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Random Pictures of the Girls
We have a tradition to go to the movies on Thanksgiving day. This time, because we had to be split up for Thanksgiving, we did it the next day, with the Wieder's. We saw Bolt. It was awesome! Unfortunately, Stew stayed home with Liam, so he could nap. What a good Daddy. Especially, since this was a movie he DID want to see. Also, here are some random pictures of the girls being silly. The picture of Kirra, is a face we get to see pretty often lately. It was fun to capture it. I can't tell if she's being "fancy," sassy, or what. Usually she's throwing attitude with it. But this time, she was just posing. Malia always looks beautiful. She's our glamour girl. And then there's Julia! I wonder if she was KISS fan in a former life. ha ha ha It's hard to get a normal picture of her, without her hands up and her tongue hanging out. She's very funny! The last 3 pictures, she's just being herself!
Just Fixin' Stuff
Liam has discovered that his Daddy has all the cool stuff. He follows him like a shadow. He even has some kind of radar to know when he's going surfing. Here are some pictures of him playing with Stew's tools. Also, Kirra is such the best big sister. Here she is riding her bike around the garage, with Liam. Now, he is ALWAYS smiling for the camera, but this time, you could tell, this was some serious business! Wait until he's got his own bike. Look out world!
Is that makeup?
Liam is a normal messy eater. This particular time, he was eating peanut butter and jelly, and the girls and I could not stop laughing at the way the jelly curved around his lips. It looks like lipstick. Here are some other pictures of him. I love the way Liam sits on his feet. I love his feet! Also, Liam loves his Daddy's shoes. He's always bringing them to him, whenever he sees them. He got this horse from my parents for his birthday. He loves it. It's his new friend. He will pet it and love it. I actually caught him giving it a kiss. I call him my "love bug." I know, that's so not MANLY. ha ha ha I need to post a video of him riding the horse. He really loves it. And to think it said ages 3 and up. :)
T for Teeth
I couldn't help but blog this group of cuties! We learned T this particular week, and I found some rubber teeth. They were awesome and a BIG hit! They also made turkey hats. Here are some very cute and funny pictures of them wearing their turkey hats and teeth. I love my preschoolers!
Little Boy turns ONE!
Well, this has been the fastest year I've ever known. Liam turned 1 on November 18. The Sunday, before his birthday, my parents and Stew's parents were coming to our Primary program, at church. So, why not have the party then. Ha ha ha. I am a counselor in Primary, so it was much more chaotic than I thought. But, once we got home, and everyone was eating and settled, we just enjoyed our little boy! He did not dig into the cake as I thought he would have. He politely poked at it, with a digging motion, and ate it one finger at a time. When he was done, he pushed it onto the floor. That's his game. (Not my favorite. ha ha) He's changed so much. He looks more and more like Kirra and Julia. He's got the "cookie cutter" look as the Van Buskirk's go. He used to be so chunky with short stubby legs, but not anymore. He's got the long skinny body, blue eyes, and the lightest hair of the bunch. It's almost red in the sunlight. He might be skinny, but he has the best mushy cheekies! We love our little boy, and are enjoying EVERY minute with him. He's just as loud as his sisters, he's got to keep up with them. He's walking every where. He HATES shoes, just like his Daddy. He's such a doll! I don't think he could get anymore love, than he gets around here. His sisters won't leave him alone! He loves animals, especially dogs, and always has a car in his hand. Now, we've just got to get him to be a little more flexible. :)
Updating
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
I've come to realize, with my busy schedule, between preschool and the 29 piano students, I'll only get to blog once a month. But it's my scrapbook/journal, so this works, right? Sorry for the blasts of pictures. We've had a fun month. Don't forget to click on the pictures to get to the sets of them. Next month, Liam's first birthday!
Halloween!
I couldn't resist, but to blog this as my opening picture! He wears this almost every year. His students don't quite get it, which he loves even more. The best was one student asking, "are you Hannah Montana's dad?" Not, Billy Ray Cyrus. Very funny! The girls had the day off from school, so instead of carving pumpkins this year, we made a mess making cookies. The girls loved it! I took the girls around the neighborhood, while Stew passed out candy. The best was, he brought home a projector and we projected the movie Nightmare Before Christmas, on our curtains inside. Our curtains are sheer, so it showed up outside. It was a big hit! People stopped to watch all night. After I went one side of the block, then it was Stew's turn. Kirra and Julia chose the same costumes, but this time Malia decided to be Dorothy. An old costume I made for Kirra, in first grade. She was beautiful. Liam went as a dirty boy. But, then again, that wasn't a costume. :) It was a quiet Halloween and that was very nice!
