The Christophersons

A Medal of a Day in The Christopherson Home

2009-03-08T07:51:00.001-07:00

DI Team (Sam & Jake) & Zach Win Big!!!

It was a busy day on Saturday. Kari and I were with the DI team from morning to night at Buchanan High School and Zach was competing at Science Olympiad at CSU, Fresno.

Kari was the DI team's coach and it consisted of a group of 2nd and 4th graders. The practices were interesting and exhausting for Kari! She was looking forward to it all being over this weekend. Well...Her wish is not coming true. The team took 2nd place and they are headed off to the state competition on April 4th (San Jose). This means another month of practicing and competing with the best of all of the regions. It will be a fun day, I'm sure. Here is a pic from the event...

Zach also spent the day at Science Olympiad at CSU, Fresno. He competed in the areas of Herpetology and Electric Vehicle. He thought that he had done well in the Herp competition, but in the end, he and his teammate placed third from a pool of about 20 teams! His K-Nex built car competed against micro-chip infused vehicles. Sometimes technology isn't better! Here is a pic of Zach and Shad receiving their medal! Congratulations!!!!

And the lights go dark...

2009-02-08T07:10:00.000-08:00

Well, it was closing night last night for Titanic! It's hard to believe that it's all over. We had another good size group at the performance last night. We brought Zach some flowers (traditional), a big stuffed frog (with a kiss on his cheek to remind him of the BIG KISS), and we made some signs to hold up for him after the performance. It was by far the BEST NIGHT of the run. The audience was very excited and the performers just seemed energized.

We took some pics after the show...Thank you to Aimee for bringing her camera because we forgot ours (and Zach was supposed to bring his from backstage and forgot it). You would think that we'd always have a camera with us??? Well, here are the shots from the post-show celebration:

Zach's First Kiss???

2009-02-03T21:12:00.000-08:00

I'm hoping that this is his first kiss! Well, he has been rehearsing with this same girl (a Sophomore!) for the last few months, so he's probably very experienced by now. Actually, he gets so embarrassed every time that Kari and I tease him about it. He's supposed to kiss her a full 3 seconds, but he's quite a poor actor at this point in the musical and only quickly kisses her. Thank you to Uncle Jeremy for the video clip! I think that Jeremy only went to to the musical to get this on tape!!!!

Enjoy!

Titanic, The Musical!

2009-02-01T07:29:00.001-08:00

Well...It's hard to believe that we are we've already had the first 3 performances of Titanic...Only one weekend to go. This whole process started in September for Zach, with auditions and rehearsals kicking in about the beginning of October. Kari and I saw Titanic on Broadway about 10 years ago and we loved it then. We have been listening to the music ever since. We were excited when the school announced that this was their musical of choice this year. We were shocked when Zach started getting callbacks during the auditions (Sorry, Zach...Yes, we were shocked!). Then they had him auditioning for the part of Frederick Fleet (who sings one of our favorite numbers in the musical). He landed the part and hit the ground running.

In addition to Water Polo, seminary, and school, he was attending regular rehearsals. Then...pneumonia struck. He was on bedrest for 16 days (fortunately most of it was during Christmas break). We thought that his role was finished and that he would be replaced...but he healed just in time for the final weeks of 5-hour nights. For the last few weeks, he has been at the theatre from after school to 10pm. Whew! Now we're half-way done. I snuck in our Flip video to record some of Zach's parts. I also ripped off some pictures from Jer & Jenn's website...Because they took some stills last night. Check out their blog for some better quality video of last night.

First...The Pics...

Mom, Dad, and Zach after the Saturday Night performance.

The entire cast during the opening scene. Zach is on the upper left side of the set (he's the one between the guy in the tuxedo and the guy in the fancy uniform...Look for the cool black cap!)

Zach had a big kiss during the beginning scene (we'll get that on here soon!)...but here he is as a survivor at the end. No kissing during this sad number.

The final number (The survivors). Zach is to the left of the middle next to the two girls in white.

Now the videos (pause my music on the side of the blog to best listen to the video)...

This is the opening number. It's a short clip of part of Zach's trio.

The end of the opening scene. Zach is on the left side with the trio of guys.

Sorry for the video quality. Here is Zach with his solo. End of Act 1.

