Here and There

Fill Thou My Life

2011-11-06T22:38:00.000-08:00

Fill Thou My Life, O Lord, my God, in every part with praise,That my whole being may proclaim Thy being and Thy ways.Not for the lip of praise alone, nor even the praising heartI ask, but for a life made up of praise in every part.Praise in the common words I speak, life's common looks and tones,In fellowship enjoyed at home with my beloved ones,enduring wrong, reproach, or loss, with sweet and steadfast will,Loving and blessing those who hate, returning good for ill.So shall each fear, each fret, each care, be turned into a song,And every winding of the way the echo shall prolong.So shall no part of day or night from sacredness be free,but all my life, in every step, be fellowship with Thee.

Hula Girls

2008-12-09T13:36:00.000-08:00

My husband is in Hawaii - where the hula girls live. That is what A2 will say. It is my own fault. As his trip was approaching, I told the kids that Dad was going to visit the hula girls in Hawaii. He kept saying, "my hula girls live right here with me." Then he would tell me that I was going to be sorry I was saying that.

I changed my story and started saying Dad is going to Hawaii - where the hula girls live.

Needless to say, my girls have been very interested in hula girls. They each have a grass skirt, and did a dance for their dad before he left. Funny thing is, he won't be seeing any hula girls while he is there. He is working 60 hour weeks, missing us, and doing a bit of exploring at the beach night.

I am excited for him. This job has been talked about for about a year. He was excited at first, but as time wore on, he figured it was not going to happen. He had never been there, and now he is getting paid to be there. I tried to go out and spend some time with him, but it did not work out this time. Hopefully, it will next time. I will take him to see the hula girls.

Photo Shoot

2008-11-15T21:10:00.000-08:00

One of my coworkers would love to start a photography business on the side and is putting a portfolio together. A couple weeks ago, I told her she could take pictures of our kids whenever she wanted. Well, she got a new lens last week and today we went out and experimented with it.

I took my camera along, and here are a few of the shots I got. I can't wait to see hers....

The kids had a great time! A2 just made me laughed, because she often put one or two hands on her hips without being asked. Here she is...

Retirement and Beautiful Girls...

2008-10-21T21:55:00.001-07:00

My dad will be "officially" retired from his office job on October 31. He retired on August 31, but due to his company not finding a replacement before that date, they asked him to stay on for an additional 2 months. He agreed, as long as he could work from home the majority of the time, so that he could help out with harvest on the farm.

They had a retirement party/lunch for him last Friday, which the kids and I were able to attend. It was very nice and fun to see people who knew me (and my siblings) as a child and now they got to see our children (they think A2 is a spitting image of me at that age).

This picture is of my mom and my niece at the party. Aren't they both just extremely beautiful?

Grandpa's Gifts

2008-10-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

Canada grandpa came bearing gifts last week. He made a very cool truck for J3 and an awesome "marble maze" for the girls. All the kids are enjoying their toys. Thank you, Grandpa!

K1's first day of K

2008-10-21T21:31:00.000-07:00

Back in August, K1 had two big milestones. She had a birthday and she started Kindergarten! This is a picture of her first day of school. I can't believe how big she has grown. Of course, I remember the 6 lb. 7 oz. little girl that God blessed us with just 5 years ago, and now she is learning to read.

God has richly blessed us her, and we can't wait to see what else He has in store for her.

October 2008

2008-10-18T21:35:00.001-07:00

We just had Grandpa and Grandma from Canada visit us for about 9 days. The kids had a blast with them, and we got to go on a date while they were here. I also attended a technology conference (they were here to watch the kids) for 3 days. It was an excellent conference. I will be able to use a lot of what I learned.

Anyway, I thought I would post this new picture of our family, since the pictures have been few and far between. K1 is now 5, A2 is 3 and almost a half, and J3 is 18 months!

Wiki fast

2008-10-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

Well, that was fast. Now on to the next thing...

A Post?

2008-10-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in a class about blogs and other things. We were supposed to create a blog, so I thought I would just post to this one instead. I know it has been a long time since the last post, but that is how things go these days.

Now on to wikis...

Meme

2008-05-31T23:01:00.000-07:00

To ease back in to this blog, I'll participate in the meme Bridget tagged me for.

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

What were you doing five years ago?

1. I was teaching full time.
2. I was living in a small, cozy cottage in the mountains.
3. I was enjoying my first year of marriage.
4. I was pregnant with K1.
5. I was wondering what I would be teaching the following year.

What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?

1. Garden
2. Make zucchini bread with zucchini from our garden.
3. Set up the girls' bunk beds, so they can sleep in them tonight.
4. Clean the house.
5. Pick up something I bought on Craig's List.

What are five snacks you enjoy?

