Gracie hangin with her daddy!

I thought that this was so cute! She was hangin with her daddy, while he was trying to type.....don't worry, gracie was trying as well.........makes writing a line or two more effort than what it is worth at times! She saw me take a picture and smiled for the camera! She's a keeper don't ya think! She's been a lot happier since her bottom tooth finally came in(the other one 'bout to break).

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a good easter! My family was gone for the weekend to go visit my little sister in L.A., so i was a little sad, since my bro. just got home! but, we had fun anyway! We got together with some friends and their kids andhad a little easter egg hunt and a brunch saturday morning! The food was great! Savanna was so funny! She didn't understand why she couldn't hold all the eggs in her hands, so 'til she realized that the eggs weren't going anywhere in her basket, it was a fight to help her! She was doing awesome 'til she saw the slide........then it was over! Cracks me up! Oh well, less candy for her to eat(clear throat)--mainly less candy for me to eat! Gracie was just entertained, not quite sure everyone was running around , pulling things out of odd places.We found these adorable dresses for EAster sunday! I pulled out my old small small curling iron and curled savanna's hair in ringlets! She looked so beautiful! It was a relaxing and a fun fun day!

Here's the famous pics of Elder Jeffy home!

Isn't he a cutie!?!

Elder Jeffy is back!

My bro., younger bro., Jeffy(what I call him.......I can since I am his sis.) recently returned from a mission on Tues. My parents went to get him in Lima Peru. They were down there for a week touring with jeff. They went and saw some ruins of Macchi Picchu(k-no idea how to spell it). He's a cutie! I can't believe two years has come and gone..........seriously where does the time go? YOu can tell he has changed and worked really hard! I'm grateful for his willingness to serve the Lord and to serve those people! He's a greater person because of it! you can see it in his countenance. poor guy!---> He's having a hard time adjusting..........to english, having time to sit, no work, and try to get back into society! I'm so excited to have him back! He's amazing and I love him. I'm a little lazy to get pics up tonight, but I will tomorrow of him(so girls, you can send to all the single gals out there.......heeheehee........j/k). Thanks Jeffy for your dedication, hardwork, love and example!

Trip to Redding!

For spring break, we decided to go and visit my sis and her hubby and kids in Redding Cali. It was very needed for all of us from the monotony and stress of everything. It was awesome! First, the drive down to Vegas wasn't too bad! We got to the airport and let me tell you, such a difference from our first trip to family, mo's sis. I swear I packed anything and everything for every situation.......for three people, we had like six bags. This time I packed one suitcase and had two carry ons for four people! It wasn't easy,but I did it! I don't want to brag but I feel pretty proud about it! Here's what I packed, now picture three times as much! (go ahead and laugh out loud, 'cuz for some reason we found it hillarious)

The plane ride started out a little scary. we did infant in arms, hoping to have an extra seat........don't worry, I had a seat window with a big guy next to me. There's no way for savanna to handle not moving........I felt so bad for the guy next to us..........but luckily it wasn't a full flight,s o we went into the back where no one was and could give savanna some space. I didn't have to use a movie 'til the very end for like five minutes. This is a big deal, 'cuz savanna can only handle sitting for long periods of time if she's being entertained.....usually a movie, and so far, we hadn't had to use it

WE got to Stockton Cali.(cheap cheap flights) where my sis. picked us up, we went to the park and then headed up to Stockton(2 1/2 hour drive) There we used suckers and movies. It worked out pretty well. We arrived at their place and it was awesome! It was 3 bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs, and a bigroom, kichen and 1/2 bathroom downstairs with two car garage and small back yard! It was beautiful! Wondering what they are doing?! They discovered that you can use mesh netting hampers for more things than just putting clothes in them......wear them and run around chasing each other(under parental supervision of course)

The next day we went on a hike to this really cool waterfall! It was easy for the kids and absolutely beautiful! I'm used to people saying a waterfall and meaning like a trickle of water falling........but this was huge! We went past a lake to get there..........it was beautiful........tons of trees and mountains everywhere!

In the afternoon we went to the park: Kids Kingdom.........k- it was the coolest playground I have ever been. All these passageways, secret passage ways, slides, swings, sand boxes, bridges, monkey bars.....I wanted to play on(and I did). They have water part too for when it is warm! The kids loved it!

