GesselTribe

2011-09-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

Best song ever, thanks Lionel.

2011-08-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

remember 4th grade?

2011-08-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

Back to school my sweet Mini-buns.

Are you too cool for your mom to be hanging out at school snappin' shots and

documenting your first day of 4th grade? hmmm?

saltwater in my eye

2011-08-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

Kauai might be our family's only standing tradition (besides pull-apart caramel rolls for Christmas breakfast). We're on Kauai-time, easy to please as long as no one is breaking a leg or being bitten by centipedes oh... and the fish tacos are plentiful.

So RAD!! Anna and I found 2 sea turtles while snorkeling. We followed them around and then they followed us and we might or might not have touched them (yes, i now realize that is illegal). Allegedly.

We met the famous surfing dog. Bro even got a signed photo of the little pup hangin' 10. nice

We met a strange fat ole warty toad. I like his camo against the black lava rock.

Reminds me of Anna

2011-08-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Source: youtube.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Carving the mountains of Madrid via Longboard Girls Crew

mud war

2011-08-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

seriously?

2011-07-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

Zip's awesome trip: part II

California

2011-07-11T22:16:00.000-07:00

Zip's awesome trip: Part I

2011-07-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

watching the MA-chines

2011-07-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

Grandma's magical swing set

2011-07-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

Mini-buns summer uniform

2011-07-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

Bro's summer uniform

Missy Mc-swimmy pants

2011-07-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

Currently, Anna is obsessed with diving, splashing, bubbles, holding her breath, boogie boarding, flipping, standing on her hands, twisting, surfing and racing as long as it is done in the water and as long as she can wear her favorite swim suit day and night (which i am ready to burn). I can barely get that thing off her to take the occasional shower. Ahhh, throw caution to the wind, it's summer....let's rarely use soap, or wash our hair, or wear shoes or any other hygienic normalcies.

hello swim team

2011-07-04T16:06:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday America!

Wish we could spend the weekend celebrating in this miniature-floating cabin/boathouse thingy. Imagine launchin some fireworks off that deck. oh yeah

instead, we celebrated by enjoying the single vegetable (or is it a fruit) our garden produced. A juicy and delicious bounty of heart-healthy tomatoes.

Is that a butter dish in the corner? I have no idea how that got there.

2011-06-13T22:36:00.001-07:00

2011-05-09T20:40:00.000-07:00

Easter Dinner

2011-04-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

a little tomboy style

a girls getaway

2011-04-03T21:58:00.000-07:00

Anna and I packed our bags in a hurry, blew good-bye kisses to the Boys and took a last minute trip to the happiest place on earth also home of the most expensive churro in the world. Yum!

Have I mentioned that she is a rad little traveler....yes, rad. We had the best time running from one end of the park to the other, squealing when we got to board the pirate ship and squealed even more when Anna got to take hold of the steering wheel (she loves a good pirate story, remember). I loved introducing her to Indiana Jones and his thrilling jeep ride complete with spider webs and one gigantic rolling boulder. We giggled secretly when we accidently cut in line for the Matterhorn...ooops.

Then, there was Space Mountain! This 5 minute thrill ride through the star-speckled galaxy was worth the 65 minutes we waited. We watched Disney's famous fireworks, saw Tinkerbell fly through the sky, drank hot cocoa and made friends with the other crazies in line with us. Its the journey and the destination is great too.

Here's my poor attempt at a dual photo of Mini-buns and I.

xoxo love you forever mini-buns!

Bike n Breakfast Ride 2011

2011-02-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

We couldn't be happier than when we're peddling bikes!

2011-02-14T15:53:00.000-08:00

The holiday of love...

Happy Valentines Day!

Nutella, i promise!

2011-01-27T22:24:00.000-08:00

the boy broke his leg

2011-01-17T22:31:00.000-08:00

a little broken leg...poor Boy.

I wouldn't have jumped off the 5ft playground, even if i was a superhero.

The extended tribe

2010-12-29T21:57:00.000-08:00

It was non-stop action when our Somsen cousins came to visit. No sleep, candy for every meal, dirt under our fingernails, wearing the same stinky, vinegar smelling socks for a week...
Anna says, "it's the best time of her life!"

2010-12-24T18:19:00.000-08:00

For all those who...

Merry Christmas

Rest in Peace

2010-12-19T18:07:00.000-08:00

Our dear Beans left us Friday afternoon.

