Dalton Doings

Halloween 2011

2011-11-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

We survived another Halloween. We trick or treated twice, once at church a couple of days prior to Halloween and once around the neighborhood on Halloween night. Aven was a "pretty sparkle witch" (all three words necessary). She saw this tutu in Target and had to have it. I said I would only buy it if it was part of her Halloween costume and the pretty sparkle witch was invented on the spot. The sparkle cape Nana made a couple of years ago for Drake and a witch hat that was part of a ballet costume completed the look. She was excited about trick or treating this year. Every other year she has only wanted to do a few houses. This was the first year she wanted to run around and try to get it all in. Zoa and Drake trick or treated with their friends so Ben and I took turns taking her out to collect candy. Drake was a terrorist. people kept calling him Osama bin Laden so that could work too. He wanted to be something scary. This was the scariest thing we could think of.

Zoa was Morticia Addams. This was her last year to go trick or treating. She is already in mourning.

I only dressed up for the ward Halloween party. Zoa made spider webs on my eyelids and we did my hair in a crazy way. That is about all the Halloween energy I could muster up for myself.

Ben's costume was the real show stopper. He even had strangers take pictures of him while he was out trick or treating with Aven. This costume is one he has wanted to put together for several years. He found stilts on Craigslist so this was the year.

Our Halloween candy shake tradition was the perfect end to the holiday.

First Day of School

2011-09-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

The kids were excited to finally start school. As loathe as they were to admit it, summer had become mostly a bore. Zoa is in 7th grade this year. She LOVES it! Drake is in Mrs. Barret's 4th grade class.

Aven is attending Churchland Baptist preschool. Her teacher's name is Mrs. Swerda. She was so excited on the first day of school to get there that she wouldn't come in the house once Drake left for the bus. She spent about 45 minutes waiting anxiously for the time to go out on the curb. She feels it is unfair that she only gets to go to school for half the day and Zoa and Drake get to go all day. She is so excited about everything life brings to her. It makes her a lot of fun to be around.

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-31T18:34:00.000-07:00

In August we experienced our first hurricane. Irene was a strong 1 or a weak 2, depending on who you listened to. She blew in on a Saturday morning and blew out that night. We spent the day together in our house. We had a read-a-thon for much of the afternoon. The kids were too would up to play games or do other bad weather activities. We lost power at about 4:00 in the afternoon and didn't get it back for three days after the hurricane was over. That was definitely the worst part. We were hot and we had to haul all our frozen food to friends' houses who still had electricity. We discovered that we really love electricity.

It was crazy being in the stores in the days leading up to the hurricane. For starters, there was absolutely no bread to be had anywhere. Bottled water was difficult to locate. Propane, the one thing we really should have prepared in advance to have on hand, was also difficult to come by. We finally found some about 20 minutes from our house. The stores were all madhouses. I was grateful that I already had a lot of food and other necessary items stored so I didn't have to run panicking from store to store to try to find the things I needed.

The picture above shows us eating our MREs during the hurricane after we lost power. We made these partly to entertain the kids. They were feeling a bit stir crazy by the time we decided to make these.

We lost a piece of fascia from the top of our house but other than that were blessed to not have damage to our house.

The Best of the Rest of our Vacation

2011-08-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

Our feelings of nostalgia continued during the portion of our vacation we spent in St. George. Besides visiting family, we took the kids to do things that we remember enjoying from when we lived in St. George. We spent a day hiking in Zion National Park and drove them through the tunnels. We hiked to Weeping Rock and Emerald Pools...

And Ben took Zoa and Drake up the narrows for a little ways while Aven and I played on the river shore at the entrance to the narrows.

We also took them to see a play at the Tuachan amphitheater. We saw The Little Mermaid. That was especially wonderful for little Aven, our princess crazed princess. She was in complete awe meeting "Ariel."

Zoa and Drake rode my Uncle Randy's horses in Enterprise.

We went to see my Grandma Terry.

And we hiked the Sugar Loaf with our friends Rod and Mary and their kids. Here is Aven with their daughter in a cave.

Zoa, Drake and Ben spent a day at the lake with Lincoln. They had a blast!

We had a mini reunion with Ben's sister and two of his brothers. We missed Jeff but it was nice to see the rest of the family.

After we left St. George, we stayed in Las Vegas with my parents for a couple of days. It was so nice to be able to relax and unwind a bit before we flew home and got back into the grind. We spent a lot of time swimming in the resort pools and we took the kids to see Hoover Dam one day while we were there.

We also saw a real Vegas show. This guy, Mack King, was a comedic magician. We all enjoyed his show very much.

We were so grateful to have this time together after Ben's return and to be able to see so much family.

Colorado Adventures

2011-07-31T19:42:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, Ben had to fly home for two days to take a test after the family reunion was over. The kids and I stayed with Curtis and Kristi and spent two days playing in Denver. We went to a water park and the zoo. Being there gave us the opportunity to see my dear friend Ginny and her family. They were on their way from St. George to Michigan where her husband was about to start law school and we were going to be in St. George in a few days to visit family. I was sad to know she wouldn't be there to spend time with while we were in St. George but it was so exciting to see her on her way to Michigan. Once Ben finally rejoined us, we drove down to southern Colorado to stay with Ben's mom for a few days. We enjoyed our time there immensely. Ben and I were feeling a bit nostalgic during this trip and wanted to show our kids classic sights. Since Mesa Verde is about 20 minutes from Ruth's house, it qualified. We spent a fun day exploring the ruins there with her and PopPop. We climbed steep windy trails...

We climbed down into a kiva...

And we explored ancient apartment homes.

Of course no trip to Nana's would be complete without a beautiful hike. This time we hiked a section of the Colorado trail. It was absolutely gorgeous! Our kids were a bit wimpy (we blamed it on the altitude-big difference from sea level) but Ben and I were thrilled to take in the views.

After we left Nana's house, the nostalgia continued with a stop at Four corners for the classic shots of being in four places at once. Below is Zoa's shot. she did the best pose.

We also stopped and walked across the Glenn Canyon bridge. The kids were pretty impressed by it until they saw Hoover Dam several days later.

Terry Family Reunion

2011-07-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

Just four days after Ben returned home we flew to Colorado to attend the Terry family reunion. It was so fun to see my family. Everyone was there so the kids had an opportunity to reacquaint themselves with their cousins and I got to hang out with siblings and their spouses. We were the last to arrive but received a royal welcome. We were picked up from the airport in a stretch limo! That was a fun surprise. It was about 2:00 in the morning Colorado time, which was about 4:00 in the morning Virginia time so the kids were hammered but they were still excited to explore the limo. We then drove my parents' car to Estes Park where the reunion was. We had so much fun there swimming in the pool at the condos and playing in this river that flowed through town. Estes Park is a pretty little mountain city. Here Drake is with Amaiya and Micah.

Ben, Zoa and Drake went to tour a haunted hotel that is in Estes Park with some of the rest of the family. They enjoyed the tour. Only the big kids could go so I stayed behind with Aven and the other adults that were staying with little ones.

