The McCutchen's

Aquarium

2012-01-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

For Christmas we received a family membership at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. So we made our first trip, of many, last weekend! We were able to get in half and hour before the general public and we were able to see a lot of things before it got too busy! The kids loved all the hands-on exhibits and we got some great pictures of the sealife!

Jack's First Haircut

2012-01-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

Jack has been needing a haircut for some time so we finally did it! He looks so much more grown up! We liked the longer look in the back so it still has some length it's just now evened out!

I know these aren't the best pictures, it happened to be the night before while he was enjoying the ice cream sundae bar that Auntie and Uncle Chris made for us. You can really see the long hairs in the back!

The after...

what a little man!

Merry Christmas 2011!

2011-12-25T14:29:00.001-08:00

We spent the Christmas weekend at my parents house and had a great time enjoying our time with family! We opened all of our gifts and stockings on Christmas Eve and went to the Christmas Eve service at my parents church, the men were in full kilt attire! Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

Working on a Christmas puzzle,

being silly and having fun with PopPop and Minnie Mae,

Brian and Jack playing in in the pop-up tent,

opening stockings and gifts,

lots of cute things for the twins :),

the men in their kilts,

all the ladies, including both twin girlies,

"Sisters, Sisters, there were never such devoted sisters!"
We watched White Christmas, a family favorite holiday movie,

Christmas jammies!

First Real Haircut

2011-12-25T14:21:00.000-08:00

Violet had her first "real" haircut last week! We had trimmed the ends when she was about 18 months and kept the bangs cut, but up until this point she hasn't had a real cut. She was due for one though, each day was tough to get through the tangles! Violet loved the experience and enjoys her new do! She had about 5 inches cut off and looks so grown-up!

This the the "before" image:

"during":

"final":

19 Months

2011-12-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that Jack is already 19 months old! He is all boy and keeps us on our toes at all times! For example, in the last year he has managed to swallow a marble, place a live centipede in his mouth, put his lips on chicken poop just to name a few! He is constantly on the move, adores his big sister, is daddy's little buddy and has his mommy wrapped around his finger! We love you Jack!

At his doctor's appointment today Jack weighed 22 pounds and 14 ounces, his head circumference was 18 inches, and he is 33 inches long!!

Tree Trimming

2011-12-07T22:02:00.000-08:00

We went the Johnson Tree farm last weekend and got our beautiful tree! Jack and Violet loved being able to run around, help cut the tree, and pet the animals at the farm! It was a fun day!

Playing peek among the trees,

Violet being a great helper,

Jack kissing our tree after it had been cut,

helping to decorate the tree,

this was Jack's face when he woke up from his nap and saw the tree and decorations, so cute!

A Day at the Beach

2011-12-07T21:38:00.001-08:00

We enjoyed a nice warm Saturday at the beach as a fam.! Gotta love California!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T14:46:00.000-08:00

We were fortunate to celebrate with the McCutchen side of the family for Thanksgiving this year! Since everyone was in town for Ashley's wedding we did our big traditional meal on Sunday, the 2oth! Brian did an exceptional job BBQ-ing the bird and we enjoyed the company of others as we feasted on delicious food!

Brian and the golden turkey, YUM!!!!

Here we are sitting down to eat: Violet, Brita, Jared, Kim, Whitney, Grandma, Aunt Helen, Jack, Brian, Jason, Mom, Dad, Miranda, and Chad!

Ashley's Wedding!

2011-11-25T14:25:00.000-08:00

Ashley Nicole and Christopher Howie Guyer were married on Saturday, November 19th, 2011! We felt SO very blessed to be a part of their big day, Brian was the officiant, I was a bridesmaid and Violet was a flower girl. We had the privilege of having Ashley live with us for the last 5 months, she so graciously started watching our kids when I began teaching. And she was also planning a wedding full-time! The big day went off without a hitch, as well as the fun filled days prior (bachelorette/bachelor party, rehearsal/ dinner, after party etc.) We wish Ashley and Chris hearts filled with love as they begin this new season of their lives together as a married couple, we love you both!

It's been awhile since all of the siblings were together, here they are from oldest to youngest:
Brian, Jason, Ashley, Jared and Chad!

We rented a stretch Hummer limo for the bachelorette and bachelor party night out. We road to Fremont all together and had dinner at In-N-Out. Then the boys got dropped off at Dave and Busters and the ladies went to The Saddle Rack!

Ashley and I together,

here we are in front of The Saddle Rack, we enjoyed some country line dancing, riding a mechanical bull and just having a fun evening out!

The bride and groom!

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures at the rehearsal or the rehearsal dinner.... this is the day of, getting hair and make-up done!

The bride with her bridesmaids, Whitney, Me, and Linnea!

The beautiful bride and Mother of the Bride!

Hopefully I'll be able to get pictures of the wedding and reception, I didn't take any on my own camera, oops, just enjoying the day too much!

Family Photos

2011-11-21T21:49:00.000-08:00

We had the privilege to have our pictures taken a few weeks ago by some of our friends Peter and Jana. They turned out great! Here are a few of our favorites:

Remembering Grandpa

2011-11-12T16:09:00.001-08:00

We celebrated the life of my grandpa, Bob Mitchell, this past week. What a wonderful man who will be greatly missed by friends and family. He always had a smile on his face and open arms for a hug. He loved spending time with family and we loved spending time with him. Monica and I were privileged enough to spend a trip touring Scotland and England with our grandparents, spent their 50th wedding anniversary together in Hawaii. They visited us multiple times while we attended North Park in Chicago. And we spent many trips in the RV to Pismo, Yosemite and Arizona. He had an excitement for life and sharing that love with others like no one I have ever known. He also loved Christ with everything in him and displayed that love through the way he treated others; he loved each person he came in contact with. There is so much more that I could say but for now; we will miss you very much grandpa and we'll see you again. We love you!

