"JKC" Herbert

Christmas 09'

2010-01-05T14:45:00.000-08:00

We are thankful to live local which gives us the opportunity to see lots of family for the holidays. This year we were at 5 different locations starting at our house and ending at my Dad's. Here are a couple pictures to represent our day of celebration:

Here is Caleb more excited about the letters ' g a p' than the clothes inside it. Although I really liked it!

Here is Jared sporting his leg lamp replica from "The Christmas Story" movie from the 80's.

Caleb stuffing paper in his shirt.
Here is the Greene Family at their house in Merced

Here is a video from Christmas at my Dad's house:

Thanksgiving 09' - Herbert Family

2009-12-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

This year two more babies were added to the clan!

Molly & Caleb meetGreene family - this is Riley

Two yearly family traditions: farkle (above) and this years football team.

Thanksgiving 09' - Young Family

2009-12-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

Instead of doing one big post with both families I am going to separate them - Here are some pictures from my family on Thanksgiving day:

Boys playing video games
Ladies chattin' it upmen watching football in the garage

We had some excellent food and great company! Thanks for hosting us!

Caleb "reading"

2009-11-20T22:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a video with Caleb reciting the dr. suess ABC's book. Although he has not yet learned how to read, he has learned the sound of his letters and is starting to build words thanks to LeapFrog.

Big Fresno Fair

2009-10-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

Last week Caleb and I went to the fair twice! The first time with Mimi (forgot to bring the camera) and the second time with Jared with complimentary tickets from McCaffrey. Here are some pic's of our time there:

They have an amazing section of the fair just for kids, here they are in front of the pirate ship:

Another play set in the same area:

And of course, the famous fair food. This is the side of the "Chicken Charlie" booth with the following deep fried foods: oreo's, zucchini weeni, frog legs, sliders, avocado's and twinkies!(No we did not buy food there.)

Caleb's 3rd birthday party

2009-10-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

We started the day watching the 'cars' movie while we prepared the birthday scene in hopeful expectations of our guests. Our menu was the classic Italian panini and pb&j for the kids. We had a great lunch, cupcakes for dessert and then opened presents.

Singing the Happy Birthday song:
The celebratory cupcake!
All the boys very excited about what is in the box!

Time for clean up!We had a fun day and thanks to all who came to make Caleb's 3rd birthday a great one!

Racing

2009-09-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

That is all Caleb talks about these days. In fact, a couple nights ago, he was dreaming about it b/c I heard him talk in his sleep about racing. Last weekend we went out to the track in Atwater to support my nephews, Lamoni and Ammon. They started off the morning with the trophy presentation from the previous race. In this picture, Ammon is in 1st place and Lamoni is in 2nd, you can't get much better than that!After two practices, qualifying and a heat the race started. Here they are 2nd and 4th:

Close up of Lamoni:

Close up of Ammon:

"Little Pea"

2009-09-23T15:55:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of Caleb "reading" Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, a really cute book that Mimi bought him from Anthropology a couple years ago. See it here. Warning - this is a long video.

Tricycle

2009-09-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

Last week we received an early birthday present from G&G Cookie, Caleb's first tricycle:

Vegas Baby!

2009-08-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

Last week Jared need to be in Vegas for a trade show so I had the chance to pop on over and stay for a few days while he was working. I am so thankful for Mimi, who watched Caleb while I went to Sin City! I had been there about 6 years ago for Sarah's bachellorette party so quite a few things had changed. Most of my time there was by myself since Jared was there working so I set on foot to discover all the strip had to offer. I came back with wide eyes and sore feet! My favorite hotel had to be the Wynn hands down. There was so much color in their decor and they had fabulous water features. Here are a couple pictures of the Wynn inside and out:

This beautiful waterfall is displayed on the left hand side before you enter the hotel/casino.

Floor of the Wynn

Indoor courtyard

We also had the chance to eat dessert at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant in Paris.
and see the Bellagio water show from where we were eating:

Matt & Ashley Shillito's wedding

2009-08-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we were honored to celebrate with the Shillito's and witness a beautful ceremony as they pledged their vows to one another. The celebration was held in Newport Beach at the Island Hotel and St. Marks Presbyterian Church. We had a great time catching up with friends and meeting new ones. Most pictures are posted on FB, but here I wanted to post the pictures of what the hotel did to celebrate Caleb, it was pretty fun.This was on the tub, his name spelled out with multi color sponges.
This was on the desk. The plate is full of a yummy treat, it was a tic tac toe game and m & m's. So much fun, what a treat!!

