My parents had arranged for us to have our own tour guide and driver for the next three days in Bejing. On Monday we went to Temple of Heaven. (Ryan reenacting pictures from our childhood.)

If you stand on the spot and speak it sounds normal to everyone around you, but to you it sounds like you're speaking into a microphone - so crazy and cool!


and the girls did their own thing. We would usually meet up for dinner in the evening.


Guangzhou was beautiful with all the greenery (including palm trees) and temperatures in the 50's and 60's.

The Chinese people were very kind and friendly and usually very excited to see Americans.



My parents branch on Sunday.

-The girls have actually been playing with each other a lot lately. Yes, there is fighting. But even more often there is squealing, giggling and just messing around. Even though the squealing (yelling) can be pretty obnoxious, there's a lot of noise and mess I'll put up with if my children are getting along.

-Carly is on the level III gymnastics team at the YMCA. She's been wanting to be on team for a very long time, but I was hesitant because of the time and money obligation. She finally got her wish for Christmas. Unfortunately most of the meets are on Sunday's, so she hasn't had the opportunity to compete, but she gets 4 hours of practice a week (too much for my liking), and she loves going.


-Ellie is trying out soccer for the first time this term. (She loves to list all the different sports she's tried out: gymnastics, karate, tae kwondo, ballet, jazz, and soccer. I am proud of her for trying out new things all the time - I think it's brave.) Her first soccer practice that Aaron took her to didn't go very well - her hair wasn't pulled back in a pony tail, she didn't have shin guards and wasn't really dressed for a soccer practice, she didn't bring a water bottle, she was the youngest (and of course shortest), and seemingly the only one without any soccer background. She came home crying and pretty frustrated. Aaron and I felt bad and thought that maybe we had got her into something over her head. So we told her that she could chose if she wanted to keep going or not. Well that week she got a soccer ball out of our garage and practiced passing inside the house. We got her some shin guards and more appropriate soccer clothes. And she went back the next week (and every week since) and has had a really good experience! There's one thing that Ellie is NOT, and that's a quitter!

-Aubree is taking gymnastics for the first time. She has taught herself to do some stuff just from watching her sisters. She does a bridge really well and has an AWESOME cartwheel; but she can't do some of the more basic things like a forward roll. Ha! She is also the youngest and shortest in her class and probably the only one who has never taken a formal gymnastics class. But after we came home from her first class she said "My teacher said I was beautiful [meaning her gymnastics technique]! That filled my bucket. I'm probably the best one in my class." Oh the confidence and nievity of little kids! I love it! (And I may be a little biased, but she is super coordinated!)

-The girls love to use my phone to take pictures and crazy videos, talk to Siri, check my instagram account, find youtube videos, and Carly even uses it to text and FaceTime her friends. I do not like it. I have to change my password every couple of months, because they inevitably figure it out (usually spying over my shoulder when I put it in). I've tried to figure out why it bothers me so much to have them use my phone and I think it's because I know how addicting phones, computers, and technology can be (for me personally) and I just don't want them to get sucked in.

A conversation Aubree had with Siri. Aubree's words are in quotations.

-I am the new Young Women's president in our branch, which makes me a member of branch council. Aaron is also a member of branch council (branch presidency), so we have to take our girls to branch council with us each Sunday at 8:30 AM and then 10AM church right after. You would think that being the YW president would be easy with only two young women (only one is very active). But, there are some challenges and improvisations that have to be made. We are meeting in the local high school until we have a more permanent rental location available and ready. We meet in the auditorium for sacrament meeting and then use the cafateria, teacher's lounge, stage and auditorium for all of our other classes. Church has been canceled the last two Sundays due to crazy weather (more on that just below), and the fact that the high school is in charge of doing snow removal (they won't let us) and if they chose to open up the school on a snowy Sunday. So, we've had our own family church services here at home (very unorganized and laid back). Meeting at the school has definitely been inconvenient, but also an adventure and memory maker!

The primary meeting in the teacher's lounge

 -We have had a CRAZY cold and snowy winter this year! The girls have had 3 snow days so far and a few late starting school days. They have made a couple tunnels and a snow cave that all three of them can fit in! Ellie even made snow ice cream the other day (suggested by our crosswalk lady, Miss Mary). I am truly sick of winter and snow and cloudy skies, but one thing that is wonderful about bad winters is the euphoria of springtime! I can't wait!