My Grandma and her two boys, my dad and Uncle Steve

all the men wearing their kilts in honor of Grandpa,

the first time he held Violet,

4 generations,

the first time they held Jack,

one of my favorites!

From the Archives....

2011-11-12T15:59:00.000-08:00

Just going through some pictures and found some I don't think have been posted, enjoy!

Happy Halloween (a little late)!

2011-11-12T15:49:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a few weeks since Halloween, but here are a few pictures of pumpkin carving and dressing up. Fortunately the weather was really ice for us to enjoy dinner with several others outside at Frontier Ranch and then trick-or-treat around Freemy Circle afterward!

Violet with the white pumpkin,

looking into the pumpkin guts,

the two final products,

our little chef and his cupcake,

silly family pic.!

Halloween Party!

2011-10-25T21:48:00.001-07:00

Brian and I hosted a Halloween party last weekend which was really fun! Brian had brewed a batch of pumpkin ale, we had some delicious snacks and we had asked everyone to dress in a costume that started with the letter "M." Everyone was really creative in their costume choices and we gave away prizes for the best costume of the night!

Some yummy food for the night, monster fingers cheese-sticks, mummy dogs, pumpkin dip and fruit, veggie monster mouths, and pumpkin cookies!

Some fun costumes:
A milkmaid and her cow, moonshine,

a magnet, Mulan and a man-eating shark,

metamorphosis of a Monarch butterfly,

maid of honor and a married couple (Mr. and Mrs. Merry),

Marilyn Monroe and Minute Maid,

Matt and Monica as M&M's, the Pitts family, all 4 of them!! That's right, Monica is expecting, TWINS!!!! We are SO excited for them!!

Backpacking in Yosemite

2011-10-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

Brian, Jared and Josh recently went backpacking in Yosemite for 4 days. They had beautiful weather, not even sleeping in their tent at night and hiked some amazing trails. Brian took a lot of pictures, here are a few of some his great shots:

Hawaii 2011

2011-10-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

Brian and I were able to visit the North Shore of Oahu for about 5 days, it was wonderful! We relaxed with no scheduled routine enjoying snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding, surfing, laying out, swimming with sea turtles, eating some delicious food and just enjoying being together! Here are a few pictures of our stay:

This is the view from our place, right on the beach...

One day we drove part way around the island, this was the East side with a lot of mountains. It reminded us of LOST!

We went to Matsumots's for shaved ice and it was SO good! They put a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the bottom of the cup and the ice on top with yummy flavor combinations!

It was HUGE!

Halewia was the closest town to us. We ate dinner there several nights and went to a coffee plantation and soap factory!

We ate at this local shrimp truck, SO good!

This was our delicious meal!

We also had fresh papaya and pineapple for breakfast!

A Hawaiian sunset,

These turtles would come so close to us that we could touch them, they were really big and very cool!

We saw several geckos too!

Our last night there!

Hawaii: Pictures Coming Soon!

2011-10-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

I know it's been awhile since I last posted and we're already into the second week of October, yikes! You may be wondering if we fell off the map, well we kind of did! Brian and I have been visiting the North Shore of Oahu since last Friday. During our stay Violet and Jack have been at my parents house, a win-win situation for all! We return tomorrow and I'll be posting pictures soon, aloha!

Pre-School

2011-09-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

Violet is enrolled in the pre-school at Twin Lakes which has been such a blessing! She attends two days a week (Tues. and Thurs.), all day! She and I get to spend some time together in the mornings before I drop her off in her class and I get to see her at lunch. Then I pick her up right after my students have been dismissed at the end of the day! She eats a morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack and she also gets a 2 hour nap from 1 -3 in the afternoon! As parents, we are so proud of her that she has transitioned to a new environment so well! She is really enjoying her time in class and making new friends! It's fun at the end of the day to talk about what happened in each of our classes on the way home!

A New Job

2011-09-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

I recently took a second grade teaching position at Twin Lakes Christian School in Aptos. The turn of events was very sudden, I hadn't even applied for the position but the principal was in a bind and my resume was the first on her stack. One thing led to another and although full-time teaching is not ideal, we are excited to make it work for at least a year with the possibility of going part-time next year! Currently Ashley, Brian's sister, is taking care of the kids which will buy us some time until she moves back to Oklahoma in November, and then we will be looking for a full-time childcare provider. We felt that the Lord was really opening the door for this opportunity for me to transition back into teaching and so far it's been working out really well! I have a wonderful support system of family, friends, colleagues, administrators, and parents to also aid in the transition back to work. I will continue to work as the children's coordinator at our church as well! Lots of changes for our family as we move into fall!

Friends and Family!

2011-09-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

A recent trip provided the opportunity for us to visit friends and family, it was a wonderful time spent with everyone!

Sweet Jackie,

Violet and Pooh,

a day on the boat, the kids LOVED it!

At the Nealons, Joel, Maren, Violet and Jack,

Jen and I,

both families,

silly pic!

Ashley's bridal shower,

Violet and Jack being silly!

Cake Pops!

2011-08-23T21:23:00.000-07:00

Ashley and I tried out our new "Babycakes" maker to whip up a batch of cake pops this weekend! They turned out SO cute and delicious! For some of the toppings we rolled our chocolate covered cake pops in Butterfingers, chocolate and rainbow sprinkles, and red sugar sprinkles. We are going to make pumpkin donut holes this week with our "Babycakes maker, yummmm!

The cake pops before we dipped them in chocolate and topppings!

Yummyness!!

Violet enjoying her first-ever cake pop!

