Tia, Dan, Grayson and Gavin Harms

He's getting so big!

2011-07-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

Gavin turned 1 in May. Here are a couple of pictures from his party:

I think he's signing water in this one with Dan!

We sure love our Mr. Gavin!

Happy Birthday little man!

Look who's 3!

2011-05-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Grayson's third birthday in April. He is getting so big, and turning into such a neat little boy. Dan and I find ourselves looking at each other with surprise when he comes up with a new way to do things, a new phrase or way to express himself to us. We are enjoying the ride to be sure!

Wall-e paraphernalia and robot parts decked the house for the party.

And one of Gavin, well, just being Gav! Few diversions are quite as fun as sticking one's tongue out!

Watch for more pics soon of Gavin's first birthday party from this last weekend!

2010-10-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...fall is here. Crisp mornings, leaves on the ground, the holidays just around the corner.

The perfect time to capture our family on film.

Here's the latest work Suzannah Kruse has blessed us with:

Is this really my family? Seeing it through a lens reminds me how profoundly blessed I am.

On a lighter note: Notice that Dan isn't sitting in the grass!

He has a thing about touching grass and/or getting dirty.

Lastly, one of us with my (Tia's) parents. I love it!

Home-made Holloween Costumes

2010-10-17T09:04:00.001-07:00

Follow these simple steps to make a great home-made Holloween costume:

Summer Activities!

2010-07-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

Gavin, Grayson, Dan and I have been enjoying the warm weather through a variety of activities so far. Walks, the pool in the backyard, trips to Grandma and Grandpa's house, BBQing, watching movies, eating cherries and watermelon, going to the park, playing with friends, and running through the sprinklers. The list goes on! So much summer fun we're having!

Here is Gavin, just laying around! One of his favorite activites. He's quite good at it!

Grayson got a hold of the camera. There are a bunch more just like this one as well!

Dan enjoying sweet little Gav resting on his chest!

Oooo, fireworks! Grayson loved buying them, playing with them in and out of the package, and of course, finally, watching Dan set them off on the 4th.

More Pictures

2010-06-03T21:07:00.001-07:00

What an awkward little kid!

Mom and Dad doing what they do best: Dad bouncing Grayson on his lap and singing that funny German song, and Mom holding "Baby Dabbin" (as Grayson likes to say)

Sleepin' and smilin'.

And last but not lease...the amazing work of Suzanna Kruse at

http://www.suzannahkrusephotography.com/

More pictures of "G and G"

2010-05-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

Gray with his toy chainsaw...sitting in a baby seat...smiling like a madman!

Baby Gavin in grayscale!

Introducing Gavin Elijah Harms

2010-05-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

Without further adieu, here he is!

Tia is doing well.

Dan is doing well.

Grayson is scheming.

Chocolate Ice Cream

2010-03-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

Growing Belly

2010-01-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

For those of you that didn't know...we are expecting baby boy number two! It's getting to where I can't hide this little bundle anymore!

It's been too long...

2009-12-14T20:43:00.001-08:00

Well, life has been busy and again we've dropped off the blog scene. Time to at least put up a few fun pictures and offer a brief catch up on what we've been up too since the beginning of summer.

Here's a great pic of the three of us in August.

A blast at the pumpkin patch with Mom and Dad Tourville.

Halloween...Grayson was a dinosaur!

And I'm sure we'll have Christmas photos soon as well!

It felt a little bit like a trip on the S.S. Minnow...

2009-08-28T20:51:00.000-07:00

I went on a float trip Tuesday! The journey was supposed to take two hours or so, and four hours later all members of the crew were shouting for dry land!

The route was 7.8 miles long along the Santiam and Willamette Rivers.

Five girls drifted on two tubes, a two-person kayak, and an inflatable surfboard/kayak.

They took along pretzels, Nutella, goldfish crackers, cookies, Capri-suns, and water.

They forgot sunscreen, a map, more paddles.

In the end, realizing that the tubes were just too slow, three people piled into the kayak and two onto the surfboard. One paddle to each craft, we waded through the water rather slowly due to the minimal current. After such a long trek we went to Best Little Roadhouse for some much needed nourishment! Mmmm...cheeseburger!

It was such a blast!

It was a farewell trip and dinner for the girls I have been leading in a small group the past several years. Great memories were made for sure!

Perspective

2009-08-05T22:48:00.000-07:00

Grayson, 10 Months old
February 18th, 2009

Grayson, 15.5 Months old
August 5th, 2009

A lot can happen in 5 and a half months!

Grayson's Dirty Mouth

2009-07-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

Some types of African parrots eat clay. The clay acts as an antacid, neutralizing the acid and poison found in some of the foods they eat.

