all abreu...all the time

just a couple more...

2010-04-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

I can laugh at this picture now...Kelli was not in the mood to sit still for a picture. After one shot of her looking down she got up and walked away.

Still, all my kids in one picture!!

Grandpa Gary & I, Easter at the Ranch

Ducks & Daddy

2010-04-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

I am SO lucky! The men in my life are so incredibly handsome!

kids playing

2010-04-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

We went to this park that we had never been to before. Kelli loved this tall 'twirly' slide. She was so proud of herself for being brave, especially when Bret got up there and turned around. It was way too high for him I guess =]

Pretty girls

monkey boy!

The BIG 7

2010-04-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

Fun Football stuff everywhere!!

Finally, the cute pics from Eli's birthday party! Everyone, young and...'mature', played some football.

Great Day

I love how Kelli looks like she is a ref or coach-paying very close attention!

Learning from the big boys

super fast!!

Love the parents, grandparents & great-grandparent! (well, they're ALL great!;)

!too cute

ALL the kids LOVE uncle Shawn!

my latest mishap...

2010-01-17T11:20:00.000-08:00

This was last night. My upper eyelid was already pretty swollen.

This morning, new colors!

While playing basketball with the guys yesterday, Kelly and I were blocking each other. On one play I don't know exactly what happened, but Kelly's elbow hit my eyebrow bone and then I suddenly felt much worse pain in my shoulder and realized one of the guys either bumped into me or had jumped and part of their body landed on my shoulder severely dislocating it. I was determined not to go to the ER because last time I did, the Dr. put it back in about 5 seconds. So, I have dislocated it a few times since and been able to put it back myself. I and the guys, Alex and his mom Kelly all were trying to help me. We were doing the same tecnique the dr. did the first time. It just wouldn't go. I hate going into the dr. for something that can be fixed in under a minute!!

I was glad to find out that it was a lot more work than that, so it was necessary to go in. The X-rays were very wild looking! I could see the ball at the top of my humerus bone overlapping with my ribs. It was a good 2 in. from where it should be.
So, I have to say that I am so proud of myself for being considered tough and able to handle more pain than the doctor thought. The doctor was sure I would have to go to a riverside hospital to re-locate my shoulder because they could put me under anestesia. He said with it that bad, nobody can handle getting it put back without the anestetic. The thought of having it out of place, jammed into my arm pit and collar bone for another hour or more was my motivation. The top of my humerus bone was stuck so badly, the doctor went and got another doctor to help him. The first wrapped a sheet around my body to hold it still while the other pulled and twisted my arm back into place. The doctor was really shocked that I was able to do it, it took two both doctors full strength, you could see how hard they were working. The relief of having it back in place is just amazing, so wonderful!!

So yeah, I gues I'm just bragging. Because, I wouldn't ususally consider myself very tough. Now I'm just really sore.

Sundance fire yesterday (the ranch)

2009-09-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

These pics don't do the scene justice...the fire started(3pm exactly, looking at my last txt msg ;) just behind the last hill on the right of the pics. the wind was blowing so hard to the left that there isn't even smoke at that spot anymore when Alex took these at about 4:30.

A different helicopter that flew over us was so close the kids were waving and yelling to because we could actually see in the windows! They thought that was pretty exciting.
When we first got there and you could see that the fire had just one 'puff' of smoke above it, Natalja was very uneasy and wanted to leave ASAP! I convinced her that we were totally safe with the dirt around us, the big water truck and we were swimming. Besides that the fire was over the hill and the wind was blowing sideways not toward us, but still pretty strong winds. It did get within 100 ft. to the Gary's store on the corner of sage and 79 Gary said when he went to tell the girls working to go home! So, we'll see how that ended up doing.
We were out there for a b-day party for Brad & Cole, but when the phones died and then the power it was officially cancelled. Alex & I and the kids brought a cake to Brad's house and celebrated with Kelly, Amber, Dallas, Shawn & Shea.

out for a walk

2009-09-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

this was too cute, while we were all looking up Bret was going on a walk. There is a picture of Alex when he was little just like this, except he has overalls on and his dog with him, I have always loved that picture!
(look at those thighs!!)

CHASSY!

