Spencer Family

Our Newest Addition

2011-06-30T13:24:00.000-07:00

Day before delivery. Bliss (epidural). Baby Brynna.

Aunt Anna. Mama and Papa. Aunt Millie.

Grandma Karzee drove all

the way from Alaska on a

Harley to meet this baby! All 5!

Baker Visit

2011-06-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

Our friends from UT came for a visit--we had a blast Hot-tubbing, eating, playing, swimming, Wii-ing, and hanging out. So glad they came!

(That's a lot of safe kids)

We packed into canoes and paddled around New River Park.

Sea-Kayaking out of First Landing State Park.

Birthdayboys!

2011-06-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

To celebrate their birthday, we hit McDonald's for happy meals, followed by Entemann's Danishes (daddy is 36) and a Donkey Kong cake (for the 5 yr-old, who also got a stuffed snake and a spy kit, complete with handcuffs--loved 'em!

Monument 10k/ Fun run!

2011-04-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

27 wks preggo...not my fastest 10k.

Millie, Jake, and I ran/walked in the Richmond Monument 10k/Kids fun run yesterday. There were over 40,000 participants and we had a fabulous time! Great meeting up with you, Minniemay (great run, by the way), and thank you, sweet Blairence, for making the trip at 4:30 am, running with Jake, and watching the kids while I participated!

Carlson Family Visit, Spring pics

2011-04-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

Spring is coming!

Uncle Bill, Aunt Christine, Dallin, and Afton came into town for the birth of Chrystal and Steve's new baby. We met them in VA beach for dinner.

Kiwi gets outside! And wants to join the big boys!

Millie, Gma Connie visit

2011-04-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

Thai food with Millie--delicioso!

Taking a walk by the lake: Blair and Elsa, Millie the great.

Gma Connie with K.

Mommy turns 33!

Weekend Getaway to Western VA

2011-04-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Luray Caverns: Amazing place! It's got the world's largest instrument: an organ that strikes the stalactites/mites throughout the caverns. Lower Lt: some formations are so delicate, they resemble cloth. Lower Rt: Applewood B&B, where we stayed.

"Foamhenge" An artist's rendering of Stonehenge, in Western Virginia

Crabtree Falls, along the blueridge parkway. Beautiful, and the tallest falls east of the Missisippi.

This "Natural bridge" actually serves as a bridge: traffic crosses over it. George Washington carved his initials in the rock below it. Blair enjoys the falls upstream from the bridge.

We loved our trip away and thank Grandma Connie for letting us leave the wild ones with her.

Bowser and the boys

2011-04-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

Ready to add a 5th?

2011-04-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

20 weeks preggo.

Millie b-day, Valentine's day

2011-04-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

Decorating Valentine's Cookies; celebrating Millie's 31st; tug-o-war with Bowser; and Kiwi taking care of the leftover Christmas candy.

Race Day Yesterday

2011-04-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

Christmas, Kiwi B-day

2011-01-09T16:14:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning, 2010! Aunt Heidi got to spend it with us! What a day!

Kiwi turns 1!

Soccer 2010, Baby girl stands!

2010-11-07T16:20:00.000-08:00

Jake played for the Crush, Sean for the Pythons!

The first time she stood, unassisted (9 mo and 5 days old)..but she still doesn't walk, almost 2 months later! It's too funny to watch her; she can stand forever but won't go anywhere--she just pivots around her right foot.

More Halloween, Gma Connie visits

2010-11-07T16:03:00.000-08:00

Miranda, from Miranda Sings. All my family will appreciate this--most everybody else won't have a clue what this is about, but here's a little tidbit of my favorite voice teacher ever!

Grandma Connie visits and even gets to be here for Halloween! Thanks for your help and love!

Halloween!!!

2010-11-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

For the ward Halloween party, we've got:

Mario, Toad, Princess Peach, and Luigi. Sam refused to wear the Toad hat, but Blair stepped up and filled the role. Bowser (pictured below) was, of course, the Bowser from Mario Bros.

Kiera, trick-or-treating on Halloween night. They take things seriously in our town: if you're caught trick-or-treating outside the hours of 6-8pm OR if you are older than 12, you will be fined and can spend up to 30 days in jail--for real.

Halloween night: Spidey-sam, Kiera the ladybug, Mario, and Luigi, in full costume!

Festival, camping, Blue Angels

2010-11-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

At the Folk Festival in Richmond

Backyard camping--the way to go!

Blue Angels airshow at the Air force base--those guys are amazing!

Jake starts school; Little boys are up to mischief

2010-11-07T12:48:00.000-08:00

Jake started at an unbelievably awesome school--big change from Philly--and the most exciting thing about starting here was that he got to wear WHATEVER he wants! No more uniforms, no more kids being arrested, no more chain-link fences...ahhh, the good life!

Buddha Bellick--for all you Prison Break fans out there.

Matching head-eggs, how cool!

Sean is tied to this pole.

These two pictures(above and below) happened simultaneously. I heard Sam crying and went outside to find Sean (above) and Sam (below):

It seems cruel to make him wait for the picture, but he was in no immediate danger, and it's a moment I wanted to remember because it so exemplifies these boys.