Cousins

2009-07-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to Atwater (my home town) to pick up my cousins for a couple days of adventure, work and FUN. On Thursday I picked them up and we made our way to whole paycheck I mean whole foods, where we purchased some lunch and a $6 vanilla bean. Alton Brown has this amazing vanilla ice cream recipe which required the bean, it was SO YUMMY! On Friday we went to boomers where Katelyn beat her brother and I at miniature golf (she was flawless on the first 9). After that we went on the bumper boats desperate to survive the 109 degree weather, Katelyn and I shared a boat and these little boys kept getting us wet, then I dropped my glasses in the yucky water at the end of the ride. Here is a picture after we were dry, hydrated and fed right before we left.
On Saturday we made our way to Bass Lake to do some hiking. Caleb really seemed to enjoy himself which made us all happy, here is a picture of them in the water.

Caleb McQueen

2009-07-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

Last week Caleb came up to me and and whispered, "I am speed". It was priceless! Of course you can't mimic those things for the camera but here is out best shot:

btw - thanks to my cousin Nick for the editing!

Edible Cookie Dough Recipe

2009-07-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

As most of us know, cookie dough is so yummy to eat but not the best idea due to the raw egg mixed in. Here is a recipe w/o the egg and it tastes oh so good. Make sure to have a glass of milk nearby. Also, you might want to half the recipe for those of you who will not get any help eating it.

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter -- softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a small bowl, mix flour, soda and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter with sugars; mix in milk and vanilla. Gradually blend in flour mixture; stir in chocolate chips.

Now grab a spoon and dig in! Store remainder in refrigerator or freeze in blobs for a fun treat later.

July 4th celebration

2009-07-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the USA's 233rd birthday we were able to gather together with family to play and feast! Caleb really enjoyed spending time with his cousins (once removed), Jessika and Jeremiah.He was also introduced to croquet (which he called golf for the first half of the day).
We tried doing fireworks at the end of the day but Caleb was not a huge fan of the loud ones so he watched from inside the house. Here is a picture of most of us...
Hope you all had a great 4th of July!

He sleeps

2009-06-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

Some of you may be aware of the drama that is getting Caleb to sleep. I will spare you the long list of reasons why and just give you the recent run down. Yesterday for nap time Caleb decided to mess up his blinds and climb on his bookshelf to take the decorate pillows off the wall. Today however, he asked if he could sleep in "dada's" bed. I normally say no and put him down in his bed, but today I figured I would give it a try. I told him that if he got up that I would put him down in his bed and to my surprise...

Anderson's visit

2009-06-17T22:23:00.001-07:00

There are times when I miss my friends so much that my heart aches to see them! This is why we are so thankful we had the opportunity to host the Anderson's this weekend. What a joy! Each one of them is such a blessing to us.
Caleb and Parker hit it off (this is the first time they met). Caleb was giving Parker hugs and they were "communicating" by screaming. Parker would squel/scream and Caleb would bust up laughing and scream back.The McAvoy's also came down to see everyone and celebrate my birthday. Mark made "camp" donuts for us. For some reason instead of a cake I wanted some home made donuts - they were good but they didn't taste the same as my mom's recipe (of course that was a long time ago!).
We went to our local Zoo where Sarah got us both in free! It was only $2 to feed the girafees so she took the opportunity while we looked on. Did you see how long the tongue is? It was interesting how the girafee starting to linger around the feeding spot just mintues before feeding time began. We had such a great time but they still aren't anxious to move to Fresno anytime soon. Oh well, we'll keep trying!

What is the word I am looking for?...

2009-06-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

An Oxymoron?

Bugs

2009-06-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know...I have issues with them. So does Caleb apparently but we are praying that it is just a phase. So tonight after Caleb went to bed I rushed outside to use whatever day light I had left to spray the perimeter of our house for bugs. They just broke ground on the houses next to us so I noticed more "activity" lately. I sprayed the fence line and the perimeter of the house. While I was finishing up at the front of the house I noticed a significant spider web and sure enough a large black spider started booking it up the wall of our house heading towards a window. So I started blasting it as close as I could for as long as I could for a VERY long time. It finally died...I think. The whole time I was thinking, "I should just go get some Windex to kill this thing". So here is my question everyone....this is the spray I used. Should I have expected it to kill "on contact" or does it die later? Either way I need some advice. Let me know what your experience has been.

Ever Inspired Re-Launch

2009-05-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

Yep! I am at it again! Take a look at my new redesigned website, this time with a shopping cart! Check it out here.
Thanks!

Harris? Helix? Heather? Hope?

