The Miner Family

The Latest

2010-05-12T15:21:00.003-07:00

Here's what the boys have been up to lately.....

Kevin decided to take off his training wheels. A week later he is jumping off things and trying stunts. Please pray for mommy, I have a heart attack almost every day. Kid has no fear!

Mark is rocking it in TBall. The other day he said "Mom, did you know that some guys play baseball as their job?!" He wants to be a pitcher, and he's definately got the arm for it!

Kevin started TBall with the City of Fresno. He's watched his brother for a while now and is super excited to have a team of his own now!

Happy Birthday Kevin!!

2010-02-08T18:02:00.001-08:00

I can't believe my baby is now 3 years old! I also can't imagine life without him. He has brought so much joy to our family and there is never a dull moment when Kevin is around! He is the most loving, independent, friendly, daring, crazy kid I know, and everyone loves him. For his birthday, we let him have the perfect day which included the the donut shop for breakfast, a date with Dad for lunch, and John's Incredible Pizza for dinner. He wore his party hat just about the entire day, and let everyone we passed know he was 3 (while holding up his 3 fingers) and a big boy. We love you Kevin!

2009 in Pictures

2010-01-03T19:04:00.001-08:00

We weren't on top of things this year and never got a Christmas card done, so this is the next best thing! Here's what happened in the Miner family in 2009.

JANUARY

Mark played basketball with the City of Fresno.

FEBRUARY

Kevin Turned 2!!

Mark went to Colorado for work and Marky went along to spend some one on one time with his grandparents.

MARCH

Dad and the boys went to a Monster Truck show with some of their friends. I think this will become an annual event.

Mark started Cal Ripkin TBall and had his dad for a coach. Both of them had a blast and are looking forward to next season!

APRIL

The boys took their first family camping trip. Mom was sick that day and stayed home, but Dad handled it like a champ and everyone had a great time!

Grandma and Grandpa came and watched the boys while Mark and I went to Sacramento for a few days. We went hiking, shopping, and ate a lot of good food!

MAY

We took our first California mountain hike. It wound up being longer than expected but everyone had fun. It's fun to see all the different parts of Cali!

Our first beach trip of the year was at the end of May. Our goal was to make it to the beach at least 3 times during the summer, and we accomplished our goal!

JUNE

We bought a house!

The YW in our church made a trip to the Oakland temple, and our family went along. I was grateful for the opportunity to take my family to such a wonderful place!

JULY

The Miner family reunion was at Shaver Lake this year. The boys were in heaven getting to do all sorts of fun activities and having all their cousins around to play with.

Mark had his 5th birthday while we were on vacation. He had a perfect day of fishing, boating, and having a party with his family.

AUGUST

Mark started Kindergarten at Figarden Elementary. He absolutely loves school, and I have enjoyed working in his classroom.

SEPTEMBER

We spent a few days in Las Vegas with Grandma and Grandpa. We all found the Hoover Dam pretty amazing, and the boys loved their souvenir helmats so much, they used them for their halloween costumes.
Also, Mark went on his first field trip as a Kindergartener and big Mark was able to go along as a chaperone. Both of them had a great time and hope to go on another one soon!

OCTOBER

We go to the Fresno Fair every year, but this time we braved a few rides. Kevin and I loved the Ferris Wheel because you could see the entire Fair from up there. I also learned Kevin is not afraid of heights, but Marky sure is!

We heard about a really neat pumkin patch/farm from some friends of ours. I think we will go back here every year from now on! The have hay rides, a mini haunted maze (for little kids) a corn maze, and you get to pick out your own pumpkins.

NOVEMBER

Another sport, and another coaching gig for Dad! He coached Marky's soccer team and again, both father and son had a great time!

We traveled to Utah for Thanksgiving break, and the boys had their first ski trip! They must have Colorado blood running through them because they both did great and can't wait to go again.

Everyone went shooting while we were in Utah and Kevin shot a 22 for the first time. Mommy was very nervous, but Dad had things under control and Kevin loved it.

DECEMBER

I let the kids decorate the tree this year. Kevin got really into it and put a bunch of ornaments on his section. I am proud to say that the tree stayed just how they did it, despite my constant urge to fix it.

