Our Family Adventures

Boknecht Family Gathering

2009-08-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

One more picture from our trip I had to dig out of my email is from our Boknecht family gathering. The only one missing is cousin Joe who Jeffrey knows as the one who visited and taught him how to shoot the supersoaker in the backyard. :) We'll catch him in the picture next time. :)

Cousin Doug and wife Megan, John, Great Grandpa Frank, Grandma Mary, Papa, Jeffrey, Me, Great Grandma Boknecht, Uncle Jim, Aunt Wandi, Aunt Lauri, cousin Sofia, cousin Zach and Uncle Renato

Tour de Washington

2009-08-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey and I just returned from an almost three week tour of Washington. All three of us left for Sea Tac Wedensday July 22, spent a few days in Olympia at the Spacciantes lake house, Saturday in Yakima for an Olwell (John's Mom's side) family gathering, back to Seattle for some Papa and Grandma Mary time, then over to Spokane for almost a week to then leave for the Clearwater river for some Idaho fun, and finally flying home Monday August 10. John returned to SLC after just a week in Western Washington to go back to work, but he did enjoy himself for four days at the beginning of Auguest dirtbiking around Moab. :)

I think I just now caught up on laundry and now trying to de-weed the flower beds that are OVER growing. Our home looks like FUN times have been the focus of summer neglecting the home a wee bit. :) Ah, ohwell. It was here for us when we got home. :) Anyways, here's some highlights of the trip. :)

Jeffrey and I at the river house in Kooskia, ID. It was a full Darrow gathering including the Darrows from Germany! :)

Mom and Jeffrey having lunch.

Mom and Jeffrey at a parade in Clayton, WA (near Deer Park).

Never been to a parade before and loved the candy part. :)

At the parade still.

In Mukilteo with the Boknechts.

Jeffrey and cousin Zach on the swings. Yippee!

Jeffrey and Dad checking out the Sound.

Here's the cousins at the Seattle Experience Music Project. :) We went to see the Jim Henson's exhibit. We saw the original Kermit muppet made from one of Jim's mother's wool coats. :)

Bathtime at Papa and Grandma Mary's

In Yakima, we got to see good friends that John's known since college. Here's there little girl McKenzie going down the ultimate kiddie pool slide. :)

Now Andrew. :)

And of course Jeffrey, head first.

Jeffrey and Zach swimming in Kelley's pool (John's cousin that you can see in the background) holding hands. :) We had a great time!

Jeffrey's Superman still holding Zach's hand. Oh dear. :)

Zach swimming with his daddy.

Sofia getting around. :)

Jeffrey with John

It was a water wing convention.

Jeffrey with baby Charli (Tony and Jania's little one). He's never really fed and held a baby before and he got to be a good helper while she was at the lake with us.

Wanted to be close.

Kate taking a picture. What an artistic photo! :) Look at those purple toes.

Me with Amanda and her little boy Evan. He's just starting to really get around via walking!! He was so fun to watch.

Anthony, Leah, Kate, Becs, Ky Ky, Me, Jeffrey, John, Nikki, Rob, Tony, Jania and Baby Charli. All attending Paella night. (Amanda and Evan were here too, but I think they missed the picture for a diaper emergency) :)

Here's the wonderful Paella, made by Becky and Leah. Yummmy!! Great seafood dish for us Utahans!! :)

Amanda and Evan

Jeffrey feeding Baby Charli.

Daddy and Jeffrey on the jet ski. He loved it!! (surprise, surprise)

Kate and Jeffrey watching Ernie in their new Coug chairs from Auntie Becs!! Also, Kate giving her fishy face.

Drinking up in their new chairs. :) Aren't they cute. :)

More Boating Pictures

2009-08-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

We were lucky to have a few different families join us on the boat this year!! John's co-worker, Ryan, and his family, Jaylee and Brittany, came one evening after work. Jaylee is four and Jeffrey loves playing with her. They had a blast in the bow of the boat watching the Mommy and Daddys surfing (Ryan was the first surfer behind our boat), wakeboarding and skiing. It was a fun night. :)

The following weekend we went to Jordonelle Lake for their annual evening fireworks display. It was so wonderful and I hope to get to go again next year!! We had our neighbors Erin, Bryan and Brooks (who's three and went tubing!!) and more neighbors Lyndee, Jim and Sam (who's Jeffrey's age and a good buddy).

Here's some pictures of our fun times. :)

Boating in the Rockies

2009-07-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

So Jeffrey is much better today so we took the boat out. I had to show his horrible nap today. He actually fell asleep in the bow of the boat and it began to ran. We had the only rain cloud hovering over us on a day that was predicted "mostly sunny". Not at the lake. :)

Captain and Co-captain

I was out floating on an air mattress and he was very entained by throwing out the ski rope and pulling me in.

When asked to smile for the camera we usually get these forced grins most times unless you capture something spontaineously. :)

Happy Fourth

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

Poor Jeffrey had a fever today that just ruined all our fun events we had planned for the day. Instead, we watched the movie Car's twice, Thomas and Friends movie, John watched the NASCAR race and Jeffrey took a nap twice. We hope all the laying around has curred him for tomorrow. We hope to take the boat out for some fun. He's just really getting into the boat this year. :) This morning we tried to participate in our neighborhood breakfast and Fourth of July kiddie parade around the block. Even though he was wiped and REALLY not feeling well toward the end I think he had an OK time. :) Here's some pictures we have from his third Fourth of July. Hopefully next year will be happier times. :)

First Day Swim Lessons

2009-07-04T23:57:00.000-07:00

Here he is, in his first swim lesson class all by himself. No Mommy. :( He's doing great. Very adjusted to the water and LOVES LOVES LOVES doing what he calls "big jumps" off the side of the pool. He got to jump off the diving board to his teacher the other day. That's been a major highlight. :)

Tuscany

2009-06-05T02:11:00.000-07:00

Boboli Gardens, Florence, Italy

Bridge over Arno River, Florence, Italy

Breakfast at hotel, Florence, Italy

Lunch in Tuscany

Yummmmy!!

Can you believe it? 1948!! Many of their wines were destroyed prior to this during the war.

More lunch in Tuscany

First winery we went to. Had GREAT olive oil. You're suppose to look for olive oil made from young olives and not very old. Keep away from the heat. Silly Americans have thier oil kept in clear bottles next to their stoves.

More Italy and Tuscany

2009-06-05T01:24:00.000-07:00

Marco, the inkeeper hired 50 years ago and never left! :) Love the costume.

Florence and Tuscany

2009-05-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Florence in the evening via train. It was a fast trip of about two hours taking the Eurostar. I slept as much as possible but caught some good views out of the window. I remember the most a very high strung guy sitting next to John talking on his cellphone almost the whole way. It's funny, most professionals here wear very nice suits. You don't see a lot of polos or business casual dress folks. Anyways this guy in a suit kept calling many people on his phone and not yelling but speaking very impatiently and abrubtly. I don't know how many times I heard him say, "Punto!!" "Punto!!". I overheard him talk about San Franscisco once or twice t00. It made me think he worked in the finance business because he wasn't very happy.:)Anyways, once between phone calls I smiled at him and he didn't even return the smile. Poor guy - he needs a new job.

Once we arrived we walked to the hotel unloaded our gear and headed out into the land of Florence. :) A lot more quaint here then Rome, but still a major city. Just not as much energy. We tried a little family restaurant that had just OK gnocchi (potato pasta), but some YUMMY Tuscan stew. It's a roast stuffed with celery and carrots then simmered in a tomato reduction for hours. It was sooooo yummy. Something to search online for a recipe. :) Also, some gelato for the second night in a row. Now, you may think we'll be returning 20 pounds heavier then we left, but no, you walk soooo much here it's impossible. Streets are so narrow most drive mopeds (or very little cars). The traffic is insane. Pedestrians take up most the street until a moped or car attempts to run you down. I haven't noticed what the rules of the road are - I don't think there are any. None of the roads in the city are striped and you can see two cars side by side or three - who knows how many lanes there are. I guess it's what you make. Also, who has the right of way pedestrians or car/moped? It's whoever is bravest. :)

So this morning we woke to an amazing breakfast at the hotel and raced to meet-up with our tour leaving for tuscany. Then to find out we read our watch wrong and were and hour early. We spent some time sipping a cappuccino and visited a few leather bag stores (leather is a huge commodity here). Finally, we met with our tour at 10 a.m.

