Beautiful Day

We love this time of year when flowers are starting to bloom and trees are blossoming. We love the Easter Holiday and the opportunity it provides to think about the Savior and His love for each of us.

p.s. click on photos to enlarge

Nous adorons cette période de l'année quand les fleurs commencent à fleurir et les arbres sont en fleurs. Nous aimons sa saison de Pâques et la possibilité que la saison offre de pouvoir réfléchir sur le Sauveur et son amour pour chacun de nous.

p.s. Cliquez sur les photos pour agrandir

True meaning of Easter

Eric's big news...

*WARNING* This may end up being a long post. I will not be offended if you don't make it to the end!

About 2 months ago I went to KSL.com to look at something in the classifieds. I decided to quickly scroll down and check the news first. At the very bottom of the page was a little headline that said something like-"Jordan School District to offer new language immersion programs next year". I thought, "they're probably all Spanish", but I clicked the link anyway. I started reading and sure enough the first five mentioned were Spanish (which is completely normal!), but then at the very end it said there was going to be one French and one Chinese program. I couldn't believe it! I didn't quite have my hopes up yet because we don't live in that district but I thought it was worth looking into. I researched which school would have the French program to see how far away it is. Amazingly, it is at one of the Southern-most elementary schools in Draper, 8 miles from our house! I called Roland who immediately called the district. He was transferred a few times until he reached the principal. She was thrilled to hear from him and promised him she would do everything she could to make sure Eric got in. She took his info and said she'd call. Later that night I tried to show Roland the article on KSL and it was no longer on their front page. If I hadn't scrolled down to look at the news I never would have found it!

Fast forward a month and a half and we still hadn't heard from the principal. After attending the Draper Temple Open House, I said to Roland, "let's drive around and see if we can find that school". He reminded me that we did not have the address with us and there are about 500 elementary schools in Draper. But he said we could look for a few minutes. After a couple turns we were right in front of it! The sign out front read "French Immersion parent meeting next Wednesday". Roland went inside and found the principal who had lost his info and had no way to call him. She was again thrilled to hear from him and invited us to the meeting.

At the meeting we learned that there has been very high interest from within school boundaries so they would not be able to accept students from outside the district other than the 4 spaces reserved for children with native parents! WOOOOHOOO!

He is now registered for 1st grade at Oak Hollow Elementary. He will have 50% in one classroom with a strict French-only policy (the teacher is from Canada) and 50% of his day in an English classroom. All of his math and some science, PE, and music will be in French along with French literacy and the rest will be English. His French skills will be like native speakers within a couple of years (they are starting the program with 1st grade and will be hiring new teachers every year until they reach 6th grade, at which point there are plans in place to carry them through junior and senior high). Emilie, Lydie and Charlie are automatically accepted now that Eric is in the program!

Roland and I have been truly humbled to see how the Lord has blessed our children with this opportunity. We know it was by the Hand of the Lord that we were able to find this program and we are so excited for Eric and his siblings to have this great chance!

p.s. yes, Eric is very excited to be able to learn French. And, yes, he is also a little sad that he won't be able to go to school with his neighborhood friends.

all tuckered out

She needed no prompting to make this face...came up with it all on her own!

After a day filled with all kinds of fun (playing with mommy's makeup, heping herself to everything in the fridge, coloring on any surface that is blank, stealing the wipes and using them to clean up all those surfaces she colored on...), Lydie could not keep her eyes open for scripture time. She is such an on-the-go gal that I was really surprised to see her fall asleep like that! Maybe I'll go join her!

101 things

At least one of us has done the things in bold...
*EDITED* Roland read through this morning and had a few things to change...
1. Ridden in a train. Roland & Amie
2. Slept under the stars R&A
3.Played in a band/orchestra R&A
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower A
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney World
8. Climbed a mountain R&A
9. Held a praying mantis A
10. Sang a solo R&A
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris R
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch R&A
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables R&A
19. Had a letter to the editor published
20. Slept on an overnight train R
21. Had a pillow fight R&A
22. Hitch hiked R
23. Taken a sick day when not really ill.
24. Built a snow fort A
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Seen the running of the bulls
29. Seen a total eclipse A
30. Watched a sunrise R&A
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person R
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors R&A (does Tooele count?)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language R&A (sort of)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Been on a draw-bridge R
39. Gone rock climbing A
40. Received a traffic ticket R&A
41. Sung karaoke R&A
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt A
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant R
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight R&A
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Been a story on the news R (he almost got shot when he was younger)
50. Seen a wild mustang
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain R&A
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater R&A
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business R
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen R&A
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Received flowers for no reason A
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma R&A
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check A (when I was single)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy R&A
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial R&A
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job A (Peppermint Place at age 15)
76. Won a contest R (to Disneyland Paris)
77. Broken a bone R&A
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle R&A
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book R
81. Been in a cave R&A
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper R&A
85. Read the entire Bible or other religious book R&A
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had Chicken Pox R
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous R&A
92. Joined a book club A
93. Lost a loved one R&A
94. Had a baby A
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Been to the top of the Gateway Arch
99. Been stung by a bee R&A
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument R&A


*Thanks for the fun tag Devin!

Where does she come from?!

I have been meaning to get to this post for quite some time but when I picked Lydie up from preschool and found her to be the only child left doing her art project (the hat) I knew today was the day. I cannot take credit for any of her skills, but she really has those fine motors down! She is probably a year ahead of where her sibling were at this age when it comes to coloring, drawing or anything of that nature. I am constantly amazed by her! I'm sure it has a lot to do with watching Eric and Emilie and wanting to be like them. She's lucky to have such great older siblings who teach her so much better than her mother ever could! :)

Everybody needs...

... a little time away!
This past weekend Roland and I were able to get away with some friends to St. George. The weather was perfect and we had a great time going to the temple, shopping, golfing (just the husbands and it was Roland's first time!), hiking, eating, playing games and being with good friends. We were with some of my oldest and dearest friends that I've known since high school. They're the type of friends who lift me up and make me want to better. I always learn so much from them and am so grateful that I am lucky enough to call them my friends.
p.s. we are forever grateful to my family who took care of our crazy kids while we were gone! THANK YOU!

In the top picture we are at the Tuacahn for a concert (don't mind my puffy face! It's hopeless!) and below Roland at Red Cliffs where we did some hiking. It was beautiful!