1. Any kind of fruit - especially watermelon at the moment
2. Cheese
3. Crackers
4. Anything sweet that my mom makes
5. Canadian Smarties

What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?

1. Pay off all our families' debt
2. Buy property on Vancouver Island
3. Design and build our dream homes here and on Vancouver Island
4. Travel
5. Give money away randomly to people, just to make their day

What are five of your bad habits?

1. Procrastination
2. Not planning meals ahead of time
3. Eating sweets
4. Since having kids, being less organized
5. Keeping things to myself

What are five places where you have lived?

1. Central Valley, CA
2. Sioux Center, IA
3. Northern CA (3 different cities)
4. Northern CA
5. Northern CA

What are five jobs you’ve had?

1. Packing tomatoes
2. Packing nectarines
3. YMCA summer camp counselor
4. Teacher
5. Tutor

What five people do you want to tag?

1. Brett
2. K
3. Gina
4. Karin
5. Jackie

So....

2008-05-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

a lot has happened in the last month and a half. Hopefully, I can catch up with a real post soon. I have a meme that I need to do from Bridget, so that will be on my list first.

J3

2008-04-13T23:20:00.000-07:00

This is how Nathan found J3 when he picked him up from the nursery at church this morning. I know it is not the greatest quality picture, but we thank Jack for taking it!

Easter

2008-03-29T13:06:00.001-07:00

IMG_8879.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

We had visitors from Canada for Easter. N's dad and younger brother came up for a long weekend. The girls had SO much fun with their Grandpa, and cannot wait for him to come back!

You know Grandpa loves his granddaughter, when he cuts off his big beard so that A2 won't be scared of him. For some reason, A2 is extremely scared of beards (the bigger, the scarier), she even freaks out if she sees her grandpa on the web cam sometimes. Since Grandpa was only going to be here for a couple days, he trimmed it nice and short. Otherwise, by the time she warmed up to him, they would have left. This way, she warmed up much quicker! A2 sends a big thank you to Grandpa!

Spring is...

2008-03-29T13:00:00.001-07:00

Tulip, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

A2 decided that the short tulips were for the babies. This one she assigned to J3.

Spring is...

2008-03-29T12:55:00.001-07:00

IMG_8871.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Spring

2008-03-18T21:15:00.001-07:00

Diaper Derby

2008-03-01T21:16:00.001-08:00

IMG_8645.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

J3 was in the famous Diaper Derby in my hometown. Needless to say, he did not do any crawling! He sat right in front of my dad, and was completely happy to watch the other crawlers. He got a participation certificate, which I will put in his baby book so that we can tell him about it.

Death and Life

2008-02-10T21:54:00.000-08:00

My grandma passed away this morning. Here is an email that my aunt sent out which I think says what I would....

Our mother went to meet the Lord early this morning. We were watching by her side for the last 2 days, as she slowly lost hold on this physical body she called home for almost 93 years (would have been on Mar 2). So today, as we worship with fellow believers, singing those old familiar hymns, we will think of her singing in Glory with not only Dad, but with so many others who have gone before her.

The joy we have shared as a family together in the last 2 days has been incredible. Stories, laughter, and corrections on the stories have been priceless. Lil arrived Friday night, and Rick and Irene were here by yesterday afternoon. Mom recently said that having a family that got along together was so important and we certainly have experienced that in the last 48 hours. How truly blessed we are for the legacy that both Mom and Dad have given us.

Merry Christmas 2007

2007-12-18T21:06:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2007, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Our three gifts, for which we are extremely thankful!

A2's Nap today

2007-12-18T21:05:00.001-08:00

A2's Nap today, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

A2 was not being noisy, but I could tell she wasn't sleeping. I peek in her bedroom and find her with the lamp shade on her head and playing with a toy.

She heard me snap the picture, so her hands went up to the lamp shade.

It made me laugh!

What a crew!

2007-12-14T14:55:00.001-08:00

IMG_8103.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Here are my parents with their eight grandchildren. The girls are outnumbered, but will get one more on their side in a matter of weeks! We are so excited!

Our first school Christmas program

2007-12-14T14:53:00.001-08:00

IMG_8125.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Well, Nathan and I officially attended our first school program as parents! K1's class did a great job, and we survived the mass of videos and cameras (of course, I had my camera...).

3 Cuties

2007-11-30T16:30:00.001-08:00

3 Cuties, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Enough said

J3 - 7 months

2007-11-30T16:29:00.001-08:00

J3 - 7 months, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Here are some pictures we took today...

J3 - 7 months

2007-11-30T16:28:00.003-08:00

J3 - 7 months, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Too cute

A2 - 2 1/2 years old

2007-11-30T16:28:00.001-08:00

A2 - 2 1/2 years old, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

A2 is so proud to be 2 and a half now!

