The Munks

Zoo and the Troll

2008-11-19T00:21:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite things to do is go to the zoo. This time we went with the Thorpe's and the Sam's. We had a great time. Here are a few pictures from the day.

Our best animal shots of the day.
I love this picture. During lunch they hid behind a table and I snuck up on them and got this shot.
I love this girl so much. She takes great pictures. Of course she is quite the poser.
Oh to be a kid again. They love to climb on everything.
Even when she is mad and grumpy she takes a great picture.
Blake and Cate! Climbing of course.
Blake giving us his best tiger roar.
Meagan and her best friend Jaylyn.
Blake standing like a flamingo.

We also went and saw the Freemont Troll. The kids loved this. They climed all over him. Here's a little history about the Troll.

The Fremont troll has been lurking under the north end of the Aurora bridge since 1990. He was sculpted by four Seattle area artists -- Steve Badanes, Will Martin, Donna Walter and Ross Whitehead -- for the Fremont Arts Council. The head-and-shoulders sculpture is 18-ft. tall.
The shaggy haired troll glares southward with his shiny metal eye -- a hubcap? In his left hand, he crushes an old style Volkswagen beetle (which originally contained a time capsule of Elvis memorabilia; removed after the car was vandalized and the California license plate was stolen). There are plenty of places to pose, and interaction with the troll is encouraged.

The community pays tribute to the troll every October 31st with a mobile "Trollaween" party, starting under the bridge and wandering to other funky art sites and events in Fremont.

Finally!

2008-11-05T21:29:00.000-08:00

I thought I would start with what most of our summer consisted of. BASEBALL! Between week night season games and weekend tournaments we watched a lot of baseball. Here are just a few of the many.

Maple Valley Hurricanes

We traveled all over Washington State and Canada.

Dallin played short stop, outfield, and pitched.

I love watching and cheering for my kids.

Dallin was the lead off hitter and had the second highest batting average on the team.

I think Dallin alone went through 20 cases of Gatorade this season.

The famous Incredible Triple XXX Burger!

I don't know where this kid puts his food. He ate that thing in about 10 minutes, plus a large fry and large root beer.

I don't even know what to say!

Meagan and the girls.

Blake loves to be with his big brother.

It was a great day for skiing.

Meagan and Blake getting some pool time in between games.

What's better than an afternoon nap in the sun.

Even Blake got some game time.

It was nice to have some down time between games.

SLEEP AT LAST!

Yes, we still have four kids. Hannah was in Canada with family. And sorry, I lied. Maybe a little more than a few. Stay tuned, more to come.

Coming Soon!

2008-09-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

I have to say having a new camera that takes great pictures is a little addictive. So for the last couple days I have been going through, I'm not kidding, thousands of pictures. I will spare you all the thousands and just post a few, but who knows how long that will take. So hopefully, Coming Soon!

The End!

2008-08-25T23:39:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's over. It went by so fast. Now maybe I can get something done. The one thing I will remember from these games are the stories of adversity that many of the athletes overcame to not only win, but just to compete in these games. If they can do it, so can we in whatever we are striving to do in our lives. It was the most amazing opening ceremonies I have ever seen. If you didn't get a chance to see them, I highly recommend you do. I'm sure you can find them on youtube.

I few of the most memorable.
Nastia Liukin becoming the third American woman to win the gold medal in the all-around gymnastics competition.

The Redeem Team making up for previous failures by U.S. Olympic basketball squads, defeating Spain 118-107 to secure gold for the first time since 2000. I love this picture. I assumed all the coaches received gold medals also, they do not, so each player gave theirs to Coach K. US Men win gold in beach volleyball.
Michael Phelps tying Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in a single Olympics by the slimmest of margins, beating out Serbia's Milorad Cavid in the 100-meter butterfly by one hundredth of a second. I remember watching the prelims for this race and thinking to myself that this race will be the biggest challenge. I was nervous and I was sitting on the couch, I can't imagine how he felt. All as I can say is INSPIRATIONAL!
It was great to finally see her get the GOLD.Natalie du Toit pulled herself onto the dock and waited for someone to bring her prosthetic leg. She stretched out the other leg, the one she didn't lose in that horrendous motorcycle accident ,

and chatted with an official about the first open water race in Olympic history.

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh celebrating after becoming the first team to repeat as gold medalists in beach volleyball.The U.S. women's basketball team winning its fourth consecutive gold medal while running its winning streak in the Olympics to 33 games. U.S. swimmer Eric Shanteau swimming in the men's 200-meter breaststroke after being told by his doctors a week before the U.S. trials that he had testicular cancer.

