San Francisco Part I

I mentioned that we were trying to use our weekends to explore what the Bay area has to offer and so after heading south we decided to go north to San Francisco. I had never been to this city and so I was excited to see what all the fuss is about.

We headed straight for one of the most famous landmarks: the Golden Gate Bridge.


We stopped at the end of the bridge and enjoyed the view across the bay.


That is Alcatraz and the far side of the bay. We decided to walk out on to the bridge because driving over is a little anti-climactic.


This was pretty cool. Tons of people and traffic but what can you expect? Luke was really excited to go up to the tall tower. (He is into towers lately) He was even more excited to see the door in the bottom of the tower.


Much to his dismay and my relief, the door was locked. We headed back to our car and drove to Sausalito for lunch. It was a charming little sea side town and lunch was good. So good we were to busy eating for any pictures. We loaded the boys back into the car and as they drifted off to sleep Ryan took me down Lombard street. I had never heard of it but it is very steep and very windy. This is as we are driving down it.


Pretty cool. I can't believe how steep the streets are. I have seen them on movies and stuff but to drive those everyday! CRAZY!

Exploring Anyone?

We have been making the most of our new surroundings. Grandma and Grandpa Rasmussen came up a couple of weeks ago and we set out on an adventure. We decided to go check out Monterrey and Carmel. After renting a van so we could try them out and all fit in one car we set out. The weather was beautiful and company was great. The boys like looking into the ocean at the pier in Monterrey.

They liked it almost as much as riding in the new stroller. Ryan got me the stroller I have been drooling over for a couple of years. I absolutely LOVE it. As you can tell!

Monterrey was different than we expected but pretty cool. After checking out the pier we headed down to the Aquarium. Luke was excited about that as you can see...

The boys like the aquarium almost as much as having Grandma and Grandpa around.

After we saw lots of cool fish and ate lunch we went to 17 mile road around the pebble beach area. It was so beautiful.

I can see why people like to golf here. So can Ryan! (Spanish Links at Pebble Beach)

Noah didn't understand what all the fuss was about: driving, stopping, taking pictures, getting the car, getting out of the car... but as usual he was a good sport.

Luke's favorite spot was where the seals go to sun bathe. there are hundreds of them and you can hear them barking from the rock right off the shore. Ryan taught him the magic of binoculars to see things far away. He hasn't stopped talking about binoculars since.


We are enjoying our surroundings and loving the California "winter" weather!

Our New Digs

We are really happy with our new home. There are definitely things we miss from our old house but also things we enjoy about this house. I will take you on a photo tour of the most important spaces...

This is the front room. You can see the front door and the stairs with two rugrats on their way down. My legs were so sore for a couple of days from going up and down the stairs! Never thought that I was such a wimp! Let's just say I will leave this house in better shape than I came.

Here is the kitchen. I really like this kitchen. I loved my kitchen in Rexburg so I was nervous about moving to a different one but I really like this one and am getting used to new appliances. I have never cooked on a gas range before and I will admit it took me a second to get a burner lit the first time!


This is the family room. It is right off the kitchen. During the day all these windows open up into a sunny heaven. I don't really like cats but totally agree with them on one thing... napping in the sun. LOVE IT! I soak in all the sun I can here.
All these pictures look white and stark. Probably due to the white carpet and walls as well as the lack of wall hangings. We don't know how long we will be here and so I didn't unpack most of our pictures. I hung two to be specific. So yes, the walls are a little bare.


This is the loft upstairs. I have my desk here that the owners were so kind to leave behind. I think this will be a nice space for us to have. The boys can play in my vicinity yet I can (hopefully) get caught up on life?


Here is the boys room. You can't see it but there is a bathroom off to the left. For this room only. I love it. I can change and bath them there without having to move room to room. I am sure I won't love it when it come to cleaning time.

I didn't think you needed pictures of the guest rooms with their respective beds and the master room. Or the bathrooms for that matter. Let's just say they will suffice. :)


I have never lived in a warm climate like this and so this orange tree from our neighbors yard makes me happy every time I look at it. I haven't tasted one of the oranges yet. Whenever I miss Idaho I look at this and remind myself everywhere has its ups and downs and to look for the ups!

We made it!

Well we made it to San Jose. Here are some of the highlights and low-lights of our journey...

Highlight: All the help packing us. Thank you Mom, Tamy, Matt and Pete.
Lowlight: Seeing our house empty and realizing that this was for reals. We are really going to miss Idaho.

Highlight: Making it from Rexburg to Winnemuca on our first day of travel
Lowlight: Losing Noah's blanket in the hotel parking lot (I assume, I know I had it when I walked out of the hotel but realized a couple of hours down the road that it wasn't anywhere!

Highlight: Seeing the beauty of a snow covered Donner Pass. We didn't expect the drive to be so mountainous but it was really pretty and covered in snow.
Lowlight: Realizing after his 4th time puking that Noah just might be one that gets car sick. Apparently the mountain passes and being in the middle of the back seat wasn't doing it for him. We had to roll down the window so the rest of us didn't add the lingering odors. I think the fresh air put his stomach at ease.