K1 - 4 years old

2007-11-30T16:27:00.001-08:00

K1 - 4 years old, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

K1 - what a smile!

J3's First Tooth

2007-11-15T21:10:00.001-08:00

IMG_7810.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

A couple days ago, I noticed that J3's two bottom teeth were ready to come through. It looked like two pieces of rice were right under his gums.

He didn't sleep real well last night, and when I rubbed his gums this morning, there was a tooth poking through! I can only imagine how uncomfortable it is to have teeth come in....

J3 is 6 months old!

2007-10-27T21:05:00.001-07:00

IMG_7745.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

J3 is now six months old and is still as cute as ever! He is sitting up on his own, has started eating some cereal, and wakes up every morning on his tummy without fail!

Pumpkin party

2007-10-27T21:01:00.001-07:00

IMG_7779.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Since we grew 31 pumpkins and over 200 gourds in our yard this summer, we decided to have a pumpkin party! So, this afternoon, some friends and family came over to carve and paint pumpkins. I think everyone had a great time.

If you want to see more pictures, just click on the Flickr link to the right.

September 1980

2007-10-11T20:47:00.001-07:00

September 1980, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

As soon as I saw K1's JrK school picture, it reminded me of this one from my Kindergarten days. Do you see any resemblance?

September 2007

2007-10-11T20:45:00.001-07:00

September 2007, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Here is K1's beautiful JrK picture. She is growing up so fast.

Joseph

2007-10-11T20:44:00.001-07:00

IMG_7623.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

A2 was walking around like this. I say, "A2, what are you doing?"

She replies, "I am being Joseph."

Lost and Found

2007-10-09T21:33:00.001-07:00

IMG_7573.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Why am I posting a picture of a small red wallet? Glad you asked. You see, in July of 2006, we were visiting my brother-in-law on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. We were walking through downtown when I stopped in the town's public park to use the restroom. This little wallet was on top of the paper towel dispenser.

I opened it up, and saw a wad of cash inside, with no identification. So, I walked across the street to the police station (yes, it was literally right across the street!) and turned it in. We left them my brother-in-law's phone number, since we live quite far away. They said if no one claimed it after 90 days, they would call, and it would be mine.

I marked 90 days on the calendar, which came and went. Then, this August, we called my brother-in-law for his birthday and he said, "Guess who I got a call from today." Of course, it was from the police station and they said no one had claimed the wallet, so it was mine! (I am not sure why it took 13 months for them to call, but it was a huge surprise.)

The wallet had (are you ready?) - $175 CDN in it!

That is why I posted a picture of the little red wallet.

Mom Sayings set to Wlliam Tell

2007-09-29T17:40:00.001-07:00

Beautiful beaches

2007-09-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

I opened Sunset magazine this afternoon and this is what I see...

I start reading the first one...

I walked this beach last Saturday! Here are the pictures to prove it. Mine are not quite as nice as theirs, but they will do. Nathan's cousin is holding J3.

Nathan's brother who lives down the road from there cringes when we tell him Tofino is in Sunset again. This is because it brings more people (aka: tourists) to the quiet town. The tourists don't stay long though, because it is a rain forest, and it rains a lot! Sunshine is a rare commodity...the price you must pay for the green lushness.

Home Again

2007-09-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

J3, Nathan and I returned home from Canada late last night. I should be in bed, since I got very little sleep last night. However, I wanted to share some pictures. K1 and A2 stayed at my parents, since the long weekend included a lot of travel - too much to take 3 kids along.

The reason for traveling north was a "reception" to celebrate our brother (my brother-in-law) and sister-in-law's wedding. They got married on December 31 with only their parents present. So, this weekend was celebration time with a casual BBQ. We had a wonderful time with the family.

I can't get the other pictures to load right now, so I am heading to bed and will write more tomorrow.

Sunflowers!

2007-09-24T21:30:00.001-07:00

IMG_7568.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers. We grew our own sunflowers at my parents' house for our wedding 5 years ago. Here is our first bouquet of sunflowers from our own garden. They are blooming a little late since we didn't get them planted until the middle of the summer. We will see if more grow.

A glimpse

2007-09-12T22:24:00.001-07:00

IMG_7289.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

This is what they looked like last week. Now, you can barely see the cement.

Starting to turn

2007-09-12T22:20:00.001-07:00

IMG_7407.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Our pumpkins are finally starting to turn orange! I was beginning to wonder if they ever would. I you want to see all the different types of pumpkins and gourds we have, just click on the Flickr badge to the right.

Birthday Present

2007-09-12T22:18:00.001-07:00

IMG_7403.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

This was our birthday present to K1 back in August. Once again, I found a deal on Craig's List. This bike was brand new. The box had been opened, but it was never assembled. It cost less than 50% of a new bike.

