tim & jenn

Circus

2011-09-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun time at the circus! This was Ryan's first time and he loved it! He spent a good portion of the night dancing in the aisle, and it was so fun to see him so excited. We'll definitely have to go again the next time the circus is in town.

Dinner before the circus. Tim had to send back his chicken twice because it was frozen in the middle. We ran out of time and he never did get to eat his meal. Good thing the circus sells food- $10 for a hot dog and soda, but at least he got dinner.

Getting ready for the show to start

Ryan's favorite part was the elephants.

The elephants did some pretty cool tricks.

The tight rope walkers were amazing! My camera didn't get any good pictures of them, so I found some here.

There was lots of flips and tumbling.

And flying through the air

There was even a human cannonball.

The human cannonball was literally lit on fire. Here they are before they were extinguished.

The entertainers in between acts made us laugh.

The tigers. I'm still trying to figure out how to get my dogs to behave as well as these tigers.

"Fighting" with the tiger

There was lots of celebrating

Ryan was exhausted after the show.

Just a few minutes after getting in the car he was out cold. Here he is a little annoyed that I was taking his picture while he was trying to sleep.

We had such a fun night!

Happy Birthday Brianna!

2011-09-05T14:41:00.001-07:00

This weekend we celebrated our niece's 2nd birthday. Ryan had a blast!

The birthday girl

The waterslide was a big hit

We didn't know it was a water party. We stripped Ryan down to his diaper and let him play. That didn't last too long. There is a reason why regular diapers aren't meant to be in the water. The diaper was so full of water it nearly fell off on its own.

Luckily, my sister-in-law had a spare pair of swim "shorts" that Ryan borrowed. They looked more like speedos, but Ryan didn't care.

Posing in his speedos. This picture reminds me of George Castanza from Seinfield.

Ryan wanted to be just like the big kids and go down the big waterslide. Since he wasn't able to climb up on his own, Gabriel helped him out. Ryan LOVED the waterslide and getting to play with Gabriel.

Taking a crack at the pinata

Go Ryan Go!

Cristian swinging at the pinata

Brianna loves Minnie Mouse, and she was so excited when she saw her cake.

Brianna with her mom & dad

Ryan loved the cake.

Sad Ryan. He finished his cake and wanted more.

Battle of the Bay

2011-08-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

For Tim's birthday this year, my dad gave him 2 tickets to see the 49ers-Raiders game. It was a Saturday game which was perfect for us! We had no idea what we were in store for!

The traffic was horrible as soon as we got on the freeway. It took us an extra 2 hours to get to the Stadium. We finally arrived and were greeted by lots of tailgaters- already crazy drunk. The parking lot was already trashed with empty beer bottles and lots of garbage.

We made it from the car to the gate and somehow got stuck in this mess (see picture below). We waited in this group of fans who seemed to be eager to get inside the stadium. After about 30 minutes of constant "NIIIIIIINERS" AND "RAAAAAAAIDERS" chants at the top of people's lungs , and moving less than 1 foot closer to the gate, a security officer finally informed us that this gate wasn't even open. The gates just to the right of this group were open. You would think that the people at the front of the "line" would have seen the open gates and moved there. That's how drunk people were already.

The crazy "line" to get inside the park.

Once we finally got inside, we got to watch the game.

Well, kind of.

It was more like we got to watch the game in between the massive fights going on in the crowd. While we were there we saw 9 fights (or UFC style beatdowns as Tim calls them). People beating the living daylights out of each other. I read that there were other fights in the restrooms, parking lots, and who knows where else.

Tim

After the game we made it through the trashed parking lot to our car and managed to navigate through the sea of people without hitting any of the stumbling fans (not an easy task). We heard later that evening that there were 2 shootings in the parking lot after the game. We were glad we didn't stick around to see them!

Despite the craziness of the night, it was so nice to spend the evening together and watch (most of) a football game.

Aerospace Museum

2011-08-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, our friends invited us to the Aerospace Museum to see the semi-annual open cockpit display. Ryan LOVES airplanes and was so excited to go inside them.

Tim & Ryan inside one of the planes

The three of us inside one of the planes

Ryan was a bit distracted with all of the planes

These two had the best time together- telling jokes (that no one else could understand) and laughing like crazy. It was so cute!

Friends

Happy Ryan!

Super Ryan!

In awe of all the airplanes!

All of us in the Governor's chair on CalOne

Pilot Ryan

Pilot and Co-pilot

Tim & Ryan inside one of the planes

BFFs

2011-08-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

Ryan is so lucky to have his best friend live so close to us! A few weeks ago Ryan got some fun playtime with his BFF while Tama's parents were out celebrating their anniversary.

They raced around in the kitchen

They played the piano

They pet the dogs

Ryan showed Tama how much Bandit loves kisses

And Tama joined in

Tama discovered the doggie door

Tama re-arranged the toys

They had FUN!

Happy Birthday Tim!

2011-08-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

Tim turned the Big 3-0 this year. To celebrate, I threw him a really fun birthday party. What better way to say goodbye to his 20's than with outdoor laser tag & a video game theater? Nothing I can think of! We all had such a good time and Tim had no idea it was coming!

Tim had no idea where we were going.

Making our way to see our friends and family

Leading the blind

Removing the blindfold

Surprise!

Tim & Ryan playing a little laser tag

Everyone decided the laser tag set up wasn't challenging enough, so they decided to play in the parking lot.

Anything to win

Scoping out the targets

Ready to fire

The first round of laser tag boys. I didn't get a picture with the girls who joined later in the evening.

The video game van!

Some of the girls playing a dancing game

More dancing.

Having fun playing "Michael Jackson Experience"

Ryan had to join in with the dancing

The inside of the video game van

Lisa & Ryan

Even my mom got in on the video game action. This might have been her first time every playing a video game!

Blowing out the candles

Ryan and his friends had so much fun running as fast as they could.

Thank you to everyone who came and helped us celebrate! It was a blast!

Gabriel's birthday party

2011-07-23T15:16:00.001-07:00

We had such a fun time celebrating Gabriel's birthday!

The water slide. The kids had such a great time!

Ryan LOVES anything with steering wheels on it. He played with this one for such a long time

Checking out the fun toy

Having fun playing with the ball

Slam dunk!

Ryan got to take the 1st crack at the pinata. Note the focus on this boy.

Gabriel before the blindfold.

Ouch!

2011-06-28T21:15:00.001-07:00

Last week I injured my ankle playing volleyball- nearly re-creating the exact scene from 15 years ago. After jumping to block a ball, I came down (possibly on one of the opponent's foot- I neither saw nor remember) and my ankle turned outward. I heard and felt a loud crunching noise and that was it. I couldn't move it. After hobbling off the court with some help, I knew what would happen. My ankle would swell out of my shoe and would then start turning some crazy colors. I had been there before, except last time it was my other ankle. In high school, I tore the ligaments in my ankle, and through a painful recovery (with the help of a sports orthopedic specialist) returned to walking pretty quickly.

This time, I'm not so sure. The doctor said that I have micro-tears in the ligaments. Micro: that sounds better than a full tear, so I'm already doing better than last time. After 1 day of crutches, I decided that the pain was better than those darned things and stopped using them. I guess I'm not the best patient, but I really hate crutches. Now, I get to sport my lovely (note the sarcasm) walking boot. Tim thinks it's cool, but then again, he doesn't have to wear it. Despite looking like Forrest Gump, at least I can get around.

I'm hoping for good news from the Doctor, but am pretty sure that all I can do is wait. Hopefully the time will go by quickly and I can get back to "normal" sometime soon! Until then, here are some pictures of what used to be my good ankle.

Anyone lose a baseball?

Beyond cankle status. At least my toenails are painted, right?

Golf lesson

2011-06-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

We were cleaning out the garage one night, and Tim found his old set of golf clubs. He took out a club and started swinging in the front yard. Ryan decided he wanted a try, and so he got his first lesson that night in our front yard. He had so much fun and actually hit the ball a few times. Fortunately for us, he didn't use the clubs to do any damage to anything (grass, cars, us)!

Front yard golfers Ryan & Tim

Maybe I can use this as a spear?

Building something?

Monkey see

Monkey do

Learning to putt

Family Pictures

2011-06-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

We had a fun family photo shoot with Sarah Blair. Thanks Sarah! We love them!

7 Years together

2011-06-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

On May 8, 2011 we celebrated 7 years of marriage! Time flies when you are having fun, right?

We celebrated with a nice dinner at the Broiler Steakhouse. Mmm...

After dinner, we headed to Rick's Dessert Diner. So good!

We are looking forward to another great year and many more fun anniversaries to come!

Fun with friends- April 2011

2011-05-14T18:17:00.000-07:00

Our good friends, the Clements, invited us to join them for the Sacramento mobile food festival. It was a beautiful day and we were excited for all of the great food! The only problem was the lines were SOOOO long! So, rather than wait 1-2 hours in line, we decided to walk a few blocks and enjoy some delicious food from Pronto. Thanks for taking all of the pictures Beka!

In line at Pronto

Ryan & Tama waiting in line at Pronto.

Waiting so patiently for their food (and highchairs)

Next it was on to Crepeville for some delicious crepes!

Beka & Bill (and their order number card)

Jenn & Tim

Tama & Ryan waiting for the crepes so nicely in their strollers

That didn't last long. They wanted to explore together and had so much fun!

After the crepes, Ryan & Tama held hands as we started to walked back to our cars. It was so cute!

Let's run!

Easter 2011

2011-05-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter! Ryan had so much fun on all 3 of his Easter egg hunts!

The first was at our Ward Easter Activity

Looking for eggs!

Spotting the first egg!

We stopped at Jamba Juice on the way home from the Ward Easter Activity. Jenn & Ryan playing in the car while we wait for Tim. Not only does it look like Ryan is kicking my head, but he is smiling and laughing too. Maybe that's what he was trying to do after all...

The second was at Grandma & Grandma Hahn's

I found one!

And another!

Lots of eggs!

Taking a break after finding all those eggs!

Examining the loot!

And the last was at home on Easter morning

Look what I found!

Ryan LOVED the Easter Bunny for leaving some yummy chocolate in his eggs! Apparently, he didn't leave enough.

We also enjoyed having our friends, the Clements, over for Easter dinner. We had lots of good food & great company! I wish I would have remembered to take pictures!

