The Wuehler Wireless

Carrot top?

2012-01-25T10:55:00.000-08:00

All of my kids had strawberry hair when they were born and then it changed to blonde. Here are some shots of William's hair. It is the most strawberry of the three and I am wondering if it will stay that way or get redder.

New York Times

2012-01-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to a New York Times article about Epic, the company Jim works for.

Sledding

2012-01-21T16:09:00.000-08:00

No snow in the forecast today but plenty of sun and below freezing temperatures which made for a great morning of sledding. Jim took Isaac and Elizabeth to St. Francis, a catholic school here in Cross Plains, to go sledding down their hill. I was sad to miss it but since it was too cold to take William out and both William and I are sick, I decided to stay home. The kids had a great time and were so excited to tell me all about it when they got home. They had a great Daddy morning with Jim with first getting doughnuts, then going sledding and to top it off, some chicken strips and cheese curds to warm up their hungry bellies.

Winter Fun

2012-01-15T14:56:00.000-08:00

Since we have had an unconventional "warm" winter, I thought we should capitalize on it and have some fun. We took the kids swimming in one of the pools at where I work, Harbor Athletic Club, and they thought it was great. We went in the warm pool which is a salt water pool and is heated to 95*. It feels like a bathtub.

We also had a couple of days where the weather got into the low 50's so we thought it was perfect weather to head to a park to run around. The kids fell in love with a dog that was there and the owner was so kind to the kids. She let them feed the dog treats, pet him and walk him around the park on the leash. Elizabeth was overcome with tears when she had to say goodbye to the dog when it was time to leave.

After the nice weather, we finally got snow and winter hit Wisconsin. I ended up shoveling the driveway and the sidewalk 3 times during that storm and it sure was cold. The whole time I was shoveling I was cursing Jim in my head since he didn't show me how to use our snow blower before he left for New York. The kids were thrilled to see snow. I had to walk to Isaac's school to pick him up since our van was in the shop and he was excited to walk home in the. Well, that excitement was short lived because after we crossed the street to head home, he was already complaining that the snow was hurting his face. It was windy with the snow blowing in sideways which made it feel like sand was hitting your face. The amount of snow that we got in that one day was about as much as we would get in UT for the winter. The locals told me that I was lucky that Jim was gone during this storm because it was a "lite" snow.

Our Mr. Wills

2012-01-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

Chicago

2012-01-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend, Danika and I ditched the kids with Brent and Jim and we took Julie for a girl's night out in Chicago. I booked us a room at the JW Marriot in downtown and we couldn't have asked for a better room/hotel. The hotel beautiful as was the room. We were on the very top floor looking at the Sear's Tower and in order to even get to our room, you had to use your room key in the elevator to gain access to that floor. As we walked in the room, we had to walk down a 15-20 ft hallway before we could see the beds. We were greeted with music and images on the smart tv as we walked in and took in the nice view and the vaulted ceilings. Our bathroom had a tv built into one of the mirrors, had a bug glass shower and a separate HUGE sunken bathtub. I joked that I should have brought my goggle so I could go swimming in it. Everyone at the hotel treated us like queens and it was perfect for a night just to ourselves. That night we went to dinner at The Gage. We enjoyed sampling our cheese board and I loved my lamb shank and brussel sprouts with applewood bacon and brie.

The next day after sleeping in and walking around in our robes, we hit the Aveda Hair Institute for a little pampering. Julie and I got a hair cut and Danika got a make application.

There are many things that we wanted to do in Chicago and one of them was to eat a "Chicago dog;" a hotdog that is on a roll with mustard, onions, bright green relish, tomato, a pickle spear, chili peppers and celery salt. It was delicious!

Another stop we made was to the Sear's Tower, now re-named the Willis Tower. We made it 160 stories up in the tower and had a great time overlooking Chicago at night time. It is said that on a clear day you can see 4 states. On the 160th floor, there are cut out glass boxes that you can stand in to look down and peer down below. many people were nervous and un-trusting of the glass, but I thought it was fun,

We also stopped at Millennial Park to visit "The Bean." We had fun walking around and looking at our distorted reflections. I have no idea why there is such a big bean in the park, but it has become quite the tourist attraction.

The last stop we made before we made it back to the kids was to The T-Shirt Deli. It looked just like a deli but instead of meats , cheeses, and salads, they had tshirts and decals. It was pretty cute. We made our own tshirts to remember our day. When the shirts were finished, they get wrapped up like a deli sub and served in a bag with a bag of chips.

It was a great little get-a-way and Danika and I said that we will do this at least twice a year. Next time I go back to Chicago, I would like to have an Italian beef sandwich and go on a Mob tour.

Warm Day

2012-01-06T07:13:00.000-08:00

We have not had much snow. This time of year the average is about 34 inches and to date we have had 4. Even though we haven't had snow, that doesn't mean that we have been absent of the cold weather. Since it is too cold for me to take all 3 kids outside, Julie and I took the kids to Play 'N Wisconsin; an indoor warehouse full of trampolines and swing sets. It is a great place for the kids to run around and play with out the fierce bite that the cold brings.

We got a break from the cold weather yesterday and today and decided to take the kids to the zoo. They have been asking to go but when it is in the teens and 20's the thought of walking around looking at animals just doesn't sound fun. Yesterday the high was 48* and it felt AWESOME! The kids had a great time at the zoo and this was William's first "real" outing. The kids had fun watching all the animals and playing on the big play structure. It was nice to feel the warmth of the sun too! We had so much fun and the weather was so nice that we all, as a family, went swimming after dinner. The kids had a blast and are asking when they can go again.

Last Days of December

2012-01-05T19:20:00.000-08:00

On a cold night, the kids liked to play dress up and use their imaginations to play whatever comes to their mind, even William couldn't escape. This pirate picture is fitting since we sometimes call him "One Eyed Willy."

One of the activities that we did on Christmas Eve was to make graham cracker houses since I was too lazy to make the gingerbread. I remember making these in elementary school so I thought it would be fun for us to do. I did, however, underestimate how hard they are to build. After making the royal icing, Elizabeth and I had a few tries before we were able to keep it standing and so did Isaac and Jim. They ended up being "modern" graham crackers but we had fun making them and so did the kids.

This was our first Christmas that we stayed put and didn't make it back to CA to spend it with family. Surprisingly we were all ok with it. Maybe it was because we saw family a few weeks earlier for the birth of William and Thanksgiving not to mention all the gifts that kept arriving at our house from them. We didn't feel forgotten. We were excited to have our first white Christmas, but it wasn't white, just cold! It was fun to stay in our pj's and not run back and forth between houses all day. We were able to skype with our family and have the kids open the presents while skyping so the family in CA could be a part of it. It was a nice quiet day where the kids played with their new toys and Jim and I watched them.

San Lo

2011-12-23T15:51:00.000-08:00

A friend shared this video with me via Facebook. I thought it was funny. I know some of the people in the video and am familiar with all the spots that they shot the video at. I am from San Lorenzo, Ca and I loved growing up there. It was a great village and I am glad that they featured the Duck Pond and the famous bum, Joe Trombone who raps at the end of the video. I thought he died. I remember him from when I was little. As much as I loved living there, sadly I will never move there to raise my family. As the borders of Oakland keep expanding, my lovely San Lorenzo village is no longer lovely. They even had a little tribute to my friend Angelo who was murdered by gun shot to the head. Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed watching this. The only other thing I have to say about it is that I can't believe he fell into the duck pond and had water in his mouth from the local soak and poke (Hot Tropics). BLEH!

