O'Donnell's in Bothell

Fall in Full Swing

2009-10-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

The Fall is in full swing & the boys are keeping us as busy as ever. BJ's busy with the Sharks - just about to the 1/2 way point in the season - and Bothell Select which just started practicing. Brennen's enjoying the fall weather and taking full advantage of all the outside time we have lately.

Brennen's arm has healed well and he's having a great time in Pre-School. BJ seems to be doing well in school and so far likes his class & teachers. It helps when the majority of your good friends are in your class too!

BJ's had a great soccer season so far, working hard and scoring goals. The team is also doing very well, only suffering one loss thus far. It's been a great fall so far and I promise I'll update more frequently!!!!

More Pics of the boys ...

Brennen's Recovery

2009-09-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

Brennen's recovery has gone very well! Good thing these little guys heal so quickly. I do think the worst part of the entire recovery was getting his cast off. He was not a fan of the saw that cuts off the cast and struggled with getting his pins out. I can't say I blame him, I had a tough time when they yanked out the 3" pins out of his poor little elbow. Good thing there was something for me to lean up against, I might've just lost it. I don't deal well when my kids are hurt.

Anyways, now his cast is off and we have to try and keep him from being active. Yea, like that's going to be easy with this one. He already is running all over and trying to jump over furniture. The doctor told us in all of his years he's never seen a kid come back with a re-fracture. Please don't let Brennen be the first!!!

Here are a few more pics of brennen with his cast and getting it off:

The saw cuts in

Trying to get the cast off

Pulling it off

Smiling even with tears ...

If you enlarge the pics, you can see the pins sticking out ... by far the worst part

Getting the pins pulled ... poor guy!

Brennen's Broken Arm

2009-08-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

Poor Brennen broke his little arm yesterday while we were at BJ's soccer practice. Brennen was playing on the playground at Kokanee and fell off one of their playground toys. Bryan knew right away that something was very wrong (when it looked like he had two elbows) and we headed out without finishing practice or grabbing any of our equipment.

We rushed to Children's Hospital and they got him back right away to see the doctor (that's when you know they're very concerned!). They took him to get X Rays and then the orthopedic Surgeon came in and informed us he would need surgery to place pins in his elbow to ensure it heeled straight.

He went in to surgery right around 10:15 and we didn't see him again until 12:15ish. Not the most fun 2 hours Bryan or I have ever spent. When they start telling you about all the risks and they'd have to put a tube down his throat all sorts of bad images start popping into your head.

Bryan stayed with him in the hospital while B and I got a little sleep, I got home around 1:15 and got back up to be at the hospital just before 9. We finally were able to leave the hospital around 11 and had to make a stop by Target to get the li'l man a new monster truck which we promised him.

Now he's at home and still in pain but doing as well as can be expected. He's such a tough, tough guy and we're so proud of him throughout the entire ordeal. His brother has been incredible through the whole thing as well, Brennen's lucky to have such an awesome big bro!

We'll post more on his recovery soon!

(Photos courtesy of my camera phone!)

In the ER before heading up to surgery

Li'l Brenn Diggy, trying to be brave - he's such a trooper!

My Li'lest Man

2009-06-26T23:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Brennen! We've more than enjoyed your presence for the last 4 years, I can't even begin to imagine what our lives would be like without you! We love you li'l man.

Brennen through the years

2005

2006

2007

2008

Busy, Busy Times with the O'Donnell's

2009-06-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

The last week or so has been crazy for us! Good crazy, but crazy nonetheless. BJ had Camp Casey from last Wednesday to Friday with his school. Bryan was able to go with him and I think they both had a great time!

While the boys were gone, Brennen & I went to the Mariners game, just he and I. It was a great time for us, especially when the Mariners were able to pull out a win in the bottom of the 9th. Brennen does not like it when his team loses!

After the boys got home, BJ had a basketball tourney all weekend. One of the boys that he plays with at ECBA, his dad asked him to come and be a guest player on their team. BJ was very excited, but it was a little wierd to see him play in a Shorecrest uniform. Especially since B has played against them with Bothell. B had a great time and his team ended up winning the tourney. Even after they had to play the semi - finals & Finals back to back with no break, and with just 6 kids.

B also had a soccer game on Saturday after 2 Basketball games in the morning and he did great. One of his teammates sent a cross in front of the goal and BJ finished it with his head, getting his first ever header goal! Great job B - like I said it was a crazy busy, but fun week for all of us!

BJ & his buddies with their fort on the beach at Camp Casey

BJ with the Shorecrest team after winning the Luau Tournament

Family Time with the Mariners

2009-05-17T14:34:00.001-07:00

This weekend we had tickets for The Mariners Vs. Red Sox on Saturday. Sadly, I thought we had tix for Friday night, so we packed up the car, fought traffic & parking and arrived at Safeco Field gate only to realize my tickets were for the next night. That was AWESOME! I can't believe I did that, oh well, we found a scalper that was just trying to get rid of tickets after the game started so we actually went to the game. Pretty good seats too for $20!

We headed out on Saturday as well, and after carefully checking the tickets, headed towards the Home Plate Entrance. I have to say, I was sad that there were so many Red Sox "FANS". Sad because I don't think they're true fans, just sad band wagon fans as the team has done well the last few years. There were huge patches of red and seriously it looked like the Mariners could've been the visiting team. Oh Well, as soon as the Red Sox suck again, the fans will be gone and jumped onto another band wagon.

Enough of that tho ... here are some pics & a little funny video of Brennen from Friday.

Disney World 2009

2009-05-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

After a week in the sun and running around all of Disney and to a couple of Orlando Magic games we're back at home and enjoying the much cooler weather. I think Bryan and I have decided that we're true Northwest peeps!

We had so much fun down there though despite the heat. Seeing all of the parks and especially enjoying the Orlando Vs. Boston playoff games 3 & 4 was a blast. We were supposed to sell tickets to one of the games, but didn't really try so, well we had to go! BJ was not sad about it at all and it made us miss the Sonics just that much more. So now the Magic are our new "adopted" team.

Brennen loved seeing the characters, but we were a little disappointed as he was about 1/2" too short for all of the 40" rides, which are most of the fun ones - like Splash Mountain, Big Mountain Railroad & some other ones as well. We've decided the next time we visit Brenns will have to be at least 48" then we can go on everything as a family. With poor Brennen looking to follow my side of the family, that may not be until he's 10!

One of my favorites was Epcot & their country showcase. I know BJ loved all of the rides and he was thrilled he got to go on most everything twice, once with me & once with Bryan. I think his favorite was the Hollywood Tower of Terror. I also loved the waterparks, they were so much fun and everyone had a great time. Plus it helped beat the heat just a little bit!

Here are some pics from our journey - with slideshows at the bottom!

Brennen with Donald

B & Brennen at Epcot

Brennen in the UK

Daddy won!

B crossing the ice drifts

Brennen loving the Water Slides

The Magic Kingdom & Disney's Hollywood Studios

Typhoon Lagoon

Blizzard Beach

Animal Kingdom

Epcot

Egg Hunts of '09

2009-04-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year, time for the kiddos to come out & search for Eggs from the Easter Bunny. My good friend Beth and I made our traditional plans early on in the week for our boys. In our true Egg hunt tradition, we started the day early at Harvey Airfield in Snohomish, then headed to Life Care Center at 11am, to the Park Ridge Church at noon and then out to Shoreline Beach for the 1:00 hunt.

This year we were disappointed that the huge hunt that we generally do at Shoreline Stadium was not happening. Wow, the last 7 years, over 50,000 eggs the last few years and then it just disappeared! So, after hitting 5 this year, we shrunk back down to 4.

The 1st & 2nd hunts went flawlessly, getting there & out pretty easily. We ran into a few snags on the 3rd, we got there with plenty of time but then the Children's Pastor went a little long winded and the boys didn't actually get to hunt until about 12:35.

We booked out of there and drove as quickly as possible to the Richmond Beach Hunt and got there just as they were about to say GO! (We weren't about to go from 5 hunts in a day to 3!) Brennen got there a little late and we had to rush onto the little kiddies hunt. He was not exactly happy as he didn't get the bucket full of eggs he'd been able to get at the previous two hunts. The older boys got to line up just before they said "GO". They actuall hid the eggs in the brush on the hillside and the boys were a little shocked that they actually had to "hunt" for the eggs. Kinda funny I thought, they did well nonetheless.

Ready, Set -- GO!

Highlights of the DAY!!!

Gymnastics for Brennen

2009-04-07T14:20:00.001-07:00

I know it's been a little while since we've blogged, it's been a busy couple of months. One basketball season ended for BJ & one just started. Brennen is busy with Preschool, Gymnastics & Swimming at the Y!

Today Brennen had a parents showcase at his gymnastics class and here are a few of the pics! He is having so much fun in gymnastics and it's something that he gets to do that all his own. The poor guys gets dragged to so much of B's stuff I thought it would be good for him to have his own activities.

Here are a couple of my favorites then a slideshow at the bottom.

My little Dare Devil!

Bear Crawl on the bars!

Wrapping up Bothell Select

2009-03-07T23:16:00.001-08:00

BJ's getting ready to wrap up the Bothell Select Season. Despite our initial feelings of the program, it has been a great experience and BJ has come away with some great friends and experiences. His team has had a very successfull season and will wrap up later on this month. Right now their record i s 31 - 8 with two tournament championships under their belt. They finished 2nd overall in their league for the regular season and 3rd in the season ending league tournament.