Bryan Clay joining the likes of Bruce Jenner and Jim Thorpe as Olympic decathlon champions in an event that an American has won 12 times in 22 Olympics but only twice since 1976. Dara Torres losing gold by an agonizingly slim margin in the 50-meter freestyle. At the tender age of 41, Torres was outtouched by German sprint star Britta Steffen. U.S. men's volleyball head coach Hugh McCutcheon's father-in-law had been stabbed to death at a popular Beijing tourist site. The team would rally in the wake of tragedy, winning a gold.Some pictures from the closing ceremonies.

See you in London 2012!

Summer Olympics

2008-08-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

Some of my greatest memories growing up were watching the Olympic games with my family. Now that I have my own family, it has also become a tradition with my kids. I love the thrill of the competition, the human drama and the personal stories of the athletes and their families. I love rooting for the underdog and seeing people prevail over trials and pain. Where else do people come together from all different backgrounds, from all over the world pursuing and wanting the same thing? The Gold! Here are a few pictures of some great summer Olympic moments. Do you remember when?

An NCAA water polo champion, Biondi went on to become a three-time Olympic swimmer who won 11 medals -- the first coming in 1984, and his last in 1992. At the 1998 Games in Seoul alone, he struck gold five times in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle, 4x100- and 4 x 200-meter freestyle relays and the 4x100-meter medley.

Mary Lou Retton became an Olympic gymnastics idol herself when she became the first American to win the all-around title at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. She also won two silver and two bronze medals at the '84 Olympics.

After posing the fastest time in the quarter-final heat of the 400-meter race at the 1992 Olympics, British runner Redmond faced disappointment in the semi-finals when he tore his hamstring about midway through. After falling to the ground in agony, his father, Jim, came to his side and helped him hobble to the finish line with a standing ovation from a crowd of 65,000.

Though he may still have a chance to break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in a single Olympics in Beijing, American swimmer Phelps came close in 2004 when he struck gold six times and bronze twice. His eight-medal performance is only the second in history, following gymnast Alexander Dityatin in 1980 Kersee is one of those untouchable athletes. Regarded as the top heptathlete and long-jumper, she racked up a world-record 7,291 points in her first of two Olympic heptathlon titles in 1988. With three gold, two silver and two bronze Olympic medals to her name, it seems obvious why SI named her the top female athlete of the 20th century.

USA Softball wins their 3rd gold medal. US dominates the world.

The former boxer who many consider the top heavyweight in history had the Atlanta crowd in shock and tears as he kicks off the 1996 Olympics. Mary Decker falls on the track after tripping over the feet of Britains Zola Budd( R) at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. 8th October 1984.With an unusual stroke and small stature, Evans became a three-time gold-medalist (400- and 800-meter freestyle and the 400-meter medley) and world record-setting swimmer as a mere 17-year-old at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Earning a reputation as the mighty mite of long-distance swimming, Evans successfully defended her 800-meter freestyle gold in Barcelona, while taking the bronze in the 400 meters. SI named Lewis ''Olympian of the Century,'' and with good reason. As a long jumper, Lewis was one of only three athletes to win the same individual event at four Olympics, starting in 1984. At the Los Angeles Games, he matched Jess Owens' 1936 four-gold-medal performance in the 100- and 200-meter races, the long jump and as a member of the 4x100-meter relay team. All told, he won 10 Olympic medals -- nine gold, one silver -- as a runner and long-jumper.
With the introduction of professional players and the leadership of "Magic" Johnson, the 1992 U.S. Men's Basketball Team was comprised of arguably the greatest talent in basketball history. And it showed. Team USA plowed its way through the Games, winning the gold medal with an average margin of victory of 43.8 points per game.
The picture of U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team coach Bela Karolyi holding Strug (shown with cast) as she winced in pain will forever be inked in the minds of many. Strug's vault routine, which she accomplished with a broken ankle, led the Americans to the gold medal in the team competition at the '96 Games in Atlanta. At just 14 years old, Romanian Nadia Comaneci won the hearts of spectators and judges alike after scoring an unprecedented "perfect 10" on the uneven bars at the 1976 Games in Montreal. The scoreboards weren't equipped to display double-digit figures because the manufacturers assumed no one would ever achieve such a feat. She went on to score six more 10s in Montreal.

A former college football player, Jenner had to give up his gridiron aspirations because of a knee injury. But his back-up plan didn't turn out too bad after his football coach encouraged him to switch to athletics. Jenner worked his way to the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, where he won the gold medal in the decathlon and set a world record of 8,634 points.

The face of women's soccer in America, Hamm scored more international goals in her career with the U.S. Women's National Team than any other player -- male or female -- has in the history of the sport (158). Having joined the team at only 15 years old, she went on to become a three-time Olympian, leading the American squad to two gold medals (in 1996 and 2004) and a silver (2000).

