Cauthron Central

Christmas Day

2010-12-30T08:27:00.000-08:00

In deep thought regarding their lists

Only pic captured on Christmas Day!

December Festivities

2010-12-30T08:23:00.000-08:00

Scout Christmas Float

Anchos Annual Dinner

Got Cookies?

Some of my fave girls

School

2010-12-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

Jordyn had his first Christmas Performance-he did great, he is not camera shy! Taylor received a school award for being a caring classmate! Blaine & I are so very proud of our lil fellas!

blowing me kiss in the crowd

Jordie & Mrs. Mulder

Proud Omi & Opi

Taylor & Parker

Busy Bees & Boys

2010-12-04T07:48:00.000-08:00

It has been a whirlwind of buzziness & the calendar is filled until 2011!
The Bear Scouts hosted the November Pack Meeting! They did great!
We headed to Huntington for some Beach front camping!
Home for a week to squeeze in a visit from the Coffman's(Floridaians)then off to San Clemente to eat turkey & camping!
I flew to Chicago for business for a few days-now it's home sweet home for a weekend then let the Christmas chaos begin(I love craziness it keeps me sane!)

The next generation

Coffman's

His Masterpiece

Chicago Conference

My View

The Grand Luxe!

What's a patch without Pumpkins

2010-10-19T17:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Jordyn!

2010-10-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

Jordyn celebrated his 4th Birthday in style!
We hung out with Omi, Shell, and her crew at the Hangar 24 Airshow that morning-it was fun but it sure did get toasty!
Next it was off to the Pumpkin Patch to celebrate! We kept it intimate but nonetheless it was a great time!
The following afternoon we hit up Jordie's favorite eating place Anchos with the family-Good Times!
Check it out!

It was a great Birthday! Happy Happy to my baby boy!

Fall Fever

2010-10-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

Fall is kicking off full swing at our household. We headed to Lyltle Creek/Glen Helen to celebrate the 100th year of scouting and do a little camping! Blaine is the cub master for our pack this year which is keeping our calendars jam packed & we love it!

Sanctuary Baptism

2010-09-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

My Dad & Taylor!

August 26th + Mom = Happy Birthday Mom!

2010-08-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Yee Haw!

Happy Birthday Cowgirl!
Yesterday was my Mom's birthday! My Dad surprised my Mom & took the day off! They headed out of town for a birthday adventure and came home all cowboy'd up!
We headed to a local italian eatery (kids free thanks to the in-laws!) and had a great dinner in our own private room! They music overhead serenaded us with Sinatra (Mom's fave) and the conversation was real and divine!
I'm sure my blog friends have gathered I'm pretty fond of my mother-she inspires me! So any time we get the chance to spoil her and have fun doing it-I'm game!
Happy Birthday WBM!

Raspberry's and Rascals

2010-08-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

friends in the orchards

weeeeeeeeeeeeee

a little dizzy & I like it!

woooooooooooooo

teter totter dirty water

Omi teaching the tricks of the trade

Your all mine little berry

Lookin' so sweet & juicy

Little berry you do not disappoint!

concerned about the bees

three for the price of one!

Birthday Dessert & Presents!

2010-08-11T06:44:00.000-07:00

on his new razor sparker

showing off his skills

gettin some birthday love

OMG!

just in case

notice a theme-pow pow!

jordyn checkin' the loot

surprise

oh it was tasty too!

Happy Birthday T-dawggee!

My Baby is 8

2010-08-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

Taylor's Jump Zone Birthday Celebration!

To be 8 is GREAT!

Cousin Avery turns 2!

2010-07-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

Had a Blast!

Sanctuary Couples Luau

2010-07-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

Tiki man

Adventure!

2010-07-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

cricket in hand

cricket in mouth

cricket in belly

Scout Discovery Hike in Oak Glen

Saturday Swim Party!

2010-07-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

Had a blast hanging at the Sexton's Pool O' Paradise!

Splashes and Sparklers!

2010-07-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

We spent the day BBQ'n and chillaxin' with the family at Nana & G-Tony's casa

Good grub + Good company =

GOOD TIMES!

We headed back home in hopes to see the show at the University, but a accident and crowds kept us at bay, instead we hung at my gracious amigos casa to see the explosions from her rooftop-Great view!

Awesome 4th!

Summer Time in PD

2010-06-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

Hot & Hungry

Opi & T

Omi & Hud's

TDawg!

Discovery Museum

The Air Museum

The End!

Mother's Day Memories

2010-05-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day was especially special this year! My sister and I were asked to speak at church in honor of our Mother. We were pretty excited and nervous-there are so many things I wanted to share but time permitting I shared somethings that hopefully would express my deep gratitude, respect, appreciation, and love for a woman and mother I think is phenomenal in every aspect of her being. Check it out: (we speak about 5 minutes after the intro)
PS...I shared a funny memory of Mom-but after watching the video I totally swayed from my notes and skipped the part that explained why that memory was special. The memory was special to me because it expresses how strong of a woman my mother is even at a time she became physically impaired.
http://sanctuarychurch.com/messages/pages/031-Mothers-day-2010.html .

