The Cavanagh Escapades

My Garden

2010-04-12T11:23:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited for spring! I have taken up a stronger interest in gardening. I've always loved the outcome of gardening, but not all the hard work. I feel like now more than ever, it's time to learn gardening. The economy is horrible, people are losing their jobs, and most of all our Prophet has asked us to! Besides all that, food just tastes so much better when grown in your own backyard. I had already planted five fruit trees two years ago when we put in the pool. Now I just bought five more. In a couple years, we'll have fruit coming out our ears! They're all pretty much semi-dwarf. So they won't be producing massive amounts. With all the winds and the summer heat, I'm surprised they produced anything. Last year we got about 20 lemons, 20 plums, and 10 peaches. I'm still waiting to get some oranges. They don't ever survive!

I planted beefsteak and cherry tomatoes, banana pepper, habanero pepper, sugar snap peas, zucchini, and eventually pumpkins next month.

We just paid a landscaper to come redo our sprinklers in the flower beds. Then he put in a cement border all around the flower beds. I tore out all the yellow flower ground cover that was taking over the planters. That was an enormous job! The roots were everywhere. It looks so much better now. I planted five fruit trees in the front to take advantage of our huge front yard. I also bought a lot of perennials. I'm hoping they survive and I won't have to keep buying annuals every year. I planted four hibiscus, three geranium, three lavender, petunias, begonias, pelosia, and marigolds. I've been wanting to plant begonias for a long time ever since Dad has been planting them in his yard. They're so pretty!

My marigolds pretty much died already. I assigned Payton the daily job of watering them. It looks like he wasn't too diligent. I also bought a package of mixed sunflower seeds and planted them all around the perimeter of the backyard. I'm hoping they survive. There's already 30 or more seedlings ready to grow!

This is our peach tree that blooms so pretty in the spring. Now we have two Eve's pride peach, two satsuma plum, Bing cherry, Bartlett pear, Washington navel orange, Valencia orange, Golden delicious apple, and eureka lemon. I guess I'll be needing one more cherry variety to pollinate with the Bing cherry. Some of these don't produce well in warmer climates. But I just couldn't resist the cherry. It's so yummy.

Chino Planes of Fame Museum

2010-04-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

We went with the cubscouts to visit the chino air museum. We've lived in the area for 10 years and never gone there. They had a lot of historic planes from different wars. Most of them are in working condition. The boys really liked it.

Painted Canyon, Palm Dessert

2010-04-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

Uncle Gene planned a family hike in March. It was at Painted Canyon. We had so much fun. The trail was very narrow and tall. Sometimes we had to climb ladders to get in and out of crevices. Uncle Scott, Gene, Brett, and kids went. We had a great time until the three monkeys kept wandering ahead. They wanted to keep a faster pace than a three year old. Some of us made it all the way to the top. There was a beautiful view. Afterwards, Uncle Gene took us to a cafe that made famous date shakes. Most everyone liked the chocolate. Sorry Uncle Gene! We still had fun!

This was the beginning of the trail. It started out nice and easy.

Sawyer, Brett, and Melinda. Sawyer didn't want to walk for too much of the hike.

Brandon forging ahead inbetween the narrow canyons.

Lacey, Carter, Payton, Austin, Brandon. They all made it to the top of the mountain. Uncle Scott kept up with them. They were too fast for the little ones.

Lakers Basketball team

2010-04-11T16:33:00.000-07:00

This is Brandon's second year in Norco Basketball. He improved so much this year. Towards the middle of the season, he started playing point guard. He did pretty good. Unfortunately, their team only won 2 out of 10 games. It's all about having fun, right? The games were fun to watch. They went really quick and always a lot of action. His friend Nathan Cline was on the team too.

Monster Movie Night

2010-02-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

Grandpa started a new tradition in our house called Monster Movie Night. What we do is tell mom and dad to leave, and then we spend the evening with Grandpa Cavanagh. He finds a really scary movie for us to watch. We eat lots of junk food, candy, and soda. We love it. We look forward to having monster movie night with Grandpa. He has found a lot of scary movies in the past year. Austin didn't like the black and white ones. Ok, it's hard to find scary movies that aren't rated R. Sometimes Grandpa falls asleep during the movie. Then he starts to snore really loud. Payton has to nudge him every once in a while to wake up. We love you Grandpa!

Riverwalk Park

2010-02-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

We discovered a cool bike trail only two miles from our house. It follows the river and is connected to two parks. We drove to the bike trail and then rode our bikes the rest of the way. It was beautiful. I'm sad that we hadn't discovered it sooner. Eastvale has so many new parks popping up all the time. We had a really fun time just casually riding our bikes. Well, I had a casual ride. The boys continued to fight over who was in the lead.

Riverwalk bike trail leads into the park. Behind all the brush is the river.

The saucer swing was a big hit! We played on it forever.

Austin climbing the rock structures.

This is Payton on our second bike ride. He was so tired. We rode two miles to the park and two miles back. His little legs were giving out on him. It was really windy and the wind was blowing against us on the way home. Besides that, we were going uphill. This sounds like a story my parents would tell. Payton's chain also fell off two times. His brothers kept telling him he was too slow. I think it's amazing that he could go so far. He's only 6! Way to go Payton. You're my tough little boy.

We Love Babies!

2010-02-23T09:06:00.000-08:00

We have an obsession with babies. We are surrounded by them everywhere we go. There are tons of babies at church. And we have a lot of little cousins being born every year. In the past year we just can't stand to be away from our favorite babies. So I decided to show our top eight choices(in no particular order)! The kids even told Tom and I that they wanted a baby sister. Wow! Don't girls have cooties? Well, we'll just have to enjoy the babies around us because I don't think the Cavanagh's will be having anymore babies!

Keilani-We were first mesmerized with you. We kept asking mom when we could go to your house and play with you. You are so adorable. We love to follow you around, and sing the Wiggles songs. You have us wrapped around your little pinky.

Lucas- Your smile melts our hearts. Everytime you smile it makes our hearts full. Maybe someday you'll let us hold you without crying.

Stone- Austin and you had a bond the instant you met. He couldn't believe how smart you were. You were speaking in complete sentences when you were a baby! We're glad you're in our family. Now we have something to look forward to at the family parties.

Our Favorite Babies (continued)

2010-02-23T08:46:00.000-08:00

Ezzie Hunsaker- We loved seeing you at the family reunion. Your little sound effects were adorable. We tried to decipher the codes.

Sawyer Simpson- We love to follow you around the house. You run so fast! We enjoy watching Elmo with you and only you.

Shae Hunsaker- We cherished every moment we had with you in Chicago. You were so adorable and bald. Now that you have hair, we don't recognize you anymore. Uncle Mark had to regulate who was next in line to hold you. We had several fights about that! Too bad you didn't like being held.

Asher Hunsaker- We are so sad we haven't even met you yet. If you're anything like your brothers, we'll love you just as much! I guess we'll have to force ourselves to go to Hawaii to see you in person. Aloha.

Madison Sage- We're lucky enough to see you every week at church. We love you because you're such a roly poly. Austin adores you. He can't wait to see you each week. He was so sad when you cried while he was babysitting.

Harlem Globetrotters

2010-02-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

We went to see the Harlem Globetrotters. They were playing at Ontario. We went as a group with Brandon's Basketball team. They were really funny. They kept doing all these amazing stunts and shots. Brandon appreciated it the most because he knows how hard it is.

Las Vegas

2010-02-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

We went to Las Vegas for our vacation in February. Who would have thought that there would be rain storm after rain storm in the desert? It never rains in Vegas!

