Shari, Aaron & Co.

Grampa, here is something to look at..

2011-02-17T21:46:00.000-08:00

Meagan at her first concert!!

2009-11-20T10:52:00.000-08:00

2009-11-03T11:42:00.000-08:00

2009-10-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

We have had an eventful fall so far, family life is great. To start off we got a bunny, Hershey, cute little guy, he used to be a show bunny, we told him that kind of behavior won't fly here;). He started out in a cage in Meagan's room. That became a stinky situation, so he moved to the garage, still in the cage. Not much later, he sweet talked us into a pen in the backyard, that seemed to be a good fit too, well much like the Mouse and a cookie, he worked out a deal to roam the entire backyard. Hershey, was living the high life, master of his domain, king of the roost, what could he need.....out apparently. Luckily the neighbors found him in their yard, so we beefed up security.....and he breaks out again. Again we recover the little hare. Two weeks later with only minor misshaps and we are sure the worst of it is behind us. Well that little jack%$#@$! (rabbit) can't seem to get enough of the neighborhood. By now the kids don't seem to care as much, so no scouts were sent out. THREE days later he comes back, prodigal bunny,....we still love him, but he no longer is a beneficiary.

Ice Caves

2009-08-03T00:26:00.000-07:00

So, we pay big bucks and travel to Alaska and look what's in our backyard! We hiked up with our friends the Burdicks and the Deans one week and then the next we went back with our kids. The second time we went up it was about 90 degrees out. Our only relief was at the top near the caves. The glacial air was wonderful. As soon as we stepped away we were in an oven again. The kids were melting.

Into the Wild

2009-08-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

Alex with cousins Raymond and William at Potters Marsh in Anchorage, Alaska. Many thanks to Cousins Christine, Bill, Raymond and William, Uncle Ray and Aunt Sally. We had a fabulous trip to Alaska to kick off the summer.As mentioned we started off the summer with a trip "into the wild." We have been planning a trip to Alaska for years and finally got around to doing so. What a beautiful place. We hiked up green hills, drove to Denali State Park, smam in the rivers of McGrath, visited a glacier and bonded with family.
A lot of the 5 1/2 hr car ride to Denali state park was rocking out to Abba (the original Mama Mia soundtrack) and taking pictures out the window. Thus the blurry trees. Everything was so beautiful we had to keep trying for a good picture!

The kids dipped them selves (up to their waists) in that cold little river.Who say's you have to be 16 to drive? What helmet? So after 4 days on the wheeler, Isaac was not happy to go back to his carseat! We spent 4 fabulous, hot days in McGrath with Aunt Sally and Uncle Ray. I learned to make Alaskan blueberry pie and cowboy beans. We got around mostly by four wheeler and boat. Look Ma, the big one that didn't get away! We ate that 32" Pike for dinner. It was delicious!

Having fun at Father's Day Island. It was so peaceful. We learned the meaning of stillness. We paddled a way off the shore and just sat in the silence. The only thing to destroy it was the constant buzzing around our heads. Between mosquitos and biting flies we were swatting and scratching all day and night. Happy 4th of July. We were in a parade with most of the town of McGrath. We decorated the wheeler and wagon and hit the streets. We were supplied with candy to throw out to the bystanders. Only problem is most everyone was in the parade. So we went back afterward and collected most of what we threw out! Too fun.

We picniced on the grounds of the Anchorage Temple one day. It's small but lovely.
roarrrr
I found the spot I'd live in if we were to move to Alaska. Seward is beautiful. It is a couple of hours from Anchorage. It reminded us of a town like Mukilteo. We stopped in at the sea life center and this is the view!Exit Glacier
It was a great little hike to this glacier just out of Seward. Alex got quite sick with a fever and body aches just about an hour previous. Some dinner, tylenol and a nap and he was up for the hike. What a trooper. It was a little windy but not really cold.

The land of the midnight sun. It was great. We were able to pack so much into everyday. The sun set right around 11:45pm and stayed dusky. We were never up, but we hear it rose again about 3:30-4:00am.

dreamy dreams

2009-06-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

For FHE we made dream jars that are filled with super powers and magical places. We had a fun time making them, finally a FHE where everyone wanted to participate!

Awesome kids

2009-05-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

Some kids have all the looks.

some kids have all the fun.

Some kids have all the brains.

