The Soles Family

Cake Pops!

2010-10-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

So I haven't done much baking lately. We were coming up on our turn for soccer snacks, and I figured that was a great time to be creative! I don't typically like handing out store bought snacks and treats when I can create something that will leave a lasting impression.
Having just purchased the "Cake Pops" book by Bakerella, I was feeling inspired and decided to create some soccer cake balls. Here's how it went...

Happy eating, Silver Strikers!!

Turning 33...

2010-09-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

I really don't like getting older, although the saying is that you get sweeter with age. Or maybe they were just talking about wine? I just don't want to be like the leftover block of cheese I found in my fridge the other day - discolored, molding, and just plain nasty. Look at what age did to it!
Really can't complain too much, because for 33 I'm still doing good. I'm finally learning how to eat healthier - and like it. That's the key for me. I've been exercising more, which helps me to feel better about myself. Overall I'm doing pretty good.
My husband, however, is in denial about my age. I think that he believes that I was turning 30, because he was trying to plan a surprise party for me, as he has done for the past 3 years (it only worked the FIRST time).
I caught on to his little scheme the week before, through little things that he said, or someone else said, etc. Needless to say, he's not very good at planning surprises! By Friday I knew without a doubt that we were having a BBQ at my house. So I confronted him about it and A-HA! So I spent much of Saturday morning cleaning my house.
Don't get me wrong -- I love having people over, especially since I haven't see some of my friends all summer! I just like to know about it, so I can have my house clean beforehand. Because quite honestly, thats about the only time that some of it gets deep-cleaned. i'm just too busy normally.

So we ended up having some family and friends over, and it was great to see them. =)

The kids all learned the birthday song and sang it for me. Brian did manage to pull out surprise -- a birthday cake from Cold Stone Creamery! My favorite!!

I love my sweet family and friends. I am truely blessed.

Birthday Video

2010-09-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

So the kids decided they wanted to do something special for me for my birthday, so they did a little research on youtube, and came up with this song. It's a little hard to understand some of the words, but I'm sure you'll get the main idea. Enjoy!

Here are the lyrics:

Mom it's your birthday
Thanks for all the care and love you give
Not to mention the meals and times I get kinda nervous
And forget to tell you how I feel

Im a little high strung
Its just because Im young
Mom I adore ya
And Ill do anything for ya

Although my brothers make me frantic
With every single crazy antic
And when Im bouncing off the walls
You're the one who stays calm

Because you love me for who I am
I'll always love you mom.

Silver Strikers: First Game of the 2010-2011 Season

2010-09-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

First Day of School 2010-2011

2010-09-23T11:13:00.001-07:00

5th grade/1st grade

They just keep growing older and bigger every year... Bittersweet to watch your babies grow up....

Labor Day in Salt Lake City

2010-09-23T10:38:00.001-07:00

For Labor Day weekend, Brian and I decided to drive down to Salt Lake City to see my brother. We left the kiddos with grandma for the weekend, and my dad drove over from Carson City, Nevada to meet us there.
We knew that it was going to be a long drive - 12 hours on the lonely road - and it didn't help matters that I came down with a cold Friday before we left. We didn't let that hold us back though! We went out for dinner after we dropped on the kids, and then hit the road at 8:30pm Friday night, with a cooler packed with water, 5-hour energy drinks, and snacks. We drove all night -- through Idaho and on to Butte, then headed south. We stopped along the way for gas, and then once at a rest area for a 45 minute nap (neither one of us could go any further without some sleep!). The sun started coming up just as we were getting to the Utah State border. Brian tried to capture it with some pictures, but they just don't do it justice.

As soon we we arrived in Salt Lake, we called my brother and met him at his new place. Then off to a much needed breakfast at Denny's. Since my dad wasn't expected to arrive until later that afternoon, we checked into our hotel and took a MUCH NEEDED nap.
Dad got there around 2pm, and we decided to head downtown for some sight-seeing. Now, none of us are Mormon, but we really wanted to see the headquarters in downtown. We were not dissappointed! It was just beautiful! Lots of fountains, flowers, and amazing architecture.

Afterwards we headed down to Ikea for a quite shopping trip, and ended the night with a delicious treat at Cold Stone Creamery. I was amazed at the fact that neither my brother or my dad have ever been there before! lol...

Sunday morning we were on our own for while, and did lots of driving around town just looking at stores, etc, and trying to find some "utah" souvenirs for the kids. We ended up getting them each a shirt with the University of Utah logo on them, since that is where the Children's Hospital is located - which is where their Uncle David now works. =)
We then met up with the boys, got ready to go to a baseball game. Rather than drive, we hopped on a train which took us right to the field. Lots of interesting people.... but a quick way to travel if you want to avoid the traffic!
The baseball team there is the Salt Lake City Bees - they are a AAA baseball team, so one league higher than the Spokane Indians, I think. It was a fun thing to do with my family - hotdogs and kettlecorn were a must have!

After the game we went down to The Bayou for dinner. They have 100's of different beers there, both local and out of town/state. Brian and David enjoyed researching their next beer and trying new ones. The food there was AMAZING and very affordable. It's definately somewhere I'll go to again, next time we're down there.

Once we were stuffed with good food and beer (Brian - not me), it was time to say our good-byes and hit the road. As we hopped on the freeway, the sun was just making it's way below the horizon, and we were once again traveling through the night, making our way past semi's and roadkill, yearning to get home and crawl in our own bed. We left town at 7:30pm, and arrived home around 9am Monday morning. It took a little longer because we stopped more often for little naps. We even encountered some snow flakes as we got close to Butte. We were a sight for sore eyes once we got home. First thing we did, without even unpacking the car, was shoes off and crashed into our pillows.

It was a great, quick, fun weekend, and I am glad that we were able to share it with my brother and dad!

Update to Graduation

2010-09-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

Just to update everyone on where my brother ended up after graduation. After severals weeks of waiting, he was offered a fulltime position at the Childrens Hospital at the University of Utah! It's exactly what he was hoping for, although it is a little far from home. Brian and I drove down there over Labor Day weekend, and he's settling in nicely. It's a great place for him to be, and we wish him the very best in the coming year!
Pictures of our trip to come soon...

Goals

2010-09-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

My goal this month is to update my blog. I've fallen so far behind that it's really almost impossible to completely update it, but I'd at least like to get some new stuff up and running, and get reconnected with my fellow bloggers. I feel that it is an important outlet for me, and a great way to share things with my family, friends, etc.

In addition, I would like to set up a seperate blog for my baking and photography - two things which I hope to get more involved with in the coming year. So keep an eye out for that one!

Finally, need to do something with my book blog. It got to the point that I was just putting everything that I read on there, with a synopsis of the book. What I would like for it to be is a place where I share books that I really enjoyed (not just read) and an explanation of WHY I enjoyed them and WHY I'd like to share them with others.

So big goals. Busy mom. We'll see how it turns out. Maybe a few of you out there will help keep me accountable and motivated. :-)

Graduation

2010-07-20T08:11:00.000-07:00

I have a younger brother. His name is David. I love him very much. We grew up being fairly close - me being the bossy one, and him being the jokester. lol..

After high school he decided to take a few years off before college. The few years turned into several more years. He was working as a bartender, and enjoying the bachelor life, sometimes a little too much.

Then, one beautiful September day, my brother's life came dangerously close to death. Involved in a motorcycle accident, he smashed his skull on a rock, and broke his back. It was the most terrifying day of my life.

The next 3 weeks were long and filled with prayers that came answered. My little brother was healing, quickly, and becoming stronger every day. His will to live and to fight for what was rightfully his was strong. Now, almost 4 years later, most people would never guess how close we came to losing him.

After he recovered, it was time for him to decide what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He didn't see going back to how it was before as an option. So he enrolled in a local college, and was accepted into the program of his choice: the Noninvasive Cardiovascular Technician program. Seems he wanted to be influentail in the lives of others, as those that had been in his during those weeks in the hospital.

On June 16th, my brother David graduated from college with honors. He has taken his national test and is a Registered Cardiac Sonographer. His passion is working with children, and hopes to work in a children's hospital.

Words can not express how very proud I am of him, and all his dedication and hard work. There were several times during the graduation ceremony that brought tears to my eyes (as now). You have been an inspiration, my little brother!

"Life is not about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."

Picture Spring Photo Contest 2010

2010-05-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

One of the most regular blogs that I follow is having a photo contest, and since I've been SOOOO wanting to take a photography class, and thoroughly enjoy playing around with my camera, I decided I should enter - just for the fun of it! Here is a link to the details.

Here are the three photos I'm entering:

Playing Ball

Spring Flower

Goal!

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's pictures!

Natalie's Sentiments Giveaway

2010-05-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

You know those decals you see on every car these days? The little "family" people? Sure they're cute, but everyone has them! I've been thinking lately that I'd like to have some, but they would have to be different somehow.
Well, I found them! Check out these Skull Family decals from The Lucky Labs that Natalie is giving away! I totally want them!!

