The Vontastic 4

It's Snow Fun

2012-01-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

So the snow has arrived with a bang. It started an inch or two on Sunday where we got sent home from church after the first hour of Sacrament. It was super beautiful to see the trees with a dusting of snow on its branches. It's a perk about living in a State that actually has seasons.

The kids had no school Monday for MLK day and were glued to the windows watching the snow flurries come down in batches. It was so light that we didn't get much and I didn't let the kids out to play as there just wasn't enough to play in. They weren't too happy with me.

Tuesday Jeff got the day off for inclement weather and the kids had no school. Again we only got a few inches and there really wasn't that much to play in. The kids were super ready at this point to play in the stuff they were seeing. Neither Jeff or I had a desire to go out in the snow and freeze.

It wasn't till Wednesday when we got hit hard. No school again for the kids and Jeff got to stay home. We got at least 6-8 inches of snow. We had a nice little play patch in the backyard and the kids were let loose to play. They played till they got numb and cold and then it was time to come in. Megan attempted to make a snowman but had a hard time getting the snow packed tight and the head kept crumbling. She was a bit frustrated with the process but was glad to have made something. She said it was too cold to be outside.

Andrew started out trying to help Megan but got bored and would rather just play around in the snow. It was fun having the feel of the texture of the snow for him. He got super cold and red little cheeks but had a great time.

Thursday and Friday Jeff has gone back to work but the kids had again no school. They have had no desire to go back out in the snow and are happy to stay inside and watch the beauty. As the snow starts to melt at times we are getting ice. Rain is falling and creating some melt but then some ice. Our cars are packed over and I couldn't even get the doors open if I wanted to. It's gonna take some chisel action to get that snow/ice off.

We were without power for about an hour yesterday morning and then for several hours from 3:45pm till after 8pm. We also had a few flickers of it going out but then back on 5-10 minutes later. You never know how long it's gonna last. We've had it really pretty easy as some still are without power and have had none for at least a day. We are just stuck home happy to be together and trying to enjoy the beauty of nature.

Lights & Gingerbread

2011-12-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

This year Ken and MarGene had a great idea to hit up a new attraction for us. It's called Fantasy Lights and it's set up in a park. You drive through a few miles of lots and lots of lights. They came over and after a quick bite we headed out.

It was really nice to stay in the car and stay nice and warm. They had a very impressive set up and we were super excited to go. They have the system all set for how to drive through and there was tons to see. Megan and Andrew were glued to the windows and really loved every minute of it. We had the Christmas music playing and just enjoyed the hard work to set it all up. It really is the way to go to see something like that.

After the fun lights Grandma brought over a gingerbread house to help the kids decorate. We've missed doing this for the last few years and were super glad that Grandma thought to include us. Andrew wanted it to look just like the box, while Megan did a few free style decorations. Both kids had a blast and were really happy to get the chance to decorate with Grandma.

Giving Thanks VoFo Style

2011-11-30T08:13:00.001-08:00

After 14 hours of driving through the night we finally arrived in Salinas for our family get together. We were a bit tired but safely arrived and ready to have some fun.

I think all of the family was excited to see each other and ready to makes some plans to lay out the trip. We quickly unloaded and just relaxed after settling in and visited with one another. It was nice to have some down time and catch up with everyone.

The kids wasted no time getting into play mode. They could careless about the talking and catching up. They just wanted to show off toys and get down to playing.

Pretty soon the house seemed to be busting at the seams with running children that couldn't contain themselves. Laurie had a great idea to take us out on a hike to burn off a bit of energy. The kids loved being outside and we all worked up a sweat climbing a tough hill. It was great exercise and definitely got the wiggles out.

We spent a lot of in between time just playing and enjoying being together. We also stuffed ourselves with Laurie's hospitality. Never a shortage of food or fun times at that house. We had a few rough moments being so close together in a short period of time but really I thought the kids did great with each other. I was really thankful for Laurie and Jared letting us come and storm their home with our craziness.

We got to see our new niece for the first time. Lilyanne is super cute and we all wanted a chance to hold her. I think Jeff was the most excited and was sad that Lily didn't bond with him right away. She had to warm up to us for sure. We were four new faces all in her space and she wasn't having it at first. A few days in though and we were accepted family and all was well.

Thanksgiving day we were all packed into Laurie's house and busting down the walls again with our mayhem. The kids stayed entertained and I thought all went well. The food was as always super delicious and you can't beat time with family. We can just be a very large and loud group at times.

I think my favorite part was making rice crispy treats for the kids to decorate. They were so creative with some of their designs and really everyone got into the spirit. We were pumping those treats out in style. After our big Thanksgiving meal we headed out to a local shelter to pass out our treats. This is a VoFo tradition that has really grown on us. I have to say the kids get better every year. They were really really awesome passing out the treats and I was just really impressed with their spirit of giving. The whole experience this year made me a bit emotional to see how far we've come and how much we have all grown.

With the kids being so good we even got to fit in a little Papa and Grandma gift giving to the grandkids. They were all super excited for this part of course. They were all well behaved for the exchange. Jeff got to pass our the gifts with his own little flair and the kids loved it.

This of course created more chaos and fun. The kids loved playing with their new toys and sharing. The house was a buzz with all the merriment. We even got to fit in a spend the night with boys and girls. I can't say it enough the kids were all just super good.

My little family even got to spend a day with my Dad while we were there. It was fun to see him and catch up on what is new in his life. He has a new dog "zip" that the kids loved getting to know. We also went out to my brothers place and got to play with all his animals. I think this might have been a huge highlight for them.

I was glad that they got the chance to go. We are even talking about letting Megan go spend a summer with them in the next couple of years. She was all a glow just at the mention of getting the opportunity. I'd love for her to go and see how I grew up and stay connected to my roots.

We got to see the new Muppet movie, go out to pizza, and hit up the Hartnell Basketball game. It was all so much fun. I know I really enjoyed myself as well as the rest of my family. We just packed in as much as possible. Since we only get together once a year we had to make it all as special as we could.

I loved seeing everyone and doing all the things that got planned. I miss living all together in the same place but I really think that our gatherings are just all the more special from not seeing each other all the time. We get to hold a special place in our hearts for each other till we meet again. There is always plenty to talk about and lots of laughter. I cherish these moments and am blessed to get the opportunity to share them with those that I love. They mean a lot to me and I'm so thrilled to have them all in my life. A huge Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!

Halloween Hayride

2011-10-31T16:36:00.001-07:00

We've had a low-key Halloween this year. We've had a bunch of other life stuff going on that before we knew it Halloween was here. Jeff had an emergency gall bladder removal and I've embarked on my long awaited braces. It seems like one appointment after another. You can't stop time so we celebrated in a small way.

We ended up recycling costumes from last year. These ones still fit and the kids actually were excited to wear them again. We figured why not get another use out of them since the kids were willing. We started our day with a little trunk or treat action.

We were a small little group of families kind of spread out but were super happy to be there. The kids love trunk or treat and had a great time taking a few laps. They even got a bonus donut from the bishop that they stopped to enjoy while handing out candy for us. This was 10am on Saturday so we soaked up every minute.

We had a few options to fill the rest of our day and kind of went back and forth or what we wanted to do. We ended up deciding on this free Tractor & Truck event. Once we arrived we got to go out on a hayride. It took us around this beautiful lake with stunning views. The air had a crisp bite to it and we enjoyed bumping around.

The kids each got a free pumpkin and time to decorate it any way the wanted. Both kids loved getting creative and putting flair to their own special pumpkin. We spent a bit of time in this area just let them have a good time.

Next we were off to explore at least 20 or so tractors, trucks, & service vehicles. It is so funny to watch the kids explore. They love to honk horns, turn on lights, and touch everything within reach. It amazes me that nothing gets really broken with all the exploring going on. Andrew was thrilled to see the firefighters. He told me during parent teacher conference for the first time that he wants to be a firefighter when he grows up. He had a great time talking to them and letting them know that he was going to be one of them someday.

After several hours we ended with playing at their play park which was new and different for our kids. They could have spent several more hours there but it was beginning to get dark. We ended our night with some good ol' Mcdonalds and a family movie at home. We are kind of curious to see if we get any trick or treaters tonight. In the past we've gotten one or none. I'm sure the kids would love to pass out some candy so I guess we'll see what we get. A big Happy Halloween to all our friends and family. I hope you have a great time.

Party at the Big Tent

2011-09-06T14:52:00.000-07:00

Since we've successfully started the new school year to great results we decided it was time to take the kids out for some fun. We got a special phone call last week saying that Andrew's 1st grade teacher was super impressed with him and that his behavior is excellent. She even went as far as to say that he behaved better then some of the other students in the class. This was awesome news and made us all so happy to hear.

We just happened to get a flyer in the mail that the circus was rolling into town. The kids LOVE the circus and always have such a great time. This was the perfect opportunity to award them for being such good kids.

We even got to get in early and go down on the floor for some hands on fun. We explored and had a great time. The kids loved this up close feel of what the circus is all about. Even though they liked it they wanted to find their seats early so that they were ready for the main event.

Andrew was glued to the arena the whole time. He was so fascinated by everything that he saw. He loved the clowns and he gave them lots of laughs. Every time I looked over at him he was watching everything going on and hardly blinking. He ended up getting something in his eye that bugged him but that didn't stop him from enjoying all that there was.

Megan was equally loving the circus. She watched with a casualness and took it all in. I think she said she liked the clowns the best of all that she saw. There was one young clown with spiky hair that she loved. Whenever he came out she sat up and took special attention. It was nice to see them have such a good time.

Jeff and I loved the magic tricks the most I think. There were super cool and we are still wondering how they did some of them. There were tons of stuff going on and a lot of new acts we've never seen before. It was a great variety and a ton of fun. We had a great time and I'm glad we decided to go. We almost passed but really wanted the kids to have something fun since they are having such a great year. Let's hope the trend continues for the rest of this school year.

Let the school year begin!

2011-08-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

We have finally made it to the first day of school. It is the official end of summer vacation. My kids couldn't be more excited. I think we've been ready for about three weeks now and they've been counting down the days.

We have a new schedule this year to get used to. School doesn't start until 9:35am and goes until 4:05pm. It's crazy and was a little weird to have everything shifted in our day. Megan was up at 6:20am with those 1st day butterflies. She had plenty to time to get herself ready. Andrew was up shortly after her at 7:15am but dragged a bit. We had so much time on our hands this morning it was funny. It may take us a few weeks to be in a nice routine.

As we headed to the bus the kids were filled with excitement. We got to chat it up with one of Megan's old classmates while we waited at the stop. It was only the 3 of us waiting which is a small amount compared to the usual of 8. The bus came right at 9 on the dot which is our pick up time and things fell into place perfectly.

I headed out to pick up the kids from their long first day of school and ended up waiting and waiting and waiting. Their bus was an hour late!!! My cell phone died while I was waiting and I heard other parents trying to call and just getting the voice mail to both the transportation and school. In the end the bus finally came and found out he was delayed on his route at another school which put him behind. He promised not to be late in the future. He was so prompt this morning that this was too crazy.

Once the kids got off the bus Megan was super happy. She loves her class and had an outstanding day. I got the play by play of what she did and who she hung out with. Andrew said he had a great day but hated waiting for the bus. It made him tired to wait so long. His teacher reports that he had a perfect first day!! Since he is in regular mainstream 1st grade I was nervous we'd have an adjustment period but we are off to a great start. I'm super excited for this year and can't wait to see them grow.

Water Works

2011-08-19T14:22:00.001-07:00

We have had a great summer and have spent much of our time playing in whatever water source we could find. The kids look forward to our outings and they've become a must for us. Once school let out we quickly found that a happy house is one where the kids get to go out and do something for them at least three times a week.

We started small as the weather wasn't really great. We have been to the library a number of times and Megan received her award for completing the summer reading program. She made an effort to help Andrew but he never was patient enough to sit and listen to her read. It didn't take long before we wore out the library and the kids were ready for something new.

We hit up a few new play parks which the kids enjoyed. Anything outdoors really was something fun for them. The beautiful landscapes and awesome summer weather just invite you to linger outside as long as possible. We took every advantage possible to us.

This year we added a wading pool and the lake to our outings of fun. The kids loved both places as much as the old places. I think their absolute favorite was the lake. This is a bit far for us to travel and takes more planning on my part but they love it.

We had some hot beautiful weather which made all the water nice and refreshing. The kids loved the ice cream truck guy that would come around. Those little ears could pick up the music they play anywhere. Andrew felt super special for such a nice treat while having so much fun.

We had a few kind of cloudy days where is was warm but not hot really. The kids still loved the water wherever we went and sometimes got a little chilled when it was all done and they were wet. On those very few days we hit up good ol' 7-11 for some specially made hot chocolate. This was Megan's favorite part. She loves feeling all grown up with her own cup that she helped make. She is a fan of hazelnut creamer.

We still have 12 more days of summer left and it feels so far away. They are at that tail end where they don't really want to make the effort to go out but don't want to stay home either. We are still determined to squeeze out the last bit of summer but find ourselves ready for school. We've already gotten the new clothes and supplies so all we need now is the time. It should be a fun year and we can't wait to see what it brings.

Happy #7 for my little man

2011-08-11T11:11:00.001-07:00

Ahhh seven years ago today this handsome little guy came into the world and our little family. He has always been such a cutie and we've loved seeing him grow.