They have a good chance of getting near 40 wins with the next couple of tourneys. Apparently this team is the most successful team to come out of the Bothell Select Program! I'm so proud BJ could be a part of this team.

They have a tournament in Stanwood next weekend and a tournament the following weekend right here in Bothell. After that it will be time to transition back to Emerald City. He is very excited to return to ECBA and is looking forward to the possibility of one of his Bothell Select friends on his team.

Here are some pics from the season

BJ's Pics over the Bothell Select 2009 - 2010 Season

Yet, another Highlight Video!!!

BJ finally gets to celebrate turning 11 - only a month late!

2009-02-22T01:48:00.000-08:00

Nearly a month after BJ turned 11, we finally had a good weekend to celebrate his birthday with his friends. We had a climbing party at the new Dale Turner YMCA in Shoreline. They got a chance to do some climbing on the Turner Tower and had a blast. They went from climbing to some friendly basketball games of bump. To cap off the afternoon the boys gathered up their energy for a couple dodgeball games. Even Brennen got in on some of the fun and was his own team on the dodgeball court, grabbing a ball and tossing it at whoever was closest!

All in all I think B had a great time and thanks to all of his great friends who were able to come and celebrate it with him. He was bummed when we didn't get a chance to celebrate closer to his birthday, but all of his friends coming together and celebrating today made his 11th birthday a very memorable one. Thanks to everyone that could make it!

Check out some more pics from the day here ...

Click on any of the pics to take you to the actual album on the web -- Enjoy!

BJ turns 11

2009-01-27T12:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday B - It was only 11 years ago you were so little!

Fanfest & Snow???

2009-01-27T12:50:00.000-08:00

Most of you that know us, well, you know we're not a big baseball family. We enjoy the occasional Mariners game, but as of now our boys haven't played much.

On Saturday I took the boys to Fanfest down at at Safeco Field to get ready for the spring Mariners Season. It was snowing ... even inside Safeco with the roof closed. We stayed for about 2 hours and I don't think we could feel our toes by the time we left.

The boys had a great time, they got to run the bases, sit in the dug out and throw some balls out in centerfield and the bull pen. B thought it was pretty cool to hang out where the Mariners play.

I really wanted to do this for Brennen 'cause he doesn't get to do much right now and he's always such a great sport getting dragged to all of B's activities. I think if anyone in our family is a baseball player, it'll be Brennen. He does love the Mariners.

Here are some more pics from the day.

Basketball for the New Year

2009-01-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

Some highlights from BJ's Select Game Jan. 24th, 2009. His Bothell Team is doing very well and right now sitting tied for the top spot.

Over the long weekend Bothell also played in the MLK tournament down at the UW. The team went 3-1 only losing in the semi-finals to Redmond, one of their bitter rivals this year. They ended up winning the 3rd place game, out of 12 teams, 3rd place is nothing to hang your heads about boys! Go Bothell!!!

Here's a team pic and a couple pics of BJ during the tourney.

Welcoming 2009

2009-01-01T21:54:00.000-08:00

Despite all of the challenges 2008 brought, overall it was a good year for our family. It's crazy to think that 2009 is here already, but here we are and we hope this year will be as good for our family as last year was.

We had a fun evening bringing in 2009, just a quiet evening at home playing games of all types with the whole family. We played a few board games, some Wii games and had a great time. Here are some pics & a great video of B upstaging Bryan at a Wii game!

Brennen getting some help with Daddy

Brennen trying to tell BJ he's wrong ...

Li'l Hamm

Brennen fighting the Jedi's on the Wii

How do you play this thing??

BJ beating Bryan at a Wii game

My boys, still up when the clock struck midnight

The Whole fam in 2009

Christmas in '08

2008-12-25T18:09:00.000-08:00

A fun year had by all. We spent some of the day playing and having fun with the snow - cause we had at least 18" of it! The other part of the day we enjoyed eating and just hanging out with the family. The boys were sufficiently spoiled and overall it was a good year - here's hoping for '09!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

The Boys had so much fun opening presents and it was truly the first year that Brennen really got it. He was so excited and that made it alot of fun! Then we headed out to do some sledding!

2008-12-19T01:34:00.000-08:00

The boys took advantage of the crazy snow storm we've had. I'm not entirely thrilled with the weather, it makes my job very, very difficult! Ah well, no one got hurt, I've been able to get to & from work pretty decently & the boys are having fun! Only 5 more days till Christmas - only about 3 more shipping days though!!!

Uh oh, the boys are in trouble

Boys couldn't hold it & tipped over

Even Daddy got in on the fun

A Visit with Santa

2008-12-13T14:03:00.001-08:00

In our family, we have a fun holiday tradition. Every year we go to the zoo to see Santa. We've been doing this since BJ was 1 year old and it's the best place to go see Santa. There's never any lines and you walk right in and get to see Santa.

It's one thing I'm pretty adament about and if the boys are "too cool" to see Santa & tell him what they want, they're "too cool" for Christmas morning. As we say in our family, if you don't go see Santa & take a couple pics, Santa drops nothing off for you under the tree. It's all part of that wonderful Christmas package!

You gotta love B's shirt, tie & pants that go so well with his Mohawk. I think it was the first time B's worn pants in months.

BJ, Santa & Brennen - I can't believe how old my boys are getting!

Bothell Vs. Lake Washington

2008-12-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

Bothell had their first league game today against Lake Washington and ended up winning 46-29 (I think). They played a good tough game and I was able to take some video with a new camera and I put together some of BJ's highlights. I'm still getting used to the camera so It will get better!

Check out the Video ... #20 finding the open man, playing tough Defense, stealing the ball, hitting the sweet jump shot & making some free throws. Go #20!!!

Turkey & Basketball

2008-11-30T14:19:00.001-08:00

I know, our life really does revolve around Basketball. We had a great Thanksgiving on Thursday and followed it up with 3 straight days of Basketball. Both of BJ's teams were playing, ECBA & Bothell. So he played 7 games in the span of 3 days.

Of course, the story line is ECBA & Bothell and of about 18 teams in the 5th grade division, who was the first matchup? Yep, you guessed it Bothell Vs. ECBA. Who did B play for? It was the last weekend for ECBA until Spring so he finished out his commitment for ECBA and played against Bothell in the first game. It was pretty interesting and BJ was very nervous but played well & very tough.

ECBA won the game, but that would be the only game of the tournament ECBA would win. Bothell went on to win their next 3 with BJ getting the majority of his playing time in the last game. Over 3 games with Bothell the kid had 30 points, 3 steals and I don't even know how many rebounds & jump balls. We were so proud of how he played for both teams. 7 games in 3 days is alot to ask of one fifth grader. Well done B!

B with a fast break

Taking off after stealing the ball

Sharks Parent - Kid Game

2008-11-15T22:06:00.000-08:00

Our official Sharks season is over, and I think we may have started a new tradition, the Parent - Kid game. Today we had our end of the year party today but first played a parent - kid game and it was a blast. Just to get the parents out there having fun with the kids was awesome.

Bryan and I are always competitive, perhaps too much sometimes (see if you can tell what I'm talking about in the pics below!). Bryan played on the boys team & I was on the parents team. It was seriously the most fun I've had playing soccer in a while, I hope the boys & families had a great time!

here are some highlights from the day:

Bryan & Robin chasing to get that ball!

Bryan, always coaching!

BJ trying to get by one of the big brothers

Again, Bryan & Robin going for the same little ball

Um .... FOUL???

The 2008 Sharks Kid - Parent game players!

The Continuing Saga of Basketball

2008-11-13T12:22:00.001-08:00

So this past weekend was BJ's first game with the Bothell Select basketball team. I'm left with mixed feelings about the team and about our and his decision for him to take a break from Emerald City Basketball Academy. He played well when he was in, but didn't get much playing time.

It was my big concern going into the season & I'm hoping the rest of the season is better, but only time will tell. I'm not all about thinking my kid is the best on the court, but how he can get much more playing time on an AAU team with Emerald City (which plays much tougher competition) begs the question, why isn't he playing more here? He's definitely in the top 7 kids, but maybe I'm a little biased.

We'll see what happens. I know he's working hard & I just don't want him to lose his confidence! GO BJ!

Bothell Select Basketball team

Halloween '08

2008-10-31T23:55:00.000-07:00

Another year, another Halloween. We started out the usual way and headed to Emerald Hills in Edmonds for some trick or treating. You can tell the economy is taking a toll even on those that are "comfortable" as there weren't quite as many full size candy bars as in years past. I know, trivial eh?

The boys went out & had fun, BJ in his 1930's Gangster outfit & Brennen in his UPS delivery driver uniform. Yea, I was a little proud of that but just so you know, he picked it out on his own. I tried to get him to wear something else, but the UPS guy is what he wanted. Oh & just and we definitely DO NOT promote smoking stogies of any type, but when playing a part you have to look it, paper cigar was pretty disgusting according to B!

Anyways, here are a couple of pics:

Brennen chewing on some pre-trick or treat candy

BJ with his "I'm a cool 30's gangster look"

Brennen on the Trick or treatin' trail

BJ looking cool waiting for his much slower li'l bro

BJ & Brennen with a new friend

Brennen with some "not scary" ghosts

Se7en Fun Facts

2008-10-26T00:08:00.000-07:00

So a friend of mine put up something on her blog that was very interesting to me ... 7 little / unknown facts - so here are mine ...

I actually like staying up until 3am & getting up around 11am, but I think Bryan's not the most fond of it.

I definitely wish my family could / would go on more vacations ... finances & such being what they are, it's sometimes difficult. Sometimes though, we could put more effort into "local" vacations or maybe just more family time away from work.

