PDX Tovey's

Cali Trip and Kids B-day/misc...

2011-04-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

DOH!

We had a great time in SoCal visiting Molly's parents and sister. Long drive both ways but the kids and dog did quite well for 13-15 hours of driving. No more dog trips though. The weather was typical Oregon weather that we were hoping to escape. I think it rained at least 5 days, with some of those days raining sideways rain. I was glad we paid to have our stinky dog cleaned before our trip only to have her rained on and muddy after our first day/night in cali. Jessy has a shepard as well (a shaggy version) and the dogs are the same age. The played/fought pretty much all day and night. The grandparents took the kids for a day and night and checked into a hotel pretty close to Jessy's so the kids could swim. Molly and I took Jessy to a gig in Studio City one night were she played a few songs with Jim Peterik (lead singer for 80's rock band Survivor). He wrote and performed "Eye of the Tiger" and "Vehicle" (when he was in the band Ides of March). Pretty entertaining show at and infamous Italian restaurant Vitellos, which is where Robert Blake allegedly killed or had his wife killed. Food was okay.

(Jim is guy to Jessy's left....still rockin')

As you can see from the photos, we went to Universal Studios a couple of days. Kind of cold for cali residents but there were plenty of Oregonians with t-shirts like me. The kids loved the Simpson's ride along with Jurassic Park, The Mummy's Revenge roller coaster, and my fav the Studio Tour with King Kong 360 3-D. If Universal could add 2-3 more good rides then it would for sure compete with Disney. We ate out a lot. If I see someone wearing an IN-N-OUT t-shirt I might just punch him in the face! ha

Here's few more pics from Universal:

The next time you see our kids in person ask them about the House of Horrors, which I'm sure will bring back some pleasant memories for them! ha

Okay, the kids b-day party will be this coming Sat. the 9th at Oaks Park. The party will run from 1-4 or so. Of course all are welcome. Not much else going on other than the kids started a spring track program and Caleb is doing Saturday flag ft-ball over in Tigard. We should have a busy spring.....don't know how I'm going to get all the house/yard projects done and still try to catch a fish or two???

Only one year later!

2011-03-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

Really, are you serious it's been a year since we did anything on our blog? I guess I blame myface (as Molly used to call it) err..facebook for taking me/us away from this blog thing. So I guess we'll try to keep something on here for the sake of journal writing like we said last time.

Nothing too exciting going on here as we get closer to spring. Other than we are going to Cali for spring break and taking a 80 lb. German Shepard in our new rig. The kids thought it would be fun to bring the dog as Jessy has a German Shepard the same age so they wanted to make sure they could be friends. Jessy has a nice dog kennel so hopefully the two FEMALE dogs will not kill each other or get jealous...haha. We're trying to break up the drive a little by driving to Roseburg and then leaving the next morning for Cali. So I'm looking at 12-14 hours behind the wheel with kids and a dog.

We're looking forward to seeing Molly's family in SoCal. Molly's dad's been sick and let's just say the health care options are not the greatest (Kaiser). Don't really want to go to Disney but I'm sure we'll do at least one day. Molly and I want to go to Santa Monica, Huntington or Newport Beach and just relax and visit, but you all know with kids it's go, go and go some more. Maybe Universal Studios this time around.

My job with the county has picked up quite a bit. I'll be honest, that first month I was wondering how and what I'm suppose to do for work. That has been solved. I mainly cover the Clackamas County sheriff's office and all their risk/safety related issues. We're about $1 million into claims this year already, which is not good. Just completed re-designing a more ergonomic friendly shooting range with better office/work stations at the public training facility. It's nice and I try to shoot there at least monthly. The 4 day a week thing is really nice, although I need to start doing more house projects instead of fishing!

Molly's had to work more hours lately because of people leaving, getting hurt/sick, and mainly she's just the best therapist they have so they get her to work as often as possible. She is going back to SoCal in April for some training on pulmonary testing equipment and will be able to hang out with her family some evenings and a weekend so she's happy about that. We've been able to catch some movies of late (Kings Speech, True Grit) and on DVD Winters Bone and 127 Hours. All good films but we agree that Kings Speech was the best.

Caleb finished up bball last week with his last game and a fun pizza party. He told me after comparing all his sport trophies that this new one was the best and I have to agree. His coach won best sportsmanship coach of the season and the league is paying for his whole team to attend a Blazer game next Tuesday in good seats. I will go with. We decided not to do baseball this spring but instead flag football. It's a 5 on 5 league and only on Saturdays (practice 1 hour before game then play game...simple/done).

Alia and maybe Caleb might be joining a track club here in Milwaukie. Basically a well known track coach is putting on clinics/training sessions 2-3 nights a week to let kids decide what they would like to run and then train accordingly. There are youth track meets in the metro area every Saturday so they can sign up and we pay $10 per event. Alia is a good runner (it must skip a generation). Both the kids are learning the recorder during school music.....oh the sweet sounds they make (ha).

I think I'm done typing for now.

Baptism info

2010-04-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

(Here's Sammie on the trampoline)

Caleb and Alia had their bishop interviews today so it looks like a go this Saturday! The baptism will start at 2:00 PM so if you plan on coming to our house the last vehicle will probably leave about 1:30. The address to the stake center = 8331 SE Cason Rd. in Gladstone. If you're coming from the South/205 take exit 11 (Gladstone/DMV)......or just google it before you leave!

We're hoping for nice weather, a good service and some good food with such an awesome family! Some of you already know this but we got a dog today (see photo above), which was a late b-day present promise now fulfilled! Alia and Caleb liked the name Sammie. She's an 8 week old German Shepard and is currently whining in the garage. Don't know what I've got myself into here, but the kids are happy.

Look forward to seeing you all.....

Jer

Caleb & Alia's Birthday Party 2010

2010-03-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

All of our family is invited to join us at JJ JUMP's in Clackamas on April 10 at 1:00-3:15. We will be having pizza and cake for lunch. You can check out this joint here.

http://www.jjextreme.com/

I went over and checked it out myself and it looks super fun. We will most likely have the JJ extreme area all to ourselves. They have 2 Wii's, Guitar Hero, Extreme zip swing, Jousting arena, Bungee Basketball, Rock wall and more. Best of all adults are allowed to play too as long as we can behave ourselves. Please RSVP (503)867-3331 ASAP. We hope to see you all there.

Our Annual Blog!

2010-03-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

I'll be shocked if anyone reads this due to the fact that we hardly keep this updated. We've enjoyed reading all of your blogs. I really like all the cool photos and video from Hawaii Rich and Deb, and of course those photos of our twin nephews in Pasco! Why can't we all live closer? We hope to be able to get together with everyone this spring and summer more often. I stayed home from work today to help take care of Alia (virus/puke stuff), as Molly was scheduled to work, and I can basically do laptop work from home anyway. The kids just finished up a successful basketball and cheerleading campaign and we should have signed them up last year. Alia really enjoyed the whole thing and made some new friends. Caleb did well for his first year and by his last game there was no traveling or double dribbling. He even made 3 shots in a row from the free throw line area with a cast on. I told him maybe he should just keep that thing on for awhile.

Caleb actually got his cast off on Tuesday, but still needs to wear a brace for a few more weeks. Needless to say, he was extremely happy to get that thing off. And just in time because Saturday we head to SoCal via I-5 to visit with Molly's family and for sure to do some swimming/Disney stuff (not fun with a cast). I think you all know about Molly's father. Molly flew down last Mon-Tues. to go with her dad to get a second opinion on his cancer situation. He's going to have to take medication to keep the cancer from spreading, but even with that, both doctors are thinking 3 years. I hope Molly doesn't mind me sharing all this because I know it is very stressful and sad for all of us. We're hoping to get him up here a lot more in the near future and do some fun things together with him. He's such a good man with a good attitude. I thoroughly enjoy being around him and listening to all his cool stories about his life. He's a good Papi!

Caleb and Alia will be baptized April 24th at 2PM here at our stake center, there's also a less active girl in Caleb's class/our ward that is going to be baptized as well. She's been 8 for a while and I think they feel comfortable with us, so why not. Also, we're having a birthday party for Caleb and Alia, April 10th (Sat.) up here at a place called JJ JUMP's or at the Family Fun center. We should be sending out invitations soon.

