Whats New

A cake for a friend

2009-09-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

Well I have a friend at work that liked my cakes, so he asked me to make one for his son. Christopher is big into Halo so he wanted a Master Chief cake. I told Kevin (his dad) that I would try but I had only made three cakes in my life so don't get your hopes up. If anyone reading this plays Halo be gentle, it was only my third cake. If you have not played Halo, and have no clue what Master Chief looks like then know this I nailed it. This cake looks exactly like him.

Big # 9

2009-09-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

Blakes B-day is this weekend and he wanted a cake like Kolby's so I set to work, and this is what happened.
He is happy with it and all the kids are excited to eat.

Lucky # 7

2009-09-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

This year I decided to start making cakes for my boys birthdays. Kolby was first up so I thought and thought about what type of cake to make. It was my first cake so I could not do anything too complicated. As we were driving around one day we were playing slug bug and it hit me. I knew what I had to do, now it was figuring out how to do it. I baked four 8 inch rounds and then started to put everything together. This is how it turned out.

Blakes birthday is next week so I have another cake to make. Wish me luck, because I will need it.

Square foot garden

2009-05-20T13:24:00.001-07:00

A few months ago Kristen mentioned to me that she wanted to make a garden. Time passed and she would drop hints every now and then just to remind me how nice it would be to grow our own food. She would say how nice it would be if the kids could learn to garden. As you can see she was VERY cryptic. One day she grew a little angry and said that if I was not going to build here a garden then she was going to do it herself. This conversation caught me off guard and I asked her "what garden"(apparently not the best question). Somehow the conversation went from a mythical garden to my lack of listening skills and some other things that I don't really remember. Well this last week a great idea came to me. I wanted to build a garden for my family, so that we could grow our own food, and the kids could learn to garden. I grabbed Kristen and threw the kids in the "Man Van" and headed to Home Depot. On the way I told her my plan for our garden. We bought the supplies and headed home. Over the next few days I built the boxes and mixed up my planting mix. Kristen bought a few strawberry plants and we will be buying the rest of the plants over the next few days. I still have to build the trellis for the climbing plants. We are planning to have tomatoes, carrots, onions, broccoli, peppers, snap peas, pumpkin, cucumbers, lettuce, and possibly potatoes.

Strawberries Yum!

The main garden each square will have some sort of plant.
more pics to follow.

Digging in Diapers

2009-05-16T08:35:00.001-07:00

Well it has been a long time since my last post, and a lot has happened with our family. For example this last week our wonderful three year old Taylor wanted to find out what a penny tastes like. He popped the grimy penny in his mouth and gagged. The penny shot out of his mouth and dropped to the floor. I guess he thought it tasted ok because he ran over and popped it right back in his mouth. He gagged and then came the screams "I am sooo Sorry". I ran up to him when I heard him gagging and ran him to the bathroom. I thought he was sick. He looked up at me and said I am so sorry dad I swallowed a penny. He just kept on saying that he was sorry. The penny got stuck half way down his throat and was causing a fair amount of pain. The good news was he could still breath. We gave him some water and some bread to try to push it down the rest of the way. Just as we were about to take him into the doctor the penny finally passed into his stomach. We talked to the doctor and he said to watch him and check to see if the penny passes. 24 hours later we got a nice shiny penny in his diaper. Oh the joys of parenthood, checking through a soiled diaper for coins. It was like a treasure hunt. He was so excited to see the penny out of him!

20 Random Things

2009-01-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

1) I am finally growing up. I sold my Lotus, and bought a hybrid.

2) My life revolves around my wife and kids.

3) I love my commute 10 min. to and from work no matter when I have to go in.

4) I have the best job in the world and can't think of doing anything else. (work related)

5) I learn something new every day, usually from my kids.

6) I am working toward my black belt in Tae Kwon Do and should have it by the end of the year. I have to get it before my kids.

7) I look forward to traveling the world. There is just so much to see and do I don't know where to start.

8) Besides my family the most joy I have found in life comes from serving others.

9) When I grew up we had a lot of pets. Most of them became food for our family. the problem I have now is my boys want a dog, and I can't eat dog again.

10) My childhood consisted of simple pleasures, now I dream of a simple life.

11) I now play all the sports that I used to do as a kid on the X-box

12) The three toed sloth is the coolest animal in the world.

13) I don't hate anyone. I just like some people more than others.

14) I read to keep my mind young

15) I own a minivan, my family calls it the Man Van to try to make it sound cool, but it doesn't work.

16) We used to have a lot of people stay at our house. We bought a big new house and have not had long term guests for almost 2 years.

17) My parents are the most amazing people. I still look up to my big brother and he is still my best friend. I have never met anyone that shows love like my sister.

18) I had a unique childhood. No power, running water, indoor toilet, or many other things that my children take for granted.

19) I embarrass my wife with my sense of humor.

20) I love to laugh and I like to make others laugh.

Just a Quick Hello

2009-01-24T11:24:00.000-08:00

Hi just a quick hello to let everyone know I still exist. I keep meaning to spend some time and write some things, but then something else demands my attention. I am currently trying to get my house in order (like always), accomplish some goals that I have set(like saving money) and being crafty. I want to post some pics of my current craftiness, but that will have to wait because they are some gifts that I need to get sent out. Hopefully that will happen soon.

Well life gets busy...

2008-10-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

So we haven't posted in quite a while, but that just means that we have been too busy enjoying life to stop and blog about it all. I would love to catch you up an everything but that will take too long, so I am going to post a ton of pictures and have short descriptions about them. That way we can get caught up.

I went to NYC without my Family on a little trip. This really deserves a post of its own, but for now:

Me and Ashley at my dad's concert (the reason I went to NYC in the first place)
Ashley is the best host, and her family is great.