Notice someone missing??? Mark was excited to sit on Santa's lap and tell him everything he wanted for Christmas. Kevin was having none of it. Thus, we have a Santa picture of only Mark. Maybe next year!

We had quiet Christmas at home this year with just the 4 of us. At first I was pretty upset that we would be spending the first Christmas ever without any extended family, but I soon came to realize that the people that matter most live under my roof. We still did all the things we normally do, just with a little less food!

A few days after Christmas, we headed to Sierra Summit to let the boys ski. Kevin stayed on the toddler hill, but did a lot of skiing on his own, and Marky moved up to the green hill and went 2.5 miles down the mountain next to Dad. Mom watched and took pictures.

2009 has been an eventful year for us. We are truly grateful for the experiences we've had this year, and the people that we shared them with. Let's hope 2010 is just a great!

When Mom Leaves...

2009-09-28T07:56:00.001-07:00

the boys get really creative. Yesterday they found the facepaint. This was Dad's creation.

Viva Las Vegas

2009-09-21T00:43:00.001-07:00

This weekend we spent a few days in Las Vegas with Grandma and Grandpa. We had a great time celebrating Grandpa's birthday, touring the Hoover Dam, seeing downtown Las Vegas, eating REALLY yummy food, and swimming in the beautiful hotel pool. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for spending the weekend with us! It was fun to get away and play for a little bit!

Happy Boys! All smiles when Gma and Gpa are around!

Checking out the M&M Nascar. I'm not sure how they got it up to the 4th floor.

This will be a bridge that goes across the Hoover Dam starting late 2010. The picture doesn't do it justice, it was amazing!

Down inside the Hoover Dam-Kevin was very interested in how it all works, and loved looking at all the big tools and machines.

The coolest souveniers ever!! The boys were working on the Dam. I can't get them to take off the hard hats! I think we may have just discovered our Halloween costumes for this year.

When I Grow Up.....

2009-09-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

Mark had to take some things to his jobsite (the Foster Farms plant in Livingston) and we decided to make a family trip out of it. The boys love going to dad's work to see the crane, boom truck, and tractors (not sure what exactly they are called.) They found some hard hats and vests and played the boy version of dress up. Of course they didn't want to take it off and leave, but we bribed them with dinner and ice cream. Overall it was a fun way to spend the day as a family!

Birthday Pictures

2009-08-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

Kevin trying ou the pinata

Mark tried too, it took many tries to break it

Making a wish and blowing out the candle

Anxiously waiting to open presents

FINALLY!!!!

2009-08-17T23:45:00.000-07:00

I am very aware that I have gone the entire summer without any updates to the blog. I feel like the summer came and went and I somehow missed it! So what have we been up to?? Well let me tell you!!

June-

-We inadvertantly found out that the house we were renting was headed for foreclosure, so we decided to take advantage of all the tax credits and purchase a house.

We are so excited to have a home that is actually ours!! And I am really happy to be done moving. We will be staying here for many years!!!

July-

-We celebrated 4th of July by hanging out with friends and attending the Grizzlies baseball game. This has become a tradition for our family and I look forward to the fireworks show after the game!

-Mark's family from Colorado and Utah came to visit us for a family reunion at Shaver Lake. We had a lot of fun, and with 10 kids running around, there was always someone to play with! The kids cried when their cousins left, it was so nice to have them here!

-Marky turned 5! His birthday happened to be during our stay at Shaver lake, and he had to best day ever (according to him). He went fishing, drove a boat with grandpa, played at the lake, and had a party with all of his cousins. It really was the perfect day. I DO have pictures, however I am having difficulties downloading them, so I will post soon!

-Teresa (Mark's sis) and Sperry and their kids stayed a few extra days and since it was 105-110 in Fresno, we headed to the beach for some cool weather and relaxation. The kids got a kick out of being buried in the sand.

August-

-We have been busy preparing for school!!! I can't believe that I have a child in school, it just feels too weird. Today was Mark's first day of Kindergarten. I really need to stop calling him Marky, since he reminds me all the time that his name is just Mark. He seems to have grown up a lot in the last few months. He has been really excited about starting school and getting to play with his friends every day. I am excited to be on a normal schedule once again. This summer was kind of all over the place for us, and I discovered that we don't do too well with no structure. Anyway, here's to a great school year! I'm sure Mark and I will both be learning a lot!

