Just Another Warta Family

Happy New Year!

2012-01-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

Our brave friends John and Jamie host a kid friendly New Year's Eve party each year. It's a great way to celebrate without the late night and the expense of a babysitter. Everyone pitches in and brings appetizers and yummy desserts and we eat until we're stuffed. They set-up carnival types games in the garage and the kids have a blast!

Tim was working so I rung in the New Year with 2 out of 3 of my favorite people.

Even us adults had fun.

Bring on the noise!

And more noise!

And even more noise!

Happy New Year!!!

Christmas

2011-12-26T14:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas is our most favorite time of year (isn't it everyone's)! It's a whirlwind for all of us (especially us parents) and we are left feeling exhausted when it's over but we love every minute of it!

Christmas Eve

Each year the kids buy gifts for each other and open them on Christmas Eve. They're really starting to "get it" and shopping for each other has become a fun outing.

Love the gratefulness.

Christmas pjs!!!

Playing with her new Barbie from Landon.

Christmas Eve 2011 at Mom and Dad Warta's. I've taken this same picture each year...so fun to see how we change from year to year.

Keagan and Landon

Kelden and Angie

Claire opened a really cool crafting gift from Keagan. Perfect for her!

Claire and Bethany

Landon and Claire made Grandma shredded wheat ornaments with their pictures inside. Each one of the Warta kids have made these same ornaments in Kindergarten. Now Grandma can add 2 more to her collection...hope she can find room!

Auntie Kate doing what she does best...entertaining nieces!

Christmas

Landon asked Santa for a basketball hoop this year for 2 reasons:

1. He thought it wasn't nice to ask people for really big gifts.

2. He thought his parents couldn't afford a basketball hoop.

Santa delivered!

Claire asked Santa for Tinker Bell roller skates!

Look at all those presents!

Claire and her American Girl doll. She named her Sissy.

Landon and his first set of tools.

Christmas morning 2011. Another one of those pictures that we take every year.

Landon just being Landon.

Grandpa Stan helped Landon and Daddy put the basketball hoop together.

Landon, Blake, and Cody

Grandma Kizer sent the kids on a treasure hunt looking for their gifts.

Claire and her Easy Bake Oven!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Christmas Street

2011-12-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

After our church Christmas sing-a-long, we decided to take a stroll down Christmas Street. We ran into Grandpa and Grandma Warta along with Brian and Angie's family. We joined them in walking the street and went back to Grandma's house for cookies and hot chocolate.

Landon and Keagan

Claire and Bethany

Just the two of us.

Daddy and Claire Bear

Grandpa and Grandma Warta in the Candy Cane Forest with their California grands.

Landon and Keagan enjoy a wooden candy cane swirl.

Beth and Claire join in.

Merry Christmas!!!

Ugly Sweater Party

2011-12-23T22:25:00.001-08:00

Nothing says Christmas like an Ugly Sweater Party with your closest friends. Everyone searched high and low for their sweaters, raiding closets, braving the thrift stores, and when all else failed some whipped out the fabric glue and battery powered lights and made their own. In this case, the uglier the better!

John and Jamie

Our hosts, Keith and Katy

My mom made Tim's sweater. Isn't it ugly?

Geoff and Leah

The guys doing what guys do best...eating!

Olga and Leah

My partner in crime...man those sweaters are terrible!

We had a White Elephant gift exchange and Paula was the lucky winner of this poster.

Did you notice that Tim looks like Buddy the Elf?

Jamie was the lucky recipient of a Shake Weight.

Hours of laughter! Thanks Tim!

Surprisingly, no one stole Jamie's gift. Hmmm, I wonder why?

Jimmy and Lisa

Everyone just had to try the famous Shake Weight.

It promises firm arms in just 6 minutes per day.

Shake it, Katy!!

The hostess with the mostess and myself.

I was worried there would be a fight over Edward but these two were able to keep it under control.

Geoff was this year's winner of the Ugly Sweater Contest! Congrats Geoff!

Olga and Michael

The turtlenecks were a hit.

Our guys

Look what Katy won! Just what every girl needs.

Such a fun night! Grateful for these special people and their friendship.

Merry Christmas!!!

Polar Express

2011-12-21T09:08:00.000-08:00

We took a trip on the Polar Express for the second year in a row. The second trip was just as magical as the first!

They do such a great job of making the Polar Express train ride magical.

We have our tickets and we are ready!

Snickerdoodles and hot chocolate, perfect for a trip to the North Pole.

Waving to Santa at the North Pole.

She loves her daddy!

"Just Believe," and he sure does.

Santa gave each of us a silver bell. Only those that believe can hear the bell ringing.

The trip back from the North Pole was a bit loud with all the bells but so fun to watch all the kids on the train.

Merry Christmas!!!!

1st Grade Class Party

2011-12-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

Tim and I were both lucky enough to be able to help at Landon's class party. We've come to LOVE all 28 kids and their parents and so it's like a big party for us adults too. Unfortunately, I didn't get many pictures because we were too busy having fun running our station.

I caught him munchin' away on Christmas snacks.

Bethany and Angie

My handsome boys.

Love this boy and his tender heart.

Just the 3 of us.

Working at one of the stations.

Landon made an edible manger complete with a marshmallow baby Jesus.

Preschool Christmas Program

2011-12-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

Claire had her first school performance and boy, oh boy were those kiddos cute!! Claire practiced her songs at home all the time (Landon got so sick of it) and was ready for the big day. We've learned that she loves to be on stage and you can hear her loud and clear!

The 4-5 Butterfly Class at Good Shepherd Nursery School.

Grandma Kizer brought Claire a beautiful red rose. She felt so special!

Grandma Kizer was working but snuck away long enough to watch our girl. Claire was concerned about her making it and asked, "Do Grandma Kizer's friends at work know that she really wants to see me sing and so they let her come?" Yes, sweet girl!

Uncle Andrew and Auntie Kate came too! Claire loves these two...in case you couldn't already tell.

Just the 3 of us.

Lauren Harris and Claire. These girls are the best of friends...just like their mommies.

Grandma Warta was home for only a few hours and was able to watch Claire's performance.

Love these girls!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

December Sickies

2011-12-16T15:59:00.000-08:00

It wouldn't be December if someone didn't get sick at our house.

As the kids get older I'm amazed at how much they are able to help out. While home sick from school, these two kids stuffed over 50 Christmas cards! They were a huge help and I was really proud of them. We worked together as a team, I printed and folded the letter, Landon stuffed it in the envelop, and Claire sealed it.

Of course they crashed (hard) later.

Landon always seems to get the worst of it every time.

All are on the mend...for now.

Frederick Stanley

2011-12-15T15:40:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of The Elf on the Shelf? No? Well, then let me fill you in! We came home from looking at Christmas lights to find this cute little elf dressed in red sitting on our fireplace next to a book. Our fireplace doors were opened so we knew how he got in. After questioning everyone in the family as to who this intruder was, we decided to read the book to see if it shed some light on the situation.

