To Blog or Not to Blog... Maybe THAT is the question.

Snow in Seattle

2012-01-18T15:30:00.001-08:00

Every once in a while, it actually SNOWS in Seattle...

Everyone enjoyed Taylor's smile on a day off from school!!

Taylor had a great time snowboarding neighborhood hills.

Sandie had a great time sledding...

And Joe had a great time snowboarding and sledding.

January

2012-01-14T16:36:00.001-08:00

I love January. Mostly because it is not any other month of the year. Every other month has 'something we are doing' and we are always 'doing'. But January is a month where we do nothing much. We go places a little, enjoy friends a lot; and we also stay home, watch movies, play games, and 'chill'.

In honor of "nothing much", here are two photos I like: a flowering jade and a flowering catus.

2011-12-28T13:05:00.000-08:00

Last year for Christmas we all got the flu. It was so bad that at 5 am on Christmas Day, we opened presents because Taylor thought he was going to die and not get to see what Santa had brought. [He was fine.] THIS year, we were all healthy, happy, and in the dark! A little before noon, the power went out and stayed out until a little after 8:00 pm.

We gathered together in the kitchen, each taking our spot, and chopped and prepared like crazy things before the light faded. Then we warmed up the fancy-schmancy BBQ and baked bread, roasted potatoes, and roasted our bone-in beef roast. [Yup, you read that right, BAKED BREAD in the BBQ!!!] Meanwhile we cranked up the camp stove to saute onion and bacon for on top the salad, steam green beans and asparagus, and cook yummy gravy.

We celebrated Christmas just the same, with dinner by taper- candle light and opening packages by 200+ tealight- candle light. At one point Joe took a walk around the neighborhood to see if others were home and/or had power. Our house was 'lit like a Christmas tree' is all he said.

Cooking with our new range...

2011-10-29T20:46:00.000-07:00

For dinner tonight, I finally made an Enchiladas Casserole in our new range [Induction cooktop and Convection oven]...

Then I sat back and waited for dessert...

Zippy is 4 mo old, Shadow is 2 yrs old

2011-10-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

Crazy to think that Zippy is 4 months old... AND almost as big as Shadow who is 2 years old!?! We wanted a nice big tom cat, and that is what we got! Couldn't be happier. Zippy is still a pesky little kitten, but Shadow is much happier [most of the time] that she has someone to play with. And she is also better about letting Zippy know when he is getting 'outta-line' too!

We got a new, BIG, cat tree that is currently in the living room but we're planning to move it downstairs to the family room when Zippy is a little bit older. Probably by Christmas since it is where the tree will go... although we have a kitten [again] so we'll probably have a lonely fake tree with nothing on it since Zippy will just tear down and break anything we do put on it? Sigh. :-)

Cousin Corvin comes to visit!!

2011-09-05T14:47:00.001-07:00

Cousin Corvin comes to visit!!

Breakfast together... "Watch Cars!!"

Playing on the iPad(s) together

Playing Soccer together

Wearing matching Cars t-shirts at the mall together

Playing in the kiddie-pool together

Jason Himsl

2011-08-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

One of my 'favorite' coworkers, someone I would call a friend, passed away today. Jason Himsl was a young man in his 30s who worked as a developer on the same project as I did at McGraw-Hill. I did not socialize with him outside the office. But I spent more than 1/3 of my life with him over the last 3.5 years. I teased him, he teased me. He tried to 'shock' me, I 'shocked' him more. We talked about work. I talked about my family. I asked him about his family and friends.

When I told my son, he said "Was he the one who looked out for you at work?" Stunned, I replied "Yes, yes he was." I know that I have spoken of Jason to my family. My son has met and joked around with Jason on nights when we worked late and I had my son with me. And yes, part of the charm of our working relationship was that while Jason was a wee bit of a know-it-all, he was also an open minded enough person to listen, and admit when he was wrong. And, for me and others who knew him, he was also a strong minded enough of a person to stand up for what he believed was 'right'. Many times I would go to him with something I knew was 'right' but did not see the path to take and Jason would quietly think for a minute, and then say "I'll take care of it" and then he would take care of it. I could always count on that.

Jason has been unwell the last couple months. In the last couple weeks, he hasn't been his normal clever self. 'Take a rest' was all I said. When he started a second round of medicine for broncitis, I was surprised. When he went to the hospital with what we were told was pnemonia I was surprised, but not shocked. When we were told he'd had 'a few' heart attacks, I was shocked. Words cannot express how I felt when I learned he had passed away.

Five years ago my husband's best friend died. A young man and a best friend to me. Too soon. Too shocking. Today a friend and coworker died. A young man and a friend. Too soon. Too shocking. I know that Brad is in heaven. I know that he was there to welcome Jason today. My heart breaks as I think of Jason's family. His best friends. They are the ones that have my prayers and thoughts today. They are the ones that are hurting and need our love and understanding as they travel the horrid and dark road of grief.

Many times today I heard "how are you" and "how is so-n-so doing". I have been asked that SO very many times in the last five years. Today I can say 'not good' or 'dont ask, I dont want to talk about it' and those that know me, understand. And those that knew Jason, feel the same. And those that knew Brad, know that the answer will be 'not good' for a very long time.

The newest member of the family...

2011-08-15T14:46:00.003-07:00

Introducing... No-Name-Yet*... The newest member of the LeVar family!

10 week old, Male

*And the newest member of the family HAS a name, and it is... ZIPPY!!

Alaska 2011 Part Two

2011-08-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

After almost forgetting our lunches at the hotel [Joe dashed back and almost missed the bus] we were OFF for an all day long tour down the 93 mile Park Road from the park entrance of Denali National Park all the way to Kantishna Alaska. As our tour guide gave us the rules, and a small introduction to the bus tour saying "and we'll see some wildlife..." out pops a MOOSE!! Good Job timing that one!
We were told to shout "STOP" each time we saw an animal along the way. WOW did we shout STOP often!! We saw so much wildlife we gave up counting [well, mostly... Sandie did keep a tally sheet, as usual, just in case] especially the Caribou and Dall Sheep. There were SO many, it was hard to keep track.
The first 'most remarkable' thing we saw, was early in the tour just past the end of the 'public' road section, we came upon a kill-site. A pack of wolves had brought down a Bull Caribou sometime in the early morning!! About 50 yards from the road on a grassy hill there was a carcass and 4 wolves! One wolf was munching. One wolf (young male, much like our dog, but BIGGER) was reliving the experience by 'attacking' the antlers, and flipping the still attached head about. The other two were buys doing what the guide suggested was dissecting the carcass to be taken back to the den for the pops. All the wolves had already eaten their fill, their bellies were VERY swollen.
While we relaxed at the Eielson Visitor Center we saw a beautiful Eagle flying just in front of Mt Denali while we relaxed at the Eielson Visitor Center. The stop was a quick one though... we had spent so much time viewing animals there was less time to tour the visitor centers and scenic stops. (Use the facilities and get back on the bus so we can beat the next bus out of here and see MORE wildlife! He He He) We did get a chance to check out the really cool antlers too, they are very very big! Yikes.
As we were traveling along to pick up the Park Ranger for our ranger led guided tour section of travel, we saw another bus stopped near a pond, so we stopped too. That is when we saw THE MOST REMARKABLE thing: A LYNX was stalking some ducks in the pond. No more than 20 or yards from the bus!! We watched for 10 or 15 minutes. The Lynx seemed much like our cat (but much bigger) when she is chasing/stalking bugs... wiggle-butt and slinky. According to our guide, few people EVER see a Lynx, and even then it is as the lynx darts across the road. It is UNIQUE that we were able to not only see a lynx, but watch one for a while as it hunted.
The next day when we went into the visitor center to get Taylor's ranger badge, the ranger said "and what have you done so far in the park on your visit" and when Taylor said "bus tour to Kantishna" the ranger got VERY excited and exclaimed "you were on THAT bus?!" and then called all the other rangers over to hear the story of 'The Lynx Stalking the Ducks.'
By the time we arrived to pick up the Park Ranger for what was supposed to be THE most looked forward to part of our tour, I think we were all a wee bit 'in shock' at the excitement we had already experienced. The information the Park Ranger gave about Denali and the history of the Kantishna area was fabulous, but not the highlight we expected since it was over shadowed by ALL the wildlife we'd seen so far.
The tour was wonderful. It was very interesting to visit the long time home of one of the most famous Kantishna [and Alaska] residents and learn about the history of mining in the area. The landscape was rugged and it was easy to imagine how very difficult it would be for early miners to live in such a remote area.
After the tour as we were traveling back to the Wilderness Access Center, we came across a bear eating soap berries at the side of the road. [He was the 26th bear we'd seen that day, and the closest!] He was HUGE and we were very glad to be IN the bus. While it is the same animal as you see in the zoo, it is NOT the same as seeing a BIG bear in the zoo!! When he ate some berries, he pulled up the entire bush! His head was humongous! And his teeth were BIG! It was incredible to see so close in the wild.
We got back to the car around 8 pm or so. We were tired and excited by all we had seen. Originally we had planned, for the next day, to go on our own and drive along a 90 mile dirt road through the State Park looking at scenery and wildlife. I said "uhm, I think I would rather sleep in and go to the visitor center, can we skip the dirt road tomorrow?" and Joe laughed and laughed saying "if you hadn't said something, *I* would have"... We had THE trip of a lifetime in one day, there was NO way we could imagine seeing more, our heads were full of all the amazing things we'd seen On The Road to Kantishna!!

Alaska 2011 Part One

2011-08-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

Taylor and Sandie flew to Anchorage and met up with Joe who had been there (and Juneau) for work throughout the week. After getting luggage and a quick stop for lunch, we headed off to Potter's Marsh. After about an hour of looking at birds, we got to see a Mama Moose and her Yearling munching grasses at the edge of the marsh/pond. Not two hours in Alaska and we saw MOOSE!!

...

The rest of the afternoon was spent driving South East along the water to Turnagain Arms, stopping along the way to enjoy the sunshine, views, and look for Beluga Whales (We didn't see any, sigh.) We also stopped for a few hours at the Indian Valley Mine where we looked into the old mine before taking our chances at the slough Panning for Gold.

...

The next morning we got up EARLY and headed for Whittier. The tunnel was an amazing feat of civil engineering. One the way back we stopped for a few minutes to check out Portage Glacier before heading to Seward for dinner at Apollo's (a very excellent halibut and salmon dish, we would go back again) and two nights at the Edgewater Best Western Hotel.

...

From Whittier we took an all-day Prince William Sound Glacier Cruise 'Wilderness Explorer'. While traveling out to Surprise Glacier and back we got a chance to see Arctic Terns, Eagles at a Salmon Hatchery, Sea Lions, Seals, and Otters. While the weather was mediocre at best (a nice 'soft' -drizzly- day) the water was fairly calm; sitting outside under awning at the back of the boat provided the most gorgeous views of the countryside you could imagine, the wildlife was out to be seen; there were at least a hundered bald eagles sitting on tree tops along the arm just taking a break from snatching salmon out of the water near the hatchery, and the glacier was an awesome sight; caving and sparkling and generally magnificent in size!

...

On Monday we got up and started our day 'sight seeing' in the Kenai Penninsula. First we hiked up to Exit Glacier and visitied the Kenai Penninsula National Park where Taylor earned a Junior Ranger badge. Then we took a SLOW drive to Cooper's Landing where we took a tour of the K'Beq' Interpretive Site. On the way there we saw some more moose AND a Mama Black Bear and her Triplets!! The bears were finishing along the Russian River so we just kiked along on the opposite side and watched them play. We made it to Kenai in time to watch the Native Alaskans dip net fishing at the Mouth of the Kenai River just before we headed to dinner and the long drive back to Seward for the night.

...

After sleeping in and relaxing in the beautiful weather, we went to the Alaska SeaLife Center and then played in the sun on the beach. For lunch we had halibut tacos and cod fish n chips at Ray's overlooking the marina in Seward. Late afternoon we went to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center which is a zoo of sorts where visitors drive and walk around the different enclosures to see the rescued animals. One of the more amazing sights was a pair of Kodiak Bear cubs. At 18 months old they were huge 'puppy-like' animals; almost 6 ft tall weighing over 200 lbs... but when full grown they would be apx 12 ft tall and weigh over 1200 lbs!! Before heading to Anchorage for the night, we stopped for dinner at the Turnagain Arm Pit BBQ Roadhouse for some of the BEST tasting BBQ ribs and pulled pork. The atmosphere was everything you could ask for from a little hole-in-the-wall middle-of-nowhere diner... GO, GO AGAIN, that is all I can say. FIVE STARS for great taste and family fun!!

...

Wednesday was our one 'relax' day during our vacation to Alaska. We planned very little, but turned out we did a ton! After breakfast we headed to the Alaskan Native Heritage Museum to see what there was to see. As we were going in, there were 10 week old Husky puppies nearby as an advertisement for the dog sled ride you could take with one of the Iditarod competitors. They were SO darn cute (and we obviously miss Cedar a great deal) that we spent a few minutes cuddling with them before moving into the Museum park. Once inside we weren't sure what to do/see, but there was a tour beginning so we decided to join. Joy was our guide, and what a lot of fun that was! Lots of good info and even more good laughs [Dry humor, the kind that is our favorite!] We learned all about the different 'tribes' or 'corporations' that make up the cultures of Alaska. We toured the life-size dioramas, watched the performances, and listened to the stories (the best part, really). At the end of the day we'd had a great time, learned a ton, and even had a sun burn from all the 70 degree 'heat'. Just before dinner at the Glacier Roadhouse (very excellent meal and even better beer sampler) we walked around the shops in downtown Anchorage and did a little bit of souvenir shopping.

