The "Blue Genie".....Correction, Wise Man

So we got a nativity set and I am quite happy. With Damon's daily request to drive him to Toys R Us so he can pick out the toys he wants from Santa, now i can emphasize the TRUE meaning of Christmas. The other night we told the kids the story of baby Jesus and let them each put the pieces of the nativity in the stable. There was one Wise Man that happened to be dressed in blue and Damon had to have his hands on that one. The story went over well, but Damon couldn't part with the blue Wise Man. We asked him to put the Wise Man with the other Wise Men, but he looked at us puzzled and referred to the figure as "the blue genie." It must have been the hat and Damon's new love of wizards/abracadabra/and casting imaginary spells. (He's been watching a little too much of The Backyardigans which is a cartoon where the characters imagine themselves to be wizards, cowboys, secret agents, robots, etc). I've been correcting him ever since, but he continues to refer to the Wise Man as "The Blue Genie." So the "Blue Genie" has found a new home with all of Damon's other favorite blue things. This BLUE treasure also consists of blue paper clips all hooked together, all my blue hair elastics, chapstick that has a blue label, blue Dinoco Cars, and maybe some non-blue airplanes if they are lucky! Damon also jacked 1 Beanie Baby out of a giant bin because it was blue. Now the blue bird named "Rocket" and "The Blue Genie" are Damon's blue buddies.

Santa's Helpers

Friday night we celebrated cousin Logan's birthday and when we finally arrived home, someone else had been in our home. Luckily it was a Christmas Surprise in Damon & Joel's bedroom. It appeared that Santa, or maybe just his helpers, had come and dropped off a mini tree with lights & ornaments along with a special John Deere Tractor/Santa blanket. Damon was SUPER excited and kept saying, "Holy jet-packs!!!" while jumping up, down, and around. Then he had to turn off the room light to see the full effect of the Christmas tree lights. I had to get a picture and as you can see, just 1 never works when trying to capture 3 kids.

Damon was the most excited, Joel acted excited because Damon was excited, and Olivia was just trying to "taste" all the new ornaments.
Thank you Santa's Helpers (Great Granny, Grandma, & Aunt Bobbi)!

The Ninja

I had some premade frosting in the fridge, ya know the kind in the short little tub for those of us who like to bake & make the EASY way. Well, Damon was also very aware of the frosting in the fridge. While the rest of us were upstairs Damon kept taking little breaks and running downstairs. I was in denial that he was up to no good. Hours later we came downstairs to start on dinner. On the counter top was the lid to the frosting tub, but no frosting tub insight. I looked at Josh and Josh looked at me, and the search was on.

We checked the garbage to see if he polished off the container even though it was 3/4 full. No container. We checked the fridge to see if he put the frosting back just minus the lid. No frosting. We checked the dining table, phone desk, and the garbage can in the bathroom......no frosting. Soon we found the frosting out by the TV, with one large severing spoon in the container (for Damon a small normal sized spoon just would not have worked for this type of eating task).

We called Damon downstairs and brought up the fact that the frosting had been eaten and was out by the TV.
Josh asked, "Damon, do you know how this frosting got out here in the living room?"
Oh, the ninja ate it.
The Ninja?!?
Yeah the sneaky ninja got the frosting and ate it out here.

Of course this is the answer he gives whenever he (Damon aka "The Ninja") has done something he knows he shouldn't have. He blames it on this mysterious and mischievous ninja character.

We gave him a chance to tell the truth but he insisted that it was the ninja. We knew he was lying and so he was sent to his room. We could care less about eating frosting, but the lying doesn't go over well. But we really do enjoy the ninja stories because who else blames things on a ninja?!?

SNOW

Every winter I wish for snow and this year I got it. Some hate it, but I like it. There's something about snow.........it's exciting and I don't really have an answer as to why. On regular days I don't wake up in the morning and think, "Yippee it's sunny!" or "Fantastico, it's raining!" But when there's snow outside my reaction is......."Ooooohhhhhh Goodie!" Funny how that is too, because I don't rush outside to play in the snow or have the time to sit and watch the flakes fall. I just like the winter wonderland that snow makes.

