At the most magical place on Earth.
So, Ryan's wonderful parents took us to Disneyland!!! It's true. They surprised us and hosted a day at the beach and three magical days of mickey mouse mania. The girls were in heaven! It was amazing to watch them experience seeing the ocean, meeting princesses, walking through castles and riding ladybugs...I will never forget it. We never would have survived the trip without Grandparents and Rindys to help out - the strollers would have outnumbered the adults if we'd gone on our own! Avery was surprisingly adventurous and loved the carousel and pirate ride the best. Lily rode splash mountain three times and river rapids once, braving it all with her sweet cousin Reagan! And their wonderful Aunt Kristie made
the most adorable signature books ever for the girls! So much fun. We all did get sick (of course, because it's us, right?) on Lily's 5th birthday, which was our last day there, and Lily sweetly offered to 'save' her birthday until we all felt better! She is so grown up and thoughtful and will be off to school this fall - I can't believe it! So to make it up to her I made her a Rapunzel tower cake a week later and had way too much fun doing it. Lily got a two-wheeler bike, technically four wheels counting trainers, with a basket, bell and seat in back in which she puts her Dumbo doll she got at D-land. I am feeling a bit guilty that she was riding a tricycle until she was 5. Eeps.
Before our trip to CA, we all went up north for Easter and then I got to take the girls to my parents house to visit ALL of my sisters for a couple of days! They fell in love with their long lost aunts and uncles that they don't get to see often enough, and of course Stacy's dog, Diesel.
And their droid phones, so now they want to know when mommy and daddy are going to have 'cool' phones like everyone else. Thanks a lot, guys. :-) We had a bday party for my Grandma and had so much fun visiting with everyone. Lily also got to visit grandpa's music store and try out holding and playing a violin, which is her dream. She wanders around the house with two wooden spoons, pretending to play fiddle music with them and asks when she can have her very own. With the musical girls we've got, it's a good thing we've got connections!
Avery could do nothing but follow Lily around, copying everything she does, and wanting everything she wants. I remember having little sister syndrome and worshiping the ground my big sisters walked on, but it sure makes me wonder what Avery would be and want and do without Lily around. Sometimes Avery acts and seems as grown up as Lily - or a 22 year old. Five minutes ago we declared that she is finally officially potty trained, woohoo! and will be receiving her 'gunk bed' (bunk bed) prize soon. She is attached at the hip to her Snow White doll she got on our trip, and keeps telling us she is ready to go back! Singing makes her happy, especially the Japanese version of "I am a child of God". She still sings to her dolls at night for sometimes an hour before she falls asleep! Both Lily and Avery love making mud cookies, watering the flowers, reading books, mommying their baby sister, and easter egg hunts!
Alison is pulling up on furniture and anxious to eat anything she can find on the floor, which helps me keep my house a lot cleaner than usual. She LOVES the camera and will follow it around while I snap pictures, smiling and giggling until she cries when I put it away. I can't get a picture of her doing anything but smiling right at the camera (or sleeping) because as soon as she hears me turn it on, all else is forgotten!
Ryan is hard at work with his summer classes and we have less than a year to go to graduation. I am glad he decided not to be a surgeon, haha. Six years of school is enough! He will graduate with three children, a mortgage and a job, though, so we feel very blessed and all grown up . ;-)
I am trying to get a grip on our yard work, spring cleaning and house projects in between enjoying any good weather that shows up and vacations. We are having the girls' dance recital as soon as we are all healthy again, which I have enjoyed teaching but am ready for a break from things I have to do so the girls and I can do things we want to this summer before Lily starts school. I love being a mom, I love my husband, I enjoy doing the everyday tasks that need doing and am grateful for the insane amount of blessings and opportunities and friends I have. Life is so good!
And really, I should just let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy!
Avery Jo nibbling on her Rapunzel tower cake...it turned out beautifully but I cant find a picture of the entire cake anywhere! :-( We went camping with Jo's friends Seth and Jaq, as per her birthday request.
Ali with Grandpa Downward who we were able to visit in July
Ryan, I, TJ, Jenn, Diana and friend at our 10 year hih school reunion! Holy cow. We had a great time.
Our 7 year wedding anniversary was in June - how I LOVE this man!
Ali making a super goofy face on her FIRST birthday!!! Avery played with Ali's new toys and we have a day full of adventure - babysitting the neighbor's little boy, driving my Aunt Anona up the mountain, missing Ryan nearly winning a talent show and not even eating her birthday cake until the next day because she was fevering and I had to run her to the doctor, no one got to bed on time and all were very tired.
This is Ali's Rapunzel-themed cake, because her happy face makes me think of sunshine!
Just a cute pic of Ali feeding herself for the first time and actually getting some in her mouth!
Ali LOVES the bathtub, so for a special (belated) birthday treat she got one all by herself until I had to drag her out and put her to bed.
Balloons and vampire fangs. 
Our wonderful friend, Ning-sha. She loves the girls and tries to take them home and feed them every other day!
We were lucky to have cousins Janelle and Lolly stay for a week this summer!! The girls miss them like crazy now after our long and wonderful visit.
We went to SF for my mom's GRADUATION! She walked at BYU and will complete coursework in a matter of weeks. SO proud of you, mom! Here she is giving Ali her b-day present.
Lily requested "Rainbow pancakes" on her first day of school for breakfast!
Isn't she beautiful????
This wasso sweet...Avery missed Lily to pieces and I sang a sad missing song a million times the first few weeks to console her.
1st day after school snack.
Slave labor.