All Grown Up

Easter 2009

2009-04-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

Making a mess with the eggs

Kevin finding his treasure

Mark trying to figure out how to get to his treasure

Posing before church with some of their loot

This year we had another quiet Easter Sunday at home. We went to church, dyed eggs, and had an Easter egg hunt in the back yard. It was low key and a nice way to spend a Sunday!

Top 10 Reasons I Love Mark

2009-04-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

10. He's the handiest man I know. He can fix anything. He can build anything. And we have garage full of tools to prove it.

9. He works hard at everything he does. He puts in an amazing amount of hours at work and then comes home and helps with the dishes, gives the boys a bath, and sings to them in bed. There's no "unwinding" time in his schedule, and he never complains about it.

8. He once got out of bed to drive 30 mins to change my flat tire.

7. I can still see a glimpse of the crazy, funny, teenage boy I had a crush on in high school.

6. He's always setting goals, and pushes me to do the same. There is nothing stagnant about life with him.

5. After 8 years, I still get excited to go on dates with him!

4. He stands up for his beliefs no matter what.

3. He lets the kids work along side him, even if it takes twice as long to complete a task.

2. He is a hero to my boys.

1. For some reason he wants ME to stand beside him forever, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend MY forever!

Happy Birthday Babe! I love you!!!

Fresno's Hidden Treasure

2009-04-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

"Hiking" to the river

Playing in the water and getting muddy

It started off ok......

But it ended in a MESS

Right here in Fresno there is a river with a small walking path and picnic tables that many people don't know about. The boys love to go and take the dogs for a swim. When the weather is nice (like right now) the boys get in the river as well, and everyone gets nice and dirty. I think it's a great place to spend an afternoon with the family, and I am happy to stand on the side and take pictures! It was pretty hot Saturday, so we got some ice cream after, and it's a good thing Kevin wasn't sitting INSIDE the truck when dad let him loose with a Wendy's Frosty!

Go Indians!!

2009-03-23T19:59:00.001-07:00

This weekend was the first TeeBall game of the season. We are the Cleveland Indians, and the little guys are just way too cute!! Mark is having fun coaching, Marky is having fun playing, and I am having fun hanging out with my friends watching!

2009-03-09T22:07:00.000-07:00

I have received a few comments about my dinner menu that I started recently. I thought it was a good way for me to keep track of my menus, but I cannot take credit for it! I stole the idea from my friend Laura. I just thought it was so neat I had to try it!!

Mommy-According to Marky

2009-03-06T17:16:00.000-08:00

I took this facebook quiz with Marky, and it was just too cute, so I am posting it here, mostly for my reference!

Here are answers from Marky-age 4

1. What is something mom always says to you?
"Ok, it's bedtime"

2. What makes mom happy?"
when I listen to you"

3. What makes mom sad?
"When I don't do what you say"

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
"when you say silly words"

5. What was your mom like as a child?
"I dont know because I wasn't born"

6. How old is your mom?
"68"

7. How tall is your mom?
"18 tall"

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
"Go to Bed, and play with the kids"

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
"go to stores"

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
"I dont know what that means"

11. What is your mom really good at?
"making lunch"

12. What is your mom not very good at?
"breaking glass"

13. What does your mom do for her job?
"go to meetings"

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
"anything"

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
"when you do stuff with us, and when you buy me toys"

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
"the girl one"

17. What do you and your mom do together?
"go on dates"

18. How are you and your mom the same?
"we read books"

19. How are you and your mom different?
"we wear different clothes"

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
"because i do fun things with you"

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
"target and the grocery store-but you don't like home depot"

Oh, out of the mouths of babes!!! Now I tag all my friendswith little ones to "interview" your children, it's pretty fun!

Pro Golfer

2009-03-02T23:18:00.000-08:00

Mark attended a golf tournament for his company on Friday. You can probably tell by the picture how well he did. Yes, the ball is still on the ground, but that was a great swing!

2009-03-02T23:14:00.000-08:00

Mark showed me this target as he was unloading his suitcase. I said, "Good job honey." Then he said, "No, this is Marky's target. He shot the 22." I'm not sure if I should be impressed or terrified!

Boys Trip

2009-02-27T15:19:00.000-08:00

This is the new version of "Marky's Park". He used to go there all the time when we lived in Colorado, so he thought it was his own park.
A different park Grandma and Grandpa took him to.

