New Year's Party "2010"

We put together a great New Years Party. We played several games "Bunko, Uno, WII, and Apples to Apples. We had a couple of families come and bring in the New Year. We

even had our own Fireworks display (totally illegal, but alot of fun). Bob and I were very happy to enjoy our family and friends as we celebrated the New Year of 2010. We hope that we all have a great and prosperous year of 2010!!

Olivia's 9th B-day

With Olivia's birthday being 2 days after Christmas we decided to wait to celebrate it until Grandpa and Grandma Van Horn came. She got a bike which she had so much fun going with Grandpa on a couple of rides with. We took her out to California Pizza for dinner and then came home for Spaghetti cake that Katelyn made.

Christmas Week

The week of Christmas was full of many fun actives and great opportunities to be together as a family. From building Gingerbread houses, making cookie plates, Christmas Eve with Bob's family to having a very relaxing Christmas day letting the kids hang out and play with all there loot. I am very thankful for the girls help this year. Kate helped me do most of our shopping the day after Thanksgiving and building our Christmas Cards, Sonoma helped with all of our cookie plates, and Olivia gave us great Christmas spirit all day everyday. She would say at least 10 times a day "I can't wait for Christmas"!!!!!

School Christmas Program

Olivia sang with her class in the school Christmas Program. It was very cute, even though I hate the fact that there's no parking, the gym being over crowded, and the rude people that save seats for family members that never show up. It over all was a cute program. We only get to attend maybe 2 more before we won't have anymore kids in it which makes me super sad and feeling very old. I'm sure we will find something else to replace it. Bob says that there is something to do every night in the month of December if you really want to.

Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

Ok, Every year we all have the opportunity of getting a Christmas Tree. Our families biggest issue is what kind are we going to get. Some of us like the big fluffy ones and some (I) like the the Charlie Brown style. So this year as we went to pick one out we had a great comprised we went for one that was in between. For the last couple of years we have gotten our tree at a place called the Flower Garden in Loomis. Its a great place to go because they have a coffee shop and we all get ahot chocolate and play checkers for a while before we all argue about what kind of tree were getting. Bob and I figured that since we had all girls it was best not to make them walk for hours in the forest and cut one down.

That way by the time we get home they are still willing to decorate it.

Sonoma's 16th B-day

Yes Sonoma is 16 years old. Wow does time fly, and how it's fun to remember the day she was born. It's amazing how a beautiful baby grew up to be such an amazing young women. This year she had 2 parties, the first was with her girl friends. They played WII from 4 pm to 1 am, ate pizza and laughed alot. Her 2nd party was a family party the next night were we had the Rutledge family's over for cake and ice cream. She had Katelyn make her 2 separate cakes for each event. The first was a red velvet twilight cake "I Run With Wolves" and the other was a chocolate and white pink, purple, and black zebra cake. We all had a great time.

Thanksgiving 2009

Kate and Olivia chopping Veggies for the Stuffing

Well even I had major Surgury just a couple weeks prior to Thanksgiving I was first planning on having Pizza. But Kate decided that she was going to make the whole thing. So we armed her with ingredents and recipies and she pretty much did the whole thing. It was amazing and really good. She was able to get Olivia to help her out which was great.

Halloween

Rachel and Olivia

Davin, Kate, and Mckenna

This year was the first one that we didn't have Sonoma with us. I guess she's getting to old to go with the family, so we added a couple of Kate's friend to our group. We went over to Steve and Holly's and had a great time. Olivia was a Del Oro High Cheerleader and Kate was a funky fairy.

Pumpkin Guts Fight

Ok so we are carving our cute pumpkins and all the sudden there are pumpkin guts flying everywhere. It was soooo much fun!!!

Cottenwood River COLD Swim

We took a ride up to one of Bob's job's in Truckee. There is a river named Cottonwood that run along the hwy. We have passed this many times on our way up to Girls Camp. So it started with Bob getting in and not saying that it was freezing cold. He talked Sonoma into getting in and she seemed to keep his secret. He was able to get each one of the girls in and to keep his secret. So they all told me to get in and as I walked in within seconds I felt my legs getting numb by the second and as I yelled at him he found great pleasure in my discomfort. We really did have fun, and Bob was able to cross that off his list of stuff he wanted to do.

Kate's First Wedding Cake

Katelyn was asked by Daniel and Ashley to make their wedding cake. Daniel used to tutor her before he went on his mission to Mexico. He got back in July and asked his sweetheart Ashley to marry him. It was such an honor for Katelyn to do this for them, she didn't like the attention that came with it. At the reception there were many of our friends from church there and they were all so impressed. As her Mom I couldn't believe how beautiful of a cake she did. It was very hard for me to step back and let do her thing. Way to go Kate!!

AHHH RELAXING

Yes I am missing the relaxing part of our vacation. I am hoping that we will able to do it again.

This was a fantastic trip and I am sure that the girls will always remember it.

Playing at the Beach - Gold Beach

We hit the beach everyday which was so much fun to lay out in the sun and play in the sand. We found so many shells and lots of white and black rocks that were so cool.

Since we were an a private beach we were able to find so many neat things since it wasn't picked over. It was really fun to have a beach all to yourself.

Beach Hike - Oregon

Bob has noted that if there are worn out cars parked on the side of the Coastal Hwy there must be something very cool. We he was quite right, we came upon an amazing hole/cave.

It was funny as we were walking down to it I was thinking to myself wow what a great hike, but on the way back to the car I was saying ouch my calf's are on fire who's idea was this. No really it was amazing and breathtaking, Bob and the Girls thought that it was one of the coolest/scariest things we had done in a very long time.

Trip Day 3 - Animal Safari Rescue Park

As we were driving up the coast we ran into this amazing Animal Safari Rescue Park. Oh my gosh Sonoma was in heaven. We had a great time being able to pet and see all kinds of animals.

This is one place I would love to go back to. Sonoma wished she could live there.

Day Trip Up The Oregen Coast

On our 2nd day we started driving up the Oregon Coast. We stopped at several different places and walked around small towns. Our favorite was a small town of Bandon, which had the best Clam Chowder, Fish and Chips, and Calamari. We also found a great candy shop and bought fudge which was super yummy.