Here are the big cousins that went: Drake, Braden, Amaiya, Zoa and Darrin.

Our last day there, everyone left but us and my parents. We spent a couple of hours playing miniature golf with them. Aven got a couple of surprising hole in ones!

Welcome Home Southern Style

2011-07-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

One thing that Ben has really come to love since we have lived in Virginia is a good pig pickin'. A pig picking' is when they roast an entire pig (head and all) in a barbecue like you see below. Then they shred the meat off the pig and eat it on a bun with coleslaw. People attending bring salads to go with the meal. Our ward does one every year but Ben has missed the last two so I decided to give him one to welcome him home. Our friend, Ivan Slatter, brought his barbecue over and did it free of charge to honor Ben's service to our country. It was a fun day surrounded by friends. Ben enjoyed it.

Aven side note funny moment: Aven would not even try the meat. finally I asked her why she wouldn't eat any. She said, "That had eyes and a nose. I don't want to eat that!" Apparently watching the pig cook was a bit much for her to deal with. What would we do without her? We have been careful to call the leftovers "pork" so she will eat with us.

Ben Came home!

2011-07-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

We got so excited as the time got closer to when Ben would come home. Ben's mom, Ruth, came out a few days prior to his return to see us. She then took Zoa to Florida so the two of them could join Ben on the ship for the final leg of the trip home. It is a fun thing they do called the Tiger Cruise. They had a once in a lifetime experience. They slept in the racks for two nights just like the sailors and they ate ship food. They had a private airshow, which they watched from the deck of the ship. While they were off having adventures with Ben for two days, Drake, Aven and I were home waiting. Finally the night before came and we went to the night before party that they threw for the family members. It was a big carnival style party. The day of the homecoming, July 15, was so exciting. We all got to wait on the pier where the ship would dock. The tugboats that were going to bring the Enterprise in put on a show for us. They spun around in the water and sprayed water out of the top of the ship. Then the announcer told us to say goodbye to the tugs because they were going to go out to get our sailors and the crowd erupted in cheers. It was very exciting.

Finally the ship docked. Here you can see Ben manning the rails with Ruth and Zoa beside him. This was our first glimpse of the man we had missed for six months. Aven wasn't sure what to think. She kept cheering and crying in turns.

Finally Ben was off the ship so we all could run to him and hug him. How good it was to be near him again. It was nice to have Nana here with us so Ben and I could have a night alone. I really needed him to myself by the end of this first day.

Welcome home Ben!

Aven's Sassy Sense of Style

2011-05-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

Aven has a very unique way of dressing when left to her own devices. She wears a tutu nearly every day but this outfit takes the cake. The pose is also first class. She is a character. I am grateful for her sunshiny personality.

Fort Monroe

2011-05-04T20:20:00.001-07:00

Fort Monroe is about the last historical site here that I have been wanting to see but hadn't yet. I finally decided one weekend that the time was now. Fort Monroe is a military base with this cool historic fort in the middle of it. The fort was nicknamed freedom fort during the Civil War because slaves would flee there and the commander would declare them contraband of war and then free them. There are pictures from Civil War era with slaves all around the fort just sort of hanging out. The picture below will give you an idea of what it looks like. It is a stone fort with grass growing on the roof so you can walk on the roof all the way around and it is surrounded by a moat. You have to drive your car through skinny little tunnels to get from the main base to the historic part.

There is a museum in part of it that was fun. The low ceilings kept us on our toes as we looked at the displays. Notice Aven's cute face paint in these pictures. My friend kept her for me this day in the morning and practiced her painting skills on Aven. She loved her beautiful butterfly face!

This cannon was on the grounds. It is called the "Big Lincoln."

This is where Jefferson Davis was held prisoner at the end of the civil war so they have a display in the cell where he was kept. The kids had fun peering at me through the bars. They had so many soldiers on base at one point that they converted some of these cells to family housing.
Seems creepy to have to live in a prison cell inside a military fort.

Easter 2011

2011-05-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

Easter was a two day gig at our house this year. I decided to seperate the secular things from the spiritual so the Easter Bunny came on Saturday. The kids really enjoyed that morning and had some fun new things to take on our little day trip that we took to Williamsburg.
Zoa got new makeup and other related items that she was out of. She also got some sandals that were too small for her because I didn't realize her feet had grown to a size 10! We had to return them and choose some bigger ones.

Drake got the Lego Harry Potter quiditch match set so he spent the morning assembling that. He was thrilled!

Aven got new sunglasses, which she modeled for this picture with a very enthusiastic pose. She also got some pool toys, some flip flops and some squinkies. If you don't know what squinkies are, feel happy.

Our dear friends, John and Marcie Davenport, invited us to their house for Easter dinner. We had a great time. We were without our grandparents and they were without their grandkids so the arrangement was perfect. John is an amazing cook so the dinner was delicious. Marcie made this cake and let the kids decorate it and they also colored eggs. We all had a great time and felt really grateful for the company.

A Much Needed Spring Break

2011-05-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Spring break is always my favorite break from school. By the time it rolls around, I have spring fever and am sick and tired of our daily routine. This year was probably worse than usual. We did what we have been doing the past few years when we need a change of scenery and drove up to DC to play at Whitney's. We had bad weather our first day there so we found some indoor activities to do. We went to Michael's craft store and let the kids paint a tote bag. After that we let the older kids walk around in a mall while we did an Easter egg hunt with the little kids in a Bass Pro Shops store. That egg hunt was surprisingly well organized and the kids had a blast. It was fun running around the store looking for brightly colored eggs amongst the camouflage gun bags and hunting boots. Sadly I didn't think to take pictures of it.

Sunday was a beautiful day so we went to the temple grounds and botanical gardens near Whitney's house to look at the blooming flowers. The tulips were in bloom. They are my favorite so that was a real treat for me.

I loved the pink and white tulip bed in the picture below. It was my favorite.

The week we were in DC was free national parks week so we decided to stop at Great Falls National Park on our way home. It was really raging and I suspect was probably high because of all the rain the area had been getting. It didn't look anything like the pictures on the park map. It was still fun to climb around on the rocks and hear the pounding water.

When we got home we still had a few days off from school. One of the days was really warm so we went to the York river beach. It felt great to feel the sun. We all loved it.

Zoa spent some of the time in the dignified pursuit of reading while the kids played and some of the time in a major giggling water fight with Drake. It was a good day.

Drake was able to spend three mornings of spring break at a baseball camp with an ex-pro player and scout. He had a great experience and will probably try a baseball team in the fall.

Birthday with Friends

2011-05-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

I am very blessed to have good friends here in Virginia. That has been essential to me as I have lived so far away from family. I realized a few days before my birthday this year that, between turning 36(!) and having Ben half a world away in a war zone, I would need my friends to get cheerfully through the day. I called them and asked them to join me for dinner and a movie the evening before my birthday. They happily obliged. We had a great time! We ate at CPK and saw Red Riding Hood. CPK was delicious but Red Riding Hood was sub par. I came home feeling happy and rosy and loved, rather than lonely and sad and old. I appreciate their friendship very much. They are definitely a great blessing in my life at this time.