The next day we went and walked the Sundial bridge and on some trails. It was really cool to see! Then we went and saw the Field of Dreams...........it's some soccer fields and baseball fields..........but like the coolest you've ever seen. They made it like you were in the New York Yankee stadium and others like it! For kids! If I were playing in the field I'd seriously feel like big money playing! It was so cool! We had to go to the mall...........so much nicer than our mall at home...I got some really cute red high heels and a hat! The kids played on an indoor playground.

The next day, we traveled back to the airport and then home. WE finished the trip off with pizza and a movie "August Rush" K- I thought that that was such a good movie! I loved loved loved it! If you haven't seen it and love music, I'd recommend it! We had a blast, I enjoyed being with my sis. and Savanna was so cute with Lucas. She'll be so bored with me this next week. Now, we need to go visit our other siblings soon! I think savanna is all tripped out though!

Russian!

So, my parents are now learning Russian! The area in Ukraine they've been asked to be over is the Doneske' mission! They are predominantly Russian but do have a few areas that speak Ukranian, so they will keep brushing up what they have learned in Ukranian, but really start on Russian.............which has been quite a challenge. They are so similar in lingo, which makes small things confusing when having to change sounds and letters around. My mom was trying to explain the Russian alphabet to me Sun. night.........Um......yep, one ear and out the other.........it's gibberish to me! So fascinating but so hard to understand.........letters that look like our alphabet aren't the same sounds, then they have a whole bunch of interesting and neato signs that, again, over my head.............but my parents are awesome and know so much already. Here's the alphabet and our names in Russian! on the other side, my parents wrote our last name and our first names on down! Pretty nifty don't you think?

Gracie's First pony

I decided to put Gracie's cute little hair in a pony tail last Sat. Isn't She so cute! Just in case you can't see it, it's there! It took some time and a lot of patience.......Gracie didn't like it so much! She has the cutest chubby cheeks around!

Fun Fridays!

So, I've been babysitting my neice and nephew on Fri. The first time by the end of it(4hours) I was wiped out and frazzled 'cuz they all wanted to be entertained the entire time and of course Gracie doesn't like to be left out.........so holding her as well added to it. So, I try to have a lot of ideas and structured things to do. Welll, I decided we were going to the park to play! This will be a piece of cake.........right?! Wrong! Oh boy, was I wrong! First off, trying to get four kids five and under into our car was such a workout that I was ready to say, "okay, that was fun, everyone out!" It was a hilllarious sight. I had two frontward car seats in the middle seat and Gracies backward car seat in the middle of them. Was I thinking? no! I had to try to get Gracie buckled in with the other two trying to get in theres. Then, I had a "big girl car seat" for my neice in our back. Wow! lots of car seats! So, I get in, get going, thinking we conquered the worse, only to discover we've just begun! Yep! We get there, load everyone out, get to the jungle gym, get gracie and I situated..........to have my neice come up to me to say,"I forgot, I have to pee"!!!!!!!!! WHat?! Did I miss something! I don't have potty trained child, so I didn't think of having everyone go to the bathroom before! Don't worry, I pick a park with no bathroom. My options: Just have her pee in a bush or go to a hopefully friendly,unbugged neighbor to the park and ask to use the bathroom. We did the second! Really nice people......so we get done, all go back to the park to play! I'm feeding gracie just to look up to see savanna attempting a ladder to the jungle gym. Fearless one she is........don't worry! She falls flat on her bum, then hits her head on the metal...........i feel like I"m in slow motion to get to her, trying to set gracie down nicely and run to my screaming child.........not good! So I get her settled down in my arms after awhile just to have my neice come back up to me and say, "Oh no! I have to poo!" I'm not going back to the poor neighbors house, so I decided it was time to go home! So load the car back up(just as fun as before)........get home and ask my neice to go potty, to hear, "I don't have to anymore" So, it's a mystery folks, the poo disappeared! All I could do was laugh at my effort of trying to have fun! So, we made moroccas instead(don't worry, if you wanna know how, just check out busy happy children blog). Moral of the story, have a bigger car, ask kids to go potty, making morroccas makes all better.