May he forever be running and wagging his tail and chasing cats in doggy heaven.

We love you Beans!

Tis the Season

2010-12-12T14:02:00.000-08:00

I am digging a pink Christmas Tree this year.

And Pantone just announced the color of the year!!

Swap pics

2010-11-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

Don't you love The Man in his Tweed!

Liz, our resident Swap photographer, took some lovely little pics. Click here to see them on her photo blog.

#2018

2010-11-22T19:58:00.000-08:00

Shun the Sun Race

I'm proud of my girl. She ran the entire way without stopping and even sprinted at the finish!

2010-11-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

The Boy and his girls

giddy up

2010-11-21T20:34:00.000-08:00

Anna wanted me to introduce you all to Jack, "Anna's" horse. Each week she brushes him, picks his hooves, saddles him up and rides him around the yard. She LOVES it!

Jack loves it too cause Anna always brings him a treat.

Helmet is the local tortoise who hangs around the stables. He likes Anna's treats too.

Good Morning

2010-11-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

How sweet are they?

10 years

2010-11-20T12:35:00.000-08:00

He's as handsome as the day I met him.

2010-11-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

The Boy can hold his own with the kids in the neighborhood but I'm not sure if the Man can.

2010-10-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know I'm searching for my most tweedy of outfits and

getting ready to Swap!

Join us Friday Nov 12 at 7:00pm

for our furniture and home goods Swap

in the historic Mesa Fraser Fields neighborhood.

Click here for more details

2010-10-25T23:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Boy!

wild
lovable
curious
laughing
running
bounding
sword fighting
flying

We adore you.

This lullaby is for you my Boy. Close your eyes.

Queen of the Longboard

2010-09-09T14:02:00.000-07:00

p.s. yes, that's dirt on her legs and arms, she wears no shoes, never combs her hair and wears the same outfit days on end...but I do make her brush her teeth every time she asks to go and play.

2010-09-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

Mother Natures gift to an Arizona summer:

Monsoon!

Back to School

2010-09-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

The end of Summer

2010-09-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

Summer in a Small Town

2010-09-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

Steve's secret camping spot

2010-07-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

Roughing it, getting some fresh air, a trip to the wild outdoors,

the promise of adventure and fresh brook trout!

As you can see, it doesn't take long to become uncivilized.

My kids weren't the only ones covered in dirt...

The first days of Summer

2010-05-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

Waahoooo!

She's Wonderful

2010-05-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday

Love you forever Miss Mini-Buns!

Meet Beans

2010-05-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

Beans showed up at our house a few weeks ago.

And I think he's decided to stay.

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do!

2010-05-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

Who's been taggin' my hood?

2010-04-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

Any idea who did this?

American Gothic

2010-04-26T00:12:00.000-07:00

After the Rain

2010-03-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

It poured! So we took the Subi and splashed through a few puddles on our way out to Peralta.
It was a beautiful hike down Peralta Trail. We got caught in a few sprinkles but it was worth it.

The desert is amazing and looks so green.

Where have I been??

2010-03-01T21:09:00.000-08:00

Busy Busy Busy

To see what we've been up to click here

I'll have to catch up with all the fun things that have been going on in Febuary but I especially can't wait to post about Anna and Isabelle's Friend-aversary!

Soon, I promise.

2010-01-26T19:01:00.000-08:00

Caught in a rare momemt of calm.

There are a million reasons why we love you...

but mostly because you are you.

xoxo

Bike-n-Breakfast

2010-01-20T18:23:00.000-08:00

Our recently formed bike posse celebrated MLK Day

with a little breakfast and a ride to the parade. We've been tossing around some

names for the gang but haven't come across anything that sticks.

Ghostriders

The Bloody Scabs

Sparkle and the Gang

Fraser St Flyers

2010-01-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

It's been a year since we've had no TV.

No basic channels, no antenna, no fuzzy CBS or NBC.

"No, we're not Amish," I laughed.

Rich couldn't understand that if we not

Amish why would we choose to be unplugged.

He'd ask, "So, what did you think of Dancing with the Stars last night?

"Oops, I forgot, you're Amish."