...

The day we drove to Denali the weather was beautiful, sunny with little puffs of cloud. We had ice cream for lunch in Houston Alaska, and PBJs for dinner. When we arrived in Denali National Park we drove to the end of the public road, 15 miles, and stopped for a leisurely hike along the Savage Creek Loop Trail. At 'the bridge' we saw a young couple watching the hills, so we walked up to see what there was to see... A single Dall Sheep with a broken horn, walking down the hill and across the river about 10 feet from us before going up the other side of the ravine!! We could've touched it, we were so close! We spent the next two nights in a little log cabin facing the river and park. [This hotel had NO blackout shades/curtains, and with only 3 or so hours of twilight/dark in Denali Alaska, we had a terrible time sleeping and ended up a bit over-tired by the end of our stay.]

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Bus Tour along Denali Highway to Kantishna, OMG!! [See Alaska 2011 PART TWO]
...
We had originally planned a scenic drive down 80 miles of dirt road through Denali State Park so that we could see some mountains and maybe some wildlife in Alaska. But after the trip we had on the bus tour to Kantishna, we all decided there was nothing left to see {ha ha ha} so we changed plans, slept in, enjoyed the view from our cabin, toured through the visitor centers, and had a yummy lunch at the Grizzly Grill before heading back (in the rain) to Anchorage for the night. At the Denali National Park Visitor Center, Taylor received his second Alaskan Junior Ranger badge. He was given a hat to wear temporarily too. He looked VERY handsome and grinned from ear to ear!

...

After checking out of our last hotel in Anchorage, we headed over to the Public Lands Information Center so that Taylor could earn his THIRD Junior Ranger badge in Alaska, the Greatland National Park. Then we went over to the Anchorage Museum for the rest of the afternoon before heading to the airport. Taylor and Sandie flew home to Seattle while Joe headed to Fairbanks for work.
...
Our trip was a true whirl wind tour of Alaska. One that we will NEVER forget. Checkmark on the 'Life List', done, and done BIG!!

Cedar, Our Beloved Dog

2011-06-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

Cedar, Our Beloved Dog
Born May 1999 - Died June 2011

Our Beloved Dog, Cedar, passed away yesterday after 12 marvelous years in our Family. She will be greatly missed. Last night as we said our final good byes, we took some time to reminisce about the good (and not so good) times we have had.

When Cedar was a little puppy of only 8 weeks old, we stopped by a farm on the way to visit Mt St Helen's so we could see 'what these Vizsla dogs' were like in 'real life'. They are SO cute and lovely and well behaved and easy to train, it was love at first sight. On the way back to the boat, we took Cedar with us. She spent her first night between Joe and I on the boat. The next day she flew back to CA with us in a cat carrier.

Vizsla puppies look very much like a Chihuahua. After only a week with us, Cedar got out the cat door, ate the cat litter, was 'too bloated' to get back in the cat door, and went under the gate to sit on the front porch wining before following the neighbor boys home. Joe and I were SO frantic that she was missing, after the first few times trying to explain what a Vizsla puppy was, we gave up and started saying "Brown Chihuahua... see one?!" [We found her of course.]

Cedar really enjoyed the beach, eating jelly fish and rolling in seal carcasses. And she really enjoyed pointing [Vizsla is a Hungarian Pointer and she is the grand-daughter of a World Champion Field/Hunter] and chasing birds, squirrels, moles, rates, raccoons, possum, rabbits... and even catching a few now and then [and delivering them as 'presents' to her family for a reward, ick]. Cedar also loved balls. And Frisbees. And anything that she could chase and catch, repeatedly.

Cedar was like a big-sister/nanny to Taylor as he was growing up. We taught Cedar to 'retrieve' Taylor... once while hiking this became very handy as 3 year old Taylor ran down a trail, to a fork, and then another fork, before hiding in the bushes. As a frantic Mother [Lost 3 yr old in the woods, Oh My] I took the leash off Cedar, and said "Fetch Taylor" and Cedar did just that... rushing to Taylor side, nudging him back onto the trail, and then barking her head off until I got there. Good Dog! [Bad Toddler.]

Another time Taylor had to learn that while people have hands, dogs have paws, and Cedar wasn't 'really' a people, she really was a dog. Taylor had written in crayon all over the dining room walls. "How did this happen, Taylor?!?!" ... "Cedar did it, not me."

Cedar also had two other 'brothers' in her life, cats, Puss and Boots. After they passed away, one after the other within a year, we were very worried about Cedar. So we adopted a new 'sister' cat, Shadow. Cedar loved her kitty-siblings and took care of them. She shared her food and water and bed, let them scold her, scolded them, and scared away all the neighbor cats [and dogs and raccoons and possums] that wouldn't 'play nice' with HER little kitties.

Recently, in the last year or so, we have noticed Cedar showing more and more signs of 'old dog'. But her lifestyle had merely quieted down, not stopped. She was still game to cuddle each night and play ball each afternoon. And let Shadow chase her tail all day. In the end she had trouble up and down stairs, needed the dog door open all the time, had a fancy cushion bed, and raised bowls. We did not know it at the time, but she was suffering from degenerative carcinoma and eventually her pancreas stopped functioning.

Last night she passed away surrounded by her loved ones here on Earth and now that she has passed away she is surrounded by her loved ones in Heaven. She will be missed. She was loved.

Just another Sunday with the LeVars...

2011-06-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

It was just another routine Sunday afternoon with the LeVar Family. Taylor playing with the neighbor kids, Sandie reading on the deck, Joe 'pretending' to work in the yard...
Joe cut his palm while deadheading the rhodies. So off to the ER we went for some stitches. Joe really didn't want to mow this weekend I guess.

And another Spring is coming to an end.

2011-05-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

Lacrosse, Boy Scouts, Wedding Anniversary, Easter, Mother's Day, Taxes, Taylor's Birthday, 12 sq yrds of dirt and manure spread over 2000 sq ft of garden bed, and a fantastic Spring Break vacation trip to Whistler for some skiing. Not to mention full time work and school. No wonder we haven't seen or spoken to anyone in months.

Happily as usual, 'spring season' is coming to an end for us LeVars and we will once again be free to relax and enjoy our 'lazy' Summer Days (or Late Spring as this year has turned out to be).

Joe, Taylor and Sandie at Whistler, Canada

Sandie, Taylor and Joe at Roozengarten, Skagit Valley WA

Joe, Taylor and Sandie on the Edmonds-Kingston Ferry, Puget Sound WA

Taylor in front of (part of) the 12 sq yrds of dirt

Turns out I am still... "Smarter Than a Fifth Grader"

2011-01-18T15:02:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am still smarter than MY fifth grader. [He He He] It is satisfying in a proud-parent way though to note that my fifth grader IS smart, just not THAT smart, yet.

Over the last few years I have allowed Taylor to sign up for online games using my email. I get email notices that he has created log ins, logged time, etc. Recently I have noticed he is starting to use his own email instead of mine. I still get notices because his email forwards copy to my email. He does not know any of this (yet).

Today, for the first time but I assume not the last time, Taylor created a sign in for a game he did NOT get permissions from me (first) to play. He did this while on the computer at daycare. I got an email notice. So... what shall be my response when I get home tonight and have a conversation with my Fifth Grader?

Stay tuned... Until Next Time, This is Mrs Smarter Than a Fifth Grader Mom, Good Night.

'My Boy' is now a 'Young Man'?!?!

2011-01-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning when I woke up I was the Mother of a Cub Scout. A boy. Yesterday evening when I went to bed I was the Mother of a Boy Scout. A young man. How can one day make such a difference in one persons life? The answer lies in the wonderful, fascinating, exciting, and sometimes exhausting journey that we have been on for the last four years.

Almost four years ago Joe and I took Taylor to a Cub Scout meeting. Taylor decided, at the ripe ole age of seven, that he wanted to join and Do [His] Best! Every year since, as a Wolf, Bear, and Webleos, Taylor has done just that, His Best. And his best was pretty darn fantastic. [You can even ask someone who is not his bias Mom and hear the same, really.] Taylor attended den and pack meetings, scout camps and outings, participated in community and religious services, and worked at projects on his own and with family and friends. Along the way he received recognition for some of his efforts, and did the work without recognition just the same.

When Taylor started Cub Scouts, he couldn't sit still [or quietly] through a 5 minute flag ceremony. Now Taylor tries to set a good example for the other, younger boys, who can't sit still [or quietly]. Those that know him know, this is still a struggle, but it is one that Taylor has shown excellent perseverance and his effort has paid off in the person he is today.

When Taylor started Cub Scouts, he didn't know how to say the Pledge of Allegiance or recite the Cub Scout Pledge. Now he can, and also tell you the meaning of that pledge not only to himself, but his family, community, God and his country. He has become a very respectable and reverent 'young man.'

When Taylor started Cub Scouts, he didn't know how to tie his own shoes. Now he can tie his shoes, and pack his back pack without help, and go overnight for a weekend, and start the fire, cook, clean, and lead others in a variety of activities including songs and games and crafts. He has become a very independent and responsible 'young man'.

Last night, as we said "good bye" to the Cub Scout and "hello" to the Boy Scout, I was reminded that my time as Mom will never end, but my time as the 'chauffer-carryeverything-mindyourmanners-didyouremember-dothisdothat' Mom is over. Cub Scouts are Akela*-led in all that they do. Boy Scouts are SCOUT-led in all that they do and parents are 'honored guests'. This is a moment in every Akela's life when they can't decide whether they are crying [Admit it or not.] because they are overwhelmingly sad to be saying good bye to the boy or overwhelmingly proud to be saying hello to the young man. Of course, I think it is a bit of both.

~ By Sandra (Sandie) Young LeVar, Mother to Taylor LeVar
January 11th 2011

*Alkela is the parent/adult 'partner' in a Cub Scout's life. Someone who guides a Cub Scout through lessons and activities.

Las Vegas and The Grand Canyon

2010-11-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

Halloween weekend in Las Vegas was SO much fun. There were 10 people from Joe's family [and about 15 more friends and other family] in town for Joe's Niece, Desiree's, Wedding on Halloween.

Saturday afternoon we went to see The Lion King. AMAZING! One of the best musicals I think I have seen. Taylor was enthralled! Before the show we spent a few hours walking around the different casinos and checking out the sights. After dinner we enjoyed our time people-watching ALL the 20-30 somethings in costumes headed to the nightclubs. WOW!

Sunday we three vikings enjoyed breakfast and late lunch in between people watching before heading to Desiree and Doug's Wedding Ceremony at the Little White Chapel. I cried, It was beautiful. Everyone was beautiful and we took many many pictures. [Even one of Joe and I in front of the Thunderbird across the street.]

Monday we drove out to see Hoover Dam. Very impressive. While the innovation and technology was impressive; the sheer magnitude of human spirit, fortitude, and effort was beyond imagination. Literally in the middle of nowhere, with very little monetary compensation, under very extreme conditions, the men who labored to build the Hoover Dam during the Great Depression accomplished a feat that in my opinion is compromised by anything less than the Pyramid's of Egypt and the like. It took a unique set of conditions to enable production, I do not think such a feat could be accomplished today.

Late Monday we finished our drive to Grand Canyon and checked into our hotel. The next morning we awoke, got dressed, and stepped out of our hotel. We were VERY surprised to find ourselves about 20-30 feet from the cliff side of the Grand Canyon. A bit of grass and a walkway were all that separated us from the rock cliff's edge and the over 6000 foot drop to the Colorado River at the bottom. WOW!!

We spent Tuesday riding the tram and hiking the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I am sure I took way too many pictures. (Not) After a rocky start (lost sunglasses, etc) we spent Wednesday driving and hiking the rest of the South Rim including the Watch Tower and Indian Ruins. Taylor also earned his Junior Ranger Badge. We are VERY proud of him.

On Thursday we got up early-ish and packed our backpacks for a hike down into the Canyon. [It is a 2-3 day hike ALL the way down and back, FYI] I was a bit nervous about the hike on the way down since there are really scary warning signs all over about hikers who go too far down and cant hike back up, running out of water, and even dying of heat exhastion and exposure. Lucky for me, we are experienced hikers and know our limits. Not to mention, we had PERFECT, couldn't have asked for better, weather. (sunny, light breeze, high 60s to low 70s) We got to the turn around point (Cedar Ridge) after about an hour (lots of photos of course) and spent another hour hiking around the lookout points and having a snack before heading back up. The hike back up was not as bad as I expected. Slow going of course, the switch backs were so steep at some points I found myself accidentally walking on the balls of my feet, but we stopped at the 1/2 way point for a long break to take more photos, and we stopped at the 3/4 point for lunch (because I refused to carry the weight down AND all the way back up) before reaching the top after only about 2 hours. Even Joe commented that this is something I would not have been able to accomplish this time last year, so I am very pleased with myself, to say the least.

The rest of Thursday was spent viewing some of the ridges and museums we'd missed the previous two days. After another fabulous dinner and gorgeous sunset, we were ready for bed and a well deserved rest.

