Johnson Family Blog - The Couv

Belt Promotions

2011-12-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

Both of our boys have been working very hard in karate. Joel and I are impressed with the school they attend and love the program. The belts at Kanthak Karate are hard to earn, it's not just about learning the moves. You have to put in time, learn the moves, conduct yourself properly at the school, at home and in school. Karate instructors, parents, teachers and anyone else that we feel necessary must sign off on their belt advancement forms. The belts are earned and the belts can be and have been taken away. They work very hard and are very proud when they earn those belt advancements. Both boys earned one this time around and got to show them off at the Kanthak Karate Winter All School Demonstration.

After 4 years of hard work, Noah has earned his Junior Blue Belt. It is so much fun to watch him now and see how far he has come. He is also starting to show interest in and get the opportunity to teach parts of the class.

Proud students!

Noah and his friend, Zach.

Oliver, started in February and has earned himself a White w/Orange Stripe belt.

Another proud class! My goodness they are cute!

The boys with Mr. B following the demonstration.

The boys with Mr. K.

I Tried to Ignore Eleven

2011-12-25T11:15:00.000-08:00

I was a bit in denial about Noah turning eleven, maybe even more than I suspected. Here is what Noah wanted for his birthday, no party a trip to the beach with a friend or two, no gifts just his PSP repaired, no cake just his Mom's spice cookies. Here is what happened no party and we tried to plan a trip to the beach but the van broke down, karate demonstrations, holidays, etc. meant that the trip kept getting pushed down the priority list and it still hasn't happened. We didn't buy him any gifts but we did send his PSP to a guy that did a great job repairing his gaming system. I thought it was going to be more than it was and had planned on putting the money that Aunt Nana had given me to buy a gift for him towards the repairs. I completely forgot about the money from my sister and didn't get him another gift (don't worry I will eventually) AND a check from grandparents got lost in the mail. The kiddo didn't want a cake because he really likes my spice cookies and that, thank goodness worked out just fine. I'm beginning to wonder if I was somehow sabotaging the poor kids birthday because I really don't want him getting older. Luckily, my boy is a good kid and has taken it all in stride, he knows it will all work out. Happy Birthday my sweet Noah, I love you.

Playing his newly repaired gaming system.

Look at that! Working like a champ and he can play his new favorite game!

His favorite cookies...mmmm.

Oliver's Party

2011-12-22T16:23:00.000-08:00

Noah has had a couple of birthday parties at Kanthak Karate so when Oliver realized that he was finally able to have a party there now it was game on! Mr. K keeps the kiddos busy throughout the entire party and they get to do fun things like tag, ropes, avoid the sword, etc. and they also get to learn, in a fun way, all about stranger danger. Ollie had a pretty good turnout for his party and had a ton of fun with his friends.

Keeping with the theme I made Ninjabread Men Rice Krispie Treats.

Getting to know the kids and running them through the warm-up.

Not happy at all is he?

That's one way to avoid the sword!

A little bit of rope play.

Nice form!

TAG! You're it.

Kenny got into the action too when they brought out the pads for jumping.

Oliver and Mr. K leading the class in the singing of Happy Birthday.

Six is AWESOME!

2011-11-16T19:51:00.001-08:00

Don't know if you heard but being 6 is AWESOME! Just ask Oliver, he'll tell you. Not even a gusher of a bloody nose can bring this boy down. Say, "Happy Birthday!" a thousand times and he'll flash you that smile and thank you every single time - he can't get enough! It's been a pretty quiet and low key day but we made it special for him by doing little (and not so healthy) things for him. He woke up to a balloon and a box of his favorite cereal, Lucky Charms. Dad brought him and his class some donuts, glazed raised from Dots, for snack time and he got to pick where he wanted to have dinner. A little bit of ice cream after some playing with the new toys and games and we'll call it a night. He invited a ton of his friends to his party on Friday night so I'm pretty sure I will have a few more pictures to post then.

Oh Yeah! A new Wii game from Cousin Trevor!

Hexbug: Larvae - cool and creepy!

Headphones because his were recently broken.

R2D2 Operation?!?!

New Lego Ninjago alarm clock...as if he didn't already wake up happy enough, he now gets to wallop a ninja on the head to get him to stop making noises before he even gets out of bed! Thanks Grandma Ricki!

Leaves...

2011-10-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

You can rake them...

You can blow them around...

You can jump into them like this...

Or this...

Or even this...

Anyway you look at it, they make you smile...

And smile some more...

It's all fun and games...

Until someone gets hurt, turns into a zombie and lives out the rest of his walking-dead existence in the huge pile of leaves!

Punkin' Patch Pics 2011

2011-10-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

There is a small local Pumpkin Patch (and farm/farm stand) here in Vancouver called, "Joe's Place Farm" that we visited today. We've gone there before so some of these pictures might look similar to those of the past but the boys, as you can see, are just a little bit taller. I've been noticing lately that it's getting harder and harder for me to keep up with the boys. They are getting bigger, faster and more independent so by the time I have my camera pointed at them and focused they are off and running.

Annual picture with the big witch.

This may be hard for those of you that know Oliver to believe this but he was goofing off and playing with the wheelbarrow. I know, I know, not like him at all!

Noah is getting older and more irritated with my need to photograph him all the time.

So I sneak pictures when he isn't looking...come on boy, that pumpkin isn't that big!

Oliver directing pumpkin laden wheelbarrow traffic.

Noah practicing his brooding in the corner of the hay tent.

Pretty little sunflowers all over around the grounds of the farm.

Dad took off to go pay for and load up the pumpkins so we were just hanging out chatting and waiting for him to return so we could head into the maze.

Boys joined in on the pow-wow in the maze!

They found their way to the fort lookout!

This fascinated me for some reason, it's like the leaves framed themselves.

My Noah

My Oliver

Awww!

That's My Boy...

2011-10-16T15:09:00.001-07:00

Noah has been given a "Black & White Photography Project" in his EXCEL class. The idea being that, "photography captures moments in time, and the photographer "frames" these moments. Photography is the creation of a visual language. It is the telling of a story without words." Needless to say, I was very excited about this project and excited that my boy gets to tell a story via photos. We went over my camera, a few of the settings, etc. and then I pretty much set him free. I would offer tips and maybe suggest a different approach every once in a while and when I was taking pictures I would talk to him about what I was doing and what I was trying to capture. It's been tough to just stand back and watch at times but I've really just kind of given up my camera for the time being. Well, Pop & H came into town this weekend for a quick visit and we took them down to a local wildlife refuge for a quick easy walk. We got about ten feet onto the trail and Noah took my camera, not sure what to do with my empty hands, I yelled to Joel that this is why we need to get me the next step up in cameras. Then I watched Noah find, frame and capture those "moments" as we walked. I have to say that when we got home and had a chance to look at the pictures I was proud. Maybe, just maybe, some of me is rubbing off on that kid. I sat here, viewing his work and kept thinking to myself, "That's my boy..."

Had a Great Fall...

2011-10-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

Each year at Illahee Elementary, the kindergarten classes set out on a scientific journey of sorts. Their goal is to figure out how to throw an egg off the roof of the school and make it survive! They come up with an idea or a design, place their faith in their results and toss ol' Eggbert off the roof. I don't know if they name their little eggs but in my mind they do and at least one of them is named Eggbert or Megg or Egglebert Humptydink...what would you name your egg?

The parent volunteers that agreed to go up top to scramble the eggs.

There goes Oliver's!!

Kids all sat and watched each egg take the plunge.

After all of the eggs were dropped the kids were released to gather up their project. I was not involved in this project or I would have named it EGGspress - sheesh!

SO hard for me to not reach in there and help things along faster! Come on, Oliver, did your egg survive?!?

Nice work my boy, Humpty has no worries in your hands!

Beacon Rock

2011-09-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

My friend, Jessica, posted on facebook that she wanted to go to a hike. I asked where and when and we decided to hike Beacon Rock in the Columbia Gorge. Funny thing is, both of us have never hiked Beacon Rock! One of those things that you think, "oh, I can go there anytime!" and then you never do. We met in the morning, hiked on up and up and up the .9 mile trail. Lots and lots of switchbacks take you up the west side of the rock. Once you get closer to the top you finally get to swing around to the east side of the big rock. The top doesn't have a lot of room to roam about but it feels good to finally get up there! We took some pictures, read the plaque, drank some water then headed back down. Once at the bottom we decided that wasn't enough so we headed across the river and hiked Wahclella falls too!

A little warning before starting up the switchback trail.

I just thought this was a cool rock whatever you call it.

The view from the trail on our way to the top. This is looking across to the Oregon side and slightly west.

The view looking west.

The view looking east.

The crazy switchback trail, walk too fast and you get dizzy with all the back and forth.

Another shot of the trail, just looking down this time.

The final climb to the top!

View to the east from the top.

View to the west from the top. To be honest, the view, in my humble opinion, was better from the trail.

Heading back down, the sun was really starting to burn off the mist that was lingering in the gorge.

My hiking partner, Jessica!

Firsts!

