Dursteler Family

Fall Camping at Big Bear

2009-09-18T16:39:00.000-07:00

The Happiest Soccer Mom on the Block

2009-09-18T15:30:00.001-07:00

Ok, this is a hard thing to explain, but the having the kids in soccer has made me so happy. Not just a little happy, but full-circle happy. To understand this, you have to imagine a little, southern, tom-boy with a ratty pony-tail growing up on the soccer field, and loving it. Then in High School, I had the chance to be on the first girl's team for our school. We were spirited and dedicated. What we lacked in skill, we made up for in spirit. It is hard to describe how much that team meant to me, but it really formed me into who I wanted to BE (and I don't mean an athelete, because we know how that turned out). Those memories are some of my fondest of all my childhood and teens. I want to give a shout out to all the coaches, TEAMMATES and supportive parents who helped us grow that way. Thanks. Now it is my turn and I am thrilled. It brings back a flood of happy memories for me. The kids are adorable and loving it. Wyatt, a soccer player in his own right, is right beside me cheering them on. Good times for us. "Soccer mom" is the best thing you could call me these days. Just look for the loudest parent, cheering like crazy for her 4 year old- that's me. :)

Rachel was the biggest surprise for their first game. Her game was after her brother's, so she had the advantage of seeing how it all worked. We had kinda joked about how she would probably sit down and pick flower and look for lady bugs during the game, but as soon as the whistle blew, she was the leader of the pack, kicking the ball towards the goal. I about fell over! Go Team COTTON CANDY!

James looks like such a natural in his BALL HOGS uniform. He reminds me so much of his dad. Always the best buddy to the class clown, he is quietly in the mix, waiting for his chance to shine. I love this kid! Look in the video for his breakout for the goal. It is hilarious becaue it ends up being his teammate that grabs him from behind (a 4 year old's best defense) to stop the goal. You can hear Wyatt's groan. The mom beside us is his mother. Too funny! James did score a goal (for the other team-whoops!) Good thing that they don't keep score. Go #2!!!!

D-land!

2009-09-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

Our Disneyland passes are finally past their block-out dates, so at the first opportunity we took the kids for a day. Wyatt was able to come too- it was a great family day. Rachel is almost 40 inches so we were able to go on a few of the bigger coasters- the old railroad coaster was her favorite (mine too). Suprisingly, they like the coasters more than some of the other rides with the characters. I think that seeing everything larger-than-life is a little scary for them. In the above pic, the kids are making their scary faces with Chopper the Hopper.

Moab

2009-07-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

Wyatt Biking

"Auntie Nessa" with Rachel, Peyton, and James

Wyatt and James climbing to a lookout point in Arches National Park

John and Peyton at Double Arch

Cousins

John mountain biking

Wyatt overlooking the Colorado River

Mudbath

Doggone Happy

Ok, so these photos were old, but since I am playing catch-up, thought that I might as well... Before the twins came, even before we were married, Wyatt and I used to to to Moab, UT every spring (usually around Wyatt's B-day). We even went back when the babies were itty-bitty. Anyways we missed last year, but we have my brother John to thank for getting us back in the groove. John called and mentioned that he was planning a trip, so we went along. It felt a little wimpy staying in a condo instead of camping, but it was a much better plan because we went later in the year and it was HOT! It was great to spend time with John, Vanessa and Peyton. Peyton is my nephew. He is just a few months older than the twins. He totally has my brother's humor and was constantly cracking us all up. What a funny kid!

Here are a few photos (our camera was broken half of the trip) of our adventures. Saddie, our dog, went along this time. She fit right in with her auburn coat. We took a little walk by the Colorado river. It ended up being an inpromtu swimming hole and mud fest because it was so hot. The kids loved it. Somehow I escaped being slathered with mud- depite Wyatt's threats.

Wyatt loves mountain biking in Moab an the surrounding areas. John is obsessed with biking lately. They have a good time together on the trails. Southern Utah is such a pretty and unique place. Can't wait to go back!

Oak Glen Old School House with Hirsch Cousins

2009-07-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

Happy 90th Grandma!

2009-07-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

Aunt Helen, Grandma Marion, Aunt Jean, Mom (Janice)
The Birthday Girl!

Miss you grandma!

Sarah and Elizabeth on the dinner cruise

Mom and Marion

Sarah's family: Grant, Elizabeth, Sarah, Chris, Benjamin

In June, I ditched the family for a weekend trip out to the Midwest to spend some much needed time with my side of the family. I first flew in to Minneapolis, Minnesota and stayed a few days with my sister, Sarah as our family gathered at her house. She just moved to the area with her family. It was a beautiful time of year- very lush and green with lakes everywhere. Her house was brand new and darling. Marion and I took over the boys room and it felt like when we shared a room growing up. We each had our own twin bed and got to argue about keeping the light on at night and Marion's mess (just kidding). Truth is, we stayed up way too late at night talking like we were 12 years old. Sarah's kids are adorable, talented, and bright (not a big surprise to those that know their parents). It was nice to soak up some time with them without my kids competing for attention. We all took a dinner cruise one night on Lake Minnetonka. It was a lovely way to spend the evening.

After a few days at Sarah's, the Grovers all drove down to Des Moines, Iowa to celebrate my Grandma Marion's 90th Birthday. It was the first time that I had seen most of my mom's family since our wedding (8 years now). My grandma has changed so much, but still is scooting around pretty well for her age. She looks pretty good don't you think? Seeing her made me realize how much I have missed my grandma. It is hard to see her very often out in Iowa. She is not traveling anymore. My aunts, their husbands, and all the cousins were very welcoming. It is cute to see my mom with her sisters and how much they act alike when they are together.

