ALLEE FAMILY BLOG

2011 Trunk-or-Treat and Halloween Night

2012-02-11T05:49:00.013-05:00

We had another successful Trunk-or-Treat at our house just before Halloween 2011. Friends, church family and co-workers joined us as we handed out candy from decorated cars parked along our street and then gathered around our campfire and had yummy treats. We are grateful to everyone who made this fun night possible!
Our cuties dressed in MSU football and cheerleader gear. They make a great team!
Some of

Our kiddos with some of their friends.

This is Merlin the Wizard handing out candy from our truck.Mady helped us by securing the witch stuck in a spider web at the back of the truck and handing out some of our candy.

These are some friends from church with an awesome idea for Halloween costumes!

We are grateful for all of the friends and colleagues that came!

Halloween night finally arrived and the kids couldn't wait to get out the door. Aly was Cleopatra, Kourtney a Native American girl, and as you already know, Ellary and Keegan sported MSU gear. I made Keegan's 'helmet' by crocheting a hat and then adding pipe cleaners covered by more crochet for the face guard.

I took the kids down our street, then Ellary and Keegan stayed with me so we could hand out candy. Kris took Aly and Koco and Puff, our new dog for another hour. Alyson had so much candy by the end of the night that it was crazy! Some lady got tired of handing out candy and poured her candy bowl into Alyson's bag! Alyson had something like 232 pieces of candy by the time she got home.

This was the first year that Keegan really got into Trick-or-Treating. He had a blast helping himself to the candy at each door. Maybe this is an indication that we are too stingy with how much candy we give the kids at home. I don't know!

Fall Family Runs

2012-01-25T04:01:00.027-05:00

Our family participated in three runs this fall two of which are highlighted in this post. The first was the Allegiance Step to Step 5K and kids run in Jackson. The day started out a little rainy but then dried up just in time for some fun on a kids' climbing wall and for the races.
I did the 5k and set my best personal time...I won't say what that was just that I did better than I had hoped to do.
The girlies participated in a kid's fun run. It inspired Alyson to enter a 5k race you will see shortly.
Kourtney after her kid's run

Kris ran with Ellary. She was so excited to participate.

The second run we ran in was the Junior Achievement Step Up for Education 5k and Halloween Fun Run. Alyson was the only official runner in this race but everyone participated in one way or another.

I ran it with Alyson, although she high tailed it the last 3/4 of a mile and whooped my tail!

Here she is just having crossed the finish line.

And this is Alyson's official run time. We have some high hopes for her if she continues to want to run. She's a good little runner!

Ellary and Keegan both participated in the fun run. Here is Ellary in her costume. She wanted to be an MSU cheerleader. I think this stems from her crush on Sparty, MSU's mascot. Right out of the blue while we're driving down the road or playing at home she'll say something like, "I miss Sparty." It's really cute, but it makes me wonder why it is he has left such an impression on her.

And here is little Keegan taking up the back of the race with Alyson beside him. He fell just before he crossed the finish line but got back up and finished the race without crying. Boy, he's getting big. Besides the race, there were several competitions. Kris won the cackling like a witch competition and he received a $100 gift card to a casino southwest of here. We don't gamble but we hear the buffets are good. We'll see.

There were also a lot of kids' activities including painting fingernails and spray painting hair. See how Kourtney's nails are pinkish-red? Well, Kris spray painted her hair the same color to match. Fun, huh?

Ellary and Keegan got a lot of use out of their costumes this year and had a lot of fun wearing them too.

Remember how I said Ellary has a crush on Sparty? I think she just really has a fascination with mascots in general. Here she is with I think it's the Red Robin mascot. While some kids are terrified of people in costumes, she's a brave, beaming little girl.

Ellary really liked the Buffalo Wild Wings Buffalo. She kept going near him and waving at him. Here she is holding his hand.

Remember Kourtney's pink hair? Here it is with her daddy.

There was also Zumba instruction at the race. The girls had a fun time getting into it.

And the chicken dance. I think this was Ellary's first time with a go at it. How could she resist doing anything the Red Robin was doing?

3 Birthdays

2012-01-24T09:20:00.017-05:00

We have a long string of birthdays starting in September through the end of October, first starting with Kourtney's, which you saw on a previous post, followed by mine, then Kris' and then Keegan's.

This year I turned 32...My birthday fell on the first day back to school so it was pretty crazy! That evening we went to the Korea House in East Lansing. It is my favorite place to eat! Then we went home and had cake and ice cream. Yum-Yum. Kris made my cake!

Kris' birthday was an eventful one. It first started out by the whole family attending a tail gating party on MSU campus. It was a bit chilly but fun all the same. After visiting with Kris' colleagues, we determined it would be easier to take a bus back home and then pick up Kris' truck later that day because the walk was so far! That afternoon Kris and I left the kids at home with a babysitter and he and I took a bus back to campus and watched MSU football take on U of M. Great game-great fun!

That afternoon we had cake and ice cream. I thought it fitting to keep with the MSU theme of the day and make him a State cake.

Keegan turned 2 years old on October 29th...and he couldn't wait to have his cake. Here's a picture of him getting caught sticking his fingers into it and then eating it. He didn't even try to hide the fact that he had been at the cake for a while, hence the green frosting and chocolate on his face!

Keegan's presents were pretty much all boy this year (we're trying to get him to play with things other than baby dolls and dress-up shoes)...although Ellary uses Keegan's basketball hoop more than he does. She has an awesome shot-great form!

Nana and Papa got him a basketball hoop, like the one he loved playing with in Grand Junction last summer.

Kris and I found a tool bench on Craigslist that he loves, and so did all the other kiddos. They spent most of the day playing with it.

Alyson made this bath time basket of toys for Keegan. She went to the dollar store and she found funnels and measuring cups and sponges that she cut into sea creature shapes. She even found a bath time puzzle there and then put it in this basket. It was very affordable for a child to buy and a hit with Keegan.

Our little guy is growing big...can't believe he is 2 years old already!

Koco's B-Day and Back to School 2011

2012-01-21T09:52:00.012-05:00

Kourtney's birthday fell on Labor Day this year. We watched the "Smurf Movie" and opened presents and ate ice cream. This year she requested a turtle cake (her teacher's room theme was all about turtles in 1st grade). This is what I came up with.

Kourtney received a couple of special things this year. First and foremost she received a set of scriptures so she can be prepared to be baptised when she turns 8. Nana and Papa gave Koco a beautiful necklace with the letter 'K' on it. It is a special keepsake that Kourtney wore for picture day and wears at church.

The girls went back to school on my birthday! And no, I didn't consider it a birthday present. We had such a great time together this summer that I hated for it to end. Oh, well. If one thing is constant, it's change!

Sticking with tradition, we had a photo shoot the morning before school.

Alyson started 3rd grade! Koco started 2nd grade!

More Summer 2011 Fun

2012-01-21T09:15:00.016-05:00

These pictures may seem familiar to you. It's because we froze peaches and documented the procedure last year too. This year was a little different. Koco was old enough to operate a knife and help pull the peaches out of the boiling water. Wow-the kids are growing fast! The girls and I had such a fun time. Ellary also helped out by taking the occasional picture, and Keegan couldn't resist pulling his favorite peaches from the boxes and digging his teeth into one or two of them.

We spent a day at Lake Lansing before the kids went back to school. Brittany came with us. She was our nanny from October 2010 to August 2011. She helped out a couple days a week and was so good with the kids. We miss her very much.

This picture describes Keegan's relationship with his sister Ellary this summer. Look at the grin on his face and his calculated reach for the hair on the top of Ellary's head. He has her right where he wants her, completely occupied with having fun yet just within his grasp. You can only imagine her surprise and the scream that followed. Poor girl! Her younger brother sure knows how to push her buttons!

We also took several bike rides to MSU campus to feed the ducks or get ice cream.

We also went to the Detroit Temple. It's only about 1 hour 15 minutes away.

Colorado in August 2011

2012-01-21T06:22:00.011-05:00

Most of the pictures we took of our trip to Grand Junction are still in Grand Junction...on Mom's computer. Here are a few I took of our last full day there.

The downtown area has really grown and developed since Kris and I were both kids. There is even a splash pad and play equipment on Main Street now when there used to be none. We took the kids to play in the water...a little too cold at 10:00am in the cool shadows of the old buildings, but the kids had fun nonetheless.

We also stopped in at the Main Street Cafe and had french fires and ice cream. Yummy treat.

The morning before the kids and I left for Denver to pick Kris up from the annual AAA conference, we went out to Palisade with Mom, Dad and Josh to buy peaches. We brought five boxes back to Michigan and froze them. There are no other peaches like Palisade peaches. It was hard to say goodbye to Nana, Papa and Josh!

Back to Blogging Part 2-Nana and Papa's Visit

2011-10-20T09:51:00.021-04:00

Nana and Papa visited us for a few weeks in April and May. We had a wonderful time with them. It was still a little nippy here in Michigan, but we had a great time in spite of the weather.
We hoped to take Nana and Papa to Lake Michigan but it seemed like the weather was never very good when we had the time to go. Instead of spending a cool day at the beach, on this day we decided to have a hot dog roast around the campfire in our back yard.

Kourtney was on her way back to the fire from the picnic table when she didn't see one of the big logs we use to sit on. She tripped on it and ended up with her hands on the ground and her feet in the air. Luckily she didn't get up too fast and I was able to get a picture of her that looks like it's been photo shopped although it really hasn't.

Kourtney had a field trip to the Butterfly House on MSU campus. Nana, Papa, Ellary, Keegan and I accompanied her. Nana got to ride the bus! Kourtney was so excited.

Each student in Kourtney's class got to pot a plant and take it home too.

Ellary turned 3 years old while Nana and Papa were visiting us. We took her to McDonald's for breakfast which has become a tradition because the day she was born Kourtney and I went out for a date at McDonald's (pregnancy craving), and we share a big stack of pancakes. Just before we were about to leave Micky D's I started having contractions. 4 hours later Ellary was born! We had a fun time including Nana and Papa in our tradition. Ellary is obsessed with Micki and Minnie Mouse, that's why I made her a Minnnie cake this year. She was very excited!

Ellary loves to dance so we gave here this leotard and a dancing video called "The Music Box". Everyone liked dancing to it.

Nana and Papa got Ellary this Princess table. Ellary and Keegan love to play with their pretend food on it in her room.

The first weekend Nana and Papa were here was Easter and General Conference weekend. So much fun!

Kris and I had the opportunity to see some friends sealed in the Dtroit Temple. Nana, Papa and the kids all played at the Stake building next to the temple.

We also took a walk in Lansing along the Grand River, then went to Impression 5, a children's museum. That was a lot of fun too!

