Taming the Thorsons

Celebrating Again!

2012-02-10T13:14:00.001-08:00

and who are we celebrating this time...none another than Captain Joel Thorson, who successfully defended his Master's thesis (Simultaneous Range and Velocity Processing and SNR Analysis in the AFIT Random Noise Radar) on Wednesday! Yes, he is super smart and we are all super proud. The late nights and weekend trips to the lab are over. Smooth sailing until graduation day on March 22 and a move to Ashburn, VA 4 days later. It has been a fast 18 months with many ups and downs. Joel has worked so hard and we are so excited to celebrate this accomplishment with him. In fact tonight we have a sitter and are going out with friends to truly celebrate! We can't believe it has been 18 months. I still say "we just moved from Hawaii" when in reality that isn't true anymore. Won't be as exciting to say "we just moved from Ohio". But it will be exciting to say my husband just earned his Master's Degree!!! Joel you are amazing and are still my hero.

Speaking of Gowing Up...

2012-02-01T07:21:00.001-08:00

Anna lost her 1st tooth yesterday! She has been so jealous of Asher for a year (who has lost 6 now). But talk about drama...you have never heard anyone scream like she did. Not because of the Joel pulling the tooth out but because she didn't like the blood afterwards. You might be able to see her red cheeks in the picture. However, I think the visit from the tooth fairy might have made it all better :).

Happy Birthday Ladybug!

2012-01-27T08:07:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Josie!
Since we call her ladybug, I had to go with a ladybug theme for her birthday. We just had a small gathering with my parents and a neighbor. The kids wore ladybug hats and I enjoyed the challenge of making Josie a ladybug cake.

Josie had no qualms about getting her hands dirty! She couldn't eat the cake fast enough.

And this is what she looked like when she was done. Maybe the red icing wasn't such a smart idea? She had to have a bath before she opened presents!

We can't believe she is 1 now. The kids loved helping me prepare for her celebration and made her day special. I couldn't help but be a little sad. Maybe it is knowing that this is our last child and all of a sudden, she has changed from a baby to a 1 year old. I still want that little bundle sleeping on my shoulder. I can see why the babies of the family always get spoiled now. We just want them to stay babies forever since we are unwilling to let that feeling go. All of a sudden I truly feel older as this next stage of life creeps up on us. Asher is up to my shoulders now (no joke, yes, at 7 he is this tall!) and I see the tween years on the horizon. I am anxious to be done with diapers and the 3 year old temper tantrums, but can't they just stay babies forever?

We love you sweet Josie, our ladybug. Happy Birthday!

My Band

2012-01-20T07:43:00.000-08:00

Cheers

2012-01-10T05:46:00.001-08:00

New Year's Eve was a number of different things for this Thorson family. Not only was it a celebration of the year that passed and a New Year to come, but we also had "2nd Christmas" with my parents visiting from WV. 2nd Christmas included all the foods we were too sick to enjoy fully at Christmas time including monkey bread, a huge ham dinner...

...and chocolate fondue for dessert. The kids certainly enjoyed all the festivities...more presents, games, chocolate, sparkling juice ("kid's wine"). I think we may have set the bar too high for next New Year's Eve!

They made it till midnight...barely. Anna was trying to fall asleep at 11:45 and we tortured her to keep her awake. Well, she had made it that far! This is the look on her face as we watched the ball job. I just know she is saying "This is what I stayed up for?!".

It was a wonderful time with Grammie (who stayed up with us) and Poppy (who didn't make it till midnight!)

Josie did not make it till midnight so I included a picture of her enjoying one of her Christmas presents, a baby and walker from Grandma and Grandpa Thorson. She knows this is her baby and fights Jesse off of it. She rocks it, kisses it, and pats it (AMAZING!). And now she has started walking with her stroller. Look out world! I can't believe she will be 1 in less than 2 weeks.

Happy New Year Everyone! We have been so blessed this past year and look forward to all God has in store for us in 2012. We have many changes up ahead as Joel will be graduating and we will be moving yet again in a few short months. I am so glad we are in the the palm of His hand and pray you find comfort and direction there as well in the coming year.

The Progression of the Flu

2011-12-29T16:38:00.000-08:00

It all began at a Gingerbread House making party.

It was a fun-filled evening of kid chaos: candy, icing, graham crackers, and stickiness galore. The kids had a blast and loved their houses. Anna was the perfectionist (wonder where she gets that from).

Jesse ate all the candy off of his when our backs where turned. All that is left of his by the end of the night was a pile of graham crackers.

And that night we left for Wisconsin to spend Christmas with Joel's parents and Aunt. We drove through the night and were miserably tired the next day, taking turns napping while the tired kids ran a muck. We got a few texts from friends that had been at the same party saying that their whole families had gotten sick with some kind of flu bug. I shrugged it off in my haze of sleepiness. Then it hit on our 2nd day in Wisconsin. Joel, Anna, Josie, and I were all sick, immobile, that day.

Friday was better except Asher spiked a fever and we took him and Jesse to urgent care. Both had ear infections and Asher had some sort form of croup, brushed off by the doc that the ear infection antibiotics would take care of whatever it was. Christmas Eve looked promising until my Mother-in-law woke with the flu and Asher still had a fever. Joel and I still weren't eating. Jesse was running circles around us all. Lots of Christmas traditions get thrown out the window when you are sick. We had cookies and food stacked to the ceiling but no one could eat anything! We actually had soup for Christmas Eve dinner, much to my Father-in-law's disappointment.

Now Christmas day really looked better. Most perked up that Santa found us in Wisconsin and squeals came from everywhere as the kids searched for their stockings. That Santa is one sneaky guy.

Asher still had a fever (and a haircut! Can you tell my mother-in-law got a hold of him?)

Jesse as the most expressive to watch as he opened presents. Then something started to happen and his joy got less and less. He opened Cars 2 and then crawled into Joel's lap, and threw up. The flu wasn't on his list Santa! He was asleep before we finished opening presents.

Josie was just a joy to watch in her excitement of everything. She mainly loved the maze that presents provided.

and the tree ornaments where in danger every time we turned our backs.

The day after Christmas, we found ourselves in the ER for 6 hours with Asher, diagnosed with a bad case of pneumonia. It was a crazy experience in there and we can now see why the make TV shows based on this environment...a few of ours during this trip: a grandpa kicked by a cow, a woman with a chicken bone stuck in her throat befriending everyone, drooling while she talked and no one could understand her, a mother yelling in anger as she walked out about how they were going to here from her attorney, and a helicopter landing outside the ER doors. Poor Asher was miserable through and I wish I could get my hands on that urgent care doctor!

We extended our trip one day after all this hoping for some actual normal time with the grandparents and woke that day to find my father-in-law with the flu. We felt so bad! Joel's aunt also left that day and I am wondering if she is the one who got away without it catching up to her?

It was a Christmas to remember. It was hard to watch a lot of things get pushed aside...all those traditions you are looking forward to. But we realized the best part was that we were together as a family. Those moments are always treasured whether they were what you expected or not. The kids loved all their gifts and we still made Jesus a birthday cake (all though it wasn't eaten much), and we reflected in the best gift of all: Jesus Christ.

Tales Of December

2011-12-15T08:11:00.000-08:00

Next week we head out to WI for Christmas. The kids have been busy preparing their Santa lists, making cookies, and we have been busy shopping and running from pageants to parties. It has been a truly fun month and we realize how blessed we are as we reflect on the real reason for the season every night on our advent calendar. However we talk about Santa a lot too and are sad to realize this might be the last year we get away with Santa for Asher. Why do they have to grow up?

Chick Fil A has become a family favorite restaurant and even more so in December when Santa comes to town. Not only do we get to see Santa, but the Santa cow too!

Josie wasn't so sure about Santa. We thought this was hilarious since she seems to love everybody. How could you not like this man, doesn't he look real!?! I made that same comment to a lady next to me and glanced down to see Anna looking up at me wide eyed...and the lady says "Because he is real!". Nice save. Duh, you wouldn't know I had 4 kids.

Chick Fil A took their pictures, printed them out to turn into ornaments, and had the kids decorate them. So this is the picture on Josie's 1st Christmas ornament..haha!!

She warmed up after awhile...long enough to get a picture with her siblings.

So I had to add a picture of her beautiful smiling face after that.

A picture of our whole family at our Church's Christmas program. Shoes are missing since we had to drag them out of the bounce house for this picture.

We also made a trip to the Cincinnati Zoo to see their amazing display of Christmas lights. We got their a little before dark to see some animals and enjoy our packed dinner. This peacock is about to get Josie's dinner and she is oblivious. It was a pretty funny encounter.

The lights were amazing, complete with Santa and live reindeer.

Jesse's school did a Holiday program where every kid got to say a line and perform to a song with their class. This was the 1st time we have ever dragged the whole family out for Jesse. He is normally being brought to Anna's and Asher's performances and swim meets. He was so excited to be the star! He got to dress up like a train conductor and perform to the song "Hot Chocolate" from the Polar Express. His line was "We run the polar express!" and he did great! He now insists on wearing this outfit every single day!

Here is is with his buddy Olivia. He tells me he "loves" her and that she is his best friend. Below is his performance.

We hope each one of you is also enjoying a beautiful December rejoicing in the true joy Jesus brought to each one of you lives. Happy Birthday Jesus!

Tales of November

2011-12-05T10:22:00.001-08:00

When a good friend texted me to say she was worried because I hadn't updated my blog in awhile, I realized that I just had to buckle down and do it. I am often wondering what happened to all my blogger friends and now I have seen how easy it is to fall into the abyss of web silence. Forgive my absence! I know we are in December now, but I can't move on to Christmas news until you get the November updates. November went by in a whirlwind since I came down with bronchitis and a sinus infection, my OCD insists that I get Christmas shopping done before December 1st, and then we traveled to WV for Thanksgiving. With the passing of the thankful month, the temperatures dropped and the winter boots and jackets were dug out of their bins. Asher has been perched on the window sill waiting for snow. Since it hasn't come yet, he has decorated every glass surface with paper snowflakes. Josie refuses to wear a winter hat and looses a sock every day...I hate baby socks!

Poppy and Joel took turns taking Asher hunting. I am not sure how they get him to sit still for very long but Asher truly seems to enjoy hunting. He has yet to get a deer but we will keep our fingers crossed for next year.

I made Oreo turkeys with the kids. These turkeys don't have a very long life span since they are made out of candy corn, icing, and chocolate covered cherries.

Josie got her hands on some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. I am pretty sure she liked them.

and she started standing. Everything that was once safe is now being moved to higher shelves.

Swim season is in full swing and the kids have had their 1st swim meet. Asher has progressed to flip turns. See how I caught him in action..hehe. He is doing awesome in swimming and still loves it. We love what it has done to his confidence. He has yet to win a race but he is always placing in the top 10 and is consistently beating his previous times. We are super proud of him!

Anna has joined the swim team and swam in her 1st race. She did great! She too is consistently getting better but we now see that she is the one with the competitive gene. We were so excited for her 7th place, but she pouted and said, "I wanted 1st". She changed her mind when she saw that 7th place was a purple ribbon and squealed with delight.

Joel says we are a swim family now!

Come back next week for tales of December!

Cake and Candy, Castles and Princesses

2011-11-07T07:18:00.001-08:00

Anna turned 6 last week and wanted a party fit for a princess. She started planning her party right after her 5th birthday. Much to my dismay she wanted to have it at a place called the "Magic Castle", a Chucky Cheese type place with a playground and money sucking arcade games. However, it is all she wanted and it is about her, not me, right?! So the Magic Castle we went. She got to sit in the much coveted white chair to open presents, wear a tiara, play games, eat pizza, have everyone chant her name as they marched out to play, and enjoy her castle cake that she specifically requested I make. She said it was the best day ever!

Th sugar binge continued with Halloween hot on the birthday's heels. Somehow I don't have a picture of my 2 mermaids, pirate, and Darth Vader downloaded yet? You will have to take my word for it, they were cute! Well, Asher refused to wear his mask and carried it all night so you couldn't really tell who he was! But Jesse was sure cute running around yelling "AArrrr, Matey!". I thought it would be safe for Josie to sit next to a candy filled pumpkin, moving the candy around until I looked again and saw her eating a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. How did she get that open?! Guess she isn't allergic to peanut butter!

We had lots of fun carving out pumpkins this year, all the while discussing how Jesus cleans out our insides so that His light can shine through. I am sure you can match the pumpkin to the owner if you know their personalities.

Natalie Skye, born November 2nd, 5 lbs 15 oz
Our beautiful baby niece, another princess to add to the family.
Congratulations Nikki and Frank!!

Circus Performers

2011-10-25T06:36:00.001-07:00

We took advantage of the beautiful weather this past weekend and enjoyed a family day out. We had breakfast at a place called Young's Diary (mmm....pumpkin pancakes), hiking at John Bryan State Park, and ice cream afterwards. It was such a perfect day. We took the opportunity to "chit chat" with the kids. I asked them if they could join the circus, what job would they want? Asher excitedly yelled "The guy who gets shot out of the cannon!" like he had been waiting for that question his whole life. Jesse wants to "ride giraffes" - the boy has an obsession with giraffes (Grammie, what did you do to him?!). And Anna wants to be a trapeze girl...we wouldn't expect anything less from our pink, glitter and glamor loving superstar.

The scenery was breathtaking. The leaves were so beautiful.

Our circus performers are ready to be found Barnum and Bailey Brothers!