Overall, it was a wonderful trip. I missed my kids and hubby terribly, but don't worry, I enjoyed a little "me" time while I could. The earliest I woke up was 10 am. LOVE THAT!

Fav photo

2009-03-18T00:38:00.000-07:00

I was looking through last year's photos and came across this shot again. I took it when Becky was out with her kids were out and we were all out at the beach. It took several tries to get the kids all together, but I just love it because it reminds me of what a close bond our kids have with all of their cousins. It is so cute that they all lined up according to age, each following what the next oldest is doing. Out in front is Aleah, then Sierra, Iris, Rachel, James, Carmen and Ali. I think that I'll frame this one.

Green Giggles

2009-03-18T00:28:00.000-07:00

When I picked the kids up from school today, they were so happy and giggly after their St. Patricks Day party. They got to do some various green art creations and got their faces painted. They were so cute and silly, I had to catch it on film. My new resolution is to try and be better about taking photos of them. I want to find a cool place out here to take some pics soon, any ideas anyone?

Shoe Fetish

2009-03-11T00:22:00.000-07:00

We recently celebrated the twin's 4th birthday. It is hard to believe that they are getting to be so big. I love them so much, it is hard to imagine life without them. Rachel is lovely and kind hearted. She adores animals (much like me at that age), and spend hours with Saddie each day. She is always trying to boss James around- she will be a very good mother some day. She has the tone down pat. James is every teacher's favorite. He loves to be involved in the action and has a tremendous attention span for his age. Right now he has an infatuation with being a super hero, it doesn't even really matter what one. He runs around the house decked out in various costumes, saying, I'm "SUPER!" The twins kinda lucked out. Being our only kids, we pretty much celebrated their birthdays all week, opening one present each day. Our big present was Dland for the year for our whole family. So if anyone wants to meet up for a day, we're love to.

What is it with women and their shoes? I'll tell you, it is completely genetic. Rachel is a perfect example of this. She has these ratty, once sparkly, pink shoes that my sister got for her. She LOVES them. No, I'm not kidding, LOVES them. I'm always going in to her room to check on her before bed and she will have them on her pillow or she will hug then as she sleeps. Someday that they are going to just magically disappear like James' binky. They have seen better days.
Rachel got a 4 pack of princess shoes for the big day. You have never seen a child so happy. She had to line them all up and admire each individually for it's beauty. Then she carried them all around the entire day. She could bear to leave any behind. Yes, the shoe fetish starts early.

James got a bigger bike. We ride bikes almost every day when the weather is nice. He has this skater helmet and elbow pads. He was riding a razor scooter the other day in grey cords, vintage looking T-shirt, and vans. Wyatt and I were amazed at how he looked like such a California boy.

So grown up.

Utah Trip

2009-03-10T23:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, Ok, Ok, I have fallen off the blogging bandwagon. It is all your fault Marilyn! Yes you! You were the sneaky person who inspired me to change my backgroud becasue it was supposed to be so "easy." You didn't tell me that it would be so freakin' difficult to change it back! I have gotten on to blog several time since the Christmas facelift and gotten so frustrated when I couldn't change the background, that I gave up. Hooray for me, I finally figured it out (all by myself thank you very much!), and can get back to sharing too much information with the public. By the way, miss you Marilyn. Your blog is so cute.

These photos are from forever ago, but they were cute, so I wanted to show them. After Christmas, we took a trip up to Utah to see the family. Here are some photos of the Dursteler Bunch sledding. Looking back, I wish that I had taken more photos that trip cuz there are none of the days spent with Sarah, my sis, and her family. She doesn't read my blog anyways, so serves her right I guess.

My attitude is a little snarky late at night. Those of y'all workin night shift we me see a whole 'nuther side of Ruth. Beware, I become a true smart-ass. See, I even used the real word. All the nurses think that I am really funny, when actually, I'm pretty boring. Go figure.

Christmas at our house

2009-01-21T23:02:00.001-08:00

This is gonna be short, I'm sleepy. We had a fun Christmas together. It was our first major holiday in Beaumont and it turned out to be a good one. Christmas Eve we went ice skating with the Hirsh fam in Riverside. The kids really loved it. That night I was lucky to get called off work. That was the best Christmas gift of all. The next day, the kids were thrilled that Santa had been so good to them. James loved his Batman wings (thanks Auntie Marion) and Rachel was spoiled all around as a proper Princess should be. We are in a very pink phase with her lately. What a lovely holiday!

Turkey day with the Grovers

2008-12-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Johnny Grovers that is. The parents are still in China (don't ask, it is my Dad's latest adventure and my mom went too). Marion had a short break between shifts, so she came over too. My compliments to chef Vanessa who did a beautiful and very tasty job. I love me some PECAN PIE!

a few more pics from utah

2008-11-21T14:19:00.000-08:00

Utah Trip

2008-11-21T13:30:00.000-08:00

OK, this is my last posting. You better enjoy it because it will probably be months before I get back to it again. By the way, I'm still sitting in my bathrobe and it is 1:30 in the afternoon. I've just been blogging and playing with the kids all day. Nice as long as no one knocks on the door.

OK, this was my Utah trip from several months ago. It was my first trip with the kids, but no Wyatt. I felt very brave, and luckily there were no major travel catastrophes.