Cherry Blossom Festival in DC

2011-05-04T08:33:00.001-07:00

If you have never been to the cherry blossom festival in DC, add it to your bucket list. It is beautiful! The height of the blossoms this year landed on general conference weekend for my church so I decided to pack up the kids and head to DC to enjoy spending time with Whitney and see the cherry blossoms. It turned out to be a wet, cold weekend but the blossoms were still lovely.

Zoa Turns 12!

2011-05-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

It is incredibly hard for me to believe that my daughter is 12! She already has bigger hands and feet than me. I expect her to be taller than me by the time her next birthday rolls around. So far the teenage scene suits her well. She loves middle school and Young Women's and everything about being a bit older. We just had a small celebration on her actual birthday. We went to Olive Garden for dinner then she opened her presents. This boom box for her iPod was the highlight.

Her grandparents gave her a night in a condo in Williamsburg to use for her birthday party. She had a BLAST! This is the group that came with her to the party to spend the night. They went to the game room and played playstation and ran around on the golf course and took pictures and watched movies and giggled like only teenage girls can. Our gift bags for the guests contained spa stuff, including face masks so that was a lot of fun. My job was to cook this pizza and provide some nondestructive boundaries and to tell them at 1:00 in the morning that it was time to sleep, even if they weren't tired yet. It was a great setup for them to feel autonomous but also allow me to supervise. It was a great party for her.

Trotting Around Turkey

2011-05-04T08:02:00.000-07:00

Ben had a liberty port in Turkey on his way to the Arabian sea. This liberty port took place in February, I believe, which shows you how behind I am on the blog. As you can see below, he got to see many cool sites and also got in a bike ride. He sent many more pictures of Turkey but I don't know what many of them are of. He will have to do a blog update when he returns and tell you all more details about his liberty ports. In the meantime, enjoy the following pictures.

I know the picture below was taken in Ephesus but I don't know what the site is.

Ben was recruited to sing in the ship's choir. They sang in Turkey and this picture was taken afterward. The Turkey flag is in the background. I got a bit worked up about the moustache but he assured me it was just for the liberty port and it was coming right off. He said most of the ship did it so they would blend in.

Princess Aven turns 4!

2011-02-22T13:05:00.000-08:00

Aven turned 4! I can't believe how big she is getting! We spent the weekend celebrating her birthday for three days straight. We were very happy to have Grandma and Grandpa Terry here to help us celebrate.

We started the weekend of festivities by giving her a princess birthday party with her friends from church and Joy School. As the guests arrived, they set right to work constructing a princess castle out of marshmallows and frosting.
As they completed that, we moved to a game of hot potato with balloons. If the music stopped while they were holding the balloon, they got to pop the balloon and get the prizes from the inside. Aven didn't like the balloon popping sound but the other kids seemed to enjoy the game. We had put candy bracelets, rings, and lipstick inside the balloons. We had a few princes and knights at the party but even they put on the bracelets and rings.

After the balloon game, I did a puppet show for the kids to tell them a story about Princess Aven. She was cursed by an evil witch, who turned her invisible. This made Princess Aven and all her friends very sad because it was hard to play together when they couldn't see her. The only way to break the spell was to find magic dragon eggs and bring them to Princess Aven. Her friends loved her so much that they went on a quest to bring the magic dragon eggs to her. While I told the story, Zoa and Drake ran ahead of us to the park to hide the "dragon eggs", which were actually Easter eggs full of candy and little bottles of bubbles.

After the story, we went on a princess walk to the park in our neighborhood where Zoa and Drake were waiting for us. They explained the rules of the dragon egg finding game and then let them find the eggs.

Drake was the dragon chasing them while they found the eggs. Once all the eggs were found, they still wanted to play at the park and be chased by the "dragon." Since it was such a beautiful day, we let them play for awhile before returning to Aven's castle.

Aven talked about her princess cake for months before her birthday actually arrived so it had to be special this year. I just ordered one from Wal-Mart, rather than Cake Boss, but Aven was thrilled with it and so excited to see it. We sang to Princess Aven, she blew out her candles, and we all ate our cake and ice cream.

After cake, she opened her gifts from her friends. She really got some nice gifts and has had a lot of fun with them since the party.

After gifts, we danced to music and then froze when the music stopped until all the kings and queens arrived to take their royal children home. It was a fun and exhausting couple of hours.

The celebrations continued through Sunday, her actual birthday. We had a special Family Home Evening lesson by Drake about friends and birthdays and then opened more presents and ate more cake and ice cream. Zoa and Drake pooled their funds to buy her some squinkies. If you don't know what those are, feel happy that your kids have moved on to a different stage of life.

Grandma and Grandpa Terry gave her a headband with long hair attached, which she has been wearing almost nonstop since she pulled it from her gift.

Grandma Terry also made Aven this new quilt for her bed and the beautiful silky nightgown she is wearing below. Knowing she was getting the new quilt I planned to finally paint her room so it would match her new quilt. I went and chose paint colors and gave her the sample cards in a gift bag. She was not at all impressed but I think she will be excited once that actually translates to paint on her wall. She even still has birthday money from her Nana to spend so there is no reason all her dreams won't be realized.

It was a perfect few days for our little princess, except that we were missing Ben so much as we celebrated.

I am very grateful for little Aven. She is a bright pink ball of sunshine and has certainly brightened up our family. I am looking forward to all of the adventures of this upcoming year for her. Four is one of my favorite ages. Fun!

Liberty Port Bike Rides

2011-02-13T19:54:00.000-08:00

Ben has been underway for about a month now. He has been to two liberty ports. The first was in Portugal. He said much of what they did was very Americanized but he did take a day to go for a bike ride with his riding buddies from the ship. They rode about 40 miles to the Western-most part of Europe, pictured above. He said he enjoyed the day very much.

The next liberty port was in Turkey. Some time between Portugal and Turkey, he was recruited to sing in the ship's choir. When they first got to Turkey, there was a ceremony with the Turkish people during which Ben sang with the choir. They went on tour buses to some sites but the highlight, once again, was a bike ride through the countryside. The pictures below show the sites he saw on his bike ride in Turkey. He said the day was perfect with 70 degree weather.

If you look in the background of the picture above, you can see the Enterprise sticking out of Ben's knee.

I am always happy when he has a chance to get off the ship and see something besides the gray paint he is constantly surrounded with on the ship.

He's off!

2011-02-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

Here we are at Ben's work station.

Eating breakfast in the cafeteria on board the ship.

On January 13, despite rumors of delays or cancellations and CO difficulties, the "Big E" left on deployment taking my sweetheart with it. Families of deploying sailors were invited on board to sample a typical breakfast that our loved one would be trying to choke down for the next 6 months and to say goodbye. The week leading up to this day had been a difficult time for me emotionally. I could barely think of this day and the moment I would have to walk away from Ben without tearing up. It was every bit as difficult as I thought it would be.