Preschool Halloween Party
We were learning the letter P, and couldn't help but have a "Party." It was the day before Halloween, too. The kids dressed up, even Collin, who chose to take it off just before we took a picture. :) We had some fun activities, but the best were the pumpkins we made out of water bottles. Thanks, Kim, for the idea! I really love teaching these kids! We are having a blast! Aren't they cute! Julia decided, this time, to be just plain Minnie Mouse. Thank goodness for a good dress up box! This costume was actually, my sister Lisa's when she was about the same age. Cutie! The end pictures were on the same day, waiting to pick the other kids up from school. Liam thinks he's so big, when I put him in the front seat. His favorite part is the steering wheel! :) I just love having a boy!
Go, Bulldogs!
We went to Stew's homecoming game. Not his alma mater, but the school he teaches at. It's always fun to see the cheerleaders, floats and the new queen. That's why I go. The best was to see the difference with a son. Liam could care less during half time, but as soon as the football players came running back out, he was glued to the field, pointing. We also went back to Stew's class room to see the new art work up from his students. He's a great teacher! We didn't have any colors to match the school, maroon and gold, but Trisha let Liam borrow an old jersey of Greyson's. Liam and Greyson are best buds. I think they try to stick together, with all the female energy around. :)
School Harvest Festival
We went to the school harvest festival. Not so hot this year. It was fun to have the kids dress up again. We even got Liam dressed up for it. Our friends let us borrow this jersey. See, we can put something together. :) Kirra and Malia were the same, but Julia changed her mind, and wanted to be just a princess. Her haku-lei was from Michelle's wedding. She felt very fancy. The reason we go every year, is for our favorite part, Roary, the school's mascot. "He's" the BEST! We love you Roary!! Go Tigers! Rarrrrrrrr!
After the Picking
After we picked apples, we went to the nearby village and sat in a big grass area. The kids had so much fun running around and being "free." We ate caramel apples, apple crisp, and drank apple cider. The cider was good, but the bottle was the best part. Big lushes! Liam could not get enough. Some of these pictures, are of Stew getting silly and playing "engagement photo shoot." He always makes me laugh! We were sad to go home. It was a perfect day!
Apple Picking
We took the kids to go apple picking. It was so much fun. We're going to make it a tradition. They were the BEST apples! The girls had so much fun. Liam loves apples, skin and all, so he was in heaven. We brought the stroller, and he just cruised around chomping on his apple. Needless to say, our stroller was not meant for the rough terrain. :) We had gone with the Rodriguez family and the Wieder family. We got separated from each other, but it was still a great family day. Very relaxing and festive. You had your choice of 4 different fields and you picked until your bag was full. We even ate apples while we picked. It's the kids favorite fruit, so there was a LOT of eating! The weather was a bit warm for October, even for CA. But there was a nice breeze that kept us cool. I suggest this to everyone who comes to CA in the fall. Great time!
Preschool Pumpkin Patch
I took the preschoolers to a pumpkin patch. I was nervous, having such a large group, but thankful for the parent helpers. It was a great day. The kids were wonderful. They held hands every where and never left my sight. We had so much fun. My only regret, is I never took a picture with them. Darn. :)
Ward Halloween Party
Here are the pictures from our ward Halloween party. Kirra was an 80's gypsy. More like a mix of things we had in the dress up box, including some great jewelry from my high school days. She shook her hips as she walked. Malia, also sporting my high school days, was wearing my old cheer uniform. She used Kirra's pom-poms from her cheer class, but my skirt and shirt. Glad I saved that for years. :) Julia couldn't decide, so she went as princess Minnie. This was a great year of being creative, instead of selling out to the stores and paying too much. The girls had fun being creative! Stew was still working on his 'stache, more pictures to follow of that. :) I grabbed a wig and wrapped a ribbon in it, to keep it on, and jazzed it up with some more high school earrings. Liam, unfortunately, couldn't grab things from the dress up box. We're still working on the boy things around here. He will get dressed up soon. Great party!