2009-08-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

Such a cute little doggy!
We adopted a 1 yr. old 'Whippet' from the shelter today. She is so agile, sweet, loving, and mellow. She loves to just hang out on a lap. When we 'tried' her out at the shelter today, she jumped right up on Alex's lap and was so content being there. 'Love at first sight!'
Natalja has been asking for a pet for her birthday-a hampster, fish, bunny, but we told her that we just got our kitten, Hopper, a couple months ago. We don't need to get another pet so soon.
Then...poor Hopper got hit by a truck, they always come speeding down the hill right by our house. They didn't even notice or stop. The kids took it pretty hard. Since we have been thinking about a little, kid friendly dog for a couple years, we thought this might finally be a good time.

We'll see how she works out, great so far!

fun in the sun

2009-08-07T18:19:00.000-07:00

Bret is a boy with no fear!! He loves the water, too! He is showing us how Grandma taught him how to blow bubbles!

Splashing Boys! doing tricks and spins on the body boards in the pool! It's been a very fun summer with all the pool trips. We are so lucky to have the option of my mom & dad's house or the Clawson's have a pool at their house too. It is so much work and so messy to go to the beach, so I am glad my kids can have just as much fun in the water here! -and it's a bit safer ;)

You can really see how much Kelli looks up to her big sister, Talja. I was trying to get some pictures of Talja in white to make an invitation for her baptism. Kelli kept getting right next to Talja and even posing like her as much as she could! It was really sweet, until I needed to actually get some shots of just Natalja!

...and then the really funny part is that Bret copies everything Kelli does, so he started doing the poses too! Luckinly, he is a bit slower than the girls, so he wasn't a problem in the way. Very cute kids I have!

Aquarium of the Pacific

2009-08-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

The really cool looking Roller Coaster Bridge! Natalja by the Shark teeth, she had a great time getting wet in the sea creature park toys that sprayed water. It was a very hot day!
The really cool looking Roller Coaster Bridge! Natalja by the Shark teeth, she had a great time getting wet in the sea creature park toys that sprayed water. It was a very hot day!

Kelli & Talja being swallowed by the shard jaw!!! I love Talja's great sense of humor! Kelli driving the fishing boat, BYE, BYE!

ALL ABOARD!!!

Eli loves to see if he can fit into small places. That's reallly funny because I remember doing the same thing as a kid! He'd make a great crab, but he is way cuter!

I have no idea why the both ended up having their hands/fingers near/in their mouth?! Not the most sanitary place to be putting fingers in the mouth...
my boys, just hangin' out, that wasn't even posed.

lorikeet landing

Kelli kept saying "theose things are UGLY!" about the huge crabs :]

Petting the sting rays. They are quite squishy! Then after touching one, I found out they have a mucus coating, ewww!
The Sea Lions

Long Lost Family Gathering

2009-08-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

little stink bug babies climbing on the rocks! so cute!

I finally got to meet Candis, Alex's cousin, Shawn's sister. I have known Shawn since I was 14, but Candis lived in OC with her mom, so I have just never met her. She is a great woman, an incredible girl who has been through so much and such a good person. She is helping Shawn out a lot, he is so lucky to have her. They are pretty much the only close family for each other. Their little brother Colt died at a young age, Bret who helped raise them died 10 yrs. ago, their father who lived in Texas was killed about 6 yrs ago and their mom, Patty died just a couple yrs. ago. It is really incredible for two people to have experienced so much loss.

This is Eli and Candis' son Dylan, who is just a few months younger.

Kelli always ready for the camer, the little boys just trying to keep their balance.

Bret & Logan McKee

Eli watcking everybody from above...

Dylan sliding down the rocks at Grandma Kelly's house.

Shawn and Candis standing together, Candis' husband Ryan close by for when the little ones lose their balance, ;).

We had Shawn and Candis and her family- husband Ryan, & sons Dylan and Logan- over to Kelly's house for a BBQ on Saturday. It was a great day. I am so glad to have finally met Candis, and her family. She is a very sweet girl, I hope we can hang out again and see eachother often.
Shawn's doing really well too! All the kids loved to play with him and 'get' him, or whatever it's called-what they do to the adult that isn't their own parent. He's always been a fun guy!

Boots

2009-08-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

it turned out blurry, I didn't know the camera was on manual focus, but Bret was being so cute! He loved the boots and was having so much fun running around in them! It's probably a little to "village people" with just the diaper, but it was time for bed, so I wasn't going to get him all dressed.

