Catching Up--Halloween

Todd was Harry Potter. I was the Cat in the Hat. Eden was an East High cheerleader and Zoe was a ladybug. Although, she was a flower at home--had to throw that one in. This was a really happy night--right before Eden got pneumonia (she still hasn't eaten one piece of Halloween candy--but somehow the stash is shrinking...?)

Catching Up--October's wedding

So Todd made a record round-trip to Utah for Adam's wedding in under 48-hours. Happy couple...good time (so I heard)...

Catching Up--September's soccer and preschool

Eden started playing soccer on an under-5 girls team this fall. Her favorite parts are water breaks and scoring lots during scrimmage (thanks to Coach Brandon!).
Eden also started preschool again and loves it. One outing included a trip to the firestation, which is why Zoë is donning a hat in this pic.

Catching Up--August trip to Utah etc.

We lost our camera on our trip to Utah, and have nothing to show for it, except some silly pics from a disposable waterproof one (here we are at Bear Lake with Adam and Heather Ethington). I just realized that this photo of us in PJs and sunglasses is our only family photo in the last year--time to fix that.

Mom & Dad's roadtrip visit

It was so much fun having Mom and Dad visit for a few days. I don't know how they fit it all in--Denver, Chicago, Nauvoo, D.C., NYC, Palmyra... It was great to have parents at family dinner, and Eden and Zoe sure loved having Grandma and Grandpa pop in.

Lovely Lake Anna

After almost 6 years of NOT waterskiing, this weekend saved my sanity (thank you Lance & Kelly!). Coming from Utah, this lake experience was different from anything we'd done before. Wow! What a gorgeous place!

Eden's preschool graduation

A big deal for little ones. Eden misses her "boyfriend" Sam, who moved away, but looks forward to preschool's return in the fall.

Grandma Ethington

Thanks to Diane, Todd and I got a wonderful wedding anniversary getaway, while Eden and Zoe got quality time with Grandma.

Taking down Easter

Although we never decorated elaborately, it still took me until today to put our Easter things away (by away, I mean stashed among several other miscellaneous piles in our downstairs storage area). I guess the photos are better late than never. Here are Eden and Zoë on Easter Sunday, and with our Ukranian eggs from this year. Too bad I didn't take any at family dinner...

Spring Break with Adam and Liz

It was Eden's dream come true for Liz and Adam to visit for a week. We loved having them here for a little sightseeing, a lot of hanging out, a few Easter celebrations, and a very little bit of sleep. They were pretty tolerant of our loud (but cute!) children, a leaking air mattress, and our busy lives.

Cherry Blossom Festival

We caught perfect, warm weather and heavenly cherry blossoms last week. It was picture perfect (except f0r Zoë, who isn't too keen on posing for pictures).

Zoë's first birthday

Zoë had a blast with neighbors at her first birthday party. It was otherwise a painful day of fever and teething, so we were glad she perked up for cake and presents. Weather was heavenly (80s) so all festivities were in the backyard. We owe huge thanks to the Ethingtons, Poelmans and Snarrs for fabulous toys and clothes--I'm sure more photos with follow as we get fashion show opportunities.

Eden's birthday

We never posted Eden's b-day photos from January, but realized we'd better do it before posting pictures from Zoe's first birthday, yesterday.

Quick trip to Utah

Thanks to Val and Katia for SkyMiles and buddy passes, the girls and I were able to make a quick trip to Utah. I loved my time with dear friends Valarie and Heidi, and we even enjoyed a quick trip to the Mill, time with the Ethingtons (baby blessing and FHE) and family dinner with the Poelmans.

Christmas season in full swing

I've rarely felt so immersed in the Christmas season this early in December. This fall I've been teaching flute group classes preparing students for a Christmas concert, which we performed last Saturday night (after a daytime performace at Macy's at Metro Center). Over 80 Suzuki flute students (from 5 teachers) performed at the Washington D.C. LDS Temple Visitor's Center--in two performances, each for over 500 attendees. It was thrilling for a few of my students whose sole contribution was "AAA, AAA" for the Jingle Bells chorus (but they got a great applause when they joined in). It's wonderful to have pressures like that over with, so we can simply enjoy the holiday season. Ahhhh!

Mudcloth patterns

Mom, as promised, here are a few pieces of Malian mudcloth. The black is comes from the mud, the mustard colored dye comes from cooked leaves and the brown from cooked leaves and then cooked tree bark. I hope they give you some design inspiration. I love how much thought you put into your pottery designs!