Who Let The Dogs Out?

Sushi

2010-05-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a yummy sushi lunch on our last day in San Diego. Kyle wasn't very excited about the idea, but Eric eventually talked him into trying a California Roll. Wouldn't you know it, he loved it. We had to order more :)

Spring Break in San Diego

2010-05-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

More Spring Break

2010-05-30T20:55:00.001-07:00

Visiting Auntie Anne in Corona

Spring Break in Lancaster

2010-05-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

Apollo Park

Kyle loves to climb trees that's why we call him Monkey Boy :)

A few more...

2010-05-30T20:28:00.001-07:00

The "Are we done yet?!" faces...

The "Yes, we're done!" faces...

New stuff...finally!

2010-05-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I posted anything. Where does the time go?! Well, I edited a ton of pictures today, so I'll start with the newest ones. These were taken on Eric's birthday...

Obedience Grand Champion

2009-07-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

Kyle showed Bosco at the Canyon County Fair on July 24th. It was a long, hot day, but what a great day it was! They got a blue ribbon in showmanship. Kyle was happy with that, as showmanship is definitely not his favorite part of 4H.

He's been working hard at obedience with Bosco and all that hard work really paid off. He earned a blue ribbon and 1st place rosette in his division. He then went on to compete against the top two kids from each division (6 kids in all) for Grand Champion. He was shocked when the judge handed him the fancy rosette that said "Champion" on it. He also won a director's chair that has the Fair logo, year and Obedience Grand Champion embroidered on it.

I didn't take pictures at the Fair (bad mommy!). It was so hot we just wanted to go home. I did take some pictures later, at least.

This is his fancy Champion ribbon. It's really pretty!

And the rest of the blue ribbons he won.
Poor Bosco was wiped out for the rest of the day. He was literally dog tired.

2009-07-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

A messenger bag for the new computer from Grandpa Jon & Grandma Kristin. He keeps telling me he loves this bag. It will be perfect for school, plenty of room for books, binders and the computer

Sarah made Kyle's cake this year. Isn't it just too cool?!

Sarah and Kyle

14!

2009-07-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

Kyle celebrated number 14 with dinner at Grandma & Grandpa's house. His request for dinner was Grandma's ribs and baked beans. Yum! Sarah and Theresa celebrated with us.

Lots of computer gifts this year, starting with a flash drive.

Gotta have a few new books, too!

Eric's been teasing Kyle that he needs to start shaving (he really does!) and told Kyle he was going to buy him a razor for his birthday. Kyle didn't really believe him...silly boy...he should know better!

Kyle's favorite present...an Acer Aspire notebook computer.

Lookie Who's 17!!

2009-05-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

Isn't he handsome?! I cannot believe he's 17 already. Seems like just yesterday he was a baby. Good thing he never reads my blog, I'm sure he'd be so embarrassed. But hey, that's a mom's job, right?!
His dinner choice was shrimp like Grandma Kristen makes :), fish, french fries, corn and french bread.
He got lots of great presents too. A couple video games and shorts from mom and dad, an ITunes gift card from Kyle, an 1.5TB external hard drive from Grandpa and Grandma B., and money from Grandpa Jon & Grandma Kristen, Grandma Pat & Grandpa Bill and Auntie Anne. He's saving that for his Las Vegas trip in August.

We had yummy marble cake and ice cream, too.

Grandma insisted on a family picture. As you can see, I'm definitely the shortest now. I don't feel too bad though, because Marc is darn close to being passed up by Kyle!

I guess it's pretty obvious the boys didn't get their height from my family! :)

Girls Weekend!

2009-02-27T10:24:00.000-08:00

Angie, Nancy and I are heading to Pocatello this weekend to bowl in the Women's State Tournament. That's right, no husbands, no kids...just us girls. Now I know Pocatello isn't the most exciting place to visit, but hey a weekend away is a weekend away! I think the boys are looking forward to it as much as I am :) They have plans to stay up all night playing Guitar Hero with Dad (with the stereo cranked way up and the walls shaking, I'm sure). That's okay, I won't be here to listen to it!

Good news!

2009-02-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

Kyle has decided he wants to go to high school in September. We talked quite a bit about it since it will be a big change for him. He's been schooled at home since Kindergarten. We started looking at charter and magnet schools, thinking that would be a better choice than the big ol' high school across the street. We sent in lottery applications to three schools. The first one was held last week and his name was chosen! Yay! He's really excited about it. Here's the link if you want to see what it's all about: Renaissance We're not completely sure yet if this is where he'll go, as his first choice is MTCHS Their lottery is held in March. We'll keep you posted!

Kyle being Kyle

2009-01-19T11:06:00.000-08:00

Kyle likes to show me how flexible he is, mostly because he knows I think it's creepy that he can do things like this. I finally had to take pictures of him. Someday I'm going to scrap them, I just have to think of a title first. He didn't think "Hail to the Freaks" was a good choice. Funny boy!

Eric's an All Star!

