WSW

Ie Mei

Last Week:

• Field trip to "el mercado" for Jackson's Spanish class.  Ailee and I rode on the bus with Jackson.  We saw and smelled many interesting things.  A pigs head on the chopping block was probably the most interesting sight.  When we got home Ailee asked me why the pig had no legs and feet.  I guess she didn't notice that it didn't have a belly either.  

•  Yosemite trip to the cabin with the Modesto Wests and Grandma and Grandpa.  Sublime smiles were seen on all faces as cousins and aunts and uncles embraced.  We arrived late to the cabin so we didn't see Grandma and Grandpa until the morning.  Teo and Mylee attacked Grandma in the morning with hugs and kisses when she woke up. 

• We convinced Grandpa to get in the car with us to go to Glacier Point, the spot above Yosemite valley where you can view the whole valley, two waterfalls and Half Dome.  Picnicking up at Glacier Point with an amazing lunch was one of the highlights.  I felt a bit indulgent as I stuffed my face right where the hikers were finishing their 4.6 mile straight up hike from the valley floor.  

• Saturday we drove to the valley floor.  It was a gorgeous morning and I felt like I was driving into a fairyland, it looked so unreal and beautiful.  At the visitor's center we watched a movie and learned about how the granite is lava that has hardened and cooled and after many years of erosion, comes to the surface.  Lance whispered in my ear during the movie, "I love nature."

• Maika, Jackson, Ailee, Mylee and I played in the ice melt Merced River, climbing on rocks and swimming a bit. 

• Michi took family shots of us in the beautiful setting of the cabin.  They turned out great, thanks Mich.

• We said a sad goodbye to the Modesto Wests on Sunday morning and drove to the Roseville to meet up with Brad's parents.  

This Week: 

• Get back to routine and help the kids catch up with schoolwork.  

• Deliver baby blankets to the hospital.  The baby blankets that we made in Newburgh still need to be delivered.  Kristi made a handful of blankets with her Activity Days Girls and Anne's friend, Sister Pat, made quite a few baby blankets with the primary kids.  I can't wait to send them pictures of the delivery. 

• Work on the RS bulletin.

Favorite Thing: Reuniting with the Modesto Wests

Ie Li

Last Week:

• Stephen started preschool
• Steve finished up tax season and he basically didn't sleep the last three days of it.
• I overdosed on "Felicity" in the evenings while Steve was working hard.  Doesn't that sound awful?  Not the show, just the overdosing on TV habit.  Who am I?
• Ran
• Read The Good Earth.  Not finished yet.  Darn you, Felicity.
• Went to Christine's birthday party at Rachel and Ken's place.  It was lovely, and as always, I'm so grateful to live close to family.

This Week:

• Read The Good Earth
• Run
• Endure happily and patiently Steve's absence until Wednesday.
• Clean the church together
• Mei Li's school fall festival
• The plane pull, hopefully

Favorite Thing: Friday evening.  Steve came home from work at a decent hour and we all played outside together for a while.

Vanessa

Last week:

• Volunteered at Devin's class
• Ran out of gas on the way there
• Taught Devin a Beethoven song (his piano teacher is gone for the month so I'm flying solo)
• Called ten recommended violin instructors multiple times until I got a positive response (there must be quite a demand in this town)
• Got sick
• Witnessed Devin's excitement as he scored his first soccer goal, he was soooo happy (he gave me about 20 high fives)
• Witnessed Eden's joy as she went up and down the slide at the playground next to Devin's soccer field
• Rented a tiny violin for Devin
• Spent Saturday nite at home w/the kids while Roger enjoyed a Dodger's game with his buddy (I got him box seats for Christmas)
• Walked around our block at nite.

This week:

• Go over basic violin anatomy with Devin
• Take better care of myself
• Motivate children to do jobs promptly
• Watch the Colburn School of Music perform at Ambassador college with Mom and the older kids

Favorite things:  Devin's excitement over his accomplisments, Marina's shoulder rubs, and Eden's frequent hugs-she is so snuggly.

Michiko

Last week:

• Spent some quality time with Amy and Howie and the Tay Team in Yo-so-mighty.  We miss them lots!  I loved the drive back home to Modesto, where Maika and Jackson pretty much talked to each other non-stop.  It's a 2.5 hr drive!  :)  They are good friends, and you can tell how much they miss each other!  I only wish our car was big enough that ALL of us could have fit in it, and we ALL could have been talking non-stop all the way home.

• Pretended I was a photographer, got home and uploaded the pictures, and found out just how much practice I still need!  :(  It was so disappointing.  Thanks to the Taylors who were troopers in the mosquito ridden forest and indulged my desire to work on my craft.  I hope that in 5 years, the ratios will be reversed, and that most of the pics will be in focus, and only a handful are throw-aways.  Beware Ie Li, I am going to get snap happy on your kids!!  :)  (Vanessa already knows, she saw me at Devin's birthday party!)  Maybe by the time my nephews and nieces get married I can be good enough to do engagement photos. ;)

• Did lots of driving on windy roads, watched boys catch grasshoppers for fish bait, completed a puzzle, learned about the Ahwahneechee Indians and the founding of Yosemite as a national park, took in breathtaking views and savored the fresh, mountain air.

• Enjoyed a break from outside stress as our cell phones didn't get ANY reception at the cabin.  Laughed as we drove into Oakhurst and Jeremy and my phones both started chiming with alerts of missed calls, text messages and emails.

This Week:

• Pack for our next adventure - DC for two weeks!  (Anything you need/want from Cali Ie Li?)

• Buy some luggage.

• Book the rental car and hopefully get some tix for Mehiko. 

• Get the boys caught up on the school they missed last week, and get them geared up for the trip!

• Plan a sharing time - mwa-wah.  Do the kids even listen?!  I feel like the Peanuts teacher up there!

Favorite thing(s): Spending time with family, learning some Spanish, and green bean bundles (good call Jackson!)

Ie Ling

Last Week:

• Watched Blake's little brothers football games. The T-Wolves finally pulled out some wins!
• Went to school and work. 
• Started getting into Food Network's: The Great Food Truck Race. I'm extremely disappointed in the Korean BBQ truck who cheated. I wanted them to win. 
• Purchased Season 7 of The Office.
• Went on a date to the dollar theater to watch Zookeeper. Entertaining for a dollar =).
• Had a wonderful time at lunch with Cassie and Jennica. at Einstein's.
• Was in the 4th row of the South Endzone to watch the disappointing game. We did get to see President Uchtdorf though which was really cool. 
• Finally started running again and wondering if I could possibly get in shape for the Halloween Half Marathon in such a short amount of time.

Next Week:

• School
• Work
• Do a 4 mile run at least once this week.
• More football
• Watch the Season Premiere of The Sing-Off! Go BYU Vocal Point!
• Enjoy the start of fall. 

My favorite: Starting up running. Even though I don't LOVE running, it feels really good to be active again. I love you all!

*The West sisters were on Ie Ling's blog last week, but toured private blogs for a few weeks before that.

*Here is the Z sister update on Rachel's blog last week, and on Ana's blog three weeks ago.