Yakima Trip

Last week the boys and I went down to Yakima for a mini-vaction to spend some time with my family (Pete had to stay behind for work). We had a lot of fun. My only complaint was the hot, dry weather. In order to cool off down there, you either have to stay inside with the air conditioning on or pay to go swimming (we're spoiled living on the westside; we have free access to a pool, lake or beach within 15 minutes of our house). Here are pics of our trip. Enjoy!

On our first full day in town, we went out to Miner's for lunch. The boys played a few games while waiting for our food to arrive.





After lunch, Grandma Jane took the boys to the new Walmart in West Valley to buy them each a new toy. They couldn't wait to go back home to play!

Our first few nights we spent the night at Grandma Jane's place. The boys were a bit confused that she had her own place. Every time we've ever visited we've always been at my grandparent's house. The boys just assumed that Grandma Jane live there too. I had to keep explaining to them that she lived somewhere else.
I LOVE this pic of Kristjan. Every summer my grandpa tries to grow tomatoes. For whatever reason, every year he has the hardest time producing them. Well, during our visit, Kristjan picked my grandpa's ONLY tomato on his tomato plant. Notice that the tomato is STILL GREEN!!! We all got a good laugh at this.
Grandma Jane has a tarantula as a pet at her house (I think it actually belongs to my brother Matt). While we were down there visiting, she took the boys to the pet store to buy some crickets and let the boys help feed the spider. The boys thought this was awesome. And I think the boys loved my reaction to seeing the spider-I completely freaked out and told Jane to keep it away from me!! Seriously, why would anyone want a big, hairy spider as a pet!!


Last Christmas I had promised my niece Emma that we would go for some 'girl time" next time we saw each other. Unfortunately, every time since then that we've gotten together it has always been for some sort of family function and we couldn't leave to go out. So I took advantage while being down in Yakima to treat Emma to some much needed 'girl time'. We went out to lunch at Red Robin, then some shopping at Target.

One evening we took a little trip in Grandma Jane's car with the top down. The boys got a kick at this. They thought it was the coolest thing. On this trip we went to Toys R Us to buy Clifford his first school backpack and lunch bag. He picked out a transformer's backpack and a star war's lunch bag.


My grandma's birthday was the following week, so we decided to celebrate while we were down there. We had a bbq, followed by cake and presents. That evening the boys slept outside with grandma Jane in a tent. The boys slept great; grandma Jane ended up coming inside to sleep on the couch in the middle of the night. She said the sprinklers had come on and were getting her wet.





We went skating at Skateland. It was a little weird being there for me. I went there as a kid skating, and now I'm the parent taking my own kids there! And the place hasn't changed at all since I was a kid. This was the boys' first time roller skating. At first, they were a bit wobbly and falling down a lot. After a while, though, they got better and were skating really good. Kirstjan liked going out in the middle and skating under the disco ball, and Clifford liked skating 'fast' around the rink. I put some skates on in the beginning. It didn't last long; I was too afraid I'd fall and hurt myself, so I took them off. The boys convinced grandma Jane to go out skating with them. She did pretty good until she fell hard on her butt. That was entertaining. The boys loved skating and did it for about 2 hours! At the end, they got to buy some candy as a treat. (I have video of them skating, but for some reason blogger isn't letting me upload them. I'll try later in a separate post)










We were treated to a Ron's Ice Cream cone.


On our last day in Yakima we went out to lunch at El Porton, then headed to the arcade for some fun. As a kid, the arcade was always fun. As a parent, not so much. The arcade is an insane place to go with more than one kid! Each boy went in the opposite direction to play games,the place was busy, and it was craziness trying to redeem their tickets for prizes with every other kid there trying to do the same! But the boys had fun :)









Before leaving town we made sure to go visit our family friend Maria and see her new little baby girl Izabella (I'm sure I spelt her name wrong; I just know they put a 'z' in it). We didn't get a chance to see her husband Joel (who was still at work) or their older daughter Chealsae (she had just left that day to go to Disney Land with her grandma). I love visiting with Maria. I can never tell when she's joking or being serious with half the things that come out of her mouth! And her little baby is so sweet!!





These are a few misc pics with the family on the last day.







Before heading out of town I stopped at the park to let the boys visit with their Aunt Marie. They played a bit and blew bubbles. A little bit later their Mama Mickey and cousin David (who is staying with them for a bit) met up with us as well. They played a little longer at the park before we were treated to some pizza for a late night snack. When we finally made it out of town, both boys were asleep within minutes.

New Contact Info

We finally got internet and phone hooked up to the new place. Unfortunately we had to get a new home phone number. I'll be sending out an email with the new apartment number and phone number. If I forget to send you an email with this info, please email letting me know and I'll get you the new info. Thanks!

We Can Move....Finally!!!

Pete called me last night to inform me the leak in our current apartment has gotten worse. It's dripping from the ceiling in the bathroom, as well as dripping from our bathroom light/fan every time our neighbors above run water. Pete called the emergancy maintance number. Turns out maintance hasn't been able to go up to the apartment above us to check it out because the residents won't allow anyone in their home unless they are home, which is NEVER!

This morning at work Pete did some more research on "renter's rights", and after he got home from work, he went to talk to the head manager Mikey. She tried to give him the run-around. But Pete stood his ground. He told her that he needed a solution NOW or he was going home to call the tentant's union to report them (seriously, with the all the issues we're having with trying to move in to the new place as well as the new problem in our current place, I'm sure they'd get some sort of fine). So after all was said and done, here's the result: the new place is 'good enough' for us to move in (they will continue to make the approvements we listed that needed done). As for the current place, we don't have to clean up anything after we move and get a full refund on the deposit. Pete requested this be put in writing so we have proof of the agreement.

I'm just glad that we can FINALLY move. Pete and I are frustrated with this apartment complex. Yes, it's cheap rent and the places themselves are cheap (we knew this moving in). So unless we change our minds and decide differently, we plan on moving to a better apartment complex next June when our lease is up. Good thing I've become a pro at packing and moving! :)

The Results Are In

Yesterday the allergist called Pete with the results from Kristjan's blood test he had done two weeks ago. So here it is:

Peanuts/Tree Nuts: results were elevated, so he is still allergic to them. However, with pecans and pine nuts he will be given an oral challenge. When he had the skin test done, the results for those two wasn't very elevated. But with the blood test, it was elevated. So in a few weeks we'll schedule him for the oral challenge, and while under the supervision of the doctor, we'll see just what level of a reaction he'll have to to them.

Fin Fish: results were elevated. So no more salmon, halibut, cod, etc. And no more tuna sandwhiches and fish sticks. Kristjan is happy about those two because before knowing he had the allergy, he HATED eating them.

Shell Fish: results not elevated. He can continue eating clam, shrimp, crab, etc.

Llama/Goat/Cattle/Horse: results were elevated. So we now get to add those animals along with cat and dog. These, of course, are environmental allergies.