My family is absolutely the most important thing in the world and I couldn't be more proud of all my boys -- even if they drive me nuts when they all gang up on me. Which by the way, is almost an everyday event! No seriously, talk to anyone who has spent time with all of us, it's always in good fun though.

My friends (you know who you are!) mean the world to me, and I hope they never forget that, no matter how busy my schedule is.

I'm pretty sure both Bryan & I overcompensate for our ... um ... somewhat lacking childhoods & we try to do everything for our boys, probably too much at times. When you have a childhood friend who tells you your childhood sucked ... um yeah. Our philosophy is absolutely better to try harder doing more than less (as long as your kids behave of course!)

I actually do have 3 brothers, though you wouldn't know it 'cause we're really not close (I wish that was different.) One of my brothers is 18 years older than me & is actually only 2 or 3 years younger than Bryan's parents. Sadly I'm much, much closer to Bryan's 2 younger brothers.

I love Days of our Lives and sadly to say, have watched it since I was 13. Nearly 20 years, yep, I'm old.

Huskies & Mariners Sports Event

2008-10-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

The boys had a busy weekend a couple of weekends ago, I took them to the Husky Football game (vs. Stanford - sadly another loss) and Bryan took them to the last Mariners game of the season.

It's been difficult going to all of the Huskies game and watching them play worse than the previous. There's hope I suppose, they will have a new coach next year (pretty sure) and hopefully they're schedule will not be nearly as difficult next year.

Ah well, it's these times when they are just terrible that makes you really appreciate it that much more when they're good. We still managed to have fun at the Husky game and I think Brennen had a great time!

Brennen's First Swimming Lesson

2008-09-24T23:56:00.000-07:00

Today Brennen had his very first swim lesson. It was actually the second week, but he missed last week cause he was feeling very sick.

He was very apprehensive about going to swimming lessons going so far as to say "I don't want to go to swimming", "swimming sucks" and "I hate swimming". As you can imagine, I was thinking great this is going to be a disaster. The hardest part was getting him into the pool, after that he sat on the wall and then he thought it wasn't so bad. As you can tell by the pics, he was even laughing and smiling for most of it.

It was so funny after his lesson he didn't want to get out of the pool and couldn't stop telling everyone how much fun he had at swimming. Now we're dealing with the constant, "when can I go swimming" and he's asking his brother to go with him too.

Here are a few more pics of the day, and they're not the best, I only had my point & shoot today and as we all know, they don't always do so well inside without the flash!

Weekend Recap

2008-09-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a little out of control for us! We had our Sharks soccer game at noon on Saturday & then B had a basketball tournament after that. 2 games were on Saturday & 1 on Sunday.

The Sharks were victorious once again and his basketball team came out ahead in the tournament as well winning 2 of the 3 games. The only challenge we had over the weekend was that B went to a sleepover on Friday night with one of his good friends and ended up only getting 5 hours of sleep. 5 hours doesn't go a long way when you've got a soccer game & 2 basketball games the next day. He played very well in his soccer game & first basketball game. After that he was a bit tired for the rest of the weekend.

I'm proud of how he played and he had so much fun on Friday I don't feel bad for him at all!

B going to the hoop

Catching up

2008-09-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

I have been such a slacker lately with the blog! It's been so busy since soccer season fired up, we're busy coaching & organizing for that and I'm heading into one of my busiest times at work. We've already planned most of our Christmas season, I'm already tired of December and it's not even October yet.

B started school and is loving his class thus far. He has a few of his really good friends in the class, I'm not sure who unleashed that punishment on the teacher! I'm hoping it's a good year for him and he enjoys his split class through out the year.

As for soccer, we're quite busy and have been since the last 2 weekends in August with tournaments & the beginning of the season. The boys are doing well and we're off & running with our Sharks again. GO SHARKS! In addition to the sharks this year, B's playing with ECBA again on a select basketball team, he loves basketball so much! He asked if he could do cross country with everything else and we just had to say no, I think it would've sent us right over the edge.

Anyways, here are a few pics from some soccer tournaments and the first games of the season. I promise I'll put up a post very soon, I won't wait as long!

Seriously, he is such a trooper, going to all of his brother's stuff.

All Dressed up

2008-08-31T00:39:00.000-07:00

So I made Bryan go with me to a wedding on Friday night out at the Hollywood School House in Woodinville, and since I know most people don't believe Bryan ever puts on a button up shirt, tie & pants, thought I'd post some evidence.

Oh & B took the pictures & I thought he'd get a full length shot, but I guess not. You may or may not believe it but I'm actually wearing a skirt & Bryan's got on pants. I know, crazy eh?

I just thought this was a cute pic of Bryan & Brenns

Time with a Good Friend

2008-08-31T00:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was lucky enough to spend the weekend with a good friend of mine. Elsa came over from Ellensburg to visit and we had a great time. Living on opposite sides of the mountains & crazy lives filled with families & the responsibilities that go with it, doesn't allow a whole lot of time for us just to get together & catch up. I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend & catching up!

She was such a trooper, after going to the O'Donnell marathon of sports on a Saturday at this time of year. We first had a soccer jamboree immediately followed by B's basketball playoffs. So, after that chewed up a good part of the day, we headed out to the waterfronts in both Edmonds (for some dinner) & then out to Mukilteo to watch the sun set.

Elsa, we must get together more often. I know we've been saying that for years ... at least 15 or so eh? I love ya girl!

Soccer Camp

2008-08-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

B went to the Bothell High School soccer camp this last week. From what I saw he did a pretty good job and was the goalie for all of the PK's his soccer team had taken on them over the week. Which is pretty funny 'cause he's not the biggest fan of being put in goal.

One of the coaches talked to us after the game and asked if B could come out and play for his select team. Apparently it's for the Evergreen Soccer Club and it's a U13 team, B is currently only U11 so he'd be playing up 2 years. Not sure how he'd be able to handle that. He was pretty stoked to be asked about it though, I think it gave him a little confidence boost going into the season.

Even Brennen got in on the fun ... maybe he'll be my soccer player

Go Brennen Go

Seafair

2008-08-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed out to Kirkland to watch some of the Blue Angels Air show. Not a great spot but at least the boys got to see them a little bit and enjoyed the nice weather out on one of the many Kirkland docks.

Brennen didn't want to get too close to the water

Brennen running down the dock ... & yes we told him to walk many, many times!

Summer Links

2008-07-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

Since the end of school, B's been playing golf once a week with a fantastic program, The First Tee, and he's been lucky enough to have one of his friends playing with him. I know golf's not his favorite, but he does a pretty good job out there. He enjoys playing when there's no basketball or soccer going on! I think it'll definitely be something he values down the line ...

Check 'em out ...

B at the driving range, Basketball Shorts & Golf Shoes ... nice B!

Hey Marshall ... not a good idea!

B & his buddy Marshall

4th of July - 2008

2008-07-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

We had a pretty busy 4th of July this year. We walked in the Edmonds Parade for Bryan's YMCA to promote their new building. They built a float this year and we had anticipated that Brennen would ride in the float, ah ... but no, he wanted to walk. So, he walked the entire route with us. Even after, he still had enough energy to jump off a ledge into the grass with his friend Jake.

After that we headed home and Tim, PJ and some friends came by. We had a little BBQ in the backyard and then the festivities in the street began. Tim & PJ took B up to the reservation and got a lot of "BIG" fireworks. It was a great show and B and Brennen both enjoyed the show.

Here's a pic of the boys going through the fireworks, trying to decide how the night should begin ...
More pics from the night ...

5 O'Donnell boys ... just enough to be trouble

Bryan caught these pics of Timmy throwing Brennen in the air

Brennen in flight

One of the legal ones

B & Nate having some fun with Sparklers

Froggy Pool

2008-07-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

For Brennen's Birthday his Grandpa got him a froggy pool, we thought it would be perfect for the 90+ degree weather. We filled it up and Brennen had a blast. Here are a few pics of his very burnt brother "helping" him down the slide.

Well done Brennen, even with B's help!

Birthday Boy

2008-06-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

Brennen turned 3 yesterday! Yep, the big 3! Summer has finally arrived and here are some pics of him enjoying a pre-party fudgesicle ... I'll post more pics from his party soon! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENNEN!

B's Field Trip to Olympia

2008-06-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

Before BJ's last day of school on Wednesday, they had a field trip to visit the state capital in Olympia. When I picked B up from school I discovered he took one of the digital cameras and got some great pics of the state capital. Well done B, maybe you'll be a photographer yet!

I'm pretty sure he had a great time as that was all he was talking about for the whole ride home. Those of you familiar with B, well you know why that's a big deal. He's not one to give alot of details or have an in depth conversation on his day. Anyways, he had a great time and here are some pics to prove it!

A great perspective shot of the legislative building

Duke, B & Marshall about to head back to school

Where did the Spring go?

2008-06-15T00:30:00.000-07:00

For us, 3 seasons a year we're entrenched in sports. The traditional fall soccer season, followed by ( and with no break in between) the winter basketball season and for the last two years both spring soccer & basketball.

While BJ loves basketball & soccer, I think we may have chewed off a bit more than we can handle this year. Not only was BJ doing YMCA Basketball & soccer, but school track and AAU basketball through Emerald City Basketball Academy. Yah, too much & I don't think we'll be doing that again. Oh & did I forget to mention the crazy end of the school year testing they've been doing?

B kinda hit a wall & was a little wiped out so he took a week off from sports just to collect himself and enjoy some much needed downtime. This weekend he had his final spring soccer game and his 2nd to last basketball game. It was good to see him out there enjoying it all again. Only three more days left of school & then it's just the AAU basketball team & training for the summer!

