Happy Holidays! Don't bother checking your mailboxes.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

You will not be receiving one of these cute holiday greeting cards in the mail this year. Why? It's not because we don't love you. We just have had a rough couple of months, and things did not get ordered in time. So instead of sending this in the mail we are just showing you what you could have had.

The Front. Isn't it artsy?

The Back. See the simple family news letter?

We will be spending the holidays in Alaska this year, so as YOUR holiday cards come pouring in, we wont be filled with guilt every time one arrives! Instead we will just experience the guilt all at once when we return home and go through our mail.

Dearest Grandma-

I will remember the good times we had together. I remember how you wanted me to call you Grammy, but as I got older, it never really stuck. I remember getting to spend the night at your house, all alone, without any other brothers and sisters to distract your attention. I remember getting to stay up late, and getting to sleep in with you and Grandpa in your bed the next morning. I remember you letting me have my own cup of "coffee" though now I know it was mostly milk and sugar. I remember your pink bathroom with the pink soap, and how you sat in there with me rubbing my tummy when I felt sick and couldn't "go." It was you that introduced me to yogurt, and eating Breakfast at night. It was with you and Grandpa that I coined the phrases "toy-toy" for toilet and "Hosages" for sausage. And it was you two that never let me forget it. I remember the book you customized just for me "Ali and the Mean Brown Dog" where you carefully whited-out the original name "Sally" and hand wrote "Ali" in its place. I remember how you read it to me every time I came to visit. You always let me wear your slippers and nightgowns when I came over, even though I had my own. You don't know this, but when I was living in Alaska, I bought a pair of slippers just because they were the same kind you used to have, and they reminded me of you. (On the same note, Grandpa probably never knew I searched high and low for a bar of "Lava Soap" to have in my laundry room just because it reminded me of him). I remember all the times you would take me to Yardbirds to get Barbies and how I learned you where afraid of rubber snakes! I remember you fashioning your scarf around my head before Grandpa would take me for a ride on his motorcycle. You made me feel like a "Pretty Lady." I will always remember the way you smelled. A fresh baby powder clean smell that I liked so much. Most of all, I will always remember how special you made me feel. Looking back at it now, it was like you put me under your spell, because my visits with you were so magical I never wanted them to end. I wanted to stay at your place forever. I loved the quiet, I loved the peace. I loved being the only one there. I honestly used to fantasize that you would adopt me so I would never have to return to Concord or to my Concord life. You made me feel safe and protected and most of all special. All though you were not a part of my adult life as much as I would have wanted, these childhood memories have always warmed my heart. I only wish that my son could have met you and had a chance to experience that special feeling I had as a little girl. I love you and you will always be my Grammy.

I Already Miss You Sooooo Much

Dearest Grandma,

I already miss you so much.

I'm so lucky you have been a part of my life for so many years...yet it doesn't seem like it was long enough.

I will always remember the love and kindness you had for me. Thanks for being such a wonderful Grandma.

Spring & Summer Recap

What do you get when a lot of pictures are being taken, yet NO BLOGGING has been done in months???


You get a SPRING & SUMMER RECAP post.

Joshua fly's in from Colorado to help celebrate Jame's 40th Birthday and to meet his newest nephew Oliver.

Who's Special Today????? That's right. You are big guy.

Oliver takes a day trip to the Academy of the Sciences in San Francisco with Aunt Bobby.

Great Grandma invites the family over for a BBQ at her place!

Kyle Bower Visits Woodland, and meets his cousin Oliver!

Oliver liked having Kyle around.

We all went out to the County Fair.

Kyle made us dinner. He earned the title "BBQ Master Kyle."

We did brunch with Matt & Bobby at "Fox & Goose."

There was lot of fun to be had when the Grandparents got to town!

What Sounds Better to You....

Nice, Warm, Buttery Pre-cut Waffles served on a plate...




Or cold, dirty waffles from the TRASH CAN?




The other morning I made Oliver Ego waffles for breakfast, and all he did was throw them on the floor and beg to be removed from his high chair. Finally, I gave in. I swept up the waffle from the floor, put it in the trash, and then got Oliver out of his chair and cleaned him up.



Later that day, I'm at work and I get my usual call from Jon & Oliver, and Jon mentions that he caught Oliver eating waffles...and apparently he was getting these tasty morsels from the garbage can.