My 2 cents is worth a lot, apparently.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
OK, the other night I went to get some beverages (non-alcoholic but caffeinated, of course) for me and Kristine. I am a regular at our local 7-Eleven. Well not that regular, but let's just say that I recognized both of the cashier's working. Anyway, I get the drinks and go to check out and the total is $2.48. Ok, so I hand the cashier $2.50, he takes the money, puts it in the draw and just stands there. I wait a second thinking maybe he didn't realize that I had 2¢ coming back to me in change. I keep waiting and the guy doesn't want to make eye contact with me. He's messing around with some bag, and some other stuff on the counter. Finally I say, "are you going to give me my change?". He reacts with disdain and even a little bit of horror that I was actually asking for such a small amount of change to be returned. He says, "it's only two cents". Are you kidding me? Only two cents? at what point does he get to decide if I can get my change? Two cents, 10 cents, or 10 dollars, I don't care how much it is, it is my change. I mean it is only 2 cents and I was already planning on putting it in the tray for the next guy or gal that might find themselves a penny or two short. But that is for my fellow customer, not for the store owner who is already getting the better end of any transaction. It was for my fellow consumer who might come in, late at night, needing a caffeine fix or an Abba-Zabba, or some pork skins (which I would suggest against). It was for the common man, the everyday person needing a little boost. Not for some corporation like 7-Eleven that has already taken plenty of my money, and will probably get plenty more. I guess times are so hard that even Carl at 7-Eleven, needs to try and steal a few cents from anywhere he can. Who knew?
Anjelah Johnson
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
I came across this again today. I'm sorry but she's dang funny! If you've ever had your nails done, you'll appreciate this!
Happy Birthday, Stew!
Since I was so late on our Anniversary, I figured I'd post a Happy Birthday to Stew! He doesn't feel like it's a big deal, but in my family growing up, it's the only day dedicated to YOU! So enjoy it! Now, it was 2 days ago, so I am a little late, but I couldn't resist posting this picture. It's my favorite of him! I love you Stew! I hope you had a great birthday. You even got what you wished for! (And that doesn't always happen!)
Kirra's Haircut and all caught up!
Every year, about this time, I cut Kirra's hair. It's SO thick and the longer it gets, the frizzier her hair gets. So, for a fresh beginning of the school year thing, we cut her hair. She's wanting me to post this. She's become very aware of "blogging" and asks what I've posted about her. The other day, she made me breakfast in bed. And asked if I had posted about it. I've told her of other blogs I've read who's children have done the same thing. Apparently, she wanted me to "brag" about her the same way. I am proud of her and she does a great job being my helper. I just wish I didn't have to ask so much. The breakfast in bed, was a wonderful gesture and she's been trying ever since to be helpful without an attitude. ha ha Also, here a few other random pictures I wanted to post. I think I've finally got caught up. I had better make sure I make this blog into a book, so I can feel like this has all been worth it. :) (besides our non-CA family and friends being able to see our beautiful family)
Liam is 10 mo. old
I realized I haven't posted many pictures of Liam lately. (I guess I haven't kept up much blogging at all. ha ha) Liam is now 10 mo. Where does the time go? He, of course, is crawling everywhere! He LOVES food and has pretty much weaned himself from nursing. I guess it wasn't enough for him. :) Here is a picture of his little smirk he gives. It is Stew's twin smirk. Liam does this when he's trying to ignore me. When I'm tickling him, or trying to get a kiss from him, or just plain being a stinker! He loves to play with (or pull!) the girls hair. In one of the pictures, you can see him with his arms straight and tight. He does this caveman grunt, almost as if he has to prove he's tough. It's very funny. He is such a happy boy! (All my kids are. Thank goodness. How did we luck out on that?) Here are some pictures of him being 10 mo. old. There are over 30, (I know that's a lot) so pull up a chair and just enjoy his chubber little face! (I can't get enough pictures of him.)
First Day of School 2008
Here are the girls on their first day of school. Kirra is now in 4th grade, Malia is in 1st grade, and I started teaching preschool to Julia. (I have 8 other kids as well) They were so excited to go back to school. Now that September is almost over, I think the excitement has worn off a little, via homework, but we have some really good students. While I'm teaching piano lessons, they are pretty much on their own to do their homework, and they do a really good job. They love their new classes and teachers, and have already made some new "best friends." After school, and piano lessons, we let them play outside. Here are some pictures of that day.
