kitty" with carrier for Christmas from Jon's aunt and uncle. Ava was pretty indifferent to it until Jonah decided HE loved it. He even named it Suzie. So this afternoon, while Ava was carrying it around, and Jonah was longing to play with it, he was being mean to her. While I was talking to him and trying to explain to him that he needed to be nice, he replied, "But Momma, Suzie is my best friend!"

Just a few minutes ago I overheard this conversation:

Jonah: "You charge your phone every night, Dada!"
Jon: "How did you know I charge it every night?"
Jonah: "Cuz your favorite toy is to charge it!"

Today Jonah and Marcus (our next-door neighbor) were playing "Fire Engine" outside with a big wooden wagon.
Marcus was pulling Jonah in the wagon over the bumpy dirt lot next to our house, and it had been raining.
Next thing I know, Jonah landed in a puddle and was covered head-to-toe in mud!
He actually looked so adorable but a little concerned when I burst out laughing (I think I scared him).

I always like to get a "take-off" cup of coffee at the airport Starbucks before we go on a trip. This last time, when we were flying down to Palm Springs, I went ahead and got the kids a "hot" cocoa to share. Next thing I know Ava dumped her entire cup of cocoa on her Beary's head! Jonah took one look at her and said, "You're a trasher, Ava."

Out for a cruise along the Desert Shores 

Jonah (4) and Ava (20 mos) in the pool at Nana and Pop Pop's Casita. 

My friend Ian told me that there is a Chevron in town that has a sign posted:
"Not responsible for lost gas caps".
Oh, please.

Last night:
Jonah: "Mom, you wanna come in da hot tub with me and Daddy? It's cold! It's hot! It's the hot TUB!"

This came to our email today:
"This is so fun and only takes a minute. Sometimes when you have a stressful day or week, you need some silliness to break up the day. And, if we are honest, we have a lot more stressful days than not. Here is your dose of humor... Follow the instructions to find your new name.

The following in an excerpt from a children's book, Captain Underpants And the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants' by Dave Pilkey. The evil Professor forces everyone to assume new names......

Use the third letter of your first name to determine your new first name:
> a = poopsie b = lumpy c = buttercup
> d = gadget e = crusty f = greasy
> g = fluffy h = cheeseball i = chim-chim
> j = stinky k = flunky l = bootie
> m = pinky n = zippy o = goober
> p = doofus q = slimy r = loopy
> s = snotty t = tootie u = dorkey
> v = squeezit w = oprah x = skipper
> y = dinky z = zsa-zsa


> Use the second letter of your last name to determine the first half of your new last name:
> a = apple b = toilet c = giggle
> d = burger e = girdle f = barf
> g = lizard h = waffle i = cootie
> j = monkey k = potty l = liver
> m = banana n = rhino o = bubble
> p = hamster q = toad r = gizzard
> s = pizza t = gerbil u = chicken
> v = pickle w = chuckle x = tofu
> y = gorilla z = stinker

> Use the fourth letter of your last name to determine the second half of your new last name:

> a = head b = mouth c = face
> d = nose e = tush f = breath
> g = pants h = shorts i = lips
> j = honker k = butt l = brain
> m = tushie n = biscuits o = hiney
> p = chunks q = toes r = buns
> s = fanny t = sniffer u = sprinkles
> v = kisser w = squirt x = humperdinck
> y = brains z = juice

Thus, for example, George W. Bush's new name is Goober Chickenshorts. William Jefferson Clinton is Bootie Liverbiscuits.
John Kerry's new name is Cheeseball Girdlebuns!

And remember that children laugh an average of 146 times a day; adults laugh an average of 4 times a day."

Jon's new name is Zippy Gizzardsquirt
Elisabeth is Chim-chim Gizzardsquirt
Jonah is also Zippy Gizzardsquirt
and little Ava is Poopsie Gizzardsquirt
Have a great day!