The day before they left we almost ventured to Lake Michigan but the weather wasn't cooperating. So, we went to the MSU Dairy instead. It was neat to see the calves and cows and how they are milded. It was also stinky and mucky, but fun all the same.

This cow insisted on trying to lick my coat. When it licked Ellary she got upset. She's our little girlie girl!

We also took Nana and Papa to the Brody Cafeteria at MSU. It's an amazing smorgasbord of authentic cuisines. We then took a little walk on campus.

We had so much fun with Nana and Papa. They will be coming to visit us again in less than a month for Thanksgiving and we are so excited!

Back to Blogging Part 2-Alyson's Birthday and Baptism

2011-10-16T20:08:00.016-04:00

We're going to back up almost two months before our June trip to Palmyra, all the way back to Alyson's birthday and baptism on April 30th, 2011.
Alyson turned eight, and she was very excited about this birthday for several reasons. First, she was looking forward to being baptised and becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Secondly, Nana and Papa made it out for such a special occasion.

We have many traditions in our family. One of them Kris and I have started in our family is that when our girls turn eight years old they receive a locket. On the back is the inscription, "AIOH" meaning "Always In Our Hearts". We included a picture of us on one side and a picture of Alyson on the other. If our picture is ever replaced we hope it's a picture of a righteous young man who takes our daughter to the temple for time and all eternity.

I love this picture. This is what Alyson's day was all about....love and happiness. This picture of Aly with her daddy says more about that day than any words probably could.

Nana and Papa gave Alyson a mini hymnal with an inscription on the inside cover. Very sweet.

Nana and Papa also have a tradition for their grandchildren that has been going strong for 20 years now. They give each of their grandchildren a statue of a child kneeling in prayer. It's a sweet reminder to stay close to Heavenly Father by speaking with Him often.
Alyson also received numerous gifts from friends and neighbors in honor of her eighth birthday and her baptism. This box was given to her from our neighbors, the Thomas' from across the street. What a kind gesture!
Alyson wanted to make something special for the little reception following her baptism. We spent Friday, the 29th busily and happily dipping strawberries into chocolate and making frosted covered sugar cookies.

The whole family got involved!

Here are some tender moments of Alyson getting ready to go to the church.

And this is Aly, Kris and I just before she was baptised.

Ellary is missing because she came down with strep and had to stay home. All of the children had strep at one point or another while Nana and Papa visited. Ella just happened to still be contagious on Alyson's baptism day.

This is a picture of Kris and Bishop Wille with Alyson following her baptism. What a special day!

And here are Aly and I that evening following her baptism. I am very proud of her and happy that she chose to follow in Christ's footsteps by being baptised and that she became a member of our church. She is a wonderful daughter with so much love in her heart. Thank you, Alyson, for being my daughter!

Back to Blogging Part 1

2011-10-08T16:20:00.016-04:00

Yes, I am back to blogging after six months! I got a little lazy because our internet was so slow, and now that we have faster internet to download all of the pictures we post, I am back to blogging. Hope you enjoy the pics as we back track.

We had the opportunity to go on a road trip with some friends to their home in Chatuaqua, New York and then to the Palmyra, New York area for their temple sealing after school let out in June. It was such a great experience! Here are a few pictures from our time in the Palmyra area. We will post more pics of our time in Chatauqua very soon!

The Hill Cumorah Visitor's Center
This Christus is located within the Visitor's Center. Ellary especially loved seeing Jesus.

This is Hill Cumorah. A crew was setting up for the Hill Cumorah Pageant that showed the very next week.

This is the monument on top of hill Cumorah. Moroni is standing on top. It was a beautiful place to be.

Ellary cried when we said we needed to go because she didn't want to "leave Jesus."

This is a picture of Henry and Jan Kanui. These are our friends that we stayed with in Chatauqua, New York and for whom we attended their Temple Sealing in the Palmyra New York Temple. They are very special people, and we are grateful to have been invited to participate in their sealing and be with them in their New York home.

You can see that the stained glass window behind Kris is of trees. It's very beautiful. The window facing the Sacred Grove isn't stained so that you can view the grove from within the temple. It was done this way as President Hinckley asked. Pretty neat and inspiring!

The Sacred Grove is where Joseph went to pray and in response to his prayer saw God the Father, and His son Jesus Christ. It's located just west of the temple and can be seen from the temple. It's a very special place and we enjoyed being able to walk through it.

There was a crick with a lot of beautiful dragon flies all around.

This is one of the few pictures we took of the fourth of July. We spent it with a lot of friends and had a great time.

Keegan's Calendar Debut

2011-04-19T00:08:00.005-04:00

You may recall this picture in a post I made in October. Well, I submitted it to a photo contest and Keegan's smiling face is being featured in July. I knew he wasn't good looking for nothing! (Great English, right?)

I think he could make a fair living off his good looks, don't you?

Alyson is Being Baptized

2011-04-15T19:26:00.006-04:00

Alyson has chosen to be baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Her baptism is scheduled for April 30th, on her 8th birthday and she is excited about having her Nana, Papa and friends attend. If you need additional details about her baptism, you can email us or just respond to this post, leave your email address, and we will email you the details.

(These pictures were taken by a very talented friend in our ward.)

The First 2 1/2 Months of 2011

2011-04-06T06:17:00.017-04:00

This post is a long time coming. So without any further delay here we go...

We started the year out with lots of snow. We enjoyed sledding with friends and even testing the kids' dare devil enthusiasm by making several jumps along the slippery track. Here we are with the Gott family.

Church now starts at 1:00pm. That means Kris has a few hours to spend with the family before he is off to meetings at the church. His new tradition with the kids is eating breakfast with them, playing the game of their choice and reading scriptures before he gets ready for the day. What a good daddy! These are several pictures from my attempted photo shoot with Ellary. Alyson and Kourtney have school pictures, obviously in the fall, and Keegan's birthday is at the end of October when we get his yearly pictures taken, which leaves Ellary's annual birthday picture in April on the opposite side of the calendar year. I realize Ellary and Keegan are close in age (18 months) but the gap at which the kids look different ages in the individual pictures we have of them on our basement wall is severely decreasing. Now several months later, and Ellary's birthday just one week away, a new picture will shortly adorn the wall making all right on the wall.

Ellary was very patient. She also loved dressing up.

Ellary, Keegan and I took two weeks in February to visit Nana and Papa in their home in Colorado. Kris had to teach and Aly and Koco both had to go to school so they were unable to make it. My mom had a total knee replacement two weeks before our arrival, so we were on several missions. The first was to physically help them, and the second was to give them an emotional uplift. We all benefited greatly from the experience.

Keegan loved Nana and Papa's two dogs, Mataya and Honey.

Unfortunately several thousands of miles separated Kris and I on Valentine's Day.

This is a purse that I made mom. She has a friend who is very crafty with a sewing machine who came over to the house and showed us how to make them. Mom put me to work on the sewing machine. We used sample material from books she bought at a yard sale and had ourselves a good time. I think I made about 10 purses while I was there.

These are the beautiful roses Kris had delivered to me several days before Valentine's Day so I could enjoy them (I was scheduled to return to Michigan on the 16th). I shared them with someone we both dearly love.

Here they are on Eleonore's gravestone. There was about 2 inches of snow that blanketed the cemetery hillside. Ellary slid down with me and we used our hands to clear the snow away so we could find Eleonore's grave before a workman saw us slipping and falling on our backsides every time we stepped onto a head stone.

I am glad we could share the roses with Mutti.

These pictures were taken the night before we were scheduled to leave. Keegan was already in bed. Turns out our flights were cancelled and we returned home one day later than scheduled. It made leaving that much more bitter sweet.

So, while Ellary, Keegan and I were away, Kris had his hands full. However, he took full advantage of his time with the girlies and did special things with them, like grilling in shorts when it's freezing cold outside!

And baking cookies that they could share with their classmates on Valentine's Day. Can you say "Father of the Year Award"? He also watched Koco perform in a school play all documented on the video camera and he took the girls to a school dance. What fun!

I returned home just in time to see Alyson read a poem in her class. They have been studying the pioneer era and writing fictional journal entries about the lives of pioneer children.

Then later that week we watched her perform in a class play called "Anasi and the Rock". She was the narrator and had most of her lines memorized. She is a definite go getter! (Alyson is dressed up to look like a frog I think.)

This is Alyson's friend Elise encouraging Alyson to relax and play a little.

This year Kris had the opportunity to serve in a fundraiser for Special Olympics at BD Mongolian Grill for the second year running. Here he is grilling away. I'm sure most of the tips were collected when he encouraged the crowd to support a great cause...He's a go getter like his daughter! Ellary insisted on wearing her crown to the restaurant. I wonder what that says about her!

And finally last but not least, Alyson, Kris and I attended a baptism preview night for Alyson and her 7-turning-8 year old friends in church. Woo-hoo! She will be 8 in 2 weeks and 1 day. She is so excited to be baptized. We love you, girl!

Christmas Day 2010

2011-01-19T13:29:00.027-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas...quiet, low key and filled with tradition. We delivered some cookies to our neighbors, played family games while listening to Oma's Christmas and German music, and had a delicious Korean dinner on Christmas Eve. We also read the Christmas story in the Bible, carolled, and talked to loved ones far away on Christmas Day. Here are Kris and the kiddos on Christmas Eve. (If while looking at the pictures you wonder why I'm not in any of these, it's because I didn't like the ones taken of me, and because I'm the one creating the post, I get to decide what goes into it, right? Also, Kris took a ton of video footage, and I know that I am in it a ton, so no worries.) Kourtney made reindeer food in class and we had another package left over that Nana sent last year. The girls decorated our front lawn with oats and glitter. It worked like a charm. Santa found his way to our house!
Alyson, Kourtney and Ellary made and decorated cookies for Santa and left them out before going to bed. No wonder Santa is such a big, jolly man.

7:30 am Christmas morning and the kids could hardly wait to come downstairs.

This is a picture of Alyson and Kourtney reading a letter they got from Santa. They both asked Santa for beta fish this year. Knowing that the Allee family would be out of town for a few days following Christmas, he gave each of them a gift card to buy their own when they got back from vacation. Alyson and Kourtney each have a beta fish now. I can't remember Alyson's purple and blue fish's name. Kourtney named her white fish Sparty. She has green rocks in his tank. How many other "Sparty" pets do you think are out there in Michigan?

Random picture of Ellary looking cute.

Alyson and Kourtney saved up their money to buy a present for each other. Alyson put together a sewing kit for Kourtney and Kourtney bought Alyson some scrap booking items. Great sisterly love!