Will it be a White Christmas?

2011-12-22T06:26:00.000-08:00

Just because I think he is cute.

He still looks like an old man.

We have been watching the weather forecast for the past week to see if we will have our first White Christmas. Everyday the weatherman says that there will be no snow for Christmas and no snow in the forecast. If that is the case, then why did we wake up to this? This is the second time in a week that the weatherman has failed me. I don't mind if it snows, I would just like to be prepared for it. I guess this is a lesson that the local weatherman can't be trusted. On an up note, my neighbor was in my driveway at 6am this morning shoveling it for us. So nice!

December Fun

2011-12-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

I love how Isaac has one ear sticking out.

We woke up today to snow. The kids were super excited and I think Jim was too. When I drove up to the house after going to the gym, this is what I found. There were 2 cute kids enjoying the snow and Jim, along with the neighbors, outside shoveling.

Elizabeth rocking her "retro" snow suit

One of my favorite pictures

Tonight was our ward's Christmas party. The kids had a great time playing with their friends and eating a lot of food. Jim and I just enjoyed chatting with people. The primary kids did a musical number for us and for some reason Isaac was a bit reluctant to sing. Elizabeth insisted on wearing make up for the party and by the end of it, it looked like she had 2 black eyes. On the way home we took the kids to look at Christmas lights which they enjoyed and then came home watch some of the "Music Man" and off to bed they went. I think they had a fun day.

How can you not love that cute face

Jingle Bells

2011-12-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

Jingle Bells is always a fun song to sing at Christmas but I think is even better than singing it, is listening to Elizabeth trying to sing it. She has a shy side so she doesn't like to be video taped while singing. However, since I am so sneaky, she thought I was taping William and not her. So here is Elizabeth singing Jingle Bells while you look at William.

Ice Face

2011-12-12T17:01:00.000-08:00

On Saturday my friend Carrie and I went downtown to enjoy a nice lunch and a movie. Since she lived just a few blocks from the restaurant, we decided to walk there. I had a on jeans, a new sweater I bought, a scarf and a pea coat. My ankles were frozen since up until today I only owned ankle socks and even though the rest of me was warm as I was walking, I found my face felt like it was burning. Ice burning if you know what I mean. It felt like someone was hold a huge ice cube on my face and no matter how hard I tried to move it, the ice cube stayed. It was 18* and windy. I have never experienced anything like that before. It made today which was 38* feel warm. In fact, I didn't even use a jacket today. I am a bit nervous with how cold it can get here in the winter. I do know that I need to invest in m clothes and I get out my denial that the 2 long sleeve shirts I have will do.

As I was looking for a picture for this post, I came across this website that has some pretty awesome winter pictures.

Happy Holidays?

2011-12-12T16:45:00.000-08:00

Over the last couple of years, I feel that the "Merry Christmas not Happy Holidays" debate is getting more fierce. I don't see the problem in saying "Happy Holidays instead of "Merry Christmas" since we are a country with many different religious views. I think it is just ignorant to ignore people that celebrate Chaunakah and Kwanzaa. Would we be so quick to dismiss those holidays if they weren't around Christmas? I do think it is more valid to argue to put Christ back in Christmas especially since the word "Christmas" comes from "Christ's Mass." I think if we put a little more Christ in Christmas perhaps "Happy Holidays" would then be just as acceptable "Merry Christmas." Anyways, we would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays from the Wuehler home.

December 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

Another year has come and gone and I hope that 2011 has been as kind to you as it has been to our family. This was a year of many great blessings. We made many friends the couple of years that we lived in Malibu and we really enjoyed our annual passes to Disneyland. We feel really fortunate that we were able to make so many memories with our family and friends at the “Happiest Place on Earth.” As much as we loved living in Malibu and going to the beach, we were deeply sadden when it had to come to an end and we had to say goodbye to the wonderful friends that we made.

Jim graduated in April from Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA with a Masters in Business Administration and accepted a job at Epic in Verona, Wisconsin doing implementation and project managing. He started the Job June 1^st and the rest of us moved out to Wisconsin at the end of June not knowing what adventure was ahead. He enjoys what he is doing and all the traveling it entails.

Vanessa is enjoying being a stay at home mom to Isaac, Elizabeth and now William. There is never a dull moment and they seem to fill up her day. She never thought of herself as a country girl but she thinks the “country” has found her. Our town that we live in has 3500 people and she often jokes that there are more cows, corn and soybeans here than there are people. She misses CA a lot, but has enjoyed gardening, canning and taking the kids to the farm. She also enjoys working the UW Badger games and events.

Isaac is doing great and is making new friends. He played soccer this summer and is looking forward to next year when he is old enough to play flag football. He really enjoys his 4K (pre-kindergarten) class and learning his letters and numbers. Because he wasn't 5 by September 1^st, he has to wait until next year to start kindergarten. Isaac is our inquisitive child. He unknowingly plays “50 questions.” As annoying as it is sometimes, we admire his love for learning. He also really enjoys playing Wii, playing with his legos, cooking and being a big brother to Elizabeth and Isaac.

Elizabeth is 2 going on 12. She loves to go shopping and loves getting her hair, make up and nails done. She is Mommy's little helper and has such a sweet spirit. She also has a tomboy side and loves rough housing and bothering Isaac. She makes us laugh everyday and enjoys going to nursery at church to see her friends.

William made his debut into this world after 17 hours of labor on 11/10/11 at 6:35 am weighing 8lbs 11oz and measuring 20 inches long. He is the sweetest baby and we just can't get enough of his love. We look forward to seeing what type of personality he will have and how it will add to our family.

As 2012 approaches, our wish is that it will meet you with good health and many blessings. We miss each one of you and think of you often. Our door is always open if any of you feel up to a trip to the “Cheese” state.

Much Love,

The Wuehler Family

PS: Can't get enough of us? Spy on us to see what we are up to at www.wuehlerfamily.blogspot.com

Then and Now

2011-12-12T16:32:00.000-08:00

As you know, on 11/10/11 at 6:35 am, William Jon came into this world. Since he was over due and since the doctor had a hard time pulling him out, we joke that if William could, he would have crawled right back in and stayed in the womb a bit longer. Needless to say, we are so glad that he didn't. He is the sweetest, noisiest baby. He doesn't fuss unless he is hungry or needs a diaper change and makes lots of grunts and squeals.

Now after his 4 1/2 weeks here on Earth, I am starting to wonder where my "little" baby went. At his 2 week check up, he was a pound and a half heavier than when he was born AND was two inches longer! I could only imagine what he is weighing and measuring now at 4 1/2 weeks since he eats 4ozs every 2 hours. We just love this little man and he brings such a sweetness to our family.

We Love Baby William

2011-12-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

We love Baby William! Isaac and Elizabeth can't get enough of William, much to my dismay. They always want to burp him, give him his pacifier, hold him and even try to help feed him. As much as I am happy that they love him and accept him as part of our family, I sometimes wish they didn't want to have so much to do with him. That way, I don't have to watch them like a hawk when they are around him. Oh well. I would rather have them show their love to their baby brother.

Photo Rejects

2011-12-04T17:23:00.000-08:00

Every year we take a family picture at the end of November or the beginning of December. And every year it seems to get more difficult as we add more kids and as the kids get older. This year was no different. After about 5 pictures, the kids were done with their pictures being taken. We had to seize every moment we had. I just kept thinking that out of 100 photos, there had to be at least one or two decent pictures. Here are some of our reject family pictures.

Surprise!

