Getting to know you. *Christmas style*

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both
2. Real tree or Artificial?? Artificial. It's definitely the most cost effective and less mess, doesn't die... need i go on?
3. When do you put up the tree? Day after black Friday
4. When do you take down the tree? Around New Years
5. Do you like eggnog?? I think I did when I was a kid, but not anymore. I think I just liked the decorated Christmas carton. Eric does. He loves the egg nog shake. Ew.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My bike, my Middleton doll, our Nintendo & my desk that I sill have!
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes - thanks Mom!
8. Hardest person to buy for? brother & sister in laws.
9. Easiest person to buy for? Jack or Eric
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Attempt to mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?? I don't really remember a bad one.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation( I wouldn't doubt that the my family could quote 90% of this movie!) and The Grinch! (Jim Carrey version)
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so.
14. Favorite thing to eat during the holiday season? The Valk Christmas Eve grazing table. Mmmmmm
15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Both
16. Favorite Christmas song? Joy to the World!! Mine and Jack's fave.
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Oh dear yes. Every year switch-a-roo for the actual Holiday then visit the other side of the family sometime during the month. This requires much work and promptness for Santa.
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Of course
19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning after we go out to breakfast at the crack of dawn.
20. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People that storm the gates at WalMart and don't realize they are trampling someone??? What gives? Don't get me started.
21. Favorite ornament theme or color? We each get an ornament every year for something significant that happened during the year. I like the variety.
22. Favorite food for Christmas dinner?? Potatoes & gravy & Mom's pork roast....Mmmmmm
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? I have everything I want, including my dream job since I was in kindergarten. Mrs. Claus.

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This is Halloween, this is halloween...

DURING

Our backyard will be completed this week! Yay!! Our grass was put in today. When we got home the kids ran through the house straight to the lawn and ran circles and rolled on the grass and got back up to run some more. One might have mistaken them for puppies.

BEFORE

So here is our backyard. Yes, some of those weeds are taller than the fence. Pathetic yet we had no need to cut them down until now!

My neighbor

Today when we were driving home from my parents (the house I grew up in) our old neighbor was out sweeping her walk. We grew up raking her leaves, riding our bikes up her driveway and declining the tea she offered us. ; ) Sweet lady. Her husband died probably 10 yrs ago. My Dad mowed their lawn, swept leaves off their roof and other misc. jobs since I can remember. We visited every once and a while and always sang to them every Christmas. She would invite us into their immaculate home. White carpet, porcelain elephants, fancy paintings. I'm sure my Mom was quite nervous. ; ) Shortly after her husband passed away she talked to my parents about the church and was baptized at 83 yrs. of age. - To sum up an amazing story in 1 sentence.

Well today we stopped and said Hi. My Mom had a birthday present to give her. When I pulled up she couldn't believe I was old enough to drive let alone 2 kids in the backseat. She is losing her memory a little bit & her daughter wants to put her in a assisted living home but she adamantly refuses. She said to me "I just love keeping house, I can't do that anymore if they put me in a home." Of all things I think housework would be the first thing I would like to scratch off my list! She must be close to 90, she's lonely, losing her memory and all she wants is to keep house.

Our little conversation made me quite grateful for all the housework I do and all the housework that is staring me in the face. I do it everyday and yet there will always be more tomorrow, while discouraging it is nice to know that I have so many other things that fill my life besides housework. Making a home is a wonderful thing. And someday if I am lonely and old and housework is the only link to my memory and meaning in my life then bring on the dishes!! I'm sure my gratefulness for cleaning will wear off shortly but just for today...

Facebook

So I have recently started a page on facebook. Quite exciting news, huh? Just when I start feeling comfortable blogging I start something else. anyway. I am amazed how social facebook is & how eager they are to find other facebook friends for you. But I guess that's cool and maybe a little weird too. Instant messenger was just starting to come around my senior year of high school. But not very many people had it at that point. The AOL dial-up sounds are still engraved in my brain. Holy cow what a bad student I would have been back in the day if I had all these websites to keep up with while trying to study Biology!

Gympoopstics

I love watching gymnastics but this time around I have been a little disappointed. I understand why the US got silver in the the team gymnastics BUT the individual vault and bars situations are beyond me. I don't see how the girl from China got a bronze and landed on her knees! over someone who landed both vaults - Alicia. Sure her vault was ranked more difficult but she couldn't pull it off! Doesn't that have anything to do with it? Her hands were in the wrong place and she landed on her knees. Knees being different than feet. So I guess the judging is based more on intentions than actual performance. Just when I was moving on with my life.
Nastia gets silver in a tie? They go shift it into some back-up micro scoring within the scoring the first time around came out as a tie????? I am not too gymnastic savvy, maybe that is the reason I am so disgusted.

