Our Family

Ian Update

2012-02-05T08:09:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy couple weeks...

On the 27th Ian's class had Hot Chocolate Day...mmm yummy!!

Monday the 30th was the 100th day of school. I made Ian 100pancakes for breakfast before we headed to school (thanks Dad for watching Luke so I could spend the whole day with Ian). School started with the kindergartner parade through each class. Then we had 100 day centers where the kids made 100 snacks, Super Hero 100, read 100 day books and got to draw a picture of what they would buy if they had $100. After lunch, the kids all ate 100 cookies and counted their collections of 100.

Breakfast

100th day Parade

100th day cookies

100th day counting

On the 101st day of school, I was again at Ian's school (thanks Jo). The kids all dressed up like dalmatians, it was very cute. There was also a guide dog the kids got to interact with and learn about.

101st day of school

Last Friday...the 3rd Ty, Luke and I went to Ian's school for a special assembly. Ian received student of the month! WE are so proud of him!

Ian after receiving his award

2012-01-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

New Year's Day we decided to get some fresh air so, we took a trip to Red Rock Canyon State Park.

December

2012-01-05T21:30:00.001-08:00

So here it is all of December rolled into one big blog...
(I had made another really cute blog for December complete with explanations, but Blogger upset me so this is the short version of our month)
Anyway, here's the short version...

1st-13th: I was busy the first few weeks making wreaths. Jolene came over and we made tutus, duct tape purses and duct tape wallets for our neices and nephews

10-11th: We went up north to Celebrate my Step-Mom's 50th Birthday and celebrate the holidays. We even got a chance to see our friends J and Sam

18th: Graham Cracker Villages (and gifts) at Jon and Jo's.

23rd: Ian's last day at school before winter break. They had a sing-a-long in the morning, then Santa. After lunch was a book exchange, cookie decorating and Mrs. F's presents (she cried)

23rd (that night): we went to CALM with Sean, Serina and their kids

24th (am): Ty's side of the family came over to celebrate

24th (pm): My parents came over to open gifts and for dinner. Ian was anxious to take his last link off his chain.

25th: Santa was here!!!

27th-30th: Bullhead City Trip...lots of fun!!! My Mom, Sisters, Grandparents, Aunts and Cousins were there (too bad Ty had to work). We played games, ate, ate more and even had a pickle fight!

The rest of November

2011-11-26T10:50:00.000-08:00

Veteran's Day at Ian's School was celebrated on the 9th! They had a night time program and afterwards we placed flags outside the front of the school.

The 10th was Tie Day at Ian's school. I didn't get any pictures of Ian in his tie, but I did get one of Jaina :)

Thursday the 11th was Native American Day. The kids got to throw arrows at a fake bull. Ground corn into meal and participate in about 13 crafts.

The 19-21st, my sisters and I took my Mom to Laguna Beach for a fun weekend of shopping, spa and wine tasting.

School was released for the Thanksgiving Holiday on the 22nd, but before they were released the Kindergartners had a little feast. I was very happy everything turned out great for the feast, as I was in charge of the feast for the whole kindergarten (5 classes, 160 kids).

That night we went to the Golden Coral for my Mom's Birthday Dinner...we loved the cotton candy!!

On the 23rd, my pole fitness class and I taped our nomination video for a studio makeover. There was a whole bunch of silliness going on!

The cutest Kindergartner EVER!!

2011-11-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

...well I think so anyway :)

Long week makes for a super-long post!!

2011-11-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

Last week was Red Ribbon Week at Ian's school. I had the privilege of helping make the class sign. All I have to say is Kindergartners and Black paint...WOW!

Thursday night was Nathan's (our nephew) school trunk or treat.

Luke and I had lunch with Ty on Friday afternoon! Lots of fun, Luke wanted to sit at the tall tables.

Friday night we headed to Sam Lynn for Ty's company Baseball game.

Saturday morning we carved pumpkins...

Saturday afternoon we headed to Banducci Farms with Jon, Jo, T, N, Serina, Sean, R and C. Afterwards, we had some yummy dinner and dessert back at Jon and Jo's house.

Sunday was Ian's last soccer game of the season. My Aunt, Uncle, Cousin, Sister and Brother-in-Law came down to watch him play. He did really good, even scored a goal. I'm not sure exactly how many goals he scored this season, but it was over 6.

After the game, the team headed over to Pizza Hut for a party.

Monday morning, Ian's school had a costume parade. I stayed after the parade to help the teacher with some special Halloween Centers.

Ty dressed up as Loki (the Norse god of mischief and lies)...anyway Ty and I worked on this costume for what seemed like weeks! Our hard work payed off, his costume won first place!

Our theme this year...VAMPIRES!!!

Halloween night is always a lot of fun! When else can you dress up, go out, come home with lots of candy and get to stay up late??

Oct 15-23rd

2011-10-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

Busy October...what can I say

October 15th, Ian's school Fall Festival.

Sunday 16th, Soccer game

Saturday 22nd, Boo at the Zoo

Sunday 23rd, another soccer game...Ian scored 2 goals!!!

Last week

2011-10-11T20:50:00.001-07:00

I'm a bit behind on Blogging...so here's the scoop (in a nutshell)

Luke and I went to CALM with some friends

Ian celebrated his 30th day of school, Apple Day and attended his first School Friend's Birthday Party

Lastly, Ty and I celebrated our 6th Anniversary. We dropped the kids off and headed to the Grammy Museum (sorry no pics) and then the Getty.

Pirates vs. Gators

2011-09-26T21:39:00.001-07:00

Ian had another soccer game on Sunday, against his cousin's team...

Both boys did a great job.

Y-E-L-L-O-W

2011-09-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

Y-E-L-L-O-W spells yellow

Like the early morning sun,

When the day has just begun,

Y-E-L-L-O-W spells yellow.

