Mission San Juan Capistrano

We made a field trip to the Mission San Juan Capistrano for Kaylee's 4th grade mission report.  It was a beautiful day and learned a lot about the mission and the Native American's that lived there.  It was a nice family adventure for a Monday!

The flowers were all in bloom and absolutely gorgeous.  Look at the size of this hollyhock!

Kaylee at the Kiicha (pronounced Kee-cha).  The tribe that lived here was the Acjachemen tribe also known as the Juaneno Indians.  (Now you can say you learned something today!)

Caden in the dirt area that used to be the Old Stone Church which was came crashing down in the 1812 earthquake killing 40 inside.  It really is a bummer, it would be amazing to see today.

These are some of the bells that used to be in the bell tower that was destroyed in the earthquake.  

It was a good day!

Finished House w/Shutters

We finally got the shutters from Italy and Dean has installed them (actually, I just realized, Kaylee's aren't on yet, so there will be shutters on the far right french doors on the upstairs rock).  Regardless - this is pretty close to done.  Obviously we need to do something with the side yard (will be Dean's garage and drive some day), and now that I see it in this picture, we need to put some bark in the big planter while we wait for the plants to grow up.  And finally, we are waiting on the finished gravel for the driveway till we know all the construction trucks are really done.  It will be a beige gravel to look more like a natural driveway - not a grey gravel base.  

So, I guess when I say "Finished House" - it's not really finished, but it's getting closer!

Regardless, we love it and love being here in the Murrieta hills.  

Campout at the Pond

Some friends from the ward and my sister Wendi's family had a fun camping experience in our motorhomes and trailers at the pond for Conference weekend.  Fun to share, eat together, fish, and just relax.  Of course, watching conference on the big screen in the theater was a bonus!

Fishing was the big hit since the water was too cold to swim in (although a few braved it).  

Sue Sawyers - you are so dang cute!!!!

Thanks to the Vandenbrinks, Lucas', Dransfields, Sawyers, Millers, and most of all the Schauers families.  Thanks Donna for putting it all together!  Thanks to everyone for such an awesome weekend!

Zion's Trek or Bust!

Caden and Dean are headed out to push handcarts for the weekend... well, Caden is... Dean is in charge of video for the trek.  Good luck guys.  No rain in the forecast, but it's gonna be perty warm.  Dianna heads out on Saturday to teach the 200 or more youth how to kick it up line dancing.  But she gets to come home and sleep in a bed.  

Arizona for Easter

We had a great time this Easter traveling in the motorhome to sunny Arizona (except Saturday - it rained all day).  First we visited Dean's parents in Tucson, went to the park, relaxed, watched movies on their huge pulldown screen in the living room, and went to Easter services on Sunday morning.  Then we headed up to Queen Creek near Mesa to see my mom and stepdad.  Mom had been sick with a small case of pneumonia  and had recovered pretty well by the time we had gotten there after a large dose of antibiotics.  We had fun finding out that our tiny 4 pound dog, Lucy, can be quite a pain in the butt when she had to live with Mom's dog, Brindy.  Who knew that sweet little Lucy could have a dominant streak.  But they did okay by the day that we left.  It was a great 5 days to visit with grandparents.  (With Caden having always been in gymnastics, traveling like this wasn't doable.  But now that he retired, it was great to take the time to go and visit other people, instead of them always coming to us.)  

Happy Birthday Elder Chris! The big 25!

So - I decided to follow Wendi's lead and have my kids take this survey - but I had to wait to get answers from my missionary in Houston, so now that I have it all together - hope you like it!  btw - I asked each child separately, so any similarities are coincidental or I'm just an open book!  (also - I recommend this to everyone whether you are going to post it or not.  I learned so much and most of all that I'm not that bad of a mom after all!)

1.  What is something Mom always says to you?

Chris - "Put on a helmet!"

Kyle - "Hey! Hey! Wanna Play?"

Caden - "I'm bored!  Play with me!"

Kaylee - "Clean your room!"

2. What makes Mom happy?

Ch - A vacation

K - Perfection

C - Being in her house

Ka - When I obey

3. What makes Mom sad?

Ch - When her children are going through a hard time

K - Projects 95% done

C - Kaylee's disobedience

Ka - Everything I normally do

4. How does Mom make you laugh?

Ch - By just saying my name funny & then counting my ribs

K - By looking at me

C - By being a dork

Ka - She tickles me

5. What was Mom like as a child?

Ch - I wasn't there - polite? but loud w/friends

K - I don't know (she keeps it a secret from me)

C - ME - but female - and she got left at the bathroom at the drive-in movies

Ka - She never disobeyed

6. How old is Mom?

Ch - My age plus 20

K - 45 or 6?

