Keyser Family

Shopping Outings and the Sickies

2012-02-02T03:48:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning the kids and I got up and ready for the day while we waited to return home from his business trip. Once he was home and changed we headed out for lunch at Mos Burger and shopping for household items, specifically curtains. Kurt's coworker told him about the "big box" store Nitori, that had some good prices and variety. The closest store is on a close-by man made island, Odaiba,...so off we were on our little adventure.

We actually teleported there. lol (see picture above)

Since we were on a shopping mission, we didn't have much time to see everything Odaiba had to offer, but we can always go back. Pictured behind Kurt and the kids is one of the world's largest ferris wheels.

We mainly hung out inside "Venus Fort" - a huge shopping mall decorated in the style of a 18th century South European town.

The bottom floor was more a family friendly area - the store we needed to go to was there along with a Sanrio (Hello Kitty) store, arcade, etc.

The main floor had tons of high-end fashion stores and fancy restaurants, while the top floor had a few outlets...including a Levis Outlet which I found interesting.

Logan inside the mall. The ceiling actually changed and got darker as the sun started going down.

Kelsie at Hello Kitty's Kauai Paradise

We found a Lego store! Logan was in heaven. We broke down and bought him a small Star Wars Lego set since he's been without most of his toys for quite some time.

While at Nitori we were able to purchase curtains for our living room and all 3 bedrooms, a large living room rug, a clothes drying rack, dishwashing tub for our sink (we just have one large sink, not divided), hangers, a paper towel holder, soap pumps, laundry basket and organizer, etc. The prices were great for Japan and the items seemed like high quality, so we were very happy.

Monday we had to venture back to Ikea. When our order came last week one of the couch covers that arrived was floral...not what we ordered. So we exchanged the cover and bought pretty much the last of the house items we need (besides those in our shipping container).

So this is what our living/dining room looks like for now. The rest of our shipping items will be arriving on Saturday morning. Thank goodness! My back has been dying since I've been on an air mattress since the beginning of January (minus the week we were in the hotel).

So now that we're somewhat settled of course the kids are totally sick. We've all been semi-sick with minor colds since we arrived, but Tuesday night a stomach bug arrived. :( Kelsie puked all night and all the next day. She was able to keep her dinner down tonight - her first meal in almost 2 days. We thought maybe something she ate at a Chinese restaurant or some fish Kurt made her for breakfast made her sick...until Logan started throwing up this morning. Ugh. And of course it had to coincide with one of Kurt's business trips. He's been in Osaka today and will be in Nagoya tomorrow. I'm really hoping Logan gets a good night sleep and will be on the mend by morning...but we'll see.

btw Also thought I'd show Logan's numbering skills. He woke up from naptime yesterday before Kelsie and left his Nintendo DS in the room with Kelsie. Since she was so sick, I told him he couldn't bother her and had to find something else to do...and this is what he came up with. :)

23 weeks

2012-01-27T03:38:00.000-08:00

Life has been so hectic lately that I haven't had much time to think about my pregnancy. Every so often I check an app on my phone for random baby facts and show the kids what the baby looks like. But truthfully, this pregnancy is flying by. I assume I won't feel that way during the third trimester with both kids in yochien but for now I'm enjoying it.

I'm starting to look pregnant more and more, rather than just fat...which I guess is a good thing. I'm also hoping that our shipping container gets here quickly because some of the clothes I packed aren't fitting as well as when we left.

Overall, I'm excited for this little one to join our family. She may be our last one, so I'm just trying to enjoy things as they come. I've started feeling her move A LOT lately, mainly first thing in the morning and at night. Kurt actually was able to feel her move to the other night. I always like when he can be a part of things too.

Hopefully I'll have another pregnancy update as soon as we get the doctor/insurance info worked out. A girl from my branch has BCBS too, but the doctors she suggested aren't on my approved list so I need to still work things out.

Current State

2012-01-24T20:38:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to report that I'm am blogging from the comfort of a new couch. :)

Eight members from our new branch came over last night and assembled 2 couches, tv stand, the kitchen table, 6 chairs, a bunk bed, and Kurt's office desk. They were amazing. All that Kurt has left to do is assemble a shelving unit/bookcase. I'm sure he'll be in a good mood when he gets home tonight as sees the progress that has been made. I even cut up all of the cardboard boxes for him this morning so we can send them to the trash, on the appropriate day of course. If you thought sorting trash at our house in California was complicated, the Japanese take it to an entirely new level. We have 3 different trash pick up days. 1. Burnable trash, 2. Non-burnable trash, 3. Recyclable trash. I guess they also pick up large items once a month. I still have to figure out which day is which...so we have trash piles everywhere. lol

This week we're just in survival mode as I like to put it, until Kurt gets home. He'll be home briefly tonight just in time to hook-up our new washer that should be arriving today. Hopefully there won't be any hiccups because I need to wash laundry for him take with him tomorrow.

We have been blessed immensely so far by members in our Branch. Rides, letting us borrow things, assembling furniture, food, etc. A member of the Relief Society Presidency came by yesterday and brought Costco tortilla chips and some homemade fudge. She returned a couple hours later with a mexican casserole for dinner and peanut butter and jelly. I stocked up on peanut better before we left, but alas its in the shipping container along with everything else I need...

Last night the Exec Secretary came over to help assemble furniture and brought with him a bag of goodies -- Trader Joes Shells and Cheddar, Frosted Mini-wheats, and chocolate covered pretzels.
Another Sister has given us numerous rides, including a ride to Costco, helped assemble furniture, and offered to wash our laundry (which I didn't need her to do).

Also, another RS sister has the same medical insurance as us and has delivered two babies here! She sent me an email with tons of info and doctors names to look into. She also sent some info about where to buy school supplies for the kids.

I have felt very welcomed and blessed since we moved in. It's definitely making the transition easier. We still miss everyone, but we're doing well...other than these stupid colds that don't seem to want to go away.

It's a Small World After All

2012-01-23T05:26:00.000-08:00

Sunday we attended our new English-speaking branch and thankfully received a very warm welcome. It's kind of funny that it's a branch when it is bigger than our Coyote Hills or San Lorenzo Valley Wards in California.

Anyways, during Sacrament meeting the Elders were asked to speak. One Elder in particular looked familiar ...Elder Horner from Heber City, Utah. :) Kurt's parents told us that a member from their ward was serving in our mission and he just happens to be serving in our branch for the time being. Small world...

Also, a member of our branch presidency is from El Dorado Hills (town next to where I grew up). My brother-in-law actually taught seminary to one of his sons. Small world...

Our Apartment

2012-01-23T05:17:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning we checked out of the Sheraton and moved everything over to our new apartment. We're slowly getting things put together. Our shipping container won't be here until the beginning of February, so we are trying to make due until then.

Behold our Craigslist fridge! It was the largest one I could find (at least used). A lot of the expats must be single or something because they all had dorm-size fridges.

Kurt and Kelsie measuring the windows for curtains. I have to wait to buy them until Kurt gets back from his business trip...hopefully sooner than later.

Our kitchen -- narrow, but I think it has just as much storage space as our kitchen in Union City. The washing machine will be to the left of the fridge (after its delivered on Wednesday).

Kids room. Eventually the bunk beds will be built and they'll have some sort of dresser for their clothes. The third bedroom looks just like this, but has a bigger closet. I don't have a picture of our bedroom, but its more than double the size of the kids - which is nice so Kurt will have room for his home office.

Lastly, the IKEA delivery men came today! I felt bad for the guys, they were sweating by the time they were done. Some guys from our ward will be coming over tomorrow night to help assemble most of it for me. Awesome right!?! My back is already thanking them. Eating dinner sitting on the floor pregnant is no fun. And I'm already dreaming of a couch to sit on.

Costco Day

2012-01-19T15:27:00.000-08:00

Thursday morning Sister Seibach (sister from El Dorado Hills...small world) was willing to drive us out to Costco. Huge help! After parking we headed inside the warehouse. We grabbed a cart and then took them on the cart escalators. Our Target in California was 2 story with escalators, but not like these ones! After rolling the cart on the wheels lock into place. It worked even with a fully loaded cart of groceries, etc.

While shopping we were really hoping to find a washing machine and some other small appliances while we were there.

The washer unfortunately wasn't the right size, and the smaller one was well small. Luckily Kurt was able to find a washer/dryer online and it will be delivered on Wednesday. One strange thing in Japanese is that most people don't have dryers at all. The hang all of their clothes out on the veranda or porch to dry. It still doesn't make sense to me because it seems like nothing would dry due to the high humidity, but Kurt assures me that it does. Weird. So, our washer/dryer is actually a 2-in-1. It washes a full load, and then is able to dry about half of it. This will be an interesting adjustment for me, especially with baby #3 coming in May.

Besides the washer we were able to find a microwave, a blow up mattress for us to sleep on, a blanket, bottled water, dryer sheets, cleaning wipes, vitamins, rice and a couple other things. We were limited on cash (due to ATM withdrawal limits) and didn't have a fridge yet so that really limited what we were able to purchase. However, I was very happy to find out that the Costco carried a lot of my favorite US Costco items including my favorite apple juice and raw tortillas. I will most definitely be making a trip back soon.

Whirlwind Wednesday

2012-01-18T14:41:00.000-08:00

Wednesday was by far our craziest day here. We left the hotel room before 8:30am and didn't get home until after 7:30pm with both kids in tow.

We had arranged to meet with a guy the lawyers contracted with at 8:45am to take care of the legal paperwork. We patiently waited for the hotel shuttle (which drops off at the closest train station) for quite some time before we noticed that the shuttle didn't start running until 10am! oops. So we took off running to meet the guy (really nice British guy who married a Japanese girl and has lived here for 9 years)...

First we had to register for our Gajin (Foreigner) cards at the local office in Ota-ku. (It was a lengthy train ride, but the nice guy let us talk his ear off about random questions we'd been having) The best way to describe a "ku" is a borough. (Think Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, etc in New York City). We live in Yukigaya-otsuka neighborhood, within Ota borough, in Tokyo, Japan. Make sense? Anyways, you have to have a Gajin card to do just about anything else in Japan. It has your name, picture, address, and how long you plan or allowed to stay in Japan (according to your Visa). We still have to go back and pick up our official cards, but they gave us temporary copies so I was able to get a phone.

