Halloweeney VanDalen Style!!

I just want you to know that I seriously could have put 100 pictures of this very fun night. However, I will try to narrow it down and give you the best of the best. The kids did great. Here is Kali and her best bro T-man!!

This here was our first stop and I think that it's kinda cute...the boys like to look in the windows at every house and Kali, well she just wants her candy!!

Kali and her #1 daddy...that green sucker was not only all over her, but over everything she touched!!!

Kali is not real strong in the whole picture taking thing...so this is the best of the vandalen clan!

The wonderful mamaa and bampa!!!

Kali and her mommy kitty!! Just love my lil' kitty!!

Our very own 'Jake' Sparrow!!

Taijikin Skywalker at your service!!

The Great Pumpkin Adventure

I wish I could figure out this blogger thing and move my pictures. This is a little backwards to have the finished product first...oh well...now you can see how all our hard word paid off!! Taiji is on the top step, second step is kali on the left, truman on the right. Bottom step in Jake!!

Here is Truman, perfecting his 'W' for the University of Washington Huskies.

My little pumpkin head, I got a picture of her last year at 6months with thePumpkin hat and pumpkin top. She was a lot more accomadating last year!!

So fun!! My shirtless twins!!

The gang is assembled and ready to go!!

It's that time of year again...pumpkin carving!! The boys just love it. It's messy it takes all night and I often wonder why we need to do a pumpkin for each child. If I wasn't sure before about another child....the fact that I would have to do five pumpkins every year, just pushed me over. Fours enough. They did great and I think Kali thought we were crazy. She wasn't into it at all. We got some great pictures...enjoy!!

The First Piggy Tails

We are back...nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there!! Anyways...We were so excited to see the kids. They all did a great job at their respective caregivers. (Thanks to all of you, you know who you are!!) The very first thing that I noticed when I saw Kali was that the mullet was looking awfully long...and for anyone that knows me, you know have I have been willing her hair to grow from the minute she was born. Well this morning we were going to do something with the Mullet....our result was theeee cutest little piggy tails that you have ever seen. My old trick I perfected with Abbey, was to give her the tooth brush loaded with baby tooth paste and work as fast as you can. She did great and I have a feeling you will be seeing a lot more of these cute little piggers!!

Birthday in Montreal

Here's is the group...we didn't have a reservation, but thanks to Harry we got in and had a great meal!! Thanks Harry!!

Are you sick of this picture yet!! I just love this guy!!

This was my Birthday dessert and it was awesome...can you see the fire in Shane's eyes!!

Here we are in Montreal...Yes I spent my Birthday in Montreal. Not really my first choice but we had a lot of fun. Yes Cruise Chick another vacation and yes I would have loved you sean here because this was your town. Another time maybe...well next time I enter I will be back in the US of A. Thanks all that wished me a Happy Birthday day...we will connect soon. Here are some pictures from the birthday dinner!!

Hello From Montreal!!

Here we are at a fun little Irish Pub. Lots of great Irish music and of course Irish Beer!!

This is me with my adopted sisters, sofia and colleen. We had just a little too much fun!!

Just me and the love of my life...He thinks he is a super model and likes to strike a pose!!

After the formal dinner...just hanging out!!

Formal dinner, horrible food!!

Hi there to all of my friends that actually read this Blog!! I just wanted to update you and let you all know that we are in Monteal Quebec, CA. Yes you read that right we left the kids nice weather and jumped on a plane and headed to a french speaking, cold, and raining country. We inspite are having a great time. I don't need to come back here but any time that you get to have little one on one with the hubby its always fun. By the way...as married people on vacation all we usually do is find a bar an play cribbage. He is now up 8-7. I'll keep you updated. In the mean time, here are some fun pictures of our adventure.

Just some Cute Pics!!

Kali and her MaMah!! (Her words not mine!!)

What a ham!! I put the hat on and I think that she forgot about it. She kinda looks like a smurf!!

Her sunday bests!! It had been six weeks since the little muffin had been able to go to church on account of the snotty nose. So of course the minute it was clear, the Sunday duds came on!!