Jonny was my companion there, we did everything together.
The Subway was the best mode of transportation I loved it!

We did a lot of the touristy sightseeing.

My boys first days of school.

Kolby just started kindergarten,
so Blake has taken him under his wing.

sorry for the sideways picture, maybe I will fix it later.

Some good ol' fun on Kolby's birthday!

Blake opening a birthday present.

This year Blake turned eight and got baptized.
Here are some great Family pictures my dad took on that day.

Blake had a Reflections Contest at school, and wanted to
mess up the play room for a picture. The theme is "WOW"

So there you go. A lot more has happened, but I at least caught you up a bit. I wonder if I will post more frequently now? Wait and see.

Crazy Kids

2008-08-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

My boys are the best kids, but man they can get weird.

I really don't know what he was thinking.

Nice hat!!

You should see him when he tries to make a funny face.

Making faces at mom.

Scary oh so very scary!

He thinks he is a real dog.

Tae Kwon Do Picnic

2008-06-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

Today we had a Tae Kwon Do picnic. During the picnic we had the chance to show off some of our mad skills. In this first video Kolby is doing his world famous Axe kick.

This video starts off with Kolby and his partner doing defense moves. It then goes on to Blake and his partner.

Our last video for the day is of me breaking 2 two inch concrete blocks!!!!!!! Kristen our wonderful video tech was trying her best to record the break and carry Taylor so the video is a little jumpy.

The knitting project was a success!!

2008-06-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

So I haven't posted in a while, but as you may recall I was busy working on a knitting project. Well I am happy to say that I actually did it and it looks OK. I was making a baby blanket for a dear friend of ours, who is also our Tae Kwon Do coach. We had a baby shower at our house for him and his wife. It was lots of fun and I am glad to have finished my knitting in time. Hopefully it won't fall apart when they wash it. Any way here are some pictures of the finished project and the party. We had to test out the blanket before we gave it away. So we used one of our stuffed doggies to see if the hoodie part would work. Then Taylor had to take care of his "baby", and wouldn't give the blanket back for a while. Also notice the cake that Isaac ordered for the party, somehow messages got crossed and they didn't give us a boy cake. What do you do?

My new hobby!

2008-05-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

I have been often asked "What are you making?" In which I respond "A rectangle." Our stake is doing a service project where we were able to knit or crochet a rectangle and then they are being collected, turned into blankets and given away to charity. I wanted to serve, I love service, but I didn't know how to do either craft. I decided to learn how to knit. When my mom was in town in February she helped me pick out the appropriate tools and and then I learned how to knit. Here is my picture of the rectangles I have made. I have done a few different techniques. And I have decided I quite like to knit. In fact I think I may be getting a little obsessed with it. The other day I couldn't sleep so I keep thinking of future knitting projects. The next few days were spent looking for the proper yarn so I could get some sleep. This will be my first official project. One that will be all mine from start to finish. Be on the look out for another post with the finished project. I can't wait I am so excited. Also if you want a knitted rectangle just let me know, I already have one request :).

New Toys

2008-05-08T07:02:00.000-07:00

I just bought a new television for our family room. The boys were running around the house jumping and screaming out of excitement. I thought wow I did a good thing. As soon as I got it installed the boys grabbed the box and vanished. They were more excited about a big box than they were about a big tv. For the last few days the box has been a drive up ice cream shop, a fort, a slide, and a prison. I think that instead of buying expensive things for the house I will just buy big box every week and let the boys tear them apart.

First day fun

climbing out was tough
It is even fun for friends.

Even though the boys liked the box more I still like the tv. It fits very nicely above the fireplace. I just need to build a box for my components and hide the wires.

Just getting the tv up there was a chore,
it is 240 pounds.

Fun for the whole family

Sling shot fun

2008-05-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

Grandpa and Grandma came home from their cruise and brought the boys some fun toys. The kids had a great time learning how to use the sling shots, and Taylor loves his SCARY MOOSE!

Spring Break trip

2008-05-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

Most people who plan trips for spring break try to find a place to relax with beautiful beaches and warm weather. Well we are not like most people. Sure warm weather and sandy beaches may sound nice, but does it really live up to all the hype? We decided to pass on the obvious and boring ideas, and go to a place were tens of thousands of college students flock to every year. Beautiful Provo Utah. Now that we had a place to go we had to decide how we were going to get there. We discussed flying, driving, and almost every other mode of transport available. After deliberating for hours on the pros and cons of each type of transportation we came to a couple of conclusions. Flying was by far the fastest and easiest, but everyone flies now where is the adventure in that. We even thought about overnighting ourselves with FedEx, but hit a snag when we could not figure out how we would get to the drop off location after we were taped up in the boxes. The only real option left to us was to drive. The big problem was how to make a 15 hour drive with three tired kids even more fun. I racked my brain for the answer, and then it hit me. I would work a mid-shift and we would leave as soon as I got home from work! It was brilliant I would stay awake all night and then drive for 15 hours that very next morning. This was truly going to be a trip to remember. Well I am told we actually made it and here is some proof. While we were there we made a stop at the Hogle Zoo.

A white alligator!!

Nice Elephant

We even saw a Lion!!!!

The big hit was this cute baby Giraffe.

The trip was a blast and the kids really enjoyed seeing there Grandpa and Grandma Kats. and uncles Jeff and Jonny. We were also able to see Great grandparents and some of Kristen's best friends. We even got to see Grandpa at work conducting the BYU Symphony. The trip home was a lot easier. The 14 hours flew by and before we knew it we were home.

Two year old fun

2008-04-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

Taylor turned two this month and boy has he changed. My quiet little boy is now a loud and wild kid. He is practically shaving already. It is totally amazing how fast they grow up.

Taylor's First B-day--------------------Taylor's Second B-day

He is growing up so fast, and is showing such a strong personality. He knows what he likes and what he doesn't and he will let you know when you make him mad. He spends most of the day playing, and running circles around the rest of the family.

