POOL TIME!

Brandon and Brianna absolutely love the water and with the 100 + degree days here - I decided to try a 2ft little swimming pool for them complete with a filter, so the water could get warmer for them. Andy was a trooper and helped out and set it up for us. The kids really, really enjoy it, to the point that they couldn't wait for it to finish filling up and they were in it. Thank you Uncle Andy for your help!!!! :)

Summer Decided to Show UP

Well summer decided to come - up until Thursday last week, it has been unusually pleasant, with temps in the 70s and rain atleast once a week. It has been nice, we have not had to use the airconditioner and I have been really enjoying it....one downfall has been with the 70s and lower 80s by the time I get home, dinner is done, and it's time to water the flowers and play it is too cool for the kids to play in the water much. Andy came over for a short visit and the kids were quick to get him outside to play in the water on this very warm evening!

Faith teaches Brandon and Brianna a new trick!

As I have mentioned a time or two before every evening the little ones and I water the flowers in the back & front yard. Every so often we have the privilege of our neighbors golden retriever paying us a visit. She is a very smart, fun dog and the kids have a ball playing with her. She is so smart, she even picks out a rock for the kids to throw for her and then has the kids "take turns" throwing it for her. This evening it was plenty hot - 82 or so and they were running the poor dog to death.....so I turned the hose to her and she drank from it, now luckily our outside water is house water because no sooner did Faith go home for a rest and here is Brianna "drinking from the hose" then Brandon decided it was lots of fun, took his shorts off for some reason and began drinking as well. I let them play for a little bit, then decided enough was enough.....Brianna let out two or three humungo burps and they made there way to the house and right back out to the back yard, where they shed the remainder of their clothes and played in the sprinkler. I am so blessed to be able to spend the evenings with the little ones, just hanging out and a special thanks to the neighbor's loaning us their wonder dog Faith.....the little ones have the fun of a dog with out the mess!

What I LUV about Sundays....mornings that is!

It seems as though we have another "Hoke Family Tradition" going on....and it occurred to attempted to blind us with the flash of the camera this morning that I need to blog about this one :)radition" Each Sunday morning is followed by two veryme only after Brandon tired parents and two very early risers, it seems like no matter how late I allow the kids to stay up on Saturday night, while Bill works the very late and long swing shift, staying at the restaurant until well after bar close, the early morning risers are always too early on Sunday morning! Every Sunday we are awakened by Brandon and Brianna climbing into our bed and all over us. We snuggle them and try as hard as we can to get them to please, please just go back to sleep for a little while, and after no avail, we give in and beg them to lay and watch morning cartoons, again this usually ends up unsuccessful, and Bill and I give in and wrestle and play with the kids savoring our Sunday mornings. Poor Bill is always so tired,

but he's a trooper and even when I whisk the kids to the living room, they sneak in to play with daddy and give him loves! We treasure these family moments, with us working opposite shifts they are so few and far between.......and this is definitely What I LUV about Sundays!

A few of our flowers....

We had a slow start to the summer, but have managed to get our hanging pots, a new flower bed as well as our pots for our patio planted and the flowers are beautiful.... the summer has been cool enough that the colors of the flowers are vivid and not yet faded, as they often fade so badly in the hot days of summer. The "musical frog" pictures with my pots on my front patio was a wonderful gift from my step mom Lynn and my step brother and sister Molly and Michael, I love it! The Doggies with the solar lantern was my mother's day gift from Bill and the kids, again Love, love it! Watering the flowers every evening has become one of our favorite "little" things to do, as Brandon would say we "Waaa the fwauwers in front and then we waaaa the fwauwers in the back every evening!

Hanging basket on birthday gift from
Mom and Grandma and Grandpa Hanson


"Musical Frog", double carnation pots (replanted - mother's day gift 2006)
and Golden Retriever Family and Solar Lantern on front patio.

Brianna "steels" a KISS

With the aid of Carissa, Brianna was able to "steel" a kiss from Brandon. It is Brandon's misfortune to have become the only "full-time" boy sibling in this household since Cody went to live with his dad. Brianna is at a very adoring, loving age and wanted a kiss and hug very badly from Brandon on this evening.... Brandon was saying, no, no, no and running and ducking, and hiding, but Sis came to the rescue of Brianna and helped her "steel" a kiss. I just think these pics are adorable and had to share!