So we got some snow earlier in the week, but on Friday afternoon I finally went out with kids to play in it. I bundled up Olivia and we headed down to our cul-de-sac where the guys were working on a snowman. (I know......this girl needs a pink hat).

Damon was trying to throw snowballs at the dogs. Once he stopped that, then dad became his next target. Josh made a snowball and then wowed me with his sauve balancing skills. To keep Joel amused, we took some runs down the hill on the "Sled-Trike." We got some speed and he laughed during each and every ride so it must have been a good time. (Josh and Damon tried out this technique the night before in the dark. Those two guys tend to live a little more dangerously. They were starting at the TOP of the hill and riding ALL the way down, whereas Joel and I were only doing a half run. I think Josh admitted later on that he almost had a near fatal accident........luckily it was "almost."

So the snow is here........we'll see how long it stays!

The Best Gift

Josh is a man of many talents. I started to think about all the things he has made and accomplished in the past months. "Count your blessings, name them one by one" and I am very blessed to have such a talented husband.

• Excavated around our property so we can park next to the garage and could have a big backyard.
• Moved large rocks numerous times because I didn't like where they were, and then moved them a few more times.
• Built a fence to my Molly Standard (luckily we are a lot alike so our standards are similar).
• Installed a whole lot of sod for the backyard.
• Cut down numerous tree limbs because I wanted our upper yard to look more maintained/better.
• Made Damon & Joel new beds.
• Designed and decorated one jet cake for Damon.
• Re-grouted our tile floors so they look pretty & clean again.
• Did a whole lot of touch up paint around our house (We did such an awesomely bad job the first time because we just wanted to move in as soon as possible).
• Added some chair rail moldings in the guest bathroom because I wanted something to class it up.
• Installed decorative shelves so our home looks a little more lived in. (We've taken the slow train on this one, but we're working on it).
• Now he's using his skills on Christmas presents.

As Christmas approaches and we think about all the "stuff" we "want" (not "need") just think about your family and all they do for you. This may sound silly/mushy, but I know my family loves me because all they do. Josh has done all those things to make me happy, and I know that because he usually asks, "Is this how you want it?" "Is this where you want the rock?" "How far do you want the fence to come from the house?" "Which way do you want these gates for the fence to open?" So the gifts are nice at Christmas time, but that's only 1 day out of the year. We can buy stuff, or we can treat each other with love and respect. I'll take love & respect.

More Dog Bones

Ah.....Joel. Sometimes I think he wants to be like his four legged friends, Tank & Rocco. Joel loves the dogs. When the dogs wake in the morning and whine in the garage, that's Joel's alarm clock. Lately the dogs have been sleeping inside since it has been so cold. Now they don't whine when they wake, but the tags on their collars jingle and that is all it takes to wake Joel.

Joel will pull on the dogs tails, sit on Tank and bounce up & down like he's on a horse, sit with the dogs on the rugs by the door, and even enjoys getting in Rocco's kennel and laying in there like it's his little home.

His new favorite thing to do with the dogs is to feed them. Just the other day I was upstairs with Olivia and I could hear the dogs chewing up something. I was afraid it was another Christmas ornament and hurried downstairs. No Christmas ornamnets were being harmed (thank goodness).....instead Joel had the entire bag of dog bones out. Rocco was in his kennel and Joel was shoving dog bones thru the door as quickly as he could. There was a pile of bones and Rocco couldn't eat them fast enough. Tank had a pile of dog bones as well, but he must of had his share because he was no longer interested in what Joel was offereing. (While looking for some pictures on my camera, it appears that Damon was nice enough to document the dog bone episode. Prior to me showing up on the scene). I took the bag away from Joel as he protested in anger. I put the unchewed bones back in the bag (there were 10-15 bones) and took the bag back to the laundry room. Joel followed me and giggled in delight as he pulled two more bones and ran like a thief to get his loot to his comrades. Tank and Rocco are loved. If only I could get Joel to take them for walks and discard of all their poo in the backyard.

