The Gale Family

Surprise trip to Disneyland

2009-08-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

Back in February we surprised the kids and went to Disneyland after we went to Cristin's wedding. The timing was perfect because we were there on Ranse's birthday. We had a great time, even with the rain!

Yippeeee!! Love this pic:)

Ultimat fighter, Chuck Lidell in the background.

Disneyland always has the prettiest floral arrangements.

Ranse with his birthday button on his hat.

After this pic the kids said,"Peter Pan's a little scary" check out Taylors face.

Double Trouble

Our friend Cristin's wedding

2009-08-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

Way back in February the family packed up and headed to L.A. to go to Cristin's wedding. (I'm so far behind with my blogging) It was a beautiful, small gathering and we are so happy we were able to attend. Taylor just adores Cristin, so there was no way we were going to miss it.

We had a WICKED good time in San Francisco

2009-04-13T21:12:00.001-07:00

The family after the show
Taylor in front of the theatre

Paul & Halei at Rainforest Cafe

The kids at the Rainforest Cafe

The kids and I in front of the Rainforest Cafe

Back in February the family headed to San Francisco to see Wicked. Paul and Halei rode with us and lets just say, there was never a dull moment. We went to The Rainforest Cafe for dinner before the show. The kids absolutely loved it. Once our bellies were full, we headed to the Orpheum Theatre for the show. Everyone loved it, except for Michael, I think he was a little too young to really care about the storyline. The rest of us were completely intrigued. I definitely recommend it.

Having fun with shrimp :)

2009-03-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I got my braces off in January. It was great to get my braces off, but very dissapointing to see the huge hole where a tooth should be. The day after my braces came off was mine and Ranse's anniversary. We went to Chevy's for lunch and I couldn't resist playing with my food!!! haha

We have a Young Man, YIKES!!

2009-02-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

Ignore the date on the picture, if it was 2003, Ranse would only be 7. Shaving at 7, that's a scary thought.

Last month, Ranse approached his dad about shaving his manly mustache for the first time. I couldn't resist, I had to take some pictures of this event. The little straggly hairs had to go. He just turned 13 on Feb. 17th. I can't believe I have a teenager. Luckily he hasn't presented me with any headaches......yet!

The Best 14 years ever!!!!

2009-01-27T09:29:00.000-08:00

If I were to make this a sappy blog on how much I love Ranse and how wonderful our marriage has been for the whole world to see, Ranse would kill me! So, I'll keep it short and just say Happy Anniversary! Fourteen years ago today, Ranse married the Bride of Frankenstein, a day we'll never forget! We were once two young kids and we now have three of our own. It's funny how time flies. I married a man with a big heart and a great sense of humor. For example when Ranse gave me a kiss goodbye this morning, he thanked me for the best "12" years of his life!haha, very funny Gale:) Anyway, here's a few pics of our life together, all out of order. Our family get away to Monterey last summer
Us in front of the Akaka Falls in Hawaii

A super fun dinner with some friends while in Hawaii, no were not drinking!

We couldn't pass up this photo opportunity

Getting some new shades at the flea markets in Mexico

We all know who wears the pants in this family!haaa

Ranse always wanted a mold of my belly while I was pregnant, couldn't do that so instead we had a photo shoot of my big pregnant belly.(sorry if it's too much)

This is the two young kids I'm talking about.

A few weeks before we got married.

January 27, 1995

Washington, D.C. here we come!!!!!!!!

2009-01-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

I just received the most amazing news today! Michael has been chosen to be a delegate for JDRF's Children's Congress. This means that in June of this year Michael and I will go before congress in Washington D.C. and share our story with them and ask for help in funding research for a cure. This is a huge privilege and I'm still in shock that Michael was chosen. Back in September JDRF promoted children's Congress on their website and I decided to enter a letter to see if Michael could be one of the 150 children in the nation to be chosen to meet with congress on Capitol Hill. I poured my heart into the letter, hoping for the chance to make a difference and received a letter in the mail today confirming that we will be heading to Washington D.C. this June. Words can't describe the emotions I have felt today. As I opened the letter I was expecting to see "sorry, you have not been chosen, try again in two years", instead it was just the opposite. I instantly broke down in tears and could not stop crying. I am so excited for Michael to have this opportunity, I know he is young, but know he will make a difference.

I want to share with you the first two paragraphs of the letter we received today.

Dear Michael:
Thank you for your application to the Juvenile diabetes Research Foundation's Children's Congress. I am pleased to let you know that you been selected as a delegate for the 2009 JDRF Children's Congress to be held June 21-24 in Washington, D.C.!

Out of nearly 1,500 applications that were received, your powerful and well-written application led to you being chosen as one of only 150 delegates. As a 2009 Children's Congress delegate, you will be representing not only all of the children with diabetes in your home state, but all of the children with diabetes in our nation, letting the leaders of our country know why their support is so critical in finding a cure for diabetes. In Washington, you will have the opportunity to meet with lawmakers and help them put a face on diabetes and the need for a cure.

I had the hardest time getting through those two paragraphs, it's such an honor to be chosen and something that Michael can be proud of and remember all his life. I've attached the letter that was sent in as part of our application. For those of you that know us well and have participated in walks, you are probably very familiar with what you're about to read. I hope you can bare to hear some of the same things you have already heard. Diabetes is not something we want to deal with, but simply is something we have to deal with. Oddly enough the last two years have been an amazing journey for our family. We have grown closer together, care more for each other, and feel great about standing for something! Here's our letter.

I am the parent of a four-year-old child who lives with diabetes. Our son, Michael was diagnosed with diabetes 3 months after his third birthday.

Our journey of dealing with this awful disease began on February 26, 2007. My husband and I were on a business trip in Mexico and our three children were home in California with their Grandmother. My husband and I had spent the day taking in the beauty of the Mayan Ruins and enjoying the beauty that surrounded us. When we returned to our hotel, our nice, relaxing day, quickly turned into every parent’s worst nightmare. We received a phone call from my in-laws telling us that Michael had become ill and had been rushed to the hospital. Upon arrival at the hospital, Michael was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes and was admitted into the intensive care unit. When my husband and I were finally able to speak to a doctor we were told that Michael was extremely dehydrated and that his body was beginning to shut down. The doctor went on to tell us that Michael was in critical condition and that we should get home as soon as possible because he could not promise us that Michael would make it. We faced many challenges trying to get a flight home and it ended up taking us a day and a half before we finally arrived at the hospital.

