Let it snow!

Just had a great weekend in Tahoe. Snowbaording with my boys, playing games with the family and sunset walks with my beautiful wife. We got Dallin on a snowboard for the first time and he tore it up.

Pinewood Derby

Yes, it's that time of year once again......when the dads get more excited about the cars than the kids do! We started on these cars in December. Andrew wanted a Lamborgini Galardo and Dallin choose the Ferrari Italia, very specific. We spent a lot of man/boy hours on these cars. The Ferrari had working LED headlights and the Lambo had a see-through engine compartment with a detailed 12 cylinder engine. All the hard work paid off though as Dallin got first place (best of show) and Andrew got second place (best of show)...a Ramos sweep!

Human Race

It's time for the annual Human Race. Every year I do it pushing one of the kids in a jogging stroller. Yes, each year it gets harder as I get older and the kids get bigger! It's a lot of fun and it's a great way to fundraise for local nonprofits. This year I mounted my video camera on the stroller and recorded the entire run. Of course, I've sped it up so you get through the course in 2 minutes....it's a fast run!

Snowboarding!

Ok, so it's been way too long since the last post. Time to catch up....It's been a great snowboarding season! Andrew is starting to pick up speed and feeling much more confident. Santa brought him a custom Elf made K2 snowboard. We spent a lot of time up in Tahoe thanks to the Steinwinder's cabin. Pretty soon, he'll be waiting up for me....

Tree Fort

One of the great Disney classics is Swiss Family Robinson. Every kid who watches it dreams of having a tree fort like that one. My boys ask immediatley after the movie if we can build a tree fort just like that one. We hit the lumber recycling center and got most of the wood for pennies on the dollar. After many weeks working on it the boys have built their tree fort, with a little help from Dad. It has 4 levels ranging from 5 to 35 feet, mechanical stairs, rope bridge, zip line, solar lighting system and enough room for 7 to sleep comfortably. The Robinson Family would be proud. Enjoy the tour!

Last day of school!

The moment every slave-driven student looks forward too..... Summer! Andrew and Dallin had another great school year. Andrew completed 2nd grade and is an avid reader, he just finished Harry Potter. Dallin finished up Kindergarden and absolutely loved it. One of their favorite parts of the day was riding the school bus with bus driver Gail. Thanks Gail!

Snowboarding

Andrew finally got on a board this past weekend and did a great job. I was a little worried that we would be an hour into it and then all heck would break loose, the 'I'm cold', 'I'm tired' and 'I want to go home' would kick in. Nope, he wanted to shred the entire day. That's my boy! Here is a picture of him.

The boys recently got bunk beds. They are so excited to be out of their toddler beds and into these "almost adult beds", as Andrew puts it.

We had a great Christmas and New Years. The kids were so excited when Uncle Brian and Aunt Angelle and new cousin came to visit. The boys got plenty of exciting things for Christmas, including legos, clothes, games, and a new pet - Rhino the hamster. We also spent a week in Tahoe enjoying the snow and hanging out with friends. The boys had a great sled run in the front yard and spent hours on it.

Time for an update

Wow, it's been a long time since we posted an update...whoops! Just to fill you in:

We went to Disneyland in August and had a blast! The kids were great and loved the Indiana Jones ride. They were a little hesitant getting on but after a few screams they wanted to go again. After that it was back to school for the kids, Andrew a 2nd grader and Dallin in Kindergarden. They have really enjoyed the year so far and have made some new friends. The boys got their H1N1 shots and didn't even cry. They remind me how tough they are by referring to the 'shots'. Halloween was fun as the cousins, Brinna and Jack, were visiting with my sister and parents. I took the boys up to our other cousins in Placerville over Thanksgiving weekend. We had a great time chopping wood, riding dirtbikes and hanging with the cousins. We are off to Tahoe for week for New Years. Take care and Merry Christmas!

Sierra backpacking

I took the boys backpacking this past weekend for 2 days. We hiked 2.5 miles to Relief Reservoir and had a great camping spot. We spent the day exploring, hiking and setting up bear defense mechanisms(stick piles). This was the first backpacking trip with both of them and it went quite well. Our diet consisted of starbursts, cookies, banana bread and oatmeal. Although, I did forget the bug spray and toilet paper so I had the opportunity to introduce the boys to the old 'leaf' trick. Needless to say, they didn't care for that method to much.