Aven, not understanding too well what was going on, was just excited to get to preschool and a play date with a friend that day. The other kids and I spent the day comforting each other, rather than going to school or other responsibilities. We had lunch at a pizza place and went to see a movie. By the time the movie was over, we were feeling a bit better. It got our mind off things for long enough to let us get our emotions under control. Things are definitely better when Ben is here but we have been able to fall into a routine. I definitely feel the strength of the Lord propping me up and comforting me. I wondered in that week leading up to Ben's departure how I was going to be strong for my kids, let alone the sisters in my ward who need me as well. I know now that I won't be strong on my own but that the Lord is aware of my situation and will give me the strength I need to do those things He needs me to do. I am so grateful to be part of the Lord's work and for the blessings that come as I strive to serve Him to the best of my ability. I continue to pray He will keep Ben safe as I look forward to my reunion with my eternal companion in July.

16th Wedding Anniversary

2011-02-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

On January 6, Ben and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. Early in the afternoon, this edible bouquet came for me. I was absurdly excited because I had always wanted one; they always look so yummy. I was very surprised because Ben and I had a special date planned to go to The Melting Pot together to celebrate our anniversary. We enjoyed our dinner together very much.

It has been a wonderful 16 years together. Of course we have had our ups and downs but working through things together is rewarding and we have learned a lot from each other. I am grateful for my good husband.

New Year, New Look

2011-02-13T18:50:00.000-08:00

About 4 months after jumping in to my new calling as RS Pres, I started finding grey hairs! I have to blame it on the calling and not my age. I'm not that old yet, am I? On New Years Day, I decided I would dye my hair. I was sick of grey and sick of being blond. I determined that a brown with definite red undertones was the color I most desired, bought the stuff, and set Ben to work on changing my hair color. (What a good sport!) It turned out much more red than I wanted initially, making me feel very self-conscious as I gave a lesson to the sisters in my ward and introduced our new theme for the year. After a couple of weeks, however, the red toned down quite a bit and it is pretty close to the color I originally intended. I like being a brunette and will probably continue to turn myself into one with the help of color from a box.

Check out the new look!

The 9th Annual Birthday/New Year's Eve Bash

2011-02-13T18:33:00.000-08:00

We thought our traditional birthday and New Year's Eve party would not happen this year because Ben was scheduled to work that night but he was able to get it off last minute. We called some close friends and they happily trekked to our house to help us celebrate and keep the tradition alive. We are so grateful for good friends that are willing to help us celebrate, especially since we don't have family near by. We ate cake and ice cream and opened presents and then played games and ate junk food to celebrate New Year's Eve. The tradition is simple but we always enjoy it and appreciate those who come to help us celebrate.

I really can't believe Drake is 9! He is a great little guy. He is so smart and always has something creative or interesting to tell us. We love him and feel blessed that he is part of our family.

White Christmas

2010-12-26T20:28:00.000-08:00

It snowed today for the fourth time this winter, which is very unusual for this area, making global warming deniers like me snicker while we shiver. Today there was about a foot of snow-more than we have had in 21 years-causing church to be canceled. We enjoyed another day to be together and play with the Christmas gifts we didn't have time to enjoy yesterday. The snow will actually give us another day tomorrow as Ben won't have to go to work due to bad weather. Below are some pictures of the crazy people in my family somehow enjoying the snow. I opted out and watched from the window. Notice Aven had to wear a tutu, even to play in the snow. Those of you who thought 5 tutus for Christmas seemed excessive probably understand a little better now why we felt they were necessary.

I hope your fingers don't turn blue as you scroll through the very wintery pics below.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning finally came! The kids were very excited for it this year. Aven, always extra full of energy, became a crazy ball of squeals the week of Christmas. She was tons of fun Christmas morning, though. She was excited to play with each present immediately and was often still absorbed in the present she had opened last when her turn came around again. Her gift highlights were the bin pictured below full of dress up clothes, 5 tutus (pictured below), Polly Pocket camper and doll with clothes, and pink and purple unicorn pillow pet. Drake's highlights were this HUGE Lego set, a bike and skateboard ramp (see video below) and wii games.

Zoa's highlights were makeup (check out the model quality beauty below), a rug to add color to her bedroom, and money for clothes. (We can no longer safely buy clothes for her. We just aren't cool enough.)

We are so grateful that we were able to spend Christmas together. We felt very blessed surrounded by the abundance of Christmas morning as we enjoyed being together. We will add this day to our store of good memories to get us through our upcoming period of seperation during Ben's deployment. We are especially grateful at this time of year for our Savior, the greatest gift any of us could receive.

Sights of DC: Capital Building and National Cathedral

2010-12-26T17:55:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving we went to downtown DC with our friends. We went to the National Air and Space Museum and then toured the Capital Building. The tour was a bit difficult with our restless 3 year old in tow but it was fun anyway. I enjoyed being reminded of the statues and murals inside the Capital Building and the kids and Ben enjoyed seeing them for the first time. (Actually Drake and Zoa had seen it before but it was five years ago and they didn't remember.) George Washington from Virginia and Brigham Young from Utah were my favorite statues. Kind of neat that I can stake a claim in both states as home.

We also went to the National Cathedral that weekend, a first for all of us. This is a shot of the highest tower from the Bishop's Garden.

The highlight of the Cathedral was riding the elevator to the viewing platform in the highest tower. You can walk around and see all of DC from there. We could even see the LDS temple way off in the distance.

We all loved the stained glass. There was a lot of it and it was so beautiful. We also really enjoyed looking at the gargoyles on the outside of the building, though the cold kept us from doing that as long as we would have liked. Our favorite was the Darth Vader gargoyle, though he was difficult to see because he was so high up.

Thankful for Good Friends on Thanksgiving

2010-12-26T17:44:00.000-08:00

We have been so blessed the past couple of years to have our dear friends, Bill and Whitney Warner, living in DC. It has really helped us to not feel so much like orphans out here on the East coast. If we get too lonely we can go visit "family" 4 hours away. This year Bill's parents and sister's family were here for Thanksgiving. I was a tad worried we would feel like we were crashing their family gig but we felt right at home. We enjoyed a couple of days cooking and relaxing and touring DC.
My dear friend Whitney is sitting next to me in the above picture. She really is as nice as she looks!

As you can see from Drake's demonstration, the food was as delicious as the company.

Christmas Party

2010-12-26T17:37:00.000-08:00

Ben's ship does a formal dress Christmas party each year. This year, due to their deployment schedule, it was before Thanksgiving! It felt odd to dress up for a Christmas party that early in the season. All of our pictures ended up blurry, unfortunately, but this will give you an idea of how we looked. I must say I felt very elegant compared to all the cleavage and flesh of other body parts I was surrounded with. These girls really let loose once they take their military uniform off!

