doG Blog

So here is a before picture back on June 29th, 2005.

Now with under a month away, the progress…will look like this

We have recently been invaded with a new sensory table that is themed with a Castle, Dragon, Princess, and Knight. Very cool. There is a cool castle for the kids to get right in there with there imagination. The drawbridge really works over the water and the moat has a cool wooden looking boat to set sail. This was Kate’s birthday gift for the big #1 from Grandma Karen. Kylie really loves it as it adds a new sense of imagination. Kate mainly likes to just toss figurines into the castle. Summer is here. Yeah

OK this is one of embarrassing proportions…I just arrived home from work and Kari was heading out to her job and we were all in the family room. Kari was getting ready by us and I was playing with Kate and Kylie. I suggested and brought the little plastic individual necklace pieces over on the carpet where Kate, just the other day has liked to pick up and put in a container. Just as they were playing Kari made a statement of “you let her(Kate) play with those?” I said yes, explaing just the other night Kate had started to play ‘dump them out’ and then ‘fill up the jar.’ What Kari was getting at the fact that they are small little plastic pieces that she could eat and normally Kate has been sticking things in her mouth, but NOT these. Not before Kari could finish, Kate has stuck a ‘Little Red Plastic Turtle in her mouth.‘ Oh my gosh! Well Kate swallowed the Turtle! Little side note-Dad not looking so good right now. So after the Kylie had said “oh my gosh” several times and mom/dad “I think Kate ate the turtle” we realized surely, Kate ate the red plastic piece. So checked with my mom, Grandma Pat and she said the old fashioned remedy was for them to eat bread. Sounded good to me. Better than turtle. Kari and I also called the nurse helpline at Children’s Hospital…we have it on speed dial and they said YES, eat lots of breads and as long as she can breath good now it most likely made it to her stomach. What a funny and serious moment all within 10 minutes. So anyway we are also instructed per the nurse to look for a ‘Little Red Turtle’ in the next few days. Ah the joys of Parenthood…

Kylie has turned the corner and has graduated to the next level in her swim class on Thursday, June 16th, 2005. She has achieved high marks and is moving from the ‘water wings’ flotation devices to being able to have a ‘back floaty’ which makes her work hard at her swimming techniques. She is a natural Mom and Dad are so proud of Kylie! Kylie is so excited and looking forward to going and getting in the pool. Watch out world…this is the beginning of an Olympic champion. Congratulations Kylie!

Well it has finally been done. We signed on the house on May 29th. The moment had finally come and it was great to get things more cement on paper after waiting since late October. We held out for Lot #21 in Cascade Crest, a sub-division at Snoqualmie Ridge. The lot is a great size to let Kylie and Kate explore. There is a great rock wall on the Right and back side of the yard to play on and fall off. Also if th trees in the back keep falling, our view of north east will continue to increase. We are ecstatic and exhausted to have this completed. Now we move into the selection phase and then finally construction mode 5 months down the road. Total time of completion Quadrant is saying, will be 8 1/2 months. I believe our address will be something like 6506 Douglas Ave SE…The Gage’s :-0