Everyone thinks their kids are awesome..

We sure do.

Tulips, Hooray!!

2009-04-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

Every year we make a trip up to the tulips, this year is no exception. Unfortunately, I had to work at the last minute, so just the kids and Shari were able to go. It was a beautiful day for them. I'm glad they had a great time. I was miserable at work with my buddies watching the Mariners.

party pics

2009-04-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

Can't forget cupcakes at Uncle Joes!!!

Don't be fooled. These cupcakes were made with rice flour, date crystals and some other wholesome, a little less tasty ingredients. Everyone gulped them down without a second thought.

Howdy-do look who's two!!

2009-04-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday Isaac!!

Your a wonderful baby, I'm so glad your my brother, love Meagan.

Happy Birthday Isaac, I love you so much because you never sass-talk, love Alex.

I'm so glad your in this family, love Mommy.

I love you so much little guy, Daddy.

Long time away

2009-04-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

So, yes, we've been gone a while. Through a series of events we were unable to post, broken computer, broken camera, sickness, famine, and swarms of locusts. Okay a little over the top.

Well we're back! New computer (one I can't drop), new camera (I did drop), and a whole lot of catching up to do.

We were pretty much sick the whole beginning of the year, passing it from one to another. Finally we had enough of the cold wet weather, so we went to Arizona.

Shari's dad lives just outside Phoenix. My friend Kevin lives just outside the other end of Phoenix. The Grand Canyon has lived there for quite some time. We felt this was a trip worth taking.

We stayed with Shari's dad for the first few days, the kids loved it. Putt-putt in the backyard, a pool close by, 75-80 degrees, it was great.

Alex, on the first day said, "this place is way better than Lynnwood!!". That may be true, but my job keeps us there. Grampa Gary was great letting us crash his bachelor pad.

We were also able to visit cousins, Meagan and Alex really love Jake, Courtney, and Christina.

Next stop was the Grand Canyon, however we took a side trip to Sedona, and Shari fell in love.

Hiking in such a beautiful place was incredible.

Shari would have stayed here if she could have, but instead she's planning a trip back to Sedona next year. We'll see.

When we finally reached the Grand Canyon it was 50 degrees, wind, and dusk. I took two pictures and promptly dropped the new camera..... anger, no... frustration, no.... disbelief, maybe... after giving the kids an hour lecture on how to handle the camera,... I drop it, bent the lens housing and it stopped working. Needless to say, I was disappointed, Shari laughed at me, and the kids just looked on with wide eyes. All the way here and now, no camera. Well two hours, one yo-yo, and a peoples elbow later the camera was fixed. It still has some scratches but it works, yahoo!

The kids were like mountain goats they did great hiking down into the canyon and back up, never complained, and slept great that night.

Final stop was Mesa with the Burdicks.

Kevin had let us use his truck the entire time and we can't say thank you enough. We went with them to the Easter Pageant on the temple grounds, and just had a great time hanging out with there family. We can't wait till next year.

Isaac's Much Needed First Haircut

2009-02-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

So, I am sitting on the floor in the hall of the "primary wing" at church with Aaron's sister Lydia while Isaac is running around. I am looking at him and getting more embarrassed with each passing moment. Her kids are always beautifully groomed and looking cute as cute can be. Isaac's top and front part of his hair is flying in all directions. The back of his hair is matted to his head and looks like a forest creature has made a comfortable nest. His poor little face is 3 different shades of red from a rash. His clothes are one size too big. As his mother I think he is still cute of course, but good golly who is taking care of this guy? Back at cousins house, Aunt Lydia did the honors of taming the wild hair and doesn't he look good now?

Birthday Bash

2009-02-06T13:01:00.001-08:00

Meagan is now our big 9 year old. Alex will be 7 on the 10th. This year for their present from Mom and Dad, we took them to see the cousins. They are their favorite people in the whole world. Meagan and the girls, and then Alex and boys each decorated half (or one 9"round) of a cake with candles and redhots. I have to say I was very impressed with how the boys pulled it off. Everyone just did what they wanted and nobody had a problem with it. Meagan on the other hand had been planning her decorating strategy for weeks and wasn't going for anything else. Eventually, she conceded and the girls formed an entirely new design. There was some good compromising and the spirit of inclusion was felt.

At one point Alex asked, "so why aren't we getting any presents?" Meagan then explained once again that gas in the car and time with family is what we are focusing on this year. They both are good sports.