Fantastic Fall Colors

2010-12-11T12:28:00.000-08:00

The leaves in our area were breathtaking this year. For weeks we were surrounded by brilliant, vibrant color. I loved it and was inspired to call my photographer friend and have her take updated family pictures. Below are some of our favorites. Enjoy!

Veterans Day

2010-12-11T12:13:00.000-08:00

Ben and I decided we wanted to do something for Veterans Day this year that would help our kids to understand the incredible sacrifice that our soldiers make every day for us to be able to enjoy our lifestyle. I think that they make the sacrifice of giving up Ben so they do have some understanding but probably don't apply that to the larger picture. After learning that there was a Veterans Cemetery in our town and that they would be performing services for 10 unclaimed veterans, we decided that was just the thing we were looking for. We explained to the kids that these veterans didn't have any family to mourn them and that there would probably be few people there for them at this time and then drove to the cemetery, expecting a small crowd.

When we got there, I was overwhelmed to see that there was a large crowd. There is a group in our area called the Patriot Guard. It is a group of motorcycle riders that escort veterans funerals on their bikes and help perform the services. There were probably 150 bikes there plus many like us who came to be part of it. To me, the crowd represented the things that are right with America. When it really matters we do have the ability to pull together.

The ceremony was very solemn and precise, as military funerals are. I was happy the kids got to witness the respect that was given to these men who had sacrificed for our country. They felt the solemnity of the circumstances and behaved very well. As you can see, they enjoyed looking at the headstones for a few minutes after the service was over.

Aven's Surgery

2010-12-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

In late October, Aven had a checkup with her ENT. While there, I requested a hearing test because it seemed that Aven was struggling a bit with her hearing-yelling rather than talking and seeming to ignore or misunderstand me often. The test showed that her hearing was just as bad as it had been before she got her tubes, which is why she had gotten the tubes. Since the tubes had since fallen out, we decided another set was in order. When kids need a second set, standard procedure is to also remove adenoids. Her fabulous ENT, Dr. Schroeder, and I decided to go forward with another set of tubes and an adenoidectomy. She went in to have that surgery early the morning of Nov. 8.

I was expecting her to be in surgery for about 45 minutes but it ended up being almost an hour and a half because it took them so long to get an IV into her little body. I counted the pricks post -surgery and there were 12! Luckily they knocked her out before trying to get an IV into her. They tried in both hands and wrists, both feet and ankles, the crooks of both arms, and finally got one into her bicep. She was covered in nasty bruises for about a week after surgery. Other than that, the surgery went perfectly.

She was very sleepy after surgery. Last time she went under general anesthesia, she woke up with emergence delirium and was completely, insanely inconsolable for about 2 hours while she thrashed around and tried to rip her IV out. I talked to the anesthesiologist about that and he said he would give her something to wake her up more slowly to help with that. The result was that she slept nonstop until about 5:00 p.m., then woke up for a snack and a drink and went right back to sleep until the next morning. At least she wasn't crazy like last time. I will take sleepy over crazy anytime.

Two days after surgery, Aven's neck hurt so badly that her head was stuck downward because she wouldn't use it. I called Dr. Schroeder who said it sounded like a syndrome that begins with "R" (she knew the name of course-I can't remember it) and that I should switch her pain medication to ibuprofen and she should feel better by the end of the week. By the next week she had improved but was still hurting so Dr. Schroeder wanted to see Aven. After seeing her she still felt like Aven's symptoms were due to the syndrome, which causes swelling of the muscles in the neck and just requires time to heal. It was rare when they used to scrape the adenoids out. Now that they cauterize, it is "extraordinarily rare." Dr. Schroeder, who cared for Drake through most of his ear episode, followed that up with saying, "but Aven is your kid so I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Quite funny if you know Drake's less-than-textbook-perfect ear history. Aven was feeling much better after about another week and is back to her old tricks but with better hearing. Hopefully the hearing will stay once the tubes fall out this time. She said a few times during the first few days after surgery, "I can hear now." Seemingly, there is enough of a difference for her to notice.

Halloween

2010-12-11T11:15:00.001-08:00

The kids had multiple opportunities to dress up this year. The first was for the Halloween party at our YMCA. Drake's story was that he got in a car accident on the way to the party and was so excited to get to the party that he didn't bother to go to the hospital. Zoa went to the party reluctantly and dressed up for it even more reluctantly so this rodeo princess costume is all I could coax onto her. She had already dressed up as a witch for her achievement days Halloween party at church but wasn't up for putting all that on again. Aven was a pink ballerina and looked absolutely adorable. She had a bit of an ear infection so she didn't feel well enough to participate in all of the games but did have fun dressing up as a ballerina.

Their next opportunity to dress up was our neighborhood party, which always begins with a costume parade down the main street in our neighborhood, escorted by all the Harley Davidson motorcycles that live on our street. Drake was sick so he couldn't go. Zoa got even more lazy than she was for the YMCA party and dressed identical to her friend so they could be twins-a cheater costume if I have ever seen one.

Aven decided to go a little more with the ballerina princess idea and added a crown and plenty of jewels. Our neighborhood party is always a fun time.

They also went trunk or treating at our church building. For that party, Drake changed his accident story and stuck with the accident victim motif. Zoa kept up the twin charade cheater costume with the same friend and Aven decided to be a full up princess and wore one of her princess dress up dresses. They got a TON of candy, which is what they look forward to so I guess the holiday was a big success.

Drake the Art Genious

2010-12-11T10:54:00.000-08:00

In October, we received an invitation to attend an art show to view Drake's artwork in the art gallery of our local college. We went to the art show and found that Drake was part of a very exclusive group of students who had had a piece of artwork selected to be in the show. Each school in the district could only submit 3 or 4 pieces of artwork. Drake's sun picture was one of only 3 submitted from his school. It was very nice. I wished once we were there that we had made an effort to dress up a bit. The teachers were on hand to talk to parents and students and the college representatives were there. All were dressed up for the event and really gave the students who came a lot of attention and praise. Drake's art teacher loved that Drake had shown a lot of creativity as he created his sun, rather than sticking with a symmetrical format typical of other students. Drake received an Award for Artistic Achievement and a thank you letter from the college for "contributing to the overall beauty of the campus." After we viewed the artwork, there were catered treats for us to enjoy. Drake truly felt special.

Chocolate Galore!

2010-12-11T10:28:00.001-08:00

In June we went to Hershey, PA for a little vacation. I had heard the air smelled like chocolate and the road looked like chocolate. The rumor about the air: false. The rumor about the road: true on the main road through town. The street lights are shaped like Hershey kisses, some wrapped and some unwrapped, which was cute. It just had the feeling of cute American town. We camped in Hershey park campground, which the kids thought was fun. Drake and Zoa slept in their own tent, which was exciting for them. There are two main things to do there: Chocolate World and Hershey Park. We did them both.