First Day of Pre-K

2007-08-28T21:07:00.001-07:00

IMG_7257.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

K1 had her first day of PreK. She walked in the classroom, saw the Cinderella "dress-up dress" and never looked back. No tears from her or me! She came home with pink paint on her dress, she got to go to the library and have music class!

I think A2 had a harder day. She kept asking when we could go pick up K1.

Growing

2007-08-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

There are a few things growing around here. First, and most importantly, are our families. My 2nd brother and sister-in-law just announced they are expecting number 3. They have two boys, so we are rooting for a girl this time. Here is a picture of the eight cousins on my side of the family.

I don't have a recent picture of the 7 cousins from Nathan's side, because we haven't been all together since last November. Nathan's older brother and his wife had a beautiful baby girl last week, and his sister told us yesterday that they are now expecting their 3rd as well. We love all these nieces and nephews!

The other, and much less important, things that are growing around here are our grass and pumpkins. Our grass got its first trim this week, and the pumpkins continue to take over the sidewalk. The picture of the grass below shows the girls on their "racetrack."

Cranky Frank

2007-08-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Brett, had a contest to name the contraption on his hand. (He says it doesn't hurt!) My suggestion was the winner, and I got to meet "Cranky Frank" last week. Here are the three of us...

Happy Birthday! (Yesterday)

2007-08-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to our beautiful daughter, K1! She is a blessing to our family. We cannot believe how big she is getting!

She had a wonderful present of waking up and having her daddy home, after he had been in Alaska for 10 days. His plane came in after she was sleeping on Tuesday, so when she woke up on her birthday, she got a big hug and kiss from her dad!

Kids

2007-07-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

Heard in the car on the way home from church yesterday:

K1: "A2, are you still awake?"

A2: "No."

3 months and sleep

2007-07-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

This is one cute 3 month boy! He is not generous with his smiles, but he is a very happy and content boy. Yesterday, he laughed for the first time. His big sister, K1, was talking to him and he must have found something funny because he started doing a little belly laugh.

On another note, the past 5 consecutive nights, he has either slept 10 or 11 hours straight! He wakes up happy and talking, which makes me a happy camper as well.

We have some green in the yard...

2007-07-22T20:46:00.001-07:00

IMG_6990.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Grass!

2007-07-22T20:45:00.001-07:00

IMG_6989.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Twenty-seven minutes from the time they (the 3 guys who laid the sod) pulled in the driveway until they left! Here are the results...

Flickr

2007-07-21T22:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't take the time to figure out how post more than one picture at a time from Flickr. Maybe tomorrow. And, I will post some pictures of the sod which went in today. It took 27 minutes from the time the 3 guys drove in the driveway to the time they exited the driveway! It was an amazing process to watch.

Anyway, time for bed.

Yesterday

2007-07-21T22:01:00.001-07:00

IMG_6986.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

One week's growth on the pumpkins...

Yesterday

2007-07-21T22:00:00.001-07:00

IMG_6984.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Ready for sod...

One week later

2007-07-21T21:59:00.001-07:00

IMG_6934.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Planted pumpkins, gourds, and mini pumpkins

One week later

2007-07-21T21:58:00.001-07:00

IMG_6915.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

Getting ready for sod

One day's work

2007-07-21T21:57:00.001-07:00

IMG_6787.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

There is a fence in the back - actually two. We didn't know there was a chain link one as well.

One day's work

2007-07-21T21:55:00.001-07:00

IMG_6786.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

This is what one day of work (not by me, since I was sick with fever and throwing up) by my husband, brothers, and parents will reap.

Another Yard Pic

2007-07-21T21:53:00.001-07:00

IMG_6729.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

I didn't know how much cement was under this. You will see in the after shots.

Before

2007-07-21T21:51:00.001-07:00

IMG_6728.JPG, originally uploaded by nelliesphotos.

This is the before shot of the yard.

We are in!

2007-07-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

Well, we got the keys and we have been living in our new house for 2 and 1/2 weeks now. Soon I will post pictures of before and after the move. Many things have changed. I am going to try and post pictures from my Flickr account...

Mark the date down in the books...

2007-06-27T16:40:00.000-07:00

Today we are supposed to get the keys to our first home. It has been a long process, and a lot of stories can be told. It is exciting and very scary at the same time. The party starts this Saturday as we begin cleaning and moving. Here is one picture of the house.

In other news, K1 got a very cute haircut yesterday. At least, I think it is cute!

And last, a picture of Dad and his boy...

