Arriving in California

Jetlag is a BUMMER

It was worse than usual coming this way. I didn't have Tally's help so if one kid woke up, so would the other because they both wanted to sleep with mom. So we woke up at 2:30, 3:30, 4:00, 4:30 etc. Kelsey was stuck waking up at 3:30am for several nights and I'm SO glad that is finally over! Almost two weeks later I finally feel caught up. Here are some of the things we've been up to since arriving in California, while missing DADDY.

Napped on the couch (all of us have fallen asleep on the couch at some point this week)

My mom took some time off work and we were able to spend some quality time with her this week. We had several sunny days and it was nice to get out and hike, go to the park, and drive with the windows down.

Played with cousins
Two moms, 4 kids, 6+ hours of shopping
Are we crazy? Yes. Was it fun? Surprisingly, YES!

Bought new clothes. Anyone been to the girls section of Target lately? HELLO. SO cute. Being back in the land of plenty is dangerous.

Playdate with my best friend from high school, Chelsea, and her two girls. Turns out the girls wanted to 'clean the house.' Umm...OK! It was SO great to be able to catch up with Chels - we talked as if no time had passed even though our lives have changed drastically since high school!

Grandpa pulled a 'Jessie in college' move and put dishwashing liquid in the dishwasher instead of detergent (he's been a bit stressed lately taking care of grandma - she just had major back surgery). Kelsey had fun playing with the BUBBLES and CLEANING it up.

I set Aiden down in this plastic tub for a second while I did something (I didn't want him to fall over backwards on the tile). It didn't take Kelsey long to turn it into a car for Aiden. He was terrified and thrilled all at the same time.

Bowling with Mimi

Enjoying snacks in an American style high chair

For all you Tally fans out there, I just heard his VOICE and had an actual conversation with him for the first time in two weeks. It was wonderful. He is safe, exhausted, and flying back to Zurich tomorrow. I know my posts have been completely random but I wanted Tal to be able to see some recent pics of the kids. I have SO many, TOO many blog drafts right now and with BOTH parents working every day this week, I doubt I'll get ahead of it. I'm just happy to be here in mostly SUNNY California. 

Kelsey's Latest

Kelsey is now fully potty-trained, day and night. My Cousin In Law (CIL) Holly told me they just woke her up before they went to bed and put her on the toilet. So far, that has worked for us. No accidents since the second week of potty-training. We're now on week 4. Woo-hoo! It makes her a lot more grown up in my eyes.

{she peed the bed the night after I wrote this - but I forgot to take her before I went to bed}.

Fancy Nancy is a favorite on and off the potty

Potty Training is a family affair

little bum is wearing undies now!

The babies need to go potty too

We love Dora

Kelsey is also dressing herself now. She usually puts things on backwards, on the wrong feet, or upside down 90% of the time. Shouldn't it be 50/50? It's cute though. 

This was her prize for filling up her sticker chart with 50 stickers! 

She loves putting makeup on Ariel and doing her hair. 

On January 1st, we got rid of the binky. Actually, it "broke." We cut off the end and she found it "broken." When she found it I was almost in tears - I know how much comfort it brings her and how much she loves it. She laughed about the whole thing, and then got a little quiet about it, while trying to put it back together. Once that failed, she threw it away all on her own. She asked for it a few times after that, even asked for a new one once, but was mostly okay. Bedtimes and naptimes were a bit more difficult, she had to re-train herself to go back to sleep. Sometimes she still wakes up and one of us has to help her go back to sleep.

She is really starting to memorize songs, books, etc. I love how she emphasizes the last word of each line. Favorite Songs: Jingle Bells, I love to see the temple, and Happy Birthday.

She just wanted to add a letter...

Favorite Words/Sayings:
Actually (ex. "that's my baby brother, actually.")
Oh My Goodness
Opala!
The other day Kelsey told me, "Mom, I want to be baptized." I wasn't sure I heard her right and asked her to say it again. She said it again. Then she asked Aiden if he wanted to be baptized. I told her only daddy could baptize her or Aiden, when they are eight (I don't want her to try to baptize Aiden in the bath or something). She said, "oh, eight. I'm EIGHT!" I started a list of her sayings on the right sidebar because it's easier to write them down that way.

I had a CD of church hymns playing in the car on Sunday and she said, "are these church songs (remembered from last Sunday)?" I told her yes, they were church songs. She said, "I love them."

We're working on saying the "K" correctly in her name (Jessi, I may need your help with this one) . She can say K just fine and make a "ka" sound. Put when trying to attach it to her name, it becomes Selsey. She hits the roof of her mouth with her tongue instead of saying it from her throat. When she does get it right, she tilts her head back to get the Kay sound out. It's really cute to watch her trying so hard.