Boys are from Mars
With a house full of Venuses, Stew has found his heir. Liam loves to skateboard with him. You can see how fast they are going with the wind in his hair. The things Liam finds around the house, it's nothing I've ever worried about. Now, I know, you Mothers of boys, are probably laughing and knowing exactly what I'm talking about. I know I grew up in a house with all girls, and I knew Liam would be different than our girls, but it's fun to experience it. He really is a joy! He loves when Stew busts out a new gadget. The air compressor, drills, he even found the spring to his crib. I recently got rid of all our outlit plugs, because we never used them in 9 years. Why were we saving those? Well, I should have waited 2 more months, when Liam became mobile. I never knew I had so much dust behind our VCR. We never use it, it's not even plugged in. But we keep it there for the 5 videos we have. (dumb I know) Now that Liam loves to be under there and "fix" things, I'm keeping it much cleaner. :) I guess he wasn't into the Barbie movie the girls were watching. HA We call him our "swiffer" boy, because he crawls around and cleans up the floors for us. Please know, that his onesies are dirty because of the oils in the floors. But, the last pictures, he was having a blast being outside. That is no oil. Just pure DIRT! How could I say NO to such a happy boy. I guess the days of clean hands is over. Julia helped prepare us for Liam. He loves to be dirty! They will be two peas in a pod, and probably spend most of their time in the bath. I had better stock up on the soap. (Tracey, I owe you ALL new onesies!:} )
Cookie Cutters?
I have come to realize that we have a "cookie cutter" look in our family. As you can see in this picture, they ALL inherited my BROWN eyes! Each child I'm hopeful, they can be passed on, but NO. Brown hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and skinny legs. When you click on this picture, you will see the next "cookie cutter" thing passed on. Stew's legs! Here's a post I've been dying to do. Recently, I was teaching piano in the AM and I asked the girls to go get dressed. Later I was looking at them and thought, "I don't remember them having capris like that." HA HA Kirra had "borrowed" Juila's jeans, which meant Julia needed some. Julia had "borrowed" LIAM'S jeans! It was so funny! AND they fit them perfectly! So, looking at the pictures, remember Kirra who is 9, is wearing size 4T, and Julia who is 4, is wearing 3-6 mo. jeans. I have skinny kids with incredible BLUE eyes, and I couldn't be more proud!
Kirra turns 9!
Kirra turned 9 in August. Wow, time flies! We have a tradition to have a bonfire at the beach. This year she brought 2 friends. It's a lot of fun! There are pictures of the shovel digging expedition, the bonfire, and the friends. This year Tara brought her bike. Lynn and I couldn't resist taking it for a ride. I had to capture a picture of Lynn. She looked like she had stepped back in time, soaring like a kid.
Kirra is very helpful, when it comes to her brother! She does the typical 9 year old things, but we are very blessed with a sweet and kind child! She always has been! She is filled with so many talents and gifts. She is very smart and loves school. She excels in math and reads about a chapter book a day. She's currently readying the Series of Unfortunate Events and can't put them down. She LOVES art the most! She must get that from her Daddy. She loves to go to art museums with him and just draw together. She's really excelling in piano, and I'm not even teaching her. She practices EVERY minute possible, when she can't read, and I yell from another room, "fix that mistake," and on her own, she does. She's really loving it. She's such a happy and positive child. She is my right arm! She will be the best prepared babysitter by the time she turns 12. We are so blessed to have her in our family too! She is really turning into a beautiful young lady and her beauty shines from within. We love you Kirra! Thank you for being our first born! You wear your title well!
Julia turns 4!
Julia turned 4 in July. (I know I'm behind) She is such a fun child! She is always making us laugh. She is very helpful, more than her sisters. But she's very stubborn and it usually needs to be her idea. So, we work it to seem like her idea. We dread the day when this won't work. :) To get a beautiful picture, like this one, is hard, because she's usually making a funny face. She's ALWAYS messy and dirty! And she loves it that way. She loves wearing dresses, being barefoot, having a square-top with a bow, and having dirty feet! If you look back at the post of Michelle's wedding pictures, there is a good picture of her dirty feet! We love her so much! I can't believe she's already 4! She's in my preschool class and she's learning so fast. She loves school, especially her teacher. :) She calls me "Ms. Kristine" like the other kids, because "you're my teacher too." She's very fun to teach and she's such a joy to our family! We love you Julita! Thank you for being a part of our family!
p.s. the last picture of the little girl, is my friends daughter. It was at Julia's party, and I couldn't resist taking her picture. She's so cute!
Beach Trip with the Z Family
We took a trip with Tara and Scott and the boys to the beach. We had fun doing the normal beach things....waves, sand castles, shells. We always bring a large shovel, because digging a huge hole is way more fun than using a small plastic hand shovel. :) We even got to see Noah and Caleb catch their first waves. They were awesome. Stew can't wait for one of our kids to pick it up! We had a bonfire and stayed until they closed us down. Thanks to their neighbor who put on a new roof, we had plenty of firewood! Stew got creative and made a "sculpture" out of the wood, and the kids soon followed and built their own things. They even made a cool bench to sit on while we ate our dinner. I love living in CA! Nothing compares to the beach with waves and a bonfire! It even makes hot dogs taste better! Yum!