This year Mini-buns learned how to jump rope, roller-skate, climb trees,

play safari adventure, swim and dive,

build a clubhouse and defend it against the neighborhood boys,

grow corn, ride a scooter, use manners,

include the 'little sister', read chapter books, rescue cats,

kayak, hike, build mud pies,

write a play, sing opera, create her own funky fashions,

pick and sell lemons, pecans, pomegranates and oranges,

how to fight against strangers and trust good neighbors and friends,

she learned how to share and say sorry and save pigeons. She discovered her imagination, best friends, exhaustion, strange new bugs and vegetarianism.

2010-01-05T21:38:00.000-08:00

Have you heard?
Pantone just unveiled the 2010 color of the year.

Turquoise!

I love this color.

Photo credits Everything Turquoise

2010-01-03T21:59:00.000-08:00

Mini-buns and Zippy wrestling! I think Zippy's going pro.
It was 5 days of non-stop play.

Hurray for kick-butt cousins! Shawnea, Bryce, little Soles and Zippy, thanks for the visit.

(Little Bro took the photo, that's why he's not in it)

We ate good crepes, enjoyed great company, hiked, squeezed fresh oj, earned parent of the year awards, caught handfuls of kid puke, played a mad game of disc golf, didn't eat quite enough ham, celebrated the new year, shared the love for our Subarus, pulled cactus spikes out of the baby's hand, chowed on the most delicious green salsa, slept in and taught Zippy to ride a bike.

2010-01-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

I've had a secret feeling about 2010.

And now that it's here,

I have no doubt this year will be our best year ever!

Sledding in Strawberry

2009-12-26T20:22:00.000-08:00

2009-12-25T19:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning the fireplace was a mess and soot was tracked all around the tree and stockings. Anna says this in undeniable evidence that Santa exists!

Anna painted a picture of our family. It's my favorite gift.

The first chance he gets, Bro is running out the door.

Christmas Day

Rollerskating around the block.

Buns is ready for a game of wild game of Fraser Drive street hockey.

2009-12-25T17:02:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

I love the art on this vintage postcard of Mary

holding the darling little Baby Jesus.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

2009-12-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

All the baking is done.

All the stories have been told and songs sung.

And the Christmas Eve talent show was finished with a roaring applause...

And now Pa in his cap has just settled down

for a long winter's nap!

The Winter Sing

2009-12-17T23:42:00.000-08:00

Doesn't she look great?

Love my girl!

It's Christmas Time!

2009-12-02T22:47:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Tree

Ornaments, Santa and stockings

Grandma Gessel's Nativity

juicy bowls of fresh citrus

Great Grandma Jenny's heirloom sleigh bells

Tis the Season...

2009-11-28T22:27:00.000-08:00

Tyler (my brother) can do some mad tricks on the cruiser.

Tyler and Bro on Thanksgiving Day.

The day was lovely. Raffi's song describes it best.

All I really need is a song in my heart,

Food in my belly, and love in my family.

listen here

Amy's latest Jib-Jab

2009-11-21T21:18:00.001-08:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Girls Night

2009-11-21T18:46:00.000-08:00

We got tickets to an early, private theater showing for New Moon. Look at all the ladies giggling, it was great! There were only two dudes, a disgruntled husband and a 4 month old baby boy! Matt begged to go but this was a bonified girl's night only. Anyway, his outfit was horrible! He wanted to dress like Edward, but as you can see, he didn't quite pull it off. Kelly and I went all out and embraced our inner vampire...we bought Twilight t-shirts!!! Go ahead and laugh. We had a blast! Except for the spray glitter and security guard incident (just ask Kelly for the details on that one).

As for the movie and all the hype---it was great for any fan of the book but did drag a little...oh well.

The Swap was Fantastic!

2009-11-20T19:25:00.000-08:00

Pre-Swap set up

An unknown pirate bandit sporting a vintage sky-blue and gold iceskaters tunic---

Don't let him get our loot!

Swappers enjoying breakfast

Hot chocolate and Bella Be-Jeweled's rings...what could be better!

Thanks to all who joined in the fun.

Get ready for our next swap in February.

I forgot my pants!

2009-11-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had the dream where you're at work or the mall or speaking publicly and suddenly realize you aren't wearing pants? This happened to me today! I got to work and realized I didn't have any pants!!!!

How could this happen???

