Mescall Circus

Finally...

2011-10-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

I am finally updating my blog. It has been approximately 8 months since my last post. Well, life has been pretty busy for the Mescall family. In October 2010 I found a lump on my breast, and later found out that it was cancer. I was diagnosed with HER 2+ cancer, which is an aggressive cancer. It spread quickly into my lymphnode, and was much larger by the time I had my lumpectomy in December. After my surgery, I was scheduled for chemotherepy. In addition to my chemo I would also receive an antibody infusion. I was asked to take part in a trial drug that was on the third phase. This was appealing as the drug came in a pill format that was taken every day, rather than going to UCSD every 3 weeks (for a year) for the Herceptin infusion. My case had to be presented to the makers of the drug for their approval. I prayed hard that I would be accepted for the trial. It seemed so much easier! I was accepted, and took this pill for about 3 weeks and then broke out in a horrible rash. My rash was so bad that my doctor told me if I had not quit taking the pill when I did they would have to send me to the burn unit. I then started my Herceptin infusions. I sailed through my chemo treatments without any real problems. I had the normal yucky mouth, wasn't able to eat for the first week of my treatments, was nauseous often, but the worst part was the anxiety. I started losing my hair after the 3rd treatment. It got to be a pain because my long hair started failing out and getting on my clothes and pillow. I decided to just buzz it all off. It wasn't a big deal to me! After my 4th treatment I started to go bald. My kids made up some cute/funny names for me. I was glad to see that they were dealing with my hair loss in a positive way rather than being afraid. I had many people praying for me (all over the country) and that is what I think helped me get through the toughest part, the chemo. I really feel the Lord was with me every step of the way. I was blessed to have such great friends and family support. My friend Jenn went with me to every appointment. She is such an amazing friend. I am lucky to have her in my life. After my chemo treatments I had a double mastectomy. I am now going through the reconstruction. At my last appointment my doctor told me that the trial pill I was on turned out to be not as affective as they had thought and the people on the trial pill now have to go back and receive Herceptin infusions. I want to thank my Heavenly Father for watching out for me and knowing what is best for me.

Soyer's Christmas Program

2011-02-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

Soyer's Christmas program at daycare. He waved at us the whole time. He was so cute!

Mexican Wrestler Adventure

2011-01-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

Last month we camped at Butterfield Ranch with some friends. The theme was "Mexican Wrestlers", kind of like the Nacho Libre movie...which we are all huge fans. The costume party night we all brought a Mexican side dish and Rob (without Tricia cuz she was home with sick kids) made grilled chicken and beef. It was so fun! The only bad thing about our camping trip was that there was a wind storm that started up about 7:00PM on Saturday night. The wind blew through the mountains like a freight train and would rock our camper so hard. You could hear it coming every time. I thought it was going to blow over. Pretty scary! Our fire container blew over, landed on a chair, and caught the chair on fire; trees snapped in half, and property was found all over the campground. It was time to go home...we had enough. Everyone packed up and left by 8:30 the next morning.

Face painting:

Hike out to see an old pioneer home that only had a few walls standing. Gunnar found some pottery, on old pop top, nails, bullet shells, bones, and lizards (those were alive).

Mummified rabbit. It was fun coming up with stories on how this happened!

Mattie

Gunnar & Joseph

Old mine.

There were many of us on the 4 hour hike. We all made it back!

Getting ready for the hike! The Mescalls, Greenwoods, Ahrends, & Needhams

Patsi & Jenn

Soyer

The view of where we hiked

Trent and Joseph

Rob trying to keep up with the kids.

Faith & Audry

Jenn

Kids making a craft

Gunnar playing baseball

Hitting Double Digits

2011-01-15T15:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm a little behind with posting pictures. Gunnar turned 10 in November and he decided to have a b-day party at the park with his soccer buddies and they would play soccer & football. Well, it rained, and rained hard all day so we had the party at our house. Gunnar had a blast and the boys were there all day. I failed to take pictures of Gunnar's birthday party, but I did take pictures of him on the morning of his birthday!

Halloween

2010-12-06T16:52:00.000-08:00

Here comes the train again...

2010-12-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

This was a campground that we stayed at in October. It was probably the worst place we camped! A train came by about every 20 minutes...ALL NIGHT. We got no spleep, so we came home early. Soyer never got tired of the train. He would get so excited to hear the train and say, "Here comes the train again" we would just act excited and laugh.

A visit from my dad...

2010-12-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

My dad and Mary came to visit for a week from Salem, Or..

Out to dinner with the family...It was fun seeing my nieces Jackie and Jennifer; and my nephew Eric and his wife.

Soyer's First Day of Daycare

2010-11-25T07:34:00.000-08:00

Life can get a little crazy sometimes, especially when Soyer is around on home school days. We decided to put him in daycare part time so that I can have a little "interruption free" time with Gunnar and Faith. I also get Wednesday's all to my self!

A Field Trip to the Burch Aquarium

2010-11-25T07:26:00.001-08:00

A few months back the kids had a field trip to the Burch Aquarium. It was a lot of fun! I had not been there in years, so everything was new to me. The view is amazing and breathtaking.

Julian Mining Co.

2010-11-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

The kids had a field trip to the Julian Mining Co., and with the home school program, all members of the family can attend. (I heard there were 200 people from the home school program who attended.) I am not sure who had a better time...the kids or me! It was such a fun time. There were about 9 sections for us to visit. My favorite was the gift store.

Jackie dancing with one of the workers. (Don't worry Jesse, you are a better singer than him.)

Gunnar and Justin panning for gold.

Faith, Ethan & Grace

Faith panning for gold.

Eureka!

Gunnar getting water.

Gunnar and Justin using the rocker to find nuggets.

Ethan and Grace looking for nuggets.

Me helping Faith and Grace.

