First Soccer Game!

Not long into the first game . . . Z got a goal! YEA!!! I had just gotten my camera out but was telling my girls there was friend over on the side - so I didn't have my camera ready! Sorry! I quickly took this picture of him all excited afterwards - he was jumping up and down - - - of course no zoom lense - so you can't see it very well - but the memory counts right . . . (: Z has more skills this year for sure!
The other team had twins from church! Fun to see them out there too!

I love his teammate's style - she loves to wear a skirt to practice and games!

Z had a great game! Fun time!

Here is his buddy and teammate: Mateo! (my friend Elaine's son) (:

Easter Week 2011

Easter came fast to me since I was gone a lot of April already . . . but we still squeezed in a few activities . . . like story hour with a bunny hat craft. (: Our Music Makers group got invited to an egg hunt a local nursing home! Ak found the most eggs and got a prize: one of those pre-wrapped baskets with a lot of fake grass and have a theme - that I have never bought. (: She was excited. (:Then we got to go to Z's class hunt too! It was supposed to be on Friday - but due to a rainy forecast - they moved it to Thursday and we got the word in time - so we made it! (: He had to find 3 eggs with his first name on it - 3 eggs with his last name on it and then any 6. That added a nice twist to the go find 12 eggs hunt! They let Ak do the same! Love the teachers for letting her be included!On Saturday - it rained - so our ward's egg hunt - got moved inside. I felt a little bad till I heard that at my neighbors church - who had a TON of eggs to hide for the community - they just handed eggs to the kids if they stopped by the building that morning.

We had a coloring activity and small craft . . .then some singing time . . . spiritual thought . . . egg hunt in the hallways/classrooms/gym . . . then a snack! It was a fun activity for the kids, even though it was all inside! I wish I had a picture of the girls in their similar new dresses - they were cute! G-pa Paul and G-ma Debbie sent a package with them inside!!! (: (PS we missed you em!)

I wanted the kids to be able to dye eggs of course . . . so Saturday night we finally got to it!!!! (:

Sunday Z and D wore matching ties I brought them back from Taiwan!!! (:

The girls got matching dresses I got on sale last summer while in Colorado! I've been excited to give them to them since then!

D's mom came to eat dinner with us! I was so glad she came because she made our dinner special. AJ got sick so she couldn't make it. She took this picture of us. Of course she brought presents - but not tons of candy! YEA! Thank you!!!

We are thankful to Jesus Christ and his atonement and resurrection that gives us this time of year to celebrate and spend time together as a family.

Coming Home - April 16

Had to say good-bye to my parents outside the airport - but within minutes - I was through these doors. 

 Soon after customs - I saw this Twaiwan Green wall = the shape of the island made with plants.

 /The other side was 101.

 I studied this map and decided where I wanted to go . . . I had time and hadn't spent anytime looking at things before - so it worked!

Found these statues made with scrap parts.

 A whole Hello Kitty World. . .

I didn't make it to the Flor Expo - I'm sure it was great to see - but I got to see lots of other things!

Notice the signs . . . not all have this choice.  (:  Notice which one has a long door on so no one can see you.

 When you want your camera it's up in the lucggage compartment in the ceiling compartment.  When you have your camera out and ready - the view isn't as impressive.  But that's flying and leaving Japan.

 And landing in the good ol' USofA!!!!

Great trip!!!  I"m so glad I got to go!!!  I'm grateful to D and my friends for covering me with my responsibilites in watching our 3 kids.  Thanks to my Dad for the time and effort he spent making plans and guiding us around.  We did some great things and it was nice to not worry about the details - he did all that!!!  I had never been to an Asian country and it was an experience!!!  The people are nice and good.   Walking next to the bay on Saturday, hiking in the National Park on Monday, and biking around the lake  on Tuesday were my favorite things we did.   I am impressed with my parents and all their abilities.  Thanks for a great week!!!

Day 8 - April 15

We took the time to walk to get breakfast.

I passed on the "tofu" warm milk - I was told it makes you infertile (that's why their birthrate is declining - so one person's  theory goes) - so I was tempted - but I still said no.

The egg wrap was delicioius - I could eat it daily!  (:  I think it cost around $1 = good deal!

View from the temple president's apartment building.

We got invited out to eat.  We went to a very nice Italian place - this was one of the appetizers - smoked salmon.   I liked it more than I thought I might.  Then we went to their apartment and had "dessert" - fruit and chocolate truffles.  It was the first time I'd been offered chocolate in a week - so I ate a couple of them!!!  (:  Although the pinapple was SO GOOD!!!!!!!!  He said he's been told Taiwan has the best pinapple in the world?  I'd love to be paid to test that theory - it was good!

They carry anything on a moped here!  (:  I had to take a picture!

See that faint TALL building in the background?  It was a hazy day so it's hard to see, but that's Taipei 101.  The building ranked officially as the world's tallest  from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Duabai in 2010.  On a clear day it looks like this towering over the huge city.  I think the haze kept me from burning in bright sunlight - so I didn't complain about the not clear view.

We stopped at a bike shop - my dad considered buying this fold up bike!

My parents door into their apartment looks massive.

 This is the closest Buddhist temple to my parent's house.  They are everywhere - big or small.

 Dinner at this "50" place - that's what it cost - which is about $1.75 I think???  Good deal!!! (It was bigger than the picture portrays).    You got to chose 3 sides with 1/2 plate of rice and a meat - I got fish - it was a tad overbreaded - but all tasty.   My mom wanted to take me to all the places near their apartment - so we had to squeeze in 3 meals out today.  No complaints from me - that means no dishes to wash at home!

We went went on a subway - it wouldn't let me attach the picture I wanted - strange - but it let me attach this one of my parents standing in the lines so the passengers getting off have the middle clear.  

 We went to a free concert on the other side of town.  It was okay - the man had a good voice and the pianist was good.   Some missionaries were offened at his take on American History - but my parents and I enjoyed their talent and didn't focus on the other stuff. 

A rare site . . . empty subway path. 

 I didn't take a picture of my parents walking hand in hand - but I noticed it a lot.  At first, I was like, ahhh still in love.  (:  And while that might be true - after being on such crowded streets and underground stations - my second thought was that they do for safety.  Not to be seperated!  And on my last day there I realized I didn't have my dad's cell phone # or their address . . . had I gotten seperated - I wouldn't know where to go or how to contact them.  I'm glad I never lost them!