The Ilac Family

My Silly Boys

2012-02-04T17:14:00.000-08:00

I came downstairs the other day and this is what I found. The boys had finished a puzzle and we wanting to show off their skills! These two little guys are so silly together!

37 Years

2012-02-04T17:11:00.000-08:00

I recently celebrated my 37th birthday. It was a nice day. Kevin surprised me with a massage and when I got back to the house the wrestling team was here cleaning. What a sweet group of boys. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner with family and afterwards pie was enjoyed at our house.

Here are the photos of the boys buttering my nose. For those that read my blog you know about the family tradition, and for those that don't we butter noses on birthdays to help the person slide into the new year. A LONG TRADITION in my family. The boys LOVE doing this! Enjoy the photos!

No Front Teeth

2012-02-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

Kaleolani has now lost four teeth total! Two of them from surgery and two of them naturally. This little boy is keeping the Tooth Fairy pretty busy! Kale does think that it is pretty cool that he can stick his tongue out through the hole in his front.

Christmas Morning!

2012-01-14T17:16:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas we had the pleasure of having Uncle Tom, Nina Barbara and Cousin Gabriel stay with us for a few days. The boys love having them here with us! Plus it is so nice to enjoy the holiday with them!

The boys are waiting so patiently for all the adults to wake up and be ready to open gifts!

Kale was so happy that Santa listened and brought him the Leap Pad Explorer. I think that Kai is happy too because big brother has been a nice boy and let Kai play with it lots too. Santa would be so proud of them!

Kai was so happy to see that Santa made him his very own turtle blanket for his big boy bed!

The boys had so much fun opening all of their gifts and playing non-stop the rest of the day! Hope your Christmas was as merry and bright as ours was!

DuBransky House Christmas Eve

2012-01-14T17:11:00.000-08:00

So another year of Christmas fun at the DuBransky house has come and past. We are so thankful to all the DuBransky's that they count on in on this yearly tradition of opening gifts on Christmas Eve. Each year brings changes as we grow larger and larger. The boys love getting gifts from their entire DuBransky family - Uncles, Aunties, Cousins, Grandma Marianne and PopPop!

Christmas Eve Brunch

2012-01-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

One of our recent traditions has been to host a brunch on Christmas Eve morning. We bake lots of yummy treats and open the house to friends and family. It is always so fun to have everyone stop by for a visit. Sadly, as I looked back at the photos I realized just how busy I must have been that day because this is the only photo I took. It was one of our many fun items we baked. It was bacon pinwheels and they are so yummy. Enjoy! (Let me know if you want the recipe!)

VCA Christmas Performance

2012-01-14T16:57:00.000-08:00

The school that Kale attends holds a Christmas performance every year. The children spent a few weeks getting ready for their performance and Kale was so happy for to sing his songs. The church was very crowded and the lights were down so that the stage was the only thing lit. When Kale walked up with his class he couldn't see us even though we were only five pews in front of him. At the end when the house lights were turned on, and he finally spotted us the smile on his face show us how happy he was to see us. The children did an amazing job and it is so awesome to watch children educate us adults about the reason for the season.

Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus

2012-01-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite new restaurants in town, Central City Market, hosted a wonderful breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus this year. The restaurant has a great brunch and the boys thought it was so cool that the Claus family stopped by for a visit.

The boys are so happy!

Mrs. Claus read "The Polar Express," to the children while the parents enjoyed finishing their meals.

A Visit with Santa

2012-01-14T16:47:00.000-08:00

One of the local law offices in town has a great display every year with Santa. This year Santa brought with him some of his elves and another holiday friend too. The boys were so happy to be able to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas.

Kale really enjoyed the Snowman too! Notice that Kai is not in the picture, I think Kai thought the snowman was a bit strange.

Funny Faces = Funny Brothers

2012-01-14T10:20:00.000-08:00

These glasses have brought tons of laughs to our house (thanks Barbara Taft!) These two boys love playing with each other and know how to make us laugh! Enjoy the silly faces!

Goodbye Baby Tooth

2012-01-14T10:11:00.000-08:00

Kale lost his upper baby teeth last year after having them removed surgically but he recently lost his first baby tooth naturally. I feel like that is a big milestone in his life! Sometimes I just can't believe how much he has grown.

This photo is so meaningful to me. Kale is standing there waiting for Grandma to pull his tooth. She has a piece of string wrapped around and it about to pull. He has no idea what is coming! I find so much in this photo because I had photos of me just like these ones. I never allowed anyone but my Grandma to pull out one of my teeth. (So my Mom never got to and had to wait for her grandchildren to have this honor!)

The tooth is being pulled, Kale had closed his mouth and the tooth is flying towards the camera. Hard to see from the photo, it all happened so fast!

Kale has finally realized that his tooth is out and that it hurts a bit. He begins crying I think more from the shock then from pain! Once he sees the tooth and realizes that it means the Tooth Fairy will be visiting he stops crying!

Our Version of a Gingerbread House

2012-01-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

So after our trip to Solvang to the child-size version of a gingerbread house the boys were begging for us to do one here at home. Grandma felt inspired and got all the supplies put together. The boys started off happy to help but then quickly gave up when they saw how much hard it took to make the house look perfect. Grandma was trying her best, the boys just wanted to eat it and could care less how it looked.

The fun has started!
Noticed that Grandma has been left behind and is now doing the work by herself!

The final masterpiece! Or as Grandma said, "The first and last time I ever do a gingerbread house!"
The part the boys most wanted, just to eat it!

More Fun in Solvang

2012-01-14T09:58:00.000-08:00

The day we took the boys to Solvang to look at the gingerbread house we had a a bit of heat wave and the boys really didn't want to walk around the town and shop. So we headed over to one of the town parks and just let the boys run around and play. It is one of the best designed parks in the area and the boys had so much fun.

Kai is a bit unsure of himself when crossing over bridges.

The water mist was a great idea and on the nice warm day felt great. During the summer I imagine that this is where all the parents stand while the children play.

Kai found some fun!
This is one of the few pictures of Kale at the park he was having so much fun running from one thing to next it hard to grab a photo of him.

A Child Size Gingerbread House

2012-01-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

One of the hotels in the nearby city of Solvang builds a child size gingerbread during the holiday season. We went and saw it a couple of years ago and the boys talk about it all the time so we made it back this year. As you can see the boys still think it is pretty awesome.

Getting the House Ready

2012-01-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

As always getting the house ready for Christmas is lots of fun for the boys. We had a great holiday season (as you will see in the next few posts) and we hope you had a great holiday season as well!

What is AVID?