Here are some pics from the day:

B with a wicked crossover at the half court

After the crossover, he left the kid behind

Look at that, he can pass too

Fight for that ball B ... he ended the day with 1 goal
The 2008 Spring Sharks

Jr. Olympics

2008-06-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday B had the chance to participate in the Jr. Olympics for his school. He was in the Triple Jump and on the Relay team. He finished 3rd in the triple jump and I'm not 100% sure where his relay team ended up.

As you can see in the two pics below, he wasn't quite sure which foot to take off on for the final jump. He still did a great job, good job B!

His relay team had a little more trouble, on the first hand-off the baton got dropped so they had a little catching up to do. Even with the dropped baton, they were right in there in the mix of all the teams. Next year boys!

B getting the hand off from his friend Duke.

B taking off, trying to get caught up for the final hand off

Back Home

2008-05-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

I've returned from LA with some fun memories from our vacation and some new folks I had the opportunity to meet while down there for a work training. It was a good training all in all, but two weeks away from the boys was, well, a little long. I was definitely happy to be home. Here are a couple of pics from Seal Beach, just a little bit south west of LA.

No rest for the wicked though, as soon as I got home we had BJ's basketball tournament all weekend long so not a whole lot of rest for the family. Oh well, it's all for the greater good and I really enjoyed watching him play again.

One of the surfers out there with the pier right behind him

At Sunset with a couple surfers at the bottom right

Now that I'm back it's time to start planning the next vacation! Not sure how we're going to top the last one though. Speaking of which, I've posted all of the pics (You should be able to get to them from the widget in the middle right of this page) to our vacation on our Photoworks share page. There's a lot, check out a few and see how much fun we had!

BJ putting the moves on a player from the other team

Anaheim Vs. Dodgers Craziness

2008-05-16T23:57:00.001-07:00

So, tonight I had the chance to head out to an Angels Vs. Dodgers baseball game while I'm here in LA. I went with 3 other UPSers here at the training. Anyways, I went expecting more of what sporting events are like in Seattle, pretty enthusiastic, but mostly all civil.

Boy was I wrong! First of all, it was inter-league play, so the 2 LA teams don't play that often. Apparently in LA you're either a Dodgers fan or an Angels fan, but no way are you both. You pick your team and stick with it. It was so crazy ... I think we got the rowdiest section too. You had different groups of hispanic folks that chose their team and boy did they let you know it if you weren't rooting for their team. In our section alone we had 4 people kicked out & we knew the security well by the time we left.

Even an Oakland fan was dumb enough to egg 'em on ... what the Heck was he thinking? Sadly, our group of 4 was between the Oakland fan & the Dodgers fan .. yeah, not the best place to be. I was just glad none of us had anything that identified which team we rooted for, even though we really didn't care who won. In fact, it probably would've been just as bad had we been wearing Mariners gear.

It was a fun experience all & all and now I know the next time I go to an Angels game, I'll make sure I buy my tickets early so as not to sit in the rowdy section! Angels Stadium is a great baseball stadium & the entrance is phenomenal. I'll post up a couple of pics when I get them from the guy who brought the camera.

Wow what a week

2008-05-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

I'm still here in LA, but the boys are now home. After a fun - filled week of Southern California destinations the vacation has come to an end. I'm still here in LA for a 2 week long training for work so here is a last post for a little while. I'll be able to update more when I get home on the 24th.

We were able to visit Seaworld, San Diego Zoo, catch a San Diego Padres Game, Legoland, Disneyland, Universal Studios and the beach as well. It was a great time. When I get back I'll definitely upload more pics!

Here are a couple of pics from the week:

BJ & Brennen at Oceanside Beach

Daddy & the boys at the beach

Brennen & a surprise wave on the beach ... yea he wasn't ready for that one

Brennen getting some help from the Padres Staff

We keep telling him he could've been a baseball player
The boys out at the "Beach" at Petco Park,
it's a great area kids can play & the adults can watch the game

More to come ...

Quick Pic From DisneyLand

2008-05-06T22:18:00.000-07:00

A Quick Family Pic from the Happiest Place on Earth, I'll post more soon!

VACATION ... At Last

2008-05-05T23:23:00.000-07:00

Finally, it's our vacation. It's been about 4 years since our last trip, we went to Hawaii, and it's been far too long. We're in Southern California and have already spent 2 days at Disneyland! BJ had no idea he was going until his Uncle dropped us off at the airport. He thought they were just taking me (I have a work training for 2 weeks right after our week down here) even when we told him to get out he's going, he didn't believe us. He said, "OK, sure let's go." Then it hit him and he was super excited, he was like, "are we really going? Now? That's awesome!"

We thought it would be a great surprise and so far it's been a blast. - the Hotel that was supposed to be 3 blocks from Disneyland is actually a mile 1/2. Good times walking that with an almost 3 year old. Oh well, it's all good. I'll post some pictures very shortly, as soon as I get them off my camera. A little different seeing as how going through my Mac withdrawals and am forced to use Bryan's laptop!

Check it out in the next day or two & we'll put up some pics!

Husky Spring Football

2008-04-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

There are a few things that our family tries to do every year. One of those things is the Husky Football Experience every year in April. The boys always go to the Husky Football drills they have set up in Husky Stadium and then usually we hit campus and walk around a bit.

This year was no different, except BJ brought his friend LG (Logan). He's been bothering me for about the last 3 years to bring a friend and finally this year I got my act together & invited one of his friends. I think he was excited not to have to hang with his little brother the whole day.

Anyway, here's some pics from the day!

B about to hit the tackling dummy, that's a crazy look

Peace out Dawgs

B & LG on the Big Dawg in from of Hec Ed Pavilion

Daddy & Brennen visiting Denny Hall

Just a few steps before Brennen's future class schedule

B & LG in front of Denny Hall ... they tried to see the Ghost in the Bell Tower
from the stories on Campus that say Denny Hall is haunted

April Sh .... um ... Snow Showers

2008-04-19T23:26:00.000-07:00

I'm a believer in the whole Global warming thing ... but on days like yesterday & today it makes it hard to believe in our little corner of the world. We received nearly 6" of snow ... in APRIL. What the heck is that?

Brennen was so excited for the snow ... he couldn't even wait to put his jacket on, he wanted outside right away.

Today we set a record for the coldest day on record for April 19. I'm more than ready for some warm weather & would welcome a few days of that round, yellow glowing orb in the sky!

Check out how much snow is on that rim, that was in only an hour or two

BJ was having a blast, a little too much fun with a 2 year old moving target for snow balls!

Bryan & B in the News

2008-04-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

The boys were on Komo news last week when the World's Strongest Man stopped by the Shoreline Y. Bryan's driving the Bus & B's the crazy kid hanging out the window! Check it out!

Husky Baseball @ Safeco Field

2008-04-04T23:10:00.000-07:00

Brennen has been talking about going to see "Husky Baseball Game" for about the last three weeks. So we took him out to the game tonight that was at Safeco Field. The Huskies were playing Arizona (the #18 team in the country) and ended up winning the game 1 - 0.

We didn't think Brennen would last past the third inning. He's such a little wiggle worm and nothing holds his attention for long. So walking into the game it was about 45 degrees, so we thought, no big deal 3 innings & we're out. Much to our suprise, Brennen loved it! He stayed into it for the whole time and really got into cheering (and booing) throughout the game.

Bryan, B & I were freezing so after a pitching duel, we decided we'd head out after the 7th inning. It turned out to be perfect timing 'cause the Huskies scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the 7th! We quickly convinced Brennen the Huskies had won and we booked out of there to the warmth of my car.

I guess we'll be heading to more Husky baseball games this year! Who knows, maybe we've got a little baseball player in our midst!

B, not the biggest baseball fan, went along for the ride,
and 'cause he didn't have much of a choice.

Brennen with his cheesy grin at the bottom on the 1st .. I think

Brennen & Daddy Cheering on the Dawgs

Dodgeball ... Not Just for Kids

2008-04-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend Bryan and I had a chance to play in an adult dodgeball tourney out in Snohomish. It was alot of fun and although we were both pretty sore Sunday & Monday it was well worth it. One of the guys from UPS put a team together and luckily Bryan and I were able to play, and help win the championship. It's always better when you get to beat a bunch of high schoolers who think you're old!

B's First Weekend of AAU

2008-03-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

I think this weekend was quite the eye opening event for B. He played his first 2 games for the Emerald City Force. The outcome wasn't what we had hoped for, but B tried his best and worked as hard as we've ever seen him.

His team was missing 4 players and played 2 games back to back. B was exhausted by the end of game 2. The teams he played against were inner city teams who's boys live & die by basketball. He's realizing just how much QUICKER AAU is. The rules aren't the same and he's not too familiar with his teammates yet.

Once his team figured out he could score, every chance they got they would pass it down to him for the score. He scored 17 of his team's 23 points. We were so proud of him, he never gave up! Well done B man. We were also proud when the coach of the 1st team he played (which has a reputation as a power house in AAU bal) came up and singled him out and told him he was a really good player. As parents, that made us incredibly proud!

We're looking forward to the progression of the team as a whole, 'cause honestly, as a team, they only have one way to go & that's up!

One of B's Jumpers on the way to the hoop

The Egg Hunting Tradition Continues

2008-03-22T23:52:00.000-07:00

Ah, it's that time of year, when we look through the papers and arrange our Saturday before Easter all around the egg hunts of the day! As you may have read in the blog from last year, we are serious about these egg hunts! Our boys have been doing them for nearly a decade, and to be honest, it's getting harder to upstage them year after year.

