Our trip to Oceanside California (San Diego)

When we arrived in Oceanside California, the kids were so excited they could hardly breath. It was after 6pm, only about 67 degrees, 12 hours on the road and we still had not eaten dinner, but there was nothing that was going to keep them from the ocean they have waited five months to enjoy. They quickly changed into their swim suits and did not stop tell we made them come in after dark to eat dinner around 9pm.

Kolby literally spent hours every day practicing his surfing skills.

Adrienn and Hanna looking for treasures

This is the peer near our beach house and the only way to get to dinner at Ruby's diner which sat right at the end of the peer. Absolutely breathtaking.

View of the beach from the peer

Ruby's diner at the end of the peer. Aaron and I walked the peer one night (just the two of us) and got to watch a guy catch a shark. It was so amazing to see something so beautiful up close. We quickly left before they ended it's life.

Grandma enjoying some sun! sooo cute!

On our way to the peer for dinner we stopped at the park to feed the squirrels. There were hundreds of them all over and not afraid to walk right up to your hands. Apparently they like sunflower seeds.

Grandpa Olsen, Shaye and Adrienn looking for sea shells.

We played volleyball every night, yes, even I did but of course I'm the one taking all the pictures so you won't find me here. If you sense some hostility on this issue, your right. Sorry you have to hear about it.

After a long day on the beach (about 11 hours) we went to dinner at Ruby's diner on the peer. Everyone was a little exhausted to say the least.
Shaye some how managed to smile, the poor girls couldn't pull it off.

Hanna and Adrienn - Cousins and Best Friends

My sweet Adrienn. She insisted on bringing her "white" dress on our trip just so she could walk the beach in it, I managed to talk her out of bringing her white umbrella with lace. She reminds me SO much of Sharon.

Kolby feeding the squirrels.

This little one way road was the only thing that divided our beach house from the beach.
Notice the peer in the background

We sat around this little fire every evening to talk.

Shaye was always running from the camera.

Adrienn and Hanna walking the beach. I wish I knew what they were thinking!

Shaye fit in well in California

Grandpa Olsen and Ed

Shaye found that he loves vollyball especially on the beach.

Kolby and Dad running from the waves. I made the mistake of messing with the different features on my new digital camera and ended up with half our photos turning out blue.

The peer seemed to go on forever

The kids could not wait to get out on the beach every morning.

Everyone teamed up to turn Kolby and Shaye into sea creatures.

Hanna (cousin), Shaye, and Kolby.
Before the night was over, everyone had a bag full of sea shells.

Grandpa Olsen and Adrienn collecting sea shells together when we first arrived

Kolby got to enjoy cuddling with Grandma every morning while she had her morning coffee.

Shaye and Kolby ran in their very first one mile marathon the first weekend in June.
Aaron walked behind them and I waited at the finish line.
Shaye was one of the very first to cross the line in less then 4 minutes and informed me that it was so easy that he wants to run in the 5K "with mom" next year. Hmmm, sounds like a challenge I just might take on even though I've never been a runner. We'll see.

My boys enjoying a Popsicle after finishing the race.

Enjoying some shade from the heat.

My Baby Kolby graduated from Kindergarten on May 30Th, 2008

He even got to stand next to his best friend Joee

Shaye went back to class to sign year books with his friends before we could take a family picture, so here is the four of us.

My baby girl in her Dance Competitions...

Adrienn performing a jazz dance at a recent
dance competition in Salt Lake City

There she is...

Adrienn performing her ballet dance at the competition. They took 2nd place and her dance studio took home 22 out of the 27 trophy's given that day.

Update

My first attempt at snowshoeing this year. We went about every other week and each time there were about 9-15 of us. This picture was taken on a cliff, literally, after we climbed an Ogden mountain to the Ogden overlook. You can see the lights of Ogden City behind us. Beautiful and worth it but one of the hardest hikes I have been on in my life.