Valentines Day 2010

2010-05-06T11:20:00.001-07:00

Just a quiet evening in as a family. Brian cooked up some chicken breasts and crab legs. The kids thought they were pretty cool, but didn't really care to eat them! lol

STARZ Dress Rehearsal

2010-05-06T11:13:00.000-07:00

Always a fun day for the girls, when they get to put their costumes and full makeup on and DANCE!!

Baby Shower Cake for Casey

2010-05-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

My friend, Casey, was having her first baby, and I was asked to make the cake for her shower. I had a lot more fun with this cake, and being my second cake, think it turned out pretty well. I also made some matching cookie-pops which were quite yummy!

The Newest Member of our Family

2010-05-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

While Brian was off work for his knee injury, he conjured up this idea that we needed a puppy. Not quite sure why, but he convinced me to go LOOK, and of course we found a sweet little girl that we all fell in love with. We managed to leave the store without her that night, but Brian ended up going back the next day to get her.

Her name is Bella. She is a Boxedor (boxer/lab) and was born on October 28th, 2009. She's a very mellow dog, and so sweet. Great with the kids, and loves water. She'll be a great camping and boating dog. =)

Look at those teeth!! lol...

New Years Eve 2009

2010-05-06T10:45:00.001-07:00

It is a tradition to go up to the Nelson property for New Years and go sledding all night. We were a little worried this year, as snow levels were significantly low. New Years Eve morning was bare, but as the afternoon rolled around, it gradually began to snow. and it snowed, and snowed, and snowed.... It was perfect! The next morning, it all melted away.

Christmas morning and Grandma's

2010-05-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

Christmas Eve with Uncle David

2010-05-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

Just a few pics of our Christmas Eve with my brother.

Santa's Workshop/Fantasy Cruise

2010-02-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

This year we were not home when Santa came by our house, and the kids were really disappointed. So, in an effort to keep them "believing", we bought tickets for the Couer d'alene Fantasy Cruise and took them to the North Pole to see Santa.
It was a little chilly, but fun no less. The kids were surprised and very excited. During the cruise we got hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. Once we got there, the 3 cruise boats all pulled up to "Santa's workshop" and Santa came out to talk to everyone. He then pulled out a list and read all the kids' names from the "nice" list. All the names EXCEPT for the ones on our boat!! As the boats began pulling turning aroud to head back to the resort, we had to turn around and go back to Santa, as Mrs. Clause had found another part of the nice list - and it had the rest of the kids' names on it. Whew! Shianne and Hunter were worried! =)
Overall, they had a great time, and the season for believing continued for another year.

Baking Day 2009

2010-02-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

Our annual Baking Day was a huge hit this year! The kids got to decorate Christmas sugar cookies that Lyla baked beforehand, and the ladies got busy baking our holiday goodies. Even Kennedy got in on the action this year, her first Baking Day. And her cookies were a huge success!

The Lion King

2010-01-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

Several years ago when The Lion King came to town, I went with my mother, and absolutely LOVED it! I swore then that if it ever came again I would take Shianne and Hunter (depending his age). So when it came to town this winter, I bought tickets for Shianne and me.

We were very excited - it was our own little "girls day"!

Just as before, it was absolutely amazing! Shianne loved it, and at several points during the show, it brought me to tears - it was so beautiful. Already looking forward to the next time it comes to town, and I'll take Hunter as well.

Our Christmas Tree

2010-01-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite times of the year is Christmas and kicking it off by putting up the Christmas tree. We usually do this the day after Thanksgiving. The kids were both gone and Grandmas, and so Brian and I started it without them.
They then decided to come home, which was fine with me because it just didn't feel the same without them, even with the holiday music playing! They helped me finish up by putting on all their special ornaments they've collected and made throughout the years. It turned out beautifully!

Merry Christmas!

Soles Family Thanksgiving

2010-01-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

We had Thanksgiving at our house this year, just a small gathering since my sister-in-law and her family went to South Dakota to celebrate with family there.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Brian's Deer

2010-01-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

The much anticipated hunting season approached quickly this year, and opening day for archery was 2 days before Thanksgiving. Brian headed out to his friend's property where he had his tree stand set up, and got settled in. An hour after that, he shot the biggest buck of his life, with his bow! The deer was big, and old, so the meat was made into all summer sausage, and the head mount will most likely end up in our family room once it's done later in the summer. Of course, everyone was very excited, and so very proud of Brian!

Halloween

2010-01-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

We went really low key for Halloween this year. We didn't have our annual Halloween party because Halloween first of all. Secondly, we mustered up our own costumes at home, and didn't spend any money at the store. We didn't even buy candy for trick-or-treaters because we weren't planning on being home. Instead we went to my sister-in-law's house and took the kids trick-or-treating down there.

Shianne and her school friend during their class party:

Hunter enjoying a Crispy Creme during his class party:

The cousins:

"Trick-or-treat!!"

Mmmmmmm......candy!!

Still here!

2010-01-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

Better late than never, right? I've been Really behind in posting on this blog. Seems like ever since I started my new job, I don't have as much time to get on here and update everyone on our family events. So today, since it's a new year, I'm catching up and vowing to post at least 2 blogs per month. Let's see how I do...

Bittersweet

2009-10-30T14:15:00.001-07:00

Today is a bittersweet day.

Exactly 6 years, 2 weeks ago today I began working fulltime from home. It was a blessing to be able to do things with my children throughout the years that many working moms are unable to do, and not have to put them into daycare. The making of breakfast, the afterschools snacks. The trips to the park on a spring afternoon. The doctors and dentist appointment in the not-so-busy morning hours. The summers at the lake. The drive to and from camp. Attending every single soccer practice and game, baseball practice and game, dance class, dance camps, shows, and school parties. The days snuggled up on the couch when they don't feel good. I have been blessed to do all this, and still work fulltime in the process.

Today is my LAST day of working from home. My children have grown, and we're all moving on to a new place in our lives. They are very independent and responsible children, and I am proud to say they are that way because of the last 6 years. They have learned that happiness comes not from going to work every day, but from spending time with those that we love, and they are old enough to understand that work is just an integral part of our lives, neccessary for us to enjoy all the fun things we love to do together - camping, boating, vacations, and movies.

And mom gets to go back to the workforce. While I'm excited about this new adventure, I will truly miss my friends/coworkers at KMC, and the flexibility I've had over the years. Now is time for me to become a full time working mom again - to be a part of the workforce that I haven't felt I've been a part of for quite some time.

Next week is vacation for me, followed by the start of a new job. It'll be an adjusting period for the first month or two, but we will all benefit in the long run.

Thanks to all my friends, family, and coworkers for your support!!
♥ you all....

Cookie Pops

2009-10-25T15:06:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday was Hunter's last soccer game, and we were signed up for snacks. You know me - gotta out do myself everytime. Last summer for baseball I made cake pops that looked like little baseballs. For soccer, I decided to make cookie pops that were both soccer and Halloween themed, since it's only 1 week before Halloween.

Then I wrapped them up with 2 cookies for each of the boys. Great first half of the season, Green Giants! See you all in the spring!

Per Brian's request!

2009-10-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

Ever since Brian has realized how much I enjoy baking, his sweet tooth as grown considerably. Last week I heard him say, "I sure am craving some sugar cookies". Probably not a good thing to say in our house, when my craze lately has been sugar cookies and figuring out the best frosting techniques, etc.

I had just picked up a pumpkin cookie cutter, so I went to town - whipping up the dough, cooling, rolling, cooling, cutting, cooling, and baking. That's the hard part for me - it's like doing laundry. You have to wait then work, wait then work, etc. It's a long drawn out process. It's the frosting that I enjoy the most, as it lets me be creative. This has been my only creative outlet lately.

Now, many may ask: "What do you do with all those cookies?" Well, what do you think we do with them? Eat them!! Ha ha..... No, we don't really eat all of them. I save a few for the kids to put in their lunches, or for an afterschool snack. I send some to work with Brian for the guys. I give them to our neighbors (especially the onces I borrow sugar and flour from!!). Although I try to stick to only eating 2 of them, there are times I find myself just eating the dough scraps as I'm cutting them out. oops!

If you haven't had a chance to try my sugar cookies yet, don't fret. There seems to be no end in sight of cookies coming from this kitchen!!

Greenbluff & Pumpkins

2009-10-18T10:24:00.000-07:00

Every year we get together with our friends and head up to Greenbluff. Our friends own property up there, so we first meet there, which is right down the road from Seimer's Farm. We then head up to Seimer's to get our pumpkins. This year the kids and I indulged in caramel apples too - yum! We all try to get family pictures while up there. Then we head back to the house to carve, eat chili, roast marshmellows, and just enjoy the company of others.

This year was a success once again. The rain held off until late, and the kids did an awesome job on their pumpkins!

Cherry Pie Pops

2009-10-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

Once again, I'm stretching my knowledge and limits with new baking. Today I embarked on a pie pop adventure - CHERRY pie pops. We're having our annual Pumpkin Carving Party and Chili feed tomorrow with our good friends and family, so decided these would be perfect - and easy. Boy was I wrong...