It was a great trip because I got to see lots of both sides of the family. The first couple days were spent with Sarah, her kids, and Marion (my sisters). Most of the pictures were of these days. Being around Marion makes me feel like taking photos. I have to keep up! Those of you that know her, know what I'm talking about. She is always making everyone stop having fun to pose for a photo. Well, and since everyone is posed, I snap a shot too. We had a really good time seeing the Frampton clan in Spanish Fork, going the the BYU Natural History Museum, going to the BYU football game, swimming at Solitude, and a hike up at Silver Lake.

I'm sad that I did not take more photos of the second part of the week. The few I took, didn't really turn out. :( We stayed with Wyatt's sister, Trisha and her family for the last part of the week. They have a set of twins too, so it was interesting to see how they all interacted. The last night we knew that they had bonded when Rachel was listening as Trisha read good night stories to Grant/Alex, she wanted to snuggle in right there at the foot of Alex's bed and spend the night. When I pulled her out, she cried for "cousin Alex" for a good 1/2 hour. That's love. As famous Dursteler tradition, we all got together for several "game nights." It was really good to see everyone again. I'm am lucky with my in-laws.

Becky's Trip

2008-11-21T13:23:00.000-08:00

Ok, now I'm really getting caught up! Becky (Wyatt's Sister) and her two daughters came to visit So Cal in October. It was so good to get to see her. She is one of the most remote Dursteler Sibs (montanta), so it seems as if we don't get to see her enough.

The very first night the girls (Julie, Becky and myself) went to see Wicked, the musical in LA. Very fun girls night. I recommend it! Go see it soon, this is the last month.

The other following photos are of a trip down to Sea World and another day at the beach. It is funny James kept calling Ali, Alex, which is another cousin. There are so many, he cant keep them straight. Anyways, we were sad when they left. It always seems like too soon.

2008-11-21T13:22:00.000-08:00

Go Utes!

2008-11-21T10:53:00.000-08:00

SAY WHAT?!! Yes, it is true that when U of U isn't playing the good ol' blue (not lookin' so good for Sat Cougars) I would call myself a Ute fan. This is simply for the fact that my husband is totally over the top for them that it is the easier path to go along with.

We had a great weekend last week, and when I say "we" I mean me and Wyatt. Hooray for a break from the kids!! Julie and Sterling and some of their favorite cousins took the kids on Friday night so we could go down to San Diego for a romantic night (nice dinner, James Bond and the Hilton) and then a quick temple trip the next day. Julie and Sterling got two babysitters for the cousins and joined us at Qualcom for the Utah/San Diego football game on Sat night. The Utes dominated, all the San Diego fans left so we scooted down to the best seats. Very fun! The ladies pretty much chatted the whole time and would stand up an yell at each touch down. That is the best kind of game in my opinion. We miss going to more football games (well, I kinda miss them).

**By the way, we would love to crash a football party this weekend for the BYU/UTAH game. Anyone gettin' together? You will have to put up with the UTE fan though.

Pickin' Apples at Riley's Farm in Oak Glen

2008-11-21T10:31:00.000-08:00

A couple of Saturdays we went up to pick apples at one of the local apple farms. We are new to Beaumont and this was our first time up to the Oak Glen. The day was perfect. The weather was lovely, the kids were happy, the apples were yummy, the pie was even better. We spent most of the day up there just enjoying the countryside.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-21T10:13:00.000-08:00

Hooray for a Happy Halloween! We had such a fun time for Halloween. First of all, I'm loving my new job and how I'm not having to work as many holidays. The holiday working is BY FAR the worst part about my very cool job, so I'm glad that things seem to be working out better at Loma Linda. (I'm very happy there)

Our Halloween started a week early at the Ward Party. The Beaumont Ward has an awesome activities committee. They really put effort into things. The kids loved getting dressed up, getting candy at various booths, decorating cookies, and seeing friends. Wyatt tried to drag them through the Haunted House, despite vocal protests. They are still sleeping with their lights on and talking about "scary ghosts." Thank you Wyatt. He thinks that it is hilarious. Anyways, now it is so funny, any time that we drive past the church, they get all excited and want to go. "Mommy, Mommy, it's the CHURCH PARTY!!!" Not a bad thing right? Wait until they figure out that church doesn't always = candy.

For the actual Halloween night, we went out with a few friends from the neighborhood, the Jamisons and the Gardners. We had quite the group! James and Rachel totally grasped the concept that trick-or-treating meant candy at each door. James was leading the pack as always, Rachel was lagging behind looking at her various princess accessories as always. Opposites. James showed his true candy collecting dedication and valor when he was the only kid willing to go up to the door that the owners had decorated with all sorts of scary lighting, goblins that jump out and make loud noises. He made the decision to go, let go of my hand, ran up to the guy, grabbed the candy and booked it out of there at full speed running past me on the way out. Too funny.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-11-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

Hooray! I know that everyone is doing a happy dance because I'm finally updating my blog. Sorry that it has been so long. I am trying out a new look, but I need help to make it all cute and custom the way some of you blogger do. Help a girl out will ya?

We are getting more familiar with the area and have been finding some fun "fall" stuff to do. These are photos of us at the pumkin patch just up the highway a little. I'd have to admit that it was not the perfect day- the kids had the grumpies, therefore Wyatt had the grumpies, and i followed suit. We made them have fun anyways despite it all. Here are the pics!

Concert

2008-08-26T23:44:00.000-07:00

Hey for you Jason Mraz fans out there. He is coming to Morongo Casino on August 13 ($35). This is the casino about 10 min from my house (by the Cabazon outlets). We are going to try to get tickets, so call me people if you are interested!! Don't post a reply cuz I'm going out of town tomorrow.