2009-05-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

So far these are our suggests for the naming of our new neighbor...Jared noticed this humming bird dutifully sitting on it's nest most of today. We are hoping he/she will be around for a while so we thought we should name it. Any name suggestions you would like to share?

meet "greeb"

2009-05-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

Media Center

2009-05-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the media center Jared and my Dad installed on Saturday. This was a team project with my Dad and my uncle Dave. We are fortunate to have such skilled craftsman who were willing to put this together for us, not only did we save $$ but we ended up with a better product.The cabinet doors are self closing and inside the right and left cabinets on the bottom there are pull out drawers. The top has a false back, the middle will fit our tv and the middle right our components. This picture does not do justice....you will have to come and see it for yourself :)

Moving In

2009-05-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

Wow - where do I start? We received our keys on Thursday at 1pm, here is a picture of us after we got the keys in the sales office, Caleb is about to sneeze.
When we walked in the door they had provided paper towels and softsoap for the kitchen and toilet papers in the bathrooms! I was very thankful.
We went to work right away painting the garage and Jared's office. Meanwhile, Jared and GGrandpa "Cookie" put up the garage door opener. I worked on sealing the large amount of tile in our house. GGrandma "Cookie" watched Caleb and feed him goldfish, she had to literally feed him b/c his hands were so dirty from playing in the dirt.Saturday was our moving day and we were grateful to have help!! Thanks to Mimi and Papa Jim, the McAvoy's, the Quaresma's, my dad and gg cookie!! We tried putting Caleb to work but that didn't help so we sedated him instead.Mark in all his glory...
Lunch time...Since then we have been franctically unpacking as much as we can, we are about half way. Jared finished putting up most of the window treatments and things are slowing coming together. So far there is only one room complete, the guest bathroom...Doesn't it look inviting, your own toothbrush holder and all! Come on down or up, hope to see you all soon! (but not too soon, unless you want to work :)

Day late and a dollar short

2009-04-29T23:12:00.000-07:00

Today at 5pm we were officially to become home owners...Wells Fargo had a different plan. I should say God had a different plan. So tonight instead of preparing our house for the boxes we are still in the boxes...

Castle completion

2009-04-18T22:45:00.001-07:00

With several days left to spare our house is complete and ready to move in. This Friday is our official "walk - thru" to make sure everything is correct and the following Wednesday we get our keys. So many logistics and so much excitement. Pray for us if you think of it as we transition to home ownership.

Easter 09

2009-04-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

We had a full fantastic day celebrating with family. First thing in the morning we made it for breakfast which is traditionally hard boiled eggs, oranges and cinnamon rolls at Mimi's house. Then we went to FPC with Jared's parents, then we quickly made our way to our church but only for the egg hunt and pictures with Easter bunny!

Apparently they had "golden eggs" that had gc for toys r us in them...I was searching frantically to no avail.

After that we prepared for Easter lunner (lunch/dinner) and had a great time celebrating with family.This video is of the day before after we dyed the eggs and also a couple clips of Easter.

Castle goes green

2009-04-10T15:01:00.001-07:00

Although it is energy star rated I was talking about the landscape. Also this week carpet was installed as well as toilets and sinks.
We could pretty much leave Caleb in the backyard full of dirt and he would not miss us. When we left he was crying and kicking and screaming...

Bertolli Oven Bake Meals

2009-04-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

I have seen a lot of commercials for this lately so while I was at the "normal" grocery store I picked some up and decided to try them. On the night that I had planned on making them I looked at the nutrition information....
Oh boy...there was no way I was eating that! Did you see the serving size? So I asked Jared if I could get rid of them and of course those of you who know Jared know that he said "no". A couple nights ago he ate the whole package! That's right folks...200% of his daily saturated fat intake in ONE meal. He said he was "taking one for the team". Thanks Honey!

Inside pics

2009-04-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I was able to "legally" enter the house to take some measurements for the window treatments and while I was there I was able to get some descent pictures of the inside.

Guest Room and bathroom

Let's hope this kitchen will somehow make me a better cook!

Master bathroom

As of today there are 24 days left until we receive our keys. I can hardly wait!

30 days

2009-03-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

until we are scheduled to receive the keys to our house! Most of the changes are inside now including all the tile for the bathrooms and floors, we go out there and take a peak a couple times a week. We have started to let Caleb know that this will be our new house and that we will be moving in a couple weeks and so far he is taking it fairly well:

Only the trained ear knows that he is saying "good shot", of course basketball is involved in everything, including packing.

The castle gets color

2009-03-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

The exterior and interior has now been painted! In this picture they are finishing up the roof tile as well. We just found out that our final walk through is scheduled for April 24th and we should get our keys on April 29th!

Caleb's new things

2009-03-17T22:07:00.000-07:00

1. Drums..

2. Guitars
3. Stop signs (he likes to touch/hit them)
4. His bird, he used to play with it and teeth on all the little sea toys that come with it when he was a baby.

Introducing Heirloom!

2009-03-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

Heirloom is the name of the card line being introduced by Ever Inspired. Help me out by giving me your vote as to which cards should make the cut by visiting here. THANK YOU!

More progress

2009-03-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

Wow - there was a lot done last week when we were in So Cal. Next week we get a garage and a front door!

Dani B. is engaged!

