The Olson Family !

Happy 5th Birthday, David Joseph!

2009-06-10T21:06:00.000-07:00

Happy 5th Birthday, David Joseph!
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

David's 5th birthday was celebrated in Amarillo. We had such a fun day! The whole family met at Amarillo Go-Kart Raceway - Miniature Golf Course for some super duper fun. Gerianne and John Paul came from Lubbock! We played arcade games and then everyone got golf balls and clubs and headed to the miniature golf course. We had a great game! Of course, it is June in Texas. It was SOOOO HOT outside! We didn't want to stay out in the heat a second longer, so we went to Furrs Cafeteria Buffet and we all had a great meal, had cake and ice cream, opened up presents, and headed back to the go kart/ golf place for some fun! Gerianne and John Paul had to drive back to Lubbock. Joey was finally off of work, so he came to join in the fun. Batting cages, arcade games and the whole family taking turns on the go karts. What a great birthday! We stayed until 9:00 at night! Thanks to O'Jeff and his family, O'Matt and his family, Grammie, Gerianne and John Paul, and Aunt Terri, for making David's 5th birthday a great one! Happy Birthday, precious David. We love you !

Happy 2nd Birthday, Zachary John

2009-06-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Zachary John
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Zachary John Olson. Birthday number 2. Happy Birthday, big boy!
We travelled back to Amarillo so we could celebrate both of the boys birthdays.
Zachy's birthday was celebrated at Grammie's house with a Thomas the Tank Engine theme. We had a big cookout on the grill and then we ate yummy cupcakes and had a grand time!!! O'Jeff and O'Denise, Joey and Jacki, O'Matt, Aunt Sally, Francis, George and Sam, Aunt Terri, Grammie, David and Mommy and Daddy helped celebrate this wonderful occassion! There were balloons, toys, cards and lots of giggles, kisses and fun. Happy Birthday, precious Zachary. We all love you so very much!

The Royal Gorge

2009-05-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

The Royal Gorge
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Canon City, Colorado. Grandpa Joe's birthplace. I (Jennie) have many fond memories of this place. And I've heard many stories about Canon City.....
The Royal Gorge. HUGE suspension bridge that is built over the Arkansas River. That alone makes me nervous. Though I used to not give a second thought about heights, now, I truely can't stand them. And thinking of taking my precious children over that bridge makes my stomach flop! But we CANNOT live in Colorado without seeing the Royal Gorge.
As you can see in the pictures, a storm was slowly headed in. It was a beautiful site. Though I literally wanted to scream and protest, we DROVE OUR CAR across AND back over the bridge. I don't know that I will EVER do that again. And yes, my sweet David even made fun of me for crying a little! HA! After I calmed my nerves and dried my tears, we rode the enclosed tram down to the bottom next to the river. We saw a train, rapid flowing waters and beautiful little hummingbirds. We WILL be purchasing a feeder for our home for those little birds......We rode a little train and we ate ice cream out on the deck until we were pushed inside by the storm. And of course, we blew some bucks in the gift shop. At least now when I say, "no, we will get it next time we come," I won't be lying! HA! Again, many memories for me. Now, Iwe can make new ones that I hope the kids will remember fondly someday....

Sportsmans Authority

2009-05-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

Sportsmans Authority
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Of course, we couldn't come to Colorado without finding a new sporting goods store. Sportsmans Authority. They list all the fishing areas! The boys are hooked. And they love the small little kiddie sized shopping carts.....The giant stuffed bear is cool too! What about the mama? The apparel is good for girls! Hey, I'm in!

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

2009-05-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

It is wonderful to live 10 minutes from the zoo!! Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is amazingly placed on the side of the mountain! We saw sign after sign about the zoo and the boys couldn't stand it any longer. We put on sunscreen, packed the backpack and headed for the hills to the zoo. We even purchased a year long membership at a military rate. So come see us and we will take you to the zoo! You can even feed the giraffes!
Here are ALOT of cool animal pics. To name a few animals we saw : meerkats, elephants, bears,giraffes, alligators, lions, tigers, bald eagles, kangaroos. peacocks, hundreds of birds and even giant dung beatles !!! Oh, and the view from the zoo is incredible!
We are loving Colorado Springs!

Our First Days in Colorado, May, 2009

2009-05-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

Our First Days in Colorado, May, 2009
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

So we left Amarillo May 21, 2009, and headed for the mountains of Colorado. We drove away from Amarillo with a boat in tow and 4 very excited people! Raton Pass was "interesting" towing a boat. And the closer we got, the COLDER it got! It's May, and we are looking at snow on the ground!
We arrived at our new and very empty home, took a tour and let the boys pick their bedrooms. We turned on the heat, parked the boat and headed to Ft. Carson to stay in the lodging area. It was VERY nice. Kiki Kane, our dearest friend, now living in Colorado, picked up the boys the next morning and took them home with her for 2 days so we could unpack. BLESS HER! Fast forward to unpacking alot of boxes, falling exhausted into bed, scoring BIG TIME on CRAIGS LISTon a $200.00 set of barely used washer and dryer set (including delivery to our house!!) , and bringing the boys back home to their comfy beds!
Not many pictures to go with this big story. Just a few of our first beautiful views from our neighborhood. We wake up to Cheyenne Mountain everyday! Hello, Colorado Springs!

Amarillo, Family, Friends and Fun

2009-05-18T23:40:00.000-07:00

Amarillo, Family, Friends and Fun
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

We are sooo happy to be in Amarillo! Finally, some rest. We had a great trip and are so happy to be here with family and friends. We are at Grammie's house and we are so happy to be with cousins, uncles and aunts and friends. And we have met our new nephew/ cousin, baby Sam! And we LOVE him. Chuck Cheese and Jump N Jive are just 2 of the activities we have done. We love Amarillo!

Wonderland Amusement Park

2009-05-17T23:42:00.000-07:00

Wonderland Amusement Park
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Can't go to Amarillo without some serious fun at Wonderland . David is so excited that he has hit the 42 inch mark. That means more rides! We had an absolute blast at Wonderland. Jacki, Uncle Matt and Aunt Sally, Francis and George all went with us! What a great time! David had serious fun on the bumper cars and Zach tore it up on the boats! We even got on a few scary rides! Yippie!

Headed to Texas!

2009-05-12T23:38:00.000-07:00

Headed to Texas!
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

After visiting Jennie's Uncle Larry and Aunt Libby in Memphis and then eating Memphis BBQ, we headed towards Oklahoma! We spent the night in a hotel and got up ready to see that Texas state line. Along the way we saw Alan Jackson's tour buses and trucks, some cool wind energy generators and of course, the BIG TEXAN! We were so happy to see the Texas State line and then the familiar sites of Amarillo! YAY! We are tired but happy!

Nashville Tennessee

2009-05-10T23:37:00.000-07:00

Nashville Tennessee
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

We have been driving and driving. We needed a break. Something fun. Nashville sounded fun! We called Uncle Jeff and asked him if he new anything fun to do in Nashville. Of course he did! He directed us to an awesome restaurant called The Aquarium. FISH FISH FISH! Now that is right up our alley! We saw everything from sharks and stingrays to schools of fish and even Dory from Finding Nemo! After a great meal, we went to the indoor stingray petting place and rode a carousel, looked at poison dart frogs and pirranahs, and watched David scream with delight when he fed a stingray! We took a quick walk around the front of the Grand Ole' Opry then headed out for a couple more hours of driving. Thanks Uncle Jeff! Nashville is fun!

Mothers Day 2009

2009-05-10T23:35:00.000-07:00

Mothers Day 2009
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

We are in Virginia at the state line. Today is Mothers Day. I woke up to the sweetest 2 boys. Happy faces though they have been completely uprooted. Precious. What a great Mom's Day this is.......

On the road again!

2009-05-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

On the road again!
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Here we go! We are on the road to Colorado! It took us a while to get all packed up from the hotel, so we have made it to the Virginia state line for tonight. Here are just a few fun pics of Zachy on a motorcycle and the boys at a rest area. We're actually doing this!!!