AND as far as the age-limit thing goes, apparently the young Chinese girls can compete with older girls so maybe they should reevaluate the age range. Because when you lose to someone with poor judging, the same person who shouldn't even be there in the first place you might as well just hand them the salt to poor in your gaping wound.

Sounds like a broken system.

oh what do you do in the summer time?

Well I feel like we are just getting back to reality. We took a trip to UT and had a great time with the Healys in July. We got back just in time for a Valk retreat in Pinecrest. Then, Uncle Brett, Eric's brother came to visit and my mom and I celebrated our birthdays together! It has been a fun and busy summer. Needless to say we don't have any travel plans for the rest of the year. The slideshow is a bit lengthy but in case you are up late, bored or really interested in another one of my amaaaaazing slideshows than kick back and enjoy. ; )

1957

You Belong in 1957

You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!

What Year Do You Belong In?

Surely I thought my love of Rock would put me in the 60's. But I guess there is nothing wrong with the 50's. With pearls and that hair maybe I should be inviting people over for cocktails & meatloaf more often. ; )

Gas Guzzlers

So as a resident of Bridal Ridge we pay PG&E for our gas and MID for our electric. Simple enough? Not so fast. PG&E can now legally charge residents in this area the for NOT USING their "electric". Apparently PG& E had dibs on gas AND electric & only got gas. Not my problem, you would think...

I got to pay my first check - retro active of when we moved in- for services to PG&E --not used. They call it "nobypassable charges" which by the way does not happen to be a real word.

We have only lived here a short time so we only had to pay $5. Not a big deal since I have $5. But from now on there will be a monthly fee from PG&E for not using their electric.

Lame company award this week goes to ..........drum roll......

Pacific Gas & Electric! You win nonbypassable charges from hundreds of people.

Disneyland + Newport Beach= 1 Great Vacation

So we went to Disneyland!!! WooHoo. The last time I was there I was 8 months pregnant with Audrey. It was a bit ruff but so fun to watch Jack experience it for the first time. Even at a year and a half he loved it! I am so not against kids being "to young" for Disneyland. We surprised the kids, we didn't tell them until we were walking up to the gates and Jack whipped around..."Are we going to DISNEYLAND?!!!" Audrey loved the Merry-go-round! That's why there are so many pictures of us on it. Jack and I went on Star Tours while Audrey and her Daddy rode the "horsies" over & over. It just so happens that they have a Jedi training show going on at Disneyland. Go figure! Jack loved it. Darth Vader, Darth Maul and storm troopers showed up. We were only there a day but fit in enough rides, parades, food, for at least 3 days. The kids got to meet Mickey. Audrey was completely star struck while Jack was asking us.." Why isn't Mickey saying anything?! I'm trying to talk to him, but he won't answer me!" We all had a great time. When we were on the Tea Cups for the 3rd time the kids were just laughing & laughing and Eric said " who knew the tea cups would ever be this fun." It's so fun to play with your kids all day and get away from the "I've got to go to work and I need to get the dishes done."etc.

THEN we went to visit Eric's sister and husband and new baby that just moved from the East coast to the West Coast! Yay! We had a great visit with them. We spent some quality time at the beach, ate tons of good food and loved watching the kids melt over their new baby cousin. This is the first of many trips to come!

It's that time again...

So I think potty training is the hardest thing I've had to do as a parent so far... hands down. If you are appalled by this statement then please let me know your secret. Our sweet little Auggie is 2 yrs. & 4 months & I am more than excited to be done with diapers. Wish me luck! It's going to be a long and messy road. I will have to consult my favorite parenting expert again - Jo Frost aka " The Nanny" ( besides my Mom.) Supernanny - How to Get the Best From Your Children is the best, most realistic parenting book I've ever seen. Just wanted to share with you my Sunday night reading material. ; ) Here we go little Miss!

Check it out----->
Supernanny - How to Get the Best From Your Children

"Shot through the heart...and you're to blame..."

So I think getting shots is just one of the saddest things. Your kids trust you with their lives and you hand them over to someone with rubber gloves & a long needle. Of course I would never trade the benefits of immunizations I just wish the kiddies could somehow comprehend it a little better. TODAY - we went for a well child check to meet our new Doctor. Thought it would be good in case we get sick that he will have seen us before. I don't know how long I had spent reassuring Jack that no shots were due this visit. Much to my dismay he had 4 due plus a tb test & Audrey had 2 plus a tb test. Apparently CA gives certain immunizations earlier in case all the friends that arrive here - wanted or unwanted have Hep. or other nasty infectious diseases. anyway So ON TOP OF SHOTS - he requested lab work too. All to be done today. ARE YOU SERIOUSLY JOKING ME? I felt so bad. I could have croaked. Jack and Audrey had done so well during their check-up. And Jack hears the word "SHOT" and he looks straight at me and said "Mom, he said Shot. We're not getting shots today." Shots are bad enough and then you have to watch your sibling go first. Jack was yelling at the nurses. "That's my baby sister!" We were a sight.