2011-09-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

Today was a big day...BOTH boys started school. Okay, technically, school started last Wednesday but we were on our annual family camping trip. Anyway, Noah started 5th, yes 5th if you can believe that? And Oliver, he started Kindergarten today. The time really has flown by! Oliver was so excited this morning he could barely sit or stand still. It's a first for me too, I have no kiddos at home and I am wondering how I am going to handle that. So far I've dropped off a huge bag of school supplies, stopped for a coffee, ran to Target and am now working on this here blog post. So far, so good! Oh, if you'd like to see a ton of pictures from our camping trip, check out my facebook page by clicking here or here, that will take you to the two albums I created. Report back later for a recap of their first day!

Good morning boys!!

Speaking of firsts, this boy lost his first tooth last night. It's a big week for this guy! He asked the tooth fairy for $33 or a nickel. Nickel it is!!

Love that he is looking up to his big brother!

Can't stand still, so excited and wants to know, "Where is that bus!?!"

Not quite as excited as his little brother. He is really looking grown up to me these days.

Nope, still not standing still.

"YEAH!!!! The bus is here!!"

On goes my Noah

And there goes my Ollie-Al

There they go...now what do I do?

Good Riddance

2011-08-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

This boy of mine has been able to ride, in my opinion, without training wheels for quite some time now. However, there was something about those training wheels that he was unwilling to let go of. I begged, I pleaded, I bribed and nothing worked, well, until this week anyway. He has really been wanting this new Beyblade toy thing and I have really been wanting him to take those noisy unnecessary training wheels off. So I used bribery once again! We started by taking one training wheel off. He rode around like that for a while, I ran beside him, etc. I gave him a little bit then took the second one off. We set out with me holding on, encouraging him and the panic totally set in again. This kid is a gang-buster, no-fear kind of boy and this was totally throwing me for a loop. We happened to be over at the schoolyard and I stood up trying to figure out my next plan of attack and there it was. A giant, flat, mowed, field! I asked him if he would feel better about learning on the grass and he said yes. Took two times of me giving him a little push start and he was off! We spent the next 30 minutes or so practicing in the field. We ended on that note, a high note, a happy note and immediately went to the store to buy the toy! That was a couple of days ago and I wanted to get him back on his bike. Joel and I grabbed the tennis gear, Oliver and his bike and headed back over to the schoolyard to practice some more. Oliver was still very hesitant to get onto the harder surface and ride but Joel and I both knew if he just tried he would immediately love it and never go back to that hard bumpy field. Dad ran around with him in the field for a while, giving him some tips and pointers on how to ride them gave him one little challenge...start about 15 feet from the grass on the concrete and ride into the field. HE DID IT! Rode down the sidewalk, into the field, turned around and came right back onto the concrete and never looked back! The only time he went back to the field was when he raced down the sidewalk and bombed into the field on purpose. He rode and rode and rode some more, all of us grinning ear to ear! (The pictures and video are from my phone, not the best quality.)

Already learning how to slam on those brakes and leave skid marks!

Best skid of the day! And he isn't proud at all...

Goodbye noisy, unnecessary training wheels!

Cousins

2011-07-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

My sister is in town taking care of some horsey business so on her way through she dropped Trevor off at our place. Typical boy behavior has ensued ever since. Play, drive each crazy, play, get into trouble, play...you all know what I'm talking about. Lots of energy running around this house. The boys wanted to go swimming yesterday so when Shana stopped by, in between horse chores, we packed them up and took them to the park.

Goggles? Check! Swim trunks? Check! Flippers? Check!

Looks like a meeting to plan their next move.

Apparently, my child has no joints!

(Insert Jaws theme here)

This picture does not do this scene justice. It looked as though he had been eaten by tube monsters and he was struggling to break free from it's jaws. Shana and I were totally cracking up!


Noah, in the green, Trevor, in the orange, chasing after Oliver. Silly boys.

Pictures From a Lazy Day

2011-07-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

Had a pretty lazy day today, it didn't help that I had a bit of insomnia last night then got up early to meet a friend that is borrowing the van for a couple of days. Needless to say, we stuck close to home and really didn't do much at all. Somehow, I managed to get the boys down to the "train park," as we've always called it for a quick and easy outing. These here pictures are from my kind of lazy day...

Nature's Abstract Art

BIG Fish in a Little Pond

Cool Little Plants

Fun Patterns

Happily Treed Boy

Butterfly

Apparently, he misses the rain.

Klineline Pond

2011-07-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

Salmon Creek Park/Klineline Pond is located in the Salmon Creek area of Vancouver. It's a great little park with lots of amenities. A level path for walking, running or biking that runs alongside Salmon Creek, a sports complex and the boys favorite, Klineline Pond. The pond is fed by the creek and natural springs and is a perfect place to swim on a hot summer day. Or in our case this year, a day that has sunshine and is pretending to be a hot summer day. This is one of those spots that I didn't go to for the longest time and then wondered why it took so long to give it a go! We've been there twice already this year and plan to go back as often as we can.

Racing to the water.

Little brother splashing big brother.

Trying to warm up on the edge of the deck.

Little brother really likes to wrestle with big brother, but Noah really wasn't in the mood for this.

After asking nicely a couple of times, then asking again with a bit more irritation in his voice, Noah finally decided that the only way to get rid of the pest that was clinging to him was to plug his nose and...

...force the little one off of him by falling (forcefully) backwards into the water! In case you were wondering, the leech-like little brother, let go immediately. It worked!

Look Familiar?

2011-07-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

Took the boys hiking the other day to Wahclella Falls in the gorge. The trail head is easy to get to and the hike is only 2 miles round-trip. It's not too hard, I would say easy, with a bit of an incline. You need a NW Forest Pass (available at any ranger station or REI) or just pay the fee when you park. We've been here before and I've posted pictures but it's too pretty not to share some of the new images.

First glimpse of the falls from the trail.

I am, honestly, not sure how this happened but I'm glad it did. They climbed up onto a rock and were looking at the falls.

I love this place.

Rocks to climb up onto and explore.

And to practice their mountain goat skills on!

There is a little area that is great to stop and play. The boys can wade, throw rocks, climb around and have a snack. This view is upstream.


This view is downstream.

Hello little fern.

Quick glance back as we make our way back.

Birthday Ink

2011-07-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

Joel's birthday present this year is a commissioned 3/4 sleeve from Hawk Chaite at Sovereign Tattoo. Hawk built the sleeve around the existing dragon and little Curly Girly he already had on that arm. It's two Koi fish representing his two boys...

Putting the stencil on was a process. Took some time to get it placed just right.

The outline only was done Saturday. It will take a couple more sittings for the color and shading to be added.

Curly Girly gets to play in the waterfall.

Joel was making funny faces when Hawk got to this area. Tender!

Add caption

Out and About

2011-07-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

Loving the nice weather that is showing up lately!

This is a long balance beam that has joints and moves a little bit. I was sitting on one end making it move up and down and Oliver was yelling at me to stop as he made his way across.

My Noah

Making them run off some of their energy. You know, that never works, it just builds up their stamina and makes them last longer the next day.

Handsome

All smiles, all the time.

Sun Means Water

2011-07-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

No matter how little the sun shows itself around here, as soon as it peaks around a cloud the boys insist that it is hot and MUST play in the water. They are serious too, it's a matter a life or death, just ask them. This a week or so ago, maybe even two, they pestered until I caved.

Oliver calling the shots and if any of you KNOW my boy, this shouldn't be a surprise at all.

You know you want to run through it too!

My hydrangea loving the sun too and going through a nice growth spurt.

My budding scientist made an underwater viewer. A small cone with the large end covered in plastic wrap. It acted like goggles and let him see into the water/bucket.

(laughing)

So that budding scientist that I mentioned above, well he is going to be upset with me when I tell you that he ended up getting stuck in this bucket. That's my boy!

End of School Gathering

2011-07-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

An awesome neighbor of ours came up with a brilliant idea to hold a neighborhood, end of the school year, Nerf gun battle at the park. She had hot dogs, chips, drinks and Popsicles for the kids to eat, all the neighbors that lived close to the park temporarily donated their garbage cans for bunkers and the kids all brought Nerf weapons of all kinds! It was a great turnout and I hope, with my help, Christina will keep this tradition going!

Getting ready to battle, dividing up into teams.

Oliver brought out the big gun!

Noah, on the other hand, kept it simple with a blow gun.

This is most of the kids that showed up, a few were missing (casualty of the battle maybe) and a few didn't fit into the picture.

Sunshine

2011-06-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

The sun, although appearing a little bit more frequently, has been a bit fickle this year. A flurry of activity occurs all around town when the sun comes out and warms us all. Making sure not to let it go to waste, we all headed out for a walk the other day.

On a completely different matter, I've decided to play around with my white balance on my camera this week. When I leave it on AWB (auto white balance) it really seems to wash out some of the colors and depth from my shots making them very white (like the ones in this post). I'm sure this is what you'd want if you were photographing a beautiful bride in her pristine white dress but when I'm out and the colors are rich and warm, I want to get THAT feeling into my shots. So I am venturing away from the AWB setting, not sure where it's going to take me yet but I'll be sure to let you know.

Noah leaning on one of the coolest bike racks I've ever seen!

Oliver on same bike rack adding his own special goofiness to the shot.

This boy is silly, silly, silly!

I saw these reeds and the phrase, "...out with old, in with the new," came to mind.

Really cool composite bridge. Do you see the fish swimming underneath?

