Jonathan's Mended Heart!

I can't imagine what Kristen and Aaron have been going through over the last week. Jonathan is now 6-days post surgery. It was a long surgery and a tough recovery. Julie kept us posted on the status throughout the week. I heard that he may be coming home today or tomorrow. That's exciting! We've been trying to stay away until things calm down. We look forward to visiting them soon. Check out Aaron's blog to get the latest. Here are some pictures that I pulled from their website:

Last pre-surgery chest picture.

Post-surgery.

After all of this, he can still smile for his mama!

Fat No More!

Well, we finished our summer session of the Fat Man's Club! I started out at 214 lbs. and ended up at 189.8 lbs. I beat Jeremy by .2 lbs. There was some satisfaction in that! I think I put on about 5 pounds after finally drinking some water after 24 hours of fasting and 12 miles of jogging to get me to weight. I still would have been fine since my goal weight was 195. I hope to continue on and drop down to about 180-185 lbs. I would like to run a half-marathon soon and I'm looking forward to triathlons in the Spring. Check out Matt's Blog and Jeremy's Blog for some details and pictures (my camera battery was dead!). You have to love my hair and outfit. After jogging, I showered up and put on a very thin pair of shorts and a thin exercise shirt. I also had to blow-dry all of the water out of my hair...So I looked GOOD! Oh well...Jeremy/Jenn, Matt/Aimee, and Kari/I took the kids to Hometown Buffet for breakfast (that is absolutely Kari's favorite place to eat (I am saying this with such an amazing amount of sarcasm...she hates it there!)). The adults went on a date that night to Fugazzi's and then I had some ice cream at Maggie Moo's. I miss ice cream! Let's hope that this "falling off the wagon" doesn't last too long!

Slip and Slide of Slime!

I promised the kids at Reagan that if they increased their test scores, I would slip and slide through slime during a rally. Well, they did it! We had a great rally with games, music, cheers, and, of course, a 20-foot slip and slide. My new VP, Kim Buendia, is such a good sport. She wasn't around when the promise was made, but she slid with me anyway. Of course, how bad could it have been with all of the protection she had on! I was wearing only board shorts and a swim shirt. We had a blast and the kids loved it!

You really need to click on the pictures to see the bigger versions!

The First Day of School!

So...It was a big day at our house on August 25th. Everyone is in school! Now Kari can sit home and pop those Bon-Bons in peace! (I am so in trouble when she reads this post!) We had a lot of firsts this year: Zach's first year in high school; Meghan and Ricky started middle school; Jake is an upper-grader; and Ammon started Kindergarten. Kaleigh is in 8th grade and Sam started 2nd grade this year. With my new principalship, I am near everyone. The high school, middle school, and elementary school are all on one large complex. I can golf cart over to any one of my kids in just a few minutes. It is so very cool! The bigger kids walk over to my school when they're done with school or done with H20 Polo.

Enjoy some pics from the first day of school!

Here are pictures of the little boys leaving home for Reagan Elementary! And here is a picture of the boys with their new principal (boy, he sure looks awful chummy with Mrs. Christopherson!).

Ammon thought he was so cool as a new kindergartner. This was the first time that I got to attend one of my children's first day of kindergarten. I have always been tied up on the first day at my own school. Now, my two worlds have collided! Kari had mixed feelings about Ammon's start of school. I think that she stopped crying after 2 or 3 days.

The Christopherson-Edwardson Connection

Jake and Jake are in Mrs. Gamez's room. Sam and Carter are in Mrs. Soares' room. Ammon and Bella are in Mrs. Crouch's room. They all ended up in the same classrooms together. Strange!

Ammon is FIVE!!!

It is so hard to believe that our little guy is five years old! It seems just like yesterday that he was a newborn and Kari began to emphasize that he was, indeed, our last child. He is a happy guy and if we could give him some sort of magic potion to keep him this young, we would. I know, that would be a selfish thing to do...But that's just the kind of guy I am. I just don't like seeing this chapter of our lives close. We've always had little ones and now everyone is growing up. So sad...