2009-03-01T20:18:00.000-08:00

Mike Christner proposed to Dani Borchansky yesterday afternoon in Vegas! Congrats Dani, we are all very excited for both of you!

House update

2009-03-01T15:52:00.000-08:00

Lots of great things have happened since my last post on the house.
#1. The price on the house was lowered so we were able to put all our upgrades into the mortgage, which means more cash on hand!
#2. We also found out that according to the construction manager it is very likely that our house will be completed by April 30th!
(ah hem...clear your schedules if you live nearby)

Here are the most recent pictures of the outside. Insulation should be installed on Monday and by Friday all the drywall will be complete.

I need a baby gate

2009-02-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

The bummer is that I thought I would be smart and save money by buying this for his bedroom door, attaching it to the outside so that I can lock it during his naps and sleeping at night. Unfortunately, it did not fit our door handle and did some significant door damage in the process of removal. There goes our deposit on the apartment. Not to mention that I now have a brand new lock that doesn't work and I still need a baby gate. Good times.

2 dressers in 3 days

2009-02-18T22:03:00.000-08:00

On Valentine's Day Caleb made his way to our bedroom and shut the door. Since it was approximately 15 after he had eaten I didn't worry much until..boom. Jared and I ran inside to find our dresser on the floor and Caleb half way under our bed. We think that he had pulled out all the drawers first and was somehow able to get out of the way in time. He was not injured at all, just surprised.
Two days later we go to visit some college friends of ours who just bought a house and are expecting their first baby. Although my friend, Merry, warned me that she was worried about Caleb in the room alone with a certain dresser I didn't take the warning and sure enough this one worse than the last. We ran in and of course there is blood and I am freaking out. He is actually okay just some skin torn away and a bruise on his nose.Also on Valentine's Day as he was running through the model homes he fell on the tile and busted his lips, more blood but is also healing nicely.
We are in a different stage and I obviously need to be more cautious!

World Ag Expo

2009-02-11T19:37:00.000-08:00

Today we visited the World Ag Expo which is the world's largest annual agricultural exhibition and it was quite LARGE. We walked (quickly) through the exhibition for 3 hours and still probably only viewed about 40% of the show. I was thankful to have my sister who came up from Modesto to help me out as Caleb switched from our arms, to the stroller, to the tractors and he even walked for a while holding our hands. Unfortunately the Velcro from his shoe constantly unsticking made it difficult for him to walk very long. My sister's husband does powder coating and had worked on several of the machines on display so it was neat to see his finished work there at the show. Here are some pictures:I have to say this was the nicest group of people I have ever seen. Everyone was so generous in helping us out as we worked the stroller through the wood chips as we chased Caleb around.

More Framing Pics

2009-02-09T14:22:00.000-08:00

Caleb's construction specialty....

2009-02-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

Destruction....

When Caleb asks you to "build" he actually means for you to build something while he goes off and does something else. In a couple minutes he comes back and destroys what you have made, which is the fun part for him. Someday he might actually build with them himself.

Concrete and Framing

2009-01-24T15:31:00.000-08:00

It's been so amazing to see our house take shape over the last few weeks. I am so fortunate and grateful for this experience. Here are some pictures of the progress:

Concrete/Foundation:
Framing begins:Starting to take shape:

Eczema

2009-01-21T22:08:00.000-08:00

It's official, the whole family now has eczema. Caleb visited the dr today and they put him on a topical steroid until it's under control. For the first time a couple days ago I noticed a little patch on my legs and Jared, well he has it too. Welcome to Fresno, eh?! Unfortunately, Caleb has the worst case and I feel so bad and I am surprised he doesn't itch more than he does.Poor Guy.

Batter boards, plumbing and concrete prep

2009-01-09T16:08:00.000-08:00

Lots of activity taking place this week on the house. I am partially ashamed to say that I went to the homesite 4 of the 5 days this week. Unfortunately I did not bring my camera every time, which is probably good b/c you would be so bored with the photo's.

This was Tuesday with the batter boards up and ready for plumbing install:This was Friday morning after the plumbing was installed. They also had made preparations for concrete with gravel, the vapor barrier and sand.

Octupus

2009-01-05T20:03:00.000-08:00

Caleb and I were playing with a puzzle from At. Georgette tonight and I was asking him what the different underwater animals were. Although he did not know most of them, he did know Octupus which was surprising to me since I don't remember going over that one. Of course I missed all the really funny pronunciations but I managed to get this video:

dirt don't hurt..

2009-01-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of the beginning construction on our house. I guess they still have some trenching to do before some of the plumbing goes in. Not sure what happens after that but I will update you with pictures as progress is made. Very Exciting!