On Friday we drove back to Las Vegas (and decided we are never moving to AZ or NV, nice place to visit but wouldn't want to live there) and checked into our hotel just in time to go see Chris Angel (Mind Freak, Cirque De Soleil - Believe) perform the most amazing magic show we have ever seen!! NO idea how he did most of his illusions?!?! And boy oh boy did we try to figure it out! He he he.

On Saturday we went to see the Titanic exhibit [Sandie had seen Bodies the week before] before flying home. We were actually ready to go. Las Vegas is fun, but it is a little too 'much' even for us busy active LeVars. And the Grand Canyon was gorgeous, but all the vista's started to look the same by the time we left. Sunday was a nice quiet day of laundry, homework, and watching TV while sitting on the recliner.

Front Yard - Fall Clean Up

2010-10-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

Joe spent the weekend working hard to clean up the front yard. [We are concerned about the Rhodies] Taylor started the weekend off by helping, but then he got distracted and decided to have fun playing with the neighbor kids instead. [Weird isn't it? We cant figure out why he would want to play instead of do yard work in a torrential downpour. Maybe he was switched at birth?] No worries though, Joe took care of the issue and now the kids won't be having any more fun this holiday season. Mwah Ha Ha Ha...

Single Motion Minded-ness: aka Organizing Your Life

2010-10-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

Back in the Summer of 1999 [NO, not '69?! he he he] I bought a book called "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui". I didn't agree with the 'spirit' part, however the tips were very intuitive and made sense to me. For example, if there is a big pile of something behind your front door, people can't come in. So get rid of the stuff behind the door and your home will seem more welcoming. Makes sense, so I did that, and a whole lot of other suggestions like that from the book.

And then, miracle of miracles, I got pregnant?! Coincidence, probably. But one thing clearing all the clutter out of our house did WAS allow me to feel more relaxed when I was at home. So maybe not a coincidence after all.

Funny thing is, when we invited my Parents over for dinner to tell them I was pregnant, the book was sitting on the coffee table. My Mom walks in, sits down, picks up the book, reads the title, and says "Feng Shui? Are you thinking that'll get you pregnant?" ... Well, ya could've heard a pin drop! Joe and I both stopped in our tracks, looked at her and said "uh, Well, no? We don't need a book for that, I AM pregnant." [Couldn't hear anything let alone a pin from all the happy screaming after THAT statement sunk in.]

After Taylor was born, I got another book about organizing. "Happily Organized Family" and it helped Joe and I keep our busy work and new parent lives a little less crazy. We have a fridge calendar. We have laundry days and cleaning days. We have chore lists and assignments. [And a yours/mine job 'spinner' for those dirty diapers and days when the dog rolls in 'something'.] I have menus and grocery lists. We even resort to leaving sticky notes all over the house for each other when things get desperate.

After we moved to Seattle, and I became a 'Stay at Home Mom' for a while, I got another book by the same author, "Happily Organized HomeMaker". I re-learned how to do dishes, laundry, clean, and even organize my car. [Since as a Soccer Mom, I live in my SUV more than my house sometimes I think.] I even tried to re-learn how to cook and shop so we ate more healthy meals for less cost.

This is a HUGE amount of work. And even someone as over-energetic as myself can get 'burn out'. Not to mention, life has a way of 'interfering' with attainment of perfection. [Ha Ha Ha, Uhg] And so with each MAJOR set back in life, [lost jobs, miscarriages, deaths of loved ones] like everyone else, I got depressed, lazy, whatever you want to call it, you know what I mean. After one serious setback, an acquaintance [at McDs PlayPlace, see how desperate I was] mentioned a website called FlyLady.org So, that night I decided to check it out. WOW! "Tie your shoes every morning." Brilliant! "Look at life as a series of SMALL little baby steps." Now THAT makes sense to me.

So while yes I am normally a very busy well organized person, I also find myself able to celebrate on those days when I manage to do nothing but get my shoes tied. [or, not, as the case may be]

I do get asked now and then about this. So, now I will list all the 'cool' books and supplies that have helped me... Maybe they will help you too.

Confessions of a Happily Organized Family by Deniece Schofield
Confessions of an Organized Homemaker: The Secrets of Uncluttering Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life by Deniece Schofield
Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui by Karen Kingston
Dooley Boards Week by Week Magnetic Calendar [GET ONE! You'll LOVE it!]
http://flylady.org/

I have also enjoyed reading a variety of related material to help me 'deal' with specific 'organizational' challenges in life. For example, I will continue to have a come-n-go relationship with Weight Watchers http://www.weightwatchers.com for the rest of my life. While I know I do not struggle with weight the way others do, I have found that it does help to remind myself to pay attention to what I eat and some of the tips-n-tricks provided by the professionals at Weight Watchers are the best I have ever heard or tried. Having good 'habits' has also helped me in times of stress by allowing my brain to focus on something other than all those delicious donuts at the bakery... and allowing my self esteem to love my body even when I do eat all those delicious donuts at the bakery.

And so far, I have enjoyed much of what Dr Sears http://askdrsears.com has to suggest. The BEST advice I ever gleaned from reading his books was... "Take what works for you and leave the rest behind." Living by that motto has gotten me through more 'politics' and 'philosophy' of religion, marriage, parenting, education, than I can ever say. [And I know THAT is not what you thought I got out of those books I bet?] I have always felt society is 'too critical' in many ways. Seems to me everyone struggles with something, and who am I to judge? [Who are you to judge, for that matter.] I like to hear what works for others who are struggling with the same issues as I have... I might learn something that can help ME struggle less. Parenting has turned out to be THE biggest challenge of my life. And maybe that ole saying is true: Knowledge IS Power. And I like to feel powerful much more than powerless.

A while ago I registered for a Facebook account. One of the items was a line for me to add about my 'Political Views'. I found that to be HILARIOUS since, obviously, LIFE is 'political' and to me there is NO way I would be able to sum up my views on life in a little word or sentence. However, if I was to try and come up with a 'little' something I think it would be along the lines of "If it ain't broke, don't change it." And THAT seems to me how I go about 'organizing' my house, family, and my life... one little 'broken' thing at a time, as time permits, when I feel like it.

Summer 2010 in Review

2010-10-06T15:50:00.001-07:00

As usual for us LeVars, Summer was hectic-fun. Unusually for us LeVars, so was September?

Our Summer started with the end of Lacrosse season and the beginning of camping season. Taylor had his last Lacrosse game as well as a fun Jamboree. We went camping with the Scouts at Camp Brinkley as well as a family vacation to Yellowstone National Park.

The entire month of August seems to have been spent fixing up our house. We finished removing carpet, and pruned the yard [which was a HUGE undertaking], and we finally got Taylor a loft bed and desk. Then the first weekend in September we held an Open House so all our friends and family could visit us, and have BBQ on our NEW grill!

Since we had done all the work already, we were also luckily able to host Corvin's first birthday at our home. [It didn't actually rain that afternoon, but it poured buckets that morning.] The party was so much fun, Sandie made the cake, and there were balloons and presents too. All the kids were adorable, but of course Corvin was THE cutest kid ever, except for Taylor of course. He he He.

The rest of July and August were spent outside playing lacrosse and soccer, swimming at the local beaches and pools, and attending camps. The rest of September was spent going Back to School/Work and playing soccer. September was also unusual because Joe spent most of the month out of town for work, including the weekends.

Joe did have a wonderful time visiting touring Yellowstone, visiting friends in Connecticut, and playing in Alaska on the weekends though. [More to come about Joe's Adventures... Stay Tuned]

PS. I never posted this, but I thought this was one of THE cutest photos of a Ten Year old I have taken in a long time... Just don't tell my 10 year old I made this photo public. ;-) We like bunnies in our house, having a birth-day ON Easter will do that to a person.

Our Loving Family ;-)

"Works for me?"

2010-09-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

As a Tester, I cannot COUNT the number of times a developer/programmer has returned a ticket to me saying "Works for me?" and honestly THIS is THE best thing I think I have EVER seen in reponse to that. HAHAHAHAHAHA

Many Thanks Today.

2010-08-31T10:19:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a GREAT time at the Cub Scout Regatta! The boys had loads of fun making and racing their boats. They also had a great time getting a chance to see each other again after the Summer before School started. The weather was perfect and the hot dogs were delicious!

Late as the last folks were rounding up their kids, there was a not-so-great accident though. [Ended fine, thank goodness.] Taylor, his friend Tristan, and a few other Boy Scouts were playing rough-n-tumble on the playground when Tristan was accidentally injured. Concern was that he had hurt his back and/or neck. [Bumps and bruises only, thank goodness.] So while I held the dog and the girls, Tristan's Mom held Tristan, and the scout leaders 'did their thing' and kept everyone calm and safe while the ambulance arrived to take Tristan to the ER for X-Rays.

I took the girl's home with me for an impromptu slumber party. Spoiled 'em rotten. ;-) Three giggly kids lined up on the couch in their PJs watching Planet 51. No one slept, but everyone got a chance to relax for a few hours. In the end Tristan was sent home with bumps and bruises that will ache for a few days to a week. That's all. Thank goodness.

Yellowstone Vacation & License Plates

2010-08-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

License Plates We Saw in Yellowstone
Alabama
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nevada
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
Wyoming

License Plates We Didn't See in Yellowstone
Alaska
Arkansas
Delaware
Georgia
Indiana
Louisiana
Maine
Minnesota
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Jersey
Rhode Island
Vermont
West Virginia
Wisconsin

We went to YELLOWSTONE!!

2010-08-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

We went to see Yellowstone National Park, and as usual we were SO busy DOING that there was little time for journaling. I brought my smart-phone, and forgot to use it all but 2 of the days. I brought my netbook, and only used it once to download photos [because the camera card was full] and twice to check email messages. I did have my handy dandy ole fashioned spiral notebook for jotting things down...

We took 100s (dare I admit to 1000s) of photos with a digital SLR, a digital PNS, and two smart-phones [Taylor is VERY MUCH the growing photo/video artist too, and no I'm not a bias Mom either, hehehe]

We kept track of all the animals, big [bears every day, moose only once!] and small [anyone know what a pika is?] and not at all [how many rocks and trees do YOU think look like an animal?], that we saw in the park

We made a list of all the license plates we saw on our drive [Only 13 in US we didn't see! And 1/2 from Canada, and one from France that we cant figure out how they GOT there in their camper?!]

We said funny things [It's a, a, a... rock, again.], and we did funny things [Ten years old ARE funny don't ya know]

And over all WE HAD FUN FUN FUN!!

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, And Nobody

2010-07-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.

Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done it.

No Tacos? No Burritos?! No ENCHILLADAS?!

2010-06-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

"WHY?!" says my little family "Do we NEVER get home-cooked food anymore? No Italian, no Chinese, no MEXICAN?! Why do we ONLY get TV dinners, and casseroles in winter, and BBQ in summer?!"

WHY Momma?! WHY?!

The answer is: Except for the microwave, our current kitchen layout is USELESS and we need to remodel, sigh.

Notice the lack of space for right hand/arm.
Notice the right-side pots-n-pans have handle over left-side burners!
Notice lack of space above pots-n-pans to properly stir/flip.
Notice lack of vent from oven to outside [vents into kitchen FYI]
Notice lack of ANY counter space WHAT SO EVER next to the stove?!

ARG! Arg I say!

[Yes, we are planning a kitchen remodel, wanna help? Wanna submit us for an HGTV makeover? HELP! Help I say!]

Thank Goodness It's Friday!!

2010-06-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

Our week in summary:

Sandie's Grandma is depressed and confused
Joe and Eric 1) almost blow up boat/themselves 2) almost electrocute themselves 3) freak out from 'bugs'
Sandie has 'over done it' and ends up in bed again (from surgery)
Garage Door won't open, broken spring
Joe's work apt is canceled, after 5+hr one way car trip for 'nothing'
Sandie files paperwork to start doing Grandma's finances 'officially'
Call from marina, boat is being repossessed AFTER hard work to clean and repair
Cat barfs up hair ball in bed, Sandie wakes up when she rolls over onto it
While packing for BIG weekend camping with the Scouts, the washer machine stops agitating or spinning, belt broke

TGIF!!

Rather than end up in a 'dry spell' of writing...

2010-06-03T15:30:00.000-07:00

Rather than end up in a 'dry spell' of writing, as I did in 2001 and again in 2006, I have decided I WILL start again... TODAY!

March ended with Joe and Sandie celebrating their 11th Wedding Anniversary. A nice low-key night watching Movies was preceded by a weekend-getaway to the Tulalip Casino for a hot-tub Master Suite sort-of weekend. [We are a bit jaded (by our countless trips to Vegas) though... Penny slots?]

April had a rocky start, to say the least.

My Dad passed away on his boat on Friday April 2nd. The Memorial was held at UMC Byrn Mawr where he attended for the last 10+ years. There were also MANY friends from Seattle First UMC where Dad 'grew up'. Sad to say, it was also nice to see all of Dad's friends and family too. The rest of the last two months, and next few months, has been taken up trying to manage Probate. Uhg.

Also on Friday April 2nd I (Sandie) went to the hospital for an ultrasound. Short version, Fibroid and Polyps. So end of May I (Sandie) went for surgery to have them removed. [Benign cysts. Whew] The last week of May and first weeks of June were about 'recovery'. Bleh.