Next after another train ride and bus ride we arrived at another government office to apply for re-entry Visas. These are needed (and expensive!) stamps for your passport to come and go out of the country. Our guide/helper (forgot his name...) said that the Japanese government was changing the process this summer and that if the kids and I wouldn't be travelling before then that we wouldn't need to purchases stamps for us...thank goodness!

Pheww....all of that was done in time for a late lunch at McDonalds.

Next on our list was to conquer Ikea. We originally asked to see if there was a member with a car who wouldn't mind driving us out to the store, but they let us know that there was a FREE shuttle from the Denen-chofu train station. Yes, Ikea has their very own shuttle to bus people to/from their store. Even better the Denen-chofu area is where the majority of the Europeans live in the Tokyo area. Smart people.

Funny Logan story-- ever since visiting the kids at the yochien Logan has been a lot more confident talking to strangers, even Japanese people, specifically kids. He asks Kurt how to say certain things and then tries to talk to them on the trains, buses, etc...very un-Japanese like. lol Anyways, on the bus ride to Ikea he sat by two little Japanese girls, ages 2 and 4. He tried talking to them for a while, until they fell asleep. :) (For those who know Logan, that kid can talk!) After they fell asleep he started talking to their mom. She had said a few words to him in English so he assumed she was fluent...for the next 30 minutes he talked her ear off about Star Wars. lol She did a lot of smiling, nodding, and chuckling.

We finally arrived at Ikea!!! We thought it wouldn't take us that long because we had totally done our homework. We spent an evening at the Ikea in Palo Alto picking out, writing down, and taking pictures of the items we wanted to purchase. Boy were we wrong. We totally overwhelmed the little Japanese Ikea people. It took us 2-3 hours, 1 regular shopping cart, and 2 or 3 of the flat carts to get everything we needed. On the upside - it only cost around $100 for them to deliver everything to our apartment. Apparently we qualified for the best shipping rate. lol We ended up buying 2 couches (which shocked them), a tv stand, kitchen table, bunk beds, storage shelf thing, desk, rug, and a bunch of other random little things. The only furniture that we are shipping from the states is our queen bed, crib, kids dresser, office chair, tall shelf thing that was in our entry way, and my glider.

After checking out we boarded us bus again and worked our way back to the hotel. We were all pooped - especially the kids who skipped any sort of nap and the me the pregnant one who missed a nap and need to put her feet up.

Day One in Tokyo

2012-01-17T16:37:00.000-08:00

We woke up bright and early Tuesday morning! The kids would have gotten ready at 3am, but we made them sleep until 5 something. Once we were showered, bathed, and dressed we headed to breakfast at a place very similar to Denny's. Kurt and I ate there while we were here in November. The kids had fun because the kids pancakes came with a chocolate crayon for them to draw with.

Kelsie was a little stinker during breakfast, but I soon realized it was her nap time in the States.

As we were walking back to the hotel, we found a park. We stopped to let the kids get some wiggles out. Next we went to the train station and worked our way over to our new apartment. We were scheduled to meet our rental agent at 1pm to get the keys and sign some paperwork. Since we got there a little early, we decided to take the kids by their Yochien (preschool/kindergarten). At first the kids were very shy (especially Kelsie), but I think once they saw the kids reaction and Kurt helped them by translating they started to get excited (especially Logan). The headmaster wasn't there, but Kurt was able to communicate with the other teachers (they don't speak English). One little boy in Logan's class speaks some English and asked him, "When is your Happy Birthday?". He was helping translate for some of the teachers. Once the little boy spoke in English, Logan thought he understood all English...which seems to be becoming a pattern (and is really funny).

A little after one we met with Seiji. He showed Kurt how to work some of the controls and let us know that we needed to wait around for the gas company to come by. I packed some toys for the kids, but after playing for a little bit I could tell they were super tired. We made the best beds we could with our puffy winter coats.

We sent Kurt to the store to buy some necessities (garbage can, soap, tp, etc) and waiting around for a different guy to come by that night. We bought an iron, vacuum, and toaster off of craigslist...so the guy delivered it to us. Then we headed back to the hotel...

Our Departure and Arrival...

2012-01-16T13:30:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning we woke up early and finished packing the last of our luggage into the mini-van we rented to haul everything to the airport. Delta allows 2 checked bags and 2 carry-ons per person (for free) on their flights to Japan, so we took advantage of it! Every checked bag was almost exactly 50 pounds. lol

After saying our good-byes to Ryan, we loaded the kids in the van and were on our way. Our planned route to SFO was over Hwy 9 and Skyline a beautifully windy road. I thought we were doing pretty good, I only had to ask Kurt once to slow down a little because I was feeling queasy. Then we heard a noise in the back to found Logan barfing up his breakfast all over him, his carseat, and the van. I got one whiff and jumped out of the van to barf myself...the joys of pregnancy. Kurt managed to clean the carseat and Logan's jacket the best he could with the limited wipes we had on hand. Logan's jeans were a casualty to the event and were left at the scene.

The rest of the drive was fairly uneventful, just a little cold since we drove with the air on and windows down. We decided to have Kurt drop off Logan and I at the terminal with all of the luggage so that we didn't have to haul it all back from the car rental return place. Great plan, right? at least in theory... What we forgot was that the rental return was like 5 miles away from the airport and we were already cutting it close due to the barf incident. Luckily, somehow Logan and I managed to push 2 cart fulls of luggage, an additional carry-on, and backpack through the Delta line. Kurt arrived as soon as I was almost done checking in.

Next we ran to our terminal and got settled for a few minutes at least. I grabbed some food, that we ended up carrying onto the plane. After adjusting seat assignments we settled in for our long flight.

After settling in, we noticed that this plane WASN'T equipped with the individual tv/dvd players like our plane in November! Since Logan had his DS he was fine, but that is how we were planning to entertain Kelsie! Luckily she fell asleep for the first few hours (thank you naptime!). Then she was entertained by her new mini-pillow pet (Thank you Kathy Rauch!) and Hello Kitty coloring book (Thank you Grandma Smith!). Smurfs then started playing on the big tv screen...so that helped a little. We only struggled with her probably the last couple hours of the flight, and she wasn't really that bad. We just did a few laps around the airplane.

We landed around 5pm on Monday in Japan. Total flight time was 11 hours and 55 min. After deboarding, everyone took turns having to go to the bathroom. Kelsie's turn showed up at the Immigration Desk, where they check your passports and visas to make sure everything is in order and you can come in legally. I hurried her over the closest bathroom, where she decided to sit down and NOT go to the bathroom, but to test out all of buttons on the toilet (which is like a sophisticated bidet). Flushing noise fine. Spray NOT fine. She soaked the backside of herself including her jacket, AND ME. :(

We finally made it through immigration, got our luggage, made it through customs, and boarded our bus to the hotel. Both kids zonked out on the bus. Logan didn't sleep a wink on the plane, so he was totally out of it.

Capitola

2012-01-10T10:20:00.000-08:00

Saturday was another sunny gorgeous day along the California Coast. We had some errands to run in Santa Cruz, but decided to take a couple hours to relax at Capitola Beach and watch the surfers. The kids really wanted to go in the water and play in the sand, but we weren't properly equipped and the car had just been cleaned...

It's really happening...

2012-01-06T14:41:00.000-08:00

The movers are here and our house is packed and almost loaded into their van.

We'll be spending one more week here in Boulder Creek. It will really feel like camping since we'll be using sleeping bags and blow up mattresses until we leave for Japan. Luckily since Ryan is here we can use his TV, kitchen items, etc.

We ended up deciding to take more than we originally thought we were going to, but I'm happy we did. Mostly, I'm happy my bed is going. I love my bed.

So the next week we'll be trying to sell our car, pack up a few things around the house, clean the house, and relax and enjoy the redwoods and beach. We're sending Logan to school for 3 days and then we'll be pulling him out. He probably won't start school in Japan until the first of February, but I don't think it will be a big deal.

Then Sunday, the 15th we're flying to Japan. We'll be in a hotel for the first week. We're hoping to have our apartment set up enough by then so the kids and I can move in. We have to buy a fridge, washer/dryer, microwave, couches, bunk bed, etc. Kurt starts travelling the second week we're there and the thought of trying to entertain both kids in a hotel by myself does not sound fun! So, I'm highly motivated to get everything set up!

The rest of our items are scheduled to arrive in Japan the last week of January and then they'll have to sit in customs most likely a week before arriving to our house. Still a little hard to believe, but it should be an adventure!

It's a GIRL (for sure)!

2012-01-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

I had "official" ultrasound on Wednesday at my regular OBGYN's office (instead of the mall). The ultrasound tech confirmed that the baby is "officially" a girl. I didn't tell her that we already found out until after she told me. I didn't want to influence her findings. :)

All of the baby pictures are packed for now (movers are here today), but the you'll have to take my word for it that this little one is going to be one heck of a yoga instructor! During both ultrasounds she had her knees to her nose. I have felt her move some, but she seems to be much mellower than the other 2 kids (which I'm not complaining about!).

The ultrasound tech also said that everything looked great. Everything seems to be where its supposed to be and she weighs 11 ounces (in the 40th percentile). Kurt and I both think that my due date is off by a little bit, since I generally have little babies...but I guess we'll have to wait and see when she arrives!

Scooter Fun

2011-12-30T22:10:00.000-08:00

We got the kids scooters for Christmas (thank you Target Black Friday deals!). While in Heber we took them to the church across from Kurt's parents house so they could learn/practice riding them. They had a lot of fun!

Zoo Lights at Hogle Zoo

2011-12-30T21:42:00.000-08:00

Gender Ultrasound

2011-12-28T23:41:00.000-08:00

When I went to my last OBGYN appointment I was disappointed to find out that my midwife and ultrasound tech were going to make me wait until January 4th to have my big ultrasound (20 weeks). I asked if they could do it before Christmas (18 weeks) like I did with Kaiser, but they said no. :( Normally, waiting wouldn't be a big deal, but we are shipping our household items to Japan on January 6th - that doesn't leave much time to do shopping or organize things for the baby.

Anyways, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Southtowne Mall in Sandy has a Fetal Studio where they do ultrasounds, etc. My sister met us at the mall for our ultrasound. The ultrasound tech was having issues because the baby was curled up in the fetal position (imagine that). This made it very difficult to find out whether the baby was a boy or girl. After spending forever trying to figure things out we decided to take a break and have me come back a little later.

