tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1416588588913100052024-02-20T18:31:14.950-08:00Nuge NewsNuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-89099145467795916732010-01-22T16:22:00.001-08:002010-01-22T17:04:08.732-08:00Rainy DayHello from rainy, muddy California! It's been awhile since anyone has posted and since I haven't been outside in FIVE days because of this storm, I need something to do! Haha. The weather has been crazy! I'm loving the rain, but I guess a tornado even touched down in Ventura last night. That seems a little extreme to me!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NdLUsVRBxiLBQOFOdHQCanqndwu8Qz9a3IQwSHXz-1mPh_51e_fgiEvtFETSF1mPfk1OB-ipvDUFoFseQVRl2utntUjvuSQecFT2YGCCIzyBifm4iD1cHTuZ0Sn4gofmWotUfkBfS2P1/s1600-h/IMG_1433+small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NdLUsVRBxiLBQOFOdHQCanqndwu8Qz9a3IQwSHXz-1mPh_51e_fgiEvtFETSF1mPfk1OB-ipvDUFoFseQVRl2utntUjvuSQecFT2YGCCIzyBifm4iD1cHTuZ0Sn4gofmWotUfkBfS2P1/s400/IMG_1433+small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429734742453283554" border="0" /></a>Otherwise, things have been pretty mellow. Around the house, I have been getting a lot done. I painted the whole living room/dining room and finally just finished the bedroom as well. We got a new washer/dryer and built some cabinets around those. But there is still a LOT to do. So I'm not ready to show pictures or brag about our accomplishments until it's all done. I'm kind of thinking we need to hire Mika to help us finish things up!<br /><br />With the photography biz, things are plugging along. I've had 2 jobs this month (actually PAID) and have a few more possibilities lined up for coming months. I'm also starting to enter my photos in some contests, just to see if I get any type of response. I figure if I can even double my tiny income from last year, I'll be on my way.<br /><br />Paul has been working on a new show called "Teach" where Tony Danza (from <span style="font-style: italic;">Who's The Boss?</span>) teaches English to high school students. He has been working a lot of long days to get the show off the ground. But he says it's actually a pretty good show. A lot more <span style="font-weight: bold;">real</span> moments than some of the others he's working on.<br /><br />Gadoo is fat as ever. He still gets spurts of energy here and there, but mostly likes to be cuddling next to me as much as possible. And if I'm working on my computer? Forget about it. He wants to be the center of attention and will sit directly on the keyboard (or at least make it really difficult for me to get anything done.) Turd Ferguson is his other name.<br /><br />Anyway, that's it for now. Would love to know how everyone else is doing (if you ever get the time!)Nuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-16605862691780324662009-07-09T22:02:00.000-07:002009-07-09T22:08:55.871-07:00Another Baby in the FamCousin Amy & her husband Greg had their 3rd little baby boy today! Just wanted to share the good news. Here's the info:<br /><br /><div>Born: July 9th, 2009 </div> <div>Time: 6:43 AM<br /></div> <div>Weight: 7 Lbs 13 Oz<br /></div><br />Don't know the name yet, but I know they were debating a couple - Easton, Sawyer, and (the boys voted for) Luke Skywalker. Hahaha! I'm sure they'll go with one of the other two.<br /><br />Anyway, congrats to them! Can't wait to see the little bugger...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqb0sS7DHp2rOVOYD4B_U11-zHf50PZK0cU0KyKzDV3BiszxQi6fpjeUA2q56sbieC_35uxG2UnJ1HoY67u28CTYhHEuwF3jbwMPFWrEPvNKK0dfryW6UhhqVKMnRkRirNjaYCs9yl4js/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqb0sS7DHp2rOVOYD4B_U11-zHf50PZK0cU0KyKzDV3BiszxQi6fpjeUA2q56sbieC_35uxG2UnJ1HoY67u28CTYhHEuwF3jbwMPFWrEPvNKK0dfryW6UhhqVKMnRkRirNjaYCs9yl4js/s320/photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356693856601357986" border="0" /></a>Nuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-24828504266273406472009-05-29T09:33:00.000-07:002009-05-29T09:42:58.692-07:00picsJust going through the pics from the weekend, these were two that caught my eye right away! Love 'em! More to come :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8sSO_SEleCN2aTYii6kMEizk1srAO1as7ZgQN33LMtAB4BPOTPQS6_QHW4XAx4hixNtpSRL8kA1yC36z17oPBUKAUJ9oHZZesLByKWJOSObETRwbr9ctUwvW5Ok_IwwNYFpyhojnjAKj/s1600-h/_MG_7525+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8sSO_SEleCN2aTYii6kMEizk1srAO1as7ZgQN33LMtAB4BPOTPQS6_QHW4XAx4hixNtpSRL8kA1yC36z17oPBUKAUJ9oHZZesLByKWJOSObETRwbr9ctUwvW5Ok_IwwNYFpyhojnjAKj/s400/_MG_7525+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341285216529226130" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjVcAgoXiKFAymXmlDE6r6FdrMoP09OosNezpcU5rdAhyphenhyphenEK-Qc5W1aAMQXChVz9Pb_M-2-th57amiRwDHsLE1Cb0vYKAWhSBj_iH6c9uVP-amG9UtK8P8ivml_DZB5E7jeuk7wDyasD16/s1600-h/_MG_7469+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjVcAgoXiKFAymXmlDE6r6FdrMoP09OosNezpcU5rdAhyphenhyphenEK-Qc5W1aAMQXChVz9Pb_M-2-th57amiRwDHsLE1Cb0vYKAWhSBj_iH6c9uVP-amG9UtK8P8ivml_DZB5E7jeuk7wDyasD16/s400/_MG_7469+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341285204762822546" border="0" /></a>Nuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-89313740278254499322009-05-28T20:48:00.000-07:002009-05-28T21:05:29.322-07:00MARKUS<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29c0o_FLTo8kvsbusvnoBvtit14-ItAT4GMYMNNY8OTd1mmqTQbD34qXNS3TrZmq4hhebGN6AF4uKg9Ni2FrQ-rTqhrg95y0rXduE8r9sFeCuapF_5qlhB7aJL84EI3FRtPaR0dlxogxL/s1600-h/Markus+Graduation+weekend+018.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi29c0o_FLTo8kvsbusvnoBvtit14-ItAT4GMYMNNY8OTd1mmqTQbD34qXNS3TrZmq4hhebGN6AF4uKg9Ni2FrQ-rTqhrg95y0rXduE8r9sFeCuapF_5qlhB7aJL84EI3FRtPaR0dlxogxL/s200/Markus+Graduation+weekend+018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341092086260323090" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdKHd6-bAyZLTVEdv9ttHSAjjbcHhVp1G4iLNOch-9Y6bDUR-cnhm0yl1vtdLC1jM2EsZaxAo1XZIJQ3pIyK5ziV3PgwDjWXTapD-qjIOlt4H11_a7qaLqi0_h_IY7ZfwHwD-giIJ5l3u/s1600-h/Markus+Graduation+weekend+040.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdKHd6-bAyZLTVEdv9ttHSAjjbcHhVp1G4iLNOch-9Y6bDUR-cnhm0yl1vtdLC1jM2EsZaxAo1XZIJQ3pIyK5ziV3PgwDjWXTapD-qjIOlt4H11_a7qaLqi0_h_IY7ZfwHwD-giIJ5l3u/s200/Markus+Graduation+weekend+040.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341092081496546962" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFbax9gNTpmMtw5bue1-6XJLnbMF9q5_p9Nz4ooRwIzhxqB3FunJIPNAB-Lxak6dWp9GUY9w_NVZQfYNOCR51n_NBbiV196PfI7AzY3Mq8MvfIwbdgXL1GBt7OWm9R_BM5bZOdE77ZiQK/s1600-h/Markus+Graduation+weekend+015.