The petting zoo.

Thought this would have been a cute background for a picture. Gunnar decided he was too cool with his school friends around to take a family picture. I guess I asked for it!!!

The kids writing letters using a feather and ink.

Apple cider making time...

Ethan with his apple for the cider.

Faith with her Prince, Ethan. She swears they will be married one day and have three children: Sarah, Faith, and Eric. Ethan is 2 days older than Faith. They have been friends since birth! He feels the same about her.

Hot Air Balloons

2010-11-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

Our view out our back porch the other morning.

Rick's Birthday

2010-11-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

This was the only picture I took on Rick's birthday. The kids decorated his chair (our tradition) and made posters, we made his favorite German chocolate cake, opened presents, and celebrated with a BBQ at the Ahrends.

Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle

2010-11-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, until your tooth comes out.

Faith's tooth has been loose for a really long time and she just left it alone. It finally bugged Gunnar that her tooth was so loose and she wasn't doing anything about it, so he convinced her to wiggle it until it popped right out. She lost her first tooth on Wednesday, October 6th at 7:35PM. She wanted to call EVERYONE and tell them! She is now the proud owner of another wiggly tooth. Now that she knows the Tooth Fairy leaves money, I don't think this one will take as long to come out.

Another Fun Trip...

2010-11-02T11:11:00.001-07:00

Our yearly trip to Lake Skinner with the Ahrends. This time the Petersons joined us, and we had such a great trip. So much fun...can't wait until next year!

Getting ready for a bike ride.

Gunnar showing off his skills...

Christene and Rick

Jan & Christene

Jenn

Travis taking a nap

The kids were cooling off

Dinner timeHapy Birthday, Travis!

Boys Camping Trip

2010-10-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

After Rick saw my blog with the Girl's trip, he asked, "Why didn't you post the pictures from the Boy's trip?" Here you go honey...

These are pictures of the annual "boys only"camping trip to Rock Creek.

1st Day of School

2010-09-07T11:26:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school for Faith and Gunnar. Faith started Kindergarten and Gunnar started 5th.

Gunnar was a little nervous, but Faith couldn't be more excited. She had her friends Claire and Ethan in her class.

Gunnar's 5th grade glass looked amazing. I wanted to stay and play!His teacher, Mr. La Fave. The kids are lined up to get ready to tour the campus!

Christene walking with Claire and Faith to class.

Getting ready to take a tour of the campus...

Girls trip...

2010-08-31T20:56:00.001-07:00

The boys went on their annual Sierra trip, so the girls decided to go on a trip too. Although, not all the girls could go, so it ended up being just me, Fatih, Soyer, Jenn and her girls. Jenn's uncle has a timeshare up in Palm Springs that we went to. We had such a great time at the pool, playing games, and relaxing.

First Day of School

2010-08-31T20:43:00.001-07:00

I decided to do the CORE program in Fallbrook which means that Gunnar and Faith will be home schooled 2 days a week and attend school 3 days a week at Iowa Street School.

Here is Faith with her teacher, Mrs. Farron. (Gunnar was at a camping trip with his dad, so he wasn't there to meet his teacher, Mr. LaFave!)

Gunnar being silly and not getting his work done...

Faith getting her work done.

Just having fun...

2010-08-31T20:24:00.000-07:00

Gunnar and Faith's drawings of Adam and Eve...

Soyer packing heat (literally...two fire starters!)

Trent stayed the night last week and he and Gunnar had a great time together.

Another Camping Trip

2010-08-15T20:06:00.001-07:00

A really cool place up in Covina where Rick was working. The only crazy thing was that this camp ground had a ton of skunks wandering thru the camp sites.

Wild Animal Park

2010-08-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

My good friend Donna came to visit us in July from the bay area. It was so fun having her and Kyle stay with us...sad that they had to leave. Donna, move back to San Diego!!!

Here are pictures from our Wild Animal Park trip.

A beautiful day despite...

2010-08-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

a funeral. The weather was beautiful, it was good being with friends and family, and the funeral service was really nice. Rick's dad was buried at the Riverside National Cemetary. The VFW rented a bus and many of Dick's friends came up together. The VFW had a luncheon afterwards and many of his friends got up and spoke about him. Dick has one his sister alive, Virginia. She flew out from Alabama and stayed a few days. We all had a good time visiting with her and listening to family stories.

This is the plot where his ashes were placed.

We will miss you grandpa Mescall...

2010-07-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

Richard F. Mescall, Jr., 67 FALLBROOK -- Richard F. Mescall, Jr., passed away suddenly at his home Sunday morning, July 11, 2010. He was born in Long Beach, but was raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dick joined the Marine Corps one month after high school graduation in 1960. He served for 21 years, retiring as a Master Gunnery Sgt. (E-9). After retirement, he attended Mira Costa College, earning an Associate Degree in the Arts and Sciences. He was employed by the Oceanside Water Department before working at Naval Weapons Station, Fallbrook, 1985 - 1998. He attained the level of WG-09. Dick purchased Ed's Cocktails in Fallbrook in September 1998 and was the owner until 2009. Dick was recently elected Post Commander of VFW Post 1924, Fallbrook, California. He also served as Commander in 1996 and 1998. He was a life member of the VFW and also the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association (#59L). Dick is survived by his wife, Connie; daughter, Tracey; son and wife, Rick and Janet; sister, Virginia Rice; and grandchildren, Timothy, Gunnar, Faith and Soyer. A memorial service, with honors, will be held at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, July 29 at Riverside National Cemetery. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to VFW Post 1924 1175, Old Stage Road, Fallbrook, Calif. 92028.