2011-11-27T12:14:00.000-08:00

A day after Jim's mom left after being here for 4 weeks, Ryan and Robert flew into Chicago for a week visit. I was supposed to go with Jim and the kids to Chicago to have a fun overnight and pick up Ryan and Robert but I opted for William and I to stay home and just relax.

The kids were very excited to have them here and play the wii and restaurant among many other imaginary games. I was busy cooking in the kitchen for what felt like most of their visit. I think it was the highlight of Ryan's trip to have a home cooked meal every day.

On Thanksgiving morning, we were all in the living room watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on our new tv when out of the corner of my eye, I notice someone in my backyard. I do a double take and realize it was my parents faces that were pressed against our back sliding door! They came and surprised all of us except for Jim, the secret keeper, for a quick Thanksgiving trip. We were all very excited and I was also thrilled to have some more help in the kitchen and around the house.

Elizabeth LOVES to go shopping at Costco and always tells my Dad that she wants to go "shopping" with him. Well, on Saturday we went "shopping" and scored some awesome stuff. First we bought 2 turkeys to put in our deep freeze since they were only $.49 lb. We can't wait to eat them throughout this year. We also bought our 8ft real Christmas tree for only $30! Yup, only $30! It was such a bargain and it isn't even a Charlie Brown tree! Of course my parents bought some more gifts for all of us before our shopping came to an end and we headed home.

At home the kids were so excited to decorate the house and the Christmas tree and I think that my parents were thrilled to be there to help. It was nice to have them here and share a part of our Christmas decorating since it will be the first Christmas that we have not gone home to visit family. Their visit was short and quick but I am glad that they were able to come and visit and suck up the kids sweet sugar.

BTW- If anyone knows of a site that I can put a free slideshow together for pictures on my blog, please let me know. My other slideshow site is no longer available and I don't like posting this many pictures.

Bizarre Foods

2011-11-21T17:50:00.000-08:00

For Isaac's 5th birthday, he decided on "Bizarre Foods" theme after the show Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel. I decided about 4 weeks prior to his birthday that I should have everything planned out and ready to be executed just in case I wouldn't be there. It was a good thing that I was prepared since I was in the hospital during his party and didn't return home with William until 9pm that night. Between my MIL, Jeanne, Jim's co-worker, Carrie, and our friends, The Rabes, everything went off with out a hitch and all 12 kids had a great time.

The kids were presented with a tasting plate that contained foods such as seaweed, Mexican candy, guavas, kiwis, smoked octopus, feta cheese and rice crackers. Carrie acted as a food anthropologist and taught the kids about different foods from different cultures. The kids thought this was awesome and enjoyed trying all the food. For lunch they had hot dogs cut like squids on green ramen noodles with a coagulated blood drink make out of red kool-aid, red adn black food coloring and mashed up red jello.

They had fun with the eyeball pinata and pin the food on the plate. Pin the food on the plate was such a hit, that the kids didn't want to stop playing it.

I surprised Jim and got him a birthday cake to share for his birthday with the adults that attended. For Isaac, we opted out of cake and gave the kids dirt cups with earthworms and rice krispy treat sushi; both of which were a huge success. Topping the day off, the kids went home with goody bags full of gummy organs, tattoos and pencils.

Isaac got a lot of great gifts from everyone including a Costco size box of seaweed. Jim and I laugh that only our kids would be excited to get seaweed for their birthday.

Here are some fun pictures that we took of the kids after coming home with William.

Elizabeth got a hold of a fresh tube a Desitin and knew she was in trouble when I took this picture.

William Jon Wuehler

2011-11-11T04:17:00.000-08:00

On November 9th at 11 am I went to St Mary's Hospital to be induced since I was a week past my due date. On November 10th at 6:35am William Jon Wuehler made his entrance into the world weighing 8lbs 11oz and measuring 20 inches long. He is the biggest baby I have delivered in both length and in weight and he looks identical to Isaac when Isaac was born.

The kids came and visited a couple hours after he was born and Isaac couldn't get enough of William which doesn't surprise me. He loved holding him and kissing him and I loved hearing Isaac tell William that he was going to watch Star Wars with him and teach him how to play the wii and with his cars. Elizabeth on the other hand is a bit unsure of him. This doesn't surprise me either. She held him for a minute and gave him a kiss but was done after that. She enjoyed watching him more from a distance and preferred cuddle time with Mom or Dad.

I am exhausted but that is to be expected. All of the nurses and the doctors here have been AWESOME and I was able to finally have a birth where I got to choose 100% of everything that happened and have everything 100% on my terms. It was wonderful! Now William and I are enjoying our time together before we return to the circus we call home on Saturday.

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of Elizabeth! You would think that she is used to being in hair and make up for films because she sits so perfectly still when doing her make up and putting her hair in rollers. She LOVES getting her hair and make up done. This picture was right before we put on her Ariel costume.

The kids were so excited for Halloween. We listened to scary music while I made mummy hot dogs, french fry fingers and a bloody drink. After dinner, the kids couldn't wait to get outside and go trick or treating. Around here, in Dane County, there are designated times that each town post as to when kids can go trick or treating. Here in Cross Plains, our time was 530-730pm. We lit our pumpkins and off we went. At first Elizabeth was a bit timid when people answered the door but once she realized they had candy, she was their best friend. We went up and down our street and then to our friends house across town. The last stop we made was a fully decorated house that we have been taking the kids by to look at for the past couple of weeks. They had a great time walking around looking at zombies, spiders, coffins and pumpkins. I was surprised that the life size animatronic figures didn't scare them. It was the perfect end to our trick or treating.

When we got home, we inspected the candy and let the kids have 2 pieces each before they went to bed. I think they had a great holiday!

Pumpkin Fun

2011-10-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

Isaac had a Pumpkin Party today at school. It is a "Pumpkin Party" because they are not allowed to say "Halloween Party." I took the kid's costumes out of their cozy hiding place that they have been in since August for this party. They couldn't wait to get them on. They were so excited that they stripped to their bare bums to put them on. They were quite upset when I told them that not only do they need to wear underwear with their costumes, but that they had to wear clothes underneath it as well since it is cold outside. After some coaxing, they put their clothes back on along with their costumes. At the party, the kids painted pumpkins, played bean bag toss, decorated cookies, ate yummy treats and played with toys and the other kids. When we finally made it home, it was another explanation on my part as to why they can't wear their costumes all day today.

After dinner, we decided to carve pumpkins. We have so many pumpkins: 12 decorative small ones in the house, 6 regular size pumpkins and 2 jack o lantern pumpkins. That is not including the pumpkins that I already canned. We carved 3 of them tonight and will save the rest for decorations for Thanksgiving. Isaac had a great time drawing the outline for the face on his pumpkin and Elizabeth had a great time drawing the hair for hers. All in all, everyone had a great time. We cleaned the pumpkin seeds and roasted them too for a post dessert treat! Yum! Elizabeth can't get enough of roasted pumpkin seeds. She ate them about as fast as she ate her brownie and ice cream that she had for dessert. Now all we need to do is make some Halloween sugar cookies and we are all set for Monday. ... And yes, I am still pregnant!

Farm Day

2011-10-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

First, I'd like to say sorry for all the pictures. The slide show function that I normally use is no longer in service so until I find a new one, this will have to do.

Today I took the kids on an adventure. These first pictures are from Appleberry Farm in Cross Plains, WI. Despite it being very windy, we picked apples (Connell Red and Ida Red), played on the tire swings, bought apple cider and caramel apples and enjoyed eating fresh apple dough nuts before heading home.