OK...Enough about my feelings...We celebrated Ammon's birthday before I went off to work. Like his brother, he wanted Star Wars toys. Here are some great pics of that morning. We're going to have a friend birthday party in September so watch for those invitations in the mail!

Happy 5th Birthday, Ammon!

Jake's Big 9th Birthday Bash!

Jake wanted a Star Wars-themed birthday party and he got it! He held it on the Friday that the Clone Wars animated movie came out and Kari braved the movie by herself with NINE BOYS in tow. Unfortunately, I was working on that Friday and she had to go it alone. The boys watched the movie, swam, ate cake, and opened presents.

Jake is such a good kid! He is almost a perfect child. The only thing he needs to work on is taking out the trash without complaining. If that's all we have to worry about, then I think that we're in good shape.

Happy 9th Birthday, Jacob!!!

Family Beach Trip (Sans Dad!)

While dad was away at an administrative retreat, mom took the kids to the beach to spend the day with Kelly, Julio, and Lucy. They had a blast splashing and "surfing" at Avila Beach. Here are some pics of that cool day at the beach.

Too Busy...

Well...Life has been so hectic that I have sort of slacked off on the blog. I am going to update some things this evening that have happened over the last few weeks. Sorry to all of the Christopherson Fans out there who have been logging in daily (I'm sure) to see what has been happening in our lives lately. Here we go with some Christopherson happenings...

Sam's Idea of a Salad!

We are all trying to eat healthy around here, so Sam decided that he
needed to have a salad just like dad's and mom's. The problem is that
he doesn't like the traditional "greens" that go into a salad. He went
to work and tossed a grape and Hot Tamale salad. He added a chicken
leg and a cup of warm Diet Pepsi and his Sunday lunch was complete!!!
We are such good parents and let him eat some for lunch.

Me, a $1.00 tool, and falling gas prices...

I spent a few hours changing the brakes on Kari's car this morning. Always my favorite thing to do! As I was reflecting with grime up to my elbows, I thought about patriotism and my role in America. I became almost emotional as I did my part to help with the energy crisis and I pulled out a tire gauge. I checked the pressure in my tires and found that one of them was only at 32 psi (it should have been 35). I was motivated into action (as any patriot would be) and I filled that tire up. My car is now balanced and ready for the world of fuel efficiency. OK, Pretty Boy Flavor-of-the-month, now I'm ready to watch the fuel prices drop. That's all it takes, right?

Our ugly house guest...

The Edwardsons went on vacation this week and asked if we could babysit their "pet." If they would have asked me, I would have said "no." But of course, they asked Kari and she is too nice, even though she knows my feelings about reptiles. Well, "Beardie" shows up and has a new home on top of our piano...Now our living room is decorated in what I like to call Kari-style/trailer-trash. Reptiles are always the "pets" that I see in the trailers when the police invade and arrest the "bad boys" on the Cops episodes that I'm addicted to. No offense Edwardsons...He looks good in your home, I'm sure! So, he makes me ill whenever I walk by him and I have fears that he is going to escape in the night and nibble on my toes or sit on my chest or something. Ugh! Michelle, Don't tell Jacob that I said such things. Just let him know that "Beardie" is doing well...Tell him that I put his little leash on and take him for daily walks. Having a "pet" like this is very rewarding. At least I'm sure it is for someone else...Not for me!

Our M&M Family

Meghan made this M&M portrait of our family and we wanted to place it on our blog! Yummy!

Batman spoof...

So, we went to see Dark Knight for Kari's birthday. We watched it Imax which was so very cool. I wasn't too excited about seeing it, but I'm glad that I went. It was definitely worth the money. The only thing that I didn't really like was Batman's voice. I told Kari that he really needed to clear his throat or something. Well, I stumbled across this YouTube video. It made the entire family laugh! If you've seen the movie, you should find this funny!