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFbax9gNTpmMtw5bue1-6XJLnbMF9q5_p9Nz4ooRwIzhxqB3FunJIPNAB-Lxak6dWp9GUY9w_NVZQfYNOCR51n_NBbiV196PfI7AzY3Mq8MvfIwbdgXL1GBt7OWm9R_BM5bZOdE77ZiQK/s200/Markus+Graduation+weekend+015.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341092079202731826" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXh9qxXL5E1RS9vbuuqJlh-2MAaJKsVqlunE9-aefM8CO83fbCqtz3mi4apYswrLA3aBLWJ6MoCgHRRtV2Vpk28HOtYJNPj1ZuzKp8NQ9n1DMzNoIwu0fOZXKxY0Kwnq4nRHi6Llt_dVQz/s1600-h/Markus+Graduation+weekend+035.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXh9qxXL5E1RS9vbuuqJlh-2MAaJKsVqlunE9-aefM8CO83fbCqtz3mi4apYswrLA3aBLWJ6MoCgHRRtV2Vpk28HOtYJNPj1ZuzKp8NQ9n1DMzNoIwu0fOZXKxY0Kwnq4nRHi6Llt_dVQz/s200/Markus+Graduation+weekend+035.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341092069900059074" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUPg-oE4NMIwIxw47SOEq71P9VU8btKit-Bpw2xtPtrzE1fALT14b-w6E0SbaqcWr8ZBGpx-OEtMxsPr3-tRafTtugJsbrkNTDdsAL5ipSIG67rPC9xTA79rKl3vFQzvU-4wPXx5Fl7f4/s1600-h/Markus+Graduation+weekend+067.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUPg-oE4NMIwIxw47SOEq71P9VU8btKit-Bpw2xtPtrzE1fALT14b-w6E0SbaqcWr8ZBGpx-OEtMxsPr3-tRafTtugJsbrkNTDdsAL5ipSIG67rPC9xTA79rKl3vFQzvU-4wPXx5Fl7f4/s200/Markus+Graduation+weekend+067.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341090770677180546" /></a><br />What a great weekend we all had - thanks to Markus graduating High School! I am a very proud momma, and I am certain Markus is glad to be out of High School. It was so fun to have all the brothers and sisters and Paul together for the special occasion. We missed Jessie and Luke but hope to see them later in the summer at the Family Reunion in Arnold Nebraska. It feels a little unsettling when my youngest child is old enough to go to college or start life after High School. When Markus was born I was certain I was going to be in a wheel chair by the time he graduated because 53 sounded so far away and so very old! :) I have changed my mind. Life starts at 50 so I am only three years past that! <br /><br />Thank you all for making Markus' day special and celebrating with him. Food was yummy as usual and the talks and staying up all hours of night was definately worth it. I am the luckiest mom alive - you all are such great people. Thank you for loving each other and getting along. There are families out there that don't know what they are missing! <br /><br />Here are a few pictures from the weekend - enjoy<br /><br />Love and hugs.<br />MOMNuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-50533017330422799242009-03-05T17:48:00.000-08:002009-03-05T18:04:58.203-08:00Markus' Big Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyWMvFEn1_WAPmNvlpN6AL2nH8N92ZI_WOVLfaWmWRyBrXSV45H1FVbLSgM8_eTkR8jAOGQ18sKbzuah2lshZF4d7Phwj5ldDr8MxZlF0A258Vmtgh1h-ZnRdSYzfypty5sRWA2-PJ45o/s1600-h/grad+hat+with+books.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309888323995549378" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 93px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 124px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyWMvFEn1_WAPmNvlpN6AL2nH8N92ZI_WOVLfaWmWRyBrXSV45H1FVbLSgM8_eTkR8jAOGQ18sKbzuah2lshZF4d7Phwj5ldDr8MxZlF0A258Vmtgh1h-ZnRdSYzfypty5sRWA2-PJ45o/s200/grad+hat+with+books.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>So hard to believe but it is finally here. Markus is graduating High School! Where has the time gone? The Big Day is May 22, 2009. Graduation Ceremonies are going to be held at the Dixie Burns Arena @ 11:00am. It would be wonderful to see you all here celebrating with Markus - afterall 12 years is a long time to get someplace. Let us know if you are planning on coming so we know how many of you will need a place to stay. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Another exciting summer is just around the corner. Ron's family reunion is July 4th weekend and I will send out information to all of you so you will know what is planned. My sister Leena called me this week and was wondering what we were doing this summer. They have plans on coming out for three weeks this summer and hopefully they can attend the Family Reunion also. Wow, when you think your life is going to slow down a bit, that is not going to happen. But all this is going to be FUN!!</div><div> </div><div>Happy Birthday to Jessie - big 30! Enjoy!! We love you.</div>Nuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-73961025963518680092009-02-08T21:38:00.001-08:002009-02-08T22:00:31.816-08:00Nugents Funniest Home VideosThis was super bowl day and we were having a super ball! Always a hoot, this kid is...<br /><p align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dylEJG8TNYW2Xm_dk8gTY6FTLrt7gx_9Nlq6e8PzwRQ2luyV6MRAqPkKWxMPUsyHX6iwc1hhS4y8vtYn6yOVw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p>America's Funniest Home Videos anyone?</p>Nuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-19158388219181242132009-01-27T18:54:00.000-08:002009-01-27T19:28:25.144-08:00Our Son Rocks!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH85n7KlZdmF8hFNmhPTqFl4MeMjRfQ_BtQJLGQIIQPwcfGZQoJLAZjUYL1-Oqj9R5daO4bQOPgMwC2YVqviNPXaKSlE6oX1fsMLpvzicORFpxS-OUAzdGPe6jwLGTi3NJHZtyT6-o3lyv/s1600-h/907946-R1-14-10A_1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296181261131272882" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 135px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH85n7KlZdmF8hFNmhPTqFl4MeMjRfQ_BtQJLGQIIQPwcfGZQoJLAZjUYL1-Oqj9R5daO4bQOPgMwC2YVqviNPXaKSlE6oX1fsMLpvzicORFpxS-OUAzdGPe6jwLGTi3NJHZtyT6-o3lyv/s200/907946-R1-14-10A_1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLch5Zwqe7V0JXJNpQE1xznIj-GJHwZCqm-TgIs7cpH2uab4kKwGacAX0IpjElQOshTs2NI1Anu8HjdJROfgEtGVOoxgwGf85nL2t8yv0x9oS6sbqFc7BCYM_TdSvIOTe47qWcOLWESyhyphenhyphen/s1600-h/907947-R1-04-20A.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296173331172067666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 135px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLch5Zwqe7V0JXJNpQE1xznIj-GJHwZCqm-TgIs7cpH2uab4kKwGacAX0IpjElQOshTs2NI1Anu8HjdJROfgEtGVOoxgwGf85nL2t8yv0x9oS6sbqFc7BCYM_TdSvIOTe47qWcOLWESyhyphenhyphen/s200/907947-R1-04-20A.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div></div><br /><p>Alright, I'm just going to go ahead qualify my next few statements by saying I'm not usually one to brag--in print, anyway... usually, but you should all know that you are related to a GENIUS CHILD!!!