Swedish Roses

Happy 15th anniversary!

2011-01-09T20:17:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's already 2011. Rick and I had our 15th anniversary and it was amazing. He got me 2 dozen beautiful roses, a pair of pretty earrings, and a very sweet letter. What did I get him...an armband holder for his ipod, cookies and some bags to put his lunch in...I'm soooo lame. It's like the first time we had valentines day together (married) he had put rose petals on the bed and a nice card. I got him jumper cables....yep...you read it right. I'm too practical. He is the romantic one in our relationship. He is amazing. He helps out so much in the home, takes the kids skiing, works so hard...I am so thankful for him. 15 years...seems so long but has gone by quick. Our life has been full of adventures and looking forward to many mores. THANK YOU RICK!

Dirty Face Ride 2010

2010-08-10T01:21:00.000-07:00

Once again did the boys do the Dirty Face Ride. They ride their bikes for a long time...don't really know how long, but long enough to wear them out. They have fun and can get dirty! Looks great huh!

Last Day of School

2010-08-10T01:17:00.000-07:00

Both Isabella and Dylan had a great year at Newbery. They both had great teachers. Dylan had Mr. Kniveton and Isabella had Mrs. Peterson. They will be very missed. I hope Isabella will have Mr. Kniveton in 5th grade.

My Mother

2010-06-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

My Mother

Words that describe her:

STRONG

HUMBLE

ALL KNOWING

PATIENT

LOVING

CHILD LIKE

LOYAL

CARING

THINKER

I Love you Mom!

Mika and Nisse

2010-02-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

Isabella loves her animals and she is so good with Mika. This is her first time to take her for a walk...all by herself. She liked it a lot. Mika is such a good dog. She is patient and sweet, even with the cats.

My Swedish Hero

2010-02-15T21:50:00.000-08:00

Dylan loves Sweden. It's so cool to see. It's hard sometimes to live here and know that my children will never be "Swedish", but Dylan is very proud to be Swedish. He was so mad at me when we were in Sweden that I stopped teaching him. We are going to start again. I need to find a good program, because on my own ...well it won't work. He is always asking me when we are going back home to my dear homeland. Soon I hope. I miss my family and friends. I see you/them so rarely.

OLYMPICS VANCOUVER CANADA

2010-02-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

Isabella and Jessica on the ski lift

2010-02-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

Hot...Itchy...

2010-02-15T12:13:00.000-08:00

Isabella hates being hot and itchy. Anytime things get hot she complains that she is hot and itchy...I know it's not a "funny" clip, but it's so her.

More skiing

2010-02-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

We are amazed how well both Dylan and Isabella have grown this year in skiing. They are well passed me (which wasn't very hard...) They both took ski lessons for 6 weeks. Who is also amazing is Rick. He took them up there every Saturday to ski with them. I know it was hard at times. I wish I could be up there with them. Next year for sure!
This is a part of a plane that crashed (long time ago) I guess everyone touches it when they ski by, for good luck or something. I'll tell you more when I've been there! On the bottom pictures-that's Isabella's ski teacher.

Isabella

Feel Alive

2010-01-24T12:28:00.000-08:00

We all know as mothers we are constantly bombarded with worries, questions, joys and more worries. We want our children to grow up educated, loved, humble and most importantly to know that God is good and that He loves them (us). We are so afraid that we will screw them up and that one day they will sit in a nice comfy chair talking to a psychologist about their messed up childhood. However, deep down I know that I am doing my best, we are all doing our best. I know that if I listen to the spirit, he will guide me and help me make the right choices. I am so full of love right now for the love of God. He is so giving, so loving and ONLY wants what is best for us. I want to be good. I want my children to see that I am following Him. I want them to see the love He has for us and want them to feel it. I was listening to a Swedish singer the other day, and in her song she said "Jag vill kanna att jag lever" which translates to "I want to FEEL alive". I just don't want to BE alive I want to FEEL it. I want my children to have the knowledge that we are blessed.

Everyday I think Him for what we have.

Thank Him for my husband and children.

Thank Him for my friends.

Thank Him for not having to go through what the people in Haiti is going through.

And most importantly -

Thank Him for feeling alive.

Dylan's Passion

2010-01-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

Rick and I always talk to the kids about "find your passion". We constantly encourage them to seek out what they love and then go for it (other then wanting more lego's and pet shop). Dylan has found his. He likes a lot of different things; motorcycle riding, wake boarding, biking, skateboarding and so forth...but skiing...that's IT! He is an amazing skier. He has surpassed me (which wasn't very hard) and is up to par with his buddies who have been skiing a lot longer. He has no fear (which brings fear to me...but that is another blog). I am so proud of him!

Prayers of Faith

2010-01-24T11:10:00.000-08:00

My friend Laurel sent me a link to a "strangers" blog. I read it and read it and wept. Her infant son passed away recently and she has been sharing her thought. She is amazing. Her words go straight to your soul. So honest and sincere.

prayers of faith.

I want to make this very clear:

my son died

because God called him home.

For a while,

Gavin was kept alive by a merciful God

in response to the faith and love of countless hearts

the.world.over.

The moments surrounding his death

are far too sacred to share in full.

However, I feel that those of you who were

praying fervently for my sweet son

deserve to know

why God didn't answer our prayers of faith.

There was a point at which the fight was really "on".

His little body was literally head to head with Death himself.

Thinking about it,

aside from making me want to vomit,

reminds me VIVIDLY of the strength of my son's spirit.

His spirit was SO MUCH LARGER

than his tiny mortal self.

Suddenly I came to this horrifying realization:

I was keeping him here on Earth.

It was my faith, coupled with yours,

and his sweet daddy's. . .

oh, his sweet wonderful daddy.

It was our faith that was keeping

Gavin's beautiful, pure, PERFECT spirit

here in this fallen world.

. . . and I knew I had to let him go.

I was terrified.

Yet, in that moment,

I became keenly aware of my inherent strength

as a literal spirit daughter of God.