Part 2 of his solo. Things are building up!

Here is the final part of Act 1. Zach's big line as he spots the iceberg!

It's only 43 degrees out. So...

2009-01-01T15:46:00.000-08:00

Why not jump in the pool? A lot of the cousins participated in our annual Polar Bear Plunge in the backyard pool. All of the adults chickened out. It was a cold day...brrrrr. Due to illnesses in the family (Zach has pneumonia and Meghan is not well), Jacob was the only willing participant. Kaleigh is at the coast, Ricky and Rudy left this morning, and Sam and Ammon just weren't interested. I got some great pictures of Jacob jumping in! Enjoy!

My Website is Active!!!

2008-12-30T11:35:00.001-08:00

Well...After many nights of no sleep, I have finally launched my photography website. I am working on finalizing all of my business/tax paperwork to become an "official" business. This will be a very part-time business. So the website isn't all that professional, but it serves its purpose. I hope to develop it more in the future. I have a price sheet, galleries, and online proofing/ordering (which is pretty cool!). Take a look when you get a chance! More to come...

www.robbchristopherson.com

Christmas cousins through the ages...

2008-12-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

Most of you know that Kari and I and her two brothers' families built homes next door to each other in 2004 (we affectionately call it the COMPOUND). For the last five years, we have taken pictures with all of the cousins on Christmas Eve in their new PJs. Here is our latest pic, taken in our living room (we rotate houses each year). This will definitely be fun for the memory books! Also...note Zach's robe...he has worn the same robe for the last 4 years. We know what he's getting next year for Christmas! It's fun to see the cousins added over the years and it's hard to believe that in 5 years, we'll be sending Zach out on a mission.

2007...In Grandpa and Grandma's house...They moved in next door to us in 2007 (making it 4 houses in a row).

2006-Matt & Aimee's House

2005-Jeremy and Jenn's House

2004-Our first year in the compound! Taken at our house.

You really should think before you act...

2008-12-24T06:55:00.000-08:00

...especially when there is a camera in front of you! I asked Matt to come over and fill in for me while I set up my lights and shot some test shots. Afterward, he was to act as the trigger man. Well, during the test shot, he thought that it would be funny to "expose" himself. No one else in the group knew what was going on...In the end, we have this great picture! I respect everyone too much to show the entire picture, so I had to censor it just a little. The original picture reminded me of a Seinfeld episode (think "Bro")!

Family Pic...

2008-12-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

Finally...We took a family picture! Enjoy...

Here is what we used for our Christmas cards this year. It really shows the family's personality. Merry Christmas!

Happy Hmong New Year!

2008-12-18T06:42:00.000-08:00

Reagan Elementary celebrated Hmong New Year yesterday. One of our teachers has a collection of authentic Hmong dress and much of the staff dressed up for the occassion. We had a huge Hmong potluck and great assemblies. Kari came over in the morning to take a picture with me and the boys. It was a fun day to celebrate an amazing culture!

Ward Christmas Party...Santa Pics!

2008-12-15T06:35:00.001-08:00

We had our Ward Christmas party on Saturday morning. Santa almost didn't show up...but he made it just in time for pictures. I shot over 50 family/child portraits with Santa. I had the 5x7 prints made at Costco and ready to go at Church on Sunday. I am quite pleased with the results. Merry Christmas!

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Turducken anyone?

2008-12-07T14:33:00.000-08:00

So, I was watching a show on Food Network and they featured Turducken. It is a boneless chicken inside of a boneless duck inside of a boneless turkey. There is some yummy sausage-based stuffing in between each layer. I knew that this was the turkey for me! Well, I couldn't find duck anywhere before Thanksgiving, so it wasn't going to happen. I did, however, make the stuffing, deboned the turkey and added chicken thighs to the inside of the turkey (I would have deboned a chicken, too, but I was afraid that doing two birds on my first attempt would be difficult). I placed the laptop on the counter and watched a YouTube video on how to debone a turkey. It worked great! It took about 7 hours to cook the concoction. I am pleased to announce that it was delicious. I am for sure going to find a duck and add a full chicken to the mix next time. Christmas? We'll see. Sam was so into the process and he helped me throughout the evening. We not only did the "Turken" but we also prepped and cooked a regular turkey using our "secret recipe." Enjoy the pics!