Quinn's Big "Surgery"

2009-07-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

Quinn was hit by the metal hoop of the pool basketball hoop and needed 10 staples. It happened last Tuesday before coming to Bass Lake, so James brought some 'tools' up with him to take them out. Quinn wasn't thrilled at first to not be at a hospital, but he eventually agreed. It was quite the show.

Bass Lake!!

2009-07-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

I loved it, a perfect family trip! The first one with all 7 of us. It was a nice number of days, not too long of a drive and fun family to be with. I was really excited to see Carli again after sooo long!

We finally took a picture of 'daddy and his girls' with the boat since he put the name on it.

Super Dad of the week, Alex, getting Eli's feet into the wake board for his first try. He popped right up the first time and wiggled around, but that's it. He tried hard though!

Natalja is so awesome with her little brother and sister! She is a natural nurturer!

Jared out in the water giving wakeboarding a good hard try! He was out there for a long time!

Bret's favorite spot in any vehicle!

4 happy kids in the bow of grandpa's boat! So cute!

my cousing Justin was playing with the kids all night running around letting the girls climb on him! He's awesome!

Alex is so sweet with little baby girls. I love the tenderness that shows through the big tough looking man :]

VERY silly girls!

Handsome boys!

I can't believe how old JT is getting! He just looks so mature.

Hope and Natalja down on the dock. Natalja was a little fish- in the water the entire time!

The movement of the water seems to be the only thing that can calm Bret. Whenever we were on the boat or just holding him in the water he became so relaxed and just his body became heavy/still. I need a moving body of water at home for this!!

Kelli LOVES her panda bear!

Quinn

Bret, just chillin'

so cool!

We love grandpa and he loves his little girls!
Logan and Kelli

Eli told me he was trying to jump onto the boys on the alligator! :]

Total poser, she IS Lyndi's niece!

so cute!

more chillin' boys

action shot!

a wrigley's commercial or something?

ALL 14 Wilson Grandkids!!
amazing!
Natalja, Jared, Quinn, Hayden,
Eli, Carson, -Bret-, J.T., Dallin, Wilson, Hope & Kate
Kelli & Logan

Basketball night at Uncle Brad's

2009-06-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

Me & my little buddy

Kelli & her doggies at G'ma's house

Danna/Dante & Cory/Maggette

(there are 2 black poodles & 2 mastiffs, I have no idea which dogs those are,
I know Cory has the stripes, but I can't tell in that pic =] )

Alex during his turn to sub-out.

pretty Talja

And, then of course I couldn't end the night without hurting myself, again!
I sprained this same ankle in March, so it was still weak. This time, I also tore the ligaments the Doctor thinks because the the two bones in the lower leg are farther apart than they are supposed to be.
I just am not allowed to run anymore.

Boys at Work

2009-06-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

Eli is so creative, he thought to use the cantaloupe
-+ peels to make forts & barricades for his Army Guys! I love his creativity, it turned out great!

I love this one of the boys 'working' together in the mud.
Bret really loved it, he really thought he was working and helping.

fun times at home

2009-06-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

some pictures of my adorable kids, it's just been too long.

Bret is one GOOFY kid!!!

Eli had the idea to put on all his camouflage and test out how well it worked in the bushes in our front yard. He is a creative boy sometimes! It actually worked quite well, next time we'll have to paint his face too! =)

Natalja's best friend/cousin Hope-this is for you!!

2009-04-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

Hope,
I loves you so much. You are my best friend! We saw this school right around the corner from my dad's old home in Santa Barbara. I thought that was so cool to have a school named after you, so we stopped to take a picture of her me it for you!
Love,
Natalja

Santa Barbara

2009-04-20T14:34:00.001-07:00

I love how animated Natalja is being!

At the end of the pier, there is an opening to look down for sea life.
We were looking
down through the railing.

The family (the older 2/3)

so sweet, love love.
pure emotions!

Watch out Talja!

The beach is unique because the coast is actually South when most/all other beach towns in CA, the coast is always West.