These little buggers were hard! First I ended up making the dough too small, and the cherry filling too big. Once I figured out that I needed more dough and less filling, they worked much better and actually starting turning out quite well. I guess I was just really frustrated that the whole first batch was wasted. Okay - not wasted - we ended up eating them all. But they certainly weren't suitable to take into public!

First batch being made: too much filling - too little dough

Second batch: better, but still not perfect.

Third batch: Perfection!

They melt in your mouth...

Since it was getting late, and I was tired of these little buggers, I decided to use the rest of the pie filling to make a cherry crisp. This will be great warmed up and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Mmmmmmmm.....

Making "Creepy Crawlies"

2009-10-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning off my little camera today which is always fun when your kids have been playing with it. I found all sorts of treasures! Here are some pics that my personal photographer (aka. Hunter) took while I was making some Creepy Crawlies for halloween cookies last week.

Halloween Yum-yums

2009-10-11T10:40:00.001-07:00

The kids didn't have school on Friday, so I took the day off. I've had the baking bug again, so we decided to make some cookies for the season. They were GOOD!

Seattle, Washington

2009-10-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

More Soccer!

2009-10-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful fall day for team pictures this year, and I managed to snap a few of my own as well.

Gift from my honey...

2009-10-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

My husband, bless his heart, has a hard time with gifts. He either: 1) doesn't know what to buy, 2) knows what he wants to buy, but waits until the last minute, or 3) knows what he THINKS he wants to buy, but gets the wrong thing. lol...
Over the years, he has learned that when it comes to getting me a gift, he's better off to let me pick it out myself. So this year he told me what he PLANNED on as my gift, and that we would all go to get it. Of course, this involved a lot of research on my part. I wanted to make sure I got what I really needed for a good price!

A week after my birthday we finally made the trek down to Best Buy and I got a new lens for my camera. A Canon EFS 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS! It was EXACTLY what I've been wanting, and for a great price!

As soon as we got home I HAD to try it out. Like when a little kid gets a new toy - that's all they want to do! So here are a few shots I took of Shianne just before dusk on our back deck. Our deck is 20 feet long, and since this is a zoom lens I had to stand on the opposite of the deck to get these - and I didn't use zoom!

Spokane Interstate Fair

2009-10-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

Every year for my birthday the great city of Spokane puts on a fair -- okay, it's not for me, but it is always on my birthday. :) One of my favorite birthday traditions is to go and enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the Spokane Interstate Fair. No matter your age, it's good fun for all.

Hunter got to see a REAL race car!! Dale Earnhart Jr.'s car!!

We decided to try out the Demolition Derby this year. That was interesting, and we probably won't waste our money on it again next year.

The kids aren't totally sold on the rides yet, so we decided to start out small. Hunter thought it was so cool to drive around and around in a circle. Shianne, on the other hand, did not! lol...

We decided to try something a little more "thrilling" for Shianne's sake, and put them on this rollarcoaster. It was a huge hit with both of them!

Shianne still wanted to try something a bit bigger, so we went with the Yo-Yo. This used to be one of my favorites as a kid. Once they got in the air though, she looked like she wanted off. She did good and toughed it out, but afterwards said it was a little too high for her. Maybe next year...

Of course, no day at the Fair is complete unless you ride on the Merry-go-round.

Another year at the Fair - and another birthday - in the books!

School Picture Day

2009-10-07T09:24:00.001-07:00

The kids recently had picture day at school. I've never been a big fan of school pictures - they remind me of mug shots. So I got a few of my own pictures before they headed off to school. Enjoy!

Baby Shower Cake

2009-09-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

I have been in awe over the new fondant cakes, and decided that I wanted to try one of my own. I found some books at our local library that have awesome cookies, cupcakes and cake designs in them, along with recipes, instructions and techniques - everything you need to know to make them.

With a dear friend's baby shower coming up I thought I would volunteer to make the cake - easy enough, right? Wrong! lol... I picked out something that was probably fairly advanced for cake-making. I'm not typically a "cake" girl, and after this I am more certain than ever that I am a "cookie & cupcake" girl.

I also made some cookies for the shower, because I wasn't sure how the cake was going to turn out. These were lots of fun to make, and actually turned out really yummy! Like I said, I'm more of a cupcake and cookie girl!

Soccer 2009 - Green Giants!

2009-09-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

September 12th was Hunter's first soccer game of this season. It was a beautiful warm day and lucky for us his game was at 9:45am, so it was perfect outside. Our team consists of 5 boys from last years team plus 2 new boys. It's great to see how much they have progressed since last year - even while they've been playing baseball all summer! Our team is a force to be reckoned with, that's for sure. Of course, we have some great coaches and helpers which I feel really helps to round out the boys. They get a little different teaching style from each one, but this helps the boys overall. We've had 2 games so far, and our record is 2-0 (but we're not supposed to be keeping track... lol...). And I have to brag and say they've both been blowouts!

Hunter is really starting to get more coordinated with his feet and thinking fast. His passing and dribbling skills have really improved. Last weekend I got there just in time to see him dribble the ball all the way down the field and score on his own!

Needless to say, the games have been really fun. We have a great group of parents that cheer and encourage the boys. We couldn't have asked for a better team!

My Birthday

2009-09-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

I have to say that my birthday came and passed fairly uneventful this year. The boys were on a camping trip all weekend, so Shianne and I got to do some shopping and have some girl time. Sunday when the boys returned home it turned out that we all had head colds - except Shianne. My actual birthday was spent in bed all day with Hunter, as we both were home from work/school.
I'm not big on birthdays anymore - I can do without the parties with everyone drinking and hanging out in little cliches. I'm not 21 anymore. I'm good with just dinner with my family and us going to do something fun. I'm hoping that this next weekend we can go to the fair. That's what I love about my birthday - it's always during the fair. I've loved the fair since I was kid, so taking my own kids even better!
My only disappointment was that I got no gifts on my birthday, other than a fresh box of Kleenex and some cold medicine! I may be old, but not too old for presents! I did, however, get a bowl of chocolate chip cookies from the girls at work. VERY yummy, but I ate too many. It'll be extra time on the treadmill for me next week. That's fine.... I'll buy myself an extra elephant ear at the fair this weekend too....

First Day of School 2009-2010

2009-09-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

My babies are growing up so fast ~ it doesn't seem possible they are starting the 4th and 1st grade! Where have the years gone? They pass us by with the blink of an eye...

Sports Cupcakes

2009-09-05T22:48:00.000-07:00

I've really been feeling the baking bug lately ~ it must be that fall weather rolling in. I've always loved to bake, but over the years I seem to have the need to outdo my previous year successes. So this year I've been googling over fondant cakes. I was even feeling so light hearted about them, that I voluntered to make the cake for a friend's baby shower! hmmmm... I may have just gotten in WAY over my head.

So I've been checking out books at the library, and found these amazing books with cool pictures and step-by-step instructions. This seemed to easy my fears some, but I still felt like I needed to "practice" with this stuff before I embarked on a full fledged cake for a social event.

My nephew turned 12 this past week and he is a big baseball and basketball player. I voluntered to make some cupcakes for his party, which was mainly just family and close friends (thus, less pressure...).
Hey, I never said I got all dressed up to bake! =)

I started out with Red Velvet Cake ~ this has become my new favorite cake. I just love the bright vibrant color.

These only took 20 minutes to whip up and bake.

After they had cooled, I lathered them up with some sweet cupcake frosting. I made this out of butter, milk, pure vanilla extract, and lots of confectioners sugar!

The next step was to roll out the fondant and cut it to fit over the top of the cupcakes. This was a trial-and-error process, as the cutter size they suggested using was much too small. One I got the right size, it was much easier.
The baseballs were the easiest - just cut out the fondant and draw some stitching on there with an edible marker.

The basketballs were a little more challenging, and I didn't get any pictures of them as I made them (my hands were a MESS and I was rushing and running out of time!). First I had to color the fondant orange. This was the time-consuming part ~ kneading the fondant like playdough until the color was consistent throughtout. Then I cut out the circle and rolled lines on them. Texturing came next - for this I used the end of a #3 pastry tip. After they were placed on the cupcakes, I whipped up some black royal icing (egg whites, lemon juice, and confectioners sugar). I then put this in a pastry bag and used a #2 pastry tip to put the black (or in this case, dark gray) on the basketballs.

Over all they turned out pretty good. I learned a lot about working with the fondant, different frostings, and my new pastry bags.

But most importantly, the birthday boy loved them!!

Indians Baseball

2009-09-05T07:49:00.001-07:00

Took the kids to an Indians game last night. We got tickets from a great guy that Brian works with. We bounced between those seats and a sky box where Cousin Eric and crew were. Turns out some school friends had the box next to it and the kids had a blast with them!

Fun with Fruit...

