The Spiker Family

Lucy's Six Month Photos

2011-05-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

Amazing photography provided by Christine Olson.

Amazing baby provided by Courtney and Josh.

Luke Busts a Move at the Momo prom

2011-04-22T17:43:00.001-07:00

Luke is finally going to the Mormon Prom!

Luke and his lovely date, Britney Johnson

A fine looking group of upstanding young people, if I do say so myself:)

Luke and Jesse posing by a trash can.

Then Luke busted the moves that are going to charm all the ladies...

Yep that's right...

He's white...

Ain't no shame in that!

When Harry ('s daughters) Met Luke...

2011-04-18T12:53:00.001-07:00

So I have a funny Luke story for you. I wrote this to Patrick but thought it was too funny not to share with more people....

We were is Sundance over the weekend to get the boat ready and visit Courtney, Josh and Little Lu. Saturday night we went to a new restaurant in the the Riverwoods shopping center called La Jolla Groves. We had a nice dinner with Samantha and her fiance Chad (they are officially engaged!) and Daniel and Natalie. The food was good, you will have to try it when you get home. So after dinner we are standing out front because there was a 'battle of the bands' going on. Then Harry Connick Jr, his Victorias Secret model wife, Jill Goodacre and their daughters walk by. I looove Harry, we saw him in concert at the Hollywood Bowl a few months ago and it was my favorite show ever. Well they were seated in the restaurant right by a big plate glass window. We were on the other side of the big window listening to music, talking and playing with the baby when Courtney said "Luke Harry's daughters are checking you out" so of course Luke starts talking about he is going to go in and walk up to the table and hit on the girls right in front of their dad. Which then got offers of money on the table from dad and Josh to do so... we walked all the way to the car with them trying to get Luke to do it with "wussy" talk and offers of money when Luke finally says "I'm gonna do it!" So we all start walking back to the restaurant. The whole way there Luke is 'warming up'... literally. He was swinging his arms like he was getting ready for an athletic event, breathing deeply and kept rehearsing what he was going to say. We were all laughing hard...I had tears.

So we get back to the restaurant and we try to act nonchalant while positioning ourselves to have a good view of the window but not have it obvious we were watching. I separated myself from the group and tried to film as inconspicuously as possible with my phone when a man is suddenly standing next to me talking on his phone and I look up and Harry Connick Jr is two feet from me as I try to film his family.... oops... I don't think he caught on and I skidaddled... so no photo documentation darn it!!! So Luke walks up to the table... we watch him chat, squirm and out he comes. He says he walked up (and was so glad the dad had stepped outside) and he says "So girls I saw you and think you are really cute and was wondering if I could get your number and maybe we could go do something sometime." He says the girls all looked sort of confused and one says "Well we are from Connecticut." He says the mom was really sweet and tries to make him comfortable by making small talk. She says "Oh this is sooo cute" and tried to make a little conversation and then says "Oh were you out there with that darling little baby?" at which time Luke realized the girls were not looking at him at all, but had been looking at Lucy!!!! Hilarious. So he says "Okay see ya!" and leaves.... Ha! But that is not the end. Dad, watching through the windows ays "Oh Luke the girls are getting a lecture from their mom" and before we can blink the oldest (who it turns out was only 15) is outside with us and says "I am sorry, I am afraid I came off as rude. I am Georgia , ..." then she makes small talk, shakes our hands, explains that she did not intend to be rude and that she is from the east coast and blah blah... so long story short, it was hilarious and Luke made $30 and got no numbers! But it' s a great story he can tell his friends.. I mean how many boys can say a Victoria's Secret Model actually spoke to them?!

Patrick's Mission Adventures!

2011-02-04T07:21:00.001-08:00

Patrick had his first baptism! He was really excited.

Super cool Elder Spiker in the sunglasses we sent him for Christmas.

Nothing to worry about... mosquitos in Argentina never carry Dengue fever.

Thanksgiving in Sundance...yeah it was all about Lucy.

2010-12-14T07:49:00.001-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Sundance. And it was pretty much all about this little one above. We couldn't get enough of her. She is such a good baby.

Chris and Mari both met Lucy June for the first time!
(above and below at out favorite restaurant The Communal)

We took our Christmas photos in the backyard of the cabin... it was like 3 degrees. Excuse my abbreviation but WTH (the 'H' stands for heck btw)? How does anyone stand it? We came home to temps in the mid 70's...I love California. But I do love Sundance the rest of the year!

Patrick's Mission Adventures!

2010-10-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

Our little Patrick is having quite the adventure in Argentina. He loves it. He loves everything about it. He loves the language, the people, the weather, the city and the food... oh the food. Patrick's emails are mostly about food. He raves about the empanadas, the carne asada, the pastas. He is even learning to cook himself and has requested many recipes from home! He was sick for the last three weeks with"everything Argentina has to give." Poor kid. But he is feeling better now. Here are a few photos he sent in his last email.

In Centro

Inside the Catholic Church in Centro

They built a fire on their balcony so they could makes s'mores.... don't worry it's perfectly safe. Nineteen year old boys are known for their good decision making abilities.

One night Patrick was walking along a dark path and kicked something. He saw it dart away and thought he had kicked a puppy. He ran after 'the puppy' and it was actually a giant toad. The photo above reminded me a lot of the photo below... and made me want to cry.

Lucy June at 1 week~ Perfection

2010-10-13T06:10:00.001-07:00

Lucy June Arrives!

2010-09-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

Courtneys water broke at 5:30 am after several days of contractions.

They arrived at the hospital in good spirits!

Lindsay and I show up to be the support team.

Still feeling great and ready to go...

Uh oh... those contractions kicked in...

Ahhhhh the epidural. Courtney got some rest.

The grandma's waiting patiently! This is Bonnie's 13th!

Lindsay took her ice chip responsibility very seriously!

At 6:06 pm miss Lucy June arrives! She weighed 6 lbs 12 oz and was 20 inches long. Tiny!

The happy new family.

Daddy admiring his new daughter.

I know, I know... you are all thinking "That is THE most beautiful baby ever born", which is funny because that is EXACTLY what I was thinking!

All cleaned up and wearing a hair accessory (did anyone doubt???) that Aunt Mari and Uncle Chris gave little Lucy June.

Lindsay was very tired after watching Courtney work so hard. She needed a nap!

Uncle Luke and his new niece!

Grandpa gets a smile!

Little Lucy June back at the cabin and getting a little burp.

She is so tiny and looks exactly like Court did! We are so smitten!

Quite Possibly the Most Beautiful Pregnancy Ever...

2010-08-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

Miss Courtney Lu Had a Baby Shower!

2010-07-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

We gave Courtney a little baby shower to welcome this new little blessing into the family!

Lindsay and Reesey!

Lauren and McKenna

Mari, Lindsay and Ashley went all out on the decorations...

And the flowers...

And I went all out on the food!

Janelle and Shelby Dahl

Court with Tiff...

and Amanda, who is having a boy a couple of months after Courtney has her girl!

Mari, Lindsay, Taylor, Grandma Judy, Courtney, Linda, Aunt Pamcakes

The besties...

It was a fun night. The yard looked beautiful, the food was yummy, the decorations and flowers fabulous, but best of all were the people that came to celebrate!