Turns out the little elf was from Santa Claus himself! Sent to befriend the kids during the holiday season. His mission is to observe the kids' behavior throughout the day and report back to the Big Guy after the kids have gone to sleep each night. The kids can talk to him and he will listen but he can't talk back. When we returns the next morning, he is always in a new location and the kids have to search for him each day.

As soon as an elf arrives at your house for the first time there is a little housekeeping that needs to take place. First, you must name him. After much deliberation and a few vetoes (we decided it best not to name our elf Mr. Hannold) our elf was named Frederick Stanley. Second, there is but one rule. You can not touch your elf for if you do, he will loose some of his Christmas magic. Finally, on Christmas Eve your elf will return to the North Pole until next year.

Frederick Stanley has travelled to the North Pole each night since he first appeared and each morning he is very cleaver in where he chooses to reveal himself. He's been in our Christmas tree, a wreath, a stocking, on the table, in a flower arrangement, near a plate of cookies, and many more places. Each night when we close our eyes to rest, we can't wait to see where Frederick Stanley will be in the morning!

If you look closely you can see Frederick Stanley in the background.

Gingerbread Houses

2011-12-12T15:36:00.000-08:00

Year after year we decorate gingerbread houses. The last couple of years we've tweaked the tradition and had grandparents tackle the houses with our kids. This year was Grandpa and Grandma Warta's turn.

Thanks Grandpa and Grandma for a fun night!

A hunting we will go...

2011-12-10T21:53:00.000-08:00

Year after year we head up the annual Christmas Tree "Hunting" Trip. It's a tradition that holds a special place in our hearts and we love that it kicks off our holiday season each year. This year's group was the biggest yet! There were 6 families that caravaned up to La Porte for a day full of adventure and fun. The laughter was non-stop and the memories are priceless.

Here's a look at our 2011 trip:

My handsome boys.

This girl LOVES to go fast so sledding is right up her alley.

Bethany

My sweets

You can always count on the Harris couple for the BEST pictures.

Is this tree too big?

We added Bethany on the next trip down and hit a small tree. All three of us tumbled and laughed until we cried!

Jamie makes the BEST goodies for us each year.

Mr. Adorable with Momma.

We love Jamie!

These girls are a huge blessing in my life.

My bestie and me.

Time for some R&R after playing in the snow.

Our 2011 tree.

This was our 11th year cutting a tree together.

You can get away with this stuff when you're best friends.

Our 10th Christmas tree cutting trip together. Thanks for the years of memories!

They are growing up too fast for me.

Claire Bear (4 years old)

Still our Peanut (6 years old)

The Goodson family joined us this year. Not sure what happened to their tree...rookies!

Lisa and sweet Autumn.

Crazy boys!

Love her!

We always end the day with a trip to Round Table.

Thanks everyone for a great trip!!! Merry Christmas!

Disneyland

2011-11-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

Tim and I began dreaming of the first time we would take our kids to Disneyland before they were even born. We share a love for Disney and we couldn't wait to introduce the magic to Landon and Claire.

Over 600 photos were taken during our 5 day stay in the Magic Kingdom and unfortunately I can't share them all with you (nor do you really want to see them) so here are a few of the highlights from our amazing trip:

We arrived on Halloween to the Disneyland Hotel. The magic was all around the room from the Mickey lamps to the Mickey facets. The scene above the beds lit up with twinkling stars and fireworks which made for an great night light.

We quickly dressed-up and headed to the park to trick-or-treat. We saw many princesses but Landon was the only toy soldier we saw.

Landon and a few of his friends.

Our first ride!!!

Claire was a hilarious driver being that she had to stick her head over the side of the car to see to drive. She laughed the whole time.

We stopped by to see a few of the princesses. Claire was in total awe...priceless!

On day 2 we hit California Adventure.

We went to Ariel's Grotto for a tasty lunch. Claire and Landon were able to see most of the princesses and get their autographs.

The dessert platter was to die for!!!

You can't help but smile when you're at the Happiest Place on Earth!

These kids ended up being roller coaster junkies...the fast the better!

Having the time of our lives!

Landon made a custom remote control car at Ride Makerz. He couldn't wait to test it out.

Claire made, "Olivia" at Build A bear. She picked out several outfits and Olivia is the best dressed bear around.

Big Thunder Mountain was their favorite ride. I lost count as to how many times we rode it. Always with our hands up!

Already for day 3!

Claire and I went to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique where she received the royal treatment.

After we left the boutique, Cinderella was right outside the door.

I told you Claire was a crazy driver!

Our pal, Minnie.

We decided to try out the water slides and the Minnie Mouse shaped spa at the hotel. It was a great way to rest our tired feet.

Grandpa and Grandma Warta surprised the kids and came down to spend a day in Disneyland with us. It was so fun to see the looks on all of their faces. It was the highlight of our trip!

Grandpa and Grandma with two very excited grandkids.

Soon after they arrived, we head to Naples in Downtown Disney for some yummy pizza. Landon couldn't get over how big it was.

Two very tired kiddos.

Day 4 was off to Disneyland with Grandpa and Grandma Warta! It was so fun watching the kids show them around the park.

We love Mickey!

Claire with one of the special men in her life.

Leave it to Tim to make Mickey blush!

Ready for a GREAT day! Landon and Claire ended up riding every ride in Disneyland. They are some awesome kids!

Big Thunder Mountain was our first ride of the day with Grandpa and Grandma.

Feeling brave we jumped in line for Splash Mountain. This is our "before" picture.

And our "after" pictures.

They loved the maps and scouting out our destinations.

Our last day was bittersweet. None of us wanted to go home.

The weather turned cold so we grabbed some hot chocolate to warm up.

To say we had a great time is an understatement. We truly had the time of our lives! The kids were awesome (never complaining), the weather was great, we laughed until we cried, the lines were short, the food was tasty, and we made family memories that will last a lifetime. Now we can't wait to do it all over again!

Down and Dirty

2011-10-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

Tim joined some friends for the 10k Merrell Mud Run in Folsom. It's a super fun event to participate in and watch. There were 11 obstacles along the run which include tunnels, climbing walls, waist high water, rope walls, muddy trenches, and much more.

Our family "before" with our clean Daddy.

They had a kids rock climbing wall.

Both kids gave it a shot.

The team of 5 "before."

And they're off!

All done!

The kids didn't want to get too close to Dad.

The team "after" shot.

Way to go, Tim!!! We're so proud of you!

Fall Fun

2011-10-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

There's so much to do in the fall. Pumpkin farm trips, Apple Hill, fall parties, trick-or-treating, and the list goes on!

Lauren and Claire at their preschool Fall Festival. Unfortunately, I didn't get anymore pictures of the event because I was face painting and stayed very busy.

Halloween Party

The kids dressed up and joined their fellow Awanas club members at the church Fall Festival. It was a really cute event and the kids had a blast.

Green Army Man from the Toy Story movies and a black kitty cat.

Yep! He's riding a toilet! They were SO much fun.

This is how us girls fish.

Pop a balloon, get a prize!

It was an 80s themed event so hair color was a must.

1st Graders go to Bishop's

2011-10-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

One of the joys of being a stay-at-home mom is being able to participate in all of my kids' school activities. It's a blessing to be there for everything and share the special moments with my kids.

