August Update

It's been quite a while since I have written about what we have all been up to, so I thought I'd do a quick update of everybody.

Violatte is loving preschool! She has made friends, she is learning lots, and she loves that they eat at school. In fact, that is usually the main thing that she tells me about school.

Annalee has been having a really hard time with Violatte being gone. She has gotten really cuddly (which I love!) We have been having some good times together in the mornings while Violatte's at school. I think she is starting to enjoy the one-on-one time with Mommy.

The pregnancy is going well. I am not quite as sick as I used to be, so that is a nice break. I have started to have trouble with the migranes again now that I am in the second trimester. I'm not quite sure what I can do about that. I have an appointment on September 19 and I am really hoping we'll be able to see what gender the baby is.

Jim has been working on some really exciting things for his job. He is just loving it!

We had been having some trouble with the tire on our van. During out trip we had to keep filling it up with air. We didn't think there was a big problem, but since we got back it got really bad. Jim took it to a tire place and got it fixed yesterday. It is such a relief to have that done.

We have been putting in some time walking for Proposition 8. We hand out flyers and talk to people about supporting the Proposition. It's a good feeling knowing that we can help some!

Yesterday I was able to can 12 jars of peaches. A friend of ours was going down to a orchard and offered to get us some. They are huge peaches and soooo yummy! We saved a bunch and then I canned the rest. It is wonderful to have bottled fruit again!!!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

Here is another example of how Violatte is getting so big. She really wanted to have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner, so we decided that would be fine. She got out everything (bread, jelly, knives, peanut butter) and started making the sandwiches by herself. She did a pretty good job, too. She is so independent and grown-up!

Oh, and she couldn't resist licking the knife off

First Day of Preschool

So, I'm a couple of days late on this, but Violatte had her first day of preschool on Monday. She was so excited! She was proud of her backpack, she dressed herself, and she wanted her hair done in a special way -- in braids like her Aunt Elliana. I also have to say, that I did not cry! I won the bet with Jim. It sure was hard for me to drop her off, but I actually think it was harder for Annalee. She cried out Violatte's name for ten minutes. She was so upset that we weren't taking her home with us.


Violatte did enjoy her first day. She seemed tired when it was done, but she was so excited to tell me about what they did and what they ate. She always asks if she gets to go again tomorrow. She sure is growing up!

Proposition 8

Right now, in California, there is a big controversy going on concerning Proposition 8 which would create an ammendment to our State Consitution concerning marriage. "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." This exact wording was passed in 2000 as Proposition 22, but four judges overturned it recently. To reestablish this definition, this measure has to be passed in the November 4th vote.

Our Stake has set a goal to raise $50,000 to donate to this cause. We have also been asked to donate of our time and means to support this ammendment. They are even encouraging us to enlist the help of relatives outside of California to help support this coalition. Please e-mail me or call me if you would be able to help. The donations cannot go to the church, they need to go to the coalition. However, they need to go through the stake so instead of donating on the website, please call or e-mail me and I can give you information on how to send that in.

If you would like some more information on this go to www.ProtectMarriage.com. We have been asked by the prophet to do all we can to support this cause. We ask the help of anyone who can. We will be blessed for every sacrifice.

More Trip Fun

There were a lot of things that happened on our trip that didn't have pictures to go with the stories.

First of all, Annalee and Violatte were so good on this trip. I was very surprised! They rode so well in the car. (It helped that we had a DVD Player with us.) They were so patient with all the driving that we did. They were really good to play with toys and to read books and keep each other company, also. It made the trip a lot of fun.

In Idaho, we got to see my Dad play the main role of Harold Hill in "The Music Man." He did such a good job and Violatte loved watching, but every now and then she just couldn't hold in anymore and would yell out, "Hello, Grandpa!" Annalee didn't quite have the patience to sit through it all but she loved the music and wanted to dance to it. Both girls loved the popcorn the most. They would share it (with some reminding) and just munched away happily on both the regular popcorn and the carmel popcorn. It was so fun to do that as a family.

Another fun thing we got to do together was the 24th of July parade in St. Anthony. It's such a great parade with lots of beautiful floats, and horses, and all sorts of things to see. The girls' favorite part is that most people in the parade through candy. She loved scooping it up and putting it in her bag. She would get so excited, too, each time she added to her collection. The girls really loved the horses, too, especially the miniature horses. My favorite part was that they handed out chocolate milk (another great tradition!)

Jim took Violatte on a canoe trip with a lot of my cousins and relatives as part of the Howard family reunion. Violatte had a really good time and Jim enjoyed it, too.

Jim and I were also able to go up to Macks' Inn (where I worked for a summer) and spend some time up there -- including a canoe trip. It was beautiful! It was so relaxing just floating along and looking at the scenery. Two different times we came upon moose that were just at the edge of the water -- a few feet away from us. It was so fun. We both ended up getting pretty sunburned, especially Jim, but I loved it anyway.