Yesterday the kids and I had a great time looking back at all of our family photos. It was funny to take out Megan's baby book to find it completely full and all her. Then I took out Andrew's and found his only a quarter full. I kind of got nervous wondering where all of his pictures were. I guess I did the typical 2nd child got shorted thing and never filled the book. Since when he was born we switched to digital camera his stuff is mainly all on Cd's.

All three of us were giggling as we sorted through the Cd's and looked at the kids growing up. I sometimes forget how little and cute they were. As they get bigger and take on their own personalities they change physically in their looks as well as mentally in their maturity.

We decided to let Andrew rule the day as we celebrated a bit early with Jeff home. Andrew loved being the king and getting to call the shots. We gave him several options as to what we could go out and do. He picked another round of mini golf. As our last outing wasn't exactly stellar I was a bit nervous but this was his day and his pick. It's tough to have a party since he has a summer birthday so we just do our family thing and he loves it.

Both kids did an amazing job and were super good. It was fun as we played 36 holes in beautiful weather. At one point in our games each one of us got a hole in one. I think that made Andrew's day he loved his "hole in one" hole the best except for the water feature hole. Both kids showed their maturity and how big they have really gotten on me.

After our 36 holes we headed out for an early dinner at our favorite place, Red Robin. Andrew downed 2 bowls of mac n cheese and still had room for a bday sundae. They gave him balloons and he happily shared his treat with the family after he had his fill.

Later that night we also celebrated with our own chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. This was a must for him. He asked for it several times leading up to the celebration. He made sure we all knew what he wanted. He had plenty of sugar for his celebration.

Megan also helped him with her own party celebration. She made up several party games for them to do to make him feel special. Pin the tail on the cat was their favorite but they also tried limbo, hide n seek, and laser tag. She really wanted to put her own spin on his day and he was happy to let her. We had a great time celebrating his birthday and he loved being in charge. I think he has felt like a king for several days now. Since today is his actual birthday we've already had his special hot chocolate and we are planning lunch now. I love to see how far we've come and what a special little guy he is. I'm so blessed to have him in our family. I can't wait to see what we do next year.

Tee Time

2011-07-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

We have this miniature golf course that you can see from the freeway on the outskirts of town. We probably pass it around once a week and we've always said someday we are going to try that place out. Well we had a sunny weekend and time on our hands and as we passed by we decided that it was time to try it out.

This place has four different 18 hole courses to choose from in a pretty small space. I was really surprised when the lady said we had our choice of the four. Our deciding factor was which course had the least amount of people on it. That way we could take our time and have fun. This place was not exactly the best of set ups. In comparison to the other course in town this one was not very well done. All the holes were pretty much the same. They were very short and crammed into a small space. We had to go hunting for a ball or two as the fence wasn't so good either with huge gaps at the bottom just perfect for the ball to sneak through.

Andrew really enjoys playing. He listens to Jeff's advice and tries the practice shots but would rather just hit it and redo the shot if needed. He is a fan of the scoop shot where he scoots the ball along not actually hitting it. It was fun trying to tell him to hit the ball. He also is our switch hitter, he couldn't decide if he was going right handed or left. I think he started right and after a few holes switched to left. He could make a hole last forever if we let him. Never once did he complain and he had a great time.

Megan on the other hand is so competitive that if she isn't winning or doing as good as her Dad then she isn't having fun. It's one of those slow type of meltdowns where she gets quiet at first, then you start getting the stink eye from her, then if you try and say anything you get your head bitten off. I think this is our second mini golf outing as a family and her second meltdown. This is not her sport. She gets so into it that she feels if she muscles the ball it will do what she wants but of course it only makes it worse. It was a great time for one child but not so fun for the other. I don't think we'll be going on this type of outing again anytime soon. Some things just need some time and this is one of them for us. Since Jeff loves to golf I hope that we can go again in the future.

Street Fair

2011-07-22T14:53:00.001-07:00

Last year I heard about this special event that happens in Kent each year. It is called the cornucopia days with a whole variety of stuff to do. I was very intrigued so I've been on the lookout to find when it was coming around again. I of course found it and we hit it up the street fair portion.

We got geared up and headed out. The kids had a great time and hit up every booth giving away free stuff. They each had a sack in my backpack that we added to frequently. They loved the booths that had the spin the wheel to win a prize. I think we made sure we went to all of those.

It was a great way to spend an afternoon. We didn't see anything that really caught our eye to buy and later had a few regrets for not getting this cool little cup that turns any liquid into a slushy in seconds. We totally forgot about it till we were half way home and then remembered we wanted to go back to that if we hadn't spent our money. Oh well....

It was fun and something different for this crew to do. I'm glad we went, we had a great time.

How low is your tide?

2011-07-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

So I found this low tide exploring thing in the area and didn't want to pass it up. I don't think my family was really thrilled with the idea but went along anyway. I sometimes find some weird things to do and some are great hits while others are for sure misses.

I am please to say that this was a big hit. The kids absolutely loved exploring the tide pools on the beach. They had some touch tanks to look at and guide charts to help us figure out what we found.

We started our adventure with the touch tanks. The kids got to get up close and see the critters. There was an expert there explaining to the kid what they were seeing and proper handling of the marine animals. They were glued to the lady and loved to see what she had but really wanted to get to the exploring.

After listening to the rules we quickly headed out to the beach. It was a huge low tide and I think it was said to be the lowest tide of the year. The kids started to get dirty right off the bat and didn't like walking in the sludge but loved what they found.

We found a jelly fish, different star fishes, seaweed, and a bunch of crabs. They loved turning over rocks to see if they could find something new. We explored all the different tide pools we could find and got nice and dirty.

It was the perfect day to be out having fun in the sun. It was nice to be all together as a family. Summer has been a bit slow for us in getting ourselves out to do different things. We have mainly been hitting up the library for the summer reading program so getting outside was huge for us.

I didn't hear any complaining except the dirt. It was something new that we haven't ever done before and they were really into it. It is super nice to plan something and have such great success.

We loved our day out and hope to have many more outings to fill up our summer. It is such nice weather it's tough to stay indoors.

Boom Pow Bang

2011-07-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

We had the most excellent 4th of July weekend this year. We hit up a few movies as usual and then we started with a little at home family fireworks with just the 4 of us. We missed this last year with just bad planning so the kids were excited to get back to the hands on.

My original plan was just a few at home fireworks with the basic sparklers and fountains. Jeff had a similar view with a twist. Since he was in charge I let him get what he thought was best and went with it. For some reason I was on edge about lighting our own fireworks this year. Not sure really where it came from but it was there and bugging me.

The kids had a blast. The sparklers were a huge hit as always. They loved being able to hold them and felt very involved. We went though half the pack right in the beginning and the kids didn't want to stop. Next came the show part that Jeff had envisioned. He tried to buy all fountain type stuff that made little noise but as we found out sometimes the labels can be a bit misleading. We had a few that made a ton of noise and some wild shooters.

Andrew love the jack in the box that was a fountain and it shot out different little color orbs. He talked about that one to almost everyone that he saw. It made a big impression obviously. Megan loved it all. We did just enough to get them satisfied even though they would have loved to do more.

Next up came a surprise visit from my Aunt Debbie and Uncle Ed. They were here in WA about an hour away and decided to swing by. We had a great visit and I loved getting to see them. Wish it could have been longer but I'll take what I can get. They kids equally enjoyed their visit and have talked about them for the last few days. Thinking we may need to figure out how to get a Calif trip in soon.

Last but not least we hit up the grand finale --the fireworks show. There are a few options to choose from around here and this year we had a bit of a debate. We were going to try something new but decided against it. There is a local church group that uses the fair ground here to put on a concert and fireworks show. We hit it up last year and had a great time so thought we should go with it for convenience.

We arrived really early, almost too early for fear of getting a good seat. We had nothing to worry about on that front so we had some time to kill. The kids went on a few bounce houses and there was a few food vendors open before we took our seats. The family passed around the ipods and we played some games while we waited. Soon the concert started on the stage and we rocked out. In truth last year the show was a lot better. It seemed to have gone a bit down hill this year but still entertaining.

We got to honor the service men & women which is always a plus. I think it was the pastor of the church group gave a little history lesson that ended up being a bit more church driven then in the past. After waiting several hours the 20 minute show finally started. Everyone was glued to the sky and it was all very beautiful. It was a great reminder of our freedoms and we all enjoyed ourselves.

End of the Year Field Day

2011-06-17T15:08:00.000-07:00

Field day is finally here and that is a sure sign of the end of the school year. I was a bit hesitant to volunteer this year as last year wasn't that fun for me. I had the sling shots and it was very chaotic and dangerous at times. Megan really wanted me to go so since this is for them I signed up. I was determined to be the squeaky wheel if they gave me an activity that I didn't feel worked for me.

Andrew was actually really lucky this year. Since he attends both a mainstream kinder class and a special ed class he got to have 2 field day. I volunteered for both days and they have been great fun. In addition to the field day fun, since he has a summer birthday they selected his kinder field day for him to bring in birthday treats. He requested chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting. He is definitely my kid!! He loved decorating them with sprinkles and had a blast getting all the attention from his class.

I started my fun with Andrew on Thursday. This was just the kindergarten classes. They had the field to themselves. I drove the kids to school and stayed to help in the class before the actual field events started. It was kind of nice that I did since she really needed some help. It seemed like a flash before we headed outside. There were only a handful of stations but still they had a blast. The volunteers got to really just roam around and follow their kids. We didn't get any station assignments for this day. I hung out on the grass for the most part and covered a few activities there. Andrew was hooked on the bubble station and spent the bulk of his time there. He was super cute and I loved watching him have such a great time with his peers. I even got to stay and have lunch with him and his class. After lunch I was relieved of my duties and headed home.

Today was field day for the rest of the school and that included the special ed. So both my kids enjoyed today. As we drove in, both Megan and Andrew were excited for all the fun. Megan gets class money and we made gooey butter bars for the teacher to auction off. Our kitchen has been churning out goodies all week. She was super excited to bring the treats. She said almost all the kids she talked to were going to buy one. She loved the attention let me tell ya.

I helped the kids to class and then headed to the gym to get my assignment. As I stated early I was a bit nervous but it turns out it was all for nothing. I signed in and learned my activity was the "minute to win it" station. I was paired up with another adult. It turned out to be the other Megan's Mom so that was funny. We had 3 challenges that the kids could choose from. There was taking a spaghetti noodle in your mouth and with no hands trying to string on 6 penne pasta noodles, stacking 4 or more dice on the tip of a tongue depressor that is held in your mouth, and then bouncing a pencil on the table to land it in cups. It was a great station and lots of fun.

The kids of course swarmed around and no one wanted to form a line or listen. It is to be expected for their ages but I tried to crack down and form order. At first the kids liked being timed but as they couldn't master it started to get frustrated. We quickly adapted and just let the kids try them for a bit and rotate turns. Most just wanted to master the tasks and didn't want to be timed. I did have a few that were obsessed at being perfect. It was funny to see the different personalities.

When Megan's 3rd grade class came out she came over to see what I was doing and quickly moved on. She wasn't all that interested but did come back later to give it a try. Andrew never attempted it and couldn't be bothered. He spend most of his time playing volleyball. I found that interesting and was very happy for him.

After all had exhausted themselves and field day came to a close I got to eat lunch with Megan. It was really nice to spend the last two days with my kids and getting to eat lunch with them both. I know it meant a lot to my kids and I felt just as happy to be there. I can't get these moments back and I cherish every one of them that I get to make. Megan is moving onto 4th grade and Andrew will be in regular mainstream 1st grade with a bit of resource room help. We've come a long way and I'm excited at the huge growth in both my kids. With such a great experience this year I'm sure I'll be there again until both my kids have moved on. I can't wait to see what comes next.

Meg's got 3rd grade talent

2011-06-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

Once again Megan decided she wanted to do the talent show this year. This is her second year in a row and she really wanted to do something. This time she lost her partner from last year but it didn't stop her from wanting to put something together. She was a little sad and a lot nervous but was very determined.

She kind of wanted to do something with singing but unfortunately she takes after her Mom on that one and can't hear the notes. We are cursed with tone deafness so we had to come up with something else quick. While Meg was playing one afternoon with Andrew she was using her hula hoops and I suggested that maybe she ought to do an act with the hoops. This idea took off quickly. The next thing I knew Meg had a song picked out and several tricks to perform. Some of which made the cut if she felt comfortable doing them. Megan would come out and show Jeff and I what she had and we'd offer up suggestions on different things she could add or do differently. She did a routine to Justin Bieber's Baby Baby song and it took a little over a minute. I finally got the video clip to upload. I missed the beginning of her act but got a bit for you to get the idea.

There was 36 different acts and it took a little over 2 hours to get through them all. I think we counted 14 singers, 9 dancers, 6 piano players, & 7 unique acts. I was super proud of Megan, it took a lot of courage to perform by herself. I feel in comparison to everyone else she did an awesome job. I am constantly in awe of her as I watch her grow and couldn't be more proud of her. I'm so glad I had the chance to go as always. Now we've got to figure out what in the world we are going to do next year as Megan is already talking about it. Andrew will be eligible to perform so who knows if we will see a little pair up or not. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what next year brings.