Once we arrived at the hospital, the reality of what our new lives would bring, caught us off guard. We sat in Michael’s hospital room and watched him scream and cry every time a nurse walked in the room because he knew she was going to prick his finger or give him an insulin injection. My husband and I, not knowing anything about juvenile diabetes, finally asked the nurse “how much longer will Michael need these shots?" I felt like I had taken a dagger to the heart, when the nurse replied, “He will need these the rest of his life”. I instantly felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. As a parent, you want nothing more than to make everything “o.k.” for your children. Not to hear that you are completely helpless, and that your child has been diagnosed with a disease that has no cure.

Our sweet Michael was finally released to go home after spending four days in the I.C.U. Now this is when a new way of life for our whole family began. Michael at age 3, needed to adapt to the fact that he would need his parents to prick his finger and give him multiple injections each day. He no longer could go to the cupboard and just eat anything he wanted. We now needed to count carbs for every thing he put in his mouth. Emotionally he was drained, he constantly threw fits, cried and screamed. This was a very difficult time for the whole family, not only were we living with the pain of Michael being diagnosed but also trying to make many adjustments to the way we lived. I remember spending many nights lying in bed and silently crying as to not let my husband know of the pain that I was feeling. I was super mom and needed to be strong for my family and didn’t want anyone to see how badly I hurt.

The last year and a half has been challenging, but we have all made adjustments and are just grateful to have Michael here with us. Michael is my hero and inspiration! He is a great example of how to be positive even when facing tough trials. He may appear to be a normal, healthy, little boy on the outside, but diabetes has definitely taken a toll on his health and emotions. He is without a doubt, a fighter!

Our family wants so badly for a cure to be found. We don’t want Michael to have to endure another day with diabetes. I recently calculated how many times Michael has had his finger pricked and received insulin injections. In the last 18 months since being diagnosed he has received over 2,700 insulin injections and has had his finger pricked over 3,300 times. He still has a full life ahead of him and I can’t imagine where these numbers will be if a cure is not found! How does one with diabetes live a long, healthy, life with all of the side effects diabetes can bring? Heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and even amputation are just a few things our young children can look forward to if their diabetes is not well maintained. This is not the future I want my four year old to look forward to. I want a cure for this disease and I want to see it while Michael is still young! I want him to live a long, happy life, with a beautiful wife and children and even grandchildren one day. I can’t help but worry that these dreams for my child may be cut short due to his diabetes.

We need the support of the U.S. Congress to help our children live their lives to the fullest, by supporting diabetes research. This disease is not something that can be ignored. Millions of Americans live with diabetes every day and it is not going away.
We need all the help we can get to find a cure!

I have decided that my new mission in life is to do everything I can to spread the word about diabetes. I don’t think many people understand what children with diabetes endure on a daily basis. I think it’s a disease that is very misunderstood and not taken as being all that serious. Once the initial shock of what our family was going through wore off, I decided it was time to share our story and inform others of this disease. We have had a full-page article published in our local newspaper informing people of what diabetes is and what it is like to live with it. Our family also participated in the walk to cure diabetes last year and formed a team of fifty plus members to walk with us and raised over $5,000. We will be walking for our second time this coming Sunday in Sacramento and have a team of over 100 people walking with us and have raised over $5,000 at this point. My young children also have stepped forward and shared with their classmates and teammates the importance of finding a cure for diabetes. Every chance I get; I talk to someone about what diabetes is and how important it is that we find a cure. I will continue to do this until my time comes to leave this earth! I love my child and will do absolutely anything for him. If I could have one wish granted, it wouldn’t be to drive around in a fancy car, to live in a big beautiful mansion on the hill or to be able to travel around the world….it simply would be, to find a cure for diabetes!

Can you say....ZOOLANDER

2009-01-07T20:45:00.000-08:00

Ranse is totally going to kill me for putting these pictures on here but, who cares! These are too funny:) Anytime I ask him to pose for us to get a picture together he has to act stupid like this. A couple of them remind me of Ben Stiller in Zoolander, I think I'll start calling Ranse Zoolander #2. Do you guys agree??? If you don't see any posts from me anytime soon it's because I've been banned from blogging. Hope you have a good laugh.hahahahahahahaha

Football Banquet

2009-01-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

Michael's hot chocolate face and his wad of cash Harry gave him
The All Star himself!

Ranse & his coaches award trophy

Ranse & good friend Danny (another All Star)

Ranse's football banquet was held back in December. As you all know from reading my previous posts it was an amazing season! I know I mentioned the Superbowl but, I don't think I ever wrote about how they did at the state championship. They ended up losing by one touchdown and given a little more time, I think they would have come out with the win. They started off slow but, they had the momentum in the second half. Ranse had some unbelievable tackles and was a blast to watch getting the team pumped up! He has loads of team spirit. It was freezing the night of the championship game and I was able to catch some cute pics of Michael with his hot chocolate, had to put them on here.

Back to the banquet....Ranse received the coaches award for the second year running and also was chosen to the league all star team. He was grinnin' from ear to ear all night. Congrats Ranse! Can't wait till next season:)

Michael turns 5!!

2009-01-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

I'm just a tad late. Michael turned 5 back on November 21st. Life has been busy and I have been having problems getting pictures loaded on my computer, so I guess better late than never. Michael, as everyone knows loves Pirates and especially Captain Jack Sparrow. So, of course that's how he wanted his cake decorated. Can't say I'm very impressed with the Raley's cake, they can't even spell captain right(check it out)but, Michael loved it and that's all that matters. We had some friends and family over to celebrate his birthday and he got loads of good stuff! Thanks everyone!!

Michael has been a joy to have in the family. I just think of him and it brings a smile to my face. Don't get me wrong there have been many times when he would have his uncontrollable screaming fits(usually at church, while Ranse was in the Bishopric) and I wished I was somewhere else, like chillin' on the beach and being catered to. To sum it all up though, I'm glad Ranse came to me and knew we were to have another baby. Although, I thought he was CRAZY at the time, I now know that sometimes Ranse can be right too. ha Michael is such a character and makes us all smile. Plus, I can't forget to mention that he is just WAY TOO CUTE!!!!! We love you Michael!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY (CAPTAIN JACK)

Thanksgiving in Maine

2008-12-12T14:01:00.001-08:00

My cute nephew, Cohen
Kyle and Ranse loving the first snow

Our family with Nana Boutlier

Kyle, Michael, Taylor, Mallory and Benji

Ms. Snow Angel herself(or should I call her Ms. Eskimo)

My siblings, Eric, myself, Lyndsay and John. We're only missing Missy

Pig Pile on Caleb!!!