Anthropologists also believe that cave-babies ate dirt, exposing themselves to germs and bacteria in an effort to build up their immune system.

Grayson just does it 'cause it's fun.

Watermelon on the 4th of July!

2009-07-07T22:49:00.000-07:00

The picture says it all, he likes his watermelon!

Does Grayson have a sister? Who's that cute little girl with the ponytail?

Dan makes these awesome hat-goggle things for Grayson out of business envelopes! How fun!

Guess who's almost one year old?

2009-04-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, those are teeth. And yes, he was just sleeping on his face. No, we didn't hit him.

Grayson doing his famous "growling fireman" impression.

It looks could kill!

2009-02-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

Richard Grieco's got nothing on Grayson! Check him out in his getup that his auntie Julia and Uncle Ralf got him for Christmas!

Photo Shoot

2009-01-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

The following picture is of Grayson "enjoying" a recent photo shoot. The photo was taken by the amazing Suzannah Kruse. She was there when Grayson was born, and got some incredible shots of his first moments! Check out the following link to her website:

http://www.suzannahkrusephotography.com/index2.html

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-22T18:35:00.000-08:00

It has been snowy and stormy lately, but we have been finding ways to keep entertained. We get out of the house everynow and then due to cabin fever, and here are some photos of our latest excursion.

Mmmmmm...Ritz!

2008-12-10T12:24:00.000-08:00

As promised, a picture of the teeth!

2008-11-24T16:03:00.000-08:00

Here's the money shot!

His new thing is a big wide grin that bears those two teeth brilliantly!

Always fun to play with measuring spoons!

Guess who's getting his first 'toof'?

2008-11-08T21:48:00.000-08:00

Yep, Grayson! We can't believe it! I was sitting with him in my lap during Bible study, keeping him busy, when he stuck my finger in his mouth to munch on, and there it was: something sharp on the bottom! When we peel his lip down you can see the two bottom ones in his gums, one poking through, and the next shortly to follow I'm sure! He barely lets us see it, so no pictures yet. But as soon as we can get a snap of it we'll upload it for sure!

Oh yeah, and...

Mooooo!

2008-11-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

Here's our little cow! He's a boy cow, no udders. Everyone kept asking where his udders were, but alas, none to be found on the costume. And some folks who know he's been on the light side regarding weight made comments about him being a "Skinny Cow" (the dessert?). Hmmm...But then Dan just started saying that he was veal. What young tender meat!

(Don't worry we won't be eating our baby!)

And here's a nice shot of the whole family!

The Many Moods of Gray-bean

2008-10-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

Grayson is now over 6 months old, and we think we are going to keep him. He makes us laugh all the time, and his personality becomes more and more evident each day. He can be fiesty, sweet, silly, mad, pensive and cuddly...and he switches rapidly between these moods. Sometimes he even combines them, with interesting results.

Cuddly and fiesty??? That's "Flirty".

Silly and Mad??? That's "Insane".

Sweet and Pensive??? That's just plain "Adorable".

Here are some recent photos of him:

Check out these moves!

2008-08-29T21:03:00.001-07:00

Grayson is quite the achiever these days! He's doing new things all the time and we are just eating it up. The latest is that he is rolling from his back to his front, but that doesn't over shadow his other favorite pass time of 'walking'.

He is so proud of himself with this new found ability, but it has also been quite frustrating for him once he gets stuck there and can't get away from the resulting 'tummy time'! And don't even get us started with what it has meant for naps and bedtime...big yawn from two exhausted parents.

What do you think of those high steps, the chubby knees, and the way he eye balls the camera! He's coming straight for you, get ready for a big slobbery kiss!

Family and Fireworks

2008-07-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July weekend was spent in San Francisco with Dan's parents, older brother Matt and his wife Sara, their two daughters (Elizabeth and Ruby) and Dan's younger brother Phil and his wife Darbi. (That's the whole family, minus Julia and Ralf, who live in Germany).

Altogether, that was 8 adults and 3 children in my parents' two bedroom apartment. I think the fire marshall would have something to say about that...but it allowed us all to be with each other.

That included meeting cousin Ruby for the first time, and seeing cousin Elizabeth walking, talking, and entertaining us with Veggie Tales songs.

We truly had a wonderful time, and I think Grandma was in heaven with three little ones to hold. Christmas should be a blast, when we will all get together, this time with Ralf and Julia as well.

Cousins

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

(From left to right) Elizabeth, Grayson, and Ruby

Celebrity Photo Shoot

2008-06-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

Tia and I doing our best to look like celebrities. (Goofing around with some wigs)

Wiggles!

2008-06-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of the day: I've been fed, I have a clean diaper on, and I'm kickin' up a storm!