Summer...

2011-08-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that we're already on the last week of camp for the summer, the time has flown by! Our staff this summer has been amazing! They worked hard, got along really well, stepped up whenever necessary, loved on our kids, and were an example of Christs' love to one another as well as the campers and their families! Here are a few pictures from our staff banquet and a day at the pool!

It's always fun to get dressed up after being in flip-flops and camp clothes all summer!

Our goofy kids at dinner!

Bathing beauty,

busy playing in the water,

what a sweet boy!

Violet's 4th Birthday!

2011-07-31T14:21:00.000-07:00

We had a great day yesterday celebrating Violet's 4th birthday! The night before she opened a few gifts from family, including a new doll house and fun underwear! On Saturday we enjoyed Monkey Bread for breakfast and then she opened a few more presents from family, including a Hello Kitty watch she had asked for. Jack enjoyed the tissue paper and boxes! After nap time we went down to Frontier Ranch where we were joined by friends to eat cake, play in the bounce house and take several runs on the slip and slide. We finished the day off allowing Violet to pick where she'd like to eat for her birthday dinner. She chose a local favorite, Burger, yum! We can't believe that she is already 4 years old! She is so sweet and silly and we have truly enjoyed the last 4 years watching her grow into a beautiful little girl. We are looking forward to celebrating many more to come. Happy Birthday Violet!

New chones,

endless hours of entertainment,

birthday girl with her birthday crown,

new watch, she hasn't taken it off since yesterday,

Jack enjoying the festivities,

enjoying cake

and juice!

Frontier friends: Jessica, Britney and Hannah

Britney handmade this owl for Violet, so cute!

Violet with daddy on the slip and slide,

Jack didn't want to be left out, check out his hair!

Jack wasn't so sure about the bounce house,

Happy Birthday Violet, we love you!

Flower Girl

2011-07-25T13:41:00.001-07:00

Violet is practicing to be a flower girl in Chris and Ashley's wedding in November!

2011 Wharf to Wharf

2011-07-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

Ashley, Katie and I all ran in the 2011 Santa Cruz Wharf to Wharf this weekend. This 10K race takes the 15,000 participants from the Santa Cruz wharf to the Capitola wharf. It is so fun and I'm glad that we all got to do it together. I'm proud of you girls!

Here's Ashley and I getting ready to leave the house at 6:30 a.m.

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the three of us ladies together, but here's the cute Goodin family: Josephine, Warren and Katie!

Summer

2011-07-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying spending time at the beach and relaxing in the pool on the back deck, the kids love being outside!

4th of July

2011-07-04T21:13:00.000-07:00

We had a very fun day celebrating the 4th of July! The day began with pancakes as a family, Brian had a camp sleep-in day so he didn't have to leave the house as early as normal, yeah! I ran in the Mt. Goat 5K race at Mission Springs with my family cheering me on at the top of the hill. We spent some time at the carnival getting faces painted, eating ice cream, playing games and winning prizes! After short afternoon naps we went to the 4th of July parade at camp and ended the evening with fruit-works at Frontier Ranch! Here are a few pictures of our busy day:

Violet getting a butterfly painted on her face,

enjoying some ice cream,

watching the parade with our friends Kelly and Shannon,

this is Jack's reaction to the loud tuba in the marching band!

Both Violet and Jack loved being outside for the majority of the day,

our 5th year of fruit-works, our version of fireworks on the 4th, fruit thrown from the zip line tower that explodes once it hits the ground!

Colorado and Ordination

2011-07-01T22:35:00.001-07:00

We spent the last week in Colorado attending the Feast and Covenant Annual meeting as well as celebrating Brian as he was ordained into the Covenant denomination. We are so proud of him and this huge accomplishment! We had fun as a family swimming, playing at the park, tie-dying t-shirts, playing games, and hiking! We felt so blessed to have both sets of parents and other family members attend the ordination ceremony to support and encourage Brian! We love you Brian!

I was SO very fortunate to have my mom travel with me and the kids from CA to CO,

playing at the park,

family pic., Jack is sleeping with his head turned the other direction,

like father, like son,

before the ordination service,

during the blessing and sending out of the ordinands,

I am so proud of my husband and all that he has worked for to accomplish this goal, I love you!

Can It Be?

2011-06-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

Can it be that this little man was just a peanut a year ago? Where does the time go?

Recent Pictures...

2011-06-12T20:11:00.001-07:00

We've been spending so much time outside lately now that the rain has finally stopped, we are really enjoying the sunshine!

Summer Reading 2011

2011-06-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

Our book club has come to the end of our third year together, I'm SO proud of us friends! It's pretty incredible that we find the time to enjoy recreational reading and spend time with friends to discuss each month while juggling many other things on each of our plates. Here's the list of books we read this year with a brief summary of each if you're looking for some summer reading. I've also included a few of my favorite other books that I read and really enjoyed! Happy reading!

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

As a child, Kathy-now thirty-one years old-lived at Hailsham, a private school in the scenic English countryside where the children were sheltered from the outside world, brought up to believe that they were special and that their well-being was crucial not only for themselves but for the society they would eventually enter. Kathy had long ago put this idyllic past behind her, but when two of her Hailsham friends come back into her life, she stops resisting the pull of memory.

End of the Spear by Steve Saint

Steve Saint was five years old when his father, missionary pilot Nate Saint, was speared to death by a primitive Ecuadorian tribe. In adulthood, Steve, having left Ecuador for a successful business career in the United States, never imagined making the jungle his home again. But when that same tribe asks him to help them, Steve, his wife, and their teenage children move back to the jungle. There, Steve learns long-buried secrets about his father's murder, confronts difficult choices, and finds himself caught between two worlds.

Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors

Journey to dazzling seventeenth-century Hindustan, where the reigning emperor, consumed with grief over the tragic death of his beloved wife, commissions the building of the Taj Mahal as a testament to the marvel of their love. Princess Jahanara, their courageous daughter, recounts their mesmerizing tale, while sharing her own parallel tale of forbidden love with the celebrated architect of the Taj Mahal. This impressive novel sweeps readers away to a historical Hindustan brimming with action and intrigue in an era when, alongside the brutalities of war and oppression, architecture and the art of love and passion reached a pinnacle of perfection.

Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Micheal Dorris

Michael Dorris has crafted a fierce saga of three generations of Indian women, beset by hardships and torn by angry secrets, yet inextricably joined by the bonds of kinship. Starting in the present day and moving backward, the novel is told in the voices of the three women: fifteen-year-old part-black Rayona; her American Indian mother, Christine, consumed by tenderness and resentment toward those she loves; and the fierce and mysterious Ida, mother and grandmother whose haunting secrets, betrayals, and dreams echo through the years, braiding together the strands of the shared past.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution.
Moving from Addis Ababa to New York City and back again, Cutting for Stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles—and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jaime Ford

In the opening pages Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle’s Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol.This simple act takes old Henry Lee back to the 1940s, at the height of the war, when young Henry’s world is a jumble of confusion and excitement, and to his father, who is obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American. Forty years later, Henry Lee is certain that the parasol belonged to Keiko. In the hotel’s dark dusty basement he begins looking for signs of the Okabe family’s belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot begin to measure. Now a widower, Henry is still trying to find his voice–words that might explain the actions of his nationalistic father; words that might bridge the gap between him and his modern, Chinese American son; words that might help him confront the choices he made many years ago.

Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins

(We did not read this series in our book club, but these are some of the best books I've read this year and thought I'd pass the titles on. The following summary is of the first book only, The Hunger Games)

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survived.

National Donut Day

2011-06-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, we participated in National Donut Day! It's still not too late to go and get yourself a sweet treat! Our kids thought it was GREAT!

Spring Cleaning!

2011-06-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

Brian and I tackled the storage shed under the house over Memorial Day weekend! UGH, what a project! When we moved in 4 years ago, everything that didn't go in the house (i.e. teaching stuff, growing up memorabilia, wedding stuff etc.) just got piled into the shed. And since I was 8 months pregnant at the time it never got organized. This project was on my "30 list," (check) and it felt great to be able to sift through the boxes, clean out the shed and get organized! Brian even built a roof for the top to keep critters out. We took a full trunk load of things to Goodwill, filled two recycling trash cans and a large regular trash can with junk!

The before picture....you can see the open roof and everything piled high to the top,

the majority of stuff pulled out of the storage unit,

Violet having fun in the empty space,

a more organized, clean, with a roof shed!

After cleaning all day we spent two afternoons at the pool, yeah!

May Re-Cap

2011-05-30T20:49:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I last posted and realized I had a lot to catch-up on! Here's a re-cap of what we've been doing:

We've been sitting on and riding our bikes...

playing with our chickens, Doc and Candy,

enjoying bath time,

These are my favorites...
Jack feeding Violet some popcorn,

totally engrossed in Sesame Street,

I love Jack's expression in this picture!

Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

I got to spend Mother's Day with my beautiful children and loving husband relaxing at home! What a wonderful day!

Jack, having a ball in the mud,

Violet enjoying our outdoor swing!

Happy Birthday Jack!

2011-05-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

We can't believe that Jack is a year old, where has the time gone? He is such a fun little boy! He is cruising all over the place and has a smile that will light up a room. What a blessing he is to our family, we love him so much! We celebrated his birthday earlier in the week at my parents house as well as with a little party over the weekend with some friends. What a great way to celebrate Jack's first year of life!

One year ago, May 6th, 2010

opening gifts,

first round of birthday cake at Nana and Poppa's,

I decorated froggy cupcakes for the weekend party with friends,

hanging out with the frogs,

second round, cupcake on Saturday,

yum,

our birthday boy today, one year later!

Trip to the Snow!

2011-05-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago we made a trip to the snow for a couple of days with some friends from church. The weather was great, the guys went skiing and snowboarding and the gals went sledding and played in the snow with the kids! It was a great trip!

Going for a walk,

showing an icicle,

playing with friends,

just hanging out!

Silly Kids!

2011-04-25T20:25:00.001-07:00

I found a dinosaur in the kitchen this morning,

ROAR, yikes!

This is how I found Violet watching Sesame Street this morning

and how I found her after quiet time this afternoon, on the floor lying on two throw pillows!

Easter Re-Cap!

2011-04-25T20:10:00.001-07:00

We began the week by dying eggs with our friends Jennison and Sophia! We used a whisk during the dying process which was perfect to put an egg into and not have to submerge a whole hand in dye, although Violet still ended up with a green hand for a day or two! Easter morning we attended the early service at church and had a quiet afternoon hunting eggs and eating some delicious food!

Getting ready to dye eggs, Jack was excited to just watch!

using our favorite egg dying tool, the whisk,

some of the final products!

Our sweet kids on Easter morning,

family picture after church,

handsome men,

lovely ladies!

Spring Days

2011-04-17T14:31:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures from the time we've been enjoying outside, yeah for spring!

Big Boy

2011-04-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

Jack looks like such a big boy wearing little shorts and a t-shirt versus a onesie! Can't believe he'll be a year old next month!

And the Winner Is....

2011-04-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

My dear friend SUZETTE!!! So many of you guessed the correct answer, couch cushions, that in order to be fair I had to give the prize to the first correct guesser! So Suzette keep you eye open for a Starbuck's gift-card in the mail and enjoy a yummy drink on me! Thanks to all of you for making a guess!