Mom, Nana and Aunt Moe

Matt and John

John and his monster dogs, 2 great danes and I can't remember the other one.

After our last trip cross country with three young kids we said we'd never do it again. Between the three kids we had around 12 vomit incidents while on the plane and to top it all off our luggage got lost and didn't arrive to my mom and dads until 3 days later! You're worst nightmare of traveling, well we were living it! I have to say it took us three long years before we could get the courage to try it again and this time we were able to travel vomit free. The kids did great, Michael was excited at first and then somewhere over Colorado he told me he was ready to get off the plane and go back to California. He was done, he no longer wanted to go to Maine. I asked him if he had a parachute, cause that was the only way he was getting off the plane.

While in Maine, Ranse and Lil' Ranse got to go deer hunting the whole first week. It was some good male bonding time. You'll have to ask Ranse about the one that got away..... he'll love me for mentioning that! While the guys were out hunting I enjoyed being lazy and just relaxing. My little sister was there with her six month old and I enjoyed cuddling with him. He's sooooo cute!!!

All of my family gathered at my uncle's house for Thanksgiving. I counted around 40 of us. Most all of my family lives in Maine, it was so great to see everyone.

We took all the cousins to see a movie one night and on the way home we got hit by a beautiful snow storm. I know beautiful is not a word you think of when you think of a storm but, it was! It was dark and these HUGE snowflakes were coming down, I'm talking gigantic snowflakes! As soon as we got to my mom and dads the kids grabbed some gloves and had a snow fight. It was great to see them so excited about the snow.

We had a great trip, it was hard to get back home and get back into the same routine. I'm already looking forward to another vacation.

Thanks Mom and Dad for putting up with a house full of people and taking care of us. We love you and can't wait to see you again :)

Super Bowl Champs!!!!!!!!!!

2008-12-11T21:32:00.001-08:00

One of the many signs I made for the game. Want a piece of me?

Celebrate, good times, come on!!!

Ranse with Coach Bill and Coach Greg

JV Colts, Super Bowl Champs!

Ranse getting the tackle

Is this Ranse or the lead singer of KISS???

Colts waiting to receive their awards

The coveted trophy

Captains meeting center field

Where do I begin? This was the most AWESOME game of the year!!!! It was the perfect setting, two local teams, one common goal....to win it all! The Galt Colts vs. the Galt Warriors. The Warriors came out on top in their match up earlier in the season. The Colts came into the Superbowl as the underdogs with the heart and desire to win it all. The players and coaches were pumped, along with all the proud parents. This was the match up we all had been waiting for!!

Quick summary, defense for both teams in the first half were evenly matched. Things were looking pretty good. With 12 seconds left in the first half the Warriors were able to pull off a touchdown and go into halftime with a 8-0 lead. You could tell our boys were struggling as they walked off the field for halftime but, they came back in the third fired up. I don't remember all the details but, what I do know, is that we came back and kicked butt and won the game 24-8!!!

I was so excited before this game even started. I had made a gazillion signs for all the family to hold and for other parents. Gale told me I was a fool and that he thought I was crazy. Who goes to their sons Superbowl championship game without a sign? Come on now!!! Anyway, it was the most fun I have had in a long time. I was so proud of Ranse and his team, as was all the parents that were there. We screamed until we lost our voices and we ran up and down the sidelines with the team. Always keep your eyes open while doing this, I almost got trampled over by the varsity boys while I was running and screaming like a fool and not paying any attention to who was behind me. This was a night we'll always remember :)

GO COLTS!!!!!!!!!!

Barb's 70th Birthday Party!

2008-11-20T00:15:00.000-08:00

A celebration of life
Some of the little ones

Barb wanting to replay the memory of smashing a bowl of ice cream on Ranse's head

Barb and the "Ladies Man"

Jenny Klopp and the "Ladies Man"

Marge and the "Ladies Man"

Marilyn, Barb, Judy and Brian looking at old photos

Pearl and once again the "Ladies Man" haaaaaaaa

Heather looking a lot like Grandma in her younger years

Kristin and Sydney

Michael and Ranse

Jenny, Debbie, Kori, David and me(looking like a dork!)

Taylor and Gale

Brian's turn on the microphone

Ranse teasing his mom as usual

Brad sharing his funny memories of Barb

Barb completely enjoying herself

Darin singing "Joseph"

Barb opening her gift from the family(picture of the grand kids)

Barb blowing out ALL 70 candles!

Earlier in the year, Barb requested a 70th birthday bash. All of the kids got together and planned out what we thought, would be a nice celebration of Barb's wonderful 70 years. Ranse of course loved to tease her and had her completely believing that her party was going to be a "roast" and she was in for it. All along, the plan was to make it something special and memorable. I think we were able to pull it off.

About 50 of Barb's closest friends and family were able to join us as we gathered at the church. The evening consisted of a slide show of Barb over the years while Kristin played Clair de Lune on the piano(one of her and Ron's Favorites). Brian read a poem that Ron had written for Barb on one of their anniversaries, Darin sang "Joseph"( a song Ron loved to sing), and Ranse played the harmonica. After all the sentimental stuff, the microphone was open for people to share some of their favorite memories of Barb. It started off all nice, but once Brad got the mic, it was over and all the boys had to join in and share some of their favorite funny stories about their mom. It was great:)

Paul came and played all the good oldies that Barb grew up listening to and she got to show off her dance moves with Ben McClaughlin. As you can tell by looking at the pictures, Paul was there enjoying all the ladies. I had to add those pictures, I thought it was too funny ;)

Happy Birthday was sung and Barb got to blow out the huge ball of flames. One of her special gifts was a photo of all her grand kids that she absolutely loves! We also collected peoples favorite stories of Barb and made a memory book for her. The evening was finished off with all the fixing's for banana splits. Oh, actually the party went on until 11 p.m., once it cleared out a little, Kori Harris jumped on the mic. and did a little karaoke. Hilarious!! Then the boys gathered around the piano, while Kristin played and sang songs from the hymn book.

Thanks to everyone for making Barbs 70th a night she'll cherish for years to come!

Soccer Playoffs

2008-11-19T23:46:00.000-08:00

The Mad Cows
Queen of the world!

The Tunnel

The throw in

The battle is on!

