The Culbertson Family

Sharing

2011-11-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

So, you may have noticed I added a button to my blog. I am so lucky to be friends with the gal whose blog this is. She is super creative and does so many wonderful projects. I wanted to share her blog with all of my friends. Hope you enjoy it and get some super cute ideas for your own projects.

One of the things Jennie likes to do is take pictures. Yesterday, she did a photo shoot with my children and the pictures are FABULOUS! She has them posted on her blog, so just click on the button & pop on over there to take a peek. She has agreed to do another shoot with the whole family. Hopefully we will be able to do it soon. I am grateful to have a a good friend who inspires me to bring out the creative best in myself.

3 Wheelers and a Tractor

2011-07-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we went to Grandma and Grandpa Culbertson's home for a BBQ. We grilled hot dogs and ate chips around 2:00 pm. Then we got the 3 wheelers out to ride. Grandpa surprised the kids by getting the John Deere tractor out and taking the kids for a spin. After a playing for awhile we cranked the ice cream maker to make vanilla ice cream. Then we ate ice cream sundaes for dinner. It was so YUMMY and we were SO full. It was a simple meal and activity, but was very memorable as we all had a great time. Definitely something to do again.

Don trying to get this one started, unfortunately there wasn't much gas in it.
So we were left sharing the other 3 wheeler.

Sierra and Morgan on the 3 wheeler.
Grandpa and Connor driving the tractor.

Grandpa and Carson.

Grandpa and Connor

Sierra on the 3 wheeler

Caden

Sierra and Morgan

Sierra and Carson

Sierra and Connor.
Sierra is such a trooper. She likes to ride really fast,
but gave that up to give slower rides to her younger siblings.
By the time everyone had a turn she only got to go fast for a short time
because the thing ran out of gas! Ooops!

And yes! Even Jen took a turn.

This was a first for me and I'm such a chicken
that I didn't go very fast, but I still had a blast!

Carson and Morgan

Don and Sierra

Back to Blogging in 2011

2011-07-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

So I thought that I would start blogging regularly the last time I blogged. However, I was still behind and didn't ever get completely "caught up." So when I finish this entry I will be caught up and hopefully will begin adding to the blog more regularly. Life has slowly been looking brighter and brighter and I feel to rejoice in all the good things in it. So I couldn't just skip the first part of the year, but had to do another overview of the beginning of this year. So here goes, hope you enjoy the brief summary of our year so far.
Our year began with snow! Yes this is the only snowfall we had this year, but we all loved it. It happened on January 3rd which was supposed to be the kids' first day back to school after the Christmas holiday. They got a day off and really enjoyed it.

The snowman.

I just love this picture of my girls.

Don and I went to San Diego for the weekend and stayed on Coronado Island.
We had a blast being together.

Our room at the Marriott.

Holding parrots at Seaport Village.

Sunset at the beach.

Morgan turned 8!
So we had a party!

We ate.

Sierra did face painting.

The kids made silly hats.

And had a lot of fun.

Morgan opened all the gifts from her friends at the party, but had to wait until her actual birthday on Sunday to open her family gifts. She loved getting her own set of scriptures.

Morgan with all her loot.
Then Caden had his birthday and turned 10!

Caden's loot!

Sierra got a camera for Christmas and loves taking pictures and experimenting.
I thought this was a pretty cool picture.

These 3 choreographed and performed a dance to the Lady Gaga song,
"Just Dance". It was very entertaining.

Connor looking cool!

I got my room painted and new bedding.
I just need to get stuff up on the wall now--still!

I really like the color. It makes the room so calming, and I NEED that!

In March, Caden was a palace guard in the school's production of "Aladdin".
He had a lot of fun, but said he's not sure if he'll do drama next year.
He says it depends on what play they do.

I went to work a catering event with a friend the night of April 2nd.
When I got home, the kids had cleaned the house and decorated my room for my birthday.
It was really sweet of them, and I was really surprised.
What more could a mother ask for?

In May, Sierra got to go to the Temple for the first time.
She was so excited and I was grateful I got to go with her.
She got to do the work for some of my ancestors which made the trip really special.

Sierra's pet rat Coco died in May. She was SO sad.
Then she convinced us that she need a new pet.
So we welcomed a couple of guinea pigs to our family.

Here is Sierra with Cleo.

And Caden with his pet, Ella.

Sierra and her friends being really silly!

Sierra got to go on a school field trip to Medieval Times.
She had a really good time,
and was named the "Queen of Love and Beauty" by her knight.

Then Carson was a weed in the kindergarten play,
"How Does Your Garden Grow".
He loves being COOL.

Pinewood Derby time!
Don and Caden made that really cool car.
Caden calls it his Harry Potter car.
On the side of the car is the Deathly Hallows sign.

The tradition of doing the mother/son cake decorating is a big hit at our house.
We had a lot of fun decorating this race track cake together.

At the derby they had all the fixings for the little guys and gals to make edible cars.

Here's a look at my future pinewood derby-ists.

Then on June 4th, Morgan was baptized.
She was so excited and happy about it.
It was a very good day for us.

Here is Morgan with her best friend Hayzlee who was also baptized that day.

Our happy family.

Carson made this funny hat for the Kindergarten hat parade.
It was really fun to make with him.
The pom poms and eyeballs were his ideas.

We think this is the best hat we've made for this parade.
For Father's Day we went up to Grandma and Grandpa's house.
There we had lasagne for dinner and then made ice cream with a crank machine.
It was a lot of fun to MAKE, but much more fun to EAT!

I love this picture of Caden. He looks so happy!

And this is my favorite photo from that day.
What could be more precious than a child's hug?

This year, we don't have any big plans for summer, but we are taking time to do a few fun activities. One of those we went to the public library for one of their free activities--Tie Dying!

Each of the kids tie-dyed their own T-Shirt.

As you can see, it was a fun thing for everyone.

Here they are with their friends and their T-Shirts.

Playing at the park.

One afternoon, we went to the pet store to look around.
And the owner allowed the kids to sit on the floor and hold the pythons.
They thought that was pretty cool.

Connor kept trying to convince me that we needed one of them for a pet.

I'm not opposed to snakes, but they cost $150 each.
We left them at the store. :)

A trip to Laguna Beach on July 2nd was really fun.
Connor kept calling it "Lagunia Beach" and keeps asking to go again.
The kids had a blast digging for sand crabs.

"the BIG one"

All of us at the beach.

July 8th, Sierra turned 13!
Wow! I can't believe she has grown so much.
She is a beautiful young lady and we are glad she is a part of our family.

We had fun playing "Pin the Tail on the Donkey".

Yes, even I played! But the spinning made me dizzy.

Sierra enjoyed all her gifts which included the bright orange soccer ball,
a curling iron, colored fondant, and fondant shape cutters.

With her new cake decorating materials she made this wonderful beach themed cake.

And those, my friends and family, are the highlights of the first 6 1/2 months of the year 2011. Hope you are all having a wonderful year...

The End of 2010

2011-03-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

So...I have received a few comments about catching up on my blog. It's something I have been wanting to do for awhile. Life got so CRAZY and even HARD as we coped with some difficult things that came up. I wasn't in the mood to blog for several months, but we see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. Life is settling down now and I am finally in the mood to do the blogging. As I was looking back through the pictures I was pleased to see that even in the middle of some difficult circumstances we have had plenty of special and happy moments. We truly are blessed! How could I not make note of and publish those great moments? So here is a look at the second half of 2010 for us.

Shamu at Sea World.

Chip and Dale costumes.
Just for FUN!

Garden Harvest
The garden is Don's pride and joy.
He and the kids really enjoy planting and harvesting.
It's a good thing too, because I don't care for it much.

Sierra and I helped with the food at my friend's daughter's wedding.
It was a beautiful reception.

The bride wanted cupcake instead of a cake.
I thought this turned out beautifully.

The first day of school.
Carson started Kindergarten this year.

Connor was not to be left out.
I've packed his lunch in his Transformer lunchbox everyday.
One morning as I dropped everyone off, he said, "Mom, I need to go to school. My teacher is waiting for me." Unfortunately, he still has another full year before he starts Kindergarten.

Carson turns 5!

Carson's 5th Happy Birthday Party.

FOOD!

GIFTS!

CUPCAKES! What more could a kid want?

A trip to SEA WORLD!

Dolphins are Carson's favorite animal.
Yes, he got a small stuffed dolphin!

Amazing, we got 3 of them at the window!

Awww! They DO love each other! :)

Carson with his Nana on a ride.

Sierra learned how to decorate cakes at a Young Women activity.
I thought she did a great job!
So did her Grandma who bought her a cake decorating kit for Christmas!

and ANOTHER trip to Sea World.
This trip we were joined by Nana and Papa.
We had SO much FUN!
Getting ready for Shipwreck Rapids.

In the Polar Bear caves.

Caden had a BLAST seeing how fast he could spin this ride.
I was laughing so hard and hoping that I didn't get sick when it was over!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Halloween seemed really long this year.
The kids attended at least 3 different parties.
By the time it was over, I was tired of dressing them up!

