Cheese and Chocolate

Can't find the words

2012-01-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

I've been in trouble lately for not keeping up with the blog. It's not that I don't want to. Or even that I can't make the time. It's just that I've had a hard time figuring out what to say. The word we have used most often to describe our current-life situation is "weird". But, that doesn't really explain it at all. We've been busy sorting out all the many details that come with moving across the world but none of that makes a very interesting blog post.

I suppose the reason we can't find a better word is because there isn't really a way to explain how we are feeling. We are full of hope and anticipation yet full of sadness at the same time. One thing I have really appreciated about all of this is that although it is a very emotional process, all those emotions reaffirm to us that we have so many people to love and so many people who love us. We have been forced to examine our relationships with our friends and family and find out how deep those feelings are. It's kind of a silver-lining. We have so many eternal relationships (both friends and family) that we can take with us. Just knowing that gives me strength and comfort.

So, for now, I'll just embrace the emotions (and the daily tears) for what they are. A reminder of how blessed we are. If there is one thing I've learned from selling everything we own and getting back to basics, it would be that our relationships with others truly are the only things we can take with us. What a great blessing! Family relationships as well as dear friendships can last forever if we let them! That's what it's all about and that's what this process has taught me!

p.s. maybe I'll get back to normal, happy, picture-laden posts sometime soon! :)

first of the "lasts"

2011-09-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

We're entering a new phase at our house. It's a strange phase to be in where everything is "for the last time before we move." This last week was the annual Fun Run at our kids' school. Grandma and Grandpa were there (as usual) and it was hard not to think about how we will miss this yearly event. The kids love running with Grandma and Grandpa (how cool are their grandparents?) and it's something they look forward to all year.

We'll be slowly letting go of a lot of things in the coming weeks and months. It is a strange feeling really. Like being awake in a dream. It's not all sad though. Over the past few weeks as this new idea has begun to settle in to our hearts, we have felt peaceful and sure of our direction. We have also been blessed with so many kind words and heart-felt expressions of love and friendship. And, just when we start to feel a little overwhelmed or discouraged by all that lies ahead of us, there is an encouraging email in our inbox, a perfect message in an Ensign article or verse of scripture or inspiration in a made-for-us Mormon Message.

As they say in France:
"La vie est belle!"
Life is beautiful!

A song of hope....

2011-09-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks have been particularily humbling...the best way I could describe this experience reminds me of a discussion I had not too long ago with a good friend at work who lost the most precious person in his life.

In our experience, while the loss of a life is not our particular trial at this time, we truly feel a loss of much that had become a great part of our heart. A home which had been a dream for many years, a career for a magnificent company that perhaps could have blessed our family for years to come, the comfort of so many "things" that brought a sense of security, the many friends each and everyone of you who have enriched our life so greatly, a community and ward which are filled with true brothers and sisters - for it is the way I feel about each individual and so much more....

The best we could describe this change of circumstances is that of a dark room where you know that somewhere, someplace, there is a door hiding a beautiful scenery filled with light but there is no way to see it until you find your way closer to it. You know deep in your heart that you have to go through this room but the darkness seems so overwhelming. All we get to have, through the goodness and love of our father in heaven is this small candle which provides enough light to be able to see one small step at a time. There is great hope knowing that the Lord has intended for you to be on this path but the walk is truly of walk of faith.....

And so we strive to walk, day in and day out, one step at a time with great hope for the beauty to come...knowing the beauty will never again look exactly like what we have been able to experience so far. But whatever it is that we will discover, we know...will be bright....

Today, Amie found this "Song of hope" in her long forgotten files which meant the world to us a few years ago when her and I were newly married, lost on the top floor of a very little appartment in France over a train yard.....hoping to start a family amidst the difficulties, challenges but unseen opportunities that would lie ahead. I hope and pray it will mean something to you if for any reason you too are...embarked on your own journey, holding your own candle not knowing the end from the beginning. It is a great reminder of what is within our own hearts if we will but just find and hang on to it.....

A Song of Hope

Rainbows remind us that life us

an endless journey of new beginning,

of miracles, of wonders and of

dreams. Hope is the free

Spirit that rides on the wings of

each of these dreams. It's song is

of courage and tells us to believe

in ourselves, to reach for

dreams, and never give up.

Hope is a gift we give ourselves.

Once we have it, it will never

leave us for it becomes a part of

what we are. And although it

may seem difficult to find sometimes,

it is always there for us,

somewhere in the heart. Every

joy in life is only loaned to us

for awhile, so dream your dreams

and follow your heart wherever it

takes you. Be happy and believe

that life is unfolding just

the way it is supposed to.

-author unknown

We are thankful for a loving father in heaven who loves us so deeply that he is providing us with this opportunity to walk on faith and grow. We pray and hope that we will prove worthy to see what's behind that door.....

I will go, I will do...

2011-09-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

Those words have been repeated in our minds so many times over the past three weeks. We are going to need to find some of Nephi's courage in order to take the next step in our life.

As many of you know, it has been a couple of years now that we have felt unsettled in our current situation. We knew something wasn't right and we thought it was all related to Roland's job. We searched, prayed and searched some more for the answer. Nothing was working. Even when he was offered a job at exactly the place he had hoped for, in the department he wanted to be in, we felt sick about it and knew it wasn't our answer. We carried on knowing that the Lord would reveal it to us in His time.

A few weeks ago we had been particularly consumed with the subject of our future and what our next step should be. We spent some time at my Aunt's cabin as a family and made it the focus of our weekend. Still no answer. The next day was Sunday and we came to church feeling humble and really searching for some glimmer of inspiration. The Spirit was strong and we were both touched. At one point during the meeting I looked up at Roland and in my heart, I heard the words "It's time to go". I knew immediately what this meant. It is time for us to move back to France. We had our answer but it was so different than what we expected! I felt so peaceful that day and I knew that peace was from the Lord. Roland and I met in his office after the meeting and cried together as we realized what the next step would involve for our family.

Since that day we have felt peace and comfort from Heavenly Father helping us to know that even though He is asking us to take a step into the darkness, he will continue to shine the light ahead of us and we will find the place where he needs us to be right now.

There is so much to do and so much to think about. I will keep my blog updated through the whole process and even more once we get to France in January. In the meantime, we'll just keep singing..."I will go, I will do the things the Lord commands!..."

It's coming...