C - 45

Ka - 46

7. How tall is Mom?

Ch - 5'4" (inches short)

K - 5'5"

C - 5'4 1/2" (I couldn't wait till I passed that height on the chart)

Ka - "How tall are you?" I don't know 5 point 3.

8. What is her favorite thing to do?

Ch - Go to the spa

K - Right now?  Knit and play with doggies.

C - BLOG

Ka - Be with ME! or knit or read

9. What does Mom do when you're not around?

Ch - Probably has her... quiet time.

K - She keeps that a secret from me, too.  And she's happy.

C - I'm always around!

Ka - Buy me presents & hide them for when I deserve them.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

Ch - Drafter/House Designer

K - Designing cool houses

C - World's Best Mom!

K - Following Jesus Christ/being obedient

11. What is Mom really good at?

Ch - Designing our houses

K - Designing cool houses

C - Knitting

Ka - Doing cartwheels

12. What is Mom NOT very good at?

Ch - Singing

K - Being her opinions to herself

C - Being patient

Ka - Not yelling at me

13. What does Mom do for her job?

Ch - Taxi Driver & raise kids

K - Reprimands Kaylee

C - Take care of children

Ka - Make me entertained

14. What is Mom's favorite food?

Ch - Chocolate

K - Salmon

C - Brownies

Ka - Salmon

15. What makes you proud of your mom?

Ch - She could always make things fun for us kids; vacations, parties, & activities...

K - hmmmm (long pause)..... how she treats the responsibility of her callings in church.

C - She always knows how to deal with things, no matter what they are.

Ka - Doing crazy hair day

16. If your mom were a character from a book, who would she be?

Ch - Sariah (Lehi's wife) 

K - Professor McGonagall

C - Annabeth from "The Lightning Thief", cuz she's smart & always has answers for everything.

Ka - Violet in "Willy Wonka" 

17. What do you and your mom do together?

Ch - Shop, see a movie (when I'm not on a mission)

K - Go to the gym & got o the movies & hang out & talk & stuff...

C - Bug the crap out of each other

Ka - Go shopping without boys

18.  How are you and your mom the same?

Ch - Art, Taste in dressing ourselves, this new blogging thing (I would soooo do that!)

K - The same in everything that I'm not that same as Dad in.

C - In every way possible (other that gender).

Ka - We have the same dimples.

19. How are you and your mom different?

Ch - I would watch Fuel TV (BMX) & she would want to watch some lame show like CSI Las Vegas or Desperate Housewives.

K - I don't like Paris (our dog, not the city)

C - The gender thing

Ka - She has flab in her leg and I don't

20. How do you know your mom loves you?

Ch - She just does... she shows it and I can tell without her telling me.

K - Cuz she talks to me about my life & helps me figure out what to do.

C - She's always there for me.

Ka - She adopted me..... & lets me hold the puppies.

21. Where is Mom's favorite place to go?

Ch - Spa

K - the Spa

C - Europe

Ka -Away from me or to the gym

22. What do you wish you could do with your mom?

Ch - Just hang out and talk would be awesome.

K - Go to the spa.

C - Go on a Mediterranean Cruise

Ka - Fly in a flying car & do whatever I want.

23. What is the best memory you have of your mom?

Ch - When I hit a brick wall, she was someone I could talk to and she would be able to help me through those hard times growing up.

K - On the way home from the Humpreys' & I had an asthma attack & I forgot my inhalers, so she put Chris in the front seat & she sat in the backseat with me.  I laid down on her lap & she calmed me down till we got home.

C - Going to all my gym meets 

Ka - That trip to the San Diego Zoo.

Kyle's Fishing Again

Okay all you fisherpeople.....

Kyle's gonna eat all the fish!  This one's a bass!  And it's not the biggest one either!

My Finished Living Room

Grandpa visits Kaylee's class

Grandpa Lee was the guest speaker today in Kaylee's school class.  They were learning about the movie industry and how it has impacted California's economy both in the 30's and 40's and today. 

He told them all about what it was like being an art director and how much work goes into making a movie.  The kids were very excited and wanted his autograph at the end - it was cute!  

He showed them a gun that he designed for the series "V" which came out when I was a teenager (which is why you probably haven't heard of it).  But the kids thought it was cool.  But they loved that he had worked on shows they HAD heard of like "Home Alone II" and "Jurassic Park III" and "Malcolm in the Middle" and of course "Monster House".  

 

Kyle went skydiving with our friends from Thousand Oaks today. He's now hooked and wants to get certified. He said he had a blast, and I think he's crazy. But, I am interested in the simulator experience... anyone interested?

Pond is Safe!