Sundance... Oh and Mayhem at Stadium of Fire!

2010-07-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

We spent a beautiful week in Sundance. The skies were amazingly blue, the mountains were spectacularly green, and the climate temperate! Loved it. The boys fished, the girls shopped, did yoga on the deck next to the creek, we all ate well and played games and just relaxed. But the purpose of our trip was to go to The Stadium of Fire! We have never been. It was an all around great experience except for about 60 horrifying seconds! For those unfamiliar, Stadium of Fire is a pretty big deal. It is a huge fireworks display in Utah. It is usually preceded by a concert with big names. Quite the spectacular! Steve got us amazing seats on the field about 20 rows from the stage. As the warm up acts came in, we realized they were seated right next to us. The 5 Browns opened. They are a family of five piano playing siblings that all went to Juilliard. They range in age from 30 to 22. They were awesome. Then a violinist named Jenny Oaks Baker performed with four other female violinists. I didn't know her name before but she is a quite accomplished violinist and she happened to be wearing a pretty blue dress that I coveted. These ladies were amazing (see video). The Osmonds Second Generation performed and like their fathers, they are very talented. Then finally Carrie Underwood took the stage. She was fantastic and I didn't ever consider myself a fan, but now I am. As each act performed they would come off the stage and take their seats next to us. They all had spouses and children including many toddlers and babies sitting with them. You could tell they were very excited to be playing that venue. They chatted and took pictures together. They had their children pose with other performers. Several of them were taking video. After Carrie Underwood finished up, the fireworks began. Unbelievable show! About halfway thru we realized a tower right next to us was a firework launch pad. Up until then I just thought it was for camera equipment. The first explosion from that tower scared the heck out of us and I turned to Steve and said "Well now we know why they made the announcement 'it may become necessary to evacuate the stadium' at the beginning of the evening". I was half joking... but little did I know what was about to unfold. A few minutes later that same tower shot another firework that was again supposed to shoot skyward but it didn't. It shot right into the 5 Brown siblings seated across from us. People scrambled and panicked and tried to grab kids but then there was another explosion and this time the fireworks shot into the Osmond clan and the violinists. By now people were screaming and running and grabbing babies. The violinist in the pretty blue dress laid on top of her baby and the back of her dress caught fire. Steve ran over and smothered it with his hands. I made eye contact with her and I don't think she even knew she was on fire yet. She just had an expression like "Can you believe this is happening???" At that moment another violinist with a long white skirt ran past me. Her skirt was on fire and I was yelling at her to stop and roll but she was frantic and trying to stomp the flames. She finally grabbed her skirt and yanked it off. Luckily she had a slip on. There was a cute couple that had been sitting in front of us the through out the entire show but had moved to lay on the grass during the fireworks and the young man had his hair catch fire and was burned on the back of his neck. This all took place in literally 60 seconds. The fireworks were still going on and Courtney was panicked that more might be coming our way so we hightailed it. We didn't want the baby mama going into early labor! Needless to say it was a little terrifying. Our good friend Scott Jackson stayed behind till the EMT's got there. He said that besides the young man with the burnt neck, it was mostly clothing that burned and none of those many toddlers and babies were hurt! Thank goodness. Needless to say, most memorable Fourth of July ever!!!! In this video you can see the woman Steve helped and the lady who lost her skirt!

30 years!?

2010-06-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

How is it possible that we have been married 30 years? Although in one way it seems like 30 years, we have had six children, lived in 3 apartments, bought 3 houses have watched our children go from babies to missions, college, careers, and now becoming parents themselves! But on the other hand it seems like yesterday we got married and started a life together. We leave for Sundance tomorrow so tonight we had my favorite "Salmon Dolce Caldo" at Sisley!! I could eat it everyday! Then we had cheesecake! I forgot how good refined sugar tasted... I have been off refined carbs for over a month after all... one slip couldn't hurt... right???

WRONG!!!!!

Mothers day and sac taps... the way things go in our weird family.

2010-06-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

Mothers day and my birthday sort of got lost in the 'getting Patrick off on a two year mission to Argentina' hubbub. But we did do a little photo documentation despite the craziness. Courtney was in Salt Lake and Lindsay was in Mexico BUT Chris spent the night (Mari was in Utah) so I had all my boys together!

Our photo shoot started as all things do when it's just me and the kids... calmly, quietly, just me and Patrick.

Then Luke joined in. Again a nice family moment, pictures with mom on Mothers day...

Ah, my oldest Chris joins the party. Mellow, relaxed, everyone looking good...

Dad says "I want a picture" Notice the change in energy immediately???

Then he sac taps Luke... Photo shoot over. Notice how happy Mr. Spiker is with himself. This is my life... in a nutshell.

Adios Elder Spiker! We will miss you!

2010-05-21T16:21:00.001-07:00

Well, it's over. The long anticipated drop off is a thing of the past. On monday the 10th Steve, Patrick and I left for Utah. We stayed at the cabin, playing, eating good food (which Patrick appreciated after 9 months of cafeteria food) and taking care of a few last minute details before... dun, dun, dun... dropping Patrick off curbside at the MTC. So this is how the final moments played out. We got ready in the morning, packed Patrick up, and then Steve gave Patrick a fathers blessing during which Courtney and I were weepy.

Patrick's first missionary care package.

Patrick and his first mission companion Elder Dwight Shrute.

Then we went to lunch at an amazing little bistro in Provo called the Communal. Patrick was showing his first signs of nervousness during the meal. Up until then he was cool as a cucumber! After lunch we drove to the MTC. We were greeted by an elderly man who told us to go to station 17 to drop Pat off. He then asked "Is everybody happy is this car?" I had been, but as soon as he asked the tears started. As we drove to station 17 we passed all these missionaries lining the curb. They were waving and smiling and helping the new drop offs. One mischievous missionary made eye contact with me, put his fists up to his eyes and then twisted them imitating crying... little jerk. Actually it gave us all a good laugh and kind of broke the tension. We pulled up to station 17 and two young men (who are now in Chile) helped us with Patrick 's bags and reassured us all was well. They were so sweet and helpful, except they are not allowed to touch our cameras which is why we don't have a full family shot... boo!

Patrick getting his bags.

Last pic with the parental units...

And with Courtney.

We then kissed, cried and off he went with his new friends. Kind of like dropping him off at summer camp if summer camp lasted two years and was in Argentina. We know he is ready, we know he is doing well in the MTC, we know he will come safe and better than before BUT we also know we will miss him very, very, much. Adios Patrick we love you.

Patrick's Big Adios!

2010-05-04T07:23:00.001-07:00

Patrick spoke in church on Sunday the 25th. He did an amazing job. He spoke on the blessings of the restoration of the gospel. I was so amazed at how mature he seemed. And I got teary a few times as I watched, thinking about how I would not see him for two years. He has grown up so much since leaving for university. And I know those changes will pale in comparison to the changes he will make in the 24 months he will serve in the mission field. We had a big family dinner and then a dessert for everyone! The house and yard were packed! But it was so good to see all the people who have helped him become who he is in one place at one time! Lots of hugs and tears.... to be repeated... when he comes home in two years!!!