An Addition to our Family

2010-04-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

Do not fret-It's just another pet!

Yes Jordie was so thrilled when we he discovered: a worm in the dirt under a rock!

One thing led to another and next thing ya' know I'm at Walmart on the hunt for a "worm house".
They make those you ask?

Of course they do
In fact it is large enough for two worms:wormie and his brother squirmie reside there!
1111 Wiggly Worm Pl.

Did you know you can kiss a worm?

There's lots to do with a worm! Every family should have a worm or two! Hey we could set up a worm play date, maybe meet at the worm park! Indulge in wormacchinos or dirt cake-yummy! I think were on to something!

Eggstravaganza

2010-04-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

We had a great time on Ressurection Day! We started the morning with the family at Sanctuary church-great message-awesome scriptures-fun and fellowship-followed by an exciting easter egg hunt! We all headed back home and had the family over for a easter brunch/lunch! The boys were all geared up for the annual egg hunt! It was nice to relax with the family-what a great way to celebrate such a awesome event!

Say Cheese!

Easter Baskets & Bed Heads

Let the Hunt Begin!

Too cool!

It's On!

Double Deuce

This is a tough job!

Is anyone filming this?

Love this Ham!

The Camera is this way!

It's "Easter" bunny ears are allowed-right?

We've been practicing!

Papa

Opi

Omi & Nana

The Gang

LeLe and Bun n' da oven

Good Friday

2010-04-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

By this time it was noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands.” And with those words he breathed his last.

When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent” And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow Luke 23: 44-48

Pinewood Derby Days

2010-03-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

The time has come and the derby competition was on! Taylor created a "Rally Car' for the big day and Jordie made a "Racing Wagon"
We were so proud of both their wins! They took home a first place and a third place trophy! Dad was the officiator this year-he makes us proud too!

Go T dawg!

YES!

AAHHH!

Buddies

Snack anyone?

Proud Daddy

The Officiator

World's Best Cheerleaders!

In his glory!

Bake Sale Burgers

They were a hit!

Spring Break

2010-03-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

We headed to San Diego for a few days to soak up some sun and have some fun!
No trip to SD would be complete with out a visit to see Killer Whales and some sea snails!

Hunington Beach Bike ride!

2010-03-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

Beach+Bikes+Boys+Blessings=Birthday!

33 and Loving It!

2010-03-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

Feeling Spoiled!

Family took me to Japanese restaurant

for a fab birthday dinner

celebration

Everest

Spencer crew

Cauthron Clan

Opi!

J bear & mama

Mom and Grams

The boys

Nana and me

Spongebob

Lego creation from the boys

Nana and G-Tony

Had a amazing Birthday!

Who has my Heart

2010-02-13T08:13:00.000-08:00

THEY DO!
HE DOES!
YOU DO!
Can you figure it out?

aaaaawwwww!

my valentines!!!!!!!!!!!

whatca talkin bout willis!

best buddies!

homemade Omi cookies-yummmy & cute!
homemade bag made by nana julie-cute 2!

a truck and a treat for V-day...g-parents ROCK!

one for you my V-day sock monkey!

one for me too!

me three!

a kiss to seal the deal!

two more....life's surreal!

THEY DO= my family
HE DOES=Jesus
YOU DO=my friends
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Here It Is!

2010-01-29T12:18:00.000-08:00

FRIDAY BABY!

During the week I often day dream about my Friday mornings:
~~Pretend~~ to Sleep in
Fresh brewed coffee sipped slow & purposely
Enjoying the News Mirror
Day O' Beauty (only day I really have time to do the toes-eyebrows-lavendar bath-paraffin-u get the picture)
Hubby home early
Kids riding bikes up & down the street

Last Friday!

This Friday!

Chilly Willy

2010-01-22T19:29:00.000-08:00

Snow Days are rare in these parts but when they come gotta live em' up and thats just what we did!

So much to be Thankful for!

2009-11-30T18:55:00.001-08:00

We had a amazing time hanging in Havasu with the family for the Thanksgiving Holiday. The weather was perfect so was the company & the grub! We had a feast on Turkey day compliments of Omi, checked out the boat races & did some wheelin' out to a old church & cafe out in the boonies on Friday, caught some fish on Saturday, took a couple lakeside jogs, lost a few rounds of Zilch, and took a few hundred golf cart rides with the world's craziest driver(Opi), and sadly headed back to reality Sunday!

Welcome Saturday!

2009-11-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

Wow what a week-let me tell you I was anxiously awaiting Saturday & finally here it is!
Please don't go Saturday morning-stay awhile & let me enjoy all that you have to offer my soul!
I will take you up on your offer to let me to sleep in-Thank-you!
I enjoyed the delicious cup of "coffee people" coffee that you provided.
I cherish the man who delivered it!
I appreciated the moment of serenity you provided & the time I got to spend in prayer. Amen
I loved the morning run you allowed with two precious young boys!
I totally loved the birds you brought to sing to us while on our run!
Please don't rush off Saturday!
If you must go would you like to come back soon & maybe invite Sunday to join us!

