The Gionz Zone

3 Teeth Pulled :(

2012-02-07T09:14:00.000-08:00

What a trooper! T had to have 3 teeth pulled yesterday. One tooth was becoming infected. The other 2 had to come out because of crowding. He did better than I thought. He was anxious to get his teeth into a glass of water to "grow" money. He even later joked that he looks like Patrick from SpongeBob, as he smiled with his ONE big tooth grin!

First Zip Line Ride for the Family

2011-07-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am so excited for my ride!! I got to go first :)

J is ready for launch!! When that door opens, it's time to GO!

B wasn't too sure he really wanted to go at this point, but it was TOO LATE! He did end up loving it!!

N is ready to go!

That's J at the top of the photo coming in at the landing

G as he was coming in at the landing

B and Mom

We took the family up to beautiful Park City toward the end of our Utah adventures. I have always wanted to do a zip line. Not only did I get to go, we all did except T because he's too little. The scenery was beautiful and the weather was perfect. We rode the lift up the mountain, which was very calming. We had to wait in line at the top for almost an hour. Luckily my parents were able to hang out with T down at the bottom. We all loved it!! B wasn't sure as he was getting into the harness, but it was really at the point of no return! He ended up loving it and enjoying the ride. It was a fun family adventure and I'm so glad we were able to do it.

Another Trip to the Cement Slides

2011-06-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

We needed to get out of the house yesterday. So, we grabbed what cardboard we had and headed over to the cement slides. It was a perfect early afternoon to go. Not crowded at all. Not too hot ... yet. T got a lot of runs down the slides. J only went down a few times before tripping at the end and really scraping himself up. Poor guy! We stayed for a little while and then I took the boys through the McD's drive-thru to grab dollar menu grub. Then we relaxed in our home for the afternoon because it was SO hot outside.

Nor Cal Cousins Renunion

2011-05-31T18:41:00.000-07:00

Me, Jack, Johnathon, Leslie, Brett, Janette, and Lisa

Johnathon and me!

We FINALLY got a few of us Atwood cousins together on Memorial Day. Leslie hosted, which worked out great because she really is centrally located between the 4 of us cousins. We kept trying to figure out the last time we saw each other. The last time I saw Janette was at our grandfather's funeral in '92, and Johnathon was in '97. That's just wrong! Another cousin was hoping to make it, but we had to change the day of the get-together so it didn't work out for her. [We missed you, Debie!] We had yummy rosemary kabobs and many yummy side dishes. Johnathon's guacamole was amazing! We just chatted and laughed ... and laughed some more. Lots of memories and lots of catching up. I came by myself because my boys already has some plans and G had to take on-call at the hospital. He had a great day with the boys. When I arrived home, they were in the middle of an exciting game of Uno. Anyway, I had a wonderful time visiting with everyone. And, I was SO happy that I didn't hit any traffic going home! I was gearing up for a mess, but it was clear. We are all wanting to get something on the calendar SOONER than later, so that time doesn't slip away from us.

J's Webelos Pins

2011-05-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

We have been hard at work in our Webelos Den. I am the assistant leader and we really do keep these boys busy!! There is just SO much to cover in Webelos! At our last Pack Meeting a few days ago, he earned 4 pins: Citizen, Naturalist, Readyman, and Scholar. J loves going to Cub Scouts and being with his friends. We do have a lot of fun, too!!

Officially a Sophomore!

2011-05-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

Today was N's last day of school. He finished his Freshman year! It's so hard to believe ... it kind of feels like it went by in a blur. I took this picture of him right after he got home from school today. It was pouring rain. Weird weather, I know! He had a great year, but I know he's glad to be done with all of the massive homework! Great job, Nathaniel!!

Happy 7th Birthday, T!

2011-05-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my caboose is 7! He has been waiting so 'patiently' for his birthday. He wanted to open presents the night before, but we are such mean parents and made him wait!

Having his favorite breakfast (or meal, rather) ever! Nutella crepes!

Already on an early treasure hunt for his presents. He's reading one of the clues. It's so nice that he can read them all by himself now!!
He found his loot and opened them all up. He LOVES his gifts and was pleasantly surprised.

At 11, he met his buddies at this cute little art center in our downtown. They take donated items and recycle them into craft projects for kids. The boys could either make a rocket ship or an alien ship. They LOVED it!! I'm so happy that all his best buds could make it.
Here's the birthday boy with his buddies! He's so lucky to have such a great group of friends.

Later, we made the traditional birthday trip to Leatherby's. T loves the oreo milkshake. He was so happy to have his turn to stand on the chair and have everyone sing Happy Birthday to him!

Even though he doesn't like cake, he insisted on having one so that he could blow out his candles. We were still full of ice cream!! He had a wonderful birthday and he kept saying "Thank you!" That's my boy ...

I did It! 1/2 Marathon accomplished!

2011-05-01T17:50:00.001-07:00

I always wanted one of those medals! And now I have my own!

I freakin' did it!! Painful knee and all!

Leslie and I before our run

my friend, K, did the run, too. It was great seeing her after the race!

After months of training, I actually accomplished my goal of running and completing a 1/2 marathon. Leslie and I encouraged each other during our training. At the beginning of my training, I wasn't sure if I could do it. She talked me through it and helped me along the way. I loved doing this together. She rode the train up from her home and stayed over Friday night so that we could leave early Saturday morning. We even squeezed in a pedicure on Friday night together! On Saturday, everything was so well organized with parking and shuttles. I was very impressed. It was quite windy, but it felt great out there. I loved the trail. At the beginning of my run, I felt great and was keeping my goal pace. Then, around mile 6, my knee began to give me trouble. I've been trying to nurse a sore IT band, which affects my left knee. It really slowed me down. I had to pull over to the side a few times to stretch out. It really, really disappointed me. Especially because I have worked SO hard to build up my running distance and endurance. BUT, I did run the whole 13.1 miles and I can say I DID IT!! Part of me still has a hard time believing that I did it. I remember running my first 5K and that was a big accomplishment for me. I couldn't imagine going another 10 miles! Now, here I am. I'm actually thinking of doing another 1/2 marathon. I'm hoping that I can get my IT Band healed and go for a better time. We'll see.

Thanks, Leslie, for doing this with me!!

Happy 10th Birthday, J!!

2011-03-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

Happy 10th Birthday, J!! We love you so much and our family wouldn't be complete without you. You are such a wonderful boy!!!

Love,
Mom & Dad

Snow Outing!

2011-03-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

J was actually not feeling too well :(

We even made a small snowman!

Oh my goodness! It's been WAY too long since I posted anything here! Just SO much going on around here! Plus, I've been doing "Project 365" on Facebook.

We took the family up the the snow last Saturday, the 26th. We found a wonderful spot in Grass Valley to spend some time playing around. We didn't have to go all the way to Tahoe to find lots of snow. It was gorgeous!! We stayed for a while and then stopped for lunch at KFC on the way home.

School Awards

2010-12-18T18:44:00.000-08:00

J earned the coveted "Coyote of the Month" at school Friday. Only 1 student per class is picked each month. This is what his teacher said about J: "J is a hard worker in our classroom. He also knows how to treat others with respect. He is caring and enjoys helping others. He loves to participate in class and strives to always have good grades." We are so proud of him!!

T earned one of the Character Counts awards for his class. This month "caring" was the character trait. This MADE HIS DAY!! This is what his wonderful teacher said about T: "T is a sensitive, caring person that treats others kindly. He is always volunteering to help others in class and on the playground. In class, he makes a great Bumblebee and takes this responsibility very seriously. On the playground, he is always earning HOWL tickets for helping pick up playground equipment and cleaning the cafeteria. T is such a delightful boy and I am so thrilled to have him in our class!"

We are so proud of both of our boys!!

Bear Award

2010-12-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

J finally earned and received his BEAR award & his Religious Square Knot. Of course, when I want to take a nice picture of him and his awards, his slide is no where to be found ... hence the chunky rubber band holding his neckerchief! He's worked hard on many requirements, and has loved his Leaders. He looks forward to being in the Webelos den come January.

Happy 40th Birthday, G!!

2010-12-08T09:40:00.000-08:00

HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY to my dear husband, G! We are so blessed to have him in our lives. He's an amazing Dad to our boys and THE best husband ever. I love you!!!

Hoover Dam

2010-12-07T17:49:00.000-08:00

The wind was filling up N's hoodie while he looked over the Hoover Dam

The tradition says that you will have luck by rubbing the feet of the Lady Statue

My sweet J

N enjoying the view at Hoover Dam

We spent the Thanksgiving Holiday in North Las Vegas with G's side of the family. We took the boys for an outing to the Hoover Dam and the new Memorial Bridge. It was VERY windy, but otherwise a beautiful day. The Hoover Dam is in both Nevada and Arizona. We had fun walking across states and time zones! We loved the view and spending time together. After we walked across the dam, we went over to the Memorial Bridge, which just recently opened. I'll have to blog about that next.

Walk Through California

2010-11-18T19:09:00.000-08:00

J's 4th grade class after their "Walk Through California". J is the 4th from the left.

J is in the 'expert' chair. During the presentation, when the presenter says your "expert" word, you have to quickly get up to the expert chair and explain the word. There were cards to memorize. If they had it completely memorized, including a full-sentence answer to her question, they earned more points for their team. J did great! He had 2 expert words to share.