Landon's class went to the pumpkin farm for the day. He has been blessed to have an amazing class full of great kids, great parents, and a great teacher and aid.

Audrey and Landon

My guy and I sporting our FCS Lions sweatshirts.

I love and appreciate all these beautiful FSC moms.

Waiting to go on the hayride to find the perfect pumpkin.

It took Landon a while but he eventually found just the right pumpkin.

Happy 4th Birthday Claire!

2011-10-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl celebrated her 4th birthday with 3 days of celebration. First, a preschool party with all her new friends on Thursday. Dinner with the Harris family on Friday and party time on Saturday. It was a whirlwind of a celebration!

She LOVES to help in the kitchen!

We made Oreo cupcakes for her preschool class party.

Getting everything ready for snack time.

The birthday princess, complete with a crown.

Claire and her best buddy, Lauren.

Daddy brought donuts home for breakfast and put 4 candles in Claire's.

The Harris family joined us for dinner at Red Robin.

Daddy put up this rope in the garage for Claire's gymnastics party. She can climb all the way to the top!

Landon made Claire an adorable birthday card. I love the relationship these two share.

Party time!

Kelden busied himself in Uncle Timmy's toolbox.

Miss Bethany

Kelden dropped his cupcake on the cement but didn't want to waste all that good frosting so he simply licked it up.

Our big 4 year old.

Preschool friends

Happy Birthday Claire Bear!! We love you!!

FCS Jog-a-Thon

2011-10-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

The FCS Jog-a-Thon is a huge fundraiser for the school and as a result a really big deal to the students. For weeks the kids ran the track during PE and earned beads for each mile they ran.

Before school the morning of the Jog-a-Thon.

Beth and Landon along with their 1st grade class.

1st and 2nd grade ran together.

Claire joined Landon and I for a few laps.

The look on Landon's face makes my chest swell with pride. He truly ran his little 1st grade heart out.

Comparing laps after the jog was over.

Landon: 15 laps

Beth: 14 laps

WAY TO GO!!!

Grandma Warta came to support the kids. It meant a lot to Landon to have her there.

We couldn't be prouder!

The BIG one!

2011-10-13T21:32:00.000-07:00

I don't begin to know anything about fishing. I don't even fish with my husband anymore because after almost 10 years of marriage, I have nothing to prove. I simply don't fish. I do however, understand that every man dreams of catching the BIG one, that once in a lifetime fish.

Tim was a lucky man the day he went fishing with an old co-worker. The odds were against them after all the rain but they decided to go for it and it paid off. He caught the BIG one!

Tim caught a 45 pound Striper Bass!

It was bigger than Claire! When Tim pulled it from the ice chest the kids freaked! Landon asked what it was. None of us had ever seen a fish THAT big.

Tim and his catch (and it's not me).

It was a Wednesday night and the kids had church so they loaded up into the Land Cruiser. Tim came out and told them to get in the truck because we were showing the fish off! Everyone told him to take it to Johnson's Bait and Tackle so after dropping the kids off we headed there.

When Tim said he had a fish that he wanted to show them, the man looked at him with an "I've heard that 10 times today" face. But when he actually looked at the fish, well...it can't be repeated here but let's just say he was impressed. The man had Tim put it on the scale while he grabbed his camera.

Since Tim and Landon are both allergic to most fish, we delivered the beast of a fish to Brian and Angie's family. Kelden's reaction was priceless. "Whoa!!!" was all he could say.

The kids thought this fish was the coolest thing ever. Keagan laid down beside it to have his picture taken with it. He was only a few inches tall than the fish.

Apple Hill

2011-10-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

The Cochrane family invited us to join them in Apple Hill. Little did we know it would pour when we planned the trip. As a result it was a short trip but we still had a lot of fun.

Lazy Sunday

2011-10-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

We spent a lazy Sunday in Concow with my side of the family. The kids had a ball exploring Uncle Steve and Aunt Pam's ranch. There were horses to feed, dogs to play catch with, tractors to drive, and kittens to snuggle.

Claire really likes horses although she's not an animal lover by nature. Go figure?

Landon on the other hand, adores animals and they seem to love him right back.

Uncle Steve is the coolest! He let Landon drive his tractor all over the property (oh yeah, Daddy was with him because he couldn't reach the peddles).

Claire's turn to try out the tractor.

Happy Fall Ya'll

2011-10-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

Bishop's Pumpkin Farm is a local favorite. It doesn't officially feel like fall until you've made the trip to Wheatland and experienced the country life. Everything from the hayride and slides to the crafts and tasty apple treats are what make this place so special.

We've made 3 trips so far and plan of squeezing in a few more.

Here are the highlights from our first trip!

Panning Coyote Mountain for marbles.

My joys.

Checking out the train.

Yummy treats! Landon was still recovering so we enjoyed some soft serve.

A pumpkin hunting we will go!

This itty bitty pumpkin cracked Landon up.

Silly Bear!

Landon's pumpkin.

Her little legs were getting tired.

My handsome 6 1/2 year old.

"We'll laugh about this later...right?"

2011-09-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

Whirlwind of a week. I got home on Monday from my 1/2 marathon in Disneyland, Claire started school Tuesday, family pictures (with all Wartas) and the rehearsal lunch were at our house Friday, and Tim's youngest sister, Kate got married on Saturday. Amongst all the craziness, Tim got sick. Not just a little sick, like going to the Emergency room sick!

Thursday Tim complained of a sore throat and being the loving wife that I am, I told him to suck it up because we had too much to do. Claire had a similar illness the week before so I was certain he was the lucky recipient of her lovely germs. By Friday morning he was really starting to complain and decided to make a doctor's appointment after our family pictures (of course I didn't make his appointment because he was being a big baby and I told him to take some Mortin and lay down). Sure enough he comes home and gloatingly delivers the news...Strep throat.

But as always, the show must go on. So I set-up everything for the rehearsal lunch while Tim went to the bedroom to set some rest. Remember, at this point he simply has Strep throat and was given antibiotics and pain medicine. The lunch went great and soon we were headed to Nevada City for the wedding rehearsal. I checked on Tim before I left and he wasn't doing great but he was hanging in there and going to take a hot bath once everyone left and try to sleep some more.

Then things went from bad to worse. I spoke to Tim around 6pm from the church in Nevada City and he was completely out of it so I called my mom to go check on him (thankfully she lives only 4 blocks away). Once she saw him and she immediately took him to the ER. Tim spiked a very high fever and wasn't able to swallow. I finally met up with them around 9pm and was shocked at what I saw. He really was sick!

So after 8 hours in the ER, a steroid shot, an anti-inflammatory shot, one tonsil abscess, IV fluids, X-rays, Morphine, and IV antibiotics, we were finally sent home at 2:30am.

I guess Tim really was sick.

Somehow Tim made it to his sister's wedding, curiosity of these.

Preschool

2011-09-11T21:44:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, our little Claire Bear is in preschool!!!

How can it be that she's ready for preschool?

She was SO excited!