Santa must know that Kris has a good sense of humor. He put a Dilbert calendar and a big joke book in Kris' stocking along with some of Kris' favorite candy and Banangrams, a fun word spelling game.

Alyson and Kourtney were very thoughtful this Christmas. They saved up some money by doing chores around the house to buy Ellary a present-a Dora the Explorer Backpack.

I think we can almost officially say that we are a running family. It's rubbing off on the girls. You may recall a post in December about Alyson running a 5K. Both girls occasionally go on runs with Kris, and before my eye surgery Alyson ran with me two days out of the week. It seemed only fitting that one of their gifts be some running clothes-a great idea their daddy had. (P.S. Kourtney and Alyson merged their Christmas P.J. bottoms from last Christmas with their nightgowns from this Christmas. Good try, girls!)

Nana and Papa Bear got the kids each a Pillowpet. What a great gift! The kids each picked the animal they wanted, all except for Keegan. I got to choose the puppy dog for him.

Ellary loves her unicorn Pillowpet. She also loves her Minnie Mouse costume she found at Kohl's on clearance while we were shopping about a week before Christmas. Ellary is obsessed with "Micki Mouse Club House". She wore her costume for one day, then I hid it away and wrapped it up for Christmas. I love her age!

Kourtney's choice was a penguin. She sleeps with it every night.

Alyson chose a dolphin. I think it most resembles a filleted fish when it's used like a pillow. Cute but rather funny.

Keegan received this tube and a connecting tent from Santa. It kept him entertained after all the presents had been opened. It has also kept him busy many hours since then.

Later Christmas day we picked up Sister Oade (she spent Thanksgiving Day with us too) and we met some friends to caroll at a local nursing home. I regret that we didn't take pictures because it was a great experience and one I hope we remember for a long time.

After carolling we came home and finished making dinner. We stuck with tradition and Kris made a delicious prime rib roast.

Later that evening we finished the day out by watching "A Christmas Story" and opening presents with Sister Oade. She was very generous. And I think she liked the dress we gave her because she wore it to church the next day.

We had a wonderful Christmas. Thank you, everyone, who made an effort to make Christmas special. Your kind words and acts of service were greatly appreciated.

Christmas Countdown

2011-01-06T11:02:00.013-05:00

Our Christmas countdown started rather early this year-way back at the beginning of November. Our church began preparing for a Stake Christmas Concert and asked that the Primary children from all of the wards in our area sing for 30 minutes. A lot of time and effort went into preparing for the occasion. CD's, and music were sent home and they gathered to practice 6 Saturday mornings. It was less laboring and more fun than it sounds. Alyson even performed a violin solo to "Christmas Bells" in the Church Children's Songbook. Then Aly and Kourtney sang a song together also in the Children's Songbook "Who is the Child?" Kris and I are very happy that they tried their very best to be ready and that they did so well. Preparing for this event really set the tone for the rest of the holidays and we focused greatly on the true meaning of Christmas because of it.

Alyson had a holiday party the last day of class before winter break as well. Her class made a craft, had goodies, played bingo, and then her teacher, who is very proficient at the piano, and has one in her classroom, played as they all sang songs.

Kourtney also had a holiday celebration in her class. They made reindeer food, played games and had some yummy snacks. It's definitely one of the more fun parties of the year at school.

We have some great friends who throw a Christmas party every year. This was our second time going, and it was as fun as the last year. Lots of yummy food and good friends, and Santa made a grand appearance again sharing stories about the night before Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ. Thank you, Gott family, for your hospitality.

This is our friend Kate helping Kourtney make a reindeer ornament. She and her husband throw this party every year (you may recall reading the post about their Christmas party last).

Keegan had a difficult time wanting to sit on Santa's lap. This was the best he could do for now. Maybe Keegan will be interested in the big, jolly fella next year.

All of the children got a candy cane and book from Santa, but I think they liked listening to him tell stories and sitting on his lap best of all.

Here are all the children who attended the party.

Ella had the time of her life in her little Santa outfit.

One Wintery Evening

2010-12-16T19:03:00.011-05:00

Monday evening the kids and I braved the cold and met Kris at the end of our street where he gets off the bus when he rides home from work.
It was so cold that Kris, in spite of having non-tread dress shoes on, picked Ellary up in his arms and jogged most of the way home. I, on the other hand, had to brave the cold again after getting home and realizing that Keegan had lost one of his shoes on our little adventure. Shoe was found, safe and sound.
Kris and I are trying to eat more healthy, so this week we have had two salads for dinner. The first was a grilled chicken salad with orange slices on the side (shown here on Monday night). The second was on Tuesday, a lean ground beef taco salad, no tortilla chips or shell (like I said, we're trying to eat healthy).

Here's our little guy chewing on an orange slice. Great combo with our grilled chicken salad (the orange slices and salad that is!)

After dinner, the girls had a sweet treat. Oma bought these advent calendars with chocolate in the windows for the girls in Frankenmuth, Michigan two years ago when she visited us for Christmas. We didn't use them last year, I think we just wanted to hold onto them a little longer. The girlies have enjoyed counting down the days until Christmas and remembering Oma.

Then for family home evening we got crafty. One of our Christmas traditions is making a gingerbread house. We started this tradition two years ago when Nana, Papa and Oma came to visit us. We actually went to the trouble of making our own gingerbread that time, and boy, it took a very long time. I'm not sure any of us knew just what the process was to make the stuff. It was a fun and memorable experience. Since then, we have wimped out and bought gingerbread house kits, with the gingerbread pre-made, icing and candy included. Yippee!

Kris shared his fantastic icing and decorating skills with us, compliments of his work experience making ice cream cakes at Dairy Queen during his youth.

Here is the end result. Doesn't it look yummy? Ellary sure thinks so. See the little gum drop window next to the door? Ellary stole 5 gum drops the very next morning and had them eaten before anyone could stop her. Oh well!

Daddy's Boy

2010-12-16T18:55:00.004-05:00

Keegan has become a bit of a daddy's boy lately. He gets so excited when he sees Kris. They are great buddies, just the way fathers and sons aught to be.

We thought Keegan wanted to wrestle with Kris, the way he crawled toward him when Kris sat on the floor in our bedroom, but Keegan only wanted to snuggle.

Jingle Belle 5K

2010-12-12T08:35:00.009-05:00

Kris volunteered to help out with a 5K race called "Jingle Belle" in Lansing on Saturday. Kourtney stood on the first corner of the race with Kris as they helped direct all the "Belles" down the race course. They huddled to keep warm and Kris tried to teach Koco how to whistle as they braved the cold. They make a great team. (The time on the clock has no reflection on our run time. That's just the time that lapsed from the start of the race to the time we left to go home.) Alyson and I actually ran the race. I've taken some time off from running, and Alyson didn't train at all either, but we had a great time. And guess what? Alyson did awesome! She ran the 5K in 31:04, that's a 10:01 average pace per mile. She beat her Grand Junction Gold's Gym 5K race time by more than a minute and she actually trained for that race. Good job girl! Her next goal is to shave a few minutes off her 5K time in a race this summer.
Koco on the corner watching all the girls go by.

Alyson and me at about .5 miles (the first turn and where Kris and Kourtney were standing).

Alyson and me on the last turn again where Kris and Kourtney were standing.

Sunsets and Snowfalls

2010-12-06T14:38:00.005-05:00

We enjoyed a very beautiful sunset one evening last week...

And then...

It snowed!

Look closely. You can see the white stuff in the air. This was our first snowfall of the season. And although it came later than it did last fall, it's still difficult to believe that the cold is here to stay.

The Cat's Meow

2010-12-06T14:30:00.003-05:00

If only it were Halloween, Ellary would be prepared. One morning last week, I went up to Kourtney's room and found that the dress-up clothes bin had been dumped and its contents strewn throughout the room. The leotard that you see Ellary wearing was new to me. Apparently Nana gave it to Kourtney when she last visited but it was too small for her. So, Ellary put it on, found these cat ears, and wore it for the rest of the day. Good thing we didn't have to get out of the house otherwise I don't think I would have been able to get it off her without making her upset. What a cutie. Better yet, Ellary does a very good cat impression. She hardly stopped meowing long enough to let me get this picture of her.

Thanksgiving Day at Our House

2010-12-06T14:06:00.008-05:00

We spent a relaxing morning preparing our Thanksgiving feast this year. Then we sat down and enjoyed the yummy food, watched a little T.V. and joined some friends for dessert.
Kris was a little disappointed in the size of this year's bird. He loves turkey left overs...turkey sandwiches are his favorite! Don't worry. We saved almost all of it for him!

This is our delicious Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffed eggs, candied yams, gravy...with all the great tasting food, we hardly missed the rolls!

We took turns telling each other about the things we are thankful for.

Kourtney was prepared with a list of things she is thankful for and she was sure to read them all to us.

This is our friend Judie from church. She joined us for Thanksgiving Day.

After eating our meal, we joined some friends for dessert at their house. Yummy pie and ice cream. We hope all of your Thanksgiving Days were delicious and enjoyable too!

Girl's Night Out

2010-11-22T19:55:00.003-05:00

Alyson, Kourtney and I went to see a high school performance of "The Wizard of Oz" Saturday night, and we had such a fun time. The acting was pretty good, especially for a high school production. All the key characters kept us amused!

Although the play was the reason we went out, what I liked best was just being with the girlies. I learn something new about them each time it's just the three of us or when I get a chance to be with them one on one.

Something I would like to share from Sautrday night happened as we were walking through the parking lot to the high school. The sun had gone down and the stars were just beginning to emerge when Alyson spotted the first star, and told Kourtney she could be the one to wish on it.

Kourtney's reply, "I don't care about that. I just care about the things I already have."

What a great response...If only I could think as she did at that moment, count my blessings and realize that I should really just appreciate what I already have.

Alyson shared her star, and Kourtney shared such a great lesson!

Keegan's First Steps!

2010-11-11T11:09:00.005-05:00

Keegan took his first steps on Monday. We were ecstatic that our little expert crawler decided to finally give walking a try. Good job, Keegan. Keep it up!

Reading's for the Dogs For the 4th Time

2010-11-11T11:00:00.005-05:00

Saturday marked the 4th time we have read to the dogs at the public library. The girls enjoy it every time, especially now that Alyson and Kourtney are both reading well. Ellary brought a book a long too and did her version of reading. It was difficult to pull her away from the dogs, so we stayed until the end when all the dogs had to say goodbye to us because they were leaving. What fun!

Our 2010 Halloween Trunk-or-Treat Party

2010-11-10T14:11:00.012-05:00

We hosted a Halloween Trunk-or-Treat for our neighbors and friends the Saturday before Halloween. Wow, was it fun! We had a great turn out-our best guestimations was about 75 people-and because so many people put in helping hands by providing trunks and candy, it was a great success!