She thinks "monsters" are so cool and loves when Tally calls me the "Momster." She doesn't get why that's funny.
She loves to go hiking and sledding, especially with dad. Hiking for her consist of walking around for a bit and then being carried in the backpack. We climbed the Uetliberg as a family a few weekends ago and man was it a work out! I was so sore for the next 3 days. It was so nice to get outside and enjoy the cold (I know, oxy moron) and the views and to accomplish something together. It makes me wish I could go to Kilimanjaro. Unfortunately, my camera was out of batteries when I went to take the first picture - shouldn't I know better by now?

This is one of my favorite books. Latley it is her' s too.

Dora's never boring, unless you're really tired

Lucky we put the coffee table there!

She loves to color and does it at least once a day.

She was coloring every day until she did this

She was grounded from coloring for a day. The next time I found chewed up orange crayon in Aiden's crib, on my floor, dried onto my mirror. So she was grounded again. When I found her with BLACK crayon in her mouth, on the floor, all over the table, on her clothes, then on my clothes...she got a spank. And she hasn't chewed up the crayons since.

She jumps off of about anything, anywhere, anytime

She still loves her fingernails and toes painted (what girl doesn't, besides my grandma?) This time she decided to paint mine too - and then her own! AH!

What a treat! We made brownies for daddy right before she went to bed.

Having two kids can be a lot of fun. I love when they play and laugh together. But I hate when there are tears. Kelsey loves Aiden so much, but loves him too rough. She will tackle him, pick him up by his head, push him over when he's sitting up, or ride him like a horse when he is trying to crawl. This leads to frequent time outs and distractions. Aiden is pretty durable.

Showing brother how to be a superhero with soft blocks

She has a fear of dogs (as is common at this age) but after a couple hours at Stef & David's with Andra, she would cautiously pet her back and then run. Too bad we wont be in Switzerland to take dog safety training!

She is always building "castles" and likes to play blocks with daddy when he comes home from work.

Kelsey the photographer

Her favorite activity is to take my camera and go around the house taking pictures. We have some funny videos from this - it's scary when you see yourself from your kids' perspective!

More to come from Christmas, current, & a vacation we took almost one year ago....

No Cancer After All

I got an email from Tal's doctor in Zurich today. They did another examination of the tissue from his arm and they have determined it was a benign tumor and not Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans after all! I guess I could be bugged about the misdiagnosis but I'm just SO relieved. The funny part is that Tal doesn't know it yet. He's still in the middle of Africa on an animal safari. I'm not jealous or anything ;). 

Thank you all for your fasting, prayers, thoughts, and kind words. We felt it all the way in Switzerland, Africa & California. Although it was scary at times, Tally and I were both blessed with a very calm feeling throughout. Now if he can just get back from Africa safely, I'll be able to breathe again. 

Update from Tanzania, Africa

As many of you know, Tal flew to AFRICA the day before we flew back to the US (we're moving back to Utah, but the kids & I are staying with my family in California while Tal is gone). We have been thinking about him all day and night since the moment he left.


He left on Wednesday of last week and today, Wednesday, one week later, we finally heard from him!!


Here's how the first email started (I'm sure he'd love me sharing this):


"I had some struggles but I made it and the entire mountain was beautiful (especially the top - but that also had to do with the fact that it meant I didn't have to climb up any more that day)


We are leaving on Safari now.  Sorry I couldn't get skype working. 

I try again next time I have Internet."

I know that everyone made it to the summit and they've got a story to tell. I can't wait to hear more and see pictures. I got a call on my mom's cell from him, which was awesome, I got to hear his voice. Unfortunately, I couldn't understand a word he said. It cut out most of the time so I understood something like this:

"Hon-----you----eah-----------so c----t---------ob--------------------we----------" 

I was just so excited to hear his voice - however broken up - I stayed talking to him for a good few minutes. I guess he could hear me, which was good. Too bad Kelsey was sleeping. I also got a few calls from him tonight but it never went through. Big Bummer. I feel very grateful that he is okay, that everyone is okay, and that I have such a wonderful husband. Being without him makes me realize even more how much I love him. 

My friend Jessi, who's husband Jacob is on the trip with Tally, sent me their itinerary. So for those who are interested, I've pasted it below. 

February 17^th Arrive Kilimanjaro International Airport where you will be met by Tanzania Journeys representative and transferred to your hotel in Moshi. Briefing with  guide to prepare you for the climb ahead. Overnight at Sal Salinero Hotel
February 18^th We will be picked up from the hotel and transferred toMachame Route via Machame Gate (5,905 ft). From the gate we commence a walk (6-8 hours) through thick mountain forest to Machame Hut (9,842ft). At Machame hut camp is set for dinner and overnight stay.
February 19th After breakfast we slowly start trekking (4-6 hours) through the moor land zone, enjoying superb views of Shira Plateau and Mount Meru, an extinct volcano. Dinner and overnight stay at Shira Hut (12,598 ft).
February 20th Depart Shira Hut in the morning taking the path which rises up gradually towards the Kibo peak, after reaching the wedge, Buttress point, the path drops down to the Barranco Hut (6 hours walking). Dinner and overnight stay at Barranco Hut (12,960 ft).


