Hessler's Clan

Meet Jackson

2011-06-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Meet Jackson our newest addition to the family. He is a 2 1/2 year old poodle who loves to play..I mean 6:00am playtime...He is very cuddly and fun..He's one flaw would be that he barks at everyone including Peter if he hasn't seen him for a couple of hours..He's always used a doggy door to to his business so we are having fun training him. He does have lots of character which is what we wanted...Now if only I could sleep in...

Alex moves on...

2011-06-16T08:42:00.000-07:00

Alex's Big Day...onward to middle school...He is so excited but I hate seeing him grow up...

Wall of Family Photos

2011-05-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

I've got all these great old family photos and I put them to use...I'm making canvases of black and white photos old and new for our wall..I'm just missing a photo of our wedding and Peter's parents wedding...Can't wait till it's finished.

my parents..

I'm the littlest and cutest of them all..there were two after but they dont' count.

my brother Nick..don't tell him..

and of course my favorite..when they were cute and cuddly...

Big Baptism Day

2011-03-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

The day that Anna-Maria's been counted down to for the last year has finally arrived..Her baptism..She has been so excited to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints..She was beautiful...

Anna-Maria's Birthday

2011-03-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

This was Anna-Maria's 8th Birthday..Yes I know it was in February and now I'm blogging it in the middle of March but better late than never.

When her big day came we weren't sure if we would be able to go out and celebrate..It had been snowing for a couple of days and around Seattle that stops everything..The streets don't get ploughed which makes them like a big iceskating rink...But despite all Peter met me half way from my work and home to the local mall for Anna-Maria's present..Piercing the ears...with a little bit of Red Robin afterwards..She was a trooper..

a littel bit of cheese cake to go with the candles..

A couple of days later Grandma and Grandpa braved the Pass and brought Anna-Maria some more goodies..She was spoiled this year from all her grandparents,cousins, and Aunts and Uncles...Happy 8th Birthday Anna-Maria..

Biztown..Alex off to work you go..

2011-02-19T09:41:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago Alex's fifth grade got to go to Biztown..A mini town where the kids are in charge..Mayor,Restaurant,stores, city hall..

I volunteered for the day too..UPS here I come..Believe it or not the UPS delivery guy was the number one choice for almost every boy in the school..

The doctor on call checked out Alex to make sure he was healthy..There was a gurny in the room which I was tempted to use a few times in the day..

Ah..Alex's job..Camera Man...He did a great job..Even zoomed in on their nose..

Overall it was a fun experience..The kids got to learn about different jobs and how to deposit and write checks...Now if only he would write me a check..

Christmas blessings

2010-12-31T22:57:00.000-08:00

This is the second year we have had the privelege of going to my parents for Christmas and neither were planned..Last year we came down because Dad was in the hospital with blood clots and this year Mom was recovering from pneumonia. I think they plan it that way...We love going down though cause we get spoiled with love and really good food...

This year has been a hard one for us as a family with Peter going in and out of jobs and then nothing..And even though it has been hard, we have never been as blessed..We have great friends and family who have shown their love to us in multiple ways especially at Christmas Time..We just want to say Thanks..

Christmas Tree time

2010-12-08T18:32:00.000-08:00

Yep...the tree is always in the same spot..Must be the only spot that works..We headed to our favorite Christmas Tree Farm..Home Depot...With the help of all the family the decorating took about 5 minutes..

This is how Alex and Anna-Maria felt about the whole experience...

Pick your favorite Christmas Pose....

2010-12-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

I couldn't decide which photo to use for this year's Christmas Card...Please help by picking your favorite...

A day Downtown Seattle

2010-12-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

Since the kids had a couple of days off for Parent/Teacher conferences we got to spend the day as a family...Off to Seattle we go..I have never done the Christmas displays downtown because of work but I really enjoyed them this year..First was the Sheraton for their annual Gingerbread houses...

so yummy looking..just want to rip off a piece..They won't notice..

Next we headed to the Fairmont Hotel for the Teddybear Suite..So many bears in one small place..even the bathroom had them on the floor, in the sink, etc..

Pike's Market is always an adventure..always crowded and fun...

Santa delivers everything on the list right?

2nd grade muscial...

2010-11-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

Anna-Maria had a great musical Tueday night..She sang loud and clear and played the clave like a professional...

New eyes

2010-11-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

Yep..Alex finally needed glasses.....After enough squinting we broke down and had his eyes checked at Costco...A couple of days later the nurse called him in to recheck his eyes from the last test she did..Alex told her that we had a prescription for the new glasses but we were going to wait till his dad had a job..One phone call later from the nurse and Alex got free glasses from a local optometrist. Now he can see the signs on the buildings and words written from afar...He is excited...and handsome...

pumpkin time

2010-10-25T08:57:00.001-07:00

Yep..it's Pumpking Carving time...
The kids love the gutts, the parents hate the mess.