Daffodils and baby ducks are yellow.

Lemonade and scrambled eggs are yellow.

I like the smiley face that's yellow.

He is such a happy fellow.

Y-E-L-L-O-W spells yellow.

Go,Pirates!

2011-09-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

Meet the PIRATES.

Ian's first GOAL!!!

Busy but Fun

2011-09-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

Thursday night...
Kelly, Krista (Ty's cousins) and their children come into town for a couple nights

Friday...
Grandparents' Day at Ian's school.

Saturday...

Clark Company Picnic. I've been going since I was Ian's age. And it's always a blast!!

I'll post about Sunday in a bit...Ian's first soccer game :)

Capital Air Show

2011-09-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we went to the Capital Air Show in Sacramento.

Luke, Audrey (my niece) and Ian

The boys loved being able to sit (and walk) in the airplanes.

After looking at all the planes (well most of them anyway), we got seats for the show.

We had a great weekend visiting with family and seeing all the planes.

Soccer

2011-08-30T08:56:00.001-07:00

Ian had his first "official" soccer practice yesterday. He did a great job (thanks Fortner family for gifting him a soccer net when he was 1). Coach Sonny thought this was his 2nd year playing, he was amazed when we told him it was only his first year.

The games should be fun to watch. The kids play 6 on 6 with no goalie. According to the coach, they're pretty humorous. The kids all bunch up and swarm the ball, no real strategy.

I was also asked to be the team Mom, of course I said "yes". So above is a picture of some of my new kids (minus the tall one on the left, he was just helping out)

Ian's Birthday

2011-08-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday was Ian's official Birthday, so going with tradition, we went out for Ice Cream...

My Mom, Dad, Sister Jennifer and Brother-in-law Alan went, too. And of course, the Birthday boy had to have Vanilla~he's content with this one flavor.

After ice cream, we headed to Sean and Serina's house for R's Birthday Party.

PS. Ian thinks it's "So Cool" that him and baby Rhino have the same Birthday!!

Pirate P-aar-ty

2011-08-29T09:57:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, yes in the sweltering heat, had Ian's 5th Pirate Birthday Party.
After all the guests arrived, we had hot dogs, chips and fruit (I forgot to take a picture of the fruit holder, it was the watermelon shell carved into the shape of a pirate boat). When everyone was done eating we started with the games...

First on the list was a Treasure Hunt. The kids split into groups. We had the 2-3 year olds in one group, they had to find their treasure by looking at a picture to find the next clue. We split the 4,5 and 6 year olds into 2 groups, they had to follow a dotted map for their clues. Ty made the older kids work for their treasure...they had riddles that sent them down the street. The treasure consisted of eye patches, swords, sashes and head bands. After all the kids got their "gear" on we headed to the boats...

For a waterballoon fight!!! The kids seemed to have A lot of fun trying to hit the targets. (Ty and I made Pirate Boats out of cardboard.) And of course, what's a party without some BOOTY!!!

All of the kids got a chance to hit the pinata. Yeah, for sugar!!! We headed inside after the pinata for cake, ice cream and presents.

The cake didn't turn out the way I wanted, but it still looked good. Thanks to everyone who was able to help celebrate Ian's Birthday. We hope everyone had an AWESOME time!

The bows I made for the "girl pirates" Ian was so thoughtful and didn't think the girls wanted to look like boys (I made 9 bows total, but forgot to take a picture of them all)

Turning 5

2011-08-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday, Ian will turn 5!
Tomorrow we are having a pirate party for Ian...should be loads of fun. Ty and I made cardboard pirate ships and pirate flags. I can not wait for the Treasure Hunt, Cannon (water balloon) Fight and the Pinata. I wish the weather would be a little cooler...105 is a bit hot!

(sorry for the bad quality of the pictures...we no longer have a scanner, so it's a picture of the picture)

1st Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-22T16:13:00.001-07:00

This morning when Ian got up he was super-excited. He couldn't wait to get to school!

We arrived at school about 15min early, so we could play a little on the toys and check out his classroom, again (last Thursday we were able to go and take a peek at his classroom and meet his teacher).

Ian was so happy when he got to his seat and saw all the neat stuff the teacher had got for him.
The front board had the schedule for the day on it so the parents knew what to expect... and yes, he goes to an ALL DAY Kindergarten class 8-2pm.

He couldn't wait for Luke and I to leave so his day could start :P

Luke was not very happy we were leaving Brother, he cried (I was sad the picture turned out blurry).

Ty got off early so he could go with me to pick Ian up from school. Ian was happy to see all of us, but he can't wait to go back to school tomorrow!!

Storyland

2011-08-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

The boys and I were really missing Ty, so we asked him if he could take a day off this week so we could do something as a family.

We ended up here...

Storyland in Fresno.

Alice in wonderland (left) pirate ship (right)

3little Bear's house (left) Hanzel and Gretel's play yard (right)

The bathroom doors were so short even I had to duck :P

When we were done playing in Storyland, we walked over to Playland.

Both boys liked "Big Rocko"...Ian even rode by himself.

Disneyland (long post)

2011-08-09T14:31:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday, the boys and I headed to Anaheim (we were all sad Ty couldn't come with us). We arrived at our hotel around 6pm. After unloading and checking out our AWESOME room (we got a free upgrade; 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, living room and full kitchen), we went to check out the Garden Walk which was right across the street from the hotel. The kids really liked all the fountains and the murals...they even posed in front of a couple. Around 8pm we packed up and headed to LAX to pick up my sister, Jen and her friend, Nicole. By the time we got back to the hotel we were very tired.

The next morning we were up and out of the hotel early, ready to start our day! DISNEYLAND!! Before we went on our first ride, we met up with Chip, Goofy and Mickey.