Hanging out in the Cockpit.

Here's a few pics from Mark and Marky's trip to Colorado. Mark went for work, and we decided to just send Marky with him this time. They had a lot of fun, and Marky loved the one on one time with both his dad and grandparents. Today he came home from Preschool and has been sleeping for over 2 hours!! I dont think he got much sleep this week!

Why did I agree to this???

2009-02-22T21:15:00.000-08:00

This is just some of it!!

My wonderful friend Lisa invited us (me and Kevin) over for dinner this evening!! It was really nice to get out of the house and have someone for Kevin to play with and adults for me to talk to. I had the dogs in the laundery room all morning while we were at church, so I decided to be nice and let them stayin the family room while we were gone. I gated off the kitchen and the hallway so they couldnt get into trouble....or so I thought!! I came home to the biggest mess I have ever seen!!! I have 3 diapers left from the box i bought YESTERDAY and absolutely no wipes other than those I had in my purse. The dogs found treasures from each room and took them to the family room to play. AHHHHHH Oh, and of course Mark is out of town so guess who gets to stay up all night and clean??? I'm not a happy camper.

Any Ideas???

2009-02-17T15:20:00.000-08:00

So Mark and Marky are going to Colorado Saturday through Thursday, and that leaves me and Kevin for dinner each night. I know I can't go to In and Out every night, but I don't know what to make for 1.5 servings and I would rather not be eating leftovers for a week. Any ideas? Does anyone have some simple recipes that would feed just me and Kevin??

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-15T20:35:00.000-08:00

This year we were so lucky to have Valentine's Day on Saturday, so we celebrated all day long! We started with donuts and little gifts in the morning and then headed off to Marky's last basketball game of the season. He got his trophy and proudly brought it home to join the others on the shelf. Then we had lunch and cleaned up the house and yard and the boys decorated. (There was lots of crepe paper!) After their hard work all the boys, including dad. took a much needed nap while I made sugar cookie dough. We had lots of fun making heart-shaped cookies, even though every surface in the kitchen got covered with flour. After a quick attempt at cleaning up, we headed to the Valentine's get together at church. They had salads and desserts, so that you could drop by and get a bite and socialize before going out with your sweetheart for the evening. I thought it was a pretty good idea, and the kids had fun running around with their friends. Soon we were back in the car heading to Me and Eds for heart shaped pizza! We had some friends over and the kids had a great time frosting cookies, eating pizza, and playing. It was a great way to spend Valentine's Day-family style!

Tagged- 5 Things

2009-02-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

5 Things I was doing 5 years ago:-
-Expecting my first baby
-Driving my Expedition
-Working Full Time
-Being a pregnant bridesmaid in 3 weddings
-Spending a lot of 1 on 1 time with my husband

5 Things on my to-do list today
-Laundery
-Watch Niki's kids
-Start sewing PJ's
-Clean my bathrooms
-Make dinner

5 Things I would do with a million dollars
-Buy a House
-Buy a Car
-Donate to a Charity
-Put away money for retirement
-Set up College Funds for my kids

5 Places I have lived
-Friendswood, TX
-Loveland, CO
-Rexburg, ID
-Clovis, CA
-Fresno, CA

5 jobs I have held
-Chuck E Cheese
-Student Patrol at Ricks College
-Security/Team Leader at Target
-Teller at Wells Fargo
-Stay at home Mom

5 things I want to be doing in 5 years-
-Going to School (not sure for what)
-Actively involved in my kids' schools
-Staying on a schedule
-Learning the Piano
-Be done having kids

5 people I tag
-Kerry
-Laura
-Kristen
-Tiffany
-Heather

They DO like each other!!!

2009-02-05T10:47:00.000-08:00

I walked into Kevin's room and found my boys like this! Too cute.

Happy Birthday Kevin!!

2009-02-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

Blowing out his candles

Excited with all the gifts

Marky enjoyed this more than Kevin

Kevin and Dad putting the Geotrax Airport together

Figuring out the scooter

He's good if it's not moving

This week we celebrated Kevin's second birthday. I can't believe he is already 2! Where does the time go? It's fun to see him get it this year. He smiled all day, and asked everyone to sing Happy Birthday to him several times. I can't imagine life withought my dear little Kevin. He brings so much joy to our family. He's the one that says the funniest things and makes you smile when you're having a bad day. I still think he's a baby, but he reminds me every day that he's not a baby, he just Kevin!