60 years

2007-06-27T16:26:00.002-07:00

At the beginning of June, my grandparents celebrated 60 years of marriage. That is quite an accomplishment these days. They were very young when they got married - 18 and 20. So, if you do the math, they are 78 and 80 now and are enjoying life. They have 6 children, 20 grandchildren (14 are married), and 20 great-grandchildren (with one more on the way). We had a big celebration this past weekend with lots of extended family as well. A great time was had by all. Unfortunately, I didn't take more than a couple pictures. I will have to wait until I get some from others.

In just a couple weeks, we have a reunion with the other side of the family. I will keep you posted.

10 weeks old

2007-06-27T16:26:00.001-07:00

9 weeks old

2007-06-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

Growth

2007-06-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

J3 went in for his 2 month check up today. The boy keeps on growing. He has been averaging around one pound (or more) a week the last month! Here are some pictures...you can watch the cheeks grow. (I don't have a close up picture for 6 weeks.)

Birth...

One week...

Two weeks...

Three weeks...

Four weeks...

Five weeks...

Seven weeks...

Eight weeks...

A2 is two and Grandpa and Grandma from Canada are here!

2007-05-28T21:42:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures I promised. As you can tell from the title, Grandpa and Grandma from Canada have arrived. They came bearing gifts for each member of the family, since we probably will not see them again until all our birthdays are past.

The following picture is of K1 and A2 saying "The Lord's Prayer" before their tea party...

Happy Birthdays and Anniversaries!

2007-05-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

Happy 2nd Birthday to our A2! We cannot believe how fast you are growing. You make us laugh each and every day. We will be celebrating for the week, seeing as though Grandpa and Grandma from Canada come tomorrow. Then, next week Sunday J3 will be baptized and we will celebrate with the CA side of the family too.

Happy Birthday to my cousin-in-law, Jim. And Anniversaries to J and J in Canada, and my aunt and uncle in CA. A busy day - pictures will come later.

One Year

2007-05-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

It has been exactly one year since I started this blog. My goal is to post more this coming year than I did this year. We will see what happens...

A Birthday is Near...

2007-05-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

A2 will turn two on Saturday. Today she received her first birthday present from her aunt, uncle, and cousin in the cold country to the north. Here she is modeling one
gift.

Thank you to Uncle J, Aunt J, and cousin M!

Sisters love brother

2007-05-21T15:34:00.000-07:00

The girls definitely love their brother. Well, maybe they love his toys just as much...

It is fun to see the difference in their sizes now.

Here is how Nathan and I found J3 the other day. Can you tell he has sisters?

K1 is fairly proud of the fact that she can hold her brother all by herself.

A picture of J3 at one month old. He has gained 2 lbs during his month of life, and is nearing 9 lbs now.

And the last two pictures are of K1 and A2 "watching TV" (aka: the laundry basket) this morning.

Hockey Player

2007-05-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

A2 was playing outside by herself the other day. When I went to check on her, this is what I found...

And then, moments later, she drops the stick and it hits her toe....

It was not a serious injury. She was easily distracted.

I Figured This Would Happen

2007-05-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

So, last Sunday we had a wonderful Mother's Day lunch at a coworker's house with wonderful company (Bridget was there.)

After lunch, Bridget, Karen and I were inside with our girls and the toys. Karen picks up one of the stuffed animals and comments on how she has this thing (aka: pet peeve) about tags on things. She then proceeds to go around cutting all the tags off the stuffed animals. K1 is helping her by finding all the tags on them.

Thursday, K1 asks me if she can cut a tag off her toy car seat. I said that was fine. She then took the scissors in her room and begins to cut the tags off all of her stuffed animals. Now, she is always asking to cut the tags off of whatever she can find! Crazy fun, I guess.

Introducing....

2007-04-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

J3
April 17, 2007
6 lbs. 14 oz.
20 inches

Joys and Sorrows

2007-03-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

Ever since my last post (about 6 weeks ago), life has been going non-stop and filled with joys and sorrows. Deaths and sickness, along with births, health, and the beautiful warm weather of spring have all been a part of this time. However, I don't think our family has ever been so sick or for so long - which lead to a lack of posts.

In February, we enjoyed my grandpa's 80th birthday celebration. Here are a few pictures of the Sunday lunch we had with my grandparent's 17 great-children (under the age of 5) all in attendance.

And here are some random pictures from throughout the last 6 weeks...

K1 is getting ready for #3's arrival, while A2 is still clueless about how her life will change. I am due in 5 weeks, but we will see if I make it to May....

M.C. Escher

2007-02-11T20:43:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed an afternoon out, while K1 and A2 enjoyed an afternoon in with a babysitter. We went to the M.C. Escher exhibit at the San Jose Museum of Art with some friends from church.

I would highly recommend a visit to the museum while this exhibit is here. We took light rail downtown, but did not have as much fun as Bridget did with her middle school students.