</p><br /><p>Luke got straight "A"s on his report card. I was happy about that. His teacher (who apparently thinks I have a mentality equal to that of her students and am somehow more impressed by my own son's report card for every extra exclamation point and hand-drawn smiley face she adds!!!! :) ) wrote a nice note on the front about how much she enjoys having Luke in her class.</p><br /><p>However, this spectacular report card is not so spectacular as to inspire a blog post alone. Oh, no. </p><br /><p>Attached to the aforementioned report card were his reading and mathematics standardized test scores. His reading score is simply outstanding. He tested at an 8th grade, 3 month reading level. (I know, right? I actually broke into applause when I saw it!) His target reading age should be late 7th grade to early 8th grade reading to continue to improve his skills. </p><br /><p>And, yet, I'm not sure I would've felt compelled to sing my son's praises via the family blog had I not flipped the page to reveal his math score!</p><br /><p>Are you ready for this? He tested at a senior in high school, 5 month math level! His target math study should be in Algebra. </p><br /><p>Well! You can just imagine what I did when I saw that! I picked up the phone and made about nine phone calls to family and friends! (Like I said before, I don't usually do my bragging in print.) It was actually pretty funny, because Mika was on his phone calling people, too! </p><br /><p>In hindsight, though, it's actually somewhat bittersweet. Luke's school doesn't have any accelerated programs, so Luke will have to sit in class practicing his times tables with everyone else. You know that has to be a real drag. </p><br /><p>Mika and I talked about maybe sending him to a summer camp for video game design. We want to equate excellent academics with what he is passionate about. I can send him to an actual summer camp in cabins on the lake, and he would be grateful and enjoy himself. But I think if he gets to see his hard work pay off toward his own PERSONAL goals, it will snowball into a passion for academics. Who knows? Maybe he'll follow in Krista's footsteps with a math degree. </p><br /><p>Well, thanks for letting me boast for a bit. We're really proud of him and wanted to give you all the chance to be as well. </p><br /><p>I hope this finds you all well!</p><br /><p>Jessie</p>Nuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-78949968841306782492009-01-12T14:38:00.001-08:002009-01-12T14:56:08.002-08:00Steed/Fields ReceptionHey everyone. It's been awhile since anyone updated, so just thought I'd say hello. Krista, Jorel and I were lucky enough to attend our cousin Derrick's wedding this last weekend. He married an adorable girl named Ashley Steed. I had never met her before, but you can tell they are a great fit for each other. They were married in the Sacramento Temple, which I didn't even know existed. It is a newer temple built right where the Mormon Center used to be!! I know you all remember the Mormon Center - sight of many a family reunion. Anyway, we didn't have time to see the temple, but Derrick said it was so weird that the Mormon Center is gone.<br /><br />Krista and I stayed right at the hotel where the reception was, so that was easy and convenient. The festivities started at 7pm and it was really good to see everyone. Jorel was cranky...or hyper? Seemed a little bi-polar. But then passed out WHILE people where dancing with him. Wore himself out. It was funny.<br /><br />Those in attendance included all of the Fields family of course, Uncle Pat and the Johnsons (Sheila, Rex and Mark). Small for a Nuge gathering, but still fun. Especially since I hadn't seen the Johnsons in probably over 10 years. They look the same - Uncle Rex just has more gray hair and Mark is not a kid anymore. We all had fun dancing and being goofs. Then us "kids" went bowling afterward where we had more fun and laughs. So it was good to reunite with everyone and realize we are still the same old dorky bunch. The next morning Derrick and Ashley were kind enough to invite Krista, Jorel and I out to breakfast. So we crashed their honeymoon and got to spend a couple extra hours with them.<br /><br />We definitely missed all of those who couldn't be there, but hope for another opportunity to get together with ALL the cousins someday. (I actually have a plan for this, but Krista and I have to do a little research first...)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LBeGxSsOmaJsK0CmQtmnzNwT4PWuvFbiwC1pG8gDqZvhivLOYgAZ-_ZTvyewpMClTpENIUEwLYN4WwX-Dr7YXubCbDpKPlxOF1Jl07ZlzG6f0PbHGEEvpYHY9IAjeB3KPMaAt9YUfrXL/s1600-h/Picture014.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LBeGxSsOmaJsK0CmQtmnzNwT4PWuvFbiwC1pG8gDqZvhivLOYgAZ-_ZTvyewpMClTpENIUEwLYN4WwX-Dr7YXubCbDpKPlxOF1Jl07ZlzG6f0PbHGEEvpYHY9IAjeB3KPMaAt9YUfrXL/s200/Picture014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290544080570988434" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoy8Oc7PC6r6gDIfXrpUKG78OMsrYjJQhRpBWYYnEsMVT7LQjZq1RaFVZ7xlJzCEPSlTiOB2fuiUuQjrIRYegorYmhVK4J8AxlVTsiS1hBIKzDBATcdtw_ftDKut84mKU6H8mr87pNSlh/s1600-h/Picture+031.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoy8Oc7PC6r6gDIfXrpUKG78OMsrYjJQhRpBWYYnEsMVT7LQjZq1RaFVZ7xlJzCEPSlTiOB2fuiUuQjrIRYegorYmhVK4J8AxlVTsiS1hBIKzDBATcdtw_ftDKut84mKU6H8mr87pNSlh/s200/Picture+031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290544006046075538" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1993 and 2009 (missing a few people, but added a couple too)</span><br /></div><br />Anyway, hope all is well. I'm sure everyone is busy as can be.<br />Love,<br />JaanaNuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-22324575416464643152008-12-01T11:43:00.001-08:002008-12-01T13:05:20.822-08:00A Country Christmas with Mika, Jessie and Luke<div style="background-color: rgb(233, 233, 233); width: 425px;"><object id="A597425" quality="high" data="http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=vtmxYjfuMWozBXru&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="319"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="movie" value="http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=vtmxYjfuMWozBXru&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself"><param name="scaleMode" value="showAll"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="FlashVars" value="external_make_id=vtmxYjfuMWozBXru&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></object><div style="text-align: center; width: 435px; margin-top: 6px;">Send your own <a href="http://www.elfyourself.com/">ElfYourself</a> <a href="http://sendables.jibjab.com/sendables">eCards</a></div></div><img style="visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTIyODE2MDU1MjQyMSZwdD*xMjI4MTYwNTgyMzkwJnA9NDE4ODEzJmQ9MjAyNjY4Jm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTImdD*mbz1hMDQ3MDNlZWY5M2U*MDJmYjNlN2RkZWNmMTk1Yzc5Zg==.gif" width="0" border="0" height="0" /><br />Love, JaanaNuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-20894157351525494452008-12-01T11:06:00.001-08:002008-12-01T13:05:33.419-08:00The many faces of Jorel...