Catching Up!

2009-01-09T10:15:00.000-08:00

I know that I've been slacking on the blog, but now we are back to normal life and I promise to be better! December was crazy, but tons of fun! Mark took some time off, and we had Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Mike come visit for the holidays. We packed a lot of excitement into a couple of weeks, and we had a wonderful Christmas. Some highlights for us were:

Making cookies on Christmas Eve as a family. The boys loved rolling the dough, using the cookie cutters, frosting them, and of course eating them!
Going to see Marley and Me on Christmas Day. I don't think I have ever cried so hard at a movie! And I'm not really a dog person!
Getting in an accident in the rental car, not our fault but SUCH a pain!
Riding the train to Hanford and getting lunch at the Creamery.
Grandma's Hannah Montana Birthday Party! The boys worked really hard to put it all together.
Shooting rockets
Fixing the rockets so they could shoot them again.
Flying RC Helicopters.
Fixing the RC Helicopters so they would fly again.
Driving up to Shaver to eat some good pizza and play in the snow. It was Kevin's first time and he loved the tube! It was a beautiful day and so fun!
Marky getting car sick and throwing up in the rental car on the way home from Shaver. Not so fun. That poor car.
Driving to Tulare to eat hot dogs in an airplane. It was freezing, but a fun experience.
Staying up and playing Hearts after the kids went to bed.
Eating lots of good food and enjoying the company! It felt so good to have family for the holidays!

Our New Additions

2008-12-15T09:35:00.001-08:00

This weekend we expanded our family by 2! Mark and the boys have been asking for a dog for months now, and finally I gave in. We got Sadie and Millie from a Lab rescue after looking at several dogs. They are almost 2, already trained, love kids, and already act like they have lived here for years!

Weekend in Vegas

2008-11-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend we met Grandma and Grandpa in Las Vegas to get a bed and other things we left in Colorado. We visited the M&M store and the boys got some m&m's of their favorite color. I thought the guy in the costume dancing in front of the store was so cute, but my boys were terrified of him! We also saw the water show and found the coolest park I have ever been to! We all had a great time and it was worth the drive to see Grandma and Grandpa and have some fun!

Halloween

2008-11-03T21:19:00.000-08:00

This year we had to adjust our Halloween plans since we would be traveling on Friday. On Wednesday night, Mark and the boys carved their pumpkins while I was at mutual. Marky drew his all by himself and then helped dad cut it out. Kevin and Dad carved the other one, and they turned out so good! I was very impressed when I got home and the carving was finished and was all cleaned up! On Thursday I arranged with a few friends to have the kids go trick or treating, and they were so excited! We had dinner over and costumes on by 6:30, and then we had to wait 30 minutes for Dad to get home, which almost killed the boys! We all had fun, so thanks to all my wonderful friends who pretended Thursday was Halloween! Oh, and I can't seem to find any pictures of their costumes, but Marky was Spiderman and Kevin was Bob the Builder. It was cute.

A New Perspective

2008-10-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

I was going through my church handouts and I found this. It really puts things into perspective so I thought I would share it! (It's really for me more than anything.)

What God Won't Ask

God won't ask what kind of fancy car you drive. He will ask how many people you took to church who didn't have a car.

God won't ask the square feet of your house. He will ask how many people you helped who didn't have a house.

God won't ask what social class you are in. He will ask what kind of "class" you displayed.

God won't ask how many material possessions you had. He will ask whether those material possessions dictated your life.

God won't ask how much overtime you worked. He will ask if you worked overtime for your family.

God won't ask how many degrees you had. He will ask how may people you thanked for helping you get those degrees.

God won't ask what your parents did to help you. He will ask what you did to help your parents.

God won't ask what you did to help yourself. He will ask what you did to help others.

Pumkin Patch

2008-10-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

Marky had a field trip to the pumkin patch on Friday and Daddy took a couple hours off work to go along. They went on a hay ride, picked a pumpkin off the vine (and a nicer one to bring home and carve) and had a picnic at the ranch. Marky talked about how fun it was all weekend! Maybe next year we will have to make it a family trip!