Santa Barbara Pier

SBCC campus with the beautiful view of the ocean, harbor and pier! Such a beautiful campus!

fountan sculpture on the SBCC campus

Eli thought this telescope was really cool.
We had such a fun day! We went to do Jared's 4th grad mission report. We had a great time showing the kids all around SB. Alex's old college campus, the house 'we' lived in, the pier, Rusty's pizza and State ST of course! After going to Utah the 3 hr drive was nothing, especially with just the older kids! Thanks Grandma & Grandpa Wilson and Grandma Kelly for watching Bret & Kelli!
The view from the front of the mission of the ocean!
The entrance to the mission chapel

more pictures of the oylers!

2009-04-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

Eli was so excited to have his birthday in Utah! Aunt Carli did a great job of making it a super special day, thank you, lots of love!

kelli in the mud puddle was just classic!

memorable moments

2009-04-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite statue and picture spot ever!

I am so glad we went to Temple Square, there was a lot to see and learn. A very memorable experience for the kids, even if they didn't understand it all now, they will remember it.
all the kids at the Joseph Smith Memorial
kelli points out all the flowers she ever sees, so she was excited to see these beautiful ones. when i tried to take the picture she wouldn't stay still, so natalja took the picture instead, what can i do?Eli @ J.S.memorial

Kelli & Lolo
Easter dresses made by G'ma Lori

jared & hayden

snowball!!

So glad Gma Lori came to help with the kids!!

Hayden, Jared, Natalja, Eli, and Carson at the bottom of the hill! most of them rolled off their sled :)

kelli was completely fascinated by the feel/touch of the snow. she loved to play with it.

Natalja is always making me laugh! she rolled off the sled at the bottom of the hill and just laid there! she is so funny!

Bret thought the snow was very interesting!

This sledding day was great, beautiful, fresh snow and a huge fun hill. but, that fun hill, was also a lot of work to get back up too!

Carli is such a fun, awesome aunt! Thanks for doing the active stuff with the kids that the stupid sprained ankle got in the way of! you are the BEST Carli!!

The whole gang, hiking up the big hill

the second time we went sledding was way better because it snowed for the 3 days before. It was great, the kids had a blast. the hill was actually quite steep, fast going down and a lot of work getting back up!

more utah pics!

2009-03-30T10:18:00.003-07:00

it was so hard to convince kelli to come inside, she just wanted to sit on the porch and watch the snow. so cute how she appreciated the nature!

lots of hard work!

eli loved to make and throw snowballs!

mommy and kelli

"the clouds made it snow just for us!"

2009-03-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

we went up to the snow the first day to go sledding because the snow is what the kids are the most excited about.

there wasn't very much snow left, they made the best of it and sledded on the ice along the road at the beginning of a trail up the canyon. then, the next day, we got a little blizzard! we got a lot of snow fall and the wind was really blowing!

QB Bret

2009-03-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

bret enjoys throwing and catching the ball so much! it is the one activity that can actually lengthen his attention span exponentially. at this point his eye-hand coordination has already exceeded mine!

MEMEORIES

2009-03-19T12:56:00.001-07:00

I was getting some cookies ready for Juliet's B-day, and both little kids were not in very good moods. So, I just put them both up on the counter and once I gave them them both some cookie dough, they were happy! :) They looked so cute too, I had to run and get the camera. When I remember my time raising my children, I want this picture to be the best way to describe it!

Natalja's New Look!

2009-03-19T12:54:00.001-07:00

Natalja is 7 and just had her big eye dr. appt a few weeks ago. Her glasses just came in just 5 days later, but she could barely wait! She is still excited, it is really cute. She looks so mature! I can't believe how old she is getting.
She first picked out some really cute frames that were rectangular, black with skinny purple and blue stripes alony the edge. we decided to have her get the cheap ones to start with, learn to take care of them and then upgrade. I was impressed that she wanted ones the stood out so much, thought she would want something subtle. no way! she loves that she has glasses.
and of course, nobody can take a picture around here without Kelli!

Cry or Laugh?

2009-03-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

This is Bret's infamous face when he is crying and we get him to laugh. He doesn't want to give in and stop crying right away, but he can't hold back the laughter! I love it, it is so honest.

Ever since Bret was born I have said that when he smiles his whole face smiles, I love that about him.

Tag, you're it!

2009-03-19T12:29:00.000-07:00

i was tagged by ashley to post the 6th picture in the 6th folder of the 'my pictures' folder from 'my documents'. I went into the folder for the camera we got almost a year ago, the 6th folder over and the 6th picture over.
Perfect! This is one of my favorite pictures of Alex as a father ;)

now i tag, natalie jenks

anything for the camera! :)

2009-03-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

Kelli worked long and hard to get the cat on her shirt to show for the picture.

