Brian turned 34 on May 29th, but he was kind enough to defer his celebration because my adoption shower in Logan was planned for the same evening. Thanks, Brian! Since it was our last weekend in Utah, we all went up to the Lake and stayed in one of the Hirschi’s cabins. Brian had brownies for his cake and we had a camp fire. The kids had a ball playing in the sand volleyball court and running around with Uncle Adam playing frisbee. The weather was perfect for outdoor play. Thanks Hirschi family for inviting us to tag along.
goodbye for now…
As we head to Las Vegas to await our travel date to Colombia, we must say goodbye to the Hirschi Family in Logan. We are so grateful to Jaimee and Brian for their support, generosity, and kindness this past year. We never felt like strangers or guests in their home. They helped us feel like it was our home too. A few things we will miss the most:
*Brooklynn watching Spongebob in bed with Uncle Adam
*Spencer screeching and giggling at the top of his lungs when we throw him in the air
*Hand and Foot
*Leaving our bedroom window open and listening to the rain
*the many nearby hikes in and around Logan Canyon
…….and much more. We pray that your business prospers this summer and that you enjoy your time at the Lake. The next time you see us, we’ll be a family of SIX!
love is spoken here
Adam and I would like to acknowledge our mothers this weekend. They are both shining examples of unconditional love and conviction. So without further adieu, the following spotlights two of our most favorite women.
Name: Catherine Ann Penning
Occupation: 1st grade teacher a.k.a angel on earth
Favorite Pasttime: Chasing dad around the kitchen island with a spatula shouting, “James, I’m gonna get you.”
I love my mother. I remember being in the seventh grade and still loving my mother. In contrast, all of my friends were at war with their moms. They ‘hated’ them and did everything they could to make their lives miserable. I never felt that way. I liked being around my mom and I always felt that she liked to spend time with me as well. She has supported me through such decisions as serving a mission, trekking the globe, moving to Las Vegas, adopting four kids from a far away place, and deciding to homeschool them. Some of these decisions were a little easier to support than others, but she has always trusted my instincts and my ablility to discern what is right for my life’s path. And for that, mother, I am forever indebted to you.
Name: Debra McCracken
Occupation: Librarian
Favorite Pasttime: Scrapbooking, or rather purchasing scrapbook supplies and dreaming of the day she can use them without fear of little terrorists a.k.a Quinn and Zoe.
I also love my mom. She has been an example to me from my earliest memories. She has picked me up and bandaged plenty of knees and elbows. She has supported me emotionally, spiritually, and financially! Though I know she has thought I’m crazy with my hikes and canyon adventures (sorry about that Chrismas Eve mishap, Mom!), she has always encouraged me to follow my dreams and let me know that there is nothing in the world, except for the limits I place on myself, to stop me. I am proud of her for taking on the added stress of getting her Master’s degree now, after sacrificing it earlier in life to raise me and my siblings. I love you mom, and will be eternally grateful for the love you have shared with me.
hey, mrs. brightside
Let’s shout it out together: Mamma Penning doesn’t have MS. We are still convinced there is something to this whole small brain thing though, right mom?
Seriously though, dazed and confused steeped in relief sums it up. The short of the long is that Cathy doesn’t have MS and she doesn’t have Dementia. Mom will go through a battery of tests that the neurologist has ordered. He is specifically looking at blood clotting issues that could help prevent something more serious later on. I guess I won’t share too much of my mother’s personal medical history on the world wide web. :)
Anyway, thank you all for the many inquiries of concern over the past couple of weeks. It’s a small, or maybe large, reminder to enjoy the brightsides of life everyday so that we keep a deep reserve to draw from when things get a little cloudy.