Daddy and his girl

Yep, that's a shinner on Landon's right eye. I leave for a weekend and come home to this!

She's in the same classroom Landon was in.

Ready for Mom and Dad to leave!

We LOVE you Claire! You're going to be GREAT!!

Disneyland 1/2 Marathon

2011-09-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

When I turned 30 in January, I made a promise to myself that I would run a 1/2 marathon. I talked my partner in crime, Leah into doing it with me. Little did we know that when we set the goal of 13.1 miles that our race would be the Happiest Race on Earth. We started researching races and discovered Run Disney and the Disneyland Half Marathon. Our amazing husbands jumped on board and before we knew it, we were registered to run in the Disneyland Half Marathon on Labor Day weekend.

I don't think the excitement ever wore off but the reality of running 13.1 miles did set in. That's a long way when your longest race (ever) is only 6.2 miles. Tim found Leah and I a training program and in June we began our training. I must admit that half way through I was wondering what I had got myself into but fees had been paid and hotels booked so there was no backing out.

When people asked me how my training was going I often told them that it was a journey. I learned so much about myself (yes I can be a morning person and run at 4:45am) and how far I can push my body and mind. I learned that setting a goal and pushing through even when it's hard and painful feels like a millions bucks! Along the journey many people told me that they could never run a 1/2 marathon and to that I say, YES YOU CAN!!!

Decide, Commit, Succeed.

Health and Fitness Expo and Downtown Disney

It didn't take us long to get settled into our hotel and then it was off to the Disneyland Hotel for the expo. We spent the day taking care of race business and enjoying the sights, sounds, and food of Downtown Disney.

This sign pretty much sums it up.

At the Health and Fitness Expo we picked up our race packets full of goodies, our shirts, and bibs that had our names on them. 3891 and 6195...that's us!

If you have never had a beignet (found in Downtown Disney) then you are missing out. The are basically French donuts that are to die for. Leah and I shared these four but I could have easily eaten all of them myself.

All decked out in our new Run Disney apparel.

Playing in Downtown Disney.

Disneyland
We spent the whole next day in the magic kingdom. The two of us ran around like kids and taking in as many rides as we could. Some people thought we were crazy for spending the day before our race playing in Disneyland ("You should be resting!" is what we constantly heard) but when would we ever get a chance to do this again?

Big Thunder Mountain!

Crazy to think that the next day we were running through the castle.

A little laser challenge between two friends.

We watched the parade and enjoyed these classic Disneyland treats.

I totally took one for the team here by sitting in the front of the log on Splash Mountain. I was literally drenched but it sure was fun.

After spending all day in the park and getting soaked on Splash Mountain, we headed to a very special dinner for the 1/2 marathon runners. It was called Pasta in the Park and my Uncle Steve and Aunt Pam graciously purchased our dinner tickets to this yummy event. The food was amazing and I especially loved the desserts.

(Thanks Pam and Steve for your generosity, support, and love. We love you guys!)

Everything was in the typical Disney fashion...even the desserts were decorated to perfection.

(Shhh, don't tell but I had 3!)

Chip and Dale

Daisy and Donald

Race Day

Leah and I were up at 3:45am in order to be in our race corral by 5:15am. I have never seen so many runners! 15,000 runners participated and 49 states were represented. Saying it was crowded is an understatement, it was insanely crowded which made it really hard to find a good pace in the beginning and it really didn't thin out until around mile 5. But that didn't stop us from enjoying every minute!

We ran the first 3 miles in California Adventure and Disneyland where we saw many of the characters and where we got to run backstage behind Disneyland. The park is just as clean behind the scenes and the people just as friendly as they are in the visible public. The behind the scene cast members were out cheering us on as we ran by.

After Disneyland we hit the road and were cheered on my local cheerleaders, bands, Boy Scouts, and dancers. There cheers made the run more interesting and motivating.

Next it was on into Angels Stadium where we ran around the stadium and we were on the big screen!

We finished our race in front of the Disneyland Hotel where we were given our huge medals and the title of a half marathon runner!

All done! 13.1 miles!!!!!

Leah 2:27 Casey 2:34

I'm not sure if there are words to describe how that moment felt. I cried as I rounded the corner and set eyes on the finish line. I did it! All those months of early mornings, buckets of sweat, a painful knee injury, broken or lost toenails, had paid off. After crossing the finish line I was given my beautiful medal that I worked so hard for.

After a few more beignets, showering, and lunch with friends Dan and Athena, we headed to California Adventure and Disneyland to live it up!

Tower of Terror. Yes, we wore our medals proudly!

We were starting to wear down so we hit Small World to rest our very tired feet. Soon after, we surrendered to the exhaustion and retired to our hotel spa to watch the amazing fireworks from Disneyland.

This was the experience of a lifetime! Not just the whole 1/2 marathon weekend but the journey to get to 13.1 miles. I was blessed to have the support of my family and many friends and even luckier to have my best friend along side me.

1st Grade

2011-08-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how, but somewhere along this game of life Landon became a 1st grader. The verdict is still out as to which is harder on a mom, Kindergarten or 1st grade. I feel like Landon has entered the realm of "real" school and by that I mean a full day, daily homework, walking himself to class, eating lunch at school, a personal desk that opens, and the list goes on.

In fact, while choosing a backpack (yes, he needs a backpack) Landon would try one on and then do a few laps up and down the store aisle. Puzzled I asked him what he was doing and he told me that he sees all the kids running to class so he had to make sure he could run with his backpack on. You gotta love the way that kid thinks.

Our 1st grader, complete with a backpack (which he can run in).

Daddy and Landon

It was important to Landon to get a picture with Buddy.

I love these two with my whole heart.

He was ready.

Landon and Bethany

His very own desk!

Here's to a GREAT 1st grade year!!!

Donner Lake

2011-08-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

Camping at Donner Lake was our last "hoorah" before school started. We were joined by the Fitch Family and spent 4 awesome days enjoying everything the area had to offer. Donner Lake is by far our favorite place to camp and we can't wait to go back next year!

This is pretty much how Claire looked the whole time. I would clean her up and then 5 minutes later she looked as if a wipe had never even touched her face.

There were lots of big rocks to climb.

The memorial at the Donner Museum. We took the kids to the museum and then on a nature trail which took you to one of the cabins built by members of the Donner Party during that long winter. It's an amazing story!

Tim was always carrying one kid or another up or down some big rock.

This picture speaks so many words to me. Claire is obsessed with these things and went nuts over the size of this one.

The Truckee River is behind us. Next year we plan on rafting down it.

The bike trails are awesome. We could have spent days just riding around.

This BIG rock proved to be a bit of a challenge for Landon. He really wanted to climb it but once he started, he completely freaked out. Tim was with him the whole time and made him finish. He was proud of himself for climbing up the rock and then back down but he didn't ask to do it again. I think he might be afraid of heights.

Now this is the life!

We went exploring and found the old train tunnel. You can see the tunnel and Donner Lake in the background.

Our soon-to-be first grader.

The tunnel was pretty amazing inside...straight through a mountain. We totally freaked the kids out when we honked the horn on the Land Cruiser. All the kids turned to look to see if a train was coming behind us. It was pretty funny but the kids didn't see the humor in the situation.