Due to the speed at which these kids eat cake (or is it still that I am recovering from "mommy brain"), we were barely lucky enough to get a picture of the last slice left from each cake.

Whistler

2009-02-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

For our 13th anniversary, we decided to go to Whistler. This marks the 2nd year in our quest to do an annual trip to this northern playground. With a little work we were able to get all but Isaac skiing and having a great time. Skiing was spring conditions, warm, sunny, and very fast. Meagan and Alex were awesome! By the second day they were skiing all over and had become much more comfortable on the snow. This is the first year Shari skied at Whistler, man, I love a cute snow bunny!!

real stinker

2008-11-29T23:30:00.000-08:00

I feel like one of those commercials...
Leaving the kids with In-laws while on a date....$0.00
Movie tickets....$18.00
Movie snacks...$7.00
Wanting to walk out, but you can't because she lost her wallet....PRICELESS

We had a great Thanksgiving with Shari's parents. However, while we were there Shari wanted to go see a movie. Our babysitter said that Twilight was great (I'm going to fire her), and since Shari loves the books, we were off.
I admit I have read the books. They are just okay, for me there was too much melodrama, "does he love me, wheres he at, I can't live without him, I want a bloodshake, blah, blah, cry, cry, calculated emotional response". Not worth reading again. It could be condensed to about 200 pages total.

The movie......HORRIBLE, it was so slow, I almost fell asleep, we were about to walk out when Shari said, "I lost my wallet!", so here I am 40 min into the movie scrambling to find her wallet so we can leave, I'm crawling on the floor desperately grabbing at shadows. Bumping seats, sorry, grabbing feet, sorry again.
Here it is!.. no, just some old popcorn.
Wait!, here's something...puddle of pop.
Whats this!....I think I'm going to vomit. Oh wait somebody already did, awesome!!!
Without luck I searched, without hope we stayed. Its bad enough to watch a movie you don't like, but to have to wait for the credits to finish so they can turn on the lights, miserable.

Veterans day

2008-11-10T23:47:00.000-08:00

Make sure you thank a veteran today. Because of them we have the freedoms we enjoy every day.
Our military is a funny thing, it is both a proud, and sad display. Proud to see these couragous people who protect our home and others. Sad to see just how young they are. We pray for peace. We pray for your safety.

Thanks Pap-pa

Thanks Uncle Richard

Thanks Grampa Micheal

Thanks Uncle Kipp (tecnically not a veteran, but your working towards it.)

Thanks to all the veterans, servicemen and women.
Our family appreciates all that you did (and do) for our country.

Stick to the issues

2008-11-04T18:39:00.000-08:00

So the kids voted today in their classes. What a great concept, getting kids involved early in life. They might have done that when I was young and I just don't remember. It's interesting to hear their opinions on who should be President and why. Now I'm not a very political person, but I vote and try to stay current on the issues. So to have my kids come to me and want to talk about politics was new territory. I also felt that alot of their opinions might have been formed by their teachers, so I was geared up to objectively answer their questions and share my feelings.

Meagan approached me and said, "I like Obama because he plays basketball."

Alex said, "McCain likes hamburgers."

Apperently I'm not as current on the issues as I thought.

Get out and vote!

young padawans

2008-10-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

It has been a blast watching the cousins, and now finally we have one ourselves.

You say its your birthday.....

2008-10-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

Recipe for a fall birthday party:

*One little pumpkin stew

*One big plate of meat (what do you mean you don't eat no meat?!)

*One apple, dijon, walnut salad

*Many lemon, ginger cupcakes from Martha's

Everyday Food magazine (yummo!) with rainbow chip frosting (birthday boy's choice)

*A little Enya playing in the background (Meagan's addition)

*A few family members; immediate and extended

*An exchange student from Taiwan

*A couple of laughs

*And a partridge in a pear tree (wait.. I'm getting ahead of myself)

Harvest Party

2008-10-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

We went to Kingston for a harvest party on Saturday. It was great, there were activities for the kids, and adults, dinner, and treats.

It was a potluck barn party hosted by a friend from work. It was a beautiful day and evening. The kids had fun on the scavenger hunt, playing in the barn, and just generally running amuck.

Meagan was very persistent at the apple bobbing station, she wouldn't give up until she had succeeded.

