Spring Break 2011

The last part of spring break we went up to Portland. While up there all the kids got their teeth cleaned and Kallie got her tooth fixed. Glad to say that none of the kids had anything cavities. Then we stayed at my parents house. Alyica and Olivia had made their way back to America from India. While there Cody and her got these India clothes for the kids. They loved them and wanted to wear them every where. They actually wore them to church on Sunday and were the cutest.

Kelsie and Karlee in their cute outfits

All the kids

(could not get Karlee to stand up)

Kallie and Jaron

(each has their own pose)

On Friday we got together for dinner with the Kenner Family to celebrate Shane's Birthday.

We got to meet the newest member of the Kenner Family (Chad's (Kyle's brother) little girl). Elaina Kenner. She is two weeks here. I was so excited to hold her, and held her as much as I could.

Here she is with her eyes open, she looks a lot like her older sister.

We all enjoyed the yummy pizza, Karlee really enjoyed her cheeeeese pizza.

On Saturday we were going to go to the Tulips Festival in Woodburn, but it was really raining and so we didn't make it out there. Maybe one of these days. I love tulips.

All in all it was a great spring break of 2011.

Chocolate Chip Cake

Karlee and I made a cake today. I love cakes. I especially love this cake, when it is warm with a glass of milk. I got this recipe from my Aunt Elizabeth, she made it for us when Alycia, Kelsie and I went to visit her in August of 2005 in Colorado. Here Karlee is posing with the HOT cake as it had just come out of the oven.

Chocolate Chip Cake

1 chocolate fudge cake mix

1 (3.5 oz) chocolate fudge instant pudding

1 cup chopped nuts (I don't usually use the nuts)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup vanilla chips

Empty cake mix into large bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup vegetable oil and 2 eggs. Empty pudding into a small bowl. Add 2 cups milk to pudding to set up for 10 min. Blend pudding into mix in large bowl. Spread mixture in well sprayed 9x13 pan. Top mixture evenly with chips and nuts.

Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve Warm.

T of Thee

March 30, 2011

Karlee age 2

Karlee started singing this song today.

So funny.

Karlee's Krack-ups

Tonight After we got done playing a card game as a family, all the kids left except for Karlee who was trying to write her name on a stack of papers that we had use to tally our scores. And this conversation came about from Kyle and Karlee, it had Kyle and I laughing so hard at the end:

Kyle: "Karlee you are smart."

Karlee: "Yeah, cuz I have a computer."

Kyle: "Is it your brain?"

Karlee: "No (pointing to her head) it's in my head."

Kyle: "Where did you get it?"

Karlee: (as serious as she can be) "Santa gave it to me."

She is so funny she was scared to death of Santa at Christmas time, but since then she talks about him all the time. Maybe she is trying to gear herself up for next year.

As the kids were getting ready for bed. Kelsie picked out hers pj's, and then Karlee ran grabbed the same outfit. Karlee loves to do what ever Kelsie does.

Here they are brushing their teeth together.

Over The Hill To...

NEWPORT

We have lived in Corvallis now for seven months. Knowing that we are an hour closer to the beach then when we live in Portland area. We have wanted to go-but we never had the funds to go. One of Kyle's co-workers at the hospital gave him a pass for all of us to go to all three Undersea Gardens/Ripley's Believe or Not/The Wax Works attractions. It is the Saturday into Spring Break, we decided to go. (Kyle and I went to this same thing a little over 12 years ago on our honeymoon. I can say that it has gotten better with time.)

We told the kids that we were going on a adventure today, where they have never been. We loaded ourselves and all the snack food I could find in the house, (it was a last minute idea the night before.) Our warm coats, just in case we found a beach to go walk on. And headed on our way. Within an hour and over a very small summit (700 feet) we made it to Newport.

The kids burst out of the car once it was put in park, but complained of sea legs. I thought that was funny since we were headed over to the Undersea Gardens and they didn't know that they would need their sea legs. We showed our passes and were allowed to go ten feet below the sea. It was dark down there, the only light was from a black light that made you light up and the glow from the light streaming down the stairwell from upstairs. We were able to look out the windows showing the different sea creatures native to the Newport Coast. Giant fish that were the length of Kelsie, 2 Octopuses, and many more. There was a scuba driver name Zach that showed us all the the underwater creatures. The kids all enjoyed it.

