Kesler Family Adventures

Time Flies!!

2011-06-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

It has been a really long time since I have posted much on the blog. Facebook has been a distraction!! I am thinking that I will start blogging again. I love the way the blog is a story of our family over time. I also miss writing about my family and our activities, and the way it helps me focus on the time at hand. It is fun to think about all that we have been up to and put it down on paper, so to speak! So, for today, some pictures of my beautiful kids!

The Tuba!

2011-01-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

Aidan with his tuba!

He is laying the tuba in the concert band and the trombone in the

jazz band. I didn't know there was such musical ability in our family!

We are proud of all the hard work he has put into his music!

The Farm!

2010-12-27T12:06:00.000-08:00

Well, here is our miracle! We have been wishing for property for a very long time and now we will have some(at least temporarily!) Our heart has been to have a place where we could grow more than enough food for our family to eat, and the abundance we could give to needy people. However, we have not has access to land or the resources to purchase any. God is always bigger than our circumstances! In early December Brian got a call from a client that he has only met once. He wanted to offer his land to us to use until he is ready to develop it(in a couple of years). His own family had gardened there in the past and have some chickens there now. He was thinking abut the land and Brian crossed his mind! So, he called to offer to let us garden(farm) his land for free. We just can't believe how good God is to us! He is providing for us in ways that we would have never expected!
I will try to keep the blog updated with our adventures on, what we are calling, the farm! Please check in the Kitchen and Garden Adventures section of the blog.

Christmas Carol

2010-12-02T19:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas Carol

The kings they came from out the south,

All dressed in ermine fine;

They bore Him gold and chrysoprase,

And gifts of precious wine.

The shepherds came from out the north,

Their coats were brown and old;

They brought Him little new-born lambs--

They had not any gold.

The wise men came from out the east,

And they were wrapped in white;

The star that led them all the way

Did glorify the night.

The angels came from heaven high,

And they were clad with wings;

And lo, they brought a joyful song

The host of heaven sings.

The kings they knocked upon the door,

The wise men entered in,

The shepherds followed after them

To hear the song begin.

The angels sang through all the night

Until the rising sun,

But little Jesus fell asleep

Before the song was done.

Sara Teasdale

Turkey Day Thoughts!!

2010-11-19T14:42:00.000-08:00

I love this picture. I think this could have been me as a little girl! I still think a giant Tom Turkey is about the coolest looking bird on the planet! I will also admit that I don't really like to eat turkey, especially on Thanksgiving. I can't remember the last time a actually ate any of the turkey that was served. Every year Brian asks later if I had any of the turkey and I always feel bad when I tell him "No." Luckily, after 18 years of marriage he gets me, or has given up! Yes, Brian is the one who cooks the turkey at our house, and he will again this year. It always smells good, looks beautiful and everyone raves about how it tastes. I would say that maybe this will be the year that I eat the turkey...but I seriously doubt it!

2010-11-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

We decided to make some hand print turkeys. This is one of my favorite crafts of fall! It always amazes me how much the kids hands have grown each year!

Camille always loves to get her hands dirty, so this project was right up her alley! I think she even had fun washing off all the paint by the way the bathroom sink looked when she was done!

After hand prints the kids took turns painting.

Joe loves to paint! Actually, he likes to do anything the older kids are doing!!

Yes, I did make them all wear the chicken apron that Elise and I made a year or so ago. I really need to get smocks...maybe for Christmas everyone can have their own smock!

We have been decorating for Thanksgiving and we are excited to have all of the family at our house this year!

My life is like a bowl of miso soup!

2010-10-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

My life is like a bowl of miso soup! Recently, God brought some clarity and reassurance to me by giving me a picture of miso soup. I felt like He was telling me that the bowl represents myself and the soup is my circumstances. Then He showed me that He is gently cradling the bowl in one hand while carefully stirring the soup with the chopstick in His other hand. Just like the miso soup is better when stirred, my circumstances are stirred to bring about a higher good in my life and the lives of those around me. Please don't try to read too much into this analogy or take it beyond the simple picture given. I am thankful for a God who holds me in his hands and who uses ordinary everyday things to remind us of his love! ~Staci

Radical Adventure!!

2010-09-10T22:14:00.000-07:00

A radical adventure with Jesus!
ad-ven-ture n. 1. A hazardous or uncertain undertaking. 2. An unusual or exciting experience. 3. Participation in hazardous or exciting experiences: the love of adventure.
Although I like the second definition better than the first, nowhere does the American Heritage College Dictionary mention Christianity. I think another definition should be:
4. The life of one who follows Jesus as His disciple.
I think the best adventure anyone can have is to follow Christ with radical abandon wherever HE chooses to lead you! This is the goal of my life and that of my family .
A radical adventure with Jesus!!

Brian and Kenya!

2010-09-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I have had much to say on the blog. It has been a long summer, mostly uneventful, except for Brian's second trip to Kenya. He had an awesome, life-changing time serving in Kenya. The kids and I are proud to support him as he seeks to follow God's calling in his life! So, what new adventures lie ahead for the Keslers?
We aren't sure, but feel that our involvement in Kenya is just beginning!!!
We have watched everything the library has to offer about Kenya, Eastern Africa, and Africa in general. God is doing a new thing and we are humbled and excited to follow him into whatever adventures he has in store for us!
more info to come...

Sometimes an adventure has to end!

2010-08-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

Our chicken adventure has officially come to an end. We are all very sad. It seems as though our chickens were "too country" for the neighbor that lives behind us. So, we have given the beautiful coop that Brian built to some friends, who have also (very graciously) offered to take our chickens. It is nice to know that they are in a great home, with friends.

End of school pictures!

2010-06-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

To celebrate all of our hard work during the school year, we had an open house with our homeschool group. The kids all brought examples of their work and put them on display for family and friends to see. (Just like open house at public school!)

Elise had been studying U.S. history this year, so her end of the year project was about Abraham Lincoln. She wrote a paper about his both his public and private life, completed a lapbook about him, and made this diorama of the cabin where he was born. It all turned out great! Isaac was interested in the King Cobra, so we learned as much about this snake as we could! He also completed a lapbook about King Cobras and made a diorama. He did not like to paper mache the snake; he doesn't like to get sticky and dirty. He did like to spray paint the snake, add salt dough to and paint the box. The plants he chose from our yard and we hot glued them in place (I tried to let him do this but he burned himself; I guess a little help is OK!) The project turned out fantastic!!
This year, first grade, Isaac will learn how to knit. We are starting with finger knitting. He is excited to learn because Elise and I knit.
This was his first attempt!

I just learned a simpler finger knitting technique that will be a better starting point! I am excited to teach him!

(The smile below looks a little fake to me,

I think he was a little frustrated with the knitting!)

Here is Elise knitting a backpack for a stuffed animal! She is a natural when it comes to anything creative!

We got out watercolor paints and sea salt.

I showed the kids how the salt affects the color of the paint as it dries. The pictures turned out fabulous, so I cut them into letters and we used them to write "ART" above our art gallery!

This was Joe's first time watercolor painting.

I think he had as much on himself as he did on the paper.

He had a blast!

Camille always enjoys painting!

Isaac had a hard time believing that it was OK for his paper to be so wet (important for the salt technique)! Once he got past the wetness factor he did some beautiful work. It is nice to see him developing his creativity into deliberate work, rather that just throwing paint down on the paper!

2010-05-25T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today, we turned in our Garden in a Wheelbarrow project to the county fair. It turned out great and it was a lot of fun. We would definitely do it again, but not next year!This is a science fair project board that we used to display our "evidence of learning." I divided it in half; one side is for Isaac and the other for Elise.

Isaac learned about where food comes from; seeds and plant life cycles; beneficial v. harmful bugs in the garden; sorting & counting seeds; he also wrote a story and a poem; and much more!

Elise did a large research project on Urban Options for Self-Sufficiency, which included the topics gardening, chicken keeping, and meat rabbits. She also did research on a moth that appeared dead on our porch and discovered that it was the Tomato Hornworm in the caterpillar stage. She also learned about the plant life cycle, the parts of a flower, Colony Collapse Disorder and wrote many poems.

We also discovered mushrooms in our wheelbarrow which led to an impromptu lesson on "NEVER eat a mushroom you find in the yard, even if it is growing in your raised bed, or wheelbarrow garden!"