2009-09-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that summer is over... really. We look forward to it all year long ~ days at the lake, soaking up the sun, sunblock & sprinklers, vacations, sleeping in late, camping, sleepovers... Then, as soon as we get into the swing of things, it's over!
Our friends had an end-of-summer BBQ last weekend and my thinking was "might as well go out big". My friends know that I don't typically do things the ordinary way; I like to spice it up a bit and make things fun, creative.
Fruit salad was sounding good, especially as I'm trying to trim down before the holidays (we won't discuss the Milky Way Midnight Dark I just wolfed down!). So we went to the store, picked up some fresh fruit, and headed home to throw it all together. Oh, but that would be too easy....... =)

First, gather your fruit together.

Don't forget the watermelon!
The first thing you'll want to do with it is cut just a little bit off the bottom so that it's flat and doesn't roll around. Then slice the top off.

Next, you need to "gut it" - basically scoop out all the watermelon so it's hollow like a bowl. This was fun and geared me up for pumpkin carving season, which is right around the corner...

I thought that still looked a little "plain Jane", so I also cut a zigzag along the edge.

Then, just toss in all your fruit, and VOILA!! Fruit salad in a totally decomposable bowl! So if you happen to leave it at your friends house by accident (either because you're trying to herd your wild screaming kids to the car or because you've had just a little too much to drink), you're not out any dishes!

If you're really feeling creative, you can carve a spoon out of the top of the watermelon. Less waste, right? Hey, it worked! Just wrap the handle with plastic wrap so peoples hands don't get sticky.

Overall, it was success ~ the salad AND the BBQ. Thank you, Amber & Eric, for having us over for once last get together before summer is over. :D

Birthday Week Extravaganza

2009-08-31T05:32:00.001-07:00

A fellow blogger is doing a Birthday Week Extravaganza filled with giveaways to celebrate her birthday. I thought, "how fun!", especially as my birthday is quickly approaching as well. She will be having 8 giveaways this week. Check it out!

Holiday Slim Down

2009-08-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

We all know by now that there really is no quick fix for weight loss. Trust me - I've tried almost everything. Pills of all shapes and sizes, soup diets, cabbage diets, meat diets, veggie diets, diets, diets, diets..... and the only thing they've done for me is really screw up my metabolism. There was only 1 true wonder drug out there, and they took it off the market and stopped producing it because too many people were abusing it. It did wonders if used correctly! By the time Hunter was 1, I weighed less than before I got pregnant with him!! But once off of it, I realized that my body had relied on it. Trying to get my metabolism going on it's own again has been an uphill battle, and one that I'm slowing losing over the years. Here I am, quickly approaching my 32nd birthday, my children are 9 and 6, and I weigh more now than I ever have.

I can hear some of you now..... "what are you whining about?" "you don't need to lose weight!" "you're fine the way you are now". Here's the thing: I do need to lose weight. Most of time I do a fairly good job of hiding it, but believe it or not people, my midsection is mush! And I have the right to whine because my midsection continues to outgrow my clothes.

So here's the plan: An old friend from school, Natalie, has this awesome blog that I follow and she's recently started a Holiday Slim Down, a 15 week program with goals to help support and motivate one another to lose weight. I'm a few weeks behind the band-wagon, but I'm joining now. I've been running off and on for the past few weeks - I even ran on vacation! So now it's time for me to get serious about losing a few pounds and toning up this midsection of mine.

Here are my goals for the 15 (now 11) weeks:

1. Ideally, I'd like to lose 15 pounds. This may be pushing it, and I would be pleased to just loss 10. Anything over would just be like a bonus!

2. Fit into the jeans I wore 1 year after Hunter was born (that would be a 2 size difference).

3. Tone and firm my arms - they're beginning to look like old lady arms! And I'm just not ready for that... =)

So, wish me luck! And please be supportive. I really cannot do this on my own, which is why I'm looking forward to the HSD group support. Also - kudos to my sister-in-law for motivating me to run more! I'm like the little engine that needs encouragement - "I think you can, I think you can....."

12 Year Anniversary

2009-08-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Brian & I have been married to 12 years. It sounds like such a long time, yet it seems like the years have just flown by. We didn't have any plans for the day. We thought maybe of trying to take the family out to Red Lobster. Or maybe seeing a movie. Nothing set in stone. We woke up Sunday morning to the sun shining brightly and the boat already hooked up to the car from the night before.
So instead of taking the day to reflect on the past, we decided to enjoy the beautiful weather and make it a family day on the boat. Probably not the most romantic thing - to have 2 fighting, whining kids on board - and there were times when I thought of throwing them overboard... lol...., but we've had lots of "romantic days" in the past. Right now we just wanted to enjoy what we have now: a wonderfully blessed family in good health.
We loaded up the cooler, packed some lunch and snacks, and headed out to Loon Lake for the day. The boys did some fishing, the girls did some reading, and we all soaked up the sun! Loaded the boat back up around 5pm and headed back into town. Stopped at Camino Real for a mexican dinner, then headed home to unpack and go to bed. We were all exhausted!

It was a wonderful day. Thank you to my husband for making it a memorable 12-years. We've had our ups and downs but we keep truckin' along, never looking back....

Priest Lake: August 2009

2009-08-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

We're trying to get in as much boating time as we can, since we bought our boat late in the season. So far, the weather has cooperated. Saturday we planned a trip out to Priest Lake. We had some friends that were camping up there, and thought it would be fun to explore the lake, do some tubing and hang out with them on the beach. My brother went with us, along with Shianne's best friend, Alexis. It was a beautiful day - a little on the windy side - and we all had a great time. Just before dark we loaded up the boat, and joined our friends back at their campsite. Rafe grilled up some delicious hamburgers and hotdogs for dinner and we ate while hanging out around the campfire. Finally got home at 10:00pm - everyone but the driver (me!) slept on the way home..... :D
Shianne

Alexis

Hunter

Alexis tubing for the 1st time - she loved it!!

My brother, David, and Brian

Maverick & Hunter

Riley, Shianne, & Alexis

My brother discovered this little boy on the beach to teach - I think they both enjoyed it!

Shianne & Alexis

Colter

Rafe

Pend Oreille Shores Resort 2009

2009-08-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures from our week at condo. It's always such a relaxing week. The kids are old enough to pretty much do their own thing. All of the cousins are really good about playing nice together and staying in a group. They all loved to get up and go fishing first thing in the morning, swim during the day, and burn off the last of their energy late at night. The weather started out good - we had a few hot days - but towards the end of the week it turned cold and stormy. These were perfect days to go swim at the indoor pool according to Shianne! We had a lot of fun with the new boat. Got some of the kids and cousins, etc out on a tube, and took a lot of rides just for the fun of it. It was sad to pack up and come home, but we know that we'll return next year~!

The Mohawk

2009-08-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

Sadly we are coming up on the end of summer. This means school shopping and haircuts at our house. Shopping for Shianne, and haircut for Hunter! lol...
Hunter really needed a trim, so while Brian was cutting it the other night, he talked him into a mohawk. Hunter has never wanted one before, even when the neighbor boy did it last year. But Shianne promised him that she'd color it blue for him, and it was all down hill after that.

This is a few days after the initial cut and color, so it's faded to a green tint now. Not to worry though - it better be shaved off before school starts!!!

Official New Moon Trailer: Meet Jacob Black

2009-08-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

Oh My Gosh!!! Anyone that truly knows me, knows that I have been obsessed with the Twilight series books since reading them all over a year ago. Each movie that comes out just feeds into it and I find myself thinking of nothing else!
I have to admit that the Twilight movie was a disaster, but the more I watch it, the more I like it. Now the hype is all about New Moon, and I'm ecstatic! It was one of my favorite books out of the four - I am a HUGE Jacob fan all the way.
This new trailer was just released and I could sit and watch it all day.... =)

The movie release date is November 20th, and you can be sure that a group of us will be going!
Enjoy!!!!

Latest Addition to our Family...

2009-08-05T12:11:00.000-07:00

For the past few years, we've sorta been wanting a boat. It's one of those things that we thought was fun to do with other people - on their boat. Their responsibility, their payments, their storage, etc.... but never sure if we really wanted to indulge ourselves with that expense when you only use it 3-4 months out of the year.
After our 4th of July camping experience this year on Lake Roosevelt, we got that "bug" again. That "wouldn't-it-be-nice-to-just-drive-around-the-lake-all-day" bug. It was then that we seriously started considering it.
Honestly, we don't camp as much as we used to. With the kids keeping us busy with their extracurricular activities (dance, soccer, and baseball), it really doesn't make since for us to pack up all of our camping goods, load up the trailer and head out of town for a 24 hour trip. It's too much work. So our thinking was, "wouldn't it be nice to just load up the boat and head up to the lake for a day??". Even if we want to sleep overnight, we can take along a tent, or just sleep under the stars.
So we began looking, thinking that next summer would be best. It would give us a chance to look at a few and see what features we do/don't like, etc. We've been looking mostly with private sellers - people who either have outgrown their boats, or financially cannot afford them anymore. Our main source of "research" has been craigslist. This is how we found our trailer and motorcycle, too.
We began looking at a few last week and quite frankly they were nothing to get excited about. It's amazing how everybody thinks that their boat is the best, and how little some of them were taken care of!
You must also realize that as we were doing this, we were quickly approaching our vacation - a week long stay on Pend O'reille Lake. Hmmm... wouldn't it be nice to have a boat for that??? =) Oh yeah....