Our Knott's Berry Farm Trip...

2008-11-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

We spent 4 days at Knott's during the first part of Thanksgiving vacation. We had a blast. We stayed in a great hotel and the kids loved the jacuzzi and the indoor pool. Knott's closes early during the winter so we had the evenings to play around in the pool. We spent some time at the beach with the Minnicks and played a mean game of football. The drive home was eventful with pouring rain, two kids throwing up over the grapevine (where we couldn't pull over for at least 20 minutes), and complete exhaustion as we drove late into the night. With all of this, it was the still our best Knott's trip yet! Here are some pics from the adventure...

Kari's Photo Shoot!

2008-11-16T18:13:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe it myself! Go visit my photo blog and check out some pictures from Kari's photo shoot. So sexy!

New pics on my photo blog...

2008-11-16T11:15:00.001-08:00

Well, Kari cleaned out my photo studio yesterday and I felt inspired to shoot some photos (and I actually had some time to do it!). I posted a pic of Ricky that I took a few months back and then some pics from Meghan's photo shoot this morning. Check out my photo blog for all of the pics. I'm including one of my favorites from this morning. Kari is going to pose for me this afternoon!!!!

Veteran's Day Parade

2008-11-11T18:05:00.001-08:00

Meghan was sick today, but Kaleigh marched in the Fresno Vet Parade. Here's mom, dad, and Kay posing on the route. The weather was perfect for the event! Happy Veteran's Day!

Lucy and Uncle Robb

2008-11-11T18:04:00.001-08:00

Lucy and I hung out in nursery on Sunday. She was in town visiting for the weekend. She slept in my arms about 90% of the time. She woke up to throw a little fit and so I could snap a picture. A pacifier and 4 minutes later she was back to sleep. I appreciated the excuse to ditch high priests!

My Political Survey Results

2008-11-11T15:05:00.000-08:00

OK...Here's the shocker of the day...I took this quiz and guess what? I'm a Republican! I was glad to see that I wasn't a Fascist or an Anarchist...or worse...A Democrat! Whew!

You are a
Social Conservative
(30% permissive)

and an...
Economic Conservative
(80% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Strong Republican

Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid

Attacks on my blog continue...

2008-11-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

OK...So the buttons are a low-blow...but they just made me laugh. With all the hate and ugliness that has been thrown my way, I just had to do it. You're right, Sam Clauder, sometimes mean things do make you feel good! :-) Well, I sent Sam Clauder an email last night asking him to please avoid my blog. If he wants to make himself feel better about his losses and continue to attack my personal views, I suggested that he do it via phone or email. I gave him my email address. Of course, that is not how he does business. Within an hour, I received multiple hateful comments on my blog. That's how he does business, I guess. Pretty effective communication from the "communications director" of the county party. San Bernardino Democrats should be proud! I wish that he would realize that I only see these hateful comments as ignorant ramblings of a scorned man and his actions only fire me up! Thank you, Sam, for the late night laughable comments and the creative posts (and yes...I have heard of the research supporting homosexuality as innate and unchangeable...I just don't buy it. Just because we don't agree doesn't make me ignorant...I am very well-informed and am very well-behaved, thank you!).

So for now, I bid you adieu. I am going to bring my blog back to the focus on the family. I wish that our State and liberal gas-blowers would do the same. California would be a better place.

Robb

(PS: For those of you who don't know...There is an "idiot" system in blogger. You can moderate the comments and disapprove the comments posted by idiots. That's what I'm doing now. I still get to read them and laugh my head off, but I can keep them from my family blog. Also, I think that I am going to start a political blog so that I can continue to enjoy the Sams of the world!)

And I've been accused of intolerance...

2008-11-06T17:08:00.000-08:00

I had a fun moment this morning. I noticed that a person left a comment attached to my "Victory!!!" post. It was from a man named Sam Clauder. This is what he said:

Sam Clauder said...
Think you got enuff kids there?Or are you still popping them out to overpopulate the world?No problem. You can always send them off to die in the next Republican liars' war.