Joel wants to be the guy driving the motorcycles in those circular cages.
Wonder what Josie will want to be?

West Virginia Pumpkins

2011-10-12T10:42:00.001-07:00

The fall season is in full swing and we are enjoying it to the fullest! It all begins with pumpkin picking. My parents grew a garden this year to include pumpkins so once we got the call that they were ready for harvesting, off we went to the Spoerer Pumpkin Picking Farm! The leaves just all of a sudden seemed to blossom in their amazing fall colors which we noticed on our drive down. Jesse didn't notice too much as he was sawing logs most of the drive.

Picking pumpkins in Poppy's garden. They seriously had their pick of many!

Josie found one.

Posing with their picks. Notice the rain boots?!
I told you I was a firm believer after camping.

Josie chose this weekend to start crawling. Nothing is safe now.

A Camping We Will Go

2011-09-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we enjoyed a family camp out with a group of friends from our church. Joel and I always loved the idea of camping as a family, had always wanted to try it, but have never done it. We thought attempting it for the 1st time in the safety of our friend's backyard woods sounded pretty nice. That was before it rained for days straight leading up to the weekend and temperatures started to drop. I must have called my friend a million times that day to make sure we were still doing it-I was so nervous! But my always positive husband dressed the kids in layers and rain boots (GENIOUS), packed the bags while I fretted in indecision, and we were off! We had a wonderful time. I have never seen the kids muddier (or happier), no one slept, we ate smores for dessert and breakfast, and were cold....but it was amazing! I think Joel is hooked now. I think I want an air mattress next time.

Heading out to the campsite. The kids rode in the back of the truck with their hands in the air like it was a roller coaster, screaming with delight.

Poppy gave Asher a pocket knife for a gift awhile back, and he was so excited to use it. The two of them sat there whittling away at their sticks being boys. Asher enjoyed this, helping cook the food, finding wood for the fire, exploring the woods for treasure (he found an old tire that the kids enjoyed rolling down a hill for hours), and catching frogs. I have never seen him be such a boy! It was nice for them to not have boundaries and just play.

Josie was layered in sleepers, and slept cuddled in my arms. Wait, no we didn't sleep, but at least we were warm cuddling and she was happy the whole time. She ate more graham crackers that I could count.

Jesse was mud from head to toe and we kept catching him hiding with the bag of cheetos or marshmallows.

Smores are always the highlight.

Celebrate

2011-09-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

As the seasons change, I find myself again missing Hawaii. I am not sure what happened to make the ache return in my heart. Maybe it is the frustration of missing children's socks in every laundry load, muddy tennis shoes tramping through the house, digging out jackets and changing over the drawers from summer to winter clothes for 6 people, realizing my wardrobe is not east coast fashionable at all, or the fact that in 7 months we will be facing another move all over again. We have had a hard time getting back into the routine of school, activities, bible studies and just when you find a routine, life turns it upside down again and sometimes I just want to throw my hands up in surrender! I swear that there were more hours in a day when we lived in Hawaii. There was always time to sit with my girlfriends and drink coffee, take leisurely walks to the beach or playgrounds, and workout. What happened here? There have been days where I just didn't want to crawl out of bed and do it all over again. Please God, can I just stay under the covers and hide today! Somehow, I lost something important that God taught me in Hawaii about enjoying life and the moments instead of rushing through the motions and routine. Somehow walking through the season change has reminded me of that joy that fell over our family there and how important it is in every day life. I am reminded of Psalm 90:14 "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all of our days". So in order to bring myself back to joy and thankfulness I will be sharing moments of celebrating in the past few months...moments full or joy and thankfulness that I pray to find every morning and every minute of the day so that it will spill over my family.

Joel has become a motorcycle guy thanks to my dad (and dismay of my mom). I kind of like it! This past weekend, we got a sitter and enjoyed a long beautiful motorcycle ride and enjoyed coffee in a quaint quiet town. It was so peaceful and the perfect afternoon. I pray for that peace to continually fill my soul.

In August we celebrated Josie's birth with a baby dedication at our church. We also had Jesse dedicated as we never found a church in Hawaii that we felt comfortable in supporting our family in this way. What a gem we have found here in a church home! A true family walking through life with us in prayer and thanksgiving, tears and smiles. The dedication was a true reminder or what a gift each one of our children are and what a blessing God gave us here in community.
Josie, as #4, seems to have way fewer pictures taken. This is something I swore I would never do! So Joel and I took a million in one night (does that count??). She is a rolly polly now, has gotten 2 teeth, and is on her hands in knees (only rocking, not crawling), but somehow she manages to get legs stuck under couches and behind doors??

A reminder of joy every day.

A true celebration!! Every day at school, Asher takes a math test. The kids have 3 minutes to complete the test. There is no pass/fail, only rewards as you move up the levels. Asher has been on level 1 since school started (50 problems of addition) and believed he would never pass level 1. Joel and I have worked so hard with him and he would get so discouraged. He knew the math but just has trouble focusing for 3 minutes...the spider crawling up the wall would grab him 1 minute in and he was a goner. Homework has been taking hours as we get into school again and the poor boy has been left exhausted. We promised him the dinner of his choice the day he passed level 1 and tried to encourage him every day. Orange chicken was his choice and I have had it waiting in the freezer praying for the day to celebrate. Yesterday he came bursting into the house exclaiming that HE DID IT!!! I have had this celebrate plate sitting on top of the fridge...a beautiful decoration, but what a wonderful time to break it in. I now vow to use it more often to celebrate many occasions with the kids and remind them how special they are to us and the Lord.

Just Out for a Drive

2011-09-07T05:33:00.000-07:00

Joel parent's came out to visit this past weekend and we planned a trip to King's Island. However we chose to keep it a secret from the kids. We told them we were just going out for a drive, looking for a park to play at. They kept an eye out for parks, getting sad whenever we would pass a playground. Then Asher saw the roller coasters in the distance and understanding came over him. They were so excited! We had a lovely day intermingled with some thunderstorms (seems to be the theme of our family outings). But it made for a cool day with short lines...perfect roller coaster weather!

Asher LOVES roller coasters. He has been begging to go to Kings Island. The Vortex was his first "real" roller coaster and it was his favorite of the day. I remember Vortex being one of my favorites as a teenager. I can't believe I just let my 7 year old go on it! It has 6 loops!! Way to go my brave boy!

What I didn't know as a teenager is that there is a whole section just for kids, "Planet Snoopy". Too bad the kids really don't know who Snoopy is or any of the Charlie Brown characters. Jesse would trot on any ride without looking back, and smiled the whole time. He would have been on those big roller coasters if he could! Here is most of the gang on the "Kite Catching Tree" a mini version of a drop tower.

Josie was sure happy to sit next to Snoopy though.

Josie's one ride was the Carousel, and she laughed hysterically the whole time! The ride attendant almost didn't let her go on because she wasn't wearing shoes....seriously?!

Anna followed Asher onto any roller coaster she could go on, not about to be upstaged by him! Well, the 1st one Joel did drag her on kicking and screaming. It was one where your feet dangled and that turned out to be her favorite of the day. She was hooked after that!

The bumper cars were a favorite...they went on them about 5 times!

Jesse had a few hot dates in all the car rides :).

Jesse's 1st roller coaster. They are in the back 2 cars. He kept his hands up the whole time!

School Days

2011-08-29T08:12:00.000-07:00

Is it really possible that our oldest child is in 2nd grade now?! Here is Asher with his teacher Mrs. Hanna. He was so excited on the 1st day of school that he ran the whole way there and was the 1st one to arrive in class. He loves being with his friends again and "learning" he says. We have no neighbors or friends with kids his age so he was getting pretty bored by the end of the summer and frustrated with his siblings. We hope you have a great year Asher!

Jesse on his 1st day of preschool. A week before school started he says to me frantically "I need a backpack!". Of course you do son! How logical. So off we went and of course, he picked out a McQueen backpack. This morning he got up with Asher, tagged along behind him brushing his teeth, getting dressed and then says "Where are we going?". When we said school he was ecstatic that his day had come.

The three all ready for school.

We live 5 houses down from the school so the older 2 get to walk. Asher was super proud to be responsible for Anna. We went over all the rules...hold hands when you cross the road, stay together, etc. Of course, I tagged along on the 1st day. Asher started 1 week before Anna so it was a LONG week for Anna. Now she was so excited that she ran the whole way too!

Anna with her kindergarten teacher Mrs. Matteson.

Anna at her desk (cue a few tears in my eyes as I am tearing myself away from the classroom-they all looked so nervous!).

Now what to do with my precious few hours....

Hangin' with the Monkeys

2011-08-22T14:02:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we enjoyed a family day at the Columbus Zoo. The day started out beautiful and we were all excited to see our favorite animals. The zoo is one of my favorite places to go.

Everyone was in high spirits as we planned our route while eating our packed lunch.

Don't all zoos have fun statues to get pictures with? Kids seem to love them so much! This one was my favorite because the matinee was my favorite animal sighting of the day. Why not the hippos you ask? Yes, the hippos are my favorite animal ever but alas, no hippos at the Columbus Zoo (no giraffes either...weird, huh?)

And of course the day wouldn't be complete with out a train ride using our eagle eye to sight animals.

or without a thunderstorm to make us run for cover in the Gorilla house. This was the second thunderstorm that caused us to sit for awhile. This may sound like a miserable zoo trip but it actually made it even more fun and a great memory. We enjoyed snacks during the storm and enjoyed the rest, and it cooled the temperature out a ton!

The boys loved hanging out with the gorillas during the storm.

Anna loved dancing in the rain.

Joel may or may not have loved being the hero and wading Josie through the streams while the rest of us clambered over fences. Yes, a memorable but lovely day!

Go Reds

2011-08-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely family outing last week to see the Cincinnati Reds play the Giants (and beat the returning World Series Champs 9 to 0!). We were so fortunate to score tickets in the shade! I don't know how we would have survived without it! The kids were awesome and Asher seems to really be enjoying baseball now, following what is happening and cheering at all the right times. So we had one of the security guards take this picture and he only took 1...that is Jesse at the bottom (in the red hat).

The kids outside the ballpark.

So I had to include a picture of Jesse since he was missed in the family photo. His favorite thing about about baseball games is wearing ball caps...he wears them all the time now! He also loves the peanuts. Jesse could live on peanuts alone.

Thorson Vacation, Part III

2011-08-02T12:49:00.001-07:00

This will be the last installment of the major Thorson Vacation. I still look at these photos and fill with happiness. It was such a wonderful time! While in Hawaii, I was blessed to join a group of ladies called the "Wet Hens", an all women group of sailing instructors that teach military women/spouses how to sail in order to promote community and a means of enjoying Hawaii. This group has a ton of wonderful history, has created ties all over the world, and provided me with amazing sailing opportunities all over Oahu. It was empowering and thrilling, and fun to have a skill that Joel didn't have...hehe. So this past July, the Wet Hens celebrated their 50th Anniversary with an amazing reunion. 100 ladies, 1 being an original charter member, traveled from all over the world to attend and it was a blessing to be a part of it and sail with my old sailing buddies. This reunion was another excuse to justify this trip!

Wet Hen tradition is you greet past Wet Hens as they arrive at the airport. I was filled with so much excitement knowing the greeting Josie and I were going to receive...cheering ladies, a lei, a Wet Hen flag waving, and lots of hugs. This picture is taken at one of the evening banquets with my sailing buddies.

Me at the helm of 24 foot sailboat. Someday I will have my own (I pray). My vacation was filled with lots of sailing thanks to dear friends willing to watch a cute 5 month old.

OK, so we are not sailing but this is my sailing bestie Melissa. We took the Wet Hen class together, were sailing partners, and then joined the group as instructors together. Melissa and sailing just go together! You should have seen us clinging to the boat for dear life on day 1 scared out of our minds.

Melissa and I racing together during the big 4th of July race on a Catalina 14. I was a little rusty. I am not sure how we ended up placing because we were having way to much fun!

A friend saw this picture and said "Ah Mary, you are home". It couldn't have been stated better. Sailing is what made me fall in love with Hawaii and now I can't imagine my life without. I pray DC will give me some opportunities to get back on the tiller. I had a very hard time when we first moved to Hawaii, and was in a very dark place. Maybe one of the darkest of my lives. The Lord had a good work to do in me. Sailing helped me to truly see His creation in a different light, to find in myself a place and strength I didn't know existed, and blessed me beyond measure. I am so thankful for the week He gave me to spend with Him in this way again.

Holes

2011-07-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program (Thorson Vacation, Part III) to update you on some happenings with the kids...moments too precious not to share.

The tooth fairy has been a regular visitor to the Thorson household. Asher has lost 4 total now. It amazing how a few missing teeth can change one's smile! Joel and I find it difficult to take him seriously with the way some of his words sound now :). I guess what is the most pathetic is how one tooth was hanging by a thread at the Burger King play place while on a play date with some other Mom's and none of us could bare to look in his mouth let alone pull it! Daddy to the rescue!

The other big development is we now have 2 girls with pierced ears! Any of you who have known us for awhile know this was a big deal. I wanted to get Anna's done as a baby but Joel was very adamant in waiting. He wanted it to be something special when she was older and could ask for it. Well lately it has been a huge topic of discussion but she was still a too scared to go through with it. Sunday it switched and she just kept asking so off we went (I have been waiting and waiting for this day!). Now Joel said no to Josie getting it done. I batted my eyes a little and said that if she had earrings, I wouldn't be so insistent on the hair bows (which he is not a big fan of). It didn't take too much convincing for him to cave. I guess it is true that the baby of the family gets everything!