Our tour guide's name was Christina. She was American with an Italian family. Her family moved to the US right before she was born (father was a jesuit priiest that went A-wall-interesting story) so all her siblings and family are Italian except for her. She speaks perfect English and moved to Florence in 04 to study Italian and is still trying to get Italian citizenship even though every member of her family is Italian. I guess is very hard to obtain. Anyways, she had a real passion for wine and we learned so much from her. I could go into all the details, but I'd be typing this forever, the main point we learned about was how Italians categorize their wine not by grape type, as do Americans, but by region and level (whether its a wine the gov't regulates because it's been around for so many years or just a simple table wine that has no regulations). So apprently Chianti is not a grape but a region and there's a HUGE variety of chianti's out there. Now we're more educated looking at our italian menus choosing a wine. We had great company on our tour. Most were American or Canadian and great to visit with. :) Here's some pictures:

More Roma

2009-05-30T10:13:00.001-07:00

OK, too many pictures with just me. John obviously had the camera for most of Rome. I'll have more with John once I post some pictures from today after touring some of Tuscany. Chow.

One of our favorites in the Vatican Museum (Any Angels and Demons fans?)

Vatican Museum

Vatican City

PIZZA!

Colesseum

Ruins

Trevi Fountain

Some crazy shoes - can you see the one with an abicus?

ROMA

2009-05-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, here we are. We're now in the third day of our trip and taking some down time at the hotel. Thought I'd post some pictures.

Thursday we arrived in Rome. So much energy in this city!! We love the language and all the people are so very friendly. Although you also learn quickly, if they are too friendly, they ussually want you to pay for something. :) We are loving the food, I think we've had all the Italian staples this far and now venturing into some unknown territory. We tried Tuscan stew last night and as our waiter said it was, "Terrbly Good". :) Vino with every meal has been a good treat as well. :)

Our first day in Roma we saw most everything exept the ruins and Vatican City which we hit the second day. John and I hoofed it for two days trying to fit everything in. :) We most liked the mideival district on the other side of the river. It was a bit more off the beaten path and it seemed to have less tourists, more locals and good food. :) We sat next to two great guys that are camaigning for Angelina who is running for the Italian parliament in a few months. There names were Fabio and Dalio and held John's and my attention for hours with lots of stories and discussions. In the end Dalio was coordinating an event at the Vatican with the Pope on Sunday and gave me a T-shirt which has a colored cross they designed to represent the many countries and the Pope's mission of "Many countries, one Christ". They were so nice. :)

John in front of the Pantheon

In the Pantheon

Novana Square

At the airport when we first arrived in France waiting for the flight to Rome.

Italy Germany Itinerary

2009-05-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

Well we're off!! Tomorrow afternoon we leave for Italy!! So very excited. Here's a look at our itinerary for those that want to know where we'll be in the next few weeks!! :) I hope to post some pictures of our trip while we're there. :)

Spokane/Italy/Germany Itinerary

Monday, May 25
We make the Jeffrey exchange in Kooskia, ID
John and Heather drive back to Salt Lake City

Wednesday, May 27
John and Heather fly to Rome, IT
Delta departure: 1:50 p.m.

Thursday, May 28
Arrive in Rome, It: 1:20 p.m.
Check-in to Marcus Hotel
Sight see rest of day: ruins, Vatican museum, Pantheon, Navona Square, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, St Peters…etc.
Dinner
Evening at Marcus Hotel

Friday, May 29
More Rome sightseeing. We may just choose to hop on a bus and take a whirlwind tour.
Leave for Florence, It late in the afternoon via train.
Dinner in Florence
Evening at Grand Hotel Cavour

Saturday, May 30
This day is set aside for touring Tuscany.
Tour departure at __. Lunch and wine tasting on the Chianti Road.
Dinner in Florence
Evening at Grand Hotel Cavour

Sunday, May 31
Sight seeing. We may choose to take a whirlwind tour once again, but some places to hit Teh Baptistry, Dumo, Tower by Dumo, Lunch in Boboligardens, Shopping
Dinner in Florence
Evening at Grand Hotel Cavour

Monday, June 1
Morning train departure to Monterosso Al Mare, It part of the Cinque Terre.
Check-in to hotel
Rest of day is open for hiking along the coastal trail, resting on the beach or roaming the streets of Monterosso Al Mare, Italy.
Evening hotel is Hotel 5 Terre (or Hotel Cinque Terre)

Tuesday, June 2
Full day to do various hikes along coastal trail. We’ll plan our route on the plane to Italy. J
Evening hotel is Hotel 5 Terre

Wednesday, June 3
Finish morning in Monterosso Al Mare, It
Take train to Pisa, Italy
Tour sites: Leaning Tower of Pisa etc.
Dinner in Pisa
Evening at Grand Hotel Duomo

Thursday, June 4
Ryanair departure for Frankfurt, Germany flight #1235: 11:50 a.m.
Arrival: 1:20
Train from Frankfurt to Heidelberg to see the Darrows
Evening Darrow Casa

Friday, June 5
Hang and tour Heidelberg/Hockenheim or whatever is close while everyone works and goes to school.
Owen’s graduation ceremony this evening.
Party and celebrate!
Evening (or early morning) Darrow Casa

Saturday, June 6
Day with Dawn, Jeff, Owen, Olivia and Lolo. J

Sunday, June 7
Fly home from Frankfurt, Germany to Salt Lake City
Delta departure: 12:05 p.m.
Arrival: 8:03 p.m.

Monday, June 8
Mom and Jeffrey come to Salt Lake City
Southwest departure #0665: 1:00 p.m.
Arrival: 3:35 p.m.

Tuesday, June 9
Mom spends the day with us

Wednesday, June 10
Mom flies home to Spokane and we all stay home for a little while. J
Southwest Departure #2992: 12:55 p.m.
Arrival: 1:30 p.m.

Thanks, Mom, Leah, Dawn and Jeff for your help planning our vacation!! We’re really looking forward to the time. Love you.

Supercross Dirt Bike Racing

2009-04-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

So I got talked into going to a dirt bike race for some "family time" this last Saturday night. It turned out to be a lot of fun and a good experience for Jeffrey. We got there at 6 p.m. and didn't get home until 11 p.m. so I was worried about Jeffrey's experience and ours by the end of the evening but he did just fine. :) In fact he slept until 9:30 this morning due to the late evening and fun. He had a corndog for dinner and an abundant supply of kettle corn at the game. Lacking in nutrition might have aided in the late morning rise - perhaps a bit lethargic. :) I stayed in bed until Jeffrey's first diaper change of the day - I kind of had a feeling John would take that on and it turned out to be a good call on my part. :) I think Jeffrey's favorite part may not have been the dirt bikes racing but the tractors leveling the track after each race and of course his first go at kettle corn. :)

Ughhh, too much kettle corn.

Jazz

2009-04-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures after attending a Jazz game the other night. Very fun time. I think Jeffrey's favorite part might have been RUNNING the whole circumfrence of the stadium. :)

Finding a place to sit between random people. :)

Cheering

With Mom

With Dad

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

I'm actually posting these the day they were taken. Someone pat me on the back. :) Anyways, Jeffrey had a wonderful Easter morning. The bunny was good to him.

Surprisingly the eggs survived Jeffrey's hunt. He kept putting them in his basket and dumping them into his wheel barrow. :)

See what I found?

Hmmm, that bunny didn't eat all his cookies and carrots, but he took all the eggs.

Here's when he spotted his new wheel barrow, garden tools and candy outside.

Checking to see if the bunny had taken the eggs from the fridge and put them in the oven.

His face after checking the fridge for the easter eggs we colored the night before. Uhoh, they're gone. :)

Cousins are Fun!!

2009-03-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

Last week we took the opportunity to escape to sunny California to see Jeffrey's cousins and Aunt/Uncle. It was both for my birthday and to take advantage of one last free airline ticket before Jeffrey turns 2 (if you can believe that). Our San Mateo family were perfect hosts once more and we loved spending time with them. We did lots in the few days we were there.