Grandma Karzee and Heidi visit

2010-11-07T12:25:00.000-08:00

Me, Hiedi, and cousin Chrystal at Sandbridge beach.

Uncle Dave met us in VA Beach and we walked along the boardwalk, hit the carnival, ate pizza, and listened to some fun music!

Karzee lets Kiera cool off at the botanical gardens

Body boarding at Sandbridge

Dauber Dash Mud Run

2010-08-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

Blair and I met my cousin, Chrystal up in Richmond for a 5 mile mud run--way fun! Thanks, Chrystal, for inviting us--great to see you again! And thanks, uncle Dave, for babysitting so we could do it! We really had a good time!

Family visitors

2010-08-08T16:13:00.000-07:00

Uncle Dave just moved about 2 hrs from us and treated us all to the Virginia Zoo. The boys absolutely LOVED it! They got to feed and/or pet camels, giraffes, birds, turtles and fish.

Catching Parakeets.

Thanks for a great day! The boys were still talking about the gymnast monkey this morning! xoxo!

We met up with my uncle James and Melanie's family in Washington DC and it was so fun to catch up! Melanie's sister introduced us to a delicious Mexican restaurant and we had a great time...see you next time at Disney world, right!? Love you guys!

random things

2010-08-08T15:00:00.001-07:00

Wondering what to do with spare change?

Many people don't realize it, but there's a "coin pocket" right there in your shorts. So handy.Thank you, Hanes.

4th of July, baby!

Blair built a swing for the backyard: seats 3;very sturdy(like,"nuclear fallout shelter" sturdy.)

This was so cute--Blair has just now gotten to really spend time with the family and Kiera is smitten...she must have stared at him for 5 minutes straight!

This is a picture of our "favorite" bookstore in Philly. You know you have a classy clientele when the billboard says, "BLACK AND NOBEL: We ship to prisons."

And lastly, here are a couple of Jake conversations that I didn't want to forget:
Jake: Man, I just wish they made boy cheese.
Me: Boy cheese?
Jake: Yeah, so we could have boy cheese sandwiches, not just girl cheese.
Me: Ohh, grilled cheese sandwiches?
Jake: Yes.

And another:
Jake: Mom, you and Kiera are twins.
Me: We are?
Jake: Yes, Kiera has chubby legs and you have chubby legs.
Me: Oh, thanks, Jake. Very observant.

Fudginia

2010-07-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

We went to see Battleship Wisconsin. These cannons are 16 inches in diameter and can shoot 20 miles.

Jakes 7th birthday--he asked for Sonic and Knuckles cakes. They looked awesome.

Sean's favorite new family member--Bowser Bojangles Bentwood Tigglefig Coco Pups Spencer. Bowser was the kids suggestion--named after a character on super mario bros...

Home.

HE'S DONE!!!

2010-06-18T03:53:00.000-07:00

After 4 years of undergrad, 4 years of medical school, and 4 MORE years of Residency, Blair finishes his very last day of anesthesiology training today! We are so happy he's done--it's been a long, stressful, difficult and challenging experience, and I am thankful for his hard work and discipline. The kids and I look forward to having him home more often and we are SO proud of his accomplishment! WE LOVE YOU!

We got to go to a fancy place called "Nineteen" in downtown Philly for the graduation dinner--thanks, mommy Connie, for watching the rugrats!

The finishing residents

Wildwoods, Jersey Shore

2010-06-18T03:42:00.000-07:00

Daddy digging a tunnel with the boys

Sammy

Kiera's first trip to the beach

Sean can never get too much beach--the kid LOVES the sand, the mud, and the water

Adios, Jersey shore...Hola, Virginia beach

Cape May

2010-06-18T03:25:00.000-07:00

We hit a nature class while visiting a lighthouse on Cape May. I really thought Sam would be more squeamish since he FREAKS out if he even sees a fly buzzing around. He loved all of the creepy-crawlies, though.
Sean held all the snakes and lizards--loved it and asked if we could get one.

The lighthouse and the fam.

Baby girl's first camping trip--big fan!

It was hot and there were a gazillion mosquitoes, but we still had a good time camping as a family.

What they're up to

2010-06-18T02:51:00.000-07:00

The happiest baby EVER--and thank heavens for that because her next 2 older brothers are giving us a run for our money!

Toilet-training seat stuck on Sean's head. He'd stuck it on Sam's head first and, even after seeing him freak out because he couldn't get it off, Sean still thought it might just be too much fun to pass up...

For all of you wondering out there: Balmex butt paste applied to hair can NOT be removed. Not by dish soap, bar soap, hot water, or shampoo--even 6 washings with it. Olive oil does dissolve it a little, but in the end, you'll probably have to shave it off, which is what we did.

Sam takes home the "freakout of the year" for this one. Using a chair, he climbed up onto the counter for a butcher knife (the biggest and sharpest in the bunch), climbed with it off the counter, down the stairs, stabbed holes in the Siesta Sac, mutilated his clothes WHICH HE WAS WEARING, climbed back up the stairs and onto the counter again, and returned the knife to the block, all without so much as a paper cut. Kudos to the angel on this kid's shoulder. And to the one who prevented my heart attack, as well.

