Our LUCKY Day!

March 17, 1988 was our lucky day!

Happy Birthday Heather!

From the time ye were a wee little lass,

ye have brought joy and blessings to our family!

Thanks for being you!

PS. Sorry this post is late! We have been slightly overwhelmed by a stomach flu at our house this week...

Going Gluten Free!!!

We were all tested for celiac disease this week. Sarah and Amy tested positive. We are excited to discover new foods and to try new ways of making old favorites gluten free. We are hoping the girls feel better and can avoid any future problems that celiac could cause. The Olsens have been here for a couple days so Celestia can have eye surgery and they have given us lots of support and good ideas. (and we have had a great time together!) Heather has learned a lot since being diagnosed about a year ago and feels great now. She has helped alot and is a super example. We hope her positive attitude is contageous! Please share any recipes or suggestions you have! Thanks!

Rolling into Spring!

No school yesterday! It was the end of the Winter Trimester and so we had a teacher prep day in our district. To celebrate, we went out for pizza and roller skating at the Fun Park in Logan. Since school was in session there, we had the whole place to ourselves. We had a great time! Some are getting to be very good skaters. A couple decided that next time they may just enjoy the big slippery dance floor, music, and lights in their stockings and skip the roller blades!

Orchestra Concert

Rebecca had an Orchestra concert last week. It was amazing to hear thier progress. They played "Main Street March" and "At the Grasshopper Ball" and it was great! Papa and Nana happened to be on their way from CA to ID and were able to join us for the concert. We had a fun, quick visit and enjoyed the music. For anyone that missed the concert and would like a personal recital, just ask Rebecca! She is an awesome violinist, just like her big sisters! :)

Janelle is Back!

Janelle just got back from a trip to California with her high school orchestra. They went with the chior, band, drama, and color-guard, so she had lots of friends there with her. They traveled trhough the night by bus then spent 4 days seeing the sights. She was so excited to see sunshine and palm trees! She LOVED Disney Land and the Midieval Times Dinner. They also had music clinics and performed at California Adventures Park. After another long night on the bus they got back to Tremonton Sunday morning. We missed her every minute, but are so glad she could have a great trip!

By the way... While she was gone she got a phone call saying she had won an essay contest on
"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." She entered the contest just to get a few points of extra credit in her AP History class and ended up with a $100 first prize! Congrats Janelle!!!

Cold Hands, Warm Hearts!

WE WENT SLEDDING ON JACK RABBITT HILL ON VALENTINES DAY!

Meet Rosario

This is our special friend Rosario. We met her through "Save the Children". She lives with her family in an adobe home in Mariscal Sucre Bolivia. She is 9 years old. She has 4 sisters and 2 brothers. We sponsor her so she is able to attend school in Ororu. She is a sweet, quiet little girl. We regularly email her and recieve letters, photographs and drawings from her. It has been such a fun experience for our family.

We have learned a bit about Bolivia. One thing that is fun for us, is that although it is summer there while it is winter here, it is the very same time of day as Utah. It is fun to be able to picture her eating breakfast, going to school, and helping with chores at the same time that we are! Bolivia is a very poor country. Here are a few interesting facts:

Population: 8.9 million

Life Expectancy: 64 years

Births attended by skilled health professionals: 67%

Under 5 Mortality Rate: 69 per 1000 live births

Population under 15: 38%

Population with sustainable access to improved sanitation: 46%

Population with sustainable access to improved water source: 85 %

Sponsoring Rosario and learning more about her life has really been a great experience for our family! It has helped us better appreciate our own blessings and opportunities. It has also made us wish we could do more to help more children.