Our Brasfield Bunch

Summer 2010: Seaworld

2010-11-07T10:14:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful family day at Seaworld. We got there when they opened and stayed until closing time.

Yes, we are the YELLOW family again. I told the kids maybe this was the last time we dress in the same color but to my surprise they enjoy it... so ... the tradition continues.

We enjoy all of the shows at Seaworld but I think by far our MOST favorite is the Cirque' De La Mer.

Summer 2010: Beaches, Pools and Water Parks.

2010-11-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

The Summer of 2010, in San Diego, went down in the history books as the COLDest summer EVER. We were lucky enough to catch some nice warm days in between all the GLOOM.

We enjoy the POOL on Camp Pendleton alot. The kids love the diving board and slide.

We also enjoyed a beautiful day at the WILD RIVERS water park. Kalea was so excited that she was tall enough to go on most of the slides. She is an adventurous little girl.

And of course we LOVE every chance we get to enjoy our local beach (less than a mile from our home).

This summer Kalea learned to BOOGIE board. She is the cutest little California girl.

Also, this summer Brandon learned to SURF on his own. He can not get enough of it.

The kiddos continue to grow by leaps and bounds....

No. Wait. What??? it has been 7 months since my last blog?!!?

2010-09-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

WoW... Let me try to pick up where I left off...

February 5th - April 5th is BiRtHdAy season in our family. It begins with mine on the 5th of February (see last post from 7 months ago), Our wedding anniversary on Valentine's Day, March 5th belongs to Brandon, March 17th (St.Patrick's Day) is Kalea's Day and it ends with our Joe Joe Bean on April 5th.

Brandon turned 12. We (me, Brandon and my good friend, Diana) ran in the Race for Literacy 8K at Balboa park in San Diego. It doesn't rain much here in Southern California but decided to start pouring on us as the minute the race began and we were drenched at the end. It was still a BLAST!!

Kalea Sue turned 7 and is our LUCKY charm... she was born on St.Patrick's Day.
She wanted to celebrate with her family at Shakey's pizza.

Our family favorite restaurant is Applebee's and that's where Joseph decided he wanted his family birthday celebration. He turned 9. He is named after my Daddy, Joseph Rickard (pictured above).

Stayed tuned for another update... soon ... if your lucky. :)

Momma... turns 4-1.

2010-02-09T16:15:00.000-08:00

Let BiRtHdAy season begin.... It starts with my birthday on the 5th of February and will include the birthdays of all our kiddos ending on April 5th. My wonderful hubby treated me to birthday lunch at Joe's crab shack.

Then we spent the evening at home as a family that included pizza and making ice cream sundeas.

The kids made me a card. They are so thoughtful and supportive of my running. They got me a Nike band. It will measure my distance, time, pace, and calories. I also got a pair of running shorts and some pretty cool socks. The best gift of all... is always the LOVE of my family.

HELLO... Twenty Ten... it's gonna be a good year!!!

2010-01-26T07:34:00.000-08:00

I am such a ROOKIE at this whole race thing. The race series I had wanted to do this year was the California Dreamin' Series (Huntington, San Fran, & Long Beach). I had no idea how fast races SOLD OUT so I was bummed when I didn't get into my first one at Huntington. So I began my search for another race and found the Lajolla Half (April 25th) and immediately got myself signed up. Then 2 weeks ago my friend Susie told me of her friend that was running the Carlsbad with her but was now moving and couldn't do it. So with a 2 WEEKS NOTICE I agreed to RUN with her....our goal was completion NOT speed.

When the race began it was in the mid forties but warmed up to be a most beautiful day. The run itself was a scenic route mostly along the coast line.

There is nothing better than the LOVE of a family. I couldn't do anything without them.

WE DID IT!! We completed our very FIRST half marathon... TOGETHER... 13.1 MILES!! Around the 8th mile Susie's knee started to bother her but we stayed TOGETHER ... AND we finished right under 3 hours (2:54). Not too bad for ROOKIES!!

I am looking forward to running at least two more half marathons this year.. the Lajolla Half (April 25) and America's Finest City Half (August 15). I am also looking forward to having Susie as my race partner.... This is surely the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Buffalo Alley 10K

2009-11-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 7th, 2009
Buffalo Alley 10K on Camp Pendleton... this race benefits the fallen and wounded soldiers. God bless the U.S.A.
www.camppendletonraces.com

The LOVE and SUPPORT of my family means everything to me!!