Fishing take 2

2011-06-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

So since we struck out with only one fish at our last fishing derby we decided it was worth another shot. We found another derby here locally and decided we should go. This one was for all the early risers. We had to be there by 6:30am to register for a 7am fishing start. We were so ready that we actually got there at 6am and found that the lake was already half full of people ready to fish.

We were a little unprepared for this new scene. People were serious about fishing in this derby and had tons of stuff with them. We just had our two little chairs, tackle box, poles, and a few snacks. It was interesting to see how people acted. I asked one guy in line if he had any tips or tricks and he was very tight lipped. Really??, this is a derby for 12 & under, come on people.

After finding the spot that we considered perfect we set out our chairs and waited until the 7am start. It was funny to see people eye us as we walked by. No one wanted you to squeeze into their spots. Some had already started fishing which was interesting. This was not the scene we were used to and the kids were kind of on the fence about the whole thing.

Finally after getting our station all set up and a few morning snacks it was 7am and time to fish. Jeff would cast out and turn the poles over to the kids who just hung out waiting to catch something and reel in every once in a while. After about 30 minutes and neighbors catching some fish the kids started to get bored. We had one nibble on Andrew's line that we lost but nothing else.

Soon the kids got so bored they decided to sit and play games instead of fish. At that point we decided that this wasn't going to happen and packed up to leave. On our way out we heard several success catches but we came up ended. It just wasn't meant to be this year. I'm not even sure the kids liked this one. It's so much more fun to actually catch something and makes you want to go again. We'll see if they are still interested as the summer begins. For me it was so beautiful out and I was glad to be out with my family doing something fun.

Here Fishy Fishy

2011-05-25T13:19:00.001-07:00

Last year we went to a fishing derby and had such a great time that when I saw it come around again I immediately signed up. I'm thinking it may turn into an annual event as long as they keep having them. It cost $10 per child and they get a tshirt, fishing pole to keep, bait, a max of 2 fish if they catch them, & this year a nylon bag.

The day was a bit less than ideal as it was sprinkling and gloomy out. We put on our hoodies and decided to brave the elements anyway. It takes a lot more than a little rain to keep this crew down. I mean really we live in WA and we'd never get to do anything if we were afraid of getting wet.

We were there plenty early for our 9am time slot. This year the choice of poles was blue or red. It took a bit of discussion but we finally got the kids to get one of each. Both originally wanted blue but Meg later changed her mind to red. We now have 4 poles from the derby's and a few we already had. We are gathering a nice little collection.

As we headed down to the lake stocked with 1500 fish we decided to pick a different spot from last year. We went a bit further down so it wouldn't be so crowded and Jeff was sure we'd do well. So early in the morning we just felt like we couldn't possible go wrong.

The men casted out for the kids and the kids then came up to take the poles and our fishing began. We started with a little different bait then normal and found no success. We quickly changed to the power bait, little pink marshmallow things, and began to get our first nibbles. I think Meg hooked one and upon reeling it in lost it. Andrew was next to get a nibble and lost that one as well. We slowly started to get a bit worried when Meg finally hooked her first fish and kept it.

Megan was so into reeling it in. It was a hoot to watch her concentration and happiness. Slowly we started to hear people catch fish mostly at the beginning end where we were last year. The next thing we knew the time was up!! Megan only caught the 1 fish while poor Andrew didn't catch anything. He was super sad as we waited for Megan to get her 1 and only catch cleaned. It's tough to see your kids so unhappy and struggle with these types of things in life.

We had planned to go to the movies afterwards and had been keeping it a surprise. Even that idea didn't bring a smile to Andrew as we were in route in the car. We went to our oh so favorite $5 theater with electric recliners to see the new Pirates movie. By the end of the movie we had our good ol' Andrew back and life was back to normal.

It was a fun outing all the same. You can't have everything go perfect and it was a good lesson for the kids. Sometimes you don't always get everything you want. Our city is having a derby next weekend pretty close to us. This one is only $3 but you have to bring all your own stuff. I'm thinking we might want to hit it up so the kids can get their fill. I don't think there is any time limit to that one so we can spend as little or a lot of time depending on how we feel. It also says you might be able to win special prizes. It is worth thinking about. I know my kids LOVE to go fishing so I'm sure we'll be hitting it up. It is fun to do these types of things with the kids and I'm sure they'll remember them as they get older.

Kindergarten Circus

2011-05-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

Andrew's mainstream kinder class put on a circus performance for this year. It was super cute and very well done. The teachers were dresses as ring masters and the kids had on matching color shirts depending on their act.

They came in the gym in pairs and got all set up on the stage to sing a few songs. Andrew did such a good job following directions and participating. He was dang cute!!

They had a ring set up in the middle of the floor and the color groups would come out and perform their act. They had jugglers, tight rope walkers, muscle men, ribbon dancers, plate spinners, and gymnasts. They were all glowing when it was their turn in the ring.

Andrew was in the muscle men group and boy was he showing his strength. they all came up and picked up a "500" pound weight and raised it above their heads several times. The PE teacher was coaching them to grunt and be strong. Way too cute!!

They even had a number where family got to come in the ring and dance with their kids. The floor was packed as I worked my way to Andrew. He was patiently waiting for me and showed me how to hop to the music. I loved getting to go and was really proud of my little guy. I loved how creative the performance was and how well all the kids did. We've come a long way with Andrew and it really shows.

So I had been super excited to go to this circus and even made sure the night before I had my camera all charged and ready to go. Imagine my surprise as I'm taking pictures the camera tells me that my internal memory is full. That can't be I should have and sd card in. I flipped open the compartment and sure enough someone, who will remain a mystery, took out the card and all I could get was what the internal memory would hold. Hence only one very short video clip.

B-I-N-G-O

2011-05-19T11:29:00.001-07:00

The kids school had a PTA fundraising event of Bingo. We thought it would be fun for the kids and help out the school so we decided to hit it up. With a few reusable cards each we started our fun bingo night. When the first winner called out bingo, Andrew got a bit sad and tears started to form since he didn't win. It was a good lesson for him to be patient. We were hoping that our night wasn't going to take a turn and the kids not have fun.

We played for about an hour and several games went by. We were one hot family winning 2 bingos and one of the final blackout grand prizes. Andrew won first and he picked the green hat as his prize. I won next and gave my card to Megan. She went up to the prize table and came back with the red hat, which I thought was an interesting pick for her. Then the grand prize was full of books and other misc stuff. We were the big winners and had a great time. It was nice to do something as a family and have a good time doing it.

Happy Mommies

2011-05-06T16:16:00.001-07:00

This years Mother's Day weekend has started off with a bang. My kids have brought me goodies that they have made for me at school. In addition Andrew's special education class put on an awesome Mother's Day concert that I attended.

I am finding myself at a loss for words to describe how much I love my children. They are my pride and joy. As they grow older and their personalities begin to show I find it so much fun to explore life with them. Their views on things are interesting and I see how they grow during tough teaching moments.

Both of my children were brimming over with excitement to give me their gifts. Megan hand decorated a box that contained a chocolate cupcake and a personal homemade card. Andrew gave me a potted plant with a picture of him stuck in and a card as well. They were really glowing to see my reaction to their hard work.

Andrew's Mother's Day concert just touched my heart. They performed 3 songs and played the marimbas. It was so awesome to see him getting into his performance and having so much fun. After they invited us the to support center for cookies and a gift of flowers. He was equally excited to have me in his class and to show me what he had for me.

It was so special to be among those little spirits. I feel so blessed at all that Andrew has taught me as his Mother. It has been an interesting journey that has taught me so much and I feel truly honored to have the experience.

I have no idea what the rest of the weekend has in store, but my cup is already overflowing. Thank you to all the women in my life that have Mothered me with their advice, friendship, and listening ear. There is truly nothing like the influence of a Mother.

We all scream for ice cream

2011-05-05T14:39:00.001-07:00

Megan & Andrew's primary earned an ice cream social for bringing their scriptures to church. They had this cute little board that was shaped like an ice cream cone with 3 scoops of ice cream. If you had your scriptures you got to place a dot sticker on the ice cream part. Once all the white was covered the kids earned their reward.

Both of my kids were super excited to go yesterday after school. Once they got off the bus we quickly got ourselves together and headed out. There were kids everywhere and all were enjoying their treat. They had the traditional chocolate and vanilla with a variety of toppings. By the time we got up to getting ours there was only vanilla left. My kids were a little sad about that but took the vanilla and got all their favorite toppings.

There wasn't very much room as they were all packed in but they did have fun. They got to play a little pirate type candy land game at the end. As they landed on different squares there was a church related question, song, or pictures to answer. Once at the end they got to the treasure where they learned the next reward is going to be a pizza party. I love the incentive for them to make sure to bring their scriptures. I know it really has an effect on Megan and we are working on Andrew. I think after the ice cream he might start to be interested. It was good times and I'm glad that we were able to go.

Playing Peek-A-Boo with the Sun

2011-05-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

We've had on and off weather lately. One minute the sun is out and we are ready to play and the next the clouds roll in and it rains. During one of the sunny moments we took full advantage and had fun outside for once.

There is the walking path a quick car ride from our house that I've been dying to explore. It makes me a little nervous to go out by myself as it is a bit secluded. I waited for a sunny day and one where Jeff could join us.

We geared up and headed out for some fun. We took the path which was around a mile or maybe more. The kids thought it would never end but I thought it was all very beautiful. I loved our little hike and the best part for the kids was that it ended at a play park.

It was a nice reward at the end and they just enjoyed playing and loving it. There was a family there that had a ferret which was fun and interesting. Once people started to notice they packed up and left. I guess they didn't like all the attention. The next cool thing was someone showed up with one of those bubble things that you fit a person inside and roll around. It was for toddlers but still cool to see.

We spent a whole afternoon just enjoying being together as a family and loving the outdoors. I cherish those types of moments and I know we all had a great time. I can't wait for the sun to decide to stay with us so we can have lots more of those moments.

TOFW

2011-05-01T17:12:00.001-07:00

I got an awesome opportunity to attend Time out for women in Seattle this past weekend. I really had a great time and think I was in need of the break. We stayed at Tammy's house so that we were closer to the venue and that was equally as fun.

We arrived Friday during the day. Tammy treated us to homemade scones and great company. Once stuffed we headed out to our first taste of the event and none of us could wait. We got to hear the music of Michael McLean, and talks by Mariama Kallon and John Bytheway. It was a great opener to a full weekend. The whole event was "choose to become." It was a little sample of the big day on Saturday. We ended up going back to Tammy's and talking till around almost 2am. Tammy finally gave up and headed to bed. MarGene and I got all settled with the lights off but ended up continuing to talk. Before we knew it the clock showed 5:30am. I'm not sure what we were thinking but really enjoyed our chat. We only got about an hour of sleep.

Saturday was packed with tons of uplifting things. I can't even tell you what exactly I loved the most as it was all wonderful. We got to hear music from Mercy River, a trio of moms that sounded so pretty. I had to get their cd and have already played some of the music for my family. We heard talks from DeAnne Flynn, S. Michael Wilcox, Merrilee Boyack, Dean Hughes, and Emily Freeman. I loved each of those talks for different reason and have a set of notes on each one. I'm still marinating in all that was said and hope to apply some of it to my life. I would really like to figure out in my own life to become me. It has given me a bit of a different outlook on things already and I know it had an impact. I am very appreciative for the opportunity and can't wait to see what comes out of it.

Field Trip Deja Vu

2011-04-28T10:36:00.001-07:00

Megan's 3rd grade class had their field trip for the year. They picked the same place that they went last year, The Hands on Children's Museum. I have to say I wasn't exactly thrilled to be going to the same place again. This museum is all geared towards children from toddlers on up. It is all about imaginative play with all kinds of areas to choose from for the kids to create, explore, & play.

As a chaperon I had 4 girls total. Funny that I had 3 of the same from last year and the 4th was someone different. It felt like deja vu for sure. I was surprised that the kids all still really enjoyed themselves. There were groups all around and everyone looked to be having fun. I did have a few girls sit next to me a few times not wanting to play. I think there was just a bit of boredom.

All my girls got along great which was nice. I think I've been getting lucky with my chaperon assignments. Each time I've gone I really haven't had any problems. We explored every nook of this place and did as much as possible.

We of course repeated the areas a few times and again the favorite spot was the dress up area. We spent the bulk of our time there. The girls love being on stage and trying on different clothes.

This years workshop was learning about thunder and lightening. They got to make a cool craft. I'm sure I'm going to have to figure out how to make one for Andrew once Megan brings hers home and starts playing with it. Super simple card stock and paper thing that makes a thunder like noise when you swing it.

Overall another years field trip down and a few more to go. It means a whole lot to the kids for me to go and it is a perk of being a stay at home Mom. I've said that as long as I can make it I'll go to all of the functions for them. I know how much it means to them and I love doing something so simple.

Eggcellent Fun

2011-04-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

Today was all about eggs for this family. We started our day at a community Easter egg hunt. We've never gone to this before so we didn't really know what to expect but thought it was worth a try. It only cost us a $1 per child and we couldn't pass it up. No parents were allowed on the fields just the kids in the age group hunting. So we just stood back and watched them run and collect.

Andrew's age group went first and he was funny. They had these golden eggs out there and if you found one you got a special prize. Andrew ran out and passed up so much stuff in the sea of kids. He only ended up with 3 eggs and some candy. He was more of a looker than a gatherer.

