Good bye, house! Hello, D.C.!

We sold our very first home after living there for just 2 1/2 years. It was a hard thing, but it kind of all fell in our laps as though it were meant to be. It was strange to see it all empty and to drive away for the last time.

We took off last Saturday for Washington D.C. We are pretty much loving life right now. We are living in a hotel and being spoiled rotten. . .Breakfast served every morning, dinner three nights a week and not having to clean- beautiful! Kenneth is really enjoying his new job and the baby # three is happy in healthy inside mama's belly.



The girls are having a blast here! We have already discovered 3 different playgrounds within walking distance and go on some sort of outing every day. We will be in the hotel another 3 weeks before our apartment is ready. That should give us plenty of time to get settled in and ready for the little guy to arrive!

One last visit to the farm before we move. . .

We had one last visit to the farm before our move to Maryland. Karen and her family here visiting from Utah at the same time.

The three stooges. It was fun to live so close together for the first year and a half of their lives.

Arianna, Lydia and Benjamin

Grandma enjoying time with Emma.

Popsicles all around.

Can you believe that highchair line-up?

Emma and Arianna enjoying their popsicles.

House-Hunting Trip to Maryland

It just so happened that our house-hunting trip to Maryland fell on the weekend of our 5th Anniversary. It was like having a 5 day vacation without the children- meals paid for, hotel paid for- too bad we had the stress of having to find a place to live!!! We really did have a great time once I got over crying every time I thought of the children! We stayed at a really nice Marriott in Bethesda. We were able to go to the temple during our visit as well. I surprised Kenneth with an Album that I had put together of all the professional pictures we had taken in our marriage: from our Wedding Announcement to the most recent family pictures. He was very surprised! I love that the sentimental gifts are what Kenneth loves the best!

Here we are on the evening of our Fifth Anniversary. (I am 6 months pregnant with Grant) We enjoyed a lovely evening at the Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg, MD.

Enjoying my dinner at Macaroni Grill

The view from our table.

Kenneth and me in front of the Washington D.C. temple.

Our Baby is 3 Years Old!!!

We can hardly believe Emma is already 3 years old. She was excited for months ahead of time for her birthday party and chose her own theme- "Cinderella". She was on a kick for a while there where we read the Cinderella story at least three times a day and she could recite entire pages word for word to us. Crazy! She was so excited to have all her little friends come over. She loved her cake, which I made in the shape of Cinderella and especially loved getting all the presents. We were probably overzealous in the amount of little ones we invited to the party, but didn't want to leave out any of her nursery friends, so we ended up having 11 little ones over. At least it only lasted 1 1/2 hours and many parents stayed with their child to help out.
That evening we went swimming in a special indoor swimming pool that could almost be called a small water park. Diane, Joseph and Ben came with us and afterwards we went out for pizza to celebrate again! It was a great day.

On Emma's actual Birthday, the next day, we went up to Potsdam, where Emma was actually born, to visit our dear friends up there before we left New York. It was so good to see all the good people in the Potsdam Branch and other friends we had made up there.

April

What fun times we had in April! We enjoyed time with family, knowing we would soon be moving. The first weekend in April we enjoyed watching General Conference at Diane and Joseph's home. Mom and Dad Larchar and Scott and Jenni and their family also joined in the fun. Truth be told, we don't really get much out of conference with all the little ones around, but we wouldn't get much out of it even if we were at home by ourselves either with our two little ladies!
Emma watching with Grandpa

The kids playing together

The three stooges- Lydia, Benjamin and Arianna

Our Liverpool Ward playgroup had an Easter Celebration- the kids dyed eggs, had an egg hunt and enjoyed time with friends.

Here is Emma dying Easter eggs with Jane and Michael Haymore. Melissa Fisk is helping them with her little Robin underfoot.

The girls, delighted with their spoils.

Here we are trying (unsuccessfully) to get a good Easter Sunday Photo of the girls. Can you say 'naptime'?
Emma hunting for eggs at home on Sunday afternoon.

The girls looking at the eggs they found.

After the long New York Winter, the children are always grateful when it warms up a little bit and the snow melts so they can go outside!

Happy Arianna!

Little Blue Eyes

Emma enjoying time in the sandbox

Emma picking the dandelions.

Silly little girl

You mean to say, this isn't what this is intended for?

Saying Goodbye

In the beginning of March we said our last goodbyes to Grandma Alzina Larchar. ('Gramma Gramma' to all the little ones) Well, our last goodbyes here on earth anyway; we know we will see her again. She died on her husband's birthday; what a lovely present to him! It is wonderful to think of them being together again!

Karen and Dennis were able to fly back to New York for the funeral. It was so nice to be together as a family on the farm.

This is the last time we saw Grandma. We visited her in the hospital in Hamilton.

Silly Uncle Dennis playing with Emma. He is a kid magnet; they love him!!

Snoozing with the boys- Caleb and Joshua

On a walk on Larchar Road.

Kenneth, Karen and little Arianna

Here's the gang on the traditional Easter Scavenger Hunt. (We did it a little early since so many people were in town)


Arianna swinging on the farm

What a good big sister

The cousins hanging out (Benjamin, Emma, Joshua and Lydia)

Emma and Arianna playing at Grandma and Grandpa's