Then it was off to Tomorrowland for some new adventures! We rode as many rides as we could before heading to Frontierland for Fantasmic and the Fireworks shows. After the shows, we were exhausted, so we hit the bus and went back to the hotel for some much needed sleep.

The next day, Friday, we headed into Disney's California Adventure Park where we rode more rides and met more Disney characters. That night we had awesome seats to watch World of Color.

Saturday, our last day, we headed back to Disneyland where we met up with my other sister, Jessica and her mother-in-law Deanna. We again rode more rides and saw more characters. We even went into Mickey's house!!

The best part of the day, by far, was the Princess Fantasy Faire area. Ian got a rocket painted on his face. Luke didn't want his face painted, so instead he played with all the princess hats :P

We watied about an hour to see the Princess' and it was TOTALLY worth the wait. Ian had all 3 ladies (Mulan, Ariel and Belle) laughing their heads off. He even had Belle blushing :P

Harvest #8

2011-08-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

While we were on vacation...our garden was hard at work. We had a few raspberries and strawberries, but they didn't make it in the picture (they were too yummy)

Vaction time

2011-08-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

For our vacation this year we to my favorite vacation spot...Cottonwood Cove, Nevada.

Ty and I hiked the mountain behind my grandparents' trailer to get this picture of the marina.

We had a great time soaking up the sun, playing in the water and building sand castles

Ian even caught some "blue gills". My grandpa caught a catfish and my nephew caught a bass and a catfish.

And of course we had to feed the carp and the ducks at the marina (it's been a tradition since I was Ian's age).

The day before coming home, we decided to take the boys into Las Vegas (since it was only an hour away). We took a little detour to Hoover Dam before going into Vegas. Since the heat was super-intense, we only stayed for a few minutes.

Vegas was a lot of fun. The kids really enjoyed eating dinner at "the Castle" (aka Excalibur). They really enjoyed Belagio's "dancing water" and the volcano at the Mirage.

Surprise Party!

2011-07-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

I love Michelle too much to let her 30th birthday go by without a big celebration, so I ignored how cliche it might be and planned a surprise party for her.

Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen, and I did have a lot of help.

The party was on July 9th at the Rassmusen Center where we got married almost 6 years ago. Still Michelle had no idea because my brother and his wife allowed me to do a day swap with our nephew whose birthday is on the 9th. So we had fake parties planned, and real parties planned. It was a lot to keep track of. The good news is Michelle was completely surprised, and even teared up a little.

Part of the deception was a bounce house for the kids that Jonathan and Jolene got. Thank you so much! The kids loved it and aside from a chance to eat I think they spent most of the time out there.

Inside we were having fun with music and mingling and almost everyone made sure to get a picture taken at the photobooth complete with props and dry-erase conversation blobs that Michelle's father Bill made, thank you!

The decorations, the food, the cake... everything was great, and some people just could not wait. We sang Happy Birthday to Michelle and then dove in to the awesome pink and white paisley cake Jolene made.

While the cake was savored Michelle opened presents and the kids played on the stage.

It was a ton of fun and thank you so much to everyone who was able to attend for helping me make Michelle feel loved on her special day! And for those of you who wanted to come and were not able to make it, I showed Michelle all the e-mails so she knew.

30, flirty and thriving....

2011-07-15T13:57:00.001-07:00

Who would have thought 30 could be this much fun...only a week in and WOW!!!

The festivities started on Friday night with a pole dancing class for me and a small group of my friends. We had an awesome time! Below is a picture of Skye, me and Marina upside down on our poles :P

Saturday afternoon we headed over to the Rasmussen Center for my nephew's Birthday Party only to find out it wasn't for him, but for me! SURPRISE!!! and I definitely was. The hall was filled with my family and friends. (I'll post pictures in another post)

Sunday, my actual Birthday, we took the boys out for Birthday Ice Cream (it's become a tradition)

After ice cream, we headed over to Jon and Jo's for my nephew's birthday party. His theme...penguins (so cute)!!

Monday, I took the boys to see (for a 2nd time) Kung Fu Panda 2
Tuesday, I took the kids to the spray park and later that night my good friend Colleen took me (yep by myself) out to dinner...mmm yummy!!!
Wednesday, we went skating at Rollerama. There were 9 of us total (Ty, Ian, Luke, Nathan, Jessica, Rachel, Kylee, Taya and me)! So much fun.

4th of July

2011-07-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to Vandenberg to visit with my sister, Leah and her family. We had a super-great time while we were there. Saturday we relaxed a bit and had an awesome dinner and s'mores for dessert.

Sunday, we went to the beach and played around for a bit. Ty and the guys tried to build a fort out of driftwood.

Monday, we went to Solvang and had yummy pizza after walking around a bit

We left to go home late Monday afternoon. We had such a great weekend, none of us wanted to leave.

We made it home around 10:30pm...just in time for some late night fireworks with the boys :P

Camping

2011-06-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Ty and I took the boys and Jaina camping. We had a super-good time.

The boys loved playing with the fire wood and the pine cones.

They also really liked jumping off the tree stumps

We even got in a hike before dinner...

Of course, what's camping without s'mores???

...and bugs!

The next morning the boys and I let Ty sleep in a bit.

So, we started a fire (yipee for us) and then took some sunrise shots.

Then we woke Ty up and had breakfast. After breakfast we broke camp and headed up the rest of the mountain (to the very top) for more hiking

It was beautiful up there.

Fun for Father's Day

2011-06-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

My oldest sister Leah moved from Montana to California last week. Her family spent the last week at my parents' house. While they were here, Ty and I had the opportunity to spend some time with her kids (and my other sister, Amber's kids). Since there were 8 kids total (including ours), we decided to split up the group and only take 3 (and our 2) at a time. The older kids went first.

