Apparently i was a spammer?

I was told I was a spammer and was unable to post or comment for quite awhile. I hope this is all better now.

Just letting anyone who cares, know!

Sll

Moving On...

I changed around my place because I didn't like the setup. Now that I changed it, I still don't like it. I'll be buying a dining room table within the next couple of weeks and can't wait! Yahoo. After that, I'm going to save up all of my pretty pennies to by myself a nice bedroom set. That is something that I have never really had. Right now, my garments are sitting in a plastic bin, not such a fabulous place for such sacred items.

I'm preparing to go to Utah, yahoo. I can't wait. Ironic enough, I am not taking any clothes with me either because since the Nihipali's are going shopping the day they arrive, I figure that I might as well buy clothes while I'm there because they will have really cute good modest clothes that are on clearance from their summer that I can funny enough wear here in AZ during my winter =D. So, I'll just buy clothes there.

I think I'll take a pair of garments with me and buy 3-4 sets while I'm there, I might as well do it since I'll be there too. New clothes for a new life and a fabulous trip. I can't wait.

PJ and Toni will be watching Kale while I'm gone. They are soooo sweet to do so, they'll swim and use the TV and DVR while I'm out too to make it look like someone is home. Its all good. They can eat whatever they want if they can find food that fits their fancy, cheese and nachos is about all they'll find at my house =D

I'm getting ready to leave work for the day and I'm going to rent a couple of movies and get ready for the RS Broadcast tomorrow with dinner and dessert with it all and then the primary presentation on Sunday and my first primary lesson. I'm ssooooooooooooo excited.

My bishop gave me an awesome article about adversity and it was to me hilarious, ironic and sweet, which made me cry and I'd share it with you now but I can't remember the title nor the author, its at home. It was lovely.

Gotta go, I have a few things at work to do still.


Karen

I'm sooooooooooo excited

I bought a ticket this morning to go see Les Mis. If I hadn't bought the ticket now, I would never get a good seat or even get in on a Friday night. I'm in the 7th row on the floor by the orchestra and can't wait! The performance is Friday, Jun 10, 2011 @ 7:30 PM.

Karen

Aukai's first day of school

Everything went great. He loves being in school!!

new place

David,
check out my blog if you google karen nihipali wicke connections...you'll see that my place is coming together...oh heck, why not, I'll put a few pictures here too since nobody else will see it or even both to read it.

Living Room from standing by sliding glass door to the patio
Living room from standing in the dining room

Living room from standing in the doorway of the master bedroom

Heavyweight 2010 Golf Team Builder

This is of Karen serious golf for the 1st time.
It was hilarious!

Slow site

this is a slow site. Anyone ever going to jump in and use it?

I just updated mine and changed the settings, so go take a look, it looks really good.

Karen

Merry Christmas

I'm not sending a letter out, nor will I be making phone calls. I don't get phone calls from anyone but Kenji and I'm sick of being on the phone after I'm on the phone for 12 hrs of the day during the week so I don't want to touch it after I get home.

What has happened this 2009 year with Nathan and Karen?

January 2009...we went to San Francisco, CA to visit Nathans growing up stomping grounds. That was awesome.
March 2009...Karen claims the #1 spot at work and has proudly and diligently held on to that spot. She holds the most enrollments for March as well which is easily breakable, but we'll see :o)
July 2009...we moved from west Phoenix to east Mesa as Nathan landed an awesome position as Title I Director for a Charter School District. He loves the position and is learning TONS from the state and with their help and insight, he might just move over to a state position. Keep that option for us in your prayers.

We went to UT for the Haymore/Wicke family reunion. It was beautiful and awesome. We were able to stay with aunt Kelly and uncle Paul and with the Haymore/Wicke family. We had a wonderful time.

August 2009...we inherited a Chinese exchange student who is an absolute delight. She is hilarious and is always smiling. She goes to a private school and doesn't really care for it. She hates the theology class and wants to take Dance but her counselor said that she has to take the ESL class, which by the way, the teacher is foreign too and he can't even speak English so what difference does it make?

September 2009...we were asked to be Bear Scout leaders. We were just released this Sunday too for many reasons that we don't need to go in to. We loved the boys and they were such good ones too. They are so hilarious. When boys are 9, they rock! To bad, they can't stay that way for a long time :o)

Cherrys parents came for the weekend from China to CA and with her brother, they drove out and we were able to spend time with them. We didn't understand a word they said so all we did was laugh and have lunch. The food was entertaining for sure. Her dad tried to teach me to use chop sticks, well, that went over, not so well. It was hilarious.

October 2009...I was able to take Cherry to General Conference and stay and visit with my friends Tiffany Harrison and Maricela Burningham (oh terrible, I can't remember her married name, oh well). We were able to spend time with them at conference and at dinner. We had a long weekend and Karen ended up getting sick so it was a miserable drive home. We even missed the turn to Page and ended up in Las Vegas so Cherry got to see that too.

