Monday at the Mission office and Family Home Evening

On Monday we went into the mission office and helped Nee and Papa do all sorts of things. From labeling mail to organizing the supply room we did it all...And got to see just how busy Nee and Papa are on their mission. It was really cool to watch them in action and try to help just a little.




That night for Family Home Evening we went to see a Botanical garden that was transformed for the winter with lights. They give you a map and a list of things to find (like lizards, slugs, and monkeys). We found the everything on the list and it was beautiful. The pictures give you just a small glimpse of the display. Lights were blinking to make it look like water was flowing and of course still pictures can't capture that...So, just use your imagination....





Using the light from Papa's cell phone to check the map and search out the hidden creatures.

Our 1st Weekend in Seattle

After a day of traveling all day Friday, and a 3 hour time change we were pretty tired on Saturday. We had a fun day hanging out with Nee and Papa in their cute little apartment, that is just perfect for them. We had fun spending time playing the Wii, making fairy houses, running to a grocery store with tons of candy by the pound, and feeding...oh, I can't remember what we ended up naming him, but Nee and Papa's "pet Squirrel"...Confused? The pictures will make it a little clearer....And you know I took a lot. :)

Craft projects
Feeding...the cute squirrel, whatever his name is...

Nee and Papa working together doing the dishes. On Saturday night a couple from church had gotten tickets for them to go to the Nut Cracker. Our plane tickets were purchased after the Nut Cracker tickets and they hated to back out...We didn't mind them heading out for the evening because 7:00 pm in Seattle was 10:00 pm to us so we headed to bed!

On Sunday we went to church and had fun helping teach Nee's primary class with her. Later that day we went and walked around the Temple grounds and it was beautiful.


Jake said he really felt the Spirit...I could totally tell he did when we passed this statue and he...well, he acted like Jake, and I of course couldn't resist snapping a picture of it. In ten years when he is getting ready to go through the Temple to go on his mission (wow, it just hit me that 10 years is going to go by really fast....) I can show him this picture and remind him even at the tender age of 9 he was able to recognize the Spirit in holy places. :)
We had to prop up the camera and get a shot of all of us. Later in the week Mom and I were able to do a session at the Temple and it is just as gorgeous inside as it is out. I love going to the Temple....
The Stake Center is right next to the Temple and they had over 300 nativities on display, along with different rooms to show the Saviors life. The room these next few pictures were in, depicted His life from birth to Resurrection. It was amazing and a great reminder of Christ's perfect life. Even the children couldn't help but walk quietly through this room and take it all in.



The nativities were beautiful and there was even a living nativity (no animals, just Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus...Since I didn't want to post 100 pictures I decided on this one instead.

Jake's favorite nativity was this one of the Peanuts gang:

Finally back to blogging....Arriving in Seattle

I am finally back to blogging and have a lot to cram in, in the 3 days that are left of 2010....So, here goes the first of MANY posts: (Aaron just asked me why I had to get them all done when I still haven't finished the book for last year yet...I will and soon too!!! I am a little nervous to see how much it costs to print a year full of my ramblings and pictures....It is going to be a thick book...)
After 12 hours of traveling by car and plane we made it to SEATTLE!!! When we got off the plane and went down the escalator we thought we would see them immediately (like at the Charlotte airport), but we had to get on a subway...And when the doors opened we thought we would see them...but we had to go back up another escalator! The suspense was killing us!!!! When we got to the escalator I said look Jake their they are (up at the top waving). I got on the escalator before I realized Jake had made a last second decision to just run up the stairs next to it he was so excited. It was like in a movie...All the people on the escalator were pointing and "ahhhhing" and I watched the hugs that hadn't been able to happen for 10 months. It was awesome...

Jake enjoying Cinnabon...special occasions, call for special treats. :)
After hugs, kisses, and giggles we set up for our first shot...and Papa's phone rang. I had to snap the picture anyway to mark the memory. Dad always has to answer his phone. He is the guy in charge of all the mission cars and sometimes those calls are "we just got in an accident", or "the car broke down"...I thought it was a perfect picture to capture the moment. :)
Best friends reunited. :)
We got our bags and are ready to go and enjoy our 10 days in Washington with Nee and Papa on their mission!!!!

Surprised...No shocked is a better word...

...To describe Jake when he found out we were going to Seattle to see Nee and Papa. Mom sent a photo album that was empty except for the first few pages that said: Merry Christmas Jake (flip page), Here is an early Christmas present. You can use this album for the pictures you take (flip page), when you come out to Seattle to visit us. How about coming out really soon... (flip page), Like...Today! He read it out loud (Aaron took a video while I took pictures...Jake didn't seem to notice that he should have been dressed and out the door for school when Daddy gets home from work. He was to busy reading a book while eating breakfast), and when he was done reading he looked up and waited for an explanation. He thought it was a joke and when we told him it wasn't he had to take his glasses off and wipe the sweet tears from his eyes. I tried to get a picture of that but it was all blurry...But I got all the others.

The package:
Opening the package:
Excitement:
...And then back to "did I just read that right?":
And the shock is setting in...
It's starting to sink in...The page he is looking at is the print out of our ticket confirmation.
He was saying something when I snapped this picture, but it is so cute.
This one is after the tears...
This is after he realized it was really true.

