Family Picture

Family Picture

12.17.2011

The Amazing Race High School Edition

Recently I have begun teaching the Teen Class at Church and Anna thought it would be fun to design an "Amazing Race" for the teens to compete in. So we recruited a few members from the congregation to use their homes for the "stops" (Reeves, Marks, Washburns) and a few others to be the "taxis" (Grace, Daryl, Brian). We couldn't have pulled off the game without these generous individuals giving of their Saturday afternoons.

All the competitors met at the church parking lot a few Saturday afternoon's ago excited about the big race.

The ladies...waiting for two gentlemen that were running late...

Madison passed the time by playing with her buddy Brian...
Orientation...

And they are off...

The first challenge had the teams uncover lego pieces from a bowl of flower using chop sticks and then construct the figure to receive their next clue which was a series of letters and numbers which directed them to the license plate number of the car they would be traveling in.

Video...the teens really got into it which made it a lot of fun...









The second event was held at one of our minister's homes close by the church building...it was a jelly belly taste testing challenge, where the teams had to correctly guess 10 flavors of the 49 jelly belly flavors.


The judge studying the flavor chart...

The last team arrives...
Waiting their turn...


Ready to go to Ralph's grocery store and solve clues to pick up specific items for the barbecue...
The Judge...

After Ralph's, teams were led to the park where teams were given a choice to memorize a short paragraph or keep a balloon animal in the air for 25 consecutive hits...each team went with the balloon...Anna, our photographer arrived after the first team had already left...


The vehicles ready to go...again...

Second to last event involved matching this picture Anna had created exactly by sifting through a bunch of pieces...the picture was on the garage of the house so the contestants had to memorize it, or run back and forth to complete the picture.

Finally we ended just before dark with a nail biting finish as you had to throw disks at a target and accumulate a set amount of points...we were surprised by how close the teams were bunched together...it was intense.

The official winners of the Amazing Race 2011

Runner's Up because the boys did not keep their receipt from their mandatory gas stop incurring a 5 minute penalty which was just enough time for the girls to finish their last task :-)
Not pictured: Third place boys

Anna did such a great job organizing this whole thing. She comes up with these events and I usually cringe, but the teens had such a great time they are still talking about it three weeks later and we hear one of the winners has the check hanging in her bedroom :-)

12.06.2011

サンクスギビング週末の巻!/Thanksgiving and more!

サンクスギビングの日の朝もちろんクライン家はミッキー達に会いにいってきました...
On Thanksgiving morning we went to the happiest place on earth to be thankful...

この馬はメリーポピンズの主役をしたジュリーアンドリューズのために、特別にデザインされたと物知りのおじさんに教えてもらいました。
We are thankful that this pretty horse was designed specially for Julie Andrews(Mary Poppins).
マディソンがミッキー達と怖がって泣き叫ぶこと無く写真を撮ることが出来るようになった事を感謝しています。
We are thankful that now Madison can take pictures with all the Disney characters without freaking out and melting down.

マディソンはミッキーのサンタに感謝、でも後ほどモンスターズインクの乗り物に置いてきてしまったので今もう持っていないんだけど...:(
Madison is thankful for the Santa Mickey although we left it in a monster's inc ride later on and she no longer owns one...

おなか出ているけど妊娠じゃないよ、ただのおなかです...
I'm thankful that I'm not pregnant at this time...



サンクスギビングデイの前に週にいろいろと学校で作りました...
Leading up to Thanksgiving day Madison made all sorts of thanksgiving stuff at school...

マディソンの初めての宿題!何か一番感謝している物の名前を葉っぱの紙に書いて飾り付けをする事でした。もちろんマディソンはママ達とエリーの名前を書いたよ:)
Our first homework! She was to write one thing she is thankful for and decorate it to bring to school the next day...:-) Of course she wrote Daddy, Mommy and Ellie:-)

サンクスギビングの食事の後直ぐにクリスマスに突入!しかも、今年はマディソンが飾り付けを手伝えるようになりました!!
After our thanksgiving meal we got busy getting ready for Christmas! AND Madison got to help decorate the tree and she loved it!!

このとってもかわいいビデオをお楽しみください...
Please enjoy these cute videos...