2011-03-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

We've been planting seeds and getting our yard ready! Maybe Spring will come after all!

The kids were so happy to be outside that they didn't even mind doing yardwork.

I wonder how long we can milk this one!

at the {French} park

2011-02-27T19:23:00.000-08:00

One day the kids were going a little stir crazy at Mamy and Papou's place and starting to drive everyone nuts! I knew we needed some fresh air and some space to breath ASAP or else things would go from bad to worse. One thing I love about Lyon (and probably other big cities?) is that there are little parks and playgrounds tucked in wherever they have small plot of unused space. They are everywhere! You walk for 15 minutes and pass 3 of them. On this particular day I just took them to the small park right across from the apartment. Roland thought it was too small, but the kids did NOT mind at all. They were so happy to be free for a few minutes! It was just what we all needed in order to be a happy (extended) family again!

back to France!

2011-02-06T20:01:00.000-08:00

I still have so much to catch up on! Tonight it's more of our Fabulous, Fun, French Family! Unfortunately I could not find my camera in the dark, quiet room where our twin nieces were sleeping on the afternoon of the visit we had from Mamy's side of the family. Thank goodness Aunt Lucille forwarded her pics, but since they were all taken by her we don't have any of Lucille herself!

Flavio is Mamy's only brother. He has one son, William (did you notice that Roland has one cousin on each side?!). Flavio is a truck salesman. I love that he makes family a big priority. On the day he and Lucille and William were supposed to visit us there was a snowstorm. They live a couple hours away and when it snows in France the country just shuts down. He called to tell us that things weren't looking good, but rather than just give up he promised that they would hit the road as soon as they could. They arrived 2 hours later than planned and weren't able to stay very long, but they really wanted to see us and the rest of the family for Christmas. It was great to be with them.

Florent is Mamy's cousin. When they were younger, Florent was partially raised by his Aunt, Mamy's mother. He is like another brother to Mamy. He and his wife, Pascale also made a great effort to come and see us. There were so many people there that day and it was a little chaotic. Our only regret is that we didn't have more time to talk with Pascale and Florent!

While they were there, Emilie and Lydie were showing off their dolls and Aunt Lucille saw them and mentioned that she had some doll clothes at home that her grandmother had made for her when she was a little girl. She had been saving them all these years not knowing who to give them to. When she saw Emilie and Lydie with their dolls she knew they needed to have those clothes! I couldn't believe it. 50-year-old handmade doll clothes! And, the amazing thing is they fit perfectly! These pics are the ones I took to send to her of the dolls in her doll clothes. Lucille is someone who always tries to do good. I had a great time visiting with her!

A great day!

2011-02-05T18:17:00.000-08:00

We are so proud of Eric and his decision to be baptized today. It was truly a great day. We are so grateful to all the friends and family who have influenced our sweet boy and supported our efforts as parents.

Lego love

2011-02-03T19:44:00.000-08:00

This year is special for many reasons.

One of them is that Eric had his first friend party.

Above is the Lego centerpiece, Lego-guy-head treat bouquet, and the guess how many Legos game. (there were 300 and Brayden won!)

They were each given the same little set of Legos in their party bags and they had a race to see who could put it together first. Zach was the champion this time!

For this game they each picked a partner and had a bowl full of Legos. They took turns carrying their Legos on a spoon to an empty bowl across the room. They all finished really fast! Charlie thought is was so funny to watch them. He was giggling and giggling. :)

Eric is lucky to have such great kids to call friends!

Brayden, Chase, Josh, Isaac and Zachary

The cake was not very pretty to look at (I was trying to do too many things at once today and the frosting suffered for it) but it tasted good!

Hooray for friends and parties and especially FRIEND PARTIES!

The BIG birthday...

2011-02-03T05:44:00.000-08:00

How we got to this point I'm not exactly sure. But, we're here. Our buddy boy is 8 years old. He was invited to Cub Scouts yesterday (one day early!) and I just couldn't believe it! How can I have a Cub Scout? My brother is a Cub Scout, not my son! Oh goodness.

Things we love about Eric:

his creativity

his tender heart

his sense of humor (and his great laugh to go with it!)

his appetite!

the way he treats his siblings (most of the time)

the way Charlie already adores him

the way he adores his Dad

We love you, buddy boy! Happy Birthday!

French family part II-Papou's creche

2011-02-02T17:35:00.000-08:00

Every year when Roland was a child he remembers helping his Dad set up their very special nativity. His Dad made the little houses from medicine boxes. It is a tradition we have in our home too. When they heard we were coming for Christmas, Roland's parents saved the nativity so that the kids could help set it up with Papou. They loved looking at all the pieces Papou had made so many years ago.

Fabulous, fun, French family!

2011-01-31T19:09:00.000-08:00

This is the first in a series of posts about our loved ones across the sea!

This is Roland's Aunt Annick and Uncle Marc. Their son (and Roland's only cousin on his Dad's side) is Dimitri who plays the saxophone and Dimitri also has one son, Nani. I love visiting Annick and Marc's home. Annick has a great sense of style. She loves all things retro and when you walk into her house you feel like you are walking back to the 1960s. Marc is a poet (doesn't he just look like a French poet?) and he is so kind and always aware of others. I like to visit them because he makes sure that I am always included and that I understand everything. Annick always has gifts for the kids (actually, everyone we met had gifts for the kids!) and since she has such great taste and a love for shopping, the gifts are always to die for! Annick is Papou's sister and I think she has their mother's Greek genes. Isn't she pretty?

This one was taken while they were visiting us the day after Christmas and Lydie kept Annick very busy with her dolls. Lydie had no problem communicating and reaching out to everyone!

Nani was the first child that we spent time with while we were there and it was so exciting for us to watch Eric use is French skills with him. He just took off and never once asked for help. Even Emilie had very few problems! I guess all that driving I've been doing has been worth it. :)

We interupt our regularly scheduled programming...

2011-01-30T18:57:00.000-08:00

...for this sweet face!

I still have a bunch of pics from our trip that I have not posted but I just couldn't resist posting these pics of our Charlie boy!

French cemetary...