In that moment,

my faith in Him

translated into faith in myself,

and with all the courage in a mommy's very soul:

I leaned over his bed,

kissed his puffy, ice cold cheeks,

my loving tears rolling across that tiny chest. . .

wherein lay his perfect heart. . .

his perfect, dying heart.

I took his tiny fingers in mine.

Those fingers I had held and counted a billion times over. . .

and I told him it was alright to stop fighting.

I told his heart,

it was alright to stop beating.

It was time to go.

Tears were shed,

promises made,

and moments later, my little angel in the flesh,

was returned from my arms

to His from whence he came.

And the Spirit of God shone around us in that

little room.

And we knew,

WE KNOW,

the separation is only temporary.

We will hold our boy again.

When the time came,

we squared our shoulders

and hand in hand we carried our broken souls

. . .

away.

I still don't know how I left that room,

how I handed his tiny body to the nurse. . .

and left.

Left that room,

that hospital,

that state in it's entirety.

Only in and through the grace and power of God. . .

who has remained at our side.

God does hear our prayers of faith

. . . and true faith requires our ultimate submission to,

and trust in, His perfect will.

Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend (Mosiah 4:9).

Believe these things.

I sure do

If you want more...here is her blog http://www.natalienortonphoto.com/

I miss our angel

2010-01-15T22:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I received an e-mail from a customer and on the bottom it had a quote about her loosing one of her children. This is what it said "An angel in the book of life wrote down Presly's birth and whispered as she close the book, "Too beautiful for earth!". I wrote her back and asked if she had lost a baby and she had at the same experience at 7 months along. We both shared some thoughts. It is amazing how close you can feel to someone who has gone through the same thing even though you don't know them at all.

December 26 will always be a day of remembrance for me because that's when an angel in the book of life wrote down Elise's birth and whispered as she close the book "Too beautiful for earth". Every time I hear that my heart hurts. I miss that little girls so much, I feel her spirit missing in our home. Sometimes I sit and imagine her little body running around. I see other little girls and my heart hurts. I know she would have been a busy girl. She was a kicker and moved around in my stomach so much, until Christmas 3 years ago. She wasn't moving around anymore. She left me. What I would have given to be able to see her eyes, hear her cry and watch her move. All I got was a small limb body. I wanted to shake her to make her open her eyes and wake up. But at the same time I was so scared to move her small little body, I didn't want to hurt her. She was perfect, nothing was wrong with her. She looked so much like Dylan and Isabella, same little button nose and cute mouth. Her feet and fingers were so long. I can't write more...My hearth aches. My tears are streaming. I miss her.

Christmas

2009-12-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

For 2 days we couldn't find our camera, why? Because I put it somewhere safe. I found a spot for it and forgot. So for 2 days during Christmas, no pictures. Sad...I found the camera after all the presents were opened. Rick got an i-pod touch, tools, ski boots, stereo, socks (lot's of them), games, calendars, motorcycle stuff, cd's. Dylan was showered with Legos. Santa brought him a huge one as you can see him starting to build on the picture. He also got, 4 other sets, skis, boots, clothes, lot's of wii games, the Harry Potter book series, family games and money. Isabella got her deer from Santa. She has been looking for that deer for a long time. She also got tons of other animals, lego set, movies, cooking supplies, books, games, wii games, clothes, ski's and ski boots and money. I got a cute kitten, nice clothes from Rick, a very cute "sisters" statue, hair dryer, food processor, lotions, family genealogy book, a cool statue from Canada and money. We also got some really cool Olympic gloves from Jim and Cheri (Jenn's parents- we are going there in February!) They are so good to us. My mom spoiled us as usual. Dylan and Isabella always get exactly what they want. This year they got a wii fit and a wii skateboard. It is amazing how she will give everything she has without thinking twice about it while she will go without. I just appreciate it, even though she is so far away, she still knows them and what they are all about.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T21:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas is always hard for us without having family around. But we have established some great friends which makes things a lot easier. Every Christmas Eve the West Family comes over for a big Swedish Smorgasbord. I think this is our 4th year (or maybe 5th...can't remember) We go to their house for Thanksgiving and they come here for Christmas Eve. This year Jim, Cheri and Shauna also came (Jenn's dad, mom and sister. They are so sweet to us. They live in Vancouver Canada. This year I made a Rib Roast. It was really good, I cooked it a bit long though. We also had the typical Swedish foods like meatballs, scalloped potatoes, herring, cheeses, bread and more. Every year Santa Claus drops off a gift for each child as he drives across the sky. It always drops right outside on our front lawn. This year the boys got a marshmallow gun and the girls got a candy oven. It's amazing how crazy it get's. We also exchanged gifts and it is always fun.

Christmas Treats

2009-12-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

We try to bake some goodies to give out to our friends every Christmas. This year we did, gingerbread cookies, caramel with praline, chocolates, chocolate chip cookies, s'mores, peanut butter cookies with chocolate kiss (Dylan made those all by himself). For those who did not get any...sorry we ran out cookies.

My Christmas Present

2009-12-17T23:35:00.000-08:00

Rick decided to surprise me with a little kitten for Christmas. He wanted to give him to me on Christmas so he took him to the Wests to take care of him until then. Well he only lasted one night there. He was really bored so he would play in his catbox, hence the nick name "poop flinger". He is adorable. I named him Nisse. Which is a mythical creature from Scandinavian folklore. Nisse were believed to take care of a farmer's home and children and protect them from misfortune, in particular at night, when the housefolk were asleep. He is more like a dog then a cat. The other day he sat in the window and "growled" at some people walking by. I think he is more brave then Mika.

Alphabet Garden Designs Christmas Party

2009-12-13T21:35:00.000-08:00

Jenn and I decided to have our work party at our house this year. It was a lot of fun...but a lot of work. I do love to entertain, but for some reason it wears me out. Karen and Jamie came with their families. We played some games and charades. Did a white elephant gift exchange. I think Rick took the price with the most obnoxious gift...well guess which one...actually it's not even a picture of it. We all had fun except Dylan who got his Wii broken. Thank goodness for Costco.