Russian Greco-Roman wrestler Aleksandr Karelin had not lost a match in 13 years nor had he given up a point in six years. But American Rulon Gardner stopped the champion in his tracks. Gardner's gold medal at the Sydney Games has since been dubbed the "Miracle on the Mat."

After gashing his head on the end of the springboard during the preliminaries, American diver Louganis -- with a concussion -- went on to capture gold in both the 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform at the 1988 Games in Seoul.

Clad in gold spikes, Johnson made his goal clear when he stepped onto the track at the '96 Games in Atlanta. After breaking the 200-meter world record at the U.S. Olympic Trials, Johnson shattered his own record at the Games, clocking in at 19.32 seconds. "The Man With the Golden Shoes" also breezed to the gold medal in the 400 meters, blowing away the field by almost an entire second.

Tahoma Flames 2008

2008-07-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

This was Hannah's last year playing for Tahoma Little League. They had a great season!

These are just a few of my favorites from the hundreds I took.

Hannah loved having her dad as one of the coaches. We had great coaches and are grateful for them for volunteering their time.
Hannah will play for the school this year and I know she is really excited about it. She loved her team and will continue to play with most of them.
Besides pitching, Hannah also played shortstop, outfield, and catcher. I'm not sure which one is her favorite, but she's good at all of them. Of course that is her mom talking!
The team had to run after every game. Having the coaches run made it a little more bearable.
Hannah pitched a lot this year and worked really hard at it. She took private lessons and pitched everyday with her dad.Hannah has a great arm and other coaches comment on how hard she can throw. I'm so proud of her. She made the All-Star team 3 years in a row. I love watching her play!
Blake even got to help out!

Spokane Hoopfest 2008

2008-07-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

Hoopfest is the biggest 3-on-3 street basketball tournament on the planet. That means over 6,500 teams, 3,000 volunteers, 175,000 players and fans, 400 courts spanning 40 downtown city blocks, and that’s just on day one! Beyond basketball, though, Hoopfest is an outdoor festival full of concerts, shopping, food, and interactive entertainment. It is just crazy! Basketball hoops and people everywhere. Not to mention it's a 100 degrees. I will spare you the hundreds of pictures, and just post a few of my favorites.
This year it was just Dallin and I. Stan usually comes and plays with the old guys. Hannah had her big All-Star tournament for her fast pitch team the same weekend. I was torn, I loved being with Dallin, but hated missing Hannah's games.Let me explain! The night before Dallin had asked me if I brought an extra key, of course I didn't. So go figure I lose the key. Luckily it was just the one key that fell off. I was able to open the car with the key less entry, but that was about it. Dallin and his friend flagged down a policeman and he was able to get a hold of a locksmith for me. Four hours and $350 bucks later we were on our way. This is Dallin trying to kill time waiting for the locksmith.
Still waiting! What else is there to do but text, text, text.

And waiting!
And a few more favorites. All in all we had a great time. Dallin's team won the consolation bracket, so they were pretty excited about their t-shirts.

Woodland Park Zoo Field Trip

2008-07-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late posting these!

Meagan's last field trip as a 3rd grader.

Favorite animal pictures!

What a day for a party!

2008-05-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

Meagan & Blake had so much fun at their friend, Ryson's, birthday party on Saturday. They went to Ryson's grandparents beautiful home and rode horses, played with the new baby chicks, petted the goats, had a big water fight, rode around on their John Deer Utility Truck, and had a yummy bbq!

Ski Trip

2008-04-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

Stan took the day off so we decided to get one more day of skiing in. I can't remember of all my years skiing, ever skiing this late into April. The snow was great and we couldn't of asked for a better day.

Blake thought this piece of snow was in a shape of a heart, so he wanted to make sure I got a picture of it.
Dallin, Hannah, and Blake snowboard, so Stan, Meagan and I are just old school because we ski. Meagan didn't come with us today, she was having a sleepover with her friend Madie Jolley. We all missed her and wish she would have been with us.

We were lucky we had a clear day and were able to see Mt. Rainer. It is my favorite lift. You come off the lift and the mountain is just right in front of year. It makes you feel so small.
This is why I love skiing at Crystal! It has got to be one of the best places to view Mt Rainer.
It was a great day, my mom and dad came up and had lunch with us and got to see the kids do a couple of runs, or like Blake says "some shredding." By the end of the day we were skiing in our sweatshirts, no hats and no gloves.

I love this picture of Dallin and Blake. Dallin was so good with him. They had a great time racing down the mountain. It was a great way to end the ski season.