2009-01-11T09:32:00.000-08:00

Eric bowled in the Ada County Youth All Star Invitational Tournament yesterday. The 30 top average youth bowlers are invited to the tournament, so it's quite an honor. This is Eric's first year bowling in it, and he was so excited to receive that invitation. The kids are placed on teams of five and they bowl each team once, for a total of five games. Eric won 3 out of 5 matches (and was oh so close on the 4th. Darn stubborn 7 pin wouldn't fall). He averaged 180 for the 5 games, bowling on a PBA shot (the Shark pattern). He also won the high handicap series award for the tournament. We're super proud of his awesome day at the lanes!

The "Proof"

2009-01-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

Kyle's been wanting me to share these photos for a while. His "proof" that he is now officially taller than me. I scrapped them the other day, so I thought I'd share the layout. He liked it. I'm not so crazy about being called "Shorty" all the time, but I guess it was inevitable :)

Could it really be?

2009-01-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

Yes. Yes, it is! The sun! We haven't seen the sun in forever, it seems. Just gray, dreary sky and snow clouds. Finally, the sun decided to make an appearance. I had to take a picture :) I hope it stays all day! Melt, snow, melt...

Will it never end?!

2009-01-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

Woke up to snow again...UGH! No new pictures, because really how many snow pictures do you want to see? Marc had a run to La Grande, OR today. Guess what?! Yep, he couldn't even get there. The freeway was closed again 4 miles east of La Grande. He sat in Baker City for 3+ hours, then his dispatcher told him to go home. What fun! At least he had company today. Bob chose today to do a ride along. What was he thinking?! :)

The dogs at least had fun playing in all the new snow. I should have gotten a picture of Copper after he did a face plant trying to rescue his favorite toy from under all that icky white stuff. He looked like a white dog instead of a red one. They don't much care for being dried off and having the ice balls pulled out of their fur, but that's the price they pay for running around like fools out there.

The weatherman is predicting a warming trend with highs in the 40's by mid week. Crossing my fingers that he's right.

Bunny Hunters, Bobo Destroyers & a Candy Bar Thief

2009-01-01T19:24:00.001-08:00

Marc wanted to know why the blog was called "Who Let the Dogs Out?" when there are hardly any posts about the dogs. Well, it certainly isn't because life is dull and boring with them! Here's a few of my favorite recent pictures and the stories behind them:

Kyle outgrew his bunny slippers so they've been hanging out in a box to go to St. Vincent de Paul. Bosco discovered them one day and decided they looked like a pretty fun chew toy. Of course, Copper had to get in on the action, too. There was a whole lot a growling going on. I think the hunt was a success.

The second picture is of their giant 4 ft stuffed Bobo dog. They've destroyed more of the small ones than I can count. I really thought they didn't have a chance with this one. Yeah, right! Never underestimate the Dachshund. We were in Mountain Home for a bowling tournament, so Mom came over to feed them. All was well when she left. We arrived home less than 2 hours later and poor Bobo was toast! I've never seen so much stuffing in my life.

Now you may think from reading these stories that Copper and Bosco are the troublemakers (and that's true 99% of the time), however Corky is not as innocent as he appears. I had gone shopping for stocking stuffers and picked up a couple giant size Hershey Dark Chocolate candy bars. I left the bags on the bed when we went to dinner and never gave it a second thought. The little boys were in the living room and Corky never gets into anything, so no problem, right? Um...not so much. We came home to find one of the candy bar wrappers ripped off and the corners chewed off. Yep, Corky managed to get it out of the bag, opened and eaten in about an hour and a half.

Never a dull moment around here!

Oh Christmas Tree

2008-12-31T19:48:00.000-08:00

I've read all kinds of tutorials about taking pictures of Christmas trees with the lights on. Unfortunately, most of them are way over my head. I'm pretty happy with this shot, though.

The aftermath...

The biggie gifts

2008-12-31T19:43:00.000-08:00

Kyle's wish list was pretty short this year. He wanted a cell phone with a full keyboard. It's faster to text that way (like he wasn't fast with his old phone?!) and an IHome for his IPod Touch. It's pretty cool with a sleep function, alarm and charging station.

Eric's big request this year was an IPod Classic. It has some ridiculously large amount of storage and I'm sure he'll manage to fill it up (eventually). He spent Christmas day loading all the music from his old MP3 onto the IPod.

More Christmas Presents!

2008-12-31T19:25:00.000-08:00

The first thing to do on Christmas morning is check out the stockings. Santa is having a harder time filling them every year!

It's so hard to decide what to open first. Should we save the biggest for last or tear into it first?!

Clothes aren't usually a big hit, but this shirt got a big smile and a "Cool!" response.

Now, who thought it was a good idea to get Kyle these books?! He's already figured out how to make plastic from milk (and glue, too!). I'm not sure I really want to know.

Bosco's Christmas Wish

2008-12-31T19:17:00.000-08:00

Poor Bosco, all he wanted for Christmas was for someone to fill up his dish.

Still hoping and checking to see if Santa brought breakfast

And I was such a good dog all year!

There's nothing better than snuggling with your boy while he reads his favorite new book.

Baby, it's cold outside!