One of the days in Vegas, we got the all day pass to Gameworks. Yeah, all day to play video games. I opted out of that one. The boys loved it (including Tom). They used their pass until it was almost expired 11:30 p.m.

Despite all the rain, we were able to go four-wheeling three times. We found a great spot just north of Vegas called Nellis Dunes. There were a lot of trails and hills. My favorite part were the sand dunes. Payton didn't like them because his tires kept spinning. We don't have paddle tires. He couldn't get enough momentum to make it to the top of the hills.
Unfortunately there was a lot of mud that we tried to avoid. Brandon managed to get completely covered in mud in less than 30 seconds. Thank goodness it's sandy mud. It brushed off after it dried. Tom fell on his quad which wasn't too great because he just had knee surgery two weeks before! I just goes to show that women are better drivers! He just doesn't want to sit around. I took a picture of his purple shin and ankle. It looks ugly. He wouldn't let me put it on the blog.

New York, New York Hotel

I've never ridden on sand before. It was so smooth and pretty. No rocks or trees or bushes in the way. We were right next to Nellis Air Force Base. We could see all different kids of jets doing flight patterns.

Happy Birthday Austin

2010-01-18T14:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Austin! My baby is 12 now! I can't believe he is getting so old. I still get to cherish one more year before he hits the teens. Next week he will be getting the priesthood. I am so proud of him. He is becoming more and more grown up. He's graduating from primary. He's definitely not sad about that!

We went to Disneyland on Austin's birthday. He has learned to spot out where the cameras are on the fast rides. He always does a funny pose when we whiz by. Sorry, tried not to get it so blurry.

Payton has a couple more inches before he can drive the cars by himself. For now, he's stuck with Dad. Why don't these cars go fast!!!

Tom and the boys on California Screamin' just before blast off. That's their favorite rollercoaster. Payton is tall enough to go on it. Now we don't have to stuff his shoes!

Before Disneyland, we had dinner at Chris n Pitts. Austin had a huge chocolate shake. He was busy texting all his friends while we were trying to have a meaningful conversation with him.

Tetherball

2010-01-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

We got a tetherball set for christmas. Payton wants to play it every single day. We're all getting injured from playing. Brandon has bruises all up and down his arm and Payton jammed his thumb. This is a rough sport. Everytime I hit the ball, I feel stinging. Yes, I'm wimpy. I guess we could have upgraded to a nicer, cushy ball.
Originally, we put the pole in a cement bucket. After playing a couple games, we realized it wasn't very sturdy. So dad broke the cement and we re-cemented it into the ground. It's not going anywhere now. It will definitely boost our property value! Who wouldn't want a big steel pole in their front yard?

New Years Eve Party

2010-01-03T14:55:00.000-08:00

We had our own little family party for new years eve. We had a Wii Resort Sports tournament. We picked seven events to compete. Then we kept scores for who was first, second, third, etc. As you can tell, mom was the loser of the competition. I don't get to practice as much? It was really fun seeing who was the best at which event. Payton smashed us all in fencing. Brandon was great at wakeboarding. And Austin was good at bowling. He developed some silly spin move that kept giving him strikes. Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason to how to play the game.

Here's the proof as to what the scores were. There's no going back!

We also took a break in the middle of the tournament to rest in the jacuzzi. We needed to relive some stress. There were a couple of hotheads who shall remain nameless. It's just a game, right?

Four Wheeling at El Mirage

2010-01-03T14:49:00.000-08:00

Payton loves riding his quad. He always wants to go even if it's freezing cold. This trip was a little chilly. Us californians are wimps. It was about 55 degrees during the day and 25 at night. Payton doesn't care. He just rides whenever he gets a chance.

Austin likes going to El Mirage in Adelanto because there is a dry lake bed. It's super smooth and wide. He likes to race with Dad. He can go top speed on the lake bed. It makes mom nervous!

Christmas

2010-01-03T14:40:00.000-08:00

Payton got more hot wheels, race cars, and a motorcycle.

Brandon got a huge lego set, video games, and a psp.

Austin got his one wish...a cell phone. I guess Dad's a softie because I didn't think he should get one. He's had it for over a week now and it's attached to his hip. He texts all day long. I gave him my old phone and I got a new one. How did I survive without a cell phone in my younger years??

First Grade concert

2010-01-03T14:35:00.000-08:00

Payton was in a concert at school. His class sang two songs and recited the Night Before Christmas. Payton was clear over on the left side, and I was way over on the left. He was so cute when he had to say his lines!

Santa came to our church christmas party. All the little kids got to sit on Santa's lap. Payton didn't tell him he wanted a motorcycle, though. Dad had already told him Santa definitely wouldn't bring that. Meltdown!

Three Little Monkeys

2010-01-03T14:28:00.001-08:00

I love these pictures from our photo shoot. The boys are so handsome!

Family Photo Shoot

2010-01-03T14:15:00.000-08:00

Balboa pier

Corona Del Mar
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We finally got some professional pictures done for our family! I've been wanting to do this for a long time. We had Chelsea Biggs do it for us. She was great. She was so patient with the kids and helped keep them busy. Ever since we got married, I've wanted to have a family picture at the beach. It's the perfect setting.

Happy Birthday Brandon

2009-11-01T18:33:00.000-08:00

Brandon had a great birthday. He was a little disappointed to hear that it fell on a Sunday. Other than that, he thought the day was great. He has been asking for a Rip Stick for about six months now. He kept telling everyone to just give him money so he could buy the Rip Stik. When he saw all the presents wrapped up, none of them were big enough to be it. So Austin and Brandon began searching the garage and the backyard for the hidden present. They never found it. After Brandon opened his presents, we told him there was one more in the living room. It was in a huge Amazon.com box. He hadn't even noticed it sitting there for five days!

Brandon's getting to the age where he just wants money. It's hard to think of things to buy him that he doesn't know about. He got a mario olympics game, another wii remote, and Mexican Train! He loved playing that game at the Hunsaker Reunion.

I got a kick out of this video. Brandon just took the Rip Stik out of the package and expected to be a pro. He keeps talking about the cracks messing him up. If you look closely, there was only one crack. Twenty minutes later, he had improved greatly. Austin was just hounding him to get it right. It looks easier than it is!!!

Halloween Night

2009-11-01T18:19:00.000-08:00

Payton was a wolf ninja. He borrowed Austin's costume from two years ago. Brandon was Scream, Austin was the grim reaper? and mom was a witch. We tried to get dad to dress up but it didn't happen.

Austin got a ton of candy. To be exact, he weighed his candy this morning. It weighed 12 pounds! He hoards his candy and doesn't like to share. It might last for six months.

Brandon was the monster from Scream. We've never seen the movie, but the costume was great. The mask had a pump that pushed blood through the mask. It was pretty creepy. Brandon was sad he couldn't wear it at the church party. No masks please. The little ones would have freaked out.
When we were trick or treating around the neighborhood, one house had some scary monsters making noises. Payton refused to get his candy from them. Dad saved the day and got it for him.

Connor, Austin, Brandon, and Payton went trick or treating together. This year they got smart and took the scooters along. The houses that were giving out candy were few and far between. Where's the Halloween spirit? After about an hour, we went back to the house. Then Connor and Austin went out for round two with his dad. Is there such a thing as too much candy?

Trunk or Treat

2009-11-01T18:10:00.000-08:00

We went to our annual church trunk or treat. We love it because the trick or treating is so quick and easy. We combined with the other half of our old ward. The kids had fun seeing their friends that are no longer in our ward boundaries.