Our plants did not grow very well, so Elise got to do some observations and conclusions about why that might be and added her findings to our project. When we got to the fair, several other wheelbarrows had similar components to their projects.

It did turn out nice, though. Elise made glittery signs welcoming the viewers to the garden, and naming the plant types, as well as, the kids names. Isaac made fences from popsicle sticks for a chicken run. Elise printed out pictures of a coop and chickens that are the same type as Daisey, Dolly and Charlotte. We added all of it to our wheelbarrow garden.
It was really fun to put all of this together today! Showing the kids how all their hard work really tied together was great also! They did work hard, and in the end it showed!

The Coop is Done!!

2010-05-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

Brian built the coop in our side yard. We knew it would be heavy and didn't want to have to move it far!Joseph thought we built him a play house!

We made the coop to resemble our house. We used the same siding and painted it the same color. Green is my favorite color, so I really love it!Here Brian is working on the run. It is all enclosed with hardware cloth. We decided to put the coop along our fence where our persimmon tree was(read the earlier post about the persimmon tree!http://keslerfamily.blogspot.com/2007/12/very-busy-december.html ) So we ripped out the tree and some plants to make room for the chickens. The space is an awkward shape, which meant it was more fun for Brian to build!
Elise and Joe!
They are so sweet!

Here is the garden view of the finished coop!

(Notice the soybean and tomatillo plants!! YUM!)

The mostly finished coop!

Brian did a fabulous job!

The roof is designed to be "Green" so it will be full of plants! We thought that would help insulate the coop during our hot summers and give us more space to garden! I can't wait to see the coop with flowers and greens growing on top!

Elise & Dolly, Camille & Charlotte, Isaac & Daisy!

Isabel has her Puppies!

2010-04-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

Isabel's puppies were born during the night of April 26th, 2010!For more info please check out her blog!

CHICKENS...Then & Now!

2010-03-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

Shelby

Dolly, doesn't she look rediculus!

Koda

Aunt Bea

Dahlia... two pictures, one pose!

Thelma Lou

Charlotte

The Chicks New Home!

2010-03-06T19:55:00.000-08:00

Elise and I worked together to build a lid for the chicks new home.

It is very important that the chicks can't fly out and that the cat can't get in.

We both decided that we hate working with hardware cloth!

Here is a view of the new, roomier chick home!

It is reddish because of the glow from the heat lamp.We bought a small wading pool at the goodwill,

which will help keep the pine shavings contained!

Then, there is a roll of corrugated cardboard as the walls of the enclosure.

And topping it all off is the lid we made!

The new home is in the garage, which is also Brian's office!
He does not seem to mind the chirping, it is really cute!

The chicks will eat right out of our hands!

Here they are eating Kale that we chopped up very fine!

I thought this was a cute picture of the chicks around their food dispenser.

So, the time came to clip the chicks wings!

Elise helped to hold them, and I did the cutting.

Charlotte was very patient as we clipped her wings.

Only one wing is clipped to cause the birds to become off balance, making flight more difficult.

Elise kept a feather from each chick and made this picture!

Isaac is holding Dolly!
We think she is a frizzle chicken,

which makes her look like she is having a bad hair day...everyday!

Elise is holding Shelby!

Camille is holding Thelma Lou.

We think she may also be a frizzle, we are waiting to see what she looks like when she has more feathers. Thelma Lou is the smallest chick, but is certainly not at the bottom of the pecking order!

Growing Chicks!

2010-02-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

Today, Elise and Isaac weighed and photographed each chick!

Day 3 is the day we got them(they were 3 days old) and day 12 is today.

Dahlia(Isaac's favorite)

Day 3: 1 1/8 oz and Day 12: 3 3/8 oz
Dolly(Elise's favorite) has feathers growing on her legs! She is sooo cute!
Day 3: 1 1/8 oz and Day 12: 3 3/8 ozCharlotte is Camille's favorite. She is named after Charlotte's Web.
Day 3: 1 1/8 oz and Day 12: 2 7/8 oz

Weighing the chicks!

Isaac weighing Dahlia!

We are raising the following chicks for a friend.

We are not weighing these chicks. Three seems to be enough to keep up with!

They are all growing strong and healthy. This one I call Georgia and Elise calls her Amber, what will Karen and her new family call her?This one is such a soft gray color, she is beautiful!

This one reminds me of a real grown up hen, she is always pecking!

We are really enjoying the chicks. The next big news in the chick world will be a new home in the garage. The Laundry room is too small. However, the new home must be predator proof. Our cat is very interested in them!!!

Chickens!!

2010-02-18T14:04:00.000-08:00

Everything is ready for the chickens, which will arrive at the post office the next morning.
We got the call to come get the chicks! When we picked them up the mail carrier told us they had been chirping since they came in early that morning. As we drove home I thought this was a lot of noise for five little chicks. When we opened the box, this is what we saw! Twenty day old baby chicks! What a surprise!

Here are the chicks in their temporary home in the laundry room.

Twenty adorable little fluff balls!

This is Elise holding her favorite, Dolly(the names have changed!)

As a homeschool project, we weigh each chick every other day. Elise is creating a growth chart and will put it on a spread sheet when Brian gets back to teach her how. This is Dolly, she is a good sport. Isaac's chick, Dahlia, is a jumper so we moved the whole operation to the floor!

This is Charlotte(8 days old), Camille's favorite. It is really hard to get pictures of the chicks. They are terrified of the camera and run away! I am also using my dad's camera while Brian has ours in Haiti, it is very different than mine!

This is Dahlia(L) and Dolly(R). They are both 8 days old. You can see that they are starting to grow feathers on their wings. When they came, those weren't there, just fluff!

This is my favorite chick. She is a really pretty shade of brown, and is the least afraid of all the chicks. However, since we are only keeping three, she is going to my friend Karen's house(along with all the rest of the chicks). I will still get to visit her!

Another picture of Dolly!

Mad City Chickens

2010-02-09T13:41:00.000-08:00

Bike Riding!

2010-02-07T16:16:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Potato Planting!

2010-02-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

Today Isaac, Camille and I planted potatoes!This is our first time trying to grow potatoes. They are supposed to planted in a ditch that you add soil to cover as the plants grow. We are planning a bed of them, but Brian hasn't had time to make it yet. So, the kids and I planted them in a deep pot that we will gradually fill. I am not sure if it will work, but it is worth a try!
It was such a beautiful day! Sunny and warm for the first time in loooong time!

Camille planting her seed potato.

Isaac adding some of Brian's recycled compost!

We planted Organic Purple Peruvian Finger Potato, Organic Russian Banana Finger Potato, and Organic La Ratte Finger Potato!

(Again I added a picture on accident and I can't figure out how to delete it. Sorry for the repeat!)

A Persuasive Essay!

2010-02-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

I would like to tell you about the best book that I have read with the Sonlight curriculum. My favorite book is Walk the World’s Rim by Betty Baker. It’s really a great book. I hope that you want to read it after this!
This book is my favorite because it has a lot of emotions and it isn’t always happy like other books. In the book some pretty bad things happen but, it mostly turns out well. You never know what will happen next. Some books have almost no emotions at all, except happy.
My favorite part was when Estaban made friends with an indian boy, named Chakoh. Although there were many fantastic parts of the book, this was the best because it portrays the kind of friendship that grows with watching and learning about a person. After a while Estaban and Chakoh were trusted friends. Estaban was always by Chakoh’s side!
Walk the World’s Rim made me feel like I was actually on the journey to Mexico. If I was on that trip I would be best friends with Estaban and the Spanish conquistadors just like Chakoh! The way the book describes their travels, it must have been cool! I think you’ll agree if you read it!
You will want to read this book because it explains a lot about history. It is an extraordinary story of the three Spanish conquistadors and their slave’s journey from their shipwreck off the coast of Florida to Mexico, and the Indian kid who joined them. I would give this book a five star rating. It is a really enjoyable book.
I hope you read this book. And if you don’t want to read Walk the World’s Rim, go your public library and find a book that is just right for you! You know I will! See you there!
By: Elise

Tin Foil Boats!!

2010-01-20T14:46:00.000-08:00

Today we made tin foil boats!