Meanwhile, Jake has been doing absolutely fantastic in school this year--here he's participating in an Honor Roll assembly--great job, baker beans!

Palmyra

2010-04-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

We went to see the Hill Cumorah, Joseph Smith's first cabin, the Palmyra temple and the Sacred Grove. I'm glad we saw them before we moved away. We then drove and hiked to Seneca(?) falls and then to Buttermilk falls in Ithaca.

More Niagara Falls

2010-04-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

Rainforest cafe for dinner

Fallsview waterpark: the boys couldn't have cared less about the rest of the trip--this was the highlight for them.

Kiera's first dip

Maid of the mist boatride. The boys didn't know what to think, but it was quite impressive to get that close.

Niagara Falls trip

2010-04-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

1.Sam loves his dad
2.Niagara Falls at night
3.Jake and Sean are ferocious lions

Birthdays!!

2010-04-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

Sean turned 4! Here's the low-down on him: Loves all things Jake loves, especially "Mariokart Wii," pronounced with an italian accent. Likes tormenting brothers, older or younger. Does not like to get his clothes wet and has to change them immediately if they are. Is starting to read--I'm amazed! Loves and I mean LOVES Thomas the tank engine. Asks daily if we can get a little puppy when we move to "Fudginia." He also checks if random things will be going with us on the move: our dishes? the toys? the bathtub? Loves Kiera's "little toes." Likes me to sing "Seankytonk badonkadonk." Oh, I love this kid. He is such a character. 4 already?
Blairence is 35. He still likes gadgets. He wishes for a bose sound system and a jeep wrangler for his birthday...maybe for your 40th? He is super smart and always up for an adventure! The boys LOVE it when he comes home, especially when he tickle tortures them to pieces. He's almost done with his residency--only a few weeks left and the 8 yrs of slave labor will finally be over! We're so proud! We love you!

Recent Happenings

2010-04-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

Sammy for par. Kenpo X from P9-dizzle X: the boys like to join in on the workout from time to time, especially if it involves a good "HI-YA!" Easter: rough bunch of sick kids:(

Morris Arboretum

2010-04-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

We thought we'd seen the highlights of Philly, but we found another great attraction: this arboretum was beautiful. The blooming trees smelled delicious. I just liked this pic of Sam and Sean--they're sitting in close proximity and nobody is crying. Blair exhibits some of his photo skillz in the Sam pic. Kiera smiles for the camera. Jake's lounging in a "crow's nest" several stories above the ground. He participated in a nature quest and got a badge--how exciting!

$225 dollars later...

2010-03-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

Our garage flooded with a couple inches of water during the downpour yesterday, and then flooded again today. So Roto-Rooter was called to investigate the rear drain for our house. $225 dollars later, try to guess what they found:

a)Leaves, twigs, dirt, and debris
b)Toy plastic chain of rings for an infant
c)Decepticon Meantime Transformer
d)Autobot Jazz Tranformer
e)Matchbox Ford truck
f)a rock
OR
g)all of the above

If you guessed "g," well, then you probably have a kid of your own. The only reason the kitchen sink wasn't listed was because, though he most-likely tried, Sammy COULDN'T fit it down the drain. And I wonder what happens to things...

snow ice cream

2010-03-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

One of the few benefits of our massive amounts of snow was an endless supply for snow ice cream! The boys Loved it! I can't get them to stop eating the snow now, but I think that might have been a problem, regardless.

BTW: this is CHOCOLATE, not dirt-flavored.

Christmas highlights

2010-02-28T17:57:00.000-08:00

I know it's way out of order, but I had to include some Christmas shots on here since the whole fam was together and I didn't want to leave all of Christmas out--let the good times roll!

Millie and Anna--POSERS

Hans in a sick wig--actually, the wig is nice.

Snoozers--very typical for a Sunday afternoon at the Carlson household

Christmas Dinner

Sean wore the helmet and backpack all morning--big hits!

Heidi PATIENTLY made Christmas cookies with the boys--too much work.

Shmamzies and Buzz making a delicious fruit pizza. What a couple of characters!

Goodbye, John

2010-02-28T17:43:00.000-08:00

Such a good guy. You sent me a bunch of Navy jokes (only the appropriate ones) since Blair's in the Navy--one about a monkey being able to do the work of a sailor...anyway, I remember lots of sleep-deprived good times up in Alaska at grandma and grandpa's and I'll miss you. Thanks for serving our country and being a good friend and cousin.

Snapshots before she gets bigger

2010-02-28T17:34:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Carlson holding granddaughter #2

It's a grainy shot, but I had to post these shoes from grandma Karzee before she grows out of them.

I love 'em when they curl into this tiny ball

sweet little toes

The adventures of a 2 yr-old

2010-02-28T17:14:00.000-08:00

Sam's been quite busy lately. In addition to dumping the economy-size bag of oats, am economy-sized box of goldfish, mutilating the pumpkin pie, creating art-work on my freshly painted (we're talking less than 3 wks previous) white walls with a SHARPIE (no, they're not washable), and eating that entire Hershey bar in about 6 minutes, he snipped the wrist-strap off the Wii remote (that one was today) and says, "Hee-hee" when I tell him that what he's doing is naughty. GEEESH, kid. Can we get on the same team here?