What a sweet thing to say, right? I clicked on his name to his blog and it was blank. The chicken just blew in, blew off, and blew out. What a real tough guy...to make such statements as a "masked man." So...on to my response:

I do think that I have "enuff" kids, thanks (by the way, "enuff" is spelled "enough" (you'll have more credibility if you can actually spell your thoughts correctly)). I would like more, but "popping" them out just became too tough for my wife. My kids will be productive members of society, will not suck the system dry by abusing social programs, and will fight for the things they know to be right. They'll be good conservative Republicans, I'm sure! :-) We need these kids to become productive adults to balance out the hatemongers who anonymously spew their mindless drivel. The world will be a much better place. If I could have a hundred, the world would even be better.
My wife probably would be offended by the "popping out" comment. I was present at all of my children's births and it was just a little more difficult than that.
"Send them off to die" Wow! What sane person with any ounce of compassion would wish that on anyone? How sad! Not only is it a slap in my face, but it is so unfair to our vets that have given their lives in all prior wars so that you can have the freedoms that you enjoy (even posting hate mail!). Oh, by the way, "liars'" should have been "liar's" since it is singular. Just thought that you'd want some additional help with editing.
I was called intolerant a few different times during the Prop 8 run. I never attacked anyone, never called anyone names, never wished death on anyone's family, never picketed in front of any gay bars, and never whined or complained that if we didn't win we'd take it to the judges. Why can't the "no" side tolerate my views? I don't think that intolerance is what they're really fighting. Prop 8 was aligned with my values and I fought along with thousands of others to help it get passed. Apparently 52.5% (or 5,388,497 Californians) agree. I think I'm in pretty good company!

I did a search and found out that Mr. Clauder is the PR Chair for the San Bernardino County Democratic Party (a county where 67.1% voted "yes" for prop 8). He was the the communications director for Tim Prince's failed Congressional run (he lost by almost a 2-1 margin on Tuesday). Mr. Clauder was also a major force behind Prop 66 (remember the one that wanted to limit the 3 strikes law?); it lost too. Maybe Mr. Clauder is bitter because of these losses??? Maybe he was just looking for someone to tear down because he was feeling so blue himself this week??? Next time, Mr. Clauder, will you please do the following: keep your communication appropriate (should be second-nature for you since you are a "communication director"), don't wish my children dead, or better yet, please just keep your thoughts to yourself.

Thank you!

VICTORY!!!

2008-11-05T19:33:00.001-08:00

We put out signs, slapped on bumper stickers, walked precincts, called many people, fasted & prayed and here we are! We are so excited about the outcome!!! At the risk of sounding corny, I was a little emotional when I went into the poll and marked my little black circle for Prop 8. Maybe I was growing weary; maybe I was just so very hopeful. I know for sure that I was very grateful to be participating in the democratic process.

After our election night party, everyone left and it was just me and a laptop, watching the very slow California returns. I finally plopped down on the couch for a little bit after midnight and then had a very real dream where I was celebrating Prop 8's victory. It was SO REAL. I got up (about 2:30am) and pulled the poll numbers up. We were still ahead! I spent the next few hours identifying missing counties, looking at trend data, forecasting votes and came up with a final forecast of 52.3% "Yes." (Pretty close to the 52.5% final count.) I was excited, but Santa Clara County was only 25% reported and I knew how they were trending...They could have been the "sleeper" that I worried about. But thank heavens we still had Riverside and San Bernardino counties with tons of votes to count and they balanced out SC's effects. When I left for work by 7am, Santa Clara was 100% reported and we gained a little bit. I knew then that we were solid at that point.

Of course, no one wanted to call the victory today because it was so close. I watched the internet all morning long and then just after noon, LA Times, SF Chronicle, and the Fresno Bee all called the victory. It was so great to see it in print! I knew that when all of this was over, there was going to be a loser. Today, the loser is gay marriage. It is not homosexuals. It is not civil rights. Intolerance and bigotry are not the winners either. I don't buy this one bit. I don't buy that homosexuals have the same rights to marriage. Homosexuality is a choice. Period. That choice does not automatically come attached to all rights.

In the end, it's our children that win. Although we'll face this again (hopefully not too soon), we have stopped the movement for now. We have made the future fight a little easier for our children. We protected our families yet again. California can stay on the more righteous path a little longer.