Aunt Cynthia and Uncle Gene came to our party too! Their bishop doesn't believe in doing Halloween parties! Are you kidding me?
Lucas was Dumbo. His ears were so big. He was in a great mood and smiled everytime we looked at him. He's so adorable.

Keilani, Payton, and Julie enjoying the candy.

Brandon and his cousing McKenna.

Brandon, Jordan, Austin, and Connor

Skater Dudes

2009-11-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

In October we were off track. The kids became addicted to the skate park again. We hadn't been in about six months. Payton and Brandon wanted to go every morning to practice and get better. They are definitely doing a lot better than last year. They have bruises all up and down their legs and arms.

Mexican Riviera

2009-10-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

We loved our cruise. There was so much to do, and not enough time. The kids had lots of entertainment and food. We went to Mexico and saw many beautiful sights.

This is our cruise ship behind us. It had 3500 people on it. There were people everywhere. Austin kept asking what would happen if the boat sank. We told him that we would be eaten by sharks. He even had to watch the life boat demonstration. I guess he was worried that we would definitely sink like the Titanic.

We played miniature golf pretty much every day. Dad won every game. (Even when the winds were 45 mph.)

BonVoyage! We are off to Mexico! Dad, when are we going to start moving fast? It took about half an hour to get out of the harbor. The first night everyone said they were sea sick. They really just wanted to wear mine and Grammi's wristbands.

Cabo San Lucas

2009-10-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Cabo was our favorite port. It was so beautiful. The ocean was very blue and the beaches were breathtaking against the huge rocks. We took a taxi ride around the beaches and rocks. We saw hundreds of seals, fish, and birds. The boat driver was a little crazy, but he was tying to get us a close up look. Close enough to hit the rocks? We tried to do a little snorkeling there. The waves were really strong, so we just swam instead.

Mazatlan

2009-10-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

When we got to Mazatlan, there were crazy people everywhere trying to get our business. We finally decided to take a tour in an air conditioned van. Wise choice because it was hotter than Hades. The kids were complaining the whole time. How many more stops are there??? When can we go to the beach. I enjoyed the tour. That's the only way you're going to get to know the city. It was our least favorite port.

At one of the stops of the tour, a sky diver performed for us. It looked like he was going to dive right into the rocks. The kids really liked it. Afterwards, the diver puts his hand out for some tips. Hmmm...Can you go anywhere without having vendors hounding you? I should have worn a black wig.

At the end of the tour, we stopped at a resort and took a dip in the ocean. The water was pretty dirty. So we felt right at home (Huntington Beach). It was fun watching the people parasailing. I was waiting for someone to get hurt. The boat they used didn't look too dependable.

More Food Please

2009-10-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

The family's favorite place to eat was the buffet. We ate there everyday for breakfast and lunch. It was fast and had a great view of the surroundings. This picture was at Mazatlan port.

Payton on the rock wall.

There was an unlimited frozen yogurt machine right by the pool. Dangerous. We were there every day chowing down on ice cream. Austin made it his goal to make the tallest one possible. I think he succeeded. He ended up throwing half of it away because it became the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Mariner of the Seas

2009-10-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

We had excellent service while on the cruise. Our waiters never got impatient with the kids. Every night he would say "Cheese pizza again? Cheeseburger again?" Our kids ate the same thing every night.

Every night the maid would come in our room and turn the sheets down. He would leave a little animal made out of a towel. Each night was a different animal. My favorite was the bunny. It only lasted minutes before the kids destroyed it. Make it an animal again Mom!

Puerto Vallarta

2009-10-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

Today was our only rainy day. Before we left on the cruise the forecast said thunderstorms every day. I guess we got lucky. It actually felt good to feel a little sprinkles. It was sooooo hot.

The kids found a ton of baby crabs climbing on the rocks. That was enough for Payton to steer clear. No concussions today.

This city was the only place we didn't spend money. We refused to pay for a taxi. So we just started walking, walking, walking. Where the heck is the beach? Oh, the other direction. We found a nice resort that was basically empty because it's off season. The pool and the ocean were like a bathtub.
When we pulled into the port, we could see a huge shopping mall and...Walmart! We were all excited to go to Walmart and buy some chips, candy, soda, etc. Yes, we would rather eat junk food than lobster, filet mignon, or fish! I know, we are weird. Well, Walmart was a let down because it's a Mexican Walmart. They didn't have all our favorite things. Deal with it Cavanagh's!

L.A. County Fair

2009-09-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

We love the county fair. We got unlimited wristbands so we could go on everything. Mom stayed away from the rickety rollercoasters. It seems like half the rides were spinning. The best part of the fair is the yummy smell in the air. There are barbeques all over the place. Our favorite snacks are funnel cakes and shaved ice. What a well-rounded meal!

The boys got to go on the trampolines for the first time. It was really hard to jump because the bands were so tight. They launched Payton really high into the sky. The older boys were too heavy to do it. They even did a couple flips.

Ok, now we have official proof that Brandon won the slide race. I think the heavier the person, the better.

Happy Birthday Sawyer!

2009-09-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

Payton and Austin are constantly hovering around Keilani. She is the center of attention. They were excited to go to Sawyers birthday party.

Sawyer got to eat his own Elmo cake. He was so hesitant to touch it. He must have been intimidated by Elmo's big eyes looking at him. The funniest part was watching him open his presents. Just like all one year olds, they aren't too interested. He kept biting each present when he opened it. Is he teething Melinda???

Hi birthday boy. You are so adorable. We saw him walk a LITTLE bit. I didn't believe Melinda when she said he could walk. He definitely has the scratch to prove it.

Camping at SanClemente Beach

2009-09-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

We went camping overnight at the beach! We were so excited about it. Some friends from church got a bunch of families together for the group site. It was really fun. There were tons of kids running around. The boys tried to gang up on the girls. No success. They must be arch enemies? Girls have cooties.

Austin, Carson, and Brandon... don't you need some water to use those boogie boards?

Carson, Tanner, and Payton catching some waves. The waves were really crazy, so the boys decided to stick with the white wash.

Take a look at our big piece of crap tent behind Tom. It took us 1 1/2 hours to put it up. Hence, the reason why we never tent camp!

The boys loved climbing this mangled pine tree. It had lots of branches to climb up to the very top.

Scarecrows

2009-09-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

Wow! Look at our huge crop of corn in the backyard. Not! Actually, this is a corn field right around the corner from our house. It looks so pretty all the rows and rows of corn. I can't wait to buy fresh corn. Yummy! Maybe they'll make a maze after harvest???

Happy Fourth of July

2009-07-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

We spent Fourth of July at our house with Tom's family. We had a BBQ and swim party. We planned on going to the local fireworks show but didn't get around to it. For a good two hours the men were racking their brain about how to put the ping pong table together. It was a big task. Uncle Dave was the champion player for the ping pong tournament. Next time Tommy is going to whoop you!

Daniel, Austin, and Payton taking a dip in the pool.

Aunt Barbara and Tommy. (We missed you Shiv!)

How many chips can we consume in one day?

Laughlin, Nevada

2009-07-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

It's been two years since we've been to Laughlin! That's scary! We used to go two or three times a year. Last year we went to Lake Mead instead. The thing we like about Laughlin is that our hotel is 5 minutes from the dock. We also like the fact that there is sand to play in on the shoreline. (especially when you don't sink in up to your knees!) Laughlin has a charm of its own. It's small and less crowded than Vegas. The best part of all is that there's an In N Out there! We can't survive without it.