Our ride on the cable car. John and I have visited Lauri and Renato numerous times since our early dating days and have never once ridden the cable car in San Fran. Figured Jeffrey and Zach would enjoy this since they're both into trains these days. :)

I like this picture at a corner on....you guessed it, California Street.

The whole gang posing for a shot at Half Moon Bay. I think the kids would have stayed and lived in the sand if we would have let them. :)

Jeffrey helping Uncle Nato (he calls him Uncle Taco) fly a kite

The three amigos at the park

We're Biking!!

2009-03-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

So fun!! Jeffrey looks forward to this daily even if it's just up and down the street. Here's some shots of his first time in the carrier with his chicken bike helmet. :)

Just being Jeffrey

2009-03-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

Loves to do the dishes!

Boots and Shoes

2009-03-21T14:33:00.001-07:00

Cougman

2009-03-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

Christmas 2008

2009-03-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm back on the wagon again. I've confiscated John's computer (mine needs a slight tune-up) and we're up and running. :) I hope you enjoy all the catch-up pictures!

25 random things about me

2009-01-29T22:43:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. We need some updated pictures on here. Seriously, I think I fell off of the wagon last year around the holidays too. I promise...soon. Until then, here is a posting I put on facebook. Someone tagged me to write 25 random things about myself. It's kind of fun to read about others. :)

1) Favorite color is Blue. Looking at my home you might guess its brown, brown or browner, but no, it's blue. I remember in kindergarten being divided for play groups by color on the first day of school. I played trucks with the boys for most of that year.

2) Love swimming. It's so relaxing yet invigorating at the same time. I haven't gotten to do much swimming in the last few years, but we just joined a gym with a daycare so I can do more of those things on my own.

3) I'm a cookie dough addict. Many times I'll make the dough and never even bake the cookies. Drives John insane. :)

4) Hate scary movies. Suspense is OK sometimes, but I'm a Nervous Nelly when it comes to horror films. They last in my mind for years.

5) John and I would love to have a lake home one day. My grandparents had a lake home growing up and it's truly some of my best memories. We had a canoe and that's all we needed. Fishing with Grandpa, eating yummy food prepared by Grandma, picnics, swimming.....ahhh - loved it. It's a great place for family to gather and have fun together.

6) We hope to retire and travel the world. Wish we would have done more before kids.

7) Favorite movie is The Parent Trap (original)

8) Hate being home alone. Again, it's that Nervous Nelly thing I have going. John is annoyed when I go out of my way to lock the doors at night...you just never know. :)

9) On my DVR I have: Desperate Housewives, Jon and Kate + 8, ER, Ugly Betty, The Real Housewives of Orange County and a bunch of car and dirt bike racing my husband likes to watch.

10) I need 9 hours of sleep at night.

11) I don't make new friends easily. I'm having a hard time with that in Salt Lake City. I love friends that I already have history with. The friends I have are wonderful and I'd never trade them for the world. It's hard.

12) Miss living in Washington. We're hopefully moving back in 3.5 years!!

13) Thankful for my parents. It's hard to say that I grew up in a normal home (can anyone?) but I know my parents sacrificed a lot for me growing up. I love them. I can't help but think my parents are still working way to hard for what they gave up for my brother and I. I wish my Dad would stop smoking so he would live long enough to see Jeffrey grow up. They love him so much.

14) I love my boys. John is the best husband. He's so thoughtful of others and very witty (which he uses for good and evil :) ). Jeffrey is turning into such a sweet boy. Hugs, kisses and cuddles often, but it's also fun to see him becoming more indepent. He's easier to leave with sitters and plays really well with other kids. I just love watching him.

15) Favorite dinner is fajitas....yummmo, bring on the guac!!

16) I love summer. Winter is killing me slowly. No where to go and nothing to do!! Summer we go on long walks to different neighborhoods, go hiking in the mountains and the days are so much longer. I love the sun, boating and swimming. I've seriously thought about ditching the "move back to Washington" idea in order to say, "Hello San Diego!"

17) I'm currently shopping for a road bike and kid trailer. We seldom move our cars in the summer and I'd like to start not driving even more. Plus I need the exercise.

18) I'm certified to teach K-8 in Washington. I taught 3rd grade for a year in Vancouver, WA, then we moved to Issaquah, WA and I did a lot of subbing. I found I really like teaching middle and high school. Hmmm, maybe something to pursue in a few years.

19) I talk to my Mom at least 3 times a week.

20) John and I are going to Italy/Germany at the beginning of June. Still in the planning stages. We only have a limited time and there's soooo much I want to see!! Most importantly my cousin Owen will graduate from high school from a school on a base in Germany. So proud of him and glad we'll be there for the graduation.

21) We have NO pets. Kind of sad. I've decided I have a hard enough time cleaning after Jeffrey, John and myself I don't need to clean after anything else. I do love dogs. Maybe someday.

22) I voted for Obama and was balling when I saw his inauguration the other day. I'm so proud.

23) I would love another baby, but I'm very scared of the responsibility. I know I can handle it, but I sure love how Jeffrey is getting easier and easier!! The baby feedings really put a cramp in my 9 hours of sleep program. :) It will happen. :)

24) Let's see, no green thumbs around here. I need a gardener.

25) Lastly, I have a lot to smile for. People often tell me they love my smile and I must say I have a lot to smile for. I'm so blessed to have everyone that's in my life!!

Round Em Up Cowboy

2008-11-06T20:42:00.000-08:00

Here's our little cowboy for Halloween. We were fortunate to have an invitation to stay with friends in Las Vegas, NV for Halloween and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Who heard of trick or treating in 70 degree weather? Not anyone from Washington. Our good friends Leah, Anthony and little Kate met us in Sin City where we stayed with Anthony's sister for the weekend. Jennifer, Larry, Matthew and Laren, along with three kittys, were wondereful hosts and we so loved spending time with the whole group. We drove from Salt Lake and it took us over 5 hours each way. We now know we are over 5 hours from a desert oasis. Here's some pictures to recap the weekend.

Water show at the Belagio

Inside the Belagio

Kate and Leah

Jeffrey and Jennifer. That's one tummy full of BBQ.

Jeffrey, Anthony and Kate

Jeffrey and Matthew

We spent one morning at a park right on the outskirts of Las Vegas. There were lots of toy structures for the kids and walking trails. John, Anthony and Matthew continued to the top. Notice Matthews rosy cheeks!

Jeffrey is determined to win this race, but Lauren is coming up behind!!

Getting ready

With cowboy hat that he actually left on for trick or treating. :)

Kate the Ladybug. Look at those ears!! You just want to pull them.

Oh wait, Jeffrey did.

Kate and her Daddy

Jeffrey with Matthew the vampire and Laren the most beautiful princess in the land!

Jeffrey and Mommy

He really caught onto taking the candy and putting it in his pumpkin.

Ladybugs like candy too. :)

Trade you a dumb dumb for a snickers?

Pumpkin Carving

2008-11-05T22:23:00.001-08:00

Even though we were gone for Halloween, the night before we left, John and Jeffrey carved our pumpkin we got at the pumpkin patch.

A picture from Papa and Grandma Mary. Pretty close huh?

Here Pumpkin. Want your guts back?

Yummmm.

Mommy's Weekend Out

2008-11-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

I had a great time with two of my good friends from high school celebrating our 30th year and traveling to SanDiego. We were fortunate to stay with Angie's sister Abbie for the weekend. She was such a great host and amazingly kept up with us being 8 months pregnant!! Thanks so much Abbie, I loved your home and your family!! The weather was picture perfect. We spent time eating out, laying around the beach, and a day at the spa. We also had a night out at a local piano bar. We hope to have more trips together in the future. I miss you two lots and enjoy the times we get to spend!!

Beach Bum Angie

Beach Bum Jaidean

On our last day we treated ourselves to a spectacular brunch at the Coranado Hotel. Probably the most famous hotel in San Diego. There's rumors that it's haunted. After brunch we spent our time at the beach. Here's a view of the Coronado from our sunbathing point. :)

After brunch scoping the beach for a lounging spot.

Cheers to good friends and no kids!!!