Getting old sucks...

I went to the doctor again on Friday to follow-up with my blood work and the new med I'm taking. He added yet another med. I started to reflect on what I'm taking...I take a ton of stuff every day. I'll be 38 next month and sometimes I feel like 20 and other times I feel much older. When I snap open my "grandpa" pill holder each morning and each night I feel really, really old. Now the sad thing is that if I would drop weight, I probably would eliminate (or at least reduce) my need for some of these things. My goal is to be below 200 by Labor Day and then below 190 by the end of the year. Possible????? I hope so! Just to give you an idea, here is what I take on a daily basis:

A general men's vitamin...to balance out my dieting and stupid eating habits.

For cholesterol reduction, I have taken Metamucil and Fish Oil for a number of years. My overall cholesterol is lower, as is my LDL (the bad cholesterol)...but not enough to stay off of a low dose of statin.


I have always had "borderline" hypertension. Now "they" say that there is no such thing as borderline. My doctor says that I need to be under 110/80. I have been back on Lisinopril for a few months and at my last Dr. visit my BP was 110/74. Not bad. I occasionally take my BP at home when I first wake up and have had consistently lower numbers. Again, weight loss and exercise will help with naturally lowering my BP.



This is a new addition to my health issues. Welcome to the family Aciphex! I have had issues with an ulcer or gastritis in the past and have taken ranitidine. I stopped that about 18 months ago and have been fine. Over the last few months, I've had huge issues again and after an ultrasound and blood work, I am on Aciphex to block acid production. It has made a HUGE difference. I'm still having issues. I hope all of my symptoms clear up because the Dr. is talking about more invasive looks at my digestive system if things continue. Cameras should be used to make feature-length movies and Seinfeld episodes, not for spelunking into my inner cavities...



I take aspirin for my elevated CRP and because some of the research says that it reduces the chances of a cardiac episode.

For rheumatoid arthritis, I take this cocktail. It seems to have been helpful. When I have joint flareups, I usually take a prescription strength Naproxen or Ibuprofen and the problem is easily eliminated. I have been so much better off with my inflammatory issues than I was in the past. Maybe getting older makes some things better??? PS: I miss Vioxx (it really was a wonder drug...and Kari could have used the money from the class action suit when I died prematurely from a heart attack).



I'm going to have to get a larger "grandpa" pill holder...

Spa Day at Home...

I mentioned to Meghan and Kaleigh that they still owed me a massage from Father's Day. They quickly moved into action and put together a spa day for mom and dad. They looked up facial recipes on the internet and blended up some tasty banana and avocado facials. My skin has never felt so supple and shiny! They provided fresh fruit and made strawberry smoothies for us. After applying the different masks, they gave us feet and hand massages. They also gave us pedicures and really wanted to paint our nails with a clear polish ("Guys get it done all of the time at the salon.") I was satisfied with the filing and the lotion-filled foot massage. Kari and I relaxed and read books until the cucumber slices impaired our views. They spent a few hours preparing for the event and at least 90 minutes pampering us.

Here is a picture of my nightstand...The whole room was filled with candles, potpourri, and classical music...


Don't we look great with our "masks?"
It was fun and we appreciated the gesture. Now if I can only get that rose/banana/avocado/lilac smell off of my skin...

McCain Videos...

I am sure that as the elections get closer and closer, some of my blogging will turn political. Heck, you'll probably be sick of me by November. We'll see...

Well, I found some videos on YouTube published by JohnMcCain.com. I am enjoying some of the creativity. If you want to review all of the videos, check out the JohnMcCaindotcom page in YouTube. I really like the video titled "The One" and another called "celeb" where Obama is likened to Britney Spears.

Enjoy! (I'm sorry if any of these videos offend you, Matt. I'm sure that you can find some great videos of your "Pretty Boy, Flavor-of-the-Month" candidate on YouTube. I just won't take up space on my blog for them.)

Robb