Christmas Tree Hunting

2009-12-06T23:02:00.000-08:00

It was that time of the year again to get a Christmas Tree. This year we went with our friends Matt and Jenn plus family to a really cool Christmas tree farm. You park and then they take you to their tree farm on a big trailer with a tractor. You sit on hay bales with blankets to keep you warm. The ride is about 10 minutes. It's really pretty but cold.

At the site there is a big fire pit where we can roasted some marshmallows and drank hot cocoa. Kids loved it. It took me a while to find the perfect tree and I know Rick was getting irritated, but he hung in there. We loved it.

Thank goodness for real trees!

Black Friday

2009-11-27T22:55:00.000-08:00

I know we are crazy. But we (Jenn, Cheri (Jenn's mother) Shauna (Jenn's sister) met at 1am (yes you read right 1 am) outside Old Navy. It was raining and cold and I was sick and could feel getting sicker by the minute. The store opened at 3 am. We were the 5th in line so we got our free Rockband WII game. When the doors opened at Old Navy, it was crazy. After that we sat in line again at Target, then Hooked on Toys, Walmart, and so the morning went. I don't know why I do it. It's not that I get great deals, sometimes, but not worth getting up that early. It's the thrill I guess, or the crazyiness you see. By 9 am we were so extremly tired and went home to sleep the whole day.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T22:51:00.000-08:00

We went to the West Family for a wonderful Thanksgiving. Cheri, Jim and Shauna was there too. Matt and Jenn cooked some very yummy foods including 8 pies...I think I ate at least one my self. Coconut Cream pie is my favorite. We had a great time. We also planned for our Black Friday event, and marked every store we wanted to go to.

We did it!

2009-11-26T09:18:00.000-08:00

We finally opened our doors for the public. What a week. It was crazy! I was sick the whole week, Rick was out of town and we had to get all the stuff up on the wall. Which should be a piece of cake, but the vinyl was not sticking to the walls. Jenn sanded the bumps off the wall and Rick painted just a couple of days before the grand opening. It looked amazing if I may say it myself.

Halloween

2009-10-31T09:05:00.000-07:00

This year Isabella wanted to be a cat, and a beautiful cat she was. Dylan wanted to be Jason in Friday the 13th. (Disclaimer...he has never seen it, I'm not that bad!) We usually go to our ward "trunk and treat" but this year Jenn was telling us about their awesome neighborhood, with tons of kids, candy, singing and so on. I didn't know what to think because Jenn kept telling us it's like in the movies. I thought "sure". But it was. It was amazing. Kids everywhere (I think about 400 kids go through) homes were amazingly "dressed up", music, singing...it was cool. So Jenn, same place next year right?

Dylan's Apple Tree

2009-10-02T23:51:00.000-07:00

Four years ago we planted a Granny Smith apple tree in our yard. Each year up to now we never had any fruit. This year we did, at least one! Our friend Al Smart is going to help us next year to cultivate it and maybe we will have a few more. It was a beautiful apple.

Our New Place

2009-09-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

We moved into our new place on 606 N. Chelan. It is a great spot and with a lot of traffic. There is room to move. We had help from Cheri (Jenn's mom), Matt and Rick of course. We painted, hung vinyl on the walls and windows, and made our store sign...twice. The first one was a bit small. It is so fun to have this company with your best friend. I love what I do and the people I am around.

Lake Roservelt

2009-09-07T11:14:00.000-07:00

Here is Dylan and Hudson riding the BIG TUBE. It was so awesome. We stayed in a nice house by the lake with Tyler, Adria, Bree, Schyler and us. Dylan brought Hudson with him. We had a so much fun. The weather was perfect.

First Day of School

2009-09-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

Today Dylan started 5th grade with Mr. Kniveton and Isabella 2nd grade with Mrs. Peterson. As you can see Dylan was thrilled!

Water Slides by Lake Chelan

2009-09-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

Jenn and I decided to go up to the Slide Waters - Lake Chelan Waterpark right before school started. It was a great time (have to remember that next this summer) with barely no lines. The weather was perfect, not too hot but warm enough were no one was cold.

Down they come

2009-09-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of Isabella and Jessica coming down the slide.

Boat

2009-06-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

As we were leaving the "Red Stone" an old boat came a shore. Our kids loved it.

Cousins

2009-06-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

Samuel, Isabella, Dylan and Alice

Grafitti Fun

2009-06-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

Kids and Water

2009-06-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

We wanted to go to a restaurant by the harbor. It was a beautiful day. We got out of the car and our kids ran down to the water, took their shoes off and went in. What is it with water and kids?

Our Daily Bread

2009-06-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

Sweden is a great place for bread. I love bread...this is a HUGE piece of bread from my mom. We couldn't even eat half before it went bad.

Our Sweden Trip

2009-06-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

We are finally on our way. I have been waiting a long time to g0 and see my family and friends. I just can't believe it. Although I am not looking forward being so far away from Rick...I miss you honey! :) Rick dropped us off at the airport. It was hard to leave him there and see him just standing there. We had to go through customs (I have not done that since before 9/11, so the whole thing of taking your shoes off, no drinks and so on was all new to me. Dylan and Isabella was so excited. We had to take a subway to the plane.

You know you are from a small town when kids get excited about going up the escalator!

Our first plane was from Seattle to Copenhagen Denmark. It was really tight, no extra seats. I really don't like to fly. Kids were really excited and scared at the same time. They played with their Nintendo DS a lot. Thank goodness for those things, although at times I do curse them...I didn't sleep at all. It was way too tight and I was trying to make sure the kids were more comfortable. Dylan slept for a couple of hours, Isabella slept the most about 4 hours.

Our next plane was a much smaller plane from Copenhagen to Gothenburg, Sweden. It was really short, only 45 minutes.