Highlight: Arriving in San Jose a day earlier than we expected.
Lowlight: Car window being smashed open in the hotel parking lot our first night there. We were the last in a string of cars the vandals got. I heard they caught them with our car door open and so they didn't take much and took off running. They were caught and were staying in the hotel next door. We have an appointment to take the truck in on Tuesday.

Highlight: Finding a pet friendly hotel room that was large enough for the 5 of us. It had basically two rooms and best of all two tvs for the kids to turn on and off over and over and over!
Lowlight: Luke pulling the fire alarm in the hallway. Yep, opened up and pulled the handle. He also almost removed the fire extinguisher and pulled off the inspection stickers on the emergency lighting on two other trips to take the dog out.

Highlight: Finding an all you can eat buffet after what seemed like weeks of fast food. It was like Ryan and I were in "real" food heaven
Lowlight: Ryan getting sick for 2 days following the "real" food.

Highlight: Having the movers drop off all our stuff and being able to shut the doors and have our own space for the kids and dog to run.
Lowlight: UNPACKING! It has taken me a week but I feel like this is our home now. (I did leave a lot packed in the garage, seeing as we are only here for 6 months.)

Highlight: Beautiful weather, sunny and 60 degrees. This is a summer vacation for us.
Lowlight: People everywhere! No more wide open spaces of the Idaho countryside.

As you can see it is all a matter of perspective. We are here, healthy, and happy to be together. I feel like I can breathe after a month of the stress of moving hanging over my head. We think that we will really like it here but miss Idaho already.

I will try to post pictures of our new house but Noah is waking up from his nap and that means my time gets eaten up pretty quick.

Do you know the way...

... to San Jose?

I didn't until about three weeks ago. Now I do.

Life changes so quick sometimes. About 3 months ago Ryan's friend approached him about applying for a job with the company he works for that owns and runs Skilled Nursing Facilities (Nursing Homes) in California. On a whim... or so it seemed... Ryan and I decided to look into it and see where it lead.

Long story short. We accepted a job and are moving to San Jose, California. So at the end of December we will wish the snowy wintery weather a fond goodbye and move on to the warmth of California weather!

We will be keeping our business here. We have some great managers who are more than competent to run things and we will manage remotely with several visits a year to calm the homesickness that will surely hit.

We are excited and apprehensive about the change of direction that our life is taking. It is funny how things change so quick... did I already say that? My brain is on overload and that thought is a repetitive one when my cognitive powers are breaking down.

So come one come all to San Jose and visit us!

P.S. While I am breaking news... we are expecting! I am only 11 weeks along and will be due at the end of June. We are very excited about baby #3 (or 7, depending on how you look at it) joining our family

Our Boys

I am really bad at getting professional pictures taken of my boys. We got around to it with Luke when he was 1 year and so I kind of decided that was a good time to make sure I get it done. Well Noah is now 15 months and we had them taken this week. I was waiting for a time when he didn't have scratches, cuts, goose eggs, bruises, or any other war wound on his head or face. I can't keep this kid down! Well I decided to schedule a date and take my chances. Luck was on my side! I had my cousin Kassie Crapo take their pictures. She did such a great job. Considering what went on at the photo shoot she is a miracle worker to get some great pics of the boys. Enough of the explanation on to the pictures!

It took us awhile to get him loosened up for the camera.


A lot of silliness later he started cracking out the smiles!


I love how this shows a glimpse into our little guy.

Ryan and I both think Luke looks so old! Our little boy is growing up.

He has been doing this weird crooked smile as his "best smile" lately. Waiting for the phase to pass. This is mild but you can see the beginnings of it.

This looks more like the Luke we know!

This was the best that we could do with both boys together. They would not cooperate in anyway other than being interested in the same book. Still I think it turned out to be a sweet picture of the two of them.

Halloween Melodrama

What is Halloween without a couple of Jack-o-lanterns? My parents were kind enough to let Luke pick his pumpkins out of Grandpa's garden. He still equates any pumpkins with Grandpa and the garden. Anyhow, after carving pumpkins with the boys I attempted to get a picture with them and the pumpkins. This is a photo version of the event...

This is Luke's new "best smile". I can't get him to smile naturally. Everything was going well until Noah inadvertently did something to irritate Luke. Of course it being Halloween this was his natural reaction...

I should have dressed him up as a vampire... but I didn't want to encourage anything. This is Noah's reaction to the whole experience.


And this is Luke's reaction to the ensuing discipline.

He is perfecting his pout. He must get that from Ryan, I don't ever remember pouting! And this is Biscuit's reaction to the incident...

Not phased a bit. I think he is still wondering why we brought the little munchkins into his perfect life.

Luckily the boys are quick to forget, forgive and move on. They were just fine by the time the ward trunk-or-treat rolled around.

Luke is supposed to be a giraffe. Ryan says this is not a masculine costume and he will hate these pictures when he gets older. I kind of agree, but hey, I let the kid pick out his own costume and there was no changing his mind. Noah made a very ferocious tiger, if I do say so myself.


Goodbye Halloween and onto Thanksgiving and all the fun that comes with the Holidays!