We're off to the Happiest Place on Earth!

I hope we're not missed too much as we head out to Paris to visit Disneyland. I don't know who's more excited for the roller coasters...the kids or myself!!! I can hardly contain my excitement thinking about Space mountain, Aerosmith's roller coaster and of course the Tower of Terror!!!
The girls love the thrills which makes me even more excited!!
We have Lauryn's baptism scheduled for Saturday at 2pm. Anyone who reads this blog is more than welcome to come. In fact, we want you there!
Until then....

A Deep Analogy

Tonight, before family prayer we were talking. Brilee was showing Mike some cheers she and a friend had created today while enjoying the sunshine after church. One comment lead to another and then he asked when Lauryn was going to get started in gymnastics. I told him she was on the waiting list. We don't know what number she is on the list, just that she's on the list.
So, here's where the deep analogy comes into play....
Maddi blurts out "It's just like Jesus, we don't know when he's going to come to earth...and we don't know when Lauryn will get into gymnastics."
Hmmm, never thought of it that way! We all laughed and then Mike alerted her that it was a for sure blog entry! So, here's to you Maddi! We love you and your deep thoughts!

I've been TAGGED

The History Tag

20 years ago I...
1. Turned 13
2. Best Friends with Joanna Cheatham
3. Had a newspaper delivery route. I rode my pink cruiser around delivering the PHX Gazette after school and on Sat/sunday mornings it was the AZ Republic.

10 years ago I...
1. Moved from Texas to Washington state where our military career began
2. Learned how beautiful the rain makes everything!
3. Enjoyed life with one child..was pregnant with Brilee

5 years ago I...
1. Had Dallin
2. Our house was built in Litchfield Park, AZ
3. Spent 5 months alone as Mike was in Texas then Alabama for training

3 years ago I...
1. Was planning a baptism for Maddi
2. Went to Utah for my Grandma's funeral. I had a blast with cousins and siblings!
3. Went to Disneyland with the kids and in-law's

1 year ago I...
1. Was playing single mom while mike was in Korea for a year
2. Brilee was baptized
3. Was working out every day at the YMCA (I miss that place!)

So far this year I...
1. Moved to Germany
2. Haven't been involved in any traffic accidents while learning the German road!!!
3. Began blogging

Yesterday I...
1. Took a new sister in the ward to some German stores to show her around
2. Ate at Burger King (blech)
3. Made fried rice

Today I...
1. Went on a hunt to find the movie Enchanted for upcoming Birthdays! (I finally found a copy but it's full screen...wah wah wah)
2. Took sheets off 2 beds and washed them...need to do 2 more
3. Went grocery shopping

Tomorrow I...
1. Plan on CLEANING!!! The IN-LAW'S ARE COMING!!
2. Plan primary sharing time/music for Sunday (Yikes any suggestions??) I'm keeping this one Brea because I need to do this too!!!
3. Will try not to yell too much as I try to get the kids to clean their rooms (will be hard)

In the next year I shall...
1. Learn German!
2. Cruise the Eastern Mediterranean
3. Hope to see family who wants to visit us!!!

Let's see.... How about Leslie, Laura, Lindsay and Stacy you're tagged!!!

Handsome BOY!

Dallin turned 5 in February and had these pictures taken at his German kindergarten. They turned out fabulous! Normally, he does some goofy smile or doesn't smile at all. I was pleasantly surprised to see the outcome. We love this boy!

Happy Easter!!

We woke up to a beautiful Easter morning. We received about 3 inches of snow over night. Friday's snow had all melted Saturday with the rain we got. It was absolutely quiet and peaceful outside with a blanket of snow on everything.
At first we thought we wouldn't be able to get to church because our road getting out of the village is steep and full of snow. The plow came by at 7:30 and we jumped in the shower and arrived a few minutes late for the 9am meeting. The girls looked cute in their new dresses but I didn't get to their hair so they looked pretty scroungy. We'll have to re-do Easter morning in a few weeks.
Church was wonderful. One sister who spoke also has a daughter (12) with a cleft lip/palate. She told us how she has talked with her daughter on how the resurrection will work. We will all be made perfectly whole again. It gives her hope to think about as she goes through the many surgeries like Maddi to try to help her out in life. Her talk was just beautiful describing the Atonement and the gifts that are ours.
After church, we ate lunch and headed out to play in the snow. We had a great time throwing snow balls, making snow angels and sliding down the hill.
Easter dinner is in the oven and Brilee will give a lesson on Easter after dinner. We are thankful for our family, friends and loved ones near and far. We think of you often and pray for your peace and safety each day.

