New Developments

Hello big wide world!  I have {mostly} given up blogging for the moment because of my frustration with the computers in my life, but I fugured I should at least try and give an update on what is going on in our lives.  We are great!!!! 
Emma:  learned to ride a bike with no training wheels!!  She learned while we were on the farm in June.  (The best place to learn if you ask me; the dirt road is a whole lot more pleasant to land on than our asphalt cul-de-sac!)  She is a pro now and loves to ride all over the place. 
Emma also lost her first tooth!  It is on the bottom and so it is not glaringly obvious it is missing unless she really opens her mouth wide or gives a BIG smile. 
She also wears glasses now!!! She has a type of strabismus, or misalignment of the eyes, called Accomodative Esotropia.  The doctor is hoping that wearing the glasses for a while will correct the problem and then she won't have to wear them any more.  In the meantime, they fit her well and she looks adorable. 

Arianna is as spunky as ever.  She never ceases to amaze us with what her little mind comes up with.  A week or so after we returned form New York, she was outside dumping dirt all over the patio (which she knows is against the rules).  I asked her why she was doing that and she responded that she was trying to make a dirt road, like at the farm!

Grant is growing up so fast.  He will turn 3 years old at the end of this month!  I can hardly believe it!  Unfortunately, he is still not interested in ditching the diapers.  I am hoping he will do what the girls both did and surprise us right around his 3rd Birthday.  I certainly don't want to be changing a 3 1/2 year old's diapers along with a newborn's!!!

Yes, you heard right!!  The biggest development of all is that I am expecting our fourth child in January- the day after Arianna's birthday to be exact.  We are very excited and feel so thankful to be able to have another child, with the chemo and all.  We weren't sure it would even be possible.  Much to the chagrin of my sister (you know who you are. . .) we will not find out the sex of the baby this time.  Oh! the surprise is wonderful!!!  So, I am 15 weeks along and feeling pretty well, just VERY tired. 

So, there you have it! Sans pictures.  Unfortunately, I can't seem to be able to upload pictures due to afore mentioned computer problems.  Story of my life. . .  I even bribbed Emma with a jelly bean so I could get a picture of her with her glasses and her missing tooth.  Na ja.  Hopefully we will buy a new computer soon and I will be back to sharing all our adventures. 

Beautiful New York

Beautiful evening on the farm. 

Here's just a small glimpse of the farm.  So beautiful.

Can't Live with 'em, Can't Live without 'em!

Oh, these children!  I love them to pieces, but boy can they drive me crazy!  Grant- at a little over 2 1/2 just screamed out my name for the last 40 minutes.  I put him to bed and could tell he was trying to stall, but I had no idea it would go on that long.  He wanted his little flash light.  I said no; we were not going to search all over the house for it and it was time to sleep.  He wanted a book.  No, it is too dark.  I left.  He screamed.  I tried to take care an email for Emma's schooling.  The computer was slow and the combination of that and Grant screaming in the background about drove me batty.  I came back in.  He still wanted a book.  I said no, it was too dark.  I left.  He screamed, "Mommmmmayyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!" about a hundred times.  I tried to talk to my sister-in-law so I wouldn't just be focusing on the screaming.  I had a hard time doing it, but at least the time went a little faster (and I got to talk to my sister-in-law =) )I went in again.  He wanted his flashlight.  I said no.  I left.  He screamed.  I finished the dishes.  Finally, I decided I would lie down with him in my bed if I needed to.  I could not listen to the screaming any longer.  I went in.  He wanted his nose wiped and to be covered up and I haven't heard a peep from him since.  I guess he wore himself right out.  So, here I am writing a blog post instead of taking care of the millions of other things I should be doing. 
We have had a rough couple of days with the children.  They have been ornery and difficult.  In return, sadly, I have been ornery and difficult.  As Kenneth and I talked about it the other evening, after such a day, we realized we have both been so busy, that they probably just need time with us.  Time with us just to play with them and read to them.    My children are angels when I take the time out to just sit on the couch with them and read books.  Or when I get on all fours and chase them around the room.  Ah, time.  There is never enough. . .
One thing is certain.  They grow up way too fast.  Emma officially completes her Kindergarten year tomorrow.  I will have a first-grader!  I am so glad about our decision to homeschool at this time in our life.  There is not enough time to be carting her off to school each day and to have her miss out on playing with and being with her younger siblings.  Of course, there are those days mentioned above when I wish I had a moment's peace.  But, I wouldn't change a thing.  It's like they say, Can't Live with 'em, Can't Live without 'em!