Anna being super brave!
Her only moment of panic was when it actually happened but now she won't stop looking at herself in the mirror. She does scream like a banshee when I have to clean them twice a day. Not sure why since Josie doesn't bat an eye while I do hers. Always the drama queen. She picked out some pretty sparkly butterfly earrings.

Josie got pink pearls. And she looks so beautiful in them! Even Joel agrees that he likes the way they look.

They are both beauties.

Vacation, Part II

2011-07-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

The second phase of the big Thorson vacation involved Joel and I traveling (separately) to HAWAII!!! Our love for Hawaii allowed us to justify this trip with many reasons: the Wet Hens (my sailing group of instructors) 50th reunion which will be Part III, many friends still being in town, birthdays...but one biggie was our 10 year anniversary. Our anniversary is actually this Thursday, the 21st. 10 YEARS! These feet have traveled many miles in those years...welcoming children, trips to doctors, ERs, and family, 6 moves in 3 states, mountains and valleys that we wouldn't trade for anything. The years have been blessed and so was this vacation. Every detail was wonderful. We got amazing time with close friends and were able to visit the places we loved as well as do a few things we never got a chance to before.

Joel of course went along on all my sailing adventures. Here we sailed to a sandbar where we anchored and had fun as part of the Wet Hen reunion. The company and views were perfect.

Josie putting her feet in the Pacific for the 1st time at our favorite beach. She wasn't as thrilled as we were.

A special moment.

Josie was great on the trip. She didn't like the water but was so content to play under the umbrella with her toys and listen to the waves.

She even napped under there.

A trip to the North Shore is only complete with shave ice. We had to give Josie a taste. I mean you can't go to Hawaii and not have shave ice! As you can tell, she loved it.

One of our new adventures was kayaking out to find a World War II era plane wreck. It involved a pirate map (seen here with Joel) and lots of snorkeling to find it. We heard Joel's squeals of joy through his snorkel when he found it. It was amazing to see and involved swimming with a few turtles. Yes, I sat in the kayak perfectly content to avoid sharks until the wreck was found.

An amazing day included a few mishaps for poor me but it wouldn't be an adventure without it! My snorkel gear got stuck in my hair for part of the trip...that was after my husband hit me in the head with a kayak paddle and I busted an ear drum swimming down to touch the plane (yes, always pushing the limits) and before I busted my knee hiking on the island we kayaked to.

Joel and I with Jenn and Russell Foxworth-our dear friends who housed us on our vacation and joined us on our adventures.

Which of course included jumping off a rock face into the beautiful ocean.

And the trip ended with the 4th of July. We LOVE the 4th of July at Hickam Harbor which included a day of sailing, barbecue, good friends, the beach, and fireworks...a perfect ending.

Vacation, Part I

2011-07-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

The past month of our lives has involved so much traveling and so many pictures that the only way I know to share it with you in is parts. So over the next few weeks I will share memories and photos of our wonderful summer! Part I of our major Thorson vacation was a week in Wisconsin with Grandma and Grandpa Thorson and Auntie Amanda and Uncle Caleb visiting from Australia. Grandma and Grandpa had so many wonderful activities planned-we had a blast. We went boating, lake swimming, to the zoo, and to a Twins/Brewers baseball game. It was so such a wonderful time truly enjoying family and what a joy to see the kids get to know their Aunt and Uncle again. Then we left the older 3 with the grandparents who enjoyed a ton more fun activities. I am still hearing about all they did! Grandma and Grandpa were ready to pass them back when Joel and I came back from Hawaii!

Enjoying a boat ride on lake. The kids each got a turn to drive and fell in love with the Zimmerman family (their Grandparent's besties). Katie, you are Anna's BFF!

Jesse getting a turn to drive.

Lake swimming. The kids loved running and jumping off off the pier. This was the first time they have been able to enjoy a "beach" since our move from Hawaii. Our little swimmers were in heaven.

Grandma and Josie at the baseball game.

Asher is now super in to baseball.

Anna was a little restless and talked everyone's ears off. But we still love her!

Anna wanted Josie to have a tea party with her and her babies...hhmmmm...do you think she sees Josie as a baby doll or a friend?

Josie enjoying time with Grandpa.

Hanging with Auntie Amanda and Uncle Caleb at the game. GO TWINS!

Bumble bees, Ballerinas, and Babies

2011-06-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

We are officially done with school and into the summer now. Asher finished school with the production of "The Ladybug Ball" in which he starred as the bumblebee. He was the hero who saved the ladybug from the spider. He stole the show with his arm flexing and stellar dance moves. Unfortunately I have been unable to download the videos so you will just have to trust my unbiased opinion :).

We now have been spending lots of time with friends at sprinkler parks and playgrounds. Josie passes the time away with her buddies in the shade, smiling and gurgling at each other. It is quite adorable.

Josie truly is the best baby in the world-super laid back and smiley! She is pure joy.

Anna finished her year off with the long awaited ballet recital. We loved her 2 minutes on stage but sitting through a 3 hour ballet recital with 4 kids was pure torture! She was beautiful and made it worth it. She loves being in the spotlight.

Anna with her school buddies Savannah and Ali.

Anna asked for a flower she could plant and water instead of the traditional vase bouquet. A girl after my own heart!

Anna Ballerina.

Now we are packing up for our 3 week trip. We are driving to Wiscousin to spend time with family including Caleb and Amanda visiting from Australia (yeay-it has been 2 years since we last saw them!). Then I fly out of WI to HAWAII for 10 days with Josie! Joel will be joining me for the 4th of July weekend. We are beside ourselves with excitement to see friends, relax in one of our favorite places, go sailing, and celebrate 10 years together! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Thorson for keeping the troops! So if you don't see me here for a few weeks, know that some great pictures and stories will be here soon!

Summer Begins

2011-06-01T08:37:00.001-07:00

I feel like we went from the cold of winter to rainy and dreary for too many weeks to count, to the summer heat and humidity of 95 degrees. Where was that nice spring weather to transition in? I really miss those trade winds of Hawaii blowing over us as we play in the backyard. So with 2 weeks of school left, and the heat rising, summer seems to be in full swing. And we kicked if off with memorial day weekend at my parents house in WV.

Josie got her 1st taste of rice cereal. She is loving it and gobbles it down. Hhhmmm, maybe this will aid in me getting a full night's sleep?

Jesse feeding the fish in Poppy's pond...his favorite activity.

Poppy took Asher fishing. I think Asher caught more mud and dirt then he did catfish, but he had a blast. This is becoming his favorite thing to do when he visits WV.

The kids enjoyed plenty of outside time which included popsicles, bugs, exploring the woods, and sunburns. In this picture you can see Anna's buddy on her shirt. This butterfly wouldn't leave her-she loved it!

Sprinkler fun. This aided in Asher's sunburn. I didn't think they would need sunscreen for 1 or 2 hours in the backyard but apparently I was wrong.

Josie's 1st run with me in the stroller. Jesse still loves to go with me as well. I think we need to do this more often, don't you?!

Asher and Poppy too hot for their t-shirts!

Pool Party!

2011-05-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

On May 20th, Asher turned 7 years old. I can't believe he is 7! I look at Josie now and can't remember Asher that way. I only remember him as this fun loving cuddly elementary school kid and that makes me sad. They really do grow up in the blink of an eye. Despite my emotions, we still enjoyed celebrating with Asher. For the first time ever, Asher woke up before us and came running into our room "Today is my birthday!". Now that he understands calendars, he has been counting down the days. He wanted to have a pool party since swimming has become such a big part of his life, so we made it happen at the local YMCA.

Jesse "helping" me make cupcakes for Asher's party.

Blowing out the candles. Yes, there is a reason you can't see the candles-we forgot them! The kids got a kick out of pretending though. Asher really wanted these ice cream cone cupcakes. They were a hit and easy to serve and clean up!

Asher did such a great job of reading all the cards and saying "thank you" during present time.

We only had the pool for an hour so we filled the time with some games like "pool party BINGO"-another hit.

Anna has followed in Asher's footsteps and become quite the swimmer. She is also on the swim team now. During Asher's party, she passed the diving board/deep end swim test and was doing perfect cannonballs off the diving board.

Asher does the most beautiful dives. He doesn't even make a splash when he enters the water.

Jesse having fun with Daddy.

Asher and his buddy Blake.

Noodle Fun

It was a GREAT party! Now Asher is lost in the land of new toys...specifically legos. His obsession for them has been renewed and he received some wonderful sets for his birthday. The only problem is protecting them from Jesse bear. Asher has legos stashed in hiding spots all over the house! Thank you for all the cards and well wishes for Asher's 7th birthday.

Maestro Asher

2011-05-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

Asher has been taking piano lessons for 9 months now and just performed in his 1st piano recital. He was so excited to show us what he could do and perform in front of an audience. We are so proud of him! He was so flushed with pride at the end when he took his bow-it was adorable!

Josie supporting her big brother.

Asher received a trophy for completing his beginning piano book.

He practically ran up on stage to get it.

Asher with his piano teacher Ms. Christina

Here is Asher performing his duet "Time to Celebrate". Enjoy!

Happy 3rd Birthday Jesse Bear!

2011-04-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

Jesse had a wonderful two days of celebrating! On his actual birthday, he got a train ride at the mall, chocolate chip pancakes for dinner, and a trip to Build-A-Bear (pictures below)! The next day we had some family friends over for cake and ice cream. I really thought it was going to be a small party, but when they come 2 to 3 kids per family, the kid chaos adds up quick! I tried to do a few organized games but they all just ended up doing their own things. Almost an entire cake eaten, every kid helping to open presents, 25 juice boxes gone, quite a few cups of coffee passed around, 16 pairs of muddy shoes, 3 pee accidents, and 20 popped balloons later -I truly believe the kids have fun. Jesse was in heaven and I enjoyed chatting with the other adults ignoring the chaos. Sounds like a good party to me!

Opening Presents

His Lightning McQueen Cake.

He loved it! The best part was adding the cars to his "Disney Cars" collection.

With his new best friend "Kirby". He loves his baseball bear-drags him around all day and sleeps with him at night. (Baseball is one of Jesse's other obsessions right now). Joel helped with the name-Kirby Puckett was his favorite baseball player as a kid.

Watching kids walk away with their big Build A Bear boxes is such a great sight!
Onward to another great year Jesse!

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T10:39:00.001-07:00

Well we all made it home safe and sound in time to enjoy a lovely Easter weekend! Of course it started out by ALL of us sleeping in until noon on Saturday after 2 days of traveling and getting in at close to midnight the night before. Coming home was harder than getting to Canada for some reason (even with the help of mom)...I was so thankful to finally be out of cars, ferries, and planes! Some of our Easter traditions had to be compromised due to traveling, but we still enjoyed our teaching moments with the kids in celebrating what Jesus did for us. On Easter morning we made resurrection rolls (the marshmallows -AKA. Jesus- while baking to leave an empty tomb in the rolls). Asher says "AWESOME-we are eating melted Jesus! Hey, Grammie! You want a grave?". Ah, how we love the words that come from children. We hope you all enjoyed a day praising Jesus and His empty tomb so we can be ALIVE with Him!

Sweet Josie, who now giggles

Asher coloring Easter eggs with his cousins

Anna

Jesse and Luke, partners in crime and best buddies now!

Our Easter egg hunt that we were able to get in between showers.

Our first family photo since Josie has been born!

Oh Canada

2011-04-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

We made it to Canada! It was a long 2 days of traveling..2 planes, 3 hour car ride, a hotel stay, and a ferry ride. I survived a 9 hour plan journey with the 4 kids by myself. There were many bad moments (like the 2 men separating Jesse and I from Anna and Asher on a 4 hour flight, unwilling to change seats-its OK, they were very involved in passing things back and forth between us) but there were many blessings bestowed that helped us along the way. Security let Joel go to the gate with me in the beginning and sit with us until we got on the plane and at the end of the 9 hour journey, I was standing at Starbucks glassy eyed, dying for coffee, with a screaming hungry infant, and 3 children grabbing everything off the shelves and begging for cake pops, when a transit authority man in line in front of us bought a dozen cake pops, paid, and turned around and offered them to my kids. I wanted to cry! But yes, we made it! And you know what, it was worth it. My sister and I have kids the same age and sex, and to see them all together joined at the hips, it such a blessing! I hope the pictures show how much fun we are having amongst the chaos of 7 kids.

My niece Brooke turned 6 right after we arrived and celebrated with an "Under the Sea" birthday party. Even Josie got dressed up for the occasion!

Jesse and Luke enjoying some of the party decorations.

My sister lives on a very secluded island outside of Vancouver that you can only get to by ferry. It is a beautiful place full of hidden charm. We spent an afternoon exploring one of its beaches.

Anna and Brooke

The fearless foursome

My sister Nikki and I

Berdon and Asher cave exploring

The six pack

Josies

2011-04-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

This is Jesse

This is Jesse with his "Josies"
That is what he calls his baby sister. When he sees her, he runs to her calling "Josies! I love Josies! I hold Josies!" He is completely smitten with her, and we love the nickname.

But who wouldn't be smitten with this?