Most of you know I've been riding my bike to work lately (and I love it!), the night before I set out all the things I needed:

bike light...check
lip gloss...check
granola bar...check
towel, shower cap, shampoo...check
pants...check (or so I thought)

I was in the locker room about to jump in the steaming hot shower when I dug through my bag a little more frantically, pulling everything out, checking every pocket....AHHHH! I really forgot my pants!

There was a lot of laughter when I walked into my office wearing bright pink biking pants, a black t-shirt with a green sweater and leopard ballet flats. Ohh Yeaah....

"Jeni, only you can rock that outfit," my friend, Alissa' said.

And you know, I rocked it---doin' a double-snap with my fingers. Someone even asked me where I got my pants. They wanted a pair!!! Or maybe they were just being nice.

Invitation

2009-10-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of a swap.

An even exchange. A trade.

You're invited to our neighborhood swap.

Hope to see you there!

http://www.fraserfields.blogspot.com/

A Year in Pictures

2009-10-25T22:11:00.001-07:00

Lil' Bro turns ONE today! We love you Levi.

Roger : Not a Man of Chaos

2009-10-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

Roger is Matt's (Big man of chaos) dad.

He measures twice, thrice and cuts once.

He packs his lunch with precision each day, including a green Tupperware cup of milk to wash it down.
He obeys all traffic laws (except the time he went the wrong way on the freeway--but everyone else was too).
He builds a shed for each major household chore. A garden shed. A yard work shed. A jeep shed. A woodpile shed.
He would never drink Mountain Dew.
He ties his shoes, tucks in his clean shirt and wears a belt. Yes, he's a gentleman.
He uses his daily planner.
He has a toothpaste squeezer that makes sure very last bit is eked from the ~~Colgate~~ Crest.
He is practically perfect (except once I heard him 'kind of' swear).
He has an emergency kit with animal crackers in the car.
He has never had to use the emergency kit.
He knows the exact science to growing the world’s most delicious sweet corn.

He always has a pack of lifesavers in his pocket.

He's been reducing; reusing and recycling since before it was cool to be green...ask him how long he's had his Fuji water bottle.

He is a sweet, loving grandpa and we adore his non-chaotic happy way of life!

Big Man of Chaos

2009-10-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

He shot the neighborhood flock of pigeons with a potato gun.

He shot them again with a water rocket.

He jumped over the fence and climbed the mullberry tree to get in on my conversation with Kelly.

He ripped out his shorts and danced to Lady GaGa like a primative man.

He plays football with the neighor boys and doesn't let them win.

He got hit by an icecream truck.
He loves fire.
He spilled grape juice all over the kitchen floor, cabinets and walls.
He bought 35 boxes of Breyers icecream, 'cause it was on sale'.
He wears Axe, it's his, 'Baby we're going out" signature scent.
He never uses the diving board, he dive bombs from the roof.
He's cut his fingers, broken his toes and bonked his face more times than I can count...

and Dr Chiles looks at me and says, "I see were your son gets it."

Little Man of Chaos

2009-10-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

He scabbed the tip of his baby nose by falling and scrubbing the sidewalk.
He climbs in the fridge and scales up the shelves.
He helps me clean by standing on the vacuum and riding around the house.
He's fast.
He drags everything out of the dishwasher and climbs inside.
He has a long thin bruise on his cheek from tripping and smaking the edge of a wood chair.
He pulls out drawers in the kitchen so he can climb to the top.
He fell, hit his chin and his two top teeth bit into his tounge. That was bloody!
He opens the drawer and digs through the trash for something to eat.
He still eats dirt, rocks and sticks.
He opens the 'childproof' toilet lid to swish his hands in the water.
He has a collection of bruises and scabs on his chubby knees.
He's bonked his head so many times I'm worried about damage ... but Dr. Chiles says Levi's doing great.

Halloween --- Gessel Style !

2009-10-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Matt's sister created this spooky Jib Jab starring Holly, Roger, Matt, Wendy and Jesse. Thanks Amy!

This one's for you Cherie!

2009-10-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

Wednesday at the Rancho-coo-coo-munga Market bananas are on sale for a ridiclous price...15 cents a pound, or something crazy like that. Matt can't resist a sale and he came home with a mountain of bananas. By Saturday the mountain had turned from bright yellow and sunny to brown, spotted and smelling over ripe. It's Banana Bread time! I made 7 loaves and yes, Cherie...I'm trying to save one for you and your family.