So we did it -- we took the plunge. We found a boat that has been immaculately taken care of. It's the perfect size for our family for our first boat. (Yes, "first" boat - I've already got plans for another bigger one in the future...) It's a 2007 Stingray 180RX. These are the photos from the previous owners, and I'll post our own pictures later. We're picking it up tonight, then taking it to the lake on friday ~ WHOO HOO!!!!!

Summer Ballet

2009-07-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

This past month of July Shianne has been taking two summer classes: Musical Theater and Ballet.
We thought the Musical Theater would be a "fun & carefree" class, and it was! She had so much fun. Dancers are truly actors anyway, because they're always telling a story. This class was right up our little "Drama Queen's" alley. They learned 3 little dances, the main one to "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend". Yet they didn't do them for us on the last day. Instead they got to watch pieces of old musicals - most of which were LONG before her time!
Originally we signed her up for Advance Beginning Ballet, but it got combined with the Beginning Ballet. Since it was a different teacher, our hope was that maybe she'd still learn something new. The class started out with 11 girls and on the last day there were only 5 (3 of them I know were at camp/on vacation). They learned a sweet little dance in only 8 - 45 minutes sessions. Shianne is really starting to enjoy ballet a lot more than last year, and is progressing nicely. Can't wait to see what the coming year brings, as she'll start Level 6 Ballet in the fall.

Chewelah Creek 2009

2009-07-31T06:39:00.000-07:00

Star-gazing and snack before bed

Dustin playing us some campfire music

Me and Brian chillin' around the campfire

Shianne and Madison putting on a show for us (and no, her foot is NOT on fire....)

Our SMALL campfire. Even with the rain during the day, it was pretty dry, and I'm always nervous about some little spark flying off and starting a forest fire. Call me paranoid, whatever...

Our Glamour Girls ~ Madison & Shianne. We got enough sun on Saturday for them to soak it up!

Hunter and Emily ~ Best Buddies

The men soaking their feet in the creek (and Justin soaking his buns!) lol....

This is what I do, and what camping is all about for me: relaxation.

The game of Washoogles: best fun for the whole family!

Warning: Storms ahead

2009-07-27T19:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we headed up to Chewelah Creek for our first "normal" camping trip (the reason I say "normal" is because this is our regular type of camping - vs. the beach camping we did over the 4th). We were very excited to get out of town late Friday afternoon and relax in the wilderness. The weather was forecasted to be HOT all weekend - suits, suncreens, beach towels, sunglasses and books were packed. We each tossed in 1 sweatshirt each for late at night. We knew a campfire was probably out of the question due to the red-flag warning for the hot, dry conditions - and the forest can cool off quite a bit once the sun goes down.

As we headed up Highway 395 on Friday at 4:30pm, we were staring right into the face of HUGE storm clouds that looked to be settled right over Chewelah. Oh boy.... We thought perhaps they were just for show - we heard there MIGHT be lightning storms, but probably no rain reaching the ground. The closer we got, the bigger they became, and sure enough, once we hit Chewelah, we could see that it had POURED right before we got there. Oh goody....

Half an hour later, we reached our campsite to find our good friend Summer and her kids wet and cold - it had rained all day! The temperature dropped 20-degrees on our way up the mountain. They were freezing, but excited that we had brought a little sunshine with us.

The night brought constant lightning, and the dog - and I - didn't sleep at all. All my worries about wildfires kept me up all night. Luckily, Saturday brought some sunshine and an afternoon of basking in the sun trying to get tans, but it wasn't what we expected. Overall we had a great weekend and didn't let the early storm put a damper on our spirits.

Fourth of July @ Lake Roosevelt

2009-07-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

Our Snake Story

2009-07-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

We got an invitation to go camping up at Roosevelt with some friends over the holiday weekend. It was our first trip out this year, so we were all very excited. For those of you familiar with Roosevelt, we went up just west of the Wilbur-Keller ferry.
It was a long hot drive there but the most exciting part about it was taking the ferry across the lake. At first the kids were a little spooked by it, but once we got going they thought it was pretty cool.
At long last we arrived at the campsite and joined several other trailers already there. It was beautiful to be camping right at the top of the beach. However, this was VERY different from our normal camping experiences. We're typically the "backwoods" type of campers, where there are forest trees, shades, streams, etc., while this was hot, dry camping - in rattlesnake country. Yes, I said rattlesnake.....
Our friends have been camping here MANY years and have never seen a rattlesnake. Leave it to us to be the first! The first night there the kids were all running around exploring and getting to know each other on the beach as most of the adults were gathered around the campfire socializing. I soon realized that I hadn't seen Hunter in quite a while - he finally showed up with his Nintendo DS in hand. I told him he couldn't have that out on the beach - that it was for in the trailer only. So we walked back over to our trailer (where he had been just minutes before) to put it away.
Just as we were approaching the trailer, we heard a "rattle" RIGHT in front of us. Now it was dark and we had no flashlight, but we could see where we were going because the moon was very bright. As soon as I heard that "rattle", I could see him too - right in front of us less than 2 feet away. I grabbed Hunter's hand and immediately backed-up and turned and high-tailed it outta there!! Once back at the fire, I said "there's a snake!" and someone said "no it's just a grasshopper". I repeated, "no, there is a snake", so the men set off with flashlights in hand and came back 5 minutes later with.... a rattlesnake. It was 4 feet long 9 years old (based on his rattles). They eventually killed it.
I was in shock after this, and just wanted to go to bed. The kids were freaked so we stuffed towels in the sink, etc. This was not the best way for me to start the weekend - with a near death experience - and I hate to think of all the other ways it could have turned out. I constantly was thinking of all the "what if's" and other questions... What if Hunter had set him off earlier? Would he know what to do? What if it had bitten him? What if he's bitten me? Will there be others? Will they get into our trailer? Do they come out during the day too?
The next day I was reassured that they do NOT come out during the day - they typically only come out after dark to warm themselves on the hot sand. Eventually we were able to relaxe as the weekend progressed and to have some fun. But once night fell, the kids and I were in bed. Some may have thought that I was being a party pooper, but seriously, I never go to bed that early - especially when we're camping. It was the fear of future snake encounters that sent me packing to bed once the sun went down.

Hunter's 6th Birthday "Pool Party"

2009-07-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

It just so happened that Hunter's birthday weekend was also our first weekend without any dance events, thus our first free weekend of the summer. We discussed this with Hunter - "Would you like to stay home and have a party? Or would you like to go camping for your birthday?" His response was, "Can we go to that place where there's a jump for my bike?" "Yes, we can try" "ok, let's go camping!".

So we planned on doing a fun "camping birthday" for him. As it turned out, this was not a "free" weekend for anyone else to get out of town, so it would have just been our family. Again, we discussed this with him - "We can still go camping, but it'll just be us" "That's ok" "There won't be any presents" "Can't you buy them all??" - lol..... "NO". So we negotiated with him to just stay in town and have a party, that way his cousins and friends could celebrate with him.

We threw together a last minute "pool party" the week before. I figured if all of his friends were in the pool, maybe he'd finally get in too. WRONG!! The boy wanted NOTHING to do with the pool! Regardless, he eventually got wet, just not to his liking....

This boat is from Grandpa Dennis. He gave it to us last fall, before he passed away, for us to give to Hunter. We hung on to it until his birthday, which gave it even more meaning - for him to have a gift from "Grandpa in Heaven". He even said that he knew Grandpa was watching him drive it....

Hmmm.... someone seems to be getting an attitude!!

Hunter thought it was fun do go around blasting everyone with his new super soaker, but finally got what was coming to him ~ a quick dip in the pool!! He was NOT very happy about it either!

Baseball Cake Pops!

2009-07-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Hunter's actual birthday landed on a Tee Ball night, so I made sure to sign up for snacks for the boys that day. Having recently discovered (and fallen in love with...) cake pops, I knew exactly what I was going to do - baseball cake pops!
I used Red Velvet cake this time, and they were DELICIOUS! My original plan was to make them all look like little baseballs, but the edible markers that I purchased didn't work too well on the cold chocolate, so we only did a few like that, and sprinkled the rest. Then we put them into little lollipop bags for the boys, and handed them out after the game. They were a big hit! The team even sang "Happy Birthday" to Hunter during their post-game huddle - so sweet.

Nintendo DS

2009-07-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

With Hunter's birthday approaching quickly, we realized we didn't know what to get for him. He really needed a new desk, but we were having a hard time finding one that we liked at the last minute - that, and what 6 year old wants a DESK for his birthday! So we decided to go with electronics, hoping that our soon-to-be 1st grader would take better care of a Nintendo DS than he did with his Gameboy.

So one day before his birthday, we sat him down in the living room and presented him with his gift. Needless to say, he was a little surprised.... and excited!

The Birthday Boy!

Opening his gift...

