Christmas Update

I wasn't able to get out Christmas cards this year so I decided to use the blog and email to give you all an update. Hope that everyone is having a wonderful holiday season! What can I say to get you all up to speed on the happenings in the Golding house these last couple of months? First and foremost the girls are growing like weeds and both are loving school. They just performed in their first christmas recital and were very excited to be able to have all their grandparents in the audience. Emily is a wonderful helper and is maturing more and more each day. Elizabeth is slowly loosing her toddler pronunciations which constantly reminds me that my baby is growing up. I will definitly cry when she stops saying "kunk" and starts to say skunk. Jason is excited beyond words to not be working the Rose Floats this year. This will be the first time we will spend new years eve together since we were married almost 10 years ago. He has even planned a 12 day camping trip to Arizona for us in January. I have just finished my first full semester of nursing school, only 3 more semesters to go! Needless to say, I am extremely happy to be back to being a mommy and wife again (if you've seen or talked to me the last 16 weeks you would know that I didn't go anywhere or do anything w/out a book or my notes to study). The following are some recent pictures, hope you enjoy! 2008 has been a great year for us and we feel blessed everyday for our health, for eachother and for all of you. Merry Christmas!!!

Love,

Jason, Christine, Emily and Elizabeth

Sorry For The Delay

I know, I'm a bad blogger mommy! I just finished my first semester of nursing school and had no time for posting pictures of our summer happenings. But, I'm off until September and promise to do better.


In the mean time, check out this Christian the Lion video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYbFQFXG0U


While I'm not a proponent of having wild animals for pets, this is a great story with a happy ending. Enjoy!

Ballet

Another one of the girls' summer activites is Ballet. This is Elizabeth's first time taking a city recreation class, while Emily is an old pro by now.

Swimming Lessons

We have been going to swim lessons 4 days a week for the last 6 weeks and its really paying off. Both girls are doing great on their "kicks & scoops" and both girls have gone off the diving board several times. We are taking the next session off, but will be back in action in 2 weeks.

Bathing Beauties

What can I say? Daddy is in trouble in about 10 years!

Mommy & Me class with Elizabeth.



Emily is so happy to be in the big kid class. She is usually the first one to jump in and last one to get out. She's a fish just like her Mommy!

ELizabeth's first time off the board!

Emily jumping to her teacher!

I couldn't resist adding this old picture of Jay. This is the only picture we have of him near water as a child. He is a firm believer that humans DO NOT have fins for a reason. He has been a great sport this summer and swims with the girls at Nonnie and Papa's pool almost every weekend! What a great Daddy!

Emily's Last Day of School

These are pictures of Emily's last day at Sierra Madre Community Nursery School.

At the school's front gate.

Receiving her certificate from Ms. Alison and Ms. Connie.

Emily's best friends in the class. Above is Sofia and below is Jeff.

Emily and Ms. Connie

Emily and Ms. Alison

Elizabeth at the after school picnic.

Oregon

Jason and I really wanted to take a little vacation just the two of us before my chaotic nursing school schedule began and to celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary. Jason went to Portland last year for a conference and loved it and I have always wanted to see Oregon. And with the deal we could get on expedia.com it was a destination that could fit into our budget. Our first full day there we took full advantage of the amazing public transit system they have. We took the train into downtown Portland and walked all over, hitting every brewery along the way. After visiting the famous Powell's Bookstore (it's three stories and takes up a whole city block, I was in heaven) we went to see Indiana Jones and headed back to the hotel. Day # 2 was our driving day. I got to take in the beauty of the back country roads while Jason was able to stop at several wineries. We drove through lots of quant little beach cities making our way up the coast we toured the Tillamok Factory and ate a crab dinner in the town of Garibaldi. Our final day was spent at the Columbia River Gorge and eating lunch in Hood River. Enough commentary, here's the pictures.

The Tillamok Factory tour was great. While you have probably seen their cheese and butter in the grocery store, they also make ice cream (my favorite part)!

Looking south along the Oregon coast just below Cannon Beach! Being a California girl and only really visiting states in the southwest I was amazed at how green everything was. Maybe someday they can share some of that water with their neighbors to the south.

I love the show Little People, Big World and through Jason's amazing sense of direction we were able to find the farm. Really! We had no directions to the farm or anything, Jay just thought it might be off this road.

Overlooking the Columbia River Gorge from the Vista House built in 1917.

The Vista House

At the bottom of Multnomah Fall. This is the second highest year round waterfall in the U.S. We took a mile long hike to the top and it was well worth it!

The view from the top of the falls looking down was breath taking.

From the top of the falls looking across the Columbia Gorge into Washington state.

Sequoia National Park

Last month we took a trip to Sequoia for a reunion of my Dad's side of the family, the Bechtel Family. In all we had nine out of ten families make their way up the mountain to enjoy unseasonably warm weather, hiking, and family. You might ask, why Sequoia? My Dad, along with one of his older sisters, was born and raised on the mountain. My grandafther was the head ranger for many, many years and the park always seems to feel like home. Below are some pictures of our weekend. I don't have many pictures of my extended family posted because we typically went on our own family adventures during the day and met up in the evenings for dinner.

The top portion of the General Grant Tree.

When Emily was a baby we picked out a baby Sequoia next to Tharp's Log in Cresent meadow. We revisited it this year and found another baby right next to it. Now both girls have their own trees and will really be able to track their growth as they get older.

Here is the old picture of Emily when she had just celebrated her first birthday.

With Papa on our hike to see Roaring River Falls. The Sierra's had a pretty good amount of snow this season so the river and all the falls were filled with water, so beautiful!

Jason and I at Roaring River Falls

My Dad's oldest sister Pat, my cousin and partner in planning this reunion Michele, my Dad's other sister Lyndia, Me and Dad

Elizabeth and Emily

Jason and Elizabeth take a break on the Cresent Meadow trail.

My Mom and I at Grizzly Falls.

A Golding Girl Sandwich

Lunch before our hike up to Panaramic Point.

The view from Panoramic Point.

Jason and I in Cresent Meadow.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

It's that time of year again! We went to our first of many Angel games last week and had a great time with Peepa and the girls. Unfortunatly, the Angels couldn't pull through and win but its only the begining of the season.

Go Vlady!!!!!!

A family of die hard fans!!

Free blanket night! How could we (Daddy and Peepa) pass that up?!

Got anymore cotton candy?