All in a Day's Work

2007-02-10T21:12:00.000-08:00

Ten loads of laundry (Nine finished by 9:00 am - one advantage of living in an apartment)
Everyone has clean sheets - even all the doll blankets, etc.
Clean bathroom, kitchen, and bedrooms
All the girls had naps today (that includes me!)
Baked chocolate chip/M and M cookies
Colored and made paper creations with the girls
Read books and more books
Went and picked up some basic groceries
Now time to wind down....

Naptime

2007-01-30T21:13:00.000-08:00

Please tell me it is a fluke. K1 has resisted her nap already twice this week. I need her to keep napping at least until 6 months after this next baby is born! At least, that was what I was hoping for...

A few more pictures...

2007-01-25T13:20:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more pictures from last week. Sorry, you will have to see my growing belly in a later post! However, my belly is growing, as I am now 25 weeks along and will soon be entering my third trimester already! Time sure does fly by...

2 months...

2007-01-24T20:38:00.000-08:00

So, it has been nearly two months since my last post. Quite a bit has happened in that time, especially with Christmas, New Years and the like. I will not try and catch you up on everything that has happened. Instead, here are some recent pictures for you to enjoy.

Nathan's brother, sister-in-law and niece came down from the great white north for a visit last week. We had a great time with them, and wish more of his family could visit more often...

To the few...

2006-11-26T20:44:00.000-08:00

To the few and far between who might check this blog now and again...I thought I would share the news that we are expecting a new little one in May. Yes, we have shared the news with our families and a few others (some strangers) that K1 has decided to tell. But the news is now public....

More to come

True Love

2006-10-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

I have always known what a great dad my husband is to our girls, but here is an example to prove it...

After coming home from a long day at work, our girls are always excited to see him. Some days they wrestle, on other days they go to the park, etc. Today, K1 asks her dad to paint her nails - which he most graciously does. Then, she is excited to show him her new headbands. She, of course, asks him if he would like to wear one and he immediately says, "sure!"

His comment to me - "I guess this is what you do with girls."

I love him!

Where we have been...

2006-09-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

Nathan was in Tofino, BC, for 10 days. He was helping his younger brother build cabinets (kitchen and others) for the house he is building. While he was gone, the girls and I spent time at my parents house. It is harvest time there, so it is very dusty and looks like this.

The girls love to take bike rides. Here is K1 with Grandpa.

And K1 always asks Grandpa to make waffles when we are there. Here they are "helping" Grandpa...

After Grandpa and Grandma's, we headed up to Redding, CA, to visit "Three Miles In Inn." My college roommate, Christy, and her family live on 10 acres in Millville. They have a horse, donkey, sheep, chickens, cats, and lots of dogs. They just started breeding Boston Terriers. The girls had SO much fun. We went to the Turtle Bay Museum, which was a blast - very kid friendly. Here are some pictures of our time there.

Woot, Woot

2006-09-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

Has anyone ever heard of this website? I read about it on someone else's blog and it looks like it could be very addicting for some people. Most of all - impulse buyers. Basically, they sell one item a day and when it is sold out, that is it, game over. You never know when they might sell out. Anyway, you can check it out for yourself.

Catching Up

2006-09-02T17:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures to show what was going on in August.

We met two of my brothers and their families at a park for K1's. This was our attempt to get all 6 grandchildren to look at the camera at the same time. Guess we will have to try again. Note to self, don't make them look into the sun next time.

K1 really liked her beautiful butterfly cake. If you are wondering why there is a hand on her head, last year, she almost burned her lips while trying to blow them out. This was our mode of prevention.

A2 and her cousin enjoying the park.

Just having fun at home as we always do. K1 wanted to show her cousins in Canada that she does have enough hair for a ponytail.

Happy Birthday Everyone

2006-08-15T21:54:00.001-07:00

This is birthday week. Within this one week I have two aunts, 3 cousins, and my daughter's birthday. Crazy. I read on a Snapple cap that August is the month with the most birthdays. It is all those winter storms in November. I guess the power goes out and what else are you going to do?

Anyway, K1 is extremely excited about being 3! This is the first birthday where she really understood what was going on. She can even hold her fingers in the correct way to show 3. So exciting.

Nothing Like It

2006-08-06T21:07:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like your own bed! Our family has been housesitting for the past week and you just never sleep the same as you do in your own bed. I always say that our bed is one of the best purchases I have ever made (I bought it before we were married), and Nathan agrees with me. We sleep so well in it. Good to be home.

Last night, we were given four tickets to the SF Giants game. I had never been to the "new" ballpark downtown, and Nathan had never been to a professional baseball game in his life. In fact, he had only been to one baseball game in his life. It was a city league game of a high school friend. Baseball is not a high school sport in Canada, which is why he knows so little about it. The seats we were given were right behind home plate, so it was a nice introduction to the ballpark and to professional baseball for Nathan. My parents met us there, and we had a great time together.

