An Elder Now

Jacob was ordained to the office of an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints last night, June 3, 2009 by his father Gene Wright. Gene was assisted by Bro. Irving Chun and the 2 missionaries assigned to our Ward.

All in all it was a wonderful night. One step closer...

Smooth

Classic... glad we got this on video...our tuition dollars

Something Special (Olympics, that is...)

This past weekend was the State Special Olympic State Games at the University of Hawaii. The whole fam went to cheer on our two athletes.

Michelle placed first in Softball Throw and Running Broad Jump. She placed 2nd in 50 meter.

Hannah placed 1st in 50 meter, 2nd in Softball and was disqualified in Running Broad Jump (line?what line?).

Our friend Aubrey placed first in every event she participated in.

Michelle made friends with a dog named Heidi.

Both girls chose sombreros for their prizes for their awesome lawn bowling skills...which Gene and I ended up holding.

Special Olympics is da bomb! It is so unbelievable that so many people volunteer to help kids like Michelle and Hannah. It provides such a great opportunity for them to excel in an activity since in most activities they lag behind their same age peers.

Michelle at the Beach

While we were traveling Susan took everyone to the beach. Here's a great picture of Michelle. That's Cheyne and Hannah in the background.

Ryan's Wedding - Family Time

I went to my nephew Ryan's wedding in Yosemite. Left on May 6 and spent a night at my cousin Herman's house. Met his son David and friend Theresa - they are a great couple! I so enjoyed meeting David! Alo and Allie flew in as well and Stephanie too so we all stayed at Herman's (thanks cousin!)

Here are some photos of David, Stephanie & Theresa.

In the morning we left for Yosemite. We stayed in a great cabin! Tess drove up with Alo's friend Randy. Steve came up with Susie and family. Sam and Claudia got a cabin too. Bill came up with Paul too.

Our cabin for 6 people! - 2bedrooms/2 bath

The wedding was beautiful - Ryan and Megan looked so happy!

The setting was gorgeous

and it was so great being around my family!

I really am tall too - I was just standing in a hole.

We played Hi Henry - and Bill lost -

Flew home May 10 -just in time to spend a few Mother's Day hours with the fam!

Glimpses of Russia

Its really hard to fathom that we were standing in the Kremlin on May 1. On our short 4 day visit to Moscow we saw Red Square, St. Basil's, Kremlin, and many other sights. The cupolas on the churches were amazing - many made of gold.

Some church

St. Basil's

A grocery store - can you believe it?

Red Square

We saw many people - the young ones speak English. Everyone was kind - when a girl collapsed on the metro many came forward to help her.

We had a great guide named Ludmila who shared with us her love of Moscow as well as her knowledge of her country, city and people. She lived through Soviet rule, Perostroika and the current "quasi--capital" systems.

I'll post more in the coming weeks - but suffice to say - I never thought I would live to see the fall of communism - and I did! And it never entered my mind that I would travel to Moscow! What an incredible experience.

Greetings to Hannah & Michelle from California!

Hello Girls! Were you surprised to wake up this morning and see your cousins sleeping over? Vanessa and Sarah will be staying until May 18. Dean and Laura will be staying until May 13! You will have a great time with them. Maybe they will take you to the beach (you have to ask Daddy).

Hannah - thank you for sleeping on your mattress on my bedroom floor so that Laura could sleep in your room. Michelle - thank you for sleeping on the couch with Susan so that Vanessa and Sarah can sleep in your room.

Remember to not make too much noise in the morning so you don't wake everyone up.

I am in the Admiral's Club at the Los Angeles Airport. I will catch another plane to San Francisco in about an hour. Tomorrow I will drive to Yosemite National Park. I think I will see some animals like maybe a hawk or squirrels - maybe a deer if I am luck. I will take pictures.

Gabe has a Dance Concert this weekend. You can ask Susan to take you when she goes with Vanessa, Sarah, Dean and Laura and Jacob. Ask Daddy for $6 for tickets. You will need to remember to practice good audience behavior.

Be good for Daddy. You have Special Olympics practice on Saturday. And early Saturday morning there is a Mother's Day Breakfast at the Church - Josiah's dad is cooking it. I think Daddy will take you.

I will be home on Sunday night. I love you. Remember to be kind.

Love Mom!

