Our Little Corner of the World

Christmas 2019

2019-12-28T22:52:00.002-05:00

A very blessed year ended with a fitting Christmas. I always love taking my lighting test shots with Dan on Christmas Eve.

They know how to ham it up for the Christmas morning photos.

Pikachu is Rosemary's really annoying obsession. Good thing for Santa, because we definitely didn't want this thing in our house! She got Pika PJs too and was disappointed they weren't real clothes, but we don't think we can do that to her teacher and other people she encounters.

Fluffy penguin socks!

Dan's mom made a calendar just like this before she had kids and then they used it every year when Dan and Nicole were growing up. She (Andrea) helped me make a replica years ago so Dan and Nicole could each have one. Several years ago, mice chewed up a lot of the calendar and it has been sitting in storage ever since. I *finally* repaired it as a gift for Dan. It isn't in perfect shape, but the remaining scars will help us remember its story.

Claire is in that great stage where she stops to play with her toys before opening another.

The one day Claire watched commercials all year, she saw this Nail Glam set. I was skeptical, but it is actually pretty cool!

Presenting...UGLY CHRISTMAS JAMMIES!! Joann's didn't have enough of 1 fabric for all 6 of us, so we decided to get 6 different fabrics and mix them all differently in every set of pajamas. Dan Christensen and I have some too, they're just not pictured yet. The kids REALLY got into this--especially Ruthie who worked with me to create a custom design for a "matching" top!

1st day of school 2019

2019-09-04T11:26:00.003-04:00

Ready or not, here they come! James: 8th grade but on the 6:30am 9th grade bus for his early math class. Ruthie: 6th grade on the 7:30am bus for her first year of middle school. Rosemary and Claire: 8:30am bus for 1st and 3rd grade. We have bus stop buddies this year! Oh, and Pepper, who has an agenda with all these people outside all morning.

Myrtle Beach Family Photos

2019-09-01T22:24:00.000-04:00

We had such an amazing beach vacation in Myrtle Beach with Grampy and Oumi. It is SO fun having big kids who can play all day, stay up late, and then sleep in (or at least let us sleep in). Our trip is primarily documented via instagram, but here are the formal portraits we took:

Kids Triathlon 2019

2019-07-20T21:19:00.002-04:00

We love participating in this triathlon every year, and it was even better this time having the Jeppson and Abegg cousins here to do it with us. There was a heat advisory today, too which made it an extra challenge, but we beat the hottest part of the day.

The long course:

James (age 13): 34:39 18th out of 56 overall, 14th out of 39 boys 14 and under

Ruthie (age 10): 37:21 27th overall, 5th out of 19 girls 14 and under

Ethan (age 10): 37:20, 26th overall, 22nd out of 39 boys 14 and under

Joseph (age 9): 40:36 39th overall, 30th out of 39 boys 14 and under

The short course:

Claire (age 7): 20:50, 12th out of 72 overall, 3rd out of 33 girls age 14 and under

Rosemary (age 5): 28:33, 50th out of 72, 16th out of 33 girls age 14 and under

Maddie (age 6): 30:39, 60th overall, 26th out of 33 girls age 14 and under

Benton (age 7): 26:10, 42nd overall, 29th out of 44 boys age 14 and under

Rosemary was VERY grumpy and impatient and had to wait until after the older kids were just about done with their race before her group even got to start. She refused to look at or smile for the camera and told everyone who would listen her grievances about it taking "TEN YEARS" for it to be her turn. I even walked up to her talking to a volunteer and heard him saying, "Well, thank you for your patience".

Jojo starting his swim. He is a great swimmer!

Ruthie started with Ethan and our neighborhood friend Isabelle. Both things motivated her to go faster, but also gave her someone to talk to to make her slow down at times. I'm not sure what the overall net effect was.

Ethan was definitely motivated by Ruthie! He was a little behind her after the swim and first transition, so he worked really hard to be almost right behind her by the end of the bike and then caught up to her on the run and used her as a pacer from then on. He finished one second before her!

I missed most of James' race while trying to catch the other kids. He said his swim didn't go that well, which isn't that surprising since he doesn't like swimming so he rarely does it and has had very limited lessons in his life. He wanted to sprint the mile at the end, but got a cramp and had to walk part. He still did great, though!

Rosemary finally got her chance! She and Claire started together, but Claire sped right past her. Rosemary is such a good swimmer! She slow and steady kept her form for the whole 50m. I think it took James until he was 7 or 8 to be brave enough to handle the real pool instead of the little kiddie pool at the end.

