Oh So Cute

Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen? My little nephew. My kids saw this picture and after gushing over how cute he is they both asked, "What's wrong with his back?" Charles thought he had cuts all over him! I had to explain that he is just so tiny he has extra skin everywhere and it makes cute little wrinkles. So Charles says, "His back is ok, it's just sprinkled."

Thanksgiving Update Continued...

I know it's long past, and I am soooo slow, but there are two more days of pictures from our trip that I want to add. They are my favorite because I have some great shots of Louis and his brothers playing.

The Five Koberstein Brothers
sounds like a good title of a children's book.... Danielle....

Sweet catch by my hubby.

And another, man is he good!
And pulling out all the stops to try and continue that winning streak!

Sweet moves, Karla! She was a good sport and gave everyone a run for their money!

Jon and Danielle suggested getting outside for some exercise! It was great. They played a hilarious game on the toys. They try and see if they can use each toy in a completely opposite way of how it was intended to be used.

Aren't they so cute? I have a cute picture of them both in sunglasses, and when Charles got this shirt I had to get another of them together. Grandpa Terry is often sporting a Hawaiian shirt!Charles thinks he is pretty lucky to be "Terry" like his grandpa. They are good buddies!

I had a lot of fun taking over Dawna's hair. She is so cute and she'd sit so still while I played with her hair. Thanks for letting me barge in and steal your daughter, Danielle!




Grandma and Grandpa have a tradition of gift giving to the grandkids. Grandpa finds "science gifts" to instill in the children a desire to be geniuses. Grandma gives a special Christmas story to the grandkids to help them love reading! yay for cool grandparents!






Louis and Dawna share a birthday, this is them showing their ages for this year (three and thirty!)

Cute couple!

What a great family!

Catching UP

Yes, I know it is 2009. I am having a hard time letting go of 2008. Ok, not really, but I hoped it would make everyone more understanding when I begin to whip out some pictures from THANKSGIVING. I just had such an amazing time in California this year. I have to include at least a few (ok, probably a heaping lot) of the pictures of our fabulously fun and stress-free trip!!!

Thanksgiving Day

Me and Super Snuggly Lawrence

He is so funny I can't stand it!

My wonderful Mom-in-law saved this puzzle during the game closet clean-out so I had a wonderful afternoon sitting and putting it together with help from each family member. I love puzzles!!!

Check out that crowd! It was so fun to be together with all the boys and have such a yummy spread of food!

Proof that I did in fact cook this holiday! I made ribbon jello as per Kaylee's request. It is a tradition I kept from my own mother. I love it, Kaylee likes it, and Charles could eat all of it by himself, and usually tries to!

Day after Thanksgiving

The crew at the Golden Gate Bridge. We went down to Rodeo Beach. I love the ocean and so do my kidlets.

Charles fell asleep right before we got to the Bridge. He woke up for the beach, though!

Before: 2002After: 2008
We had to borrow Dawna since Charles was sleeping. We tried to steal her and her brother, but the parent's wouldn't have it. Whatever!

My crazy Kaylee trying to get in the water. It was pretty warm, considering we're from Logan, Utah, but still a bit too cold for swimming.


My crazy Charles was throwing a fit because I wouldn't let him take his coat and shirt and pants off. Finally I decided to give in and just blog it. It's pretty funny. He finally decided it was too cold and put his shirt and coat back on.

After the beach we were driving to San Francisco and Charles saw this car and yells, "Hey look, mom!!! It's Andrew!!!" Andrew is his best friend. He was very disappointed to learn that it was not Andrew.

Before: 2002

After: 2008.... They have done some MAJOR remodeling. It is a really cool shop now. But I do miss eating outside. Some of my favorite memories of California involve food. Namely: Al's Donut's, a chinese place that I think I pronouce right, but I can't spell.... Tao Sin Gin???? (That's what it sorta sounds like anyhow.), and Boudin's!!! Oh there is nothing so yummy as clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl on the pier! And I don't even like sourdough! Wow!

Thanks to Uncle Weston for treating us!

Before:

Thanksgiving 2002

After:

Thanksgiving 2008

After Boudin's we went to the Aquarium. They have added a few things. My kids loved it! I had a lot of fun, too. We came here once before, when I was pregnant with Kaylee. Actually, it is the only other time we have been in California for Thanksgiving. It was six years ago!!! Wow~

Charles really liked this display. It showed a shark attack a camera on a surfboard!

Charles and Dawna

This was a cool display of "Finding Nemo" They had all the fish!

Dawna and Danielle

This is the petting zoo portion. There was a sting ray that was going crazy and splashing the kids! It was pretty funny.

And of course, we ended the day with family pictures at the HUGE tree!

Before:2002

After: 2008

It was a wonderful vacation, and this is only two days of it!!! I have so many more pictures... but they will have to wait some more. This blogging stuff takes a long time when you are documenting and not just venting or writing thoughts!

Sweet Giveaway!

I just found an awesome giveaway from my cousin, Elena's blog. It's here:http://sunshineandlemonade.blogspot.com/

A Walk to Remember

This being the first day of the year, I resolved to start exercising again. I didn't want to throw my body into shock, so I decided on a real cushy goal. Twenty minutes each day of some form of exercise. This way I can really do it EVERY day, even Sundays. Our family usually goes on a walk together on Sundays and I will keep myself moving, even slowly as it is, during the ENTIRE year. Today, we bundled up (it really was pretty warm minus the wind) and went for more than twenty minutes! Yay for a perfect day of goal keeping. As we walked I somehow got behind everyone else. I looked up and almost fell over, and not because of the ice. There was Kaylee running along climbing over every hill of snow and Charles stopping every few feet to grab a snowball. They were HUGE! I know they don't eat many veggies, so how on earth did they get so big and tall??? It almost brought tears to my eyes to look and see my babies, and realize that they are so grown up. I felt robbed. Where was Father Time anyway? Probably hiding somewhere so he didn't have to face me and tell me what he had done. He stepped right in and stole those precious years away from me!!! What right does he have to do that?!?!
Oh, wait! Here he comes with his defense.... "But, I thought that's what you WANTED! How often did we all hear you tell us that you wished they were older? Bigger? Better able to entertain themselves, to take care of themselves? I did you a favor! You should be THANKING me!!!" He's right, you know. I did say all of those things. I wished for it. Life has a funny way of giving you just what you want, right as you realize you don't want what you thought. What would I give to have my kids be babies again. Only for a moment. To hold them as brand new precious, perfect infants fresh from Heaven. That is one of the most inspiring feelings in the world. I've never felt more capable of being a good mom. I would tell myself there is no way in the world I could ever be mad at this perfect little being. If only I could remember that when that perfect little being is wiping peanut butter on my pants, or spilling milk across my freshly scrubbed floor. Or fighting with her brother, or telling me they hate me.... I must suffer from short-term memory loss. As much as I long to have them small and swaddled in my arms again, I admit that I am so excited to watch them keep growing. They are doing so many fun things and learning so much. Kaylee is beginning to read! Charles is going to go to preschool in the fall! I don't want to stop any of that. I guess you can't have your kids and raise them too. You have to let them grow up and just savor each moment as it happens. I wish I'd had my camera to catch the view I had. A tall, slender, almost six year old girl walking with her tall, stocky three and a half year old brother. What a walk to remember.