This guy was running back and forth across the path. Cute and hard to catch on film!

There is a section of this refuge that is closed for a part of the year to allow the wildlife to migrate, rest, breed, etc. in peace. I thought this was a very clever and beautiful way to remind us when the area is or is not open. I kind of want one in my yard even though I have no room/place for such a thing.

The River is Full

2011-06-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

We took a little family outing to the banks of the Columbia River today. It's full right now, very full. Lots of rain and some run-off from the snow melting have caused the waters to rise. We decided to go to Cottonwood Beach to check it out.

This is the path that leads down to the waters edge. Let me rephrase that, this is the START of the path that leads down to the waters edge.

To the left and right of the path the normally, dry or slightly damp area was flooded and covered in water.

As high as this water is, it still doesn't quite reach the levels of the flood that happened in 1996.

I posted this picture in hopes that Bre and Brandon would remember the start of the path to the water. That way they could see just how high the water is right now.

This is on another path that you can take to get down to Cottonwood Beach. I used my zoom lens to get a shot of the covered picnic area. According to reports and other folks we've talked to, the water has started to go down. Look close, can you see the water just under the bench seats on that tables? All of that fuzzy looking ground in the foreground is actually debris floating on the water.

A Little of What I See

2011-06-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

Anyone that knows me or has read this family blog at all knows that I have a special relationship with my camera. What you may not know is how much I think about my camera and taking pictures. Honestly, I really just need to find a professional photographer that would be willing to take me under their wing and apprentice me in exchange for menial labor. I go through my day thinking, "now that would make a stunning picture" or "the lighting on that is amazing" or "I wonder what shutter/aperture combo would make that stand out the best" or "I need this lens" or "That polarizing filter would really make this pop." This dialogue is constantly running in my head, it doesn't stop but I don't mind, not one bit. I love it, it makes me happy and I have fun. As we walked around Lopez Island these pictures are just a few, yes few, that made me stop and play with my camera...

More Milestones

2011-06-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

A couple milestones have happened over the past week or so. First off, Joel finally hauled Noah outside and taught him how to mow the lawn. It's been so wet this Spring that mowing the lawn is an exercise is muddy futility. It was wet, it was slick, it was dirty but the jungle claiming to be our yard was in desperate need of a trim. Can't wait for the day when Joel calls and tells Noah to have the lawn mowed before he gets home from work. The torch has been passed...

Don't just stand there looking all handsome and grown-up, mow the lawn already!


If you are going to mow the lawn, you have got to be able to start the mower, pull!

A little guidance and help from dad.

The other milestone around here is that Oliver was advanced to and earned his white with yellow strip belt in karate. He has been working hard and having a ton of fun in class. He watched Noah's classes for 3 plus years before he got to FINALLY join in himself. Next time you see him, ask him to show you some of his moves.

One more picture as a white belt.

Listening in class.

Mr. B tying on his new belt.

Congratulations, Oliver!

Look at all of those cute smiling proud faces!

Short Day 3 on Lopez

2011-05-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Our final day we spent the morning gathering all of the stuff my children have an incredible ability to scatter about any house we occupy. It doesn't matter how long or short the stay or how big or small the house is, they can occupy and then litter the area with personal items in no time at all. We wanted to catch the 345pm ferry so after we packed up we headed down to the village to visit the Saturday Market and the little Historical Museum they have, both are quiet island small but worth the time. Then, with the time we had left, we stopped for a quick hike onto Spencer Spit. Turns out, after arriving at the ferry staging area, we read the ferry schedule wrong! Seriously, you'd think that with the two of us reading the same schedule that we would have seen the little dash marks following the time that means that the ferry does NOT stop at Lopez. The next ferry wasn't until 5pm. We decided to just explore the area around the ferry and not head back to the house. We would've gotten there then shortly would've had to return anyway so we stuck it out. We hiked around a little trail for a bit then snacked and watched a movie, the time passed quickly.

Oliver made a bow with a stick he and Joel painted silver and yellow twine from one of Aunt Nana's hay bales. The bow got broken and the twine got re-purposed. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

(chuckling) There are clam beds all over Spencer Spit, walking around would irritate them and they would squirt out water and dig deeper. We started to dig after them a little just to get them to spray and jump out of the way. Loved the giggles that came from my boys. I got hit a couple of times and came out of there with soaked lower pant leg.

Noah marching along...

Our only cloudy day on the island.

My guys.

Joel and Bruce...can you tell if they are related????

Me trying to get a picture of my boys together...(sigh)

Forced to sit nicely while dad takes a picture.

Lopez Day 2 Photo Tour

2011-05-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how many pictures I take on a trip. Yes, I have my camera with me pretty much at all times but I don't feel like I'm taking that many pictures. I'm talking, I'm hiking, I'm exploring, I'm slowing my boys down and pointing things out to them, etc. and I still manage to take a LOT of pictures. So off we go on our pic-tour of day two on Lopez Island...

Joel and I went up to the church that Heidi's mom, Nola, got married in. It's an adorable little church with a small cemetery on the grounds. Walking around, Joel saw this little lost Valentine Bear and took this picture. I told him I wasn't sure if I loved this picture because it's so cool or if I hate it because it seems so sad. You decide and let me know which one it is...

Losing my mind in my old age...ALMOST certain this is at Shark Reef Park

GrandPop and his Grandsons

This looks a lot scarier than it really was...

The current was very swift through here.

Claims he needed a rest...I wasn't buying it one bit!

Second hike of the day out to Iceburg Point

Oliver liked the lichen.

We climbed up to a U.S. boundary marker at the top of this hill, the view was amazing!

My eldest in Lopez Village

Persistent pestering to wade into the water pays off.

I was cold watching them, what is it with kids and their ability to wade into ice cold water and not think twice about it?

Noah getting ready to throw/skip a rock.

The cute little church on the hill.

Sunset on second day, not as brilliant as the first day but still pretty and relaxing.

Trip to Lopez Island

2011-05-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

GrandPop Bruce and Grandma Heidi invited to come stay with them on Lopez Island this month. Heidi's Mom recently remarried and her new, very kind, hubby lets folks like us stay at his home on the island. Lopez is one of the islands in the San Juans and the first stop after taking the ferry from Anacortes, WA. It is beautiful! It took us passing a few cars before we realized that EVERYONE waves to you as you drive by. At first we were thinking they were just chatting with their passengers or pointing at something, nope they were waving. There was the one finger barely raised from the steering wheel wave, the two finger lift wave, the nod, the double two-finger (two fingers from each hand), the salute, etc. It was fun to see how each passing car was going to wave. We lucked out and ended up having two very nice days of weather to explore the island. The first day we headed over a bit earlier than Pop and H so we drove all over the 29.5 square mile island almost covering it's entire 63.3 mile perimeter. We met up with them later and headed to the house which is located right on Fisherman Bay. Once again, I've taken a ton of pictures so I'm going to break the Lopez trip blogging experience into days, day one....

One of my favorite pictures from the trip. My boys on the ferry ride to Lopez.

Bye-bye Anacortes!

One of the first beaches we stopped at was Odlin County Park. All the beaches there are quite rocky, very hard to find a sandy beach.

This kid can ham it up!

My new homestead! Just kidding, but I wish I wasn't.

This is at a spot called agate beach and Joel is recording the sounds of the waves. It was a very different sound. The water moving through and shuffling all of those little rounded rocks made a unique noise.

This is a little bay we found, barely noted on the map, road not marked as clearly as it could be. However, it was a gorgeous little lazy bay. The Brady "Blackie" memorial beach was one of my favorite spots.

This was at a little beach area at one end of Lopez Village.

Sunset from the house...relaxing.

Remember Noah?

2011-05-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

Seems that most of my pictures these days are of my youngest. He is with me a lot more and he loves to ham it up for the camera a lot more. Noah is growing up. He comes home, is here for a few minutes, then is off to play with friends. He gives me "the look" when I ask for a hug or kiss when I drop him off late to school (but he still gives them to me so far!). He rarely holds my hand when we are out walking these days. He also doesn't like me sticking the camera in his face and does whatever he can to avoid being photographed. When I get the rare chance to snap a few pictures, I do.

Okay, it's just his feet but it's how the allowed pictures started.

Hi Noah!

My handsome boy, I love you even if you do remind me a lot of my pesky little brother.

I asked him if he would show me some karate moves.

So he showed me these moves. I have no idea what these series of moves, punches, blocks, steps, etc. were called but it was pretty cool.

We went out to drop off some cinnamon rolls to my friend, Jodi this weekend. Her parents let us take the boys down to the cabin and creek. Noah skipped a few rocks then asked when we were coming back.

Soccer Stuff

2011-05-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

Another soccer season has quickly come to an end. Oliver has improved so much in the few short seasons he has participated in that it makes me wonder just how many more soccer games I will be watching as he grows up. We have been very lucky to get a couple of great coaches for Oliver to give him a great start to a fun sport. I'll be signing him up again this week. GOOOOOOOOAAALLLLL!

Oliver practicing soccer with a bit of flair!

Fun drill to teach ball control...lift the ball with your feet and drop it on your head. The giggles that happen during this drill make me laugh every time.

Coaches daughter showing Oliver who's Queen of the field!

Last game, coach giving Oliver an encouraging pat or maybe a shove in the right direction.

