Then and Now

Wednesday was David and my 9-year anniversary. We had a totally romantical (yes, that is a word) evening...Ok, we had dinner with the kids but we did drink our grape juice out of fancy glasses. And Tabitha snapped a picture of us making out.

I normally would never allow this sort of PDA, but I posted both pictures so you all can see that I have lost my old chipmunk cheeks and double chin. Yeah for me!

Hill Cumorah Pageant

Friday we went to the Hill Cumorah Pageant. It was such a great experience for our family. For everyone not in New York, you’ve got to come see it. Palmyra is only about an hour away. You’re welcome to stay at our home. Plan on coming next year! We’d love to have you. Seriously. The girls had a lot of fun gorging themselves on circus peanuts, CrackerJack, chocolate licorice, cheese popcorn, 12 feet of bubble tape, and lick-m-aid. They were a little hyper for some reason. They were especially excited to get their pictures taken with Mormon from the cast. At the end of the pageant, the Savior appears in the sky and slowly descends in total silence (really cool). Anyway, Charlotte saw him and started yelling "It's Jesus! I like him! He's nice!". The following day, David got to help usher and direct parking with other members from around Western New York. He had the great pleasure of listening to the anti-mormon hecklers with megaphones for 6 hours straight. Seriously. He said it was entertaining. His favorite wore a full-body Satan suit, complete with pitch fork. David learned that He’s going to be “screaming like a girl when he's burning in hell”. So that was good to know. :)

Tagged!

Shauna tagged me and I'm tagging you -- Here are my answers. If you have a blog, post yours or post them as a comment. Have fun!

Two names you go by:
Chan
Mawom

Two things you are wearing right now:
Dark red toenail polish
Chapstick

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
a nap
and a cookie

Two people who will fill this out:
????


Two things you did last night:
watched mind-numbing television
read a book


Two things you ate yesterday:
Pizza
Circus Peanuts

The Last Two people you talked to:
David
Amy

Two things you are doing today (or did):
Take a nap
eat

Two longest car rides:
Utah to New York
Idaho to California (death valley in July with no air conditioning:)

Two favorite beverages:
Rootbeer
Rooibos tea

Waterfall of the Eternal Flame

Yes I went outside again a miracle I know. We went on a hike to the Waterfall of the Eternal Flame and it was so beautiful. We felt like we were back home in the mountains (much greener mountains though). The kids loved splashing down the little slate lined stream to the waterfall. Looking all the time for fairies and fairy houses. Because David told them this is where fairies live. The falls themselves were amazing with the little flame flickering behind them fed by natural gas leaking from the hillside. While hiking I had an epiphany. Hiking in a place with this many trees
you don't get sunburned.
It was such an exciting
discovery.

Summer Showers

Rain showers here become fun when they aren't freezing!

Tabitha's Debut

It finally thawed enough to go swimming yesterday and a reporter snapped a picture of Tabitha swimming. Sadly the incident has totally gone to her head. She spent the day jumping around the house telling us how she's "almost famous".

Fourth of July without fireworks.

Yes, this is a picture of fireworks but these are the only ones that are allowed in the great state of New York. I'm pretty sure we saw some kids down the street getting arrested for the elicit use of snaps. It made our celebrations a little lame without even a sparkler to fling around.

This was our fireworks alternative "glow accessories".

Showing my patriotic spirit...well at least my shirt is red, white, and blue.

The girls with all their glowing earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. (Notice the winter apparel, our fourth of July was a balmy sixty degrees)

Ballet

I finally got the girls enrolled in ballet and it only took me a year to do it. So today they began at American Academy of Ballet and they both really enjoyed it. Ellie started pre-Ballet and Tabitha is in Ballet 1 but both will probably move up when the school year starts. Both complained bitterly about how tired their feet were but within 5 minutes they were asking when their next class was, so I am assuming it's worth the pain.

Ellie stretching.

End of Ellies class, start of Tabitha's.

Tabitha at the barre.

Tabitha leaping.

Yes I went for a walk

As all of you know I am not the most avid outdoors-person, but after considerable nagging from my mom I gave in and took the kids for a walk. Regretting it almost the second I got outside as I felt the need to chew and swallow my air it was so humid. Then my dearest Ellie ran over me not once but twice. Being more interested in the houses and trees around her than in the sidewalk in front of her or rather my foot in front of her. But we did make it down the road to a cute old convent called St. Mary's of the angels and the Alegany State Park. It is completely beautiful so I guess it makes up for the bruised ankles and toes.