This year, we were planning on 4 egg hunts as the minimum. Of course, we raised the bar and got 5 egg hunts in during the day. We started off at 9:00 in the Morning at Harvey Airfield in Snohomish. We then headed back to Bothell for the 11:00 am hunt at Life Care Center, which is by far the best egg hunt so far, who would've thought that. Then we hit another one in Bothell at 12:00 and then dashed out to Richmond Park for a hunt at 1:00 and then wrapped the day up with 50,000 eggs at the eggstravaganza in Shoreline. It was soooo awesome. Beth and I were proud of our new record and I'm telling you, I have no idea how we're going to get better than that next year.

It was all in good fun and Beth's boys cleaned up at the hunts. At one hunt they got 5 golden eggs! Colton gave his golden egg to Brennen & Brandon gave 2 of his 4 golden eggs away, one to his brother and one to B. Bryan and I were very impressed with Brandon's generosity and B's lucky to have such a great friend.

Ah, here's the day in pictures ...

Brennen & the Easter Bunny

The Boys at the start of one of the hunts, the cheesy grin? Oh, that's Beth!

Showing off their golden eggs!

The Boys & the bunny

Brennen with some of his take!

Even Squatch stopped by to help out with one of the egg hunts

Brandon (10), B (10), Colton (6) & Brennen (2)

Awwwww ...

Li'l Helper

2008-03-20T12:15:00.001-07:00

I walked into the kitchen one afternoon & found Brennen just sitting up on the counter like this. The kid will climb anything! I asked him what he was doing and he said "doing dishes" What a helper, I couldn't help but get out the camera and take a couple of pics.

Maybe when he's older and argues when we ask him to do the dishes, we'll pull out these pics and tell him he loves to do them!

BJ makes the team

2008-03-15T23:25:00.000-07:00

Anyone that knows BJ -- well, they know his passion is Basketball. The kid eats, sleeps & breathes basketball. Even when he's just standing in a room waiting, he's shooting hoops. He makes plays with an imaginary basketball and practices his cross-overs on his brother. Need I say more, the kid LOVES basketball.

We found out about a great basketball club in Seattle, Emerald City Basketball Academy, and found out they were doing tryouts for their spring / summer leagues. B went down for tryouts - only two days after being out completely sick - and made one of the teams.

He starts practice on Monday with this new organization. It should be an adventure as it's located in the Interbay area of Seattle. So now the kid shuttling & creative scheduling starts happening so we can get B to Seattle twice a week. As long as he works hard, has fun and improves as a basketball player, it makes it all worth it.

Check back after the beginning of April when his league starts, we'll post how he's doing!

Basketball Skill

2008-03-01T23:38:00.000-08:00

BJ had the opportunity to participate in a skills competition with his teammate Marshall on Friday. Also from the Sharks his friend Logan participated in the Speed Dribble. Logan was the fastest on the court, but unfortunately the ball just didn't drop the first time for him. B & Marshall started a little slow but fininshed in a fury with a total of 22 points over their minute and a half. Not too bad, next year boys, you'll get 'em!

Here's a pic of the Sharks Trio ...

B. Marshall & LG

Crazy Brennen .. in Video

2008-02-26T13:50:00.001-08:00

We've been dealing with a couple of sick boys, but even when Brennen's not feeling well, he's still crazy. Check it out ...

Potty Trained!!!!

2008-02-24T13:47:00.000-08:00

Woo Hoo, Brennen is Potty Trained. He's been about 80% since December and now he wears underwear most all the time at home. We're so proud of him and it's nice that we don't have to buy any more Diapers or pull ups.

We're so proud of Brennen! Good job buddy! Next step, Preschool!

A Select Soccer Player?

2008-02-12T12:06:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weekends, BJ tried out for the Northshore Youth Soccer Associations Select Soccer organization, FC Alliance. It was the first year (U11) he's been eligible to try out. He was hesitant to try out and yes, Bryan and I bribed him. To give him a little incentive he got a bonus if he made the team. Essentially I wanted him to try out to boost his confidence a little bit, sometimes he gets down on himself and I wanted him to know, if he wanted to, he could play soccer at a very competitve level.

He went out and tried his best, even though 2 of his tryouts were after his Basketball games. He had a great attitude towards making it, saying that if he didn't make it he wanted to come out harder next year and make the team next year. I was very proud of his attitude on that. His tryouts ended Saturday and we received a call that he made the team.

He politely declined the team as he's not ready to leave his friends and coaches (wink, wink) on the Sharks. Besides, if he wants to play something competitively, I think he'll go with basketball - that's really where his heart is! Stay tuned, he has basketball tryouts at the end of the month that he may be going to as well.

Brennen's new look

2008-02-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

Brennen has a new look. His hair was out of control & he needed a haircut something fierce! I decided to try something different for him and I had his hair cut short. When we were leaving his hair longer, he needs a hair cut about every month 'cause his hair grows so fast. With his hair short now, he looks like a totally different kid!

Bryan & B miss his little mop top, I have to admit, I do too. I still think he looks very cute, but he also looks much older. I guess he is becoming a little man!

We'll see how long we can go without a hair cut now!

B Celebrates a Decade

2008-01-26T21:20:00.000-08:00

Our eldest tuned 10 day! There are two moments in our lives when we've felt old ... BJ's first parent-teacher conference when we realized, holy cow, we're really parents and then just now when BJ turned 10 today. We have a kid in double digits!

Wow what a 10 years it's been. We are so proud of BJ and all he is and will become. He's a great kid, an incredible brother, a good athlete and a good friend. We couldn't ask for anymore. To celebrate his decade, I've put together a little montage with a couple of pics from each year, enjoy!

Happy Birthday B - Man -- We Love Ya!

Monster Jam

2008-01-21T00:06:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we took the boys to see the Monster Truck show in the Tacoma Dome. Anyone that knows our boys know that BJ has loved them since he was about 2 years old. As much as B loved them, Brennen loves them about 10x more than B did. So Brennen was very excited for the Monster Trucks. Even though Brennen has been fighting a cold for the last couple of days, he was a trooper and loved the show.

B decided to get a Blue Thunder Monster Truck hat and Brennen got the Batman monster truck pillow. (B was tired of him stealing his GraveDigger one!) The boys always look forward to the annual show and can't wait 'till next year!

Changing jobs for the new year ...

2008-01-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

2008 has gotten off to quite the start here in the O'Donnell household. At the end of December I was offered a full time position at DHL and I accepted the position. Once I had put in my letter of resignation to UPS my manager tried to persuade me to stay. It turns out they did a good job persuading me to stay because just Wednesday I accepted an offer. UPS came in at the 11th hour with a great offer for a full time job, I'm now an Industrial Engineer for UPS. They came to me when I only had 2 more days with the company.

I had to then call DHL and let them know the situation and that I wouldn't be starting with them on Monday. It was a tough decision to stay with UPS, but I definitely believe it is a decision that will payoff in the end.

Now it's time to shift schedules a little bit again. I'll be working from 4:30 ish - 1:00 am ish. A little better than what I'm doing now, but more importantly it will allow our family to start getting ahead a little bit and start planning for the future. One of the pre-requisites to taking the job is that I can still coach soccer in the fall and they have said that it shouldn't be a problem, which was very important to me!

So now the question is ... "What can brown do for you?" Pretty cheesy eh?

Happy New Year!!!

2008-01-02T17:24:00.001-08:00

We had the opportunity to spend some time with friends on the Olympic Peninsula in Quilcene. It was great to get away from it all and welcome the new year with friends & family . The boys had a great time on the beach, and B learned how to look for Oysters, even though there was no way he would ever eat one. The weather was amazing, for December on the coast.

Brennen walking on the shoreline

BJ with an oyster ... he thinks it is!

We had a chance to get some family pics, much to B's dismay, and took the opportunity. Brennen is so blonde, sometimes his hair blends in with the sky & the sun. I think we got a couple of good ones! (Take note of the shorts Bryan & B are wearing, even in the cold, by the water in DECEMBER!)
Brennen absolutely loved his adventure and the ferry! I don't think there's much that this kid wouldn't try.

Brennen had to be in the front of the ferry, with all the wind

Sunset on the Olympic Peninsula

Goodbye 2007 - we're ready and waiting for the fun and happiness that 2008 brings with it! Happy New Year to all of our friends and family, and may the new year bring you nothing but love, laughter & happiness! Check out more pics from our New Year's Eve!

Christmas '07

2007-12-25T23:36:00.000-08:00

It was a great Christmas this year. Both of the boys really got into the whole thing. For the first time, Brennen really understood that Santa brought presents & he had to be good.

It's so much fun for Bryan and I to see Brennen grow & begin to realize things that some of us forget about or take for granted. We always have a great time remembering when B was that age and reminding him how much he cried on Christmas when he was about the same age. He opened one present and just wanted to play with that one present. Brennen, like most aspects, is 180 degrees from B. He dove in headfirst and started opening all of his ... and then some that weren't his.

All in all it was a great day and the boys had a great time. Their annual gift from me (some sort of Nerf dart gun, ball launched) sparked an all out fight between Bryan, B, Brennen, Tim & PJ. Good times had by all, every once in a while it's good to break out the nerf guns and just start shooting at each other. War games in the house!

Brennen was most happy to get his monster trucks from Santa, BJ & his uncles Tim & PJ. Bryan and I were also "thinking" when we bought our kids a hockey / soccer set complete with little goals to fit in the hallway. Only after we were thinking ... "seriously, did we really give our kids sticks to play against each other with?" Good times!

