tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10148950555563496592024-02-19T18:23:04.864+02:00Emily and NilsEmilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-69975470562434193122018-08-31T01:55:00.002+03:002018-08-31T01:55:21.944+03:00What's New with Us<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgUIkNY2hzLcfZlZrs2OTUKczHheQ-CrkdZ6j5uLmGkjwfcj2ZP6Xj3EwXlXO7pj407ThG7ETFJZC-DAWTcyIoMr5pH88F8RI3bsKakp6-0o4rqk-o_5aLoT8ZxwRnVxnYy3e1Oo3PnY/s1600/33649368_10156234998686215_3344532557139017728_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgUIkNY2hzLcfZlZrs2OTUKczHheQ-CrkdZ6j5uLmGkjwfcj2ZP6Xj3EwXlXO7pj407ThG7ETFJZC-DAWTcyIoMr5pH88F8RI3bsKakp6-0o4rqk-o_5aLoT8ZxwRnVxnYy3e1Oo3PnY/s320/33649368_10156234998686215_3344532557139017728_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It has been quite a while since I've posted. I've been managing another blog, as many of you already know, <a href="http://www.momtalkspolitics.com/">www.momtalkspolitics.com</a>. Nils started a new job working for a new political party - <a href="http://www.unitedutah.org/" target="_blank">United Utah.</a> It's been a fun adventure so far and, for me at least, feels a lot like all the start-up companies I've worked for. Everything starts from scratch and you gotta do a bunch of stuff yourself.<br />
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We're back in Utah, still slowly getting settled in and not yet fully unpacked. But the kids have started school and are happy to have made friend with neighborhood kids.<br />
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In other news, I discovered I had breast cancer at the beginning of the year and made it through three surgeries getting it removed and making everything look normal. I feel so grateful for the many, many people who have researched cancer. Because of all the information available they were able to pinpoint the type of breast cancer I had, and I was able to avoid radiation and chemo.<br />
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We've been involved in several parades this summer, helping spread the word about the new political party. They kids have been great tagging along and eating their fill of candy. In one parade Jane and I got to stand on the float as superheros. That was a lot of fun!<br />
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Hopefully life is treating all of you well and that you are finding joy and fulfillment in whatever you're doing!</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-10254564460968475452017-11-24T05:01:00.000+02:002017-11-24T05:01:32.981+02:00Myanmar!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Traveling with three kids to Myanmar in October was a special treat. Here are some of the highlights!</span></div>
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Yangon, Myanmar</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik57unAlaQpft1skH2J9p43TKS-TD-y35IwwMP5dFOhs0UNLCDjcrH5YyVxHf5SQsOF4adKtfcDUtAfd2tLlzIxAOc-lCwuHmyoqif9MELNo38-WkH1TF30HNsMIZ6tz12i0qrCd5D3dg/s1600/Temple_yangon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik57unAlaQpft1skH2J9p43TKS-TD-y35IwwMP5dFOhs0UNLCDjcrH5YyVxHf5SQsOF4adKtfcDUtAfd2tLlzIxAOc-lCwuHmyoqif9MELNo38-WkH1TF30HNsMIZ6tz12i0qrCd5D3dg/s320/Temple_yangon.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schwedagon Pagoda</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNlNRj2lbdqY4zKGrYl6LOTzvTuxoGanokdBJDeQ_RzjstVdZ8EVXKQzzxg43dWnSG4eZWaHTCdLP6ofgIUiqgLWJaSdwnyonKCNom2ruzUaIH0YSdRRUQ2vyaUY0I-_sNyTMwqF9lAE/s1600/evening_temple_Yangon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1296" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNlNRj2lbdqY4zKGrYl6LOTzvTuxoGanokdBJDeQ_RzjstVdZ8EVXKQzzxg43dWnSG4eZWaHTCdLP6ofgIUiqgLWJaSdwnyonKCNom2ruzUaIH0YSdRRUQ2vyaUY0I-_sNyTMwqF9lAE/s320/evening_temple_Yangon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schwedagon lighting up for the evening!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKMlnSoKuiVLDUTMyYwm4rNXN7j80tB_I6aXcN2skErE5TPt6pHWVyou7pELzaU-rzxugYcX9MpMujSOlKhxCq7fMNLD5aMylsOQwO-W0zKFiSD8OTs9-9MMo01oOpACLmjHkvq8cYkA/s1600/ldschurch_Yangon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1296" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKMlnSoKuiVLDUTMyYwm4rNXN7j80tB_I6aXcN2skErE5TPt6pHWVyou7pELzaU-rzxugYcX9MpMujSOlKhxCq7fMNLD5aMylsOQwO-W0zKFiSD8OTs9-9MMo01oOpACLmjHkvq8cYkA/s320/ldschurch_Yangon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite things when traveling... Visiting the local ward!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT7dx8FNWlIXDNaNzuOxzG0p6LbGnI2rO_AFeUEr65g-64KJ5oQ8IbaxCaPM5mS11VNAAB9ROMFnm7sfpk-wOUGlPVGW8EwNWD18i7kJCq5_vfE8nmRUFMpizy5am1r1WsZZfGWqx0uA/s1600/greenwater_Yangon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1296" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvT7dx8FNWlIXDNaNzuOxzG0p6LbGnI2rO_AFeUEr65g-64KJ5oQ8IbaxCaPM5mS11VNAAB9ROMFnm7sfpk-wOUGlPVGW8EwNWD18i7kJCq5_vfE8nmRUFMpizy5am1r1WsZZfGWqx0uA/s320/greenwater_Yangon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green water, matching the green boat - or is it the other way around?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWgSUwyedDOjgJ4_nM-9hn0STf5dry5Fmgg7kIvsdHxVdpICZhXw0a50spyz98Ye3dkveiDJTLf4xLAfRySB1f2-QFdjJKlhJgkLvHCv4fOiARKH2-QQT9OEqB_kO3_QpXDZGj4rc1_Lk/s1600/park_yangon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1296" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWgSUwyedDOjgJ4_nM-9hn0STf5dry5Fmgg7kIvsdHxVdpICZhXw0a50spyz98Ye3dkveiDJTLf4xLAfRySB1f2-QFdjJKlhJgkLvHCv4fOiARKH2-QQT9OEqB_kO3_QpXDZGj4rc1_Lk/s320/park_yangon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love these adventurers! There may have been a little complaining about all the walking.</td></tr>
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Bagan, Myanmar</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QRlNDfAifE-3wqiCG3jLod9NgSCQfXlepauc9q_P_wTzGmy-tIymVJGQUbhLLgrpN4V92Sr3fIqhjoVW2N0ROEVLLddmz98mpjyVI7_FdhbWpnY9QjDP3BQO9dP3p9Ofq_ZVfFlOjjw/s1600/moto_bagan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1296" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5QRlNDfAifE-3wqiCG3jLod9NgSCQfXlepauc9q_P_wTzGmy-tIymVJGQUbhLLgrpN4V92Sr3fIqhjoVW2N0ROEVLLddmz98mpjyVI7_FdhbWpnY9QjDP3BQO9dP3p9Ofq_ZVfFlOjjw/s320/moto_bagan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traveling in style!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQl8f7mkgoBOAGgEqmlEzXjGkpuq2lxBFR4brV4lkf6MtZ_odY6AGlxsJp0087dZ9cl5VnfdV9U1bS9bzksEy4x-GDT_bMCneV6RMD6IeGT47IRYYVtAlwUv-FVIDaxYC_C9GUuYyh50/s1600/Bagan_goldtemple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQl8f7mkgoBOAGgEqmlEzXjGkpuq2lxBFR4brV4lkf6MtZ_odY6AGlxsJp0087dZ9cl5VnfdV9U1bS9bzksEy4x-GDT_bMCneV6RMD6IeGT47IRYYVtAlwUv-FVIDaxYC_C9GUuYyh50/s320/Bagan_goldtemple.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shwezigon Pagoda. You can buy gold leaf to add to the temple!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7oV4hpoC9bdw1P6PeGT61uNOBUnvLjVOA-aroQoVApdd_Hcs3rN8WXcmwbesm-RXPRw_GX8-GHh5pChHxB-hcSD3B7olcnvzxFjmU6zrG1LNOx99sLAoR5nqhmD6kr5R4BT6IgPMm5E/s1600/Fatherson_Bagan_blessings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1296" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7oV4hpoC9bdw1P6PeGT61uNOBUnvLjVOA-aroQoVApdd_Hcs3rN8WXcmwbesm-RXPRw_GX8-GHh5pChHxB-hcSD3B7olcnvzxFjmU6zrG1LNOx99sLAoR5nqhmD6kr5R4BT6IgPMm5E/s320/Fatherson_Bagan_blessings.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shwezigon Pagoda. Father and son statues give thanks through blessings.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3oIM8yHI9LKS-qdAlhTvlWLC_jg3-hSWeXVofymYHhoLJQsj40SqbjEigTWQmiy2Jylu944T9jPSBg7ka5-CwkwJwnINwo8UITNVIYZ-XlAdP40UdsiVTT4vTy-qdPZw6oJ23mWmnUQ/s1600/fans_bagan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1296" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3oIM8yHI9LKS-qdAlhTvlWLC_jg3-hSWeXVofymYHhoLJQsj40SqbjEigTWQmiy2Jylu944T9jPSBg7ka5-CwkwJwnINwo8UITNVIYZ-XlAdP40UdsiVTT4vTy-qdPZw6oJ23mWmnUQ/s320/fans_bagan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our own tourist attraction. This group of ladies walked by with glum expressions until they saw Rosy! Smiles and photos all around!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxSm8XqCALrFjBIYjlUApBJ1zVV-Y3Z17ofgDqtWEkznm-ZqFobYtCQchIik_zFg_rSWKEeX66Vjkjr6uKGamvo0mSEgpWnLwDwDLtSTdMYkW1siJGejTHCLrWnTqA0y8lkRG99oIpnY/s320/Old-temple.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="213" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sulamani Guphaya Temple</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RYf9YADZwkoEnJ513-RQVajjjRMfH0r_Ij47U-cRG-_1AhwVe0WuE8ZXq9nJQahjHL79PjY1io9PuGKXjs_-IC23CgJhR_jy39CLxqFJCxTG2TCLpIxc7urT5zLeBJOhxanP6F_Vzq4/s1600/Going-home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1296" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RYf9YADZwkoEnJ513-RQVajjjRMfH0r_Ij47U-cRG-_1AhwVe0WuE8ZXq9nJQahjHL79PjY1io9PuGKXjs_-IC23CgJhR_jy39CLxqFJCxTG2TCLpIxc7urT5zLeBJOhxanP6F_Vzq4/s320/Going-home.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun with a Korean tourist group on our way back home. The kids got SO MUCH candy!!</td></tr>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-16624522749736628542017-08-25T06:33:00.000+03:002017-08-25T06:33:15.919+03:00A Lesson in Sewing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I like to finish what I start. I mean, who wants to be a quitter? No one likes failure. To get over some obstacle standing in my way I usually coach myself through it by saying things like, "Are you going to let this beat you?" and "You can do this!"</div>