Addie (my running buddy) and me at the starting line.

This course is a tough one. It is ALL hills (mountains) and between the elevation and the cold weather I had an asthma attack within the first mile. I took my inhaler and convinced Addie to go ahead without me. I managed to keep moving and recovered by mile 3. Whew!

Addie finished 13 minutes ahead of me (PROUD of her) and came back to get me... now that's a great racing buddy! I felt so accomplished after completing this race and I mean to tell you that this course was UP hill BOTH ways!!!
I am now training to RuN my first HALF marathon in February 2010. http://www.caldreaminracing.com/

Have I done any good lately?

2009-11-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

YES... We DiD do GooD!! RACE for the CURE... 5k at Balboa park!

We RaN with a purpose. Cancer is NO good... no matter what kind it is!!! We CHOOSE to do this for those that have battled cancer and lost their fight...AND... for those still fighting the fight!

Me and my runnin' buddies, Addie and Diana. They are AMAZING! Thank you girls for such a memorable experience... See ya next year!!

It was amazing to see my family receive us at the finish line... especially little Miss Kalea Sue... SHE inspires me everyday to DO better... to BE better!!

MY SISTER... MY FRIEND...

2009-07-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

My sister and her family came for a visit... leaving my niece and nephew to enjoy the rest of their summer with us. It was so wonderful to see Becky Jo. We talk everyday on the phone but I had not seen her in person in over 4 years!!

Me, Becky Jo and Paige (my niece) at the beach in Oceanside.

Becky Jo, Daddy and Me... We love our Daddy!!

Me and my sister... enjoying the sunset.

Becky Jo, Daryl, Paige and Zach... on the Oceanside pier.

SuRpRiSe... DADDY'S HOME!!!

2009-04-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

Jeff's home... 7 weeks early!! Yippee!!

When Jeff told me he was coming home early... we decided to SURPRISE the kids. So I had to keep my excitement contained all alone for about 4 days. Then on Sunday (April 19) I took the kids to my Dad's house in LaJolla. When we came back, my dad had the kids across the street on the grounds of the San Diego temple. As we approached Brandon could see I was walking with someone but couldn't make out who it was... it was Kalea that instantly yelled "DADDY" and began to run towards us... the boys were right behind her. I think they were all in complete SHOCK!!

We are grateful for Jeff's service to our country and for his safe return home.

11...6...8...

2009-04-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

March 5th, 2009: Brandon turned 11. He has been nicknamed "ACE" because he is our number one child (by order of birth). He looks like a gangsta with his new "VANS" hoodie and his wade of cash! Brandon plays as first baseman and pitcher for the Royals with the Oceanside Little League. He is a skateboarder and a complete California "Dude".

March 17th, 2009: Miss Kalea Sue turned 6. She has a SPUNK for life and a LOVE for everyone. She loves to be all GIRLIE but she will not be out done by her brothers... she is gearing up to play soccer soon.

April 5th, 2009: Our Joejoe Bean (as we have affectionately called him since his birth) turned 8. He, too plays on the Royals team with his big brother(and probably the only time that will happen). Joejoe is an outfielder and has caught his share of balls. He is getting excited to be baptized (when his daddy returns from Iraq that is). He is a builder... he has real talent when it comes to building with Legos. He loves transformers, too. Joejoe is ALL BOY and has a CURIOSITY for everything and an ENDLESS amount of energy!!

This is our LIFE... in the MILITARY.

2009-02-26T21:33:00.000-08:00

Our kids are little troopers I tell ya... heads up and proud of their daddy as he heads off to Iraq (again).
Brandon says he will be the man of the house and gets a trail run on using daddy's cell phone while he's gone (to prove he is a big boy now). Joseph says he will listen and obey. AND little Miss Kalea Sue, with tears in her pretty blue eyes says she will take care of us all (Nami, Brandon, Joseph, Grandaddy Rickard and Mommy). She too promises to be a good girl.

As for me... goodbyes never get any easier... but I am proud... very proud of my hubby!!! This is... our life... in the military.

NO MORE ... training wheels

2009-01-22T18:24:00.000-08:00

Jeff took Kalea's training wheels off this week. It has only taken him 2 days to teach her to ride without them. Jeff is AMAZING... he has a special technique in teaching them so fast.

