Boy Heaven

Parker and Harrison get to spend a few days together every summer with Harrison's grandparents Mike and Diane. It has been dubbed "Boy Heaven". It's three days of video gaming, junk food eating, fun place visiting time together. Rules don't really exist during these visits, and the three of them (Mike, Harrison, and Parker) have way too much fun together.




This year they wen't camping on the Applegate river. The boys got to fish in Mike's aluminum boat, swim, jump off of very big rocks, and eat at at yummy resturants. The boys about drove everyone crazy with their discussions of the car company they plan to open after college. These two are very into cars right now. They discuss things at great length, with much detail. It's amazing that these two have been best little buds since they were 5. That's almost seven years!
It will be interesting to watch their friendship continue to grow over the next few years. All in all it was a great trip, and a wonderful tradition that I am so grateful that the Oliver's continue to include Parker in.

My Pheebs

Today was Phoebe's fifth birthday! What a huge milestone five is. So many things happen at five, you start school, you start loosing teeth, you learn to read and write. Five is a pretty big deal. For Phoebe's special day we did some pretty fun stuff. For breakfast we had waffles, her favorite. Then we gave Phoebe all of her gifts. It was so fun to watch her open everything, she was so grateful for all the clothes, and toys she received. I made her cake, before it got too hot. It was 95' on her birthday. After getting dressed and ready Phoebe and I left for some shopping. We met up with dad at "Ick Donalds" for lunch. After lunch with dad, Phoebe and I went and picked up her friend Bekah to go out for some birthday ice cream. I took the girls to Dairy Queen for a little lady treat, then we went back to our house for a play date. When we got home I had planned on frosting Phoebe's cake. Paxton had other ideas, he really likes cake. He ate over half of that thing! It was so hot, I couldn't stand the thought of turning the oven back on. So....we frosted the half eaten cake, Phoebe was just fine with it. Such a trooper! The Garcia's and Hewlett's came over for some half there cake.

Jason had to go over to the pear farm in Medford with the youth, so I made plans with Holly to come over with just Phoebe and have a little celebration with the Jensen's. Amazing Holly whipped up some yummy cupcakes, and a divine dinner for us. Phoebe got to have a super fun play date with Lily. Afterwards at the pear farm she got to see her Nana and Papa, and all of Keno branch sang "Happy Birthday" to her. She had a great birthday, and got to spend the whole day being super special getting one on one time with mom and dad.

Phoebe is my favorite five year old girl in the whole world. She has the quirkiest sense of humor, and constantly keeps us laughing. She loves music, dancing, swimming, riding bikes, cutting hair and her dog Penny. She is sweet, and thoughtful. She is kind to her friends, and is generous in so many ways. She is frustrating beyond belief, and stubborn. She is strong willed and confident in her own skin. She is beautiful, and the most fun person to hang out with that I know. I am in awe of her, and know that I am blessed to be the mother of such a special girl.

Portland Zoo

Last week the kids spent seven days with my parents up in Salem while I was at girls camp and Jason was at work. On Saturday as soon as I got home from camp and took a shower we got in the car and headed up to see the kids. We decided to make a long weekend out of the trip and spend a day in Portland at the zoo. It was a great time, and all of the kids did really well.

Phoebe and the Penguins.

Here is Phoebe in the petting zoo. She was the only one who was brave enough to go in.

Zebra

The girls had a fun time posing for pictures on the statues, whoo no hands!

Payton and Paxton on the bench.

Phoebe and the bear, posed by Payton.

Paxton and the Asian Bull Elephant. Most zoo's only have one bull elephant. The Portland zoo has six. They have to shuffle them around all day long to different areas, it's a huge job.

At the Sea Lion tank, the huge sea lion was being pretty active in the water since it was such a hot day. It's amazing to see them move their bodies underwater. It was so fun to watch.

Kids at the Sea Lion's tank.

Payton crawling through the tunnel.

Phoebe waited all day to so the Giraffe. I was only able to get two pictures before he went inside. At least her attention span is short, so as soon as she laid eyes on him she was satisfied.

We had a great day at the zoo. We were able to see tigers, hippos, polar bears, and black bears. Birds of prey, wolves, fruit bats, and tons of other interesting and beautiful animals. We'll have to go back as soon as they finish the new lion exhibit!

