JJ and Karly VanKomen Family

Back up and running, I hope!

2011-10-18T14:59:00.011-04:00

Well, after much persuasion from JJ, I am going to try to get back into the swing of things and update our family blog. After looking at the last blog I posted, much has changed.....beginning with the arrival of our little girl, Paisley in February, 2010, she hasbeen such a fun addition to our family. Life definitely got busier with a newborn in the house, and just when I thought life might give me a break to catch up some things I had been neglecting, we were thrown another curveball...Surprise you are moving to California! So, in June 2010 we packed up our things and made the 5 day drive across the country. We are so glad to be back on the West Coast, back to the climate we enjoy and closer to our family in Utah. The kids are growing so fast, I can't believe how time flies! My favorite holiday is approaching so I will try to post Halloween pictures soon!

So, we had our ultrasound today and....

2009-09-22T12:20:00.006-04:00

It's a GIRL!!!!!

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our newest member on Valentine's Day, 2010.

Shenandoah National Park

2009-09-18T17:46:00.009-04:00

Over Labor Day weekend we drove down to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. JJ used his hotel points to book a room that had a kitchen so we took our own food, the hotel had free breakfast. so the whole trip only cost $15 dollars to get into the park, what a bargain!

We went on a not too strenuous hike that had a nice waterfall at the end...

Bryson enjoying the very comfy fold out bed at the hotel.

Bryson and Preston being "friends" for a minute.

The "boys".

Cute pictures of the gang!

It was a fun trip we actually saw 3 baby black bears and their momma cross the road right in front of our truck while we were driving through the park, it was pretty cool!

First Day of School '09

2009-08-31T11:13:00.009-04:00

I can't believe the summer is gone already and yet another school year has begun. What I really can't believe is that Ashley is a sophomore! Bryson started 4th grade and Preston is in second. They were all very excited to start this year, they couldn't fall asleep last night and were up at the crack of dawn today. As you can tell by looking at these pictures, they were all taken at our house this year, a new thing for mom, they all decided to take the bus this year rather than me taking them on the first day, this is the first time in 15 years I have taken first day of school pictures in my pajamas without fighting for a parking spot at 7:30 in the morning. I suppose I could get used to that. It was a very busy summer so it will be nice to get back into a routine....bring on the homework packets!

Take me out to the ballgame....

2009-05-15T11:18:00.005-04:00

For Mother's Day, JJ gave me tickets to the Phillies game yesterday, the last couple innings were exciting...Phillies were tied at the bottom of the ninth so it went to an extra inning, but the Dodgers scored 2 runs in that inning and the Phillies just couldn't get the bat to connect with the ball, I thought maybe we would pull it off with the Dodgers star player being suspended, oh well, it was a fun date, thanks, babe!

BIG FISH...

2009-04-27T09:43:00.006-04:00

It was a spur of the moment idea to take the boys fishing on Saturday afternoon while Ashley went to a dance. So, I threw together a quick dinner before we went so we wouldn't be distracted by growling bellies. Bryson said the prayer to bless the food and as we started eating he says "Oh, no I forgot to ask Heavenly Father to help me catch a fish". So, we all stopped eating and he said another quick prayer asking that he would be able to catch a fish that night. Well, I have to admit I was a little apprehensive about whether or not his prayer would be answered as I have taken the boys to this spot before and never even got a bite, but I tried to have faith, obviously he had more....we had been fishing for a few minutes and Bryson says he is going to reel in his line to make sure his worm is still there, as he reeled in his line he says "I got a fish!" When he pulled it out we all started to laugh because it was the smallest Rainbow Trout I had ever seen. However, I was relieved that at least he could say his prayer was answered even if he had to put it back.

Here is JJ stuggling to pull in his catch of the day....a big log! Hey, what can he say...it looked impressive!
Preston with his catch...not sure if it is the same one Bryson caught 10 minutes before, but he was happy to have caught something.

So, the sun was going down and we were reeling in for the night, when Bryson yells again that he had caught a fish. I assumed that it was the same poor little fish that had been caught and released twice before, but when I looked over and saw the bend in his line I knew that it was bigger. Here he is with the one and only "keeper" of the day he was very happy and his first comment was "I guess he heard my prayer". Thank goodness for the faith of children to humble us adults sometimes.

So, here is the beginning of the gutting, I will spare you the next picture. As you can see they are all smiling right now, the next picture they were not. This was JJ's first cleaning and the boys first witness of how it is done. JJ did a good job with the cleaning and we took it home and grilled it, it was actually very tasty! So, for a last minute throw together outing it turned out to be a good memory for everybody!