<div style="background-color: rgb(233, 233, 233); width: 425px;"><object id="A365212" quality="high" data="http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=PlWXeRkP6bNFNNzD&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="319"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="movie" value="http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=PlWXeRkP6bNFNNzD&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself"><param name="scaleMode" value="showAll"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="FlashVars" value="external_make_id=PlWXeRkP6bNFNNzD&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></object><div style="text-align: center; width: 435px; margin-top: 6px;">Send your own <a href="http://www.elfyourself.com/">ElfYourself</a> <a href="http://sendables.jibjab.com/sendables">eCards</a></div></div><img style="visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bHQ9MTIyODE1ODM4MzkyMSZwdD*xMjI4MTU4NDA4MzQzJnA9NDE4ODEzJmQ9MjAyNjgwJm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTImdD*mbz1hMDQ3MDNlZWY5M2U*MDJmYjNlN2RkZWNmMTk1Yzc5Zg==.gif" width="0" border="0" height="0" /><br />Love, JaanaNuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-47247346399036640332008-11-17T09:43:00.000-08:002008-11-17T10:42:53.255-08:00Are You Guys OK?Are you Californians okay out there? Mika says the fires aren't near you, and that you would call if you had to evacuate. Then he gave me a lecture about not freaking out every time I heard "Southern California" in the news because... Well, I think that's when I quit paying attention and just nodded my head while I thought about what he would look like with a ZZ Top style beard. Still, I'd love to actually hear from you. <br /><br />My cell phone number is 417-529-7467 and our home number is 417-208-4218. Mika has to leave his phone at work from now on because he and his coworkers got in trouble, and he can only have work calls or other AT&T calls during the day. You can call my phone any time you need him. Please don't ever hesitate. Also, our stupid home phone will come up as "Withheld" or "Blocked" or "Private" when we call you because the idiot phone company has it set up that way and can't seem to fix it. (The lady I talked to about changing it tried to transfer me to another department three times but it kept ringing back to her desk. You would think one of the questions on the application for a telephone company would be: Do you know how to operate a telephone?) <br /><br />By the way, Mika came in 2nd place at the annual Halloween costume party at my sister's place losing out to my parents. He was Jesus. When we walked in, I kid you not, the raging party fell almost completely quiet before letting out a collective "It's Jesus" gasp. It was just his hair down and a white sheet with a rope around the waist. (Ok, he wore clothes underneath, even though I insisted Jesus did not wear Gap Jeans and Adidas.) I dressed like myself and told everyone I was Satan. People kept pulling on my dreadlocks really hard because they thought it was a wig. Everyone kept asking if I was supposed to be "Predator" or an "Orc." I didn't even have any make-up or a costume on! My dad and step-mom were dressed up like Southern aristocrats that looked all beaten to hell and back. They were Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. <br /><br />Mika's costume worked out really well for my brother Luke and me. Mika had to be the designated driver. We were secretly hoping we'd get pulled over so I could video tape Jesus executing a field sobriety test. <br /><br />Little Luke decided he wanted to be Poseidon this year. We Googled images of him. Apparently, there are a few very famous statues of Poseidon... completely nude! We had a good laugh over that. He used a really awesome long, white wig, a white robe tied with a length of rope, and a white beard Mika fashioned out of a swatch of rabbit hair he had in his fly-tying kit. Then they built a triton out of a broom handle a piece of jigsawed wood. It turned out so much better than I expected! I'll post pictures as soon as my sister emails them to me. <br /><br />Mika has just started a pretty big project over at my folks place. They hired him and my brother to completely remodel their living room. He'll be working every weekend and a couple of evenings a week for about a month. He's been on a "project" kick for a while now, so it works out. He just knocked down a wall between our dining room and the spare bedroom so we would have a bigger area for lounging. Then he built us a HUMONGOUS avairy for the pet room. I'm not kidding, this thing measures 8 feet long by 6 feet high by 2 feet deep and has three sections in it. There's room for all 12 birds and then some. Our breeding pair of cockatiels just laid another four eggs that will hatch mid-December. <br /><br />Luke and Mika's cat ran out in the road and got hit by a car. It's dead now.<br /><br />We have a new inside/outside dog named Zeke. He's a St. Ber-doodle. He actually just looks like an enormous Schnauzer. He's been fantastic so far. He's another rescue dog.<br /><br />We are probably going to have to get rid of the goats. They jumped the fence again and Mika got a ticket from the city. He has to go to court on Thursday for "allowing 2 goats to roam at large." I'm taking the video camera for this!<br /><br />Well, that's a not-so-quick update from the Missourians. I hope it finds you all well!<br /><br />JessieNuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-67858260377394945292008-11-05T00:01:00.001-08:002008-11-05T00:03:56.342-08:00K & J Halloween Costume<div><div>Jorel has more pictures too, but this is the only one I had. I didn't get to spend actual Halloween with him, but Deni, her fam, and Grandma and Grandpa did, so I guess they have some other pics. I'll have to post them when I get them!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265081070780152610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAcoYg1KRP0mLTI5EfwH3S7bxEsysL1iix6brxa3SbFPJTe-h40uXjgdcUMnHhdgqBwdlOMYSg50Pm_qwo8SKG04a7o6Uet4PZMZ2cGIq33njnPowrUWV54CrkJTpd3Z4-x-9wfmFnKHX/s200/IMG_8859.