Favorite quote, "You have to laugh at yourself, or else you would cry your eyes out if you didn't."

2008-08-11T03:11:00.000-07:00

Hey, just a quick update on our family. Our computer is down temporarily (viruses=major suckage), so I have not been in touch lately. Nothin' personal.

Update #1- Our "Stinker-" James is finally potty trained. Hooray! I'm doing the happy dance for all those who are wondering. After a week of messy pants, he finally did his business in the potty. After that, not one mistake. Whew! He is such a funny kid- doesn't talk that well, and is always getting words mixed up. One of his first days putting his "stinky" in the potty, he was proudly showing me his latest progress. He kept exclaiming, "Mom, I'm a stinker! I'm a BIG STINKER!!" After reflecting on what we went through to get him that far, I had to agree with him. Seriously.

Update #2- Princess Rachel- Who knew that you could have a princess living in our little town? Rachel is in full blown princess phase- stripping at every oppontunity to don dress-up tutus, frills, jewerly and slippers. The more frills and fluff, the better. We read the Cinderella book at least 4 times a day. Each time she get a dreamy look as the princess lives happily ever after with the "Daddy Prince." One day as a reward, I took them to the dollar store to pick out a "prize." (Yes I am a cheap skate, but is that really a surprise to anyone?) Rachel picked out some shiny, made in china, breaks after 5 minutes, jewelry. There were these crazy clip on earrings that kept falling off. Each time she would come running back to me, "Where did my ears go? My ears fell off!!! Mommy, put my ears back on!!!" I couldn't help but think, no wonder she doesn't listen very well. It all makes sense now.

Update #3- The kids both got hair cuts-- by themselves! Luckily, I saw Rachel as she did it and not much damage was done. James is another story. He likes to wake up at the crack of dawn, sneak downstairs and get into trouble. The other day I caught him making toast. I wasn't even surprised. Anyways, he got the bright idea one morning to push the bar stool over to a high cabinet (above the fridge) where I keep their art supplies and helped himself to his brand new scissors. He is now missing most of the front of his cute shaggy hair. The crew cut is inevitable I'm afraid at this point, although Wyatt is still in denial and says that it will grow out on his own. I was trying to prove a point by showing him his reflection in the mirror and showing him that his hair was "ugly." Now he just walks around saying "I'm ugly!" or telling Rachel that she is. I think that he missed the point.

Photos to come as soon as our crippled computer is fixed. By the way, it is 3:40 am at work and I'm trying to stay occupied until the last set of vital signs are due. So if I seem a little sarcastic, enjoy it while you can. :)

Privacy Please!

2008-07-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

OK, it is time for me to go private with our blog. I have mixed feelings about it honestly. I wish that we didn't have to live in such a scary world, but we do (my husband recently reminded me of it, and is insisting on a password). So, all those loyal followers, please comment to this entry with your email address and I will send you an invite to create a password. Or at least that is how I think it will work.

OK, here is a funny side note. Today is the first day of watching my Hirsch niece and nephew, Iris and Carmen, for the weekend. The kids all get along pretty well now and were all looking forward to the get together. So, this morning I made a special oldschool breakfast. You know those delicious cinnamon rolls out of a can- the refrigerator kind? Well, I started off the day with some hot and toasty out of the oven. Rachel felt like it was such a treat, that it must be a birthday party. She started singing "Happy Birthday." Soon, all the kids joined in and they sang it to each child (not really knowing whose Bday it really was). Funny time to celebrate, but a cute moment. Afterwards, they all got giggly licking their frosting and reveling in their good luck. :) Let's hope this keeps up!

Laguna Beach Fireworks

2008-07-07T23:11:00.001-07:00

Marion came out for a surprise visit for the Fourth of July. We spent the evening at Laguna Beach where we watched the fireworks. Beautiful!

Beaumont Lavender Festival

2008-07-07T22:09:00.001-07:00

Toasty Marshmellow = Happiness

2008-07-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun time camping in Southern Utah for the First Annual Dursteler Family Reunion. We were all (30 of us and more coming!) camping at Duck Lake, an area close to Cedar City. The weather was beautiful. We have missed the outdoors and spending more time with Wyatt's family, so this was perfect. The weekend was filled with lots of fierce board games competitions, hiking in Bryce Canyon and Zions National Park, badminton battles (my mother-in-law will NEVER give up!), campfire cooking (yum!), lots of swimming in the nearby lakes and waterfalls, fishing for the guys (Wyatt seems to love it even if he doesn't catch much), sisterly chit-chat, hammock snoozing, rock climbing, mountain biking, and a million marshmallows toasted to utter perfection by yours truly (I think that was my favorite part). Ahhh, what a good time! I did not worry a bit about keeping clean, but just enjoyed the dirtiness of it all. The kids were thrilled to spend time with all their cousins. I love that they have a big family to be a part of. The Durstelers have a great time when we are all together. Enjoy the pics (wish that I had gotten one of each person)! I miss everyone already. Hooray for Lake Tahoe next year!