Grim Reaper and Scary Face

Mine..an owl...Love Halloween!

Anna-Maria's apartment

2010-10-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

Every year the second grade classes on Anna-Maria's school make a high rise for their individual class..Each child decorates a shoe box and writes a story to cordinate and then they are built upon each other..Here is her story..

Once there were two sisters living in an apartment. On Halloween the sisters heard a whooing sound. They opened the door. It was a ghost, but it was our neighbor. " That was not funny."said a sister," but a good costume." "Thanks, nice halloween decorations." said the neighbor. " Best of all nice spiderweb." " That's not a halloween decoration!" screamed Daphne one of the sistes. " Shoo shoo aaah!" "What is it?" " It's a black widow!" "EEE , it's ok." said the neighbor Puck, but Daphne was too scared. "It's ok" said sister Sabrina. "You're right, come on let's go to the store." So they did go to buy more halloween decorations. Then they went home ate dinner. Then went to have fun trick or treating. The end.

Scout hike Ratttlesnake ridge

2010-09-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

Alex's first Boy Scout Hike..Be prepared wasn't in his vocabulary..no water,snacks and dressed as warmly as possible for 70 degree weather...Still loved it...

He got out of doing errands with Mom and Dad instead..yahooooo...

School must go on...

2010-09-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's that time of the year again..The kids worst nightmare...Back to School. Alex got to wear his cast for the first day..Then it was off to the doctor to take it off...
Anna-Maria looks thrilled..She hates it when I take photos the first day..She asked if I was going to take photos of her first day when she is 40 and in high school. I said "No way, you won't be living at home at 40 if your still in high school."

Mr. Safey Patrol...as you can see he loves having his photo taken too...

row,row, row your boat

2010-09-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

We were treated to a day at the Lake of the Woods near Nana and Papa's. It's a beautiful lake, cool on a hot day...
I'm surprised but Papa convinced the two chickens to use a paddle boat..They loved it...

Oh what do you do? She wore this chair everywhere..Doesn't make a great backpack though...Homeward bound after this trip...Too bad..The kids wanted to stay at Nana and Papa's forever..There's room right?!

Cavemen

2010-08-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

Oregon caves here we come...While it is 90 degrees outside, inside it's 42..Glad we brought coats...
What an adventures cave...there are 520 steps, sometimes you have to go sideways, duck to 45 inches, and watch you head at all times..The only wildlife we saw in the cave was a bat....It was a cool experience...

Thanks Papa for taking us....

End of First part of trip

2010-08-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

My goal for the last day of our trip was to reminisce..on my hometown of Vacaville, and then onto Napa and Sonoma..It didn't go as planned..Alex and Anna-Maria could have cared less about my hometown except for making Moooing sounds for the "Cowtown". They loved the Jelly Belly factory of course and the cheese factory in Sonoma but their attitude was "Let's just get back to Nana and Papa's." Next time I'm going down with someone else who will enjoy shopping and touristing....

Left my heart in San Franscico..

2010-08-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

San Franscico here we come..I had it mapped out of course..We started in Union Square..hitting the Westin St Francis hotel first..The back bank of elevators is an amusement ride on it's own..You start out looking out at another building and then bam you are in the sky overlooking all of San Franscico at a high speed..Scared Anna-maria to death...Off to China town next...love the little trinkets they sell at rockbottom prices..

Then it was onto Little Italy...We drooled over the smells of foccacia,pizza, and pasta..yum...

Peir 39 was next..Those seals have been there forever..That was always my attraction while growing up in the area...

Can you guess where we had lunch? Yep..have to say the food wasn't the reason we went..

After waiting an hour in line we hopped on the cable car for the up and down ride...Who can go to San Franscico and not ride the Cable Car?!

One more stop of the day before dropping Peter off at the airport..The Oakland Temple..It's my favorite of course...

Some people love to drive and drive and drive

2010-08-26T20:24:00.001-07:00

The day after the wedding we started our journey home..First stop the Newport Beach Temple..Gorgeous!

Next stop after sitting a long time in LA traffic..Santa Barbara Mission...

Glad that's not my garden..ouch!

Short monk!
Not really an angel or a monk!

After the mission we started up highway 1...Next stop Elephant Seals near Hearst Castle..

We coasted into Big Sur on Empty and paid a fortune in gas...

The views were spectacular the whole way up the coast line..We ended the day in San Jose, arriving at our hotel at the same time as three tour busloads..Not fun...

Wedding bells

2010-08-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

Ah..for the reason we started this adventure..Scott and Nikki's wedding..Peter's niece was married in the San Diego Temple. It was a beautiful sealing and of course the weather in San Diego did not fail us...

Anna-Maria and her cousin Megan were very cute "flower girls".. As flower girls go in a Mormon wedding....