Update

2009-11-19T10:48:00.000-08:00

We haven't posted anything for a long time so here's a little update. Caleb and Alia are doing well in school and are loving second grade. At parent teacher conferences Alia's teacher said that Alia is very helpful and sweet in class and is where she should be at this time of year in reading and math. Caleb's teacher said that he is "bouncey and pouncey" in class and is also right on mark with reading and math. I was happily surprised that he is at the same reading level as Alia because he doesn't like to read at home as much as Alia. Caleb and Alia are on their second week of swimming lessons at our new gym. They are at the same swimming level and in the same class. This also surprised me because until only recently Caleb has been afraid to swim so I thought Alia would be at a higher level because she has been swimming on her own for a while now. They both love to swim and I enjoy taking them to the pool. Last week I signed Caleb up for basketball, and Alia for cheerleading which starts in January. I'm excited to see how they do. Both are new activities for them and we hope they enjoy themselves. The cheerleaders will cheer at the boys b-ball games which should make the games more fun to watch. Alia has been doing well with her braces and her teeth are already much straighter. Next month she will get a stiffer band which I'm sure will be hard for her because she refuses to take medication for pain. She dislikes the taste of liquid and chewable medicine and would rather suffer. I'm going to try to teach her to swallow pills because it's hard for me to watch her tough it out without medicine.

These past two months have been very hard on me. Two months ago after I got back from NY, my mom told me that the chest xray my dad had recently was abnormal. My dad finished his treatment for Prostate cancer in July and since then I've been worried about him because the treatment was hard on him and he hasn't felt much better since ending treatment. His medical provider which is Kaiser, has done many things wrong all along and he was just diagnosed with Kidney cancer which requires surgery and they aren't able to schedule his surgery until January. Needless to say this is not okay and I've been dealing with Kaiser giving them the opportunity to make this right. I am praying that he will be able to get the care he needs outside of Kaiser within the next couple of weeks.

I'll let Jer post his update when he gets a chance. We are all looking forward to Thanksgiving in Irrigon.

First day of 2nd grade!

2009-09-08T16:06:00.000-07:00

Today was Caleb and Alia's first day of 2nd grade. They are excited to be back to school. Jer didn't have to be to work early today so he was home for their big day. I had a good time helping them get ready. They both wore their favorite new clothes. I flat ironed Alia's hair for her which made her very happy (she doesn't like her wavy hair, she says it's too fluffy). I dropped them off today and got to see their happy little classmates. Caleb sits next to his friend Dante from church and baseball. Alia sits next to her friend Breahna, they've been classmates since kindergarten. I think it's going to be a good year. Caleb and Alia both like their new teachers and are excited to learn about new things.

Back from Cali

2009-07-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

(California Adventure entrance)

Wow, from 115 degrees yesterday in Hemet, CA to 60 degrees and rain in Portland... gotta love it! I think we're all excited to be back home, maybe not ready to go back to work, but there's something about getting back into your old routine of things I guess. We had a great time visiting the majority of Molly's family in SoCal. I'll put some photos up here in the next few days starting with a few today.

Here's basically what we did the first 4 days:

Friday - Flight to Ontario, CA (late flight got to Hemet about 12AM)

Saturday - Drove to San Diego (see pics) met Molly's cousin Bertha and baby Orlandito at cool shopping area called Seaport Village, which is right downtown. Then went to Molly's cousin Carmen's house in San Diego and had a bbq.

(Seaport Village, San Diego)

Sunday - Drove to La Mirada (Orange County area) to Molly's cousin Julian's house to bbq and hang out (see fireworks). They are a super cool family and we had fun catching up with them. The kids had a great time getting to know their cousins, playing Xbox/Wii, setting off fireworks and swimming.

(Cousins in La Mirada)

Monday - Disneyland/California Adventure, we decided to stay at a hotel close to the parks so we could take full advantage of the outrageous prices they charge to get in ($500+ for our family for 2 days). Monday was the good day as far as wait times for rides. We spent most of our day at California Adventure. Caleb and Alia could go on almost all the rides except for two. Their favorite rides were probably Soaring over California and Grizzly River Run (you get wet). We were going on 3 late nights in a row and were really tired so we didn't stay out too late.

(just before we got wet)

More to follow........

Laziness

2009-05-20T20:44:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I posted anything. Although I've read Sarah's and Debbie's blog numerous times. Hey Sarah, I hope you're feeling better. I'm really impressed with that bro-n-law of mine and how he takes care of you. Now if I could just make him a fly fisherman... haha. Cool pics of Kendle and Zack playing t-ball. We have some cool nieces and nephews for sure. Debbie, you can tell Zack that Caleb plays 3rd base most of the time. He's the only kid who can throw it to 1st (and hit the 1st baseman in the face because he's playing in the dirt or something).

Life for us is good. The new job is OK. A little more driving but working with people in Woodburn, Salem, Albany and Corvallis is sure better than the union atmosphere in Portland with Waste Management. Last week Molly drove up to Snoqualmie Casino in Washington to hang with the famous Jessy J and watch her show. She had a good time but will never drive up there again and leave late, the 405/I-5 are killers for drive time! We're stuck here for Memorial day weekend. Molly has to work the weekend. We have Monday off so we might do something. Maybe Rich and Debbie could swing by?

I did get to go fishing last Saturday on the Deschutes with my pontoon boat. Caught some nice fish and got some sun as well. I hope to get back over there soon because right now is some good fishing. We're planning on going to Cali for 10 days in July for Molly's dad's birthday. It should be fun but hot.

Take care all

My Lousy weekend

2009-04-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

I've been at work this weekend and can I tell you weekends at work suck! It has been nice to be able to read Sarah and Debbie's blogs this weekend. I want to thank Rich and Debbie for the great gifts they brought us from Hawaii. The chocolate covered macadamia nuts are yummy. I'm glad Rich and Deb enjoyed their vacation. I am sorry to hear about Sarah's illness. I hate being nauseated. I have to admit I always feel sicker when I'm at home. I would rather go to work (or sleep) when I am sick because I can't focus on feeling lousy. My advice is to stay busy doing stuff you enjoy. I would ask church members/friends for referrals to any young women that might be interested in working in your home for a couple hours a day. They could do laundry, clean up around the house, or play with the kids. If you ask me life is hard enough, you may as well try to make it easy on yourself. Speaking of how I've been getting through my days... we are planning a vacation. My dad is turning 70 this year and my sister and I want to do something fun as a family for his birthday. We are planning on renting a house on Newport Beach in California for a week. Details to follow.

Caleb and Alia's birthday party/updated

2009-04-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

Kids had a good time. The amusement park (Oaks Park) here in Sellwood was actually pretty cool for kids. Pretty cheap fun for kids when it's not raining. We're all exhausted from getting things cleaned up and ready for the party last week, but some of us were able to have a decent nap yesterday (Molly and Caleb), which is good cause Molly had to work today. This week should be nice with the weather and all and looking forward to Rich and Debbie and the kids coming.

In case you all didn't know Caleb and Alia's B-day party is going to be this Saturday, at Oaks Park Amusement park. We are going to be there from 1:00-4:00, if you all don't have plans you're more than welcome to join us. The amusement park is about 5-10 minutes from our house. They have carnival type rides/games and a roller-skating rink. I used to go there a lot when I was young and lived in this area. Caleb and Alia are getting more excited for their B-day with each passing day. It's not supposed to rain on Saturday, so we are hopeful that we might have some fun in the sun. So far we are expecting my Aunt Elida, Jen and Brad and kids, and a few friends from school. Jer says maybe Grandma Mel will be joining us too?

Anyhow, we hope you are all well and enjoying life. It was fun seeing you all for our Wicked weekend!

Early Spring Run Down

2009-03-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

The kids planted some flowers I gave Molly hoping to keep them alive a little longer.

It was fun seeing everyone for the Wicked weekend. The kids are looking forward to seeing their cousins again here soon when Rich and Debbie go to Hawaii (lucky)! We've had a pretty lazy spring break week. Maybe today we'll do something fun. I still have stuff to do around the house. Molly is supposed to pick out some paint for the kids room so more work for me. Molly and I went out for a 6 hour date on Tuesday to her favorite little shopping mall (Bridgeport in Tualatin). We ended up seeing the movie Slumdog Millionaire and it was great, we highly recommend it!! We did a little shopping for kids clothes and then had an early dinner at PF Chang's. We have a good girl from our ward who the kids like a lot as a babysitter. It's sure nice to have someone like that!