Halloweeny

2009-11-01T07:18:00.001-08:00

Pumpkin Patch Cauthron Style

2009-10-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

Gas to get to the patch:$5.00
A couple of beverages to quench one's thirst:$20.00
Fee to use the bathroom after quenching one's thirst:$25.00 (per minute)
2 activities for 2 children:$30.00
A day with three handsome boys: Priceless!

Dog The Bounty Hunter and Beth were in Yucaipa! Did ya Hear?

2009-10-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

Note to Self

2009-10-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

Research H1N1 vaccine
Love
Laugh
Celebrate Life
Enjoy each Day
Stop
Smell the Roses and remove the snails in the path of my footstep :)

Happy Birthday J-Bear!

2009-10-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

Jordyn was 2!

Bye-Bye Bon fire!

2009-09-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

Headed to the beach last weekend-car was loaded & we had planned on spending the entire day just beachin' it! We were up & out fairly early in hopes to secure a firepit for a old fashion family bonfire. We were in OC by 9:30-to our surprise not a available fire ring in site. Four hours into our hunt for a firepit we decided to hit the sand & forget about the fire. I must say we were all good sports & instead of being disturbed by the unfortunate circumstances we were all excited about the adventure! We found a secluded beach that required a small hike-but it was worth the seclusion! We never had our bon fire but we did manage to grub on some tasty fish tacos prior to leaving OC.

August: The Birthday Month

2009-08-30T12:58:00.001-07:00

Well it has been a busy month of celebrating, Avery got the birthday ball a rollin', followed by T, next Happy 70th to Nana, and finally Happy Happy to Omi!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho it's off to school I go....

2009-08-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

School days

2009-08-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

Yes my booney(his nickname for only about the first two years of life, because we used it so much that when people would ask his name he would say "booney") is growing up...he looked so handsome and grown-up on his first day back to school!! Yep I sure did-I most surely cried as soon as I dropped him off and walked to the car-I'm so proud of him!!

Summer days have come.....and gone

2009-08-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

and even more celebrating....

2009-08-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks Omi and Opi for hosting a "best ever" birthday party for T-dawg & thanks Omi for making my day soooo special-just like you!!! Love T-dawgee

Birthday Boy

2009-08-10T15:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a while

2009-08-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a while since my last blog entry-but in all honesty I'm glad to say that I have not had time or energy for blogging, that's because with most of my time and energy I have had the opportunity to hang with two awesome boys! We have been busy bees this summer vacation. We spent some time in Palm Desert with the family, we hung out with the cub scouts at a local fishing hole, we spent some time celebrating birthdays, and celebrating births!! T-bear turned 7, cousin Avery turned 1, and baby Grey has arrived!! Many blessings! God is good!

4th of July

2009-07-08T16:43:00.001-07:00

Everybody has a story!

2009-06-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

Today a revelation struck me like a flash of lightning-Everybody has a story.
I had a encounter with a very grumpy, outspoken, filthy talking, abrasive, and cynical woman. She spilled unkind and hurtful words from her mouth because of what seemed to be a small set-back. I had delayed her for her appointment by 5 minutes, and because of this she was livid and even asked for the spelling of my name so that she could file a report with my institution for the delay in her day. Her over-reaction seemed strange, however after speaking with her I learned "Her Story." She was born to mute parents who were resentful and heartbroken that she was not a male, she explained to me that her mother miscarried a male fetus prior to her birth. Her father had hoped for a boy in hopes that he could help with the financial burdens of the family by laboring on their farm. From the first year of her life until she was 17yrs old her father made it very clear to her that she was not suitable for his needs by physically abusing her in a horrific fashion, even sending her down a flight of stairs and knocking her unconscious. After hearing just a glimpse of her childhood I was instantly aware of why this woman is bitter, abrupt, and rude-it is not that she desired to be this way-I believe it is her childhood circumstances that hardened her heart. Somewhere inside that heart of hers is still a soft ventricle, and by the end of our encounter she hugged me twice, apologized for her behavior, and thanked me for talking with her when in reality the only words I uttered during my time with her was "I'm sorry." She did not desire an explanation to my tardiness all she wanted was some human compassion-and for someone to listen to her story. We all have a story, a book, or a least a page to a story still being written. There is a reason the person who cut you off on the freeway shouts profanity's at you, or why the person standing on the off-ramp half sober needs a meal or a drink. I bet if we stop to listen to each other-we could learn about the novels of each other's lives.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T08:10:00.001-07:00

You Dad's are amazing-Happy Father's Day! My dad is a awesome example of all that a Dad can be! Love you Dad so mucho much thanks for all that you do and all your support always! My BPC is a great dad, I love watching him father our children all the while he grows in his relationship with our heavenly father.

Going on a Bear Hunt

2009-06-19T16:25:00.001-07:00

Well we are at it again-roughing it that is, however anytime you are in the presence of Omi there is no such thing as roughing it..she does everything in style-including camping. Omi was accompanied by T-dawg, J-bear, and my sis and her crew this past week as they visited the national forest to enjoy nature and all of God's creation including the mountain creatures...T & J had a chance to fine tune their mad fishing skills, skateboarding techniques, and branch breaking "top of the world" tree climbing. BPC and I visited for a few days also (as did Opi) We all had a great time, T & J had a great time...what a way to kick off summer 09'-Thanks Omi for the kickin' cuisine-the luxury set-up and the good times!!