Disneyland here we come..

2010-08-24T20:15:00.001-07:00

I think you can guess our next destination..After a long drive down 99 to Anehiem, we played at the hotel till Peter's flight came in...Around 9:30pm we heard loud banging noises outside and realized the fireworks were going off..What a view we had from the hotel parking lot..Could not have been better..The next morning we arrived at the gates at 7:30am to be first in line..I had that day mapped out in my head..We finished Disneyland in less than 5 hours..didn't wait more than 15 minutes for a ride...not bad...

This is Anna-Maria before we started the jungle cruise...She wasn't as happy afterwards when she realized how boring it is..Especially since we just came off the Indiana Jones ride..That was scary..

Alex posing while we waited for Dad and Anna-Maria to finish Splash mountain..She loved it..

We went on the steamboat and were surprised with the Disney band boarding..Great entertainment..but I did tell him that if we didn't like the music he would be voted off..He stayed on..

Anna-Maria's favorite princess..
I made the family do the Small world ride eventhough it's not my favorite..I just knew Alex would find it annoying..It's a small world afterall, It's a small world afterall.......

Anna-Maria's new bestfriend...They loved their first experience at Disneyland..

Start of a long journey

2010-08-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

First day of our big adventure..Alex, Anna-Maria and myself headed out of Medford for a long roadtrip down the westcoast..First stop was Sonora California, home of Goldmining. We stayed the night in an old Days-Inn with room features that dated back to the mining years..The next morning we headed to Colombia, a state park..Loved the town...If it wasn't for the outdoor plumbing it would be liveable..

After this town we headed south to Anahiem..Time to pick Peter up at the airport..Hmm..wonder what we are doing tomorrow?

Bat Cave

2010-08-07T19:35:00.001-07:00

After picking up the kids from Grandma and Grandpa's we thought " Hey let's take a different route home" Through Chinook Pass and pass Mt Rainier...Along the way we stopped at Boulder Cave...A cave that has bats in the winter not the summer..Just as well it was so pitch dark even with our flashlights that I don't think we could have dealt with bats...Loved the hike and cave, didn't like the rain on the other side of the mountain, so there was no view of Mt Rainier today..Glad to have the kids back..I missed them..They didn't miss us..

Smithtower date

2010-08-03T10:42:00.002-07:00

I love Groupon..Just the other day there popped up a coupon for the Smithtower observation deck..Peter has wanted to do it but we just haven't gotten around to going..Perfect...I surprised him yesterday evening..We were headed downtown anyway so I just parked near the tower..."Oh..why don't we go and explore the Smithtower since we are in the area"..It was interesting..It's just an empty room except for chinese wall art and some furniture...The views though are fantastic..Definetly not for you Mom...The Smithtower used to be the tallest building in Seattle...of course not anymore but it still has the last manuel operated elevator on the West Coast..We topped off the date with a picnic in the park eating delicious gyros...Great being kid free...photos from the trip are on the previous post..

2010-08-03T10:42:00.001-07:00

Life is not always easy..

2010-08-02T11:07:00.001-07:00

Alex was having too much fun at Grandma and Grandpa's..He decided to slow down his pace with a broken arm..We got a phone call Saturday from Grandpa at the hospital..Alex was playing Red Light Green Light at the local rollerskating rink..Not so good at the Red light part..he fell backwards and broke the arm..There was a doctor there to splint his arm and ended up being a Bishop, so Alex recieved a blessing right away..He was a trooper at the hospital, never complaining about the pain..He was definetely watched over from above..Now he is just chillin'....No more swimming this summer...

Wildstone Talc - new commercial

2010-07-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

Zoo time

2010-07-21T15:35:00.000-07:00

Point Defiance Zoo here we come..Today was about the only day this summer we had to try out the Delaware zoo pass I bought..By the way paid $45 and it gets me into both the local zoos for free...
This is one of the best outdoor live animal shows we've seen..Of course we haven't seen many..

She thinks she's a snail..Sometimes she acts like one...only when I'm in a hurry..

Wild animal..

Homeward bound...

2010-07-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

After three weeks at Nana and Papa's it was time to head home..It's only an 8 hour drive but I like to fall asleep after about half an hour driving so we stopped at every rest stop and everything else I could find...Some of it was worth the stop..like the Portland temple..beautiful..

Now the kids are home for a week till Grandma and Grandpa come and take them away for 2 weeks..Oh how summer will fly..

Fun in the sun...

2010-07-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

Just a fun relaxing day on the Applegate River outside of Jacksonville,Or...

My nephew Josh...the dare devil...He was the only one of the group to use the rope swing..Not like I'd let Alex or Anna-Maria try..

The adults topped off the evening with a bite to eat at this lovely restaurant on the river..Nice and peaceful...