California Here I Come

Heading to my nephew Ryan's wedding near Yosemite. Leaving tonight at 9:00 - arrive in SFO tomorrow morning and meet up with cousin Stephanie, Alo and Allie. We'll overnight at Herman's in Foster City then drive to Yosemite area on Friday. The wedding is Saturday.

We are staying at Homestead Cottages. Susie and family and Bill are getting cabins there too. It should be a fun time!

Never been to Yosemite!!

Back on Sunday night.

Windows on Russia

So my other obsession in Moscow was windows... and here are some of them...fascinating, don't you think? (I know, I'm weird)

Once upon a time in a land far, far away...

Moscow was a most fascinating place. I'll post different aspects of the trip over the next few days.

For some reason I was fascinated by patterns - I saw patterns everywhere...at cemeteries, palaces, along streets - whether I looked up or down - patterns.

Life in Moscow seemed to occur in patterns too. People descended and ascended into the amazing Moscow metro in lines remniscent of ants encroaching on food left overnight on the counter. They leaned forward and backward standing on long long escalators which took them into or out of the bowels of the stations. They sat next to one another on the metro car with nary a space between each body. They each got up in the same fashion - exactly one stop before their intended station and made their way to the metro car door where they stood in line waiting for the door to open for the brief 10 second stop...at which time they did what all Moscovites do...kept moving.

Almost Home Girls!

We are leaving Russia in about an hour.

We are happy we visited and happy we are leaving. Moscow is a very big city with many people. Everyone speaks Russian and the t.v. is only in the Russian language. I am glad I had my ipod to watch my shows and also my Kindle book reader!

We will fly to Chicago then Washington D.C. We will stay in a hotel in Washington D.C. for one night (Sunday night). I will leave Washington D.C. on Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. and arrive home at 2:40 p.m. so I will see you both after school. Daddy will come home at 7:30 p.m.

It will be good to see you both. I will show you all of the pictures we took and give you your dolls, candy and the special gifts for you classmates.

Be good at school. Be obedient and kind and try your best!
I love you and I will see you soon! Love Mom

Hi to Our 2 Smart Girls

Today we saw Russian castles. It was a holiday here so it was crowded everywhere. We did some shopping. They do not use dollars here. Their money is called rubles. It only cost 20 cents to ride the train all day. We bought each of you a russian doll. We also bought some small gifts you can give your classmates on Tuesday. We love you. Remember to be kind. Love Dad and Mom.

Hi Girls

We are in Russia. It is very far away. We rode many trains today. They go veryfast and are very crowded. We will bring you Russian candy.Today we saw a little dog wearing clothes. I took a picture which I will show you on Monday. Be good. We love you. Mom and Dad.

Greetings to Michelle and Hannah

Hello my girls!

I hope your teacher will let you read this.

Dad got to Washington D.C. yesterday. This morning we are leaving to go to Moscow Russia. We are at the Washington D.C. airport. We will fly from here to Nashville, Tennessee then to Chicago, Illinois and the to Moscow Russia. We will be on 3 airplanes!!

The flight from Chicago to moscow will take 12 hours! We will eat dinner and breakfast on the airplane. The airplane has chairs that change into beds where we can lie flat. We will be sitting in seats number 2D and 2G. They will give us DVD player to watch movies but I think I will just watch my shows on my ipod instead.

It was very hot in Washington D.C. It was 95 degrees!

We will stay in a hotel in Moscow. I will post pictures later if I can.

One thing I forgot to tell you about - when Dad arrived in Washington D.C. he caught the metro to the hotel I was staying at. The metro is a train that goes underground! It goes very fast!

We love you both and hope you are being good girls. Be obedient to Susan and Aunty and Jacob and Gabe and your teachers.

We are so proud of you both because you are both learning so much. We are so proud of you because you are both so kind. Remember to always be kind.

Love from Mom and Dad.

Food Storage

The Church has always taught its members to store food and supplies for emergencies or as a fall back in case of economic hardship. We have had an addition to our food storage in an unexpected way.

The other night I kept hearing our dog Elvis barking outside. I yelled at him to stop - which he did. The next day he barked on and off for periods of time - I'd yell at him to stop and, again, he would stop.

Yesterday Leo came home and said "Where did the chicks come from?"

Oh no, I thought, not baby chicks again. About a year ago a chicken laid eggs in our yard and 8 chicks hatched. Cute things - until they got old enough to crow - then they'd crow at all hours - including 2:00 in the morning. Finally, after many attempts to get them to move out of our yard Gene succeeded - although I will not tell you how (it was not homicide).