He seems to be a little confused.

Hmmm... cool. (Shianne told him that he got to share her DS with her!)

Wow - a Nintendo DS box... what's next?

It's REALLY a Nintendo DS???!?!?!

YEAH!!!!

Checking it out...

One VERY HAPPY little boy!!

Both of the kids with their Nintendo DS's.

Happy 6th Birthday, my sweet little boy!

Dance Breaks @ Riverfront Park

2009-06-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday wasn't all "work" for Shianne -- we took some time in between her dances to enjoy the sunshine and see the ducks at Riverfront Park. There was even a wedding taking place on the dock that day!

End-of-year Ballet Recital and Dance Showcase

2009-06-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

**Warning: PICTURE HEAVY** Some pictures from the end of the year dance shows....

Blue Bombers - game 2

2009-06-24T20:16:00.001-07:00

In the outfield....

Swing, batter, Swing...

Big Hit!!

Running to first base....

...second base....

...Third base...

...Home!!

Opps! Colter got caught goofing around!! :D

"Grandpa" Pictures for Father's Day

2009-06-24T19:51:00.001-07:00

It's always hard to find something for a father that hold meaning isn't just another tie or mug to be tucked away. So when I ran across this idea on Tip Junkie I knew that I had to do it!!
I took 7 different pictures of the kids, each time holding a different letter that spelled out the word "Grandpa". I then had them printed and put them in frames for my dad and my grandpa. They were a hit (who wouldn't love pictures of their grandkids!!). I'm lame though, and forgot to get a picture of them before I gave them away. But here are the pictures I used to make them.

Last Day of School 2009

2009-06-24T19:44:00.001-07:00

The last day of school is always bittersweet. It means saying goodbye to friends that you've spent all year with and will probably not see during the summer, yet hello to summertime activities like sleeping in, going camping, and swimming all day long.
I managed to catch the kids on the last day of school. They have grown and learned so much over the past year. Hunter has completed his speech therapy and finished kindergarten. Shianne has completed 3rd grade and finished her first year in the Starz Performing company.
I am so proud of both of them. It's so hard to believe how fast they grow. There are days I still feel 23 years old, but then I look at my beautiful daughter and handsome son, and realize that I am aging too. I just hope I'm doing it as gracefully as they are!!

Go Blue Bombers!!

2009-06-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

Last week Hunter had his first tee ball game of the season (and of his life!). He was super excited. Of course, they're a bunch of 5-6 year olds, so their knowledge of baseball rules are minimal to none for some. So it was quite the adventure.

The coach has them all bring their bucket, which is their "bench". It's a great idea. He sets them all upside-down in batting order, and the know exactly where they need to be sitting, etc. Word to the not-so-wise though.... do NOT write your child's name in permanent marker on the bottom/seat of the bucket - it WILL rub off on the behind of their white baseball pants!! (we learned the hard way....)

My first try at Cake Pops....

2009-06-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

So I've been seeing these "cake pops" everywhere on the internet, and thought they were SOOOO CUTE!! With Hunter's birthday coming up I decided to give them a try. His class is having a Summer Birthday party at school on monday, and my plan was to make cake pops to take for his class.

The first step was to bake a cake. Hunter picked out chocolate.

After the cake had cooled, we crumbled it, mixed it with cream cheese frosting, and rolled it into balls and stuck lollipop sticks in them.

After they set up for a bit, it was time to start dunking and decorating....

It took a while to get the hang of it, and they can be a little time consuming, but in the end they were cute.....

...and tasted GREAT!!!

Check out Bakerella - she is the originater and master creater!!

Summer Fun!

2009-06-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

It has been a beautiful weekend - warm, sunny, and nothing going on!
Shianne took some time to rest in the pool....

Hunter spent most of his time flying his new remote-control helicopter. He bought with money from Grandpa Collier for his birthday.

One of neighbors had their grand-daughter at their house, who happens to be the same age as Shianne. So they had a great time playing in the pool and with water balloons.

These are what they called "woman boobs".... lol...

It's been a perfect weekend!!

Banana Bread

2009-06-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

My family loves to eat bananas, but no matter how many or how few I buy, there always seem to be few left over. I'm beginning to think they do it purpose because they know I won't throw them away - instead, I make banana bread.
This isn't any old banana bread though. It's my great-grandma's recipe. So needless to say I'm not about to give it away. I will however share a few pictures of the process....

KAR Competition

2009-06-08T19:17:00.001-07:00

On Memorial Day weekend the Starz Performing Company took part in their final competition of the year. The girls had a great time, and did an awesome job. Our Shooters were down one girl (she's been out with a broken toe), but we still managed to walk away with trophies galore. Nice job girls!!!

"Let 'er Rip" (tap):
Elite Top 1st Place
High Score Overall
KAR Kid New York Workshop Invitation
Cutest Cowgirls
Best Costume

"Soul Army" (hip-hop):
Top 1st Place

"Crazy in the Classroom" (production):
Top 1st Place
High Score Overall

The Great American Sport

2009-06-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

Sunday we went and watched our 11-year-old nephew play in his baseball tournament. It was perfect weather: not too hot, a few high clouds, a few drops of rain, a slight breeze and plenty of sun.
They won their first game of the day, which meant they were headed to the championship game and gaurenteed 2nd place. The championship game didn't go too well, and.... they ended up taking 2nd place. We are so very proud of all the boys and really enjoy watching them play.

Warming up:

Getting their t-shirts:

Team Photo with trophy:

Jumpin' Summertime Fun

2009-06-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

The weather is telling us that summer is here, and last weekend was perfect: hot, Hot, HOT!! By Sunday we were trying to find a way to cool down and still enjoy the outdoors, so we placed a sprinkler on the trampoline and had a jumpin' good time. At one point all 4 of us were on there! It cooled us down quite a bit, but trampolines are hard work - we were all exhuasted afterwards!! Here are some fun pics of Brian and Shianne on there....

More singing...

2009-06-05T09:28:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from Hunter's kindergarten concert, and another video of them singing. They grow up so fast!! He was so nervous at first! It didn't take him too long to get warmed up though. He was soon his goofy self (I think he was tired of me taking his picture!!). And had a blast!!

Kindergarten Concert

2009-05-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

Today was the end-of-the-year kindergarten concert, and it was so sweet! Hunter was a little nervous, this being his first ever BIG concert on risers, etc, but he did so well (especially for not feeling 100%). It was a little bittersweet - my baby boy is almost done with kindergarten, and almost 6 years old!
Here are a few of their songs. Hunter is in the front row with the orange cutoff shirt on.

Hunter's 1st Big Fish

2009-05-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

Hunter LOVES to go fishing, but rarely does he catch anything that he can keep. In the past this had mainly been due to the fact that he was a 5 year old and couldn't sit still! Now that he's almost 6, he must be getting more patient.

Brian took Hunter out for their first trip this season to Badger Lake on Memorial Day morning. It was barely past 8:00am when I got a text on my cell phone: Hunter caught a monster trout!

By some standards, it wasn't a "monster", but for Hunter, it was HUGE! It was a beautiful rainbow trout, probably about 20 inches long. He was SO PROUD! We threw it on the BBQ last night - and none of us liked it. LOL!! I told him next time to catch me a big salmon!!! :)

A New Deck!!

2009-05-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

Oh, the trials of owning a home.... The deck on our house was in ok condition 3 years ago - except for the fact that it was PAINTED. Who would do that? So last summer we spent an entire week sanding and staining the entire deck with what Home Depot employees said was "the best" and warrented for 3-5 years. We applied exactly as the directions said, perfect - right? WRONG. After all the snow melted away from this past winter, we discovered our deck to be in worst condition that ever! Most of the stain in front of the slider door was GONE, and it was also peeling off the top of the railing, etc.

So we decided it was time for an investment: composite decking with an aluminum powder coated railing. Brian did his research, found a local supply store that had an excellant price that delivered, and did all the labor himself (with only the help of Hunter and Shianne). Here are a few pics I took to document this latest project. Enjoy!

Donuts with Mom

2009-05-15T21:18:00.001-07:00

I got the honor of having donuts and juice at school with the kids a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful Friday morning before school, and all the kids and moms sat in the cafeteria. It was quite crowded, but special just the same. After we finished our sprinkled donuts, we walked to the library court, where we got our picture taken on a bench. We then headed out to the playground and played around until the bell ring for school to start. It was so much fun to see my kids "in their element" on their playground, showing me all the stuff they usually do during recess, and introducing all their friends.

I love you both SO MUCH, and can't hardly believe that you're almost done with Kindergarten and 3rd grade!!!

(Note: It was also "80's Spirit Day", so most of the girls had their 80's looks on - note Shianne's hair, etc....) :D

Great Wolf Lodge

2009-05-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a chance to stay at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, Washington (Centralia). It is an awesome place to take your kids - Brian calls it "Vegas for Kids". It crazy. There are kids walking around with drinks in hand (and parents with their beers!), heading off to the arcade, the Sweet Shop, Fort McKenzie water park, or the tech room (with kareoke, Wii, xBox, etc...). I have to admit that I was a little exhuasted by it all, but the kids had a BLAST!!