2011-12-11T18:22:00.000-08:00

Today was a busy day in our household. We had a great breakfast with Santa (pictures to follow), and in the afternoon I had a vendor show to attend as a Pampered Chef Consultant. Kevin had the boys with him to run a few errands, picking up lights for our house for Christmas and pick up BBQ dinner for a fundraiser the AVID program was doing at my school.

When I got home this evening, Kevin told me the following story about the car ride to pick up the BBQ. Kale was holding the ticket which had the word AVID printed largely on front. About half way there, Kale asked, "What is AVID?" Kevin asked Kale, "How do you know that word?" Kevin was thinking that Kale would say it is because his Daddy teaches AVID. However, this is what Kale said, "Because that is the word on the ticket." Kevin asked, "How do you know that is the word." Kale said it was because he read it, and then proceeded to sound the word out letter by letter and then put it all together in one word, "a v i d - AVID!" Wow, our son is finally getting the hang of reading, and this is the first four letter word that we have heard him sound out.

As parents it is so amazing to see our little guy growing up and expanding!

Thanksgiving Feast at VCA

2011-12-10T18:52:00.001-08:00

Kale's kindergarten class celebrated Thanksgiving a few days early this year. His class dressed as the Pilgrims and the other kindergarten class were the Indians. The parents were asked to bring food for a full meal. As Kevin and I both had to work, Grandma Pat who had the entire week off from work was able to make our favorite Thanksgiving item, the stuffing to share with everyone at the feast. The children first performed a few songs and some poems and then sat down to enjoy a meal together.

This is Kale's teacher, Miss Hughes.

Kale seemed to enjoy himself and I'm thankful that Grandma Pat was able to attend and take so many awesome photos! We hope your Thanksgiving was as awesome as ours was and pray your holiday season is great too!

Kainoa!

2011-12-10T18:49:00.000-08:00

My little boy is so funny! We attended our friend's Barbara and Al's triplets first birthday party a few weeks ago and these funny face glasses were in the gift bags. My boys have been having a blast playing with them. This is a picture I snapped of Kai the other day. This little boy is getting such a silly personality and talks non-stop! Enjoy!

The Newest DuBransky!

2011-12-10T18:46:00.000-08:00

Yep that's right, there is another DuBransky member! This time Uncle Steve and Auntie Katie has provided us with another little DuBransky cousin. As you can see from the first photo, Kai is totally in love with his baby girl cousin!

Welcome Selah!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween, the boys selected their own customs. (Even though Kale had a great Teddy Roosevelt outfit, he did not want to go trick-or-treating wearing it.) Kale decided he wanted to be Linus, Charlie Brown's best friend, and Kai selected the airplane outfit we saw at Target.

Knocking the door at Uncle Butch and Aunt Maria's house!

Our pumpkins, the Mickey was a big hit!

Pilot Kai???

American Heritage Day

2011-11-10T18:35:00.000-08:00

Kaleolani is a big boy in kindergarten this year and is doing a great job. His school does not celebrate Halloween and instead holds a history day celebration called, "American Heritage Day." Each student must select an American historical figure, memorized a first-person speech, and on the day of the event dress as the figure. Kaleolani selected Teddy Roosevelt as his character. He did a great job memorizing his speech, and earned a passing grade on the assignment. Also thanks to Grandma Pat, he had a great outfit and looked very much like a young version of Mr. Teddy Roosevelt! Enjoy the photos!0

Kale is holding onto a stick horse, a nod to Teddy's love of his animals and his days as a Rough Rider!

Apples and Pumpkins!

2011-11-10T17:32:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Grandma and I packed our boys (Kale, Kai, and Cousin Gabriel) and headed to See's Canyon. A local spot best-known for its many apple farms. We picked apples and enjoy some apple cider as a mid-afternoon snack!

A great spot for pictures!

After our fun in the canyon we headed to Avo's house (my Aunt Maria's father, who we call Grandfather in Portuguese). He grows pumpkins and lets us come and select ones to take home. The boys love checking out the big pumpkins and being able to sit on top of some of the larger ones. Enjoy the photos.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2011-11-09T06:09:00.000-08:00

As always when someone in our house is celebrating a birthday it means the old butter the nose tradition will soon appear. The boys love putting butter on the birthday person's nose! Enjoy the photos of Grandma getting buttered!

Having Fun Inside and Outside

2011-11-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we were blessed with the chance to go get some new furniture for the family room. Of course new items required that Uncle Steve comes over to help Kevin assemble the items. So Lily and Nathan came over too. As you can see from the photos the children had fun playing with the boxes while the adults were busy inside!

Kevin's Birthday!

2011-10-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

Another big birthday celebration in our house in the month of September and of course, that means more butter on someone's nose. I know it seems like a crazy tradition but the boys have so much fun putting butter on anyone's nose! Just a warning if you are near us on your birthday!

Fun outside in the early evening!

2011-10-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

Throughout the month of September we had some pretty good weather. It is so much fun to go out and enjoy the early evening just playing. The boys had fun having a race, but notice that both Mommy and Daddy had to carry Kai on our shoulders. Kevin also thought it was funny that my sport shirt and Kai's sport shirt was could be a math problem, notice that if you divide one number in half you get the other number.

Yes, that is Kale hiding his head under my shirt too!

Kaleolani starts kindergarten!

2011-10-21T17:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Kaleolani on his very first morning of kindergarten. He has been going to school for a over a month now and is doing really well. The first week was a big adjustment but things are going much more smoothly now. In fact, his first report was all A's. We are so proud of the hard work he is doing in school and it is so much fun to see all that he is learning!

Happy Birthday Aunt Maria!

2011-10-21T17:45:00.001-07:00

Another round of birthday celebrations. Here are some cute pictures of Aunt Maria getting her nose covered in butter from Kainoa!

A New Adventure!

2011-10-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

I have started a new business!

I'm now an official representative for The Pampered Chef! I'm open for business too! If you are interested in hosting a cooking, catalog, or web show let me know. Also there are great fundraising opportunities and if you know of someone getting married, the wedding registry is awesome!

I also have my own website so please share the link with your family and friends:

http://www.pamperedchef.biz/robinilac

August 2011

2011-09-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

Here it is the last day of September and I realize I never put any of the pictures up from August.

When I went back and looked at the photos that is because I really didn't take many. I know that I have lots of talk about in the month of September and later today I will upload those photos and start working on the blog again, but just a quick update for everyone.

Kale started kindergarten this month, we are so happy for all that is learning. Plus his bottom tooth is loose, this marks his first loose tooth (not counting the ones that were surgically removed.)

I have begun a new venture too! I have decided to become a Pampered Chef Consultant. So if anyone would like to host a party - cooking show, catolog, or web, please let me know anytime!

I will write more in the weeks to come and add all the September photos! Promise!