Chocolate World is Hershey's marketing extravaganza. There is a ride to teach you the process of making chocolate followed by the opportunity to buy all the Hershey chocolate you could ever want. After looking through windows while on the ride and seeing chocolate in all its various stages percolating right before your eyes, you are definitely ready for some chocolate. The kids thought that ride was so fun that they wanted to go on it several times. Good thing it is free.

Hershey Park is a theme park. It was much bigger than I was expecting it to be. It had several huge roller coasters, which Ben and Drake ran around and rode together. Zoa and I stayed with Aven on the kiddie rides. Zoa was having a chicken day. I think watching Aven on the rides was the best deal. She was so excited and happy about everything. There is also a big water park there that we spent several hours enjoying. It was a nice hot humid day so it felt good to get wet.

We also went to the Museum and learned all about Milton Hershey, who was an innovative and honorable man. It was great to learn about someone who wasn't a dirt bag and who used his success to benefit his community.

Aven's Crazy Night Wanderings

2010-11-21T19:50:00.001-08:00

During the last weeks of school for the other kids, Aven seemed to want to graduate from sleeping normal hours. She was getting out of bed almost nightly to do something crazy, usually in the other kids' bedrooms. She pulled all the books off Drake's bookshelves one night so he woke up to a huge mess not of his making. She got a hold of some scissors and cut both her hair and Zoa's hair while the rest of the family, including Zoa, was sleeping. What a shock for Zoa to wake up to a chunk of Aven colored hair and a chunk of Zoa colored hair lying on her floor. Happily, Aven cut Zoa's hair in one of the few places that it would not have been a complete disaster and Zoa was able to hide it until it grew out. I really didn't know for awhile where I would find her in the morning because she would play until she got tired enough to fall back to sleep and then zonk out wherever she happened to be. The above picture is how I found her one morning, asleep on Zoa's floor. She is wearing a skort of her own, a top that Zoa had grown out of over a hoody that Zoa had also grown out of and non-matching flip-flops. The part you can't see is that she is also wearing a pair of Zoa's panties (she had ditched her diaper on the floor with her pjs) and Zoa's sports bra. I guess all that wardrobe planning tuckered her out because she promptly fell asleep spread out on the floor at the scene of the crime. Just when I was about to turn her knob around and lock her in her room at night, she began sleeping at night again, which wasn't as entertaining as her wanderings but definitely gave me more peace of mind.

Zoa Says Goodbye to Elementary School

2010-11-21T19:38:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my Zoa is out of elementary school! She is really turning into a beautiful young lady. Her last day of 5th grade was emotional for me. They did a graduation ceremony and for some reason it was a tear jerker for me. We stood as the graduates entered the room and took their seats and she looked so tall and mature walking down the aisle to her seat. They next showed a slide show with pictures of the 5th graders throughout their elementary years. Seeing how much Zoa and her classmates have grown and changed made the tears prick my eyes all over again. Next came the solemn processions and calling of names as they handed each of them their "diploma." Zoa had a nearly perfect report card. My favorite part was the comment from her gifted teacher because it sums up Zoa very well. "Zoa works well with others on group projects. She is a leader among her classmates." I hope that as she ventures into middle school, she will continue to be a leader and help pull her classmates in a higher direction.

This picture is of Zoa with Mrs. Kirk, her 5th grade teacher. Mrs. Kirk was crying on the last day of school! After teaching 8 years of elementary school, I think any teacher that sheds tears on the last day must be phenomenal!

Drake's Last Day of 2nd Grade

2010-11-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

Drake had a great second grade year. We were so proud of him on the last day when he brought his nearly perfect report card home along with awards for reading and good citizenship. Way to go Drake! He gave himself two huge hickies with the vacuum right before this last week of school.(see pic below) Luckily they were cleared up by the time he had to stand in front of the school to get his awards.

This is a picture of him with his teacher Ms. Waters. She told us she wished all her students were like Drake. That is a great thing to hear as a parent.

Candice's New Job

2010-04-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

Last week I was sustained and set apart as the Relief Society President of my ward. It is funny that I knew it was going to happen for a week before it actually happened, yet it was still shocking. The week between the bishop calling me to this position and being sustained and set apart was a week of nerves, but also a week I will never forget spiritually. In many ways it was one of the most solitary weeks of my life. Ben's ship was gone most of the week and so I didn't have anyone physically present to talk to about all I was feeling and thinking. I did a lot of praying and listening to the spirit to try to discover what the Lord wants me to do in this position. During that week, Julie Beck, General RS President for my church, came to my building to do a fireside for all sisters in our region and a training for all RS presidents in our region. I was blessed to be able to attend both of those meetings, even though I was not yet official. I had been thinking a lot about where to begin this task the Lord has given me and found that the thoughts and ideas I had been contemplating most were confirmed by Sister Beck and the spirit that night. I am sure that those I was sitting with thought I had lost my mind because I could not control the flow of tears down my cheeks. It is difficult for me to be so wrapped up in the spirit and control my emotions. I had pretty much been crying all week but it peaked that night. I am so grateful for the priesthood and the setting apart blessing I was given last week. It has done a lot to calm me down and give me confidence as I do my best to follow the directions I receive from the Lord. I can feel that the Lord loves the sisters in my ward and wants me to do my best to serve them. I have faith that he will make up for the many areas I feel I am inadequate. This has been a busy initiation week, but I was happy to be faced with many firsts right away so that next time I won't be as nervous when I am faced with the same situation. I love the gospel and my Heavenly Father.

9-11 Pentagon Memorial

2010-04-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

On our way home from DC from our Easter weekend, we went by the Pentagon to see the 9-11 Memorial they have there. The kids were definitely too riled up to behave in such a solemn place. The guard actually came and asked us to be more quiet. It is a big, open area with a memorial for each person who was killed on 9-11 at the pentagon. (So much room to run, which is where the kids got into trouble.) Each person's name is on their memorial and a metal line leads you to the year of their birth, making it easy to realize that two sisters were killed that day, the youngest just Aven's age and the other just a year older than Drake. I have thought about them a few times since my visit. I wonder why they were there in such a forbidding, intimidating place. If I had not been there with my rowdy children, I think I would have read the names on all of the memorials to try to find a father or mother and help solve that mystery. Stupid terrorists!

Arlington National Cemetary

2010-04-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

The day after Easter, we were still hanging out in DC so we decided to take the kids to Arlington National Cemetery. Ben had never been there and when I took the kids during his deployment, they were very small. The flowers were all in bloom there so it was gorgeous. For some reason, I love the nice tidy rows of headstones in a military cemetery. It isn't that I love to think of all those lives cut short, but the sight seems to speak of a sacrifice that was made by them for something bigger than themselves. I am sure that not all of them enjoyed the rigid discipline of the military while alive, yet still were willing to conform in order to serve their country and now lie in rank and file just as they served in life. It is a place that commands a quiet reverence fitting to show respect to those who sacrificed for this country that I love so much. I think the kids even felt it.

