Tomorrow

I'm sure most of you can guess that my thoughts this week have been filled with my sweet Adria. In fact, at the beginning of the week, I was kind of a wreck. The thought of what tomorrow would bring, knowing that she's been gone a whole year, was really hard.

Now tomorrow is almost here.

But I'm not a wreck anymore and it's all thanks to you. Yes, if you're reading this, then I mean you personally.

I want to thank you for helping me through not just tomorrow, but all the tomorrows we have faced and will face without Adria.

It was last night that I realized how I would make it through. It was late, the kids and Ben were all asleep but I couldn't sleep. I finished a much needed shower, and as I was looking in mirror I asked myself how I made it through the last year. It was more of a rhetorical question, but Heavenly Father answered me loud and clear, "There are people all around you who care. More than you know. They still pray for you."

I was overwhelmed with that thought. I was comforted, touched, reassured, cheered and grateful as I realized that all the people who have been there for us this last year still care. You all still love us and pray for us and hope that we know how much you care. I want you to know that I am so grateful for you. I can face tomorrow because you are all by my side. Your love sustains me.

So I'm telling you thank you from the bottom of my heart. Adria is our angel in heaven, but you have been our angel here on earth. And tomorrow I will miss my little girl and be sad, but I will also be glad because I don't have to face tomorrow alone.

First Grade!

I can't believe that Julia has started first grade! There are so many great things I am loving about this age. She's really excited for school. She woke up at 3:30 this morning to get ready. I tried to be kind when I told her it wasn't time to get up yet. I even let her sleep in my bed until the sun came up. (Kindness was the motivator, I swear, not the lack of willpower to walk her up the stairs). She danced around the kitchen all morning, telling Ben how amazing she looked in her uniform. Her enthusiasm put a smile on our faces. And she does look amazing!

Julia is at a fun age where she wants to be everything and anything when she grows up. For the last couple weeks it's been a scientist. In the last few months she has also wanted to be an FBI agent who helps lost kids, an astronomer, a teacher (second grade she told me because they can still have fun but it's harder work, not just easy kindergarten stuff), a marine biologist, and an archaeologist who finds the lost city of Atlantis. I know she can do anything she sets her mind to. I hope that she always remembers that we believe in her. Good luck with first grade, Julia, you'll do great!

Fun with friends

I was a real slacker at taking pictures this summer. I really hate how few pictures I have. But, we did have some fun times. Our good friends, the Palmers, took us lots of fun places. I love that they have a van we can all fit in. Riley has been such an awesome friend and support to me over the last year. She's been there whenever I needed her and seems to have a 6th sense about when I'm having a bad week. I feel so blessed to have the Palmers in our lives.
Julia loves playing with their girls, and its fun because Shelby and Kara are just a few weeks apart. They could be twins and we often get asked if they are. Right now they are going through a phase where it's a competition to see who can beat the other one up faster. I'm sure the nursery leaders appreciate that. But they are best friends and Kara is always excited to hear that we're going to see Shelby.
So I only have a few blurry cell phone pictures, but we had a great time trying to heard our crew through the Children's Museum.

Then just this week I took a few more pictures of us hanging out at Peter Piper Pizza. The kids had a blast. You can tell Julia and Maddy were having fun because I don't have pictures of them.

There were a lot of other fun times too. Thanks Riley for being such an awesome friend!

San Francisco

Our very first day was Sunday. We enjoyed a fun Tongan ward at the Oakland Temple. Julia was fascinated to watch their unique traditions and listen to the meeting using an interpreter. The grounds there are really beautiful!

We had been so excited for our city exploring time, but we all ended up with strep. The first day we were still feeling alright. You can tell by Kara's cheerful attitude. She became increasingly less happy as the strep got worse.
We went to the California Academy of Sciences. It was really fun for Julia. She was just old enough to understand all the different displays. It probably helped that Julia truly loves science. She loves to see cause and effect and understand why things happen. Unfortunately, Kara's strep combined with the serious lack of things for toddlers made her really cranky. Ben ended up just taking her for a drive while we finished.

After that day we went to Jack London's ranch and the Exploratorium, but Julia was the only one who felt well enough to enjoy them. Ben and I were so occupied trying to keep Julia entertained and Kara from screaming that we didn't get pictures. Then we gave up and spent two days in the hotel letting the antibiotics do their job.

After we started feeling better we went to the Japanese Tea Garden. Ben was skeptical when I told him the name, but it was a really fun afternoon. The garden was beautifully maintained and unlike anything else we had seen.

The entire 10 days we were there we waited for the fog to lift so we could see the Golden Gate Bridge, but it never did. On one of our last days we finally gave up and took the Bay Cruise anyway. It was fun to see the seals, Alcatraz and the lower half of the bridge. We wanted to sit outside to see better, but it was really cold and extremely windy so we gave up and went back in. The girls enjoyed it though and at least we can say we went under the Golden Gate Bridge, even if we never saw the top of it.

Redwood Forest

Well school started and so I find myself with time to catch up on my long overdue blogging. I am disappointed in myself for letting it get so behind.
For July 4th we decided to escape the heat and go to Northern California. Julia was so excited. She counted down and talked about it with everyone we saw. Julia is so enthusiastic about everything. It's always a joy to travel with her. Kara feeds off it and they're both shrieking and pointing and getting excited. While I'm fretting over getting everyone packed, checked in, fed and on the plane, she's pointed out every exciting thing she can find. She squealed with joy when we took off. Then she and Kara were so tired from being so excited about everything they slept for most of the flight.
We landed in San Francisco and after plenty of drama getting a rental car, we left the next day for the redwoods.
We had a blast exploring the forest of the tallest trees on earth.

Climbing a stump.

Inside a burnt out tree that was still growing.

Mom and Kara next to a fallen log.

Julia next to a bigger fallen log.

The next day we drove up near the Oregon boarder to see the 3rd tallest tree. We also rode the SkyTram up to the top of the hill. It was really beautiful.

The next day the girls played at a playground built into some redwood trees.

 

We were totally loving the weather, but some of us were starting to feel sick. It was time to head back to San Fran and explore the city. We drove back through the Ave of the Giants. It was really, really beautiful. It was worth every minute! We stopped and played in a river on our way back. Julia and Daddy were the only ones crazy enough to actually put on suits and swim though. Doesn't this just say, "The water's great!"