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265081059971040690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJgnl93BKMbgP-2223qkI_lyPxe1OiYOEjWwJTRZYpMIcRI0CqPALha3RdogLheQ8D9004BbnjA_hKKUkiNI0uMurem9vaaGrc0j3vyOr7uHIrUepqWLN1I85hoVmkrbEr3Ha7S9ExaDz/s200/IMG_8858.JPG" border="0" /></div></div>Nuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-48053577828050066042008-11-01T14:57:00.000-07:002008-11-01T15:26:02.929-07:00Costume Craziness<div style="text-align: center;">So I think everyone should post their Halloween costumes here...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHmLROenChjtdEtkKGYmPMwzDEqPdzGj6yBZBqMQIxlEgJMz4gZCQ-K_U5iSXjeTaj-sJpsB4cO-EK1t9lvIwIzCpIfwLjVkYCZ5Qismmh4zJJJl_t-hr40CACO5ZZ9YIFf5IO60qHAXN/s1600-h/Picture+003-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHmLROenChjtdEtkKGYmPMwzDEqPdzGj6yBZBqMQIxlEgJMz4gZCQ-K_U5iSXjeTaj-sJpsB4cO-EK1t9lvIwIzCpIfwLjVkYCZ5Qismmh4zJJJl_t-hr40CACO5ZZ9YIFf5IO60qHAXN/s200/Picture+003-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263818490147040258" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7q1pPjizhd7fHEqf0Vu7rzSC4T24f4w5cm-e_WBh5XvzgydjoK1YBBn_OvATxyAfmn4dxGiI8AjKbUiTnjXO-tfZgncvMlVjrVaRUB3CrZ_kLe0fEno8-7InOb2YP8FBarP9CnHBGLlW4/s1600-h/Picture+008-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7q1pPjizhd7fHEqf0Vu7rzSC4T24f4w5cm-e_WBh5XvzgydjoK1YBBn_OvATxyAfmn4dxGiI8AjKbUiTnjXO-tfZgncvMlVjrVaRUB3CrZ_kLe0fEno8-7InOb2YP8FBarP9CnHBGLlW4/s200/Picture+008-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263816750846968610" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmdzrpKUv05PCtaz-gUPKmjay88FRoRqSPJ310uLp6Ggnx-__YZ1q1pk28sJwcNnkzS6aTPSPffkfQTXxpv4_odsGdV02aBXu-B4vBIkPtrrCf6onMbqDDGqxFwupy_dAG1kri4h-50eB/s1600-h/Picture+010-1.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmdzrpKUv05PCtaz-gUPKmjay88FRoRqSPJ310uLp6Ggnx-__YZ1q1pk28sJwcNnkzS6aTPSPffkfQTXxpv4_odsGdV02aBXu-B4vBIkPtrrCf6onMbqDDGqxFwupy_dAG1kri4h-50eB/s200/Picture+010-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263816758679805026" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tqHdz-58dMueqOh5rRQe9fwUQdXQPMgE6YRhvVFrVX30OZSb9Vbpa0_ltO-XybZxOO3R59SupLoHckmcMIXhpSuLuFjHksvQ7oaBnvofRogpUDpdOieuNBxnqbrZP9Wctpuy7WK5gIeU/s1600-h/Picture+061-1.jpg"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tqHdz-58dMueqOh5rRQe9fwUQdXQPMgE6YRhvVFrVX30OZSb9Vbpa0_ltO-XybZxOO3R59SupLoHckmcMIXhpSuLuFjHksvQ7oaBnvofRogpUDpdOieuNBxnqbrZP9Wctpuy7WK5gIeU/s200/Picture+061-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263816746465463330" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Jaana was the ultimate nerdy Disneyland tourist (notice the amazing Mickey Mouse fanny pack she found!) Paul was a very effeminate (gay) golfer. Jake was a greaser. He got totally into the character and just sold it! Doesn't he look awesome? Don't worry, the cigarette was borrowed!</div>Nuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-10508363514510222662008-10-23T10:41:00.001-07:002008-10-23T11:23:37.869-07:00Burbank UpdateA few of you were here not to long ago. It was a lot of fun - Disneyland, the Griffith Park Observatory, lots of food, movies, etc. But I sure did wish Mika's family were here too. You can't really call it an IFR without them. So now, I guess they will have to plan a special trip to come visit me. I bought an Annual Passport for Disneyland and I need to use it a LOT (because those things are not cheap) and I am relying on them to visit so I can plan another trip. I also have so many other places to take them that they'd enjoy. So they just really need to plan a trip out here. Look how much fun it can be:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWP-lJ4PJOBBmyc1UOKNBbl6a7dUkPIcQSEItfp2Dv-H5Ur_L9xO9hUKNWeq5tWKFMVsFYtcBR0lJ-2fsrgVZ5TXd4ysgkTZHBK_rslZehrQ4sy5pY7iu9p8-tLs65ZwGmI-cjuEYeUaE/s1600-h/Picture+239.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWP-lJ4PJOBBmyc1UOKNBbl6a7dUkPIcQSEItfp2Dv-H5Ur_L9xO9hUKNWeq5tWKFMVsFYtcBR0lJ-2fsrgVZ5TXd4ysgkTZHBK_rslZehrQ4sy5pY7iu9p8-tLs65ZwGmI-cjuEYeUaE/s200/Picture+239.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260416590541682226" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZiJeIhhypYTcWz_paFmf2OQLjdlQSdWn9SiKeiEiZmOAcez9xJucToOjU3tX3Vxc_cBZa1aq-wffy0JhDZdTvCCROMNlIKVcc_-F1qU4ausOvUFqP4ko9P6YX9AumsylvIFf38voLs6z/s1600-h/Picture+258.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZiJeIhhypYTcWz_paFmf2OQLjdlQSdWn9SiKeiEiZmOAcez9xJucToOjU3tX3Vxc_cBZa1aq-wffy0JhDZdTvCCROMNlIKVcc_-F1qU4ausOvUFqP4ko9P6YX9AumsylvIFf38voLs6z/s200/Picture+258.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260415510416593378" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMjdrqdJDDIZf7JiOz3x8Aj7Yy1wO8L4-JLIfAfrmcVKI5dymK5Pz9OCZyuXbCU5vvib95BlqkvRBsgKZdy7oIs9-pf5dKRc813uJc6Ckoo4JGyYaFrTeiDPmtSTJ0FaSadRwfPOnljiZ/s1600-h/Picture+207.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMjdrqdJDDIZf7JiOz3x8Aj7Yy1wO8L4-JLIfAfrmcVKI5dymK5Pz9OCZyuXbCU5vvib95BlqkvRBsgKZdy7oIs9-pf5dKRc813uJc6Ckoo4JGyYaFrTeiDPmtSTJ0FaSadRwfPOnljiZ/s200/Picture+207.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260415503469177730" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3Q4iBAIWWtLSBhnbDnpxgVkO2vxK-km-D7ZxUf3bc4DEAYurH0YVAQoJk47jja7Gi4t5M7M3CV6RSn-CjHAHcSWO0rM0YqyIAaa7o67Kai5YXTkrOuzthDAq-6K8y41avdDed5h5Q9xZ/s1600-h/Picture+238.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3Q4iBAIWWtLSBhnbDnpxgVkO2vxK-km-D7ZxUf3bc4DEAYurH0YVAQoJk47jja7Gi4t5M7M3CV6RSn-CjHAHcSWO0rM0YqyIAaa7o67Kai5YXTkrOuzthDAq-6K8y41avdDed5h5Q9xZ/s200/Picture+238.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260415500267658738" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />You guys all got that? Mika, Jessie and Luke need to plan a trip to California? So that I can show them a good time?<br /><br />Just wanted to make that clear. :)<br /><br />Anyway, things here have been good. Jake didn't start his job yet (still processing his paperwork, background check, fingerprints, blood tests - its quite a process when you get a city or medical center job). But he should be working by early November. *Fingers crossed* He is learning his way around the bus system though, so that's an adventure. It gives him a little more independence. Except when he gets lost and I have to drive to Pacoima to pick him up. Haha. Not the best neighborhood. He's also enjoying his new apartment quite a bit. Just loves having his own space. It must feel good after living out of a suitcase for the last 6 months.