Pool Party

2010-06-13T07:05:00.001-07:00

We had a pool party on Saturday. Where did the sun go? We have been having the most random weather, and it is really getting annoying. I am not sure how to dress for the day. Yesterday instead of putting on my bathing suit and shorts I should have put on my pants and jacket. Anyway, the kids still swam and had fun.

Soyer and his new Buzz Lightyear bubble machine

Jackie & Daisy

Cute little Grace

Emily & Lily

Fruit Roll Up Eating Contest

Gunnar getting tossed into the pool

The winner of the balloon toss...Rick and AJ

Cuc and Charlie

Faith thanking her dad for a fun party!

And the reason we call him SOYER THE DESTROYER...

Permanent Red Marker on the RENTED Jumpy!

Our little man turns 2...

2010-06-09T06:37:00.000-07:00

Soyer James Mescall was born on 5/27/08. Born with a bum arm, he quickly recovered without an issue...

This year we celebrated his birthday at Joe's Crabshack...

Back at the camper for cake and presents...

Happy birthday to a little boy who has changed our lives. You have really kept us on our toes, are keeping us young, and are determined to keep us thin from chasing you around. You might just be the next Dennis the Menice. We all love you so much and you are our little Soyer the Destroyer!

Camping at the Beach

2010-06-09T06:20:00.000-07:00

We camped at the Oceanside Harbor over Memorial Day weekend...can you say CROWDED and CRAZY!!!

We were lucky to be one of the first campers there and get an outside spot...

Some campers were parked so close to one another that they couldn't open their doors.

Faith is so excited to be at the beach. She talked about it for weeks, and we even had a count down.

Obviously, he doesn't need much of a tan. Honey, save the sun for us white girls!

Grandma got Soyer a tent for his birthday so we put it on the beach. The kids had a great time playing in it. Every once in a while a kid would pop out of the tunnel that I didn't know.

Norwegian History

2010-05-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

The craziest thing happend to me a few weeks ago. I received this email...

Hello Janet.
My name is Axel, coming from Veblungsnes in Norway.
I am searching for my family in USA.
My grandfather was Bjørn Huse (born 1900), he had a twin brother named Axel.
He emigrated to Oceanside, California. He got one daughter Ruth, and one son Axel
(his son Axel died in an accident).
I now wonder if you may be Ruth's daughter? Other names you may know if you are
the person I suppose/hope you are, are Sandra, Donna, Ben, Jenniffer.
(names from different pictures Axel sent to my mother Oddny Huse).
I would appreciate if you can confirm or enfeeble my question.
If you are the person I may think you are, we have same great-grandfather (Oluf
Huse).
Kindly regards Axel.

My grandpa Axel died in 1977 and my grandma died in 1993. Since both of them have died my family lost touch with any living relatives in Norway. This has been so much fun connecting with a COUSIN in Norway. His mom is still living, which would have been my grandma & grandpas sister-in-law, so she has stories to share about both of them. She is able to share history such as how they grew up and where. Axel has been sending me pictures and webcam links to where my grandparents grew up. He writes really good English, so communicating with him has been easy. Here are some of the family pictures we have shared with one another.

My Grandpa's & Grandma's 50th Anniversary

Oluf & Berntine Huse with their son, Bjorn, and his family.

Oluf, Berntine, Bjorn & Axel (my grandpa)

My great-grandpa and grandma

My great grandparents and their son and his wife

My mom and her brother, Axel.

School picture of my grandpa Axel. They were planting trees that's why they all have sticks.

Santa Inez Mission

2010-05-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

Gunnar had the "Mission Project" this year in 4th grade. Rather than making the traditional models, that you can now buy the full kids from Michaels, his teacher encouraged the children to visit the missions, take pictures, and make a Photo Shop presenation. Gunnar choose the Santa Inez Mission in Solvang (outside Santa Barbara). We had a fun time visiting the mission and learning about it. Here are some pictures.

A Big Girl Now...

2010-05-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Rick decided that it was time for Faith to get a new bed. Check out her new bedroom set (the nightstand is missing from the picture) that Rick bought on Craigslist really cheap...

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had an early morning soccer game at 8:00am, one at 9:00am and another one at 11:00am. We wanted to take the kids to an Easter Egg Hunt at the nearby park at 10:00, but weren't sure if we could pull it off. Around 9:40 we left the soccer fields, leaving Gunnar there (he didn't want to egg hunt! Is my baby getting too old already?) with some of the parents. We took Faith and Soyer and they had a blast. I'll post the picture of Faith later...Dad took a picture of her on his phone. (we forgot our cameras at the soccer field. Oops). Gunnar's team ended up winning all three games! Go Arsenal!

This was Soyer's first egg hunt. He would pick up an item, like bubbles, look at them for a minute and then put them down and move to the next item. It was a good thing all the other 1-2 year olds were moving at the same pace.

Opening goodies from Grandma! From the color of Gunnar's lips it looks like he has already been enjoying the goodies in his Easter basket.

After the kids enjoyed their baskets and goodies, we sat down for Rick to read a book about Easter and the real reason we celebrate Easter.

Question from Rick to Faith and Gunnar: Either of you know why we celebrate Easter? Faith raised her hand and said, "The Easter Bunny, candy, and eggs".

Gunnar then raised his hand and said, "No, we celebrate the resurrection of Christ". Good boy!!!

I love it when my kids really get what Christmas and Easter are about. They are not about the presents, family, dinners, parties, decorations...They are about our Savior Jesus Christ -- his birth, his death.

Gunnar's Fort

2010-04-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

My kids LOVE to make forts. Almost every weekend I will find them hiding under a fort they've made. This was one of Gunnar's forts that he made last week. His bed and mattress are the frame, you enter his fort through his closet, and the sheets are the ceiling. He and Faith have slept in it every night. This is the longest a fort has stayed up in our house, maybe it is because it doesn't include our couch or kitchen table and chairs.

What a fun night...