40

2011-08-15T05:50:00.000-07:00

One year ago today I started a diet. It is called the "No Sugar, No Flour" diet, and it is a lot easier than it sounds. I have been on the diet for exactly one year and despite some holiday cheating and summer relaxation of the rules I have maintained a lost of 40 pounds. I'm no where near my goal weight and now with the school year starting back in session I'm going right back to my regular dieting habits. I wanted to share with you my family and friends that your support to me over the last year has really helped and it is that support that I continue to need as I work this year to reach my goal. If you see me reaching for a food that you know I shouldn't have remind me of my goals.

A week with Grandma!

2011-08-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

Kevin and I had our annual AVID training in San Diego the first week of August and the boys got to stay home with Grandma! From the photos I think they had a lot of fun hanging out with Grandma for a week.

Grandma braved the world of fingerpainting!

Another fun craft project completed, a pirate ship with two pirates!

See you in 2 years Tonya!

2011-08-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

One of our closest friends, Tonya Dias, has left for a two year mission trip to Ghana. She is working at an international school and we are missing her already. Thankfully due to technology we get to talk with her on Skype and keep update to date with her adventures on Facebook.

The day she left she stopped by to say goodbye to the boys. They love her and talk about her every day. Kai will tell you that she is his best friend.

So as you can see from the photos saying goodbye was hard and they had to get in as many hugs and kisses as they could because it will a long wait for her return.

Take care and sending you God blessings, dear friend!

Kale Losses His Teeth!

2011-08-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

During our regular dental visit in July, the dental hygienist discovered that Kale's bruised front teeth need to be removed due to an abscess. He was going to need the procedure at an out-patient surgery center and we knew he was not going to be a fun day for anyone. We woke up early that morning to get Kale checked in so in this first photo he is really sleepy still but we wanted one last picture of his front teeth. You can tell they are grayish in color as he had bruised them over a year ago jumping around.

Later that same day, Kale was proud to show off his missing teeth. He did such a great job, we are so proud of him! He was a bit sleepy after the procedure but a nice long nap did him well and he only complained of soreness for a short time.

The next morning, Kale was really happy to see that the Tooth Fairy had paid him a visit. She left him a letter telling him what a good job he had done, and paid him 2 dollars for each tooth! Wow!

A Backyard Pool, Two Little Boys, and One Mommy!

2011-08-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

This summer has been one that has provided us with some great outdoor days. A few weeks ago the boys were complaining about being hot so I told him they should go play in the backyard pool. Of course, I agreed with them that it was hot in the house I decided that I needed to take part of the fun too!
Kale didn't think I would grab him but I had to surprise him with a dunk in the pool.

Nice to know that my boys love giving kisses to their mommy!

More kisses for Mommy!
Having fun splashing around in the pool!

My Little Cousin isn't so little!

2011-08-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

My "little" cousin Joshua is the cousin that I grew up with and I would say I'm probably closest to than my other cousins. It was mostly because we were both only children. I think we were together almost every single day from the moment he was born when I was eight years old until the day I moved away for college at the age of 18. When I moved home after college graduation to work on my teaching credential, Josh was in high school and I would work as a substitute teacher at his school, often in some of his classes. I think his classmates thought I was strange until they realize that I was his cousin and so that is why I spoke to him the way I did, or was always offering to take him to lunch or give him rides home. I also had the privilege of helping him learn to drive! In 2001, the year I got married, he moved away for college and our relationship shifted yet again. And now, Josh did it again, made a huge decision that changed his life, yet I'm very proud of him (despite being really scared too). Josh has joined the US Army and left for Basic Training in early July. He is studying to become a Bomb Unit Specialist, and learn how to dismantle bombs in combat. Please when you think of him, say a prayer!

By the way, Josh HATES having his pictures taken but when we dropped him off for his ship out date we forced him to take a couple of pictures!

Baking Cupcakes for 4th of July

2011-08-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

As always, Grandma loves to do baking projects with her boys. So for the 4th of July, Grandma and her boys decorated cupcakes.

Grandma mixing the cake batter and getting the cupcakes ready!

Grandma cleaning out the bowls with the colored cake batter, and if you look closely you can see that Kale helped clean the blue cake batter.

Grandma decorating the cupcakes with white frosting!

The finished cupcakes! We had a BBQ with family over and celebrated with fireworks. The cupcakes were a nice touch too!

Sunny Day in the Backyard

2011-08-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

Last year, for Kai's birthday, his Uncle Charlie and Aunt Helen purchased him this swimming pool. However, last summer our summer months... well, we didn't have a summer. It is cold and foggy almost all of the summer months so the swimming pool stayed in the box.

Well, fast forward a year, and it is summer again! And, this time, we really do have a summer, or at least a few good days to get the swimming pool out of the box and have the boys splash around in the backyard. They love playing in the water!

As a mother of more than one child I'm so happy to see my boys playing with each other and making memories. They love each other so much and have so much fun being with each other. Enjoy the photos!

Charles Paddock Zoo

2011-07-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

With summer time we are always looking for ways to spend our day. Last week we packed up the boys and some snacks and headed out of town. It has been years since I went to the Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero, and the boys, including Kevin, have never been. So needless to say it made a great day out with the family.

The zoo is small and only took about 30 minutes for us to walk around, check out all the animals and have some fun playing around.

The zoo is located next to a lake and a park so we walked around the lake and checked out the ducks and then played at the park for a bit.

We settled down under some trees which provided great shade and enjoyed our snacks. As you can see from the photos the boys were having fun making faces for the camera.

Swim classes - Summer 2011

2011-07-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

Each summer we look forward to signing the boys up for swim classes offered through our local recreation and parks department. This year was a bit different for me since it was the first time in six years that I didn't have to go into the water with one of the boys. Kai was old enough for the Super Tot class which means the "Mommy and Me" years are over.

Kale is at the very far left and dipping his head into the water.
I signed Kai up for the Super Tot class which is for three and four years old but he was the youngest member of this class and as you can see he didn't necessary always follow directions.

Kale practicing his kicks while holding onto the side of the pool.
For the two weeks the boys were in class, they really enjoyed playing in the pool and learning some new things. Kevin and I both are looking into signing Kale up for private lessons, he would do well learning some more things and really needs to be in a one-on-one setting. Kai just likes to play and is not ready yet for more developed coursework but soon!

Father's Day 2011

2011-07-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

On Father's Day this year we packed the boys up and headed out for an adventure. We went to Sea Life Center in Avila Beach. One of Kevin's wrestlers works there and was our tour guide. (Thanks Shannon for helping the boys touch the different types of sea life!)

After we finished playing around at the Sea Life Center, the boys had some fun playing at the park with Daddy having to push them on the swings.

Kale also had fun playing a big sized version of Tic-Tac-Toe. The day was lots of fun and I think Kevin had fun being out with his boys.