The Banana Bread Recipe*

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease one loaf pan and set it aside.

Cream the following:

1/2 c softened butter

3/4 c brown sugar

2 eggs

3-4 ripe bananas

Then add:

2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

If you want add some walnuts or dark chocolate chips to your batter then pour it into your greased loaf pan. Dust the top with a little nutmeg and brown sugar, then bake for 60-65 minutes at 350. I love banana bread but I think it's always more delicious when it's sat in the fridge for a day or more.

*I'd like to give credit where credit is due but I have no idea where this banana bread recipe came from. A few winters ago I tried a dozen recipes in search of one that I thought was great. This is the winner.

What's a Leprechaun-Pirate?

2009-10-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

"Mom, I want to be a Leprechaun-Pirate for Halloween."
I love it!
So many questions. What does this hybrid creature look like? What does a Leprechaun-Pirate do? Is she a marauder of the sea or an enchanting elf?
The wheels are turning in my little girls head.
We took an inventory and found there's one shared characteristic; they hoard gold.
Their differences...One wears green, lives near rainbows and sings magical limericks. The other rarely showers, steals booty and carries a sword.
Mini-buns is making Halloween History!

2009-09-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

Kauai, December 2006

'I'm a vegetarian. I would rather die than eat meat!' She says with the animated drama and passion of a 7-year-old.

That's why I couldn't look her in the eye when I lied and told her the pasta sauce was meatless. Guilty. In my defense, this is a child who thinks a vegetarian diet consists of cheese/mustard sandwiches and brownies. She ate every bit of that pasta and it's meaty sauce. Mission accomplished. Tomorrow night...I won't tell a lie and I'll make a true vegetarian meal!

What I love about today

2009-09-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

I love that Anna announced that she is going to save electricity by not washing her clothes.

I love that Levi carried a plastic hammer everywhere he went.

I love that Matt joined me on the patio for a breakfast of Grapenuts.

I love that we spend an extra few minutes with the kids in our bed giggling and laughing when we thought Levi said his first word...'GODZILLA'.

I love their sleeping faces!

I love that Matt fixed the garage using wood he found in the trash.

I love that Anna is so excited about mastering the jump rope that she's constantly out of breath.

I love the look of adoration Levi gives when you play with him.

Good Morning!

2009-09-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite pictures of Buns and Mini-buns waking up in the morning. Febuary 2003
Every morning, I love when Buns tells me what kind of truck he was hit by (figurative, of course). This morning it was a mini mazda truck. Not too bad, it's gonna be a good day! Other times he's been hit by a dump truck, a school bus, a Mack truck, a pick-up truck, a greyhound bus, a garbage truck.

Labor Day BBQ '09

2009-09-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

Matt, Anna, Riley, Daphne, Stuart, Talmage, Ryan, Asher, Andy, Bentley, Cherie, Bridger, Jen, Bradley, Kaylyn, Kelsie, Charlie and Lindsay-Lou :)

Tonto Natural Bridge

2009-09-06T23:27:00.000-07:00

Bet you didn't know ... Tonto Natural Bridge is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world!

2009-09-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

The water was fresh and sweet--Until we got out and realized it was chilly and we had no towels. But a quick hike to the top and we were dry.

2009-09-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

On the way home we found a tarantula and a cloud that looks like Queen Nefertari.

Happy Birthday!

2009-09-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

My friend, Kelly, brought me a cute little box tied to helium balloons for my birthday. The idea was to have it float so when I opened the door it would bob mid-air and then she'd jump out of the bushes yelling 'SURPRISE' and we'd laugh and scream like little girls! But, it didn't turn out exactly like she wanted. Somehow the cute leopard print box caught a slight breeze and started sailing out of reach!!

Ahhh! We were freaking out! It was floating away, higher and higher!! All the neighborhood kids were jumping trying to get it, screaming, crying, throwing rocks at it. Kelly ran across the street and grabbed a rake ... but the box was already too high in the sky!

Helpless. We watched the wind take the birthday gift higher and higher.

Then, the gust of wind shifted and landed the box in our neighbors tree. 'Call the firemen!' My finger dialed 911 and just as I was about to press send ...
Who's in the tree? Matt, of course! He saved the day, climbed the 40 ft tall tree (he says it's 50 ft tall) to bring me my gift. Gotta love the crazy man! Thanks Kelly for the sweet, sweet necklace and great story.