Hatchlings

2010-05-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

The first hatchlings of the year are out and about! We look forward to the baby ducks and geese every year... and unfortunately the years are passing faster and faster! Now is the time to bring your kids by the lake, in a few weeks these tiny, cute, little ducklings are awkward ugly teenagers! Now that we can hear the ducklings peeping, it feels like spring!

Happy Birthday to Courtney and Chris!

2010-03-25T07:32:00.001-07:00

Yep march is a double birthday month for the Spiker's! Court turned 24 and Chris turned 28!I really don't understand how this happened since they were just born... They are two of the best kids anyone could hope for! Both funny, smart, feisty, opinionated (no, what???) hard workers, good people, willing to help others, responsible, good spouses, good children, siblings and grandchildren! We sure love them both and appreciate all they contribute to our little family!

Grand Baby News

2010-03-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

So I think I am going to need to buy these. Notice they are pink...

Afternoon walk around the lake

2010-03-15T15:21:00.001-07:00

This is what you can expect to see on an afternoon walk behind my house. Click to enlarge.

Check out these two white birds. They just sit waiting for fish to swim between the rocks and then .... Bam! They eat them. Notice the baby turtle basking on the rock!

Yeah... so you can call me Grandma!

2010-03-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

Courtney and Josh are expecting a baby! We are all so excited! They had their first doctor appointment today. The heartbeat was strong and the baby was flipping and moving it's arms and legs! Baby Alvord is due September 21, 2010 and the timing couldn't be more perfect since we will be empty nesters shortly thereafter! What a great distraction for me! Congrats to Court and Josh but mostly congratulations to Grandma Linda and Grandpa Steve and Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Sam... cause it's all about the grandparents! Yay us!

Adios Patrick!!!

2010-02-18T22:08:00.000-08:00

Patrick has been called to the Argentina, Salto mission! We are so excited! Foreign, but very developed.... I am very relieved. Congrats to Patrick! We know he will work hard and be blessed for it! He leaves May 12th.

Americana Farmers Market

2010-02-12T14:01:00.001-08:00

These are just a few of the reasons I love the Gigi's farmers Market at the Americana at Brand

It's big!

They have fresh baked goods for...

....dipping in these!

Everything is clean....

...and colorful.

And they let you sample... yum!

My favorite place to be on a Saturday morning. And it doesn't hurt that they have an Anthropologie, Lulu Lemon and Madewell there... I am a girl after all.

Happy Belated Birthday Lindsay!

2010-01-31T17:45:00.000-08:00

my mother is posting this because she feels guilty because I am the only child she did not do a birthday post for and I called her out on it... so don't think she is all loving and bla bla bla... this is a guilt post and nothing more...

This is my daughter Lindsay and here is her birthday poem...

Lindsay, Lindsay sweet and fair,

Lives her life without a care,

Prettier than a flowers bloom,

She never, ever cleans her room,

Her hair is red, her eyes are green,

In the morning she is really mean,

Like a bird she sings so sweet,

She has freaky long toes on her feet,

She makes me laugh all the time,

I have now run out of rhyme...

So happy Birthday Lindsay Lu,

You are now twenty-two!

Christmas In the Hood

2010-01-17T18:53:00.001-08:00

We went to Santa Monica to take our annual Christmas picture. I wanted a graffiti wall to be our background and I found an awesome one! It's an office building on the corner of Cloverfield and Broadway. I am scouting crack houses for next years photo. Judy Hailey, the photographer that shot the kids weddings took these. Here are a few of my faves... (click to enlarge)

The 2009 Spiker Family Card

A Bedtime Story: The Bully and the Completely Innocent, Nice Boy

2010-01-03T09:21:00.001-08:00

Once upon a time, two nice boys were shoveling snow... one wearing only boxers.

Then there appeared an ogre, a huge beast with a particularly large head.

He attacked the poor, unassuming boxer wearing boy while the boys father used his iphone video to document the unprovoked attack ( he later sent the video to friends and family)

The poor boxer wearing boy tried his best to escape the ogres grasp.

His attempts were futile as the beast was just too powerful.

When the beast was satisfied with his misdeeds he ran back to his underground lair.

The clothed boy was left unharmed. The moral of the story? Never shovel snow while wearing only boxers when a big headed ogre is present.

The End.

The Sundance Kids

2009-12-29T21:59:00.001-08:00

We have loved Sundance Utah for a long time. We have dreamt of buying a cute little cabin for years. With home prices being what they are right now, we decided to make this dream come true!

Time to par-tay!

2009-12-19T07:29:00.000-08:00

It's Luke's 17th birthday! Some cute girls are throwing him a party tonight. Woop woop!

In honor of Luke I have written a special birthday poem...

Twas a week before Christmas with babe number six in my womb,

"Come out! Come out! I have no more room!"

With little fanfare he arrived, looking like the others,

And was welcomed with the flu by his sisters and brothers!

He was jolly and fat and sucked his two fingers a lot!

Was babied by his mama and sisters, but by the boys he was not!

At eight, his siblings convinced him adopted was he,

Unfortunately for him this was not to be!

He is a Spiker/Petersen combo and it surly shows,

From his Petersen schnoz to his freaky long toes,

Tall and funny... but this kids has the smarts!

And he's lactose intolerant, milk gives him the farts

He grew up so quickly and is now handsome and so full of sass,

He knows mixed martial arts, so watch it or he will kick your... butt.

The End!

Chris is officially an attorney!

2009-12-06T16:29:00.001-08:00

We attended Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher's swearing in ceremony on Friday night. It was a proud moment for all when Chris raised his right and and took the oath! He is officially an attorney!

Check out the fab Ted Baker suit!

Proud wife...

Proud parents...

Proud grandparents...

CHRIS PASSED THE BAR!!!

2009-11-20T18:08:00.000-08:00

Yahoo. Needless to say are very proud.

Evolution...

2009-11-05T08:37:00.001-08:00

Christopher

Courtney

Lindsay

Patrick

Luke

This post made me cry...

America's Next Top Model

2009-11-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

Just in case any of you forgot, I will remind you that patrick was one cute kid. He had a short career as a baby model. Here he is in an ad for Gymboree. He was two years old and already working the babes...

Parents Weekend at BYU!

2009-09-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

It was parents weekend at BYU. Since we had not seen Patrick for 3 whole weeks, we packed up and headed for Utah! We stayed with Courtney and Josh in Sugerhouse but spent a lot of time in Sundance. On Saturday our day went a little like this...

Taking the ski lift up to the hiking trails...

We decided on Stewart Falls...

The incredible scenery along the way!

Just breathtaking. The photos really don't do it justice!

Patrick, Josh, Luke and Courtney

Boys, being boys.

Boys.. being well stupid, and scaring their mom.

This photo of Robert Redford and his daughter in Sundance

hangs in the hallway of the resort.

Dinner with all the boys at the Foundry Grill... Yum!

And finally... The game!

Patrick and his friends getting their game faces on.

BYU defeated Colorado State quite handily! Yay Cougars!

It was a great day! Busy but fun. We miss the kids but are so glad they are enjoying their time in Utah. And it just gives us more reasons to visit!

My son is so Cool.

2009-09-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

Check out this awesome video of my college son. (ha! I logged on this morning and Patrick posted this himself...including the little comment below.)