2010-03-27T08:34:00.001-07:00

Gunnar is a Bear in the Cub Scouts and last night was their Blue and Gold spaghetti dinner fundraiser and cake auction. Can I tell you...so fun!

There must have been close to 200 people there. They raised $1,800 in the cake auction alone. I think the highest cake bid was for a carrot cake that went for $180...I tasted it, and it was worth every penny.

Here are pictures of Gunnar's cake and cupcakes he made. His cake went for $140 and cupcakes went for $40. Such a fun night!

Cupcakes were called "Bear Tracks"

Cake was called "Camping is Fun"

Faith enjoying her cupcake

Soyer after he ate his cupcake

He really is having a fun time

Having Fun In The Sun...

2010-03-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

Is it pool time already?

My "Green" Girls...

2010-03-20T15:17:00.001-07:00

Faith's best friend, Claire, stayed the night the other night. They both woke me up early to tell me that they had on their green dresses so that the little man could not pinch them. I am assuming they were referring to a Leprechaun!

Pinewood Derby

2010-03-20T15:07:00.001-07:00

Gunnar had such a great time making his own Pinewood Derby car and racing it at the Pinewood Derby in Fallbrook for Cub Scouts. He was so proud of his creation!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2010-03-05T14:59:00.000-08:00

Today you would have been 82 years old. I miss you dearly and am grateful for all that you taught me. I am sad that you died before getting to know your grandkids, and miss the guidance you would have provided when raising my children.

I still can't imagine that you raised 5 children, and sometimes on your own while dad traveled overseas with the military for months and years. I sometimes whine about raising 3 kids. One of the many qualities I learned from you was to be a great cook. I enjoy it very much, like you did. Although, I could never get my food to taste exactly like yours. Still have not mastered the 7 layer cake, ok, I have not even come close and not sure you can even call it a cake.

I know that you are in Heaven serving up great food, partying it up with your parents, your brother, and your three kids. I miss all of you so much, but know that we will all one day be together again.

Happy Birthday, mom, I love and miss you!

Christmas Vacation

2010-01-15T09:37:00.000-08:00

Gunnar was out of school for Christmas vacation, no soccer or dance, and we also found out that Rick would be out of work for 10 days...what would we do with all this time? We decided to do our favorite family thing...go CAMPING! On Christmas day, after we left Jenny's, we came home and packed our 5th wheel for an 8 day trip. We decided to visit Rick's good friend Paul and his family in Utah. We drove until we got to Mesquite, NV around 2:30am and slept in a parking lot with other campers. The kids were ready to leave by 8:00am, so we were on the road again by 8:30am for Kamas, UT. After a few stops, we finally arrived in Kamas around 4:00PM. We had not seen Paul in a few years, and got to see his kids, JaNae and her daughter, Rachel, Cody (who now lives in Orange County), and J. Jessica returns from her Korea mission in a few weeks, so we missed seeing her. We also met Paul's girlfriend, Kammra. It was so fun seeing them!

Here are a few pictures from our visit in Kamas. It is so beautiful there!

Off to the cabin to have more fun. We were lucky to see Paul's brother Matt there at the cabin too.

Off to SLC to see Paul's parents, Nana & Papa Montgomery.

Gunnar flying through the air catching a football.

What an amazing family. We just love them to pieces!

The kids got a kick out of the elevator in their home.

Now, off to Paul's brother's house in Provo. We stayed the night at Dan & Angie's house and left the next afternoon just as a storm was coming through. Everyone had so much fun, we can't wait to visit again. They have 7 children and there was nothing but fun had by all.

Now, off to our campsite in St. George for more fun. I'll post those pictures later!

Christmas at Jenny's

2010-01-08T16:44:00.000-08:00

We had a Mexican feast at Jenny's house for Christmas dinner. Yummy carne asada, homemade beans and rice, enchiladas, and all the fix'ns. The kids had a blast climbing the rocks and had so much room to run around. I hope Christmas is at Jenny's every year.

Christmas

2010-01-08T15:15:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve the kids received their traditional jammas.

This was our Christmas tree this year. A tree and ornaments would have been in jeopardy with Soyer. My dad and Mary just happen to send this cute little music box, and we decided it would be perfect to use as our Christmas tree. On Chritmas morning Faith looked around and said, "Oh no, we forgot to put up our Christmas tree."

Santa was here and left presents. The kids were up at 5:30am to inform us of this news.

Our Snoopy calendar has alerted us that it is Christmas day...

A sign that Santa and his reindeer were here. The cookies, milk, and almost all the carrots were eaten.

Silver League Here We Come...

2010-01-08T14:20:00.000-08:00

Gunnar's soccer team placed 2nd in their division so they move up to the Silver League next year. The boys were pretty excited to get 2nd and have trained hard to get there. Due to the holidays and Coach Cliff going to Belize for 2 weeks, they had a simple awards ceremony at Chick-FilA.

We'll Miss You Hunnie

2010-01-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

On Dec. 18th we lost our dog, Hunnie. It was a really sad day for all of us! She has been with us for about 15 years.

We were visiting some family up north and Rick and my dad went to a bird show (my dad raised cockatiels). I like birds when they are in the wild, but not as pets. I told Rick to please not come home with a bird. He didn't, but he came home with a puppy and we named her Hunnie.

She was the greatest watchdog, and would alert us when anyone was out front. She wouldn't hurt a fly, though, she would just stand there and bark at them.

Lucie is the last of our dogs and misses her sister very much. She has taken to howling to let us know just how much she misses her. She has been an outside dog all her life, but if the howling continues, she just might get her way and be an inside dog. Let's just pray the howling stops!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-12T15:28:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving at Alene's house in Fallbrook. Gunnar had an assignment over the Thanksgiving break. Here was the question and his answer: If you could go ANYWHERE for Thanksgiving where would you go and why? His answer: I would go to Trenton's grandma's house again because she has the coolest house. There was a large treehouse way up in a tree, a rope swing that went over a ditch, lots of places to hide for hide-and-seek, and a lot of desserts.