We took them outside to float in the flooded area of our backyard! (We have a blocked french drain. A fun project for another day!) The kids wanted straws to blow the boats around in the water. The only straws I had were Boba straws. They are extra large around for sucking up Boba from your cool Asian drink. We haven't used them in forever, and I don't have any more Boba, so I think a trip to the Asian market is in order! I am the only one in my family who appreciates Boba!!
Elise had a really cool design for her sail, it was attached on two sides!

Isaac's boat was large and flat.

Here they are making their boats!

I love that homeschool gives us the time for such impromptu fun! Besides, I think Elise was looking for a way out from writing a free verse poem...there's always tomorrow!

A White Christmas!

2010-01-15T15:33:00.000-08:00

We braved the frigid north this Christmas...and had the time of our lives!

This Christmas we drove to Montana to have Christmas with my sister and her family. It was the very first White Christmas for all of us!

This picture was taken at the Billings Zoo. Yes, we went to the zoo on a day when the high for the weather was less than 20 degrees! It was soooo cold, but a lot of fun!
Even Isabel loved the snow!
She would follow the kids down the hill on their sleds, then jump on them at the bottom!

We had a lovely Christmas! We went to church on Christmas Eve, and lit the advent that evening also. I think it was about 6 degrees when we went to church, the high for the day!

The kids had a blast sledding and playing in the snow!

Camille was always the first one done being out in the cold(well, the first kid, I was usually the biggest wimp!) We were very thankful for a really warm coat Traci had for her, it meant she was able to be outside without crying.

Joseph and Daddy trying to stay warm!

Hannah and Camille sledding!

Aidan looks a little cold!

Isaac loved the snow most of all!

He was usually the last one to quit playing and he loved to walk around on the ice and snow!

Elise looks like she belongs in the cold!

Traci knows how to gear up!

Ben and Aidan!

On our way home we decided to take the long way! Crazy? Maybe, but we do love a roadtrip!

We went from Billings, Montana to Cheyenne, Wyoming the first day. Cheyenne was a neat town! The home of Wrangler, there were big decorated cowboy boots on every corner.This is a picture of Camille sitting on the one across from the restaurant where we ate dinner. Being in Wyoming, Brian felt the need to order "Bull Nuts". They were deep fried, and we didn't tell the kids what they were until after they tried them!

The next day we drove on to Salt Lake City, Utah. It was such a beautiful drive, especially coming through Park City, Utah. With snow covering the mountains, it almost made us want to take up skiing! Salt Lake City was also very beautiful. We ate at a Brewery downtown(I had a great espresso ale!), and walked around. It was New Years Eve, so there were a lot of festivities. We also drove by the Mormon Temple. It was lit up for Christmas and was very amazing.

We drove home from Salt Lake City on New Year's Day. We had snow on the ground from the time we left Truckee heading toward Montana until we got back to Truckee on the way home. Almost two full weeks of white, cold but beautiful scenery. God blessed us with a safe trip, great weather and fun family time!

Next year....a turquoise Christmas?

(think hut on the beach!!!)

KENYA 2009!

2009-12-14T13:49:00.001-08:00

Ok. So here it goes. After 30 hours of travel through five airports we finally arrived in Nairobi, Kenya. You bet we were smiling just to be off the plane! Children seemed to be everywhere in Kenya. These three lived in the Masai village where we stayed for eight days. In Masai culture, adults seldom ever pick up their children after they are old enough to walk so as visitors we were immediately inundated with a flood of kids wanting a ride. Most of our free time was spent playing games with the kids.

Pastor Simon from the village where we stayed wore this shirt often. The quote pretty much describes how the local believers approach their walk with God. Shortly after we left, Pastor Simon took several local high school youth on a mission to a neighboring region known for witchcraft. Over 300 high school youth and the headmaster of the school accepted Christ. Wow.

These huts are typical of what you'd find in the Masai Village. Most structures are built from mud and sticks. Lumber is hard to come by and expensive. A few buildings in the Village and structures in town were made from hand chiseled stone blocks. Kids seemed to pop out of nowhere whenever you pulled out your camera.

This is our team from Bayside church with two Masai men who worked as security guards at the Rift Valley Academy where we stayed when not in the village. On this particular evening, the Masai guards gave us a show of traditional Masai song and dance.

Pastor Simon's wife cooked dinner for our team and her family every night we stayed in the village. A typical meal included cooked cabbage, rice or boiled potatoes and flat bread cooking on the hot plate below. One night featured small chunks of roasted meat (goat). Yum!!

Masai children at a Compassion International project site gave us a show of traditional Masai song and dance.

While in the Village, we stayed in a small tent compound surrounded by acacia branches (think BIG thorns). The acacia was meant to keep uninvited guests (think hyenas) out of our camp at night. We heard them calling after dark but did not see any in the Village. The rule was "Do not leave your tent between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am" no matter how bad you need to use the restroom.

Did I mention the kids?

This is the community center where we worked. The block was set and the roof constructed in previous years. We worked on finishing the interior walls and the floor. We were also supposed to install windows and doors but the "tomorrow" when they were supposed to arrive never did. Oh, well. It's Africa.

While in Kenya, we had the opportunity to visit a nearby Compassion International project site. The Compassion board of directors arranged for each of us to visit the family of one of the sponsored children. This family had recently moved back into their house which had been rebuilt after being burned to the ground during racial violence the year before. They literally owned nothing but the clothes on their backs.

This was another family of a sponsored child. Compassion International requires that their project sites by initiated by a local pastor. The sponsored children and their families are drawn into the church as the child receives the benefits Compassion provides. God is truly moving in Kenya! Anyone want to go back with me?

Our Fall Day!

2009-11-29T19:14:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

To fully enjoy the smile box, please turn off music on the blog before viewing!

Reading Rally!!

2009-11-24T12:43:00.000-08:00

Each month our home school group has a "Reading Rally", which is a time for the kids to share projects they have been working on, scripture memorization, speeches, etc. This was Isaac's first time speaking to a group, so I helped him out. He shared a book about Johnny Appleseed. Although he was nervous, he did a great job!

Elise did a persuasive and informational speech about Canine Companions for Independence.
Isabel joined Elise for the speech.

Elise did a really great job and Isabel was very well behaved!

(The bones in the background are the backdrop for a series on what the Bible says about Creation!)

Halloween Cutting Practice!

2009-10-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

It is fun to do holiday arts and crafts!

The little kids needed some cutting practice, so I drew circles on orange paper and they cut out pumpkins!
It is nice to see Isaac finally holding scissors the correct way(he was determined to hold them thumb down!!) Camille is beginning to get it, but still wants to turn her hand. I know it must feel awkward to hold scissors the right way at first because almost all kids hold them upside down!

The finished products!

Happy Halloween!

A Colonist's Meal!

2009-10-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

Elise is studying the Colonists in school now, so we thought it would be fun to cook a meal they might have eaten. So, we had a menu of Acorn Squash Soup, roasted Acorn Squash seeds, home-made butter, and cornbread.
Elise did all the cooking!Isaac and Camille helped make the butter, and we all helped eat it!

Everything was delicious! It was such a fun school project! Next we will cook something from the Revolutionary War era. We have a really great book that has recipes common to different periods of US history. What an exciting way to tie historical life into the everyday life of the kids! We love homeschooling!

Our Trip to Apple Hill!

2009-10-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, we decided to brave the weather and go to Apple Hill. It rained on us most of the way up the hill, but once we got there the rain cleared up and we had a nice day! We stopped at High Hill Ranch for lunch and to look at crafts. While we were waiting for our lunch, Camille helped put High Hill labels on the bags for their apple pies. She was very careful, putting the labels exactly where she was told. It was really nice of the lady who was working to let Camille help. Camille felt like such a big girl, too!
Here are the rest of the kids waiting for their lunch!

We also watched as the apples were cored, peeled and sliced by a machine that is over a hundred years old! (I didn't notice the extra kid until after I took the picture!)

Even Joseph had a great time!!

We also went to a U-pick pumpkin patch to get pumpkins!

This is always an adventure!

Everyone found a pumpkin, but Joseph wasn't too sure about his!

Isabel also had fun at the pumpkin patch!

Have I said how great it is to have the "best dog in the world!"?

Isaac was the last to find his pumpkin!

Isaac loves to walk Isabel! (We all do!)