Boys Night Out

2008-10-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Mark was given tickets to the Fresno State game, so he took both boys and mom had the night off! It was pretty cold, but the boys really enjoyed it. Daddy came home exhausted after carrying Kevin through the stadium!

Fresno Fair

2008-10-20T12:38:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we attended the Fresno Fair and got our fill of BBQ, Funnel Cakes, Cotton Candy, Pig Races, and Lloyd Mabry. Both boys played a dart game, which they are way to small to ever win, but the guy running the booth let them cheat so they could each get a stuufed animal! They were so excited to get their prize! The weather was perfect and there was lots of exhibits and things for the kids. Good Times!

Colorado Week 2

2008-10-03T10:10:00.001-07:00

After Mark was done "working" at CSU, the entire family headed to the mountains for some much needed clean air and relaxation. Mark's parents took us to this beautiful cabin outside Estes Park for a few days, and it was great to be away from everything for awhile.

The first day we hiked around Bear Lake, which is just a small trail that goes in a circle around a beautiful little lake. The next day we were feeling a little more adventurous, and decided to take the longer hike up to some falls. The hike turned out to be over 2 miles, but the kids did great! Marky walked the whole thing by himself, and Kevin did about 3/4 of it on his own. The walk was well worth it when we got to the top and saw the gorgeous waterfall, and all the trees turning colors. The kids fell asleep on the bus ride back to the car, and we had a nice quiet drive back!

Next, we visited the fishing hole in Estes Park. It's a place that has a pond stocked with trout, so you are guaranteed to catch a fish pretty fast. They give you all the supplies you need, and then you just buy the fish you take home, so it's a great place for children. Kevin had a blast, and was very interested in his fish. After he caught it, he wanted to touch it and never let it out of his sight until we took it in to be cleaned and gutted. Marky had a great time fishing, but wasn't to excited about touching it when it was flopping all over the place. He actually watched them clean an cut it, and I was shocked that he didn't throw up! On the way home, we explained to the boys that we were going to eat the fish they caught for dinner, which sparked major inquiries about eating animals. Marky wanted to know all of the animals we eat and why. That was interesting, but he seems to be doing ok with the new information.

Of course there were many other activities that I don't have time (or pictures) to list, but we are very grateful to have had a wonderful experience in Colorado this summer. It was the perfect vacation and Mark and I really needed it! I am eternally grateful to Mark's parents for all they have done for us. They are amazing people, and we are so blessed to have them in our lives. We love you Grandma and Grandpa!

Casa Bonita

2008-10-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

The second week of our trip started with Mark arriving Saturday, and all of us making the trip to Denver to pick him up. We missed him a lot that first week, so everyone was very excited to see him! Right after the the airport we decided to go have a late lunch at Casa Bonita. This "restaurant" is 3 stories high, with everything you can think of inside. They have a big waterfall that divers jump from, and they do shows where someone always lands in the water. They also have games, a little haunted house, gift shop, and lots more. The food really isn't that good, but you go for the experience! This place is special to us because Mark and I had our very first date there MANY years ago for my 16th birthday, and it was neat to now take our kids there.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

2008-09-21T13:24:00.000-07:00

At the Miner house we like to make a big deal out of birthdays, and this week happened to be Grandpa's (Mark's dad) birthday! Marky gets very excited for birthday parties, even if it's not his own. Grandma and I decided to take him to pick out some decorations for the big day. He thought Spiderman would be a good theme, and we had a great time decorating and turning the house into a Spiderman birthday. Marky was so excited that he was up at 6am to start the day. He made breakfast, frosted the cake, and of course both boys helped Grandpa open his presents. It was probably the most exciting birthday Grandpa has had in a long time, and it was fun for everyone! Yeah for birthdays!

Week 1 in Colorado

2008-09-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

We have been in Colorado visiting Grandma and Grandpa for the last week, and it's been so fun! The kids have been going to bed about 7:30 since they just run all day long. The other day we went to Build A Bear and each of the boys made a bear. Marky dressed his in a Spiderman costume of course. The bears turned out really cute and the boys had a lot of fun. Then we went over to Jumpin, which is the bounce house. I took Kevin down the big slide a few times, and then he wanted to do it on his own, and he did pretty well! Even Grandma played on the equipment. After a long morning of fun, we hit Chick Fil A (my favorite!) for some lunch and then we all came home and took naps. That's my idea of a good day! We also made pita bread pizzas for dinner one night, and Marky got to pull out the chef uniform and make his own dinner. He had a very large pizza that he ate 2 bites of, but it was fun at least! We've also had a lot of fun visiting various parks and jumping on the trampoline in the back yard. Tomorrow Mark will join us and we will have another fun filled week!

