Pumpkin Patch 2008

The quality of these pictures just does not compare to our trip to the pumpkin patch last year. Of course we did take our family photographer with us before. She couldn't make the trip this year! We miss you Lila! You'll just have to settle for my version of some cute kids sitting on pumpkins. I really couldn't get a decent picture of Kalo. I tried catching her in the act of gazing at a pumpkin but all she would do was stick her little, fat fingers into the biggest, rotting holes she could find on some of the decomposing pumpkins.

Random Pics

Look at the size of that mouth!

Karate chopping Kalo!

Harvest Festival

Here is the hydraulic dump trailer that we just bought! We are relieved to finally have it as it is a tremendous help to our business. It will also be a great help when we move! This month we took the kids to a local harvest festival. It was great fun! Here we have pictured below a few kitty cats and their grandpa.

Siosi swinging a scarecrow man she sort of made. It was made of candy but she didn't actually get to make it...only chose the string.

More crafty craft making. Unfortunately we forgot to pick up our finished products once they dried.

Down with EVIL!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1815825713
I got this video link from a dear friend (thanks, dear) and I think it is important enough to make it on the blog. Take a look and think twice before you vote.

Also on another note if Obama takes office he wants universal preschool! Obama says he believes in universal preschool, and that he’d pump billions of dollars into early childhood education, promising improved academic performance. So basically all of us stay at home moms will be staying at home without our kids there to teach and train them. Who knows how old he plans on stealing them away. I'll move to Tonga before he or any of his robots get their grips on any of my children! The best part about this is that all the families who are scrimping and sacrificing to be at home with their kids will be robbed of all that money and it will be payed to a daycare. The very thing we are against. How ironic is that.

Once again the left is trying to make decisions for us. They believe we are too stupid to think for ourselves. We aren't smart enough to teach our children the ABC's or count to ten. By the way my 2 year old can sing the ABC song as well as count to ten and she has never even been babysat by a stranger let alone spent an hour in preschool. They would have us believe that parents are sperm and egg donors and have no responsiblity in bringing up children. (Maybe because thats how they view their own relationships with their children!)By the time our universal preschoolers get to kindergarten, they'll all be gay and still in diapers. But hey, at least they will understand diversity right?

We just got back from the Fall Home and Garden Show! It was our second home show to attend in the last couple weeks. I love going to those things. We are trying to get ideas for the show we are displaying at this month in Salem. We were also picking up a fountain that we purchased from the previous home show. It is a very hip fountain. It is made of concrete but looks like a tree stump. We will display it and also try to make a few sales from it. We will also be displaying some landscape curbing. Joe and Cory will be trying the machine out tomorrow. We are very excited to see what the outcome of the show will be. I entered a drawing and won a free blind cleaning today. I think if we are in our home by then I'll have them clean the blinds there. Tomorrow is conference and we are very eager to watch. Joe won't be able to watch the Saturday sessions unfortunately. He has to finish that darn job in Hillsboro. For our family members who aren't members of our church you might find it very interesting to watch. We get to listen to the prophet and apostles twice a year. They speak to us from the headquarters of the church in Salt Lake City, Utah and then broadcast it to all the countries in the world. They give very interesting discourses that help us improve our lives and uplift our spirits. Let us know if you are interested and we can give you more information on how to watch. The church's website is www.lds.org

Home Ownership Awaits!

Joe and I made an offer on our first home! It was accepted and now we're just making all the preparations to get it closed. It is a true fixer-upper. Most everything that has to be done is cosmetic except for the dry rot in the bathroom. It has a huge double car garage that is actually over sized because it extends to the back pretty far. It is 1230sq ft. There are 3 bedrooms and 1.1 baths. I plan to change that however. If I can work things right, there will be a shower in the master bath and not just a sink and toilet. We need to paint inside and out, change the floors out, rearrange the kitchen, replace the water heater, and add a new breaker box. Not to mention the yard and concrete outside. Sounds like a lot? Well folks, it is! The funny thing about it is that Joe says he can fix it up all by himself. Let me see, it is almost 1am and he still hasn't come home from work. We really need to hire someone. He has been spending the evening putting in grout on a flagstone patio and doing all the finishing touches. We had to pay for an oil change for the first time in our married lives! He has no time anymore! That is a good thing, don't get me wrong. Our business is going really well. So well that we're having a hard time keeping up. I think we need to hire some people and just have two crews going at once. Cory was working in Salem today while Joe was up in Hillsboro. I spend a lot of my time running errands for them or talking to customers. You know, answering questions that I have no business answering. Everyone always tells me that I know more than I think. I guess that's good!
Hey everybody! Its time for a Kalo update!
2 teeth, cutting a third. She's had a temp of 102 for the past couple days.
Walks and sometimes runs. Pokes people in the eyes. Says mama. Hair is starting to curl in the back. Can't sit through church. Steals toys. Gets really excited to see Siosi when she wakes up in the morning or from naps. Gets excited to see Dad come home from work or to see Grandma.

Siosi: Loves to dance! Argues very well. Eats oatmeal for breakfast. Wants veggies all the time. Loves to go to story time at the library every week and check out the backpacks they have. Enjoys nursery. Says, "Leave her alone, she's just a kid", when we say no to Kalo for something. We still don't know where she got that one from. Is working on being gentle with Kalo still. Loves to color and paint. Makes cakes out of her color crayons. Always wants to help in the kitchen. Cries to go to Eliana's house. Asks about her Wyoming cousins constantly. Where's Keira? Where's Kylie? Still as skinny as a pencil.

Porter arrives

I am for the second time this summer (or fallish) an aunt! We had lots of fun with Kimber's girls while she was dealing with the not so fun part of getting Porter here. For all of you who are wondering about this child's name let me tell you a story. David is a little funny with names. He wanted to name Kenzie, his second born, Maria. We had to remind him that he is white and, sorry Dave, we aren't in Italy anymore. Then he decided he had claim on Porter's name since he is a man. That doesn't really work out though. I believe the woman who carries the child for 9 months has automatic rights over name selection. David wanted to name their latest...Dustin Carling Strasser. Need I remind you we already have a Justin Carling Strasser. Confusing? So Kimber stood her ground and I backed her. One day we were driving to the zoo and I was throwing out names that might be better than Dustin Carling Strasser. I know I shouted out Porter Rockwell somewhere during that drive. Am I right Kimber? Also, I must take credit for Cory and Heather's baby's name. Owen Hunter Strasser. I told them to name the child Owen...so they did. Owen is Cory and my dad's middle name.

Kalo had the misfortune of playing in the sandbox with Siosi.
Siosi and Eliana gaze with wonder and awe at the new creature.

The cousins are happy after the birth of baby Porter!
Another dirty, yet always gorgeous face.
In the swing with Kenzie.

So relaxing...Kenzie fell asleep. Ahhh, how cute!