One great year...

Well, it has been officially one year since we went to Ethiopia and adopted Damien. How time flies. I can't believe it. I thought that it would be appropriate to put some pictures of him on here to show his time line with us. Damien, we love you and are so happy you are part of our family. Here are the top 10 things we love about Damien.

1. He is obsessed with the movie cars and any toy etc that has any characters from that show on it.


2. His big juicy lips that cover your cheek in a kiss.


3. He is the fastest kid I ever met. He told me be is going to the Olympics and I told him to bring mommy the gold.


4. How fast he learns things. He knows his colors and some shapes. Not bad for a kid who didn't speak English.


5. He loves to be with family. Immediate and extended.


6. He loves to try new things. Very adventurous.


7. He is very good at playing with his sisters and he loves them too.


8. How he still rolls his r's when talking.


9. How he loves to cuddle mom and wrestle dad.


10. How much we love him and are so happy he is in our family. We love you Damien and are so grateful to have you in our family.

Kindergarten... here she comes

Olivia had her first day of kindergarten. She has been bugging me for weeks wondering when it would start. So finally the big day arrived. She was up at the crack of dawn and ready to go. She couldn't wait to get her backpack on and head out. I got a job at Milford Elementary and so we walked to school together. Then we went to class and she met her teacher Mrs. Davis. Olivia was like an old pro. She put her backpack up and got started on her first assignment of coloring an apple. The day went well and she couldn't wait for the next day. She loves school and we get to walk to and from school together and she tells me about her day. I can't believe she is in Kindergarten. How time flies. Good job Olivia, we are so happy you love school. Next step: Kyra and Damien to pre-school.

The Beauty Pageant

So, I swore I was one of those moms who would never put their child in a beauty pageant. Well, not only did I put one girl in it, I put both my girls. I am not going to do this every year but I thought it would be a good opportunity for the girls and just something different for them to do. Olivia and Kyra had their moment in the spotlight and shined brightly. Kyra was in the age group 3-4. She was really nervous but she got up on stage dressed as a miner and sang her song "16 Tons" with all her might. JC and I were so proud. Then she dressed in her Ethiopian outfit for the dress competition and twirled til her little heart was full. She did so well. The judges gave their choices and Kyra didn't win. We weren't surprised. The judges knew the other mom and their kids won. SHOCKING Oh well, she did well anyway. Kyra did get a crown though. Then Olivia was up for the 5-6 year olds. She got up and sang all the words to "These Boots Are Made For Walking." She had on bright pink boots and when the song ended she started marching all over the stage. Then she wore her Ethiopian dress and twirled all around. The judges picked the winners and no Olivia didn't win either. Both girls had fun and were so proud of themselves. JC and I were so proud of both our girls. They got over their fears and did awesome. Too bad the judges didn't see them the way we do. Great job girls. We are so proud and we love you.

Mountain Fever

On Wednesday Jc and I decided that we wanted to go to the mountains. We got everything into the car, including our 2 dogs and off we went. It had been awhile since we have been to the mountains even though they are about 5 minutes away. Well, when we got there the roads were all sandy and my car was not happy about it. Plus because of the fires we had 2 years ago most of the trees were gone so it was really hot. We turned around and decided we would drive tot he Beaver mountains which are about 40 minutes away. That was so much better. The temperature started to drop and it was like driving through Big Cottonwood Canyon. We chose a path and went off roading a little only to find we couldn't stop because there were cows everywhere. I wasn't going to try to have a picnic with the cows. Plus our dog Aussie, she's an Australian Shepherd, was going crazy in the back of the car. She wanted to get out and herd them. So we kept driving up the mountain. We finally came to a really nice area that had trees and was just beautiful. We stayed for a few hours and really enjoyed ourselves. Olivia even caught a grasshopper. I also think the kids like peeing outdoors. :) All in all it was a fun trip. The kids want to go camping next.

I didn't fall off the face of the Earth

I know it has been awhile and it seems like I have fallen off the face of the Earth but surprise here I am. I have had so many things happen that I don't even know where it begin.
1- I am pregnant again. So far this pregnancy is going a lot smoother than the one I lose so I am a little more hopeful. The doctor is keeping a close eye on me. The kids are really excited. Olivia wants me to name it Tinkerbell and Damien has chosen Lightning McQueen. I will take those into consideration but I don't think they are going to make the cut.
2- JC and I are very excited summer is starting to end. We don't have air conditioning so we have been slowly melting. Fall come early if you can.
3- We have a new dog. It is a Dachsund aka weiner dog. She is 7 months and pretty good. Olivia named her Tigerlily. I call her Tiger and she is the complete opposite. When we walk the 2 dogs we get a lot of strange looks. Our other dog is a big Australian Shepherd.
4- Olivia and Kyra are going to compete in the Little Miss Beaver contest on Saturday. Olivia is going to sing "These boots are made for walking," and Kyra is going to sing "16 Tons." It is going to be a riot. They are really excited. All the girls get a crown if they win or now. Pictures to come
5- Olivia is going to Kindergarten this coming Monday. I can't believe my little girl is going to school. I feel like I just graduated and here I am sending mine off. Where does the time go?
6- Damien and Kyra are going to Rusty Rooster Preschool soon. They are really excited. It's where Olivia went and they are ready to learn. What am I going to do with all my time?
7- I have a new calling at church. In addition to being a Relief Society Teacher and visiting teacher I am seretary of the young womens. In Milford it is very common to hold more than 1 calling. There just aren't enough members here.
8- I spoke in church on Sunday. I was the concluding speaker and I thought that sacrament got out at 12:00 when it actually gets out at 12:10. Yes, I got us out 10 minutes early. I even cut my talk short. This pregnancy is making me stupider. :)
All in all that is my life in a nutshell. I will post about the pageant. It will be a lot of fun. Hope all is well.