Storage Boxes

2011-07-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

After Christmas a couple of years ago, I purchased a few of the black boxes you see below. They are great because they provide extra seating and most of all great hiding places for so many toys! The other day the boys were playing in the front room and yelled for us to come look. We when came around the corner the black boxes were stacked on top of each other.

As you can see the boxes also provide a great hiding place for little boys!

10 Years Ago!

2011-06-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I can't believe that 10 years have passed since we were married. Our wedding day was very special and we had a blast celebrating our union with our friends and family. The last 10 years have brought forth so many changes but the one thing that has remained the same is the love we have for each other. Enjoy our photos!

Pictures with Ashley Blake

2011-06-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

Each summer since we first became parents, our dear friend, Ashley Blake has taken photos of our family. We look forward to seeing all the many changes each year, and of course we have a blast with Ashley.

My boys, and yes me too, make her work hard. On the morning of the photo session my right eye decided that it was going to have an allergy problem, so throughout most of the morning it was burning and red. But to top it off a few minutes before arriving at the photo session Kale emptied out his belly of blueberries onto his white t-shirt!

But despite all the problems the real skill of Ashley is her amazing ability to still capture awesome family moments. Here are a few of my favorite shots from this year's session.

Anyone that needs to use a photographer, Ashley Blake is amazing and highly recommended. Her website is posted on this page, but here is a direct link: http://ablakephotography.com/

Pictures with Blue Bear and Blanket

2011-06-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

Again for those that don't remember we started a tradition when Kale was first born that every day on the 28th of the month we would take pictures next to a blue teddy bear and a special blanket. We continued taking the photo every month until Kale turned two and then only once a year, the month of his birth. When Kai was born we started the same tradition with him too, in fact, big brother Kale picked out a blue teddy bear that would be special for his baby brother. Below are the photos from this year's photo session with Kai. If you look at the very bottom of the post I have included a few from his very first session when he was only five days old! As you can see he has grown so much. I can't believe that my little Baby Kai is three years old. Yes, he is still Baby Kai.

Only five days old!

VCA Preschool Graduation 2011

2011-06-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

Kaleolani has officially graduated from Preschool! The ceremony was held a couple of weeks ago and now he is on summer vacation and looking forward to starting kindergarten in the fall.

Getting into place with his best friend Andrew in front of him!

Performing one of the many songs and stories they have learned this year!

He really got into his performance!

Walking across the stage! The ceremony was so cute. As each student was called to the stage the speaker read a statement which included what each child's future career goals were. Kale stated that he plans on becoming a scientist teacher. The big surprise of the night included Kale earning a special award for being the Outstanding Boy in Math for his class. Awesome job little man!

Kai's birthday at the Santa Barbara Zoo!

2011-06-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

So we had to postpone Kai's birthday party by one weekend due to his sickness but all worked out in the end. We had a great day at the zoo, even though Daddy didn't get to come due to his sickness.
Having fun with Mommy!

Walking with Grandma!

Watch out Kale!

Notice how far Kai reaches out!

Getting ready to ride the train!

The train is starting to move!

Grandma Marianne, Pop-Pop, and cousins Lily and Kiana on the train with us too!

More presents!

Thank you so much to everyone who came and had fun with us at the zoo! Sorry for so many last minute changes to our plans but it all worked out and it was great day!

Kai turns three!

2011-06-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

So since both boys were still a bit sick and Kevin came down with pneumonia. We didn't have a huge birthday party for Kai.

Kale putting butter on Kai's nose!

Kai moved his head just as Kale put the butter on his nose and it ended up on his face instead!

One of the many presents he received!

Getting ready to blow out candles!

Trying to break a fever!

2011-06-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

The weekend before Kai's birthday, the boys both came down with fevers and ear infections. Since Kai was so hot we wanted to try to cool him off a bit and put him in the sink, and of course, if baby brother gets to get in the sink then big brother wants in too!

Fun with Pancakes!

2011-06-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

I recently found a blog post where a woman made rainbow colored pancakes for her children. I thought that was a really cool idea but a lot of work to have that many different patches of pancake batter. So I opted with letting each boy pick a color for their pancakes. You make up your batter like normal and then with a bit of food coloring you can choose what color you want!

Green and Orange were the first colors we selected!

Kale watching his green pancake cook!

Pancakes are ready!

The boys enjoying the finished product. We have since made blue, red, and my favorite ones so far where purple. Very cool idea and very easy to make. The boys think it is an extra special treat to have colored pancakes!

Strawberries!

2011-06-15T07:30:00.000-07:00

Tonya came over went a big box of strawberries and helped the boys make Chocolate Covered Strawberries! The boys had lots of fun helping but enjoying the finished product even more!

Boys enjoying a ride!

2011-06-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

The boys enjoyed playing outside and each trying out a separate ride!

Strawberry Festival 2011

2011-05-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

Once again we attended the local Strawberry Festival. The following images are some of this year's highlights!

Kai enjoying feeding the goats!

Both boys enjoyed the pony rides!

The brothers enjoying some of the carnival rides!

Easter Dinner at the DuBransky's!

2011-05-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

On Easter evening we attended another Easter Egg celebration and party at Steve and Katie DuBransky's house. We had lots of fun spending time with family and friends and of course the boys had a blast looking for eggs again. Kai continues to ask us even know a month later can we look for eggs!

Easter Afternoon at the Story's Easter Party!

2011-05-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

On Easter we were invitited to spend the afternoon with the DuBransky family at the Story's house. They were coloring more Easter Eggs in order to have a huge Easter Egg hunt!

Here are the boys helping out their Nina Barbara with coloring eggs!

The boys having fun with some of Eva's toys!

There were about 10 or so children and the backyard is huge they had fun running around looking for all the eggs. Grandma Colleen helped them locate special Easter baskets for each child.

Easter Morning!

2011-05-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

Here are the boys enjoying all the gifts that the Easter Bunny brought to the house. They had lots of fun looking through all of their gifts!

After the boys where dressed they went looking for Easter Eggs that where hidden around the front and back yard. They had lots of fun on Easter!

Easter Egg Hunt in the Park

2011-05-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

The day before Easter where were able to enjoy an afternoon in the park for an Easter Egg hunt with some of the DuBransky family members.

Kai had so much running around finding all the eggs. In fact, he found the golden egg and won a special prize! A gift basket with toys!

Auntie Katie with cousins Nathan and Lily having fun looking for eggs too!

Cousins Lily and Nathan enjoying all the Easter Egg treats!

Kale relaxing with his newest friend, "Bo," and his cousin Gabriel. Bo is the newest member of the Highland Park DuBransky family!

Support my Project!