April 2011

2011-05-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

Ryan LOVES to play basketball. The problem is he is too short for the big hoop outside, even when we lower it as low as it will go. But, with Daddy's help, he can play!

Practicing for the NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2029

Mama was a generous ref and didn't even call a technical foul for hanging on the net.

March 2011

2011-05-14T17:47:00.002-07:00

In March, we celebrated Lisa's birthday. Somehow, we the only picture I got was of my adorable niece, Brianna. I guess we were having too much fun and forgot to grab the camera!

How cute is she?

CHEESE!

I also managed to snap a few shots of Ryan in the tub- I ADORE this boy!

Ryan, admiring himself

Giving kisses to himself!

Christmas in February

2011-05-14T17:47:00.001-07:00

Since Christmas was a rough time for us- my Grandpa passed away 3 days before Christmas, his funeral was just before the New Year, and his 49-day memorial service was in January, we decided to have a delayed Christmas celebration with my Dad's side of the family. So, we celebrated Christmas in February! My Dad cooked a great dinner and we all ate his delicious homemade strawberry ice cream! Ryan was thrilled to open more presents.

Ryan, not too happy about getting his picture taken. He would rather play with his new toys!

Ryan could not get enough of Grandpa Stan's homemade strawberry ice cream. Here he is asking Daddy for more. He then asked Mom for the rest of hers too!

February 2011

2011-05-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

In February, we celebrated our nephew Cristian's 4th birthday- Chuck E. Cheese style! Ryan loved the pizza, the rides, games, and of course Chuck E. Cheese himself!

Birthday boy Cristian opening his presents

The kids posing with Chuck E. Cheese

Brianna!

Jenn & Ryan racing cars

Ryan LOVED playing basketball!

Ryan trying to figure out how to play Operation

Ryan taking Chuck E. Cheese for a spin

Ryan rode this ride at least 5 times before we had to peel him away so we could eat cake & ice cream.

We also had a family dinner to celebrate Cristian's birthday and my Aunt's birthday too.

Cristian blowing out the candles

Gabriel

Brianna and Grandma

Tim & Ryan

Ryan also got to play with his BFF, Tama. They had so much fun!

Ryan playing at Tama's house

Ryan, Bill & Tama watching basketball on TV!

Welcome 2011

2011-05-14T17:46:00.001-07:00

2010 had a lot of ups and downs for us- we lost 2 grandparents. We are looking forward to a nice, calm 2011!

In January, we had a nice birthday dinner for Jocelyn to celebrate her turning the big 2-0!

Jocelyn & Tim

Tim, Jocelyn & Nathan

Leilani, Jocelyn, Ryan & Jenn

Auntie Jocelyn & Ryan

My Uncle came to visit from New Mexico, so we all got together to- what else? eat! My Uncle is a great cook and always whips something up for us when he comes to visit!

Gabriel showing off his moves

Uncle Brian and Ryan after their basketball match against Gabriel & Cristian.

Cousins Brianna & Ryan playing

Brian, Uncle Miles & Lisa relaxing after dinner.

Future Chippendale dancers Gabriel & Cristian putting on a show.

December 2010 (Part 2)

2011-05-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

December was quite an emotional month for us. There was lots of good stuff- Christmas, getting ready for the new year, and time off of work. Most of December was filled with lots of time with family.

After fighting each day after his stroke in November, my Grandpa left this world to be with my Grandma. He lived 90 good years, and was a such a good man. I'm grateful that he is my Grandpa and that I was able to spend 29 years with him. We love him and miss him, but we are very grateful that he is no longer in pain, and that we WILL see him again one day. It's so comforting to know that our time on earth is not the end, but rather a stepping stone on our way back to Heaven.

Grandpa with Brianna & Ryan (2 of his great-grandchildren) at his 90th birthday party last March.

Grandpa represented the Florin baseball team well!

My grandparents!

I love this picture of my grandpa, me & my sister. It was taken the day my sister came home from the hospital.

Me, Grandpa & Lisa at Lisa's high school graduation

My grandparents, back in the days

I love this picture of my grandpa.

December 2010- Part 1 (the happier stuff)

2011-02-23T16:48:00.000-08:00

December is always a busy month- just recovering from the food-induced coma that we call Thanksgiving, preparing for and celebrating Christmas, and planning for the New Year.

We attended our Ward Christmas party. We all had a great time visiting with friends, eating good food, and watching the kids play! All of the kids came in their pajamas, which worked out perfectly since we got home right at Ryan's bedtime.

Tim & Ryan

Ryan & his BFF Tama

Ryan wanted NOTHING to do with Santa. Maybe next year...

Going for a ride while Daddy helped put away chairs

Christmas Eve was very busy for us. We celebrated our Christmas with Tim’s family in the early afternoon. We had a quiet dinner and exchanged presents.

Ryan's playing with his new present

Hanging out after dinner

We then did the complete opposite- we exchanged gifts with Jenn’s family-. The kids were running around having the time of their life, Ryan included. He loves playing with his cousins and jumping right in the middle of whatever is going on. He doesn’t care if he gets knocked down or if his team wins- he just wants to be in the action.

Brianna & Ryan opening presents. Kind of looks like Toys R Us exploded in the background. It pretty much did.

Auntie Lisa bought Cristian boxing gloves. Cristian decided to try them out on her. Good thing he was only kidding!

Cute Brianna!

Gabriel showing his cousin how to play a game. Ryan loves playing with Gabriel.

We celebrated Christmas morning at home with our little family. We all slept in and were in no rush. We exchanged gifts and had a nice Christmas breakfast together.

3 of my boys. Where is Bandit?

Jenn with her new purse

Tim with his new Kindle

Ryan was on clean up duty

After playing with our new toys, and hanging out together, we had a nice Christmas dinner at my Grandpa’s house. More food. More good company. A good time for all.

Having WAY too much fun getting his diaper changed

Don't ask. Anything is fair game when we get together with family!

November 2010

2011-02-14T13:51:00.000-08:00

November came faster than we could have imagined.

My Grandpa suffered a stroke. Fortunately, the clot was cleared and he was stabilized. He was still able to speak a little was mostly of all of his visitors.

Later in the month we celebrated Thanksgiving by having a combined feast with both Tim & Jenn's family. We all had a good time and left stuffed!

We celebrated Tim's grandma's birthday. Her birthday fell on Thanksgiving day, so we had a double celebration that day!

October 2010

2011-02-14T11:34:00.000-08:00

October was such a fun and busy month!

We celebrated Ryan's 1st birthday! I can't believe my baby turned 1. This has been, by far, the very best year of our lives! We love him so much and can't imagine life without him. We had a fun party to celebrate.

The birthday boy & his mama

Don't mess with Brianna and her candy!

Cristian & Grandma playing games

Ryan loved the games

Opening presents!

Ryan LOVED the slide he got from Grandpa Stan & Grandma Judy!

The cake!

Ryan's very own cake- just for him!

Let me at it!

All partied out

Exhausted after a very FUN day!

Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us!

Jenn was fortunate enough to be able to take off a week and a half before Ryan's birthday to spend lots of time together with her little boy. In addition to getting to sleep in, we went to the park, played with the dogs, and got to play and read a lot!It was the best!

Fun in the sandbox

Let's swing!

Sandbox yoga, anyone?

Tired after a fun day at the park with Mama!

We celebrated Jenn's birthday with a family dinner. Once again, forgot to take pictures. Boo.

We had lots of fun at the Stake Harvest Festival. Ryan hated wearing the hood to his lion costume, but I couldn't resist trying to get him to wear it- he was just too cute!

"PLEASE don't make me wear this Mama!"

Our little family

Ryan and his BFF Tama. They were both lions! Aren't these boys just the cutest ever?

Daddy & his little lion

September 2010

2011-02-14T10:28:00.000-08:00

September went by WAY too fast!

We took family pictures. Thanks to my sweet friend Katrina, who did a great job capturing our crazy family!
Ryan learned to WALK! He quickly learned to navigate the house with ease, chase the dogs, and even start to jog. Oh boy!

Using his running skills to play with Daddy.

My mom turned 60 this year and we had a fun surprise party for her. We had lots of great company, good friends, and lots of laughter.

Jenn also had another work trip, so Tim and Ryan came along and go to play all day while Jenn was in meetings. I love their Daddy & Son time!

August 2010

2011-02-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

August was another fun month.

Jenn played in a Women's volleyball league. It had been quite a while since I played. Even with a lot of sore muscles and bruises, I had a great time!

Ryan had his checkup and hid Doctor was happy to report that he is doing GREAT! He is such an amazing boy!

Tim started teaching his 4th year of Seminary in August. His summer schedule of sleeping in until 6:00am are long and he has been enjoying teaching another group of great Seniors.

July 2010 celebrations

2011-02-14T10:01:00.001-08:00

July 2010 was a fun one for us!

We celebrated Tim's birthday! We had a few friends over for dessert and game night. I completely forgot to take any pictures- oops! Guess we were having too much fun!

We celebrated my Dad's 60th birthday and my Step-Mom's retirement:

I got to hang out with a couple of friends as we went to see Spamalot at the Music Circus.

I went to visit Girl's Camp again this year. It was so much fun to go up on the last full day of camp to have fun with so many great girls! I also failed to take any pictures at Camp! I'll do better in 2011!

Major catch up posts coming!

2011-02-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

It has been a LONG time since I last posted anything. Life has been busy as usual, and posting has unfortunately fallen to the bottom of the list. Lots of catch-up posts coming!

June 2010

2010-06-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

June has been a fun month for us. I can't believe it's just about over. Ryan has been learning all sorts of new things lately. He is so much fun!

Stretching. Warming up for playtime, I guess.

He has become quite the crawling machine

He has 6 teeth. I just love that smile!
He LOVES playtime.

Goofing around with Daddy.

Everything is a toy.
And I do mean EVERYTHING. Yep, that's Ryan pulling himself up to a stand using Tim's hair. Tim was a little distracted with his video games, but Ryan found an effective way to get Daddy's attention quickly.

Daddy's laptop is his favorite toy. Ryan has already printed documents and sent emails when we turn our heads for just a minute.

I love his serious face when he is focusing on something. In this case: NBA 2K10.

He loves bathtime.

Except when Mama takes too many pictures. Think he's had enough?

Can't forget Echo

and Bandit

6th Anniversary

2010-06-30T22:31:00.000-07:00

On May 8, 2010 we celebrated our 6th anniversary. We had such a fun day!