Last Day at Gymnastics

2009-05-08T23:32:00.000-07:00

Last Day at Gymnastics
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

David started gymnastics about a year ago. He loved the gym he was at, but need more of a challenge. So we moved to a new gym. Little did we know it was the national training center for Northern Virginia! Capital Gymnastics. It was a scary place at first. LOTS of people! But in the end, it has become a place we will treasure. David has excelled in gymnastics with his 2 coaches, Ms. Carolyn and Mr. Carlos. And we all have made life long friends. Here are a few pics of the last day with our buddies. Thank you to you all. We love you.

The Moving Truck is Here

2009-05-08T23:30:00.000-07:00

The Movie Truck is Here
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Well, here we go. The moving truck showed up this morning. We are now staying in a hotel and we are having mixed emotions. We are saying goodbye to our second house here in Fairfax. The "Swann House", as we call it. (The owners last name is Swann). And we are excited about the move to Colorado. We are dreading the long drive, but anticipating fun activities along the way. We are saying goodbye to friends, and looking forward to making new ones. Here are a few pictures of the boys in the hotel, and of our friends from the neighborhood . And here is Zach and David on our last bike ride around the block......mixed emotions indeed....

All Clear at the Dentist

2009-05-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

All Clear at the Dentist
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Thanks to our dentist in Fairfax! We made our last visit, and David got an "all clear"! No cavities! YIPPEE. Zachy decided to have a go in the chair . It was fun going up and down, but he sure didn't want to have his teeth checked ! HA ! Way to go guys!

Old Hat New Hat

2009-04-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

Old Hat New Hat
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

After an afternoon of goodbyes to our friends, we needed some cheering up. So we went to the local costume store and found lots of laughs! OLD HAT NEW HAT, the Dr. Seuss book, is one of our favorites! So we coudn't resist trying them on! Thanks, hats, for all the fun and for cheering us up. It's just what we needed!

Starting Goodbyes

2009-04-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

Starting Goodbyes
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

As our time approaches to move from Fairfax, Virginia, to Colorado Springs, Colorado, we have to start our goodbyes. We actually opt for, see ya later. It seems a little less "forever". We had one last playdate with our gymnastics buddies and did a little tree climbing and swinging. It was a hot day but lots of fun. David also said "see ya later" to his very good friend, Gabe. They have been friends since David had just turned 2. We love Gabe and think he is an awesome friend.
We don't like goodbyes. Think we will stick to see ya later!

Just Chillin' in our new Croc Shoes!

2009-04-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

Just Chillin' in our new Croc Shoes!
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

We decided to go to the mall and hang out for the day. We ended up at the Croc shoe store. The boys love these shoes in the summer. Daddy does too. It ended up with all the boys getting new shoes! Zachy's have Dora, Diego, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Nemo and Dory and the letter "Z"on them. David has the letter "D", Transformers and of course, a trout and a fly for fishing! Dad opted out of the decorations. HA! Lookin' good, guys!

Army Guy

2009-04-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

Army Guy
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Couldn't resist these 3 pictures of Zach. He is VERY into the army gear these days. He runs around saying, "army guy, army guy"! Too cute!

Brothers and Bikes

2009-04-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

Brothers and Bikes
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Off to Lake Royal tennis courts for a little fun. David was such a good big brother to Zachary, trying to show him a few tips on riding the bike. We had a great time, until the storm blew in! We raced home in the rain and made it just in time for the hail! ( See the last picture!) David and Zach are good brothers! Can't imagine all the things in the future they will learn from each other.

Lunch With Zach

2009-04-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Lunch With Zach
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Here are a few fun pics of lunch time with Zachy. He is so funny! Love that guy!

Ahhh.... by David

2009-04-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

The sun was shining, the weather was perfect and all was well. We went to gymnastics as per our usual Friday schedule. After class, David decided to walk to the car with no shoes. I helped him up into his booster seat and he smiled and said, "ahhh, smell that clean country air." The boy is ready for Texas!

Easter 2009

2009-04-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

Easter 2009
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Ok, so there are pictures here that are almost exactly like one another. But I thought the boys looked so handsome, I couldn't choose which ones to not show. So you get to see them all. Thank you, Grammie, for the awesome shirts! And thank you, Easter Bunny, for too much candy! Zachy's new favorite word is "chocolate".
The Easter Bunny got to our house very early. He hid numerous eggs all over the house and the baskets were full of goodies. I think he even watched some of Daddy's fishing shows on the DVR ! After the egg hunt, we talked about the true meaning of Easter, read David's new books, DAVID AND GOLIATH and JOSEPH AND HIS COAT..., and we discussed what we are truely celebrating. David was very happy to hear the Jesus had risen again. He does not like the stories about Jesus dying on the cross. He is so sweet and innocent.....
Then after a busy morning, we loaded up and went to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circus! It was only 3 minutes from our house! What a great time. We went for the preshow and got to meet some of the cast. Though blurry, some of the elephant pics were taken by David! Great job! Zach loved the elephants and our favorite thing by far was the family of motorcross bike riders that rode in the big metal ball at crazy speeds! All 7 of them at one time!
We had a great Easter this year. Hope you did too!

Pre Easter Fun

2009-04-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

Pre Easter Fun
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Easter 2009. We love Easter! We have reviewed the story of Jesus several times. David is certain he was there when it all happened, "6 years ago", he says. LOTS of eggs were colored the night before Easter. Zachy enjoyed a blue frosted egg cookie from Grammie (see frosting on face ), and then was so tired, he just went on to bed, dreaming of bunnies and chocolate. David worked really hard on the eggs in anticipation of a big hunt on Easter Day.....

Guy Stuff...Well, girls too!

2009-04-10T13:47:00.000-07:00

Guy Stuff...Well, girls too!
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

David's buddy, Christopher, spent a few hours with us the other day. He brought his new fishing rod! Matt got off of work early and we all headed down to the lake for some fishing! David caught a nice bass on the fly rod in less than 10 minutes after we started fishing. Zachy loved the bass as well as the bluegill that was caught by Daddy! Chris used his new rod and had quite the casting arm! Zachy sat on the bank and seriously concentrated like a good fisherman would. Christopher's mom and sister came and tried out the fly rod. Fun was had by all. See! Fishing is not just for guys!

Happy Birthday Grammie!

2009-04-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Grammie!
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

I went to Colorado to tie up loose ends prior to our move. I had great time with our dear friends, the Kane family. And I'm indebted to Kiki FOREVER, for all the hospitality and transportation to and fro! Thanks! Mom's 74th bday was also on this same weekend. I love Southwest Airlines for the fact that it is $49.00 to fly from Denver to Amarillo. So I bought a ticket to surprise mom for her bday. Gerianne picked me up at the airport and we stopped by Matt and Sally's to see if little Gulde was soon to arrive. Nope. Little turkey! Then off to mom's. She was DEFINITELY surprised! We spent the next 2 days celebrating. Lunch at the Plaza where Joey, my handsome nephew (and the host at the Plaza), was just getting off of work. A great lunch we had along with the sombraro happy birthday to mom. Jacki, Gerianne and I went shopping and we ate dinner with Matt and Sally the next day. We had such a great time! So, Happy Birthday Grammie!

Luck 'O the Irish!

2009-03-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

Luck 'O the Irish!
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Happy St. Patricks Day! Here are just a few cute pics of my precious boys celebrating "lucky day" (as David calls it). David wore his Lucky shirt and Zachy was sporting an awesome green shirt as well. I do believe that the green hair is the item that pulled it all together. Don't you? Happy Lucky Day to you!

Grime, slime, tadpoles and a tree frog!