Derby days

Andrew had his first Pinewood derby with his scout troop. He had a lot of fun making the cars (he helped make several) and placed second. He has worked really hard all year and has completed quite a few acheivments. We went for hikes, visited firestations, toured a newspaper office, and did lots of crafts. The boys are really excited to go to scout camp in a few weeks.

Memorial Day

We made our annual trek up to Clear Lake for the holiday weekend. We had a blast swimming, kayaking and the boys favorite....jet skiing. The lake was warm and the weather was great! We have a busy summer planned so hopefully there will be lots of new adventures to talk about and post on our blog. Andrew finished up his 1st grade year and now is a big 2nd grader. He also worked hard all year and acheived his Tiger Cub badge.

Star Wars

There comes a special moment in every boys life when he learns the true nature of the force....and his skills with a lightsaber! The boys got there first lightsabers and have been honing their skills everyday. Dallin and I had fun making this video. Make sure to have your sound up. May the force be with you!

Happy Holidays!

We can't believe the Holidays are here. We had a nice Thanksgiving, we were able to spend some time in Lake Tahoe with the White family enjoying the beautiful scenery. The boys are excited as ever for Christmas to arrive. We've been telling them that the better they are, the more Lego peices Santa will be able to deliver. Finally, I have been released as Young Men's President. But, my freedom was short lived as I'm now in the Elder's Quorum Presidency.

Boys and their toys

After 13 years of dreaming I finally got a bike again! Dallin also got a quad so now we can all tear it up in the hills. We're back into the grind for fall as Andrew started 1st grade. He is enjoying it so far and is improving in reading and writing. He also had his first pack meeting with troop 128 and fit right in. We finished out the summer with lots of swimming, some camping and trampolining(we got one two months ago and the kids love it). We are excited for the rain to start as it's to dusty to ride right now. I'm sure mom is excited for the rain as well cause that means weekends with the house to herself! Until next time!

Kayak Camping

We were off again on another adventure. This time we spent a couple of days at Loon lake (Sierra Nevada's) on our annual kayak camping trip. We loaded up all our gear and kayak about 5 miles to the other side of the lake where we set up camp. We spent the days swimming, hiking and making bear traps. The bear traps consisted of small piles of rocks placed strategically around the campsite and when a bear stumbles across one the rocks make noise and scare him away. According to the boys, a flawless security mechanism. Unfortunately we were unable to see if they worked, maybe next time.

Scout Camp

Ahh yes...Scout Camp.... an enchanted land of greasy food, dirt on everything and smelly latrines! Andrew joined pack 128 as a Tiger Cub and we headed to their first scout camp. It was a family camp so the whole family could attend. I brought the boys and gave mom another weekend to herself (her favorite company). The boys had a blast eating with all the "big and loud" scouts in the mess hall, completing compass courses and shooting BB guns at targets. They made T-shirts for mom and spent hours catching tadpoles in the river.

Forth of July

Again we headed to Clear Lake for a weekend full of swimming, hiking, windsurfing and jet-skiing. We watched the fireworks over Konocti and spent a lot of time entertained by the boys who loved to watch Daddy sink in a cracked little boat.

Weekend Warriors

Ian took the boys to Point Reyes for some beach time. We found a hidden cave and did some exploring. Much to the boys disappointment, we didn't find any treasure or pirates in the cave. We did find an old mattress though, hmmm... maybe not so hidden. Dallin asked if this was the 'napping' cave, I said yes and we moved along quickly. We explored tide pools, found some starfish and played tag with the waves. On the way back to the car we spotted the fabled Point Reyes albino deer herd and Dallin asked me who had painted the deer all white, Andrew quickly replyed "the rangers did so we could see them easier." So the next time we go out there they both want to bring their paintbrushes.

Memorial Day

We spent Memorial Day weekend at Clear Lake lounging in the sun, jet sking and chasing lizards. Our friends the Currens joined us for a spectacular time! We celebrated Andrew's 6th birthday their. Andrew and Dallin drove the Waverunner for the first time with me clinging to the back. The boys also had fun chasing the many lizards who occupied the same beach front. We played 'Killer Uno' and the girls barely pulled out a victory. Zack and Ian brought their mountain bikes up and went on a nice ride in the hills behind the cabin. It was a fabulous weekend of fun in the sun!