I need help!

2008-09-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

I have heard that it's possible to print your blog posts. Is this true? If so, does anyone know how to do it so it looks nice? I want to print them out and make a "scrapbook" of sorts, since this is the only way I have been journaling our family. Anyway, if any of you know how to do this, please let me know!

Kevin's New Favorite Thing

2008-09-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

Two Wheel Motion

2008-09-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

Marky has reached yet another milestone, again reminding me that he's growing up way too fast. While sitting on a bench eating some amazing shaved ice (my favorite thing in the world!) at the beach, my 4 year old noticed the kids riding their bikes along the sidewalk. He said, "Mom, those kids don't have training wheels on their bikes. I think I'll ride my bike without training wheels now." He went back and asked Daddy to take them off when we got home, and I braced myself for the scraped knees and temper tantrums that usually result from learning to ride a bike. The next day, Mark took off his training wheels and decided to take him for a quick lap around the block, while holding onto the back. They came home and we decided to go to the park, which has a sidewalk all the way around, so he wouldn't fall into the street when he crashed. As soon as we got there, Marky decided he was going to do this on his own and refused to let anyone hold onto him. Then he took off! I was waiting for the wipeout, but it just never happened, and still hasn't. Now we will have to ask Santa for new bikes so we can keep up with him!

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

I love 3 day weekends! Saturday morning Mark and Marky went and picked grapes at the vineyard our church owns. They were up and out of the house at 6am! I stayed home with Kevin and packed up for our last trip to the beach for the summer. The boys came home about 9, and we headed out of town to escape the heat. We went to our favorite beach (Avila) and what a perfect day it was! I thought for sure it would be packed, but it was less crowded than normal. The weather was beautiful, only in the low 70's as opposed to the 102 it was in Fresno. The boys had a great time playing in the sand while I sat under my umbrella with my feet in the sand. Mark rented a boogie board again, and had some fun for a couple of hours catching some waves. Marky watched and decided he needed to be in on that action! He did really well as long as Daddy held onto the board until the waves came. Now the child wants his own board of course. I will just add it to the list, along with his requests for a computer, blackberry, and MP3 player. After the beach we headed over to Morro Bay for dinner, and got some really good fish tacos. I love the coast!

Sunday we stayed low key, going to church, and taking a family nap! Then Monday morning we headed over to the Zoo, since we have a family membership that Mark rarely gets to use. They have a pretty fun bird show that is only done in the summer, so Mark finally got to see it! It was nice to spend a couple of hours before lunch, and then leave and get some stuff done. We spent the rest of the day doing errands and playing at the park. Overall, we had a wonderful weekend of family fun! I really hated to see it end!

A day at the Lake

2008-08-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before, last week was really hot in Fresno, so I took the boys to Bass Lake with my friends Laura and Amy and their kids. Marky swam for hours, and Kevin played in the sand by the water and floated on the raft with me. About 1:00 Kevin climbed up in my lap and went to sleep! Amy took these really cute pictures of the kids. The little girl with Marky is his "girlfriend" Olivia (Laura's daughter). They are just way too cute together!

Casa de Fruita

2008-08-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we decided to explore another part of Cali, and headed to Santa Cruz. It was an interesting experience to say the least. I believe it was 104 degrees in Fresno, so I thought it might be kinda nice to cool off at the coast. When we got to Santa Cruz, it was only in the 60's! The water was way too cold to swim in obviously, and I shivered all day even sitting in the sun. I also forgot that it was the last weekend of the summer, so there were a ton of people (mostly teenagers and college kids). We tried to walk down the Boardwalk, which has rides, games, and yummy treats, but it was just way too crowded. After about 4 hours, we decided that we had experienced enough of Santa Cruz and headed back. It wasn't quite dinner time so we thought we would drive awhile and stop somewhere maybe half way. Along the way, Mark saw signs that advertised a place named Casa de Fruita, and it had pictures of pie on the billboards. It looked pretty good so we found it on our GPS and headed for what we thought was a little cafe or something. It turned out to be a little village with a train, carousel, candy store, fruit stand, restaraunt, etc. Our little dinner stop turned into family fun! Kevin is really into trains right now, so we rode the train through the park and got to see some animals and big tractors. Then we ate some pretty good dinner at their restaraunt, and of course we had to walk to through the fruit stand and get some pistacios (sp) for the ride home. It was such a pleasant surprise, and it made the day a lot better for the kids! So any of you around here that haven't experienced Casa de Fruita, try it! It's good ol' fashioned family fun!