One of the other fun things we did in Idaho was going to a farm to see some of the farm animals. My Dad was milking the cow for the farm owner while they were away on vacation so Violatte was able to see a cow be milked. We also saw chickens, and a mommy and baby pigs, and a dog and her new puppies. I absolutely loved those puppies! They were Golden Retrievers and the most beautiful golden-red color I have ever seen! I would have taken one home right away if I could have!

I have to say that this trip has given me a great appreciation for some things. The first is cold tap water! It is so yummy and I just love it!!! We don't have cold tap water in Ridgecrest most of the year because it is so hot that the water just can't get cold. If you want cold water, you have to get it out of a pitcher from the fridge. The other thing I have a great appreciation for is the dry weather in Ridgecrest because there are no mosquitos!! After being eaten alive in Idaho I was very grateful to return back to dry-as-a-bone Ridgecrest!

A really cute thing the girls did on this trip was that they loved to sleep together. In Idaho, where we first stayed, we were sleeping in a tent trailer and the girls had a big queen bed that they slept in. They would drive each other crazy and fight for space (even though it was huge) and fight, but if we tried to separate them they would get so mad at us. Even when we slept at my Grandma's condo where they could have slept in different parts of the room, they still wanted to sleep by eachother, even though they were so squished. They sure do love eachother.

Violatte was probably the person who loved the trip the most. Each day, she would ask if we were going on a trip! She just loved to travel!

At my parents' house, we had pancakes with whipped cream and fruit. Instead of pancakes and whipped cream, she called it "cakes and ice cream." That is her new favorite breakfast. She thinks she is luckiest girl in the world.

We had such a great time on the trip. The girls really miss their Grandpas and Grandmas.

Colorado Vacation

So, I found out that I didn't take very many pictures of our vacation in Colorado. I sure wish I had, but the pictures I did get turned out to be some of my very favorites, ever!

As part of Jim's family reunion on the Tyler side (his Mother's side) we were able to go up Estes Park in the Rocky Mountain National Park. It was beautiful! We had a picnic by a stream that had baby ducks and adult ducks. It was so relaxing and beautiful.

This picture is of Jim and Annee looking out at the stream. She snuggled up to him and rested her head on his shoulder. She sure loves her Daddy!
After we had the picnic, we took a short hike around a lake. After that hike we drove up to another lake and took a short hike around that lake also. Violatte loved it and walked pretty much the whole way on both hikes. We carried Annee for the first hike and then halfway through the second one she decided she wanted to walk. Annee and Violatte started walking together and even held hands. It made me so happy! I sure do love our sweet girls!

Vacation in Idaho

I decided that I needed to split up the pictures of our vacation since we did so many fun things together. So, first I am writing about our vacation to Idaho where we visited my family. Violatte and Annalee got a whole bunch of farm experiences on this trip. I loved watching them pick raspberries and peas but, sadly, I did not think to get pictures of it. It was so fun. Mostly Annalee just sat there and ate the fresh berries, but Violatte loved helping to pick. She was always so proud of how full she could get her bucket.

Another experience the girls got to do for the first time was to ride a horse. Annee was ok with it and liked it ok . . .
. . . but Violatte just couldn't get enough of it. She could have ridden the horses all day if we would have let her.
It was fun to ride with her and hear her say, "Giddyup cowboy," and "EE-hah." She is such a fun girl!

At my parents' house there is a tire swing that my dad made for us when I was little. The two girls were able to sit in it together. They loved swinging. Aren't they so cute?!

For her very first time, Violatte got to try marshmallows roasted over a fire at her Great-Grandma Howard's house when we had a barbecue. I don't know what Violatte liked more -- the marshmallow or the fact that she got to get all sticky!

My parents had just gotten some baby calves, so we were able to pet them and even feed them! First thing in the morning, we would find Violatte outside petting the calves. Annee wasn't quite sure what to think of them.



And, last, but certainly not least, I had to put a picture of me with my brand-new niece. It is the first baby of any of my siblings, and I was so excited that I got to have a picture with her. She is so darling and it was fun knowing it is my neice! She is so sweet.

PRESCHOOL?!?!?!

I got a rude awakening this week when I got the papers for Violatte's preschool and realized that she starts on Monday. I am excited for her, but I am really having a hard time with this.

I always thought I would be soooooo excited when my kids started school, but I am a mess. She will be gone for 3 1/2 hours, four days a week!!! That seems like so much to me. I keep trying to convince myself that she isn't ready for it and that she would probably hate it, but I know that she is so excited to go and that she will love to learn and be more social.

My little girl is just growing up so much and getting so big! I can't believe it!! She was just a baby and now she talks in full sentences and does all sorts of big girl things. She is really independent, too, and has always been, so I didn't think this next step would be such a big problem. Jim and I have a abet about wether or not I am going to cry on the first day. He is sure I will. *sigh* It's so sad to have her take a new step. I think Annee and I are really going to miss her each morning. My one consolation is knowing that she is going to enjoy every minute of it.