2011-01-16T21:08:00.000-08:00

I had told the kids before our trip that the cemetery in Lyon was really scary. They have all these little houses where the keep the remains of entire families. There are rows and rows of these stone structures and it's very different. I would not want to be stuck there at night! Creepy!

even the carousels are more charming

2011-01-13T18:29:00.000-08:00

Maybe it was just because we were in France. Maybe it had something to with being at the Christmas Market in France. I'm not sure. BUT, this carousel was adorable. The kids were so excited about it and didn't care one bit that it was freezing cold. The Christmas Market is completely charming that way.

The cathedral on the hill

2011-01-12T18:18:00.000-08:00

Fourvière is the most famous cathedral in Lyon. It sits on a hill that overlooks the city. The hill has been used by the religious for thousands of years and is known as the "praying hill". The cathedral is surrounded by the ruins of religious structures from as early as the 6th century. Fourvière itself was built in 1896. Something that amazes me about these famous churches is how tourists are allowed to come in and take pictures while people are trying to pray and worship. I almost felt bad walking through with the kids (we even had the stroller). They have signs that ask for respect and reverence but it still felt weird.

One of the many beautiful stained-glass windows

This is the view of the city from the courtyard of Fourvière. Very pretty!

And below, a shot of the kids outside the cathedral just to prove there were people on this trip! :)

just a few more

2011-01-11T18:35:00.000-08:00

The view from Roland's parent's 4th floor apartment building.

(above and below)

I tried to talk to the kids about what an apartment building is like before we arrived. I told them that it was a big building with lot's of little houses inside. You go in the main door and then take the elevator up to Mamy and Papou's house. Roland and I were rather amused when we got there and entered the main door. The first thing Lydie did was take off her shoes. Right there on the tile floor in the lobby. She was so tired from our long journey that we didn't even bother to explain it to her till the next day. I just picked up her shoes and carried them to the elevator. Needless to say it wasn't the last learning experience for the kids! City life is nothing like our little sheltered life at home.

Yep. Those are chocolate suckers. Chocolate Santa suckers to be exact. The kids were completely delighted with them. I have to admit feeling a little jealous myself.

Scratching the surface...

2011-01-10T20:08:00.000-08:00

....of the many pictures I have to post! I have been feeling a little guilty that I haven't had time to edit and post any pics from our Christmas in France. I edited just a few this evening. I'll post more as I have time to edit them.

This bike was parked at the Christmas market. I love the yellow!

yummy treats that look so realistic!

My first time seeing the Eiffel Tower did not disappoint!

And, the open-air farmer's markets thrive all winter long. I could spend hours wandering the markets.

Grateful...

2010-11-26T19:43:00.000-08:00

cousins Claire and Emilie

Aunt Katie helped the kids make turkeys with cookies and candies.

mom's beautiful table.

more cute cousins- Gregory and Lydie

our handsome bird carving man :)

another shot of the table with our salads all ready to go.

wouldn't be Thanksgiving without mom's famous butter rolls!

3 girls in the kitchen

Lydie had a great time keeping Grandma Lytle company. She sat and talked to her for hours!

Hope your holiday was as wonderful as ours!

These are a few of my favorite things....

2010-11-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

....that was the theme of Emilie Sue's 6th birthday party. We celebrated a day early at Grandma and Grandpa's house so we could celebrate Grandpa's birthday too.

We played a matching game of "Emilie's Favorite Things". Her presents were all wrapped in brown paper and tied up with strings. She had a garland with cream-colored ponies and sleigh-bells on it. And, her doll was wearing a white dress with a blue satin sash! (Can you tell that I was a little bit excited when she told me that she wanted a Sound of Music party? Seriously!? I love this girl!)

The birthday duo eating their delicious birthday meal :)

happy girl!

playing the "snowflakes that stay on my nose" game.

You guessed it! She had crisp Apple Strudel for dessert (it was really fun to make!).

Happy Birthday to our precious, sweet little Emilie Sue. We love you!

Hooray for Veteran's Day!

2010-11-11T11:46:00.000-08:00

the kindergartners sang the Armed Forces Medley

Our veterans came to support her and be recognized by the school for their service to our country

We love our veterans!

Happy Veteran's Day!

All dressed up....

2010-11-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

...with nowhere to go (yet)!
We had some time to kill before church this morning and the kids were begging to use the camera. I let them each take a few. Daddy came home to get us for church in the middle of our photo shoot so he got in on the fun too. :)

Costumed kiddos

2010-10-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

Charlie was a bee. It is an old costume of Eric's and he looked pretty hillarious!

I just love Charlie's little face!

Grandma gave them the best reaction!

Little mouse Lydie!

don't you love Emilie's pouty face?!

little mice

1 happy little Indian! He was so excited to have a bow and arrow. :)

I know, I know. The family theme thing just didn't happen this year. I tried to talk them into Golidlocks and the 3 bears (Lydie would be a darling Goldilocks and Eric and Emilie could have been mama and papa with Charlie as baby bear), but it wasn't "cool" enough. Oh well. I knew I would have to give it up someday! :)

Happy Halloween!

Joyeux Anniversaire!

2010-10-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mamie! There are so many things to love about my mother-in-law but I'll list a few:
-her cooking! mmmmm
-her contagious laughter
-her faith
-the way she gets excited to learn new things
-the way she talks louder and faster when she feels strongly about something (she is Italian, after all!)
-the way she is drawn to the jewelry section of the store like a magnet
-the way she can sew herself a skirt and 2 aprons in one day
-the way she showers her family (especially her grandchildren) with love.
-did I mention her cooking?!
We love you Mamie! We are praying that we'll get to see you very soon!

Mamie joyeux anniversaire! Il ya tellement de choses à aimer de ma belle-mère mais je vais énumérer quelques-unes:
-Sa cuisine! mmmmm
-Son rire contagieux
-Sa foi
-La façon dont elle se hâte d'apprendre de nouvelles choses
-La façon dont elle parle plus fort et plus rapide quand elle sent fortement sur quelque chose (elle est italienne, après tout!)
-La façon dont elle est attirée sur la section bijoux du magasin comme un aimant
-La façon dont elle peut se coudre une jupe et 2 tabliers en une journée
-La façon dont elle aime sa famille
-Ai-je mentionné sa cuisine?!
Nous vous aimons Mamie! Nous prions pour que nous obtiendrons de vous voir très bientôt!

79 degrees

2010-10-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

That's what the temperature gauge in my van said today as we were driving home from a hike up to Stewart Falls. That's right. It's October 16th and we went for a beautiful hike where my kids were complaining that I made them bring sweatshirts. Amazing. I know. Here are the pics to prove it.