We took a lunch break and walked around a little bit. The kids loved the indoor carousel.

After lunch, the baby still hadn't moved very much, but we were able to tell she was a GIRL!!! Kurt and Logan were a little bummed at first, but they are getting more and more excited. I honestly didn't care either way, but I have had fun shopping for my new little girl! The ultrasound it self was pretty cool. The baby was waving to us and sucking her thumb - so cute to see!

Check out the matching Christmas dressed I found at the Carters outlet for Kelsie and her baby sister. So cute!

Having a girl is so much fun! I still have Kelsie's clothes, but since this baby is going to be born in May and Kelsie was born in November the seasons are off. Also, clothing, etc. in Japan is SUPER expensive, so I took advantage of being close to the Park City Outlets over the holidays.

As of now, we're planning on naming our little one Averie (Avery) Noelle. Kurt has another name he kind of likes, so we're still kind of in negotiations. We can't wait to meet our newest princess!

Christmas at Temple Square

2011-12-27T21:53:00.000-08:00

Princess? Kelsie

2011-12-26T10:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day

2011-12-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T11:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

Japan Update

2011-12-20T16:02:00.000-08:00

Things are moving super fast on the Japan front. Kurt's visa has been approved and we should receive the paperwork work via FedEx tomorrow. Once we have the paperwork we have to go to the consulant in San Francisco to get Kurt's official visa processed.

Next step after that will be to purchase plane tickets. We're planning to fly out on January 15th or 16th, 2012.

Also, once we have a visas in hand, we can ship our house stuff to Japan. Kurt's been working with a couple different companies to work out the details. We aren't taking everything with us to Japan (leaving most of our furniture, china, and a few other things). That being said, we haven't started packing a thing and we leave for Utah for 10 days on Thursday. Because all of our items have to go through Customs, packing is a complicated process. One company said that they will have to pack and document everything for us due to Homeland Security laws and the other one said if we use their boxes and document everything then they may be able to give us a break on the cost. Either way we're hoping to send our stuff off around January 6th. The shipment will take 6-8 weeks to get to Japan.

Luckily, our apartment has been secured and its the one we wanted. In fact, it's officially empty and ours right now. Once we purchase a new Japanese cell phone for me, our couches, a temporary futon for Kurt & me, the kids bunk beds, a fridge, microwave, and washer/dryer we'll be moving in. Unfortunately, we need to try buy and deliver all said items in about 4 days before Kurt leaves the kids and me for a week... :( Trying to entertain a 3 year old and a 5 year old in a hotel by myself for a week does NOT sound very fun!

I'm sure everything will work out...but adding in the holidays and a pregnancy is starting to stress me out! But we will survive! lol

In the meantime, we really do want to say goodbye to as many people as possible before we leave! For those of you in Utah, we'll be in town the week before Christmas and New Years and would love to see you. Email me to arrange a time to meet up!

2011-12-19T00:08:00.000-08:00

Cutest brother and sister on the planet. Logan and Kelsie often hold hands to stay together when walking with us. Thought I'd capture the moment...

White Elephant Fun

2011-12-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

Smith Family Christmas Party

2011-12-10T23:31:00.000-08:00

Smith/Hunter/Keyser cousins

Crazy Couple of Weeks

2011-12-05T17:19:00.000-08:00

Wow. So much to catch up on...where do I even begin? Saying life has been crazy that past couple weeks is an understatement.

I'm writing a reminder list really quick, so I can catch up my journal.

Branch Conference/Traveling home from Japan
Kelsie's 3rd Birthday and Party
Kelsie's Hospital Visit
Thanksgiving
Apple Hill/Lost Bronx
Awful colds & coughs
Crazy Windstorm of 2011- no school, no power, no water
Apartment & Visa Update

Thanksgiving Family Pics

2011-11-26T22:28:00.000-08:00

(the kids like to hug and kiss their new sibling....)

Apple Hill

2011-11-25T21:19:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving we, along with the rest of the Sacramento, headed up to Apple Hill to enjoy the beautiful fall day.

Santa was even there handing out yummy candy canes to all of the kids. Logan later told me that he wasn't the real Santa because his "Ho, Ho, Ho" wasn't very Santa like.

And my favorite part of Apple Hill...the apple donuts and fritters!!! Gotta love High Hill Ranch. So yummy!

Kelsie's 3rd Birthday

2011-11-23T21:51:00.000-08:00

Kelsie turned 3 years old while we were in Japan. I was pretty bummed that I wasn't there for the actual day, but we had a birthday party planned with all of her Smith cousins when we returned. My niece Aubrey's birthday is also in November, so we combined their birthdays for double the fun.

We had a fun "Hello Kitty Unicorn" pinata that the kids loved.

Then it was present time. Kelsie was especially excited for her Hello Kitty "brella" from Grandma Smith and her princess polly pockets from Grandma & Grandpa Keyser.

Since Kurt and I were still recovering from our jetlag...I decided we should let the kids decorate their own cupcakes. They had fun and less work for me. :) Kelsie started into her cupcake before we should light candles and sing Happy Birthday...so that would be why she has cake all over her face while blowing out her candles.

I also just took her in for her 3 year old check-up. She's weighs 30 pounds and is 3 feet 1 inches tall - pretty much on the small side of average like I expected.

Other fun things about Kelsie:

Her hair is finally growing longer and longer, and curlier and curlier.
She talks really well for her age. Everyday she uses words and phrases that surprise me.
She can do a perfect somersault.
Loves to dance and sing.
She jumps remarkably well.
She loves to color, mostly on paper, but not always.
Loves to "fight" with her dad and brother.
Her toes must always be painted, preferably pink.
Pink is her favorite color.
Has turned into a snacker. I struggle to feed her regular meals.
Kind of a picky dresser. Loves to wear pretty dresses.

Kelsie's Hospital Visit

2011-11-21T21:31:00.000-08:00

The last Monday we were in Japan we received a call via Skype at 2:30AM from Kurt's parents. We thought she forgot about the time change, when she shouted "Kelsie's in the hospital!". I guess it's a good thing we didn't hang up on her.

Once we were awake enough, we called my mom at the hospital. We left her with a consent form to take Kelsie to the hospital, but the doctors had some questions about some of Kelsie's allergies.

I guess I should mention what brought Kelsie to the hospital in the first place. Apparently she caught a cold from my mom (or someone else) which caused her to have an asthmatic reaction like she did when we visited Bakersfield last fall. My mom said she was coughing really bad, so she got up and watched some cartoons with her. She then noticed she was having trouble breathing and her chest was sinking in. After a while mom and my brother decided she needed to see a doctor. My brother gave her a blessing and then were on their way. When they left the house, Kelsie didn't have a fever at all but by the time they got her to the ER she had a fever of a 102 and her heart rate was up to 180-190 beats per minute. They had like 4 doctors working on her. After calming her down a little, they decided she needed to be admitted to the hospital but they didn't have a pediatrics department....so she was transported via ambulance to a different hospital where she stayed over night.

Thankfully my sister and my niece Kylee (who is pretty much Kelsie's favorite cousin) came to the hospital to help raise Kelsie's spirits and give my poor tired mom a break. It worked for a while, but then Kelsie must have too much fun because her fever came back and she had a hard time going to sleep because she was overtired. It was so hard being in Japan, especially because we were able to Skype with her (thanks to Becky's laptop), but not be there to comfort her.

Luckily, the doctors were able to get her breathing under control and she only had to stay the one night in the hospital. She made it home from the hospital before our plane landed.

Quirky Things About Japan Pt.2

2011-11-17T23:21:00.000-08:00

There is a golf shop on every corner, but we're yet to see a golf course.

So far we haven't found any affordable department stores....looks like we'll be shopping at Walmart (type stores) and Louis Vuitton.

No one really goes to the movies here.

In the Shinjuku District there are blocks and blocks of JUST restaurants.

Most Japanese people eat lunch out.

American restaurants we've seen so far: McDonalds (on almost every corner), Subway, Dennys, TGIFs, Outback Steakhouse, Hard Rock Cafe, Baskin Robbins, Starbucks.

I found a Mexican restaurant. :)

Most public bathrooms offer western and Japanese style toilets

Taxi drivers are insane

Juice, Tea, and sparkling water count as Soft Drinks

Other than Hello Kitty, we haven't been able to find a place to buy souvenirs (sorry)...except that Louis Vuitton handbag and we don't love you that much.

They have Gap, but only up to a Ladies Size 10.

In houses and apartments the showers are by the kitchen (for plumbing purposes), not by the bedrooms.

Public bathroom signs aren't standard. They are all different and some are pretty funny.

Womens Fashion: Short skirts and shorts with leggings/tights and boots.

Restaurants ALWAYS give you a warm wet washcloth or wet wipe to wash your hands and face prior to eating your food.

Yochien

2011-11-16T13:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we decided to check out the Elementary school next to the apartment we like. The school is literally a block from the apartment! Logan will easily be able to walk by himself once he figures out which classroom he is supposed to be in. Anyways, when we arrived at the school one of the custodians grabbed one of the administrators for us to talk to. She was super nice, but knew VERY LITTLE English. Kurt spoke to her in Japanese, but she still had a little trouble so she went to find a teacher who spoke some English. We visited for a while and figured out that Logan wouldn't be attending school there until a year from this April (April 2013). I knew that you couldn't start 1st grade until you were 6, but I didn't realize that the Kindergarten was on a totally different campus. So they directed us to the closest Yochien (Kindergarten).

The Yochien is a little farther walk than the grade school, but not bad at all. We do have to cross a main street, so the kids won't be walking themselves, but that's ok. The Yochien we visited is a Christian-based school which we liked. Kurt mentioned he had been a missionary in Nagoya and she said maybe he could come speak at one of their religious assemblies that have once a month. School starts at 9am and ends at 2pm. They also accept 3, 4, and 5 year olds. Logan can start in January after we move and Kelsie can start attending in April at the start of the new school year. I've been going back and forth whether to start Kelsie this year or next year, but since we're only going to be here for 3 years we're leaning towards starting her. Plus I think it would be fun for the kids to go to school together, even if just for one year. Yochiens do cost money, just like our preschools in the US. The one we attended seems to not be too pricey, actually pretty close to a lot of preschools I've seen in the US. Kurt's company has offered an educational allowance, but I'm not sure if it counts towards preschool or not. (Something we need to look into.)