No wonder all the girls at BYU love him.

The Oprah effect!

2009-09-18T09:10:00.001-07:00

My friend Victoria Duvall makes the most delectable gourmet cookies ever! She just made Oprah's "O" list! We should have invested...dang! Click here to read the story!

Patrick Goes to School

2009-09-10T19:01:00.001-07:00

So we dropped Patrick off at BYU!

It all started with a haircut! Courtney had to get her Cali long haired

little brother upto the strict hair over the ears standard!

Before...

After... notice the photo over his right shoulder.

The dorm

Patrick in front of the view from his dorm. We will be hiking up to the "Y"( behind him click for a better view) at the end of the month when we go up for the BYU/Colorado St game!

Patrick and his room mate Justin.

Chris helped us to get Patrick all signed up, purchase books, and moved into the dorm! Here Patrick is contemplating how nice it was of his brother to do that!

Move in day!

The kids putting their education where their mouths are.. those are their BYU id cards.

We went up to the canyons for s'mores... we made some, but nobody ate them.

We like the idea of s'mores more than the actual taste and consequences of s'mores.

Joshua killed a tree so we could stay warm... in august.

We are so proud of Patrick and wish him nothing but success! He is a great boy and we miss him very much already! One to go...

Yeah, so me and Courtney... we're kinda famous.... Ain't no thang...

2009-08-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

Tori, Courtney, Me

Courtney and her friend, Hailey started a new business called Designer Consigner. They were featured on Good Things Utah yesterday and since I am up here dropping Patrick off at school, I got to be one of her models. Check out the video here. So now I can add 'model' to my already full resume. I am sure the phone will be ringing off the hook with all kinds of offers. In fact I think my phone must be broken because so far....dead silence...I better have it checked!

(BTW I felt like a total dork. I have a new appreciation for models...it's harder than it looks.)

Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah!

2009-08-21T13:58:00.001-07:00

My 30 year high school reunion is coming up.

Look what i found in a box in the attic.

Yes that is me circa 1978. You may mock me now....

Newport... land that I love

2009-07-24T16:07:00.001-07:00

I love Newport! Every year the weather is a perfect 75 degrees with a nice breeze. And every year I beg my husband to move there. He always has the same lame story 'we can't afford it and I work in Burbank' or some such nonsense... I don't know why I can't hear him but I won't... I mean, can't. But here are the reasons I love it...

The Views...

The family bbq's and campfires...

The beaches...

the juggling beach minstrels...

The water...

Balboa Island...

Cousin Cody won the big fish competition and was rewarded nicely!

The guy working the trampoline decided to make an example of Luke. He got him bouncing so high that a crowd gathered and then he said very loudly "Luke do me a favor, quit farting" We all thought it was funny...cuz we are 12. Be sure to click on this one!

The Pools...

This is my sister... I hate her.

We had a great trip and arrived home after an hour and 15 minute drive to a 40 degree temp difference (yep 109 baby!)

Lindsay will live with us forever

2009-07-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

Lindsay bought a car... a nice car. I said "Lindsay you know this means you will live with us forever" Her reply? "I figured I was going to live with you forever anyway so I might as well have a nice car." You certainly can't argue with that logic!

Annual Trip to Lake Naci!

2009-07-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

We bought a super cool digital underwater camera. It broke while cliff diving... sooo not cool! As a result, we got very few photos and videos in the water. Boo! Here are a couple we did get before disaster struck. Click on the photo to enlarge. One boy would be on the tube with the camera while the other boarded. Make sure you watch the video till the end to see the wipe out!

The boys modeling the jackets they buy every year. I think they now have every color.

The whole gang at dinner.

2009-07-03T17:40:00.001-07:00

Peace, love and harmony!

Every year we make the trek from Lake Naci to Morro Bay for a day trip. It let's us escape from the heat and have a little beach fun. It's a spectacular drive and we stop at the wineries and cider houses along the way for some yummy treats and pomegranate juice. We stop in Cambria and Harmony too. Harmony says population 18, but it's really Population:1. Apparently seventeen people have moved.

I love doors old doors .

Harmony wants you to sign a petition to save their post office. You know, for that one person who lives there. He/she may need to drop off a package once in a while.

Morro Rock

Luke, Justin, Kyle and Patrick

Yes, Kyle is doing exactly what you think he s doing. I think Kyle may have become waaaaay too comfortable around me!

Where the Magic Happens...

2009-06-27T18:45:00.001-07:00

We have been married 29 years (tomorrow!) and we have had 6 different bedrooms, 4 different sets of bedroom furniture and 10 different sets of bedding. I have liked many of our bedrooms. But I always had something else I needed or wanted to do to make it perfect. Well after 29 years of marriage I finally have a bedroom I looooove. This is the same everything we have had for the last 4 years except we just got remote control black out blinds (rockin!)and these beautiful drapes. Shout out to designer Lori Souza for the perfect choice in fabric! (Click on the photo to get a better look, but it still doesn't do them justice. It's hard to tell but there are pretty pleats at the top and bottom and the fabric is gorgeous, even the lining is beautiful!) So, I am done decorating! Finito! Fin! That's all folks! I know none of you will believe me but it's true... well....at least for a week!

Bragging Rights

2009-06-19T18:47:00.001-07:00

I am going to warn you that there will be some serious bragging going on in this post. You would never know it from the photo above, but these are two smart boys. Apparently they weren't smart enough to protect their nipples while surfing tho... but I digress. Christopher just graduated from USC law school at the top of his class! Yay! We are so proud of his hard work.

We are proud of Mari too for earning the bucks and supporting him in every way while he studied. Chris is taking a bar course now and begins working for Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher in Irvine in the fall. It will be his turn to support Mari now! Maybe a grand child is in my not so distant future?

Josh graduated from The U of U and has been working for Goldman Sachs for just over a year. He recently applied to Carnegie Mellon business school and was one of only forty students to get a full scholarship! Court and Josh just bought their first house, are both working and now grad school! Busy times but so worth it! So congratulations Christopher and Josh! We love you!

Onward and Upward!

2009-06-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

Number 5 graduates!

We are sad we didn't get more pictures with Patrick's friends. They were hard to find in the chaos. One of the funniest moments of the evening was when they called Justin Crissman's name as "Justin 'Danger' Crissman". But the sweetest and most touching moment was when the principal called our nephew Trevor's name and held a moment of silence in his honor. Very nice, I am sure Roxann and Mark were touched.

Patrick and the proud grandparents!

Patrick and Jon Souisa taking the onward and upward thing a little too seriously.

Thumbs up seems to be a theme...

And the point...

And just to prove Patrick didn't go to an all boys school, we threw this one in.

It was an awesome evening. One more to go!

Funny Luke!

2009-06-01T07:13:00.001-07:00

Luke has a sense of humor I really appreciate. This is the birthday card he made me this year (last years was a computer printed picture of Bruce Lee taped to a folded piece of paper). First notice that the computer printed picture of Master Chief does not fit the folded paper he taped it to . Notice the abundant use of scotch tape. He put this keepsake inside an envelope someone else had given me that I had already torn open BUT my favorite part of this card is the 12 cents and the "go buy something nice". Love that kid!