Lydie, Emilie, Zachary (front), Eric, Brayden and Ethan

Thank you to our friends for inviting us!

FUNdraiser!

2010-09-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

Every year our school has only one fundraiser. They host a 1-mile fun run and encourage the kids to find sponsors. Parents and grandparents will happily sponsor them while feeling grateful that they don't have to buy cheap chocolate or tacky wrapping paper. The kids all get a school t-shirt to wear for the run too. This year Eric and Emilie chose to run with Grandma and Grandpa (they were quite possibly the only grandparents participating! Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma!). It was Emilie's first run and she was the 4th girl to finish (the kindergartners got a head-start but she did really well!) Eric was one of the early finishers as well! Way to go kids!

waiting (and waiting some more) for the run to start

"Do you have to take a picture in front of my friends, mom?"

heading to the starting line

ready to run!

cute little cheer-leaders in their school shirts!

crossing the finish line! Look at her cute red cheeks. She did awesome.

Hooray for Eric!

It started raining during the run and the girls were shivering with their Otter Pops but they all had a great time.

Emilie Sue....

2010-08-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

....started kindergarten today. Oh my goodness. I really can't believe this. It was so weird to have just 2 kids to load in the van after we dropped her off. She was very brave and so excited.

I'm not sure which made me more sad, watching Emilie go off to school or watching Lydie say goodbye to her best friend. Lydie adores her sister and has never really done anything without her. They went to preschool together, they play together, they go to birthday parties together, they even shower together. Lydie is feeling a little lost today! I know it will be good for both of them but I can't help but think about how a chapter of their lives is ending.

can't this be stopped?!

2010-08-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

who gave him permission to be so big all of a sudden?

I'm serious! This is not funny! You can't be in 2nd grade yet!

Love you buddy boy!

The king of slides

2010-08-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

Gotta get some last-minute fun in before school starts next week!

for the birds....

2010-08-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

We've had quite a few picnics and dinners in the canyon this year. We
always pack extra snacks (peanuts and bread) for our animal friends!

Birthday week continued...

2010-07-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

Really?! Is he one already?! What happened? Where did that year go? Slow down baby boy. :)

Birthday week

2010-07-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

I know I've really been absent from regular blogging this summer, but I'm not planning to stay that way! This past week we've been celebrating, partying and just having fun in honor of our sweet little Lydie and Charlie. Their birthdays are only 6 days apart and we've enjoyed the chance to celebrate them both this week (Lydie's was last Thursday and Charlie's is tomorrow)....

the morning of her big day. I added a sunshine to her crown this year because she is such a sunshine-y girl. She can brighten our day without even trying!

We've been so lucky to have our California cousins visiting for the celebrations. We hiked to Timpanogos Caves right after her birthday breakfast. We were so proud of our little hiker. She did GREAT!

Cooling off at Cedar Hills Park after the hike

Double birthday party with the cousins. They were totally spoiled by my siblings and parents! (Thank you everyone!)

mmmm...cake time! Charlie was so cute with his first cake. He looked at us like we were crazy! :)

After the party the kids (and Uncle Nate) had a great time with the hose on the trampoline! :)

p.s. click to enlarge

Problem!

2010-07-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
Just wanted to let you know that my email has been hacked. If you got a strange email from me, just delete it. I cannot access my email account (the hacker changed my password and my secret question) and I am in the process of trying to recover it. Also, my facebook account was deleted as well. I AM SO FRUSTRATED! At least they didn't get to my blog too! Wish me luck!

everyone loves a parade!

2010-07-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

all the makings of fun 4th of July bike decorations

busy little hands making plans for cute bikes and scooters

the morning of our annual ward bike parade was really windy but the kids had fun anyway!

isn't Roland cute in that hat?!

splish splash

2010-07-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

Every week my neighbors get together for a picnic at a fun park. It's usually on a Thursday but this week it was changed to Tuesday which also happened to be my birthday. Perfect! It was so fun to catch up with my friends and watch the kids run and play in the water at the Herriman Splash Pad. Charlie LOVED it!

All good things...

2010-07-04T16:44:00.000-07:00

...must come to an end. We spent the final days with Mamie and Papou doing plenty of good things!

we went to This is the Place Heritage Park and learned about pioneer life

(followed by a yummy dinner with our great friends the Fetzers)

We oohed and ahhed over the floats in the Lehi parade

(while the kids filled thier pockets with candy!)

We watched Charlie take his very first steps!

We had a final BBQ with my family to celebrate my birthday

They left on Monday the 28th and it was a teary farewell. The kids had such a great time with them and we will all miss them. We hope to be able to see them soon!

here we go again

2010-06-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

I've been taking a major computer break lately! We've been having a great time with Roland's parents and I haven't had much time to blog. So, here we go again with a million pics! :)

at the "girl party" with my mom's side of the family

hanging out at home

adoring our little Charlie

at the Memorial Day Barbeque with my family

family photo session in Provo

PICTURE OVERLOAD!

2010-05-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

We have been taking a LOT of pictures while we have the opportunity to be with our grandparents!

In the past few days we...

... had a rainy, quick walk around temple square

...went to Eric's soccer game

...(un)styled Papou's hair

..took a few pictures for no reason

...took only one outdoor pic on Temple Square

went to Thanksgiving Point Farm Country for preschool

Papou helped the girls get up on the ponies

while Papou and the girls went for a hay ride, Charlie had a great time poking his fingers in the bench

inside the little soil-to-market place at the farm. It is so cute.

this weekend we....

2010-05-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

... participated in the Race for the Cure. A favorite tradition every year!

... played and played some more

...ate spaghetti for Roland's birthday (mmmm!)

... had cake and ice cream

...and, celebrated mothers and the opportunity to be together! :)

The Birthday Boy...

2010-05-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Aren't I lucky? Doesn't he have a great smile? Happy Birthday Roland! Love you!

the fun continues

2010-05-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

Every time we go to the store with Mamie and Papou they want to get something for the kids. Sometimes I can talk them out of it, but the kids do get a little spoiled nevertheless. Eric loves this gun they bought him.

Roland is having a great time introducing his parents to joys of modern technology. In these pics he is showing his dad how to play a game on the iPod touch. He LOVED it. :)

Charlie is in heaven with all the attention and he can't get enough of his new blocks.