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Once in a while, though, I realize I'm not going to win. No matter how hard I try, it's just not going to work out the way I want it to. It's hard to swallow my pride and admit defeat, but that jagged pill goes down eventually and I move on.</div>
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However, I learned a lesson recently. My sister Molly is a great example of seeing things from multiple angles. She opened my eyes, through her own experience, to learn something from a project I've been working on.</div>
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I like sewing. It's a fun little hobby. I'm no professional, but this isn't my first time either. I started working on a dress for myself last month. As a mother of three, I expect projects to take a while. I just work on it when I can and eventually it gets done.</div>
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This dress, however, is a different story. First, I didn't have enough material for all the pieces. I decided to add in some other material and get creative with the design. (<span style="font-size: x-small;">Uh, that's always a risk</span>.) Then, as I completed the top part, I tried it on to make sure things were fitting right. WHAT!?! Major problem. The top wasn't fitting the way it should. I checked the pattern; I checked the pieces. I couldn't tell where I had made the mistake. Or maybe the material was making it fit differently? Maybe it was just the pattern? Either way, this dress didn't fit. I didn't have any more material to start over. I'd either have to fix it somehow, or scrap the whole thing.</div>
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I got to thinking of ways to fix it. It would mean unpicking work and redoing several pieces. That didn't bother me too much. I learned from my mother that when you sew, you gotta be ready to unpick and redo work in order to get it right. My main concern, however, was what I saw in the mirror. I couldn't tell if I'd even like the dress. If I did manage to fix it, would it be worth it? Would I put in all this work and end up with a dress I only wear once? (<span style="font-size: x-small;">That's happened to me before, so...</span>)</div>
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I decided to call my mom. As the seamstress who taught me pretty much everything I know, I figured she'd have some perspective and help me iron out this little wrinkle. I was surprised when she suggested I just forget the whole thing. What!?!? Give up?? </div>
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In that same conversation, she also managed to put wind back in my sails (moms are amazing at doing that) and I decided to go ahead and try to fix it. Even if it didn't work out, I reasoned, I could turn it into something else - like a skirt. I wasn't ready to admit defeat yet, and with renewed energy I set to work fixing the pieces.</div>
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I fixed, and fixed, and re-fixed. I attached and detached pieces. Surprisingly, I didn't feel frustrated. Maybe this dress was a challenge for improving my sewing skills. The fixes I made did work. But, then another challenge would come along. Hmm... what to do?</div>
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I pray pretty regularly, so when I hit the first snag, I prayed about whether it would be worth finishing. I had this thought, early on, that maybe this dress was meant for someone else. That thought made me feel cheery, and I think that contributed to my overall good attitude.</div>
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After all the changes and fixes, the thought came again, that this dress was well-made, but made to fit someone else. Despite all the improvements, more design flaws appeared based on how the dress fit ME. So, maybe it isn't meant for me...</div>
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Sometimes as we strive and strive to do something, we look around us and see only failure. We aren't getting the results we hope for. Maybe, we reason, we just need to try harder. So we try harder. Still nothing that looks like success. Are we wasting time and energy? </div>
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In my personal scripture study during the week, I was reading from the Book of John chapter 4. It's the pleasant and layered story of Jesus talking to the woman of Samaria. I like that story. But, buried in the verses, I came across this statement from Jesus. </div>
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"...One soweth, and another reapeth." John 4:37</div>
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Ah-ha! See! Jesus is telling me that someone else will reap what I have sewed!</div>
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Okay, I couldn't help that joke. It was just too perfect. But, Jesus does goes on to explain that it's not a simple formula of "I reap what I sow". There's a mixture of efforts that includes other people, not just me. And that makes me happy.</div>
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This dress will move on, to be reaped by someone else. Whoever does receive it will have to put in some labor of their own since it isn't finished. But I hope she will be inspired by what I have started. Or maybe she will be inspired to turn it into something else! </div>
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I don't exist only for myself. Whatever effort I make in this life, is for the good of someone. Maybe that "someone" is me, maybe it's someone I have in mind already. Maybe that someone is coming along to finish what I started weeks, months, or years ago. The real success comes when I put in honest effort, learning and growing along the way. The outcome might not be within my control, but I can feel happy knowing that every <i>good</i> effort sowed, will produce <i>good</i> fruit. (Matt 7:16-18)</div>
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Ahhhh. Now I'm free to go sow... I mean sew, something else.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dress that I sowed for someone else. </td></tr>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-10032038940626518452017-02-24T14:12:00.001+02:002017-02-24T14:12:27.477+02:00Oh So Rosy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Life is so rosy with Rosy!</div>
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You can see she's scared, but I admire how she stops her crying to scoot just a little, cry some more, scoot some more. I can relate to those feelings...</div>
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Yep... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldmY7jK1akKHyEOmZ6uMkjLsbQ8HN4ltaA9Pou0nxiR6ZH-6_oMwjxJLbmrKjKkFanWeayei1ytYMv8OOkQ3yoCUhE2SEcES36zcp4e7hO_6oqjjVElA-arhipEUAOoA0iMAd_p2lxWM/s1600/IMG_20170212_172234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldmY7jK1akKHyEOmZ6uMkjLsbQ8HN4ltaA9Pou0nxiR6ZH-6_oMwjxJLbmrKjKkFanWeayei1ytYMv8OOkQ3yoCUhE2SEcES36zcp4e7hO_6oqjjVElA-arhipEUAOoA0iMAd_p2lxWM/s320/IMG_20170212_172234.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Jane: "Awwww!"</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-41115993472925959342017-02-24T05:12:00.000+02:002017-02-24T14:05:25.247+02:00Flex Some Muscle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Life. Yikes, it's complex, isn't it? Good days, bad days, life-changing events, boring normal events we don't even remember. I'm not the best example of being in touch with my feelings, or recognizing stress, but I think we all have those moments of feeling sad, powerless, happy, and often grateful. </div>
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Looking back on the last few years, and especially this past year, I am amazed at how much has happened. This morning while reflecting, I realized something. The daily tests of emotional and physical strength slowly build up stamina and ability. When we need those muscles and "muscles" - speaking figuratively - they are there ready to work for us, lifting us and carrying us through whatever new thing life is throwing at us. It's kinda like this... </div>
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I don't have a regular exercise program, except wrestling three kids and a diaper bag. Yet, I'm constantly doing things that test and try my muscles. And this morning, looking in the mirror, I discovered this.... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVQRsjk4us5nMmTwYD4RlWw6e20lhZhDuQGzTu7eyyMkhe_afbj7l9A8EOsp29azSHlSizlOxx_B7PNObKSn5EOLUL8VC0-DX9pMcHcOP8hiYZKpVFgrmZT19DoB-9d4n0NPhC9uG5D0/s1600/IMG_20160824_081057_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVQRsjk4us5nMmTwYD4RlWw6e20lhZhDuQGzTu7eyyMkhe_afbj7l9A8EOsp29azSHlSizlOxx_B7PNObKSn5EOLUL8VC0-DX9pMcHcOP8hiYZKpVFgrmZT19DoB-9d4n0NPhC9uG5D0/s320/IMG_20160824_081057_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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No way! How cool is that!?!? Kinda feel like saying, "Bring it!"</div>
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We don't have to be body builders - speaking figuratively too - to be strong. We don't have to go through a constant barrage of tough things to be strong enough to handle our own personal burdens. Each one of us, day by day, is testing and trying our limits and slowly increasing our ability to handle whatever comes our way. </div>
