Family Reunion 2009

It has been a while since we have updated our blog...Summer is upon us and we have been running non-stop. We made the annual trek to the Allen Family Reunion. We went to 7-Peaks in Provo, Utah for a day and then the rest of the week we spent at Pineview Reservoir just east of Ogden Utah. It was a ton of fun.

Count Your Many Blessings

Well today was a crazy day. We are in the middle of spring break and decided to go meet Rollin for lunch. The kids and I were headed north bound on the 55 freeway right where the carpool lane takes off for the 5 freeway when we got into a car accident. I got the brakes on but there was no where for me to go and we crashed head on into a Range Rover who had got side swiped four lanes over, lost control, spun around and was facing me in the carpool lane. There was a pick up truck in front of me with some dirt bikes in the back and you come up over this little hill so I didn't see the orginal accident and the Range Rover coming across the lanes. All I saw was the pick up truck brake and swerve, so I swerved the other way to avoid the pickup and as soon as the pickup swerved the Range Rover was right in front of me. We had just passed a fire truck right before we crashed so within a minute of the crash they had the lane blocked off and the fire men helped open the sliding door which wouldn't open to get us out since I couldn't get out my side. The kids got to sit in the fire truck so that they were off the freeway until Rollin arrived. We all walked away with burns from the seatbelts and airbags and a few bruises. I am so grateful that the Lord blessed us and we were able to walk away and that Rollin was in town to take care of us. Can't say that the car didn't get beat up pretty bad but who cares about that. Can't imagine that they won't total it. They were pulling all sorts of pieces out of the bottom on the front end and throwing into the car just so that they could get it up on a tow truck. We are a little frazzled and I know we will be sore tomorrow but we can handle that.

This is how we ended up!!

You can see how close I was to the retainer wall. I really couldn't go anywhere else!! From the back you can't even tell that there is anything wrong with the car.

The tow truck driver throwing the pieces of my car that were on the ground inside the mini van.

View from the front.

The Other Car

Kind of an ironic title to my last post after the incident today!!!

Yes We Are Still Alive and Well

Haven't made time for much blogging lately but here are a few pics from the last couple of weeks.

Our best buds Tara and Sean came for a visit last weekend. We had a great time going to the movies, eating out and Kassy and Brittnie's highlight was going to get a pedicure with Tara. We hadn't seen them since last August so we were so glad they made the trip.

RJ posing for his "Great Moments". For anyone who has seen the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, they take famous paintings and recreate them using live people holding completely still. The kids school do this every year and RJ's class was one of the classes participating this year.

This is the picture that his class was recreating.





The kids were supposed to be washing the dog but RJ decided it would be fun to squirt dad with a squirt gun so Rollin decided that the kids needed a bath too!!! RJ decided he liked his baths a little warmer. Maybe he shouldn't have squirt Rollin. Lexi thought she was defending herself pretty good with her little gun.

Adventure City

The kids were invited to a birthday party at Adventure City. We had never been there before. It has the perfect size rides for RJ and Lexi. They had a great time. We are going to be in trouble with RJ. Having 3 sisters he is very comfortable playing with girls and he already has a "girlfriend"...his 21 year old swim coach Jackie. At the party we finally had to ask him to stop hugging and kissing his friend Jordan (the one in the white shirt) on the cheek.

Halloween Fun

At the pumpkin patch. I was planning on taking all the kids but there were just not enough hours in the day so the day before Halloween Lexi and I went with Kristie and the boys.


Trying to get 3 little ones to all look at the camera at the same time. Not going to happen. We took what we could get.


"Treats through the Streets" in Old Towne Orange. We have been going with my parents every year since Kassy was born. Lexi loves her Papa!!



Our little Anikan and Princess Leia knew that the adult Star Wars junkies are always there. They couldn't wait to have their pictures taken with them.


The older three were all fighting over who Lexi was going to walk with during the Halloween Parade at school so they decided to have her walk with all of them. She walked with RJ and Brittnie and waved and smiled the entire time but by the time it was the 6th graders turn she was finished with the parade. She wouldn't even think about walking again with Kassy.


Instead she ran off to play on the bars and play tetherball.