I'm Giving Away a Special Prize!

2011-03-29T15:28:00.001-07:00

Violet has really been into taking pictures lately, most of them turn out unidentifiable, but here are a few that are pretty good....

Scary, yes, but not bad!

Almost professional!

There are always a few questionable pictures which I'm going to post next, if you can guess what the next picture is I will send you a special prize! You have until Friday morning at 10 am to post a guess in the comment section, good luck!

Popcorn!

2011-03-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

Jack enjoyed his first tasting of popcorn this week as an afternoon snack! He couldn't get enough!

What a silly boy,

mmm, yummy,

going for more,

talking with his mouth full!

Tinker Toys

2011-03-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Last night after we had put Jack to bed Violet and I played with the Tinker Toys for almost an hour! It was really fun creating a "windmill." As I followed the directions Violet would pull out the correct parts, she also did a little accessorizing on the areas she thought needed more flare!

The final product,

a silly, "Yeah! Way to go!" picture!

It's Been Awhile...

2011-03-21T14:00:00.001-07:00

I know that it's been way to long in between posts, most recently we've been without power and water for two days, thus no access to the internet! Here's a brief re-cap of the first two weeks of March and some pictures to go with! I spent a weekend with my dear friend Jen in Seattle for a weekend of pampering and scrap booking, it was wonderful! Needless to say I don't have any pictures of our time together because I'm waiting for a replacement battery charger to come in the mail for my camera, I some how lost my original one, ugh!!! Brian had a wonderful weekend with the kids , it was great weather to be outdoors so they spent time at the beach and hiking around camp! As soon as I flew home, Brian was off to Colorado for a few days to meet with the planning team for the Covenant Feast Conference this summer! It's been a whirl-wind start to March but we are loving the extra light into the evening especially now that spring is here and time to spend as a family!

It's hard to believe that this little man is almost 11 months old! He has 7 teeth and is "cruising" the furniture, it's so fun to watch him grow and develop!

Violet has really been into playing "doll-house" lately, she'll set up all her pieces and play for quite some time!

A fun day at the beach, Jack loved playing in the sand!

Some of the pictures from Brian's trip to Colorado....

I really liked the organized color schemes in this picture, I'm such a teacher :),

SNOW!

2011-02-26T09:22:00.001-08:00

We woke up this morning to a light dusting of snow outside, it was so beautiful!

Silly Smile

2011-02-26T09:18:00.000-08:00

Jack has this GREAT smile these days, usually showing off all 6 teeth!

Concentrating

2011-02-26T09:15:00.000-08:00

Violet occasionally will play games on Brian's iphone which takes a lot of concentration..

Snip, Snip, Snip

2011-02-20T20:28:00.000-08:00

The long hair is gone and the short is here, here are a few before and after pictures!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

Violet and I made some really cute valentine's for the her classmates at pre-school along with some yummy treats for our neighbors yesterday for Valentine's Day! The valentine's were made with Dum Dum lollipops in the center surrounded with different colored tissue paper to create a flower. We typed out, "Happy Valentine's Day! Love, Violet" on the leaf part!

This is what most of the kitchen table was covered with....

finished flower,

a bouquet,

yummy treats!!

A Day In The Life Of...

2011-02-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of what we've been up to lately...

Playing down at Frontier Ranch,

trying new foods,

playing a lot of dress up,

playing at Kids Grow,

bath time (yeah),

Playing..

2011-01-27T15:25:00.000-08:00

Violet and Jack have been learning how to "play" together, usually it's Violet tackling Jack from behind. He loves it most of the time and will wrestle around and pull her hair in retaliation. We've also spent several afternoons outside because the weather has been so nice; blowing bubbles, going for walks, playing on the swing and hanging out with our chickens!

Wrestling together, all in good fun!

Jack is ALL boy, crawling on the deck with pine needles sticking to the snack on his face!

Enjoying being outside!

A Morning at the Museum!

2011-01-21T14:39:00.000-08:00

We drove over the hill to San Jose this morning with our friend Sophia to the Children's Museum. It was a bit crowed but we had a very fun time and it was nice to have an extra set of hands to help out!

Violet and Sophia on the stagecoach,

working in the bubble area,

having fun at the water stations,

at the circle centers,

Violet doing a little ice painting,

at the sand table,

Jack was in the Bjorn most of the time but there were a few places that he could get out and crawl around. Here he is showing off his toothy grin and lots of drool!

Goofy Girl and Silly Boy!

2011-01-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

We have gotten some really silly pictures of both the kids lately, Violet loves to make these faces that just crack us up and Jack has been enjoying the freedom of trying new foods!

Here is Violet buried under some soft blocks,

emerging to strike a few poses...

and a sweet face!

Jack enjoying his food!

Baby Shower!

2011-01-21T14:20:00.000-08:00

I was able to attend my dear friend Katie's baby shower last weekend and spend some time with my childhood girlfriends in Visalia! There was a lot of laughter, as usual, and it was fun to celebrate with Katie as she and Warren await the arrival of their little girl at the end of January!

Heather, Theresa, Me, Leslie, and Katie!

Playdates...

2011-01-21T14:17:00.000-08:00

We've had some fun play dates with our good friends the Andersons lately and have been able to capture some sweet pictures of the girls...

Violet and Selah at the mall play area,

Violet, Selah and Ocean playing dress-up together!

Two Peas in a Pod...

2011-01-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

This is a typical, after nap routine..... snuggling!!!

8th Anniversary!