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And not only that, we all have countless family, friends, and random kind strangers who help remind us that we don't have to do it all by ourselves. There are others who lend their strength to ours and share our tears of joy or sorrow. That is super cool.</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-55755723122189851892017-02-24T05:05:00.000+02:002017-02-24T05:05:16.746+02:00Rosy's first word<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-67216969572058299812016-08-24T11:44:00.000+03:002016-08-24T11:44:13.753+03:00Kidzania -- Crazy cool.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Soon after arriving in Jakarta, we decided to take the kids to <a href="http://jakarta.kidzania.com/in-id" target="_blank">Kidzania</a>. Nils read about it in a list of cool things to do, so we thought we'd give it a try. It's located inside a mall where the whole family enters through "immigration", taking us to a "world" run by kids. Kids learn by doing various activities and careers.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYBnH_ryrEJhyphenhyphen4AMS1tCmwMszVSYvzmXXpVKfFxedbgEfW5Uc_1ZX1CknDbukhuJr4pdb3kLPCjJw38OK76aK6ws-50K2lYfktxMNNdZqZiqVA-0ozgZObvf9TiPKenKLz6hV23kQ-4I/s1600/IMG_20160813_023032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYBnH_ryrEJhyphenhyphen4AMS1tCmwMszVSYvzmXXpVKfFxedbgEfW5Uc_1ZX1CknDbukhuJr4pdb3kLPCjJw38OK76aK6ws-50K2lYfktxMNNdZqZiqVA-0ozgZObvf9TiPKenKLz6hV23kQ-4I/s320/IMG_20160813_023032.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kidzania main square. I like how they make the room look bigger with the painted sky.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cJRZty0X0-SDKJVun322WMZt77FmqWY-6_FlVT-LuS8pxviMLiDRwDe8VfiP2eN8ATSabvCr2uK9xlTz0nKwQ-zqoeLtRxVYUxDn2jVMo_8NqRYkTf2i9wzJFQNcF8YVS3wXcTtMVGA/s1600/IMG_20160813_023005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cJRZty0X0-SDKJVun322WMZt77FmqWY-6_FlVT-LuS8pxviMLiDRwDe8VfiP2eN8ATSabvCr2uK9xlTz0nKwQ-zqoeLtRxVYUxDn2jVMo_8NqRYkTf2i9wzJFQNcF8YVS3wXcTtMVGA/s320/IMG_20160813_023005.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane learns about the hotel industry.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjka2QmM3qCDb4-D7bPqY8GZ2AfS_TSOMMyKEMZw_O7_9FUNqQBt8NFDChosvtTLOkkRR03jfZmeZ3caglm8QFwoAUaarKlbrKBXvxA1Sz5EoeONG6RlQuZfDtNP_InM9SIECQSs7puQro/s1600/IMG_20160813_023057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjka2QmM3qCDb4-D7bPqY8GZ2AfS_TSOMMyKEMZw_O7_9FUNqQBt8NFDChosvtTLOkkRR03jfZmeZ3caglm8QFwoAUaarKlbrKBXvxA1Sz5EoeONG6RlQuZfDtNP_InM9SIECQSs7puQro/s320/IMG_20160813_023057.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzS8cNe4V4DE15ANBQJiwE18mssXf8vHmTFPofAsCo-H5qBwBskFaRrqeQGRSjBKa3d4bme1MwJ8tJkEhlHQkwsnVtxJBIlWQIIU3-XN_FfO_11I45-Q5QBVIQu6sQxMW6mCRAL_7xUiQ/s1600/IMG_20160813_024543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzS8cNe4V4DE15ANBQJiwE18mssXf8vHmTFPofAsCo-H5qBwBskFaRrqeQGRSjBKa3d4bme1MwJ8tJkEhlHQkwsnVtxJBIlWQIIU3-XN_FfO_11I45-Q5QBVIQu6sQxMW6mCRAL_7xUiQ/s320/IMG_20160813_024543.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harry had to get a "physical exam" and go through the process of getting a "driver's license" before he was allowed to drive. Pretty cool. Fill 'er up!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SUAPI5EuLbulkhTLjgo-sv7yj4RWFRnU6GDpKjteyMgivIQdYZaQ22BtJUbMtO9SatDg7NUJiEUP55hAKNaOxa8rRIz8p5Rg5THhXLXGxRFDDA0JMV3kfa-kRsD_YRXcr3XbPwmUyYI/s1600/IMG_20160813_025618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SUAPI5EuLbulkhTLjgo-sv7yj4RWFRnU6GDpKjteyMgivIQdYZaQ22BtJUbMtO9SatDg7NUJiEUP55hAKNaOxa8rRIz8p5Rg5THhXLXGxRFDDA0JMV3kfa-kRsD_YRXcr3XbPwmUyYI/s320/IMG_20160813_025618.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane tries out a modeling career. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaUeh8PS6-H8Jsd8b_BoWfJ6FSN_lawzTNfObbY4G0IUYGi7sltaAXd5SFRkggmkeUHm6zWcY6KpwnxjRSC7SpA_wdNxbWmjfMkOILvAocxLMgh6zoe-ZNqRbCpxMkHmbh6_I67y5tjU/s1600/IMG_20160813_025934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaUeh8PS6-H8Jsd8b_BoWfJ6FSN_lawzTNfObbY4G0IUYGi7sltaAXd5SFRkggmkeUHm6zWcY6KpwnxjRSC7SpA_wdNxbWmjfMkOILvAocxLMgh6zoe-ZNqRbCpxMkHmbh6_I67y5tjU/s320/IMG_20160813_025934.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Need your windows washed? I guess Harry wasn't worried about bonking his head...</td></tr>
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Definitely a fun experience! The kids had a blast!</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-84899827957823797262016-08-22T17:14:00.001+03:002016-08-22T17:14:51.953+03:00Jakarta!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAdn3N2UX9Y6bz4Av930krBFES53YTSbthRZhiIorI2sE2dWd9nrJi0OS8ViLcBqw17qYWyKJ5pM1DzbovgSu2TRAyPcuySqIU_5K0zYGOxUrGjQpy_9AS9sSaRERQu3EXmQy5vgE09E/s1600/IMG_20160810_031629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuAdn3N2UX9Y6bz4Av930krBFES53YTSbthRZhiIorI2sE2dWd9nrJi0OS8ViLcBqw17qYWyKJ5pM1DzbovgSu2TRAyPcuySqIU_5K0zYGOxUrGjQpy_9AS9sSaRERQu3EXmQy5vgE09E/s320/IMG_20160810_031629.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm tellin' ya, these kids were amazing on all of the three flights getting here. As you can see in this last flight from Seoul to Jakarta, Harry is completely out. It was great for the flight, but when we got to our new home he was the only one not sleepy. He got into a little trouble while the rest of us were unconscious. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFhabxv2U3zn7KUkRVJzUptCong9bAk-EqRPgsAPS0TychZFqntwL0lq12HFABSDYadIzPALrM5oFjsb7sQCoyA5oMmcMf8PSFE_CRqGzdwQMc7cxVoUdOuinybFlLuALjTlSM9433ck/s1600/IMG_20160811_012628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFhabxv2U3zn7KUkRVJzUptCong9bAk-EqRPgsAPS0TychZFqntwL0lq12HFABSDYadIzPALrM5oFjsb7sQCoyA5oMmcMf8PSFE_CRqGzdwQMc7cxVoUdOuinybFlLuALjTlSM9433ck/s320/IMG_20160811_012628.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our new paradise.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqay9Z4jXQ0g8o6h5vV3mT6xgGUYXVrj6Z19tN9PxrVhSqoO2u6vhpZZmTsB1KRAftPNo3SAwkFfWmIsmByNtl498keoL8kb9wswu14iWMlGXvo56NsRLGsLifcycZHV8sVNoVKalEt2Q/s1600/IMG_20160810_212517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqay9Z4jXQ0g8o6h5vV3mT6xgGUYXVrj6Z19tN9PxrVhSqoO2u6vhpZZmTsB1KRAftPNo3SAwkFfWmIsmByNtl498keoL8kb9wswu14iWMlGXvo56NsRLGsLifcycZHV8sVNoVKalEt2Q/s320/IMG_20160810_212517.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the taxi window. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jN_cQQRvnajEZ6c9EdTPxZE_YE_wSi8QrRpd1u58lHqJB0m5sSvMnvugqQciMZS0iM8ZmVq5nmlNSIrWNkZZT01PpqZTyAsjFF_XRftRKYByWzqtrch-GLtEJiZbiXxfmjiQXNBTcWI/s1600/IMG_20160815_063414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jN_cQQRvnajEZ6c9EdTPxZE_YE_wSi8QrRpd1u58lHqJB0m5sSvMnvugqQciMZS0iM8ZmVq5nmlNSIrWNkZZT01PpqZTyAsjFF_XRftRKYByWzqtrch-GLtEJiZbiXxfmjiQXNBTcWI/s320/IMG_20160815_063414.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane's first day of school. </td></tr>
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The rest of these pictures are from the Indonesian independence day celebration at the American club. So fun!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3aZwqMam8YbdqnfOxiBbTSdRSZLSAcAu5hWpCudqp95ensLqhz18JclWUTLk9nXwp-tX8SfY32kiAmycYTDg4vvgFP9x7HNTB-HslGg-NPWm7mPDdlJLOw1qhJP0OsZ_5qdBdyxJukE/s1600/IMG_20160821_180256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3aZwqMam8YbdqnfOxiBbTSdRSZLSAcAu5hWpCudqp95ensLqhz18JclWUTLk9nXwp-tX8SfY32kiAmycYTDg4vvgFP9x7HNTB-HslGg-NPWm7mPDdlJLOw1qhJP0OsZ_5qdBdyxJukE/s320/IMG_20160821_180256.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-39414375127908054482016-04-22T08:27:00.001+03:002016-04-22T08:27:58.060+03:00Life is Sweet - Sugar Rush!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Life hasn't been dull the last few months. Hmmm... How to describe it? Allow me to use a previous illustration....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXA_9GepP6M-Uy_YTqlm5HPODSIjvkIO-xxJJSO3CoFZ6Kb8lSu4PdyeNgw4n3RTJ4T03LBVQLLG62-CZ3cnKxu0B-SAQFI02vZV5LpTaPLbXQZ5hp3_puXWaGv9Zb7TSyFkAYYkfd60/s1600/freaked+out.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXA_9GepP6M-Uy_YTqlm5HPODSIjvkIO-xxJJSO3CoFZ6Kb8lSu4PdyeNgw4n3RTJ4T03LBVQLLG62-CZ3cnKxu0B-SAQFI02vZV5LpTaPLbXQZ5hp3_puXWaGv9Zb7TSyFkAYYkfd60/s400/freaked+out.JPG" /></a></div>
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Lots of great things going on, so don't mistake me for complaining. Allow me to hit some of the highlights.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokTXtB5ya_vvGwknsZADSMX_nMaxiVzjBA8TLCpO7bBD9FrYG7WzcRCW6nbLz_lzAJjc3nqmfiQnxqzMyNa709_rw5UMHl9GtozkfQd0nJiNI2FZtpaCHhme4u01eid3HIOAk113E3Oo/s1600/DSCN7588_edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokTXtB5ya_vvGwknsZADSMX_nMaxiVzjBA8TLCpO7bBD9FrYG7WzcRCW6nbLz_lzAJjc3nqmfiQnxqzMyNa709_rw5UMHl9GtozkfQd0nJiNI2FZtpaCHhme4u01eid3HIOAk113E3Oo/s320/DSCN7588_edited.jpg" width="161" /></a></div>
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During my months of pregnancy I enjoyed playing floor hockey with some local ladies. Totally fun!! Here I am a week before the due date.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokTXtB5ya_vvGwknsZADSMX_nMaxiVzjBA8TLCpO7bBD9FrYG7WzcRCW6nbLz_lzAJjc3nqmfiQnxqzMyNa709_rw5UMHl9GtozkfQd0nJiNI2FZtpaCHhme4u01eid3HIOAk113E3Oo/s1600/DSCN7588_edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qv63RETMxmQU_Nu5EbNEap6asBFE5-c7JDt2xRqSWoEHMPQEkBo3L671dL_WZgqCU9a68G7JD6I_qi5onnFXcJnBldFjv79ruvdAkSy_dsSQwF59q467rK2xKnFEpLpMXa0P3D5A6ho/s1600/march7.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qv63RETMxmQU_Nu5EbNEap6asBFE5-c7JDt2xRqSWoEHMPQEkBo3L671dL_WZgqCU9a68G7JD6I_qi5onnFXcJnBldFjv79ruvdAkSy_dsSQwF59q467rK2xKnFEpLpMXa0P3D5A6ho/s320/march7.jpg" width="240" /></a> </div>