He loves his new Diego bike

Saying cheese for the camera and getting ready to throw water balloons at me.

Taylor and Paula launch the first balloon

Everyone gets in on the action.

By the end I was soaked and the kids were laughing.

The negatives of a Blog.

2008-03-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

There are many great things about blogging. Some of my favorite are sharing pictures and stories with family that live far away, reconnecting with friends, the feeling of community with others who have similar situations, and finding great book recommendations. There are however some negatives. One that I want to talk about right now is that things can be misread. This is something that is a problem not only with blogs, but also in e-mails, texts, and regular written word. I have a feeling that my previous post was possibly misread by people that I care about and I wanted to write this post to attempt better wording to explain myself. One thing is that I never meant to make it seem like I feel unloved. I am very happy and my friends play a large part in that. Also it may seem like I was blaming others for the distance that has happened with some friendships and that is not what I think at all. No one is at fault for this. And if there is anyone to blame then it would be me. I am one of the worst at keeping in touch with others. I always have the best intentions to call someone, send them a card, or invite them over, but I have the worst follow through. And that is really what I meant to say in the last post. I knew about my intentions and lack of action and I was wondering if others have this in common with me, or not. An anonymous person commented on the last post and I think they said it best-"I think it takes two to keep a friendship going. Your desire to have good friends requires that you also make efforts to keep in touch..." So I hope that I learn something from this and try to put a little action in with my intentions. And if this post is also written in a way that may be taken wrong, for it is written word, please read my disclaimer it may help you understand me and state that writing is not a strength of mine.

Memorable or not?

2008-03-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity this past week to find a lot of old friends with the help of the blogging world. These are people who I have thought of often throughout the years but have not been able to contact them. I have been away from my home town for Eleven years and it has been hard to stay in the loop with all my friends. I remember these people well and have a permanent spot in my heart for them. The question is do they remember me? Am I ever on their thoughts? This is something that I am not real sure about. I don't think that I am one who everyone loved and wanted to be with. I was the one next to the one that everyone wanted to be with. I think this is still true today. I have a bunch of friends, but when I moved a mile away they started to disappear a bit. It is not on purpose. These are great people, I just think that they have forgotten about me. I am not that memorable. So as I reconnect with these friends my hope is that they will remember me just a little bit and that they will be happy to keep in touch. And a big thank you to the blogging world that makes it all possible.

p.s. I realized that there is no picture of me on this blog, or really in my photo collection at home. I guess the kids take more precedence than me, where the camera is concerned. So I decided to post one I took the other day. Not my best, but for those who may not have seen me for years, maybe it will jog their memory.

Family Vacation

2008-02-21T23:30:00.001-08:00

This last week we were able to spend a few days at a little resort in Discovery Bay Washington. The cool thing is it was only a couple of hours away from home so the kids didn't drive me crazy in the car. I was just excited to get away. It is very rare for me to have vacation while the kids are out of school. All that mattered for the kids is that they could go swimming any time the wanted.
When we arrived we spent the first hour or two walking the beach and throwing rocks and shells back into the water. Then it was off to dinner in Port Townsend. When we finally got back to our room and got ready to go swimming. Blake and I were the only ones to stay in the pool for any amount of time. Kolby was more interested in watching and laughing at us. The next day we went down to the dock and saw some cool animals that live in the water nearby.

Later we drove to a wild animal park in the area. At first Blake was afraid to go, but as soon as we got there he calmed down and had a blast. One of our favorite moments came from the petting zoo. There was a very cute Lama that Blake really liked. He would frequently run back to pet her when the rest of us were petting the other animals.

Well after a few times she was tired of Blake running up and scaring her. So she did what lamas do best she spat at him. She got him right in the back of the head. To my great astonishment Blake did not scream like a little girl and run away. He stood there stunned and then started laughing.

We spent a good portion of the day driving around that park and looking at all the cool animals.

White Rino

Peacock

Yak

Lots of bears

He was huge and only about five feet away.

Nice Rack!!

He was bigger than our van

I think he was more scared of the boys than they were of him.

We loved our trip but it is good to be home.

Beautiful Klamath Falls

2008-02-03T07:26:00.000-08:00

This last week I had the opportunity to help redesign the approaches for the Klamath Falls airport. The trip was very productive and I learned a lot. Tuesday morning at 0630 meet at Seattle Air Traffic Control Center in Auburn Washington. Now you might be thinking Government trip, fly down first class and the best hotels in town right, no way flying is for wusses we got to drive in a beautiful 2000 Chevy Blazer. The good thing about that car is it has four wheel drive and we needed it. The drive down was great until Eugene Oregon. Then the snow came. I was the fortunate driver. We were driving in near white out conditions. Visibility was down to about thirty or forty feet. I was very fortunate to find a big rig to follow, I was able to see the faint outline of his trailer and hope that he would not lead me into the ditch. After 10 1/2 hours we made it to Klamath Falls. We then went and checked in at the Best Western. Now as far as hotels it was the best in town, and that is not a dig. I was shocked at how nice the hotel was, and how good they were to us. Wednesday was a full work day. We spent hours on each approach. It is crazy that one little change can have a huge impact on our traffic flow in and out of the airport. Thursday was a short day, not that we didn't have a lot to do it is just that we were hit by a blizzard and they closed down the airport and the military base. We were able to get all of our work done before we had to leave, but we were the last people left on base. One of the fun parts of the trip was seeing and climbing on and around the F-15's. The Drive home was not much better than the drive down. We drove for almost 13 hours, through some really nasty passes. Over all the trip was a success, and I learned a lot.

Base Motto

Checking out the F-15E

side profile

The business end, watch out
Left out in the cold

one of the many hangers

Base Mascot

I love this Church!!