The next day, Ty and I took the younger 3 (along with Ian and Luke). The younger kids loved shooting Ty's airsoft guns! They couldn't wait to tell the older boys what they got to do :P

While they were here, we hit a friends pool and one of the many spray parks here.

Saturday, the day before Father's day, we had a big dinner at my parents' house. Boy was the house full!!!

We spent a quite day at our house on Sunday, for Father's Day. The boys and I made Ty a nice breakfast. After, Ty opened his gifts from the boys and then we went to the movies to see Kung Fu Panda~super-cute BTW.

Baseball, Park, Shower and a Birthday...

2011-06-08T09:56:00.001-07:00

Friday, was Ty's company softball game. The boys had so much fun. They loved being able to watch the game and run around with other kids at the same time.

Saturday, since it was too cold to go camping (which is what we had planned to do), we went to Hart Park for a few hours to get some fresh air. The first thing we saw when we got to the park were firefighters and a helicopter putting out a fire across the river. Luke really liked the helicopter! Once the fire was out, we continued on our little hike by the river. Before heading home, we noticed a couple with some horses~ Honey and Rain. Ian was very interested in the horses and the people were kind enough to let Ian sit on them (Luke didn't want to sit on them, he only wanted to pet them).

Sunday, was my friend Serina's baby shower. I made the baby some hats, bows for her hair and a baby blanket.

Monday night Ty and I were busy making a cake for my nephew's birthday the next day. He had a little trouble blowing out his candles...hehe!!! (trick candles are awesome)

Harvest time...

2011-06-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

Our first harvest was on May 25th

The second...June 5th

So far we've gotten 7 zucchini's, 3 summer squash and about 30 strawberries.

The other Jessica Arthur...

2011-05-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was the start of another amazing weekend.

Jessie loved the bouquet Jen and I made for her to use during the rehearsal (there's a piece of every gift she got from her shower in the bouquet~flower/ribbon/tissue paper)

The rehearsal went super-fast...it's so great when everyone knows what they're suppose to do. I was even able to take pictures while we practiced (although the others told me I couldn't walk down the isle with camera in hand at the wedding...such a bummer). Ian and Hailey did fantastic as ring bearer and flower girl.

After rehearsal, the wedding party and family all went to Buca di Beppo for dinner. The food and wine were so good, I ate way too much!

Saturday morning the girls headed to the salon to get our hair and make-up done before the ceremony. Then we headed to the country club to finish getting ready, take a few pictures and wait for the wedding to start

The wedding was beautiful and Jessica absolutely stunning!

The reception was a lot of fun. Luke, Ian and I danced pretty much the whole night (Luke didn't quite make it)

Sunday, after checking out of the hotel, we went to the California ScienCenter. The boys really enjoyed the museum. They especially loved the fish!!

Jess' Bachelorette and Shower

2011-05-24T10:01:00.001-07:00

It's been a very very busy last couple weeks. My Little Sister, Jessica got married!!! So here are the pictures from 2 weekends ago~the Bachelorette and Bridal Shower. (I'll post pictures of last weekend's wedding tomorrow...or Thursday)

Friday (the 13th) I arrived in Pasadena and met up with one of the bridesmaids (Lauren). We decorated the hotel room and then waited for the others to arrive. Once we were all at the hotel, we went to dinner at the Cheesecake factory then it was off to Monage for a little clubbing.

The next morning, we went to breakfast at Coco's then it was off to our Pole Dancing Class in Hermosa Beach. After the class we went to see Hollywood Men in Hollywood. We even got Jess up on stage-she looked pretty happy!!!

Sunday morning we checked out of the hotel and headed for the Melting Pot to set up for the Bridal Shower.

We took a Bride and Bridemaids picture (see left) and then a group picture of everyone who was at the shower (see right).

Shafter Fly-In

2011-05-18T17:26:00.000-07:00

My boss told me about an air show that was taking place nearby on Saturday, and since Michelle was still gone I packed the kids up hoping they would have a good time. We were there for about 3 hours and they loved that we were able to walk around each plane within touching distance.

There was a plane giving rides to people, but you had to pay, and I didn't think the boys would be ready for that just yet. At one point an old WWII fighter plane came flying by super fast before banking to land. The boys were excited to see the plane with the guns!

We had a lot of fun just looking around and watching the planes fly around in the sky. The boys liked going under the wings of the planes to play :)

Tools of Destruction

2011-05-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

Mommy left us, so we decided we were going to do something manly with power tools! With the boys approval we set out to build an 8 foot catapult. After looking at our wood supply it was determined that a 3 foot catapult was more realistic. The boys helped me cut, drill, and screw until finally the frame was complete. With a metal bar and some borrowed bungie cords (thanks Sean) we were finally able to take turns launching objects around the yard!

Mother's Day Camping

2011-05-10T17:42:00.001-07:00

For Mother's Day this year, we went camping at BV. We had a lot of fun. We played with bubbles, swam, and flew kites on fishing poles. Saturday night Ty and I set up the projector and we all watched Despicable Me.

Part 6 of 6 (yipee I'm done)

2011-05-04T21:36:00.001-07:00

We stopped in SLO for pizza before heading home.

Ian felt the urge to completely cover his bread with cheese.

Silly boy!

Part 5 of 6 (almost done)

2011-05-04T21:23:00.001-07:00

After watching the kites for awhile. We decided to head south to the Los Osos tide pools.

After a small drive and our mini-walk through the shrubs, we arrived at the pools.

And of course, what Beach experience is complete without some fun in the ocean....

Part 4 of 6

2011-05-04T21:18:00.000-07:00

Finally...kite time.

Part 3 of 6

2011-05-04T21:08:00.001-07:00

The coast filled our Sunday...our first stop was Morro Bay.