Camping with the C's amongst the trees

2009-06-14T15:06:00.001-07:00

We spent the weekend camping at Mountain Lakes in Lytle Creek with the C's (Nana, Papa, Uncle Ran, Aunt Holly, Avery, Aunt Amanda, Uncle Dustin, Danika, Duke & Jake). The boys had fun hanging with their cousins in pink, and don't let the dainty pink outfits fool you-these girls had no trouble finding the dirt. Once they are mobile I don't think they will have any problem keeping up with their older cousins T-dawg & J-bear. T-dawg and J-bear were on a mission to catch a wild animal during the trip. They built a trap & waited patiently to see what they could capture-patience is a virtue-haha. They were both eager to also capture some catfish, they assisted their Uncles Randy & Dustin in the feat-however only to be reminded again that patience is a virtue. They were however successful in trapping each other in the tent (they called it their bomb shelter.) They also managed to feed baby ducks, play at camp, get unrecognizably dirty, make us laugh, make us smores, and make us love every minute of being in their prescence. We enjoyed our time we spent hanging with the family (my apologies if you were not present during the limited photo shoot.) Thank-you Nana & Papa, we are grateful for the invitation and hospitality-we had fun-even minus the sun.

Chop Chop

2009-06-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

Look out Zack Effron here comes Tdawg!

Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary, Happy Anniversary!

2009-06-07T20:56:00.001-07:00

mom & dad

shell & chad

george & lil

j-bear

t-dawg

dad & nana

nana & grandpa T

aunt patty & nick

guys & dolls

This weekend my Nana and Grandpa Tony hosted a fantastic dinner at their home for Blaine and I in honor of our 10 year anniversary. They put on a incredible spread accompanied by some delicious wines. Nana had been saving our champagne glasses from our wedding night for this special occasion-so we ended the evening with a celebratory toast and kiss. Thanks Nana & Grandpa Tony for a wonderful evening and celebration.

June Gloom

2009-06-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

This week zoomed by as BPC is still wearing out the couch cushions-he does however have a dr.s appointment on Monday with the ankle specialist-we are praying that he gets a load of good news. We got to spend some time with our niece Miss D on Monday-she came to hangout with her cousins and Ez-E! We also celebrated with T-dog's classmates as his awesome teacher
Mrs. M hosted a awards ceremony honoring the kids for their hardwork the past year. T-dog was awarded the "Most Improved Handwriting" award-I was delighted as we have really been working hard on improving his handwriting(like father like son-lol.) We enjoyed Sunday dinner & a spa swim at my sister's casa-and again a swim at Omi & Opi's Tuesday afternoon. BPC's family visited with us on last Saturday & treated to Frugos yum! Thunder and lightning visited on Wednesday afternoon, the stormy sky was breathtaking. On a sad note this week a long time patient of mine passed away after a battle with liver disease-she truly was a energetic & loving woman who will be welcomed in heaven and missed by those who knew her. Please keep Jordan Macias in your prayers. We are all looking forward to the weekend and another bout of stormy weather (my favorite.) Blessings to all and again much thanks to mom & dad for all your extra help & support!

Is it Summer yet?

2009-05-30T13:17:00.000-07:00

Well when it is officially summer J-bear will be ready! Sorry Pedro no sweaty head here!

Happy Anniversary

2009-05-29T05:57:00.000-07:00

Today BPC and I will be celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary! So Happy Anniversary to the world's greatest husband, my best friend, my lover, my soulmate, my baby's daddy! I love you and look forward to all our future holds because with you all things are good!

Luv Lina

Big Bear Blast (Literally)

2009-05-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

The boys spent the day with Papa & Daddy watching the demolition go down at the Big Bear Dam. They could not come down the mountain before climbing Kellar Peak Lookout Tower and filling their tummies at IHOP-where they serve breakfast all day-yummy

May-Days

2009-05-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

We had a great 3-day weekend. Saturday my parents hosted a BBQ and swim party, Sunday we spent the morning at Sanctuary & the evening chillaxin by the fire, and Monday our neighbor's The Thompson's hosted a Memorial Day BBQ. Everybody put on a great spread & the kids had a blast swimming the days away!

BBQ

2009-05-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks Again Lesch Family for hosting a BBQ a few weeks back!

Graduation

2009-05-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

We are so proud of T-dog-he has graduated from a Tiger scout and he is now a Wolf scout-YEA!

We went to Bob's Big Boy to celebrate!

Ankles-(who needs em' anyway)

2009-05-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

Blaine Does!! Well God has definitely given Blaine some rest-much to his dismay. He has been in the same spot for over a week now (he is staring to become accustomed to it!) In all honesty he is going stir crazy and there's nothing he can do about it! So my advice to my beloved "rest-ice-elevation and enjoy the relaxation (it doesn't happen very often, trust me the honey-do list is growing)!
I was driving home yesterday when a pastor on Air1 read this scripture: Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose.

