Meet Templeton

Well, we finally became pet-owners. We don't really know how to just play in the backyard anymore. Now, whenever we are outside, we take turns holding the bunny or watching it hop around. Templeton has become part of the family!

In the week that we've had it, the girls have come a long way in learning how to treat a pet. They help daddy change it's water and give it more food. They like to open the cage and let it out. But of course, it tries to avoid being picked up by them. Gracie has always been pretty sweet with it, but Millie has had to learn to not pick it up every other second. Templeton seemed so scared of the girls those first few days, but now he (or she) will sit calmly on their lap.



We put together a little cage that it can sit in with the girls so we don't have to worry about it getting away to far. The poor thing probably hates this thing. It loves to run to our garden and hide from the girls.

1st Place Matchmakers 2009

Paul has won many trophies in his days of sports, but this is my first one. I think we better show it off a bit!


And now, the story behind the trophy:

(a little background) Paul and I were set up on a blind date, so one of the goals of our marriage is have successful set-ups, so that others can enjoy the happiness of marriage that we enjoy.

In 2006, Paul tried to set Kent (his brother) up with Sara (an intern from his work). However, she was leaving on a mission, so it fizzled out after just one phone call. We thought of her a couple times while she was gone, but she didn't even remember the phone call with Kent. Then after her mission, she returned to working in the same department as Paul. So last Summer, Paul talked about trying the set-up again. (Now this is my important role) I kept reminding Paul to get her number while he was busy at work. He got it. She was willing. And Kent called her up. They started dating, and the rest is history!


Aren't they a happy couple? It's been so wonderful to see them fall in love, get engaged, and then married last week. It couldn't have been a happier day! They are such a perfectly-matched couple. Elder Holland performed their wedding, and that was a memorable experience for all of us.

At their wedding breakfast, they surprised us with this trophy. Don't ask me how they had time to think of a trophy with all the other wedding plans!


Gracie is kind of fixated on the whole thing. MANY times a day, she brings it up. The conversation goes something like this:

Gracie: "wa...wa...wa...Sarah?"
Mommy: "Where's Sarah?"
Gracie: "ehh...ehh..daa...Tent (Kent)"
Mommy: "Where are Sarah and Kent?"
Gracie: "umm...bu-bye...ehh...home!"
Mommy: "Yeah...they went bye-bye, and where did they get married?"
Gracie: "Temple!"


And just for the record, we are still VERY much in love after almost 4 years of marriage!


UPDATE: We just got news that another couple we set up are now engaged! We are so happy for you, Eric and Lisa! Congratulations!

An Attempt to Catch Up!

Big Girl Bed With New Jammies!
Millie officially graduated into a "big girl" bed, and got some new PJs the same night. Now that makes for one happy 3-year-old!

Visit To Grandma Lucy in Fountain Green
It's always nice to get time with Grandma, especially when we get a sleep over and ride the lawn mower!

Day to Day Life
Someone knows she is beautiful!
And must get her beauty sleep
Grace CANNOT eat yogurt without turning it into art at the end

How can we resist granting her what she wants when she gives us this face?
Still wishing it was Halloween so she could be like her big sister

Some people can pull off these sophisticated glasses :)
Millie is "girl" through and through! She loves getting new clothes and smiling for the camera!
A spring picnic out on the deck--our favorite way to have lunch!

So glad we have neighbor friends to play with!
Gracie's perfect grip that she figured out on her own

Grace LOVES to draw, and can spend a very long time working on her drawings. We wonder if she is a little artist in the making!
Millie's letters...and pictures...

Playgroup at the Park

Temple Square Outing
Fishing in Paradise
It only took 3 minutes to catch her first fish...now that's a great place to fish! Grandpa Thatcher's pond!

An Official Announcement:
(read her bib!)

She's telling the truth! We are having a baby in December!

We feel so blessed and can't wait to find out who will be joining our family. Well... I guess we can wait, since we aren't going to find out from the ultrasound what the gender is. But we are excited for the surprise!

Marvelous Millie Mae

Millie's Favorite Things To Do:

• swing
• color
• ride her bike
  
• play dough
• take care of dolls
• pretend to be a Dr.
• perform impromptu songs with made-up words

Millie's Recent Accomplishments:

• learned to pump (she can start alone, and get it up and going high!)
• caught a fish at Grandpa Thatcher's
• figured out how to climb in and out of her crib
• learned to ride a "big girl" bike
  

Millie's Favorite Foods:

• oatmeal
• mac'n cheese
• chicken dinosaurs
• smoothies
• and milk, milk, milk!
  

Millie's Favorite Treats:

• popsicles
• gum from Grandpa Y.
  
• ice cream cones
• fruit snacks
  
• any candy she can get her hands on

Millie's Three-Year-Old Mischievous Acts:

• Runs out the door with little or no clothes on
• Goes over to a friend's backdoor and asks to play (many times a day)
• Won't stay in her bed for naps or bedtime
• Wakes up Grace from her nap or in the morning (a couple hours early!)
• Rides her bike down the street, and sometimes just keeps going around the corner

What We Love Most About Millie:

• She loves Heavenly Father and Jesus, and knows that They love her (recently, when she has been sad or in trouble, she will say a prayer for help)
  
• She has a light in her countenance and a sparkle in her eyes
• She loves to share with Grace
  
• She tries to obey Mommy and Daddy
• She has a great imagination--she wants stories every night in bed, and lately she prefers the scary stories, like a bear hunt with her friends

"Is Me Three Years Old?"