Candy Heaven

2011-04-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

Grandma Thorson came to visit for a long weekend and what does she bring with her? Yes, candy. Not just one type of candy but just about every sweet thing you can think of: peeps, jellybeans, life savers, peach wheels, sprinkles, fruit roll-ups...all with the purpose of building peep dioramas with the kids. What is a peep diorama you ask? Yes, I asked the same thing. A cake decorated with peeps and candy to tell a story from the bible. I think this may be a new "preparing for Easter" tradition in our family as the kids had a ton of fun. We won't mention how much candy they ate in the process (or how much cake we have eaten since!).

Anna chose to tell the story of Queen Esther. (It has to be a girly Bible story of course). Neither her or Asher could zone in on the Easter story so we were a bit flexible in the stories they chose to tell.

Asher did David and Goliath. He was super creative and even made sheep out of giant marshmallows to stand next to David (since he was a shepherd). The peep you see in the foreground is holding a "Bible" (the peach wheel) since it is a Bible story, he says. I just loved how he did his characters!

And Jesse did the Ascension. His main purpose was the cover every inch of cake with candy but here he is telling his story.

Big Night Out

2011-03-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring Break for Joel!! We kicked off his break with a big night out. His school sponsored a "Spring Fling", a semi-formal for students and faculty. Since he had been busy preparing for finals I literally had only seen him for an hour or two every day for two weeks. It was super nice to finally have him all to myself! Plus it is always fun to get all dressed up. It was a wonderful night of great food and company, and lots of dancing (YEAY!). Of course, all the guys kept disappearing at intervals to watch basketball.

My wonderful mom drove up from WV just to watch the 4 kids for our big night out (God bless her!). She barely survived. After working with Josie on a bottle for 2 weeks, we left fairly certain the bottle would not be a problem. However our night ended with a phone call that she had not eaten in 5 hours and I believe my mom was stretched pretty thin. Turns out Josie will only take a bottle from Joel. But thank you mom for handling it all for us!!

The rest of Joel's spring break went by in a whirlwind: a friend stopping by on her drive cross country, a 2000 piece puzzle that ended up with only 1999 pieces, a cold passed around the 6 members of our family, a trip to WV for the boys to go fishing, and then plop...here we are with Joel back in school. Now it is Asher's spring break and I have found it quite hard keeping up with life with all 4 kids at home. So please forgive me for those phone calls and emails not returned. I am doing my best to pull my head out the sand!

Day by Day

2011-03-18T13:56:00.001-07:00

Sorry about the lack in blogging! I have nothing really exciting to talk about (guess that is what happens when you leave Hawaii!) but thought I could catch you all up on our daily lives through photos.

Asher continues to swim with his swim team, growing in skill and confidence. It has been a source of real joy for our family. Twice he has even placed second overall in a back stroke race!

My days consist of playing with Josie and Jesse at home while the other 2 are at school. I must admit that Josie does consume most of my attention and Jesse has been a real trooper. He has always been amazing at playing by himself. However he is reaching that hard age-where tantrums reign and he has been the hard one to adjust to at the moment (not the baby)! I have finally been cleared to exercise so my IPOD running list has been used again and that time alone has done wonders to my patience at home with the 4 kids.

Who needs patience to enjoy this?! Josie started smiling around 5 weeks but you had to really work hard to get one...now they come frequently and freely. She is sleeping a 7 - 8 hour stretch just about every night now...do you hear the angels singing?!

Asher got a new haircut. Yes, I know you are looking at this picture and saying "what haircut?", but we really did get a lot cut off in the back. Joel and I are in disagreement...I like this style while he likes the old look. I may win since I am the one that takes him to the barber :).

The kids after a "Daddy day". Why do they never do this after a day with me?!?!?!

Joel enjoying his sweet Josie.

Anna is the best sister! She loves holding Josie and singing to her. She once even got Josie to sleep for me by singing to her for 15 minutes while I was making dinner! She has been super helpful.

and now that I am cleared for exercise, Joel and I are starting P90X next week. The kids are enjoying the pull up bar...not sure Joel and I will be "enjoying it" but that will be for another post another day.

Adventures in Grocery Shopping

2011-03-08T08:12:00.000-08:00

There are many places a woman with kids in tow dreads going...for me there are 2 places:

1)The post office
2)The grocery store

I was the main grocery shopper pre-Josie. This was not an errand I ever enjoyed as I always had at least 1 kid with me. Racing through the isles as fast as you can is always interrupted with at least 1 trip to the other side of the store for a potty break, 50 "no" you can't have that chocolate cereal or oreo cookies or potato chips or ice cream (wait that means Joel was with me too), break downs at the check out counter because they can't have a treat, smashed produce, knocking boxes off the shelves, the disappearing kid trick, and 1 exhausted mommy. For the past 6 weeks Joel has taken over this errand as I have dreaded taking Josie and Jesse together. However last week I puffed up my chest and decided "This is it. I can handle getting these 5 items with the 2 of them." Joel jokingly tells me if he doesn't hear from me in 2 hours, he is calling 911. I placed Jesse inside the cart, and Josie, asleep in her car seat, placed in the seat portion of the cart. Jesse is rearranging all my items and trying to reach for things on the shelves but I am booking it (before Josie wakes up) trying to move before he can reach anything. I am DONE-woo hoo- Feeling so proud because I have been successful and can't wait to brag to my doubting husband. Still racing around a corner, heading to the check out counter, I hit something and come to a dead stop. I can't see what it is as Josie's car seat covers my frontal vision. I peer around her to see...NO WAY...I hit a guy in a wheel chair, shaking his hand from my cart smashing it! I start apologizing profusely but he quickly moves on waving me off. Maybe he was as embarrassed as me? I felt terrible but then just started laughing hysterically. How do these things happen to me?

So yesterday, I had to go grocery shopping. A BIG trip. I left Jesse with a friend and only took Josie. We were successful...no major accidents. I was still racing trying to keep an eye on what lay ahead. I was only stopped by a nice woman asking me a million questions about Josie. I am sorry to all those grocery store chit chatters our there, but couldn't she see I was in a hurry?! She just prolonged the torture and increased the chance that Josie would wake up before I was done. But it is done and I can enjoy 7 pleasant days until the next grocery store run.

I have a dream...

2011-02-28T08:54:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my parents, Joel and I enjoyed a lovely date "catching up" at a local bookstore. I know this may sound silly since we are married and live in the same house but having a new born in the house with 3 other children plus a husband trying to get his Master's degree makes having an adult conversation nearly impossible. It was so nice to sit in quiet and talk without interruption. Joel and I spent that time dreaming, discussing what our dreams for our future military or post military are. My dream is relatively new (since our time in Hawaii) and has become quite consuming. It was nice to share it with Joel who was totally on board. We have no idea how long we will be in the military but when the time comes to leave it or retire, we hope to settle in that one place where we can grow old together, to invest in the house were our kids and grandkids will come visit us. We are not sure where that town is but our dream is to be on the east coast (preferably New England) in a sailing community. We want our own sailing yacht, a small one, somewhere between 28 and 36 feet, that we can take out by ourselves or with our family or friends, at our leisure. Who knows, maybe I can even teach again. When we travel, we want to travel to places where we can experience the best sailing around the world. In Hawaii I discovered this love and feel it is now in my blood. I can't imagine a future without it. I am excited about our next move to DC just because it will allow me to sail again. It is nice to imagine this future, to have a goal, to dream. I know that is all it is now-a dream. But one can have that, can't they?

2011-02-18T08:36:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Life hasn't been easy and getting on the computer isn't often a luxury I get during the day. Josie is doing great. Jesse is keeping me on my toes. Asher and Anna are great helpers. I am sleep deprived and have had some complications with my recovery. However life is good. How could it not be with this sweet face to look at every day?! Anyways, I thought a few pictures of Josie would hold my faithful readers over for another week.

Josie received a sweet package from my Wet Hen sisters in Hawaii (her "Auntie Hens", my fellow sailing instructors). It was such a nice gift! She received her first sail boat and Wet Hen/Pacific Yacht Club gear, and lots of RED clothes (the Hen colors). She is ready for a trip to Hawaii to go sailing! All she needs now is a life jacket.

Hanging out with Jesse and Anna.

Love those eyes!

Enjoying Mommy and Daddy's bed.

Ice Ice Baby

2011-02-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

OK, Josie has nothing to do with this blog post but I just had to add a picture of her!

Anyways, back to the point. This week we were really missing Hawaii as we got pummeled by a huge ice storm for 2 days straight. We were literally house bound for 2 days. It was perfect timing for Joel to have snow days from "school" as it was supposed to be my 1st week adjusting to being alone and life getting back to somewhat normal. We stayed in PJs all day, watched movies, and ate popcorn. It sounded like fireworks outside as branches fell left and right. We were super nervous about a tree falling on the house. We lost power for only a few hours. Many people were out for days. It was quite an adventure! Here are some pictures of the damage around our house, and the kids making the best of everything-they ice sledded down our neighbors driveway and had a blast!

Our neighbors tree.

Our front yard.

The backyard.

Introducing Josie Ruth Thorson

2011-01-27T08:51:00.001-08:00

Josie Ruth Thorson
Born Jan. 21st at 8:49am

It was another emotional experience going into a c-section for the 4th time. We were very blessed with a great team of doctors, one that even prayed with us before the surgery. The recovery stage is going slowly and is always frustrating, but all worth it to add this beautiful ray of sunshine to our lives.

Josie weighed in a 7 pounds, 7.4 ozs

My favorite picture taken shortly after her birth

Josie meeting her brothers and sisters. They are constantly wanting to hold her and have been in love from the minute they saw her. They came to the hospital showering her with gifts and can't stop showering her with hugs and kisses.

Jesse was a little slow in getting it. It wasn't really until his 3rd trip to the hospital that he really acknowledged that there was a baby. Now every morning he says to me "I hold Josies?" He loves touching her face, toes, and fingers. He is a little jealous that he can't crawl in my lap with her and I do think he may have a hard time adjusting, but he is doing great so far with the big change.

Proud Daddy hasn't stopped glowing. He is smitten.

Enjoying some awake time.

All ready to go home. It sure is different bring home a January baby on the east coast compared to bringing Jesse home in Hawaii. We are constantly trying to keep her bundled up and miss the onsie and diaper only weather! Her 1st week home, she has been faced with a brother with flu symptoms, 2 siblings with monster coughs, and 2 siblings with ear infections. We just pray that she stays healthy through it all!

Hope you enjoy the pictures. More to come soon. We are so very blessed.

The Tooth Fairy is Coming!

2011-01-20T16:18:00.000-08:00

After 3 weeks of tugging and wiggling, Asher FINALLY lost his 1st tooth! He is so excited to get his 1st visit from the tooth fairy. He even had an in depth conversation with me about how all fairies are make believe except for the tooth fairy. Anna now demands to lose a tooth NOW! We are just glad it happened tonight so we can aid the tooth fairy before we leave for the hospital. That's right folks, tomorrow is the big day when we get to welcome our new baby girl into the world! It is has been a long week. Asher got another ear infection, Anna got her cast off, Asher is home from school throwing up, and we are getting dumped on in a snow storm. It is great to end the week on 2 positive notes. YEY ASHER!!!

2011-01-09T10:26:00.000-08:00

37 weeks, 4 days.

C-section is scheduled for Jan. 21st. How can 12 days seem like forever and ever away?! Anna and Asher are so excited. Asher made a paper chain that he has been using to count down the days. He does such a good job at taking care of me, always concerned about whether or not I am feeling well or if I need help with something. He loves hugging my belly and feeling the baby move. Anna is in baby heaven. We find baby dolls in every piece of baby equipment we have pulled out. She has even swiped a few outfits that I find her babies dressed in. She tells me that she will take care of her baby sister, even feed her at night, and she will come get me if she needs help. Jesse knows something is coming as he says "baby's?" when he points to the car seat or crib but of course doesn't quite understand where this baby is coming from and that she will usurp him as the baby of the family. I am just trying to take one day at a time...pregnancy insomnia is killing me and I have become super lazy dealing with the back pain and swelling. We just can't wait to meet this little one!

A Wonderful Christmas

2010-12-29T08:02:00.001-08:00

We kicked our week off making sugar cookies to leave out for Santa (and for us of course!). That same day Grammie and Poppy arrived from West Virginia. It was a great week of cooking and eating, and cooking and eating, and cooking and eating, and then an outing or two. One outing was to a old historic mill called Clifton Mill to see Christmas lights.

It was beautiful! The white lights twinkled to look like water running into the stream below. There was a light show and a HUGE village to admire, Santa's workshop to see, and a monster line for hot chocolate...we just hit Tim Horton's on the way home.

The family going through the covered bridge.

On Christmas Eve, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner, the bible story, and songs. And then Joel kicked off an old Thorson family tradition of the kids performing a Christmas pageant. Anna was Mary, Asher was Joseph, and Jesse was the angel using a flashlight to shine the glory of God on baby Jesus. As you can see we had many animals at the scene, including a crocodile, turtle, monkey, and an unknown Dr. Suess creation.

Then the kids get to open one present, which is always pajamas. Sounds boring but they love it! Here they are ready for bed, but they stayed up pretty late waiting for Santa to come.

Christmas morning was lovely. Having kids makes the morning so much more exciting! It was such a joy to see their faces with each gift they opened. Jesse could not enjoy a gift until every piece of wrapping paper was properly removed.

Anna received the "big big big big big big big" dollhouse she has been wanting.

And Asher got his remote control helicopter. Can you tell that he is happy?

Is was a wonderful Christmas together. Now we are enjoying the company of Joel's parents and will bask in the after glow of a special time before the break is over, the decorations come down, and everyone returns to school.