Back to normal

2009-03-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

Well it's been a while since I added anything other then remodel stuff so here's what we've been up to:

- Molly's has/had volunteered to work one extra day a week for a while due to someone who quit
- We're all finally over our virus/colds (nothing major, just coughing and stuffed up)
- I've sent a few resumes out and have had a few interviews (should hear something back soon)
- I took my pontoon boat down the Clackamas River yesterday morning on a 6 mile float but didn't catch a fish...fun though
- Molly's infamous supervisor was let go/allowed to resign this past week (it was about time)
- Caleb and Alia are doing well and improving on their reading. Caleb is pretty good with math
- I still have about 3 dump loads left here from the remodel, so I'll do that next week
- We're going to turn the kids beds into bunk beds this week and clean up their room
- It seems like Alia brings home a new phone # every day from another friend she wants to invite over to play
- Molly is looking forward to see Wicked and hopefully we'll get to see quite a few of you all
- If anyone is interested we're looking at trying to sell our big TV to get a LCD to mount above the fireplace
- We purchased a new bed about 3 weeks ago (Select Comfort-sleep number) where you can control firmness and such..it's awesome (no more back/neck problems)

Sorry for the business bullet point style, I'm lazy!

Done and Done!

2009-02-25T15:51:00.000-08:00

Here's the final kitchen photos:

(Molly's idea for tile..turned out real nice/Les did a good job)

I'll post some living room pics once it's all cleaned up nice.

Almost done......

2009-02-18T09:58:00.001-08:00

(New fireplace....Molly picked out design probably best thing we did)

(New countertops)

First and second Steelhead on a fly!

2009-02-04T22:09:00.000-08:00

Went fishing today and was finally able to put my new rod to work. Floated the Sandy River near the town of Sandy and it was a perfect day. Fished hard all morning and early afternoon without a bite. About a mile from our take out I fished a little stretch and I was able to catch 2 ( a hen and a buck just in from the ocean) back-to-back these fish still had sea lice on their fins. It was awesome. So I'll bbq one tomorrow night. Here's a few pics....

Remodel Pics 2/3/09

2009-02-03T14:41:00.000-08:00

(Still waiting for counter tops and appliances)

1/27/09 Remodel Pics

2009-01-27T16:21:00.001-08:00

(Kitchen sheet-rocked)

(New garage entry and pantry opening)

(New sheet rock ceiling)

Remodel fest!

2009-01-25T21:52:00.000-08:00

We've been in the remodel mode for a few weeks now. Thus the lag in the blogging and such. Lester and Dave have been coming up and staying the night a few days a week. We're hoping to be done in 2-3 more weeks. It's like a battle zone but it will be well worth it. Basically new kitchen and living room. Took a few pics of late before (but most of you remember the wall between the kitchen and living room, which is now gone). We'll put a few more pics as things progress. In unrelated news, Molly spoke in church today and did a great job. Also had a dusting of snow this morning but not enough to cancel church. We need at least an inch for schools and church to cancel! ha

(Open up the place)

(old fridge spot/new pantry spot)

A few Christmas pics, flood 2009 and another b-day

2009-01-02T11:44:00.001-08:00

Here's a few more pics from our awesome snowy Christmas:

So we had a ton of snow which melted off due to rain and warmer weather, yet the rain forgot to stop.....so here's our backyard this morning:

Pretty much all the local rivers here are past flood stage with lots of landslides. Was hoping to do some steelhead fishing but hard to find fish in chocolate milk rivers. On a sad note, it was another b-day for me....37 are you kidding me. I guess I feel younger except on days after hitting the weights hard or running. Hope you all have a great new year with lots of resolutions...hahaha I'll take the Beavs to the Rose Bowl with a win in Autzen this year!!! yea right.....

SNOW

2008-12-22T11:43:00.000-08:00

We have approximately 16 inches of snow on the ground. Looks like we'll have to head over Mt. Hood to the Dalles to get home for Christmas unless they open 84 tomorrow? A few pics from this morning. I decided to burn a few calories and shoveled the driveway....I'm way out of shape!

Family Pictures

2008-12-19T14:23:00.000-08:00

Post Card:

No school again today for the kids! We went to the photo studio last night. It was nice to get the pictures out of the way. Our family photo for the house turned out pretty good. On a totally unrelated subject, it must be the holidays because my appetite has increased. I hope not to gain more than 10 lbs. this holiday season (ha).

Jer

Must be Christmas Time...Update No School Again?

2008-12-14T10:23:00.001-08:00

We're into the 4th day (tomorrow) of "Deep Freeze" and "Arctic Blast" 2008 according to our local news honks. I think the school district employees/teachers just want a longer vacation for themselves (ha). You should see the roads here today after 38 degrees and rain...but there's a chance for a centimeter of snow tomorrow so lets cancel school again. All I can say is I wish I grew up here on the sissy side of the state!

Oh well the kids/myself had fun playing in the snow....

(Kids new snow man)

Sunday Morning Surprise:

It will be a mess around here tomorrow with temps dropping and all this moisture on the roads!

Finally a few words about OSU football

2008-12-08T18:53:00.000-08:00

Pretty cool that Quizz got Pac 10 Offensive Player and Freshman of the year and Mike Riley was honored with Coach of the Year. I sure hope that will carry over to the Sun Bowl. I still have a really bad taste in my mouth with that Civil War performance. All I will say is Mr. Banker (Def. coach) better start in January 2009 learning how to defend the spread and particular the UO spread or OSU will never win another Civil War again! The D lost the game plain and simple. OSU football has changed for me in that I love just going to the games and being with family. Maybe I've matured some?????

Other news, we finally got our tree up and decorated. It's a real nice noble fir and smells terrific! The kids had fun wearing their matching elf hats (post photo later) while decorating the tree. We're all excited to see everyone for Christmas in Irrigon.

Bahamas Cruise

2008-11-19T14:26:00.000-08:00

We had a great time on the cruise. My sister Jessy invited me to accompany her on her gig aboard the Monarch of the Sea. My mom, our friend Mrs. Flores, and our cousin Jenny went with us. Jess only had two performances so we got to hang out a lot. We flew to Florida on Thursday, and boarded the ship Friday from Cape Canaveral. The first day on board we tried to rest up, as we were all tired from traveling. There were three of us in our tiny stateroom which seemed to shrink to half it's size once our luggage arrived. Later that night we were treated to a viewing of the shuttle launch (which unfortunately Jen and I missed). I heard it was an amazing sight. Saturday morning we arrived at Nassau but there was some problem docking the ship so we weren't able to spend as much time there as we would've liked. Jess had to be back pretty early because she had a show that night. So we did some quick shopping close by, and then went to the Atlantis resort to check it out. The front page story of the Bahamas local paper stated that Atlantis had just laid off 800+ employees because of the economy. Atlantis is a beautiful resort and I would love to go back and stay there. We had a quick lunch and enjoyed their pool then had to get back to the boat. We had just enough time to get ready for Jess's show, and the formal dinner to follow. Sunday was my birthday. We were supposed to disembark at Cococay, but were unable to because of high waves. That was a bummer but we managed to have a good day on board anyway. We had a get together in our room with my mom and Mrs. Flores that morning and took some pictures without realizing our hair was a mess! Later I had a facial at the spa, and then we watched the Men's sexy legs contest on deck. It was hilareous. Most of the contestants were recruited by the staff, some with good legs the rest just good for a laugh. There were four judges and the contestants were supposed to impress the judges while showing off their legs and dancing to the Lambada. Some guys really got into it and let their inner exotic dancer come out. After dinner we went back to our room and I was surprised to find our room decorated for my birthday! We celebrated my 29th birthday at the Disco (I've decided it was a good number and I'll just stay 29 for a while). We had a great time dancing to Green light and Womanizer among many others. Monday morning we disembarked and all of us in Jessy's band had a pancake breakfast at the band promoter's house. It was fun hanging out with her group and their wives and getting to know them. The time went too fast, and now we are all back to work. Pictures to follow.

My Dad a Vietnam Veteran

2008-11-10T19:20:00.000-08:00

It was great to have mom and dad over for a short visit this weekend to watch the OSU game, and the kids in their primary program. I'm jealous of Sarah and Riley, not just because they always have a babysitter (ha), but because Kendle and Morgan can be around such great grandparents! Dad conversed with Caleb about the recent election and Caleb actually was listening.