Christmas Lights are up...

2009-12-12T15:23:00.001-08:00

Rick and the kids put up the Christmas lights at the end of November. We have a Snoopy countdown clock up on our roof and the kids check it out daily to see how many more days left until Christmas.

The Best PJ Party EVER

2009-12-11T18:40:00.000-08:00

Today Faith asked me if we could have a pj party with cookies and goodies. We decided to turn it into a dinner, dessert and movie party. We sat on the carpet and ate our kid friendly dinner (sausage, french fries & beans)while watching The Grinch. After dinner I put out a tray of melted chocolate with goodies to dip into it. The kids loved it! To top it off, we will have a sleep over in our room tonight. What a great day!

Christmas Cards...

2009-12-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, this was supposed to be my Christmas card photo for the year, but then Rick took down a crate that had boxes and boxes of Christmas cards in it. He convinced me to send out the "old" traditional Christmas card. Of course, most cards have to be personalized...did he realize this?

Gunnar's Birthday

2009-11-19T11:18:00.001-08:00

We had a great time at California Adventure for Gunnar's birthday. Everything he wanted to ride was at California Adventure, so it worked out perfectly since we didn't have to go back and forth. It wasn't packed either. He was able to ride most rides twice. It was great seeing the park all decorated for Christmas. It was really pretty. :-)

Happy Birthday, Gunnar!

2009-11-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

Today is Gunnar's 9th birthday. He has been counting down the days and telling everyone that Friday is his birthday. Oh, I just realized that today is Friday the 13th. Yikes! He has been wanting a motorcycle helmet and so, of course, grandma and grandpa got him one. We've had to threaten him just to get him to take it off. This morning he even tried to eat breakfast with it on! He also got the new Wimpy Kid book, ANOTHER soccer ball, a soccer placque, a few other things and money. He asked me to bring Otter Pops to school today for his birthday treat, so I am heading over there soon to drop them off. We will be going to Disneyland around 3:00 today to celebrate his birthday. He wanted a sleep-over with some friends so he has made it pretty simple for us. The only problem is fitting in the sleep-over with his soccer schedule considering he plays soccer almost every Saturday. Gunnar told me last night to send out the invitations to his friends and we'll worry about the date later. So cute!

Gunnar David was born on Nov. 13th at 11:01am. He weighed 7lbs 11 oz and was 19" long. His name, Gunnar, is a norwegian name meaning Warrior, and David is from Rick's 2 friends. His very good friend David Callahan who died in a car accident and his best friend, Paul David. Gunnar was a very active baby and had a short attention span. Well, he still is an active boy with a short attention span. He is very loveable and kind. He will share with everyone else but his siblings. He loves to be outdoors playing soccer, football, basketball, skateboarding, biking, and running around. He is a bear in the cub scouts. He loves camping and especially camping trips where it is just the guys. He is adventurous, loves excitement, and enjoyes wildlife. He is inquisitive and will ask questions like, "Where do snakes poop from?" His favorite foods are burritos, steak, spinach, salmon, shrimp, lobster, artichokes, pizza, nachos and bacon sandwiches. His least favorite foods are onions, peppers, tomatoes, tuna, nuts, carrots, casserols, and some soups. His favorite subject in school, besides recess, is math. He is actually very smart with all subjects and is a great speller too. He does not like to read and gives me the biggest grief when he has to read daily as part of his homework. We are so blessed as a family to have this little man in our lives. He brings me so much joy and I am so proud of him and the young man he has become. Happy Birthday, Gunnar.

Halloween

2009-11-13T11:28:00.000-08:00

Trunk or Treat in Fallbrook. This was the only picture I took of the kids on Halloween. Ugh!

Grandma & Grandpa visit

2009-11-13T11:15:00.001-08:00

My dad and his wife, Mary, came to visit for a week from Oregon. The kids have enjoyed every minute with them. I think it is a little too noisy for them, but they are hanging in there! One of our trips was to the Wild Animal Park. Grandma Connie was able to come too.

Another Camping Trip

2009-11-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

Camping with the Ahrends at Canyon River RV Park. This place was awesome! The kids had such a great time. We will definitely go back to this place again.

Just Catching Up

2009-11-04T19:02:00.000-08:00

Pictures of the kids. I am a few months behind so just posting random pictures.

A Good Cause

2009-11-04T17:52:00.000-08:00

This is an email from my friend Bob, who lost his son to cardiac arrest a few years back. By installing the search engine below, each time you use it for a search, money will go to the Travis Roy Sudden Cardiac Arrest Fund.

I thought my blog would be a perfect place to post this, if interested. It is easy to use. My home page is still MSN, but there is now an additional toolbar on the top titled GoodSearch.

Please help support this foundation but installing this link.

Thanks,
Janet

From: Bob Roy [mailto:fleursderoy@hotmail.com]
Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 7:34 AM
Subject: The Travis R. Roy Sudden Cardiac Arrest Fund Needs Your Help
Importance: High

I'm the Founder and President of The Travis R. Roy Sudden Cardiac Arrest Fund and I want to share with you a simple way for you, your family and your friends to help support our foundation and make more school districts "Heart Safe" places for our children to learn. We lost our youngest son Travis to Sudden Cardiac Arrest four years ago at the age of 14. We formed a non-profit in his name to raise awareness about Sudden Cardiac Arrest and to raise funds to help place Automated External Defibrillators (AED's) in schools. So far, The Travis Fund has been responsible for the placement of 112 AED's in multiple school districts in Riverside and San Diego Counties and one University in San Diego. We've even had our first save as a result of our efforts. However, there are still many more schools districts who do not have AED's to protect the students and staff on their campuses. These school districts would love to have AED's on campus but due to the California budget crisis, they cannot afford them. Here's a simple easy way you can help support our cause and it costs you absolutely nothing...