Isabel, otherwise known as, "The best dog in the world!"

Home School at Coloma Gold Rush Days!!

2009-10-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

Last night about 10 pm I was checking my email, when I read about the Coloma Gold Rush Days. So, I decided that a day in the outdoors at a living history exhibit was just what we needed. This morning we got up, put on warm clothes (fall weather is finally here) and headed for the foothills!Isaac, Elise and Camille got to try their hand at sawing wood.

Joseph enjoyed all the sights, as well!

At each of the exhibit stations the kids could collect beads after listening to the presentation. This was a great motivator for Camille, she always loves beads and necklaces!

Even in the 1850's, a girl could find somewhere to shop!

We really enjoyed the wool spinning demonstration. Elise and I have a new appreciation for yarn since we learned to knit this summer! One of the ladies who was spinning is another home school family, and offered to get together with Elise and I to help us learn more about knitting. We plan to take her up on her offer!

We enjoyed our snack while listening to some beautiful period music. The musicians played a guitar and a fiddle, as well as, sang. It was amazing how many songs we recognized!

We ended our day with a picture by the saw mill where James Marshall found gold and started the entire California Gold Rush.

(Getting everyone to look the same direction at the same time proved impossible today!)

CCI Breeder: Isabel

2009-10-04T19:10:00.001-07:00

Here she is! What a beautiful dog!

These pictures were taken when we went to the Canine Companions for Independence campus in Santa Rosa to pick her up.
After meeting Isabel, we took her to the dog park at the CCI campus and watched as she played with some other dogs. Then we got a few training tips from the director of the breeding program(I think we looked like we needed it!) After that, we were able to walk her alone for a few minutes to get a feel for her personality and snap a few pictures.

Charles Shulz, a Santa Rosa native, was a great contributor to CCI!
The kids had to pose with Snoopy! Even Isabel was happy to get her picture taken with such a famous dog!

After we left CCI, we headed out to Bodega Bay for lunch. Isabel relaxed next to our table while we ate. She is very easy going and mild mannered.

At home, we all had fun getting to know her and spending some time on the floor petting her!

We bought her a new dog bed and a rawhide bone.

She was happy with both! She also jumped on the couch as soon as she walked in the door and later into our bed, so we will have to work on her not doing that!

Isabel looks very much like a yellow lab, but she has the reddish tones of a golden retriever on her ears and on her back(like highlights!) She is a really beautiful girl!

This evening we went to a local park and took a picnic dinner. The weather was really nice, so there were a lot of other families with the same idea. Isabel was very well behaved. She just waited while we ate, and then was ready to go exploring!

Although she does fetch, she is easily distracted (so the little kids fetched quite a few balls!)

When I first handed Camille the leash, Isabel thought she was free and headed toward the lake! So I corrected her and helped Camille get her walking in the right direction, and they walked nicely together! This is what I really wanted, a dog the kids could walk! We are all so excited!

We will keep up Isabel's blog with news about her adventures and, of course, her puppies!

A new Kesler!

2009-09-29T15:58:00.000-07:00

We got the news today that we will be adding another member to our family! Her name is Isabel and she was born on December 30, 2007. She has short blond hair and a great temperament. Right now she is with her foster family but we will pick her up Saturday, and if all goes well, we will be her forever family!
You may have guessed, but Isabel is a Golden Retriever/Labrador cross. She is a breeder dog for Canine Companions for Independence(CCI). We will officially be her breeder caretakers until she has five litters of puppies and retires from CCI. At that point she will officially be our pet! We are responsible for her puppies until they are eight weeks old and are ready for their puppy raisers. I don't think it will be to hard to say goodbye to the puppies, we will be ready for a quiet (ha ha) house again I'm sure!
I am very excited to be part of CCI. It is exciting to think that a puppy we helped whelp and cared for when it was little will go on to be an assistance dog for someone. What a great thing! It is also neat to have the kids involved in an organization that has so much respect and has helped so many people. It is just a WIN-WIN. We get a great dog, and hopefully down the road there will be many assistance dogs in Isabel's lineage.
Now for those of you who are asking "Are they crazy?" Maybe. I don't think I am underestimating the amount of work five litters of puppies will be. I just know that the good things in life, rewarding things, are usually a lot of work. Having the opportunity to see one of Isabel's puppies graduate will make all the hard work worth it!!

Great Bread!!

2009-09-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to make homemade bread for a couple of years now, with little success. I have even looked for bread making classes but nothing has fit my schedule. I have always thought that if I could spend time with someone who knows what they're doing I could figure it out. Bread dough needs to have certain textures and be kneaded for specific times according to "how it feels" rather than what the recipe says! For a novice, "getting a feel" for a good bread dough is almost impossible from a description in a book, at least for me it was! However, I am drawn to the idea of fresh bread, so I continued to read books about baking bread(I know some people might find this boring, but not me!!)

Then I stumbled across this book!
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
By: Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois

It has revolutionized the way I bake bread! I have been making bread with the method presented in the book for a month or so now, and I am totally amazed! It really is the easiest, best bread I have ever made. I have been making it while the kids do school every morning, and every night we have fresh bread for dinner! The bread has a crispy crust, with a moist, delicious interior. I know there are fancy bread baking terms to describe the bread(something about crumb?) All I know, is that the bread is fabulous! I have only tried two recipes so far, because the bread is so good my family keeps asking me to make it again! I have made the Artisan Free-form Loaf and the Olive Oil Dough. I have used both for pizza dough and bread sticks. I highly recommend both!

So, I would definitely recommend this book! I checked it out from my local library, but decided I needed to own it. So now I have my own copy!

Dominican Republic Mission Trip!!

2009-09-22T18:32:00.000-07:00

This summer I went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic! This is a picture of all the people who went with me to the D.R. (Dominican Republic), and some of the friends we made.

This is a pool at the beach and they don't have our cleanliness standards. The pool was green with limes floating in it This is the house we stayed at when we weren't working.

This is the beach. They beat our beaches by a mile!

This is the church we spent most of the time in. It is called La 2nd Iglesia de Dios Pentacostal.

We worked on its second story, did a V.B.S. and two church services.

This is the giant pile of sand we used for concrete.

It's bigger than a bus!

This is me on the pile of sand we used on the 2nd story for concrete

This is me and Austin on the stairs while doing a bucket line,

which is how we got the sand to the second story.

This is all the kids and team members playing a game ( I never learned the name!)

This is the V.B.S. at the church. The balloon station is crazy and swarming with kids!

This is a picture of Cody and myself doing V.B.S. at a church called Tabernaculo de Dios.

This is me reading part of the bible story at V.B.S.

We read the story of Jericho.

This is the average meal in the DR, chicken and rice.

This is another picture of us two nights before we left.

I had a great time in the Domminican Republic.

I learned alot and saw how God is impacting the D.R.

I would definetly do it again!
By: Aidan

First day of FALL 2009!

2009-09-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

It's the first day of Fall!

We celebrated by going to a little nature preserve. That frog was in the pond next to a place where turkeys roam!

After our walk we did some papers for our Fall books!

There we are!

and there!

Ooh, it's Isaac!

Camille caught a huge Butterfly! Wow!

Isaac again!

That's Me!

Ants! We found an ant hole! Cool!

I took this picture!

Joseph!

Mine again! Isn't it beautiful!

Here we are!

Turkeys!

Over all we had a ton of fun!

Wish we could go there next season!

Happy Fall to all!
By: Elise

Chickens!!

2009-09-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

I guess this video is the perfect way to introduce our next family adventure!

We are joining the urban chicken underground!

Yes, we are planning to get a couple of chickens. We will keep you updated!

(Please pause music before watching video!)

Family Visit from Montana!!

2009-07-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

I just thought this was a cute picture of Aidan and Joseph!!Camille wore this on the 4th of July. Elise and her cousin dressed Camille and did her hair in red, white and blue. Very cute...and patriotic!! This outfit was handed down from her cousin, then Elise wore it for several years when she was little, and Camille has now worn it twice!
Isn't this just the sweetest picture you've ever seen?
H. your cousin misses you!

While the family was here, we went to the splash park a couple of times!
Everyone had fun!
Joseph LOVED it! He would crawl from spray feature to spray feature.

Even the big kids had fun!