Homecoming

2011-07-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

Uncle Dylan came home for a few days and we enjoyed every minute!!

Looking forward to the next homecoming!

Gymnastics

2011-07-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

Look who's in gymnastics!

The rope is her favorite!

20 Years of Friendship

2011-07-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

I met this lovely lady when I was 10 years old, the new kid and alone on the playground. She invited me to join her and her friends for a game of HORSE and the rest is history! We've been friends for 20 years now and I joined Jeannette on her 30th birthday and together we went skydiving!

Happy 30th Birthday to my oldest friend in the whole wide world! I have to ask, what are we going to do when we turn 40?

Dear Tooth Fairy...

2011-07-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

Landon could not wait to loose a few teeth. He watched his class mates (mostly girls) loose them throughout his Kindergarten year and he was dying to join the club. We noticed his bottom front adult teeth peeking through the gums and diligently began wiggling Landon's bottom baby teeth. But try as we might, we could NOT get those teeth lose. Fearing our son might resemble a shark, we made the decision to have his bottom teeth pulled. During the office visit I questioned whether we had made the right choice (it's not a totally pain free process) but when those baby teeth were out, the dentist comforted me by confirming we made the right decision. The roots on Landon's baby teeth were super long and probably would not have come out on their own for a very long time. Landon did amazing and the only thing that seemed to really bother him was a numb lip. He was showered with love (and soft cold sweets) from friends and family which made the whole process a positive one.

"Dir tooh fairy,

I would lic to keep my teeth.

thank you,

Landon"

Landon proudly wore his teeth around his neck for the rest of the day.

Under the pillow it goes!

Although the whole experience really wasn't that bad, we're hoping the rest of his teeth decide to come out on their own.

Cabin Memories

2011-07-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

This year's annual Warta cabin trip was very short but we did our best to make the most of it. Our family of 4 headed up a day early and enjoyed the cabin. I must say that it sure feels bigger when there are only 4 Wartas there and not 2 dozen! Regardless as to how short our stay was, we made many memories and took in some much needed rest and relaxation. As always, looking forward to next year!

Happy Birthday America

2011-07-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July is such a fun holiday! I love the feeling of family fun in the air and comradery, as everyone seems to join together to celebrate our country.

The Harris girls with Landon and Claire at the Children's Parade.

Our bathing beauty

A friendly water balloon fight.

Just the two of us.

Looks like Claire made a new friend...Gabe Carlos!

Hope everyone had a save and happy independence day!

Scotts Flat

2011-06-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

Our first camping trip of the season was a 4 day stay at Scotts Flat. We were joined by two other families, the Other Wartas and the Fitch family. It was a great weekend packed full of bike riding, good food, geo-caching, sleeping, and BEARS!!! Yes, bears! I think we discovered where the teddy bears have their picnic because we saw a total of 5 bears.

Our family is really enthusiastic over bike riding and we recently purchases this little handy device for long bike rides.

The boys spent a better part of the first day hacking away at this log.

These two managed to cut off a hunk and drag it over to our campfire.

Kelden loved to be in the middle of it. He reminds us so much of Landon with his "gotta know how it works" spirit.

Happy times at the park!

My dirty kids!

Claire will be starting gymnastics this July and practices her finish every chance she gets.

The Warta and Fitch kids.

Give her a bucket, shovel, and some dirt and she's content.

One of the many bears we saw. This was the only one we managed to capture a picture of. If you want to know just how big these bears are, ask Angie or Bethany. They were trapped in their van by two!

Lovin' the shades!

Our long hike in search of a geo cache.

The Fitch Family

A quick break before we start searching again.

Snack time!

Great trip! Hope to do it again really soon only maybe NOT at Scotts Flat right after hibernation...just saying.

Victory Dinner

2011-06-19T21:08:00.000-07:00

For Tim's birthday the Harris/Warta March Madness Losers (aka - Geoff and Leah Harris) treated us (aka - the Winners) to our victory dinner at Claim Jumper.

The Official Record:

2006 Harris

2007 Warta

2008 Harris

2009 Harris

2010 Warta

2011 Warta

The 2011 Winners!!!

The 2011 Losers proudly sport their shirts.

Thanks for being such great sports Geoff and Leah. We love sharing this tradition with you.

Kindergarten Graduation

2011-06-19T20:16:00.001-07:00

All good things must come to an end. What a year we've had. There aren't words to adequately describe what this first year of school has been like for us. Not only did Landon grow leaps and bounds (we're reading, telling time, solving math problems, !!!!) but our whole family was blessed by the Faith Christian community. I knew each morning that I was walking Landon into a Christ centered environment filled with love. What more could a parent ask for?

Landon was all smiles before the graduation.

Great Gramma D and her guy.

Grandma Kizer joined us for the graduation.

Their songs are so precious.

When he wasn't singing, he was smiling.

I love the hands in the pockets.

Mr. Hannold awarded Landon with his Kindergarten Diploma. In 2023, he will award Landon with his High School Diploma. WOW!

The kids were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. Their responses were hilarious. I wish our world was as simple was their answers.

Landon wants nothing more that to work for my dad and his fire support business when he grows up. It's all he talks about. I guess we know who is hero is.

This song is still sung after 30 years.

Miss Bethany Grace

Grandpa and Grandma Warta with their graduates.

Landon with my dad and myself.

It's hard to get a family picture when there are 6 people, especially when one is 16 months old. Suckers are life savers!

It was so fun to have Tim and Landon share the same Kindergarten teacher.

Mrs. Crawford with 4 of her pupils.

Best friends...all six of us!

So we say goodbye to Kindergarten but we say HELLO to 1st grade!

YC Mud Run

2011-05-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

May marked my one year anniversary since I started running. I've done several 5ks, a 10k, and in honor of my one year, I did a Mud Run. My best friend, Leah and I managed to talk Olga into joining us for the Mud Run. We didn't really know what to expect but we registered anyway and I'm so glad that we did because it was SO MUCH FUN!!!

All clean at the starting line. We ran in the 2 mile 3 man race.

That shirt will NEVER be that white again...NEVER!

My dad brought the kids to the Mud Run so they could watch their mom get super dirty.

And we're off...

The first leg of the race was through the orchards. It was dry and dusty.

Next was some tire action (which is harder than it looks).

Our first puddle. Everything in you tells you NOT to run through it but that's the purpose of the Mud Run...to get dirty!

Back to the orchard.

There were hills and hay bales to climb over.

Into the giant mud puddle we go!

Geoff took this picture and submitted it to the Appeal Democrat's Picture of the Week Contest and we WON!!!

Yep, we got muddy water in our mouths but there was no place to wipe it off because everything was wet.

You couldn't help but laugh.

All done!

Time to clean off as much mud as possible before going home.

I have to say that I never would have pictured myself as a mud runner but I had the best time. Can't wait for the next adventure!

Aloha

2011-05-23T19:21:00.001-07:00

Kindergarten at Faith Christian has many exciting activities but I think one of the most anticipated events in the annual Luau. The kids learn all about the state of Hawaii, including Hawaiian words, songs, facts, and art forms. I'm always so impressed when I attend an event and see just how much the kids have learned!