Here are a "few" pictures from our stay....

This the clock tower behind the main lobby. They have Story Time here 3 times a day. The little kids love it. The trees talk, and little animals pop out everywhere!

The fireplace in the Clock Tower room. It was HUGE!!

Hunter is getting ready for Storytime...

Shianne with some of her dance friends...

Hunter getting settled in with some of his new friends for Storytime...

Pool time!!! Their favorite thing to do was to float in the Wave Pool. Mostly when there were no waves... go figure...!!

Day 2: One extremely exhuasted little boy. We finally woke him up at 10am!!

Fort McKenzie Water Park. The highlight of the park...

Thank you, Great Wolf Lodge!! We had a great family weekend! Until next time....

5678 Showtime Competition

2009-05-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

Shianne and the Starz Performing Company attended a competition last weekend in Centralia, Washington at the Great Wolf Lodge (pictures of the lodge to come later). For being a small, family-owned competition, it was put on pretty well. It wasn't the normal stage and lights that the girls are used to, which threw a few of them off, but there were a lot of other great studios there too, so the competition was fierce! =) I wasn't able to get many pictures of the girls dancing but got a few getting ready to go on stage, accepting awards, etc...

Here's how they did:
"Soul Army" (hip-hop): 2nd place

"Let 'er Rip" (tap): 1st place

"Crazy in the Classroom" (production): 1st place, Team USA qualifier

Good Job Ladies!! Just one more competition left this season....

Olympia, Washington

2009-05-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had to drive over to the west side of the state for one of Shianne's dance competitions. We had Friday free, so we took the kids to the state capitol for some sight-seeing.... *WARNING: Picture Heavy...

A Day with Boris

2009-05-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

Last week our family got the priviledge of having Boris the Bear in our home for a day. Boris the Bear is Hunter's kindergarten class bear, and he travels home with the kids twice during the year. He gets to go on all sorts of adventures - trips across the country, soccer practices, easter egg hunts, doctor and dentist appointments. Then we fill out a page in his journal so the rest of the class knows what he's been up.

Hunter LOVES when Boris comes - he's a bear lover anyway. He's had his own Mr. Bear since his 1st birthday. We knew a few days in advance, and the anticipation was killing him.

That Wednesday Hunter came running off the bus - with Boris' head peeking out of his backpack - YEAH! He was so happy to finally have him home. Boris ate lunch with Hunter - they had chicken nuggets with LOTS of ketchup. Then Hunter got Mr. Bear up from his "nap", and Boris and Mr. Bear got to play together, and watched SpongeBob Squarepants with Hunter. It was soon time to pick up Shianne and take her to dance, and Boris got to go with us. He loved looking at all the trophies. Then he got to go with us to Big 5 and pick out all of Hunter's baseball gear: mitt, bat, balls, shoes, socks and pants. After picking up Shianne after dance, Boris headed out with the family to China Dragon for dinner - but he stayed in the car so as not to get any sticky sweet'n'sour sause on him.

By bedtime, Boris, Mr. Bear, and Hunter were exhuasted. I think it's safe to say that they all slept well. Good Night Boris! Thanks for visiting our family!!

Moose on the loose!!

2009-04-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

I got woken up rather abruptly this morning, and normally this would be a big NO-NO because I am not a morning person, at all.... But then I hear...."get up, there's moose outside in our yard"..... At first I thought I was just dreaming, but the realization that this was something I NEVER would dream about dawned suddenly and I leaped out of bed, threw on a sweatshirt, grabbed my camera bag and was upstairs before I had barely opened my eyes. And low and behold.... the were TWO moose outside. By the time I got the lens on my camera, etc. they were down the street, but got some pictures of them just the same.

"Mama" and "Baby" (as I have named them) endulged on a neighbor's tree for breakfast.

They soon got spooked by the garbage man as he made his way down the road, and took off back up our street.

They decided to run for cover.....

Mama ended up going around the block and in the yards BEHIND our house....

...and Baby ended up going into our neighbors backyard...

...but took a while to figure out how to get back out!!

Poor Baby!! "Mama, help me!" If you look closely in the picture below, you can see her head on the other side of the fence.

In the end, I think they found their way back together. And they lived happily ever after...... I hope.....

Hunter's 1st Spring Soccer Game

2009-04-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back we were blessed with some BEAUTIFUL spring weather, and it fell on a soccer day - YEAH!! This was Hunter's first game this spring (he missed the real first one because he was sick with the flu), and since I had my new camera, I was excited to try it out during some "action sports".

It was an early morning game and a little brisk, so after a little warming up, they were ready to roll! Go Green Giants!!!

They played hard - grass stains and all. I couldn't tell you if they won or not - they're all winners in my eyes.

Picture Week

2009-04-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

This past week was picture week at the dance. Since Shianne is in 6 different group dances, and I'm not rich, I decided to try and get some of my own pictures with my new camera. Now, I know next to nothing about photography, so the first few didn't turn out very good. I didn't want to use the flash, and mess up the real photographers photos, or make him mad. After that I talked to a very knowledgable friend (thank you Angela) and they rest turned out better.

Anyway, here are Shianne's group dance photos. Again, the first few aren't the best - I am still learning....

"Michelle" (by The Beatles) - Ballet

"Start the Party" - Hip Hop

"Party" - Tap"Let 'er Rip" (Shooting Starz) - Tap

"Soul Army" (Shooting Starz) - Hip Hop

Then we got to perform all of them (except for ballet) at Northtown Mall today!! Shianne LOVED it - she loves performing anywhere. =) My little Dancing Queen.....

Shianne's 9th Birthday

2009-04-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

It has come to my attention that my daughter, bless her soul, knows too many people. lol.... I say this only because when it comes to her birthday, the celebration seems to stretch out longer every year. We end up having different functions for different "groups" of friends and family. It won't be long and it'll be a week long party!!

I really can't complain though, because she's my daughter. And I'd do almost anything for her. It's hard for me to believe that she's 9 years old now. She's at the age when birthdays are really special - she is old enough to now exactly what time she was born, and waits and cherishs that moment. But young enough to still be thrilled and excited for the party, balloons, and cake. How many more years will we get like that?? I'll take them now while I can.

One week before her birthday we (Brian, Hunter, and I) went out to buy her present. Now, Hunter is 5 1/2, and knows the importance of "secrets" - so I assumed that I could trust him not to tell Shianne what we had bought for her. And sure enough, he was true to his word! Nope, he did NOT tell her what we bought. Instead he told her, "Shianne, do NOT look in the shed - there is a surprise in there!"..... hahaha!! What a little turd! =) So of course, then we had to give it to her early. She was definately surprised!!

Her first party took place at Polka Dot Pottery with her "dancing girls". All but one of them were able to make it, and they had a great time painting pottery, giggling and telling stories, and eating cupcakes. It was great to see them all doing something other than dancing, and they all have such cute little personalities.

The next day she got to have her friend Alexis over for most of the day. She came to watch Shianne dance, then we ran some errands, and went home to get ready for the Birthday BBQ. The girls had fun doing their "girly things" then got a chance to take a few spins on the 4-wheeler. Later that evening we had the big family/friends BBQ. Brian BBQ'd up lots of yummy hamburgers and hotdogs, and we had lots of side dishes too. The kids all had fun riding bikes, scooters, playing basketball, and jumping on the trampoline. As soon as everyone was done eating, we let Shianne dig in to her presents. She got some wonderful gifts from everyone - Thank You all for coming!
On Monday evening, her Uncle David came up to our house. Much to her surprise and glee, he was there to pick her up and take her to dinner. She was thrilled!!!! When asked where she wanted to go, she said, "chinese"... so off they went. It was probably the most special "gift" she got this year - she loves her Uncle very much, and she certainly felt like the grown-up girl she is quickly becoming.

Happy Birthday sweet girl!! Mommy & Daddy love you very much.....

Easter Weekend 2009

2009-04-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

Our Easter weekend was a little different from years past. Typically we spend the day in Moses Lake at Aunt Diane's. Due to all of the extracurricular activities that all of our kids are in, we were unable to attend on Saturday (which is the day we all agreed on 2 years ago because we didn't like being gone all of Sunday). So next year we're switching back to Sunday in Moses Lake. Aunt Diane missed us!! And we missed her, too....

So our Easter dinner was at our house this year on Sunday. Nothing fancy. No ham - we had meatballs instead. Of course, it's not Easter without Aunt Diane's cheesy potatoes, and as she'd passed on the recipe a few years back, we had those as well (never as good as her's though!). "Dinner" was quick - the kids are always antsy to get outside for the egg hunt. Add on top of that the threatening rain, and we all ate fast.

