A Walk in the Woods

The loves of my life.

2012-02-14T12:26:00.000-08:00

I'm so fortunate to have such a special and loving little family. John and the kids are definately the loves of my life. Special thanks to John's brother for these wonderful photos.

I'm so glad John and I still have so much fun together. Laughing WITH him is the best.

Made in China

2012-01-05T13:08:00.000-08:00

This post involves the inquisitive nature of my very intelligent 8 year-old and it's something I never would have considered in my own childhood.

A couple days ago Shelby came to me holding a small map that came with her American Girl doll for Christmas.

She looked at me with her eyebrowns dipped down and said "Does Santa have a workshop in China?"

I was a bit perplexed and she said, "See...right here, it says 'Made in China'."

Yes, it very well did say "Made in China" and it's a good thing I'm a quick thinker, because I took that map right out of her hand and brought it to eye level. "You're right, it does say 'Made in China'. Of my gosh, you must be right. I bet Santa has a workshop there so he can pick up more toys, because he can't fit everything on the sleigh coming from the Northpole."

We then discussed maybe he has even more workshops around the world and she ran off to check out more toys in her room.

Being a parent does have some interesting challenges and some I would have never even dreamt of.

I love Shelby for so many reasons and love that she make me smile and laugh while she's figuring this world out.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-12T13:53:00.000-08:00

Sadly, there will not be a holiday card from us this year, but we still want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We are truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives.

John, Megan, Shelby, and Brandon

Shared photo book from Megan

2011-06-07T17:38:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

April Fools Day - Really, Really, Really Bad Idea

2011-04-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

Well as it turns out April Fools day pranks are a really, really, really bad idea. I'm a typical joker and like to play the occasional prank but they have never gone this far....................

The day started like any other day. I got up, dressed, made school lunches, got the kids ready for school, and we headed out the door. As I dropped them off at school I realized when siging in that today was April 1st, it was April Fools Day! I told the kids goodbye and said "I'm going to have to call Daddy and prank him for April Fools". Whoops, this was a really, really, really bad idea.

I started thinking of things I could say. I thought about being sick, pregnant, in a car accident, but I really didn't want to jinx myself. So I went with this one...that was a really, really, really bad idea.

I called the store and asked for John:

John: This is Raley's can I help you.

Me: Hey, I'm at home and I have a flat tire and AAA is here to fix it but I can't find my AAA card so I need you to come home and show them yours, because I need to get to work.......

John: Okay, I'm leaving right now. CLICK

Me: WAIT, April Fools!!! JOHNNNNNNNN (Oh @#$%)

I called the store back immediately and you know what?....Yep it was too late, he was already on his way. (Oh @#$%) There was nothing I could do, except feel really awful.

I tried to think of ways to stop him, but there were none. He doesn't carry a cell phone with him. My Mom didn't answer her phone, I was going to ask her for help. There was absolutely nothing I could do. :(

I hoped and prayed all the way to work that he was just pranking me back and hadn't really left the store, but unfortunately that was not the case.

So as you can see this was a really, really, really bad idea. I feel absolutely awful and John got in trouble for leaving work.

Ever have one of those days that you wish you could just start over? Well this is one of them. I just made a Fool out of myself and my husband.

Think before you prank... I should have gone with the pregnancy.

Where are the Woods?

2011-03-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

Well that's one heck of a question. Is it bad when you cannot remember the password to your blog? Oh well, I'm here now.
Some things we've been up to:

I finally completed all of my DNA training at work. What does this mean? We'll it means I'm never going to run out of work. It means I get to perform body fluid identification, DNA analysis, and testify in court to my findings. The last part makes me a little nervous, but I'll have to just get over it.

Brandon is in T-ball this year. He's on the A's which made John very happy. I think Brandon has worn his hat everyday since cap-night, even with his pajamas. It's all about the hat.

Last night both of the kids performed in the school Talent Show, it was absolutely adorable. Shelby sang and Brandon told a joke (he was the only Kid from Kindergarten).

This morning the kids were looking all around the house to see if a Leprechaun had stopped by. They were telling me one must have and that a bunch of items with green had been moved around the house. I continued to put my make-up on and Brandon realized I wasn't quite interested.

Brandon "What's the matter you don't like Leprechauns?"
Me "Not really."
Brandon "Don't you realize if we find his gold we'll be rich!"
Me "Well in that case you better just keep on looking."

He was so serious. Who am I to say a Leprechaun didn't leave Gold in our house, I sure hope they find it.

This weekend I want to relax and enjoy my time with the kids. It seems like Shelby has had work to finish from class the last three weekends. This week I told her to not bring any home. I think her teacher thought I was crazy, I just want my little girl to have a break.

That's all for now.

Love these kids!

2010-11-29T11:53:00.000-08:00

I feel so organized this Holiday Season, I just wish I had more time off to spend with my awesome munchkins. John's brother did our family photos again this year. I'm so fortunate that he's willing to do this for me. Here's a preview of the kids, more to come later.