November review

2008-12-17T09:42:00.001-08:00

November was a very busy but exciting month for our family. I try to keep my blog postings short due to the simple fact everyone is busy these days. Let's face it we know you care but who has time to read the novels written by so many bloggers. Now with ALL that said... this entry is an exception... and with a New Year comes a promise of just trying to blog more often keeping it short and sweet.

Jeff earned a long awaited promotion to Staff Sergeant, which now puts him in a retirement category. This means that in about 8 years he can have a full retirement from the Marine Corps (serving his 20 years total). I don't know about you but I think he looks much to young for the word retirement. I am so proud of him. He is truly one of the few and the proud.

The Marine Corps celebrates their birthday November 10th and my Dad's (Joe Rickard) birthday is on the 27th. So, this year Jeff and I took him to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball as his birthday gift and as a Thank you for his love and support. Looking good Dad -- you clean up nice.

The guest speaker at the Ball was "The Gunny", most of you know him as the Drill Instructor in Full Mental Jacket. My dad is a big fan and especially enjoys his show, MAIL CALL. We didn't tell my dad about him until we got there. Surprise!!
Our family took a little road trip up to Knot's Berry Farm. The weather was perfect and there were no long lines. Yes -- we were the orange family as we are always referred to when we choose to wear our family color. Hey it works.

Brandon and Jeff tackled all of the roller coasters.However, Joey braved his first roller coaster and it was a big one. Joey was such a good brother to his sister, Kalea as he waited in lines with her to ride the rides. He held her hand and gave her lots of reassurance that the ride would be fun not scary. Kalea played into this role well but as you can see when it was time to ride she no doubt enjoyed it! We all had so much fun!!

The next day we went to "The Block", which is a huge out door mall. It is so big it has a bowling alley and a VANS Skate park. The boys (yes including Jeff) spent their time skate boarding while Kalea and I shopped and had our nails done. FUN for all!!

I keep a gratitude journal... that's where I write 5 things that I am grateful for each and everyday. It keeps me focused on the abundance of blessings in my life.
1.I am grateful for good health (especially for Kalea).
2.I am grateful for my loving husband.
3.I am grateful for my smart and beautiful children.
4.I am grateful for my Dad & my sister, Becky Jo and for their unconditional love.
5.I am grateful for the re-connections I have made this year with old friends (hip hip horray for face book).

Hope each of you had a Thankful Thanksgiving and are enjoying the Christmas season. We love and miss you all.

YES on PROP 8

2008-10-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

Proposition 8: The California Marriage Protection Amendment

The entire text of Proposition 8 is as follows:
"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California."

Proposition 8 places into the California Constitution the same language that voters already passed by 61% of the vote in 2000. This is necessary to overturn an outrageous California Supreme Court decision that overturned Proposition 22.

My dad has always taught me... "to stand for something or you will fall for anything". I am standing up and saying YES to Prop 8.

What will you stand for?

Please visit www.protectmarriage.com to learn more about how this decision can and will effect us and our children.

"Say it ain't so, Joe"

2008-10-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

Regardless of WHERE you might stand and HOW you choose to express yourselves on the political issues of our time... REMEMBER that many people past, present and future will ensure that you keep that right and privilege... so as a THANK YOU to those very ones that have, are and will defend the country in which you live (including my husband) please VOTE! -- Jeni Brasfield

"This is a critical time for America. We must each be more involved in how this country is being run. Regardless of how you vote it is imperative that each of us take that privilege and freedom very seriously. You can tell by the title and the picture where I'm putting my support. Hope many of you will join me." -- Joe Rickard (Jeni's Dad)

Sissy's wedding

2008-09-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

Kalea and I took a road trip with my good friend, Susan Scharpf. We went to Vegas baby! Julene Cox, who will always be known to me as "sissy", got married!! She is now Mrs. Chris Bateman. It was a beautiful wedding in the Las Vegas Temple.

I was the Dippin' Dots server girl. It was so fun! The Dippin' Dots stand came complete with little cups which I served to the guests. At the end of the night Susan and I decided to fill our goblets full (forget those little cups) Yummy!! Not to mention lots of fun when you stick them to your tongue (as we have demonstrated for you above).