This was the first time I was able to watch this wonderful program. It is a living history lesson for the kids and it was great! They came in costume, anything they chose to represent California history. It was a 2 1/2 hour interactive and FUN history lesson. The kids were loving it. I really enjoyed it myself! I somehow ended up being asked to be the scorekeeper. They were divided up into 4 teams, and I kept a running count of the points. This is well worth the $$$ the PTA spends on this program. Next year for 5th grade, they get to do the same thing, but it is all about the Revolution.

Soccer!

2010-11-15T08:58:00.000-08:00

T is right in front of the ball, ready to assist his team

T and one of his dear friends on his soccer team

J after a victory

J has had a very successful season in soccer. He thrives as one of the team's defenders. At the team party, the coach said that J has an infectious smile and spreads his positive attitude to the team. He is the most improved player and has had THE most spectacular 'headers' this season. He has popped a couple balls right out of his territory down to mid field!! Impressive! He has an awesome coach and has really enjoyed playing this season. It doesn't hurt that their record is pretty impressive ....

T FINALLY has been able to rejoin his team for most of the 2nd half of the season. Even though his cast came off at the half-way mark of the season, his doctor would not give us the 'go-ahead' to have him play soccer for 2 more weeks. He has surprised us with being able to just slide right back into playing ... probably even better than before! Go figure! He has some good hustle out there and has made an assist for a goal.

There is just one more game of the season. It's been a great year for the boys. Hard to believe it's wrapping up already.

Rank Advancement: 1st Class!

2010-11-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, B received his 1st class rank advancement at the Court of Honor. He also earned 3 merit badges: Disabilities Awareness, First Aid, and Emergency Preparedness. He has quite a few other merit badges in progress. He's been working really hard! He finishes up his Cycling merit badge today (Saturday) and will receive that one at the next Court of Honor. That merit badge was a HUGE challenge to complete! Way to go, B!!

Meeting Paul Cardall

2010-10-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

Here I am with Paul Cardall. So happy!!

He's signing my copy of his new book about his amazing journey with his heart defect and heart transplant. I also had him sign one of his CD's.

On Thursday, my friend, K and I drove over to the church bookstore to meet Paul Cardall. G took a bit of time off of work to come by, too! I have LOVED his piano music over the past few years. He has composed some amazing arrangements of LDS Hymns as well as composing original music. I immediately fell in love with the music, and I listen to it often. Then I started to follow him on his blog and was amazed and touched by his personal story. I was following along while he was waiting for his heart transplant and when things didn't look good. Some days, I'd actually get nervous about peeking in at his blog because I was so sad about his condition and the possibility of his early death. His blog entries were so inspirational and sure put things in my own life in perspective. So, when I actually read the newsletter from the local church bookstore, my heart skipped a beat when it said that Paul would be coming in for a book/CD signing and that he'd be speaking and performing later that night!! We took the whole family to the fireside and loved it. I could seriously listen to him for hours!! (I would have been devastated if I found out after the fact!)

So, if you haven't heard of him before now, go check out his website and check out his beautiful piano music. It will blow you away.

I am so thankful that I got to meet him. What an amazing and very humble man. I am thankful that he is sharing his beautiful talents with everyone.

Hot Pink Run '10

2010-10-09T12:21:00.001-07:00

HOT PINK RUN 2010

N after the race. It was nice having a running buddy. It was tricky for me to keep up with him and his VERY BIG STRIDE!!

Here we are at the beginning of the run. We did the un-timed run together. We didn't register until this morning and they ran out of number 'bibs' and t-shirts. We'll get our shirts in a couple of weeks. We ran side-by-side most of the way. It was a fun thing to do together AND it was for a great cause: breast cancer awareness. G brought the boys to cheer us on. It was a fun way to start the day. We'll have to do it again next year. Hopefully B will join us then. He just recently sprained his ankle and it is still healing.

General Priesthood Session of Conference

2010-10-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

G and B took a road trip to Salt Lake over the weekend so that B could attend his FIRST Priesthood session in the Conference Center. We were able to land 4 tickets, so both Grandpas were able to come. So, here is my Dad, B, G and G's dad. I LOVE this picture! B loved all of the junk food on the trip and time with Dad. He loved being in the Conference center (saying it was HUGE) and hearing the prophet and apostles speak IN PERSON! This will be a fond and cherished memory. They were able to stop by and see some dear friends on the way back to California, too (wink, wink, Krista!). I'm SO glad they had fun and am so thankful they returned safely.

Goofing Around

2010-10-03T16:14:00.000-07:00

Like T's "rabbit ears" on HIMSELF?!

J & T were pretty restless after sitting for General Conference (which was wonderful, by the way!!) They decided to go out front and pal around together. T is very excited to see the leaves on the ground. He was hoping to gather enough to jump in. No such luck. They gathered 'weapons' and played in their secret hideout. It turned out to be a beautiful day. A perfect 76 degrees with a slight breeze.

Soccer!

2010-10-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

J taking a MUCH needed water break. It was hot out there this afternoon!

Soccer is in full-swing. J played very well today, and he was fun to watch. He ALMOST made a goal today. It was SO close!!! He's enjoying his coach and teammates this year.

A Note from B

2010-10-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

The other morning, this is what awaited me on the kitchen counter. And, yes, it did make it into his lunch! Too funny!

Cast #2

2010-09-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, T had a follow-up appointment for his broken arm. His eyes were wide with alarm when he saw (and heard!) the saw that was to remove his cast. The tech demonstrated that it couldn't cut him by putting the saw 'blade' right on his own skin. It was really cool. So, his bright, dirty yellow cast was removed. Before we headed over to x-ray, T wanted to wash his arm. Don't blame him! His arm felt really weird to him without the cast. His skin looked pretty good, but I could see a couple of spots of irritation. I wish I thought to bring some neosporin! I got to see his x-ray and saw how his bone is healing properly. He got to pick out another color for this cast. He didn't even hesitate with RED. It kinda looks pink in this picture, but trust me: it's red! He'll have to wear this one for 2 weeks. Then, he'll get a splint for another couple of weeks. What a trooper! Oh, of course we stopped by to see G at the hospital, and got to meet more of his students. Then, T wanted to stop by the "pet store" ... translated to "gift shop"! He was stalling every which way he could before he had to go back to school. Smart kid!

Mommy Had a TIME OUT

2010-09-13T18:36:00.001-07:00

Me with the girls on Friday night before Time Out for Women began in Sacramento.
Lisa and I got a picture with the singing group Mercy River. They are AMAZING!! I love their harmonies. They were so inspiring and funny, too!
Here is our group after the conference on Saturday afternoon. Some of the girls stayed over night at a hotel. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the conference. I feel so enriched and uplifted by the speakers, the music, and the bonds of friendship. I feel like my own spiritual cup has been filled and I have a renewed outlook. We were able to hear from: Ardeth Kapp, John Bytheway, Emily Watts, Amanda Dickson, Jill Manning and Emily Freeman. The beautiful music was by the singing group Mercy River, and by Jenny Oaks Baker. She is a very, very accomplished violinist. She blew us away. I am so thankful for the opportunity to go. I am thankful for a very supportive husband who holds down the fort while I'm gone. I cannot wait until I can go to the next one. We are already trying to make plans!

And BRIGHT Yellow it is!!

2010-09-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

T had his cast put on early Tuesday morning. He had a 7:40am appointment. He got to choose the color of his cast. I was not surprised when he decided quickly on the bright yellow. This one is waterproof!! I'm so glad it doesn't cover his elbow. Right after he got his cast on, we met G over at the main hospital and had donuts together. When T arrived at school, he was wearing a hoodie, so you couldn't see his cast. His teacher and classmates took guesses on the color. He'll have to wear it for 5-6 weeks. So, the first half of the soccer season is a complete wash.

Yep, It's broken

2010-09-06T15:35:00.001-07:00

G got a picture of T's x-ray

On Wednesday evening, T wanted to ride his bike really bad. So, we helped him get going down the sidewalk. He was startled by the neighbor's sprinklers turning on right as he passed their lawn so much so that he swerved to the right and hit a parked car. He ran right back to us holding his arm. It didn't look too bad. We iced it and gave him some Tylenol. The pain would ebb and flow, so we were a bit baffled about what to do about his arm. By Friday evening, he'd pretty much keep his right arm to his side and was trying to do many things left handed. So, when G took him on his long-awaited "Daddy Day" to the hospital (T's choice! He wanted to eat lunch there and explore Daddy's office), he had one of the nurses take a quick look at it. The nurse immediately said that it needs to be x-rayed because it didn't look too good. It turns out that it's a clean break, right near the wrist. This is his temporary cast. I have to get him in to see an orthopedist ASAP to set him in a cast ... which he'll probably have to wear for 6 weeks. Too bad soccer JUST started. The first game is this coming Saturday! He's been a real trooper. He did tell G, however, that he would like to come back to his work for a corn dog, but he doesn't want to see any doctors!

First Day of School

2010-08-10T10:59:00.001-07:00

N started ... gasp ... High School today! He is SO ready to be in High School. G dropped him off this morning. He is also really looking forward to seminary, and meeting other kids in the stake that go to his High School.
B is starting 7th grade today. He was up and ready to go this morning. He barely said 'goodbye' before he ran off to to the bus stop!
J & T are holding flowers for their teachers. It's a school tradition for each student to bring the teacher a flower. It then becomes part of a class bouquet symbolizing all of the different students in the class. I trimmed them off of one of our rosebushes this morning. J starts 4th grade and T starts 1st grade. J was especially happy about his new binder and school supplies this year.

Here they are walking side-by-side to school this morning. J was very helpful.