2009-03-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

Grime, slime, tadpoles and a tree frog!
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

We are lucky to have a really cool nature center about 10 minutes from our house. David's preschool teacher takes the group at least once a month to a program that the center has. Today's program was primarily tromping around in ankle deep mud, netting anything that crawls, swims or jumps around the different "water holes", catching frogs and adopting tadpoles. Zachy and Mommy decided to accompany Buddy and his class on this wild adventure. With Zach in the backpack and with the a total of three 4 year olds, off we went on a muddy adventure. You will see here that David caught a tree frog. He was very excited. So were the other 15 or 20 kids that saw him net it. It was awesome! Zach said "look, look at the frog!" We got VERY muddy but fortunately we dressed for the fun. David and Zach loved the tadpoles and David got to be one of the "assistants" by carrying a big bucket of the tadpoles out for all to see. We DID NOT adopt any of those little guys. ( I reminded David we would be moving soon an wouldn't want to abandon our little friends.) Mud, dirt, grime and slime were the items of the day. Fun was had by all! We are looking forward to finding a nature center somewhere close to us in Colorado!

Skiing Fun

2009-03-01T21:32:00.000-08:00

Skiing Fun
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Before the blizzard of March 2009 decended upon Fairfax, VA, we raced up the road to get in a full day of skiing fun at Ski Libery in Pennsylvania. Zachy said, "I want to go play!" as we approached the day care center. Not a tear was shed. David took an hour long ski lesson from Mr. Nick and it seemed like he had just skied the day before! No fear. Up the lift and down the hill! Lots of giggles and smiles. After the lesson, David proclaimed that he wanted to "go to the top to go faster". OK....so to the top we went! He did great! He is a pro. Look out Colorado, here comes David and his skis! Love this kid.
Don't forget to click on each title for more fun pics!

Snoooow! (says Zachy)

2009-03-01T21:28:00.000-08:00

Snoooow! (says Zachy)
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Zachy was "broken free" from the daycare for some fun play in the snow. He was so excited when he saw his "choo choo" boots as he calls them. Thomas the Tank Engine boots... pretty cool. He kept saying," I play in snow! I play in snow! I go outside!" as I put his snow suit on him. He loved the snow and called it "ice" several times. He was so cute, playing and rolling around. He would throw himself down in the snow and say, "I fell down! Oh no!" Then laugh aloud. Too cute. Wanted to spotlight the little guy for all to see. Love that boy!

Olson Snowmen

2009-03-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

Olson Snowmen
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

While the skiing was awesome and the daycare for Zachy was fun, nothing could beat my 2 favorite little guys going to the top of a big pile of snow and sliding and rolling down. They played together, rolled around with each other and even threw a few snowballs. The smiles and laughs were abundant. Funny how something so simple can bring such joy....Boys....love them so.

Zachy's First Haircut

2009-02-14T22:51:00.000-08:00

Zachy's First Haircut
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Valentines Day, Feb.14th 2009.
We finally did it. We cut those precious blonde curls. Brought a little tear to our eyes, but it was a necessary thing. It was time. Zachy is so pretty! He's recently been mistaken for........well, a pretty little girl! NO ! Not our well built, masculine boy! It was time. We went to the mall and saw a cool Chinese New Year Dragon and celebration, had some Italian ice cream and went to the Cartoon Cuts haircuttery. .... He was perfect. Of course, having big brother, David, standing right next to him was most helpful. And having Dora the Explorer on the TV was kinda cool too. Not one little wiggle. Not one tear. He sat still as could be whilst the beautiful blonde lockets were cut. Sniff, sniff...... But, cutting the curls doesn't take away anything from his fun personality! He is still Zach -a-rama, Zach -a-rooskie! Go Zachy Go Zachy Go Go Go ! And he got a certificate to boot! And of course, mommy took home every precious little blonde curl to keep in a safe place. After all the Zachy trimming, David bravely sat up in the chair and got his pretty hair cut too! What a guy! Then off to Chucky Cheese's to celebrate Valentines Day! Fun was had by all! My sweet Valentine Boys.

What? It's 65 degrees in February?

2009-02-08T22:47:00.000-08:00

What? It's 65 degrees in February?
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Must be a fluke. 65 degree weather in February. We took advantage of that! Zach and Dad took an early morning backpack outing with Zachy sporting his cool shades. Then the whole gang packed up and went to the park for some swinging, climbing, sliding, rock collecting and goose chasing fun. It only got a little nippy after the sun started to go down. Thanks, Mother Nature, for the bright and sunny day!

Winter Fun

2009-01-27T22:44:00.000-08:00

Winter Fun
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

.....and the snow kept coming down! Giant snowflakes were falling. The boys just couldn't hardly stand it! David layered himself with warm clothes and grabbed his new sled for some fun in the front yard. Even though it was too cold for Zach, he enjoyed playing with little snowballs that David would bring to him. Happy kids, smiling faces and even some night sledding in the front yard, made for a great winter day.

Perfect 3

2009-01-19T22:42:00.000-08:00

Perfect 3
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Gerianne, David and Zachary. A perfect group. Enough said.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T22:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2008
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Christmas 2008. The carrots and cookies were placed near the tree for Santa and his reindeer. The boys were being silly, as usual. We even had our own reindeer and Bat Man present this year! YIPEEE !! Santa visited and was very generous this year. Great gifts appeared from family and friends! Elmo, Power Rangers, fishing books, new Husker gear, Ipods, a red sled, Golden Guide learning books about sea shells to rocks, bugs to the weather, and and even a piggy bank for David. By the end of the night, he had $ 73.91 collected! Happy faces, giggles, and snuggles with Elmo made for a great Christmas this year! HO HO HO! Merry Christmas!

Fun With Friends

2008-11-16T22:33:00.000-08:00

Fun With Friends
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Our friends, Declan and Cara, spent a few ours with us having lots of fun! Yummy snacks, a fun movie and lots of giggles were just part of the great time! What great friends we have!

Picnic Photos

2008-11-14T05:17:00.001-08:00

IMG_1756
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

We just got these pictures of the work picnic back in August from our office photographer. This was a good day. We made an appearance at the picnic and then drove to an awesome cabin in West Virginia (See August posts). Thanks to Marla for sharing these pictures with us.

Chocolate Boy

2008-11-08T11:44:00.001-08:00

110108_12161&.jpg
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Zach had a bit of a post Halloween chocolate binge.

It runs in the family.

"So much you can't even STAND it!"

2008-10-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

David saw ice skating this morning on television. He was very interested. I told him how much I love ice skating and how I learned to ice skate in Colorado and the Broadmoor Hotel when I was only 3 years old. He said, "hmmmm". Didn't figure he really cared. So I then told him that we have an ice skating rink very close to our house and that I could take him ice skating sometime.

He smiled so big and said, "Mom, I will love ice skating so much that you can't even stand it". That a boy. I think he might just love it as much as Mommy. And I'll bet he even be better than me!

I love David's willingness to just jump in and try. What a great kid! Maybe we can skate at the Broadmoor when we move to Colorado..........

Bass

2008-10-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

This one will make Daddy happy......... Zach is really talking these days. He has a lot of new words in his vocabulary. Daddy, Mommy, Daado (David), box, fish, ducks, sit, stop, go, what's that?, look, oops, truck, choo choo, ba ba (bottle), up, book, horsey....just to name some of them. Of course, he says, "No No No No !" (hmmmm, wonder how often he hears that )....

So here is the part that will make Daddy smile. This morning, Zachy was running around with his Thomas The Tank Engine book. He flips through the pages rapidly and asks, "what's that?" over and over. Then he spotted Daddy's book on the table. "What's that?" he asked. I said, "that's a book, Zachy. A FISH book. See the fishies? Can you say fish?" Zach looked at the book and said, "BASS", then smiled.

OK Dad, starting him a tad early don't ya think?

Brothers

2008-10-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

Brothers
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Just a few cute pics of the boys together watching a show.....Love them so much..

Pre Halloween Fun with a skunk and a stormtrooper.

2008-10-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

Pre Halloween Fun with a skunk and a stormtrooper.
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Just a few pics from the neighborhood halloween festival. David is a Star Wars strom trooper and Zachy is a cute little furry skunk!