(Keep in mind he is sixteen not six...)

Summer Planting

2009-05-24T20:58:00.001-07:00

I always come home from the Pasadena showcase house filled with inspiration! Last year it was all about patios.... which ended with us tearing out the old BBQ, buying new furniture, umbrellas, and huge pots and filling them with dwarf fruit trees! (see our feb. post 2009) Well this year my husbands wallet got off easy. I came home inspired to plant succulents! We always plant color in pots on our tables, which die in the summer heat. So I ran to the nursery, came home and filled the pots I bought last year with succulents. I think they will be easier to keep alive and I love the way they look! The whole project only took an hour!

This is blue agave which the nursery guy told me is what they make Tequila out of

so you know what that means... partaaaay at my house!

Holy Birthday and Mothers Day Batman!

2009-05-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

Mothers day and my birthday always coincide. It seems like the everlasting celebration!

Too much food, too much cake, too many gifts... hmmmm ... okay scratch that last one.

The celebrating started on Saturday when we met my sister Pam and her husband Steve for dinner after Lukes Volleyball tournament in Redondo Beach.

Then the next day we had the fam over for a Mothers Day BBQ. These pretty tulips are from Steve's mom.

Sweet Caroline! Steve's cousin Marali, her husband Kevin and their baby came too!

As you can see Caroline was starved for attention.

Courtney sending me Mother's day love from Utah!

Me and my posse.

Steve and his mom. I have never seen a photo where these two look more alike! Genes are a powerful thing.

Mi Madre!

Patrick serenading his first little groupie!

More groupies! I think one of them pulled out a lock of his hair.

Mom, Mark, Marali, Kevin

Birthday lunch with my girls Jammie and Janelle.

Yes we ate this. All of it. And it rocked.

After singing myself a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday to me

ending in "I am so awesome" I blew out the candles. I have a tendency to be silly.

And because we still needed to eat more... dinner at Salt creek with the family!

Now the diet begins... on Monday??

This is my Mothers Day/Birthday present from my husband. Awesome... now if I just knew how to use it! And just in case you were wondering....47!

It's that time of year!

2009-05-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

Patrick rockin' the tux!

No I am not his date....

Christie Ann is! Cute and very sweet girl.

Patrick...always the shy one.

The whole gang. Love the bright pink Betsy Johnson dress!

Kauai 2009~ Beaches and fun in the sun!

2009-04-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

Mari and Chris in front of Kauai's grand canyon

Josh and Court striking identical poses

I think Kauai might be my favorite island. Beauty everywhere you look!

Curtis and Lindsay and an amazing sunset!

Hawaii makes my curly hair come out to play.

The island is full of wild chickens!

Waterfalls, Rope Swings and a Spiker Biker Gang

2009-04-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

So we formed a bad-a motorcycle gang and spent a day touring waterfalls!

Patrick above and Luke below. Click on them for the full effect!

My mother used to ask me "If all your friends jumped off a cliff would

you jump off too?" The answer was 'No' then and it still is. I didn't jump.

Zippity Do Dah!

2009-04-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

We have our gear on and are ready to Zip!

Preparing for the jump... although it looks more like we need a potty break!

Houston we have lift off! Well some of us do...

Water Fun!

2009-04-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

Steve and his new friend!

Joshua and a very blue sky

The boys learned the hard way that rash guards are a must... sore nips!

Mari

Courtney hangin' ten.

Chris training for the Olympics 2012 synchronized swimming event.

More Lindsay and Mari E Couture

2009-03-29T20:27:00.001-07:00

Mari released her spring line of headbands and Lindsay got to model them!

My big baby and my little baby...

2009-03-29T20:11:00.001-07:00

We have had two monumental events this week, one involving our first born and the other involving our last born! Christopher turned 27! We are so proud of him! He is a nice, smart, handsome young man!

It really is hard to believe this grown man came out of me!

Granted he wasn't quite this big when he came out... thank heaven.

Birthday dinner with the grand-parental units.

And Luke, our baby, got his license. Go Luke! Watch out ladies!

It is nice to be appreciated!

2009-03-23T06:53:00.001-07:00

So after spending 3 days in Salt Lake helping Court and Josh fix up the cute little house they bought (They bought the cutest little home in Sugarhouse, you will have to link to their blog in a few weeks to see the transformation) I came home to an absolutely spotless house! Everything was clean, laundry done and folded, beds made... what??? I was so happy! What a great husband I have! BUT then one by one my children pulled me aside to tell me how their dad made them "Do everything" while I was away. "Mom he was crazy, you set down a glass between sips and he would tell you to load it in the dish washer", "mom we had to work the whole time you were gone, it was torture" and "He made me clean my room and then came in and told me it wasn't good enough!"

I explained to them that dad did a great job, he just hadn't learned the art of the ever so delicate mom/nag balance. You see every mom has the potential of being the biggest nag ever (brush your teeth, do your homework, put your dishes away, pick up your dirty socks...etc) we have the need and absolute right not to be our children's slaves yet we realize how we sound, so we learn to pick and choose. "I will ask them to do this and I will do that" and even more often " I will ask them to do this and I will do that and ignore this and this..." I appreciate my husbands efforts, it made me so happy to come home and have nothing to do but unpack, but I have to say my children have never been so glad to see me! It's good to be appreciated!

So I have ten days to lose ten pounds...

2009-03-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

Three months ago I declared "I have three months to lose ten pounds!" You see we are going to Hawaii on April third and I have accumulated some unwanted junk in the trunk (and arms), add to that that we travel with three skinny, young thangs ...ugh! So 3 months/ 10 lbs... totally doable right? I was confident. A month later it became "Two months to lose ten pounds, it will be difficult, but if I buckle down, I can do it!" and then "One month/ten lbs... possible, if I starve and run like 100 miles a day..." and alas now "ten lbs/ten days...:" so any way, I think I better get started... maybe next Monday?

You should have seen the ones that got away!

2009-03-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

Steve and the boys do more than golf at Valencia Country Club!

My husband is a brave man...

2009-03-02T07:48:00.000-08:00

So this morning Steve tells me my hormones are unbalanced...

silly man.

Doesn't he know that snippiness can turn into homicidal rage in an instant?

And since I am on a hormonal rant... who the h-e-double toothpicks invented running?

Home Improvement!

2009-02-26T18:23:00.001-08:00

We were busy this last few months around the old homestead!

We tore out the built in BBQ which was taking up too much needed space,

bought a small bbq and a lot of furniture!

Now that we are done... time to invite the friends over and fire up the grill!

Pretty n'est pas?

We also added two new fountains. This is the one in the front courtyard! Love it!

For years I have wanted a house with a red door and black shutters. In my mind the house was white.

But since my next door neighbors house is white we opted for a taupey grey/tan color, white trim,

black shutters and awnings and, of course, the amazing red door! I love how it turned out!

I need a volunteer!

2009-02-21T20:33:00.000-08:00

Someone volunteer to change my blog design up! I don't know how... Please, please please! I just want something cute and more hip than what i have...

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T18:16:00.000-08:00

Steve bought me a bike for Valentines Day!

It's just a 3 speed cruiser for pedaling around on little errands.