Overall, we were really impressed by the teachers and administrators we met. They were very excited to have our kids in their schools. Apparently it adds some prestige to have Americans in their elementary schools. I'm sure it will be rough (especially for Logan) at first, but I know they'll end up loving it. They can be my little translators. :)

More Adventures in Tokyo

2011-11-15T03:22:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas time AND Halloween time in Roppongi Hills.

My awesome husband humored me and took me to a Mexican restaurant tonight. I had chicken flautas and they totally hit the spot. It was a little pricey, but so worth it... occasionally.

Merry Christmas from Colonel Sanders.

Japanese Bathrooms

2011-11-15T03:12:00.000-08:00

Feel free to check out this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilets_in_Japan

There are two styles of toilets commonly found in Japan.^[1]^[2] The oldest type is a simple squat toilet, which is still somewhat common in public conveniences. After World War II, modern Western-type flush toilets and urinals became common. The current state of the art for Western-style toilets is the bidet toilet, which, as of March 2010, is installed in 72% of Japanese households.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] In Japan, these bidets are commonly called washlets, a brand name of Toto Ltd., and include many advanced features rarely seen outside of Asia. The feature set commonly found on washlets are anus washing, bidet washing, seat warming, and deodorization.

Western-style

Main article: Flush toilet

The standard flush toilet used worldwide is known in Japan as a Western-style (洋式 yōshiki^?) toilet. Western-style toilets, including high tech toilets, are now more common in Japanese homes than the traditional squat toilets,^[2] though some older apartments retain stickers on the toilet or in its room illustrating the proper way to use it for urination and defecation. While most public facilities such as schools, temples, and train stations are often equipped with only squat toilets,^[2] in their own homes, Japanese people prefer being able to sit, especially older or physically disabled individuals for whom prolonged squatting is physically demanding or uncomfortable.

Western-style flush toilets in Japan commonly include water-saving features such as the ability to choose between a "big" flush and a "little" flush. Many toilets also route the water to fill the tank through a faucet over the tank allowing users to rinse their hands.

[edit]Japanese bidets

A high-end wireless toilet control panel with 38 buttons and liquid crystal display.

The modern toilet in Japan, in English sometimes called Super Toilet, and commonly known in Japanese as Washlet (ウォシュレット Woshuretto^?) or as warm-water cleaning toilet seat (温水洗浄便座 onsui senjō benza^?) is one of the most advanced types of toilet worldwide, showing a dazzling array of features.^[5]The Toto product Washlet Zoe is listed in Guinness World Records as the world's most sophisticated toilet with seven functions. However, as the model was introduced in 1997, it is now likely to be inferior to the latest model by Toto Neorest.^[21] The idea for the washlet came from abroad, and the first toilet seat with integrated bidet was produced in the United States in 1964. The age of the high-tech toilet in Japan started in 1980^[6] with the introduction of the Washlet G Series by Toto, and since then the product name washlet has been used to refer to all types of Japanese high-tech toilets. As of 2002, almost half of all private homes in Japan have such a toilet, exceeding the number of households with a personal computer.^[4]^[5] While the toilet looks like a Western-style toilet at first glance, there are numerous additional features—such as blow dryer, seat heating, massage options, water jet adjustments, automatic lid opening, automatic flushing, wireless control panel, room heating and air conditioning for the room—included either as part of the toilet or in the seat.^[2] These features can be accessed by an (often wireless) control panel attached to the seat or mounted on a nearby wall.^[2]

[edit]Basic features

The most basic feature is the integrated bidet, a nozzle the size of a pencil that comes out from underneath the toilet seat and squirts water. It has two settings: one for washing the anus and one for the bidet.^[1]^[4] The former is called posterior wash, general use, or family cleaning, and the latter is known asfeminine cleaning, feminine wash or simply bidet. At no point does the nozzle actually touch the body of the user. The nozzle is also self-cleaning and cleans itself before and after operation. The user can select to wash the anus or vulva by pressing the corresponding button on the control panel. Usually the same nozzle is used for both operations, but at a different position of the nozzle head, and using different openings in the nozzle to squirt water at a different angle to aim for the correct spot. Occasionally, two nozzles are used, each dedicated for one area. The control logic is also attached to a pressure switch or a proximity sensor in the toilet seat, and operates only when the seat is occupied. The very first models did not include this automatic switch-off. A number of curious users pressed the button while watching the toilet to see its mode of operation, and promptly received a jet of warm water in their faces.^[20]

The seat-heating feature is very common, found even on toilets that lack the bidet features. As most Japanese homes lack central heating, the bathroom may be only a few degrees above freezing in the winter.^[5]^[20]

[edit]Customization

Most high-tech toilets allow water temperature and water pressure to be adjusted to match the preferences of the user. By default, the vulva receives less pressure than the anus. Researchers in Japan have found that most users prefer a water temperature slightly above body temperature, with 38 °C considered optimal. The nozzle position can also often be manually adjusted forward or aft. High-end washlets allow selection of vibrating and pulsating jets of water, claimed by manufacturers to be beneficial for constipation and hemorrhoids.^[11] The most advanced washlets can mix the water jet withsoap for an improved cleaning process.

The washlet can replace toilet paper completely, but many users opt to use both wash and paper in combination—although use of paper may be omitted for cleaning of the vulva. Some wipe before washing, some wash before wiping, some wash only, and some wipe only—each according to his/her preference. Another frequent feature is a blow drier, often adjustable between 40 °C and 60 °C, used to dry the washed areas.^[20]

[edit]Advanced features

Other features may include a heated seat, which may be adjustable from 30 °C to 40 °C; an automatic lid equipped with a proximity sensor, which opens and closes based on the location of the user.^[5]Some play music to relax the user's sphincter (some Inax toilets, for example, play the first few phrases of Op. 62 Nr. 6 Frühlingslied by Felix Mendelssohn). Other features are automatic flushing, automatic air deodorizing, and a germ-resistant surface.^[5]^[21]^[38] Some models specially designed for the elderly may include armrests and devices that help the user to stand back up after use. A soft close feature slows the toilet lid down while closing so the lid does not slam onto the seat, or in some models, the toilet lid will close automatically a certain time after flushing. The most recent introduction is the ozone deodorant system that can quickly eliminate smells. Also, the latest models store the times when the toilet is used and have a power-saving mode that warms the toilet seat only during times when the toilet is likely to be used based on historic usage patterns. Some toilets also glow in the dark or may even have air conditioning below the rim for hot summer days. Another recent innovation is intelligent sensors that detect someone standing in front of the toilet and initiate an automatic raising of the lid (if the person is facing away from the toilet) or the lid and seat together (if someone is facing the toilet).^[5]

Text explaining the controls of these toilets tends to be in Japanese only. Although many of the buttons often have pictograms, the flush button is often written only in Kanji, meaning that non-Japanese users may initially find it difficult to locate the correct button.

Ota-ku, Tokyo Apartment

2011-11-14T20:30:00.000-08:00

Monday we spent the day with our rental agent and found a place on our first day!!! We're submitting an offer this afternoon. Pray for us that we get it!!! We've asked them to lower the price a little bit to fit in the budget we've set.

Bookshelf storage

Storage Closet

Kid Bedroom #1 - very small. We're thinking about getting bunk beds for the kids.

1/2 Bath

Full Bath (separate from bath/shower)

Bath/Shower. FYI- You close the door and shower. No need to stand in the tub while you shower.

2nd Kid Bedroom - really small too. Toys will probably be kept in the living room area.

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom - side area for Kurt's office.

Dining/Living Room. Very large (compared to all other apartments we saw).

Kitchen

It has a small oven!!!!

House exterior and other details:

Random Tokyo Pics

2011-11-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

Cute bathroom signs. They aren't uniform throughout the country - they are all different.

Cute little firetrucks. They look little lego trucks.

Street signs.

Kurt is super strong!

The have Godiva...I guess I can stay.

Meguro Station

Pizza for Kelsie.

1st Sunday in Tokyo

2011-11-13T19:07:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning we found the Tokyo 1st Branch which is an English speaking branch. They meet in a ward building next to the Tokyo Temple. The temple was beautiful, but there aren't really any grounds to walk on due to the lack of space. The "Branch" itself is probably almost twice as large as our San Lorenzo Valley Ward (although they are rumored to be changing the boundaries). We were there for the Primary program. It was fun to see such a large group of English-speaking children in Japan. We most likely won't be attending this branch, but it was nice to visit. The best part of attending this branch is that we ran into one of Kurt's friends from his mission who moved to Tokyo last Spring. He and his wife (the Ericsons) actually were in our very first married ward in Provo. I remember his wife being pregnant and now they have a 9, 7, and 5 year old. :) It will be nice to have friends close by to ask random questions to. We met a lot of other members who shared their email addresses with us and said to email them with any questions we come across. We were also happy to meet a Sister whose daughters attend Japanese public school. Her daughters started Japanese school when they were 2 and are now 6 and 7. It has been a good experience for them and Kurt said their Japanese was PERFECT.

Since we got to church a little early we decided to walk around the neighborhood. The temple itself is located in an upscale neighborhood of Tokyo. Several of the international embassys are right around the temple.

Visit to Toyota City

2011-11-12T03:47:00.000-08:00

After checking out of our hotel in Nagoya we took about a 50 minute train ride to Toyota City - one of the areas Kurt served his mission in.

Kurt used to frequent the convenience store above as a missionary.

Kurt at the Toyota Ward building. We weren't able to go inside, but the building itself is fairly small (for a church building). Parking is at the ground level and then there are two stories above.

Our new awesome family car.

5-story McDobalds

Wandering Around Nagoya

2011-11-12T03:37:00.000-08:00

From our hotel I had to walk through the train station to get to the shopping area across the street. On my way over to the mall I saw this cute little orange guy. I kind of wanted my picture with him but they were having people fill out paperwork afterwards....so that wasn't a good idea. Also, I keep forgetting to write about the yellow lines that are EVERYWHERE. At first I thought maybe they were to distinguish between areas for bikes and areas for walking, but Kurt said they are actually to help blind people. Cool eh?