A couple posts ago I mentioned we were heading into playoffs and I would let everyone know the outcome. So, here it is. Unfortunately, the Mad Cows did not advance to the finals, but they definitely gave teams a run for their money. They played two games a couple Saturdays ago and tied the first game with the #2 seed and lost their second game 3-1. They do a point system for this soccer league and the top teams advance to the championship game on Sunday. Taylor's team had a great season and were lots of fun to watch. Taylor really got aggressive this year and made her parents proud! Can't wait to watch her play next year!

Newest In-N-Out employee!

2008-11-13T16:10:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it, Michael is the newest In-N-Out employee. He'll be joining his hero, Spongebob, flippin' burgers! haaaa We went to In-N-Out today and they gave him this. We had to go to a couple other stores and he wouldn't take the hat off. A couple people asked us if he could hook them up with a discount.

Soccer pizza parties

2008-11-06T09:58:00.000-08:00

This was Michael's first year of soccer and he really had a blast. We enjoyed watching his games, the little kids are always fun to watch, because most of them are off doing their own thing and not paying attention. Michael included. At the beginning of the season he associated soccer with "I'll get a trophy and have my own pizza party!" He looked forward to his party from day one and as you can tell by the smile on his face he was VERY excited to get his own trophy.

Taylor is preparing for playoffs this Saturday. She has had a great time this year because Malia is on the same team. She has also been a great half back. All those girls better watch out when Taylor gets mad, she just runs right through them and boots the ball up field. It's been fun to see her so aggressive this year and finally coming out of her shell. I'll let everyone know how playoffs go this weekend.
GO MAD COWS!!
(yep, you're reading it right, Mad cows, we can thank the coach for that one!)

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T23:06:00.000-07:00

Another great Halloween, although I complained in my last blog, I always love seeing the kids decked out in their costumes! Star Wars was the theme this year. Ranse was actually going to be a chick magnet, but I couldn't find what I needed to make the costume. So, the night before Halloween, he asked if I could paint his face like Darth Maul(sp?) so he could fit in with Taylor and Michael's costumes. I said "WHY NOT?" So, a quick dash to the store to find some red and black paint and walah, Darth Maul! Taylor of course is Princess Leah, don't you love the buns? Michael is none other than Darth Vader! They had fun acting like they were killing eachother, probably didn't take much acting.

Party Pooper :(

2008-10-31T15:00:00.000-07:00

Leah, I am your mother!
Doesn't Darth Vader always pose like this?

I absolutely love Halloween, it ranks right up there with Christmas for me. I have to say though, I will be so glad when tonight is over!!! I am partied out, and if I have to dress my kids in costumes one more time I'm going to scream. Guess I better scream, cause I have to do it one more time tonight. Anyway after attending the school harvest festival, church harvest festival, trunk or treat, mother/daughter Halloween party and preschool party, I'm officially ready for tonight to be done! Here's a couple pictures we took last night for the mother/daughter party. I wasn't prepared for me to wear a costume so I borrowed Michael's mask and Taylor and I went as Darth Vader and Princess Leah(not sure on the sp). We had fun and I'm sure I'll post pics of the kids after tonight is over.

TOUCHDOWN!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

Ranse just caught the ball and is turning to run it up field.
Needs no explanation

The team in the huddle.

Ranse with the tackle.

One of those "almost" touchdowns!

Yeah, Ranse's hard work finally paid off this past weekend. He has come very close all season to getting a touchdown and finally did it! Unfortunately mom and dad didn't bring the video camera to this game and we don't have any footage of it. Ranse was just a tad disappointed. Anyway it was awesome, he ran 25 yards to get it and went through many guys to get there. He got hit by a group of 2 or3 and moved on and then had a guy wrapped around his leg and somehow managed to break loose. Ranse was pumped, we were pumped, heck the whole crowd was pumped!!! Way to go Ranse, can't wait till playoffs :) Here are some pictures from a game that took place earlier in the season.

It's Over!

2008-10-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

Natalie Bennett came out to our house last Friday to play with Michael. Little did we know she would give us some devastating news...it's over! She's not going to marry Michael anymore, she's marrying Ben!!! Can you believe it? Michael took it like a man and although she's found a new man they still put their arms around each other for the picture.(I'm sure they will find this very funny one day)

Making memories at Apple Hill

2008-10-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

We always pose at Abel's
The kids making their own utters and milking them (every year)
Taylor brought along her friend Jessie(her 1st time to Apple Hill)

We stumbled upon an awesome corn maze on our way home
The men in my life
Our usual photo stop in the pumpkins across from Boa Vista
Making the kids pose (Michael threw in the funny face at the last minute)
Ranse showing how strong he is.

We've been going to Apple Hill every year for the last 5 years. I love to go there in October, maybe it's because I miss the fall in Maine so much and at least going to Apple Hill you have cooler temps. They don't have all the fall colors, but there is so much to do and see in the beautiful outdoors. Last year I threw a fit because of our hectic schedules we did not make it to Apple Hill and boy did my family hear about it all year. Ranse, being the good husband that he is, made sure we set a date to go to Apple Hill. (Let's just say if you throw a big enough fit, you'll eventually get your way) No, just kidding, I feel there are certain traditions you start with your family and no matter what you need to keep them going,and this is one for us!
Anyway, we did our usual stop at Abel's so the kids could pose behind the signs, we hit Boa Vista and got lots of goodies and posed in the pumpkins and then headed up the hill to hit a bunch more stops and pumpkin patches. We bought way too much junk, but boy does it all taste good! Then to top our day off, we stopped at the corn maze in Sloughouse and had a blast trying to find our way out of there, it was huge!!!
It was an awesome day and I believe many memories were made that will last a lifetime. I love my family and am so glad we were able to make it to Apple Hill, thanks Gale!

"Always play hard to get"

2008-10-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

O.k., so Ranse shared a funny story with me this morning when he was heading off to school. He wore a new pair of dark denim jeans yesterday and a girl told him that she liked his new look and wanted to know if he would give her a hug.( you know 7th grade stuff) Ranse quickly replied "NO" ( kinda like, oh heck no!)
Dad then piped in and told Ranse to "always play hard to get, cause once you let a girl know you like her, she's no longer interested."

Heather and St. John's Wedding

2008-10-11T21:55:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to the happy couple!!!

What an awesome day, Heather made a beautiful bride and St. John was a handsome groom. They just beamed all day, actually when I saw them last weekend they were still beaming!
We're so happy for them and wish them many, many years of a marriage full of laughter and good times!