Goodbye, Grandpa Low

2010-02-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

You've had a passion for really living and enjoying life. We will remember the flowers in your garden, the bird feeders and barbecues, iced circus animals, your bird calls, ebelskivers, caramel corn, your love for your wife and family, golf balls rolling across the kitchen floor, and random phone calls to check in on us. We love you and we'll see you on the other side, Hamburger.

Kiera

2010-01-22T15:06:00.000-08:00

christmas family pic

2010-01-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

Blessing day

2009-12-30T15:37:00.000-08:00

Kiera was blessed in the dress my mom made for my blessing. I was surprised she could fit it since I weighed 3 lbs more than she did at birth.

Sweet girl

She's here!!!!!

2009-12-17T10:28:00.000-08:00

Sean's holding his new little sister. The most important distinguishing features are "she doesn't have any teeth or a weiner."

The hospital entourage: Kath (Elsa's mom), Blair, Elsa, Kiera, and Millie (Elsa's sister.)

Kiera Mae

Our baby boy turns 2!

2009-12-03T19:18:00.000-08:00

We celbrated Sam's 2nd birthday as a family. This kid is so good. Don't get me wrong, he's definitely a 2 yr old, but he loves to snuggle, loves stuffed animals, tells everyone he loves them, and says hello to most strangers he passes. He loves his older brothers, even if he bites them periodically. He's also excited about his baby sister. We love our little Sammy!

Decorating the tree/Sam's broken foot

2009-12-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

Jake getting festive with a jingle bell necklace.

So this little guy fell off the bed Thanksgiving morning, landing us in the ER and putting him in a cast. The poor thing, we call him our "tiny Tim."

Here's little Timmy, decorating the tree from a chair since he wasn't supposed to bear weight...poor little bugger.

And we're just grateful to have this kid around at all. He got himself lost at the chocolate factory for about 15-20 minutes before Blair found him in the middle of a candy display. He wasn't crying (too much candy excitement) until Blair asked him where he'd gone. Then he realized that the situation had been scary. It took waaaay too long to find him. Not fun. Not fun at all. I'm so thankful that we found him, safe and sound.

35 wk belly

2009-12-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

Halloween 09

2009-11-22T18:02:00.000-08:00

Jake's school halloween parade--he was in heaven--so excited to be Darth Maul.

Darth Maul and Anakin (one of his best friends, Brigg)

Sammy the lion. He LOVED this costume! He loved chasing his tail, too. So cute!

"I am Optimus Prime...Gzzzhh, gzzhhh, Grrrhh, Ghoh." (Sean)

Family pics

2009-11-22T17:36:00.000-08:00

So I've already posted most of these pictures from our UT trip on Facebook. If you've seen them there , you may want to skip this blog. I'm waaaaay behind, but I've got to start picking it up somewhere so here goes:
Here's a family shot of the 5 3/4 of us!
Sibling get-together at Andy and Staci's house. Anna, Elsa, Buzz, Heidi, and Kammi. Kierstin was with us but missed the photo shoot.

Blair & Matt hike/ Anna visit

2009-11-22T17:31:00.000-08:00

Smooches from Aunt Anna!

Matt near the top of Ben Lomond. The crazy boys hiked to the top and then ran much of the way back down.

Bruthuhs.

Clay and Bonnie Wedding/ Elsa's Belly

2009-11-22T17:27:00.000-08:00

Snugglie bugglie wugglie with aunt shanny.

Sammy sipping soda.

Here's my belly at about 30 wks.

And here are Clay and Bonnie just coming out of the temple.

Ben Lomond bike ride

2009-11-22T17:23:00.000-08:00

On the trail up Ben Lomond. Tom and Blair rode some ridiculous amount of miles up a mountain and back. They got muddy and had a great time. I know Blair misses this kind of riding since there aren't too many mountains here in Pennsylvania.

Blair and Tom overlooking Ogden (I think.)

Visiting grandparents

2009-11-22T17:20:00.000-08:00

We got to spend some time with Gma and Gpa Low.

And we stopped in to see Gma Spencer after her hip replacement

Visiting with Gpa and Gma Spencer

2009-11-22T17:16:00.000-08:00

All the kids: Uncle Christmas and Aunt Shanny, Elsa, Blair, Uncle Matt, Uncle Clay, Aunt Bonnie, Grandma Jeanne, and Grandpa Scott.

The boys got to go for lawn mower rides with grandpa--they loved it!

Johnson Farm September 09

2009-11-22T17:11:00.000-08:00

We went as a family to a farm in Jersey. The boys got to pick their own pumpkins and apples! The apples were delicious!

And we were pulled behind a tractor on a hayride--fun!

Hickory Run State Park

2009-09-20T16:49:00.000-07:00

So we decided to let the kids wade in the lake near the camp because we didn't have any swimming suits. Within 30 seconds wading turned into throwing yourself face first into the lake and trying to drown yourself.

