Luke's First Day of Kindergarten!

Today was Luke's first day of school! He was so excited to go and I was happy to see him so independent. When he woke up this morning, he got dressed, ate breakfast, put on his new shoes and backpack and waited excitedly for his father's blessing. After that he said "ok, I am ready to go to school now that I have the spirit with me". I thought it was really cute and that is when I got a little teary eyed.

Here is Luke waiting for us to load up in the van.

Brooke is sure going to miss her big brother. She of course had to wear her new "school clothes" today too. She is very excited for her first day of pre-school although it doesn't start for 2 weeks. Life won't be the same without Luke around.

Luke didn't want us to walk him to class, he just wanted us to drop him off like a "big kid". He obviously didn't get his way. Instead JR gave him a little "father-son" talk on the path leading to the school. I wished I knew what they were talking about.

Here is Luke waiting in line to go to his class. He was so brave. Not even one tear.

And he made it!!!!!!!!Hooray for Luke surviving the first day of Kindergarten!

Luke I am so proud of you! You are going to have such a fun year this year with Mrs. C. I can't believe my baby is in Kindergarten! You made me so happy today. I will miss you and can't wait to see what you learn this year. Don't ever forget how much I love you.
Love Always,
Mom

Counting down until Christmas...

So I went to my doctor's appt yesterday and she said the soonest she will induce me is Sept 25th at 37 weeks. So, that is the big day. I made her call and schedule it at the hospital for my own peace of mind. I am totally anxious to get this girl out of me and a month seems like forever!!!!!!!! Most women that have been pregnant know that the last month is the hardest and I just feel like that is nothing compared to how I am feeling. I get nervous when I don't feel her move for awhile and I just want to go to the hospital and have an emergency c-section. But I DO want a healthy baby so I am trying to be patient. The other night I was having a pity party and was feeling sorry for myself. I was reading through a journal entry that I had made shortly after Chelsea died and there was a quote in it by Elder Orson F. Whitney. It reads:
"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable...and it is through toil and tribulation that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in Heaven."
I really liked reading that quote. I think about Chelsea everyday still-many, many times a day. I wonder why I am going through this long nine months of being pregnant and uncomfortable again and why I couldn't just have my baby with me. I miss her so much. Sometimes I wonder why the Lord needed her so badly and how something so hard for me could somehow make me stronger. But, like the quote said, no pain we suffer is wasted. I am trying to be patient and have faith that everything will work out this pregnancy. It has definitely been a trial for me. But at the same time I feel overwhelmed at how this little girl in my belly has been such a blessing. If it wasn't for Chelsea's death I wouldn't be pregnant with a new little spirit. I know there are many women out there that would love to be in my shoes with a little baby on the way. I feel so blessed that we were able to get pregnant so soon and have another baby coming. She has given me lots of hope, peace and happiness again and has helped me get through the past year.
I remember as a kid waiting so anxiously for Christmas to come. The closer it came the farther away it seemed! Christmas Eve was always the longest day of the year because you know that you will be able to open those gifts you have been waiting so long for. I am counting down the days for my own little "Christmas" to come, September 25th. So, I am asking for lots of prayers and good thoughts to be sent my way. Thanks for all your love and support. Ronna

Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo

The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo is one of our favorite places to go. So of course we had to take Unlce CJ. Even though it is geared more toward toddler/elementary kids, CJ still had a blast. We love this place!

Here is Uncle CJ and Luke at the Kid-Power Machine.

Brooke and CJ trying to get all the animals to walk together.

How many disks can we get to roll down at one time???

CJ, Brooke, and Luke on the rainbow bridge at the zoo.

We come here regularly. Here are the top 10 reasons we love visiting the Palo Alto Children's Museum and Zoo:
10. Since J.R.'s firm opened an office down in Palo Alto, we get to stop and see him for lunch.
9. It's better than watching T.V. all day.
8. It has a zoo and a play-ground attached to it.
7. They change the exhibits every 6 months so it doesn't get too boring for us regulars.
6. There is a cool owl there and a not-so-cool rat exhibit.
5. There is a swimming pool on the same block.
4. It is only 20 minutes from my house.
3. It is by an IKEA and close to the Stanford Shopping Center.
2. It is in Palo Alto and who doesn't like Palo Alto, there is never fog there.
And the number one reason we like going there is...
1. It is FREE!!!!!!!! Well technically the suggested donation is $3 but since I am cheap, I rarely pay the full price. This is why I love the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo.

Homemade Pizza

JR's little brother CJ has been staying with us and he told me his favorite food (besides McDonald's)is pizza. So, we made homemade pizza a few nights ago and had alot of fun. The trick is to use the pre-made dough from Trader Joe's, add a few yummy toppings, and voila, a yummy, kid-friendly dinner!

Here is Brooke rolling the dough.

Luke putting cheese on his pizza.

Here is Uncle CJ making his HUGE pizza. He is only 13 but eats three times as much as me, an eight month pregnant woman.

And yes, he did eat the whole thing. He even had room for ice cream later on that night but he wouldn't touch the salad I made. Hey, at least I tried.

Lets Play Dress-up!

Brooke loves to play dress-up. I thought I would get a picture of her doing what she loves. This is one of her favorite outfits. Hey, if I looked that cute, I would play dress-up everyday!

She even talked Luke and Uncle CJ to play princess with her. Luke is the Knight in Shining Armor and I am not sure what Uncle CJ is???

Bay Cruise

This past Saturday, JR and I joined the SF Stake 80th celebration on a chartered Red and White Fleet Bay Cruise.


Here we are with Sam Brannan (the LDS pioneer leader on board the Ship Brooklyn)He made a special "guest appearance".


Ronna and JR enjoying the ride. It was such a beautiful evening!


The cruise went down to the Bay Bridge, by Treasure Island, Alcatraz, Angel Island, and then under the Golden Gate Bridge. Here we are in front of the Bay Bridge.


Here is the Golden Gate Bridge. As you can tell it was dark by the time we went under it so the picture isn't that great. But it was sensational!


Overall, there was gorgeous weather, great food, fun friends and free babysitting. Thanks Uncle CJ for watching the kids for us. JR and I even snuck in a late movie after the cruise. We saw "Batman the Dark Night". We had a great evening!