So after I carried them both out of the Injection Dept. at the Pediatrics facility- all of us crying mind you, we drove over to the hospital for blood work. Jack in his prayers always blesses our hearts, our skeletons and our blood. He is very aware that these things are IN our body. So what does the nurse say to us when we arrive,
"We're just going to take your blood." AHHH! -- As Jack and I shift it into panic mode. He thinks she's a vampire and I think she needs to brush up on her pediatric vocabulary! We survived, barely. I don't know when to break the news that we have to go back in 2 days for them to clear his TB test.....

Happy 50th Birthday Uncle Don!

Happy Birthday! I hope my 50th birthday is half as exciting as this one was! Luau complete with a roast pig, tiki slushy bar, live band and fireworks to top it all off. It was a great evening.

p.s. every now and again while swimming Auggie insists on topping off her floaties- "all by herself."

4 to go!

So our little man turned 4 last week! This is a picture of him at his STAR WARS party. He greeted all of his guests at the door and even had a speech when it came time for the cake. He is such a great kid. He is so full of life & love. He loves books, and drawing. He loves when Daddy has a day off and still likes to snuggle with me. He says sincere prayers and always tries to be a gentleman. Tonight we were at In-n-Out and Eric asked me to get a refill on his drink 'cause he was holding Auggie. So Jack said, " I'll come with you Mom, I will guard you." I tried to hold his hand but he insisted on walking a couple feet behind me, arms crossed, eyeing the other customers. Needless to say I made it to and from the soda bar without being attacked. It's a good thing too, Jack is quite into Star Wars these days he's practically a Jedi. ; ) So back to being 4 -exciting, but I think he was expecting a little more from this new age. He tells people " I'm four now, but I stilllll can't drive yet." He also said that since he is 4 now he doesn't need his floaties to swim anymore until we tried it -so we are working on that since it just didn't seem to happen when he blew out the candles.

We love you so much bud. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Play ball!

So Jack started tee ball this week. I think I was just as excited as he was. He is so out-going and LOVES sports just like his Daddy & Mommy for that matter. So I am banking on this being a good experience for him. He was a little hesitant at first but by the end he was right in there giving the 6 yr. olds a run for their money. ; )

All because 2 people fell in love...

My Grandparents celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary. They had a big party on May 24th which just so happens to be our Anniversary! We celebrated our 5th and the day after that was Kelly & Talmage's 6th! So Happy Anniversary all around! Most of the Valk Family was able to be in town for the celebration. It was so great to see everybody and have the great grandkids run around together. There are 13 "greats" - 5 and under, with 2 on the way. Good work Grandma & Grandpa!
p.s. I'm not sure why that pic turned out sideways and it's really bugging me but I can't justify any more time trying to fix it.

Happy Mother's Day.

*take me out to the ball game*

Eric & I went to San Fran for the day and watched the Giants play that evening. We had such a great time. The Giants beat the Rockies! Wooo-hooo! We had amazing seats 20 or so rows up from home plate. AT&T park is such a great stadium. And of course we got garlic fries! We ate them during batting practice so we wouldn't have to stand in line for them once the game started. They were soooo tasty. We reeked of garlic for the next 24 hours but they were so worth it.

P.S. If you are ever wondering what the big Coke bottle is... it's in the kids play area and there are 2 big tube slides that run down the middle of it. Too bad Jack wasn't with us he would have been all over that not to mention the Build A Bear store right next to it where our little girl would have spent the whole evening.

NCAA

I picked Memphis & Kansas for the final game tonight! I have been in last place in all the bracket polls I participated in thus far. But now having 3 of the final 4 and 2 for 2 in the big game makes up for last place. Go Kansas!

*Battlestar Galactica*

Has anyone ever watched this show? It was surprisingly good! (-to me) I can't say I was much of a Sci-Fi buff before I met Eric. I almost took pride in the fact that I had never seen any Star Wars movies. But I guess I am crossing over to the dark side. - No pun intended. I have seen most of the Battlestar Galactica episodes thanks to Eric and DVR. Well The final season starts tonight! Watch it & watch the reruns on the Sci Fi channel, from the beginning if possible so you know what the "frack" -as they say- is going on. You just might like it.

