The Bleske Family

Playing around with Pictures

2009-10-31T14:06:00.000-07:00

I have been playing around with my new program, Picasa, which I have found so easy to use, and I probably will have no need for professional pictures as long as I can keep up with my own camera... here are a couple of my favorites!

Wilcock Family Tree

2009-10-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a while on this blog since we have been so busy with Olivia, but I thought I would look through all my old photos from the last year and post some on here to update you... this was taken last year, right after my grandpas surgery, and right before we found out we were pregnant with Miss O! Its a great picture, and we are all smiling... very rare!

To boldly go where no Bleske has gone before...

2009-03-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

It's a girl! Yep, Michael has done the impossible... after 76 years of all boys, we finally have a Bleske girl!

We are very excited, and my mom and Midge went with us to the ultrasound. However, she wouldn't cooperate with us, and after my birthday dinner the night before (a full stomach of italian), she wanted to sleep all day... not even give us a little peek! They had me try it all... run around the complex, eat chocolate, but in the end, she just wanted to sleep. So they made us come back after lunch (she suggested jalapenos, see previous post), and try again.

I thought I would post some of the really cool ultrasound pictures... although, thank you Mel for pointing this out, poor thing is having her hoo-ha shown all around town and she isn't even out of the womb yet!

Baby Bleske doesn't like jalapenos!

2009-03-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

I made this awesome enchilada recipe last night for dinner. Now Mike doesn't like enchiladas, so I just told him it was a casserole... he loved it! However, Baby B did not. Or, at least, he kept me up all night reminding me of the jalapenos.

But here is the recipe!

3-4 chicken breasts, seasoned and shredded (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of milk (from the cream of chicken)
2-3 blended or food processed jalapenos (depending on your idea of spicy)
corn tortillas
1 small block of jack cheese, shredded
1 small block of cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup diced white onion

To make the sauce, cook the soup, milk, and jalapenos over low heat until thick.
Spray a rectangular baking pan with Pam, and then line with a little of the sauce.
Fill each tortilla with a little sauce, some chicken, some jack cheese and onion.
Roll and place in dish. Fill with as many enchiladas as possible.
Sprinkle the cheddar cheese and leftover onions on top.
Bake at 325 for about 30 minutes. Best served with mexican rice, refried beans and quacamole!

Enjoy! And thank you to Kathy for the recipe... mmm!!

Baby Bleske... due September 5th

2009-02-24T15:20:00.000-08:00

Here we are... 12 weeks into pregnancy! It has been a bumpy road filled with doctor's appointments and lots of visits to take blood, etc., but we are happy to be out of the woods, and well on our way as Dr. Cedars told us today!

We have a loooonnnnng way to go, but wanted to share the first big milestone in being a parent... getting this far!

We now pronounce you...

2008-07-24T13:45:00.001-07:00

Here is our amazing wedding video from our photographer, Cameron Ingalls. Hope you enjoy.

Please check out www.ingallsphotography.com to check out more of his amazing work.

Lady in the Pool!

2008-06-19T17:33:00.000-07:00

So as most of you know, it has been HOT here... beyond hot! And black dogs don't like the heat... but they do love pools! Or at least mine does!

The letter to the president

2008-06-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

My mom recently went through all of my school records and came across some of my great writing. I thought I would give you a couple of samples. Notice the spelling... I was pretty good for 9 years old, but I had a couple of slip ups!

Letter written to President Reagan; I was nine years old.

"January 25, 1988
Dear President Reagan,
I think it's a good idea to have peace. If we didn't, kids will never have a future. It just won't be the same without peace.

If you can, please tell Nancy to call me. I want people to know about strangers. Kids in my school distric don't understand. Maybe when you visit your horses.

My school is: Ocean View School Cougars, 1208 Linda Dr., Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 1-805-489-1351.
My phone number is:

Please send a letter, two pictures of you and Nancy, with autographs, and two books. I want one for my friend. Don't send people and boms to anyone! Thank you!

Love,
Alisa Floyd"

I will post some more fun stuff later!!!

The one about our 1st anniversary!