One thing that was cool is dad brought a few of his old Vietnam war photos for us to look at. I remember being a kid thinking it was so cool that my dad was in a war. Rich and I used to sneak into dad's closet and look at his guns and pictures. He even let me wear one of his cool headbands for football in high school. It was the coolest thing telling my friends that my dad wore this in Viet F'n Nam (sorry had to say it)!

I guess what I'm trying to say is this; I'm proud of my father for being a true American Hero, just like John McCain, just like anyone else who's ever risked their life for this country. I'm sure dad wishes he didn't see or have to do certain things during that war but at the same time it made him who he is today (and being raised by great parents as well). I'm sure I've never told dad this but he is definitely my hero and someone I look up to daily!

A few pics of the meanest 5'7ish guy you wouldn't ever want to mess with:

Cool M-60 machine gun on the chopper

Leaves, costumes and candy!

2008-11-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

Caleb and Alia were good helpers cleaning up the leaves with me. I had them wear head protection because nuts were still falling from our tree. I'm sure glad we got the front yard done because the rain is here to stay! The back yard is going to be a chore.

After seeing Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull, Caleb has morphed into a mini me version of Dr. Jones! We now have all four Indie movies and he's watched them all many times.

Alia loves everything princess. She was Princess Jasmine this year. We took the kids to our stake trunk-or-treat last night and had a good time. Lots of candy and some interestingly decorated vehicles. Now I need to hide the kid's candy somewhere so I can eat it all!!

We're all going to the OSU vs ASU game tonight and hope to hook up with Rich and Deb. I'm sure it will be raining, but here's to hoping for clear skies before kick-off!

Back to work

2008-10-26T15:15:00.001-07:00

Well hello everyone. I am going back to work tomorrow. I guess they still need me at Newberg Hospital. I was hoping maybe I'd been replaced in the time I was away recovering from my life changing surgery. I feel great. I've had an easy recovery from abdominal surgery and I feel so much better about myself. I had a severe Diastasis which is a separation and weaking of the abdominal (rectus) muscles due to pregnancy. I lived with it for 6 years. Jer was my biggest supporter in my decision to do something about it. I feel stronger and ready to finally get in shape! I have no more excuses now. I also have been contemplating a career change. I've been thinking about it for a really long time and have decided that there is something else out there for me. I have never really loved my job. So far I know I don't enjoy sick people, or sales people. I think I'd like to do something with kids, music, clothes, or hair? First I have to get over my aversion to school and I'll be set. I've never been a great student, but anything is possible I say. It's also the perfect time for me now that the kids are in school all day. I would like to set the example of setting my mind on something and accomplishing great things to my kids. Although I have found that the first step in a new direction is the hardest.

Quick Update

2008-10-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

Molly is recovering from her surgery last week quite well I must say. I think she handles pain better than most especially me! She's off the hard drugs now and just taking Tylenol. Caleb and Alia were a little worried seeing mom in bed with "tubes sticking out of her" but those are all gone now and things are back to normal. I'm going to Providence, Rhode Island next Tues-Wed to tour a risk management testing facility that WM uses. Basically a place to light fires and blow things up! Kids are doing well in school and are adjusted to their schedule. I hope to do some form of fly fishing here soon (Trout or Steelhead)... the weather over here has been fantastic! Kids school pics below....

Why I LOVE getting facials

2008-10-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

1. I love going to the salon
2. The setting is very relaxing i.e. comfy bed, blankets, darkened room, and peaceful music
3. The products always smell fabulous
4. The application of the product feels wonderful and includes a facial/neck/shoulder massage
5. I can't even describe how great "the warm mister" feels. If I ever found one I could buy I would.
6. I love the "just washed skin feeling"
7. I never want it to end!!!

I need a facial right about NOW!

7 Weird Random Facts About Jeremy

2008-10-02T21:28:00.000-07:00

1. I hate the Beavers!
2. I buy season tickets to Beaver Football games
3. Every year I say I'm never buying season tickets again
4. I hate the dentist
5. I write in all CAPS like my father, except not as neat sometimes
6. I never wear sunscreen lotion and will probably die soon from skin cancer according to Molly errrr Malena
7. Did I mention I hate the Beavers?!

Seven weird and random facts about Molly

2008-10-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

**** I hate rules! ****

1. Molly is not my real name. My given name is Malena. My mom picked the name Molly for me when I was in Kindergarten because my teacher told my mom that the kids were having a hard time pronouncing Malena. So I've been Molly ever since. Most of my family calls me Mole because I was named after a character on Pinwheel (kids show on Nickelodeon) named Molly the mole.

2. Spanish was my first language. I didn't start speaking english until I started preschool.

3. I've had two surgeries on my pinky toe because I was born with an extra bone in it.

4. I have a fascination with royalty which started shortly after starting school. When I was younger one of my favorite books was a book with pictures from Charles and Diana's wedding.

5. My idea of fun is getting a facial.

6. I went on my first diet with my best friend when I was 10 years old. I was overweight and luckily I slimmed down enough to survive school.

7. My favorite food is Cheesecake fantasy ice cream from Cold Stone creamery. I could eat it every day.

I'll take a QUIZZ!

2008-09-26T10:41:00.001-07:00

True fresman Jacquizz Rodgers (#1) had a game to remember. I know most my family is the only one who reads our blog here so I'm not saying nothing you all didn't watch on ESPN. I will tell you though watching it live was crazy. His motor never stops and for an 18 yr. old kid to run 37 times against that D, it's just insane. My old buddy Jeff Tingey went to the game and Tam and her roomate sat by us along with Lester, Logan, Decker, Dave Jones and son and Les's bro-in-law. Also on a side note, there's like 3-4 LDS players who actually contributed for OSU to get this win. Watching those USC players walk off the field was, as they say, PRICELESS!!

First Day of 1st Grade!

2008-09-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

Final Vacation Recap (Pics only)

2008-08-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

Days 7-10

(Grand Tetons)

( Me on the South Fork of Snake River)

(Big bull moose)

(Henry's Fork rainbow)

(Kids with my aunt Sue's dogs)

Vacation Recap Cont...

2008-08-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

Days 4-6

Day 4-

Molly and her aunt drove to Helena to do a little shopping? I don't get it, but they had a good time and brought back some food from the big city. The kids and I went exploring a little. We drove to the the town of Augusta and had lunch. Then we headed out to a lake to try our luck at fishing. Very pretty lake with the mountains all around and I forgot to take any photos. Oh well, we ended up throwing rocks and driving around these dirt/gravel roads checking out the local wildlife (photo above). By the time Molly got back we were starving so I ate some left overs from the Macaroni Grill. Weird to be eating that kind of food at this place. Before it got to dark I took Caleb fishing on the river by the cabin and we caught 5 trout in row. I was using my spinning rod so Caleb could reel them in. He had a blast!

Day 5 -

I tried my luck at fishing again on the Missouri, but got blown out. I'm talking Eastern Oregon wind. Went back to the cabin to find that Caleb, while playing jump off the bunk beds, sprained his ankle pretty good. I tried to get him to keep ice on it but he couldn't quite handle the cold. We all decided to go back to Augusta and have a final feast at this bar/restaurant. After, Molly was concerned so we drove about 20 miles north to a town with a small hospital to check Caleb out. They said he sprained his ankle! Oh well, I guess better safe than sorry right? We then headed back to the cabin and watched a few movies before bed.

Day 6 -

Woke up early and cleaned up around the place and got everything packed. Drove to Idaho Falls, which took us about 4 hours or so. We really enjoyed our stay at the cabin. More later.....

( Bunk House)

(Dearborn Canyon in the background)

Vacation Recap

2008-08-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

Days 1-3

(Big Sky Country)

This was the longest trip that we've been away for thus far and let me tell you it was a blast! That's the fisherman talking of course, but we all did have a great time. The driving did not bother me one bit with all those mountains and rivers. I will briefly recap the events from our trip with mostly pictures and very poor grammar.