After trunk-or-treating was complete, we all went to our back yard and warmed up around the campfire and drank hot chocolate or apple cider and some people decorated their own cupcakes. Thank you, everyone, who made this activity such a fun time. We may even do it again next year!

Trunk-or-Treating

Fishing for candy

Warming up around the campfire

Keegan's 1st Birthday!

2010-11-05T02:55:00.012-04:00

Keegan turned 1 year old on the 29th! What a big guy he has become. It's always an amazing time to reflect on how quickly a year goes by when your little baby hits that mile stone. It's like they were always with you, as if you can't imagine a life without them in yours. Still, you know just a little over a year ago that your child was still finding refuge in your belly and a few months before that still just a twinkle in your eye.

Keegan's first birthday started out with pictures in the morning. He sported a cute little suit that Nana and Papa bought him. We took it pretty easy until that night when Kris got home, then we had a BBQ. Keegan had some bits of hamburger and beans. Then we opened presents, and when I say "we", that is precisely what "we" did. You have to love first birthdays, how the birthday child is seldom interested in unwrapping anything, and of course, they can't read so the on-lookers become involved and do all of that.

Alyson read a card she made to Keegan, then helped him unwrap his first "Hot Wheels" car. He loves it, as you can tell. It's a toy he gets to play with when we are watching him.

Then Kourtney presented Keegan with her card. Notice the picture she drew of her and Keegan. He is nearly as big as her. It was a sweet reminder that some day he really will be bigger than her. Kourtney also bought him a Little Einstein Book. Keegan got a new car seat from Kris and I (see the first picture in this post). Whoo-Hoo! He can sit facing the front now!

This is the cake I made for Keegan. I always make our kids' first cakes. I began to ice the cake with yard line numbers and switched the "50" to "29" in honor of the day he was born. Keegan's portion of the cake was the football (see below).

At first Keegan stuck his finger in it and took a lick.

Then he did it again.

And then Keegan dug in!

And dug in some more. It's pretty safe to say that Keegan loves himself some cake!

Happy birthday little guy! Your family loves you so much. You make us so happy when you flash your big smile and exude your cheerful disposition. We are very blessed to have you in our family. We are so grateful for you!

Halloween 2010 Prelims

2010-11-03T18:26:00.013-04:00

Here is our 2010 Halloween ensemble. Alyson, our witch, vampire wannabe; Kourtney our turtle, which is also her favorite animal; Ellary, our little fairy who lost her wings five minutes into the night and; Keegan, our little sock monkey who amazingly enough kept his hat on.

We began a week long celebration by going to Lansing Washington Square on Wednesday. There were a lot of sweet treats, slime making, a hay maze and an opossum to pet. We had such a fun time.

The girls had a great time sporting their costumes and playing with their friends at their school parties Thursday. Ironically, Kourtney was a turtle and so was her teacher...and Alyson was a witch and so was HER teacher. Pretty neat!

If Kourtney Lived in the Capital Building

2010-10-25T19:45:00.009-04:00

We went to the Capital Area Humane Society to donate Maverick's dog brushes and leashes for family home evening tonight. On our way home we spotted the Michigan State Capital all lit up, so we decided to take a little detour to drive around it.

As we drove up towards it Kourtney said, "I wish the Capital was my house!"

Kris quickly replied, "You can't keep your room clean. How could you keep the Capital clean if it was your house?"

Kourtney's rebuttal, "If it were my house I would be the queen and I would have servants."

I Know My Savior Lives

2010-10-25T12:27:00.005-04:00

Our ward's Primary Program was held yesterday. The theme for this year in Primary and for the program was "I Know My Savior Lives". The children did amazingly well, especially when it came to learning their parts and singing with strong voices.

Alyson and Kourtney memorized their parts and this is what they said:

Alyson: Jesus Christ restored prophets and apostles through the prophet Joseph Smith. I can listed to our prophet, Thomas S. Monson during General Conference. He teaches me to pray and to listen to the Holy Ghost when he speaks to me.

Kourtney: I will be ready for the Savior to return by building my own testimony. When I learn about Jesus Christ and follow his example, the Holy Ghost will speak to me, and I will know the church is true for myself.

We are so proud of our girls for loving church, for loving Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father so much and for working so hard at being prepared for the program. We love you girls!

An Afternoon at Peacock Road Tree Farm

2010-10-23T05:20:00.020-04:00

Last Saturday the girls and I went to a place called Peacock Road Tree Farms located about 25 minutes from our house. We enjoyed looking at farm animals, participating in a pig race, riding a wagon and a little train, picking pumpkins, eating a donut from the "Sugar Shack", playing in the hay and riding a horse and a donkey among other things. It was a beautiful fall afternoon and one we are sure to remember for a long time!
We got there in time to see the pig races. The farmer let all the kids participate. At one point Alyson and Kourtney were the drivers. They chased the pigs with brooms (the pigs knew what to do and the kids really didn't have to chase them), and Ellary got to ring a bell.

This is a picture of Ellary dancing to some music that was being played at the pig races. If you can't tell, she's very excited!

We fed the goats. Wow-they had the biggest goats I have ever seen.

We also took a horse drawn wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch. Each of the girls chose a pumpkin. We helped Keegan choose his first pumpkin.

The "Boo Train" took us on about a 15 minute ride around the farm. Keegan loved peeking his head out the window.

As I watched the girls have so much fun climbing these large hay stacks got me thinking about how simple playtime was for children growing up on farms back in the day. It was one of the highlights of the day! I couldn't resist having the kids pose for some pictures before we left. It was a great way to end our day!

Kris' Birthday Recap

2010-10-18T14:50:00.014-04:00

Friday was Kris' birthday. We spent it by opening presents, eating take out from P.F. Chang's (Koco was sick Thursday and Friday), then Kris and I had a date out at an MSU hockey game. He also had a couple surprises awaiting him at work like brownies and a poster that Koco and I made for him that I taped to his windshield. Kris, we hope you had a great day!

This was too funny! Ellary helped Alyson and I tape three balloons to Kris' present. Well, as Keegan does with anything remotely interesting within reach, he pulled this blue one off, and Ellary immediately began to cry and point at Keegan. Keegan immediately began to squeal and wave the balloon around, oblivious to Ellary's reaction as captured in this timely taken picture!

Kris thought he might be getting a new flat screen TV based on the size and weight of his present, and the clue I gave him (the whole family can use it), but he got a Spartan corn hole game instead. I know it's not as impressive, but it is a fun game and it was tons less expensive than a flat screen TV for our bedroom. Maybe we can go in on one next year for both of our birthdays

We had a fun time playing Kris' new birthday present in our front yard.

Kris and I went to see the Michigan State University hockey team take on the University of Maine Black Bears. It was intense and fun and something we are likely to do again!

Babe, hope you had a great birthday. We love you so much and are so glad we could celebrate with you.

Love,

Jessica, Alyson, Kourtney, Ellary and Keegan

Happy Birthday to Kris!

2010-10-15T08:57:00.003-04:00

Today is Kris' 34th birthday!

Happy birthday, Babe! Of everyone on this day, I am the luckiest person alive because 34 years ago today, you were born. Of all the the people your life touches, I have been affected the most and I am eternally grateful for that! I love you, and I hope, even though your day is a very busy one, that you can find some time to enjoy it, and reflect on just how great your life truly has been.

I love you!

First Tooth and Little Fists of Hair

2010-10-13T13:47:00.005-04:00

When you have a semi-large family, there are tons of firsts...the first time a baby smiles, or giggles, crawls, or says a word...you name it. Well, with that said, Keegan has his first tooth, and it just started coming in a few weeks ago. We were beginning to wonder if he would have any teeth by his first birthday! Well, it's here, and that's for sure, one little snaggle tooth on the top so that when he even barely opens his mouth it's there for all to see.

Ellary, sweet little thing, she's pretty much past all those baby firsts. But something her little brother has taught her how to do is wrestle. Keegan is very earnest at attacking anyone sitting on the ground. And when it comes to little girls with locks of hair within his reach, he goes all out. There have been many times that he's rendered Ellary flat to the ground, laying on top of her, hair in his little fists with his powerful death grip, Ellary hollering in pain and disbelief. It's not like Keegan is on sneak attack either. You just don't think about a little guy such as himself already wanting to wrestle. Ellary is usually very gentle with Keegan, but there have been a few times that she has made moves on him first and then he cries like the little baby he is!

Kris' Akron Marathon and a Little Site Seeing Too

2010-10-13T13:46:00.086-04:00

Kris spent several months training for a marathon which he completed in Akron, Ohio on Sept. 25th. It took hours upon hours of running morning after morning to become prepared for such a feat, and we are so proud of Kris for doing it! We were also excited to get to be there as a family to see him complete this great accomplishment.
You may recall in a post from May that Kris ran the Indianapolis half marathon with a friend named Josh, who now lives in Ohio. We stayed two nights with Josh and his family-thank you for your hospitality! Josh ran the half, so they got to run a while together.The morning began bright and early (5:00am). The kids were great troopers!

After catching a glimpse of Kris at two sections of the course (caught on the camcorder), the girls participated in a kids' 1 mile run. They received a t-shirt and a medal for running.

There were also snacks for the kids and some fun activities like face painting. Ellary really liked the characters in their costumes, but when it came down to it, she kept her distance.

This is Kris after he crossed the finish line. Wow-what a work-out. I can only imagine how exhausting running 26.2 miles would be.

Kris, we are so proud of you for fulfilling your goal. Thanks for being a good example for us. Way to go, Babe!

While we were in the Akron area, we took the day before the race to tour some church historical sites in Kirtland, Ohio. First we visited the LDS Visitor's Center (it really invites the Spirit). Then we took a tour of the non-working Kirtland Temple. So these pictures are out of chronological order, but hey, they are still here...

The old saw mill.

The Newell K. Whitney Store

Random pictures with the beautiful flowers.

We also went to the John Johnson farm in Hiram, Ohio. What a neat experience and what a neat family the Johnson's must have been.

This is the spot Joseph Smith, Jn. gave his sermon from the morning after an angry mob tarred and feathered him.

Living in the Mid-West affords us the ability to see so many Church sites and we are really grateful to have had the chance to see so many of them.

MSU vs Notre Dame...Yes we saw it...Well, most of It!

2010-10-13T13:46:00.059-04:00

It's that time of year again...College football time! Kris and I went to see MSU take on Notre Dame at the beginning of September. Yes, it was the game that was the talk of the week all over the country. Yes, Kris and I were there and we saw it...Well, almost all of it. We took home on our bikes after regulation play was over so we could get back before midnight (12:00am Sunday morning) and we missed the fake field goal attempt that resulted in a touch down. We had a great time regardless.