Bowling anyone?

2010-07-08T16:31:00.001-07:00

Dollar bowling on a hot day...Who can beat that? The kids score were even better than most of the teenagers/adults...Ok..mine were the lowest...

4th of July

2010-07-05T08:13:00.001-07:00

Nick and Heather..lazy times waiting for sunset..

Dad introducing Davin to the neighbors..

That's her normal face..Wait till she's angry..

We had our own little show plus we could see all the major ones in the valley..Perfect night..almost perfect actually..Peter isn't here..

Family Fun

2010-07-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

Four cars, 18 people, one long drive..Off to the coast we go..My great aunt and uncle Jim and Virginia live in Brookings,Or right on the beach..It's been years since we visited so what a great excuse to do so when all the kids are together...I think after an hour in our presence my aunt was wishing us to the devil...Crazy house..

Of course to get to the coast we had to go through the California Redwoods..I forgot how overwhelming these trees are..The girls loved them..

Anna-Maria, Jessica, and Teresa..What climbers..

Well worth waiting for..

2010-07-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

I actually got a cake this year for my birthday..I had to wait till I was at Mom and Dad's but it was worth it..My favorite..Chocolate Mouse Cake made by Mom..I was in heaven..

My sister Shawn spoiled me with a handmade necklace and bracelette..I scored with a frite holder too..Now I need 3 more for the rest of the family..I love Birthdays that last a month..

Playday in Ashland

2010-07-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

We started today off with a haircut for Anna-Maria..a nice bob for summer..She and I had a little one on one time..Well needed in this crowded house..Then off to Ashland to meet up with everyone else..
The biggest kid on top of course..Good job Nick..

This is how Alex likes his pictures taken..Nice..

Ahhh...

While the cats are away the mouse will play..Mom and Dad are having their backyard landscaped..He convinced the landscaper to teach him how to drive...ARRRr..big machine time..

Wild Ride

2010-07-01T15:45:00.001-07:00

Mom booked us on this nice tranquil boat ride down the Rogue River out of Grants Pass..Our aunt Jackie was there to wave us on...We were sun tanned lotioned up and ready to go..Should have notice everyone around us wearing rain coats on a hot day..

My sisters Shawn and Mika loving the ride...

Anna-Maria loves boat rides...

not this one...We were soaked within 2 minutes of the ride..This boats goes at high speeds down the river and then suddenly stops..We were towards the front of the boat..Big mistake...We hit rapids, wakes of other boats, and did twirls in the middle..Don't need a shower for a week..

Alex, who is always afraid of boats, got off this one and asked to go again..Better than a ride at Disneyland..

Surprise

2010-07-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

Mika arrived at Mom's on Monday..So far three out of 6 kids have arrived...She brought Davin the youngest of her four..The other cousins here are having a ball holding him...A baby doll to play with...
Taylor was a surprise for Nana and Papa..Nick came with his wife Heather and their daughter Taylor...We kept it a secret from my parents..So late Tuesday night when they were expecting my sister Kristi to arrive there was a knock on the door..There at the side door was a stroller with a baby in it.."Who's this baby and what's it doing here?" It didn't click for a couple of minutes that that was her grandaughter...My parents were in shock..It took a day for the reality to sink in..We don't get to see Nick very often..about every 4 years because of his job in the military so this was a great treat..Mom and Dad will have 5 out of the 6 kids here..

Family Time

2010-06-28T13:24:00.000-07:00

I'm in Oregon with my parents and siblings for the next month more or less..My sister Shawn is here from Italy with her kids and other siblings will be coming and going..We are having a blast.

We went over to Ashland to enjoy the park and the wonderful water..Stinky...The kids will never trust me again when I say the water tastes fine. My aunt Wanda ventured over from Chile for a few weeks. She brought my cousin Nico up from the Bay Area for a little visit with her sisters, my mom and aunt Jackie..I wish I could fit in her luggage going back..

Mom and Dad have some nosey neighbors...cows on one side and horses on the other..My kids aren't use to the country life..It sure is quiet..One can even here the birds...

Oh how do we entertain ourselves?

Crossing Over

2010-06-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

Alex's big night..He recieved the arrow of light in Cub Scouts and will go into the Boy Scout Program in August....He worked really hard for this award..
As always can't keep a straight face...

Crossing over.....

Also today Alex did his presentation on Chile in class..I worked really hard on it..

2010-06-15T17:33:00.001-07:00

Jump Girl

2010-06-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

Anna-Maria joined the Jump Rope Club this year and they performed at the talent show..She loved it and with a lot of practise she will become really good..Now she is just cute..

End of an Era

2010-06-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

These lovely flowers are from my friend Connie...Today was the last day I babysit her son Nash..It has been 3 years of learning and growing..for me. It is time for him to have someone new to play with and have fun...His laugh will be missed around the house..