Lydie has had so much fun that she couldn't keep her eyes open at the table tonight. It takes a lot for Lydie to crash like that! She must be very tired! :)

2010-04-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

Eric had a French program at school today. They sang 3 songs and recited one poem all in French. It was so great for his grandparents to be able to be there. *They also tasted their first "In-N-Out Burger" today. It was a hit. :)

worth the wait

2010-04-29T06:11:00.000-07:00

Oh, how we love French children's clothes. Aren't these yellow dresses adorable?!

yesterday was a little like Christmas around here. The kids were showered with gifts and we lounged around playing games and relaxing together all day. It didn't take long for the kids to get over the awkwardness of not seeing their grandparents for 3+ years!

anticipation

2010-04-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

The kids waiting (rather impatiently) for their grandparents to arrive. They finally arrived last night and we have a happy home this morning! :)

9 years later...

2010-04-21T06:06:00.000-07:00

...and we still feel just this excited about our life together.

praying for a miracle...

2010-04-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

This is all that remains of our countdown chain. Our beloved Mamy and Papou are scheduled to arrive this coming Tuesday. Unfortunately circumstances in Europe from the volcano have closed down all airports in Northern Europe. It is unsure at this time whether or not planes will be flying by Tuesday. We have discussed this with the kids but they are still praying that the air will clear and Mamy and Papou will be here when the chain is gone. It is so sweet to see their innocent faith. They really believe that a miracle will happen. I hope so! But, if not, we'll learn from that too and I'm sure our grandparents will get here when they are supposed too.
*UPDATE* Roland heard from his parents today and they were able to change their travel plans for a week later. The kids understood that even though this wasn't the answer they were hoping for, it is nevertheless an answer to their prayers and they are glad they will still be able to see their grandparents.

On a Golden Springtime...

2010-04-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

Wasn't Saturday a glorious day?! Thanks for the pics Linds. :)

Use it up wear it out....

2010-04-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

Remember this that I made for Charlie's basinet? Now that he's moved in to the crib I cut it up and used it for Easter outfits. The only thing I had to buy was Eric's pants which he really needed anyway. Hooray for saving pennies!

Charlie's chub

2010-03-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

there's nothing more irresistible than a baby wearing nothing more than a diaper! :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

what a week!

2010-03-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

This week Charlie decided that since he has that crawling thing down it's time to learn a new trick (heaven forbid he actually just be chill for a minute!). Last week he started trying to pull himself up on everything and this week he almost has it mastered. I couldn't believe my eyes when I went in to get him after his nap and he was standing there waiting for me. I am so not ready for this!

look what I did!

Due to the germs that were passed around the house this week, we had a lot of jammy days. The kids got pretty tired of my attempts to keep them entertained. Thank goodness for Daddy who was willing to play Chutes and Ladders with them!

Daddy also gave them "Lego Challenges". He tells them what to build and they dissapear for a few minutes. Once they completed their challenge they were allowed to take a picture of it. I think their pictures turned out great!

And last in this completely random post is a shot of what I found while getting ready for church this morning. Eric was reading to Charlie.

p.s. sorry about the poor lighting in most of the pics.

Joyeux Annivesaire Papou!

2010-03-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

Every time I think about my father-in-law I smile (he can really make me giggle!). I love how observant and careful he is about everything. I love how he can't stand to wear a shirt that has to be pulled over the head. Even his jammies are button-down. I love how he gets so excited to see a big red truck. I love it when he tries to say a few words in English. I love that his favorite stores in Utah are Target and Costco! I love the way he plays and colors and reads with the kids for hours and hours. I love that he is a pioneer who sought out the gospel, making it possible for me to meet my husband.

Happy Birthday Papou! We love you and we can't wait to see you next month!

the pictures are from the last time they were here which was 3 years ago!

right now...

2010-03-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

...I'm trying to look at the bright side of having sick kids.
1. I don't have to worry about getting anyone dressed
2. I am saving money on the food budget since none of them want to eat
3. Also saving on the gas budget since sick kids don't need a ride to school.
4. sick kids are so calm and well-behaved
5. I have fewer dishes to do and meals to prepare (see #2)

to top it off this child is teething. (don't let that happy face fool you!)

fun times at our house.

Are you kidding me?!

2010-03-05T07:17:00.000-08:00

Spring, where have gone? Please don't stay away for too long!

Lydie Josephine

2010-03-02T09:12:00.000-08:00

Lindsay decided that Lydie needed a photo shoot. Oh my goodness. I am so glad she did.

ticket to ride

2010-02-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

When Roland got home this afternoon he had a message on his phone. It was from his parents. They were calling with great news. They got their plane tickets and they'll be here on April 20 (they're staying for 2 months!). The kids were thrilled with this news and wanted to make a countdown chain ASAP. Sorry about the lousy photo quality. These were the best I could get.

practicing the crawl

almost got it

what would theses girlies do without each other?

don't you love it when you find darling
fabric on sale at JoAnn? Me too.

this and that

2010-02-14T20:29:00.000-08:00

I just love this face.

Eric is making gnocchi. It's an Italian pasta made with potatoes. Roland's mother and grandmother used to make it and I have finally figured out how to make it too (with Eric's help!). YUMMMM.

Charlie loves to watch/listen when daddy plays the guitar.

See? I just love this face!

staring at the guitar.

these three wish that we would go on dates every night and let Lindsay come babysit. They don't have near as much fun with us. Lindsay makes them crowns and thrones and makes up stories about flying horses. Seriously. These kids are so lucky.

For Valentine's Day daddy got flowers for all his girls. The younger two got these vases of carnations and I got tulips. Eric got chocolate. And we all got love-notes. He left everything by our places at the table and I was so happy when I came out to make breakfast in the morning. I'm the luckiest.

simple, festive breakfast. mmmm.

the recap

2010-02-04T06:57:00.000-08:00

true to form, the birthday boy was up at the crack of dawn (5 AM, to be exact). We had the cake in the oven and breakfast cleaned up by 6:30!

While he was at school, the girls and I got set up for his Lego party. The poster with the blue square Legos is a matching game with different pictures of Eric. I asked him to build me a centerpeice the day before and I loved his creation!