Impromptu "Vacation"

2008-09-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

Impromptu "Vacation"
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Matt had to go to a 2 day meeting by Norfolk at Ft. Eustis. None of us were too happy about Daddy being gone for a couple of days. Then, a lightbulb went off......."Why can't we go?" Don't know if David or Mommy said it first, but it sure sounded fun. So Mom made a call to the hotel that was reserved by Matt (for business) to make sure we wouldn't be breaking any rules with us staying there. NOPE ! "Come on! We'd be glad to have you" said the lady at the desk. YIPPEE !! Matt went on and took off early to make the meeting time, and I packed the bags, made quick arrangements for the pups and loaded up the boys for a 3 hour drive to the coast! The hotel upgraded our room at no cost to a big suite! They even let us in though Matt hadn't checked in yet! We took a nap and then Dad met us. We ended up going to Virginia Beach for a seafood dinner(per David's request) and had a late night seashell hunt on the beach. It was ridiculously cold and windy and Zachy thought it was hilarious! The next day, Matt went to his meeting and the boys and I found another beach. Brrrr! I had to wrap a blanket on Zachy's coat and tie it to keep his hood on! We collected tons of seashells and saw some crazy surfers. Off to an indoor antique carousel for a fun ride and some yummy ice cream. We stopped by Sonic for a yummy drink then off to Ft. Eustis to wait for Dad. We played on the swings and slides for 2 hours! The drive home would have been long, but Dad and David mapped it out so we would drive right past Bass Pro Shop! Go figure. We ended up eating there after shopping and looking at the fishies in the giant tank. The drive home had Dad in one car and Mommy with 2 sleeping boys in the other. Not bad for "impromptu" eh? By the way, there are a bunch of pics here. But there are some goodies!

Disclaimer

2008-09-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

OK, OK. I know I am posting stuff that happened days ago. But better late than never! Just wait until you look at all the pictures of our vacations! And then Halloween is just around the corner! Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it.......
Cudos to those that blog daily....not gonna happen on this blog...ha.

Pumpkins!

2008-09-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

DSCN5013
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Thought these were worthy of separation from a big group. The kids had so much fun playing in these big orange pumpkins at the pumpkin patch!

Go Irish, Go Choo Choo !

2008-09-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

Go Irish, Go Choo Choo !
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Zachy is all grins. Proud to show O'Matt and O' Jeff his ND support. Zachy is also a new fan of Thomas the Tank Engine. He loves to dress up and say "choo, choo"! We love this guy. He is just too fun.

Fall Soccer

2008-09-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

Fall Soccer
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Back to the fun! Soccer has started and David is doing great! He's even faster than he was during spring soccer. He's making goals and really loving the game. He looks awesome in his uniform and super cool shin pads. He has new coaches and a bunch of new teammates! Go David! We love you and are so proud of you!

Festivals and Fingerprints

2008-09-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

Festivals and Fingerprints
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

September is upon us. So, the beginning of Fall and all the festivals and craft shows. We love to go to these things and see what fun there is to be had. This particular day, we found one close to our house. It was particularly warm for September. David enjoyed the big slides, painting and a pony ride. Zachy enjoyed lemonade and, well, lemonade and more lemonade. He was too little to go on the slide and got crazy scared when he got near the pony. Go figure. The coolest thing we did was visit the booth that the local police were running. Both boys got fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a national database of kids. Pretty cool, eh? We even got a copy of the pics and prints. David thought the best part was getting to crawl around in the police car! We love the Fall!

Zachy's Sneaky Snacky!

2008-09-10T15:13:00.001-07:00

Zachy Snacky!
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Can't turn your back on this little guy for a second! Sneaky sneaky! Zachary found his way to the lower cabinet this morning. He helped himself to the Cheerios box. He actually got the box out, neatly opened it, removed the bag of Cheerios and had him self a little snack. He even stopped to say "cheeeese" for the camera. Sneaky little guy. Loves those Cheerios!

Tropical Storm Hanna

2008-09-07T23:59:00.000-07:00

Topical Storm Hanna
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Though the sky was beautiful afterwards, tropical storm "Hanna" brought a whopper of a storm to the Atlantic coast line and gave Fairfax, VA quite a downpour. The rain started about 8PM Friday night and absolutely poured for about 20 hours.
Due to a rainy day, the boys made yummy cinnamon rolls for breakfast and played indoors. Even Herbie and Molly lounged around. But the sound of the beating rain was just too much of a temptation. David pulled on his rain gear and out he went. Zach laughed and stomped in the rain puddles that blew up on the porch. There were times when the bands of the storm came through and we all had to run inside from the wind!
We then saw a couple of poor wayward toads that had been washed down the drains by the office window. Ribbit ! It caused quite a stir amongst the boys in the house and thanks to Dad's quick hands, David's butterfly catching net and Zachy's extreme interest, the 2 toads were "rescued???" and placed in a bucket for all to admire.
After the storm, the frogs and David moved outside. David even took his new "dad wallet" out with him to survey the water levels. (Check out the "back-end" pose). The last 2 pics are the aftermath. Our local fishing lake was flooded beyond imagination. And the picture of the sky is actually taken from our backyard. Beautiful.
All in all, the Olson's survived the tropical storm pretty well. From cinnamon rolls to big wheels to catching frogs, it turned out to be a good day. (By the way, the frogs were set free on Sunday. HA).

Money....by David

2008-09-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

Funny boy:

David is IN TO MONEY these days. During a brief visit to Walmart the other day, I was victim to the routine "shakedown" from David. "I need that, Mom. I want that, Mom. You should buy this for me, Mom"....etc. This time, I gave in. A $2.00 pouch that had a monkey on the front, used to hold money. Seeing as how Zach loves to put money in his mouth, the idea of David collecting every coin in the house and keeping it in this little pouch, seemed worth the $ 2.00. This little pouch is now lovingly called, "my kid wallet" by David.

Scene: Dad got home from work. David: "Dad! Look at my kid wallet! Isn't it awesome?" Matt, "Sure is David! Do you have money in there?" David: "Yup! And I have more under the rug! I'll go get it!" Under the rug. What exactly did that mean? I tiptoed up the stairs behind David, followed him to our bathroom, and found him pulling up the bathroom rug. Up against the wall next to the counter was at least $6.00 or $7.00, in change and dollar bills. Little turkey. He's been collecting money for WEEKS! Our fault for leaving it lay around for little hands to grab! Now that little "kid wallet" is stuffed!

Parental responsibility here: We did discuss picking up money that doesn't belong to us and keeping it..........don't want to start a thieving problem here, but do like the idea of him saving money!!! :)

By the way, he now has a second wallet, one of Matt's old ones, that he calls his "Dad wallet". The boy is loaded.

Delightfully David: The Mole

2008-09-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

Sweet David is so unbelievably articulate. Some of the things he says just blow us away. Here is one in particular that just makea me smile as I write it.

Scene: Nap time. Zachy was already asleep, David's head bobbing and eyelids looking droopy. Now most all of you know that Matt and I both have a mole, yes a mole, that David likes to rub when needing comfort. Matt's is behind his right ear, mine is in front. Sometimes, in dire need, David feels as if he needs the "double mole", as he calls it.

I felt this little hand go up and rub my mole. David stated, "I am NOT tired, Mom." When he says that, he IS tired. So I convinced him to go upstairs and lay down with me for a little shut eye. Again, he rubbed the mole. Note: though most people don't want to hear or talk about it, moles sometimes "sprout" a few hairs. Gross, but true. I choose to intermittently "remove" mine, and had done so earlier in the day. Anyway, David rubbed and rubbed and rubbed, then forcefully pushed my head sideways to actually look at the mole. "Mom," he said. "Your mole. It's...., well it's...." He just couldn't find the words to describe that it wasn't fuzzy anymore. Then finally..."Mom, there is something wrong with your mole. It's not turned on!!"

Early Fall Fun

2008-09-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

Early Fall Fun
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Great early fall weather has encouraged us to get outside this last week. David started back to his daycare/preschool and has started up with a new gymnastics class. Zachy is growing each day and misses his brother terribly when he is not home. He goes through the house yelling "DAAAA DOE!" When David is home, we go play with friends, go to the park and swing and have great bike and wagon rides. Here are a few pics of each. These guys are getting bigger each day........

Pool Closes...Bummer.