TAKE OFF

2009-06-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Malin's 40th Birthday Party

2009-06-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

My whole family picked me up at the airport. I was pretty tired, but so excited to see them. We went to my sisters country cottage to celebrate her 40th birtday. It was so nice, we had a wonderful "sandwich cake", cookies, swedish bullar . The sandwich cake was wonderful. It is a "dinner cake" You use bread inbetween the layers and lots of lax, shrimp, eggs and other yummie stuff. It was so nice to see them all but I was pretty out of it. Happy Birthday MALIN!

My Mamma
My Pappa

Mamma and Imre's mom Michaela and Ida (kids cousins)

My sisters Jennie & Therese Cicci in white (Mattias Fiance)
My sister Malin in brown.

My Pappa & min brother Mattias

CraZy Nose

2009-06-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

Isabella had one of her baby teeth pulled today because one of her "big girl teeth" were coming in on top of it. When we first got there they gave her a Valium and then some Nitrous. She was hilarious. I laughed so hard that Isabella wondered if I had "laughing gas" The whole dentist office were cracking up. She went on for a good 20 minutes while our favorite dentist Dr. Tyler was waiting for her to get numb. It's from my cellphone so the clarity isn't the greatest, but you get the point. By the way, she didn't know I was recording!

I do Clean My Kitchen

2009-06-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here is proof...I do clean! But don't look to close...you never know what you might find. No, my mom wants me to put more pictures up of what our house looks like. Since she has never been here. (like most of my family). :( Here you go mamma!

Maybe this one will be better!

2009-06-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

I have to admit it...I am a Twilight book fan! I was a bit disappointed with the last movie and can only hope that this one will out do the other one. It is always hard to watch a movie after you read the book...but how can I resist Edward...

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON trailer in HD

Happy Birthday Jenn!

2009-05-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

We had our best friends over...the West's and the Gundersen's for my dear friend Jenn. She just turned 32...yeah you are so young! We had a great time as usual. We ate taco salad and cake. I hope you had a great time my friend. It was an early party since she will be in Canada on her birthday.

Lemonade

2009-04-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

One day Dylan said "I want to have a Lemonade stand" and I said ok, let 's make one...I get that from my Dad. They were both out there dancing and holding up the sign. I think he actually made 12 dollars! He probably were not out there for more then one hour...
His first customers were two guys. I just my vinyl to make the sign.

Crazy Dylan

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

Dylan is so brave, he loves to do crazy things. Here is one of his jumps.

They love to ski!

2009-04-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

We are so lucky to have a ski mountain next to us, only a few minutes a way. We (except me because of my foot) went skiing with the Wests this season. It sure helped that they all had ski passes. This is our kids nest to the airplane...I have no idea what it is about, but I guess everyone has to touch it on their way down. Starting on the left we have Jessica, Isabella, Dylan (blue helmet), Logan and Hunter.

2009-03-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 10th Birthday Dylan! He invited his closest friends to go bowling. Jon, Kyle, Quinton, Orion, Hudson and of course his dear sister Isabella. They had a good time.

Race Day

2009-03-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

What a car! Dylan and Rick worked so hard on the car for the derby. Unfortunately he didn't do to well in the race, but his spirit was still high and won the "Best Sportsmanship Award" We are so proud of him.

Getting it ready

2009-03-12T23:50:00.000-07:00

Dylan is getting his car ready for the derby. This is his 4th year. Rick and Dylan worked really hard on it. Teamwork! Dylan was really sick, but he was still such a sport.

Penguin Breakfast

2009-03-11T23:48:00.000-07:00

Isabella's class had a breakfast, doughnuts and juice, very early in the morning 7.15am. They wanted to show us their latest project, Penguins. Isabella loved showing us all her drawings, paintings and stories. She has grown so much in the last few months. We are so proud of her.

Nasty Flu

2009-03-07T00:06:00.000-08:00

All of us except Rick had that horrible flu going on. We all had really high fever for 7 days and bad cough. All we could do was to sleep. It was miserable.

Our Pooper Scooper

2009-03-06T23:59:00.000-08:00

Dylan is such an awesome helper. He works so hard at home. One of his chores are picking up the dog poop in the yard. He does such a good job. We couldn't resist taking a picture.

Chucky Cheese

2009-03-05T23:44:00.000-08:00

I decided on day that we needed to get out of town. I was tired of just sitting in the house. We went to Spokane for the weekend. We stayed at a hotel, went to Chucky Cheese, went to the mall, eat at Outback restaurant. It was great! We all had a great time.

Gross...

2009-02-27T00:04:00.000-08:00

Don't look close if you feel sick...but that's what I looked like 6 weeks after teh surgery. Pretty nasty.

Christmas Tree Burning

2009-02-16T22:55:00.000-08:00

For the past 2 years we have taken our dried up Christmas trees out to Monitor with the Gunderson Family. (that's where we keep our pony) It's fun and kind of scary...it burns so quick. Kids love it! We grill hot dogs and roast marshmallows. It's awesome.

Life's Questions

2009-02-15T19:12:00.000-08:00

(the BLUE ones I have done) I've done more then I thought...still lot's to go.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (rockband)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept overnight on a train
21. sluffed school
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when your not ill
24. I don't know what happen to 24 ???
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon/Triathlon
28. Ridden a gondola in Switzerland
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagra Falls in person,
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen Amish country
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. One cavity or less

Skiing

2009-02-02T11:33:00.000-08:00

We are so fortunate to have a ski resort right next to us. Mission Ridge. It's pretty cool. Rick is so good, he takes them up there pretty much every Saturday. The Wests go all the time too. Dylan and Isabella loves it. Isabella started taking ski lessons. They are so good, better then me!

Happy 2nd Birthday Alphabet Garden Designs

2009-02-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

I'm copying this from Jenn with a few changes! We turned two! Tonight was our AG Designs second birthday. Superbowl weekend in 2007 we all sat around and dreamt up our business plan. The first year we achieved a few of our goals and mainly just tried to perfect our product. In 2008, we got even more ambitious and motivated and achieved all our goals and much much more! We had a great goal jam session tonight that we plan to achieve by Superbowl weekend next year!