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Baby born. So very, very cute! Delivery went well. Recovery went well (a large part thanks to playing floor hockey!). Nils got sick and got to stay two extra weeks. Bad for Nils; good for all of us.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzSqcPzhSZAQ99SDfdvNLTq1OYcbIFotpsV5xxB5Hn8GvXzmd961eoTTpa0a7zQr3pL3dbjzNW-hSqiVo_T5iqzXgRWrgm5UIwkx8WU3Vt6IdlrQGYZqacGKSm2PPcbF-CqzKzhKJ0gQ/s1600/housepic.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzSqcPzhSZAQ99SDfdvNLTq1OYcbIFotpsV5xxB5Hn8GvXzmd961eoTTpa0a7zQr3pL3dbjzNW-hSqiVo_T5iqzXgRWrgm5UIwkx8WU3Vt6IdlrQGYZqacGKSm2PPcbF-CqzKzhKJ0gQ/s320/housepic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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During that extra time that Nils was here, we decided to buy a new house. As of today, we are able to start moving into our new home in Providence!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0PSshTAze4ElbEdOBHnzKtueiJcgSNhHR2ghA0Yi30Ppyx_mQbgB2M4UYnS4lmjBo2KpAP1lZNx3Jtwa-7rFNOwkE-dtNBUffHm5y4Qjer6q9K0rYB_0Ra95mr_e6IAZULqbqR3eVdw/s1600/12919796_10100499360898841_4276899657297102083_n.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0PSshTAze4ElbEdOBHnzKtueiJcgSNhHR2ghA0Yi30Ppyx_mQbgB2M4UYnS4lmjBo2KpAP1lZNx3Jtwa-7rFNOwkE-dtNBUffHm5y4Qjer6q9K0rYB_0Ra95mr_e6IAZULqbqR3eVdw/s320/12919796_10100499360898841_4276899657297102083_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I went a little crazy this year for Easter and made everyone matching outfits. Thankfully Grandmama helped with Rosey's dress (featured in a later picture). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSAnvfVJ1l2wQk2pDvhWtA0xrpaMaeywTdXa4UxqZpUz0fiIpAaoUJJxa_RZaQkjTNdYhgYUeakqVtuiEryALJtdK6W4Fr4bszAtqLKB_Qlsbg3FZ069iJe_hZxiLaMwUx54oYj_mz9A/s1600/CR.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSAnvfVJ1l2wQk2pDvhWtA0xrpaMaeywTdXa4UxqZpUz0fiIpAaoUJJxa_RZaQkjTNdYhgYUeakqVtuiEryALJtdK6W4Fr4bszAtqLKB_Qlsbg3FZ069iJe_hZxiLaMwUx54oYj_mz9A/s400/CR.jpg" /></a></div>
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Nils' grandfather died. Papa is greatly missed. We had the opportunity to attend his funeral all together in South Carolina. Nils came from Afghanistan and we met him there. We also sang a song for Papa, featuring a touching solo by Jane. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4yIXg1goPw"> Here's a link to the recording.</a> (Sorry, it's not captioned, but here is a<a href="https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Mormon-Tabernacle-Choir/Homeward-Bound"> link to the lyrics</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83SQJ4NQoEe1OAYCsg_O_tq0WDv2Ynpt4Ah_Tc1yBmM9coUl3-pPIL4VkTz8rabQZMTLzWZFjue-SM6Clv-twE9sJ18txt2AMazwdtzgonp-9fNsywjzv2Kwa-KvxRVHBT_7Dhp40R9U/s1600/Rosey_blessing_April2016_edited.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83SQJ4NQoEe1OAYCsg_O_tq0WDv2Ynpt4Ah_Tc1yBmM9coUl3-pPIL4VkTz8rabQZMTLzWZFjue-SM6Clv-twE9sJ18txt2AMazwdtzgonp-9fNsywjzv2Kwa-KvxRVHBT_7Dhp40R9U/s320/Rosey_blessing_April2016_edited.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Rosey's blessing/Easter dress made by Grandmama. We were able to bless Rosey during Nils' recent visit. And as luck would have it, she was blessed on Uncle Toby's birthday!</div>
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In other news... We have (almost) sold our townhouse! It's currently under contract with one of the cutest, most enthusiastic buyers I've ever seen. We feel very fortunate that things have worked out so well. </div>
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Because Nils has had to live thousands of miles away from his family these past months, we are taking a family vacation to Ireland in May! It still seems too good to be true. Looking forward to having pictures to post of that trip!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-78256660726979000932015-11-30T06:21:00.000+02:002015-11-30T06:21:34.540+02:00Autumn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Before we launch headlong into the whirlwind of festivities over the coming weeks, I'd like to give a nod to autumn and the fun things we did. Here they are... not particularly in chronological order.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrrOGYdE4nj3yYSjulNKdLq9upeKtfxmfUVAHfIIc10U0EhYb2WPMVx547Imwft_r6v8CuVFCsN_QDGn6GEtFvYnjmm5teLkPDmqlwhCUshEgDog4l0h61WlFbJFh8uYbFh_yAWgdmzI/s1600/DSCN7367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrrOGYdE4nj3yYSjulNKdLq9upeKtfxmfUVAHfIIc10U0EhYb2WPMVx547Imwft_r6v8CuVFCsN_QDGn6GEtFvYnjmm5teLkPDmqlwhCUshEgDog4l0h61WlFbJFh8uYbFh_yAWgdmzI/s320/DSCN7367.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just behind our house on the River Walk. Ahh... so pretty!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4hW1Pro57DFjZePd5ccJhXv12u7bW_uRTqq8tkKe8IC_Q0FWqqellx8R2nF0yFvgaro6nkwm6jwRNVTBWX-b5Cs13Vn_F45F3oKK5W7GSTBVmAyxJd3354fyoBpEDpGrvfxq_FqIjCY/s1600/DSCN7341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4hW1Pro57DFjZePd5ccJhXv12u7bW_uRTqq8tkKe8IC_Q0FWqqellx8R2nF0yFvgaro6nkwm6jwRNVTBWX-b5Cs13Vn_F45F3oKK5W7GSTBVmAyxJd3354fyoBpEDpGrvfxq_FqIjCY/s320/DSCN7341.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids making witches' brew, one of our Halloween activities.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztq2CDz7lSA0g1s2v4dvXhHem4gzDlHFrGfIpTvbgj_5VSX_N9_Cg_OamykGn0N81WZuM_Hd_7tGBBPCDO337lxcknt9Mzhc-oxrA0A86k07aN_6IBzVa2UZCKj88uxiNvZMyX7bpMK4/s1600/DSCN7335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztq2CDz7lSA0g1s2v4dvXhHem4gzDlHFrGfIpTvbgj_5VSX_N9_Cg_OamykGn0N81WZuM_Hd_7tGBBPCDO337lxcknt9Mzhc-oxrA0A86k07aN_6IBzVa2UZCKj88uxiNvZMyX7bpMK4/s320/DSCN7335.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planted late, here is the fruit of our labor from seeds given to me by my dear friend in Maryland, Sarah.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCdak6v6y9EJbRd001kBv50BEELMDkHfHo8myoGPqo-jtDWIcKcx_D6HeeREt7MV77oKUd9PDDwgffFUJqNjQK1uZAe-KNt_IWLry4S6yqPBULPa5xBac3mS9uZwJoJTUrmDKZVF2R-4/s1600/DSCN7428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCdak6v6y9EJbRd001kBv50BEELMDkHfHo8myoGPqo-jtDWIcKcx_D6HeeREt7MV77oKUd9PDDwgffFUJqNjQK1uZAe-KNt_IWLry4S6yqPBULPa5xBac3mS9uZwJoJTUrmDKZVF2R-4/s320/DSCN7428.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane dressed up for Halloween. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mijwD0lKE321HrLPHiDXqpLhla1L3gcLNb4rmURu-xyl4q-VqxkyO3xEkCxrCryFc7tSJ8ulea7QwvmfKFhUAkIeldry7DliHxIH9AVaQpae55JlqSq9f4M_AgCP8vL0DOSBs4abc1I/s1600/DSCN7438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mijwD0lKE321HrLPHiDXqpLhla1L3gcLNb4rmURu-xyl4q-VqxkyO3xEkCxrCryFc7tSJ8ulea7QwvmfKFhUAkIeldry7DliHxIH9AVaQpae55JlqSq9f4M_AgCP8vL0DOSBs4abc1I/s320/DSCN7438.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harry dressed up for Halloween ... (Jane being the wind beneath his wings -- I mean cape!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmuyC_HMnlF9pOMaBbj3HfHGME_5-86HpWwo2r7WtrVk_N1v-fa729ekmAmiKjG3sYC2ETjfK2ACzmrh_CKDjGr0wZa7cJhGEo1hWvtjh_61eHIHTuWAGVixufi8D-X-kWaghgtHLTo8/s1600/DSCN7495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmuyC_HMnlF9pOMaBbj3HfHGME_5-86HpWwo2r7WtrVk_N1v-fa729ekmAmiKjG3sYC2ETjfK2ACzmrh_CKDjGr0wZa7cJhGEo1hWvtjh_61eHIHTuWAGVixufi8D-X-kWaghgtHLTo8/s320/DSCN7495.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane's kindergarten class put on a little play of the Three Billy Goats Gruff, renamed The Three Nanny Goats Gruff. Jane got to play the part of the biggest nanny goat - "Big Bertha Lee". Here she is saying her lines, which was followed by a stellar performance of harpooning the trolls with her "finger" horns. I wasn't able to capture the action shots as well, and it was pretty much impossible to get a shot without someone wiggling. But it wouldn't be half as cute without all those wiggles!</td></tr>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-12824791176814876512015-10-26T06:20:00.001+02:002017-02-24T14:04:20.314+02:00365<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFKizB200VbXZ0qaIuKivsV_wSX03dmBw5I1z3G97HYfKN4vbhjzapTdaNYwS7h7RHXuZWzoiEKThAOzoBiNJJz5cM1XQm-chxHntS_d3MuMNqBA8-TmbW86iC2zIVIEL1hCp4ANIMCI/s1600/scriptures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFKizB200VbXZ0qaIuKivsV_wSX03dmBw5I1z3G97HYfKN4vbhjzapTdaNYwS7h7RHXuZWzoiEKThAOzoBiNJJz5cM1XQm-chxHntS_d3MuMNqBA8-TmbW86iC2zIVIEL1hCp4ANIMCI/s320/scriptures.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today I am celebrating 365 days of consecutive scripture reading! I don't usually share church-y things on our family blog, but I feel this is worth sharing.</div>
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Several years ago, 2,055 days to be exact, Nils started his streak for daily scripture study. When he had reached 150 days I made a little sign and 1-5-0 shaped pancakes to celebrate. "Great job, honey! I support your efforts to read your scriptures every day." But, I didn't feel the need to push myself to do the same. Sure, I could be a good wife and support my husband, but I had a legitimate list of excuses when it came to myself. Like, oh yeah, I'm a mom! I have to get up in the middle of the night to feed a baby or change a diaper or something. And during the day, I am like seriously super busy. I don't really have time and anyway, I don't need to study EVERY day. I'm a mom. That makes me automatically spiritual too. </div>
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You know, "those" kind of excuses.</div>
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Then I heard another mother share this thought. We spend so much time on multimedia, shouldn't we have some time for the scriptures? That got me thinking and I decided to make a feeble attempt to study. Then, the old excuses came back. I'm so busy. I have two kids to chase after. I have obligations and a bunch of other things I can't even list right now that I need to do -- all the time -- So, I just don't have time to read my scriptures every day. </div>