2008-02-02T16:41:00.000-08:00

As many know, the LDS Church has lost a great man this week. Our leader, prophet and President of the Church, President Gordon B Hinckley. It may seem sad at first, for we will miss him dearly, but there are two great things that keep me cheerful still. They are first, the fact that we need not worry about the state of the church after the passing of our leader. This is because it is all laid out before us who will be next to serve our Church and the world. We never need to question who will be next and is there someone out there worthy enough, good enough, or what will happen in the meantime. The Church has many willing servants and they are laid out in a line so to speak. There is an order to things and everything will fall into place. We also know that although each president has had different strengths and things they may focus on, the Gospel remains the same. There will be no changes in doctrine and thus no need to question our membership in this great church. The other thing that keeps us all positive in this time, is the knowledge that we have of the afterlife. We know what comes next and it is nothing to fear or be sad about. How do you feel truly sad about a wonderful spiritual man dieing? Instead the members of the church are happy for him, he will be reunited with his lovely wife, something that is will be a true joy for him. We believe in eternal marriage and this is a time when we can all reflect on how wonderful that is. I am very comforted by the fact that I can be with my husband forever. He was out of town this week, which is rare for him, and it has heightened my awareness of how much I love him and love to be near him. I am grateful for this opportunity, I am grateful for this gospel and I am grateful for the service and love of President Gordon B. Hinckley.

Christmas comes but four times a year

2008-01-13T15:16:00.001-08:00

Christmas has come and gone. Our house is slowly returning to normal. The tree is down and the lights off the house. Even the Christmas candy is gone. The only thing that remains is the mountain of broken toys that the kids got this year. It is only the second week in Jan. and most of their toys have been rendered useless. The balls have been popped or have had big chunks bitten out of them. The Nerf darts are missing or torn apart. Even though their presents are destroyed and the fun is over for this year the kids are already getting their lists together for next year. It is a good thing we have a long time to prepare and that Christmas comes but once a year right. This year was the exception. This year we had Christmas at our house. We had family come in from all over. Kristen's parents and two younger brothers came from Utah. Her older brother and his family came from California. My sister and her family came from Virginia, and my parents, brother and his family, and my grandma were here also. The grand total 27 people for the holidays. The best part (for the kids) was that everyone left at different times. Some left before Christmas so we had to celebrate early. We had Christmas on the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, and the 25th. Four days of Christmas. The kids were stoked they LOVE Christmas. What other time of year do you get to open presents for four days straight? I just hope that they are not upset next year when Christmas is just one day.

Long Nights, Long Weekend

2007-12-16T18:14:00.000-08:00

Kolby on Sunday afternoon

Well this weekend has been very interesting. On Friday Kolby complained that his cheek hurt (at night). We questioned him and he said that he was ok it just hurt a little. He continued to play and we didn't think much more about it. Kristen then went off and partied with some of her friends, and I got the boys ready for bed. Teeth brushed and kisses given the boys went up to bed. I had to work really early in the morning so I took advantage of a quiet house and went to bed early. Around ten I awoke to a crying Kolby. He said his tooth was hurting and it woke him up. I gave him some medicine and he went back to bed. I thought that it was safe to go to sleep again. Just as I was drifting off to dream land a cry rang out and I jumped up and ran to Kolby's side. After comforting him he let me know that he missed mommy. I told him that she would be back soon. We both went back to bed and as I was closing my very tired eyes Kolby started crying again. I went into his room and picked him up and brought him back in with me. The rest of the night was spent with Kolby crying and me trying to comfort him. Kristen got home around 3am and took over the comforting duties. I then got up at 4am and got ready for work. That day Kolby was feeling better but we didn't want to take any chances so we found a dentist that worked on Saturday. I took a couple of hours off work and we went in to see the dentist. The appointment went fine Kolby told the Dr. where he hurt and they took X-rays of the area. Everything looked normal, but as a precaution we got a prescription for some antibiotics. Well that night Kolby woke up a few times but it was a lot better than the night before. I awoke to the sound of a laughing Kolby. I got up and went to check on him and he was playing with his older brother. Upon hearing me he turned around and gave me the cutest lopsided smile you have ever seen. You see the whole side of his face had begun to swell and it forced the right side of the face down while the left was raised in a I feel great smile. We gave him his medicine and we all got ready for church. Now I know what you are thinking. Why are you going to church instead of the doctor? Well first of all our dentist goes to our ward, along with at least three other dentists, two oral surgeons, five or six doctors, several nurses, etc... After Sacrament the bishop and several other people gathered around Kolby and and decided that he had a problem not in his lower jaw but in the upper jaw. Our dentist Dr. Paul Sadleir opened up his practice today and took out one of Kolby's molars and cleaned up the problem. Kolby was so brave and strong, and Dr. Sadleir proved again why we love him so much. He helped Kolby feel secure, safe, and comfortable. This weekend was tough, but we did learn a couple of things from it. Kolby is a very brave and strong boy. We have some of the best friends, and we have some excellent dentists. Kolby is doing great tonight thanks to Dr. Sadleir in Auburn, and Dr. McIntosh in Edgewood

Not feeling so well and a little scared

Kolby and his tooth

The pesky molar

Dr. Sadleir, Kolby, Kris Sadleir
just after the removal.
EXCITED FOR THE TOOTH FAIRY!!!!

The Organization Challenge is Over.

2007-11-30T09:57:00.000-08:00

It is time for the organization challenge to end, and for those of us who have entered, to do our final update. I have say I am not sure I will even qualify for the challenge anymore. I definitely was unable to accomplish the goals I set for myself. I am still struggling with my health. I really wanted to complete this challenge and finally have my stuff in order. I spoke with a friend the other day and she gave me some great advice. "Let it go" she said. I was holding on to the idea that I could still accomplish all that I have on my list, even though I am ill. And I was struggling with the fact that my list never got shorter, just longer. Thus the great advice form my friend. I need to learn to let things go and focus on the necessities. So with great resistance I had to let my ideals go for the office and come back to it and a later date.