Day 1

Up early and drove to Molly's aunt's cabin near Augusta, MT. The drive takes you through Missoula and then you take HWY 200 following the real Blackfoot River until you get to the town of Lincoln from there it's about an hour of paved and gravel/dirt roads to the cabin. The cabin and bunkhouse are located on the Dearborn River, which borders the Scapegoat and Bob Marshall Wilderness area. Real mountains here. The cabin was awesome and the location is just out of this world if you like being in the middle of no where, with no cell phone coverage. The cabin and bunkhouse are like homes (i.e. TV/DVD, kitchen, bathrooms etc.) so it was nice to kinda stay clean and have some creature comforts. We basically relaxed the first night, although I did a little fishing on the Dearborn and caught a handful of wild native rainbows. A 13 inch fish is still in the freezer up there!

Day 2

Before we left for this trip I finally realized the location of this cabin was in proximity to one of the finest trout streams in the world = The Missouri River. So I woke up early (5AM) and drove about an hour to Wolf Creek, MT and proceeded to get schooled that morning by 18-20ish inch rainbows. I did manage a few smaller brown trout down river and after lunch headed back to this stretch of the river:

(The Mighty Mo as the locals call it)

I finally figured out what the fish were eating and found a spot where there were 4-5 big fish feeding and was able to hook 3 fish and land two of them. Both fish were 18-20 inch rainbows and fought harder than any fish I've ever hooked on a fly rod! See photo:

I was excited to catch these kind of fish on a river as difficult as the Missouri on a fly I tied myself. I will be back there next summer for sure. Molly went on a hike while I was gone and had fun, but hurt her feet a little. She took lots of pics with her new phone, too bad she forgot to save them. Ha!

Day 3

The weather turned a little stormy on us but then cleared up later in the day. Molly and her aunt enjoyed hanging out in the cabin watching movies and relaxing. I took the kids for a little hike which lead to this bridge over the river. Caleb and Alia are both going to be fine fly fishermen/women because while on the bridge they spotted a nice size trout rising eating flies off the surface before I did. I proceeded to hike down behind the fish and caught him on the 1st cast. A nice 14 inch trout, which I let go much to the disappointment of my fishing partners. We then proceeded on our hike and scarred up a Sage Grouse. They're the dumbest birds I've ever seen. The kids had a good time picking out their hiking sticks and posing for the camera. More later.......

(Wilderness/Bear country.... I will have a larger caliber pistol for next summer)

Fishing pics and random ramblings........

2008-07-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

These are all pics from a few weeks ago. Took the boat down a stretch of the Deschutes river below Shears Falls. Fishing was so so, caught a few nice trout, but being on the water and going through a few rapids was why I went. I'm going to try my hand at fishing for steelhead this year with a fly so I wanted to get familiar with this part of the river. More pics......

I'm really excited about our trip here in a few weeks. It will be fun relaxing in Montana at Molly's aunts cabin, which just happens to be close to a nice little stream. I have not been to Yellowstone since I think my early teen years? We'll spend a day there and then to Idaho Falls. I will be floating the South Fork of the Snake with my uncle Paul on a guided fly fishing trip and I can't wait! I think Paul's wife and Grandma and Grandpa Pilkington will take Molly and the kids to Heise (hot
springs/swimming) for the day. Lots of driving coming up but we're still looking forward to it.

What a show!

2008-07-11T10:28:00.001-07:00

It was a great show last night. Molly and I and Rich and Deb had a blast. Best concert ever? Yea probably for me. The Foo's played forever it seems. Molly I think, lost some hearing....mine has been gone for awhile now. Our seats turned out to be fantastic as the band played 4-5 songs right in front of us! Here's a few more photos (also got some video that I'll burn to dvd). More blogg stuff later......

Things Molly is looking forward to:

2008-06-26T13:17:00.000-07:00

Going to Eugene for the 4th of July. We are going to BBQ with Jen and Brad on the 4th and on the 5th we're all going rafting on the McKenzie River.

Hangin' with Rich and Deb at the Foo Fighters concert on July 10th. Caleb and Alia are looking forward to playing with their cousins and Grandma Mel?

Jer's planning on taking us camping on Mt. Hood somewhere on the weekend of July 12-13th (Sarah, Mel and Deb you're all invited if anybody wants to make the trip). I enjoy overnight camping, more than that is too much for me.

We are going road tripping to Montana, Idaho and Yellowstone park August 8-17th. We are going to my Aunt's house in Montana, and then to Jer's grandparents in Idaho, and then to Yellowstone park. Jer's really looking forward to this trip because he's planning on fishing the whole time.

The kids will start first grade in September. Yay! no kids all day.

And the biggie... (imagine drum rolling) I'm going on a all expenses paid CRUISE TO THE BAHAMAS with my sister for my birthday in November. I can't wait!

Kids/Molly's New Toy!

2008-06-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

The kids and I put this together on Saturday. We figured instead of buying one of those play house swing structures we'd do the trampoline and then a tire swing or something in the trees or maybe a fort house with sticks for swords of course! I'm thinking about just putting up our tent as well and they can just stay outside 24-7! We're so happy that the sun is out with warmer temps on the way. The river is calling me........

T-Ball's Finally Over!

2008-06-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

Our team photo below:

It's weird but I think I kinda of all ready miss coaching. I had a good time or at least better than I thought I would. There were some cool parents who helped out a lot with the snacks/planning parties and such. We had some kids, including Caleb of course who really improved from day one. Being a Tovey you know I have to brag a little, but I think Caleb's really going to do well with baseball. In his last game he collected a couple of grounders with perfect throws from short stop to first. He also hits everything we pitch to him.

Here's Caleb's Trading Card:

A Cousin who can run!

2008-06-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

I'm excited that I will be able to watch my cousin Seth Pilkington (below) run the 10,000 meters for US Olympic Trials next month in Eugene (UO/Hayward Field). The event was sold out but Seth hooked me up with a pass to be on the field (helps that his dad/my uncle is the head coach for Weber State!)

Seth just finished placing 5th at the NCAA Nationals in the 10,000 and was the first American to finish.... he emailed me and said he just couldn't out sprint the Kenyans on the last lap! My aunt Susan and her husband Kelly were there at nationals as well watching their son Derek Taylor. He's a great runner as well at BYU and I think Seth and him have met and found the connection to me. Anyway, I'm glad I've been able to keep in better contact with all the Pilkingtons. Great families and examples for me just like my other relatives (Toveys, Covingtons, Dodsons, etc...). We're planning our summer trip to Montana (Molly's aunt's cabin), Yellowstone and Idaho Falls this August. That will be our major summer vacation, but we hope to hook up a weekend or two with the Tovey gang if possible this summer. Flyfishing/rafting/camping on the Deschutes anyone?????

Peace!

Busy Last Week!

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

Thought I'd just let the pictures do the talking.......

Very proud of my baby sister (I hope Alia will be just like her!)

Can't believe we all graduated from this school??

Kids with their new squirt guns!

Caleb and Zack

We had a fun time, but wish we could have stayed longer and had Molly with us. Molly had a fun time going to Reno again to help Jessy sell some CD's. Jessy flew back with Molly and is staying with us for a week. The kids are real excited to see their Tia. I'll let Molly post some pics and discuss their trip.....

Hope we all can hook up for a camping/rafting trip this July?

Backyard Camping.....in the rain of course!

2008-05-25T09:42:00.001-07:00

We were all jealous of Sarah and Riley going camping so we decided to have our own camping experience in our backyard. We just got a new tent so it was good practice for the kids and I. The weather was great until we decided to start cooking/burning hot dogs and marshmallows. Luckily under the apple tree we stayed dry. We had lightning and thunder most of the night and the kids were a little scared... too much War of the Worlds. I had to explain to them what lightning and thunder really is... and no, it does not "wake up" the alien monsters! It rained hard but the kids slept right through it. Molly was smart and stayed in the Tovey hotel next door. I need to purchase a cot or a real nice pad because even on soft grass is was not soft enough. I'm looking forward to hearing about how the Dodson's camping adventure turned out. I might be heading over to the Deschutes tomorrow if the river levels stay the same.

Where did the weekend go?

2008-04-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where to start? The picture above I took today before Caleb's T-ball team photos. We had to hurry to get the photos done so I could get to church in time to teach. Molly had to work the weekend so I had to bring Alia along, which she didn't mind at all. We had a Jamboree/Baseball event yesterday at our local 4 field complex, which I must say is one of the nicest set-ups I've been around. Perfect fields, awesome parking and adjacent to a playground with a super huge park. I didn't even know this place existed... it almost made me like baseball (ha). The event was pretty cool but a little long for T-ballers. They introduced every team/player and coaches for about 20 teams and we had to run from 3rd base to home plate. The kids loved it, even though our team was the last to go. After that we played 2 innings against the Red Dragons (we're the Blue Super Heros) and the kids did pretty well. I pitched to everyone, some underhand and others overhand (Caleb) and everyone did quite well. Caleb played 2nd base and had a couple of grounders controlled and to 1st base for outs. Alia had fun playing with the sister of a boy on our team. Her mother was kind enough to watch them.

