First Day of School!!!

My 3rd grader!!!My 1st Grader!!!

"You mean I get my mom all to myself all day long?"
August 12st seems so early to start school, but I think my girls thrive on routine and they weren't getting much of that over the summer. They both have really incredible teachers...and I am not just saying that because Sarah has her grandma for 1st grade! Lauren seems to be taking the quiet a little easier than I am. She takes a great morning nap while I get things done around the house and then we head out and get a few errands done before the girls get home. Two and a half weeks in and we are loving it!

P.S. It is not 6:00am. The short hand is broken on the clock...it's really 8:00am!

John's side of the family!

It would appear from this blog that I am the only one who has any family around here...but we have had a few opportunities to see some of John's relatives too! John and the girls had a nice visit with grandpa Stucki and Uncle Paul in Cedar City. They showed off some of their old Irish Dance moves for them! Alison and Sarah were thrilled to have some time with their cousin Emily before the rest of the Janis family came to visit. We had just barely moved into the house so we had a lot of home time, but we did have fun at the Washington City Community Center, watching Nim's Island, and visiting the County Fair.
Of course, I don't have any pictures of the house yet...it's not quite picture ready! We are enjoying getting settled though. The girls most enjoy being in the backyard without fear of getting hit by a golf ball and having friends nearby to play with. I like being able to make as much noise as I want when cleaning the house since John is still working from my mom's! It was a great year at my mom's. Thanks for everything mom. We love you!

July Holidays!

The 4th of July parade lasted about 12 minutes. It was fun to have the small town feel where you actually knew people in the parade! We stayed after to play a few games in the city park. Pioneer Day in Panguitch! All the cousins came and we had a great time invading Grandpa Brian's house. We ate at the restaurant, watched the parade, ate yummy birthday cake for grandma and some of the kids went fishing and actually caught fish!!! It was a very fun day!
Isn't this what summertime is all about?

Forever Friends

Visit with the Mitchell's in Levan! They are like family. We always pick up like we have never stopped playing together even though it has been four years since we were neighbors!Some of the ladies from Japan!
We had the chance to attend the annual Tokyo Reunion this year. Something we have never done since we've been back for over 7 years. It was a great time catching up and revisiting about fun times in Japan. It is truly a blessing to call these women my friends. They are selfless, dedicated, and were a great strength to me at a time when I couldn't have been farther from family. Japan seems a distant memory most days, but I had so many life experiences there and shared many of them with these incredible women! Thanks ladies!

Grandma and Grandpa's 60th Anniversary!

Mom put together this quilt made up of squares that each individual family made. Ours is the upper right corner...it means "love" in Japanese! I love the colors and it was fun to hear about why each square was made the way it was. The Jeff and Jill Ehorn descendants! June 2008
The Joe and June Ehorn descendants
We spent two nights at the La Jolla Shores hotel right on the beach. We spent some time in our rooms with sleeping babies, but a lot of time was spent catching waves on the boogie boards, eating, and spending time with extended family. I even played ping-pong with my cousin Josh who I had played with over 20 years ago at the very same spot! What a great chance to spend time with your family in a beautiful and meaningful place. Thanks grandma and grandpa!

John, John, he's our man!

John turned 35 this week, went to Youth Conference, and had a Happy Father's Day.
The girls wrote 10 things they loved about him:
1. he plays games with them.
2. he likes to wrestle.
3. he throws them in the pool.
4. he's a great storyteller.
5. he tucks them in bed like a hot dog.
6. he loves Reese's.
7. he colors with them.
8. he makes good potstickers.
9. he plays the Wii with them.
10. he loves them a lot!

Lauren turns 1

This girl had no reservations about digging into her cake!
" Yum, yum. Can I have more?"
Lauren has been such a delightful addition to our family. She is one of the most spoiled babies I know, but I really wouldn't have it any other way. She has two older sisters that adore her, a grandma that she chooses over me, and a G.G. that can make her smile from across the chapel! She has been getting around the house more and loves to go round and round the coffee table. She has started folding her arms for prayers, signs when she wants more, loves to walk, but won't let go, and is a natural at leading music.