Photo shoot

2008-10-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

Michael did not want to participate
forced smile by Michael
Big Momma and Big Daddy
The Gales and Paulie

Check out these Hotties!!!

I am so far behind on my blogging. Life has been super busy, so now it's time to try to catch up! Our niece got married at the Sacramento Temple back on Sept. 26th. Ranse and Taylor were part of her wedding party so we contacted our personal photographer to bring his camera and take some family shots. You'll see who our photographer is because we had to include him in some shots. Props to Paulie! haha Our niece married a guy from Samoa(St. John) and all the groomsmen got to sport their "man skirts". They looked awesome! Check out my "Heather & St. John's wedding" entry for more photos.

My new look!

2008-09-24T23:58:00.000-07:00

Last week I finally went in for a haircut! I was so fed up with my hair and had one of those additudes of just chop it all off. I told Christy what I had in mind for the color and then told her "have fun, give me a new look". Here's the outcome. I came straight home and took a bunch of pictures, knowing that I would never be able to fix it the way she did. Sure enough, it looks different every time I fix it. Oh well.... I try!

From a day spent at the E.R., to an evening of bike riding

2008-09-22T23:56:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon Michael started showing symptoms of not feeling well. He had a headache, neck pains and a fever. We woke up Sunday and went to church and came home and he ended up having a fever of 102.5. Later in the evening he seemed to be doing better, except for his blood sugar levels were very high. Soooo, this morning I still was concerned and decided to call the advice nurse and schedule an apt. with our pediatrician. Once I told her the symptoms and what was going on, she told me I needed to get him to the emergency room right away. That's one way to freak a parent out! Because of his diabetes, he can't fight off viruses as easily as those of us that don't have diabetes and it also causes additional health issues when he is ill. Once we arrived to the E.R. they gave him fluids through an I.V., did a throat culture, blood tests and ruled out meningitis(thankfully). The doctor at one point was ready to do a spinal tap and I shared my concerns and thought we should hold off on that. Today was a very difficult day to get through. This was the first time since Michael was diagnosed that he has been sick with anything. I've dreaded this day and have done my best to try to keep him healthy. It's amazing how diabetes can make some simple viral infection turn into a day long stay in the E.R. I think it brought back a lot of memories for Michael also. As soon as he saw the bed in the E.R he stopped in his tracks and looked at me and said "what is that for". Kind of like, that's not for me is it? He cried all day, saying he wanted to go home. Finally, when we got the o.k. to leave, we told Michael we would take him to Toys R Us and get him a new bike. He definitely deserved it. He was a brave little boy today and continues to amaze me. I love you Michael and I don't know what I would do without my little "Pistachio".

A LITTLE BIT LONGER.....

2008-09-15T23:41:00.000-07:00

O.k. everybody, you are now listening to a song by the Jonas Brothers. YES, the Jonas Brothers!! Can't say I've ever been a fan, until NOW! About a month ago I heard that Nick Jonas has Juvenile Diabetes like Michael. Anytime I hear the word diabetes, all of my attention is directed to the source. He was on Regis and Kelly and shared part of his story and said that he wrote a song about his life with diabets. I immediately went to the computer to listen to it.....instant chills.
This song hit home like no other. It starts.... "got the news today, Dr. said I had to stay, a little bit longer and I'll be fine." I remember when Ranse and I got the news in Mexico that Michael had been diagnosed with diabetes and was in I.C.U. Not understanding what our new lives would bring, I thought that Michael would have to stay at the hospital until he felt better and then could go home to his normal life. Once we finally arrived at the hospital(not knowing anything about juvenile diabetes) and witnessed Michael screaming anytime a nurse walked into the room because she had to prick his finger or give him an insulin shot, I finally asked "how much longer will he need these shots?" I think I went into shock when she told me "He'll need these the rest of his life" My heart sank and I instantly felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. I'll never forget how I felt when she told me that and when I hear this song it takes me back to that day.
The song goes on to say "you don't know what you got, till it's gone". We truly don't, one minute you can be perfectly healthy and the next minute, fighting some awful disease.
Another part of the song that stands out to me is when the chorus says "you don't even know". Juvenile Diabetes is one of those diseases that I don't think many people really understand. Believe me I had no clue until I had no choice but to learn. I am still in the learning stages a year and a half later. I've decided though, that I was not going to sit back and be quiet about it. I feel as a mother, it is my responsibility to get the word out about this disease and do my part to help find a cure. I want my son to one day, not rely on insulin injections to get through the day. I also don't want any other children to have to endure a life with diabetes. It's not any fun!
As a mother of a young child with diabetes, I worry every minute of every day. Michael doesn't come to me and say "I'm not feeling good right now", it's a total guessing game on my part. I look forward to him getting older and being able to notice the symptoms of when his blood sugar is high or low. Luckily for me, I have the gift of the spirit with me. I've been prompted to test him while he was sleeping in the middle of the night a few times and luckily I followed those promptings. His (numbers) as I call it, were very low and I had to wake him and get him to eat or drink something to get his numbers up. Blood sugar levels that get too high or too low could be fatal.
Michael is a trooper! He is so positive about his situation. I asked him earlier what he thought about having diabetes, just curious to see what a four year old would say and he told me " It's good mommy, it helps me to be healthy because I can't eat candy". I guess that's one way to look at it, the cup is half full!

We'll just keep waiting "A little bit longer".

I was going to end this blog with that quote above, but I can't go without sharing some of the signs and symptoms that come with diabetes. Any child can get it, no one is immune, so if you see any of these be sure to see a doctor. Extreme thirst, extreme hunger, constantly needing to go pee, instant weight loss, sweet odor to breath, fatigue or go into shock.

"You're all a bunch of LOSERS!"

2008-09-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

I was flipping through my pictures and came across some from Michael's soccer game last weekend and they reminded me of a funny story. Michael is 4 and is playing soccer with boys that are 4 and 5. It's very important that you know how old they are. So, at this age, the coaches are allowed out on the field to help tell the kids what to do and where to go(cause really, how many 4 year olds have a clue). We have great coaches who are very positive and try to make it fun for the boys. Let's just say that the opposing team was not as fortunate as us, they were coached by a husband and wife that had some issues. Let's start off by saying the wife had absolutely no patience with the boys and was literally dragging them to their positions and shoving them in place. After our team scored it's third goal, making the score 3-0 the husband/coach for the other team spoke up and told the boys "you're all a bunch of LOSERS!" Gasp, SAY WHAT!?!?!?!?!?! Ranse and I looked at eachother at the same and busted up laughing. We couldn't believe the coach told a bunch of 4 year olds they were losers. So, the rest of the game we were hoping one of our boys would "accidentally" kick him where it hurts! What a LOSER!!!!