She was constantly grinning throughout the race!

I signed our family up for 2 volunteer spots. We were hoping they would be for before the race, but instead we were assigned a spot in transition. It ended up being perfect since Joe is an expert triathlete and quickly started coaching all the kids about how to handle transition. He decided to stay during the race, which worked out great because he could help all our kids when parents aren't usually allowed in the transition area.

He said Rosemary was talking to herself outloud throughout transition while trying to get her shorts, socks, and shoes on. She was saying things like "oh, this is a waste of time, oh man, this is too slow, I am going to run, etc". He said it was one of the best parts of the day listening to her.

I only got some of the finish line pictures since some of the kid were crossing while others were starting. Ruthie threw up a little at the end, which she does sometimes when she drinks too much water and then exerts herself. I think she gets that from me.

I still had my camera on the settings for shade when Rosemary came in in full sun, so I had to use black and white to avoid crazy colors from over exposed photos. She had the biggest smile on her face and said it was SO MUCH FUN. I am glad that we fudged her birthday by a couple months so she could participate even though she was technically 6 weeks too young.

The thing she was looking forward to the most the whole time was getting a medal. Then she left it at the ice cream place afterwards, but James gave her his. The gatorade was an added bonus because of the heat advisory. She was pretty thrilled.

Joe and Ethan helping to run Maddie in!

Ruthie and Isabelle

James' Birthday Cake Contest!

2019-07-18T18:32:00.003-04:00

James opted to have his birthday celebrated by having 3 teams of cousins compete to make him the best birthday cake. It was a 5 hour process! James' friends came to help judge.

Last Day of School!

2019-06-24T10:48:00.001-04:00

Last days of K, 2, 5 (and elementary!) and 7th. Although, James actually finished 3 days earlier, much to the girls' dismay.

Highland Park

2019-05-05T21:00:00.000-04:00

I convinced the kids to come to Highland Park for "casual photos". They were grumpy about having to do photos, but ended up loving it since I mostly just wanted to take pictures of them climbing and playing.

Christmas 2018

2018-12-29T17:38:00.002-05:00

We were lucky enough to have Nana and Pap and their dog Bailey here with us for a week at Christmas time. It just feels more like a holiday with family. Every year we worry about having enough under the tree and we wrap gifts like toothpaste, socks, underwear, hair ties, etc, and then (with the help of very generous family members) we feel sheepish when we saw how full the tree is!

Because Ruthie's penguin fever has spread, the pajama pants I made this year used penguin fabric. I actually let James make the final fabric selection to make sure he didn't feel overwhelmed by the girls' penguin votes, and this is the one he chose. He's so sweet. My friend from church, Stacey, helped make a stencil so we could paint penguins on the kids' shirts too!

The big gift this year was cleaning out a lot of stuff from the toy room to make room for a TV and bean bag chairs so the kids could have their own tv watching space. They also got a DVD player, TV stand, and Alexa in there too.

Santa gifts: giant penguin picture, sequin backpack, penguin stuffed animal, and soccer toy.

I couldn't think of a homemade gift idea this year, but at the last minute Linda gave me an idea and I made these pocket blankets for the girls to keep their beanie boos in. The animals don't stay in all the time, but I think the girls like them!

Also while Nana and Papa were here: party at the Casella's, caroling, shopping, wrapping, movies, LOTS of board games, pottery, escape room, and more. Sadly, I had to work most of the days, but still got to play with everyone later in the day!

Halloween 2018

2018-11-05T20:36:00.004-05:00

Ruthie and her friend Erika dressed up in matching costumes this year again: devils! Claire was an angel, I think partially in response to the devils. Rosemary was a rainbow fairy princess (wings and crown not pictured) and won most colorful/sparkly costume at the Trunk or Treat which is basically the highest honor Rosemary could imagine. The girls really just wanted expensive accessories for their costumes so they wore dresses they already owned. Usually the costumes are covered in coats anyway although this year it was warm enough to go without, even if it was rainy!

