KSquare's Korner

Pizza...Pizza...Pizza

2012-01-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

Guess which lucky duck got to go skiing? Yup, the lil one! She did awesome... made this Aunty very proud! (I haven't been cleared by the doctor yet....GRRRR!)

Getting ready to go...safety first...

Pizza - Green Light - Pizza

Riding the "Magic Carpet"

"Resting"

... its finally time for snow angels!

10 Years Ago

2011-10-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

On October 23, 2001, we said "see you later" to my grandmother, Popo. She was generous, the luckiest woman ever, loved being present in all of her grandchildren's lives and was simply the glue of the family. She loved dolls, crafts, traveling, People magazine (or any gossip magazine), playing Nintendo, cooking/baking, and having all of her family together.

Today, I celebrate the incredible woman that Popo was and the fact that she's in "God's big big house," as Add would say. I hold on tightly to all of the wonderful memories that I have of and with my her. While Popo is no longer physically here with us, she lives on in our hearts.

Popo, I love and miss you. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about you.

For Uncle Tony...

2011-09-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

This post is especially for Uncle Tony, who recently requested a blog update.

We recently traveled to HI for my cousin's wedding. Here is a little preview of our trip. :)

Addi was willing to work even while on vacation.

WAIOLA SHAVE ICE ... or "ice shave" as Add calls it! On the last day, she ate a large then went back for seconds, which was a small with ice cream on the bottom. We LOVE our shave ice!

The boys went in the hamster balls. It was exhausting and super hot. Afterwards, many of them felt or got sick!

The rehearsal dinner was at Tiki's Bar and Grill. One of the workers insisted that I take a picture touching the tiki.

The before....

.... and after!

I took a quick picture of the set up before the guests were seated. It rained the morning of the wedding, but it cleared up just in time. The weather was perfect!

After the wedding festivities had calmed down, the trip was spent caring for my grandfather. We are so fortunate to have such great caretakers, who take really good care of him!

I'll post some additional pictures and stories soon. :)

A great man...

2011-09-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to you, Scotty!

"You just turned 5, what are you going to do next?"

2011-06-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

Addi recently celebrated the big 0-5. While Munch was counting down the days until her birthday and parties, the rest of us were anxiously awaiting our surprise trip! Add knew nothing about the trip. Do you know how hard it is to not tell or slip to a four/almost five year old that we're going to the Happiest Place on Earth (aka Walt Disney World)? The morning we left, she was told that we were going to pick up the birthday present that Momma and Dadda bought for her. Right before we landed and while looking out the window, Add told my parents that we must be going somewhere with palm trees. She also was planning on being back in time for soccer, swimming, dance and teddy bear week at school. After the long flight and baggage claim, we told Add that her birthday present was a trip to Walt Disney World. She had a delayed reaction, but later asked, "Where's my card?" Oh Muncharoo, you are too much, kiddo!

There way too many pictures to post, but here are a few favs:

(This rhino was walking next to our safari jeep.)

(One night, we were the very last "guests" to leave Magic Kingdom)

(Please disregard my turnout... its horrifying, but I love this picture!)

What a blessing to spend ten full days together as a family! Let's do it again... soon!

A "suite" Sounders match

2011-04-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

The past several weeks we have been fundraising for childhood cancer research at Qwest Field. A couple of weekends ago it was our turn to work. The plan was for my mom, sister and me to work while Papa watched Addi. (Click here if you'd like to donate.) Then, when my friend invited me to the Sounders match, our plans changed! My mom, sister and dad worked while I got to take Addi and Baby B to the match. Addi was such a good girl good all.day.long!

The day started with a trip to the Pro Shop for some gear. Addi got a Sounders hoodie (with thumb holes), a jersey and a foam finger. We, of course, could not forget about Baby B, who got a special Sounders scarf. Then, it was off to buy some kettle corn, a visit to see the Seattle Fallen Firefighters Memorial, a visit to the grocery store for gum and more snacks/treats (btw, do you know how hard it is to find a store with gum in Pioneer Square on a Saturday?) and then back to Qwest Field for pre-game festivities. We had fun watching many fans participate in the March to the Match and even hung around to see the Sounders band play.