Annual Palm Desert Trip
Every year we take the kids to Palm Desert. Stew's family has a time share there, and they are very generous to share with us. We go through withdrawls until we can get there in the summer! Kirra has swam by herself for a few summers, and I realize now, that I didn't take too many pictures of her. She made friends with a boy, who only spoke french. They had fun playing catch and torpedoes together. Malia swam all by herself this year. She did it last year, but since we don't have a pool to continue swimming in, by summer time, she's forgotten a lot. I think this year, was the turning point. She'll remember for next year. (We hope) Julia mainly stuck to the steps. But we did get her to swim to us from the steps everyday. She would say, "only one time, and then I'm playing on the steps." Well, at least she would do it and she never caught on, that her "once" turned out to be 5x every time! Liam LOVED the water! He never complained once, even when he was tidal-waved. It was such a wonderful and RELAXING trip! Thank you Lynn and Terry for letting us have this tradition! Now if we can just get a pool for the rest of the year. Anyone?
Happy Anniversary!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Well, it's been 10 years for us, and we PARTIED! We went to Rome, with a stop over in France, and caught a boat to Iceland. It was the most amazing trip ever! Well worth the 10 year wait! Actually, being school days and kids, my parents babysat, and we went to dinner and a movie. It's hard to do the adventurous things anymore, since kids. But, that's actually our favorite thing to do. We have the chance to be kid free and visit without any children interruptions. Very relaxing! But the last 10 years have been wonderful! I'm going to do the "blog" thing and make it look like we've had a piece of cake 10 years without ANY problems! Perfect Perfect! I have the best husband in the world, unlike the other blogs I read, and he has been more to this family than his time allowed. When most were working, Stew was working AND going to school full time! At our 10 years of marriage, we have been blessed with 4 beautiful kids, a wonderful home, and Stew being a teacher, which means him being home WAY more than ever before! The kids have withdrawls when school gets back in, with "where's daddy?" In all cheese and sappiness, I truly have a wonderful husband who I could not ask for more. He wears many hats around here and I am very blessed that he wears them very happily. (Thank goodness, because my "honey do" list can get pretty long.) Thank you Stew for the beautiful children, especially since they all take after your side of the family, and for keeping me more happy than I ever thought I could be! I love you, BABE!
Sorry it took me 11 days to post this. :) It's been a busy school beginnings.
10 Years Coming Right Up!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
I tell my students that a little bit of cheese is good. A lot, not so good. Well it's time for a little bit of cheese. I'm trying to beat her to this.
Kristine and I will celebrate our 10 year anniversary coming up this Friday, September 5th. Throughout it all, she has been patient with me, and supportive of me. She let me grow as a man and has helped me develop as a person and father. She was supportive when I decided to ditch my career plans as graphic designer. I was already working in the field and this required me to go back to school and finish my degree in Fine Art and get a teaching credential, and student teach for 1 year. She has been accepting of my vices, namely surfing and snowboarding. I have enjoyed seeing her grow as a woman, wife and mother. It is evident that I married up, and I know that I got lucky.
One quote sums up our journey together so far.
"Life is just what happens to you, while your busy making other plans."
- John Lennon
This is one of my favorite pictures of her. It is literally 2 hours before Liam was born. Every picture I have of her is amazing, but in this one she looks incredible. Happy anniversary Kristine. I love you. Thanks for being my squaw.
It's Magic
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Seaworthy: Official Trailer from Nathan Oldfield on Vimeo.
Today was the day that officially ended my summer. I had to go back to work today and spent most of the day in boring, waste of time teacher's meetings. This is where we look at the previous year's state test scores and all kinds of other incredibly in depth data. That does not make me happy. This is the kind of stuff that makes me happy. The ocean is a magical place. I miss it already. I can't wait for saturday. The good news is that I already have a day off coming up in a week- Labor Day!