Someone Shot My House

2010-09-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I think the title pretty much tells the whole story. Someone shot the front window of our house. They used a pellet gun so there's no real evidence. I'm taking it personal because no one else in the neighborhood has had anything happen and they would have been standing in my front yard, near my railing when they shot. I'm super mad and a little scared. I don't want anything else to happen and I'm trying not to freak the kids out. You'd think I lived in the hood...not a nice neighborhood.

Life is Busy

2010-08-20T14:59:00.000-07:00

Now that school has started up and I have a 2nd grader and a Kindergartener I always feel a little rushed.

I've been what I think is super organized and what John thinks is incredibly OC. I have two bowls on the kitchen counter. One for Shelby and the other for Brandon. I make them decide on Sundays what they want for snack and their lunch boxes for the week and I get they all ready in individual baggies. WHY you say? Well, now that I'm packing extra lunches everyday I needed a way to shortcut. I think it's great. So far this week I haven't yelled at the kids at all in the morning... I want everyone to get off to a great start and I've made it to work on time.

Additionally, I've signed on for way too many PTO Events, but I do like to keep busy. Here's what I'm into at the moment....T-shirt sales, School Webmaster, PTO Secretary, Harvest Festival Chairman, Movie Night Co-Chairman...what was I thinking? All of these except Secretary and Webmaster will be over and done with by October 15th and although it seems far away..it's approaching at a quick pace.

I feel a bit stressed out about it all, but I know it will all turn out great.

Maybe this weekend I'll have time to post the pictures from the first day of school...but no promises.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things and Confessions

2010-07-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

I'm just sitting here thinking about a few of my favorite things...so I thought I'd share.

I love fancy coffee. I've never been a "morning have to have my coffee person", but I do like one for a treat. I just wish they weren't so expensive. I probably buy one a week.

I love pedicures. They make you feel so good and relaxed. If you don't get them you're really missing out. This indulgence cost about $25.00. I'd like to get one every month, but I probably only get 4 each year.

Okay, so here's a true confession. I could eat Ice Cream every day. I love it. I actually went about two months without having it...but it is such a nice evening treat. How often do I eat it...it depends, but I think once a week would be good.

For a nice relaxing get away I love the beach. I get lost on the beach. Time flies and I don't even know how far Ive walked. It's so relaxing to me. I would like to go to the beach at least four times each year.

I also love swimming and really want to put in a pool at our house. I think maybe this winter we'll finally be able to work out the money for it. I could swim everyday in the summer.

I love laughing and making people laugh. Laughter for me makes my whole body smile...do you know what I mean?

I love giving gifts.

I love being busy, and love helping out.

I love being crafty and love seeing what I've made.

I love throwing parties and am always proud of how they turn out.

And most of all I love my little munchkins who share each day of my life and make me smile and make me so very proud of them. I definately need them everyday. Especially Saturday mornings when they crawl in bed me with me to snuggle. It makes my day. Last week I told Brandon, "Thanks for snuggling, it made my day." He said, "It made my day too Mama." What more can I say.

What are your favorite things?

Yearly Photos of the Kids

2010-07-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

First, let me say...I am in love with posting links from Shutterfly. It is so much easier than posting one by one, especially to facebook.

Taking pictures of the kids has been on my list for the last three weeks and I really wanted to get Shelby's before her front tooth falls out. Well, I did it!

Yesterday I took the kids to El Dorado Hills Town Center and shot 134 photos. Let me just say they were both excellent and earned a smoothie afterwards.

Let me also say that 5 year-olds do not know how to smile. Now, it's not Brandon's fault..it's just the way it is.

I hope you enjoy a sampling of my photos...I'm in love with many of them!

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AYtWbFy4aOWLvg

Shelby - 7 years old
Brandon - 5 years old

San Diego Vacation 2010

2010-07-15T08:07:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

San Diego Vacation Part I

2010-06-25T14:59:00.000-07:00

The second week after school was out we started our adventure to San Diego. The main attraction and destination was Legoland in Carlsbad, CA. We knew it was going to be an all day adventure so we tried to give ourselves a short break and detour to San Jose. We stopped in San Jose, yes it's a little off the route, but we bought a season pass to Happy Hollow Park and Zoo. It's our typical stop on our way to go to Monterey. We played for a couple of hours and then continued along our way.

I laughed the entire time while trying to take pictures of John pretending to be scared. I think they rode this one 5 times straight. That's the good thing about arriving right when they open.

And as you can see we were all perfectly happy to be on vacation.

And so we departed. I packed lunch in the cooler chest and we were on our way to San Diego!

Now here are the pictures from Legoland.

So, as you can see we are not quite as happy this day. Come on people we're on vacation!

This is Miniland. They had built a lot of popular and historic structures out of Legos. It was cool.

Shelby at the White House. Maybe we'll visit the real one someday.

And the family in Las Vegas.

New York, another place I'd like to visit someday.

This Dragon was awesome!

John taking on the battle ride at level 5. Very intense and hilarious to watch.

Chop em up.