Family Beach Trip

2008-08-03T15:30:00.002-07:00

Last year, we went to the beach quite a few times, being new to Cali and all. Now it is Aug and we realized we havent been once this year, and Kevin doesn't even know what the beach is! (He was only a few months old last year)One thing that has been holding us back is the cost of staying in a hotel, since its a 2 1/2 -3 hr drive from here. Well finally we decided that we can either try a day trip, or we won't get to the beach this summer! So we tried the day trip, and it actually worked! We got up and made a picnic lunch and was out the door at 9 am, getting us to the beach about noon, which is perfect for the Central Coast since it's pretty cold in the mornings. We had our picnic and played in the sand for a few hours. Mark rented a boogie board and tried to catch some waves, but then the boys wanted in on theaction. He took them out one at a time, and they thought it was the coolest thing ever! Marky wants to buy one. They just stayed in the shallow water, but they had the time of their lives! We finally left the beach about 5 after using the showers to get most of the sand off. We changed clothes and hit McDonald's for some supper. After that, the boys literally fell asleep in the parking lot before we even got on the road! Mom and Dad had a nice quiet drive home, and we got back about 9. Not a bad day trip! I think we will do it again!

Out First "Camping" Trip

2008-08-03T15:30:00.001-07:00

So we have really wanted to go camping, but it never seems like the right time, and we worry that Kevin will just go nuts! Last week I came up with an idea to do a trial camp out in our back yard! On Friday night, we set up the tent and took everything outside. Marky had a great time helping dad set everything up! Then we built a fire on the back porch (it was in the little smoker fire pit) and made s'mores. It was really fun, and Kevin actually went to sleep in our sleeping bag! Now we are thinking about trying a real camping trip in the mountains. We'll see if it actually happens, I'm a little nervous!

Mark Turned 4!

2008-08-03T15:30:00.000-07:00

Little Mark turned 4 on July 16th! I can't believe it! We were all up at 6:30 to open presents before Daddy had to go to work. He just couldn't bear seeing all those presents and not touching them until dinner time. For one of his gifts, Mark built him a desk for his room since he is always drawing and likes to use my desk. He looked at it and said, " I like it, but where's the computer?" He just assumed that all desks come with a computer! I told him that he's not getting one for many years! After opening presents we ate breakfast (he chose cinnamon rolls and I was happy to oblige) we were all so tired from getting up early! Kevin went down for a nap and I layed on the couch while Marky played with his new toys. He was just too excited to go back to sleep. Then we met Mark at In and Out for lunch (Marky's favorite place) and came home to set up for his little party. We had some friends over to decorate cupcakes. I saw it first in Jon and Kate Plus 8. They had their sextuplets decorate cupcakes instead of throwing a big party, so I copied the idea! It was a lot of fun, and virtually no work for me!!! It turned out to be lots of fun, and I saved a lot of money! That's my kind of party! The kids had a blast, and my children went to bed so easy that night! Here are some pics from the big day.

Trip to San Francisco!

2008-05-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

Mark was attending a class in San Francisco at the end of April, so I decided to take the whole fam, since none of us had ever been there, and it was mostly a free trip! It was so much fun! We took a boat tour around the bay, visited Fisherman's Wharf, ate some pretty good food, and drove down Lombard street 3 times! We're such tourists! We had a good time, even though the trip was pretty short. Hopefully we'll be back in the near future! Here are some pics!

WE DID IT!!

2008-05-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, so people have been bugging me forever about doing a blog, so here it is! I will try to keep everyone posted on the crazy but wonderful life of our family, and I hope to hear about all of your lives as well!