Christmas video

2008-12-31T21:49:00.000-08:00

A little sneak peak of our Christmas at GG Cookie's house

Christmas 08'

2008-12-31T21:09:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Hope yours was spectacular. We had fun seeing family and friends now that we are local! Here are some pics from our adventures. Caleb enjoyed opening presents this year and he was sad when it was all over.
Playing by himself while everyone else is opening presents in the next room:
Here he is making a basket with his new bear bible.

Just in Case you can't remember...

2008-12-20T23:28:00.000-08:00

warning: you may want to turn down your volume.

Please pray for Lot 16

2008-12-14T22:15:00.000-08:00

this is the site we chose to have our Tuscan Castle built upon. Escrow will start this week and not end until the house is built 5-6 months from now. We are very excited about our new adventure and look forward to hosting lots of parties and guests in our new home.

Chicago with the McAvoy's

2008-12-09T17:08:00.000-08:00

This year we were fortunate to take a trip to Chicago with the McAvoy's. This year Jared did not have to go with Shimadzu for their annual RSNA show and although he was thankful to be home with his family on Thanksgiving he was bummed to not have the chance to enjoy the weather and Harry Caray's. We arrived late Friday night and stayed until late on Monday. It was filled with lots of snow, rain, freezing temperatures and lots of adventures. Chicago is such an amazing city and we were thankful to have a chance to visit again.
The "bean" with snow on top
View from the John Hancock building
Us at Harrey Caray's
The perfect snowflake on Sara's jacket

Thanksgiving 08'

2008-11-30T22:50:00.000-08:00

We are thankful to be in Fresno as there was no travel unlike the previous several years! Thanksgiving day we spent with Mimi's side of the family. We played poker and ate lots of food. We enjoyed the company of aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents.

On Friday as is tradition we spent the time with Papa Jim's side of the family for a feast followed by football. During our feast Caleb decided he would flash everyone. This year was the first time I played football since Caleb was born and my body wasn't really prepared to say the least. I am still majorly suffering in soreness but I had a great time in the process.

Saturday we went to my dad's and spent some time out on the go cart track for the first time. I was really surprised by these "go carts" which are actually more like mini indy cars. They are really fast and can go up to 60 mph or more depending on the track and the car. Caleb did really well in all our adventures.

McCaffrey - Tuscan Castle

2008-11-22T22:03:00.000-08:00

YEAH BABY! - Sorry I am trying to stay objective!
Builder: McCaffrey
Name: Tuscan Castle
Square Feet: 1940
Price per square feet: $137
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3
Kitchen: granite, huge, same as below
Up front costs: $17,900

Kimmie's thoughts:
positive + negative: not a starter house & ditto everything from Victoria's Cottage

McCaffrey - Victoria's Cottage

2008-11-22T22:00:00.001-08:00

Builder: McCaffrey (local) http://www.mccaffreygroup.com/communities/index.cfm?community_id=82
Home Name: Victoria's Cottage
Square Feet: 1457
Price per square feet: $159
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Kitchen: Granite, tile and comes with all appliances minus the frig
Up front costs: $15,600

Kimmie's thoughts:
positive: It's almost like buying a custom home. They literally build it for you with several choices of materials to choose from and you design the flooring just the way you want it. Pre-wired for just about everything, concrete tile roof, tankless water heater, super windows (they only let in approximately 30% of the UV rays), HVAC system and fiber optics.
negative: We would be paying for all the upgrades on the flooring, etc. We would have no money left for contingencies.

House Hunting (Lennar - Harvard)

2008-11-22T21:16:00.000-08:00

As some may know we are so thankful to start the house hunting process! Yeah! Although we have looked at both resale and new homes we are sticking to the new ones. I apologize in advance for the video quality. I am using my regular camera and I was afraid to run out of space on my card so I tended to go by quickly through the homes and it is a bit dizzying. We need your help: give your advice and tips as we look at these homes! PLEASE!
The stats will proceed each video so here goes!

Builder: Lennar (national company) http://www.lennar.com/New-Homes/California/Fresno/Heritage-Park
Home Name: Harvard
Square Feet: 1872
Price per square feet: $117
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2
Kitchen: granite, includes all appliances, tile on floor
Up front costs: $3500

Kimmie's thoughts:
positive: move into a new house in the matter of a month and still have money in savings
negative: small backyard, there is nothing that we have chosen in the house.

Dope Wars Alternative...

2008-11-18T23:10:00.000-08:00

http://disney.go.com/dxd/index.html?channel=108602

For all you dope wars addicts out there, here is challenging game testing your entrepreneurial skills. This was probably the easiest and most enjoyable assignment from the entrepreneurship class I just finished. My first round playing I lost $, let's see how you do!

Ever Inspired's Blog

2008-11-17T15:50:00.000-08:00

Stop by for new designs and great finds!

http://everinspiredblog.blogspot.com/

Caleb counting

2008-11-13T20:34:00.000-08:00

We were gone in Torrance this week. Caleb and I joined Jared as he went back down there to work. It was a good trip and we were happy to see our friends but I am thankful to be back. On one of the nights while we were giving Caleb a bath he started counting the stars on his robe.