"CHEEEEEEESE" A Hoke Family Tradition

Brianna says Cheeeeeese

Brandon says Cheeeeeese

Carissa saying Cheeeeeese
( although she isn't aware of it :) )

Any one who knows me knows that I have always, always loved pictures! My house is decorated, mostly with my family photos. There has been the occasion that a friend or two has actually said, you know Colleen ~ you can decorate with things besides pictures ~ Okay I'll admit it, I am addicted to photos of my loved ones. While pondering this and admitting to it, I don't find it a "bad" thing ~ so sue me! My younger kids Brandon and Brianna have had the misfortune of being born the same year My Uncle Dennis and Aunt Carol bought me my very first digital camera.....not that I didn't take a lot of pics before, I did but the capability it provides me to take many, many, more pics to have has increased a bunch! The little ones especially come up to me on a "normal" basis and say in their own little words, they want to take a cheeeeeese picture! It has become a "Hoke Family Tradition"

No, the rooms in my house will never look like the ones on the cover of magazines, but I am comforted by the love and memories I get to relive every time I look at one of my precious photos displayed on my walls, and if it's not the most "hip" way to decorate one's home.....I do not care, I love the pics of my family and, I myself, do not care what is status quo, I just do what makes me feel good! To those of you who keep your photos in photo books and not on your walls and decorate you house "to the hills" Congratulations and I wish no harm, and I take no offense to anyone telling me "decorate with something besides pictures" nor do I think any less of them, but for me decorating with pictures of my loved ones is what makes me happy! :) And in my house, as I am sure in all "Mama's houses" " What makes Mama happy, makes my other family members happy!" As long as I am capable I will continue to "click" the camera as often as I can.....I only wish I could take some classes and afford a "high tech" digital camera and camera accessories to become a professional and capture other peoples memories as well! I then would truly LOVE MY JOB! Until then I love the cheeeeeese pictures and will continue to share them with everyone!

Sissy's Cat - Mr. Ki Ki Meow and the little ones!

After work I called and had Bill meet me at Great Clips and we all - except for Carissa got our hair cuts ~ well Brianna just got her bangs trimmed, Brandon got his bowl/little boy cut that I always instruct Bill to tell them I want, but they never figure it out cause Bill says he doesn't know how to tell them how to do it like I want it :) Hee Hee - Bill got his hair cut and I got my "next step" to my A-line Bobb......anyway Brandon picked up Mr. Ki Ki Meow and posed with him and asked me to take their picture, the cat is amazing, he holds perfectly still the entire time one of the kids is holding him, he is almost paralized it seems, doesn't scratch them or fight to get away, amazing! Brianna was not far behind and quickly got involved in getting a picture with the kitty! We miss Kitty Kitty since his disappearance, but have welcomed Mr. Ki Ki Meow to the family. Kitty Kitty will forever be missed - he was above and beyond the best cat with little ones I have ever seen! Brianna could lay on him, pull him around by his tail, etc (of course until we caught her and corrected her) and he would just lay there and purr. Mr. Ki Ki Meow is a Siamese mix and is very loving and likes lots of attention. He talks a lot more than Kitty, or as Bill says whines at him a lot more and demands Bill's attention, but Bill has taken to him nicely...but then all of us have. Cody begs each time he is here to take him home with him to his dads!

Beautiful Sunsets!

Here is a couple of our beautiful sunsets we got to enjoy this past week. This was taken driving into West Richland home from Baskin-n-Robbins. It was a beautiful evening!

Baskin N Robbins (sp)

After Hogs N Dogs we drove into town and got ice cream for the kids....it was a beautiful evening and we sat outside and just let the kids take their time and eat their own and get messy, messy, messy! It was a great end to a wonderful evening....I can't wait until Bill get's a job with regular hours and gets to spend evenings with us ~ we miss him soooo much!

Hogs N Dogs

Brianna eating her hot dog!

Brandon and Daddy eating their hot dogs!

Daddy, Brianna, and Brandon looking at all the motorcycles!!!! WOW!

Daddy, Brandon, and Brianna looking at the motorcycles, they are loud!

