Top 5

Today Leonard submitted his list for the top 5 places we'd like to go to for a posting next year. The competition will be steep and if we don't get any of them we're happy to stay in Ottawa for a couple of more years, but we had to at least try. Without further ado, here's the list:
1- Brussels, Belgium (working at NATO)
2- Brussels, Belgium (working at European Union)
3- Berlin, Germany (after one year of language training, so we'd leave 2012)
4- New York, New York (working at United Nations)
5- Canberra, Australia (just for 2 years)

So, if you want to come and visit us in Ottawa make your plans now! We'd also love to have visitors wherever our next adventure takes us!

Back to School, but not back to normal yet

Kaleb and Noe headed off to the first day of third grade the day after Labor Day. We are so excited they are in the same class again, and they are so excited because they have their same teacher as last year too.

Gavin and Teague were so happy when they came back home at the end of the day!

*So we've almost finished 3 weeks of school and I have not been able to get my groove back on. Each week the kids bring home their homework folder on Monday to turn it back in on Friday. Inside they have packets for language arts, math, and cursive. They also have their book club book to read with questions to answer about it and their library books to read. Plus each term they have a big take-home project to do. I am fine with kids bringing home homework of assignments they weren't able to complete in class, but having homework just to teach them "homework habits" I think is so ridiculous!

*I am a believer in extra-curricular activities, but I also am wary of "busy-ness." We have our school-aged children choose one activity to do each school year. Kaleb is doing Taekwondo again, but it now meets twice a week. Noe is back in dance, jazz this time and she also has practices twice a week. They're also on their school's Cross Country team, but their practices are during their lunch break. Plus, we have Cub Scouts, Activity Days, and Young Women activities too.

*Gavin (and Teague) have started a Jolly Phonics class that's once a week with 5 other moms and 8 other children. He is loving it and I am enjoying visiting with the other moms. We're not participating in the Drop-In Center playgroup or the Institute playgroup this year, because I have to have a couple of days each week for housework and laundry, etc (my blog- tee hee). We are still having our weekly play days with the Martin's though and I am so grateful that Mary can pencil us in during her busy week. She's been my sanity relief since Kaleb and Noe were babies!

*I've also started a Hatha Yoga class. The instructor is great, but yoga is not just a form of exercise for her, but it is also her religion. While my body is being tortured I have a little inner chuckle while I'm listening to her chant her Ultimate Reality mantras in her airy-fairy voice. It's great fun! I'm also still participating in Book Club which I love!

*I know all moms struggle with BALANCE issues, but I've been feeling really frustrated lately. I feel like Saturdays are our only "family" days (since the other days of the week belong to someone else- Church, Work, School), but ours are booked until the end of the year. Actually, I feel kind of angry about that. I actually have my own agenda I would like for our family- chores, outings, hobbies, socializing, but I feel like our desires have to always take the back seat to other obligations. Some days I'm ready to run away to a commune so we can home-school and home-church our children, and actually have a voice in our community. The whole "growing" our own bread to be able to eat every day sounds like more worthwhile and simpler work to me too.

Little Cottonwood Canyon

It had been 4 years since our last family photo shoot. I think they turned out pretty cute!

Labor/Labour Day

So, I know I'm living in Canada, but I have to spell my English words with an American accent still- ha ha! We drove down Rockcliffe Parkway to take some pictures by the lovely Ottawa River. Our last day to wear white until next spring.

Through every time and season, I'm glad I get to spend it with these guys!

Week 10- The End

Even though I tried to stop it, the last week of summer vacation came and went. Before I get to the highlights of the week, I missed a very important highlight from week 9...


...Our new niece, Chloe Ann was born! Congrats to big brother, Conner and to mom & dad, Lacey and Clint!!

I had grand expectations for a week filled with play dates for the kids, but the best entertainment they got this week was...

...lots of time playing on the computer. Oh how they love Poptropica, Webkinz, Club Penguin, I could go on and on. They are quite the little addicts, so we have to have scheduled computer time so they do other stuff too- tee hee.


Ontario is NOT too awesome for me! I am quite fed up with this province actually! We got our van last summer after it sat at customs for a month, so it was just coming up to its one year of registration. However, here it doesn't matter when you registered your vehicle, it always expires on the owner's birthday. Whoops! Len's birthday was back in June and we NEVER received a renewal notice in the mail. I know it is our responsibility to keep on top of all of these dates, but you know how well we do that (passports ring a bell?). So yes, I got pulled over by Mr. Chips and got a big fat $110 ticket- seriously? I wasn't breaking any other law! Argh!!!