<br /><br />Paul is back working on season 4 of <span style="font-style: italic;">Gene Simmons Family Jewels</span> and is enjoying it for the most part. He got a couple other job offers (from <span style="font-style: italic;">The Bachelorette</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Dancing With The Stars</span>) but feels bad leaving now after all the time he's put into this show. Plus its just so easy at this point, he's not quite ready to take on a new challenge. Once this season is over I'm sure he'll be on to something bigger and better. And hopefully closer to home. Today there was a fire in the canyons and it took him over 2 hours to get to work. What a nightmare. Its days like this that we get the itch to move somewhere quiet and remote. That kind of traffic is seriously such a deal-breaker!<br /><br />I have been spending my days at home with Gadoo. I've been trying to stick to a routine so I don't just sit around all day. And the days are just flying by. It seems that the school photography job hasn't quite panned out. I got paid for the one day that I worked, but haven't been back since. So I'm still looking for other things. And HomeView still gives me a little bit of work. Next week we are doing our first Trade Show, so that should be interesting.<br /><br />Paul and I also just enrolled in a photography workshop together. We had our first class last night and it was good. It's a little long, but we get assignments every week and it definitely gives us a focus for the week and a reason to practice taking pictures. So I'm really excited about it. I hope to find more classes like that out there, but they can be a little pricey, so we'll see. This week we have to take portraits, so I think Jake will be modeling for me quite a bit since Gadoo is just about useless.<br /><br />I guess that's all for us. Hope everyone else is great! Have a good night and a pleasant tomorrow. -PB & J & J & GNuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-17587963767776689352008-10-01T17:04:00.001-07:002008-10-01T17:26:12.363-07:003 Cheers for Jaakko!So I think pretty much everyone knows by now, but I just wanted to write a little blurb about how proud I am of our very own Jake Nuge. He has recently not only acquired a new job at a very prestigious company - UCLA Medical Group - but he has also saved up enough money and made enough friends that he was able to put a hefty down payment on a nice apartment here in Burbank with 2 roommates! He will be working as a clerk in the giant medical offices and living with a couple friends named Graham and Jason. He will have to take a shuttle/bus into work, but not having a car will save him some major dough - especially with the way gas prices are now. So that sort of paid off in the long run, I guess!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLB3bF8bESsvXx191EOZNYeUdN5v2N3eNVoKMbYzIOYAaV4R-21aZkFqquDqbtO4PHHtkenU0NsDaKpMIFvROdYxHj2umK74r2uPynbs_fmHz13IZRyfq4zk2LOCIn7Nj7KG3ZMcYfWN0R/s1600-h/Photo_092308_001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLB3bF8bESsvXx191EOZNYeUdN5v2N3eNVoKMbYzIOYAaV4R-21aZkFqquDqbtO4PHHtkenU0NsDaKpMIFvROdYxHj2umK74r2uPynbs_fmHz13IZRyfq4zk2LOCIn7Nj7KG3ZMcYfWN0R/s320/Photo_092308_001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252345020788579906" border="0" /></a>When he came to stay with us just 5 months ago, I really did not foresee this type of thing happening. Obviously, since the plan was for him to just stay a few weeks. But we kept him busy all summer and as things started slowing down, he made that big decision for himself to just take a chance. And so far it seems to be paying off! I am just tickled (as Jessie would say) that he is taking a stand for his life. And I know since he is taking these first steps, we will all support him in his venture and help him fill in the blanks wherever he needs. So congratulations to my big, little bro. May he continue his journey into adulthood with faith, a little luck and some major fun!<br /><br />Love,<br />Jaana<br /><br />P.S. The picture is from the day of his job interview - sweet, huh?Nuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-20021066021036322232008-09-28T06:28:00.000-07:002008-09-28T06:45:38.426-07:00Adding to the FamilyThe day before we left to drive to Utah, our mating pair of cockateils, Victory and Triumph, laid two eggs. While we were gone, they laid three more. Last night Mika and I were calculating the possible hatch date. We figured it could be anywhere from today through Tuesday-ish. Well, this morning I woke up to Mika five inches from my face screaming in his loudest possible stage-whisper, "<strong>THEY'RE HATCHING RIGHT NOW!!!</strong>" Normally, it takes me about 45 minutes to open my eyes all the way and actually start forming sentences after I wake up. NOT TODAY!<br /><br />As I write this, one baby has for sure completely hatched. Victory is still sitting on all of them to keep them warm, so we don't know how many have actually come out yet. The proud new father--Mika, not Triumph-- is pacing through the house reading <em>The Cockateil Handbook</em>, preparing food, calling anyone who's awake, and asking me a million questions he knows I can't answer. I've never seen him so nervous!!! Uh-oh! He just got the camera! <br /><br />He'll probably have called all of you long before you ever get a chance to read this post, but he'll "play it cool" when he talks to you. So, I just wanted to make sure you got an <em>accurate</em> representation of this wonderful moment in our home. I'm sure we'll be posting pictures soon. <br /><br />We miss you guys!<br /><br />JessieNuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-11059482707616309372008-09-17T21:36:00.001-07:002008-09-17T21:42:56.859-07:00Picture 064My favorite group picture is definitely picture 064. First of all, I don't feel like I'm playing "Who's Not Finnish?" (see picture 084) Also, in picture 064, it looks like Paul and Jake are smitten in love and Jorel can't quite figure it out. Laughed till I almost cried...<br /><br />JessieNuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-61439012793815552642008-09-17T10:32:00.000-07:002008-09-17T10:54:23.293-07:00As promised...Here are the pics from the reunion. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="http://paulpeltekian.com/fotoalbum/ifr2008/">http://paulpeltekian.com/fotoalbum/ifr2008/</a><br /><br />Love, JaanaNuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-91440993873360073952008-09-14T22:46:00.000-07:002008-09-14T22:58:33.045-07:00Favorite Pic from the IFR!Uh, Krista - you may want to enter this into some Cute Baby Photo contests or something! More pics coming soon...