Family Car

This is what is responsible for almost half of our vacation budget being swollowed up this month. The transfer case on the Volvo went out. It was a very expensive part. The dealership wanted $2,000 just for the part. They told us to expect $4000-$6000 after shop time. Jason searched high and low for some other alternative. He was in Volvo forums all over the internet figuring out exactly what part he needed, and the best place to source it from. After five days of searching he finally found the part. Used with 30'000 miles on it he was able to get the part for around $600.00. He installed it himself, and the car is working fine. Thank goodness my husband can do anything. On a sadder note, our long awaited trip to Disneyland is postponed. We are going to shoot for Feburary to take the family to Disneyland. It will be the first time for all of us, but Parker. We will be going on a smaller family vacation in August. A little closer to home. I'm so thankful that we were able to get the car fixed, and for a fourth of what the dealership wanted to charge! Here's to my handy hubby!

She's not afraid of frogs. Eww...

Best Cake Ever!

For Jason's birthday this year I made this cake. It was the very first "from scratch" cake I've ever made. I've always been intimidated by baking. This cake was A-MAZING. The inspiration for it was a "Reese's Peanutbutter Cup".

It was 3 layers, and so rich we couldn't even finish one thin slice. Umm...divine.

Here's the recipe from

"Smitten Kitchen.com ". Enjoy.

Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze

Sky High: Irresistable Triple-Layer Cakes
This cake is INTENSE. Serve it in the thinnest slices possible, and keep a glass of milk handy.
Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake; serves 12 to 16 (the book says, I say a heck of a lot more)
2 cups all-purpose flour2 1/2 cups sugar3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process2 teaspoons baking soda1 teaspoon salt1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend1 cup sour cream1 1/2 cups water2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar1 teaspoon vanilla extract2 eggs
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanut brittle (I skipped this)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cakepans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. (Deb note: These cakes are very, very soft. I found them a lot easier to work with after firming them up in the freezer for 30 minutes. They’ll defrost quickly once assembled. You’ll be glad you did this, trust me.)
4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. (Deb note 1: Making a crumb coat of frosting–a thin layer that binds the dark crumbs to the cake so they don’t show up in the final outer frosting layer–is a great idea for this cake, or any with a dark cake and lighter-colored frosting. Once you “mask” your cake, let it chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm, then use the remainder of the frosting to create a smooth final coating. Deb note 2: Once the cake is fully frosting, it helps to chill it again and let it firm up. The cooler and more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you’ll get from the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze.)
5. To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving. Decorate the top with chopped peanut brittle.
Peanut Butter FrostingMakes about 5 cups
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)
1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.
Chocolate-Peanut Butter GlazeMakes about 1 1/2 cups
8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter2 tablespoons light corn syrup1/2 cup half-and-half
1. In the top of d double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

Fourth of July 2009

This year for the Fourth of July we had a pretty busy day. We started off at the pancake breakfast and flag raising down at the church. Joann Hobbs did a wonderful reading. My Mom and sister Bonnie came down for two days because Nicky was baptized on the Fourth.
After the baptism in the afternoon everyone rested. We met back at the Garcia's house with the Hewlett family to have bar-b-que and watch the fireworks.
We were able to set off our own fireworks in the street, since they live on a dead end. Jason had all the kids dancing, and being goofy. They all had a great time!
Here they are doing toe touches now. Almost looks like an aerobics class.
After the fireworks, we got out the sparklers. Jason takes these pictures because they are his favorite. They have some pretty neat effects.


Phoebe & Paxton










Bekah and Ryeleigh showing off their sparkling talent!
This one is fun, because there is about 4 kids in there. You have to look hard for them.


After the sparklers we went down to the end of their street to the edge of the baseball fields to watch the city fireworks. It was the perfect place! After the show we were walking back to the house facing the hill that we live on. All of a sudden we saw a huge fire start burning. We all stopped and realized that that fire was right where our house is. Jason hopped in the car and raced up the hill towards the house while I dialed 911. Jason got up to the house, and luckily the fire was one house away in some juniper trees on the street. No property damage, except some trees and brush. The fire department got the fire out very quick. It was a little scary, it looked so huge. I even had someone who was out at the Wal-Mart parking lot watching the fireworks see the fire. She said it was huge from there, and could even tell it was near our house. The house was really smokey, but cleared out overnight. There was ash all over the cars. Pretty exciting day. We were very blessed to have everything be okay. I am thankful for the blessing to have been born in this great country. I am grateful for the privilege to raise my children, especially my daughters in this country. I appreciate my freedoms, and I am indebted to those who have secured it. God bless America.