Love you mom….soon to be Abuela to four more cuties! This little episode doesn’t get you out of visiting Colombia this summer. Nice try.
my poor future children :)
This is what happens when I Leave My Husband in Charge!!!!!!!!!!!!! Brooklynn heard me tell Uncle Adam to put Spencer in the sink to rinse off his bum (he’s had a terrible rash) when his feeding was finished. I disappeared downstairs to a stimulating shift of grading papers. After I went downstairs, Brookie asked Uncle Adam if she could get her swimsuit on and get in the kitchen sink too. You all know my cute easy-going husband so you can picture the sly smile on his face and shrug in his shoulders as he says, “sure.” Since bathtime is both Brooke and Spence’s favorite thing, they had a blast. By the time I came up for a break, Brooklynn was still in the sink as pruny as could be and still playing gleefully. Mind you, she has both a huge bathtub and hottub at her disposal. It just goes to show what fun we can create in our homes if we are a little slower to say ‘NO’…especially as moms.
a week with spencer
Adam and I have been babysitting Brooklynn and Spencer this past week. Their mommy and daddy are due back on Friday. *choirs of angels singing joyously* We’ve really only had Spencer most of the time because Brooke went with Daddy Taber to Arizona for four days. Anyway, here are a few pics for Jaimee and Brian’s sake. Â
spencer talking on my phone to mommy and daddy in Tahiti…he loves to hear their voices.
spencer loves his uncle adam, especially during bath time…
spencer, aunt rach, and uncle adam on a monday bike ride…it was beautiful and spencer LOVED it. Oh yeah, we did get attacked by a nasty white dog. I talked to Animal Control…I hate that dog.
spencer and uncle adam “driving” the truck…
All in all, it’s been a great week. I think these can count for at least four more tiny moments on your blog, Jaimee. Brooklynn doesn’t like pictures and she hasn’t been around. I promise, she’s not locked up in the cold storage room. Hmmm, come to think of it, that’s not a bad idea. :) Cheers!
Elk Park
On Saturday, we went to the Hardware Ranch, a wildlife management area created in 1945 by the state of Utah. Each winter, hundreds of elk gather in the valley to be fed for the winter. In the ’40s, the elk caused too many problems by foraging in people’s yards throughout Cache Valley, so the state created this place to keep them out of trouble.
During the winter, they have sleigh rides through the herd. Our guide told us that the elk are bullies; if deer try to come get the hay, they are summarily forced out! On the way up there, I even saw a moose! (They get kicked out by the elk too.) I never knew there were moose in Utah.
Brooklynn brought her friend and next-door neighbor Braden. He is one of the cutest and most photogenic kids around. Lots of snowballs thrown! All in all, a great Saturday.
And they call this vacation?
Upon arriving in Yakima, I was immediately put to work. After painting the Lee’s laundry room and bathroom, I had a new job – putting up lights. Since I love the lights, I guess it’s a good gig.
Jim (Rach’s dad) had already put a lot of lights out, but this is a year for celebration, so we needed more. By the time we were done, several more trips were made to WalMart, Target, Kmart, and Home Depot – all in search of the “right” lights to complete our holiday festivities. All of it adds up to a beautiful Griswold family Christmas!
A few frozen fingers and toes later, we had all the bushes covered in lights. New for this year are the lighted candy canes adorning the second story railing and the front tree – but you’ll just have to wait for those pics!
Soon after this, we were headed to Stevenson, WA for fun with Dan and Jessica. In addition to my first trip to Portland, we returned to the newly named “Davenport Falls” to get some pictures I didn’t get last time due to ummm… technical difficulties — apparently you need these memory card thingies in these new digital cameras — who knew?!
A Princess, a Turtle, and a Haircut!!!
Last night (Halloween) was wonderful. But before all that–I finally got my hair cut. This is the only picture I have so far, but you get the idea. It’s just to my shoulders with lots of fun layers and lots of fun new colors. Washing my hair today was like a dream. Goodbye old hair–you were weighing me down!!!
Anyhow, Brooklynn dressed as Princess Aurora and Spencer dressed as a turtle. We had Brian’s family over for pumpkin chili and trick-or-treating. The kids had a blast. The food was great. Brookie couldn’t wait to get out trick-or-treating. She even had on purple tights with black sparkling spiders–super cute.
As you can tell–Spencer loved his turtle outfit. He kept flipping onto his side and back with no way to get on his tummy….just like a real turtle. It was so funny. And the picture below is of Brooklynn in front of her palace. This is definitely her domain around here.
Pumkin Carving at it’s Best
We had a pumkin carving night last week. (I know, I’m a little behind) Spencer wore his sister’s hat and onesie from when she was a baby. They were both perfect fits. Brook, Brian, and Adam all carved jack-o-lanterns while I took pictures. Jaimee had Spencer Patrol.
We had pumkin pie after, which was the perfect ending to pumpkin filled night.