How perfect-God uses all situations for good-even when we don't !! Each and every situation is what makes up the tapestry of our lives. Sometimes we are broken down so that we can then be re-built by the world's greatest carpenter JESUS!
I am so thankful for all the support-please continue in your fervent prayers.

We are truly blessed to be loved by such awesome people. Thank-you for the Sanctuary family who has continuously called & offered Blaine encouragement-help-and prayers! Thank-you to mis padres for your help in all ways-I must say, Mom I'm impressed by your awesome mowing skills :) GRACIAS

Mother's Day weekend Getaway

2009-05-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

Getaway is the key word-that is exactly what I needed-just some R & R time-some time to soak up the sun-to reflect on what it is to be a mom & some time to spend with the special Mom God has blessed me with-some time to spend with other special mom's in my life-& some time relishing in the amazing children God has given Blaine & I. We really enjoyed our desert escape & are thankful for the Spencer's generosity & hospitality!

Some Like it Hot!

2009-05-08T10:12:00.001-07:00

BPC is such a handy man to have around! He built (with is helpers) this awesome fireplace for us to enjoy! What a Guy!

Spring Fling

2009-05-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

We had a awesome Easter!! Here's Proof!

Laundry Loser

2009-04-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

If you must know something about me you must know that I HATE doing laundry! Indeed I would pay a large amount of money (in my dreams) for a laundry-keeper (similar to housekeeper but strictly for laundry.) This such keeper would be responsible for removal of stains-keeping the whites white, and the brights bright, for washing, drying, folding, hanging, organizing, and placing all laundered items in their appropriate place. I have a button on my dryer labeled "Wrinkle Release" and I'm not exaggerating when I say that I utilize this button repetitively on the same load. Let me explain-once a load had been dried and is ready to be folded-I instead utilize the "Wrinkle Release" button (in hopes that the laundry will remove & fold itself) to avoid the inevitable. My gas bill suffers, my spouse and children suffer, and I too suffer from this habit! I am a Laundry Loser!
Replay of my conversation with BPC this am.
Mr.-Honey do you know where all my underwear are?
Mrs.-Yes they are in the laundry basket!
Mr.-the clean clothes basket or the dirty clothes basket?
Mrs.-ummmm...
Mr.- I'm wearing chonies that I haven't worn in 5 years!
Mrs.-Be thankful your 5 year old chonies still fit!
Mr.-I guess I'm sporting Long Johns today!
Mrs. I have some undies you can borrow!
Well I must end this post as I just heard the dryer beep-"Wrinkle Release" here I come!

Note to Self

2009-04-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

Note to Self:

Give Thanks to Lord-Shell & Chad got great news about their jobs today!

Give Thanks to Omi & Opi for spoiling me & my babies while BPC was out of town!

Give Thanks to BPC for being a great daddy and hubby!

Give Thanks for having the opportunity to Give Thanks!

BRING IT ON!

2009-04-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

J-Bear sporting the latest mickey ears while chill axing at the park............

BPC out wheeling with the Sanctuary guys

The Cauthron crew is on the mend...Yes I declare we are finally restored to health and thus happiness. It appears we have all adjusted to the time difference since Jordyn isn't waking up from his afternoon nap requesting POG(island breakfast juice)(not sure why I did not bottle any and smuggle it on the plane ride home!) I did however bring home some pretty useful parenting skills from the Island.

"Mama Maui..." That's right the very second we got off the plane in Maui I let the kids in on a little (lie) secret-Mama Maui is a very grumpy babystitter who lives in a old run down banana shack surrounded by wild boar.

Mama Maui will kindly babysit the tourist children who misbehave while visiting the Island. This small (white lie) secret was a lifesaver on many occasions during our vacation, but it did not end there-just the other day J-bear was throwing himself a good old fashioned temper tantrum in the backseat of the car when I overheard T- dawg tell J-bear "you should stop crying or else you will have to go to Mama Yucaipa's house" suddenly the tears ceased and so did the tantrum. Genius I thought-and yes moms you may borrow this nifty idea!

Anyhow back to reality-we have had a busy past two weeks:

Danielle's (my cousin) 21st birthday party

Easter-Church to celebrate-then a easter egg hunt with family and friends

BPC was working in Utah from Mon-Wed. but he managed to squeeze in a little off-roading on Sunday afternoon with the guys from Sanctuary.

T dawg went on a hike with the scouts on Monday with Omi, Jordyn, and myself in tow.

J bear sweet talked his Omi into taking him to see her friends Mickey & Minnie yesterday.

Not sure what's in store for the weekend but BRING IT ON!

Maui continued...

2009-04-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a cardboard box for fun

Merriman's Lobster & View

Black sand beach

Rainbow Eucalyptus

Well I know you have all been on the edge of your seats waiting for more juicy details of our vacation in paradise so here goes it.

Day four the whole family headed to the Maui ocean aquarium-we got to watch the shark feeding (which really got me excited to go swimming in the ocean) and feed the turtles lettuce (until we realized turtles can't digest lettuce) oops!