Here's T with his new 1st grade teacher. He was a bit nervous. I walked him into his classroom and it helped him seeing some of his friends. Right before I left, he whispered to me that he was scared. It broke my heart! I know he'll do fine, but it will take some adjusting to being in school all day. He still likes a good nap!

Well, this is the FIRST time that all of my boys will be in school for the full day! Definitely a new phase in my life.

T's Computer

2010-08-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

Here is one of T's latest creations: his own lap top computer and its accompanying mouse! He saw something like this one TV and he immediately took out his new shoes from the box and got to work. I buy T his own roll of scotch tape. It just makes things easier for everyone! He drew some pictures with some numbers for the key board. He then found this pink, knit mouse for the finishing touch. He actually uses the pink mouse like a computer mouse! It's hilarious. He's said a few times, "I need to check my e-mail" and he'll swivel the mouse around and make clicking noises. I LOVE watching him because his imagination is infinite!!

Recent Court of Honor

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

N earned 1 merit badge at the recent Court of Honor: Family Life. He is almost done with all of the requirements needed to start on his Eagle. We just need to get a fire under him!!! He doesn't mind doing the merit badge work, he just hates making the phone calls to the counselors!

N gave a recap of the Varsity Scout High Adventure at Santa Cruz. He was already nervous, but when he saw me with the camera, it made it worse! Sorry about that, N!

B earned 5 merit badges! Environmental Science, Family Life, Cooking, Sculpture, and Art. He's very close to his next rank advancement. Afterwards, there was different types of cobbler to enjoy. The leaders made them in dutch ovens.

The Training Wheels are in the Trash!

2010-08-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

N even took a turn helping T get started

This morning, while I was shoe shopping with N & J, T wanted to try the bigger bike with NO training wheels. So, G took him out to the nearby field and practiced. He's a bit short for the red bike, so stopping is a little tricky, but he did it! When I got home, I was treated to a great show!! He'd walk up the street a ways with G, get on the bike, ride it down the street, and stop on our front lawn. After a few times of doing this, he picked up the training wheels that were taken off of his smaller blue bike and walked over to the trash and dumped them in. Yeah!!!

Annual Tahoe Day Trip

2010-08-01T17:44:00.001-07:00

On Thursday, July 29th, we headed up to King's Beach in North Tahoe to spend the day with friends. This has become an annual tradition and I believe we've gone at least once, sometimes twice, a summer for the past 4 or 5 years. We LOVE this beach! The water is shallow for quite a distance, which is great for the kids. It was challenging to get this picture of all of the kids. I used the appropriate phrase that it was like "herding cats" trying to get this picture! [B and J are in the back row, 2nd and 3rd from the right; T is in the front row, 1st on the left]

Most of us! We're missing one of our friends in this picture. I think she was still trying to find a few kids! We had a great time just visiting with one another!! The time just flew by.

B on the hunt for crawfish

J just chilaxin!

T having a great time in the sand and water

Me and T

We got to the beach at 11am. This was the first time that I had to park across the street! However, the beach wasn't crowded!?!?? We set up our umbrellas, chairs, and just had a great time. We didn't leave until 5pm! We missed having N with us. He was on a Varsity Scout outing to Santa Cruz. I'm so glad that we could make it up to Tahoe this summer. We've been busy, but we just HAD to squeeze this in. I had a wonderful time visiting with the mom's. I'm so lucky to call these ladies my friends!!

PS: Thank you for the pictures, Raimi! I can't believe that I forgot my camera! That almost never happens to me!

Sad, Sad Blog ...

2010-07-30T17:47:00.001-07:00

We have been SO crazy busy this summer that I've completely neglected the blog! I have many adventures to share, pictures and all. We've been to Utah, visited family, then up to Shasta, then Tahoe, more family time, re-did my bathroom floor, had a birthday party, pool time, cement slides etc. The boys start school on August 11th. This summer has flown by with lightning speed! But, boy, we've had FUN!

Scout Camp

2010-06-29T17:17:00.001-07:00

B is in the bright blue sweatshirt ...

B is 4th from the left. This is the group on the hike into camp

B is on the far right

B went to Boy Scout camp last week. [Thank you to my friend, Camie, for the pictures!! I really appreciate it!] The troop left EARLY Monday morning (3:45am). He said he had a better time than he thought he'd have at camp. He earned 4 merit badges. I told him that he had to get Environmental Science, but then he could pick which other ones he wanted to do. He did earn the Environmental Science one, along with Sculpture, Art, and Cooking. He also passed the very challenging swimming test on the 2nd try. Not all scouts pass it. He said that the water was freezing (58 degrees), and it was hard to breathe. He was happy to be home (Saturday afternoon). Happy for a clean, warm shower. Happy for a clean, flushing toilet. He admitted that he thought about hugging the toilet, he was so happy to see it! Also, he said he's going to have nightmares about "Big John". He shudders just talking about it! A highlight for him was the cash that we sent him to treat himself at the scout store. He LOVED the chocolate tacos! He enjoyed learning a few different card games, too. I'm so glad that he had fun, and that he returned safely. As for the rest of the family, we missed him ... but, it was a little eerie how quiet the house was while B was away .... hmmm ...

Hike in Folsom

2010-06-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

Folsom Lake

Throwing logs into the water

Last Saturday, we went for a short family hike near Folsom Lake. The weather was beautiful. It was nice getting out of the house and spending time together. We saw butterflies, caterpillars, bumble bees, lots of wild flowers, and a few horses, too. Yes, there was a downside to sharing the trail with horses!!

What's Up, Doc!?!

2010-06-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

When T heard that our we had "Rabbit Ears" for a plant, he decided that they could be HIS rabbit ears. We've had this particular plant at our home since we moved in. It is a transplant from G's childhood home. The leaves are SO SOFT ... like a rabbit's ear! So, G helped give T his rabbit ears. He put a dish towel in the waistband of his shorts and grabbed a carrot from the fridge. He had a great time until the rubber band started to feel really tight! Pretty creative, I must say!!

Birthday Follow-Up

2010-06-06T17:14:00.001-07:00

G & B at The Golden Corral Restaurant for B's birthday. B LOVED the small cinnamon & sugar donuts.

N with Grandpa at dinner -- stuffed!!!

B waited all day to open his presents. His brothers gave him some Legos, and he got a card and some $$ from Boppi & Grandma Marie. The present from me and G was wrapped in 3 boxes, one in another! He got a real kick out of that! Especially seeing a huge rock in the box!
In the last of the 3 boxes, there was some serious cash for B! He couldn't believe it! He was not sure of what he wanted, so we decided to let him decide for himself. We were going to get him his own iPod, but he wasn't sure if that's what he wanted. We told him that he needs to really be mindful of how he wants to spend his money, and that we'd like to discuss it with him first. He seems okay with that.

One thing he KNEW he wanted was his cookie pizza! We were all so stuffed from the buffet dinner that we didn't actually eat any of it on his birthday. But we sang to him and he blew out the candles. We sure enjoyed it the day after!! I think he's had this for his birthday for the past 3 or 4 birthdays. He LOVES it. Happy Birthday, B!

I'm DONE with Middle School!!

2010-06-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

N was officially promoted from Middle School on Wednesday, June 2nd. He has loved his time at this middle school. The staff is great!! Grandpa was able to join us for the promotion ceremonies, too! We had great seats in the bleachers, and could see N very well. It was a very nice ceremony. High School, here he comes!!!! Class of '14!

... Then I had to make a mad dash over to T's kindergarten picnic. That's another story ...

Happy 12th Birthday, B!!

2010-06-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 12th BIRTHDAY, B!! It was much easier for me to find silly pictures of B than 'nice' ones because he's always being silly. As I've said before, he's the 'spice in the soup of our family'. And we can't imagine not having him in our family. Yes, he's silly, but he also has a tender heart and is very thoughtful. It's hard to believe that he's 12 years old today. Time flies. We love you, B!

My first 10K

2010-06-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

N & J eating watermelon, waiting for me to cross the finish line

My dear friend, Kristin, came down to cheer me on. I saw her at the half-way point in my run and at the finish line. It meant a lot to me that she'd come and support me.
Me, after the race, with the family. It was nice to have them there. The boys had fun digging around in the dirt looking for bugs while they waited.
Here I am crossing the finish line ... finally!! You can see G in the background taking my picture. It was so nice to have him there encouraging me along the way, especially while I was about to take on another hill!

I DID IT!!!!

I'm coming around the bend here. This is at the half-way point (3.1 miles)
The trails were really nice, however, there were random people from the city taking their dogs on walks, kids in strollers, people on roller blades etc., that kind of got in the way here and there. They were nice, but I often had to loudly say, "Coming through!"
When N and I arrived, we saw some Elders! They are currently serving in Rocklin. We HAD to get a picture of them with N. I LOVED how they still wore their white shirts, ties and name tags. Way to go!
And, here I am before the race. [I cannot rearrange my pictures anymore on my blog! I don't know why, and it's frustrating!] So, I wanted to push myself a bit further than a 5K. So I ramped up my running a bit in the last while. I did not anticipate the hills on this course, which kicked my behind! I loved how this was NOT crowded at all. Just perfect. N came with me early to get settled and warmed-up. G came with his dad and the boys right before the race started. It was wonderful having the support there for me. It meant a lot. As I mentioned above, my friend Kristin came, too. I was really hoping to finish in 60 minutes, but the hills did me in and I finished in 67 minutes. Not too bad for my first 10K, with hills, too! I actually finished in the top half in my age category! =)

School Awards

2010-05-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

Grandpa was able to come see both boys receive their awards on Friday at the school. They were at different times, but it all worked out. Dad even came back from work to be there for both of the boys.