Oliver is going to miss his last practice and game so Coach gave Oliver his trophy this weekend. Go Red Dragons!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

We are, once again, keeping Easter simple around here. A quiet morning with a small chocolate egg hunt, a couple of new toys, pajamas and family time. We hope that you are all having a great Easter!

Chocolate eggs hidden by dad land all over the house, like on clocks...

...and on bookshelves.

I so wish that I could look and be this happy right after climbing out of bed.

We wouldn't let the boys out of their room until we were ready. Joel had to hold them back!

The hunt is on.

Pile of goods from us, Grandma Ricki and Gammy.

Noah's new Lego Ninjago.

Gammy, much to the boy's delight, fills her eggs with dollar bills!

Smartphone at the Chinese Garden

2011-04-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

Spring break happened during the first week of April. We decided to try and take the boys to OMSI one day but when we showed up the parking, the overflow parking and the overflows overflow parking were all full and crawling with folks trying to find a spot. We, much to the boys dismay, decided that we would not be doing OMSI that day. Trying to quickly come up with something to do we decided to visit the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Downtown Portland. We parked in the Lloyd Center area and rode the MAX train down to Chinatown. Walked a block and entered a beautiful oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. The only problem that day, I did not have my camera! I decided not to take it to OMSI and then we ended up in place that begged for my camera. I did have my Droid2 Smartphone with me though and used that camera to capture a few shots. Not the best quality but the beauty is still worth sharing.


This picture makes my heart go pitter-pat. My poor husband has to hear how much I love this picture each and every time I view it.

My Birthday

2011-04-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

Thought I would share a couple of quick pictures from my birthday...

Grandma Ricki and Oliver made me a birthday cake. It had lots and lots and lots and lots of sprinkles. My Ollie-man does love his sprinkles! I made him put his finger in the sprinkles so you could see that they came up to his first knuckle joint...SPRINKLES!

Joel lit the candles and they sang happy birthday to me. Getting close to the big 4-0 but not quite there yet.


And since the anticipation of five pounds of sprinkles weren't enough, we hit Voodoo Doughnuts that morning!

Speaking of Flying

2011-04-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

There is this really cool playground at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum. It has a helicopter, a spaceship and a bi-plane! There were some swings, of course, and Noah decided to try and put what he had learned in the museum to work. Let's see how he did...

A quick glance at part of the playground.

Noah couldn't get this one off the ground so he took things into his own hands and headed for the swings!

Fly boy! Fly like the wind!

(radio crackling) Landing gear down, ready for approach.

Noah's just trying to overshoot the runway now!

Nice form!

My boy had a lot of fun practicing his flying and I had a lot of fun capturing the moment!

Spruce Goose

2011-04-16T12:21:00.000-07:00

Since the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum has done all the research on this HUGE aircraft for me I am just going to take quotes from their website...

At the center of our museum stands the original Spruce Goose. Built entirely of wood due to wartime restrictions on metals, this massive airplane stands as a symbol of American industry during World War II. Learn more about the history, first flight, and legacy of this mammoth plane.

The largest airplane ever constructed, and flown only one time, the Spruce Goose represents one of man’s greatest attempts to conquer the skies. It was born out of a need to move troops and material across the Atlantic Ocean, where in 1942, German submarines were sinking hundreds of Allied ships. Henry Kaiser, steel magnate and shipbuilder, conceived the idea of a massive flying transport and turned to Howard Hughes to design and build it. Hughes took on the task, made even more challenging by the government’s restrictions on materials critical to the war effort, such as steel and aluminum. Six times larger than any aircraft of its time, the Spruce Goose, also known as the Flying Boat, is made entirely of wood.
Originally designated HK-1 for the first aircraft built by Hughes-Kaiser, the giant was re-designated H-4 when Henry Kaiser withdrew from the project in 1944. Nevertheless, the press insisted on calling it the “Spruce Goose” despite the fact that the plane is made almost entirely of birch.

The winged giant made only one flight on November 2, 1947. The unannounced decision to fly was made by Hughes during a taxi test. With Hughes at the controls, David Grant as co-pilot, and several engineers, crewmen and journalists on board, the Spruce Goose flew just over one mile at an altitude of 70 feet for one minute. The short hop proved to skeptics that the gigantic machine could fly.
Perhaps always dreaming of a second flight, Hughes retained a full crew to maintain the mammoth plane in a climate-controlled hanger up until his death in 1976.

The Spruce Goose was kept out of the public eye for 33 years. After Hughes’ death in 1976, it was purchased by entrepreneur Jack Wrather and moved into a domed hangar in Long Beach, California.
In 1988, the Walt Disney Company bought the aircraft from the Wrather Corporation. Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum co-founders, Michael King Smith and Delford M. Smith, submitted the winning proposal in 1992 to provide the aviation icon with a proper home. The Flying Boat was disassembled and transported by barge up the West Coast, then down the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, to Portland, Oregon. It remained there for several months, until water levels permitted the huge structures to safely pass under the Willamette’s many bridges. Finally, in February 1993, the aircraft was transported by truck for the last 7.5 miles to McMinnville, Oregon. Temporary hangars were built as housing for the aircraft, while volunteers worked on the aircraft’s restoration. In 2001, re-assembly of the Hughes Flying Boat was completed in its new home.

That is no small plane under the wing of the Spruce Goose.

Tail end...do you see the volunteer walking under the tail?

This area had little to no light so it was hard to get a good shot. This is inside the Spruce Goose, looking towards the tail of the plane. The ribs/skeleton of the plane are incedible and to the lower right of the picture the mannequin pilot gives you an idea of perspective. It was amazing.

This is looking forward. The cockpit is up those stairs on the right.

Fun fact!

Park the Goose then bring in all the other planes around it!

Another shot to hopefully give some perspective, fighter jet bottom left, people gawking below.

This shot was taken from the second story above the gift shop.

Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum

2011-04-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

Over Spring Break we took the boys down to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville OR. The museum is incredible, so many planes and plane related items in the aviation building and then you get to wander over to the space building and look at a ton more. I will say this really quickly though, it is expensive, really expensive. On one hand I understand the need to charge such high prices (upkeep and such) but on the other hand when you have to pay $76 for a family of four it seems like it could be putting it out of the reach of many mid to lower income families. Not researching it much, I don't know if they have programs or options so that the museum can be seen by all but I sure hope they do. We had a great day though, learned a lot, saw a lot and had fun. I could have spent a few days playing with camera angles and lighting too! The big draw and attraction at the museum is the Spruce Goose. I decided to give the GIANT floating plane a post of it's own on another day.

Started out the morning with a quick cuddle.

This doesn't happen much so we HAD to document the moment.

Loved the colors on this plane.

So many beautifully built planes. The craftsmanship is out of this world.

Oooooh, shiny!

Oliver LOVED that this one was hanging upside down from the ceiling.

A little area for the kids to play and learn.

Another shiny beautiful plane.

So many planes there, this barely scratches the surface. There are also volunteers, many of them Veterans, all over the museum. You don't even have to ask a question, a quick glance their way and they are more than willing to share a story or three with you.

Noah loved this plane and I loved how the sunlight was glowing through the wings.

And now over to the Space side of things. My "Star Wars" loving Noah looked at this space pod and said, "Look! It's like the Death Star."

The Titan rocket thing-a-ma-jig...yes, that's a technical term, sheesh!

This was actually really neat, you could take the spiral staircase or elevator down to the bottom and look up, way, way up.

I made a joke that the space program seems to have some VERY feminine looking features. It looks like a prom dress to me, not some fancy rocket engine baffle whatever-ma-bob...yes, more technical terms!

The lighting on the space capsule made me happy.

HUGE windows in both buildings that let in a ton of natural light. This is what it looked like the entire time we were there. Gorgeous!

This is a little cockpit type place that you climbed into and then drive and dock your vehicle into the space station. Well at least that's what I think they were doing. I giggle at the look of concentration on their faces.

Hello Mr. Moonwalker

This is the engine to the SR-71 plane that Joel's Grand-Dad worked on while he was in the military.

Another shot of the SR-71

Spring Into Soccer!

2011-04-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

Soccer started up again and Oliver couldn't be happier! It was such a better start this year too. No sideways rain, no near-freezing temps, no bone chilling wind, yeah it's a little bit chilly but I can deal with that and so can the kiddos.

Coach Rick talking to the kids before the game.GOOOOOO Dragons!!!

Lots of jumping on a field full of five year olds.

GOAL!!

Running to defend the goal.

He never stops smiling while on the field.

And he never stops running.

Thumbs up Ollie!

Polishing My Skills

2011-03-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

I took a class a month or so ago and wasn't really satisfied with it so when I saw a Photography Workshop called Capturing True Emotions come through on my Groupon deals I pounced. It consisted of a 4 hour presentation/seminar/class followed by a 2 hour photo safari at the zoo. This class is probably not for you professionals out there (unless you are looking for a good review) but if you amateurs want a very comprehensive, overview of your camera and how to use it, this class is perfect. I have been self-teaching my way through this photography thing so it was some review but it was a great review! Nice to realize that you are on the right path and haven't been making too many mistakes. Touch on the basic concepts, how to get your camera to do them, then how to use them to your advantage when photographing was how the day went. Plus they threw in a ton of hints, tips and tricks that they have learned along the way. Easily remembered catch phrases and acronyms were also used to drive the concepts deep into my brain. The instructors, Val Westover and Stephanie Adriana are amazing and very talented people that shared their talents and wisdom without hesitation. Then having them tag along beside us all on the safari to help us practice was just icing on the cake. I see a lot of practicing what I learned today in my future. I have about 16 pictures from today that I really like, hope you enjoy them too.