Yea! More monster trucks for Brennen
Don't forget those yummy stocking stuffers early in the morning

Then it snowed! Something we Seattleites are not accustomed to! In fact of all the people I talked to today, none of us could remember the last time we had a white Christmas. B took the opportunity to have a snowball fight with his uncles & managed to hit uncle Timmy & take him out for most of it, I guess it takes one hit just right for a guy and he's done with the snowball fight. It made the day complete!

B playing with his sled on the little hill in our back yard

Maybe he's getting ready to go snowboarding?

Brennen with one of his new toys

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Holidays are coming

2007-12-18T17:34:00.000-08:00

It's been a very busy year and so far, a very busy holiday season. We're doing well and today BJ started his winter break. He's very excited for his next couple of weeks off for the holidays. So, things in our house have been buzzing and hopefully 2008 will have many good changes to come!

It's been crazy & I haven't been able to post near as much as I'd like. With the holidays & a little time off, I'll have more time to post! I will post more here soon, I promise.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Torrential Downpours & the Flooding Caused

2007-12-05T14:50:00.000-08:00

For those of you who live here in Western Washington, you are all too aware of the storms and the damage it's caused. Just thought I'd reflect a bit, it has been crazy. I went to bed Sunday night and thought "wow, there's alot of rain coming down". Didn't realize how much it really was until BJ's school called around 1:00 Monday and said, most roads to his school are flooded out and we're asking parents to come pick up their kids as soon as they can.

Instant panic ensued. So of course, I got Brennen ready to go and headed off to pick him up. The main road to his school, 228th was closed just past Canyon Park so I had to go on quite the detour. Tried to get on 405 - HWY 522 and it was closed as well. Then it was through the Bothell Business Park (Northcreek), which had been evacuated earlier in the day, to try and go to the back of Woodinville to Kokanee. The wait began, it took me an hour and 40 minutes to get to B's school to pick him up. What is normally a 10 minute, 5 mile drive ... an hour & 40 minutes ... what the heck! At least it only took us an hour to get home ... much better right?

I didn't realize until I got home, just how bad Woodinville really suffered. 522 was closed for 2 days, something I've never ever encountered in all my 31 years in the area. On the I-5 corridor between Seattle & Portland it's even worse, Centralia / Chehalis are completely decimated. I-5 has been closed since Monday and will be closed at least through Friday. Seeing as how I work at UPS, and all my trailers come through the I-5 corridor, you can only imagine the trouble we're having at work. I'm sure many, many other businesses are feeling the pinch as well. What a crazy week of weather.

Check out these pics of some of the flooding:

This is right off of the 522 exit on the left, right across from DQ & the 76 station.

Can you believe this is I-5 in Chehalis about 1/2 way between Seattle & Portland?
That's right, one of the main arteries of the west coast, with all the water on it!

A Season of Disappointment

2007-11-27T19:05:00.001-08:00

Look at these two boys ... dressed in purple hoping for a Husky win. Wins that were hard to come by and often lost in the 2nd half.

We had the opportunity / punishment of going to the Apple Cup only to see the Cougars come away with the win. Holy crap .... what the H is that?

I guess there's always another season, but I don't know if my poor Husky heart can deal with ANOTHER losing season. Seriously, get rid of everyone in charge of the defense and do it quick!

Soccer Season Wraps

2007-11-27T18:59:00.000-08:00

B's Soccer season has once again wrapped up for they year. It was Bryan & my 4th year coaching the Sharks and each & every year they continue to get better. We're hoping to have a couple of original players back next year ... 'cause, we'll we missed them. It's always tough to lose a part of the original Sharks family. At least the new Sharks are all great, but there's just something about the originals!

B had a pretty good season, he developed his shot and became a true forward. Following in his mother's footsteps, the boy can't play a lick of defense and he has the amazing ability to find the keeper, no matter how big that goal is. He's definitely come into his own as quite the goal scorer though, even when he's shooting straight at the keeper. Just imagine B, next year we'll proactice on shooting away from the keeper.

Trick or Treat

2007-11-01T15:20:00.001-07:00

It was a fun Halloween this year with Brennen & BJ. Brennen went as a little boxer & B went as ... well ... a scary monster thing. He wanted to be something very scary.

Brennen was very cute in his boxer costume, complete with his Everlast hooded cape! We couldn't pry the skittles out of his hand though while trick or treating! With the skittles it's hard to wear the little boxing gloves, the only time we could get his gloves on was when he & BJ were boxing in the backyard. Oh well, we think he was cute anyways.

He thought is was great that people just handed out candy for knocking on the door. Now he just wants to eat it all, unlike his brother who at the same age didn't care too much for candy. Brennen woke up this morning and the first thing he asked for was his bucket. It just suits his personality!

Boxing in the backyard - get the monster Brennen

The infamous Skittles

Scary Monster B

Brennen going for more candy

Tales from the Patch ...

2007-10-30T19:42:00.001-07:00

Even though it's a little late into the season, we headed out to the Pumpkin farm today! Brennen's been talking about visiting the pumpkin farm since September. Brennen went nuts when we got there and just ran towards all the pumpkins. BJ of course tried to find the biggest pumpkin he could, looking all over and ending up finding it right at the entrance. That's so B. Our rule though is that if you pick a pumpkin, you have to be able to carry it out, B tried a couple but couldn't carry them all the way out & almost dropped one on Brennen. That would not have been a pretty sight!

Don't drop it on Brennen!

Brennen loves the pumpkins, I seriously think it's one of his favorite times of the year, at least right now! He picked two little pumpkins and wouldn't let them go the rest of the day, he wanted someone to carry him and the pumpkins, not just the pumpkins.

Brennen & B at the entrance

Brennen in Heaven

Brennen found a pumpkin phone!

B's Final pumpkin pick!

Final XCountry meet

2007-10-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

The regular XCountry season has come to an end. It ended on a pretty wet, cold and overall nasty day. This year we have definitely not had a nice fall, it went straight from Summer to late fall / early winter. I think the only thing we have yet to see that will confirm we're in winter is the frost. I'm sure that's right around the corner.

Anyway, back to XCountry. For his last meet, Kokanee (B's School) got to host. There were 6 different elementary schools involved and in the 4th grade boys alone, probably close to 60 boys. Lots & Lots of kids! B did great and ended up coming in 13th place. We are so proud of him and his determination to keep going. I honestly don't think you could pay me enough to get out there & run cross country. Go BJ! Now there is one more run, the annual Pumpkin Run with all of the kids in the Northshore School District. I think B's planning to do that and then we're done with running for the season.

Here are some more pics of the day ...

B & his friend Marshall just before the race began

B, Marshall & Caleb (soccer buddies) at the beginning

Coming around the corner, almost finished

At the finish line .. 13th place, well done B

6 out of 10 boys from the soccer team did Cross Country ... Go Sharks!

A Hike in the Fall

2007-10-15T10:27:00.001-07:00

This weekend had the chance to do a little hiking in the fall leaves before the cold sets in. I took the kids and met up with our friends, the Mabbutt's, and hiked to Tradition Lake on Tiger Mountain. It was a very good hike for the kids as it was mostly flat. With a 2 year old, 3 year old, a slightly limping 6 year old and 7 & 9 year old ... flat is good! It was a little challenging on the way back with the little ones, but all in all it was a ton of fun. The fall was in full bloom and I just love the different shades of yellow & red.

There was a pretty cool tree along the way that all of the kids that fit into. Brennen thought the tree was more fun to run through. Of course, as long as the kid has room to run, you can bet you'll be chasing him! Sometimes he is too much for me ...

In the sticks down by Tradition Lake.

On the trail heading back, Brennen loves to be on his brother's shoulders.

Getting all 5 of 'em looking at the camera, and with some smiles to boot! That's an achievement, especially since it was at the end of the hike. I think these are some of the best lookin' kids out there! Check out some more of our pics from the hike.

Xcountry almost over

2007-10-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I've taken a stab at putting up a quick video clip. Not a good clip, from not a good camera, but it's a first so if I can I'll be posting more in no time. First item ... get a new video camera!

BJ has done really well with Xcountry this year. He's pretty consistent between the 6 - 10 spot and he's still shooting to finish in the top five. We think it's pretty awesome he's been in the top ten in all three matches he's had already this year. He was pretty tired at the end of this one today and next week should be even tougher. The next one is at his elementary (Kokanee) and from what the boys tell me, it's by far the hardest course. We'll try to get B plenty of rest & feed him lots of carbs the night before. Go B!

Here's a clip of him at the finish line ...

Half Way Point

2007-10-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are the half way point of BJ's soccer season. 5 games down, 5 to go. It's been such a great 1st half of the season. The boys are improving & BJ's enjoying the season. Next year will be alot of fun 'cause we'll be able to do a post - season tournament as well. BJ's team is doing well and sitting at 3 - 1 - 1. Not too bad for a team that lost half of it's players from last year.

I'm telling you though, I'm having such a hard time this year being able to take pictures or keep my sideline manners in check. B's getting to an age where it's alot more competitive & my coaching style is alot of pacing and "coaching" from the side, loudly. I have only been told by Bryan to "zip it" twice, that I can remember, probably more if you were to ask him. I have to say though, bad officials kill me & I probably shouldn't say anything. It's hard though 'cause I'm a ref too and I know what they should be calling / not calling. Ah well, time for me to take a deep breath, I'm such a dork!

Here comes the keeper, Shoot B, Shoot!