Here are some pics of the MSU marching band and the Notre Dame marching band. Pretty cool what they can do.

Kris took Alyson to one of the football games on their daddy/daughter date, and they road to and from the stadium on their bikes. It's one of the many perks of living just a few miles from campus. What a great experience!

Fall Bike Ride

2010-10-13T13:46:00.058-04:00

We took a family bike ride on the Lansing River Trail a few weeks ago, just as the trees were beginning to turn all kinds of shades of reds, oranges and yellows. We took this trail on our bikes once earlier in the summer, and it was such a fun experience that we decided to do it again! The first two pictures were taken as I was riding my bike. This river trail is pretty neat because not only is it beautiful, but it takes you past some neat parts of Lansing including the Potter Park Zoo.

Two happy travelers.
Kris pulled Ellary and Keegan in the bike trailer. They are getting better at sharing tight quarters!

Kourtney riding under a bridge in downtown Lansing.

Destination: Lansing City Market

It's a fun place to explore especially during the late summer. We sipped on some apple cider and browsed all of the "farmer's market" kind of wares. Then we jumped back on our bikes and headed for home. Kourtney and me peddling toward home.

Kris and the girls climbed up on to this bridge on our bike ride back.
Ellary wanted to climb up onto the bridge as well...Isn't it horrible to be a few years younger than your sisters and not get to do the big kid things they get to do? And then isn't it just bliss to be a baby and completely oblivious that you are missing anything at all?

Here is Alyson helping Kris load up our bikes into the back of his truck. What a great helper!

All About Kourtney

2010-10-13T13:46:00.057-04:00

Kourtney was the student of the week the second week of school. She was very excited to share a poster all about her that she created listing her favorite color (pink), food (broccoli and pizza), book (James and the Giant Peach), subject in school (math), and various other things of this sort. Kris and I watched as she told her class all about her. It was so great to see her excited to share what makes her unique.

Kourtney's second field trip of the year was to the apple orchard. I got to go with her while Kris watched the other kiddos which was a special treat especially because Koco gets excited to ride the bus and I road it with her. Here are a few picks from the trip.

This is Kourtney's 1st grade teacher.

September Birthday Buddies

2010-10-13T13:45:00.019-04:00

Kourtney and I are September birthday buddies. Her birthday is on the 5th and mine is on the 7th. Before school started she had a friend birthday party, originally planned for outside, around the campfire, but unfortunately it rained and poured and rained some more. She still had a great time, and we are grateful to all of our friends who came to make it fun.

Kourtney's real birthday was on a Sunday, so we played games as a family, we had ice cream sundaes and Koco opened her presents. She was so excited to turn 6!

Thanks to Alyson's sweet heart, she bought this (with the help of Papa) for Kourtney when we were back in Grand Junction. Alyson is always thinking of what she can get people for their birthdays, and usually with her own money.

My birthday was on the 7th, just two days after Kourtney's birthday. It was also the first day back to school...Bitter sweet! We browsed an antique store out in Williamston, then went out for Korean food (yum-yum) and had cake at home that Kris had made for me. It was very good too. Then we opened presents. Thank you to everyone who made my birthday special!

Counting Down the Final Days of Summer

2010-10-13T13:44:00.028-04:00

"Oh, what do you do in the summer time when all the world is green..." is the beginning of a familiar Primary song. With the final days of summer upon us, and days of learning and homework looming in the near future, we spent a few of our last days of summer this way...

Freezing Yummy Palisade, Colorado Grown Peaches...

GO TEAM GO!

Playing at Lake Lansing Park South

Playing on the playground and making new friends...

Fishing off a dock at Lake Lansing, with once again, no luck thus far at catching fish in Michigan...

Swimming on the beach, and Ellary insisting on wearing her goggles in the water and out...

Seeing the Animals at the Zoo "Roarrrr!" This is Kourtney doing her best lion impression.

Alyson hanging on for dear life! Her legs are as long as the giraffe's legs!

Ellary found a friend and planted herself behind it.

First Day of School 2010

2010-10-13T13:44:00.006-04:00

Alyson (now in 2nd grade) and Kourtney (now in 1st grade) began a new school year on the 7th of September-my birthday! Now that they've had a month of new teachers and classes, they give the school year thus far an...

Koco chose to pose this way all by herself!

Memories on the Mountain

2010-10-09T08:25:00.015-04:00

Kris, Alyson, Kourtney, Ellary, Keegan, Leighton, Melanie and I spent one morning up on the Grand Mesa at Cottonwood Lake #4. This beautiful lake, where Eleonore used to take Kris and his brother camping when they were young, is one of the places that she loved best and where she requested some of her ashes be spread. We brought Eleonore's urn with us, and spent a quiet morning fishing and marveling at the majestic Colorado mountain splendor. Fishing wasn't so great, 3 fish in the span of 4 1/2 hours, but it was fun all the same. We didn't spread Eleonore's ashes. We took them home with us and it feels right that way. We will just have to make a trip next summer and whether we do it then or not, it doesn't matter much. What does is that we remember the wonderful times we spent with her and with each other and look forward to times yet to come. Ellary's first real time using a fishing pole.

Leighton managed to reel in this fish while eating a sandwich.

Keegan's first time up on the mountain.

A Grand Valley Afternoon

2010-10-09T06:09:00.017-04:00

While we were in Grand Junction in August, my sister came into town for a few days and brought her kids and a friend. We spent one afternoon having a picnic in Palisade and scouting out peaches. Then we went to the farmer's market on Main Street.

Alyson monopolized this hoola hoop. She's a pro!

Ellary thought spinning around while Leighton held the hoop constituted as hoola hooping!

A local bike shop supplied a bunch of bikes for people to ride. Our family tried most of them...Some were easier than others! Eventually Kourtney and Kris were able to stay up on this bicycle built for two.

A Hike in Our Backyard

2010-10-09T05:42:00.010-04:00

Basically, just behind where Kris and I grew up, is the Colorado National Monument. One way of describing it is that it's like a miniature Grand Canyon. So, it has almost become tradition that any time we visit, or Kris' nephew Leighton visits, that we take a hike on this beautiful natural landmark. Kris and Carolyn took Leighton, Josh, and Alyson on a hike to Independence Rock one morning that we were in Grand Junction.

Up on the Hill of the Grand Junction Cemetary

2010-10-09T05:05:00.016-04:00

One of the first things we did when we returned to Grand Junction from our trip to San Francisco was visit the cemetery. This trip was our first time back to Colorado as a family since Mutti passed away last August, and it was pretty difficult. Everywhere we went we were reminded of her and how quickly it seemed our time with her had gone, so going to the cemetery, where not only are some of Mutti's ashes buried, but where Kris' sister and grandmother are also buried was difficult but also peaceful in a way. Kris designed a beautiful headstone for Mutti and Adrian, with some help from me and Leighton (he got to design his dad's headstone), and they turned out nicely. In a way the headstone was a gift from Mutti to us, a place where we can go and feel closer to her. Lying up on a hill overlooking Grand Junction, one of the most amazing views in the whole Grand Valley, a place that Mutti dearly loved, lay four headstones of family members that we dearly love. Here are some pictures of a few moments we took in order to spend a little time with them.

Two Sweet Hearts in San Francisco

2010-10-06T05:03:00.062-04:00

This heart is in the San Francisco Union Square where Kris and I spent 5 days together at the beginning of August. As part of our vacation back west this summer, I tagged a long with Kris to an American Accounting Association Conference. My parents watched Alyson, Kourtney, Ellary and Keegan in Colorado, and Kris and I got a little bit of time to ourselves. Kris took a couple afternoons off to do some site seeing with me. You'll get a glimpse of some of the things we saw together as you read this post. Some things we did that are not documented here include catching the train from the airport to down town S.F., seeing "Wicked" at the Orpheum Theatre, eating dinner at Washington Square Bar and Grill (yummy and highly recommended), and tasting other fine international cuisine.

I also accompanied Kris to some of the AAA banquets and saw old friends and people Kris works with. It was a lot of fun!

Feeling the Love!

Kris and I went on a 15 mile run a few hours after we arrived in San Francisco. We ran down to Pier 1 where you can catch the ferry to Alkatraz, Sausalito and other various destinations, then ran to Fisherman's Warf along the Embarcadero, over to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, to Crissy field and across the Golden Gate Bridge. We only stopped a couple of times to take pictures and to use the bathroom. Then we ran back to our hotel through the city, trying to avoid as many hills as possible, which you can imagine is a hard thing to do. Just for your info, if you take Van Ness Ave and then some side streets back to down town, you can avoid a lot of hills, not all, just a lot.

This was such a fun experience. It had been a very long time since Kris and I had ran together, and to see all of these sites at the same time was incredible. We were both pretty sore the next day, but had the time of our lives!

We also went to an LDS Ward on Pacific Avenue, within walking distance of our hotel. It was neat to see so many people from the AAA conference attending church there. Here are a few pictures taken from a hill overlooking the church.

I had several mornings by myself so one day I walked down to the Pier, then took this trolley as far as it would take me up California Avenue, got off and did a lot of walking. I ran into Lombard Street and China Town then returned to the hotel several hours later.

Here is the way they stop the trolley. Crazy when this is the only thing stopping you from going into traffic at intersections!

I picked up a donut here. The trolley brake operate told me to stop into one of the shops on his favorite street in S.F., Polk Street.

I hope you can read the sign. It says to park at a 90 degree angle. You can only guess why judging by the steepness of this hill I walked up just on the other side of Lombard Street.

Top of Lombard Street (the Crookedest Street).

People on Segways and bikes were spotted everywhere in S.F. We nearly ran into a few and vise versa on our run.

Kris' cousin, Melanie, suggested that we take a boat ride over to Sausalito. We took a ferry and had a fun and relaxing afternoon.

Sausalito was a cute little town with a lot of character and shops. We browsed and had Thai food for lunch.

Our boat took us back right by Alkatraz Island. We tried to book a tour, but none were available for 3 weeks. This was the next best thing!

The Golden Gate Bridge is off to the right of Alkatraz.

Someone told us not to eat at Fisherman's Wharf, but we just had too, how can you not when you are in S.F.? Some of Kris' friends said Scoma's had great food, so that's where we went. It was delicious!

After eating at Scoma's, we got in line to take a trolley back to our hotel...but the line was so long that it was going to take forever, and it was getting colder and colder and later and later. Then this limo driver offered us a ride for the same price as the trolley. Kris was a little bummed that he hadn't road a trolley yet, but we did get to ride in a limo and it took a fraction of the time that taking the trolley would have.