The room however looks absolutely smashing. We had to clear out the room for new carpet so when we put it back together we only put back the necessities. I still have some boxes that I didn't go through that will be nicely stored in another closet and taken out one at a time for some sorting and filing. I did get rid of at least half of the things in the room prior to the carpet replacement, so I did accomplish a lot. And now the room will be ready for guests during the Christmas Holiday.

So its up to you Organizing Junkie to decide whether I actually accomplished my organization challenge or if I will have to enter again next time. I really appreciate the challenge and the push it gave me and I know that with better health I would have absolutely accomplished it all.

Before Pictures:again I am sorry for the sideways pictures

After Pictures:

Here are some questions answered.

My biggest challenge was my health. I really could not summon up the time and energy to perform the job as I would have liked, and I did not overcome it yet. I also had a problem with the papers. It is always a problem for me. I got rid of a lot but kept more then I wanted because I never know how long to keep things.(like health insurance payment records)
The biggest change I have to say was the realization that I really can spend time on projects in a normal day. I had a few days when I really did some great organizing and it made me realize that I could do this every week. I could accomplish a lot if I keep that in mind.
I threw away over three over flowing boxes of junk. Plus many other boxes. Then I re-organized my closet to fit some unfinished boxes in there nicely. And then I found new homes for the rest. Mainly another closet that is closer to the purpose of the items(games in the hall closet next to the play room).
There will be quite a few differences in my life. One being that when I have guests over for the holidays they will have room to sleep and call their own. Also clutter crowds me, this will give me less stress and more peace.
I wish I could say that I deserve to win because I did an awesome job, and left no stone unturned, however that is not the case. I did make a lot of head way and the room looks great, as do many other contestants, so I will trust Organizing Junkie to do the correct judging.

Grumpy Gus!!

2007-11-06T16:00:00.000-08:00

We have our own Grumpy Gus at the house. It doesn't matter what we do for him. He is grumpy. He can watch a movie of his choice, and still he is grumpy. Who is our Grumpy Gus?

Blake

Note: posting this put a smile on his face, even if its short lived.

Six days Later and.....

2007-11-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

Nothing to show for my organization challenge. I have done nothing. Not one little bit. I am still feeling ill and I have had absolutely no energy or physical ability to get to work in my area. In fact the rest of the house is a disaster. So here is my plan and hopefully I will be feeling good enough to accomplish it.

Get the rest of the house in order again. I have to do this. This is how I work. If the rest of my house is decent then I can focus on this room and I won't feel guilty.
I will not be clearing out this room entirely. One reason is that I don't want to move the desk, just to put it back again and also I just cannot afford to have the STUFF clog up the rest of my house. I have some room to move in here and I think that it will work out fine.
Okay, this is where I get lost. I don't know where to start. I know that a lot of my mess is papers lots and lots of papers, and this will take up most of my time, but how shall I do it. I need suggestions. Shall I tackle it first? Should I clean out the rest first? And can I finally get everything into files? I don't know what to do.
I will need to get rid of all the boxes and find places for the items.
Hopefully I will finally buy a filing cabinet and some other storage solutions for the closet. I want to pack this full, but in an orderly way.
Who can help me? Well, I will need the help of my husband. He will need to watch the kids and act like I have gone shopping. I will need either and hour a day, or sessions of three hours. I will also need his big strong muscles to move things for me. And I am sure that I will run into some things that I will need his advice on. It would be nice also if I was able to hire a babysitter a couple of times. I would love to find an Ethel, you know a partner in crime, so if I have any takers I would love to come to your house next.

Anyway this is my rough plan. I hope this illness of mine has not gotten in the way of my goal. Will 24 days be enough?

Halloween Fun!

2007-11-02T19:59:00.001-07:00

Here are some Halloween pictures.
Sorry that the pictures are sideways

Organizing

2007-11-01T14:04:00.001-07:00

I love to organize. It is something that gets me all excited and makes me happy. I love to read books about organizing and all the tips and tricks to get your life in order. I do not however have a completely organized home. One of the blogs that I have discovered recently is called I'm an Organizing Junkie and she is hosting a 30-day Organizational Challenge for the month of November. I have decided to take the challenge. I am not sure if I will be able to complete it because I have been feeling a little under the weather lately and am low on energy. I need something to motivate me though, I have had this project on my list for a while and I am hoping that this challenge will push it to action.

My 30-day project is my office. We moved into this house in April and this is the room that has never been fully unpacked. I am not too embarrassed of it though. I know the reasons it looks this way and if others have a problem with it- its their problem. I do however know how much better life will be with a de-junked, organized room. So here I go. Cross your fingers that I can finish it in one month. Here are the Before pics (and sorry that some are sideways I am having some computer issues at the moment.) By the way, I will be posting more on this project in the future so if you want to read more click the label: Organizing.

A new nephew!!

2007-10-17T11:56:00.000-07:00

Finally there is a cousin from my side of the family. My older brother James just had his first child last week. His name is Hayden James and he is so cute. Don't you think? I am so happy for James and Joan (the new mommy of course). They are going to be such great parents. Only problem is I have not had a chance to hold this sweet babe yet. A couple of states distance us, but I hope that I will see them soon. I feel the need to hold a newborn. Congrats on the new addition to the family and send more pictures when you can.

Finally posting, and what's a successful day?