My favorite number is "eleven" how about you?

Small Business Enterprenuership

2008-11-05T23:06:00.000-08:00

that is the name of the online class I am taking. I thought it would be a good thing to ground myself in basic knowledge as I start out on this journey. So far so good until last week. Our assignment was on finances. Previously I have always liked working with numbers as it pertains to money and to be honest I have been kinda cocky about my knowledge in it. Last week I realized, I really don't like it AND I know nothing. Sometimes I even thought I might like to be an accountant or work for the IRS. NOPE. Not after last week, real life requires math equations! So there goes one skill I thought I had in the bag...guess I will have to find a new one to balance out this one woman show.

October Birthday's

2008-11-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

Warning: It's long and mostly of Caleb!

Ever Inspired's First Boutique

2008-11-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

Earlier today my gracious mom in law hosted a boutique and invited all her friends to come. I have been preparing for several weeks now in anticipation of the event. Several people came and some even bought some cards from me! Very exciting! It was a great opportunity to get my name out there and spend some more time getting to know her friends. Sorry! I forgot my camera so no pics! Hopefully next time, if there is a next time! Thanks M.I.L and everyone who helped make it happen!

What would you do with a million dollars?

2008-10-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

While we were eating McDonald's for dinner and playing the Monopoly game we asked each other the question what would you do with a million dollars?

To my surprise we both answered the same way:
1. Consult a tax attorney that specializes in large sum winnings
2. Tithe
3. Buy a house (cash) here in Fresno
4. Pay off our Rav4
5. Sell our Mazda and buy a Camry
6. Go on Vacation (maybe Europe?)
7. Save the rest

(8. I added that I would put Caleb in a 2nd language course, to which Jared asked "how much is that anyway??")

Good to know we are on the same page, now all we need to do is win! Hope my expanding waistline can hold up to the challenge! :)

How about you guys? What would you do with a million dollars?

Official Launch!

2008-10-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

Since this is my personal blog I can share with you the joys and frustrations of making my own website.Those of you who know me are aware that I am not a "techy" person and I never wanted to build my own website but had to due to the lack of capital for my business. One of the most frustrating aspects is expectations, that fight between what I think is a good website as a user and what in reality I have the skill level and resources to actually produce, do you know what I mean? I know the website needs to be better but this is all I can do for now. So without further ado check it out: everinspired.com.
If you are reading this you probably already recieved my official lauch email but if you didn't, sign up here and I will add you to my list!
Thanks!

Oh no!

2008-10-20T22:00:00.001-07:00

That is what Sarah Anderson is saying in response to this photo. Some of you may share her grimace and some will just laugh but I had to do it!

Long live the Mac

2008-10-15T16:14:00.001-07:00

This is a perfect little indention of my battery charger on my chase lounge that I sit at everyday. These days I have been spending many hours with my mac and I have to say that I love it. I know I am barely tapping into the possibilities but I love it and I am so thankful for it.
sidebar: I am not trying to portray anything negative about other computers, I just really like mine.

Birthday Celebration

2008-10-13T14:59:00.001-07:00

We had a great time with 20 people - wow - Caleb can pull a crowd!He really enjoyed opening his gifts and playing with his cousins.

Caleb's birthday today!

2008-10-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

In honor of his birthday I will post a few photos you haven't seen and give you a break down of a few of his favorites!

These days he likes all things veggie (not the kind you eat!) as well as basketball, soccer, and anything with dada or papa. He likes black beans, cereal (Raisin Nut Bran), hummus and chips. He also enjoys the occasional starbucks and mcdonalds. He LOVES all things electronics and things that have buttons to push. He is very opinionated, especially about his shoes! Stay tuned for pictures from his bday celebration this weekend at Mimi's!

Etsy

2008-10-08T00:23:00.000-07:00

I just opened an Etsy account. I am anxious to get started and thought it would be good practice for me and a chance to gain some feedback. I still have a lot of work to do and so many things to learn but here is a preview of things to come:

e verinspired.etsy.com

Chico Fun!

2008-10-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

Right after my trip to Portland, "Mimi", Caleb and I took a trip to Chico. Although it was a long drive we were greeted warmly by our cousins and aunt. I was surprised how well Caleb slept while we were there, it was his best trip. Although the mosquitoes were affluent somehow were came back unscathed from it all! Here is a couple pics and video from our trip.

Anderson's in Portland

2008-09-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

As you may remember some of my best friends just had their first baby. Baby Parker is now 6 weeks old and doing very well. It is a weird feeling not being the responsible one all the time. Kinda nice actually then you can try and help others. He is absolutely adorable! I had great food and great company. We had a great visit and I miss them already.