D-Money

Another gem courtesy of Damon:

The other day Damon was laying on the couch with a blanket.....just being quiet and relaxing (which is unusual behavior for this guy). Josh came in the room and we started talking about something. He asked where the kids were and before I could explain their whereabouts,

Damon chimed in: I'm over here dad.
Josh: Hey, D-Money! What are you doing?
Damon: D-Money's tired.

It was funny because we have referred to Damon as "D-Money" lots of times, but this time, he actually acknowledged himself as D-Money.

Oh Christmas Tree Trauma

With some sunny weather on our side we decided to get our Christmas tree today. Damon was pretty excited and wandered through the trees trying to find the "perfect" one. He picked one 10 feet tall and extra fat, unfortunately he had to settle on one that would fit in the living room. While focused on keeping Olivia warm, I failed to move Joel out of the way of the falling tree. So poor Joel got pummeled by the tree. The tree trauma left Joel a little shaken, but luckily no injuries were incurred.Josh "He-Maned" the tree out of the tree farm while I carried Olivia, one sad Joel, and a saw. Always an adventure, but at least I got some pictures!

"Thanks Dad"

Every night Damon & Joel get tucked into their beds and get their hugs & kisses from mom and dad. After we exit their room, we usually head downstairs to start the revival & recovery mission which is really just the cleanup from the kids' daily routine of destruction from the day. It is quiet in the house for a short while......and then it starts. The sounds of little feet scurrying around upstairs. Next come the giggles and other noises indicating that those two little turkies are out of their beds and goofing off.

Tonight was no different. After listening to them upstairs for a while, Josh headed back upsatirs to "take care of business." From the kitchen this is what I heard:

Josh - "Joel and Damon get back in bed. It's bedtime!
A few grunts and giggles from Joel indicated that we was being drug back to his bed. Next came the sound of Damon getting his butt swat, followed by crying which stoped quickley so he (Damon) could say, "Thanks dad! (in an angry voice)
Josh - "What?" (starting to laugh) "What did you say Damon?"
Damon - "Yeah dad, thanks a lot, Josh Bucko-Head!" (one of Damon's fake curse word)

Josh burst into laughter and then Damon got attacked by tickles and they were both laughing. Who thanks their dad for getting their butt swat? Damon does. It must be the new mature 4 year old thing to do.

Playin Hard

As a mom you know that when there is peaceful silence, something isn't quite right. I headed upstairs to find my roly-poly-Joel-y asleep, sitting up in the corner of his room, with his good buddy Lightning McQueen in his lap.

Planes, Jets, and Damon's 4th Birthday!

Today was the much anticipated 4th Birthday for Damon. What more perfect birthday activity could there be than to head to McMinville to the Evergreen Aviation Museum? For Damon........, none!

We spent a few hours at the aviation museum. There was a kid area so Damon & Joel had some fun in there acting like they were flying helicopters and jets.

The Spruce Goose was enormous and spanned the entire building. Josh, Uncle Jake, and Grandpa Hunsaker all were able to get their picture taken in the cockpit of the Spruce Goose so they were pretty happy. While they were getting that done, I was down below with the other women folk trying to wrangle all the kiddos. Joel put the moves on a complete stranger by approaching a woman from behind and patting her bottom a few times. She turned around just as I grabbed his little hands and I said, "Well this is one way to meet people." She looked at me strangely and walked away.....quickly. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say, oh well, I thought it was funny.











Damon had a such good time with the airplanes and took a nap on the way home. He was just regaining his energy for birthday "Jet" cake and presents. Josh did the cake, he always does the cakes, and they always turn out great.

Then the presents. He got everything he wanted: Diego the Animal Rescuer, Transformers, cartoons, blue clothing, and $$$. He was spoiled by everyone, but that's what being a kid is all about. He had a great 4th birthday and I still can't believe my little baby Damon is 4.

The Big Two Eight

Happy Birthday Josh!

This morning I got up as quietly as possible so I could get to the grocery store and buy the ingredients for Josh's birthday cake and return before all the kids woke up. I was succesful!