There was one marvelous event in April that is mentionable... Taylor Turned TEN Years Old!! Oh My! We took his friends to see the movie "How to Train Your Dragon" and it was (crazy) fun.

And one weekend in May Joe and Taylor took a trip to Camp for Webeloree. [9-10 year old cub scouts go to boy scout camp with their parents to 'see how it goes' ... and have a GREAT time at it!] Meanwhile Sandie sat in the sun on a (new) lawn chair on the deck, and didn't move farther than it took to get food/drink from the kitchen, all weekend!

June is looking up. And July is looking great. We are looking forward to Summer and relaxing, as much as we crazy LeVars can relax anyway.

The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

2010-03-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

Taylor and Sandie were lucky enough to be invited to the Men's Snowboard Half pipe event at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Shannon's husband Eric has relatives in Vancouver, Anthony and Elaine, who were kind enough to let us ALL stay overnight on Tue and Wed, before and after the event. [THANKS!!]

So, on Tuesday Taylor and I dropped our car at the train station in Everett and headed up to Vancouver with Eric, Shannon and Corvin in their van. We arrived (on time) and then took a short walk and sky train ride downtown to 'see the sights' and pick up tickets for the next days events.

WHAT a wonderful experience THAT was!!

We got to see the Olympic torch, even though it *was* behind a chain link fence, grumble grumble. We got to see all the great bill boards advertising the Olympics. At one point Taylor remarked "Doesn't seem different in Canada than it is in the USA." but Sandie's reply was "Did you see ALL the Go Canada! signs and ALL the red maple leaves on every door/window? We're in Canada all right!"

And the signs were nothing next to the people! The city streets were blocked off to traffic... because EVERYONE was IN the streets celebrating! During the Men's Hockey game that night [Canada 8 vs Norway 0] we didn't even need to see the game to hear the fans roar with every goal. And when the game was over and Canada had won, the roar could be felt in your bones! Everyone was jumping and yelling and you could feel the electric happiness in the air. It was incredible and like nothing I have ever experienced!

Another lucky thing that happened: Taylor had front and center view of the Mascots on Ice at Robson Square! While waiting for Eric and Shannon to pick up tickets, Taylor happened to get a chance to watch the Mascots on Ice show!! Each character/mascot was presented with a little music and skate 'number' and each was fabulous! It was hard to pick a favorite from the bunch. Sumi was Taylor favorite mascot, but at the show Quatchi was his favorite after receiving a hug AND a high five during the show! Miga was Sandie's favorite mascot. The skaters were great too and it was fun to watch from the front row!

The next morning we headed to the Shuttle Bus Stop, but stopped to pick up Red Maple Leaf sugar cookies with Go Canada icing. (A very fun snack!) It was a little crazy getting to the bus stop since there were NO signs (?) but luckily Sandie is good at asking for directions so we had a nice map from the security booth in no time! ;-) The shuttle was quick and the walk was easy. The 200+ stairs to our seats was NOT easy, but well worth it. And we were VERY thankful to HAVE seats since we heard that apx 4000 general admission tickets were refunded due to problems with melting snow in the standing area(s).

The event itself was an experience of a lifetime! The fans were amazing. The athletes were incredible. ALL of the athletes! From the poor man who came in last, to the lucky man who came in first [Go Shaun White!] and all the men in between... it was a very spectacular sport to watch LIVE! In between heats the athletes pushed their bodies to the limit during warm up and practice runs. The heights and acrobatics were fantastic and the crashes were also fantastic! We spent the day on the edge of our seats, or standing because we couldn't sit we were so thrilled with what we were seeing.

One of the more interesting things about being AT the event was that there was so much MORE happening that you never see on TV. The athletes were fun, happy, competitive, friendly people to meet. There was lively camaraderie over what they wore [Snow pants that look like jeans - thumbs up - and 'tight' pants on a snow boarder - thumbs down.] and there was friendly competition over facial hair [kudos to the French for their flair with a magic marker]. And we cheered "Go Team USA!" but also cheered almost as loudly "Go Canada, ay!" And when the Japanese boarder fell at the end of what surely would have been a medal-run, everyone moaned a collective "Oh No!"

Some might say that the conclusion to our day was "And Shaun White wins the GOLD!!" But for me, that was not the conclusion. There was also the hilarity of watching the medalists jump about, they couldn't contain their happiness. There was also the "Good Bye! Good Night! Glad You Came!" from the Olympic staff as we were among the last to walk back to our shuttle bus. There was getting lost on the bus ride trying to find the parking lot. There was the thrill of telling everyone about what we'd seen. There was looking at the photos, and reading the blogs, and re-living the moments. And I am not sure that, for me, there is a conclusion to what will surely be remembered for the rest of my life as 48 glorious hours of experiencing the Winter Olympics 2010 in Vancouver Canada.

We're going to The Olympics!!

2010-02-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

Taylor and Sandie are going to the Olympics 2010 in Vancouver Canada next week! We get to go watch the Men's Snowboard Halfpipe competition. GO Team USA! We are very excited to see all the competitors of course, but our favorite is Shaun White and we're looking forward to watching him show off some great new moves!

Yippee!

Living in a world of Technology

2010-02-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

I literally live [and work] in a world of cutting edge technology. By the time I have worked on a project that is released to the public, the technology is 'so last year' and we are rushing to develop the newest latest greatest 'thing' for next year, and that too will be semi-obsolete by the time it is released. This is the very nature of Internet/web development.

Usually I wonder 'why' I rush to meet the cutting-edge deadline. Usually I spend my time at home with my family and friends trying to get away from 'the latest and greatest' and relax into the 'old fashioned' way of doing things. I take time to write letters in my best cursive penmanship on lovely monogrammed heavy weight stationery and spend hours making the card and matching envelope to mail via the US Postal Service. I still own and use my Rolodex with penciled in names, birthdays, anniversaries, phone numbers, addresses and emails. I still buy a lovely weekly dated calendar each year and use my pencil to write menus and do to lists along with appointments in the pages/margins.

Sometimes 'technology' seems to get in the way of life and slow me down. The battery goes dead on my cell. I can't get signal on my net book. I haven't taken time to download, then upload the photos off my digital camera in ages, let alone order an online digital album of family photos. My 'old' [last year] computer takes 'forever' to start up, or shut down.

BUT. Every once in a while. I am reminded of why I, and those who work in a technology industry as I do, DO rush to stay on the cutting edge of technology. Why I DO care to get innovative product out the door to the customer as soon as possible, or sooner.

It is not because of the comforts technology offers me in my daily life. My daily life is pretty comfortable as it is. It is because of the comforts technology offers others, when in need.

This morning I was delighted to spend about 5 minutes IM-ing a cousin who has just arrived for a tour in Iraq. WOW! He was waiting for his wife and children to be available for a video conference. Double WOW!

And this reminds me of a news article I read about all the lives saved by cell phone calls from trapped Haitians. And the millions donated by text message for relief efforts. And the photo/video journals of the quake as it happened sent live via cell phone apps.

I am old enough to remember the first time friends went to Iraq in 1990. They didn't have chat. They didn't even have email. They didn't have video conferencing with family and friends via their personal laptops.

And I am old enough to remember the Loma Preita earthquake of 1989. While local search and rescue efforts were well coordinated, it still took long hours and days to contact people in outlying areas. It was many days before 'word' reached those out of area about their affected loved ones. People didn't have cell phones. Few land lines were working. Power was out. It takes time to develop film, let alone deliver it without internet access. It was even difficult for news reporters to contact their editors with a story.

So while I have an address in my Rolodex to mail via USPS my handwritten letter/card to Iraq, and I have a cell phone in my pocket in case my son has an emergency [like forgetting his lunch box], I am very thankful for all the hard work by inventive and innovative people to rush to market such great technology products. And, I guess I'll work a bit of overtime this week so that someone else can benefit from the sweat of rushing cutting edge technology to market. I may not save lives, but the competition to meet cutting edge market demands can save lives and make lives better.

The LeVar Family - January 2010 in Review

2010-02-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

January was a 'quiet' month for The LeVar Family. Or as quiet as it gets anyway.

New Years was wonderful. We slept in, had coffee, and got ready for our guests. The Opfers came for dinner and Wii. Good Times, Good Times. The rest of the weekend was restful. Sandie was home sick [from eating too much junk food on 31st and 1st] so everyone stayed home in their PJs and watched TV, read books, and played Wii.

We took a day trip to Olympia [WA State Capitol] on MLK Day. We listened to speeches. We rallied on the capitol steps in support of the WA State PTA. We shook the Governor and our local Representative's hand. We took a wonderful tour of the capitol building and grounds. It was a long day. Taylor was VERY well behaved. And as a reward [after a nap in the car on the drive home] we went and saw "Avatar" in 3D!! Amazing film. A MUST see. We were truly impressed and think this might be the "Star Wars" of Taylor's generation?

Joe and Taylor spent some time working on Taylor's pinewood derby car. Then we all went to cheer him [and the other scouts] on at the Pinewood Derby Contest for the Cub Scouts. Taylor's car was a very nice looking Red White and Blue with the Olympic symbol and a snowboard logo on it. Very Cool Car!!

Sandie got to spend some fun times with her sister, Shannon, her nephew, Corvin, and her grandma, Evelyn. Corvin is 4 months old now, and TONS of fun and cuteness!!

Our big 'house' project for the month was to paint the master bedroom 'naive peach'. And for you men out there,-- NO that is NOT pink!! It is almost white with a hint of orange. Goes very well with the new Tiffany style stained glass lamp we got in November.

A few other highlights included: Dinner at Anthony's with Joe's friend, Marty. Fun at LCPC Kids Night and CM Crop. Ryan Opfer came to work with Sandie one day as a part of a school project, and he got to learn all about MGH and CDI and cool online apps like Planet Turtle and Cinch Project. And, Taylor got to sleepover at Aldo's while Joe and Sandie went to Dinner at Fuji's for teppanyaki.

December 2009 in Review

2010-01-02T16:17:00.000-08:00

December 2009 in Review

Dec 5 AM - Saturday - helped Joe and Taylor haul carpet to dump

Dec 6 - Sunday - Sandie slept in while Joe and Taylor went to church. Met with Opfer's for lunch at Third Place Books' food court. Spent afternoon searching for Secret Santa gifts for Eytan at work and spent evening doing housework, etc.

Dec 7 - Taylor had his Den meeting for Cub Scouts

Dec 7 - 11 Sandie played at Secret Santa at work and ended the week wearing her Got Math? (Taylor is a Math Olympiad) Tshirt to the company Holiday Party - Weren't we supposed to dress up? Why Yes! I did!

Dec 12 - Saturday - Sandie's Birthday 39r2 - After half a breakfast in bed, Sandie opened her first present from Taylor ... Beattles Rock Band for Wii?!?!?! THEN Sandie Taylor and Joe screamed around the house hunting for Rock Band for Wii!!!! Yippee!! A wonderful morning spent playing Rock band instead of baking a cake or getting ready for the Spencer Family Holiday Party. LATE afternoon we finally headed out for Fiesta at Betty's followed by the La Conner boat parade. Beautiful as usual... no snow this year.

Dec 13 AM - Sunday at LCPC was spent celebrating the holidays with a children's pagent and nativity display. And the annual Bake Sale fund raiser. Yum! Chocolate Cake for the kids rounded the event out nicely.

Dec 14 PM - Monday - Scout Pack Meeting - One of Taylor's best friends, Tristyn, who is a Webelos II, bridge up to Boy Scouts. He was also awarded the Arrow of Light. The ceremony was marvelous and we were very happy for Tristyn to receive the recognition deserved for all his hard work.

Dec 16 PM - Wednesday - Taylor went with his pack for Christmas Caroling in the halls at the Anderson House in North City

Dec 18 PM - We flew to S Ca for 11 days and 10 nights of vacation.

Dec 19 - Pirate Dinner Theater!! BEST time EVER!! Joe WAS the 'before' show... see the video! Sherryl treated us along with Z and her boyfriend.

Dec 20 - La Brea Tar Pits with Sherryl and Barbara and Jocelyn

Dec 21 & 22 - Park Hopper pass to Disneyland and California Great Adventure. Taylor made it until midnight both nights! What a trooper!

Dec 23 - Dinner with the Carters... and SHH a trip to the tattoo parlor? ;-)

Dec 24 - hiking to Inspiration Point at LLCC

Dec 24 PM - Dinner with Joe's Dad Richard before heading back to Sherryl's to hang our Christmas Stockings.

Dec 25 - CHRISTMAS!! Richard and Barbara and all the kids joined us at Sherryl's for a GREAT day of food, fun, and FAMILY!!

Dec 26 - After a very late morning of resting Barbara and Sherryl joined us on a day trip to Santa Anna Zoo. Lots of Monkeys. Then back to the house for lots of movies and leftovers. Yum!

Dec 27 - Breakfast with Rosie and then we spent the afternoon wandering around the Flea Market

Dec 28 - We spent the afternoon at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum before getting on plane to go home. Tired but we had a great time!

Dec 31 - Good Times with the Laycocks playing Wii and Clue. Happy New Years Eve... Goodbye 2009 Hello 2010!

