Whenever I got the camera out Mallory would strike a pose and say CHEESE!

 

My best friends!

 

Megan freaking out on the farris wheel.

 

I thought for sure someone would walk in front of me while I took this shot. I don't know how long the shutter stayed open to catch this one, but I got lucky with little foot traffic in front of the lens.

Megan loves Soccer

Megan is a natural competitor - she loves trying to win at everything, including running up the stairs.

 

 

She isn't afraid to jump on the ball even when another kid is almost ready to kick it.

Camping at Big Bear - we got evacuated!

It never fails - not 5 minuets into opening the doors and letting the kids out and one if them is filthy dirty...



Connor is grumpy - he just burnt another marshmallow, and the other 2 are being cute!

Excuse me I want to burn my marshmallow!

Another marshmallow please!

I said Smores - not smoke!

Belle and Mallory keeping warm.

Sitting around the campfire with half of Anne and baby, Tim and Jenny.

Good morning Edgar!

Connor loved the hammock.

Well if the smoke cloud isn't a tell-tail sign that it's time to leave I don't know what is. Needless to say as we were packing up camp - helicopters flew over announcing a manditory evacuation of the valley. The campsite was saved - thanks to the firefighters, but our weekend was over.

Still catching up with random stuff.

If you can't tell - I've been a little bit behind in my postings. So I'm making it up by posting a bunch of things.

Grant Harris, and Connor during preschool - I have no idea what my wife is teaching the kids, but I know she isn't hampering their creative inventiveness.

Mallory's first ride on the swinging bench - the look of terror was preceded by the happiest face ever.

Mallory's many faces

For what ever reason I like to teach all the kids to make different emotional faces. You know the standard Happy, Mad, Sad - well Mallory likes the surprised face the best...

Connor's first goal!

Unfortunately I couldn't catch it on film...

Megan's 1st day of 2nd grade - oh yeah and the fat guy get's older.

Holy match your backpack and your cloths...

Double layer cake for a double chin!

Cute girl!

Connor and his friend Dylan

Connor has a best friend that lives 3 doors down. They are about a year apart, but they are great friends. Dylan had a pirate themed birthday.
Captain Jack Sparrow (Dylan), and The Dreaded Pirate Roberts (Connor).


Ahoy Matie!



Tie that scurvy dog to the yard arm! Oh wait that's a cake!

Family Dog

In the late 1980's there was this fantastic show that was produced by Steven Spielberg called Amazing Story's. It normally had some twisted almost scary tail that freaked out my younger sisters and brother. But this carton became a favorite in our home - so much that we even influenced other families like the Cowdell's, Brooks, Ashton's, and Billings. We watched it at our house at least once a month until the tape wore out - sometimes we watched it just before SNL to get us amped up for the Carvey, Myers hour and a half of insanity featuring Sandler and Farley.

Any who I still find myself quoting this film today. Anyone who's had a dog, and an angry dad can appreciate this one - so please enjoy!

Connor's first Rocket Launch

As many of you know, I travel a lot for work. So far this year I've flown over 80,000 miles on United alone... That means I'm away from the home too much. Luckily the kids miss me and want me home, and when I come home, it's time to play! Last week Connor called me and said "next year when you come home, lets build a rocket and I get to push the button". It was fantastic - especially the "next year" comment. It hurt my heart a little, because I know I need to be home more.

Any who - when I returned home we went and bought an Estes rocket kit - $26 with launch pad - everything we needed to launch our first rocket together. We built it that day!

Any way, as you can tell in the video, everything went well, and we recovered the rocket. The second launch the next day didn't go so well - the rocket is still missing.

Mallory is our American Idol singer!

 

Shimano Family Fun Day

Shimano puts on a nice little family fun day at Irvine park each year. The kids have fun, and the parents get fat from all the food - doesn't help out the fitness program they support... Any who, its fun and the kids get to ride on the train etc. We won a beach canopy tent thing for the kids.

The kids got their faces painted.

 

Fire boy - last year he wanted blue fire hydrants on his face.

 

Megan got a butterfly, Mallory got anoid but she does have a red heart nose...

 

There are monkeys in the trees!

 

This was supposed to be hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil, and smell no evil, but will take what we see here.

Night, Alpe, flowers, and a Bridge.

 

Engelberg at night

 

Furnalpe

 

Some flowers

 

Chapel bridge in Luzern. It's a cool bridge with paintings inside, it caught fire a few years ago, but they restored most of back.

Even more Engelberg - waterfalls and flowers

 

 

 

 

More Bunny Farm

 

Megan and Connor loved playing with the Guinea Pigs, and put them all on the bench so they couldn't run away.

 

Megan loves her bunnies.

 

Good girl Mallory, stick your finger in the pigs nose!

Bunny Farm

About a month ago we took the kids to the bunny farm down in Mission Viejo. Actually Megan had been bugging us to go for some time!

 

Connor on a horse!

 

Mallory too small to ride a horse, but not to small to sit in a fake car and tell her dad to go get her another snack!

 

Megan is allergic to horses, so check out all the clothes she is wearing - long sleeves, gloves, and long pants - it was about 90 degrees out, but at least she got to ride!