Since Ty and I think hwy46 is boring we decided to see what hwy41 had in store. We came across windmills, alpacas and beautiful green hills. Once in Morro Bay, we stopped for a light snack and a little rock gazing before heading to the kites.

The animals even came out to play. The kids loved feeding the seagulls (and watching them catch the ritz crackers in mid-air). The squirrels were super-friendly, they were coming within a couple feet of the kids. We even saw sea otters and seals playing in the harbor.

Part 2 of 6

2011-05-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

A friend from Ty's work was in a local production of "Hairspray" and got us tickets to the show. So, after the refuge we took the kids to my parent's house and left for the show. The show was super-funny!!!!

Last weekend (part1 of 6)

2011-05-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

Saturday started off with a nice trip to the Kern Nat. Wildlife Refuge (thanks Kim for the idea).

Easter Weekend

2011-04-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

Our weekend started on Thursday...

Ty took the day off, so we took the kids to pizza lunch, then out to see "Rio" at the theatre and after that we went to the park and played a bit (sorry no pictures, I'm having tech. difficulties with my card reader for my new point and shoot).

Friday, I made a cake for Ty's work (yummy banana with banana frosting). That night we had Corey over for dinner and egg decorating and tattooing. Even the eggs got a little "tatted" up.

Saturday, we went to Tehachapi to have Easter with The Hansen's. We got in some egg decorating and hunting, some bouncing, and a little lunch.

Sunday, we hunted eggs. And then relaxed!!!

Monday, we took the boys to their first Baseball game. They both enjoyed it for a while, but they got tired fast, so we only stayed until the 7th inning. Luke loved pointing out all the players which he called "bad guys"

Tea for 10 (and a half)

2011-04-19T20:48:00.001-07:00

Saturday, my Mom and I went to Pasadena to have a Bridal Shower "Tea Party" for my younger Sister, Jessica. There ended up being 2 Tea Parties.

The first was at a very fancy Tea House, The Scarlett Tea Room where my Mom and I met up with Jessica, her Mom-to-be (Deana) and Deana's Friend (the one who threw the shower and couldn't make it to the 2nd tea). When we first walked in I was amazed at all the "bling" that was in the place. Crystal chandlers on the ceiling, a baby grand in the corner, different tea cups at each seat...very nice! The waitress was extremely fruity, almost like something from out of a movie with the "honeys" and the dramatic way she moved around the Tea House. Anyway, the tea there was very good, although I cannot remember what flavor we had...I think it was a pomegranate something or another. I also had a yummy peach Mimosa, I was confused at first about whether or not I could eat the flowers they put in it, but I ate/drank them anyway. The sandwiches and scones were great, although I didn't like the sandwich I got with the dill on it. The desserts (yes, there was more than 1) were AWESOME, I wanted more!!!

After Tea we went to a house in Alhambra (another friend of Deana), to have tea. The house was gorgeous. Her kitchen was out of this world complete with a hidden fridge and dishwasher and her kitchen aide mixer that just popped out of a cupboard ready to go! Her backyard was like something out of a magazine. After the few pictures I took of her backyard, the 9.5 of us sat down for more tea. Then we watched Jess open her gifts.

Instead of leaving right after 2nd tea, Mom, Jess and I headed into West Covina to watch Mike (Jess' fiance) play street hockey. I got a lot of good shots while we were there. I even got one of Mike smiling :P

But enough about the house and the tea and the good hockey shots...I hope my sister had a great day. She got a lot of neat things that will help her and Mike start their new life together. I'm glad she let me share this day with her~Love ya sissy!!!

A race to the finish

2011-04-06T09:49:00.001-07:00

Since Ty had the boys Saturday (see previous post), I thought it'd be nice to give him a break on Sunday. So the boys and I decided to hit the race track. Before getting to the track, we met up with my sister Jessica, her friend Lisa and Lisa's daughter Hailey.

It had been a while since I had been to the track (almost 6years) and I was surprised to so many people there~the last time I went there were only a handful of people at the track.

Since it was the boys first time (and Hailey's too) we did everything we could. We hit the stables first, then to the courtyard where you can get within feet of the horses before the race, then we went to infield to play on the toys.

Just so happened, the day we went was "family fun day" there were carnival games, bounce houses, horses to ride and the kids all got to pet Seabiscuit (not the real one as he passed in '47, the one who played him in the movie)

Mini Mountaineers

2011-04-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

Michelle was having a girl day this past Saturday which gave the boys and I an opportunity to do something rugged! We headed up the Kern Canyon and well above Kernville to hike the Packsaddle Trail. It is a 2 1/2 mile hike, that crosses a stream and ends at a cave. I didn't know if we would make it, but I thought it would be fun either way. We found some interesting things along the way.

We made stops along the way to rest and drink/eat and each time the boys would play swords with sticks, climb on the nearby rocks, or throw rocks down the mountain.

Well, we didn't make it to the cave. We were warned by other hikers that the water level of the stream was high this year, and the hike took a turn downhill and I didn't think the boys would be able to do the uphill on the way back. So when we made it to the peak of the trail we instead decided to head off the trail and to the tallest rocky mountain-top nearby which would offer the best view. So we crossed two mountains and ended up able to see everything, even our car.

After playing on the rocks and taking some pictures we finally started to head back. It took a lot less time as it was all downhill. Ian hiked the whole way with no complaining. Luke got tired faster and so I would carry him on my shoulders every other stop for rest, but he still hiked more than half of it. I took this picture when we got back to the car for some perspective on just how much we had accomplished.

In total we hiked over 3 1/2 miles and had a lot of fun. Ian collected a bunch of rocks in his pockets as we hiked, Luke had 3 "swords" we had to bring home, and keeping with tradition we stopped for Ice Cream in Kernville before heading back home through the canyon.