J with his awesome 3rd grade teacher. J won the very prestigious Coyote of the Month award for his class. His teacher had some very nice things to say about J. He's a wonderful boy who is excelling in school and is a friend to everyone. We're very proud of him.
T with his Kindergarten teacher. He earned one of the two "Character" awards for Caring in his class this month. He was SO excited!! After he got the award, his biggest concern was whether or not he had to stick it out at school for another 15 minutes or if he could just come home with us. We took him home. Actually, we walked home and once we got home, I realized that he RODE HIS BIKE to school! I had to go back and get it.

Pack Meeting

2010-05-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday night, it was a Talent Show themed Pack Meeting. It was J's first time doing the flag. He was a bit nervous, but he did great. He was THE first on the program. He really didn't want to play the piano, but we talked him into it with the deal that he got to pick the song. He was a tough act to follow! He did great. He's a really good piano player. We're proud of him. He worked through his fear of performing and did awesome! Grandpa was also able to come hear him play.

T's Birthday Adventures

2010-05-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

T brought cupcakes to school on his birthday. He picked out what kind of cupcakes he wanted to bring, AND he was the official "Sprinkler" of the cupcakes. He did a great job!

Walking to school with dad holding the pan of cupcakes

T got to wear a birthday crown all day at school. He wore it most of the day at home, too!
FINALLY, he got to open his presents when Daddy got home from work. He was pretty patient, considering ...
Here he is with his loot. He was very happy with what he got. He kept saying thank you, which I really appreciated.
He had been planning his birthday night at Leatherby's forever! He wanted a BIG oreo milkshake this time. He was happy to let everyone sing Happy Birthday to him. He got to pick out the Friday night movie, and he picked Toy Story 2. He was a happy camper!!

Happy 6th Birthday, T!

2010-05-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

2010

Nov 2009

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

T has been waiting a LOOONNNNGGG time for his birthday. He told me about a week ago that it was "taking forever!!!" Well, it FINALLY arrived!! He climbed into bed with G & me early this morning ready for his birthday wishes. I frosted the cupcakes this morning that I baked last night. T helped me with the sprinkles ... a VERY important job.

We call T our "Caboose". It's hard to believe that he's 6 already! Where does the time go? He is a fun-loving boy, who LOVES Legos. He has a very vivid imagination and is constantly creating things with paper, glue, scissors, crayons, paint, play dough ... and I could go on and on. He is very silly, and likes to make up knock-knock jokes. He is super friendly and will talk to anyone who will listen! He has made such progress in just these past few months in school and speech. We are SO proud of him! I just melt when he comes up to me, hugs me, and tells me that I'm the best Mom ever ... and that I'm pretty. What a charmer!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, T!!

Father/Son's Camp Out

2010-05-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

G took ALL 4 boys to the Ward's Annual Father/Son's Camp Out. I was one happy mama! J&T were especially excited. This was T's first time going, and he was besides himself with joy. In the picture above, they were all doing a dance by the campfire!

Aahhh! The flash is too bright!!!

Yeah!! I'm in a tent!!!

B standing by this unusual tree

Here's T with one of his dearest friends, N. I LOVE this picture of the two of them!

G with the boys

The boys were very excited about going to this camp out. B, not so much. But, a good friend of B's rode up with our family and that made a huge difference for B. They made s'mores, visited, and had a great time. When they came home this morning, it was like a camp fire just walked into the house! I'm so thankful that G took the boys. It meant a lot to them. I was able to enjoy a wonderful time with some friends by going out to dinner and then going to a local theater to see "Cinderella" (which was very good!). And, I got to sleep in this morning!

Cub Scout Hike to Hidden Falls

2010-04-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

J using his camera to take pictures of the water

This morning, we met bright and early for our cub scout hike. It was BEAUTIFUL weather. We drove to the trail and then enjoyed the scenery. We did a family hike here a couple of years ago, but now there is a deck at the water fall. We could comfortably sit and enjoy our snacks. We all had a great time.

Field Trip with J

2010-04-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

J and I getting some salt water taffy in one of the many candy stores in Old Town Sac

J with his buddy in front of one of the big trains

On Friday, the 9th, I was able to go with J on his class field trip. I met them down at the California State Railroad Museum for a special tour. One of the senior volunteers (or Golden Coyotes) for the class is a Docent down at the museum and we got special treatment. We saw a movie about the railroads (probably could use an update on that!) and toured the museum. Only 2 classes were invited to come. After the tour of many different trains, some of which we could walk on, we ate lunch outside. J talked me into signing him out of school and bringing him home with me. I think he may have been more excited about THAT then the actual field trip! But first, we stopped in Old Town Sac and got some salt water taffy ( just trying to justify my parking validation -- you spend more than $5 and you get a $5 parking validation. I'd rather have taffy than just pay for parking!) It turned out to be a very fun field trip and it was great to spend time with J!

Happy 14th Birthday, N!

2010-04-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

N with Boppi for an early birthday dinner at Costa Vida on Monday.

Happy 14th Birthday, N!!! I cannot believe that our April Fool's baby is 14 today, and 6 feet tall! Where did the time go?? We love you very much and are so grateful to have you in our family.

Faith in God Award

2010-03-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post this for a while! B finished up ALL the requirements for his Faith in God Award in Primary. We are so proud of him! This is not an easy thing to earn, AND he finished with a few months to spare. He turns 12 in June. The Bishop came into Primary to personally award his certificate to B. He memorized all the Articles of Faith, wrote his testimony, finished at least 8 requirements in 4 different categories, and had interviews with the Primary president and the Bishop. Phew! He'll get a little break before he enters Young Mens and starts working on his Duty to God ...

What a Star!

2010-03-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

T got a star painted on his nose at the birthday party he attended on Saturday. I had to get a picture of it! So cute!

Happy 9th Birthday, J!!

2010-03-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, J!!

We cannot believe that J is 9 years old today! And we couldn't imagine not having J in our family! We love him dearly. He is such a kind-hearted boy, and very considerate of others -- even his brothers! He's very silly and continually makes up jokes and riddles. He's a great student and an avid reader. We are so glad we have J in our family! We LOVE you, J!

Pajama Day

2010-03-06T15:39:00.000-08:00

I surprised J with a McDonald's meal today! T and I waited until his lunch recess was about over (he has recess before lunch), and brought him his surprise. He was very excited about it. Not so much about me taking his picture! He enjoyed his Pajama Day, and REALLY enjoyed the surprise.

Here's T with K and G before school, getting ready to take a yearbook picture of the Walk to School Club. Fun to see all of the kiddos in their PJ's. Many of the kids brought a favorite stuffed animal.

So, T brought Cloppy, his horse!

Here are the boys walking to school in their PJ's. So, I meant for this photo to be first, but my computer is not cooperating, and I can't shift it. Friday was Pajama Day at the school.

Give A Day, Get A Day

2010-03-05T15:31:00.000-08:00

Today, I delivered 5 twin-sized fleece blankets to a local charity. In return, we will receive 5 Disneyland tickets. The boys helped tie the blankets. The pink blanket was our first go-around. G and I finished the last one on Wednesday night. Now, we just need to figure out WHEN we can take the boys to Disneyland!

Big Bouncy Ball!

2010-03-04T12:45:00.001-08:00

T and one of his buddies, N, both on their bouncy balls ... hopping around the playground. It was hard to get them to stop for a second so I could take their picture!

Whenever T goes out to recess, he RUNS for this huge bouncy ball. I had one similar when I was a little girl. Mine looked like a horse, so we called it a hoppity horse. I LOVED it! T reluctantly hands it over to the next person waiting. It's his favorite thing to do during recess. I was working in his class this morning because we threw a baby shower for his wonderful teacher, who is leaving at the end of next week to have her baby. And I brought a camera. I had to grab J's new camera because I couldn't find my small one. I didn't realize that the date stamp was ON and that it's the WRONG date. Ugh! I'm just glad I could snap a few pictures of T playing.

Birds! Birds! Birds!

2010-03-03T09:03:00.000-08:00

Monday morning, we noticed HUNDREDS of birds in our bare tree in our front yard. HUNDREDS! Tons of them were chirping in another nearby tree in our yard, picking at the pear blossoms, and foraging on the ground below. Just a reminder that spring is just around the corner.

J's Pioneer Day Field Trip

2010-03-01T08:53:00.001-08:00

These suspenders belonged to J's great-great grandfather (I believe). G had this hat custom made for him in Italy. It works perfectly for J's pioneer outfit. G teased J by saying, "Hat, have a great time and be sure to come home safe ... oh, and you too, J!!"

Today, J's 3rd grade class is heading out for a Pioneer field trip. They had to dress the part, and it was fun to see all of the kids, teachers, and parents in full pioneer dress. They will be doing some woodworking, laundry, butter churning, among other things. I'll have to have J fill me in when he gets home.

Boy Scout Advancements

2010-02-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

N is being presented with 2 Eagle Required merit badges (Communications & Emergency Preparedness) AND with his advancement to LIFE scout. We are so proud of all of his hard work. He nearly missed the opportunity to advance at this Court of Honor. He had his meeting with the merit badge counselor for the communications merit badge AFTER his Board of Review, however, they let him do another Board of Review in order to advance. We are very grateful to his leaders for accommodating him.

Here, we listen to the Scoutmaster as B is presented with both his Tenderfoot AND 2nd Class Ranking advancements. Unfortunately, since we were on vacation during THE only camp out last summer for the 11 year old scouts, B had to wait more than 6 months for the next one, thus delaying his opportunity to advance. He is currently working on a few merit badges, and is looking forward to Scout Camp in June so that he will have the opportunity to finish some merit badges. I told him that he can pick whatever merit badges he wants, but that he MUST do the Environmental Science one. That's best done at scout camp!