Playing with ISO in the banquet room.

My favorite of the day...

Shores of Columbia

2011-03-05T18:15:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of the little bit of sun peeking through the clouds and headed down to the banks of the Columbia River. It's been running a bit high lately due to the snow melting and copious amounts of rainfall and we wanted to check it out. There was not as much shore to play on as there is in the summer but the boys still managed to have a good time.

Oliver climbing on a large piece of driftwood.

Hey! I know that guy.

My Eldest

Shep got to tag along too.

Stick Assisted Jump

Boy giving his dog some love.

Love You Noah

Love You Too Oliver

Totally cracking up at this picture. I have quite a few pictures of them with goofy fake smiles. So much for asking them to smile!

The river was very calm today.

Hello Sunshine!

Can't really complain about where we live, it's beautiful!

Snowpocalypse!!!

2011-02-24T11:11:00.000-08:00

Okay, so our weathermen around here love to OVER-predict the snow. Our two solid days of non-stop snow that will cripple our city turned into about an hours worth of snowfall and a couple of inches that is melting fast. Never the less, the kids in this neighborhood come out in herds to play in the snow.

Once I caught up to the boys and knew what the plan was, I went back home and grabbed Shep so he could play in the snow too.

Noah helped with the dog walking. Of course that meant I was holding gloves and a sled. Makes it more difficult to get good pictures!

Informed me today that he likes it cold and snowy OR hot and sunny. Apparently, you can't sled or swim in the rain...I bed to differ!

My Noah

Oliver playing chase with Shep.

Noah trying to make the biggest snowball in the park.

Oliver "helping" with the largest snowball in the park.

My Snow Angel

Before the snowball got big and dirty.

After a wipeout, letting us know he was fine.

He has the best expressions.

Brotherly love.
Nothing like a snowball to the back of the head.

Path through the park.

Picture

2011-02-15T13:15:00.001-08:00

I was messing around with my camera on the way home the other night and, what? Yes, Joel was driving! Anyway, I ended up with a couple that I really liked. No particular reason or reasons why, I just liked them. This one was my favorite...

Yin and Yang

2011-02-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

This is just one small part taken from Wikipedia's definition of Yin and Yang...

...For instance, dropping a stone in a calm pool of water will simultaneously raise waves and lower troughs between them, and this alternation of high and low points in the water will radiate outward until the movement dissipates and the pool is calm once more. Yin and yang thus are always opposite and equal qualities. Further, whenever one quality reaches its peak, it will naturally begin to transform into the opposite quality: for example, grain that reaches its full height in summer (fully yang) will produce seeds and die back in winter (fully yin) in an endless cycle...

I realized that I had not posted any pictures of my tattoo to the family blog, the tattoo that complements Joel's dragon, my phoenix. People keep asking me, "what's up with all the new tattoos?" Well, I've been wanting a tattoo for a LONG time now and my gift from Ricki got me going on the first one. Then, Joel recently won some money on some scratch tickets that I bought him and he decided that he wanted us to get tattoos with the winnings. Anyway, I went in and got my phoenix done last Saturday. Jacob did a great job!

Stencil on...

Jacob getting started, took over 3 hours to complete.

Don't worry, he's working on the few red spots in the tattoo, that is ink, not blood. And yes, I am smiling. It hurts a little bit but not so much that I couldn't smile, laugh and joke.

Started the shading...

All done!

AND just because I think Joel was worried that I now had two tattoos to his one tattoo, he decided to get a second one from Jason while Jacob was working on mine. Turns out, it was a pretty sweet gesture on his part. You see, about 14 years ago I gave Joel this little love note and instead of signing my name I quickly drew this stick figure with curly hair...

He has held onto that card and asked Jason to put the little curly haired stick figure on his arm. I say it's a little bit crazy but sweet and super cute none-the-less.

Joel's Turn for Ink

2011-01-30T11:53:00.000-08:00

Joel has been wanting a tattoo for some time now and once I got mine he decided it was time to get his done too. Problem was he was having a hard time deciding what to get. Joel and I have also discussed getting complimentary tattoos since I really don't like wearing jewelry...including my wedding ring. Anyone that knows me knows that I rarely wear my ring. So Joel did some research and found that the dragon and phoenix are yin and yang in Chinese culture. He showed me some artwork that he found and I fell in love with it, so that is what he decided to get first. He got the dragon yesterday and I will be going in next Saturday to get the phoenix. Anyone want to come hang out and watch? Jacob at Sovereign Tattoo did a great job on Joel's new ink and Joel loves it!

Jacob placing the stencil on Joel.

Starting on the outline.

Playing with my camera and angles.

Outline done and looking great!
Shading comes next.

Jacob working hard.

Dragon head, I love the touch of red in the tattoo.

Joel checking out the finished tat.

Nothing like new ink!
Thank you Jacob!

When Oliver Grows Up

2011-01-29T10:33:00.000-08:00

Oliver has told me MANY times that when he grows up he is going to be a ninja and one of the steps to becoming a ninja is to join karate. We finally allowed Oliver to be tested by Mr. K and Mr. B to see if they thought he was ready to take classes. He passed and has been loving his time on the mat ever since. Of course Joel and I are wondering what we might be getting ourselves into, teaching Oliver to punch and kick properly and with force may not be good for his big brother! Noah is a by-the-book sort of kid and follows the, "karate is for self defense only," number one rule at all times. Oliver, on the other hand, may have a harder time with that rule. We have faith that Oliver will obey the rules or at least learn quickly that there are consequences to his inappropriate actions. Nothing like Mr. K taking your belt away to drive the point home. Ollie is loving his karate time and looks forward to it. I enjoy seeing both of my boys learn from two amazing instructors.

Getting ready for class to start.

Warming up and stretching out.

Draw, punch!

Noah realizing that I turned the camera on him.
I got the shot before he pushed my hand/camera away!

Listening to Mr. B.

Little kids got rewarded at the end of class by getting to do the, "ground and pound." You ground the pad by jumping on it, then you...

...pound it into the ground. You should see the smiles on the kid's faces when they get to do this.

Lego Mission: Space Shuttle

2011-01-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

Noah's latest Lego purchase was a big one! Recommended for ages 16+, 1204 pieces, 17.5 inches tall with a 10 inch wingspan and the boy put it together in no time at all. It's an impressive Lego creation that Noah asked me to share with the readers of our blog, so here it is in all it's Space Shuttle awesome-ness...

Separate fuel and rocket boosters you can attach while it's on the launch pad. Ready to launch!

Noah showing me how the doors open up so the crane can deploy the satellite complete with solar cells and folding antennae.

Shuttle in landing mode.

Red-hot engines.

This Makes Me Laugh!!

2011-01-06T08:42:00.000-08:00

This is from a blog that I follow...it makes me smile and laugh. That makes it worth a share don't you think???

http://vimeo.com/18423001

My First Tattoo

2010-12-31T20:22:00.001-08:00

I've been talking about getting a tattoo for quite a while now. Steph has always talked about dragging me over to Bend to meet Hawk and get a tattoo from him. Well, when you wait long enough good things, apparently, come to you! Hawk and the other artists that he works with decided to open up a shop in Portland too. So they now run 932 Tattoo in Bend and Sovereign Tattoo in Portland. Anyway, one of my gifts I received this Christmas was a gift certificate for a tattoo from Ricki. Steph and I were meeting for lunch and decided to meet down near the shop so I could stop by and see Hawk and pitch him my tattoo idea. That was yesterday! I gave him the email that I had sent Steph that explained what it was that I wanted, he asked a few questions, Steph and I went to lunch at Detour Cafe, came back and he had drawn up exactly what I had envisioned. Not wanting to lose momentum I made an appointment for today. Here is what I gave to Hawk...

I think of life as one big patchwork quilt...lots of little pieces, not necessarily matching, the same size or even coordinating but when put all together they make you who you are...something beautiful. The beauty is hard to see sometimes b/c of all the ragged edges and misshapen pieces but when all done a useful piece of art. I want to take that idea and make it into a tattoo...2 or 3 pieces of fabrics, different shapes, a couple of the edges "sewn" together nicely, an edge or two torn and ragged, needle still attached with a thread...

I was a bit nervous when I got there but it was an excited nervous, not a what-the-hell-am-I-doing kind of nervous. Hawk got things all set up, sat me down and put the transfer onto my arm. I loved it even more when I saw it on my arm. I sat back down and he got to work. Since this was my first tattoo I had prepped myself for the worst! Luckily, it wasn't bad at all. It got a little bit ouchie every once in a while but nothing that I couldn't handle or deal with. I was smiling and chatting the entire time so it couldn't have been that bad. I do have to say that getting a tattoo is, or at least it was for me, quite a rush. I can see how people can want more and more. To see your idea drawn and then inked onto your body, then your body dealing with the pain with a bit of endorphins and adrenaline...um yeah, I'm pretty sure I will be getting another tattoo. Steph, John and I decided that each December 31st we should meet for fresh ink. Sounds like a great New Years tradition to me! Speaking of John and Steph, they decided to get tattoos too!!