Angie and Jai

Our night out at the piano bar

Grammy visits Utah

2008-11-05T21:34:00.001-08:00

Grammy visited at the beginning of October while John had shoulder surgery. She was a humungus help!! I basically took care of John, which after a rotator cuff repair, needed lots of care, while my mom tended to Jeffrey's needs. I don't know what I would have done without her there. One evening we left John home alone for a Pumpkin Patch visit. The place was wonderful for Jeffrey with lots of things to do for a one year old (slides, small corn maze and animals), unfortunetally it was thirty some degrees and soooo windy. VERY MISERABLE. We tried to have fun, but all we really wanted to do was take a pumpkin and run for the warm car. We did brave one slide and cow ride...barely. :) Another morning we left John again (poor John) and took Jeffrey to the Children's Museum in SLC. I think the pictures will speak for themselves. There were a lot of activities geared toward his age. He was thoroughly entertained the whole time. I love places that I can stand back and watch him explore!!!

Children's Museum could have been a full day event and held Jeffrey's attention the whole time!!

Me n Grammy

Cow ride

One of the only smiles from the Pumpkin Patch outing.

Dirt pile found in the backyard with a new tractor Grammy got.

Just Jeffrey

2008-11-05T21:21:00.000-08:00

Here are more pictures of Jeffrey on any given day.

Preparing for Hawaiian Day at the school he attends once a week.

Trying on his new (and needed) Utah snow clothing. The attire is a little big in hopes it may last through the season (and maybe next?).

Park with Seattle Family

2008-11-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

In September, we spent some time visiting Papa, Grandma Mary along with cousin Zach, Sofia Aunt Lauri, Uncle Renato, Aunt Wandi, Grandma Vi and many more. Looking at these pictures make me wish summer was still here to have so much fun outside with our family. :)

Oktoberfest

2008-09-18T15:49:00.004-07:00

Just last weekend we went on a family outing to Snowbird Ski Resort's Oktoberfest. I'm overwhelmed with the outdoors in Utah. Everything is so majestic and what a great backdrop for an Oktoberfest celebration. We drank beer, ate bratwurst and watched Jeffrey dance to the German poka music (including the chicken dance). The three of us had a great time, but we really miss all of our friends at home. We know they would have been having a good time with us!! I do cherish the time we are able to spend as a family, and we do make a valid effort to make some great memories for ourselves. Going for a special outing every week helps to make the best of our move situation. :) Here's some pictures of Oktoberfest. Yes, the beer had it's full alcohol content even though we celebrated Utah style.

Uh Oh!!

2008-09-18T15:49:00.003-07:00

On the day I had my camera handy, Jeffrey took off his diaper and ran around the house. (He doesn't ussually do this) It made me laugh so hard. Hopefully the google blog folks don't sensor my sight for naked pictures!! :)

A Day in the Life

2008-09-18T15:49:00.002-07:00

I'm really bad about taking pictures of Jeffrey unless we're out doing something special. I actually had the camera on hand the other day and captured some shots of Jeffrey carrying about in his normal day. :)

Pony Ride

2008-09-18T15:49:00.001-07:00

At the fair Jeffrey had a pony ride. I think we all have pictures from our past riding the ponies at the fair. He wasn't too sure about it at first, but toward the end he was all smiles.

First Fair Experience

2008-09-18T15:49:00.000-07:00

I've got so many pictures to catch-up with. As a family, we've had lots of experiences over the last few weeks. We've been going on lots of drives exploring our new terain and loving it. Utah is a beautiful place!! It's not Washington, but it's unique in it's own way. Let's first show some pics of the Salt Lake County Fair we attended a few weeks ago. Jeffrey loved all the animals and had a few ride experiences. Jeffrey is apparently turning into a "dance machine". Everywhere we go where there's music he's bouncing and shaking to the tunes. I love watching it. Lots of music at the fair. He also enjoyed walking around independently. He much rather be pushing the stroller then riding in it these days.

California Cousins

2008-08-26T21:55:00.001-07:00

Ok, so two weeks after Seattle we went to San Mateo. Needless to say, we don't have a lot of people to visit in SLC and I plan to rack up the frequent flyer miles to see those we love!! John had yet another work event, but this time in the bay area last Thursday. We made it into an extended weekend to visit Aunt Lauri, Uncle Renato and cousins Sofia and Zachary in San Mateo. It was so fun to see Jeffrey interacting with his cousins. Him and Zach were with each other every waking moment. Not so much playing with one another yet, but they would follow each other, play with the same things, and at times, laugh at one another peaking around corners or through doors. Sofia also got a good taste of her cousin Jeffrey for one full day while Zach was in daycare. Sofia is getting so big and we learned a fish in water. During our Phoenix trip last spring she was petrified of the swimming pool. Now, you can't get her out of the pool. She's so much fun and really turning into such a sweet little girl. It looks like we will probably see them again in the later part of September in Seattle, so more pictures to come. For now, here's some pics of the boys.

Time with Papa

2008-08-26T21:46:00.001-07:00

While John worked the Monday while we were in Seattle, Jeffrey, Papa and I went out to lunch at Ivar's by the fairy terminal in Mukilteo and played at the beach. Jeffrey just started walking a few weeks before our trip and the rocks at the beach were good balancing practice!! :)

Looking at these pictures makes me sad - we miss Seattle (and Papa) so much. It's sooo beautiful by the water.

C'mon Papa

Happy Birthday Kate

2008-08-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of August John had a last minute meeting scheduled in Seattle, so he brought Jeffrey and I with him for the weekend. We were lucky enough to attend Kate's first birthday and had such a good time visiting with their family and friends. Leah, I have lots more pictures to send you from the party. Thanks, yet again, for a wonderful time.

Kate's new teapot (don't get that near Jeffrey or it will be demo'd)

Kate's Grandpa made her a play house and the little ones (and adults) loved it!!

Boating At Last

2008-08-26T21:19:00.000-07:00

We brought the boat to Utah in early July, however all of our boat cushions were with the movers in storage. We finally took the boat out on a lake about 30 minutes from our new home a few weeks after we moved in. Jeffrey was too little to remember last summer so this was probably a new experience for him. The rock of the boat was hard for him to keep his balance and he kept falling which put him in a bad mood, but here are some good shots from the day. Temperatures in SLC are ussually in the hundreds at this time, so the lake was a nice cool break we all needed!! I think Jeffrey's favorite part was sitting on the swim platform with us and dipping in the lake, which felt super cold - about 70 degrees.

Home Sweet SLC

2008-08-26T21:01:00.001-07:00

We're all moved into our new home and we're approaching two months at this time. Still a good load of boxes left to unpack and unfortunetally we're realizing how little storage we have compared to our old home.

I'll post pictures soon with our things all moved in. Still positioning pictures, rugs etc. but everyday it's starting to feel more and more like our home.

There is a yucky smell that came with our bathrooms. I smell B.O. everytime I'm in them and of course John says he doesn't smell anything. I've scrubbed the walls/surfaces with Pine Sol and tile with some Soft Scrub, but if you have anyother suggests, let me know. I do want to eventually paint both bathrooms and replace the tile, so hopefully that would help, but that won't be for a few months. :)

Here's a picture of Jeffrey and John working hard on moving day!! :) Right after the picture was taken Jeffrey took a header into the hard top edge of the chair and gave himself a fat lip... ouch. Boys.. I swear.

Happy Fourth of July!

2008-07-05T21:20:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful time for the Fourth of July and you were able to have some quality family time. We had a nice time. We attended the city fireworks at a park with many other Salt Lakers. Still very hot here. It was over 100 for the fourth and even after night fell and we were in the car on our way back my car gage said it was still 88 degrees.

Before going to the park we stopped at the store and got some refreshments to bring. Jeffrey was given a ballon and was more than thrilled. This could have been the highlight of the evening.

Jeffrey loved being with all the people.

With Mom waiting for the fireworks to start.

We snagged him a glow stick from a vendor. The fun keeps coming! :)

Still waiting. There was an hour before the fireworks would start.

The Fireworks are Here!!

2008-07-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

For most of the fireworks he was very fixated. A few bored times, but mostly watching intently.