Isaac cheated, then tried to give Alex pointers on the finer art of bobbing.

Alex tried a couple more times then decided to go poke a stick

in the fire pit. He also made a killing during the scavenger hunt, but was also sweet enough to give some to a little girl who hadn't done as well. He is really a sensitive guy at heart.

Bottoms up!

2008-10-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at our niece's b-day party. There were cupcakes, and root beer. Isaac really wanted some so we pulled the ol' switcharoo, and put water in a bottle. He didn't notice, and it seems he's a natural at bottle drinking.

( He doesn't get it from my side.) He was hilarious. We were lucky Rachel had her camera ready.

What we do on Sunday

2008-10-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful fast and testimony mtg this last Sunday. One Sister, who is from South America and speaks in a thick accent, got up and apologized to her husband for "eeting deelicious food en front of my husband". Shari didn't understand a word she said until I "translated" on our way home, at which point Shari, a nursing mother, looks at me and laughs.

Seconds later at home as the rest of the family is having a feeding frenzy she takes a bite of homemade bread and says, (chomp) "man, this is so good." (chomp) Then she looks at me and smiles. No apology. No tears. Just crumbs.

My wife supports me so much, without her I wouldn't be half the man I am, I would be a little heavier.

2008-10-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

Yes I know everyone thinks that their children are the cutest, and I do fall into that category. I also noticed Isaac has been getting all the attention lately, we do love Meagan & Alex very much, so here are some shots of them.

Another sunny day, another outing

2008-10-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

Shari, Isaac and I went to Flower World, a nursery in Maltby, that has a walking path, goats, chickens, geese, and rocks to throw into a pond.

While Isaac and I threw rocks into the pond these geese came flying in from across the park, they're big. They flew right up to us, not more than 10 ft, Shari was ready to run, I grabbed Isaac and started kicking, then noticed they were not hissing, they thought our rocks were food. Oops!

After we settled down, saw some caged animals, played Pooh-sticks, we ended up having a wonderful day together. We have had some great weather lately, and intend to take full advantage of it.

Here is a classic example of how my family treats me,

a) if I make the kids laugh for a photo, Shari gives me no respect, and laughs at my stupidity.

think "snort"

b) if I try not to look stupid in front of Shari, the kids want nothing to do with me.

breaks a dads heart

I'm going to need therapy.

2008-10-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

Issac in the "Zone." He loves blueberry, banana protein shakes.

We have had a busy fall. After our trip to Prosser, we went to Hood canal to visit with Grandpa Gary. We had another lovely weekend where we went out on the boat, went fishing off the dock, played frisbee, took walks on the beach. It is fun to see the kids playing where I played when I was there age.

Alex pulling in the "big one."

There are two places we have taken all the kids when they are young: The tulips in the spring and the Japanese Garden in the fall. It has been rainy lately and so on the first sunny day this week we took off to be outside. Meagan and Alex were at school so Isaac got a personal photo shoot. He was very sweet. He got very excited seeing the large koi (about 3 1/2 feet long with big fish lips), an average rock and a green shrub. We had a great, peaceful time.

Isaac set up the shot on this one and we went along with it.

Isaac and I taking in the view.

2008-09-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

We went to Walla Walla to bury Grandmas ashes. It was a nice little service, some great things were shared and we enjoyed being with family that we don't see enough. And like usual the kids had fun.

2008-09-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

Its amazing what kind of pictures you'll get when the kids have the camera. We visited my sister for the weekend and the kids had a blast, playing and goofing off.

I think Alex is hiding his face from all the grown ups.

kids and danger

2008-09-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

.
I recently saw a web article by Gever Tulley on 6 dangerous things your child should do. Although the speaker seemed to repeat himself a lot, and had to look at his notes constantly for such a brief topic, the meat of the article was great. Gever is the co-founder of the Tinkering School, a camp where kids get to play with their very own power tools. He wants to help kids learn how to build, solve problems, use new materials and hack old ones for new purposes. He talks about how today’s society has tried to create such a safe environment that kids are not allowed to explore and learn basic skills and logic patterns. There are more stringent safety rules for kids all the time, from warning labels on marshmallows stating that the mallows need to be cut into bite sized pieces and children should be sitting and supervised while eating, to anything sharper than a golf ball being to dangerous for kids under the age of ten. Where does it stop? Kids need to experience things while they are young and still have the curiosity and a desire to explore the world around them, (and can heal fast). He focused on a few things that kids don’t get to do, but should.