We have a great Scoutmaster -- who works hard for these boys. Thanks, Steve!!

100 Days of School

2010-02-16T09:30:00.001-08:00

I'm late on posting this! When I picked up T from school on the "100th Day of School", he had his 100 hat and 100 glasses. If you notice in these pictures, he wanted to put on his disguise glasses/mustache, too! He got those from his last visit to the dentist (no cavities, by the way!!). I cannot believe we are already past the 100 day mark. This year has FLOWN by.

Special Valentine's Delivery

2010-02-11T12:21:00.002-08:00

When I picked T up from school today, this is what he was wearing! Each classmate made one. So cute!! It reads:

There's a Valentine
Standing at your door.
I'm one of a kind
You can't buy me at a store.

I have something for you
That you just won't want to miss.
Just pucker up
And give me a
GREAT BIG KISS!

Pinewood Derby 2010

2010-01-28T12:50:00.001-08:00

This was J's FIRST Pinewood Derby. The Troop didn't do one last year because the Cubmaster wanted to try something different. Anyway, J was VERY excited to FINALLY participate himself ... especially after watching both big brothers for the past 5 years. Here, J, who is sitting in the middle, is with most of his Bear Den before the Derby.

J's car is the 2nd from the left. It is a military hummer, and comes with a machine gun mounted on top. He sanded and painted it all by himself. He applied the stickers and helped with the placement of the weights. His car did FANTASTIC!! It placed 1st 2 times and 2nd 2 times. It qualified for the final heat.

Here's J after his car placed 1st in one of the heats! He was beaming!

Here is the reveal for the top placement. J is car #4, which placed 3rd overall.

J won a trophy for placing 3rd. His car was awarded "Coolest Car", and they all got a small trophy mound to attach their cars to. This was the FASTEST Pinewood Derby we've ever attended. Our Cubmaster hired another troop to bring their state-of-the-art track and computer timing system. They handled all of the cars, and we all watched. It was very exciting. Previously, it took a long time, and there was always debate on who's car actually came in first. Here, there was NO debate. Very nice. Way to go, J!

Another Fabulous Night of Bunko

2010-01-27T09:08:00.000-08:00

I've been fortunate enough to be part of my Bunko group for 4 years. I look forward to our Bunko night every other month. We have become such wonderful friends. We eat, talk, and LAUGH all evening. Last night, we only managed to get through 3 rounds because we just talked so much. We all needed it! I happened to win the first prize for rolling the most bunkos. I chose a gift card to Barne's & Noble, which was attached to a huge Hershey's chocolate w/ almonds bar. Awesome! I always feel refreshed and uplifted after our Bunko night. I just love these girls! ... and thanks, Camie, for bringing your camera to snap this picture!

Hike through the Quarry

2010-01-11T16:38:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, the 9th, we took the boys and headed out for an easy hike around a local quarry. It was quite foggy out, but we really needed to get out of the house. Last time we came to this quarry, it was quite warm. No one else was there on the trail. We just enjoyed being outside together, getting some fresh air, and a little bit of exercise.

Here's G with J at the start of our hike

Lots of the rocks were COVERED in moss. Still fun to climb and explore!

We weren't out for too long before we started to feel raindrops. Nothing much, but enough to get us heading back to the car. We had fun collecting BIG sticks, and throwing grass clumps and other things into some very disgusting standing water. I couldn't even take a picture of it because it was so yucky! On our way back home, we stopped at a gourmet cupcake shop we noticed on the way to the quarry. G went in to check it out and bought us some delicious cupcakes to share when we got home. Yum!

We sure like our family hikes. It's great family time. The boys love exploring and climbing and throwing and .... I could go on.

2009 in Review

2010-01-10T17:45:00.000-08:00

What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
I ran in my first 5K ... I actually ran in THREE 5K races.

Did you keep your new years' resolutions?
Yes, to train for and run in a 5K. My good friend came down to Sacramento and did the first one with me. Thanks, Kristin!

What are some of your resolutions for 2010?
Work on a college course, run a 10 K, lose some lbs.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
No

Did anyone close to you die?
No

What countries did you visit?
The Bahamas. G and I went on a wonderful cruise together in July.

What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Nothing. I truly feel very blessed. Okay, a maid would be nice ...

What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 14th: J was baptized.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Completing my first 5K.

What was your biggest failure?
Lack of patience with children, husband, family.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
If you count getting strep throat during the cruise to the Bahamas, then yes.

What was the best thing you bought?
I don't know. I'm not a big spender. I'll have to think about this one ...

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
This is a tough one. I can’t really say here.

Where did most of your money go?
Sam’s Club, WalMart

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Finally being able to go on a vacation with just my hubby on our cruise. It was wonderful! Thanks, Mom, for taking the boys for us!

What song will always remind you of 2009?
I Gotta Feelin’ by the Black Eyed Peas … a very good song to play when I’m running.

Compared to this time last year, are you: much happier, richer, nicer?
Maybe a little bit of all three because I’d like to believe that I’m a work in progress that’s continually improving.

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Playing with the boys, and REALLY enjoying the small things.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Computer time, nagging. I do now limit my computer time =) ... and yet, here I sit typing this on my computer ...

How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas Eve: just my own immediate family. Christmas Day: My brother and his family along with my sister and her 4 kids. The kids exchanged gifts and we had a yummy ham dinner with elbeskivers later on (a Danish tradition of ours).

Did you fall in love in 2009?
Again and again with my husband, especially, and my boys. They are growing so fast and it’s been so fun to see them develop into these wonderful, smart boys, and discover the world.

What was your favorite TV program?
I have a few: I still enjoy watching Survivor. G and I like to watch: CSI, The Mentalist, and The Soup, among a few others. I realize it asked for ONE, but it’s hard to narrow it down for me.

What was the best book you read this year?
I loved the “Peter and the Starcatchers” series. Very well written. I devoured them! (so did B)

What did you want and get?
Lots of love from my family and friends.

What were your favorite films of this year?
Star Trek. I loved it!

What were your least favorite films of this year?
I can’t think of one that we saw in the theater that I didn’t like. I thought the 3D feature was a rip-off when we saw Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. We rented The Bridge to Tarabathia, expecting a fun, fantasy adventure. It was a little bit of that, and not at all what we expected. A main character dies … it was a huge let down. The kids were all depressed!

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 38 on August 5th. I went out to dinner with the family, and enjoyed many phone calls and drop-by visits. It was a low-key birthday, but another good one!

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If my boys would not be so WILD on Sunday afternoons! Seriously.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
In and out of different sizes all year. Usually jeans and a t-shirt.

What kept you sane?
My husband, my very loving boys, my friends, running, & reading.

Who did you miss?
My family. I don’t have much family that lives close by, except for one brother, who we don’t see near enough. My parents were still overseas most of the year. My other siblings live out of the area or state. It's hard to get us all together. I also miss the many friends that I've made over the years who don't live near me anymore. I've enjoyed Facebook for that very reason: staying in touch with dear friends.

Who was the best new person (people) you met?
Hmmm …. We’ve become really good friends with the Ellings. We think they are amazing.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
It’s actually from a quote that I got from my good friend, Raimi: Kindness is in our power even when fondness is not. I really tried to live by that. We are all God's children.

What are you most excited for in 2010?
When T starts 1st grade. Then, all my boys will be at school for a full day. I want to finish up my college courses and it will be much easier to do that when I have a full day. Also, I'd like to go to the temple more during the day. Plus, I’m hoping to work out some lunch dates with my hubby and then some with my girl fiends!

What are you least excited for in 2010?
Getting up for seminary when N starts High School in the fall. It will be the start of @ a 15 year run of getting up for seminary in the mornings!

Happy 17th Anniversary

2009-12-30T17:06:00.000-08:00

Today marks our 17th wedding anniversary. Best decision ever for both of us! Here's to MANY more wonderful years together ....

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-25T22:13:00.000-08:00

Once the boys were able to complete our advent calendar ... there was PURE excitement in our house. This advent calendar was the one that me and my siblings used growing up. It's such a treasure to me.

On Christmas Eve, we had our own family Christmas time. We read the story of Christ's birth from Luke, sang some Christmas songs, and then exchanged family gifts. N is VERY excited about his temples calendar.

T, wearing his new pj's, helps us put out the Christmas stockings. He was SO excited about Santa coming. He and J left notes, cookies, hot chocolate and carrots & celery (for the reindeers). T finally fell asleep, but woke up about 20 minutes later in a complete daze ... wondering if it was Christmas yet. No ... he wasn't excited AT ALL!?!
THIS lego mail airplane was on the TOP of his list and Santa brought it for him. Mom put it together for him. He didn't want to stop playing with it even for a second ... even to take this picture!

B got a HUGE box of random legos -- top of his wish list. Now he just has to hide it from T!

Here's G whipping up our traditional ebleskivers ... a Danish pancake ... for our breakfast. So yummy!

Later, some of our extended family came over for dinner and a cousin's gift exchange. Here's J excitedly opening his gift from his cousin.

COUSINS!

Our day started so early at O'dark thirty. J & T came blazin' in our bedroom at 6:15AM. They watched cartoons for about 30 minutes before we woke up N & B. We had a great day, but LONG day. We enjoyed visiting with our family all day. What a great Christmas!!

