Ethietown

Catching Up--Halloween

2007-11-07T10:54:00.001-08:00

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

2007-11-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

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.

2007-11-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

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

2007-07-21T04:58:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-21T04:52:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

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

Taking down Easter

2007-04-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-10T18:25:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-28T07:53:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

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

2006-12-04T19:41:00.000-08:00

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

2006-12-04T19:14:00.000-08:00

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!

Lovely autumn

2006-11-10T20:21:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning, I took some photos of the girls in our backyard--capturing a glimpse of the autumn leaves and colors. They are modeling fabulous hand-me-downs (thank you Boydens and Eden Bennett). Sorry I can't get multiple photos to format very well...

We missed the best photo opportunity

2006-11-10T20:07:00.000-08:00

The local fire department had a great openhouse, where Eden climbed in the trucks, got finger-printed, saw a fire extinguishing demo etc. The most hands-on activity was spraying a real firehose with a fireman. Well, they changed personnel just before Eden's turn. The new guy lost his footing, fell back, knocked Eden in front of the hose and nailed her with the high-powered spray. She was briefly traumatized, but was consoled with a complementary t-shirt and another "dry" turn.

Happy not to be a homeowner

2006-11-05T18:02:00.000-08:00

Sunday night our basement flooded. Tree roots broke the sewer pipe in the front yard. Here's a pick of the broken root-filled pipe, next to the replacement. Eden enjoyed having Bob the Builder live in our front yard for a couple of days.

Everything is repaired now, but this $8,000 disaster (which has struck a handful of our neighbors in the past year) makes us appreciate the simple blessings of renting.

Getting settled here in Vienna, Virginia

2006-11-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

We are finally feeling settled here in Vienna. This is our little house in the gorgeous autumn leaves (which have all fallen in the past 3 days). The neighborhood is still vibrant with color.

We love our little rented home, and our neighbors are amazing. We are so happy to be living here in Virginia, and we love the whole D.C. scene!

Happy Halloween

2006-10-31T19:38:00.000-08:00

Eden and Zoë posed for a picture before Eden headed off trick-or-treating tonight. At Friday's ward Halloween party, Eden was an Indian Princess (like Pocahontas--the black cat looking at the camera is our neighbor Eden). At this morning's preschool party, she was a ladybug (since Zoë's outfit is really size 4T), and she ended it all as Snow White. Costumes are thanks to grandma Ethington's superior sewing skills. Eden's conclusion tonight after seeing the candy from trick-or-treating at a dozen homes: "this is the best day of my whole life!"

Highlights from time in Utah

2006-08-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

I forgot to ever post these photos. Eden adores Brooke, and staying at the Bennions was heaven--the home, company and music.

Family Photos

2006-08-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of grandchildren photos from our gathering. Family--let me know if you want copies or if you came away with better shots. Like the rest of you, I mainly have funny out-takes.

Saturday Outings

2006-07-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

Today we ignored all our packing chaos and drove to Bath. On the way home, we dropped by the Rickfords for the end of England's quarter-final World Cup game (this photo is from the previous game--today the TV was out in the garden). It was a tragic loss, but Todd pointed out the one bit of good news: at least all the England merchandise should drop in price drastically so we can buy more souvenirs before returning home.

Zoë's First Passport

2006-07-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

We had a full day outing to the U.S. Embassy in London Thursday. It was a painfully tedious process. Our 10:30am "appointment" was simply an opportunity wait in a room with 70 other people for 2 1/2 hours until everything was prepared. But Zoë is officially a U.S. citizen now and we can actually take her with us when we return to the U.S. Wednesday.

Summer Punting

2006-06-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

Oxford is so much more beautiful when exams are over. Students finally get to savor some free time and sunshine. So Wednesday we went punting with Ken and Andrea from Todd's course. They kept to a minimum their rehashing of the exam 2 days previous.

Congratulations Todd!

2006-06-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

Todd finished his final exam at 12:30pm today. Gratefully, I dissuaded Andrew from attacking Todd with water, eggs, flour, spray paint and everything his friends used on him. We celebrated by going to lunch and playing croquet all afternoon with no schedule and no guilt.

Fathers Day

2006-06-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

Most of our Fathers Day was spent looking forward to having Todd back after his final exam the next day. We walked through the University Parks--we are taking advantage of every opportunity to enjoy English summer weather.

Berry Picking

2006-06-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

Eden's stained face and hands were evidence of yesterday's perfect berry picking outing. We walked for about an hour across Port Meadow to Binsey (a little village west of Oxford), where we picked and snitched and loved every minute of it. The Pegasus berries were nice, but we liked the Honeyoye the most (although Alice are not ripe yet--we'll check them out next week). Eden took a bite out of 80% of the berries she picked, so her basket was full of mush by the time we got home.

Evening Entertainment

2006-06-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

Now that we get a little more family time in the evenings, we spend lots of it doing just what you see here: Todd plays, Eden dances. Eden keeps it all going--ensuring Zoë and I watch every dance move, and requesting song after song from Todd. If you click on the photo for a larger version, you can fully appreciate the pasta sauce on Eden's face, but still can't quite see her "beautiful glass slippers."

Recent pics

2006-06-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

Eden, who used to despise taking pictures, now asks almost daily if she can sit with Zoë and have her picture taken. Here are a few shots of the sisters (lots of chaotic shots, with a few cute ones).

Zoë's blessing

2006-06-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of photos from Zoë’s blessing today--a really sweet experience.