Battlestar Buzz

The official website

Britney & Reese

2 of my favorite celebrities. I know Britney has seen better days but I still have faith she'll come around. And I've been wondering what's the latest with Reese's boy toy? I saw this headline on YAHOO about these 2 & thought I'd add it to my blog in case you were wondering too.

click here

Idol chatter

Another round of American Idol tonight! I have always been hit & miss watching American Idol. This season I have been an avid viewer and voter! It could have something to do with nothing else on the air due to the writer strike,lame. Or maybe this season is just a lot better than the rest. Who knows. There was an article in the USA Today assuming the final 4 to be: Brooke, Jason, & both Davids.
Tell me what you think.

Check out when your favorite shows will return HERE.

Happy Easter!

Once upon a time....

I almost saw the Easter Bunny! We had just woke up and were heading to the back door to make sure the Easter Bunny had delivered the goods. Well.... my Dad and my older sister were already looking out the window. I wasn't tall enough to see out the window, to tell you how old I was. anyway I come into the room and they say to me "Hurry Katie HURRY! The Easter Bunny is in our yard right now!!" So I am jumping and shouting and wondering why in the world is no one helping me up to see what could be one of the biggest moments of my life!!! I grab a chair and pull it over and they say " Oooooh you just missed him! He just hopped right over that fence." Talk about devastation. I remember that story clear as day every Easter. Maybe one of these years I'll catch that rascal of a bunny OR maybe I'll just repay my Dad and Amy for that dirty trick!

Happy Easter everyone. Enjoy your Ham & potatoes!

Smells like.....CHOCOLATE!!

So I was really sad when I heard the Hershey factory in Oakdale was closing. I finally move back here to smell chocolate in the air on a daily basis and they move the factory to Mexico for cheaper labor after umteen years of business. Bummer. Well I heard from my Grandpa today that another chocolate company is buying the Hershey plant. Yay! A couple miles from a Gourmet Chocolate Factory is not a bad location in my book.

Here is the article...

Gourmet candy maker to buy Oakdale Hershey site

Double take...

You probably thought you were on the wrong blog for a second didn't ya?! I finally feel like the house is under control so I have a little more time for things like blogging! Woo hooo! I couldn't justify too much computer time with stacks of paper all around our desk. I'm wondering how many trees were used when we purchased the house. Not for the framing just the paperwork alone. Holy cow.

We saw Horton Hears a Who. We all loved it. Jack was chanting " we are here! we are here! we are here!" It was great. I loved the Dentist scene. Eric and I got some hearty laughs out of that one. I liked it much better than the original. Those Wickersome brothers weren't quite as freaky this time around.

February & March in a nutshell

A little behind....

The fact that our camera has died and gone to camera heaven is not helping me stay up to date on my blog. Urgh. One of these days I'll be giving out too much information you be sick of my posts! ;)

Happy Birthday Little Miss

Happy Birthday Audrey!

House Update

So we finally feel like it's all coming together! As of today 95% of the painting will be done! Good-bye to 'flat white' walls forever. We also got some problem solvers for the messes we haven't got organized yet, such as book shelves, filing cabinets and more.

Eric and I went on a date last night! It has been such a long time since the 2 of us have been able to be alone and enjoy each others company. It was great. We went to IKEA and spent 3 hours and packed the car. Then we strolled the mall looking for the perfect shoe for a man on his feet all day. And we found them!
(check it out---> ecco) They have 5***** ratings everywhere we have checked. So if your in the market....
Then we ended up at The Cheese Cake Factory and it was deeeee-licious! So nice to have an evening out.

Our shutters our coming next week so we will no longer will be living in a fish bowl. Our neighbors are probably more excited than us about that. A man came to the door the other day selling blinds, since he could see that we didn't have any. I answered the door and he said "Are your parents home?" I was thinking nice selling tactic. - - Then said "no, this is my house." He was quite embarrassed and even more flustered when Jack ran up to me yelling "Mommy!" I didn't think I looked that young. anyway. He just handed me the flyer and left. My parents did happen to be here at the time thought that was so funny.

Once we get a little more organized I will post some pics!

CA Initiation

We took a mini vacation the week before we got our keys to the house. We went to Alcatraz, Pier 39, Napa Valley, Jelly Belly Factory (& yes, that is a mural of our Governator made with jelley bellys), Muir Woods, and Mt. Tamalpais It was a great get-a-way. We hope to be planning a trip to Yosemite in the Spring!

The BIG 3*1*

We celebrated Eric's birthday on Sunday since his first day of work was on his actual birthday. Bummer. But it was fun to celebrate in the new house! It was great to have people over despite the boxes and piles of unorganized clutter. Eric picked German Chocolate cake, of course, and we had Pepper Steak for dinner. - A Healy family favorite. Happy Birthday Eric! We love you so much.