Santa, Ballet, and Casts...Oh My!

2010-12-21T08:36:00.001-08:00

We have had quite an eventful week! Well, I guess every week leading up to Christmas is usually eventful. Thankfully the Christmas shopping is done, cards are in the mail, and the decorations are up. Now we can just focus on enjoying each other as a family as we bake, due crafts, and count down the days as we remember the reason for the season.

Our weekend kicked off with breakfast with Santa at Chick-Fil-A. I know it sounds silly but it was awesome! They had 4 crafts for the kids to do, coloring, a yummy breakfast, unlimited time with Santa, and of course a fun playground! It was a wonderful morning. Anna was a little timid at first but by the end of our time there she kept running back to sit on his lap and tell him more things that she wanted. Her list is never ending!

Jesse LOVED Santa and the Santa Cow. Here he is trying to feed the Santa Cow his candy cane. Jesse would have sat there all day talking to the cow.

The same day Anna had her Holiday ballet performance. She did wonderful, even with with her broken arm (more on that below). She loves being on stage and performing. And Asher was so thoughtful and wanted to buy her flowers to give to her after the show.

So the first broken bone to the Thorson kids goes to Anna! Even though she has a long Christmas list, a broken arm was not on that list. We were playing at a friends house. The kids were in the basement. Anna was sitting on the basement stairs talking to the other kids (about halfway down the stairs). The rail for the stairs is really high. Anna somehow just lost her balance and fell over the side of the stairs. As soon as I saw her arm, I knew and we were on our way to the ER. The first few days were quite painful for her and she was really sad, but now she is running around with us chasing her saying "don't do that!", "be careful", "stop wrestling with your brothers!". Pink was the color choice for her cast and she loves having everyone sign it. I know she will still have her miserable days but we are so thankful for her resilience!

So whether your holiday season is going as planned or not, we hope you all find the time to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ and what that gift means for you. Even if you are stressed or consumed with trials unexpected, His message is still the same and it is good news! That He came to earth to save us, the greatest gift ever given. Thank you Jesus! Merry Christmas!!

A Baby Sprinkle

2010-12-14T06:11:00.001-08:00

Meet some of my wonderful new friends that I have made here in Ohio. About 2 weeks ago, they got together and threw a baby "sprinkle" for me and our friend Cheyna. Cheyna's baby is due 2 weeks before mine. I felt so blessed to be pregnant with #4, in a new place, and to have friends shower such love on me. Our little girl got some new clothes, diapers, wipes, and all the essentials. I got an evening of wonderful company and CHEESECAKE at the Cheesecake Factory (cheesecake is one of my favorite things).

So excited to get a winter jacket for the little one! She won't be running around in just diapers like Jesse got to do in Hawaii.

Me and Cheyna

Me at 32 weeks, Cheyna at 34 weeks

My heart seems to break with every move the military sends us on. I am always so sad about leaving such dear friends and a life I have grown to love. We were so blessed in Massachusetts and the Lord amazed me with the blessings he continued to bestow in Hawaii. Even though I know the bible's words are true, I struggled with the hope of good things to come when moving time rolls around. Our life has been living proof to me that as long as we are in His will, His blessings will come. No, there is no sailing here, no "corner or torture" work out group, beaches and good weather all year long, neighbors to have coffee with every day. But in a few short months, we have fallen in love with our church and been surrounded by a church family, schools and teachers that our kids love , an amazing house, and TRUE friends that have entered our lives. God is good and I will follow Him all my of my days.

Let it Snow

2010-12-08T06:31:00.000-08:00

The Christmas spirit definitely arrived with the 1st snowfall! In Hawaii, it was often hard to get in the winter mood of decorating and cookie baking. Needless to say, despite the bitter cold days, we have enjoyed the arrival of winter and the new joys it has brought the kids. We had a great time putting our tree up while drinking hot chocolate (and not sweating!). The kids loved putting up their ornaments, hearing the stories of when and why they got them, and I have had a hard time stopping myself from moving Jesse's little clump at the bottom of the tree.

The snow and bitter cold (15 degree weather) have not stopped in a week. The kids beg to go outside everyday and even Jesse has gotten in on the fun. Our backyard has a perfect little hill for sledding. We have been borrowing a friend's sled...boogie boards don't work that well. I guess we need to invest in some sleds!

Jesse had to shed his mittens and play with bubbles. They were one of his potty training prizes. Yes, that is right ladies and gentlemen. We survived potty training this week! I am happy to say that we are now diaper free for the next, oh, 6 weeks. WOO HOO!

These are Asher and Anna's letters to Santa Claus. Adorable!

And then we mailed them at the nice mailbox in Macy's. They were ecstatic!

And this picture doesn't really fit in with the rest but deserves a spot anyways! Asher swam 2 races in his swim meet this past weekend. He got 8th place in the 25 meter freestyle and improved his time by 1 second. Then he swam the 25 meter backstroke during which Joel and I sat there with our jaws on the floor. He won his heat and placed 2nd overall of 11 kids, missing 1st place overall by hundreds of a second! He has carried his ribbons around for days, so proud of himself. We again are just so overwhelmed by his joy and confidence in swimming. May the blessings continue to come down with the snowflakes.

Celebrations

2010-12-02T05:11:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Watertown, WI with Joel's family. The company was great, the food was fantastic, and the days flew by in a whirlwind of hotel pool swimming, games, football, kid chaos, shopping, and the movie Tangled. and yes, by shopping, I mean Black Friday shopping. I like to spend Black Friday snuggled up in my bed but Joel and his dad were out at 4am snapping up good deals. The kids were very sad to lose their constant playmates at the end of the week. It was truly a time to be thankful for. Well, I wasn't too thankful for the 20 to 30 degree weather. I felt frozen to the bone! It is going to be a long winter :).

However I am thankful for the find of fuzzy Crocs at a local outlet...buy 1 get 1 free!! Asher has refused to stop wearing his Crocs despite the drop in temperature. He was ecstatic when we brought these home! Now maybe shoes will be tolerable to my Hawaii children.

and then December 1st brought the first snow of the season. Anna and Asher were outside at 7am shouting with joy. Asher ran out the door on his way to school exclaiming "This is the best day ever!". Neither one of them have any memory of seeing snow before so it is awful exciting.

As soon as they finished their homework, they were out the door making snow angels (notice in fuzzy Crocs, and not boots). I can't wait to see their faces when there is enough to really play in. Notice Jesse is nowhere to be seen. He liked to watch the snow but once a flake landed on him, he screamed and ran inside. I wonder if he will warm up to the joy of playing in it.

Truly Thankful

2010-11-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

This has been our project for the month of November, counting down the days until Thanksgiving. Everyday we each write down what we are thankful for. My hope was that when Thanksgiving came, the kids would have a grasp on what we were celebrating. It has been a great exercise for all of us! However there have been days where I sit and stare at my note card frustrated with the disobedience, fights between siblings, dirty laundry, dirty diapers, lack of sleep, and strain to think of something that I am thankful for that day. Then I heard a story shared at MOPS about being thankful. This mother was frustrated with her son. They lived on a farm and every day he came in, took his shoes off, and left a pile of hay where he striped off his jacket and shoes from working on the farm. Every day she scolded him to clean up his pile of hay and wondered why he could never take the initiative to do it. Then her son went on a church youth group outing to Kings Island. 64 Children/teenagers, 3 chaperons, and a bus driver. Coming back late that night, a drunk driver crossed the median and crashed into the gas tank of the bus setting it on fire. The door to the bus jammed. All adults and 24 children died that day, but that woman's son did not. It was devastating to that church and all their families. That mother came in to her house later that week, saw the pile of hay on the floor, and fell to her knees thanking God for her pile of hay because it could have ended differently for her. I left that MOPS meeting truly changed at my outlook of thankfulness. I am thankful for the 2am interruptions, dirty diapers, laundry that never ends, snotty noses, shoes and clothes not put away, and constant need for my attention because I am thankful for each of my children and what they have added to my life. I will take the good with the bad and praise God each day he gives them to me! I pray that you too have truly found a heart of thanksgiving as we celebrate this wonderful holiday.

Priceless

2010-11-09T06:02:00.000-08:00

New Swimsuit: $27, Monthly Swim Team Fee: $60
Yearly Membership Fees: $300

Watching Asher compete in his 1st swim meet with such joy and confidence:
PRICELESS!

I would pay it all over again. Many of you know that Asher doesn't have the competitive spirit that Joel and I have...it has been a long road for Joel and I in learning how to parent him without "exasperating" him, to accept him for who is is and let go of our expectations of what we thought every boy would be like. Asher break danced in the corner of the field during soccer games, drew in the sand during tee-ball games, ran the opposite direction during football-every time just wanting to sit on the side and cheer. So we decided to take a break from sports until he pointed us in the direction he wanted to go. Since he was a fish in Hawaii, we thought "hey, maybe he would like a swim team". He LOVES his swim team. We have been so blessed with patient and encouraging coaches, a sport that builds Asher up every time he goes to practice, and a whole new family for Asher. We joined with he commitment not to force him to compete...when he was ready, he was ready, and the coaches were OK with that too. The first time he dove off the block and swam the length of the pool without touching the lane lines (in a practice), the entire team (even the high school kids) stopped their practice and chanted Asher's name until his hand touched the other side. I have never seen him so proud and a team so unified. Asher isn't focused on beating the kid in the lane next to him. He is focused on getting better every time he gets in the pool. Well, the 1st swim meet arrived and he didn't want to compete. Fine. We just wanted to take him so he could see what a swim meet even was. The 1st night he saw kids his age competing and said to me "I want to swim. I want to do this. I can do this. Please let me swim." I was dumbfounded and both Joel and I thought about talking him out of it, thinking he isn't ready! But his coaches encouraged us to let him do it if he wanted to try. So we signed him up last minute and all rallied by the pool as he went out to swim his 1st competition in the 25 meter freestyle for ages 6 and under. That morning he ran out the door at 7am like he was going to see Santa Claus. I have never seen such joy and anticipation, and confidence, in Asher's face. And he did it! He dove in, swam his heart out, and reach the other side in 39 seconds. He finished 9th of 13 kids and is so proud. I get tears in my eyes every time I think about it. Next time he says he will be faster and I believe it!

Asher on the left listening for the starting whistle.

Half way there!

Finishing strong!

I said "Asher I took pictures of you to show everyone."
Asher: "Probably not very many because I swam so fast!"
GO ASHER! We are so proud of you.

Imitators

2010-11-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

Here we are in Ohio enjoying a fall like we haven't done in years. It has been fun going on hayrides, pumpkin picking, tackling corn mazes, and experiencing the change in weather. However with fall always comes the Halloween holiday. Neither Joel nor I celebrated Halloween growing up and every year I find myself struggling with the holiday-to celebrate or not to celebrate. I pray and pray and have never felt the conviction not to celebrate but this year was at a loss for words on why we choose to celebrate. Every other holiday points to Christ in our traditions, but what does Halloween point to? I know it is a super fun holiday, but it can be intended for evil. So how do we still enjoy it and point our kids in the right direction? My amazing husband was filled with wisdom this year and did a wonderful job of answering the "why" questions, and now I feel we have a footing on our Halloween traditions. Every night at bedtime as the harvest festivals came, and costume shopping and anticipation built, Joel would talk to them about how fun it was to dress up and imitate characters we love but we do this once a year...every day we should be imitators of God and live a life of love. We do this because of Christ's example and it is the bible's instruction for us to do so. Ephesians 5:1-2 says "Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." As we carved pumpkins, we talked about how we resemble the pumpkins, needing our insides scraped clean of all the messy stuff. Then Jesus gave us a light inside and a new face so others could see the light. So as we followed our toy story characters through the neighborhood, I know why Halloween originated, and that it is not a "holy" holiday, but I believe we can still use it to point our kids to Him.

Our Toy Story family ready to trick or treat.

Carving Pumpkins.

Then going to the Grafton Hill Pumpkin Glow...450 jack-0-lanterns lit at dusk.

It was super cool!

Anna's Fancy Nancy Soiree

2010-10-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

Anna wanted a Fancy Nancy birthday party to celebrate turning 5. I am never one to back down from planning a birthday hoopla, and we were all excited for the big day to finally arrive!

Even the boys got fancy for the occasion. Anna wanted only girls at her party but loved that her brothers dressed up for her. Asher was even super helpful playing the "butler". He answered the door, put presents were they belonged, and served food to all the girls. He was great!

Fancy Anna

Once all the fancy guests arrived, we read a Fancy Nancy book, had make overs, and they each received a goody bag with items to dress up for a fashion show. The moms loved this part and all cheered for the girls as they took their walk down the red carpet.

All lined up for the fashion show.

Anna's walk down the red carpet.

Then we had a fancy table spread complete with pink punch, heart shaped sandwiches and chocolate covered strawberries. The girls were hilarious trying to drink with their pinkies in the air and saying "ooh-la-la"! Jesse just sucked the chocolate off the strawberries.

"Happy birthday dear Anna!"

A group photo. Anna was one happy little girl. I spent the rest of the day with my feet up-I was exhausted! But wish she could stay 5 and be playing Fancy Nancy forever.
Happy Birthday sweet Anna!

VT Weekend

2010-10-13T04:58:00.000-07:00

Joel and I were able to have this past weekend away to Blacksburg, VA without kids! My parents graciously took them and everyone had a good time. This is how we found the kids at midnight when we arrived back at my parent's house. Joel and I were just as tired! But were super refreshed after such an amazing weekend.