The boys love playing in the sand. Dad doesn't let them have too many chances to do it. Wouldn't you rather be riding the Sea Doo's? They found it very entertaining to float down the river a little ways with their life vests on. Then they would get out and walk upstream to repeat the whole process.

Coronado Island, San Diego

2009-07-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

This was the brig on the ship. I wish I had one of those at home. The perfect time out!

This is the second time we've gone to the Midway Museum Aircraft Carrier. It has been two years and the kids didn't remember much. I enjoyed it just as much the first time. I actually got to listen to all the commentary on the headphones. It was amazing what the soldiers had to go through.

We rented a buggy bike that was enormous. I made the kids promise to help pedal. It was very heavy and bulky. It was really fun riding around with the ocean view all around. The kids did a good job pedaling. Except Payton who has short legs.
We only rented it for one hour. We were so tired when the time was up!

We got to tag along with Tom while he went to a company retreat. We stayed on Coronado Island! I've never been there. I didn't even know it existed. I always thought it was just shoreline. We had gorgeous views of the ocean from our room. It was so pretty that a wedding was held right behind our balcony! Our first day we walked around and explored the area. The first thing they did was go climbing on the dangerous rocks. Why can't we be safe?

The Tooth Fairy

2009-07-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

The tooth fairy came to visit Payton! He finally lost a tooth! His two bottom teeth have been loose for about two months. He kept asking when I could pull them out. I didn't think he would like it after feeling the pain. He was getting so impatient. All through kinder, his friends were losing their teeth. One day I realized his adult tooth was growing in behind it. So I got the dental floss and yanked it out. It hurt a little bit. Two days later we were swimming, and he bumped his face into the edge of the pool. It bent his top tooth inward. He was so upset and said he didn't want to be ugly. I said that nobody would even notice that it was crooked. He couldn't eat any food because his top tooth was hitting his bottom one. (candy and gum were the exception) I told him I could just yank out the other bottom tooth because it was already loose. Problem solved. Now he has no bottom teeth and two dead ones on top. They are nice and gray. I can't wait to pull those out too!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-07-13T14:04:00.001-07:00

This father's day I wanted to do a special blog just for my daddy. I want to tell him how much I appreciate him and love him. He is the best dad in the whole wide world. My dad was always so supportive of me. No matter what decisions I made in life, he always was there by my side. He taught me the importance of education and that I need to keep on trying. He taught me about the gospel. We were always learning new things in Family Home Evening and scripture study. Of course, it wasn't always the most fun. But now I appreciate it and realize how hard it was for my parents to raise us. He's been a great example to me by being diligent in his church callings and going on three missions! Wow, these are some tough shoes to fill! My dad likes to joke around. He always has some funny saying or story. I remember sitting at the dinner table every night - And there I was... He liked to share with us about his day. The best part about dad is that he is an excellent photographer. He knew how important it was to take pictures of us for cherished memories. I love all the DVDs and pictures he has made for us. They are priceless. I love you Dad! Happy Father's Day! Don't move away too soon. We want to keep you here for a while.

Hunsaker Family Reunion

2009-06-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

Hiking to the waterfalls. We had difficulty actually finding the unmarked trail.

We had an awesome time at our family reunion. We've started doing them every other year. Mark and Brent's family couldn't come. We were sad to not be able to visit with them. We stayed at Twin Peaks Pine Rose cabins. Melinda did a great job planning everything. We love you Melinda.

We love baby Sawyer. He definitely voices his opinion. He didn't like it when my kids kept trying to hold him. He likes to do his own thing.

When we got to the waterfall, it was a little chilly. Suzanne was the brave one to show us how it's done. Then all the kids followed. The hike was a little more difficult than we thought. We were worried that one of the kids would fall and get hurt. No, only Uncle Tom fell. Ouch!

Uncle Brett had a game for the cousins to play. It's called the candybar game. Basically, you're trying to get as much candy by rolling the dice. Some kids weren't as lucky as Carter, who kept rolling 7, 7, 7, 7,... Thankfully there were no tears at the end.

Chicago, Illinois

2009-06-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

We went to the zoo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On the way back, we had a picnic at Lake Geneva. The water was freezing, but the kids insisted on dipping their feet in. You know where that lead to. In the winter, people drive their cars on the frozen lake and go ice fishing. It's a good thing we came in the summer. Mark was teasing me every time I said it was getting cold.

Shae and Austin

As you know, Austin loves babies. He became very attached to Shae when we were there. All of my kids kept fighting over who got to hold her. Then Mark's kids wanted to have a turn too! She was so adorable. How could anyone resist.

The infamous fire pit

We've all been hearing about Mark's fire pit in his backyard. He built it himself and cleared out some trees to make room for everything. Of course, we had smores one night and told ghost stories by the fire.

Vacation in Chicago

2009-06-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

Mark and Andrea's house.

Navy Pier in downtown Chicago

River and Payton playing in the "backyard".

A view from the Sears tower in Chicago.

I have been wanting to go to Chicago for so long. My awesome brother mark lives there. I finally convinced Tom that it was necessary to go visit. The boys and I ended up going without Tom because of vacation schedules and money. We had such a blast. Uncle Mark kept us busy every day doing fun things. They live in a suburb of Chicago to the northwest. I loved every minute of it. Mark has lived there for 3 years. He has a huge house on a big plot of land. My boys were outside playing in the woods everyday. The house is surrounded by trees and shrubs. It's like having a forest in your backyard. Each day Austin would ask Beau "Do you want to play tag?" She's probably thinking what's so great about her backyard.

Kindergarten Graduation

2009-06-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

Payton graduated from kindergarten. He is officially a first grader now. The graduation was so cute. Everyone was in their cap and gowns. Before the graduation, they performed a play about farm animals. Payton's part was a dog.

Payton James

2009-05-19T12:02:00.001-07:00

For Payton's birthday, we went to Disneyland. Instead of him getting in free, we got a gift card to spend at Disneyland. We had a lot of fun. I even went on California Screamin because it was Payton's bday. Scary! Some of Payton's presents were an exercise ball (favorite item!), roller blades, and an Indiana Jones kit. He looks so cute in the hat! Payton, you are growing up so fast. Don't worry, in six months you'll be 48" so you can legally go on the rollercoasters! You are definitely my thrill seeker. No broken bones please!

TV Mom

2009-05-19T11:56:00.001-07:00

Brandon's card was an interesting one. I learned a lot about what he sees in me. When my mom has some free time she...watches tv. My mom's favorite animal is a kitten (not). One thing I like most about my mother... she watches tv. My mom's favorite thing to eat...spaghetti (not). My mom is nice, kind, and funny.
Hmmmmm... ok, so I like to watch tv. But, I'm not an addict. I started laughing when Brandon wrote this. He is usually my loving and tender one. Maybe next year I'll get a tear jerker card from him.
Brandon made some homemade stationary for me. He even stamped it himself. Thank you Brandon! I love stamped paper!

Mother's Day Cards

2009-05-19T11:47:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day is always an interesting holiday with three little boys. I never know what's going to happen. I hear myself repeating what my mom used to say, "all I want for Mother's Day is for everyone to stop fighting." Well, sometimes it works. My favorite part is all the homemade gifts they make and the cards.
Payton made me a personalized frame with words describing me. They are love, fun, fune, swet, osum, cid (kind), good, saf. Yes, I am an osum mom!

Austin also made me a card for mother's day. I found it crinkled up inside his backpack four days after mother's day. It said Roses are red, violets are blue, I like money and so do you! Hmmmmm.... I guess I do like money. I was hoping for something more sentimental?