1. Play with fire. Teaches how to control your environment. A basic element that has been used for generations.

2. Get a pocketknife. A great “empowerment” tool. (Not to be confused with empowerment weapon)

3. Throw a spear. Our brains are wired for throwing things, if you don’t believe me hand something to your baby/child. If not used, those “wires” will atrophy, creating a weakened system. Throwing stimulates the frontal and parietal parts of the brain.

4.Take apart appliances. What a great way to find out how things work.

5.Break the digital millennium copyright act. They need to learn that there are laws beyond safety regulations that attempt to limit how we can interact with our own property. Download a song off ITunes, burn it to a disk, then download it to your MP3 player and you’ve broken this law. Some laws get broken by accident, and they need to be interpreted. Which leads to #6.

6. Drive a car. Find a safe, empty lot and let them drive, this shows your confidence in them and who doesn’t want to drive a car at a young age.

Okay so he went into more detail and reasons why we should allow these activities, and even encourage them. I just thought it was an interesting concept.

Our young creator

2008-09-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

Isaac found Mr. Potato Head the other day, he really enjoys playing with it and he's a blast to watch as he creates. Here is just a little vid of him in action.

Deadliest Catch

2008-09-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

So if any of you have seen the Discovery channel lately, you know about this show "Deadliest Catch", a bunch of crabbing ships up in Alaska. Edgar, from the Northwestern, happens to live here in Lynnwood and came in for a tour of the station with his kid. To show his appreciation he gave us a private tour of their boat, the Northwestern. There is no way I could be on that little ship in third foot waves. The kids actually didn't have a good time, but all the grown ups did, and thats what counts right?

2008-09-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

We went to the Evergreen State Fair with our friends, the Morrisons. We had a great time, but it cost as much as going to Disneyland. We gave each kid 20 bucks to spend, and that had to cover their food, games and rides. Meagan brought her friend, Jasmine, and the two of them really enjoyed the "Gravitron". Meagan was a little apprehensive at first but now is a ride junkie.

Alex went on the roller coaster once and played those rip off games. It was a great learning experience for everyone, parents included. Alex spent 15 on games and got a cheap lizard that lost a leg. Isaac chose only to do the tractor pull.

We saw the regular attractions pigs, goats, sheep, cows, zebras, and reindeer. I cracked under the pressure and had an elephant ear, half cinnamon, half raspberry, if you haven't had one its a must.

2008-08-22T12:54:00.001-07:00

Some time ago Shari gave me the assignment to redo our kitchen table. This is what it looked like, plain, ordinary, basic table. It had scratches and dings, chipped enamel, and green legs. We wanted something with more flare. So I through out a couple ideas, and Shari bought in. Unfortunately then I was committed. Here it is before....

So I worked on it for almost a week, then we left to the canal for a family reunion on Shari's' side. When we got home we moved it back in from the garage, and had our first meal. Alex ate with a screwdriver,

Meagan was the waitress,

and Shari gave the toast.

And here it is.., our new improved kitchen table!!!!

Around the edge it says, "There is beauty all around when there's love at home. There is joy in every sound when there's love at home."

camping at Lake Kelcema

2008-08-11T02:13:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the Cutlers, had a baby last month, congratulations, so Joe had a month off paternity leave, lucky devil. Being the great Dads we are, we took our kids camping.

Here is the forest service road about 1 mile from the trail head. When we saw this blockade we should have known better, however, I looked at Joe and said, "I have some rope and a truck", Joe look at me and replied, "I have an axe". And the fun began.

Hours later, when we had blazed a trail, we came across another log that we had to clear. What were we thinking?

The kids, up to this time, were having fun running around, but when we finally got to the trail head that all changed(14 inches of snow). You can see the concern in Alex's face.

It was a hard hike but again being the great Dads we are, we forced them up the trail.

However once at the lake we had a grand time, its amazing what chocolate and marshmallows can fix.

The lake was beautiful, and as you can see by Lindees face, C-C-C-COLD!!!

This was the trail. It was an amazing camp out. We can't wait until the next one.

Another one?

2008-08-05T23:34:00.000-07:00

Another music video.