Jake, Sean, and Sam. It was a quick trip. It was a little cold at night especially for Sean, who refused to sleep in a sleeping bag and only wanted blankets--you tend to get cold that way.

The Belly---In all its glory

2009-09-15T04:30:00.000-07:00

For Alyssa and other inquiring minds who live far, far away from me: here's a belly pic from about 2 weeks ago, so at about 23 weeks. Sammy looks so dang cute, I might add.

The Toothless Wonder

2009-09-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

The Toothless Wonder's first day of school (Sean wishes it were his first, too.)

Jake lost all 4 of his front teeth--so here's a pic for grandma Connie, who's been begging to see him!

Sam's Hospital Visit

2009-09-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

We had a rather adventurous start to the month with our little Sammy. He got an infection that landed him in the hospital and then in surgery. He was a trooper and we're all home, safe and sound now. This picture was before his surgery--he had to be NPO since 12 am and it was now about 2 pm so this kid was STARVING!!! Daddy and the boys came to visit and Sam was so glad to see them!

Here he is after his surgery--finally getting some food!

xbox hypnotism

2009-09-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

This made me laugh...there are a lot more years ahead of this scenario, I'm sure. All three of them like "playing" xbox lately. And as long as their controls aren't plugged in, Jake's fine with his younger brothers' participation.

Blair and his boyfriends visit New York

2009-09-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

Tom & Layne, Blair's friends from his hometown, came to visit and they took a boy's trip to NYC. They apparently had a great time.

Lady Liberty tour.

At the ghetto pool with aunt Shanny and friends

2009-09-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Aunt Shannon came to visit and we had such a great time with her! Here we are at the community pool. She was with us for a week--how lucky can we get?

Jake and Faust

Sam and Ronnie (but Sean calls her, "Carina," for reasons known only to him).

It's a....

2009-08-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

Bracelets and beads,
ribbons and curls,
if you can believe it,
we're having a GIRL!!!!!!

For sure, this time, and due to arrive in December!!! We are very excited!!!!!!!

Jacob's response: "Finally, a sister...three boys is ENOUGH!"

Sean dresses himself and Jake loses a tooth

2009-08-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

Silly boy.

It was loose for ages. His adult tooth had already started coming in so we finally were able to pull the baby. And the tears only lasted bout 90 seconds, quickly turning to giddy laughter when he remembered about the tooth fairy. He kept the tooth for 5 days and then wanted to take a picture of it so he could see it later if he wanted. It was a momentous event.

Jacob turns 6!!

2009-08-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

Our oldest is another year older and wiser! We are so proud of this kid. He works hard, helps his brothers, listens really well, and comes up with some great ideas! We love you, Baker Beans.

Taking a whack at the Star Wars Pinata on his birthday.

I know it's hard to tell--it really did look better the night before, pre-saran-wrap--but this is Darth Vader. Jake liked it anyway.

We went mini-golfing with some friends: Randy, Brigg, Sean (yes, he's your friend too, Jake) and Hailey. All 12 holes took about 7 minutes for them to complete so they went through the course a couple of times and then went fishing for more balls in the ponds. They had a good time.

Seaside Park, NJ

2009-08-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

We spent a beatiful day at the beach in early July. Sammy loved digging and throwing the sand.

Daddy with the boys.

Grandma with all the boys at the end of the day.

4th of July parade and fireworks

2009-08-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

This 4th was perfect--the weather wasn't too hot and we got to watch a great parade and fireworks with family and friends. Sammy's loving the view.

Here we are with our friends, the Taylors.

Kitchen Kettle Village

2009-08-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

Highlight of the trip was stopping at the Thomas Train Store and riding this Thomas.

Open wide!

This place was cute, with a bunch of Pennsylvania Dutch shops and goods. There happened to be a band and choir performing from Ireland when we went. They played some martching tunes that we're sure grandpa Low would have appreciated. Grandma Connie and the boys are on the far right side of the pic.

Jake Graduates Kindergarten!!!

2009-08-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

Here, with his teacher, Mrs. Highland--only 20 more years to go if you follow in your daddy's shoes, buddy!

June 12-Ride on Grandpa's Boat

2009-06-25T16:39:00.000-07:00

This is the Carlson Dock in Kasilof.

Grandpa Carl (my dad) bringing in the Hagoth, his commercial fishing boat.

Sam and all of his adoring fans.

Sean, Jake, and Courtland taking cover as we cruise out to the inlet.

The fam!

Jake takes a turn driving the boat...around and around and around in circles. The kid must've learned to drive from his dad.

Sean gets to drive--loving it! Grandma Karzee seems to enjoy his driving, too!

Sammy gets to drive, but by now the time is about 11 pm--a wee bit past his bedtime! Thanks, grandpa for taking us on a ride--we won't forget it! A huge highlight of our trip!

Sean and Sam in the captain's chairs.

Millie and Sam, readying to board!

June 11-Kayaking the Kasilof

2009-06-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

Heidi, our professional instructor (and our sister).

Dave and Millie, on their way to the class 1.5 rapids.

This is a post-trip picture. I love these people!

Hoo-rah.

Sweet kayak-photo skills.