-I'm pregnant! We have baby number four coming in August. We are really excited - especially the girls. They are so happy to see that my belly is starting to get bigger. (It's really not that much bigger than it was before, especially if I kind of suck in. But I'm not going to suck in because that's part of the fun of being pregnant - lettin' it all hang out!) I had "morning sickness" in the evenings and nights (weird for me - does that mean it's a boy???) and have been super exhausted. I've had two doctors appointments and am so amazed and grateful each time I hear that little heartbeat.

-We've finally started reading the Book of Mormon (from beginning to end) as a family. We have always read the scriptures each night together, but before now we have just skipped around, reading verses here and there, or doing the gospel art kit or illustrated scripture stories (both of which I think we benefited from and I would highly recommend to someone with small children). As I was thinking about how well the girls have been playing with each other lately I was reminded of this quote by President Marion G. Romney:
“I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1980, 90; or Ensign, May 1980, 67).

Our friends, the West's go on vacations a few times a year, and when they do we usually get to stay at their house to watch their dog and hamster. The girls absolutely LOVE it! I also enjoy staying in a nice, big, new home on the water, but it can also be a little stressful. We've stayed there about four times now and each time the girls almost ruin a piece of furniture (furniture that costs more than we make in a few months). I'm learning how manage it though, and it's definitely getting more enjoyable for me.
 The girls enjoy jumping off the dock and swimming to the rocky shore or using inner tubes and rafts. The rocky shore gives endless amounts of crabbing and discovery.

 The girls also spend lots of time jumping on the trampoline. Carly has perfected her back flip and has also worked on her front flip and back handsprings.

Here's a shot of the beautiful kitchen. Eating is one of the house-sitting things that can be difficult. Normally I like to make our meals (dinner mostly) from scratch, but I don't want to use all of the West's food and I don't want to bring my whole pantry. So, we usually buy some freezer meals and bring a few essentials from our home.

 They have tons board games. A couple of our favorites are LIFE (I win every time) and Say Anything.

Other fun things we (mostly the girls) like to do there:
-check on Luna (the hamster)
-play with and love Sandy (the dog)
-watch movies

(Update Feb. 2015: This post was written before we stayed there over Christmas break 2014. That was rough. I was going through morning sickness - tired and yucky feeling most of the time - and the freezer meals did not sit well with me. And for some reason Sandy was really annoying me (probably the morning sickness thing), but she follows me around EVERYWHERE. Poor dog. She really is a sweet, good dog, but I just couldn't deal with her. Also, their washing machine broke (probably our fault), and the girls got permanent marker on one of their tables, and Aubree literally chipped a piece of their brand new coffee table off with a crochet hook! So..... I don't know if we'll be staying there again.)

 Carly, entering 4th grade and Ellie, entering 3rd at West Broad Street School. Aubree, with her baby - kindergarteners started school two days later at West Vine Street School.

These two girls were SO excited and nervous about the first day of school - I remember those feelings well! It made me so happy (and a little surprised) to see them holding hands. Such a sweet picture!


 Our last day together before her first day of kindergarten. We went to the library and Wilcox Park. I just love this little friend of mine!


 Aubree woke up a little bit nervous that first morning. So Ellie tickled her back for a little bit, and made a lunch for her. Then, after they were both ready for school, Ellie played "good witches" with her until it was time to go meet the bus.

 Looking very thoughtful and wise on that first morning.


 Waving goodbye to me from the bus. I held it together and put on a big smile and waved and blew kisses. But as I walked Carly and Ellie to their school down the street I just couldn't hold it in. My baby was going off to kindergarten for a whole day without me! I was worried about how she would feel - maybe scared or lonely? And sad that a phase of my life was over - no more preschoolers. As we walked to the school, Ellie held my hand and so sweetly told me, "It's okay if you need to cry Mommy". As I walked back home by myself I thought of how I usually made that walk with Aubree, hand in hand. And of course, I cried some more.

Here she is getting off the bus on that first day. She ran right to me and buried her face in my neck and I carried her home. I think we were both so happy to see each other again. She was pretty shy at home and didn't have much to say about school on that first day, but as each day has gone by she has talked about her school day more, and I can tell she is more comfortable and confident. And so am I. (I'm finding that the school day passes by more quickly than I thought it would, and I'm not as productive as I thought I would be.)

On Saturday (her actual birthday) we picked up her friend Kelsea and brought her to our house for a special birthday lunch - mac and cheese and a birthday ice cream cake.
 Then we headed over to Get Fired Up for the girls to paint and decorate their own plates. They had a great time doing that!