We went swimming.

Ryan & Tim enjoying the water.

Having fun with the family.

Ryan got to hang out with his cousins.

I think this smile summarizes our day.

After a fun afternoon, Ryan got to stay and play with the rest of the family, while Tim & I went home, showered, changed, and headed off to our anniversary dinner at Morton's Steakhouse. The food was delicious and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner together. What a great anniversary!

Laguna Niguel- April 2010

2010-05-02T17:17:00.000-07:00

Ryan took his 1st plane trip this past week. Jenn had a conference to attend for work in Laguna Niguel, and Tim & Ryan came along to play. Ryan was SUPER good on the plane. Seriously, unbelievably perfect! We couldn't have asked for him to be any better.

We stayed at the BEAUTIFUL Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel. We LOVED it!

Ahh... this makes me relax just looking at it.

At the Sacramento airport, waiting for our 6am flight. A HUGE thanks to Lisa for waking up super early to drop us off!

Our room's patio

The bathroom was marble from floor to ceiling

I came back from a meeting to find Ryan passed out from a fun day out with Daddy.

Heading out to the pool

Having fun in the pool

It was such a beautiful day.

Hanging out in the pool.

Swimming was so much fun, Ryan passed out after getting out of the water.

Ryan's 1st trip to the Ocean. That's our hotel in the distance. It was SO nice to be so close to the beautiful water.

We ate well too. Here's Tim enjoying a rack of ribs from Smokey's House of BBQ. Mmm!

We had no idea that our brownie Sunday from Brig's Restaurant at the harbor would be so huge. Ryan's eyes lit up when he saw it. Notice the whipped cream on his left hand. That's my boy!

We all had such a fun time. Despite having our flight home delayed by 1.5 hours, we made it home safe and sound. A big thanks to Shauna for picking us up last minute! We were so happy Ryan was (again) so well behaved on the plane ride home. The flight was full of screaming children, and Ryan smiled and laughed the whole time. We don't know what we did to deserve such a happy baby all the time. He is THE BEST!

Thanks for such a fun time Laguna Niguel. Until we meet again...

Monterey- April 2010

2010-05-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

We left San Diego and drove to Monterey for our friend Mark's surprise party. His wife threw a great party for him. We haven't seen Mark for a couple of years, so it was nice to reconnect. Tim & Mark went to school together before moving to Monterey. We had such a fun time. We only wish we could have stayed longer.

More time in the car. From San Diego to Monterey.

Goofing around in the car.

Surprise!

Having fun at the party.

Mark, Tim & Ryan

Hanging out at the hotel.

Ready for bed.

San Diego- April 2010

2010-05-02T15:52:00.001-07:00

In April, we went on Ryan's first road trip. We drove from Sacramento to San Diego. Ryan was amazing! He was so great on our LONG car ride. We met up with Brian, Annie & their kids. I lost my camera so I don't have many pictures to post. I left my camera at the restaurant after dinner and came back 2 minutes later. No camera. Of course, none of the waiters, or other staff recalled seeing it. It was gone. So, we bought a new camera and started taking more pictures. Here are the pictures we do have...

Tim spent A LOT of time behind the wheel.

Stopped to take in the beauty of the San Diego temple.

Tim & Ryan at the San Diego Aquarium

Jenn & Ryan looking at all the fish

Ryan loved the seahorses

Having fun at the aquarium

Ryan & Daddy having fun

Catchup: February 2010

2010-05-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

February was an emotional month for us.

We celebrated Valentines Day in true Hahn fashion: Watching the NBA All-Star Weekend (even though it was a huge disappointment this year) with our trusty All-Star weekend companion: Popeye's chicken. Yum! At least Popeye's didn't disappoint! We do this every year and SO enjoy it!

The following week my mom, sister, me & Ryan got together for lunch- just the girls (and Ryan, of course). We enjoyed a nice lunch together of talking and laughing. After lunch, we went to visit my Grandma who lives nearby. My Grandma had been sick for some time, and while she couldn't respond, we had a nice visit with her. We laughed and visited with her and the rest of our family.

The next day was Sunday. Hospice informed us that Grandma was not going to be with us much longer and we planned to visit her again after church. 5 minutes before we arrived at her house, I received a phone call that she passed away. Grandma always put her family first, and true to form, she waited until her husband and all 4 children were in the room, holding her hand, to let go and begin the next stage of her life in Heaven.

I'm so glad we had Ryan there during this difficult time- he brought with him such a sense of comfort and peace. He gave us all a reason to smile and remember the simple joys of life-- being with our family. I'm so glad that Ryan got a chance to meet his GG, even if it was but for a small time. The first time she held Ryan, her eyes lit up and she refused to give him to anyone else when it was time to take her medicine. She had a tear in her eye and smiled such a sweet smile of love.

We will all miss her witty humor, her loving smile, the way she made us all feel as if we were the most important person in the world- and all that she taught us. Love you Grandma!

Catchup: January

2010-05-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy 2010 for us. It's hard to believe it's already April! We started off the year wtih Jenn returning to work. It was so hard to leave my sweet Ryan, but we are SO grateful that Ryan gets to spend time with his fabulous grandmas. He gets to see both of his grandmas during the week. Ryan has the best grandmas and is in such good hands. While we miss him like crazy during the day, it is so nice that we never worry about him being well taken care of. Here is a recap of our January:

Ryan went to his first playgroup & had so much fun with his friends!

Ryan loves to jump and has been having lots of fun with his Johnny Jump Up!

Having fun at Grandma's house.

Being loved (& bribed) by his Auntie.

All in all, we had a great start to 2010!

On my To-Do list.

2010-03-30T22:31:00.001-07:00

I realized it has been quite nearly FOREVER since my last post. Life has been super busy, but stay tuned for a bunch of catch-up posts. I still need to download a bunch of pictures from my camera to post. It's on my To-Do list. I promise.

He's healed!!

2010-01-01T22:36:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, Bandit received a clean bill of health from his surgeon. Fortunately his X-Rays were great despite the times he snuck out and ran down the stairs. We conveniently forgot to tell the surgeon about these incidents. Yep, incidents-that's plural. But he has healed from his surgery (so all is forgiven, right?) and can resume normal activity! Whoo-hoo!!! Notice the change in expressions in the pictures below:

BEFORE

AFTER

Christmas 2009

2010-01-01T22:24:00.000-08:00

We had such a fun Christmas this year. We had Christmas Eve dinner with Tim's family and then celebrated Christmas day with mine. We loved spending Ryan's 1st Christmas together! Here are some pictures:

Santa's little helper

Daddy & Ryan on Christmas morning

Mommy & Ryan

Christmas morning

Jenn & my 3 little boys on Christmas morning

Do you think he had a good Christmas, or what?

Playing with Auntie Jocelyn

Exhausted after a fun Christmas with our family! That's Echo's head resting on Tim's leg. Bandit was on the other couch sleeping next to me & Ryan.

Merry Christmas from the Hahns

2009-12-22T23:52:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! This has been such an exciting year for us. We are so excited to celebrate Christmas with Ryan! He is the greatest gift ever! We love each moment with him. As you can see in the picture, our other 4-legged children aren't feeling too left out. We love them too! We're so glad they love Ryan as much as we do. Ryan loves his furry brothers too :) We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!!

Hahn Look-alike Meter

2009-12-09T15:35:00.001-08:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Ancestors - Genology

Ryan's blessing 12.06.09

2009-12-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday, we had Ryan's baby blessing at church. He got all dressed up in his cute little suit. We were fortunate enough to have several members of our family who were able to attend. We finished the day with a great lunch back at our house. Here are a few pictures of his special day.

Daddy & his little man

Ryan & Mommy

Our little family

So tired after a long day

6 Weeks

2009-12-03T21:32:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Ryan is already 6 weeks old! It seems like only yesterday we brought him home from the hospital. Yet somehow it seems like he has always been a part of our family. He is the greatest blessing we could have ever imagined. We love you Ryan!

Just hanging out

3 out of 4 of my boys: Bandit, Ryan & Tim.

Bath time!

Daddy & son nap time

Oooo...

Getting a jump start on technology

My 4 baby showers

2009-11-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy past few weeks. Ryan is such a great baby & we love every minute we get to spend with him!

Last weekend I had my 4th baby shower. Yep, that's right. 4th shower. I failed to post anything about my other 3 showers, so I'm wrapping everything up into one post.

Shower #1- My good friend Cat threw me an awesome shower with my friends from the ward. We had such a great time. I forgot to take pictures until the end of the shower so I only have a few to post. Beka made fantastic invitations and Shauna let us have the party at her house. I love my friends! We always have such a fun time together! Thanks Cat, Beka & Shauna!

Cat & me

Some of the girls: Grace, Amanda, Chelsea, Angella & Kelly

The cute cake made my Amanda Fitzhugh

Shower #2- My mom & sister threw me a baby shower with my family. We all met at BJ's restaurant and celebrated with good food and conversation. My mom brought the ultimate in dessert. Costco's All American Chocolate Cake. Yum! If you haven't had it, you have to try it. It is one giant piece of chocolately goodness. Be sure to have a nice big glass of cold milk with it. Mmm... just thinking about it makes me want a bite! Once again, I forgot to take any pictures. I guess I should delegate the position of photographer to someone else since I clearly suck at it. My family showered me with great baby gifts and we got to catch up and laugh. We tend to laugh a lot in my family. Thanks Mom & Lisa!

Shower #3- My co-workers threw me a surprise shower at work the day before my last day. I still had 1 more day of work before my maternity leave was to begin, and they caught me completely off guard. My boss was in town to work on an HUGE project with me and we were sitting down hashing through the details. All of my co-workers piled in to the office with a a cake and gifts. I had no idea what was going on at first. One of my co-workers told me that morning that we had a meeting in the afternoon to discuss an account that I had just opened up. I wish all my meetings turned out like that! It was a good thing that my surprise shower was not on my actual last day of work, since I went to the hospital on my actual last day. If my shower had been one day later, I would have missed it! I don't have any pictures of this one either. But, this one isn't my fault. It was a complete surprise so I wasn't prepared to snap pictures of all the fun. Besides, I didn't even have my camera with me. Thanks Staples!