Megan's age group came next and since she saw exactly what to expect she thought she was prepared. Jeff tried to give her some pointers and she had a game plan. When they said go she pretty much did the same thing as Andrew. She ran out and did a circle of the field area and didn't pick up anything. The tricky part of her age group was that the golden eggs were not on the field. The helpers had them in their pockets and would randomly throw them out. Meg was so far out I couldn't tell her what was happening. She never clued in. She ended up with 2 eggs and 5 pencils. She really wanted that golden egg.

Andrew thought it was hard but fun. Megan thought it was a waste. There were too many kids and it frustrated her. We tried to say it wasn't what you ended up with just the fun of getting the chance to do it.

Next up for eggs was a little home dyeing. We usually don't do this as no one in this house will eat the hard boiled eggs but this year Jeff bought a kit out of the blue so it was egg dyeing for us. The kids each got 6 eggs and Jeff and I got 1 each to dye.

The kids loved making a mess and being creative. Andrew wanted all colors on all his eggs and just dipped and dripped everywhere. Megan took her time and was trying to be careful and perfect. She had a design and idea for each egg. It was tons of fun to see them be creative in their different ways. We've had a great day in an egg sort of way.

2011-04-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

My kids have been on spring break this week. It has pretty much been gloomy and rainy everyday. Plus I still work each day and the kids have been limited to what they've been able to do. That would mean imagination was strongly at work. The kids run hot and cold with each other but come up with the most interesting things to occupy their time.

The next thing I knew yesterday Megan came out of her room followed by Andrew and this was what they looked like. They were geared up to play and it made me giggle. I had to stop them for a picture moment. I love the creative things they come up with. Today is their last day of play and I can only imagine what games they'll come up with. I hope they have enjoyed their week is some way.

Finding Interesting Things

2011-03-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

As I was cleaning up Andrew's room today I found a little present in his bed when I pulled back the covers. He is fascinated with my kitchen tools. If I'm ever missing something I can bet one of the males in this house has them. Jeff takes things to work for his potlucks and they never seem to make it back. I can usually find the things he has taken in his car. His stuff makes it half way back to where it belongs. Having Andrew put them in his bed was a new one on me. I do find them in his room often. They seem to always be different tools each time for the most part. He especially loves the tongs. We have two of those since I can count on Andrew taking one. Whatever the obsession with kitchen tools is I'll never know. I'm not even sure what he does with them or why he needs so many. I guess it is somehow entertaining so I go with it. I've never found anything remotely interesting in Megan's room. Girls have it together I guess:}

Our 3rd Grade Scientist

2011-03-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

Megan is finally old enough for her first official science project. I never remember doing a science project in my elementary school years till around 6th grade so this was pretty big for her. She felt really grown up and was very excited to work on it.

Meg picked the project of "make your own cloud" and as soon as she brought home the instructions she wanted to get started. We did several experiments and she was very involved. She was hands on the whole time and couldn't wait to get her board put together. Today is the deadline to turn in your projects and she requested a special drive in by mom privilege. As we pulled up there was a ton of kids with their parents and their big project boards. This school does a project for 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade so there was a huge group of us. Megan was super excited and it was nice to see her light up. I'm glad it's over and we'll see what we get next year.

The Happiest Place on Earth

2011-03-01T07:22:00.000-08:00

Since our big VoFo family Disneyland trip 3 years ago we have been saving to go again. We finally had enough money to make a vacation happen so we took the plunge and planned the trip. It was our little family of 4 plus Grandma MarGene.

Jeff spent several hours of research trying to figure out the best way to make a great vacation. We had lots of elements to coordinate and he did a perfect job.

We headed to the airport at night after the kids got home from school. I got them in their pj's to make it easier for bedtime once we arrived at the hotel. Megan was a bit nervous wearing her pajamas in public but went with it anyway. Both kids were excited to get on the airplane and get there.

I think we were all very excited to hit our first day at Disneyland. Jeff was our coordinator and guide for each day. It's kind of funny since the man is directionally challenged that we let him be in charge. He would make most of the decisions as to when we started and what order we went on rides and so on. He'd let me know what was next and I'd guide us their directionally. Jeff did an excellent job and we had great timing the whole trip.

We spend 6 fun filled days bouncing back and forth between Disneyland and California Adventure. We quickly determined that Disneyland had more to offer and we spend the bulk of our time over there. We even got to see Big Papa at the end when he came into town for business. We had a yummy dinner at ESPN Zone with him. It was wonderful.

It also took us a few days to get the hang of fastpass rides. On our first day the lines were really super short. I think the longest wait might have been 30 minutes but most were about 15 minutes or less. We didn't really bother with fastpasses because we didn't really get how they worked and figured we didn't need them with lines so short.

On our 3rd day we finally got the fastpasses working for us. It was our first attempt and once we understood how simple it was and that we could save a chunk of time we were fastpass addicts. We would continually plan out which rides we wanted to get them for. We even got a few that we never ended up using but were glad we had just in case.

We saw every show that the park had to offer and a few of them several times. I think just about every ride was repeated at least once if not several times. I think we averaged around 17 rides a day. We were on the go and constantly moving. We tried to pack in as much as possible on this vacation.

My kids were super good for us. They never had a melt down or cried once. There was the occasional whine or sibling rivalry but really it was hardly anything and nothing to mention. They were real troopers walking and keeping up with everyone. I was so proud of their behavior and how well it all went.

The only real hiccup in the trip was the 2 days of rain. It wasn't really bad but it was sprinkling enough to get you wet and a bit miserable. Most people had on poncho's or carried an umbrella. We were sticking to our stubborn guns and just putting on our hoodies. Probably wasn't the smartest move as we did get soaked but it was the choice we made. We did end up getting drenched during the World of Color water show and had to leave early. My poor little rugrats were miserable and I couldn't put them through much more of being cold and wet.

Andrew went on every ride at least one. He quickly figured out that some rides were not for him and let us know. Then somehow in the middle of the trip the dare devil in him came out and he decided to go on rides he said he didn't like. The next thing we knew he was going on everything with Megs except for one ride. He was totally scared of the Tower of Terror and refused to repeat that one but all others were fare game. It's a good thing because Jeff was bound and determined that his kids were not going to be scared of rides.

One big highlight to the trip was the Jedi training. They have like 6 shows a day and you gather around a stage and kids get picked from the audience to participate. On our first day we went to the show and didn't get picked. We still sat through the whole show and the kids were not too upset but thought it would have been fun. I think it was our 4th day we were passing by and the show was about to start so we thought we'd give it a try and low and behold both kids got picked!! Megan got picked first and we were so nervous that Andrew was going to get upset and the next thing we knew Andrew got picked too. It was so nice to get that out of the way. Andrew got to fight Darth Vader and Megan fought Darth Maul. They loved it and have talked about it often.

All in all we really had a great time. We got a bit tired at times and a few cranky flare ups but for 6 days of Disneyland it was all to be expected. We learned alot about different things that we might do if we end up going again like the pin trading and better fastpass usage. We learned the layout for food outside the park and different hotels. I guess you could say we became experts on our vacation. It was tough to come home and get back into the real world of life. I had a chat with Meg and we talked about how things like this become more special because we don't get to do them that often and it helps us to look forward to new and fun things.

Above are self portaits of Jeff and I after our trip. We went till we dropped and there was nothing left. We are so thankful for the chance we had to go and love our family dearly. Jeff has already mentioned wanting to go on another family trip in a few more years. I think we might be setting a tradition. We loved our vacation and enjoyed the happiness that it brought to our kids. I cherish these moments.

Blessed are the Peacemakers

2011-02-15T16:10:00.000-08:00

Since moving into 3rd grade Megan has become eligible for the different activities the school offers. She has been enjoying class money and jobs. Recently she was selected to become a peacemaker. This is 2 females and 2 males from each grade level from 3rd grade and up. They went to a special training for half a day to learn how to solve the problems of their classmates during recess. She got to have a yummy pizza lunch and have fun learning about her new job.

Megan is thrilled for the chance to get to do this and is taking it very seriously. She gets to wear a special yellow vest and carry around a clip board during recess. Fellow students can come up to her and report a problem. Megan gets to write a report and help try to resolve their issues. At the end of recess she turns in her reports to a special counselor. Her very first day on the job will be tomorrow the 16th. She is very excited for the opportunity and can't wait to use her new peacemaker skills.

It's my bday and I can cry if i want to

2011-02-01T19:27:00.001-08:00

My little Meg came into this world with an emergency csection and started off her 9th birthday today with a face plant on the steps of the bus.

She was so excited to go to school today on her special day. They had yesterday off for teacher training and she couldn't wait to go back on her birthday. As the bus pulled up she was the first in line to get on and just missed her step. I felt so bad and went on the bus to console her as she sat in tears. I told her not to let it ruin her day and try and have a great birthday. She has a very faint red circle on her chin to remember how the day started.

Megan got to pick lunch yesterday and of course it was papa johns cheesy bread with garlic butter dipping sauce. This is a repeat from last year so no surprises there. Then last night we took her out and she added squinkies to her growing collection. I think she now has over 100 of those little guys.

Today after she got home she said she had an okay day. She can't wait till Thursday when the teacher has set for her to bring in a special treat. Megan has picked gooey butter bars and is excited to help Jeff make them. I also surprised her with a friendship bracelet making kit when she got home. I used to make those little embroidery threat bracelets all the time as a kid and loved it. I thought Megan would love it as well and I was right. She made her first bracelet already and is now making a list of all the people she want to make them for. We enjoyed her pick of dinner which was Red Robin. She is hooked on their chicken strips with ranch sauce. Then we had chocolate cupcakes with chocolate and white frosting. She loves her chocolate and loves the freedom to pick out what we do. All in all it was a good little 9th birthday.

Less is More

2011-01-27T14:08:00.000-08:00

As we've all had various degrees of illness around here it has been all quiet on the home front. We are normally finding ourselves out and about but lately we've really just stayed around the house.

With this in mind my kids have frequently come out to say how bored they are. This always amazes me since we just had Christmas and those two made out like bandits. Holy cow they have a variety of different things to play with but still find themselves bored. My favorite was when the hot item for seriously two weeks or more has been the Styrofoam inserts that came with Jeff's new crock pot. Really two little pieces of garbage have entertained my kids for hours. Andrew even wrote his name on one so that he could claim it as his. They've come up with a whole range of games with these things. Note to self less is more. Who knew that something like that would be the hot ticket to play with. Maybe I need to let them just be creative cuz they seem to be very good at it.

Round 2

2011-01-27T13:58:00.000-08:00

So as we were getting over the first wave of sickness in this house we didn't know it but round two was about to hit.

Jeff came down with an awful sore throat which lasted about four days for him. If you know anything about Jeff this is extremely unusual as he never gets sick. He was pretty quiet about how he was feeling so I really had no idea how bad it was until I got it. Seriously the worst sore throat I've ever had. Super painful to just swallow it was horrible. As I have slowly started to recover Andrew woke up on Wednesday with another pink eye! This one worse than the last. After a trip to the doctor and more eye drops we are again hoping to see an end to the illness in this house. I've been feeling so unmotivated for this new year and it stinks! Let's hope we can get back to normal soon.

Seeing Pink

2011-01-14T13:51:00.000-08:00

You can't really see it very well from the picture but Andrew came home Monday with a beautiful red left eye. It was stinging and the bus driver was very concerned. Of course we had to welcome in 2011 with our first case of pink eye.

Andrew was a trooper and took the eye drops regularly without much fuss and before we knew it we were back to normal. In addition to his pink eye Jeff's had some gallstone flare ups lately which have not been fun and Megan's nose is so stuffy or running I think it is going to fall off. We've had a regular sick house around here. I'm hoping the storm of germs is over and we can start focusing on creating fun memories for this new year.

And the award goes to...

2011-01-14T13:43:00.000-08:00

To start off this new year Megan came home with a note that she was getting an award at the next assembly. Megan handed me her note and had 2 very important questions. The first thing she wanted to know was if I was going to come and take pictures. To this I responded "yes I wouldn't miss it." The next very important question was if I would blog about it. To this I also gave her a "yes."

Megan loves to see her moments on the blog and gets excited to read my new postings. She got her award in cooperation and was super excited to sit up on the stage and get recognized. It was another proud mommy moment and I am so glad to be a stay at home mom that allows me the chance to attend these type of things for my kids.

Ho Ho Ho Hoopla

2010-12-28T14:43:00.000-08:00

This year Christmas started on Christmas Eve while family was all still here. We had a little cousin gift exchange and a yummy turkey meal. Once we arrived at Ken and MarGene's the kids were so excited Andrew went right to the tree and found one of his presents. I quickly had to stop him from opening it until it was time.

All the kids were eager and lined up for a quick photo op before they took their spots for gift opening. Jeff, Jared, & Ken passed out the presents and the chaos of opening began. This year instead of making each person go one by one we just said once you get a gift open it. This made it a bit tough to keep up and see what everyone got. It seriously was wrapping paper and presents everywhere type of thing. All was fun and smiles were all around. I don't think I saw any of the kids sad. Everyone loved what they got this year.