Luke's Partay!!!

2011-03-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

Last week was super-busy. Thursday the boys and I cleaned the house and mowed the yard so we could have some fun on Friday before picking my sister, Jenn, up from LAX.

We got to Marina del Mar around noon. We had a picnic lunch on the beach and then played a bit~ 2hrs. After the beach, we hit a nice park around the corner and down the street from LAX (Jenn's flight didn't arrive until 5pm). The park was really nice and we got to see a lot of airplanes. Luke liked pointing them out every time one took off, which was almost every minute (the other ladies at the park thought he was so cute).

LAX was packed full of cops!!! We had to stop at a check point before entering...kinda creepy! I was so happy I didn't get lost trying to find Jenn. The terminal was marked really well and I only had to cut off 1 taxi and park in the bus zone to get her :P

After picking Jenn up we went to P.F. Changs for dinner. Luke loved the broccoli beef and Ian loved the rice (dude had 2 bowls). Then we took off for home.

Saturday morning the boys had us up pretty early, 6am. We had pancakes for breakfast (Ian's request) and then started setting up for the party!

Despite the stormy weather outside, the party was a success. Luke had a ton of fun and really liked all the gifts he got. (Thanks everyone)

After everyone went home, we went to a hockey game with my parents, sister and my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin.

Sunday afternoon, we went to another birthday party...my friend's son, Luca turned 2!

Luke's Birthday...so far

2011-03-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

What's better than cake??? Pizookie Platter at BJ's!!!

While we were waiting for the pizookie, we let Luke open his gift from Ian...water gun, water swords (2, one for Luke and one for Ian), mini-football and submarines for the bathtub :P

Oh what a weekend!!!

2011-03-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

Beware...extremely long post with lots of pictures!

Last Thursday night was super-nice out. We roasted marshmellows over our fire pit. Then we got out Ty's Christmas gift and looked at a few stars. We're not sure if the boys actually saw the stars through the telescope, they kept closing both eyes.

Friday afternoon my new macro-lens arrived for my camera.

Saturday, was my neice, Audrey's, 1st Birthday party. We weren't able to make the long journey to Northern California, but the boys and I made her some cute bows....well I made them, but Ian picked out the colors.
Instead, we went South to the Descanso Gardens in La Canada.

The gardens were amazing. We spent over 4hrs there and could have spent another 4hrs. We're planning another trip sometime in late April or early May (when the flowers will be in bloom).

On the ride home from the gardens, Ty and I got a call from my parents asking if the boys could stay the night. After dropping them off, Ty and I went "Glow in the Dark" minature golfing.

Sunday, I went to a baby shower for my friend Shawnra. I made baby Jozlyn beanies and bows (Ian picked out those colors too). They played some interesting and fun games. In one I fed my other friend Rachel baby food (applesauce) with my non-dominate hand~helps that I'm ambidextrous when it comes to eating. We won, of course...she got a nice Miche purse.

Luke who's 2...well almost

2011-03-07T10:20:00.001-08:00

A week to go...

This was Ian at 2.

SF trip

2011-03-03T21:28:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, we went to San Francisco with Sean, Serina, JJ and Allison. We had tons of fun. While we were in SF we went to China Town, Alcatraz, Pier 39, Fishermans Warf, the Japanese Tea Gardens and Ghiradelli Square.

This was the view from our room, it overlooked the bay :)

Latest cake

2011-03-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

Before leaving on our mini-vacation to San Francisco, I was able to make this cake for a friend's 30th Birthday.

My new Toy

2011-02-24T11:26:00.000-08:00

This year Ty and I decided to actually spend some of the tax refund money on ourselves. He upgraded his computer, and I got this...

(hehe...maybe now I can take some better pictures)

NOR Science

2011-02-24T11:13:00.000-08:00

Today was Ian's last time at NOR's science class...The first week the class put seeds in a baggie to grow, made a mini volcano out of vinegar and baking soda and made noodle art. The second week they went outside for the mentos/soda "explosion" (as Ian calls it) and then went back inside to make "oceans" water bottles filled with water, oil, dish soap and a little glitter. We missed last week (we were all so sick). This week we brought "super-rockets" aka decorated soda bottles and well we shot them in the air with water and compressed air. Afterwards, they went back to the classroom to plant sunflower seeds in pots to take home

Valentine's Weekend

2011-02-17T08:54:00.000-08:00

Ty was entered into a contest to win a Hawaiian Vacation through work. So, Friday night was spent at Coconut Joe's with Ty and about 75 of his co-workers (and their significant others). And even though we didn't win the vacation we still had a great time. ~Thanks Corey for watching the boys :P

Ty bought me (us, rather) tickets to the Hubbard Street Dance Company Chicago for Christmas...the show being Feb. 12th. So, Saturday (late morning), we dropped the kids off at my parents and headed to Irvine. Our hotel was amazing. If you ever get the chance to stay at an Aryes Hotel, I definately recommend it!!! They have pillow-top beds, an awesome breakfast, and beautiful courtyards. Anyway, the show was OUTSTANDING. We absolutely loved it.

Sorry, there are no pictures of the show, but here's a link to one of the performances we saw (well 3mins of it). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSncGXS-rbA&feature=related
Sunday morning before heading home, we met up with an old high school friend and his wife for breakfast~the best breakfast I've ever had, might I say!

Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T20:25:00.000-08:00

The boys and I felt a little crafty on Monday, so...

We made Valentine bugs

And art for the Grandparents

And super-yummy Pie-lollie pops (It's a pie on a stick).

Meet my Grandparents

2011-02-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

My Grandma and Grandpa Comeau flew in from Florida last Wednesday. We've had an awesome time getting to know them. We are super-sad they are leaving in the morning and cannot wait to see them again.

