Ronan Keating - I Hope You Dance

Lexi's Birthday

What's left of our tree

Tree fall down...go boom!

Just catching up

Well, it's been 10 months since I last posted anything. Too sad that I've let Facebook become my key contact with everyone. Lots have happened in the past 10 months.

Amanda and Lexi are in Lake Oswego with Matt and are really happy. Lexi is attending Lake Grove Elementary and is coming up on the end of Kindergarten. She has thrived in the class and loves school. I got the chance to go to her class twice this year as the mystery reader. A program where the room Mom sets up a schedule for parents and grandparents to come in and suprise the class, then read a favorite story with the bunch. Lexi and I took the time to go to Powell's and read many books letting her choose a couple and then I surprised her by reading it to her class and giving a copy to the school library. She really lit up both times she saw me.

Lexi at the park by our house- all new at Hiteon park in the trees.

Manda has been volunteering 3 or 4 times a month in her class and is enjoying being a part of Lexi's school. She's even gotten to go on a field trip to the Rhododendren garden with the bunch.

Mike is really enjoying OSU and his buddies down in Corvallis. He will be working this summer at the summer school I run with special needs students. It will help him get the hours he needs to apply to grad school. He won an award at OSU for being the best student employee and was to attend a banquet tonight, but storms took the power out around 4 in Corvallis today and the whole program was cancelled until they can reschedule. He still has not found a car to replace his 4runner, which was stolen last December. He wants to make sure he finds the right truck.

Mike's 88 4 runner after being recovered-it ws bad enough that is was stolen, the little buggers burned it to a crisp. There was nothing left after the damage they did.

Jenni moved back home with us and is attending PCC. She is doing well and is looking forward to the first semester for her to end. With only ummm 2 years to go..... She has connected with old friends and made some new ones. Her 92 Jetta died and she has been riding the bus to PCC or getting rides from Amanda when she is able to. We sold the car but is was not enough to buy another one yet. We'll keep looking for something.

My shrimp wanting to look taller, Jenni's about 5 inches shorter...teeheehee

Sammi went to Outdoor school in the Fall as a counselor and enjoyed it so much that she jsut got back from doing it a second time. She is really enjoying her ASL (American Sign Language)classes and is thinking of pursuing and degree in ASL and then being a ASL interpreter after school and maybe even becoming a SLP (Speech Language Pathologist). Talk about job security, we hire 5 or 6 new SLP's every year. Most are young and work for a few years full time then have families and ask for part time work. The school district is always willing to accomodate as SLP's are very needed.

Sammi's 17th birthday

Niki's IB Art classes at school are keeping her busy. She is so very talented in every art medium. Everything she creates is amazing. She worked a bit on the tech crew with the Peter Pan production and ushered during all of the shows. My anti-camping baby choose to go to Outdoor school as a counselor with Sammi last week and surprise, surprise she loved it. I can hardly believe that both of the girls will be Seniors in less than 30 days. One year left of Beaverton Schools. We've had kids attending BSD since 1995, oh and Amanda went to Kindy at Hiteon in 1990. That will be 16 years of BSD schools, whew I can't wait.

Niki's art project 24 charcoal drawings about one person or place- all about Nana Hess. This was her Christmas present to Hansen.

Peter Pan at Southridge

Nana
The pirates and Capt. Hook

Lexi with Peter Pan

Sammi was on the tech crew the whole play, hours of practice and learning how to control the riggings for the flying scenes. She was really excited to be such a big part of the production. She does not like being in front of the stage and is completely happy doing all of the work behind.

We took Lexi to the play, her first time at one and she loved it. The picture above is her holding a handful of "pixie dust" given to her from Peter Pan. She got to be a part of the play as well. The pirates and indians came out into the audience and hid behind them sat beside them and whooped and hollered throughout the play. Lexi was sitting watching all of the movement and had a pirate scoop her up, put his hat on her head and hand her his sword. He was hiding behind her. Initially she seemed a bit freaked out and then started to giggle and smile the whole time.
She even went so far as to stop clapping when Tinker Bell's light was going out because the pirates said "No clapping" while the indians and lost boys were getting everyone to clap her back to life. When I asked her why she wasn't clapping she said, "because I like the pirates MORE!"

It was priceless and so much fun to see it through her eyes!

Prom 2010

Sammi, Hansen, Niki
Niki and Sammi
The girls went to the Prom with firends the first weekend of May and had a ball! It was our first time that we didn't have the whole crew of friends here to get ready for the dance. It was really very fun concentrating on Sammi and Niki only. We drove the girls downtown to the World Trade Center for the evening, where they met up with everyone.

Winter Formal 2010

Sammi and Niki all dressed up for Winter Formal at Southridge High 2010
Karen, Shannon, Emily
Leanna, Niki, Sammi
All of the girls got ready at our place. It was a little crazy as usual, but a lot of fun.

Working our hinnies off in the back yard

Back deck, where we are planning on putting in another set of stairs to the yard, eventually a patio and gazebo if Hansen gets his way.
My little flower bed that is the easiest to weed.
Fence line and new mulch for all the beds after about 12 hours of weeding, extending out and trying to straighten out. MAN is this aBIG yard with lots of things to do. How the heck did Mom do all of this by herself. My weekends are consumed by it. One day a pool, gazebo, pergola and stone patio's. We're here another 5 to 10 years for sure! Thank Goodness the girls, Mike and Hansen helped out so much this past weekend!

Mike and I

How often do I get a picture with such a good looking young man. :) He was holding the camera. Ha Ha

Mike and Lexi

Fathers Day Weekend at Pacific City 2009

Lexi's 5

Beach Trip

So we didn't make it camping. Lexi got sick, another ear infection caused by her allergies and asthma. We decided to make a day trip to Pacific City on Sunday. The weather was ok, wind didn't stop, but we had a good time. Sammi and Niki both invited friends to go. Sammi's friend Nikki came along. Niki's friend Jacob couldn't after all. We met my girlfriend Pam-who we were to camp with there. Her husband Rich and sons Nick and Aaron, hung out with us at the beach. Yep there was a Nick, Nikki, and Niki. Little crazy! Lexi was amazing. Had to get into the frigid ocean water, then built sand castles with our little army men on top. It was a hoot. Father's Day weekend we'll go back and try the camping bit.

Lexi's new bike

Lexi got a new bike from the Easter Bunny and she rides it all the time. Here she is missing her first tooth and riding in our cul-de-sac. She wanted to connect the OSU Beavers flag to her bike, it worked on her pocket. SHe is a "pinky" girl that's for sure.

Bubblewrap

I pop bubble wrap at 4.92 bubbles per second! I popped 196 bubbles in 39.8 seconds at www.Virtual-Bubblewrap.com! Can you beat my score?

Sping Break 09

My Crew!

Finally found a pic with Troy

Hansens brother went with us to Cali,Disneyland and Universal Studios. I finally found a pic with Uncle Troy.

It Won't Be Like This For Long-All Daddy's need to listen

To all of the Daddy's out there, Hansen found this video and loves it. Check it out!

http://www.dariusrucker.com/DR_video.html

Featured Video Take a look at the new video for Darius' latest single, "It Won't Be Like This For Long." A beautiful song inspired by Darius' own children, we hope that you enjoy.