Shelby won the race. Dad just scooted off faster. Brandon cried because he was stuck. I just laughed at all of them.

Fun in the AquaZone. People from the sidelines actually try to set off blasts of water to get you wet.

The jeep safari. Many cool Lego animals. Shelby was my driver.

It was almost like being at the zoo.

Indiana Jones, one of Brandon's favorites. I didn't get a picture of Darth Vader, but he was really awesome as well.

So, besides the amusement park there is also a water park. Despite the 65 degree weather we did it anyway. Shelby went down that great big blue slide, she's very brave. Brandon wasn't quite tall enough. (Secretly, I was happy about that).

This was one of the highlights of my day. The Big Squirt. There are a bunch of different buttons to press and it looks like water squirts out the top. John walked up and was pressing a button, thinking it would shoot straight out of the top. Well, as he looked up it shot him in the crotch. I laughed so hard I couldn't stop. The look on John's face was PRICELESS! Even a vender nearby who had seen it started laughing. I bet he never gets tired of seeing that.

We were freezing so we went back to do more rides.

I guess the family found a new Mom, I hope she's a good cook. She kinda looks high maintenance to me.

Back at our hotel, this was Shelby's favorite thing to do. It was also freezing. I tell you the things parents do for their kids are amazing. Although, it was an awesome pool.

Brandon was happy to play with his new Legos.

After two days of Legoland and one day of the San Diego Zoo (that will be another post) we went to Mission Beach and spent the day playing arcade games, minigolfing, eating cotton candy, and yes more amusment rides.

We ended our day with playing on the beach. If you didn't know I love the ocean and I could be on the beach for hours. I think the kids feel the same.

This was a fantasic vacation. We had tons of fun, great food, plenty of laughs, and spent a whole week together that was actually relaxing. I can't wait for our next adventure.

My Little Man

2010-05-25T09:33:00.001-07:00

This picture got put out of order...but who cares, at least I'm posting.

Last weekend Brandon graduated from preschool! He was very excited and had been talking about it for two weeks. So when Saturday morning came I was picking out his clothes for him. I held up three button and collar shirts for him to choose from and he told me he did didn't think any of them were his most handsome clothes...so...he insisted on wearing his suit. How could I argue? He looked so stinkin' cute.

Future Attorney...just like Grandpa.

Daddy, surprised him with a bunch of balloons. Great idea Dad!

Of couse, Shelby had to get all dressed up for this special occassion. My little Diva. :)

Someone sure is proud of himself...and so are we!

A swimming instructor? Okay

Nerd in a Lab Coat

2010-04-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

After reading Amanda's post about her day I was a little inspirred. So.....this is a typical day in the life of Megan.
Wake up at 5:10am, get ready for work.
Wake Shelby up at 6:00am, time to get ready for school. (Brandon's most likely already up.)
6:15am...we have a visitor. T-Th Shelby's best friend comes over and I drop them off at school together.
Make breakfast, lunches...most likely yell to the kids to eat a little faster because we need to leave.
Comb Shelby's hair, yell to get your "coats and shoes."
6:40am out the door and into the car
6:45am drop Shelby and her friend off
Really wanting Starbucks by now, but I'm trying to be good.
7:00am drop off Brandon at preschool
Hit the freeway and hope there's not a lot of traffic.
7:30am made it to work...I feel like I need a break already.
Now it's time to check e-mail and then off to the lab. Yep, I'm a nerd in a lab coat. Ha

Okay, enough of that.
I could be doing any number of things on any given day. Today I just finished screening my first two Serology cases. (Testing for semen, saliva, and looking at a number of microscopic slides...the slides are the part I like the least.) I could also be working on DNA training, watching other analysts, writing validation material, reading new literature, and other laboratory business. Most days I have plenty to keep me busy.

Ready to head home at 4:00pm...home by about 4:30pm-4:45pm, darn traffic.
Cook dinner, eat dinner, kids shower (John does this, yeah for him), treadmill, my shower, brush kids teeth, 7:00 pm goodnight to kids. Whew ...time to relax.
If it's Monday throw in Swim Lessons and on Thursday Gynmnastics. We just rearrange when we have dinner.

Well I hope you enjoyed my day, after putting it all on paper it makes me tired, no wonder I look so forward to Saturday. I usually get to sleep in until 5:45 on that day. :)

Easter

2010-04-15T07:58:00.001-07:00

So, as promised here are some pictures from Easter. I love Easter, it's such a no pressure holiday, we usually get to be outside, and the kids really enjoy the day.

Here is Shelby's basket. Brandon's Basket

I love this picture. He grabbed his Lion off of his basket and just started loving him. My little boy is such a sweetie. I hope he's always that way.

This girl is a serious egg hunter. She almost collected all the eggs before I could snap a picture. Next year I suggest the Easter Bunny be a little trickier.

Yeah, Brandon found some.

Showing off their finds. Camouflage eggs can be a little tricky in the grass. Haaaaaaaaaa

Love my sweet precious girl.

We had a great day, although shortly after the egg hunt is began poring. Hopefully next year we'll have our sunshine back.

