Life

Well, it's been a while, but we're back. Spring is finally here, which has been wonderful. Jason has finished gross anatomy and has just started neuro anatomy, which he really enjoys. This week we will have been married for 5 years! I can't believe it. And also next week is Clara's birthday. She's excited to get a cake and pick out candles and balloons. Actually, I think I'm more excited than she is.

Today is the one-year anniversary of when my sister Angela passed away. I miss her every day and am so grateful she's my sister. I'm so grateful for the Atonement and Resurrection of the Savior and for the sealing power in the temple. I know that we'll always be a family and that we'll see her again.


Clara doesn't take naps in her bed, but she'll take naps in the car or on the couch pretty often. Lately she's taken to sleeping on the floor in the living room with a pillow over her head. Sounds comfy!


After she woke up she wanted me to take her picture again, but it didn't quite look the same...
Her hair has gotten so light and long! I love her cute pigtails. My dad came to visit for a couple days and brought a Donald Duck doll that sings. And when you pick it up by its ears it yells, "Put me down! Put me down!" My dad thought it was quite funny and got one for all his grandkids.

Princess Party

On Saturday Clara and I went with her friend Amelia to a "Princess Party" put on by the local ballet company. The ballerinas dressed up as the Disney princesses and there were games and crafts for the kids to do. Most of the little girls dressed up as princesses, which was so adorable. Clara and Amelia met Princess Tiana (from "Princess and the Frog"), had a tea party with Alice, and learned a princess dance with Cinderella and Prince Charming. I think Clara's already planning to go again next year!

Snowstorm

Last weekend we had a huge snowstorm...and it's still snowing. I've never seen it snow this much, even living in Utah for 8 years! It is supposed to snow for the next 10 days, too. Yikes. I'm finally getting a little stir crazy...hopefully spring is on its way!


The hard-working husband and his mountain of snow.

Clara and her "snow shovel" (dust pan) is always asking to help Jason shovel the driveway.

Dells and Dwarves

My mom gave us the "Snow White" movie for Christmas, and Clara will go around the house singing, "Hi-HO!" She's trying to sing "Hi-ho, it's off to work we go" and then she tries to sing and then hum the whistling part. But she keeps getting interrupted by her hiccups. I think it's pretty hilarious.



Here she's singing the end of The Farmer in the Dell, "the rat takes the cheese." In our book, after they pull the farmer out, everyone dances around and then the farmer falls backwards into the dell again. Here Clara keeps falling backward into the dell. I think she's pretty cute.

Tools, Goggles and Ponytails

Clara found Jason's swim goggles and pretended to "swim" around the room.

Clara and her imaginary friend, who is wearing her snow clothes. Jason was making the snow clothes dance around the room, which Clara thought was hilarious.

She has finally gotten enough hair that we can pull into a ponytail, but she hardly ever lets me. I think she looks like such a big girl.


She is always dragging Jason's tool kit out and is trying to hammer screws and nails into the walls, so we got her some tools of her own. She kept hugging us in the store and saying, "Thank you!" She's been playing with it for 40 minutes and just said, "This is my favorite toy I've ever seen in the whole world!" Now that's an endorsement!

Friends

It's been a while, hasn't it? Jason started his second semester of medical school, which includes gross anatomy. I've told him to ask me before he tells me anything he saw/did that day in the lab. So far, not so bad! He's really enjoying it. And he doesn't smell too bad...yet.

Clara and I visit our friends, and go to playgroup and storytime. She almost always wants Winnie-the-Pooh or Curious George books from the library, but finally she got some other kinds of books last week, which was a relief. One of my more recent favorite books is Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson. It's amazing. You should read it!

It's been 9 months since Angela passed away. It seems unreal. Her friend put together a sweet book about her memories of Ang and gave a copy to my family. I love the quote she put in the front, which I wanted to share. I could say the same about the friends I've made here. And thanks to all my wonderful friends for your love. I'm so blessed.

'In friendship . . . we think we have chosen our peers. In reality, a few years difference in the dates of our birth, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another, the accident of a topic being raised a first meeting - any of these changes might have kept up apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking, no chances. A secret Master of Ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the apostles, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you" can truly say to every group of Christian friends, "You have not chosen one another, but I have chosen you for one another." The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of others." -C.S. Lewis

Let it snow

It has been snowing and snowing since we got back from our vacation to Washington. We got a snowsuit and boots for Clara (remember when we put ziploc bags around her feet inside her sneakers?) and she was super excited to try them out. She loves stomping around on the deck, too.