Even though Jenn had been so sick and not been out of bed 3 days, and I was just released from the hospital we both agreed we HAD to go on with the birthday. Jenn layed on one couch and I on the other.

Jenn's husband Matt LOVES to cook, and perfect his recipes. We LOVE being his testers....Celebration Food: Grilled Pineapple, 7 layer dip, Homemade buffalo chicken wings, Homemade Baked Beans, Sloppy joes and to top it all off Chocolate Truffle Dessert. Yum. It was awesome.

Thank you Matt and Jenn for a great day!

If you want to see our site go to http://www.alphabetgardendesigns.com/

From the Outside

2009-01-31T11:44:00.000-08:00

I am still alive!

2009-01-29T09:44:00.000-08:00

All I have to say...this as been a long and exhausting week. This is the first time I have even opened my laptop in 5 days...that should tell you something. I have so much to be thankful for. But first let me fill you in on some details. Last Saturday I woke up with pain in my back, it was uncomfortable, felt like I slept wrong and somehow pulled a muscle or something. Going back even further...I had ankle surgery about 2 weeks prior, so I can't use my left foot at all, therefore my place to sleep has been on the couch. Anyway, as the day went by, it kept getting worse. Rick was skiing and by the time he got back it was really bad. It felt like someone had kicked me hard on my ribs. It was so bad that I couldn't breath. Rick asked if we should go in and I said, I will probably be fine. Well the pain was so bad I was buckling over and couldn't breath. Rick got the kids rounded up in the car and off we went to the ER. (I'm using a "roll about" coolest thing, helps me get places without having to use crutches.) So I rolled in to ER "I can't breath" I was taken back right away. First they thought it was collapsed lung, but they took a xray and ruled that out. They did some more test and I had to do a CT scan and found out that I had PE (Pulmonary Embolism which is a condition that occurs when an artery in your lung becomes blocked. In most cases, the blockage is caused by one or more blood clots that travel to your lungs from another part of your body.) They gave me some blood thinners and sent me to the hospital. I can barely remember Sunday-Tuesday. I WAS MISERABLE! I also got pneumonia infection so my fever spiked to over 103 degrees Farenheit (40 celcius). I was heavily medicated and drugged up and I hated it. I thought I was going to die. I kept thinking "please let me live, I want to live..."

My arms are bruised and full of holes from the nurses trying to find veins to put in IV's. I have an IV in each arm, my foot is not usable...yes it's a bit much for me. I can't stand it that I have to ask someone to get me to the bathroom every time, which seems to be a lot.

Today it's the 5th day of being here, it get's boring and lonesome. I was just looking at pictures of Dylan and Isabella and I miss them so much. I started to cry and at that moment the doctor came in and said I might have to be here for 2 more days... :( Not what I wanted to hear.

However, having done some complaining I can tell you that I will never take my life for granted again. Not being able to breath because there is something lodged in your lung andknowing that I could have died if I wouldn't have gone in when I did...it makes me whan to scream out loud THANK YOU LORD! THANK YOU FAMILY AND FRIENDS, THANK YOU DOCTORS. I know I was watched over during this time, with all the many prayers...I felt them!
I feel blessed to be surrounded with love, to have so many good people around me. You have all been so helpful.

My poor mother is calling everyday from Sweden worried sick. I can imagine how she feels knowing your baby is so far away and sick. She is posting everyone back home.

I have to go, feel a bit faint. Will send more updates when I can.

LOVE

Ye Shall Know Them By Their Fruit...

2009-01-18T11:59:00.000-08:00

I don't think it's a surprise to anyone that I have struggled for a while with my testimony. I'm not hiding it...and mainly because if I am open with it maybe someone might be able to answer some questions. (But if you are surprise...well, now you know.) Having said that, I have such a strong testimony about Jesus Christ and for all that he has done for us. I truly believe in Him.

Since my surgery I have been able to think a lot. The scripture above "Ye Shall Know Them By Their Fruit" (Matt 7:16), is so true. I think it's amazing how people in our church are so helpful and so selfless. I have friends of different faiths and they often comment how they barely know anyone in their church, and if something goes wrong...well no one really knows. I know that some people think organized churches are for the weak. Well, I have to disagree. If it's weak to feel loved, cared for, thought of and that's just the extra perks and not really the "real" reason we are going to worship, well...I guess then I prefer to be "weak".
I just feel so thankful for my friendships and support I receive from my fellow members. Thank you...I love you!

Snow snow glorious snow...

2009-01-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

I had to take some pictures of the outside. We had so much snow. The first picture is our cottage outside our house, that's where we have our business.
This is our pile of wood. It's pretty funny because Rick's been wanting to add a cover of some sort to keep the wood dry...well it never got done.
Just some pictures of our trees.

Dashing Through The Snow...

2008-12-27T11:43:00.000-08:00

We went sledding with Jenn and her family. What a wonderland. We loved every minute.

Here is the gang. Jenn West, Jessica West, Isabella, me, Hunter West, Dylan, Logan West, Rick, Shauna Matkin, Matt West, Jim and Cheri Matkin.

Christmas Skiing with the Wests

2008-12-25T23:23:00.000-08:00

The weather was perfect for skiing. I stayed at home sleeping...big mistake. They had a great time, but when I woke up I was all alone. It was so depressing. I was thinking about Elise a lot. Two years ago this day I was going through a hard time, so being alone was not a good idea. I was crying...pretty sad. I just wanted my family around me.
The big boys
The little boys

Christmas Morning

2008-12-25T10:56:00.000-08:00

As usual I got them way to many gifts. What happens is that I buy things through out the year when I see something on sale, so when Christmas Eve comes around and I take everything out...well, there is a lot.

Santa brought a nice nerf gun to Dylan. He really wanted it. Isabella got a letter from Santa saying that the puppy she wanted had rolled off the sleigh, so he would ask the elves to make another one and bring it later. She thought that was so cute. And lo and behold, a few days later a little puppy was sitting on our doorsteps.