James wanted to scare trick or treaters again this year. We came up with a plan and made a makeshift table that he could sit under with his hand up through the top and through a hole in the bottom of the candy bowl. He then wore a fake plastic hand and would grab at people as they took candy. A couple of his friends came over and took turns with him. It was fairly transparent, especially with 2 middle school boys lurking around watching for a reaction, but they had fun and got a few good scares. By the end, they decided to just grab peoples' ankles from under the table which was also effective. James' costume was the fake hands and a random cloak. We figured he was the grim reaper or a dementor or something. He did go out trick or treating for about half an hour at the end of the night when people give away candy by the handfuls to get rid of it.

After trick or treating, we watched Harry Potter. As our kids spend less time trick or treating, I'd love to start the tradition of a HP movie marathon. Dan thinks I'm ruining the holiday :)

Oh, and I had some clients come over for headshots after my "day job" and before trick or treating on Halloween, so my stuff was conveniently set up for some quick pics!

James Cross Country

2018-10-29T15:16:00.000-04:00

I'm so proud of James working hard at something new and hard this year and watching him improve!

Five Years Down

2018-10-28T20:29:00.003-04:00

Wow. It's hard to believe we have been in Fairport and in this house for five years now. I have such vivid memories of feeling so much like an outsider here. When we first moved here and Dan traveled so much and was working on writing his dissertation. I had a two year old and a newborn and was still running my business. We were only 20 minutes away from our old friends, but too far to just call on. We hadn't made new friends yet or gotten to know our neighbors and ward members well enough to know who actually meant it when they offered help.

I didn't realize my tires were bald that first winter until my inspection in the spring, but that explained the many times I got stuck in my driveway with screaming children, Dan out of town, and nobody to help. Or sometimes someone came to help and then I felt embarrassed. I would cry and text Dan how many days left of the two years we committed to stay with this job. He would hide chocolate in the house and tell me where to find it when I was at the breaking point.

I went to the kids' school for PTA meetings and to volunteer and for all of their concerts and talent shows. Alone. Because Dan was traveling. Alone, except the 4 children age 7 and under--the two little ones in the double stroller crying half the time. Everyone in the school knew who I was from the beginning, that's for sure. I joked with people at the school about my imaginary husband whom they never saw.

I was so self conscious and so alone. I was trying so hard to be brave and patient and put myself out there and build my new "village". I repeated to myself the fable with the different travelers who each asked what kind of people were in the next village and the worker in the field who would answer "the same kind that were in your last village". I would find what I looked for. I had left amazing people, schools, and church family behind. If I compared and looked for things I didn't like as much here, I would find them. But if I looked for and expected the good and didn't compare, I'd find amazing people here too. It worked.

Now it's five years later and at least weekly I am overcome with this amazing feeling of gratitude for my "village". I have so many people I can ask for help. Then again, I don't need it as much. I have a kid or two who can babysit. They all walk and talk and know to not throw tantrums in public. We have a snow blower and good tires.

Dan puts the kids' whole school calendar on his calendar every year before scheduling his travel. He travels less. I'm working more, but we're keeping it together. We get help from friends when needed. A lady at church helps me fold laundry when I get behind. It's our thing. I hired someone to help me clean my house while I'm working two jobs, and I don't allow myself to feel guilty about that.

I am the PTA co-president. Rosemary went into Kindergarten knowing everything about that school and almost everyone knew her already. Dan helps run one of the school's biggest fundraisers and volunteers regularly in the classrooms--he's no longer imaginary. Most people there know me, but for less noisy reasons. They know me for being involved (maybe to a fault at times). And carrying large cardboard Odyssey props everywhere.

I am so grateful for my village and it reminds me to make sure I am always welcoming more people into it. I try to knock on every new neighbor's door, to introduce myself to people I don't recognize at PTA meetings and church, especially the ones with noisy kids.

My new mantra is that "everything is a phase". Sometimes that's a reminder to help me get through stressful times. Sometimes it's a reminder to soak it all in. I had a baby or toddler for TWELVE years and now I don't. I have about twelve years left of having ANY kids at home. Wow.

Kids Photos 2018

2018-10-25T21:01:00.000-04:00

Back to Work Photos

2018-09-14T22:24:00.000-04:00

Random headshots!

First Day of School!

2018-09-05T16:20:00.001-04:00

The countdown is over! Rosemary has been waiting impatiently all summer for her first day of kindergarten!

James gets on the bus first, all loaded down with backpack, trombone, and soccer tryout gear.

His shoes got a headstart on the school year since he literally wore right through his old shoes.

Ruthie has recently been a little mini Mom helping with all sorts of things from backpack straps to running the bedtime routine. It is so sweet and so helpful.

5th grade!

