Seriously?

Our DD has a great eye for photography and just sent me this beautiful picture of her two girls. I had to document it here.

How beautiful and precious!

Then I could not leave this one in my inbox either.

Love them!

J & V Hodgman Cars (since 1979 when we were married) Or "Trip Down Memory Lane V-2"

Not sure why I didn't post this last year when I wrote it, but I must've been waiting for our new car to add.
Well I'll post about that special car in the near future, but for now....

......Since we have been married we have gone through many cars. The Hubby is definitely a car lover and is constantly reevaluating and scheming about the next vehicle purchase. As opposed to my first blog about the cars my parents owned during their married life together, this collection of cars is much more accurate. The Hubby remembers minute details of cars - especially ones he has owned and loved.

So, here is a quick rundown of all our old cars:

1967 ford custom 500 red/ white
   Bought in 77 from Hodgman parents

Uncle Brad Swenson outside of his Provo apartment in front of our car

1967 ford pickup tan camper attached
 Bought in '79 also from Hodgman parents

Vicki modeling the rear bumper

1981 Honda civic station wagon
We purchased this with $4,000. cash and a $2,000. loan. Payed off in 3 years.

GG Hodgman's campsite with the Airstream ("the Beer can") and their pickup truck.

One of our first runs to Costco - 1982?

1985 Chevy van blues 302 V-8.  Had a couch/ fold down bed, 3 speed w/overdrive. After my 4th child I locked myself out of this van at least 4 times. I soon learned the easiest way to break into it through the side pop out window.
Maybe I had a mushy brain for a couple years? 
                                      

Pregnant Vicki with David and Jonathan at the Colorado National Monument 11-85.

Mom, David (3 1/2), Jonathan (5 1/2)

This picture has a sign above the garage welcoming home our second girl, Stephanie in 1988.
We owned the Honda Civic station wagon and the Chevy blue van

1988 Chevy 1500 350 V-8 van.
Burgundy red/tan. This van had a nice closet, a refrigerator, and a more powerful motor. We got a great trade in from our prettier blue van and paid cash for the balance. Very nice not to have payments again.

Sundance mountain retreat for Uncle Steve's 40th b-day

Little picnic in a random parking lot out of the rear of the van.

Mom, Stephanie (1), David (7), Jonathan (9), Kathryn (3)

1992 Chevy Astro van teal. Purchased December 1991.

Jonathan and Dad coming around the corner on Joseph Ct in NW Portland.

1988 CJ-5 black jeep 302 Chevy engine.
Bought in 91, sold 92.

Finally found a picture of John in our Joseph Ct. driveway

1992 barely used Lexus SC400
        Garnett red.
Theres got to be a picture of this pretty car somewhere.

1994 Ford Explorer 4 speed. Forest green
     Built in HUGE telephone. 
Sold to Jonathan in 2002.

Joseph Ct. 3 car garage with room to walk around. I do miss this garage.

Explorer on R, Astro middle, Grandma Hodgman's white on L.

1996 Honda accord (1991) lt. green
   2 door, Jonathan drove traded for Prism ('98)

1996 Suzuki 1200cc motorcycle  - Sold in 1998
        cranberry / silver

1998 Prism green sold to David in 2004

Here it is today a little worse for the wear, but still chugging along nicely
(I wrote this 2 years ago and about 3 months ago David sold this for a cool thousand)

 It is amazing how much time we spend in cars and yet when I look for pictures of these past cars, they are very hard to find.
This is Stephanie decorating the Suburban for a high school graduation party for Kathryn.

What a nice little sister

1998 bought 99 Chevy Suburban, burgundy, in St.George, Utah while visiting   Mom and Dad Kelly
      • Added cost $1,200.00 just to get smog approval in California (gotta love 
             California and all its red tape)
      • Fit less cargo than Astro Van
      • Had the Suburban until 2004 when we purchased BMW.

1998 gmc Z 71 1500sierra. Sand beige   Gave to GGK's H in summer 98 back in maybe  2006 for a year then 2009 for a month. Michael had it at the U last year and then after we drove it back to California Tressa decided that she'd like to buy it from us. Sold to Tressa in 2011.

2000 Millenium Edition, Carrera 4 Porsche, 6 speed manual, violet chroma flare, natural tan leather interior

 John can clean a car up better than anyone I know.

 Michael added the "Jump Man" symbol. Nice touch.

2001 yellow used  (18,389 miles) jeep wrangler soft top for $16,856.94
Kathryn got her license in jan 2002, and was the first of our children to drive this car. We used it through hers, Stephanie's and Michael's high school years and then some. 
We just sold the jeep. It had 59,200 miles on it, has been in a couple of little wrecks, and has been loved nearly to death. Michael, Stephanie and Kathryn did NOT want us to sell it, but we needed to get it out of our driveway.

2003 Porsche Cayenne 2002 turbo 450 hp  off road lift. This was a very pretty car and was the first one that was a high performance that I, Vicki,  drove regularly. Spoiled me for regular cars. 

 This is my current car. I took a little while to get used to driving a non-truck/van, but I really like it now.
This is a fun car to drive and it minds me very well. It goes and stops on a dime.

It is a BMW 545i, black with black interior. We got it lightly used at the end of 2004 and I have been spoiled by its handling. 

We bought this next Honda at the same time as the BMW (December 2004) when we traded in the Porche Cayenne for them.

 Kathryn bought it from us as she was getting married. Get that puppy clean girls!