Since it was Jon's b-day last Sunday, Jonah is asking everyday whose birthday it is.
So, today we are celebrating "Mum's" (Jonah's Lambie's) Birthday!
And today at lunch Jonah prayed and thanked God for "Mum's" birthday. How cute is that?!

Today on a walk:
Jonah: "I will HIT this wood and it will BREAK and it will DIED!
(then a few seconds later) Mama, will it go to Heaven or to Hell?"
Elisabeth: "It depends if it knows Jesus or not."
Jonah: "Oh. I yuv Jesus. I want to go to Heaven!"

Today Jonah and I were sitting at the kitchen table making pumpkins out of construction paper.
Jonah: "Thanks for doing this, Momma, that was weally nice of you!"
Me: "Do you know why I am nice to you Joe?"
Jonah: "Cuz you wuv me."
Me: "Yup! When we love each other we try to be nice to each other."
Jonah: "And if you died I would be weally sad."
Me: "Uh, good, I guess."
Jonah: "If I BONK you on the head you would died!"
Me: "Well, then please don't bonk me on the head."
Jonah (looking a little confused): "Okay, Mom, I won't."

Jonah, almost 4 years old:
"Mom, I have chapskick on my face from your bafroom. I was trying to get curlies in my hair like Ava's hair. Wow, Mom, you have boingy hair, too!"

Jonah: "I have a yot of work to do today."

Jon's new nickname for Ava:
"Cookie"
She's a little cookie-monster! And now she actually has molars so she can really chew them. :)

Recently (hey--it's only been a month ago) we took a trip up to Lake Chelan to go camping. We went with William & Heather, Stewart (Jon & Heather's cousin from Kelowna, B.C.) and his wife Tobi and their baby, Jacob.
We stayed for four nights and had a blast. The only problem was the weather!
But it was so nice to finally meet Jacob and spend time with our friends who also happen to be our family.
The following five pictures are from that trip.

Story time!

Tobi & Jacob campin out in the 5th wheel 

Stew and Heather taking a tour of Lake Chelan--it was so windy! 

Elisabeth & Jonah staying warm on the boat! 

Baby Jacob--Jonah and Ava's cousin--at Lake Chelan. 

We are currently without either set of grandparents and the kids are feeling it:

Ava: "Nana?"
Elisabeth: "Where's Nana, Ava?"
Ava: "In RV"
--------------
And sitting next to my sister April:
Jonah: "Where's Gampa? I haven't seen him in a yong time."

Jonah is loving preschool and especially loves his teacher Sharon. The other day when we first arrived, he followed her around for a few minutes. She was talking and didn't notice that he was following her. It was adorable.

The other night, Jonah was eating a graham cracker with chocolate frosting on it for dessert. When he saw that Jon had the same thing, he said "You got chocwette, Daddy! You're so yucky!"

Ava loves the Kitties! 

Ava's big smile! Taken Saturday at Nana and Pop Pop's house. 

"I have one more sweep 'til Pweschool."
--Jonah Brawley, 3 yrs old

Well, our little boy is growing up:
Today at the library I took him to go potty.
"Mom, can you leave? I wanna do it all by myself."

And this Thursday is Jonah's first day of preschool!
He will be attending two days a week at New Hope Community Church here in Clackamas. He is soooooo excited and asks every morning if he can go to school today.

Jonah was sitting on the couch watching President Bush speak tonight, chanting "Four More Ears!"

Jonah and Jayden "hiding" for hide-n-go-seek. 

Jayden, Jon, and Jonah at the train station--dressed up in their engineer stripes! 

My sister Jamie and her family have been here all week visiting. On Wednesday morning, Jon and Adam took Jonah and my nephew Jayden on a train ride to Seattle. The boys were all dressed up engineer stripes. When the man came through to take their tickets, he said, "What're your names?"
"Jayden."
"My name's Jonah, and this is my friend, Daddy."

Jonah learned to fetch our daily supply of water from the old pump out back. 