February 21st Leave slowly crossing the floor of the great Barranco Valley and up the Barranco wall; continue the trek on the South Circuit path through the Karanga Valley. Then slowly trek (7 hours) to Barafu Hut (15,091 ft) from Barafu you will have excellent views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. Barufu Hut is situated on an exposed and dangerous ridge, so it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the terrain before dark. Rest and prepare for summit night. Dinner and overnight stay at Barafu Hut.

February 22nd A midnight start to conquer the highest point in Africa. This section of the route is considered one of the steepest on the non-technical paths of Kilimanjaro. It is a 6-7 hour hike to Stella Point (18,815 ft) in order to see the sunrise. From Stella Point it is a 1 hour to Uhuru Peak (19,340 ft) and the roof of Africa. We then descend down to Mweka Hut for dinner and overnight stay.

February 23^rd   An easy day walking to Mweka gate where a waiting vehicle will transfer   

you to  your hotel. Overnight stay at Sal Salinero Hotel.

February 24^th   Depart for Lake Manyara National Park with picnic lunch, game drive until late afternoon.Lake Manyara is tucked beneath the Rift Valley wall. A thin green band of forest flanked by the 1900 feet of sheer high red and brown cliffs of the escarpment and the shores of the soda lake which gives name to the park. Famous for its tree-climbing lions, Manyara features nearly 400 different species of bird, red-billed quelea, pelicans, comorants and thousands of flamingos. Drive  to Migunga Camp for dinner and overnight
February 25^th After breakfast drive to Serengeti, game drive en route with picnic lunch.  The legendarySerengeti is the archetypal safari destination and is renowned for its wealth of leopard and lion. Dinner and overnight at Seronera Camp.
February 26^th After breakfast discover the Serengeti plain with a full day tour.  Serengeti, meaning ‘endless plains’, is home to the annual migration of more than a million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle undertaking their long trek to new grazing grounds. The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest on earth. Dinner and overnight at Seronera Camp.
February 27^th  Early morning game drive, come back for breakfast, we then proceed with game drive until lunch.  After lunch, we drive to Ngorongoro via Oldupai Gorge. The Oldupai Gorge provides evidence of the earliest signs of mankind, where hominid footprints are preserved in volcanic rock 3,600,000 years old. Ngorongoro Crater is the world largest caldera measuring 1900 feet in depth and covering 150 square miles in area. Transfer back to Kilimanjaro to be ready for the race. 
February 28^th  Half Marathon in Kilimanjaro. CALL HIS WIFE.
March 1^st             Fly back to Switzerland.


When Tal flies back to Switzerland he will work from there for a week or two and then meet me in Cali. After a weekend of sun and Beanscene, we will fly to SLC to start anew. 

Tal - we're so proud of you for summitting and being such a stud! You're the best husband/daddy and we hope you see lots of cool animals on your safari and take lots of pictures! Kelsey keeps asking about you and wants to know, "where does daddy live?" 

A Fun Day with Jessi & the kids

My friend Jessi drove out with her two kids (and she's pregnant) to say goodbye and spend some time together! The kids had a great time playing together but the highlight for me was the girls night out! Thanks Jessi, it meant a lot to me and it was so fun.

The kids had fun taking pictures with mom's camera. Here's a sample of pictures that Kelsey took. It really kept them busy and allowed a good amount of talking time for me & Jessi.

Then we headed down to the Baar pool - boy did we have our hands full! Kelsey and Abram are at a good age for water feature pool, which is where we spent most of the time. Then we ventured out to the bigger kids pool for some real swimming. After an hour and a half, the kids were tired and ready for a nap!

Or cookie decorating. Jessi brought sugar cookies and frosting and we decorated cookies for our friends, after eating some ourselves of course. They were SO yummy.

When Tally got home, we put the kids to bed and left to have ladies night at Cafe Felix in Zurich (I highly recommend it). It was so great to have uplifting conversation about all the wonderful things in our lives. We kept having to stop ourselves from talking too much about our kids.

Jessi and I went up to the gorgeous display of pastries and picked out 4 dishes for 3 of us. Jennifer hadn't had dinner yet so she got a delicious omelet (of course I had to taste it) and we each got a hot chocolate because that's what the place is known for. We stuffed ourselves full. 

I think we finished off even more than this

The next morning, Jessi and the kids headed back to Geneva while Kels, Aiden & I headed off to our appointments for the day. I wished it could have lasted longer, but real life must go on. 

Doesn't this look a bit like a prom picture pose?


CHEESY & CUTE!