2009-02-26T09:29:00.000-08:00

I got this swing to contain Bret . To keep him from getting into everything, a little break for me . I knew it would work because whenever we go to the park he and Kelli both stay in the swings the entire time. The only problem I ran into was that Kelli wanted the swing too, of course. So then, I just had a new problem- the kids fighting and crying over the swing and whose turn it was. It only took me a day to decide to get another one!

Pretty Girls

2009-02-26T09:22:00.000-08:00

Kelli thoroughly enjoyed herself! She was so interested in the make-up and how she was putting it on. She really loved how it looked! I don't think she has ever sat still for so long before!

Bret's Big Birthday

2009-01-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

He couldn't be more pleased with himself!

COUSINS: the best of friends!

2009-01-05T11:36:00.001-08:00

Hayden, Carson, Jared, Eli and Creed playing outside at our house.
We had a day of Kayli's daycare just before Christmas. Lots of kids, but the kids all had so much fun. The more the merrier is true, come over any time!

the GIFT of GIVING

2008-12-27T14:11:00.000-08:00

i truly enjoyed the gift of giving this holiday.

the gifts i was giving are what i was most excited about. really, i was so excited about these two projects, i'm surprised i even kept them a secret!

first, alex made this sign to put at the corner of my parents' driveway. their house is a bit away from the road, so it is like their own private road to the house. the work he did is just incredible. i am always more and more impressed with his talents and abilities, and the effort and work put into projects. this picture looks small, it is actually about 3 ft. wide and is mounted on a 4x4. there is aluminum with a reflective coating behind the letters to illuminate it at night.
it looks awesome!!

also, i made a quilt/blanket for alex's mom kelly.

her mom, whom she was very close to, and i had grown close to, passed away in october after a 3 year struggle with ovarian cancer. this was very difficult on the whole family. kelly plays the role of caretaker in her family, she is very pragmatic and always holds everybody together through trials and all difficult situations. she takes great care of everybody, so i wanted to do something for her. kelly had cleaned her mother's closet out and brought the clothes to my house for meto wear if i needed/wanted them.
natalja really misses Nana, Narvie and gets pretty emotional, so i thought of using a couple of her clothes to make natalja a small blanket to sleep with or just cuddle when she got sad. that is what led to the idea of making a larger version for kelly.
i found items that reminded me of Narvie most for one side of the blanket. on the other side, i use the turquoise because her bed comforter, many walls in her home, and her couch were that color and the leopard print because she loves it and she wore a nightgown with leopard print almost every day. she even had a set of dishes that are leopard print with turquoise accent! it was just perfect to have found that fabric!

it was so exciting to give this to kelly!!
there isn't a whole lot i can do for her (while there is a whole lot she does for me), so this was a very special opportunity.

a set of new wheels for all!

2008-12-27T13:50:00.000-08:00

kelli and i, christmas eve.

natalja and eli were getting way too big for their bikes, so we got all of the older kids new bikes bigger for N & E, better quality and BMX style for J, N & E.
kelli must included in everything so we knew we needed to get her something similar. she has tried the scooters before, so we got her one with 3 wheels that she could control and balance better on.
it was so exciting getting everything ready and then going outside as soon as they could! of course, it was raining quite a bit, but we got out there during a quick break. there is never as much rain out at the ranch, so we brought the bikes when we went out there for christmas lunch/dinner. their cousins Creed & Cole got new bikes too. they all had a blast riding in the rain(just a mist, not too muddy)!

Chrstmas Specials!

2008-12-27T10:18:00.000-08:00

I found out just how talented my mom is when she made these adorable dresses and ties for all of her grandchildren this past month. The kids have worn them to 3 different wards over the month of December. Every time, we get compliments on how adorable they are, how fancy and everyone agrees that they look designer and they are all so impressed that my mom made them.

this was my gift from alex. i just had to show it off!
i was NOT expecting to get a little black gift bag from ZALES
handed to me on christmas morning!

CHRISTMAS FAMILY NIGHT

2008-12-27T10:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas family night is a tradition my mom started when she was 15. It is a night to share special stories or experiences that are Christ-centered to remind us of the first Christmas- Christ's birth. My mom and her 3 brothers all have their own families now, as a group each family has a bit of time to share with the group. With the family expanding, it is the only time throughout the year that I see some of them, so it is a night we all look forward to.

getting ready for the nativity presentation...