Wet Memorial Weekend

2010-05-31T21:26:00.000-07:00

Rain, Rain, and More Rain in the near future...That is the weather around here at the end of May..but it didn't stop us from getting out and do stuff on Memorial Weekend..Sunday evening we went for a nice drive to North Bend, stopping in Snoqualmie first...

One can barely see the falls with all the mist but boy were they roaring...

Elk spotting in Snoqualmie just before North Bend..We later saw some right up against Mt Si...

Mt. Si..Peter keeps threatening me that we have to climb it..I don't think so..

Overall a fun weekend..We had a Ward Breakfast this morning at 8am..those of us on the committee were there at 6am..We had a nice nap today...

Crazy Hair Day

2010-05-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

Switch a roo

2010-05-26T15:41:00.001-07:00

After a couple of years living in the house..and Peter won't let me move..I decided to switch the kids room..This process is alot cheaper by the way..It was a killer undoing all of my dad's hard work on Anna-Maria's loft bed..It was made well..When we moved it, we also decided to modify it to a lower bed...Anna-Maria loves it and I love how easy it is to make and straighten...Alex was moved to the bigger room where the queen bed looks small instead of overwhelming..Yes..a much easier, not as stressful move..

Anna-Maria's Musical

2010-05-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

Ok..it's Anna-Maria's turn for the spotlight..She was an octopus in her first grade Ocean Musical...She rocked out every song but she wasn't the loudest..One kid will have laryngitis tomorrow...At the end the Music teacher was rewarded with a certificate of a bought Great White Shark in his name..not a species I would want to save..

Heaven on Earth..or at least in Seattle

2010-05-17T15:02:00.001-07:00

My sister Kristi informed me that there was a Belgian Waffle place downtown Seattle, so I had to go and check it out..Heaven..The waffle was just like what I used to eat in the market in Brussels...Yummy..light,fluffy, carmalized sugar on top...Wow...They cook it right then and there and would have put it in paper for me but we decided to eat it in the shop...

Then I scored at Half Priced Books with a fantastic cookbook..Mom..I'll bring it down this summer for us to try some recipes...

Now..do McDonald's french fries count as Frites? Cause then my day would have been all Belgian...

Informal Block Party

2010-05-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

This is how a neighborhood should be..Out and socializing..I hosted a block party potluck..We had chinese, indian,nepali, british, and american food..Yummy...and a lot of fun..

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

I got a real treat this year..Peter took me to a french restaurant called Maximilian in the market..The beautiful views competed well with the food...What a great Mother's Day present from a wonderful husband..Thanks

2010-05-03T13:17:00.001-07:00

Quick trip South

2010-05-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

We decided to take the family south for the weekend..Off to Portland we went..Of course we had to hit Powells..our favorite book store and Leonidias..our favorite chocolate store... We had a fabulous german dinner, kids even got tootsie pops on their kids plates..Tootsie pops and weinerschnizel..interesting combo..It was a great dinner, sauerkraut was awesome...The next day we headed to the beach..Cannon Beach..ah..the ocean, how I've missed it..just didn't miss the wind that goes with it..It was a long trip home along the coast but worth it...

Alex's 4th Grade Musical

2010-04-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

Alex really rocked it out..air guitar and all...

Quick Trip

2010-04-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

Off we went..Peter had a business trip outside Milwaukee and I decided to go with him..Since I decided a week after he booked his ticket I ended up on a different flight..Actually a better one but it got into the airport in Milwaukee four hours before Peter..I really bonded with the chairs at that airport..After picking up our rental car we headed out..A quick tour of downtown Milwaukee and then dinner at the Hollander...

Their specialty is Belgian beer and frites.I don't know how the beer
is (my sister Kristi would have been jealous) but the frites were nothing close to what you find in Belguim..Bummer..the mussels were great though..

On Monday while Peter tried to prove himself worthy of the job, I toured the area...There are some beautiful towns and the churches remind me of the ones in Europe..This one is in Waukesha...

Love the town of Delafield....

After a mind numbing day for Peter and a car driven one for me we headed back to the airport..A dinner of sausage, German potato salad, sauerkraut, and knackwrust..I ate the sausage before the photo...

Vancouver Trip

2010-04-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

Off we went to the Vancouver Temple Open House..We had been watching the construction on the temple for a year now so of course we had to see the final product..I have never done an open house before..It was fabulous..We watched a video first on typical explanations of temples but also on the growth and history of the church in BC..The inside of the temple is gorgeous..They have paintings depicting local scenery throughout the temple..Well worth the trip just going to the Open House but of course we had to add more..

We headed to Fort Langley after the temple..This forts shows how the area trappers worked years ago..The kids had fun playing...

This photo was taken right before Anna-Maria dumps water all over her pants..It wasn't a warm day despite her short sleeves..