Even on the way to the airport he was still asking us if we were really going because he thought it might be a joke. We joke a lot, but we would never joke about that!!!!

we are home...

our trip was AWESOME!...and we are tired...we are on seattle time, which means getting up @ 6:30 this morning felt like 3:30...lots of pic's to post, a tree to decorate, groceries to buy (jake ate tostito's and a granola bar in the car, on the way to school this morning), and sleep to catch up on...i will update after we are back on east coast time, i have everything ready for jake's holiday party @ school, and i have some more time....

The Countdown Is On!...And Thanksgiving....

It is time for me to finish packing, but what do I do? Blog...It all started when I went to clear the pictures off my camera so it would be ready to fill up in Seattle...And then I realized I never even mentioned our Thanksgiving! That could be because it was relatively uneventful. Tina and crew ended up sick and not able to come. We were bummed and they were bummed but they felt sick and we didn't want to too! We will see you guys soon!!! I had to work 9-2 on Thanksgiving. Aaron had to work 3rd the night before and the night of. It didn't really feel like Thanksgiving (weather wise, work wise, other people-less-ness...) except for the food...It was good food and my 2 favorite guys so it works for me! We took a couple of out of focus pictures to show that there actually was a Thanksgiving this year (where has this year gone????) and called it good.



And now back to packing and cleaning up the house...I did cross off a few things on my to do list...Crafts for class check. Teacher reaction-no surprise less than enthusiastic, I have come to expect nothing less! Oh well!! Check any way. (I won't even go into the details...) Christmas tree?...Nope. Picture-nope. Christmas card? Nope-and there isn't going to be one. We decided to do the pitiful(free) Christmas email and picture...That hasn't happened yet but will! Dad...The place with your hearing aid batteries changed their office hours...They are now closed on Thursday. Perfect!...because today is Thursday and we leave tomorrow!...I will get you some more when we get back and mail them to you...House clean? Check...in about 30 minutes...I need to do a quick (kind of...) run through. What happened since Tuesday night?

One More Thing!!! Jake wanted me to take a picture to document that he did the dishs on Tuesday. He did a lot to help me-mostly because I bribed him. I paid him $1 per room he helped clean. He made a grand total of $4! Usually I don't pay him-he just has to do it because I am the cleaning boss. He thought it was because I couldn't get it done with out him...shhhh! Don't tell him I could have, I just wanted him to have a little spending money is Seattle. I am a nice mom on occasion...But I won't be if I don't finish all I have to finish and get in bed soon!
Yiiiipppppeee! We leave tomorrow!!!!

WHAT?!?!

IT'S DECEMBER 1st???That means I have 2 days to:
1. Figure out how to pack 10 days worth of stuff into carry on bags (I am not paying $50 for a suitcase to travel with us to Seattle!)...all with out Jake knowing. And of course worry and wonder if we will one of the lucky (sarcasm) people at the airport that could be groped or looked at in the buff by the TSA at the airport. Yes, I remember 9/11. Yes, I believe in security checks, but this is RIDICULOUS!
2. Grocery shop for food Aaron can eat while we are gone that doesn't take long to prepare since he will be studying for exams, while trying to get some actual sleep in a quiet house. Also with out Jake knowing it....Which brand is your favorite for frozen pizza Aaron? I usually try to cook meals and freeze them but it is not happening this time...Sorry...
3. Make sure I have everything ready for the class Christmas party (I am the classroom mom for Jake's class), which includes figuring out and getting all the materials for 3 crafts for 28 kiddos (I am having parents chip in-that is a lot of kids and we are poor college students). Which means after I go to work and Jake goes to school we will be taking a trip to the closest craft store (close to 30 minutes) to figure out what those crafts are going to be...If you look up procrastination in the dictionary there will be a picture of me with a long To Do list in my hand.
4. Type up a letter to send all the parents in Jake's class to solicit money for a group gift for his teacher...and a couple of bucks to cover the crafts!
5. Work today and tomorrow...Which seriously cuts into the hours I have to do everything else...
6. Keep the house clean. We had a Primary presidency meeting at my house yesterday which worked perfectly for me! It forced me to make sure the house was clean while we were gone. And I bribed Jake with $1 per room to help me. We dusted, vacuumed and organized every room in the house. I don't usually pay him to help me, but I wanted to get it done in record time and I wanted him to have a little spending money for the trip....Which he still has no clue about!!! We will be taking lots of pictures of his reaction to finding out!
7. Add in a trip to the post office, bank, and....I am sure some where else? Oh yeah-I remember! To Target to print the pictures (we still have to take) for our Christmas letters. And of course typing and copying the letter that will be going with the picture...Then addressing and mailing the letters....
8. And last but not least decorate for Christmas! We haven't even put the tree up yet!!!...I think Jake maybe missing Cub Scouts tonight...He needs to go to bed early anyway to get ready for the 3 hour time change he doesn't even know it coming....
9. Nana I will be calling you today! Can you come up for a visit and go to Jake's Christmas feast on Wednesday 12/15? I will have to work I am sure and Aaron will be finishing his last exam!...I told Jake we wouldn't be able to go and he said "Let's call Nana!!!" I will call you! :)
Are there enough hours in the days to accomplish all this? There has to be... :) I can't wait!!!!!