2008-09-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

Pool Closes...Bummer.
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Labor day weekend was the end of our season of fun at the pool down the street. We were there at least every other day almost all summer! That's alot of fun in the sun. David got an incredible tan despite liberal use of sunscreen. He took a few swim lessons and managed to go down "that really scary slide" 4 times! Zachy got more blonde with each day in the sun. He only drank a little pool water and has developed quite a love of the pool. Yippee!! Our last full day included 6 hours in and out of the water, a BBQ, raft night, popcicles, staying until 8PM closing time, 2 exhausted but happy boys, lots of laughs with friends and a little boy named David that slept until noon the next day. The very LAST day (next day) was only 4 hours of swimming, a pizza party in which all the lifeguards joined in and 2 tired boys again. David and Zachy have made good friends with 2 particular lifeguards. Karly and Steve O. David draws pictures for them almost every time we are there on the paper that he "requires" me to keep in the pool bag. Zachy will jump in to either one of them and loves to play in the water. We are sad to see the pool season end, but Karly and Steve O said they would babysit for us this fall and winter ! YEA ! Goodbye pool. See ya next summer!

Rainy Day Fun

2008-08-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

Rainy Day Fun
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

We woke up this morning to a downpour of rain! Yippee! Our grass was prematurely turning yellow and crunchy. YUCK. When David realized there were large puddles outside, he ate his breakfast in record time, ripped his jammies off, dressed himself and put on his rubber boots and new awesome raincoat and ran out the door. Of course, Zachy was out the door behind big brother. It was so wet, David even got his snow shovel to scoop up the puddles! Zachy drew scribbles on the porch with chalk and had fun watching David play. David helped Zachy be careful on the steps and showed him the pretty flowers. What a great morning. Rainy days are lots of fun!

Olson Fishing Weekend in West Virginia

2008-08-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

Olson Fishing Weekend in West Virginia
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

We decided to venture in a different direction this last weekend. Our trips usually take us to Pennsylvania, but we just wanted to see something different. And boy, did we! Not that PA is not a beautiful state, but West Virginia is awesome! A 3 day weekend for Matt enabled us to leave early on Friday and arrive at a beautiful cabin. It was way too big for the 4 of us, but it was the only one they had! It was beautiful and had all the luxuries of home. A washer and dryer, heart shaped whirlpool bathtub, a relaxing hot tub outside under the stars and beautiful floor to ceiling windows in the front to see the beautiful view. Let's not forget the trout stream practically in the front yard!
Our first evening was fishing, exploring, dinner, a bubbly bath for Zachy and David in the giant tub, and a relaxing time in the hot tub for Mom and Dad. The only downer was Mom getting pulled over by a policeman on the way back from dinner. Speeding.....bummer. But he got one look at the sweet, beautiful boys in the back seat watching a movie, and could only issue a warning. WHEW !!!!!
Saturday included leaving our cabin and driving to a new motel that had a great little home cooking type restaurant. Best bowl of slow cooked green beans we have ever had. Then a quick nap followed by a drive over to the Cass Scenic Railroad! We road an old steam engine train. The "Fiddles and Viddles" ride. Up the mountain to a great buffet dinner, some bluegrass tunes and some great exploring by David and Zachy. Back down the mountain to the hotel in time for Zachy to have a bath before bed and for David to catch a cute little frog. Sunday was breakfast and a ride up the mountains to a remote little place to catch big ole trout. Three, to be exact. One was 20 inches long! Mom even tried a little fly fishing! Zachy said, ' -ish ! -ish!" Loves those fish! David was a great fisherman and Daddy did the hard work. An ice cooler and some ice and off for home with 3 "ish"! We finished the day with the all American dinner at Shoneys. We were tired but happy and glad that we have discovered alot of fun in West Virginia! Wow! What a fun filled weekend!

Return of the Tabby

2008-08-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

Our estranged cat Morris has returned home after well over a year's absence. He has been roughing it in the wilds of Kings Park West like a feline version of Eric Rudolph: living off the land and avoiding the man. Morris’s first order of business upon return was peeing in Herbie and Mollie’s dog food. While he could have been confused having been away from a litter box for so long, it was clearly a political statement. Given his experiences with the beagles it is understandable. We are happy have Morris back, but we are not sure how long this will last.

Silly times at Grammies

2008-08-01T18:40:00.000-07:00

Silly times at Grammies
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

It is impossible to list all the fun and silliness that went on at Grammie's during our vacation. There were laughs and giggles galore with Uncle Matt, Aunt Sally, George, Francis, Uncle Jeff, Aunt Denise, Joey and Jackie along with Grammie, Aunt Terri, Matt, Jennie and of course, the kings of giggles- The Olson Brothers- David and Zach. There were 2 trips to Wonderland Amusement park, a visit to the Discovery Center where there was a "body noises" display that burped and "passed gas" and where there were giant bubble making machines. We hung out at Uncle Hunkies and Aunt Jerry's, jumped on the trampoline, got pushed in the walker by Gram and Jerry , told fishing stories to Hunkie and got to see his collection of rattlesnake rattles. We went swimming in Aunt Terri's pool, took trips to the park to play on the new equipment, played on big wheels and scooters until dark with the neighbors grandkids, and chased down the ice cream man for a giant popcicle, Whew! Just listing all these fun things is incredible! It is easy to say, WE HAD A BLAST AT GRAMMIES !! WE LOVE TEXAS ! Thanks to everyone for making this a fun trip for us! We love you all!

Albuquerque, New Mexico

2008-07-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Off on vacation! Grammie went with us to Albuquerque and we had so much fun. Daddy drove us to Albuquerque on Monday evening. We checked in at our hotel and then off to find the Tingley Beach. This was our main reason for going! A stocked trout pond, a kids fishing area and well, fishing, fishing and more fishing. Zachy and Grammie checked out the ducks and geese as Dad and David surveyed the area for the following day of fishing. Early in the morning, Dad would "check out" the pond and come back to the hotel with reports. We had a great time relaxing, trying out the yummy New Mexico cuisine, and of course, visiting the beautiful aquarium, botanical gardens and the zoo. Zach "oooh'd and ahhhhh'd" at all the animals and David got to hand feed some beautiful birds. And we can forget to mention that David was the ONLY one to catch a trout at the pond. Check out bassslayer.blogspot.com for more details! What a fun time in Albuquerque! Just a little side note: Having grown up with a mom that was also a teacher, we frequently had "spelling" contests and such in the car on our travels. Many, many years ago on a trip to New Mexico, mom decided that we needed to learn to spell Albuquerque. It was a doozy, but A-L-B-U-Q-U-E-R-Q-U-E. There you have it. I've never forgotten how to spell it. Thanks Mom.

Zach and Grammie

2008-07-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

Zach and Grammie
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Zachy and Grammie had some special times while we were in Amarillo. They became great buddies. Grammie showed Zach the big back yard and all the pretty birds through the large glass window in the living room. Zach and Grammie spent alot of time "talking" about their discoveries. Fun times for Zachary and Gram.

Incredibly Handsome Boys

2008-07-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

Incredibly Handsome Boys
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Just a few pictures here of our handsome boys in their tuxedos for Gerianne's wedding. Have you ever seen 2 more beautiful boys? Love these guys. You can look forward to more "formal wear" pictures when the wedding pics arrive! Handsome, handsome, handsome.

Wedding Day ! July 25, 2008. Hours before the wedding!

2008-07-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

Wedding Day ! July 25, 2008. Hours before the wedding!
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

The day has arrived! As you can see, the bride is serious in thought, and very happy that the day is progressing so well! The morning started off early with a bunch of early morning errands. Final tux fitting for JP, groomsmen and Mr. David Olson. Libby and company were up ridiculosly early working diligently to making the auditorium look FABULOUS ! Off to the "beauty parlor" for some beautifying. On went the vail along with lots of pins, hairspray and of course, backcombing for poofs. Then off to MAC cosmetics for a few pretty touches for an already stunning bride. Little Zachy had fun watching and dancing to the cool music at the MAC counter. Just a note here, David decided at the pre wedding pictures that he would like to take pictures himself. So all the last 13 pictures are courtesy of David. Pretty good job there little man! What a beautiful bride!!!! Can't wait to see the full set of actual wedding pics!