Now that Addi has been to a match and "gets" the idea of wearing a jersey or sporting a scarf, I can't wait to take her back. Although, the next time she's going to be expecting a suite. She asked me the other night while a soccer match was on TV, if they were playing at the same place that we went to. When explained to Addi that the soccer game on TV was at another stadium, she asked, "Do you think that stadium has suites too?" Uh oh, what have I done?!?

Party in the LV!

2011-04-01T20:05:00.000-07:00

When I say Las Vegas, what do you think of? Hotels? Gaming? Craziness? What if I said Grandfather? 90th birthday party? .. and that is exactly what we did! We celebrated my grandfather's 90th in Las Vegas. I was battling pneumonia (which by the way is the most awful thing ever... ever) and my doctor didn't want me to go. But, I couldn't let a bug beat me and keep me from celebrating! There were 25 of us that met in LV for the big party. We had family travel from HI, WA, CA and Japan. It was awesome to have everyone in one place at the same time. We had a lot of fun cousin time, saw The Lion King, ate "heavenly" gelato (and a lot of food for that matter), walked around, shopped, went bowling .... the list goes on. Everyone definitely celebrated. In fact, one night my grandfather even stayed up longer than all the "young" kids. I tell ya he's one party animal that Khungs!
Look who's learning how to picture "creep."

Happy 90th Khungs! We love you!

This face...

2010-11-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

Check out that face... how could you not love this little Munchkin? It is true that the Munch is getting big. She's not a baby anymore. She's also one of the smartest, yet most hilarious little girls I know. Here are a few recent quotes:

- "Raise your hand if your food smells like elephant dirt."

- My parents and I were driving in the car with the Munch and my mom was trying to call her something other than her full name. After a few minutes of Mom and Add going back and forth, she says, "P (that's what she calls me), Can you please deal with Nah."

- After my cousins volleyball games, we typically go with the team to dinner. Most recently, Coach Mario has allowed Addi to ride the team bus with my cousins to dinner.

Munch: "Hey Mario, where are we going for dinner. Its my grandpa's birthday."

{Insert Mario's dumbfounded look}

Mario: "I don't know, ask Chloe (the assistant coach)."

Munch: "Well my grandpa wants to ride the bus too."

Mario: "Well come on then! Let's go!"

- Trick or treating at Grandpa Phil and Grandma Wendy's house

Grandpa Phil: "Addi, you can anything you want."

Addi grabbed two sets of mini cards

Grandpa Phil: "How about some candy? You can have as much as you'd like."

Addi: "No, no thanks. Candy gives you sugar bugs."

- Munch is a total backseat driver. Driving on the freeway.... "Momma, there's a big truck. Remember to stay far back so nothing from the truck hits us." She is also the blinker patrol!! "BLINKER!! Momma, BLINKER!" Oh yeah, did I mention that she has an excellent sense of direction? Obviously, that did not come from me.

- "Dadda, we had to get out of town fast because the President was coming."

Maybe these comments aren't so funny to everyone else, but the things she comes up with continue to make me constantly laugh!

Last but not least, V3 Graduates!

2010-06-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of days after the big hoedown, we boarded a plane and headed to Hawaii for my cousin's graduation and to visit family. The flight over was definitely eventful as there was a medical emergency mid-flight. About an hour and a half into our flight we heard a call for any doctors or nurses to identify themselves immediately. It turns out the couple sitting in front of us were both doctors. There was also a nurse and two EMT's (two flight attendants) on the flight as well. A passenger had passed out on the flight and took awhile to come to. We saw O2 tanks being used as well as IV's. Every few minutes or so, we'd see a flight attendant on the phone calling in with the vitals. Once the two doctors left their seats to help the sick passenger, we never saw them again. They spent the rest of the flight in the back of the plane attending to the emergency. When we landed, more chaos occurred as first we were told to hurry up and get off the plane. Then, the left side of the plane, which was our side, was directed to move over to the right side of the plane. Finally, we were told just to keep the aisle clear as the EMT's boarded the plane.

After the eventful plane ride, we stopped by our condo to drop off all of our baggage, then headed toward my grandparent's house to learn that Grandpa was going for a haircut. We gave hugs & kisses and headed straight to Zippy's to eat... and boy, did we grind! We headed back to my grandparent's house until it was time for graduation. It was then time for us to honor Chel and watch her receive her diploma!