We left my parent's house at 4:40 am so that we could arrive in Blacksburg bright and early. I may have been a little crabby but then we stopped at this beautiful rest stop. Some of you may know the story but this is the place where Joel proposed to me...long story but we get a chuckle out of it. As I was getting my coffee inside at Starbucks at 6:30 am, I wanted to say to the server "Right there is where my husband got down on one knee and proposed (yes, after I came out of the restroom being sent on a scavenger hunt for my ring, which was on a toilet!)" but held back. Then on we drove to Virginia Tech where we watched the fog coming off the New River as we drove alongside it at dawn-it was gorgeous!

We hit gold by scalping tickets from some little boys on the corner. Two tickets for $50-FRONT ROW tickets on the 30 yard line!! They were the best seats ever! It was a perfect football day and we were able to see the Highty Tighties (the regimental band that Joel and I were both in) perform-on the field in this picture. The Hokies won (WOO HOO!), and then we walked around our old Alma mater reminiscing. Then someone asked us where a building was and we felt like big dorks because we couldn't remember!

We spent the rest of Saturday with our dear friends Caryn and Scott Davis. Caryn was one of my roommates my senior year when I got my first apartment. It was great seeing them after so many years and meeting their son Josiah for the first time. We ate dinner at one of our old haunts and the bar in the restaurant broke out in a round of "Lets Go Hokies!". I am not sure I even heard that happen when we were in college!

The real reason we were there for the weekend was to attend Joel's cousin's wedding (Colin Fox). It was super nice for them to plan it in the area on the same weekend as a home football game! The wedding was outside on a beautiful 80 degree day, with the fall leaves and Claytor Lake as a back drop. The ceremony and reception were great and we loved seeing so many of Joel's family. This photo is the "Fox" side of the family (Joel's mom) that made it to the weddding.

All the Fox cousins who were there. Colin and Zheng Zheng were so happy-it was such a blessing to be a part of their day.

And here is my baby bump at 25 weeks. I thought it was a good time to take a picture since I actually looked nice. Still so far to go!

Fall Fun

2010-10-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

Well, you can't have this kind of fun in Hawaii!! We love our backyard and the kids have been having a great time playing in the leaves. Jesse seems to have resigned to the fact that he has to wear shoes and all are still getting use to jackets. I caught my 1st cold of the season...maybe I am allergic to cold weather??? Anna and I made pumpkin bread yesterday. Pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks. And This weekend we are heading to Virginia Tech (kid free!) for the weekend. Joel's cousin is getting married there and we are looking forward to seeing the old stomping grounds, going to a football game, seeing some old friends, and enjoying the beautiful fall leaves along the way. The kids aren't the only ones enjoying it! Seriously, this is my favorite time of year and am grateful that we get to experience it again!

Life as We Know It

2010-09-28T05:36:00.001-07:00

Well I guess our life just isn't near as exciting in Ohio as it was in Hawaii. As the days pass and I find I haven't blogged in awhile, I say to myself "What do I blog about!". I want to say that it isn't Ohio but just the fact that we moved. It is more than the change of house, new schools, church hunting, finding friends. It is almost like life comes screeching to a halt. We get so involved in things: friends, commitments, activities. Then you move and BAM!, there is nothing occupying your evenings or weekends and I sit and wonder what to do with myself! It is just a season of quietness and I am sure our lives will be booming with activities here again soon. In the meantime you will just have to be satisfied with stories and pictures of my cuties.

I have been enjoying my mornings with just Jesse and feel like I have read the whole library in all this quietness. The kids LOVE school and are adjusting well. Our neighborhood isn't swamped with kids so surprisingly Asher and Anna have become better friends than I thought possible - such a blessing to see. Anna has started ballet and gymnastics and keeps telling Asher to look for her on TV. Asher is thriving in piano lessons and just started a swim team where he is learning the techniques of swimming while being part of team (no competition until he is ready). Both activities are perfect for Asher and his personality. Joel completes his review classes this week, believes he has settled on a research topic, and starts "real" classes next week: linear algebra, probability and statistics, and digital signal processing. Sounds fun, right?! He gets sent off with a packed lunch everyday just like the kiddos. As for me, my heart aches for sailing! I am freezing and still can't keep shoes on Jesse (even in 50 degree weather). But the fall is taking my breath away and the Lord is truly blessing me with a few quick friends, a babysitting swap, and a MOPS group.

Weekly trips to the library have been one of our newest adventures. Jesse ALWAYS picks out a train book and hangs on to them for dear life. Seriously, he even sleeps with them. I have to sneak them away when he isn't looking when it is time to return them.

This was the sight in our house this past Saturday morning. Meet Anna, the fairy princess, and Asher, aka. "Clone Superman". Yes, that is what he called himself. Check out the socks! Completely cracked me up.

A Day Out

2010-09-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

Grammie and Poppy treated the kids to a "Day Out with Thomas" which included photos with Thomas, a train ride, and some other fun activities.

The kids loved the train ride but Jesse was by far the most excited to see Thomas. Jesse is super obsessed with trains - he was in heaven.

The boys on the train ride.

Then we spent the afternoon at the Beavercreek Popcorn Festival. I LOVE popcorn and enjoyed trying all the different treats. Even though popcorn was the feature there seems to be this new obsession with deep fried food. This is the first time I have tried deep fried anything...pickles seemed to be the #1 thing on the menu but I couldn't do it. Joel tried a deep fried snickers. I tried a deep fried banana (GROSS!). However I have to say that the deep fried apples tasted like warm apple pie - very good! Nothing was better than the chocolate dipped cheesecake on a stick
(NOT deep fried!).

The kids favorite treat = cotton candy!

Blessing #4

2010-09-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

For some of you, this is a surprise...so SURPRISE! Yes, we are expecting Thorson baby #4. I am currently 19 weeks with a due date of Jan. 26. I was VERY sick early on (much different than my other pregnancies) but am doing much better now. When we first told the kids, we got quite different responses than what we thought we would receive. Asher said "I have to take care of 3 kids!" and Anna stated that if it wasn't a girl than she didn't want it. Today we had the joy of seeing the little bugger moving around in an ultrasound and then the joy as Anna danced and screamed with excitement when we told her that it was a indeed a GIRL! "I knew it!" She squealed over and over and over again. She has so many plans for the 2 of them already. Asher already loves the baby and showers my growing belly with hugs and kisses. Joel is glowing (even though he was POSITIVE it was a boy). Needless to say we are all very excited to welcome a baby girl into our family.

Home Sweet Home

2010-08-24T11:43:00.001-07:00

Home sweet home is now Beavercreek, OH! Yes, we made it! The trip cross country went way better than I expected. We made such wonderful memories and had a great time seeing family and friends. However, I don't plan on getting in that car for another long drive for awhile!

The kids camping out on our 1st night in our new house. We actually had to sleep like this for 2 weeks (minus the few days we ran away to my parents) before our household goods arrived. Wow, did our bed feel good after 2 months in hotels and visiting others. It is like Christmas for the kids unpacking toy boxes. I realized that in 9 years of marriage, we have moved 6 times! You think I would be good at this by now but unpacking is still super exhausting and frustrating...a much slower process than I would like it to be.

This past Monday, Anna had her 1st day of pre-kindergarten. And you will get a mouth full if you accidentally call it preschool. She goes 5 days a week, half-day. She was very nervous and shy at first-the kids are really missing their Hawaii friends and the freedom of our Hawaii backyard. They pray for new friends every night. Despite her nervousness, she had a great 1st day and gabs about it nonstop.

Today (Tuesday), Asher had his 1st day of 1st grade (sniff sniff). Here he is with his teacher Mrs. Latta who he says is the best because she says "Cool, Dude". His school is literally about 5 houses down the street. He has been insisting on walking to and from school by himself but I told him he had to walk with me the 1st week at least. He had to walk about a foot in front of me the whole time and then balked in embarrassment when I insisted on walking him to his classroom once at the school. This starts already in the 1st grade?!?! He told me he wasn't shy at all, but it only took 1 day for him to already forget his lunchbox at school.

A photo of our house...we LOVE it (and our new minivan)! It is 2400 sq foot, 4 bedroom, with a HUGE fenced in backyard to keep roaming Jesse locked in. I have no photos of the inside yet since we are lost in boxes. The neighborhood is extremely beautiful and quiet ( a ghost town compared to our community on base). I know there are kids around but why don't I hear them? We did meet 1 neighbor, a home with 7 kids with matches for Jesse and Asher, and babysitters! The weekend after our stuff arrived, my parents came to help watch kids and unpack-such a blessing to be close to family again! Watch out Leslie, I will have plenty of work for you ;).

Joel has orientation this week and starts school after labor day...like the kids, he is also nervous. Please continue to pray for adjustment for us all. The church hunt starts this weekend, and we hope to find a small group to be a part of for encouragement and companionship. My heart aches to go for a sail and have some unwinding time! Enjoy that blue water for the Thorson Family Hawaii friends! We miss you!

The Wild Wild West

2010-08-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

Tales of our journey across this beautiful country of ours...

Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah. We had to drive on some windy roads to reach this spot. After 15 minutes, Asher threw up in the back of our brand new minivan...so much for that new car smell! Thankfully, this is the only day he has gotten sick.

We spent two days at Yellowstone National Park-we had such an amazing time! What a beautiful place...mountains, rivers, waterfalls, canyons, animals, etc.

Old Faithful was a site to behold shooting up from 100 to 115 feet into the air.

The kids had more fun playing in the dirt than they did watching Old Faithful.

A buffalo siting! Even after seeing this rare animas, Asher is still gasping each time he see cows...yes, COWS! I guess there are rare in Hawaii.

We were so close to this black bear! We also saw a grizzly bear with her 2 cubs.

Then we spent 2 days with great friends from college, Jeremy and Laura Beth Rhodes, in Great Falls, Montana. Amazing how conversations change when we now have 6 kids between us. The kids had a great time playing with "real" children and getting a break from the car. And it was wonderful to catch up with our friends.

Devils Tower in Wyoming.

Mt. Rushmore...more amazing than we had imagined. Asher says this is his favorite thing we have seen so far (besides Disneyland).

The badlands in South Dakota have been my favorite thing so far.

You go from rolling green hills and valleys to the badlands...it is like you are on Mars. It was so fantastic (but super super hot!).

The kids were able to roam on some of the badlands for a little while. It was way too hot for me! The specks in this photo are Joel and Asher exploring.

We are now resting for a few days in Watertown, South Dakota with some of Joel's family. It is so nice to get another break from the car and let the kids run. After 5 minutes of driving on day 1 out of LA, Anna says "You're right Dad...this is a long way!". It has been long but it has been amazing. These breaks with friends and family have been soooo important though. The hotel rooms have lost some of their excitement. Anna and Asher are not too keen on sharing a bed. Asher tends to pull her hair in his sleep, or kick her, lays his legs on top of her, etc. She says she can't wait to have her own room in Ohio! The whole journey has made the move a little unreal...it hasn't truly settled in that we aren't going back to Hawaii and we have no clue what our life is going to look like on the other end. I'm sorry to those we haven't called...we have not had cell reception since Yellowstone Park! AT&T is not good in the rural areas of the NorthWest. You will hear from me soon-I promise! Next phase of the journey is visiting family in Nebraska and Wisconsin. Love to all!

Magic in the Air

2010-07-28T09:13:00.001-07:00

We survived our red eye flight from Hawaii (barely-Asher didn't sleep a wink hence neither did us parents). Joel's parents met us in LA for 3 fun-filled days at Disneyland. It truly was magical. I will never forget the looks on the kids' faces. We tried to capture some of those moments in pictures.

Anna and Asher in the "A" outside California Adventure Park.

Jesse's favorite ride was the flying rockets (and the carasoul). He would put his hands in the air and say "I flying". He marched onto every ride without looking back-that boy has no fear.

Joel and I celebrate our 9th anniversary there. Grandma and Grandpa kept the kids and we enjoyed a night in the park by ourselves! We felt guilty but it was oh so fun.

Anna was one pooped princess after 1 day. It is hard having all your dreams come true!

Anna was in princess heaven. Her face glowed every time she saw a princess and she got all their autographs. She could have sat in the "Princess Fantasy Fair" all day and forgotten about the rest of the park. This is one of those faces I will never forget.

Asher rode EVERY ride and EVERY roller coaster. He was SO brave! Here he is driving cars with Grandpa. After each ride he would yell, "That was totally AWESOME!". His favorites were the Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain. and he NEVER took those Mickey Mouse ears off.

However Splash Mountain was the one he rode 3 times. This is actually his "log" going over the hill and by this time he was even putting his hands in the air!

Jesse loved seeing all the characters but wanted nothing to do with them...until he saw Minnie Mouse. He tried climbing a fence to get to her, hugged and kissed her. I couldn't get him away from her. It was love at first sight. After that he would just randomly shout "Minnie! Minnie!"

Asher and Anna loved seeing the characters. Well Anna just wanted to see the girls: Minnie, Daisy, and Jessie from Toy Story. This is my favorite "character" picture.

and no trip is complete without the family photo in front of the castle!

We are now on our cross country journey. The kids are doing awesome. We have so enjoyed seeing the West and friends we haven't seen in 5 years. We have been to Cedar Breaks National Monument and Yellowstone Park (pics to follow in next post). We are presently in Great Falls, Montana visiting dear friends from college. Next are the bad lands and black hills of South Dakota, and Mt. Rushmore here we come!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

2010-07-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

Today is our last day in Hawaii. We can't believe how fast our last week has gone. We have had such a wonderful time with friends over these past few weeks-we truly feel like we got special time with everyone! I just wanted to share an update in pictures before we disappear on the road again.