We then went back up, and out onto the dock and look down to see the sea lions. I would say they were sun bathing but there really wasn't much sun out. It looked as though one was even shivering, don't blame him I wouldn't want to be in that cold water either. There was three big one and looked like a baby sea lion hanging out on the dock. The kids were amazed that they were seeing them that close and got a kick out of the sea lions talking to each other.

As the rain started to come, we crossed the street and headed to The Wax Works. The lights were dim so that you would think they were the real people. Kallie was not sure of this place at all, half the time she had her hand covering her eyes- the other half buried into my coat. She is not one for the unknown, Kelsie on the other hand is. She loved this place and could not get enough of it. Jaron and Karlee were on the fence about it. We saw the bad/good guys, MASH, D.W. Cooper (or did we?), pirates, Johnny Depp, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and many more. There was an American Idol stage set up where you could sing for Randy, Jen, and Steven with Ryan MC the show. Jaron and Kelsie broke into song for that with Karlee playing on the piano. You had to walk through a tunnel that was spinning like Indian Jones- Kelsie had a hard time with this one. once she walked she grab the pole and just couldn't move. I had to pick her up and carry her through it was kind of trippy. We made it through and exited into a gift shop where Karlee found a dinosaur to growl at me.

After we let the kids catch there breath we headed into Ripley's Believe It or Not. Kallie was not wanting to go in this one. I finally talked her into it saying that it was just a museum of things might or might not done. She was okay with that and came in with her eyes open this time. I kind of wish that they would of had the lights up a little brighter so you see a little better ( I think they are saving a ton on their electric bill.) They had a lot of cool displays. A harp where they were invisible, Egyptian maze, lighted dance room, and many more. Kyle really liked this one where it was a two way mirror but one side didn't know it and you could freak the people out on the other side (because you got freak out when you were on the other side :0) ). There was one room where it looked like it was full of stars and that you were out in space. All the kid loved it except Karlee who just kind of froze in the middle of the room like she was stuck in "space". I picked her up and carried her out. But afterwards I was thinking about, and it must of freaked her out because she doesn't even like stepping over the gap between the elevator and the floor and here she is in a room full of that gap. Crazy. We made our way through and came out into the same gift shop as the wax works. Funny huh- took us a minute to figure that out.

We then made our way back to the car dashing in and out of the rain drops. Drove around town and showed the kids where we stayed on our honeymoon. Tried to see a Light house didn't make it there. We continue to drive hoping to find a beach. But we didn't get down to one, the tide was really in. This is the closest we got to the Ocean.

We had a FUN family day trip.

Spring Break 2011

Spring has Sprung

Look what Karlee and I found on our walk today.

I LOVE all colors that come back in the spring.

Sunday Twins

When Jaron was getting dressed for church we decided not to have him wear his suit, (he has worn it every Sunday since he got baptized). He wore his Khakis and white shirt instead. Kyle said that he wanted to be twins with Jaron, he wore the same. Then they went on a search of matching ties. They were going to wear the red ones from Alycia's wedding, but Jaron's is a little short. They looked in Kyle's closet and found two dragon ties that Emily and Scotty had sent him from Japan. Jaron said something sweet about remembering, praying, and thinking of the people who live Japan effected by the earthquake and tsunami. And tying it to the ties. But I can't remember what he said.

Father and Son

Jaron was so funny, Kyle had a belt on and so Jaron wanted one too. He doesn't have any, I ran and grab one of mine. Put it on him and it wrapped around him twice-so we just used it for the pictures. He wanted to wear it to church too-he is funny.

Kelsie actually let me curl her hair and put it up (doesn't happen that often).

I thought she looked so sweet in her whole outfit.

The others girls also let me curl their hair and a picture.

You could a say this is a spaced out family picture.

It was a beautiful sunny, warm Sunday when we left for church, but while we were in church a storm blew in. It made a mess of things on the way home and the rest of the night.