This one was from Mormor Bella, Isabella loved it.

Our big present was the playroom. We got some video chairs and a Foosball table. We sat up for 6 hours (until 4am) trying to put it together, only to find out that it was not working correctly) oh well, it all worked out, we ended taking the game table back and buying one from the Franklin family instead, a better and cheaper one!

Christmas Eve Night or Morning...

2008-12-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

Rick and I stayed up very late about 4 am putting their Christmas presents together. It took us over 6 hours to put the game table together (which we ended taking back because it was really bad.) Just wanted to take a picture what it looked like that night. Just as we are going to bed, Isabella walks down...wow...Santa has been here. It was way to early. So we got her to sleep downstairs.

Christmas Eve Party

2008-12-24T21:56:00.000-08:00

Every year we have a Christmas Eve Party. Our guests of honor is our best friends the West Family. I think this was the 4th year. It has become a tradition. I cook a lot of Swedish Christmas food and they come over to eat. We invited family over but they could not make it...I love having family here, but since we are so far away from everyone...we have established our own little family here. We also have Santa drop by a package every year. This year he didn't wrap the presents just threw them down from his sleigh into the snow.

Hand out Treats

2008-12-23T21:36:00.000-08:00

Every year we like to make A LOT of treats. This year I made, chocolate chip cookies, dusted chocolate cookies, chewy popcorn balls...ok, what ever who cares...anyway it was a lot. We try to hand out to as many as possible. If we missed you...sorry. Dylan and Isabella usually sings a Christmas song. It was fun. Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of Isabella, this was our last door and she threw a huge fit. We did have fun though!

Dylan and Isabella's Annual Gingerbread House

2008-12-23T21:14:00.000-08:00

Every year we make a gingerbread house, usually we buy a kit from Costco, but this year we did it from scratch. They love making it...and eating it...

Our Piano

2008-12-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

We got a piano! It's not tuned yet, but Isabella and I are going to take lessons. It's so pretty. LOVE IT!

Dylan's First Baking Experince

2008-12-22T08:51:00.001-08:00

Dylan wanted to make cookies all by himself, so he decided to make snickerdoodles. He got Isabella to help him out for a bit and then she was bored and did some dancing insted. He did a great job, they were delicious. Way to go Dylan. The only thing I did was putting them in and taking them out of the oven.

Snow, snow wonderful snow!

2008-12-21T20:25:00.000-08:00

This morning we woke up to a lot more snow. Rick and Dylan went outside to shovel while I was getting ready for my talk...yes, I did talk today. It went ok. I'm glad it's over. Anyway...both of them were out there for a good hour. Right as they were finished a big snowplow came and dumped the snow back to our drive way. Rick said he had some choice words. Well, we ended up late for church. Not fun.

Mika is not sure about Rick shoveling, she never knows when he will decide to cover her!

The Roses Boogie

2008-12-18T22:25:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

2008-12-18T20:18:00.000-08:00

All the First Graders had a to wear their pajamas today. For a PJ's and Polar Express day. All the kids will watch the movie and have hot chocolate. This is the time that I get a new pajamas for Isabella. This one has a lot of dogs on it. She loves dogs.

2008-12-17T20:14:00.000-08:00

We finally got a piano. I've always wanted one. It's a perfect place to add plants and other accessories. No...just kidding. It needs to be tuned and then Isabella and I want to take lessons. Dylan wants to learn the guitar. I just think an instrument is so important to learn.

Brrrrr Cold

2008-12-16T08:08:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday (I think) we got snow! Yipeee! I had been complaining that it was so warm outside, it felt more like fall then winter. Well, someone heard me and gave us cold, because "Baby, it's cold outside" I just checked the thermometer outside 8am and it's -23C did you see the MINUS! It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, but brrrrrrr. Good thing I have a house that is warm and a car with a heater. Last Sunday we took the kids sledding. It's not a big hill, but they had fun.

2008-12-13T21:39:00.000-08:00

Dylan is amazing. He loves to make a fire in our stove.

Our Little Helper

2008-12-13T21:34:00.000-08:00

Isabella loves to rake leaves. We have a lot of leaves from the HUGE maple tree out front.

Boys Playing

2008-12-13T20:27:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how awesome it is that Rick has good friends that he can go and play with. I have my friend (yes...you Jenn!) that I can hang out with all the time. Rick, Matt, Tyler and the kids went out to the Sand Dunes at Moses Lake. They had a blast. Dylan likes to ride, but when he get to ride with his buddies, he loves it. I wasn't there, because if I was...I would freak. I hear the stories when they come home and that is enough for me.

Rick looks so cool.

Rick and Matt competed on the kids bikes. Looks fun to me.
I don't know who won.

After all the riding they made a fire and had some hot dogs. Dylan and Logan is hanging in this picture.

Dentist Appt.

2008-12-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

Dr. Tyler

2008-11-22T14:23:00.000-08:00

Calvin and Hobbes is one of Dylan's favorite comics. He reads it all the time. One night (about 6 months ago) Dylan brought this comic strip down to Rick. He had done some changes to it... Rick and Dylan had some arguing that night. This strip was Dylan's interpretation of the whole situation and how he felt the world around him treated him. It was amazing to see the change in Rick's heart after reading the comic strip.

Those precious moments...

2008-11-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

We watched the Bucket List last night...it was so good and really made you think of what's important in life. I sobbed of course...I think Rick did too, even though he would never admit it. So what is important in life...is it the big things? Like sailing the seven seas, riding a motorcycle on the wall of China, sitting on top of one of the pyramids in Egypt, visit Taj Majhal (sp?) or is it sitting next to Dylan as he read a book, Isabella asking Rick to say a prayer at night because she had a bad dream or the smile and hug Dylan and Isabella gives me when they comes home from school (most of the time). My thoughts were wandering last night of all the things I am grateful for. There is so much.