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to write to my mommy and tell her how special she is to me. She has been such a good example to me all my life. She was the perfect role model for me to follow. Mom always put family first. (Which is a hard thing when there's eight siblings.) She was a good sport when we would go camping all the time. I used to love camping when I was a kid. Now with my own children?...it's so much work!
Mom has always been great at teaching us the gospel. We knew she had faith in God and a testimony of the gospel. Because of my upbringing, it helps me to be a better mom. Last, mom is an extreme lover of family history. She has done so much work to research our family roots. She has written many books so we can know about our ancestors. I love to read those stories and get to know who they were.
I love you Mom! (Mom, do you always have to blink in every picture?)

Ice Skating Bloopers

2009-05-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

What's a winter vacation without going ice skating? Lake Tahoe had a really nice ice skating rink. The boys have never been before. At first it was very hard for them. They couldn't even propel themselves. The facility gave the boys some "walkers" to help them stay on their feet. They were getting so frustrated. Brandon almost gave up within 5 minutes. Eventually they caught on to it. They didn't want to leave when the time was up. Since we went ice skating, the boys have asked us when they can go again. They've asked at least ten times. Good thing there's an ice rink close by our house. We'll have to get Uncle Gene to give us some lessons. He's really good at ice hockey.

Boating at Lake Tahoe

2009-05-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

We rented a boat to check out the beautiful sites on the lake. It was one of the warmest days, but we were freezing!!! Tom drove about 25 mph and everyone was huddled up. We told him to go really slow so we wouldn't freeze to death. Payton and Brandon were lying on the floor of the boat because they were so cold. What a great view they must have had. We were only out there for about an hour. The rental place said we used 11 gallons of gas? What a rip off. We were going slow most of the time because we were so cold!

Mountain Bikers

2009-05-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

At Lake Tahoe there were a lot of scenic bike trails. We rented some bikes and explored the beauty of the forest. Since Payton was five, the rental place said he couldn't ride his own bike. Dad had to pull a little trailer behind him. It was a heavy load, especially when we had to go uphill. This was my favorite activity of the week. It was so peaceful and the views were breathtaking! We got off our bikes for a couple minutes to explore some old vacation homes from the 1800's. It was next to Pope's Beach. Austin was very upset the whole bike ride because Payton was a free loader. He thought it was soooo unfair that his little brother didn't have to pedal or work hard. He is wacko. Isn't bike riding supposed to be fun???
Austin and Brandon were so amazed when they discovered their bike had gears on it. I'd have to say they shifted gears probably one hundred times in one and a half hours. Now Brandon says he wants a mountain bike for his birthday. Well, November is a long time away...

Bowling

2009-05-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

Two of the days we were in Tahoe were very cold and windy. We decided to go bowling. Dad got the high score and made us all look bad. Dad told us if we beat him, he would take us to New York on vacation! We got close, but no cigar.

The hotel kids center had a family Wii hour almost everyday. So we would go down there and play as much as they would let us. It was so fun. Payton was winning everyone for a while. It didn't make Dad happy. He does not like to lose!!! Their favorite games were Bowling, Baseball, and Tennis.

Rock Climbing

2009-05-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons we went to Lake Tahoe was to go sledding and play in the snow. Monday morning we went in search of a sledding place. Everything was closed for the season! This year they didn't get as much snow and had to close a lot of sledding places. April is usually the perfect month to go. There's still enough snow to play in, but it's warm enough to hike and be outdoors.
So we decided to go on another hike. Actually, it was an easy stroll through a closed campground. There were huge boulders everywhere. The kids had fun climbing on them.
The first night we arrived, it snowed. In the morning everything was white and beautiful. After the hike, we went back to the hotel. The snow had all melted away. The hotel grass and pool area looked like there had never been any snow. Austin was very confused. He asked us if the hotel had vacuumed up all the snow off the grass and chairs. Too funny! Even at eleven, he can be so cute.

Vikingholms Castle

2009-05-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

Our first day in Tahoe, we went on a hike to Emerald Bay. You have to hike all the way down a somewhat steep path to the bottom of the mountain. In the 1800's there were a couple of vacation houses built. We looked at those and enjoyed the view of the island (with a little castle on it). The boys kept saying they wanted to bring a raft so they could get to the island. The water was freezing! It was probably 45 degrees. The way back up the trail was exhausting. The boys had run out of steam.

Super Students

2009-05-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

In March Brandon and Austin got awards at school. Austin's award was Student of the Month for the highest GPA in his class that month. Brandon got an award for super math skills. In April Payton got an award for writing. They are all doing really well in school. We're so proud of you!!! Even though they hate school, they must be doing something right.

Pinewood Derby

2009-05-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

Brandon is finally old enough to race in the Pinewood Derby! He's watched Austin race 3 years, and now it's his turn to show his stuff. Brandon chose a slim and sleek design. It was so light we had to add a bunch of extra weights to it. His car was really fast, but not fast enough to win first place. He raced with Austin's winning car from 3 years ago. It beat Austin's! There was a lot of tough competition this year. Twenty four boys raced! We have a really large pack. Brandon's car is the red one and Austin's is blue. He was too old to race this year. We just brought his car to see if Brandon's could keep up with it.

HOW TO GROW AN INCH IN LESS THAN A MINUTE

2009-04-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

Poor Payton, his big brothers get to go on the really fast roller coasters. He gets so mad. Mom and Dad figured out a way for Payton to meet the height requirement. Shhhhhhhh. We have some old knock-off Heeley's and decided to bring them in the backpack to Disneyland. Then when we are approaching California Screamin, we hide in a corner and do the following steps.

Step one - Take off smelly shoe.

2009-04-22T19:20:00.000-07:00

Step two - Fold sock into three parts.

Step three - Put sock into shoe.

2009-04-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

Step four - Put on Heeleys and stand straight and tall. Now you can go on your rollercoaster!

I KNOW AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY...

2009-04-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

As you all know, we live about five houses away from a dairy. This means we have a beautiful smelling aroma everyday, and we have millions of flies. One thing we hated about Ontario was the flies. Now we are torturing ourselves even more. April and October are the severe fly seasons. I've already spent $60 on poison. We're all going to die before the flies do. Please, please, please sell all the dairies. We won't miss you at all.

These beautiful creatures are the cause of all those flies!

2009-04-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

This is what our floor looks like everyday...lots of dead flies!

2009-04-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ultra sticky fly tape

2009-04-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

ANNOYING PIGEONS

2009-04-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

Whose idea was it to create pigeons??? They are the most annoying creatures ever. They always find a nice little spot in the eaves to build a nest. Then they coo all day long. I can hear them scratching and chirping. It's so annoying. Does anyone have a BB gun? On our front lawn are a bunch of dropped straw and twigs from the birds. My favorite part of course, is the poop everywhere! It's driving me crazy!

Point, Aim, and Shoot!

2009-04-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

MAGICAL FLOWERS

2009-04-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I was a slacker and didn't get around to the weeding. It had been almost a month. I went outside and discovered that all my weeds I had previously been pulling were flowers! I'm so blessed. When we first landscaped the backyard, I bought lots of annuals and planted them around the pool. In less than a month, 3/4 of them were dead! I was so upset. I took some back to Home Depot (full refund!) and planted some different ones. Needless to say, a lot of them died too. It was just getting too hot? I must not have a green thumb. Well, now I have over 25 new blooming flowers that popped up this year. Maybe I should never weed again?