Love the antlers..The sticker was given to us to wear while we were inside..The kids opted to wear them on their foreheads..

Fashionista...

We next drove to Surrey to Bear Creek Park..recommended by a friend..The kids tried to play on the playground but there seemed to have been a thousand kids there..So we headed to the Gardens next to the playground.

There is a miniture train that runs in the park..They just watched and waved as it went by..

View from our hotel..not bad...The mountains were stupendous..

Indian for dinner of course..We were in the land of Indians..a bit spicy and not filling so we had to head to Dairy Queen afterwards to cool off our mouths..

Sunday morning we finally headed home...The border crossing was long........

Spring Break

2010-04-05T17:46:00.001-07:00

Off to Mom and Dad's for Spring Break..We left the bread winner at home and drove 8 hours down to Medford,Oregon..The weather cooperated on the way down..can't say the same for the ride home..
We dressed the kids up in their Easter Best the week before Easter since we would be driving home the next Sunday and there was General Conference..How come Alex can never look put together no matter how much I try?

We went for a drive Sunday afternoon into the mountains in search of a manzanita tree for Mom's decorations...It was an intense drive with Anna-Maria praying the whole time and my mom trying not to pee her pants..It was a one lane dirt road up a very steep mountain..I loved the views from the top..

and the bottom..

The next day we headed up to Crater Lake..Didn't make it that far because of the snow at the top..We did stop at a Gorge with a beautiful river running through it...It is better in person..

some just wanted to stay in the car...

The rest of the week consisted of shopping, dining, and shopping, visit with my sister Kristi and my nephew Ian who also drove down from Seattle for a couple of days..What else is there?

Saturday was Easter Egg Hunting..I thought they would have done plastic eggs but no...real dyed eggs..hundreds of them...It took about 2 minutes to clean the field up...Then off to the market we went..There is a great farmers market in Grants Pass every weekend..The smells of the fresh food was amazing and tempting.

We loved the Tap House for lunch..nice casual dining right on the river's edge..

The Easter Bunny visited us at Nana and Papa's..Fun basket filled with goodies and then an egg hunt in the house...Weather was too unpredicatable for outside..

Overall..an awesome week with some fantatistic parents..Thanks..

Sick and Tired

2010-03-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

I've been sick and Peter is tired...I have this horrible cold in the throat and the coughing is keeping Peter awake at night..Sorry Honey..Peter took the kids last Sunday to Yakima to see Grandma..She just got out of the hospital recovering from pneumonia..Hope she gets well soon...I stayed home so as to not send grandma back to the hospital..I'm hoping that this cough goes away by the weekend when I head to Mom and Dad's with Alex and Anna-Maria..Fun times ahead....

2010-03-06T19:26:00.001-08:00

Touring Memory Lane

2010-02-27T19:15:00.001-08:00

The cherry trees are in bloom in the Northwest and one of our favorite places to see them is on the University of Washington's campus..Of course this happens to be Peter's alma mater. The trees are getting old and diseased though so they actually weren't that amazing this year..Instead we toured the library and checked out it's beautiful features..The kids had fun anyway.

Happy Birthday Anna-Maria!

2010-02-27T19:06:00.001-08:00

Anna-Maria is 7 years old. Her birthday was celebrated over a few days. First we went to Grandma and Grandpa Hessler's for a couple of days. There she got to celebrate her birthday with her cousins and Aunt and Uncle..She loved the attention of course and the gifts. The night before her birthday we went to Ikea for dinner and to collect the free birthday flashlight..Big stuff here..The night of her actual birthday we had a family party. Nana and Papa came up from Oregon and her Aunt Kristi came over from Seattle. She was very excited, probably because she is counting down to when she turns 8.

Her new taller bike..

Goof offs..

She loves her Ginny doll and the clothes Nana made.

Fabulous Cupcake Pjs provided by Aunt Kristi...

Rattlesnake lake

2010-02-15T17:15:00.001-08:00

I know I should feel guilty for enjoying such nice weather while others in the States are suffering...but I don't...It was a gorgeous day up in the mountains..We walked around Rattlesnake lake near North Bend..The only wild life I spotted were my own kids...

Alex rides for the last time

2010-01-27T19:49:00.000-08:00

Yes..it's Alex's last year for the Pinewood Derby....No he did not place 1st but he had a lot of fun and was really proud of his work...The car turned out great, fast enough to crash at the end every time...Boys and their cars...

End of an Era...

2010-01-25T14:31:00.002-08:00

How time flies..I have worked at the downtown Coldwater Creek for 7 years...and yes the store is closing..This Saturday will be the last day of operation..Then it's time to strip it down and lose it identity. I'm sad that the store has to close it's doors..It's been in Seattle for 10 years and it tried to renew it's lease but the owners wouldn't negotiate...Time for me for move and on and put my torturing skills to better use....

