Wenzel Fantasy Trail

This is my in law's fantasy trail that they open to the public during the Halloween and Christmas season. The entire extended family help work the trail on busy weekends, in which guests fill the entire parking lot.  Christian and Maddy especially like to help serve hot chocolate in the snack shack. Even little Sam participates, handing out candy canes to all the visitors!  It truly is a family affair.

Halloween 2010

We had such a fun Halloween this year here are a few pics.

Carving pumpkins

 Sam in nothing but a cloth dipe :)

 The Costumes

The gang together just before heading out for trick or treating

Between all 3 kids we have over enough candy to fill and entire reusable shopping bag over 10lbs of candy!!!!

Wenzel update

Haven't posted in a while because I've broken yet another computer. Killed the motherboard on my laptop! So until I get a new one I can only borrow Dane's company laptop. At least every so often I can check updates, do bills and make my ebay/amazon purchases.
A lot has happened since early September. Lots of Christian's soccer games, basketball tryouts, and the sad and sudden death of our loving Great Dane "Daneo." He died Saturday October 2nd from maybe heart attack or possibly his stomach twisted. Either way he went very fast and sudden. I was very heart broken! I thought we had at least a couple of more years with him, he was only 6 (Great Danes live an avg of 7-10yrs.) The day before he died we walked down to the grade school to pick up the kids, it was the first time I had taken him to pick them up.  All of Christian and Maddy's friends we so impressed with their big dog! We all had so much fun that day. When I get more time w/ a computer I'll have to post pics of him along with some great memories we had.
On a happier note my cousin Nicole and husband Alex had their first baby on October 2nd. From the pictures I've seen Caleb is absolutely adorable! Sometimes I really miss having a tiny baby.... sometimes :) She had to have a c-sec, which from experience I know is very painful! I pray for her to have a speedy recovery, so she can enjoy all the many firsts with her newborn.

The Great Wenzel Mountain Sleep Over!

Last Saturday we had the biggest most awsome sleep over at my mother-inlaw's house. It was a blast! Guests included the lost of cousins, aunts, uncles, and Ga Ga & Grandpa! In all there was 8 grown ups, 11 kids, and 3 adult kids. We were especially excited to have some cousins that we don't get to see very often, my twin nephews; Logan & Aiden. Half camped outside in 4 tents (I was one of the brave), and the other half (the wimps) slept inside the air conditioned house. Janice kept us fed with lots of good food and tons of sweets! Thank you Ga Ga & Grandpa for great time!

Maddy's handstands

She does atleast 50 handstands and cartwheels a day. "Just one more," all night long! :)

Christian's Lego gun designs

Christian's been designing his own guns for a few months now, and he seems to be quite talented at it! What's even more impressive is that he doesn't use any pre-made kits with instructions. Instead, he uses spare Lego parts to create unique designs. Furthermore, he doesn't even look at gun pictures to copy; he simply recalls the ones he's seen in movies. All in all, he is a pretty impressive kid!

Black pistol

Revolver

Rounded middle where the bullets go

Gatling Gun

End of gun spins round

Machine Gun

Clip feeds on the other side

Pistol

 w/ working hammer

Sniper

Scope on top. He used the parts from a Star Wars space craft engine. Pretty cool!

Shot Gun

His longest gun. Masking tape helps hold it together.

Sam's new shoes!

I saw these converse shoes at Kohl's the other day and had to buy them for Samuel!

The little things in life

Maddy has convinced Sam there is a monster in the closet. Now he always points to the closet and says "monster scary."

Christian has been busy making zombie movie sets with his legos. He wants to make a still animation movie! This week he zombied up some of his lego guys by painting parts of them red (blood).

The first week after vacation bible school is always tough! The kids had been going, going, going all week, and the week prior we were at the beach. So "I'm bored" is all I've been hearing about the past couple of days.

We've been trying to grow grass in the back yard. Daneo our great dane, and our little mutt Lady are not enjoing their dog run! But since they are the reason our back yard has looked like a horse patty they'll have to get used to it. I want my back yard back!!