Just download the GoodSearch (Powered by Yahoo) at http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/mode/ and follow the instructions on the page to download the toolbar, enter The Travis R. Roy Sudden Cardiac Arrest Fund in toolbar window on the right which asks "who do you goodsearch for?" and that's it. Each time you search the web with GoodSearch's Yahoo-powered search engine (using our foundation name), about a penny will go to The Travis Fund.

Also, every time you shop online at 1,000 participating stores including Amazon, eBay, Target, Apple, Staples, Expedia, etc., a percentage of your purchase will be donated for free!

The site also has thousands of money-saving coupons!

To give you a sense of how the money can add up, the ASPCA has already earned more than $30,000!

Please tell 10 friends about the GoodSearch toolbar today. They've been featured in the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, Oprah Magazine, Good Morning America and more.

Thanks for your support and please forward this to all your family and friends.

Robert Roy
Founder/President - The Travis R. Roy Sudden Cardiac Arrest Fund
"Raising AWareness So Others May Survive"
951-505-0961
www.thetravisfund.org

Happy Birthday, Babe.

2009-11-02T20:50:00.000-08:00

We have had a blast at Disneyland and have gone at least once or twice a month. Well worth the membership! Where better place to celebrate a 42 year old's birthday but Disneyland. Our tradition has been that whenever it is your birthday at Disneyland you get to pick all the rides for the day. A few of Rick's selections were the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and the Tower of Terror. It made it more exciting to be there during Halloween, too.

Let The Games Begin

2009-11-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

Soccer season started back in September (I'm a little behind) and we've played 11 games so far, and have only lost one. We are still in first place, though. The kids really needed the loss since they were becoming a little big headed. It has been a really fun season so far. All of our games are about an hour a way and we have to be at all games an hour early. This makes for a long day, and usually kills all Saturday's.

Arsenal vs Liverpool - Gunnar jumped up for a header and as he was coming down someone was kicking up and he got a cleat to his lip. It gave him a fat lip.

Nothing better

2009-08-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

There is nothing better than seeing your kids happy, smiling, and laughing. I signed Faith up with the community center dance at Cathy's Dance Studio. We loved that there were only 5 kids in her class. This way all the kids gets "extra" attention. After the 6 weeks is up we will sign her up for a dance class. We wanted to make sure that she really wanted to continue with dance since she loves so many other things, like cheerleading and gymnastics. She is truly a balerina and loves to dance. She does it everyday throughout the day. She is always performing for me. She's also learned that a pair of socks makes her spin faster on the tile.

A Princess Sleepover

2009-08-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

Faith had her best friend Princess Claire over for a sleepover on Sunday night after dinner at the Greenwood's. This was her 1st sleepover. I'm sad that I didn't get a picture of the girls sleeping for memories (I'm weird like that!). They were like 2 teenage girls...they were up talking, dancing, and singing until real late. I finally had to go in and tell them it was time to go to sleep.

At 7:00am I heard this loud noise downstairs. I opened my bedroom door to find the girls already dressed in their princess dresses, shoes, and jewels singing at the top of their lungs downstairs. It was so cute! They changed into a new dress about every 20 minutes so I couldn't keep up with the wardrobe changes. Gunnar complained, "All they do is sing". He couldn't wait to go to school and get away from all the "girl stuff".

Faith was sad when Claire had to leave, but we've promised another sleepover soon.

The last picture is of prince Soyer, who just happend to be at the sleepover party too!

Trip to the Magical World

2009-08-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

Gunnar had a modified day on Wednesday and Rick was off, so we headed to Disneyland. This time we spent all day at California Adventure. Rick and Gunnar took off to ride the "big rides" while I stayed at the A Bug's Land with Faith, Soyer and Grandma. Gunnar got me to go on California Screamin...what a blast! I have not been on a roller coaster in years. The kids had a great time, as usual.

Back to school

2009-08-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Summer fun is over and school started. Gunnar started his first day of 4th grade on the 17th. He loves his new teacher Mr. Miller. He has enjoyed going back to school, so far.

Soccer

2009-08-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

Gunnar had a soccer tournament in San Juan Capistrano over the weekend. They won their first, tied their second, and lost their third game. Regardless, Gunnar still had a great time playing soccer and doing what he loves best! I think we have two more tournaments before his season starts in October. All home games are in Barstow! Soccer keeps us busy and visiting all of southern California.

A Summer Of Fun...

2009-08-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

We've all had such a great summer spending time with friends, swimming, visiting the Wild Animal Park and the Zoo, camping, Disneyland, soccer tournaments, McDonalds and all the other fun places.

Here are some pictures of friends and family over swimming in our pool.

Faith's Dance Recital

2009-08-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

Faith dances at Temecula Dance Company and had her first dance recital last month. She has been dreaming about dancing on stage since she saw her friend dance in a program last December. She was in heaven dancing on stage...she loved it! She was not afraid and looked so cute. They danced to "A Whole Lot of Shakin Going On" so there was a lot of tush shakin going on. It was the cutest thing EVER!

Faith's Birthday at Disneyland

2009-08-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

Faith turned 4 on June 19th and we celebrated her birthday at Disneyland. What a blast. It was her day so she got to wear what she wanted, eat what she wanted, and pick what to do at Disneyland. Gunnar wasn't too happy about this...but he'll have his day on his birthday.