Out of respect for Steve, I have chosen to not post for a one month moratorium. Thanks for being patience, your kind words, and understanding from everyone during this time.

~~~Announcement~~~There will be a Memorial Service for Steven Lee Gage, held at Abide Baptist Church at 2PM on June 26th, 2005. Family and friends are welcomed and encourage to attend for all who knew Steve.

Directions via Google Maps: click here

If any questions, Please contact David Gage at dogage@gmail.com

With many thanks… The Gage Family

On May 26th early in the morning, Steven made his way to go “to see Someone special.” I can’t say how proud I am to be his brother. He was really popping into his element learning new trades and crafts with renovating his latest purchase, a nice home. Each of the several times periodically, we met on the airways of our cell phones. Most times we spoke, Steven was having a hard time containing the news that he just accomplished something really cool for his home like laying tile or planning the kitchen out. It sounded like it was really coming together. His job also seemed to be evolving into something he hadn’t experienced much before, gaining satisfaction on doing a job for someone else and getting paid for it. As each day went by he gained valuable knowledge and experience. His growth continued. On his personal side he was really a loving person. Steven wanted so much to be one in a relationship and then to eventually have kids. He saw ‘that’ experience as a personal goal, which lead him through life. I valued his input for many instances, usually focusing on his expertise and will miss Steven very much. I know he loved his Mom, Family and Friends dearly and we love him too. He really made a wonderful impact into our lives, and will be missed beyond words. I can just see him now…looking down on all of us with his big grin, short spikie hair and tan skin saying this is what he wanted and he is where he wanted to be. I know that on the day he passed, Steven was indeed “going to see Someone special.” Love ya bro.

***I welcome Friends and Family to contribute a feeling, a message, a thought or even a story which celebrates Steve’s life.

For some time we have been looking for a new bike for the Kylielall that the little 10″ wheeled bike just doesn’t cut it anymore. Her knees don’t get to fully extend. So Kari looked over the weekend at the community garage sale and found a 12″ wheel bike that is PINK with Spokie Dokies, littered with Flower Stickers all over it. It is a Hot looking Ride cool! Anyway last night while Kate was sleeping, I was able to get the Vroom Vroom Training Wheels on it, seat adjusted and handlebars. Kylie test rode it around the townhome and loved it. It’s a bit higher and intimidating but she did great getting a feel for how far you can lean or fall over until the training wheels take over. She loves it. Each day we’ll practice lots and Kylie will build up her ability to feel comfortable and just ride all over those insecurities. Again time for that small pill…Either way Mom and Dad are really proud of Kylie.

Over this last week or so Kate has been walking. She is up to about 8 steps now and is so cute to watch. Her independence shows right on her face in the form of a big grin. Our little one is growing up. Pretty soon we’ll have to feed her the small pill, just as we have been giving Kylie Look out world as we’ve told Kate that the world is at her feet…and she is taking it literally.

Well I have been slacking on posting for a while. We made the move. Done. I consider it an organizational work in progress. Each day leads to new questions like ‘where is the laptop’ and ‘who’s seen my shirt’ and the infamous ‘where is that paperwork that we so desperately need?’ Fun times

Kari and I were able to celebrate our 7th Anniversary on May 1st, day before the actual date- Yippee! **Kari, you are not just my Beautiful and Loving Wife but also the Greatest Mother to Kylie and Kate We were fortunate to have my mom and Jim, who were willing and able to come out and enjoy our kids while we could sneak away to Jaks. Had a wonderful time as usual. Looking forward to each and every day we have together, building a stronger and more meaningful relationship. Love you wifee.

So now we look forward to hearing more about our upcoming housing situation. We were informed the date is tentatively set for the 24th of May to sign for the house from Quadrant. Once signing takes place, we go through all the processes in picking options, etc and should be completed in 6 to 7 months. So we are looking at a move in time of November/December. We’ll keep you posted.

My beautiful girls, Kylie and Kate have really transitioned well during this crazy time in our life. It can be confusing about moving from one temporary home to another and explaining that we are not yet in our ‘permanent’ home and feel as if we are being confusing. I am very thankful they, well Kylie gets it.

Well we finished moving almost all the furniture over to the new place. It went really well. The 3 teenagers found themselves willing and able to help again, showing up at 5ish. The two hours it took were just what Kari and I needed to feel good about getting out of the residence on time. Now we just have some cleaning and last minute stuff to load up, like Kylie and Kate’s beds. The wonderfully lumpy futton we slept on the floor, something I do not advise will be soon sold at the garage sale. Next it is essentials and food and then we are out of there.

Kylie is getting ramped up about her new room. She would like to have green, orange and pink dinosaurs on the walls but we had to inform her that wasn’t going to happen Bummer for a 4 year olds imagination. They’ll just be all over the floor and dresser and anything they will lay on.

The Fifth(or so) annual ‘Gage’ move has been a great success and can’t wait for the Sixth at the end of the year and hopefully the last.

We have been slowly moving stuff over to our new place about 2 blocks down the road and it has been as usual, a tedious task. It always turns out to be so much more than you expect. I feel we have made some large dents with setting up and organization from the beginning. Nice feeling I was taking a break on Saturday night after work to cook some chicken on the BBQ in between runs to the new place. Three boys were walking by and I did not even know I was saying it, but I said “wanna make some money.” Huh? The said, uhm how? Well, moving I said. Like when, they asked? Tomorow at 11AM. They said maybe they would show up. So the next day came around and Kari said to me around 10:30AM, have you ever thought what you are going to do if those boys show up? Oh yah. We’ll I guess we’ll move the garage. And at 11AM the boys showed up. Two hours later, the garage was cleaned out…for the most part. So it just goes to show how exerting yourself sometimes really pays off.

Kylie Shae

Kate Marie

Hi All, just thought I would get some somewhat current pics of my kids up. These were actually taken back in late January when we went to Whistler with Brandon and Kristin. It was great…at least for Kari and I as we had some permanent babysitters

So Kari and I have been waiting to buy a house in our planned community, Snoqualmie Ridge. We began on the intent to purchase list as #3 and quickly moved up to #1 in the first release. The builder has kept on releasing plats that were not what we were looking for and finally we think they are coming up on releasing the last section where our desireable lot is located. I have heard that next week might be the date. The buildup of addreniline and anticipation is draining. We are so excited to see this phase over and move on. This house is a huge undertaking that we will invest our lives and our children’s (Kate-Age 1 this month & Kylie-Age 4) as well as our financing making it a Home. All of you who have been through this knows what I mean. Each house is just a house, but making it a Home and growing it to live up to it’s potential is undescribale.

Guinness Many, a girl was advised by her mother to find herself a GUINNESS® man - and by that she didn’t just mean a man who liked to drink it.

Arthur and his successors set wages at 10-20% above the local average, guaranteed widow’s pensions, gave paid vacations (unheard of, then), provided free medical care, homes, education and a host of other benefits, making a brewery worker quite a catch.The workers received free GUINNESS® stout every day, and in the unlikely event that they didn’t want to drink it, they could opt instead to receive an additional “beer allowance” in their pay packet.

In other words, they were paid well to make a drink they were given to drink and also paid well not to drink the drink they’d already been well paid to make. Brilliant.

the legacy continues now in every household, not subjected to social class, rich or poor…drink on