Of course the highlight of an Arlington visit is watching the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The photo above shows the walkway we took on the way to watch that ceremony. Both times I have watched the changing of the guards ceremony, I was so impressed with the solemn respect the guards exhibit while tending to their duty. Their shoulders never slump and they never miss a step. They are carefully scrutinized by their commander in front of the public to ensure that their grooming and uniform are immaculate. I know the requirements of the Army to serve in that post are higher than those for other positions and the place has a reverent feel to it because they take their duty seriously.

One thing I wanted to do while we were in Arlington is take a picture of Zoa in front of the space shuttle Challenger memorial plaque. She is the exact age that I was when it blew up on national television. I remember very clearly sitting in my talented and gifted class in 5th grade watching the launch on tv and seeing the explosion. I am sure the shock I felt at such a young age was not as great as it would have been if I had been older but I remember feeling stunned and seeing the tears in my teacher's eyes. I felt so grown up and now my daughter is that same age. Time definitely flies.

Easter weekend

2010-04-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

Our good friends, the Warners, moved to DC last summer. This works out nicely for us on holidays and long weekends because we feel like we have something similar to family close enough that we can actually make plans. That was the case on Easter. The kids had the week after Easter off from school and I had a desire to go to the temple so we called the Warners and were allowed to crash in on them for the weekend. We spent the day before Easter in Baltimore doing a little sightseeing. The best thing we saw was Mother Nature dressed in her spring gowns! The flowers were gorgeous! Zoa is in the picture above with Whitney's girls, Hunter and Aspen showing off the tulips. Poor Drake, the only big boy between the 7 kids in both families, left them to climb a tree. Aven is with the Warner's 4 and 2 year old playing in the dirt, even though they are surrounded by a plethora of gorgeous flowers. The three little kids are why things are so hilarious and crazy when we get our families together. Everyone seems to have a lot of fun, though.

The Easter bunny did find the kids at the Warner house on Easter morning. They gorged on candy while we watched conference. We had them do their egg hunt that night in the dark with flashlights. Whitney and I pooled our resources and each kid got to find over 30 eggs. They had a great time hunting for them all. We appreciate the grand Easter feast and the fun time we had with the Warners for Easter. We are happy to have such good friends just up the road.

Cyclops

2010-04-25T12:21:00.001-07:00

This is the tale of an eye stye gone bad- very bad! Zoa noticed some pain in her eyelid during the week before Easter but we didn't think too much of it until she woke up one Thursday morning with a swollen eye lid. Since 5th graders can be brutal and she didn't want the nickname "Cyclops" to follow her throughout the rest of our sojourn in Virginia, she was allowed to stay home. We put hot compresses on it and it was looking quite improved by mid afternoon. However, as we headed into the evening, the swelling began to return. The next morning it was completely swollen shut and much more red than her other eye lid. She had missed some end of term tests the day she stayed home from school so I emailed her teacher and arranged for her to be hidden away somewhere with an aid in order to take those tests before the break from school for spring. While dropping Zoa off at school, I decided to take advantage of the school nurse for some free medical advice and had her look at Zoa's eyelid. I could tell it was not pink eye due to the lack of redness in her eyeball, but the eyelid was looking even more red than when she woke up. The nurse encouraged me strongly to get her to a doctor asap. I left Zoa to take her tests and drove home to see if I could arrange a doctor visit for her. Then I turned around and drove straight back to the school to pick Zoa up to get her to the doctor appointment that I was able to arrange. They were very happy that I had brought her in. Zoa had an infection called periorbital cellulitis. (Medical people-sorry if I misspelled, etc.) This infection has the potential to infect the cavity behind the eye where the optical nerve runs, which can cause loss of the eye! They got her on antibiotics and gave me a list of symptoms to watch carefully for (none of which I ever saw) and scheduled a follow-up appointment. Only then were they willing to tell me it was ok to take her out of town for spring break as we had planned. Happily, the swelling and redness decreased a little more each day until about day 5 when we couldn't tell anything had been wrong. After that doctor visit, I definitely felt the relief of having dodged a crises. I would also like to say that I am very grateful for antibiotics.

Aven is 3!

2010-02-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

Aven turned 3 on Saturday, Feb. 20. She was very excited for her birthday. Ben and I spent part of the morning alone with her because the other kids were busy with activities. She had some birthday money from Nana so we took her to Toys 'R Us to let her choose something to buy with that. She took her time looking but finally decided on a My Little Pony Ferris wheel and a Princess umbrella. They were good choices for her. She spent a lot of time enjoying them for the rest of the day and the next day... and today, actually.

We invited some of our good friends over to celebrate her birthday with us that evening. The Vetter, Pilz, Croley, and Ketten families joined us to watch Aven open presents. We also ate pink and purple princess cake and ice cream. She really enjoyed being the center of attention. Grandma and Grandpa gave her the Tinkerbell costume she is wearing in the picture and she was so excited she stripped in front of her party guests to change into her Tinkerbell costume. Our friends were nice to come spend the evening with us and help Aven feel special. A party was important to her but I didn't want to be in charge of a bunch of two and three year old cuties by myself so having families over was a perfect solution.

I admit I have been dreading Aven turning 3 just a little bit. I remember this age being difficult with Zoa. Aven is still clinging stubbornly to her diaper but hopefully we can convince her that the toilet is a good thing now that she is 3 and wants to be a big girl. Once we conquer that, things will be looking up. She is a burst of sunshine in our family.

We are happy she is part of it.

Nerf Wars (in the snow)

2010-01-31T06:47:00.000-08:00

Since Drake's birthday is on a holiday that often finds his friends out of town, we do his birthday parties, when we do them at all, on a later date in January. Yesterday was the scheduled day for his Nerf Wars birthday party. After 14 invitations had been sent out and most of those people had called to confirm their intentions to attend, we discovered that the weatherman was predicting snow. This is Hampton Roads. We don't usually get snow here. Often when they say it is going to snow, it doesn't or the snow comes in such small quantities that it doesn't change any one's course of action. This time, however, we had Drake's (Eeyore's) birthday party planned so of course we woke up on the day of the party to about 4 inches of snow with more still falling. I know that to many of you, this does not seem like a big deal because you deal with much more than that all winter. For this area, however, that much snow meant that we were dealing with the worst snow storm we have had in 20 years. Drake was thrilled-Nerf Wars in the snow! I was worried that it would prevent many from coming. After checking the weather again and discovering that the wind was supposed to pick up after noon, we decided at 8:30 to change the party time from 1:00 to 10:00 and hope people could still come. We had all but one guest attend in spite of the weather and time change.

This was a party to remember. The boys all arrived dressed in their snow gear so we had them gather in the garage and practice their aim until nearly everyone was there. They shot at boxes and at the dads that stayed. (There were 4 dads here, including Ben. It was great! All I had to do is serve the cake and ice cream.) Once almost everyone was here, they split into teams and went outside to battle it out. Ben had set up pallets and our picnic table for them to hide behind as they shot at each other. Of course, the snow covered trampoline became too great of a temptation to be ignored. They were all in heaven.