The graduation was nice and the perfect length. We were all so proud and excited for Chel. Then, it was time.... time to go rushing into the area where all the families and friends could congratulate all of the grads. The grads get 15 minutes to themselves to hug and be together before they are to go stand by their pole. There are poles in this big room with letters on them. The grads go to the pole that coordinates with the letter of their last name so family & friends can easily find them. Pretty genius if you ask me! We ran to the "V" pole where Chel was waiting for us. We each gave Chel a lei as did a ton of other family and friends. There were big bags full of fresh flower leis, candy and treat leis, inner-tubes, cards, cut flowers, and much more! Uncle was taking video, my parents and Aunty Donna were sorting all the goods, Krys, Aunty and I were unloading Chel's neck, a tag-team effort of cousins and uncles took turns holding the "Chelsie" sign and Bran was taking still photos. There was a lot of hugging and kissing by everyone! What a great night!!! With Chel off to Project Grad, their overnight grad party, the rest of us were starving. Can you guess what we did? Oh yeah, we headed to Kahala Zippy's to eat again!

CONGRATS to Chel, who will be coming to the mainland to play volleyball with her older sister, Bran, at CWU!

Addi Turns the BIG 0-4!

2010-06-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks in May were very busy, but exciting for our family. Our little sass-a-fras turned the big 0-4! Munchkin's "real" birthday started with a princess party at school where she took princess/prince crowns, ice cream and goodie bags for her class. Later that night, we had a family dinner at the one and only Chucky Cheese (aka the petrie dish). Munch was in heaven playing games, collecting tickets and of course meeting Chucky. Then, the big day finally arrived. The day that we had been planning for a year.... the day that my mom had hand sewn 18 (or some crazy number) of horses on a stick for.... The ponies had been scheduled, cowboy/girl hats and party favors were in hand, my sister had perfected her ribs and of course the little one was ready to party!

Spring Happenings

2010-05-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

It definitely has been a busy few months full of birthdays, concerts, family, friends, and spring volleyball.

Earlier this spring, I hopped on a plane to visit D and attend the Midwest LM Quarterly in Chicago. I was super excited to see D and it was a fun bonus that we were able to attend the LM Quarterly together. It definitely was a physically exhausting weekend, but well worth it. There were so many fun memories and adventures!

My parents and I went to see Keali'i Reichel in concert.

... and Michael Buble with a dear friend, V.

We celebrated a few birthdays too.

I also went to a Sounders game as a fan. It's a little hard to tell from the pictures, but check out how pretty the confetti cannons made the field look. Oh man, I sure do LOVE confetti cannons!

.... and I ran a couple of half marathons, but only have pictures from the Kirkland Half.

The fun continues with a birthday hoedown, graduation, weddings, baby showers and of course summer!

Mission Mexico 2010

2010-03-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel to El Paso, New Mexico and Mexico to build a house for a family. I have to admit that I had a fair amount of anxiety about this trip, but in the end it was the most fulfilling and rewarding trip! The youth were amazing (as were the leaders), the family warmed up to us and were so grateful and the experience itself was such a blessing!

The "Real" McDreamy

2010-01-20T20:28:00.000-08:00

Since the earthquake in Haiti last week, I couldn't help but think about a dear friend, Dr. Drew. You see, Drew is not just a doctor. He specializes in trauma and emergency medicine. Admirable, huh? I think so!

Over the weekend, we found out that Drew was being deployed to Haiti (he left on Monday). What an amazing experience (on so many levels) for Drew to have an opportunity to help so many that oh so badly need him. The people of Haiti are truly blessed to have such an incredible person, who also happens to be an excellent doctor, care for them. I greatly admire the fact that Drew is truly making a difference in this world (vs. helping rich men/women become richer as you often hear in the business world). Please keep Drew, his team, the people that Drew is caring for and of course Jen and all four of their children in your thoughts and prayers.

Drew is truly the real McDreamy (or whatever they call the Grey's Anatomy doctors) for many reasons that go beyond physical appearance!

Faith * Heart * Team = 2009 CWU Volleyball

2010-01-09T14:33:00.001-08:00

Last night, we celebrated the great accomplishments of the 2009 CWU Volleyball team. The night included an adventure to Ellensburg, a pasta dinner, awards & recognition, senior speeches & presentation of CWU jerseys and a video that captured many great moments of the season. Of course, we were especially proud of Brandie (AKA Bran, Bubs or Bubbles), who had another incredible season.