Isaac soaking up the sun!

Auntie T.

Grandma and Papa enjoyed watching the kids from the shade!

We also went camping at Bodega Bay! The kids had a blast playing on the beach! The weather was beautiful the whole time we were there. We couldn't have asked for a nicer trip.

(although I was reminded why I don't camp with a baby!)

I think this is a great picture of B. at the marina in Bodega Bay!

Elise and H!

What a beautiful pair! They had so much fun together!

Pioneer Camp!

2009-05-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

This last week I joined Elise and her class at Pioneer camp. Although we only traveled about an hour, we went back in time about 150years! Here we are hiking to camp, it was just beautiful!Once we got to camp, we changed into period clothing for the time.

Doesn't Elise look just like Laura from Little House on the Prairie!!

I also wore pioneer clothes, the bonnet was really nice in the sunny weather. Behind us is the tent that we called home. We slept in sleeping bags on the ground, which would have been fine if there weren't HUGE red ants! No one got bit, so I guess we worried for nothing!

The kids did all the camp chores of serving meals, and cleaning up after each meal.

Here Elise is washing dishes with some friends.

These kids look like they are waiting to go to school in 1850! It was so fun to see everyone dressed as pioneers, it really helped to make you feel like you had gone back in time!

Elise relaxing in the shade on a porch swing with friends!

This was a one room cabin for a teacher to sleep in.

Candle making!

Rope making!

We learned that when the settlers were coming west, the kids would walk behind the wagon and turn rope. They also tied jars of cream to the wagons in the morning so that by evening when they stopped for supper, the butter was ready. The pioneers didn't waste time(even while traveling) and were very efficient multi-taskers!

This is 'Ole Coot', he is a local trapper who was raised by a bear in a local cave!

He taught us to make pouches, shoot a gun and showed us blacksmithing.

He was also a fantastic story teller!

The last morning we made tamales for lunch. We love to eat them, but had never made them before. Now that we know how easy it is, we will be making them at home also!

We had a great time at pioneer camp!

I think the kids really grew in their understanding of pioneer life, I know I did!

EUREKA!!

2009-04-06T15:41:00.000-07:00

So, since Brian's not working and the kids are out of school, we decided to take a road trip! Last summer we spent a night in Eureka on the way home from vacation and we knew we wanted to go back. Also, we knew we wanted to go to the beach (life always makes sense when you look at the ocean!), so we left for Eureka!

Our first morning we ate like lumberjacks at the Samoa Cookhouse.

The food is always great and there is plenty of it! It is also fun to take the kids someplace both Brian and I went as kids!

After breakfast we drove out to the North Jetty. It was a beautiful sunny day, but there was lots of wind, so the bar was closed to boat traffic. However, there were a couple of Coast Guard boats playing in the giant waves!(OK, they were probably practicing important drills, but they looked like they were having fun!)We then went to the zoo at Sequoia Park. It is a small zoo, but it is really nice! We had a great time! Most of the exhibits have been updated recently, and everything looks clean and new.

Elise and Camille were interested in the Cavys.

There was a farm exhibit with a barn and a petting zoo.

Isaac liked the pig, and riding on the tractor!

The kids also had fun looking at the exhibits.

Camille is seeing what lives in a log, and Isaac is looking at live termites!

Lunch was at a local BBQ place! YUM!!

After lunch we went back to Sequoia Park to hike around in the redwoods. This was Joseph's first time riding in the backpack.

He seemed to really enjoy being in the great outdoors.

Yes, I was there too!

I seem to take all the pictures, so I have to remember to include myself in our memories!

Isaac and Camille in front of a beautiful waterfall!

Yes, we saw a Banana Slug! And no, as Brian would say, they are not lemon filled!

We wore out at least one kid!After the redwoods, we grabbed a cup of coffee and headed to the South Jetty. It was so windy and cold that the kids only played a little while. Here are the kids taking refuge in a beach fort. Since Joseph was asleep I volunteered to stay in the warm car with him, where I sipped my coffee and relaxed in the quiet.

Confusion Hill seemed like the perfect place to stop on the way home! I have never been there before, and it was definitely a touristy kind of place!

Everyone had fun in the crazy, confusion house! Everyone except Camille, she sat down on the floor and cried. It is a very unsettling feeling to have everything out of balance.Isaac loved it!
Elise is climbing the walls!

Aidan took this picture of the rest of us... in the old ladies' shoe!

We also stopped at the drive through tree on the way home. Brian was sure we would fit, and pulled in almost to the mirrors. We folded in the mirrors, and he told me to tell him when we were getting close. I said we only has about two inches and we should not do this. The kids all screamed to go forward, and Brian was about to go. A group of about four or five people were standing on the other side of the tree... waiting to see what was going to happen. Then I again said no, and Brian finally decided not to try. He backed out, much to the disappointment of the kids! The minivan behind us made it through with no problems, but the Durango behind them did not. They did what we did. I know I will never hear the end of this from the kids, but the Yukon is still in one piece. I could just see us getting stuck in the tree and having to crawl out the back hatch...not the best way to end a great road trip!

Soccer Fun!!

2009-04-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

So, at Isaac's last soccer class he played the goalie! It is so fun to watch him play. We are so proud of him!!
He is about a head taller than all the other kids except one boy, who looks older than Isaac. This class is for kids who are 4-5 years old, so he is younger than a lot of the kids!

A Knitted Bib!

2009-03-23T10:34:00.000-07:00

Thank You Auntie Traci!!

Joseph loves the knitted bib you made him. In fact, he is very picky about the bibs he will wear. We were given a package of ten bibs that are terry cloth on the front and plastic on the back. They are crinkly(is that a word?) and fasten with Velcro in the back, and Joseph will not wear them. He cries and pulls at them, and doesn't stop until we take them off! But the knitted bib from Auntie Traci is so soft(and stylish) that Joseph happily wears it!

Some Recent Pictures!

2009-03-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

OK, this picture might be a little misleading!

Although Joseph is really close to sitting on his own, he still falls over. I was able to catch a quick picture before he leaned to the side and fell! But isn't he cute!! He will be so much happier when he can finally sit by himself!

Here is Camille dressed for ballet!

She participated in a parks and rec class near our house. Although she was OH SO CUTE, she isn't ready for this class. There was a lot of lag time as the teacher worked with other students, which made it hard to keep Camille's attention. We will try it again in the fall. I think what she really needs is a preschool hip-hop class...How funny would that be?

Isaac and I were working on the letters for all of our names.

(I know not to use capital letters in the middle of words, we just ran out of lowercase letters!)

This is Elise's science fair project!
Does salt or oil affect the rate of evaporation of water? Stay tuned, we will blog the results soon!

I took Joseph outside while I worked in the garden. It was really beautiful day, and we all enjoyed the sun!

Joseph eats cereal!!

2009-01-20T15:43:00.000-08:00

Here is a Smilebox with pictures of Joseph eating his first cereal! He didn't really like it, and spit most of it up. Doesn't he look cute though? It is hard to believe he is already 5 months old! Time sure flies when you're having fun! (Oops, I guess I gave away his name!)

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Make a Smilebox slideshow

Baby J & the little kids!

2009-01-13T14:49:00.000-08:00

The newness has not yet worn off!

Isaac and Camille still can't keep their hands off Baby J. They just love him so much!

Luckily, Baby J. doesn't seem to mind all of the attention! Isaac is still the best one at getting Baby J. to laugh! They have a very special brother bond!

Camille has given more kisses to Baby J. than any baby has ever received anywhere at any time! We joke that he is the "most kissed baby", and I really do believe this to be true!
It won't be long, and he will be able to run away from all those kisses!

(Enjoy it while you can Camille!!)

Happy Birthday Camille!!

2008-12-29T19:15:00.000-08:00

Doesn't she Look so grown up!

This December Camille turned 3!!
Friends Carver and Zane, cousins Tori and Tommy, as well as, Grandma and Papa T. came over for the party!
We celebrated with some Tinkerbell cupcakes and opened presents.

It was a great time!!

Baby J. Joins the Adventure!!

2008-12-01T21:36:00.000-08:00

Ok, here he is! The newest member of our family!

He is about 3 1/2 months old, and is so sweet!

For now we will call him Baby J. on the blog, but will let you know his full name soon! We are all so excited to have him as a son, and brother!