It's been a while...again, but here are some fun photos.

2010-04-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

Fun at the beach. Me and my sweet little girl.

Why is Brandon not smiling....well, he remembered I said I like his grumpy face. Oh, please.

Love this little princess. She getting so pretty, but I am biased.

Yes, we are into everything Star Wars and legos. He's so much fun to be with.

That's all for now. I will post some more from vacation and Easter hopefully soon, but please don't hold your breath, I don't want anyone passing out.

Questions and Laughter

2010-03-11T14:52:00.001-08:00

While I love everything about the kids...except maybe the piles and messes...my absolute favorite thing about them is they make me laugh all the time.

Today's question from Brandon shoortly after waking up this morning was, " Mom, are ladybugs boys or girls." I told him that they could be either. So his response was, "So, how can you tell?" I really didn't have an answer, because I've never really thought about the gender of ladybugs before. So I told him we can't tell.

I guess that answer is good enough for now. I love how my sweet little boys mind is constantly working and wondering about the world. I hope he continues to have that inquisitive nature for the rest of his life and I hope he keeps making me laugh for the rest of mine.

Boy or Girl? .......good question, after all, they are called ladys.

Enjoying the Family

2010-03-09T14:45:00.000-08:00

I must be the worst blogger ever. I just never seem to find the time to post. Life isn't that crazy right now, so I'm just trying to enjoy all the moments.

Last weekend we took advantage of the sunshine and went miniture golfing. I used to love this as a kid and frankly I still do. It was the first time for Shelby and Brandon and it was amazing.

Brandon said the best part of golfing was after you're done you get to play games (we let them go into the arcade afterwords).

Here are a few pictures from our fun day.

Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-10T21:26:00.000-07:00

Well it's been something I have been hoping for and it finally happened. I was just promoted to Criminalist in the DNA section of the laboratory. Yipppeeeeeee. If I seem a little bit excited, it's because I am! This is the exact job I have wanted for so long and I'm finally past all the stepping stones. There is certainly a lot for me to learn, but I can't wait for this new chapter to begin. I guess hard work really does pay off and I guess allllllllllllll that college really was worth it.

Lately I am terrible at posting on this blog, but I will try to make a better effort.

Proud Parents of Great Kids

2009-06-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

May 29th was Shelby's last day of Kindergarten. She was excited and sad all at the same time. That morning she woke up and got dressed all by herself to surprise me. Wow, she told me she was trying to act like a first grader. Now don't get me wrong, she usually dresses herself, but I usually have to ask and then beg her to not whine about what she is wearing. This day was a new beginning!
This is Shelby with her best friend, who she says she misses everyday. Shelby is really going to miss Mrs. White, what a great teacher. I'm so happy Shelby had her. She doesn't believe a word John or I say now, she only believes Mrs. White.

Well, I knew we had a smart girl on our hands but wowieeeee. At her awards ceremony I kept waiting to her her name and it was all the way at the end. Her award was for Academic Excellence which encompasses all areas ( as you can she she is extremely proud) and so are we. Her other award is for competing in the Governor's Fitness Challenge. We logged her excercise habits for a few weeks and she received her award. Additionally, she received an award from the district, a ticket to the county fair, and a ticket to Six Flags Marine World! We couldn't be more proud of this precious girl!

And then we have our little buddy Brandon. He had so much fun playing tee ball. On the last day he received an award for participation and a coupon for a free Round Table personal pizza (yum)!

If you take a close look at his hair you will see John has it gooed with gel and spiked. It was crazy day on the last day, with a cute kid like Brandon, it's hard to look crazy, everything just turns out cute.

We are certainly blessed to have these gorgeous children. We wouldn't trade them for a thing and we are looking forward to all the adventured we will have together over the years. Both kids are in swimming lessons right now and are doing awesome. Shelby is so close to swimming I can't believe she was the same girl who cried about getting her face wet three weeks ago. Brandon is jumping in and smiling the whole time. I guess it's time to save up our money for a pool.

Shelby's Kindergarten Performance

2009-06-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

Since I'm a little behind on posting I will try and catch up. In May the morning kindergarten class put on a performance and it was the cutest thing I have ever seen. The sang songs about bugs and dogs, it was completely adorable.

Shelby sang her little heart out. It was fantastic that she was in the front row and right in the center we could actually hear her little voice.

I hope this video works, it's my first time trying to post one.

My Three Brothers

2009-06-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

Recently, I have been very busy (wait I'm always busy)... but the recent activities have centered around my brothers. It's nice to have a large family, but it's very rare to have everyone in the same room.
This is Jonathan (8 years old) and absolutely adored by Brandon. Johnny is one of the funniest kids I have ever met, he's quite a character. I am so glad Brandon has him to play with. This is Benjamin (18 years old). As you can see he recently graduated high school and I was extremely proud to be able to attend this important day. I know he will go on to do great things, he's always been extremely bright.

And Christopher (30 years old). He was married yesterday and I was so happy that my Dad performed the ceremony. It was great to see them standing together.