November 2009...we were going to go to San Diego, CA for Thanksgiving and didn't go because last minute Nathan got extremely sick. I was so frustrated with the entire thing that he and Cherry went to his brothers house for turkey and Kale and I stayed home and did absolutely nothing. I did take Cherry down to Nogales, Mexico though the next day and that was awesome. That was fun. Nathan also graduated with his Masters of Education/Curriculum and Instruction degree. That took place at the University of Phoenix Stadium. That was awesome to be a part of. His parents came and we were able to spend time with them.

December 2009...Nathan finished his degree. He is now a MAED/CI graduate. We have been slammed busy with things going on this month so far. We went 13 straight days with stuff happening for church, community, family, whichever you want to call it. We want to call it BUSY.

We are slowing teaching Cherry the gospel. Her knowledge of a living God just isn't there but is growing. We want to send her to girls camp in June when school finishes so she'll probably go home after that.

We have testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We know that by living the basic principals of the gospel, there are blessings that are poured out on each of us individually and collectively. Karen lost her home this fall and because of paying additional tithes and fast offerings, we have been blessed with a peace of mind and kind and gentle creditors. I, Karen knows that when we forgive others, Heavenly Father will forgive us of our wrong doings too. I have seen that in my life and my recent experiences. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be a peace with anything that comes our way and that we can be at one with our Savior.

May Heavenly Father bless each one of you with the promptings of the spirit to be guided, directed and prospered.

Dave Ramsey - coming to the Memorial Collesium on Saturday!

ANd you all have tickets - well, most of you anyway.

Let's meet at mom and dads at 10:30 am. We will go get something to eat and then head over to the memorial Collesium at noon when the doors open.

Mom, bring a walker or something ;) so we can get special treatment. Also, my friend Sherrie and her husband Dave are joining us.

See you guys soon!!!

Sharon

I have 7 Dave Ramsey Tickets.....

And they are for the following - Mom and Dad, Steven and Janell, one of David or Leilani (who will watch the kid?) and myself

Be ready to arrive down at the Memorial Colesium at 11:30, Saturday, Oct 24th and bring food, be ready to be motivated and inspired to handle your $$ with care. The event is 1 to 6 pm. Actually, you don't probably have to get there that early but still... :)

I talked to a girl today who said she saw him last year and it's made a huge difference. I asked her tell me about it and she said it's way different than the show because no one is calling in with problems, he talks to us about ours. :) She said she really had a good time.

See you all soon! Kenji, if you are coming back, do so and we'll get you a ticket!

Love you all, Sharon

Karen #2

The latest me...Karen

Long Time

It seems like nobody cares about the blog so I'm going to stop using it. I think others would use it if they cared to write a journal on it like Janell or myself soooo, I'm going to forgo it since everyone seems to be on FB anyways.

Have a great day.

Karen

Getting sneaky!

This is to be a very random post but I had to share! I have been introduced to something called the Sneaky Chef. It is a way of cooking that adds vegetables and fruits, minerals, vitamins, and proteins to your everyday foods! Now my kids and my husband do enjoy vegetables and fruits of nearly all kinds but the problem I face is that I don't serve them very often, or at least not nearly as often as we need to have them in our diet. I was also looking at different diets that I can do to change the way that I feel, one is the Flat Belly Diet, but as I look through the food and stuff I realized that I would never be able to keep it up on my own. So, when my sisters started talking about chocolate choc chip pancakes that have spinach and blueberries (Iron and vitamin C) hidden and all of her kids AND her husband would eat them, I decided that I really need to look into it. I got the kids recipes book and the manly recipes. I am SOOOOO excited to get going with this and just tweek the recipes that I already do all the time and make them healthier. Thanks for listening to my ramblings!
Oh on the home front, Steven should be returning before Aukai's birthday!! We'll let everyone know as the day gets closer, but as his extension was denied, he is returning on time and with his unit! The countdown has begun!!!

PS.
June 03, 2009
Today I made Hamburger Helper with a sneaky twist and LOVED it! I used vegetable broth in place of the water and then added the sweet potato/carrot puree to the sauce plus added frozen mixed veggies to it at the end, and I got full off of about 1 cup of dinner and 12 oz of skim milk! Usually I can eat half a box which is 2.5 servings! I am sooo impressed and can't wait to try more! Especially the chocolate choc chip pancakes with hidden spinach and blueberry puree!

Karens Employer Military Ceremony

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=c2287e77201e8240&sid=1AZtWjli5bsnHw

We have a division for the university that services all students worldwide that are currently active military who are taking classes and completing a degree. This morning between 6-8 am the University of Phoenix employees added these flags to our open grass area where we work.

We also were able to be highlighted on the news on 2 different channels today.

I was actually able to be there too so I'll post my pictures there later when I get them from my friend Tamie.

Enjoy. There were more than 100 employees there this morning adding the flags and honoring our vets and current military members!