2011-05-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

I'm currently trying to raise funds for a project I listed at Donors Choose. Please stop by the website and check out my project. Every dollar donated is one dollar closer to having a fully funded project.

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=551704&challengeid=43490

Ready to go to Good Friday Service

2011-05-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

We attended Crosspoint Community Church for Good Friday service and Baby Kai was really proud of his nice outfit for church! He knows refers to this shirt as his "church shirt."

Coloring Easter Eggs!

2011-05-01T17:17:00.000-07:00

The boys loved getting to color Easter Eggs! They had so much fun watching the eggs change color and of course they loved mixing the colors together too!

Kale watching his egg turn blue!
Uncle Tom really wanted to make a purple and yellow egg (his Laker Egg!)
Even Daddy was getting into the fun!

Baby Kai was having lots of fun too! Thankfully Grandma was his big helper!

Cupcakes for Easter!

2011-05-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

Another holiday means another excuse for baking cupcakes in this house! We decided that we would bake up some cupcakes and the let the boys decorate them up. Once we were done we took a huge batch of cupcakes to Uncle Butch at John Deree!

Baby Kai helping Grandma mix the ingredients together.

Helping Grandma pour batter into the baking pan.

The boys having fun decorating the cupcakes.

Some of the cupcakes already done and others waiting. The boys had so much fun with the cupcakes and of course they enjoyed eating them too!

Marshmallow Bunnies!

2011-05-01T17:04:00.000-07:00

One of the many activities we did during Spring Break to entertain the boys was to make Marshmallow Bunnies. Grandma found the recipe online and went out to get the items to put it all together.
Here is Grandma having fun putting the first bunny together!
The first bunny!
As you can see the bunnies didn't last long! Kale loved his!
Baby Kai enjoying one himself!
Not sure what Gabriel is doing but he seemed to enjoy the bunny too!

Go Fly a Kite!

2011-05-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

The month of April was filled with many wonderful and fun activities. One of the many things we did in April was to take the boys to a local Kite Festival. They had so much fun watching their turtle kite high in the sky, but also enjoy watching the hundreds of other kites too. Not to mention all the vendors selling snacks and the fun times at the park. All in all a great day out with the family!

Day Two - California Adventures 2011

2011-04-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

The second day of our trip we were much more tired and so we really enjoyed the slower pace needed to enjoy ourselves at California Adventures.

First picture stop, Kai has been really into Cars lately so he was so happy to see his two favorite people from Cars.

I love the movies Bugs Life, but I don't think Kai was really into having his picture taken!
The entire Bugs Life section was great. The rides were nice and slow which the boys loved!

Enjoying the rides with Daddy!

Enjoying a parade with the Monsters Inc. characters!

Waiting for the big World of Color show at night to start!

Overall, the trip was great and I'm so glad that we were able to get the boys there and surprised them!

Day One - Disneyland 2011

2011-04-20T14:41:00.001-07:00

The last weekend in March we surprised the boys with a trip to Disneyland. It was great! They had no idea. We packed the bags and got into the car on Friday evening. Kale asked why the luggage was in the car and we said we were going on vacation. He asked, "Are we staying in a hotel?" That was all that he wanted to know and he was happy with the simple yes answer. We thought when we arrived at the hotel that they would see the signs for Disney but neither one of them clued in. On Saturday morning we got up early and took the shuttle bus into the park. It was while were riding the shuttle that they finally figured out what we were doing. They both were very happy.

One of the first things we did once inside the park was go right to breakfast. We enjoy eating at the all of you can place at the end of Main Street. It is great food and fills you up for your fun-filled day in the park. Plus the big bonus is that so many of the characters come to your table during your dining experience! I highly recommend!

Kale and Kai both enjoyed seeing all the difference characters that came to the table!

I enjoyed a few of the characters too!

Later in the afternoon we stood in line so that the boys could meet some of the princesses. I was really hoping that Snow White would be there because that is Kai's favorite princess and he talks about her all the time. Sadly she was not there but we did get to see Mulan, Cinderella and Daddy's favorite, Belle!

In Toon Town we waited in line to see Mickey Mouse at his house! The boys were happy to get to see him too!

On the way out of the park we saw Goofy hanging out. Sadly by that time at night Kai was sleeping but Kale was happy to have a picture with Goofy!

We had so much fun taking in as many rides as possible. Kale's favorite ride was the Buzz Lightyear ride and Kai loved the train around the park. We took our time and enjoyed the park greatly! I love Disney and Kevin tolerates it for the kids. But it means so much more to see the park through the eyes of your children! Yes it costs a lot of money so we make the most out of it when we can! Enjoy the photos!

Brothers in Love

2011-04-18T20:37:00.001-07:00

A few Saturday mornings ago I walked into my mother's bedroom to find these two little monkeys cuddling and watching cartoons. I quickly ran back to get the camera. These two little guys are so much in love with each other. It truly warms my heart!

March 4, 2011

2011-04-02T20:32:00.000-07:00

This year for Ikaika's birthday, Kevin and I took the day off of work and went for a hike nearby. It was enjoyable spending time together honoring and remembering our son. We can't believe it has been six years since we said goodbye to our sweet little boy. Going on hike and see the beauty all around us brings great comfort in knowing that God's loving arms reach around us in daily reminders. Please hold each tight and give your children big hugs tonight!

A Funny Start to St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

This morning while picking out Kale's clothes for the day I was sure to remind myself not to mention to Kale why he had to wear green today. For whatever reason, Kale is the type of kid that if you make a production out of an event he will want to do the opposite of that event.

So when I took him downstairs to cuddle for a few moments before getting dressed, Grandma just happened to mention to Kale, "make sure you wear green today." Now it is only because the idea was out there that Kale reacted negatively. Had it not been mentioned there would have been no reaction. But once it was said there was no going back. He begun to have a complete fit about wearing green. He was crying and screaming, "I hate green. Green is dumb."

It took some strength but I finally got him dressed for the day. He was still crying about having to wear green when Kevin pulled out of the driveway.

Once I was at work I got the following message from Kevin, who does the drop off at preschool:

"Kale went to his extra clothes bag in his cubby and took out his salmon shirt. Went to the bathroom and came back out with it on and his green shirt off. His teachers laughed very hard. He was quite proud he wasn't wearing green. He sat down and ate his breakfast."

I ask Kevin if he had explain the earlier events of the morning to Kale's teachers and he said he had.

I don't know why Kale reacts to events this way. But he is obviously showing his independence. I like to choose my battles and him having to wear green is not one of the battles I choose to fight!

Blue Bear and Blanket

2011-03-06T17:42:00.000-08:00

When Kaleolani was only six days old we started a tradition. On the 28th day of each month we would take a picture of Kale with his baby blanket and his first stuff animal, his blue bear! Once he turn two years old we switched and started only taking the pictures once a year. Here are his photos from this year's photo session next to his very first photos! Wow, how much he has changed!