2008-08-04T22:44:00.000-07:00

My sister is awesome at this blog stuff, in an attempt to see what I was able to do on my computer I started messing around with some old clips just to see. Well the end result got a good chuckle out of Shari so we thought we'd share.

2008-08-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes no news is good news. We've been busy...

We will post soon, but until we get the energy, here is a picture of our superhero Meagan, we have no idea what, or who she was trying to be, but she was out in the front yard playing like this for quite a while. I wonder what our neighbors think?

T-party

2008-07-12T23:29:00.000-07:00

Friday we went with our friends to the T-Mobile company party. Our friends work for them. It was in North Bend, at mountain meadows farm. Food, games, and other activities, we had a great time. It was a beautiful day. We enjoyed the train ride, ice cream, the bouncy house, and boats, and the beautiful surroundings.

2008-07-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

So on June 30, we went to Olympia to celebrate Joe's B-day, and it was also our last day to use our Zoo pass, so we stopped off at Woodland Park Zoo, for some fun.

First stop was the park outside the zoo, Isaac had to drive.

We saw the otters, and bears too. We had a front row seat as a bear jumped into the water and started blowing bubbles with his nose, that was funny for Meagan, and Alex. Isaac was a little nervous when the bear stopped right in front of him and placed both paws on the window like he wanted to eat him. The bears head was bigger than Isaac.

Meagan and Alex were pretty excited to play in the infant zone, a first for them, but it soon lost the appeal.

Yes, there are 50 candles on that cake.

Strike!!!!

silly grandma

2008-06-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, if you haven't checked out my sisters (Lydia Moyer) blog, go now, read her post about "pead pods".

Welcome back, now that your caught up, this morning my mother (Grandma Debi) called to ask when I could come over and fix their cable situation in the apartment. "Aunt Susan is moving in and it needs to be up and running for Wimpleton." I had to clarify, sure enough "Wimpleton".
Sorry Mom, I had to tell everyone. Maybe Elsie is just a reflection of her mother, AND Grandma.

Great Wolf Lodge

2008-06-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

One day in Mar or Apr Aaron came home from work and said I heard about this great place to take the kids. So we check it out on line and Aaron books us two nights at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, WA (20 min or so south of Olympia). The whole draw is the indoor water park. The whole way there I am thinking I want to stay in a kid cabin (quoted at way more expensive than we want to spend) for the same price we are paying per night for our standard room (which definitely is not cheap). Aaron checks in and says "so they upgraded us because so many people want a room with out a reservation." While we did not get a kid cabin (I imagine very popular) we did get a 1 bedroom suite. Can't complain!!

The water park stays open until 10p. So we had 4 opportunities to play at the park. First day when we checked in around 3p. The next morning (no lines, much less crowded), that night after dinner around 8p (much less crowded than the afternoon, but not as much as the morning.) Which was after my parents joined us for dinner at the Loose Moose Cottage Cafe. They stuck around for about an hour afterwards so Aaron and I could go on a few runs together. Finally, the day we departed, also in the morning. Isaac did great. He went with the flow the first two days and then he put his foot down on the third morning and said I've had enough. The water makes him nervous. There was also definitely a lot of commotion. We only had a 2 hr drive home. That was great.

As much as we enjoyed it, (shhhh, don't tell the kids) we probably won't go back.

What the kung fu?

2008-06-23T21:49:00.000-07:00

It seems like all the cool people are going to see Kung Fu Panda. Not to be left behind we went also, actually Meagan and Alex were invited to go with some friends, so Shari, Isaac and I snuck, sneaked, whatever, into the back and watched it too. Its pretty pathetic being a Dad and having to beg to go see a cartoon.

me: I promise I won't sit by you, or talk to you, or anything.
Meagan, Shari, Alex, and Isaac: Wellllll, I don't know....fine, stop your crying. Your making a scene!!
(Not word for word.)

2008-06-20T23:49:00.000-07:00

It might not make sense but the kids like it.

Schools out for summer

2008-06-20T21:52:00.000-07:00

So we all went to Field Day, the last day of school.
We were able to just hang out with the kids and play.
It has been a good year volunteering in Alex"s class, every Wed.
All the kids in his class are great, it was weird being called Mr. Williams.
I think I'm going to actually miss that part.
Here's some more pics of the rug rats...