Kayak Adventures!

2009-09-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

I love these pictures of Anna and her friends playing kayak adventures in the pool. Anna, Isabelle, Lola, Mack and Dale

Water Boy

2009-08-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

Bro can't resit the water on irrigation day.

Mystery of the stinky lunchbox : Solved

2009-08-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

At the end of the school year, Anna cleaned her lunchbox and put it away till now. School started Aug 12, so, I threw her lunchbox in the wash to make sure it was devoid of last years sticky sandwhich remains. On the first day of school, I packed her lunch with love, cheese sandwhich, an orange, cheese crackers, juice box and a piece of chocolate. And, each day she cleans her lunchbox before doing homework. School's been in session for almost two weeks and each day I notice a fowl, mysterious odor lurking around. The pungent, almost tangy aroma gets worse each morning. I take out the trash, clean the fridge, check the cupboard for a lost and rotting potato or onion...nothing helps! Uggg! But one morning my mystery is solved, when I open the decorative front pocket of the lunchbox I discovered the source of the nidorous stench; A long forgotten, half-eaten, covered with fuzz PB&Honey sandwich wrapped around a syrupy G0-gurt package. Anna admitted that she knew the mess was stewing but didn't want to get her hands dirty and clean it out. Nice.

Bison Ranch

2009-08-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

Chilling with the Well's Family on our last summer get away. Swimming, a little bit of hiking around, fishing, sleeping in, cooking good food and one intense teather ball game! Good times.

Bro found the blackberries

2009-08-16T22:06:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon Bliss

2009-08-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

Little Surfer Girl

2009-07-25T21:10:00.001-07:00

the Danger Boy

2009-07-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

Buns & Bro on the Danger Boy motorized bike. It's the scariest thing I've driven! When your on the Danger Boy seat you fear for your life.

White Water

2009-07-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

Anna's first rafting trip. She was thrilled until we got dumped off a big rapid on our second run.

More Camping Adventures

2009-07-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

Soda Springs, Kelly Park

2009-07-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

I caught this video of Anna and her cousins singing and swinging.

2009-07-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

We kayaked Two Ocean Lake in Grand Teton and then Hebgeb Lake outside West Yellowstone, both were breath-taking. The lakes were pretty secluded so we hoped to see some wildlife. We saw a few things but Levi was so loud he scared everything away! Then suddenly he fell asleep ... must have been Matt's steady rowing? In case you were wondering, Matt rows like he drives his jeep...hard and fast. In a lake kayak you don't usually feel spray but with Matt paddling, we all got soaked and loved it!

The Men and their Kids

2009-07-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

Everyone tried to get a taste of Anna's icecream. First Ava got a fistfull.

Then Brian couldn't resit a finger-lick.

And Matt took a big bite!

Anna learned to protect her icecream and after that poor Jesse and Zoe didn't stand a chance at getting a lick.

Old Faithful & my childhood vacations

2009-07-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

Remember Old Faithful?! Seeing the ole' gyser brought back lots of summer vacation memories from when I was a kid. My parents would cram the little 2-door red Ford Escort hatchback so full of camping gear there was barely room for us 3 kids. Only 2 seatbelts in the back so I shared one with my youngest brother. That car had no air conditioning. We hung our heads out the window like little pups, with our hair wind blown and the occational bug in our mouths. The drive from Brookings SD across Wyoming lasted forever but Yellowstone was the prize!

This time around it wasn't quite so cramped. We flew into Salt Lake City and road-triped with Matt's family. We stayed for a few days camping, hiking, swiming, kayaking and staying up way too late around the fire! I love this picture of Holly, Roger and Wendy---someone must have been making them laugh.

More Camping Adventrures...

2009-07-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Parks: Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Targee & Caribou

Can you find the two kids burried in this pile of sleeping bags?

2009-07-07T00:05:00.000-07:00

Who's this homeless gal with all the crystal clear cutlery?

Matt cheesin' at the beach

Dawson, Rich and Elijah crusing on the bike

3 Amigo's??? Naw... we're missing Andy!

4th of July at Huntington Beach

2009-07-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

These girls were instant friends. The 3 Amigo's...Presley, Isabelle and Anna.

2009-07-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

Our boy eats dirt and sand...what can I say? Yum Yum Yum. His first tooth poked through this weekend.