–Stew
Scandia with Van Buskirk Family
Sunday, August 17, 2008
When we got home from our trip to WA, we joined Stew's family (in Chino, CA) for some more family fun. We haven't seen Tim's family (Stew's brother) for almost 2 years. The cousins were excited to be together again. We had family pictures taken (which is a BIG job!), hung out to let the cousins play, and even went to Scandia! That was fun. I love this picture, because it is 3 generations, AND they are all Caine Van Buskirk. Terry, my father-in-law, his mom's maiden name is Caine, and so he carries the middle name, and passed it on to Stew. Now Liam carries it. Liam is the first Van Buskirk boy of his generation. He even looks like Terry's side of the family. Must be in the name. :) The cousins had fun riding the rides. We went home for lunch, (it's very close by) and then left Liam with Aunt Tara and Uncle Scott, while Stew and I went back with their boys and our girls. Tim's family had to leave back to AZ to visit more family. The boys were fun to hang out with. We got soaked on the bumper boats and road the race cars I don't know how many times! The "toaster" was the winner of the day. Caleb called it the toaster, because it was white like the bread, yellow like the butter, and I'm not sure where the toasting part comes in. Ask Kirra and she'll be happy to explain. ha ha It was a fun day! Thank you to Lynn and Terry who scheduled this all out. It was a fun week. Let's do this again, but sooner than 2 years. :)
Our Last Destination, San Francisco
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Our last stop on our trip, was through San Francisco. I grew up visiting here, because my Grand Dad lived here. A LOT of memories! He has since passed, and it was a touching trip remembering the times we had with him. We arrived in SF at noon and left at 6pm. Had dinner just outside of the city, and then slept in our own beds at home. It was quite the drive home. The kids were AWESOME! So worth the detour home. We saw Pier 39, the Golden Gate Bridge, and of course drove down the crookedest street in the world, Lombard St. The white SUV you see, is the Wieder's car coming down the street. She had her family plus Tracey's family in her car. We could have stayed hours more, but we were trying to get home for the next set of family coming in town. We had such a great trip. We accomplished all this within 7 days! I hope the kids can remember these fun and crazy memories!
Biplane Ride
Tracey took some pictures of us going up. It was awesome! I just got these from her, that's why they weren't included in the last set. My parents flew up with Tracey, Shailey and Greyson in the back seat, and we flew with Lisa and Brent. ALL our girls were so bummed they couldn't go up. It was kind of pricey, so we told them maybe next year. They are all dare devils!
Arriving in WA
We made it to our destination, Vancouver, WA. We had a family reunion there, with almost all my dad's family. (Michelle and Dallin were just married, and an Aunt couldn't make it.) It was quite the crew! My dad has 6 kids in his family, and that makes for 12 grandkids and 16 great grandkids (I think. It's hard to count them all). Needless to say, it was a very large group. Just the way my Grandma Oopeedoop loves it! It was a party! We started the Independence Day celebration on July 3rd, blowing up about $400 in fireworks. Then we blew some more up on the 4th, totally over $1000! I never realized my dad's family was so crazy! They were having so much fun blowing things up. At one point we all duck and covered as a "lady bug" came flying into the garage, causing only minor fire damage to a blanket. It was so much fun. Everyone got into the action with the fireworks. Also, on the 4th, Stew and I took a ride on a biplane. That was awesome. No cover or helmets. Just you, a lap belt, and the sky! My only problem was there wasn't enough dips and flips. (Lisa and my dad did it last year, and they said it was a lot more "roller coaster" then. Dang it!) But, a memory none the less. It was such a fun family reunion.
I'm the King of the Forest
I have to post some pictures of Mr. Liam. I realize I can't get enough pictures of him. He just makes me laugh. He was 7 mo. on this trip and he was quite the traveler. He was amazing. Here are pictures of his first ice cream, eating an apple and playing raspberries with Aunt Lisa. We can't get enough of our little "king." He didn't care at all that he had this hat on. Recently we put some shorts on his head and he never pulled them off. I don't think he has a very "sensitive" noggin. :)
Next Stop, Train Museum in Sacramento
Our next stop was a train museum that held real trains that you can tour through. There was a sleeping car and dining car that you could walk through to see how they lived on trains. Crazy. So small and squished. The movies always make it look so much larger and cozier. Stew came here with his grandparents when he was younger, and I think I had been here when I was younger too (can't remember). The last time we came I was pregnant with Julia. The kids had a great time. They each got a train charm that we put as a necklace (Liam's not included. He just holds it :) ). There are some pictures of the girls with their fans they bought at Sutter's Fort too. After the museum we walked to an ice cream parlor. Liam was in heaven! They had my ultimate favorite....BUBBLE GUM! No one carries that anymore. I wonder if i'll ever be too "old" for bubble gum ice cream! YUM!