Everyone was invited to the Luau and parents brought Hawaiin food for everyone to taste. The kids have been taught by their teacher that it is okay to pass on something as long as "no thank you" is said. With all that native food, there were a lot of "no thank yous" being said by many picky kindergarteners.

There was a bubbles station for the kids to enjoy. I just love how big this bubble is. The trick to a gigantic bubble? Miracle Bubbles. That brand of bubbles produces the BEST bubbles ever and they're worth every penny!

I've been so blessed to be apart of every activity this year. Yeah to being a stay-at-home mommy!

I never get tired of this sweet face.

The amount of food brought in by parents was ridiculous! These moms jumped right in and started an assembly line for the plating of the Hawaiian food. Each plate received a little of everything.

I think he ate something that he didn't like.

Poi ball time! This was hilarious to watch. The kids swing the Poi balls while they sing a song. Most kids just close their eyes and go for it, swinging the balls as fast as they can. Watch out, they really do fly when they get away from you!

The kids built a volcano the week before the Luau and went out to the ball field to watch it erupt.

Daniel and Landon

Landon was worried that I would miss the eruption because I was taking pictures.

There she blows!

Grandma Warta joined in on the tropical fun!

These two are something else when they're together.

Last party of the year...bittersweet.

Mrs. Crawford with Bethany and Landon

Collins Lake

2011-05-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

We kicked off the camping season with a one night camping trip with my parents. The kids and I met up with them at Collins Lake and spent the day relaxing. Tim joined us once he got off work and took us fishing in Grandpa Kizer's boat.

What Tim and I will remember most about this trip isn't the roasted marshmallows, the campfire, watching our kids play with sand toys, or fishing as a family for the first time. What we will remember is one very long miserable night sleeping in the back of our Land Cruiser. The kids slept in the trailer with Grandpa and Grandma, maxing it out. I had planned on sleeping in the back of my car but then Tim decided to stay too and get up extra early the next morning for work. So my already small sleeping space became even smaller when my 6' 3" hubby joined me for a cozy night. Despite it all, it was a memory made and we're still laughing so hard at the situation.

Claire and Grandma Kizer take in a little R & R.

I hope no one was doing any serious fishing because Claire scared all the fish away with her rock throwing.

Love this little girl!

One nice thing about Collins Lake is that there is a big play area for the kids. Landon was eager to show me how he could go down the pole. (A side note: He's standing just like his daddy in this picture.)

Grandpa Kizer brought his fishing boat up so Landon and Claire could go fishing. Landon LOVES to fish!!!

Grandpa and Daddy have taught him well and he's a pretty good driver for a 6 year old.

This was Claire's first time on the boat. She didn't really take to the fishing (she gets that from her mommy) but she loved to go fast!

My big guy!

After some fishing, we headed back to camp for dinner and Landon got a little snuggle time in with Grandma's dog, Badger.

My momma and me.

Claire could eat her weight in sweets, this includes giant marshmallows.

Grandpa and Grandma Kizer with the kiddos.

Easter

2011-05-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

What I will remember most about this Easter is my son telling me (in detail) the amazing Easter story. It was the hot topic at the dinner table and so special for us parents to hear God's truths coming from our 6 year old.

These two had so much fun coloring Easter eggs that I wished I had boiled more eggs.

Our silly bear.

I must confess that she ate all those Peeps in one sitting! She has no control when it comes to sweets.

A quick snap shot before they dug into their baskets. Notice Landon's Christmas pajamas? Looks to me like there's a little holiday confusion going on.

We had just told the kids the night before that there wasn't an actual Easter Bunny then we woke up to this in our front yard! Our sweet neighbors blessed the kids with an Easter surprise. Landon's response, "Well if there isn't an Easter Bunny then there's an Easter Person because somebody did this."

They were so surprised to find stickers and change inside the mysterious eggs.

Buddy is never excluded at our house.

A little early morning egg hunt...great way to start Easter.

Landon 6 years old

Claire 3 1/2 years old

We hosted Easter this year for my side of the family. After church it was time for another egg hunt.

"Grandpa, what's in your pocket?"

When I look at this picture I see a young man. So very bittersweet to watch your baby grow up.

More eggs which means more candy!

Ice Breaker Sprint

2011-04-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

Tim and I set goals for ourselves this year; his to take up triathlons and mine to complete a 1/2 marathon. The Ice Breaker Sprint in Folsom was Tim's very first triathlon and I believe it is the first of many. He's diligently biked, ran, and swam in order to train for this big day. The swimming aspect of the sport was a bit of a challenge but Tim never gave up and faithfully showed up to the pool and swam his laps (rain or shine). He's determination has been inspiring and I can't wait for his next tri.

We are quickly learning that there is a lot that is required for a triathlon. Hard work and determination, not to mention tons of equipment and tricks of the trade. The kids watched as Daddy prepared his bike.

The staging area is for athletes only so the kids and I watched as Tim set-up his equipment.

Just before Tim headed down to the lake.

We headed down to the lake where the race was about to start.

Rockin' a green cap!

I know how nervous Tim was in this moment. I prayed the whole time!

Go 105!!!

They're off...into the freezing water!

Tim's heat.

The kids played in the sand while Tim swam.

They wanted to know which one was their daddy but there's no way to tell.

Our big 6 year old.

Out of the water and making his way to the staging area to grab his bike.

Tim was really worried about the swim but he did GREAT!

Back from the 13 mile bike ride. There was a pile-up and I'm so thankful that he made it through it safely.

A quick wave to the kids and he's off for his 4 mile run.

Go Timmy!!!

Just killing time while we wait to for Tim to cross the finish line.

He made it! I'm so proud of him and all this hard work.

Way to go!!

I love how he looks so relieved in this picture.

All done! The kids wanted their dad to win. Dad just wanted to finish.

I'm so very proud of you, Tim!

Goodbye 5, Hello 6!!!

2011-04-10T18:51:00.000-07:00

Recently a friend posted the following on Facebook and I couldn't agree more:

"When it comes to parenting, how can the days be so long and the years so short?"

I scratch my head and wonder when Landon turned into the boy that stands before me. We are in fact moving through each stage (infant, baby, toddler, little boy, and now simply boy) and each time we leave one and enter into another I'm left wondering when this all happened. I've welcomed each stage but there is a part of me that mourns the one being left behind.

To my sweet boy,

I am proud of the young man you've become and thank God everyday for the precious gift of you. Your shy smile melts my heart and your love for anything with an engine makes me smile. Your curiosity and quest for knowledge (although exhausting) always keeps me on my toes and there is never a dull moment when you're around. You're my favorite boy in the whole world and I feel lucky to be the one who receives your big hugs, gentle kisses, and soft "I love yous." Happy 6th Birthday Landon!!

Love You More,

Mom

Landon was a little embarrassed when it came time to have his classmates sing to him.

Claire thought she was pretty hot stuff sitting next to Landon in his Kindergarten class. His teacher thought it was Bethany for a second and was going to ask her to please go back to her seat!