Aidan's Fall Concert

2008-10-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

Last night was Aidan's fall concert. He plays the trombone for both the 7 & 8th grade Concert Band, as well as, the schools Jazz Band. He really loves it, and sounds great!! These are the new band t-shirts.
The picture below is the Jazz Band. Aidan gets to school an hour early three days a week for practice. This means he walks in the dark during the winter! I'm sure he will tell his kids how mean we were not to drive him all the time (and about the snow and it's uphill both ways!!)It is fun to see him find something he loves doing!

We are very proud of him!!

Hopewalks and the Pumpkin Farm!!

2008-10-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we participated again in HOPEWALKS: A Promise to the Children of the Epidemic. We walked to raise funds for children and families affected by AIDS, poverty and child slavery. The money raised goes to organizations that are meeting physical needs, as well as, reaching these kids and families with the love of Jesus. It was an awesome opportunity serve others as a family. It is also exciting that what we did Saturday will make an impact on the other side of the world!

Aidan isn't in our pictures because he was part of the event volunteer team.
Isaac had a great ride! Camille rode in the stroller part of the way, and also walked some. It would have been to slow for her to walk the entire way(she tends to stop to look at everything!!).
After HOPEWALKS, we went to a local flower farm, nursery and pumpkin farm. It was a very beautiful location in the foothills.

We rode on a hayride!

The hayride stopped at the chicken coop. The kids got to see the orange Halloween eggs the chickens have been laying!
Aidan & Elise! (Yes, he is that much taller than she is!) Isaac and Camille had fun choosing pumpkins!
We had a lot of help getting the pumpkins to the truck!

BANGS!!

2008-10-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

OK, I will be the first to admit that the bangs are cute!

I just really liked her hair before. Before she took scissors and cut it herself! We are lucky, it was a pretty easy fix. We are also lucky that I was standing almost next to her when she did it, so I was able to stop her before she did even more damage! There is a section in the toward the middle of her head that is about an inch long, but I think it will all grow out just fine.

Isaac's Birthday!!

2008-09-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

Isaac had his 4th birthday party this week! It is amazing how quickly he is growing up! He chose to have a dinosaur party, and picked out the decorations himself! We had the party in the evening and invited just a few friends. We had pizza and chips for the kids, while the adults had grilled salmon on crackers with cream cheese, capers and pimentos. Delicious!!We played "Pin the Skull on the Fossil". Isaac's skull was the closest, but he also peaked a little!
This year was a Star Wars year. He got Star Wars PJ's, a shirt, action figures and a light saber(is that right?). He was thrilled with this because Brian took him to see the new Star Wars Clone Wars movie and he LOVED it! (Oh the things you get to do when you have older siblings!)
Isaac also picked out his cake at the store. He loves dinosaurs, so this was perfect! I didn't realize until after he blew out the candles that the dinosaurs on the cake light up and roar. That would have been really fun! The candles spelled his name, which I had never seen before.

What a perfect cake for Isaac!

Here is the big wheel that Grandma and Papa K. gave him. He has already had a lot of fun speeding around in the backyard!
In the end, it was a fantastic evening. We enjoyed our friends, and Isaac enjoyed his. I think he felt very special and loved by everyone!

A Garden Update!

2008-08-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying that we have not been trying to neglect the family blog. We also have not stopped going on adventures. We did, however, forget to take our camera on our camping trip to Bandon,Oregon. This was such a disappointment when we realized what we had done! We did buy disposable cameras and handed them out to each of the kids. We got cd's of the pictures, so I will figure out how to post them soon. Also, Brian had a great time fishing in Alaska! I am trying to get him to blog about it, but he has been busy. We will get to those projects soon!

For now here are some pictures from our garden. This spider has been living in the top of our tomato plants all summer. We have been watching him, amazed, for at least a month now. It is the largest spider I have ever seen in my own yard, at least 2full inches. I am so glad he has chosen the top of the plant to spin his web and live, because I like knowing exactly where he is... before I reach in to grab tomatoes! Brian and the kids have fed it by catching insects to put in its web. What a daddy thing to do!!

This is just a cool picture of one of the many helpful insects in our garden!
Here is Isaac with our crop of red onions. This isn't all of them, because we have been raiding the garden to eat them!
This is the sifter Brian made earlier when we made the raised beds. It is now converted to a drying rack for the onions. The kids really love helping with all of this!
Soon we will post pictures of our new fall plantings. We have started lettuces, carrots, Swiss chard, broccoli, with more on the way!

Camille's First Fish!!

2008-07-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

Camille caught her first fish! We took the boat out to a new spot on the delta, and Camille got lucky! Not only was this the first fish of the day, it was her first fish ever!!!

Brian was very patient as he held the pole and Camille wound in the fish!

Of course she had to touch it!!
Elise caught the biggest fish of the day!
The kids named it Carl even though we decided to keep this one to grill for dinner. When we got home and Brian got the fish out to clean, Isaac happily asked if it was Carl. I guess they are OK with eating things they have named!

Isaac also caught a fish! We had such a great time!
Aidan won the prize for the smallest fish of the day!!

The kids just to love to fish, as long as we catch something!

Aidan is always so helpful!
Here he is helping Camille wind in another catch.

Another successful day on the water.

After fishing the kids went for a swim.

What a perfect day!!

4th of July in Berkeley, CA

2008-07-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

This 4th of July we decided to get out of the heat and go have some fun. We looked online for things to do, and found a festival at the Berkeley Marina. Brian fishes out of this marina and we love to walk on the pier there, so we made reservations at the Double Tree Inn for a couple of nights. Our room overlooked a bike path, the Marina and the boats. We had a balcony where we spent a lot of time people watching, boat dreaming and waving at the dragon boat (the local dragon boat club was offering free rides at the festival and we were on the route)! The festival was fun. The kids did several blow-up jump house activities, we walked alot, and ate fun food! We had Tibetan Momo (which is like dim sum), actual dim sum, knishes, and El Salvadorian stuffed corn cakes. It was all delicious!!

During the afternoon, we also went to the Adventure Playground at the Marina. It is a creative "sandlot" type of place. We decided that it was the most scary, dangerous, exciting and fun place we have ever let the kids play. The playground is ever-changing as kids use hammers, nails and paint to transform it daily.

Camille had fun climbing on the rope web!Elise and Isaac are on one of the many ships at the playground!Daddy and Camille are on a look-out tower!What a crazy slide!!I was very proud to see Elise do the trolley, she is so brave sometimes! Aidan didn't want to do it with her, so she did it alone. SHE HAD A BLAST!!

(and did it about a dozen times!!)Isaac had fun hammering real nails with a real hammer! This is something we just don't get out to play with at home. On Saturday we went to the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland. We have never been there before, and it was a great museum!
Camille and daddy!
Isaac and Camille flying in a space capsule!!

We all took turns looking through a telescope!
Isaac doing a space puzzle!
Learning about the effects of wind on a comet's tail(or something like that!) I think they just had fun blowing on small pieces of dry ice!!
Camille and I went into the Discovery Lab while everyone else went to planetarium. It was a hands on activity center for younger kids.

She looked at rocks, bones and shells with a magnifying glass.
She also pretended to be an astronaut and flew in a space ship!
On Sunday before we went home, we HAD to go to the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley. It is the kids' favorite museum of all time!! We had a great time as always! And, the view is always so amazing!

Isaac and Camille in a mirrored triangle! We almost lost Isaac in the blocks!
Aidan and Isaac raced boats propelled by rubber bands!Elise working on math skills during the summer (her teachers would be so proud)!
Aidan and Brian had so much fun using dams to divert the water flow at the pond.

You never get too old to play in the water!!Elise and Isaac experiencing first hand the shifting of tectonic plates!On the whale in front of the museum.We had so much fun on our trip! We look forward to doing it again next year!

Harsha's Visit!!

2008-07-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

The Harsha family came for a visit in June. The kids all had a blast playing together, and Traci helped out after Grandma T.'s surgery. It was so great to see them!!Traci and Ben!Grandma and Papa T. with all the kids!!

This was such a great day, we took a picnic to the park and Grandma felt well enough to come along!!

What a great looking bunch!!!