Speaking of Daneo, I think he has hip dysplasia or arthritis. He doesn't like to take long walks and this gait seems a little off.  Twards the end of our walks he sometimes leans up against me, w/ a 120lb dog it's quite annoying! But he is almost 7 yrs old and great danes don't usually live far past 7yrs. Just makes me sad to think he might not have too many more years left in him :(

Maddy has been asking me to sign her up for horse back ridding lessons, so I think I'll look into that tomorrow. And then in the fall we're back to gymnastics!

Future winner of hot dog eating contests!

This adorable video shows Samuel enjoying powdered doughnuts, eating like a chipmunk. And, yes, I know the Heimlich maneuver!

Our 11th Anniversary!

It's been 11 years since Dane and I walked down the aisle and said "I do." We've known and loved each other for over half my life now! Happy anniversary, honey! I love you more than my heart could ever beat!

Vacation Bible School 2010

Today is the last day of vacation Bible school. Christian and Maddy had a lot of fun this year learning songs, dance routines, crafts, games, and Bible stories. It has been challenging to wake up early in the middle of summer vacation, but it has been worth it. This is the first year that Maddy hasn't had separation anxiety and I haven't had to stay the whole day. It helps to have your brother, cousins, and friends in your class!

My sister-in-law Tani teaches a class every year. However, this year has been different because all her kids - Heath, Heather, and Han - are teacher aides instead of students! She has been teaching Sunday school and VBS since her oldest Heath (who turns 20 next month) was in her class. I think next year I'll be brave enough to teach a class along with my other sister-in-law Kari. Samuel can be our little helper or mascot :)

The kids can ride!

Last Wednesday I bought Christian and Maddy bikes for MY birthday! It was the best present ever to see my kids learn to ride bikes. They've had small training wheel bikes they rode a few times years ago, but now they are big kids! Our family got side tracked with all the baby stuff, plus Christian and Maddy never really wanted to ride a bike. Sun River changed all of that! The extended family and ours vacationed there a few weeks ago. Sun River is an awsome resort community with lots of bike paths. After Christian and Maddy saw how much fun all the cousins were having on their bikes, they decided right then and there they had to learn to ride. Lessons started on Thursday with me holding the back of their bikes. By Friday they just needed a little push to get going. Saturday they were good to go! Today Dane got his bike all fixed up and gave Sam his first ride. He's taken rides in a bike trailer (the buggy that hooks on to the back of Daddy's bike), but this was whole new adventure! Samuel couldn't stop smiling and saying "wee".

Aside from all the scrapes and bruises the kids are loving their new bikes. We plan on buying a couple more bikes off craigslist for when my nephews come up from Las Vegas for a visit. Just think of all the fun bike rides we're gonna have with 5 kids. Look out here we come!

Beach Trip 2010

Here are some pics of our annual family beach trip to Lincoln City! We all had a blast!!!

See you all again soon!

We're leaving for the airport in just a few short hours. This vacation has been much so fun! Swimming, Circus Circus, Vegas strip at night (for Sasha and I), her yummy cooking, games of Hand & Foot (We beat Sasha & Troy :), not to mention the relaxing time we had just hanging out in their new home! The Gillian's made us feel so welcome. 

 

Enjoying their brand new pool!

Las Vegas!

We arrived Thursday afternoon for a visit with sister and her family, meeting us there was Grandma & Grandpa L*, Dad & Robin. We're having a blast! It's so nice to be in the sun! When we left Portland it was in the low 60's! It finally feels like we're starting our summer vacation!

Sash and Troy's house is amazing! Big with plenty of room for the kids the reek havoc (which they are), amazing decorating, and have I mentioned their beautiful pool! Unfortunately the pool JUST got finished a couple of days ago, and the plaster has not quite hardened. It's a no go till Monday :( But that's ok, we've been using the pool just down the road at the hotel/casino dad and the grandparents are staying. When it comes to swimming these kids are all over it. Even Samuel! He doesn't know that he can't swim, and keeps protesting when I glide him through the water. He is fearless! Sam's favorite thing to do at the pool is stand on the edge & 1,2,3 JUMP! Down under the water he goes, I pull him up for air with a big smile on his face.

Here are some pics, I'll post more when we return home on Monday. An all too short vacation, but I'll take it!