Party at the Cambridges.
Caden and Carson were soccer players.

My boys.

Connor was quite the little Ninja!

Cyndi Lauper!

At the PUMPKIN PATCH with the Poulsens.

The cornfield maze.

Carving the Jack-O-Lantern.

Oooh! This is the best part!

Ewww! It's SO slimy!

Jack Skellington!

2 Zombies, A Ninja, A Witch, and Cyndi Lauper.

Don and I making lobster nets.
Don's new hobby: Lobster fishing.
Unfortunately, he didn't catch any this year.

Caden earned more awards at the Cub Scout Space Derby.

Sierra's display at her Young Women in Excellence night.
She also accompanied another young woman who sang, "Live Like You Believe".
It was the first time she accompanied anyone. She did a great job!

For one of her value projects she worked with 2 friends and their leader to make these special, yummy treats for the Young Women in Excellence program. Ice cream in homemade waffle cone bowls. They looked so pretty and tasted oh so good!

A visit to Santa.

Gingerbread houses in Kindergarten.

Connor was thrilled that he got to go do gingerbread houses too.

I made these magnet board for Christmas.
They were SO easy and fun to do.
I liked how each one turned out so different and yet so cute.

The kids were SO excited for Christmas!
Especially when they saw the loot under the tree!

The aftermath! So much FUN!

Carson and Connor both got a pair of DRAGON pajamas.
They are a huge hit!

Our last trip to Sea World before the passes expired.
We were able to see the baby Beluga whale, Pearl.
She is SO pretty!

Well that sums up the end of 2010. We are grateful for all the great memories we made together. I am extremely grateful for the blessings the Lord bestowed upon us this year and look forward to many more GREAT moments with my WONDERFUL family in the years to come.

Sierra's Birthday

2010-11-16T13:29:00.000-08:00

I've been working on this post on and off for months now and finally decided it was time to just get it done. Sierra turned 12 on July 8, 2010. She was SO excited for her birthday. Turning 12 means she enters the Young Women program at church, she gets to baby-sit, and stay up just a little later. She spent a week at girl's camp and had a fabulous time. Her best friend, Emily, had her 12th birthday a week before Sierra. To celebrate they had a combined birthday party with a few friends. It started at Emily's aunt's house with swimming in the pool and then migrated over to our home for hamburgers, music and hanging out. It looked like everyone had a good time.

Carson enjoys swimming with his floaties on.

Racing!

Caden is so good to play with his little brother who gets around quite a lot in that little ring.

Morgan enjoys the warm water.

Sierra and Connor

Eating

Presents!

Sierra loves peach pie so that's what she got.

Her new watch!

June in a Flash

2010-10-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in awhile because life became a little difficult and I wasn't up to it. Things are better now and I am ready to begin recording the good things in life. As I said in my previous post June was a very busy month for us. Stefanie came from Germany and spent the entire month of June with us. During that time we took her to several places, seeing and doing a lot. Here is an overview of the things we did:

In the first week we farmed our kids out to friends' homes and Don and I took Stefanie to Las Vegas for 3 days. We had fun getting to know each other better and saw many of the sights. However, she wasn't extremely impressed with the city and we came home a little early on Friday. But we did see a lot.

We stayed at the Luxor

When in Vegas, gamble.
The first and only time Steffie gambled.
None of us are really gamblers so only $2 were lost the whole time.

This entire Statue of Liberty
stands in the New York, New York hotel and casino
and is made of Jelly Belly jelly beans

A visit to Red Rock canyon was one of the trips highlights.

Our trip concluded with a visit to Hoover Dam.

The view from the dam.

Sierra had a piano recital where she played
"Reflection" and "Honor to us All"
from the Disney movie "Mulan"
and received the "Most Improved Student" award.

Stefanie and I enjoyed a day out together at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

My sister, Becca, got married.

Mr. and Mrs. Jaren Gurr

An afternoon at home making cinnamon and orange rolls.

The goodies....Mmmmm!
Camping in Sequoia National Park.
This is my personal heaven on earth.
Stefanie said it was one of the prettiest places she's ever been to.
At the General Sherman tree.

The largest tree

Looking down from the General Sherman tree viewing spot.
Don's parents came on this trip with us.
It was fun having them along.

One of the 9 deer we saw on the trip.
One of 8 bears we saw.
Homemade ice cream in a bag.
YUM!!!

A trip to Hume Lake in the Sequoias was very pleasant.
While there we ran into our friends from home, Mike and Kelly Caddell.
We had no idea they were vacationing up there at the same time.

Sitting on the beach watching the kids play in the water.

For Father's Day Steffie and I made a peach pie.
Steffie said it tasted a lot like streudel.

The last full week of her vacation we took Stefanie to San Diego and she fell in love with the city. Said she wants to live in San Diego and vacation in Sequoia. We spent four days here and had a blast around the town and at the beach.

Lounging on the beach.

Sand castles.
Buried alive.

The ocean.

Touching the bat rays at Sea World.

Feeding the dolphins.

Climbing the rope nets.

You can do it Connor!

Don coming out of the tunnel.

While in San Diego, we took Stefanie to Old Town to experience a little Mexican culture. We had Mexican food for lunch and she really liked it. The children enjoyed the Mariachi singers that came to our table as you can see by the smiles on their faces.

Connor is delighted.

Sierra enjoys the music while Carson enjoys his soda.

Mission Bay

Don taught Stefanie to scuba dive.

More instructions

Ready, set, go!
They had a lot of fun diving.

We also enjoyed a trip to Balboa Park.

The train ride.

At the atrium.
And a trip to Coronado Island was a first for everyone except Don.

Before she left we took a trip to show her around Los Angeles. It was a fun day trip. We saw a lot of the "popular spots" and enjoyed sharing them with the kids and Stefanie. Unfortunately, Sierra missed out on this one because she was at Girl's Camp for the week.

We tried to see the home of someone famous.
This was the only thing we could see of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's home.

So we moved on to Hollywood Blvd. which looks pretty dirty, but is an LA icon.

The "Walk of Fame"

At Mann's Chinese theater.

Caden and Morgan really enjoyed comparing hands and feet with the stars of one of their favorite movies--"Harry Potter".

We also enjoyed a drive through Beverly Hills

Wishing we had money to own a home like this.

And of course we had to go to Rodeo Drive, baby!

Because the parking was hard to find, Don dropped Steffie and I off and we enjoyed a quick tour of Rodeo Drive together while Don drove around the block with the kids at least 12 times. :)

The proof we really were there.

Stefanie wanted a gift for her sister and finally found a little purse she could actually afford on Rodeo Drive.

We completed our day trip at the Santa Monica Pier.
Loads of Fun!

As you can see, June was jam packed with a ton of small vacations and lots of sight-seeing. We were SO busy, but it was WORTH the MEMORIES. Stefanie left to go home on June 30th and we were really sad to see her go. She has become a part of our family and we are proud to say we have a sister who lives in Germany. We are grateful for the internet and Skype which allows us to keep in touch regularly. We are looking forward to the next time we get to visit with her and are especially looking forward to our trip to Germany in the future.

Blogging Again

2010-07-12T19:41:00.000-07:00

It's been a few months since I have posted anything. We were so extremely busy that I didn't have a lot of time to blog. Now I am playing catch up and you will see what I mean when you see all the many pictures and read about all of our adventures. It will take a few days to get all caught up, but hopefully I can accomplish this soon. I had a good start and hope you enjoy seeing all of our adventures.

German Gifts

2010-07-12T17:45:00.000-07:00

Stefanie came to our home bearing gifts. The kids (Don & I too) were so excited about the gifts she brought from Germany. I got a German cookbook (yes, it is written in German) and music box, Don some shirts, Sierra a soccer ball, Morgan a pink purse, Caden a German world cup soccer shirt, Carson a stuffed dolphin, and Connor a stuffed horse that makes horse noises. She also brought a German CD of kids songs and some stuff to help celebrate the world cup. Here is a picture of all of us together on her second night here:

She also brought fan paint in the German colors. We wore the German colors everytime Germany played, especially after the US lost. We were very sad that Germany didn't make it to the finals, but glad they made it at least to the semi-finals. Carson caught onto the idea of the fan paint and was so excited that he opened it up that night and painted his face with it. SO CUTE!

Bathroom Make Over

2010-07-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

In January we began redoing our bathrooms. The original plan was to just lay tile in the bathrooms. Once Don got the tile in the master bath he said to me, "The tile looks great, but the cabinets look so bad. I think we should refinish them." I thought, "Hallelujah!" I've been wanting to do that for some time. So after talking to a couple of the "wrong" people who told us how to do them the hard way; we finally talked to someone who told us the easiest way to do it. So we bought the stripper (paint and varnish stripper, that is), sandpaper, and then the 2-in-one stain and varnish. And since we redid the floors and cabinets, we also decided to throw in a new coat of paint for each bathroom. It took us 5 months to do both bathrooms from start to finish, but it was so worth it! I LOVE their new looks! Unfortunately, I didn't think to take any before pictures, but trust me they were REALLY bad. Check out the new looks:

This is the master bath.
I feel like I am in a hotel bathroom or something when I come in here.