We also went to Fairy Tale Town! This was especially fun for the little kids, but we all had a good time!
Aidan, Ben and Isaac!!
Hannah, Elise and Camille!!
Cheesy!!! But very cute!!
We will miss the cousins, and can't wait to get together again!

Our Growing Garden!!

2008-07-03T08:02:00.000-07:00

Here is our garden now (well, two weeks ago)!!

As you can see it is really growing.

This is our tomato and cucumber bed. We have a yellow pear tomato, a Mr. Stripey, and two cherry tomatoes. Isaac and I started the cucumber and cherry tomatoes from seed, and gave away the extras to some friends. It was really fun and now we are both anxiously waiting our first tomato! When we pick a cucumber it disapears as soon as we cut get it washed and sliced. Even the kids know homegrown is better!

This bed has our Peter Pan squash, flowers, onions, leeks, and bush(oops, pole) beans. It has become clear that we have had another plant label mix up from the nursery. We bought 16 bush beans and 6 pole beans, then we planted and trellised accordingly. When our bush beans sent out shoots and our pole beans just grew into squat little plants, we knew there was a problem.

Brian improvised by putting a trellis on both sides of the clump of (now pole)beans, and they are doing well!

This is our zucchini and pepper bed. We have six different peppers and two zucchini. I have been cutting the leaves off the zucchini to keep them from shading the peppers. This has made the zucchini plants look lopsided, but they are still producing more than we can eat!

OKRA!!

This is my favorite! Well, I suppose tomatoes are a really close second. We pick them when they are about 3-4 inches long, skewer them, and grill them with olive oil, salt & pepper. YUM!

Peter Pan Squash, this is Brian's favorite! It is new to us, but is delicious. We roast it whole on the BBQ then slice it, and eat it with olive oil, salt & pepper!

From Grass to Garden!!

2008-05-16T19:40:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures of our latest adventure:
a kitchen garden.

I thought I should give this blog a great title, like from one of my favorite books. So, I considered

which really does describe what we have done. We have removed our lawn in the backyard and replaced it with a garden. This book by H.C. Flores is really great reading and I definitely love the passion Flores has for growing food. But another book came to mind, and seemed just as appropriate.

William Alexander writes about his adventure into gardening, and the economic impact it can have. We haven't broken down the costs of our garden, simply because we really don't want to know!! We love our new garden and that is all that really matters!!

So, here it is, from grass to garden!

First, we assembled the work crew, and dug up the sod.

(Yes, it is the same sod we laid in fall when we were trying to sell the house!)

After the sod was gone we spray painted the bed layout.

Brian is always looking for an opportunity to rent a piece of big machinery! The rototiller made quick work of the backyard. We have clay soil, so we added amendments to the soil.

Then Brian made the raised beds!!

We have two 4x5, one 4x10, and one 1.5x9 garden beds. They are each 12 inches deep. Brian made a screen to sift dirt clods, and the kids had fun helping!
(Any reason to play in the dirt makes them happy!)

Opal enjoyed lounging in the shade of the wheelbarrow while we worked!

Brian and Camille added irrigation to each bed. Here in northern California we won't see rain again until the fall, so watering becomes an important part of the garden plan.

OK, I am helping too! I just seem to be the one who always takes the pictures!

Here it is!

Our garden beds, somewhat planted. After all this work, the adventure has really just begun. Stay tuned...

Our Soccer Star!!

2008-05-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

This spring, since he is just three, we signed Isaac up for soccer through the local parks and recreation district. He goes once a week to play, learn skills and have fun. He just loves it!!

He didn't want to stop to have his picture taken!!

Isaac is a natural! He seems to be in his element while playing soccer. He listens to his coach, follows directions and has been making new friends. It is so much fun to see him doing something he loves!
Isaac also has his very own cheerleader: Camille!

A Snow Adventure!

2008-03-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

Delight yourselves in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

God is so good to us!

Brian has a friend with a place on the lake. Lake Tahoe to be exact. And by on the lake, I mean ON THE LAKE! We got to spend the weekend at South Lake Tahoe in a funky little place on the lake. When I woke up Sunday morning, I opened the curtains to the bedroom, and did my quiet time looking out at this view! The verse that came to mind at that moment was Psalm 37:4, Delight yourselves in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Sometimes God grants us the desires we didn't even know we had, like spending the weekend in the snow and waking up to enjoy the beauty of God's marvelous creation!

Aidan, who used to profess a strong hatred for the snow, had a great time! He even liked sliding down the hills without a sled!
Isaac and I had fun on the slopes(can you call a sled hill that?)!

Isaac LOVED the snow! He rode with anyone willing to share a sled, or went by himself! It was great fun to see him pulling the sled up the hill over and over again. I think it was helpful that we all had decent snow gear this time!

Camille did not enjoy the snow, or the cold weather! This first picture was taken right away when we started sledding. Camille soon began to cry, and was miserable the rest of the time. I tried to put her in the sled so she could sit down, but she laid down and cried(the picture below). Eventually I took her back to the car and put on a movie for her while Brian stayed and played with the other kids. The next morning it was 26 degrees(without the windchill coming off the lake) we tried to walk in town a bit, but Camille just cried and cried. We have had this problem with her before in the cold, no matter how bundled she is, she hates the cold! I think she would prefer a vacation to a tropical place!! Elise also loved the snow this time. Having good boots and snowpants made all the difference for this trip! She had a blast sledding and playing in the snow!
The kids in front of the lake!
This is a tunnel we drove through, the kids thought this was very cool!We had an awesome time! The kids were all good, the weather was great and the views were fantastic! God is so good to us!

Rock Climbing!

2008-02-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

Elise's Brownie Troop went indoor rock climbing, and we all went along to cheer her on. I know she was a little nervous about the event because she isn't a fan of heights. However, once we got to the rec. center she belted up and was ready to hit the wall. We are very proud of her for trying something new(and a little scary!)! She did great and says she would like to go again.

While we were watching the girls climb, I looked down to see Isaac getting belted up! It was very fun to see Isaac give rock climbing a shot as well. He weighed barely enough, and had trouble with the harness. Brian had to put him on the wall(he couldn't pull the harness that far by himself) and he was able to climb up a little. He had a blast!!

Rock climbing was a success!! And both Isaac and Elise want to do it again! We will keep you updated for when they ring the bell at the top of the wall!

A Very Busy December!!

2007-12-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

December started out with a wonderful holiday concert by Aidan's band at school.

He plays the trombone, and we have enjoyed watching his interest in music grow!!

(Doesn't he look so grown up?)

Next, we celebrated Camille's 2nd birthday with a Dora Party!! Grandma and Papa Taylor came to help celebrate.
Camille knew just how to blow out candles and open presents. She had a great time!
Then there was the persimmon harvest.

Some of you may know that my(Staci's) favorite fruit is the Fuyu Persimmon, which is the delicious, firm variety. I have always felt that a home is not a home without a Fuyu Persimmon tree in the yard!! So I waited patiently for the landscaping to be completed to plant the best of all fruit trees. The landscaper brought a tree labeled Fuyu Persimmon, planted it, and we(I) waited patiently again for it to fruit.

Here it is!!

If you know anything about persimmons, you know that this is NOT a Fuyu Persimmon, but the other variety "that which must not be named". It is in fact a large, soft, fleshy fruit. I thought this might be true early in the season as the small fruit appeared on the tree. They were curiously tear drop in shape. I tried to remain positive, but at last I had to admit that I did not have a Fuyu Persimmon tree. Due to my dislike for this variety, I have googled recipes for jam. I will try to make the best of a bad situation. (I already have a spot picked out in the yard for my next Fuyu Persimmon tree!!!)

CHRISTMAS!!

We had a great Christmas! The kids woke up early to open their stockings. Santa is always so good to the kids! Camille wins the prize for the best bed head (we often sing My Hair Had a Party Last Night when we see her in the morning!) Then Grandma and Papa Taylor came by for breakfast and to open gifts. They went home for lunch with uncle Terry and Tori, but brought Tori back for Christmas dinner that evening. We celebrated Feliz Navidad with tamales and street tacos, it was delicious!!

SAN FRANCISCO!!

We planned before Christmas to take the kids to the San Francisco Zoo on the 27th, but the zoo was closed because of the recent tiger mauling. So, we went to Pier 39 and the Aquarium on the Bay. The kids touched sea life in the tidal pools (including sharks). We also walked through tubes underneath the fish tanks that surrounded us with the sea creatures you would actually encounter if you were diving in the bay!