Beauty is... The Frost Dragon

2009-12-30T16:25:00.000-08:00

The LeVar Family - November 2009 in Review

2009-12-30T16:23:00.000-08:00

The LeVar Family - November 2009 in Review

Taylor had fun as usual with the Cub Scouts. With his Den he worked on completing the Science and Fitness activity badges. With his Pack he had fun learning about his favorite subject, Marine Biology.

After a too long break over the Summer, Leena worked with Taylor and Sandie so Taylor could finally complete the God & Me program. We are VERY proud of all the hard work Taylor put into this. He will receive his recognition badge [and the gift of a new bible from his parents] in January in front of the congregation.

Taylor continued to enjoy Chess Club, Math Olympiad and Kumon while Sandie continued to enjoy playing with her new netbook while Taylor was at Chess Club, Math Olympiad, Kumon and Scouts.

Taylor worked hard to complete his documentary for entry in the National PTA Reflections Art Contest. Taylor created a documentary for this years theme "Beauty is..." and his entry was titled "Beauty is... The Frost Dragon" At the school reception Taylor was recognized as one of the finalists for his entry. We are VERY proud of Taylor's accomplishment and look forward to next years entry too.

November was the last soccer game of the season, and the End of Season Soccer party. Friends of the family were kind enough to host this year and it was a SMASHING success with the players having a great time and the families too! There was pizza, cake, and recognition awards. MANY thanks to Coach Adam for his perseverance this year too!! Go Kickers!!

While at a company party at the Bowl & Skate Sandie re injured a previous fracture of her right patella. Didn't know about the previous fracture. And until 4 days later when knee was infected, didn't know about new re injury either. After 2 hours of roller blading for the first time in 7 years, Sandie assumed she was just sore from using old muscles. Oops. Luckily the fracture was minor and the infection healed with antibiotics. All was well a month later.

Thanksgiving was spent in our new home with family. The Krauses (Eric Shannon and Corvin), DeShaws (Helen, Glenn, Becca and Jennifer) and Grandma Evelyn joined Joe's Mom (Sherryl) and his brother (Richard) and friend (Crystal) for a food fest that included turkey, potatoes, and cranberry sauce among other delights.

The weekend of Thanksgiving was fun too! Joe's Mom Sherryl came to stay in our new guest room with the new guest bed. We went shopping on Black Friday, went to dinner, and we went to celebrate Advent together before Sherryl had to fly home. Good Times. Good Times.

World's Cutest Nephew

2009-11-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

I have a photo of my Nephew as my screen saver today...
sure hope MY kid doesn't see?!
[Heads will roll... MINE?!]

October 2009 in Review

2009-11-03T15:34:00.000-08:00

October 2009 in Review

Tuesdays became "THAT" day in Taylor and Sandie's week. Every Tuesday Taylor had PE, Music, and Library in the morning at school. Every Tuesday after school Taylor had Chess Club, Soccer and Kumon. Every Tuesday night after dinner Taylor had a huge amount of homework due on Wednesday. Yikes!

Chess Club is something that Taylor has wanted to participate in for a long long time. Now that the new school has Chess Club after school, Taylor can go and then afterwards walk over to the After School child care until Sandie picks him up. VERY nice. Taylor is learning some 'good moves' from the instructors and having fun with his friends.

Soccer is what occupies most of our time in the Fall and this year is no expection. Practice twice a week after school and games on Sundays. Taylor is getting very good now and is really enjoying the excercise and time with his friends. The games are getting very good now too. The boys seem to have the hang of it and so they are very evenly matched and fun to watch.

Kumon is still going well. Now that Taylor dropped Reading [for the time being] and is focusing on Math things are going well. He was very happy to progress to the next level and hopes to progress again by December if all goes well. Keeps us busy on Tuesdays and Fridays, but Sandie is enjoying the quiet time at the coffee shop while Taylor is at the Center.

October was also the time of year for Popcorn Sales for the Cub Scouts. This year as a Webelos Taylor was busy and much more successful selling popcorn. He manned a booth to sell Scout Popcorn once at St mark's and once at Top Foods. He walked around the new neighborhood and he walked around the old neighborhood. And each Sunday Taylor dressed in his uniform [VERY handsome if I do say so as his unbaised Mother] and set up his poster, brochure and donation can at a table after church at LCPC.

The other fun thing Taylor began in October with the Webelos was their Science activity pin. Each meeting was fun filled with cool science experiments thanks to Taylor's Asst Den Leader who is a Bio-Chemist!! The kids had a great time, and the parents learned a lot too!

The Cub Scout Pack meeting for October was (of course) a Halloween themed event. There were games and candy prizes and cookie decorating and lots and lots of running around (with a sugar high, hahaha). Since the Webelos I were the hosts, they lead the flag ceremony and all the boys looked very smart in their new uniforms.

ALL of these after school activities have been a bit much all at once for Taylor and Sandie. Especially along with a new house and a new school. But once the routine was settled, things got better. It also helped that Sandie bought herself a new 'toy' ... a Netbook to play with while Taylor is busy with all of his activities. Now Sandie can play on Email and Chat and Facebook and Blog and (uhg) do the bills while waiting for Taylor. Makes the coffee shop VERY fun too, very 'cool Mom' stuff, eh?

While Sandie and Taylor were busy with before and after school/work activities (and school and work), Joe was busy traveling for work to all sorts of different states. 3-4 nights a week in a hotel eating restraunt food *isn't* all it's cracked up to be. Really. Poor Joe.

While all of this might seem like 'enough' for a little family of three to 'do' in a month... we did MORE!!

Taylor got croup. Again. Because of the fear of Swine Flu though this was more difficult than usual. Taylor had to stay home from school [HE was happy about that] and Sandie had to stay home from work [SHE was NOT happy about that].

AND sally and Dale came to visit for a week and a half so they could see/meet little Corvin!! We spent many nights with Shannon and Corvin and even got to hang out a bit one weekend. Corvin is growing and 'cute as a button'! He is pretty much the darling of the family right now, but since Taylor thinks so too, that's AOK with him.

While Dale was visiting, he and Joe were busy busy busy on the weekends. The first weekend they finished putting in a pantry while Sandie went to an all day crop with her girlfriends. The second weekend they moved the microwave over the stove top up about 6 inches so that Sandie can USE the stove top to cook. Much easier said than done, but it is done, and done well.

The other exciting 'house' thing is that Dale and Sally brought two gorgeous area carpets [inherited from the Betty and Breck] for the living and dining rooms. The furniture may look old, ratty, and odd... but the floors with the lovely hardwoods underneath the beautiful persians looks too fabulous for words!!

Taylor got to (finally) have Adam over for a sleepover. The two had a good time playing in the back yard, investigating the public accessway, and riding bikes and what not in the culdesac.

We did take a break one Saturday to NOT work on the house: Joe, Taylor and Sandie took a few hours to go to lunch, visit the Klondike Gold Ruch National Histroical Park in Seattle, and Taylor was able to earn (another) Junior Ranger badge and patch. That makes a total of 4 Jr Ranger badges for National Parks [Klondike, Mt Rainier, Mt St Helens, and Curricanti] and 1 for a State Park [Oregon]. The museum was very intersting too. We never knew it was 'hidden' in the Pioneer Square neighborhood, but it is one of the un-sung gems of the city. The history of Seattle and the impact of the Gold Rush was amazing to learn. And the exhibits were very well done and interesting to all ages. Also surpising, the museum is FREE since it is a National Park! We did of course donate for the brochuse, etc, but it was very family friendly to know it was free for all to enjoy.

And last but not least: We had a fun Halloween. Taylor dressed as a Wizard for the Scout party. Taylor dressed as a Pirate for the School party. Sandie didn't dress up but did decorate her cubicle at work and along with her coworkers WON the group cube decorating contest!

Taylor dressed as a Skeleton on Halloween Night to go trick or treating with his 4th grade classmate-neighbor and the 3 neighbor boys. The five of them went trick or treating in the new neighborhood before going to Sheridan Beach for some trick or treating BIG TIME! That neighborhood is exactly like the one Sally and Dale used to live in in Los Gatos... hundreds of kids and dozens of haunted houses. WOW was that great! We saw many of the neighbors, soccer mates, class mates, etc. Taylor and his friends were 'tough' and only a little scared of the haunted houses. ["Nooo... not me! I wasn't scared!" He says. wink wink nudge nudge] Good Times, Good Times.

September 2009 in Review

2009-10-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

September 2009 in Review

Tuesday September 1st - We CLOSED on a NEW House!! After work, soccer and Kumon we all went over for dinner in the new house! Yippee!!

Wednesday September 2nd - Taylor's first day back to School in 4th Grade at Brookside!! He LOVES his new teacher and his new classmates are fun!

Thur 3rd - We 'camped' overnight in the new house and Taylor took the BUS to school in the Morning! Yippee!!

Fri 4th - we spent the evening packing as much as we possibly could because...

Sat 5th - BIG MOVING DAY Even though 9/5 was Shannon's 'due date' we rented a U Haul truck and invited a dozen friends over to help us move! After 3 truck loads and a lot of help we were done moving almost everything! Whew. Good Day.

Sun 6th - Joe's Birthday. We slept in, went to the Burke house to finish moving, and went to Sears to buy a NEW Lawn Mover. Good Day.

Mon 7th - Labor Day was spent, well, laboring. We 100% finished moving our things from the Burke house to the new house in LFP. Whew. Tired but happy.

Tue 8th thru Fri 11th - Joe went to Montana for work while Taylor and I did school, work, soccer, Kumon, homework, unpack, and sqeezed in a few doctor, dentist, and vet appointments while we were at it.

Fri 11th thru Sun 13th - We spent the weekend cleaning the Burke house. We handed the keys over at 6 pm and walked across the street to have burritos and tequilas with friends at Clyde's house. "We're no longer neighbors, now we're just best friends!"

Sun 13th - Taylor had his first Soccer game of the season, a three game jamboree. GO KICKERS!!

Mon 14th - Our first morning 100% done moving [and about 5% done unpacking, sigh] Sandie took the day off work to take Joe to the dentist for oral sugery and then to take Taylor to his first Den meeting as a Webelo scout. And... at 7:00 am or so Shadow [the kitten] got her 3rd shower/bath because SHE went up the chimney and got soot all over. Then... at 8:00 pm or so Cedar [the dog] got her first outdoor cold water scrub-down/bath because SHE rolled in raccoon poop in the back yard. Good Times, Good Times. Guess that's ONE way to break in a new home. Yikes.

Fri 18th - After a LONG appoint with the doctor in the morning, Shannon called to "I'm at the Hospital..." YIPPEE!!

Saturday September 19th 2009 at 2:51 PM
Weight 8 lbs, 10 ozs Hieght 20 " Head 14 3/4"
Corvin Byron Krause
was born!!

Sat 19th PM - Taylor went to a friend's Birthday Party at Pump It Up! While Sandie slept for a long time, with a BIG smile on her face!

Sun 20th - Soccer Game, Off to the hospital to visit Shannon and her new Baby!!

Mon 21st - Pack Mtg and a Popcorn Carnival

Thur 24th - Curriculum Night to meet Taylor's new teacher at Taylor's new school.

Sat 26th - After a good long day of pulling up carpet [the bedroom floors look fabulous] and taking it to the dump, Taylor sold scout popcorn at St Marks

Sun 27th - LCPC & Popcorn Sales, Soccer GameMon 28th - Den Mtg, Dr Apt

August 2009 in Review

2009-09-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

August 2009 in Review

Sat 1st & Sun 2nd - We spent the weekend cleaning the house and yard in preparation for Shannon's Baby Shower AND Moving!!

Wed 5th thru Tue 11th - Sally arrived from COlorado to visit for the weekend and attend Shannon's Baby Shower.

Sunday August 9th at 2pm - We hosted Shannon's CoEd Family Baby Shower... LOTS of FUN!! MANY Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins were there! There were yummy desserts, beverages, and of course Hand Made presents galore!

Mon 10th thru Wed 12th - Taylor attended VBS and spent the afternoons playing with his friend Adam

Wed 12th - Sandie went with Taylor and the VBS Kids to the Pacific Science Center's exhibit on Animal Grossology

Thur 13th thru Sun 16th - Taylor attended Cub Scout Resident Camp [Pirate Cove] at Camp Brinkley. Sandie went the first 2 days and Joe went the last 2 days. It was a great weekend with kid's from Taylor's old pack in Lake Forest Park as well as kid's from Taylor's New School! As a Webelo Taylor was able to complete FOUR activity badges too!! Good Work Kiddo!

Sat 15th - Sandie spent the day making small repairs to the Burke House in preperation for MOVING!

Sun 16th - Sandie went to Shannon's CoEd Friends Baby Shower at Seward Park

Mon 17th - Taylor was going to go the the Cub Scout Pack BBQ but instead had to stay home sick with a Migraine from the heat and tiredness of the weekend [and stress of moving].

Mon 17th thru Fri 21st - Taylor attended Skyhawks Soccer Camp

Fri 12st - We went to the BSA Aquasox OVernight baseball game followed by breakfast at Denny's Saturday Morning

Sat 22nd & Sun 23rd - We spent the weekend cleaning and packing in preparation for MOVING!