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Then one day, a year ago, I was talking to my mom, praising Nils for diligently reading his scriptures -- quickly following up with my usual excuses. And then suddenly I felt so embarrassed. The reality of my lame excuses hit me. There was no reason to miss a single day of scripture study. Not one.</div>
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And so, I started that day, to study something out of the scriptures daily and journal the thoughts that come from the day's passage. Now, I don't go to sleep until I have read and journaled something. It doesn't matter what it is. It doesn't matter how long I read -- sometimes I read a lot, sometimes I read something short. I gotta say, I am pretty proud of myself, not just from the spiritual perspective, but strictly speaking about consistency. I mean, I can't even consistently keep up with my blog, my Facebook status (ha!), or.... yeah, there's nothing I consistently do every day that isn't absolutely necessary (eat, sleep... that's a given.)</div>
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Anyway, as I shared my celebration with Nils, he asked me two questions I thought were worth answering on this blog. He asked: Do you feel it has made a big difference in your understanding of the gospel? Do you feel it has made a big difference in your life?</div>
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I have been "studying" the gospel pretty much my whole life. I attended four years of an early morning scripture study class all though high school. I attended a Mormon university which required all students to take 4+ scriptural classes in order to graduate. I have attended additional scripture study classes offered in the evenings before I was married and joined a women's Bible study group after being married a few years. I attend three hours of church weekly, which started from the day I was born (well, maybe a few weeks after and I'm sure I've missed a few weeks here or there). I've studied the scriptures extensively and memorized a lot of scripture verses. Has studying the scriptures daily made a big difference in my current understanding of the gospel? Not in a way that would blow your hair back. But there have been plenty of amazing things I learn and re-learn by taking the time to personally sit down and consult God's word. I say this only to emphasize that what drives me to read my scriptures daily isn't necessarily to learn some buried detail about Jesus or God that I didn't know before. The "resume" I just listed isn't anything amazing (pretty much the Mormon standard). The point is, whatever I think I know shouldn't fill my head with the false idea that I know enough.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The biggest change</span> I've seen since starting consecutive scripture study has been in my life as a whole. Not long ago, I found myself really struggling with faith -- faith in God, faith in my religion, faith in my whole notion of the point of this life. I experienced some challenges that made me look at life and death differently and made me wonder if there really is "heaven", "god", "sin", "repentance", and other items on the religious vocabulary list. I found myself in some dark places; sometimes fear-stricken, sometimes just empty.</div>
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And then I started reading every day, and it reminds me that there is something out there worth believing. There's something out there that can fill the hole of dark nothingness and give my life -- my boring day -- meaning again. Some days I get that great feeling like someone cares about little ol' me. Other days I find encouragement to face challenges I don't really want to face. Other times I feel a nudge to do a little better, be a little kinder. </div>
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Daily scripture study is like having a stronger, better person to talk to every day. And even on the days when my reading is complete nonsense (yes, I'm talking to you 1 Corinthians), that stronger better companion points out something amid the pool of words that makes sense and enriches my understanding of the gospel. </div>
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I don't have all the answers to life's great mysteries. I still have many questions that will have to wait until later. But I feel more confident that what I'm doing, the direction I'm facing, is exactly what I want to be doing, and is taking me exactly where I want to go. And that makes a big difference.</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-76534416386950331842015-10-06T07:41:00.000+03:002015-10-06T07:41:25.598+03:00Family Updates<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yeah, it's been a while. Since Nils has been gone and I'm still unpacking there's less time to keep up with this lovely family blog. Still, that doesn't mean I can't share a few updates.</div>
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Jane is now in kindergarten! She's lovin' it and probably having more fun than doing any hard core learning. But hey, that's what kindergarten is for, right? </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6e7W53O4QlYnhkESZN2pgcJSMLbBAelGnSdUPjPnBMZgYKfg-JZPBciCkjm0BouIEZNE7S6_KWNYIPQNVJubfg8BKSM6JFUEQkPcQhifxwN9NlpQ6hlTb94aSF2pY0OofmgP8IDviug/s1600/fixed_8497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6e7W53O4QlYnhkESZN2pgcJSMLbBAelGnSdUPjPnBMZgYKfg-JZPBciCkjm0BouIEZNE7S6_KWNYIPQNVJubfg8BKSM6JFUEQkPcQhifxwN9NlpQ6hlTb94aSF2pY0OofmgP8IDviug/s320/fixed_8497.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First school picture!</td></tr>
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And talk about milestones... Jane lost her first tooth! She did it all herself. First it wiggled a little, then it wobbled a lot, then voila!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Look Mom! My tooth came out!"</td></tr>
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She was, indeed, visited by a very generous tooth fairy. </div>
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And that's not all folks... This girl is on a roll. She's learned to ride a bike without training wheels. The one upside, I guess, to having packers put all your stuff in boxes is that the training wheels got separated from the bicycles. Because there were no training wheels when the bikes first arrived and Jane really wanted to ride, she got on Harry's little bike, practiced a little, and then moved on to her own bigger bike. Talk about easy for Mom and Dad! Once the training wheels did finally arrive and got unpacked... didn't need 'em.</div>
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And Harry? He started preschool in September. The biggest treat; Daddy got to take him to his first day of preschool!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, smile for the camera.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, Calvin... I said SMILE.</td></tr>
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And.... Harry has fallen in love. Yes, folks, our little toddler has found true love.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'll love you forever.</td></tr>
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Sadly, we had to play the Capulets and break these two lovers apart. Let's hope everyone survives the separation. I have a feeling the kitty will be fine.</div>
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September also marked our first visit from Daddy! We had lots of fun visiting the Aquarium in Salt Lake, going to the water park, playing games, and catching up on much needed Daddy time. Can't wait for his next visit in November!</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-66062789612649996562015-04-06T15:38:00.001+03:002015-04-06T15:38:24.576+03:00Life Moves Forward<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here are a few fun pictures of what we've been up to the last few months!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGQYPYRUubTeNovkbeOgu_7Quhh4E4LaZYLS81QeqsEfOg6WfI1OFL6axOeGrnibq7ebWdrxmQO5TKYsZnB2521i0Xiih2DU3yj_WmbyJO-zCACEtz4Plq1fWAKovD9hbEc4S3cYzT2M/s1600/DSCN6409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGQYPYRUubTeNovkbeOgu_7Quhh4E4LaZYLS81QeqsEfOg6WfI1OFL6axOeGrnibq7ebWdrxmQO5TKYsZnB2521i0Xiih2DU3yj_WmbyJO-zCACEtz4Plq1fWAKovD9hbEc4S3cYzT2M/s1600/DSCN6409.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane and Harry ready to help shovel snow.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6qo3s60dP5pkIlpV3OaYaVpu0LuzEbqChZWQgCaujkmNC72IU4kUx96LdjuUhi15u5ZHMf4svC8Ncvo-KhGZtVgld5j2FbHMoMfuONbdcDJGI8eriY8PbDRuV_8L4PQkMzGFpvPudKM/s1600/DSCN6417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6qo3s60dP5pkIlpV3OaYaVpu0LuzEbqChZWQgCaujkmNC72IU4kUx96LdjuUhi15u5ZHMf4svC8Ncvo-KhGZtVgld5j2FbHMoMfuONbdcDJGI8eriY8PbDRuV_8L4PQkMzGFpvPudKM/s1600/DSCN6417.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter in Millville! So beautiful.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcp0MCOHqpQtU38SX1Eh53MlUdrHhoP-IUFeCqk9e-bICdDwti06VzfWwNsX56AwVRCWx9R5uvuAeATDWydgh-ORCY_3cYazK96ed7IAe4fw5nXzieDX03rXpMxpXf3-MMEatjucm1sA/s1600/DSCN6489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcp0MCOHqpQtU38SX1Eh53MlUdrHhoP-IUFeCqk9e-bICdDwti06VzfWwNsX56AwVRCWx9R5uvuAeATDWydgh-ORCY_3cYazK96ed7IAe4fw5nXzieDX03rXpMxpXf3-MMEatjucm1sA/s1600/DSCN6489.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane and Harry's birthday party.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBqOH2AVDIzXB2mhnTESgzbefuvqPJUcuVRT2weou-NWriPnrnisWIHt6cN41eyGnyhpWkNCNqHZQi596wcolUrXxbGJCirqbrKwNq97HDcigp-mjdTD2Wc3Y8hCpeQSPiK9JwlCdqC4/s1600/DSCN6515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBqOH2AVDIzXB2mhnTESgzbefuvqPJUcuVRT2weou-NWriPnrnisWIHt6cN41eyGnyhpWkNCNqHZQi596wcolUrXxbGJCirqbrKwNq97HDcigp-mjdTD2Wc3Y8hCpeQSPiK9JwlCdqC4/s1600/DSCN6515.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bergesons at the lake.</td></tr>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-76327773947363991172014-12-06T17:00:00.000+02:002014-12-06T17:00:06.426+02:00Christmas Pajamas!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOX978LQ8sdv8YYWQi4Lw5q7W453Tr0YjggHcqpwVmNeM_rnMjMJFOS47-Kakc7sGPhGsjEZrVsuGYfrOXOsEiDby5DVlU7EXwd4zOytJgzwoYK57Z2aWd9V8qJxesPyOwTOSdLBd8FfQ/s1600/ChristmasPjs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOX978LQ8sdv8YYWQi4Lw5q7W453Tr0YjggHcqpwVmNeM_rnMjMJFOS47-Kakc7sGPhGsjEZrVsuGYfrOXOsEiDby5DVlU7EXwd4zOytJgzwoYK57Z2aWd9V8qJxesPyOwTOSdLBd8FfQ/s1600/ChristmasPjs.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