Earlier in the day, I took the kids to Hinchley Dairy Farms in Cambridge, WI for a dairy tour. This was FANTASTIC! The kids had a blast! It is a working dairy farm so we were able to get up close and personal with the cows. We were taught a lot about the farm and cows during our tour but I think the kids just liked being around the animals. The only thing that Elizabeth wanted to see was a cow going poop and pee. She was so excited when she finally saw it! We were able to milk the cows and pet them. We even were allowed to pet the baby calves and see one that was only a couple of hours old. Beside the cows, the kids had fun feeding the goats, chickens and sheep with corn that they took off the cob and they also had fun taking a tractor hayride to pick out some pumpkins. It was a great day and I can't wait to take the kids back in the spring to see the baby animals.

Baby Shower

2011-10-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight a couple of friends from church threw me a baby shower. It was a great night with great food and great company. I got a lot of cute and much needed practical gifts. I also had them take some preggo shots since I am trying to add to the very few that I have for this pregnancy. I will just round up and say that I am 37 weeks pregnant in these pictures instead of 36 weeks and 6 days.

Lady Gaga Inspired?

2011-10-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

The only thing that I can think of is that maybe I play one too many Lady Gaga songs around my kids because I think Elizabeth was inspired to do her make up like her this morning in my bathroom. The best part about it was even after being wiped down with a baby wipe, the eye shadow wouldn't come off. So yup, we went to the library looking like this.

Fall Fun

2011-10-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

We have had a break in the cool weather and have had a warm spell here the last week and a half. It has been wonderful. It is absolutely beautiful ere with all of the leaves turning colors for the fall. Isaac and Elizabeth love seeing all the colors and get excited to point them out to me when I am driving. With the wonderful colors also means leaves falling. Well, Elizabeth doesn't like seeing the leaves fall from the trees. It makes her really upset despite me trying to explain to her that they will grow back in the spring. We have enjoyed playing outside everyday and I am glad that I caught a few videos and pictures of maybe our last bit of warmth before we hit the downward spiral in temperature for the winter.

Isaac said that he is swimming in the leaves.

Where's Elizabeth?

I love how Elizabeth is unsure as to what to do with the leaves

Bath Fun

2011-10-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

After enjoying the warm weather at the park, I decided that the kids needed to be bathed before they went anywhere in the house besides the kitchen. Tonight they had a more than fun time in the bath. Who knew that blowing bubbles in bowls and making fart noises with cups would entertain them for an hour. They only decided to get out because I promised them a movie before bedtime. I am glad that I was able to catch some giggles before they got out.

Are we done yet?

2011-09-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

So the kids and I decided to make a final trip out to the garden since ours in our backyard is pretty much done. As you can see, we harvested a ton of fruit and veggies and needless to say, there are still plenty more veggies to be harvested. I thought I would make one last push to prep these veggies to last us through the winter since my due date is coming up on us fast. Isaac and Elizabeth had a great time today digging up potatoes with my friend, Roger. I think he enjoyed it to. We all came back covered in dirt from the garden and raspberry juice from the raspberry patch. It was a great day and Roger asked if Jim and I would be willing to help him next year with the garden. I told him that Jim would be thrilled to help since Jim LOVES gardening. Of course, Isaac piped in and said that he would help too. This garden has been such a blessing to us and now I need to keep reminding myself of that this next week as I chopping, peeling, cutting, canning, and freezing all of this wonderful goodness.

Today we picked tomatoes, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, potatoes, banana peppers, brusselsprouts, cauliflower, pears, apples, raspberries (those we ate on the way home) and pumpkins.

How Can You NOT Love These Kids?

2011-09-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth thought it was so funny to take he picture with her eyes closed. Goob!

34.5 weeks

2011-09-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

I am 34.5 weeks pregnant and this pregnancy has gone by really fast. So fast, I only have a couple of "belly" pictures compared to my other two pregnancies. The kids are getting excited for William to make his debut as are Jim and I. A few more weeks and a family of 5 we will soon be.

I love that I can see my belly in the mirror.

How Sweet is the Fruit

2011-09-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

I love this picture because it shows the grape juice coming out of Isaac's mouth.

I took the kids today to our friend's property to pick some veggies but mostly to pick some grapes and apples. Of course, the kids had a blast! As we walked up to the grape vines, their sweet smell instantly drew the kids and their sticky little fingers to them. It was only a matter of seconds before they were eating them off the vine. Once the grapes got boring to pick they meandered over to the raspberry patch and started eating them as well. By this time their face was purple and pink from all the juices. Lastly, they helped pick two huge buckets of apples. They were sad to go so I think once Jim and I do buy a home, we need to have some fruit trees/vines/patches for the kids to just sit in and eat.
I brought our goods home and canned 4 gallons of fresh grape juice and tomorrow I will start the slow process of making and then canning the fresh apple juice. I think with the left over meat of the apples, I will make un-sweetened applesauce that I can use for cooking since I already have a few gallons of canned sweetened applesauce. I just hope that we will be able to pick some more goodies at least 1 more time before this baby is born. I love watching the kids run around and eat the fresh fruit like they have died and gone to Heaven.

a

Eating raspberries

Look at what we picked!
Picking raspberries

So Big

2011-09-20T15:54:00.000-07:00

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The other day the kids wanted to take some pictures before I took Isaac to school. It wasn't until I looked at the pictures that I realized how big my kids are getting, especially Isaac. They are eachother's best friends and worst enemies. I just thought I would capture a moment of friendship since they requested it.

Bountiful Harvest

2011-09-12T10:12:00.001-07:00

I have been canning up a storm lately. In addition to our garden that Jim planted, I met a friend, Roger, (he is 72) that works an acre garden for one of his friends. Roger invited myself along with the family to come and harvest whatever we'd like from the garden. The kids had so much fun running through the corn stalks, picking broccoli, corn, green beans, peppers and tomatoes. They also like playing by the ginormous pumpkins. I don't think there is one vegetable that Roger didn't plant. We came back with a TON of fresh produce along with a huge bucket of fresh picked apples. While we were there we met the owner of the 7 acre property and he said that now since he met us, we are welcome to pick whatever we'd like and we also have access to all of his apple trees and grapes on the property. As Jim and I were picking apples, the kids were hunkered down in the grape vines picking and eating the fresh grapes as if they were candy.

With all of this fresh food, I have canned so far peaches, peach butter, applesauce, halved tomatoes, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, and chili. Today I am canning apple butter and I also think I will be doing some apple juice and apple pie filling in the next week or so. I am also planning on doing some pumpkin. In addition to canning I have froze some grated zucchini, a ton of corn kernels and a ton of green beans. We ate the broccoli and with our cabbage the size of Jim's head, I am going to make and freeze some cabbage rolls. I think between the canning and the freezer meals that I will be making to go in our deep freeze, i should be set and ready for winter.

The kids have enjoyed this process too. Isaac has been a huge help with peeling and de-seeding tomatoes.

First Day of School

2011-09-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

Isaac started his first day of school on Sept 1st. In California, Isaac would have started Kindergarten but here in Wisconsin, you need to be 5 years old by Sept 1st. It is really exciting that Isaac gets to do a 4K program. It is basically pre-kindergarten with reading, math, writing, etc but only half day instead of a full day. Next year he will go for a full day in 5K. It is also nice because since it is mandatory through the district, that means one less year of paying for pre-school. His school is a 1/3 of a mile from our home and his teacher's name is Miss Angel. Isaac really seems to enjoy himself and Elizabeth seems to enjoy some time with-out Isaac around.