Day five we spent the entire day at the Ritz Carlton pool and then off to grub at the Hula Grill (yummy) for dinner-you may have noticed a theme (sun-food-pool-food-fun-food)

Day six we survived the drive to Hana-if you have never been to Hana you must go, it is amazing. Hana is the second wettest place in the world-the drive is pretty hairy (1 way roads & lots of curves) but it was well worth it-it took all day to drive to & fro, but we stopped at several sites and even did a hike through the rain forest -we stopped at the black sand beach (beware of the man of wars & jellyfish) and the seven sacred pools (something you don't see everyday) the drive ends at Charles Linden burg's final resting place. To get home you must turn around and do the entire drive again(just in case you missed a waterfall or two!)

Day seven we did some chilaxin at the pool & soaked in plenty of sun-we needed some R & R to prepare for the worlds best cuisine that evening. Mom, Dad, Blaine & I enjoyed dinner at the famous Merriman's restaurant (the kids hung out with Aunt Lele & Uncle Chadly) this restaurant is said to have one of the "best views" in the world-we had an amazing sunset-this meal was the most expensive meal I have ever indulged in $$ (scallops,lobster,filet mignon etc..) I can't forget to mention dessert-we had a "chocolate purse" this is a phyllo dough purse stuffed with chocolate souffle that melts in your mouth-it was topped with vanilla bean ice-cream-OMG!.

The following day mom & dad treated us to an adventure in the sky-we went zip-lining in kapalua!! I loved every minute of it-which is shocking since I'm scared to death of heights-but I try to remember life is short so it's time to enjoy it! We spent the evening at the "Warren & Annabelle" comedy/magic show in Lahaina- definitely a show you can't miss if you are ever visiting the Island!

The next day we went back to Lahaina (downtown Maui) to do some souvenir shopping! I think I've lost track of the days (we were in Maui for 12 days) anyhow our last evening Shell & I treated Mom & Dad (boys stayed at home with dads) to dinner at the Sea-House restaurant ( one of our faves)the view was awesome-food not so much, which was a disappointment since we used to love this place-oh well we made up for it by heading to Merriman's for dessert-they have a ocean front fire-pit where they also serve dessert ( OMG chocolate purse's)-we hung out just the original "Taylor" clan-(which does not happen very often) and enjoyed the warmth of the fire & the sound of the waves crashing against the cliffs. We dreamed of how we could become kamahainas( locals) in Maui, we decided we just need one winning lotto ticket & were there!

The last day we woke up early and had breakfast at our favorite whale watching restaurant "The Gazebo"-this place is cool-it is completely opened to the elements-birds fly in and out (and you know how I love birds-lol) and you can see whales splashing about in the ocean blue as you dine on the most delicous banana mac pancakes & fried rice. Then it was bittersweet as we caught our flight back to the mainland. Our trip was off the hook & I can't wait to go back-Aloha!

The first 3 days in Maui

2009-04-11T13:38:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun in Maui I forgot to blog. So I will fill you in on our daily happenings while we were pretending to be kamahainas(locals). After getting settled in our Nana's great condo in Kapalua-we hit the pool and barbecued some delicious grub..we never went hungry the entire trip thanks to the parents and their Costco spree-and if you know my hubby and his healthy appetite you can imagine the bill was not cheap. Day two we headed up-country to visit our favorite banana bread lady..she makes and sells the most moist and delicious banana bread on the island-you have to get there early as they sell out daily-what a way to live huh? Check out the pic above-the bright green shack is at the top of her family owned property-this is where the magic happens-she stores the bread in warmers & when she runs low she calls her ohana(family) and they bring up another batch-they actually ride the bread up on quads cool huh? We continued on our drive around the island and stopped to enjoy world famous crab pizza at Hiliymilys(sp?), we also visited our favorite island monkeys & duckies, toured the lavender farms, and hit a winery for a tasting The detailed events may be out of chronological order as I (enjoyed the pineapple wine) left my watch in Cali!
Day three we headed for the beach at Napili Kai-the kids had a blast Bogey boarding & building sand castles. Jordyn had no fear of the ocean initially-until the wipe out! Taylor and Blaine went on a pineapple tour and got to pick their own Maui Gold Pineapples-they learned alot about the history of the island..and how to pick a great pineapple.

How to choose a delicious pineapple:

Clear the aisle in the grocery store-and roll that puppy down the isle-if it does not wobble-it's a winner-if it wobbles (quietly place it back in it's original location) no bueno!