First Stop for the Summer, Sutter's Fort
Monday, August 11, 2008
We took a trip to Vancouver, WA for a family reunion at my Grandma Oopeedoop and Papa Speed's house for 4th of July. We took our time getting there and made our first stop in Sacramento. That's where we met up with my family and toured with them. Stew's grandparents lived there for years, so we made some stops at Stew's memories. We got to see the house of his grandparents. They have passed on, and it was special to be there. It was fun to share that memory with our kids. Kirra will be studying California history in school next year, so we made sure we stopped at some good CA tour spots. The girls enjoyed Sutter's Fort, and even bought their own chinese fans at the gift shop. Liam loved the canon that shot off at noon, and was unaffected by the boom!
The Thomases
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Michelle, the last and final Louis to be married, tied the knot on June 24, to Dallin Thomas. We could not have been more proud! We love Dallin. They are living in GA, so we won't get to see them too often. But we had a blast while they were here! Lots of partying and playing! Their wedding day was beautiful. Even in June, and it wasn't too hot! They were the most beautiful couple. Being on a Tuesday, no one else was being married that day, so they let all of us (sisters and our mom) go into the bridal room to help her get ready. (Usually it's too crowded) It was fun to share that moment with her and to be with all my sisters and mom in that beautiful room. Thank you to Brent (Lisa's husband) who kept the kids entertained, to Lynn and Terry (my in-laws) for helping keep my kids happy, and Katie (my cousin) for babysitting while we were in the temple. Party, Party!! It was a wonderful day!
Kindergarten Graduation
Here are some cute pictures of Malia at her "graduation." This word always cracks me up. And I hear Mr. Incredible in my head every time. "He's moving from one grade to another." But, regardless, she looks adorable. Malia is my "fashion" girl. It was a luau, so we created a luau "look" that was still modest. Notice the accessories. She could have worn a sun-dress, instead she put this together. She usually dresses herself, but I have to approve sometimes or make some alterations. She cracks me up with the things she chooses, not because it doesn't match, but because she comes up with the most creative outfits,/layers, and looks great. She's beyond her years. Boy, are we in trouble when she hits high school! Yikes!
Liam Dance?
Saturday, July 26, 2008
We can't leave out Liam for the recital. He was such a trooper! Since the recitals were combined, it was a little longer than my piano recitals usually last. Liam was a PERFECT baby, if I may brag! Luckily he had some great family members there to hold him and keep him entertained. There were 35 dancers and 15 piano students performing. The dancers performed about 3 dances each and each piano student performed 2 songs. It seems like a lot, but it was the BEST recital to date. Here are some pictures of my Dad performing, my nephew Greyson, and my cousin Katie, just to name a few of my students. (We missed a pic of Kirra. Oops. We have it on video though. ha ha) My favorite thing with Trisha's performances, is the music is GREAT music and clean, the costumes are one of a kind and modest, and the dance moves are clean and AGE appropriate. I get tired of seeing recitals with little girls dressing like they are ready to hit the streets. (to put it delicately) This is Kirra's 4th studio, and I couldn't be happier! It's even better that it's their Aunt. I couldn't have been any prouder as a teacher and especially as a MOM!
Julia Dance
Here are Julia's pics. Stew took the pictures for all the dancers, hence some of the "behind the scenes" shots. He took the pictures from our garage and he does an AMAZING job! Julia was such a doll in the show. My favorite dance was the Bassanova, because they shook their hips while they spun in a circle. I just loved watching her shake her hips. DARLING! This class was the "aaahhhh" of the crowd. This was Julia's first recital, and she did great! She danced to Bassanova, Animal Crackers, and Christmas TIme. Another performer for the Van Buskirk family!
Malia Dance
Here are the pictures of Malia's dances. She was only supposed to be in 3 dances (Lollipop, Teddy Bear- by Elvis, and Andrews Sisters' Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree), but the other class that was her age, was small for the show. Trisha taught Malia the dances 3 days before the show, and she ROCKED! We were so proud. She loves to perform! Just ask her, and she'll dance for you. The other dances she did, were Papa Loves Mambo and Mr. Sandman.
Kirra Dance
Friday, July 25, 2008
The girls were in a dance recital at the end of May (yes, I know, I'm a little behind.) We have been very busy since, and I am finally catching up. Kirra performed in 2 dances, and performed with the cheer squad. She also performed 2 piano solos. My sister, Trisha, is their dance teacher and since so many of her students are my piano students, we combined recitals. It was really fun. It had a good flow from dancers to piano players. The piano students performed while the dancers were changing. Kirra's 2 dances were "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" and "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics. She performed 2 songs with cheer and 4 cheers. (She even got to lead one) I'm so proud of her. She really loves this!