Rustic Laundry Room

2009-04-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

I finally did it! I painted the laundry room. I've been wanting to use that rust color for so long. I was too scared to use it in a big room. So I tried it out in the laundry room. At first glance, I thought it was way too dark. But after everything was put back together and decorated, I love it! Tom took one look at it and said "What the heck have you done!?" Oops, I forgot to ask for his opinion...permission? Austin said it looked like a model home. Thanks Austin, I need one boy on my side. I love these colors, but don't think I want it everywhere in the house. Maybe we could put it on a couple walls downstairs? I'll have to convince Tommy.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

2009-03-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

Yeah! Payton is in T-ball. He has been waiting so many years for this! We just finished his third game and he still likes it! He is doing really well. We love to go watch him play. The little boys are the cutest. Payton is in Rookie T-ball for 5-6 year olds. The division below is regular t-ball with 4-5 year olds. We decided it would be a little quicker pace with rookie t-ball. Payton's team is the Pirates. I keep trying to get him to wear his hat. He says "No, it looks lame." He makes no sense. Everyone else is wearing theirs. He tried out being catcher last week. The whole time he was itching his head or messing with the dirt. The other team could have scored a lot of runs! Oh yeah, it's t-ball. We don't win or lose. We just have fun!!! Actually, Payton is a great player. He runs really fast and has a great swing. Watch out Pirates!

Harley Davidson

2009-03-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

These are some of my favorite pictures. I just wanted to put them on my blog for all to see. They are so adorable. We took them about 4 1/2 years ago. I can't believe how fast time has gone. Austin was mad he couldn't take the picture with them. He was too big. Besides, we have millions of pictures of baby Austin.

MY LITTLE VALENTINE'S

2009-03-05T20:22:00.000-08:00

I love Austin because he was my first baby. I was so happy when we found out we were pregnant with you! You were a special gift sent from God! You are the big brother and organizer. You are the one who tells everyone what to do. Your best creation is the funny show. You are so silly and crazy. On the outside you are so shy. But behind closed doors, you ham it up. Austin is very observant and catches on to the smallest things. Most of all, I love Austin because he's still a child at heart. He loves his stuffed animals, night light, sippy cups, and soft blankets. Don't grow up too fast Austin!

2009-03-05T20:15:00.000-08:00

I love Brandon because he takes care of me. He is so thoughtful and loving to me. If I ever need a favor or a helping hand, Brandon is there for me. He is also a fun and silly boy. He is constantly jumping/catapulting off things. And then he wonders why he is always getting hurt. Most of all, I love Brandon because he likes to cuddle with me. I love you Brandon!

MY LITTLE VALENTINE'S

2009-03-05T20:05:00.001-08:00

Payton is my little baby and always will be. These pictures portray his personality to a tee. He is cool, and sweet. He is learning too many things from his older brothers. He has already started with the attitude. He is sweet because his total calorie intake per day is 50 percent sugar. He is a candy fanatic. We find lots of hidden wrappers behind couches and chairs. I love you Payton!

Camping at Keilani's

2009-02-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

What can we do in February? We're off for the whole month. I know! We'll go camping at Keilani, McKenna, and Lucas' house. How fun!!! We parked our motorhome in front of their house and camped! Our kids were so excited to go play with their cousins. Austin, Brandon, and Payton are mesmerized with Keilani. They follow her around all day. She was loving all the attention. Poor McKenna had school that day. So we were able to play with her in the evening. Lucas was so adorable. He is such a happy baby. We had family night together and Aunt Cindy gave a great lesson. The next day Uncle Gene took the boys to March Air Force Base to look at all the planes. Sorry, but this was the only picture Gene took. (You stinker.) Well, at least he gave Cindy and I a little peace and quiet.

DOHENY STATE BEACH

2009-02-28T10:42:00.001-08:00

We went camping at Doheny State Beach. I vaguely remember camping here as a child. A friend told us it was better than Bolsa Chica. We loved it. The campsite was right next to the sand. We had our own firepit, table, and a tall hedge to have privacy. The only bad thing was that there are no hook-ups. We were hoping for a heat wave in February like our campout last year. Well, at least it wasn't raining. It actually wasn't too cold. The high's were about 69 degrees. The bad news was that the Snack Bar was closed for the season!!! How terrible. That's ok. We just rode our bikes to the local AM PM Mini mart. There's no camping without junk food right?

BURLY BOWLERS

2009-02-28T10:28:00.000-08:00

While we were off track this month, we went bowling. Our friends Nathan, Tyler, and Jacob McGary invited us. We had a blast. Thank goodness the gutters were blocked. We had some wild throws. Poor Payton didn't have enough strength to get it all the way down the alley. So we let him use the ramp. They played three games, and Brandon held the average high score! Awesome Brandon!

MY SWEETHEART... VALENTINE

2009-02-28T10:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I just wanted to tell my honey how much I love him. He makes my world go round. We've been married 15 years and I'm still madly in love with him. He's my hunk, cuddly bear, lover. Thank you Thomas for being so sweet to me all these years. I Love You!

BE MINE

2009-02-28T10:12:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's I got some beautiful flowers, balloons, and chocolate. My favorite flowers are just a mixture of all different purples and pinks. We also purchased a new camera for part of our Valentine's gift. It's a Coolpix P80 from Nikon. Our other camera was archaic and about ready to die. I was practicing taking close up pictures with our new camera. Looks good! It has so many more features than our old one.

SNOW MUCH FUN!

2009-02-28T09:54:00.000-08:00

We finally went to the snow! We've been looking at the mountains and seeing how white they are. Our first attempt was in December when we hit too much traffic. This time we went on a school day when we were off track. It was perfect. There was so much snow! We were up to our knees every step. It was so powdery. It had snowed the night before. So, we paved our own sledding ramp. The boys were soaking wet by the end of the day.
Our cool friends the Davider's went with us. They have five boys in their family. It's perfect for us cuz we're in a No Girls Club. Jordan, Trevor, and Matthew are the same ages as our boys.

Happy Birthday Austin

2009-01-31T17:45:00.000-08:00

Austin is eleven now! He is getting so tall...and skinnier. Is that possible? Brandon has already surpassed him on his weight. So now Austin's main reason for eating is to be heavier than his little brother. Watch out Austin, Brandon is going to be big!
Austin's only request for birthday presents was a skitter. He wanted one for Christmas and Santa didn't bring it. Here's a video of him riding it for the first time. It looks like a baby toy, but it's really fun! We took it to the skate park and had a blast. It's fast! Of coures Austin got more Legos for his birthday. Tom got him some boxing gloves to teach him how to fight??? Shouldn't we be meek and submissive? Maybe Tom got them so he could beat somebody up. He likes to do that. I don't want my boys to be agressive. Uncle Mark may think different. Our boys "used to" be the bullies of the little cousins. Not anymore. We're angels.

Tapout Basketball Team

2009-01-31T17:01:00.000-08:00

Brandon signed up for his first year in basketball. He was so excited. I think this will be the best sport for him. It allows him to constantly move around. He's our wiggly boy. By the end of the game, he is dripping wet. Each week he is improving more and more. This is Norco league 8-9 year olds. He is the youngest on his team. He wants to play again next year and then on to football. Let's cross our fingers that he doesn't want to play football. No broken bones.
I love watching Brandon's games. They are so exciting. We're on the edge of our seats the whole time. So far they've had 3 wins and 2 losses.

Our New Car!

2009-01-31T16:51:00.000-08:00

We got a new car! Yeah! I was so done driving the excursion. It's such a tank and gas guzzler. My first choice was a honda civic. Tom wanted me to get the odyssey minivan. So, we compromised and got... a honda pilot? I love it. Cindy and Gene have one and I liked the look and the ride. Ours is black inside and out. It get dirty so fast! We were hoping for good gas mileage but it's not looking too good. The advertised mileage is obviously too high. The boys are still getting used to it. They say it's too small, of course anything is small compared to the excursion. I get so excited pressing the little lock button on my keychain. It's been a long time since the excursion locks worked. Oh my gosh, do I have a tough life or what? Thank you hunny! I love my car.