Summer Classes for Men

THE ADULT LEARNING CENTER REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED

By Friday, June 29, 2009

NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM:

Class 1How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays--Step by Step, with Slide Presentation. Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 2 The Toilet Paper Roll--Does It Change Itself? Round Table Discussion. Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3 Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub?--Group Practice. Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4 Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor--Pictures and Explanatory Graphics. Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5 Dinner Dishes--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink?Examples on Video. Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning At 7:00 PM

Class 6 Loss Of Identity--Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other.Help Line Support and Support Groups. Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7 Learning How To Find Things--Starting With Looking In The Right Places And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming.Open Forum Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8 Health Watch--Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health.Graphics and Audio Tapes. Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9 Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost--Real Life Testimonials. Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined

Class 10 Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks?Driving Simulations. 4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11 Learning to Live--Basic Differences Between Mother and Wife.Online Classes and role-playing Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined

Class 12 How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion Relaxation Exercises, Meditation and Breathing Techniques. Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 13 How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries and Other Important Dates and Calling When You're Going To Be Late. Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered.Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14 The Stove/Oven-- What It Is and How It Is Used.Live Demonstration. Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

Upon completion of any of the above courses, diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

Send this to all the guys that you think can stand the heat, and to all the ladies for the best chuckle of their day!

The Garden

The West side Wicke 1st ear of corn. We know, we know, it is still a baby, but none the less, it is a corn!

Our zucchini! I couldn't believe it. The plants are growing all over the backyard and taking over the corn.
Here is the zucchini that you see in the picture above! I had Nathan cut it so that we could use it for our French scallop cuisine! Granted we only cut the small one and didn't even cut half of it. Hello zucchini soup and bread!



This is our yellow banana squash! There are many growing just like that.

And no, it is not the Michael McCean Musical.

Happy Mothers Day

Today will be a long day once again for those of us who aren't mothers and even those who are mothers will still have a long and wonderful day. I'll probably be a pessimist for this day today but I don't care.

As of midnight last night I officially hate this day. I'm a 35 year old married lady who doesn't have anything to show for myself. I have a great job and a husband who is studying hard so that he can be a helpful supporter to our family. Oh wait, did I say family? We don't have kids, there isn't much of a family here. I can take care of myself, I don't need anybody else to do it for me, what am I saying, family! The dog, Kale, oh yeah, he needs food, water, a walk to the park, an occasional bath, OK, he is exactly like a kid. He begs for ice cream when he sees mom eating some, he wants human treats when we have dinner just like a kid, but guess what? HE IS A DOG so he doesn't count. Oh well, kids are just not for this life. As Nathan always says, "people in this mortal life have to have them because they haven't learned something for themselves that God is trying to teach them and that their kids will teach them and sometimes parents learn and oh boy, as we know some parents don't and so God gives kids to them to humble them and teach them". Families are for the eternities, I have come to the conclusion that my kids are to dang perfect to come down to this nasty terrible world and that God is going to hold on to them for me so that I can pass through the veil and raise them there. I personally don't blame him for doing that. If I were my kids up in heaven waiting to come down to earth, screw it, I wouldn't do it either.

Now for those who are thinking, "man, she is bitter, something isn't going right in their life, their marriage isn't happy and blah, blah, blah"...get over yourself and stop gossiping about what is wrong with my life and worry about yourself. Which I have heard before, its OK, go ahead and gossip and say all you want, just repent when you're done because IT ISN'T TRUE.

I actually enjoy my life and enjoy where I am at this point. As I mentioned above, I said that I would sound like a pessimist and today, of all days, I AM and that is OK. We all are entitled to crappy days and today, on Mothers Day, it just so happens to be mine.

Karen

Our small time together

Well, R&R has come and gone and now we are back to finding our "normal". But before we delve back into that world...here's a little of our family time!
Steven arrived 4 hours early to PDX thanks to some very nice people who gave him their seat on an earlier flight from Dallas to Portland so he could get home. Debbie came with us, Ashley Paice and her son Tyson came and my sister Sheryl and 3 of her kids joined us too to wait and cheer and hug as my hero arrived. Contrary to my fears and the fears of others, Aukai and Keli'i knew exactly who he was and there was no hesitation as they jumped into Daddy's arms.



Over the next 15 days, we had 2 BBQ's with friends and family, with lots of meat and laughter. We went to 2 Mariners games (one we lost and one we won!), we played tons and thoroughly enjoyed every possible minute. We went swimming, played ball, messed up the house, the car, and generally had a blast!
Steven and I were lucky enough to have 4 days on our own as we went to Seattle and Bellevue to attend a seminar given by the Army Family Services, while the kids stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Gold here in Vancouver. They took their first trip to the Children's Museum one day and the Zoo another day! They had lots of fun!
We had a wonderful visit and Daddy was able to recharge his batteries, he is now back in Iraq ready to finish his job and return home to us. Here are a few of our favorite moments from Steven's R&R. Enjoy!

So confused

OK, this is really weird...I had applied to teach water aerobics at the YMCA BUT nobody got back with the director to be a reference for me so I was going to throw in the towel and actually cancel the membership. OK, well, today, I'm at the gym and Evelyn says, hey Karen, in a couple of weeks we'll be training are you still up for it? I told her Heck yeah, I thought that it was a NO GO because nobody had gotten back to me so I was going to forget the whole thing!
Amazing. I'm so excited. I need to get some awesome music so I need to ask someone at church or work to get me some SWWEEETT music for the official water aerobics instructor!

Have a great weekend.