Miss Bethany hates when I take her picture.

Claire was super jazzed to deliver balloons to Landon at school.

The BIG Day!

"I think the number 5 is going to be sad because I'm never going to be him again," said the boy on the eve of his 6th birthday.

Just me and my boy. My has he grown!

My boys.

Angie and her kiddos joined us for an incredible trip to John's Incredible Pizza!

The boys inhaled their food so they could hit the games.

Landon had the time of his life! He loves to pal around with his older cousin, Keagan.

I had the honor of accompanying Beth on her VERY first roller coaster!

What this picture doesn't tell you is that Claire was scared to death once the ride got started. She was so excited to get on but once that thing started moving, she freaked! It was hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. Needless to say, she didn't ride this ride again.

Notice their bag of tickets?

Love their faces!

The roller coaster was a hit and Claire's favorite.

Thanks Angie, Hailey, Keagan, and Bethany for spending the day with us. You made Landon's 6th birthday extra special!

Time to build some LEGO fun!

Once again Grandma Kizer made Landon's birthday cake.

Great job, Mom!

Lego cupcake anyone?

Landon really liked his cake!

"Happy Birthday To You. Happy Birthday To You. Happy Birthday Dear Landon. Happy Birthday To You!"

Landon with Grandma Kizer and Grandma Warta

Uncle Steve, Aunt Pam, and Grandpa Stan

Mr. Adorable discovered his auntie's bird bath.

Claire and her best friend, Lauren. I'm sure they were up to something.

Little did he know that Legos could taste so good!

Present time!

Grandma and Grandpa Kizer

It doesn't get much sweeter than this.

Happy 6th Birthday Landon!!!

Got Milk?

2011-04-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

Our first field trip was to the Tollcrest Dairy in Wheatland.

Tim's schedule allowed him to come along. Landon later commented that it was nice having it be just the 3 of us.

Many of the kids thought the initial smell was pretty stinky!

The Tollenaar family graciously hosts field trips for the Kindergarten class at Faith Christian School year after year.

Checkin' out the cows.

I have to admit that the cows were pretty cute...

and so were the kids.

Landon and Daddy

Landon and Bethany

The tour ended with the kids feeding a 3 day old calf. It took 2 dads to get this baby to cooperate. The kids LOVED it!!!

Super fun day and very educational.

Our 1st FCS Open House

2011-03-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

Tim is blessed to have a schedule that allows him to have days off during the week. He is often able to take Landon to school and pick him up.

Grandma Kizer and Grandpa Stan joined us to see what Kindergarten is all about.

Landon was really excited about showing his grandparents the baby chicks which recently hatched. But he swelled with pride when it came time to show his school work.

When did this Kindergartener start looking more like a 1st grader?

Grandma and Grandpa Warta came to their umpteenth FCS Open House. I love all these smiles!

Grandpa Stan and Claire played with the manipulatives.

Cousins

Drum Roll Please...

2011-03-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

The official race results are in. The winner of the "2011 Leah and Tim 5k Face Off" is...

TIM!

Their official times were:

Tim: 23:19.2

Leah: 23:19.9

So proud of both of you. And yes, Tim did get his iPod.

Bidwell Classic

2011-03-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

It may have been the 35th Annual Bidwell Classic but to us it was the "Leah and Tim 5k Face Off." At our last race just 3 weeks ago, Leah beat Tim by 17 seconds. Of course a rematch was in order, especially since Tim swore it was the large amount of oatmeal that he ate for breakfast that morning which lead to his defeat.

To make things extra interesting, Geoff promised Leah a new iPad if she beat Tim and I promised Tim and new iPod if he beat Leah. The race was on!

My Uncle Steve joined us for the 5k. He did awesome!

I wore my "Team Switzerland" shirt to remain neutral. What's a girl to do when her best friend and her hubby are competing against one another?

Tim joined me as I ran to the finish line.

Leah won 1st place in her age group!

Tim won 3rd place in his age group!

So who won, you ask? They TIED!!! Each of them ran it in 23:20 minutes!

It all came down to the Chip timing and it was literally exactly the same. Amazing! I'm so proud of both of you.

Leah and I on the Damn (oops!) I mean Dam Bridge.

Disney on Ice

2011-02-26T08:03:00.000-08:00

We treated the kids to Disney on Ice. It was such a nice family night, complete with dinner and the show. Our kids have yet to experience the magic of Disneyland (we're hoping to take them this fall) so this was the closest taste of the magic kingdom they've had.

Landon with his light-up Mikey ears and Claire with her classic Mikey ears and sweet cotton candy.

Just me and my boy.

Claire and her daddy (in the ever stylish Mickey Ears). We had more fun watching Claire than the show. She gasped and awwed at every little thing and could hardly contain herself when Tinker Bell waved at her! It was so magical for this little princess.

Love these 2 so much!

This little boy was fascinated by everything that was going on around him.

We had so much fun that night.

Landon exhausted me with all his questions; "Where did that smoke come from?", "Is something on fire?", "It's a machine? Well then how does it work?", "Is that thing on wheels?", "Are those the REAL characters because I thought they lived in Disneyland?", "Was that magic?"...you get the idea. Landon has always been the boy who is trying to figure out just how things work.

Love Day

2011-02-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

Landon at school with his "Loving Heart."

All 27 Loving Hearts. It was neat to see the creativity and how each family decorated their heart.

"Bashful" Beth. I think she dreads having me as an auntie sometimes. I'm always trying to get a picture of this beautiful girl but she's not really the picture taking type.

Miss Audrey Mae

Landon handing out his Valentines to his classmates.

Landon is blessed to have 2 amazing teachers and 26 terrific classmates.

The kids were too cute checking out the goodies in their "mailboxes."

My Valentine

Love this little boy with my whole heart!

Auntie Angie and Kelden joined Bethany for the party.

Practicing their memory verse.

It's a Valentine tradition at our house to make chocolate covered strawberries for Daddy. Claire really enjoys helping in the kitchen and since sprinkles were involved, this was right up her ally.

Our finished dessert plate. Yum-O!

Our Valentine table.

The kids surprised Daddy with the strawberries.

A kiss for her Valentine.

Happy Love Day Everyone!

When Daddy is on Nights...

2011-02-14T16:26:00.001-08:00

We pop homemade popcorn...

We eat it in bed while watching a movie...

We smell so good after our baths...

We simply relax...

We snuggle...

And we don't tell Daddy about all the fun he's missing.

Homecoming

2011-01-21T10:02:00.000-08:00

You learn very quickly that when you have a family member in the service, you celebrate their homecoming and enjoy every minute because you don't always know when the next visit will be.

We kept Dylan's homecoming a secret from the kids. It was fun to watch their faces when Uncle Dylan came into the room. It didn't take them long to pick up right where they left off.

Uncle Dylan, Jakelyn, and the kiddos. Can you tell that Claire is a little fond of Miss Jakelyn?

This picture cracks me up because Landon has entered the video game stage and Dylan never left it. Growing up, he always had a gaming device in his hand.

The kids' love tanks were overflowing.