I rode to yoga, then came home and got Steve to ride to Trader Joe's with me to pick up a few

things for dinner. He bought himself a bike too...

Isn't it cute?

Steve's bike!

I wanted a basket on my bike for trips to the market. Here are the goods from TJ's!

Yum organic fresh squeezed Oj and pomegranate seeds!

I love to walk around the lake everyday and now I can ride too!

I am pretty sure my husband is Latino... and I think this little

accessory proves my theory correct. He denies his latino

roots but he had the bike shop put a Dias de Los Muertos head on his bike.

I don't know why he doesn't just admit it, I happen to find Latino men muy guapo!

Our yummy Valentines day dinner! I made kabobs, spinach salad with heirloom tomatoes from the Newhall farmers Market, broccoli , carrots, and couscous with currants, pine nuts and shallots (also from the Farmers Market, I went with my cute friend Kerri and her adorable daughter Sienna on Thurs.) The older I get the more of a home body I become. I am happiest in my house, eating delicious food that I make (no waiting for a table and spending too much money on mediocre food!) and spending time with the people I love most!

It was perfect day for me!

Patrick Got Accepted to BYU!!!!

2009-02-14T18:02:00.001-08:00

The following is a really corny recreation depicting actual events which occurred

in the Spiker household on February 13th 2009.

Patrick high fives his brother upon reading an email

from Brigham Young University stating he has been accepted.

He will be attending BYU this fall.

Patrick doing the happy dance.

Patrick hugging his proud mother whose exuberance

about the good news is evident on her face.

Patrick then celebrated with dad while calling friends

and family to tell them the good news!

Lindsay and the Three B' words

2009-02-07T17:57:00.000-08:00

Well I know the title probably led you to believe this post is about Lindsay and three of her friends... but in this instance the three b' words are Birthday, Brunette and Boyfriend... (although Lindsay calls him her special friend). Yes, Lindsay turned 21 years old... think of all the time I will save not having to search her purse for fake ID's....

Lindsay looking at her favorite cinnamon creme cake and wondering "How can I move out and still get my dad to pay for everything.... I know, I will wish for it and blow out all my candles and my wish will come true..."

In case you didn't notice Lindsay is now a deep auburn/brunette. We love it. I even considered doing it!

But i am too chicken... Here is the birthday girl making the sugar fly!

This is Lindsay and her 'special friend', Curtis. He is nice.

I like him because he encourages Lindsay to clean her room. And he has a crush on me...

We love you Lindsay! Happy birthday!

Christmas, Kisses, Cookies, New Years and Zombies???

2009-01-18T20:52:00.000-08:00

We had a very relaxing, fun Christmas. As you will see below we did a lot of fun things while Court and Josh were in town. We spent New Years seeing the musical Smokey Joe's Cafe... can't say I recommend it. But we still had fun, as you can see above, we wore our party hats!

We decorated cookies...

And everyone wanted to kiss Mari... I am not sure why. She has violent tendencies. Anytime someone says or does something she doesn't like she threatens to stab them. I think she may need professional help.

Some of the finished cookies.

The boys thought it would be fun to shoot my recessed lights. They left the nerf darts on the light and they melted. Did I mention this was a 'boy' idea???

I got all the men/ boys those cool remote control helicopters, which they loved!... for fifteen minutes. Then they were all broken.

Courtney getting even with a nerf gun. A girl can only take so much tormenting before she strikes back!

The guys spent a lot of time watching football on the couch.

Lindsay..... soooo not a morning person!

On Christmas morning we had a fright when a zombie entered the living room unexpectedly! Courtney stabbed her thru the heart with some kind of zombie killing weapon and all was well. Seriously though, have you ever seen a scarier picture of a cute girl? Click on it for the full effect!

The girls snuggling down to watch Christmas Vacation

Two of my handsome men.

I have a dream!

2009-01-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have a dream, it may not be as lofty and idealistic as Martin Luther Kings dream, but it goes a little something like this... we buy a little house in Santa Barbara, a fixer upper, we invest a little money, a little elbow grease, have bamboo floors laid and decorate it in the style from Simplese (the store in the Bristol Farms shopping center) very European, everything off white, contemporary, but casual, beachy, but not shabby ( I actually have this house completely decorated in my mind, right down to the bathroom fixtures and lighting)... We go there on weekends. The kids come to visit, we ride bikes, play games, put together puzzles, shop, eat at little cafes, play with the grand children.... Nice dream, huh? But for now we will just have to make the hour and ten minute drive and do all those things, like we did last weekend!

Mari and Court trying on tacky hats.

Santa Barbara has great stores and yummy cafes!

All I could think about as I rode this thing was "Gob" from Arrested Development!

Patrick scaring his mother.

Me and Chris. Mari took this picture over her shoulder, while riding a bike. Impressive!

The boys on their Segues! Luke doesn't care about getting a license. He just wants one of these!

Courtney, Mari and Me

Steve's the man.... the old man!

2009-01-11T19:34:00.000-08:00

So Steve turned 51 on Dec. 23rd! We took him to Salt Creek on his actual birthday and then to Peach Tree Pottery in Mar Vista for some fun family time. Steve is an awesome husband and terrific dad. We all appreciate him so much. It's hard to buy him gifts... let's face it, if he wants something, he buys it! So I have been trying to be creative and give him experiences instead of gifts. If you have never done a pottery class, try it!

Patrick and me! You know, I am not nearly as fat as I think I am...

Chris flashing gang signs. He belongs to a really scary gang called 'lawyers'. They are the most feared gang in all the land!

Mari getting instruction from our teacher, Linda. I am pretty sure Linda is an awesome person, because awesome people are often named Linda. Or maybe it was just a popular name in the sixties. But I going to stick with my first theory.

Lindsay...Isn't she lovely?

Courtney's bowl fell over 2 times, so she ended up with a small 'plate'. That is a sad face!

Josh's pot was beautiful... Court's was beautiful in it's own way...

Luke and Steve "coning up".

The finished product! Aren't they pretty? I love them!

Nothing says Christmas quite like two men fighting in a cage!

2008-12-29T21:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas is all about peace, love, charity and RAGE IN THE CAGE! Steve took Chris, Josh, Patrick and Luke to Vegas to watch the huge MMA Ultimate Fight championship. We girls were much more civilized. We went to Santa Barbara for a day of girl fun. But I must admit when I came home and watched the fights on tv I was a little jealous I didn't get to go. I know I don't seem like the kind of girl that would like a blood sport, but strangely enough, I am!

Mostapha Al' Turk took quite a beating. Click on this photo to see the huge cut on his forehead that is filled with vaseline.

Quinton rampage Jackson knocked out Noguira in the first round.

Ryan Bader and his new best friend, Patrick. That is Josh grinning in the background.

The guys had great seats. the fighters had to walk past them coming and going.

Luke, Chris and Patrick

Steve said Luke was in MMA heaven

The guys view of the Octagon

Grandpa Jack's and Vanessa's Christmas visit!

2008-12-23T12:59:00.001-08:00

I am not big on decorating for holidays, with the one exception being Christmas! I love the lights, the tree, the stockings! But I especially love our once a year visit from Grandpa Jack and Vanessa. They make it out every year for the boys guitar recital and then every one comes over for lunch and a gift exchange. It is always good to see them.
   That... is a whole lot of stockings!