It makes my eyes water uncontrollably

2010-01-10T18:41:00.001-08:00

Last night we were invited to a neighbor's house for her daughter's 7th Birthday party...I arrived after work around 8:45pm thinking I had missed all the food and fun..Oh no..they just started..We have a few neighbors who are from India..They know how to party...The food was delicious but they kept laughing at my red face, burning lips, and watering eyes..I couldn't handle any thing they had made..I just kept downing water and eating the store bought cake..There we were the caucasian entertainment of the night...Peter schmoozed with the men..which was smart since he is job hunting and I hung out the with ladies..The kids just ran in circles yelling...I loved every moment of it...

Scariest Sight Ever!

2010-01-03T17:52:00.001-08:00

Please look away...scary..Girl with missing teeth...

Christmas on the Fly

2009-12-30T14:52:00.000-08:00

Plans changed this year for Christmas..My parents were expected up here for Christmas Eve but instead we drove down to them....Dad ended up in the hospital with a very long blood clot..He must have thought that was a better and more relaxing way to spend the holidays...He is doing much better now and is home at last...

This trip was a great excuse to check out the new house my parents just built..In fact they are still in the process of unpacking boxes..Love the house...

Their builders ran out and bought a Christmas tree since you can't have Christmas without it...It is very cute and perfect for our presents...

Santa did come for the kids and he left a letter for Anna-Maria..She was so excited to finally have proof...

Overall it was a great vacation, time spent with the ones we love, and happy endings...Happy New Year.....

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

2009-12-07T20:35:00.001-08:00

We braved the 20degree weather to hunt for this year Christmas Tree at our favorite spot..Home Depot....We love going there...they tie the tree to the roof of the car while we stay nice and toasty in the car...Anna-Maria and I are the big fans of decorating the tree while Peter and Alex watch....now it's time to place some presents underneath..

Thanksgiving Escape

2009-11-30T14:12:00.000-08:00

We started a tradition about 6 years ago and have only broken it once..Which was a nice change....We head to Vancouver Bc for Thanksgiving..It's a mini vacation for us...We stay in a nice hotel with an indoor pool and enjoy shopping in a city that never closes...This year my sister Kristi and her hubby Yale and their baby monty joined us...We had some awesome Greek food and didn't miss the turkey..

We always stop at the Science World where the kids go wild..They love the different activities..such as virtual hockey and mind games...Do they have any brain waves?

Belgian fries..do I need to say more....

Dressed like a Princess

2009-11-30T13:55:00.000-08:00

I love it when Anna-Maria and her Friend Zoe use their imagination....Princesses in the making..

2009-11-03T16:38:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T20:03:00.001-07:00

We dressed up this year for the Ward Halloween Party..I went as a baby...Alpha and Peter was an old man...Omega....I think the party was a success and the comments I've gotten were positive..Now I can sit back and relax...It was time consuming to get this party together.....The kids are now trick or treated out and sugared up for the upcoming year....

Teeth sinking into my money

2009-10-27T15:02:00.001-07:00

Anna-Maria lost another tooth..This one on top..She was so excited to try the "Tie to the door" approach...I guess that's the only way this family pulls teeth out..She is so cute in her new hat that Aunt Kristi made..Thanks...

Salmon Days

2009-10-04T12:20:00.002-07:00

Every year now it's tradition for Peter to take the kids to the Issaquah Salmon Days...They look forward to this for weeks...Every year it rains too but not this one...There is a huge parade down the main street and then off to the booths and rides..They always do the pony rides and Peter tried to convince them to try new ones but they chickened out....Love our Salmon....

2009-10-04T12:20:00.001-07:00

Love Fall

2009-09-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

Everyone should celebrate the first day of Fall..with a swim in the lake in 90degree weather...This has been a very strange summer for us in the Northwest but we aren't complaining..too much....

This is Lauren and Nash..I have watched Nash for two years now and now Lauren,his neighbor, has joined our afternoon posse...So much fun...

First Day of School....

2009-09-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Off they go...They were ready way too early...I walked them to school but they pretended I wasn't with them...I don't think there will be any issues of adjustment..

2009-09-01T19:51:00.001-07:00

A Day in Salt Lake

2009-08-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

Off we went to Salt Lake to be tourist...Mom wanted photos of the Salt Lake temple and I delivered....We toured the new Conference Center and parts of the Square..

After the temple we headed to the zoo..It was hot so thank goodness they have mist blowing....The kids were able to see all their relatives in one spot....

I've never done a planterium before..it was interesting..Alex of course loved it..We saw a dome IMax movie that made my stomach revolt....

Cascade Springs

2009-08-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

Love the drive in the mountains...We went the back way..ie dirt road...to Cascade Springs...beautiful, flowing water..with lots of signs of "do not fish"...The kids were tempted though.....