Hike to Tempanogos Cave

2008-07-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

Temanogos caves are south of SLC about 45 minutes. You buy a ticket at the station and then hike 1.5 miles and up 1100 feet to the entrance of the cave. No packs allowed in the caves, it was pretty dicy getting around so we c arried Jeffrey around for part of the time. I didn't get any pictures inside the cave and the tour, but got some shots on our way up and down. It probably got into the mid nineties this day and Jeffrey was a trooper. We brought lots of water and took our time.

Dad had the load on the way up.

Me
After we dropped the pack off to prepare for our cave tour

Us after the cave tour. It was 42 degree inside the cave and you actually needed a light jacket.

Daddy and Jeffrey on the way back down.

More hiking pics

2008-07-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

Along with the warmer climate this is something that goes along with it. EEEEW!

The trail was crazy. Nice and paved, but a sheer drop off the other side. If it was Washington there would be railing the whole way.

He got sleepy on the way down. Places he can sleep amaze me.

Few More Pics of House

2008-07-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of the house that we don't have yet. Our home in Issaquah continues to delay furthering delaying our move-in date here in Salt Lake. Move in day is supposedly July 18 at this time. :)

Peek-a-boo says Jeffrey peaking out one of the doors from a bedroom in the basement.

One of the reasons we love this house is the good size basement family room. We were looking at TVs at Costco today! :)

Upstairs bath

One of the upstairs bedrooms.

Living room

Move Update

2008-06-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

Well our house sold and we're handing it over on June 20 which is just next week. We'll be in Portland Saturday for a wedding and then the rest of the week in Issaquah preparing for movers to come take our things away on Wednesday. They'll be putting our things in storage and about one week later we'll have posession of our new home!! Hopefully everything goes as planned. We have a building inspection on Friday for our new home, and if that checks out we'll be set. Here are a few pictures of the new home. They had tons online so I didn't take many pictures, but they've already taken the house off the market. I'll take more during the inspection on Friday to post. We love the large back yard and it's adorable street apeal. The house is located south of the University of Utah which is an area with lots of amenities that will be very close. I.e. parks, shops, eateries and lots of other families and neighbors to meet (since we don't know very many people here). One of the main criteria was to have both a living room (without Jeffrey toys) and a rec room which is in the basement which will be kid mania. :) The house has lots of old character from 1948. A few changes, since we were a little under our house budget, will be to remove the current garage and add a slightly larger garage to the back of the property to store our boat. It's important for us to keep the same feel of the neighborhood with the garage so it doesn't stick out like a soar thumb. John's trying to talk me into using 10 foot garage doors, but I haven't agreed. It seems really big. Trying to keep him in check. :) We'll also eventually tackle the kitchen, but this won't happen right away. Well have four bedrooms and plenty of room for out of town guests!!

Daddy Mt Bikes

2008-06-11T08:20:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day weekend, John was in a 24 hour Mt Bike Race with his good buddy Earl. It was just outside of Spokane and each lap was about 14 miles. Each person on the team rotated riding and by the end of the race each team member had gone about three times each. I caught John finishing his third lap of the race. Woohooo!!

Jeffrey and Logan (Earl and Megan's little one)

Us Look-alike Meter

2008-05-28T20:43:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Descendents - Geneology

New York, New York

2008-05-13T21:54:00.000-07:00

As many know, I just returned from a three day trip to New York. I've never been to The Big Apple and it was everything I expected and more. I went with my good friend Leah for our 30th birthday and a little mommy vacation. We stayed with her sister Tera in mid-Manhatten. We were minutes from everything and Tera did a wonderful job planning our experiences for the visit.

We took the redeye on Wednesday evening and arrived earlier Thursday morning. Leah and I braved the subway during rush hour that morning into the city. We arrived at Tera's (a few blocks from Central Park and the Time Warner building), slept for a few hours and then hit the streets. We first walked around most of the Southern part of Central Park. We finished the Central Park tour at the Metropolitan Museum and took a one hour "highlights" tour. My favorite part was the paintings done by Monet and Van Gough. It was amazing to see such familiar pieces of art that close. After the museum, we walked back on Madison Ave. Lots of highend shops, boutiques and beautiful brown stone homes. We only went into a few shops, but the most famous was Tiffany's (the one from Breakfast At Tiffany's). Tera and Adam then took us to a Mexican dinner a few blocks from their apartment. They had yummy guacamole that they made right at your table - avacado is one of my favorite!! We stayed up late, and ended the evening at a bar right below their apartment called Kennedy.

Leah at a fountain in Central Park.

Part of the Metropolitan Museum. Isn't it beautiful!!

One of the rooms we toured at the museum, and one of my favorites.

The next morning Leah and I caught a cab to the piers where we went on a three hour boat tour, The Harbour Tour. It was a great way to see the different areas of Manhatten, the vastness of the city and the different bouroughs. The tour guide gave lots of current and historical information about everything and the boat also swung by the Statue of Liberty. Smaller then I thought it was going to be. It was also interesting to see how the statue seemed more off the coast of New Jersey then New York. It was very rainy and windy that day, so most of my pictures didn't turn out trying to peak out the window. After the tour, we took a bus to Time Square. Probably one of the busiest parts to New York while we were there. We didn't get much time here, we needed to go and change for dinner and the play we had that evening. We had dinner at Thalia. Very yummy and then headed over to see the Broadway play, Avenue Q. Very halarious play. The characters were puppets with human problems that lived on Avenue Q - they were trying to find their purpose in life. Here's a peak at some of the play:

http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoinfo.cfm?showid=37

After the play, Leah and I walked back and arrived at Tera and Adam's drenched from all the rain. :) The next day's weather was much better. :)

We had Tera with us the next day and started at Rockefeller Center. While there, we went to the "Top of the Rock" which was top of the Rockefeller Center Building. It was a gourgeous view and one of the highlights! Next we met Tera's friends in the meat packing district for a Champagne brunch. I tell ya eating and drinking is the main event while in New York - there's plenty of it!! Of course, another wonderful meal with great company. For the rest of the day we trecked through the many other parts of Manhatten such as Greenwich Village, SOHO, NOHO, China Town, and Little Italy. So much to see, I really want to go back and spend some time in some of these places.

Top of the Rock with Leah and Tera

Little Italy

Finally we made our way down to the southern end of Manhatten, where we saw the Twin Tower's site (very sombering), and the financial district and the NYSE. The subway was underconstruction there so we took a combination of buses and subways to find our way back to Tera's. I'm so glad I was traveling with Tera and Leah - they were so good with directions and figuring out the transporation systems. I eventually caught onto some, but they were really quick with it. :)

Later that night we went out to dinner with Tera. Again, very yummy. It was a place where you order a few entree's and then share. So we had 6-7 dishes between the three of us (that's what was recommended) but I think we would have been good with 5. We finally ended our NY fun at Kennedy's next to Tera's again. I had the best time visiting with the two of them until the wee hours of the morning. It's true, NY never sleeps!! :) Tera/Leah, thanks again for the great experience!! You both are such wonderful friends and loved experiencing NY with you!!

More New York, New York

2008-05-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

The blog won't allow me to post more then a few pictures at a time, so here are a few more from the trip:

View out of the Time Warner building while we had a cup of coffee and danish one morning.

On the boat

Leah in Time Square

View from the Top of the Rock at Central Park

Last of New York

2008-05-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

For more photos, check out Leah's blog. There's a link to hers under "My Favorite Sites".

Leah and Tera, Little Italy

Leah and I, New York Stock Exchange

Last evening in New York. We had great fun! Thanks again!

Jeffrey Photo Shots

2008-05-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

Just the other week we attended a Little Gym open house as a family. While we were there they were taking pictures. She caught the most wonderful images of Jeffrey!! I love his facial expressions! My scanner isn't top notch, but here are the images we purchased from her. They really do capture Jeffrey's facial expression far better then I could have with my little digital camera.