The Kids and Snow

I'm just full of posting today! It's almost 11am and the snow is just now stopping. What a fun morning we've had. I built the snowman by myself . Although it ended up with a sponge bob head and a crooked body it still is cute! The kids enjoyed sledding down our driveway. I didn't brave the hills around the corner. I knew by the time we made it there, someone would be fussing to go home. Even Lola enjoyed running around in the snow. After everyone ate lunch, I bribed the kids with monkey bread if they'd fold clothes! WOO HOO!!!! It worked!!! Now it's 1:40 in the afternoon and they're watching Nancy Drew...what a day!

SNOW DAY!!!

We knew snow was in the forecast but didn't think we'd get this much. It isn't really a lot but for us, it's plenty! The most excitement we've had in 8 months was when I got the phone call this morning. "Babe, I'm in a ditch." "Are you joking?" No, he wasn't joking! "Mr. SLOW DOWN, You can't take the corner that fast" ended up in a ditch. As we exit the village, there is a hill that he slid off. Nothing bad, just a huge knock to his ego. His little car is terrible on slick roads. He said as he was driving, the vehicle up ahead had slid but lucked out. A neighbor drove by and asked if he needed help. He told Mike that he'd slid sideways and went back to get his wife's Volvo SUV. I loaded the kids in the van but before we headed out, he called to say a nice man stopped and said he'd get the tractor and be back in 10 minutes. I still had to brave the weather so I could capture the moment and razzz him (as if he needed it). He didn't seem to think that was such a funny idea but we were both laughing when I arrived. I found the situation to be extremely funny. Especially since he was still stuck in the car. Of course I laugh when I'm sad, scared and hurt. So, luckily he wasn't hurt because it would've been hard to keep a straight face. The car seems to be fine, the wheels jiggle a bit when he drives but that could be because they are filled with mud. :-) Please excuse my ugly laugh in the videos, I couldn't help myself!

We're going to London!

Mike and I will get to enjoy a 3 day trip to London the 2nd week of April when his parents come to visit. They'll stay with the kids while we go. I'm super excited to see London. I'm looking forward to a trip as a couple. Don't get me wrong, I love to show the kids around but there are certain places that aren't as fun for kids. This will be one of them. While there, we'll get to see the musical Wicked.

St. Patrick's Day!

Traditions! I stole an idea from another friend who does pancakes on FHE night. I didn't think the kids would fall in love with this event. I even figured they'd get tired of it and after a few weeks and I'd be off the hook. NOPE! I'm reminded each Monday as they are off to school that "tonight is pancake night!" It makes my menu planning easy, we just get a bit tired of pancakes. So, today we went along with the pancake theme and added a new tradition I started last year of making a green meal on St. Patty's day. We had zucchini pancakes with extra green coloring with eggs and hash browns. I even colored the milk green. The kids thought this meal was fantastic! We enjoyed our evening and here are the pictures to show off our tasty meal. :-)

Paris

Here are some pictures from our trip to Paris last month. We asked Maddi where she wanted to spend her 11th b-day. She said either Paris or Spain. Well, Paris was a 4 hour drive so we chose that trip. We stayed in a nice condo close to Disneyland Paris. We walked around Disney Village but didn't go into the park. We'll go back for Brilee and Lauryn's birthday's in April for the Disney trip.
We went to many of the 'tourist' places. The Eiffel Tower was the most exciting thing the kids saw. The didn't care too much about the other places we drug them to. Oh well, they'll thank us later for the experiences! The pictures are from the river Seine, arc de triomphe, and the train. We took video of the Mona Lisa inside the Louvre. There was a large crowd gathered around trying to get a picture. We sure were tired by the end of the day!