Caleb clapping

2008-09-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

Someone should tell him that he isn't the center of the universe.

5 things I miss about LB

2008-09-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

1. friends...duh
2. weather...duh
3. the water! the well water here is terrible tasting.
4. the postal people
5. downtown disney

Introducing

2008-09-09T13:28:00.001-07:00

Grandpa & Grandma "puff"

Whose laugh is more contagious? Carrie or Caleb?

For those of you who are wondering...

2008-09-08T15:11:00.000-07:00

how things are going so far here in Fresno.
Caleb is adjusting, sometimes we have nap issues but for the most part he is doing well. He loves hanging out with his family all the time but misses his friends still.
I am doing well. When Caleb is sleeping I am really busy working either for Nick, or working on my online class. Besides of course the obvious house fun. But when Caleb is awake we can get bored easily we are still trying to make some friends.
Jared is REALLY busy. Working full time from home and going to school two nights a week and homework, he has a full schedule.

Haircuts Needed

2008-08-30T13:04:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately the lovely lady who we planned to cut our hair while in Fresno is now in a little town in Arizona. We badly need family haircuts:

YUMMY

2008-08-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

We live really close to a drive thru startbucks!! I think it is quite an accomplishment that we have only been there once so far this week.

Move to Fresno

2008-08-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks to so many of our dear friends and family we made it.
Friday morning we were thankful to have Rachael watch Caleb while Christina, Randy, Uncle Bill, Jared and I loaded up the moving truck. It was amazing how fast we went.
While I left to get Mr. Caleb and some lunch they were finishing up squeezing our last items in the truck. Then Jared realized that we still had our garage to empty! Ouch. Thankfully we were able to secure Mike's dad's truck to fit the rest. Caleb LOVED the moving truck:
Saturday came and we thought it would be easy. Finishing packing the rest and say our goodbyes to our next door neighbor. We woke up and got some great breakfast burritos from Nicks (Main St. in Seal Beach). There were six of us: Mike, Dani, the McAvoys, and Jared and I and somehow it still was next to impossible to leave by noon! Of course the flat tire on the truck didn't help either. Five vehicles start down the path to the Valley. Here is a pick of Caleb sleeping on the way here.
It was a long day. Thankfully we had a lot of help here in Fresno to unpack as well. After an early dinner we all started unloading and a couple hours later some of us were a little tired.
Well we still have lots of things to figure out here and once we get things in a spot I will give you a tour of our new place. Until then!
P.S. A BIG THANK YOU to all of you who helped, could not have done it without you!

Beginning of the end...

2008-08-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

The long awaited days of packing are here. Many of you know that I have wanted to move out of this apartment a couple weeks after I got here. I thought I would practically be whistling a tune but really I am just peaceful; content to have made it thus far in this place and hopeful for what is next.
Anyway, thanks to Christina and our life group and others we are almost there:

Meet Parker Anderson

2008-08-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not know, our dear friends the Anderson's just had their first son. His name is Parker Anderson. He came into the world 8 days past his due date at 8lb 4oz and 21 inches long. Welcome to existence and we can't wait to meet you!

My new background

2008-08-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

I really like this picture. It was taken a couple of weeks ago when we were searching for a place to live in Fresno. It gives you a hint of his destructive behavior lately.

Jared's new toy

2008-08-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

Jared gets this...
and I get to donate his old large cd player!

Our new apt home

2008-08-06T23:47:00.000-07:00

Check out our new place starting August 23rd:
http://casadelunaapts.com/modeltour.html

The News

2008-07-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was kinda crazy. Jared was suppose to have a decision and leave the state all within a couple hours. Unfortunately they will only allow Jared to work remotely until they find his replacement :( . We are hoping this will take several months and then they will realize that it's working out and not find a replacement. So we decided to take our chances and pay the registration and tuition fees for Fresno State only to find out that there was a GRANT that neither of us were aware of. When we got the paper financial aid "award" in the mail we only qualified for unsubsidized loans, so thanks for hooking us up Jesus! So we are going to Fresno although it is certainly not like we had pictured it we hope things will work out. Thanks for your prayers on our behalf. We will miss our friends here and our church.

Kinda random...

2008-07-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

It's a weird feeling when the car you actually own is better than your rental. I never thought this would be true as it has always been a treat to rent a car. In our garage is sitting a 2007 Toyota Camry with 28K miles and a "lived in" interior. I have yet to meet a Toyota that has disappointed and this is no different, I love the car, but I LOVE mine even more. Get better RAV!

SF & Renegade Craft Fair

2008-07-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago my friend Sara and I met in SF and attended the Renegade Craft Fair. I was glad I attended but wish it wasn't so expensive, I was definitely the only one there scoping it out - everyone else was local. It ended up being a really great trip tho because Sara and I had lots of fun exploring SF. Here is a pic of us about to get on the #30 bus to Fisherman's wharf. (It was Sara's first bus experience).We went to Alioto's for dinner, it was scrumptious!We stayed at the La Luna Inn, Tim was the best!
The next day we drove the crooked road and shopped at Union Square and came across the place where we will stay next time!Lots of fun and Sara did a great job of driving!