A couple of Country Bunkinzzzz...

2008-09-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

O.k. if I can't make fun of myself, who will??? Well, actually, many people would. Why not join in on the fun!!!! So, as many of you know I have been toothless for a good year and a half. I won't bore you with the story that my permanant tooth was lodged up in my gums and the orthodontist tugged on it and tortured me for the last year and a half trying to get it to come down. Only to realize it was as stubborn as it's owner and it wasn't budging! So, I finally had it removed by the oral surgeon, had a bone graft and am patiently waiting for it to heal, so I can have an implant done after the new year. Aren't you glad I didn't bore you with my story???haha Anyway, Ranse's brother also needed an implant and had to go without a front tooth for a couple weeks while they fine tuned his implant. I thought it would be too hilarious to get a picture of the toothless couple. Here's the outcome!!

Jen's Big Day!

2008-09-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

Check out the similar outfits (total coincidence)
Uncle Ranse, Jenny & Aunt Shelly
The Gale Boys: Darin, Brian, Ranse
Friday, August 29th is a day that Jen will always remember. She was able to take out her own endowment at the Sacramento Temple. We were honored to be there with her. She had a lot of family there to support her and had a wonderful evening. We love our Jenny! She's amazing!!!

The last picture goes to show that even wild turkeys know that the Temple is the place to be.

Soccerfest featuring "The Rockers"

2008-09-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

Soccerfest was actually a couple weekends ago. I'm just a tad bit late. In case any of you didn't know, Taylor and Malia formed their own rock group called "The Rockers". They were the hit of Soccerfest! Taylor and Malia got lucky this year and were placed on the same team. They are hilarious. Watching them together takes me back to my younger years of acting like a complete fool with my best friend. It should be a good soccer season.

I can't fail to mention Michael. He is playing soccer for the first time and is lots of fun to watch. His coach told him to get the ball when it was coming his way in his first game and instead of kicking it, he bent over and picked it up. 4 year old soccer should be called comedy hour.

Our outing with the Warren's

2008-09-04T02:06:00.000-07:00

The tiniest piece of tri-tip you will ever see!haaaaa
Taylor kayaking on her own
The two lovebirds :)
Michael and Taylor enjoying Emeli's company

O.K. first off, call me crazy cause it is 2:00 a.m. and I am blogging. Is that a sign of true addiction? I have been killing myself trying to get our letter ready for Michael's diabetes walk and have fallen behind on my blog. I'll try to recap the events of our visit to Paul's house for dinner to see Emeli off to college. Paul has come to our house many times for our family gatherings and dinner, but we have not made it his way at all. So, the tables were turned and we we're treated by him.

Upon our arrival, we noticed a very "tiny" piece of tri-tip sitting on the counter. Ranse and I both thought that there must be more coming. WRONG!! We took this as an opportunity to harass Paul all evening and have a good laugh at Paul's expense. Did he not realize that the Gale's are GIANTS? Hilarious!!!Thank goodness for the larger than life baked potatoes.

After dinner, we headed over to Lodi Lake to kayak. We all had a great time! Along with kayaking, we also enjoyed watching the kids get chased by the ducks.

We headed back to the house for a wonderful dessert, made by me and shared a few good laughs! The kids enjoyed hanging out with Emeli(literally). We'll miss her while she is away at school!

Ranse's first talk in Sacrament Meeting

2008-08-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

O.k. here goes the bragging mom again! Sorry, but I can't resist. Ranse gave his very first talk in Sacrament meeting on Sunday, August 24th. He's 12 and got up there like an adult with many years of practice. He put the talk together himself and did not share with me what he would be saying except that it would be on service. I completely trust him to say appropriate things and speak from the heart. So, anyway back to Sunday. He got up and shared his thoughts on service and how Jesus was the perfect example of serving others even when you are mistreated. Then he shared the story about the good Samaritan from the scriptures, then wrapped it up in his own words. Then to finish it, he thanked Ranse and I for serving him all the time even though we have hectic schedules, are stressed and argue sometimes. O.K., he could of left that last part out. I think he enjoyed mentioning that because he got a good laugh from everyone. He had overheard Ranse and I going at it on the couch the night before because I wanted to get an ingrown hair off his chin and he did not want me to. Yes, I admit I like to get ingrown hairs and pick pimples. Gross huh?

Anyway, Ranse did an excellent job and made his parents proud!

Play date with the Yuba City cousins

2008-08-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

Who's da' man? These two were having an all out battle to see who was the tougher cousin. Ranse's idea of course to let them each put on one boxing glove and have at it. The only rule was that they could not use their bare hand to hit. They both have a powerful punch. I had to call the match when I started noticing big red welts on each of their faces. No WIMPS here!

Here's the cousins anxiously awaiting some popcorn. They all piled on the kitchen island and sat and stared at the microwave. I never knew it was so exciting to watch popcorn pop. Especially when it's in a bag and you don't actually see it pop anyway. Oh well, I thought it was a cute photo opportunity!

Me & my Bro

2008-08-12T23:24:00.001-07:00

I love the reflection of my arm in my glasses
Eric and I down on the field after the game
Here we are again
The kids at the temple
Michael wanted to pose with the statues...so I let him

My brother was in San Francisco this past weekend for a business trip so we headed over there Sunday after sacrament. It's been almost 3 years since we've seen each other, it was great getting to spend some time with him. He's two years older than me and I remember how much I idolized him growing up. We were inseparable! We only had a few hours to spend together so we went to the Giants game and had a great time. Yes, we broke the sabbath, but we did stop by the Oakland Temple on the way home. Does that count for anything??haha

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!!!

2008-08-12T22:48:00.001-07:00

This is the "don't mess with me" look
This is the Ranse we all know
This is the "I'm ready for some action" look

Yep, it's that time of year again. Ranse has been practicing hard since early July. This coming Saturday will be his first official game and we are pumped!! Ranse has participated in two jamboree's the last two weekends and has scored a touchdown each weekend. I was screaming so loud after the one play, a guy next to me made the comment "that must be your kid". Why yes it was!!! We are so excited to think Ranse is even getting to play, last year he pretty much stood on the sidelines all season. He has made huge improvements and really does great job out there. He has the heart and desire and it shows! I'm so proud of how far he has come(in case you haven't noticed) I'm one proud momma!!!