2008-06-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been a year since our wedding! We celebrated our anniversary on Monday night, nu-bleske style. Mike went by and got cake from Madonna Inn (we didn't save our cake topper- see below) and we packed a bottle of champagne and went by our favorite mexican take out for burritos to go. Then we headed out to Sunset Drive-In and watched Indiana Jones and Iron Man. It was perfect!

This last weekend was Mike's good friend (and business partner) Tei's wedding, and it just so happened to be at Tiber Canyon Ranch! We had a blast... Mike was in the wedding, and we enjoyed the company of old friends and new ones. Thursday started the festivities with an Attendants Get Together at the Dwiggins home. Friday, Mike enjoyed a boys only day, while I headed over to the office to help with flowers. We then headed over to the site for the rehearsal, followed by dinner at Seaventure. I hadn't been there in years, and it was quite good! I then headed out to finish flowers with the bride's family while Mike went out with the boys. Saturday was an early morning, more flowers, followed by site set up, and then a beautiful wedding! I don't have any pics yet, I am relying on others for pictures, but will post when I do. We then went to Native (the old Mission Grill) for an after party, which was a blast! Even the bride and groom came! It was nice to spend the weekend, reminiscing about our own wedding, but not having to do it again.

Here is a picture of us from a year ago, and one from this weekend.

PS: For our wedding cake, we had a Madonna Inn beauty. They advised us not to save the top, but instead, call them a week before our anniversary and they would make a copy of the top. Well, we forgot, so a couple of slices of cake from their bakery had to do :)

The one about Winston, a.k.a. the Captain...

2008-05-14T23:13:00.000-07:00

Loving, gentle and happy. That is how I would describe the 18 year old black lab mix that we rescued almost 17 years ago. He had been left by his owner, only to have Animal Services out soon to pick him up. My mother recalls that I called her, frantically, saying that we needed to save him, and I was the only one who could (I was 12... any animals heroine). We took him in... skiddish at first, not quite sure of his new home, but he was familiar with me over the year, as I would walk by him and feed him bisquits on my way to school.

He has seen dogs and cats come and go throughout our family, and has been the "grandpa" to our new pups. He acts like the wiseman, as Thor, Lady & Lucy come to give him kisses, almost as if they are seeking approval or permission. Killer Kat had a love for him unlike any other, snuggling up to him, especially on his last days.

So today, we said good-bye to him. Any of my friends and family who have come through our house know of Winston, and know he loved everyone.

If there is a heaven, it's certain our animals are to be there. Their lives become so interwoven with our own, it would take more than an archangel to detangle them. ~Pam Brown

The one about the dog behind the couch...

2008-05-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

Today was an exciting day for Thor (our yorkie mix)... today when I went out to work on the front yard, the dogs got up in the window as usual, to watch me and bark at the neighbors.

Our house is set up with a couch in front of the window, with about a foot between the couch and wall, with two bookcases on either side of it. So as I am talking with a neighbor, Thor starts barking his head off and Lady (the border-retriever) decides to jump up with him. My neighbor laughs, and says, "uh oh... looks like one fell down." Happens all the time, I thought, and went back to my watering.

As I took off my work shoes and came in the house, I noticed.... no Thor! Hmm... then I realized...

Don't worry, he's out now... but I made him wait while I took his picture!

The one about the grandpa

2008-01-22T23:37:00.000-08:00

I know only my dearest friends and family see this, so with this I ask you to keep my grandpa in your prayers. This week has been really tough on him, and he is having a major heart bypass surgery on Thursday. This, in my honest opinion, is the strongest man I know. Arnold, you have nothing on this guy. He has more determination and drive than many 30 somethings I know, and can overcome it all.

Through the last few days, I have realized the importance not just of life, but of family. We always talk about extended family and immediate family, but I see no difference. There really doesn't have to be a difference if you don't want there to be. And in my immediate family, we have my mom, my uncle, my two cousins, my grandma, my new husband, and the man of the family, my grandpa.

We are a tightly knit family. Our everyday life revolves around another. We have family meals together, spontaneous breakfasts, and lots of good talks. We have the occasional drop by, with gifts from the thrift store, and long phone calls. We have constant dog sitters, moral support, and most of all love.

I am very thankful that I have this right at my fingertips. A quick drive, or walk even, away. And to those of us that have this, I think that we sometimes take it for granted.