Sun Prairie Corn Festival

2011-08-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Jim and I took the kids to the Sun Prairie Corn Festival. We heard much talk about the sweet corn there and we thought that maybe we should try it. The kids enjoyed watching tractors bring in huge loads of corn and then watch the people unload it with large snow shovels. This festival is known for their steamed (with the husks on) sweet corn. You had the option of buying 1 ear for $2 or a tote of corn for $6. We opted for the tote and got 11 ears of corn! After I took the steaming, hot husks off and buttered and salted the corn, the kids were so excited that they could eat a bunch of corn. Almost a little too excited. The corn was really good and that is what we ate for dinner that night. The kids also had fun riding some carnival rides and playing for an hour on an inflatable obstacle course. We had a great family night there and we look forward to going next year!

Soccer

2011-08-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

We signed Isaac up for soccer and he is with 4 and 5 year olds. It is just for the month of August but it has been well worth it. Isaac has made a little friend and he really enjoys playing. He has great sportsmanship and you can hear him talking to his teammates on the field. Today I was able to get a video if Elizabeth singing during Isaac's game and a video of Isaac making a goal. It is really hard to take pictures and video because there is a playground there and Elizabeth would rather play than watch Isaac.

Chicago

2011-08-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to Chicago to visit a missionary that served in our ward while we lived in Malibu and to visit with our friends, The Fa'anunu's whom we knew from working with in California. It was our first time to Chicago so we were excited. We stayed at Jim's brother Brent's home since Brent and his family were attending a family reunion that we didn't go to. It was so nice for them to let us use their home to stay at instead of a hotel. The kids thought it was great sleeping in their cousin's room. We didn't have too much time to sight see but we drove around downtown and stopped at the pier. They were having a tall boats show and the kids enjoyed that. The kids also enjoyed the splash fountain. It was a hot day but we told them to stay dry since we were heading to the Fa'anunu's. Well, after five minutes we knew that wouldn't be possible so we let them have fun and play in the water. I am glad that we did because it took their minds off of the mini golf course, boat rides and ferris wheel rides that they wanted to do. (All of which cost a min fortune) Jim and I are used to seeing attractions being expensive coming from Ca, but all of the prices at the pier were just down right stupid expensive! We told the kids that we would go back again.

It was so nice catching up with the Fa'anunu's. Isaac and Elizabeth took to their 4 girls right away which meant that Jim and I got to have "adult time" with Tom and Jenn! We look forward to seeing them again soon since it is only a 2.5 hour drive to their place.

The weekend went by quick but we had a great time and are looking forward to retuning to the windy city in a few weeks to visit with the "Chicago Wuehler's."

Pretty, Pretty Princess

2011-08-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

We like to call Elizabeth our princess and today while I was in the shower she became my pretty, pretty princess. She was very proud of herself with her lipstick application. Almost daily she asks me to put eye shadow and lipstick on her along with wanting her toes painted.

Zoo

2011-08-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I planned on taking the kids to the zoo in Madison since it is free. We invited our friend Jenna (aka Rab, That is what Elizabeth calls her) to join us. I got out if the shower and told the kids we were leaving in 15 minutes so they had to finish getting ready. When I walked into the kitchen the above pictures in what I found. Needless to say, we didn't make it out of the house in 15 minutes.
We had a great time at the zoo once we made it there. The kids enjoying see the animals, riding the merry go round and eating lunch. Isaac enjoyed feeding the goats but Elizabeth was a bit scared. She kept thinking they would eat her fingers because she would feel them lick the food off of them. She wasn't sold on the idea of feeding them. The weather was great since it was warm but overcast. It was the perfect day to go to the zoo.

Speed

2011-08-09T06:49:00.000-07:00

We have been working with Isaac to ride with out his training wheel and for teh most part he is doing well. Of course, much practice wouldn't hurt. On Saturday he really wanted to ride the "big hill" by our place. It really isn't a big hill at all but a small hill in the All State Insurance parking lot by our home. He does come down pretty fast but he thinks he is going with all out speed and you can see how great he feels about himself. For this adventure, we put Isaac's training wheels back on for safety. Jim would go down behind him carrying Elizabeth in the bike caddy and every time she and Jim would go down the hill, she would say again. They did this for a while and had a great time.

Canning and Yogurt

2011-08-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

I bought a whole bushel of peaches. Yup, 50 lbs worth of peaches. The only thing to do with that many peaches besides enjoy them cut up in a bowl of heavy cream with sugar and cinnamon is to can them. My friend Jenna came over and we canned the peaches and we also made and canned peach butter. It turned out really good.

I decided to be a bit daring. I figured that since I just made a couple of loaves of homemade wheat bread that goes so well with the peach butter, I might as well try to make some homemade greek yogurt so I can have a complete breakfast. I LOVE greek yogurt but I don't like the price of it. I was so thrilled that my yogurt came out wonderful and I added a but of peach butter to it and it was awesome! The kids loved it and couldn't get enough. I can't wait to see what I am going to try to make next, butter? sour cream?

What we See

2011-08-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

I know that I haven't taken pictures of the actual town yet or our home, but I thought I would share with you pictures of what we get to look at everyday in our town of Cross Plains, WI. I also added some pictures of Elizabeth around the house and a picture of Isaac on his first day of soccer practice. He loved it and came back so excited and ready to tell me all about it.

Family Fun Night

2011-08-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night it was National Family Night Out so our local fire station sponsored a "Family Fun Night." We decided to go since it was only about a quarter of a mile from our house. The kids had a great time playing games and climbing through different types of firetrucks.

Chicago Visitors

2011-07-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Jim's brother, Brent, and his family came up from Chicago to visit with us. This is really the first time that the kids got to play with one another. Isaac and Elizabeth were so excited to see Liesel and Ireland. It was really cute. Elizabeth also attached herself to Brent and is now asking for him. It was a ton of fun to watch the kids interact with each other not to mention for Jim and I to actually get a chance to visit with Brent and Danika with out being on a phone or surrounded by other family members. I am normally great at taking pictures but I didn't even take one with them visiting! I even had the camera on the table! Lame. That is what I was. It was a good thing Danika took some, so if you'd like to see what she posted, click here. We are really looking forward to going to Chicago to spend time with them in September and for them to come and visit again!

Cross Plains, WI - population: 3500

2011-07-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

So we made it to our new home in Cross Plains, WI. It was quite a shock from going from LA where the population is a little over 12 million to Cross Plains where the population is 3500. If you blink, you will miss Main Street. The kicker is that not all 3500 live with-in the village! There are a ton farms outside of the "village."

The move has been interesting. On day four of us being here, Elizabeth got 2 of her fingers stuck in the van door and severed the first 3rd of both of her fingers almost all the way off. She was taken by ambulance and had to have them re-attached. Because of that, she has been in a couple of different casts and can not get her fingers wet. This has posed difficult because it is hotter than heck and so humid here. She also has to avoid any rough play, dirt and sand. So basically me taking the kids to different parks and splash pools have been out of the question. She is a trooper and this has in no way set her back one bit.

Besides going to many doctor appointments, we did manage to make it to the zoo in Madison. It is a free zoo, which I love, since I am always looking for free, fun things to do with the kids.

One of the fun things that we did was go to Jim's company picnic. It was called Epic-nic. Get it Epic and picnic? Anyways, it was fillet Mignon and lobster for the adults and hot dogs for the kids. The kids had a great time playing on the jump houses, rock climb and many of the games. There was also a petting zoo, a tractor petting zoo, carriage rides, face painting plus so much more. I felt bad that Elizabeth couldn't participate in much because of her fingers, but both of the kids still had a great time.