Midway

2009-08-26T20:27:00.001-07:00

This is our resort...love it......
local flair...reminds us of parts of Europe...

Crater....there are a ton here...We didn't know what they were for till we looked it up...The hot water in the ground pushed up and formed these craters...The kids love looking in each...

One can scuba dive in this one...the water is warm...

Family Ties

2009-08-26T20:20:00.001-07:00

Logan Temple...

Peter's ancestors from his mother's father's side are from Logan,UT....On our way down to Midway we stopped at the local family restaurant for some fantastic shakes and then off to see the old homestead....Peter's mom was born in this house...Her great grandfather built this house..beautiful.....We snapped a photo while no one was home...fast......

2009-08-23T17:20:00.001-07:00

Start of a Long Vacation

2009-08-23T16:59:00.001-07:00

Off we go for our summer vacation....Three days on the road till Midway,Utah..our destination....The first night was to Yakima..grandma and grandpa's...It's always fun and relaxing...and it's a good thing we did stay the night there..The next morning Peter checked the radiator fluid in the car and it was almost empty...After filling it with a new bottle we thought we were ready to start the long haul..no...There was a leak somewhere in the engine...Ed and Peter took it to the mechanic and quite a bit of money later had it fixed...Now we were ready just 4 hours behind...We rolled into Baker City, Or at 9:00pm..just in time for bed....The next day we did the Boise Zoo and then spent the night in Burley,Idaho with Peter's Great Uncle and Aunt..they were great...very nice and funny...

at the mechanic's......ready to roll.....

Alex's Birthday Celebration

2009-08-23T16:52:00.001-07:00

Alex was excited to celebrate his Birthday for a whole week..He started with a Mariner's Game on Monday...Friday was the Family Party...He got everything he requested....A butter chicken indian dinner with frosted brownies for dessert...Then the grand finale on the next Monday..Chuck E Cheese...the part I loved was that all the toys he got were hands on..no computer games...that's all a mom wants...

The Big 10

2009-08-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Alex...you never age as much as on your kid's birthday..I can't believe 10 years have passed....Alex is a fantastic boy..He is so inquisitive, loves to read, and tease his sister..What more can a parent ask for......The Big 10........

Frog Hunting

2009-08-10T14:34:00.001-07:00

On our way to the playground today we stopped by a local drainage pond..it was fulllll of frogs...tadpoles to full grown dinner plate size frogs...some had the cutest squeaks and others hid from us...I don't know why....hahaha

Blooming

2009-08-07T17:49:00.001-07:00

Anna-Maria was given a drawf sunflower seeds in Kindergarten..We have watered it everyday..Yeah..it has bloomed!

swinging away

2009-08-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

The kids have it so hard in the summer..play,play,play.....

2009-07-31T21:51:00.001-07:00

Platinum!

2009-07-31T21:38:00.001-07:00

Anna-Maria is a Marilynn Monroe wantabe.....she bought a Barbie kit and thinks she is a star...She is confused though cause every calls her Hannah Montana..I had to explain why..

Day with Dad

2009-07-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

USS Shoup
Alex and Peter tried to enlist in the Navy today..they wouldn't take them..so instead they toured a distroyer and missed out visiting a Canadian mine sweeper..the Canadians thought lunch was important.

Groveland Park/Blue Angels

2009-07-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic park..it had plenty of shade, lots of water, and the Blue Angels were flying above...The kids and adults loved it...It also was much cooler than my house..Couldn't ask for more

Some like it hot....

2009-07-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

Record breaking day....107 degrees...and they say only 15% of the homes in the Seattle area have air conditioning.We are not one of them..This photo was taken at 7:30pm.....It's hot.....ice cream at every meal....the 80s will feel like winter...

Shakespeare at it's finest

2009-07-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

My sister Kristi invited us to a Shakespeare in the Park experience...I am not a fan of Shakespear except Taming of the Shrew, which this happen to be. It was hilarious..they set it in a modern, trailer park atmosphere. We were laughing over the trashy outfits and the interaction with the audience..I wish I had pictures of the play but cameras aren't allowed..It was fabulous....

The kids spent time afterwards with their cousin "Monty"...he had them doing the workout..

2009-07-23T10:40:00.001-07:00

2009-07-21T17:27:00.001-07:00

New Blog

2009-07-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

I added a new blog to the side bar..it's going to host all my crafts so that this blog is centered on the family...I'm turning more and more into a Crafty Mormon...Watch Out!

2009-07-13T22:07:00.001-07:00

Wishes Come True

2009-07-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

I hinted to Peter on Saturday that while he was at the store..I would love some strawberries...He took the hint and ran with it...I came home to a plate of homemade chocolate dipped Strawberries and a glass of Martinelli. Yummmmmmy......I love surprises..at least the good ones...