So this is our special present that we gave to Grandpa last year, on his 80th birthday.

The one about 2 dogs in a new house...

2008-01-22T23:24:00.000-08:00

The dogs love, love, love their new house, and so does Rosie-cat! I am not sure what it is that makes them so comfortable. Maybe the beach, being able to see grammy now that she lives down the street, maybe just having this huge yard they can play and run in. But whatever it is, it makes our jobs, as dog-parents, a lot easier.

They have their little quirks. Lady has found two holes in the fence. One gap between the two fences, and another hole which leads to the backyard, in which cats often play. So her routine when going outside is to check both cracks, just to see of any activity. This is the life of a neurotic ball dog.

Thor had his first real trauma experience today. :( He was outside when the wind and rain blew the backdoor shut, forcing him to be outside all day, while his sister was inside sleeping in her warm bed. When I came home from San Luis, he was in a little ball in the garage, which he finally figured out was the only shelter from the cold. He has made a full recovery though, and is staring at me right now, trying to tell me its bed time.

Here are a few of the pictures of them in their new casa, one being my favorite. When it gets warm here, I leave the back window from the kitchen open, and keep the dogs outside. Lady likes to put her head through it to see what is going on inside without her!

The one about the cute dog...

2008-01-22T23:16:00.000-08:00

So we have the most adorable new member of our extended family, Lucy Bug Floyd. I have mentioned her before, mostly as the little stinker, and she is growing so rapidly, but I had to post some adorable pictures of her as a puppy. I have just recently gotten these off of the camera, so they are quite a while ago, but I will post some new ones soon.

No updated blog lately...

2008-01-22T23:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, so my LAST years resolution was to keep everyone in the loop with this fabulous blog... however, life gets away from you, and here we are, January, and no posts since sometime in December... so I will update you on some great memories through the holidays, and hope you can catch up!

A Very Special Day...

2007-12-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

The holidays are coming so soon, and sometimes, like this weekend when White Christmas came on the radio, I think of my GiGi, and how I miss her so much. But this year, it seems like I miss her even more, and the joy she had brought to not just my life, but everyone around her. If you knew her, I don't even need to explain.

And so this year, as December 10th, 2007, 20 years to the day since she passed, I have decided to reflect upon the time that we have with family, and the time we had with family.

My last Christmas with her was so special. GiGi had a special jewelry box where she kept my dress up jewelry, jewelry she wasn't ready to give me, but that sure made me look stunning, at 9 years old, for a grand party with her mink stole. On the Christmas after she passed, that jewelry box was wrapped up for me, with a card from GiGi, and I remember thinking, even at 9 years old, she knew. She knew that she wasn't going to be there in body for Christmas, and had to find a way to be there otherwise, and to show her love and support for her family.

So as White Christmas played on the radio this weekend, one of her favorite songs to have me play on the record player, I think of her, and the special moments that she brought to my life, and just how lucky I am, to have known and loved her for my first 9 years. Okay, no tears.

Which ever way the wind blows!

2007-11-28T11:15:00.000-08:00

Our little town of Shell Beach was hit very badly with wind last night. Fortunately, our home didn't have any damage, just a rose that was knocked down, that Mike promptly planted this morning. However, the noise was so loud, that I think I have about 3 hours of sleep running through my body! Trash cans knocking, trees whistling, and I posted a few pictures of the damage some of our neighbors have...

This house is directly across the street. The carport caved in on their car (which was inoperable anyways) and we saw a few people out there trying to figure out how to resolve the matter... my solution? Bulldozer...

These are our next door neighbors... all of her plants fell down, and in the front of her house, a few of them broke... I think this was the noise that kept me up last night!

No need for "Trading Spaces"!

2007-11-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

So this was a weekend of great accomplishment. My MIL came into town on Friday night, and spent the weekend with us to help us get settled in to our new home. She knew I had a slew of projects to complete, so she offered to help us on what we needed, and we picked the kitchen. In light of the baking season coming just around the corner, we decided to revamp the kitchen a little to get it to a more usable state. There are a couple things we are still going to do, but here is the kitchen after a weekend of redecorating! My mom came to help, and we got most of it done on Saturday night!

This is a dark picture, but we added curtains and a towel hook, plus some of my bread baskets.