2007-10-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

So I know I wrote in my disclaimer that I would be writing more often. And then I don't write at all for quite a while. I guess I got busy. I really mean to write and I have a brain that is constantly composing. However, blogging is not on the top of my list. Sorry to all those genius bloggers out there who I am trying to rub shoulders with. I absolutely love to read blogs, they are so interesting, its great to know that there are others out there who are kinda like me. And then there are those truly amazing people that I will never be like, but one can dream. And its just seems to me that a lot of the blogs I like to read are by people who love to read books. I love to read books and it is great to get all these new ideas from others.

Part of the reason that I haven't been posting is that I am really trying to have a successful productive day. And it takes me forever to accomplish what others may do before 9:00 a.m. A successful day for me is full of simple things that make a huge difference in the house, but does not come naturally to me. It will be embarrassing to admit these things, but here goes. A successful day will be one that has completed these tasks.

Make Beds
Tidy House
Do ALL Dishes
Tidy Kitchen
Read Scriptures
SHMD (shower, hair, makeup, dress)
Exercise.

Easy for some, totally difficult for me. I may have to just take exercise out of there and put it in another goal category. I never get the exercise in.

Anyway what do you consider a successful day?

By the way this is only phase one of my plan, once I have these down I will add other things to the list. Cross your fingers.

A new dream

2007-10-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

Well friends the time has come for me to say so long to an old friend. It is weird how life situations change and things that you look forward to and dream about change. For years I had a dream about owning a wonderful car. I read about it in car magazines and hoped that it would come to the States. Then in 2005 my dream came true the Lotus Elise was introduced to the US market. I flew to Salt Lake City and purchased my dream.

Well flash forward a few years, and the dream car that I thought was the coolest car in the world still is. The problem is life happens and priorities change. My kids are getting older and have more activities, and I can't take them anywhere in my car. So I decided to say so long to Elise. She will be leaving me in the next few days to make someone else very happy. Now don't be too sad for me I will be just fine. It is always hard to say goodbye but it is for the best. Now you may be asking yourselves, how is he going to fill the void in his life. Well I have found a new car. It is not sporty, or fast, but it will hold my family and it gets better gas mileage. I am replacing my car with a Toyota Camry Hybrid. My new car should be here sometime within the week.

Ever have one of those days?

2007-09-21T22:17:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of those days where no matter what you do, or how hard you try, things go wrong? That was today for us. Every time I would turn around today I would find something new to conquer. I was trying really hard today to get the house in order, it has been a mess lately. And today was going to be the day that I was going to have a completely successful day (more on that in an upcoming post), but it did not come to pass. Here are some examples:

Every time I tried to sweep the floor Taylor would do one of the following: throw more food on the floor, spit out the food in his mouth, spill water, walk in the pile, take the broom and sweep himself (aka spread it out all over again) or insist on being held. I wish I had three arms sometimes.

I was stirring the cottage cheese before I placed it in my dish---spilled it out all over the counter.

Tried to finally take the toys up to the playroom and out of the mountain building up in a hallway downstairs----Taylor throwing them out of the laundry basket that was to carry them all

Almost (but not really) got in a wreck, because I just couldn't remember to look right.

And last but not least, I made the kids eat the cookies outside because I did not want any more crumbs on the floor. And Taylor misjudged the step.

School

2007-09-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

Schools in and its hard to get used to Blake being gone all day long. Our life has changed now. We can no longer go to the zoo in the middle of the week (not that we did before, but we could have). We also cannot go to his favorite place for breakfast, unless we go extra early. The other thing that has changed is now I have to find more things to do to entertain Kolby, without Blake around he gets bored quick. Of course he plays with Taylor, but its not the same. On one of his first long days at school I did nothing all day. I didn't know what to do with myself. I am sure I can get a lot of things done in that time, but I am used to squeezing things in between the trips to pick him up. For instance last year I would take him to school, come home put Taylor down to a nap and scramble to get things done like shower and do some laundry. Once Taylor was up off we would go to pick Blake up. But now I have the whole day to shower, pick up and do all those things Homemakers do. Which means I don't know what to do with myself. I am sure I will figure it out eventually, probably in time for summer. Oh well life is a journey, and its great!!

Written awhile ago, posted today.

Lucky Number Seven

2007-09-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Well we all woke up this morning fairly early. You see it was Blake's birthday. He is our early riser, he will wake up early in the morning ready to go. I have even gotten up for work at four in the morning just to find Blake watching tv or playing his video games. I eventually had to buy him an alarm clock, not to wake him up but to keep him in bed. I set his alarm for seven and he knows that he is not to leave his bed until then. Well since today is a special day I let him get up at Seven, ha you thought that I would cave but I didn't.
Kristen and I were ready this morning. At the stroke of seven we heard the pattering of feet as our two oldest came running to our room ready for the start of a party. We all went down stairs and into the family room. Blake's eyes scanned the room for his presents. He looked back at me in shock that there was not a present to be found. I quickly explained to him that presents stop at seven. A look of horror flashed across his face as he quickly looked to mom for aid. She quickly explained that there were still chores to be done even though it was his birthday. His room tidied and bed now made he came back down stairs to find his presents.

Seven wow he is getting old

Taylor can't believe that the presents are not for him

Focused on toys

Time to play (after school)

So Blake got to unwrap some presents and play for awhile before school. Then we sent him off with a backpack full of cookies to share with his class. We asked him what he wants for his B-day dinner, and he said Mac-n-cheese with hot dogs in it (yum).

Disclaimer

2007-09-19T16:04:00.000-07:00

So, I know that I asked Isaac to start this Blog because I really wanted to be a blogger. But I guess you can't be a blogger when you don't blog. A friend of mine who has a wonderful blog (Calamity Jane) told me she checked our blog but I don't post much. I responded by saying "I don't have a lot to say." So, why do I want to be a blogger if I don't have anything to say? Maybe it is so I can fit in, be a part of a group. I don't know. And in truth I write a blog or two in my head everyday, I just don't get it on the computer. "And why is that?" I ask myself. Probably because I think that my blogs would not fit into the "Group", they may be stupid, my grammar may be awful, my sentence structure non-existent, or I may portray a person totally different than my real self. Well I have decided to throw caution to the wind. I am going to start blogging more often.