2011-01-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

Brian and I were able to get away for a night, thanks to my parents who stayed with Jack and Violet! We spent Friday afternoon in downtown Santa Cruz shopping and seeing a movie, The Tourist. Then we drove about 20 miles north of Santa Cruz to the Costanoa Resort. We checked in and went to dinner at the on-site restaurant and then relaxed in the hot tub after dinner. Saturday morning we had breakfast at a great little place in Davenport, delicious! We went hiking in Ano Nuevo State Park, looking for elephant seals on the beach but we didn't find any. After hiking we went to a you-pick kiwi farm on Highway 1! It was so fun to pick a bucket full of kiwis, we didn't even know that they grew in this climate. We traveled a little farther to a local farm to do some jam-tasting, yummy! And drove home around lunch time. It was very relaxing and nice to get some time to just ourselves, thanks mom and dad!

The view from our room,

hiking along the beach,

at the Swanton Farm, in the kiwi grove. The kiwis grew on small trees, with a trunk that stretched into vines, supported by wires about 6 feet off the ground, so interesting!

We tasted several different jams and decided that we liked the Olallieberry/Strawberry and Strawberry/Citrus the best!

A Lefty???

2011-01-05T14:34:00.001-08:00

Jack tends to prefer using his left hand to grab objects and food and we're wondering if he'll be a lefty, time will tell!

8 Months!

2011-01-05T14:27:00.000-08:00

Jack will be eight months tomorrow which is hard to believe! He has two teeth that are all the way in and one more that has just poked through his gums. He does the army crawl really well and we're realizing that we need to re- baby proof the house again. He can sit up by himself and has started babbling a lot more! We'll get his stats at his 9 month check-up!

Christmas 2011

2010-12-28T14:28:00.001-08:00

We were blessed to be able to celebrate with both sides of our family this year! Brian's family made the drive from Oregon and we were able to spend a little over a week together enjoying walks, making gingerbread houses, playing Monopoly Deal, a trip to Pump'd (inflatable fun center), repelling, and plenty of other fun things!

This was the best shot of Violet as the Inn Keeper for her pre-school nativity scene,

helping to make chocolate chip cookies, yum,

Jack is now sitting up by himself and is learning the army crawl,

the traditional Christmas kilt donning,

a goofy kilt picture,

enjoying the inflatable fun center, Pump'd,

showing off his toothy grin,

collecting the chicken eggs,

Chad and Dad repelling,

the finished gingerbread houses,

Mom and Dad with the grand-kids,

opening presents on Christmas morning,

getting ready for a walk!

Family Pictures

2010-12-15T14:13:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of our favorite family pictures that we had taken last month!

Tree Hunting!

2010-11-29T13:50:00.000-08:00

We went to cut our tree down yesterday at the Johnson Tree Farm. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we found the perfect tree for us, it's name is Ice Man! We took a picnic lunch and enjoyed the time outside, Violet loved running around and exploring! We decorated the tree, as well as the rest of the house, after the kids woke up from their naps!

At the Johnson Tree Farm!

No, Violet did NOT carry the saw around, this was a one time photo op, yikes!

Getting ready to cut down Ice Man!

My sister made these super cute advent ornaments, each one has a pocket to hide a special little something in each day!

The decorated tree!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-29T13:40:00.000-08:00

We traveled to my parents house for Thanksgiving this year and enjoyed the time with family! My grandparents and Uncle Steve drove up from Fresno and Matt and Monica met us there as well, it was wonderful to all be together!

The whole family!

Nana and Poppop with the grandkids!

Brian and Violet working on the apple pie, yum!

BIG Storm!

2010-11-21T20:14:00.000-08:00

A huge storm blew through last night causing our power to go out at about 7 p.m. on Saturday and not returning until 3 p.m. this afternoon. Without the use of our furnace our house got down to a chilly 52 degrees this morning, fortunately we were able to use a generator after church to get our pellet stove running. Usually we don't get our first big storm until January, luckily we were prepared with candles, new batteries in our flashlights and head lamps, and plenty of warm blankets!

Brian and Violet braving the elements to check on our chickens!

This morning all bundled up in our warmest jammies, boys can wear pink too!

Natural History Museum

2010-11-21T20:00:00.000-08:00

Violet, Jack and I went to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History last week, we had such a fun morning! The museum is small enough that we were able to see all the exhibits rather quickly while lingering over some hands-on activities for awhile such as the touch tank, the bone excavating, and animal skeleton exhibits.

Violet outside of the museum with the HUGE whale,

Inside using a mortar and pestle to grind some cornmeal,

watching the bees make their honey in the hive!

6 Month Check-Up

2010-11-15T21:44:00.001-08:00

Jack had his 6 month appointment today, everything looked great! Jack weighs 16 pounds 12 ounces (31 %), he is 29 inches (98%), and his head circumference is 43.2 cm (29%). He has two teeth and is enjoying some "solid" foods, his favorites are sweet potatoes and peas, he is rolling over, babbles all the time and is sitting up with some help!

Happy Half-Birthday Jack!

2010-11-07T16:18:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Jack's Half-birthday yesterday with family, a few gifts and a really BIG cupcake! Happy 6 months little man!

This was the best family shot we could get, I have no idea what Violet is doing!!

Our sweet boy!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

We had a break in the rain to enjoy Halloween outside with several of our friends at Frontier Ranch. The kids all dressed up, and some adults too, we had a great potluck with pumpkin ice cream for dessert, yummm! The kids enjoyed hay rides around the field and trick-or treating afterward around Freemy Circle. Our two were dressed as a "Jack"-O-Lantern and an M&M, Brian and I joined out friends John and Lana as the Village People, it was a great evening!

Getting our little "Jack" ready for the night!

Sweet as candy!

Violet and Sadie!

YMCA!

