Spring Break Part 1 - Conference

Here are some of the talks I loved when we were not eating Grandma's good food, playing on the trampoline or chatting in the kitchen.

“Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you”

"There are going to be times in our lives when someone else gets the unexpected blessing or receives some special recognition."

"We are not diminished when someone else is added upon."

"The race we are really in is the race against sin, and surely envy is one of the most universal of those."

"Coveting, pouting, or tearing others down does not elevate your standing, nor does demeaning someone else improve your self-image."

"Be kind and be grateful that God is kind."

"We become converted and spiritually self-reliant as we prayerfully live our covenants…"

"May our lives be in tune to the Music of the Gospel" 

Elder David Archuleta sang in the LDS General Conference Choir in the Saturday afternoon session.   

Checking in with Anna

Playing on the Winter and now Spring Select Soccer Team.

 It's awesome.  Eric is the Assistant Coach.  We get to watch her play different cities, including both Eric and my hometowns, Los Altos and Palo Alto.  Who would have thought growing up we'd be living close by, watching our daughter play in our old junior-high fields.  Speaking of junior-high, Anna has been "shadowing", or attending schools just for a day to see what it's like, for 6th grade, which is now considered junior high.  Here she is on her way to a junior high school down the street from us, that she's hoping to get into.  How do I feel about my baby girl moving onto junior high?  Horrible and yet, so thrilled for her.  She came home the happiest I've seen her in a long time.  I hope she gets in, because she loved it and she came home filled with stories of new friends, new teachers, cheerleaders, lockers, different ways of learning and new excitement about the prospect of moving on after elementary school.  Thank goodness this experience was a happy one, it gives me courage to wipe away my tears that she's growing up right in front of me.  I know she'll have fun, but growing up is complicated as well as sad.  I hope that she can always keep it simple like she does now.

Hey, I figured out how to get a video on here, but how do you turn it?  Anna, Ella and Eric have all said they've seen Colton walk across the entire room, but he doesn't do that for me!  I followed him all day with my camera, and I got videos of him playing with blocks, crawling to the open door at the bathroom as fast as he can, eating scraps off the floor, but I couldn't catch him walking!

He can build a pretty good tower and he loves his daddy.  We were playing hide-and-go-seek for Family Home Evening and he cracked us up how he found his daddy hiding behind the piano, and just lounged on him, while everyone else looked for him in the game.

Olivia took her first dance class.  She likes it

Presidents' Weekend in Santa Cruz

Man and the sea

or

Eric enjoying the ocean view

Colton is growing up and has discovered the sand.  He loves exploring and dipping his fingers deep into the sand buckets.  I act as though no other child has ever liked to do this, but he's my first boy!  I'm amazed at everything he is learning!  Boys are so physical and into the elements.  It's awesome.

Anna and Ella had a blast throwing the frisbee

Uncle Ben, Waverly and Emerson were in the cabin next door!  Now that is a great time!

Eric and I love camping, but in the morning, everyone is pretty tired!  Why is it that we can't wait to go again?  I guess you forget.

http://youtu.be/ly2fonUp4WM

Ella at the beach

Oh, that is hilarious.  This video is about 5 seconds long.  I must have deleted Ella showing off the shark jaws and teeth she found. bummer

My Valentines

Eric asked me to marry him a week before Valentine's Day, in 1999. 

Our last Valentine's Day, 13 years later was spent at Mad Fish, with our three girls and baby boy, getting sushi and then hitting See's next door for a big Valentine's heart shaped box of chocolates.  And we spent our night doing what we've done best for the last thirteen years, eating chocolates and watching a movie when we should be sleeping.  I have loved every second being married to Eric.  He is the most wonderful friend, companion and valentine anyone could hope for.

We killed ourselved making 90 sandwich cookies for Olivia and Ella's class.  But it was all worth it to see the girls share them with their classes.

Olivia and her cousin Emerson went to a free darling Valentine Tea Party at Pottery Barn.  It was adorable.  How did we know about it?  Because Library Day with Grandma Nan has morphed into shopping day and we've been hitting Stanford Shopping Center almost every week.  We've found out about all the going-ons and have also managed to buy matching boots while the kids wait and watch us.

And the kids always want to play pretend games at Pottery Barn Kids as they stroll the mall with those wonderful Sees suckers.

I am grateful for family and friends, and especially my husband, as we watch another coming and going of the Day of Love.  Happy V-day everyone.

Checking in with ella

http://youtu.be/SebdF-cXpCk

I'm kind of confused on how to post videos on here, but this is a link to the song Ella played at my piano recital 2 weekends ago.  I wish it was from her actual performance, but she played it for me one more time at home.  Next time, I'll figure out how to tape and post videos from the real thing.

Ella is busy playing Upward Basketball and averaging a couple of baskets a game each Saturday.  Thanks to that coach of her's yelling encouragment from the sidelines.

More excitement!  Ella's first paycheck.  I forgot to take her picture doing the work, but here she is showing off her, yes, $70.00 paycheck for trying different kinds of juice at Tragon.com in Redwood Shores, where they pay you to do taste tests.  Apparently, all the juice tasted great, the cookie at the end wasn't bad either, and she let me know that her work schedule is open for future taste trials.  So fun.  She's already opened her first bank account, deposited the money, paid the tithing, and spent $20.00 on clothes at Target.  Tragon, you had better call us again.  We are burning through this money.  We're proud of Ella for keeping up with her busy schedule and living large, or at least living with a  large personality.

Learning to teach again...

Now that Colton has turned one, I have gained some new responsibilities.  I get to teach piano to about 12 students.  They are amazing.  Everyone practices and is musical.  I had better improve my skills on the piano

if I'm going to teach them anything more than what I already know.

 Fridays I substitute teach.  My first week I had the music class at the junior high, my second week I had a bilingual 3rd grade, and last week I got assigned to Anna and Ella's school. I must still be cool enough to be seen with, because they came by to visit me at lunch.  Or maybe they were just checking to see if I was still alive.  I feel worried that I'm too strict or not strict enough, and that everyone is watching me get my bearings again.  I hope I gain my confidence back. 
Ella's friends coming by.
 And now Anna's friends.

Another chance to teach again..I just got called as Ella's primary teacher.  (Ella didn't make it for this picture!)  Aren't they the cutest kids?  I am so lucky.  Ella was sure to let me know that I was way too strict.  Even with that critique, I was so happy to feel the strong spirit from all the children in primary.  I love primary.

Yeah, and with Colton turning 1, I've even left the couch to meet for breakfast to celebrate new babies.  

I haven't done that since I was the one having a baby, a year ago!  As much as I love being home with a baby and a toddler, it's great to touch base and commiserate, especially with such fun girls.

Teaching....

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