Pre Wedding Activities

2008-07-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

Pre Wedding Activities
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

With the wedding day approaching, we traveled to Lubbock, TX with anticipation. We had so much fun staying with Gerianne in her apartment and enjoyed hanging out with John Paul and even Cooper Tucker and Ceasar ( all puppies :)

Multiple trips to Sonic and Taco Villa were perfect beginnings and endings to a day. And hanging out in the freezing cold pool was fun for David........cold for Matt. HA.

We had David's tux fitted and man, what a handsom dude!. We got a tux for Zachy and WOW, lookin' great ! We had massages and facials and had a fun meal with family and friends.

What pre wedding fun!

July 4, 2008

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

July 4, 2008
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

OK, better late than never. July 4th, 2008. Mommy went to work for 8 hours and then home for fun. It was a cloudy day with rain in the forecast. Our neighbors down the street invited us to a BBQ, kids bike race and water balloon fight. Of course, David LOVED the water balloons. And during a brief downpour of rain, we filled up all the balloons we had a home for round 2. We had yummy snacks and lots of fun and daddy had to go get the car to drive us up the street as the rain was coming down in sheets an the sky was turning black. Zachy loved all the attention and David rode his bike around in circles. We ended the night with a few sparkly fire crackers (not sparklers- mom's rule), some smoke bombs and some black snakes. Nothing fancy. But fun for all. Zachy went to sleep and David, Dad and Mom sat on the front porch and watched beautiful fireworks. What a great day.

Ahhh....Motherhood

2008-06-20T10:33:00.000-07:00

No picture here. Just a simple fact that you moms out there will understand. It's one of those, "you know you are a mommy when....". So here it goes. My position of motherhood was reaffirmed today as my precious Zachy demonstrated that he is getting bigger. He looked at me with those big beautiful blue eyes, smiled and showed me his 4 little snaggly teeth, then...............grabbed my shirt and wiped his nose on it. Lovely. Now they BOTH do it! Oh, and did I mention that now he and David both giggle when one of them "lets out a windy?" Fabulous. Boys. Motherhood. Love it.....( I AM smiling as I write this, HA ! Love my babies!)

Happy Fathers Day, Daddy !

2008-06-15T22:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers Day, Daddy !
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Fathers Day 2008. We packed up and went back to our favorite campground in Pennsylvania. Another fun filled weekend with fishing, camping,, driving in the beautiful Pennsylvania Amish countryside, a big rain storm, a smorgasboard of yummy food, a Father's Day pancake breakfast, a train ride on Thomas the Tank Engine in Strausburg, and a trip to Bass Pro Shop for Daddy. The best part was spending time with Dad. From rocking on the front porch in a big rocker, to fishing in the pond, Zachy and David had a great weekend with Dad. Happy Fathers Day to our Daddy! We love you! Love, David and Zachary, and Mommy too !

All SORTS of mischief!

2008-06-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

All SORTS of mischief!
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

This silly boy. He gets into EVERYTHING. Now that he is walking around, he can't be stopped. I couldn't resist putting up a few pictures of this rascally boy getting into some mischief. Though he has his little "bummer bonnet" that has saved him NUMEROUS times, he still also gets the occassional boo boo. This kid is too much :)

Guitar Man Part 2 - Serious Jam Session

2008-06-12T12:54:00.001-07:00

Guitar Man Part 2 from Olson on Vimeo.

MOVIE : Guitar Man Part 1 The Boy Has Rhythm !

2008-06-12T12:52:00.001-07:00

Guitar Man from Olson on Vimeo.

Happy 4th Birthday David Joseph

2008-06-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th Birthday David Joseph
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Wow. A big 4 year old. The time has gone by so fast. First we had this tiny little baby, now this big 4 year old. David celebrated his 4th birthday with a big pool party at the neighborhood pool. All of his friends came from preschool and the neighborhood to celebrate with David. The party was scheduled from 4 PM to 6 PM. The sun was out and the temp was a balmy 100 degrees. HOT ! Fortunately the pool had 2 canopies and we were able to get a lttle shade. The sun went down quickly and the pool water was nice and cold. As you can see, the theme of the party was Power Rangers. The pink and black Power Rangers even showed up to David's party ! ( With a little "phone call" help from Mommy" . Surprisingly, David was a little apprehensive and wasn't sure he wanted to get too close to the Power Rangers. But he sure talks about it alot!
David Joseph. 4 years old. David amazes us every single day. He is incredibly articulate and definely speaks his mind. He knows exactly what he wants. He loves to count, spell, and "do homework" , i.e. tracing books and maze books. He can practically read the Dr. Seuss books to you. He picks out what he wants to wear, dresses himself, brushes his own teeth and tells us exactly what he would like to eat. He is getting better at swimming each day and loves to jump in and out of the pool. He is amazingly fast and is becoming quite the little athlete. He still loves to eat noodles and salmon, and baby corns and vegetarian corn dogs are still on his favorites list. And lemonade. This kid LOVES lemonade. He goes 90 miles and hour until he is exhausted. David loves Zachary so much and tells him he "is the best little brother ever." He is sweet and loving and tells Mommy and Daddy, "I love you," at least a dozen times a day. He is kind to his friends and polite on the phone. He loves to talk to anyone that calls, especially his Gerianne. And we all know what a passion he has for fishing. We won't say more than that. Thank you to everyone that helped us celebrate with our big boy.
David, we love you, our precious big boy. We can't believe you are 4 now. It has been a great 4 years and we look forward to each and every single day of all the years ahead.
We love you!
Love, Mommy, Daddy and Zachy

MOVIE : The Olympic Gymnast

2008-06-08T23:59:00.000-07:00

Untitled from Olson on Vimeo.

Champion Gymnast

2008-06-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

Champion Gymnast
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

David is an awesome gymnast! He can do the splits and make a bridge and smile at the same time. He can walk on the tallest beam, do 15 chin ups on the bar (more than anyone else in his class), do a front flip OVER the bar, and hang from and swing on the high bar then fearlessly jump into the pit. He can do tuck jumps, split jumps and seat drops on the trampoline then come to a quick stop in the blink of an eye. And the obstacle course. Well, that's a breeze. His instructor says, "Watch out with David! If you blink, you will miss him. He is so fast!" David does 3 front rolls, then off to a cartwheel, then up the ladder to hang on the rope. Down the rope, another cartwheel, then swing on a rope and drop into a hole. Fearless. Then a big back sommersault over a large mat, a big twisting jump, then start it all over again. FANTASTIC! Daddy, Mommy, Zachy and Pop Pop watched in amazement at the whole routine, then watched proudly as David accepted his trophy. (Psst....I think he got Mommy's gymnastics gene :) Big smile) Way to go David. Is there an olympic gold medalist in the making???

Zachary John Turns One

2008-06-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

Zachary John Turns One
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

June 5, 2007, 4:30 AM. Zachary John Olson was born. This precious round bundle came into our lives. Pink, perfect and precious. All 8 lbs and 4 ounces. Today, June 5th, 2008 is his first birthday. What a great celebration. Zach got lots of phone calls from family and friends wishing him a happy birthday. We had cake and Zachy got some great gifts. He looked so cute in this birthday hat! This sweet boy is incredible. He is always laughing, smiling, chuckling and is so easy going. He has 4 cute little teeth, chubby feet, a round little bottom, curly blonde hair, a perfect button nose and the most beautiful blue eyes you have ever seen. Zachy worships his brother whom he lovingly calls, "Daaado". He says Da Da, Ma Ma , Uh Oh, No No, Ohhhh, and UP! He waves bye bye, blows bubbles and is taking 6 or 7 steps at a time. He loves the swimming pool and the bathtub, graham crackers, ice cream , peas, watermelon, strawberries and, well, eating in general. He puts EVERYTHING in his mouth and he likes to bite! He is admired by all the people whom he smiles at in Walmart, at restaurants and everywhere else we go. He brings a smile to everyone's face when he enters the room. Zachy loves music and is starting to dance, and loves to drum and "pat pat" on tables. He claps and cheers when he is happy. We call him Zachy and he laughs when we say, "Go Zachy, Go Zachy, GO GO GO!" He loves to cuddle with his blanket and sit in Daddy's lap at night until he falls asleep. He loves to wrestle and jump on the bed with David. And he loves to sit and cuddle and be near Mommy. This year has gone by so fast. All the nausea, heartburn, stretchmarks, sleepless nights, backaches and crabiness were worth it and more. Zachary John Olson. Thank you for the joy you have brought us this past year. You are a precious angel and we can't wait to see you grow. We love you! Love, Mommy, Daddy and David.

