High-Ya!

Callen and Claysen have been taking Ta Kwon Do classes at a new studio here.  We have really enjoyed watching them advance with their self control.  The school's motto is "Courtesy and Respect."  I really like that alone!  Below you will see each doing their stance that they had to learn for their next belt promotion.  

Both boys earned their white/yellow belt.  The next step will be a solid yellow belt.  Callen learned the first eight steps of ChungChee (no idea if I am spelling that right).  

Spring is Finally here!!!!

Over spring break we decided to have a couple of adventures.  Our first stop was to the aquarium.  This is new within the last year to our city.  It is great for our town, small and hands on, but perfect since we don't live in a big seaside city that has access to so much more.  The kids were able to fee and pet baby sharks, rays and fish.  They also got to feel and see many other sea creatures.

We also visited the World Center for the Birds of Prey.  This is a neat place too.  Callen has not ever been so he was pretty excited.  The boys know a bit about Peregrine Falcons from watching Wild Kratts.  They got to see several live birds an dress up like an eagle.

Callen turned 7 on the 9th.  He had a shark birthday, I think inspired a bit by the aquarium.  His favorite shark is the hammerhead.  I hope you can tell those are hammerhead sharks on his cake.  He was pleased.  He got a new bike and had to go on a treasure hunt to find it.  My plan was to get him excited to read the clues, but his more advanced friends read them for him.  Oh well, still fun!  My video camera died as I tried to film the hunt, so not even a picture to post of the exciting journey around the house.

We spent Easter with the Cada side this year.  Our boys and one other little cousin were the only egg hunters this year.  Callen raced around trying to get more than Claysen and then sweetly and generously gave all his eggs to T.  Kinda melted my heart a bit.  I was asking him not to make a contest out of it so he wouldn't brag and made Claysen feel bad.  Guess I got shown up when he gave his loot to her.    

School is almost out for Claysen only one more week.  Callen gets out in about 3 weeks.  I can't believe it!  

Both boys are taking TaKwonDo at a new local studio.  They are really enjoying it.  I have a video of Claysen doing his stance.  I will try to post it another day.  It is pretty fun and good lessons for them.

An Update......

Callen really enjoys horses.  He is getting really good at riding too.  He is getting practice more and more lately.

Claysen joins in the fun too!

A beautiful sunset over at Mom and Dad's.

Claysen visited the World Center for Birds of Prey in March with his preschool.  They got to see lots of birds and try on wings and bird costumes.

 These are vultures.

We recently went to ship cattle with Rusty to Hereford, Oregon.  The drive was pretty.  On the way back we got to see a small flock of Big Horn Sheep.  We didn't see any really big horned rams, but is was still neat to see these.

For Nicole, this goes way back to Halloween!!!

Cuz, I think you are the only one who reads this!

So this is way over due.  Callen and Claysen had original costumes this year for Halloween.  Claysen was Chris Kratt from a PBS show called Wild Kratts.  Callen wanted to be a buffalo.  I think that originated from our trip to Yellowstone this June.  Claysen's costume was very easy to make, no sewing at all!!!  Callen's was a little more challenging.  I got lucky on the brown furry fabric in the remnant bin at the fabric store.  I used a pattern for a jacket and got creative with the horns and ears.  He thought it was great!  

Callen is really getting interested in Rusty's job and the business of trading cattle.  This picture shows how interested...Rusty is on an actual business call.  Callen asked for a briefcase for Christmas.  Papa Fred gave him one stocked full of pencils, invoices, paper, etc. for starting his own cattle business.

Want to know a cheap trick?  Glow sticks from the $1 bin at Target in the bath tub with the lights out!  Fun, screaming, loud, splashing, FUN!!!!

The boys first time bowling!  We went with some friends and their daughter.  They had such a blast.  Things have really changed in the bowling technology since I was a kid!  It has really become something the whole family can do.  They even have ramps for the ball so the kids don't have the throw the ball.

Even the shoes are adorable!!

At Thanksgiving Rusty found a garden snake.  Callen was thrilled to see and touch it.

In November our family lost a dear friend.  Her daughter Jordan, pictured below, is who gave my Mom her grandma name of Maga.  We got together with her and her grandma to make Christmas cookies.  It was fun and I hope we make a tradition out of it.  

We've been praying for snow!  Our ski hill set a new record late opening and just opened yesterday.  The boys are excited and ready to go!  Mama just needs to get over this plugged up nose!

Terms of Endearment

For quite a while now Claysen's personality and sense of humor has been well developed.  It seeps into all of us and we start using his phrases with each other even when he isn't around.

The most frequently used one and my favorite has evolved over the last year or so.

Claysen will say it out of the blue, so you know it is really heartfelt,

"Mommy, I love you, cuz you're poopy."

He says this with a strait face, no sarcasm in his voice either, just plain as if he was going to tell you he wanted to watch a special show.  Next he used this phrase,

"Mommy, you're not poopy, cuz I love you."

Oh good, I think, glad I'm not poopy anymore.  Now he loves us because we are clean,

"Mommy, I love you, cuz you're not poopy."

Now Rusty and I will just be sitting watching TV and where we would have said, "hey, I love you" it is, "Hey, you're poopy."

So for all my friends that read this,

"You're poopy!"

Long time.....but having fun instead

Rusty's horse Buddy stepped on a staple out at the ranch and ended up with an abscess.  After several weeks of no improvement and stall confinement he was taken back to the vet and they x rayed the foot and found another fragment of metal in his leg.  The hoof was dying so Rusty chose to put him down.  

Claysen has been interested in cutting things to help make dinner lately.  Here he is cutting a tomato with a butter knife.  You can imagine what that tomato looked like in the end.  We have a ton growing, so one wasted is ok in my book.  It keeps his occupied and out of the way.

 Rusty had business in Enterprise, OR on Monday so we make a long weekend out of it and enjoyed the Wallowa Lake area.  We rented a boat and fished for a couple of hours.  We started too late in the day and didn't catch a thing!  The boys were a little scared of the boat at first, but quickly relaxed and had a blast.

The views are AMAZING!!!

We road the tram to the top of Mt. Howe.  From there you can the Wallowa Valley, the Eagle Cap Mountains, and Seven Devils.  It was amazing.  The boys enjoyed feeding the squirrels and chipmunks.   

After the tram ride we rode the go karts and played mini golf.

Monday morning I saw this accompanied by two other fawns.  They laid down before I could get the camera out.

On the way home we went through Hell's Canyon and over the Brownly Dam.  This is a view of Seven Devils.

We got home Monday, they boys got haircuts on Tuesday and school started for Callen on Wednesday!  It has been a fast and furious summer!

Summer Time Fun

Callen played t-ball for the first time this spring.  I think he enjoyed it.  I was a co-coach, so I think I would have enjoyed it more had I just been a parent or a coach for another team.  

 Here is Callen "showing" his friend how to throw a ball.  This is at the last game of the season.  I think just cause I was the coach he thought he knew a thing or two as well.

We spent the 3rd of July out at the ranch for a the Jacks' Family Reunion.  Below is Grammie Cada and her siblings.

Rusty actually smiling just a tiny bit....

The boys and Mildred (Grammie).

This past weekend I went to a college friend's wedding.  It has been several years since I've seen her.  I was fun to see my college gang again.  The wedding was perfect, relaxed and simple.  

The bride and me.

An then on Sunday when I got home, Callen found a baby bird that fell out of the nest.  Claysen enjoyed holding it and wanted it to watch TV with him in the living room!  We put it in a box and back in the tree like the little guys we found last year.