The Lam's Photo Shoot

So back in January my sister asked me to do my nieces "5 Year Old" pictures. I told her of course then she asked if I could do it the next day and throw in the family pictures too. Ha! So below are some of my favorites. This is the first time I did family pictures but it was a lot of fun. I love taking pictures but just messing around with my little nieces as models. I did a few engagement photos for friends and my sister a long time ago. It was so long ago that it was all on 35mm film. Ha! I'm still trying to learn how to use my camera so all the photos I took were with the automatic setting. I just couldn't get the lighting right. If anyone has any tips please feel free to share. I'd love to learn to use my camera with the manual settings. Like I said, I had a lot of fun doing this but I felt totally amateur. The funny part to me was that my sister loved the pictures. I guess it's not too hard to get good pictures when your working with such beautiful girls...oh and you too Son!

The Lam Family

Valentine's Day and My Birthday....Yeah, I Know It's Late!

First of all, I know this is late. I know I’m way behind in my blog posts. I work at a college and it’s just been crazy busy because the Spring semester just started. When I get off work at 7pm and drop off all the Samoans, I finally get home at about 7:45 and make dinner for Ben and myself. After that I just totally want to veg and spend time with Ben so I haven’t had time to blog or even facebook. Well we just started our 4^th week so it’s a little slower now, so I finally have time (and energy) to show off some pictures and brag about how wonderful my husband is and how cute my nieces are. Ha! I’ve been wanting to post our wonderful Valentines Extended Weekend and my special Birthday present from Ben and some cute pics of my nieces, so now I finally have the time!

I hate blogging like this though. I don’t like reading blogs either where people blog about 50 million things in one post. But it’s information I want to document so I’m going to do it….again!

Well Valentines day this year fell on a Saturday. At work we just happened to have the Friday before and the Monday after off for President’s day. Then I asked for Tuesday off also. So my Valentines weekend turned out to be 5 fun filled days with my wonderful hubby.

On Friday we went to the Getty Center in Malibu. It was really rainy but it was beautiful! Then we sat on the beach and watched the sunset.

On Saturday we went to the Ronald Reagan Library. That was really neat! It was interesting to see how our country’s current financial situation is similar to what it was when Reagan was president and how our current administration is doing the complete opposite of what Reagan successfully did. I’ll stop there. That could be a whole other blog. We had a lot of fun there too.

They do this fancy Valentines day dinner with a live band and dancing. The room they had set up was beautiful!!! Red, black and white, and it over looked the valley. President Reagan’s, Air Force 1 was in there too. Ben said maybe next year we could make reservations for the dinner!

For this year we went home for dinner. I had a special Valentines dinner planned. We started with salad and mini heart shaped pizzas with heart shaped pepperonis. Then we had coconut shrimp and heart shaped steak with blue cheese and broccoli. For dessert I made him a special chocolate raspberry cake. Dinner was so good, if I do say so myself! I love cooking! I just wish I had more time and money to do it. I wish I would have taken pictures of everything else. The pizzas came out really cute.

Sunday we had church and dinner at my dad’s. Fun as always!

Monday we stayed home and vegged because it was really rainy.

Tuesday we drove up to our favorite spot in So Cal. Nojoqui Falls. It was a rainy weekend so the falls were more beautiful than ever.

I’ve blogged about these falls before. It’s on the way up to Solvang through a windy back road.

It’s a short hike about 15 minutes to the top and it’s a calming and peaceful hike. Then we stopped in Solvang and visited our favorite antique store and went to our favorite bakery for our favorite chocolate cake. Then we went down to the beach and watched the sunset again!

It was such a great 5 days off and it was so wonderful to be able to spend those days with my hubby. It was really hard to have to go back to work on Wednesday.

Two weeks later for my birthday Ben planned this whole day of surprises. He just told me how to dress for the day and off we went. Well first we went to Dana Point for a breakfast smoothie. Then we started walking down to the dock and the next thing I know we were on our own private yacht for a 2 hour cruise! It was so much fun!

Our captain was cool and let us pretty much do anything we wanted. He even offered to let us drive the yacht. We saw a bunch of seals and about 10 dolphins. At one point the captain started racing the dolphins so they were swimming and jumping right by our boat.

I tried to get some good pictures but it was more amazing to see without the viewfinder of the camera to my eye.