We are a bit amazed at how new the cabinets look.

The tile is the same in both rooms.

The main bathroom.

We are very pleased with ourselves and the way the bathrooms turned out. Don was joking about how our bathrooms don't match the rest of the house now. We do have plans for the rest of the house and hope that soon we can start working on the kitchen cabinets. Eventually we hope to have everything looking new again. Of course that all depends on money (drat!).

Connor's 3rd Birthday!

2010-07-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

Connor's birthday was a busy day for our family. The long awaited day was finally here! We were heading to the airport to pick up Stefanie who was coming from Germany to visit us for a month. We awoke fairly early to finish picking up the house and Don hung the refinished door on the main bathroom. Then we piled into the car and headed down to the Los Angeles airport. Her flight had been delayed so we hung around the airport for awhile. Of course, the only pictures taken were during that time. I didn't think to take pictures after we met Stefanie.

So after meeting Stefanie we headed home for dinner and birthday celebrations. Stefanie was so tired after her long flight that she said she felt like a zombie. But the we were all excited she was here. For Connor's birthday dinner we ate spaghetti and flat bread. So yummy! After dinner Grandma and Grandpa showed up for presents and dessert.

$ from Grandma & Grandpa sure made him happy.

Sidewalk chalk--SOO FUN!

He can't wait to see what this one is...

It's a winner!!

His very own Megatron outfit!
And doesn't he look a bit scary?

Strawberry Shortcake Trifles
YUM-O!

Connor is such a delight! It's hard to believe that he is 3 years old. We are so glad that he is part of our family. He is a loving, busy, inquisitive boy. He is very smart and a lot of fun to be around. He is always making us smile and laugh. We love you so much Connor! Happy birthday!

Dress Up Fun!

2010-07-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

Carson just loves to dress up. Here are some fun pictures Sierra took of our little ham.

Dr. Carson

Jedi Master Obi-Wan Carson!

Ninja Carson

Desert Spring

2010-05-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

When my family first moved to the High Desert I was sure that I would one day move away. This was not my favorite place. In fact, my heaven is up in the mountains, in a log cabin with a stream running by. However, as I take time to look around the desert I am amazed at the beauty I find. The desert truly has a beauty all it's own. While my heaven is still in the mountains, I am grateful for the beauty that surrounds me here in the high desert. This place has really grown on me and I don't mind living here. Plus, when I decide I need a change of scenery I can escape the desert into the mountains, to a city, or the beach and back home all in a day. I decided that this spring I was going to take some pictures of the beauties I see around me here in the High Desert. I will post more pictures as I take them.

Check out that great big, blue sky!

They may be just weeds but I love looking out to see the yellow flowers taking over the dirt.

I think the desert daisies are beautiful!
I wish they would grow in my yard instead of some of the other weeds we get.

In our own yard: the apple tree bloomed beautifully.
This apple tree came to be because several years ago Sierra was eating an apple and saved the seeds. We were all out in the garden and she asked if she could plant them. Not believing they would grow Don told her to put them in the ground. I think it was 2 years later we realized that those seeds had sprouted and were growing into a tree. We then had to transplant it since where it was growing was too close to the house. We can't remember what kind of apple she was eating. Hopefully we will find out this year.

A close-up of our apple blossoms
The rosebushes in front of our house are full of beautiful blossoms.

And one of the most beautiful sights to me is to see my children out in the garden with their Dad, learning to plant and grow things.

Carson and Connor looking for ripe strawberries.

Yes, spring is here. The weather has warmed up, even though the wind is still blowing most of the time. The flowers are in bloom. I am getting some deep cleaning done. And we are all beginning the countdown to summer vacation. I am very content. I have a wonderful family and there is beauty all around me. What more could a girl ask for?!

Morgan's Field Trip

2010-05-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

At the end of April I accompanied Morgan and the 2nd grade classes to Mojave Narrows on a field trip. There we were divided up into small groups. Each child had a folder given them so they could do a couple of activities while at the park. The first activity was a scavenger hunt as we walked along the nature trail. They had to find things like a bird's nest, ants, a feather, etc. Then we had a picnic lunch and the entire group split into 2. One group played a game and the other did a drawing activity. The weather was a bit chilly and the wind was blowing, but that didn't seem to bother the children at all. Everyone was happy and having fun. I was grateful for the day to spend with Morgan and some of her classmates.

Marking an item off the scavenger hunt list.

Our little group: Elena, Lorena, Summer, & Morgan

Picnic lunch with Mrs. Driscoll

Morgan is drawing a tree.
FUN, FUN, FUN!!!

Pinewood Derby

2010-04-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

Friday night we attended another cub scout pack meeting. This time it was for the pinewood derby. Each scout and his dad was to make a wooden car that would be raced against the cars of other pack members. Don and Caden designed their car to look like Bumblebee from the Transformers movie. They had a lot of fun building and painting the car. They did a really good job and the car looks great. It wasn't the fastest car there (they lost), but they said at least the car looked "COOL!" Here they are with their Bumblebee.

What a COOL car!

The competition

The races

The activity was great fun. Building the car gave Don and Caden something to work on together and the rest of us had fun encouraging them and cheering on their little Bumblee.

Little Monsters

2010-04-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, the little boys and I made monster masks. We had fun wearing them and scaring the rest of the family. The boys wore them for a long time and enjoyed running around making monster noises. Here are some pictures of our fun, scary masks.

Carson's creation

Connor's creation

Here are the 3 of us with our monster masks.
Watch out! The monsters might get you!

Becca is getting Married!

2010-04-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

After a long wait my sister, Becca, is getting married. I got to throw the bridal shower, or at least one of them. It turned out really well and was fun to do. Sierra and Morgan were very big helps in getting things ready. We served chicken salad, crackers, fruit, veggies and slushy punch. We did a few games. The one I liked best was seeing how much Becca knew about Jaren. I passed out 2 pieces of candy (all her favorites) to all the guests. Then each person got 2 questions to ask her. These were questions that I had previously asked Jaren and they were all about him, like what was his favorite book. When asked a question, Becca was supposed to tell us how Jaren would answer. If she got it right she could take the guest's candy. If she got the answer wrong the guest got to keep the candy. She did pretty well, but she also learned some things about Jaren. It was really fun.

We also served these strawberry shortcake trifles.

Not only did they look pretty they were super yummy.

Becca got lots of fun gifts

including a "naughty" honeymoon basket from me! =)

Also in helping Becca get ready for her wedding, I made Mary's bridesmaid's dress. Surprisingly, it only took me about 2 weeks to do (once I got focused on it). I finished this last Saturday which is 2 weeks before the wedding. Yay me! Mary came over Sunday for the final fitting and it fit pretty well and looks really good on her. I am very glad to be done with it. Now on to refinishing my bathroom cabinets. Here are the pictures of Mary in the dress.

Front view

Back view

Now Becca just needs to get married!

Connor Rocks!

2010-04-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

Connor loves music and is always singing some song or another. This is one of his new favorites and we all have this song stuck in our heads permanently I think. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

We had a great time during Spring Break this year. We spent a lot of time cleaning out the kids' bedrooms. The girls got a new bunk bed and we dejunked closets and drawers. Got a great idea from a friend and so we "filed" the kids clothes in the dresser drawer. This saved a lot of room and the kids can see all their clothes and pick what to wear without undoing the entire drawer. Here's a picture of "clothes filing". I love this!
All toys went into buckets and out to the shed. New rule: only one bucket of toys in the house at a time. The kids actually play with them and then it's not so hard to clean up. Really helps keep the house free of toy clutter.

We moved furniture, cleaned the carpets, and rearranged the bedrooms. Don even managed to get the kids outside to start cleaning up the garden. It was a very productive two weeks and we were quite pleased with all that we managed to get done.

To reward ourselves we spent a couple of days playing. On the first Friday, Grandma took the kids and Don and I went to Universal Studios for the day. It was great fun spending time together. In fact that was the best part of the day. The park was okay and held our interest for the day. We decided that it wasn't our favorite amusement park and we'd be fine not going back for several years. But it was fun for that day.

Don next to "Matt Damon" and props from his favorite movie.

Oh, no! Jen posing in front of "Jaws".

The next outing was a day at Sea World with the kids. We decided to get the fun cards this year so that we can take the kids there all year. We had such a good time and we are all very anxious to go back. Don, Sierra, and Caden rode the river raft ride and ended up very wet. They stayed that way most of the day. Later in the day we rode the Atlantis ride. Of course, not everyone could so we split up. I watched the kids while Don rode with Sierra and Caden. Then Don watched kids while Sierra and I rode it. Caden didn't really like it--it was a bit scary. He is not much of a dare devil and he said he doesn't want to ride it again. (However, just the other day he was talking about how he'd ride it because it wasn't so scary now. I guess we'll find out soon enough.) We enjoyed the shows we saw--Connor was rocking out to the music at the Shamu show. The kids did really well all day and we had a very enjoyable time. We were all tired by the end of the day. In fact, Carson and Connor both fell asleep in the stroller before we even got to the parking lot! We spent the next day "recovering" from the outing.