Mon 24th thru Fri 28th - Taylor attended Stingrays Swim Camp

Tue 25th - Aunt Shannon took Taylor to Soccer Practice to meet [and renew friendships with] all the other players who will also be attending Taylor's New School

Thur 27th - Taylor attended the Back to School BBQ at his New School

Sat 29th - Joe, Sandie and Taylor went with Shannon and Eric to see the Seattle Sounders vs Toronto Soccer Game [score was 0-0 tie]

Sun 30th - We spent the day cleaning and packing the garage in preparation for MOVING!

The Crazy Days of Summer

2009-09-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

The "Crazy" Days of Summer!!

Our New House - Sept 1st 2009

First Day of 4th Grade at a New School for Taylor - Sept 2nd 2009

Goodbye Fish

2009-08-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

In Memory

Fish
b. 10/2003 d. 8/2009

After almost 6 long years of life, our beloved Fish has passed away. He will be missed.

Fish was adopted into our family in October 2003 as a gift from Grandma Bubbles to Taylor. He was a tiny 1" gold fish in a pint size bowl. As a Christmas present that year he was 'upgraded' to an 1 gallon bowl.

Fish proved to be a hardy little soul from the start. Taylor, at 3 years old, decided to pet his new fish, and after giving him a few squeezes dropped him on top of the plastic plant where poor fish lost a fin. Remarkably, a month or so in the "Fish Hospital" (hidden behind the microwave in the kitchen) Fish not only recovered and lived, but grew a new bigger more beautiful fin than before!

Eventually Fish outgrew the bowl and was promoted to an Execu-Tank of gigantic size -- 5 gallons. About two years ago Fish out grew the Execu-Tank so we took a photo of him to the pet store to ask "What is he?" and get a new 10 gallon tank. He is just a fancy gold fish that might live a long time, or not.

Sadly we think the unusually warm Seattle days were not the best for Fish. One night Joe and I watched the news about the local pond fish dying from the heat. So we looked to Fish and he wasn't doing so well. Sadly, try as we might, we were never able to get his water under control and he passed away today.

July 2009 in Review

2009-08-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

July 2009 in Review

Thur 7/2 We got in the car and started the LONG drive to Colorado. Since she injured her leg, we brought Cedar with us too. A full car, but now that Joe travels so much for work, a VERY easy drive. Mostly.

Thur 7/2 11:30 pm Just a bit south-east of Le Grande... WE HIT A DEER! Luckily it was already dead, but it was a BIG deer and we hit it dead on [pun intended] and luckily we were in an SUV with enough clearance in the front so the deer went under the car, and bounced along the drive train without doing damage to the under carriage. We pulled over at the next truck stop to call the state patrol [so another car didnt hit it] and so Joe [bless his macho-man heart] could pull all the deer guts from under the car and off the hatch back. EEW!

Fri 7/3 10 pm After a LONG drive in the deer-jerky-mobile [did you know that deer meat will cook under a car and in the engine and/or exhaust pipe in ~100 degree weather] we arrive in Grand Junction at Sally and Dale's house. We went to sleep to the howl of the local foxes enjoying the free deer-lick buffet.

Sat 7/4 We headed up to Taylor Lake for camping and sight seeing for a few days.

Mon 7/6 We headed over to Sally and Dale's cabin in Arrowhead for a few days. Taylor and Joe spent most of their days riding the ATV trails with Dale. We spent most of our evenings playing 'train' dominoes, Taylor's new favorite game.

Thur 7/9 We took a boat tour down Black Canyon within Curecanti National Park. Taylor became a Junior Ranger too!

Fri 7/10 Joe, Taylor and Sandie drove to Grand Junction with a stop in Black Canyon of the Gunnisons National Park. After a great day hiking and sight seeing, Joe twisted his ankle. Badly. [The 'other' ankle though so not broken, whew.] So we headed back to Grand Junction a bit early with Sandie driving. [Uhg]

Sat 7/11 Joe and Sandie left for Seattle while Taylor stayed another 2 weeks with Grandma Sally and Grandpa Dale in Colorado on vacation.

Sat 7/18 We went House Hunting again and offered on a house in Lake Forest Park which after over a week of negotiations... we're in contract to close Aug 28th!!

Sun 7/19 We went new-kitty hunting and came home with a new pet... A BIG Surprise for Taylor too! After about a week, Taylor decided to name her "Moon Shadow" or "Shadow" for short.

Fri 7/24 Joe met Taylor (with Sally and Dale) in Salt Lake and took a long scenic drive home after a great vacation of ATVing for Taylor and movie watching for Joe and Sandie.

Wed 7/29 Taylor was happy to be home again. After a great day at the YMCA he headed to Adam's for a pool party. Summer is FUN!!

New Kitty

2009-07-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

In spite of the well meaning folk here in greater Seattle area...

We Have A New Kitty Family Member!!

Joe and I (Sandie) went to the pet shelter in Greenwood to look at the kittens. They have a big glass store front window where all the kitties are. We were busy playing with them and a woman came by with her big dog. The dog stopped in the window and started trying to lick all the kitties through the glass. All the kitties ran away from the big dog... EXCEPT one little black kitten who walked up to the window and started to bap the doggie on the nose through the glass!!

We brought her home. She is perfect for our active family and lifestyle. Kitty likes Cedar. Kitty likes Taylor. Kitty has got Joe wrapped around her little girl kitty paw. Sandie is completely exhausted from lack of sleep.

Life is GOOD!!

*And the newest member of the family HAS a name, and it is... Shadow!!

Protection of Cruelty to Animals... Really?

2009-07-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

I have recently learned that most [not all] cat rescue groups [at least here in/near Seattle] will NOT let a single kitten be adopted, you must adopt two or more. Nor will they let families with children under 6 or 8 [depending on group] adopt a kitten. Apparently both of these situations are considered cruelty to animals.

And don't DARE mention that you are considering letting your pet go outside and romp in the fields. THAT will get you banned from adoption [for cruelty to animals] quicker than a 5 year old.

Wow.

So that means that hundreds [and I do mean hundreds if not thousands] of kittens that are out there right now for adoption [because it is, after all, kitten 'season'] are not going to be adopted.

Wow.

And here I thought I was a 'sucker' for the animals and went over board a bit spoiling my pets. After happily raising 2 dogs, 2 cats, and countless fish [as an adult, not to mention the countless pets we had when I was a kid] I am SHOCKED to find myself labeled as someone guilty of Animal Cruelty for wanting a [one, cat] companion for my dog, fish [well protected mind you], and 9 year old. Especially considering that we live where we do and look for houses that must NOT on a main street WITH a BIG wooded grassed 6' fenced yard to protect the pets [and kids].

Arg.

The last time I felt this way was when I left my dog in my 'mini-van' for less than 5 minutes in 65 degree cloudy weather with the windows open and a water bowl. -- How dare I take my dog with me places instead of leaving her home alone in her kennel all the time?

June 2009 in Review

2009-07-01T15:08:00.001-07:00

June 2009 in Review

[Well. Maybe we've been a 'wee bit' busy DOING since there has been NO time for writing about our doings.]

Mon 6/1 Pack Meeting and Bridge from Bear to Webelos I
Wed 6/3 Last Day with McGraw-Hill CDI as Kelly Contractor
Thur 6/4 Unemployed/Vacation Day, Offer on House on Wallingford
Fri 6/5 First Day with McGraw-Hill CDI as Employee
Fri 6/5 - Sun 6/7 Scout Pack Campout... Drag-N-Burn!!
Mon 6/8 Inspections on Wallingford
Fri 6/12 No longer buying House on Wallingford
Sat 6/13 - Sun 6/14 Cub Scouts Mom & Me Camping
Sat 6/20 House Hunting
Sun 6/21 Father's Day, Dinner at Evelyn's with DeShaws
Wed 6/24 Last Day of School
Thur 6/25 First Day of Summer Camps
Sat 6/27 Crop for a Cure
Sat 6/27 Swimming/Birthday Party for Tristyn, Brynn and Aiden.
Sun 6/27 LCPC
Tue 6/30 Meeting with Leena [God & Me]

May 2009 in Review

2009-07-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

May 2009 in Review

Sat 5/2 Cub Day at Camp Pigott, Taylor and Sandie (Joe couldn't go because of surgery) went to scout day camp for rowing, archery, BB gun shooting, crafts and a nature hike. The weather was gorgeous and we had a ton of fun.
Sun 5/3 LCPC & Playdate with Hazel

Mon 5/4 Joe back to work after Surgery, overnight in La Conner with Betty
Mon 5/4 Den Meeting, Sandie and Taylor presented some information on Heritage [and Great Great Great Grandpa Young] to the den.
Mon 5/4 Baseball Game in down puring rain, Taylor had a great HIT to base and the game ending catch! All the players received a game ball to sign for doing such a GREAT job.
Tue 5/5 Taylor started Math at Kumon in addition to Reading, WELL DONE!

Sat 5/9 AM Baseball Game, PM Adam's Birthday Party pool side with fun, games, pizza, cake and of course presents for Adam! Afterwards SANDIE mowed the lawn!
Sun 5/10 Mother's Day - AM LCPC, PM Sandie Cleaned the family room carpets with her new carpet cleaner machine.

Mon 5/11 Den Meeting, Michal took Taylor to the scout meeting
Tue 5/12 Kumon ran late so we missed baseball practice, watched Star Trek Enterprise before bedtime.
Thur 5/14 Baseball Team Photos followed by NW Indian Potlatch for 3rd Graders at Parkwood
Fri 5/15 Rule Reminder & Mon 5/18 Principle's Office

Fri 5/15 - Sun 5/17 Webeloree [Joe and Taylor] & Sandie stayed home to scrapbook all weekend with Michal and Sherri.

Fri 5/22 AM Sandie received a Salaried Employee offer from McGraw-Hill starting June 5th!! Yippee!
Fri 5/22 CM Crop, Sandie spent the evening scrapbooking with friends & LCPC Movie Night, Taylor spent the evening watching movies and playing game with friends & Joe took the evening off to have some "Me" time to himself.

Sat 5/23 - Mon 5/25 Memorial Day Weekend
Sat 5/23 Visit with Grandma Spencer and the Easts, picnic and BBQ at Martha's Beach. The kids had SO much fun playing in the sand, mud and water!
Sun 5/24 Mariners Little League Day/Game, The Mariners WON vs the Giants
Mon 5/25 Picnic with Laycocks, We spent the afternoon BBQing while the adults chit-chatted and the kids played games in the front and back yards.

Sat 5/30 AM House Hunting followed by a Cub Scout Pack Swim Party at Montlake Terrace Pool
Sun 5/31 LCPC

The Moral of the Story is...

2009-06-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

When my son was almost one year old and just learning to talk, he was playing in the tub and we had the following conversation:

Baby: Wanna Fuhc.
Mommy: What was that dear?
Baby: Wanna Fuhc!
Mommy: Uhm, you want a what?
Baby: FUHC Mommy, Wanna FUHC!! wif spoo. fuhc wif spoo.
Mommy: Oh. You want a Fork to go with your Spoon?
Baby: yea.

The moral of this story is: Never jump to conclusions.

The follow up moral of the story is: Never say "I thought you said/meant..."

April 2009 in Review

2009-05-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

April 2009 in Review

Fri 4/3 AM The morning we left on vacation to Great Wolf Lodge, Taylor went to Pump It Up with his YMCA group. Just before lunch Joe and I picked up Adam and headed out.

Fri 4/3 PM - Sun 4/5 We spent the weekend at The Great Wolf Lodge with Adam, Shannon and Eric, and Friends. It was SO much fun and a great way to end Spring Break.

Mon 4/6 Taylor went to his first Den Meeting with a new Pack. A couple boys from his scool are in the pack and a boy he met last year at scout camp is in the den.

Sat 4/11 On the day before Easter we went to La Conner to visit with Grandma Betty and see the Parade and take our annual photo in the Daphodils.

Sun 4/12 After an early morning with the Easter Bunny and hunting for eggs, we went to Easter Services at LCPC and then later in the afternoon Easter Dinner at Opfer's. The deviled eggs were a BIG hit with the kids... good thing I'd made a small plate for the adults or they wouldn't have gotten any!

Wed 4/15 As a treat for Taylor's Ninth Birthday we all took Wednesday off school and work to go to North West Trek for the day. It was a wonderful day at the zoo seeing all the animals and we even got to go on the tram ride twice since there weren't very many people there that day.

Fri 4/17 CM Crop LCPC, Youth Game Night LCPC

Fri 4/17 - Sun 4/19 Joe's brother Richard was again in town on business so he was able to visit for the weekend again.

Sat 4/18 For Taylor's Birthday Party Joe and Sandie took Taylor's Guests to see the movie Monsters vs Aliens followed back at the house by a B.O.B. Cake (made by Sandie) and birthday Ice Cream.

Sun 4/19 AM We went with Richard for kite flying at Magnusen Park followed by lunch at Wendy's. However, maybe we shouldn't have eatten such a high-fat-content lunch because...
Sun 4/19 PM That after noon Joe went to the ER via ambulence because of a severe attack of gall stones. Luckily it wasn't a heart attack, but we had some nervous minutes before we knew what was wrong.

Mon 4/20 Den Meeting

Tue 4/21 Taylor has his First Baseball Game of the season - Go Sliders!! Taylor had a great day pitching and hitting for his team.

Wed 4/22 Joe went to the Surgeons for a checkup and to schedule surgery to remove his gall bladder.