Following the tour-Blaine and I took the boys to the 18-hole miniature golf course and had fun playing Opi's favorite sport..stay tuned for days 3-6 of our Maui escape!
Aloha Taralina

The World's Greatest Easter Bunny

2009-04-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

We spent our Spring Break in Maui. We had an amazing time which I will tell about in detail in a later post. The purpose of this post is to say THANK-YOU DAD!! What an amazing Easter Egg! Let me explain-every since I can recall the Easter bunny(Dad) hides Easter eggs for Shell & I. When we were younger they were filled with chocolates and jellies and hidden in fairly obvious locations throughout the house-in our teenage years they were stuffed with moola and were not as obvious-when we became adults(along with our better halves) they were filled with trivia clues that are not at all obvious and are quite mind challenging-but always worth the prize. The Easter Bunny spends countless hours designing the egg hunts and loves every minute from preparation to hunting time. One year he even designed a "fear-factor" egg hunt & the participators were required to indulge in some mystery food (pigs feet & sardines) yummy! The only exception to Easter 2008 was the amazing prize! Each participant was given a egg filled with a description of an adventure of sorts-ie. Blaine's egg described a weekend getaway to Big Bear, Mom's egg suggested a dinner to Ruth-Chris Steakhouse, Shell's egg detailed a weekend in Palm Desert...but best of all my egg outlined a vacation in paradise-Maui baby!!!! However there was a twist to the hunt:

Twist: You must convince the other's that your egg is filled with the best prize without giving any information about your prize-then as a group we had to vote on which egg to choose. Now remember nobody knows what the other's egg prize is, so you aren't really sure what prize is the best..I had a pretty good idea that my prize was the topper-so I did my best to sell it to the family-I really wanted the group to choose my egg-in fact I wagered my paycheck as a guarantee to the other's that they would not be disappointed by my egg(all along praying somebody didn't have a egg filled with something better-) (then again what could be better than all expense paid trip in paradise with the one's you love)-wisely the other participants (Mom-Shell-Chad-Blaine) choose my egg and they lived happily ever after :)

I'm truly blessed to have such a awesome Dad-he has always worked so hard to not just provide for his family-but to have fun with us too!!! I'm sure times were not always easy but he would go to the ends of the earth for his girls (Mom-Shell& I.) I truly admire my Dad. He is such a humorous, brave, loving, kind, and humble character whom I am truly grateful for. Thank-you dad for your sacrifices-Thank-you for a awesome vacation!!!

Blast Off

2009-03-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

J has really been doing a great job at nap time..Yesterday I was bragging to a co-worker that I can walk him to his room-tuck him in-give him XOXO-and within a minute or two he is sawing logs..Well you can imagine my panic when I went to check on him this afternoon & as I slowly peeked in the tiny opening of his bedroom door-he was not in his cozy elephant bed-nor was laying on his gator pillow (his alternate sleeping spot)-I shouted his name & at the same time I quickly glanced to the opposite corner of his room to find him curled up in his rocket-ship! Relief!! He is such a funny character-always doing things on his own terms :)

Go T-Bucket

2009-03-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

T dog did an amazing job building his pinewood derby truck & took First Place in the Derby! When we replayed the video it is hardly watchable(is this a word?) because mom's hands were so shaky from adrenaline of the win :) I guesss it is not so much that he won but that the pride I had in him for following through and for doing a job well done. He really poured his heart and soul into this build and with the help of dad he made a pretty hot little ride. The other boys on the team had some neat cars too-good job Tigers!! Omi, Opi, Grams, Uncle Chad-Aunt LeLe, Ez-E, J, and Mommy all were in attendance for the event ( Dad had to work at the Porsche race)-T gets to take his car to the District races next month-Good Luck T-Dog!!

I WON 2.5 MILLION DOLLARS!!!

2009-03-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

At least that's what the e-mail in my inbox said-ha! It read-"Congratulations you have won 2.5 million dollars from Microsoft!" funny all I have to do is go to a wacky titled web address & enter in every bit of private and personal information that I can think of & my winnings will arrive via check in the mail-Happy Belated Birthday to me!
OK so maybe it's a scam but what was not a joke was the awesome birthday weekend & celebration I had. I spent the weekend with some amazing sisters in San Juan Capistrano-I truly came home with some clear directions from God about some issues I'm currently dealing with-the speaker mentioned a really useful acronym SBIGO!
SBIGO-something bigger is going on
we don't always know why things happen the way they do but the Lord knows exactly why & if allowed his Will will be done-LET GO LET GOD!! and remember SBIGO
I ended the weekend with a amazing Birthday party hosted by my admired mom-she made the most delicious Thai cuisine imaginable-lettuce wraps-glass noodles-steak-chicken satay-Jamaican hammocks-and three various desserts-homemade cheesecake-angel food cake & fresh seasonal fruit...oh yeah and three complimentary sauces-raspberry puree-lemon Cello & dark chocolate :) My family & friends spoiled me with love-attention & thoughtful gifts-I'm truly blessed & grateful. Thanks is owed to a mother who will go without so that her children do not-to a mom who is humble & modest yet extraordinary-to a mom who takes nothing and gives all-to a mom who defines unconditional-I LOVE YOU MOM!! Thank-you mom& dad for a awesome birthday! Thank-you Blaine for spoiling me rotten-I love all my gifts-thanks #1 Hubby!! Thanks EVERYBODY!!

Note to Self

2009-03-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

Note to Self

Buy some Blue Monster Truck Pull-Ups

Buy a new mop head

Pink Panties

2009-03-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

As you may have read on my mom's blog http://meetthetaylorcrew.blogspot.com/ I did indeed have to subject my 2 year old to pink panties-yikes! I opened up the pack of pull-ups & to my surprise they were Pink Dora the Explorer pull-ups-and I'm sure you would agree that they are pricey so no need to waste them-I said to myself - self "I will just use them while we are chillaxin" however when J Bear spotted Boots on the back side he was ecstatic-he could not be more thrilled! He felt it was most necessary to show every person within a five mile radius his dora diapers-discreet is not his middle name..