The dolphins were the biggest hit. We bought little fish and got to feed and pet the dolphins. I felt bad for Carson. The dolphin is his favorite animal and he looked forward to seeing and petting them. But when it came time to pet them, they opened their mouths and it scared him. He was afraid they were going to bite him. I think we might have gotten him to touch one, but it was for a very brief moment. Connor was the same way, but not nearly as frightened. Still they enjoyed watching them swim and jump. They are still his favorite animal.

One of the best views

The sea turtles were also a very big hit. Especially with Carson and Connor. They love turtles!

Holding starfish at the tidepool exhibit.

In the polar bear cave.

The shark exhibit was a total hit. We had to go through it twice!

In addition to all of the above activities we played volleyball with friends several times. We also had a couple of sick kids during the first week. Fortunately the "sick" did not hang around long and go through everyone. Jen's birthday was Saturday, April 3rd and since, Saturday was a bit busy we celebrated Friday night (April 2nd). We invited the Packer family over and had ice cream sundaes with fresh strawberries and banana and then played games until 11:30 pm. It was very fun. Saturday night we had ice cream again and the kids had to sing to me. Then we rocked out to my new Bon Jovi Cd that Don and the kids gave me for my birthday. The kids also gave me work coupons. I'm so excited to use them! :) Overall we had a great time together over spring break and we are now counting down the days until our friend Stefanie arrives from Germany (May 31st) and our summer vacation begins.

Blue and Gold Dinner

2010-03-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

At the end of February Caden's troop had their Blue and Gold dinner. Caden received his wolf badge. He worked very hard for this and we are very proud of him. The Scout theme for this month was "Happy Birthday" as the Cub Scouts were celebrating their 100th birthday. So for the pack meeting the troop held a mother/son cake decorating contest. After a dinner of pizza, garlic bread and salad, Kevin Shelton entertained everyone with a cool magic show. As Caden really likes magic tricks this was right up his alley. The boys then received their awards and rank advancements. The cakes were judged and then the awards were given. Caden and I received the award for "Most scouting spirit". He was really pleased with that. The cakes were then served as dessert. Overall it was a very fun evening. My favorite part was coming up with the cake design and then spending time with Caden as we decorated it. That was one of the most memorable and fun things we have done together. Below are some pictures of that evening.

Hard at work

Some close-ups:

A scout learning archery

A fishing scout

A hiker in the back left corner.
And no camp out is complete without a tent and campfire.

The reader represents the adult taking a break.

The overall view.
There is only one tree and dirt because we camp in the desert out here.

Caden with his masterpiece.

Caden receiving his wolf badge.
He is such a good scout and we are very proud of him.

CARSON'S QUILT

2010-03-10T10:33:00.001-08:00

This is a picture of the quilt I recently made for Carson. I've always wanted to make a quilt just to say that I've done one. So now I can say I made one. It wasn't too terribly difficult, but I don't know that I will do another one anytime soon. I may make another one someday, but I'm good for now. Of course when I finished this one for Carson, Connor asked me where his quilt was. I told him I haven't made it yet. He hasn't asked for his since. So I'm off the hook for awhile. Whew!
Carson really likes his blanket. He keeps telling me how cuddly it is and how much he likes it. So that makes two of us who are pleased with it.

An Afternoon at the Park

2010-02-23T15:21:00.000-08:00

We had a really nice day in February and so we took the kids to the park. Caden wasn't with us because he was at a friend's home. The rest of us had a really good time. Here are some pictures of our fun. We sure wish the weather was more like that day. It's been a cold, wet, and windy winter. Hopefully spring will really be here soon.

CATCH!

ROLLING DOWN THE HILL

DANCING TO IMAGINARY MUSIC

SWINGING FUN

SLIDES

CONNOR WAS SO SAD WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GO.
WE HAD TO PROMISE TO COME BACK SOON.

Connor

2010-02-10T09:43:00.000-08:00

Oh, how glad I am that Connor is part of our family. He brings so much to our little clan. Yesterday he was cracking me up with the things he was saying. They were so funny and cute that they are totally worth a blog entry. First thing he says to me in the morning was, "Mom, I slept in my bed a hundred years!" Don't know where that came from, but it gave me a good laugh. Later in the day we were in the car driving somewhere and he starts talking. This is what he said, "I slept like a rock! A monster came. Then I turned into a human!...A monster cut off my head with a knife. I picked it up and put it back on. Then I woke up." That must have been some dream! I'm not sure where the whole monster cutting his head off with a knife came from, but I guess that's what happens when you have older brothers to play with. I'm glad that it wasn't a nightmare that kept him up scared. Maybe he was just telling stories. I'm not sure, but it sure gave us all a good chuckle yesterday. What a character! Connor we love you so much. Thanks for coming to our family.

Happy Birthday!

2010-02-09T15:55:00.001-08:00

We just celebrated 2 more birthdays. Don's birthday was on the 1st of Feb. and Caden's was yesterday on the 8th. We had a good time with both. For Don's we had upside down pizza for dinner and peach pie for dessert. YUM! I ordered Don's gift online and it came 2 days late. So I found a big box and put a piece a paper in it to tell him what he was getting. Then I filled it with stuff he already had to give the gift some weight. I wrapped it and gave it to him. He was a little surprised at first until he understood. We now have a new game that we are sure to love. Ticket to Ride Marklin Edition. Its the same game on the German map with the addition of passengers. We are very excited about it.

The kids made him a card with promises of special treatment: car wash, backrub, etc.
He was thrilled with that!

For Caden's birthday, Sierra got up 1/2 an hour earlier than normal (5:30 am! a big sacrifice for her!) and decorated the ceiling for a surprise when he woke up. This included balloons and a card. He thought it was cool.

For dinner he chose hamburgers, chips, green salad, and fruit salad.
It was very yummy!

Hmm... what did he get?
A nice card and a fun date with Mom & Dad.

His new Cub Scout Book and hat.
He is being awarded his wolf badge this month and will begin working on his bear badge.
We are so very proud of him!

Dessert was Root Beer Floats.
Can't stick a candle in that so we put it in the ice cream.
Mmmm!

Our goof ball of a son! He can be so funny!

This picture made me laugh out loud!

Happy Birthday, Morgan!

2010-01-25T16:20:00.001-08:00

Morgan turned 7 on the 23rd. It's a little hard to believe that she is that old. The years have gone by so quickly. Morgan has always been our little sunshine child and we are so glad that she is a part of our family. She wanted sausage and pineapple PIZZA and FRUIT SALAD for dinner. We had fun making it together. It was very yummy--according to Morgan it was the best pizza she ever had. Then we went to the Primary talent show. Morgan displayed pictures of things that she made. Sierra played a duet with Emily on the piano. Caden did some magic tricks. And Carson put some puzzles together and displayed them. We were very proud of our children and their individual talents. When we came home we enjoyed BANANA SPLITS and watched Morgan open her presents. Here are some pictures of her birthday.

Don laughed, but we still had to have candles even though we didn't have a cake.

She chose banana splits over cake.

Mmmmm! GOOD!

Enjoying Dessert and each other.

Let the unwrapping begin....

Socks

Hmmm...

Nail polish

She is so excited!

A make your own glamour jewelry kit. She can't wait to use it.

Park Day at the Mall

2010-01-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

When the weather is nice Carson, Connor, and I go to the park with our friends once a week. The weather has been cold and rainy lately. So last Wednesday we all went to the mall and let the kids play in the play place there while the moms supervised and visited. We all had such a good time. Here are some pictures of the kids playing.

Sliding!

Carson is King of the Mountain!

Connor is MAD about something.

Lunch time!

Carson and Connor riding the little Carousel.

WHAT FUN!!!

Firestation Tour

2010-01-25T11:04:00.001-08:00

On January 13th Carson, Connor and Mom went to the firestation with our friends for a tour. We all had a really good time. Just now Connor was looking at the pictures and said, "I want to do that again, Mom."

At the end of the tour they were given plastic fireman hats and stickers that look like a fireman's badge. They thought that was pretty cool.

We got to sit in a fire engine. Carson thought that was the best part.

Connor wasn't as thrilled about getting in the truck so I didn't get to sit in it.

Sitting in front of the fire truck.

The whole group.

Random Pictures

2010-01-19T15:40:00.000-08:00

Sierra got to bring one of the class pets home over the winter break. She brought home Sally, the bearded dragon. All the kids enjoyed playing with and taking care of Sally. She didn't do a lot and was kind of boring, but the kids really enjoyed holding her and watching her eat and move around.

Playing with Sally.

Sword Play.

Don bought these swords for the kids a few years ago.
They enjoy taking turns fencing with Dad.

Brotherly Love.