Kale, age 5, with his blanket!

Kale, 6 days old, with his blanket!

Kale, age 5, with his blue bear!

Kale, 6 days old, with his blue bear!

Searching for Snow

2011-03-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago, we had a winter storm blow through the local mountains. It is very usually for us to get snow so close to our hometown. So Grandma and I packed up the boys and went out searching for snow.

As you can see not a lot of snow on the ground, but it was enough to give the boys an idea of what snow is like. I think they were both pretty shocked at how it was!

Grandma trying to make a mini-snowman!

Kale getting a taste of snow!

While driving back home we pulled over when we realized that it was snowing on us and not raining! The boys were both so happy to have little tiny bits of snow landing on them!

After this small adventure in snow I know that we need to make a better effort at getting the boys closer to snow. Maybe one of these winters, Kevin will have time away from wrestling so we can go on a snow adventure!

Kaleolani's Birthday

2011-03-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

Kale's birthday was on school day this year so we had actually celebrated early so on his real birthday we just did a few things here at the house.

First, he opened his gifts from Grandma and Mommy and Daddy.

Baby Kai putting butter on Kale's nose!

Looks like Kai got his big brother good!

Grandma made him a special dinner, pancakes with a happy face. Kale put his own face in the whip cream!

For dessert Kale asked for brownies so here he is helping to clean the bowl! I think, overall, he had a great day!

Opening Gifts!

2011-03-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to everyone that celebrated my son's birthday and for all the gifts that you blessed with him. He has been having so much fun with all of his new gifts!

This is a favorite of Kale's, plus he is now cool with his friends at school!

Just Dance for Kids has been a lot of fun (I have fun with it too)!

Kale showing off his Dance moves!

More Trio fun!

A Celebration at Chuck E. Cheese

2011-03-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

For Kaleolani's birthday this year we once again braved the fun of Chuck E. Cheese. Kale had a blast with all of his friends and family, and Mommy and Daddy loved that the restaurant runs the event (clean up too)!

Kale with one of his best friend's Andrew.

Kale in his party hat!

Blowing out the candles!

Enjoying his birthday cake!

Inside the ticket blaster with his Daddy!

I can't believe that my little guy is five years old! Where did the time go? Thank you to everyone that came and spent some time with us on this special day!

Ikaika

2011-03-04T06:09:00.000-08:00

“Nothing in life prepares you for the death of a child.” I recently came across this quote and I thought how true it is. Here it is six years later and I still can’t help but think that losing my sweet baby Ikaika has truly been the biggest tragedy of my life. The death of a child shakes your inner core and all of the beliefs you hold most dear. In life we seem to believe in a natural order of things, and when parents have to say goodbye to their son that is just not the normal order to life.

The lessons I have learned from this tragedy have been many. To make each moment count, to stay connected to your faith, and to lend on your support system when you can’t hold yourself up.

Not a day goes by that I don’t think of my baby, a memory flashes in my mind, a sweet word spoken by a dear soul, or a good deed from a kind friend in my time of need. Sometimes the emotions are overwhelming and I find myself crying and other times it is a sweet memory that makes me smile.

On this, one of our most bittersweet days, I ask that you think of the Ilac Family and our sweet son Ikaika. Please know that it is your love and support that has continued to hold us up during our darkest days. His arrival into this world was not what we wanted or hoped but I take great pride in being Ikaika’s mommy and I thank God for giving us our son.

For Devon

2011-02-02T21:17:00.000-08:00

There are not enough words for me to use to describe how important Tonya is to our lives. She provides my children with hours and hours of good times and loves them unconditionally! And we love her just as much! We try to help her anyway we can but she always gives more to us then I feel we give to her!

Tonya always wants to celebrate each and every special event with cookies, and my boys are always willing to help her celebrate! So to celebrate Tonya's best friend Devon, on the day of her birth, we baked cookies!

Two years ago our sweet and lovable Tonya lost her very best friend! Devon fought hard but lost her battle with cancer on September 19, 2008. She was amazing person and I regret not having the chance to get to know her better.

Random January Moments

2011-02-02T21:14:00.000-08:00

My boys are pretty silly!

This is what Kai loves to call doing the shake! I need to get him to do for the video and post it because the still shots just don't it justice!

One cold night Kai wanted to be wrapped up in a blanket and then walked around the house saying he was playing Baby Jesus!

36 Years!

2011-02-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

Yep! That's right! I'm 36 years old! How did that happen? Where did the time go? I don't feel 36 years old!

The boys love taking part in our family tradition of buttering the birthday person's nose to help them slide into their new year!

I wanted something simple for my birthday celebration this year. As well as something that the kids would like! I have been careful with my food choices recently but it was my birthday and wanted something that I have been avoiding! So we hosted a pizza night. We invited friends and family to come over and make their own mini-pizzas! It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed celebrating my birthday with everyone!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T16:12:00.001-08:00

We had a really mild New Year's Eve celebration. We ordered Chinese food and had family come over. After dinner we enjoyed "snow milk" also known as egg nog! Our dear friend Tonya brought over a new Wii game and we enjoyed dancing Wii style! (Look back through the posts to find the video of Kevin and I dancing!)

Baby Kai really loves drinking his egg nog!

Wishing your family a very wonderful New Year!

Santa Hats!

2011-01-01T16:08:00.001-08:00

I try to take pictures of the boys in the Santa hats every year. They always come out great no matter how silly they are behaving during the photo session! Enjoy my silly boys!

Noon Year's Eve Party

2011-01-01T15:52:00.000-08:00

Our Children's Museum holds a celebration for the New Year, however, the twist is that it is held on New Year's Eve at Noon.

A minute before noon the countdown begins!

The boys waiting for the countdown to be over!

The celebration! This really a great way to have the kids celebrate New Year's Eve!

Fun Times Bowling!

2011-01-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

Our dear friend Tonya arranged a fun date of play at the local bowling alley. Many of the AVID students who are home from college were able to come play with us. It was so nice to be out of the house with our family and our "AVID" kids too!

Daddy teaching Kai the steps to becoming a bowler!

Kale watching his ball!

Mommy trying to pick up a spare!

Grandma Pat watching her ball!

Daddy going for a strike!

Kainoa Playing With Uncle Tom

2011-01-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

I love the pictures I got of Uncle Tom playing with Kainoa! Baby Kai loves his Uncle Tom and of course Uncle Tom loves to play his nephew. Check out the funny pictures of where Kai is walking.

Christmas Morning!

2011-01-01T15:36:00.001-08:00

I love Christmas more now as a parent than I did as a child and that is saying a lot! I love getting gifts and all the surprise of the holiday. But now that I'm a parent it means even so much more!