Just a quick note to let all my pond dwelling summer friends know that the pond is now safe from man-eating bluegill.  Kyle drained the shallow end and left the fish flopping in about 2 inches of water and got every single one out.  The largest one, which we think was the one giving the kids hickeys (?spelling) was like 6" long!  The rest were smaller, but they're all in the deep end now where they can stay in the deep area while we swim.  

Design Flaw!

It seems we have a design flaw in our new home.  The dogs can get on the roof from the upstairs balcony.  Paris and even little Bella have trekked out onto the roof, but Gidget makes it her own domain and travels the entire house.  We've blocked it from the little dogs, but Gidget, we think, is jumping the 3 foot railing.  I hope she doesn't ever fall off!

Ski Trip to Tahoe!

We had a great time skiing in unusually springlike weather in Lake Tahoe last week.  Caden hadn't skied in over 4 years choosing not to chance hurting himself in a gymnastics season, but since he has stopped gymnastics, he was excited to re-enter the sport of skiing.  Kyle, obviously, hadn't skied in over 2 years and was excited as well.  Miss Kaylee - this was her first ski experience and she did great.  Dianna skied on the first day, but bad knees and sore legs stopped her from being in the 2nd day picture that you are seeing here.

Kaylee went to ski school for 2 days and by the end of it could ski just about any blue run.  She would just bonsai it down the hill.  This is a picture of her in her class with her instructor behind her.  She had fun.  
Dean, Caden, and I decided to take a drive all the way around Lake Tahoe.  It was such a gorgeous day and we had fun stopping at different points around the lake.  This picture is above Emerald Bay, but we also enjoyed skipping rocks at the beach and loved the little beach area called Sandy Beach.  We look forward to going there in the summer of 2010.  That's the plan anyway. 

Zip Line Flying!

Caden and Kyle flying high over the Heavenly Ski Resort! 3300 feet long and an elevation drop of 550 feet, flying 50-60 mph and lasted 63 seconds for Kyle and lightweight Caden, 75 seconds!

What a rush!

My Blonde Dog!

Paris decided she wanted something under the can rack and then got stuck!  She just whined for about 3 minutes until I finally went in to find her stuck under the rack.  Blonde!  Caden had to take apart the right side of the rack and save her.  

Caden & Dean Receive Scout Awards

Caden  and Dean were honored on Saturday night with scouting awards for the Tahquitz scouting district.   

Dean was awarded the Driving Force Award along with 4 or 5 other adults who help with the scouting program.  

Caden was honored with the Varsity Scout of the Year Award.  Of the over 200 Varsity scouts in the district, Caden was nominated by his scout leader, Scott Kennedy (on the right of Caden in this picture) and awarded this honor by the district.  Our good friend, Tony Morris,  is the other leader in the picture who serves as the Stake Young Men's President in the church with Dean as his secretary.  This award was a surprise to Caden.

Caden is pictured here with the other recipients from cub scout of the year all the way to leaders of the year.  (Yes, unbeknownst to me, there are girls in the scouting program.  Once they get to Venture scouts, it is coed.  This young lady took home the Venture Scout of the Year Award.  

I'm so proud of my scouting men.  

Kyle's Nose Surgery

Kyle is recovering well from his nose surgery.  Although he looks like the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man now!  His surgery was on Friday to correct a poorly healed broken nose that happened on his mission when his companion whacked him with a racquetball racquet.  He was having trouble breathing and headaches for the last 3 months of his mission and hopefully this will have fixed it.  Plus his Owen Wilson looking nose is now straightened.... we hope.  So - he is healing and enjoying all the extra mommy attention.  

My Nieces

Since I've been corresponding and blogging with my nieces, I thought they'd get a kick out of these photos.  I came across them while unpacking boxes from storage.  Aren't they cute??!!!!  I miss playing make-up and having those girl days! 

For those who don't know my nieces, they are all graduated now and all grown up.  From the top, Tarah (TJ) is married with 3 babies, Sara just graduated 2 years ago and is living in the Palm Desert area, Emry is married with 1 baby, Vanessa has been living in Northern California with her love for too long now (I miss you) and Kensy is married with 1 baby and 1 on the way.  They've all grown into beautiful women with distinct personalities, none of which was influenced by me.  I was and am just lucky to be a part of their lives.  Love you girls.

Kyle's Fish

Kyle went fishing at our pond and pulled out some 10" bass and some pretty decent sized blue gill.  This is a picture of one of the blue gill (in case you don't know the difference).

Normally, we catch and release till they get bigger, but he caught a good sized bass, so WE ATE IT!  Thought we'd see what it tasted like and it wasn't too bad.  Okay - Dean and Kyle thought it was great, but I'm not a real fish person except for salmon and a little halibut, and it was perty dang good.

Sooo - the fish are biting!  If you live close and want to come by and fish for the afternoon, feel free!