We needed to get the microwave off the counter, and added two shelves with chrome accents.

We also added two shelves here, to eliminate the wire shelving unit that was here before. Now, the dogs have an actual place for their dishes by the trash can.

And in this picture, you can see we added a utensil rack above the stove. We also reorganized the top of the fridge, so Mike can have easy access to the panini grill (which he lives for).

So not too shabby for a weekend worth of work! Still to come, we are planning on painting the kitchen and redoing the cabinets. We have all the hardware, just need the time, and with Christmas coming up, it may wait until January!

the post thanksgiving blues... or blacks

2007-11-14T10:34:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is right around the corner... literally like a week away... and I, like most people am completely unprepared. So I decided really, in order to keep up with the holidays, to skip Thanksgiving, and go right into Christmas.

Okay, no, I won't skip it... we are doing the traditional fare, but with just a 14 lb. turkey, and six of us, which is a huge step down from our usual holiday.

However, I feel that if I get a jump on Christmas now, I can actually enjoy the weeks before it... trimming the tree, sending out cards, shopping, wrapping, and baking... all in preparation of my favorite holiday of the year.

So with that, I give you the hideous black friday ads... yes, I have already started scouting and scouring, hoping to find great Christmas finds... hope I don't sound too much like the all American consumer...

the babies are here! the babies are here!

2007-11-12T09:44:00.001-08:00

The babies are here! My friend Monika's twins did indeed bless us with their presence on Friday, November 9th, at about 12:45pm (that is my estimate)... and they are beautiful! For me, this experience was surreal. To be present through this entire pregnancy, and then all of a sudden watch her as she embraces her two boys, there are no words. So now I know what all the fuss is about. And although Mike and I aren't ready to add to our family yet, at least I know, that between the both of us, we will cherish that day, above all others, when it does come.

Meet Dustin Matthew and Conor Edward

Don't drink the water!

2007-11-08T14:39:00.000-08:00

So my friend Melanie is correct... fertility is in the air, and tomorrow will be the birthday of two very special boys that my dear friend Monika will be having. For those of you that don't know, she is currently full term with twin boys, Dustin and Conor who will be gracing us with their presence tomorrow!

And yes, through the six degrees of separation, there are probably at least a half dozen women that I know who will be having a baby in the next 8 months, not to mention the half dozen women I know who have had babies in the last year.

So with that, I pass on Melanie's Chinese Birth Calendar, (click on link), which, I do have to say, Mel, was incorrect for Monika's twins, but lets see about the rest of you! Please post a comment to show us if it was correct in predicting the sex of your child(ren).

Oh, and PS: as if it wasn't hard enough having to deal with the Bleske male sperm dominance, it looks like the Chinese have depleted my odds even more...

Halloween came and went!

2007-11-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

Halloween came and went so fast this year, we barely had time to plan anything considering the whole moving process... but I have some great photos of Lady and Thor, and of my mom's new dog Lucy...

Here's Thor as a bumble bee...

Here is Lady Bug!

And of course, the little stinker, Lucy...

The Adventures of a New Home... part I

2007-10-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

It is true... we are moving... I feel for anyone going through the horrible process they call house hunting... especially renting in a market like this... my deepest sympathies.

Mike and I were looking for the perfect house, one we can call home and can fit all of our needs, and the needs of our family. Guess what... we finally found that house! Yes, it needs a little TLC, and has been empty over the last few years, but it is exciting that we know it won't take very much for us to make it our own and make it feel like home... know why?

Yes, that is why it looks familiar, it is 221 Santa Fe! This is the house that my mother and I moved into when I was 6 months old... the one I grew up in... learned how to ride a bike in front of, and left, when it was finally time for me to move out on my own.

I have posted some pictures we took of the house, as it is now, empty, so you can see what it now looks like! In my next blog, I will post some pictures of the house growing up, and then will definitely post when we are all moved in! Move in date is right around the corner, October 15th!

Here is the view from the street...

Here is the front of our house!

Here is our backyard... plenty of room for dogs!

A very horrible picture of the garage (from the window)...

Our little kitchen! Back to basics!

Our front room... the curtains are left from my mom!

This is the future office (excuse the dark picture)...