Cousins

2009-01-04T14:20:00.000-08:00

We were able to see Brent's kids last week. (We miss you Brent!) They came down with Stefanie for a vacation. They were staying at Melinda's, so we all went over there to play. My kids haven't seen them for at least eight months. It's hard to keep the cousins close when we never get to see each other. Everyone was supposed to stay in southern California!
Jake and Ella are always the first to break the ice. They start up the conversation and get everyone feeling a little more comfortable. Tim and Josh brought their girlfriends. Way to go! I think that makes family vacation a little less boring?

Tennis Terrors

2009-01-04T14:14:00.000-08:00

Santa brought the boys some tennis rackets and balls for Christmas. They want to go play everyday. We headed over to the tennis courts to practice. Practice makes perfect, right? The boys were getting really frustrated because they weren't instant tennis pros. One would hit the ball over the net and no one would return the serve. Then they would hit it back over and no one would return the serve. They were getting mad at eachother because there was never a volley back and forth.

New Years Eve

2009-01-04T14:06:00.000-08:00

We had planned on going quadding for New Years, but Payton's quad was broken. We couldn't find any shops that could fix it. So we had our own little New Year's Eve party at home. We rented some movies and ate a lot of candy and junk food. We also took breaks in between to play Rock Band2. The kids are such a crack up when they play that. They really get into it. Even Tom and I were playing. The best part about New Year's Eve is that we get to stay up until 12 o'clock. Sorry Payton, you only made it until 11:30. He was trying so hard.

A Cavanagh Christmas

2009-01-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

Santa came to our house! I thought he wouldn't because some of the boys have been naughty this year. Maybe they were extra good in December? The boys asked for lots of Legos and that's what Santa brought. Now, instead of having 5 million pieces, we have 10 million pieces! Who invented this stuff?
We celebrated with the Cavanagh's on Christmas day...Dad, Aunt Barbara, Shiv, Asha, Rita, and Nana. When they all came over, it was like Christmas all over again. Lots of presents. Some of the big hits this year were the Transformer cars, Legos, tennis rackets, remote helicopters, race car track, and of course video games.
Austin realized that his quantity of presents shrunk this year. He's starting to ask for some pricey stuff. Poor Payton went downstairs first thing Christmas morning looking for the motorcycle he had asked for. We told him it wouldn't fit in Santa's sleigh. Anyway, he looked all over the house to see if Santa had hidden it somewhere. He is definitely going to be our little daredevil.

Baby Jesus

2009-01-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

Sawyer had the honor this year of being Baby Jesus. He was sooooo good! He just sat there in the cradle while everyone took a million pictures. He's the cutest actor I ever saw. We celebrated Christmas Eve with the Hunsaker's. It was at our house. Melinda, Cindy, Scott, and Todd's families all came. It was good to celebrate with our family. We miss you mom and dad! We tried to keep with the traditional food that mom always makes. Of course it's difficult to achieve perfection.

Payton's Wipeout

2009-01-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

Poor Payton, he wiped out on his scooter. We were at the skate park and all of a sudden Payton crashed on his scooter. He was trying to race another little boy. He said his face hit the pavement. But it looks like it hit his scooter. There's no other scrapes or cuts other than his lip. (Yes, he had his helmet on.) Payton was so brave when we went to the doctor. The first place we went, they couldn't find the proper sutures. Then we had to go to urgent care. He was so good. He didn't cry one bit. You're such a tough little boy. His only problem was that he didn't like everyone staring at him. It was pretty ugly. When Payton got his three stitches, the doctor kept telling me to look. Pretty soon I was getting woozy. I felt like I was going to faint. Luckily, I just had to sit for several minutes. I guess I don't like the sight of blood! Well, this is our first child to get stitches...and hopefully the last.

Lego Mania

2008-12-28T11:11:00.001-08:00

My children are OBSESSED with Legos! I think the Lego store would go out of business without us. The last couple of months, the boys have been die hard Lego fans. I set up a new rule that there's no t.v., or computer before 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. (Am I turning into my mom???) The kids love to play video games, computer, and t.v. In fact, they were doing it hours and hours a day. I fear that eventually their eyes are going to bug out! So, we started this rule to help them remember there's other things in life besides electronics.
Austin is the ring leader of legos. They have wars and build entire cities with legos. You should see our house. The family room and guest room are taken over. Now we even pushed out the trains and used the table for legos. I have to admit, their creations are pretty cool. I would have loved this when I was little. Every time the boys get allowance, they want to head straight over to the lego store. There's not too much they can buy unless they pool their money together.
Thank goodness Santa brought lots more legos for us. Austing spent the entire Christmas day building his starwars ship.

Brandon's Baptism

2008-12-28T11:03:00.000-08:00

Brandon got baptized on December 6, 2008. He is an official memeber of the church. Way to go Brandon. We are so proud of you. Brandon has a special way about him. He is so kind, loving, and always looking out for others. He is also a very spritual little boy. He has a lot of faith and never doubts. If he is ever sick or in need of something, he always remembers to say a little prayer. We love you, Brandon!

Suzie and Christian's Wedding

2008-12-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

Tom's cousin Susie got married this month. The wedding was in Arizona so Tom didn't take us with him. Boo hoo. Tom, Dave, and his dad flew in that morning and left the next day. Talk about a fast trip. Anyway, I got a hold of some pictures from Aunt Barbara (thank you!). Susie, you looked beautiful! Of course Tom and Dave were pretty handsome too.

Away in a Manger

2008-12-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

Our ward Christmas party had a photo shoot with baby Jesus. I saw some other families do it and they all said it turned out really good. So that was my goal at the party...get a family picture! the dreaded family picture! Of course mom was the only one excited about this. (Sorry Dad, I hope I wasn't so horrible in years past.) We ended up liking the picture so much that we sent it out in our christmas card. Yes, it was two weeks late getting to everyone. Be patient.

Gingerbread Fun

2008-12-17T20:14:00.000-08:00

We made our traditional gingerbread house this year. But this time we made two. Initially I was trying to make three. I rolled the dough out as much as possible. I even shrunk the size 50% so there would be more. Oh well, Austin made one and Payton and Brandon made the other one. The next week I heard that the librarian at Rosa Parks made a beautiful one. So I went and took some pics for next year. It was so incredible. She said it took the whole family about three hours to make. But...it is not made out of gingerbread! How offensive. I love the smell of gingerbread when I'm walking by the little houses in the kitchen.
Next years goal is to make one for myself too. It was too cute.

Christmas Pictures

2008-12-17T20:09:00.000-08:00

Ok, every year we try to take a family picture and it never turns out quite like we want it. Of course we need uncle mark to fly down and do it for us. Anyway, my dream picture would be at the beach with the blue sky and sand in the background. I love those kind of pictures. Someday...

Skater Dude

2008-11-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

Brandon had lots of fun for his birthday. We did the usual Chuck E. Cheese dinner. Brandon and Austin are so obsessed with getting the most tickets possible. I think now they're up to 2,000 tickets? We keep saving them to get a really good prize. Finally, Brandon got his Lego Batman video game. He said he was so excited the night before, that he could barely sleep. They've played it hundreds of hours by now. I think their eyes are going to bug out. We surprised Brandon with a new skateboard. It's really nice and BIG! They all wanted to immediately go to the skate park to try it out. Are you crazy? They think there's nothing to it. Just get on and go. Here's a video clip of their attempt at riding a skateboard.