Shower #4- My mother-in-law let me know a while ago that several people from my old ward (and her current ward) wanted to have a baby shower for me. I hadn't seen most of them in years. Time was really tight before Ryan was born. Work was crazy and I had been working long hours. Every weekend was packed and there just wasn't time to have a shower. So, we decided to be a little unorthodox and have a post-baby shower. Last weekend, we had my post-baby shower and had a great time. It was nice catching up with people I haven't seen for so long, and they go to meet Ryan too. There were even people there that I didn't know. I think some of the people there knew Tim when he was little and wanted to come celebrate and congratulate us. Thanks Debra!

Me & Ryan

Me, Ryan & my mom. Looks like Ryan is practicing the Hula dance.

The great diaper cake my mother in law made. The little blue hats and booties at the bottom of the cake (you can only see some of them in this picture) were made by Ryan's great grandma. So cute!

Poor Bandit Boy

2009-10-30T11:54:00.001-07:00

We were filled with such excitement coming home from the hospital with our sweet baby boy! Apparently Bandit had just as much excitement too. Maybe too much. After getting acquainted with their new "brother", Echo & Bandit were playing together in our room. Just the normal stuff- chasing each other and wrestling. Bandit jumped off of our bed to chase Echo, but his back paw got caught in the footboard. He cried for a little bit and couldn't walk on his back leg at all. We tried to keep him still, but somehow he still found a way to hobble his way around. He even tried to still play with Echo, chasing him as he hopped on 3 legs. He wasn't crying when he walked, and the Vet told us to monitor him throughout the weekend and to call if it didn't get any better.

The weekend came and went. Bandit didn't get any better. Tim took him to the Vet and they informed us he tore a ligament in his knee and damaged another in the same leg. My Bandit needed surgery. The surgery was scheduled for the next day. Bandit will need to be crated for 8 weeks. He is used to sleeping in our bed with us and playing with Echo. This is going to be a big adjustment! We are just grateful that I will be home on maternity leave for the next 8 weeks and that he can start the recovery process now!

Our poor boy has to be carried around, won't eat or drink on his own, and has to be carried around due to the soft cast he has. He came home with a cone around his neck and looked so sad. He cried in his "room" (his crate). Actually we both laid down and had a good cry together. He is part of our family and we love him. It is so hard to watch him cry in pain and know that it will last another 2 months.

So, we have had our hands full with a newborn baby and a recovering 4-legged baby. We can't wait until we all are back to normal, but we are not counting on that for another 2 months. Come on 2010- hurry up and get here!

Labor

2009-10-30T11:27:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's been just over a week since Ryan was born. We are loving every single minute with this sweet boy! Sometimes it's still hard to believe that he is finally here. We have wondered for the last 9 months what he would look like, sound like, and when he would come.

Last Tuesday night, I started having contractions at about 9:30pm. Those kept me up all night. Wednesday I went in to work to finish a HUGE project I have been working on for the last year. It just so happens that that was the day that all of the head honchos were going to be in my office so I could catch everyone up to speed and we could finally wrap this thing up. While I probably should have stayed home from work- given that I had already been in labor for 10 hours or so, I didn't. I warned everyone at work that we needed to be ridiculously productive because I didn't know how much time I had to work on this project. So, we worked and worked and got quite a lot accomplished. a lot, but not all. With contractions about 4-5 minutes apart for the past 2 hours, I knew I had to leave work before I couldn't drive anymore. I called Tim and he left work right away. We met at home and then headed to the hospital.

Luckily, we finished packing our things together the night before. After the contractions became consistent, we decided it was finally time to get that done! Way to be prepared, huh? In our defense, we had been so busy with so many things, this just kept getting pushed back on our list of things to do. SO glad we finally acted, because we were able to grab our stuff and go once we got home from work.

I was admitted me to the hospital around 1:30pm. After 27 hours of labor, and a lovely epidural later, Ryan Takeo Hahn finally entered the world- absolutely perfect! We were beyond excited (and exhausted) to have our son with us! As one of Tim's previous Seminary students said, our family was "upgraded". Ryan was due on my birthday (Oct. 30th), and was born 8 days early, on my Grandma's birthday (Oct. 22nd). We're sure Grandma Mary is looking down smiling at her great grandson who shares her birthday.

We loved all the visitors who made their way out in the middle of the night to keep us company. We know it was late & we were all tired, but we appreciate all the support we received by so many people.

We were so glad to get home from the hospital to our own home. Echo & Bandit are so good with Ryan. They sniffed him and then were pretty content from that point on. Bandit wasn't so fond of the crying at first, but has since adjusted. Echo likes to cuddle up next to Ryan in bed. Ryan has never cried when one of them barks or been startled when they are near. He seems fascinated with them and loves them like Tim & I do. Whoo-hoo!

We love our little Ryan. He is beautiful, smart, and strong. His middle name actually means "strong like bamboo" and I think he has taken it as a personal challenge. While we were at the hospital he could already lift his head and look around for a short period of time. He tries to hold things on his own, and often succeeds without help from Mom or Dad. He is such a joy. He amazes us every day. We can't believe we get to be his parents!

Ryan Takeo Hahn 10.22.09

2009-10-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

Ryan Takeo Hahn

Born: October 22, 2009 @ 12:44am

7.7 pounds

19.5 inches

Our sweet boy is finally here! More pictures and details to come soon!

The cutest thing. Ever.

2009-08-08T20:57:00.001-07:00

My mom and I went baby shopping and had so much fun. We had a nice dinner and then began the ooh-ing and aah-ing over the adorable baby clothes and all the things I still need to get in the next few months. We found what might just be the cutest outfit ever. We couldn't resist. I just adore this outfit. I can't wait to dress up my little boy in this!

Fun Birthday Weekend!

2009-08-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun weekend celebrating Tim's birthday! I surprised him with tickets to the San Francisco Giants game, where we sat 5 rows behind homeplate! We have been wanting to see the amazing Tim Lincecum (Tim's favorite pitcher) pitch for a while, and we were lucky enough to see him up close- very close. We could see every detail and were fortunate enough to have access to the personal service that comes with premium seats.

Before heading to the game, we rocked out to Rock Band 2 on the PS3 (another birthday gift), and then headed out to do some shopping at the Outlet stores. We found some great deals shopping and then stopped at Amici's to get some tasty pizza before heading to the Giants game. Despite running into A LOT of traffic, we got to the game and had an amazing time!

Our Saturdays are normally spent cleaning, running errands, and getting as much as possible done. It was so nice to take a break and just have fun for the day! We know we won't have much free time once the baby comes, so we really enjoyed spending the day together completely free of adult responsibility. I mean, Rock Band, shopping, pizza, and taking in a Giants game? Ah, that's the life!

I guess it's time to get back to reality. We had so much fun celebrating his birthday this weekend and hope we have another super fun weekend soon!

Our tickets! Row E- whoo hoo!

The view from our seats- go Lincecum!

A beautiful night at AT&T park!

A great view!

2 happy campers!

Happy Birthday Tim!

2009-07-30T21:01:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Tim!

Unfortunately we both had to work today, but I'm looking forward to celebrating with you this weekend! I'm so lucky to be married to you- you are the best! Seriously, I couldn't ask for anyone better! You are such a great husband, friend, and I know you'll be an amazing father very soon! I can't wait! You are already "daddy" to the boys (Echo & Bandit) and it's no wonder they adore you so much. We all do! I've seen your patience and love grow so much since we got them. All great practice for parenthood!

It's hard to believe that in a few short months we'll get to meet our son! If he looks like you as a child, here is what we can look forward to:

How can anyone not love that face? Happy Birthday Tim! I love you!

What will our baby look like?

2009-07-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

The other day I came across a fun site that lets you upload pictures of two people and it predicts what your baby will look like. I did it twice with the same pictures and here are the results:

Hmm... this doesn't look like an Asian baby to me! I guess we'll have to wait and see!

IT'S A BOY!

2009-06-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

After 5 months of excitement about expecting our first child, we finally found out that we are having A BOY! We are so excited! We were all convinced it would be a girl. I don't quite know why, but we were surprised when we found out we're having a boy.

We can now finally start shopping for cute little boy things and decorate his room. The baby's room is already blue, so we can already mark "paint the nursery" off our checklist. Tim is happy about that. We can't wait to meet our little guy in 4 months! Here are some pictures from the ultrasound.

Oh Wise Sensei...

2009-06-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

Summer is here! Seminary is over for this school year. As the teacher of the Seniors, Tim was in charge of graduation (again)- I guess it goes along with the territory. The graduation went perfectly- it was a great night of celebration. Brother Marriott made the most unbelievable spread of homemade cheesecakes- including chocolate, raspberry, cookies & cream, and rocky road! They were delicious! He has already agreed to wow everyone again for next year's graduation. Woohoo!

Tim had a really fun group of students this year. They look up to him like some sort of superhero. An Asian superhero, apparently. His students have dubbed him "Sensei" and only refer to him by this title. Even our Stake President now refers to Tim as Sensei. Here are a two pictures of a few students with their Sensei.

Unlike his students, Sensei doesn't get to sleep in all day and lounge around the whole summer. But, he does get an extra hour of sleep every day and has 3 months to prepare for the next group of grasshoppers.

Scripture Bowl

2009-06-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

In addition to waking up super early and going to Seminary every day at 6am, every year the Seminary students participate in a Scripture Bowl where they are given clues and race to find specific scriptures. Tim's class had 4 teams of 4 participate this year. The topic was the New Testament. Last year Tim's class lost by a few points and vowed that they would claim a victory for 2009. They talked it up all year long, deeming themselves "Hahn's Army", and proved that they weren't just talking the talk. They studied and practiced and ended up winning 1st place. Here are some of the pictures of the winning team.

Tim & the winning team, making an "H" for Hahn's Army

Overall, it was a fun night and all of the youth proved that they know their stuff! They were unbelievably fast at finding the correct scriptures. It was amazing to me that it took most of them less than a few seconds to correctly identify and turn to the scripture. The lightning round was even faster, and one of Tim's students won that feat too. Next year's students have a lot to live up to!

5 Year Anniversary!

2009-05-08T10:38:00.001-07:00

5 years ago... one of our engagement pictures

Today marks our 5 year anniversary! Happy Anniversary Tim! I was thinking about how far we have come in the last 5 years and am amazed at how much we have grown.