2008-12-30T07:21:00.000-08:00

Kyle was shocked to see such a long icicle (along with several little friends) hanging from the front porch. He ran to get the camera and took some great shots of it. It was so pretty, almost like glass hanging there. Fortunately, it finally warmed up and the snow and ice are almost completely gone (until the next storm comes, anyway).

He'll be home for Christmas, hopefully

2008-12-24T22:06:00.001-08:00

Closure I-84, 4 miles East of La Grande MP 265 - 309, updated: 12/24/2008 6:14 pm. Freeway closed due to blowing and drifting snow.

Marc had a run to Seattle yesterday. He was supposed to be home today, but...

stupid, stinking snow (and wind)! The really rotten part is he's only about 2 1/2 hours away, but that doesn't matter when the freeway is closed. Sigh...crossing my fingers for better weather tomorrow. The wind is blowing and the snow is flying here. I'm ready for winter to be over.

Happy Birthday, Dad

2008-12-24T21:56:00.000-08:00

Today is my dad's 82nd birthday. Kyle and I picked Grandpa and Grandma up this morning and headed to Sheri's Restaurant for breakfast. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and watching football at our house. We had a birthday dinner of turkey burgers and baked beans followed by raisin pie. Yep, that's right, my dad chooses raisin pie for his birthday dessert. No yummy cake, no tasty cookies...just raisin pie. I make it, but he hasn't convinced me to eat it yet.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Ol Man Winter...

2008-12-21T10:44:00.000-08:00

blew into town overnight with a vengence (and is still blowing now!) I know these pictures look the same as previous snow pictures. I took them from inside the house. No way am I going out in the cold and blowing snow. ICK! Kyle is at a bowling tournament in Ontario, OR (about 45 miles west of us). It will be a long, slow trip home, but at least the freeway is open. On the other hand, Marc is supposed to take a load to Seattle today (along with two other drivers). The mountain passes in Oregon all seem to be open (according to the road report websites) however, the biggie in Washington, Snoqualmie, is closed in both directions. No estimated time for opening is given either. They could go west to Portland, then up to Seattle, but Portland weather is bad too. Chains are required in the city! They are trying to decide if they should leave and get as far as they can or wait until tomorrow to try it. I'm hoping they wait.

My poor car! I really need to move it into the garage.

Linda's Christmas Goodie Challenge

2008-12-18T18:37:00.000-08:00

My friend Linda posted a challenge on her blog to share our favorite holiday recipe. The Peanut Butter Blossoms are my all time favorites, but I decided to share my favorite new recipe: Colorful Candy Bar Cookies. They are super yummy and super easy!
1/2 tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
1/4 cup all purpose flour
24 miniature Snickers candy bars
red and green colored sugar

In a small bowl, beat cookie dough and flour until combined. Shape 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls of dough around each candy bar. Roll in colored sugar.
Place 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks.
Yield: 2 dozen

The Finished Product

2008-12-18T18:22:00.001-08:00

Don't they just look good enough to eat?!
The Christmas tree sugar cookies were made by our friend, Nancy Bomer. She made one for each of the boys. They are the best sugar cookies I've ever had!

Cookie Monster(s)

2008-12-18T18:02:00.000-08:00

Once again Kyle was in charge of the Christmas baking. He always finds new and yummy cookie recipes to try. He does most all the prep work (I get to do the fun things like crack eggs and roll the dough into balls) and makes sure they are baked to perfection. This year we made pumpkin bread along with five kinds of cookies, Fudge Puddles, Chocolate Chip Bars, Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies, Colorful Candy Bar Cookies and Peanut Butter Blossoms (I loved these when Marc's mom made them and am so glad Kyle picked them...yummy!). Eric doesn't like to bake; he just likes to lick the beaters.

What Ever Happened...

2008-12-18T17:50:00.000-08:00

to my little boys?! They have grown up so quickly. While I sometimes miss my little boys, I wouldn't trade these two for anything (most days anyway :))

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

Snow! It started Saturday evening and continued through most of Sunday afternoon. No new snow when we got up Monday morning, but...it started again mid morning and is still going. My mom was excited for the first snowfall. We'll see how long that excitement lasts! Personally, I've had enough. According to the weather report, we'll be seeing the white stuff off and on this week. If I could just sit home and watch it, I'd be happy. It's the driving in it part that I don't like. Bosco has decided he likes the snow this year. Copper, not so much. Bosco has been in and out all day. Of course he comes back in covered in ice balls (it's rough when your belly is so low to the ground) and doesn't much care to be dried off. You'd think he'd learn to just stay in!

More Decorations

2008-12-15T11:12:00.001-08:00

I decided to display some of my favorite decorations on the bookcase this year. Kyle cleaned it off and we went to work. The three snowmen on the top are a Christmas gift from our good friend Nancy Bomer. Her dad cut out the figures and she painted them and added the hats and scarves. I absolutely love them!

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas

2008-12-15T11:02:00.000-08:00

We finally got the house decorated over the weekend. Well, the inside anyway. It was way too cold and snowy to do the outside. The boys decorated the tree again this year.