Thur 4/23 Grandpa Steve joined us for Family Night at Parkwood, Mexican Fiesta style! And then he spent the night so he could take Taylor to school in the morning.

Fri 4/24 Joe had Gall Bladder surgery to remove his gall bladder and the large marble-shooter-sized gall stone that was causing him so much pain. (Whew. It was also the end of a week of a NO FAT diet. Yikes.) After a long day in recovery Joe was able to come home around 8pm that night for a week long "stay in bed" recovery from upper abdominal surgery.

Fri Pm Taylor to neighbor's for playdate
Sat AM - Mon AM Uncle Rich came back to visit for the weekend and help around the house, including mowing the HUGE front lawn! The neighbors THANK YOU! ;-)
Sat 4/25 Scout Store for new patches, etc
Sun 4/26 Picnic on the lawn with Clyde

Mon 4/27 Taylor had a Pack Meeting with his new Pack/Den for Cub Scouts. The played a fun game called "Recycle Olympics".

-- WHEW! As usual, April turned out to be a CRAZY month. Every year we wonder what March and April will bring. This year March seemed quiet... I should've known that wasn't a "Good Thing" --

March 2009 in Review

2009-04-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

March 2009 in Review

Sun 3/1 Dinner at Shannon and Eric's with Dad
Mon 3/2 Puss to Vets - Jaw Cancer
Fri 3/6 Cub Scout Den Mtg (Fire Drills in LFP Elementary School Playground)

Wed 3/11 AM Music Class Visit
Wed 3/11 PM [Principle's Office]

Fri 3/13 Family Fun for Lent at LCPC - We had Mexican Buffet for dinner and played games with friends.

Sun 3/15 Stampin' Up at Leilani's
Tue 3/17 St Patrick's Day
Tue 3/17 Baseball Practice Starts for the Spring Season (YIPPEE!!)

Fri 3/20 Joe and Sandie's 10th Wedding Anniversary - Joe gave Sandie a marvelous new ring and roses then we went to dinner at Bahama Breeze while Taylor enjoyed Game Night at LCPC

Mon 3/23 We went to a new Cub Scout Pack Mtg with friends. Nice coincidence, Taylor had met one of the Bears last year at Day Camp and they were best buds from the moment they saw each other.

Wed 3/25 - Thur3/26 Taylor home sick with Flu
Fri 3/27 Parent Teacher Conference

Sat 3/28 Puss passed away that morning, We spent the rest of the weekend quietly having Movie-Fest Weekend 1) Star Wars Clone Wars 2) Australia 3) Nim's Island 4) Twilight
Sun 3/29 AM LCPC
Sun 3/29 PM Memorial for Puss at Twin Ponds followed by a relaxing play date with Tina

Mon 3/30 - Fri 4/3 Spring Break - Taylor enjoyed fun and games at the YMCA

The Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, Washington

2009-04-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

We spent last weekend on vacation at The Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, Washington. Joe and Sandie took Taylor and his best friend, Adam, for the weekend. Shannon and Eric joined us [and their friends] for Saturday night.

We took Friday off work and arrived at the Lodge at about 12:30 pm which was WONDERFUL!! I walked right in, registered, our room was ready, and by the time I was done there was a line that within 30 minutes was LONG! We carried our things to our room, changed into suits, and trouped down to the water park.

Our room was really fun! We splurged a bit and got the Kid Cabin package. The main room had a fireplace with sleeper-couch and coffee table, table and chairs for two (with high speed Wi Fi) and a Queen bed with end tables and a fairly good size TV. The Kid Cabin had a bunk bed and a daybed and an end table with a mounted small TV... all inside a log cabin looking room with animal murals on the walls. VERY fun!!

When we arrived at the water park, no suprise, Taylor and Adam ran off to Have Fun!! Within 10 minutes I was delighted that we brought Adam. Frist of all he and Taylor get along really well and it was nice to have someone for Taylor to play with, etc. It was also nice that since Adam is not mine, I was still able to be 99% confident in his swimming abilities!! I took a look at the Wave Pool and even though I *know* that both Taylor and Adam are a couple of fish, I did a parental *gulp* and decided to watch them like-a-hawk for a while to make sure they really were aok in the wave pool. They were!

It was really nice to be able to get in the hot tub outside every time we were cold from the water or our eyes were burning from the clorine. Fresh Air and Hot water does wonders for tired parents and tired almost-nine year olds. We also loved the Water Tower and spent hours playing with the water guns and going down the water slides. Taylor and Adam also enjoyed the 'kiddie' pool since they got a chance to be little water-lizards and slide around in the 12" water on their bellys. Very cute. We adults LOVED the water slides, especially the Tornado! Joe and I were very lucky too on the last day, Sunday, there were so few guests that we never waited in line for the inner-tube rides at all.

After we arrived the first day we spent the first 4 hours or so in the water park on the rides and play areas and wave pool. I read a bit, Taylor and Adam played a lot. Eventually we were getting tired and hungry so we went back to the room for snacks and to change into dry clothes.

After snacks Joe joined us and we all went down to the Wizard shop. Taylor [Fire Ball] and Adam [Icer] got wands, wand toppers, and a game pass for playing the Wizard/Wand game at the Lodge. This was perfect for two third grade boys, especially ones with such good imagination that they aren't always completly connected with reality... Dragons and Fairys and Pixies and Witches and Wizards and Magic and... Oh My what FUN FUN FUN!!

The game had a clue booklet and there was a pattern for each order of clues. As you progressed through the game earning more and more points and/or runes the clues became harder and harder. By the end of the weekend though the boys were ready to face "The Dragon" and defeat him in record time. The boys enjoyed the freedom of running up and down the hotel stairs on their own too, since each clue was on one of 5 hotel flights, we eventually gave up doing the stairs with the boys and just waited on one level while they ran up and down and up and down, etc. He He He.

Each night during showers (to get the chlorine off) before bed, we all crowded around the Hotel Channel to watch the daily, weekly, monthly, etc results for the Wizard game. Each day Taylor and Adam were on the board for the day. At the end of the weekend they were also on the board for the week, and Taylor was on the board for the month too! Very exciting stuff. Once their Quest was complete, they received a certificate and badge to go with their wand and booklet.

Eventually after swimming and games, it was time for dinner so we went to the Bar & Grill for something to eat. The Pulled Pork, Coleslaw, and Sweet Potato Fries that Joe ate were fantastic! [The burger I got was cook to the done-ness of a hockey puck.] The following night we ate at the Buffet. Nice when a group of 9 is trying to find something for everyone. Whew!

Each morning we also took some quiet time to go to the very nice/fancy lobby. Relaxing and reading in the big cushy couches, drinking Starbucks coffee while Taylor finished homework. At 8am we watched the puppet/animation show/musical and then headed back to the room for more fun, fun, fun.

That is about how our vacation weekend went, few hours in the pool, back to the room for snacks and dry clothes, couple hours playing the Wizard/Wand game, to a restaurant for lunch/dinner, back to the room for suits and more water park. I *think* we even took a few hours each night to sleep. Maybe?

Our Beloved Cat, Puss (1994-2009)

2009-04-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

In Memory of Puss, Our Beloved Cat
Born: April 1994 Died: March 28th 2009

February 2009 in Review

2009-03-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

February 2009 in Review

Fri 2/6 Joe and another Bear Scout parent were the Leaders for the den meeting about Citizenship. Basically, reviewing with the boys the "rules" of behavior and the "consequences" of breaking the rules. It was a nice meeting that went well. The boys even learned a 'cool' marching song to use as a skit in a Pack Meeting.

That night Shannon and Eric came over for dinner and a visit AND to tell Joe, Sandie and Taylor that Shannon is PREGNANT!! Yippee!! We are VERY excited. After Shannon & Eric had gone home, Joe, Taylor and Sandie were discussing plans for the next day. Taylor said "Aren't we going to visit my new cousin?!" "Uh, no, not yet..." The next day at breakfast, Taylor mentioned that he was "really good" at changing diapers with "the sticky things" but wanted to know if he had to learn to change diapers with "pins"... "Uh, No, 'sticky things' is good enough for a Baby-Sitting Cousin." ;-)

Sun 2/8 Tina and friends came over for a Playdate to play dart tag in the yard.

Mon 2/9 & Tue 2/10 We got SNOW (2"+1") but not enough to delay or cancel school. The neighborhood sure did look pretty though with the evergreens all covered in white sparkly snow flakes.

Thurs 2/12 AM [Grounded]
Thur 2/12 PM [Principles Office]

Fri 2/13 Scouts Den Meeting at the YMCA where they used hot glue gluns to decorate pots for their table at the Blue and Glod Banquet in two weeks. The scouts also practiced their marching song. Very fun.

Sat 2/14 Sadly we were not able to go with Shannon and Eric to Las Vegas for Valentine's Day. But since we were home we DID get to go to dinner at Gordon Birsch with our good friends from California, Mike & Lydia. Since we hadn't seen them in a LONG while we talked A LOT and Taylor was VERY good about sitting quietly the whole time. So we took a break and went to Game Works for about an hour before heading home.

Sun 2/15 After having a nice impromtu Lunch with Clyde, we went to Dinner at Red Robin with Grandma/Great Grandma Eveyln

Mon 2/16 Since Joe and Sandie had President's Day off of work, we took the opportunity to go Sledding at Paradise on Mount Rainier for the day. We took Joe's "Man Cooler" that he got for Valentine's Day - a manly Red color with wheels - stocked full of goodies and drove up the mountin. The views were stunning and the skys were mostly clear. After a few sled runs we went to see the New Lodge and Taylor got his National Park Junior Ranger Badge!! We are very proud parents. This is Taylor's third Jr Ranger Badge!! Woo Hoo!!

Thur 2/19 [YMCA Office - Y Not]

Thur 2/19 Scrapbook/Pizza Party at Opfers, Adam, Megan, Ryan, Vicki, Donna, Marlene, Lori - It was great to see all our friends, even if only for a few hours on a week night.

Fri 2/20 Playdate at Damian's
Mon 2/16 - Fri 2/20 Winter Break - YMCA
Sat 2/21 JOE, Sandie AND Taylor - Scrapbook at LCPC 3pm - 10pm

Mon 2/23 At the Cub Scouts Blue and Gold Banquet Taylor received his Bear Badge. It was a lot of work (for all of us) but we are SO proud of Taylor for all his hard work. Taylor was also very impressed with the 'older' Webelos II who 'bridged up' to Boy Scouts that night. Afterward he excitedly asked "How long until *I* am a Boy Scout?" "Two years..." "Oh."

Tue 2/24 Kimmy Surgery AOK
Tue 2/24 AM [Priciples Office ]

Sat 2/28 We had such a busy month, we took a break to go see the new Disney movie Bolt at our little local theater.

reasons to let go of anger are everywhere

2009-03-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

Another interesting article follows.

I think I'd like to see MORE articles like this! I am almost sick-to-tears of the woe-is-me attitude in the Media that I can't seem to escape?! I don't listen to the radio, or watch the evening news, and I haven't much at all since 9/11. Yet while it used to be that I would occasionally overhear coworkers or friends discussing "The Big News of The Day" or read a headline in the Sunday Paper, it seems that 'these days' there is constant water-cooler conversation about how "The Sky is Falling" around me?

I especially like the section in the article titled "What you can be sure about" since I would like to see A LOT more talk about THAT amongst my friends, family and coworkers. In fact, every small movement has to start somewhere... so here is MY effort. The next time you are talking to me, or anyone else, let's talk about the GREAT things. We all know the "not so great things" so, my opinion, no reason to keep talking about them. Let them DIE. ;-)

Put Your Rage on the Back Burner

Folks are fuming. But rage-busters—reasons to let go of anger—are everywhere

By Jack and Suzy Welch

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_14/b4125000071936.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_news+%2B+analysis

"...

What You Can Be Sure About

Take, for instance, the fact that right now, as you read this, there are hundreds if not thousands of geeky, brilliant engineering wonks sitting in their dorm rooms at MIT and Stanford, not to mention campuses around the world, oblivious to the weather as they pour their hearts into cool new ideas.

Those kids and their ideas are the future of business, if we just hang on tight.

You can be sure, too, that legions of people out there aren't frightened by the economy. They're called entrepreneurs. And challenges don't make them surrender; they make them fierce.

Or consider that right now, in companies large and small, new and old, teams of employees are huddled in meetings, working their butts off to figure out how to save their organizations—and the jobs of their co-workers.

And you can be sure that in laboratories around the world, medical researchers are putting in 18-hour days as they try to unlock the human genome and create cures beyond imagining. Most of them, and maybe all of them, are motivated by a heartfelt desire to save lives. You can be sure that one day you, or someone you love, will owe them a debt of gratitude.

You can be sure—O.K., pretty sure—that in three weeks, Tiger Woods is going to do something superhuman at the Masters and the world will collectively gasp in wonder and in joy that he's back.

You can be sure that soon after, on a warm spring day, a mother and father will hold back tears as they watch the first member of their family graduate from college. You can be sure countless other parents will feel that same pride.

..."

Social Networks and Hackers

2009-03-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

Good Morning. To those of you who know me, I get A LOT of email spam forward to my in box. I review it, and ignore it. And then every few months/years something comes to my attention that I decide to 'comment' on. This morning the following article finally made me decided to 'say' something, again.