(Above) Old people "exercising" in the mall.

(Below) Yummy Hawaiian food. We/I ate there twice. :)

Tokyo Map

2011-11-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd share a map of Japan so you can see where we're at.

We're currently in Nagoya, but will be living in the Tokyo area.

The earthquake and tsunami in March was up North in Sendai.

Second Stop: Nagoya

2011-11-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

View from our room on the 21st floor of our hotel. Yesterday morning I hung out in the outdoor shopping mall in the above picture (blue circular roofing on the bottom left of the picture). They had a lot of great restaurants and cute little shops.

When I returned to my room I noticed housekeeping set a coaster on top of my glass of water. Strange, but thoughtful?

Here is our room - pretty standard American room with a lowered hard bed (which Kurt kind of likes...).

Our bathroom.

Large standard soaking tub.

Toilet/Bidet on the left, Shower on the right.

Yogurt to Go

2011-11-09T13:28:00.001-08:00

Bought a yogurt yesterday. The cashier asked if I wanted it with a micro spoon and an ice pack wrapped in plastic. Of course. That's how I buy all my yogurt.

Kurt "Ken" Keyser

2011-11-09T04:59:00.000-08:00

I was sitting at lunch today with several of my clients from a company here in Nagoya when one of the workers turned to her neighbor and said, "Don't you think he looks just like Matsudaira Ken?" Huh? Who? Yeah, I'm definitely a foreigner - I had no idea who one of the most famous Japanese actors was. They explained that I look just like this particular actor. Especially when I smile. Of course, that made me smile/laugh and then the whole other half of the table burst out in agreement.

So, apparently I haven't found my doppelganger before now because he was Japanese. And a Shogun-period actor at that. She then insisted that I be called "Ken" going forward. Add that to my pile of Japanese nicknames (Ken, Katsuo, Kaizaki-kun, Kaizaru).

Without further ado, my doppelganger:

Currency Conversions

2011-11-08T21:57:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd pull out my receipts and see how much I really spent this morning while I was wandering around.

$7.09 french toast, slice of bacon, water at Denny's
$8.77 quarter pounder meal at McDonalds

$21.66 cute necklace from Kalos Plage

$9.20 for little panda lego set for Logan from George's

Quirky Things About Japan

2011-11-08T18:48:00.000-08:00

Random things I've noticed about Japan so far...

Bathrooms have bidets, but you can use them like regular Western toilets...so don't be scared. I used one at the mall across the street and the seat was heated. That was nice.
Beds are super hard.
Everything looks pretty old (built in 1960s-1970s), but is super clean and well maintained.
All employees have uniforms.
It's impossible to find a garbage can or a drinking fountain. Despite this...people don't litter.
Bathrooms are super kid-friendly.
Dennys in Japan is not the same as Dennys in the USA, but I survived. (The french toast were good, but they didn't even serve apple juice for breakfast.)
Haven't been able to find Sprite or Root Beer anywhere, only Cola. Luckily Grape Fanta is at McDonalds. :) Speaking of which, McDonalds put my soda in a paper bag.
Everywhere we've been feels very safe. Felt totally fine wandering around by myself.
The bullet train seats were WAY more comfortable than our airplane seats.
Every store tapes your bag closed for you when you buy something.
I swear most of the girls wandering around could be models.
Tip and taxes are included in your bill, so no need to calculate everything afterwards.
Sausage tastes like a hotdog, and the bacon needs to be cooked longer.

That's it for now. I'm sure I'll think of more things. :)

First Stop: Tokyo

2011-11-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

View from our hotel window. Nice eh? lol Apparently we stayed in a true authentic Japanese hotel. Small, but efficient.

After we checked out of our hotel, we met one of Kurt's new coworkers for lunch. He also delivered Kurt's brand new cell phone, which he was SUPER excited about - a Samsung Galaxy S2. Now he can communicate and make calls in Japan. One cool thing about Kurt's new coworker is that he's also LDS and a BYU graduate. It was nice having something in common with someone in a totally new place. We ate at a yakiniku restaurant which is what I was excited about. We often have yakiniku parties with my family, but I've never been to an actual restaurant. For those who have no idea what I'm taking about...you order certain raw foods and cook it yourself at your table. It's a social thing, but the beef we ordered was SOO good. They had it premarinated for us on our plates. We also had awesome bibs to wear to ensure we didn't spill on our clothes. They also gave Kurt and I sheets to place over our bags to ensure they stayed clean (which they totally did anyways, but that was nice of them). I also forgot to mention that ALL Japanese restaurants deliver a warm wet washcloth to you before serving you food to wash your hands and face. It's pretty nice.

After lunch we headed to the Shinkansen or bullet train station to catch a ride to Nagoya. Our train ride was a little under 2 hours. The seats on the train were much more roomy and comfortable than our airplane seats. The bullet train was pretty handy, but also pricey. Our tickets costs $115 each for a one way ticket.

Travelling to Japan

2011-11-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning we woke up and got the kids and ourselves reading to go to church. We were only able to stay for Sacrament meeting because we needed to get back to change clothes, pack last minute items, and be ready for our shuttle to pick us up at my Mom's house. All I can say is, it's a GOOD THING we came home when we did. As soon as we walked in the door Kurt's phone was ringing - he received a recorded message saying our flight from Sacramento to LA was CANCELLED!!! The next flight would be Monday, which obviously would't work for us. So Kurt quickly called the travel agent line that covers the flights for his company. She was SO helpful. She was able to book us on a Southwest flight leaving at about the same time. The kicker was that they could't transfer our luggage over from Delta. :( So once we landed in LA we had to go to the Southwest baggage claim (Terminal 1) wait for our baggage and then run all the way over to Delta at Terminal 5 to check in and to check our baggage...all in under 1.75 hours.

Luckily our suitcase was delivered super quick and we booked it to Terminal 5 in time. We visited with some Army guys in line who were heading back to Hawaii...we wished we could have switched flights with them! Anyways, after our bags were checked we hurried through security again and found our gate. We hurried onto the plane and sat forever. Apparently we boarded with the family/handicapped crowd. I wish we would have stopped and grabbed some food first, but we were worried about the time. Once in the air it seemed like they took forever to feed us...which does not make a pregnant woman very happy. The plane was pretty crowded so we weren't able to stretch out at all. :( Luckily I was in an aisle seat and close to the bathroom. My midwife recommended I try to get up and walk every hour or so.

Overall our flight was ok, just super long. With 4-5 hours to go we hit some bumpy clouds and I just wanted off the plane, but then they gave me an ice cream sandwich and that made me a little happier. The nice thing about the flight was the individual free movies. I was able to watch the Green Lantern, Bridesmaids (semi-edited...still fast forwarded some stuff) and part of Mr. Popper's Penguins (before falling asleep). Kurt watched The Green Lantern too, The Fast Five, and I think Planet of the Apes. They definitely helped pass the time.

Once we landed we took a bus to the baggage claim, picked up our luggage, went through Customs and got our passport stamped. Next we grabbed a taxi and headed to our hotel for the night. We finally got settled around midnight Tokyo time. We were still semi-awake, so we were able to call my mom and the kids for a few minutes on Skype before heading to bed. They were just waking up.

About the hotel - nice, but bed is extremely hard. Kurt liked it, but my back is a little sore. The room is small, but very efficient. We got some good laughs this morning watching the Japanese commercials. The bathroom, specifically the shower was amazing. I could have stayed in there all morning. We grabbed some breakfast in the hotel and now I'm supposed to be sleeping while Kurt ran to the bank to exchange some money. We're hoping to meet one of Kurt's coworkers for lunch who will be delivering Kurt's Japanese cell phone. We can't use our cellphones here without paying a ton of fees, so the best way to get a hold of us is through email or skype. After lunch we're taking a bullet train to Nagoya (where Kurt served his mission). We'll be staying there for a few days while Kurt has some meetings with a client. I'll just be hanging out at the hotel trying not to get lost. This weekend we'll be heading back to Tokyo to start our house hunting trip.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:19:00.000-07:00

Carmel/Asilomar Beach/Moss Landing Day Trip

2011-10-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Making cookies with Grandma

2011-10-28T19:58:00.001-07:00

SLV Ward Trunk-or-Treat

2011-10-28T19:58:00.000-07:00

Life as of late.

2011-10-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say I haven't posted in as while because we've been off to doing amazing things, but sadly that isn't true (although I still need to post about Logan's field trip). Pretty sure I won't be winning mom of the year award this year! FAR too much tv, ds playing, and eating out and not enough playing outside and other grand adventures. I have been feeling a little bit better, but this first trimester is still kicking my butt. I have been feeling a *little* bit better, but it was just in time for Kurt to leave to go to a 4 day conference in San Jose. He is still sleeping at home but that is about it. He leaves before the kids wake up and comes home hours after they are in bed. Hoping to have him back home by Friday... Although lucky for me my other reinforcements will be arriving tomorrow evening.

Kurt's brother Ryan, his parents, and all of Ryan's stuff are making the trek from Utah tomorrow. I'm sure it will be an adjustment having Ryan here, but it will be fun too! Also, I love when Kurt's mom is here. I swear a dish is never in the sink longer than 10 minutes and Kurt somehow talks her into making a mountain of homemade pies. Gotta love Nancy. :)

And for journaling purposes...our dear friend Brother Kwok passed away on Sunday, October 16th. The Kwoks were some of our first friends and closest LDS neighbors when we lived in Union City. They were pretty much Logan's Chinese grandparents. Logan would often leave our pew at church to go sit with Sister Kwok. Brother Kwok had also been serving in the Bishopric for the last 5 years.

Colin also gave us great financial advice (he was the VP of Finance at a large computer company). In fact just a couple weeks ago Kurt and I called him for advice regarding our move to Japan. They lived overseas a couple different times with children, so we thought they'd have some helps for us. We're still in shock over his passing. He was only in his late 50s, exercised every day, ate healthy, etc. Then one morning he just didn't wake up. It kind of puts things into perspective that really none of us really know how when our earthly life will be completed. I am also very thankful for the knowledge that I have that families are forever. That not only will Colin be reunited with his wife, children, and grandchildren, but that I will also get to see my dad and other family members again.