Morgan got an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas.
She really enjoys making yummy treats to share with everyone.
Sierra is really great at helping her out.

Putting the cake in the oven.

YUMMY!

My little chefs. They love to help me in the kitchen.

Sierra took a GATE photography class and over winter break was supposed to take some pictures of certain things and make a scrapbook to take to the class. She took this picture of Carson making a puckery face to represent sour. I think its a funny picture. I love it!

On the last day of winter break we went to Nubi's for one last fling before resuming normal life.

Frozen yogurt and a choice of any 2 toppings.

The kids were in heaven. It was very fun.

A bit of a cheesy smile from Mom, but hey, at least we were having fun.

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-17T16:53:00.000-08:00

We didn't do very much on New Year's Eve. Jen worked with Kristi Royer at a party. Don and the kids stayed home and watched a movie. Except Sierra who went to Emily's house for the night. New Year's Day was quite fun though. We spent the morning watching the Rose Parade, picking up the house and making preparations for our little party. In the afternoon, Jen's family came over. Several people went out shooting while the rest of us stayed here and had lunch and visited. When the shooters got back we ate burritos for dinner and then played games. The kids had a lot of fun playing together outside and in. The adults, and Sierra enjoyed games such as Apples to Apples and Loaded Questions. It was a fun day and pretty relaxing. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T10:53:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas was very busy, but enjoyable. We began the season with a new tradition taken from Germany. Don and I made an adventskranz, which is a wreath with 4 candles in it. This became the centerpiece of our table. Every Sunday before Christmas we would light a new candle. We enjoyed the centerpiece and this new tradition. By the fourth Sunday all the candles were lit and it was so pretty. The candles represent the light of Christ and as I contemplated this idea of more light coming into our home the closer we got to Christmas I was really touched. The more we think about the Savior the more we feel his love and light in our life and the brighter that light becomes. I really fell in love with our adventskranz. I will miss it during the rest of the year, but look forward to pulling it out after Thanksgiving. It doesn't look like a traditional German one, but we like it and here is a picture of our adventskranz:

On December 3rd Morgan was in a 1st grade presentation of "The Nutcracker". She was one of the narrators and did a great job. The whole presentation was very cute. We really enjoyed it. I was very proud of Morgan because she said all her lines clearly and loud. I could understand every word.
Our ward Christmas brunch on the 12th was really fun. The primary did a presentation of the nativity. Sierra was a narrator, Caden a shepherd, and Morgan was the lead angel that spoke to the shepherds (she was very excited about this). All of them did a very good job. The whole presentation was well done. Yeah for Primary!
On the 19th Sierra had her Christmas piano recital. I took video, but no pictures. Sorry. Sierra played 3 Christmas Carols: Stars Were Gleaming, Happy Holidays, and Joy to the World. She did them perfectly. We were very proud of her. She is excelling with this talent and expanding others. On the 20th she sang a duet with John Gonzales in Sacrament Meeting. They sang "What Child is This?" and did it beautifully. We were so proud of her! She truly sang like an angel.

On the 21st we went out to look at Christmas light displays and to do some caroling. The kids were very helpful with the baking this year. Everyone helped me make at least one different candy or cookie. It was really fun to have them in the kitchen to help me. They really enjoyed making the goody plates and delivering them to our friends along with the carols.

On the 23rd we had a Christmas dinner with Grandma and Grandpa. Thelma really outdid herself again. Dinner was fabulous! She wouldn't let me do anything for the dinner so the kids and I cleaned up. Then we shared gifts. We gave them a scrapbook of our camping trip to Bishop. I think they were really pleased. And the kids sure did make out! They were very excited about all their gifts.

Christmas day was filled with excitement, fun, and lots of laughter. Surprisingly the kids did not wake up until 7:00 am! They made their beds and came into our room to watch TV while they waited for Mom and Dad to get up and ready. Here they are waiting to go see if Santa came:
Sorry these pictures are blurry. Don't know what happened.

Yay! Santa came!

Here's the kids in front of their loot.

Our little chefs.

Ironman!

Our little magician.
Dress up clothes were the hit this year.

Jen was very busy this month. I decided to make a gift for each of the kids for Christmas. The boys each got a pair of pajama pants.

And the majority of the time was spent making dresses for the girls.

Here are the girls in their fancy satin dresses. I was so glad they fit and the girls liked them. My friend Stacy makes beautiful bead necklaces and I asked her if she would make the girls a necklace that would go with their dresses. You can't see them real well in the picture, but the girls are wearing them. They really like them.

The aftermath!

We spent Christmas evening at Nana and Papa's house. There were 26 people there. A little crowded, but fun. The Wittenbergs were here from Louisiana and Joy and Harry Klein came from San Diego. Katy had invited a friend and his wife. It was fun to see everyone although at times it was a bit chaotic. I didn't take a ton of pictures but I did take some.

Jaren and Becca finishing dinner preparations.

Getting the table ready.

Paul, Harry, and David enjoying doing nothing.

Connor taking a nap while Don studies something, probably German. It was a bit shocking to Don and I that we actually got to take a nap before going to the Vlk's home. I think it is the first Christmas that this has ever happened. The kids were playing well and we slept for an hour or so.

The gift exchange was pretty busy and chaotic. Sierra, Morgan, and I made a scrapbook for Nana and Papa which they thought was really cool.

The kids all had a blast opening their gifts.

Sierra made all the gifts for her cousins. Journals for Shyla and Amy, a bingo game for Olivia, and Sacrament quiet books for Aaron and Lonnie. Sierra was such a big help in preparing for Christmas. I would never have finished if it wasn't for her. I am so grateful for her and her willingness to help me.

And a little bonus gift for the nieces: Stacy Poulsen bead necklaces. They seemed to be a big hit with the girls.

Christmas was really fun, but seemed to come and go so quickly. I was very happy at the end of the day. It was fun to be with family. I especially enjoyed the time I had with Don and the children. How very grateful I am for them. I am also very grateful for the birth of the Savior and the opportunity that Christmas brings to reflect on his life. I was very sad when it was time to take down all the Christmas decorations and put them away. I truly felt like that Michael McLean song, "I Cry the Day that I Take the Tree Down". My goal for this year is to try to think of things to give as gifts throughout the year so that hopefully I will be done or almost done with Christmas preparations long before Christmas. Maybe then I can enjoy the holiday with the children a little more.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T14:44:00.000-08:00

The whole gang!

After we bought our house, we decided that we would host Thanksgiving so we didn't have to divide our day and go anywhere. We have had Thanksgiving at our place for the last 9 years (except we missed one when Don was sick). We love it! It was a really relaxing day. No one came over until 4:30 pm so we had all day to hang out together. I managed get all my laundry washed, folded, and put away as well as roast the turkey and do a large part of the dinner. And I felt little stress and managed not to raise my voice to a single person during all the preparations. Of course it helped that everyone was out of school on Wednesday this year. Don and Sierra were great helps to me in getting the house cleaned and all the food preparations done. Thanks guys. We were 15 in all for dinner (yes, we were half of the whole group!). Dinner was yummy and the company was great. Our guests were: Thelma and Kenny, Mike and Jean, Jaren and Becca, and Mary and Noah. Thanks to both my moms for all their help cleaning up after dinner. I sure appreciated it!

Getting punch -- Yum!

Carson cuddled up with Grandpa after dinner and went to sleep.

We spent the rest of the weekend just relaxing. Caden played in the Turkey tournament so we watched 3 soccer games. His team took 2nd place. I had a cold so didn't feel like doing much. We watched the first "Lord of the Rings" movie along with some other TV and movies. Jen did a little shopping Friday morning spending $46 and saving $75. Woo Hoo! That made me happy. We also started putting all the Christmas decorations up. I love this time of year.

Happy Hauntings

2009-11-03T15:44:00.001-08:00

Halloween afternoon and evening was very busy for us, but a whole lot of fun. It began at 2:00 pm with Caden's soccer game. Don and I left Sierra at home to baby-sit the younger kids while we went to the game. It was great! She is so responsible. When we got home at 4:00 all of them had eaten dinner and were in their costumes. Half my work was done. The rest of us got ready and then we headed to Don's Uncle Earl's home for a family Halloween party. Amber Cambridge organized this and even though we were a little late (soccer game) we had a lot of fun. Earl gave the kids a hay ride to some different houses where they went trick or treating. They had so much fun! Back at the house they decorated caramel apples and played with the other kids that were there. Then we headed out to our ward Halloween Trunk-or-treat. Adam and Amber brought little Ava and came with us. It was so good to spend time with them and Ava is such a doll. The kids enjoyed the trunk or treat bringing home more candy than we need. They especially enjoyed seeing their friends and all the different costumes. After the trunk or treat we headed to Grandma and Grandpa Culbertson's house for the final trick or treat. We were all very tired when we got home. The kids literally fell into bed and were asleep by the time their heads hit the pillow. A very fun Halloween!!

Jim and Pam from the Office

Little Miss Smarty Pants

G.I. Joe Caden

Glinda the Good Witch

Train Conductor--Choo! Choo!