I think you will notice that I LOVE Facebook. I also haunt MySpace and Twitter, etc. I will continue to do so. But I also know that it IS important to regard the information I post, and the links I select, and the Notifications I open, and the Applications or Add ons/ins I join or accept, etc.

I, as usual, urge my friends to use their noggins when not only sending or forwarding information to me and others, but also to be wary when clicking-about too. I have spent too much time working with security and virus, etc, software, etc to be 'paranoid' but at the same time, I have had my identity thefted too often to not be 'wary'.

My summation of the following article would be: "Be Aware" and then "Have Fun" ... and please please please continue to tell me all about your lives on Facebook, My Space, Twitter, and email or chat, etc while at the same time know that I will NOT forward that 'thing' but that is me. It is my belief that there will always be hackers and there will always be people working hard to keep the hackers at bay. I will continue to do my part and hope that you will too.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7918839.stm

"Facebook users suffer viral surge

By Mark Ward Technology correspondent, BBC News website

The social network site has been hit by five separate security problems in the last seven days, say security experts.
By creating fake messages padded with details of Facebook members the thieves are capitalising on the trust and social links that drive the network.
Security firms warn that the popularity of social networking sites makes them a tempting target for hi-tech thieves.
Trust network
"It's been a pretty bad week for social networking in general," said Rik Ferguson, senior security advisor at Trend Micro.
In the last week, said Mr Ferguson, Facebook had been hit by four malicious applications as well as a new variant of the Koobface virus that first targeted members of the social site in December 2008.
The rogue applications on Facebook all try to steal saleable information from the profiles of those who open it up, said Mr Ferguson.
One malicious application tried to trick people into adding it by claiming that their friends were having trouble looking at their profile. If the application is added it spams itself to every Facebook friend that a member of the site has.
Mr Ferguson said the way that Facebook is built can make it tricky for members to spot malicious or rogue applications.
A lot of security software looks for malicious activity on a user's own machine, he said. By contrast, when Facebook members add an application it is servers operated by the social site that link to the third-party computers hosting that program.
So far, said Mr Ferguson, the rogue applications on Facebook have been scary and a nuisance more than anything else.

..."

2009-02-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

An interesting article about the topic that has occupied my thoughts constantly over the last three weeks... Why do 8 3/4 Year Old Children LIE?!

http://www.babycenter.com/0_lying-why-it-happens-and-what-to-do-about-it_67698.bc

2009-02-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

January 2009 in Review

Th 1/1 January started off with a BANG! Joe and Sandie agreed to let Taylor have his two friends, Jonathan and Damien, over for a New Years Eve Party -- Eight Year Old Style! We celebrated New Years in New York at 9pm and watched the Ball Drop followed by Sparkling Grape Juice and Party Poppers. Then we celebrated New Years in Seattle at Midnight and watched the fireworks over the Space Needle followed by Sparkling Apple Juice and Party Poppers. It was Loud. It was Crazy. It was FUN!!

Sat 1/3 We took a day to go to the Science Center to see Lucy, a 3.2 million-year-old hominid discovered in Ethiopia. It was exciting for us since we'd already seen Lucy at the American Natural History Museum in New York during our 2007 visit.

Sun 1/4 Visit Evelyn

Mon 1/5 On Sunday night we watched as about 6 more inches of snow fell in our yard. School was only delayed two hours on Monday though. I guess Sandie wasn't the only parent DESPERATE to send their child to school after a 2 week vacation during which we were snowed in preceeded by a week of snowed-in. Seattlites are just NOT used to so much snow OR so many no-school snowed-in days!

Fri 1/9 Joe had a CRAZY 'commute' home from Oregon. He, like many many other travelers, got 'caught' on the South Eastern side of the Cascades, all 4 passes closed due to avalaches, and I5, closed due to flooding. He finally made it home after midnight because he drove around to Steven's Pass, put his chains on, and followed the truckers doing the same.
Later that afternoon Joe volunteered to teach Taylor's cub scout den the ins and outs of Knots. Taylor was the denner and helped demonstrate how to properly store ropes as well as toss a rope and hit a target.
Meanwhile Sandie made a bear cake to bring to Eric's "Captian Canada comes to America" party. Sadly, try as she might, Sandie never made it to the party to deliver the cake. Driving around Capital Hill trying to find a bar is not one of her talents. She failed to find the bar.

Sat 1/11 Visit Shannon and Eric, Stampin Up, Scout Parent Den Meeting, Scout Parent Pack Meeting

Mon 1/12 Joe (for work) and Taylor (playing hooky) took a day to go to Orcas Island. They drove to Anacortes and took the Ferry out to the island. They got a chance to play on the beach before heading back for dinner with Great Grandma Betty in La Conner. Pizza is awesome at any age.

Fri 1/16 LCPC CM Crop
Fri 1/23 Parkwood Heritage Night
Sun 1/25 Madagascar 2 (followed by salmonella from sprite)
Mon 1/26 Cub Scout Pack Meeting - Heritage

Sat 1/31 Taylor again participated in the Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby. WOW are the cars impressive. The kids work very hard to shape and decorate their cars. And the races are really fun and exciting. We think Taylor had THE best looking car. (No parent bias, of course.) And he had one of the fastest cars too.

2009-02-04T09:43:00.000-08:00

Given that I work in technology... and specifically in research and development of innovative technologies; this article was very interesting to read.

IBM CEO Palmisano makes a public plea for upgrading the nation's crumbling infrastructure using "smart" technologies

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2009/tc2009023_287296.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_news+%2B+analysis

2009-02-03T14:43:00.000-08:00

The LeVar Family in Review - 2008

Lately the saying "Time Flies" has meaning for me. We have been SO busy with our new lives that we have had little time for the 'hobbies' we enjoy.

What have we been doing you ask? Well...

The month of February was not so much about Joe, Taylor and Sandie as about Sandie's Sister Shannon who eloped with Eric on Valentine's Day in Las Vegas. Honestly, need I say more about THAT romantic event? I think not.

March was busy with our usual round of holiday events including our Wedding Anniversary, Palm Sunday and Easter all in the same week. That same week Joe's Mom Sherryl came to visit. AND we attended Easter Sunday services at the Seattle First United Methodist Church with Grandma Evelyn Young, Steve, and Shannon & Eric. For Evelyn, Steve, Shannon and Sandie it was an event marking a lifetime of memories.

In the 1930s Evelyn and Don met and began to attend First Church. Their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren all celebrated baptisms and weddings at First Church. For well over 50 years Don Young was a well known figure at the church taking photos of just about everything that happened, Evelyn always at his side. Easter Sunday Service 2008 was especially heart felt for us since Grandpa Don Young passed away in November '07 at the age of 98. And, it was the last service held in the Sanctuary. [The last service in the Chapel was Palm Sunday.] At the end of the service the Bishop deconsecrated the land and the congregation moved to temporary facilities in the Queen Anne district.

In April we celebrated Taylor's Birthday by hosting a Slumber Party. WOW! You have NEVER
experienced excitement like a Sleepover Birthday Pirate Party with four boys in second grade!! I will never forget Alvin & The Chipmunks and their fantastic way of bringing truth to Java. [I do think our walls have a few permanent dents.]

In May and June as usual we were busy with Baseball, Cub Scouts and School. As a part of Cub Scouts, Joe went with Taylor to day camp at Camp Brinkley and Sandie went with Taylor to overnight Mom & Me camp at Camp Sheppard. Baseball was filled with Little League games with Taylor playing ball and Joe assistant coaching. We also attended a few Mariners games as well as the Aquasox. The other great thing Joe did in May was to visit friends in Connecticut while on a job interview in New Jersey.

July will be remembered as the family vacation [to Columbia River Gorge, Oregon] where on Monday Sandie was telling her Sister in Law, Beth; as Taylor climbed the 100th rock structure without fear or hesitation or harness or protection of any kind; "I am calm because it is not a question of IF I will be going to the ER but a question of WHEN will I be going to the ER... I draw the line at death, dismemberment and destruction of property..." And then on Tuesday Sandie and Joe spent the night in the ER with Taylor who got TEN stitches in his chin after falling face first into/down a cement driveway at the campground. The stitches, by the way, were after the X-Ray showed no major broken bones in his chest and shoulder areas, etc.

August was again not so much about Sandie, Joe and Taylor as about Sister Shannon and Brother In Law Eric's Wedding Reception held at the Alki Beach House in West Seattle. The
Bride was beautiful and the Groom was handsome and the guests were stylish in Hats.

In September and October as usual we were busy with Soccer, Cub Scouts and School. And also of course Joe's Birthday. We also took a day trip with Shannon and Eric to visit Mount Saint Helen's. And of course we were very busy with Halloween parties and events as usual.

November started busy with elections. Our house was filled with conversation as Joe traveled for work across 4 states and met a variety of interesting people. And then November wound down after lots of Soccer and Scouting with a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with Joe's Brother, Richard, who was visiting for the week.

December was, as usual, filled with our traditional Christmas activities of shopping and decorating. We also took our annual trip to the Science Center with the Opfers and celebrated the Holidays with our coworkers and classmates. We went to visit Santa and had lunch at Ruby's.

There were two notable differences to December for us this year. First was that Sandie celebrated her 40th Birthday. Wow. We celebrated first out to dinner and then at a family party to watch the La Conner Holiday Boat Parade... in the Snow! Second was the snow. WOW did we have snow! The snow predicted for the 12th did not arrive until the 13th. And it kept snowing. And snowing. And snowing. Having ~3 weeks off work and school while walking to the grocery is
something Seattleites are not familiar with, but that is what we did. While the weather outside may have been frightful, it WAS delightful to go sledding and have cocoa parties with the neighbors.

There are a few footnotes to an otherwise 'average' year:

Both Joe and Sandie have new jobs. Joe is working for Realogy traveling throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and will eventually visit Alaska. Sandie is working as a Test Lead at McGraw-Hill in the Educational Software division.

In January we received news that Joe's business partner and the Father of one of our closest friend's past away. Tom Lund was a good friend and we enjoyed his company. He will be missed. Our thoughts are with his family and our friends as they grieve.

The last week of January was emotionally challenging, and LONG. Sandie's Grandpa Will Spencer fell and broke his neck. His wife Grandma Betty fell and broke her leg. Will ended up in a Life Care facility in Mount Vernon and Betty ended up in a Recovery Center in Puyallup. Betty is currently recovering at home in La Conner. Grandma Evelyn Young had a heart attack and Great Aunt Helen had a stoke. Both were eventually able to return home to Wellesley. And on Day 8 of that week Joe's 98 year old Grandma Ruth Bybee fell and broke her hip. She was unable to return home to Cuba Illinois and is currently in residence in nearby Canton.

Sadly Grandpa Will Spencer never recovered enough to return home. In May, Sandie's Grandpa Will Spencer passed away. A small family remembrance was held in June at their home in La Conner and later in September a Military (WWII) Interment was held at the National Cemetery in Kent.

Also, Joe's Mother is recovering well from a serious very rare case of skin cancer that was discovered just after her visit in March. Luckily a recurrence in the Fall turned out to be benign.

Finally, we were devastated to receive the news that our friend Scott Gerwehr was killed in a traffic accident in May. He was the best friend and loving partner of one of Joe's good friends, Ali Borden. We enjoyed Scott's company every other year at The Tribe's get together for Thanksgiving. When we went to Loch Leven for Thanksgiving of 2006 we knew it as the first year without Brad. Little could we have anticipated at the time that it would be the last year without Scott. Our heart and thoughts were with Ali this year as The Tribe gathered again at Loch Leven. We, sadly, were unable to attend.

2009-01-25T12:11:00.000-08:00

Today I am thinking about all the poor little puppies sezed in Mt Vernon this week.

http://www.nwcn.com/animals/news/stories/NW_012109ANB-puppy-mills-skagit-KC.19aef687.html

I am wondering if there is something *I* could do. We cannot adopt more pets at this time. Maybe later? I am hoping others will notice this problem and open their hearts and homes to these little puppys and others like them.

http://www.savingpetsoneatatime.org/

2009-01-21T19:47:00.000-08:00

Well. I don't blog much, obviously. We moved.

We moved to Seattle in July 2002. Joe worked for Stewart until he was laid off in November 2007 and then he went to work for Realogy in June 2008. I remained 'out of work' and a 'stay at home mom' until October 2007 when I went to work for Photoworks and then in March 2008 I went to work for McGraw-Hill where I am today.

Not much else changed in life except... well... everything. Joe's best friend Brad and Brad's daughter Lindsey were killed August 16, 2006. I haven't journaled since. Anywhere. Not even on paper. I try, then I quit. I try again, then I quit.

Today I am trying again. I expect I will quit again soon. But maybe, maybe, this time it has been 'long enough' and this is 'me' enough that I will NOT quit.

Only time will tell.

2001-08-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

I may be out of a job soon. Like all who live in the Silicon Valley. What are we going to do? Joe is not bringing in the income he'd expected. So we can't afford a new home this year. We want to move closer to family and friends which suggests Seattle or S. California. I want to move to Seattle where MY family is. Joe wants to move to S. California where HIS family is. It will be easier for Joe to get started again in S. California because he doesn't have to relicense. It will be easier for me to get a same-pay job in Seattle. We talked and agreed to start looking in Seattle in September. BUT? Will we really? I don't know.

--Sandie