Palm Springs 2009

Last weekend Shane and I headed south to Palm Springs for a NYL council meeting. We were really looking forward to a little time away in the sun...but we were also really looking forward to catching up with our great friends, Rory and Mandy. If you follow the blog, we met them last year in Puerto Rico and had many fun....sometimes crazy adventures!! We were able to relax, golf, read and hang out with some great people!! Mandy and I at the NYL dinner
Group shot!

Nice!!

Enjoying sometime with my main man!

Good Friends+Good Wine=GREAT night!!

Oh...how sad!! I did figure it out...it's not my camera...it is when I'm downloading, something happens and it gets weird! Oh well...it really is a cute picture!!

This was the strangest cloud....we all commented on how it looked like a UFO!

Not our best self portrait...but we had fun!!

What the picture doesn't show is that the ball was 2 feet shy of the green and splashed in the water....but it was a beautiful hole!!

So sweet!! Rory and Mandy!

(Rory...you have an unusually small head...wink wink mandy...lol)

Oh Mandy...One of many self portraits! I just love this girl!!

What....Shane's on his phone, not surprising....but what in the heck am I doing?? We did have fish bowl size margarita's before coming here!

Just a bunch of innocent cutie pies!!

Did I mention the fish bowl size margarita??

They did manage to win two games after losing 3 in a row...again margaritas!!

Handsome little devils!!

It was a great trip and we can't wait until we meet again!!

Project Bed Room Swap-Phase 1 of 4

I was reminded today that I haven't gotten around to posting the pictures of phase one. Actually, the first phase of Project Bed Room Swap...moving Truman into the spare room, was a little harder then I thought. The spare room had always been called 'Abbey's room'. Not because she ever stayed in it...but because it is where all 'her' stuff landed when we moved into this house. We decided that Abbey's stuff deserved a more suitable space so we are working on that as well. As for Truman...he moved into a smaller room....but the advantages are that he has a bigger bed, new stuff, and closer access to the bathroom....also now 'his' bathroom. We had talked about what he wanted for his room and he decided that something to do with Michael Jordan. So the walls went gray and the accent colors are red and black. Shane went online to find some posters, and my mom had this cool Jordan jersey (Thanks Grandma) so we framed and hung it. It's a little bare...but he's a boy and likes it simple...he would however like for me to do a mural of some sort...we will see if my creative juices get flowing and I will let ya know.

View of the bed
Couple of the cool posters

A basketball chair with Kali lounging!

Phase 3 of 4

As you can see....I've not gotten very far with Kali's new room. Still trying to figure out what we want to do!! She's loving the princess world right now, but I don't want her to grow out of it and have to redo the room in a year...plus, I'm not quite ready to put her downstairs yet. So I will post as I start to work. Of course this is the first room I actually thought to take a before picture of...always a little more dramatic that way!! More to come!

I'm starting to think I should start a little side business of painting....maybe give my dad a little run for his money!! Actually he's just happy that he doesn't have me as a client!! HeeHee!

Project Bed Room Swap-Phase 2 of 4

After living in our house for 5 years I thought it was time to switch things up a bit. We've decided to do a 4 room bedroom swap. Truman into the spare room, Jake and Taiji into Truman's room, Kali into Jake and Taiji's room and Kali's room will be turned into a homework room. I'm a little out of sequence with this post....and Truman's room will follow....but here is Jake and Taiji's room. Let's see if you can figure out the theme....

Every boy needs a place for their trophies!!
Taiji's bed

Ken Griffey Jr Fathead!! The coolest thing EVER!! (just wish it would stay on the wall!!)

A view of Jake's bed!!

These boys are in love!! It's fun to see them take pride in it and actually want to keep it clean!! They are even making their beds every day!!

More to come!!

Road Trip!!

What was going to be a 'got nothing going' kinda a weekend quickly turned into a road trip!! I'm not complaining...I love road trips and this one was perfect!! After Jake and Taiji's football game we loaded up the kids and hit the road and we were off. Ellensburg was the first stop to meet with Marge a client of Shane's that has turned into a great friend. We had dinner with her and then she came to the hotel to watch the kids swim. Then it was off to bed. The next morning after a quick meeting it was time for a little breakfast with Marge and then we were off again, now heading to Seattle to watch the Mariners. With the invitation form our friends at Keybank we were able to enjoy the game in a Suite! The kids thought it was great...the view was awesome! The game was even better...Mariners win 7-1!! We even got to see Griffey hit a 3 run home run!! We loaded back up after the game and headed home...it was about a 28hour turn around, all in all it was a great Road Trip!! Kali was out! She loves a road trip!!
Heading into Safeco!

My sideway's kids!

Poor Ichiro...my camera did a number on him! Still fun to see!

This is what Kali does at a baseball game!

Me and my gang!

Griffey hitting his double!

The Seattle skyline...Awesome!!

Kali and her new backpack!!

Just another busy day!!

A day in the life of the VanDalen's...Amy up at 6:30 and out the door by 7am for a 15k race in Bellingham....Shane left to tend to the rest of the clan. Thanks Honey!! He got all kids up, fed them all and got them all ready for a day of Football at Friday Harbor. That means one grumpy 15 year old that doesn't want to go cuz it isn't about him, 2 very excited 11 year olds bouncing off the walls because it IS about them and a very dramatic 4 year old that thinks the whole world revolves around her!! Impressive!! Hind sight 9.3miles on a beautiful Saturday morning could have been the easier route!! After he got the gang ready he dropped Kali off at Grandma's to await my return from b'ham...they then headed to Anacortes to catch the Ferry to Friday Harbor. I returned grabbed a shower, Kali and my Mom and then we followed on a later ferry. It was a gorgeous day for a ferry ride and football game...but let's just say the Ferry ride went better then the football game. But all in all a very fun and busy day!! Grandma and Kali on Kali's very first ferry ride!
Jake's little sisters...Daisy and Kali!

Me and my best girl!

Jake #12 going in for the tackle!

Jake QB making the hand off.

Taiji making a big tackle for a little guy!!

Taiji getting shoved through the air...doesn't take much!

Truman and Kali playing their own version of football!

First Day

I won't get to wordy since my last post was a mini book...but the boys had their first day of School on Monday. (Kali didn't start until Wednesday...so she slept in and missed the picture fun...which I'm sure all the boys wish they could have done!! Hee Hee!!) Tradition is tradition and we have taken first day pictures in Abbey's garden since we moved to this house.

Taiji, Jake, Truman
Truman John, 15 Freshman!!
Taiji Lee, 11- 6th Grade

Jake Poag, 11- 6th grade

My Kali girl! First day of Pre-4 Preschool!

Kali with best friend and cousin Tessa. They are in the same preschool this year....we will see how that goes!!

Kal and Tess getting a feel for the room!

Me and my gal Kal!! I sure do love her...but I'm sure both she and I will both be OK with a little preschool!!