The boys are so happy to see the reindeer enjoyed the carrots we left behind for Santa to feed to them. Notice that small left overs of carrots on the front lawn!

Kaleolani loved that Santa remembered to bring him a Monkey Pillow Pet!

Kainoa is so happy that Santa brought him a train!

The boys playing with some of the gifts!

All of the fun of giving and receiving gifts is great but what is most important is that my family is healthy and happy! May God bless your family as much as He has blessed my family!

Christmas Eve with the DuBranskys

2011-01-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve we head over to the DuBransky house for an evening of fun! It is great to get see the boys share in all the fun and good times with the cousins, Uncles, Aunts, and Grandma Marianne and Pop-Pop. I'm very thankful that the DuBransky families have welcomed the Ilac family as part of the family too!
Pop-Pop relaxing with Cousin Julian!

Waiting for the Christmas unwrapping of gifts to begin!

Listening to Grandma Marianne share the story of Christmas!

The unwrapping of gifts begins!

The boys were again completely spoiled by of the DuBranskys! We love each and everyone of you!

Christmas Eve Brunch

2011-01-01T15:23:00.000-08:00

Last year we decided to start hosting a brunch on Christmas Eve, so it was nice to be able to host the event again this year. It is a nice way to have family and friends stop by for some Christmas cheer and enjoy in sharing some wonderful Christmas food! Baked hams, Russian tea cakes, a variety of Christmas breads, and the star of the event, Egg Nog! As always it nice to open the house to all of our friends and family.

Santa' Visit to the Children's Discovery Museum

2011-01-01T15:15:00.003-08:00

Each December our local Children's Museum hosted an evening with Santa. We enjoyed ourselves so much last year I was really looking forward to it again this year. The boys love the museum too!

Notice that Kainoa is very into describing exactly to Santa what he wants! A train! He talked about wanting a train the entire month of December and he is still is! In fact he also enjoys telling his brother to be nice or Santa won't bring you a train!

Kale was in one of his moods when we first got to the museum and he didn't want to be there! That is until his best girl friend, Kloe, showed up! Then he was back to his charming self!

At the end of the evening the kids all sat around to hear a Christmas story and enjoy some cookies!

VCA Preschool Christmas Performance

2011-01-01T15:07:00.001-08:00

Valley Christian Academy and Preschool, which is the school that Kaleolani is attending, holds an annual Christmas performance staring all of its preschool aged children. Kaleolani enjoyed the performance and we have been loving listening to him sing all the songs he had to learn such as "Away in the Manger," and "Silent Night." He had the honor of walking into the performance holding the teacher's hand (in other words, note the teacher needed to keep a special eye on this kid!) He did a great job and most of all he loved celebrating with cookies after the performance with his two best friends at school, Kloe and Andrew.

Thank you to those family members who were able to attend!

Visting Santa at California Fresh!

2011-01-01T15:03:00.000-08:00

During Thanksgiving weekend one of our favorite local restaurants, California Fresh, received a very special visitor. We had the opportunity to speak with Santa. Auntie Katie, Uncle Steve and cousins Nathan and Lily joined in on the fun too!

Kai's View of the World?

2010-12-31T21:31:00.000-08:00

Kai says some pretty funny things! Enjoy!

Kai's Christmas Drums!

2010-12-31T21:28:00.000-08:00

Grandma purchased a set of drums for Kai for Christmas and he has been having fun playing them! Enjoy the skills!

Dance Party Fun!

2010-12-31T21:22:00.000-08:00

Our dear friend Tonya brought out the Wii game and we had tons of fun playing! Here is a funny video of Kevin and I playing!

Kai's Love Messages!

2010-12-31T21:17:00.000-08:00

The Women's Conference 2010

2010-11-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

This year I again had the wonderful opportunity to attend The Woman’s Conference held in Long Beach, California. The Conference is hosted by Maria Shiver, as one of her many assignments at First Lady of the State of California. I was so thrilled that I was able to get tickets again this year as they sold out within one hour of going on sale last June. (Thankfully I was staying at a Hilton hotel in Cheyenne, Wyoming the day the tickets went on sale and was able to open three computers at once waiting for a spot in an online waiting room to open so that I could purchase the tickets – yes it was crazy!)

The whole day is divided into segments on a main stage with various presenters and panels on a wide range of topics, as well as the various breakout sessions held throughout the day. This year’s morning session included Matt Lauer and Al Roker of the Today Show with Robin Roberts and Deborah Roberts of Good Morning America opening the event.

One of my favorite women of the news world, Diane Sawyer came out for a quick speech. Suze Orman did a bit of stand-up too.

Next up was Brian Williams of NBC Nightly News hosting a panel that included Phil Knight, Co-Founder of Nike, and Nicholas Kristof, New York Times columnist and Howard Schultz, Chairman of Starbucks, discussing various issues. Big take away is that Brian Williams is really funny! Second take away was go watch the video at http://www.girleffect.org/ it explains the foundation that Phil Knight started to promote young girl’s education programs in third world countries. Very moving!

Next up was Dr. Jill Biden, the Second Lady of the United States, who spoke about supporting military families and education in this country. Maria Shiver then gave a moving speech where she shared her views about where her journey is taking her and how she is a bit scared of the road ahead but that she knows she must continue on and go where it takes her. Maria Shiver also introduced the last speaker of the morning session which was First Lady Michelle Obama. Let me just say she is more stunningly beautiful in real person than she is on television. Her speech was moving as she explained how she came to choose supporting military families as her main agenda and encourage us all to reach out in ways we can to support military families.

After the morning session ended, the breakout conversations began. I had to quickly rush to get there as the main stage events ran a bit late. The session I had been able to get tickets for was titled, “It’s Time to Talk about Marriage and Relationships: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” Dr. Mehmet Oz and his wife Lisa Oz served as moderators of the panel which included Al Roker, of The Today Show and his wife Deborah Roberts; of ABC News as well as Hal Rubenstein, Fashion Director of InStyle Magazine and his partner David Nickle.

The conversation was both insight and funny as the dialogue veered from issues of intimacy to more humorous moments of marriage. When the conversation focused on sex, Al Roker made a funny comment about how he equates everything to food and for him he just needs fast food sometimes where as she, Deborah Roberts, is more about gourmet! It was very funny and sweet to see how these two television personalities interact with each other in real life. Hal Rubenstein and his partner also added to the conversation as an interesting perspective in regards to how straight couples relationships are different than those of gay and lesbian relationships. It was an interesting session to say the least.

After the morning breakout session was over there was small bit of time to wander around the main exhibit hall and look at the various businesses and non-profits that had booths there promoting their companies or programs. Included in this area was a large book store in which various speakers who were there were selling books in which you could stand in line and get a signature.