Starting the rapids. And Blair better put the camera away in a hurry before he gets swallowed up in them.

At the start of our adventure: Me, Millie, Heidi, Dave, and Kierstin.

June 10- Moose and Sean

2009-06-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

We had a barbecue at the Maw's house (though I can't believe I didn't take more pictures of them, dang it--thanks, Joh and Holly for the great food and great company!) and these moose came in the back yard.

Sean found the sand pit in the back yard. The boy can't help himself.

June 9- SPA DAY!!

2009-06-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

Blair took the boys so I could go have a spa day with the girls. Connie got a fancy 'do.

Becca tamed the hobbit-feet.

We had a delicious lunch (with bread pudding dessert to die for) at Charlotte's.

And we ended up so fancy and beautified! We waxed our hands, had mani's and pedi's, ate salads and yummy treats, talked, listened to calming music, and relaxed...it was so fun! I'm glad all the aunts, siblings, moms, cousins, and grandmas could all come--what a treat!

Grandma gets the royal foot treatment from Millie while her hands get the parafin wax treatment.

My mom did all the fancy nails for everyone, with painted-on flowers or stars or whatever. Very cool. Charise is getting gold with pink flowers, I think. fancy-schmancy! Thanks for putting it all together, Charive!

June 8-Fishing/swimming at Rainbow Lake

2009-06-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

Since we aren't catching any fish...

Kammi and grandma watched the boys while Blair and I went fishing for trout. Sammy's plum tuckered. Must've had a good time!

Buzz went trout-fishing with us and he was the only one to get a bite-from a 4-incher. Pathetic. So Blair went for a swim in the frigid water to create his own excitement. That's why he's cringeing here--he's half-frozen. The swimming picture is above--these are out of order.

June 7-Family dinner at Gma& Gpa Carlson's

2009-06-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

Carl Carlson family

The whole kit-n-kaboodle

Uncle Schmamzies (Daniel)

Swingset fun

Aunt Heidi bouncing Sammy. The boys were so spoiled with attention on this trip, I don't know if they'll survive real life again.

Here's the best shot I got of Grandpa, standing by the trampoline before he snuck off inside. nuts.

June 6-Hiking Mt. Marathon/Exit Glacier

2009-06-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

At Exit Glacier, right outside of Seward. You can feel the cold air coming down off the glacier. It was only about a mile to hike to the foot of it. Cool.

This is a great shot of my sister, Millie. She, Blair and I took a trip to Seward to hike the famous MT. Marathon. It's basically 1 mile, straight up (I think it's a 3500 ft. gain). They hold a race here each year and the world record-holder has done it in 47 minutes or something ridiculous. It is a dang hard hike. It took us 3 1/2 hours (though that included an injury to Blair's foot and the resulting slow-down). But the professionals run up the mountain and then run back down it. You can take any trail you want up or down, you just have to get to the summit and back as fast as possible. It seems insane. I guess the runners come down all bloodied and with rocks embedded in their skin. We had a similar experience, minus the blood and embedded rocks. Oh, and plus an additional 3 hours.

On the way up, overlooking Seward. It was one of the most beautiful hikes we've been on.

And it was tough. You literally have to scramble and climb over rocks and roots, like a ladder on the first and last parts.

Millie and I are resting on the way up. One of many, many resting breaks I made us take. Beautiful view overlooking Seward.

At the summit. Blair, Millie, and some 7-foot tall she-woman.

On the way down there's a chute with loose shale that you can almost ski through. So we were descending pretty quickly--Blair much more quickly than Millie or I were. Anyway, Blair rolled his ankle and heard a pop, accompanied by some pretty intense pain. We still had to make it down the rest of the way. This is Blair, post-wipeout, hobbling down the mountain with his tiny stick-crutch. We thought it could be broken, but it was somehow still so funny. In the end, he just got a fat, colorful ankle. X-rays showed no new fractures.

A stream has carved a hole through this big hunk of snow--kinda unnerving crossing over it, since most of the other snow-bridges like this have already melted.

June 5- Halibut Fishing/ Swimming

2009-06-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

Buzz, Heidi, Kierstin, and I took the boys and Courtland and Dreamie swimming at the Nikiski Pool while Blair went on his fishing trip. We had a great time. The boys went down the slide (which Jacob loved and Sean loved, but only once--he talks fondly of it, but was terrified to repeat it) and played for hours with their aunts, uncle and cousins!

I'm going to let Blair post about the trip. Stay tuned.

Tin Foil dinners at Scott & Estelle's

2009-06-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

Though some turned out a bit crispy, they weren't all that bad. And they were healthy, so bravo for us.

Most of the crowd.

More of the crowd.

WAAAAAYYY past Sammy's bedtime. It's about 10 pm here.

This is the beautiful log cabin we stayed at. Scott and Estelle were so gracious to have us there, disturbing their otherwise absolute peace.

What a poser. (Buzz) You never know what will turn up on your camera when you hand it over to a 15 and a 22-yr old.

Charise and Becca, carefully, oh so carefully, prepare the delicious morsel. Scott and Estelle look on longingly. A plan of attack may be in the works.