   Ashley, Lindsay, Grandpa Jack and Vanessa

   Grandpa Jack and Vanessa gave the boys 12 string guitars for Christmas! They love them!

   Every one was cold but me... And in my house, the cook rules the temp!

   Roxann and Lauren

   David and Kim

The big reward!

2008-12-20T17:35:00.001-08:00

Steve promised the kids $1000 if they made it to their 16th birthday without kissing and Luke is the only one that made it! (Actually, Chris made it to 17, but Steve only made the offer to the 4 younger kids. Chris says unlike Luke, he didn't have an opportunity to kiss anyone...) This is Luke at Grand Panda, his birthday dinner choice, receiving the big bucks! Courtney, Lindsay and Patrick all blew it and agree that no kiss before the age of 16 is worth a thousand dollars! Live and learn! Congrats and happy birthday to Luke!

Just a note from a proud mom... Luke is the baby and holds a special place in everyones heart! He loves his mama, is a good student, treats girls with respect, has developed a very funny sense of humor and is enjoyable all the time! I love him and am so proud of all his accomplishments and hope he does not run out and kiss anyone any time soon!

Lindsay and Mari E couture!

2008-12-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

Lindsay, Ashley and Courtney went to Santa Barbara Saturday to model headbands for Mari's website. These are just a few of Lindsay. To see the fabulous headbands, amazing photography and the other beautiful models visit marielizabethcouture.blogspot.com or just click on her link to the left!

Bidding Wars, Boa's and Gender Confusion on Broadway!

2008-12-08T15:57:00.001-08:00

I know, strange title for a blog post! But allow me to explain. Steve took his three favorite girls to New York for his company's annual Christmas Party! We had so much fun (as you will see from the huge amount of photos) but the highlight of the trip was definitely the night we went to see the broadway play "Hairspray!" We were so grungy after a day of shopping and sight seeing, and we had gotten all dressed up the night before to see Jersey Boys, so we went to the play in jeans and uggs, no make up etc... BAD MOVE!!! After the play, Harvey Feirstein who plays Edna Turnbladt asked for donations for Aids and breast cancer patients that do not have insurance. He said since the show was closing he wanted to auction off part of his costume, the boa's from his dress! Well guess who started bidding? Yes, my husband. And he won! So we got to go backstage to meet the cast and take pics! So fun!!! Pay attention to the photo of me and Lindsay mugging in front of the poster. You can see the boa's and flower from the costume we won!

Backstage with our loot!I have no idea what I will do with it... but it wasn't about the stuff...we sure do wish we had not been such slobs!

Backstage with John Waters! He wrote Hairspray (and is an actor, director etc...) I loved meeting him! I love the offbeat and strange, and his work is both! Hairspray closes in two weeks and this was his last time to see the show. He was leaving to be with his mother for the holidays. He was so gracious to us.

With Harvey Feirstein who plays Edna Turnbladt. I was so sad Harvey changed out of his costume before we took photo's! And yes, that really is his voice!

With Marissa Perry (Tracy Turnbladt) backstage! Nice girl.

30 Rock and Girls in the City

2008-12-08T15:44:00.001-08:00

After seeing Jersey Boys (loved, loved, loved it!) we headed over to Rockafellar Center to see the tree and take a ride to the top!

The Tree!

The girls dancing in the 'light room' at the top of the Rockafellar building.

Us and some of the execs from Ep at Rockafellar Center

Carriage ride in Central Park

The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem...

2008-12-08T14:25:00.001-08:00

They tried to make us go to rehab but we said "No,no,no!" Oh fine! We admit it! We have a problem and we are ready to enter rehab! We shopped and ate and shopped and ate... Nyc is an addicts dream...

Macy's!!!

Shoes are our drug of choice.

But a little chocolate from Max Brenner's is a good fix too. If you ever get to NYC be SURE to stop in! They have every chocolate concoction imaginable!

Italian Hot Chocolate

Chocolate Waffles

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crepes

It's Joel and Lindsay!

2008-12-08T07:36:00.001-08:00

If you are a "Soup" fan you will get the title of this post, if not, then you won't! Lindsay got to meet her boyfriend Joel McHale on the set of his show The Soup and watch a live taping. She wants to marry him. Too bad he is already married..,.

What people are thankful for, depends largely on who is asking...

2008-12-08T06:30:00.000-08:00

We had a nice, quiet, relaxing Thanksgiving. We spent it with family, although Chris and Mari and Courtney and Josh were in Utah. We missed them. I asked everyone what they were thankful for and discovered that the answer largely depends on who is doing the asking.... I asked Steve and he said "You", then I asked Patrick and he said "You and food" which kind of go hand in hand I think. I asked Lindsay and she said, and I quote " I am thankful for you mom, even though you won't make me breakfast and lunch any more because (now in a naggy voice imitating me) 'I am 21 and can make it myself!' you used to be a good mom!" Luke said "You and well, everything!" Do you see a theme here??? Chris and Mari broke the mold by saying they are grateful for their jobs and that in these trying economic time they are able to get by. Mari added she is grateful for her iphone. Courtney is thankful for her 'wonderful husband who loves and respects her' and Josh said he was thankful for family and Turkey bowl football. He also randomly stated that "child labor laws are silly and outdated" I agree! I am thankful for all the people below (and many friends and family not pictured) and the many ways in which they enrich my life. I love them all more than I can say!

I am thankful for Chris and Mari. They are such hard workers and never complain! They are also so sweet to eachother. He is a wonderful son and she is the best daughter in law ever!

I am thankful for Steve's mom, Rita and her husband, Glade. They are supportive, wonderful people. They are excellent grandparents and have always been there for us!

I am grateful for my mom (center) who is a great example to me. She is so healthy and energetic she puts me to shame! I am grateful for my sister, Pam and her husband Steve (left) and my other sister, Leanne and her husband, Dave (not pictured) and wish they were with us! I am grateful for Steve's siblings, Mark and Roxann, Cynthia and Curtis, and Richard and Rhonda too.It is so wonderful to have extended family close by! I am also grateful for my husband! I got a good one!

I am grateful for Josh and Courtney. She is a sweet daughter and he takes care of her so I don't worry so much! They are both so responsible and level headed! It amazes me!

I am grateful for Luke, Patrick and Lindsay for the fun they add to my life! I love taking care of them because I know they will be leaving way too soon! And for cousins, nieces and nephews (pictured above and below and some not pictured.. darn it!) that make life more fun and interesting!

A Real Must see....

2008-12-01T20:09:00.000-08:00

I never post about things like this, BUT I found this so interesting. We watched a documentary called "The Origins of Aids" on the Sundance Channel. It is a documentary filmed after the book "The River" made the startling declaration that scientists accidentally created the Aids virus by using chimpanzee cells in polio vaccines. Those polio vaccines were then given to millions of Africans in the Congo and thus AIDS was born. Frightening to say the least and still unproven (spoiler alert! it looks really, really bad for the scientists involved....) but if you like documentaries, this one is excellent!

They Say Everyone Has a Twin Somewhere in the World!

