Lucy's Birthday Party

Lucy's 4th birthday is coming up and she had a birthday party to celebrate!

The kids chose their frosting color, mixed it and frosted and decorated their cupcakes. I love that we got Lucy's cousin Eve in the background mischeiviously pulling everything out of the drawers and cupboards while we had our backs turned. 

Todd's card had a list of 4 things that Todd Loves about Lucy. Here is his list:
1. She has toys.
2. She has pretty hair.
3. She is nice to me.
4. She makes me laugh.

I will agree with Todd. Lucy is beautiful inside and out. She is nice to those around her and always has a laugh to share. Her name means light and she is just that- a light. She is learning how to read. She enjoys making cards for people and does it all day long. I receive about 5 letters from her per day. She also enjoys going over to her friend Claire, Kiley or Loralei's house or to have a friend over to play. She is a wonderful big sister to her little sister Joy and also great friends with her older sisters, Leila and Amelia. She has so much love inside her and it shows in the way that she treats others and has a good time. I love that girl soooooooo much! Happy Birthday Lucy, sweetheart!

Science Fair and Winter Festival

Every year it is a tradition for the girls' school to have a science fair and winter gathering. Science Fair, potluck dinner (we skipped that part this year), and then my favorite part is the singing. The children all go outside and hold candles. One candle is lit and then the child lights their neighbor's candle and so forth until all of the candles are lit. It is quite beautiful and then the children sing some songs.

Leila with her class's Science Fair Project on the water cycle.

Joaquin lighting Amelia's candle.

Amelia lighting Saisurya's candle. 

Amelia.

Leila with her friend Lea. 

Leila, Amelia and school mates singing "This Little Light of Mine" at the Winter Gathering. A tradition at the school. 

Aerospace Museum of California

Yesterday was Sacrmamento's Annual Free Museum Day. We chose the Aerospace Museum of California. It was an amazing museum with tons to see and do. I could not believe the amount of airplanes, missles, jeeps, space suits, ejection seats etc that we got to see. I just could not capture how cool this place was with pictures. My favorite part was standing inside this big old military plane and seeing where the paratroopers would hook up and jump out of the plane. It was a history becomes more real moment for me. 

Amelia and Lucy

Lucy and Amelia

Lucy and Amelia

Leila, Amelia and Lucy ready for take off!

Amelia and Leila

Leila and Amelia

Amelia in that old plane that I was talking about with the paratroopers. 

Leila

Lucy

Amelia

Joy coloring an airplane picture. 

Lucy and Amelia

Joy at the playground afterward. 

And before going to bed that night Lucy was talking to me about how she was going to get to Mars. She came up with the idea that when she gets on an airplane she will tell the pilot to take her to Mars. Then she cheered, "Woohoo!" while jumping all around her room! They plan on a mission to Mars in 2034 (I think)- will Lucy be part of the crew? We shall see.

Weekly Living

The girls cuddling in the hallway.

Amelia painting Joy's nails.

Nail Painting Party!

Joy and Lexi

Joy with the neigbor's dog. They are pretty good through the fence friends.

Lucy on the rope swing with her friend Claire.

Highlights of the week: A stock up trip to Sam's Club, a visit to see their cousins Todd and Eve and Aunt Amy, a Primary Talent Show, Leila and Amelia had a sing and dance class after school, friends and neighbors over to play, the kids' friend Carter was put in the hospital... oh and I pled with some teenagers in the library parking lot to stop smoking, then we saw then 2 hours later when we parked right next to them in the McDonalds parking lot. I did feel like a slight hypocrite because, well, McDonalds will kill ya too.

Random Pics of our Life

The girls were putting on a Living Room show for us of the musical Annie and they decided that they needed a Miss Hanagin. They dressed up their cousin Todd. What a good sport. 

Lucy shopping at Trader Joe's with her friend Claire. 

Lucy watching a movie with her cousin, Todd. 

Lucy, Joy and Amelia hanging out in the kitchen afterschool. 

Joy and her friend Lexi. We have started watching her part time.  Here they are checking each other out on the first day. So far so good. 

Amelia doing a job at Watch Me Work Night at her school. What a great place to be! 

Joy all fancied up with Amelia and Leila's jewelry box jewelry.

Sick with the stomach flu. All six of us ended up getting it in one week's time. Whew! We made it through!

Joy and Lucy at the park getting some fresh air before heading to the library. 

Joy in a giant hat. She insisted on leaving it on even when it got in her way.

Joy at the playground. 

Happy Chinese New Year!

First we stopped in our old neighborhood on Esmeralda Street. The girls and I walked down the street. It was totally nostalgic, we have so many memories in that house and in that neighborhood. It was slightly odd that we couldn't just go inside the house and if we did everything would be diferent in there. Then we headed a little further south to international market place I think is what they are calling that area now. It was a little shifty, but an awesome outing. I loved seeing all the different Chinese foods that Sam and I had grown accustomed to when we lived in Taiwan. 

Empire Mine State Historical Site

"The Empire Mine is the site of the oldest, largest, and richest gold mine in California. From 1850 to its closing in 1956, it produced 5.8 million ounces of gold.This 5.8 million ounces of gold would fill a box 7 feet on each side. It is estimated that this represented only 20% of the available gold...80% remains. The Park contains many of the original mine buildings, the owners cottage and the restored gardens and grounds as well as the entrance to 367 miles (the equivalent of a round trip from Grass Valley to San Jose) of abandoned and flooded shafts and tunnels. The park consists of 845 acres of forested back country and 12 miles of trails for hikers, bikers and horseback riders. "( www.Empiremine.org )