Elise is feeling a sea cucumber!

Everyone got in on the action!!

Out on a pier, we posed for a picture. The bay is behind us, with Angel Island in the background. We had such a fun day!

We had a very busy and fun December!!

We Fish You a Merry Christmas!!

2007-12-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

After two years of vandalism with Jack and Sally (The Nightmare Before Christmas), we have decided to change the the theme of our yard display.

This Year Santa is fishing!!
The Boat Santa has chosen is a Stiper just like our boat!

He has landed a marlin, while a sea lion looks on from atop a bouy. There is also an old pier post with a holiday greeting for the other boaters and passers by.

On the smaller side of the yard is our christmas card(most of the neighborhood has these), and a more traditional north pole scene. We also have a window scene with a snow scene including Mr. & Mrs. Claus, a Christmas tree and sledding snowmen in the garage window.

Merry Christmas!!

Halloween!!

2007-12-07T22:38:00.000-08:00

Aidan decided to be a hobo for Halloween. I think he thought he could just throw on his dad's old jacket and call it a costume, but Brian had other ideas. In the end he had black smudges on his face and a garbage bag on a pole. I guess he still had to work for his candy!!Elise dressed up as an indian. We made her costume, and she looked so cute!
Isaac was a dinosaur again this year!

He loves this costume and wears it for dress-up year round. I think he wore it last year, and Elise wore it a few years ago, so we have certainly gotten our money out of this costume!!

Camille was the cutest pumpkin ever!! She loved dressing up, and wanted to wear her costume all day. She also enjoyed trick-or-treating and eating candy!!

We hope your Halloween was as great as ours!!

Vacationing in Bandon, Oregon!

2007-08-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

This July we took our tent trailer and went camping in Oregon. We had such a fantastic time! We had not camped with all the kids before, so this was truly a

Kesler Family Adventure.
We all had a great time playing on the beach, but I think Brian may have had the most fun! He built a fort out of driftwood on the beach that we all played in. What a great dad!
This is the fort Brian Built!
I just love this picture of Camille!
While at the beach, the kids discovered sand dunes. Or, should I say they discovered rolling down sand dunes? They did this for the longest time! Yes, that is Elise rolling over Isaac in the picture. Let me assure you, he got up laughing and ran back to the top of the hill to go again!! When they were done they had sand everywhere, I think Aidan might still have sand in his ears!
We also went to the prehistric park to see dinosaurs.
The kids were almost eaten, and had to run for their lives!!
The next day we went to a wild animal park. This was a strange, dirty place. I (Staci) did not like it, but the kids had fun. Elise got to hold this baby opossum, which made her day!
We all had a really great time, and look forward to planning another camping trip soon.

Fishing with the Keslers!!

2007-06-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

Isaac caght his first fish on the delta near Rio Vista!

We took the boat out for a day of fishing and swimming, and had a great time! The picture below is the view from the front of the boat where we anchored. It was a beautiful day, and a beautiful place to stop. The birds in the picture are egrets, and they were closer than this picture suggests. The land you see in the forefront of the picture is only visable because it is low tide.

Aidan and Elise also caught fish! In fact, we could barely get the bait back in the water before there was another fish on. All of the fish were too small to keep, but we had a great time catching them anyways!

This was also Isaac's first time swimmimg behind the boat with the big kids! We tie ropes to the kids life-jackets and attatch them to the boat so they can't float away(It is a river!).

Brian is holding a striper in front of his Striper!
Brian's fish was caught a week later on the San Francisco Bay!

Adoption Day & Gardening at Home!

2007-05-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

We decided to celebrate adoption day by exploring a local botanical garden. Brian had to work, so it was just me and the kids. We had a great ime looking at plants, bugs, birds, rocks and whatever else we could find.
The gardens were just beautiful.
Isaac did what he loves to do, he climbed on rocks, and ran around the paths. We were not a quiet addition to this serene environment. Luckily, we were the only ones there most of the time!
Isaac rockclimbing!
Our Home Garden!

As you can see the kids love to help in the garden. We were planting a pear tomato in a pot. Last year our pear tomato took over our garden and part of our backyard, so this year it will have a new home in a pot. The kids were a great help, and 10 minute project took about 40 minutes to complete!! Oh well, we had fun!!
Here is Isaac next to what he considers HIS TOMATO! Last year he ate these tomatoes like they were candy!

Camille is Walking!!

2007-03-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

We are so excited because Camille(14months) is now walking!! She also seems much happier to be up and around. She is getting faster and more stable, so she will soon be able to keep up with Isaac, Elise and Aidan.

Here she is walking!! Sorry the pictures are sideways, I fixed this on my computer (or so I thought!!)

Papa K., I have officially learned my lesson about turning the camera!!

These two sure love each other!!Camille walking has also made Isaac so excited! He keeps pointing at her and telling me she is walking. He has also told several strangers in the store about his sisters amazing walking skills. He is such a typical two year old sometimes!

Brian's Trip to Cabo!

2007-03-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

In February, I spent three days relaxing with nine other guys in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. This was the view from our villa over-looking the town and marina of Cabo San Lucas. Not bad!!

We fished hard on the first day. I landed this striped marlin after a 30 minute battle! I was soaking wet as the boat chased the fish in reverse through rough seas. What a blast!! Just like you see on those TV shows.

On the second day, we played golf on one of three signature Arnold Palmer Palmilla golf courses. It was a beautiful ocean side course. I think I was about 12 balls into it before the 18th hole! Let's just say I won't be quitting my day job for a golf career.

On the third day, we fished hard again. I landed my first pacific sailfish!! For the trip, the group landed 11 striped marlin, 2 pacific sailfish and 16 yellowfin tuna. We brought 50 pounds of tuna back home. It was definately my most productive fishing trip to Mexico yet.

Effie Yeaw Nature Center

2007-03-04T17:35:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago we decided to take the kids out to do some exploring after church. Effie Yeaw Nature Center was the perfect place!! It is on the American River and has both a great nature center and many hiking trails. After looking at poisonous snakes and learning about the local ecosystem in the nature center, we headed out to see some wildlife. We were lucky to see a giant buck right away, then a herd of deer. We also saw many bugs, birds and squirrels. Aidan's favorite was a red tailed hawk!! We had an awesome time!

We put Camille in the Backpack, which she seems to enjoy. She was asleep in no time!

(Aidan took the picture below)

Isaac didn't find any live crawdads, but this one was pretty exciting!
Brian and the kids stop for a picture. It is impossible to get all four kids looking in the same direction at the same time for a picture!!

We had such a great time. It is so much fun to watch the kids experiencing nature, wildlife and just having a good time together. After this outing we decided to make a point to go camping this summer!

Sorry, I accidentally added this photo and couldn't figure out how to remove it!!

Our family Cat!

2007-02-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

Our family cat's name is Opal. We got her at the S.P.C.A. I like Opal a lot, but that is my opinion. She is a good lap cat. She is a pretty cat, but she is a little fussy because we have been giving her medicine. By: Elise

Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley

2007-01-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

During Christmas break we took the kids to our favorite museum, the Lawrence Hall of Science. It was a beautiful day, and the view was spectacular. Behind Brian and Isaac you can see Sausalito, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the San Francisco bay.
Camille had a great time too!
The theme of the current exhibit was Grossiology, which Aidan loved! It was about the disgusting aspects of the human body(burping, snot, gas, etc.). We figure God just has a great sense of humor!
Elise and Isaac had a great time climbing and playing.
When we finished at the museum we headed to the Berkeley Pier. It was beautiful out on the bay, and I am sorry now that we didn't take pictures. We did, however, have a great day!! What a fun adventure!

The Keslers are blogging?

2007-01-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

Well, I can hardly believe it myself, but we are blogging! My hope for this site is to share with family and friends what we are up to. I plan to include photos, as well, so those of you who are far away don't forget what we look like!! (I haven't figured this out yet so check back soon!) I also think it would be fun for the kids and Brian to enter some of the posts, that should provide a fresh perspective on what we are doing. So 2007 will bring us not only a new year, but new ways to connect with loved ones. I hope you will check back in again!