2008-12-27T09:48:00.000-08:00

LIVE NATIVITY--- christmas family night

2008-12-27T09:22:00.000-08:00

Christas Family Night is a special night during the holiday to pause and remember Christ's birth is the reason for the season. For the Wilson family's portion of the night we create a live nativity with all of the children.

The children get all dressed up and it is so precious! (this is actually the first year that baby jesus wasn't one of my babies :)) The children show what a pure, innocent moment it really was.

SAN DIEGO TEMPLE

2008-12-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

This beautiful white nativity is so symbolic of His purity, and how we should treat this time of year with simplicity. I couldn't keep these beautiful pictures to myself. Cherish and love your family during this holiday season!

still on the topic of beauty...there is not a better place to get in a good workout! This is the basketball court at uncle Brad's house in Tenaja. So, for those like me, the scenery with dirt and rocks to occupy the kids is great incentive to exercise!

Father and Son...Aww, how cute!

Dallas is saying to Shea, "well, you know with this great young body, I don't need to stretch. I won't pull anything! Hahaha!"

(I kid, I kid!)

Another layup by Cody before the rest of us even make it down the court :)

2008-12-09T09:25:00.000-08:00

we have been so blessed to go to the temple so frequently lately. my mom watches our kids everythursday and

we have gone to the temple every other week(about).
what a special place to be.

FUN FAMILY DAY AT UNCLE BRAD'S HOUSE!

2008-12-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

on saturday we went up to alex's uncle brad's house so all the guys could play a few games of basketball. we all had a fun day and played into the night! they only had 9 guys, so i(kayli) was invited to be the 10th 'man'. playing a competitive game was great fun and a great workout!! i didn't do too badly either, i did make one basket!
we are so lucky to have so many family members around us and their homes to be in such beautiful locations.

2008-12-06T22:12:00.000-08:00

this last picture kelli is showing us her broken teeth! she smashed into the metal frame of her new bunk bed.
what made it worse- the night before, alex's mom, kelly, was knocked over by her dogs and landed on her elbow while we were there. the end of the ulna that makes the ball of the elbow completely broke off. so, alex took her to the e.r. and stayed w/her until morning to take her to the surgeon. so, my kelli was in total pain and i still had to take the other kids to school, drop bret off w/my friend and then take her to the doctor. there is no nerve damage, just the one on the right is pushed up and crooked into her gums. we will wait to see how much it drops before taking her to the dentist for caps. while, we are there, we will get jared's front tooth capped also which was also broken in half a while ago just while running on the sidewalk and tripping...unfortunately his is a permanent tooth.
what a week!

Bret's 1st Photoshoot

2008-11-24T10:05:00.000-08:00

SOO BIG!

I took some pictures of him at the
ranch a few days ago, I am trying to
pick which one to frame as an 8x10.
He is very difficult to get a still shot of!

I had to hold the camera with
one hand and hold him still
with the other.
Coy Bret

Then I decided the hair was
out of control,
so I cut it.

Bret got his first haircut. I can't believe how different he looks! His face looks so much older. They sure grow up fast.

picture perfect

2008-11-24T10:01:00.000-08:00

kelli has grown to love the camera. I used to have a hard time getting her to hold still for a picture. Now she understands the attention that comes along with it and will ham it up!

Eat or Sleep?

2008-11-23T12:21:00.001-08:00

Kelli's 2nd Birthday Party

2008-11-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

Kelli is 2 years old as of November 24. She really acts like she is much older and looks that way too! She is so much fun to be around and has more personality than her little body can hold. She brings such joy to our home and family.

LOOK! No help!

2008-11-23T11:29:00.000-08:00

As soon as Dad took the training wheels off of Eli's bike, Eli took off riding. We couldn't believe it! He just knew without any help! I think a lot of it was having the courage to just go and that is how you balance. It is when the kids are nervous and try to start out slow that they loose their balance.
Such a big kid, I am so proud.

Day at the Duck Pond

2008-11-23T11:25:00.000-08:00

The kids love to go to this duck pond by our house, it is actually right off the freeway next to a restaurant. It is very beautiful and there are lots of ducks that are friendly, well they don't let the kids pet them, but they don't bite either

There is a special memorial that was built shortly after this war began. There is a statue of a soldier sitting down to write a letter.