My Hot Husband

2011-10-18T22:39:00.000-07:00

I sure love this guy. He's the best. He's been a huge help since I've been feeling icky with this pregnancy. Biggest help ever- taking Logan to school almost every morning, so that I don't have to be showered and out the door by 8am! He's also been burning the candle at both ends. He often has early morning meetings and then has been staying up really late talking to people in Japan. We're looking forward to having a two week working vacation in Japan without kids in November! (hopefully I'm feeling a little better by then....)

Field Trip to Johnson's Farm

2011-10-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

Relief Society Craft Day

2011-10-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

As 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society I work with our Activities Committee to plan some great activities. Today was one of our biggest events of the year- "Christmas in October" craft day. Thought I'd share some of the activities we did.

Apron in an Hour (or 2 depending on your skill...)

Glass Etching Class

Clothespin Christmas Wreath

We also had a holiday cupcake decorating class and a card making class. It was a lot of fun, but I'm glad it's over. :)

BCE Walk/Jog-a-thon

2011-10-14T22:05:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Logan's school had their annual walk/jog-a-thon fundraiser. Our runner Logan was unfortunately born into a family of non-runners. He's been asking to be in a "running race" forever, so when I heard about the jog-a-thon I knew for sure Logan would be excited.

Kurt, Kelsie, and I went to cheer him on for his "big" race. Logan was also excited to get his special new shirt. Overall, he did really well, but Kurt and I couldn't help but chuckle as we watched Logan stop for water. The kid can't walk and drink at the same time...so during water breaks he'd walk really slow and then turn around to set his cup back on the table.

Every time the kids finished a lap one of the volunteers would add a mark on their shirt. Logan finished a total of 12 laps. The "winner" for Logan's class completed a total of 13 laps, so Logan did pretty darn good. He liked it so much that he's still talking about it.

And then there were THREE...

2011-10-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

In addition to our HUGE news of moving to Japan....I'm 7-8 weeks pregnant! ...and feeling 7-8 weeks pregnant. Blah! I've been able to keep the kids dressed and fed, the laundry is clean, and the dishes mostly done...but that's about it. Poor Kurt has been good to me, but is certainly missing his regularly home cooked meals. Yesterday I made him drive all the way to Santa Cruz for dinner because all I wanted was Chili's chicken enchilada soup, salad, and chips.

I will say I shouldn't complain, my pregnancies are SO much easier than most peoples. I've just been feeling really tired and nauseated off and on. I don't throw up or anything like that...just don't have energy to do anything. One day my bathrooms were grossing me out so much that I paid a friend to come over and clean them for me. Unfortunately I need to buck up, because HELLO I'm moving to Japan in 2 1/2 months!

We should be able to find out if we're having a boy or girl right before Christmas and right before we leave for Japan which will be great so I know what clothes to ship out! Today my midwife gave me the due date of May 26, 2012. According to my calculations I'm a week farther along, but we'll see. I just have small babies...and I like them that way!

We've been unofficially trying since January, so we are excited for our little one to come. I'm not too nervous to have a baby in Japan because most of their doctors are trained in the US and because they don't have a lot of babies, moms are treated like royalty. :) The only thing I'm worried about after doing a little research is that they discourage the use of drugs (i.e. pitocin and epidurals). I don't like pain! So I'll definitely need to make sure I find a doctor who will give me an epidural. Also, my labors tend to get going full force and then stop...thus the need for pitocin. So, we'll see how that goes!

For now we're excited and planning our house hunting trip to Tokyo. Kurt and I will be spending the first 2 weeks of November there with the intent of finding a place to live in January. Wish us luck!

Kurt's New Job

2011-10-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Kurt started his new job on Monday and is loving it so far. I'm loving it because he's been able to take Logan to school at 8am everyday allowing me to procrastinate taking a shower and getting ready for the day.

Right now Kurt's trying to soak in as much training as possible and is getting ready for some upcoming business trips. He's really looking forward to going back to Nagoya, Japan in early December. He served his mission in Nagoya and hasn't been back since...a long 11 years! We're hoping I'll be able to tag along on the trip so I can become a little more accustomed to the Japanese culture and can start doing a little house hunting. Should be fun/interesting!

Logan's Day

2011-10-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

When I picked up Logan from Kindergarten today he was so excited to share that his name got picked out of the balloon box!

Twice a week Mrs. Bruce picks a balloon out of her special box, blows it up to reveal a name written on the balloon. Today was Logan's special day. He got a crown and all of his friends in his class drew a picture of him and wrote his name. For homework this week they will practice writing his name.

This is a pretty big deal for a 5 year old!

Kurt's Last Day of Freedom

2011-10-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

Ballerina Kelsie

2011-09-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

Kelsie continues to love her weekly "Tip Top Ballet" class at the local Rec center. She looks forward to it every week. I'm happy that a few other little girls have joined her class. Since moving here we haven't met very many little ones her age. She loves dancing around with Miss Terry.

Kurt's Trip to Denver

2011-09-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

For those who didn't know...Kurt just returned from a quick kind of surprise trip to Denver. Brandie called me a few weeks ago and was wondering if there was a way we could get Nick & Kurt together for a visit. Since Kurt is currently taking a couple weeks off from work we thought it would be easiest to have him fly out and surprise Nick on his days off.

A week or so later Brandie was in the hospital having surgery when she spilled the beans to Nick while on heavy pain meds. lol Either way I heard that they had a lot of fun over the past couple of days. I also heard Rachelle spent a few days with them helping out while Brandie was recovering.

Nick's Restaurant! - The reason for Nick & Brandie's big move to Colorado (they are living in Littleton). Nick is currently a manager at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Downtown Denver. Kurt said it was amazing inside.

Disneyland 2011 - Day Two

2011-09-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

Day Two at Disney we hurried over to California Adventure. We walked onto the new Ariel ride (it opened early) first. It was ok, but I didn't think it was that special, but the kids are still talking about it...so I guess it's cool. My favorite of the day was Toy Story Mania, especially because the line wasn't forever long like at Christmas time. We also met Woody for the first time. Logan was really excited since he's going to be Woody for Halloween (and just had his Toy Story party).

We also caught Mickey with a short line and Donald for the first time. He's always so hard to find!

I wish Cars Land would have been open, but they are still working on it. I think it opens next Summer. Maybe they'll have one in Tokyo Disney? :)

Kurt & Craig braved the Tower of Terror by themselves...

Craig, Nancy, Kurt, and Kelsie decided to ride on the gigantic ferris wheel. I would have been up for riding in one of the stationary carts, but they decided to ride one of the swinging ones. Kelsie got freaked out and Kurt almost puked, but they would have gone again if we had the time. :)

Disneyland 2011 - Day One

2011-09-16T23:29:00.000-07:00

When we started planning our Disneyland trip I was so excited to find out that it coincided with the opening day for all of the Halloween Time at Disneyland decor/rides, etc. The only bummer was that Pirates was closed. :( I also bought some cute iron-ons off of Etsy and made the kids some Mickey shirts.

First, we ran over to Tomorrowland to watch the Finding Nemo Submarine ride before the lines got too long. After we got one of the kids favorites out of the way, we went on as many other rides as possible.

The line to see Tinkerbell was super slow, but I'm glad we stuck it out. She was hilarious - not quite as cute and petite as the last one we saw, but WAY more personality. Well worth the wait. I'm still kind of bummed we didn't wait in the princess line, but you do what you can do.

No one else really cared to wait in the Minnie line, but Kelsie and I had too! She has the best house around. :)

Scenic Drive

2011-09-15T23:31:00.000-07:00

Kurt's parents came into town for Logan's birthday and to visit our home one last time before we move. It just happened to coincide with Kurt's first week of his three week vacation. We thought it would be a lot of fun to take them to Disneyland with us! So, Thursday morning after we picked up Logan from school we headed down to Southern California. We decided to take the scenic route down Hwy 101 and part of Hwy 1. It was our first time through Santa Barbara (pictured above) and it was beautiful!

Picture Day

2011-09-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning we couldn't leave until after Logan had his school pictures taken. I didn't want him to be the "Not Pictured" kid. His little Kindergarten class is so cute and I have only amazing things to say about his teacher Mrs. Bruce. I'm really sad that we're going to have to pull him out of Boulder Creek Elementary when we move.

My Little Ballerina

2011-09-14T22:58:00.000-07:00

We've been promising Kelsie that she could start ballet class all summer and her BIG day just happened to coincide with Logan's birthday. She LOVES it. I'm so glad she has this opportunity only if it's for 45 min a week. Miss Terry is a great teacher who teaches "over the hill" aka Saratoga, CA. She lives in Boulder Creek and offered to teach a few classes at our local Rec Hall.

Kelsie is learning how to follow directions and loves going to "Canterbury Academy" as she calls it. (Those Angelina Ballerina fans know what I'm talking about.)

Logan's 5th Birthday

2011-09-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

OK..time to catch up on blogging now that the kids are in bed. :) Logan's been waiting to turn 5 FOREVER...and on September 14th, 2011, it finally happened.

Logan told me over the summer that he wanted a Toy Story party. Honestly I think he just wanted a Toy Story party because he wanted lots of toys. lol I decided to go ahead and put together a Woody costume for Logan which will double as his Halloween costume.

First, we decorated Mr. Potato Heads. I cut out all sorts of shapes and the kids arranged them however they wanted.

Next, we tried to knock down army men with our spoon catapults that Grandpa Keyser made and fixed for me. The kids entertained the kids for quite some time (thankfully).

Next it was pinata (or Wack Wheezy) time. lol I bought a regular penguin pinata and Kurt turned it into Wheezy complete with sad eyes and red bowtie.

Then we had Logan's favorite time - presents! His favorite present was his Nerf gun Grandma & Grandpa Keyser got him.

Family Birthday

2011-09-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

Kelsie Sings

2011-09-08T15:25:00.001-07:00

Our little singer...

Labor Day Getaway

2011-09-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

Friday morning started off great! Kurt finally received SDL's official offer and quickly signed it and got it back to them. :) After picking up Logan from school we were on our way!