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T12:22:00.010-04:00

Well, Easter is one of my favorite holidays so I love to wake up and see what the Easter Bunny brought just as much as the kids.

So, here are the crepes! They were very yummy, thank you, sweetheart!
Here is everybody after the Easter egg hunt, it was fun. It was a little chilly, but at least the sun was out, I don't think it was quite cold enough for Ashley's eskimo coat, though.

Easter Memories...

2009-04-03T16:23:00.023-04:00

EASTER 2005

This was the last Easter we were all living in Utah, I love this picture of the cousins after their Easter egg hunt at Opa and Oma's house, there have been a few additions since this picture was taken.

Cyle enjoying an Easter egg hunt and Ashley showing off her Easter basket treasures...

Me and JJ cooking Easter morning breakfast....looking good!

JJ and Preston hanging out and Brock on the right...don't they look like babies (I am referring to Preston and Brock, of course)

Easter 2006

Cyle, Preston and Bryson enjoying another Easter egg hunt...funny how the hunt for the eggs never gets old.

Easter 2007

Ashley and Brock showing off their loot...the same still goes...Ashley excited about money, Brock excited about candy.

Easter 2008

What happened? Our first Easter together he helps me cook breakfast, 4 years later he gets his basket delivered in bed? I think this year we need a repeat of 2005, what do you say, babe? Crepes?

The Perfect Picture...with kids..haha!

2009-04-02T18:31:00.003-04:00

Hi All - This is JJ, I once again have decided to make a post without permission.... hope you get a chance to enjoy this while it is still posted... Karly loves pictures of the kids and she decided to stop on our way home from church and take a few pictures of the kids next to a very old bridge and stream.. what took place will be a family classic...enjoy!

New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. in 3 days...

2009-03-26T12:50:00.038-04:00

For the past 9 days we have had visitors! My mom and my brother and his family came to stay with us and tour the sites and boy did we give a new definition to the word "tourist". I think this is the first time I have sat down since they got here, they just left today. It was so much fun having family come visit, our rooms are always available and our rates are cheap so if any of these pictures look enticing call and make a reservation at the Van Komen hotel we would love to have you. We rode the ferry over to the Statue of Liberty one day it is bigger in person than I thought it would be...

Here are the kids about to get on their first New York subway...

The kids standing in front of the Statue of Liberty with New York City behind them.

We visited Ground Zero, the picture on the left is of a man who we came to know as Harry. At first, I thought he was a homeless man begging for money, but come to find out he is a very intelligent man who has dedicated his life to educate people and help us never forget 9/11. He comes to this corner everyday and hands out flyers and tells about the day it happened, he has a folder with pictures and gives a very interesting and informative speech about that day. As you see by the picture the kids were very involved in what he was saying I am sure they will never forget him. On the right is a picture of a New York Fire Truck pulling out onto the street, right behind it is Ground Zero. The NYFD were the first on the scene where many died as the second tower was hit and collapsed. There is not much to see here right now as they are rebuilding on the site. There is a memorial that you can walk through that is very emotional.

Then we were on to Philadelphia...here we are at the Liberty Bell, we went on Saturday so JJ was able to go with us.

This is Independence Hall in Philadelphia where the Constitution was signed...
Here we are in front of the statue of Rocky, he has been moved off the top of the steps that he ran up because people complained that a fictional character should not be placed in such a prominent area so now he is at the bottom of the steps and off to the side in between some trees.
Me and JJ standing at the top of the "Rocky" steps with Philadelphia behind us it was a great view...

Next stop was Washington, D.C. Here are the kids in front of the Capital building, Preston thought it was cool that the Secret Service were walking around the premises with M-16s.

Above is the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial and the White House.

Bryson standing inside of the Lincoln Memorial and Preston sitting in front of it.

The changing of the guard in Arlington Cemetery, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Ashley and my nieces standing in front of the Iwojima statue, this thing was massive!

In the end, this is how we all felt...pooped! Unfortunately, most of us were too big to curl up on the bench of the trolley and take a snooze.

We're going to Disneyland.....

2009-02-25T15:31:00.017-05:00

JJ, Bryson, Preston and of course Minnie...

Who could pass up the "Donald"? Well, definitely not Bryson, JJ, Brock, Janie, Preston or myself...

Preston and cousin, Zack they were so happy to see each other!