All around the soldier there are real letters sent home from soldiers to families that live in the area.

all along the walkway there are names engraved in the stones.
thought is was pretty neat and wanted to share.

Kelli is my first child to understand the need to break the bread into pieces before throwing it to the ducks! The breadsticks last much longer!

Army Guys

2008-11-23T11:20:00.000-08:00

Elias, my 5 y.o. was playing with his "army guys" and asked if he could use the camera. I looked to see what he did...(except obviously i took the first one) and I think he did a great photoshoot!

He is a very creative kid! And, he plays well by himself.

Bret & his Prop. 8 Rain Poncho

2008-11-06T11:27:00.000-08:00

well, we went sign waving for Prop 8 Monday and Tuesday mornings from 7-8am.
what is funny is how much fun the kids had! Tuesday it was sprinkling so Alex made a rain poncho out of one of the signs for Bret. So cute!

Families & Babies for Prop. 8

halloween preview!

2008-10-26T23:18:00.000-07:00

crazy hair day!

2008-10-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

today is crazy hair day for Red Ribbon Week at the kids' school! we sure had fun getting ready for school today. a little taste of the fun to come for Halloween next week! can't wait, we love Halloween.

DJ KC

2008-04-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

we knew she LOVED music, but maybe she is trying out a specific career.

elias really wanted a pic of him hugging his little sister. he had just watched an episode about "franklin" and his little sis. cute!

ROCK-A-BYE BABY

2008-04-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

they are all 3 supposed to look like they are going in order, but blogger wouldn't let me upload all of them and i didn't have time to wait. now both babies are asleep. ahhhh

2008-04-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

kelli sat on this rocking very aggressively for an hour tuesday. until she looked like she was going to fall asleep.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2008-04-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

This can count as a gift! Usually crying is all we get from Bret
so this smile is much appreciated!
He's a cute little boy & I love him, but he sure does "complain" a lot.
Alex is a cute big boy & I love him too! Have a great birthday.

I recently was involved in a conversation of some women from church about blogging. Their opinion was that blogging is of the devil because all we do is focus on ourselves and brag. I can see their point with some of the strange people I have heard about on myspace seeking attention. HOWEVER, I don't agree. I think my husband, Alex, put it best (he is so good with words): "It is the ultimate journal! Words, pictures and video!"
I decided that was a thought worth mentioning because I have really enjoyed my time blogging and seeing the blogs of family members! I would not see or here from these family members more than once a year without our blogs!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIAS!

2008-04-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

The big 5!

On Eli's birthday, March 28, Bret also hit the 3 month mark.
Bret spent the first 11 days of his life in the NICU because was wasn't eating quite enough and was losing weight. He is definately doing very well now. He makes so much noise when he eats, trying to breath and scarf it down as quickly as possible. Bret has really bounced back to make up for lost time; he was about 3-4 weeks early. Very healthy, we are so blessed.

Time to Wake Up!

2008-04-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

We had to wake Kelli up to pick the big kids up from school. I set her in the car then went back in to get Bret. When I got back to the car Eli had found the camera and was taking pictures of Kelli as she was waking up. I I think photography is in his future. He often finds the camera and takes pictures of all kinds of things. One of his favorites is pictures of the TV. I love my cute little Eli!

Kelli C

2008-04-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

This is Kelli's personality in a nutshell. She is very happy and great entertainment. She does funny stuff just to make herself laugh and doesn't care what others think. She is such a joy! The blanket to her nose is kind of funny. She has always liked the feel of rubbing an afghan, or even just yarn, to her nose. I have no idea what this means or where it came from. At least it is a self soother!

Kids on Wheels

2008-04-02T12:33:00.001-07:00

Natalja is getting very good with no training wheels!

Eli continues to speed down hills
on his scooter with no fear.

Jared caught on quick to his "snakeboard."

Cars!!

2008-04-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

BRET IS AS EXCITED ABOUT DAD'S NEW CAR BODY PARTS AS DAD!

School Time

2008-04-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

Natalja loves to play school every chance she gets!

Boys discover XBox

2008-04-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

The boys(dad included) got XBox 360 for Christmas, they are thoroughly enjoying it!