Shane loves for Taiji to walk on his back. Kali loves to push Taiji off and get on herself. She couldn't resist when she saw Taiji lying there reading a book!!

Speaking of books, this little monkey thinks that she can read. So cute!!

No More Brace Face!!

BEFORE-with adoring sister Kali
AFTER- with proud Guela (aka Grandma Barb)

Truman is no longer a brace face. After only 6months the braces came off. (I don't know about anybody eles but isn't that amazing...I had braces twice and for a year both times.) He was very excited and looks great...Here are some before and after pictures.

Digital Camera Saga!!

So continues the luck of my life. I wait years and years before I decide that I want and would like to have a digital camera. Then I wait another year trying to get the proper use of the 35mm that I had only bought 2yrs ago. Then comes the world of Bloggin and easy albums that all really require a digital. So I tell my husband that he is getting me a digital for my Birthday. He then informs me he got one free from office max and it retails for $50. I let him know that that would probably make a great camera for his office and his personal use!! I then turned around and brought for me from him a wonderful camera that I had my eyes on via the internet. I thought well here we go, daily posts, easy albums here we come....Well the batteries that came with the camera died in a day and the replacements have died today. The card that came with the camera held a total of 13 pictures and now I have found that my computer will not recognize my camera, therefore making the whole downloading pretty impossible. Now not to be all negitive....I have figured out the battery thing. I just need to make an additional purchase for a ac adaptor or rechargeable batteries, and the memory card thing, well I just had to purchase a new memory card. The problem with all of that as you can see that the common word here is purchase...I think my marriage may be in trouble if the only way to fix the download problem would be the purchase of a new computer....To be continued!!!

Chalk the Walk

Jake hard at work creating his master piece!!
The Master piece revealed!!
Taiji takes a break to smile for the camera

The 3rd grade class was invited to come to the Fair Way Center and decorate their sidewalks for the fall festival. The boys were very excited about this and put their talents to work. It was a beautiful day so Kali and I decided to check them out. Afterwards they headed into the hay-maze for barrels of fun!! I just love fall!

Cruisers Chapter Two

This is the second installment of the cruisers. Shane and I have a very interesting way of seeing the sights. We find a spot get a picture and move on. I'm not sure but it seems to be the ADD way to travel. This here was an interesting Mexican Place. (Is interesting the right word, cruise chick??) Cruising was fun, but I don't think I need to do that particular cruise again!!

Happy Birthday Abbey!!

Not to many people can say that they gave birth to an angel...but I can. Abbey's birthday is tomorrow and she would have turned 6. Although she was only with us for a very short time she has left a very lasting impact on each and every person that she met. I'm reminded of a time we were in a deli. A gentleman walked in with a frown on his face and Abbey looked up at him with a huge smile and said, "Hi!! What you name? My name Abbey!!" He smiled from ear to ear and said , "Hi Abbey!!" This was everywhere we went. She was a charmer and a little lover!! I still don't understand why she was taken from us and I never will...but this I know, she was an angel. God gave her to me to make me a better person, a better mom!! So Happy Birthday Abbey Mae!! I Love you!!

A Little Momma!!

Here's my 'lil' momma!! She just loves babies!! It is so funny when she walks up to a baby more than double her size and she and her 20lbs tries to pick them up. The best is when she gets her baby and a book and I hear her babbling a story. Oh so Sweet!!

Cruisers!!

Yes...you read it right, Shane and I went on a cruise. He is involved with the local Rotary Club and the Club celebrated it's 25th anniversary! So we as a club went cruising. It was on the Carnival CruiseLine and it traveled up the Coast to Victory and Nanaimo both on Vancouver Island. We spent alot of time just hanging out and making new Friends. (Here's my shout out to Shala and Sean!!) We had so much fun with them! I'm not sure who came out ahead, but we spent a lot of time pushing money back and forth on the poker table!! I will post more pictures later with some of the other stories, but I wanted to get this up and let ya all know what we've been up to!! Thanks for the Pictures Shala!! Miss ya!!