The limo driver trying to talk the people in line into a "sweet deal".

Here we are in China Town, Kris was being very silly! We bought each of the girls a Cheongsam (Chinese dress) that they will wear as P.J.'s. Keegan got a nice Chinese outfit too (for boys).

We are huge "Amazing Race" fans, so Coit Tower was a must-see for us (It was featured in a leg of last season's episodes). We didn't go to the top-the line was too long, but we did hike up Telegraph Hill and take pictures of the views surrounding the base of Coit Tower. Awesome!

This church, the Graco Cathedral, is a top Nob Hill, just a few blocks from our hotel. Kris ran up Nob Hill one of the days we were in S.F.

When you are in S.F. you have to give the trollies a try, although, they were expensive to take ($5 one way). We took the trolley going out and walked back to the hotel! Here are a few random pictures of an afternoon we spent together.

Ghirardelli Square near Fisherman's Warf-We shared a tastey hot fudge sundae there.

Lombard Street (Crookedest Road)

I saved the best for last. The night before we left S.F., Kris and I took the train and then a bus to the Oakland Temple. When Eleonore nannied for a family in Oakland, over 40 years ago, she loved coming here. Just by looking at the pictures you can imagine all of the reasons why. The landscaping, the veiws and the Temple itself are beautiful. And it is peaceful and scerene above all the hustle and bustle of the city. Kris and I made it just in time for a session, took more pictures on the rooftop of the temple afterwards, and then caught a ride back to S.F. with a couple who attended the session with us. We are so glad we got the chance to see it! It was deffinately a highlight of the trip.

Bringing the Boys Out

2010-08-30T06:15:00.064-04:00

Our family had the pleasure of having two of my nephews out for a visit in July. Eli, 14, and Josh, 12, stayed with us for ten days before driving back to Colorado with us. We had a really good time showing them where we live and letting them see the Midwest. We kept them busy, especially considering they are young men who generally sleep most of the summer away because 1. they can't during the school year, and 2. they are growing boys. Well, there is no rest for the weary at the Allee house, especially during the summer. We kept Eli and Josh on their toes!

What mattered most about their visit, however, wasn't all the cool, and not so cool stuff we did, the best part was getting to know them better. For instance, Eli plays the guitar SO well. He'd grab Kris' electric guitar, shut himself in the office and start playing, and singing away. Lucky for us I don't think he knew the office isn't sound proof. Eli also has a really good sense of humor and if you ask him to mow your yard, he'll do a mighty fine job!

As for Joshua, we learned very quickly that Alyson and Kourtney had one more thing to bicker about-who got to sit next to Josh at the table, in the car, on the couch...you name it! As long as Josh was out of his room the girls were stuck to him like glue! He could keep them entertained for hours, and preferred it that way over housework and whatever else might be going on at home. He has a sweet heart that little kids are drawn too.

So, here are some pictures of some things we did with Eli and Josh while they were here, mind you, some things we didn't document with pics. Let's see...I'd say 43 pictures for one post is quite enough!

The first three pictures are of us in Bath, MI at a little lake that has a cutesy ice cream shop next to it. You can feed fish from the dock. Eli wouldn't wade in the water with the rest of us. He preferred sitting on the beach with Keegan. After dipping our feet in the water and realizing just how goose poo infested it was, we realized Eli had made the better choice!

Spend a summer evening outside in the Midwest and you'll start seeing spot before your eyes! Josh got a kick out of catching fire flies in our backyard. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture with our camera of Kris, the boys, and Alyson, Kourtney and Ellary catching snakes in our compost pile. Snakes, and fire flies, oh my!

Alyson and Kourtney were still in tennis and swim lessons when the boys arrived. We made one fun, or maybe not so fun, I guess it depends on who you are talking to, morning of busing them around. At least the boys got out and had some exercise chasing tennis balls around.

Keegan amused himself by chewing on his stroller seat belt strap. Oh, the simplicity of being a baby. I think we should send this picture into the "Combi" stroller company and get them to pay us a bunch of money for advertising their stroller with such a cute baby inside. Then again, maybe I am just biased.
One of our family traditions, since moving to Michigan, is picking blueberries when the are in season. The boys had never picked blueberries before, so it a made for a new experience for them. In addition, their hard work paid off for us as we picked something like 20 pounds worth.

There's that stroller and that cute baby again!

At least once a summer we take the CATA bus to campus and explore the gardens. This time we had the pleasure of taking Eli and Josh on our little excursion.

Ellary didn't hold on too well and fell off of her seat shortly after this picture was taken. She wasn't hurt, but I doubt she'll squirm around again next time she rides a bus.

Kris joined us for a stroll through the MSU flower gardens. They are always so beautiful in the spring and summer and it's easy to find great places to take portrait pictures. We also walked to the MSU Dairy Store and had some ice cream. Yummy! Yummy!

The water fountain is Ellary's favorite part of the gardens. Apparently it is Josh's too!

Come on, can Keegan get any cuter?

Eli and Josh came up with such a creative name for this water fountain ball that I can't even remember the name of it! Call me, boys, if you remember!

Here are some pictures of a morning spent at the aquatic center. The highlight-the diving board, of course! The next day we went to Lake Michigan. After two days of swimming I think we wore the boys out...see below pictures of them asleep in the car!

Kris and I had a softball game later that night. Here are the kids a top a rock on the neighboring playground. Eli also posed as an adult (18 years old) and played on our team so we wouldn't have to forfeit. Although he was a little apprehensive to play, he got a couple of really good hits. We actually won our game.

We took a trip to Holland Beach State Park and enjoyed an overcast day in the water. A couple of highlights: Josh had fun drifting out on a tube beyond the buoys and Eli hitched a ride on our kite while sitting on another tube and quickly drifted out to sea (towards the middle of the lake actually). Kris had to swim out to bring him back in.

A different stroller this time...Same cute baby!

Eli's trip out on Lake Michigan powered by the wind while floating on an inner tube.

Notice how disgusted Ella is that her hands are caked with sand!

Eli couldn't resist texting his friends from Utah. What's her name again, Eli? Anna?

We wore the boys, and Ella out so much that they slept most of the way home, even with pouring rain pounding against the outside of our suburban.

We went to our ward's Pioneer Day Breakfast too. Here's Koco doing her best to eat whipped cream off a plate. The guys (Kris, Eli and Josh) also took their turn at tug-of-war and Kris couldn't resist trying to take everyone (all the kids) on. Ella enjoyed the food!

Well, there's our adventure with Eli and Josh, oh, yeah, minus the two day drive back to Colorado with 8 people in a car. Now that is a REAL adventure! Thank you for coming out to visit, and you are welcome back any time. We love you!

Our 2010 Summer So Far

2010-07-13T06:41:00.046-04:00

Father's Day really marked the beginning of our summer, so it is only fitting that we begin with a few pictures of the best Daddy in the world!

The kids and I got Kris a waffel maker, the professional grade version he has been wanting to get for a while but hasn't felt like he wants to waste his calories on. Well, we figure he can afford the calories, especially now that he is training for a marathon. Go Babe!

Last year we made a family goal to explore more of Michigan this summer, so we planned a week long trip to accomplish it. First, we stayed one night in Otsego State Park on our way to the Upper Peninsula, and then we stayed three nights at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. Lastly, we camped two nights in Young State Park just southeast of Charlevoix, Michigan and then returned home. We took a lot of pictures, and so, as you scroll through our blog, we'll fill you in on our daily adventures and highlights. Enjoy!

Swimming in Otsego Lake.

We came across this store in Mackinac City that we had to stop at because Alyson's middle name is Ashley and this little store, as you can see on the sign, is called "Allison & Ashley's Summer House". We each chose to purchase a ceramic bird that we can display so that we always remember our trip.

Our kiddos in front of a light house at the northern edge of Mackinac City, just before crossing Mackinac Bridge that leads to the Upper Peninsula.

A glimpse of the Lower Tahquamenon Falls.

We rented a camper instead of braving the unpredictable Michigan weather with four children. You can catch a glimpse of it in the upper right hand corner. Good choice because it rained off and on 4 of the 7 days we camped. We were also able to bring more gear like our bikes. And we used them a lot!

After a few days of camping we decided to live the high life and eat at a restaurant. Actually, we ordered a couple of appetizers to tide us over until dinner, and we drank Ella's weight in water. Does anyone else find that they don't drink enough when they go camping?

The Upper Tahquamenon Falls

The kids said that the falls looked like root beer. Really, it is the tannins from the trees that causes the water to have a brown color. It was pretty neat going on a guided tour so we could learn more about the area.

Kris ran 10 miles on this trail, part of which was through the pouring rain and thunder and lightning. Seriously, the girls and I wondered if he was ever going to make it back. About half way through his run the skies opened up and the rain came tumbling down. Turns out Kris had to find shelter under trees when he saw the lightning come rolling along with the rain and thunder. Thankfully, Kris made it back safely and got the shower he needed to rinse off in...just not the conventional way he usually does.

We took a drive about 20 minutes north of our campsite and visited Whitefish Harbor. It was a beautiful, cool and foggy day on the beach along Lake Superior. We listened to the fog horn as we ate lunch, then we collected all kinds of rocks on the beach. Kris found one shaped like a heart and gave it to me. How sweet!

It rained a lot of the time that we were on vacation, so we took full advantage of the little windows of clear skies and sunshine. We heard about a bear ranch called Oswald's Bears, a ranch that rescues black bears from all parts of the United States, so we went there while we were in the U.P. (Upper Peninsula). It was so much fun! We petted a baby bear and took a little stroll with one of the bears. It literally walked beside us, of course on the other side of the fence, for about 1/4 of a mile. Maybe she liked the smell of Kris' deodorant. We don't know, but she was sure cute!

One of the most memorable moments of our trip happened at Oswald's Bear Ranch. Kris was filming three female bears climbing up and down the trees, and we were all watching in awe when Kris spotted one of the bears quickly look to the left-down hill. Something caught her eye and so we all looked in that direction too, and there was Keegan in the double jogging stroller going down the hill backwards. Kris got the whole thing on film, even his sprint with camera in hand to rescue our son who for probably the first time in his life realized that something was very wrong because he looked like he was about to bust into tears. The female bear ran the length of the fence until Kris caught the stroller just before it hit another bear enclosure. Boy, were we lucky that the bear saw Keegan rolling along, otherwise the ending could have been much different.

Ella caught eye of this stuffed bear at Oswald's Bear Ranch and had to give him a kiss. She sure knows how to pucker up!