The first thing that came to my mind was Monday night. We had Family Home Evening and we talked about our road map in life. How do we find our way back to Heavenly Father. I'm always amazed how much Dylan knows. We talked about the tools we have i.e. the scriptures, prayers and so on. After we went outside and played hide and go seek in the dark. It was so much fun. Isabella and I played together (here is one of those moments I hope never to forget) She would hold on to my jacket the whole time, desperately, she knew that I would not scare her (she also knew that Pappa and Dylan would! :) When it was our turn to hide we hid on the back of the truck. I thought it was the best spot, no way that Rick could see us there. Well, he didn't need to see us...he could hear us! Isabella kept moving and "tooting" that I could not keep from laughing. We just laid there on the cold floor of the truck bed, laughing and snuggling. All you really could see was our breath. Obviously it didn't take Rick very long to find us. I love my life. I really do. There are ups and downs, but I am alive. I have two beautiful children and a husband who loves me. What more could I ask for...

2008-11-13T08:20:00.000-08:00

This morning I was looking out the window watching the sun go up. It was beautiful, especially since we have had rain for ever it seems like (Maybe 2 weeks, which is a long time here in Wenatchee) everyone is complaining that we might as well live on the West side (Seattle area). But this morning the sun was coming up. Beautiful red and orange colors. Next to our house is a huge maple tree with millions of leaves, most have fallen off right now and are waiting on the ground to be raked. (as you can see the rakes are waiting to be used too!). When I looked out of my bedroom window I saw some glowing leaves at the tip of each branch. It looked like they were just holding on for dear life as if they didn't want let go. That's how I feel right now, I am not ready to let go of the warmth and endure the cold season.

Rick's Rock Band Party

2008-11-13T07:47:00.000-08:00

Rick turned 37 last Friday and I decided we needed to play. We had The West, Gundersen and Hickson Family here. Lot's of kids, it was fun. I cooked as usual! I actually cooked a onion blossom, wow, it was so tasty, but oh so messy! I had grease, batter and onion pieces all over the kitchen. We also had seven layer dip (I didn't make and it was grosse!), spinich dip, chicken wings, BBQ chicken nuggets and much more. I also made an icecream cake with chocolate chip cookies, nutella, vanilla icecream and of course whip cream. It was tasty. (But how can you go wrong with nutella!)
Look at all those candles! I thought our smoke alarm would go off!

Dylan loves this game. As you can see he get's way into it!

We all had fun. I'm actually waiting for Jenn's pictures...Jenn, where are they? :) I didn't take that many. It was a blast though!

Veterans Day

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

Dylan's class had a Veterans Day performance and he dressed in his boyscout uniform He was part of the flag bearing ceremony. It was neat to see, except he looked like he was going to faint any moment. I guess he get's really nervous in front of people.

Isabella's Wonderful Statement

2008-11-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

Last Friday was Rick's Birthday and we had a party. (I will blog that later when I have the pictures uploaded.) Anyway, at the end of the evening and the kids are ready to go to bed Dylan realizes that someone had taken all his Lego's (1000's) and dumped them out all over the floor (and spread them out EVERYWHERE) and taken his Bionicles apart. He was MAD and flipped out. (Understandably) Since it was about 11.30pm and he had pretty much just lived on sugar that evening there was nothing that would stop him in his hysteria. We asked Isabella if she had done it and she said no. So I asked her again (to make sure) "Are you sure? You are not lying right, because if you are lying about this, things will be much worse for you?" So she said "Mom, do you think I'm crazy? If I would do that I would be dead meat, I would be the turkey for Thanksgiving" I guess she knows her brother well.

Halloween

2008-10-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

Dylan decorated our front porch. Isabella was afraid! I think Dylan completed his mission...

Trick or Treat!

Our ward always has a Trunk or Treat. This year I was a vampire, Isabella was a bat woman, Dylan was a Clone War Tropper and Rick was just scary...
Here are our friends, Tyler, Adria, Jade and Maddie.

Fall is here!

2008-10-27T11:21:00.000-07:00

Since summer is over I guess fall is here. It feels strange, like I'm not ready for it. We haven't even decorated for Halloween, and it's on Friday...yikes. By the time I get it up, it's time to take it down. I don't think Dylan and Isabella will let me get away with it this year. Oh well!

Isabella loves to rake leaves. The only problem she also likes to jump in them (it does keep her occupied for a long time). Her friend Jade came over the other day and they raked some leaves and then tried to bury themselves in it. They had leaves everywhere, and when I say everywhere...I mean everywhere. They had a blast though!

One last time...

2008-10-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went out on Tyler's boat. It was awesome. The day was beautiful, sunny with yellow and red trees everywhere. We were the only ones out on the water. Rick and Tyler didn't care that it was cold...they did have their wet suits on. They actually said that the water wasn't too bad...????? it's the end of October...brrrrr. Rick have been wake boarding this whole summer and I have not been out with him in so long, I was so impressed. I was taking pictures but I didn't get too many pictures of Rick because the camera died...so I got a lot of pictures of Tyler, but not of Rick...sorry honey! Nothing personal! One of these pictures isn't Rick but I thought if I had the camera, I would have been able to catch him...

The kids loved it. Here are some pictures of them. Isabella loves to hold the flag. Summer is officially over...

Vancouver and Celine...Here I Come!

2008-10-22T14:42:00.001-07:00

I just went to Vancouver Canada with my best friend Jenn. We took off Sunday morning and drove up to her parents house. It only took us a little more then 4 hours. They live in a beautiful home in a beautiful area. I couldn't believe how many awesome old homes up there. Jenn's family were wonderful hosts. They welcomed me with open arms. They took me around showing me their city...it is HUGE! I felt at home with all the European names. Kensington, Surrey, Westminister and so on. I LOVED IT! It was strange to go without Rick or the kids...but it was nice. I didn't have to worry about homework, schedules, phone calls, play dates, soccer, church, dinners, kids baths, brushing teeth, shopping (well, I did shop, but not for groceries!) and so on. It felt weird to get ready for bed all by myself and no one else to worry about. I loved it, but I sure missed them all at home.