The luncheon session began with one of those once in a lifetime experiences. The first panel was hosted by Diane Sawyer, anchor of ABC World News, who served as moderator for a conversation with The Honorable Sandra Day O’Connor and The Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg. These two women are so amazing with the glass ceiling that they have broken through and to hear them speak about how far woman have come was powerful. A more touching moment came when Diane Sawyer announce that two other women wanted to send a special message of thanks to O’Connor and Ginsburg. A taped video segment played with a message from The Honorable Sonia Sotomayor and The Honorable Elena Kagan. A good laugh was had by all when Diane Sawyer asked how many women on the bench would be a fair number and without a skip in the beat, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, said “I think 9 would be a good number.” Watching and listening to these two women made me smiled as I couldn’t help to think of them as two very sweet ladies.

The Supreme ladies were followed by an emotionally moving speech by playwright and activist Eve Ensler. She talked powerfully about her battle with ovarian cancer, and again brought the audience to their feet.

Pulitzer Price Winning Poet Mary Oliver was next up and her reading of some of her more famous poems was awesome. Most inspiring was to hear her read “The Journey.”

Former First Lady Laura Bush was next and gave a funny look into her life since leaving the White House, and you could tell her good sense of humor has served her well during difficulties years.

The last panel of this session was hosted by Matt Lauer. He first interviewed Governor Schwarzenegger and had some insightful questions regarding what Schwarzenegger’s greatest accomplishments and disappointments had been during his seven years in office. Once Mr. Lauer was finished interviewing Governor Schwarzenegger the two people running to take his position where introduced and brought to the stage. It was the first time in the election cycle that both candidates Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman had been together on the stage with the Governor. The biggest take away for me was that I have new found respect for Mr. Lauer and his interviewing skills. He did not let either candidate skirt around the questions he asked and again would refocus them and directly asked them to answer the original questions. Worst moment of the conversation was when Meg Whitman blamed California teachers for the problems in California education system. Best moment of the conversation came when Matt Lauer asked both candidates to take off all the negative ads and return to positive campaigning, in which both candidates looked a bit uncomfortable about especially as the audience stood up and loudly applauded. Eventually Jerry Brown agreed to taking down all the negative ads if she would but she refused to say if she would or not. (Of course, now that the election is over we know that neither candidate did!) This was a great way to end this session and head out for the next breakout conversation.

The afternoon session I had a ticket to attend was titled “It’s Time to Learn How to Build Self-Esteem and Leadership in Young Women.” The session moderator was Gayle King, Editor at Large of O, The Oprah Magazine, and included panelists Katherine Schwarzenegger, author of “Rock What You’ve Got.” Lisa Leslie, retired WNBA player, Jessica Simpson, Singer, and Jess Weiner, Global Ambassador for the Dover Self-Esteem Fund. It was an interesting topic that focuses on ways in which we must build young women’s feeling of self-worth and how the social pressures we all feel can lead to feeling low.

I left the afternoon session a bit early to get down to the bookstore and in line for my book to be signed by Robin Roberts. For those know her from Good Morning America then you know how beautiful she already is but to see her up close she is even more stunning. When she saw what my name was (both first and middle) she asked me to prove it by showing her my driver’s license. She has just a good sense of humor. She is one of those people that you feel you know because of watching her on television, and she is so warm in person.

Finally more time to browse around the exhibit hall before heading back to the Main Stage in order to get our seats for the Grand Finale, which featured the Minerva Awards for 2010. The Minerva Awards honors women who have contributed to California in various areas of life, from the arts, sciences, business world and beyond.

The first speaker of the evening session was Mary J. Blige speaking about her non-profit organization for women who are overcoming abusive lives. Then Maria Shiver came back on stage to present the Awards. This year’s award winners included: Oral Lee Brown, The Honorable Sandra Day O’Conner, Carolyn Blashek, Sister Terry Dodge, and Oprah Winfrey. Each one of these women has accomplished amazing things and it was moving to listen and learn about some of the less known accomplishments.

When all the Awards were finished being presented, First Lady Maria Shiver announced a special treat and all past years award winners came onto stage. What a great group of women from famous names like Sally Ride, Billie Jean King, and Dr. Jane Goodall to non-famous names but outstanding none the less women like Sister Agnes Stevens, Sweet Alice Harris, and Commander Maureen Pennington.

To finish the evening, Sarah McLachlan performed a very special concert performance for all the women in attendance. Finally, the Governor came back onto stage and asked Maria Shiver, his wife, and their children to come onto stage. He gave a moving speech about how awesome Maria is and has always been. It was a great way to end the event, and leaves me a little sad wondering what happens next year?

Just like last year, I had the chance to attend the conference with my best friend, Barbara. What a joy to spend the day with one of the women who is most important to me.

Kale's vocal skills!

2010-11-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

Dancing Fun!

2010-11-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

The boys love to move to the music! Check out Baby Kai's moves!

Happy Halloween 2010

2010-11-06T16:18:00.001-07:00

The boys had so much fun this year for Halloween going to door to door getting lots of good treats.

First stop - go to see family!

Step Two - go the neighborhood houses!

Step Three - Find great friends and walk with them!

The boys loved the whole night and got lots of good things in their bags! They did not want the night to end!

Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-06T16:13:00.001-07:00

This year Grandma introduced the boys to the fun of carving pumpkins. The boys had so much fun helping grandma pull out all the seeds and getting dirty in the process.

Grandma had fun too painting one of them too!

A crazy bat!

A Happy Halloween!

The Batty Ball

2010-11-06T16:02:00.001-07:00

This year we were able to enjoy another great night at the Children's Discovery Museum as they hosted a special evening celebrating Halloween called the Batty Ball. The boys love going to the museum and of course the fact they there were treats makes it even better! Enjoy the photos!

Baby Kai found a zookeeper friend!

Boo at the Zoo 2010

2010-11-06T15:55:00.001-07:00

We were able to attend "Boo at the Zoo" again this year at Santa Barbara Zoo. They boys love the zoo and it is so much fun to see all the Halloween decorations throughout the zoo. The boys get to treat and trick around the grounds, ride of the train and play at the many different harvest festival games. Cousin Gaby and Uncle Tom joined us again this year too! Enjoy the silliness of the boys!

Kale is a fire ninja and Baby Kai was, of course, a zookeeper!

Cousin Gaby is a character from Pokemon, named Mudkip.

Halloween Cupcakes

2010-11-06T15:50:00.000-07:00

Of course the holiday season is an excuse to bake in this house. The boys love to help Grandma decorate the goodies. My ASB students have been working so hard and pulled off a great school dance and this was a great way to reward the students with cupcakes made with love!