Catching up!

Wow, it is already June. I have a little catching up to do.
While I was in England Lane was in a car accident and totaled out car so we got a new one. We ended up getting a bright red Toyota Prius. Great gas mileage too.



The girls both finished their pre-schools for the summer. Grace will start Kindergarten in the fall and Sophia will do another year at pre-school.
Sophia's last day of school with her wonderful teacher.

Then I also have been meaning to show off these pictures. These were taken on the cruise we took back in February. I just love the one of Grace she looks like an angel to me.
I also love the one with Lane. He is the greatest father.


I am excited for summer this year. I have lots of things planed for me and my girls. So Summer here we come.

England

I went to England last week for my friends wedding. It was my first time there, but lots of fun. I can't wait to go back with my girls. Oh and yes I got to go alone. Let me just say that every mother should take a week long break from the family every year.
Me in front of the Thames river with the parliament building in the background.

In front of the Buckingham Palace gates.

Tower of London. Where they beheaded loads of people.

London Bridge.

The home of Anne Hathaway who was Shakespeare's wife.

New College quad at Oxford University.

The ancient Roman Bath House in Bath England.

My friend Arveen. She is Indian and so she hand her hands decorated for her wedding. I got some art work as well.

Arveen and I. Red is the traditional wedding color of Indian brides.

Arveen and her husband signing the marriage certificate right after the ceremony.

I had so much fun and ate so much wonderful Indian food while I was there. I did miss my family, but was very grateful for the alone time.

Earth Day

Today is earth day and in honor of the great plant that we live on I want to share some "green" things that I do and you can easily do as well, to help keep our plant healthy.
1. I use reusable bags when I go shopping. I got some really cute ones from Ikea for $1.50 and they work well where ever I go. We even got one to hold our pool items.
2. We use rechargeable batteries in all of our things that need batteries.
3. We have the long life light bulbs that last 5-7 years.
4. In Grace's lunch we use containers that can be washed for all her lunch items. She also has a cloth napkin and washable lunch bag.
5. I never let my car idle. I always turn off the car.
6. We always take our worn out clothes to second hand stores, where hopefully someone else can use them.
7. We use reusable water bottles.
8. We unplug and turn off everything when we go on trips.
9. We recycle paper and try to use the back of paper to get more use out of it if possible.
10. With Lane's dads help we started a compost pile in the yard.

There are many more things that I wish I could do, but I don't own my own home and therefore I can't have energy efficient appliances or a fuel efficient car(we don't own our own car). I am always trying to do what I can to help out.
To help celebrate Earth day we are going to take the girls to see the movie Earth. If you see the movie in it first week then Disney will plant a tree on your behalf. So for twenty dollars (our family of 4). Disney will plant a tree for us. And to buy a tree costs more then 5$. So it is a win win situation.

Skiing and Easter.

I should have posted this blog last week, but I didn't so I am going to post it with my Easter blog.
Since about January we have taken Grace and Sophia skiing about every other week this year and the last time we went I took some pictures. We go up to Alta Ski resort and where the bunny slope is free after 3pm and it is a high speed triple so getting to the top is pretty quick. The slope is long and has a few steep spots, but it makes for a great mountain to teach the girls on. So here is a few pictures of them skiing. And might I add they are doing really well and totally enjoy every aspect of it.
Grace on the chair lift.

Sophia on the chair lift.

Coming down side by side.

Lane has the girls make a train as they come down so they can follow him and learn to stop. And make sharp turns. Its fun to watch them go down together.

Their wonderful Ski instructor.


This year Easter was lots of fun. It was Grace and Sophia's first real Easter celebration.
We got to go to the neighborhood Easter egg hunt early on in the week and Grace did well. Sophia on the other hand stopped to cry after someone got the first egg she spotted and well she missed out on all the eggs.
Then on Easter Sunday we had the girls do a scavenger hunt for their Easter baskets and that was lots of fun. My mom had sent the Easter dresses so they were happy about the new dresses. We also got them lots of $1 store stuff and they loved it. I haven't been to the dollar stores here before, but they have lots of good stuff for kids. I also made my first fruit carving and I am quit proud of myself.
Happy and excited for their first egg hunt.

A sad Sophia. Her cousins did all give her an egg at the end.

In their Easter dresses from grandma.

Future cheerleaders. Pom-poms from the dollar store that we used to cushion the bottoms of their baskets instead of plastic grass.

The bunny that I carved out of a melon. Cute Huh?

Cruise and more 2009

We started our Journey on February 14th. We drove South all the way down to Tuscon and then headed east towards Texas. Here are some prisoners in front of the Alamo in San Antonio, TX.

In Texas we visited with Lane's cousin in Corpus Cristy for two days. From there we drove to New Orleans where we spent a day and a half. We stayed in the historic french quarters.
We visited the famous Oak Ally plantation home. A very beautiful antebellum home.

The girls sitting on the famous Bourbon Street. We were in New Orleans just four days before Mardi Gras. It was so alive while we were there, I couldn't imagine what it gets like for Mardi Gras.


Most of the time driving was spent like this.

This is Sophia on the beach in Pensacola, Florida. Grandpa Shepard spent every summer here while he was growing up.


Sunset on the Cruise.

On one the Islands of the Bahamas with our cruise ship in the back ground.

Doing the beach catwalk thing with Lane's brother and wife. We are on the Island of St. Maarten.


We partied it up at Boo Boo Jams beach in St. Maarten. I ended up loosing my eye glasses to the ocean here.

The kids on the beach on the island of St. Thomas. This was by far the most beautiful Island I had ever been to. The water was so clear and warm and the beach was amazing.

We swam with the sting rays on the island of Grand Turks.

Grace gave the sting ray a little kiss.

While Sophia got a little back rub.

Sophia in the kids pool on the ship. She looks so funny in her goggles.

Yummy cruise food.

We also went to the Everglades. Since out Cruise left from Ft. Lauderdale. We went on a swamp boat tour. It was really fun.

After the boat ride Lane got to hold a 4 year old alligator.

We also did the whole Disney World thing. We went to the animal kingdom park.

Blizzard beach water park. It was freezing that day, but it was part of a great package we purchased.

And we went to the Disney Hollywood studio.


On our drive back home we stopped very briefly in Memphis to catch a glimpse of Graceland. We didn't go inside but we paid homage to the king.



We also made a brief stop in st. Louis, Mo to visit Lane's brother Dave. They don't live there,but their son was in the hospital there so we stopped to visit with them.

We also went up in the gateway arch while we were there.

It was a wonderful trip. I know most of you think we are crazy for driving, but we got to see so much of our wonderful country and visit so many wonderful family members.