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kRd3hzjh-O0_ZtPdQYZhqGEam2narC3KlckYLnlzXk2mIeWdhg5L1wnHukEMrd8fCf0_nbCrcyPj-fSM9O-hvr_lhodxL5Ouj03vA2_9giiEOD_vRPL6MRUp4Z98Ler4mv4FUkT57s5g/s1600-h/Picture+035-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kRd3hzjh-O0_ZtPdQYZhqGEam2narC3KlckYLnlzXk2mIeWdhg5L1wnHukEMrd8fCf0_nbCrcyPj-fSM9O-hvr_lhodxL5Ouj03vA2_9giiEOD_vRPL6MRUp4Z98Ler4mv4FUkT57s5g/s400/Picture+035-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246120846509902722" border="0" /></a>Love, PB & JNuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-81990309239113415612008-09-05T20:03:00.001-07:002009-07-09T22:10:10.509-07:00Dave and Janel ChristoffersonHey guys -<br /><br />I'm sure you all saw our cousins' blogs, but thought I'd mention it here to. Dave and Janel just had their 5th beautiful baby! Here's the info:<br /><br /><div>Born: September 3rd 2008 </div> <div>Time: 6:00 PM<br /></div> <div>Weight: 9 Lbs 1 Oz<br /></div> <div>Length: 21 3/4 Inches </div> Name: Linkin Gary Christofferson<br /><br />And photo of course (see more pics on <a href="http://achamberlain.blogspot.com/">Amy's Blog</a> - they are sooo cute!):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifseIXPI6XhzHbOw_ccyvlhXFBx0xPUdETsoCAjT-R8W4pMNbApE1e_SxZ2QBN-ydUntU8jzBE8LvLIkMadwMmd8AySd5rb-09YILzSkgmICybIcrtkJHDI5KvFEXFwrCgcSjG9kecxK6r/s1600-h/304131bc.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifseIXPI6XhzHbOw_ccyvlhXFBx0xPUdETsoCAjT-R8W4pMNbApE1e_SxZ2QBN-ydUntU8jzBE8LvLIkMadwMmd8AySd5rb-09YILzSkgmICybIcrtkJHDI5KvFEXFwrCgcSjG9kecxK6r/s200/304131bc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242739600973022834" border="0" /></a>Nuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-27381754599798910832008-09-02T20:27:00.000-07:002008-09-02T20:32:04.971-07:00Mom is getting technical!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5o_TuoXNCaSWgv_a6-Xgcie5D8IOxoacUAL91B2R4zNRTVa9xR1m2rIe3OcxgCjh_v50Hn_YgOUmb0hBUpKSa_GuDHexd10ZL2pvsdswPkycvG1bW-dlYv16TCha13Y8SljrNW91tQW8T/s1600-h/smiley.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241632649843033954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5o_TuoXNCaSWgv_a6-Xgcie5D8IOxoacUAL91B2R4zNRTVa9xR1m2rIe3OcxgCjh_v50Hn_YgOUmb0hBUpKSa_GuDHexd10ZL2pvsdswPkycvG1bW-dlYv16TCha13Y8SljrNW91tQW8T/s200/smiley.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Hello Everyone!</div><br /><div>I wanted to let you know that I have started my own blog - I suppose it will grow on me as I go. So if you want to check it out the address is riittanugent.blogspot.com. Stay patient - my life is not all that exciting but I think I will recognize more and more things to amaze over as I get going. See you on the blog!!</div><br /><div>MOM</div>Nuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-51497236861452485022008-09-01T21:21:00.000-07:002008-09-01T21:39:19.183-07:00If the Shoe Fits...<p align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxreVzM6hJG5_LewyUVXOe-d8GRKtHoyNpDivu9Fb-UoGE0hu_r5BazYd0Y9NqFvwXY-LHDg19mGUWqIvNjyw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p align="center">ha</p>Nuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-20607714534472880422008-08-20T20:26:00.000-07:002008-08-20T20:33:44.804-07:00From One Olympic Junkie to AnotherI must say I have not gotten my beauty sleep in days! I have been watching Olympics since my grandparents bought their first television, which was, I think when I was ten years old. That is forty-two years of Olympics every other year so that would make it 21 years of watching the stuff. I only see three medals so far for Finland in these Olympic Games, but Finnish people excel more in the winter sports like hockey and ski jumping etc. It is so fun to "feel" the spirit of these athletes and recognize how many hours of HARD work they have done to get where they are. My little five # weights seem a bit lighter now and my exercise routine in the mornings has gotten new wind! I will never be an Olympian but I sure have gotten inspired by the honorable performances of all the athletes, not only the Americans but those from countries I didn't even know existed, or know how to pronounce. I will miss the Olympics once they are done, but it gives us London to look forward to in another four years. And don’t forget the winter Olympics in two years and watch the Finns win a few!<br />My father was a great athlete. He was a gymnast for the Finnish team. I used to have a couple of pictures of him in his gymnast uniform and if I can find them I will scan and post those. I believe that our heritage has given us something special to be proud of - my father a gymnast, my mother a writer, my grandfather an artist, my aunt a painter… Some days I wonder where all that talent went to, but as I look at you, kids, I realize you have it all and more. You all have great talents of art, music, athletics, inspiration and heart. And the latter is what matters the most in the scheme of things. Every athletic or artistic performance will not amount to much unless you have shared your heart and soul with it. The passion to do what we love is what makes our lives meaningful. <br />On the wall next to the front door I have a saying “If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart”. I look at it every day as I leave the house. Unfortunately it gets forgotten at times when I have to do things I don’t like doing, but usually I get through my days with a good attitude and grateful heart because I don’t have to look very far to see how fortunate and blessed I am. As I come home through the same door, I glance at the little saying and smile thinking “I made it through another day. Thanks for the reminder!” <br />So the Olympics are going to be over in a few days but the memories and the inspiration will be on my mind for a long time. I am not a world class athlete and I will never be in the Olympics but I can be the best at whatever I am doing in the moment.Nuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-51451251550780472972008-08-18T20:46:00.000-07:002008-08-18T22:27:49.707-07:00Our Whole FamilyHey, everyone! It's Jessie in Missouri. Things are going great here. The summer heat is not as intense as it was a couple of weeks ago, so Mika is happier at work. Luke is gearing up to go back to school on Wednesday. And I'm loving my new job more than either of my other two radio jobs. We now have eight birds, two dogs, two goats, one little tiger, one iguana, and one guinea pig. (And we're currently searching for a partridge and a pear tree to round out the clan.) We were also recently fostering two other dogs, a black Lab and a black, nine-month-old Great Dane. The Lab went back with its owner for now, and we placed the Great Dane after just a couple of days. I take care of the inside animals while Mika feeds the goats and dogs. Luke feeds the little tiger (with the help of one gentle reminder and one death stare). While the humidity literally puts a damper on things--100% humidity at 105 degrees feels like walking through Mother Nature's Suana--life is still grand in the Midwest.