To steal the words from the hope-monger's wife..."For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my [state]." Thank you to everyone who volunteered time, money, and talents. I appreciate your support of MY family.

A redneck parade for Prop 8

2008-11-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

A number of guys in the ward decorated their trucks and we drove
throughout town. It was a lot of fun and the support was evident. I
only had two people flip me off! Oh, I just love the tolerance for my
views!! Afterwards, we met members of the ward at Clovis and Herndon
and waved signs. It really invigorated me. Here is a pic of my truck
with the American flag in the back. As I drove down the street, the
flag waved just like the stereotypical confederate flags on redneck
trucks!

YouTube Video of Soldier Supporting McCain

2008-10-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

OK...So I read about this video on FoxNews of an injured soldier sharing a message to Osama....Oh, sorry Matt...Obama. It has over 11 million hits and I think is very powerful. Thought that I'd share it with everyone. It gives me a little bit of hope for the future in these very dark times that I feel we are about to face.

We Support Proposition 8

2008-10-09T21:07:00.001-07:00

So Kari and I went to the special fireside broadcast last night dealing with Proposition 8. We were encouraged to use blogs and other electronic media to share the message. Obviously, Kari and I are supporting Proposition 8. Why?

Acceptance of homosexual marriages destroys the sacredness of marriage and the family unit.
Our kids don't need to be taught in public schools that gay marriage is an acceptable alternative. We get to have a say on sex-education curriculum, but nothing bars a school from teaching gay marriage without warning parents in advance. This is not an "extremist" claim as some say...Just yesterday the US Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal of parents in Massachusetts claiming that they had the right of pre-notification.
Prop 8 isn't anti-gay. It is anti-gay marriage. Period. Behave in a way that you want to behave, but please don't redefine marriage to help justify your moral choices.
Prop 8 is not intolerance. We are tolerant and we wish the anti-prop 8 crew would be more tolerant of our beliefs. Why does fighting for what we believe make us intolerant? The anti-prop 8 crew is fighting for what they believe in the name of tolerance. Double standard for sure!
There should be a separation of church and state. We don't disagree. But this doesn't mean that our government should be anti-God, anti-value, and immoral. Eternal philosophies and divine principles are the very fibers that hold together our government and sit as the foundation of our independence and our Constitution. No man can deny that our Nation's forefathers understood this, lived this, and proclaimed this. Why do so many feel that we must be value-neutral now?
Like Captain Moroni, we feel it is our responsibility to hold up our Title of Liberty and defend our values and, ultimately, our liberty.

What can you do?

If you live in California...Donate time, energy, $$$$. Tell your friends about your position. We are.
If you live outside of California...Donate money via the Protect Marriage Website. Monitor the Church's Preserving Marriage Website because there may be a call for members across the U.S. to help with phone calling as the election draws near.

If you haven't seen the new commercials for Yes on 8...Check them out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDpujAhiBTo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj3gpeEQj0I

Jellyfish or Nasal Discharge?

2008-09-06T16:41:00.000-07:00

All of the little kids loved finding jelly fish parts on the beach. I
just about threw up every time they brought a chunk up to us. Here is
Ammon displaying one of his new beach toys!

Our Three Runners

2008-09-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

Jacob, Jacob, and Trevor hit the track yesterday at Clovis East for
their first cross country meet. It was hot and it was their first
experience, but they did a great job! I think that they were all a
little reluctant to join, but it's good for them to be a part of a
team. Next up...wrestling!!!

Jonathan's Mended Heart!

2008-08-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-31T20:44:00.001-07:00

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!

McCain and Palin!

2008-08-31T20:27:00.001-07:00

I was at the gym early Friday morning and was watching FoxNews while I was running on the treadmill. I watched as Pawlenty announced that he was out and then the big news...I felt it coming...Romney was not the pick. I was so p'd off for just a few minutes. Then there was talk of a plane from Alaska, etc, etc. I had read about Palin in various blogs over the last few weeks and I began to get excited at the idea that it really could be her. (I am a fan of very conservative ladies...Especially the one that lives in my house!) Kari tried to call me so that I could listen to the announcement over the phone, but I was tied up at work. My excitement was confirmed when she was announced.