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This year I finally got out some material I had purchased 2 years ago to make the family Christmas pajamas. I bought red t-shirts and did the ornament design to make my life easier. Hooray for Christmas jammies!</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-67844014199240235232014-12-06T16:48:00.000+02:002014-12-06T16:48:11.459+02:00Happy Thanksgiving!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We had a nice Thanksgiving this year, celebrating with just us. Our church group organized a bigger gathering the weekend before. Leading up to Thanksgiving, I put together a "count down" that hung in our living room (the envelops). We picked one each day and recognized something we were grateful for and did an activity. My favorite was reading the book Stone Soup and then making "stone soup" for dinner without the stone. We learned that live is more fun when we share with others. We enjoyed doing the "thankful" tree too, using the trees I made for Halloween. <div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBr9or4Yg7L5olsrKZfrRDBGFhd1xqFMJjWo935q3IGqPx1mT_RUttwnoV4BUmCAiDZr4cEL7Gf9cY410RyrzkihY1T4ScD2joZti3JTHPaQLmtflnUVpfjZaa1T47N33nBndx5Lv71XA/s1600/Thanksgiving-collage.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBr9or4Yg7L5olsrKZfrRDBGFhd1xqFMJjWo935q3IGqPx1mT_RUttwnoV4BUmCAiDZr4cEL7Gf9cY410RyrzkihY1T4ScD2joZti3JTHPaQLmtflnUVpfjZaa1T47N33nBndx5Lv71XA/s1600/Thanksgiving-collage.gif" height="270" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Thanksgiving!</td></tr>
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There are so many things to be grateful for -- we hope to remain thankful year-round! </div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-9848428105181561992014-10-31T19:21:00.000+02:002014-10-31T19:21:03.491+02:00Happy Halloween to Ye!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Rather than be too wordy, I'll just share some pictures of our Halloween celebrations!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEG3VzrgXW-OPNorwH0zBxYKzKpzFZHZM3Zt08qC5v7k9y-5Mz_LBiK9SnToh7lwSxRDTRmGs3gkfnlnFVZPPsfWuzsWQ0ngn-JWs_LmQBIKkL0dORhaJTJVx1BGb5bKNWfv2Ja-jE-jo/s1600/janeandharry.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEG3VzrgXW-OPNorwH0zBxYKzKpzFZHZM3Zt08qC5v7k9y-5Mz_LBiK9SnToh7lwSxRDTRmGs3gkfnlnFVZPPsfWuzsWQ0ngn-JWs_LmQBIKkL0dORhaJTJVx1BGb5bKNWfv2Ja-jE-jo/s1600/janeandharry.gif" height="320" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pirate fairy Jane and pirate mate Harry! I enjoyed making these costumes (all except for the white shirt and tights).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpatJAzhOrjVa2al1kOpsbjyokJq7zCBBaAFbcWxoZ4ajJeBf3QdYJwi9yKLhjhQoixm2xKm3gEr7R1RvcYQaWhbVbuDTfk2oLb3WzXzlGQvLGr9oXk57KTWSxYYlYgnJeUsp7cRlsmYE/s1600/EmilyandKids.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpatJAzhOrjVa2al1kOpsbjyokJq7zCBBaAFbcWxoZ4ajJeBf3QdYJwi9yKLhjhQoixm2xKm3gEr7R1RvcYQaWhbVbuDTfk2oLb3WzXzlGQvLGr9oXk57KTWSxYYlYgnJeUsp7cRlsmYE/s1600/EmilyandKids.gif" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the party at the embassy! Everyone did a great job and I especially thank friends (like Shennie and Tina) who helped keep an eye on Jane and Harry while I handed out candy and helped with face painting. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We hosted a Children's Halloween Party again this year. Activities included the Spider's Lair (upgraded to the guest room) and a Forbidden Forest filled with flying witches! I plan on keeping the trees up on the walls throughout the holidays, decorating them for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Waste not!</td></tr>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-88037453412431251272014-10-27T08:10:00.001+02:002014-10-27T08:10:39.247+02:00Family Picture time!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We try to be good about taking the occasional family picture, taking advantage of nice weather and good backgrounds. Here's what we came up with this year. Enjoy!<div>
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For additional pictures -- <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/102253840952035462690/albums/6074755052973988049" target="_blank">click here!</a></div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-28577341188744475292014-10-27T07:42:00.001+02:002014-10-27T07:42:12.248+02:00Witch's Brew!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last year I started a tradition of having the "witches" leave something behind for the kids to get them excited for Halloween -- a Halloween book, an activity, candy, etc. Jane tries to see the witches flying around or hopes to catch them when they come to leave the surprise. So far, I haven't been caught! <br />
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For one of the activities (by far the most elaborate), I gave the kids some ingredients to make their own witch's brew. I used edible, less-frequently-used items from the kitchen and pantry. At the end I kinda hoped that we could drink it, but as you look through the pictures, you'll see why that didn't work out.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5aa_iPEZCsxbUdHnsbY5CwIS3I7b1UdkEY75kGYq3h3W4xSbxFwBQI9Rz0LKBZp-M9_DUxtN35WmTNwEYI7-cThnWH14nqodum5hyphenhyphenjy7EPaJhtC4OakhjMATyMIdOQT0iiDfYj5qz9U/s1600/witchbrew.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5aa_iPEZCsxbUdHnsbY5CwIS3I7b1UdkEY75kGYq3h3W4xSbxFwBQI9Rz0LKBZp-M9_DUxtN35WmTNwEYI7-cThnWH14nqodum5hyphenhyphenjy7EPaJhtC4OakhjMATyMIdOQT0iiDfYj5qz9U/s1600/witchbrew.gif" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the witches left behind for the kids to find.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTSNvoZj4qhHu7z8-37Nml25RVODO6zqeC882PELa_b_FRwEx_o2yGP9hFbkd4XgsDbo7rAhdF_1G5P7NmlCo5n3U-MtMUWcpYHjQtZvOF1tX8rJ2jVhxHV5XepdvdUF_CmGHWArrz6g/s1600/kidsplaywithbrew.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTSNvoZj4qhHu7z8-37Nml25RVODO6zqeC882PELa_b_FRwEx_o2yGP9hFbkd4XgsDbo7rAhdF_1G5P7NmlCo5n3U-MtMUWcpYHjQtZvOF1tX8rJ2jVhxHV5XepdvdUF_CmGHWArrz6g/s1600/kidsplaywithbrew.gif" height="195" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids enjoying putting the ingredients together. It was fun to hear them say, "I need more Vampire Tears!" or "Can you pass the Bone Powder?"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKGBxK0qKgbFjgT7rZplmgZFuTm0sjokCmmOx7jr2I_oM_C-2-DUUKu6qOOW1uW8gozoIogol2V9Mlzz8PSGeYo7gafoGSISxe-J6WPZjSaOYzGWIODJsdN3fbSFvJ3Wun0B07wqhKWM/s1600/brewmess.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKGBxK0qKgbFjgT7rZplmgZFuTm0sjokCmmOx7jr2I_oM_C-2-DUUKu6qOOW1uW8gozoIogol2V9Mlzz8PSGeYo7gafoGSISxe-J6WPZjSaOYzGWIODJsdN3fbSFvJ3Wun0B07wqhKWM/s1600/brewmess.gif" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then, what we all expected... It all just started to get mixed into a big, huge, mess. Luckily, I was ready and just dumped it all into the sink before it ended up on the floor. It didn't taste good anyway. </td></tr>
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I was glad I used ingredients I didn't care about so when it came time to throw it all in the sink, I didn't feel bad. Next time I think I'll plan it out better so we can actually enjoy drinking it in the end. Still, the kids had a great time mixing things up and making a yucky brew!</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-14778236819097949482014-10-03T14:26:00.002+03:002014-10-03T14:26:48.327+03:00Parent Exercise Program<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My Parent Exercise Program:<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYllVg6SMZqshdqVHoqjnHFguDzlatpLl5fm3MVznbt4ff1l0uhNTLaZuiZeUlA7CFzLhvYPehm7WgDBxfq3ICbmBdMHib5vDXnp-XhNjHyr5yookXs3MWWly3cnMiVKXXQMiwaIVFzU/s1600/exercise_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYllVg6SMZqshdqVHoqjnHFguDzlatpLl5fm3MVznbt4ff1l0uhNTLaZuiZeUlA7CFzLhvYPehm7WgDBxfq3ICbmBdMHib5vDXnp-XhNjHyr5yookXs3MWWly3cnMiVKXXQMiwaIVFzU/s1600/exercise_2.jpg" height="320" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arm and neck muscles </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXcapJuNFOwYC-xRNayQlAerM7YY5kuYt_5V2CPEMJ9D9KR0ybZfsuMEk5lnvP1ESCL5LmoXN71Q3JMny-23Xy9esPJkLGljys5bZqv3DqeP9l5rgV4OuZxgPf8wvSpPQLitVFxEwZqo/s1600/exercise_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXcapJuNFOwYC-xRNayQlAerM7YY5kuYt_5V2CPEMJ9D9KR0ybZfsuMEk5lnvP1ESCL5LmoXN71Q3JMny-23Xy9esPJkLGljys5bZqv3DqeP9l5rgV4OuZxgPf8wvSpPQLitVFxEwZqo/s1600/exercise_1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back and legs</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMHixjUT2JQaEbMjAzF4HsAmTsGhDafvyvO1CJEsX5fTOHNdbByy21zY_3fXewB1fJ8EKZkdwAHCg3axFpKjXNhKHj_BL70vgJjlSP1YlFwNjtHGygJ5GS4LFiCmY2k1rIJ9k_P8sx0w/s1600/exercise_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMHixjUT2JQaEbMjAzF4HsAmTsGhDafvyvO1CJEsX5fTOHNdbByy21zY_3fXewB1fJ8EKZkdwAHCg3axFpKjXNhKHj_BL70vgJjlSP1YlFwNjtHGygJ5GS4LFiCmY2k1rIJ9k_P8sx0w/s1600/exercise_4.jpg" height="257" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stomach muscles</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA3JoPkuARHuaIJDyGhcnQQ1topBcPebc1RkrMgTh2h9oDU3IngnEUA1t5pCTYX3mLKGitx-1Xp0p1dRp3hqVWJGxMaBH4zKsObJy1cQB73ZjyjZuHaNTHz73ESkXJm4EVV3XAxYrkBY/s1600/exercise_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA3JoPkuARHuaIJDyGhcnQQ1topBcPebc1RkrMgTh2h9oDU3IngnEUA1t5pCTYX3mLKGitx-1Xp0p1dRp3hqVWJGxMaBH4zKsObJy1cQB73ZjyjZuHaNTHz73ESkXJm4EVV3XAxYrkBY/s1600/exercise_3.jpg" height="242" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mind and emotions</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