Family Reunion at Lake Tahoe

2008-07-31T23:14:00.000-07:00

Ranse and Dad working on the ping pong skills
Taylor, Colleen and Reid playing in the hammock
Taylor, Sydney(snoozing) and Emily Broshar
I love this pic of Sydney knocked out in the hammock
Michael and Daddy on the sea doo
We loaded up the kids last Saturday and headed up to Tahoe for the weekend. All the family was gathering up there for the whole week, but we had to return Monday. Taylor is actually still there with her Grandma and from the sounds of it she is having a blast! Even though our trip was short I was able to get a couple of cute pics to share.

Disneyland July 18-21

2008-07-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

The family with Jack Sparrow

Getting drenched on Splash Mountain

Posing on the rocks before we got to Disneyland
Ranse, Michael and Taylor in front of California Screamin'
The kids with Minnie
The jedi's posing after their training
The kids with Pluto

Another great trip to Disneyland! We pretty much covered it all. We saw lots of shows and parades, hit the new rides and all of our old time favorites. All three kids got chosen to do the Jedi Training in the same show. That was great to watch. We visited Jack Sparrow at the pirates lair on Tom Sawyer's island, highlight for Michael. Got completely drenched on Splash Mountain and mom got her fix of the clam chowder bread bowls. Delicous!! We were all troopers and closed the place down every night at midnight. Can't wait till next time. Here's a bunch of pictures.

Stockton Ports Baseball game

2008-07-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

Michael & "Juicy"
Ranse and the airforce dude
Ranse, Taylor & Michael showing the game ball Ranse & Taylor posing with the game ball

We typically never go to a baseball game and we have gone twice just in the last month. We had some friends give us tickets to the Stockton Ports game on July 12th. Highlights of the night were watching Michael be more intrigued with the team mascot all night than the game and watching dad trample over some little kid to catch a foul ball. Some how Michael got the mascot's name mixed up and kept calling it "Juicy" all night instead of Splash. Hilarious! To top the evening off, little Ranse was able to get about 7 or 8 of the players to sign the ball that his dad so heroically caught.

Gale's 36th Birthday!!!!

2008-07-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Gale :) Hope you don't mind me telling the world your age. 36 years young.

You're the BEST!!!!!

4th of July Bash!

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

Debbie Gale, Rachel Harris, Emily Gale & her friend Paul and Jenny Gale

Paul Warren and date Laura, Kori Harris, friend of Emily Warren, Emily and U. Brian

Ranse squating, Derek(Brit's boyfriend,Lil' Ranse, Michael and David Harris

Britney Jensen up to bat

Aunt Doreen, Heather Gale and Grandma Gale

A bunch of the kids beating up Norm Tuituvuki

We had some friends and family out on the 4th to help us celebrate. We played kickball, baseball, swam, water fights and much more. We had enough food to feed an army and plenty of moon pie for dessert. Thanks Kori! As evening rolled around we headed in to Galt to stake out our spot along the freeway to watch the fireworks. Special thanks to Aunt Doreen and Grandma for leaving early and blocking off a 1/4 mile stretch :) I understand they received many dirty looks for that one. One of the funniest things that took place on the 4th had to be watching Britney's boyfriend Derek light off fireworks and scream like a little girl when ever they made a loud noise. He's from southern Ca. and had never seen fireworks before in his life. Thanks for a good laugh Derek and for not burning down the surrounding businesses!

Our weekend get away to Monterey

2008-07-07T14:49:00.001-07:00

Where do I begin??? How about this was a much needed, much loved weekend get away! Our family has never gone to Monterey and since Michael won tickets to the aquarium the week before we decided it was a good excuse to leave town. We had an absolute blast!!! From the moment we arrived till the moment we got home, it was full of nonstop fun and laughter.

We arrived around dinner time on the evening of June 27th, so thought it was fitting that we head over to the wharf and find some good clam chowder. That's exactly what we did. Each of us got our own clam chowder bread bowl and sat in a restaurant overlooking the harbor. It was delicious!

After filling our tummies we decided to check out the shops. We knew after our first mishap in the gift shop that this was going to be one of those trips that go down in history. The kids were all given a budget on what they could spend. That way when their money was gone, it was gone and no more asking for stuff. This really made the kids put more thought into what they wanted to purchase. So, here comes the funny story...Ranse saw a display of rings that he thought were mood rings. So out of curiosity he decided to try one on to see what kind of mood he was in. Somehow he was able to get the ring on but not off. Gale and I watched Ranse for a while try to get the ring off and Gale finally decided he needed a little help. Dad tugged and tugged on the ring and it still wouldn't budge, so I told Ranse to spit on his finger to get it wet and see if it would come off. Still no ring! The lady behind the counter finally noticed what was going on because Gale and I were laughing hysterically and offered us some hand sanitizer to loosen things up. No ring...at this point I decided to pull out the video and catch this on tape. We finally told Ranse he'd have to buy it cause it wasn't coming off. Somehow, once he realized this was going to be coming out of his "budget" he managed to get the ring off. Well, to our surprise we had attracted a crowd during this whole ordeal and the gentlemen in line before us purchased the ring for Ranse and said he had to keep it as a keepsake. He too was laughing hysterically and wanted to make sure Ranse would always remember that experience. You have to watch the video, it's only a small clip but worth watching!

The next day was our day to venture off to the aquarium. I'll try to keep the rest of this blog short since I have written so much already. We decided to walk and take in the sights along the way. We made it to the aquarium and saw that they had a scuba program for the kids and signed Ranse up to do it. He got to scuba in a tide pool right there at the aquarium and enjoyed that a lot. We saw all the exhibits and Michael could not stop talking about the jellyfish. While there we also went to one of their shows which was a game show and Ranse was chosen to be one of the contestants. He had fun playing off the crowd and sharing his acting abilities. After the aquarium we decided to put the whole family in a surrey(a bike that 4 people could pedal but looked like a little buggy) and pedal down the coastline. We thought this would be a nice relaxing way to take in the sights, instead we felt like we were in a spin class at the gym. Thighs burning, heavy breathing and sweat trickling down your forehead. Another hilarious moment. Let's just say we turned many heads, it didn't help that Michael rang the bell at everyone we past while giving them that serious stare that he gives so well. We saw many Asian families doing it no problem, I guess we should have taken into account that us Gale Giants weigh in over 500 lbs. That makes all the difference!!