Papa's 60th Birthday Bash

2008-04-24T17:39:00.000-07:00

The last group of pictures will be from our vacation to Phoenix, AZ to celebrate Jeffrey's Papa's 60th birthday. It was a huge surprise for Papa. John and Lauri (and some help from others) had been planning the occasion for months and we pulled it off. Russ knew he was going to Phoenix to spend some time with Mary and some friends, but little did he know there were no friends involved in the trip, just his family!! We surprised him at the rental house by greeting him at the door. He was pretty shocked. Throughout the weekend the surprises kept coming. We had purchased NASCAR tickets for Saturday, a day of golf, plus Lauri and Renato had assembled a heart warming tribute DVD with pictures of Russ through the years. Finally John presented Russ with a framed stamp letting him know that he is now a registered Professional Engineer. Something he's always wanted John to pursue. We know he had a great time, and it was good that we had that time to spend with each other since we don't all live in the same area. Hopefully Russ wasn't too disappointed to have the weekend with us (which included three toddlers moving about) instead of his friends. :) Here are some pictures from the extended weekend.

Papa with Sofia and Zach

More Phoenix Fun

2008-04-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

One more of the boys

Lauri, Russ and John in the pits at PIR (Phoenix Int'l Raceway)

I believe this is Tony Stewart's car

Cheerio car :)

NASCAR fans are like no other!! I could not find a singler person sitting around us that was not sporting a hat or shirt without their favorite racer. We so stuck out like a sore thumb, not just because we had no gear, but because we also had all of our front teeth. :)

More NASCAR

2008-04-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

The experience was like nothing else. I've watched these races on television and there's nothing like seeing it in person. The cars are so loud and they go so fast your heart starts to race especially since you're sitting only feet from the track. It was hard to catch a car going by with a camera, but here are a few more I captured.

I finally got a picture of one going right in front of us.

Pool Time

2008-04-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

Our backyard oasis for four days

Little Miss Sofia

My Mom came down Friday night and stayed through Sunday morning to hang with us and take care of the little ones while we went to the race Saturday. I'm so glad she came. :)

Jeffrey loves the water.

Zach and Jeff

2008-04-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

"It's OK Zach, I've got you."

Zach has the devil look and Jeffrey looks like he's going to thump someone.

Birthday Boy!

2008-04-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey's birthday landed on a Thursday so we celebrated the prior Saturday with our family and friends in the area. It was great fun and nice to have many who know Jeffrey so well to be able to make it. I'm sure if he could talk he would say...Thanks for coming to my party!! Here are some images from the day.

Cake

My birthday lunch!

I'm one!!

Birthday Cake

2008-04-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

Here are the historic birthday cake pictures. He loved squishing the cake but didn't care too much for eating it. Oh, and note the snow outside. John was BBQing dogs and hamburgers in that. Also, Grammy, Grandpa and Great Grandma were suppose to make it from Spokane, but got stuck in Eastern Washington because of the unusual snow too. The party must go on, but we missed them. :)

Friends at my party

2008-04-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

First off in the line-up, Andrew. Three feet, 30 pounds. Brown eyes and blond hair. He's impressed with the girl turn out at the party.

Next is Cora sporting her pink pok a dots and keeping the babies in line at the party :)

Now there's Kate making sure the wrapping paper goes by her before leaving the group.

Finally, we have Mieka. The smallest sized one of the group, but don't put it past her to claim her steak on the wrapping paper too.

The girls always gather around me.

March San Mateo Visit

2008-04-24T17:26:00.001-07:00

Here are a few more pics from our visit to San Mateo last month. We were there for my 30th birthday while John was at a conference. I got to spend my 30th birthday with some kids and adults that I absolutely love. :) Thanks for the ice cream cake Lauri and Sofia - it was unforgetably good!!

Jeffrey and Zach

Sofia roped Jeffrey and Zach into playing dress-up with her. What good sports they are. Don't you love Jeffrey as the butterfly!

Aunt Lauri and I

Cousin Sofia and I. She absolutely fascinates Jeffrey. He's always watching her every move and laughs at everything she does. I think Sofia enjoys the audience too.

Cousins

2008-03-25T23:47:00.000-07:00

I just got some pictures from John's sister Lauri. We spent 4 days visiting San Mateo and Jeffrey got a real taste of his cousins. :) Here's a quick post. I'll post more in the next few days.

And we're back

2008-03-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone that's been following our story. Yes, it has been sometime. Honestly, I just got sooo far behind I didn't want to spend the time to catch up. Well I just made the decision to start with more recent news and photos, and if I get a chance I'll throw in some holiday pictures I didn't get around to posting.

It seems like Halloween came around at the end of October and we've been going ever since with one holiday or event after another. Jeffrey has gone through so many changes in the mean time. He's turning one at the beginning of April (if you can believe it) and continues to be a very happy little boy. John and I say to each other, at minimum, once a day how lucky we are to have him.

My mommy struggle with him at the moment is schedule. We just came off of a week vacation in Whistler where his sleep schedule was WAY off (he didn't want to sleep) and now with the time change. I'm trying to eliminate his morning nap since he's been waking up at 8 a.m. (his normal 7 a.m. before the time change). Since it's later in the morning I thought it might make a good transition to having one nap. The first day was fine, but I can just see him getting more tired during the day and totally zonking out at night. So now I'm second guessing myself. I think he still needs both naps. Although, I really liked having longer stretches during the day to do things - he needs to sleep. :)

BIG NEWS. The latest from our neck of the woods is we're moving in a few months to Salt Lake City!! John's company got another light rail job there and they've asked John to run the project. It's an extension to the airport from the city. People keep asking me if I'm excited for the move and quite truthfully I'm neither excited nor disapointed. It's a great opportunity for John, it gives us an excuse to sell our home and get out of the country life (I miss city life), and SLC is a great place to raise kids. On the other side, we'll be further from our family and good friends (although closer to you Angie!!). The family and friends is a good enough excuse to turn down the offer, but we're hoping and planning to come back. So this will be an experience for a few years (up to four) while Jeffrey is young. SLC is Delta airlines hub so you can usually find a direct flight from most major cities. :) Come visit us!!

As I've mentioned we've been really busy the last few months. Here's some pictures and highlights you can see (mostly of Jeffrey).

December, Jeffrey out with Grammy

January - Jeffrey's first Little Gym class

January - pre haircut

Again, pre haircut

First Haircut

2008-03-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

What do you plan on doing with those?

All done, and LOVED the car

Many Faces of Jeffrey (post cut)

2008-03-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

Mt Hood

2008-03-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

Mt Hood was a blast over President's day weekend. We're always accompanied with great friends and have a wonderful time. This year we had babies to entertain us. For a very brief time, we took Kate and Jeffrey out in sleds while we were there. They looked less then amused the whole time. We'll have to see how next year goes (hopefully everyone will join us in SLC)!! :)

Not a great shot of John, but Jeffrey enjoying Winter Squash on Mt Hood

Anthony and Kate take the slopes

Jeffrey in his back pack

Again, very amused

Little Gym

2008-03-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate to have my mom fly over for a visit the last week of February while John was traveling out of town for work. Jeffrey loved having her here. He always gets attention 100% of the time and has withdrawals when she leaves. She was our personal photographer during her visit. I wish we would of gotten some pictures with her. :)

Seattle Aquarium

2008-03-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

During Mom's visit we met Kate and Leah at the Seattle Aquarium for the afternoon. Jeffrey and Kate loved the aquarium. Very interested in those water creatures. Kate kept trying to reach through the glass at the fish swimming by. Lots of things to touch and feel too!!

The scuba guy feeding in the tank swam up to Kate and Jeffrey, but I don't think they realized it was a person.

Whistler

2008-03-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm up to just last week now!! We stayed for a week at Whistler with Jared, Anneliese, Cora, Mieka and Grandma Liz. We had a wonderful time and these pictures are actually what inspired me to get back on my horse with the blogging. I'd never been to Whistler before and it was sooo gorgeous there. I really liked the village. We were fortunate enough to stay in the village where there were shops, restaurants and coffee stops! The car didn't move from the moment we arrived because everything is right there including the ski lifts! Although wonderful, a lift ticket was super expensive. I wasn't inspired to ski for $80 a day but I did take a few gondola rides that made it all worth it! :) John said the snow was great boarding the first day (Tuesday) but the rest of the week it wasn't good. I'll probably post a few times to fit all the pictures in.

Cora (3) skiing for the first time!!

This picture cracks me up. They're trying to make their way to the "moving sidewalk" to go up the little hill.