Lexy and Ellery helping Katz

2004 used Honda Accord 5 speed manual w navigation, dk  grey. This has been a great little car for her new family. This picture is cousin Lexy helping clean the car in our driveway while Ellery watches on. A fun time was had by all!

2005 Honda Accord, black exterior with beige interior. 5 speed, and …. yet another great Honda added to our collection. Stephanie bought this one in 2011. Here she is driving it on a long trip to Utah from CA.

2007 Porsche carrera 4S, meteor grey, coco interior with double stiched upholstery, 6 sp, Bluetooth, nav, etc.

My cute Hubby keeps it quite impeccably clean, as he has kept his cars for his entire life. This is often kept covered in our garage. 
His parents used to wash cars every Saturday whether they needed it or not, so he learned at a young age to respect these precious purchases.
I'll explain a little about how he cares for them in an example of one of our first noticeable differences of opinion. He couldn't believe that I would set things on the top or hood of a car, and he let me know that he was irritated when I set a book down on his hood. I didn't have a clue that he was serious, so I laughed and apparently it was not a joke. Mind you, it was the red and white 1967 Custom 500 and it was 11 years old so I had not even thought about what I was doing. Truthfully, if it had been bought yesterday I wouldn't have thought about it either. I just did not get it. I always used to set things on cars, as I would a fine piece of furniture. I would never scratch a car and set something dirty or uber heavy on it, but I learned to not set things on cars at that juncture. 

John's current commuter car. He drives to Brisbane from Los Gatos 5 days a week and shares rides with a couple of coworkers. We apparently love those Honda's.
2007 Honda Accord. Black, black interior, 5 sp. (Another change here. Michael now has this car in Utah while colleging -my exciting new word)

Me and My Gals

A couple months ago my DD called and invited me to meet up with her and her sister in Chicago for St. Patty's Day and a little Mom/Sister bonding time.
I obliged right away and we planned this little getaway........

Riding into the city on the "L" train.

 The first thing we did when we arrived was a night at Riverdance. "Heartbeat" is their new program and it was fabulous. A highlight of the trip and we had barely even began. The musical and dancing talent of the artists was wonderful, and made us want to dance ourselves.
Steph was barely in time and came from the subway toting all her luggage.

 The Oriental Theatre was also quite impressive. Everywhere you turn there is another interesting animal or shape to be seen. Truly a design feast for the eyes.
We walked back to the hotel because it was a balmy 38 degrees out and we knew that the next couple nights were going to be more like 18º without the windchill, so we'd better enjoy this night.

My kind of town

Another notable event was being followed by a very interesting and challenged homeless guy. He walked us through his territory along Wacker (pronounced "Vocker" if you care at all) and the river for a few blocks. Trying to tell him we were having a deep conversation, or saying goodbye, walking faster, slower, ignoring, etc. did nothing to shake him, but a solicitor for money made him mad and as he jabbered with her we were able to lose him. That cab looked pretty good about then.

Next morning we woke up and headed toward the river. We didn't spot Tommy Lee Jones, or Harrison Ford, but it seemed like everyone else was there. The river turns a very bright green. It's pretty cool.

 All dressed up for the Irish celebration.

Cool dog buddy!

 I always like a good library. They tend to be some of the best architecture in any city, so when we saw this one we took a detour inside. Any inside was good today, so we kept finding excuses to get out of the cold. It however, is not the library anymore but my original reason for entrance was not lost on us anyway.

 Look at this amazing stained glass cupola. The ceilings, mosaic floors, marble walls and columns were just beautiful.

 Then we walked with the crowd toward the parade route and past the public art. Cloud Gate or "The Bean" was completely cordoned off from the crowds, but we still got a first good look and pictures.

Many interesting people could be seen.

 And of course bag pipes and drum marching bands. What a great sound.

I always like things that are as old as I am.

After the parade, we met up with some friends for a deep dish Chicago style pizza. Jonathan Walton and his wife are living in Chicago for his doctorate studies and suggested an authentic pizza place. Good company and good food.

The main park is fodder for Steph antics here. Both models have lost their bows.

 No matter what I do, this thing isn't going to budge.

 We woke up early on Monday morning so we could be alone with The Bean.
One of the most popular pieces of public art in the country. Wonder why? It is about me. (Or you.)
Pretty funny really. We came around when the park reopened on Saturday after the parade, this place was PACKED.

 We did find someone to help us take our pictures. Of course we took shots of them too.

 Now we are looking around for more cool public art. These guys were pretty odd.

 And then to the art you have to pay to see. Huge awesome art museum.!

 I liked this Renoir especially - so my DD bought a print of it for me. Thankee!

 I also think Chagall is pretty interesting and so I made the girlies run around to the other side of the museum at closing time to spot it.

 This was just one of our yummy meals. The sweet one. Actually a couple of the others were SWEET too, but not in the same way.

 The Disney display at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Yes..... it is 18º on this fine Sunday afternoon. That is without the windchill factor which put it at about 8º. YIKES!

 Very industrious I think.

 On actual St Patricks Day we went up to the top of Willis Tower and overlooked the big city.

 The glass overlooks are pretty crazy. Makes you have a bit o' weakness in the knees.

 Katz as her dramatic twin.

Don't fall Steph.

I also like store front art. This one of old sewing machines is right up me alley.

I so enjoyed spending 1 on 1 time with my darling daughters for a few days. Truly a treat for me.