A Little Bit of Service

Saturday our ward did a service project at St Mary's Food Bank. We worked on assembly lines packing food in bags & boxes. We (as a group of about 100 volunteers) made enough bags/boxes to feed 32000 families. It was a great time. There is something about service that makes you feel so pure inside. You truly feel that you are in the service of your Lord. Sometimes you get to thinking about how hard life might be, but it is good to have a chance to be grateful for what you have. It was fun for David & I to do service together & someday I hope to do these things with my children.
Me on the assembly line of adding applesauce to the bags David was the official "box breaker"

A New Pet

We have had a few pets in our days. Frogs, that I killed by not putting water in their cage & sat them outside in the sun...oops. Salamanders that we gave to someone with a pond before we moved. Scorpion, yes a scorpion....that I killed by setting it outside in 120 degree heat with nothing but it's cage (who knew those gross things needed water and frankly I'm glad I killed it...it was too creepy). The girls would love to have a dog, but we live in an apartment on the 3rd floor & it is just not a good thing. We have been thinking for awhile that they are old enough for a pet, to feed & take care of but what? A fish? A hermit crab? A gerbil? Well thanks to a guy at work, Daddy came home with a Beta fish & the girls were ecstatic. They brought the stool out & just watched it, trying to figure out what to name it (he is still nameless). Zhara wanted to take him in a car ride to school, but instead they got to feed him this morning. Hopefully I won't kill this one.....

6 Years

Sunday David & I celebrated 6 years of marriage. We actually celebrated it Friday night. The Krainocks took the girls for a slumber party with their good friend Addie & we went out for wings & some trivia at our favorite restaurant, Native New Yorker. We were going to watch Harry Potter (I've been dying to see it) but the showing was at 940 & it is a 2 1/2 hr movie.....I can tell I'm getting old because instead of watching something I'm DYING to see I thought about going to bed at like 2 am & we chose to go home, watch a movie & eat some ice cream. Alone time is always nice to feel like we did 6 years ago...just husband & wife. Neither one of us can believe we have been married for 6 years. David is my very best friend & I am so thankful for the journey that we have had & look forward to the next year we have in front of us. I don't think we've changed much.....okay maybe a bit :)

I'm a big girl now.....

I've been out of the blog world for awhile & I have so much to post about but I wanted to share my little Zhara is now a kindergartner. I can't believe this day is here....the past 5 years have went by so fast. Here are some pictures:
Zhara getting all of her supplies ready last night Zhara all ready to go this morning. She is attending a Charter school & wears a uniform everyday. Her backpack & lunch bag are Ariel.Alyssa wanted to help, so she carried Zhara's lunch bag for her.Here is Zhara putting her bag at her seatZhara was nervous for the first day & Alyssa wouldn't leave her side so they are reading together before class startsLining up to walk outside for the flag ceremony. I love how Alyssa lines up with them.Here is Zhara so nervous waiting to say the pledge. She looks so little.We left her after they said the pledge. I didn't cry. Although there was a moment when I saw the scared look on her face & she reached out for my hand & I had to let her go & tell her it was going to be all right, when inside I wanted to hold her. When I picked her up she had a great day. We went to see Daddy after school & he took us to get ice cream & we talked about the day. Then tonight we went through her bag & all that she did today. I have to say it's a very exciting phase of life. It's just so hard to believe that she is gone all day 5 days a week....that we have sent our little, precious girl out into the world.
Alyssa had a hard time today adjusting to her playmate being gone. I had to play alot more than usual but we had a good time. Here she is playing with her frog, helping him say "cheese" for the picture.