He picked In-N-Out for dinner. He did a great job with his lego cake and even frosted it himself. We had so much fun with the family at his party and he has enough legos to keep him occupied for a while!

p.s. click to enlarge the photos

seven

2010-02-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

Seven things we love about Eric:
1.The gap in his teeth
2. He loves his siblings
3. He is an early-riser like his Daddy
4. He is affectionate
5. The way he adores his Dad
6. His laugh (it's totally infectious)
7. His cute accent when he speaks french
Happy Birthday Buddy Boy! We love you so much!

p.s. isn't my sister a great photographer?

"Imagination rules the world"

2010-01-29T11:11:00.000-08:00

One of the main reasons we decided to use bright colors in our home was our children. I wanted to be able to hang their artwork on the fridge or wall and let it be a part of the decor. I know that there will come a day when I'm not drowning in children's "artwork" and I'll be so glad that I embraced it when I had it. I've had the idea for this wall in my head for over a year now (you should see how my house looks inside that head of mine!) and it's finally finished. Now my only problem is choosing which project to start on next!

they each have their own clipboard to display their favorites or keep things they're not finished with

Yep, another one of our windows (turned into a chalkboard this time). My sister wrote on it for me and I'm sure we'll change the quote from time to time.

The "rail" is from Ikea. It's really for curtains but it works perfectly for hanging their pictures!

I should be cleaning...

2010-01-28T13:05:00.000-08:00

...but how could I resist this cute little face?!

Helping Haiti

2010-01-25T18:05:00.000-08:00

Today I heard about someone who is collecting stuffed animals for children in Haiti. Roland and I knew immediately that we needed to give our children the opportunity to participate. We discussed the situation in Haiti for FHE and showed them pictures of the devastation there. We talked about how very blessed we are and how it's important to share our blessings with others. At the end of the lesson we asked them if they would like to pick one of their stuffed animals to share with the children in Haiti. At first they refused. We talked about it a little more and pretty soon they were in their rooms searching for just the right one to share. I told them we would take pictures so they could remember their stuffed animals. We told them to give their animal a nice big hug and that the child who receives it would feel their love. Eric and Emilie could not control their emotions. They held their animals for a long time as they cried. I did not expect them to be so emotional about it, but I hope they learned something from it!
I was so glad to find a way for them to serve and help. They have heard about the earthquake and wondered about the children there and I think this was a great way for them to feel like there was something they could do.

p.s. for those of you in my neighborhood who want to donate your stuffed animals, you can bring them to my house no later than Wednesday morning and I'll take them to the people who are going to Haiti. :)

how to beat the dinner-time blues

2010-01-19T17:24:00.000-08:00

You know how it goes. After a long day you're trying to get dinner on the table and of course every child in the house is whining or crying or making someone else whine or cry. It's like they know you've run out of patience and they want to prove it. You are counting down until their father gets home. Here is how to beat those dinner-time blues:
go to this website where you can get free downloads of children's stories read by a British lady with a really cool accent. Load them onto the iPod shuffles that your husband got from his work (thank you, OC Tanner!) and give them to your whiny children to listen to while you enjoy the chance to actually hear yourself think. Awesome.

No, Charlie doesn't have an iPod, but he just started solids (he'll be 6 months this week) and I had to document his cute oatmeal-y face!
p.s. you could also download the stories and let them plug the earphones straight into the computer or burn them onto a CD....
p.p.s. yes, I do still love Lydie. She didn't want a picture with her iPod today. Silly girl.

baby love

2010-01-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

5 months

It all began

2010-01-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

last fall when Roland and I were at the OC Tanner Gift of Music Concert. We were seated in the front row inside the tabernacle for a concert with the Utah Symphony and Mormon Tabernacle Choir. At almost the same moment we turned to each other and remarked that we could just see Emilie playing the violin someday. Knowing how pricey violins can be, we kept these thoughts to ourselves so as not to get Emilie's hopes up.
Somehow, she read our minds. One day when I asked her what she wanted for Christmas she promptly and without hesitation said, "a violin". I was so surprised and a little concerned. How would Santa pull this off? We talked about it, but weren't sure how we could do it this year. I tried to gently lead her in other directions when we talked about Christmas "don't you want a baby doll bed?", "I thought you wanted princess stuff!". Didn't work. Every time anyone asked her, the first thing she said was "violin". I was beginning to worry.
We finally came up with a story about how Santa checked with Mommy and Daddy to see if he should bring a violin and we told him to wait because we needed to find a violin teacher first. Christmas morning came and after the gifts were opened I told Emilie our story. She accepted it but I could tell she was a little disappointed.
A couple hours later I got a call from my Mom who had just had Christmas brunch with my step-brother and his family. She said that she had told them about Emilie and how she was sure that Santa would bring her a violin. My sister-in-law has played the violin since she was a small girl and two of her daughters are learning now. She still has her first violin which both of her girls have used and was not being used at the moment. She immediately offered her violin for Emilie to use. She got it out and gave it to my mom.
My mom took it home and put a bow around it and had my sister make a beautiful tag that read "to: Emilie/Love, Santa". She called me and told me to have Emilie answer the door when the doorbell rang. She left it on the porch and rang the bell. Emilie opened it and could hardly believe her eyes! Santa did bring that violin just like she asked! She carefully opened it and her face lit up when she saw that it was just her size. It was magical.

Not only did my sister-in-law let us borrow her violin she also hooked us up with an adorable violin teacher. Emilie's first lesson was this afternoon. She could hardly sleep last night anticipating her lesson. She loved every minute of it and can't wait to learn more! This is a Christmas Emilie will remember for a long time. Thank you for making it possible, Cassie! We love you!

Just one more....

2009-12-28T19:47:00.000-08:00

....Christmas post. Tonight was the first time this season that we've had time to go see the lights on Temple Square. It's such a great tradition and such a magical place. This year we took a tour of the Beehive House too. Emilie loved the play room with the dolls and tea sets and Eric loved the how the boys made their own toys out of wood. They all loved the lemon drop at the end. :)

Charlie managed to stay warm in his snow suit that Mamy and Papou sent him for Christmas. He looked so cute all bundled up!

Feelin the love

2009-12-26T18:47:00.000-08:00

Everyone loved their Christmas Eve pajamas
Lindsay (and her camera) loved taking Christmas Eve pics of Charlie

Lydie loved everyone and everthing! Especially those dolls from Grandpa and Grandma!