Below is the list of hardware that Bran picked up this season:

- GNAC Academic All American Conference
- CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VIII College Division Volleyball Team
- First Team GNAC Conference Team
- 2009 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II All-West Region Team
- 2009 Daktronics, Inc. Division II All-West Region Team
- 2009 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II All-American
- 2009 CWU Defensive Player of the Year

Bran is such a hard worker both on and off the court and absolutely without a doubt deserves every single bit of recognition. We love you, Bran and are looking forward to your senior year!

For the family who was not able to attend the celebration last night, below are a few videos for you:

I am still working on correcting some of the photos, so be on the look out for another post soon!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T18:41:00.000-08:00

A new year, new beginnings.... here's to all of you! May 2010 be a great one!

Fa-la-la-la-la ... la-la..la-la

2009-12-31T08:58:00.000-08:00

I was very excited for Christmas this year as Addi is a year older (and so is everyone else), but she finally "gets it." This year when Addi went to visit Santa she asked for "a four wheeler and the rest will be a surprise." Well, the "Elf on the Shelf" must have reported good things back to Santa as the little Munchkin received the four wheeler she asked for.

The video below is her first ride.... she is much more comfortable driving now and drives like a pro.

I even got to ride the four wheeler. :) Its super fun!!

She also received a very special present from Papa and Nah....let's just say, she will be well educated. :) Pa could not wait to open the extra special present with his granddaughter.

The past few years we have web cammed with our family in Hawaii and this year was no exception. Sometimes you have to be creative to show your gift to the web cam.

Munchkin and I checking out her Zhu Zhu pets. :)

Hope you all had a very merry and blessed Christmas too! For more pictures, please click here to view my parent's blog. Cheers and Happy New Year! Here's to new adventures, unforgettable memories and good health in 2010!

Holiday Extravaganza 2009

2009-12-16T18:24:00.001-08:00

The Annual PL Holiday Extravaganza once again did not disappoint! The night was spent with good company, awesome live music, many laughs, dancing and fun memories. It is always so much fun seeing everyone dressed up and having a good time. We are all so fortunate to work for a great company and along side so many great co-workers!

As one co-worker says, "This is how we roll."

Click here to see the Holiday Extravaganza 2008 pictures.

Lil' Cougar

2009-12-07T20:28:00.001-08:00

If you know me, you know where my loyalties lie. Well this picture just warms my heart... Below are just a few things that I absolutely adore about Munchkin:

- She sings the WSU Fight song

- Says, "My favorite color is purple, but we cheer for red"

- Participates in the GOOOOO... COOOOOUGS cheer

- When she sees the Cougar logo says, "Oh that's Go Cougs"

I especially love the story of how Munchkin was shopping with my mom and sister at UVillage. Mom commented on the "purple signs" and Munch turned around without hesitating and says, "Nah, I'm going to pound your head, we don't cheer for purple we cheer for red." I absolutely LOVE the fact that Munchkin loves football and will give you a play by play using football terminology. One of my most favorite recent moments with Munch was when she climbed onto my lap, snuggled up and watched football with me. She even asks if its the weekend yet so she can watch football. Am I in Heaven or what? I love this little one to the moon and back even when she changes who she's cheering for mid-game because she doesn't want to loose!

Happy Birthday, Dad, Clarence, Chuck, Charles, Uncle, Papa, King!

2009-10-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

Today is a very special day as it is my dad's birthday! If you do not know my dad, he does not like attention and parties specifically for him. Let's just say that if Dad says, "No party," he means no party. Period! Well somehow Mom convinced Dad to allow us to have a "dinner" party to celebrate his special day. We celebrated with family, good food, and of course yummy cupcakes!

Even though Dad my have a "stubborn" side, he is the most patient, loving, passionate (about many things if life but especially his two little buddies, Addi and Luke... let me tell you Pa/Clarence spoil those two little ones... they don't even have to wait until he's sleeping to get a "yes"), sports lovin' Papa anyone could ask for!

Happy Birthday, Dad! We love you to pieces!

Oh Bellingham!