Alex's class of monkeys

These kids are goofy

Alex was pretty proud of his dragon tat

Meagan always the little angel

Its been a few days since the school got out and already we have had the "Your driving me nuts" talk, and the "outside or inside, not both" discussion. Summer vacation? For who?

Welcome home Mamma

2008-06-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

Shari and the girls( grandma Debi, Lydia, and Haruka) went away for a couple days, for a girls retreat. We had play dates and ice skating parties, BBQ steaks on the deck, movie night all three nights, and a great time while she was away. The house was cleaned, scrubbed, and ready for display...well even the best plans can go bad. Anyway, we're glad she's back.
This is my sprained ankle and Alex's black eye.

FIELD TRIP!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

Before I get to into this, Happy Birthday Lydia, hope it was great!

Today Meagan had a field trip to the Science Center, and I went as an "adult" chaperon ( they don't know me do they). We had a great time running wild. We watched an IMAX movie about mummies, it started with potential then became very academic, ZZZzzz, okay not that bad, but nothing like the last mummy movie I saw, just more historically correct. Then lunch, followed by full on play time. We hit everything, first the speed exhibit, where the girls got bored. Second, the butterflies, I was mugged by a Monarch, he wouldn't leave my shoulder alone. But the greatest for me was at a live presentation about "Mystic Mind Powers" . During the show the presenter was taking volunteers and asking for kids to give answers. Basically a lesson on the scientific theory. In typical Meagan fashion she just sat there, but about half way through she started to shout out her answers, and when she finally raised her hand to volunteer, the guy picked her. She did great. She said later, once she knew she wouldn't be hypnotized she wanted to try. She cracks me up. We had an awesome day.

Superstars

2008-06-05T00:53:00.000-07:00

Apperantely, the cousins love the star glasses, so I thought we would have a little encore, here you go Moyers.

2008-06-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

Aaron was a great example to Alex last Valentines Day and he and Alex went and bought flowers for Meagan and I. Her plant has long since died, but she wanted to replace it. Tonight for FHE we were "beautifying our sanctuary" by pulling weeds. Meagan found one with a small purple flowers and a peppery smell to plant in her pot. She's so cute!

Isaac and Daddy gettin dirty!

Propel, the secret to larger watermelons and pumpkins!

For FHE we spent sometime in the back yard pulling weeds. The kids were incredibly receptive. Alex loved to play in the dirt and check out all the grubs, centipedes and spiders. Meagan's focus was transplanting our weeds from one area of the yard to another. Whatever floats your boat.

Daily Games

2008-06-02T21:41:00.000-07:00

We have almost 4 hours with Alex alone before Meagan comes home each school day. We try to be creative with that time. He is also our homebody. He'd prefer to stay home and "relax". Alex is also our game player. So, we play a "daily game". Usually it is Skip Bo. Some other favorites are Parcheesi, Sorry, Phase 10, Snorta and Ticket to Ride. It's amazing how many games Alex "wins".

2008-05-28T23:45:00.000-07:00

Did you know Disneyland has had a parade everyday for 50 years?

I thought, wouldn't it be great to have a parade everyday for... a week.

We tried it, even when our friends were over.

Have a parade, they are a blast.

Pee-yewww!!!!!

2008-05-22T23:50:00.000-07:00

Meagan was doing the dishes and couldn't handle the smell of the garbage, so she grabbed the tweezers. She is our "out of the box" thinker.

Our Olympian

2008-05-22T23:46:00.000-07:00

Alex has developed quite a few talents this past year.

Isaacs Birthday

2008-05-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

Look who just turned 1. We love this little guy.

Our birthday parade crew.
So.... He spits out egg, melon, and carrots, and chows down on dirt??

Annual Tulip Trip

2008-05-22T22:58:00.000-07:00

So, I told the kids on the first sunny day in April we would head to the tulips. Meagan was unfortunately in school, and fortunate for Aaron he was working. So it was just the boys and I. I am happy that Alex enjoys the colors and smells of the flowers like I do. He is also turning into quite a photographer. This is our 10th year going up to Skagit Valley.

2008-03-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

Shari's Dad's retirement party in the Presidential Suite of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. We all enjoyed visiting with the relatives and the kids played hide and seek and tag for hours in all that space.

It's Great to be Eight

2008-03-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

We are so happy for you.

2008-03-10T14:57:00.000-07:00

At Kalaloch (Olympic Penninsula) with our friends, the Grantiers.