YUCK!

2008-07-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

**(weak stomachs beware)**

Jared came home Wednesday afternoon shortly after Caleb had just thrown up for the first time. I was so surprised I didn't know what to do, he was crying, standing still in yuck and I was cleaning up the couch. Thankfully when Jared got home he cleaned up Caleb. Unfortunately this was only the first of our woes. An hour later it was my turn. Caleb was taken to the ER where he sat throwing up in Daddy's arms waiting for hours to be seen, then finally given a shot. I was at home worried for him but busy occupying our bathroom at the same rate as Caleb. Thanks to Dani & Mike who came over that night and split the boys and girls so we wouldn't have to be alone during such chaos.
This has been our goal since then, to get Caleb to drink something, here are his selections:

From left to Right: OJ/water, water, pedialite, vitamin water w/potassium.
Since then we have gotten really creative and mixed all of these anything to get him to drink.
Here is our $100 investment to save our carpet, couches and stomachs:

Oye, Lord please let this be over soon!

Update

2008-07-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

First of all thank you for your prayers and thoughts concerning us and the decisions that face us. As of today, we still don't have any new information. We are waiting to find out if Jared's current job will let him work remotely therefore allowing us to move to Fresno. Although he sounds like he is choosing Fresno State we still do not know his job situation and therefore have no way of planning. Just wanted to give you and update and continue to ask for prayer. Fresno State Fall semester starts Aug 25th. Thanks.

New Seat?

2008-07-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

Apparently the new chair we got for Caleb is not good enough, he wants seats closer to the "action".

Caleb in the bath

2008-07-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

Mother's Beach

2008-06-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was a good day. Caleb loved Mother's Beach. He ran right into the water which I was surprised since he hasn't done well with swimming pools lately. We went with our little mom's group. In this picture is Rachael and her daughter Hallie in the middle, Elliot (Whitney his mom is taking the picture) on the left and Caleb and I on the right. Fun day!

5 Things you may/may not know about me on my bday...

2008-06-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

1. We have red couches - I think they are fun!
2. I can't shave without cutting myself - don't know why.
3. I love my mother in law (and all other in laws for that matter)!
4. Organized in almost all other areas of my life except for my closet, not sure why.
5. I really don't mind doing laundry.

Well that's it! Hope you have a great weekend and stay out of the heat!

Need a laugh?

2008-06-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

Ode to Jared

2008-06-15T14:33:00.001-07:00

Tape + Utility Knife + Cardboard box = House for Caleb and Larry!My husband rocks! Happy Father's Day Jared!

Sarah's baby shower and visit

2008-06-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Was beautiful and FUN!
This is Sarah's family:Our host was great and so was the food! YUM!
We designed our own onesies and played some fun games.
____________________________________________________________
We had the honor of hosting the Anderson's for a couple of days during their visit. I was very fortunate to spend some great times with them. Here is a pic of Caleb, Adam and Sarah:
Here is Caleb climbing the ceiling with Adam's help:

Grad School for Jared

2008-06-02T11:52:00.001-07:00

For those of you who are not aware Jared has applied and been accepted to both graduate schools for Electrical Engineering. Please join us in prayer as we decide which one he should attend:

My first car accident

2008-06-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

Don't worry we are OK! It was minor and for that I am thankful. For a while I prided myself on my perfect record, 11 years of driving with no tickets or accidents. No more. I was rear-ended while merging on one of the traffic signals from the 105W to the 405 S. Thankfully I was the last car hit and I didn't hit anyone else in front of me so I had the least amount of impact and damage:

Jared's dreams come true...

2008-05-27T11:02:00.001-07:00

Veggies beware...

Word of the Week (no more)

2008-05-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well, some of you may be wondering what happened to the "word of the week" well - it's good news. Lately its been like word of the day. The other day he added three new words. His vocab is developing so quickly I almost want to put him in a second language class. Here is a quick and dirty list of some of his new words:
1. truck
2. ball
3. row
4. bible
5. eat
6. high chair
7. happy
8. apple
9. elbow
10. baby (which means belly)
11. beach
12. balloon
13. hop
14. dog
15. go
16. mini
17. Adam
18. Dani
19. walk

Ever Inspired Logo's

2008-05-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! STOP - LOOK - COMMENT!
Here are some logo's ideas my cousin came up with so far. Please take a gander and let me know which one you like best and why - thank you in advance for your comments!
Please keep in mind that the colors can be changed, so if you like the logo's but not the colors I would love to hear that as well. Thanks so much!