Emma is six years old!!!!

My baby turned six years old this month!  Wow! How time flies!  We are so thankful to have Emma in our family.  She is such a sweet, intelligent, kind, good-hearted girl. 
On Emma's actual Birthday, we had Kenneth's brother, Jason, and his wife and 2 little girls visiting.  Emma was delighted to have them with us on her Birthday.  She kept me hopping in the kitchen all day.  She chose sweet potato waffles for breakfast with whipped cream, strawberries and bananas.  For lunch she requested grilled pizza- which we ate alfresco.  And finally, for dinner she chose Swedish Meatballs, which she has picked for every Birthday dinner since she was capable of picking.  (I actually made it for her 1st Birthday dinner too because it was one of the only dinners at the time that she liked.)  And for dessert, blessed child, she chose brownies.  I myself am not a cake lover, so I was very pleased to oblige in this. 
A couple of days before her birthday, her adopted Grandma, Miss Anita, gave her a little celebration at her house, complete with a HUGE 6 balloon, a big cookie cake decorated with horses on top, lunch of her choice and a stable for her horses to live in. 
Yesterday we had her party with her friends.  It was so pleasant.  We held it at the same park that we did last year and the weather was perfect.  So, yesterday marked the end of the official celebrations on her behalf.  We finally got around to the birthday interview today at dinner.  Sadly, I am having techinically difficulties and am not able to share any pictures with you all right now.  (Can you sense a trend around here!?!?!)  One day I will be up and running again and able to share all our fun happenings since Easter in pictures. 

For now, Here's is the Birthday Interview:

How old are you today?  6
What is your favorite animal?  A horse
What is your favorite color?  Purple and Pink
What is your favorite food?  Chicken Pot Pie
What is your favorite treat?  Chocolate
What is your favorite book?  Any book about animals (she means non-fiction)
What do you want to be when you grow up?  A regular person
What does that mean?  Be like you guys (talking about mom and dad)

Emma, do you want to have a job?  No.  Well, you mean like you had before you met Daddy?  (Yes).  I want to be a teacher in a school.

Who loves you the most?  Heavenly Father
What is your favorite part of the day?  Going places
Who is your best friend?  Clare and Natalie
What is your favorite activity, or thing to do?  Play games and play with toys.

What is your favorite song?  Mother, I Love You (the Primary children sang that in Sacrament Meeting today at Church)
If you could choose to go anywhere in the world, where would you choose to go to visit?  To Alyssa's house (her cousin who lives in Utah)
What kind of cake did you choose for your Birthday?  Cupcakes

What as your favorite thing you learned about this year?  About leopards
What did you learn about leopards?  They can climb a tree holding an animal that weighs more than they do.

What is something new you want to learn about this year?  Zebras

We did lots of things this year, visited lots of places, like the beach, the Wild Animal Park, Utah; what was your favorite?  the beach

What was your favorite part about your Birthday Party?  Playing with my friends.

What is your favorite scripture story?  The miracles of Jesus, actually, Noah.

What was your favorite part of school?  Miss Lorie visiting. 
Why was that your favorite part?  Because she brings us stuff.
(Miss Lorie is the Educational Specialist assigned to us from the Charter School.  We have a budget to spend on cirriculum and educational supplies from the Charter School and Lorie delivers these things to us when she comes for her monthly visit.  Many times it is art supplies, workbooks, puzzles, science projects, etc.)