Seattle Aquarium

2008-04-09T08:32:00.001-07:00

Today we went to Seattle Aquarium with the Kidd's. We had a great time. It had been quite a few years since we had been there. It was quite crowded, but we managed to stay ahead of the crowds.

After the aquarium, we walked on the waterfront and the kids had a great time chasing Dallin and getting their pictures taken. Here are a few shots from the day. I love the candid ones where they are not posing.

What would I do without my 12 year old attiude girl. You gotta love her!

I love these ones! I couldn't get Dallin or Hannah to put their heads in the hole, so we decided we would do it for them. They're going love these!

Can you believe we ran into Doctor McDreamy. I just had to get my picture taken with him!

Baseball Opening Day

2008-03-29T19:55:00.001-07:00

Hannah got to catch the first pitch of opening day! She did such a great job, and did not look nervous at all. The key word is look. The entire week prior she was a nervous wreck. She kept telling me "I'm not doing it, everyone will be staring at me, and what if I miss the ball." I kept encouraging her and telling her what an honor it was that they asked her to do this. I do not know if anyone knows that about Hannah. She doesn't like to be the center of attention. She has always been our shy one. I am so proud of her and know that she will have a great season.

It's great that her dad is her coach and gets to spend time with her.

Basketball Pictures

2008-03-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

This is the third year that Dallin has played for the school basketball team. He had a great season and was awarded Defensive Play Of The Year! He is playing on an AAU team and will be playing all around the Seattle area. I don't know how he does it. He plays on two baseball teams, his AAU basketball team and has been attending quarterback camps down at the University of Washington and still manages to make it to early morning seminary everyday and keep his grades up. At times the scheduling is crazy, but Dallin having nothing to do is more crazy!
This was Hannah's sixth and final year playing for Maple Valley Basketball. She was able to play with the same girls and coach for all 6 years. She also had a great season. She does not like to lose and is very competitive. (I wonder where she gets that.) She was playing against another team that some of the girls she goes to school with were on. She did not want to lose to them. They were down by 6, and she said to her team "we are not going to lose." So she scored the next 8 points and they won by 2. At the end of the season, her coach gave all the girls a picture frame of all the team pictures from the past 6 years. Next year she will get to try-out for the school team, I know she is looking forward to that.
This was Meagan's third year playing basketball. She has played with her friend Jaylyn each year. They are pretty funny to watch, because sometimes they would only pass to each other. The coach had to talk to them a couple of times to tell them that they need to pass to the other girls. With having an older brother and sister that have played basketball she has always been great at dribbling and shooting. Corey Mason was her coach this year and the girls loved him.

Easter Egg Hunt

2008-03-23T23:35:00.000-07:00

Easter Egg Hunt - March 2008

Some of our cousins came over Sunday for dinner and an Easter egg hunt! The sun came out just in time, but it was freezing!!.. the kids didn't care though! They had a great time!

Audrey, Meagan, Ethan, Blake, and Kinzi

On Saturday, Ethan & Audrey invited Meagan and Blake to come and participate in their neighborhood Easter egg hunt. Here are a few pics...

Muscle Man

2008-03-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

Dallin was bugging me about the picture to the right that I had posted. So I thought I would really give him something to bug me about. Boy, I'm going to pay for this!

Durhamtown Plantation - February 2008

2008-02-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

This year it worked out that both Stan and Jason would be in Georgia on business at the same time so they packed up all their riding gear to go ride at Durhamtown again with Dave. Even Dallin went along for the ride... Here are some pics from their day.

Visit to the Pacific Science Center

2008-02-24T22:14:00.000-08:00

We went to the Pacific Science Center this week with Becca and the kids and Cindy Sams and her boys, Ethan and Andrew. Since our year passes expired this week we had to get one more fun day in. It was a lot of fun!

Ski Trip to Snoqualmie Summit

2008-01-25T21:16:00.000-08:00

We had a blast! Meagan and Blake were awesome! Before I knew it Meagan was going up and down the mountain by herself! She didn't have time to wait for us! Blake wanted to do it "his way" and didn't head any advise, but he did great! He needed help on the steeper areas, but skied the whole time and would have kept going! We had so much fun!

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas

2007-12-18T17:24:00.000-08:00

Here are some cute pictures of Meagan & Blake with Santa at this years Ward Christmas Party!

Football Pictures

2007-11-13T16:28:00.000-08:00

Pictures that Grandpa Neal took of Dallin at one of his football games!

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

Grandma & Grandpa Kidd with Ethan, Blake, and Audrey.

Blake Turns 5!

2007-10-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Blake's 5th birthday and we celebrated by having some ice cream cake with Uncle Jason, Aunt Becca, Ethan, Audrey, and David! They had a great time eating, playing video games, and wrestling big brother Dallin.