Among our gifts Jeff was excited to get a medley of classic DVDs movies from his childhood. We've already watched Blackbeard's Ghost and Gus the Mule. We've got several others waiting for their turn in the rotation. We also got a cool statue of Christ that I've got to find a special spot for. We had a great time with family and were sad to see them leave. It is always hard to see everyone go home and wish we could see each other more often.

This was a warm up for our own Christmas on the actual Christmas day. Around this house presents wait until we are all good and ready to get up. I find it funny that Jeff and I are both awake and ready but have to wait for the kids. Andrew came out first at 8:45am and saw that the cookies and milk for Santa were gone. He was very happy and excited to see this. We had to tell him to go ahead and wake up Meg so we could get started.

We wasted no time opening the gifts under the tree. Loved the pillow pets from Grandpa Wilson and the knitted hats from Granny Annie. Our kids were opening machines and wanted to see everything they got before they decided what to open first. They were both very patient and waited for each other. It is cute to see them grow up and get just as excited as the year before. They loved everything they got and didn't complain or feel like they missed out on anything. I guess we did a pretty good job in our purchases.

After the mayhem was over we separated the stuff and Jeff took Andrew to make room for his new stuff while I took Meg in her room to find a spot for her new stuff. During this part of the day Megan started to lay down on her bed and really stopped helping me saying she didn't feel so good. Little did we know at the time that this was just the beginning of the stomach flu for her. She couldn't keep anything down and was in bed pretty much all of Christmas Day. It even carried over to Sunday where she was still tossing her cookies. She didn't get upset she just wished she could feel better. It wasn't until Monday that she actually bounced back and was ready to play.

We had an awesome Christmas and are so thankful for everything and everyone in our lives. It was great to see family. Love seeing the glee on my kids faces. This all made our year worth it. We hope next year will bring us just as much joy and maybe more.

Getting Wet

2010-12-25T15:20:00.000-08:00

Now for the main event at the Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park. This was a largely anticipated event that seemed to take forever to get here. We usually do our VF gatherings in November for Thanksgiving. This year because of crazy schedules we had to bump it which made it seem even longer of a wait.

Once we arrived we wasted no time changing into our swim gear and hitting the water. We learned a few things from last year and definitely came prepared this year. The kids remembered most of what they played on last year and knew exactly what they wanted to hit up first. We all split and headed out to what we wanted to do.

It was really nice having so many adults around. We did a great job of dividing up to watch each others kids. It gave us an opportunity to go on rides with those we don't get to see often and spread things out. It really worked well for us.

We had two days and one night at the lodge. We packed as much in as the little ones could handle. It's sometimes hard to remember their little bodies can get tired out more quickly than the adults. We did our best to stay hydrated and had lots of yummy snacks throughout the day.

We had a little drama with the girls this year. We have the 3 older ones that like to play together and for some reason that odd number 3 can cause someone to get left out. This was the first year of really having that issue. Usually everyone hangs out so well and gets along with everyone. It wasn't a major issue just the beginning of maybe more drama in the future as they get older and into other things. It should be interesting to see our next gatherings.

The lodge also had some cool events planned in the lobby. They had story time, visit with Santa, a puppet like show, and it snowed indoors.

The lobby was so packed and I have to say some of the parents were a bit over the top but our gang surely loved every minutes of the extra activities.

After the second day it was time to head home. We kind of played it by ear and as the kids came in and said they were done we'd slowly begin to pack up. Laurie's fam headed out first with Ken and MarGene. Shortly after Dan's fam and mine called it done and began our pack up. Two full days of going surely wore out this group. Andrew didn't even make it home before he fell asleep in the car from all the excitement. It was an awesome gathering and I'm so happy to be apart of it. We've already started to throw out ideas for next year.

VF Family Cooks up Holiday Cheer

2010-12-25T13:59:00.000-08:00

The second half of our group arrived Tuesday night while we were out bowling. So Wednesday we could gather completely and let the fun begin.

Some years back we started a little tradition whenever possible of doing some type of service project as a whole family. Ken usually is in charge of getting it put together and the family supplies the labor. This year we made and decorated cookies to take to a shelter.

Ken and MarGene got us all aprons to help in our decorating efforts. Each family was a different color and we all had our names on them. The kids loved getting in their aprons and couldn't wait to decorate. No one complained or bickered one bit. It was a nice group effort to help all the little ones get creative.

I don't think any two cookies really looked the same. We had plenty to decorate so even the adults got a chance to show off some creative talent. We had a variety of different looking cookies when all was said and done.

The cookies were baked and frosted Thursday night while we were gone. We got to help with the decorating which was really the fun part. Kids would shout out which shape cookie they wanted to decorate and then what color gel or sprinkles. We had plenty of adults around to help out as the shout outs came.

I think it was fun for everyone to get in the kitchen and do their part. In the spirit of service it all went smoothly and everyone was happy.

After the decorating efforts the kids just played and hung out till our next event. We were gearing up to deliver the cookies to the shelter on the way to the Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park. I can't believe how well behaved our crew of 9 kids were. I think we are moving on for the constant supervision and on to the next stage of growing up.

Nice Try & Good Job

2010-12-25T13:29:00.000-08:00

Jeff got a fun work Christmas party this year to help celebrate the season and all the hard work. In the past the parties have been more geared to adults so Jeff has usually gone solo. In addition, our kids have been a bit too young for some of the things that they have done. This year however was a bowling party and families were invited.

It did come on a night during our VF family gathering but we decided we wanted to go and celebrate with the UR company. Megan and Andrew were really happy for the chance to go and were excited for night time to come on Tuesday so we could go.

There was a nice buffet spread that we all enjoyed. The kids were super good for us and loved bowling. Andrew started off using a ramp to bowl and got sad after his first couple for tries when it didn't go the way he wanted. After that he abandoned the ramp and bowled regular. He had better success and was much happier. He would sit patiently and wait his turn. After each of my turns he would say to me "Nice Try Mom or Good Job." He was super cute and a great sport.

Megan had an equally good time. She was having a blast trying to get a strike. She was a good example for Andrew and a great helper. She took a few shots with the camera for me as well as would sometimes hand me my bowling ball to help out. As the kids get older these type of outings become a lot more fun and much easier to manage.

I'm glad we had the chance to go and mingle with Jeff's coworkers. It was really fun and nice to see my kids grow in their maturity. I look forward to our next family outing and the fun we'll have.

Dan & Roxi's Fam land in WA

2010-12-25T12:50:00.000-08:00

Dan & Roxi's family arrived first for our annual VF gathering. Megan and Andrew were super excited to see their cousins. We didn't waste anytime with making plans as to what we wanted to do. First up was a sleepover of course.

I took the girls, Taylor, Megan, & Brianne. I then sent Andrew over to Ken & MarGene's so he could spend the night with Alex and have a boys night. I think this was the most peaceful over night I've ever had. The girls got along really well and I had no problems at all. We had movie time, popcorn, played Wii games, went to the mall and had a yummy McD's lunch. It was a really fun day for us.

I'm told that Andrew and Alex had an equally fun time. They played Wii games and had McD's as well. They were like two peas in a pod and got along great. It is nice to see him actually have a friend to play with and enjoy so much.

After we were done with our separate days we waited for Jeff to get home from work and gathered for some Round Table pizza dinner and then Zoolights. The weather was cold but it was a nice clear evening and we didn't get any rain. We had some spare gloves and hats to gear up with and enjoy our night together.

It's kind of hard to explain the beauty of Zoolights. The pictures don't seem to do it justice. It is really a very nice set up and well done. I always enjoy just taking it all in and marveling at the hard work to put it all together.

We had a great couple of days visiting with Dan & Roxi. It was nice to have some one on one time. We were also excited for the second half of our group to arrive to make us complete. We really enjoy all the times we get to gather as a family. Each year we make some great memories and this years gathering was just getting started.

Cookies and Milk

2010-12-21T14:03:00.000-08:00

Jeff is known around work as the "snack shack" or "special events coordinator." He is always putting together pot lucks or some type of eating event at work. Most often they are chili cook offs or BBQ's. They have had Mexican fiestas, pancake breakfasts, thanksgiving feasts, appetizer spreads, deep fried paradise, cookie throw down, salad fixings, grill cheese & tomato soup combo and more. Whenever they can come up with something new and interesting it becomes an event. Around this time Jeff is usually off shopping or messing up my kitchen.

Recently for the Christmas spirit they had a cookies and milk event. Jeff actually sent me pictures of the spread this time. He was thrilled with the turn out. He made something new called peanut butter and jelly bars. I haven't tried them but he tells me they are good. He even brought home a sampler platter for the family to try. We've been grazing on the left overs for a few days now. It was super fun to see what people made. I can't wait to see what the next event will be.

Our Little Reindeer

2010-12-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

Megan had her 3rd grade concert today. It was the North Pole Musical and she was Comet the reindeer. She has been practicing in her room to a cd that they each got. I've been hearing these Christmas songs coming out of her room for a few months now. She has excitedly told me about practices and who was cast as which part among her friends. She was very excited to perform today.

Megan had a few solo lines in the concert as well as getting to sing a solo sentence in a song. She tried out for Crystal Snowflake because she liked the idea of being a fairy but when the parts were handed out after auditions she was given comet. She wasn't upset one bit and actually got into her part. She liked getting the fuzzy antlers and face paint on her nose. When she was lined up before the performance I got to see her and she was all a glow.

She did a great job and I'm so happy to have had the chance to go. They have 2 performances today. One this morning for the school and one tonight for families with working parents. It was cute to see Andrew watching her from his floor seat. We'll be going back again this evening for the encore performance.

I love the chance to support Meg in all that she wants to do. It warms my heart to see her grow into the big girl she is becoming. I'm her biggest fan and hope she continues to put herself out there and do the things that make her happy. Go Meg!!!

Award Winner

2010-12-10T12:57:00.000-08:00

This last week I was the proud parent of Andrew. His support center teacher nominated him for an award in cooperation. Not sure his main stream kindergarten teacher would agree but we'll take it.

Andrew still struggles with main stream and wishes he could be back in the support center full time. It is a challenge for him to fit in socially and behaviorally. We are still working on issues although he has done a much better job lately. I'm proud of every little progress he makes and do my best to help him through the rough days.

Turkey, Family, Shopping & more

2010-12-01T13:32:00.000-08:00

This year for Thanksgiving we headed to Jeff's Aunt's house to celebrate. It was so nice to see family and catch up. We had a great time and the kids were much better behaved than previous years.

A few of the ladies headed out for a quick thanksgiving day shopping trip to one store. We had some time to kill while we waited for the bird to cook so why not? Didn't find really anything but it sure got me jazzed for the black Friday shopping.

We had great company and yummy food. Megan even wrote a song that she sang to the group. I was impressed that she actually had the nerve to sing her solo. She was all grins once it was over and was glad she did it. Jeff's Grandpa entertained us with his 80+ strength when he got down on the ground for some push ups. It was so cute to see and I hope when I get that old I'll be able to get on the ground like that.

I'm so thankful for family and all that they mean to me. Each person brings something different to my life and that of my family. It's heart warming to reflect back on all those that have touched our lives and left us better people. I hope everyone had as nice a Thanksgiving as we did.

A White Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T10:09:00.001-08:00

We got our first snow yesterday afternoon and the kids were super excited. They were glued to the windows just watching the snow flurries come down. By bed some of the snow on the roads started to melt and we thought that was the end of it. We were wrong as we got up this morning we had more snow over night and this morning.

We bundled up for school this morning and by the time we were ready to go outside to catch the bus it had started to snow again. The kids were so happy to let it flurry down on them. Andrew stuck out his tongue and said "yummy, I like snow." Megan just enjoyed the over all splendor.

They couldn't resist trying to make snow balls and throw them up in the air. There isn't that much snow so the "snow balls" were more like snow pancakes but it's all fun. Andrew's hands got cold quick and he was done touching the snow. Megan could care less and wanted to take some with her on the bus. The kids are already asking to go outside and play once they get home from school.

As I look outside it is still snowing and we are getting a nice layer. I guess this is a sure sign that our winter is going to be a cold one. We are supposed to have colder temperatures tomorrow but no snow. I guess we'll see what comes our way. I think it is fun although I don't want to drive anywhere as that is scary to think of. I'm not used to having snow so it's all a new experience for the kids and I.

Ice Ice Baby

2010-11-12T13:02:00.000-08:00

Disney on Ice has skated into town again and we couldn't pass it up. This time they did a whole show on celebrations. We went through seasons of time and they incorporated lots of fun characters.

Andrew wasn't exactly sure what he was in store for and we tried to remind him of the last time but he wasn't really listening. He was just excited to be out and doing something different. Megan was super excited and couldn't wait.

Once the action got started both kids were glued to the ice. They loved every minutes of all the action. Our seats were a bit to the side so our view was not perfect but it didn't stop us one bit from enjoying the show.

We got a free disposable camera with our tickets and we decided to turn it over to the kids. Andrew started off and took half the shots on the camera. He took pictures of what he thought was important. Then the camera was handed over to Meg and she took the rest. I think she took her first 5 or so on the princess scenes.

They did a birthday celebration, love celebration, villains for Halloween celebration, Christmas celebration, vacations, and more. There was a variety of different stuff going on and it made it super fun. I think this was more fun then the last time we went. I liked how the story was new and fresh. I didn't get bored one bit. Jeff thought it lacked a story he was familiar with and wished to see a better story line. We were the exact opposite on how we thought of the show.

