This Time... Last Year!

February 26, 2009

Partners in crime...
They argue a lot these days.  But most of the time, they do a lot together - even when Ethan was only 1 1/2 and Matthew was 3 1/2.  Case in point:

One threw something (on purpose no doubt) under the hutch...  ahem... Any guess on the guilty party member?

So the other went to "help" locate it...

The use of tools were necessary apparently!  (A plastic candy cane comes in handy sometimes!  Who would have thought!)

An overdue visit...

...from a dear friend!

Kelly and I met waaaay back in 1996 when I started my teaching career at Challenger School.  Kelly was a wonderful person who made sure I ate lunch with the other teachers -- because every now and then I was actually shy and ate alone in my room.  (Yes, that was a loooong time ago!  Me, shy, HA!)  If there was an event that Kelly attended after school or on the weekends, he always made sure to ask me if I wanted to go as well.  He was always there for me... and even more so after my dad passed away that very first year of my teaching career.  He and Kate made sure to check on me everyday after I returned back to work.  It was a very difficult year for me -- but with their support, I made it through.  I survived that first year of teaching!

That was the year Kate took me to her home town in Virginia and introduced me to her entire family!  They had a family reunion and that is where she shared THE big news of her pregnancy.  I was there and cried for the entire family -- I was a mess!  That was also the year Kelly invited me to my first bar experience!  Vince and I met Kelly, Kate, Syd, and Cheryl at a bar in Los Gatos because our fellow colleague, Loren, who was in a band, was performing that night.   It was an interesting experience to say the least... someone bumped into me and spilled their beer all over my silk shirt.  Um... who the heck wears a silk shirt to a bar, hello?!  (Me!)  And the following year we moved to a new campus -- off Meridian and Foxworthy.  If you live here, you knew that we taught in a strip mall basically!  The poor students did not have a playground -- just a patch of grass to run on for months and months before a playground was approved!  It was so sad!  Anyway, that was the year Kelly, Kate, and I drove to Lake Tahoe when Syd and Cheryl (also teachers) got married.  Oh, that was fun!  Kate was pregnant and felt uncomfortable most of the time.  We had to share a room because we couldn't find 2 rooms at the last minute... It was a beautiful wedding -- and an interesting weekend!

 Then when Vince and I were married in 2000, he sang at our wedding.  His voice is so beautiful that I can cry just thinking about those beautiful songs he sang for us!

We have not seen each other since Ethan was 6 months old!  We ran into each other ONCE at some random corner of Steinbeck and Santa Teresa when he was driving in his car and I was walking the children...  We would email back and forth trying to make plans to see each other but just have had such busy lives.  And today, he made it to San Jose to visit us.  And guess whom we still have yet to meet?  His partner of almost 6 years, Robert!  Robert works for United Airlines and is often flying here and there and everywhere!  So, perhaps when Morgan gets married we will finally meet Robert!  (Seriously, I hope not!)

The children had a great time with Uncle Kelly:

Come back anytime, Uncle Kelly!  We miss you already!

Today... Last Year!

February 19, 2009
We were having a blast in the snow!

Busy, busy, busy!

We just returned from the snow trip and the children are already asking to go here, here, and here... to see their friends again!

So, with Morgan having the rest of the week off.. we've been running around visiting our friends.

We saw Brianna and Lily on Wednesday morning at this park near their house.  They had so much fun on this train!  It actually whistles!

There were a few towers and structures to climb...

and then slide down...

The sand area was a big hit!  Lucky for us, Danielle had some sand toys on hand -- we seem to have lost a lot of our toys during the move!  Time to purchase a few new sets!

Lunch is always a welcome event for my three... and the weather was just perfect!

After this park play date we met our friends, the Toblers at the Santa Teresa Library.  We were all exhausted but still had a a great time playing on the computer, reading some books, chatting, and trying to get reacquainted with each other.

Thursday morning found us at another park -- Almaden Lake Park where we met Morgan's school mates.  The children brought their bikes, scooters, balls, and played on the playground all day!  