SHOT!

XCountry

2007-10-03T17:48:00.001-07:00

BJ has decided that he again wants to do cross country for his elementary school team. I don't know where he gets the stamina for running. I can't run unless I'm chasing something, preferably a soccer ball, and I'm pretty sure Bryan's not into running either.

Oh well, he does love it and it keeps him busy, so it's fine by us! He did really well in his first XCountry meet last week finishing 6th from all the 4th grade boys from 4 schools and this week he finished 8th with 3 schools competing. Top ten finishes ... well done BJ!

BJ ready to cross the finish line

If Only ...

2007-09-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

So close, and yet sooo far. BJ and I went to the Huskies Vs. USC fully expecting the USC Trojans to completely walk all over the Dawgs. To our enjoyment, USC looked awful, seriously this is the #1 team in the nation? The Huskies didn't look all that great either though, they couldn't put it in the end zone and all too often made mistakes at just the right time.

They made a game of it though ... no matter how ugly, the Huskies lost by only 3! Even though USC isn't #1 as of today (they're #2 now) it was awesome to stay with 'em until then end of the game. It made it worth it to go to a cold, semi-wet game and cheer on the Dawgs!

Let's hope the huskies can pull it out the rest of the season and play well. At least they've got two weeks now to get healthy as next week is their bye week. GO DAWGS!

Yeah, the picture's not great but hey back off it came from my phone! :P

Do the Puyallup

2007-09-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, it's fair time! We all played hookey on Monday and went down to the Puyallup fair. I wish the weather could've been better, it was pretty nasty in the early afternoon & then cleared up for the most part the rest of the day. It didn't matter, the boys had fun and Brennen got to meet his hero ... DIEGO! BJ has certainly become quite the daredevil on rides, I guess a week at amusement park camp will do that to a kid.

As you can see ... Brennen absolutely loves Diego!

Brennen on one of the kiddie rides

Brennen wanted so badly to go on the rides with BJ, then when we took him over to one of the kiddie rides he got in, got excited & got bored & wanted out ... NOW! So before it even started he got out, I'm not sure if he was more upset that the car wasn't moving when he was in it or when the cars were moving & he wasn't in it. The kid definitely has my patience ... or should I say lack thereof!

The Boys on the Extreme Scream

BJ on one of the rides Bryan & I refused to go on

Brennen did love all the animals, especially the baby chicks!

Disappointment for the Dawgs

2007-09-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

I do love the fall, college football, youth soccer is in full swing and BJ's team is keeping both Bryan & I very busy. So, while I love the fall, it keeps us very busy and I don't blog as much. Bear with me I'll do as much as I can!

It was band day at the Husky Game ... far too many instruments at one time!

My friend Deanna & I at the game

Anyways, I had the chance to go to the Husky - Ohio State game yesterday and as a Husky fan on the heels of two wins I had great hopes for the game. The Huskies held it together through the first half and went in at half time up 7 - 3. We had a glimmer of hope and the excitement of the 2nd half coming up. Then, the train wreck happened! In the third quarter the Huskies gave up a 68 yard touchdown toss to go down 10 - 7. Still not bad though right? Then the fumbled the kickoff and just like that it was Ohio State 17 - 7. Seriously, I couldn't believe it!

Ohio State went to work and exposed our cornerbacks & Jake Locker for exactly what they are ... FRESHMEN! The offense was three & out for most of the 2nd half and only when it didn't matter anymore were they able to put together a drive for a touchdown. It was terribly disappointed, but it just proved that the Huskies aren't that good yet. They're getting there but they've still got a ways to go. Locker WILL be an incredible quarterback, but he's gotta grow & develop and asking a Freshman quarterback to beat the #10 team in the nation proved far too difficult a task.

After the Buckeyes went up 27 - 7, this just explains the whole thing!

Keep posted to the blog, I'll be going to 3 more Husky games & hopefully those will have much better outcomes!

Labor Day Soccer Jamboree

2007-09-05T12:50:00.000-07:00

It is fall, and quite honestly, one of my favorite times of the year. BJ's soccer team is in full swing and as of right now, the Huskies are on an upswing. Football and soccer, what more could ya ask for?

BJ's team played in a Labor Day Jamboree and definitely held their own. Had it not been for a couple missed offsides calls, we would have at least two more ties. C'est la vie ... all in all the Sharks ended on a high note and now they'll be tuned up & ready for the regular season that kicks off this Saturday. To find out more about his team check out their website!

BJ with some of his buddies from the
Sharks waiting for their game

SHOT!

Even Brennen got in on the fun

Amusement Park Tour

2007-08-26T17:50:00.001-07:00

BJ just finished up with one of, what I think, is the best summer camp ever. Bryan took a bunch of YMCA kids around the sound and to Idaho to check out different water parks & Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho.

On Monday the group hit Wildwaves in the south sound, Tuesday they hit the Waterslides in Birch Bay and then headed out on Wednesday for a 2 night campout in Idaho before heading to Silverwood Theme Park on Thursday.

From what I hear from Bryan & B, Thursday they were at Silverwood from pretty much the opening of the park to the closing. Bryan also mentioned all the kids were pretty much exhausted! Friday they loaded up and hit the road for their 6 hour journey back home.

I'm pretty sure it's a week B will never forget and he's really hoping they do it again next summer.

B In the Kowabunga River

Slidin' off the slides at Birchbay

Tubin' down the slide @ Birch Bay

At Silverwood with a friend from camp

The whole group outside of Silverwood Park

Trains, Trains & Waterfalls

2007-08-25T22:40:00.001-07:00

We had the chance to meet up with some friends today at the
Northwest Railway Museum. We took all the kids on a train ride for the first 1 1/2 or so and then explored the museum and some of the old rail cars.

The little ones had a great time going on the train, it was very old school and the kids were able to hang out the window a bit. It does make one a bit nervous when the two year olds start hanging out though! We had to keep a super close eye on them. The train moved pretty slow and BJ was not terribly impressed with it's speed. (This coming from a kid that just came back from an amusement park camp week though!)

Elsa and I were chatting a bit and it hit us that BJ is only 2 years younger than we were when we met. We're coming up on 20 years knowing each other. Funny how when you're young 20 years seems like an eternity and then looking back at 20 years when you're older, it just goes by so fast.

After the train museum & train ride we hiked down to Snoqualmie Falls. It's really not too bad of a hike, but with a couple of tired 2 year olds, it takes a little longer than expected. Ah well, all in all I think the kids had a great time and I know I did. Elsa, your family is incredible & I can't wait to see you guys again!

Brennen hangin' on the window

Curt, Brennen, BJ & India on one of the old yellow engines

5 kids between our 2 fams .. Sammy, Curtis, BJ, India & Brennen

Soccer Season Begins

2007-08-19T23:05:00.000-07:00

Soccer Season is just starting to roll around and we had the opportunity to take the Sharks to the Lake Stevens Jamboree over the weekend.

The boys started off hot, beating their first team but fell a tad short in the next two games. Bryan and I were so proud of the boys though 'cause they had only one practice and two of the boys that played hadn't yet practiced with the team. So, as coaches, we'll take that!

BJ had a goal in the first game and two in the second. I was so happy to see him out there hustling and his shot has come a long way since this last spring. He's got some power now to go with the accuracy!

It was definitely kind of a crazy weekend though ... all three games were completely different, weather wise. The first game was pretty warm and B actually got a tad sun burnt. The second game on the same day started getting colder and the rain and wind greeted the end of the game. The last game (Sunday) it decided to pour down rain. The fields were soaked and one end had nothing but puddles! I still think the boys liked it though and luckily it wasn't too cold!

Check out those puddles ...

B setting it up for the corner kick

Waves running Wild

2007-08-14T23:54:00.000-07:00

Spent the day at Wild Waves in the south end ... it was really sort of wierd. The last time I was there was probably the summer of '96 with a group of kids. It's changed quite a bit, but it's still the same place it was 10 years ago. There were even traces of what it used to be back in the days when I was just a kid.

Now it's crazy to think, all these years later, it's a place I'm taking my kids. It's days like this where you take your kids and say,"when I used to come here, this was here" or "when I was little there was a petting farm." Then your kids look at you and say ... "Geez, you're old."

Yeah, it's that awesome. But I still feel (and some say look like too, although I can't agree) that 18 & 20 year old that used to bring groups of kids ... that weren't mine!

Daddy gettin' it from the Dragon

Ah, Brennen, ya got me!

Terrible Two's

2007-08-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

When BJ was a little we took him for pictures all of the time. From age 10 months to about 2 years he was in, probably 1 a month. It helped that I worked at a picture studio and it was free.

With Brennen we have had a much better camera so we take tons more casual pics. When you don't work in a studio, prices are waaaay too expensive to go in all the time. We have a few, but he hasn't been in since he was about a year.

Since he turned two in June, I figured we should get him some studio portraits. I got a flyer for a cute kid contest and a free pic so I thought why not? We headed on into the Studio on Saturday, we got about 3 pics into it and it just went downhill from there. It was a disaster so we decided to come back another day.

That other day was Wednesday. He walked in and started screaming, and refused to even go in the studio. Bryan held him while he was screaming, handed him off to me and said, "He's yours, I'm done." We both agreed it was one of those very "normal" but very embarrassing things for us as parents.

We went with two of the first five and decided, WE'RE DONE with studios for a while. At least we got two pics out of it. When the contest goes up, you guys will have to vote for him, just as pity for our experience!