Claire helped make a cake for Uncle Dylan.

We had several family dinners while Dylan was here. The kids loved Uncle Dylan's attention.

Jakelyn is quickly becoming part of our family.

Claire spent a lot of time playing with her new favorite person. Thanks Jakelyn for always entertaining her...you were a great sport.

I can read his mind, "Hey Case."

Claire gives Uncle Dylan the skinny on what's happening in her world.

Dylan and one very happy Mom.

Claire and her new best friend.

At one family dinner, Courtney and her friend, Vince joined us. This picture was taken before the hot wing competition.

This is what we do with the kids while we're at Grandpa and Grandma Kizer's house...just kidding...maybe!

Last time Dylan came home he brought with him some seriously HOT wing sauce from New Orleans. It was decided that there would be another hot wing competition this time. Blake was brave enough to stick out his tongue and try some. He was braver than I and took it like a man!

The wings.

The competitors: Dylan, Vince, and Tim

Vince enjoyed himself way too much to be in that much pain!

There's a million dollar smile!

3 for Dylan but he's NOT looking so good.

I think the conversation when something like, "Dude, those are some HOT wings."

I do believe I see a single tear in Vince's eye.

Here's the thing, Tim and Dylan did this before so they knew what they were getting themselves into.

Poor Vince didn't.

Looking rather serious.

Final count: Dylan-5, Vince-at least 7, and Tim-4. You guys were NUTS!

A game of Cootie.

Love this man more and more each day.

These two are the best!

Just the 3 of us before Dylan leaves.

It's not goodbye, it's see you soon as Dylan heads back to New Mexico and Jakelyn prepares to deploy.

We miss you already, Dylan! Can't wait to see you again!

Snow Day

2011-01-04T09:45:00.000-08:00

Sunday was the day I was supposed to de-Christmasfy my house and as we all know, decking the halls is WAY better than undecking the halls. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, depressed that Christmas was in fact over and not ready to send Landon back to school, escaping for the day and playing in the snow sounded way better. So off to Concow we went to spend the day with Grandpa Stan.

I am continually amazed at what Claire does and doesn't remember. She's been to the snow several times but I don't think she remembered any past trip. So watching her in the snow was so fun because it was like her first time and she LOVED it!!!

She immediately got out of the truck and made a snow angel.

Up the hill they go.

Claire had the time of her life.

Landon rode with Grandpa in the "Little Red Pick-Up" to a better sledding location. Claire and I followed behind them in a sled pulled by the truck.

She's doesn't like the snow at all...can't you tell?

Hang on tight!

Claire is the dare devil in the family. She is NOT afraid to trying anything (unlike her older brother who is much more cautious) and even when she gets hurt, she gets right back up and does it again. Sledding was no exception, if she fell, she brushed off, dried her tears and went again.

My kids are blessed to have a grandpa that is so young at heart.

SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!!

Landon spent most of his time throwing snowballs for the dog to chase. It cracked him up to watch the dog chase after them only to have them burst once they hit the ground. It was pretty funny.

Another snow angel in the making.

Thanks for a great day Grandpa!!

Goodbye 2010! Hello 2011!

2011-01-02T08:54:00.001-08:00

We rung in the New Year kid style with a party hosted by our brave friends, the Fitch family out in Sutter. Each year they host a kid friendly party and invite everyone they know. They do an amazing job of providing plenty of activities to keep the kiddos entertained for 3 hours. My kids had a super fun time!

Guess how many? Landon was a big guesser...5000! I had to help him a little and let him know that there were probably less than 100 pieces of candy in the jar.

Beth was so sweet to share her sucker with her little brother. Problem was he didn't want to give it back! He bit down and was happy to hold it for her for a while.

At least I got to ring in the new year with one of my guys.

All decked out for 2011!

These 3 had a ball!!!

Brian had the time of his life...can't you tell?

Noise makers for everyone. Good thinking, Jamie to wait until the very last minute to hand those things out! It sure got loud after that.

Bottoms up!

Ringing in the new year with my 2 favorite little people.

Cheers!

Happy New Year!!

Just me and the bear.

Happy New Year! May you have a blessed 2011!

My Year In Review...

2010-12-31T15:02:00.001-08:00

as seen on Facebook.

Okay Ladies, I'm looking for 2 Bunco players for tonight. Anyone interested? * What a day! I'm off to bed just as soon as I write my little brother a letter. Goodnight! * Just got home from seeing my new nephew. Man, oh man is he a cutie pie! * I survived grocery shopping with my children! * My 2 year old has the meanest sweet tooth I've ever seen! * I love it when my kids play nicely together! * Landon had his 1st t-ball practice tonight and LOVED it! * Enjoying the rainy day with my family. * Putting 2 little kids to bed can seem like such a big mountain to climb. * Off to register my Landon for Kindergarten! * Where have the years gone? This mommy's heart is so heavy. * Bills are paid, house is clean, cookies are made, bags are packed...already to go to Texas! * I have the BEST hubby in the whole wide world. He took on my HUGE project of repainting Claire's room and has done an AWESOME job! Thanks Timmy. * "Living He loved me, Dying He saved me." * Winning is so SWEET! GO DUKE! * 5 years ago today, the most beautiful little boy came into my world and changed everything. Happy 5th Birthday Landon Paul! Love you more. * Super gluing you fingers together while trying to fix a toy car proved to be very painful. * Today we said goodbye to our lovable lab. We miss you, Tankers. * Craziness! My life is full of craziness right now! * "Mom, I love you as big as Daddy's arms." - Landon * Ab Ripper X..."I hate it but I love it." * I have the BEST mom in the whole wide world. * Tim and Landon are working on the Mustang together. Both boys are in heaven. * The kids are sleeping over at the Harris house tonight and are so excited! Claire was been asking for weeks to stay the night and can hardly contain herself. :) * Kids came home from spending the night with Grandma...their love tanks are full. * Went to the movies with my favorite 5 year old. * Ran my 1st practice 5K today. * I am the mother of a Faith Christian Kindergartener. * I love my dog, Buddy. * I'm off to surprise my niece Hailey with tickets to tonight's American Idols Live Tour at Arco Arena. * Landon just asked Jesus into his heart! This mommy was moved to tears and overjoyed. * I love that my kids have such a fun and amazing Grandpa! * Homemade cinnamon rolls in the oven. Yum-O. * Dylan's here! * Let the sleepover begin! * Finished my 1st 5K in under 30 minutes! * Happy Birthday to my sweet baby girl! * Thanks Timmy for my new running shoes. * Today I am thankful for a hubby that is selfless and always looking for ways to make my life easier. * 9 years ago today I married my prince charming. * My son told me that I smell like Christmas when I put my perfume on. * Turkey Trot today! * Finally got my Land Cruiser back from the shop. Cost a fortune to get her fixed but so glad she's home. * Let me just say that putting up the outside Christmas lights is much harder than it looks. * Sometimes I love my kids so much it hurts! * Quick lunch date with my momma...best part of my day. * Let me just say that parenthood isn't for sissies. * Let the toy assembling begin. * Goodbye 2010! Hello 2011!!! *