Damon was the first up and soon came downstairs to see what I was up to. I was in the process of scraping the filling out of chocolate sandwich cookies so I could crumble up the actual cookie for Josh's Birthday (Nutella Cheesecake) Cake. Damon told me he had to "test" the creme middles for breakfast. (We're healthy eaters)!

Soon the rest of the kids and Josh were downstairs for breakfast waffles. Josh headed out the door for work and I proceeded to scramble in order to get as much done as possible before he got back.

Damon helped by handing me pins so I could put up some birthday decorations. Olivia and Joel helped by unrolling all the roles of streamers and tried to eat them.

Aunt Brittani came over and watched the kids so Josh & I could go out kidless. We saw Quantum of Solace and got some dinner. Then it was back home for birthday cake and presents with the family.

I think Josh had a nice birthday, at least I hope he had a nice birthday. Since he doesn't do the Blog thing he can't contradict me and tell everyone how it all really went down.

"Girl Stuff"

I really enjoy Saturday's. Josh is usually home and I get to pick some kind of project to work on, or at least start. So today Josh started making bed frames for Damon and Joel and I decided to wash my REALLY dirty car.

If I want to do anything outside, it means packing up all the kids in warm clothes, bringing out the phone in case someone calls, being armed with graham crackers and sippy cups in case some needs a snack, and then hoping that everyone stays content long enough so I can accomplish a simple task outside.

So Olivia hung out in the stroller, while Damon and Joel attempted to help me with the car. Joel used his scrub brush to wash the concrete, and Damon kept stealing my brush every time I rinsed off a section of the car. Eventually I told Damon that he wasn't helping when he would rescrub the area that I had just rinsed. He replied with, "Mom why don't you just go inside and do girl stuff (with an emphasis on the Girl Stuff) and I'll wash your car!" And of course that made me laugh. Eventually the car got washed. I realize now that I should have asked him what "girl stuff" is. I'm sure there will be a next time.

Classic Damon

I get to hear the thoughts of Damon. So here are a few....

While saying a prayer for dinner............."Help me to get my (pilots) license and fly F-22's and become a jet ace. Help me to go to Toys R Us in the morning time with Uncle Jake and dad so I can show Uncle Jake all the toys I want for my birthday."

Eventually we reminded him that he needed to bless the food. That was the main purpose of the prayer. Dad's getting his Pilots License, so why not Damon too? No big deal. Just want to fly a jet and kill at least 5 enemy jets. Got to kill 5 to be an ace. Of course the most important thing is to take everyone to the store so they can see exactley what you want for your 4th birthday. At least this kid knows what he wants to do.....fly and get toys. Plus these were not one time only requests. These are usually mentioned during every prayer Damon gives. I love this kid!

History Repeats Itself

Ever since Josh & I have been married there have been the annual trips to the Reno Air Races. This event is a whole lot of airplanes. The most exciting thing at Reno are the actual races which involve WWII planes that have been completely modified to fly like 500 MPH. (Josh can give you the actual speeds and explain it all so it seems as though he is speaking a foreign language, but it's really just Airplane Jive).

I went one year and have forfeited the "opportunity" to return in order to stay home with the baby. (These pictures are from the year I went). Anyway, Damon is hooked and Joel is close behind the "Airplane Addict" group, which really involves any male with the last name "Hunsaker."

Now the Reno Air Races are not enough.

Josh's dad use to fly for the State Police and has been wanting to get back in the pilot's seat for a while. Why not make it a family affair? For the past few months, Josh has been taking ground school to become a PILOT. He recently was passed off to Solo which means he can fly without the instructor anymore. On Tuesday he took the written FAA test and passed! (I have been calling it the FFA, which Josh has to correct me. He is not taking classes to become a Future Farmer of America). Now he just has to fly some cross countries and he will have his Private Pilots License.

So history repeats itself. From Jon to Josh. Give us a few years and Damon will be after his Pilots License!

The 2008 Rewind

Since I have wanted to do this blog thing for so long I have a lot to post. So here we go......