Winter Festivities

2009-12-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

It's been a fun-packed week for the boys at the elementary school. T had his kindergarten performance on Tuesday night. His class each were dressed like Rudolph, and looked adorable.
They sang so good and we parents loved it (of course!)

T with his buddies after the performance

T's winter party was Thursday. I came in and helped at the table with all of the glue and glitter. They decorated these snowflake hats.Here is the book that T got at the wrapped Christmas gift book exchange. Actually, he first opened this really PINK princess Cinderella pop-up book and about cried. He exchanged it with a girl who really, really wanted it and both were very happy with the results. Phew!

On Friday, the 18th, I came in to help with J's Winter party. They made gingerbread houses along with their Kindergarten buddies. It was CROWDED, and ... loud ... and smelled intensely of sugar! But, they had fun!

Here's J's finished house. I'm glad I could spend that time with him. Also, I was able to bring his house safely home. He rode his bike to school ... and that would have been a disaster!

As for N&B, not much of this stuff at the Middle School. They are just happy to have 2 weeks off of school. I can't believe that Christmas is fast approaching!!!

Celebrating G's Birthday --Gionz Style

2009-12-16T12:39:00.000-08:00

This post is a bit late -- just trying to catch up a bit. One of the things our family likes to do to celebrate birthdays is to go to Leatherby's. We celebrated G's 39th birthday a day early having ice cream for dinner. It was probably THE coldest day of the year on that day, too! The ice cream is always SO yummy.

Both J & N got milkshakes -- Cookie's 'n cream for J and Mint Chip for N.

T also got a cookies 'n cream milkshake -- he was a happy camper

B is happy with his cookies 'n cream ice cream ... plain

Here's G getting ready to blow out his ONE candle on his favorite type of ice cream: peppermint with hot fudge and a side of malt. We all enjoyed our ice cream and spending time together celebrating Dad's birthday.

It SNOWED in CA!

2009-12-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday night, early Monday morning, it snowed here in northern California. I know this is hardly anything to you who actually live areas where it REALLY snows, but this is an abnormal occurrence here ... very abnormal! We are not used to this cold weather. Yes, we are spoiled ...

J with his very small snow ball -- he's still waking up, but didn't want to miss out on his chance to make one!

B armed with his snowball on his way to the bus-stop. Yes, notice the shorts: a TRUE Californian! I couldn't convince him to change out of his shorts.

We've moved on from the bit of snow to buckets and buckets AND buckets of rain this week. Definitely feels like winter!

Happy Birthday, G!!

2009-12-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, G!! You are THE best husband and dad ever!! We are so blessed to be a family together. Thank you for ALL you do for our family. You are a wonderful example for us. Hope your day is a wonderful one. We LOVE you!

Finally!! I won Morty!

2009-12-03T09:03:00.000-08:00

After almost 5 years of being in my Bunko group, I FINALLY won the Morty basket. This is the grand prize of the night. Each person brings a small prize to put into the basket. During the game, if someone rolls all 2's, then they take possession of Morty, the little stuffed monkey. During the game, Morty is tossed all over, switching "owner's". The last person in possession of Morty after the final bell wins the Morty basket ... which was me! The funny thing is, I actually forgot that I had possession of Morty during the last round. Weird. So, I was able to keep all of the wonderful loot pictured above, and I'm very thankful. I love it all! This time, there was no theme for the basket. It was "anything goes".

I just LOVE my bunko group. We have so much fun visiting the whole night. We laugh so much! My side started to hurt from the laughter. We have built great friendships over the years, and I am so grateful. Now, I just need to get a current picture of our group! We don't think about it because we are having so much fun talking and laughing.

Run to Feed the Hungry -- Sacramento

2009-11-26T17:41:00.000-08:00

Early on Thanksgiving, N & I drove down to Sacramento to meet my sister, L and her daughter and boyfriend for the "Run to Feed the Hungry". N has come to 2 of my 5K's before, but this time I got him to run with me. B was supposed to come, but wasn't feeling well.
N was a bit nervous about the race -- he shouldn't have been -- it was a MOB of people -- he COULDN'T run if he wanted to!

Here is N after the finish line at the race. We got separated early on and there was no way to find each other until the finish line. A bit disappointing race to try out those running legs!

OK, I KNOW this was for a good cause and it was amazing to see that 31,000 people came out to support a very good cause in our community, HOWEVER, it was the most frustrating "run" (if you can call it that). It was more like an obstacle course. I managed to jog most of it ... unless I got really caught behind people. It was like a barricade sometimes ... really. TOO many people crammed into these small streets. I want to bring N to another 5K soon so that he can really get a sense of it without the mob. It took us a long time to get out of the parking garage. G had to start my dinner rolls for Thanksgiving dinner since it took us longer than we had planned. We had a great Thanksgiving ... I'll have to post more about that later.

T's Soccer Wrapped Up

2009-11-25T17:06:00.000-08:00

T's 1st soccer season wrapped up last weekend. He LOVED playing soccer with his friends and had such a wonderful coach. All smiles!

I love this picture of T ... happily running out to position during his last game!

Here is T with coach Andre, who stepped up to coach this team of 5 year olds even though he does not have a child on the team! He was great with the kids. Oh, the big frog is Flippity, T's Kindergarten class mascot. He got to spend the weekend with us a few weeks ago.

T loved playing with his buddies. So fun!

After the last game, we met the team at Round Table pizza. After eating, the coach handed out trophies and certificates. T earned the "Most Improved" player. He did come along way this season, and loved it. He's a little sad that there is no more soccer for a while. I'm happy to have our Saturdays back! Oh, btw, T's trophy was broken by accident w/in 24 hours of receiving it. He took it pretty well, especially considering that he wasn't the one to break it. What a trooper!

Soccer is ALMOST Done

2009-11-18T11:37:00.000-08:00

On Monday night, we met J's team over at a gym. There, they played an indoor soccer game -- kids against parents. I brought G's sneakers so he could join in the game. B and T played for a while, too. They had a blast! After, the kids enjoyed pizza, soda, and receiving their trophies. I love this picture above. J is receiving his trophy from his coach, who was awesome, btw. Coach called J his little Professor .. always sharing tidbits of trivia and information. He also said that J was a hard-working player, who improved over the season.

J has really enjoyed this year. He wasn't sure about having a new coach, but it worked out very well. He had some great hustle out there on the field this year!

T has LOVED playing soccer. He did really good as goalie. He wasn't afraid to grab that ball! He was with some of his dearest friends and really began to grasp the game. He had a wonderful coach, too.

I'm glad that the boys had great teams & coaches this year. It has been a positive experience. With that said, I am also looking forward to no more practices and games ... having our Saturdays back! AMEN!

Apple Hill 2009

2009-11-11T19:46:00.000-08:00

The boys were off of school today (Veteran's Day), and the weather was good ... and we needed something to do ... so, we took off and headed over to Apple Hill. It was really nice because it wasn't as crowded as a normal weekend would be. We went to a few farms and really enjoyed ourselves.

the things I make the boys do for pictures! J looks REALLY thrilled!

We HAD to get apples with warm, gooey caramel. This is one of my favorite things to get at Apple Hill.

We saw this apple orchard near where we parked at one of the farms. We wanted to explore a bit. The boys found sound rotting pumpkins and HAD to poke them. Whatever. They had fun and I really didn't care. We just enjoyed being out with each other.

We stopped in at the Fudge Factory. We didn't end up buying anything there since we already bought some fudge at another farm. We just wanted to see what they had.

We also made sure we left with 2 gallons of pressed apple juice. So good! Lots of the food looked good there, however, there were long lines for that. So we just walked around and looked at all of the crafts, treats, and beautiful scenery. Then, we stopped at In-N-Out burger as we headed home. The boys were also glad to have the rest of the late afternoon to relax. It turned out to be a great afternoon together.

Fall is Here!

2009-11-04T16:38:00.001-08:00

We had a huge wind storm a little while ago, and I think the entire neighborhood's leaves ended up on our side yard. N & T took advantage of it and played in the leaves together. I snapped a few pictures of them playing together and having fun.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

On Halloween, after 2 soccer games and lots of chores inside and out, we headed over to the church parking lot for a pizza dinner and trunk-or-treating. We lucked out with wonderful, gorgeous weather. It was fun to visit with friends and have pizza. I loved not having to worry about dinner! G sat at the trunk with his dog costume to hand out candy as the boys walked around the parking lot. I walked around visiting.

We recycled costumes from last year -- the boys were all very happy about that. So it was super easy!!

Here's T with two of his buddies. They had so much fun running around. Good times!!!

After we returned from the Ward party, we all headed out in the neighborhood for trick-or-treating. G went a while with us, then headed back home to hand out the candy. The boys had I stayed out for quite a while and made a HAUL! We had to come by the house (strategically, of course) to dump some of the candy and get a drink of water. This trick or treating was hard work!

Couples Night / Amazing Race Edition

2009-10-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night (the 24th), my dear friend, Julianne, and I hosted a super fun Couples Night -- The Amazing Race Edition. We got the idea from another friend, Laurie, and just HAD to do it. It took a lot of planning, but it was worth it. We had a blast!!

We met at Julianne's house. We assembled the teams, read them the directions for the night, handed them their "Mission" envelopes, and sent them on their way. They had to get their first set of instructions from the CD we made. First, they had to come up with a team name. Second, they had to find somewhere to eat, anywhere of their choosing. Then they could go to the start of the RACE. In order to get their first clue, they had to figure out where to go for their first clue, had to find someone with a certain license plate #. Once they found them, then they had to give their team name AND show their dinner receipt with the time-stamp. They had to have at least 20 minutes from the time stamp until they could receive their first clue.