And that's why I don't have a regular exercise program right now.</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-19488061484547118162014-07-14T11:46:00.001+03:002014-07-14T12:05:49.257+03:00July 7th - Astana Days<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Astana City Day is July 7th. Here they do a lot to make the celebration fun and interesting. We didn't see everything that went on throughout the city, but we did get to enjoy a few things. The celebration lasted the whole weekend (July 5-7th). Here are a few pictures of our adventures.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSEA84wRAWkhVx3V2LJjYnqr0rTBWwXAwHw6iYbNNF-VLSLxN_NasiPhm5rVZGi5XEhmMknQtwg5Rom-S6PIeTuEkXwLNqhQ0-7tXUIq-7Q6_2vnsWo240pIU0HaokpxlIXFniRvfBpQ/s1600/DSCN5973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSEA84wRAWkhVx3V2LJjYnqr0rTBWwXAwHw6iYbNNF-VLSLxN_NasiPhm5rVZGi5XEhmMknQtwg5Rom-S6PIeTuEkXwLNqhQ0-7tXUIq-7Q6_2vnsWo240pIU0HaokpxlIXFniRvfBpQ/s1600/DSCN5973.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harry at the playground.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSni7MmXNDE0wa5eb3XHdPbwLwKxRy2ExulfYYUrcJq_QvPVdpu47yacB_rcnG8sj3FcYu5aNybprzXOAIYR3fpX6TjEj8XkMxKm1YOcFU9Zee4351PFM447TfkxISGnMVj-WX-PbXnnU/s1600/DSCN5972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSni7MmXNDE0wa5eb3XHdPbwLwKxRy2ExulfYYUrcJq_QvPVdpu47yacB_rcnG8sj3FcYu5aNybprzXOAIYR3fpX6TjEj8XkMxKm1YOcFU9Zee4351PFM447TfkxISGnMVj-WX-PbXnnU/s1600/DSCN5972.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's definitely having fun!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5XNqgGuml5jQDaXHn5EadfSFFBjCtyU4NmyAju6DSCFPmweVtSOVNz3fc0YKTybi0Zz3o8P8ZCcLTrIe0gvBTgLh3JlAqiSRbcQoTF32GnLMe7Gs2Cf1IFwpasnfzvFcmcF86sJEHP8/s1600/DSCN5964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5XNqgGuml5jQDaXHn5EadfSFFBjCtyU4NmyAju6DSCFPmweVtSOVNz3fc0YKTybi0Zz3o8P8ZCcLTrIe0gvBTgLh3JlAqiSRbcQoTF32GnLMe7Gs2Cf1IFwpasnfzvFcmcF86sJEHP8/s1600/DSCN5964.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane climbed to the top of this climbing structure. I love her facial expression!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWcL5AVeKC6LEeOdkjHlzu75L-xmPbuWUjOkiSZdBxHQPktgzlzlHfHZxP52JEqhtihSEcFjaMJmTrYXONcgpUUyzJpDoNPklJ-27R6tRkwquLidXCGfmTtJnaXfyY4U8UYXbKOFTKC0/s1600/DSCN5960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWcL5AVeKC6LEeOdkjHlzu75L-xmPbuWUjOkiSZdBxHQPktgzlzlHfHZxP52JEqhtihSEcFjaMJmTrYXONcgpUUyzJpDoNPklJ-27R6tRkwquLidXCGfmTtJnaXfyY4U8UYXbKOFTKC0/s1600/DSCN5960.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding a ride in Happlylon.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnK7CtdLML2i2TYi-xEBVAeoQmSJMsPe0WNQp47_tjA9rAdeFB7f21R4VQsF-lKnFVjR-gwtIo-J_cXxMNjhPJH_imp3s3zTXC8E0OBXpbs2xc_3eSb5jiCBnr7UI-KfE-B3nze7wVeM4/s1600/DSCN5946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnK7CtdLML2i2TYi-xEBVAeoQmSJMsPe0WNQp47_tjA9rAdeFB7f21R4VQsF-lKnFVjR-gwtIo-J_cXxMNjhPJH_imp3s3zTXC8E0OBXpbs2xc_3eSb5jiCBnr7UI-KfE-B3nze7wVeM4/s1600/DSCN5946.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kazakh shields on spears look pretty cool. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIq0wZgbvDfZhSAypjRkWc0hKewTY99Jo5d2u1fZejAJrIca31eTq9PHqbJ_sCNGfZBphJeIq4TOa_Nn4T0FKbCTLeT4I8ZfCbUzlopu6Yy25gR3K5NvKo0as-7mBb9dqg-2mY2qFJVY/s1600/DSCN5944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIq0wZgbvDfZhSAypjRkWc0hKewTY99Jo5d2u1fZejAJrIca31eTq9PHqbJ_sCNGfZBphJeIq4TOa_Nn4T0FKbCTLeT4I8ZfCbUzlopu6Yy25gR3K5NvKo0as-7mBb9dqg-2mY2qFJVY/s1600/DSCN5944.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's a festival without arts and crafts??</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuSlZ9WCL0IWi97VtZOamtH_nmuJlF0t2BbSAKmw_O9QSatr2j0sUJP4evgqJ9-_0ymxCz9QDxk_mTYI-LnL3RtT38-_ySeXaV4fzGXCSYpFqZBQ7ZEPezxZcZhJOMe003qZBe4YeMJk/s1600/DSCN5938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuSlZ9WCL0IWi97VtZOamtH_nmuJlF0t2BbSAKmw_O9QSatr2j0sUJP4evgqJ9-_0ymxCz9QDxk_mTYI-LnL3RtT38-_ySeXaV4fzGXCSYpFqZBQ7ZEPezxZcZhJOMe003qZBe4YeMJk/s1600/DSCN5938.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love these costumes. Very traditional Kazakh.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbQd_pptbJEnf44vebqwOuoT82sFOH12IBYGV65vwl_PiaVV3z43U02pzTxWUsCgVrxt9ONhbRKcB-d5MfLonP88amdFJhpBb1THw7McsJD9t2b-97HAgjPmrNTGQzRRrck1CKvDtyRs/s1600/DSCN5927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbQd_pptbJEnf44vebqwOuoT82sFOH12IBYGV65vwl_PiaVV3z43U02pzTxWUsCgVrxt9ONhbRKcB-d5MfLonP88amdFJhpBb1THw7McsJD9t2b-97HAgjPmrNTGQzRRrck1CKvDtyRs/s1600/DSCN5927.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the National Museum "riding" a cart. I know, it's totally blurry, but it's the best one of four.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the tunnel of lights in the National Museum. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the National Museum.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DS9XNXvL5zSGhX_ORLuMohgjsN-qv6OjWnQWthRpS2f3yifXlWY7T4X1JcWBPnzb4XIf_rcKrERWASv6pFoYJplSBTyFBJjj5bLrLEfz1IS10mnP7anCPMJH6kLQ1rrEScEF6SyM5Zs/s1600/DSCN5907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DS9XNXvL5zSGhX_ORLuMohgjsN-qv6OjWnQWthRpS2f3yifXlWY7T4X1JcWBPnzb4XIf_rcKrERWASv6pFoYJplSBTyFBJjj5bLrLEfz1IS10mnP7anCPMJH6kLQ1rrEScEF6SyM5Zs/s1600/DSCN5907.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jane, watching Nils play bumper football.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nils makes the kick and SCORES! Okay, not really, but you should have seen how that guy ran into him and Nils seriously sent him flying! Too bad I didn't get a picture of that!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQS7WzHEvhQMPd7L9AtwXLyOHa88Ky4i47YI293ALTfs8xR9j5KQPsMapH6vCVKlAwXa_kLsUxdF9EBaMIzhxXxwLaYpeb6mrAsrircvQFpe9VBCu9A_W5r2M57x0ajNpKHU91Ffc7yuw/s1600/DSCN5916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQS7WzHEvhQMPd7L9AtwXLyOHa88Ky4i47YI293ALTfs8xR9j5KQPsMapH6vCVKlAwXa_kLsUxdF9EBaMIzhxXxwLaYpeb6mrAsrircvQFpe9VBCu9A_W5r2M57x0ajNpKHU91Ffc7yuw/s1600/DSCN5916.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fountain outside the National Museum and looking over the other monuments and mosque.</td></tr>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-52264758731988220932014-06-16T14:08:00.002+03:002014-06-16T14:08:29.844+03:00New Pages!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9iiaIKoxGsZOQo07eDZVo-XkORJQfWfOkLWdqdSen9YnzSGCOZgmHFEdhMao2kQx9HsNmTz-bWB3fo6RZVFWfqkJcQLaXNUbTrG3k_anAU7cHw0HTuyxH-ji1EZxtSUv7boHmF8PECQ/s1600/June16.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9iiaIKoxGsZOQo07eDZVo-XkORJQfWfOkLWdqdSen9YnzSGCOZgmHFEdhMao2kQx9HsNmTz-bWB3fo6RZVFWfqkJcQLaXNUbTrG3k_anAU7cHw0HTuyxH-ji1EZxtSUv7boHmF8PECQ/s1600/June16.gif" height="204" width="320" /></a></div>
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One thing about being a mom is you need a constant flow of fresh ideas. That sometimes includes a new look at some old ones. As I've been gathering ideas, I feel like I need a place to share them with you guys. So, I'm using the "page" feature on blogger to store and update things I gather. I'll do my best to keep them organized and easy to copy.<br />
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You can view the pages available at the top of this blog, just above the post. Each page is represented as a tab. Feel free to comment on each page if there are ways I can make them more accessible.<br />
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Enjoy!</div>
Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-2373740665296452512014-06-03T13:50:00.001+03:002014-06-03T13:50:50.215+03:00Nicer Weather and Fun!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Now that we have nicer weather, we've been able to get out and do things! Of course, we still have fun inside on the rainy days, or the cold windy days. Here are a few things we've been enjoying lately:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlCJOxrxBHRPGlR7rpzeUtrEYNQCRinwdPi10LxYoHsdEnmaOyE4z29UVcMjTMe1Z2x6A9PtXBrqv6HwMtRhDDS6anxVVQJgTqqliGOQJTXNT_-zD0V4Hdl9tOwrwcgat5e5nJ3-YHIY/s1600/DSCN5740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlCJOxrxBHRPGlR7rpzeUtrEYNQCRinwdPi10LxYoHsdEnmaOyE4z29UVcMjTMe1Z2x6A9PtXBrqv6HwMtRhDDS6anxVVQJgTqqliGOQJTXNT_-zD0V4Hdl9tOwrwcgat5e5nJ3-YHIY/s1600/DSCN5740.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visiting Borovoye, a beautiful national park not far from Astana. We were lucky to be joined by a friend to show us around the park.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUlZqkUZCT4zqQjvGZHod9m9iCH9_ToF_7Gtf0vs1amcOOIUoZpj1dfEbLf14wr502l9wMDv4Ij5PzTvVmmF5SE0n2ilw62DISVrQi5MLABMXvB6cgeBTyTlHfsonFmclQCKv_9t5HSE/s1600/DSCN5781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUlZqkUZCT4zqQjvGZHod9m9iCH9_ToF_7Gtf0vs1amcOOIUoZpj1dfEbLf14wr502l9wMDv4Ij5PzTvVmmF5SE0n2ilw62DISVrQi5MLABMXvB6cgeBTyTlHfsonFmclQCKv_9t5HSE/s1600/DSCN5781.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we are working on a local friend's garden. The missionaries joined us and we had a lot of fun creating furrows and planting potatoes. Harry really wanted to get involved in the gardening work and would walk around stealing people's tools. We waited a minute before stealing them back...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPxeKubI9YpW9nBtAhChAaG3uQEGvm1_bSbUtShTwH_vOXKG197t5IPHsSH42yYRjfKDZEkLh1GF-ENcCN0xk-U0roS6_qXlA7aEcF0Zbf70POTZUrquR0rXQgJEjVBAOzXtnEbDNJFY/s1600/DSCN5802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPxeKubI9YpW9nBtAhChAaG3uQEGvm1_bSbUtShTwH_vOXKG197t5IPHsSH42yYRjfKDZEkLh1GF-ENcCN0xk-U0roS6_qXlA7aEcF0Zbf70POTZUrquR0rXQgJEjVBAOzXtnEbDNJFY/s1600/DSCN5802.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our friend is so talented with children. She brought along these toys and pillow so that Jane and Harry had a place to play while we worked. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HMwTbm7gp01Bz8wdxmeuF2f1S5hyphenhyphensABJMb_28LBFomfcAR6csyMUzLjIAreiPczu2Do1TJXfdE2RBjq_Ina7wYdQxCaQKq5kydu900UdlNk0mRpPL3M4_eqkQ_lJ3MouELehNsKQ3p0/s1600/DSCN5825_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HMwTbm7gp01Bz8wdxmeuF2f1S5hyphenhyphensABJMb_28LBFomfcAR6csyMUzLjIAreiPczu2Do1TJXfdE2RBjq_Ina7wYdQxCaQKq5kydu900UdlNk0mRpPL3M4_eqkQ_lJ3MouELehNsKQ3p0/s1600/DSCN5825_1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We just received this scarf Grandmama made for us and the kids absolutely love it! Jane put this ensemble together this morning. I love that it has the "boa" look without the feathers!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi40kt131mCGN1emmAzqJ1Wvy-grWsXsd6n9lmOT5ZwQ6qux_fOsBMoi3BgYNLQq5ZZMXbAS5bXfr5XRqAf-R_ihV_RYOY9IKVgLmNYjvyV3jqU2S-XZZ1z5EQ462L1b_5rn2naycrCmE/s1600/Harry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi40kt131mCGN1emmAzqJ1Wvy-grWsXsd6n9lmOT5ZwQ6qux_fOsBMoi3BgYNLQq5ZZMXbAS5bXfr5XRqAf-R_ihV_RYOY9IKVgLmNYjvyV3jqU2S-XZZ1z5EQ462L1b_5rn2naycrCmE/s1600/Harry.jpg" height="320" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harry has been growing so much, talking and getting involved in everything. Here he is with his lunch box, on his way to "work". "Bye, Mommy! I go to work!" </td></tr>
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One last little treat. I made some easy dancing "ribbon" with streamers and a straw. The kids enjoyed putting on a show for me.</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-72696834742734045232014-05-23T09:19:00.000+03:002014-05-23T09:19:05.193+03:00Mermaid Costume<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Jane wanted a Little Mermaid costume and I just happened to have all the necessary items to make it happen. *sigh.... I love the fact kids don't have to have extremely detailed or authentic costumes in order to be happy! Thanks to cousin Gigi (and Aunty Sharole!) for passing down a beautiful body suit, we already had a purple top. Then I had some material left over from when I was in high school that was a good shade of green and had the right shimmer.</div>
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Rather than spend hours making it look just right, with scales, proper tail, etc., I took advantage of the awesome fabric and just did a quick version - half a seam down the back and some velcro to make it tighter or looser as needed. The results were good enough for Jane and, let's be honest, kids look cute in anything.</div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-66575414799249416752014-04-20T20:17:00.002+03:002014-04-20T20:17:50.134+03:00Easter dresses<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Just wanted to show off these Easter dresses I made for this year. I even got to do some fabric painting! </div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014895055556349659.post-7497104443931489532014-04-11T13:34:00.000+03:002014-04-11T13:34:10.679+03:00East Asia Trip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We just got back from an incredible trip to parts of Eastern Asia. We started in Beijing, took a train to Shanghai, flew to Hong Kong, flew to Manila, drove to Tagatay and the Taal Volcano, drove to Batangas, back to Manila, flew to Osaka, took a train to Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Tokyo, flew to Busan, flew to Seoul, flew back to Beijing and arrived home yesterday morning. Whew! <br />
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I've uploaded a selection of our pictures and tried to organize them by location. I plan on writing more about each place and what we saw and did. For now, you can look through the pictures and see for yourself just how incredible these places of the world are.<br />
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/102253840952035462690/albums/6000963867719688257" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6no46LkpahMLISvxAWYnr-IebnPlC1HBkFGqSY5ORtsFbWdVxnnGtvKbo8qYl5U3XenmaQLeFlgeKZQvzaWyZgOyVtRsW95OpMjszkbP7orjNBRFm4Gt1juuU8Vbf_1yU3qujaO1cW3E/s1600/DSCN5634.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/102253840952035462690/albums/6000963867719688257" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Beijing</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVq2YajmU0WhSpFiZRk6dsOY43HbwyhjnrBptYa0dcqro-AZembuNkEeQMBUg-18ba9F1wytgrI_p8Awd-J1tmQ1XvLSA6f2XuKWgS0tTF8aFqjwPuCcBckqHCNyOKon9Q6wFQ-WVsx5Y/s1600/DSCN5004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVq2YajmU0WhSpFiZRk6dsOY43HbwyhjnrBptYa0dcqro-AZembuNkEeQMBUg-18ba9F1wytgrI_p8Awd-J1tmQ1XvLSA6f2XuKWgS0tTF8aFqjwPuCcBckqHCNyOKon9Q6wFQ-WVsx5Y/s1600/DSCN5004.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/102253840952035462690/albums/6000965640838532593" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Shanghai</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrQdaZFvgRT-3K5yfmScDAqODLlfK8nZ00VVMi0srNcH6K9tLx-hADy3D8nsxDJxm6c6vSEkDJPv76nxGRg3QodyDsSy54kkgXQRTC264pRk-dYiPa_QhLlHWG77Lw36gS2jci8wcIZY/s1600/DSCN5069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrQdaZFvgRT-3K5yfmScDAqODLlfK8nZ00VVMi0srNcH6K9tLx-hADy3D8nsxDJxm6c6vSEkDJPv76nxGRg3QodyDsSy54kkgXQRTC264pRk-dYiPa_QhLlHWG77Lw36gS2jci8wcIZY/s1600/DSCN5069.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/102253840952035462690/albums/6000966350715100385" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Hong Kong</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4E-7_UR7-8BPj4cp1eCzUp7gcbYU2egqdEI0C2FCW68nV4T-hD96sudyCs7WT6_SaYyMoaioHpQ-QZ_DmBBOijDB7Tn3kxwsfsbeDl_zE0qG-u9ZM-oOWa-cWwz6BHeSC26tSMMwuSw/s1600/DSCN5301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4E-7_UR7-8BPj4cp1eCzUp7gcbYU2egqdEI0C2FCW68nV4T-hD96sudyCs7WT6_SaYyMoaioHpQ-QZ_DmBBOijDB7Tn3kxwsfsbeDl_zE0qG-u9ZM-oOWa-cWwz6BHeSC26tSMMwuSw/s1600/DSCN5301.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/102253840952035462690/albums/6000967809974782401" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Philippines</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkuhN7MMS-82tQxnuMDLwg8n5sSrLDp_-4j-h4A7tsmSIv4OtA7oB6-UN0e0D8iaawfQJgSc4qgUi71OJxP9gFw8jdZc-FmB-Y210m-NqldTSzrk19F1gyv2dHQEdeGXG1mzdjnqvIKg/s1600/DSCN5330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkuhN7MMS-82tQxnuMDLwg8n5sSrLDp_-4j-h4A7tsmSIv4OtA7oB6-UN0e0D8iaawfQJgSc4qgUi71OJxP9gFw8jdZc-FmB-Y210m-NqldTSzrk19F1gyv2dHQEdeGXG1mzdjnqvIKg/s1600/DSCN5330.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/102253840952035462690/albums/6000968157686447889" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Hiroshima</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1pyeuboJi5PRihJDD9IoxiopzEs6xqTkGHDpBGrexx1XkzUsdpdXtAOuPYdmgGTZRWBE46inNqK9MY4PqzWBQvrvFIL7kYvJg54fwA3P6VRE_0vez4CiZTPprKZBjjrKQ5RnnwxX4gk/s1600/DSCN5399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1pyeuboJi5PRihJDD9IoxiopzEs6xqTkGHDpBGrexx1XkzUsdpdXtAOuPYdmgGTZRWBE46inNqK9MY4PqzWBQvrvFIL7kYvJg54fwA3P6VRE_0vez4CiZTPprKZBjjrKQ5RnnwxX4gk/s1600/DSCN5399.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/102253840952035462690/albums/6000968506113048225" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Kyoto</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3JzdGl_MK02p3umSgXj-fLFsaAktk5Mwt91hK4HP_6ufM9YHzfz81vdndWMlP5sqbYSoZww3zIC2nFs7DMf1d9XasqkcVMGZccfPIS4znyk_W08DroiP6uErG9hQqj4VaYaMSaa3cmQ/s1600/DSCN5434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3JzdGl_MK02p3umSgXj-fLFsaAktk5Mwt91hK4HP_6ufM9YHzfz81vdndWMlP5sqbYSoZww3zIC2nFs7DMf1d9XasqkcVMGZccfPIS4znyk_W08DroiP6uErG9hQqj4VaYaMSaa3cmQ/s1600/DSCN5434.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/102253840952035462690/albums/6000969442019098177" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Tokyo</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIT-PM9beuLN53OpZiWkF9KWN5TP69wGEuWBClx7hNRw-Clb0rb0JN9euipxsrkQG4SEZG-WiGMALVB5XKTz1zCliZeJW-pM5s6clkY3JFB2c5dPwLDfKPUdM_M6JFMBq0KaKOi6igHFI/s1600/DSCN5614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIT-PM9beuLN53OpZiWkF9KWN5TP69wGEuWBClx7hNRw-Clb0rb0JN9euipxsrkQG4SEZG-WiGMALVB5XKTz1zCliZeJW-pM5s6clkY3JFB2c5dPwLDfKPUdM_M6JFMBq0KaKOi6igHFI/s1600/DSCN5614.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/102253840952035462690/albums/6000970066415079089" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Korea</span></a></div>
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Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15328598387268162385noreply@blogger.com0