A Day at the Zoo
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Every year we take the kids to San Diego Wild Animal park, on founder's day. It's free! Great tradition. The kids love it! This year my dad got to come. It was a very fun day! And it's never crowded! We even got to feed the birds. I was okay with one, then two, then three birds on my arm, but when the fourth landed, that was pushing the limits. Other kids were asking for me to share. YES! Take them! That's Malia's least favorite spot. The girls got to see their favorite animals. Kirra loves the giraffe, Malia loves the zebra, but Julia needs to go to China for the panda or Australia to see the kangaroo. Next trip?
a Brother with only Sisters
Poor boy! Here he is with his sisters sunglasses. He loved wearing them. He even pushed them (to get them off I'm sure) and they went to the top of his head and he left them there. I don't know if you can tell, but they are pink and Hello Kitty. He's cool! The next picture I need to blog is him playing with a Cinderella Barbie in the bath. His favorite toy in the tub. He's rolling everywhere and sits all by himself. He's getting so big. This week he even broke in 4 new teeth within 3 days. Ouch! He's 6 1/2 mo. Big boy!
Dallin's Graduation
Here are some pictures of Dallin's graduation. He graduated with his Masters from Emory College, Rollins School of Public Health. He's going to be a Dr.. Mr. Smarty! I was glad I got to be there. We love Dallin and are excited to have him be a part of our CRAZY family. He fits right in!
Trip to Georgia
I took a trip to Georgia to see Michelle and go to her bridal shower! It was such a fun trip. It was just me and Liam. He was perfect. People couldn't believe how good he was on the plane. Even the 2 mid-20's guys I was pinned in between on the way home. Even when I had to nurse Liam. (That was fun. ha ha) We did a lot of fun site seeing, like seeing Margaret Mitchell's home and the CNN building. We met a lot of wonderful people. They really are very friendly in the South. I even got to see Dallin (Michelle's Fiance') graduate with his Masters. Go Dallin! It was a GREAT trip. Only problem, it was not long enough. Another bummer was it was on Mother's day weekend, so I missed seeing the girls sing at church. But it was the most relaxing mother's day I could ask for. Dallin and Michelle barbequed salmon and asparagus and fresh mashed potatoes, made especially by Dallin (secret recipe). It was really fun when we went to Michelle's singles ward for church. I forgot how quiet sacrament meeting could be! Liam was the "oh's" and "awes" of the meeting. Thank you Michelle and Dallin for showing me a GREAT time!
Best Folder
Friday, May 16, 2008
I was having the girls help me fold the laundry, and Julia surprised us all! Usually I just give her the rags or dish towels. Who knew she could do this! She REALLY folded this all by herself. I think she might have to teach Kirra and Malia how to fold. :) They weren't folding laundry at her age. She's only 3!
A Dynamite Whistler Adventure
Monday, April 28, 2008
I thought I'd post what I was doing while Kristine was in Idaho. Now keep in mind that this trip was all planned and paid for long before the graduation trip came up. Please don't judge me and call me a deadbeat dad. While that may still be true, I don't think this is the evidence that proves it.
I've been going on trips with these guys (at least Scott [bro-in-law] and Andy [Scott's best friend]) for more than the last 15 years. There have a number of surfing trips to Baja, a trip to Whistler once previous, and countless surf / skate / snowboard sessions around the local spots. There is always a theme, or themes that pop up. This trip was Napoleon Dynamite quotes, and I think we exhausted nearly every one of them. Scott and myself are HS teachers and Andy is a college prof, so we hear stuff like this all of the time. Matt is a Dr., so he hears them also, so it was too much fun to be quoting Napoleon, Kip, Deb, Pedro and Uncle Rico. A couple of other themes popped up too, but the main one was definitely Napoleon. The video was made by the ubber-talented Andy Norman. Enjoy!
Stew
Very Busy Family!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
I know it's been a long time since I've posted, but you'll see why. We haven't been home too much lately. So, I finally got caught up today. Sorry for the pile of posts at once. I haven't even posted to other blogs lately either. I'll be looking soon. Trying to catch up! Enjoy. We've had lots of fun!
Liam's First Haircut
Okay, when an old lady tells you "Now that's a comb over," you know it's time to cut your son's hair. I was hanging on to his baby hair, but I didn't want to be the "comb over" mom! Stew was afraid on the buzzing by his ear, but he loved the contraption. Here are the before and after shots. He is so darn cute! Now he really looks like his daddy! With his new haircut, he also wore his first tie to church. CUTIE!
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