Top: Jeni and Sydney outside the temple.

Right: Kalea and Jacob. Kalea says she is going to grow up and marry Jacob.

Left: Kalea and Sissy. Kalea had so much fun with all the wedding festivities. She has been "playing wedding" with her flowers (the ones in the pictures) ever since we left Vegas.

Dani Cox, Sissy, Jeni, Susan Scharpf

Silly? Who? Us?

Oh yeah... sissy wouldn't have it any other way. :)

First day of school

2008-08-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

First day of school... Brandon-5th grade, Joseph-2nd grade and Kalea Sue is in Kindergarten @ North Terrace Elementary in Oceanside, California. Everyone was excited and came home talking non-stop about their day. I hope the excitements continues.

Kalea had a choice from a gazillion backpacks and decided on a "Hello Kitty" bag from the dollar spot at Target. Yes $1.00... love that girl!!

She wasted no time finding a seat and giving me a quick goodbye as she reminds that she is a BIG girl now. She was very anxious to begin her school career. Well... that is my last time taking my kids to their first day of Kindergarten... yeah... I am okay with that.

Pretty in Pink

2008-08-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

Every time I would polish Kalea's toe nails she would inevitably start begging me to polish her finger nails. It was always the same discussion... I would tell her "When you stop biting your nails I will polish them." She would agree with "OK Mom I will." --- with no stopping -- until her cousin Paige came for a visit this summer. She thought Paige's nails were so pretty. Paige told her that she too use to bite her nails until one day she got tired of ugly nails and stopped biting. That's all it took.

She did it!! Kalea STOPPED biting her nails. I took her to Walmart and let her choose her polish. Pink! I am proud of her! She is pretty in pink!

Amber squared

2008-08-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you put an Amber and Amber together? Yeap. Amber squared. We just hung out making each other laugh... especially when Amber (V) and I wanted to go to our favorite place (Barnes and Noble) and Amber (L) said... "What do we do when we get there? Read?"

Amber -- Jeni -- Amber

Could this be a Jeni sandwich?

My "Tennessee" cups were NOT good enough for Miss Vandy

so she made her own. Thanks for coming to visit! It was fun!

Love you both!

Grandaddy Rickard

2008-08-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

Grandaddy Rickard came up from San Deigo to spend the day with us. Kalea is in love with her Grandad. She says when she grows up she will move in with him and take care of him.

After lunch we went to the skate park so the boys (and that includes Jeffrey) could show off their skating skills.

We finished off the afternoon with a walk on the Oceanside Peir and some ice cream -- because it just wouldn't be a visit with Grandaddy Rickard without ice cream -- Yummy!

Neighbors, friends & goodbyes

2008-08-08T09:06:00.001-07:00

Keelin (Keels) and Joseph.

Cassidy and Kalea.

Morrie, Kalea and Cass.

Nami and Wyatt.

Jessie and Jeni -see I can have fun!!

Our Neighbors -The Van Wagenen's- instantly become our good friends. Their oldest girl, Keelin, is Joey's best friend, classmate and neighbor. Cassidy is Kalea's age and Morrie is the the cutest 3 year old. Jessie's from Texas and I think we connected through our southern roots. Adam just makes me laugh.We had a summer that we will not soon forget. There was lots of fun in the sun (including ice water fights), laughing, Phase Ten, desserts, Starbucks, snacks, pizza, movies and sleep overs.

So saying goodbye to them (as they head back to Texas for their next phase in the Marine Corps)was.... tough. We will keep in touch but our new neighbors will have big shoes to fill.

We love and miss you guys -- California won't be the same without you!

The world of blogging?

2008-07-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

The Brasfield's have joined the world of blogging? Yes. It's true. Honestly it's the quickest way to update you on our family events and share family photos (no one told me that my children would grow so fast).

We are living in Oceanside, California. We have a great house, school is 2 blocks away, and the kids finally got a puppy (something they have wanted for quite sometime). And of course we love being across the street from the beach!!

My neice and nephew (Paige & Zach Garrett) came down from Boise, Idaho for a summer visit. We had a great time... we went on a Harbor Cruise (shown below with Grandaddy Rickard), Seaworld, Wild Animal Park, The Zoo, Seal Beach (shown to the right) and Point Loma lighthouse. We played at the beach and spent several days at the pool.
We love and miss you guys!!