Hangin' at the Park

2007-08-06T17:17:00.002-07:00

Today we decided to visit one of the neighborhood parks that we hadn't yet visited and it turns out it's a great park! The boys got to run around and get a little bit of energy out. There was a crazy type "Monkey Bars" type thing on one of the play toys and after many tries he finally conquered it! Well done BJ!

Brennen is quite the mischievous 2 year old and at times the boy really tests the patience of his parents. On the same token, he's such a funny kid who lights up a room whenever he smiles. He has no fear and decided not only can he go down slides, he can climb up them and go down on his stomach. Oh boy, we're in for it with this one!

Beginning of August

2007-08-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we had the opportunity to celebrate Brennen's friend's 2nd Birthday. Brennen & Jake hung out for a while, but like all 2 year olds, the attention span is very short. All in all I think the boys had a great time & BJ was such a trooper for hanging out & trying to entertain a couple of 2 year olds!

Soccer Camp

2007-08-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

BJ just wrapped up his one & only week of soccer camp and I hope he had a good time, I think he did. I think it got him thinking more about soccer and more excited for the upcoming soccer season that will be kicking off here in the next week or so.

I know he'd still rather be doing Basketball, which hurts my heart a little, but I know he still enjoys soccer!

His team, the Northshore Sharks, have a couple of jamborees coming up here in the next few weeks so look forward to some pics from those!

Basketball Camp

2007-07-21T14:46:00.001-07:00

I've mentioned many times how much BJ loves basketball, and this past week was no different. He had a chance to attend a basketball camp with a couple of his friends and I believe he really had a great time.

His whole heart is definitely with basketball, which sometimes makes me a little sad more of it isn't with soccer. But whatever makes him happy!

One of his coaches for the week was Aaron Brooks' (former UofO basketball star and Houston Rockets Rookie. BJ, Sam & Logan were all very excited for him to be thier coach!

The camp ended in a tournament day when the teams played each other in front of the rest of the camp, I was happy that Brennen and I were able to make it to see BJ play.

BJ making his way to the hoop

2 points for BJ's team!

BJ's team won the championship 12 - 10 and he scored 4 points and only played in half the game! At the end of camp they announced the kids who received the hustle (always working hard, never giving up) award and BJ was one of 4 in his age group who received the award. I can't help but be proud of my little baller! Seriously, it was probably one of the proudest moments I've had with him in sports, for him to be recognized in from of everyone for his hustle just affirms his love of the game! WELL DONE B MAN!

A Day at the Beach

2007-07-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

OK, So Seattle hittin' 100 is ridiculous! We hit the road and went to Matthew's Beach to try and stay a little bit cool, the boys had a great time and boy they are WHITE! Check out the pics and you can see just how pastie white B really is.

Brennen has no fear of the water whatsoever. He just wanted to be wherever B was and it didn't matter if B was out deeper than Brennen was tall, he was going to try and follow. More than once I had to grab Brennen and stand him up in a little more shallow water.

Building Sand Castles

Brennen almost made it with the water!

We did have a great time and managed to actually stay as cool as possible in 97 degree heat! The boys even got to enjoy a SnoCone.

Dragons in July

2007-07-09T18:41:00.001-07:00

Holy July, yep, summer in the Northwest has hit and trying to stay cool is quickly becoming a mission from day to day. I do have to say that I love this time of the year, the days are long and the nights are short. It's crazy to me that I can go into work at 10:30 ish and it's just beginning to get really dark and if I get off late 4:30ish it's already getting light. It brings a whole new meaning to working through the night!

The boys and I had a chance to visit Dragon park today in Lynnwood and the boys had a great time. Brennen tried to catch the water coming out and was really not happy with me when I told him it was time to go.

As unhappy as he was, I figured, since his lips were blue and he was shivering like crazy it was time. I tried to keep him on the big toy to kind of dry out & warm up, but the water was too tempting I guess.

All in all we had a great time and we'll definitely be hitting more of the parks in the area, hey if you know any good ones let us know! We want to hit quite a few over the summer.

BJ goofing around in the splash area

B trying to dry out & get warm in the sun

One of my best friends during the summer, ICE TEA .. MMMM

4th of July!

2007-07-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

I think this is the busiest 4th of July we've had in a long while. The boys walked in the Edmonds Parade, on an 80 degree day no less. I think they all enjoyed it, although I'm not sure how much Bryan enjoyed walking pretty much the whole parade with Brennen on his shoulders. BJ had a great time representing the new YMCA handing out bubbles to the kids on the parade route.

B & Brennen right before the parade started ...

BJ handing out prizes to the parade kids

After the parade we had a chance to check out the new house of one of our friends and have a BBQ. After the BBQ we were all pretty tired so we went home to grab a little rest before the big fireworks show of the evening. At first BJ & his friend Jake let off some fireworks and then the rowdy stuff came. Tim, PJ and a couple of their friends came to let off their "Big" fireworks they got at Boom City. BJ loved it, Brennen wasn't too sure but he was a pretty good sport about it all.

B running like a crazy man with a smoke bomb ...

B & Jake with some sparklers

Uncle Timmy & Brennen during the show

Brennen & Timmy fighting

I even had a chance to play with some fireworks shots, didn't get a whole lot but check 'em out ...

Summer at last!!!

2007-07-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day in a long time that it actually felt like summer and the boys took full advantage of it. BJ had a friend (Logan) over and in the heat of the afternoon decided they wanted to have a watermelon eating contest. It was pretty hilarious, they had watermelon juice dripping everywhere. At least it was a good day and I think it felt pretty great on a hot day. Brennen even got in on some of the action!

Here are a few pics of the action ...

It's Official ... I'm an official

2007-06-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

So, to earn a little extra cash this summer & fall I attended a ref clinic to become a certified Referee. So now instead of me being the one yelling at the ref ... yep, I'll be the one yelled at.

Bryan thinks it'll be good for me and calm me down a bit on the sidelines of BJ's games. As much as I hate to say it, he's probably right.

I think it will be fun though and it's always good to earn a little extra doing something fun instead of just another job you're not thrilled about.

Wish me luck!

Officially 2 Today!

2007-06-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday little Man!

Some Birthday Fun

2007-06-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

Well, Bryan and I find it hard to believe that Brennen just celebrated turning two with a few friends. We must be getting old! Brennen had such a great time at his party. Despite the squalls that decided to roll through and soak us a couple times, I think a great time was had by all.

Thanks to everyone who came and helped make it Brennen's special day! Brennen especially loved playing with Jake & Dylan. Uncle Timmy got Brennen a basketball hoop and it was definitely the star of the party. Well done Uncle Timmy!

Here are some more pics from his Party!

Brennen & his buddy Jake

The Cake!

Brennen's Birthday Party

2007-06-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we're having Brennen's birthday party on Sunday, all are welcome to come. We'll be having a BBQ and just some fun out in the yard with Brennen to help him celebrate his 2nd Birthday. Let us know if you can come and if you need directions to the house. Hope to see you there!

If you're looking for something for Brennen, obviously, he loves anything Diego! He also loves anything that has to do with Cars, sports with balls (Basketball & Soccer most of all). He's a two year old so he's happy with tons 'O stuff.

Everybody keep your fingers crossed for some nice weather!

BJ the Golfer ...

2007-06-17T16:32:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we had a chance to go to Jefferson Golf Course in Seattle & BJ participated in the Putt, Chip, Drive competition held by the golf channel. He did a great job and had alot of fun out there. Looks like we've got a future golfer on our hands. He still likes to remind me that he prefers soccer & basketball though!

BJ at the driving range for the driving portion. Look at that form!

BJ getting ready for his putt. He sunk the first putt in 1 try (a 5 footer). He had a bit more trouble with the second putt (15 footer). Looks like we'll be hitting the putting green this summer! Great job BJ!

Something a little different ...

2007-06-12T16:24:00.009-07:00

So, I've decided to post something a little different, you know, something without my boys. I went down to the Kirkland waterfront on Sunday trying to catch some pictures in the dusk. I love the colors of dusk and even though the sun wasn't really out much, the sky still had some great color in it. Including some of the ominous clouds over the water ...

I loved this picture above 'cause it looks like you can jump right from the dock in Kirkland out to Seattle.

In this one to the right, I captured an empty picnic table with some pretty awesome looking clouds over the water. We weren't sure if they were just going to pass by or start a downpour.

One last pic of a Bench in the twilight with Seattle in the far distance. Looks like a great place to sit & reflect away from the noise & lights of Seattle.

And the winner is ...

2007-06-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official, Track Season is over for BJ. His last meet wasn't what he had hoped as he didn't get to compete in the Relay race. He missed a practice for a class party and they tagged him for it. A move Bryan and I still think was pretty weak considering he had done it all season long.

B made the best of it and competed in the Long Jump. I was so proud of him, he had competed in it before and came in last. He worked on it a bit here at home and out of 5 schools competing, he came in 3rd. Great Job Li'l B!

Track & Field coming to a close

2007-06-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday B had his Track meet at Kokanee, it's the last track meet before his Junior Olympics at Woodinville High School. Uncle Tim stopped by to root on Li'l B. B had a good time and did pretty well, despite the 80 degree temperature! He came in 1st with his relay team, LG, Sam & Samuel. Look for pics next week of his last track meet!

3 of the 4 members of the relay team, blue ribbons in hand.

Celebrating 100

2007-05-27T17:46:00.001-07:00

UPS is celebrating their 100th year anniversary, so I took the boys to the celebration at my building this Saturday. They got to see some of the history & BJ was excited to see the NASCAR replica of the UPS #44 car. BJ learned how to load one of the trucks and thought the Semi was pretty cool