Before the race .... unaware of what was ahead ...

Little did MOST of them know ... they were looking for ME in the parking lot of the Nugget shopping center. I verified the receipts, gave them their 1st clue, and sent them on their way to their destinations ... which included: a puzzle challenge, a boxing challenge, yogurt (a certain amount was required), Rock Band challenge (at my house) AND a swimming pool challenge -- yes, you read that right. One member of each team had to put on a swimsuit and dive to the bottom of our friend's VERY COLD pool to find the 1 Canadian penny amidst the 19 American pennies.

Once the teams finished all 5 challenges, we all met back at Julianne's house. We wrote down the times when the teams returned, factoring in any penalties. If they couldn't figure out the clue to get them to the next location, they could call me or Julianne for a 10 minute penalty. There were a few phone calls! Extra points were earned if they put the puzzle together in less than 20 minutes. They could also earn extra points by seeing how many songs they could recall from our mix CD (they did not know about this opportunity ahead of time -- they probably thought we were being nice to give them a music CD =))

So, Team "Kogan's Heroes" finished in 1st place. They won a fabulous 'Best Actress' trophy and each received a $100 grand bar.

We visited and ate more yummy food. It was fun to hear what happened at the various sites. Thanks, Raimi, for sharing your pictures!

It was so much fun! There was so much excitement and laughter. Those who didn't come REALLY missed out. It was a huge success and many are talking of 'the next time' ... which is a good sign. I think Julianne and I started something here!

Subtle, huh?!!

2009-10-26T12:39:00.001-07:00

I found my most recent recipe magazine opened to this page with a sticky note on the bottom. Subtle, huh?!!

I'm Still Here!!

2009-10-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA on my blog lately. I had been so busy with planning a big couple's night with my friend over the past few weeks. Our activity was last night, and it was a blast! I will post some pictures shortly. I was also finding some rare, quiet moments to prepare my Relief Society lesson, which was today. Phew!! I feel like I can exhale =) I'm just moving onto other things on my never-ending list, which includes digging out my kitchen! I know ... exciting .... I hope to get back to posting more regularly soon. One can hope!

Hot Pink 5K

2009-10-11T19:07:00.001-07:00

On Saturday morning, B & I ran in a local 5K. N came down for support and to take pictures. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and this 5K raised $$$ for research. There was lots of pink there, especially HOT pink. The HOT stands for Historic Old Town for our neighborhood. The weather was perfect for a run. A little chilly to begin with, but it felt SO good during the run.

Here we are before the race. B looks pretty tired. He's NOT a morning person, but he wanted to come and give this a try.

Here we are working off some nervous energy before the race!

We had fun listening to the live band, seeing all of the people, checking out the vendors and getting some freebies. N carried around our loot in the backpack for us. Thanks, N!

Here we are at the end of our race. B got a late start because it was really unclear for him of when to start. He caught up to everyone, and did awesome. He's got such a HUGE stride when he runs. I'm so jealous!! He wants to do another run with me in the future.

I improved my running time a few minutes. I finished in 30:49 minutes. I was so happy about that! We had some small hills during the course. The Crooked Bridge was very challenging with its incline! And we crossed it twice on the course! I'm still working on increasing the distance I run as well as decreasing the time. It's a slow process for me, but at least I'm DOING it! Running has been great for me in so many ways. Again, I'm already looking for my next race and setting my sights on a 10K in the future.

A Quick Update!

2009-10-08T12:21:00.001-07:00

Once again, my blog has been a little neglected. We have been SO busy!! Here's a little of what we've been up to:

J had a great soccer game on Saturday. He scored a goal!!

Here he is beginning to dribble the ball down to the goal ....

... and he gets past the goalie ....

.... and finishes it!! He was so happy!!

Victory!!!

On Tuesday night, we headed down to Sacramento for the free Lego kit of the month. THIS time, there was a huge line. It took us about 45 minutes to an hour just to get into the store! I guess word got out this time around. Last month, we just walked right in and got to make the kit right away. While the boys stayed in line, I went next door to Bath & Body. I got a great deal with a sale + coupon + $5 gift card. Even though we had to wait for a while, the boys were still glad we came. We just needed a break from routine ... all of us! (G was off teaching Institute class)

They got to make a pumpkin and were very happy about it.

Thursday morning, all of the K-2 students at the elementary school were part of a World Record reading. They read the Very Hungry Caterpillar, wore antenna hats, and got a free book. It's a very nice hardback of the story with a matching game attached to it. I'm not sure how many other kids/schools were doing this, but apparently, they set a world record and T was a part of it! A local Sacramento magazine type show taped a live segment, and you can see T in the background!! Awesome!!

Below, they made the caterpillar out of balloons. It was so cute. I had to use my cell phone to take a picture because I had no card in my good camera!! Ugh!

I will hopefully get back to more regular posts. Between piano lessons, cub scouts, boy scouts, soccer practices, soccer games, homework ... it just gets more than crazy here. That's why we busted out from routine and went down to the Lego store for a little reprieve (we skipped soccer practice that day -- trust me, no tears were shed!)

*A little footnote: I found out that there were 2,500 children in the Sacramento area involved with the reading and 1.3 million worldwide! How cool is that?!?!

Family Night @ the Temple

2009-09-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

On Monday night, we loaded up in the van and headed over to the Sacramento Temple for Family Night. In order to stay on track with the Ward Book of Mormon reading challenge, we brought our scriptures and followed along with the audio version of the chapter we were reading as we were driving to the temple. We also discussed what we were reading. It was a nice change of pace ... and a peaceful drive to the temple.
It was dark by the time we got there, but we still enjoyed a walk around the temple grounds. The boys wanted to see and feel the corner stone again. G had fun with the camera taking some night shots. We both want to learn more about our camera ...

I've always thought these windows were beautiful. I love the blue and gray tones together.

We enjoyed our night out together. The weather was perfect!

FINALLY!

2009-09-16T19:21:00.001-07:00

T finally got his turn to be the Star Helper in his Kindergarten class this past week. He woke up with some serious 'bed-head' and was ready to get his Legos ready for his share item. This was VERY important!

After we loaded up the cooler bag with string cheese and grapes for the class snack, we headed to the school. T got to be the 'line leader' all day and the special helper in class. At snack time, the class sang the "Thank You" song to him. He LOVED it all!

Here's T at the head of the line before school started. He was thrilled to have this privilege!

Let the Games Begin!

2009-09-12T18:07:00.001-07:00

Today marked the beginning of soccer games for J & T. The weather was perfect today. We expected it to be hot, but that was not the case.

J is on the far left in the white jersey

Go J!! J's team, the Volcanoes, won their game 1-0. They did a great job of passing during their game today. After J's game, G took him out for his Daddy day. They had a great time.

T's 1st soccer game EVER was at 1pm. He could hardly wait.

Here's T with some of his best buddies before the game today. It's been fun for them to be on the same team

T was goalie for a while today and did great!

T's team, the Sparrows, won their game today by a landslide. T actually scored a goal (for the wrong team -- his friend, the goalie at the time was cheering him on, too!!) No worries. They still won. It was so fun to watch these little guys play their little hearts out today.

The Annual Walking School Bus

2009-09-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

This morning, we headed out to catch the 'walking school bus'. T kept thinking that we were going to be getting on a real yellow school bus ... so I think he was a bit disappointed. It was kind of neat to see most of the students walking to school this morning. Students were also asked to wear red, white and blue today in commemoration of 9/11.

C'mon mom! Seriously ... you want me to pose with Cody?? YEP!

I caught one of the many Frisbees that were tossed out to the crowd of students. So I gave it to J. I ended up catching another one and so I gave it to our friend, C. They also bounced beach balls around and tossed out key chains. There was bottled water, bananas, bagels, and fruit leather for the students. It was a very fun way to start the day at school this morning.

I know that J doesn't look to happy in any of these photos. I think he gets sick of my camera. Oh well. Too bad!

STINKY Jelly Belly's

2009-09-08T12:39:00.001-07:00

On Monday, we took the boys out for lunch with Grandma Marie. Afterwards, we stopped in the Jelly Belly store. G and the boys tasted some jelly beans, including one that's called "skunk spray". Yes, skunk spray. G & B braved it.

Here is B's reaction to the skunk spray jelly bean. Nasty! Their breath was disgusting -- it actually smelled like a skunk!! B tried toothpaste, ear wax, and rotten egg. The rotten egg is the one that got him retching. Of course, he had to buy a few of these to bring to school and trick his friends!

Yes, we're missing T here. He was away on a play date with a friend.

Grandma Marie with J

We left with some yummy jelly beans, too. It was a fun way to end our lunch outing with Grandma Marie. Oh, and I almost ate one of those skunk jelly beans. I thought I had reached into my bag of 'buttered popcorn' jelly beans. Luckily, my mom stopped me right before I bit down! I had grabbed a skunk spray, ear wax, and toothpaste. Talk about disgusting! I couldn't thank her enough for bringing it to my attention.

T's Long Awaited Daddy Day

2009-09-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

T was SO excited for his Daddy Day on Saturday that he got up @ 6AM! He crawled into bed with us, but couldn't (or wouldn't) go back to sleep because he was so excited. As soon as J got up, T was able to go into his room and get dressed (which he did at lightning speed). After a rushed breakfast, G & T went on their way. They spent time together at a park. They even took a little walk around the park. T was very happy about his Daddy Day and he beamed all day long!

... and yes, he's already planning his next Daddy Day!