And this is my disclaimer:

The content in the future blogs are purely the opinion of one very imperfect person on one particular day. These opinions and views may change at anytime. They are not meant in any way to harm, offend or criticize anyone. If they do, the author is extremely sorry and would love to kindly give an apology to any who deem it necessary. The blogs are written by a LDS person trying very hard to be a good person. If the said blogs portray something else please forgive the author, remember the author is not perfect. With this said, please enjoy the future writings and feel free to comment whenever you feel the need.

Good Bye, Caution. Here I come.

Good days bad days and fair days

2007-09-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

Mondays are well known for being the worst days of the week, and this last Monday was proving that perception correct. Kristen had come down with a bad cold, and the boys were crabby. Blake is still trying to adjust to all day school. Kolby is board out of his mind because everyone else at home is feeling ill. Taylor has a cough and is whining like crazy. Even the weather was conspiring against us. It had rained all morning, and the sky was still gray and foreboding. Something had to be done, but what. Who has the power to turn this disastrous day into a great day? This sounds like a job for Mediocre Man (all the good super hero names were taken). Leaving Kristen and Taylor to fend for themselves, Mediocre man throws his two sidekicks into the Man Van, and heads off for adventure. We head south looking for anything that will change the course of this dreary day, and then it happens. The clouds part and the sun makes a triumphant appearance, shining over the city of Puyallup ( if your not from Washington good luck with the pronunciation). We quickly arrived at the fair grounds and found a small lot to park the Man Van. Before we even got within the gates the sights, sounds, and smells came crashing down on us. My two sidekicks were now full of energy, and ready to tackle anything that the fair had to offer. We soon found ourselves in Silly Ville a part of the fair for young kids. Our first Ride was the Super Slide. For this ride you have to climb about a mile of small kid sized stairs all the time carrying a burlap mat that you slide down on. By the time we got to the top I had all three of the mats and the boys were doubled over and panting. Blake was first to go and you could hear his screams of joy for miles around. Kolby and I were next. He didn't want to go alone so I carried him down with me. Unlike Blake's trip down, this one was not filled with joy and excitement, though the cries were heard for miles around. After the tears stopped we found a ride that Kolby was fine with.

The boys were actually excited for the ride. This one is like the teacups it goes around in a circle and you can spin it until you puke. I had to watch Kolby's eyes and stop when I thought that they would spin out of his head. I finally found out that if he focused on me he would be fine and we could spin at alarming speeds.

They love driving, and this car is just slightly larger than mine.

The boys on a boat

Kolby sat next to me on this one

Everyone loves fire trucks.

Blake went alone on the Roller Coaster

They both had fun on the airplane

Our last ride brought us to new heights. Kolby loved the Ferris Wheel, but blake found out that he doesn't like heights.

After all the rides were through it was time for dinner. We started to walk the park to see if there was anything that the kids wanted to eat. There was a lot of choices from cheese burgers for $11 to $8 hot dogs I was happy when the boys said the wanted Taco del Mar. We got back to the Man Van and rushed off to get burritos and chips. We finally got home and quickly got ready for bed. That is the story of turning a bad day into a Fair day.

Climbing Mountains

2007-09-16T23:10:00.000-07:00

Hey all, yesterday we had a joint birthday celebration for Blake and Kolby. The family gathered in from the four corners of the greater Seattle area. We met at the Super Mall (in Auburn) and began our quest to be the first family to climb Mt. Hood and Mt Rainer. The problem is the real mountains are really big and we are all out of shape so we decided to cheat a little. We went to The Wall at the Mall.

Blake climbing like a pro.

Kolby reaches the peak of his nerve, and will go no further.

Me against my big brother, and the victory goes to ME.

Kristen is so good she climbed without shoes.

Zach, Garrett, and Katy all did a great job.

After our hard day of climbing we came home for dinner and presents. When everyone was full and presents were played with it was time for DDR. At the end of the evening I was crowned the Lind Family DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) Champion!!!

Five is way older than Four

2007-09-12T09:13:00.001-07:00

Our little Kolby is growing up fast. We had a quick unwrap your presents party before Blake went to school. The rest of the party will be held later tonight when I am at work. He is really excited because he really feels different this morning. Four is so young but five is way cooler. First of all when someone asks him his age he can hold up a whole hand full of fingers . He says he feels stronger and bigger today. It is amazing what one night will do for a person.

One week before his birthday!

Kolby's Birthday wow he looks older (or does he)

Kolby opening his presents.

Kolby was really excited about the presents and had fun with them until the next one was handed to him. He got a movie from Blake, a tooth brush that plays a song when you brush from Taylor, and a few other things from Kristen and I. Then when he thought that all was done we brought out the last present.

His New RAZOR

He has been on that thing for the last hour or so just riding around the house. Well that is the story for now. Tonight they will eat the ice cream cake and sing The Song. All the while I will be working.