The above pictures were taken at a restaurant in Tehachapi...btw, they have the best food!!! OH, and the Teepee's are real.

Bunk Beds

2011-02-01T21:09:00.001-08:00

Ian is quickly growing out of his toddler bed. And since Luke's decided he'd rather sleep with brother than in his own bed, Ty and I decided the boys needed new beds (bunk beds). Instead of buying bunkbeds, Ty decided wanted to build them.

The guys sanding :P

The wood and the bottom bunk (Luke's future bed)

Yipee...one bed done!!! Yep, Luke still had to sleep with Ian.

Just a few more touches and...

Done.

Thanks Sean and Corey for the help.

Ty's original plan has drawers under the bottom bunk and a ladder/book shelf on the side of the beds (we'll be adding that at a later time, along with making it look like a space ship).

Super Ian

2011-01-31T21:03:00.000-08:00

The last 4 Thursday's Ian has been attending a Super-hero class. The first week he made a mask and crafted (out of clay) his favorite super-hero ~Iron Man. The second week he made his cape. The third week he made his shirt and a picture frame. And well, the fourth week...crime fighting time!!!

Here are some pictures of his class~and their crime fighting outfits :P

Ian's the blonde on the far left

poor thing, his mask wouldn't stay on

Monster Truck

2011-01-24T14:42:00.000-08:00

Saturday night my Mom and Dad invited the boys and I to the Monster Truck Rally. Before the show were were able to go into the pit area and get autographs from the drivers...super-cool

The boys both loved the trucks (and the bikes too).

LA Zoo

2011-01-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

Ty had Friday off last week, so we decided to take the boys to the LA Zoo. They had a lot of fun. After the zoo we stopped at Baskin Robbins for some dessert before heading home.

Playin' in Posey

2011-01-05T14:27:00.001-08:00

We played a little by the cows...

A little in the snow...

Played on the rocks...

And by the oil containers (don't worry, they were old ones)...

Last, we played by the water...

Then we went home!

2010

2010-12-31T09:45:00.001-08:00

In memory of 2010,

we've compiled a few of our favorite pictures

Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T09:23:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay in the post...we've been a bit busy :P

Leah came into town with her husband and 6 kids on the 22nd. We had a birthday party on Wednesday for the two youngest (Jessica and Suzzana) and we also went to the movies and saw Megamind. Thursday, we had dinner at our house (there were 23 people here!!). Friday JJ and Sam came to visit us, while Mom and Dad took the others to Hollywood and Santa Monica. Friday night Santa came to our house, Ian was very upset he didn't drink all his milk! Saturday was super-fun, the boys loved all their gifts from Santa :P Sunday, Jennifer came over and we played board games all day...Ian even got to play a couple.

Christmas with the Hansen's :P

2010-12-21T08:59:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, we had Christmas with Ty's side of the family. We had pizza for dinner, opened some gifts, then had some dessert.

Starting the Holidays off Right

2010-12-19T17:04:00.001-08:00

Saturday morning My Step-Mom (Jeannette), step-sister (Angela) and my Neice (Audrey) came into town. We had breakfast at IHOP and then headed back to our house to open some gifts.

Audrey and I

Luke opening his gift...and then trying to get into one of mine

Ian and Audrey

Later that night, Ty and I went to the bowling alley to have a little holiday party with some of his co-workers. We had a fun time...even though we didn't get very high scores :P

Cookie Deliveries

2010-12-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the boys and I delivered some of our cookie baskets (well there more containers than baskets).

Luke and Ian outside Ty's work

Luke and Joe at Clark's (My Mom's work)

Luke and My Mom

The back of my car...of course I couldn't fit all the cookies into my car in one load. So we went out today for a bit as well.

We're Bakin' Cookies

2010-12-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

The last couple days we've been pretty darn busy...makin' goodies!!!

Day 1 (Monday)-fudge (Luke loved the marshmallow creme~pictured above), gingerbread cookies and pumpkin bread

Day 2 (Tuesday)- almond cookies, snicker doodles, chocolate cookies and oatmeal chocolate/peanut butter chip cookies

Day 3 (today)- chocolate covered pretzels and decorating the gingerbread cookies

And somewhere in between, I was able to make these "delivery" hats for the boys (I'm still working on my)

Our deliveries start tomorrow :P So look out for two super-cute boys wearing these hats!

Graham Craker Village

2010-12-13T08:19:00.000-08:00

Luke's house (left) Ty's Lighthouse (right)

Ian's house (left) My boat (right)

The whole village (you can't really see Luke's in this picture...it's behind the farm house)

Yesterday we went over to Jon & Jolene's house to make our Graham Craker Village, it's something we've been doing for quite a while.

Goodies, Wine and Awesome Friends

2010-12-12T12:22:00.000-08:00

Last night Gail, my Mom and I hosted our 2nd Annual Cookie Party. This year we decided to expand and people we able to bring more than just cookies. Oh, and we added a wine contest.

(Thanks again Gail for letting us use your amazing house)

Craftin'

2010-12-11T07:53:00.000-08:00

I love Daddy & Son projects! Ian and Ty did a super-awesome job!

Our House

2010-12-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

Holiday Lights at CALM

2010-12-09T10:17:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to the California Living Museum to see the Holiday Lights. This was the first time we've ever been, and I must say there are a lot of lights! Along with seeing all the lights, we were able to ride the train and ride the carousel (we rode that 2 times) and visit with Santa.

Candy Train

2010-12-07T14:38:00.001-08:00

Last night, my Mom and I took Ian to Michael's to build a candy train. He had tons of fun and did an awesome job decorating the train.

Family Pics

2010-12-06T08:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we took our family picture for our Holiday Cards.