Close Up - Oops, I cut Bill's head off, :)

This was the first year we went to Hogs and Dogs at the sports annex in West Richland, Carissa went with us, but when we parked next to one of her friends, she ditched us in a hurry! :) Teenagers, what can we say???? Brandon and Brianna loved all the motorcycles! It was amazing! The hot dogs were supplied by Ray's Meats, and as everything from Ray's they were good! I think we will make this a new "family tradition" it's a great community event~

Carissa shooting her model : Brandon Dean :)

So I found these pics on my camera of Brandon and thought, what in the world??? I asked who took these and Sis pipes up and says ME! I said why? She said Brandon was modeling - just thought I would share :)

Fathers Day - 2008

This year for Father's Day Carissa and Cody spent the weekend and day with their dad. This is the first year in 3 years that we haven't had all the kids on the special day. Bill, Brandon, Brianna, and I went to my Dad and Lynn's for Father's Day. Since I have recently been diagnosed with Celiac Disease ( I cannot take in any gluten's: wheat,barley,rye,etc) and we were having lunch I was a little worried that everyone would not be at ease and would fuss over making sure I "could have what was to eat" I do not want this to be the first thing every one worries about before or when I am over visiting and it's an eating occasion. Lynn was very good and called ahead and asked me what I could and couldn't eat and I asked her not to worry about me, I would eat what I could and would not eat what I couldn't.....I do really appreciate her trying to be sure everything was "ok" for me. Grandma and Bud were there as well, and it was great to see them as usual. It was a quick ride up and back, as Bill had to be to work by 4 pm and we slept in that morning until 20 minutes til' 10 AM, but all in all it was a good day. Unfortunately I did not get many pictures, as my purse never ends up making it into the house ( I always leave it in the car) and of course I forgot my camera in my purse. Brianna had a successful day of " no accident " potty training, even being some where else and is really making progress in that area....even for the 1 1/2 hour car ride up and back ~ no accidents :) She has been great to potty train....very easy! Dad was tired and didn't feel well but it was great to visit with him, as always, even if just for a little bit! Lynn is always a gracious hostess! I wish we got to spend more time with them....the kids warmed up rather nice and had a ball. Brandon was on Papa Mike's heals the entire time. He did not want to leave when we did and asked if Papa Mike was going to "ride in his truck" we said yes he rides in his truck and then all the way home he wanted to know if Papa Mike and Gma Lynn were following us....Bill had a nice father's day, he liked his saw I got him and loves the digital key chain, although I don't think he has loaded any pics yet, I'll do it for him soon, but need him to pick out the pictures :) Maybe he's waiting for pictures from our vacation to Long Beach over the 4th???? instead of just procrastinating per usual :) hee hee!

Sibling Luv!

We are truly blessed to have Brandon and Brianna! They get along so well and really look out for one another. They play for hours upon hours and fight very rarely! The most recent achievement we have made as a family is potty training Brianna, she's doing great and I know it is because of all the support she get from us all as a family, but most importantly the encouragement and loving reminders Brandon gives her ~ after all he helps empty her potty and earns 2 M&M's just as she does for going potty.....I don't know what 3 yr old wouldn't be encouraging his baby sister to use the potty if it meant getting an M&M :) None the less they love one another unconditionally and Brianna will forever be Brandon's little "Anna", no matter how much she believes she truly is "in charge".

Live @ 5

These pictures were taken at the park at Live @ 5 last week, and I just had to post them, I just think they are so good and they reflect just how big Brandon and Brianna are getting. They are growing up so quickly! As you can tell "sitting on the rocks" was a big hit for the little ones! I begged Carissa and Cody to get into some of the pictures with no luck at all. Brandon and Brianna had a blast dancing and eating Kettle Corn with their Grandma Norma. Brandon especially loved the Bounce House, Brianna, not so much - but then there were an awful lot of bigger kids that bounced and it would knock her down....she didn't like that at all! Carissa spent most of the time on her phone texting trying to convince some of her friends to meet her there and Cody hung out with the kids. All in all it was a lot of fun, oh by the way the band was NOT that good, but Brandon and Brianna had no complaints :)

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream!

Norma, Bill's mom came to visit on Wednesday so Thursday night we decided to go to "Live @ 5" at John Day Park in Richland to listen to some live music and let the kids jump in the bounce toy and just enjoy the nice evening, it was fun and afterwards we decided it would be fun to stop by Dairy Queen for an ice cream snack. We don't go out for ice cream very often, but the kids, in general love ice cream and all the adults thought it sounded good as well. We had the privilege of Cody staying the week with us and it was a fun family outing. I thought the older kids would think it was lame to go to Live @ 5 and to Ice Cream, but all in all it was a success! As you can see from the pics Brianna was the "Star of the Show" @ Dairy Queen!