Emilie loved her doll's matching jammies and sitting with Daddy

Eric loved holding Charlie and playing with the legos from Grandma and Grandpa

We all loved being with family, reading about and discussing our Savior and feeling the joy of the season on Christmas Eve

And, on Christmas morning we loved it all! I could listen to Roland play that guitar for days and days. Hope you had a lovely Christmas too! :)

p.s. click on any of the above pics to enlarge

It's just not possible...

2009-12-20T16:55:00.000-08:00

...to take a good picture of 4 small children. I had such a time this morning trying to get all of them to look at the camera and smile at the same time. I love, love, love the Sunday before Christmas!

While Visions of SUGARplums Danced in Their Heads...

2009-12-19T20:10:00.000-08:00

Grandma's Baking Day was a sweet (make that very sweet) success today. We made a huge mess and had a great time. Thank you, Grandma! We love you!

Tis the season!

2009-12-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

The kids couldn't wait to get outside and play in the snow this week! It never ceases to amaze how long they can stay out in the freezing cold and play without even noticing. they had ice hanging from their clothes when they finally gave in and came in for hot chocolate!

The annual ward party is something we look forward to every year. Yep, Charlie loved his candy cane (little did he know that it's even better without a wrapper!). :)

A special time of the year....

2009-12-07T19:30:00.001-08:00

This time of the year is really special to me.

A little history concerning the city where I am from….the city of Lyon.

Fifty years before Christ, Caesar realized the importance of this place at the confluence of two rivers: Rhône and Saône. He did not want to put a new Roman city next to the rivers because of the floods, so he went uphill looking for a good settlement. The name of the city derives from Lugdunum. Lug, meaning God of light and dunum, hill.

Lyon became one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire. The city developed quickly. Its position as a relay for Rome allowed for the construction of theaters, temples, and forums. After the attacks by the barbarians the hill was almost abandoned and the people moved to the other hill, the old forum or “foro vetere” from which the name of Fourvière derives. Years later new settlements started between the two rivers and along the banks of the rivers.
The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière was built and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who is said to have saved the city of Lyon from the plague in 1643. A small church was erected in gratitude, to which the gilded statue of the Virgin was added in the mid-nineteenth century, to mark its bicentennial. Each year in early December, Lyon expresses gratitude for the fact that the city was saved by lighting candles throughout the city, in what is called the Fête des Lumières.

Lyon now forms the second-largest metropolitan area in France after that of Paris, with the population of its urban area estimated to be nearly two million.

What is so special to me about this start of the month of December is that it brings to memory this miracle that occurred in that city when the plague disappeared. On December 8th and upon completion of the basilica, as a way of showing their gratitude, the citizens decided to place candles in their windows. Very quickly that night, the city became a “City of Light”; a name the city bears to this day. People from all over the world come to see this magical display of light throughout the city. The tradition of lining their windows with candles in brightly colored glass candle holders continues even still. It brings warmth and unity to the beautiful city of Lyon. Perhaps, even more importantly, it is a reminder that prayers are answered and that light in the midst of darkness is possible.

This tradition from Lyon, France continues in our home today. It is to me a reminder that when we are united in prayer, regardless of religion or other views, we can truly see miracles. We really are all children of the same God regardless of the name we give Him. I see that same brightness of hope as I witness the hand of the Savior in my life, each day. And so as we lit our candles tonight as a family and in gratitude for our Savior who blesses our family, I also have great hope in the human heart…great hope in the good will that exists in each and every one of us. May the best of us be what we offer to others during this beautiful season as we celebrate the birth of One who showed us the greatest example, our Savior.
No doubt that we will see miracles ….
PS...special thanks to all our neighborhood friends for being a part of this tradition with our family

counting down

2009-12-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

tree decorations

our baby sock advent. Each one has a scripture to read (thanks, Karen!) and some have an activity (for example, drink homemade hot chocolate or make Christmas cookies and take them to a friend). *I got the socks at Target in the dollar section.
The candle that we burn each evening as we read the scripture that is found on the little paper in the sock. My neighbor made this for us and it made me so happy because our bishop used to do this for us when I was a teenager and I loved it! Thanks again, Karen!

Santa Advent. I couldn't get a good picture of the whole thing but Santa makes his way down to the chimney. We had this in my home as a child and it my mom handed it down to me.

The kids love it!

Don't you just love the anticipation of Christmas. It's so magical!

4 months

2009-12-01T09:56:00.000-08:00

I still have Thanksgiving pics to post, but I couldn't resist posting thsese of our happy 4-month old boy.

Thankful

2009-11-16T19:01:00.000-08:00

What are you thankful for?

Emilie Sue

2009-11-15T19:38:00.000-08:00

We're so lucky to have our own photographer in the family. Lindsay did a birthday photo shoot with Emilie and I really struggled to pick just 4 pics for this post. Thanks Linds. You captured her so well! Click here to see more!

5

2009-11-15T19:34:00.000-08:00

What a fun weekend for Emilie! Happy Birthday...we love you!

5 years ago

2009-11-14T22:35:00.000-08:00

our sweet little Emilie Sue was born. (Click above to enlarge!)
Five things we love about Emilie:
*She is so helpful
*She wants to do everything her mommy does
*She has a great sense of style
*She has a beautiful smile
*She loves to learn new things

Happy Birthday Princess Emilie! We love you!

Our Veteran

2009-11-11T14:58:00.000-08:00

Eric's school had a special Veteran's Day assembly today. They were told to invite any Veterans they know to come and participate. My Grandpa fought with the army infantry in World War Two. I've always been so proud of him and his courage. Today as he stood up on the elementary school stage with Eric to be honored I was touched by the fact that if it weren't for Grandpa and others like him, Eric wouldn't have the opportunities he is having. Thank you Grandpa! We love you.

Pour Isabelle...For Isabelle

2009-11-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

Roland and his sister, Isabelle when they were young.

This was taken on the first trip I took to France when we were engaged. It was my first time meeting Roland's family. I fell in love with Isabelle the minute I met her. She was so affectionate and loving and made me feel so comfortable even though we couldn't understand each other! ( I was so skinny and young in this picture!)

Unfortunately, Isabelle has only been able to see our children a few times in their lives. This was taken when they came to visit in 2006. They arrived in time to welcome Lydie into the world. It was the only time Roland had some of his family here for the birth of a child. I can't believe it's already been three years since we last saw her! We love you Isabelle!