Of course, these are the bloopers...You'll have to wait to get the "Good One" in the mail :P

Our Super-Saturday!!!

2010-12-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

Not sure how we crammed everything in...but we did! (Thanks Mom for going with me in the morning).

Our morning started at Home Depot. Ian got to make a picture frame.

After Home Depot we went to Lowe's to make a Train Caboose. We were a little early so we had some Hot Chocolate and looked around a bit.

After Lowe's we went to Michael's to make an ornament. They turned out super-cute! Little Reindeer.

We dropped my Mom back off at her house then we headed home to change. After changing into warmer clothes we went to Macy's to see Santa (the one from the Macy's Day parade). The boys weren't able to sit with Santa, but they were able to write him a letter.

Afterwards, we left to go to Tehachapi for dinner with Ty's parents and then the Tehachapi Christmas Parade. After the parade we went back to Ty's parents' house for yummy pie!!! Then we went home.

oh Christmas Tree, oh Christmas Tree

2010-12-04T12:58:00.000-08:00

Once again our Christmas Tree was decorated with homemade ornaments. Ian and I started last Monday stringing cut straws onto yarn. Then we made santas, penguins, snowmen, panda bears, candies and pom pom guys to put on the tree.

Ian and I went to Micheal's today and we each made a reindeer to put on the tree (I'll post pictures of that tomorrow).

Bakersfield Christmas Parade

2010-12-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

Last year we decided to take the boys to the Bakersfield Christmas Parade...they liked it so much, we decided to make it a tradition. So last night, we bundled up and headed downtown

We had yummy pizza for dinner and cookies for dessert (left). Luke licking Ty (right)

Ronald McDonald (left) Girl Scout Float (right)

Panama BV School District (left) Shriners float (right)

Not sure what high school, but Ty thought it was neat they did Star Trek (left) And the cops that parked their bikes right next to us for a few minutes(right)

BFMC sparklie car (left) Motorcycle, duh (right)

And Santa...well the backside of him anyway :P

Getting ready for the holidays

2010-12-02T08:36:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving

2010-12-01T09:42:00.001-08:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving in Folsom at Jenn and Alan's house. We had an awesome time. We played games, made turkeys out of Oreos, watched movies and of course we ate and ate!!

Mom's Birthday

2010-12-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

Monday, November 22nd was Mom's Birthday. We stopped by her work with a Tinkerbell Balloon (Ian picked it out), a flower from our very confused garden (my daffodils are even coming up), and cookies the boys helped me make. Later that evening we went over to my parents' house for dinner and cake. Luke really enjoyed his cake :P

Our Town

2010-12-01T09:28:00.001-08:00

A little late, but here it is...finally

November 21st. My friend Shawnra and I went to Cal Poly Pomona to watch an old friend perform in "Our Town" It's been over 11years since I've seen Job, and he hasn't changed a bit. After the show we headed home, but not before a little shopping and some dessert at Claim Jumpers.

Saturday Afternoons

2010-11-15T13:00:00.000-08:00

Saturday, we went to Pismo Beach to see the Butterflies. Afterwards, we went to Avala to check out the amimals at the Apple Farm. We had a super-great time, thanks Mom and Dad for going with us :P

Veteran's Day

2010-11-12T14:03:00.000-08:00

Between car juggling on Thursday, my Dad and I took the boys to the 91st Annual Veteran's Day Parade

Go Condors!

2010-11-11T21:53:00.000-08:00

This was our Wednesday night...Go Condors!!!

The boys loved the hockey game, thanks Mom for the invite (and Clark Pest Control for the suite seats).

Log Cabin

2010-11-10T15:56:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night, I went to a local florest for their "Tablescape Class". It was real interesting. They didn't show us how they put the flower arangements together, but they gave me some great ideas on arranging tables. I might even try a couple of them for Thanksgiving this year...watch out Jenn, your house is gunna be very festive :P

Ridin' the Train

2010-11-10T15:46:00.000-08:00

Ian's been itching to ride on a train ever since we went to the Train Museum in Sacramento. So...Tuesday, we took a train ride (Amtrak) to Wasco and back with my sister-in-law Amy and two of her kids; Meg and Abby. The ride was about 25min long, we got off had lunch (and some ice cream) then got back on the train back home. All the kids had a blast!

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-11-01T11:13:00.001-07:00

Our morning started with pumpkin pancakes and waffles. Followed by the Medieval Fair downtown. Then Trick-or-Treating with Jon, Jo, Teresa and Nathan in our neighborhood. And last, a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's to Trick-or-Treat! A super-fun holiday...

The Medieval Fair was interesting. Luke missed part of it...he fell asleep on the way there. But when he woke up, he was all over the place. Ian loved looking at all the crafts they had there. I think his favorite was the bird whisltes made out of bamboo.

Our family shot!

Our neighborhood...

Grandma and Grandpa's neighborhood. Luke didn't quite make it, he was very tired!

Getting ready for the big day

2010-10-31T07:57:00.001-07:00

Friday...

Ty and his co-workers dressed up as characters from "The Princess Bride"

Ian, Luke and I made cupcakes. We made almost 50 of them and then took them to my Mom's work and to Ty's work...we kept a couple for ourselves too.

When we got back from delivering the cupcakes, we decorated the front of our house with spider webs and a few spiders.

Saturday...

Ian and I went to Michaels in the morning with Jolene, Nathan and Teresa where we made braclets :P

When Ian and I got back from Michaels, we painted our little pumpkins.

Ian and Luke's

Ty and Mine

All of the pumpkins...all grown from our garden :P

That evening Ian and I went to Rollerama with Jon, Jolene, Nathan, Teresa, and Teresa's friend. Ian did an awesome job skating (this was his first time)...we only fell once.