I feel bad for Romney (but I still have some issues with his early abortion stance (come on!) and with his sometimes apologist attitude towards the Church); I still think that he would have been a very strong VP. He seems to be a good sport and supports the McCain-Palin ticket. You should read his statement about the pick. We'll see more of him, I'm sure.

So I've got to share another of my favorite videos from the McCain campaign. The Osama-BiteMe ticket is such a joke:

Slip and Slide of Slime!

2008-08-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2008-08-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-31T19:41:00.001-07:00

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!)

2008-08-31T19:22:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-10T14:58:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-06T21:00:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-03T22:39:00.003-07:00

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

Batman spoof...

2008-08-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

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

Where to stay in OC

2008-07-31T20:02:00.000-07:00

It's always tough to find places to stay when you're trying to bunk 8
bodies. We have to find a suite, reserve two rooms, or squeeze
everyone into one regular room (we do not like doing this...we have to sneak everyone in!). I found this place on Harbor, just down from Disneyland. They had two-room suites with double queens and bunk beds in room two. They had a nice "deluxe" continental breakfast. We love those individual waffle makers (Kristen and Doug love those waffles too so they came to visit us for breakfast with the boys)! It was clean and in a good part of town. It was only about 10 minutes to Knott's and it's a few blocks from D-land. We paid $130...it was $10 more than the $120 rate because we added a roll-away. Jeremy paid just over $100 for his same room because he "claimed" he was an AARP member or something. They probably bought the scam because of his balding head...Or maybe they thought that AARP stood for "American Association of Receding-Hairline People." I'm not sure!
While at the hotel, Jeremy agreed to pose for this picture for Jennifer. I pulled it off of their camera memory card. It sort of makes me sick. It's kind of fun to see Jeremy losing the hair on his head and growing an equal amount on his back! Sexy!

Anyway...The mattresses were pillow-top and they had free internet and a nice pool. The pic above is a poorly exposed pic of Meg with a well-exposed pic of the sign. See what a great photographer I am? I didn't have time to think about the shot because Kari was itching to leave and was about ready to run me down in the parking lot; I guess she was very excited to float down the Lazy River at Soak City....or maybe she's just tired of having to wait for me all of the time??? Here is the hotel's website: www.comfortinnmaingate.com

Tell them that I referred you...I'm sure they'll care!

ABC Gum

2008-07-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

Emerson could not go on many rides at Knott's, but he found another
fun activity under one of the tables...already been chewed gum! Not
only was the gum chewed, but it was mixed with dirt and other
unidentified foreign objects! Yummy! We all sort of gagged when
Jared dug it out of his mouth. Here is a pic of the tasty treat for
all of posterity!!!

Kari is 36!

2008-07-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

Well, we are celebrating Kari's birthday while on our little day trip
to Knott's Berry Farm. During lunch, we had a delicious chicken
dinner complete with a Knott's Boysenberry pie. Yummy! We brought
party hats, candles, and streamer poppers. In addition to her new
digital camera, the kids bought her a nice Kitchen Aide food processor
and gave it to her during lunch. I'm expecting some great meals and
some pics on our blog! I'll post some more pics of this special day
when we get home!

Here we go with some other pics...

RainGutter Regatta

2008-07-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

Here is Jacob at his pack's Raingutter regatta. Jake was a little
light-headed from blowing so much through the little straw, but he did
well! He won some heats and his boat stood up straight most of the
time. Not bad for something that was assembled a few minutes before
the pack meeting!

The photographers in the family

2008-07-29T01:25:00.000-07:00

OK....My first family blog post. Although all of the kids enjoy helping me when I'm shooting pics, Kaleigh and Zach have started to look through the lens and shoot some, too. Zach can tell you what many of the photo terms mean and he has gone with me to take pics and uses my Canon Rebel. Well, Kaleigh asked if she could borrow my Rebel this afternoon (they don't dare ask to use the 40d!) and she paid Ammon to be a model. She did a great job and I'm including a few of her pics below. I didn't need to edit anything...just sharpened the pics and posted them here. Very fun! Check out some of my pics on my photo blog.

Coming Soon...

2008-07-28T02:56:00.001-07:00

This page is so very blank. Once I figure things out, I will begin to keep some stuff on this page. For now, feel free to visit my photo blog: robbchristopherson.blogspot.com

Robb