We had little Miss Olivia Wenona Hunsaker on January 2nd. Another C-Section for me, but one healthy little girl, so that's worth it.

With nothing better to do with our time, we decided to obliterate my parents kitchen, (and eventually the rest of the whole 1st floor), and get a remodel done. I wanted to do something nice for my parents and I did help out as much as I could with 3 kids, but Josh and his dad worked really hard.

Damon liked to be at the "jobsite" and attempted to help mostly by taking scrap wood from one pile and placing it somewhere else in the house which only meant we had to pick it up again. What a helper!

Joel enjoyed taking off his shoes and walking through the piles of sawdust and other construction debris.

There was a lot of hard work and late nights, but it was worth it for the great Sunday lunches we have enjoyed (courtesy of Jean, Jean the Chef Machine) for the past five years.

In May we headed to Salt Lake City for Lauren & Ernest's Wedding. It was a fun weekend......hanging out with my family and taking a break from our normal schedule at home. Lauren looked "bellisimo" and is now Lauren Hayes. Damon and cousin Ethan had a good time hiding underneath the gift table at the reception. Occassionally you could hear them giggling and their hands would pop out from the table cloth from time to time. (Those 2 are from the "All Boy/Trouble" mold).

As you can see......trying to take pictures was hard work. The attention span of those 3 and under was minimal! This picture sums up so much.

We hit up Silver Falls on a Saturday afternoon. I just want to go places so I can spend time with my family and take pictures. The hike was a great "work out" for Josh & I since we haven't exercised since we had Damon in 2004. By the time we got back to the top (each of us carrying a child) I was sweating and trying to act like I wasn't gasping for air. Pathetic huh!

While putting the road in for our property we had some major clean up to do. We don't hire out the work, we do it ourselves. Plus Damon would never forgive us for passing up the chance to run a giant track hoe.

June took us to California for Luke & Greta's Wedding. It was a classy event, very Luke.

We almost spent the night at a hotel that could have easily been on "Intervention" (it was scary nasty), but luckily ditched it and relocated to a much more family friendly and clean environment. Damon and Joel loved it because it was right next to a smaller airport (aaaahhh planes/helicopters) and had a pool. We hit up San Francisco and checked out some of my dad's childhood memories, so that was fun cruzing San Fran.

With the addition of Rocco to our family in mid July the request for a fence became the daily nag. The kids always wanted to be outside, but had a tendancy to head to the road or in some direction leading away from our property. I was getting tried of trying to get the dogs out before they had an accident (Tank was fine, but Rocco would bark & howl non-stop...very irritating) and then checking on them to make sure they weren't on a "neighborhood tour." So I won, and some time was spent putting up a new fence in the backyard. Then we scored a bunch sod and stayed up till midnight or so trying to get it all in and watered. It was a great birthday present to have the kids fenced in....and the dogs too.

In October we went to the Pumpkin Patch for the first time as a family. (Plus Uncle Jake & Logan and Granny & Gramps came too). Logan and Joel got a ride in the wheelbarrow until the pumkins took over. Once out of the wheelbarrow, Joel headed toward the sound of a running tractor and figured he could climb up to the drivers seat. I got to him just in time, but he wasn't happy that I foiled his plan.

Damon wandered through the whole patch by himself, stopping and talking to some teenage girls for a moment or two, and enjoyed staying as far away from his parents as possible. Finally he came around and I asked him what kind of pumpkin he was looking for. He said he was looking for, "a Dinoco Blue Pumpkin." I told him, "Good luck!" I think I was the most excited about going to the pumpkin patch just so I could take some pictures.

The Long Awaited Hunsaker Blog

I have been wanting to start a blog for a long time. (Ever since reading Heathfield Lane and laughing - thanks Austin & Cherisse). I have admired other blogs, but always told myself that I don't have the time. Now I'm making the time.

My little kiddos are growing fast and I am quickly forgetting all the things they have done to make me smile........ so this is my effort to preserve the memories. We'll see how dedicated I am!