We decided to take the scenic route down Highway 1 (California coastline). We drove through Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur, San Simeon, and then into Cambria. We stopped off to the elephant seals in San Simeon and Hearst Castle's wild zebras. The kids thought they were pretty cool. We then check into our hotel in Cambria. We stayed right across from Moonstone Beach in a pretty nice hotel. (Kurt had sticker shock when he went to pay the bill. We thought we weren't going to be able to make the Disneyland trip work, so Kurt ok'd staying in the nicer hotel...and forgot about that until he had to pay for it. lol) The kids were super excited when they saw the pool. After unpacking we rushed down to Cayucos to have dinner at his amazing restaurant we found on our last vacation down the coast (Hoppe's Garden Bistro). The food was as amazing as we remembered, but have to keep the kids quiet in a nicer restaurant wasn't cool. Note to self: Don't take the kids next time! Luckily we went at 5:30pm before the romantic crowd showed up. We went back to the hotel and enjoyed the big hot tub!

Our weekend getaway also matched up with Pinedorado Days, so we woke up Saturday morning to go watch the parade. We found a spot at the very end of the parade route, so Kelsie entertained us with her beautiful singing while we waited for the floats, etc to come.

Earlier in the week we found out (thanks to Facebook) that some of our Union City friends were also going to be in Cambria! They were set up at an art fair (http://www.ericksonarts.com/) in Morro Bay, so we drove down to visit with them for a little bit.

After a much needed nap we explored Moonstone Beach across from our hotel. Earlier the Ericksons & Willyerds invited up back to their place for a BBQ. So we enjoyed their company the rest of the evening and caught up on everything.

Sunday morning we packed up and played a little more at the hotel before driving to Bakersfield. We spent Sunday evening visiting with my Aunt Nancy & Uncle Craig and popped in to see how Grandma Kyle was doing. She was already for bed and was experiencing some back pain, so we decided to come back in the morning so we could visit with her some more.

Monday morning Grandma was in much better spirits, just pretty tired. My Grandma turns 90 years old this December, so I wanted to make sure we were able to have a visit with her before we left for Japan. Her mother lived to be 94, so who knows how long she'll really be around for. I was pretty sad when we left because who knows if I'll get to see her again in this life. :(

On a happier note, before leaving we were able to meet up with my cousin Kathryn and her family for lunch and visit for a while. It was nice to sit and relax for a little bit and enjoy the Lava Flows Kurt made us.

2011-09-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

Spent the last 2 days in Cambria. Currently in Bakersfield. Heading home tomorrow afternoon.

Kurt starts his new job October 1st. Move to Japan is scheduled for the first week of January 2012, once the VISA application has been approved.

Kurt's last day at VMware is this Friday and then he has 3 weeks of freedom. To celebrate we're going to Disneyland. :)

Schedule your Boulder Creek vacations now while we have the room! Ryan (Kurt's bro) should be moving in next month.

Japan

2011-09-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

It's official....we're moving to Japan!!! We've been keeping a private blog for a while with all of the details. Let me know if you're interested in reading and I'll send you an invite - http://keyserkazoku.blogspot.com

Preschool Graduation

2011-08-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday night Logan had a belated Preschool Graduation at Kreative Kids. Logan finished up at Kreative Kids in May, but since it's a year round preschool they had their party in August. Teacher Sandy invited us back for a little ceremony and ice cream social. Logan was excited to see some of his preschool friends. A total of 6 of the kids "graduated", but only 4 were able to make it to the ceremony. 5 of the 6 are attending Boulder Creek Elementary with Logan (Wesley - not pictured, is in his class).

Kreative Kids was a wonderful experience for Logan and Teacher Sandy was a sweetheart. Logan is pretty advanced in certain areas for his age, so I'm not sure how much "book type of learning" he got at preschool, but he had a great time. He definitely learned how to be more independent (which he needed) and how to better interact with those around him.

Ward FHE Night (activity I planned)

2011-08-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

SLV Ward

Family Home Evening Night

Welcome

Opening Prayer

Opening Song “I am a Child of God”

Speakers: 4 generations of the Branson Family

Special Musical Number: “Love is Spoken Here”, Sung by the Crandall Family

Family Night Skit: Performed by the Bybee Family & Friends

*************************************************************************************************

Separate into Classes

Primary-Age Children (ages 1-11)

Young Men & Women (ages 12-18)

“No-Family-At-Home-Evening” (Singles/Empty Nesters)

Family History Basics (Everyone Welcome)

First Day of School

2011-08-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today was Logan's first day of Kindergarten. We set out his clothes the night before, labeled his backpack, lunchbox, and sweater, and his dad gave him a special Father's blessing. When I woke him up in the morning he was not very happy...but was soon excited for breakfast when I told him I bought him special donuts. :) Kurt was able to go into work a little late and come with us to drop Logan off.

Kelsie was excited for the first day of school too for a couple reasons. 1. She thought she was starting ballet the same day (it's still a couple weeks away, poor thing), and 2. Kindergarten looked like a lot of fun. She wanted to stay in Logan's classroom SOO bad. She has also been missing Logan like crazy. Sometimes its rough being the little sister.

Logan has Mrs. Bruce as his teacher this year. I have only heard AMAZING things about her, so I am really excited about Logan being in her class. Not that test scores are everything (because they aren't), but our friend who is on the school board said that Mrs. Bruce's students have some of the highest test scores in the state of California. I am just so happy that Logan is having a great experience and is loving school.

My Favorite Kids.

2011-08-14T22:32:00.000-07:00

Can I just say I LOVE my kiddos?!?

Logan (4 3/4 years old):

Starts Kindergarten next week!
LOVES video games...Nick Jr. games, PBS kids, Sanctum, MarioKart, tower defense games, etc.
Pretty sure he has a photographic memory.
Very inquisitive. Always wants to know how or why something works.
Is a perfectionist. Typically won't do something if he can't do it right.
We always joke that he's our "Science Club President" (not a bad thing...the kid is just super smart)
Hates anything with melted cheese...including pizza. He'll choose a green salad over pizza any day.
Eats hamburgers (without cheese of course) from the top down, layer by layer.
Growing like a weed. His limbs are getting too long for the 4T stuff, even though his waist is probably 2T. lol
Loves pretending with his sister. Yesterday they played Wild Kratts and use their creature power suits to become Rat Terriers.
REALLY wants a baby brother.

Kelsie 2 1/2 years old:

Will be starting Tip Top Ballet this fall and is SUPER excited. Every day she asks if she's going to ballet.
Is the only "regular" aged Nursery kid at church, so she usually goes to Sunbeams.
Love My Little Ponies and riding real horses.
Usually out eats her brother at meal times.
She's our singer and dancer. You can often find her belting out songs in the living room with her eyes closed. (she really gets into it)
Is potty trained! And is very considerate. After pooping she always adds, "Be careful. Don't get any on your hands!!!"
Has perfected somersaults.
Can jump REALLY well.
Has an awesome vocabulary for her age.

(Pictures all taken by Kurt at our home and Branson Ranch)

Baby Ruby

2011-08-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine's little girl passed away overnight due to a rare liver disease. She was only 7 months old. I was good friends with Matt and his sister Jamie throughout high school and we have seen each other occasionally during visits back to Cameron Park.

Matt and his wife Ani had been searching and praying for a liver donor for quite some time, but they were unable to find a donor in time. I lost my dad at the age of 18 but I can't imagine losing one of my little ones. I am so thankful for the knowledge I have that families are forever, and that Matt and Ani will have their little Ruby back and that I will be reunited with my Dad someday.

I wanted to share one of Ani's blog posts from last week. Make sure you grab a tissue first. http://aniandmatttaylor.blogspot.com/2011/08/perpective.html

I will definitely be holding my kids a little tighter tonight. :(

Through reading Ani's blog I realized just how important organ donation is. For some reason the idea of someone else having a part of me just seemed so strange. However, if I was placed in a similar situation as the Taylor's praying and hoping for an organ, shouldn't I be willing to give one myself?
If you're aren't already - please sign up to be an organ donor. http://donatelife.net/

A couple websites have been started to help the family raise some money for their medical bills.

Bows for Ruby

Mom's Helping Miss Ruby Jane Auction

Beach Boardwalk Concert: Gin Blossoms

2011-08-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

If you can't tell, it's blog catch up time. We're still waiting for some life changing events to happen around here...and I'm not a very patient person, so we've been trying to keep busy to fill up our time!

Every Friday night during the summer the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk throws a free concert. I was super excited last May when I noticed the Gin Blossoms were going to be there! Most of the acts of 80s hair bands, oldies groups, etc. I told Kurt we HAD to go. He was a little skeptical since he's not a concert goer at all, but he LOVED it.

The kids had a blast too dancing around and playing with the beach balls.

Afterwards we took advantage of some extra ride tickets we've been holding on to and had a lot of fun!

2011-08-09T15:31:00.001-07:00

Logan talking to Kelsie, "Is the best smoothie ever or WHAT!?!"

Logan just had his first Lava Flow courtesy of his dad.

Obviously we've raised a smart kid.

10 years...

2011-08-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

Dated 4 months, Engaged 6 months.

Married 10 years.

1 HOT husband. :)

3 apartments, 3 houses (Purchased 2 of them)

2 states

2 college diplomas

Several months/years of infertility

2 beautiful children: 1 boy, 1 girl

1 Rat Terrier

2 Trucks, 2 Hondas, 1 Toyota, and 1 Subaru WRX (not all at the same time)

3 trips to Hawaii: 2 trips to Maui, 1 to Oahu

6 Employers (3 each)

1 lost appendix

One AMAZING dinner at Roy's in Pebble Beach celebrating the best 10 years ever!

National Night Out

2011-08-02T08:51:00.000-07:00

Did you know it was National Night Out? I didn't until I got an e-mail about FREE food at a local park. lol

What can I say I am a sucker for a free dinner.

We weren't sure what to expect, but the Ben Lomond Parks Department put together a great activity. They served free hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, sodas, cotton candy, and popcorn. They gave away free balloons. Had a bounce house, 4-H animals to pet, and Smokey the Bear with coloring books and stickers.

All of the local emergency people were there too - Police, Fire, Ambulance, and SWAT.

Logan thought the SWAT car was especially cool.

Kylee's Redwood Ranches Photoshoot

2011-07-30T21:00:00.000-07:00

The kids and I spent a week at my mom's house a couple weeks ago trying to pass some time and have fun with cousins before school starts. My niece Kylee (now 12!!!) agreed to be my model for some stuff I made. She is one of the sweetest girls in the world and I'm lucky to have her in my family!