Our family...the first time we have been all together in 2 years...

The gang...Bryson, Cyle, Ashley, Brock and Preston

Enjoying yet another peanut butter sandwich....yum!

Is it possible to go to an amusement park and not buy the cotton candy?

I guess you never outgrow the need for a cotton candy "fix".

Standing in front of one of their favorite rides...

Me and the hubs enjoying the warm sunshine...even if it doesn't look like JJ is enjoying it he really is smiling :)

JJ, Brock and Ashley on the Grizzly River Ride

What mom's won't do to get a great picture....

We want to thank everybody who went on this trip for making it so great...a very special thank you to Bob and Janie for making this once in a lifetime trip possible! We will miss everyone until we see you again!

I am such a slacker...

2009-02-04T10:40:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to do a quick post to let everyone know we are still alive and all is well. It just seems like as soon as December hit my head has been spinning and I haven't had 5 minutes to sit down and update our blog. I have made a decision that as soon as we get back from Disneyland I will be better about making this a priority and updating it more frequently.....so until then......

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

2008-11-26T13:42:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving, 2006

We just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and know that we are thinking of you and wishing we were sitting a little closer today...We are thankful for you and feel very blessed to have you in our lives.

Yes, it does snow in PA.....

2008-11-26T12:00:00.014-05:00

Well, Saturday morning we woke to white stuff on the ground. We usually don't see snow until January and that's if we are lucky. It obviously wasn't much but it was enough to make the sled go down the hill and that was all that mattered! As you can see, a few times down the hill and the snow was gone, but they continued on around the yard for several hours until there wasn't any left. The weathermen are calling for above average snowfall this year. Everyone that lives here is complaining, but us Utahns are crossing our fingers that they are right!

Happy Halloween...Happy Fall!

2008-11-04T16:01:00.006-05:00

Well, it was an usual year for us. I thought I would recover from my surgery sooner than I did so unfortunately, I only got around to getting costumes for Bryson and Preston this year. Bryson was a soldier and Preston was a ninja, we had a lot of trick or treaters probably about 150 or so. The weather was great and the kids got tons of candy. Our neighborhood has trick or treating hours between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. It was very interesting to see that our doorbell did not ring again after 8:28. The trees here are beautiful, everywhere you go it looks like something out of a magazine...I took some pictures of all the boys out working in the yard on Saturday, I tried to get one with our house so everyone could see where we live. Bryson is learning to use the trimmer (I won't let him do it without safety glasses) and Preston has a new hobby of breaking rocks to see what they look like inside (I won't let him do this without safety glasses either) maybe it's because I only have sight in one eye and wish I could see out of both, I don't know but I am an advocate of safety goggles.

Goooo Phillies!!!

2008-10-27T10:40:00.007-04:00

We have had alot of excitement around our house this week due to the fantastic World Series with our very own Philadelphia Phillies! It has been so fun to feel the enthusiasm and get a break from the election coverage on the news. The last time we were this excited about a sporting event was when the Utah Jazz were in the NBA Finals 10 years ago...the only difference here is I think the Phillies have a better chance of winning the title...we'll see! Tonight is game 5 with the Phillies up 3 games to 1. Last night's game was incredible one of the most exciting baseball games we have seen in a long time, even the pitcher hit a home run, that hasn't been done in 34 years! We are definitely seeing red this week....Go Phillies!