For now I have to keep my tattoo dry and clean, wash with soap and water often. After two days I can start using some non-scented moisturizer. I will post more pictures once it's healed and the redness and swelling have gone away. People keep asking me if it's sore and to be honest, it is a little bit but again, not nearly as bad as I was expecting. The best way I can describe it is by comparing it to razor burn or a very mild sunburn.

Just a few minutes into it, see, I'm smiling!

Outline almost done.

Outline is done, next up is the shading. I decided to keep it simply black and gray this time around. I can always add color later if I want or get another, more colorful, tattoo.

The shading begins.

The man is good!

Here are some close-up shots. I love how the stitches are pulled tight. I also let Hawk decide on and design the different fabric patterns.

The needle and thread.

The torn, ragged and worn edges...little imperfections, just like mine.

Hawk was awesome and a great guy to get a tattoo from. Plus he had a lot of fun stories to tell and kept me laughing through much of my tattoo.

This is Jacob, he did John's tattoo today.

John loves his Philadelphia Eagles!

And Steph, she loves her chickens, a brown egg with a chicken foot peace sign was a perfect addition to her tattoos!

Merry Sickmas To All!

2010-12-27T10:29:00.000-08:00

Well, our Christmas visit up to my sister's started out with us leaving Ricki behind because she caught the flu. Noah had been sick a couple of days before and we thought we were out of the woods but no such luck. Our luck got even worse when we, about ten minutes from Shana's, we were blessed with a 5 year old puking in the car. We got to my sister's, cleaned up the boy and the car and quarantined Oliver to the basement in hopes of keeping the germs to ourselves. My dad came up on the 24th and picked up Ricki, who was feeling much better, on the way. Again, we were lulled into believing that we had spared the Rollins' the miseries of flu until Christmas Eve when it became apparent that Trevor and Ron were infected. I can not tell you how incredibly guilty I felt once I realized those 2 were down for the count. Yes, flu happens, and yes, I didn't mean to bring it up with us, but still, I felt horrible. Trevor, an absolute trooper, hung out on the couch and opened presents with everyone. As soon as the presents were open my mom decided to get out of the flu battle field and headed home late that night and we retreated to the basement to give Ron and Trevor some time to recover. As far as flues go, this one seemed to be a pretty fast, 24 hour sort of flu, so by the next day/afternoon, everyone was perking up and starting to feel better. Even though we canceled Christmas dinner (more guilt!) I went ahead and cooked up the meal. Luckily, we ALL got to enjoy it. The boys lazily found and opened their stocking on Christmas day and played with all of their new games and toys. I love my sister very much and had a great time even if it wasn't the most ideal situation and circumstances. One of my favorite times of the weekend is when Ron, Shana, Joel and I kicked the kids downstairs and the 4 of us played MarioKart on Christmas night! Nice not having a bunch of kids yelling at you telling you that you are doing it all wrong. Anyway, not the ideal Christmas that all of us hope for but one spent with family and that's all that matters. Merry Sickmas!!

Ironman!!

I keep laughing when I look at my Christmas photos. I have taught Noah to pose quite nicely. He stops what he is doing, holds the gift up, gives me about a 3 second smile/time frame to snap the picture and then he's onto something else.

Yeah! Underwear!

Stories Behind the Pictures

2010-12-18T11:10:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder, when 20 or 30 years from now, when the boys are looking through pictures from the past what they will think about some of the pictures I have. Will they know the stories behind the pictures? Will they make up their stories? Will they remember them the same way I do? Will they think that I had totally gone nuts taking, literally, thousands of pictures?

Take this first picture for example, Oliver can be a complete pain in the rear at times and that's putting it nicely. He is a strong willed, in-your-face kind of kid. He will argue, question, manipulate and continually poke at that open wound until you snap. Then when you do snap, he gives you that, what is wrong with you, kind of look. Don't get me wrong he is also a blast! An incredible sense of humor for a 5 year old, funny, smiley, lover of life that can suck you into whatever fun he is having. Anyway, I went in on Monday morning to wake him up and found my big boy peaceful, sleeping, surely recharged and ready for the day. I stood there wondering if this was going to be a day filled with fun and laughter or day filled with battles royale?!? I went and quickly and quietly grabbed my camera. The second click of shutter woke him up, he rubbed his eyes, gave me a look and said, "Sheesh lady do you wake everyone up like this?" I laughed.
Then there is this picture, we were waiting to pick Oliver up from his classroom after the Christmas program and this little angel grabbed my attention. She doesn't look happy to me. Does she look happy to you? It looks like her and her little angel boyfriend just had a major fight. Her hair is messy from running her fingers through it in a show of frustration, one wing sags in defeat and her mascara is running because of all the crying. Poor little angel girl.

Our TV broke, we got a new one, this is Oliver telling me that I can't throw his new home away.

We bought the boys new mattresses too. They both wanted the memory foam type like Joel and I have. They came vacuumed sealed and rolled in these boxes. I'm not sure if the boys were more excited about their new mattress or their new robot armor! I made sure to take pictures of this because my eldest is starting to show signs of not wanting to play like this anymore. He is like a teeter totter, one day he is up reaching for young adulthood pushing toys aside, asking for a cell phone, asking for a facebook page, wanting me to let him drive around the neighborhood (not on my lap), and getting very frustrated at me holding him back. The next day he is down, wanting to cuddle, color, play with his toys, play with his brother and, on days like this, make robot armor out of a cardboard box. Yep, going to take pictures of that!

Or course to boys suited up in robot armor results in wrestling...

I don't get the chance to take many pictures like this anymore. He actually wanted to wear the hat and he had a moment of weakness when he let me brush the hair out of the way of his beautiful blue eyes. I somehow managed to get a smile too and it made my day.

This picture is one of many I took while Oliver was playing "Jumping Santa." The old mattress got tossed on the floor for the boys to play one for a couple of days. Oliver was jumping up and down on the mattress saying, "Jumping Santa, HO HO HO!" followed by giggles. Repeat over and over while mom takes pictures and giggles herself.

Pics From Our LAST Preschool Christmas

2010-12-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

Today was Oliver's preschool Christmas program and unless I get invited back to watch a friend's child, it was my last one. As always, it did not disappoint. There was one major breakdown in the 3 year old class, after we all clapped loudly for their first song, the poor kid burst into tears. My favorite is always the two songs sung by the entire preschool at the end, "Apple Red Happiness" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." The room is tough to get good pictures in but I managed to capture a few...

This is little E and I am smitten with him. I went over to say hello to him before the program started and he gave me this look! Killed me!

Singing about the "Friendly Beasts"

It may not be very Christmas-like but I am digging the Mohawk on my boy! Snapped this shot while they were singing, "Go Tell it on the Mountain."

Flowers for Mrs. Marshall & Miss Peterson!

Yikes! Double Digits!

2010-12-12T16:36:00.000-08:00

Noah has had a busy week! He earned a belt promotion, attended a karate demonstration, went to 3 birthday parties, had a birthday himself and is now playing laser tag with his best friend! Noah turned 10 today and that is hard for me to believe. He is turning into a fine young man with qualities that I love and adore. He is kind, loyal, enthusiastic, hungry for knowledge and a believer in finding the good in people (unless it's his brother then it's a whole new game!). He is brave and willing to try new things and put himself out there. His sense of humor is really starting to develop and he can make me laugh out loud. I love him and am proud to be his mom-mom.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOAH WAYNE!!

Noah earned his solid purple belt on Thursday. The boy has worked hard for it and we are very proud of him. A couple of days before he got his promotion, he was excitedly telling me that blue, brown and black are the three colors left. If he keeps at it and doesn't mess up he is certain that he will earn his junior and solid belts to work his way up to black belt by the time he is 15 or 16. I have no doubt that he will accomplish this.

Group photo after the promotions.

After his belt promotion, we came home and let him open up his gifts.
This is a Lego Harry Potter game from Aunt Nana, Uncle Ron and Cousin Trevor!

A huge Bionicle Lego set from Grandma Ricki that was put together, in it's entirety by bed time. That really should come as no surprise to those who know my Lego building machine.

And yes, we finally broke down and got him his own Nintendo DSi XL. He's been asking for one for quite sometime but we resisted since he already had a PSP. Now that Noah, Oliver and I all have one we can share the games.

And not to be forgotten, Lambey turned 10 today too. He's a bit rough around the edges and worn down a bit but he never misses the excitement around here.
Love you too, Lambey.

My Brain

2010-12-03T09:54:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, I'm supposed to be in the holiday spirit, joyful, thankful, blah, blah, blah. I don't know what it is exactly about this year but I am not and can not get into the mood or spirit of it all. I want it done. I'm claiming dibs on being Grinch for the season. With that being said, I was emailing back and forth with a friend and she too is having a hard time jump starting that festive feeling. So my totally corny brain decided that I should really try to have fun with something holiday-ish. That is when the paragraph below happened. I apologize, I know it should have been edited/tweaked a bit more but that is how it came out of my brain so I'm leaving it alone. Janet told me I should share it, I think she's crazy but after reading this, you may think that I'm a bit nuts myself. Enjoy!