Mickey Mouse

The Cambridge Clan

Hay ride

While on the hay ride, Connor started singing,
"We're on an Adventure!"
He sang this over and over. He was so excited, it was very cute.

Trick-or-Treat

Check out these cupcakes! I love them.
I wish I could take credit for them, but the credit all goes to Amber.
Thanks Amber!

Trunk-or-Treat

Someone had a laser light that made patterns on the ground. They also had music going. Both Connor and Ava loved this. They kept standing on the moving lights and dancing to the music. Very cute!

Crazy Hair Day

2009-11-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, I sent Sierra to school looking like this on Oct. 30th. It was crazy hair day and she wanted something crazy. Of course she also took her brush, just in case she felt too stupid at school. She kept it in all day. Fun, fun!

Sierra is SOO silly.

Calico

2009-11-03T12:10:00.000-08:00

During our Fall Break we spent a lot of time around the house. We got a couple of projects done like pruning the rose bushes, pulling out a tree, weeding, and painting a porch swing. Towards the end of the break we decided it was time to get out of the house and go do something. So we went to Calico Ghost Town. We spent an enjoyable afternoon there together. There wasn't a lot to see, but we enjoyed looking at what there was. Don overheard a few people speaking German and began talking to them. They were actually from Germany and Austria and were here touring the US. It was fun to use a little bit of the German we have learned. Carson even spoke a whole sentence in German to them. They were impressed that the kids were learning it too. Don said that everytime he began to speak German it came out in Spanish. We were laughing that he needs to unlearn Spanish so he can learn German. :) The kids really enjoyed going into the candy store where they could buy candy for 10 cents. I was amazed that a place like that existed! It was a fun afternoon.

In front of the bottle house.

Caden--always photogenic.

Sierra and Connor

Here's the group watching the train.

Rub-a-dub-dub 5 kids in a tub.

Oooh, la, la! Be still my heart!
"I'm walking like a dead guy."

"I'm doing my hot dog dance!"

Morgan wishing it was a real carriage ride.

Uh, oh!

Look what's happened to Dad!

Waiting

2009-11-03T11:18:00.000-08:00

We had an early start one day and ended up getting to Costco 20 minutes before it opened. While we were waiting for the store to open we took out the camera and played a little. I just love these pictures of the boys.

Best Friends!

SILLY!

We love Mommy.

My Little Boy

2009-11-03T11:04:00.000-08:00

In early October I cut the boys' hair. I finally gave Connor a buzz cut like the other two. I felt a little sad because he lost his baby boy look and now looks more like a big kid. I'm glad he's growing up, but my mommy heart feels a little sad that he is. No more babies in our home--at least until we have grandkids. :)

Meet Bones

2009-11-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

Don found this big gopher snake at school during one of his PE classes. He picked it up and it was a really calm snake. It doesn't seem to mind people at all. In fact when you pick him up he coils around your arm and he's hard to get off. He is now Don's classroom pet. He comes home over long breaks and the kids really enjoy him especially watching him eat. We named the snake Bones. I think snakes are pretty cool and I don't mind holding the nonpoisonous ones. Nobody took a picture of me holding the snake though. Here are the pictures of the kids with Bones.

I love this one of Sierra.

If you'll be nice to me, I'll be nice to you.

This is SOOO cool!

My new friend.

This is Fun!

Tent Fun

2009-11-03T10:13:00.000-08:00

One afternoon in September we set up this indoor tent. The boys settled in to eat lunch and watch the movie Bolt. They had a lot of fun with this. They were so cute to watch and listen to as they enjoyed the movie and each other. Good memories.

Carson's Birthday

2009-10-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it has been 4 years since Carson was born.
His early birth was so scary.
He was so small and so sick, but he was quite the fighter.
We are so glad to be celebrating four years of his life.

We had lots of things happen to help celebrate his birthday.
Playschool was at our house and we had a
happy birthday/un-birthday party.
We played pin the nose on the clown and had a bean bag toss.
We decorated cookies and all the kids exchanged gifts.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures during playschool.

In the evening the Casady kids were over (it was our turn to baby-sit).
We repeated many of the activities--
9 kids and a birthday, why not make it a party.
Still didn't take pictures of everything,
but got some fun shots anyway.

Morgan tossing bean bags.

Trevor's turn.

Carson is really concentrating.
Carson really enjoyed opening his presents.

Hmmm!?!
Transformer Walkie-Talkies
Connor likes theses too!

Ooh! What's this?

A train conductor's outfit.

Mommy's little engineer.

Time for birthday wishes.

Let them eat CAKE! and ice cream, too.

YUMMY!!!
Carson, we are so glad you are a part of our family!
We would not be complete without your sparkling personality,
playful ways, joyful laugh, and cuddly hugs.
We love you so much!
Happy Birthday.

Ben & Ione Wells Visit

2009-10-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

In August, my grandparents, Ben & Ione Wells, came from Spokane, WA for a visit. They were here in the high desert for a month. It was so good to see them and have time to spend with them. We had a couple of large family get-togethers. Becca organized a family BBQ for Aug. 22nd. To my delight my other grandparents, Joy & Harry Klein, and my cousin, Qiana, with her 2 kids, Mina & Dante, came from San Diego to party with us. We held it at the park and played soccer, water balloon fight, badminton, and horseshoes. We also got to meet Becca's boyfriend, Jaren. We think he is a great guy!
We had a great time visiting and playing. Unfortunately, I didn't take very many pictures of this event so I posted one of the 2 I took. I'll have to get more from Mom.

On Sept. 5th we met at my parents home for dinner and games. Mom made nachos and enchiladas. Yum! We had such a great time together and shared lots of laughs. That day I remembered to take pictures. Yay!

Qiana, Joy, Dante, Jean, Ione, Becca,
Jaren, Ben, Harry, & Mina at the park.

Ione & Ben
Something is funny!

Jaren & Becca

Dad & Mary rock out on Guitar Hero.

Grandpa is bowling on the Wii
while Grandma, Don, Morgan, Becca, & Jaren watch.

We took pictures family pictures with Grandma & Grandpa.

Grandma, Mary, and Noah being a little silly.

I love these last 2 pictures of my mom with her parents.

What a great time we had. I'm so glad that they could travel here so we could see them. Grandma & Grandpa, we sure do love you!! Thanks for the memories.

School and Soccer

2009-10-12T13:40:00.001-07:00

School started on August 3rd and so did soccer. The kids all love their teachers and, for the most part, are enjoying school. Sierra started middle school this year. Whoa! Can it really be so! My little girl is growing up. She is attending the school where Don works and likes going to school with her dad. Her best friend, Emily, is in all of her classes which she is very happy about. She does not like that she has to get up earlier (5:50 am as opposed to 7 am). She is not a morning person -- just like Dad. She has a bit more homework than she did last year and a lot more than she would like. Overall, she has made the adjustment well and likes school. Caden is in the 3rd grade and loves school. He has a good teacher and is doing very well. He is a voracious reader often finishing his books in a week or less. Morgan is in the 1st grade and has the same teacher Caden had in first grade. She really likes her teacher and does well in school, even though she tells me every morning that she doesn't want to go to school.
Sierra and Caden are both playing soccer this season. We now spend 3 nights a week at soccer practice and about 3 hours or so at the soccer fields every Saturday to watch the games. It makes life a little crazier trying to fit everything in, but I really don't mind it. The kids are getting exercise and learning new skills. Its fun to watch as they master new skills and improve. The younger kids even like going to the fields during practices and games. They get a chance to be outside and run around. They even like to play soccer. I took the following video of the boys after a practice. Hope you enjoy it.

Boating with the Poulsen's

2009-10-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

Our final summer activity was a day at Silverwood Lake with the Poulsen family. They took us out on their boat. Jen tried wake boarding, but wasn't very good at it. I actually got up about 3 times, but I couldn't stay up for more than 30 seconds. Maybe next time. However, Stacy was really good at it. We all had a lot of fun riding the raft while Heath tried to turn it over by going as fast as he could (safely of course). The younger kids didn't like it as much (even though Heath was pulling it as slow as he could), but I'm sure they will like it when they are a little older. Sierra had a blast and we had fun watching her. A few times the raft caught air and was hovering a couple of feet above the water. She was flying! Twice the raft turned on it's side a whole 90 degrees in the air (yes, while it was flying) and then righted itself. And there was Sierra still hangin' on. What a dare devil! :D Unfortunately, Stacy and I both forgot our cameras so we have no pictures of this very fun day. :( I guess we'll have to go again so that we can take pictures. Many thanks to the Poulsen family for a wonderful day.