2009-10-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Bran's volleyball team was up in Bellingham playing Western Washington University. As you probably already know, we attend as many of Bran's games as possible, so of course last night was no exception. Since earlier in the day I was on Bainbridge for a dear friend's baby shower, I had decided to drive up to Bellingham separately from the rest of the ohana. I don't mind driving by myself on longer road trips, in fact, most of the time I really enjoy it. There's nothing like a little alone time. But for this trip I thought it would be fun for my Small Group gals to see some of the HS Youth Group Alum who now attend Western. Plus, I knew AG really enjoys watching volleyball. B and AK were not able to go for one reason or another, but AG joined me on the adventure. It was fun seeing J and R while we were up in Bellingham and I am so glad AG was able to come with me. It definitely made the drive up and home seem like nothing!

In case you were wondering, Bran played well and ended the game with 21 digs (and is still leading the conference). The Wildcats played with a lot of heart but the game did not end in their favor. It was a tough loss to say the least ... in fact, one of the worst ways to get a "L." But, Bran played hard and we are so proud of her!

Birthdays, Birthdays and more Birthdays!

2009-09-23T07:13:00.001-07:00

There are so many reasons why I love my mama and life would be quite boring without her too. Mama often "misplaces" things (aka her phone, glasses and keys are in her back pocket or her purse), is creative (just check out her bulletin boards), has paved the road for all of us to have "AJ Syndrome," can have laughing attacks like nobody's business, is the middle child, likes her games/puzzle books, regularly attends all of Addi's activities, drove my sister and I to all of our activities growing up, entertains us with her crazy antics, causes trouble with my sister, proudly supports my cousins volleyball careers by attending as many games as she can, is now the "cook," takes care of us when we're sick, volunteers at the school she taught at (I totally admire her passion for children and education), enjoys her haupia and ensamadas, and LOVES doing laundry.

Happy Birthday, Momma! Here's to many more years of laughs, love, craziness, adventures....and funny faces! "Love you most."

**Photo taken by the Lil' Munchkin herself. Nah is making a "funny face."

September is a very popular month for birthdays, especially in our family. The past week has been filled with birthday parties, dinners, presents, family, friends, and lots of pictures being taken! Check out Mom's blog here for more pictures of our September birthday celebrations.

...A Year Later and I'm Still Laughing!

2009-09-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

While searching for something on my computer, I found this video that I took last October while my family was in Portland. Every time I watch this video, I laugh.... its nearly a year later and I'm still laughing! Wowser, Addi looks so young.... the babe has definitely grown up!

ENJOY!

Did you enjoy how my mom was encouraging Addi to "pounce" on Cyn's head?

Here's to you Scotty and Patti

2009-08-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

As the news spread that Senator Ted Kennedy passed away from brain cancer, I couldn't help but to think about two special people in my life who have also been affected by the same horrible disease - Scott and Patti. Two of the most giving, caring both professionally and personally, brave and inspirational (before, during and after their battles) people i know.

Here's to you Scotty and Patti....

Just a few memories of you both that I tightly hold on to:

- Scotty-isms and the bow tie
- your Faith

- the frantic IT questions :)

- the stories

- the long days and hours that we spent together

- your adoring love for your families

- You want to talk about networking, both Scott and Patti were two of the most networked people ever!

- your passion for your work, co-workers, colleagues and clients

- Patti, how you were like the "Department Mom" always taking care of us girls...

- Scotty, the weekly message that you'd leave on your voice mails were priceless

- your creativity

- Did I mention how every year when Training Camp rolls around I think about the time when our plane caught on fire and we had to make an emergency landing?

...... this list could go on and on and on!

I need to go through my old photo files and find some fun pictures, but in the meantime, here is a picture of Tirza and me visiting Scott last June.

As the Nation pays its respects to Senator Kennedy, I honor and remember you, Scotty, and think and pray often for you, Patti!

I5 Dive - Skycoaster Adventure

2009-08-04T21:22:00.001-07:00

The other day we headed down to Wild Waves for all sorts of fun on the water slides and rides. While we were there, the boys decided that they wanted to do the I5 Dive Skycoaster. Check out the video below of their adventure:

.... and a few pictures that I took of their adrenaline rush:

Lazy Sunny Days

2009-08-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

Some of my most favorite days ever are the mellow (ok and the crazy days too) ones spent with my family. As many of you know it has been quite hot here in Seattle the past few weeks, so Addi was getting to use her little backyard pool quite a bit until it popped. So I'm not quite sure how it all went down, but she ended up with a new killer slide that has a pool at the bottom. Below are a few pictures from the day though all of the slide pictures are on my cell phone and I'm not sure how to get them off (ha!):

First it was nap/rest time where Addi fell asleep on Nah:

Papa took a rest too!

