update to follow

Update coming soon, but, in the meantime:

We just got back from our annual vacation with our best friends. This year we went to Durango Mountain Resort, CO..

Oh boy, was it pretty.

We did so much, including a visit to Mesa Verde (better pictures to follow).

The best part was SHE got to see HER. Her best friend since birth.

We also went on vacation with these fun people ...

... to here (and rented a house right here). This may very well be a perfect summer.

dear one follower of our much neglected blog ...

(it seems like the sun was ONLY in my eyes)

At one time I hoped that this blog would serve as a record of our family. A place to look back in time and remember this much too quickly fleeting time in our lives. But, ironically, since it is too fleeting, I tend to run out of time to update.

The other night I went back and read old entries. I was so grateful at some of the moments that passed that I took the time to remember. I was grateful that I was able to capture the girls and freeze them right were they were at the moment when they seemed so young. I was grateful to see friends that we have loved and left but will always be dear. I was grateful to see my beloved New England, and share the love of my childhood haunts with my girls. But mostly I was grateful that I captured the feelings, both ecstatic and even frustrating, in every day moments.

So, once again, I vow to be better at the blog. Not just for the one reader, also, but for my daughters someday. Wish me luck.

we are grandparents

... to a potato

E's class did a social science experiment on being parents. They had to make their own child from a potato, create a budget, arrange for child care when they had lessons or sports. Then they created baby products to sale to earn money for their family.

This is E's daughter, Sophie the Spud. We loved her ... until she went bad. I don't mean she started to rebel. She literally went bad. We then threw her away. I think there might be a greater lesson in this.

genius (sort of)

K said to Mike last night, "Daddy, I'm just too much smart."

That little one. I know someday learning her letters will mean more to her than putting on lip gloss for the umpteenth time in a day.

The county art show

E was chosen by her art teacher, Mrs. Mitchell, to have a piece of art in the county art show. She worked so very hard on this project. Grandma and Grandpa were in town that week and were able to see it, which made it that more special for her.

E and her good friend and our neighbor, Hannah.

Mrs. Mitchell, our amazing art teacher. We were so glad that our school district fought so hard to keep the arts in the schools in spite of budget cuts. I think Mrs. Mitchell and Mr. B, our music teacher, are hugely important to my girls and their education.

Her piece was an interpretation of a sock monkey. Her painting is the monkey with the yellow dress in the back. A budding Picasso.

church art show

I found a picture from the fall of the girls that I forgot to add. Our church did an art show. The girls and their best friends got together and created the Garden of Eden. They spent days on this and were so proud of their work. We are so lucky that our girls have such dear friends that they can both go to church and school. Here a just a few of that great group of girls.

a challenge - to me

For the past two years I have gotten up at 5 a.m. three mornings a week to work out. The purpose of this was to lose those pesky 20 pounds that I still carry on me from when I was pregnant with E. As you can see from a recent post she just had her NINTH birthday. This training has worked out somewhat the way I wanted. I have completed two triathlons. For the second one I even did pretty well.

But here is the deal - this year I have a big birthday coming up. Aging is not a big deal for me but the fact that I still do not weigh what I weighed when I become pregnant with E is a big deal. And trust me I have tried EVERY fad diet on the planet. So now I need to push myself harder.

Here is my goal -I am going to train for a race that is very hard for me. I am going back to eating very healthy like I do during tri training season. Because before this big birthday I want to weigh the same that I did almost 10 years ago.

And if I fail - by the end of June I have to post a picture of myself on this blog wearing a bathing suit (oh I hate that thought). For the only four people (maybe five) who know about this blog - remind me. I need a consequence.

I read a study where they did that to people - challenged them to lose weight by a certain date and if they did not they would post a modest picture of them on the web in their bathing suits. 85% lost the weight. I really do not want to post that picture - so wish me luck.

a really good day

Today was a good day for our little family. It is one of those days that just makes you happy. You know those days that you just want to bottle and open when you are having a not-so-good day just to remember that life really is good. The funny thing is that nothing life changing necessarily happened, just lots of really good little things.

Mike got a call that he has been waiting for a while now. This is very good.

E, who we have been a bit worried about lately, got great news. E is a bit shy. Social situations at times make her uncomfortable. She find out recently that her best friends in her class are moving. For a girl like E that has been so hard.So she really needed some happy news. Just today she found that she got one of the leads in her class play. PLUS!! she was chosen as one of the students from our county to have her art displayed in an art show. PLUS!! she got an incredible report card.

R, moved up in her reading books today. She has been working hard and was so happy. Plus, she also got an incredible report card. She did very well especially in math (her strongest subject). We are so proud of her.

K, we learned today at parent teacher conference, likes her letters and knows them. Until recently K has showed NO interest in her letters. I have been worried that she would never want to learn her letters. She can be stubborn. Plus she is a good listener and a nice friend. Very important things for a pre-schooler. We also learned today that she can sell girl scout cookies like a champ (thanks Korthes for letting her learn that she had a hidden talent).