Slowly but surely we are making friends, finding our way around and getting used to all the corn and soy bean fields, and all the cows and wild turkeys. The kids really enjoy having a yard and and going to the park. In a week Isaac will start soccer so it will be good for him to actually meet kids his age. And until we get the ok that Elizabeth can get her fingers wet, she will just have to have fun with a Piggly Wiggly bag wrapped up her arm and run through the sprinklers.

In the Move

2011-07-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Well blog readers, I haven't forgotten about. I have been so busy these last couple of months and in transition, that I haven't had the time or the camera cord to blog.

To start at the beginning, we found out in May that Jim was offered and accepted the job at Epic which happens to be in Verona, Wisconsin. We had a couple of weeks to pack up and tie up loose ends before Jim started work. It was a bit chaotic. We did manage, however, to slip in a couple of trips to Disneyland. The pictures on this slide show is of our last trip. We felt that we had to take our last family picture there since we have a picture of us as a family on our first visit. Elizabeth was only 5 weeks old! We had a great time and we all miss Disneyland very much. It became a part of our family and we have such great memories of us spending time with our own family there and other family members and others.

After we were packed up and moved out, the kids and I stayed up in the Bay Area with family for 4 weeks while Jim and his Dad drove everything to Wisconsin. We had a great time visiting with family and friends, going to the Livermore rodeo, my parents cabin, San Francisco and many other fun things. Jim flew back for his best friend, Andre Crane's, wedding. That night the four of us plus my Mom flew on a red eye to Wisconsin.

We had a great time in Malibu and meet many wonderful, nice people. We really miss the people, the beach and of course Disneyland. We also miss only being a 6 hour drive to our parents houses. Southern California served us well, but we are ready for our new adventure.

Epic

2011-05-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

Jim was offered and accepted a job at Epic. To get a history of the company, click here. It is located about 15-20 minutes outside of Madison, Wisconsin and about 2 hours from Chicago. We are all really excited for what this opportunity does for our family. Jim starts June 6Th so in a couple of weeks, we will be saying goodbye to the warm, sunny beaches of Malibu and hello to the land of cheese, brats and beer!

Baseball

2011-05-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

So I never use the camera where these pictures and videos were taken very often. So I thought I would just post a few together. I love the video of Isaac sliding home during his t-ball game. He loves to go around and tell everybody that he is a real baseball player.

Easter

2011-05-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

We decided to drive up to spend Easter with our families this year. It is the first time in almost 7 years that we have all spent Easter together. The kids dyed eggs at both grandparent houses, they had Easter egg hunts at both houses as well. It was really nice to spend time with my extended family that I don't get to see very often as well. Then night before Easter, Jim's parents wanted us to make them gumbo for dinner so we did, along with homemade bread bowls. It was mine and Jim's first time making gumbo but I think it turned out fantastic if I do say so myself! The kids had a great time being able to play with family for a week!

Graduation

2011-05-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

On April 16, 2011, Jim finally finished school and graduated with his MBA from Pepperdine University! Oh happy day! The two years of him being in the program have been enjoyable, however, we are anxious to start the next chapter in our lives, a chapter that doesn't involve school. Both of Jim's parents along with his two of his sisters: Julie and Jennifer came out to support him along with both of my parents and grandparents. We celebrated over dinner the night before and then after graduation ended, Jim's parents and Julie headed back to the Bay Area and we headed to my family's hotel to go swimming and out to dinner again. It was an enjoyable day.

Since Jennifer stayed with us for a few days after graduation, we took her to Disneyland for a LONG day of fun. I think she ended up having a really great time.

Surprise!!!!

2011-04-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

If you look closely at Isaac's drawing of myself, he already spilled the beans. I'm Pregnant! This came as a huge surprise for Jim and I since both Isaac and Elizabeth were conceived with fertility drugs and this was wasn't, not to mention that we have talked about trying again soon for another baby but hadn't really started yet. As of right now I am 11 weeks and I am due November 3rd. I think this will be an October baby. We feel that with the timing of this pregnancy, that God definitely had his hand in the timing of this one. We are so thrilled to be expanding our family and Isaac and Elizabeth are very excited to have another sibling. Isaac is 100% sure that it will be a boy. We'll see.

A lot has happened

2011-04-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

I know that I am not doing a very good job at updating the blog like I used to. I find that the days just slip by and then I notice that it is quite some time before I have done a blog post.

Battle of the Bands

Jim and I took Isaac to the Battle of the Bands on Pepperdine's campus because our neighbor, Izzy, is in the band Johnny Come Lately. Isaac was so excited to hear all the loud music and watch Izzy. Izzy's youngest brother, Anthony, who is 5 had a great time playing with Isaac also. Both Isaac and Izzy were given paper gem guitars and Isaac was rockin it the WHOLE night! The guitar playing hasn't stopped since. In this video you can see Izzy, his brother, Anthony, and Izzy's roommate, Chris, playing with Isaac and Anthony. Those boys are always so great with Isaac. Isaac just thinks the world of them.

Parents Visit

My parents came down for a weekend so they could watch Isaac play in one of his t-ball games. Even-thought he weather wasn't the best, we still had a great time. We went to the 3rd Street Promenade and took my parents to Barney's Beanery for lunch, we ate at Red Robin for dinner, we also took them to Pinks for lunch on another day. We drove all over the LA area, went to the park and went to the Griffith Observatory which Isaac loved since he finished his space curriculum a month ago. We all had a great time and the visit went by fast.

Beach Day

The weather was nice so my friend and I took the kids to the beach to play for a bit. The kids came home full of sand and we saw a seal and 5 dolphins. It was a great day.

Isaac's Art Show

Isaac was part of an art show put on by his school. It was the cutest thing. The school was decorated with all the art work that was saved from the past few weeks and the kids had a great time showing of their art. My favorite is Isaac's self portrait and the family portrait that Isaac drew. I love it so much and think it is so sweet that I want to frame it!

Being Silly

The rest of the pictures and videos are just of us being silly and crazy- that is how we normally are.

Fun Days

2011-03-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

This posts covers about a months of activities. The first set of pictures is from Valentine's Day and we made "love bugs" for dessert. There are also pictures from when we had a family day at Disneyland and Elizabeth decided to get into Isaac's pint and was so proud to show off all the paint on her face and hands.

I left the kids with Jim and I flew up to the Bay Area for a couple of days to surprise my brother at his going away party. I had a great time hanging out with my Mom and going all over the city. Also, my friend Shannon from Utah was is town so I was able to see her as well. It was a fun filled weekend.

It was a fun-filled day at Trancas Park in Malibu. My kids love this park and I love it too because they have areas that are both age appropriate for Isaac and Elizabeth not to mention you are overlooking the ocean. Elizabeth was so excited to bring her new lunch pale to the park for a picnic lunch with myself and Isaac.

We took the kids to a place in Century City called Giggles and Hugs. It is an indoor play area that the kids enjoyed with a restaurant inside. Then afterward for a special treat, Ben and Jerry's Ice cream! One of the wonderful things about living where we live, is that we can go swimming in the winter! It was a warm day so we
took the kids to the pool for a bit and had a great time splashing and jumping in.

Jim's parents came down and we went to Disneyland with them which was fun and the kids had a great time hanging out with them at the house too. Elizabeth enjoyed putting on Mascara with Grandma while Grandma was getting ready. She just thought she looked so pretty!