Sorry, I'm not sure why this picture won't flip horizontally... its horizontal everywhere else! Also, notice the plug that Addi has in her mouth, it is for her doll. She hasn't used the plug in a super long time.

Then, we played, danced, listened to Michael Jackson's Greatest Hits, sat in the shade, ate snacks and of course slid down the new killer slide!

Then, Addi of course insisted on taking a few photos with my camera and made sure that all of our eyes were open and we were smiling nicely.

Sorry Mom, I couldn't resist putting this next picture up. I think its funny how you are always hounding us not to make funny faces and then here you are not taking pictures nicely!

What a fun day we had! I love my family!

A Week O'Fun in the Midwest

2009-05-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was able to visit the Johnson Ohana in Columbus. Drew had a conference in Las Vegas and since the Johnson Ohana is moving there soon, Jen decided to go too. While Drew and Jen were away, all three kids were well behaved. Here are a few pictures of our adventures.

Below is a collage of pictures from the first couple of days that we were in Columbus:

We also had a very eventful dinner one evening at Boston Market - Paige lost a tooth! She took one bite of turkey and "pop" out came her tooth.

We won't forget our trips to the store.... and phone calls with Uncle Blake

... and baking special cupcakes for Mommy!

Reading with Grandma....
We had to find time for hair fun, Grater's ice cream (YUM :).. sorry I didn't get any pictures, but had to mention it), naps in the car (sorry, Jen), more baking with Grandma, earning computer time, and much more all before Drew and Jen came home.

... and before we knew it, Jen and Drew were home to join in on our fun!

While we were there, Dr. Johnson had his last day in the ER, so of course we had to visit his "office" with some Krispy Kreme donuts. We also took the kiddos to a couple of doctor visits where they received lollipops and stickers.

Oh and how could we forget the tornado sirens and rain that we were caught in!! The pictures were taken after we sprinted 10 yards to the car. Paige was small enough that we could cover her in shopping bags, but we were still soaking wet!

Before our awesome trip was over, there was just enough time to visit the North Market and downtown Columbus! Check out the balloon making, joke telling cowboy, Jeni's ice (again, Yum!) the beautiful church and of course the awesome balloon animal hats!

Thanks for a great week, Johnson Ohana and Grandma Susan It was so much fun.... can't wait for the next adventure!

Happy Cake Day, Cyn!

2009-05-07T08:30:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday, Sister!

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

2009-04-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

** WARNING: I haven't posted in awhile, so this one is like a novel... its sort of long and there is another post below this one.

Well, I'm officially out of my 20's. Can you believe it? I woke up one day, felt the same as the day before but was a decade older. How did that happen? I had a great birthday weekend full of festivities! Below are the pictures from the Youth Group celebration:

Ashley, Amy, me, Becca

Brian and Greg

The Freshman Gals

Then there was Grandma Susan's "BIG" 6oth Birthday! Addi was such a great sport and helped Grandma Susan with her gifts... and entertained us with some flips and donkey kicks! Be sure to check out the Barbie cake that my sister and Mom made. The detail on the dress was pretty rad!

Then came Easter. The weekend before Easter, I "helped" out a friend by "hopping" at the Annual Egg Extravaganza... "L" came to the event even though he was feeling a little under the weather. As soon as I have some additional pictures, I'll post a few more. Addi also made out like a bandit on Easter with all sorts of loot and eggs! Wow, I can't believe how big these two have gotten... they sure aren't babies anymore!

We had some fun with Jill's 29th birthday....

Oh yeah, and I finally opened my Kitchenaid... yes, as in I took it out of the box and actually used the thing! It was awesome! Oh and I tried to make a cake from scratch for the first time all by myself... maybe one day I'll post the full story on this cake but for now you'll have to settle for some pictures. :) Either way, there's no Martha here!

Ready or not.....................

2009-04-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

.............................................Here I come.....................

Can't wait to see you Johnson Family!

Gracie Lou and Grandpa Brent's Happy Cake Days!