June 3-Skilak Lake

2009-06-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

It seems that hats may have been switched.

Daddy's teaching the art of skipping rocks. This is the perfect place: tons of flat, smooth rocks and a perfectly still lake. Rock-skipping heaven!

Hiking the treacherous cliffs.

cutie-patootie

Family photo-op.

June 1- Alyeska Tram and Wildlife Refuge

2009-06-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

Check out the nasty toenails on that moose!

Da Bears.

Up close. Bear scat.

Dandelion heaven!

The boys couldn't resist the snow.

Daniel, Buzz w/ Sam, me, Sean, Blair, and Jake in front.

Overlooking Turnagain arm.

OHHHH. It's so beautiful. On the drive near Cooper Landing.

May 31- at Grandma McCubbin's

2009-06-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

Jake and Courtland on the tramp.

Grandma and Grandpa Carlson with the uncooperative boys.

The gang, L-R: Amy Grandma Mc, Elsa w/ Sam, Blair, Lisa, Millie; (on couch): Dreamie, Gpa Carl, Heidi, Buzz w/ Sean, Jake, Kierstin, Courtland, Grandma Karzee; (front) Kammi and Daniel.

May 30-31

2009-06-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

Sean's enjoying running in the sand at Grandma McCubbins' beach.

Cousins Courtland and Dreamie playing in the water with the boys.

At the Anchorage airport.

Jake with the big polar bear.

Millie and Charise had the brilliant idea to bring balloons to the airport to meet us. They were so fun and lasted the whole two weeks of our trip. Very cool.

Father and Son Campout at Tinicum Park

2009-06-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

A good portion of time was spent lighting and blowing out marshmallows.

Blair bravely took Jake, Sean, and Jake's friend, Brigg on the campout. I tried to get the big baby to take Sam, but he refused. It actually turned out to be a good thing because the three Spencer boys got ticks--gross! And the tick heads broke off in Jake, so we had to dig them out with a needle. Anyway, I guess the boys had a blast with this hammock. Thank-you, uncle Clay.

Um, Seanny....you maaaaay want a longer stick.

Jake and Brigg. Probably talking Star Wars.

Pancake breakfast...delish!

Daddy and Sean's BIRTHDAY at Knoebels!

2009-06-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

Jake stood in the splash zone from one of the rides for about 10 splashes and loved every drenching!

Riding the log plume. Sean liked all of it until the drop at the end, then it got a little bit too scary for the just-turned 3-yr old.

Sammy eyes his prey, calculating carefully.

And just as Sean is distracted by the wipe, he goes in for the kill...who wants a plain cone when sprinkles are around?

On the Frog-Hopper! Sean wasn't sure about this one at first, but he quickly decided it wasn't too scary.

Camping/Hiking Rickett's Glenn

2009-06-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

I'm FINALLY getting around to posting these from way back in APRIL,2009. We went camping with the Kuehne's and the Anderson's to Rickett's Glenn and we had a fantastic time!

Throwing sticks into the lake at the campground.

Mom and Sam

We love camping! This was our second time up there and it's definately worth the trip. There are 21 waterfalls on the hike and it's great to get away from the city and appreciated Pennsylvania's beauty.

Daddy has to carry 2 at once for part of the hike. There was construction which lengthened our route so, by this point, Jake was ready for a break (and so was mommy).

Kind of an interesting sight: the couple in the center of the picture was trying to light a fire right in the mist spraying off the waterfall...they must be some sort of survivalists. or weirdos.

Philly tea party at Love Park

2009-04-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Can you believe this? We're celebrities (or at least Sean and Blair are). This was in this morning's Philadelpia paper, the Metro.

Happy Birthday....Pandy?!

2009-04-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

Jake's been asking for a few days to celebrate the birthday of Pandy, the panda bear, pictured above. He wrote the birthday on the calendar (which we had to push back a day due to a scheduling conflict), decided that he would be six (not five as originally planned), and helped me make a cake for him (which Pandy told Jake he was too afraid to eat).
It's funny to me because, though Sammy (I think) got the bear for Christmas, Jake's just taken interest in him the past 2 weeks or so, and now they're best friends and have discussions and differences of opinion. He's quickly becoming a full-fledged member of the family (with some great perks for a stuffed animal, I might add). I'm just glad that Pandy is satisfying Jake's "please can we have a pet because everyone else in the world has one but me" requests, for the time being.
Pandy, you are welcome to stay as long as you like.

Happy Easter 2009!

2009-04-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

You may not have even noticed the 6 jellybeans spilling out of my mouth when so much of your attention was focused on my large muscles. But, yeah, this is pretty much an awesome picture.

And here I am, posing nicely.

Oh, just needs to be dipped in a little caramel and he could be dessert.

The big, nearly 6-yr old!

The boys

The whole fam--Happy Easter!

We would have liked to get pictures with better lighting, but you gotta take 'em when you can get 'em. Five minutes later and we could very likely have been a "before" ad for laundry detergent...

2009-04-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Camille came into the area last week so we got to visit for a minute and catch up: still the same funny spunky Camillie we love! My we had some fun...like 8 yrs ago...holy crud.

Chariots of FIRE style racing!