Also, my sister and I had a Pampered Chef/Redwood Ranches open house while I was there and I made these super yummy cupcakes. Recipe was found HERE.

State Fair Fun

2011-07-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

Giveaway on my other blog...

2011-07-22T20:28:00.001-07:00

We just started a giveaway on my other blog. Check it out. :)

http://redwoodranches.blogspot.com/2011/07/july-facebook-giveaway.html

Update on Logan

2011-07-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

He was bouncing off some stage planks that were leaned up against the wall in our Church gym last night when the outside one tipped over on him. They weigh about 200 lbs. He backed away far enough to have it land on his waist and not his whole body. It knocked the wind out of him and his legs and hip were twisted sideways. He wasn't able to put weight on it or walk. I rushed him to the urgent care in Scotts Valley and had the doctor there examine him. By that time, he was able to put a little weight on it, though it was still painful. He was unable to turn it toes to the right without severe pain. However, after several tests, the doctors ruled out broken hip or thigh bones. It appears it the joint was strained heavily and his hip was bruised. Other than some recovery time, he should be ok. We're keeping an eye on him and keeping him laying down for a while to help it heal properly.

All-in-all, it was a VERY scary night for both Logan and me but the worst appears to be over.

-Kurt

Life.

2011-07-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

I'm been trying to think of what we've been up to lately around here...because it seems like we've been super busy, but I can't think of what to report....

We did head to Capitola Mall to do a little shopping and lunch with friends. Logan picked out some new sunglasses.

Last Saturday we went bowling at the Boardwalk with some friends. Sadly I went over the line on the only strike I got...and I broke a nail. :(

Last night we had our "Red, White, and Blueberries" Relief Society activity (I'm the 2nd Counselor over Activities....). Everything turned out great and my friend Salina and I taught a class on couponing and internet freebies/deals.

Hmmm, what else....Redwood Ranches has been busy as well. We're now in 3 different stores and have another 1-2 that are interested in purchasing some clips.

We do have some other life altering events in the works (no, not a baby) that I can't share yet....but expect BIG news within a week or 2 (hopefully a week for my sanity).

My Cakes :)

2011-07-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

So I'm no Christine (http://sweetiebabecakes.blogspot.com/) or http://bouldercreekcupcakes.blogspot.com/ (my friend's mom and friend), but I've had a lot of fun making birthday cakes for my kids and friends. I remember my mom every year asking me what "type" of birthday party I wanted to have and she tried to make a cake fit that theme. I guess I'm just following in her footsteps. Is it cheating if I use the same cake pan or idea for each of my kids?

Yes the kid has 2 first birthdays...

Recovering from a 5 Day Staycation...

2011-07-06T22:45:00.000-07:00

Day 1: Kurt's Lasik Surgery

Picture above is actually from his appointment on Wednesday to make sure he was a candidate - and he was! The Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley is one of the best in the world, don't believe me check out their website. Heck they've even done Trish from Mancini's Sleepworld's eyes.

This is Kurt's last picture with glasses. Weird. I should make him write his own post about his surgery. It was nothing short of a miracle. Although I did learn that he probably shouldn't take Valium again. Drugs make the guy crazy. He was singing to me on the way home, called his mom, ordered Chinese food, and doesn't remember any of it. lol

Day 2: Follow up appointment, shopped, lunch, and Cars 2

Since I had a little bit of birthday money left I decided to treat my kids and honey to lunch at Rubios and to a movie, but first we had to wait for Kurt to get out of his follow up appointment. We watched Toy Story while we waited. Afterwards LOVED Cars 2, especially Logan who thought he'd be scared for some reason.

Day 3: Day of Rest and a Haircut

We had an awesome pre-independence day dinner on our patio with tiki torches and everything. I love BBQ Sundays. I also noticed Logan needed a haircut. Kurt shaved his head. And Kelsie was very excited.

Day 4: Independence Day

We started our 4th of July bright and early! We were nominated to be in charge of our Ward's Pancake Breakfast and Program. It was a success, and I'm very glad it's over. :)

We didn't get a picture, but Logan had an awesome dinosaur painted on his face and Kelsie got a heart compliments of the Young Women.

After a brief nap, we headed to Bishop and Kathy Rauch's house for a fun afternoon (they had a few of their kids and grandkids in town along with some other friends from our ward over). The kids LOVED playing in their pool and participated in THE BIG RACE. Logan still is talking about it. All the little and big lids had big wheels and did a few laps around the driveway. We enjoyed the great food and even better company.

Day 5: Carmel/Monterey/Santa Cruz

We had a relaxing morning in afternoon and ate lunch of Tommy's Wok. mmmm It is a super yummy Chinese restaurant in Carmel. Highly recommend. Logan is enjoying his tofu stuffed shrimp.

Logan also wanted his picture taken by this tree. Not sure why, but he did.

Thinker Toys=awesome, expensive toy store. Kurt had to tell everyone to look, remember what you want, and we could buy it somewhere else.

Enjoying beautiful Carmel...

We then headed to Monterey and played at the Dennis the Menace Park and enjoyed some sno cones.

We finished our day at Hula's Grill in Santa Cruz. It was YUMMY! Only thing that would make it better would be a beach view.

Sunday Cell Phone Catch-up

2011-07-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

I enrolled the kids in swimming lessons in June. They both go at the same time and pretty much have a teacher all to themselves. Logan is doing SO much better than last year. Last summer we had to bribe him to go under the water. Check out below this summer - he's using a kick board by himself and loves going under water. Kelsie really likes swim lessons, but is pretty much just learning some of the very basics.

We also have been going to the park a lot once the rain finally stopped!

This afternoon in the sweltering heat I decided Logan needed a haircut. Kurt thought he needed a summer do -a shaved head just like his dad. Now the kid just needs to see some sun!

Our "Wanted" I mean Passport Photos

2011-06-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

QUICK 4th of July SALE!!!!

2011-06-27T11:32:00.001-07:00

The ‎4th of July is ONE week away!

We lowered prices on these items. If you let us know TODAY, we can ship out to you tomorrow. If you spend $5 or more we'll ship for FREE. :) (We'll send you an invoice via PayPal) Please leave a comment and a way to contact you or EMAIL redwoodranches(at)gmail.com.

$3 per item

$5 per item/set

$6 per item

$7 per item

Present Time

2011-06-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

Kurt and I started a tradition this year of taking the kids to Dollar Tree and letting them pick any one thing out for birthday presents.

Kelsie picked out the "Funky Pen".

Logan picked out a green slinky (which I haven't gotten the chance to place with).

Kurt picked out the Swift Peeler (vegetable peeler) as seen on TEEVEE. lol

The Big 3-0

2011-06-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

Not quite sure how I got to be 30, but somehow it happened. My mom has always said that her 30's were her happiest years, so I guess I have a lot to look forward to. Kurt helped put together a luau with some friends for my birthday. We had a great time. We had a few friends over from here in Boulder Creek and some made the drive over from Union City. The kids enjoyed playing with their friends and are still talking about it. :)

Can I just say I have the best friends ever? My friend/neighbor Salina made me an awesome Hawaiian cake! Her mom has a cupcake business (Boulder Creek Cupcakes) and helped her out a little bit. It was yummy!

The kids had fun playing in our "tree house" and Kurt built a bonfire as soon as the mosquitos started appearing.

Thanks again to everyone for making my 30th birthday a blast! (Especially my husband who left me spend 3 hours along shopping at the mall WITHOUT ANY CHILDREN!!!)

Summer has Arrived!

2011-06-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

Kurt was able to go into work a little early and come home a little early so we could enjoy a family outing to the beach. We had so much fun and can't wait to run to the beach more evenings this summer.

The Ariel Dolly

2011-06-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

Have to post this before I forget. lol

We've been promising an "Ariel Dolly" to Kelsie for a long time if she learned to go in the potty. We had a chart with stickers for every time she went, etc. Well, Ariel finally arrived via UPS yesterday and this morning I let her open the box. She was ecstatic.

Just now she was sitting on our couch admiring Ariel.

Kelsie: She has pretty hair.

Me: Yep, she has long curly red hair.

Kelsie: Ya, like me. :)

Me: Well, you don't have red hair, but she does have long pretty curly hair like you.

**few more comparisons**

Kelsie: Look! She has a BUTT just like me. She has a BLUE BUTT!

Logan: Let me see!

My Week

2011-06-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

My Summer goal is to catch up on my sadly neglected scrapbooks and finish ALL the pictures by the end of the summer. I have a few different motivations for this to be announced at a later day (and no I'm not pregnant). The mess has only grown since this picture was taken.

Beautiful roses from my husband...and our rose garden.

Thursday Park Day - started up park days again with some friends in my ward. This week we went to the Covered Bridge Park in Felton. We had like 3 days of super warm weather...and then a marine layer came in and we FROZE at the park.

Sunday Best

2011-06-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty certain I have the cutest kids in the world. Happy Sunday everyone!

Welcome Summer (or Spring)

2011-06-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

Thursday I decided to take the kids to the park. Summer, or at least Spring, has decided to come back to California. The kids had a fun time on the swings and slides. Logan made friends as usual, while I pushed Kelsie on the swings for what seemed like hours...After I took this picture I realized how big Kelsie is getting. Just look at her. She's huge.

Afterwards, we walked down to Ben Lomond Market for some lunch. I love the little deli they have there. Kelsie and I shared some Chinese food. I was hoping Logan could help us with our big plate, but nope he was not going to let that happen. Only sushi and rootbeer for this kid. If he looks a little sad in the picture below its because I wouldn't let him get the $10 nigiri.

My Commute

2011-06-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

A lot of people ask me why we ever decided to move "so far" away from my work. When I tell them the time to drive the distance is roughly the same and that I don't have to deal with traffic, they are shocked. Once I start describing the scenery I get to enjoy along the way, they are dumbfounded. Of course, it has its costs (monetarily speaking) in that it's more miles and MUCH more ... engaging of a drive (tire wear). However, after you've done it a couple of times, I'm sure you'd agree that it's worth any cost. To prove it, here are a few videos I took on one of my drives home. These are some of my favorite sections and while I don't always take this route, they are representative of the majority of the drive.

Enjoy.

Introducing the World's Best Clam Chowder

2011-06-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you Barbara's Fish Trap. You never disappoint.

The rest of your menu is pretty darn good too.