Back

2006-07-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

It has been a l-o-n-g while since the last post and for a good reason. The girls and I went to Iowa for a college reunion for 6 days. We had a blast! Here is picture of us in a soy bean field.
And here is a picture of the whole gang.

After all the fun times in Iowa, the girls and I flew home. They were great travelers! We were home for all of 36 hours before we were on another plane up to BC, Canada. This time my husband was with us and the girls were great travelers once again.

We attended the wedding of one of Nathan's high school classmates. We had a great time. Nathan's parents came and watched the girls while we attended all the wedding happenings. The girls had a great time with grandpa and grandma, and we had a great time as well. We then went over to the island, and spent some time with family and friends. I might post pictures from the island later.

All in all, we got back home on the 22nd and walked off the plane into the heat wave we had no idea was here. It had to be at least 115 degrees right of the plane. When we got back to our place, we were in the pool within 15 minutes.

This week has been a hodge podge of running errands, going to my parents' house (they were having granddaughter withdrawls), etc. etc. Anyway, I will try and be more regular with the posts again.

Walking

2006-07-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, A2 decided she was going to walk. She has been taking 2-3 steps between things, walking along the walls, and pushing things throughout the house for about 6 weeks now. My husband and I knew she could walk, but just wasn't ready. Well, yesterday, she decided she was ready. Today, she will walk the length of the house, turn around, she will get up from a sit in the middle of the room and go.

My mother-in-law said my husband was the same way when he was little. He just started walking one day when he was ready.

Having kids is so much fun! Never a dull moment!

WooHoo!

2006-07-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

The girls in this household are excited because my husband (aka "Daddy" to the girls) is home after volunteering in Mississippi for a week. We just got home from the airport, and the first thing he wanted to do was clean up. I think we all know how a long day of traveling makes you feel. On top of that, he came from hot, HUMID weather and had two layovers on the trip home.

Anyway, we are all glad to have him home safe!

Garden Update

2006-06-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

My beautiful hydrangea is now in full bloom. It has about 10-12 large cluster of blooms on it. The other picture is of my passionflower. Each year it has bloomed very nicely. I thought it was going to skip this year, but alas, here is proof that I was wrong.

Hair Cuts

2006-06-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

I would not normally take pictures of myself or of something like a haircut, but because I cut off quite a bit I thought I would show you what it looks like. Of course, it will only look like this for one day, because I will never be able style it the same way again! K1 also got a haircut. Isn't she cute!

Here are the close ups...

Life on the Farm

2006-06-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

I grew up on an almond farm in the Central Valley. I love taking the girls back to my parents (their grandparents) house to experience life in the country. The girls had fun "helping" grandma in her flower garden, and K1 spent lots of time with Grandpa in his vegetable garden. I don't have any pictures of that, unfortunately.

Here is K1 on the loader with her uncle. She thinks this is so much fun. I remember how fun it was to ride on the tractor or in the big trucks with my dad when I was little, so I am not surprised she enjoys it!

Monterey

2006-06-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

Last week, we had the privilege of going to Monterey Bay Aquarium with Bridget. Here are a few pictures from the day.

The girls had a great time there. A2 thought she could just jump in the water to touch the fish. However, when we got to the touch tanks, she had no desire to touch anything. We did get the turtle costume on her though.

Fortunately, I did not have my camera with me at lunch when K1 got so upset about not being able to see the seals on the rock, she "spit" up at the table. Life with kids....always an adventure!

Taking a break

2006-06-21T06:44:00.000-07:00

It's over. After 3 fish die within 2 weeks, something is wrong. And since we will be here and there throughout the summer, we are taking a break. K1 now tells people that they got sick, so Mom put them in the lake and they will grow big there. I told her we would get a new Tami and Gomi after we get back from our travels.

I am thinking about getting beta fish. Less maintenance, plus you have a nice, green plant to go along with it.

I'm it

2006-06-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4. "about to read and think about can heal your relationship with" from "You Can't Make Me (but I can be persuaded)" by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch? The new pictures we got taken of A2 today

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV? the NHL Stanley Cup finals, of course

4. Without looking, guess what time it is. 9:22 pm

5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time? 9:35 pm

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear? my husband's car alarm just beeped, which means he is home from the gym

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing? about an hour ago I went outside to straighten out the toys on the porch

8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at? I was emailing college friends

9. What are you wearing? barefoot, brown shorts, navy blue shirt

10. Did you dream last night? Don't remember last night, but Saturday night I had a dream about people emptying port-a-johns. Don't know where that one came from..

