Cora's 6th birthday!

Cora's birthday was during her school Fall break so we got to have fun together all day!  Her school had a two week break during the fall, but she got to go to some fun enrichment classes during the first week and then we had a one week break after that.  She took a Spanish class and a kids cooking class that she loved, where they made crafts and treats like butterflies out of apples and grapes, etc.

So for her birthday breakfast I got up and made her cinnamon rolls, which she usually likes, although they've always been someone else's, since I've never made them before.  As it was, I cheated and used a recipe that contains no yeast, it's more like roll up cinnamon biscuits.  I thought they were really good but unfortunately Cora wasn't the biggest fan.  So much for giving her a special treat for breakfast.

For lunch we headed to the playground and had a picnic lunch.  Here's our sweet birthday girl!  

Great Grandma and Max visit!

We were so excited to receive a visit from Great Grandma Wei and Great Uncle Max at the end of September for a week!  It was so fun and I loved having the kids get to know them better.  They all loved Uncle Max of course and couldn't help but climb all over him non-stop.

Betty sitting up, and eating!

Starting to be able to sit up on her own!  It's so nice when they can do that.  They are so much happier.

September

Betty playing in a new (used) bouncer.  She loves it!  It takes up a ton of room but is worth it, it's so nice to be able to put her somewhere safe and fun for her.  

Labor day weekend with the Kruses!

On Labor day weekend we enjoyed a visit from the Kruses!  We still didn't have much furniture since our POD had not yet arrived but they didn't mind.  Kevin and the boys actually camped out in the yard, and Ryan and Cora and Elijah did also for one night.  We went fishing at the New River and had a picnic.  At night we had a bonfire in our new fire pit at our house and made smores. Also, Kate introduced me to Call the Midwife, a BBC series, and Malcolm in the Middle, which we've enjoyed on Netflix ever since.  It was a fun relaxing weekend and we loved the time together with them and their great boys. 

Arriving in Galax!

Well we arrived safe and sound in Virginia!  Our flights went ok this time and we had a couple of days in Herndon before driving down to Galax, which we spent getting cars, switching our phones to Verizon (since AT&T doesn't work in Galax) making a Costco trip, and resting!  Mom came down with us to Galax to help some more. We got in on a Saturday night and Cora and Ryan started work/school on Monday!  Here's Cora getting ready to leave for her first day of school.  Her feelings are plainly expressed on her face as is typical for Cora.

Stopover in St George

After we left Laie we first flew to Las Vegas, wehre we rented a car and drove up to spend one evening in St. George to visit these wonderful folks: Grandma and Grandpa Nielson!  We didn't have much time but just hadn't seen them in so long we felt like we had to stop and pay them a visit.  It was a wonderful evening with the kids getting to know Grandma and Grandpa and hearing their wonderful stories and wisdom.  We love them so much and are so glad to be a part of their family and partake in their wonderful legacy.

Moving!

On July 23rd we made a big announcement on Facebook.  Here is what we said: "We are excited to announce that soon we will be beginning a new chapter in our lives. Ryan has accepted a job in southern Virginia with Twin County Regional Hospital and we will be moving in about 3 weeks. We will find it hard to bid farewell to our family and friends in this wonderful community but we know that this is the right path for our little family to follow at this time. It is going to be a fun new adventure for all of us."

Hawaii Nei

Home again!  The trip home was, thankfully, less eventful than the trip to Virginia. 

Here are the kids getting up to their usual things again in Hawaii.  

Cora collecting flowers as we take walks to the temple.

Virginia Summer 2014 Reunion part 2

The beauties of Great Falls Park.

Virginia Summer 2014 Reunion part 1

Happy at the bowling alley!  That was the first thing we did when we got to Herndon!

Traveling to VA

Traveling home to Virginia for our summer visit/reunion was exhausting and crazy! We hadn't been home to Virginia since November 2012 and we were excited to visit again!  We had 3 different flights (the first one was a red-eye) but due to some random severe thunderstorms our last flight got cancelled.  We tried unsuccessfully to get on a different flight but finally had to spend the night in Detroit and catch a flight out the next morning.  But they didn't have any space on flights to DC so we had to fly to Harrisburg, PA and Kevin very kindly volunteered to drive 2 hours away (each way) to pick us up.  

Smiles at the beginning of the first flight.  We kept getting 3 seats together and one across the aisle.  I figured we would take turns trading off sitting with the baby and with the other two but because they only have extra oxygen masks on one side of the aisle, the person on the side with the three seats had to hold the baby, and that had to be me because I needed to be able to nurse Betty during take off and landing and during the flight as well.    

June 2014

Our big girl on her first day of Bright Beginnings preschool!  We had tried to get her into a session earlier but they were all full for fall and winter, so we were very glad to hear that Cora could do a short summer session with them to get a little bit of preschool in before starting all day kindergarten.  I wasn't too worried about her struggling academically in kindergarten but knew she could use the social practice as well as just getting used to having a school routine.  She was super excited and felt like a very big girl.  She wore the dress I had made for her a few months back and her new owl backpack.  She was enrolled in a three week session, but wound up being sick for the entire middle week so only got two in.  It was only morning for about 3.5 hours but still it did help prepare her for school.

More May

The kids love playing at the elementary school playground sometimes as a break from the TVA ones.  Lately Elijah's been loving watching Spiderman and his Amazing Friends, the old cartoon from the 80s, so he loves playing on the big spiderweb at the school and pretending to be Spiderman.  This time Cora was pretending to be Firestar, Elijah was Spiderman, Ryan was Iceman and Betty was Aunt May.  ;)

Betty's blessing

On Mother's Day May 11th I was so happy to hear Ryan bless our little baby Betty in his YSA ward where he served in the bishopric. She wore the beautiful blessing gown that Grandma Madelyn made when Cora was born. Thanks to Grandpa Doug, Uncle Alvin, Uncle John, Bishop Kehoe and Kent for participating in this blessing with Ryan.  It made Mother's day so special.

We tried to take pics at the temple after church but our kids were less than helpful.