2009-04-17T18:12:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday, Gracie Lou! Enjoy your special day .... wish I could be there to celebrate with you! Hugs to you and your family. Tell Grandpa to take lots of cute pictures of you, okay?

It is also our good friend, Brent's birthday as well. Brent and his family are dear friends of ours and we are so fortunate to have them in our lives..... they definitely keep us on our toes and constantly laughing, especially when donkey kicks are involved! Happy Birthday Brent (aka Grandpa Brent)! Hope you enjoy your special day and are able to get out on the cycle today or this weekend!

Family Volleyball Team?

2009-03-16T22:42:00.001-07:00

**Warning: Not everyone will think this post is funny!

My cousins and I often talk at night via the computer and tonight was no exception. If you know my family, maybe you'll get as much of a kick out of this conversation as I did... okay so I felt like a complete dork laughing all by myself at this conversation. Anyway, this conversation came about because we were talking about how "J's" fam is starting a volleyball team.

Me: So does "J" play soccer too?

S: She works out, lots of working out. And there's talk about a family vball team. Yea her brother is like 6'2'' and supposed to be pretty good...And her cousins are tall

Me: And then there are your cousins who aren't exactly tall... well, Addi might be tall

S: Well I'd have to await awhile for Addi... The girls could play defense, Craig could hit

Me: Chel can hit too . . . so could Krys and Bran for that matter, but we don't have a middle

S: What about Matt? Um, Matt's tall right?

Me: Yeah but don't know if he's a middle, what about Uncle Warren? He's tall?

S: hahaha you think Uncle Warren would be better than Matt?

Me: Um, no. Maybe Craig?

S: No he needs to hit, soooo I guess it might have to be me. LOL, cuz I can pass but I can't hit as well....

Me: Maybe Craig and Matt could tag team. Either way I think our team would be pretty scrappy, don't ya think?

S: LOL

Mighty Brady or Mighty Titans of Tones

2009-02-22T13:12:00.000-08:00

I definitely work with a lot of talented people including a few that are fantastic musicians. A couple weekends ago, we were able to see Brady and his band, the Mighty Titans of Tone play at the New Orleans in Pioneer Square. There were really great and it was super fun to see Brady jamming. I also couldn't help but think, "I bet Brady is pretty good at Guitar Hero."

We enjoyed hearing you play Brady! Next time we might take a chance and bust out our dance moves!

More Vegas Volleyball Pics!

2009-02-19T22:51:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more pictures . . . also my previous volleyball post posted below the Valentine's picture of Addi . . .check it out!

Krys and Bella

Huddle!

No explanation needed! Mom just being Mom!

The camera crew was out in full force!

Chel and Sissy

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-15T03:38:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to you all! I gave my niece, Addi, her Valentine's Day present a little early since I wasn't going to see her on February 14th. Below is a picture of her with one her presents from PP (yes, that's what she calls me . . its a long story).

Vegas Volleyball!

2009-02-15T03:29:00.000-08:00

We are here in Las Vegas to watch my cousin, Chelsie and her team play in the 23rd Annual Las Vegas Classic. For the past several years, we have attended this tournament as the older "V" sisters, Krystie and Brandie, have played in it, but this year is Chel's turn.

Chel and her bestie, Sissy (her "real" name is Chelsea too)

Chel blocking! ... She's #73

Chel going for a dig!

Chel did not have one service error!

Chel is a super smart player on the court!

Chel, you were a super star this weekend. We enjoyed seeing and watching you! More pictures to come soon!

CWU Volleyball Banquet

2009-02-07T21:24:00.001-08:00

Last weekend we traveled over to Ellensberg for my cousin, Brandie's volleyball banquet. Brandie had an awesome season winning several awards. She is still awaiting her 1st Team All American Award, which hasn't arrived yet . . .but, here is a picture of all the hardware she picked up that night!

We took her a cookie bouquet, which was a huge hit with not only Bran but her teammates! YUM!

It was fun to see all the ladies dressed up as we are used to seeing them in uniform!

I also took some video on my small camera (that is shaky and all over the place) that I will upload soon. Fell free to also check out Mom's site . . . she has uploaded pictures from Bran's Freshmen and Sophomore years.

We got belayed!