Andrew got to see some of his favorite characters. He has always loved Lilo and Stitch as well as Buzz Light year so he was in heaven. When I asked what was his favorite part he said simply "all of it"

Megan was of the same mind as Andrew she loved all of it as well especially all the princesses. It was all very exciting. She loved the fire element and pyrotechnics which made it exciting for her.

Both kids had a great time as you would imagine. Andrew has asked already to go see it again. We had to explain that it was a one time thing but maybe next year or when they come around again.

We really enjoy the chance to go out and do fun things like this with the kids. It's so amazing to be together as a family and get to just have fun. I'm always thankful for the things we go out and do. It amazes me how many opportunities we seem to get.

School check up

2010-11-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

School is in full swing and we've already gotten our school pictures and the first parent teacher conference out of the way. Megan is doing wonderful in her 3rd grade class. She loves homework monopoly, which is new this year. For each student that gets their homework complete each night they get to roll some dice and go around a monopoly board designed to win classroom rewards. Megan's favorites are sitting at the teachers desk, eating lunch with a friend, and being the game host for monopoly. This game is a big hit with her this year and I get to hear about it often. The teacher tells me she is a joy to have in class and it very helpful. She is going great academically except in reading points. She is in the highest reading group but has a bit of a struggle remembering things she's read. So when she sits down to take the tests she isn't scoring very high. We've already come up with our own little summary notes to help her and she is making up points left and right. It is so nice to see her love school and be so happy. At this stage Megan is shooting to be a scientist when she grows up and keeps that goal in her sights.

On the flip side we have our little guy Andrew. Where to start with this one. This has already been an interesting year for him. He spends part time in main stream kindergarten and part time back in the support center so that he can continue to be a full time student. Up until parent teacher conference I thought things were going great. I hadn't gotten any phone calls, emails, or notes. No news usually means good news so all systems go. Well I was way wrong. At parent teacher conference I learned that this switch over to main stream has been a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. He has been having a tough time fitting in and his behavior has been awful. He went from having about 7 classmates and pretty much one on one teacher support to a class of 25 with only 1 teacher and a few helpers. It has been hard for him to concentrate and not try to get away with whatever he wants. I've since learned that Andrew doesn't like to follow directions, he is unpredictable with friends, he blurts out exactly what he is feeling or thinking, he can't sit still, and he has been in the principals office a handful of times already. Some of his "greatest hits" have been: Him grinning at the teacher and saying "You can't catch me." or locking himself in the bathroom after PE when he had a substitute that he didn't like. Nothing beats getting home and getting a voice mail from the principal. We've worked out a little smiley chart system that comes home with him to tell us how he is going. When he gets all smile faces he earns rewards. It is our way of trying to work on his behavior. We've only had it in place for a few weeks now and today was the first time he came home with all smiley faces for the day. We celebrated and are excited to see his progress. I hope we continue to move forward and smooth out this rough patch or it will be a very long year.

Fore!!

2010-11-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

Jeff took this Thursday and Friday off and we decided we needed a little date outing. We've been feeling a bit like 2 ships passing in the night with all the stuff we've had going on. I told Jeff to plan something fun, so wouldn't ya know he took me golfing. This would be about my 3rd time ever golfing on an actual course.

We walked the course and got some nice exercise in the 75 degree weather. I have to say I had no business on the course as I was doing really bad. We didn't keep score just enjoyed being outdoors and doing something together. Jeff nicknamed me "topper" as every time I tried to hit the ball I'd hit the top of the ball if at all. For all my efforts I ended up with soggy wet feet and a nice blister on my finger. Jeff did well as usually his own mental score was 3 over par for the 9 holes we golfed. We had a great time and needed to just let loose for some fun.

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-10-30T16:41:00.001-07:00

This year for Halloween Megan chose a Gothic Witch costume. This took much deliberation in the costume aisle. She had about 3 different ones that she really liked. I'm now sure she gets her decision making skills from me. I think we could have been there for an hour or more. It took Jeff and Andrew's prompting to go for the final decision to be made. While I was helping Megan Jeff took Andrew to the boy section. He came up with this Haunted Skeleton costume. I think he had it picked within 10 minutes. He said he wanted something scary and he like it so we went with it.

Our first stop this weekend was the Street of Screams. I had gotten an email of this free event for kids 12 and under. It had trick or treating as well as games. I thought it was worth us going to check it out. It started a bit earlier than Jeff could get home so I was flying solo, it was just the 2 kids and myself. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the set up. The trick or treating was all in a row of cardboard houses and they handed out healthy snacks like granola bars and organic cookies. The kids weren't too excited with their loot but I thought it was fun to see something different. There was face painting, games, a rock wall, cupcake walk, and a bounce house. The event was very well attended and the kids had a great time.

Our next event was this morning with a little ward trunk or treat. It was scheduled for 10am and we arrived on time. It was a nice little turn out considering that when we arrived it began to drizzle and only increased during our whole trick or treating. It's kind of fun to see what people bring to hand out. We of course had a variety of candy but in addition we had some unique items. There was hot chocolate, donuts, and popcorn all handed out of the trunks of vehicles. Something different from the norm and I thought it was fun.

Our last stop was Pumpkin Pallooza in the downtown area. There was a whole variety of stuff going on but among them was a carnival and trick or treating to businesses. Again it was a steady stream of rain but it certainly didn't stop my family from enjoying the outing. The kids enjoyed all the activity going on around us and just wanted to take it all in. Megan got a little sad when she couldn't do everything she wanted. We had to set a few limits and it had already been a long day. As she began to unravel we knew it was time to head home and put a close to our fun.

The kids ended up with a few buckets full of candy and were super happy for everything that they got to do. I don't remember ever getting as much as they did. We are lucky to live in an area that always seems to have a variety of stuff going on at any given time. It keeps us going and we look forward to the next event we will be able to join in. Happy Halloween to one and all.

Carve 'em

2010-10-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

So my kids have be dying to carve pumpkins ever since we went to the pumpkin patch. Andrew has asked several times and talks non-stop about pumpkins this and pumpkins that. I knew I had to carve out some time to just get it done. We ended up with 2 pumpkins almost the same size. We had one that was about an inch bigger than the other and of course as you would imagine this caused a bit of a ruckus in this house as to who would get the bigger pumpkin. Jeff decided to be nice and fair and solve it with a coin toss. He was telling the kids we'll do heads a tails and Megan gets to call it. To this Andrew sternly let Jeff know that it is not called heads or tails but in fact is called "man or bird" This got a laugh from us but we proceeded with "man or bird" Andrew won the toss and got the slightly bigger pumpkin.

After much disappointment and learning to be fair Megan finally got comfortable with the whole idea of having a smaller pumpkin. I told her a smaller pumpkin means less gook to clean out and smaller sometimes ends up being perfect. Once we got to the actual carving she liked her pick very much.

Andrew refused to help clean out the pumpkin. I think the above shot might be the only time he stuck his hand in. He said he didn't want to get his hands yucky and Daddy could do it. This didn't thrill Daddy but he did it anyway and probably did the best clean out I've ever seen.

At first the kids wanted these elaborate carvings but when we told them with something simple they could do most of the carving. This was a much better idea so Jeff hand drew on faces per their instructions and they cut them out. Both wanted something similar yet scary and fun.

After a bit of drama we finally got it all done and pumpkin carving is done for the year. Now it is off for some other Halloween adventures. There are a few events around town this year on Saturday which we will hit up since Halloween falls on Sunday. The kids can't wait!

Pumpkin Patch Thrills

2010-10-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

As the weather turns crisp and the leaves begin to change the kids start to get excited for the start of the holidays to come. This month of course is Halloween and we headed out to the pumpkin patch with Ken and MarGene.

We went to the same patch as last year but this time I'd say it was almost double as crowded. We had the sun peaking out of the clouds and a crisp air about. People were everywhere and both kids were just trying to take in all in.

Once Ken & MarGene arrived we headed over to the petting zoo to check out the cute little animals. Megan loved the little baby goats and visited them a few times. They had some feed vending machines so you could buy some food. Megan of course went with Grandma VoFo to feed the little goats. Andrew went with Jeff to feed the little pigs but got scared and would dump the feed on the ground before the poor pig got to eat. That was when Jeff had to take over so the little guys could get some food. Both kids LOVED the little kittens. Those poor kittens were so scared I think both kids felt the claws but didn't care cuz they were just too cute.

Next we headed off to the ever so popular corn maze. It is fun to find the clues and solve the puzzle. This year the map showed the maze shaped as a farmer and tractor. It was a bit confusing to figure out the map and where you were but somehow we didn't get too lost. You had a list of questions and would find check points to answer your questions. I think MarGene said we got all but 3 answers.

We then ended our pumpkin patch time with a little corn rockets. Andrew was super excited for this and was nice and patient for his turn. We had something like 10 tries and most all rotated through for their chance to hit a bucket out in the field. No one made it but Jeff came so close once.

We left the patch and headed for a little McD's lunch. It was fun to get out and spend an afternoon out with family. I really enjoyed our time and can't wait to carve up some pumpkins. I know both kids can't wait as they've been asking for it ever since. Hopefully we'll get around to it this weekend. I truly love family fun like this.

Fright Fest

2010-10-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

During the month of October Wild Waves opens back up for a Fright Fest in the evenings. They have it all decorated in the spirit of Halloween. We were excited to go and check it out.

We spend a few hours checking out all the cool new things for Halloween that had been added to the park. We hit up some of our favorite rides and checked out the new stuff. Our first stop was boo-ville in the kiddie section. They gave the kids each their own bag of candy and they had some fun little activities.

Then it was off for more exploring and rides of course. There weren't very many people there and half the rides were working so some of our choices were limited. Jeff, Andrew, and Megan went on the kiddie coaster seriously like ten times in a row since there was no line. Poor Jeff looked like he was living a nightmare going around and around. The kids loved it.

Most of the employees are dressed up in costume so it made it fun to check them out. They even have a haunted house set up. I was too chicken to go but Jeff and the kids went. I was super worried that maybe they were too young to go but Jeff insisted that it would be fine. I waited at the exit for them to come out. First comes Megan with a long sad face. She said she didn't like it at all. Then came Andrew who was smiling and thought it was funny. Then bringing up the rear was Jeff and said it was okay. It was typical haunted scenes and people would jump out at you to scare you.

We hit up more rides to kill some time waiting for a show to begin. They had a few different things to entertain you through out the park but only a few showings, so we would just kill time in other areas.

We ended the night with the Zombie performance. We missed a few minutes of the beginning but got to enjoy the rest. They sang popular zombie music and danced. The kids enjoyed watching them while munching on some of their goodies that they had collected.

It was a pretty fun little adventures and the kids really enjoyed it. It helped us getting in the Halloween spirit. It was something different that we haven't experienced before so it makes it all the more fun. Can't wait for more adventures.

My Kids Say The Darndest Things

2010-09-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

So my kids have had me all a giggle lately with some of their responses or comments on things. Over the last day both my kids killed me with their little gems.

Last night we were watching the amazing race with Meg and she had Jeff and I laughing hard. As we are watching the first leg of the premiere episode, one of the racers stops is Stonehenge. Megan sitting there watching was listening to me talk about how awesome it would be to see all those cool sites on the race. She then adds in "Hey I know that place, I've seen it before on Spongebob and I know all about it" Jeff and I just couldn't keep the laughter in. She was all grins and responded to our laughter with a "what?" I think that only made us laugh harder.

So Andrew yesterday wanders out and sees Megan and I doing a workout to a video. He attempts to going in on some stomach crunches and then gives up saying it was making his tummy hurt. He then became our distraction as he was trying to still be apart of things but right in the middle. We make it through and finish the workout. At the end I was on the floor and said "ugh I'm pooped" to this Andrew walks over all concerned and says "Mama you poop your pants?" Hehehehe. Gosh I love that kid!! It just makes me smile just thinking about these recent comments. I love their innocence.

Easy Bakers

2010-09-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

While I was away at Kehau's wedding my family was having a little fun of their own. After spending the night at Papa's house they awoke to a pancake breakfast and then headed out to a community garage sale. Not really expecting to find much they scored a brand new easy bake oven. (Megan just asked me for one of these on her wish list a week ago)

Megan couldn't wait to open that puppy up and make some treats. Jeff had other plans to head out to a movie and would end the night with the easy bake. They wanted to make sure I had treats waiting for me for when I got home.

I'm told the kids loved each making something and had a ton of fun. I was pleasantly surprised when Jeff said he took a few photos so I could see them in action. I think Jeff's legacy to his children will be cooking. I can't say it enough, my kids love any type of cooking. I think it makes them feel grown up and apart of the action.

Each child made me a different brownie. They were very excited to show me their hard work and couldn't wait for me to sample them. It was super nice to know that I was thought of and missed. I'm glad they had fun while I was away.

Wedding Weekend

2010-09-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the honor of joining the ladies for a little wedding weekend. We met in Oregon to attend a high school friend, Kehaulani Loo's, wedding. I was super excited for the chance to go and see the wedding as well as seeing friends and family.

MarGene and I drove down to meet with Laurie and Ann at a hotel for the night in Oregon. We spent our afternoon at the temple, shopping, and eating some yummy food. We were stuffed rocks by the end of the night as we sat and roasted in the hot tub. We didn't last long before we turned in for the night. We played a little game of "would you rather" and I'll just say we learned some "interesting" things about each other. It was all good fun.