Big Bear

2009-10-11T15:28:00.001-07:00

After our camping trip to Bishop we came home to wash clothes, attend church, and leave again for another camping experience. This time we camped with friends in Big Bear which is only an hour's drive into the mountains from home. This trip wasn't as stressful as the first for several reasons: the drive wasn't as long, we were only a couple of miles from town (if we forgot something it wasn't a big deal), and we were only gone for 4 days instead of 6. With us were the Casady, Riding, Eyanson, and Malstrom families. We had a lot of fun playing games and just getting to know each other better. Before heading up to Big Bear, Don and I put together our own version of the Amazing Race. Tuesday afternoon we organized everyone into teams, gave them their first clue and then took off to our posts. It was so fun to watch everyone come through the check points to receive their clues. Don and I were both laughing so hard. Each team was so competetive -- especially the Casady car. Never saw Dan drive so fast! :) It was so much fun to watch them. The girls were very giggly and loud--something we don't always see. I think everyone had a good time. I know we did. So here are some pictures of some of the other activities we did. We really enjoyed this trip with our friends.

FOOD!

CAMPFIRES!

TREE CLIMBING!

CANOEING!

SWIMMING!

PAINTBALLING!

FRIENDS!

And Fun!
That's what it's all about!
Thanks everyone for the
Great Times and Great Memories!

For Miriam

2009-10-10T16:48:00.000-07:00

This past week we got in touch with Miriam who lives in Germany. We have been communicating with her through the internet and have become quite good friends with her. This past Thursday
we took a day trip to Calico Ghost Town. While we were there we made this video for Miriam. As she had trouble viewing it through her email, we are posting it on our blog in hopes she can view it. So here's to you Miriam, our new friend!

Sierra's Birthday

2009-10-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

While we were camping in Bishop we celebrated Sierra's 11th BIRTHDAY. Wow! Can she be that old already? Where has the time gone. Sierra is such a delightful girl and we are so HAPPY that she is a part of our family. She is so helpful, funny, and compassionate. We love our Sierra so much. Thanks, for being so wonderful, girl.

For her birthday we fished, hiked, played games, and all the usual camping stuff. Her birthday dinner consisted of steak, potatoes, corn on the cob, with peach dump cake and ice cream for dessert. What a feast! When it was time for her to open her presents, she didn't seem all that excited. Caden and Morgan received and Daddy, Mommy, child date which included a meal out and their choice of activity. Sierra was figuring that she would get the same thing and had been planning it for months. Boy, was she surprised when she opened her gift and found two tickets for the play Wicked! Yes, she got a trip with her mom to see the play she'd been wanting to see for a year or more. She was so surprised and happy. We got lots of hugs and thank yous that day. Check out her smiles!

Our tickets were for Saturday, August 15th. I explained a little theater history and how people used to dress up to go to the theater, but now a lot of people wear casual clothes. I asked her to pick what kind of clothes she wanted to wear. To my delight she wanted to dress up. So we woke early, showered, dressed, curled hair, etc. We left the house about 10:00 AM and headed to San Diego to see the play. The traffic was good and we made great time, arriving 1 1/2 hours early. If you know me that was no small feat. We ate lunch and then walked around outside until it was time to go inside. Our seats were in the center nosebleed section but it was still FABULOUS! Sierra had the soundtrack for a year and was familiar with all the music (I could hear her singing softly beside me during parts of the play). We took binoculars so we could see the costumes and facial expressions up close. It was great! We thoroughly enjoyed the play. Can't say enough about it. Sierra said it was one of the best gifts she's ever had. She kept hugging me and telling me how much she loved me. When we left the theater we stopped in Rancho Bernardo for dinner at Denny's and then headed home (after having air put in a very low tire). We made good time coming home, but I was stressed out most of the way as I was worried about getting a flat tire (we had a nail in one of the tires!) Fortunately, the leak was a really slow one and we made it home just fine. I am grateful for the power of prayer and my Heavenly Father's help. Could have done without the stress though, sure would have enjoyed the drive more. All in all it was a FANTASTIC trip. The best part for me was spending the day hanging out with my daughter and sharing something (the theater) that I love so much with her. Having a daughter this age is a wonderful thing. I am so grateful we can share moments like this together. I look forward to such days with all my children. Being a mom is Awesome!

Bishop Camping Trip

2009-09-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

5 days after our trip to San Diego we were off to the mountains. We went to Bishop, Ca for a week long camping trip with Don's parents. We were very fortunate to find a campsite big enough for their trailer and our tents. Once we were all settled it was a pretty relaxing vacation. We enjoyed a variety of activities--mostly fishing. The mountains were beautiful and we enjoyed exploring them. The children especially loved the freedom they felt as they were able to explore close by the campsite on their own a little. Fishing was a favorite activity. Each of the kids caught their own fish (the little ones had some help, but everyone got to reel in a fish). I think the only person who didn't catch a fish the whole week was Don's mom. The kids also enjoyed spending time with their Grandma and Grandpa. It was fun watching them interact with their grandparents. Good memories.

Here we are on the bridge going into our campground.

Spent a morning at a lake and tried our hands at lake fishing. No luck.
Connor sure enjoyed climbing around on the rocks.

Sierra lake fishing.

Carson wants S'MORES!

Carson and Grandma walking through
the meadow at Cardinal Village.

Morgan, Sierra, Connor, Carson, & Caden in a tree.

One morning after breakfast the kids and I hiked up the side of a mountain. We only went part way up because the little boys ran out of steam. We sure had a great time though. This picture was taken by Sierra looking down the mountain we hiked.

On the mountain.

After the hike we headed back to our campsite. I told the kids to skip.
Here's the happy skippers.

After skipping I told them to do the boogie dance.
Yes, we were being very silly.
Leave it to Caden to turn and stick it out.
Had to capture the memory.

Morgan enjoyed FISHING in the stream.

Sierra caught this 14 inch trout.
What a beauty!

Don, Carson, Connor, & Morgan with the fish they caught.
Yes, the boys helped Don with a fish. Morgan caught the other.

Dad and Grandpa taught Caden and Sierra how to
clean the fish they caught.
They thought this was one of the coolest parts of the trip.
And yes, Grandpa handed Caden a knife and let him do it on his own.
Mom was the basket case that couldn't watch Caden cut the fish apart
for fear he'd hurt someone (accidentally, of course!).

San Diego Part 1

2009-09-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

Right after Scout Camp, we packed up and went to San Diego for 4 days. We stayed with Joy and Harry Klein (Jen's Grandma and husband) and had a really nice visit with them. While in San Diego we spent an afternoon at the beach in Mission Bay. We bought lunch and picnicked at the beach and then just hung out. The kids and Don enjoyed the water and I enjoyed watching them and taking pictures. The weather was perfect and we had an enjoyable time. Here's some pictures of that day.

Digging for sand crabs.

Watch out! Here it comes!

RUN!!!

Working on a sand castle.

San Diego Part 2

2009-09-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

Also in San Diego we spent an afternoon at The Midway, a retired Naval carrier turned into a museum. It was a self-guided tour which meant we all wore headphones and when we came to points of interest we would type in the corresponding number on our keypad and listen to the "tour guide". We could also hear accounts from people who actually served on a carrier. It was an extremely fascinating afternoon. The kids completely loved it, although it turned out to be a little long for Connor and Mom (who just hadn't had enough sleep). It was well worth the visit. Following are some pictures we took while at the museum.

Don and Jen in front of the museum.

Jen and the kids in front of a plane.
Don't ask me which one, that's Don's department.

Oh, it's a Texan but he can't remember the number.

Inside a cockpit. It must be pretty loud in there. :)

In the brig! That's where the wrong-doers go.

Yep, Mom and Dad too! What a tough crew.

On the flight deck. An F14 Tomcat (the Top Gun plane).
This is the one Don really wanted to fly.

Don has always wanted to fly one of these planes.
Unfortunately, this is the closest he will ever get.

In the control room.
Now who put these guys in charge?
Everybody better be extra careful.

LA Arboretum

2009-09-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

The first two weeks of summer, Don spent getting ready for and attending Scout Camp. The rest of us hung out and enjoyed not having school. While Don was at Scout camp, the kids and I spent a lot of time together doing stuff locally. We hiked Bell Mountain, went to lunch at Del Taco, a trip to the library, movie night, guitar hero and other such stuff. One day we got out of Apple Valley and went to the LA Arboretum in Pasadena. My Grandmother used to take me to the Arboretum often when I was a young girl. I have very fond memories of the place and wanted to share them with the kids. Don's mom joined us as did the Ridings, Casadys, Emily Packer, and the Telfords. Unfortunately, the Telfords came later and I never did see themm, although others did. We had a really fun trip. We took a picnic lunch and ate before entering the park. Then spent the afternoon walking around the park, viewing the Queen Anne Cottage and Stables, and feeding the geese and peacocks. The following pictures are of this trip.

The boys in a tree. It was near the end of the day and the little guys were starting to get tired.
Emily, Morgan, and Sierra in one of the beautiful flower gardens there.
The kids enjoying the carriage house near the Queen Anne Cottage.
Grandma, Jen & the kids in front of the Queen Anne Cottage.

Hiking through the "jungle".

Watching and feeding the turtles and fish in the lake.

Our picnic lunch.
What a fun day we had!!