Creative Inspiration

2009-05-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

When you first have a child in school you want to help out in many ways. I'm one of those people that is a glutton for punishment and will always want to help out. So I joined the PTO at Shelby's school. I was the chairman for Staff and Teacher Appreciation which was a lot of work, but really turned out great. It consisted of a luncheon, breakfast, and four other various gifts.

The main project was to make thank you books for all the teachers, yes all 45 teachers. Anna luckily helped me figure out how to accomplish this project without spending a lot of money and going crazy. I took her ideas and fit them for my project.

My supplies:

-Colored paper cut in half (please use a paper cutter and do not cut all 1000 pages by hand like I did)

-Scissors, Ruler, Hole Punch (again all punched by hand, Anna recommends drilling the holes, but I was too scared to do it. I thought the pages would disintegrate).

-Twine for binding, which worked really well. (The pencil was to hold the holes open).

The finished product x 45. I used class photos for the front cover and laminated both of the covers. I was very happy with the finished product and got excellent reviews from the teachers.

The hardest part of the project was to find another parent from each class to coordinate the kids making their pages. Some of the parents did an absolute fantastic job. Although, the books turned out really great, it was a lot of work, and I will not be doing it next year.

For now, I have been elected the Secretary for the PTO and will attempt to keep the rest at a minimum. ( Really, how much can one person do?)

Thanks to Anna for all her inspiration, I will probably look to her in the future for more project ideas.

Let's Play Ball

2009-05-04T10:50:00.001-07:00

Brandon had his first day of Pee-Wee T-Ball last Thursday and it was an absolute blast. He had so much fun, I love watching him give his all. Shelby and I cheered for him and John was his assistant. (All three-year-olds require parent participation).

I love Brandons giant smile, it is certainly contagious. We play for four weeks, so I will post more pictures later.

A Very Happy Easter

2009-04-22T09:26:00.001-07:00

As you can see below the kids had a great Easter. I love Shelby's tulip basket, the Easter bunny brought some really great stuff this year.

So how did all the eggs get cracked? That's kind of a funny story that I don't have pictures for. I was in a rush to hide the eggs and didn't see the chicken wire in the lawn, the next thing I knew I was flat on my stomach. My arms and back were killing me for over a week. So, why the chicken wire in the lawn, apparently it keeps the turkeys from eating the freshly seeded areas, who knew? John's Aunt did apologize for the mishap. The lesson I learned: always look where you walk, and remember the easter bunny hops, not runs.

C upcakes Anyone?

2009-04-21T09:24:00.001-07:00

This is the time of year that I start planning for the Birthday parties in July. Last year I make ice cream cone cupcakes and they turned out great, but it seemed like I could do better. I couldn't pass up this Giant Cupcake Pan made by Wilton. They retail for around $30, but if you watch sales and have coupons you can get it for around $15.
This was my trial run with the cupcake pan. The cake was great, the decorating less desirable. I'm going to need a little more practice before I can serve one of these.

And this is the ice cream cone molded cupcake pan I found at LakesideCollection.com. This magazine has all kinds of random items for really great prices. These I have to say turned out really good. It was a lot better than having a cupcake shoved into a stale baked cone.

Shelby told me I diod a great job on all the cakes. She's so sweet, or maybe she just wanted some cake :-)

Little Ballerina

2009-04-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

Shelby began ballet lessons in March. We started on a trial basis for one month. She loved it so much we are continuing through the summer concert in June. It is always a challenge for her to try something new and it takes a lot of convincing on our part to prepare her. She does make a beautiful little ballerina.

Snow in El Dorado Hills?

2009-02-13T09:13:00.001-08:00

This morning we woke up to snow falling and already covering the ground. It snowed here three years ago and ever since Shelby has asked when it will snow at our house again. I remember when I was a kid, snow is sooooooo exciting. I think Shelby feels the same. I will admit our snowman looks a little like a bear. But he's still cute.

Brandon was just a baby the last time it snowed here, so this time he really enjoyed himself.

Happy 8th Anniversary

2009-01-25T12:47:00.001-08:00

January 21, 2001 was a day we will never forget. It was the day we began our life together.

I just wanted to say how very much I Love John and how lucky I am that he is my Husband. I cannot believe how fast the last 8 years have past. I know we have many more memories to make and cannot wait to see what the future has in store for us. Thanks making the life we share together amazing.

I will try to post a photo later, I will have to scan some in since we got married before the digital revolution.

100th Day of School

2009-01-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

I cannot say how proud I am of Shelby and us. She has just finished her 100th day of Kindergarten and has no absences or tardies. Yeah, Shelby. (Now I'm going to knock on wood so I don't curse us). Shelby was assigned a project for the 100th day. Her assignment was to find a collection of 100 (something all the same) and display it in a unique way, not just in a baggie. John had the idea of using colored cheerios and making a picture. I really didn't want to use a food item so we used buttons. The mascot of the school is the Gator so here we have our 100 button gator. I think it turned out really cute. School projects can be a lot of fun, especially when you get to be creative.