After our 2 hour cruise, Ben had planned a picnic lunch at Salt Creek Beach. I had even more fun there than on the cruise!

I had never been to Salt Creek before but it’s like my new favorite spot. We sat on the grassy cliffs right above the beach and had a lovely picnic lunch.

Some curious little squirrels started coming really close to us.

Then all of a sudden there were about 15 squirrels all around us. Ben started feeding them chips and then they became our new best friends.

That night to we went down and watched the sunset again on the beach. There’s nothing more comforting to me than to sit in my husbands arms on a cool night watching the sunset on the beach. Sooooooo peaceful!

We don’t have enough money right now to go on extravagant vacations or cruises’, which I would love, but we do have a lot of fun visiting the various locations here in Southern California. There’s so much to do for a very low fee, if not free.

Oh and in case you read this blog but are not on facebook, Ben passed the nursing state exam and is now finally a licensed Registered Nurse! I just pray now that he can find a job soon!

Potty Talk - The Asian Squat

So I had to go to the market to get a few things tonight and most of the things I needed were from an Asian supermarket. I stopped by the "99 Ranch Market" (an Asian supermarket) on my way home from work. While there I had to use the restroom and when I walked in I saw this sign on the door of each stall.

I thought this was one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time! I just had to share it. It may not be that funny to those who don't understand the Asian culture but to me it was hilarious.

The Asian Squat - I don't know how or why it started but it's just something that Asian people do.

Most of my childhood memories of my mother are her doing everyday chores and activities in the squatting position. She used to prepare meals, cook, bbq, smoke, garden, hose down the drive way, play cards, clean the floor etc. in the A.S. position. Even to this day whenever my mom comes over I still find her outside gardening or smoking a cigarette in the squatting position. Another thing she'd do, which made the above sign so totally funny to me, was squat on top of the toilet seat, when she'd go to the bathroom! So I totally understand when the sign in the bathroom of the "99 Ranch Market" asks, "Please don't stand on the toilet seat".

I guess some would think why the heck would someone stand on a toilet seat! Well, in Korea, the toilets look like this...

This is a more modern toilet in Korea. You just basically hoover over the white part and pray that your stuff goes in...That's why they squat!

So to my mom, and now I realize most Asian people, standing on the toilet seat to do your business is totally natural. If you think about it, it is a more logical way to poo. Squatting does help push "it" out from your intestines. Ha!

Yeah it's so incredibly gross but I think it's so funny that the problem is so common that they have to put up signs.

The above picture is my mom and sisters demonstrating the Asian Squat back in the 70's.

The very first picture of this post is the old school out houses in Korea. It was basically a little hut with a wooden framed hole in the ground. When I went to Korea 19 years ago, my uncle's toilet was very similar to this one. It was so scary to go to the bathroom at night so I did my potties in a small wastebasket and my cousin would take it out and "dump" it for me. My uncle told me that there were two hogs in the bottom of the hole that would eat your poo! EWWWWWW!

My Valentine to Ben!

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Help!!!

I had no clue that trying to get pregnant would be so hard!

I’m sure…let me rephrase that, I know it’s not that hard for everyone. I know they say that some women get looked at and “BAM!”…preggo.

For us... it’s not the case. Ever since we got married I’ve been wanting to start our family. We held off and have been really careful to not get pregnant for so many years. That was the easy part. I always thought it was the other way around.

We waited because Ben and I have always felt strongly that if we were going to have a family that I would be home to take care of the house and the children. I’ve never wanted to have children and then send them to someone else to be raised.

Well, Ben finally graduated from school so we kind of planned that I would have the baby a month after he graduated. Well that’s passed and no baby… not even a pregnancy!

I’m feeling so frustrated and hopeless of the whole gosh darn situation. We’ve officially tried for 9 months now with no success. I did get pregnant in September but didn’t know I was pregnant till I miscarried in October. We were sad, but grateful that it was still way early in the pregnancy.

Anywho, I have a few factors working against me. #1. I have a tilted uterus, which is a problem with fertility. #2. I have hypothyroid (that’s why I’m FAT!- ha! That’s what my little Chinese family doctor told me. He poked my stomach and said, in my best Chinese accent, “You have hypothyroid. That’s why you FAT!”) which is another problem with fertility. And #3. I have a uterine fibroid. My OBGYN swears up and down that most women have these and mine is so small that it wouldn’t interfere with the birthing process but it could also affect my fertility.