In the last 5 years we:

Rented our 1st apartment together
Bought 3 new cars
Celebrated Tim's college graduation
Went from being a 1-income household to a 2-income household
Went from having jobs to having careers
Took some amazing vacations (especially LOVED the cruises to the Caribbean and Hawaii)
Bought our first house!
Learned all about what it takes to be a homeowner (remember the water pipe that burst under our house? That was umm... an experience!
Kept to our budget
Took fun weekend getaways
Started out with no pets and then added Echo & Bandit to our family. Love them boys!
Went from being busy to insanely busy. Oh, how we learned to be more efficient!
Laughed more than we thought possible
Have grown in so many ways together
Learned firsthand how wonderful marriage is!

Next year, we'll be able to add having a baby to this list! I'm sure there are a million things I forgot to include. But, you always seem to remember the things that I forget, so I guess it all works out! I'm so grateful we can share our lives together! I couldn't imagine it any other way. You are a wonderful husband and friend, and I know you'll be a great dad soon. I count myself lucky to spend each day with you. It's been an amazing 5 years- here's to LOTS more! Happy Anniversary Tim- I love you!

Our wedding day!

Mmm..... my new favorite (chocolate) snack!

2009-04-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

I just found my new favorite chocolate snack. It's only 150 calories and takes 30 seconds in the microwave. I was in need of something chocolate at work this afternoon and remembered I had stashed one of these in my desk drawer. I actually received it in the mail as a free sample from Betty Crocker (and it came with a coupon- even better!). It's the Betty Crocker Warm Delights Mini Bowls. I had the Molten Chocolate Cake flavor. They come in two sizes: regular and mini. The minis come in a 2 pack & 1 was just the right size for my afternoon snack and it's only 150 calories! I'm definintely picking some of these up during my next trip to the grocery store and keeping them at my desk. Mmmm.....

Big News!

2009-04-15T21:10:00.001-07:00

For those of you who haven't heard (word has traveled fast already!), we have some BIG news to share! On October 30, 2009 we are expecting a BABY!! Not only is this our first baby, but our baby is due on my birthday! We are so excited!! No word yet on whether it's a boy or girl, but we'll find out in June!

6 Ways to Train Your Boyfriend (or Husband)...

2009-04-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

I found this online and thought it was pretty funny and held some truth.

6 Ways to Train Your Boyfriend

We don’t believe men are dogs, but some behavior-molding techniques used on canines and other beasts can work on a guy. You may never have to nag again.

“You can’t change a man” is one of the oldest clichés in the book. Well, we just discovered some news that challenges that notion, and it comes from an unlikely source: animal trainers.“

Males are card-carrying members of the animal kingdom, and they exhibit a lot of the same behaviors as many other mammals,” says Amy Sutherland, author of What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love, and Marriage: Lessons for People from Animals and Their Trainers. “So they’re likely to respond to some of the same training techniques.”

Sutherland is speaking from experience. After spending a year at an exotic-animal training school, watching students in action, she successfully applied the techniques to her husband. In less than a few months, she was able to curb some of his undesirable traits.We know you so want in on this. That’s why Cosmo uncovered time-tested methods used by the most successful animal trainers on the planet. Then we got top psychologists to show you how to apply those techniques to your guy. Read on and you will soon be able to teach him some new tricks.

BOYFRIEND BUMMER 1: He’s Allergic to Chores

Indulge His Playfulness

As Used on ChimpanzeesThese primates are big mischief makers, so getting them to calm down can be a real chore. Luckily, if you indulge their silly side, you have a good shot at getting them to pay attention. “When we need the chimps to perform a task, we get on their level and play with them for 5 or 10 minutes,” says Eugene Cussons, rescue director on Animal Planet’s Escape to Chimp Eden. Once they’ve had some fun, they’re more willing to heed commands because they instinctively know it’s their turn to return the favor.

Apply It to Your Guy: No matter how old they are, men never quite lose touch with the playful, naughty boy within. Too bad they often pick the worst times to bring out that brat — like when you’re running late for work or need them to do something around the house. To get what you need done, “indulge him with a few minutes of acting goofy,” says Anthony Riche, PhD, author of Finally! How to Stop Dating Losers Forever. Then tell him you’ll finish playing with him later, as long as he takes out the trash or does whatever else you need him to do. Since his mind and body are now surging with feel-good chemicals from your brief, fun exchange, he’s less likely to wrinkle his nose at the request, says Riche. Use this technique consistently and, over time, he’ll be less likely to associate chores with drudgery.

BOYFRIEND BUMMER 2: He Lacks Social Graces

Reward the Good, Ignore the Bad

As Used on Dogs Pretraining, a pup will sniff crotches and paw at people’s legs. The instinct is to shoo it away, but that only makes it want to sniff and paw more. “Instead, trainers reward the dog when it behaves and ignore any actions they don’t like,” says Sutherland. Since dogs crave affection, they slowly begin to avoid bad habits and opt for good ones.

Apply It to Your Guy: Perhaps your man could use some finessing when it comes to social situations too — say, to curb his habit of telling off-color jokes. When he engages in unseemly behavior, your immediate reaction might be to tell him to knock it off already. But that tactic invariably falls on deaf ears.“

Men don’t want to be treated like children, and if you correct him, he’ll feel like you’re mothering him,” says Patricia Covalt, PhD, author of What Smart Couples Know. Instead, ignore him when he’s being obnoxious, and give him some PDA (think a kiss or a tap on the butt) when he’s acting sweet. Since guys — like dogs — aim to please, he’ll instinctively begin to avoid the behavior that makes you freeze him out. One caveat: Timing is crucial. Be sure to reward him at the exact moment he engages in a positive behavior; otherwise, he won’t be able to make the appropriate connection.

BOYFRIEND BUMMER 3: He Bolts When You Argue

Keep a Cool Head

As Used on Horses: Beneath the powerful stallion exterior lies a skittish animal. “That’s why they generally respond well to a calming voice and touch from trainers,” says Patricia Barlow-Irick, PhD, equine-behavior specialist in New Mexico.

Apply It to Your Guy: Like horses, men seem to be hardwired to want to bolt at the first sound of irritation. So even if he’s been working your last nerve, try to approach him in a cool, collected manner (remember, as hard as it sounds, this is all going to benefit you in the end). For instance, if you are pissed that he hasn’t been planning enough date nights or can’t stand when he forgets to call while he’s out, your instinct might be to yell or get huffy. Instead, keep your composure by taking a few minutes alone before you approach him, then speak in a quiet, even-toned voice. “

Calmly telling him what he did wrong will make it easier for him to tune in to what you’re saying,” says Covalt. Touch also plays a crucial role in this scenario: Place your hand on his as you speak. Not only does this buffer the blow of your words, but it also mimics the comforting way a trainer strokes a horse’s mane to calm the animal down.

BOYFRIEND BUMMER 4: He Stands His Ground

Use Proper Body Language

As Used on Cougars: When trainers want a cougar to bend to their will, they find a middle ground. “Instead of trying to submit or dominate a cougar, trainers try to form a cooperative relationship,” says Sutherland. They walk tall with squared-off shoulders. This stance ensures that the trainers don’t look like prey but they’re not threatening either.

Apply It to Your Guy: Even the most liberated guy can feel emasculated by a fearless chick. So when you’re having a sticky conversation with him, he might be unconsciously bristling at your body language. “If you’re standing really close to him with your hands on your hips and your feet wide apart, he’ll get defensive and instinctively want to fight back,” says body-language expert Patti Wood, author of Success Signals. Similarly, if you stand meekly and tilt your head while talking to him, he might take it as a sign that you’re too submissive. “The best way to stay on equal ground is to stand with good posture, your head up, and an open frame so he sees you as being on the same level as he is. This way, he’ll be more apt to want to talk things through with you,” says Wood.

BOYFRIEND BUMMER 5: He Won’t Drag His Butt Off the Couch

Approach Him at the Right Time

As Used on Lions: Lions are, in a word, lazy. According to trainers, they sleep for up to 20 hours a day and only move when they see it as beneficial to themselves. “Trying to get a lion to do something when it’s in resting mode can be very difficult and even dangerous,” says lion wrangler Dave Salmoni, host of Animal Planet’s After the Attack. “That’s why we make use of the animal’s active time instead of trying to force it into doing something it doesn’t want to when it’s chilling.”

Apply It to Your Guy: A man in veg-out mode is unlikely to move his rear no matter how much you try to engage him. “You have to gauge when he’s in a productive mood and then pounce to get him to do what you want,” says Riche. If you notice that he prefers working out in the morning, that’s a good time to ask him to help you clean when he’s finished. If you need something done during his downtime and don’t want to wait, bribe him. “Motivate him by making it worth his while,” says Riche. When you feel like you haven’t been able to have a heart-to-heart but he’s in a coma in front of the TV, try plying him with his favorite snack. If his cravings for the food outweigh his interest in the TV, he’ll eventually cave.

BOYFRIEND BUMMER 6: He’s Not Romantic

Take Baby Steps

As Used on Elephants: These mammals can learn a variety of tasks but only on an incremental time line. “A trainer would never expect an animal to learn something without teaching it how to do it,” says Sutherland. For example, if trainers want an elephant to paint as part of a circus act, they’ll first show the animal how to curl its trunk around the brush. Next, they’ll have it dip the brush into the paint. Only then would they show it how to create brush strokes. Animal trainers call this process of using small steps toward learning a new behavior successive approximations.

Apply It to Your Guy: The average guy is plenty romantic, but he’s not hardwired to plan out the little details. So if you can’t remember the last time he put together a sexy night in for you both, you’ll have to show him the way. Start by staging your apartment with cues that get you going, like candles and a sultry soundtrack. Have your favorite chilled wine on hand so you can ask him to open it before dinner. This creates a ritual in his mind. Eventually, not only will he get a sense of what your romantic needs are, but he’ll also start making a game plan of his own.

Find this article at: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/relationships/train-boyfriend

Self Defense Class

2009-03-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

In March the YW had another fun activity night- we took a self-defense class at Kovars, a national martial arts school. We learned how to defend ourself against an attacker, how (and where) to strike back, and lots more! We had such a fun time and learned a lot too! I think we all feel more empowered! Thanks to Kovars for such a great private lesson! And you might want to think twice about messing with us now! We're pretty awesome!

Dress Up Bowling

2009-03-31T12:12:00.000-07:00

For our mutual night a few weeks ago, the YM and the YW got all dressed up in our finest and went bowling! It was so much fun! Here are some pictures of our fun night!

Patrick & Derek

Gavin, Patrick, Derek, Sadie & Brother Rolfe

Shelby, Dalicia, Rachel & Emily

All of us!