Sorry about the quality of the picture, I just couldn't eliminate the glare.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-24T16:13:00.000-08:00

Where should I start, when the kids woke up at 5:30 am, when I burned my thumb, or when I threw away Shelby's Student ID card? I guess I will just start at what I believe is the beginning of the season. This is the "stocking tree" I was fortunate to get from Raley's so long ago. It was used as a display for ornaments and I saved it just as it was going to be thrown in a dumpster. I just love having my stocking tree because I think it is a unique idea. A few years after John and I were married we didn't want to bother with a tree (I know... bah humbug) so we just used this tree. It's a little Charlie Brownish and I'll have it forever. Next, we went to the tree lot and choose this cute 6 foot tree. In the past we have had trees that are nine feet but I opted for a little smaller this year. It was absolutely perfect.

This is my Mom's angel. I begged her for it because she wasn't having a tree this year and I said my tree has never been the same without it. My Grandma made it, so I grew up having this angel on my tree. It really was a nice addition.

Every year since I was born my Mom gave me an ornament that had to do with something I like or was into from that year. I have continued this tradition with Shelby and Brandon and found these adorable Precious Moments ornaments this year. Shelbys is a collector of Cinderella and her Prince.

Brandon's is a cute little boy holding his blanket and sock monkey. I couldn't resist since he says his blankie is his best friend.

Now it is actually Christmas morning and boy did Santa deliver, that guy is amazing. Shelby received her Pink Princess Vanity with her favorite princesses and even got princess perfume.

She was just a little excited Santa gave her a wallet filled with money.

Then we have the five hundred army men. That's right, I said 500, 250 green and 250 tan, with a pump tank and jeap for each side. THIS MEANS WAR.

Brandon is ready for battle. Luckily Santa brought the tote to keep the army men indise of otherwise I would be stepping on them all day and night.

This was an amazing Christmas. I am sorry it took me so long to post about our adventures, but this year I'm trying to have a little more fun.

Going to See Santa - 2008

2009-01-24T15:50:00.000-08:00

We'll, I tried to post these pictures two weeks ago but they wouldn't load. Yeah, this time they worked. Here is Brandon with Santa. His request was for army guys, pump tanks, and guns. I think I might have a soldier on my hands.

Shelby was very excited to see Santa this year. Her request was for a princess vanity with Cinderella and Snow White (her favorite princesses), and for make-up, and money. I don't know where kids come with what they ask for. It is always a suprise to the parents as well.

I love this picture of Shelby, just being herself. She is such a sweet little girl (most of the time). After Santa we went for an Ice Cream cone. We definately enjoyed ourselves. I love my family.

Are Wii Fit Yet?

2009-01-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

It's been way too long since I've posted... but frankly we are too busy using our Wii Fit. This is one of the most entertaining things I have ever owned and it makes you work your muscles while you're playing. If you have a Wii, invest in this and you will not be sorry. Especially if one of your resolutions is to get some more excercise and if you enjoy humor and completion like I do.

I promise to post some pictures from Christmas soon. Really. I will.

The 2008 Family Photos

2008-11-30T08:50:00.000-08:00

We are lucky enough that John's brother Philip is a photographer. So this year I hit him up to take our family photos again. Last year was so crazy we never did it. However I am very pleased with the photos we have from this year.

As you can see Brandon's idea of cooperation was that of a three-year-old. This picture is going to be one of my favorites forever. I have one picture of myself as a small child with the same face. It's still my Dad's favorite. I will try to find it for a later post.
Poor Shelby just wanted to get the whole picture experience over with. Once again, here is Brandon and his major grumpy face.

Getting closer to a smile, Shelby's still doing great.

And finally the family photo, which we actually took first, because I expected the previous attitude.

Happy Holidays from the Wood Family. Please remember little ones do not have to smile for photos. I always get my best pictures when I don't make the kids smile.

Our Fortune

2008-11-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

from our family to yours.

We have so much to be thankful for and I really try not to forget how fortunate we really are. I have a wonderful husband who is a hard worker and also the most excellent daddy in the whole world. I have two beautiful children who are smart, healthy, and make me laugh on a daily basis. We have a huge extended family and parents who constantly go out of their way to help us in any way they can. We both have jobs, Shelby is doing excellent in school, and Brandon is adjusting to preschool. Thank You God for the fortune you have given us. We hope others can be as blessed as we are.

Brandon and his Uncle

2008-11-17T09:24:00.000-08:00

Besides Grandpa Wood, one of Brandon's favorite people is my little brother Jonathan who is seven. Brandon always talks about Johnny and looks forward to seeing him and showing him what he believes is really cool stuff (like shovels and tractors). I love the minds of little ones. They get so excited about the simple stuff, adults should do that more.

Brandon and Johnny enjoying a lollypop.

Did you notice they both even have their feet in the air?

Dad's Birthday

2008-11-17T09:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my Dad turned 58 and my Grandpa agreed to let me take him for a visit. At 86 it's hard to convince him to go anywhere. I didn't have a good picture of the two of them together so now I finally have one. I love you Grandpa and Dad!