SLUMBER Party???

2008-11-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

Now what part of the title "Slumber Party" means sleeping??? No, we did not get much sleep at Brandon's Slumber Party. This is a special birthday for Brandon and so we gave him a big party. Of course his original choice was Air Kids Party Zone. Too much money, sorry Brandon. He invited nine of his friends to come over. Including our boys, that totaled 12 squirrely boys! What were we thinking? They had so much fun. Luckily, the weather was warm. So we were able to swim instead of just go in the jacuzzi. Could a jacuzzi fit 12 people? We played some games, played pool, bowling, and of course dart wars. We managed to get them to bed at 10:30 p.m. However, right when the sun started coming up, they were all up. Six in the morning??? Where do they get all their energy?

Jeremy's Football Game

2008-11-09T09:04:00.000-08:00

The kids and I went to Jeremy's football game. Uncle Dave and Daniel came along too. Jeremy plays on the freshman team. They are doing really good this year. The game we watched, they smashed the other team. Way to go Jeremy!
The kids enjoyed playing with Daniel in the football stands. During half time, they played tag around all the benches. Look how good Jeremy looks in his uniform (number 70).

Halloween Haunt

2008-11-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

This years trick or treating was pretty sad. We went around our neighborhood and found few houses passing out candy. I would say about 1/5 of the houses were participating. Brandon and Patyon pooped out after about 10 minutes. Austin wanted to go on and on for hours. He wanted to get as much candy as possible. (he's just like his mother.) So, Tom stayed out longer with Austin and me and the other two went home. After Brandon had said he was extremely tired, he answered the door bell every time it rang. He definitely has short term energy.

Trunk or Treat!

2008-10-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

We went to our first ward Trunk or Treat in our Eastvale ward. McKenna, Keilani, and Lucas came along with us. First we had some yummy chili and cornbread. Then they played a couple of games. Brandon and McKenna loved doing the donut on a string game. McKenna also tried the cake walk several times and had no luck. Poor McKenna! The grand finale was the trunk or treat. That's my kids favorite part. All Halloween parties are rated on the quantity of candy. So I would say this is a five star party! Unfortunately, Austin learned the tricks of the trade and ended up with pounds and pounds of candy! He was very sly in which cars he went to and how quickly he did it. Sounds like we'll be making a trip to the dentist soon. If I didn't say anything, they would eat candy all day long. Isn't there such a thing as stomach aches?
This year we (I) decided that we weren't going to spend an absurd amount of money on costumes. After all was said and done, we didn't spend any money on costumes! We borrowed and used some from previous years. Payton was Spiderman again, Austin was the grim reaper (Taylor's), and Brandon was a wolf ninja (Austin's). Oh, and I was a pirate again. We tried to get dad to dress up. We loved his rocker costume a couple years ago. He didn't feel like it.

Kissing Cousins

2008-10-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

Lucas and Sawyer are the cutest peas in a pod. We just went to Sawyer's baby blessing last week. He's going to grow up to be a wonderful man. Lucas has his blessing next week. Yeah, another family get together. I love hangin' with the family. It's going to be great for them to have a cousin so close in age. And don't forget about Shae! We'll have to get Mark to do a photo shoot for the three of them. I remember pictures of Miles and Brandon when they were babies. Brandon always towered over Miles. (I guess the Cavanaghs have all the braun in the family!) I miss having a baby for myself. It's been over five years. Payton is too big to hold in my arms now. I guess that's good I can steel some time with my nephews. They are both adorable.

Bolsa Chica Babes

2008-10-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

We camped two nights at Bolsa Chica State Beach. Dad didn't get to come with us because he had to work. It was still really hot even though it was October.
We played in the ocean and the kids thought it was freezing. That's because they're used to swimming in the 86 degree pool. They're so spoiled!
Because it was October, the beach was pretty empty. We went on a couple bike rides in search of a snack bar. None of them were open except the one at Huntington Pier. The kids rode all the way there and back on their bikes. I was so proud of Payton! The next day we went north on the bike path in search of another snack bar. None to be found. We had to cross PCH and go to a gas minimart and buy some goodies. (All of our excursions are motivated by food!)
While at the beach we tried several times to find sand crabs. Austin found ONE. That was it. Are we doing something wrong? When I was little, we used to find tons of them along the shore line.
For one of our campfires we had Austin prepare the fire, make a foil dinner and cook it. (He is such an excellent Webelo scout!) He loved the foil dinner! We saw Scott and April make one once at Barton Flats and decided to try it ourselves. Yummy. Brandon was gobbling up all the onions. I was so shocked. Our foil dinners consisted of hamburger, potato cubes and onions. No vegetables pleeeez.
While we were riding our bikes one night, Austin asked why everyone makes a big deal about sunsets. I told him it's because they're are so beautiful and romantic. Girls love sunsets! He didn't understand why a sunset would be romantic. Later that night, I told the boys we were going to take a walk on the beach along the shore. "Why?" they asked. Because it's romantic!!! Just wait Austin, I'm sure you'll use this idea for many dates. P.S. Maybe Tom and I can enjoy a sunset together?

L.A. County Fair

2008-10-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

The last couple of years we've been going to the L.A. County Fair. It's such a fun atmosphere with all the carnival rides and booths. This year we got smart and purchased the unlimited wristband. They got to go on as many rides as they wanted. One of their favorites was the fun houses. They loved going in and out of all the mazes, mirrors, and dark alleys. They smelled like sweaty puppies by the end of the night. We had to do our usual visit to the Garden Railroad exhibit. It still amazes me how elaborate they are. They must have put in hours and hours of work. Train Grandpa would appreciate it! Poor Payton still wasn't tall enough to go on the rollercoaster. One more year baby! He even wore his heeley's so he could add another inch to his height. It didn't matter. He wants to do everything his big brothers do. Even on the big slide, Payton couldn't keep up with the boys. He was too light.

Orville Wright

2008-10-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

Austin did a report on Orville Wright for school. Afterward, his whole class did a live presentation of their famous person. You had to walk up to his display and press the START button. Unfortunately, he forgot his start button at home. He was so adorable with his huge moustache and cute hat.

Lamborghini Lovers

2008-10-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

While we were off track in October, we took a trip to Lake Mead, Las Vegas. Most of the trip the kids were coughing and complaining of earaches. So one day we just laid low and toured the hot spots. Our favorite place was at the Palazzo Hotel which had a Lamborghini dealership!!! Our kids are obsessed with sports cars! I wonder where they get it from??? We also went to the Wynn Hotel and visited the Ferrari dealership. Our kids were in awe! They loved every second of it! Their favorites are the Murcielago, spyder, gallardo, arrow, enzo, etc. I'm sure I'm not pronouncing all these correctly. Even little Payton knows what all these cars are. They asked me what my favorite car was...a mini cooper. They thought I was joking. How could that possible be my favorite car? Well, it is. Second in line is the Porche Cayenne suv. It's pretty sweet as Payton would say.
We had a talk about how a person would go about obtaining these exotic cars...ie. getting good grades, going to a good college, and getting a great job. Brandon said he wanted to be a brain surgeon (all for the reasons of making enough money to buy his favorite car.) Austin said if he got one of these cars, he wouldn't share it with ANYONE! Hmmm that doesn't sound like Austin.
Tom and Austin's favorite car is a Saleen S7, Brandon's is a Lamborghini Gallardo, and Payton's is a Ferrari Enzo.