Shelby & Dalicia getting in a little DDR after bowling

Dalicia & Shelby

The Big Cut!

2009-03-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know it's been nearly FOREVER since I last posted anything. I (1) lost the cord to my camera and haven't been able to upload any pictures and (2) have been super busy- I know... who of us aren't? BUT, I have since found the cord to my camera and realized that I am never going to have this magical notion of free time I so often dream about. So it's time to post!!

I have been wanting for some time now to participate in Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program and donate my hair to someone who really needs it. I found myself complaining one day that my hair was TOO long and TOO thick, and how it took too long to blowdry and style. Then I stopped for a minute and realized how selfish I was being- how many people, especially cancer patients who would love to have that problem- too much hair! I was humbled and decided that instead of getting a trim that I would grow it out just a little bit longer so I could have enough to donate.

A few weeks ago I took the plunge and got about 10 inches cut! I have always had long hair, so this is the shortest it's been since I was maybe 2 or 3 years old. Here are the pictures to prove it!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Valentine's Weekend in Vegas

2009-02-16T13:49:00.001-08:00

Tim & I had a wonderful extended Valentine's Weekend in Vegas! We both really needed a getaway and this was perfect!

We met up with Stacy and her family. Stacy served alongside Tim in the Japan Sapporo mission. Stacy & Mark were super sweet to let us stay at their house the first night we arrived in Vegas. We had a great Italian dinner at Brio, a chic restaurant in the new trendy Town Square area, where we shopped, talked, and Tim & Stacy shared some pretty funny stories about their mission.

We woke up on Valentine's Day to a delicious breakfast- waffles and freshly squeezed orange juice! Thanks Stacy & Mark- you spoiled us! After breakfast we all headed out to check out the beautiful conservatory at the Bellagio. It was all decked out in a Chinese New Year theme.

We couldn't pass by the Bellagio without catching the water show.

After walking the strip a bit more, we said goodbye to Stacy, Mark, Bryanna & Maddox. We then headed to our timeshare to check-in and watch part of All-Star weekend before heading out for another fun night. Tim got tickets for us to see the Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian! We had front row balcony seats (excellent choice Tim!) the night of Valentine's Day. The show was so amazing! I highly recommend checking it out if you get the opportunity- you won't be disappointed! What a way to spend Valentine's Day, huh? It was so fun! Can't wait to see what Tim has up his sleeve next year!

We were a little tired the next morning- but who in Las Vegas isn't? We took a nice scenic drive to Hoover Dam. The picturesabove are of the new bridge that is currently under construction. Too steep for me!

We thought these support towers were a little funny. Kinda hard to feel confident about these things when they are leaning so much.

We were sad to say goodbye, but have the feeling we will be back before too much time passes. Thanks again Stacy & Mark for a wonderful weekend and for being such great hosts & tour guides!

Ice Skating

2009-02-02T21:09:00.000-08:00

Ice, snow (yes, snow!) & friends... What a fun night of ice skating with the YW!

Emily, Rachel, Shauna, Olivia, Deborah, Lola, Keana, Shelby, Chelsea & Brittany

Lola still getting the hang of it

Lola & Keana in the practice area.

Brittany, Keanaa & Shauna getting all laced up before they hit the ice.

Shelby, Emily, Abby, Jenn, Keana, Keana, Lola, Brittany, Shauna, Deborah, Chelsea, Olivia & Rachel

Get your finances in order with a FREE BOOK DOWNLOAD

2009-01-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

One of my goals for 2009 is to increase my emergency savings fund. This year I plan to add 3-6 months of actual living expenses to our emergency savings account. Should something unexpected happen, I want to know that Tim and I are covered. Most of you probably already know that I actually enjoy making (and keeping under) our household budget and finding more ways to save. No, really- I do! It's a game to me & I love it! Sticking to our spending plan brings me peace of mind and really keeps us from making financial mistakes.

If you visit Oprah.com today (Thursday, January 8, 2009) you can download Suze Orman's latest book, Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan, FOR FREE! The free download expires Thursday, January 15th @ 11:59pm Central Time. The book covers topics such as credit, investing, savings, spending, real estate, and more. I haven't read the book yet (I just downloaded it), but am eager to get some more information to make 2009 even better for our finances.

What a great way to kick off a prosperous 2009!

A Very Merry Christmas!

2008-12-28T17:44:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since we last posted anything on our blog. Oh, how time flies... It's hard to believe that this year is practically over and 2009 is literally just days away. This year has been busy, but wonderful!

We enjoyed a great Christmas with our family. It's nice having both of our families so close to each other- Tim's family & Jenn's mom & sister live about 2 miles fom each other, so that makes it convenient for us on holidays!

We stayed up late Christmas Eve installing our new TV in our bedroom, and enjoyed sleeping in on Christmas morning. So relaxing! We had a feast of a lunch with Tim's family, and then stuffed ourselves with more food and good company with Jenn's side of the family for a nice Christmas dinner.

Our 5 year old nephew was the photographer for the night.

Just us

Our nephew, Cristian. Isn't he adorable?

Brian & Annie

Lisa

Jenn & Gabriel

Mom & Grandpa

Advanced Screening of Twilight!

2008-11-19T17:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my friend Beka & I got to go to an advanced screening of Twilight! We had to get there a bit early and hope to get in. We ended up getting to the front of the line, thanks to one of her co-workers who got the passes for her. We had a great time and got to enjoy Twilight 2 full days earlier than we had anticipated! We're still going with the girls to the midnight showing on Thursday :) Woohoo!

It was SO good! While the movie had to cut out several parts from the book for time reasons, we really thought they did a great job. Plus, there were some new parts not originally in the book. I won't give away any specifics since most everyone will be at the theater on opening day. I hope they make enough money to start filming the rest of the sequels!

Thanks for inviting me Beka! I had a great time!

A Wonderful Birthday

2008-10-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

Tim & I both took the day off of work to celebrate my birthday. Every year I seem to have pure chaos at work and end up having to stay super late on my birthday. Murphy's law, I suppose. So, we took the day off and relaxed! It was so nice to sleep in and enjoy the day. We didn't do a single bit of cleaning or other housework, even though it did need to get done. That alone is reason to celebrate!

Tim made me a yummy breakfast and we played some WiiFit for a while. While I don't have a picture to prove it, my WiiFit age is 25. Woo-hoo! Compared to Tim's 44, I felt pretty good. I mean, if it would have told me I was in my 50's, well... I guess that may not have been the best way to start out my birthday.

We hung out, went to lunch, and caught a good double-header of basketball games on TV. Tim gave me an iPod nano- yay! With as much time as I spend in the car for work, I have been wanting one for a while! I got Tim an iPod a few years ago. He uses it all the time, so I never wanted to borrow it to use in the car while he would use it during the day. It was a gift to him afterall. But, now I have one of my own- it's all loaded up and ready for the meetings I have to drive to tomorrow :) Thanks Tim- I love it!

We had a fantastic dinner at BJ's, one of our favorite spots, and finished the day with a delicious chocolate dream pie! Mmmmm!!!

While most dread turning another year older, each year keeps getting better and better for me! I'm looking forward to another great year!

WiiFit

2008-10-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

We just got a new toy today- the WiiFit. Nintendo describes the WiiFit as "a combination of fitness and fun, designed for everyone, young and old. By playing Wii Fit a little every day, you, your friends, and your family can work towards personal goals of better health and fitness." Tim just set it up and is trying it out. We are already burning lots of calories from all the laughing we are doing! There are activities and games, and even a trainer to help reach your fitness goals. You first get weighed and "assessed". Here is the result of Tim's first test: Balance.

I couldn't stop laughing when these results came on the screen.

Tim's WiiFit age:44. Ouch!

Headbutting soccerballs

I never thought I'd see Tim doing Yoga!

And the best part? The videos of course!

Look! It's Hula-Hooping Tim!

Dodging shoes and headbutting soccer balls!

Tomorrow, it's my turn to try it out! Uh-oh!

Abby's Baby Shower / Girls Lunch

2008-10-18T22:07:00.001-07:00

To celebrate Abby's soon-to-arrive 2nd daughter, we had a fun girl's lunch. Great food, great company & really yummy chocolate- can't go wrong there! Abby, we are so excited for you & can't wait to meet your sweet little girl! Wish we would have taken the pictures earlier while Jaycee was still there. I guess that's what Photoshop is for!

Lake Tahoe

2008-10-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, Tim & I headed up to Lake Tahoe for a quick weekend with my family. Tim's brother house-sat and took care of our dogs, so we could enjoy a quick, but much-needed break in beautiful Lake Tahoe. Thanks Nathan! The weather was wonderful, aside from a night of bitter-cold (yes, Tim, I know you think I'm a wimp, but it was COLD for me). Good thing I brought layers of warm clothes! But, the weather during the day was perfect! We joined my mom, sister, brother, sister-in-law, and two nephews.

We had a beautiful view way high up in the mountains. Isn't Tahoe pretty?

My brother brought his Wii and hooked it as soon as they arrived. What Tsukamoto/Hahn gathering would be complete without a Wii tournament? I couldn't figure out why my right arm was sore a few days later. Ah, yes! A case of Wii-arm. At least Tim & I remain the champs at tennis. Seriously, we need some better competition! Tim earned a new nickname as "the computer", since he never seems to make any mistakes and always wins.

Here are some pictures from our trip:

Tim on the balcony

Tim & Jenn

Tim & Lisa

Gabriel & Brian

Cristian & Annie

Tim & Jenn

This picture just makes me laugh. Can you tell we got a little restless on the way home?

It was nice to get away, if even for a short trip!

My 2 Scholars

2008-10-02T21:19:00.001-07:00

I snapped this the other night as Tim was preparing his lesson for Seminary.

It reminded me of the first day we brought Echo home. I love this picture- Echo looks like a little scholar...

Hmmm... maybe Echo is absorbing something from all of his reading? If only it were that easy!

Girls weekend in Seattle

2008-09-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

Super early on Friday morning, I, along with 3 of my friends--Beka, Shauna, and Jaycee-- headed off to Seattle for a fun-filled 36-hour girls trip to Seattle. We left the husbands, kids and/or pets at home. It was just the girls. Thanks to Beka's husband, Bill, who works for Horizon Airlines, we got to fly for practically nothing. Plus, Bill was able to get us upgraded to 1st class on the way there! It was so much fun! We LOVED the perk s that come with 1st class- a meal on a 90 minute flight, served on a fancy (and warm) plate with real silverware, a real glass- not plastic, a fancy cloth napkin and placemat, and a yummy breakfast. The other 1st class passengers looked at us like we were crazy, but we were already having the time of our lives and we hadn't even landed in Seattle yet.