From left to right -- Dorothea, Jenna, Morgan, Matthew, Ethan, Sarah, and Theodore

Friday we have one last play date... then the weekend will fly by, and Morgan will return to school again!  It is never dull around here!

Chuck E Cheese... where Matthew knows that, "a kid can be a kid!"  He sang this the minute I told him we were going!  I did not even know he knew the words! :)

Ethan and Brianna rode this cup around and around for who knows how many times!  I was getting dizzy watching them!  But look at their smiles!  They were having a blast!

Morgan and Jenna teamed up to play this game  where they had to stomp the spider!  It gives me a good work out when I do it...

Lily and Danielle had fun playing this game.

Matthew was discovering his strength here -- check out the tickets he's winning!  He's pretty strong!!!

Jenna had to give it a try -- look at the force she's putting in!  Watch out!

Ethan channeling his musical side...

And the weekend is going to be another busy one...

Let it snow!!!!

But it did not!  Regardless, we had a FANTASTIC time!  There was snow everywhere -- just not fresh snow.  We are so spoiled!  Last year it snowed everyday we were at the cabin and we were able to sled down the road by our drive way.  This year, we made our own path in front of the cabin and did something new.  Check it out:
Remember.. no new snow -- thus, Matthew and Emma's efforts to make snow angels were quite unsuccessful!  But they tried regardless!

Ethan is very proud of holding his very first handful of snow!

The end of a very successful sled run together!

Nicole and Matthew Varnell (yes, her 3rd youngest is named Matthew!) watched the others playing while sitting on the top of this snow bank!

Working hard on building their first snowman:

Not bad...

Back to the slopes!

Everyone is getting a bit daring now!

Here comes Ben....

Watch out for Emma!

Morgan can't get enough!

Ethan is calling it quits after a few runs with Daddy!

But I had to grab a quick photo first!  So handsome!

Morgan and Daddy gives it a try!

The hardest part is lugging the board back up the slope!

We took a break from sledding and got into the car for a quick drive.  We went to Calaveras State Park to visit this HUGE tree that fell over and the HUGE stump that still remains!

How big was it you ask?  How's that for a big tree???  Supposedly, it was over 1,000 years old when it fell over!

Ethan insisted on reading the map and giving us directions... ahem...he thinks he's 15!  (According to Matthew Varnell, however, he's a "baby!" This story deserves its own posting so stay tuned for a funny one!)

We thought we would take a short hike as well while we were here... 

But we didn't plan on walking in snow and didn't put on proper shoes (we didn't, but the Varnells did)...

So 10 minutes into the hike.. we turned around!

Ethan was getting a bit crabby anyway...

The following morning the children woke up and wanted us to build a fort... so of course, we sent Todd to work!

Vince eventually got in on the action after Ethan released him of his duties of entertaining him!

Everyone helped out... even Matthew V. and Ethan!

So far so good!

Voila!  The finished product!  They actually requested the fort be much, much taller... well, we ran out of energy and they ran out of interest after 20 minutes of shoveling and packing snow!

So then it was back to the slopes!  Here comes Mommy and Ethan!

She just loves him!

After lunch, we decided to drive to Bear Valley to see what was beyond our area....

The children are getting anxious...  "Where are we going?!"

When we parked, Morgan got out of the car, and immediately picked up this huge snowball!

Then we rented some inner tubes and had a blast going down a much much BIGGER slope!!!  It was so much fun!  I stopped taking photos after the one below of Matthew because as I was being sent down the tube I was screaming so loud Matthew did not want to go down again with me!  

So i took a few more photos of Vince and Nicole dragging our children up the hill to get to the big slope...

Then I went down to capture a few photos of Vince going down the slopes with Matthew and Ethan...

...and Nicole and Morgan!

Morgan had such a wonderful time this year... I am so proud of her for enjoying the snow and all the new adventures.  Matthew, of course, did not want to return home.  We are already planning what we will do next year!

Here are some great shots from Vince's camera:

It may look like I am not scared... but I am!  Matthew, however, is having a blast!

Ethan had so much fun going down the slope with Morgan!

Isn't Matthew V. so cute here?!