After staying three nights at Tahquamenon Falls we drove to Charleviox, MI and stayed at Young State Park. We spent the first evening in Charleviox to pick up my race packet and to explore the little town of Charleviox situated on Lake Michigan. It quickly became our favorite town we have seen along Lake Michigan's shoreline (if you call it that). We really liked watching the draw bridge open up for the big boats and grand yacht's. It was a neat site. We also walked to the end of a pier and looked out into Lake Michigan that truly looks like the ocean. It just goes on and on with no land in site! One advantage that water in Michigan has over the ocean is that it's fresh water-no salt that stings your eyes or leaves a bad taste in your mouth. We have definitely fallen in love with all the water in Michigan.

On Saturday the 26th I ran the "Run Charleviox" half marathon, the second half I've ran this year (I ran the Provo Half Marathon on June 14th). Wow-it was fun, and boy, did I have the best support crew ever. It was an out and back course that hugged the beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline so Kris and the kids met me in 6 different places along the course. Other spectators began calling me mom, saying things like "go mom," and "good job, mom!" Thank you Kris, Alyson, Kourtney, Ellary and Keegan for being so supportive and encouraging me to run.

We also went to church at the Charlevoix Branch in Petosky before coming home.
The kids and I had never been to a branch before.

We had a wonderful time on our camping trip. We are so glad we saw more of this beautiful state we live in. Going to the U.P. was exciting but probably something we won't be doing again for a while. Charleviox on the other hand, we are heading back next year. We can't wait!

4th of July
We have spent the last 5 years in Colorado for the 4th of July. Although we couldn't be there this year we kept with tradition and went swimming on Saturday. We also saw Toy Story 3 and let off some fireworks. Fun! Fun! Fun!
This picture documents Alyson's last trip down the froggie's tongue. She was informed by the lifeguard that she is too tall to go down it now!

Poor Keegan has his mom's fair skin (reason for a t-shirt and a hat.)

Sparklers, snakes and glow sticks...Oh, my!

So, as you can see, we have had a busy summer already! Alyson and Kourtney also spent a week at a nature day camp and two weeks learning how to play tennis and taking swim lessons.

Now two of my nephews are visiting us, and we are having a blast with them here. Soon we will be getting ready for our anual visit to Colorado and we are very excited to see friends and family. Love to you all!

Memorial Day 2010

2010-06-03T10:02:00.007-04:00

Hi everyone - another of those "Kris Entries" ahead. Rare, I know...

I wanted to post a few pictures that my cousin Melanie took of my Mom's memorial. It was finished just in time for Memorial Day and Melanie went by and took these for me. Thanks Mel! Here is one of my Mom's (the stone matches my sister Angelika's grave - which makes it nice):

Here is a picture of my brother's memorial. It was part of my Mom's wishes that a memorial stone for my brother be added with her so Mom, Angelika, and Adrian could all be together there in the Grand Junction Cemetery. So, I asked Adrian's son Leighton to help me design a stone for his Dad. This is what we came up with:

Here they are together. They share a grave site with my sister's grave being just to the right of these.

I guess to be complete I should post a picture Angelika's grave here as well. I don't have a good picture of it on this computer (just an old camera phone picture - sorry sis). This will certainly help those in the Allee line do their genealogy. Here is her's:

R.I.P Family! You are remembered daily by the one that is left behind...miss you so much.

Let's Play Catch-Up!

2010-05-14T14:55:00.012-04:00

Take a glimpse of what we'll be blogging about in the near future!

Mom and Dad visit us in Michigan

Easter 2010 at Our House

Our Running Family

Keegan's a growing boy!

Ellary's 2nd Birthday and Alyson's 7th Birthday

Alyson and Kourtney's Spring 2010 Science Projects

I'm sorry I've neglected to update our blog in such a long time. We've been busy, but not so busy that I haven't had time to do it. I just haven't had the patience to wait for pictures to upload now that we have a slower internet connection.

Thank You Katy

2010-03-25T15:29:00.012-04:00

We had a dear friend pass away abruptly two weeks ago. Her name is Katy Spors and we will miss her so much. Katy was one of the most delightful, positive and inspiring people we know, and it's so sad that we didn't spend more time getting to know her better.

Kris and I met Katy and Paul in Bloomington, Indiana when Kris was doing his doctorate there. Katy and Paul began investigating our church and attending our ward and shortly after their baptism they moved away. It wasn't until Kris and I moved to Michigan that we reconnected after spotting them in our new ward where there they were, seated on a side pew in the chapel. What a great surprise!

Over the past year and half we had them over to dinner on several occasions and for FHE. Katy filled in teaching the Sunbeam class for me several times in spite of the difficulties she had with mornings. Katy had epilepsy and most often her seizures occurred in the early mornings leaving her tired and spent for much of the day. Yet, this wonderful lady went about seldom complaining and often elevating others through her kind words and thoughtfulness. Every conversation with her felt natural and as if she was holding onto every word you said. She also had positive in sites to contribute and when you were done, you could truly say you had spoken with a friend.

We had the pleasure of having Katy and Paul over for Thanksgiving dinner last year (2009). It was a quiet Thanksgiving yet a special one in retrospect because it would be one of the last intimate moments with our friend. We captured Katy on the video camera expressing her gratitude for her family and for her husband who "help her so much." How beautiful. She also taught us how to make Caramel Hot Cocoa that evening, something we all enjoyed but especially Alyson and Kourtney. It was a sweet treat and a sweet recipe that will be one way we remember Katy by.

So, we say "Thank You" Katy for your friendship. Thank you for the warmth you have shared with our family. And to Paul, we hope that you will find peace in the coming months and know that we are here for you. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are there for you too.

To those of you who may know Paul, here's just a little reminder that today is his birthday. Hope you get the chance to wish him well for the coming year.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink! Part 1

2010-03-22T13:20:00.009-04:00

The title of this posting, and the 3 other postings preceding this one are appropriately titled, "Everything but the Kitchen Sink!" I neglected to blog about the happenings of our lives and have now just caught up. I could have just said "Forget it. I'll start blogging from here on out," but this blog has become our family history, a record of us, the Allee Family, so it wouldn't be complete without including the last two months of our lives. Hence, you will see a whole gamut of happenings from our lives from parties, to outings to fun stuff done at home. The order in which you see the pictures for this posting and the others with similar titles are from the oldest to the most recent, therefore the last picture of "Everything but the kitchen Sink! Part 4" is the most recent picture of all these postings.

So, little Ellary leads off with a video of her rendition of "Dancing with the Stars." She's clearly the pro and...if she had it her way, the star as well!

I got to go with Kourtney on a field trip to the Zoo. The Zoo in the winter time, you say? Yes. It was a chilly morning, but after we got walking, and talking, and looking, there was hardly a complaint about being cold.

One highlight when Koco goes on a field trip is that she gets to ride the bus. Here we are on our way to the zoo.

This is one of Kourtney's best friends in her class. They play so well together!

The penguins were the highlight because they were there to see animals that live in cold habitats.

Here is the view of a penguin nest from behind the scenes.

This tiger's cry could be heard across the whole zoo. It was relentless...and well, the zoo isn't that big, but still, it was pretty neat to here him roar.

I know it's way overdue, but here are some pictures of Alyson and Kourtney during their class Valentine's Day Parties. Ms. Fisher and Ms. Cherry, our girls love you!

The kids and I saw Kris play in one of his intramural basketball games at MSU this year. I thought, "Hey, let's take the camera and get a couple pics of Kris playing." Well, Ellary got a hold of the camera and that was it. Thanks to our little gal, we have her press, and turn the camera around quickly maneuver documented quite successfully. After deleting a lot of Ellary's pictures, here's the score of the game she thought was more important...Pictures of Ellary11. Pictures of Kris 3.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink! Part 2

2010-03-19T13:23:00.022-04:00

We went to the Kid's Bowl-a-Thon for the Max Foundation in February. We watched the kids bowl 2 games and have lunch. What a good time for a great cause!

Keegan is sitting pretty, or I guess you could say handsome in his bumbo. Sorry kiddo for the color but we weren't sure we would ever have a son so we just kept buying pink and purple things before we knew we were having you! Well, Keegan loves the bumbo and has been sitting in it for about a month and a half now. These are pictures of his 2nd or 3rd time sitting up at bird's eye view.

Kris is one volunteering machine! First it was the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation (Jerry's Kids) in September, then he grew a mustache for a month to raise money for (could you really even call it that because it was hardly noticeable due to his blond/grey facial hair), and he volunteered as a griller at B.D. Mongolian Grill for the Special Olympics. May I mention he goes all out for these fundraisers. He even researched what someone needs to do to get better tips and used these skills while grilling to raise even more money. Talk about gong the extra mile!

The girl's school has an annual dance around Valentine's Day, so our whole family went and had a great time. Kris set the tone for the whole thing by being the first parent to dance with their kids. If you are ever at our house you know that our girls like to dance, and the youngest, Ellary, is the dancing queen, except for at the dance she nearly got ran over by a bunch of rowdy boys just running circles in the gym so she was always on her guard.

Although it's beginning to look a lot like spring now that the snow has disappeared, I still wanted to share some pictures of the girls playing in it. The first picture, however, is of Alyson and Mr. V digging the snow away from our mailbox (Kris was at work when Mr. V tackled the mound.) A city plow tried to maneuver around our culdesac taking more snow than he should at one time and got stuck right in front of our mailbox, leaving a massive hill of snow behind.

This was Ellary's first year to really enjoy the snow. She wasn't so keen on sledding but sure helped build our start-off mound.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink! Part 3

2010-03-16T12:42:00.012-04:00

Alyson's class performed a play called "The Mitten". She was a narrating snowflake. We are so proud of how hard she practiced. Alyson even memorized her lines, which was an undertaking all on her own. You can see her narrating and singing a song with two other snowflakes in the pictures below.

Alyson sent her flat Alyson (she's holding her in the picture below) to Nana and Papa. They took Flat Alyson with them on several adventures in Colorado including to Gold's Gym, on a hike along the Colorado National Monument and then for a walk downtown G.J. Then they sent Flat Alyson back to Aly with pictures, brochures, stickers and maps. Alyson put all of these things in a memory book and then had the chance to share it with her classmates. It was a great experience! Thanks, Nana and Papa for making it special.

We have some friends who really know how to throw a party! These are the same friends who invited us to their Christmas party where Santa made his magical appearance. This occasion marked their daughter's birthday, and wow-what a fun tea party she had. Thank you for the invitation. We really enjoyed ourselves.

We began Kris' spring break by going to the zoo with some friends from Alyson and Kourtney"s classes. It marked one of the most beautiful days of the year. I thought that since you've all probably been to a zoo before, you'd rather see our smiling faces than another tiger, some penguins, or a camel. Enjoy the pics!