Summer 2009

2009-09-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Our summer was very full and busy. We did a lot of different things and had a lot of fun. I took lots of pictures and we've enjoyed looking at them. We're excited to share them. But since we did so much and have so many pictures I have been trying to think of the best way to post them. At first I was going to try to do one big running entry of all our activities, but trying to do this was proving to be too much. I don't think I could finish it in one computer session. Now my goal is to post a little at a time. This way it won't be so overwhelming. I'm hoping to get caught up this week, but knowing me it will probably take until next week to be completely caught up.

Happy Birthday, Connor!

2009-08-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

I know Connor's Birthday was months ago (May 31st), but I wouldn't want to miss anyone. The end of the school year was pretty crazy and it was all I could do to remember his birthday. Connor has certainly turned out to be the best surprise I've ever had. He is such a cute little guy and boy, does he know it. He says the darndest things and makes us laugh. For example: The other night at dinner he was reaching for the bowl of fruit salad and looked like he was trying to use the force to make it come to him. Don was laughing and told him to put his arms up and "Say the magic word..." While Don was trying to come up with a silly magic word, Connor-with his hands in the air-says, "Please!" We got a pretty good laugh and gave him some fruit. Another funny story: Last night he ran over to the front door and begins counting, "3, 2, 1, 18, 20 ready not here I come." We weren't even playing hide and seek. I guess he thought it would be fun to do and tried to get a game going. Too bad it was bedtime! He also loves to sing and dance--He sings the Barney song: "I love me. I love you." What a character! Aside from being funny, he is a typical 2 year old. Loves cars, trains, dinosaurs, dirt, and "playing" soccor (he's actually quite good at dribbling the ball). He can be a little ornery at times, but he also loves to help and cuddle with mommy. When mommy is not available, Sierra is the next best thing. He loves his big sister and she is amazing with him. She can calm him down sometimes when I can't. He actually gets along with everyone pretty easily when he is well rested and fed. He follows the older kids around and joins in their games. He and Carson play very well together most of the time (they are still learning how to share). He loves being Dad's buddy and likes to wrestles and have tickle fights. We are so glad he is a part of our family. We love you, Connor!

Sierra's Solo

2009-08-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

Sierra was part of the swing choir at school this year. Swing choir is an extension of the regular school choir, and is only offered to 4th and 5th graders. The students met once a week before school started to learn new and more difficult songs. Many of the students were given solo parts for the end of the year performance. Sierra had a solo and when I watched it tears sprang to my eyes. Don and I knew she could sing as she sings all the time at home. However, in front of people she tends to be a little more quiet and reserved. Well, watch out world! She is not so reserved now. She put her heart into her solo and sang so beautifully. Her voice truly rang out like a bell. We are so very proud of her! Way to go Sierra!

I have been trying on and off for two months to upload this video. I finally figured out how to cut it and make it shorter. So instead of being able to hear the whole song you only get to hear Sierra. However, I finally got it to upload. Yeah! I'm so excited that I figured it out by myself (no help from Don!) :) Enjoy.

Brotherly Love?

2009-05-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

The other day Connor was taking a nap, and we looked over to see Carson bending over him. At first Carson was trying to stick Connor's binkie in his mouth. Then he was touching his face and head. We are not quite sure if he was being loving or just a pest. But he genuinely seemed to love his brother. Connor was so tired he never even moved. It was very cute to watch. I'm so glad that they get along so well.

Ouch!!

2009-05-24T17:25:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 13th, just 2 days after the engine in the Suburban died and left me stranded for 2 hours as I waited for the tow truck, I ended up in the ER with Caden. We had just returned home from having dinner at Chipotle's and had sent the kids to get ready for bed. Caden was in a goofy mood and wouldn't settle down. He fell and hit the corner of the wall cutting his ear open. So we had family prayer and then he and I headed for the hospital at 8:30 pm. I can't say I was thrilled about the unexpected trip. On the up side I had two hours of one-on-one with Caden. He ended up not needing stitches. They used steri strips to close the wound and then used Dermabond glued to hold it in place as it healed. A week and a half later the glue and steri strips are gone and it is healing quite nicely. While we were at the hospital we noticed just how hard he hit the wall. In this last picture, check out the bruise that goes from behind the ear all the way down his neck! It's a good he is so resilient. :)

Hats off to Spring!!

2009-05-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

One of Morgan's spring break projects for school was to decorate this paper hat that she would wear in the Kindergarten spring hat parade. I thought she did a great job! It is now hanging on the wall in her room so she can enjoy it for awhile. Speaking of enjoying the hat, Morgan wasn't the only one. Here's a picture of Connor enjoying the beautiful hat!

On the Town

2009-05-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

Another day trip we took during spring break was to L.A. We rode the train from Rancho Cucamonga into L.A. Then we rode the trains and walked from one place to another. We saw China town, Olvera street, the Bradbury Building, rode the elevators at the Bonaventure Hotel, walked through a street tunnel, and through the one of the oldest markets in L.A. We walked a lot and saw a lot of interesting things. We had a really good time and everyone was really tuckered out when we were done. Sierra's friend Emily came with us. When we were all done we stopped for ice cream on the way home. It was a great and memorable day. Here is a picture of the kids in the Bonaventure elevator. We went up to floor 27. It gave us quite a view of the city.

Monkeys at the Zoo

2009-05-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

During spring break we took the kids to the zoo. It was such a great day! The weather was perfect and everyone was in a good mood. Here the kids are walking through a cave behind the waterfall. They thought that was great! The most memorable things we saw were the Gibbons monkeys which were very active and quite the little show-offs and the jaguar which looked quite menacing as it paced the cage.

Willy Wonka

2009-03-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

Sierra joined the drama club again this year. The play was Willy Wonka Kids and was performed just before spring break. Sierra played the part of Ms. Teavee. She did a great job. She has come out of her shell quite a bit in the last couple of years (though she still tends to be a little timid in front of large groups of people). We are very please with her love of the cultural arts and look forward to more performances--both on the piano and in future drama clubs. Here is a picture of Sierra in her costume (we were going for 50s housewife look).

Spring Break

2009-03-24T15:51:00.000-07:00

It's springtime and that means it's time to start planting. Don and the children are out of school for a 2 week spring break (Yeah!) and our focus is to get the garden ready and planted. We planted tomatoes, tomatillos, jalepenos, and squash. We'll be adding green beans and maybe some watermelon. We've spent the last 2 days cleaning up the blackberry and boysenberry plants. We were a bit neglectful last year and the weeds were horrible. We weeded and pruned all the dead branches off and wove them around the fence. It looks really good and hopefully we will have a good crop of berries this year. The strawberry plants are doing really well and already have flowers on them. We will also be cleaning up the asparagus bed (we are already getting asparagus-YUM!) and the rose bed this week. Our hope is to get most of the work done this first week so that we can play next week. We are very excited about the garden this year and we are having fun doing it together.

Morgan's Sick Day

2009-03-24T15:34:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago Morgan stayed home from school sick. In those moments that she felt okay enough to do something, but not too much, we decided it was a good time for her to put together her Hannah Montana messenger bag. She got the craft kit for her birthday, but finding a time when I could help her was a little tricky. Staying home from school gave us a perfect time to put it together and have some bonding time. She is very pleased with her bag and uses it frequently.

Award Winners

2009-03-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month Caden and Sierra both received the top reader awards for their respective grade levels. Each of them were the second highest AR pts. acquired for this last trimester. Sierra entered the science fair and was one of the grand prize winners at her school. She went to the district science fair and received one of the 3rd place medals. Both of them enjoy school and do very well. We are so very proud of them.

Caden's Baptism

2009-03-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

The most recent "big" event in our family is that Caden was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Feb. 28, 2009. He was very happy and on his best behavior that day. Don baptized and confirmed him. Caden was given a blessing that was so suited for him that we know it came from heaven. We are very proud of Caden's decision to be baptized. After his baptismal service we went to Red Lobster for dinner. Caden ate more crab than anyone else! He sure has expensive taste!
On a side note: we walked over to Barnes and Noble while we were waiting for our table at the restaurant. On the way over I noticed a very rare site that I may never see again. So rare I even took several pictures. Here is one of them:

Sierra and Caden are holding hands!

Caden's Birthday Party

2009-03-10T15:03:00.001-07:00

Smashing the homemade pinata and collecting the goodies--Yippee!

Transformer cake!
Designer transformer masks!
Presents!
Silly kids and a Slumber Party!
Loads of Fun!!!

Feb. 6, 2009

2009-03-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

Morgan turned 6 on the 23rd of January. She was so excited for her birthday! We gave her a Mommy-Daddy-Daughter date for her birthday. She got to choose whatever she wanted to do for her date. We went shopping so she could spend her birthday money, went out for Chinese food and saw the movie Bolt in the theater. She said it was "the best day!" It sure was a lot of fun for us too.

We're Learning!

2009-01-29T16:23:00.000-08:00

This is very new to us. We're hoping that we will get the hang of this soon and be able to keep our family and friends up to date on our activities. Hope you are all having a wonderful day!