2008-05-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

"Uncle" Erik was able to make a brief visit to meet Grayson. They hit it off right from the start, as can be seen from the photo.

And the rest of the photos are just for fun! His personality is really starting to show!

This Weekend

2008-05-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

Erin and Brad Jensen, our friends from college, brought their son Carter down for a visit this weekend. We were worried that our sons wouldn't get along, what with the huge difference in age (Carter 7 weeks vs. Grayson 2 weeks). I mean, what would they have in common, what would they talk about?

As it turns out, both of them enjoy sleeping alot, pooping, and feeding every two hours. An as shown in the photo, both sleep with their mouths gaping open, catching flies while they catch some z's.

The other photos are Tia and Grayson in the nursery, and Grayson having some "Tummy Time". This time is supposed to help baby develop stomach muscles, neck muscles and control, and prepare them for crawling. Grayson just slept. Oh well, maybe next time.

The Stig

2008-05-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

Look out on the streets!

Here comes the next Stig! He's like his Dad already and loves the TV show Top Gear. At least he seems to based on how much he loves this outfit Stephy and Abbie gave us for him (since he's a bit young to be watching the tube just yet)! It's still a bit big, but he'll be fitting into it perfectly before we know it, and driving will be soon to follow I'm sure! Does anyone have a racing helmet for an infant...I think his head diameter is around 10 cm!!!

Grayson's Eyes

2008-04-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

Despite what the previous photos have shown, our son does have two eyes. They are located right behind his eyelids, and only come out to play a couple of times a day. When they do, they melt our hearts.

Presenting: Grayson Paul Harms

2008-04-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!! Grayson Paul Harms entered the world on April 19, 2008, at approximately 2:24 pm. Tia did such an amazing job, and we absolutely adore him. He weighed 7 lbs, 11 oz at birth, and was 20.5 inches long. He doesn't know many tricks right now, but we are teaching him all about passing gas, feeding, and hopefully...sleeping.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and phone calls. We appreciate all your kind words and help.

Tia and Dan and Grayson!!!

Going to the Birthing Center

2008-04-19T05:36:00.001-07:00

Well...the day has arrived. We are going to induce this morning (April 19th, 2008) at 6:00am. Please continue your prayers as we head out on this amazing adventure!!

Dan and Tia and Grayson!!

No Baby Yet

2008-04-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

He's still in there...sinking lower and lower. We're praying for Wednesday, the day Dan turns in three jobs he's been working on. Any time before that would make it rather stressful for both of us. So here I am, big as a house, my calendar cleared since it could be anytime, hoping that come Wednesday as Dan hands in that last report, I'll fly into labor and have the baby that night! Well, wishful thinking anyway...
Come what may, we'll keep all posted as we know more. Doctor's appointment Thursday morning, at which time, you bet I'll be making an appointment for my inducement if he hasn't arrived by then! We're getting excited to meet you Grayson!

Logger Men

2008-04-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

Dan and my Dad played logger men the other day. You see...my parents live on 2 acres that used to be surrounded, first by sheep, and then later, Christmas trees. I used to love watching the helicopter come and pick up the bundles of trees each year as they prepared for tree-selling season! However, the helicopters have long since stopped coming and the trees have grown into monsters over the last ten + years. Dan and Dad guesstimate they're about 40 ft tall now, and based on my view from the house as they worked, I would say they're right. I stacked my Dad, 6'2", head to foot with my fingers and squinty eyes from way up at the house, and bet that about 6 or 7 of him tall would surely match the height of those trees. So putting them to the best use possible looks like: firewood. If you need any, give us a holler!
When they were finished Dad rode the tractor back over to the neighbors, and Dan came walking back to the house in a suit of mud! I can't believe I didn't get a picture. (They have plans to tackle more tree falling in the future, and you can bet I'll be ready with the camera then.) He was head to toe, glasses and all, covered in red clay mud. Fabulous! Fingers and toes completely accounted for after all was said and done, and they said they owed it all to what they'd learned from the guys on Ax Men! So there you have it, a good day's work as logger men!

Corteo!

2008-03-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

Dan and I went to Cirque du Soleil's Corteo this past weekend with my parents! It was truly indescribable, as any of their shows are. I don't know that I could choose a favorite act considering that each one was so unique and amazing. We had such a good day seeing the show and spending time with people we care about very much. Thank you, thank you Mom and Dad for your invitation and generosity!

Getting close!

2008-03-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

This is the first of many bloggings, we hope. We have finally decided to get on the BLOG train and keep everyone updated in this manner...in addition to other e-mails. It will also facilitate sending photos of our baby to all of you, once he is born.

Until then, enjoy this photo of Tia, with only three weeks to go!