2008-11-25T10:47:00.001-08:00

So they say everyone has a twin somewhere in the world! I found mine. She was getting married so I loaned her my wedding dress/bikini. And because we are twins it fit her like a bikini/glove. Yes, as you can see she is at least 20 years younger than me... I guess that makes us fraternal twins, although we haven't been tested.
Actually Judy Phan found this Russian mail order bride somewhere on the internet, thought she looked like me and emailed it to me. Thanks Judy! Believe it or not I think it was a compliment! You know what the groom is thinking..."I can't believe I got this girl to marry me!" You know what the bride is thinking..."I can't believe this stupid American married me. In two years I will leave him and take all his money! I love America!" After looking at him, and then looking at her... for far toooooo long I might add... Steve said he thinks this is a fair trade.

Utah sure does make 'em cute... and talented!

2008-11-13T19:02:00.000-08:00

These two are so fun to watch! You won't believe she had surgery just two weeks ago!

I am excited!

2008-11-05T12:42:00.000-08:00

Well no matter who you voted for yesterday, you have to be excited about participating in a history making election! I am looking forward to seeing the changes that will come about under new leadership. Even if it means we pay more taxes..... My hope is that our country will become more unified. Maybe Obama can be that guy. Maybe he can be the guy to pull us together after years of seperation. A girl can always hope! Sorry I have to go, my husband is standing on a chair, with a rope tied around his neck, and he is trying to kick the chair out from.. oh gotta go!

Happy Birthday Mari, Josh and Patrick!

2008-11-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

We have 3 birthday's within 2 weeks of eachother. Mari Oct.28th, Josh Nov.2nd, and Patrick Nov. 11th! Happy Birthday to all! We love you and appreciate all you add to our family!

The secret is out!

2008-11-01T21:07:00.001-07:00

Kalai has been one of my favorite singer/songwriters for 2 years now. He is a staple on my Ipod. He sounds like James Taylor and Jack Johnson had a baby...a really talented baby. Not that this is possible but I think you will hear what I mean. He has sort of been a well kept secret and is now on the verge of making it huge! And while I am happy for him, I am a little sad for all of us that have enjoyed him quietly, with no hype. Courtney went to his last small appearance at a wedding in Utah. Lucky girl! He has been signed (by sony I think???) and won't be doing the smaller venues anymore. The Secret is out!

Lindsayisms

2008-10-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

What is a Lindsayism? A Lindsayism is a quote or comment made by Lindsay Spiker that makes us all laugh/cry... There have been many over the years....here are a few.

Comes out of her room at 2pm saying "Mom everytime I wake up, you are vacumning!"

After her father gave her a fathers blessing the night before school she opened her eyes and said " If i get straight B's on my report card, will you buy me an Audi?" Straight B's????She was serious.

Entering our beautiful house after being at a friends nicer house "We need to move. We live in a hole."

I Miss This Girl

2008-10-12T16:50:00.000-07:00

I want to her to come home.

Everything old is new again!

2008-10-12T13:09:00.001-07:00

Steve and I on our way to church. Okay, that is a lie. We went to the Entertainment Partner's Swingin' 70's Party! It was grooooovey baby! I actually liked my snake skin pants. The afro? Not so much!

Surprise!

2008-10-12T13:01:00.001-07:00

So I am on my morning walk, enjoying the lake and all the nature...you know, the occasional white crane, the ducks, the geese, a turtle floating nearby, when all of a sudden I see this! I think maybe he was a pet and someone dumped in in our lake. I think I will buy a high pitched whistle and some anchovies and try to train him! True story!

Triathalon!

2008-10-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

Patrick and Luke competed in a triathalon at Castaic Lake. They both biked, swam and ran all 3 legs of the race. patrick came in 4th place!

Newport trip!

2008-09-09T19:38:00.001-07:00

Hmmmmm... I wonder how this book made the best seller list......We love our trips to Newport! Beautiful weather, nice people, homes we can't afford! What's not to like! We take this trip with the extended Spiker Family and now that so many kids are married and having babies, it's even more fun and rare that we all get together.

Courtney and baby Scotty. He is borrowed... maybe someday soon she will have her own!

Court and Mari hangin' by the pool!

We rented a little boat and took a fun trip around the harbour to look at all the amazing houses.

On the ferris Wheel at Balboa Island with Lindsay. Apparently she hurt her head...she is wearing a bandage.

We finally went to Pageant of the Masters!

The boys playing on the beach. I want to live in Newport!

We buried Josh and then Courtney licked his face...I am not sure why, but he seemed to like it...newlyweds...

That Judy Phan...

2008-08-25T20:00:00.001-07:00

She's the best!

An Olympian in the Family!

2008-08-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

Steve's cousin Jake Spiker Gibb is on the Olympic Beach Volleyball team of Gibb/Rosenthal! They have won their first four matches! It so exciting to have an olympian in the family and strange as well...who would have thought Steve could have a 6' 7" relative? Any way every time we hear the commentators discussing that he is a "Spiker" we get a kick out of it! Go Gibb/Rosenthal!

Sayonara to our wonderful neighbors!

2008-08-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

Our wonderful neighbors, the Phillips family have moved to Japan! Although we feel very betrayed and abandoned we still miss them terribly. They were great neighbors. Here is a top ten list of things we liked about them.

10. They never complained.

9. The little girls called us Aunt Linda and Uncle Steve.

8. The little girls would tell Lindsay to clean her room (she didn't)

7. The little girls would ask me (Linda) if my dad (Steve) was home!

6. They gave us lots of green tea.

5. Bill and Rinna wouldn't let the girls have a dog, making us not look like such bad parents.

4. Grandma from China made us Chinese food!

3. They have given us a good reason to visit Japan.

2. The girls played chess and Guess Who with us when we were bored

1. They are wonderful people and great neighbors!

Fun at Lake Naci!

2008-06-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

To view, press play and after you view, it offers you more videos. Make sure you check out the cliff jump!

Luke never wakes boards, but this is him! He even tried to jump the wake

Melan: Patrick

HS Backroll Patrick Spiker

Cliff Jump

Patrick has mad skills. He lands almost all his back rolls and almost landed a 360

Steve Skiing like a twenty year old

Day trip to Cambria tide pools

2008-06-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

2008-06-29T16:59:00.000-07:00

Nice catch

Pat holding a nice 2 pounder

Luke holding one of his many catches.

Steve, Pat and Luke spent a week fishing in Utah. They caught some hungry cut throats at Strawberry Lake. Each day they caught over 40 fish. Luke caught the biggest fish though there is a dispute over this claim. Patrick caught a huge fish in the marina before the challenge began, cheating accusations are being made...

2008-06-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

Steve Andretti Spiker Dang, I look good in a uniform.

Alan, Steve, Glenn and Ken preparing to tee off in Vegas.
Steve in his new car. He says he about pooped his pants when he hit the corner going 155 mph.
For Christmas I gave Steve a day at the Jeff Gordon-Mario Andretti race school. He said it was the most exciting thing he has ever done! Yay me! I finally gave him something good! Besides the kids of course...Steve spent a weekend in April with his friends racing Indy cars and golfing. The ultimate testosterone trip! The top speeds where nearly 160 MPH. They had a great trip and managed to fit in five rounds of golf.