We arrived around 8:30am, so we had all day to spend as we pleased. We shopped, ate, laughed so hard we cried, saw the sites, got pedicures, and laughed some more. We laughed so much that when I woke up this morning, my throat actually was a bit sore and I could hardly talk.But, it was SO worth it! The weather was sunny and beautiful. We scored a great deal at The Edgewater, a 4-star hotel, on Priceline. Located right on Elliott Bay, we had an amazing view. Speaking of amazing views, we went to the top of the Space Needle and could see the entire city

At Pike Place with the famous fish-throwers

We love getting pedicures!

Our View from the Space Needle

Late Friday night, we happened to stumble upon a fantastic local Seattle artist, Mycle Wastman. He was playing at the hotel lounge and we all LOVED his music. We were treated to a free concert & had a great time. We were definitely sad to say goodbye to Seattle and come home to the real world. We had so much fun that we decided to make this an annual event. I can't wait for our next girl's weekend. Thanks girls- I had a blast!

Here are some more pictures from our trip:

All of us (Jaycee, Jenn, Shauna & Beka) at the Space Needle

At the hotelHear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil, and um... Jaycee? I'll let you explain this one.

The end of our trip... at the airport

See... I didn't forget about Tim!

Flashback to the 80's

2008-08-31T23:09:00.000-07:00

Last night, we went to a surprise 30th birthday party for our friend Bill. Beka decided she wanted Bill's party to have an 80's theme, so we all dug through our closets and hit the thrift stores to find all those hidden gems. Back in the 90's, I had rid my wardrobe of all hideous pieces that even resembled the 80's, so off to the thrift store I went. I was still a child in the 80's, but nevertheless fell victim to the fashion trends that were oh so cool back then. Looking back, I think anyone who lived through the 80's (and has seen pictures of themselves) has asked themselves, "what was I thinking?"

When I think of the 80's, I think big and dramatic. Big hair, dramatic make-up, and unflattering clothes. I had so much fun browsing the thrift store, finding my totally 80's pieces. I found Tim a Member's Only jacket. Yep, that's right, Tim was an official member last night! That, along with his stonewashed jeans with the pantlegs rolled up- he was styling.

Me, on the other hand, decided to channel Jennifer Beals in Flashdance. Oh, how rad I must have looked in my oversized sweatshirt with the oh too big neckline, stonewashed denim skirt, leggings, and legwarmers. The big hair and way-too-much 80's makeup was a pretty funny sight.

Here are some other pictures from our flashback to the 80's:

The 80's girls... how cute would we have been 25 years ago? I love how even little Jada got into the 80's spirit!

Not to be outdone, the guys came through looking true to form Hard to believe, but my hair was actually bigger at the start of the night!Bill & Beka
That's a lot of candles Bill!

Hope you had a great birthday Bill. We all had fun!

1930's test

2008-08-17T21:18:00.001-07:00

Don't know what this means about me... Old fashioned? I guess Jenn and I were meant to be. Good in the 30's or the 21st century. Seminary starts tomorrow... Gotta go to bed.

As a 1930s husband, I am
Superior

Take the test!

1930's Quiz

2008-08-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

This was an actual quiz from the 1930's. Apparently, a wife if expected to "Keep self dainty, perfumed, and feminine". Really? When I'm at home, I'm all about kicking off my shoes, throwing on some comfy clothes and putting my hair up. At least Tim is all about comfort too- he lives in his basketball shorts & t-shirt... and neither of us could care less! I would have had a tough time in the 30's! Good thing it's 2008!

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Superior

Take'>http://www.magatsu.net/maritaltest/">Take the test!

I won! That was easy!

2008-08-15T12:07:00.001-07:00

As most of you know I work for the corporate division of Staples, the best office supply company on the planet. I have been working REALLY HARD lately and putting in more hours than normal. Things are crazy busy for me at work, but it's all good stuff! As anyone in Sales knows, the more you put in, the more you get in return. In addition to the increase of business I have been experiencing, the greatness just keeps coming! All my hard work is paying off! Literally. It seems I have been winning contests left & right! Last month I won a $500 bonus and the month before that a $350 gift card to Raley's- all for doing things I do on a regular basis-- things that are part of my job! I received a phone call this morning informing me that I won a LAPTOP... for FREE! I even get to pick out the one I want! Tim got a new laptop for his birthday and we have been talking about replacing our desktop computer for a little while now. It is old and super slow. I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore. We'll each have our own! Woo-hoo! Thanks Staples!

Where's my copy of Breaking Dawn? No one really knows...

2008-08-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

Like many of you, I have been anxiously awaiting for my copy of Breaking Dawn to arrive in my mailbox today. I re-read the other 3 books of the 4 book Twilight series) so that I would be completely refreshed and ready to dig in to Breaking Dawn today. To my dismay, it was not waiting for me in my mailbox with the rest of today's mail. So, I hopped online to track the package on the USPS website. It said my package was undeliverable. So, I called them. No help there either. After a LONG time on the phone with the postal service & Overstock (where I pre-ordered the book), they basically told me that the driver couldn't read my address and sent my book back to Overstock. So, now I have to wait another WEEK (at best) to receive it, possibly longer depending on the processing time. SO, if you were one of the fortunate ones to receive your book today along with the rest of the world, PLEASE don't tell me what happens. I'll be ready to chat about it after you've likely read it the second time around...

Happy Birthday Tim!

2008-07-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Tim! I can't imagine life without you...

Here are some of my favorite things about you (in no particular order):

You make me laugh every single day.

You put up with and understand my numerous "Friends" references, and have even gotten pretty good at it yourself. Ikea? Yep, you are probably the only other person besides me that finds that funny.

You do the ironing- and never complain.

You pick up after the dogs and never ask me to do it instead.

You always wash my car for me without me ever having to ask.

You rub my shoulders every morning when I am getting ready for work- just because.

You always fulfil your church callings and then some.

You always support me and my decisions, no matter how crazy they may be.

You are willing to try anything I cook- and eat every bite, no matter what it is.

You are the best husband and friend I could ever ask for!

And a few of my favorite memories- so far... (once again, in no particular order):

The time we left the play during intermission and didn't realize there was still another act. We had no idea how it ended!

The time we drove home from Ikea with the bed frame on top of the car. My fingers were freezing. That was um... interesting.

The time you sanded the wall so our TV would fit because you just had to get that thing to fit that night.

Staying up all night painting our new house. Do you remember how exhausted we were?

Moving the treadmill and elliptical upstairs on our own. I was convinced we were going to get trapped on the stairs with the heavy machines crushing us, or the dogs. I'm so glad we survived that! And, yes... we did it all by ourselves!

Assembling the basketball hoop in the garage in the freezing cold. How many hundreds of unlabeled parts were there? And the awful instructions? But we did it, and we only ended up with a few extra parts. If only we knew where they were now. The rim is a little crooked.

Getting engaged- You caught me way off guard!

Getting married- Best day ever!

Dropping the top layer of our wedding cake in front of the Sheraton after our wedding reception. We were covered in cake and couldn't stop laughing! I'm so glad I had already changed out of my wedding dress!

Our cruise to the Carribbean- what a great honeymoon!

I hope you have a wonderful birthday! I love you!

4th of July

2008-07-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

We had a relaxing 4th of July. How nice! We started the day out by taking the dogs to the dog park. I recently found out there is a new dog park only a few minutes from our house. There are even seperate areas for small & big dogs. We were a little worried at how Echo & Bandit would behave. Would they be the "bad dogs" that tried to take the other dogs' toys, or the ones that everyone thought were just plain crazy? We were pleasantly surprised to find out that they LOVE the dog park & were so good! They ran and played their little hearts out. They even played nicely with the other dogs. Sure, they marked on every square inch of the garbage cans and fence, but hey- so were all the other dogs, and I can only imagine how many different scents there were for them to cover up! Once the smoke clears and gets cooler than 90 degrees at 8:00pm, we'll be back for more fun!

Echo & Bandit- exhausted after a fun day at the dog park!

After the dog park, we joined my family for swimming (and food, of course!). We had lots of fun, and were all dead tired at the end of the night.

Here's a picture of Cristian enjoying the waterfall.

Having fun in the pool...

To top the day off, we get a full fireworks show every 4thof July right from our bedroom window! We have no idea where they are coming from (maybe the river or old town?), but a great display nontheless. We enjoyed it!

Dinner & a show

2008-07-10T19:17:00.001-07:00

My stepmom got tickets to the Music Circus through work so we were able to go see The Sound of Music last week. First, we met Beka & Bill at The Melting Pot for a fun fondue dinner and then enjoyed the show!

Bring on the fondue!

The amazing cast of The Sound of Music. While they were all super talented, cute little Greta stole the show in my opinon. She had to be the cutest thing ever...
Just us...
Bill & Beka
Jenn, Tim, Bill & Beka having fun during intermission

We all had a great night. What a great way to start our 3-day weekend!

Natomas Crime Spree

2008-07-01T11:55:00.001-07:00

So, many of you in Northern California have heard about the recent crime spree in Natomas. Tim and I heard about the actual spree yesterday (Monday). From June 1 to June 24 there have been 15 home invasions and 14 street robberies in our neighborhood. I have always felt our neighborhood was fairly safe, and while I have always been a bit paranoid about safety, I have felt comfortable taking the dogs for a walk, leaving for work in the morning and returning in the evening with all being just as I left it. We have a security company that patrols the neighborhood 24-hours, so that makes me feel good too.

This past weekend was exhausting. I got home from my day trip to Girls Camp Saturday morning around 2am. Just after getting ready and laying my head on my ever so comfy pillow, I realized that I needed to send in some reports for work. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep that night. I was dragging all day Saturday and attempted to run errands and keep up with my normal Saturday pace to get as much done as I can. Tim literally had to drag me along on our errands. We helped chaperone the youth dance that night and had to do some household chores once we got home. Once again, we got to bed later than I would have hoped.

