You Are Not Too Young To Know...

When you look at a picture and think...wow that girl is so beautiful...maybe what you see is not so real. If you want real beauty look in the mirror. Check this out...



Let us not be deceived about what real beauty and handsomeness is. I love your beautiful little selves very much and wanted you to know.

Yay, Ross Boss Apple Sauce!

Ross is the bomb!

News from Aunt Laura...He has read and passed quizzes for 126 books in his Lexile reading range. Only 23 kids in the entire school have done that and Ross is one of them!! Great work Rosco!

Way to go Rossie, Grampa and I are very proud of you!

Sharing Your Talents!

It is amazing what people of all ages can do if they take their talents, develop them and are not afraid to share them. This boy is only 13 and in the sixth grade. Enjoy! Keep up those music lessons and choir, you guys! Double click on the YouTube to see the whole screen.

Spencer is Eleven!

This is his GQ Photo!

May is Family Birthdays Galore around here! Chloe yesterday, Spencer today, Missy, Zach and Robert all have May birthdays and Owen is June 2. It is our tradition for me to write about each one as they move up a year. Today it is Spencer's turn!

Actually today is not the happiest day for Spencer because it is the day that the movers have come to pick up their household effects and put them on a big ship and send them to the USA. It is hard to live without your things for 3 months and even harder to leave your good friends behind.

Sometimes we forget how much the kids of our military families sacrifice for you and me. I interviewed Spencer this morning and asked him who his favorite friend is from Italy. He asked if he could say more than one. Here they are, Chase, Alex, Ryan, Patrick, Cole,Sean, Josh, Devon, Travis, Cody, Jonah, Chad and Ian.
That is a lot of missing just ahead for him.

Spencer said he loves to do a lot of things with his Dad outside. Basketball, Soccer, dodge ball (his favorite) and look for rocks, etc. In the above picture they are discussing ice skating at an outdoor rink on New Year's Day in Verona. He says his Daddy is very good at sports!

He had a hard time picking what he loves
doing most with Ross. I know they
love Mom's (or are they Dad's) hamburgers
grilled on one of their balconies.

Spencer skipping rocks in the sea at Cinque Terra

He also says he loves watching movies with Ross on long car trips.They do have their moments as brothers
that warm a Gramma's heart.

Spencer is a builder

H says his favorite toys are Legos and Clone Troupers.

Apparently he also loves ropes and tying
himself up and then escaping!
Or maybe Ross had a hand in this??

He also like wrestling around with Ross.

They have spent lots of quality family
time traveling this year.

I asked him what his favorite thing to do with Mom is. He said he doesn't do much with her because she is quite picky about keeping a clean house. I guess he forgot about cooking and baking with her, going places, and having her as his teacher since he thinks she is the best teacher in the world. 9 Kids do remember the strangest things about their moms and what they actually do! Just ask my son!) I know Spence also likes his quiet times to be with her and just talk and stuff.

Making bread he is not allergic to from scratch.
They even make the sacrament bread
for their whole ward every week.

Spencer loves to eat out at " Arizona" in Italy. {Odd name I know for an Italian restaurant.} Eating out is a very special treat for Spencer as he has a severe peanut allergy that prevents him doing this in most places. But Arizona is safe and he LOVES Marguerita Pizza more than anything!

He says he will miss this the most about Italy as it is almost impossible to duplicate here in the USA. And our dough is made with soy and he cannot eat soy either. So mom is trying to duplicate it. Seh may need a pizza stone as the crust has to be just right!

He enjoys Caprese Salad made with real buffalo
milk mozzarella cheese and tomatoes.

Yummy, like no other!

He said he will not miss the Italian language.
He can understand some of it but does not speak it.

Here are a few of the other things Spencer told me about himself this morning:

His favorite color is Green...lime green...maybe even neon green.

Favorite books...Louis Sacher books like Wayside School and Holes.

Favorite place to visit: A pool and water slide in Germany and Legoland in Germany.
(Sadly, not Gramma and Grampa's house!)

Favorite school subject...Science

Least Favorite school subject...History, too many work sheets.

Favorite animals... Wolves, Dogs, Birds

Favorite movies...Holes and he loves the Bill Cosby show reruns.

His biggest pet peeve..."Mom will not let me dig holes in the back yard!"

Favorite Dessert...Pie, any kind.

Enjoy Your Birthday Pie, Spencer!

Happy Eleventh Birthday Spencer.
Grampa and I send lots of hugs your way,
in fact here's a whole box of them just for you!

Chloe Jane is FIVE!

This is how she looked last year at this time!

And suddenly...5
All big and a has lost some teeth and
is ready for Kindergarten in the fall!

Happy Birthday Miss Chloe!
You have grown up so much!

We got Chloe exactly five years ago on the day she was born. She is our special gift from Heavenly Father and her birth parents. For those of you that are new to my blog you can read all about that wonderful event here.

On Friday Mommy had her friends over for her birthday party to have cake and fun with Chloe. Here are some of the photos.

The climbing tree in the backyard.

Playing with Halen

Present Time For The Princess!

Here Chloe is standing next to her cousin
and our grandson, Zach, blowing out her candles.
Twinkies + candles+ 5- year-olds
+ easy peasy for Mama=Brilliant!

Chloe also had a family party on Saturday night but not one like she had ever had before. This time her birth family was invited. She has seen them a few times and calls her birth brother and sister "her kids." They dressed up and went to Pirate Island for pizza.

Here she is with her bio siblings
on the left Michael and Katelyn.
of course you know
Julia, Piper, and Hazie!
That is Katelyn in the pink,
doesn't she look like Chloe?
(P.S. Julia is not smoking, she has a sucker! Whew!)

Arcade games with Daddy

Hazie diggin' the party and being a pirate!

We love you with all of our hearts!
Lots of hugs and kisses
Gramma and Grampa
XOXOXOXOXO
and one to grow on XO

Taken today....It looks like a very
happy day, Little One!