2009-03-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

Jake and his friend, Faust, on the homestretch at the school track.

Jake in the lead, Faust on his tail, 3rd place is Veronica, Seanny's in 4th, and Sammy's...well, probably not going to make it.

We went down to the Delaware River on a particularly FREEZING day. Daddy shows Jake a cool piece of ice while Seanny slips into the river. JK. Seanny wasn't really falling in, but it all seemed very dangerous to me at the time.

Samson creates a little "DANGER" of his own...

Valentimes Day!

2009-03-05T17:35:00.000-08:00

We actually got to go out this year ON Valentines and I got pictures to prove it! This is probably date #5 since moving to Philly--not nearly enough of them! UNO Bar and Grille--so tasty! And this is a forecast of what's to come when Blair loses his hair! His head's tipped back just right--I'm diggin' it!

SNOW DAYS

2009-03-05T17:23:00.000-08:00

We've gotten some snow lately and they boys absolutely LOVE it! Sean tells me so every time he looks outside! So we took advantage and had a snowball fight...(look at the pure glee on Jakes face after hitting me)

...and then built a snowman, er, snow-gnome. We actually had to collect snow from the back yard to build him and then we transported him to the front yard. And they shut down the city for this stuff. Pansies.

Lucky!

2009-01-25T18:16:00.000-08:00

Aunt Heidi helped build a fort and she and Jake stayed up for hours watching America's Funniest Home Videos...Jake's never laughed harder!

This was on Jake and "HEIBI's" fort.
Building the coolest gingerbread house ever. And, as you can see, Heidi's got her game face on.

#3 turns 1

2009-01-25T18:12:00.000-08:00

Our youngest turned 1 and, although he was sick at the time, did a fairly good job of taking apart his birthday cake! He is such a little snuggler--so sweet--and I can't believe he's already 1 year old! Happy Birthday, big boy!

Miscellaneous, trying to play catch-up

2008-12-31T15:41:00.000-08:00

Sam is in awe of the christmas lights. Millie is weird.

Arlington. We had a chance to see the Tomb of the Unknown soldier and a changing of the guard.

Enjoying some dessert at the Reading Terminal Market in Downtown Philly....without Blair....because someone has to be responsible and have a job.

Siblings at the Lincoln Memorial.

Which one of these is not like the others. Hint: Look at Sean's face. This pictures is portrays his reaction to everything except Thomas train. This is a picture with Kelsie the cousin on Christmas Eve.

Sean does love his chocolate milk.

Christmas in Philly

2008-12-23T09:47:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas. We love and miss all the rest of you.

Hershey, PA with the Zernzies

2008-12-04T17:51:00.000-08:00

We took a trip to Hershey, PA, a town built around Chocolate!! We met up with Christine and Randy and got to help celebrate Kate's 7th b-day! She had a cake made of ... what else, Chocolate, and wanted for her birthday the biggest chocolate bar there--Jake's holding one of them below. Smart girl!

Going on the rides in Christmas Candylane in Hershey Park.

Speaks for itself.

Here we all are in the park. It was great to meet up with you guys--fun catching up and we know the kids all had a blast, too!

FYI

2008-11-19T17:41:00.000-08:00

Just so you all know, Blair is the creative genius behind our web design. I can't take any of the credit. He puts the collages together, picks the backgrounds, and contributes about half of the posts on this blog. Yep, he's pretty much the best.
And I'm reaping all the rewards...

Halloween...finally

2008-11-19T17:10:00.000-08:00

Spidersam, Spidersam,
Does whatever a spidersam can do. (Jake's version, sung to the original "Spider-Man" theme song.) This is the happiest kid I've ever met. He even let me put the hat and goggles on him and then smiled for the pic!

Looking kinda guilty, there, web-slinger.

Jake decided about an hour before the church halloween party that he didn't want to be Indiana Jones anymore. He'd been planning to for months, and even wore Indiana Jones to his school parade earlier the same day! (WHYYYYY!?) So we threw this together STAT and he was as happy as a clam...er, a Jedi. Not a boxer, as some thought he was...a boxer with a lightsaber...yeah, that's the ticket.

Sean is very resistant to change right now. Won't wear coats. Must wear pants. And will not, under any condition, wear costumes (quite the opposite of Jake, who used to sleep in his.) So he went in normal clothes. He actually looks dressed up--that's because I have to put sweaters (or at least 3 shirts) on him whenever possible due to the aforementioned coat aversion.

And here is the original Indiana Jones for the school parade. I loved that I didn't have to buy a thing for halloween. I hate spending 20-30 bucks for a costume that may get worn once (or not at all: your child may decide at the last minute that he wants to be a Jedi, not Indiana Jones!) So here's to homemade halloween costumes and being ready for last-minute wardrobe alterations!

Samischief

2008-11-19T17:08:00.000-08:00

What do you think you're doing? This is for Heidi, who doesn't see enough of this little hoodrat.

Pumpkin painting/ Halloween

2008-11-19T16:28:00.000-08:00

In the beginning there was the pumpkin...

Then the project became too intense for clothes...

And soon, the artistic fever took control of the child himself. He had become the pumpkin.