Dursteler Family Reunion- Southern Utah Camping

2008-07-07T16:36:00.001-07:00

Darling Daisy Debut

2008-07-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a tip-off from a thoughtful friend (thanks Christina!!), Darling Daisy Hair Accessories has finally gone retail! This came at a perfect time for me. I was debating going on with the business, but still had lots of inventory, and was feeling overwhelmed starting over in Beaumont. So, there is a new kids boutique off the HWY 79/Temecula parkway called Kidzilla (across the 79 from the community church) that agreed to selling my bows. Hooray! No more marketing for me! I love making the bows, but hate selling them. The store is really cute with some killer chic clothes. And for cheapskates like me (I know you are out there), they have a second hand clothing section as well. The used clothes are all in perfect condition, but are usually about $5ish. I am crazy about a good deal. All you Temecula-ites should check it out- tell them Ruth told you about it.

Brotherly Love

2008-06-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of when Wyatt's sisters, Trisha and Kristie came out to visit a few weeks ago. It is cute how much the Durstlers look alike.

Crash Landing

2008-06-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

I feel as if we have crash landed in our new home. The move did not go particularly smoothly, but now the dust has settled. We are feeling more comfortable in the house and adore the neighborhood. I love our new home (we are super spoiled), love our new ward already, and are loving our jobs. I am feeling optimistic, but occasionally feel sad when looking back and missing Temecula and friends. Thanks to all those who have kept in touch... Here are just a few updates to get y'all caught up.

*I have started a new job on a peds unit at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital. It is fun to be back into the field I'm the most interested in. After several years of coasting, doing mostly post-partum at Rancho Springs (the nicest nurses ever by the way, and coolest friends too), it is time for me to be challenged at work again. I needed a laid back job while the kids were young, but now they are more independent (well, sorta). This type of Medical-surgical nursing (we see anything that a kid could be sick with from birth to age 21) is so diverse. There is much to learn. I come home exhausted, but feel like I have done something truly good in the world. Nursing is the best!

*Our kitty, "Ezzy," we have had since our first few months of marrage (yes, that means 7 years), ran away when we moved to the new house. :( We didn't keep him inside long enough I guess. My eyes are always searching for him when we are outside. I miss him and feel terrible about it. Sad.

*My brother-in-laws , Joey and Sam, came out to live with us for the summer. Sam already decided to go back (the big looser!), but Joey is here still. What a nice guy! The kids really love "Uncle Joey" and bug him endlessly. If any one knows of any cute 20-something girls to hook him up with... let me know.

*I hate painting. I hate the back-ache. I hate the touch-ups. I hate the smell. I hate the clean-up. I hate the guilty feeling when I look at all that is unfinished. Unfortunatly, I love the result. We have painted about 1/3 of our house (not to mention beds, a dresser, side tables and bunch of picture frames) and still have so much to do. Right now we're taking a break, but it is driving me crazy how their is mess everywhere and even paint tape around. My personality is somewhat perfectionist (this is a news flash to those that know me I'm sure), so all the mess makes me crazy. We are working on things slowly, but surely. The results, I'm happy to say, have been nice. Did I mention how lucky I am that we ended up in this house? I'm an ungratful grump for whining about the painting I know. Call the "whaaambulence."

*Wyatt is settling into his job. The business seems to be going better than expected and so that is a relief. He is planning on trasitioning from being the operations manager, to more of the sales/brokerage side of the company. Good for him. He comes home exhausted but fulfilled. Hooray for 2 hours less a day commuting!

*Toddler Boot Camp- I had a light-bulb moment this last week when I noticed that my kids are turning into little tyrants- sometimes demanding my attention in naughty ways. Since for the last 2 months we have either been packing, movning, unpacking, painting or otherwise working on the new house, we have not been devoting quality time for the kids. When I say "we," I mean "me." It feels like in my effort to multi-task, my Rachel and James have been somewhat neglected, especially in their disipline I'm afraid. So, this week we have started Toddler Boot Camp! It will include several weeks of quality attention, quality dicipline, and general whipping us into shape. Any wonderful dicipline/ positive guidance tips from you wonderful parents out there?

*No, James is not potty-trained yet. Not cool.

*Wyatt's sisters from Utah, Trisha and Kristie came out for a fun visit. They brought along the oldest of the Dursteler cousins, Whitney. It was fun to show them around. We all spent most of the time at the beach. I have great in-laws. His sisters are completly some of my best friends. I'm lucky.

Whew! Ok, this is enough rambling for the night. I'm not even going to spell-check, but am probably going to regret it. See Ya! Ruth

"Dirt Don't Hurt"

2008-04-16T01:31:00.000-07:00

We have a sayin' way down south in Alabama, "dirt don't hurt." This means that getting a little dirty now and then can be good a good thing. I am reminded of my tomboy childhood growing up on the outskirts of Auburn, AL. When my best friend, Andi Renden, and I would come home filthy from a long day's playing outside, I never once remember my mom (a MAJOR neat freak) complaining. What I do remember however was having to strip down to my undies and wash all of the dirt off with the cold hose before coming inside. It was always worth it though. Sometimes, I am kinda sad that kids today don't get that kind of freedom- you know the kind where you are out exploring nature, having adventures in your imagination, playin' hard and gettin' dirty. I know that Wyatt feels the same way. That's why we neglected our infinite "To Do List" to take the kids camping last weekend.

This was our first time to Big Bear Lake. It was beautiful! We will definitly be going back. Wyatt is happier in the mountains than anywhere else on earth I have decided. The kids had a great time too. Saddie (our Golden Retriever) probably had the best trip however. You have never seen a dog so happy as when Saddie was with her peeps, eatin' charred hotdogs, swimmin' after ducks in icy waters. Rachel and James were completly occupied the whole time with just simple things (watching ants, putting sticks into the fire, riding in the kayak on the lake, climbing trees). It was cool to see them learning to love and admire nature the way we do. The only thing that would have made the trip better was if James and I had not gotten a touch of the flu (we still didn't want to leave even after getting sick). It was a good reminder to me that I might actually be a better mother if my kids are dirty than if they look perfect and clean. They need a chance to be kids right? Sometimes, Dirt don't hurt!