Now we are constantly finding him trying to lift up the garbage can lids
to ALL garbage cans in the entire house!

After I freaked out, I figured there were many other ways I could think about this disgusting event...

First of all, Jon, the usually very strict Daddy, is finally loosening up and letting little Oliver do more "exploring" of his world which will help him developmentally.

Second, OBVIOUSLY, this dumpster diving is less of an eating disorder, and more of a sign of INTELLIGENCE, because Oliver clearly SAW me put those waffles in the trash, and therefore when he was hungry he remembered where he could get a quick snack! What a Smart Kid!

OB1 turns 1!!!

Happy Birthday OLIVER!

It's hard to believe it has already been an entire year since Oliver was born! A celebration is in order. Nothing too fancy, just family & cake. A low-key day to reflect on this past year.


The Prep...

Cakes were made the night before the party. Decorating took place that morning. Decorating with icing is sooooooooooo easy. So easy, I decided to make each cupcake top different.

The final table placement. Perfect!!

They don't even look like they were cleaning out the gutters only moments earlier.

It only took 3 hours and 5 stores to find a 3 tier dessert thingy! Who knew they were so rare!

Why pay a dollar for endless paper streamers, when you can pay 20$ and spend 5 hours (over the course of 3 days) making your own out of fabric!

Jon just whipped this "OB1" flag together, no problem.

The Hosts...

The Proud Parents of a Perfect 1-year-old.

The Party...

The Cousins...

Oliver was happy to see his Cousins. Kira, Kyle, Grant, Lennon and Larry were missed!

The Guests...

Aunt Bobby came all the way from the big city to celebrate with Oliver!

Others came all the way from Modesto & Concord.

And Some all the way from Alaska!

The Game...

Bocce Ball Game!

The Food...

The Salad Tri-fecta was provided by Grandma Carol! As we have learned from birthdays-past, there is never too much salad!

Jon Barbecued Brauts and Hot Dogs, and we had chips & dips.


The Cake...

Candle blowing concept not quite grasped at this age.

The Owl on top of the cake really attracted Oliver's attention.

Poor Owl.

Nothing a hose can't fix.

The cake before.

The cake after.


After cake, Oliver had to make a wardrobe change.

The Presents...

Oliver's Loot.


We may have to get a stable.


Oliver pushes Yoda in his new wagon.


Oliver loved his custom OB1 Shirt from Aunt Tracey, Uncle James, & the cousins.


Thanks Aunt Amy & Uncle Kevin for the book & clothes, and the sweet kicks!

Yoda doll from Jacob & Jesse was a hit!

Oliver loved his new Bath Toys, but not as much as his Great Grandma's lap!

The Truth...


The truth is,

1. It is much harder to put on a party than I thought. When you want a day to be special, somehow the little details become so important, and those details do take time or sometimes more money then you want a pay.

2. Black food coloring for eyes on a cake seems like a good idea till your son sticks his hands in it and smears BLACK GOO all over his face and clothes.

3. Sewing over 50 flags to a piece of yarn is surprisingly exhausting.

4. Jon's mega flag was much harder than he thought, so he had to bring on two additional staff just to finish it and get it mounted in the ground.

5. Cleaning the house gutters more than once a year can keep water from dripping on the middle of your patio furniture.

6. My Mother-in-law should really start a "Cupcake College" because she is such an expert on making yummy cute deserts! Thanks for all the tips. Also, thanks for standing by with a HOT DRY KNIFE to correct my frosting errors!

7. My Mother really should teach a "Salad Seminar" because she can prepare 3 of the worlds biggest party salad's (literally) ONE HANDED! Thanks Mom, Oliver has been enjoying the delicious leftovers!

8. Oliver actually liked eating potato chips more than his own birthday cake.

9. Having time to:

clean
sew
do yard-work,
shop
cook
and BAKE,

all in one day, is NOT possible when you have a one-year-old. If we are lucky, we can get to ONE of these activities a day...working as a team!

10. So even though this party was small, and low-key...it still took days of preparation as well as the help of two AWESOME house guests and many others to get it all done! Everything was very special!

Thanks Everybody for chipping in! Oliver had a GREAT 1st Birthday!