2009-01-28T20:27:00.000-08:00

My awesome boss, Alex, set up a fun event for our team (aka Team Converse) to go rock climbing this afternoon. We had so much fun and I'm sure we'll be paying the price tomorrow, but it was definitely worth it! We all had a blast . . . thank you Alex (and Projectline) for setting up this fun outing for Team Converse! Ann, I'm sorry you weren't able to join us . . . we missed you!!

T-Fab and Diva-D climbing like pros!

Adventurous Alex trying the auto belay thingy!

Alex and I climbing like Spiderman!

"Spiderman, Spiderman, Does whatever a spider can Spins a web, any size, Catches thieves just like flies Look Out! Here comes the Spiderman."

Watch out down there, Tena and I are coming down! Down, down, down!

Tena and our fantastic Belay, George taking a candid picture!

Proof that we made it to the top . . . sorry, the picture is a little "soft."

Go D Go! Check out her superior form . . . both legs and arms attached to the wall!

Alex getting his climb on!

Ocean Extravaganza Part II

2009-01-22T23:26:00.000-08:00

Ocean Extravaganza

2009-01-22T22:44:00.001-08:00

This year we spent the week in between Christmas and New Year's at the Ocean with family and friends. There were twenty-two of us that played games, went bowling, played Wii, watched movies and the Seahawks game, encountered gale force winds, changed and dealt with flat tires, played at the beach, looked at the Pacific Ocean and enjoyed each other's company. The kids also went on a treasure hunt and found a pirates chest full of goodies (coloring books, crayons, candy, necklaces, lips, gum, etc.). It was a fun time!

The Nutcracker

2009-01-06T21:12:00.000-08:00

Some dear friends invited me to the 25th Anniversary of Stowell & Maurice Sendak Nutcracker performed by the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Despite the snowy weather we made it safe and sound to McCall Hall. Before the Nutcracker began, we were able to take a few pictures, get Paige a booster seat and check out the live symphony warming up. Susan (aka Grandma Susan) also made sure our tummies had a delicious snack . . . then, it was curtain time.

One of my favorite quotes that day was, "Grandma, do they talk in this movie?" So innocent! Paige by the way was awesome during the hour and half car ride to McCaw Hall! :)

It is always so much fun watching Wendy (aka as Aunt Wendy and Grandma Wendy) with Paige and all of the other lil' ones - Gracie, Carter, Ella and Addi.

At half time (aka intermission), some delicious cookies and hot apple cider were awaiting us that Susan had pre-ordered for us.

Thanks for inviting me to join the Romney/Johnson afternoon o'fun!

Christmas Willage Anyone?

2008-12-15T21:35:00.000-08:00

Every year for the past 30+ years it has been a family tradition that we go into the mountains to cut down our Christmas tree. My first Christmas in my own house, I bought the perfect tree or so I thought. It wasn't too tall or wide and it fit nicely in the corner. Fast forward to two weeks before Christmas when I began finding green stuff or what I thought was tree sap. Oh no, it wasn't tree sap! It was just my luck that there tree bugs EVERYWHERE . . . and when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere! Bugs on the other side of the room, bugs on the fire place, bugs under my Cougar helmet . . . my new house with my first real tree was infested with tree bugs! GROSS! And, to make things worse the little suckers were fragile, so when you'd try to pick them up, they'd explode. We literally pole vaulted the tree off of the deck, vacuumed and cleaned like crazy.

The next year, I decided that I would rather not do a live buggy tree all over again and bought a fake tree, which didn't look so big in the store but was ginormous in my little house. It wasn't the same as having a "real" tree, but quite honestly I was extremely busy with work (it was the year the Seahawks went to the Super Bowl) and really didn't have time to stop and enjoy the holidays let alone the ginormous tree in my house. November 2006 quickly rolled around and I was just not in the mode to recruit my dad or friends to help carry and set up the tree plus it felt like I just had taken down my tree. Everyone kept giving me a hard time because I love the holiday season and decorating. So, I decided to do something a little different and began a Winter/Christmas Village (we call it 'The Willage'). My 'original' Willage consisted of three pieces - the Church (from Will), The Globe Newspaper (from a friend) and I purchased the Coffee Shop . . . and whoa la, I had my own 'Christmas in the City Willage.'

2006 Willage - notice that I didn't have any even have snow :)

2007 Willage

2008 Willage

I still really love and enjoy the 'real' Christmas trees that my parents, sister/brother-in-law and friends put up, but for now my house has a Willage . . . .and I love it!