Then after the parade and the kids went back to class the "6th grade buddies" were coming to visit the kindergarteners. They come every Friday and they read together or do a writing assignment together. Kassy's class is going in this trimester so she is RJ's buddy. He really likes it because all the 6th graders know his name and talk to him because of Kassy. Lexi and I stayed since they were just playing and eating cupcakes to celebrate Halloween. Lexi didn't want to leave school. Who would if you thought it was all about the bars, tetherball, the slide, the swings and cupcakes....I would want to stay too.




Halloween night...

The boys tired of waiting for the littler ones to catch up...

Soccer

Brittnie kicked the ball right between the opponents legs...it went up in the air and over the goalies head and scored. She scored two of her teams four goals that game. She has been loving soccer!!


It has been fun to watch RJ. He is still trying to learn the whole game. He is just out there running around having fun.

OOOPS!! Missed.

Let's try that again.

Welcome Matsumura Family

Rollin's sister Vian and family has been living in Japan for the past 18 years. They decided to move to the states and our moving to Idaho. They flew into LA and we were able to spend half a day with them before they made the rest of their trip. My kids had never met them since the last time they were here I was pregnant with Kassy. They wanted to go to the beach. Even with it being the end of September most of them including my children got in. Crazy!!! Then we did the Ruby's thing at the end of the pier. We were glad we were able to spend a little time with them. At least we will be able to see them every 6 months or so now instead of every 12 years!!!!

RJ, Ki and Gid


Takao, Gid and Alexis

Vian, Keiya and Gid

My Kids, Keiya, Reina and Gid

Sasha, Gid, Ki, Reina

Ben and Keiya. Keiya broke her arm and had to get pins put in a day before they left Japan. What a long trip when you are so uncomfortable. She was a trooper.

Rollin's brother Benjamin and sister Vian. Benjamin drove down from Utah yesterday and is turning around and taking Vian and family back to Utah. Then one of the other brothers will drive down from Idaho and pick them up in Utah. What a journey!!!

First Soccer Games

Brittnie and RJ both wanted to try out soccer this season. Here's some pics of their first games this last Saturday.

RJ and his team the "Tigers"

RJ scored the only goal for his team. Way to go RJ!!!!

Brittnie huddling with her team "Blue Lightning" before the game begins.

Brittnie warming up as goalie before the game begins. She played goalie during one period, full back during one period and half back during one and sat out for one. They keep the teams so that all the girls get to play 3 out of the 4 periods so no one feels left out. She is having fun.

Finally Kassy's turn to have to sit and watch her siblings. She brought her DS along for some entertainment.

First Day of School

I know I am a little behind but life is crazy with 3 school aged kids and all there activities. I filled up with gas right after I dropped the kids at school the first day and by the time I pulled in the garage for the last time that night I had 90 miles on the car!!!! Poor Lexi in her car seat for all of that. Thank goodness for DVD's in the car. She's a trooper.

Our wonderful friend Kristie came to do first day of school hair. The girls look foward to this part of the first day. For at least a month before they talk about what they want her to do. Kassy with her new hair style this summer didn't have much choice but Brittnie decided to go wavy and RJ even got in on the action and was all excited to have Kristie do his as well (took about 30 seconds but he thought it was special that she did it and not mom).


RJ was a little nervous but still really excited for his first day of kindergarten.

Brittnie on the first day of third grade.

Kassy on the first day of sixth grade. Come January she will be half way to graduating high school!! Time sure flies once they start kindergarten.

Kassy on the first day of kindergarten, of course in front of our tree. Some people measure their kids on a wall...we just take pictures in front of the tree to see how much they have grown.

The Bike Wreck

I thought I would post the before and after picture for those who haven't seen RJ since the wreck. He healed really quickly. He was very blessed that all he lost was one baby tooth.

Before

After with the missing tooth. We had to wait about a week for the swelling in his mouth to go down before the dentist could pull the rest of the tooth that hadn't come out. It came out in pieces.

Labor Day Weekend

We had a fun weekend down in San Diego with my brother Chris and his wife Shaunee in San Diego. We went to Sea World,toured the USS Midway, ate LOTS of food, swam at the pool and just had a nice relaxing weekend before school started.

And then Tuesday we spent one last day at the beach. It was a beautiful day. We didn't want to leave