2nd grade!

Kindergarten!

My favorite trio of girls:

Pepper Frisbee Queen

2018-08-24T00:47:00.001-04:00

We love Pepper's frisbee antics. She loves to jump, dive, and roll and always comes back for more. She even draws a crowd when we play in public. I know the roll is just for fun because on hard surfaces, she keeps herself from doing it. Occasionally she refrains from rolling in the mud too. It makes playing fetch with her so fun because we want to get an awesome jump or roll out of her.

Triathlon 2018

2018-08-05T15:19:00.001-04:00

Reunions 2018

2018-07-31T21:14:00.000-04:00

Nailed It!

2018-07-11T23:35:00.002-04:00

The kids love watching the show "Nailed It" on Netflix where 3 people compete to recreate a cake. They wanted to do our own challenge for FHE, but we kept putting them off for a day that we had more time. They decided to do it when the cousins were here. We spent most of a day baking. The teams were James/Ruthie/Ethan, Linda/Claire/Benton, and Me/Rosemary/Asher. James and Ruthie picked the cake recipes and then we came up with our own designs and frostings. They have spent weeks planning, making the sign, crowns, etc. I hope it was everything they imagined. We tried really hard to be patient and fun while they destroyed the kitchen. I was glad Linda as here to help! We also invited friends over to help judge.

James' teams fondant (!) and butter cream decorated cake. They made the fondant from scratch all on their own!!!

Me and the little kids' chocolate monstrosity. At first we were going to make Book of Mormon stories so I was going to do the Great and Spacious building or destruction scene if it didn't work out. Then we changed to any design and Rosemary and Asher decided they wanted to participate, so I just let them go to town with candy and sprinkles and then I added frosting swirls.

Linda's was a strawberry cake filled with actual strawberries!

We voted based on looks, cake taste, and frosting taste.

Best looking was a tie between the strawberry and jungle cake. Best cake was the strawberry cake. Best frosting was a tie between jungle and strawberry. Strawberry was the overall winner!

Headshot lighting test

2018-07-06T10:05:00.003-04:00

Fairport Soccer Club

2018-06-24T17:04:00.002-04:00

Last Day of School...ish

2018-06-18T10:28:00.000-04:00

Rosemary finished school a few weeks ago, but has been attending a morning "camp" at her school since then. James' last day of 6th grade is today and the girls' last day of school is tomorrow, but Ruthie has to wear a class shirt so we did everyone's pictures today. We didn't find all the same clothes, but we got close. They have definitely grown and changed a lot. James' wet handprints on his shirt stay the same. Along with the boogers and food. He just automatically wipes his hands and nose on his shirt!

Preschool Picture Day

2018-05-03T23:21:00.002-04:00

I was so excited to take Rosemary's school photos! She got to be the one to show her friends how to have her picture taken and set the precedent for lots of silly faces. I love when the kids get silly in preschool photos, though! Of course, she had to wear her favorite sparkly dress and her Minnie Mouse crocs!

2018-04-12T18:58:00.000-04:00

Vatchell's Wedding Reception

2018-04-04T21:26:00.000-04:00

Last week, Ruthie's Odyssey team decided that one of their Odyssey teamnmates was going to marry our vacuum, Vanessa. They held the ceremony at our church while we were there for practice (not in the chapel--I drew the line there). They all had roles (priest, ring bearer, etc) and they even threw confetti.

Today, we were going to have the team over to practice spontaneous, so we decided to throw a surprise wedding reception for the team, because...well...Spring break, and Odyssey. We had lots of fun putting this together.

We baked and decorated cupcakes:

Our neighbor came over and helped design the dress, veil, and other accessories for the bride.

Claire dressed up for the dancing at the reception.

The bride's family was invited. The brooms are cousins.

The little girls formally welcomed the guests. "Welcome to the reception. Thank you for coming."

They made decorations congratulating "Vatchell" (celebrity couple name).

The bride with her veil, gown, flowers, ears, and lips that say "kiss here".

Surprising Mitchell.

Dancing with the bride and family.

Guest and family photo.

Family and team photo.

The cake, with toothpick and marshmallow letters spelling "Vatchell", because, Odyssey.

"The groom" looked at it and said, "Seriously? You guys took this way too far--it was just a joke." Which cracked me up. I wonder if most grooms walk into their reception and think "You guys took this way too far".

Christmas 2018

2018-01-22T13:14:00.000-05:00

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