Would you say you are more like Daddy, or more like Mommy?  Mommy.
Why?  Because I have kind of the same hair as mom. (I just cut my hair, so now we have similar lengths)

Laugh out loud

I love those moments when I laugh out loud at something the kids say or do. Just a minute ago, I was in the same room with Arianna (who was in a 'fort' in the corner). I was concentrating on something else, so I didn't understand her the first time she asked me the question. When I asked her what she said she repeated, "Mom are you going to whip me into a gallop?" I laughed out loud. She is such a crack up sometimes. (Can you tell we read a lot of books about horses?)

We are still alive. It' s been a long while since I've blogged. Ever since we got the new camera, I can't just upload pictures out in the kitchen, which is where I regularly use the computer; the camera software is on the computer in the office. For some reason, that really seems to stand in my way of blogging. But, we have had lots of great adventures and fun times- especially with a fabulous Easter weekend now behind us. I love Spring! Here in California where we live, I feel like we have been enjoying Spring since January. We started seeing the trees bloom then and we still get to see blooms and buds everyday. On Sunday, as I sang with and talked to the Nursery Children (18 months to 3 years) I told them that even the trees know that Jesus was resurrected! Seemingly they have been 'dead' all Winter, and in the Spring they burst forth with newness of life. There is no coincidence that Jesus was resurrected in the Spring of the year!
As the scriptures teach,
"All things denote there is a God; yea even the earth,
and all things that are upon the face of it" - Alma 30:44

San Jose

Grant was out in the backyard with Kenneth this evening and in telling Kenneth about the day he mentioned, "San Jose came today." Kenneth said, "What?" Grant repeated what he said and then Kenneth realized what he was talking about: JOSE, the 'gardener' was here today to mow the lawn. Grant is convinced his name is San Jose. He cracks us up. (San Jose is the next city South of us. We are in the San Jose Stake. We regularly shop and attend preschool in San Jose. It's amazing what they pick up and how they use the knowledge.)

Oh- speaking about misusing knowledge- in an adorable way- I made naan (Indian flat bread) for dinner the other night and Grant said he was going to eat his 'flatbed truck'. The kid eats, drinks, and sleeps cars, I tell you.

Spring, School and Some Good News!

Hello everyone!! How's that for happiness! I love her smile. I got a new camera for Christmas and I have been playing around with it a little. I really want to learn.

Here is some more playing around that I did:

These gorgeous blumes are in my own backyard. Yes, it has been Spring around here for a while. There were already blooming trees in January. It is very strange for this Up-State New Yorker (yes, I consider myself to be such). But, I will enjoy the beauty while it is to be seen February or not!

We also planted another round of seeds in our garden (by we I mean Kenneth, of course).

Here are the peas up. Yum.

Homeschooling is still going well. I can't imagine Emma leaving us everyday! We'd miss her too much! It is an interesting process, this homeschooling. I really have no idea what I am doing. At the beginning, I tried to make it somewhat like the Kindergarten class I worked in. But, Emma resisted almost any structured learning time I would try to do. So, I pretty much let her do what she wants. This morning the girls chose on their own to do this:

Arianna and Grant are so proud of themselves when they point our California.

Upon completion, they rolled around on the ground. Why? I do not know. After they did it together, Emma did the puzzle again on her own. She told me she did it without even looking at the box. How's that for a geography lesson?

Emma is a great reader now and reads aloud for about 1 hour everyday- plus what I read to her. I figure for this age, that is enough. We talk a lot about everything. I really believe that Emma learns a lot just from everyday life. We also have a great library and make regular trips.

We are also thankful for good friends that we have kindergarten co-op with and meet once a week to learn Science, History, Music and Art. It is great. And of course, Park days with friends are the icing on the cake.

Life is good. And now for the good news. . . The PET Scan showed nothing to worry about. It was completely clean!! Hooray!!! Kenneth is feeling great! How thankful we are.