After the T-ball we went home and got cleaned up and headed to Eugene for Decker's b-day party. We stopped off and watched some of Logan's baseball game and chatted with Les and Jan. Then everyone went to Chuck E Cheese AGAIN for a wild germ ridden time! It was nice to see Les and Jan. We left Spewgene and got home around 9:00 PM and found Molly fast asleep. The kids were in bed and snoring in less than 5 minutes as well! The weather was so nice today and yesterday. After church the kids went outside and found some (what they called) seeds, and starting planting them everywhere (see photo). They both have plants growing in class, so they're really excited about seeds and plants. They're also really excited for school this week because on Tuesday they get to go to the Zoo for the whole day. Molly is going as a volunteer and I might try to get over and help as well? Caleb and Alia are such good kids and I probably don't tell them that enough....here's for turning over a new leaf!

Oh yeah, Jessica has a one page spread in June's People en Espanol magazine.

Idaho Trip

2008-04-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

You've heard of jet lag, but what about car lag? We've just finished a long/quick trip over to Eastern Idaho for a wedding (cousin Ned) and to see our Idaho relatives. Luckily, we broke up our trip spending the night in Boise (Molly really likes) and then to Idaho Falls (Jeremy really likes) for a night and finally to Pocatello. Then back in the car for a 9 hour drive back to Portland!

Here's a quick breakdown of the events/with photos:

* Thursday - We drove from Portland to Boise. We stayed at a new Hampton Inn Suites in old downtown close to the Capital Bldg. Really nice hotel, cool shopping and eating in walking distance. Caleb and I drove to the Cabela's and spent an hour or so. Love that place but had to leave before I drained our savings account! Molly and Alia enjoyed walking to all the stores around the hotel. There was a cool Urban Outfitters which Molly really likes. The hotel had a really cool beach theme pool where the kids and I spent over an hour. The weather was so nice and sunny and Molly said she could live there....me too!

*Friday - Made it to Idaho Falls via Craters of the Moon to visit and stay with my grandma and grandpa Pilkington (above photo). They actually live in Ammon. We had a good time with them and the kids enjoyed their hot tub. It was good to see my grandma, she had a severe heart attack a few months ago and has lost a lot of her memory. She seemed healthy and mostly happy, other than when she couldn't remember things. We miss them.

*Saturday - Left the Pilkington's and headed to Pocatello for Ned's wedding. Rich, Debbie and kids along with mom and dad got there just before us. Good wedding and fun to catch up with some long lost relatives. Had a good time visiting and eating at Rod and Char's and got to go see Matt and Amy's house still in the process of being finished. Very cool house! Cousin Matt is a master builder! Got the kids to the hotel and went swimming.

*Sunday - Driving, driving and more driving. We had a great time though and we're actually thinking about heading out that way this summer. Maybe Yellowstone park? More pictures to follow....blogger is slow today.

Birthday weekend

2008-04-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well the kids celebrated their sixth birthday this past weekend. Where the six years have gone I don't know. I don't feel any older, but they will always be the physical evidence of our advancing age. I guess I should have thought about that before we had kids. I was telling Jeremy that I feel like I've reached the end of a stage in life. I imagine life as having many stages, my last 31 years being one of them. I finally feel a kind of satisfied peace. I can only hope that the worst is over and can look forward to happier times. Maybe I feel like I've finally matured and realized that my life has been full of unrealistic expectations. Life is what it is; hard, fun, challenging, exciting, surprising, ugly and beautiful come to mind. That's just my view of it at this time and who knows in another 30 years it might look totally different. I'm happy to say that my kids are happy and healthy and I hope they stay that way. I can say I know volumes about what NOT to do, in fact you could call me an expert, if I can pass any of that knowledge on to them I think that they'll be okay.
The kids had their party at Chuck E. Cheese surrounded by their family and friends, to them nothing could be better then that. I think we all had an enjoyable experience. Our guests were my Tia and Anita, our cousins Jenny, Liley, Rainey and Decker, also Caleb and Alia's friends Greta, Shea, Aaliyah, and Maddy. After the party all of the family went over to my Grandma Ortiz's place and had a good visit with her. The kids were all very entertaining to her and the little girls all sang and danced to my sister Jessy's CD. The next day we had Grandma and Grandpa Tovey, Aunt Tamra, Aunt Sarah, Uncle Riley, Kendle and Morgan over for a visit. We were all very happy to see them and had a lovely day. Now we are looking forward to attending cousin Ned's Wedding in Pocatello, Idaho.

I am so sick of this Global Warming!

2008-03-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

How do you go from short sleeve playin' some ball to this? Molly worked yesterday so the kids helped me with some yard work. We dug up some shrubs and small trees and moved them to different locations. After all the hard work the sun was a shinning so we played some various games with the kids that I will use when I start coaching T-ball. We had a good time until I noticed the dark clouds and the temp. starting to drop rapidly and then all of sudden big time snow and ice storm. This week is suppose to be high 50's-60's with sun.....we shall see?

Spring Skiing?

2008-03-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

I purchased a spring ski pass from Timberline early this month and have yet to see any spring/sun. I went to work real early this morning and then snuck away for about 4 hours of complete awesomeness! By far the best snow I've every skied on/through. It was probably what dad was used to skiing at Targhee or Jackson Hole. I'm hoping dad might get excited and finally go skiing with me here soon. Anyway, I skied in 18 degree weather with a foot of new snow, which felt like flour between my ski's. I hit a few runs/first tracks in thigh deep powder. Sorry for rubbing it in on any skiers reading this (dad), but it was an epic 4 hours I will not forget. Once we finally get some spring conditions we'll probably all hit the slopes as a family again. Living an hour from Mt. Hood is nice.

Jessy's party

2008-03-24T16:01:00.000-07:00

We had a great time in California this past weekend. I can't decide what the best part of the trip was, these are my options: my dad made us a delicious breakfast everyday, I got a haircut by my favorite hairstylist- Francesca, I found the perfect pair of jeans at Planet Funk (I didn't buy them because they cost $200 plus tax, so sad, but I can still hope), the weather was fabulous, sunny and approx. 75-85 degrees the whole time, and Jessy's CD release party was a blast. I styled her hair for her, and she did my makeup just like old times. Her party was at Spaghettini's Grill and Jazz club (it's one of the locals favorite for live jazz and good food). Jessy's performance was excellent. She played with a cover band that she met on the smooth jazz cruise called DW3. Jeremy took some video so we'll try to put some clips on our blog if we can figure it out. Anyway, we had lots of good times and even missed the kids a little bit.

Kids, Teeth and the Tooth Fairy!

2008-03-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

Mom wanted me to post a few pics of Alia with her front teeth finally out! We should have taken a picture of the last top tooth before Molly pulled it out. She kind of resembled those hillbilly characters on the Simpsons (Cleatus). I had to make a quick trip over to Kennewick yesterday and we forgot to let the tooth fairy know about Alia's tooth. So the tooth fairy came while Alia was at school but she didn't find her quarters until last night. Caleb was so excited at the prospects of $ and the tooth fairy that he wanted us to pull his tooth out as well. I was about to go get the pliers but I guess he wasn't that excited! Sorry Riley and Sarah for not calling ya'll but I was pretty busy doing some training with the Kennewick group. I did have some good pizza at a place called Hubby's? Nothing else really exciting going on. I got the call from the local little league and I have to coach Caleb's T-ball team. I'm not really excited about it but whata going to do?

Reno

2008-03-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since we've posted anything so sorry for that. We returned late last night from our quick trip to Reno to see Molly's sister Jessy perform with Michael Bolton. It was a little more driving than I expected but very nice weather and nice country to be driving through. The picture above is backstage after the show. Jessy and the band were outstanding! Molly's already seen them perform but not a full show, so it was pretty cool. We had great seats 8 rows back from the stage. The show was at the Nugget Hotel/Casino, where we also stayed. The kids enjoyed the swimming and seeing their Aunt Jessy. The hotel was decent but we all smelled like smoke so needless to say it's nice to be home. We even got signed copies of Jessy J's CD! I thought for sure we'd get the family discount but no such luck (ha)! I'll let Molly add more about our adventures...