Memorial Day Part 3- Hershey Park Rollercoasters!

2008-05-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Part 3- Hershey Park Rollercoasters!
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

OK, read part 1 and part 2 first then...check out that rollercoaster! Mom and Dad each took a turn riding that thing! It was SCARY ! Of course, the whole time Mom was riding, she kept thinking, " I have a family that needs me. What in the heck I am doing ALL THE WAY UP HERE risking my life for a one minute adrenaline rush?" Ridiculous. But what a minute it was! David enjoyed tons of rides. Especially the spinny ones. Thanks, Dad, for bailing Mom out of those. Not good on the stomach. Zachy looked way cool riding in the backback. He even rode a couple of rides while still in the backpack. Loved it! David enjoyed a yummy hotdog (Zachy ate the bread ), and we even saw some fish in the water! Believe it or not, we only did about 1/3 of the park. And we were there over 6 hours! We still need to go back and do the whole waterpark and the zoo! A fun time was had by all. They day ended with a downpour of rain just at closing time. Felt good after a hot day. We put the kids in their jammies and they were out in less than 5 minutes. Didn't even stir when we carried them in from the car. Slept all night. Now THAT is a success.

Memorial Day Part 2-Hershey Park CHOCOLATE !

2008-05-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Part 2-Hershey Park CHOCOLATE !
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

We packed up our gear, cleaned the cabin, and headed off for Hershey Park. Yes, as in HERSHEY CHOCOLATE ! YUMMY ! We arrived at a huge factory and could see that this would be a fun day. The rollercoasters in the background had David screaming!
We toured the inside of part of the factory and saw more chocolate than any human could consume. We saw singing cows, giant KitKat bars, thousands of Hershey kisses and giant tubs of milk chocolate that were screaming "JUMP IN HERE !!!" It was like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory!!!! We actually showed great restraint and ate only the little samples that they gave out. Delicious! We purchase NO Tshirts, NO giant candy bars and NO "make your own mix of chocolate" bags. DARN IT! This was quite the challenge for my Weight Watchers! HA. So after the fun, off to the roller coasters! See part 3........to be continued

Memorial Day Part 1- Sunvalley Camp Ground

2008-05-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Part 1- Sunvalley Camp Ground
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

We booked a fairly primitive cabin for the weekend. With packed suitcases and excitement from all, off we went to Pennsylvania. About 3 hours from our house is a great little campground. It was awesome. OK, so it was FREEZING COLD the first night as we brought "linens" (per instruction), but forgot the blankets. Lucky for us, David is one lucky little dude. The campground had a silent or "Chinese" auction on Saturday afternoon. You purchase tickets and drop one side of it in a brown paper sack attached to the item you want. If your number is called, the item is yours. We spent $10.00 on tickets. All the items are donated by residents of the campground. David picked each thing we should "bid on". WE WON 5 THINGS ! Including a very warm blanket and an extra set of sheets. Way to go, Buddy! Zachy and Daddy took a nice long nap during the auction, then we all met up and went....yup, you guessed it...FISHING! Just so happens that there is a catch and release pond about a 30 second walk from our cabin. How about that. David even gave Zachy a few fishing pointers. So we fished, cooked steaks out on the grill, ate Hershey's ice cream, made smores, and David made a new friend, Jarrod, whom he played and played with. David actually cried when we left. So we will be returning over Father's Day weekend. How about that!? Stay tuned for more camping pictures!

Take Your Kid To Work Day

2008-04-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

DSCN3794
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

David got a taste of the real world this week. Thursday was ‘take your kid to work day.' David was so excited; he made sure I got him up to catch the bus, but he was clear that he didn't want to take the "early bus." He insisted on wearing an appropriate color: camouflage. He also had to take a big swig of joe before he was off to the grind.

Everyone loved David at work. He quickly made friends with the daughter of one of my co-workers. Mom and Zach came up later for arts and crafts in the courtyard. Unfortunately, we have no pictures of anything past us boarding the bus. Apparently, our enemies could potentially exploit the images of the arts and crafts, and David coloring at our meeting table. So, David may be a little non-committal about what he actually did on Thursday. He could tell you, but...

MOVIE: David's First Soccer Practice

2008-04-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

MOVIE: David's First Soccer Practice from Olson on Vimeo.

David First Soccer Practice

2008-04-19T21:19:00.001-07:00

David First Soccer Practice
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

He is growing up so fast ! We can't believe that we just sat through our little man's first soccer practice. Time goes by fast. We remember laughing about how much fun we would have, going to David's sports events as he got older. Now, here we are, soccer. Looks like the little man got some of the athletic gene from his mommy. He's a natural! We think we had just as much fun watching as he did playing! Many more pictures to come during the summer and the actual season in the fall. WOW ! First soccer, then school, then ... who knows?, but we can't wait to find out!. Thanks to Zachy for being a great boy during big brother's practice. Way to go, DAVID !

DISCLAIMER

2008-03-31T00:24:00.002-07:00

OK. I realize that there are a BUNCH of pictures and videos to watch below. It is much better to put them on here one or maybe two at a time so as to not overwhelm our viewing population. But here is my excuse other than being crazy busy here. Our digital camera is broken! Everyone of these pictures comes from our cell phones! It is a painstaking process to download each picture, one at a time. So, there you have it. My excuse. And yes, we are going to buy a new digital camera- ASAP. So, thought I would just put this little "disclaimer" note to try to save myself. Enjoy the pics!.....Jennie

Happy Easter 2008

2008-03-31T00:24:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter 2008
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

The Easter Bunny visited the Olson house! There were eggs hidden in all sorts of fun places. Lots of candy was found (and eaten), and baskets were explored! Gerianne was here with us to celebrate Easter. YIPPEE !! Zachy played with plastic eggs and David read his new books. What a great day! The boys had their picture made with the Easter Bunny a few weeks ago. Don't they look handsome? Happy Easter from the Olson house.

A Day In The Life of Zachy

2008-03-31T00:15:00.001-07:00

A Day In The Life of Zachy
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

A typical day for Zach: Wake up with a smile, look incredibly cute, coo and talk alot. Followed by a diaper change and lots of kisses from Mommy, Daddy and David. A few more smiles and laughs, then down to the kitchen for some breakfast- usually oatmeal (see evidence on face) and fruit and a bottle. Watch a little baby Einstein flick to stimulate the brain. Talk alot, smile alot, more kisses. Upstairs to playroom. Don cute hats and clothes, more smiles and some giggles and just play and put stuff in mouth CONSTANTLY. Off to bed for a nap. The rest of the day is pretty much a repeat- food, fun, naps, kisses and hugs, brotherly love, playing and putting stuff in mouth. Wow, what a life. Isn't he a cute little guy? Getting bigger and cuter by the minute

Olson VS Gulde Bowling Challenge

2008-03-30T23:27:00.001-07:00

Olson VS Gulde Bowling Challenge
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Notice the scores. Bottom row. Yup. That is a score of 100. Bowled by David. Awesome for only the 2nd time bowling. Bumpers up, of course. So we called Uncle Matt, Aunt Sally , Francis and George, and Uncle Matt said, "the challenge is on". They plan to go bowling, bumpers up, and try to match the score. Good luck, Gulde family. Olson VS Gulde Bowling Challenge is officially on.

MOVIE: Wipeout !