Lego Make-And-Take

2009-09-02T18:44:00.001-07:00

We took the boys back to the Lego store because of the FREE make-and-take project of the month. We found out about it the last time we were at the store and the boys REALLY wanted to come do the project. For September, the project was a book and pencil.

Afterwards, we enjoyed some cinnamon rolls from Cinnabon. G just couldn't resist! Anyhow ... the boys are already itching to go in October. We'll have to see!

Pre-Season Soccer Scrimmage

2009-08-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, J's soccer team had a scrimmage with another team. It was good practice for them all. Many of the boys were all out of steam by the 2nd half! J played defense the first half.

Then, the 2nd half, J played goalie and he did an AWESOME job! He was fearless!

J grabbed the ball right out from a kid who was about to kick a goal! Our team went wild! He dove for the ball 3 other times and grabbed it from a heap of kids. I always worry that he's going to get his teeth kicked out. Seriously.

The '09 season games start in a couple of weeks. J is excited about his new team, the Volcanoes. There are 3 boys from his previous team with him this year. He was very glad about that. He really loves soccer, and it's sure fun to watch him play.

The Rexburg Temple

2009-08-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

On our trip through Idaho in July, we stopped in Rexburg to get a close look at the new temple. It is absolutely beautiful. We walked around the grounds and really enjoyed the site. We also got to see BYU-ID. Idaho was beautiful!

I LOVE this picture that we took at the Rexburg temple. It almost looks like a postcard!

We loved seeing many temples on our trip this summer. I honestly lost count. Plus, the boys saw a few while G and I were gone on our cruise. We sure live in an amazing time with all of the temples! We are surely blessed.

Cuban Bread

2009-08-24T16:21:00.000-07:00

Cuban Bread

We LOVE this bread recipe. We got it from a friend and it's so easy. It looks like it would take a long time to make this bread, but it doesn't. AND if you use the 'quick-rise' method, it goes even faster. The outside of the bread is crunchy and the inside is so soft.

5-6 cups flour
2 Tbsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
2 cups hot water (120-130*)
1 Tbsp. sesame or poppy seeds (optional)

Mix 4 cups of the flour with yeast, sugar & salt. Pour in hot water & beat 100 strokes or 3 minutes with a mixer. Stir in remaining four until dough is no longer sticky. Knead 8 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl & cover with a damp towel. Let rise for 15 minutes. Punch down. Divide into 2 pieces. Shape into 2 round loaves and place on baking sheet (1 greased sheet). Cut an X ½ inch deep on top with a sharp knife. Brush with water & sprinkle with seeds (if desired). Place on middle shelf of COLD oven. Place a cake pan of hot water on lowest shelf. Heat oven to 400* & bake ‘til golden brown, 40-50 minutes.

*Yes, it does say 1 TB of salt -- and that's correct. I thought it might be a typo when I got the recipe, but it's not!

*Quick Rise Method: Put a very damp kitchen towel into the microwave for 2 minutes. Then, drape the HOT, damp towel over the bowl with the dough and put back into the microwave to rise. This will cut the rise time in half. Usually, the dough for this recipe is ready after 10 minutes.

*We've done this where we've made 6 small rolls instead of the 2 big ones. It doesn't really matter.

ENJOY!

B's Graduation Cap

2009-08-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

At the end of 5th grade, B made a graduation cap. He wanted to be sure to get some pictures of him with his cap. On the top, he wrote, "middle school, here I come!" He has 2 weeks of middle school under his belt and he is liking the change. It's been an adjustment getting up @ 6:30am, though!
He wanted some pictures of him throwing his cap! So, here you go!

Lemon Bread

2009-08-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from my mother-in-law's collection. It's one of G's favorites. We haven't made it in a while, but it is sure sounding good right now! It's so easy and very moist. Enjoy!

Lemon Bread

½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 TB lemon juice

Cream butter & sugar. Add eggs & remaining ingredients. Bake in loaf pan @ 350 for 1 hour.

Glaze: Mix together 1 cup powdered sugar & 1 Tblsp. lemon juice. Drizzle over top of bread. Cool & remove from pan. Makes 1 loaf.

Primary Water Activity

2009-08-16T19:29:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning, our primary had their quarterly activity at the park. The theme was "Waters of Mormon". We rotated the kids through 3 stations. I was in charge of the water balloon launcher, which was a HUGE hit with both the kids and adults. The Bishop and 2nd counselor were there and they enjoyed launching some balloons, too! Most of the work involves filling the water balloons. Luckily, I had some help from my friend and her family.

Here's B getting ready to launch a water balloon

J is going for some real height on this launch! The other stations involved a slip-n-slide and a 'soggy jog relay'. Needless to say, the kids got wet. Oh, and since we had A LOT of water balloons, we had a water balloon fight. Lots of fun!!

Here's T with his buddy N enjoying popsicles. We had a wonderful time. It's so fun to play together. I love being able to get the primary kids together outside of the Sunday time together. It's fun to watch them interact and have fun with each other.

N's Backpacking Trip with the Scouts

2009-08-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, N left bright and early with his scout troop for a 2 night, 3 day backpacking trip. They had to hike UP for 3 1/2 miles to their destination. It was tough, but they all said it was beautiful.

N is in the green sweatshirt on the left.

Heading up the hill

WOW! What a view!

N was tired and dirty when he got home, but glad he accomplished the trek. (He's the 3rd from the left) He's now done with his camping merit badge! He's VERY happy about that one. He has wonderful leaders who really challenge these boys, and that's so good for them. And, ones who take great pictures to share with the families!!

They Survived Their 1st Day of School!

2009-08-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

N & B had to rise early this morning. The bus comes @ 7:15 am this year (last year, it came @ 7:25 am). They were both excited about going to school this morning. N begins 8th grade this year.

B has been looking forward to going to Middle School. I'm glad that he gets one year at middle school with N. B begins 6th grade.

J was not so excited about school starting. It was hard to get him to smile. He has LOVED our summer. We had a blast. He started 3rd grade today.

Here's T holding a flower from our yard. T & J each brought one for their teacher this morning. It's a school tradition: each student brings 1 flower for the teacher to add to a class bouquet to show the diversity of the class. It was a big morning for T: he started Kindergarten today!

Dad even got to walk with us to the school this morning. He got J settled in his class while I waited with T. Later, I ran over to J's class to get a little peek and snap a picture. I saw a smile sneeking out!!

J seemed to be settling in just fine. He knows several kids in his class, so he's happy about that. After school, the boys all reported having a good day. T is still a little unsure about Kindergarten. He was worn out and took a chunky nap already! So, we are getting back into the swing of things around here. Soccer practices start this week, too. We'll get back into a rhythm ... eventually ...

Last Time @ 6 Flags this Summer

2009-08-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, the 4th, we surprised the boys with a day at Six Flags WITH DAD. G came home after the boys had swim lessons and told the boys of our plans. We ate lunch and then headed to Six Flags. We had a wonderful day together.

Dad with T on T's favorite ride: The Cobra

J & N on the Tony Hawk ride. G and T rode with them. G was SO dizzy afterwards!

B, T & I caught part of the dolphin show. The others went to ride some of the big roller coasters.

We HAD to see the stingrays again. This time, J & T got to feel one. So did the rest of us, too. They are so cool!

There's B on the front right corner. He wanted to get wet, and wet he got!!

Here are the boys in the butterfly sanctuary. It was so hot and humid in there, but we saw lots of beautiful butterflies. There were also really neat fish.

I snapped this picture of G with the three older boys on the raft ride. They got soaked, but they had a blast. They talked T and me into going with them again. There was hardly any line.

We went twice and we were SOAKED!! We laughed so hard. It was a blast!! We did a few more rides and then called it a day. We were pretty tired. It was so nice to be able to spend the day together as a family.

Our Outing to the Mall

2009-08-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

This morning, we took the boys down to a mall in Sacramento to the Lego store. They were in Lego heaven! B & J each picked out something and used their own money to pay for it. T got something small, too. The ONE thing B wanted, in particular, wasn't in stock. He was a little bummed. They enjoyed looking around at all of the built models, too.

Right after the Lego store, we surprised the boys with cinnamon rolls. They were SO good! We each had a 1/2 because they were so big. Such a yummy treat!

We had a great outing at the mall with the boys. We stopped in a few shops. We were REALLY tempted at the Apple store. G has been wanting an iPod touch! Anyway, it was a nice morning together and fun to take the boys to the Lego store --- somewhere they've been wanting to go for a long time.

Thank You

2009-08-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say Thank you for all of the birthday wishes. I received a few visits, many phone calls, Facebook posts, and blog comments for my birthday. Each one is so appreciated! So, THANK YOU!

Another Round of Swim Lessons

2009-08-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

For the past 2 weeks, B, J & T have had swim lessons. This year, I couldn't get their lessons scheduled for the same time, so we spent an hour at the swim club each morning. It wasn't bad. I brought a book to read and the boys brought their GameBoys or DS. Anyhow, the boys were troopers. Some mornings, they weren't 'feeling it', but they still did their best.

Here's J working on his breathing

Here's T working on his 'kickers'

So handsome!!

Here's B swimming freestyle. He worked up to swimming 12 laps. He's really good at his flip turns, too. I joked with him that he'd show up to Middle School with some huge biceps!

We've been really happy with the swim lessons at the Aquatic Center. I really want my boys to be strong swimmers. I truly believe it is an essential life skill that they need to have. I want to be able to send them to Scout Camp, for example, and know that they will be okay when they swim. I'm proud of my boys' hard work. They each got a great 'report card' from their teachers.