We didn't have to buy school supplies in Taiwan, and I thought it would be so fun to do that after we were back in Canada. Well the novelty didn't last long, and this year I just saw it as another chore to do. We had EIGHTEEN different types of items to purchase with multiple quantities of each item needed, BESIDES clothes, shoes, indoor shoes, backpacks, lunch boxes, water bottles, does the list ever end? To also get ready for school we scrubbed the house from top to bottom and Leonard gave father's blessings to each of the children.


I did get a nice little getaway to Montreal though. I went up to the Temple with my friends Mary, Marsha, and Catherine. I realized it was my third Thursday in a row serving in the Temple. I wish I could keep the weekly tradition up, but it's an 8 hour excursion there and back.

I also got to Book Club that I had missed for a while. My friend lent me The Hunger Games and I read it in 2 days. It's a terrible story actually- to see how horrible a Government can treat its Citizens, but it's so good! I'm now anxiously waiting to read Catching Fire.

We had our monthly get together with the Cameron's and Martin's and we made up some Waldorf Chicken Salad and Egg Salad for sandwiches, corn on the cob, roast potatoes, and baked beans. I wanted one last summer hurrah. After we put the kids to bed we stayed up and played Gift Trap and Hoopla. I'm so grateful for our adopted family, but it also makes me miss our extended family so badly.

On the last day of vacation we watched one of my favorite childhood movies, Summer Magic starring Hayley Mills. Why can't I live in an era where I can wear huge bows in my hair?

All in all our summer was magical and we're ready to start another school year. Good luck to you and yours!

Week 9- The Trek

I was very fortunate that I got to travel with the youth from our Ward down to Palmyra, New York and Kirtland, Ohio to tour some special Church History sites.

The "Jennifer"s- Jen, Jenn, and Jenni (we missed you Genny!)

It was a little stormy outside, but nice and peaceful inside the Palmyra Temple where the youth performed baptisms for the dead.

The young women and young men took turns performing baptisms and visiting the Joseph Smith farm.

This is a replica of the log cabin where his family lived when he was a young man.

I'm so thankful for my kitchen full of appliances!

The trees behind the field are referred to as the Sacred Grove. This is where Joseph first saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

This is the original frame house that Joseph's brother Alvin started to build. Unfortunately, he died before it was finished, but this is where Joseph began translating the gold plates into the Book of Mormon.

I'm also so grateful for my comfy king-size bed!

We had the cutest Sister and Couple Missionaries as our tour guides at all of the sites.

After we left Palmyra we drove through Pennsylvania and Ohio to arrive at our campsite in Punderson State Park. This was the young women's camp, while the young men's camp was a good 5 minute hike away.

We began the next day at the Community of Christ's Visitor's Center. They are the current owners of the Kirtland Temple. This was the first Temple built in this dispensation and many sacred events happened in this building. There is a sign that says believers and unbelievers are both welcome.

The huge group shot! We had 17 young women, 24 young men, 4 female chaperones, 11 male chaperones, and 1 bus driver for a grand total of 57 people!!

Some youth from the Riverside Ward were able to join us. It was really nice getting to know Nina and Anne-Marie too!

We went to the Historical Kirtland Visitor's Center to eat lunch and have a tour. It is a darling little village that has homes, stores, schools, and a hotel. This is the Newel K. Whitney Store where the revelation on the Word of Wisdom was received.

I loved seeing all of the goods on display. My favorites were the punched tin lanterns, the blue bow-tie,

and the blue shoes with the bows on the toes!

We left Kirtland and ventured out to the John Johnson farm which is the tragic site where Joseph was tarred and feathered, which incident caused his baby son to die from the exposure that night. It's also a sacred place where the Three Degrees of Glory were revealed.

The carriage house was attached to the house around back, and I just loved how lush the flower beds all were. We went to the chapel next door to eat dinner and then finished the evening with a very powerful testimony meeting. We weren't in an ornate Cathedral, we were just sitting in the chapel overflow area, but the Spirit was so strong and you could feel love almost tangibly.

We ventured to the young men's camp to make S'mores and while we were there Jenni and Amaru learned they could both fit in Jenni's dad's pajamas- ha ha!

Heather was my awesome tent-mate and a great chaperone! We had to put up with some pesky young men who took the poles out of our tent one night- great memories though!

Our last day of the trip was spent driving back and it was soooo long, but we finally made it. The tents were wet so we had to set them up in the gym to dry before we could go home. I think the trip was a wonderful success! Now the kids are asking when we can go to Nauvoo...