Let's hope that it'll all kick in here soon and the spirit will overtake us so we can Jingle our Bells as we Deck the Halls, breaking the Silent Night. Which will awaken Little Drummer Boy who will watch his distracted Mommy Kiss Santa Claus burning the Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. This event may lead you to believe that a Blue Christmas is at hand, but do not worry for a Ruldoph the Red Nosed Reindeer led Sleigh Ride means that the REAL Santa Claus is coming to Town. His Holly Jolly Christmas spirit will Rock Around the Christmas Tree causing the Carol of the Bells to ring throughout the land. Frosty the Snowman will exclaim, "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! For It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas!" So please Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas because it is, as many have said, the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Feliz Navidad!

I'm In the Minority

2010-11-24T15:44:00.000-08:00

Well, when you talk to adults anyway, I am in the minority, I like this time of year. I also enjoy the snowy, wintry weather that has arrived here in Vantucky. Most grown ups dread the weather and what comes along with it. All the kids like it though, unless of course Evergreen School District decides to make the appropriate call and send the kids to school instead of freaking out and making them stay home, then they just get upset. The snow accumulation was little to none but we did get to see it fall and put a sparse blanket on the ground. The temperatures are dipping down into the teens and topping out in the mid 30's. It's not too bad until the wind picks up then the wind chill factor kicks in and brrrrr! My eldest is currently dumping water on the deck in hopes of creating his own miniature ice rink. Which reminds me, I better let the other people in the house know what he is doing so they don't go unexpectedly sliding right off the deck onto the yard. If the predictions of a cold, white and stormy winter prove true then I should have lots to post over the next few months.

I love to watch the snow fall.

Noah refusing to smile, but he's happy it's snowing.

This boy never fails to give me a smile.

Trying to catch one or a thousand.

The little winter flowers had better luck.

Oliver is 5!

2010-11-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

Oliver turned 5 on Tuesday. Yikes! It's hard to believe he is 5 already!! Due to our crazy work schedules, we had Oliver wait until Wednesday to open his presents. Both Joel and I wanted to be here when he opened up his gifts. I let my boys pick what they want for their birthday dinner and Oliver decided on white rice from Panda Express. Simple, plain white rice? Really? Yep, that's what he wanted. I took some pictures of him opening up his gifts but also wanted to say thanks to GrandBob for the Toy Story 3 DVD and thanks to Gammy for the spending money and contribution to his college fund! Love and hugs to all of you for making his day great!!

I know how hard it can be for a kid(okay fine, it's me) to wait on opening presents so when he woke up on Tuesday he had a huge Spongebob balloon and Spongebob Snuggie waiting for him. He LOVES that Snuggie! It also came with these fuzzy yellow socks that have these grip-dots on the bottom. Well, I mentioned to Oliver that he could turn them upside down and skate all over our floors. Joel looked at me like I was crazy. Then he said something like, "Are you nuts woman?!? Glad I'm going to work. You don't give our boys ideas like that."

Keeping it simple and in the Spongebob theme, cupcakes with yellow sprinkles were made.

Concentrating hard on that candle.
He made a wish and blew out the candle.

The pile o'presents awaiting my cute boy.

Thank you GrandPop Bruce and Grandma Heidi!!!
He also got two Matchbox racing motorcycles and a college fund contribution from them.

Monster Truck with flag from Auntie Soup, Uncle Brian and Cousins Bre and Brandon!
Woohoo!

It's a soccer shirt AND it has the number 5 on it!
Thank you Grandma Ricki, it goes perfect with the big air monster truck!!

Grandpa Jerry and Grandma Lavelle gave Oliver a gift card for his birthday. He took it to Fred Meyers, bought this game, then wrapped it and added it to the pile of gifts.

A cool carrying/travel case and this awesome game from Aunt Nana, Uncle Ron and Cousin Trevor - thank you!

Oliver has been begging for a Nintendo DS. I finally agreed to get him one but because they are a bit expensive he had to choose big gift and no party or party and small gift(s). He decided to get the big present and no party. So here it is, his brand new Nintendo DSi XL from Mom, Dad and Brother.

Don't worry, I am still taking him and a couple of his friends to play at Kids Club tomorrow but that's all it is, a couple of hours of pure play. And if I can somehow keep up with the action, I might have a couple of pictures to post. Thanks again to all of you for making his day great!

No Title

2010-11-08T10:32:00.000-08:00

I have no title for this post, it's just a mash-up of the past couple of weeks. Pictures I'm drawn to or that make me smile. Isn't that what it's really all about...

Dewy spiderwebs...enchanting.

Fall colors are the best!

I like this picture for 2 reasons. First, I think it's kind of cool and second, it makes me laugh because I took the picture then my dog immediately sat on the dandelion.

Lloyd came to visit us this weekend, it's his bunny butt that made me fall in love with Corgis and a big reason why we have one of our own now.

These two were hilarious. A lot of silly Corgi jealousy going on. If you talked to or touched one of them then the other one was RIGHT there demanding his share.

Cousins and their dogs.

"AUNT TT, take a picture of me!!"

Can you guess who ended up with BOTH dogs?

Eastside Choral Festival

2010-11-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned before, Noah decided to participate in the Eastside Choral Festival. He agreed to get up early and meet with other fourth and fifth graders to learn a few songs. After a month of practice, the students from Illahee Elementary gathered with the students from Union High, Frontier Middle, Shahala Middle, Burnt Bridge Creek Elementary and Pioneer Elementary to perform for their community. It was amazing. The enthusiasm that the music directors have in our school district really shows in their students. We took a few videos that night, the first one is of ALL the students singing the finale, We Shall Be Free by Stephanie Davis and Garth Brooks. Actually, it's just the last couple minutes of the song. Professional musicians from the community took time out of their lives to learn, practice and then perform this song with the kids, how cool is that? The other video is of the Union High School Select Men's Ensemble singing, Amo, Amas, I Love a Lass, arranged by Marshall Bartholomew. This particular ensemble are 3 time state champions...wow!! The best part about the whole thing is that Noah really enjoyed himself. He even said that he wouldn't mind participating in more choir/music related activities and that makes me a happy mom-mom.

Needed a wide angle to get the gym...don't have that yet!

There's my shaggy boy!

Note: Having some upload issues with the second video...will post as soon as I strong-arm it into submission!! HA!!! I win. Of course I had to use Youtube to conquer but here it is...

2010 Annual Halloween Party

2010-10-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

Once again, Kanthak Karate put on it's annual Halloween party. It was well attended and a blast to be a part of. You can tell that the three rules in karate, 1) Karate is for self defense only, 2) No excuse for bad manners and 3) No whining, all carry over into the lives of his students. Being around a group of peers that respect those rules makes for a very pleasant evening of fun.

Lots of fun costumes!

MMMMM, pixie dust.

I have a picture of Oliver with this mummy from a couple years ago, the mummy used to be taller.

OOOOHH, AAAAHH
The raffle is always a big hit!

Oliver enjoying the rock band, this band has played for, I believe they said, 6 years now. The first time they played they were in middle school, they are all college students now!

My favorite picture of the night...seems that there was more than just a Halloween party going on that night. Yep, my handsome Snake Eyes Ninja proposing to the cute poodle-skirted teeny bopper.
Okay, so they were both standing in line, chatting it up and Ollie knelt down to pick up his toy that he dropped. Joel just happened to capture the moment with perfect timing. LOL

Joe's Place Farms

2010-10-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

I had a couple ideas/plans for the pumpkin patch this year and they all fell through. It was early release today so when Noah got home the boys and I headed over to a small, local farm with a pumpkin patch. Joe's Place Farm is a cute little place that has stayed strong even though suburbia is creeping in all around it. We had fun picking out our pumpkins and running through the Fort Maze. There was lots of puddles to jump in, hay bales to climb and produce to browse and buy.

If they can lift it and put it in the wheel barrow, they can get it.

Hard to smile for mom when trying to get your 30 pound pumpkin into the cart.

My boys.

DRAW!

Pow-wow in progress.

Noah showing me what happens in a saloon.

Dead end in the maze...ROAR!!

Hi Noah

Hi Ollie

KIPenstein

2010-10-28T16:49:00.001-07:00

I started calling him Kipenstein back when the silly baby decided to rip his face open. It's healed up nicely since then and you really can't tell where it even happened but it's close to Halloween so KIPenstein seems fitting. My sister let him out to run around in the arena on Sunday morning and I tried to get some action shots. I'm still working on my techniques and Kip made me work hard for good shots. He is turning into a handsome young man with lots of personality...

Zooming around the arena!

The boy loves to eat flowers and he thought he had hit the jackpot! He soon realized that plastic props on the jumping equipment just aren't tasty. Didn't stop him from running away from my sister, it was like a game of keep away.

He decided to share with his little but older brother, Pistol.

WHAT??? He started it!!

Little bit of attitude going on!

Handsome man! Want to see Kip's dad? Then click on this link scroll down a little and watch the video.

Some Pics From My Sis'

2010-10-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

There is a lot going on at North Lake Pintos, all sorts of animals and chores that go along with having all of those creatures running around. We were pretty busy this past weekend helping a friend by catering her wedding reception but I still managed to get a few fun pictures.