We're planning on having a b-day party for the kids April 5th (Sat) here in Portland at Chuck E. Cheese. Molly will be sending out invitations. We'd love to have the cousins come but we understand it's a bit of a drive for everyone.

Late,

BTW - Molly mentioned something about the Foo Fighters, well Jessy knows the girlfriend of the keyboard/piano player for the Foo's touring band and she's going to see if we might be able to get backstage for the Portland concert... we shall see.

Weekly Update

2008-02-23T10:11:00.000-08:00

Rich, Debbie and their kids came up for a visit this last Thursday. Of course the kids had a blast and we actually had nice weather so they could play outside a little. We BBQ some burgers and chicken and had a good time. We also, as you can see with the photo above agreed to get tickets to the Foo Fighters for this July. So Mom and Dad, would you like to come down for a visit and watch the kids while we all (Rich, Debbie, Molly and I) go to the concert?? For those of you who don't know Rich and I and I think Debbie are really big fans. I think they're the only good real rock band left now. Anyway I'm really excited to see these guys...it's been a long time since I last saw them in concert. No better live BAND out there, but I could use a little more cow bell!

Other than seeing Rich and Debbie the rest of the week was pretty much the same as always, work, school, work and the like. I have the pleasure of speaking in church this Sunday and will probably start thinking about it late tonight! The sun is out here so I'm going to try to play some baseball with Caleb. I got him some new cleats and practice pants so he's ready for tee-ball here come the end of March. Riley or dad if you read this (I'll probably call as well) Molly and I might go skiing Tuesday. It's supposed to be 55 degrees and sunny in Portland so it should be spring time conditions on Hood. I could get you that 2 for 1 deal? DO IT!

Till next week(s).........

My Valentine!

2008-02-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

Molly and I were able to catch a movie she really wanted to see and eat lunch at the Macaroni Grill for V Day. The kids had a great time sharing their cards and candy as well. Sure is nice to have such a fine woman in my life! And I mean fine in all aspects....not just the shallow ones like good-looking, although it never hurts! ha

80's Camping Trips

2008-02-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

I found these old photos recently and found them humorous. I told Johnny Covington, at his father's funeral in January, that I would email these to him. Those are some real mountains! I have discussed planning a trip with Richard, Dad and Jim to search for the lost gold again. It would be fun to get us all together (Dad, me, Rich, Riley, Jim and Tucker) and Johnny as well since he was part of our first expeditions. Grandpa Max said he would give us the maps and such to prepare......I'm thinking next summer? I say next July? Women folk could stay in Challis or maybe Sun Valley?

Good times!

Caleb speaks in Primary

2008-02-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

I want to remember Caleb's first scripture (2 Nephi 4:15) and prayer in Primary which was yesterday. He was so cute and excited to speak into the microphone in front of all the kids. Jer practiced the scripture with him before church. It didn't suprise me much that it was pretty long and had some hard words in it like "delighteth". Caleb did a great job with the pronounciation even though I don't think he had any idea what he was saying. I was a little nervous that Caleb would change his mind during Primary and I would end up reading the scripture for him. Caleb was very brave and didn't hesitate when it was time to go up to the podium and sweet when he asked me to go with him. He was glad Jeremy came to Primary to watch him and he did a great job, except I got the giggles when he kept saying "peas" instead of "these". Alia will be taking her turn in two weeks.

Weeks In Review

2008-01-26T23:54:00.001-08:00

The picture above is at Grandpa Max's house. We stayed a night there while attending mom's Uncle Errol Covington's funeral. It was nice to see some of mom's family and I wish we were a lot closer. Errol's kids seem all real together and normal. The few times we went out to his house back in the 80's were fun times. Chris (Errol's oldest son) let me ride his CR 250 which is a real mans motocross bike...and of course I couldn't handle hit and wrecked. I did speak to Johnny and his wife and reminisced on our gold hunting adventures. I'm going to scan and email a few photos of us and his dad together. Those were fun times and we agreed to keep in touch and maybe go for the gold again! I've decided to be like Sarah and make our blog kind of a journal of sorts. The funeral service really made me think about my past, present and future with nothing on paper/file except for my mission, which you can hardly read. So, feel free to read away if it doesn't bore you to death. Don't worry no real personal stuff...haha and probably not much detail or perfect spelling.

This past week nothing to exciting. Molly helped out at the kids school a few days and we (Molly and I) hit the gym together like 3 times. I have been going regularly around 4-5 days a week, but still need to reduce the calorie intake. On Thursday we took the kids to Red Robin and purchased some ski goggles at REI for them (see photos below). We went skiing today (Sat) at Timberline and it was an experience for the kids to say the least. We had them in a kids lesson all day which started at 9 AM. By about 10:30 I got a call saying Alia was having a rough start. For some reason, Alia has a problem trying new things. So we had a little "pow wow" you could say and I was about to yank her out of the class, but to my surprise after leaving her alone with one of the teenage helpers she came around and got back outside and on skis. I'm pretty sure there was some candy involved because when we picked them up at 2:30 PM she had a butt load of Starbursts. Caleb really had fun and so did Alia by the end. I got to see Caleb make a few turns and fall down. We'll go again here soon.... it's just a little on the expensive side.

Molly had a 1 hour private lesson and after we were able to ski together and Wow she is so much better! I took her down a few short but steeper runs and she did excellent. She's starting to get a big head now!!! Oh I almost forgot, that we saw my Uncle Dave Covington there. He and his family have a season pass and he was there skiing with some friends. I think I typed enough...maybe Molly will add some more later.

^Alia was the primary spotlight in last weeks program^

Back in Oregon!! Yessssssssssss

2008-01-03T12:44:00.000-08:00

After a 30 hour round trip car ride it's sure nice to be home to the green, cold and wet Northwest! After 7 days of 70 degree weather in SoCal it was starting to give me false hope that summer was here and I needed to get the golf clubs and fly rod dusted off! Oh wait, I just went snow skiing 2 weeks ago. Anyway we're glad to be home but miss Molly's parents and sister. The kids always have a great time at Jessy's house playing outside with their dog Troy (Husky) and this time riding their new bikes from Christmas (see photos). We went to Disneyland again and note to self = never, ever go during Christmas holiday break. We were lucky to get the main rides in (Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mt. (scared the kids to death...oh well), Buzz Lightyear and others). We went to a George Lopez show at the Nokia Theater (next to Staples Center) which was pretty cool and saw Jess perform with a Salsa Band at a famous Hollywood Cuban club for New Years. All and all good times! Hope to see some of ya'll soon.

Anyone for Goose Jerky??

2007-12-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

Had fun huntin' with Riley and his "Goose Killers" clan. We even shot some ducks over in Irrigon on the farm. We'll be driving to Southern Cali the day after Christmas to spend time with Molly's family. We've got some fun things planned including seeing a George Lopez show, a Jessy J performance and hopefully getting in a round of golf? We'll probably hit disneyland becuase it's so close. Hope all is well and everyone enjoys the holidays!

FLOOD 2007!

2007-12-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking about setting some duck decoys out just in case....or maybe rigging up my salmon rod! Sometimes I hate this side of the state! It's like 60 degrees and we were getting all excited about skiing here sometime soon but noooo.

Welcome To Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood!

2007-12-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

What a game.....just think James Rodger's brother will be coming here next year and he's suppose to be even better!

Go Beavs

8-4 and going to the Emerald Bowl...wippie I hate the PAC 10 and their bowl contracts.

Thanksgiving in Irrigon

2007-11-26T18:51:00.000-08:00

(Cousins with ice cream)
(Caleb with his new coat/hat and Shayla a friend staying with us from Mexico)

We had a good time with the Tovey/Dodson Clan in Irrigon for Thanksgiving. I was able to hunt with Riley and we did OK over in Burbank. The kids had fun too if you can't tell from the pics above. Molly had fun doing some shopping and hopefully relaxing a little. Of course we all ate way too much and enjoyed some football games...like the Ducks putting up a goose egg against UCLA!! haha

Oh yeah it's CIVIL WAR week so all you BEAVS out there represent!! Mom and Dad might come over here to watch the game so that should be fun. Sarah and Riley ya'll should come here together for the day?? Maybe the women folk could do some shopping or whatever if not interested in the game??