More Whistler pics

2008-03-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey's been waving more and more lately

Whistler

2008-03-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm usually the one taking the pictures. Here's more with me in them :) It's fun being on top of the world.

The newest member of Kiss. No, he's not related to Gene Simmons.

Self portrait!!

Last of Whistler

2008-03-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey went everywhere in his back pack. Here's the boys.

Uncle Mark's visit

2007-09-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

My brother Mark was in town for a few days. We went out to lunch and took him to the airport to go back to Spokane today. Here's a few pictures to document our short visit.

Zachary's Baptism Weekend

2007-09-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

Our weekend in San Mateo. Our nephew and god son Zach was baptized and we flew to SFO for the occasion. Papa, Grandma Mary, Lolo (Zach's Grandpa), Lola (Zach's Grandma), Zach's Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Rory, plus many more friends were there for the occasion. On Saturday we got to see the progress that's been made on Lauri and Renato's new home. All the demo work had been completed and they basically now have an inhabitable home, but oh the beauty it will be once it's finished. :) Again, Jeffrey was wonderful for both flights to and back from California. We tell ourselves everyday how lucky we are to have such a great baby boy. He is so patient with us, loving, happy, sweet and don't forget, so gosh darn cute.

My boys

Zachary's Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Rory

The happy family: Lauri, Sofia, Zachary and Renato

Streetcar Unveiling

2007-09-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo of the streetcar that will run through John's job once completed. There was an unveiling ceremony a week ago when the car arrived. In the background you can see the maintenance facility they're also constructing for the streetcar system. All the track work is complete, what's left is getting power lines for the cars tested, platform shelters for commuters installed and lots of small clean-up projects. They rebuilt many areas of the streets the cars will be running on so part of some of the clean-up work is finishing curbs/sidewalks and such. It looks great and we can't wait to see the finished product in December. :)

A look at the streetcar and maintenance facility in the background. Also, a glimpse of the track work.

A closer look at la familia

Watch out Jeffrey, YOU'RE GOING TO GET HIT!!!

He's OK. :) Posing in his new all terrain stroller. Great for our dirt road walks in the sticks where we live. :)

I'm Back

2007-09-25T20:18:00.000-07:00

Well it's been almost a month since I've posted anything. Falling behind, but only because we've been busy, busy, busy as usual. John has been working around the clock to get the streetcar ready for testing in Seattle. He's really feeling the pressure so cars will be up and running for the public this Christmas shopping season. They'll make it, but not without some long hours. Hence, Jeffrey and I took a week in Spokane to visit my family since we wouldn't be seeing much of John. We missed him tremendously. Thankfully, this last weekend we flew to SFO as a family to visit John's sister and her family again for Zachary's baptism. It was a wonderful weekend with John's family and especially the time we got to spend with each other. Now we're back to the grind stone again, but give it a month and we'll have John back (probably more then we want - hehe). Here are some pictures from over the past month....enjoy. Can you believe Jeffrey is almost 6 months old?!!! He's just starting to get the hang of holding his own bottle up without help. I feel like he doesn't need me anymore now. :)

Following pictures were taken on a walk we took down Manito Blvd in Spokane. A very beautiful streel on the south hill ending at Manito Park.

Jeffrey with Great Grandma's dog, Cindy

Great Grandma and Jeffrey in the rose garden at Manito Park

Gramdma and Jeffrey in the rose garden

Alki Beach Walk

2007-08-29T22:08:00.001-07:00

Today, Jeffrey and I met Leah, Kate and Deb at Alki for a walk. It was a beautiful day to be spending time by the water walking in the sunshine. Be careful, it won't be long before fall roles in and days like this will be hard to come by.

I can't believe this weekend is Labor Day. Most kids go back to school on Tuesday. It will be odd not teaching at all this year. I love working and the schedule it hold you to. I actually feel like I get more accomplished in a day when I'm working knowing home time isn't as easy to come by and I use that time more wisely. Now, I know there's always tomorrow to finish that one last load of laundry. :)

I think I will try to be more diligent with a workout schedule. That might be what gets Jeffrey and I more scheduled this fall. They have baby and mommy swim workouts at the pool as well as the stroller strides workouts (which are wonderful but just as expensive to attend as joining a gym). Both these are at the Issaquah Community Center. I like how they are trying to give mom's options to workout since they don't offer daycare services.

Anyways, here's some pictures of Leah, Grandma Deb, and Kate - Three generations. They look great and isn't Seattle a gorgeous city! :)

Goodbye Dr. Vidal

2007-08-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey has had the most wonderful pediatrician since he was born, but unfortunetally she's moving to the east coast with her family. She was very personable, gave us great advice and treated Jeffrey wonderfully. We will trully miss her.

Our doctors appointment on Monday we weighed Jeffrey at 18 lb 2oz and 26 incches.

Good Morning

2007-08-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey is such a delight in the mornings. We were just wrapping up breakfast on Sunday and John grabbed a few shots of me with my sweet little guy.

GO HAWKS

2007-08-29T21:46:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we received some tickets to one of the Seahawk's preseason games. It was Jeffrey and my first Seahawk's game. We sat in the bleacher seats at the end of Qwest field and the were sooo high and the climb was so steep. It was quite scary once you sat down, because it felt like if you moved a bit too far farward you would topple over hundreds of feet onto the field. I must say, the seats had an exceptional view as you can see from the pictures.

Visiting Grandpa

2007-08-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

This last Friday, Jeffrey and I had breakfast with Amanda, Leah and Kate, saw John at work and then spent the afternoon at Papa's house where we later went out to mexican with John and Grandma Mary. Here's a picture of the boys - Papa, Dad and Jeffrey

First Food

2007-08-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

Well Jeffrey is really getting into eating. We've had him eating a little rice cereal for the last few weeks and today we tried prunes. He ate them like a champ and I think wanted more. :) Here's a look at what I get to look forward to from here on out. FUN.

San Mateo here we come

2007-08-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a short week in San Mateo, CA where John's sister, Lauri, and her family live. This was Jeffrey's first airplane ride and he did wonderfully!! On our way to SFO from Seattle our flight was delayed for two hours - recipe for disaster with an infant. To our surprise he was a seasoned traveler on his way to see his cousins Sofia and Zachary. :)

We had a great time during our visit. We left Wednesday afternoon and met everyone at their new house they just got posession of. Lauri and Renato are in the midst of planning for renovating this new house and it was fun to get the creative juices flowing. Thursday, John left for a conference in Napa so Jeffrey and I spent the day with Uncle Renato, Sofia and Zach. We walked to Peet's for coffee and breakfast and the headed over to the park where Sofia showed off her advanced climbing skills. Later, we spent some time at their current house for naps and a bit of time in the swing. :)

Boarding the plane to San Mateo

Waking up the next morning with Sofia and Jeffrey

Jeffrey after our time at the park. :)

Time in San Mateo

2007-08-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

John returned on Friday where we spent time at the pool with all the kids - lots of fun and my favorite thing to do (especially when it's sunny!). That evening we took a picnic to a local park and listened to some live music. Saturday was our last day. We dropped Renato off to play tennis and the rest of us went out to breakfast and enjoyed some time at the park together. Again, Sofia demonstrated her climbing skills, we took a walk and before leaving, spent time at the water fountain where Sofia HAD A BLAST!! It was dancing water and I don't think I've heard a little girl laugh so hard so much. :)

After our time at the park we had lunch at a burger joint called Jeffrey's. Sofia jokes, "Jeffrey, did you have lunch at Jeffrey's today? Hehe." That evening Lauri fixed us a fabulous dinner with salmon and risotto (with help from her assistant - me). We spent more time hashing out a kitchen layout for their new home and went to sleep.

We had a wonderful time and always look forward to seeing them again.

Sofia playing with her cousin Jeffrey

Waiting for our table to eat breakfast

Jeffrey and John at the park after our picnic

Sofia at the park

Jeffrey with his Boys Club hat on. It says, "No girls allowed. Moms are okay." :)

Sofia and the Water Fountain

2007-08-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

As I said, Sofia had a blast at the water fountain. Look at that diaper!! :)

More Kate pictures

2007-08-19T21:31:00.001-07:00

2007-08-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

The weekend after Kate was born we went to visit the new addition. She's doing lovely. :)

And here she is...