So, that’s 3 strikes! Ben and I went in October to my OBGYN to actually talk to her about advice and information about fertility treatments and that’s when she told me that I was actually pregnant but was in the early stages of miscarriage. My doctor was very excited because she said that at least now we know that I can get pregnant. She recommended that we purchase an ovulation monitor ($245.00) to make sure that we are timing my ovulation and that thing that married people do. (Sorry I’m trying not to be so graphic) Well I’ve known for the past 6 years every time I’ve ovulated! I’ve been BBT charting ever since we got married. I’m an expert so I didn’t understand why I had to have a $245.00 machine tell me when I was ovulating. Well we still listened to my doctor and I found a monitor online for $145.00. I’ve used it for 3 months now and still no success. Actually, I’m only going to count 2 of those months because one of those months Ben and I were vomiting (out of both ends) all through my fertile phase. Anyways, her recommendation was go home and keep trying, relax and get drunk for the holidays and it will happen. If it doesn’t then, call her at the beginning of the year and we’ll talk about fertility treatments.

Well, it's the beginning of the year and still no success. I feel like we've done everything we could (except get drunk). So I made an appointment today, to talk to my doctor about fertility treatments. The appointment is scheduled for next week and I'm kind of nervous. Ben is excited because to him, Fertility Treatments = Multiples! Friends keep telling me to be patient and it will happen, not on my time but on the Lord's time. And I totally get that, it's just that I feel like my time is running out. I'm going to be 30 in less than a month and that means that I'll only have 5 good years to have all of our babies before I'd be in the high risk stage! I don't want to turn to fertility drugs but I also don't want to wait too long! I'm starting to feel like it's our only option. It's scary to me because I don't know or understand all of the side effects both short term and long term and also it scares me because it's not natural. I'm so totally bummed and stressed to the max and I know that this is not helping any.

Every month I get excited because I get some kind of pregnancy symptom but then I get my monthly visit from the crimson tide. Especially this month, I was so convinced that I was preggo! I had breast soreness for 2 weeks straight now, I gained 5lbs, I keep smelling pickles, I've been craving Kraft Singles (which I hate), bloating and I even feel nauseous! I learned last night that this is called, Pseudocyesis or false pregnancy symptoms.

So now I feel like some crazy lady with a tilted uterus, hypothyroid, a uterine fibroid, Pseudocyesis and still not pregnant! Arrrrrgggg!!!!

I wish we could just go away on a vacation for a couple of days and just relax and leave all of our worries and stresses at home.

Someone please help! Any advice or anyone else who’s been through this!?! I know all of my friends have been “Fertile Myrtles”, so words of encouragement and prayers would help too.

My sister Brenda is something else.

I originally wasn't going to post this, but just had to share how awful my sister Brenda is.

My sister is always doing stuff to scare or to gross-out my little niece (her oldest daughter) Kerry Lee.

For instance around Halloween, Brenda, Kerry and I went to Target to do some shopping. Kerry was sitting in the cart and I was pushing. Brenda quietly grabbed a scary monster mask and put it on, then grabbed the shopping cart from me. Kerry just freaked out and hysterically started crying and screaming. Brenda was cracking up! She finally took off the mask to calm Kerry down, but the funny thing was that Kerry just started crying even more! The poor little girl just threw herself at me and wouldn't go to or even look at her mom.

Remind me to never let my horrible sister ever babysit my children.

I can only imagine what else my sister does to my poor niece. When we were younger, I was tortured and mentally and physically abused by Brenda.

One time, she was supposed to be babysitting me when my parent's went out. It was night-time and she made me sit with her and watch "Nightmare on Elm Street". The next thing I knew she was running out of the house and down the street with a knife and blood all over her, screaming that Freddy Kruger got her. What she had done was poured ketchup all over her body and stuck a butcher knife under her armpit. I just remember screaming and crying, running after her down the street. I guess this is why I turned out the way that I did.

I am amazed that I still love and choose to hang-out with this woman.

So now that you have an idea of how my sister is, it brings me to my story that again, originally I wasn't going to post, but I think the world should know to keep your children away from this crazy woman!

So last Saturday, Ben and I were at my sister's house and my little niece asked if we could go out and hunt for earthworms? It had just finished raining, so she knew that they would be out. I don't know how or why, but Kerry has a fascination with worms. So we all went out on a hunt for earthworms.