"MY Rachel!"

2008-04-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

Up 'til now we have not put our kids in big beds. Yes, that means our 3 year-old have been in cribs (and loving it) until recently. I am not ashamed. It seemed like they always did better that way and with the impending move, we were putting it off. Until recently... James (who hardly sleeps now) has been waking Rachel (who needs lots of beauty rest) up too often. The result is a cranky little girl. In fact, several mornings this week we were hearing (at about 6:15 am), "Rachel, WAKE UP!" Her grumpy responce is, "GO AWAY JAMES! I'm SLEEPING!" We finally decided to split the twins up at least when it comes to bedtime.

So, Rachel was getting to take naps in our spare bedroom. She was very excited and ready to sleep in her big, "special" (her favorite descriptive word) bed. The naps were going so well, that on Sunday night we decided to put Rachel in the separate room for the whole night. They were both very tired from staying up late with guests, so they went right to sleep. You know as a parent, every once-in-a-while everything seems to work out and a brief moment of harmony is achieved? I thought this was it. I was WRONG!

The first night, Wyatt and were just settling down to sleep and Rachel started screaming. I thought that she had woken up scared from being in a new place. I wish. Instead, she was vomiting all over her new, big girl bed. The same bed that I foolishly still had made up for guest with 3 quilts and countless pillows. Yuck! It was a huge mess. After cleaning her up, she went back to sleep in her crib. Strike one!

Last night (#2), we put them down in their separate rooms. Again, Rachel was so happy to snuggle in her new, bed. James was feeling a little left behind and cried for a few minutes before falling asleep. A little later, we went to sleep as usual. 4:11 am- James is screaming. "Oh no, now he is puking," I thought as I rushed to him in my just woken-up-out-of-a-dead-sleep delirium. Rushing into the room, looking for another huge mess, I rush past James and to his crib. All clean. Huh? I turn to James, no puke. And then I start to listen to him, "I want MY Rachel!" he is screaming frantically. You woke me up for that? Still screaming, I try to put him back into his crib and explain about Rachel sleeping in her big bed. By then Rachel hears all this and comes in saying, "it's OK James, I'm sleeping in my special bed." She helps tuck him in and kiss him goodnight again and then runs back to her big bed and falls back to sleep. Strike two! What will tonight bring?

I am amazed however at their beautiful bond. James loves and depends on his sister so much. Rachel knows just how to reassure and calm him. Throughout each day, often there is more fighting between them than not. Moments like this make me realize that they are building a sweet, genuine bond despite it all. They have history.

Springtime at Lake Skinner

2008-04-07T11:24:00.001-07:00

We had a lovely springtime afternoon on sunday at Lake Skinner. It is beautiful there right now- very green with lots of wildflowers. The kids love being outside. It is fun to watch them discover all of nature. Who knew that a stick could be so much fun.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

Here are the kids at the Temecula Easter Egg Hunt. At first, they weren't quite sure what to do, but it didn't take long for them to figure it out.

Technically Challenged

2008-03-21T00:35:00.000-07:00

For those of you that know me very well, I'm well, let's say technically challenged to say the least. So let's hear a big hip-hip-hooray for Ruth who not only figured out her new digital camera (by herself), took 2 three-year olds for photos (by herself), down-loaded them (by herself), and made a slide show (you get the idea). I have missed taking all the pictures that I used to. It felt good to get back into it. Some of you might notice the influence of a certain local, but famous, photographer... James was VERY cooperative as soon as ice-cream was mentioned as a reward for good behavior. I'm happy to have some cute photos of the kid because he is usually too busy being a boy to pose for photos. He reminds me so much of his daddy that I can hardly stand it. Rachel however was a little bit more of a challenge today- let's just say that I'm satisfied that she is not wearing her swimsuit that she has insisted on for the last 3 days. Anyways, hope you like it. Is it concieted to think that your children are the most beautiful ever made or is that just a mom thing? Either way, I'm lucky.

Cruisin' Old Town

2008-03-21T00:11:00.001-07:00

Better Luck Next Time...

2008-03-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

We are happy to report that we are several weeks into escrow on a new house. We found it on a foreclosure auction. This one is in Beaumont, California in a new developemnt off the Hwy 10. The area is a little less expensive (not as hot either!) and so we were able to get a bigger house. Wyatt will be about 25 min from work and there are several hospitals not too far away that I am interested in. The House was only lived in < 6 months, so it is nice condition, but still needs some finishing touches like paint, blinds and landscaping. Our closing date should be close to April 17th. We will take a couple weeks to paint/move. It looks like we will be gone from Temecula by the 1st of May. :( The verdict is still out on exactly what we will do with our house on Asteroid. That is the update! Here are some photos:

Summertime Swimmers

2008-03-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, I officially have my new camera in operation now. It is fun getting back into taking photos and blogging. Here are a few photos of the kids swimming today. If my nice friends keep letting me crash their pool, I might make a habbit of it. Rachel already has a tan and wants to wear her swim-suit 24/7 now to "dance." That's what I get for letting her watch "Step Up" with me.