Joyeux anniversaire Isabelle...Nous te souhaitons une merveilleuse journee...avec tout notre Amour...ton frero et la famille....Bisous

generation 2

2009-10-31T17:18:00.000-07:00

When my brother and I were little he was a BYU football player for Halloween and I was a cheerleader. This year our kids repeated history. The girls as cheerleaders and Eric and my brother's son, Gregory as football players. If I can find the picture of Scott and me later I'll add it to this post. The kids were so excited to go trick-or-treating all together this year!

a little preview

2009-10-31T12:45:00.000-07:00

Last night was our ward Halloween party. The bishopric were the judges for our annual chili cook-off. Doesn't brother Shawcroft make a lovely lady?!

today I'm grateful for...

2009-10-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

an adorable and happy baby

hot chocolately smiles

and playing in the first snow of the season!

it has begun!

2009-10-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

The season of traditions is here! I have made no secret of my love for family traditions on this blog and I especially love this time of year because so many traditions are associated with the holidays. Tonight for FHE we carved our Halloween jack-o-lantern. We always do this on the Monday before Halloween and the kids LOVE it. After we carved our pumpkin, we roasted and ate our seeds (that was my favorite part of carving night when I was little!).

Hooray for holiday traditions!

Charlie telling Daddy how the pumpkin should look.

At the farm

2009-10-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we've been doing this for 4 years now! We love our preschool friends!

today...

2009-10-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

...I could not stop taking pictures of this face:

I had so much fun teaching this one how to "sew"

(something she's been begging to learn for weeks).

Pour Mamy (For grandma)

2009-10-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

Maman,
Nous tenions a te souhaiter une merveilleuse journee et un magnifique anniversaire... Nous t'aimons de tout notre coeur et pensons a toi.
Nous sommes reconnaissant de t'avoir dans notre vie et esperons te voir bientot. Merci pour ton exemple de patience et d'amour....
Bonne anniversaire !

Roland, Amie, Eric, Emilie, Lydie et Charlie

Today is Roland's mom's Birthday. We miss her and wish we could deliver our birthday greeting in person. This picture (below) is from the last time they came to visit when Lydie was a baby. Happy Birthday Mamy! We love you!

Every once in a while...

2009-10-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

...we take pictures for no reason at all.

This Day...

2009-10-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

Pres. Eyring knew just what I needed to hear this day!

when it's Autumn...

2009-10-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

Don't you love the word "Autumn"? It has so much more potential than "Fall"! Anyway, in the Autumn-time, we love to eat apples, wear sweaters, watch BYU football, eat soup and learn from living Prophets during General Conference. I can't say that watching conference is always peaceful with 4 small children, but i can say that we always try. And, according to Elder Bednar, consistently trying is the key! :)

all ready to go the game with Dad

apple-stamped aprons (great for making apple muffins!)

I really want one of these...

2009-09-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

I have a serious crush on these bikes!

Hooray for Eric!

2009-09-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

Instead of all those silly fundraisers that force people to buy wrapping paper and chocolate that they really don't need, Eric's school has a 1 mile Fun Run where the kids collect pledges from their parents and grandparents. Families are also invited to run with their students. It's the only fundraiser of the year and we loved it. Eric was so excited to run with his Daddy and his Grandma. He was the second first-grader in the school to finish! I was so proud of him! Hooray for Eric!

For nearly 30 years...

2009-09-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

...my family has been sitting in the very same seats at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. They belong to my Grandpa who has been so generous to share them with the rest of us over the years. Can't beat 45 yard-line first and second row! I have so many great memories of years-past in Provo watching our team. My Dad was a HUGE cougar football fan and going to the games with him and/or Grandpa was the highlight of the Fall season for us kids. So, even though we lost the game last Saturday, it was a pleasure to be in those seats again giving high-fives and singing the cougar fight song to my little Charlie. Rise and Shout!

Yep, they're great seats!

Wanted:

2009-09-17T11:46:00.001-07:00

Families willing to have their pictures done by an up-and-coming local photographer (okay, it's my little sister and she's really good, but wants more practice). Cost is $25 for a full shoot and comes with a CD of all your pics. See below for some samples of her style. You can also go to her blog Three Blubirds Photography to see more. If you're interested contact her at threebluebirdsphotos@gmail.com or just let me know and I'll hook you up!

Dear Blog Friends,

2009-09-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed my absence from the "comments" section of your blogs in the last couple weeks. I hope you will forgive me! I have not yet figured out a smooth routine for our newborn, 2 preschoolers and first-grader that needs rides to and from Draper! I'm not complaining. They are great things to be figuring out, but in the meantime, I have not had 5 minutes of peace to sit down and comment on all your lovely blogs! I have sneaked a peak at them, and I hope you all know how much I care. I promise that as soon as I figure out how to get those 5 minutes, I'll be leaving lots and lots of comments. Love, Amie

school girls

2009-09-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

This year, to reduce chaos in my life, the girls are going to be in the same preschool class. They were so excited about it. Emilie kept telling Lydie "don't worry, you can sit right by me" and "all the kids are nice, you'll see"! I love that they are so close in age. It's cute listening to them giggle in their beds at night and be girly together. Hooray for sisters!

Charles Angelo

2009-09-06T18:44:00.001-07:00

What a beautiful day for our beautiful boy!

We are counting our blessings today.

RISE AND SHOUT!

2009-09-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Uncle Scott and Aunt Lyric for the t-shirt and the Haycocks for the bear, Charlie well-prepared for the game today! GO COUGARS!

don't tell...

2009-09-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

...these kids that it's almost Fall!

They're having too much fun with summer!

p.s. their mother is quite thrilled that Fall is coming.

Happy September!

The big day...

2009-08-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

Eric's long-anticipated first day of school has finally come! He was dressed and had his chores done by 6:30 this morning and then proceeded to drive the rest of us crazy until it was time to leave! He had very specific orders for his lunch: tuna sandwhich, tortilla chips with guacamame (a dip I make with edamame), grapes, and a homemade granola bar. When I dropped him off, he didn't even hesitate. We had his orientation yesterday and he is really excited about his new school and new experiences. We are so grateful for the opportunity he's been given and know it will be such a blessing for all of us! Now I just have to get used to having him 8 miles away all day long instead of right around the corner! :)

a thousand words...

2009-08-24T08:21:00.000-07:00