Yep, it was a-normal-every-day-good-kind-of day.

Valentine's Day and other misc.

While the girls were at school on Valentine's Day I decorated the entire kitchen with hearts that had their names and Mike on them. If you got caught standing under your name the person who caught you got to give you a kiss.
K is VERY in to dressing herself. This concoction is actually pretty tame compared to some. To think, I try so hard to dress them like sweet little girls.

R is obsessed with math and building and always has been. When she grows up she wants to be an architect.

E's b-day

E recently had her ninth birthday. It honestly seems like yesterday we were making preparations for her to join our family. We were so excited and anxious to meet her and finally be parents. I have always said that she was worth the long wait.

There are so many things about this amazing girl that I love. The things about her at nine that I want to always remember are:

- that she is so obedient. E has this innate desire to do what is right at any cost. It truly is the trait in her I admire the very most.

- she is the hardest worker I know. It doesn't matter what it is E will give everything she has to something. She will not stop until she is her personal best at it.

- she is a perfectionist. At times this is the trait I worry most about it is also one of the things I admire most about her.

- she is an excellent and patient big sister. She loves her little sisters and is always creating ways to entertain everyone in our t.v. limited home.

- she is extremely grateful. Whether it is for a gift or lessons in something she is so grateful. She seems to appreciate everything she has. I find that so admirable for a girl her age in particular.

-she is very smart. She studies so much. But more importantly she truly loves to learn. She has such an inquisitive mind. She does so well in school because she works so hard to do well.

- she loves to read - really really loves to read.

- she is a great friend. She is shy so being social can be hard but she is a dear friend when she gets to know a person. This has been a great year for her. She has made such dear friends. It is such a sweet and protective group of girls. As parents we could not pick a better group of girls for whom to associate.

- she is as beautiful on the inside as she on the out.

- her smile is sweet and kind. As pretty as she is, when she smiles her full personality comes out.
- she has complete, unwavering faith. We were reading about the Savior in the Book of Mormon at Christmas time. I looked up and saw she was crying. I asked her what was wrong and she said that she wished she could have lived and known Him when He was on the earth.

- she is a fierce athlete. She loves the sports she plays and tries very hard. She has found success this year in sports through her efforts. It has been nice to watch that increase her confidence.

- she loves her parents. She really, really loves us. Sometimes I can't help but to wonder how someone as good as she could admire me so much. I truly feel like I learn more from her than she could ever from me.

- the happiest she is when she is with her very best friend in the whole world. I loved watching them together on vacation this summer.

- I want to remember what it is like waking up to her practicing the piano on Saturday mornings. I love the sound of her and R practicing the piano more than any other sound.

- she is the greatest champion of the underdog.

She is so kind and sweet. I love her more and more everyday and feel so grateful that she is our first born.

out of the mouth of babes

R did a project on the White house and was telling us great details about the house.
E said, "I want to live there now".
I told her that Mommy or Daddy would have to run for president then.
R said, "Being president is EXHAUSTING! You should let Dad do the exhausting stuff."

K's b-day

K recently had her fourth birthday. There are so many things about her right now that I love and want to always remember. With her being the youngest I think we tend to baby her more than we did the older two. In K's case I think she happily obliges the baby role.

The things about her I want to remember the most are:

- her little voice. It is still so sweet. My friend Judie was over this weekend and said "I keep waiting for her to grow out of this cute stage but she only gets cuter".

- the way she loves to cuddle. Her favorite place in the whole world is being wrapped in my arms.

_ the way she worships her older sisters. She still runs to them after school and hugs them. She loves to play with them and they just adore her.

- I want to remember the way every older child, esp. her "big brothers" (our neighbors Matt and Ryan) treat her like their mascot.

- her prayers. They are just sincere and funny.

- she has to sleep with the light on

- her laugh. It is a combination now between baby and soon to be big girl.

- she loves Tinkerbell and Strawberry Shortcake

- she insists on wearing makeup (lip gloss and chap stick) and will not go anywhere without it

- she is so girlie. Even in a house full of girls she continues to amaze us with her obsession with skirts (not dresses, not pants - skirts), makeup, nail polish, headbands, fancy shoes

- when you ask her who she loves most she will point to mommy, daddy, E and R (but we all know it is me)

- every time I pick her up from pre-school she always says "I missed you, Mom."

- her little posse. She has a very very tight group of best friends. These little ones are together all the time and love love love each other.

- her "famous" smile. It takes over her whole face and seems to fill your soul with pure gladness

- every morning she climbs into bed with us.

- she insists that I am going to be her roommate in college

- she knows who she wants to marry (she can be persuasive - watch out Xander)

We sure do love this little person. She is a blessing to so many. I cannot imagine even a day without her. We really are absolutely crazy about her.

Ordinary Day

As I sat watching this I asked R not to grow up. She said she would try not to.