2008-03-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

WIPEOUT ! from Olson on Vimeo.

MOVIE: David Ski's Again !

2008-03-30T23:22:00.000-07:00

David SKI'S again ! from Olson on Vimeo.

Skiing Fun Part 2

2008-03-30T22:46:00.001-07:00

Skiing Fun Part 2
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Here are some great pics from our 2nd ski trip. David was a trooper. Just put those skis on and down the hill he went. Zachy was a trooper too! He went to the daycare and made new friends and everyone said they think he is the "cutest baby ever". We agree! David met "Powder", the ski bear. Powder said hello while we were skiing, then found us on a lunch break! David told Powder all about his skiing ability and Powder gave David a really cool purple necklace! David polished off a pizza and back to the slopes we went. Zachy was happy to see us at the end of the day. We got in the car to head for home and both boys were asleep in less than 5 minutes. Now that is a successful day.

David on Skis! WHAT?

2008-03-07T09:14:00.001-08:00

David on Skiis! WHAT?
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Liberty Mountain skiing in Pennsylvania. 1 1/2 hours from our house. Oh my gosh! We took David skiing. At first, our plan was to let Daddy ski, and Buddy and Mommy would go on the tube slide. Zachy was having fun in the daycare. Well, a couple of tube slides down the hill and David decided it "was too slow and boring". He announced he wanted to "do that" as he pointed to the skiiers whizzing by. So after a hungry boy devoured a big slice of pizza, we went to get the skis and sign up with a teacher. Mr. Spike. David's ski instructor. Great guy. Took Buddy right up the hill on the lift and along with Daddy, wheeeeeee ! Down the hill with no fear. HE LOVED IT !!! Oh my gosh, the kid loves to ski! He had a few spills but popped right up and went going. Our camera broke, so no movie, but we are going back again. WAY TO GO DAVID! You are a great skiier!

MOVIE: David's First Time on Rollerskates!

2008-03-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

David's First Time on Skates ! from Olson on Vimeo.

Flips, Swings, Jumps and Roller Derby

2008-03-07T08:35:00.001-08:00

Flips, Swings, Jumps and Roller Derby
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

More fun with our friends. We went to a gymnastics place that let us play on all the equipment. Mommy even did a back flip on the trampoline! Sorry, no pics of that.
Zachy was using his genetics (ha) and started climbing over the beam, balancing himself, and even standing for a second or two! David and Margie flipped, jumped into foam pits, bounced on the tramp, walked on the beam..... What fun. That Margie is quite a gymnast! And David was fantastic! We hit the roller rink for some crazy skating fun. Once again, Mom put herself at injury risk, and put on skates! Oh my gosh, that is fun!.....Memories of years ago..... David had NEVER skated, but he was great! And Margie learned to skate backwards! Great, great fun!

Strikes , Spares and Puppies!

2008-03-07T08:18:00.001-08:00

Strikes , Spares and Puppies!
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

One of our fun days with Kiki and Margie included David's first time to go bowling. He and Margie were both quite the bowlers! David's favorite ball was the neon orange. He and Margie played several games and Zachy was a happy onlooker. Then off to the pet store we went. We played with 2 really cute puppies. Zachy loved them! He giggled and laughed as they tried to chew on his car seat. David wore his gloves to keep those sharp little puppy teeth from biting him! Kiki was brave and got a bunny rabbit out of the cage for David and Margie to hold. It was so cute! Not cute enough to take home though. HA. What a fun day!

Visit from Kiki and Margie (aka Mo Mo)

2008-03-05T20:40:00.001-08:00

Visit from Kiki and Margie (aka Mo Mo)
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Our dear friends, Kiki and Margie, came to visit. All the way from Tyrone, Georgia! YIPEE !! We were SO SO SO happy to have them here. And Zachy got to meet them for the first time! We played and laughed and crammed in every activity that we could. Kiki made us her famous chocolate cookies, which disappeared rapidly! Thank you guys for coming! We miss you so much and hope to see you again really soon!!!!! We love you!

Super Heroes !

2008-02-18T12:28:00.001-08:00

Super Heroes !
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

David and Matthew decided to be superman superheroes today. Capes and all. They were very cute and only stopped long enough for a chicken nugget and cheetos break. All in all, total play time more than 6 HOURS !!! Wow. Long day on the job for super heroes.

Brotherly Love

2008-02-17T12:10:00.001-08:00

Brotherly Love
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Ok, not too many people want to look at pictures of kids taking a nap. But look at these precious boys. Aren't their little hands and feet so sweet? And such peaceful sleep. Wonder what they are dreaming about?.......

They love each other so much.

They fell asleep together and I couldn't resist taking a few shots. Now that is LOVE !

Haley Balentimez Day (i.e. Happy Valentines Day"

2008-02-17T11:55:00.001-08:00

Haley Balentimez Day (i.e. Happy Valentines Day"
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

"Haley Balentimez Day", David says.
Zachy says, " Da Da Da Da", which of course, means the same (when it doesn't mean" I AM HUNGRY! OR DADDY! OR PICK ME UP NOW!"
This is the first Valentines Day for Zach and the first one that David actually understands. David can say "I LOVE YOU" in sign language.
What a fun day. We made (belated) Valentines for friends and family, got pretty cupcakes for friends at school and took off to the park for a little fun on the equipment. Both guys were dressed in red and looking awesome! Zachy was a little bit more cooperative about posing for Valentines Day pics.
Anyway, David had a great time playing and Zachy watched with great interest. Then, cupcakes for everyone at David's preschool. And off to get a few last minute items for a yummy Valentines dinner. We had salmon, salad, bread, veggies and celebrated with ice cream and presents! YIPPEE! So we hope YOU had a nice Valentines Day and thank you for the cards and gifts for the boys (Gram and Guldes). And as David says, "Haley Balentimez Day!"

Best Friends

2008-02-17T11:37:00.001-08:00

Best Friends
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

David and his best friend Matthew. What a pair. Hugging and playing one minute, fighting the next. It is too cute. It was way too cold to play outside, so off we went to the Springfield mall. We had lunch and then the "best friends" jumped, ran and played on the indoor jungle gym. Then off to the toy store (that is sadly going out of business) "to get some Army stuff like Dad". The boys LOVE army stuff and they call themselves "heroes" . So we ended up with Army helmets and guns. Now I'm not a big fan of guns and we have a rule about not pointing guns at anyone. Only objects can be "blown up", or the gun belongs to Mommy. But boys are boys. If it's not a pretend gun, it will be a stick, bat or some type of item that will be used to "shoot" anyway. So......what do ya do??? But see, these boys are still sweet, regardless of needing to shoot up things. Don't they look cute on the carousel? :) What a fun day we had with David's best friend. Friends are cool.

Introduction To Fishing: 101

2008-02-11T18:26:00.001-08:00

Introduction To Fishing: 101
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

Zachy's first fishing expedition. A warm day in February. It was still nippy enough for him to wear gloves, but he didn't mind. He was introduced to one of the first aspects of fishing. Bobbers and lures. He was so sweet, chasing this glow in the dark bobber thingy. It is in his blood. Some day soon, he will outcast adults. Love them boys. Good luck ,Zachy, It gets more crazy and fun from here. Ask your brother..........

Just Doin' Guy Stuff

2008-02-11T18:18:00.001-08:00

Just Doin' Guy Stuff
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...

It was near 70 degrees outside. Strange for February. Of course, this meant PERFECT weather for fishing. ( and football, of course. It was Super Bowl Sunday) So off we all went, down to the lake for a little fishing. Though everyone got skunked ) meaning no fish were caught), it was still a fun time. This was actually Zachy's first fishing excursion. We even met a cute doggy that loved the water . Thanks, Mother Nature, for the out of the norm warm day!

Go Zachy Go Zachy GO GO GO

2008-01-27T10:58:00.001-08:00

Go Zachy Go Zach GO GO GO from Olson on Vimeo.

Winter ! Snow ! Sledpants!

2008-01-26T22:08:00.001-08:00

Winter ! Snow ! Sledpants!
Originally uploaded by ...olson family...