The next morning we hit the gym, got ourselves ready for the wedding and all packed, had another yummy breakfast and headed back to the temple for the wedding. We were a bit early and had some time to kill but it just gave us more time to chat. It was really neat to see some old friends. There were only a few of us but it made it all the more special.

The sealing was beautiful and I was so happy to get the chance to attend. It brings back lots of memories from my own wedding. I loved seeing how comfortable and in love they are. I was filled with joy for them as they start out this new life together. Kehaulani is one of the nicest people I have met and I couldn't be more happy for her. The reception was equally at special as we gathered outside at a country club. We were on the golf course in a tented area and we had a bunch of rain. The weather didn't stop any of us one bit from more good eats and socializing. We even got out on the dance floor a few times.

I really had a great time. I'm thankful for Jeff and Ken and their willingness to stay behind with the kids. It made the trip a bit less hectic and much more enjoyable. I'm glad for the reminder of sealings and how special it is to be married in the temple. I hope Kehaulani and Branden have many wonderful and happy years together. I know that in the 12 years of my own marriage things have been so happy and sometimes things have been difficult but having a partner to get through life together makes it all worth it.

Back to School

2010-08-31T13:20:00.001-07:00

It is finally that time of year when school is back in session. It seems like the last couple of weeks have really dragged out for us. My kids were ready to go back and move onto the next step and so was I. They were pretty tired of playing with each other and wanted some variety. It was a constant love-hate with these two for the last three weeks.

Megan made sure they both had outfits all picked out and alarms were set. She had to go over the schedule with me several times till she was happy. She's my little mini me when it comes to planning. Andrew could care less even though we told him several times that school was tomorrow. It was a bit rough going to bed a little early to be able to get up for school the next day. The excitement would not let them settle down to sleep.

Megan woke up bright and early and got a shower in and breakfast. She was ready with plenty of time to spare. Andrew wanted to curl up and go back to bed but after some coaxing he was dressed for his big day. Megan will be going into 3rd grade with the same teacher that moved up from last year. They had some holes this year and a few teachers moved around. We were pretty lucky to get her again. Andrew is going to have a wild ride this year. He'll be in mainstream Kindergarten which is only part time here. So on the off days he'll continue to go to the support center that he went to last year for help. This way he'll be a full time student again and get lots of help as we transition over to general ed. It will be a bit strange just sorting out what class he'll be going to and when. We've got calendars everywhere so I hope I can keep it all straight.

With tummy's full from breakfast and backpacks filled with needed school stuff we headed out to the bus stop. Little did we know that it was raining outside. Go figure that is has been sunny and nice all week and the 1st day of school comes around to rain. The kids geared up with jackets and sweatshirts and headed out. A little rain was not going to get in their way of the excited of the first day of school.

Megan's bus came first and she was so excited she stood out in the rain to wait a few minutes. She saw a classmate and couldn't wait to get out and talk to her. They have been in the same class together since Kindergarten and they live right down the street.

Right after Meg's bus pulled away I was moving the car to get ready for Andrew's bus when it pulled onto our street. I quickly parked and got Andrew on the bus. As you can see he was a little wound up. I hope he has a good day. This first day he'll be going to the support center so I'm not too worried. He is used to that routine and knows what to do. Thursday will be the big Kinder day. I've already offered my help to the teacher to come in if needed. She likes to have the kids settle down for a month or so before having parent helpers come in. I guess we will just cross our fingers and hope all goes well. I'm super excited to see how he does and the progress he'll make. This is going to be one interesting year.

The Great Outdoors

2010-08-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

It is time for the annual ward camp out and since we had such a great time last year we of course signed up again this year. Although the crowd was probably half the size we still had a blast. Who can't find something to enjoy in the great outdoors? It was a much needed vacation for our little family.

Last year we stayed in the an A-frame unit and this year we decided to switch it up and sleep in a walled tent already set up. I have to say it was a bit more private staying in the tent and felt like we had a better chance of getting a good rest. Although there was little rest to be had with 2 little creatures called Megan and Andrew inside our tent.

The ward activities committee cooked Hawaiian haystacks for dinner. It was kind of nice to walk up to the buffet line and see something from back in Salinas. The kids didn't eat much but since I expected this I fed them before we left the house. I did bring a few snacks just in case I had a starving kid but all worked out nice.

We followed dinner with an impromptu talent show. I say impromptu because it seemed like nothing was really planned. Mostly primary kids got up and told some jokes, danced around, or sang a song that you couldn't hear. I had planned to bring our pipe chimes but couldn't get everything together in time. I also had a very reluctant husband he really didn't want me to bring them. In hind sight I wish I would have just brought them, they were needed. I've already given Jeff plenty of notice that next year we are bring them no matter what.

We took the kids on a dusk hike until their little legs began to get tired and they were ready to head in. We played a few board games in the tent and then settle down with our glow sticks for a restless night. I'm not sure any of us got much sleep but it was sure something and different with all the outdoor sounds.

I loved just hanging outside in the little clearing outside our tent. It was so peaceful and relaxing. Jeff would take the kids off somewhere and I'd just sit and listen to the sounds of nature it was really nice. The kids also loved just getting to run around and not have to stay so close or hold hands. They had free reign to run and just enjoy themselves.

We tried our hands at skipping stones. Really it was more like Jeff skipping stones and the rest of us just plunking rocks in the river. We spent at least and hour or more just down by the water enjoying it's splendor.

After a yummy breakfast of pancakes, sausage, ham, watermelon, hot chocolate, and oj we headed out for more fun. We hit up fishing and came up with nothing to show for the efforts. We had the same bad luck last year and are about ready to give it up for next year. The kids still have fun casting out and hoping to catch something so we are really undecided.

We had a really strong wind and luckily we had our kites with us again. This time the kids loved getting the chance to fly them. Last year there was barely any wind so it was a bit frustrating but this year they had them in the air for most of the time. Andrew now says "I love my kite and I'm good at it." Megan got a bit tangled up in the string and got a little frustrated but still had fun watching her kite get in the air for long chunks of time.

We hit up the canoes again but this time I opted to sit out. The unstable canoe just makes me super nervous and I don't want to take an unexpected swim. Even though Jeff assures me that our boat won't tip I just don't want to take the risk. I was happy to watch from the shore and see my cute little family float about.

We had such a great time. I don't think there was anything we really didn't like. I have to say next year we've got to have more camping trips. This was only a Friday night and Saturday day. If we really planned an outing that lasted a few day I know the kids would love it. It was the perfect little trip for us and I'm glad we went. We are already thinking about next year and hope the ward continues to plan this type of activity.

Andrew's 6th Birthday

2010-08-16T18:59:00.000-07:00

Andrew turned the big 6 years old last Wednesday. We've been celebrating in two stages to help him feel special. It is so heart warming to see him so happy and feel like a big boy.

We started with the all important making of the birthday cake. Andrew loves any type of baking in the kitchen and wanted to be hands on. We went out to the store and he selected a chocolate cake mix with chocolate frosting. Got milk??

He was super excited to be in the kitchen. We even ended up with chocolate splatter all over him and Jeff as he was so excited to turn on the mixer before it was locked in place. We got a bit messy but isn't that what being a kid is all about?

While the cake was cooling to be frosted we switched gears and opened his presents. He was all grins as he sat on the couch and was handed each gift one at a time. He loved everything he got. It was awesome to get gifts in the mail from my Dad, Grannie Annie, and my Aunt Debbie. It was more for him to open which he loved of course. By the time we were done with the presents and playing with some of them it was time to have the cake. He was able to taste the fruits of his labor and it was yummy to his tummy.

It was a nice family celebration with just us at home on the actual day. We did get a nice phone call from Auntie Laurie and her fam. They sang happy birthday to him while he listened with yet another ear to ear grin on his face. We had a great night. Of course we weren't done yet as we had planned a fun birthday outing for today.

We took Andrew out today to Wild Waves for some swimming fun and then out to Odyssey1 which is a children's birthday play place. It has laser tag, arcade games, and a huge play area. He was a bit confused when we pulled up but quickly got over it.

They played a round of laser tag. It was Megan and Andrew against Jeff. Andrew was a bit scared to go into the dark room but I was able to go in with them and once they got started he was completely in love with it. He was Megan's little shadow for pretty much the whole game and he was giggling and running and shooting till his little heart was content. I have to say we now have a laser tag addict on our hands. He loved it so much he is ready to play again and again. With some birthday money from my Aunt Debbie we purchase him his very own laser tag set to play at home. We'll see it that satisfies the craving.

We ended our packed day at ol' Mc'D with Papa and Grandma VoFo for a little dinner and chocolate dipped cones. They had their present for him and it was the perfect place to give it to him. It was a full day and Andrew loved it all. We tried our best to help him have the best bday possible and I think we accomplished that. It is so much fun to see them grow each year and how different they become as the years go by. It was a good day.

Sprinkler Park Fun

2010-08-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

Summer is in full swing and we have been in need of getting out of the house to play. My kids are just about done with watching me sit at the computer to work. We've still got about 4 weeks left of summer break so it was time to come up with something new. We've been hitting up a few play parks but it seems to have lost its appeal.

I came across a set of 4 different sprinkler parks to explore. So far we've tried out 2 different locations. This is an area where they have a variety of water spouts that shoot out or dump water.

My kids are completely in love with the sprinkler parks. The parks are free and open to anyone. We spent about 2 solid hours playing yesterday and the kids didn't stop to rest once.

They love running around and playing with all the different elements. After all the fun we had yesterday the kids asked to go explore another of the parks today. Since we really didn't have anything on the agenda I was happy to take them.

They had just as much fun today as they did yesterday and can't decide which place they like better. When I told them we still have 2 other places to explore they got really excited and can't wait to check out the next one.

I'm feeling like I need to spread out this new found fun. The kids have already asked where we are going next and I said they could pick the order. It gives them such joy to be in control of where we get to go and makes them very happy to have a say.

Really who can resist such fun in the sun. It is so special to be a mom and get to see the joy on your kids face when doing something so simple as splashing around it water sprinklers. It makes life worth it sometimes just for moments like these.

Air Expo

2010-07-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we got the chance to hit up the free local air expo. It was about a 15 minute drive from our house and we thought it sounded like something fun and different for our family to do. So we headed out about an hour early so we could get good seats.

So here we were travelling along in the car all happy and ready for the fun. Little did we know that our 15 minute car ride would turn into a two and a half hour trip. No joke people this took forever with the worst traffic. After taking like 30 minutes to merge onto the freeway we thought we were in good shape but it was a snails pace. It was one of those things that we kept thinking okay here we go and then we'd sit some more. We were so invested after a bit that there was no way we wanted to back out or could as once we got on the freeway the very next exit was the one we needed. It was seriously the longest car ride. Luckily I had some snacks and we had fun trying to spot helicopters from the car.

Once we arrived the kids were so excited. We of course were late and the show was in full swing. We weren't the only ones late as there were crowds of people walking into the gate as well. After a brief security check and potty break we were all good to go to have some fun.

This place was huge and super packed. There was so many booths and so much to see. We started with a tour of the huge carrier plane and then just started at one end and worked our way around.

Megan's goal was to collect as many handouts as possible. There is something that makes a kid feel so grow up when they get given free stuff. Megan had her own plastic bag and as we went around to the booths she'd check things and ask for things. She got some travel hand sanitizer, lip balm, pencils, stickers, candy, and lots of handouts. She was grinning from ear to ear.

Andrew was content to just take it all in. He didn't much care about collecting anything but when we'd come across a booth with a game or something interactive he was all over it. Both kids were super good and just plain had fun seeing all.

After spending several hours out walking around we were slowly starting to wind down. We had to take a little sitting break for the kids to rest and it helped us watch the show in the sky. This was probably the toughest part for the kids. They needed the break but got bored just sitting and watching the planes.

We soon decided to call it quits and head home. The kids were starting to unravel a bit and were a bit hungry. We only got half way through the grounds and probably missed most of it but what we did see was really a ton of fun. It was a great family outing. If we decide to hit it up again next year we'll have to think about doing our travel plans differently.

Once we got home we had a call on the answering machine. Jeff entered one raffle in the booths that we went around to and low and behold he won. We are now the proud owners of a portable digital TV and Radio. I guess we had a little bit of luck on our side. We went to a free event and ended up with a prize, not bad for a days events.

Family Fun Carnival

2010-07-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

Last year sometime I came across this free travelling family carnival. It only last for a month during the summer for about 5 days. We never found the time to go last year and we were a little sad we didn't get to check it out. This year I found it was back for the month of July and I was determined we were going to go. So far this month we are half way through the days and we haven't made it out. So on Friday I made a command decision that I was just going to go with the kids flying solo.

The carnival was about 15 different tents of various crafts and things to do. I'd say there were around a hundred plus people there so the lines were rather long. It is open from 5pm - 8pm so there really wasn't enough time for us to hit up everything. In addition to that Andrew of course wanted to do different things than Megan. Since there was only one of me I had to have them compromise and go to things they'd both enjoy.

It was a little nerve racking as we had never been to this park before and it wasn't in the best neighborhood. Note to self maybe it is better to wait for Jeff to be able to go with you when you are venturing out to something you've never been to.