The Cowboy and the Ballerina

2008-11-17T09:03:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess it's about time I posted the pictures from Halloween. Brandon was once again an adorable cowboy. The mustache is always a giant hit, especially with older people. (Thanks to Mom for the great addition). John and I were happy to get our money's worth out of the cowboy get-up. Real leather vest and chaps, can we say spoiled.

Shelby was a beautiful ballerina. She was very excited to wear her costume to school and Brandon was excited we let him participate in her parade.

I received many compliments on Shelby's hair. I believe this beautiful up-do only took about eight minutes and no fighting. We even added glitter hair spray. How fancy!

She looked so pretty and was really excited to go trick or treating.

I believe this year we collected more candy than they sell in an entire grocery store. Shelby ran from house to house for an hour and a half. John was exhausted. I mosied along with the little cowboy who kept collecting candy until he literally begged me to carry him from house to house, at that point we were done.

Celine Dion

2008-10-15T10:55:00.001-07:00

Last night was absolutely amazing. John and I went to see Celine Dion and she put on an amazing show. I have always wanted to see her and finally she came Sacramento for the first time. I didn't take my camera but here are a few pictures the Sacramento Bee published. If you ever get a chance to see her it is well worth it. Thanks to John's parents for watching our munchkins so we could have this great night.

I wish they had taken more photos. Celine actually changed five times durning the show and each outfit was stunning. We actaully got our seat changed half way through the show and were only about 10 feet away from her a few times. What a great night!

A New Hobby: I'll Let You Be the Judge of That

2008-09-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

So, I have a little story to tell. This is Baby Teddy, who my wonderful friend Sara and her family gave to Shelby when she turned one. Lately, Baby Teddy and Shelby are inseperable and Shelby decided one day that he needed a girlfriend. He must miss her when she is at school.

Aren't they adorable? I think it's especially cute at 2 in the morning when Shelby rushes in my room and askes me to find Baby Teddy because he's fallen out of bed.

Anyway, on with the story.

I decided I would need to get Baby Teddy a girlfriend about the same size as him. I also thought it would be nice for her to have a dress. So I told John I would like to get a sewing machine. He said sure, I think he thought it would be a great opportunity to make fun me for making crazy looking garments.

The next day a garage sale sign was on the mailbox, and low and behold it had a sewing machine listed.

We went by the neighbors for a quick look and I left with machine, which came with a hydrolic cabinet.

Sure it's a little old (1989), but the previous owner took really good care of it. (I payed $200 for the machine and the cabinet). That's not a bad price to start a new hobby.

This is the dress I made for Baby Teddy's girlfriend. You should have seen the first one. HAHA

I found Baby Teddy a girlfriend on EBAY she cost $3.00 and is exactly the same. (Kind of like a mail order bride)

Well I guess it was all worth it.

Aren't they cute together?

I want to give a special Thanks to Anna for helping me thread the sewing machine. You got me off to a great start.

FYI: Some of my posts from Sept. 1st got out of order, I just didn't want you to miss anything.

Brandon Becomes Famous

2008-09-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

Brandon had an exciting day with Grandpa last week when John's brother used him for one of his assignments. He is a photographer for the local newspaper and his assignment included taking a piture of an adorable little boy eating an ice cream cone. Shelby got to do the same thing several years ago and her photograph is actually posted at Marble Slab Creamery in Folsom. Hopefully Brandon is also able to enjoy his fame for years to come.

http://www.folsomtelegraph.com/detail/91842.html

Things You Rarely See.

2008-09-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

Well last weekend was.......... interesting? I have a question mark because what happened was so strange I could not have imagined it. It was Saturday morning and Shelby was at a sleep over with Grandma Wood, John went on a hike with his brother, and Brandon and I were just hanging out. He asked me to go for a bike ride around the block and I agreed.

All of this sounds soooo normal.

During his ride he started going too fast down a short hill and he fell off. I quickly picked him up, brushed him off, and told him he was okay. It was at that exact moment that I heard a familiar MEOW. Huh, "Paws......Sampson....." I called looking for one of our two cats. Then I looked directly below me and onto the street where I was standing over a storm drain and out popped a little head from a second drain which runs under the street. Paws was in the drain and he was not coiming out. (Hard to describe, he wasn't really stuck, he just wasn't coming out anytime soon.)

Seriously, these things always happen when the men in our lives are away. So I called the Vet to see if they had any suggestions. Yep that right, "Call the Fire Department." "Is that a myth?" I asked. Nope.

So after Brandon and I tried hopelessly to coax the cat out; we drove to the local fire station. I felt so stupid asking for help, but they said they would come out after awhile. They ended up pulling two storm drains and using the hose to chase the cat to the exit. Poor kitty, he looked like a disaster when he popped out of the drain all wet and confused. I have no idea how long he had been in there and he was sure happy to go home.

This is a picture of Paws shortly after I got him home.