Soon the parents headed out to hide all the eggs in the back yard. Since the grass hasn't grown much yet, hiding spots were limited. So we resorted finally to just tossing the eggs into the middle of the yard. The kids kept poking their heads outside to cheat and spy, and Brian threatened to put a "doggie surprise" in some of the eggs. No, he didn't really do it.... =)

Instead of letting the kids out in just a free-for-all, we set them out with specific instructions - to only grab certain eggs each time. Example: Go out and find 4 blue eggs.... Go out and find 3 eggs with patterns.... etc.... It made it a little more challenging and fun for them, but then it REALLY was trying to rain so we had them collect the rest then come inside.

Of course, then begins the "wheeling and dealing"..... I'll give you this for that, and so on. Overall they did very well, and were even GIVING some of their candy away!

It was a nice relaxing day. I tried to get a nice family photo after all our guests had left, but by then Shianne and Hunter were having meltdowns, so I gave up and crawled in bed with a good book (see my other blog for that...).

Happy Easter Everyone!!!

It's Spring, and the boys want to play!

2009-04-10T21:48:00.000-07:00

My boys got a chance to enjoy some fun this evening as the sun was out, warming everything up. It was good for them to get out and have a little male-bonding time.

Hunter's favorite thing to do is ride the 4-wheeler, which usually only happens on the weekends. Today he got to cruise around the backyard and was even showing off by standing up while driving! Shame on you, Hunter!!
Then they went out front to shoot a few hoops. This mostly consisted of Brian shooting, and Hunter retrieving, which seems to work out okay for them. :-)

Dancing Queen

2009-04-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

Last June Shianne attended a week long camp to audition for the Starz Performing Company, and we found out in July that she MADE IT! Ever since then it's been busy months full of Tap, Hip Hop, Ballet, and Jazz. Not to mention the gathering of 6 different costumes for competitions, benefit shows, and recitals. She has loved every minute of it, and honestly, so have we. There is nothing more rewarding that watching your child do something that she loves, and is successful at it.

Shianne is part of a group of 10 girls called "Shooters 1" - they're basically all 7-9 years old, and make up quite the talented little crew. With this group, they perform a Tap dance, a Hip Hop dance, and are also part of the Company's Production dance, in which all age groups dance together in one big "production".

March began the season of Competitions, the first of which was the Spotlight Dance Cup. Being the first competition of the season, some of the girls were a little nervous. But I think that most of it was anxious, excited energy - finally being able to get out on the stage and do what they've been practicing for the past 6 months. In fact, I think the parents (myself included) were more nervous than the girls!! So after checking that their shoe laces were double-knotted, make-up was perfect, and costumes in check, we gave them a quick little hug and sent them on their way to the big stage with a "Have fun!". Their first dance of the year was their Hip Hop dance, title "Soul Army" and they did great! They had SO much fun, and could not wait to change costumes and get ready for their Tap dance, "Let 'er Rip". And they totally rocked it! They also took part in the Production dance, "Crazy in the Classroom". For their first competition of the year, they did awesome and won the following awards:

"Soul Army" - 2nd Place High Score Overall, Entertainment Award
"Let 'er Rip" - 1st Place High Score Overall, Category Winner
"Crazy in the Classroom" - 1st Place High Score Overall

The second competition of the season was Dance America. This was a one day competition, though it was a long day, as all of their dances were spread out throughout the day. Once again, our little Shooters danced their hearts out! Here are their awards:

"Soul Army" - 2nd Place Primary Division
"Let 'er Rip" - 1st Place Primary Division, Best Precision Award, High Score Primary/Junior Large Group
"Crazy in the Classroom" - High Score Production

They then spent all day Sunday at a Dance Olympus workshop. The danced HARD all day, pushed to their limits. Shianne said it was very challenging, but she learned a lot. They were all exhuasted!

Our 3rd weekend of dance in March was the Starz Performing Company's Annual Benefit Show. This year the show was to benefit one of their own, Hannah Baumann. In October, just days before her 12th birthday, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She has gone through 4 rounds of chemo therapy and 14 sessions of radiation.
The show was AMAZING. The Bing Crosby Theater was packed with people, and lots of LOVE. With special guests Mario & Jake (well known among the dance community throughout the US), and a finale of "Team Hannah" dancers, there was not a dry eye in the house. Overall the show raised $25,455 for the Baumann family. The following week the Baumann's received the news they've been longing to hear: Hannah has gone into full remission!!!
For the Starz dancers, parents, and staff, this show was one that will NEVER be forgotten. We love you Hannah!!

Our final weekend in March was the International Dance Challenge. This was an optional competition, and our group decided to do their 2 dances. It actually turned out to be one of the more fun competitions, even though it was all day. This company has an "Entertainment Challenge", in which the judges chose 6 dances to perform again at the end of the day for their entertainment value. Typically when dancers are on stage, you are not allowed to whoop and holler. However, the crowd can "help out" the dancers during the entertainment challenge.
So our Shooters got chosen to do their "Let 'er Rip" dance during the challenge. They were so very excited! While they were onstage, ALL of the Starz parents, staff and fellow dancers whooped and hollered as loud as we could. And the girls had so much fun doing it, seeing how they were getting the crowd involved. Overall it was another great competition.

"Soul Army" - Gold
"Let 'er Rip" - High Gold, Entertainment Challenge Contender, Best Precision award, 2nd Runner Up High Score Large Group, 2nd Runner Up High Score Overall

We are now enjoying some down time in April. The only big function we have this month is the show at Northtown Mall on April 26th for National Dance Week. More about this to come later.

Until then, let your inner child DANCE!

My Passion

2009-04-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hello, My name is Shawna, and I am a Bookaholic.

That's right, anyone that truly knows me knows that I LOVE books. Not just reading them, but the feel of them in my hands as I flip thru the pages....

It all started when I was a kid. We'd visit my Grandma Pauly in Renton once or twice a year. She was a librarian there, and would always have a big stack of books waiting at her house when we arrived. Over the years, there were always books all around her favorite chair. I remember watching her read with her little glasses on, chuckling to herself on occasion.

I must have picked up on this somewhere along the line - I'm not sure I know the exact moment. Thinking back, I've always loved to read. I could sit in my room for hours with a good book and a bag of sunflower seeds. It must be breed into me.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not a complete hermit. I do love to get outside and play with my kids, and do fun activities with friends. When most people are asked how they relax, many respond with "a day at the spa", "a glass of wine", "a bubble bath", "watch tv"..... Just give me a book. It's the greatest escape!

So to keep you all updated on what I am reading, I'm thinking of starting a seperate blog. We'll see how it goes. I might just be too busy reading....... =)

New Camera!

2009-04-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

Having always loved to take pictures of my family and friends, and realizing that sometimes my little camera doesn't always have the best quality, I finally invested in a nice camera, not just a point and click. It's a Canon Rebel XTi, and I'm so excited to use it. It just arrived via UPS yesterday, although I recieved the lens I ordered last week. Of course, as soon as the kids got home I was clicking away, just so see how it does. So far I'm loving it, even though I don't know 1/2 of what it can do yet. Granted, I'm not setting out to be a professional photographer!! I just want to have great pictures, especially of the kids in sports and dance.

Spring Fever!!

2009-04-07T11:01:00.001-07:00

Speech comes to an End

2009-04-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

Well, after 3 1/2 years of Speech Therapy, Hunter has come to a point end which he no longer qualifies for it thru the school district. It's a bitter-sweet moment.
We've done a lot of looking back to when he was 2 years old, and barely producing an understandable words or sounds, and the feelings of hopelessness as parents that came along with that, and the fear of what the future may hold for him. As any parent, you worry about all the little things, and only want what is best for our children. We found a wonderful ST, Jamie, who worked so well with Hunter. He absolutely adored her - and she even lived right down the street from us! She was wonderful with him, and was ultimately the one to diagnosis him with Apraxia of Speech, and began the therapy that would benefit him the most.
Once he turned 3, Hunter moved on to the school system to recieve his speech therapy. So in the fall of 2006, he began his first year of preschool thru Mead School District. He THRIVED in this environment, and LOVED it. He loved being a "big boy" and riding the bus to school. He loved recess and making new friends. He speech disorder has never held him back or caused him any unforeseen embarrassment.
Another bittersweet moment - the last day of preschool, saying goodbye to all his teachers that he has spent the past 2 years with, learning and growing each day with them. But we all knew - he was ready for kindergarten. 5 years old and he had the world in the palm of his hands. All boy, just ready to run in head first and tackle whatever challenges he may face. And he's done just that.
Six months into the school year, and the IEP team felt that he has reached all of his goals, and is now at a level with his peers. Oh, what a day!!! We've been looking forward to this since the day of his diagnosis, and yet never dreamed it would be so soon! We are so proud of him, for all of his hard work. And many, many thanks to everyone that has worked with him over the past 3 1/2 years (Jamie - thank you for catching him before he fell thru the system! and Shianne, as she has been a huge help)!!

The start of something new...

2009-04-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

So I'm jumping on the bandwagon and doing the blog thing. Some may ask, "Why??", and I'm asking myself the same question as I write this, as it seems I have more than enough to keep me busy. I think that this may be a better way to share with my friends and family about our daily happenings, and share picture and memories. So begins the journey, a lifetime of Soles memories.....