12.04.2011

6週間前:)/6 Weeks Ago :-)

お久しぶりデース!信じられないですけど今日は6週間も前に起こった話をしまーす...本当に悲しいことにクライン家は今とっても忙しいんです!!なので最近起こったことを簡単にまとめてみました:)
Hello out there! I can't believe we are doing this, but today we are talking about something that happened about a month and a half ago... Very sad I know but we just have been super busy!! So I will summarize a lot of things that happened in the last 6 weeks quickly so that we can be ready for the holiday season posts:-)

11月の中旬にホリデーシーズンの開始を祝ってディズニーのパスを持っている人たちが特別にディズニーランドへ招待されたということがありました:)
Early November Dave got an email saying select pass holders are invited to the very first night of the holiday season at the Disneyland after the official hours end at 8:00 and we still had to be picked after RSVPing, but we got picked! So we got to go to DL on Monday the 14th...:-)

ディズニーランドへ着くと招待状を持っている人たちには特別なブレスレットを着けられディズニーランドが閉まる8時以降に残って居れられるという事...しかもこの日は全然寒くなくて私たちは大満足です...:)
When we arrived we got special bracelets so that the cast members know we are supposed to be able to stay in the park after the park closed and the holiday fireworks were just about to start...
It was such a perfect night to be outside, not too cold just right...;-)

このクリスマスツリーはディズニーのキャラで飾り付けすれば良いのに、でもとっても大きいディズニーランドのクリスマスツリー...
I wish they would decorate the tree with Disney ornaments but they just do a normal but giant Christmas tree...




このマディソンはなぜかとっても大人っぽく見える!うれしいけど悲しい感じ、そんなに早く成長しないでね:)
This Madison just looks soooo grown up and makes me happy and sad at the same time! Don't grow up so fast okay Madison!?


メインストリートでは本物の雪が降ってきた!!
Snowing on Main Street!!


この写真良いでしょ!マディソンがパパにチュー:)
This I like a lot! Madison giving Daddy a sweet kiss:-)
クリスマスツリーの前で私とマディソンでハイチーズ...
Madison and I pose in front of the tree...
誰かがプロポーズしてる...めでたしめでたし!!
Right before this guy proposed to this girl...she said YES!!
イッツアスモールワールドも奇麗だなー...
It's a Small World all lit up...

マディソンがイッツアスモールワールドの歌を特別に歌ってくれました:)
Madison serenades...in case you forgot the song :-)


プリンセスオーロラのお城
Sleeping Beauty's Castle
5人そろって写真を撮っていたので早速列に並んでいたんだけど、マディソンは眠ってしまい家族写真は残念ながら撮れなかったんです...なのでこの日本人っぽい人たちが写真を撮っているところを盗み撮り...
We wanted to wait to get OUR picture with all the characters, but Madison was falling asleep, so we settled for a picture of these people with all the characters...
グーフィー、私のために凍ってくれているのかな...
Not sure if Goofy froze for me, but it was a little coincidental...

ボーナス写真:これは違う日に来た時のカワイイマディソン:)
Bonus cuteness: From a different day at the park...

11.20.2011

マディソン歌を歌うの巻き/Madison Singing

やっと2、3週間前に撮ったこのとーってもかわいいマディソンが歌を歌っているビデオを載せる順番が来ました...:)
Finally we are getting around to post these super cute videos of Madison singing about a few weeks ago...:-)


まずキラキラ星の歌を歌い始めるマディソン...でもイッチービッチースパイダーに...そしてウィールズオンザバスゴラウンドエンドラウンドで...:)
Madison starts off singing Tinkle tinkle little star... then Itsy bitsy spider... then The Wheels on a bus go round and round..:-)


まだ3曲目の歌を歌っています...
Still singing The Wheels on a bus go round and round...


未だに何の歌を歌っているのかわからないけど、元気よく歌っている...
Right now I can't figure out what she is singing but she still is going strong...


謎の歌をまだ歌っています...そして最後に鼻かみ休憩でお歌の時間終了!
Continuing to sing the mystery song... then finally a strong finish with a blowing nose break!

11.13.2011

11月にクリスマスパレード!?/Christmas Day Parade in November!?

先週の土曜日にディズニーランドに行った時何とその日にクリスマスデイパレードを録画している野を知ってビックリ!!いつもその日に生放送だと思って観ていたのに...:(マライアキャリーの夫のニックキャノンが司会を務めるらしい...この日はたまたまカリフォルニアアドベンチャーへ先に行ったから真っ先にディズニーランドに来ていたら全部のパレードが観れていたのかも...
Last Saturday we went to the Disneyland and when we got to the park we found out they had been taping the Christmas Day Parade that day!!! We couldn't believe it!! So either the whole thing is on tape or part of it is but still don't understand the reasoning behind it... Can't they get enough people to come see the parade on the actual Christmas day!? Weird! But we were able to enjoy last bit of the parade and Nick Cannon apparently will be hosting the show...:-) Really wish we didn't stop by California Adventure first...

白いスーツを来ているのがニックキャノン...:)
You can find Nick Cannon here in his white tux...:-)


パレードの最後の方...
The parade...


パレードをもう少し...
Some more of the parade...


まだパレード...
Little more of the parade...


マディソンがパレードを指差しているところ...
Madison pointing the parade...


パレードの後パラパラ落ちている紙を拾いながら音楽に合わせてお尻を振っているマディソン...:)そして2、3秒見失う親達...
After the parade Madison was enjoying picking up the confetti stuff as she wiggles her hip to the beat...:-) Then we loses her for a second or so...