An evening at the North Shore watching the sunset.

A July 4th photo of the kids at Hickam Harbor. We LOVE July 4th here...filled with rides, dancing, sailing, good friends, BBQ, and great fireworks.

My dear friend Melissa and I raced together on the 4th and walked away with 1st for the day! It was my last time racing in Hawaii and my first time with an overall win for the day-so great to end on a high note! Melissa and I learned how to sail together, then started teaching together, and what made the day even better was our 3rd team member was our awesome teacher Sandy (probably the reason why we won!). I just love the sailboats behind us sporting their 4th of July wind socks.

My boys.

Anna showing off her 4th of July tattoo.

Happy Birthday to me! My neighborhood girlfriends took me out to dinner for my birthday/farewell at one of my favorite restaurants "Schooners" which overlooks the saiboats at Pearl Harbor. It certainly was a special evening.

The last thing on our bucket list was taking a plantoon boat to the sandbar at Kaneohe Bay. We enjoyed the day with some of our neighborhood friends. It was so much fun! We enjoyed jet skiing, tubing, cannonballs off the back of the boat, cruising the harbor, and splashing around.

Asher helping Mr. Dave drive the plantoon boat.

A photo of my last sail in Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay. It was an absolutely perfect day-hardly a cloud in the sky, the mountains were crystal clear, the company amazing. I couldn't keep the tears from eyes! One of the most amazing things about Hawaii is the vibrancy of the colors around you. I know it sounds cheesy but the sky is soooo blue, the mountains soooo green, the water sparkles with colors you can't find in a crayon box. I can only imagine anywhere else seeming dull after this.

But dear Lord, I know you have many blessings in store for us on our journey and in Ohio.

Watch out Disneyland, here we come.

We ARE alive

2010-07-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

My blogs may be far and few between for a little while. As of now our temporary home is Embassy Suites in Waikiki. I can keep in touch via Joel's iphone but I find it annoying to type anything with depth on it...I keep punching the wrong letters and lose patience. I am sad to say I have 300 pictures on my computer of a wonderful 4th of July, sailing, birthday celebrations, and sunset pictures on the north shore but no way to share them with you at the present time....boy will there be a doozy of a post in the future! We have 6 days left in paradise. Then we fly to LA where we will spend 3 days in Disneyland. Anna talks nonstop about the princesses-it will be such a magical time for her, and Asher just can't wait for the rollercoasters. Then we will be driving cross country on an almost 3 week adventure. This is a dream of Joel's and I am excited to help him make it happen. However I am secretly wishing for a plane ticket from LA to Dayton for myself...I hate long car trips! However, I know there will be glorious moments along with the bad. We are super excited to see friends and family that we haven't seen in years, and are looking forward to spending time in Yellowstone Park and Mt. Rushmore. Pray for our sanity! I will keep updating as much as I can through the transition...maybe I can find a way to share some pictures too.

A Weekend Adventure

2010-06-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we rented a kayak and explored some islands around Oahu with friends.

This is the only time Jesse was smiling in the kayak (when it was on the shore). It was a traumatic experience for him. He was hysterical when I held him on for the 1st trip and Joel paddled but after a wave flipped us, he didn't make another sound-just hung on for dear life like a statue. The next day he was a little more relaxed and was able to point out some turtles swimming by.
Anna and Asher took turns being brave...at times they liked it and at times they didn't. They both thought it was fun to surf waves with the kayak.

Here Joel is paddling Anna and Asher out to "Goat Island", a bird sanctuary that we camped out on and explored for the day. We had enough adults to have one stationed on each shore while the dads ferried families back and forth. Joel was exhausted at the end of the day!

The kids had a blast together!

Jesse and Asher doing the boy thing and exploring the island with Daddy. They found a big bird egg and saw some strange birds.

Our beach camp. Also the site where Asher found a diamond ring while digging in the sand. Our jaws dropped when he trotted over to us saying "Look what I found!". We believe it is real and plan on taking it to get appraised this week. Now every time we are at the beach he says "Mommy will you help me find a diamond ring?"...spoiled already!

Asher getting some paddling in.

A tired but happy family at the end of the day.

Spitting Cave

2010-06-18T13:24:00.001-07:00

Joel and I had a wonderful date night eating take out and watching the sunset at a place called "Spitting Cave". A local fishing spot, a great place to enjoy the beauty of Hawaii, a dare devil place to cliff jump (no, I didn't even think about it!), and a filming spot for Lost.

It was very romantic and we enjoyed sitting and chatting for hours in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

The beginning of a gorgeous sunset.

The end to a perfect evening.

The Bucket List

2010-06-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

Joel and I are now moving through our Bucket List-things we want to do before we leave Hawaii. Thankfully we feel we have done an OK job throughout our years here so we don't feel overwhelmed now to shove activities in. We have done a lot but now want to see it all again! It is amazing how accustomed we have come to life here and are not looking forward to being housebound due to bad weather. Everyday we try to look around and not take this beautiful scenery for granted. We are truly blessed to have been able to enjoy paradise for 2.5 years.

So this past weekend we got a sitter and finally did an intense hike, Kuliouou Ridge, that ended with a 180 degree few of the island.
However our hike started with us hiking a 2 mile detour on the wrong trail....so after an hour, we found the right trail. This resulted in a 7 mile hike for the day. We were pretty dead!

At one point, the trail and surrounded landscape was completely covered with pine needles. It was so beautiful and looked like snow to me...it didn't even seem like Hawaii.

This was about the halfway point and I don't think my dear friend Melissa was too happy about agreeing to hike with us at this point. Melissa was my sailing partner when I first learned how to sail and now we are instructors together...a lovely friend that I will sorely miss.

One of the many amazing views...that is Diamond Head crater in the background.

The hike was fairly steep.

But we made it and it was well worth it!

Joel and I at the top. I don't think there are words to describe that color of blue. The sky was so clear that we could see 3 of the other Hawaiian islands from the top.

At the top with our friends Melissa and Richard.

Pomp and Circumstance

2010-05-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

Anna has now completed a year of tap and ballet classes. Shes till adores it and loves being on the stage. They did a tap dance to "We are Siamese" for their end of the year show.

And no performance is complete without flowers for the star. Asher couldn't wait to give her the flowers when she was done.

A few days later was Asher's kindergarten graduation. His school did a great job marking this accomplishment. Here the principal is giving Asher his "diploma".

Can't believe he is going into the 1st grade now!!!

Anna was so happy to present him with a lei at his graduation...we are going to miss this Hawaii tradition..think we can find leis in Ohio?

The same day Anna graduated from preschool. In Hawaii, she would be moving on to Kindergarten but misses the age cut off by a few weeks in Ohio. Thus she will be going into "pre-kindergarten" there 5 days a week. We worked hard at getting her excited about this. What will I do with all my time with 2 kids in school full time!!??!!

Happy 6th Birthday Asher!

2010-05-21T16:08:00.001-07:00

Asher had a birthday party that I believe every little boy dreams of - playing with legos at the Lego store! We gathered 7 of his buddies for a Lego extravaganza.

The kids had an area all to themselves...a table full of legos for a "guided build" or free build time.

Asher and his friend Ethan built medals.

Then the kids got to fill a happy meal sized box up with legos of their choice to take home.

and of course no party is complete without a group picture and a chorus of "Happy Birthday"!

with the added bonus of lego cupcakes (carrot cake cupcakes-Asher's favorite)

and the opening of presents.

Joel and I gave him our gift when we got home (after a dinner or orange chicken and rice-his favorite food). He was the happiest little boy! A day full of favorites...what can anybody else really wish for on their birthday!

I'm now a triathlete!

2010-05-16T22:14:00.001-07:00

Today I completed the Honolulu Sprint Triathlon: .5 mile swim, 12.4 mile bike, 5K run. I met my goal and finished in 1 hour and 32 minutes, and think I might be hooked. Maybe there will be an Olympic distance triathlon in my future! It was awful, great, and inspiring all at the same time and an amazing experience. I hope these pictures can somewhat tell the story.

What dorks in those swim caps! Yes, this is me with some of the neighborhood gals. We signed up together, trained together, and encouraged each other to the finish. However at the start line as it started to rain and nerves got the better of us we wondered "Whose idea was this and why are we here?!". I always get super jittery at the beginning of a race-it is a terrible feeling. And this one held so many unknowns...swimming in the open ocean in a crowd, transition areas with people going every which way, switching shoes and hats, but I must say my family was the best cheering crowd out there!!

The gun went off and there we go!

In this picture, Joel tried to capture all the sea of white swim caps. It was mass craziness. We had to swim out to a certain buoy on one side, go around, and swim back on the other side. On my way back, someone going out crossed over and ran in to me head on! It got me all discombobulated. Not to mention getting squished between 2 swimmers and kicked a few times.

But I finally finished the swim and am here running out of the water to switch into my biking gear.

...and then off I go. This was actually the part I was dreading the most and ended up enjoying it the most. Thank you Natalie for the use of your professional bike! The first time I "clipped" into this bike, I fell right over on a trash can, but in the end believe using this baby cut 5 to 10 minutes off of my time.

...and on to the run. The part I thought I would be the strongest in but it seemed SOOOOO long and I struggled.

But I finished!!! I am not posting the picture of me lying on the ground dying after this triumphant finish.

Celebrating with some of the gals. My "permanent" number somehow washed off in the swim but I still have a faint number on my leg even after scrubbing. It really was a great experience. I love a challenge and am blessed to have the support of my wonderful husband. Joel, Thank you for chasing the kids and corralling them to every photo point for 2 hours, and for all your support during training-you ARE MY HERO!

Auntie Mara for Mother's Day

2010-05-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

Auntie Mara arrived last week to spend some quality time with us before heading back to do mission work overseas for another 4 years. The kids were ecstatic to see her and pretty much tackled her with a lei at the airport. Of course the first question they ask anyone arriving with a suitcase "Do you have presents for me?". It is terrible but they were not disappointed! But truly her presence was the best gift of all.

Unfortunately her visit was mostly spent house bound since Asher became very ill and this picture is how I rang in Mother's Day at midnight in the ER. Asher had a fever of 104. All is well now but seriously I have had enough of the ER!! Despite being sick and house bound, I had a WONDERFUL mother's day full of lots of snuggles.

Finally with Asher on the mend we were able to get in some sailing...

...shave ice...

...snorkeling and beach time. Do you see the shark in this picture?

This video was one of Jesse's favorite things to do with Auntie Mara. Mara, thank you so much for investing time and money in to coming to see us. We love you!

Molokai

2010-05-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

I went on a day trip yesterday with some girlfriends to visit the island of Molokai. Before we moved to Hawaii I never knew or understood what existed on Molokai-a leper colony where 8,000 people (mostly Polynesian) were exiled and forgotten by society. Here we are ready to board the plane to begin our adventure.

The Kalaupapa Peninsula, surrounded by ocean and cut off by the rest of Molokai by 1,600 foot cliffs, is the location of the leper colony. You can see why it was considered a "prison" to them. There is no vehicle access. There is a 3 mile trail that zigzags down the cliffs. In the days of the leper colony, the trail was patrolled topside by dogs and guards to prevent patients from escaping.

The Kalaupapa settlement, location of the leper colony where 19 patients still live today. Exile of patients ceased in 1969 after a cure was discovered, but these patients still wish to live out the rest of their lives here in peace. For most, this island was all they ever knew, forgotten by family and ostracized by society when they tried to reintegrate.

The Kalauapapa airport...seriously, this is the whole thing.

The graveyard on Kalaupapa. It went on and on. Most graves are unmarked, markers washed away by a tsunami or families were too poor.

Ruins are all that are left of the Leprosy Investigation station, erected by the government to experiment on patients who volunteered. However, most patients left due to the even stricter isolation and cruel treatment sociably by doctores. The station only lasted 5 years.

The small island to the far left is where ships anchored to deliver exiles. They were sent aboard by small row boats with 1 set of clothes and 1 week of food. Once ashore, they were given nothing, not even homes. They had to completely fend for themselves...some even residing in caves. This is where Father Damien came into the picture. He arrived and built a settlement for the exiles, providing shelter, protection for the younger children (there was much lawlessness and slavery of young and weak with no justice system), first aid care, fresh water, hope and encouragement.

Father Damien's church (with his grave right next to it)

It was an amazing day. The island is filled with so much serenity and beauty, but held so much sorrow and pain. I will never forget this experience. For those more interested, I highly recommend the book "Molokai" which we all read before our trip. It is a beautiful story, historical fiction, so well written, and really captures the tale of this place.

Happy Birthday Jesse!

2010-04-25T00:12:00.000-07:00

Today we had Jesse's 2nd birthday party (even though his birthday isn't until the 28th). We celebrated with his friend Braydon and all their buddies at the playground...their favorite place to be.

I made Jesse a lego cake (legos are his new found joy).

"Happy Birthday dear Jesse!"
In the past few weeks, Jesse has really started talking (finally!) and his new word today was "birthday" as he pointed at the cake.

Opening presents next to the other birthday boy. It got a little hairy a few times as they grabbed at the other's presents, but all in all it worked out great.

Jesse so enjoyed his day. He hated leaving the park when it was all over but a wagon full of toys enticed him.