My Husband.....My Hero

2008-10-21T11:06:00.005-04:00

This is a tribute to my husband for being such a trooper while I have been under the weather since my surgery. I wasn't going to tell this story, but I think it is worth sharing....Anyone who knows JJ knows he doesn't do well with hospitals, needles, knives, blood...you get the idea. So, the morning of my surgery we had to be at the surgical center very early and having not slept well the night before and we had fasted the day before the surgery (something I don't recommend doing so close to a surgery, another lesson learned) JJ was not in prime condition for the hospital scene. After we consulted with the doctor he told us they needed to do an ultrasound before the surgery so we went into a small office where the nurse told us it would be a vaginal ultrasound. After about 1 minute of watching the ultrasound JJ said he needed to sit down. He sat down on the chair and put his head between his legs at which time the nurse said "That is a good idea to put your head down" unknown to either of us he had passed out and that is why he was bent over, after about a minute he toppled over onto the tile floor and we knew we had a problem. The nurse says to me "give me your hand" so I did. She put my hand on the ultrasound tool and told me to hold it......in my vagina. Meanwhile, she proceeded to go out in the hall and gather anyone and everyone who was breathing to come into this little office and assist my husband who was face down on the floor. Within seconds I was surrounded by 2 doctors, the anesthesiologist, and 4 nurses who as I layed on the table with my legs in stirrups, still holding the ultrasound tool in place tried to have an intelligent conversation with the doctors who were asking me about JJ's history of fainting spells. When they turned him over he was as blue as Violet on Charley and the Chocolate Factory after she chews the blueberry gum, they quickly administered oxygen and smelling salts. He did come around and was fine other than the cut on his head and a very bruised ear where he had fallen. So, you might be wondering where the "hero" part comes in? Well, he was a trooper the rest of the day even when they tried to find a vein for my IV for 20 minutes and had to call in the "difficult case" nurse. He let me squeeze his hand as tight as I wanted and didn't complain and for the next 2 weeks has been a great nurse to me even when he had to help me tear off the steri strips that were stuck to the incision. Anyway, I just wanted to send out a public thank you to him and tell him that even after everything I wouldn't have wanted anyone else with me during this ordeal....Thanks, sweetheart. I love you.

We are connected and back in the baby making business...

2008-10-17T13:32:00.002-04:00

Yes, you are seeing correctly...this is a picture of a woman's fallopian tubes. I liked it because this is probably what mine look like, yet again....On October 6th I had surgery to reconnect these little guys back together I had very good news from the surgeon that the reconnection was a success...so keep your fingers and toes crossed and we will keep you posted....

New York, New York

2008-09-29T13:47:00.092-04:00

So, here are a few of our great pictures from our New York trip. It was great, I don't think Bryson was quite prepared for the amount of people that are actually there. After a while you can just block them out and focus on the surroundings, there is always something going on, it is a very exciting place....

The one below is at the Toys R Us in Times Square it is huge, 4 floors with a ferris wheel in the middle.

The famous NYPD in downtown Times Square.

Having fun at the downtown Hard Rock Cafe, they were slow and we were bored, hence the video...

Central Park Entrance

The Museum of Natural History, this is the museum where Night at the Museum was filmed, it was huge. It was fun to come home and watch the movie and recognize the places we had been.

A cool picture of one of the many tall buildings, it was hazy in the sky so it looked way cool,

kind of like a scene from Batman....

A typical New York scene....taxis, steam and a cool church.

The famous New York Times Building

Well, we had a great time. There are lots more pictures I couldn't decide which ones to post, you will have to click on them to get more detail in the picture....we can't wait to go back. New York is a place that no matter how long you are there you feel like you could have stayed for another week and still have lots to do and see...The best part about New York...you can pass gas anytime because it is so noisy and stinky that noone ever notices, not that I have done this personally....

Karly getting down.....

2008-09-28T21:06:00.003-04:00

Here is a video of Karly getting crazy at HARD ROCK.. I am sure this post will be deleted soon so if you are one of the lucky people to see it leave a post and tell Karly how much you like it and want it to stay posted... Enjoy

Hiking in Great Falls, Virginia

2008-09-24T10:19:00.009-04:00

We decided to take a drive on Saturday down to Great Falls, Virginia. It took us about 2 hours and 15 minutes to get there. During the drive we passed through Maryland, Delaware, Washington D.C. and Virginia. It was a beautiful day and a great National Park!

We are headed to New York tomorrow, so look for more pictures next week!

This is the beginning....

2008-09-18T08:35:00.001-04:00

Hey, everybody we are finally up and running and we decided to be cool like the rest of you and create our own blog. We are pretty much settled in, the last of the boxes went out to the trash yesterday. We are liking the area except for the yummy smell we are greeted with each morning, which we found out is the compost that the mushroom farmers use around here, we also found out there are 125 mushroom farms in our surrounding area so if you drive anywhere around here in the morning the smell goes with you, we are seriously considering omitting mushrooms from our diet from here on out. I will post pictures of the house and we are going to New York soon so I will post pictures of that as well. When Ashley and JJ went to New York she was surprised to see a man on the street in a box, she said she didn't realize that homeless really meant without a home, so now Bryson and Preston want to see for themselves. Ashley started early morning, I should say Ashley and I started early morning seminary it begins at 6:00 a.m. sharp, they have their largest seminary group ever at 26 kids who meet at one of the member's houses, lucky for me I live the closest to her (2 miles). A special thanks to our father's for driving us out here and working long hours for little pay to help us move in, we love you.