March 2015

Zach's 6th grade basketball team
(back row, 2nd from left)

Zach with the ball.

We got a new dishwasher and after it was delivered, Mike came home on his lunch break to install it.

We were teased with some warm spring weather so Zach and Gabe ate lunch outside one Saturday.

Gabe attempting some big boy underwear!
(It would be 6 more months before we tried again with success.)

Sunday walk and everything is blooming!

Spring Break camping at the coast in Seaside!
We got a little bit of dry weather the first day, but that was about it.

So we spent a lot of time in the indoor pool.
(Zach, 11 and David, 6)

And playing pool
(Mike, Gabe, 2 and Nicholas, 13)

Having friends with us makes it lots of fun.
(Paige and Brooke, 8)

Nothing like camping in the cold and rain!

More campfire time.

Gabe on his bunk with the ipad.

Mike and Gabe running from the waves.

Mike, Gabe, Brooke, Bella, Paige, Lydia, David, and Zach

Those storm clouds mean business!

McKibbens and Nelsons

David and I joined Brooke in karate
(I'm in the back row all the way to the end, David is on my right- you can't see him, and Brooke is in front of me.)

Japan Karate Federation

David getting some instruction from Sensei Kent and Scott.

Brooke earning her blue belt

February

Mike and I used a getaway to Seattle that we got at a Cure JM fundraiser.
We tried out the new ferris wheel.

It's huge and pretty cool to look over the city from the top.  Not as high as the Space Needle though.

We also had tickets to the EMP museum which had an exhibit of original Star Wars costumes used in the movies.

Anakin and Princess Amaidala

Mike with Darth Vader

C3PO and R2D2

Naboo Senate robes

And this cool structure made of guitars

And we laughed at the Invisibility Cloak display.

We did a session at the Seattle temple where we were married.

Nicholas working hard as point guard for the 7th/8th grade team.

Brooke's turn to be sick

David's turn to be sick

Gabey doing puzzles

OMSI came to the school for an assembly and Gabe and I went to watch too.  Here is Brooke's friends, Isabel, doing an experiment with dry ice.

Ready to play ball!

Gabe loves to hit the ball with the bat! Especially when Nicholas will play with him.

Isabel, Brooke, and Ellianna on a field trip to the high school Charlie Brown play.

Cheese!

January 2015

Mike took Zach and Nicholas to see the Ducks play in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA with the Nissinens.
They loved it!  And the Ducks won!

We stayed home and cheered them on!
That is the ONLY Duck game I've watched on my own without Mike.

Their flight got in early enough so they could see the "stars" in Hollywood and found their favorite.
Nicholas, Mike, Zach, B, Joe

I met Mike and the boys at the airport on their way home, gave him the car keys, and got on the airplane myself to head to
Spokane for Grandad's funeral.   He was 100 years old.
This is the last time we all were in Grandad's kitchen.  (Shortly after it was significantly remodeled and sold.)
Jonathan, Aaron, Ginger, Adam, Luke, LaRene, me, Rusty, Dad, Mom.  (All but Ben.)

Grandad's sons and some grandsons as pall bearers. 

Back: Luke, Aaron, Jon, Rusty, Mom, Dad, LaRene, Megan, Adam, Michelle, Ashley
Front: Molly, Kate, Ginger, Spencer, Kaylyn, Anna, Naomi

Grandad's kids: (youngest to oldest) Don, Doug, Darrell, Loretta, Mom, Denny

Fresh snow for Grandad's funeral.
In front of his house he built in 1958.

Ginger's sweet Christmas present she hand-delivered to me!

Making granola with Gabe

Gabe being a ham

David joining in.

Selling our 1997 Saturn after 18 years.  We bought it brand-new a few months after we were married.

Brooke (as Darth Vader) at Paige's Star Wars birthday party

David and Brooke play so well together. Tape divides the rooms to their Lego home.