Oh Jesse, we have more in store for you on Wednesday! I love birthdays so much...you can't just ignore the actual birthday even if you do have the party on a different day :).

Dear Lord, thank you for the light in Jesse's eyes, the joy in his laughter, and the joy he brings us every day.

A Great Date

2010-04-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

Joel took Anna to a "Father Daughter" dance sponsored by the Navy Base. Anna was beside herself with excitement. She loved getting dressed up, having her hair fixed, and being whisked away to the ball.

Anna dancing with her friend Mia.

The princess with her prince. I just love the way she is looking at him.

And the best part-in Anna's words "I saw REAL princesses!"

A night she will always remember. Hopefully Daddy will be the number one man in her life for a long long time.

A Hawaiian Easter

2010-04-05T15:40:00.001-07:00

Our beautiful day celebrating His resurrection started off with a sunrise service aboard the battleship USS Missouri.

When we arrived home, the kids discovered that the Easter bunny had visited!

Then we made resurrection bread to eat with breakfast. We rolled marshmallows (Jesus's body) in butter and cinnamon/sugar (burial) and then wrapped them in crescent rolls (the tomb). The marshmallows melt while baking so they are empty when you break them open to eat.

Then off to the beach for a neighborhood potluck. Neighborhood gatherings for holidays happen often here since we are all so far away from family. It makes holidays special in a new and memorable way.

Asher getting surfing lessons.

Jesse wouldn't leave the dessert table.

The kids heard the resurrection story while parents hid eggs.

It isn't every Easter you have an Easter egg hunt on the beach!

I just love this picture of Jesse. The egg hunt got him away from the dessert table but then he just plopped down and devoured his candy.

We pray all of you had an extra special Easter too! We love and miss you all and hope to be with family over the next few holidays since we will be back on the mainland!

What Easter Means

2010-04-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

Asher was asked to draw a picture of what Easter meant to him. This drawing was the result. Brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it. In his words, that is Jesus and him in the heart and then Jesus with our family (all 5 of us). Jesus is doing a good work in Asher and it is beautiful to see.

Happy Good Friday and Happy Easter everyone. We pray that Jesus is doing a good work in each one of you as we remember His ultimate sacrifice today.

Dragon's Nostrils

2010-03-26T16:21:00.000-07:00

Joel and I were able to check something off our "List of things to do in Hawaii" this week as we finally got a babysitter and did a hike we have been eying for 2 years called "Dragon's Nostrils". It is not a kid friendly hike, and was quite an adventure. We had an AMAZING time.

You start by going up a paved path and eventually turn of the paved path to hike down volcanic rock. We were heading to the tide pools you see at the bottom is this picture.

At the bottom are 2 blow holes that look like a dragon blowing steam out his nostrils, hence the name of the hike. We sat at the bottom enjoying the tide pools, watching the ocean, and having uninterrupted conversations.

Well, if you know me, you know me and my lighthouse pictures.
Just had to share this amazing view.

This is the path we hiked home. Yes, what path?! There really isn't one. Instead of hiking back up, you just hike over the rocks along the bottom of the cliffs for some beautiful hidden sights.

Joel at one of those beautiful sights.

The best find of the hike was this tide pool. It was deep enough that we couldn't touch the bottom but crystal clear, hidden in the side of the cliff with an ocean view to the side.

Another great memory of Hawaii to add to our collection.

Take Two

2010-03-20T23:49:00.001-07:00

A little over a week ago, Asher had his first trip to the ER to get staples in the back of his head. He was skidding around on his big wheel, "tricks Mommy", when a skid stop whipped the back of his head into the edge of a carport post. He was so brave in the ER, shedding not a tear! But geesh-2 kids to the ER for stitches/staples in 2 months! I don't like where this is headed! The minute he got home from the ER, he put his helmet on and was off on his big wheel again performing tricks. GO ASHER!

This morning was the "gecko gallop" - a 10K run on base. This was our 2nd 10K as a family. This is how we roll!! Ever since we trained this way for our marathon last year, the kids LOVE going with us and enjoy cheering us on during races. Our family jogging by is a common sight in this neighborhood. This 10K was a personal best for me-54:30! Yes, Joel could go faster but he stays with me :).

A gecko gallop wouldn't be the same without a gecko! Jesse still only says a handful of words but today he took off towards this guy saying "Look, gecko!". We were dumbfounded. Anna was mortally terrified of him but we managed to get a family photo after our run.

Its a Tough Life

2010-03-07T16:43:00.001-08:00

Napping on the beach = heaven! We have had visitors for a month now so this is how Jesse has been catching up on some z's.

My parents arrived about a week after my sister so that their visits overlapped for 1 week. It was a jam packed week filled with beaches, a hike, swimming with dolphins, and a luau.

But most importantly, my parents just enjoyed time with their grandchildren all being in one place at the same time! It was precious.

Everyone lined up at our favorite burger joint.

Metal detecting with Poppy.

I was able to take my Mom sailing. It was a beautiful day.

The cousins had a blast together...here they are at a luau. Asher and Anna are still sad that they are gone.

However, the Olsen family departure was followed by the arrival of some of our dear friends from Massachusetts, Rick and Wendy Picariello (with their son Isaac). Our first item of business was swimming in a waterfall.

Joel and Asher with Rick and Isaac.

As of right now, we are still having fun with the Picariello's. Asher and Anna are going to be sad to see another friend leave. Then after a month of entertaining, we are going to have to interject ourselves back into real life...so sad!

Welcome Olsens

2010-02-11T16:02:00.000-08:00

My sister Nikki, husband Frank, and 3 lovely kids Berdon (6), Brooke (4), and Luke (18 months) arrived for a 2 week visit this past Monday. It has been a whirlwind of activity, beaches, and kids laughter. What do you expect with 6 kids, ages and sex falling perfectly to act like 3 sets of twins. It has been crazy! But definitely fun. Here are the Olsen's enjoying "shave ice", the first thing Berdon asked me for when he got off the plane.

Jesse and Mommy enjoying the beach. He wouldn't leave my arms after getting caught up in a wave. I didn't mind (that he was in my arms, not the wave part!).

Luke...how can you not love this kid?!

Double trouble #1...the 2 are nonstop action.

Anna and Brooke were best friends from the minute they laid eyes on each other. They are constantly giggling, holding hands, and disappearing into rooms to play for hours.

The 6 kids exploring.

Sisters...Nikki and Mary at a North Shore Beach.

and a nice video to end on to show how great the kids are together.

My debut

2010-01-30T23:55:00.000-08:00

http://www.kitv.com/video/22391405/index.html

My wonderful interview documenting how pathetic I am.

Confessions of a "Lostie"

2010-01-30T23:15:00.001-08:00

There is me and "Desmond". I just got back from The Lost Premiere event on Waikiki Beach. It was AMAZING. I am embarrassed to write all that happened...how I may have screamed like a teenager and somehow managed to get interviewed by the ABC news (which aired at 5 o'clock), but saw all the stars, got my pictures taken with a few, and saw the first episode 2 days early which leaves me even more confused for 2 more days than the rest of you Lost fans out there. My hunt to see a Lost star before I left Hawaii (on going now for 2 years) is over! and yes, I was seriously this close, but I need the record to show that I was NOT the most pathetic person there.

The big screen on which we watched the episode.

Me with my fellow pathetic teenagers Natalie and Angela (but Angela will tell you she was just transportation!). Natalie is my partner in crime.

BEN! I will forever think this man is scary.

Jin

"Sun"

"Hurley"

Me and my best friend chillin' at the mall...HA...but it does look that way doesn't it?! That is me and "Kate".

"Jack"

"Sawyer"

Maui

2010-01-23T00:08:00.001-08:00

We escaped to Maui over the past 3 days for a wonderful family vacation. We had a goal to hit 1 island a year after we moved to Hawaii so we could see it all with no regrets (with the idea that we would never be able to return) and Maui was the last island for us to see. This picture was what Joel and I woke up to our first morning there. There is nothing like morning cartoons on vacation!

Our first stop was whale watching. This was really our main reason for traveling to Maui. It is whale season from December to March and Maui is the breeding and birthing ground for humpback whales traveling all the way from Alaska. Every morning, I would sit on the beach with my coffee and watch whales while the kids played in the surf. It was surreal. This morning I saw 3 whales breach right in a row. This picture was from our whale watch tour. This is a baby calf whale ...can you believe it was this close to us!!!!

Then after the calf played with the boat for awhile (slapping its tail and waving its pectoral fin), the male escort (aka. boyfriend hanging out with mommy and baby) surfaced from right under our boat. There are Asher and Anna right on the railing watching him emerge.

Again, here is the male escort after clearing the boat.

and his tail after a few laps and being tired of us humans.

Our next major adventure was a drive up Haleakala crater to 10,000 feet. We were at the top of the world as Asher was exclaiming as we took this picture.

Jesse and I enjoying the view. Well really he was too cold to do anything but burrow into me. He was the one kid we forgot to pack warm clothes for when anticipating this journey. Well, he is our spare kid (as Joel likes to call him)! I did my best to keep him warm and loved being above the clouds. Another surreal experience.

How can those blue eyes not make your heart stop?!

Anna banana, the expert hiker.

The sunset on top of Haleakala crater...AMAZING!

Just another nice family shot. It isn't often we get us all looking semi in the right direction.

The famous banyan tree in Lahaina, Maui. Yes, this is all ONE tree!

The kids had a blast climbing it despite the "no climbing" signs.

We spent our last afternoon there at the aquarium. That may seem pathetic to you but it was too cold for us locals to play at the beach! Yes, I AM serious. I was wearing a sweatshirt most of the time, something I SWORE I would never do.

The aquarium was awesome. Jesses LOVES fish and was beside himself with excitement running from one tank to another exclaiming "'ISH, 'ISH". We saw turtles, sharks galor in a tunnel passageway, sting rays, every fish imaginable, seahorses, jellyfish, petted starfish, etc. It was a great day and an all around AWESOME family trip.

Exploring

2010-01-19T23:31:00.001-08:00

OK, this picture has nothing to do with the rest of this post, but I had to show it. Joel and I were able to escape to Turtle Bay Resort for 24 hours without kids (thank you Mom and Dad) and this was the view from our room. It was so awesome!!!

Now for the rest of these photos, we took an awesome hike up a steep mountain to explore 2 bunkers (aka. pillboxes) and get the most amazing views of the island. Since Anna can't beach it for a little while due to the stitches, we decided to do some other things that we needed to check off the "before we leave Hawaii" list.

We did the hike with some friends of ours. These are their kids Jack (the love of Anna's life) and Kainoa. Normally Anna would have cried this entire hike, but she was the bravest little thing since Jack was around.

Arriving at the top of the hike to one of the "pillboxes".

Jesse and Joel enjoying the beautiful mountains.

The kids exploring the bunker with Adam, Jack, and Kainoa Carvahlo.

More exploring.

and more exploring.

My boys.

Joel and Mary on top of the bunker. I could have sat here all day. It was amazing.

Tomorrow we are off to Maui for more exploring! It is whale season, which is the thing I am most excited about. Rumor has it you are surrounded by whales when you take a boat out. I am counting on that to be true! Pictures will be up as soon as we get back this weekend.

Let the ER trips begin

2010-01-12T23:07:00.001-08:00

I never thought Anna would beat her brothers in initiating me into the mother's running their kids to the ER for stitches club. After running through the living room, tripping over her own feet, and banging her head into a bookshelf (and lots of blood everywhere), we made the trip for a 2 hour wait and 3 stitches. Her blood pressure was 140/90 in triage and the nurse said "she must be a little stressed out."...geesh, you think?! There was no way to calm her down once she learned she had to get a shot in her forehead. We had to wrap her up in a sheet with a nurse holding her down, a doctor keeping her in a headlock, and another doctor giving the anesthetic. Afterward, she said "I was so brave and courageous...I only screamed a little". That is a bit of an understatement. But she did calm down enough to lay down on her own while they stitched her up. She was so happy that God was with her and that Mommy sang jingle bells 500 times (that was what she requested!). The poor girl must have inherited her mother's clutzy gene but she beat my first trip to the ER by a couple of years (I believe I was in elementary school).

Anna still a little droopy after getting home from the ER. OK, Survivor watchers, can you say "SHAMBO"?!

She is awful proud of these babies now and says that she never wants them to come out!

I think she is going to play this up over the next few days, don't you?

Family Fun

2010-01-03T22:40:00.000-08:00

We have been having such a wonderful time with Joel home....not just with celebrating the holidays but with everything! We have had wonderful breakfasts, family bike rides, playing outside, going to the beach, sleeping in (well I am the one enjoying that)! Joel goes back to work on Wednesday and I think I may cry at the reality of settling back into real life. But at least he is coming home at the end of the day...woo hoo!!! Here are just some fun pictures of the last few weeks.

That is Air Force 1 in the background, 1 minute from our house, where it sits everyday waiting to take the 1st family home after their vacation.

Asher helping Anna learn how to use her new roller skates.

How cute is this?!?!

Asher leaping into Daddy's waiting arms. We found this secluded beach with tide pools and a log to jump off on while Joel was on deployment. Both Anna and Asher have jumped off repeatedly and couldn't wait to take Daddy there and show him.

My boys.
(this is Jesse's "say cheese" face...it just cracks me up).

The climbers.

Handsome Asher (he says he wants his hair long again so we are attempting to find some hairstyle that works).

Jesse loved playing in the tide pools...his own personal sized swimming pool.

The girls.