Since that time every so often a chicken will come in our yard and lay eggs. Gene will take the eggs and relocate them (I'm not saying where) and that would get rid of the mama and daddy too. No worries about crowing!!!

So when Leo mentioned the chick - my mind went back to our past experience.

"Gene will have to relocate them," I replied.

"But they are out there in a cage with food and water," she said.

"What!!!" - I ran out to see - at first I saw this -

Hmm - that is our beach towel - but what is it covering?

So that's what the dog's been barking at!

But where did they come from?

The culprit.

Those of you who know me know that I love animals - in the zoo. I am not a pet fan. This is why we have had fish, 3 rabbits, 2 rats, a duck, a turtle, a cat, 10 guinea pigs, a dog and now 3 chicks and I have never, ever, fed, petted, touched, bathed, watered, walked, or took any of them to the vet. I refuse to give them any attention. (Most of the animals have come via the culprit above)

And although I am not an animal fan - even I admit that letting these little chicks loose will mean their quick and certain death from neighborhood cats and dogs.

So I have been trying to find a silver lining in all of this and I think I finally have...food storage. We do eat chicken.

God wraps many of the most beautiful gifts in packages we never open

I may have sent this link to you of Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent. If I didn't (or even if I did) - it deserves at least 1 more viewing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

I'm humbled.

Now Isn't That Special (Olympics)

Last Saturday the girls participated in the Area Special Olympic Track and Field Games. They have been "practicing" with their team (Kamalii Koa) for about 6 weeks - on Saturdays. Usually Jacob or Susan will take them. I say "practicing" with "" because Michelle mostly wants to walk or sit while Hannah doesn't mind running - she just goes in whatever direction she wants. Oh - and there are only like 2 other kids on the team - both teenagers.

Their coach is a very nice young lady named Kat (she's an engineer!) and Mark (I think he is an area support staff) assists. We are in awe of these volunteers - they are there every Saturday rain or shine! I am sure the Lord blesses them for their service. They are really a blessing to us.

Additionally, at the Games themselves there are hundreds of volunteers who help cheer, escort, coach the Olympians. The local Lions Club provides a free lunch for everyone too.

Anyway the Area Games were at Schofield so we had to leave by 8:15 to make the Opening Ceremonies. The girls marched in like Olympic athletes - waving pompoms.

They both participated in the 50 meter run and soft ball throw. Hannah did the running long jump and Michelle did the standing broad jump.

Michelle walked away with 2 first place blue ribbons and 1 2nd place and Hannah had 1 first place, 1 second and 1 fifth place. (If you are unfamiliar with Special Olympics - everyone is a winner...)

We were surprised that Michelle beat Hannah in the 50 since Michelle hates to run - but evidently, if she has a crowd cheering her on she does just fine! They were both smiling at the grandstand and each other as they ran!

I only got to take pictures of one of the times they went up to the winners stand - my camera died after that! But here's the proof!

Notice the close up below of Hannah's shoe. When we arrived at Schofield I noticed that she was wearing her oldest, most ripped up pair of shoes! I noticed cause her sock was sticking out about 1 inch at the toe. We saw a Games official using duct tape to mark off the finish line. Gene asked him if we could have a piece of tape for a "Special Olympian with a ripped shoe." It held well - she took the socks off so they wouldn't stick to the tape. We threw the shoes away (finally!) when we got home.

The State Games are next month...looking forward to it! Hannah will have new shoes by that time and we probably should get them special t-shirts too.

If you ever want to have a lot of fun while serving someone - volunteer for Special Olympics!

The Haircut

So I've been under the weather - and today Gene asked Jacob to watch for Hannah's bus because I was going to take a nap. Well he watched for her bus but then failed to watch Hannah after she got off the bus...and, as I'm sure you have guessed from the title of this post...she cut her hair.

Its bad. Susan took some photos on her camera but hasn't given me them yet. But this shot (taken after her hair was fixed) shows the shortest strands.

I was going to take Hannah down to Fantastic Sam's to get it "fixed" - but Susan thought she could do it - and by golly I think she did a GREAT job - especially considering there were probably 15 different lengths to blend in AND the fact that Hannah has like 4 cowlicks didn't make it any easier.