We found a few and we were cleaning them off and explaining to Kerry the little we knew about worms. She was enthralled at how you could see the poop and blood moving through their little see-through bodies.

That's when it happened!

My sister started coughing and laughing so we looked over at her and this is what we saw!!!

It was absolutely repulsive! I can't believe my brother-in-law actually kisses this woman! My poor niece was screaming and gagging! Ben was shaking his head and just taken aback. All I could do was just snap these photos.

The video is the most nauseating!

View at your own discretion.

The funny part is that while I was recording she was saying, "Don't get my face. That's gross! I don't have make-up on!"

Like that was the gross part!

I'm in Love.....

...with Photoshop!

So I don't know if you all saw our Christmas card photo this year. But my friend from work Manuel taught me a few little things about Photshop and here's what I did...

In the picture that I liked of Ben and I, both Peanut and Otis weren't looking at the camera. So I found pictures of Peanut and Otis that were somewhat decent and photoshopped their faces out of those pictures and put them onto the photo of Ben and I that I liked.

Here's a before and after...



I even photoshopped the little camera remote out of my hand. Ha! I love it!

Now here's something else that my friend taught me on Photoshop...







You can select certain parts of your photo and turn them into "layers" then take the color out of certain layers to get this kind of effect.

I'm still just practicing and I can't wait to learn more!
I'm really thinking of taking a Photoshop class now. They offer one at Mt. SAC and since I get classes for free... Anybody (Caroline!) want to join with me?

My Merry Christmas

Warning!!! This is the worlds longest blog. I haven't blogged for a very long time so this is like 12 blogs in 1! Please don't feel obligated to read it. This is more of a journal for me, rather then entertainment for yous.

As expected the entire month of December just flew by. We were extremely busy. We are every month but especially were this month. I sometimes wonder how people do all this with kids too. Well it was busy but lots of fun. So much fun and so busy that I wish that I could do the whole month over again. But I'll have to wait till next year.

This year I decided that I really wanted to enjoy the Christmas season and just relax more and not stress or panic over little details. Well I did really well until Christmas Eve when I realized that I didn't have a gift for any of our parents or my 2 baby nieces and 1 baby nephew. I had bought all the stuff to make baby blankets for the little ones and I had all the stuff to do photo tile boards for the parents but I just ran out of time. I really was going to give it a shot after our Annual Christmas Eve Dinner with Ben's family, but my dear husband talked me out of it. So on Christmas we just gave a promise that we had gifts for them but they'd be late. I'm so glad that I didn't tell them when, cuz I'm actually just taking a break from the tile boards. Yes, it's January 3rd, actually it will be the 4th in 40 minutes and we still haven't given our parent's their Christmas gifts. Ha! Well this way the Christmas will last just a little bit longer.

One of my favorite Christmas gifts (for the past 4 Christmas's) is getting 7 paid days off from work. It turns out to be 11-12 days total counting the weekends but only 7 paid. Ben and I usually go on a vacation the day after Christmas till I have to go back to work but this year we decided (actually finances decided) to just be home for the holidays. I had hopes and dreams of cleaning and finishing up our house, but it never happened. We have been so extremely busy since my very first day off of work all the way through today. But it's been fun

So I love taking pictures. I guess it's the 50% Korean in me or something. Seriously whenever I go to a family function they think the paparazzi has just arrived. Anywho...I decided to post some pictures of the past month with a little bit of commentary.

Okay, So on the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Graduation from

the Nursing Program

Ben in all his glory.

The leis are from our little Samoans.

Ben just thinks this is a hoot.

I don't know why Asian people always throw up the peace sign.

Isaiah, Ben and Daddy O

Congrats Benjamin! Everyone is so proud of you!

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A work Christmas Party

at Lucille's BBQ

Jackie and Senor Santi Clause

My buddy Emmanuel borrowed our Santa Suit and each of us took a Santa picture with him after we opened our Christmas gift exchange gift.

Alex, Senor Santi Clause and Guillermo

This year since everyone was poor we decided to do a "Be as Creative as You Possibly Can with $5 at the 99 Cent Store". We had everyone bring their gifts wrapped and played a White Elephant type game. It was so fun and I was shocked at the things people found at the 99 Cent store. Did you know they sell hair extensions?