Another thing you rarely get to see is when your vehicle turns over 100000 miles. It's not that I'm happy about this, I just have something about even numbers. I think I have seen this three times in my life now.

Do you have anything you've seen that's rare?

What's Been Going On?

2008-09-01T07:44:00.001-07:00

We'll it's been some time now since I have posted anything. Over the next couple of days I hope to catch you up on the ongoings of the Wood Family.

First and foremost our little girl is now a big Kindergartener. She loves school so much she wants to be there every minute and is sad when the weekend rolls around. I remember being the same way when I was young. Oh to be young, I just don't remember when the excitement wears off.

The week before school started we made our annual trip to Monterey. Thanks to Amanda for recommending this state park (Asilomar), we had a great time. We spent all of our time here and at Dennis the Menace Park. The kids had a blast, the parents were exhausted, and we all loved every minute of our time together.

We had swimming lessons for two weeks at the begining of July and both did awesome. Shelby really suprised us and was willing to do everything she was instructed. Brandon had to be convinced to participate on some days and did great on others. Hopefully next year we will have our own pool and they can have more than a couple weeks of lessons. Swimming has always been one of my favorite things.

More to come real soon. We have so much to catch up on.

Anyone can be a Photographer

2008-07-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

Since the kids were born I have been very good about taking them to have their pictures taken. Lately, I just don't want to deal with the hassel of dressing them up getting them into car. driving 25 minutes and having them not cooperate, while I spend $100. It's nice to have so many grandparents, but it sure is expensive. This year I decided to try and take their pictures myself, and I think I was succesful. :)

Sometimes the kids cooperate. You just never know when that time is going to be, so always have your camera ready.

Since I got my digital camera I have been really bad about printing pictures, I just burn them all to CDs and never look at them again. I recently became brave and tried Shutterfly. You can load your pictures, buy them online, and even make photo books. I have been very pleased with the way all of my photos have turned out.

If you're like me give this website a try. I think you're gonna like it!

https://www.shutterfly.com/

I'm going to become addicted to making photo books.

Great for gifts, Christmas is right around the corner.

Catching my Breath: The Birthday Week is Over!

2008-07-09T18:32:00.001-07:00

In Spite of all the smoke we still managed to have fun over the Birthday week.

Shelby turned 5 on July 1st. As everyone can she is is extremely spoliled. She informed me "Mom, since I'm turning 5, I'm going to need a bike and a scooter. " Guess who gave in . . . it really wasn't my fault, you only turn 5 once.

We finished the night by going to her favorite resturant, the Red Robin. I ordered thsi Cinderella cake at Raley's, what a hit. I really don't think my parents treated me this good when I was five.

What happened next: We had a giant family party on July 5th. That's all I'm going to say about this one.

Then Brandon turned 3 on July 6th, Yes he also got a bike. What was he going to do, while Shelby rode her bike and scooter? It only took him a day or so, now he's riding aroung like a pro.

As you can see we are CARS fans. Lightening McQueen and Tow Mater are some favorites of his. If you haven't sat down and watched this movie you really are missing out.

We had a pizza party and took him to see Wall-E. I spent most of the time taking the kids to the bathroom. Why would you make a childrens movie 2 hours? You're probably asking why I took a three-year-old to the movies? Well I thought we already established that, I'm crazy......

From the parts I saw it seemed to be a cute movie.

We had a wonderful week. Whew. Now I need a day off to relax.

Someone's Turning Five!

2008-06-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

This is birthday party week around this place. Shelby is turning Five on Tuesday and is so excited. We had a small party yesterday and I made these ice cream cone cupcakes. I was so happy with the way they turned out. Parties are a lot of work, but I love doing it.

For those who want to give it a try.

Use a box cake mix, and make according to the directions.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full
Add the cone to the top, just pressing it slightly into the cake mix.
Bake 15-20 minutes.
Wait 30 minutes to frost.
(Next time I want to try to squeeze ice cream into the bottom of the cones) Yummy.

More to come throughtout the Birthday week.

A Fun Filled Weekend

2008-06-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes everything needs to be set aside and you just need to have a good time with friends. For once in our lifetime we didn't make a plan, we just enjoyed ourselves and spent time with people we don't get to see that often.

As Brandon will tell you, this sort of lifestyle is exhausting!

I finsihed the weekend by letting Shelby get her ears pierced, she is almost 5 years old you know. We also had her hair done, what excitement, I will not be able to top this weekend for a while.

2008-05-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

Well this the first time I'm going to post a message on our blog. Thanks Anna for being the designer that you are and sharing this wonderful way to communicate and let people see into your life. I wish I had started this earlier, but I can always make excuses for why I don't have the time.

It would be nice if we could all be a princess like Shelby, but we are adults now and quickly find out that if you want a castle and fancy clothes you have to pay for them.

Brandon has the right idea. It's okay to be crabby as long as you're cute. I don't think I could get away with this for very long. Oh, to be young again.

I have to remember to have more fun. Life isn't all about work, in fact it's not about work at all. We need to enjoy every day and make sure we play.