Soyer Turned 1

2009-08-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm obviously very behind in updating my blog. Soyer turned one on May 27th. We just celebrated his birthday with the family. I don't think he even noticed it was his birthday. He was given all the overwhelming attention he normally gets. On his birthday weekend we celebrated his birthday at the Greenwoods by having cupcakes and singing to him.

Well, what can I say about our little "buddy". He started walking a few weeks after his birthday. He progressed quickly to running and climbing. We now find him standing on the backs of the couches, on top of the kitchen table, hanging and swinging from the kitchen table, climbing the bar stools to get on top of the island, and anything else rocky enough to balance on. He opens all the doors in the house...even the front door. Yikes! He is smart and understands so much of what we say or ask of him and says so many words and tries hard to speak more. We just have not been able to make everything out. He is growing up so quickly and I want him to slow down. I need more time enjoying these moments with him. I am loving being home with my kids and having the opportunity to watch them grow. He has 6 teeth with 7 & 8 coming in, he's had 2 haircuts already, he eats most everything but refuses to sit in a highchair. He sits in a booster seat at the kitchen table!

Here are more pictures of Soyer.

Our Little Man

2009-04-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

Soyer will be 11 months on the 27th. I just can not believe it...time has gone by so quickly. He took his first steps on April 9th, I was sure it would have been sooner since he has been standing on his own for over a month. He continues to try and walk, and I know he can't wait to be chasing around his brother and sister in the yard. Although, he is a pretty fast crawler. Sometimes he gets going so fast that he takes a face plant. Ouch! He has 6 teeth (4 top, 2 bottom) and then those two vampire teeth that have been showing themselves since he was 6 months old. He loves bath time and having his diaper changed (yeah right!). Anyone know where we can get some straps for his changing table or restraints? It literally takes two of us to change a poopy. He completely spins himself around, grabs himself and now we got poopy on the hands, and screams and cries until the ordeal is over. Other than his diaper being changed, he is a pretty happy baby. I am not sure if it is the hair that causes him to be mistaken often for a girl. He could be in a blue football outfit and people still call him a cute girl. Ugh! He started going up the stairs on his own at 9 months. If only he could go down on his own without that tumbling thing!

These two pictures are of Soyer trying to hold onto Faith's pink,fluffy back pack while he sucks his thumb. He always has to have something soft in his hand while he sucks his thumb. It can even be hair...real or fake. I caught him in Faith's bedroom with her Barbie Doll's hair all tangled in his fingers.

A Good 'Ole Time

2009-04-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

Enjoying life with my kids. Our lives are so busy with soccer 4 days a week and soccer tournaments on weekends that play time is sometimes pushed aside. It is so fun watching my kids play, and who can ever forget their laughs and giggles. Life is good. These are just some random pictures I took over the past months. I am getting pretty far behind on my blog...so I'll start with posting these for now!

Camping at Butterfield Ranch

2009-03-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

Camping at Butterfield Ranch up in Julian. This was such a fun trip. There was so much to do! It snowed on us the first night, but it was just little flakes and nothing stuck. The next day was beautiful and warm. We all had such a good time hiking, riding bikes, playing at the playground, climbing trees, playing games, and even watching movies. The campground manager opened the lounge for us all to watch a movie and have popcorn. The kids watched Madagascar while the adults played cards. When we got back to the campground it was a campfire and Smores.

This says it all...CAMPING IS FUN!

A few fun things...

What's in the hole...

2009-03-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

The kids, that includes Rick, decided to dig up a hole to see what was living in it. CRAZY!!! Luckily it was just a Leopard Gecko Lizard.

Hike to an Old Mine

2009-03-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

And we are off to another hike...

This one was a 2 1/2 mile hike up to an old mine. The kids took buckets so that they could carry back some sand from the mine. When they got back, Rick had some gold mining pans from a trip he took years ago on the Mother Lode Tour, so the kids had fun panning for gold. They didn't find any gold, but had a great time looking for it.

Going on a Hike...

2009-03-22T14:42:00.001-07:00

Sheila, the manager at Butterfield Ranch Campground is also the hiking tour guide. She took us on a 1 1/2 mile hike up to some old Indian Ruins. The kids looked for coyotes, jack rabbits, and arrowheads. Everyone had a fun time!

Travis scouting for coyotes

Mormon Battalion Trail

2009-03-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

We camped up by Box Canyon where the Mormon Battalion came through. We can't wait to go back and hike this trail!

72 Hour Kit

2009-03-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

Rick and I have been working on our 72 hour kits this month. We have 4 in our home and then we have the Emergency Kit that we purchased from Costco (already put together in a 5 gal tub) in my car. We figured it was a good idea to have one in my car in case I am driving and a disaster hits. I, at least, have food for 3 days and the other necessary items already prepared in the tub. We also purchased one for my parents and Rick's mom to keep in their cars.

I found a website that lists the items to be included in a 72 hour kit broken out over a 10 month time frame. This makes it easier and cost effective...especially if you have several to put together. If anyone is interested, the items to include for March are:

1. Flashlight (or 2 mini-flashlights) and batteries

2. 2 to 4 (8 ounce) boxes liquid milk

3. One change of clothing per person

4. Water purification tablets or bleach

We would love for our friends and family to start now by putting together their 72 hour kits. Each month I'll post the items to include. Ahrend family....START NOW!!! You can find the backpacks at a garage sale or thrift store.

Here are some suggestions/ideas that I found online:

-Store non-food items in separate containers or double bag them if they must be stored together

-Avoid foods with odors such as mint and beef jerky or double bag them if they must be stored together

-Rotate food every 6 months. Some people keep to the schedule of General Confernce!

-Avoid cans with pop tops as these can burst and spill easier than cans that require a can opener

-Use Seal-A-Meal or the vacuum packed bags when storing clothes. This will help keep everything compact

-Some hard candies, such as Jolly Ranchers, can melt and make a gooey mess

-Include fiber or fiber bars in your kit, as fiber expands in your stomach and can make you feel full

-If you have pets, don't forget the pet food. Your pets will need to eat too!