2009-03-04T13:53:00.001-08:00

Cub Scout Cake Bake disaster !
Ok ladies I'm sure you can relate-Saturday was the 79th b-day celebration for the Cub-Scouts & thus the big birthday party was held Sat. evening. Now part of the celebration was a annual "Cake-Bake"-now let me remind you this is T's first year as a cub-scout so mom is still learning the ropes. The "Cake-Bake" rules state that each scout shall bake a cake for a cake auction-the den mothers stressed how important it was that the scout do the baking with minimal assistance from mom-as a law-abiding citizen I followed the rules & T made a wonderfully tasting-kinda ugly "Dump-Cake" (see recipe below). We chose the dump-cake as it literally requires no mixing & only dumping (hit the easy button!) I truly imagined that this creation would reel in a substantial donation at the auction-however to my embarrassment when we arrived to the party I realized that we were surrounded by rule breaking den mother's who must be professional bakers on the side ;) they were wheeling in cakes that could be on the cover of Martha's magazine-one even had a working gold mine No Joke! It sold for $50 bucks!-T's cake: ugly but TASTY reeled in a whooping $5.00 from a anonymous donor (I'm guessing it was daddy) as I noticed our poor lonely cake sitting on the auction table all night-it's probably still there-so if your hungry for a tasty dump cake head on over to the Methodist Church in Yucaipa. I would go now as I imagine the chaos will begin as soon as I post this here post-lol
Recipe:
Dump Cake:
1 large can crushed pineapple-1 can of cherry pie filling-1 box of yellow cake mix-2 sticks of butter sliced-nuts
dump pineapple into bottom of pan-dollop cherry mixture by the teaspoon on top of pineapple-sprinkle entire box of cake mix on top-place slices of butter on top of cake mix-sprinkle with nuts & bake at 350 four 1 hour-then scoop & enjoy!

2009-03-04T13:42:00.001-08:00

NOTE TO SELF:

To Buy:

3 Overpriced Cub Scout Themed Martha Stewart Cake Pans In Various Sizes

100 Various Colored & Flavored Cake Frostings

Cake Toppers-Check Local Cake Supplier

10 Batches of Fondant

Cake Stencils

Cake Airbrush Machine

Cake Pedestals

Lighting to Illuminate The Cake

Flour-Butter-Sugar-Eggs-Vanilla-Baking Powder/Soda

To Do:

Spend several sleepless nights creating a cake spectacular as to not be embarrassed at the next "Cub-Scout Cake Bake" (see next post for details) start now as the clock is ticking only 360 days to go!

Welcome Tartar & Sauce

2009-02-27T20:45:00.001-08:00

Welcome Tartar & Sauce to the family-

as you read on the previous post Taylor's fish "TJ" went to the big fish bowl in the sky-so after a proper burial we headed to the pet store-where we found our newest members of the family-it was a bumpy ride home (the silver fish survived two brutal drops-the bag was slippery)-but now they are Home sweet Home!

Orange is not my favorite color

2009-02-27T05:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday-

Another week come and gone but not without leaving it's mark-forget "Not Monday's" welcome to "Oh Yes-Yes it did-it most definitely did"

Yes my hair did turn a lovely hue of orange as I attempted to save some moolaa and try the do-it-yourself home coloring kit! There's a reason my hairdresser drives a pimped out ride-with a rockin stereo system-lol :)

Yes we did have a great time at the Intimacy Ignited study this week-ooolala

Yes Jordyn's barking cough made a come-back-GO AWAY ALREADY!

Yes Taylor's fish "TJ" (stands for Taylor Jr.) went to be with the Lord this week-and he asked"how he would get there from the toliet bowl"

Yes the kids did go to the Zoo & have a blast

Yes Blaine did drive to Utah & back in 1.5 days for work-miles baby miles!

Yes my mom did take me early birthday shopping and spoil me crazy-gotta luv her

Yes I was very saddened by a friend's loss this week :(

Yes I do check my blog everyday-to see if there are any updates-not realizing I'm the updater-duh

lots of love and bloggers Tara

2009

2009-02-20T13:34:00.000-08:00

This year 2009 I have declared is going to begin as a year of revelation. What do I mean by revelation-well I have decided that in December of 2009 I will not utter the words "wow another year flies by," no instead I will shout "wow look at what God has done!" I will allow my heart to be open to his word and my life to be devoted to his will. There are many things God has already revealed to me as I have made this declaration.
Less work-more play
Less nagging-more praise
Less-T.V.-more outdoors
Less sleep-more life & love (ooolala)
Less world-more Jesus
Less worrying-more prayer
Less money-more trust
Less carbohydrates-more veggies(ok this one is all me)
Less of me & more of him
I'm seeing a pattern here Less=More
So stay tuned I can assure you there is lots more to come....
lots of love Taralina

Winter 08/09

2009-02-19T11:27:00.000-08:00