How to get into bed

Parker's "How to get into bed" tutorial.

When Grandma Visits!

We have a lot of fun. Grandma enjoyed her week with Hannah, Katie and Madison. I pulled out the camera one morning to take a picture of Hannah because she looked so pretty in her pink and white striped sweater and all the girls wanted a picture. I just love Madison's belly!

We spent a morning at Lil' Mr. Biggs. The children enjoyed visiting the shops in Mr. Biggs town. Hannah really liked playing in the doctors office and taking care of the sick little dolls.

"Mom can we have a sandbox in our house?"

All of the girls enjoyed riding the merry go round and the pizza, pasta, and salad bar lunch. After the girls had their fill of pizza they made ice cream sundaes with chocolate sauce and sprinkles. I don't want to ever grow up!

Grandma supplied lots of hugs, kisses, and fun!

OUR GREATEST BLESSINGS CALL US GRANDMA AND GRANDPA

 

It's HOT

What we do when it is hot inside and out!

Eat lots of popsicles

Set up the air conditioner

Run around naked, but you can't forget to put boots on.

Eat cereal (unhealthy at that) for dinner with 2 spoons because 2 spoons are better than one.

Luckily it is cooling off here!

cheese, click- smart little cookie we got here.

Chapstick boy. I think he carried it around all day.- I love the color on my new camera

Bowling in the kitchen

score!

Lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. Parker really enjoyed the animals.

At the Baseball game. Luckily we made it to the end and watched the fireworks too.

my new toy to try out for dinner today! No picture of the camera though- I really like it so far.

Happy Easter

Misson Accomplished

After several months of searching for red plates for my project, I have finally finished. The plates look nice in the garden window in the kitchen. They also don't need to be watered!

Easter egg hunt

Today for play group we had a little easter egg hunt.

I loved this reaction. He was so excited to find something inside his eggs.

Where in the world are the little people?

Where are these little people?

waiting all in a row with the bus driver. Dropped off by the bus earlier this morning. They brought a smile to my face as I entered the bathroom this afternoon!

Perceptions are not what they seem!

I recently answered an ad in the newspaper where the Santa Clara County Food Bank was seeking help distributing bags of groceries to the low-income elderly in our community. Last week while at the Gilroy Senior Center, another volunteer and I engaged in conversation. Joe lives at Victory Outreach Church that is located across from the senior center. He is a very friendly guy in his late forties and is a "born again" Christian. Joe told me that he is very excited because he is going to graduate next year. I congratulated him and wished him well. I then proceeded to tell him that I had recently graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor's degree. He became excited and started rattling off all the football and basketball players from BYU. We continued to carry on a conversation and then it suddenly donned on me that he was not going to graduate from college. (The main purpose of the church is to rehabilitate drug dealers, ex cons, etc.) Joe is at Victory Outreach as part of his parole agreement. He is excited because in a year he will graduate from the program and then he can go to Gavilan College and start working on a college degree. Go Joe!

XOXO Grandma!!!

We were so glad to have a visit from Grandma. We got to go to McDonald's, make sugar cookies, play playdough, do puzzles, watch Charlote's Web (and we started reading the book), get lots of hugs and kisses and snuggles, and eat some special granola bars with a gift card so we can go back to McDonalds. We are already hoping we'll get to see her again. Thanks so much for coming to our house!!!!

More of mom and dad's vist

We enjoyed having mom and dad around for a couple of days. On the way home from the store today Parker said Find Grandpa- I told him that Grandma and Grandpa had to go back to their house and he then told me airplane high which I assume means we need to fly on the airplane. He enjoyed the time he spent with both sides of the family. Parker was just delighted when the stewardess on the way home let him go see in the cockpit. As soon as we got off he wanted back on.

Learning to hit a baseball

Fireman Parker

Air hockey

blowing bubbles

Two Great Weeks!

On January 7, we left for a post holiday trip to the east coast. We flew to Raleigh, NC and rented a car and drove to Blacksburg, Virgina. While in Blacksburg we walked around the Virgina Tech campus, visited Mike's research lab, and Diane's employment.

Friday, even though the weather was 32 chilly degrees, we donned warm clothing and hiked four miles to McAfee's Knob. The trail to McAfee's Knob is part of the Appalachian trail, which is 2,000 miles long! Although there was a chill in the air, we had a great time. Koa is a great little hiker and protected us from any ferocious creature we may have passed along the way!

Monday morning we drove back to Raleigh as we eagerly anticipated a phone call from Elder Rose! Jeff received permission from the MTC to call when he arrived at the Salt Lake airport. It was great to talk to Jeff while he waited for his departing flight to Argentina. Jeff sounds very happy and is very excited for the opportunities that await him in the mission field.
We love you Jeff! You are setting a great example for us all.

While in Raleigh we stayed two and half days with Joan Harper. While Floyd worked, Joan and I visited, went shopping and attended the Raleigh temple. Before going to Joan's we drove by our former homes. The Leland trees next to our Pike Road home are enormous. and the vacant lots next to our home are no longer vacant!

Although the Research Triangle area is still very familiar, Raleigh has grown by leaps and bounds. Many once desolate areas have now been developed into housing and shopping areas.

Joan hosted an evening at her home for us to see as many of our former friends as were available. We were able to see Ruth and "Baby" George West, Jim and Kim Golden, Bob and Brenda Krallis, Nancy Ogarek, Jerry and Willie Burgeon, and Donald and Jan Gilreath. Although we have been gone from North Carolina for nine and a half years, the years melted away as we reminisced about the many memories of former days.

Wednesday evening we flew to Hartford, Connecticut and spent five days with Kristen, Shawn and Parker. The 32 degree temperatures we had in Blacksburg were a heat wave compared to the 15 degree temperatures in New Britain! Needless to say, we spent a lot of time inside! We visited a carousel museum, Chuckee Cheese's, and Imagine Nation (a children's activity center). Our time with Kristen and Shawn revolved around what would be fun for Parker. For playing with Parker was the highlight of our visit with Kristen and Shawn. He is so cute! Parker melted our hearts and warmed up to us very quickly.

Our visits with Mike, Diane, Kristen, Shawn and Parker was way too short and keeps us longing for our next visit.

After an eventful trip at the Raleigh airport we have returned home. Raleigh received five inches of snow during the night prior to our 8:00 am flight. If you remember, snow cripples Raleigh. Everything shuts down and store shelves are depleted. However after two failed attempts of sitting on the runway for 3 plus hours each, we arrived home safe and sound January 20 at midnight.