The kids missed having Jeff there but had fun all the same. Everything we did was 100% free so I didn't mind letting them choose whatever they wanted. There was a magic show, bounce houses, pony rides, face painting, caricatures, food, and various crafts. We missed out on a few things but got to hit up some of the fun ones.

One thing for sure is there is always something to do in this state. I've really enjoyed finding new stuff to check out and I think the kids have loved it as well. Who knows what I'll come across next for us to venture out to.

Bubble Mania

2010-07-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

I found this local free bubble event and thought it looked like the perfect thing to take the kids to. It was out at the down town library and featured a Bubbleman showing us all his bubble tricks. Who doesn't love bubbles, right?

So we arrived like 10 minutes early and found out where all the action was happening. We had no idea how popular this event was as the place was swarmed with kids and moms. We quickly got our seats right up front and then watched as the bubbleman set up his stuff.

The bubbleman was a very cute "bear" of a guy and was very warm and friendly. He was all about creative and imaginative play and very anti electronics and brain killer play. He often had jokes referring to those things and saving the earth. He had a few rules about touching him and his stuff but really wanted the kids to have fun popping bubbles.

As I greatly appreciated his laid back approach you can see from the pictures kids went nuts. There were a great many times when I'd lose site of one of my children as bubbles went flying and every child went crazy trying to pop them. Andrew was good for being right up front and near the bubbleman. I could see his little buzz cut head jumping up and down. Megan was on the edges of the group not wanting to get to soapy.

The bubbleman had several small boys down at ankle level. One of course was Andrew not wanting to miss any action. You could often hear the man asking the kids to back up and to wait please. He was so patient and I really appreciated how good he was with kids. He said right in the beginning that he would control the group and to please not parent over his parenting. His goal was that all kids have a great time. I was happy to sit and watch my kids have a great time.

Toward the end of the show he came out with a bigger bubble and was producing these giant bubbles. He asked all the kids to sit and watch for this part. The kids sat with strained tension as they watched in awe. He made something like 10 or so giant bubbles and they were really cool looking. It was during this time that I had one of those embarrassing parent moments.

So as you look at the picture above please notice the cute little boy in the grey and orange shirt. Please tell me he didn't just spring up to head straight for that bubble to pop it? Oh yes, that was my little guy who popped a giant bubble. Standing the the crowd of parents and listening to others murmur was real "neat" I have to say. I have to just laugh at the situation cuz really what could I do from the back of the pack. After popping so many bubbles and having so much fun who could blame him, it was just to tempting to resist.

Shortly after that he starting winding down the show. The kids still were in all the action and loved every minutes of the show. We packed up and headed home after this and both kids talked about it the whole way home. Megan has already asked to hire him for her next birthday and Andrew just talked about all the fun bubble popping. After I recover from the "my kid popping the giant bubble" moment I might have some different thoughts on the event. It was really fun and I'm glad we decided to go and I loved seeing my kids have so much fun with a little air and soap.

Putt Putt

2010-07-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

Jeff has gotten the chance to go out golfing as the weather has been good. He usually goes early Saturday morning with his Dad. They get it all out of the way and done by no later than 9am and we've got the rest of the day to play. As Jeff has just started up going again my kids have been asking to go. Andrew and Megan both tell Jeff that they love golfing. So in light of this we decided to take them out miniature golfing.

Both kids were super excited to go golfing and couldn't wait to tee up. Megan decided she wanted to keep her score along with Jeff and I. Right after the first hole we concluded that after Andrew took like 20 swings to make it in the hole that we would not be keeping score for him.

Andrew was a trooper and would take as much time as he needed. He'd whack away at the ball and before it got a chance to stop he'd run up and hit it again. It was really hot that day so neither Jeff or I stopped him. It made our game play move much faster.

Megan expected to be really good and quickly got frustrated when she found a difficult hole. Jeff and I did our best to explain that we were out to just have fun and it really didn't matter what our scores were. I think about 10 or so holes in she decided she would rather not keep score.

There was 2 courses of 18 holes. We of course played both courses. The first course was pretty and had water features. The second course was more shaded and a little less cute but the holes were a bit more tricky. Megan came across a hole that had a loopy hill thing. She was trying so hard to get it over. She didn't want to give up and wanted to stay for as long as it took. Unfortunately we had a group behind and after about 15 tries we had to have her move on. She was very upset about this and had a hard time recovering on the next couple of holes.

We were all sweating and were moving through the holes a bit faster paced than usually play would be. This made it hard to appreciate when someone made a good shot and we did have a few of those.

In the end you get to try and shoot your ball into a bunny nose. If you make it in a buzzer rings and you win a ticket for a free round of golf. Megan was our big winner and got a ticket. We were all very proud of her. It was something different for our family to do and okay of an outing. I think I would have done things a little differently and if we go back we'll have to switch things up a bit so we all have a good time.

Wild Waves Fun

2010-07-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

As family has gone home we have found ourselves a little bored. We started off our summer with lots of family and activities, and now it's back to life as normal. We've been doing our best to get back into the swing of regular life. Jeff got to take a day off so we decided to go and have some family fun just the 4 of us. We took them back to Wild Waves and the kids were super excited. It gave me a chance to take more pictures and capture some more fun moments.

We started off in the water like usual and had as much fun as we could. The weather was a bit cloudy again and some of the slides were closed. We were able to get everything done that we wanted in the water section within a few hours before we dried off and headed out for the rides.

The kids are totally hooked on this park. Every weekend they request a chance to go again. We've been like 6 times and you'd think by now it would be getting a little old but every time is like a new adventure for them. It warms my heart to get the chance to go and do stuff like this and see how much fun they have. Jeff has another day off coming this weekend. So we've got 3 days to figure out something fun to do. I won't be surprised if one day ends up back here at the park. Lovin' our summer fun.

Bombs Bursting In Air

2010-07-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

For the 4th of July we really had no idea what we were going to do to help the kids celebrate. As we thought back I think we may have been on vacation in CA every July since we moved here. We may have had one here but we can't remember. Anyway, as we did a search and tried to find something to do we came up with a free event at the fair grounds. It is put on by a local church group so we had no idea what to expect but thought we'd give it a shot.

We got our seats in the grand stands and awaited the fireworks. Little did we know they put on a show before hand. The church's band sung a variety of songs like Miley Cyrus and Journey. After that they had an audience dance contest followed by the "Massive Monkeys" who placed 3rd on America's Best Dance Crew.

Shortly after that there was a little history lesson on wars and how we've fought for our freedoms. This concluded with the National Anthem and the fireworks show. Andrew was very ready for this part. Although he was good for the whole thing he just wanted to get to the main event. All he cared about was watching the fireworks show. Who could blame him??

Both kids loved the firework show which lasted for several songs. Megan can remember the Monterey fireworks and was a bit sad that this one didn't have any smiley face fireworks but was still excited to see the display. The kids were glued to the sky the whole time and loved every minute of it. Jeff and I were very impressed at the whole show and were glad we decided to go.

We are already thinking about next year and what we'd like to do. Maybe a little home fireworks as most of our neighbors were doing and hit up a show or something like that. As we were watching at the fair grounds I could see up on the hill about 2 or 3 other shows and I'm still trying to figure out where they were. Maybe next year will be more exploring. I hope everyone had a Happy 4th of July as I know we did.

A Ferry Ending

2010-07-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

Our last day with Dan & Roxi's family ended with a bang. We traded kids for the night with Megan spending the night with the girls and Alex coming over here to spend the night with Andrew. All kids were very excited for their sleep overs. I think this might be the first time that Andrew has someone all to himself. Other times it is always someone that both Megan and Andrew are interested in and they fight over the attention. Andrew was thrill and has said that they will be friends forever.

As Jeff had to go back to work I was flying solo with my two kids for Friday's final outing. We headed out with all 10 of us for a ferry ride to Seattle.

The kids were super good on the ferry. Grandma brought some travel games and most of the kids were all into them. Andrew spent some time topside with Papa or looking out the window as we travelled along. When that got boring we used the tried and true DS game to keep him occupied.

As the view was so awesome we took a trip all together up to the top to look around and a nice photo op. As you can tell from the picture below it was so windy we didn't spend much time up there at all. The kids were all a giggle as clothes and hair was flying in all directions.

Once we docked in Seattle we found a park and had a nice lunch at McD's before heading downtown to the Pike Street Market. Little did we know that chaos was about to hit as the market was packed with tourists. I think I heard someone say that a cruise ship had docked for the day so it was unusually busy. I have to say it was a bit stressful making sure we had all kids accounted for. A huge fear of mine is losing Andrew in a crowd so he was not allowed to just walk next to me without holding my hand. He didn't like this so much but ya got to do what ya got to do sometimes.

It was seriously wall to wall people. We walked the strip up and then back and it took a bit of time. There was some cool stuff to look at but not so easy to buy anything with such a large crowd all around. It was fun to just go and see. We headed back to my place to rearrange kids and say our goodbyes. We had a blast this week and are sad to see it come to an end. I don't know how I'm going to match the fun we've had for the rest of the summer but I'll give it a try. It is times like this that make me wish we lived a little closer. That 14 hour car ride is a killer. I guess it makes the times we get together all the more special. Look forward to the next visit.

Geo What??

2010-07-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

About 6 months or so ago Ken told us about this new family adventure thing called Geo Caching. It is like a treasure hunt for all ages. I think at the time we looked it up on the Internet but really didn't do much with it. Well as Dan & Roxi were visiting they had actually gone out and done some. I think it might be a bit tabu to blog about but if you don't talk about it how would other people know to get involved. I won't give away anything about the actual hunts so as to keep it fun for others.

You get hints and instructions to look for your finds. We've done three different ones and the finds can range from basic little sized stuff to larger containers. They can also be easily hidden or more difficult.

You never know what you will find and it is all in the fun of the hunt. My kids have completely enjoyed the thrill of the find. Megan has talked a lot about it and asked for other opportunities when possible.

It is a great family adventure and fun for all ages, as we all got into it. We are debating whether or not to get a gps device so that we can go on our own family hunts. It is something outdoors and fun to do. As you can find cache's all over the united states I would say it would also really fun to see new sites on vacation. It is definitely a way to explore new areas.

Who knows where the thrill of the hunt will lead you.

A Ruby in the Rough

2010-07-02T17:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had to say a fond farewell to Jeff's Grandma Ruby Fife at age 81. I've been pondering ever since about how I wanted to pay tribute to her memory in a blog.

The funeral brought up a lot of memories and emotions. It is tough to lose someone so close and struggle with saying goodbye. I felt so much sorrow for those left behind. It is rough to return to life after such an event. I began to tear up pretty much right after we sat down. Needless to say, MarGene's playing of the special musical number almost undid me all together. What a wondrous legacy Ruby left to her children. I'm in awe of the musical talent among others passed down.

Instead of focusing on the events of the funeral I thought I'd like to say more of what she meant to me. As I thought of the memories I created with Grandma Fife, I immediately thought of my wedding. She helped make my wedding cake. She graciously accepted the task and I can remember during the decorating process her and Tammy giggling and apologizing for it's lack or professional beauty. These type of things really don't matter to me, it was just special that I could say Jeff's Grandma and Aunt made our wedding cake. What it lacked in beauty, it sure made up for in taste. We saved the top tier of the cake, as is a VoFo tradition, and ate it on our 1yr wedding anniversary. I can tell you it tasted just as good a year later as it did on the day it was made.

Grandma Fife has always made me feel like part of the family and well loved. She always had a smile on her face and something so cute to say. I looked through a book that was made for her 50th wedding anniversary and read my page. I reflected on these same special feelings of love from them. Those same feelings have continued for as long as I've had the pleasure of knowing her. I'm glad that my kids got a chance to know her and she could see Jeff grow into a great husband and father. I hope that traditions and her memory will be kept alive as I pass them to my children. She will be greatly missed.

NW Trek Adventures

2010-07-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today's adventures took us to the Northwest Trek. It is a cool outdoor wildlife adventure place where we got to see lots of cool animals in a natural setting. We ended up with a little rain but that didn't keep this crew down. With a few umbrella's and hood we were good to go.

We started with a 55 minute tram ride and learned a little history on the animals that we were observing. It was pretty funny to learn some new things like there is a leader among the bison which happens to be the older female in the group or the "Grandma." They call her the boss cow.

We were such a large group of 11 that we had to split up into 2 different tram cars. We ended up having the 5 boys go in one while the 6 girls went in another. It was a nice diplomatic way to divide and conquer. Plus it didn't separate Andrew & Alex which are seriously best buds.

After our tram ride we took a walking tour by ourselves where we got to see some of the coolest animals. I swear it felt like they came out just as we came around sometimes so we could get a good shot of their beauty.

It makes me feel like a pretty good photographer as I think I captured some good shots of the critters. It was so neat to see some of the things we got to witness. We did have a few tired legs from the little ones. It was a bit of walking but nothing compared to the other day. I think we might be wearing them out.

The kids were really well behaved for the most part. I didn't really hear much fighting or sassy attitude which was nice. There were some other groups going around to some of the viewing areas and I have to say they were much louder than our group so well done to us.

I loved our adventures today. It helps me to feel so close to nature and realize just how beautiful Washington can be. I guess I'm kind of lucky to have such views all around.