Jack and Spencer, pumpkin buddies!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

We went to a huge pumpkin patch outside of Lathrop on the way to my parents house this last weekend! We enjoyed a hay ride and picking out our pumpkins, we came home with a 33 pound and 20 pound pumpkin! It was a great afternoon, luckily no rain, and we all shared an ice cream sundae at the Ghirardelli chocolate factory afterward, yummm!

Sweet Boy!

2010-10-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

It seems like Jack is changing a little every single day! He'll be 6 months next week and he has two teeth, is rolling and scooting all over the place, he laughs and smiles constantly, and adores his big sister! What a sweet boy we've been blessed with!

Splish, Splash, I was Taking a Bath!

2010-10-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

These two love being in the tub together! The last picture of Jack shows his two teeth really well!

Staycation!!

2010-10-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

We decided as a family to do a "staycation" this year instead of a vacation, the only big difference was that instead of traveling somewhere we stayed at home but still did some fun things that we don't normally do. Brian took all of last week off to enjoy some quality family time! During the week we went to the San Jose Children's Museum, had a campfire, made s'mores, and Violet and Brian camped out in the yard, ate at some of our favorite restaurants, played at the park and fed the ducks, spent the day in Monterey at the aquarium, Dennis the Menace Park and shopping, and went to the Farmer's Market. Be prepared for picture overload!

At the Children's Museum

Bob the Builder exhibit

We had the whole water station to ourselves which was great!

At the Park

At the Aquarium
This was part of a new exhibit all about saving the Earth's endangered animals and using green resources, it was really cool! This cow's manure is turned into Methane gas used as power!

Hot Pink Flamingos

Endangered fish and jellies

Baby green sea turtles

At Dennis the Menace Park

At the Farmer's Market

Dad was in town on business and was able to stay the weekend with us!

Campfire and camping out!

Teeth

2010-10-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

Jack now has two teeth and constantly has something in his mouth. We recently put a cold piece of melon in his chew toy for him to suck on and he loved it! I love being able to compare the similarities and differences between Jack and Violet using pictures can you tell which is Jack and which is Violet??

Picture #1

Picture #2

Catching Up...

2010-10-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pictures of Violet and her friend Ruby at a gymnastics class before our staycation...

A Morning at the Beach

2010-09-26T14:21:00.001-07:00

We spent over two hours yesterday morning at the beach! The weather was beautifully warm and sunny with hardly any wind! We had plenty of snacks and enjoyed playing in the sand and water! What a wonderful morning to spend as a family!

First Tooth!

2010-09-24T14:37:00.001-07:00

We can't believe that Jack has already cut his first tooth, yes it has surfaced above the gums, crazy!! Violet didn't cut her first tooth until 7 1/2 months!

I know it's hard to see but it's there, slightly to the left of my thumb!

Friends!

2010-09-24T14:16:00.001-07:00

What a blessing it is to be surrounded by a wonderful community of friends! Michelle and I were able to experience the majority of our pregnancies together, even sharing the same doctor, and our boys were born only 3 weeks apart! I hope Spencer and Jack will be able to share in the joy of friendship as much as Michelle and I do together!

Here are Michelle and I both in our third trimesters!

A few weeks after the little ones were born!

Berry picking this summer,

here are the boys at 4 and 4 1/2 months,

the boys and their proud big sisters!

A Fall Afternoon

2010-09-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

The kids' and I were outside yesterday enjoying the beautiful fall weather and got some really fun pictures together!

One of my new favorites....

small toes, fingers, and hands,

always smiling,

the best of all three of us!

Miniature Golf Tournament

2010-09-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

As the Children's Director at church I host a Kids Night Out each month for kids to come and enjoy a fun evening such as book night, game night movie night etc. This month I decided to have a Family Night Out and organize a miniature gold tournament around our very own Freemy Circle. Seven of our neighbors created very impressive holes in their front yards and those playing got to go around to each house to play the course. Prizes were given out at the end for the best family score and the most creative hole. It was a huge hit and I'm hoping to make it an annual event!

A few of the holes...this one had a moving turbine,

this hole was about 3 feet off the ground and you had to start by standing on a ladder,

this one was custom made, notice the PLINKO part in the background,

the Burns had an underground tunnel that connected the upper and lower halves of their hole,

this hole had a voice activated dinosaur that moved,

here's Ocean and I at our hole called The Toy Trap,

the participants!!!

Chickens!!

2010-09-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

We have two chickens named Doc (the red one) and Candy (the striped one)! Brian built a great coop for them and they should start laying eggs in about a month or so. They are great pets and very gentle, they're used to kids after being in the Frontier Ranch barn all summer!

Pre-School

2010-09-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

Violet began attending pre-school two days a week starting last Tues. She loves playing in the game room and the kitchen and doing all the projects. Here are a few pictures of our orientation day and the first day of school!

First day of school,

proud mommy and daddy!

After the first day!

Orientation day activities!

4 Months!

2010-09-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

Jack had his 4 month well-child check-up today and everything looked great! He's 15.8 pounds (58%), 26 inches long (81%) and his head circumference is 40 cm (10 %). He only had one oral vaccine and no shots, yeah! His little personality is already starting to show, he babbles and smiles all the time! He's begun to roll over and is really good at keeping his head up and stable. He enjoys playing in the water during bath time, sitting in his Bumbo, and playing on his exercise mat and in his exersaucer. He likes to chew on things and is quite entertained by his big sister! Here are a few recent pictures of our little man:

Day Visit!

2010-09-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

My parents were in the area for a wedding and stopped by on Saturday to spend the day along with my sister who also spent the day with us! We hung out on the back deck, enjoyed looking at pictures and went out to eat in the evening. It was fun to spend time together as a family!