Isaac had his first t-Ball game and boy was he excited. He kept telling us that he was a real baseball player. He had some great hits that were from pitches and enjoyed sliding into home base every single time. While he was in the field, he wasn't worried about the grass or flowers, but where the ball would go. He ended up on the bottom of a dog pile once when he got the ball before his teammates. It was a ton of fun to watch. Bonus: Patrick Dempsey's son was playing on the other team. We got to look at him and watch him help out with the game for the whole time! There are a ton of videos but they are mostly fro the family that requested many videos so they can see Isaac play.

Dad's Life

2011-03-11T20:40:00.000-08:00

I saw this video and laughed so hard. I thought I would share it with you all. Enjoy

Pictures from February

2011-02-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

Celebrity Sightings

2011-02-19T08:51:00.000-08:00

About a months or two ago, I was walking out of CVS in Malibu and low and behold, Piercce Bronson was standing right in front of my minivan. He parked his super nice car next to mine. It was quite the surprise
Last week I was picking some kids up from their elementary school and as I was waiting in the pick up line I saw Dean Cain chatting it up on his cell phone when he was waiting for his kids.
I had to run to Ralph's to pick up a few grocery items and I saw Kid Rock at the check out stand. I wish it was someone else, but oh well.

December and the Whole Bit

2011-01-19T18:16:00.001-08:00

I have to say, I have been a slacker these last few months when it comes to blogging. I hardly have time to think about it and when I do think about it, it is always at a time when there is no possible way to blog.

Anyways, we had a great Christmas holiday and the beginning of the new year. We went up to the Bay Area again for X-mas which is always super busy but fun. The kids had a great time visiting with all of the family not to mention the whole toy store that was given to them by both families. We also had some fun excursions to the city and a night out at Zoo lights. The day after Christmas, the Wuehler's normally have a family day, started by moi, so this year we invited whom ever wanted to come up to my parents cabin for a few days, There we played games, watched movies, roasted marshmallows and played in the snow. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

We headed back to Malibu with a full van and Julie in tow. Julie stayed with us for 3 weeks and we had a great time. We took the kids to Disneyland, the LA Science Center, the park, beach and all over LA. Julie and I had a few girls days and we took advantage of shopping, eating sushi, going to the movies and we even went to the Ellen Show.

On the way to the Ellen show, we saw the most beautiful sunrise! Once we got there and received our tickets, we went to the Universal City Walk where Universal Studios theme park is until we had to be back for taping. We were lucky enough to sit in the front row and we walked away with Cover Girl lipstick, "The Social Network" dvd, $50 in blockbuster bucks, 1 year free subscription to blockbuster movies, $100 Target gift card and a BluRay player. It was a fun day.

The weather here has been gorgeous so we have been soaking up the vitamin D while the rest of the country is bundled up. I think that concludes our December and first half of January in a nut shell.

Christmas Program

2010-12-17T22:20:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of pictures from the X-mas program at Isaac's preschool. The videos are below.

These are from our Ward's x-mas party. The last two video are of Isaac dancing. It was a great dinner and the DJ and dancing is always a plus with the kids.

Jim and I walked into the kids bedroom to find this. What crazy kids we have!

This is our X-mas tree this year. There is not 1 store bought ornament on it. Everything is homemade besides the candy canes. We have strung popcorn and strung colored noodles, art work that Isaac made and bell ornaments made from egg cartons that the kids painted. I think this is my favorite tree so far.

I would like to apologize for all of the videos. However, since family (aka grandparents) couldn't be in town to watch Isaac, I thought I could just video it and post it. So here it is.

Shower

2010-11-22T10:13:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth LOVES taking showers. Well, she doesn't know any difference between a shower and a bath because we don't have a bath tub. Every time she hears the shower running, she comes running into the bathroom and tries to take her clothes off. Well this morning, Jim started running the shower so it could heat up and he had his back to Elizabeth. Well, she said forget it and hopped right in with all of her clothes on! She thought it was the greatest thing and didn't understand why we were making such a big fuss over it.

Feast Day, Earrings and Birthday Surprises

2010-11-21T11:14:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving, Isaac participated in a Thanksgiving feast at his school. It was really cute. The kids all had different hat s on; Isaac's was a turkey on both sides with feathers glued on. They sang a song, said a prayer and then feasted on preschool friendly Thanksgiving items. Think cubed turkey, cheese, fruit mini rolls, mini cornbread muffins, etc.

I have always wanted to get Elizabeth's ears pierced but Jim has always been a bit more apprehensive about it. Well, we finally did it! I took the kids to the mall and had Elizabeth's ears pierced. Isaac was so excited that he was able to pick out the earrings that she would wear. he picked some crystal flowers. Elizabeth cried for about a minute and then she was fine sucking on her lolly pop. She always looked adorable but now I think she is even more so!

Jim turned 30 on the 18th and since Jim isn't the party type, I planned a couple outings to celebrate his Dirty Thirty. On his birthday we kept things simple and the kids gave him a cupcake cook book since he really enjoys decorating cakes. On Friday Jim and I went to the Oaks mall and bought VIP tickets to see HP7P1. We ordered lunch and ate it in our big love seat during the moving. We then went to the outlets in Camarillo where Jim was able top buy some shorts and running shoes. Lastly, on Saturday, it was the big event. I booked reservations for us to eat at the Gordon Ramsey at the London West Hollywood. Jim has been wanting to eat there for a few years so I thought this was an appropriate time. It was so nice to actually put a dress on, curl my hair and wear make up to go out with my husband. Below is what we ate. It didn't disappoint!!!! It was some of the best food I have ever eaten! After dinner we went up to the rooftop pool to look at the panoramic view of L.A. We enjoyed the view and the warm fire before leaving to go home. 3.5 hours later, we turned back into pumpkins and headed home with full bellies.

We started off with:
artisan bread and butter
toasted crackers with ricotta, mascarpone, truffle oil, extra virgin olive oil

Then we moved into the many courses of our dinner

Amuse Bouche
~
Pork with blue cheese and sauteed figs
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Seared Hamachi
Ras el hanout spices | compressed watermelon | avocado | ponzu
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Potato Dumplings
Chanterelle mushrooms | foie gras | roasted tomato
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Sweet Butter Poached Lobster Tail
Summer corn | Baby Blue Lake green beans | sugar snap peas (It also came with potato crisps with truffle oil...so good!)
~
Filet Mignon
Onion Jam, Chanterelle Mushrooms, SherryWine
mashed potato | piquillo pepper | tarragon sauce
~
Artisanal Cheeses
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Valrhona Dark Chocolate Mousse
Praline crunch | caramelized banana | sudachi sorbet
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Pumpkin Soufflé
Gingerbread Ice Cream

Monday Funday

2010-11-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

Today I took the kids to the beach. It was such a warm, beautiful morning. I am glad that I took my camera and took some pictures. The rest of the pictures are left overs from after Isaac's party.

November

2010-11-13T17:05:00.000-08:00

November has been a bust month so far for us but we have been able to have a great time. One of the highlights has been Isaac's birthday. At his school I brought in brownies for the celebration and then we had a pirate themed party at our house with friends. Isaac was "pee your pants" excited for this party. We had scroll invitations that I made that had a rhyme type pirate-y saying, homemade pirate hats, a treasure hunt and a ton of cupcakes and a cake. The kids all had a great time pretending they were pirates and the treasure hunt and treasure map were a huge success!