The reason we went up there was to go to Celine Dion's concert. Jenn and Matt got the ticket from Jenn's parents for Christmas, but Matt didn't want to go...I don't know why...other then his friends would never let him get away with that very easlily. I'm glad he didn't go, 'cause I loved it! We had a ball. Jenn's parents, her sisters, Shawna and Shelly and her husband went. There was an opening act by Gordon Brown...it was soooo good! He was a comedian...laughed a lot! Celine was great, very entertaining. I didn't think I would know any songs, other then the Titanic one, but I did and I have to admit, they were good. I think one of the best parts was this girl next to Jenn's dad (first I have to say that Jenn's dad tolerated the concert) but the girl next to him was in love with Celine. She sang every song with power and had tears in her eyes once in a while...it was hilarious!

I hope we can do this again. Jenn and I. We had so much fun together. THANKS MY FRIEND! I also have to say thanks to all those involved. Jenn's family for letting me stay there and have me come to the concert. Adria, The Riggan family, and Becky for watching our kids while I was gone. Obviously my dear husband Rick, who actually cleaned the house for me. ANd last but not the least my wonderful children, Isabella and Dylan who was so good while I was gone. LOVE YOU ALL!

2008-10-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

Dylan is amazing on his bike. He was a little scared of this bike in the beginning, it is a lot bigger then his last one. Rick has to coax him a bit, but as soon as he is on...he loves it.

And there is our dog...again.

2008-10-12T22:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a little movie of Isabella riding Teacup. She loves that little horse and so do I. It always make me happy to go out to Monitor where she is boarded. It is quiet, except the noise of the chickens, dogs and horses and sometimes you hear the train from the distance. My favorite thing to do out there is walking in the orchards and just smelling the apples and putting my nose in Teacup's mane, I love the smell of horses. Dylan and Isabella loves it out there too. We also have Dylan's motorcycle out there, so he rides that while Isabella rides Teacup. Isabella is getting so good with her little pony. It's amazing to watch her. This day she just wanted to ride bareback.

The dog in the background is our dog Mika.

My Little Pony...according to Isabella

2008-10-12T22:04:00.001-07:00

Crazy life!

2008-10-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

Ok ok...it's been a while but I've been so busy with work. We are doing great, it's amazing to see people actually buying the stuff you create. I love what I do. If you haven't seen it yet check it out at www.alphabetgardendesigns.com If you have any suggestions, just let me know.

Linda is here right now (Rick's mom). We have so much fun. I feel bad because I have to work. She is such a trooper.

It's pretty crazy for the kids (and me of course); soccer, scouts, taking care of the horse, homework and so on. It's a fun time, but oh so busy. Dylan is in a great team. They have won every game except the first one. Yesterday they won with 16-1, pretty awesome (I felt bad for the other team). He is doing great as a goal keeper. He loves it which is the important thing.

Summer Break is Over!

2008-09-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

Summer is officially over, well at least the summer break...I just want to know who the break is for, sure not for moms. I need to take a vacation to recover from this "break". It's been a crazy but fun summer.

Dylan started 4th grade. I can't believe how fast he is growing up. He is in an immersion program for Spanish. This is his fourth year, he is doing great. He is so tall and handsome. We were a little concerned in the beginning, but he is so smart.
Isabella started a new school today. We feel she will do much better at this new school, without having to learn Spanish. She is so brave, even though she is scared, she has such a good attitude and willing to make a change. She has been going to a Center where they help kids develop skills to make sense of this world and the way we expect people to talk and behave. Her doctor is great. She loves going there and have learned so much. She is having trouble with certain letters, mainly S, L and th sounds. Her tongue is "lazy" and she has trained it to be used in a different way. The problem is that it's hard to understand her. She also have some sensory problems. It's has something to do with her brain. She can hear things but for some reason it doesn't connect in the brain. It's like a glitch. She is learning how to deal with that. Anyway, I love being with them...however, now my break start...

Weekend in Leavenworth

2008-09-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

We decided to take a short trip to Leavenworth (25 min away) before school started. We got a room at Icicle Inn which is right next to a fun zone with miniature golf and arcade games. The first night we went to the pool. It was actually cold outside, so I sat in the jacuzzi while Rick and the kids played in the pool. Tyler, Jade and Maddie came to visit. Isabella and Jade wanted some privacy, so they changed in the closet. After the pool we came in and played Dylan's and pappa's new toy...Rockband. It's fun to play, but I also love to watch them, they get so in to it. Watch the clip.
The next day we went and played mini golf. It was a beautiful day. Dylan and Isabella did great, a lot better then me that's for sure.

If you have never been to Leavenworth you have to come. It's a beautiful town, it makes me feels like I'm in Europe.

Silverwood Amusement Park

2008-08-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

Our annual Silverwood trip was great again. The only thing that wasn't really working with us was the weather. It was perfect for the amusement park, but not for the water park. The first ride we did was the...can't remember what it is called, but it is scary. I don't know why I'm such a wimp when it comes to those things. I use to work at an amusement park in Sweden at the "Loop". I was crazy. Mom, if you reading...don't worry...I survived it... We would go facing the back of the chair, so backwards. Just holding on for dear life....yeah! We would play chicken with the train...that's not smart...I know. If you really want to know what that is I can tell you.

As the train would come to the station, we would jump over the tracks in front of the train. The train would be coming toward you very fast. The person who was closer would win. Crazy huh?
Anyway, I can't do that stuff anymore...must be motherhood. Going back to the scary rides...I screamed the whole time. I wish I had a picture of Isabella's face, actually a movie would be even better. She was so excited going up the hill, raising her hands and laughing...the second we went over the hill...that all stopped. She was holding on to my arm for dear life. Her face was pale white and I thought she was going to throw up or faint or both at the same time. I don't know what it is...but I is crazy. Why do we do that to ourselves? I just don't get it. Why are we always searching for more?
Here are some photos of Dylan and Isabella as they play and wait for rides.