Go ahead lady, make my day, bakawk!

Beautiful ducks that are now laying eggs!

Our chubby dog got to run around on the farm all weekend.

Hi Beni! Yes, I love you too!

Posted this one on Facebook too...
Hal's expression is hilarious!

Brandon Likes Tractors

2010-10-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

And since it was Brandon's birthday yesterday, this post is just for him. When we went out the farm to pick up our beef a while ago I saw the tractors scattered about the property and immediately thought of Brandon! I took pictures with the little man in mind and saved them until now.

Happy 5th birthday Brandon!!
We love you very much!

Cuteness

2010-10-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

Our new dog, Shep, is doing great and had pretty much fully integrated into our daily routines. He loves to go with me when I drop Oliver off at preschool. He even pouts if I make him stay home. Oliver loves to come out to the van, after I pick him up from school, to find his dog waiting for him. He even pouts if I make the dog stay at home. He's a great dog. His weight isn't coming off as fast as I would like it to but it is coming off. If he had his way, he would just crawl into your lap and stay there all day.
Just thought I'd throw this picture in here...he's cute.
Don't let him fool you, he's NEVER that serious.

WANTED: Aphid Enemies

2010-10-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

Our maple trees out front, along with all the other maples in the neighborhood are CRAWLING with aphids. Not just a few here and there but completely covered in them. I am hoping for an infestation of anything and everything (ladybugs would be nice) that will enjoy a gluttonous feast on aphids. Yikes!!

Literally a pile of aphids at the base of the tree.

Every leaf has aphids on them.

Where's the Beef?

2010-10-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

We decided to try a different source for our locally grown beef this year so I contacted, with recommendations from a friend, Ernie. He lives in Banks and his cows have 5 acres to graze on and a barn with a door that's open to them at all times. They come and go as they please. They feed on the green grass, the hay that Ernie harvests from his own fields and a bit of corn that is also grown right there on the farm. He invited us down to the farm before picking our beef up from the butcher and we accepted. Ernie and his family focus more on raising pigs for Luaus, kids going to fair, consumers, etc. so it was fun to see his set up and all the cute little pigs running around. We also got to see the corn fields (that were at least 8 feet tall, maybe even 10 feet), the alfalfa fields and a huge wooded area that they use and manage as a source of firewood. Ernie was a cute farmer, proud to show off his land, fields and livestock.

Loved the barn!!

Cows were a bit skittish of the camera but this one decided to come in for a closer look.

Mama pig looks like she is begging for a break!

The little runt on top trying to power his way in for some milk.

We were up in the hay keep and this pig was too adorable!

Always rooting for a handout.

Piglets recently weaned from mama.
These guys made me laugh over and over. The camera shutter would click and they would bolt, run, jump as fast as they could to get away. Not two seconds later they were creeping back in hopes of getting a treat.

Peek-a-boo!

This guys was HUGE!

Good thing this kitty had a boy to call his own already. Noah and the kitty fell in love and were inseparable the entire time!

This the loft/hay keep in the barn, looking up to the ceiling. Do you see him? Look close.

Baby barn owl! Beautiful!!

We had a blast visiting!

I Had A Playdate

2010-09-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

My friend had a baby so I asked her if I could come over and play and she said yes. Little E slept for most of our playdate but I had fun...

Rite of Passage

2010-09-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

Or maybe we should call it, "Rite of Passenger." Fine, I'm probably the only one laughing at that but someone has to laugh at my ridiculous puns. The Nissan was recently sold to another human willing to take on it's repairs and quirks and in its place appeared a motorcycle. A Suzuki Boulevard that Joel now uses to commute to and from work. Noah decided, much to my pleasure, to join the Festival Choir that will meet for one month, before school, culminating in a performance in November. Well, my crazy work hours means that getting up an hour early, even if only for a month, would just about do me in. I asked Joel to take Noah to choir practice before heading to work and he agreed. With Joel commuting on 2 wheels instead of 4 we decided to go ahead and let Noah ride too. The sales clerk at the Pro shop gave me an odd look when I asked to see the inexpensive youth riding helmets. He hesitantly asked, "what do you mean by inexpensive?" Now I know that good riding helmets are not cheap but what I didn't want to be shown were the radio equipped, blue tooth enabled, gold plated, near extinct Peruvian animal lined, can turn into a small shack to provide shelter kind of helmet. I just wanted a good helmet to protect my boys head. Anyway, we got the boy a helmet and when we got home he and Joel went out for a test ride. Noah was taught how to properly put on and fasten his helmet, how to help Joel as a passenger (what to do and what not to do while on said motorcycle), how and where to hold on, where to put his feet, etc. Soon enough they were on their way and Noah did great! Nothing like a ride on Dad's motorcycle to start off your school day! I am wondering what other before-school activities Noah may sign up for now?

Oliver watching closely so when he finally gets a helmet and a chance to ride with dad, he too, will be ready to go!

Noah giving me and Joel the thumbs up.

And they're off...

...and there they go.

Introducing...

2010-09-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

So my sister started to tell me about this 7 year old dog that needed home and she was thinking about giving him one. Only problem was when she asked her hubby if she could get another dog he said, "NO!" What??? I can't believe he said no and I can't believe that she let him say no. Okay fine, what I really can't believe is that she asked. Just kidding, sis, I love you! Anyway, she told me about him and then sent me an email about him. I forwarded the email to Joel thinking he would say, "NO!" and talk me out of it but do you know what he did? He said, "I can't talk you out of something that I don't want to talk you out of." Then he asked, "Are you going to get him?" What? Wait! This isn't going how I planned, I'm not supposed to be falling in love with an obese 7 year old dog that is as cute as cute can be. I'm not supposed to be thinking that it's the right time for us to have another dog. I'm not supposed to be contacting the wonderful foster mom and asking questions about said dog. What is happening? On Friday, I told my sister to give me the weekend to think about it and that I would call her Monday to give her my final answer. Yup, called her that night and said we'd take him. Marilee, the foster mom was kind enough to keep fostering him for another two weeks. We were leaving for camping and then school was starting, I was afraid he wouldn't get the attention he needed the first couple days here if we went and got him immediately. Joel took the boys to the Tri-Cities to meet up with Marilee (she lives in Spokane) a couple weekends ago and picked up the newest member of our house. He has come in and stole all of our hearts and become a great addition to our pack. He is a 7 year old Corgi, crate trained, house broke, walks well on leash, etc. He has a bit of (whispering so he can't hear me as he sits by my side) weight issue. Figuring he has about 20 pounds to lose before he is a healthy weight and we are working hard on that. Okay, okay, without further ado, introducing...

Shooting Stars Hoodoo Shep
Shep is what we call him,
and Shep-a-doodle-doo,
and Chubba Bubba,
and sometimes Lo-Lo because my sister has a Pembroke Welsh Corgi too and he is really cute and his name is Lloyd but we call him Lo-Lo and we apparently forget that this is our dog and not hers.

This is me playing with my camera and newest subject for me to take pictures of!
Sniff-Sniff

He walks great on the leash, we all take turns walking him.

The boy likes his belly rubbed.
Go on, give it a good rubbing, he'll be your friend forever!

Nope, not cute at all!

Hahahaha! Silly dog!

We found that he likes to play soccer with the boys.

Such concentration, shouldn't be surprised by that at all, he is a shepherd after all.

Soccer Has No Off Season

2010-09-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

Turns out that Oliver thinks soccer is, "awesome cool!" Up here in Clark County soccer is huge and pretty much goes year round, there is no off season. So after taking the summer off, Oliver is back at it again. His coach this time around is Coach Nate and they decided to call themselves the Black Cats. If you feel like coming out to watch a bunch of 4 1/2 to 5 year old kids kick around the ball here is his game schedule: 9/25 @ 11am, 10/2 @ 1pm, 10/9 @ 9am, 10/16 @ 9am, 10/23 @ 9am. All games are played at Fisher Basin Park, 601 SE 192nd Ave.

Picture day...sneaky shot from over the photographers shoulder.

Determined to get the ball!

I don't know what he's doing but it makes me smile.

So does this one (chuckling), I think he was playing goalie at the time and had just cleared the ball.

Passing it forward.

Just another action shot.

Weapons

2010-09-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

During the summer the attendance at the Kanthak Karate school tends to go down a bit. So during those few months they turn their attention from the basic karate techniques and focus them on weapons, the Escrima stick to be exact. Noah loves the stick/weapon training and at the end of summer, before the classes return to normal, the kids are rewarded with a Star Wars themed party. They trade their sticks in for light sabers, dress up if they want, turn out the lights, turn on the black lights and have fun!!

Group photo, warming up,
Mr. K even let Oliver participate, Mr. B showing off,
shot of the kids on the mat, group light saber salute.

First Day of School

2010-09-17T11:37:00.001-07:00

Just a couple of quick pictures from the first day of school...well, first day for the boys anyway. School actually started the week we were camping. Noah missed the first 3 days and Oliver his first 2 days. They didn't seem to mind too much. Noah is in fourth grade this year and Oliver is in Pre-Kindergarten.

Noah looking soooo happy to be going to school.

See, still happy but don't let him fool you, he really likes school!

Oliver making fun of his brother and not smiling.

But don't let him fool you either, he's more than happy to be headed to social hour!