The Rest of October

2010-11-13T16:34:00.001-08:00

Orange and Blue Madness

We had a great time taking the kids to Orange and Blue Madness on campus. There were games, blow up jumpers, small rides and club booths along with a DJ, 2 In N' Out trucks, Dominoes pizza station and a Just desserts truck all of which were free! Isaac and Elizabeth had so much fun running around and playing while Jim and I thought it was awesome to get FREE In N' out! After the carnival, there was a big basketball game preview/pep rally. Isaac thought that was cool too. Pepperdine's mascot s a wave.

Disneyland

We had the opportunity to go to Disneyland with Jim's uncle, John and his family during Halloween time. Isaac had fun with his cousins and it was a treat to spend some time with family that we never get to see.

Northern California

We were able to make a quick trip up to the Bay Area and by quick I mean only 3 days. The main reason we went up was because I threw Melanie an "Under the Sea" baby shower. While we were up there, my grandpa celebrated his birthday so the whole family was able to get together for dinner and celebrate.

Halloween Celebrations

We had many Halloween celebrations. Our ward party was a chili cook off and a trunk or treat. The kids had a great time sliding down a homemade slide and getting a ton of yummy treats from people's trunks.
We also went to the Malibu Halloween celebration at the park across the street from our house where there was a costume fashion show, trick or treating, games and a bounce house.
The day before Halloween we took the kids trick or treating around our complex. The undergrads and the law students were so generous to pass out candy to my kids and the rest of the kids in the complex. The kids had a great time trick or treating together!
On Halloween we went to our friends, the Cox's, house. It was great because they have grandchildren the same age as Isaac and Elizabeth so they were well prepared for us. We had a Halloween themed dinner with mummy dogs, witches fingers, green jell-o and a meal in a pumpkin. Isaac also helped Becky make chocolate cat cookies.

Disneyland Again

The kids and I met up with my friends, Kelly, Rick and Jaime and their kids in Disneyland for the day. It was great seeing them and visiting with them. I went to elementary school with Kelly and Rick and high school with all three of them. All of our kids had a great time hanging out together as did we adults. Elizabeth became attached to Rick which was very sweet and Isaac seemed to adore him and Kelly as well.

Disney, School and Art

2010-10-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

Disneyland

Last weekend BJ and Richard came down and we met up with them to go to Disneyland. On Friday night we left the kids with BJ and Richard so Jim and I could check out Electronica at California Adventure and ride the rapid ride. We then finished our date at the Cheesecake Factory sharing a huge slice of red velvet cheesecake which was awesome, might I add. It was nice to have some alone time. On Saturday we had a great time with everyone at Disneyland and had quite a long day.

Red Day

You might remember my post about Yellow Days, well now it is time for Red Days. For two weeks the kids focused on the color red and the shape of a rectangle. Here are some pictures and videos of the Red Days parade. The kids were also allowed during the Share Days to bring in something red to share with the class. One day Isaac brought his fire truck and the other day he brought El Torro Loco, his monster truck.

While Elizabeth and I were waiting for the parade to start, she mastered going down the slide by herself. She LOVES going to Brother's school and playing with all the kids and toys!

Art Class

On Wednesdays up in the faculty housing up in Drescher, the Graduate campus, some women faculty and faculty spouses put on an art class for the faculty kids. They let us mom's of students come too. It is very cute. They do singing, stories, a craft and a snack all corresponding with the theme. So far the themes have been apples. scarecrows and skeletons. The kids have a great time and it is nice for me to get to socialize with other moms. When the class is over, we just walk down from the club house to the park and let the kids play at the private park for a bit before we catch the shuttle back home.

Fun with JibJab

2010-10-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

2010-10-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

This post will seem like it has everything but the kitchen sink. By the way, I know that the last few posts have had so many pictures and videos in them That is due to some requests saying that I don't post enough. So I hope these past few posts are enough for you. You know who I am talking about.

My brother, Ryan, and his friends came down to Disneyland on Friday and the kids and I met them down there for the day. We had a great time riding the rides and hanging out. They stayed at the Grand Californian so we went swimming in the pools after dinner. The kids LOVED it! It was such a hot day so it was perfect by nightfall. After a nice swim, we went and watched World of Color before they retired to their beds and we drove home. It was a fun time and I can't wait until we do it again.

I am a bit sad that Isaac is starting another year of preschool. Last year I put up some of Isaac's artwork up on his wall as a border around his room. I know that I need to make room for the new pieces of art that he is creating this year but I just love some of the pieces he did. So to help me cope with taking them down, I took pictures of them so I can share them with all of you.

My sweet Elizabeth is in new waters. She has discovered climbing! She can climb onto the bookshelf, chairs, couches, desks, tables. You name it, she can do it. Along with climbing, she is getting better with communicating her wants and needs with us and has found a love for dancing and acting silly. I can't believe how much my little girl has grown!

PS Don't mind the dirty floor. I vacuum and clean twice a day but I didn't do it when the videos were shot.

Yellow Day

2010-09-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

Every two weeks the curriculum at Isaac's preschool changes. These first two weeks of school the focus has been on the color yellow, circles and "school is a happy place." The celebrated Baby Days where they were able to bring a younger sibling or a picture of themselves as a baby and present them to the group. Isaac loved showing off Elizabeth and was able to answer all the questions that people asked about her. He was a proud big brother. Today was the celebration of Yellow days and they ended it with the kids wearing yellow and participating in a yellow parade topped off by eating popsicles. Isaac had a great day!

Just Found

2010-09-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

Found some old pictures and a video and I just thought I would share.

Hot Days

2010-09-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

It was super hot a couple of days ago here in Malibu and Southern California. Normally when the rest of SoCal is boiling, Malibu stays warm but is treated with the nice cool breeze from the ocean. Well, that wasn't the case the other day. Yes, we wern't 113* like it was in Downtown L.A., but we were a nice hot 103* and with out a cool breeze. Jim was nice enough to take an hour out of his studying so we can all go to the pool but that just wasn't enough time. The kids were hot and I was hot so I got a bit redneck and busted out an ice chest and filled it with water, threw in some toys and voila! It was an instant hit with the kids!

Solvang

2010-09-24T16:01:00.000-07:00

One of my 30 things to do before I turn 30 things was to visit Solvang, Ca. Jim was not thrilled. He could care less about visiting this cute Danish town. That happened to work out perfect because my friend, Serene said she would love tog o with me. We went down last Saturday for Danish Days and it was such a great day. The weather was wonderful and we were with out the hubbies and kids! It was so mellow and refreshing to do what WE wanted to do on our OWN time! We walked around the town and went into many shops. I loved looking at all of the imported items. One of my favorites I saw transported me back to when I was twelve: canned fish balls. I had a great giggle and the of course had to get a picture with it. We also went to many of the bakeries and ate delicious treats. My favorite was the awesome almond past tart. I ate 3! We also visited the Mission Ines. Serene never has been to a mission and I used to go when I was little with my grandparents. This was one that I haven't been to. We had a great day!

1st Day of School

2010-09-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

Isaac had his first day of school for this school year. The both of us have been counting down the days for it to start. Isaac was so excited to go back and see all of his old friends and teachers. Isaac saw a little boy who was crying and he went up to him and said, "Hi. My name is Isaac. Would you like to play with me?" I thought that was just the sweetest thing. The boy responded with, "I just want my Mom!" Isaac didn't know what to do with that response so he just stood there and stared at the boy. A few minutes later Isaac asked me, "Mom, when are you going to go home?" I took that as my exit cue and left. He had a great day!

The above picture is a picture of a car I saw when I was driving around Santa Monica after I dropped Isaac off at school