James loves the pool as well and I predict that he will be swimming shortly. It seems that he has lost some of his 2 year-old bravery and has become a more sensible 3 year-old. I think that he will get more confident again as he has more chances to swim this year. No tan, sorry dude, but several cute freckles on the bridge of his nose.

Lettuce Wraps

2008-03-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

I like to share recipes, so here is a new one a friend was asking me for. It is a merger of several versions that I found and would be easy to make it to suit your liking! I love how it is colorful and crunchy. My kids even like the "pink lettuce" (red cabbage) dipped in the sauce.

Lettuce Wraps

1 lb raw chicken breasts, chopped into really small pieces
1 small can water chestnuts, drained, chopped
4 mushrooms, chopped (I like shitake)
1/2 onion, chopped
3 Tbsp Hoisin sauce (found with the Asain foods at the supermarket)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp 5 spice powder (ok to skip!)
2 cloves pressed garlic
4 tsp minced ginger root
1 tsp Sesame oil for pan

1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup red cabbage, finely shredded
1 head lettuce leaves
2 cups white or brown rice, cooked

Directions:
Make the sauce by mixing the Hoisin, soy sauce, spices. Reserve half for serving on plate. I like to marinate the meat if there is time. Saute meat in oil with remaining sauce in lg sauce pan with onions, mushrooms, and waterchesnuts until not pink anymore and sauce is thick. Serve on lettuce layered with rice, carrots, meat, cabbage and extra sauce if desired.

**You could use ground turkey instead of chicken, you could add toasted sesame seeds to the meat when ready to serve. Just don't wimp out on the fresh ginger- it is worth it!

Too Good To Be True

2008-03-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

My very wise parents always taught me, "Sometimes if it sounds too good to be true, it often is." I seem to be learning that lesson the hard way lately. Our house deal fell through- we did not meet the reserve with our auction bid (Way off in fact). Which means that we are back to square one and looking for a deal again. So, those in Temecula are stuck with us a little longer. Never fear, we Durstelers are tough! :) Ruth

We won!

2008-03-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

We are so happy to share that we have won a house! It is not quite what you might be thinking...We had the winning bid at a recent foreclosure auction in Palm Springs. I'm thrilled on so many levels.
#1- It is a great deal. A very affordable payment for us. Hopefully we can ride out any future market fluctuations.
#2- It is a great house with a unique floor plan that will suit our family well.
#3- It is in a great area of Palm Dessert. The gated neighborhood is close to schools, parks and where both of us will be working. #4- It is in great condition. So many of the homes we were looking at were in a very run-down areas and/or pretty trashed on the inside. All we will really need to do at this home is paint the walls, and put in the yard (only the dessert plants survived the foreclosure period with no irrigation), and maybe a few personal touches. Not too bad considering the sort of projects that we were considering.

The house has an outer door that leads to this charming little patio in front of the entrance door. I love how much light all the windows let into the house! Did I mention how the kitchen has a double oven. I'm spoiled! We will have to have lots of visitors to come eat with us (hint, hint). I promise to make lots of homemade bread.

The last photo shows my fav part of the house. The formal sitting area. Surrounded by windows and patios, it could be really beautiful!

Ok, enough gushing from me. Most of all, I feel like everything is falling into place for us after a long period of struggling, and uncertainty. I have such mixed feelings about the move. A new start is what we need, but I would never be able to replace the dear friends we have in Temecula. We will have to come back and visit lots. I promise!

There are a few more steps to work out on the deal, so everyone please keep us in your prayers. Thanks from the very happy, grateful, and relieved Durstelers.

Recipes

2008-03-08T08:09:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I have had some requests for the recipes from my Pampered Chef Party, so here they are. I hope that this is helpful. Thanks to all the fun ladies that came to the party! I will deliver your items as soon as they arrive.

Mandarin Chicken Salad:
Dressing:
1 tsp ginger root, finely chopped or pressed
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/3 c. rice vinegar
1/4 c. orange juice
1/4 c. veg. oil
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 envelope Onion Soup Mix
2 tsp sugar

Pasta:
8 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked, drained
1 cucumber, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 can mandarin oranges (11 oz)
3 chicken breasts, cooked, chopped
1/2 c. sliced almonds

6 oz baby spinich leaves (I use more, so it is more like a green salad)

Ok, so I have made the salad a little different than Lorie. This way, it will last much longer in the fridge. I double the dressing and save half. Toss the pasta with the remaining dressing and serve over a bed of spinich. As you have leftovers, the pasta will absorb the dressing, so it is nice to have extra. Keep the spinich separate and you can eat the left overs all week (or trade for dinner group).

Chicken Vegetable Alfredo Soup

1 c. brocolli, chopped
1/2 c. carrot, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 fresh garlic clove, pressed

Saute above ingredients in large sauce pan, until tender.

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
2 c. chicken, cooked, diced
1 jar (16oz) Alfredo sauce

Pour in next ingredients and bring to a simmer.

1 red bell pepper, chopped
Parmesean cheese, shredded
2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Serve in bowl, with pepper, basil and cheese on top.

30- Here I come!

2008-03-07T00:49:00.000-08:00

Some of y'all might have noticed that I had my 28th bday this week. What a fun day! I felt totally spoiled by all the attention and gifts. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends. What have I ever done to deserve you guys? Thank You! The very good news is that Wyatt surprised me with a new camera (well, I kinda knew) to replace my other one that is malfunctoning. Hooray! Now I will blogging with new photos all the time. Stay tuned...

