7 Years Old

At some point while we were getting adjusted to the time change in Russia.......Jojo turned 7!

1 Month Old

1 Year Old

2 Years Old

3 Years Old 

(His picture with the Pooh Bear was on a non digital camera so it is not in the computer).

4 Years Old

5 Years Old

6 Years Old

7 Years Old

Good Times, Good Friends

We absolutely love the Davis and Smith family.  I have blogged about them before and it is so neat to see how our friendship keeps growing (including the kiddos!).  One of the hardest things about ministering overseas is having to say good-bye to good friends.  It makes me sad when I think that I won't be able to watch my friends kids grow up.  It makes me even sadder that if they go through any trials (this family is no stranger to trials) that we won't be there for them.  So, we just try our hardest to enjoy the little time we get to spend together and make it count.

Celebrating Jojo's birthday with a  yummy ice cream cake.

Jojo gets a little silly when people start singing the birthday song.

Such cutie pies!

Just the men.

Now the ladies.

I Heart G.H.

I absolutely love the city I grew up in.  We moved to Granada Hills

in 1980 and it is all I know.  I have on occasion been referred to as a

valley girl and it is a title that I will gladly take on!  I love walking 

around Chatsworth St. where this sign is and seeing all the familiar

spots and stores such as the Jack In The Box my friends and I would

go to in Jr. High after school, the liquor store where I would go buy

candy, the Karate studio where I took lessons, the hair salon where I 

got my hair done for prom and for my wedding, Stein Mart which used

to be the U.A. movie theaters which is where my friends and I hung out

every Friday night, Rite-Aid which used to be Thrifty's where I'd buy ice 

cream and where my Jr. High friend Alexis stole a picture of River Phoenix 

from one of those teen magazines and I thought we'd totally get arrested.

Chatsworth Street is literally a trip down memory lane for me!

We just noticed this past summer that this tribute 

to veterans was put in not too far from my mom's 

home. 

Here is the statue closer up.  There are bricks on the

ground that people have purchased right in front of

the statue.  

DAYS 253 - 259

 

DAY 259  Nathan loves to line his cars up.

  

DAY 258  It has been just beautiful outside lately.

  

DAY 257 Jojo enjoying his chocolate milk and hanging out in our courtyard.

  

DAY 256  Came home from a meeting and my hubby

put together my nightstand!  

  

DAY 255  Harvest Sunday and I forgot our camera!  AUGH!  At 

least we had the cell phone camera.

  

DAY 254  On the way home from Jon's retreat the men saw this 

truck on fire.  Jon says as you drove by you could feel the heat.

  

DAY 253  Jon went away to a retreat by the Volga River.

DAYS 246 - 252

 

DAY 252  Our little homeschool nook.

 

 

DAY 251  Praying for a missionary each day. 

  

DAY 250  Jojo's friends drying out.

 

DAY 249  First day of First grade.

  

DAY 248 Coming home from the market.

  

DAY 246  The boys enjoying a little treat at McD's!

 

DAY 245  Jojo's first sleepover at our home........the boys playing some Wii.

The Senate Chamber

It was really interesting to see where laws are proposed, discussed,

and voted on.  

A beautiful portrait of Washington.

These desks were built in the 1860s!  

The Rotunda

My favorite part of the Capitol is probably the rotunda.  On the first floor there is a beautiful statue of Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella of Spain.  Aside from the actual dome, this statue was probably my next favorite thing.

The rotunda soars 120 feet up!

Looking down.....I love the tile!

Looking up!

DAYS 239 - 245

DAY 245  My little helper

DAY 244  Trying to keep the boys awake

DAY 243  The light switch to the bathrooms is 

up too high.  Whenever the boys have to go to the

bathroom one of us always has to come and turn 

the light on.......so we got a stool.  Nay nay doesn't

quite reach the switch though.

DAY 242 Happy Birthday Jojo!  Enjoying french toast with all

the fixings!

DAY 241  Trying to stay awake so Nay nay is

helping me unpack.

DAY 240  Trying to stay awake.......so painful.

DAY 239  Our gate in Frankfurt......just a few hours away from

Samara!

California State Capitol

On our way home from Oregon we stayed overnight in Sacramento just a couple of miles from the Capitol Building.  It was on our itinerary to stop by and visit and I am so glad we did.  I love California and I can't believe I have never been to the Capitol building.  It is a beautiful building on the outside and the inside.

Construction began on the building in 1860 and lasted 14 years.