Stake Sports Day

2006-05-31T00:31:00.000-07:00

Well, Eden did her part to help the Oxford Ward take home the title at the Annual Stake Sports Day. She participated in the 50 meter dash and sack race, shown here. In fact, she placed 5th in the skipping rope race, despite the fact she doesn't know how to skip rope and never once jumped over the rope (but instead swung it back and forth over her head while running). Everyone at the event deserves a metal for sticking it out through wind, rain and occassional sun. I even survived my part in a 4 x 400 meter relay.

English Weather

2006-05-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

Everywhere people say: "if you don't like the weather here, just wait 5 minutes." But it is literally true here in England. Driving to the grocery store last week, it was beautifully sunny as we left, down-poured en route, cleared as we arrived, was sunny again starting home, down-poured once more, and cleared as we got home...amazing!

Decorating Zoë

2006-05-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, I let Eden play with Zoë in her room. For almost an hour, I was entertained hearing Eden's stream-of-consciousness stories and singing bits of the Hallelujah Chorus to Zoë. After a period of silence, I checked in on things to find that Eden was proudly "decorating Zoë."

May Day in Oxford

2006-05-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

I don't know what got into us but, at 5:30am, Eden was willing to wake up and join Zoë and me on an outing in the rain to celebrate May Day. Leaving Todd in bed, with a day's research ahead of him, we joined hundreds of others walking through town to Magdalen College Tower where the choir sings every year. You can barely see the tower in the distance here (on the right, the most distant in the skyline). After the singing, we followed and watched several groups of costumed Morris dancers in the streets, celebrating springtime and fertility.

Skivin' school--Stratford and Warwick

2006-05-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

When Todd finished up a tedious bit of research Thursday, the sunshine was too much for us to stay home. So we headed off to Stratford-upon-Avon for a lovely afternoon. Friday, the same weather overtook us (forecasts showed heavy rain for the next 4 days) so we hit Warwick Castle. Despite leaving Todd swamped Saturday, and me with the flu, it was well worth it! Here are a few pics of Eden with a Shakespearean bear, and in front of a trebuchet (catapult) at Warwick (really impressive--it threw a flaming boulder about 1/2 mile down this island). Zoë was even an alert participant for much of the outings.

Sisters

2006-04-15T23:30:00.000-07:00

Eden loves to get face-to-face with Zoë and say "Remember me? I'm your big sister!" She is full of love (over the top at times--like today when she hugged and kissed a repair man--which we're discussing). But she showers Zoë with love and is doing a great job in her new Big Sister role.

While the first month with a newborn is always tumultuous (I assume!), I am so happy to be at this stage--thanks in part to many of you who have helped us survive. Now, I just can't get enough of Zoë. We lucked out with a second really great newborn, who loves to sleep and eat peacefully.

London outing with Ethingtons

2006-04-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

This has been a wild week... great to have Diane and Liz (Todd's Mom and sister) in town to help with Eden and the house etc. We have packed in some major outings and birthdays. Here are a couple photos of Thursday in London. It was fun, but incredibly exhausting with Eden and Zoë in toe. Zoë is an incredible trooper, happily sleeping in the sling through wind, rain and chaos. Eden was elated to see another "real pirate" in London. She loves the punk mohawk look, and thinks it is so cool to see real pirates with bright "feathers" on their heads.

Thank you Mom!

2006-04-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, I would not be upright and smiling today were it not for my mom's life saving visit. It was wonderful to have her arrive the day after Zoë was born and stay to help me through sleepless nights and all the unmentionable after effects of childbirth. I've always been a pretty independent spirit, but I sobbed as she left. Eden felt so special to get great one-on-one time with grandma--cooking, listening to General Conference, catching frogs at the CS Lewis Reserve, playing Peter Rabbit, and dressing up dolls, including "Baby Lola".

Meet Zoë

2006-04-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

With the shock of our new baby girl, we were at a loss for names. Finally, we have named her Zoë.

She has a calm disposition and is quite happy to eat, sleep and gaze at Daddy in the evenings. Eden is loving her new role as a big sister. When I told her that Eden and Zoë are my favorite names, she said "My favorite names are Mommy and Daddy."

It's a girl!

2006-03-27T03:34:00.000-08:00

Born: Monday, March 27, 1:00am
Weight: 8 lbs 8 oz
Length: 22 inches
Name: TBA

I was sooo wrong. I was completely convinced I was carrying a boy--it was a completely different pregnancy, we had a name in mind and everything. Wow, what a fun surprise at 1:00am this morning (one hour after England's Mothers Day ended) . I am elated to have a second little girl, and excited to bring out all Eden's darling newborn clothes again.

Due to the surprise, I can't imagine we will name for her for about a week, but we'll share when we know. In the meantime, we are simply thrilled.

Outing to the Cotswolds

2006-03-27T03:25:00.000-08:00

Contractions Friday night convinced me the baby was coming Saturday. So when I woke up to no activity, I took a great walk through Port Meadow, west of Oxford--about 5 miles circling up around an old abbey and beautiful pub on the canal. That didn't get any more contractions going, so we took a family outing to the Cotswolds--Stow-on-the-Wold, Upper and Lower Slaughter, Bourton-on-the-Water and Burford. It was the perfect escape and distraction. I love England!

I'm finally going to try this blog business

2006-03-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

Todd set up this site for me over a year ago. Back then, my excuse was that I was still working and overwhelmed, but I've lost that excuse and am finally ready to face the challege. So here it goes...

Passing time until the baby comes

2006-03-22T03:35:00.000-08:00

The baby is due tomorrow, and nothing but false labor so far. I had already delivered Eden a full week earlier last pregnancy, and I'm losing my patience with this waiting game. On the upside, my cousin Dave Evans was in town presenting at a conference. With no baby, we got lots of time to chat and I attended one of his presentations--I love claiming relation to some of my billiant relatives! Dave, thanks for distracting me from wallowing in self-pity.