After the exhausting bike ride, our wobbly legs meandered through Cannery Row and headed back to our room. Mom and dad were ready to relax but we had promised the kids a trip to the pool. They played in the pool and spa and then we called it a night.

Sunday was our last day in Monterey and believe me we did not want to leave. We headed further south along the coast and found a spot to eat our lunch and get out and play. We crawled over the rocks and found many crab and other sea creatures. Taylor collected shells, we built sand castles and flew a cheap Diego kite. We decided to check out the Carmel Mission, which was absolutely beautiful and on our way home we also stopped at the San Juan Bautista Mission just outside of Hollister. We've always seen signs for different missions on our travels but, have never taken the time to stop and we're glad we did.

This was one of those trips that nothing was planned(except the aquarium) and just fly by the seat of your pants. It was definitely the way to go! Scuba Ranse flashin us a peace sign
Ranse, Taylor and Michael
Posing at the warf
Having fun at the aquarium

The whole crew workin' hard!

Crab catching!

The kids looking way too cute

Ranse and Shell at the beach, say ahhhhh

The kiddies at the Carmel Mission

Ranse's 1st time at Scout Camp

2008-07-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

Ranse turned 12 in February which makes him an official boyscout! He was very excited to attend his first full week of scout camp from June 16th-June 21st. Along with coming home filthy dirty and wreaking of body odor he also had lots of great stories to share. He truly had a blast with all of his buddies and his leaders. He said some of the highlights of his week were canoeing, boxing, archery, sharing scary stories in the tent, good food(you know that doesn't happen at home),the hot springs and muddin' in the back of Bro. Duryee's truck. While working on earning some of his merit badges he realized he had a talent in archery and reached the requirements needed in his first try. He also learned that he lacked in the rifle department which took him 10 tries to get what was required. It makes you feel pretty lame as a parent when your kids go away for a week and aren't ready to come home but, I guess on the other hand it's nice to know that Ranse enjoyed scout camp so much and I'm sure made memories that will last a lifetime!

Papa and Nana Page

2008-06-22T23:23:00.000-07:00

O.k., here's a little tribute to Papa and Nana Page. This picture was taken while mom and dad were here visiting in February. We always have way too much fun when they come to town and my kids get way too spoiled! It takes weeks for them to get back to normal after Papa and Nana go back to Maine. Ranse and I had a great conversation with mom and dad over the phone today and I just felt like posting how much I love 'em :) We usually tell many funny stories about the latest happenings with our family and my mom and dad are overtaken with laughter. They miss us all sooooo much and we miss them:( My mom was giving my dad a hard time tonight about needing to hurry up and get old so he could retire. That way they could spend more time in California. Boy, do I look forward to that day, not the old part... just the retired part! I'm so grateful to have such wonderful parents and grandparents to my kids. I love you guys and enjoy our long distance phone calls. Sorry if this seems cheesy to some people but, I just had way too much fun talking to my parents tonight and wanted to share it with the world.

JDRF Family night at the River Cats Game

2008-06-19T23:52:00.000-07:00

Michael, Taylor and myself got to go to the River Cats game tonight for the JDRF family night. Ranse 1 and Ranse 2 weren't able to make it since they are at Scout camp till Saturday. JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) sponsored this event for all of the local families dealing with diabetes to attend and learn more about the upcoming walk which will be held on Oct. 5th. Along with free parking and no admission to the game, we also won $45.00 in "cat cash" by answering questions that had to do with diabetes! We got to spend the cat cash on food and souvenirs. To say the least we were pretty pumped. Then to top it all off, Michael got to spin the wheel at a booth and won $100.00 worth of tickets to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. All night Michael kept on saying "this is my lucky night". I'd have to agree with him and say it was definitely his lucky night!!!

Muscle Mania

2008-06-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

We had a family gathering on Sunday to celebrate Jen's 25th birthday, Happy Birthday Jen!!! Somehow the birthday party turned into a muscle man party. The kids had been in the spa with Uncle Brian and when they all came in it only seemed fitting to have them show us their stuff. With some coaxing we got Uncle Brian to join in on the fun since he was shirtless too! We all had a good laugh :) There's always some form of entertainment at a Gale gathering.

Lil' Tom Cruise

2008-06-11T01:25:00.000-07:00

I swear this is how Michael looks every Sunday as soon as we get home from church. He loves to lose the pants and run around in his underwear. I decided to add a spoon for a microphone, some dark sunglasses and take some pictures. Way too cute!!!

Night out on the town!

2008-06-11T00:45:00.000-07:00

Ranse and I and some friends & family just recently went to The Phantom of the Opera. This was a first for Ranse and I. I really didn't know anything about Phantom so to prepare I borrowed my in-laws movie and watched it before hand and asked some questions. I'm glad I did, otherwise I probably would have got lost a couple of times, especially when they start singing about the letters. Ranse and I raised an eyebrow and had a good laugh :) Those high notes and rambling on were a little too much! Otherwise we loved the show. It was a lot of fun! I personally enjoyed the pre-show activities, which included shopping for a new outfit, shoes, purse, getting my hair cut and going out to nice dinner with great company. I say, can we go to the opera more often???

2008-06-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

With this being the last week of school, the kids are really feeling the summer bug. They pulled out the slip and slide on Saturday and had fun swimming in the pool. I think they had the best laugh watching mom and dad on the slip and slide in their over weight, glow in the dark bodies.

Michael completed pre-school last Thursday and lets Ranse & Taylor know all the time that he is on "bacation". That's not a typo, that's how he says it. He enjoyed pre-school and looks forward to going to school again in the fall.

Ranse and Taylor are finishing off their school year with fun field trips. Both were able to go to the IMAX Theatre with their classes and loved it!! They are begging us to take them there this week to see Kung Fu Panda. I'm sure we'll end up going since I'm dying to see it too.

Ranse had an awesome first year in middle school. He excelled in all subjects and kept his average above 98% in all classes. He's a little brain and has become quite the little athlete too! He loves to play basketball, football, swim in the pool and just asked tonight if he could start a martial arts class. We'll see if we can fit that in our hectic schedules.

Taylor loved 3rd grade and did great this year too! Her teacher had nothing but great things to say about her and loved her sense of humor. She is recouping from a broken arm and is very anxious to get back to normal life. She is ready to get back on the trampoline and have her dad toss her in the pool. One of her favorite things!

Well it's time for mom to start planning some fun activities for summer bacation. If anyone has any great ideas, please pass them along:)