2007-08-07T16:29:00.001-07:00

Here's Kate at not even a full day old. :) Leah, Anthony and Kate are doing well.

She's here!!

2007-08-06T21:43:00.001-07:00

We got the best news tonight. Leah and Anthony had their baby girl and named her Kate Irene. She was born at 7 p.m. on August 6 and weighs 8 lb. 4 oz. We haven't seen her yet, but will be paying them a visit tomorrow!! :) Of course I'll post pictures soon.

What's funny is Becky and Kyle hosted a dinner the weekend before we had Jeffrey and now it looks like Kate was born the week after dinner at Becky and Kyle's too! They must have something in the water - or some damn fine barbequing by Kyle. :)

Mom and baby are doing well. I can't help but think if she will someday be Kate Irene Boknecht in 20 some years. :)

Happy 30th Becky!!

2007-08-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Becky's 30th birthday!! We had a wonderful time!! :)

Jeffrey with his peeps.

Becky and nephew Tristan

Becky with nephews Joey and Tristan

Happy Birthday to you

End to our week

2007-08-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

To end the week, we took Jeffrey to his 4 month doctor's appointment and everything checks out wonderfully. He's a very healthy baby.

Friday, we went to another Mariner's game and the noisiest and most crowded game I've ever been to. Jeffrey was pretty good the last game we attended at the beginning of summer, but Friday night's game against Boston was crazy. The games start fairly late for him, around 7 p.m., so we just assumed he'd sleep through the second half, but because it was a sold out game the stadium was unusually loud and made it impossible for Jeffrey to stay asleep. Let's just say I did a lot of walking around with Jeffrey in the Bjorn. I don't think I watched a whole at bat attending Friday night's game. Boston apparently has a huge following, and if I didn't know any better, it felt like the Red Sox home field instead of the M's. :) It would have been a more exciting game without Jeffrey...we'll remember for next time Boston is in town. :)

Saturday was the true end to our week. John had to work and we planned to head down to Rochester to celebrate Becky's 30th birthday!! Jeffrey and I hitched a ride with Leah and Anthony and spent the day at their lake place in Olympia. Jeffrey visited with Anthony's parents Joe and Moreen, and he entertained us most of the day. He apparently recovered from the previous evening. :) Here are a few pictures with Leah and Anthony.

John later met up with us at Becky's birthday party in Rochester. We didn't get home until 1:00 in the morning - who says having a baby slows you down?!! :)

Leah's due date is quickly approaching!! There's lots of dates floating around, but we expect the baby to come next weekend! :) They will be the best parents, and we can't wait to have BG (baby girl) here to entertain us with Jeffrey.

Jeffrey with Anthony at the Lake

Jeffrey with Leah

He's not crying. It was so windy it made his eyes water. :)

Dealing with his eyes. :)

Angie and Lilly visit from Boise

2007-08-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

The next morning, after our BBQ, I picked up Angie and Lilly at the airport visiting for a few days. We had so much fun and I know I sent Angie and Lilly home needing another vaction from this vacation!! :) I unfortunetally didn't get any pictures with Lilly or Angie, but they took one of Jeffrey and I at the Wedgewood Pool. This was Jeffrey's second time at a pool, and although you can't tell from the picture, he was having a GREAT time. Once it gets warmer, I'm going to try taking him to another pool.

Doug and Megan

2007-08-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

So after our wonderful evening with my cousins and aunt, the next day, we had a BBQ at our house to visit with John's cousin and wife in town from North Carolina. We saw the cutest pictures of their dog, Java, and had a great time watching the Mariner's game with Russ, Mary, Vi, Frank, Wandi, Jim, Doug and Megan. Not only did we celebrate Doug and Megan's visit, but we also celebrated Frank and Jim's birthday AND, Uncle Jim's retirement. Lot's of reasons to be with family. Here are a few pictures of Doug with Jeffrey. Very cute. :) I'm really disppointed I didn't get a picture of Megan with Jeffrey too. I need to get more camera happy. :)

Farewell Dawn, Owen and Olivia

2007-07-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

Well the day has come for my aunt and cousins to return to Germany. Although we wish they were here all the time, we know they love it at home too and are probably very happy to be on the plane going back as I speak. :) We met at my aunt's sister Doreen's house for a BBQ and to say goodbye. I think Jeffrey will miss them a lot! :)

John, Jeffrey and Olivia

Me, Olivia and Jeffrey

Jeffrey and those BIG eyes! :)

Olivia, Me, Owen and Jeffrey

More pictures from the Evening

2007-07-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of Jeffrey with Aunt Dawn and myself.

Jeffrey, "Please Aunt Dawn, don't go."

We'll see you next year!!

2007-07-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who visited our launch on the world wide web. Keep checking back for more pictures and to find out what's happening in our neck of the woods.

Yesterday, we got back from a four day weekend at Cresent Bar with good friends Jared and Anneliese and their two children Cora and Mieka. We had a wonderful time except for when John threw his back out waterskiing. He was so hurt he spent most of one day in bed and the rest of the time sitting in one chair or another. He's getting around OK now, but really stiff.

Mieka is one month younger then Jeffrey - they had fun together. Our families spent time together last year at Cresent Bar, but that was pre-babies. All we had was Cora. This summer will be remembered as the summer of babies with night feedings and everyone in bed by 10 or 11. We weren't up till the wee hours drinking and playing games this year. :) It was nice to be with good company, have John around for four days in a row (even though he was disabled), and soak in some warm sun!!

Today, I unpacked a bit around the house and played with Jeffrey. When John came home we packed up and went to a park in Issaquah to hear some live music and have dinner. The following pictures are John and Jeffrey at the park and then Jeffrey sacked out at home waiting to go to bed.

2007-07-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

What a weekend we just had. John's sister Lauri, husband Renato, and kids Sofia and Zachary came to visit. Jeffrey and Zachary are only a month a part, and can you tell which one is older? I bet you guessed the wrong one. Jeffrey is quite large for his age and is actually a month younger then his cousin Zachary.

This weekend was the first time our families have spent time together since the boys were born and we trully hope it happens more frequently even though they live in the Bay Area and we live in the Seattle area.

These first set of pictures are of the boys getting well aquainted standing side by side. We had just finished eating Ivars fish and chips on the beach. One of our favorite lunch spots.

"Hey Jeffrey, look at my feet!!"

"No, you have to pick em up like this Zach"

Hey, you boys been drinking?

And then we have Sofia who found some clean dirt while we played with the babies.

2007-07-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

Not only did we have family here over the weekend, but our good friends Leah and Anthony had family in the area as well. We were lucky enough to catch Jennifer, Matthew and Lauren on their annual trip to Seattle from Las Vegas. This was their first time meeting Jeffrey. We took a ferry to Bainbridge Island for the afternoon where we had dinner by the water and had a wonderful time catching up with our ol' pals. :)

Matthew and Jeffrey

Matthew, Lauren and Jeffrey

Lauren and Matthew

Jeffrey, as cute as can be. :)

2007-07-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of Sofia and Zachary's visit.

Sofia's first bus ride on the way to the Street of Dreams.

Zach in the Bumbo giving Jeffrey the staredown.

Sofia taking care of the babies. She's very good and gentle with both Zach and Jeffrey. She's only two and says she's not a "big girl" but a "little girl and a big sister".

The dads trying to figure out the hightech baby gear.

2007-07-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, before everyone went home, John's family met at Grandpa Russ and Grandma Mary's house for a BBQ.

Great Grandma Vi, Aunt Lauri, Grandpa, Dad, Sofia, Zachary and Jeffrey

The Four Generations

Aunt Lauri, Grandpa, Dad, Zachary and Jeffrey

Notice the babies half asleep at this point. :)

Grandpa, Dad, Great Grandma Vi and Jeffrey

2007-07-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken during a visit with my parents who live by Spokane. We were strolling around the neighborhood and Jeffrey was in the best mood! :)

2007-07-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we received this adorable chair in the mail from Stephanie. Jeffrey isn't sitting up yet, but this seat for babies allows him to do so.

Not sure what to do with this.

Catching on.

Not so bad! :)