This is the master bedroom, and the master bath (ha ha) is below...

This was always known as the middle bedroom, and will be a guest bedroom...

Stay tuned for more pictures from the past and future!

Michael's Birthday... another one bites the dust!

2007-10-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that Mike's birthday is on Thursday, and we decided to have a small get together on Friday night when Jason, his brother, was in from Vegas. The theme?

It was Mike's Redneck Trailer Trash Birthday Bash! We had all you need to pull it off! The menu included pork rinds, vienna sausages, pigs in a blanket, spam and velveeta picks, and cheese whiz in a can atop ritz crackers.

Our decorations included sheets for curtains, a clothesline with socks, etc. strewn over them, and Jerry Springer playing on the tube! Prize for best costume? A ceramic gnome with a chip in it of course!

Here are some pics from the bash!

The Bleske Family is not for sale...

2007-09-10T12:12:00.001-07:00

Well... here it is! Our house is for sale, and we had our first open house yesterday, with much anticipation... It went well, I think, with a few prospects (pretty good, considering yesterday was the first Sunday of football) and a few looky loo neighbors.

So I figured there would be some neighbor looky loos, no doubt that all of us have been guilty of this before, but what really got me, was when our real estate agent called us today and said our neighbors two doors over came to the open house because they wanted to buy our furniture! No interested in the house, just our furniture...

I know I can over react a little (god knows my family has seen it) but it makes you feel a little vulnerable when you know that your neighbors really didn't have any interest in actually seeing the house or what you have done to it, but just what possessions you have...

The best thing I think I learned from it is to remember that when you attend an open house, people are opening their house AND home to you, so be courteous and respectful... and know your boundaries...

Down in Mexico...

2007-09-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I have not done anything with our honeymoon pictures! I don't think anyone has even seen any of them!

So I decided to post some pictures from our 7 day cruise to Mexico. You have to keep in mind that a) none of these pictures will be x rated... after all, I let my parents and in-laws see this blog and b) it was a honeymoon... so I think maybe there are two or three pictures of us together? Most of the pictures we took of eachother!

Here is a picture of our stateroom on the ship. When we originally booked, we booked an ocean view room, but they upgraded us to a balcony! It was very spacious (compared to the other cabin I have been on) and made a huge difference to be able to sit on the balcony with our coffee in the morning! Mike said he will never do it any other way...

Being the picture taker I am, I had to get mike in front of signs, by policemen, etc. Here is an example of my work... he he... we were in Puerto Vallarta touring our way through the city on foot.

This was our first tour of Puerto Vallarta. We woke up docked, and walked out on our balcony to see our surroundings. What's the first thing we see? A Wal-Mart! I wanted to get a good shot off of our balcony of the city, and am blocking Wal-Mart with my head.

The pictures here, though, were of our favorite part of the trip. We booked an excursion to see an old tequila ranch (no longer in production) in Mazatlan. It was beautiful. They have since turned it into a resort, named Hacienda las Moras. We sat by the pool, drank margaritas (mexican margaritas, so you know they are good) and had a great authentic lunch. Check out their website for more pictures. The picture of us was actually taken right next to an old chapel that is part of the property. The chapel used to serve all the families in the area for marriage ceremonies!

The view from the cheap seats...

2007-09-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had a great opportunity... we got to go see the Oakland Athletics vs. Detroit Tigers in Oakland on Saturday! Our friends V and Trish took us up there, and we had a blast!

We were three rows back from home plate where you literally can call balls and strikes. Here are a few pictures from the game...

We were sitting amongst both A's and Tigers fans, but we were directly in front of two guys from Detroit... I felt like Uncle Barry and Uncle Dean (Mike's uncles from Michigan) were sitting right behind me! And then, of course, like any Californian, I had to make fun of them when they ordered a pop (pronounced pa-ap)... they were good sports!

I have to say, I loved the Detroit fans around us... callin' plays, having fun... drinking beers... but the A's fans around us? Drinkin' lattes and talking about the latest gallery opening... what a difference!

Okay... lets try this again...

2007-09-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

Not too long before the wedding, I started a blog, and it was great fun... until the wedding process got to be too much! So now here I am, fresh, to keep connected with family and friends, and show you great pictures of life as the newest Bleske Family...