Back home in the real Washington

2007-09-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

Well I returned home from Washington D.C. on Thursday night. I was able to spend some time with my sister and her family. I arrived Sunday around 4:30 pm. and got a wonderful driving tour of D.C. Then we drove down to their house which is about an hour away from the airport. When the kids went to bed the party started. We watched one of the greatest movies ever made (next to dumb and dumber) BLADES OF GLORY. Jeremy spent the majority of the movie either crying or snorting. On Monday we left early and went to Six Flags were we rode all but one of the roller coasters. After a long day at the park we went home and watched the movie again. Tuesday I woke up extra early and drove for an hour to catch the train to D.C. After a 45 min. train ride I arrived at my hotel. I quickly checked in and ran up to my room. I put my stuff away and sat down in my living room and looked around. My room was really cool. I had a living room, a dining room, a dressing room, and a bedroom.
Now dressed for work I went down to the lobby and met up with my partner. We had several meetings that night. I was shocked to see the enormity of the Capital mall. Over the next few days we spoke with our Senators, and Congressmen. Our bill is looking good and we have floor time in the House on or around the 17 of Sept. On Thursday we made one last mad dash and finished our meetings by 3:00 pm. then ran to the airport to catch our 5:30 flight home. It was a short trip but a very active one. The days started at 8:00 and we returned to the hotel at 12:00 midnight.

Back Yard News.

2007-08-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

Well for everyone that is patiently waiting news on the back yard. I have been updating Back Yard Blues. Kristen laughs at me and says that I am crazy, because I take pictures every few hours and then run in and post them. I just tell her that I am doing a public service, and it is her fault she is the one that wanted me to start this whole thing anyway. So If you want to see the latest pictures then scroll down to Back Yard Blues and have fun. Like I said I usually update it once or twice a day.

My First Post

2007-08-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

Well this is my first post. I was the one who convinced Isaac to start a blog. We have a few friends who blog and I love reading them. It has taken me a while to actually post though, and so I am going to just put up a lot of pictures that I have been saving for a while. I won't tell all the stories in detail though.

Blake and Kolby in the Auburn Good ol' Days Parade.

Isaac doing a jumping spinning heal.

Isaac doing a double front kick

A boy after my own heart.
Sometimes we have to force Blake to read other times we catch him reading.
Now if we could just get him to clean!

Kolby was hiding from the ladies during book club and fell asleep.

Well that is all I have for now. I am still trying to figure this posting stuff all out, and I think that it might post under Isaac's name. I'll try harder next time. Kristen.

Back Yard Blues

2007-08-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

Well the back yard project has begun. Friday they put in our sprinkler system. It is a little larger than they had thought that it would be. So we have a couple more zones than we thought we would. On Monday we were ready to have a wall built. Everything was going just fine and then the police had to get involved. Well it is not as dramatic as it may sound at first. We were patiently waiting for the truck to bring our rocks, when we got a phone call from the trucker. It seems he went to the wrong place. Well that is ok we can wait. The next call wasn't so good. The truck caring all of our rock for the retaining wall had been pulled over. Well there goes a few more minutes. The next call was worse. They might impound the truck. The last call came and well the truck was being impounded and our rocks held hostage. I think that we will be able to get back to work tomorrow but we will see.

This is our back yard at the beginning
From left corner

From right corner

Right corner

Sprinkler system.

Tuesday

Our Rocks were delivered.

The wall starts to take shape.

Still have a long way to go.

End of work on Tuesday

Left side of wall Tuesday

This is were our waterfall will go see we already have a pool

We still have a lot to do in the back yard, but it is starting to come together. They are delivering the second dump truck of rocks now. I hope that the wall will be mostly finished today.

Wednesday

Today has started out well. The crew showed up at 8:00 am. and started right in on the wall. They think that they can finish the wall today and then get started on the leveling of the back yard.

The finished wall and a hole for a waterfall

The wall is done now it is time for topsoil and to finish the sprinklers.

Yard is almost done with 12 inches of top soil

Waterfall will be complete tomorrow

View from Master bedroom.

Well today was great the yard is really coming together. We are so excited to see the final product. The only bad thing is since we have added a few things the cost has risen also. Well that is all for today see you tomorrow.

Thursday/Friday

Getting started on the rocks.

Getting closer.

All done just add water.

Well it works. Just a couple of days and the filter will make it crystal clear.

Well the project is almost complete all we need now are a few plants and some grass and it will look like a back yard.

Our waterfall

From above

Now all we need is the grass and we are done. We will have the Hydro seed applied in the next few days and then all will be finished.

Trip to D.C.

2007-08-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

I will soon be taking a trip for work to Washington DC. I will be out there as a Lobbyist. The best part of the trip is that I will be able to see my long lost sister. I will be flying out a couple of days early and staying with her. Well the best part really is I will get to go see my sister AND, the trip is payed for by my company!!!!!! Yes your tax dollars hard at work(kind of). It should be a lot of fun really. I will be speaking directly to our state representatives. The only bad part is I also am learning what it takes to get your point across in Government. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Oh well it should be fun anyway. At the very least it will be informative.

Preparing for a homecoming

2007-07-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

This week Kristen's parents are in Budapest Hungary to pick up the youngest Katseanes from his two year mission. The countdown to Jonny's return started a long tome ago. Blake has been very excited and is counting down the days until he gets to see his uncle. Kristen and the boys are going down to welcome them home to Salt Lake City and I will head down later for a few days. In related news Kristen's parents sold there house in Salt Lake and are going to move to Provo to be closer to work. So Jonny is getting home just in time to pack how fun. I am also hopeful that his two years away from golf soften him up enough for me to beat him once in my life. I will have to attack right when he gets home though because he is normally sooooo much better than I am.

Our new house

2007-07-04T07:37:00.001-07:00

For those that have been away for a while we bought a new house. We have been here for a few months now and are getting settled in Slowly. The boys are having fun with the park right next door. They want to go play every day.

Out of the mouth of children

2007-07-02T23:38:00.000-07:00

The other day I was rushing around the house trying to get the boys ready for Tae Kwon Do. We were running a little late and my nerves were frayed. I yelled out and told the kids that they better beat me to the car or they would be left behind. As I entered the garage my four year old jumped down the steps, sprinted in front of the van. He stopped quickly and pivoted so that he could look me square in the eye, and said in a taunting tone "You are not faster than me OLD MAN" despite my ill mood I could not help but laugh.