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Winters Family Photo Shoot,

(Pups Included)

So every year we position the tripod then we position ourselves and set the camera to timer. This year is the first year where I had a remote for the camera so I didn't have to keep getting up to push the shutter button. You can see the remote in my hand in all the pics. Ha!

As you can see it's very difficult for us to take a serious picture.

Santa's Reindeer (Sungah), Mrs. Clause (Peanut) & Santa (Otis)

Sungah was a foster pup that Ben and I took in. We named her Sungah (girl in Samoan) and had her for about a week. She is now in a wonderful home with permanent owners in Rancho Cucamonga. She was really sweet and it was fun and stressful (she wasn't potty trained) having her for the week.

Santa's reindeer was the perfect costume for Sungah. Before I bought this costume I described her to people as a Chiuahua mixed with a Reindeer. She had these super long reindeer legs. Peanut was in drag this year since Otis did the drag thing 3 years ago for Halloween.

This is the point where I realized they were getting tired of the pics. Peanut is always so good though. He always sits still and looks at the camera.

Here's when I knew they were done. Even Peanut wouldn't look at the camera for me. Ha!

Sungah, Our little Foster Pup

This is the shot we actually used for our Christmas Cards. I always have so much fun doing these photos every year. We've done them every year since we got married. It's neat to see how much we've all changed.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Christmas #1 with Ben's Mom and Ron

Our first Christmas starts off with Christmas Eve dinner at Ben's Mom and Ron's. (I forgot my camera for Christmas Eve) Then those who want, spend the night and we have Christmas breakfast and open presents.

Christian and Rachel Opening Their Stockings

Only the unmarried kids get stockings at Ben's Mom's. I guess Santa doesn't like married people that much. Ha! Ben says we get punished for being married.

Jon Posing with Presents

This year each of us got an Emergency Preparedness kit from Mom and Ron. In the kit was, a wheat grinder, 72 hour pack for the car and a 72 hour pack for the house, a sleeping bag, a tent, cookbooks, emergency roadside kit, water barrel, water bottle and a TomTom GPS. Mom has been trying to help us with food storage and emergency essentials. What a wonderful gift! We also got lots of other little things.

One of the 5 Christmas Trees Mom Puts Up

I don't know why I didn't take a picture of the main tree. It really is exquisite. Like one you'd see at Bloomingdale's. If interested my sister Caroline posed a pic on her blog. http://theharinghouse.blogspot.com/

Jon's New Pup Harley II

For Christmas Jon got himself a new little dog. She is so stinkin cute and has the shortest stubbies legs I've ever seen. They're even shorter and stubbier then mine! Ha!

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Christmas #2 at Daddy O' Winters

So after Christmas morning with Ben's mom we head over to Ben's dad's for Christmas lunch.

Great Grandma with Baby Everett and Ben's Youngest Brother Bradley

It's so neat to see grandma with her little great grandson. I took a few of these two together and I know they will be cherished in years to come.

Everett Jackson Harring

He is growing so fast. We all just love this little guy.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Christmas #3 at My Sister Kim's

So after Christmas lunch at Ben's Dad's we head down to Corona for Christmas dinner at my sister Kim's. My whole family is there including my Cousin Tony and his family.

You Can't Have Christmas without Kim Bop

I finally got my Christmas baking done on Christmas Eve!

NayNay and PaPa

Frank, Reagan, Melonnie and Kerry

We are waiting to open Christmas gifts.

Sean, Reagan, Key-Su, Frank and Kerry

Eric and Sung-Su

Kerry, Santa and Reagan

Every year Uncle Ben dresses up like Santa for the girls. Last year after he changed out of his Santa suit Reagan found his suit in the laundry room. My sister Kim explained to her that the real Santa asks Uncle Ben to pretend he's Santa because the real Santa is too busy. She told Reagan not to tell Kerry. Well Reagan did tell Kerry just a few days before Christmas this year. Kerry told me what Reagan had said and I told her, "No Way!!!" She replied that she knew Reagan was a liar! Ha! So this year to throw the girls off, Uncle Todd dressed as Santa. When Santa came to the door, Reagan yelled, "Hi Uncle Ben!" Then Uncle Ben walked into the room and the girls were so surprised. We got them! They all thought Uncle Todd was really the real Santa. They sat there talking to him forever and Reagan never realized that it was just her Daddy dressed as Santa!

Reagan After Her Make-Over

Mc Kinnley

This is this little one's camera smile. Whenever she sees the camera she always pulls this squishy little face. She looks so much like my dad!