Everything but the Kitchen Sink! Part 4

2010-03-15T13:55:00.014-04:00

Last year we spent spring break at Myrtle Beach. This year we stuck closer to home and went to Splash Universe in Dundee, Michigan. We spent two days swimming indoors-goodbye cool weather, hello 85 degree temps and refreshing water! Alyson and Kourtney spent most of the time on two really tall slides, one of which was pitch dark. Ellary stuck mostly to the kidee pool and went down the little blue slide a bunch of times until I took her down some larger slides and then that was pretty much it for the little blue slide. There was also a lazy river to float on and monkey bars and floating objects to hop on that Aly and Koco liked as well. Kris and I had some fun of our own, but by the second day we were pretty much swam out (didn't do much swimming really). Oh, what it would be like to be kids again and have the energy and desire to play all day, every day! Kids just don't know how good they have it!

Keegan had his first taste of baby rice cereal on Saturday (March 13th). It's always funny to watch babies take their first bites and then see how they respond to it. As you may recall, Ellary's first experience with rice cereal was priceless. She puckered her lips and scrunched up her face. Keegan on the other hand was his happy go lucky, go with the flow little self and accepted the cereal, although once it was in his mouth he didn't know exactly what to do with it!

Before

Here it comes!

Here it is!After the fact

Sugar and Caffeine

2010-02-27T03:05:00.000-05:00

I (Kris) have to share this story with you. Jessica and I are mean parents. We don't let our kids have a lot of things that I used to get as a kid (I can't speak for Jessica). One of those things is soda pop. However, I still drink it relatively frequently (a lot less in Michigan because of recycling deposits, but that is another story entirely...see Seinfeld).

So when one of my kids asks for soda Jessica and I usually have three canned responses (pun intended). Either it 1) has too much sugar, 2) has caffeine, or 3) is diet soda and diet soda is bad for you because of phenylalanine - which it actually isn't under 99% of circumstances (see here), but you can never be too careful as a parent...right?

Sorry, one last thing to clear up before I get to the actual story here! I rarely get regular Pepsi (usually I get caffeine free and most often diet), but because Pepsi decided to reintroduce the original Pepsi - even in the original cans - I bought some of the "hard" stuff. Anyway, the kids have been asking to try it since we got it and last week they got some. They liked it and usually ask for it, but it is when I get home (Jessica almost never drinks soda, so it is seen as Daddy's to give away in our home). Obviously, when I get home it is close to bedtime and I say, "No, it is too close to bedtime and that Pepsi has caffeine and sugar which will keep you up too late."

So (finally) tonight before the kids went to bed (around 8 PM) I asked Kourtney to get me a Pepsi. Her exact words were, "The one that has too much caffeine and sugar and will keep you up?" I replied "Yes" with a smile. Well, it is 3:23 AM and I have tried all night to sleep, but to no avail. It is probably because I have a lot of things on my mind and because I really do rarely have soda pop with caffeine and sugar (especially late at night), but I just had to sit down with my time and do something "productive" tonight. I hate laying in bed trying to sleep.

I wish I would have listened to Koco. I am really, really tiered...just not sleepy. As you can tell by my rambling writing style at 3 AM - sorry about that. Good night y'all - I hope!

For Nana, Papa, Aunt Uta and Uncle Jim

2010-01-24T17:59:00.000-05:00

Nana and Papa have been asking to see more pictures of the girls with their short hair. And Aunt Uta and Uncle Jim gave the kids a gift card from Target for Christmas. Well, the kids and I went to Target last night and Aly and Koco bought these dresses (and a few other items...Thank you!) and wore them to church. I sat the girls and Keegan down on the couch this afternoon before the girls went upstairs to play so I could get some pictures of them. So, here you go Mom and Dad. And thank you Aunt Uta and Uncle Jim for the gift card. We love you all very much!

Reading's for the Dogs!

2010-01-24T17:43:00.000-05:00

Alyson and Kourtney read to therapy dogs at the local library this past Saturday. It's a big hit with the kids so we try to go whenever the therapy dogs are there.

In Short

2010-01-22T11:07:00.000-05:00

Alyson and Kourtney had their hair cut a week and a half ago at their requests. Although it was hard for me to part with their long hair (no pun intended), they really like their new does, and it takes less time to brush in the morning. All plus' for everyone!

6 Posts-Good Luck!

2010-01-05T13:23:00.001-05:00

I've updated our blog with 6 additional posts. Wow-great to have it all done! Hopefully you will enjoy reading our blog and won't become too bored!

Frequenting Frankenmuth

2010-01-05T12:39:00.000-05:00

We spent a day and a half in Frankenmuth (Christmas capital of Michigan) only about an hour and 15 minutes away. It was our second time visiting the area since we moved to Michigan, but this time we got to see more of it than we did last time. It was the mid-winter break mini-vacation we needed. Bronner's is the world's largest Christmas shop full of tons and tons of Christmas decorations for purchase, and it's located in Frankenmuth. It's a fun stop. You could spend hours there or just a few minutes depending on what you want to see.

We didn't splurge on the hotel, but we did find one with a pool and a separate sitting area with a pull out couch. Our family is just getting too big for a traditional hotel room. Can't believe it!

Here's Kris taking it easy with Keegan in our hotel room.

Is there anything sweeter than the admiration a father receives from his son?

It's Officially a Winter Wonderland Outside

2010-01-05T12:22:00.001-05:00

We had our first big winter storm just after Christmas, and everyone felt the urge to get out and play in the snow. So, while Kris took to our driveway, and the neighbor's driveways via the snowblower, the girls got out and did their best with their shovels. This also marked Keegan's first real snow, and the first time Ellary played in it as a mobile child, both experiences that needed to be documented!
Alyson and Kourtney couldn't wait to get out and sled between our house and our neighbor's house. There was barely enough snow to sled on, but they had a great time.

Kris Minus an Alyson

2010-01-05T12:15:00.000-05:00

It has to be documented. There is no doubt! Kris has lost a total of 53 pounds in the last four months! He has also managed to keep the snacking and overindulging at bay over the holidays and has continued his running regimen in spite of the sub zero temperatures. 53 pounds! That's a whole Alyson. And now all of Kris' suits are too big except for, get this, his old mission suit from 14 years ago. Way to go, Babe. You are an inspiration.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T11:03:00.000-05:00

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas shared with the ones you love and filled with only the fondest of moments.

Our three girls patiently waited for their sleepy head parents to get up before coming down the stairs on Christmas morning...But before they were allowed to make their entrance, we had to stick with tradition and sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".

Besides getting pajamas and stocking stuffers from Santa, the girls each got something that I made for their beds. Alyson and Kourtney saw some bunk bed tents in a magazine a while back, and with a few days of effort, I came up with these alternatives. The girls had no idea what the layers and layers of fabric were as they pulled the bunk bed panels from their gift boxes. The girls were happily surprised once they discovered what they were holding. I also made a quilt for Ellary's bed that coordinates with all the blue and brown that is in the room she will be sharing with Keegan.

Don't you think this is a great looking guy? Ellary also loved her new hat and gloves and wore them off and on throughout the day.

Our little Christmas Santa just kicking it!

Oma (Kris' mom) had a tradition of making prime rib for us every Christmas. This year Kris kept the tradition alive by cooking it along with the majority of Christmas dinner.

Making a gingerbread house has become a family tradition as well(second year running). This year we made things easy though. We bought a gingerbread house kit instead of making our own gingerbread. Oh...it saved us about a day of baking. Well worth it, although we had a great time making our own with Nana and Oma last year. Thanks for the happy memories!

We hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas and a happy New Year, and will stay in touch with us. Thank you for keeping up with what's going on in our lives!

Say Cheese

2010-01-05T10:34:00.000-05:00

We attempted to be photographers and take family pictures on our own just before Christmas. Here are the two we like best.
We also had professional family pictures taken. We didn't want them to be too formal, and we wanted to be able to hang them on the wall all year round, so we decided to go with GREEN and WHITE. Go SPARTANS!

(Family and friends, please let us know if you would like us to send you any off these pics.)

The Real Deal

2010-01-04T23:23:00.000-05:00

Our friends, the Gott Family (who have children in Alyson and Kourtney's class), invited us to their annual Christmas party. Wow-it was great. Good company, delicious food and a surprise visitor came too!

Now we all know Santa can't be everywhere at once, but I tell you what, he was at this party! Just take a look and you will believe! See his rosy red cheeks, a nose like a cherry, and his large, jiggly, and very round belly. Take a look at his real, scruffy beard white like snow, and a belt buckle that says "Santa" and you just know!

Santa sang songs, he read stories (one was about the real Christmas story), and then lastly, he took his book of good girls and boys, and began to read from his list. They were all the names of the children present at the party. So, each child had a turn sitting on his lap, telling him a little bit about themselves and then asking him for the things on their wish lists. Lastly, Santa put his fingers to their noses and said, "Do you have Christmas magic?" And to the astonishment of all, his thumb would light up in the affirmative every time. This Santa not only had the children enchanted, but the adults enthralled as well.

Thank you, Gott family, for inviting us to your party. It was a magical evening not soon to be forgotten!

Just for your info, Ellary was too afraid to sit on Santa's lap!

Big Boy

2009-12-11T13:29:00.000-05:00

Keegan is already 6 weeks old and growing so fast...

I took Keegan to his 1 month check at the beginning of the week and he weighed in at 10 pounds 12 ounces and measured 22 1/4 inches long. I'm trying to take in every growing moment seeing that he may be our last baby. Keegan can now keep eye contact and turn his head when we talk to him. He's also our smiliest baby yet, and really enjoys being held. We are so glad to have Keegan in our family.

Breaking the Habit

2009-12-11T13:03:00.001-05:00

Ellary is fed up with nap time...This is what she thinks about it!

So today I snuggled Ellary up in her bed for her late morning nap. She smiled. She waved goodbye. She blew kisses as I waved to her from her doorway. I thought maybe, just maybe, she'd take a nap today. Then about twenty minutes later I heard the pitter patter of little feet upon the floor above my head as I cleaned the kitchen. I let Ella play for about an hour before her infamous "moooooore?" echoed from her room. "More" is her word for everything. This time it meant "out". Boy, did she have a surprise waiting for me when I got to the top of the stairs. Look what I found-a plethora of blankets, toys, books, diapers and yes...that is a sticker stuck to her forehead and that blue, long bag that you see on the left side of the picture draping over the baby gate is a Diaper Genie bag. She managed to dismantle even that!

Okay, Ellary. I get your point. Your little smile melts my heart but it doesn't mean you'll be forgoing nap time and be getting your way any time soon!