"Yes, Millie, you are three now! You are such a big girl!"

We've had a very fun Birthday weekend for Millie. She had a swim party on Saturday with a few friends (and luckily, it didn't rain). Millie requested a chocolate cake, that she helped me make. She delivered the party invitations and helped stuff the party favor bags. She had a blast, as you can see from the pictures:


We played "red light green light" and "duck, duck goose."
Happy Birthday song and candles on the cake

Millie is a natural on her new "big girl" bike.


This dress was a "hand-me-down" gift for Grace, but Millie found a way for it to fit her. She was in heaven as she danced and twirled, and Gracie was just as happy to be wearing Millie's new shirt as a dress.
...and, of course, we celebrated a few times, so here's blowing out the candles again!


And here's a video of us singing "Happy Birthday."

Happy Smingus Dingus

I hope you are reading this post on Monday, April 13th! Because if you are, it's not too late to join in on a fun Polish Holiday.

The Monday after Easter is the craziest day of the year in Poland--Smingus Dingus (pronounced Shmeengus Deengus). It's a national water fight day. All day long, there are no limitations to who you can soak: friend or stranger, old or young, boy or girl. (Traditionally, the holiday started as a day for boys to soak girls that they liked, but it has evolved to an equal gender water fight).

I have vivid memories waking up that first Smingus Dingus day in Poland and looking outside to see the streets completely empty (everyone tries to stay inside that day). And then I spotted a young boy with goggles and a backpack full of water. He was walking around looking for his first victim. We begged the Elders to postpone district meeting, but they insisted we come to the meetinghouse. An hour later, that same young boy we saw ended up getting us as we jumped onto the public tram. Later, as we walked down an empty sidewalk in the city, we heard the alarming sound of water dropping a few feet ahead of us. We looked up to the tall apartment building and we could see some heads poking out of windows. We ran, but we were too easy of a target. By the time we got to the meetinghouse, we were horrified and wet. But of course our dear Elders were anxiously waiting there to soak us from the upper windows as we unlocked the main door. Oh, the fun of being in a new country!

So, that's one Holiday I have to hang on to.

Poor Paul!

He is my main target right now, because our girls wouldn't understand, and our neighbors wouldn't like it. The great thing is, I think he's forgotten about it! I try not to bring it up. I'd hate to get soaked first.

Last year, I almost forgot about it. At about 10pm, Paul was coming up the stairs for us to go to sleep. I poured a small amount of water from a drinking glass and got him good. It shocked him SO bad! He said that he was just thinking, "what was that for?" He thought I must have been mad at him or something. I can't wait for his reaction tonight as he is mowing the lawn (laughing).

UPDATE: some have requested to know how it ended. Well, he was too quick while mowing the lawn, but just before we ended our yard work, I called him over, saying, "do you know what today is?" and sprayed him a little. He had totally forgot, but he admitted that I was pretty nice to him to not soak him worse. I admit, I was afraid to get it back. But he just kept smiling, and I knew revenge would come sometime that night. Right before bed, he got me while I was coming up the stairs, when I was totally not expecting it! We called it even and went to bed on good terms.

The Blessing of the Resurrection for Cameron

I'm grateful this Easter weekend to have a real reminder of how wonderful Christ's resurrection really is.

A young man I knew, Cameron Merrill, just passed away on Thursday after battling cancer for over two years. I was Cameron's MTC teacher in 2001. Elder Merrill was kind, humble, friendly, and full of love. I was impressed by his maturity at a young age, and his great desire to do what was right in the sight of God. I knew he would be a remarkable missionary in Poland.

I only saw Cameron a couple times after his mission, but I noticed he was still a friend to all. He was optimistic about life and seemed to be doing well. He made me feel like a close friend, even though we didn't have much contact.

Just over a week ago, I heard that Cameron had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and had little time to live. I learned that he was married 2 years ago, but had battled with cancer for that entire time.

For a few days, I felt sick about the sad news. I couldn't stop thinking of all the pain and heartache he had been through. I kept thinking of his young wife who knew she'd be a widow soon. I thought of all the potential that Cameron had for his future--such a good man that could do so much good. But for some reason, the Lord was allowing him to have a shorter path on Earth. He was forced to prepare sooner for his return to his Maker. He had gone through a faster refiner's fire, that must have given him the chance to prepare.

When I heard of his tragic illness a week ago, I decided that I would call him. I figured out how I would get his number, but that's as far as I got. I didn't realize I needed to act fast. I missed my chance to tell him how grateful I was for his example and friendship.

But I know that beyond the sadness and loss that all who know him must feel, we can have hope to see him again. We can know that his spirit lives on, and is in Paradise. He has passed his earthly test, and one day his spirit will reunite with his perfect, glorified body--free of cancer and pain. This gift has been given to all people--good and bad.

On the first Easter morning, two thousand years ago, Christ overcame death and rose from the grave. He is the reason we celebrate Easter. He brings new life and hope to all.