11. When did you last laugh? couple of hours ago when my husband was tickling me

12. What is on the walls of the room you are in? calendar, bulletin board, pictures of family and friends, and pictures of tulips which I took

13. Seen anything weird lately?

14. What do you think of this quiz? interesting set of questions..fairly random

15. What is the last film or video you saw? I saw part of "Ever After" on Saturday

16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy? land in CA and BC so my husband and I could build spec homes, a sailboat, pay off any family debts, and put the rest away for our children

17. Tell me something about you that I don’t know. I have to have a biopsy on a mole on my back tomorrow and I am a little bit scared, though the doctor said not to be.

18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do? I will say abortion too

19. Do you like to dance? yes

20. Comment to George Bush: I have no desire to be in your shoes!

21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her? Have two girls already, don't know what I would name the third

22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him? It was going to be Luke, but now we have a nephew Lukas, so I don't know...we will cross that bridge if we come to it.

23. Would you ever consider living abroad? yes

24. What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gate? “Come in, my child"

25. 4 people who must also do this quiz on THEIR blog: hmmm, since Brett sent this to me and I am so new at this, I guess that only leaves...Bridget

Outdoor fun

2006-06-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

K1 and I were watering the plants this afternoon. However, more water from K1's bucket landed on the ground. A2 took full advantage and sat right in it. I stripped her down and here are the results. K1 joined in, but I think A2 had more fun. A2 enjoys playing with the watering hose. She would make a great firefighter, don't you think?

K1 has been "collecting" snails outside every morning and afternoon. And last, here is a picture of my hydrangea which I finally got to bloom after about 5 years. Each year it would leaf out beautifully and then something would eat it (usually the deer up on Black Road), or it would wither away. I finally found the perfect spot for it!

Sorry about the way the pictures posted. I will try to figure it out better next time!

Music in the Park

2006-06-10T21:48:00.000-07:00

During the months of June and July, Vasona Park puts on Vasona Vibrations which is a free concert series from 5-7 on Saturday evenings.

Last week, Nathan took the girls while I was at our school's staff party. He enjoyed the concert and the girls always love being outside. They were dancing away to the music.

I took the girls this evening while Nathan stayed home to watch the NHL playoffs. I enjoyed both of the groups that played this evening and again, the girls had a great time. We took our pizza and grapes over to the park, and enjoyed dinner while listening to music.

Good night

Friday Excitement

2006-06-09T21:34:00.000-07:00

Most often, Friday consists of doing laundry. I actually have two loads in the dryer right now, but that is not the excitement. No, this afternoon our neighbor upstairs (not right above us, but above our neighbor) decided to wash some shirts in his sink. He left the water running and went to the back room to do something. Needless to say, he forgot about them and one of the shirts plugged the sink. I went outside to throw something in the garbage and I saw water coming from our neighbor's (downstairs) door.

Nathan went upstairs, knocked on the door, and the neighbor realized what had happened. There was about an inch of water covering his kitchen floor. We helped clean up the two apartments as best we could. That is our excitement.

Now, time to take in the laundry.

Everyone Poops

2006-06-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

by Taro Gomi

This book was read at our wedding reception by one of my husband's dear friends, Joe. Since Joe is also a teacher, he thought he would give me a book that I could use as a quick science lesson with my grade four students. So, in front of over 300 people - family, friends, students, teachers, and the like - he read it. Some laughed, some stared in disbelief. I thought it was quite funny.

Of course, he gave us the book along with another titled The Gas We Pass. Well, today K found Everyone Poops. on our bookshelves. She took it down and asked me to read it. Needless to say, she can now narrate most of it by herself. So, she will sit down on the chair and read away.

Joe is getting married in one month, so if anyone has any great ideas of what I could bring to his wedding (he and his fiance are both teachers!). Let me know!

yet again

2006-06-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it, but yet again we lost another one...fish, that is. I saw it coming. This one did not commit suicide, but just whittled away. How hard can it be to keep a fish alive? Obviously, it is very difficult for our family. Or, I guess I should say me, because I am the primary caregiver. This I can say...I am thankful they are only 12.5 cents each to replace, and since the first two were given to us, we have put 75 cents into the pet budget thus far.

Fish.

fish

2006-05-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

It is a sad day. One of K's fish decided to jump from his bowl to his death. I didn't notice until he was dry on the floor. Good thing K didn't see him. Although, I am not sure it would have even phased her. We got the first "Tami" and "Gomi" in November. We are now on Tami the 3rd and will soon get a Gomi the 4th.

As a result, I just had to do it. I went to buy a book for A's birthday tomorrow and was planning to just get "Hand, Hand, Finger, Thumb." Then, I saw it on the shelf..."A Fish Out Of Water." I remember really enjoying it when I was a little girl, and given the event of the day, I bought it. Someday, I will tell K and A the reason I bought them the book!

Good Night