Just before 5:00am, we were all (Echo & Bandit too) jolted out of bed when our house alarm went off... loud. I looked next to me and we were all laying in bed. No one opened a door by mistake. Tim & Echo ran downstairs. Luckily, no one made it into our house, but our sliding glass door was slightly open. We think the latch must not have "caught" and locked properly. Thank goodness for our alarm! It scared off whoever was there!

I checked our bedroom windows, which give us a view of the entire backyard (and most of our neighbor's backyards too), but saw no one. Poor Bandit was scared senseless, as he has never heard the alarm sound before and, after peeing on the carpet (I really couldn't get mad at him for it this time) curled up in a ball on our bed and waited for everything to get back to normal. He kept looking up at me with his big scared puppy-dog eyes.

It's scary to think that had we not had our alarm, someone would have been inside our home with a gun (all of the other home invasions and robberies involved guns). I'm grateful that we are all ok, but realize that there are more precautions we can take to keep our family and homes safe. In my household, we will no longer put off getting a motion-detector light in our backyard. We will be adding an additional lock to our front door (we currently only have one deadbolt and that's it- not like most houses that have a key lock and a deadbolt). Gone are the days of opening the downstairs windows and sliding glass door in the morning to cool the house down while we are getting ready for work upstairs. And, I just ordered a key remote to our alarm so that when we leave in the morning we can set our alarm on "no-delay" so that it sounds instantly if someone tries to break in (as of right now, it will only beep for 30-60 seconds and then will sound if the code is not entered).

Tim and I have been talking about other ways to keep us safe and won't be stalling on getting them done. This has been a real eye-opener for us. Most of the criminals have been caught, but there are still more out there. There will always be someone out there willing to break and enter, harm, and take what isn't theirs. We hope you all stay safe and are aware of what is going on in your neighborhood!

Girls Camp

2008-06-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

It's been such a busy week. Work has been crazy (all good, just crazy busy), and there just doesn't seem to be enough time to get everything done. I guess that's pretty normal though. I was able to go up to the last night of Girl's Camp yesterday and had such a good time. Jaycee and I drove up around 3:00pm and got back home around 2:00am. The YW were having such a great time and are so much fun to be around. Great job Beka & Princess-You two were great Camp Directors!

Dalicia & Annie (2 of our YCLs) explaining our next challenge...

Me, trying to figure out how to do the challenge... Lola & Dalicia scarfing down the YUMMY dessert Sister Christensen made for us...
Annie posing for the camera...

Sara, Rachel & Emily before dinner...
Claiming the coveted Capers Award Friday night!
Bishop Christensen all decked out in his army gear...

Since Friday night is Bishop's night, we go to see lots of great (&hilarious) performances.

Last week at Enrichment night, we had a talent show. The YW presidency performed a waterless synchronized swimming bit we came up with. It was such a big hit, the YW decided to use it as their talent for Girls Camp. Here's the video...

Another great year of camp!

1st chapter of Breaking Dawn

2008-06-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

For all you fellow readers of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series who haven't read the first chapter of the 4th (and final) book in the series, Breaking Dawn, found in the re-released version of Eclipse, here you go: http://laei.bloxode.com/2206759,breaking-dawn-first-chapter.html . You have to scroll down a bit to get to the first chapter, but I assure you, it's there. Breaking Dawn's release date is August 2, 2008!

Seminary is Over!!!

2008-06-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

So, it's all finished! At least for the summer. I decided I want to do it again next year. It's been such a great experience for me learning the Old Testament better. The New Testament is coming up and it's time to get a head start over the summer. So if you have any suggestions for me or cool object lessons let me know.

I can't believe it, but I'm excited about being able to stay up past 10:30 without any ill effects the next day!

He's a keeper!

2008-05-29T21:51:00.000-07:00

We've had Bandit for about a month now and still, no one has claimed him. So, he's a Hahn now! He & Echo are getting along better, though they are not without their brotherly squabbles. But, what siblings are? Bandit is still very puppy-like in most everything he does, but he's learning quickly. He's a keeper...

Bandit posing for the camera. Doesn't he look happy?

Awww...

Pain at the pump

2008-05-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

I drive a car. A regular car. Not an SUV. Not a truck. Not even a Winnebago. Ok, so it's a nice car, but nevertheless, still a CAR . A 4-door, 4-wheeled, has-a-front-seat-and-back-seat-car. I love my car. It's pretty, extremely comfortable, and has nearly every modern convenience I could want built right in. I am ALWAYS in my car. I drive all over for work. It is my office most days, which was a motivating factor in purchasing a "luxury" car. One of the downfalls of a "luxury" car, however, is the "luxury" gas it takes. Only premium. No regular 87-octane for this baby. Overall, it's not a huge deal. 20-25 cents more per gallon than regular only turns out to be a few dollars each time I fill up. But with gas prices on the rise, I pretty much don't even look at the price when I am filling up anymore. Except this time. Recently it has cost anywhere between $45 and $50 to fill up my tank. This picture was from a few days ago... And, gas prices have risen since then.

Luckily, Tim's car costs just a little less to fill up. But, it, too, only takes premium gas.

I think I'll go back to not looking anymore...

Movie Mondays

2008-05-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

Tim & I have been catching up on a bunch of movies lately, thanks to our new favorite & FREE deal at Redbox. I had seen those Redbox machines at Walmart, Longs and Raleys several times before, but never gave them a second thought, until I found out about their great promotion! Check out Redbox's website where you can get a free code for a free 1-night rental. Or, you can enter your cell phone number and Redbox will send you a text message every Monday with a new code for 1 free movie rental! Redbox normally only charges $1 per night for a movie rental and the best part is the movies can be returned to any Redbox location. You can also find the nearest Redbox location to you on their website. If you use the promotion code, you do have to swipe your credit card (in case you don't return the movie on time) and return it by Tuesday @ 9pm to get it absolutely free. The promotion was running in April and in now in May. I'm not sure if they will continue it every month, but I sure hope so! So long Blockbuster!

Echo's playmate: Day 3

2008-05-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

Today is day 3 of Echo's playmate at our house. Night 1 was SO not fun. No one got any sleep. Tim ended up having to sleep downstairs on the couch to be with the "guest" (who we are dubbing Bandit), and Echo and I were upstairs- neither of us were sleeping either. Echo wanted to tackle Bandit and whined at the door most of the night. Bandit was the only one who actually got any sleep. Bandit likes to sleep A LOT! We think he is still a puppy.

Night 2 was much better. They both slept in our bed with us & we all survived! Not even an attempt to destroy one another- ok, only one, but that was well before bedtime. I think Bandit now knows not to take Echo's treat away from him. Now, they play with each other and throw in the occasional attack. Big improvement. No one has claimed Bandit. Tim took him to the SPCA and he is not chipped. Why wouldn't anyone chip their pet? Especially if they don't wear a collar and tags on a regular basis? The microchip is the size of a grain of rice and is basically like getting a shot. Slightly stings for a second, but that's it. But, in the instance that your dog gets lost, all a person has to do is call a phone number on the dog's tag, and voila! The owners are contacted & the dog is returned to its home! I really hope some little boy or girl isn't crying themselves to sleep every night because their puppy is missing. Tim hasn't seen any signs around where he works about a missing puppy, and no one has gone to the pound or SPCA looking for him (we filled out a lost dog card with his info & how to contact us in case someone comes looking for him).

And so begins Night 3...

Surprise visit / Wrestlemania

2008-04-29T22:55:00.000-07:00

So, many of you have voted that we should get another dog. Tim has been bugging me for a while to get another one, but I have been on the fence. While I adore Echo, he is indeed a lot of work, and not so friendly with other dogs. Today proved that point. One of Tim's co-workers found a little dog in the middle of the road near work dodging cars. The dog didn't have a collar or tag on so she rescued the dog and brought it into work. Tim brought the dog home with him tonight so it didn't have to stay at the pound until the owners are found.

Echo wasn't fond of this new dog at first. They met outside in the front yard and we took them on a walk together. They took a little while to get comfortable with being next to each other,but it wasn't too bad. Back at home, when the leashes came off, was when wrestlemania began. At first they barked, pawed, growled, and "attacked" each other. After a few minutes the barking and growling stopped and they just wrestled. It looked like they were having fun-- I think. We thought, "ok, so mabe they just need to wrestle around and play with each other for a bit until they calm down and are comfortable with each other". We waited for that to happen. And waited. And waited. And waited. Over an hour later and they were STILL wrestling! Not just a swat here and a push there. Full on wrestling. You would think they were in an octagon or something. I'm not sure where Echo learned his moves, but he is a scrappy little guy! He somehow uses his butt as a weapon! Seriously, it sounds weird, but he looks like a bull trying to buck off a rider. It was actually quite effective. In addition to the wrestling, they have been trying to mount each other all night. I don't think either of them are going to give up until one of them submits and the other wins the title of dominant dog! Neither of us have ever had 2 dogs at the same time before- is it normal for them to wrestle like this non-stop for so long?

It's almost 11pm now, and they are still having a hard time being calm together. It may be a long night. Hopefully we all can get some sleep. We're going to take him to the SPCA or the vet to see if he is chipped. If not, and no one claims him, well... I don't know... He's a cute little guy, but I have no idea if this is going to work. I guess we'll find out.

Early Morning Seminary

2008-04-20T20:46:00.001-07:00

So, many of you know that I teach early morning seminary. I have the junior and senior class in the Sacramento North Stake. The year is almost over and as I have mixed emotions as I reflect back. If I teach another year there are a few things I'd do again. On the other hand, there are about a thousand things I would never do again. Sometimes teaching is like this picture. You try to explain things so that 2+2 does simply equal 4, but their reaction is like you're teaching quantum physics.

I've truly enjoyed the experience as a whole. It has made me a better studier of the scriptures. I am a little better at that early to bed, early to rise deal. These seem like selfish reasons though. I've often reflected on who this seminary stint has helped the most, and sadly it's probably me. The kids worry about school, social activities and many other distractions in life. I sympathize with it since I went through the same.

Need some ideas though. Help a poor seminary teacher out and share some object lessons for teenage kids. Any ideas will help. The year is almost over, but I need to get off to a good start for next year!

2008-04-14T19:50:00.001-07:00

Our New Blog!

2008-04-13T20:56:00.001-07:00

Ok, so we're probably the last people on earth to start a blog. We figure it's about time. Hopefully we'll be able to add posts somewhat frequently, though we can't make any promises!

Tim & I have been married for about 4 years. It's just the two of us and our little dog Echo. Ok, so he's more like our child than a dog!