Family Pictures

It is always so much fun being together with my family again. I am always a sucker for getting all of us in matching colors and doing some family photos. It is fun to look at all the pictures through out the years and seeing how much everyone has changed.

Cousin Madi

Josiah just loves his cousin Madison, so we had to make sure we made it to her first soccer game. Josiah was so cute during the game he kept cheering for her team......the Galaxies. Now he wants to play "soccer ball" too.

Los Angeles Farmer Market and The Grove

I've been in California now for 30 years and I have never been to the L.A. Farmer's Market. So, on the first weekend we were here we took off to visit the Market. I have to admit, that it wasn't what I had in mind. I pictured men throwing fish (like from the movie "No Reservations"), I pictured a ton of flowers (like from "The Wedding Planner"), big french bread loaves sticking out of carton bags ("Sleepless in Seattle") and so forth. Thanks Hollywood for the mental images that I have of a farmer's market. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed.



Thankfully the Grove was right next door. The boys loved walking around and they especially loved the big fountain in the middle. We spent more time there than the Farmer's Market.

Time to catch up!

Waiting to board the plane at the Samara Airport. The morning that we left for the airport there was snow coming down as we approached the airport and the temperature was 29 degrees! When we arrived in L.A.X the temperature was 75. The flights went real well.......praise God! It took about 1 week for the boys to get acclimated to the time change. They are both enjoying the warmer weather and playing outside in a backyard with green grass. Oh, the little things we take for granted.


So we are staying at my mom's during our time in California. Later on we will be in our church's mission's house but for now we're in Granada Hills and loving it. Unfortunately, my mom doesn't have a computer which means that there is no need for her to have high speed internet. Which means that we are having to do everything on dial-up. Which means I can't afford the time it takes to download pictures. Right now Jon and I are on a little getaway and there is a high speed connection here so I will be updating the blog so you can see some of the things we've been up to! I will also schedule posts so that the blog will stay current.

Here We Go Again!

Well it's time again to return to the States due to our expired visa. As you read this blog we should be on the Frankfurt, Germany flight to Dulles, Washington. If you think of it, please pray for us! From the time we leave our apartment in Samara, until the time we get to my moms in L.A., it will be around 30 hours. No fun, especially with two little ones. But in reality we have it easy compared to the other members on our team. The Klassens have 4 kids and the Moorheads have 5. Josiah travels real well but Nathan is 21 months so if you are a parent then you should understand how difficult a child is at this age.

Josiah's thoughts: Cool dude! I get to watch movies on the plane and sleep. Then I get to see my grandmas, cousins, tias, and I get to go to Sunday school!



Nathan's thoughts: What do you mean I'll be stuck on an airplane for over 20 hours!?

Date Night!

Well we finally got to celebrate my birthday..............5 weeks late, but that's o.k. Between illnesses and crazy schedules we just couldn't fit it in until a week ago. I've been dying to go to the brand new T.G.I.Fridays that barely opened over a month ago. It was fabulous. Our waitress spoke some English and even humored us with a pretty racist joke that I won't repeat! They also sang some songs to a customer who must have been having a birthday, thankfully Jon didn't say it was my birthday celebration or else I would have died laughing. The waiters/waitresses were singing "Go Bananas" and "Boom Chicka Rocka Chicka Rocka Chicka Boom". It was so funny because they sang it in English of course with a very thick accent. It was really a fun atmosphere and I have been craving onion rings forever so it was just perfect. The best part though was spending it with my wonderful husband. Lately Josiah has been talking up a storm, I mean the kids never quiets down. I know that I've prayed for so long for him to talk but wow this is crazy. Jon and I can't really talk anymore during our dinners at home because Jojo is constantly interrupting us and goes on and on and on. So, it was just great being able to converse with my best friend and love of my life!

Time with the Klassens.

Josiah just loves going to the Klassens to play with the kids. He always has such a good time there. I am so thankful that he plays so well with them now! At the beginning it wasn't so, I think it was because he really didn't know them. He even bit Bryce on the nose at one point, but now it is a new story and they all get along so well.




Can you believe that we've been here 3 years and I have never invited the Klassens (as a whole) to my home!! That is awful. One evening they all came over. The kids watched Wall-E and the adults played a game of Cranium. I learned one thing that night: Brad and Heather aren't very good at Cranium! We had a lot of fun and you can tell that the kids were pretty tuckered out by the end of the evening. Actually I think they were detoxing from the sugar high.

More outside time (cont.)

What you see: Nathan enjoying his reflection in the water.
What you don't see: Nathan lying face down in the water. I had the presence of mind to pick him up quickly instead of snapping a picture of that one.



Nathan loves animals! He especially loves chasing around poor birds. Here he is terrorizing a pigeon.

More outside time.

Since we got some fresh snow on March 23 and 25, we decided to enjoy winter a little longer. Josiah really wanted me to build a snowman and the snow was just perfect for that even though my snowman isn't that great. He also enjoyed shoveling snow back and forth. Doesn't take much to entertain him!! The first 3 pictures were taken on the 25th and we were outside close to noon so you can tell that the snow is all beginning to melt so by the time we were finished I had 2 very wet boys.