The "Sand Box" at the Fair, filled with corn!

Playing flutes at the Clackamas County Fair last week. PopPop and Nana took Jonah, Ava, & Elisabeth. The kids had so much fun!

It is not often that Jonah willingly shares, but today when Ava untied her balloon and it flew off into the blue sky, he reached over to her (she was crying) and said, "Here, Ava, do you wanna share my bawoon?"
I was so proud.

a silly picture of jonah! 

Jonah's favorite spot. 

Ava Louise on Sunday (17 months old) 

Jonah likes to shorten some of his words.
For example:
"Thank!" (You can figure that one out) and
"Welc!" (You're welcome)

Tonight I picked Jonah up to carry him up to bed.
He layed his head on my shoulder and said, "When I'm asleep I miss you. "

Ava has some new favorite books: Spot (he's a dog). She will sit and read the same book with us three or four times in a row. She calls him "Pot." (smile)

Recently Jonah decided that he doesn't like bread crusts. He just eats around them and leaves them on his plate. Today I told him that eating his crusts will give him big muscles like Daddy. (My sister Jamie tried that one out on a neighbor boy growing up)
"Weally?!"
"Oh yeah--Daddy eats all his crusts and that's why he's so strong."
Just then, Jon happened to walk by.
"Daddy, do you eat your cwusts?"
"Yup, I eat my crusts so that Scary Guy won't get me. And it gives me big muscles." Jon flexed for Jonah and walked outside.
Jonah's eyes were huge with awe and without a word he picked up his crusts and ate them all!
"What are you doing, Joe?" I asked.
"I'm gonna get stwong wike Daddy so I can keep Scawy Guy away."
"You have to eat a LOT of crusts to be strong like Daddy."
Hopefully we won't have to throw crusts away for the near future!

On Sunday Jonah won a door prize at the Chevron company picnic:
a karaoke machine.
He holds the microphone so close to his mouth that his version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," sounds a little too similar to Ozzie Osborn's, even though Jonah actually knows the words.

Proof that there's only two things on a three-year-old's mind:
Tonight I was telling Jonah about how Auntie Jamie, Uncle Adam, and Jayden are going to come visit in a few weeks.
"What should we do when they get here?"
"We can pway games!"
"OK--what else?"
"We can eat!"
"Oh--what should we eat?" I asked.
"um . . . how 'bout treats!"

As of yesterday, Ava knew 20 words (I counted).
Today, words #21 & 22:
"Juuuuuuuuuice" and "Orawee" (our friend Aurelie's name).
Very cute.

A few months ago, we realized that Jonah named his right hand.  Yes, you read that correctly, he named his right hand.  He was in the bathtub and had his hand in a small tupperware container that I use to rinse his hair. 
"This is Mm Mm's hot tub!"
"Who's?"  I asked.
"Mm Mm's."
"Who's Mm Mm?"
He waved his right hand around.
Then, yesterday, he was playing with his Chevron truck (Pete Pickup) and boat.  The fingers from his right hand were in the boat.   
"This is Mm Mm's boat."
Jon noticed his left hand was in the cab of the truck.
"Who's driving the truck?"  he asked.
"Mm Mm's brother!"
He should have named him "Uh huh."

Brawleyfam with Itziar this morning! 

Jonah building sandcastles with Jaden and Simon. 

Campin' out, eatin' s'mores! 

Our beach trip for the weekend. L-R:Jenni, Anna, Ava, Elisabeth, Mary, Tristen. 

Story-time with Nana and Great-Auntie Dawn: 7/22/04 

A multi-ethnic dinner! (1 Basque, 3 Canucks, 5 Yanks) 

Jonah at dinner:
"I'm firsty!
I'm firsty!
I'm FIRSTY!!!"
"How do you ask nicely?"  I asked.
"May I pweese be firsty?" he replied.

Time to wash your hair, Jonah! 

Ava and Jonah loved the water fountain!