Pop-Pop and Violet,

Aunt Monica and Jack,

Nana and Pop-Pop with Jack,

the sisters!!!

Sweet Siblings

2010-09-10T14:39:00.001-07:00

Family Trip to Oregon and Washington

2010-09-10T14:33:00.001-07:00

We spent the first week of September traveling as a family to Oregon and Washington to visit family and friends! The kids did great in the car both ways but we were definitely ready to be home after being on the road for so long! We enjoyed a relaxing time with Brian's parents in Salem going on walks, picking blackberries, riding the carousel, drinking yummy lattes and eating delicious food! We continued our trip north to Puyallup to visit our good friends the Nealons! We had a great time going to the zoo, fishing, scrap booking, BBQ-ing, going for walks and hikes, being outside and playing games and eating cookies! Thank you all for such a wonderful vacation! I had so many pictures it was easier to make a video montage than to post every single one. The song is the theme song from the World Cup that Violet asked to listen to over and over in the car, we made it our official road trip song, it's called Wavin' Flag!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Three Year Check-Up!

2010-08-21T20:55:00.001-07:00

Violet had her three year check-up this last week which went well! She had to have a few shots and so did Jack, they both did really well! Here's a few pictures of the appointment:

New Recipes!

2010-08-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

Here are few new things we've been trying with our new recipe a week, yummy!

We started the week with a trip to the farmer's market to get some fresh ingredients: cabbage, Swiss chard, potatoes, and flowers!

Chicken and sweet potato hand pies,

Stuffed cabbage with beef (we used turkey) and rice,

Simple potato gnocchi with Swiss chard!

Zip Line!

2010-08-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

Violet has been talking about going down the zip line all summer and had a chance to do it this week. She got all harnessed in, climbed to the top of the tower, clipped in but decided that it just wasn't the day to do the zip line! She wasn't upset or disappointed, she just thought she'd try another time. We got some cute pictures though!

Brita helping Violet with her harness,

Hannah adjusting her helmet,

all ready to go!

Frontier Ranch Staff Banquet 2010

2010-08-08T21:08:00.001-07:00

The summer is almost over and we celebrated another wonderful year with our staff banquet last night! We had a fun time hanging out with the staff, eating dinner, watching skits and the staff video. Jack fell asleep in the stroller and Violet loved hanging out with all of her Frontier friends!

Beautiful Frontier Ladies...

Some of Violet's favorite Frontier friends:
Brown Shuga,

Raffi,

Falsetto!

Mommy and Jack!

Violet enjoying all the festivities!

A look back over the last few summers:
2010,

2009,

2008,

2007!

Cloth Diapers Continued....

2010-08-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

We've established a routine with our cloth diapers that makes the process very manageable! We've enjoyed not having to take out garbage bags full of disposable diapers although we keep some on hand for traveling out of town when we may not have access to a washer and dryer to do a load of diapers every day. After some research we chose to use Bum Genius 3.0 diapers which we really like! Jack is growing into them and they don't seem so bulky anymore but rather cute!

Santa Cruz Kids

2010-08-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Violet and Jack both happen to have a Santa Cruz Surf shirts so they wore them on the same day with matching gray pants!

3 months!

2010-08-07T08:30:00.001-07:00

We can't believe this little guy is already three months old! He smiles all the time and is pretty mellow and very resilient! He has discovered his fingers and hands which are constantly in his mouth and he is about ready to roll from his back to his belly! We'll go in for a 4 month check-up for his stats in a few weeks! What a cute little man!

Pizza 1

2010-08-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

We went to a great pizza place this week for Mystery Dinner night! Pizza 1 had really yummy, unique pizzas, ours had hand made sausage from Corralitos, Gorgonzola cheese, garlic infused olive oil and apples on it! It was a great family outing, not to mention we had a gift certificate, thanks Matt and Monica! We'll definitely be going here again!

Watermelon Carving

2010-08-01T16:14:00.001-07:00

I saw a neat idea in our Family Fun magazine this month, it was watermelon carving! What a great idea for the summer, instead of a pumpkin! Violet and I made a little house out of our watermelon, it was really fun!

Family Visit

2010-08-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

Brian's parents were able to spend a week with us to celebrate Violet's birthday and to see Jack for the first time! It was really fun to have them here! We went hiking, went to campfire, had the dedication service, played games and enjoyed the time we got to spend with one another! Thanks for the great visit Mom and Dad!

Mom and Violet working on a fun project together,

the final product, a cute sweatshirt!!

On our hike in Fall Creek,

some cute pictures...

Violet thought her new goggles would look good on Jack!

Mom and Jack!

Happy Birthday Violet!

2010-08-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Violet's 3rd birthday on Friday the 30th! We had yummy blueberry pancakes for breakfast and she opened her gifts when we were done eating. She got some really fun things like new books, games, and play dough! Violet helped me make some cookie bark (thanks Trish for the recipe) which was a delicious birthday treat! Happy Birthday sweet girl!

Blowing out the candles...

showing how old she is...3!!

Fun play dough set!

Little chef,

mmmmmmm,

testing some of the ingredients!

Violet and Jack's Dedication

2010-07-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

We had Violet and Jack dedicated at church this morning. It was wonderful to have family there to witness the dedication of our children into our church family!

Here we are with Matt and Monica, the godparents,

Violet with Pastor Mike,

Jack with Pastor Mike!

Violet's Birthday Celebration!

2010-07-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Violet's 3rd birthday yesterday, although her actual birthday is next week! We had a pool party at Mission Springs with lots of friends, sunshine and good food! It's hard to believe that Violet is already 3 years old, she is such a sweet blessing!

YUMMY, cake!

Swimming in the pool,

playing ping-pong,

trying out her new scooter!