Little Miss Sunshine

2008-03-07T00:39:00.000-08:00

In the early Spring here in Temecula it is raining and raining. To some, this might seem like no big deal, but to us in southern Cali, we've gotten a little spoiled with perfect weather. Little Rachel was so restless one day, that I bundled her up and set her loose in the back yard while it was raining. She came in shivering, but very happy. James decided to sit this one out.

Rachel has seemingly forgotten about the days of being a difficult 2 year-old and it ready to be a cooperative 3 year-old. I'm thrilled about the change in her and often comment about how she is "little miss sunshine" these days. It is so fun to spend time with this sweet little girl!

White Christmas

2008-03-07T00:21:00.000-08:00

We were lucky enough to go to Utah for the Christmas Holiday. One of the things I miss most about living in Utah, is the feeling there around the holidays. All the folks at the Durstelers were in festive moods, and I even got to see my sister, Sarah, a few times while she was out visiting also. One one of the Dursteler Family Traditions, we went downtown to ice skate on Christmas Eve. Seriously, it was REALLY snowing, but it was REALLY perfect.

Wyatt and his dad, Will were easy targets...

Better Late Than Never

2008-03-06T23:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, Ok, enough already! I have been informed by several family members and friends that I better update the blog or they will stop checking it. So here it goes...

My best bud, and very talented Wendy Whitacre, was kind enough to take our Christmas Card photos out a Santa Rosa Plateau. She was sweet to humor me by trecking out to some cool spots. Like 'em? I'm a big fan of texture. The kids were thrilled about it and loved to smile for Wendy- she is their favorite BBsitter afterall... Check out her cool new website at bluelilyphotography.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-26T15:45:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We got together with Julie/Sterling/cousins and had a lovely meal. Julie sure can cook! Of course we were missing many of our extended family and hope that everyone had a nice holiday. The day was filled with the usual viewing of the parade and football games, dinner, then games for the grown-ups (Wyatt and I beat the pants off Julie and Sterling in couples Pictionary). Rachel and James are starting to really enjoy the company of their cousins- in fact, Rachel is infatuated with Iris who seems like such a big girl to her although they are the same size. Rachel came home copying how Iris says, "so" to describe things. For instance, the next day she told me, "James is SO silly." It sounded like little Iris had come over for a visit. James started exclaming "AH MAN!" the way that Carmen does. Maybe we need to hang out with the cousins more often and to get the twins talking better! Now only if potty-training would rub off...

On Saturday, the family went to pick out a tree. We were really missing the tradition of going out to the farm with all the Durstelers to pick out our trees. In Californina, Target is the best we can do. Anyways, we turned on the Christmas music, passed out the Santa hats to decorate. The kids thought that this was great fun and got into the Christmas Spirit. Just wait until they understand that presents go under the tree. Then they will REALLY get excited. :) Ruth

Catch up!

2007-11-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

Since we are just getting started with the site, I thought that it would be fun to include some favorite photos from this year.
These are of the Grover Family trip to Lake Tahoe in March. It was very fun to all get together at my brother, John's place. Wyatt was thrilled to get some skiing in. He really misses the mountains and snow. John and Wyatt get along really well and love to do outdoorsy skiing or mountain biking whenever they can. The "cousins" all had fun together- we had 4 two-year olds in the house. I love the thought that my kids have lots of cousins around their age on both sides of the family. We hope that they will all be close.

Photos courtesy of Mrs. Wendy Whitacre- a best bud, turned photographer. Let's face it, the girl's got skills. Check out her blog at bluelily.squarespace.com.

James is a boy's boy- busy, creative, determined and strong. He is also my sense-of-humor throughout the day. Like how he very seriously will wear a bucket on his head with his shirt on backwards, carrying a dress-up purse full of rocks and think that is completly expected and normal. He has these handsome brown eyes that remind me of his father and make me love him even more. Don't be fooled though, often in those eyes is a hint of mischief. I can't wait until he starts really telling me all that goes on inside that stubborn head of his.

Rachel is the sunshine in our lives. We are so lucky to have her! She is our dimpled, giggling, spunky, bright and very silly little girl. :) She is quite the talker these days and parrots anything we say. Her best bud is our sweet dog Saddie. They have spent hours together each day since she was able to be outside. I even find them snuggling together somedays- just layin' on the grass in the sunshine. Rachel has a tender place in her heart for animals much how I did growing up. Simply darling.

Fall fun (10-20-07)

2007-11-02T14:19:00.001-07:00

This was a warm day in mid-October when Rachel was in an exceptional mood, laughing and wrestling with the dog in the back yard. What a cutie!

Happy Halloween! (10-31-07)

2007-11-02T13:52:00.001-07:00

We had a very fun Halloween this year. It was the first time that the kids really understood trick-or-treating. We met up with their Hirsch cousins at Harveston on a quest for candy.

Rachel loved the whole dressing up process and was so excited to be a "bunny." She was practicing hopping and wiggling her nose. When I painted her face and nose with my make-up, she said, "I'm a PRETTY bunny!"

James was not too thrilled about his puppy dog outfit. I had previously gotten him a dinosaur costume, but he refused to wear it because it was too "scary." So like a good mom, I pulled together a less scary, Spot the puppy dog costume the night before Halloween. He was not too thrilled about that either. He wouldn't even put on his "ears" for the picture or let me paint a spot around his eye or a brown nose. When we met up with his cousins and starting getting candy at each door, he put on those ears and played along. If a nice person at the door would hold the candy bowl down for them to pick their favorite piece of candy, he willingly obliged and then would take another...and another... Overall, it was a very great night!