Other Events in Our Lives

For memory's sake I really wanted to post these things, even though the pictures aren't great.

This is Jayda with Miss Pat and Miss Joy on her last day of school at the Houston Preschool. Jayda really enjoyed her time in preschool, making new friends and learning the essentials before going to Kingergarten (gasp!). It was also very handy having a playground right there to enjoy after picking her up.


About a month ago our ward had a primary pajama party for the kids. The kids got to come in jammies and enjoy activities like making prayer rocks, playing games and eating a breakfast of french toast sticks, fruit, bacon, and juice prepared by yours truly. It was fun and HOT in that kitchen!

And lastly, another fuzzy picture of Jayda and Brannon on one of his last days over. These two were hilarious together because Brannon is ALL boy and Jayda is ALL girl. I think they had a hard time understanding each other's foreign ways sometimes, but they also had a very sweet relationship and were very funny to watch interact. I'll miss seeing these two together!

My Aunt Tracy

I know I have a ton of catching up to do, but I just really wanted to post about my Aunt Tracy (in pink). We never got to be that close, although I like to think that we would have been if distance weren't a factor. I always thought that she was very cool, so kind, and had a killer alto singing voice. She served in the military for a good portion of her life and even sang for their band. She wrote a duet for us to sing together at a family reunion once, which was an experience I'll never forget.

About fifteen years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she fought like a champ and beat. Ten years later it returned, to several parts of her body, with a vengeance. She started a blog to update her loved ones about the status her condition. It became a fun way to communicate with her and get to know her better. We also emailed one another fairly frequently, and she was such a great support when I myself was diagnosed with cancer.

Even though her blog posts were about her daily struggles with cancer, I always looked forward to reading them because they were so positive and filled with love and hope. Even on her worst days, she always looked on the bright side, and always encouraged us to do the same, sometimes asking for us to leave jokes or funny stories for her to enjoy. Her and her partner Jan, who took over the updates when Tracy was unable, constantly reminded us to smile, hug the ones we love and let go of the silly things that don't matter. She was a huge inspiration.

Three days ago my aunt passed away, peacefully, in her chair, with Jan and friends by, holding her hands. It was very sad news, but also a relief to know that her suffering had ended, with dignity and support. I wish that I had more time with my Aunt Tracy to get to know her better, but I'll be forever grateful for what she taught me, her example and the role she played in our lives and my mom's life. I hope I can always remember to take her lead and smile, enjoy the good things in life and always be grateful for the ones I love.

Old, But Still Worth Posting

It seems that I keep coming across these random old photos that I think are cool, but never posted. Here are a few of them.

This crazy guy is my dad, who is a great photographer. Even waist deep in the snow, I guarantee you, he's never been happier! I'm rather proud of his mad skills, here's a shot he took in San Francisco.

Way back, I think in September we walked Valley Green for playgroup. I love going down there, especially with good company!

This is just a cute shot of my kids, thanks Alissa!

And speaking of Alissa, quite a few months ago we took a day trip to Intercourse to sample about 500 different jams, jellies, meats and cheeses. It was a lot of fun and I am really going to miss this girl!

We spent our New Years Eve in Jackson and made it just in time to scream HAPPY NEW YEAR at the square in Jackson. It was fun, and COLD!

During that trip, it's become a tradition to go out with my brother Andrew and my sister Jackie. It's one of my favorite parts about going home, I've never been around two funnier people!

Quite a few months ago we spent the evening with our friends the Palmers. We were there long enough to put the kids down there, so Jayda cozied up to Maelie. We got this shot after it finally got quiet in the room, how cute are those two princesses!

So Girly, So Manly

One of the most entertaining parts about having a boy and a girl is that there is absolutely no fuzzy line between my daughter's femininity and my son's masculinity. She is all girl and he is all boy!

(These were taken at the same time!)

Sesame Place

I'm finally caught up!! Holy cow, I didn't think I would actually see the day.

Last Saturday we took an impromptu trip to Sesame Place, we had so much fun! It's basically an amusement park for really young kids and I loved it because they can do EVERYTHING, not just the rides designated for young ones. We rode all sorts of fun rides, and it was so fun watching the kids enjoy them. The very last one we went on was a roller coaster, which Jayda was so scared to go on. It was actually really fun, especially considering that it was for little kids, but the minute it stopped Jayda started crying. It's okay though, she's already talking about how next time she's going to be brave enough to try it again.

The nets were fun, and it looks like fun to bounce around on them, but they hurt!

Aside from rides, there were a lot of places for the kids to play. This was their favorite. I think they enjoyed sliding down even more then climbing up.

White Coat Ceremony and Camping

Temple University has a White Coat Ceremony at the end of the Sophomore year, marking the point that they start working on actual patients. It's kind of a cool Rite of Passage and feels great that we're halfway done with school. During the ceremony I got to "coat" Glenn. I was nervous, but luckily no one tripped or anything like that! I'm so proud of Glenn, I can't even imagine how stressful this year has been for him, but he's handled it like a champ.

We didn't stick around for very long afterward because we wanted to go CAMPING again! This time we went only twenty minutes away to Fort Washington Park where we got a prime spot all to ourselves, for free! There is really nothing better then sitting in a camp chair around the fire, Diet Coke in hand, I love camping. This time we spent the night too, and the kids did great!

Card Club

I'm not going to lie, second year isn't a picnic. So in Glenn's absence I had to do everything I could to keep me and the kids busy and happy. One of my big lifesavers was card club. We're on our fifth month of doing it, and it's been SO much fun. So far the themes have been Valentine's Day, Birthdays, Thank Yous, Christmas, Mothers and Fathers Day, and this month is a free-for-all. The five cards are the ones that I have made so far, and the big table is full of all the cards we've gotten out of card club (not counting the ones I've already sent). It's been a blast and I hope we keep doing it for a long time!