<br /><br />I just got done reading Krista's post on single-motherhood on her blog. It nearly brought me to tears. As all of you know, I was a single mother from the time Luke was born. I was physically eighteen years old when I got pregnant, but I had the maturity level of a young adolescent. That led to a long series of selfish and often times hurtful decisions. I didn't mature into "something like an adult" until I was almost 24 years old. Motherhood finally kicked in. At that point, I took a couple of years doing some serious, full-throttle introspection. It paid off. A lovely boy moved in down the hall and, as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire would say, "my world got flipped, turned upside down." <br /><br />You see, in all those years of making thousands of wrong decisions, I had managed to squeeze in one very, very good one. I was not going to introduce my son to a revolving door of men. Mika entered our lives at the ass-end of my two-year quest to... well, for lack of a better phrase, get a grip. So when the time came for me to tell Luke that his new fishing buddy was now my boyfriend, I panicked. There was almost a sense of betrayal creeping up my spine. It had always been just Luke and me. I quickly started to regret that one great decision. But Mika took me by the arm, marched me into my living room, and supported me while I launched a potential chaos nuke into my son's finally-stable world. And it could've easily gone that way had Mika not quickly followed up with his verbal understanding of his limited place in our lives at that time. It was a genius point to make in an effort to sooth the heart of a six-year-old boy, and I found myself astonished at and slightly jealous of Mika's insight into parenting. He didn't have to wait for fatherhood to kick in. It seemed to already be there. And here's the bitter-sweet icing on the top: Mika gave up his opportunity to ever have biological children of his own to be with us. <br /><br />Three and a half years later I find myself re-reading this post and thinking, "Oh, Mylanta, I won the husband lottery." On August 24, 2007, Mika legally adopted Luke and gave Luke his last name. (The accidental alliteration of the name "Luke Nugent" would be serendipitous should he someday decide on a career in radio...) The anniversary of the adoption is this Sunday. I hope you all will take a moment and think of your brother through my eyes. He is a real-life superhero. He is the kind of man we want to walk into Krista's and Jorel's lives some day. <br /><br />Also, take a moment and congratulate yourselves on contributing to the molding of the aforementioned superhero. You have all had a hand in our happiness. I hope this post will help you all understand just how grateful I am to you not only for giving me Mika, but for your acceptance of me as Mika's wife and for that of Luke as a grandson, as a nephew, and now as a cousin. No one could've possibly pre-designed a picture so perfect. I love you all very, very much.<br /><br />I'm sorry for the long post. My emotions were able to overcome me with a late-night sneak-attack. Damn them! Well, at least it wasn't my other personality surfacing this time. That's always embarrassing...<br /><br />Anyhoo, I love you guys!<br /><br />JessieNuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141658858891310005.post-55944507806994183622008-08-14T08:58:00.001-07:002008-08-14T09:43:53.540-07:00Updates...Well, we are about the 1 month mark until the family reunion! I know everyone has been busy and there has not been a whole lot of additional planning happening, but I thought I would touch base and let everyone know it is still a go. We are going to try and stick to the original itinerary, but if there's something else anyone is dying to do - we can throw it out there and see where it fits in. I think either way, we'll have a packed schedule and it will be like a real vacation! I hope everyone is ready to rock!<br /><br />As for an update on the CA gang, we are doing well. Everyone is happy and healthy and tolerating the noise of remodeling our bathrooms. We completely finished the guest bathroom yesterday and it looks AMAZING!! I'm in love with it. Paul and I were like "We should sleep in here, its so nice!" Now we need to finish the master bath, and honestly - even though we have made it this far - its hard to get motivated to start another project. Its a lot of hard work. But I know it will be worth it when its all done. We figured since we are going to be here awhile (with the housing market the way it it) we might as well really make this place our own and enjoy it!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4t57Z1C9UiOhWd6RR5lN7BW58J3S-a-B7PZk0P13hKKThXdzlHeyGhU4NSyoQrSpnCTkhWwvB6mpu8jnmIWUoisNxY_Qsud6eN0zAbmR8BwQ8YEAcdj9yTAwOywwcgCH-_Ap5pq_17MLA/s1600-h/Picture+191-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4t57Z1C9UiOhWd6RR5lN7BW58J3S-a-B7PZk0P13hKKThXdzlHeyGhU4NSyoQrSpnCTkhWwvB6mpu8jnmIWUoisNxY_Qsud6eN0zAbmR8BwQ8YEAcdj9yTAwOywwcgCH-_Ap5pq_17MLA/s320/Picture+191-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234414941758862610" border="0" /></a>Business has slowed down over the past couple of weeks, but we are still finding things to keep us busy. It probably came at a pretty good time, so we can take a step back and analyze where we want to go from here. We are re-vamping the website and taking time to do things that should have been done awhile back, when we just didn't have the time! Jake is taking the opportunity to learn more about editing and website animation and even a little online marketing.<br /><br />But it sure does get nerve-wracking. Of course, I automatically start to panic and ask Paul if I need to start looking for a new job (the LAST thing I want to do). But he has reassured me that this is part of running your own business. You have the highs and the lows. I can't run off and find a new job every time things slow down a little! So now we are focusing more on sales and getting some new customers to carry us through to the end of the year. We have set some high goals for next year so we will see how it goes!<br /><br />That's it for us. Hope everyone else is doing well.<br />- PB & J (and J)Nuge Newshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14585060586296576043noreply@blogger.com2