What a great yesterday!

2007-11-16T17:03:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Molly's birthday yesterday, it's actually today (16th), but she had to work. We had a nice dinner at Claim Jumpers, and the Ducks lost......what else can I say? I bought Molly an ice cream cake from Cold Stone today so the kids can sing and help blow out the candles.....all 25 of them, hahaha! My wife keeps getting better with each passing year.....wish I could instead of feeling back pains every morning!

2007-11-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

I'll let Molly fill ya'll in on the trip...........how about those Beavs and the worst refs EVER!

We had a great time in Atlanta. We had three and a half days to do whatever and it was fun! I went with my cousin Jenny and she is a great gal to hang with. She lives two hours south of my home and has her hands full with her four kids, so we don't get together very often but when we do it seems like no time has passed since the last time we got together. We went to see my sister Jessica play with Michael Bolton. She is one of three female instrumentalists in his band. We went to dinner with Jess and the other two girls and found out they call themselves "The Sugar horns". They have a great time on stage singing, playing and dancing in the band. MB played at the Georgia Aquarium for a charity event and put on a great show. He played several songs from his new album, Frank Sinatra, Otis Redding, and Ray Charles hits and of course "When a man loves a woman". After the show we met MB backstage, I found him to be very kind and gracious. The rest of the trip we spent shopping and also found time for a manicure/pedicure. I found a new store to love, Arden B. I don't think they have any stores in Oregon, but there is always online shopping!

Friends From Mexico

2007-11-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

Don't know if any of you have heard of the massive floods in South Eastern Mexico (Tabasco State), our good friend Karen who used to live in Keizer (she was married to Matt) but moved back home to Mexico/Villahermosa, which was hit hard with this flood. They had been living on the top floor of their home because the water was so deep. Matt called me and asked if it would be okay for Karen and the kids (Shayla and Hyrum) to stay with us for awhile. They're expecting some horrific times ahead with diseases and such and it's not a great place to be right now. Needless to say we'll have a full house for awhile but we're glad to help. Molly and the kids have really missed Karen and Shayla so it will be fun for them. Really makes me glad to live here in Oregon. Although, Mt. Hood could blow anytime right?

Trick-o-Treat

2007-11-01T18:50:00.001-07:00

We spent most of the night at the Stake Center....I've never seen so many cars with free candy! We hit a nice neighborhood on the way home to top off the kid's candy buckets so I wouldn't feel to guilty about stealing some!

2007-10-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

We took the kids out yesterday afternoon to the above theater which is located in The Bridgeport Village (mall) in Tualatin. The mall is like one you would see in Southern California, outside type and all "new" stores. Most of them are way out of my price range (J.Crew, etc) but it's cool to look and see what the "rich" folks are wearing. Anyway, this theater is super nice and brand new. It has a couple IMAX screens and stadium seating. We took the kids to see the 3D version of The Nightmare before Christmas. The kids have the DVD and Alia knows all the songs. It was funny watching them watch the show with their large 3D glasses on. Anyway, this place has all kinds of places to eat (PF Chang's, Macaroni Grill, California Pizza Kitchen) so the next time any of you are around we should hit 'em up. We'll be taking the kids out to get some free candy early this evening and I'll probably be sick tomorrow from eating all of it!!!

Beaver Game Day

2007-10-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great day for a football game! This was Molly and Alia's first and probably last game this year (wimps), but we all had fun. I'm also happy for you WSU fans (Riley). Les and Jan brought all their kids along and Jordan so Caleb and Alia got to play with Liley during the game, which I'm sure made the game go faster for them. Molly had lots of questions about football so I think I kept her some what intrigued with the game. We're just glad the Beavs won, but I think we lost our best RB for the USC game.

Molly has to work next weekend so I might bring the kids out to Irrigon and do a little huntin' with Riley?? Will probably have to come home Saturday because the kids have Primary program practice but we'll see. Molly's birthday is coming up in November, so she will be going to Atlanta, GA to see her sister Jessica 'Jessy J' perform with Michael Bolton. Molly's going with her cousin and they will be to staying at a Ritz Carlton with her sister. Needless to say, Molly is really excited to spend a few days with her sister and cousin....they might even meet Mr. Bolton. Molly said she would tell him she "celebrates his whole collection"!!

Family Connections!

2007-10-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

It's great having Jim in Portland now (super awesome deals at REI). Did I say it was great to have Jim in town?? All kidding aside, we finally got to see Jim for the first time since he moved here and it was for the REI Grand Opening Family night! I was really impressed with Jim/James in his work element. He's really got it together in what he does. Anyway, the new REI store here at the Clackamas Mall officially opens up this Friday, but they had a sneak peak shopping fest for family and friends and my bro hooked us up! The store is really nice and Jim gave me a grand tour of his work area (Shipping/Recieving). Of course we spent a lot of $ but 25% off was hard to beat. Jim is going to hook me up with a top of the line ski/binding set for like nothing (50% off). Good to see Jim loving what he does and his coworkers really seemed to like him a lot. I wonder what mine think of the mean old safety guy? I have hopefully talked Jim into coming over to our house this Sunday (with Mandy and Kimbo) for an after church BBQ?

Rich made the comment that we brothers should start doing more stuff together. I'm going to gear up for next spring so we can do some camping/gold mining again or just go golfing and fishing over in the Bend area. Jim is really interested in the Kayak thing as well and we could rent some and hit the local lakes?? Seems like everything costs money and/or time/scheduling to do what's really important in life, spending time with family!....playing golf, fishing, hunting, watching football, eating and more eating!!!

California Dreamin'

2007-10-18T22:29:00.000-07:00

The kids and I had a great time in Southern California this past week. I decided we needed to go support my sister Jessica. She is performing at the 20th annual Catalina Jazz Trax Festival. Jessy is a smooth jazz artist, her debut CD will drop early 2008. This is her second year performing at the festival. We stayed Sunday and Monday with my parents who have a rental house on the island. Catalina is a little island 20 miles off of the coast of Long Beach, CA. If you have never been, you need to go. I have many memories of the fun we've had there over the years. The kids enjoyed the boat ride over and the island. Strangely, on arrival to Catalina, Alia announced that we must be in China? Life is different on the island but I couldn't liken it to China, but I suppose to a 5 year old it could be. Jessica gave a great performance and I had the opportunity to meet some of her fans. It was a great to see and hear that so many people enjoy her music. I was also able to go to my hometown to visit some old friends, and the kids got to hang out with their grandparents. Of course we couldn't go to California without a quick trip to Disneyland, but instead of going into the park we spent money at Downtown Disney instead which is supposed to be "free". Anyhow it's back to work for me tomorrow. Good night!

California Dreamin'

2007-10-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

Caleb's new hat

2007-10-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

Week in review

2007-10-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

We had a very productive week. Our project this past week was to set up the kid's new beds, and reorganize their room. We also cleaned up around the house a lot more then usual because we were expecting company this weekend. Jeremy's parents Randy and Mel spent Saturday and part of Sunday with us. I enjoyed hangin' out with Mel Saturday. We went to the Clackamas Mall and bought Alia her halloween costume. She is going to be Belle from 'Beauty and the Beast'. Caleb has had his costume broken in as of this past July. His Tia(Aunt) Jessy gave it to him when she was here last. Caleb wants to be the "Black Spiderman" and saying he likes his Spiderman costume would be an understatement! Pretty much everyone who's been to our house has seen Caleb with it on. We told the kids that we'll shop for some scary Halloween decorations this Saturday. Pretty exciting.

Jeremy typing now: Most importantly was the Beavs finally winning a PAC-10 game. Along with Caleb and I, Rich brought Tucker,Tam and Tucker's roommate Andy. No rain and everyone was happy. I think Caleb ate like 10 mini Twix bars or was that Rich?? After the game we all drove back to Portland and had dinner at the Outback. We were hoping to get reservations at Claim Jumpers but no luck. Mom and Dad stayed the night with us and on Sunday they left for Albany/Corvallis to see everyone else. The rain is back, but I think we're supposed to get sun the rest of the week? Work for both of us is fine....I'll be in Seattle next Monday-Thursday conducting a safety audit (I hate driving up there).

Later

Ready for School!

2007-09-16T19:40:00.000-07:00

Family photo 2006

2007-09-16T19:27:00.000-07:00