Maddison

Ben says she looks like Dom DeLuise with this beanie on.

Kerry After Her Make-Over

Kerry got a make-up kit from Reagan for Christmas so I gave each of them make-overs. I used some big girl mascara and eye-liner too.

Brooke

She is sooooo Asian!!!

Reagan and Kerry

This is one of my favorite pictures.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Christmas #4 at Our Place

(My favorite Christmas)

So every year after Christmas dinner at my sisters, Ben and I come home to have our own little Christmas together. We open stockings and presents while we enjoy hot chocolate from 7-11. Then we read the Christmas story from Luke.

Our Christmas Tree

I bought this Christmas tree about 3 years ago at an after Christmas sale in Las Vegas. I got it for 10 bucks! It's pre-lit and flocked. I didn't think I'd like it when I bought it but I really love it. We just started using it last year. It's perfect for our little home because it's really tall and skinny. I love it!

Ben and I Exchanging Stockings

We are such dorks! Again I set up the camera on the tripod. You can see the remote in Ben's hand. Ha!

Just look at the excitement on my husbands face! I love this picture. He was so excited because he bought me like 10 presents but wrapped them all together in one. So when I started opening it all these little presents started falling out. Fooled you!

Cheezie pic but I love this purse. It's so me!

I'm glad Ben faked the excitement when he opened this. It was his second GPS that he recieved this year. He kept the one I gave him though.

Another Great Christmas!

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Trip to the Snow

and Dinner at Jackie's

So after Christmas we went up to Mt. Baldy. It was so nice to see the snow but there were so many people there. We couldn't even find parking along the road. People were all over the place(even in the streets) so we didn't stay long. Then we went and had dinner at Jackie's new house.

Me and Ben

Ben in the Snow

Dinner at Jackie's

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Trip to Disneyland

When we got to Disneyland I realized that with the letters from California, you could spell out Carol, Ben's Mom's first name. So I had her pose by each letter so we could put this shot together.

We rode a ton of rides and had a really fun time even though it was way crowded.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A New Year's Eve Party

at Mom and Ron's

For New Year's Eve, every year we go to my sister Brenda's for a New Year's Eve party. This year they didn't want to have one at their place so my sister Kim decieded to have it at her house. We didn't want to drive out that far on New Year's Eve because of all the traffic and drunks so we passed on that party. We didn't really have any other plans so I called mom in the afternoon to see what they were doing. I suggested we invite all the kids and play games. It turned out to be a ton of fun. Carrie, Aaron, Everett, Jon, Aunt Donna and Kelle showed up. We had pizza and other goodies and played games till 3:45am. Even Ronald who goes to bed at 9pm every night stayed up till almost 4 in the morning!

We played, Scattergories, Apples to Apples and about 6 hours of Tabu! We were so involved in the game that we didn't even realize it was midnight! We heard fireworks out side and people yelling. That's when we realized we missed the whole thing. It was funny because we didn't even stop. We just told everyone "Happy New Year" and went on playing.

Ben's dad got him this shirt as a gag gift. Ben thought it was very appropriate for this New Year's Eve Celebration! Yes that is beer in his hand. Root Beer!

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Trip to Nojoqui Falls and Solvang

On New Year's Day we went for a nice drive up to Solvang.

Extreme Close-Up

The Nojoqui Falls

Not so impressive as far as waterfalls go. It's more of a watertrickle. But this is one of our favorite places to visit on the way up to Central California. It's a short hike (30 minutes up and down) but it's really beautiful.

This time we took mom and Kelle. They really enjoyed it.

We love bringing new people up to the falls. It's so beautiful!

We saw these creepy elves in one of the shop window in Solvang and I just had to take a picture of them for Isaiah. Our favorite bakery was closed but we still had a great time.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

A Sugar Bowl Party

Uncle Jimmy is like the biggest Ute's fan I've ever met. It was so fun watching the game with him. It really was more fun to watch Uncle Jimmy then to watch the game.

Ute's Won!

The team everyone said should not have even been there!

They finished an undefeated season 13-0!

So this is the end of the World's Longest Blog! If you got this far agian I apologize but I warned you in the beginning.

By the way, I did finish the tile boards for our parents just right now too. They are drying and hopefully I can give it to them later on today. I'll post pics and instructions next blog of how to make them.

Good Night. I'm going to bed!