Kolby attempted to cross the monkey bars at school with his winter gloves on, of course when he slipped, there was ice below that prevented him from landing on his feet. Am I surprised that my brave, fearless Kolby broke a bone at only five years old? NO!

Kolby & President Bush! :)

My "sisters" out for a birthday dinner.
Happy Birthday Rebecca!











This winter was one of the best winters we've had in a long time. We went sledding more times than I could count! That's my babies Adrienn and Shaye.












The view from my bedroom deck. I love how every sunset is so unique.










To say I am a proud Mother is hardly the words to describe how grateful I am that my children are so driven to succeed. Shaye made it to the district spelling bee again this year after competing against the 5Th-7Th graders at LCA. He was one of the top winners in the district and went on to the state spelling bee. He didn't make it to Washington D.C. but I am so proud he got this far.







The stage where the spellers waited their turn at the microphone.









Our baby girl Sidney! 10 1/2 years old. We were told two weeks ago that she has cancer and was given possibly only a few weeks to live. :( We are grateful for each day we still have her but are so heartbroken to lose her. Shaye asked me if God could heal her and make the cancer go away. I want him to know that God still heals and answers prayer, I want my Children's faith to be so strong that they never doubt what God can do...I don't think my answer was very clear due to my loss for words.




Our other baby girl Serengetti, Sidney's daughter. My heart is also sad for how hard she is going to take not having her mom around. They are practically attached at the hip.











Our front yard on a day we got over two feet of snow within about twelve hours. I shoveled three times that day. That's my truck that got me through this crazy winter! Looooove IT!!! :)

So much to do...

So I'm trying to force myself to slow down, take a deep breath and just relax and soak up life a bit but then the next day I find myself behind on everything because I didn't do anything the day before and now I have to do double time to catch up. I just don't think life is supposed to be so hurried. I guess thats why vacations are so valuable.

So we are in the final phases of finishing our house. The baseboards, trim, doors and bathroom walls in the basement have yet to be painted, then door knobs, a toilet, and two sinks (one in the renovated bathroom and one in the kitchen) need to be installed. A few light fixtures, and some touch up paint and we will be ready to put our house on the market. We're just about 7 years into renovating our home so when we move, I believe I will take a five year break from painting. :) If all goes "our way" I will get my rear in gear and get the painting done, Aaron will install the major items in the home, we will put our house on the market and it will sell to the first family that looks..."If all goes our way!" :)

Well, here is a few of the latest pictures. I have many more to download from my camera but I'm out of time to do it right now. Until later...~Cath

Looking East with my back to the back door of the basement is the Rec Room where a bedroom once stood.

My Kitchen Cabinets after painting all but one of the doors black.
We love how they turned out!

The New Family Room right at the bottom of the stairs.
In fact I am standing on the bottom stair as I took this picture.

The south end of the house where a bedroom once stood is now the Rec. Room. The walls and trim still needed a second coat of paint in this picture but has been completed since.

Looking North, away from the Rec room towards the new bedrooms.
The bathroom to the right has been renovated so where there is blue wallpaper in
this picture now has wainscoating covering the walls.
The other door on the right is furnace room and new storage room

A close up of the floor in the main areas of the basement.

Life in the fast lane

We enjoyed watching the humming birds eat and play only inches from us on our deck all summer.

They are very territorial and occasionally fight over the feeders

View of the sky from my deck as a storm is approaching

As they sky darkened, the thunder and rain started. At that point we went inside for cover.

We've been working on our house now since we moved in about 5 1/2 years ago but the last year has been the most exciting transformation of our home yet. Our good friend Nate began working on our basement last June to tear down old walls and rebuild our basement with a better floor plan. This weekend we got our basement floor acid stained to go with our pine tung and groove ceilings, WOW... what a transformation. As soon as I am able to go down in my basement I will take some new pictures. The thick coating they put on the floor to seal it takes about 48 hours to dry and they just completed that this morning. Anyway, here is a few of our latest family pics and maybe a few of our basement in recent months.
~Cath