We brought them in once they started feeling cold for a relay game that involved army crawling under the table, jumping over the couch, and shooting at targets taped onto the window. They enjoyed cake and ice cream and watched Drake open his presents but then they were ready for more warring in the snow so the dads got them all suited up again to battle until all their parents arrived to take them home. It turned out to be a great party. I am sure we will find a million Nerf bullets under the snow once it all melts.

We received more snow during and after the party as well as overnight so our total snowfall is about 8 inches. Again, I know that is a small amount for many of you, but it has shut this place down. Church has been cancelled for today and, since it will still be on the roads tomorrow because it is so cold today, school would most likely have been cancelled if they didn't already have the day off. Aven is having fun getting dressed to go out and then coming in again a few minutes later and the kids think that tromping through the snow in the woods behind our house is the greatest thing they have ever been allowed to do. I intend to hibernate until I can see the ground again.

Drake's Baptism

2010-01-22T09:14:00.000-08:00

Drake was baptized on Saturday, January 16, 2010. He was very excited. I had the jitters. I knew that I would become emotional as I watched him take this step. He was calm and ready to participate in this important ordinance. It is the important first step on a path that I hope he will continue to walk.

The baptism program was very nice. Zoa was quite involved. She gave the talk on baptism, which she prepared mostly by herself. All the help I gave her involved clarifying some wording and polishing a little bit. She did a fantastic job. She also sang "I Am a Child of God" with me and her grandpa. She sang the second verse as a solo and sang the descant on the third verse. She did a lovely job. I received almost as many compliments and congratulations about her as I did about Drake.

We were grateful for the support we got from my parents, who flew here from Utah to support Drake on his baptism day, and from some neighbors and friends and ward members. The room was packed to standing room only, which was very nice. Drake is a special kid. It was nice to see that other people think so too.

After the baptism, we had a lunch at our house for the friends that could come. Drake wanted to have a post-baptism party so he could play with his friends. It was fun to visit and enjoy the company of so many good friends. The tradition in our ward is for children who were just baptized to share their favorite scripture in sacrament meeting the next day. Drake stood up at the pulpit and shared his favorite scripture (1 Nehpi 3: 7) and then went the extra mile and also shared his testimony. What a fantastic person he is!

My parents were able to stay through the long weekend so we took advantage of the kids not having school on MLKing Day and took a day trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. We went to the Wright Brothers Memorial at Kill Devil Hills where they made their first flight. Have you ever stopped to think about what a miracle it is that they were able to figure that out? There were so many obstacles they had to eliminate and problems they had to solve to make it work. It really is amazing. What a great weekend it turned out to be.

Drake is 8!

2010-01-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

Drake turned 8 on Dec. 31, 2009. We had our annual Happy Birthday Drake/Happy New Year's party at our house. Unfortunately, we didn't have the great turnout we are used to. We had a great time, though. Drake requested a chocolate ice cream cake. He opened presents and we ate cake and then the kids played wii and ran crazy through the house while the adults played games. It was an enjoyable evening.

Drake and I have a running joke every year. I always tell him he isn't allowed to get older and he explains that he can't help it. For some reason, I meet Zoa's new phases of life with excitement while I feel sad about letting the little boy that Drake once was go. He has turned out to be such a smart and interesting child. I love having a conversation with him because he always surprises me. We are grateful that he is part of our family. He will be baptized on Saturday, January 16. We are looking forward to watching him take that important step.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year! The only thing that was a bit of a bummer was that Ben had duty on Christmas Eve. Santa and his elves had a more difficult time getting everything ready for a magical Christmas morning without him, but they managed. The kids had to be corralled in our bedroom until he came home at about 8:00 so that was a bit difficult but once we got rolling, it was all fun.

Zoa got a new bedroom set, complete with bed, dresser, and nightstand. She really likes her new furniture and Aven is enjoying Zoa's old bed and dresser. You can see Zoa's nightstand in the background of this picture of her.

Drake got a much needed new bike. His previous bike was Zoa's hand-me-down painted to look like a boy bike. It was so small that he had a difficult time keeping up with his friends when they rode bikes together. He looks so grown up on this big new bike.

Aven got a new baby and stroller. She was cute on
Christmas morning. Each present she would open would be added to the basket of her new stroller and wheeled around the house. She had a hard time letting me take stuff out of there to put it away the next day.

We spent the day setting up Zoa's new furniture so she could sleep in her new bed. We also made our Christmas dinner that day and spent some time playing games together.

We felt very grateful for our blessings as we enjoyed each other's company that day. We hope your Christmas day was as enjoyable as ours.

The Magic of a Disney Christmas

2009-12-27T15:06:00.000-08:00

Disney World is a magical place, especially at Christmas. We decided that we would give our kids a trip to Disney World this Christmas. It meant we had to check them out of school for a week but it was worth it. We had a fabulous time. We were able to get deeply discounted tickets due to a military special that Disney World was offering and Ben and Aven were free. Ben's mom and her husband flew to Florida to spend our Disney vacation with us. We loved having Nana and Pop Pop with us.

We were able to get 5 day park hopper passes with our military discount, which allowed us to explore all four parks at Disney World. We spent day one at Animal Kingdom. Our favorite part of that day was the parade of Disney characters. They came along on floats that looked and worked like huge puppets. We saw the Winnie the Pooh and his friends and I had to get a picture of Drake with Eeyore because he reminds me of Eeyore so much.Day 2 was spent at Epcot. We went to their traditional Christmas program that evening. It was called the Candlelight Processional. It included a symphony and a candle toting choir and a narrator who read passages about Baby Jesus. We were delighted that the concert was a celebration of Christmas, not a generic Holiday. Hurray for Disney!

Day 3 was spent at Magic Kingdom. It was probably our favorite day. The weather was perfect (sunny and in the 80s), and the kids really loved the rides there, especially Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain. There was also plenty for Aven to enjoy. She loved seeing the princesses, especially Ariel. The castle all lit up for Christmas was gorgeous.

Day 4 was spent at Hollywood Studios. This day was a little difficult for Aven. There was not a lot for her to do so she took one of her stroller naps that she had become so good at.

I think the highlight of this day was the Osborn Family Spectacle of Dancing lights. The buildings up and down the street were covered in lights and they "danced" to Christmas songs. The street was crowded with people enjoying the lights and music and it felt like a great big Christmas party.

We had to say goodbye to Nana and Pop Pop on the morning of Day 5. We decided to spend the first half of that day at Magic Kingdom seeing some things we missed during our previous day there. We still were unable to say we had done everything. I think you would have to spend 5 days at each park to be able to see all there is to see. We ended the day at Epcot because they have a part of the park that is a world tour and we only made it around half of the world the day we were there with Nana and Pop Pop. The kids were able to see Santa and Mrs Claus at the American adventure. After 5 straight days of Disney, we were "Disneyed-out." It was a very fun week, however; one I hope Zoa and Drake will always remember.