-Another storage idea is to use a rubbermaid container or to use wheeled luggage

We have used Family Home Evening as a time for us to discuss with our kids the importance of a 72 hour kit, and what should be put in each bag. The kids have fun putting their own personal items into their own backpacks.

My mom...Ruth Hoosier

2009-03-04T15:27:00.000-08:00

She was born in San Francisco, Ca on March 5th 1928. Her parents came over on the Gripsholm to Ellis Island from Norway. They had 2 children: Axel Jr & Ruth.

She was the mother of 5 children. Her and my dad met and married on June 10, 1963. My dad was later transferred to Camp Pendleton, and they made their home in Oceanside.

My mom died on March 5, 2003 so tomorrow would have been her 81st birthday. Gosh, that sounds so old. She always looked 10+ years younger. Anyway, I thought I would use my blog as a tribute to her birthday!

My mom was a fantastic cook. Luckily, I inherited this quality (I think). She always dressed nice, never went out ungroomed, and smelled beautiful. Every once in a while I will smell the same purfume she wore, and it brings back memories of my mom. She was a great mom who loved her family and wanted to have "get togethers" every chance she could.

She had a tremendous loss in her life. Her brother died on his 18th birthday, then she lost her grand parents, her dad, her son, her mom, two daughters, and a son-in-law. She was a strong women.

She was able to meet Gunnar and babysat him for the 1st few years of his life. Gunnar called her Lala because she sang to him. He has pictures of her in his photo album that he looks at frequently.

Happy birthday mom, I love you!

A Day At The Wild Animal Park

2009-02-25T06:39:00.001-08:00

This is kind of an old post. In January, we went to the Wild Animal Park and Gunnar brought his best friend, Lily. Lily lives in Escondido now, so they don't get to see each other as much as they would like. They always pick up right where they left off and have the best of times together.

There is so much to do at the Wild Animal Park...

Soyer's gorilla crawl...

A gorilla wearing a box skirt.

Faith feeding the ducks right out of her hand. The older kids wouldn't do it!

Rick's favorite...the Elephants

Rough Day

2009-02-09T21:37:00.000-08:00

Camping with the Ahrends

2009-02-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

Hurkey Creek here we come...

Trenton, Mattie & Gunnar

The kids loved the hike in the woods.

The Ahrends

Faith, Gunnar & Soyer

Hurkey Creek...isn't it beautiful

Gunnar's Baptism

2009-02-09T21:04:00.001-08:00

Gunnar turned 8 on November 13th and was finally baptized on December 20, 2008 in Fallbrook. Gunnar's friends from our ward in Temecula and in Fallbrook attended his baptism. It was such a special day for him. When we were driving home he told me that his heart fills full and big. Wow! I'm so proud of him to make the committment.

The Primary kids sang at Gunnar's baptism!

Pudding Face

2009-01-30T14:21:00.000-08:00

Here is Gunnar playing the Wii. He had absolutely no idea that he had pudding all over his mouth. I just had to take a picture of him, and then I told him to go look in the mirror.

A Little Dancer

2009-01-30T02:52:00.000-08:00

A very proud and excited dancer!
Oh, so sweet!

Faith's friend Kayla.

Faith couldn't be more excited to be at a dance class with a bunch of other little girls. She has spent the past 3 years at soccer practices, games and tournaments it is finally her turn to be the STAR. She made sure to tell her daddy and Gunnar that dancing wasn't for boys and that couldn't come. Of course, both dad and brother couldn't wait to come and watch her. I think Gunnar wanted to come to just torment and tease her. Isn't that what big brothers do? She is already asking where is the stage?

2009-01-24T20:29:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little boy, Soyer. He just got his 1st tooth (bottom right side) and is gnawing on anything that will fit into his mouth. He will be 8 months next week and I swear that he will be walking by the time he is 10 months. He crawls around like an ape with his bottom up in the air. He stands in his crib and pulls himself up onto everything. He seems to be growing up too quickly.

He is such a happy little guy! He loves his sister and big brother very much. They seem to always make him laugh, which by the way, is the best sound in the world. I love my kids!

Our bearded men...

2009-01-24T20:24:00.000-08:00

Rob, Rick & Jan

Having Fun at the Greenwood's Ranch

2009-01-24T20:18:00.000-08:00

Audry & Kaile

Frank

Let's get ready to RUMBLE...

So cute!!!

Gunnar riding Magic

2009-01-24T20:17:00.000-08:00

A Princess and her horse...

2009-01-24T20:10:00.000-08:00

Faith having a great time at the Greenwoods. She could not wait to ride their horses. The pony is named Shasta and the horse is Magic. She said she was a princess riding on her horse. She talked about the horses for over a week. I guess we need to do this more often!!!

2009-01-24T20:09:00.000-08:00

An awesome goal keeper!!!

2009-01-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

Gunnar doing what he loves to do...playing soccer. He plays for Arsenal U-8 Boys in Temecula. He usually plays mid-field or goal keeper.

2009-01-01T09:51:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

Last night we spent New Year's Eve with our buddies in Fallbrook. We had a good time just hanging out with friends!

Christmas

2008-12-29T10:09:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve the kids opened one gift each...their Christmas jammies.

The usual Christams gathering at the Mescall's house had to be cancelled since Faith had a 24 hour bug, which she got from Gunnar. We didn't want to expose anyone to it, so we had a quiet Christmas just the 5 of us.

Setting Up Blog

2008-12-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm not much of a blogger, so I am very interested in seeing if I can do it. I seem to have more time for emails than I do to write in my kids' journals so I am hoping since I am on the computer often that I can keep my blog updated. I love challenges!!!